Hero to Obey: Twenty-two Naughty Military Romance Stories

by Selena Kitt

  She looked up at him in surprise. What could she say to that without seeming to be insubordinate? She merely smiled at him and opened the door to her cabin. "I will join you soon, sir," she said as she closed the door.

  Wasting no time, she quickly took in her surroundings, leaving the unpacking for later. She soon joined Blaine back on deck and proceeded to begin her new duties. He showed her to her new office, and her work began. The day was busy, and it was late afternoon when they were finally ready to depart from the dock. They were finally underway, and even though she was beginning to feel tired, she was determined not to let on to Blaine.

  "Shall we head to dinner?" he asked. "I don't recall you stopping for lunch."

  They entered the Wardroom, where some of the other officers aboard the ship were already eating. Over dinner, they discussed the itinerary and other pertinent matters. The conversation did not take a personal turn, for which Charlie was grateful. Thus far, Blaine had treated her with the utmost courtesy and professionalism, not appearing to let any of the past interfere with their current situation. She had no idea if he was married or single, although he had made it a point to get that information from her from the get go.

  One more trip to the deck after dinner to make sure all was secure and running smoothly, and Blaine told her to take a break. "Get some shut-eye. I'll need you back on deck at 0600."

  "Yes, sir," she replied. "Have a good evening, Captain." She turned and walked sedately until she knew she was out of his sight. Breathing a sigh of relief, she collapsed on her bunk as soon as she entered the room. Glad to have her own cabin as well as her own office on board, she could at least have a tiny bit of privacy, when time allowed.

  In the cabin next door was the only other female officer on board, and she knew the other woman was still on duty. Charlie had met her briefly, earlier in the day. She was the Communication Officer, and her name was Marci Bing. Charlie assumed she would not return to her cabin until much later, so she got up and bathed quickly before crawling under the sheets in her bunk. She would make it a point to seek Marci out at another time to get to know her better. And so it had begun. Her first day on the new job was complete. She had come face to face with her past, and the world had not ended. Now, to get through the next six months… and beyond.

  * * *

  Captain Rogers breathed a sigh of relief as Charlie made her exit. Lighting up a cigar, he stood on the deck overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean and inhaled. Exhaling, he shook his head. Charlotte Rose, after all this time, he thought. She was his new executive officer. She was free and unattached, by her own admission, and under his command for the next six months, possibly much longer if he wasn't reassigned after this WESTPAC. Could life get any sweeter? He had never imagined she would join the military. But then again, she probably never thought he would, either. Fate had certainly thrown them a bone, placing them on this ship together. He knew he should keep it strictly professional, but could he? The moment he had seen her standing on his ship that morning, reporting for duty, he had felt the old familiar stirring in his loins. She had always affected him that way. Yes, he would certainly have to be very careful. Charlie Vandecamp could be his undoing.

  One of his crew approached him to ask a question. He answered patiently and returned to his cigar. After his break was over, he walked around, speaking to each of the crew on night duty, welcoming them again to the ship. In the communications room, he spoke with Marci Bing, the Commo for the mission, and advised her to turn it over to her assistant for the night.

  "Yes, Captain," she said with a smile. "I was about to do that. I just wanted to make sure everything was in order first."

  "I've already sent my XO to her cabin, and I'll be calling it a day soon," he said. "No need to overdo it on the first day out. It's time for the next shift to take over."

  "Yes, of course, Captain."

  It was time to turn in for a few hours' sleep, so he made sure, once more, that everything was in order before retiring to his own quarters. It had been a big day, full of surprises. The first day at sea was always eventful and stressful, but this one had been compounded by the shock of seeing Charlotte Rose, or Charlie, again. It was hard for him to imagine the sexy blonde as a Charlie, but he guessed he would have to get used to the idea, as that was definitely what she preferred to be known as these days. To him, she would always be Charlotte Rose.

