ANCHORED

CHAPTER 13

The sound of his name on her tongue only deepened her yearning. Her hands, trembling slightly, began a slow journey downward. Her fingers skimmed the soft fabric of her shirt, grazing the swell of her belly, where the skin was warm and taut. The sensation was electric, each touch amplifying the pulse of desire that thrummed through her. She lingered there, savoring the connection between her body and her thoughts of him, before her hand drifted lower, slipping beneath the waistband of her pants. Her fingertips brushed the coarse curls of her pubic hair, and she paused, her heart pounding as she imagined Cobham’s gaze, steady and knowing, watching her in this private moment.

Her fingers found her c******s, swollen and sensitive, and she began to move them in slow, deliberate circles. The pleasure was immediate, sharp, and she moaned softly, the sound escaping her lips like a prayer: “Cobham… oh, Cobham.” The circular motion was hypnotic, each pass of her fingers building a wave of heat that radiated outward, making her hips shift restlessly. Her moans grew louder, filling the small cabin, mingling with the faint creaks of the ship. She pictured him—his strong jaw, the way his uniform hugged his frame—and the image pushed her further, her fingers moving faster, chasing the release that felt so close yet maddeningly out of reach.

It wasn’t enough. The ache for him was too vast, too consuming. Jariel’s free hand reached for the comm panel beside her , her fingers fumbling as she punched in the code for the captain's cabin. Her heart raced as the line buzzed once, twice, three times. By the fifth ring, she was trembling, her fingers still working in fevered circles, her moans barely contained. Then, a click, and his voice—deep, gravelly, laced with sleep—came through: “Cobham.”

For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Her breath was ragged, her body taut with need. All she could manage were soft, desperate moans, each one carrying his name like a plea: “Cobham… Cobham…” The silence on his end was heavy, charged, and she knew he was listening, piecing it together. The realization that he was there, hearing her, sent a fresh surge of heat through her, her fingers pressing harder, her moans growing sharper. She didn’t need to say her name; the cadence of her voice, the way she called for him, told him everything.

The comm buzzed in Captain Cobham’s cabin, pulling him from a restless sleep. When he answered, the sound that greeted him—Jariel’s soft, breathy moans, each one laced with his name—sent a shiver racing down his spine. “Cobham… Cobham…” Her voice was a siren’s call, raw and unguarded, and it struck him like a current. His body responded instantly, a twitch in his groin that made his breath catch. His c**k stirred, a pulse of heat that mirrored the fire igniting in his chest. He knew it was her—Jariel, the woman whose presence had haunted his thoughts, her laughter and lingering glances weaving into his dreams. The silence on the line, filled only with her desperate cries, was a confession, and it unraveled him.

He didn’t hesitate. Throwing off the thin blanket, Cobham was on his feet, his heart pounding as he pulled on his boots. The ship’s corridors blurred past as he moved with quick, purposeful strides, the hum of the engines fading beneath the roar of his pulse. Jariel was in the hospital bay, recovering from a cold, and the thought of her there, calling for him, drove him forward. His body thrummed with need, the shiver from her voice now a steady current urging him to her side. He reached the hospital bay and pushed the door open with such force that it slammed against the wall, the sound echoing in the sterile room.

Jariel, propped on the narrow bed, gasped, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and anticipation. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted, and the sight of her—vulnerable, wanting—made Cobham’s resolve falter for a heartbeat. He turned, locking the door with a deliberate click, the sound sealing them in their own world. His gaze met hers, and the air crackled with unspoken longing. He crossed the room in two strides, his hands finding her face as he kissed her with the desperation of a man starved. His lips moved against hers, hungry and searching, tasting the salt of her skin, the warmth of her breath. His hands roamed, tracing her shoulders, her arms, the swell of her belly, each touch a claim, a promise.

“Jariel,” he whispered against her ear, his voice rough with need. “Let me help bring you release.” His words sent a tremor through her, and she nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as his hands slid lower. His fingers brushed the hem of her hospital gown, lifting it to reveal the soft skin of her thighs. He paused, savoring the warmth of her, before his hand found her center. His fingertips grazed her c******s, teasing in slow, deliberate circles, and Jariel moaned, the sound muffled against his lips as he kissed her deeper. The slickness he found there drove a growl from his throat, his own arousal tightening in response.

His fingers slid lower, one then two easing inside her v****a with a gentleness that belied his urgency. He moved them in slow, successive thrusts, feeling her walls tighten around him. Jariel’s body arched, her moans growing sharper, her hands clutching his shoulders. His thumb circled her c******s, matching the rhythm of his thrusts, and her body trembled under his touch. The kiss never broke, their lips locked in a dance of need, her breath hot and ragged against his. Cobham felt her tension build, her moans vibrating through him, each one a spark to his own desire.

He curled his fingers inside her, pressing against a spot that made her gasp, her body shaking as his thumb worked her c******s with relentless precision. Jariel’s moans turned to cries, her hips bucking against his hand. The climax hit her like a wave, her body convulsing as she squirted, the release soaking the hospital bed beneath her. Cobham held her through it, his fingers slowing but never stopping, drawing out every shudder, every pulse of her pleasure. Her eyes met his, glassy with satisfaction, and in that moment, the world was just them—two souls bound by desire, trembling in the aftermath of their connection.