“Sure, I’ll make the reservation. Say about nine thirty?” Jake queried.
“Sounds good.” Grey spontaneously grabbed both men into a group hug. “I love you idiots.”
“Grey, we have paperwork to sign.” Liam’s voice broke through his reverie, and he released his friends.
“Be right there, Liam,” he hollered over his shoulder.
He’d gotten everything he wanted. Everything he’d been working toward for months and months, and yet his heart wasn’t anywhere near as full as he thought it would have been. He pushed thoughts of beautiful, naked, willing, submissive blondes from his mind and went to sign his paperwork.
* * * *
“She went inside about an hour ago. The asshole is at work,” Thorton sneered. “I don’t like his vibe, but I don’t think he really presents any danger to her at this point, Grey. And you know I don’t take this shit lightly.”
Grey drew a breath of salty sea air. It had been months since he’d been back to the beach, ever since that last day with Anne. It was too unbearable even to think of it, let alone be in the place where he’d made love to her, yet here he was now.
“So you think backing off…”
“Believe me, Grey, if I thought the man was a real danger, I would have snapped his vertebrae by now.” He rolled his shoulders. Even on the sand, he wore his heavy boots and a long dark trench. “It’s up to you, Grey. I’ll stay on this as long as you want, but you know if you’d just take the oath.”
Grey held up a hand to stop him.
“I know.” Was he really going to do this? “You know, Thorton, I owe you more than I can repay, but I’ll take this one from here.”
Something passed over in his facial expression.
“You know I respect you, Grey, but you’re walking on very dangerous ground from where I stand. Don’t force me to be your enemy. I do what I have to. Whatever I have to.”
Grey knew exactly what he referred to, but the threat didn’t piss him off. He’d been given the leeway he needed to see for himself what had to be done, and now that he had decided, there was no way in hell he was going to fuck up again.
“We’re good, Thorton. I’m taking care of it.”
He pushed his hands into his pockets. “See that you do. She’s been a real mess, Grey, and she didn’t deserve that.”
Grey’s stomach turned knowing what he’d put Anne through and watched Thorton as he turned and crossed the sand back to his custom bike that was nearly as large as he was. He was playing with dangerous men in a game of integrity and honor where, until Anne, he hadn’t realized he even had an issue.
He made his way out into the water and rounded the jetty. His heart in his throat, knowing he had to make this right, fearing she wouldn’t let him, but determined to find out either way.
* * * *
Anne sat in silent meditation on the rock ledge at the back of the cave. She was coming here more and more, it seemed. Besides how close it made her feel to Grey, she also found the energy of the place soothing, and she could think more clearly than she did anywhere else, and today she had a very real reason to be grateful and wanted to express it. She secretly smiled to herself and sent a silent “thank you” up to a God she was slowly becoming reacquainted with.
Grey won.
It was everything she wanted for him.
She only wished she could have had everything she wanted, as well.
“Anne.”
She kept her eyes closed, letting the sound of his voice wash over her. She always heard his voice inside her head, although this had been a little more potent. She was just going to be thankful for it. There were days she wondered what he had done to her. Because though she had hated being alone before she met Grey, now it was hopeless torture as he had claimed her soul, leaving her in the unenviable position of being claimed and completely unavailable for any other man, but not wanted by the man who had claimed her.
“Anne.”
This time the voice was more persistent, and she blinked her eyes open.
She saw his shadow, inhaled deeply, and picked up a hint of his cologne. She sat perfectly still as if not wanting to break whatever spell had brought him here to her.
“What are you doing?”
“Meditating.” She spoke simply.
Everything in her body turned on at once, and suddenly, she was super sensitized to the sound of his voice, the ocean, the sand beneath her feet.
He gave her a half smile. “Come here often to do that, do you?”
A tiny flicker of joy lit within her. She didn’t know why he was here, or how long he’d stay, but she was going to soak in every moment. She smiled back at him.
“More and more, it seems. Someone sort of showed me that prayer and meditation in and of themselves may not be all that bad.”
He came closer, reached down, and brushed his fingers along her jaw.
“I can’t live without you, Anne. I tried. I have Sophie, and she’s amazing, and my life is more full than I have a right to have it be, but…”
He stopped, and so did her breathing. She held her breath waiting for him to finish. He dropped to his knees before her, the dominant at her feet. He was gorgeous.
“I love you, Anne.”
She swallowed back emotion.
“I still don’t know how to work out all the logistics, but the truth is, I’m a better man when I’m with you, and how can that not be good for my daughter? A few good friends told me recently that if you could possibly love me back, maybe I didn’t have to be so in control of every little thing and that maybe, together, we could figure this out. So tell me, Anne, do you love me?”
She blinked away tears as her heart swelled. She nodded.
“With your words, Anne.” He used the dark voice she loved so much, and she instantly snapped right back into the role of his sub as if she’d always been there.
“Yes, sir. Yes, I love you.”
He pulled her into his lap and kissed her until she could stand no more then looked deep into her eyes.
“This time, Anne…” He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I just want to be Grey, the man you love, not the dom you feel compelled to obey. I want this declaration to come from your heart, of your own free will.”
She maneuvered in his lap until she straddled him and cupped his cheeks in both her hands. “Grey Hendrix, man and dom, I love you more than I will ever love anyone else. I want to be yours, Grey, forever. Please tell me I can be.”
He pushed his fingers into her hair and massaged her scalp, sending her into that warm fuzzy place she’d missed so damn much.
“Anne, you belong to me. You always did, and I will love and protect you for the rest of my life.”
As he brought her mouth down to his and her body hummed to life even more, she said another silent prayer of thanks, because somehow, every dream she ever had just came true.
THE END
Samanthalucas.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha was born and raised in Southern California and now lives in the mountains of Virginia and is loving the discovery of seasons!
As a teenager, she did commercials, a couple of rock videos, and a bunch of extra jobs in television and movies, saying it was a great way to spend some time and make money, especially when you’re a kid. Her first ever “real” job was at Disneyland, which she loved more than anything since she is, and declares she always will be, a Disney theme park freak.
The mother of two teenage boys, she’s a dedicated home-schooling mom with a die-hard love of animals, owning a small zoo herself because, every time she drives by the shelter, she’s compelled to adopt someone!
She’s written stories all her life, but it wasn’t until a few years ago she finally decided to pursue publishing and was offered her first contract from Siren Publishing in 2006, although it took about four contract offers before she stopped thinking someone had made a terrible mistake.
Samantha loves writing erotic romances becaus
e of the freedom in the genre to take the characters places mainstream romances won’t allow. Though her stories are erotic in nature, they are love stories at their core, because as a self-proclaimed romantic, she can’t imagine writing anything else.
Also by Samantha Lucas
Siren Classic: Kiersen’s Legacy 1: Body, Heart and Soul
Siren Classic: Kiersen’s Legacy 2: Love, Lust, and Deception
Ménage Amour: The Seduction 1: The Seduction of Cassidy Flint
PolyAmour: The Reformation 1: To Love a King
Siren Classic: Torrid Hearts
Siren Classic: A Siren Adult Fairy Tale: Tower of Secrets
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Lucas, Samantha - The Seduction of Anne Ruby [The Seduction 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 26
