Dangerous Surrender

Dangerous Surrender

By Carrie Kelly

Copyright 2013 by Carrie Kelly

Published by Carrie Kelly

Cover Art:

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / konradbak

Formally sold as Spies Prefer Curves and the following novellas: Curves in Bangkok, Curves in Danger and Curves in Love.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved.

All characters in this story are made up by the author. They aren’t based on any real people.

Table of Contents

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

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13

About the Author

1

 "I'm not going," I said and yanked the sarong out of my suitcase. "It was supposed to be our honeymoon – not my own private pity party."

Cheryl, my best friend, patiently pulled the sarong out of my hands and folded it before placing it on top of my one-piece bathing suit. "We've been over this a hundred times, Tilda. You're going to Thailand, and you’re going to have the time of your life. Without Steven."

I flinched when she said my ex-fiancé's name. How could I not? The wound was still too fresh. Too raw. He’d only broken our engagement five weeks prior. Five short weeks before we planned to start our lives together he found someone new – someone thin and pretty -- not an overweight uptight bore like me.

Now all I had to show for our yearlong relationship was an unworn wedding dress, a ring and tickets for a month long romp across Southeast Asia. The trip was my dream, and one I thought Steven shared with me. Now, Cheryl’s older brother offered to accompany me instead.

“I don’t want to put Jack out. He doesn’t have to chaperone me the whole time, does he?”

Cheryl pulled open my drawer and fiddled through my panties. “Jack’s chuffed about the whole thing. He’s been over there tons and will give you a real inside look at the country – or so he says. You’ll have a great time together. You’ve just got to cut loose a little,” she said in her reassuring Australian accent and gave me a wink.

I frowned. “Fine, but maybe I shouldn’t take the bathing suit. I’m not going to swim in front of Jack.”

Cheryl’s hand swatted mine away as I grabbed at the black material. “The suit stays. If you don’t want Jack to flirt with you just tell him so. Not that it’ll do much good.”

I rolled my eyes and smoothed the shirt over my stomach. Flirting was the least of my worries. “You know that’s not what I mean. Steven said--”

“Steven said a lot of stupid shit and don’t you believe a word of it! He left you, Tilda. He broke
your
heart and
your
engagement in a despicable way. Then he ran off with that little tart without so much as a goodbye. I know you’re sick of me saying it, but you’re better off. Much better off without him weighing you down.”

Plopping on my bed, I sighed. “I wasn’t the one weighting him down. It was the other way around.”

You’re fat, Tilda
. His words ate through any sliver of self-confidence I had left.
Fattie Mattie
, just like high school. Who would be interested in me now?

Her eyes softened and she got that sympathetic smile she’d had ever since we were kids. “Tilda, you’re a beautiful, smart and talented woman. You design the most amazing costumes I’ve ever seen, and you almost had a Tony to show for it! Whatever Steven said was an excuse for his own awful behavior. You know that, right?”

I leaned back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I almost had a husband too, but apparently I’m not good enough for either. Truth be told – losing the Tony hurt just a tad bit worse. “Please don’t turn into a psychologist on me right now. I’m trying to have a proper melt down.”

Cheryl laughed. “Have at it. You need a melt down before you can build yourself back up,” she said and patted my round thigh.

Sitting up, I looked at the pair of lace panties she’d folded and tucked into the suitcase. “Those are my sexy panties. I doubt I’ll be needing them.” I didn’t have the heart to ask her to pack the Spanks instead.

She grinned. “Come on. Didn’t you have a crush on Jack back in the day?”

“Fifteen years ago!” Luckily, she wasn’t the type to get squeamish about friends dating her sibling. “Not that Jack would ever go for me, now or then. Especially since I’m an uptight bore.”

Cheryl shook her head and threw ever pair of lacy panties I owned into the bag. “You’re not taking one pair of ugly undies on this trip. Have you got that, Matilda Mae Tucker? You’re only taking the sexist things you own, in fact,” she cried and pulled out every plain shirt she’d already packed. “You’re going to get laid. I’m sure Jack will oblige.”

I wanted to protest, but the look of glee on her face was almost too much. I laughed instead, which I hadn’t done in five long weeks. “I don’t own very many sexy things. I’ll only have a weeks worth of clothing, if that.”

“Then you can go shopping while you’re there. Have something custom made — Jack says they specialize in that,” she said and finished packing for me.

It took all the self-control I possessed not to fill my suitcase full of old t-shirts and jeans to begin with. I let her have at it. Maybe I’d load up on fine Asian silk and make myself a flattering new wardrobe when I returned home.

“I don’t want pity sex with your brother, no matter how good looking he is.”

Cheryl raised a sculpted eyebrow. “Is? I thought you only
used to
have a crush on him.”

Despite my frown, heat rose to my cheeks. Damn my treacherous fair skin! “I’m thirty-two. I don’t get crushes. But I can objectively say that, yes, Jack is hot even now.”

A smile played on the edge of her lips. “Hotter than Steven?”

I closed my eyes and pretended to think about it, although in the back of my mind I knew it was no contest. They were polar opposites. Steven was an average looking guy with a slightly receding hairline and a medium build – nothing to write home about, but I didn’t have a right to complain.

 Jack, on the other hand, was some kind of gorgeous man-god – golden skin, pale brown hair with streaks of sun kissed blond, sharp blue eyes, a good six feet two and ruggedly muscular. No way in hell Steven could compete with that.

