Traces of Grey: Book Four of The Alexis Stanton Chronicles

by Phelps, J. C.

  I woke a few hours later and felt White in the bed next to me. I fought against a sharp intake of breath and stayed as still as I could. The room was dark and quiet, except for White’s even breathing. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. After more than half an hour of being perfectly still I slowly slipped from the bed and left.

  The gym felt like the safest place to be right now. If my thoughts were going to give my brain a workout I might as well give my body one, too. Why hadn’t he tried anything? Maybe he wasn’t going to. Maybe that was best. But, why hadn’t he tried? Would I have given in? Yes, I would have. I jumped on one of the treadmills and started running.

  “Early morning workout?” White’s voice came up behind me. I almost fell off the treadmill before I could push the stop button.

  “I couldn’t sleep.” I was breathless.

  “You were sleeping just fine until about forty-five minutes ago.” He closed in.

  I looked at my bare feet and tried to get my breathing under control.

  “Are you going to come back to the room or are you going to run all night?” He backed away slightly, allowing me room to walk past him.

  I took the opportunity and led us back to the suite.

  “You must be out of shape,” he said as he shut the door.

  “Why?”

  “You’re still panting from that short run.” Again, he moved in close.

  “It’s not the run,” I admitted quietly as I held my ground.

  “Is that so?” He looked down and took my hands in his. Then he kissed the top of my head. I lifted my chin and looked him in the eyes. My heavy breathing had stopped and I held my breath.

  White moved my hands to his waist and pulled me closer. He slowly traced a line along my jaw down to my neck. I took in a deep breath as he leaned down to kiss where his fingers had just been.

  “Okay?” He asked quietly as his hands continued to roam.

  I barely nodded before I felt his lips on mine. I was so caught up in him I didn’t even realize we’d somehow made it to the bed until the cool pillow touched my head.

  Chapter Three

  I lay on my side staring at the cabin’s wall. A cool breezed drifted in through the open window causing goose bumps to rise up on my bare skin. White snuggled in closer, holding me tight. Even if it was incredibly relaxing and comforting to have White so close there was no way I would be able to sleep. More than an hour passed this way before White finally broke the silence.

  “So.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “What are you thinking about?”

  I tensed. “I don’t know. Us?” I couldn’t tell him my real thoughts. I’d been analyzing every touch, every movement, over and over. Had I just made the worst mistake of my life? Had I just screwed up any future with White by my lack of experience? Just because I enjoyed myself doesn’t mean he did. My stomach was in knots and I was fighting to keep my nervous shaking undetectable. How would I cope if he wanted nothing more to do with me? What if he never touched me again? What if he really was mine now? That was the scariest thought.

  “Good.” He held me a little tighter. “I’m actually thinking about that bikini. You look good in a wet suit but that bikini—” He whistled.

  “For a while I thought I might have to share the room with you and that bartender. What’s her name?” The light tone put me more at ease.

  “I don’t remember. I think she’s a client of Doctor Stoddard.”

  “I think so, too.” I giggled. “And, so you don’t forget again, her name is Sydney.”

  “I know.” He admitted.

  “Thought so.” I nudged him with my elbow.

  We lay still for several minutes more. The scent of White had always intoxicated me, and the feeling of his skin against me was almost paralyzing. It made me light headed and giddy. It pissed me off that I had no control when it came to White. Why did I let my libido make my choice? What the hell was I going to do now? Quit my job, get married and start having babies? No fricking way. I squirmed until he loosened his hold enough for me to roll to the edge of the bed. I leaned over the side to search for my clothes.

  “Whoa.” White pulled me back into his arms and I couldn’t resist. Before I knew it, he mirrored my body with his own. His warmth seeped into me. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m cold.” My emotions were a tangled mess, and I didn’t know which one was the right one. Exhilaration filled me, but so did shame, confusion and fear. I couldn’t pick out which one was dominant.

  “The morning-after weirdness.”

  “What?” I was waiting for his hold to loosen so I could squirm away and finish finding my clothes.

  “That weird feeling when you wake up in the morning next to a new body.” He explained.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “You know. When it’s hard to find something to talk about. You’re wondering what the hell you just did and why. How are you going to get out of it?”

  I remained silent. I didn’t want to admit he was right, but I couldn’t lie and deny it. What if I hurt him? Even if I wasn’t ready to settle down, I didn’t want White to give up.

  “It’s funny. You’re the only woman I’ve not had that experience with. This feels normal and right.” He moved his hand slightly down my leg. “But, I know you’re feeling it because you’re tense,” he said.

  “Fine,” I said. “I’m feeling a little unsure.”

  “Why are you feeling unsure? If you have a good reason, get dressed and we’ll pretend this never happened.” He let go of me and put some distance between our bodies. I didn’t dare move.

  I knew why I was unsure, but I didn’t know if it was a good reason. I couldn’t give up what I had before we finalized the contract. Well, I could but I sure as hell didn’t want to.

  “I don’t want anything to change.” The heat on my back where White had been only moments before was fading, making me shiver.

  “Me either.” He replaced his arm around my waist and pulled me back into his body.

