Page 40 of His Surrender

Pain flashed in his eyes, and he looked away from me. “No. She died when I was twelve.”

Shit.

“I’m sorry,” I said. Leave it to me to bring up a past trauma when I was trying to distract him from his current one. “What about your dad?”

A dry laugh escaped him. “What about him? He’s an even bigger asshole than you.” He smiled, though, to soften the blow. “He called me today, and you know what he said?”

“Happy Birthday?” I guessed.

“Nope.” Remi shook his head. “He told me to come work for him for the millionth time, and when I said no, he got pissed and hung up.”

“Work for him? Where?”

“He owns a company that specializes in building condos, vacation homes, and all that shit for insanely rich clients. He wants me to move to California and be the head of that branch.”

“That doesn’t sound like you at all,” I said, failing to imagine Remi working in an office job as some big-shot CEO.

“Right? Crazy how you can see that after only knowing me like a month, but my own dad can’t see it.”

“I’ve technically known you since last summer.”

“The times where you creepily came to the 906 and stalked me doesn’t count,” he said, snorting.

“I didn’t stalk you. I enjoy having a smoke while listening to jazz. If that’s a crime, then sue me.”

“So you like jazz? Really?” he asked. When I nodded, he smiled and scrubbed his other arm. “Nathan always told me he liked jazz when we were dating. I’d play songs for him on the piano and everything. He admitted tonight that he actually hates it. Maybe it’s stupid, but it hurt my feelings.”

“It’s not stupid,” I said, forcing myself to stay seated. The sadness in his eyes made me want to pull him into my arms again. “The world is made up of two kinds of people: people who like jazz and people who are wrong.”

He smiled. “Like jazz, life is best when you improvise. Toss aside the rules and follow whatever path calls to you. It’s why I refuse to accept the job offer from my dad. That’s not my path. I’m playing a whole different rhythm.”

I wondered then if I was playing the same rhythm as Remi. Maybe not the same instrument, but definitely part of the same song, one that had highs and a few lows.

Remi rinsed off the soap and stood from the tub, his cock hanging thick and wet between his legs. I tore my eyes away and handed him a towel, my face heating. Since when did I get nervous seeing a naked man? What the hell was wrong with me?

“I never thought I’d see the day when Jay fucking Foley blushed.”

“I’m not blushing.” However, right as I said the words, my face got even hotter. “Cover yourself up.”

“Why?” Remi grabbed the towel and slowly ran it down his body, his blue eyes alive with a mischievous gleam. His dick swung a bit as he moved the towel across it. “Do you not have any self-control?”

My jeans grew way too snug, and I released a somewhat shaky breath. The tables haddefinitelyturned. There he was teasingmeinstead of the other way around.

“The fact I’m standin’ here and not falling to my knees in front of you and slipping that beautiful cock into my mouth is proof of my self-control.”

His cock twitched in response to my words.

“No one’s stopping you.”

I can’t give in. I don’t want to hurt him.

“I’ll be in the living room.” I exited the bathroom. My willpower was slipping fast. Another moment and I would’ve pressed him against the wall and captured those delicious lips before doing exactly what I’d described.

Without meaning to, I had let Remi Barnett through the barriers I kept around myself.

Chapter 10

Remi