Chain of Command

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Anchor’s Away: Chain of Command by Shara Azod Red Rose Publishing Copyright© 2007 Shara Azod ISBN: 978-1-60435-053-1 ISBN: 1-60435-053-9 Cover Artist: Sheba Productions Editor: Terri Morris All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away. Red Rose Publishing www.redrosepublishing.com Forestport, NY 13338

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Anchor‟s Away: Chain of Command By Shara Azod

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Dedication I would like to dedicate this book and the entire Anchor‟s Away series to my GM1. A very special thanks to Terri, who is the best editor in the world, to Wendi for believing me and a big hug and much love to Jen who was there from the beginning (and hopefully will be there to the end).

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Anchor‟s Away: Chain of Command By Shara Azod

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Chapter One “Reveille, reveille, reveille. All hands heave up and trice out.” Adanna Ingles cringed as the announcement came across the 1MC. Damn that was loud! Louder than it had been every day of the last four years, she was sure of it. This morning would be the last time she ever had to hear it. Maybe it seemed louder today because she was already awake. What the hell did “heave up and trice out” mean anyway? Oh, well. No longer her problem. All she had to do was check out with her Department, then Personnel Support and Detachment or PSD, and she was out of here. Out of the Navy, and hopefully in the next three months, out of San Diego. “I came; I saw; I had a hell of a time, but I‟m so through with this crap,” Adanna muttered to herself as she made her way up to her shop for the last time. When she told her parents she joined the Navy they laughed. They really hadn‟t believed their very feminine daughter would join any part of the military, but the alternative was unacceptable. Her father had informed her if he was paying for college so she would go where her parent decreed, and they decreed she would go to a small, private women‟s college about an hour away from home. Not only did the school not provide studies in her chosen major, the rules were worse than living at home. Adanna, who had been chomping at the bit to spread her wings after a lifetime of her parents‟ strict rules, said thanks but no thanks. When she tried to argue, they informed her as long as they were paying the bills, she would go where she was told. So, she decided to do it herself. Rather than take out loans, she joined the military so she might actually be able to afford to pay for college on her own terms. Despite her mother‟s dire warnings of all that would happen, Adanna had thrived. It really wasn‟t all that hard, in fact, it had been the best four years of her life thus far. She had been able to

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party on six continents, date whoever she wanted, stay out as late as she pleased, dressed anyway she wanted (within reason and away from the base) and make her own decisions regarding her life. She had grown too. She was no longer the naïve, spoiled little girl who never ventured too far outside the world her parents, friends and teachers defined for her. She was a hell of a lot more confident and self-assured. Now she was really ready to strike out on her own and grab life by the horns. She would be going to college full time, but because of classes offered on base and on the ship while underway, she would be entering as a junior, all of her general education classes taken care of. She could concentrate on her major and minor and be done in two years. If she timed it right, she would be able to use her benefits to receive a master‟s in – something. Yep, life was definitely looking good right about now. “Ingles, we‟re gonna miss you. You sure you don‟t want to re-up?” Adanna snapped out of her musings and smiled at her shop supervisor, Chief Murphy. “Nope, Chief,” she answered cheerfully. “Got plans. Things to do and all that.” “May God have mercy on the poor bastard, whoever he is.” Adanna whirled to face Tim Bagley, perennial Second Class Petty Officer and pain in the ass. The man had been in the Navy for over twenty years and had never made first class. It wasn‟t her fault she had left “A” school - where the Navy sent newly graduated recruits with ASVAB scores high enough - to learn their trade. She had entered the fleet as an E-3. That meant she only had to wait nine months to take the test to be an E-4, third class petty officer. She made rate, of course, which meant she could take the test for second class in a year. So it took

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her three years total to get to where he was today. Like it was her fault the dude was an idiot. Then there was the fact Chief had taken away his job as the Supply and HAZMAT P.O. and gave it to her. She could read after all, and to say Bagley was challenged in that area would be an understatement. He couldn‟t add either, which was another strike against him. “Jealous?” she asked sweetly, watching the diminutive man turn bright red. She had caught the little bastard checking out her assets more than once and she wasn‟t above pointing it out to him. “I know you‟ll miss watching my, uh, back when I‟m working on something. But don‟t worry, you still have Esabio.” Leslie Esabio was the shop skank. Though she had never slept with anyone in the shop, as far as they knew, she had made her way across the division then moved on to a couple of others. She was working on the Engineering Department right now. She even looked like a skank. Not so much provocative looking, but as if she had been done, many times. Adanna was willing to bet she was carrying around a special kind of bacteria or two. It was sad really. She was only twenty. “Be nice to our Ingles,” Chief admonished Bagley. He didn‟t like the man either. “We are going to miss her. Who else can whip you guys into shape?‟ Who else indeed? Adanna couldn‟t help but smile as she lined up for quarters for the last time. She had built up a reputation for getting the job done, and done right. She found if you worked your ass off when it counted, most L.P.O.s and chiefs would let you slide when there wasn‟t much to do. It was a simple concept; if you had your supervisor‟s back, your supervisor would back you up in damn near anything. It was something people like Bagley or Esabio never seemed to get. No longer my problem, she thought to herself listening to the Plan of the Day and PMS assignments, which were also no longer her problem either.