  Shaking his head to rid himself of thoughts of the way things used to be, he climbed into his bunk and attempted to sleep. Of course, that was impossible for him, knowing that Charlie was just down the hall. To be this close to her after all these years…

  He had to snap out of it. Those days were long gone. She had shown no interest in him. He had shown no interest in her. That was the right way to handle this uncomfortable situation they found themselves thrown into.

  But that did not stop him from wanting to throw her across his knees, bare her sexy little bottom, and give her a thorough thrashing for putting him through the agony of fourteen years ago. And if he ever got the chance, he might be tempted to do just that. Of course, after that, he would screw her senseless, and she would have no choice but to surrender to him. She would be his again; there was no doubt in his mind about that.

  But that would have to wait until after this ship's cruise. It was the only way.

  The next day and the days that followed were strictly business, as Blaine and Charlie went about their duties. A few times, she questioned him. He had raised his eyebrows at her in warning.

  "Are you quite certain this is what you wish me to do, sir?" she asked.

  "If I wasn't, I would not have issued the command, Lieutenant," he replied sternly.

  "Yes, Captain," she said in a voice that hinted slightly at irritation.

  But she had gone about her business and followed his orders to the letter, he noticed with a grin.

  She sat with some of the other officers at lunchtime, ignoring him. Aha, he thought. Two can play this game. He joined Marci at her table and chatted amicably with her.

  They soon stopped at their first port of call, Honolulu. Some of the crew was required to stay on board, of course, but both Blaine and Charlie would be among those to leave the ship for a period of time at this stop. He still had business to attend to, of course, but that didn't mean he couldn't take his executive officer to dinner one night—professionally, of course.

  As they were preparing to leave the ship, he met Charlie on deck and spoke to her. She saluted him, as usual, and replied, "Good morning, Captain."

  "I see you are ready to disembark for a few days. Any idea what you'll be doing?" he asked in a friendly tone.

  "I haven't decided yet. The first thing I plan to do is check into a hotel and rest, away from the demands of the ship. It will feel good just to sleep in a real bed again."

  "I'd be happy to help you with that," he said. "I am planning to do the same thing."

  She looked at him warily before agreeing. "All right, let's find a nice, quiet place. After I get some rest, I want to do some shopping and see a little bit of the area."

  "I'll be ready after I give some last minute instructions to the crew. Wait for me here."

  "Yes, sir," she replied, shaking her head.

  He returned, and together, they left the ship. He suggested they walk along the shoreline where there were hotels aplenty. He was able to locate a nice resort type hotel and reserved two rooms. Handing her the key to one of the rooms, he said, "I'll meet you for dinner later. How does that sound?"

  Again, she looked at him questioningly. "I suppose that would be fine. Call my room when you're ready, and I'll meet you in the lobby."

  Whistling as he made his way to his own room, he grinned. Charlotte Rose Vandecamp may not know it yet, but by the end of this cruise, she would be back in his bed.

  * * *

  Charlie locked the door to her room and looked around. It was nice, and the king-sized bed in the center of the room was very inviting. She unpacked the sma
ll bag she had packed for her three-day shore leave and sank down on the bed. So, Captain Rogers wanted to take her to dinner. What sort of game was he playing? Did he think he could just waltz back into her life and take up where they had left off, after fourteen years? Well, he had another thing coming if that's what he thought. It just wasn't going to happen, no way, no how, not if she could help it.

  Working with him was one thing, but resuming a lost relationship… She wasn't sure about that at all. Yes, he still made her quiver and her knees turned to jelly each time she watched him walk across the deck, commanding and handsome. Yes, she still remembered his touch and the way he made her feel, especially in the bedroom. And yes, she even recalled the many times his powerful hand had smacked her bare butt, making her squirm and scream. But, come on, fourteen years was a very long time. A lot of water had passed under the bridge, so to speak, since then. He was her superior officer. It wasn't unheard of, of course. She and Tim had both been in the Navy. Look how that had turned out!