  “I love my job,” I said.

  “I love my job,” he repeated my words.

  “I’ve wanted this for a long time.” I pressed my head into his shoulder.

  “How about we take it a day at a time?”

  I nodded and sighed. “Sounds good.”

  “I suppose we should get dressed, anyway. We need to go over our plan. I just wanted to be sure this wasn’t just a one time thing.” White rolled away and started collecting his own clothes. I could hear the satisfaction in his voice. His admission that he worried I might not be in this for the duration gave me my own satisfaction.

  We dressed in record time and made our way to the small writing table against the wall.

  White pulled out some paperwork from his pack and laid it out on the table.

  “This photo isn’t even a year old.” He pulled a photo of Ruiz out of the pile. “The Admiral was more concerned with his current security detail, so we have to focus on them.”

  I nodded my understanding as White pulled out a satellite picture of the resort.

  “I’ve asked the captain to anchor somewhere in this area.” He circled a small area in the water. “We should have a great view, but still be far enough away from shore to avoid alerting anyone.”

  He pulled the paperwork back together. “If you want to go over anything else, you can find this in my pack.” He held up the envelope before he put it away.

  “That’s it?”

  “Yep. Short and sweet. This should be a simple operation. I’d like you to find out how many people Ruiz has in his party to make sure we get pictures of them all, but that should be simple and can be done when we get there.”

  “Oh, I already did that. He’ll have six additional people staying at the resort with him.”

  “Good. Looks like we’re all set.” He glanced at the window. “The sun will be up soon. Were you going to go back to bed?”

  “Actually,” I looked at my watch. It read 4:39 AM. �
��I thought I’d go get some time in the gym before everyone gets up.”

  “Do you mind if I get a little sleep, then?”

  “Of course not.”

  The gym was still unoccupied when I walked in. There weren’t that many machines to choose from. A pair of treadmills faced the back wall that wasn’t really a wall at all. It was a huge window that showed a great view of the ocean. I could still see the stars over the water even though the sky was starting to turn a light gray on the horizon. A pair of exercise bikes stood next to the treadmills and a monstrous multi-purpose machine sat in the center of the room.

  The view made my decision on what equipment to use. The treadmill also had built in music system with ear buds. Bonus, I thought as I grabbed one of the sanitary wipes near the treadmill, wiped off the ear buds and put them in my ears. I ran to music, watching the sun light up the world and thought of nothing but White and what we’d done. Several times I wanted to get off the treadmill to go throw up but I ran through it and found myself grinning more than feeling sick to my stomach.

  When my legs were about to burst into flames I slowed to a jog. My watch told me I’d been running flat out for more than forty minutes. I jogged until the searing sensation lessened to a warm burn then hopped off the treadmill. I’d forgotten the ear buds were attached to the treadmill and they were ripped from my ears. I felt foolish and spun around to make sure no one was watching.

  Sam and Billy were at the multi-purpose machine. Sam let out a loud laugh and Billy wore a grin. I felt my face heat up. Thankfully, I’d not been singing out loud as I ran.

  “Oh, shut up,” I told them as I reached for a towel to wipe away my sweat. I dabbed at my face for a couple of seconds then started to wipe down the machine with the sanitary wipes, starting with the ear buds.

  “The crew will take care of that after you leave.” Sam grunted as he pushed up hard to lift the weights on the machine.

  “If I do it, at least I know it’s done,” I answered and finished up the job. “What time do people start getting up?”

  “You’ve got a couple hours yet. Why?” Sam stopped his exercises and walked toward me.

  “I was thinking about a morning swim but I want the pool to myself, if possible.”

  “Use this one down here, then. Where’s White?”

  “I think he’s still sleeping. At least he was when I came in here. Did you need him for something?”

  “No, just wondering.”

  “You’re sure? I’m going back to the room to change into my swimsuit. I could wake him.”

  “No. I’m sure he’ll be up soon enough. I was asked to take him to the Captain later this morning, so it’s not pressing.”

  “Okay, then. See you gentlemen later.”

  “Later,” Sam said.

  Billy had taken Sam’s place on the machine and scrambled to stand at attention as I left.

  White was asleep, so I was as quiet as I could be while rummaging for my one-piece. I’d taken Gabriella’s advice and brought three swimsuits as well as two wet suits, the spring suit for warm water and a full body suit. As soon as I located the suit I turned to make sure White was still asleep. His features were softer than I’d ever seen them. He was so still I worried. I stared to make sure he was still breathing. He stirred a little. I didn’t want to get caught gawking so I moved into the bathroom. At least I knew he was still among the living.

  I pulled my hair into a braid as soon as I got out of the shower, and quickly put on my suit. I brought my damp towel out of the bathroom with me so I’d be sure to have one poolside.

  White was sitting up on the bed when I exited.

  “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  “No. It was just time to wake up.” He smiled.

  “Sam was looking for you.”

  “Already?”

  “He said it wasn’t pressing. Just that the Captain wants to see you later this morning.”

