Bared to Him by Jan Springer Page A

so that an
enemy can see from a distance, but just enough so if one of the
bodyguards gets close they can tell if the Octo is friend or foe.
And there’s an added benefit for when we’re in human form. We’ve
discovered the tattoos get brighter a few minutes before we even
feel the need to Turn. When you’re in the human world, it’s always
good to know ahead of time so you can make your excuses and
disappear. Even a couple of minutes is a big help.”
    Gray
nodded. He realized that maybe Calder was right. Miranda needed
major protection and he might not be able to give it to her. He
sure didn’t want to lose her because of his doubts about
consortiums.
    “ The consortium and tattoo sounds like a good idea. But I can’t
give you a decision one way or the other unless I discuss this with
Miranda.”
    Calder
nodded. He looked somewhat relieved. Then he smiled and nodded
toward the yacht.
    “ The women are hailing us.”
    Gray
looked over at the yacht bobbing in the sparkling aqua-blue waters
and saw Miranda and Catalina waving to them.
    “ It looks like breakfast is ready. Want to race to the yacht?
Last one there does the dishes?”
    Calder
didn’t answer, as he was already diving into the water. A moment
later, his head popped out of the water and he waved to
Gray.
    “ Last one there does the dishes!”
    Son of a
bitch! He had heard him!
    Gray dove
into the ocean, but Calder already had such a head start that Gray
knew he was the one who would be doing the dishes. But that was
okay. It would give him some time to think about what Calder had
said. He’d made some good points about the dangers of being
Octoposeidon and of having a female to protect now. He wondered how
Miranda would react when he suggested they move down here to
California.
    * * * *
*
    “ You aren’t saying anything,” Gray said as he studied
Miranda.
    They had
followed Cat and Calder in the yacht along the coastline to a
secluded beach several miles from Calder’s marina. The two of them
had enjoyed a dinner of buttered lobster. Over a shrimp salad, he’d
mentioned what Calder had said about joining the consortium
here.
    “ That’s because there’s nothing to say,” she replied with a
grimace.
    “ What do you think?” he prodded.
    She shook
her head and shrugged her shoulders.
    “ About?”
    Man, why
was she making this so difficult for him?
    “ We’ve been careless out here all alone. Now that you’ve
Turned, your scent is very active. Bad things can happen. Octo
males are desperate.”
    She
frowned and an uneasiness zipped through him.
    “ Exactly how desperate are they, Gray?”
    His gut
twisted at the snarl in her voice. What had he said wrong now? He
picked up her irritation and it snapped through him as
well.
    “ Do I need to spell it out for you? Do I need to tell you what
happened to the women in my consortium? The females were kidnapped,
Miranda. Taken against their will. Some were killed because they
fought. We can’t go to the human law. They don’t know we exist. And
Octo laws are like the human’s Wild West days at best. My sisters
live alone in isolation. They want nothing to do with the
Octoposeidon race. They barely interact with the human race. They
rarely see each other or me because they live in fear. I don’t want
that for you or for us, Miranda.”
    “ You didn’t answer my question, Gray,” she said
softly.
    Gray
blinked in surprise. She acted as if he hadn’t even said
anything.
    “ Question? What the hell are you talking about?”
    “ How desperate are you, Gray?”
    What the fuck ?
    “ Are you screwing me because there’s no other female around? Or
are you doing me for another reason?”
    A dark
pink blushed her cheeks and she seemed fidgety. Her hands were
knotted on the table in front of her and she was nibbling on her
bottom lip as if she was worried about something. Realization hit
him like a ton of bricks. Damn, but the woman had balls. Damn sexy
as hell cute balls.
    “ What do you want me