Charming Colton Read online

  Charming Colton

  Surrender, Book Eight

  Becca Jameson

  Copyright © 2021 by Becca Jameson

  Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. And resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Newsletter

  Acknowledgments

  About the Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Also by Becca Jameson

  About the Author

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  Becca’s Newsletter Sign-up

  Acknowledgments

  Once again I have to thank the people who spent so much time helping me brainstorm! Susan and Rebecca—you guys are the best! And to all the fans of this series who are enjoying it, I love you all! Your kind words mean the world to me.

  About the Book

  Evelyn

  I lead a very complicated and complex existence.

  I’m a force to be reckoned with by day: pencil skirts and heels, totally professional.

  In the evenings, I let myself be the little I am inside.

  It doesn’t matter that I don’t have a Daddy for real.

  I spend a few nights a week at Surrender setting up scenes to exercise my brat.

  But now my life is in danger.

  Letting Colton move in with me to protect me puts a cramp in my style.

  How am I going to be myself around him and fulfill my own desires?

  He’s not even a club member. And Colton is certainly not a Daddy.

  Or maybe he just doesn’t realize it yet.

  * * *

  Colton

  I’ve worked undercover for a long time. I’ve seen everything. Or…maybe not.

  The gorgeous woman I’m assigned to protect has two sides.

  I’ve always known I’m rather dominant, but a Daddy?

  This is new to me. I need to play the role to keep her safe. It’s just for a few weeks.

  I’m shocked when I tap into a side of me I never knew existed.

  Evelyn tugs at my heart. Both her little and her adult.

  It doesn’t take long to know she is mine.

  Undercover work is not conducive to long-term relationships. Eve deserves more.

  When this assignment is over, I’ll never see her again.

  I’m treading on thin ice. Now what?

  Chapter 1

  Colton

  Need your help.

  I stare at the text I just sent, hoping the recipient will realize who it’s coming from.

  Anything. Anytime. You know that.

  I release the breath I’ve been holding and send another text.

  Are you alone? Can you talk?

  Less than a minute later, my phone rings and I connect to the call as I lean back against my sofa. “Hey, thanks for taking my call so quickly.”

  “You know you don’t have to ask. I’m indebted to you for life.” Davis chuckles.

  “You are not indebted to me. Stop that nonsense.”

  Davis’s voice is serious when he speaks again. “I’m glad you called anyway. I figured one day I would be able to repay you. I assume that day has come.”

  “Yes.” It’s been eight months since I last saw Davis, the day after helping him rescue his girlfriend, Britney, from a human trafficker. The day after he helped me catch the guy. Too bad even though that guy is dead, he wasn’t the end of the line. “This is going to come straight out of left field, but do you know a woman named Evelyn Dean?”

  Davis’s breath hitches slightly. The average person wouldn’t have noticed it, but I’m not average. I’m an undercover cop trained to notice a lot of things. And what I notice next is that Davis hasn’t answered my question.

  I smile. “Your silence speaks volumes, so no need to answer that question. Let me tell you why I know her.” I close my eyes for a moment to remind myself that he doesn’t need me to tell him she’s damn sexy. That she has long wavy brown hair. Or that she’s petite. Or that she looks a lot like Hudson’s girlfriend Britney.

  “Please tell me she’s not the next human-trafficking victim.”

  I sigh and run a hand over my head. “I suspect she is. Yes.”

  “Fuck. Tell me what you know.”

  The only reason I would share information about this case with anyone alive is because I need Davis’s help, and I trust him implicitly. He works for Black Blade Protection. Keeping people’s secrets is part of his job. “We received an anonymous tip, so I’ve been keeping tabs on her. Today she went to lunch with a friend, someone you also know, no doubt. Her name is Leah. I sat in the booth next to them. If they hadn’t happened to mention your name in conversation, I never would have made the connection. Seriously, I’m still unnerved by the coincidence.”

  “She was talking about me?” Davis’s voice is strained.

  “Don’t worry. All good things.”

  “Do you know where I know her from then?”

  “Yes.” No sense pretending otherwise. This is why I’m calling. “A club called Surrender.”

  Davis says nothing.

  I’m not surprised. I looked up the club. It’s a private BDSM club. I’m certain the members do not kiss and tell. I hadn’t known Davis was a member.

  “Don’t get the wrong idea. Evelyn and her friend were speaking in hushed voices. No one else would have heard them. I was working hard to catch as much of their conversation as I could. I’m trained to do so. They never mentioned the club by name. I already knew the name of the club because I’ve been keeping an eye on Evelyn for a few weeks. I’ve seen her come and go from Surrender.”