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She was out the door and down the ladder, heading toward the department office as soon as Chief had finished. She had three people she needed signatures from before she went to PSD, then on to her hotel/ temporary furnished apartment that rented weekly. She had enough money saved up to coast while she waited for her best friend. Raquel Dumont was getting out of the Navy in three months. As soon as Raquel was finished with her enlistment, the two had planned on moving to Tacoma, Washington. Until then, Adanna already had a part-time job lined up, for pocket money, and so she wouldn‟t go stark, raving mad as she waited. Entering the office, she waved to a couple of people before plopping down in a chair in front of the secretary for the Division Officer or DIVO. “Checking out?‟ Townsend, the secretary, asked. “Yep,” Adanna confirmed. “Is the DIVO here?” The DIVO was seriously sexy man. He was fairly young looking; Adanna would guess he was in his early thirties. He was a Commander who had transferred to the ship last year. The trident he wore on his uniform declared him to be a SEAL. What he was doing on a tender she‟d never know. Rumor had it he had been injured in some kind of badass operation in an undisclosed location and was sent here until he could return to his unit. It didn‟t look like anything was wrong with him as far Adanna could see. Besides, the Navy wouldn‟t put anyone who was wounded on any ship. She suspected it was probably something mental. Too bad; he was one serious hottie. He was the fevered fantasy of many an enlisted woman on long, lonely deployments. He was insanely tall, around sixfour, and pure lean muscle. His hair was a dark auburn color, cut close on the sides and the back, but cute little curls on top and a streak of gray starting from his left temple that added that mysterious sexy older man thing. He also had these incredible light green eyes that seemed to stare right through a person. It could be unnerving to find yourself on the receiving end of his gaze. Although he was far

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outside her type, Adanna had to admit she had felt some serious dampness in her underwear after those eyes focused on her a time or two. She had no idea whether or not he was married. He didn‟t wear a ring, but that didn‟t mean anything. Oh, well. He wasn‟t for her. SEALs were rumored to be assholes; and rich, overprivileged white men weren‟t her thing. She did envy the woman who would eventually get to wake up next to him every day, but she wasn‟t trying to try to travel down that road. Still, she could admire from afar. “You can go on in,” Townsend told her. “Thanks, Nicole.” Damn, it felt good to use first names. It was going to take some getting use to, but it was going to be great to be called Adanna instead of Ingles. ***** Ian Stewart schooled his face into an impassive mask. Petty Officer Ingles was finally checking out. He had waited for this day for eleven months, five days and sixteen hours. Being enlisted, she was off limits while she was active duty. In about three hours, she would be a civilian, and thereby, fair game. He had once cursed the fates that had brought him to a fucking tender of all places. These ships were well known love boats and that translated into court martial traps for young, stupid officers. Fraternization was punishable under the UCMJ; but when faced with young, nubile, fresh-faced beauties, it was very easy to forget about the consequences. He had been beyond angry when he had received his orders. So, he couldn‟t go out on missions anymore. He had lost his peripheral vision when an explosion was a little too close, sending debris flying. Some of that debris had slapped him right upside the head, ending his career as a Navy SEAL. He was bidding his time before he could take an early retirement. He had believed he‟d be placed at the Pentagon for the time he had left, but no. They sent him to freaking tender.

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Generally, Ian wasn‟t moved by a pretty face or a killer body, but Adanna Ingles was far much than that. Oh, she was sexy as hell, but she was also smart as a whip and tougher than nails. She had a dry, sarcastic wit that could either keep a man in stitches or cut him to the quick. He had been on the ship for less than a month before he was witness to one of her classics. She was been working with some idiotic, wanna-be playboy in her duty section who couldn‟t seem to take a hint. “Come on, go out with me,” the idiot had pleaded. “We could just hang out at my place, watch a movie, I‟ll cook dinner for you. Just you and me.” Adanna had turned and looked the idiot right in his eyes and said, “I can‟t. You‟re too much for me. I couldn‟t handle it.” Idiot didn‟t seem to understand she was mocking him because he said, “Sure you can. You are a hell of a woman and I‟m just the man for you.” “No,” Adanna shook her head sadly. “I know you‟re too much man for me. Plus, your girlfriend probably wouldn‟t understand. No, I can‟t do it. I‟m too scared. You frighten me. I‟m not ready for the big leagues.” Ian had been hard pressed not to laugh out loud. It went on for a good five minutes; the idiot pleading, Adanna mocking. She gave up and walked off to the only place he couldn‟t follow, women‟s berthing. He had been intrigued, so he found out as much as he could about her. He watched her covertly, taking note of her habits, who she hung out with, what she did away from the ship. The more he learned about her the more he wanted her. “Commander Stewart?” Damn! Just the sound of her voice made him hard. He stole a quick glance at his watch. Seven forty-five, two and half hours to go, he told himself. “Enter,” he called out. Don’t look at her chest, whatever you do. DO NOT look at her chest.

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How the hell was he supposed to not look at her chest? She had to be pushing a D-cup. Not only were her breasts perfectly round and full, the damn things were perky. It had been his pleasure to witness the untouchable Petty Officer Ingles in a bikini when the ship had stopped in Bali on the last deployment. The minx and her friends were staying in the same resort he and a couple of buddies had decided to stay at. The place had been expensive, so they had figured they were safe from the crowds of enlisted personnel out looking for a good time. Adanna and her friends seemed to have had a similar idea. They had spent the week partying with vacationers from England and Australia, while he had been jacking off every night after drooling from afar all day. As soon as she walked through the door, his eyes went straight to her chest. “Checking out?” Ian forced himself to look up to her eyes, hoping she hadn‟t noticed. She had. The little hellcat was laughing at him. She wasn‟t making a sound, but she was most definitely laughing. “Yes, Commander,” she replied evenly, damn her. “You are my last stop before Personnel.” He knew she was expecting her to say “Good luck” or some other inane prattle people said on such occasions. He wasn‟t about to do that. First of all, this wasn‟t goodbye. And secondly, he was trying to will down a raging hard on, so he couldn‟t be expected to come up with whatever the hell a division officer said to departing personnel. Signing the check off sheet, he didn‟t bother to ask if she had turned in all applicable equipment. He could care less. He wanted to get this woman to PSD and off the ship as quickly as possible. A year was a long time to sport an erection for woman. He hadn‟t been able to find relief anywhere else. His dick wouldn‟t rise for anyone else. He was done waiting. Today, Adanna Ingles would be his.

