She laughed, her bright blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "That's very thoughtful of you, sir. I'm sure the crew will be grateful."
"I'm going to finish my coffee and make my rounds around the ship to make sure all is ready. You may take a break, if you wish. I know I've worked you hard the past few days."
"I'll just run to my cabin and freshen up a bit. This heat is horrendous. I'll join you soon."
A few minutes later, they emerged from his office and each went their own way. Once she arrived in her cabin, she stripped off her clothes and headed into her small bath for a quick, cool shower. As the water cascaded onto her body, she smiled to herself. Despite all the stress with the kitchen being in repair mode and the fact they'd been docked for too many days, things had been going well. Once she'd been cleared to return to duty, she had filled her hours with work and some of her off time with Blaine. They had managed a few hours here and there dockside. She'd done some shopping and they had enjoyed a few intimate dinners together. Careful not to flaunt their relationship in front of the crew, they were discreet when getting together in one or the other's cabins for a few hours alone from time to time.
Blaine certainly was not crowding her this time around. He respected her privacy and, even though they had resumed a physical relationship, they were taking things slowly, as slowly as they could, that is. It was hard, given the passion the two shared for each other. Things were different now, however. They were no longer two college kids, but grown up, accomplished and responsible adults, both with responsibilities to the United States Navy. Neither would jeopardize their careers at this point. They made the decision to be together but the personal relationship was not to interfere with their duties. That was the condition they'd agreed upon after the fire. It was the only way they could see that it would work. And that seemed to be what they both wanted, a solid relationship that they could build on. Blaine had no intention of taking anything for granted with her. He'd learned that lesson the hard way. Charlie, in turn, had realized that all issues needed to be addressed and not to assume the worst, as she had done so many years ago.
So far, it was working, although they were still in the early days of the rekindled affair. Affair? Surely, this was so much more than that. Only time would tell.
Now, though, it was time to finish her shower and get back to work. Blaine would wonder where she was. She certainly didn't want him to think she was taking advantage of his offer for her to take a break and be gone longer than necessary.
She was finding it was not easy for her lover to also be her commanding officer. She had already known that having her former lover as her captain would be difficult. It was harder than she had ever imagined to keep personal separate from professional on many occasions. And with the type of D/s relationship the two shared, it was even harder to keep the two separate, at least in her opinion.
She left the cabin and headed back up to find the captain. Commander Bing was coming toward her, obviously on her way to her own cabin. She spoke to Marci as they passed each other.
"Dinner again soon?" Marci suggested.
"I'd love to. Once we get back out to sea, we'll set something up," Charlie replied.
"I have to run now. I'll catch up with you in a few days."
"Sounds good. I have to get back up to the bridge. Have a good night."
"My shower and my bed await. I am bushed, going to grab a quick nap before the evening meal. I've been at it for too many hours today."
Charlie smiled and went on her way.
She liked Marci. They had a lot in common, not to mention the fact that they were the only two women officers on board.
Hurrying on her way, she reached the bridge and found Blaine talking to some of the crew, making sure everything was ready for their departure the next day. She waited until he was finished before making her presence known to him.
"Captain," she said.
He turned to her, "Ah, Commander, good, you're back. I have something for you to take care of. I trust you had a nice break."
"Yes, thank you, sir."
He grinned and winked at her, as he usually did when she referred to him as sir. "Come with me."
He led her back to his office. When they were inside, he invited her to sit again. "I believe we are ready for you to make your final inspection. I'd like for you to take care of that before you go off duty today. After that, report back to me and we'll head to dinner together."
"Certainly, Captain. I'll begin right now."
"I'll be here in my office. I'm ready for an early night. This has been a long day."
"I couldn't agree more. I met Commander Bing on my way back up here and she was pretty exhausted, too."
"I'm sure she and every other person on this ship feels the same way."
He nodded and dismissed her with another grin.
Charlie made her rounds, checking in with each department. Everything seemed to be in perfect order and most of the crew members were more than ready to be back out to sea. The kitchen was her last stop. The aromas that greeted her when she entered were tantalizing. She spoke to the new cook and he assured her that the evening meal that night was going to be a hit with everyone. "The captain has made sure it will be special," he told her.
"I'm sure your efforts will be much appreciated," she replied. "The new appliances seem to be working well, I presume?"
"Oh, yes, they are very nice. A bit more modern than the old ones, an upgrade for sure."
"This vessel was probably due for replacements soon, just not the way it happened."
The seaman shook his head. "Fire is not good anytime, Commander. Luckily, there was not more damage and no serious injuries or fatalities. We were very lucky, thanks to your quick thinking."
"Thank you, yes, we were lucky and Cook is now recovering nicely from his surgery. I'll leave you to your work; I know you're very busy right now. Have a good day."
He saluted her and went about his work, leaving Charlie to make her report to Blaine.
When she arrived back at his office, he was speaking with one of his other officers so she waited patiently in the small outer office. The officer greeted her when he came out and she went on in.
"I'm here to report that all is ready to depart the dock at 0500 tomorrow morning, Captain."