  Well, Captain Blaine Rogers would find that she was not easy prey. Just because he was well-known and respected among his peers did not mean she didn't have a say in the matter, just like she had questioned his authority a few times on board already in regard to some of his commands. He would find she knew her job, she knew it well, and she wasn't about to be pushed into doing anything she didn't feel was right. And that included finding herself in his bed!

  But as she lay on the cool sheets with the overhead fan blowing softly above her, her body was telling her something else entirely. She ached for his touch, and if she would only admit that to herself, she wouldn't be having this inner turmoil.

  Her mind said no, her heart said maybe, and her body said definitely. She was in over her head, and she knew it. She closed her eyes and tried to rest, but all she could think about was the fact that Blaine was somewhere in this hotel, probably a few doors down, lying on the bed in his room, alone.

  She slept for an hour, finally, before getting up to enjoy a nice, warm bath. She dressed in a turquoise and melon colored, floral sundress and flip-flops, and was styling her hair when the call came from Blaine.

  "Hello," she said.

  "I trust you had a nice nap. Meet me in the lobby in thirty minutes. I've made reservations for dinner."

  She grimaced. What a nerve! "Yes, Captain."

  "So formal?" he asked.

  "Well, it seems you're still my superior, even on port leave, as you've made the plans without consulting me."

  "Well, excuse me. I didn't realize you were such a feminist these days that a man couldn't treat you to a nice dinner date for a change from the food on board ship."

  "Okay, let's start over here. I'll be down in thirty minutes. And this place you've chosen had better be nice."

  "Mmm, hmm… I can see someone has been lacking in direction over the past fourteen years. I take it the husband couldn't handle you…"

  "Please leave my ex out of this. Our marriage has nothing to do with the lifestyle you and I shared. Whether or not he could 'handle' me is of no concern to you."

  "Touché, point taken," he said. "Thirty minutes." And he hung up.

  The nerve of that man, she thought. Just because… well, he needn't think he could bully her. On board ship was one thing, but leave time was an entirely different matter altogether.

  Chapter Three

  The look in Blaine's eyes said it all. He was silently undressing her with his deep brown eyes, and Charlie was shocked at the pleasure that rippled through her body with that knowledge.

  "You look… nice," he said as she joined him in the lobby. "That turquoise has always been a good color for you with your light hair."

  "Th-thank you," she stammered, all coherent comebacks lacking at the moment.

  "Shall we go?" he asked as he offered her his arm.

  She hesitated and then linked her arm with his and let him lead her to the waiting car in front of the hotel.

  "I trust you'll like the place I picked out," he said. "Authentic island food," he went on to explain with a grin.

  "I'll have to trust you, I guess," she retorted. "It seems you've left me no choice."

  He grinned wickedly, obviously enjoying their sparring immensely.

  She hated to admit that she was impressed when they entered the restaurant. Blaine gave his name, and the hostess led them to an intimate corner table. The waiter handed them menus, and Blaine ordered a bottle of wine for the two of them.

  Charlie raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Let him think he was in charge. A lot had changed in the fourteen years they'd been apart. She may have been submissive back then, but not these days, not by a long shot.

  "So, tell me, Charlie, how is it you decided to join the Navy?" he began when the waiter left the table.

  "I drifted around a bit, did some traveling after you left. Then I took a position with a radio station, putting to use my degree in communications. I found it just wasn't what I thought it would be. A friend had joined the Navy, and when she wrote to me from the Great Lakes, she made it sound so exciting, I threw caution to the wind and saw the local recruiter on my lunch hour one day. I've never regretted the decision."

  "And officer training, how did that come about?" he asked.

  "When I finished my initial training, my superiors suggested it to me. They thought I had the right qualifications. I gave it some serious thought and decided to go for it. Again, a decision I've never regretted." She fidgeted with the napkin in her lap as she spoke. Why was he asking her these questions? Was he poking fun at her? Did he think her under-qualified?