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Chapter Two Adanna fairly skipped down the brow of the ship. She might have had a blast on active duty, but she was definitely was not going to miss ship life. She would miss the people she had known, friends she had made - both real and casual. She was going to miss the unique camaraderie found only in the military. She couldn‟t help but feel a sense of accomplishment of all she had managed to do and learn. She wasn‟t going to miss the cattiness of women forced to live too close together, or the ignorance of those too dumb to know they were stupid, or waking up at zero dark thirty and working well after nightfall, and she definitely wasn‟t going to miss jerks who felt every woman in the Navy was either a whore or a lesbian. Struggling with her sea bag full of stuff, she paused at the gate pier debating whether to catch a cab or just hop a trolley. The sea bag was a little heavy, plus how sad was it to lug a huge bag full of your possessions on public transportation? Before she could make up her mind, a Lexus IS pulled up right in front of her, the passenger door opening where she stood. “Get in.” She recognized the voice right away; she just had a hard time believing what she was hearing. Bending down she peered into to the car to see if she was right. Yep. Commander Stewart. “Um, I‟m fine. I‟m just going to take a cab,” she told him. After all, he was only stopping to be nice right? It was just too weird to catch a ride from him. What would they talk about? “Get in Adanna,” he repeated, not sounding the least bit friendly. “I‟ll take you home.”

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Well harrumph! Adanna thought herself. She didn‟t have to do a damn thing he said, not anymore. Still, she found herself struggling to put her sea bag in the backseat. He leaned over and grabbed the damn thing with one hand, slinging into the car. Fine, you’re stronger than me. Rub it on my face, why don’t you? She slid into the passenger‟s seat a little uneasily. Holding herself stiffly erect, she had to fight the urge not to fidget or twiddle her hands. It wasn‟t until he had exited the gate and pulled onto the freeway that she realized he hadn‟t asked her where she lived. She bit her bottom lip in consternation, wondering if she should say anything. Naw, let him figure it out, she thought to herself. Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Mr. Perfect’s face when he realizes he doesn’t know where the hell he’s going. After about five minutes, Adanna came to the realization he had no intention of asking her anything. He drove like someone with a definite destination in mind. Should she say something? She wasn‟t too sure what she should do. He stared straight ahead, never once taking his eyes off the road. He looked a little pissed, clinching his jaw, his brows furrowed. Well, hell. She didn‟t ask for a ride! What the hell was he pissed about? Maybe the thought just occurred to him she hadn‟t told him where to go. “Um, I‟m actually staying in Chula Vista,” she offered before he went too far. He was headed in the opposite direction after all. “Is that right?” came the soft reply. His voice sound smooth, kind of low and sexy. She had never heard him use that tone before. It would have made a wise woman a little nervous; it kind of turned her on. Sitting back abruptly, she squeezed her legs together. Get a grip girl, she admonished herself silently. He’s probably just running an errand or something. But the minutes ticked by and he made no move to exit the freeway. He kept right on heading north.

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“Um, Commander?” she started hesitantly, beginning to feel nervous. What if he was some kind of psycho? “Ian,” he answered. “What?” “My name is Ian,” he told her. “Say it.” “Say what?” “My name,” he sighed, looking over at her. “I am not „Commander.‟ Not to you. Not anymore. I would like to hear you say my name.” Gee, he certainly knew how to stroke a girl‟s fire. She decided he couldn‟t possibly be a psycho, not with a voice that smooth and thick as honey. And those eyes! When he looked at her, she felt herself go all gooey inside. He could get a female to do just about anything he wanted; all he had to do was sweet talk a little and bat those green eyes of his. “Uh, Ian?” He smiled and once again concentrated on the road. “Yes?” “Do you mind if I ask where we‟re going?” His grin got a little bigger. “I‟m taking you home.” ***** Ian fought hard to keep his eyes on the road. It wasn‟t easy. Adanna was one seriously sexy woman. There wasn‟t a straight man on the ship that hadn‟t checked out that full, delectable behind as she strutted through the passageways; and man did she have a strut, her breasts leading the way the entire time. She always had her head held high, like she could take on anyone who got in her way. Oh, how those dungarees had hugged every curve! She wasn‟t in uniform now. She was wearing hip-hugging jeans that clung to her hips and thighs like they‟d been painted on. The plain, short-sleeved white shirt she wore stopped above her belly button, revealing the small gold hoop that hung there. The small piece of jewelry

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gleamed against her smooth milk chocolate skin. His mouth watered just thinking about tugging it with his tongue. It was impossible to be in such close proximity to the star of his wet dreams without an erection; but then, he had been sporting one since she walked into his office earlier. For months he had barely been able to manage the raging desire she inspired. Knowing she was off limits allowed him to admire from afar what he didn‟t dare touch. But now there was no need for restraint. And his cock knew it. If Ian had thought for one minute she wasn‟t attracted to him, he would have never pulled this stunt. The truth was he happened to overhear a very interesting conversation between Adanna and his secretary, Petty Officer Townsend. It was right before the ship had pulled back into San Diego from their last deployment. He had been hiding in his office - well, he had really been jacking off in his office. The ship had pulled out of Hawaii the day before and he hadn‟t been able to get the sight of Adanna frolicking in a bikini (again) out of his mind. Had he known she and her friends would be at same beach, he would have steered clear. It had taken three weeks of nonstop self-gratification to get over seeing her next to naked after the stop in Bali. When he heard the outer door open he had flipped off his lights and waited for whoever was there to leave. Thinking they were alone, the two women had made no attempts to talk quietly. Most people were in their racks or playing cards or dominoes on the mess decks. “Come on,” Townsend was saying. “You don‟t find the Commander hot at all?” “Yeah, he‟s hot,” Adanna had agreed. “He‟s just not my type.” “You have a type?” Townsend laughed. “Okay, so maybe I don‟t,” Adanna reluctantly admitted. “But his kind doesn‟t go for girls like me.”

