Anchors Away~Shades of Gray

by Shara Azod

  “Okay, baby. I’m here. Come and open the door for me, okay?”

  As soon as the door opened, she fell into his waiting arms. It had been too long. Just the smell of her hair; damn, he missed her. His lips descended on her in a demanding, tongue stroking, heart stopping kiss before he could trust himself to talk.

  “Tell me what happened, honey,” he eased her back, just enough to look at her face. He wasn’t about to let her out of his embrace.

  “I went out with my friends, but I didn’t really feel like clubbing. So I got them to bring me home. Someone had been here. The door was open, and someone went through my underwear drawer. They cut up all my bras and panties.” Tears trailed down her face. Gray wanted to punch something, anything. How dare anyone make his Bobbi cry? When he found the bastard who did this, he was going to dismember him slowly.

  “Show me.”

  He almost wished he hadn’t asked. There was glass everywhere from a broken window, but by all appearances, whoever had been in the apartment had taken the window out, not in. More glass was in the parking lot beneath the bedroom window. Her underwear drawer had been ripped out of the dresser, every piece of lingerie cut, not torn, leaving everything in shreds. What Bobbi had failed to mention was most of her clothes and shoes had suffered the same treatment. The only things that hadn’t been touched were her uniforms, boots, and dress uniform shoes. But what really got him was the word “WHORE” spelled out above her bed.

  Sick fuck! Whoever had done this was dead. And Gray would find them. It was hard to inspect the damage with one arm wrapped securely around his woman, but he wasn’t about to let her go. Small tremors wracked her body, though he could tell she was trying to suppress them. Damn and hell, this was bad. He had a damn good idea who did this, but the asshole left very little evidence. He was going to have to come back without Bobbi with a few of the guys to go over the apartment with a fine toothed comb.

  “Did he go anywhere else in the apartment?” His throat felt raw. It was hard just trying to get the words out.

  “I don’t know. I was going to go out with my friends, but I forgot my cell, and I really didn’t feel like going anyway, so I told them to take me home,” her voice trembled, but she didn’t cry. Not his Bobbi. She kept it all bottled up inside; stoic as ever. “I guess I must have startled him because when I came in I heard the window –”

  Gray’s heart stopped. Red swam in front of his eyes. She came in while the animal was here? And she stayed?

  “Back up,” he interrupted. “What do you mean you interrupted him?” His ears were ringing. What if he hadn’t run? What if he had seen the car and Bobbi getting out alone? His temples began to pound. “And you came in the apartment anyway? Alone?”

  At least she called, he kept saying to himself. That was something, right? She called me before calling anyone else. Wait, had she called anyone else?

  “Did you call anyone else?” Asking was proudly a dick move, but he couldn’t help himself.

  Bobbi looked up at him with a confused expression. “Who else would I call?”

  She didn’t realize it, but the statement spoke volumes. His chest swelled almost as big as his cock. Not the time and place.

  “Maybe I should have called the police after the flowers and the break-ins but the dead roses seemed like a prank and I was never sure about the break-ins.”

  Gray’s head started to pound. “Dead roses? Break-ins? And you didn’t think to tell me – why?” He kept his voice soft, positive. He was livid. The damn woman thought she had to take on the world by herself.

  “It didn’t seem important.”

  Not important, right.

  To distract himself, he scooped her up in his arms. She was coming home with him. He didn’t think he would be able to let her come back here. Not until he and the man with the telescope pointed at Bobbi’s apartment had a come to Jesus meeting.

  “What are you doing? I have to clean up this mess and see what I can salvage, not to mention call the police…”

  “Shhh, I am taking you home. And you aren’t going to touch anything. I need to bring some guys over to check out a few things.”

  He had expected her to argue, at the very least express her independence by insisting they call the police. To his supreme delight, she did none of those things.

  “Okay,” was all she said before laying her head on his shoulder and allowing him to grab her purse, lock the door, and carry her to his car.