  “You’re really worried about her.”

  “Of course. I’m also aware that she’s dating another member of the club. Owen Karplus. Tall guy. Slender. Fortyish. Receding hairline, but he keeps it cut close to the scalp.”

  Davis groans. “I know him too. I didn’t know his last name, but a guy by that description named Owen is a newer member of the club, and I’ve seen him with Eve. Do you think he’s a suspect?”

  “Not necessarily. I have no idea. I’ve been keeping tabs on him too though, just in case.”

  “Eve certainly looks a lot like Britney. Fits the profile.” Davis’s voice is stiff with concern.

  “Exactly. I assume she fits it even more when she’s not dressed for business in tight skirts, blouses, and heels, with perfect hair and makeup. Under all that, I bet she’s young and innocent-looking.”

  Davis draws in a breath. “S
he is.”

  I hesitate. How the fuck does he know that? “Have you dated her?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Shit. Don’t answer that. It’s none of my business. Sorry.”

  He chuckles. “No. It’s fine. I have not dated her.”

  Okay… Then how do you know what she looks like without makeup? I don’t ask. “Anyway, Owen owns a bar near the club. I’ve seen her come and go from there a few times, and she meets him for coffee.”

  “So you’re trailing a man you think is the seller and a woman you think could be the victim.”

  “Perhaps. No particular reason to suspect Owen yet. Just because she’s seeing him doesn’t mean he plans to kidnap her. And…”

  “What else?”

  “I think someone is following her.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yes.”

  “Can’t your boss assign more guys to this? Sounds like you need more eyes.” Davis asks.

  “Not yet. I don’t have enough evidence.”

  “Jesus. I’ll talk to my boss, Blade. I’m sure he’ll be willing to help out. Is that why you called?”

  “No. I’m still collecting information. So far all I know is that Evelyn could be a target, someone might be following her, and she’s been seeing Owen lately. He could be grooming her, or it could be a coincidence.”

  “Damn. I don’t know Owen well enough to tell you anything about him.”

  “How well do you know Evelyn?”

  “I’ve known her since I moved here a year ago. We’re acquaintances. How much do you know about Surrender?”

  I sigh. “Not enough. That’s what I’m calling about. Hoping you can get me into the club. That would help me tremendously. It would also help if the owner was aware of my presence. Do you know the owner?”

  Davis draws in a breath. “Yes. I can introduce you. That’s not a problem. Like I said, I’ll do anything. And Roman wouldn’t want anything to be happening in his club that involved trafficking. In fact, I’ll be calling him the very second we hang up.”

  “Could you arrange a meeting for me? Sometime when the club isn’t open perhaps? It would make my job easier if I speak to Roman first.”

  “Yes.”

  I hear the hesitation in his voice. “Am I overstepping?”

  “Not at all. I just need to speak to Britney about this, and a few other people. It’s not simple. I’m not the only member you know. People are very private about their membership at Surrender. It helps that you’re in law enforcement and I know you’ll be discreet, but it’s still a big deal. I wouldn’t want anyone to be blindsided.”

  “Understood.” I wonder who else he thinks I know from Surrender. Interesting. “How is Britney?” I should have asked that first. When I last saw the two of them, they were in a fresh relationship. I thought they fit together amazingly, but that was eight months ago. Anything could have happened since then. Apparently, they’re still together.

  “She’s doing well.”

  “Did she go back to working at the animal shelter?” I hope she’s recovered from the trauma of nearly being sold into human trafficking.

  “Yes. She loves it there, and Cindy was glad to have her back.”

  I freeze for a moment as it occurs to me that Cindy and her husband, Hudson, are people I met through Davis and Britney. They are all close friends. I wonder if the two of them are the other members of Surrender I would know. Have to be.

  A dog barks in the background, or maybe a puppy, making me smile. “I guess Britney conned you into getting a pet.”

  Davis’s voice is muffled. “Sh sh sh. Come ’ere. That’s a boy. You’ll wake up your mama with that yelping.” And then his voice is direct again. “Sorry about that. Charlie is a handful.”

  I glance at my watch and frown. It’s the middle of the afternoon. “Britney’s asleep? Is she sick?”

  There’s a slight hesitation before Davis responds. “Nope. She’s fine.” He gives me no other detail. “Listen, let me talk to Roman and get back to you. I’m sure time is of the essence, so I’ll call him right now. Maybe I can arrange for you to meet with him in the morning. Would that work?”

  “That would be perfect. Thank you.”

