Anchors Away~Shades of Gray

by Shara Azod

  Women didn’t touch Gray during sex. He never allowed it. But at this particular moment, a simply touch had never felt so good, so comforting, or so right.

  “Shit! Baby, come for me again! Come now!”

  He let her legs fall to his waist. Laying fully on top of her he drove like a mad man, loving her hands across his back, griping his ass. She was building again, he could feel it. He had to hold on a little longer.

  Then she bit him, right on his shoulder. Gray shot off like a rocket. He came so hard his head swam. And heaven love her, she came right along with him.

  “Gray! Oh, shit, Grayson!”

  So good. So damn good. And all he could think of was how much better it would be next time, in about fifteen minutes.

  Chapter 9

  Gray woke up smiling for the first time in a long time. His woman was curled up against his chest, his dick was pleasantly sore. What more could a man want? This felt damned good. He was thirty and although he had been around the block, he had never spent a full night with a woman; he damned sure had never held one close as he slept. His conscious and subconscious acceptance of Bobbi was astounding. Man, he was a goner.

  He didn’t want to move. Having her smaller body tucked close gave him a sense of peace he had never realized he had been missing. Now sappy shit, like being in love forever seemed not only possible, but probable. He could love Bobbi. He already did love Bobbi. She was perfect.

  They had only made love three times before falling into the deep sleep of the truly exhausted. Today he planned to make love many, many times over. Right after the command picnic.

  He wished like hell he hadn’t promised to go. He didn’t want to get out of bed; not with Bobbi in it. He wanted to keep her right where she was all day. With any luck, they could make an appearance and leave.

  “Good morning,” Bobbi chose that moment to awaken.

  She didn’t move away, but snuggled closer, making him smile. Oh yes, he could get used to this.

  “Move in with me.” It was crazy impulsive, but damn it, he wanted to wake up like this every day.

  “Yeah, right,” she playfully punched his shoulder, blowing off his suggestion. Too bad he was deadly serious.

  “I’m not kidding, Bobbi. Move in with me.”

  “No.”

  No argument, no discussion, just no. He loved that about her. She wasn’t angry of being coy. She was ever practical.

  “I’m not going to give up,” he warned her dropping a light kiss on her forehead before rolling out bed. “I’m going to keep on you until you say yes.” Bobbi groaned when he slapped her on her ass. “Get up. We have a picnic to go to.” It was best to change the subject now. He didn’t want to give her a chance to think too long about what he had impulsively asked. She would only freak out.

  “Picnic?”

  “Command get-together thing out at Mission Beach. Welcoming the new C.O. Kind of mandatory, but we won’t stay for long, I promise.”

  She didn’t like the idea, he could tell by the frown and the way she was gnawing on her bottom lip. He was going too fast. As good as they were together; Bobbi was naturally reserved. If he could he would get out of it, but he was expected. He didn’t want to leave Bobbi for even a few minutes, let alone a couple of hours.

  “I know you don’t want to go –” he started, but Bobbi cut him off.

  “No, it’s not that! I just…don’t do well in crowds.”

  Well, damn. Gray gathered her in his arms. She was shaking. Not much, but enough. He wanted to punch something. A woman like Bobbi should never have to feel insecure, no matter the situation.

  “Hey. I promise not to leave your side okay?”

  *****

  Gray had promised not to leave her side, and he hadn’t. That didn’t make Bobbi any more comfortable. The wives were catty, the girlfriends a little desperate, and the guys…

  One woman had looked her up and down before sneering, “So you think to snare our Gray, do you?”

  There was one serious rock on the lady’s finger, but she was acting as if Bobbi had stolen her man or something. And her husband was right there, giving his wife no more than a cursory glance when she had spoken. He was too busy leering at Bobbi himself. Thankfully, Gray maneuvered them away quickly.

  “What the heck was her problem?” Bobbi was compelled to ask. It was all so weird.

  “I met her first.”