  It was all he could do not to cry.

  *****

  She was tired. Bobbi couldn’t ever remember being so scared. Even as a kid, in the house alone while her father was on one of his many deployments had she ever been terrified to be in her own home. When she was small, he would leave her with another military family, usually some wife of a shipmate. But after she got to high school, he just left her to her own devices. She preferred it that way; she wasn’t made to feel like so much of a charity case. But living behind the walls of base housing was an entirely different thing. People looked out for one another; there was no way in hell a strange person was going to break into your house without at least five neighbors taking note and calling Shore Patrol.

  She had one neighbor whose apartment was directly across from hers and two downstairs neighbors, all of which were home given the sounds of televisions or loud voices, and no one had noticed a thing.

  She honestly had no idea why she had called Gray instead of the police. No, that was a lie; she called him because she knew he would keep her safe. Somehow, he had gotten her to depend on him. It was almost as scary as the break-in had been. Bobbi had never depended on another living person in her life. Even for something as small as a ride to work, she always had backups just in case. And yet, in this instance, all she could think about was Gray. Gray would protect her, Gray would make it right.

  And he had.

  On the drive back to his place, he had kept on arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. He carried her inside, straight up the bedroom and set her on the bed. Without a word to her, he went in the bathroom and drew her a bath, undressing her without once touching her sexually. If it wasn’t for the impressive bulge in his pants as he did so, she might have felt slighted. He even carried her into the bathroom and eased her into the hot, fragrant water. Lilac. The man had lilac bathing salts. If she hadn’t been very well acquainted with his virility she might have been suspicious.

  “Soak for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  Laying back and closing her eyes, Bobbi willed the tension and fear from her body. Neither would do her any good. She needed to focus on the things she could control, not dwell on things she couldn’t. Apparently, her seemingly natural compliance when it came to her very sexy SEAL-man was not one of those things she could control. She would have to deal with that later. Right now she had a very big problem on her hands.

  Was it the guy who had been looking in her apartment? It seemed the only logical explanation. Who else would do such a thing? What had she ever done to anyone? She couldn’t remember blowing anyone off, or even talking to any dude other than Gray for months. Maybe he was pissed because she started making certain she closed her blinds?

  “Don’t think about it.” Bobbi opened her eyes to find Gray settling down beside the tub, a steamy mug in his hands. “Hot toddy. Drink it all. And here, lean forward a little so I can put up your hair. You are getting it wet.”

  Well, damn what hadn’t he noticed? Not only did he put her hair up in a clip she had left behind from her last stay, but he started to wash her, kneading her muscles in his large hands as he did so. By the time she had finished her toddy, her body was relaxed, her headache gone, and her mood considerably mellow.

  “Come on. Up.”

  He dried her off and even lotioned her skin – lilac again – before slipping one of his t-shirt on her and settling her in bed. He didn’t make a move to join her, but he didn’t move either. He sat quietly beside her, stroking her hair.

  “Where did
you learn to do all this?” Bobbi broke the compatible silence, not because it bothered her. She just really wanted to know. “I mean, take care of a woman like that. You don’t strike me as a guy with many long-term relationships.”

  “Really?” He raised a brow giving her a wry smile. “And why is that?”

  “There was no sign a woman had ever set foot in this house,” Bobbi answered honestly. “And all your friends seem surprised when you brought me to the picnic.”

  “Good observation.” Bobbi wondered if he would answer her at all before he finally went on. “I guess from my dad. He was always pretty protective of my mother. I remember she could burn her finger on a teapot and he was pulling out all kinds of salves and wrapping it carefully. Then he wouldn’t let her lift that finger until it was completely healed. He always told me when you find a woman of worth, you should do everything on God’s green earth to make sure she knows how special she is.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “Yeah,” Gray smiled. She loved that smile. It made him look so much younger and so less the hard ass. Not that he looked bad when he was looking all serious. But his smile made her stomach strangely light and her heart flip. “I guess it is sweet. I am kind of grateful they went together.”

