Thirty-five minutes later, having relayed everything she could recall down to the minutest of details, Tabitha felt she might have gotten through to the Commander. She hadn’t hesitated to use every technical term available to her, and regalehim with the precautions she and Spencer had taken during each step of the rescue operation.
He seemed, if not happy, at least satisfied as he eventually closed his notebook. “It sounds like you proceeded according to the book, and I suppose I should commend you on keeping a level head and coming out of this alive.”
“So why don’t you?” she asked sassily.
This time he scrubbed a hand over his face and actually chuckled at her audacity. “Damn. You remind me of my wife. I never win an argument with her, either.” He straightened up, seemingly aware that he’d just looked human in front of his men. He turned to them and grimaced. “If either of you mention anything about what I just said, I’ll have you scrubbing decks for the duration of your enlistments. Do I make myself clear?”
“Aye, aye, Commander,” they both chimed in unison, although Buck couldn’t seem to keep the grin off his face.
“Permission to put in my two cents worth, sir?” Spencer’s near doppelgänger snapped out.
“Why do I know I’ll regret this?” the Commander mumbled under his breath. But with a huff, he granted permission. “Go ahead.”
“In my experience, sir—having grown up with Spencer and six other brothers—it is often difficult for females to resist a Sothard’s charms. Butasa Sothard, I also want to say that the lot of us have never been attracted to women who were anything other than brilliant.
“Therefore, I concur with what Ms. Miers has posited. She was inordinately drawn to my brother—because how could she not be—but her brain and professionalism overrode those feelings when it became crucial for their combined survival.”
Tabitha threw back her head and laughed. “Nicely said, Buck,” she allowed, then turned back to Billingsgate to add snarkily, “even though I didn’t need validation. Now,” shecleared her throat. “I might regret this Commander, but can I ask exactly what you were told went on between myself and Spencer?”
Instead of answering, the Commander flipped through his notebook, spun it around toward her, and stabbed at several paragraphs, raising his brows as if daring her to read.
Tabitha bent her head and quickly perused what he’d written, unable to stop the blush that crawled up her cheeks. Yup, rosy flushes were a damned, redheaded curse. Tabitha had never been able to back up her first-rate poker face with confidence because of her weak-ass, volatile pigmentation.
She could tell her color remained high as few phrases popped off the page in front of her.
…stellar ass…hot, sweaty, monkey sex…lips around your cock…
Okay.So maybe it hadn’t been her finest moment to let those thoughts fly publicly, but dammit, she’d been imagining she might die.
“I plead ‘Sword of Damocles’,” she finally admitted with a snort. “If my head were to be lopped off, metaphorically of course, I didn’t want it to happen without letting Spencer know he was…on my mind.”
Andon my tongue, she wanted to add impishly, but she managed to refrain.
The Commander sighed again, but this time he rose to his feet, his two men immediately following suit to stand at attention. “I understand,” he gave in. “I’ve seen sailors behave far more erratically in dangerous circumstances,” he grudgingly admitted.
Tabitha couldn’t help herself. “You meanerotically?” she poked.
A laugh barked out of him. “Don’t push my limits, Ms. Miers,” he warned, but she could tell he was amused. “I’llwrite up my report without mention of your…impulsive, X-rated language. Therefore, you should have no problem presenting my findings to your insurance company.”
Tabitha leaped to her feet, went around the table, and impulsively gave the big man a hug. “Thank you so much, Commander, and tell your wife I said she’s a very lucky woman.”
“Thank you,” he responded gruffly, awkwardly patting her on the back before easing away. “I may call on you to confirm that for her.”
Tabitha decided to go for broke while she was on a roll. “Right-O. If I agree to go to bat for you should the need arise, I don’t suppose there’s any way you’ll let me go hang around outside your decompression unit and keep Spencer company?”
Billingsgate snorted. “Damn. You’re tenacious, I’ll say that. And I pity Mr. Sothard if he decides to attempt a closer relationship with you.”
“Thank you. I think,” Tabitha returned, unable to hide her grin. “So…?”
“Yes. You have my permission,” the Commander grunted before addressing his subordinates. “Shrinker, Buck, make sure she gets there without causing any trouble.”
He turned on his heel and walked out.
“That was awesome,” Buck chortled the minute the door closed behind his superior. “Uh,” he prevaricated, glancing sheepishly at Shrinker. “At least Ithinkit was.”
Shrinker actually snickered. “At ease, sailor,” he retorted. “Itwaspretty epic, but we won’t speak of it outside these walls. Ever. Correct?” He gave Buck a hairy-eyeball. “If I end up scrubbing decks for the duration, there’ll be a lot worse in store foryou, and that’s a promise.”
“My lips are sealed,” Buck stated.
