Her Captain's Command

by Isabella Kole

"I also seem to recall that superior officer promising to adjust her attitude, once she was feeling better. Do you have any recollection of that?"

  "No, I don't really remember anything about that," she lied.

  "You little fibber," he said with a chuckle.

  She looked innocently at him.

  "The innocent little girl act won't work. Neither will pouting or tears, my love."

  "I didn't feel well that day."

  "I know. That's why I offered to take you to see the medic. I was trying to take care of you, not only as my XO, but as my girlfriend. You were giving me grief about it, knowing full well that I was right."

  "I will admit that you were right. It was good for me to see the medic and be diagnosed and treated properly."

  "Aha!"

  "I've admitted you were right. What more do you want?" she asked.

  "I want to tan that bare little ass of yours, that's what else I want. Just to remind you that I always have your best interests at heart."

  "Seriously?" she asked.

  "Yes, seriously."

  Before she could reply, he had her over his knee and her pants down to her knees. The cool air hit her bottom a second before the first blistering smack. The coolness didn't last long before the fire started. He rained down some pretty hard swats to both cheeks and her sit spots before he let up. By the time he finished, her ass was on fire—so was something else. How in the hell she could be so damn aroused after he'd just wailed the tar out her was always a mystery to her.

  But aroused she was, and she knew that he could see it, too. In fact, she knew he was just as horny as she was, at the moment.

  It didn't take long for him to pull her up to sit on his lap. Before long, he kissed her and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He pulled her pants off the rest of the way and removed her shirt before quickly getting rid of his own clothes. When he joined her on the bed, there was no foreplay, other than a succession of passionate kisses. They needed each other, needed to be joined as one, needed to reaffirm their commitment to each other. He entered her and was immediately captured in her juices, moving with her as her muscles clenched around his shaft. Her legs went around his waist and her nails dug into his back as she came to completion almost immediately. She shuddered and panted and he released inside her, a few seconds later.

  "Well, that was certainly a hot quickie," he said when he finally caught his breath. "Damn, woman."

  "I missed you," was her only explanation.

  He nuzzled her neck and they lay together in his bed, talking and loving until nearly midnight. When she finally dressed and returned to her cabin, she found herself looking forward to two entire days in his arms.

  The next week went slowly. Time seemed to drag, even though she was busy. Finally, they pulled into port; they had arrived in Australia. The first of the crew to go on leave left shortly after they pulled in. She spent the next few days seeing to the cleaning crew and ordering supplies. Blaine was busy, as well. They didn't see much of each other but she was consoled by the fact their two-day leave was to begin as soon as the other crew members returned to the ship. She planned to savor each and every second of that forty-eight-hour leave.

  Chapter 8

  At last, the day had arrived. Charlie got up early, even earlier than usual, and prepared for her day. She was to meet Blaine on the bridge at 0800. The first thing she did was make a cup of coffee. While she sipped the steamy beverage, she finished packing her bag for the two-day leave. She wouldn’t need much as she didn't plan on leaving the hotel room much, but she did throw in a couple of outfits, just in case.

  She chose her clothes carefully, wanting to look her best. This was a special shore leave, one that she was looking forward to with great anticipation. After doing a final check in the mirror, she fluffed her short hair one last time and grabbed her bag. Blaine was waiting for her when she arrived.

  In an attempt to make it look perfectly normal for the two of them to be leaving together, he said, "Commander, would you like to share a ride with me? I've rented a car and I can drop you at your hotel, if you like."

  "Thank you, Captain. That would be great," she replied. God, how she hated this.

  The first stop was to a local café for a leisurely breakfast. While they lingered over coffee and omelets, she said, "Blaine, how much longer can we keep our relationship a secret?"

  He looked at her over the rim of his coffee cup and replied, "What do you mean, Charlie? I thought we agreed to wait until this tour is over."

  "I know we did. I also know that's the best plan, but I'd be lying if I said I like this. I thought it would be easier."

  He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Honey, I know it's not easy. What do you want to do?"

  "The only thing we can do, Blaine. Continue like this until we get back to San Diego. We both have a job to do and we can't let anything interfere with that. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

  "You know that officers are allowed to date each other," he said.

  "It's not a good idea on a six-month deployment, when those two officers are the captain and the XO."

  "Not ideal, no. What do you suggest we do? Put a halt to this relationship? I, for one, don't want to do that."

  "I know. Forget I said anything."

  "Charlie, if you are upset, I want to talk about it. I don't want to forget you said anything."

  "Let's enjoy our day. We will talk, just not now. We only have a few more months until we return to San Diego. And the way this tour has gone so far, who knows what we'll face in those few months? We need to concentrate on the ship."

  "I have to admit this has been the most eventful WestPac I've commanded so far. First, the shock of finding out you were to be my XO, the fire, then the flu epidemic. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak."

  "Exactly why we need to put all our energy into finishing this tour safely. There will be time for us, after that."

  He grinned at her. "We have two days to forget about all that. Forty-eight hours for the two of us. What do you say we take advantage of that and go do some sightseeing? We can't check into the hotel until after lunch."