"Very good. Now, you, Vandecamp, are officially off duty, and so am I. Come here, sweet Charlie Rose. I've missed you."
Slowly, she walked toward him. It was the first personal gesture he'd made to her in days, with all the extra hours they'd both been putting in to get the ship and crew ready to go back out. When she stood in front of him, he put his arms around her and pulled her close. He held her for several seconds, neither of them speaking.
He lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her eyes, now shining with love for him, before he lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips with his own. Immediately, a rush of heat and desire overtook her as her lips parted and his tongue took possession of her mouth. How she had missed his touch the past few days. She was drowning in the sensations one simple kiss was creating. When he ended the kiss, he looked down at her and said in a husky voice, "Later, Charlie, after dinner, we need some alone time."
She nodded her head in agreement, standing on her tiptoes to plant a light kiss on his lips before pulling away to get herself together before they went to dinner with some of the crew. Blaine would be expected to say a few words. After all, it was a special occasion for those on this particular WestPac. They had endured a near tragedy together and it was now time to move on.
A few minutes later, he asked if she was ready to go.
"Yes, I think so. The cook assured me the meal will be wonderful. Judging from the smells when I was down there earlier, I am sure he was right."
Together, they left his office. He locked the door and they made their way to the Mess to join the crew. Normally, they took their meals in the Wardroom but tonight was different. Blaine had ordered steak and lobster for the evening fare. Po
tatoes and vegetables accented the meal.
When all who were able to join them had arrived, Blaine stood up and welcomed them.
"Good evening. I know many of you are tired and just coming off duty so I'll make this short. I want all of you to know how much my XO and I appreciate your extra efforts over the past few days. In celebration of that and the fact we now have our new kitchen back in working order and are about to go back out to sea, after an unplanned extended stopover in Japan, I have arranged for a special dinner for all of us. There is also a surprise dessert, so stick around for that. Enjoy your evening and get a good night's rest. We leave at 0500."
Applause from the crew followed as Blaine took his seat next to Charlie and some of the other officers. Marci had joined them during Blaine's speech and she looked rested after her nap.
The food was as delicious as Charlie had anticipated and she complimented Blaine for the choice. The conversation around the table was pleasant. When the meal was finished, she stood and thanked the cook and Blaine. After that, she quietly excused herself and carefully made her way to Blaine's cabin. He had given her a key a few weeks ago. Always on the lookout so no one would spot her, she glanced around before unlocking the door and going in to wait for him. She didn't know how many crew members had caught on to their blossoming romance but the quieter they kept it while they were out to sea, the better. Of course, Marci had guessed it early on. If anyone else suspected, she wasn't aware of it.
She slipped out of her uniform and into a silk gown and kimono set she had purchased in one of the Japanese shops. She had left it in his cabin after a shopping trip they'd enjoyed together and had forgotten to take it back to her own cabin. Tonight, she was glad it was there. She would surprise him by wearing it.
Blaine remained at the table a while longer, talking to various crew members and to Marci and the officers who had not retired to their cabins yet. He finally excused himself to make his final rounds and to make sure those on duty were able to partake of the dinner he had planned before retiring for the night. He knew that Charlie was waiting for him in his cabin and he didn't want to keep her waiting but he didn't want to make his exit too soon after hers, either. Was it necessary for the two of them to be as cautious as they were? Maybe and, then again, maybe not. He wasn't taking any chances with either of their reputations or careers. It wasn't against regulations but until they were ready to make their relationship public and permanent, he didn't see any reason to give cause for gossip among the crew.
When he was satisfied that all was well onboard, he finally began walking toward his cabin. He passed a few seamen on the way and they saluted him. In the officer's area, he spotted one of his officers entering his own cabin and he spoke to him and wished him a good night, making sure the man was in his own cabin, before he opened the door to his cabin and, hopefully, Charlie.
He definitely wasn't disappointed when he entered the room. Soft music was playing and he spotted Charlie sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of wine. She was wearing a Japanese kimono and he remembered it as the one she had purchased when they were shopping together. She had left it in his cabin. He'd been so busy; he hadn't remembered to give it to her.
"Good evening," she said as she turned to him with a smile. "Come and take a load off and I'll pour you a glass of wine."
"Let me get into something comfortable first and I'll join you," he replied as he headed to his bedroom.
When he sat on the couch beside her, a short time later, he was wearing a deep blue plush robe and his hair was damp from the shower.
She handed him a glass of wine and he touched her glass with his, toasting, "To us and to a successful WestPac."
She sipped her wine and asked how things were on the bridge.
"Fine, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. It's time to relax, Charlie Rose. Tonight, is about us, at least for a few hours."
She agreed with him and curled herself in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as they sipped their wine and talked, stopping to kiss occasionally.
It was nice and she could envision many nights such as this—the two of them relaxing together after a long day. She snuggled closer to him.
"We should take advantage of the music you chose. Care to dance with me?" he asked.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Yes, I am serious. You doubt my desire to dance with a lovely lady wearing a Japanese kimono in my cabin?" he teased.