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Wanna bet? He wanted to yell at her. Instead he bit his tongue. He knew she would be getting out of the Navy not long after they returned to San Diego. A plan started to form in his mind. He just needed to know if her resistance was just because she thought he wouldn‟t be interested, or if she really didn‟t go for white guys at all. “You‟ve dated white guys before,” Townsend pointed out. Jackpot! Okay, so what was Adanna‟s problem? “Yeah, normal white guys,” Adanna told her. “Not silver spoon, Special Forces, too sexy for their own good white boys.” She thought he was sexy? Ian smiled, pressing his ear against the door so he wouldn‟t miss a word. “Devon was seriously hot,” Townsend pointed out. Who the hell was Devon? Ian stopped smiling. “He was, wasn‟t he?” Adanna laughed. “Look, it‟s stupid to even think about the Commander as more than a nighttime fantasy. He‟s way out of my league. Besides, he‟s an officer.” Nighttime fantasy? Out of her league? “Oh, baby girl, if you only knew,” he whispered, stroking his engorged cock once more. That nailed it. Adanna Ingles was going to be his. He had made sure to plan carefully, putting in leave papers for the exact hour she would be done checking out. As soon as she left his office he left, going to get his car so he could intercept her at the gate. Now here they were. It would take about thirty minutes to get to the house. Adanna had no idea what was in store for her.

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Chapter Three La Jolla. She should have known he would live here. When he pulled into the garage of what appeared to be a condo, she started to fidget. There was little doubt why he had brought her here. The Commander, scratch that, Ian was looking to get lucky. Should she cuss him out now, or go inside and pretend like she didn‟t know why she was here? I mean, it took some balls to just assume she would drop trow for him. The least he could have done was work for it a little. Not that she would give him any if he did, but it was nice to have a guy at least try. “I know you‟re wondering why I brought you here,” Ian said, finally turning to face her. Not really, asshole! Adanna thought. “Yeah, I was kinda curious,” she let the sarcasm drip from every word. She was downright offended! Just because pretty boy was used to women flinging themselves at him didn‟t mean this woman would. “I just bought this place,” Ian grinned sheepishly. “I wanted to see what you thought of it.” Yeah, right. “Why?” Adanna demanded. She really didn‟t have time for this shit. She had planned on taking a long nap before Raquel got off from work, then going out and partying the night away. It was Friday night and she had nothing to do tomorrow. She was planning on going until dawn. “Because if you don‟t like it, I‟ll have to find something else,” he explained, as if that made any sense. “Why would you care what I think? You don‟t really know me at all,” she snapped. What the heck was wrong with guy? Maybe he was psycho after all. She

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was probably going to have to kick that pretty face in. A shame, but she would do it f he forced her to. “Adanna Marie Ingles, born June 17th in Mission Viejo, California, daughter of Daniel and Thelma Ingles, who are both from Florida. You graduated from St. Matthews Preparatory four years ago and although you applied for and was accepted to the SDU, Spelman, FSU, Stanford and some tiny, private women‟s college, you joined the Navy instead. I‟m guessing you had some serious disagreement with your parents about where you should go to school. You scored 1350 on you SATs, 85 on your ASVAB. You speak fluent French and Spanish; you hate sausage, love seafood, and know how to surf like a pro. Your favorite color is red, you don‟t drink dark liquors and you a proficient in karate. Do you need me to go on?” Adanna was stunned. How the hell did he know all that? Dude was seriously spooking her out. Yet, she felt an undeniable tingle he actually took the time to find out about her. What‟s a girl supposed to do with a guy like this? “Why?” she whispered, unable to look away from those damn eyes. Ian shrugged. “It was important for me to find out everything I could about you.” Like that answered anything. When he got out of the car and walked over to open her door, she found herself getting out of the car and following him into the house. It was a large condo with wide-open spaces, stark white walls and no furniture. Oh shit! He was going to kill her! “Well, what do you think?” Adanna jumped at the sound of his voice. What did she think about what? Him murdering her in an empty house? “It‟s, uh, nice,” she hedged. Ian frowned at her.

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“You seem nervous,” he moved closer, reaching out to rub her arms. “Are you all right?” She swallowed harshly. Might as well be honest. She was about to die anyway. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked, no longer sarcastic or bad assed. She just really wanted to know. “You haven‟t guessed?‟ Ian asked her, giving her a crooked smile. How was it possible to be turned on and scared shitless at the same time? She shook her head, not daring to open her mouth again. If he wasn‟t going to kill her, she‟d feel like an idiot. He was giving her an odd look, as if he were trying to figure her out or something. Giving his head a shake, he turned and started to move towards the sliding glass doors that led to a surprisingly spacious patio. “Come on,” he threw over wide, well developed shoulders. “I have food.” She thought about making a run for it, but what if she was wrong? Curiosity killed the cat, Adanna, she told herself, but moved to follow him anyway. Oh, well. She had lived a full life - sort of. ***** Ian moved onto the patio towards the picnic basket he‟d had delivered. He had to pull some strings, but he had managed to have one of the best seafood restaurants in the area agree to come in while he wasn‟t here to deliver the meal at precisely twelve-fifteen. Taking a quick look at his watch, he saw it was now twelve-twenty. Perfect. Taking the various containers out of the basket he smiled at the sound of Adanna behind him. She was seriously nervous. He could only imagine the thought that were running through her head. She probably thought he was some kind of psycho stalker. Hell, he had sounded like one. He had only meant to reassure her that this wasn‟t some lame attempt at getting laid. Well, it was, but he was after far more

