Surrender: A House of Sin Novella Read online

  Surrender

  A House of Sin Novella

  By Elisabeth Naughton

  1001 Dark Nights

  Surrender

  A House of Sin Novella

  By Elisabeth Naughton

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2018 Elisabeth Naughton

  ISBN: 978-1-948050-14-2

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  SURRENDER

  A House of Sin Novella

  By Elisabeth Naughton

  From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elisabeth Naughton comes a new story in her House of Sin series…

  The leaders of my House want her dead.

  The men I’ve secretly aligned myself with want her punished for screwing up their coup.

  I’ve been sent by both to deal with her, but one look at the feisty redhead and I’ve got plans of my own.

  Before I carry out anyone else’s orders, she’s going to give me what I want. And only when I’m satisfied will I decide if she lives or dies.

  Depending, of course, on just how easily she surrenders...

  **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

  About Elisabeth Naughton

  Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Besides topping bestseller lists, her books have been nominated for some of the industry's most prestigious awards, such as the RITA® and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Learn more at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.

  Also from Elisabeth Naughton

  Click to purchase

  Eternal Guardians

  (paranormal romance)

  MARKED

  ENTWINED

  TEMPTED

  ENRAPTURED

  ENSLAVED

  BOUND

  TWISTED

  RAVAGED

  AWAKENED

  UNCHAINED

  Firebrand Series

  (paranormal romance)

  BOUND TO SEDUCTION

  SLAVE TO PASSION

  POSSESSED BY DESIRE

  Against All Odds Series

  (romantic suspense)

  WAIT FOR ME

  HOLD ON TO ME

  MELT FOR ME

  Aegis Series

  (romantic suspense)

  FIRST EXPOSURE

  SINFUL SURRENDER

  EXTREME MEASURES

  LETHAL CONSEQUENCES

  FATAL PURSUIT

  Deadly Secrets Series

  (romantic suspense)

  REPRESSED

  GONE

  PROTECTED

  UNSPEAKABLE

  House of Sin Series

  FORBIDDEN

  DECEIVED

  UNDONE

  SURRENDER

  Stolen Series

  (romantic suspense)

  STOLEN FURY

  STOLEN HEAT

  STOLEN SEDUCTION

  STOLEN CHANCES

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Click here to explore

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Click here to explore

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Click here to explore

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Click here to explore

  ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING by Kristen Ashley

  ADORING INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  SWEET RIVALRY by K. Bromberg

  SHADE'S LADY by Joanna Wylde

  RAZR by Larissa Ione

  ARRANGED by Lexi Blake

  TANGLED by Rebecca Zanetti

  HOLD ME by J. Kenner

  SOMEHOW, SOME WAY by Jennifer Probst

  TOO CLOSE TO CALL by Tessa Bailey

  HUNTED by Elisabeth Naughton

  EYES ON YOU by Laura Kaye

  BLADE by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON BURN by Donna Grant

  TRIPPED OUT by Lorelei James

  STUD FINDER by Lauren Blakely

  MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED by Lara Adrian

&nb
sp; HALLOW BE THE HAUNT by Heather Graham

  DIRTY FILTHY FIX by Laurelin Paige

  THE BED MATE by Kendall Ryan

  PRINCE ROMAN by CD Reiss

  NO RESERVATIONS by Kristen Proby

  DAWN OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TEMPT ME by J. Kenner

  Sign up for the 1001 Dark Nights Newsletter

  and be entered to win a Tiffany Key necklace.

  There's a contest every month!

  Click here to subscribe.

  As a bonus, all subscribers will receive a free copy of

  Discovery Bundle Three

  Featuring stories by

  Sidney Bristol, Darcy Burke, T. Gephart

  Stacey Kennedy, Adriana Locke

  JB Salsbury, and Erika Wilde

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Elisabeth Naughton

  Also from Elisabeth Naughton

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Five

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover More Elisabeth Naughton

  An excerpt from Forbidden by Elisabeth Naughton

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  “And some will awaken you to things you didn’t even know were sleeping within.”

  –Natalie Peralta

  Chapter One

  Marco

  She was temptation personified. Everything I was not supposed to be enticed by. And yet, one look at her pale skin, blond hair, and deep brown eyes behind that butterfly mask, and I knew I had to have her.

  Not just because she was my target. Oh, this yearning had nothing to do with that. As I studied her across the ballroom in the skimpy black dress that showed off her tiny waist, voluptuous chest, and shapely ass, a fire built inside me, one that burned hotter and stronger than the reason I was here.