  “Waterstone must really want me up there with him. He asked me to come up yesterday and now he’s got Sam searching me out, too. All he wants is help to plot his course. He doesn’t really need me. I’ve already shown him where I want him to anchor for the week.” He shook his head.

  “Maybe he enjoys your company.”

  “He’s an old friend of my dad’s. They served together. He’s a great guy, don’t take me wrong. I’d just like to spend some time in the hot tub. Maybe do some fishing, or hang out in our room.” He winked.

  My heart skipped and my breath caught in my throat. I grinned in spite of my embarrassment. “I never thought of fishing.” I tried to blow it off but White’s smile became even broader.

  “Going for a swim?” He still wore that satisfied grin.

  “Yeah. I’m sick of that treadmill. Besides, Sam and Billy showed up and I didn’t feel like working out with them in the room.”

  “I might see you in a little bit. I think swimming is probably the best exercise for me right now.” He touched his scar gingerly.

  Our exercise last night presented itself in a different light and I found myself sitting on the bed next to him, touching the scar. “Are you okay?”

  “A little sore.” His voice took on a slight whine and the sinful grin became tired, but his eyes twinkled. I’d fallen into his trap.

  “You’re just fine.” I narrowed my eyes and resisted the urge to smack him. I started to stand but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.

  “It got you over here, though.”

  The roughness ended as soon as his lips met mine and he kissed me tenderly. “Good morning,” he said as we parted.

  I was too out of breath to reply and just smiled back at him. M hand found his and held on tightly before I gave him one more kiss.

  “It’s going to be hard not to touch you in public,” he said as I stood up.

  “You’ll manage.”

  ********

  I dipped my foot into the pool to make sure it was heated like the one on the deck above. I wasn’t disappointed and dove in. I was in the middle of my seventeenth lap when I noticed I had company. Mr. Stoddard sat near the pool, watching me. It felt weird to think of him as Mr. Stoddard when he was so close to my age, but Scott hadn’t told me his first name.

  I didn’t know how long he’d been there. I finished my lap before I stepped out of the pool, Scott’s advice to steer clear of Stoddard upfront in my mind.

  “Don’t quit because of me,” he said as I acknowledged him with a nod and a smile.

  “No. I’m done.”

  “Most people swim an even number of laps,” he said.

  “I wasn’t counting,” I lied, but he’d obviously been there long enough to know how many laps I’d completed. My eyes found my towel near the chair he’d chosen to occupy. He immediately retrieved it and came toward me. His chest was puffed out and he obviously put some effort in how he walked. It was similar to my practiced walk I used when I wanted to make an impression and only slightly more masculine. I pictured him walking in slow motion and added a flip of his hair in my mind. I almost burst out laughing from the vision. He was laying it on thick.

  “My name’s Sean.” He held out his empty hand. I let my attention wander from the towel to the offered hand long enough to give it a firm shake.

  “Alex,” I said as I reached for my towel with my other hand.

  He pulled the towel just out of reach and kept a hold on my hand. “You really don’t need to stop because of me.” He looked me up and down suggestively. He was quite attractive and his attention might have been flattering had he been more refined and had I not known he was married.

  Pig.

  “On second thought, you can call me Ms. Grey.” He let his grip loosen and his face took on an offended look. I, however, moved my grip from his hand to his wrist to give myself better leverage and make it easier to pull him in close. A smirk covered his face. It clearly told me he expected something other than what I had in mind. He placed my towel on my hip right along with his hand. Then he gave a
slight tug, using my hip as a handle. He pushed himself harder against me. He was obviously trying to give me a taste of what I could expect after the clothes came off. It didn’t evoke what I’m sure he hoped for. I shivered in disgust.

  “You like to be in charge?” He breathed at me.

  My nostrils flared, but I managed to keep my expression pleasant. I snatched the towel from his grasp. I wanted to throw him to the ground to show him how much I loathed being hit on by a married man, but instead, I pulled him closer and said into his ear, “Thanks,” in a sweet voice. Then, I added, “You really should keep your hands and your wandering eyes to yourself. Consider this your only warning, Mr. Stoddard.”

  I moved back a step and noticed his expression changed to anger almost instantly and his hand that had latched onto my hip dropped to his side. I didn’t loosen my grip on his wrist and cocked my head to the side to challenge him.

  “Stoddard isn’t even my name. She made me take her name when we got married,” he spat.

  Any man who would become a trophy husband couldn’t have much in the cojones department, but I’d hit a nerve. Even if his tone was whiny, his stance was that of someone ready to throw down.

  “Your choice, your problem.” I let go of him and stood my ground. The look on his face and his stance made me hesitate to turn my back on him.

  After several long seconds of staring at me he finally backed down. “Sorry, Alex. I just thought we might have some fun.”

  “Ms. Grey.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “You can call me Ms. Grey.” I gave him a friendly smile. I was purposefully egging him on. I hadn’t been in a fight for a long time and he’d pissed me off.

  “Ms. Grey.” He turned and walked away. Definitely lacking cojones.

  I waited until he was a fair distance away and moved back toward my own room. Sam and Billy waited for me just outside the poolroom.