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than that. He wouldn‟t have blamed her if she had of turned tail and ran. He might have were he in her shoes. When she slid into one of the black, wrought iron seats placed around the matching table, he grinned and gave her a wink. When she smiled back, he felt his heart stop for a second. Damn, she was beautiful! Not just physically either. He dated plenty out outwardly beautiful women, but rarely did a woman that looked like Adanna have an inner beauty that emanated from within. He loved her spirit; fierce but sweet, strong yet gentle. She took no one‟s shit, but she was always there when a friend needed her. She didn‟t whine about a dirty job, she just did it. He noticed most of the chiefs and junior officers in the division respected her, and that was a hard thing for woman to accomplish, no matter how modern the military was. There were no crude jokes behind her back; anyone who dared was quickly put in their place by one of the protectors she probably didn‟t even realize she had. How could he not fall for a woman like that? “I‟m not some psycho, you know,” he told her turning back to fixing their plates. Thank God the restaurant had brought plates and silverware. He had forgotten to request them. But then, he was paying them enough for that and a hell of a lot more. “I didn‟t think you were,” Adanna lied. It was cute the way her nose scrunched up when she lied. It didn‟t happen often, but he had noticed it a time or two when she was trying to be nice to someone. Placing her plate in front of her, he sat down beside her to watch her eat. Learning her favorite foods had taken some doing. He had to watch her surreptitiously whenever they hit a port then watch her eat whatever she had ordered. Because officers didn‟t generally hang out the same places enlisted did, for obvious reasons, it had been hard as hell to catch her going into some place to eat.

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His hard work was rewarded by the happy little sighs she made while she enjoyed her meal. Okay, so he had gotten her here, she was eating and drinking a little wine. Now to get her to stay. He could come right out and tell her what was on his mind, but she was a suspicious little thing. She probably wouldn‟t believe him. “So, you wanna tell me why you really brought me here?” Adanna asked again, much more relaxed now. Ian wondered how much he should tell her. She was expecting seduction, and obviously she had decided that was fine with her. For some reason, that irritated the hell out of him. “I wanted to get to know you,” he answered. It seemed a safe enough answer. He was wrong. Adanna arched an eyebrow at him. That was not a good sign. “Don‟t you already know about me?” she asked. “Not as much as I want to,” Ian answered, swirling his wine glass. He really should have thought this out more. What did he expect? That she would just fall into his arms? He smiled ruefully. Yeah, he had. He never thought a woman might be seriously creeped out by being brought to an empty house without an explanation, especially if that woman didn‟t know the guy all that well. So much for careful planning. “Okay, so what do you want to know?” she asked him, pushing her plate away. Ian was gratified by the fact she ate almost everything on her plate. At least he had gotten that right. She had barely touched her wine though. Smart woman. She might not think he was going to jump her, but she obviously wanted to keep her wits about her, just in case.

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“I want to know what makes you laugh,” he began, staring intently in her eyes. “I want to know your favorite song, your favorite movies. I want to know what you‟re thinking about when you get that dreamy far away look in your eyes. I want to know what you look like when you wake up in the morning. Most of all, I want to know what makes you happy, so maybe I can give it to you, whatever it is.” ***** Adanna stared wide-eyed at the gorgeous man beside her. It wasn‟t the usual line a guy used to get in a girl‟s pants. It was, well, poetic, as sappy as that sounded. While her pragmatic side warned her to be careful, her sappy, girly side melted. He reached out to cup her cheek, and she couldn‟t resist rubbing against his hand. It was large and rougher than she would have thought. When he leaned forward, his eyes shifting to rest on her lips, she leaned forward too, closing her eyes for his kiss. She couldn‟t hold back a sigh as his lips touched hers. The first kiss was tentative, almost as if he was asking her if it was okay to go further. She parted her lips for the second touch, allowing him free access. This time she moaned as his tongue stroked over hers, causing a tingle that traveled straight through her entire body. His hand moved from her cheek to cup the back of her head. Adanna loved the feel of it grasping her hair, forcing her head back to allow him deeper access. She leaned forward more until she found herself in his lap. The hand not gripping her head moved d her to her throat and finally to her breast. He didn‟t grope as so many men usually did. He kneaded her now aching flesh, tweaking the nipple through her shirt and bra. Her body felt as if she was burning up; all of a sudden, her clothes were too restricting, too heavy and cumbersome. All too soon he pulled away. Adanna moaned at the loss. Leaning against his shoulder she tried to calm herself down a little. Why did he stop? She certainly hadn‟t wanted him to. A few more minutes of kissing like that, he could have

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gotten anything he wanted. His hands had moved behind her and were now rubbing her back in large, firm circles. It was nice, but not as nice as she could be feeling. She knew he wasn‟t unaffected. She would have had to be paralyzed not to feel his very large erection against her thigh. “Why did you stop?” Adanna asked when Ian made no move to do anything more than just hold her. “I didn‟t want to get too carried away,” he told her. “Why not?” She knew she was being a bit forward, but hell! The man had started a fire, it was only right he put it out! Ian lifted her head to force her to look at him. “This is not about getting laid,” he told her in his serious “Commander” voice. “I want a hell of a lot more from you.” Adanna squirmed in his lap, getting wetter by the second. If even if he was full of crap, she wanted to see where this ride led. “Like what?” she whispered, licking her lips. Guys seemed to like that. She was far from easy, but she wasn‟t a virgin either. She hated when people played games. She tended not to date guys on the ship because too many liked to play games. You either liked someone or you didn‟t. He seemed to hesitate before answering. “Adanna, I was serious about what I said before,” he said finally, his gaze never wavering. “I want to really get to know you, everything about you.” She felt a quiver race up her spine. If he was handing her a line, he was masterful at it. She found herself nodding. “Okay.”

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“I would really like it if you would stay. I know you probably had plans, but,” he shrugged, finally looking away. “I would appreciate it if you gave me today, and tonight, to show you how serious I am.” Oh hell yeah! She used her cell to call Raquel and tell her she wouldn‟t be going out tonight and to go ahead without her. The great thing about her best friend was she knew when not to ask too many questions. They understood each other so well they could speak volumes by what they didn’t say. Raquel would demand a full accounting later. She was more than a little nervous as she followed Ian up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Seemed the only furniture besides the table and chairs on the patio was a huge California king bed, complete with white sheets. There was also a huge flat screen television mounted on the wall with various electronics directly beneath it on the floor. She didn‟t know exactly what she expected now, but the last thing on her mind is what Ian said next. “I bought some movies. Would you prefer action, a thriller, or a romantic comedy?”