  Bobbi wasn’t so sure she liked that answer. She glanced back at the strawberry blonde with brittle eyes. The woman seemed a bit too mercenary.

  “I introduced her to her husband after talking to her for about five minutes,” he explained further when Bobbi had looked back.

  That made her feel better. A little anyway.

  It was kind of like a hazing, being there. Even with Gray’s arm firmly around her waist, she had never gotten so many stealth come-ons in her life. She was under no illusion that it was her they were after, it was a conquest thing. Gray had a shiny new toy and they wanted to play with it, too. Man, she hated aimless testosterone. These guys had it in spades. One would distract Gray while another would flirt right there in front of him. No less than five guys slipped her their numbers, with Gray right beside her. If he saw any of it, he didn’t let on. It made her feel cheap. She hated it. She hated them. It made her remember why she hated SEALs – assholes, convinced of their own supremacy. The day couldn’t end fast enough for her.

  “Was it that bad?” Gray asked once they were in the car and headed to his place.

  Had it been? Yeah, yeah it was. She didn’t want this. As much as she really liked Gray, dangerously close to more than like really, she didn’t think she could deal with gatherings like this one. Hell, she didn’t even go to her own command picnics or barbeques. She had a small group of friends and acquaintances, that’s how she liked it. Her world was confined on purpose. She wasn’t the social butterfly, she never would be.

  “Here.” Instead of answering him, she dumped the phone numbers in his lap. “I don’t appreciate feeling like some kind of flavor of the month. You can take me home. I don’t think this is going to work out.”

  Gray didn’t answer her, nor did he do more than glance at the tiny scraps of paper in his lap. Bobbi began to wonder if he had heard her at all until he exited the freeway nowhere near North Park or Shelter Island. He pulled into a marina parking lot teeming with people out to enjoy a pleasant Saturday on their boats. Bobbi glanced nervously around at the couples and families. How uncomplicated their lives seemed to the casual observer. All smiles and laughter.

  “Well, well, well. Even my good buddy Taggard. The bastard.”

  Bobbi was jerked out of her musings by Gray’s voice. She had never heard him like that. His rage was barely controlled, masked by a quietness that was frightening.

  “Yeah, well, he probably thought I am a passing curiosity to you.” She tried to calm him down. His face was molten red, making his scar stand out stark white. She was scared, but not for herself. Gray wouldn’t hurt her. His friend, Taggard, was another story altogether. “I mean, from what the other women implied, you aren’t the steady girlfriend type, so you really can’t blame him.”

  “Can’t I?” His eyes had changed; so deeply blue, they looked almost black. “And what do you think Bobbi? Do you think I see you as the flavor of the month?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Some guys spent a lot of time and effort getting behind a woman’s defenses. They enjoyed the conquest, not stopping until they had a woman’s complete surrender. How did she know Gray wasn’t one of them? Because he has never given you a reason to doubt him.

  “Shit,” Gray exclaimed softly, running his fingers through his hair. “Bobbi, I…Look, you have no reason to believe me, but I promise you I’m not playing games here. I’ll take care of this,” he held up the phone numbers in his clinched fist. “No one will ever come at you wrong again. And as far as you and I go,” he ran his finger down her cheek, swallowing hard. Bobbi’s heart tripped,
then beat overtime. “I want to be with you, Bobbi. Just you. Give it a chance, okay?”

  No flowery speeches, no empty promises. Yet, with simplicity only Gray could manage, he made her melt inside.

  “Okay,” she agreed with a trembling smile. She wanted it to work, she really did. Gray made her feel things she had never felt before, and she liked it – a lot.

  “Come here, baby.”

  *****

  Bobbi had the most kissable lips. Soft and inviting, they were quickly becoming an obsession. Gray loved the way she became all soft and pliable in his arms. He loved digging his hands in her hair and holding her to him. He loved the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest, the way her nipples tightened at his touch.

  “Gray? Someone might see,” she whispered as he slid his hand up her dress.

  She didn’t try to move away, and he wasn’t about to let her. He eased the seat back as far as it would go, settling his precious package in his lap. “I guess we will have to be careful, huh?”