  She was the sexiest thing I’d seen in all my thirty years, even with that ridiculous wig and those fake contacts. And before this night was over, I was going to feel those sexy legs wrap around my waist and draw me in. I would hear her scream my name as she surrendered to me...even if the name she screamed wasn’t really mine.

  I crossed the black and white checked floor toward her, unable to stay still by the column where I’d been watching the masquerade party in the shadows for the last hour. The room was filled with wealthy men and the women they preyed upon, all hiding their identities as they met up, paired off, and disappeared to the lower levels of the mansion for whatever debauched activities they could imagine. I was already considering which room I would take her to. Would hers be a high-pitched scream? The kind that threatened to shatter glass? Or a low, throaty sound that vibrated through every cell in my body and triggered my own release?

  My mission where she was concerned was obvious. She was the eldest child of the head of House Merrick, centered in the U.K., one of the five main Houses spread across Europe that made up the Entente. The other Houses were in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. For over a thousand years, the Entente had been controlling the world from the shadows—manipulating world governments, militaries, even currencies and economies all for their gain. Most people didn’t know they existed. Those that suspected something nefarious was going on behind the scenes were labeled conspiracy nuts. This woman, though, was making waves for the Entente without her father’s knowledge. She was part of what had been labeled the Resistance—those working to undermine the Entente and destroy its power. And my House—House Salvatici in Italy—wanted her stopped before she ruined everything.

  “Threaten her. Scare her. Make sure she gets the message that she is not to fuck with House Salvatici.”

  Of course, we couldn’t just outright assassinate her. She was an heir, after all, and there were rules. Rules the rest of the world might find ridiculous, but which those of us in the Entente did not. Those ancient rules kept the Entente running smoothly. They were sacred. I’d been sent to make sure she surrendered to our will and backed down. And I fully intended to fulfill my duty. But after seeing her, after taking in those plump lips and that sinful body, I first intended to make her surrender to me. In every filthy way I wanted.

  She was standing at the bar, sipping what looked like a bourbon or rum or tequila as she scanned the room. Most women I’d met didn’t like strong alcohol, though, so I was sure I had to be wrong. I moved up next to her—not too close, not too far away—and signaled the bartender. As he moved my direction, I said, “Large Laphroaig. On the rocks.”

  “Ten year?”

  “Eighteen.”

  A nervous look crossed the bartender’s face. “That’s a very rare bottle, sir. I’m not sure we have that.”

  “I’m sure you do,” I responded in my practiced Spanish accent. “I’ll wait while you find it.”

  Beside me, the blonde lifted her auburn brow that didn’t match her hair color and sipped her drink, continuing to look out over the crowd of people drinking, laughing, flirting—some even dancing to the low, sultry beat of some jazz number I didn’
t recognize.

  The bartender disappeared into a back room and returned several minutes later with a bottle in his hand. “Turns out we did have it.”

  Shocker. The masters of the universe running this masquerade didn’t drink the cheap shit themselves.

  The bartender added ice to a glass and began pouring. Beside me, the blonde’s perfume—something that included gardenias, my favorite flower—drifted to my nose. Another enticement I couldn’t refuse.

  I pulled a generous tip from my wallet and set it on the gleaming wood as the bartender handed me my glass.

  “Thank you, sir,” he said in his clipped British accent.

  I lifted the glass to my lips and took a large sip. As the bartender moved to help someone else, the blonde said, “A whisky connoisseur. That or you were just trying to see how cheap our host is.”

  I smirked and turned toward her. “They always hide the good stuff.”

  “Sounds as if you know from experience.”

  Her accent was very posh. And very un-commoner. A dead giveaway she was from the upper British crust and not the mind-washed kitten she was pretending to be.

  “Here? No.” I worked to accentuate my own accent so she wouldn’t realize where I was really from. “But at rich parties like this, they always keep the good stuff hidden.”

  I offered my hand. “Marc Garcia. I’m in the computer business.”

  I figured that was a boring enough cover. And a partial truth to my name would keep me out of trouble.

  “Computers, hmm?” Her silky fingers slid over mine for a split second before disappearing way too fast. “What are you doing here, Mr. Garcia?”

  There was definite interest in her eyes. I hadn’t been wrong earlier when I’d thought she was checking me out. The little minx was as attracted to me as I was to her. She was just working hard to hide it.