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Chapter Four Ian was hard pressed not to laugh at the expression that crossed her face. She wasn‟t expecting that one. Good, he wanted to keep her a little off balanced. He would not be compared to any of the knuckleheads she might have dated in the past. Not that he had seen her with many. She was an enigma many a man had tried to figure out; she was sexy and confident, yet not many could claim to have actually seen her with a member of the opposite sex. At least not in a way that could be described as at all amorous. There were rumors of course, but would a ship be without rumors? If he hadn‟t overheard conversations between Adanna and her friends, he would have thought she wasn‟t at all interested in men. Thankfully, she was just a very careful and somewhat private person. He didn‟t think he could handle it if he didn‟t have a prayer of a chance. He was just that far gone. It was torturous as hell lying next to her, he couldn‟t have told anyone what the damn movie was about if he tried. He was all too aware of her scent surrounding him, seducing him. It reminded him of a spring rain or a field of wildflowers. He couldn‟t resist pulling her close, laying her head on his shoulder. He tried to concentrate on the images on the screen, but it all seemed like a collection of disjointed images and sounds. He was acutely aware of her. Her heartbeat slowed for a time as she relaxed against him. Soft and pliant, temptation on legs. Ian closed his eyes, concentrating on the sensations surrounding him. He felt her delicate little hand caress his chest, her leg slithering up his own leg to rest across his lower torso. He didn‟t want to ever move, it felt so . . . right. He vaguely became aware of her breathing becoming harsher, her heart rate increasing. When she started to fidget, he looked down and was somewhat surprised to see his

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hands exploring her body. He hadn‟t realized he was doing it, but he was powerless to stop. He watched in fascination as one hands cradled that scrumptious ass, smoothing over curves, dipping to the crotch of jeans to apply gentle pressure then traveling outward and upward once more. His other was tracing the outline of her breasts, molding, squeezing, tweaking in a slow steady nonstop rhythm. Adanna didn‟t push him away, or move from him. She was leaning into his questing hands, allowing free access. So much for taking it slow, he thought ruefully. Pulling her to lay flush against his body, he took her mouth, plundering, stroking, swallow every grasp as if they were his favorite delicacies. It wasn‟t enough; he had to get closer. Unwilling to release her lips, he ripped her shirt. Murmuring apologies and something nebulously like a promise to get her another. Hell, he‟d buy her a thousand others; he just needed to feel her skin against his own. The jeans were a bit harder. He had shift them both so that she lying on her back as he peeled the damn things from her body. He wasn‟t altogether sure how his clothes managed to disappear in time with her own, but when he felt her soft hand surrounding his throbbing cock he wanted to howl. His hips moved of their own accord to match the pumping of her devious little hand. “Baby, if you don‟t stop - Oh, shit!” The first touch of her little tongue swiping across his turgid member had him gritting his teeth in a supreme effort not to blow right then and there. When he felt the heat and moisture her mouth encasing him, his hands flew to her hair. He had every intention of pulling her away, but he found himself holding on for dear life, surging in time with the exquisite suction as she drew his very soul from his traitorous member. He had to stop her, now!

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It took a Herculean effort, but he managed to pull himself from her greedy mouth. The mew of protest the escaped from her as she sought to recapture her treat shredded even the pretense of self-control. Grasping her arms, he drew her up on the bed, flipping her on her back before diving between her shapely, satin thighs. ***** Adanna screamed. For the first time in her life, she actually screamed at the first flicker of that wonderfully wicked tongue. The man actually curled the thing around her clit, sending her off in less than five seconds. She had never known such a thing was even possible! Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging futilely. There was no way she could survive if this kept up much longer. Heedless of her attempt to yank him up, Ian went right on feasting. His tongue and fingers probed, his lips suckled, he licked, slurped, ate like it was his last meal. Not even her bucking hips could dislodge him. She was sure whatever was coming out of her mouth had long ceased to be coherent. He drove her higher and higher until she was pleading. She needed more! She had to have him inside her or she would die, she was sure of it. Just thinking of the impressive erection lying there all cold and lonely made her want to cry. She could make it happy, she was sure of it, if he would just put it where she knew it wanted to be. “Please Ian! I need you now!” she implored. “I need you inside me.” He groaned against her over sensitized clit, sending her flying from the vibrations. He placed one last lingering kiss on the swollen nub before crawling up her frame. Taking the initiative, she locked her thighs around his waist, heaving up and twisting, flipping him over onto his back. Thank goodness he had managed to place a condom on his rigid shaft! She didn‟t think she had the patience to do it. Her body shook with need so intense, she was in pain. Pushing down on his chest,

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she mounted him in one fluid move, sighing as she felt every luscious inch filling her so completely. Unable to hold back, she rocked back and forth, savoring his responding groans. His large hands had a death grip on her hips, assisting as she rose and fell in desperation to get closer. Her back arched, her head falling back at the piercing pleasure every descent caused, moving ever faster until she was literally bucking. Her climax came out of nowhere, causing her entire body to seize. Stars exploded behind her eyes as her body shook. Her hands grasped Ian‟s wide shoulders as an anchor. She felt him move, shifting until he was sitting up. His hands cupped her bottom as he rose to his knees. “You are so beautiful when you come, baby,” he whispered, kissing her face, his hands moving over her glistening back. “Show me again.” Then he moved, angling his hips upward to penetrate the very heart of her. Adanna could do little more than hold on as he forged into her in a maddeningly slow, stead rhythm. All too soon she felt the tension building again, causing her to gasp for breath. “That‟s it baby,” Ian encouraged. “Let it go.” Almost as if her body had been waiting for his permission, she climaxed, locking her legs around his, he feet digging into his ass as she ground down with all her might. Her teeth clamped down on his shoulder, muffling her scream as she rode out her orgasm. It was too much. There was no way she could do it again. Even as she thought it, she was aware he was still hard and full inside her. He was laying her down, careful not to dislodge that miraculous cock as he did so. She offered no resistance as he placed her rubbery legs around his waist and bent forward to place a heart-stopping kiss against her lips. Awarding her with one of his wicked grins he gathered her close even as his hips began their dance, digging deep then retreating.