  He couldn’t stop touching her now. Not knowing how sweetly she responded. His hand found her mound, soft and wet. He slid one digit against her slit until she was squirming against his raging erection. Damn, she felt so good!

  “We can’t do this here, Gray.”

  She was right, but stopping was too much to ask for.

  “Shhh. I just want to touch you.” His finger delved inside her, caressing what was fast becoming his favorite place to be. “Show me you want me just as bad as I want you.”

  He used his thumb to strum her clit, watching as her eyes closed, her head thrown back. Damn, he wished he could see his fingers disappearing in her snug warmth. He wanted to see her ride his fingers, he wanted to be inside her.

  “Come for me, Bobbi.”

  She rode his fingers hard, biting her bottom lip as she crested the peak.

  “Oh, shit! Gray. I need more.”

  So did he. The feel of her spasms against his buried digits was driving him mad.

  Shifting in his seat he pulled her onto his lap, simultaneously starting the car. Thankfully he hadn’t chosen to drive the jeep, it was too open. The Navigator, they were currently in was high enough off the ground, it was hard to peer into the windows, which were tinted just enough to hide what he was doing.

  He let the seat all the way back, lying almost flat, freeing his aching cock from his shorts. He maneuvered her so that although she was bare against his groin area, her dress was pulled down around her.

  “I need you to climb on top, baby. I want you to ride me.”

  She didn’t even glance around before moving her body in perfect alignment with his shaft. He couldn’t resist playing with her a little. He knew she was hot and ready, but he wanted her crazy for it. He rubbed the thick crown of his cock against her labia. The thick cream of her arousal coated the head, making him groan from the delicious sensation.

  “My pretty pussy is so hot, isn’t it?” he crooned, lightly slapping his dick across her clit for emphasis. “You’re so damn wet, baby. What does my pussy want?”

  “Please, Gray?” Bobbi cried, bucking her hips against him. She was trying to force her pussy down, but he wasn’t letting her. Not yet.

  “What if someone saw?” he taunted her. “Do you want those people out there seeing me take what’s mine?”

  Her eyes flew open, wide and shocked, and unless he missed his guess, excited. The fresh coat of moisture starting to coat his cock assured him he wasn’t mistaken at all.

  With a groan, he moved his hand, forging upward he was buried balls deep with one stroke. His hand fell heavily on her ass cheek, loving the way she threw her head back in the most sensual moan he had ever seen. She was so damn sexy like this, her eyes blazing with passion, a dark red flush across her face. He wished he could free those magnificent breasts, but he didn’t want to risk anyone seeing them. They were for his enjoyment, not some poor slob walking by.

  “Ride it, sugar, Ride your cock like you want it.”

  He should have been prepared for the wet, burning velvet fist encasing his dick in the most pleasurable sensations imaginable. His hands might have been gripping her hips, but she was the one in charge of this ride. She slammed down on his again and again, driving him wild. His teeth gently pulled on her breasts over the fabric of her dress. He wanted so bad to taste that bare flesh in his mouth. He wanted to be so deep inside her she wouldn't want to be free.

  “Gray, it feels so good. I can’t…I can’t…”

  He knew. She couldn’t hold back much longer. Neither could he. Gritting his teeth, he surged upward, meeting her thrust for thrust. He could feel the slight tremor of her walls gradually grow into quakes, milking him, demanding every drop he had to give.

  “Fuck yeah! Give me that, Bobbi! Come all over your cock. Make me feel it, baby. Come for me.”

  She buried her face in the crook of his neck, biting down on his flesh to muffle her scream of surrender. The sharp pain from her teeth, the chocking grip on his cock, it was too much. He exploded inside her, grinding their hips together as the world burst from the inside out.

  So fucking good, but it was not nearly enough.

  *****

  Bobbi bit her lip as she considered how to tell Gray she needed to go. It wasn’t that she hadn’t had a great time this weekend, but she had to get back to her apartment. She had to get centered. Gray threw her off, made her feel all upside down. She needed the peace and solitude to get her back in the right mindset.