She smacked him playfully on the arm. "Okay, big boy, put your money where your mouth is. Dance with me." She got up and pulled him up to stand in front of her. He reached down and immediately claimed possession of her mouth, kissing her passionately before taking her hand and leading her out to the center of the small room. He took her in his arms and, together, they moved around the floor to the strains of the soft, romantic music. He slowly moved her towards the bedroom and she allowed it. When they got to the door, he looked at her questioningly and she nodded. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, depositing her in the center of it. She had taken the liberty of turning down the covers earlier, in anticipation of a passion filled evening.
He removed his robe and she saw that he was wearing nothing underneath. She purred softly as he slowly began to remove the flowered kimono, revealing the matching gown underneath. He let out a low moan.
"Beautiful," he said as he knelt on the bed and began kissing her neck. They were facing each other now and it wasn't long before things began to get heated. It never took long when the two of them were together like this. That made it all the more difficult to maintain their distance in public. But they weren't in public now. It was just the two of them, alone in his cabin, where they would not be disturbed. In case of an emergency, the commander on the night shift would deal with it, only summoning Blaine or Charlie if it was beyond his ability to control or it was an extreme situation. They were relatively safe for the night. The outside world, the ship, the United States Navy, the crew—none of them existed at this moment in time. They were free to express their passion for each other. Free to throw caution to the wind and abandon themselves to their love.
Charlie moaned softly as Blaine moved down to her breasts. Moving the straps of the flimsy gown down, he found one pert nipple and began pleasuring it. He finally removed her gown completely and proceeded to kiss her entire body, down one side and back up the other, treating each area equally until he stopped at the center. When he reached for her throbbing bud with his finger and then his experienced tongue, Charlie went crazy, arching her hips in an attempt to gain better access to that which was bringing so much delight to her senses. Slowly, methodically, he continued his onslaught, every nerve ending in her body alert and at attention. When she finally gave in to the waves of pleasure, she moaned and called out his name softly.
Blaine chuckled. "Mmm… it has been a few days, hasn't it? You like?" He moved back up to kiss her when she had begun to settle.
"Your turn, Captain," she said as she slid down and took his already engorged cock in her hands. She rolled her hand over the thickness before thrusting out her tongue and dragging it across the head teasingly. Blaine groaned in ecstasy as she continued to tease him before finally taking him fully into her mouth and treating him to a full blowjob. She was enjoying his pleasure nearly as much as he was. She loved the fact that she could bring this stern, capable, dominant man to such satisfaction. He worked hard, taking care of his ship and his crew. He deserved some TLC and pleasure. He deserved to be loved. She would never make the mistake again of letting him walk away from her. He was hers, always had been, always would be. Fourteen years apart was a lot of time to make up for. Just before he was ready to explode, he gently moved her head, indicating he wanted her to stop.
"You didn't have to do that, you know," she murmured as she moved back up to kiss him.
"I did, if I want to do this," he said as he quickly moved her so she was lying beneath him. In one hard thrust, he was inside her slick folds, creatin
g a fast and furious friction as she joined him by wrapping her legs around his waist and thrusting her hips in unison with his hard thrusts.
When the dam broke, it rushed at them with a vengeance as they experienced their releases together. Charlie's body shuddered while Blaine called out her name. It was several minutes before they recovered. Finally, he raised his head from her chest, where it rested, and kissed her. He whispered, "I love you, Charlie Rose."
"I l-love y-you," she stammered shyly.
"Oh, baby, you don't know how I've missed hearing you say that."
They lay together, dozing in each other's arms after that. A few hours later, she woke up and panicked. "Blaine, honey, I have to go to my cabin."
He opened one eye and looked at her sleepily. "Stay."
"I c-can't. I really should go."
He sat up. "Okay, I guess you're right."
She kissed him and slid out of his bed. "I hate this," she said as she picked up her clothes from the chair she'd laid them on when she'd changed earlier in the evening and headed for the bathroom.
She washed and dressed, folding the gown and kimono carefully and taking them back to the bedroom. "I think I'll leave these here," she said.
"Good idea, I will enjoy taking it off of you again, soon," he teased.
"You, Captain Rogers, are a very bad boy." She leaned over and kissed him again. "Go back to sleep. We have to get up in a few hours."
"Wait," he said as he got up. He opened the door of his cabin and looked out into the corridor. He motioned for her. "Come on, all clear." He swatted her bottom playfully as she crept out of his room silently. She hurried to her own cabin and opened the door. No one was about, which was good. She undressed and crawled, nude, into her own bed to catch a few more hours of sleep before her alarm went off.
What she had said to him was true. She hated this. She hated the secrecy, the caution, the sneaking around. Once this deployment was over and they were dockside, some serious decisions were going to have to be made. She wasn't cut out to live this way. Exciting, yes, it was, clandestine, even. But when all was said and done, she did not like getting out of his bed in the middle of the night and she didn't like it when he had to get out of hers. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it right, just as soon as the WestPac was over.
Her Captain's Command Page 7