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“Oh, baby we‟re not done yet,” he promised, his voice husky, laden with unsuppressed passion. “We‟re just getting started.” ***** Ian knew he had died and gone to heaven. Buried deep inside her velvet heat, he could think of no place he‟d rather be. He couldn‟t stop kissing the face of the angel beneath him, couldn‟t stop squeezing and caressing every inch he could reach without withdrawing. She had the sweetest pussy it had ever been his pleasure to taste. He could not imagine going a day without being able to drink from the ambrosia fountain found between her thighs. Ever cell in his body howled, Mine! Mine! Mine!, even as he possessed her. It was a miracle he had been able to last this long, but Lord help him, he couldn‟t stop. When felt her walls contract once more, squeezing impossibly tight, insistently milking his cock, he exploded, ramming deep inside as he yelled his completion to the heavens. Never had anything felt so damn good in his entire life. For the first time since he become interested in the opposite sex, he felt as if this woman had managed to take half of his soul into her body. There was no way in hell he could every let her go.

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Chapter Five Adanna woke slowly, as if swimming up from the bottom of a pool. Cracking one eye open, she was momentarily disoriented. She was surrounded by unrelieved white, pure and pristine. Had she died and gone to heaven? Closing her eyes again she breathed deeply, allowing her mind to explore her body. She was sore, but pleasantly so. There was no doubt about it; she had been well and thoroughly fucked. Relaxing somewhat, she allowed the memories of the day before to filter though her consciousness. The Commander - no, Ian - had brought her here. He had been insatiable, keeping her up most of the night. She had climaxed more than any woman had any right to, but he had demanded more, letting her sleep for brief periods before starting all over again. She was going to have a hell of a time walking today. She was sprawled on top of him now, his semi-hard organ still buried deep inside her. One of his hands was tangled in her hair, while the other was lying possessively on her butt. His deep, regular breathing declared him to be asleep. She debated whether or not she should move. This couldn‟t possibly be a comfortable position for him, but she couldn‟t see how she could move without waking him. Moving slowly, she tried to slip him out of her, only to have both hands tighten at her first movement. “Morning, baby,” Ian murmured, pulling her closer to him. Adanna noticed he hadn‟t opened his eyes. Maybe he thought she was someone else. Despite everything he had told her yesterday, she was a little hesitant to believe much of it. There was no doubt there was an intense physical attraction between the two of them, but other than that, what could he possibly see in her? Not to sell herself short, she was a hell of catch, if she did say so herself.

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But as a rule, officers thought themselves above the peons that were enlisted personnel, and an officer that also happened to be Special Forces did not enter her sphere. Was Ian merely curious, wanting to scratch an itch? If he was, she really didn‟t want to be here when he woke up. “Adanna?” She jumped a little at the sound of his voice. His breathing and relaxed position hadn‟t changed; she thought he was still asleep. “Yes?” she answered tentatively. “Whatever you‟re thinking, stop,” he told her, not moving a muscle. How the hell did he know what she was thinking? “I can feel your doubts,” he responded as if he heard the question in her head. Lifting her head to peer up at him, she frowned. “Really? And just what doubts are those?” she challenged him. Ian opened his eyes to stare right into hers. For a second, he was afraid the connection he had felt last night had been one sided. Then he saw it, the fear behind the challenge in her eyes, the uncertainty. It cut him to the quick that she doubted him, doubted what he knew they had both felt. But he could understand it. There was no way she could know the nights he spent awake thinking of her. She couldn‟t possibly be aware of how he agonized over how he could get her to see they were meant to be together. She needed time. Time and reassurance. Thank God he had taken thirty day of leave. It would take at least that long to convince her he was serious. “You‟re thinking of way you can sneak out of here before I woke up,” he informed her. “That would be a little hard seeing as how there is little to no public transportation all the way out here.”

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Well, at least not in walking distance, she silently amended. “And you‟re thinking that everything I said to you yesterday was just to get you to spend the night,” he continued as if she hadn‟t spoken. She couldn‟t deny that one. Looking away from his piercing gaze she tried to puzzle out her feelings. Sure, there was the physical thing. But somewhere along the way, she found she wanted to know more about Ian Stewart. How insane was that? Maybe not too insane, seeing as how she lying on top of him, his growing erection snuggly tucked inside her core. Wait - growing erection? Her eyes flew back to his face to find him smiling apologetically. “I can‟t help it, baby. You feel too damn good,” he said by way of apology. What girl could resist? She felt body lubricating itself as he began to harden. Morning breath be damned, her mouth fastened on his before thinking twice. She was yielding as he turned their bodies over so that he covered her. “We used all the condoms last night,” he warned her even as his hips flexed and twisted, ignited a fire all over again. “The whole box?” she asked incredulously, bowing her body upwards. “Yep,” Ian groaned, luxuriating in her scalding snugness. God help him if she told him to stop. “I‟m protected,” she whispered in his ear. “Are you, um...Oh!” “There has only been you in my bed since I first saw you,” Ian told her seriously. “Baby, if you want me to stop, you got to tell me now.” If he thought she felt like heaven last night, he knew it this morning. She fit him perfectly, her tight walls leaving no inch of his greedy cock untouched. “Please, Ian,” she pleaded. “I need you.” He made love to her slowly; making her feel cherished and loved to the core of her being. He left no inch of her body unattended as he once again drove her to the point of madness.