  Truthfully, she was waiting. In her limited experience, men started taking women for granted as soon as they slept with them. Bobbi never was the kind of woman who would wait around to be cut from someone’s life, it was just too painful. She was careful to keep her mind and body separate. Enjoy the moment then move on quietly.

  It freaked some guys out. They didn’t seem to understand that she couldn’t be bothered trying to keep someone who didn’t want to be kept. So, if he cheated, so what? Men were like buses, you stay still long enough another one would come along.

  Bobbi was very afraid Gray wouldn’t be so easy to get over. He had somehow peered into her darkest fantasies and was quickly working his way through them. He didn’t treat her like spun glass, nor did he treat her like an empty receptacle in his bed solely for his own pleasure.

  But it wasn’t just the sex. Gray listened to her, like really listened. He sometimes picked up on things she didn’t say. It was a little unnerving. Quite frankly, Bobbi had no idea what to do with him. He was unlike any guy she had ever dated. It was too soon to know for certain, but he was starting off differently.

  She needed to go home. She would be able to think, without one of Gray’s hands rubbing her back and the other playing in her hair. Oh, for crying out loud, she was letting a man play in her hair! What the hell was wrong with her? No one save her hairdresser had ever played with her freaking hair! Yet here she was, lounging around on Gray’s very nice, soft as butter, mammoth-sized couch, watching sci-fi, letting him play with her hair. It seemed all too natural; after all, he had pulled it just one short hour ago, and she had loved it. She was way too comfortable in this three-level fantasy of a townhouse, right on the water. Yeah, it was bit…cold. Everything was spotless, there wasn’t a trace of anything personal on the walls or the shelves. There was art to go with the décor, but it all felt so impersonal. Kind of like someone copied pages out of a design magazine.

  She had to stop herself from redesigning this or that in her head. This was not her home, nor would it ever be. She shouldn’t be feeling so completely at home here.

  “I need to go home,” she blurted out suddenly jumping to her feet. At Gray’s frown, Bobbi rushed into a not very well thought out explanation. “I have to work tomorrow, and I have duty Tuesday, so I need to make sure I have all my, uh, uniforms ready to go and all. Plus, I need to clean my place.”

  Wow, that so didn’t come out right. She sounded like she was looking for an excuse. And she was.

  Gray
stared at her silently, making her squirm under his close scrutiny. He was so quiet, Bobbi was half afraid he would call her bluff. She knew he saw right through her, but damn it, she didn’t need an explanation!

  “Let me get some stuff, and I will take you home,” he finally told her, climbing slowly to his feet. “But, Bobbi, we will talk about this later.”

  Chapter 10

  Gray waited in the office for Taggard Monday afternoon, the other man’s number clutched in his fist. The more he thought about the smiling blonde surfer boy, the madder he got. And the bastard had done it with Gray standing right there.

  He’d already had brief words with the other guys who had slipped Bobbi their numbers, but none of them really bothered him. They didn’t really know him all that well outside of work. Taggard should have. Gray didn’t share. Ever. And he damn sure didn’t share Bobbi. Taggard knew him. The man knew that when he was done with a woman, he was done; he didn’t go around inviting them to command functions. In fact, he had never once invited any woman to a command function.

  “Hey, man what’s up?” Taggard grinned as he sauntered into the office.

  The three other guys milling around beat a quick retreat. One didn’t become a SEAL without learning to pay attention to detail. Gray had been fuming for over an hour, asking about the whereabouts of one Devon Taggard every fifteen minutes or so. Gray knew he was giving away big time tells, but he just couldn’t be moved to give a shit.

  “What the fuck is this?” Gray threw the number at his squad member as soon as Taggard sat down.

  The son of a bitch had the nerve to smile. Smile! It was boyish smile that lacked any hint of being contrite. It was the kind of smile that made Gray want to bury his fist right in the bastard’s face.