  "Sounds good to me. I'm sorry I brought up about… us. I know we had an agreement."

  "Baby, if you have reservations about any part of us, I want to know. We will talk about it, when you are ready. I promise."

  She looked at him with a bright smile. "Where to first? I'd like to do some window shopping."

  "You and your shopping. You must have something from every port you have ever stopped in," he teased.

  "How did you guess?" she retorted.

  "Well, no time like the present to add to your collection," he said as he stood and threw some bills on the table to cover the bill.

  They spent the rest of the morning looking around in the shops and making a few purchases. Blaine teased her relentlessly and Charlie laughed, her concern from earlier forgotten, for the time being.

  They found a quaint little place for lunch and enjoyed some of the area's specialties before finally checking in to the hotel for the remainder of their time off. It was a lovely place, the room was large, with a king-sized bed. The décor was beautiful and modern; the adjoining bath had sparkling marble and tile throughout.

  "This is wonderful, Blaine. I love it."

  "I'm glad you approve. I had you in mind when I chose it. Come here, Charlie Rose." He held out his arms for her.

  She went to him and allowed him to envelop her in his embrace. It felt so good to be in his arms, so right. She raised her face to his and he took the hint, taking possession of her lips immediately. The passion flared between them. It had been a few weeks since they had been able to be together like this. The flu epidemic on the ship had caused many double shifts for Blaine. After her own illness and recovery period, she was working extra hours in order to catch up before they reached Sydney, as well.

  "Mmm, that was nice. This time was meant for us to relax. I think
we should change into something comfy, crawl into that huge bed and just chill for the rest of the day," she suggested.

  "I like the way you think. Would you like to check out the movies available to rent?" he asked.

  "Sure, you go ahead and choose one. I'm just going to change. I won't be long."

  She grabbed a pair of shorty pajamas and a short robe out of her bag. When she came out of the bathroom, he had changed into a pair of shorts and a t shirt. He was sitting on the bed and flipping through the TV channels. He was gorgeous. His tanned, muscular legs looked perfect and strong. He looked relaxed and happy. She stood in the doorway and admired the view.

  He looked up and saw her there. He patted the bed. "Join me?" he invited.

  "I haven’t had an invitation like that for a while now. I think I will," she teased. "Have you found a movie?"

  "How does this one sound?" He showed her the one he selected and she nodded her head.

  "That's supposed to be really good," she replied. Truth be known, she didn't care if they watched the worst movie ever made. She had other things in mind.

  As the opening credits began to roll, Charlie began to lightly rub Blaine's arm. Ever so gently, just enough to let it be known she was touching him. He grinned but remained silent as she continued to caress him. Soon, she moved to his bare leg, applying the same gentle, teasing caresses while pretending to pay attention to the movie.

  His arm went around her, pulling her closer to him. Her hand slipped under his shirt and she began caressing his chest, entwining her fingers in the wisps of dark hair. Still, he kept his hands to himself and made a remark about the movie. Charlie smiled to herself. He was playing hard to get. She answered him and started watching with him, her hands continuing their exploration of his gorgeous body. She moved farther down to his belly. He grinned but said nothing. When she slipped her hand inside the waistband of his athletic shorts and moved a little farther down to the triangle of hair below, he moaned softly. Finally, when she reached his cock, she discovered that it was as hard as a rock. So, he had been affected by her tender touches. She smiled to herself. She shrugged out of her robe, leaving only the silk shorty pajamas.

  Then, without warning, he suddenly flipped her onto her back and kissed her. Not a gentle kiss, a passionate, possessive kiss, one that made her toes curl as the heat began to spread upward to the center of her being. There was no stopping him now. His hands began to roam relentlessly down her body. He kissed her neck and pulled her silky shirt up so he could move to her breasts, the tips now alert and sensitive as he kissed each one in turn, stopping to suckle before moving down to her flat, tight stomach. He unbuttoned the shirt and slipped it down her arms until it was on the floor. His fingers in the elastic of her waistband, the shorts came next.

  She pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw it on the floor with her pajamas. Slowly sliding his shorts down over his lean hips, she waited as he pulled them the rest of the way off. They landed on the floor with the other articles of clothing and he wasted no time in his quest to satisfy his woman. His lips moved down until they were at that most sensitive part of her body, his tongue flicking back and forth across the engorged bud. Charlie moaned and arched her hips, begging for release. He teased her by starting and stopping his hot, wet tongue, lavishing her with sensuous licks as two fingers entered her slick folds, pumping her to distraction. She fell apart soon after. Barely giving her time to recover, he mounted her and thrust hard, entering her. She liked it when he was forceful this way. His hands reached around to her buttocks, lifting her up to take him in further as one finger found its way to her backdoor. She squealed in surprise as the finger found its way inside. Feeling completely full of him, her body began to shudder uncontrollably as the second orgasm took over, bringing her to new heights of delight. Blaine soon joined her with his own release, whispering in her ear as he came, "I love you so much, Charlie Rose."