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***** Much later, as they lay soaking in the huge tub in the master bath, Adanna resting comfortably against Ian as he lazily washed her using his hands as a washcloth. “Do you have a lot of things at wherever you were staying?” he asked after a while. Adanna shrugged. “Define what you mean by a lot. Why?” Ian swallowed harshly. What if she said no? “I, uh, bought this place for you,” he explained lamely. Damn, he felt like a dorky kid asking the out the most popular girl in school. “I was thinking maybe you would like to, you know, live here. With me.” His heart stopped when there was absolutely no response. Her entire body stiffened, making no attempt to move. Shit! That didn‟t come out half as smooth as he planned. After several seconds of silence, his idiot mouth began the verbal diarrhea. “I didn‟t buy furniture or anything so you could fix how you wanted it. It‟s close to USD, if you want to go there. I mean, I know you want to finish school. I am planning on early retirement in about six months, so if you want to, we could move somewhere. If you don‟t like the place, we can move anywhere you like. I, uh, just would really like it if you gave us a chance. If you gave me a chance.” Adanna turned sluggishly, as if she were in a dream. She stared at him with such wide-eyed wonder; he felt his heart flip over. “My God, you‟re serious aren‟t you?” she whispered in awe, tears welling in those beautifully soulful brown eyes of hers. “Shit, baby, don‟t cry,” he begged her, gathering her close. “Of course I‟m serious.”

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“I didn‟t know . . .” he voice trailed off as she burrowed her face in the crook of his neck. “Shhh,” he soothed, running his hands up and down her back. “I‟m sorry if I‟m rushing you, I just didn‟t want to lose you. If it‟s too soon -” “No!” Adanna jolted up in his lap. “No! Don‟t you dare take it back! I‟m moving in as soon as we get out of the bath.” Ian released a sigh of relief and brought her back to his chest. Had she said no, he would have just kept her in bed until she agreed. Harsh as it may be, and quite possibly illegal, there was no way he was letting her walk out of his life. Besides, he would‟ve made damn sure she enjoyed the hell out of it.

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Epilogue Adanna brushed a speck of lint of Ian‟s dress coat then stood back to look him over critically. He looked every inch the dashing Commander in his dress white uniform. Today, finally he would be retiring from the Navy. Though he hadn‟t had to go underway for the last six months they had been together, his schedule as the Division Officer was a demanding one. He often was out of the house before six in the morning, sometimes not returning until after eight at night. Though her schedule at school kept her plenty busy, there were times she missed him desperately. “You‟ll do,” she teased, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “Glad you approve,” Ian replied dryly. His eyes ran over her petite frame, taking in the way the simple sundress she wore seemed to cling to her every curve. He mentally ran through the list of people who would be there today, frowning as he thought of his buddies from his now defunct SEAL unit. He would really hate to have to kill a friend for checking out his woman, but he knew one glance below the neckline and he was going to have to. “The ceremony is on the waterfront,” he said cautiously. “Are you sure you don‟t want to wear something, uh, warmer?” “You think so?” she smiled at him. “Like a sweater or something?” “Yeah,” he agreed eagerly, happy that she hadn‟t expected what he was really thinking. She was frighteningly good at that. “Don‟t worry, I have just the thing,” she told him dancing into the walk-in closet.

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She came out wearing a scrap up material that stopped just below her below her breasts, molding to his favorite toys worse than the sorry excuse for a dress did, he damn near swallowed his tongue. “Better?” she smiled at him, grabbing her purse and heading downstairs, leaving him no choice but to follow. “Damn minx,” Ian muttered, watching her hips twitch as she walked to the car. Catching her before she could before she could open the car door, he turned her around to face him. Pulling her body flush against him he gave her a kiss full of possessiveness and pent up longing that never seemed to go away. “You know I love you, right?” he demanded, finally releasing her lips, but not her body. “Yes, and I love you right back,” she answered with seriousness that didn‟t reach her laughing eyes. “So will you please, please change your dress?” Adanna frowned, stepping back to look down at the dress she had bought specifically for this occasion. “You don‟t like it?” she pouted, knowing full well he did. Ian groaned, grabbing her hips and grinding his growing erection against her. “Does it feel like I don‟t like it?” he asked. “I just don‟t want anyone else to like it.” Adanna laughed and slipped from his arms to get into the car. Shaking his head he walked slower to the driver‟s side, trying to will his hard on away. The ceremony shouldn‟t take more than an hour and half, two hours tops. He had to make an appearance at the party scheduled after the ceremony. He had to stay for

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at least an hour. Looking at watch, he marked the time. Nine-thirty now, the ceremony began at ten; he‟d have her home and in bed by two, two-thirty tops.

The End

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A little bit about the author: Shara Azod- http://www.sharaazod.com I am a graduate of Trinity University with a B.S. in Business Administration, served in the Navy for four of the most interesting years of my life, and once got arrested in Mexico (wouldn't you love to know why?). I have traveled extensively. My favorite destination is of course Paris, followed by Bahrain, Hong Kong and Sicily. I fell in love with romance after reading The Flame and the Flower at age 13. My first attempt at romance was three binders of an ongoing saga of Duran Duran, specifically John, Simon and Roger and myself. I decided to become a writer after I got busted with said notebook, and grounded for the explicit sexual content. My parents wouldn't believe I had actually never had sex, just read about it. I figured it must have been partly believable. I married a cowboy from Illinois and have two of the most intelligent, gorgeous children in the world. I met my husband in Japan, we had our first date in Hawaii, and got married in San Diego. I have lived in Southern California, Chicago, and Sicily and currently reside in the South. I love to hear from fans, so feel free to email. Peace and Love, Shara Books out by Shara:

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Red Rose Publishing: My Cherie Amour Anchors Away Series: Coming soon Triple Bow-Charity's Christmas Surprise(Anthology with RaeLynn Blue)

Cacoethes Publishing Thierry's Angel Coming soon to a publisher near you: Remy Goes to Therapy The Taming of Katrina Anchor's Away - Red Skies At Night

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