  "I think they were wise to suggest that to you. From what I've seen so far, you're a fine officer, Charlie. Wow, that's so hard for me to get used to. You'll always be Charlotte Rose to me, I guess."

  "I haven't been Charlotte Rose for a very long time," she reminded him quietly.

  "May I ask you a personal question?"

  "You can ask, it doesn't mean I'll answer it," she replied nervously.

  "Your marriage… what exactly went wrong?" he asked. The waiter brought the wine, poured a small amount in a glass and handed it to him. Blaine went through the ritual of sniffing it before tasting. He nodded, and the waiter proceeded to pour a glass for both of them.

  Charlie picked up her glass after the waiter had gone and took a sip to avoid answering Blaine's question. Finally, she spoke, "All right, I'll tell you. But only if you promise never to bring it up again."

  "Scout's honor," he said with a lopsided grin. Oh, that grin—she remembered it well—sexy, slightly wicked.

  "Tim and I met in OCS. We hit it off, seemed to have the same goals, and we married two months later. I see now that we probably rushed into it, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, they say."

  "You must have been crazy about him," Blaine observed thoughtfully.

  "No, not really; he asked, I said yes. Simple as that," she replied as she took another sip of the wine.

  The waiter returned to take their dinner order and, this time, Blaine asked if she minded if he ordered for her.

  "Be my guest. You seem to know a lot about the area."

  The waiter left again, and she resumed her story. "We'd been married for a few years and only lived together briefly, both of us sent to different bases and on different ship assignments."

  "I can see where that could cause stress in a marriage. That's the reason I've never married, well, one of the reasons," he said, not looking directly at her as he spoke.

  "We both had a month's leave, and we spent it together, of course. It was during that time Tim told me he planned to resign his commission. He gave me an ultimatum. I could do the same, and we would begin our life together. If I refused, we were over."

  "You chose the Navy? Why?" he asked in surprise.

  "I gave it some thought, and it occurred to me that if I was meant to be with Tim, the decision would have been an easy one to make. I told him I wasn't ready to give up my career, and he filed for a divorce the n
ext week. Four months later, he remarried, so I have to wonder…"

  "I'm so very sorry, Charlotte Rose. He is an idiot."

  "Maybe so, but it's all water under the bridge now. It simply was not meant to be, just like…"

  "Us? That's what you were going to say, isn't it?" he asked.

  "Okay, yes, that's what I was going to say. Face it, Blaine. You walked out on me, and I never heard from you again until I stepped foot on your ship."

  "I… walked… out on you?" he asked in surprise. "I seem to recall that you were the one who ended things."

  Charlie looked at him, her blue eyes meeting his dark ones across the table. "I asked for some space. We had our whole lives ahead of us. You were planning our entire future. I just wanted to enjoy life for a while before all the responsibilities set in. I never intended… never mind, it really doesn't matter now, does it? What's done is done. You made your decision, and we've both survived."

  "Oh, Charlotte," he said softly. "I think we've made a grave mistake, and, somehow, fate has stepped in and brought us back together. You have to see that."

  "I see no such thing," she said. "For the next six months, you are my commanding officer at sea, and possibly after that, until one of us is reassigned. That's all."

  He shook his head. "Deny it all you want. I'll not let you get away from me a second time."

  "Blaine, you're talking nonsense." Her heart was about to beat right out of her chest at his words. Could she dare hope? No! She had to be strong. She had to fight the urges coursing through her body. When this assignment was over, she would never see him again.

  "Am I, Charlie? Is it nonsense when we are sitting here across the dinner table from each other, both of us thinking about what it would be like to be in each other's arms again?"

  "We can't."

  "We can, and we will."

  "Who in the hell do you think you are? On board that ship, I have to do as you say. But otherwise, I owe you nothing."

  "Are you sure about that, Charlotte Rose? Can you sit there, look me in the eyes and tell me for certain that you don't want me as much as I want you right now?"