  “But wait. I have to ask. I’m confused. I still don’t understand why Leah and Eve were discussing me.”

  I chuckle. “Mostly because they think you’re…let’s see…what did they say exactly?…one of the hottest Daddies at the club.”

  Davis sucks in a sharp breath.

  I wonder if he’s stressing over the fact that Evelyn and Leah weren’t discreet enough to keep someone from hearing their conversation or if he’s embarrassed that I know a bit more about him than he’d like.

  “Let me quote the exact words that caused your name to come up. ‘Owen’s nice and handsome enough and all, but he’s no Davis Marcum.’ Those were Leah’s words.”

  “Lord. I’m going to have a complex.”

  I chuckle. “Maybe don’t let that go to your head.”

  “Too late,” he responds, his voice lighter. “Okay, I’ll call you as soon as I have something set up.”

  “Thanks, man. Talk to you later.”

  After ending the call, I continue to sit on the sofa, staring into the empty space that is my actual home. My condo. A place I sometimes see for a few weeks at a time before disappearing undercover somewhere. At the moment, I’m not in a deep cover. I’m still working my ass off trying to track down whoever Britney’s true seller was. Her boss was killed in the sting, but he wasn’t the end of the line. He’d been working for someone else. It’s highly probable he hadn’t even known who he worked for.

  My job is to find out.

  My mind is still reeling from today’s pile of information. First, the shock of hearing Davis’s name whispered from the lips of my suspected next victim. The coincidence still makes me shudder. I have done as much research on Surrender as I can, but it’s a private club. Not much information is publicly available. That’s why I called Davis.

  I’ve never been to a BDSM club, but I’m not judgmental. I don’t care a bit that Davis, and apparently Britney, belong to a fetish club. I don’t care that Evelyn Dean does either. However, if I’m going to go undercover inside the club to observe Evelyn’s interactions with the man she’s been dating, I need to fit in.

  I sigh and run a hand down my face. I’ve done a lot of things to prepare for an undercover job, but posing as a Dom has never been one of them.

  Perhaps Davis isn’t just a Dom. Evelyn called him a Daddy. I have no idea if she used the word as a simple term of endearment or if Davis is specifically the sort of Dom who takes on a Daddy role.

  Before calling him, I did a bit of research on that topic too. Interesting kink. When I think back to his interactions with Britney, I can see where he might be a Dom. I can picture Britney as submissive. But is he her Daddy? And what the hell does that exactly mean?

  Chapter 2

  Evelyn

  * * *

  “What do you think?” I ask Leah as I spin around in a circle, admiring my newest dress in the full-length mirror behind my closet door. I’m grinning, so it’s not like Leah has the option of telling me she hates it. Then again, this is Leah I’m talking about. She may be submissive, but she’s not a little and refuses to even consider dabbling in that side of the fetish world no matter how many times I try to talk her into it.

  Leah rolls her eyes and flops back onto my bed dramatically, her long brown curls fanning out all over the comforter. “No matter how many times you ask me how cute I think you are in your idea of fetish attire, you’re not going to get me to understand the appeal of being a little, Eve,” she teases as she rolls onto her side and props her cheek on one palm.

  She glances up and down my body. “It’s so short.”

  “It’s supposed to be short.” I flatten down the front of the lavender dress that got delivered earlier today. It fits perfectly. Exactly what I’d hoped for. It looks like it belongs on someone who’s about four, but
sized for my thirty-year-old self. I trail my hands over the smocking across my chest and then the low-cut rounded neckline. The sleeves are puffed at my shoulders with elastic around my biceps. It spreads out full below the smocking, which means no one who hasn’t seen me naked could discern what my body shape is underneath. And the best part, it flares out when I spin.

  “It barely covers your ass, Eve. And not at all if you keep spinning around like that. Plus, you’re going to get dizzy.”

  I tip my head to one side, plant my hands on my hips, and glare at her in fun. “Because that black skirt you wore last week at Surrender was so much longer.”

  She chuckles. “Okay, probably not, but that’s different. I love that skirt. It’s skin-tight. It makes me feel sexy, especially when I pair it with the red corset—the one that pushes my boobs up, making it look like I actually have boobs.”

  I shake my head. “You have more boobs than me.”

  “Seriously, Eve. You’re not going to convince me of that. And why are we arguing about boob size?”

  “We’re not.” I spin back around and look in the mirror again. “And it doesn’t matter if you like this dress or not. I like it, and I can’t wait to entice Owen to spank me in it.”

  When Leah doesn’t respond, I glance over at her to find her picking on an imaginary piece of lint on my bed.