  Bobbi considered not asking, but Gray had never really talked about his parents before. She knew they had died, but she had no idea how. Now her heart was breaking for him. There was still sadness in his eyes now that he was thinking about. She wondered what it might have been like to love your parents so much and to have them taken away. Not that she hadn’t loved her father; she just never really known him.

  “It was a car accident,” he supplied without her asking. “They had just picked me up from the airport after boot camp. A semi hit the car head on. The driver had been driving too many hours, fell asleep behind the wheel.”

  “You were in the car?” Bobbi wanted to cry. How horrible that had to be, to be present as the two people you loved the most in the world were ripped from you.

  “That’s where I got the scar. I was thrown for whatever reason. Mom and Dad died instantly. Hey, don’t cry, sweetheart. It’s been a while. I’m okay, I promise.”

  Had she been crying? She didn’t realize. “Lay with me.” She just wanted to hold him. She wouldn’t be able to take the hurt away, but at least she could let him know what sharing his story meant to her.

  To her vast relief, Gray shrugged out of his jeans and t-shirt and settled in beside her. There was no passionate kisses, no heated touches. Just two people entwined together in a moment of peaceful reflection. Bobbi wanted to stay awake as long as she could to savor the moment. It was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 13

  “Man, this is some sick shit here.”

  Gray didn’t spare Taggard a glance. It was hard being in the same room with the man after he had come on to Bobbi. They had almost come to blows over it, but Taggard was damn good at detecting things other people took for granted. And the man could track anyone anywhere. For Bobbi, Gray would ask just about anyone to help out.

  The truth was Gray felt the same way. The totally destruction of all of Bobbi’s clothes did not bode well. The bedroom was a mess. There wasn’t anything among her civilian clothing that was worth keeping. He could fix that, but he couldn’t fix the damage this had to have had on Bobbi’s psyche. This guy had fixated on her for whatever reason. Maybe because prior to meeting him, she wasn’t didn’t dating much. She had probably never brought a man to her apartment. As much as that pleased him, it apparently sent this dude over the edge when he had popped into her life.

  “Find anything?” Gray was frustrated as hell. The bastard hadn’t left a single clue. That didn’t bode well either. Nor did the fact that the apartment facing Bobbi’s from the other complex was supposedly empty. The manager had even let them in. There was simply nothing there. According to that manager, the apartment had been empty for close to a year.

  Gray didn’t like it. They weren’t dealing with the run of the mill stalker. This guy had special forces type skills. Shit, this was really not good.

  “Well, we might as well just start cleaning this crap up.” another of his buddies, suggested. “We aren’t gonna find anything.”

  Gray had brought five guys with him this morning, leaving Bobbi asleep in his bed. He had left a note, but he had wanted to be back before she woke up.

  “Yeah, lets board up the window first, and then take care of the glass and trash. We can take out the mattress and paint the wall last,” Gray agreed. Thank the Lord Bobbi hadn’t noticed the slashes in her mattress with more vulgar words etched into the material. It was made to look as though the mattress was bleeding, the white stuffing spilling over the gashes looking suspiciously staged. Gray’s fist clinched and unclenched when he first saw it. His buddies had taken cautious steps back, seeing the seething rage he was fighting like hell to suppress.

  Not his woman. No one was ever going to hurt what was his and whether Bobbi wanted to admit it or not, she was his.

  Three hours and a lot of hoofing later, as they were just finishing up, Bobbi herself walked into the apartment.

  “What’s all this?” she stared at the now clean bedroom, frowning at the bed’s missing mattress. “Gray?”

  Almost simultaneously, the other guys decided now was the time to leave.

  “See ya later, Gray.”

  “Yeah, man I gotta book. See ya Monday.”

