Damn.Why, oh why did they have to be on the same page? Did he also want…
Babies…babies…
Oh, hell! Too soon.
She unscrambled her brain back to reality. “And are you?” she asked, clearing her throat. “Thinking of settling down, I mean?”
He grinned again. “Funny you should ask.”
CHAPTER 14
Spencer wassure that Tabitha looked nervous. He tried to be at his most relaxed as he backpedaled from his agenda, reaching for and taking her hand.
“How about some food first before we get into anything deep?” he asked.
“Changing the subject, are we? Sure. We can save the heavy stuff for later. Uh… Wait.” She shook her head as if she was trying to readjust her brain. “One thing I haven’t asked. How are you feeling?”
“Awesome,” Spencer answered immediately. “No residual headache, no shakiness.I’m cured,” he laughed, stating it in an extremely over-the-top way.
Tabitha groaned. “Yeah. Well. Don’t jinx things. You’resupposedto watch for any health issues that come up over the next two weeks.Thenyou can say you’re cured.”
“Okay. How about I’m feeling greatat the moment, but I’m also hungry as hell. The granola bars they sent into the chamber with me did nothing to assuage my hunger.” His stomach actually grumbled as he tugged her toward the ladder which would lead down into the bowels of the ship toward the mess hall.
“That sounds good. I’m hungry, too,” she told him, also having only stuffed down some prewrapped finger-foods while she waited for Spencer to be released from his confinement.
“Then, we need to talk about future…plans,” he attempted.
Tabitha huffed, looking confused. “Seriously? You really want to talk about settling down?”
“Yup. But don’t be worried,” he pointed to the stairs and indicated she should go down first since there was absolutely no room to traverse the ladder side-by-side. “I’m not proposing or anything,” Spencer quipped.
“Not worried,” she called back over her shoulder. “Because I only take andacceptproposals when I’m on dry land.”
Huh. Spencer could hear something in her voice that was strangely unlike the laid-back, up-front Tabitha he’d come to know over the past several hours.
“Good to know.” He kept it light. “How about this, then. What I’m going to talk about is definitelynotmarriage related, but something you may need a little time to consider.”
Tabitha snorted. “Cryptic, much?” She gave a nervous giggle.
Spencer joined her uneasy laughter, then he slowly grew serious as they both arrived below deck. “A little, I guess. What I’m actually trying to say is, what I’m about to bring up might sound a bit…crazy, but I want you to listen without shooting me down, at least until you’ve considered it from all angles.”
Tabitha stopped them both in their tracks, turning and regarding him with her big, green eyes. She grasped the front of his shirt with both hands. “Listen. Spencer. If this is sex related, you already know I’m all in. And don’t think anything reasonable in that regard is off the table.”
Well, that was certainly interesting. Off topic, but titillating.
She kept on. “I made up my mind that I wanted to get with you, well before I said all that hot stuff during the rescue. There’s just something about you that?—”
Spencer laid a finger on her lips, relishing for a moment the softness of her beautiful bows. “There’s something about you, too,” he admitted. “But as much as I’m liking our conversation, this is not about sex. Which wewillbe exploring,” he added cheekily before getting back to business. “My proposition to you, and whether or not you agree has no bearing on us ending up in bed.”
Those pretty lips curved up in a smile. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s eat, then get the logistics out of the way so we can cram ourselves into my cabin for some fun.”
Spencer had all he could do not to kiss Tabitha right then and there. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and take her up on her offer immediately. But if what he was going to lay before her held any interest, as much as it pained him, they might want to wait on the sex thing.
He gently redirected her while giving her a gentle tap on her cute, freckled nose. “Let’s eat, then chat a bit, and after we’ve talked, if we still feel like jumping each other’s bones, that totally works for me.”
“Good,” she told him, grabbing his finger and bringing it down to her mouth where she sassily sucked it into her warm cavity; giving it a provocative lave with her tongue before returning it to him.
Spencer moaned. “Damn, woman. You don’t play fair.”