  When they both recovered, they were in each other's arms, quiet, for several minutes. Then, Blaine rewound the movie and they sat, content, through the rest of it. This time, Charlie actually watched it and found she enjoyed it as she discussed the plot with Blaine. One of her shapely legs was thrown over his and his arm was around her. They were relaxed and happy, carefree and in love. They were free to express that love with no prying eyes or ears around.

  Another movie followed and another round of lovemaking before they decided to order room service for dinner.

  "Have to keep up our strength, you know. It may be a long night," he teased as he threw the menu to her.

  They ordered their meal and Charlie picked her robe up off the floor and went into the bathroom to freshen up. She tied the belt around her waist and walked out wearing nothing but the short, satiny robe. Blaine went in after her and came out in his shorts and t shirt. The food arrived shortly after that and they settled in to enjoy their steaks.

  "This is the life, isn't it?" Charlie asked as she buttered a roll.

  He poured a glass of wine for both of them and handed one to her. "A toast?" he asked.

  She nodded and he continued, "To us and to a future of days and nights together." He clinked his glass against hers and took a drink.

  "Mmm, that's good wine," she said as she took a sip.

  "I thought you might like it. You've always been partial to sweet reds," he said.

  "Still am. I'm surprised you remembered that."

  "Of course, this is a much better wine than what I could afford in the old days," he said. "We've come a long way."

  "Yes, I think we've both learned a lot since then," she agreed.

  "One thing has never changed, though, Charlotte Rose," he said, referring to her given name.

  "What's that?" she asked as she took another sip.

  "My feelings for you. I thought I was over you. Then, you walked onto my ship and I was lost, all over again. All the old feelings came rushing back. I was in shock at seeing you. The name had changed. I was certain you were gone from me forever, married to someone else. I hated Mr. Vandecamp, without ever meeting him. When you told me you were no longer married, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I still had a chance to make up for all those years ago."

  "Funny, I was so nervous about seeing you again. I thought sure you had forgotten me. Then, when we were in your office, you let it be known that you knew exactly who I was and I worried about serving under you. I thought you might hold our past against me. I should have known better. You were nothing but professional. I also discovered that I wasn't over you. I knew the marriage to Tim was a mistake. I vowed to myself to stay away from an involvement with you. There was no way I could do it. I was lost the night we went to dinner in Hawaii. I knew, that night, I wanted you back."

  "Yet, you avoided me after that. You thought it was a one-night stand, the closure we never had," he reminded her.

  "I still wasn't convinced that we could make a go of it, after all this time."

  "I'm glad we both came to our senses, Charlie. Now, as soon as this tour is finished, we're going to do something about it."

  "Oh?" she asked, wondering what, exactly, he meant by do something about it.

  "Yes, Charlie. We are not going to continue keeping our love behind closed doors. I won't stand for it. It bothers you and, truth be known, I hate it as much as you do. I want to let the world know that we are a team, in every way."

  She smiled at him across the tiny table in the hotel room. "I love you, Blaine Rogers. Always have, always will."

  "Ditto," he said with a grin, remembering how he used to use that word in response to her, years ago.

  "Ditto?" she asked. "I haven't heard that in a long time." She giggled.

  They finished their meal and started on dessert, a luscious chocolate concoction with hot fudge sauce and ice cream, topped with whipped cream.

  "Oh my, I'm stuffed," she said. "I'll make some coffee."

  "Good, maybe you'll gain back some of that weight you lost when you were sick."

  She wen
t to the coffee pot in the room and made a cup for each of them. Handing his to him, she replied, "If we keep eating like this, I'll gain that back and more."

  "Wouldn't make me love you any less, you know." He took the coffee from her and grinned.

  Oh, that sexy grin. Charlie sighed.

  The rest of their shore leave was spent in much the same way. They slept, made love, watched movies, talked, ate, drank wine and enjoyed every second of their time together. Too soon, it was time to return to the ship and their military lives. It had been a wonderful forty-eight hours, but now, real life beckoned to them and they had to answer its call.

  Another month had passed and things on the ship had been running surprisingly well, given the problems they'd experienced earlier. The crew went about their daily duties and everyone seemed ready to finish the tour and return to land.

  One morning, Charlie was checking the supplies when Blaine found her and asked her to meet him in his office as soon as she could get away. "I have news and I am calling a meeting of all the officers," he explained.

  Curious as to what his news could be, she hurriedly finished her current count, recorded it and made her way to meet with the others.

  When she reached Blaine's office, most of the other officers were there already. They were waiting on two others to arrive before starting the meeting. She helped herself to the coffee provided and sat down next to Marci. "What's going on?" she asked.

  "I'm not sure. Must be serious, though," Marci replied.

  They didn’t have to wait long to find out. As soon as the other two officers arrived, Blaine stood up and addressed the group assembled in his office.

  "I received word today of spiraling problems with North Korea. We must make preparations in the event we have to take action."

  Murmurs went around the room.

  "I have been in communication with my superiors all morning. Today, I will go over the plan with all of you. Please, come to the table and I will show you."

  The meeting lasted for two hours. Hopefully, things would not escalate to the point where they would have to put the plan into action. They were now prepared, in the event of an emergency, however. When the others had gone, Charlie lingered to talk to Blaine.