  There were various other departing phrases, but Gray didn’t hear any of them. His focus was squarely on the woman who was supposed to be safe and sound at home.

  He waited until the last of the footsteps faded from the stairwell.

  “I have two questions for you. Don’t answer the first until after I’ve asked the second” Gray was proud he was able to keep the façade of calm. He was anything but. “Did you not read my note? And how did you get here?”

  His note had explicitly asked her not to come here this morning. He had written he was bringing a couple of guys from his unit over to look things over, and if she needed to go anywhere, to take one of the two cars he was willing to bet a million dollars was still in his garage. He knew she had read the note. It was taped on the mirror above the sink. He also knew she wouldn’t take the car there, although he had stated in said note he had put the keys on her key ring.

  “I, uh...Well, I thought I could help and I didn’t really feel right about the car so I took a cab. I had to come clean up the mess.”

  Gray blinked. She had to come clean up the mess? Did she really just say that?

  “Follow me, Bobbi.”

  He didn’t wait to see if she would. He stopped in the middle of the living room, away from the fumes of the paint in the bedroom. He was right, Bobbi followed.

  Well, it’s now or never. She might balk at what he was about to do. She might slap his face and never want to see him again. He didn’t think she would though, and if they were going to make this work, she had to know every part of him.

  “Bobbi, do you trust me? I mean really trust me?” Gray had to ask.

  In spite of everything, the woman still thought she had to take care of this all on her own. He couldn’t live with that. She either trusted in him to protect her or not. He couldn’t force it.

  “Yes, I trust you.”

  He wanted to weep with relief, but this was just the beginning. “Do you know beyond a doubt I would never hurt you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Take off your clothes, Bobbi.”

  He held his breath, waiting for what she would do. He didn’t have to wait long. Without batting an eye, she stripped out of the ungodly tight jeans she had been wearing last night and one of his t-shirts. She stood there without flinching, looking him dead in the eyes.

  That was his Bobbi.

  “All of it,” he pointed to her bra and panties. She had a total of four left, since they were over at his place. He had counted. When they were together, Gray asked
that she not wear anything. Bobbi, being Bobbi, hadn’t even questioned it. He would like to think if he had been any other man she would have scoffed and been about her merry way. That was just how she was. She didn’t waste time arguing over anything, she did what she wanted without apologizing or being coy. For whatever reason, she had never questioned his requests; she did what he asked. Not because she was intimidated or afraid, but she because wanted to. So why couldn’t she get it into her thick head they were made for one another?

  He waited until she was completely nude before he made a move. He pulled his shirt off slowly, then his own jeans. He didn’t take off his boxers, not yet. He needed something between them or he would be all over her and it would completely defeat the purpose.

  “I want you to get down on your hands and knees facing away from me.” He kept his voice low and even. He may have gone from parade rest to attention in a heartbeat, but he had to maintain control this time.

  He waited until she was positioned correctly before kneeling behind her. He didn’t touch her. Leaning down he whispered darkly in her ear. “Are you sure you want this, Bobbi? Because once we go here, we can’t go back. I am making you mine for good. And I mean that.”

  *****

  Oh damn! Bobbi thought she would come from the whispered words alone. She had honestly just come back to see if there was anything she could do. Plus, she hadn’t considered Gray and his buddies would clean the place. She should have. On one level, she knew he would be upset with her for ignoring his note. A part of her had just wanted to see what he would do. Another part knew this was exactly what would happen and she wanted it desperately.

  The week spent without Gray had opened Bobbi’s eyes to a lot of things. First and foremost, she was sick and tired of not being able to depend on anyone. She was done with her lonely existence with only her friends to keep her company. She couldn’t judge her own relationship on Maria’s bad experience. Gray wasn’t Maria’s ex. The rest of her friends had never had a serious relationship, so they really couldn’t speak with authority. She was happy with Gray. She felt cherished for the first time in her entire life. She didn’t want to give that up.