“Yes. Jack’s hotter than Steven. That’s not even a fair comparison.”

“Yet you were going to marry the lug,” she says and zips up my suitcase.

I chewed on my bottom lip and shrugged. Yes. I was going to marry him. We were in love; at least I thought we were.
Turns out I can’t even entice an average guy for very long
.

She gave me long, tight hug and brushed the strawberry blonde hair from my face. “Get some sleep. You’ve got a long flight tomorrow.”

“Thanks, mom,” I teased and twisted the engagement ring around my finger.

“You’re still wearing that?” she asked, not unkindly, but I knew she disapproved.

“I’ll take it off when I’m ready,” I said and forced myself to smile.

Cheryl patted my knee and nodded her understanding. “I hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

I hoped so too.

2

Leaning back in my first class seat, I glanced out at the tarmac and smoothed the dress over my thighs. Then I looked at the empty place next to me and frowned for the hundredth time that day.
Great. Now I’m going to end up alone in Thailand for a whole month.

I sent one final text to Cheryl, and forced myself to smile at the flight attendant. It was fine. I had plans. My itinerary was all set. Jack probably didn’t want to do the same things I did anyway. And he’d flirt with all the pretty Thai girls while I’d be left alone, like usual.

“Mattie, sorry I’m late,” Jack said in his thick Australian accent, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. He was the only person that still called me that.

“Jack,” I muttered and looked up at him as he slipped his backpack into the overhead compartment. His biceps tightened over his golden skin, and he flashed me a smile – his white teeth just as perfect as the rest of him. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”

He made a little “pfft” sound and shook his head. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world, love.”

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I shoved the in flight magazine back into the slot in front of my seat. My heart hammered in my chest.
Love
. Why did he have to call me that? I know it’s an Aussie thing. He’d done it since we were in high school, but it still got me every time.

Even in normal clothes he looked gorgeous. The snug jeans hugged his hips and ass in all the right places, and his t-shirt showed off the tight muscles in his chest and stomach. I wore a simple floral dress, loose enough to hide any unpleasant bulges, and I’d wound my fair hair into a braid.

“It’s been awhile, but you’re still as pretty as ever,” he said and winked.

Great. I knew Cheryl told him my predicament, but I didn’t want him to pity me for it.
Poor fat Tilda can’t keep a fiancé
.

“Thanks, Jack,” I said and looked back outside.

This was going to be a long month.

After take off, he ordered two glasses of champagne and shot me that heart-melting smile again. Dammit. I was too vulnerable for this – for him. Absently, I twisted the band of gold around my finger and took the drink.

“Still got the ring, I see.”

“Oh, yeah. Are you going to tell me to take if off just like Cheryl did?”

His blue eyes sparkled, and he shook his head. “Course not, Mattie. It works in my favor. Our favor, actually.”

Sipping from my fluted glass, I looked at him. “They’ll think I’m taken and you aren’t? Now you can pick up ladies without me getting in the way?”

He chuckled, his rich voice rumbling through his chest, and he pulled a little golden band out of his pocket and slipped it on his own ring finger. “No, love. They’ll think we’re hitched.”

“Jack,” I breathed and shook my head.

He downed his champagne in one long sip and leaned into me, resting his strong hand on my thigh. All my muscles tensed under his touch, my mind running defense. He was going to feel every bulge in my legs with his fingers spread over my skin like that!

 “Yes? You want to have a go in the loo? Join the mile high club in first class, you naughty girl.”

My cheeks burned crimson, and I pushed his hand off my leg. “What? No!”

“Keep your voice down, darling. You did marry me, after all.”

A couple of the other passengers glanced over at us. Great. Now they though I was crazy. After another long sip of my drink, I took a deep breath and frowned at my traveling companion. “Listen, I don’t need your pity, Jack. I know this isn’t your idea of a fun vacation but--”

He put a finger to my lips and shook his head. A stand of hair fell carelessly over his forehead and the edges of his eyes crinkled just so when he smiled. “I’m not taking any pity on you, Mattie. But I do have a proposition to make—one I don’t think you’ll refuse.”

“Oh really?”

“Really,” he said and took my hand in his. His calloused skin sent electric shocks up my arms. “Be my wife,” he said with perfect sincerity.

“What?” I blanched and yanked my hand away. Looking at my lap, my dress’ floral pattern turned watery and my eyes burned. “That’s not funny!”

“Fine, be my pretend wife then. Just for the trip, love.”

I’m not sure how long I sat like that, but my hands trembled and I fought to hold back the hot tears.
Just what I needed in front of Jack – raccoon eyes!

“Why do you need a pretend wife?” I finally managed.

“Business purposes. Come on and look at me, Mattie!” he said and lifted my chin with surprising gentleness.

I stared into his blue eyes, almost the exact same color as the center of a flame, and frowned. “What sort of business purposes?”

“I’m trying to close a deal with a textile company and they’ve got a strong family value system. If I had a wife, it’d make the whole deal go over smoother. You’re into theater. You should be good at play acting.”

“I’m a costume designer, not an actor!” I hissed. Even back in high school I learned the theater didn’t want women who wore a size sixteen on stage. I’d ruin the illusion of perfection.

“Well, even better. You know all about fabric, right? Think of how perfect you are for the roll.”

I finished my champagne and looked out the window at the city below us. Now that we were in the air, I couldn’t run away from the situation. Dammit. This wasn’t part of my plan at all – Jack wasn’t part of the plan and pretending to be his wife for business purposes definitely wasn’t!