Chapter Four
Liam leaned back farther in the chair in his office, stretching out his booted feet on the desk in front of him. To his extreme annoyance, Hannah didn’t even flinch under the intensity of his gaze.
Instead, she stared back, a sexy smile curving her lush lips. Her arms were behind her back, one hand gripped the other arm in a casual stance. But the worst part of it all was that the posture only further emphasized the lushness of her breasts beneath her skintight black shirt.
Inappropriate.
“You can’t wear clothes like that on board this ship.”
Her expression gave nothing away. “Well, I imagine I have a new uniform in my quarters. If we’d stopped there first, I could have been dressed according to my position.”
His blood heated for a moment as he contemplated the image of her room and her bed. He pushed it back. “I mean, you shouldn’t be wearing things like that at all.”
She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Since when does a commander care what the crew wears in their downtime? Do you intend to raid my panty drawer after this? Because I’d better confess, you’ll find it empty.”
His manhood rose beneath the desk, and he cursed her under his breath. Her attempts to fight him were bringing out his dominant nature. This would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so damned attracted to her. “Is that the kind of reputation you want on board this vessel? You hope to sleep your way to the top?”
“Of course!” She flashed him a smile. “What else could I possibly do, right? Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I dress appropriately for the task at hand. If I’m sucking some guy’s dick beneath his desk, I’ll make sure to wear something low cut. And if I’m having him fuck me on the top of his desk, I’ll make sure I’m not wearing underwear.”
“Enough!” He rose from his desk, gritting his teeth. “Wear clothes according to your position —on and off duty. And don’t try to tempt the crew. That’s an order.”
The smile fell from her face and she strode forward. Her hands clenched the edge of his desk as she leaned in, so that they were feet from each other. She gazed up at him, the fire in her green eyes begging him to find out whether her underwear assertion was true or not. This is what he’d loved about her. She wasn’t afraid to take him on, even though she barely came to his shoulders.
But she left you. You don’t love anything about her. Not anymore.
“Listen very carefully, Commander,” she said, as he tried to clear his head. “If you want a lieutenant, I’m the best. That’s why I’m here. But don’t confuse commanding me on the job with what I do off duty. You don’t own me. Outside of work, your opinion means nothing to me. And if you wouldn’t tell a male how to dress when they’re off duty, then you sure as hell won’t tell me. Got it?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I understand a lot of things, Hannah. And I’m only going to warn you once. I’ll put up with a lot. But don’t mess with me. You might find one day you’ll push me too far.”
They stared at each other in tense silence, and he searched her face for some hint of feeling. But she gave away nothing. He hated that her bravado turned him on. That he still wanted her after all this time. He needed to get his mind off her. But coming face-to-face with her kissable lips, tight little body, and fighting spirit after all this time was almost more than he could handle. He reached down and adjusted the front of his pants. “Forget the clothes. Let’s get back to your position.”
Her gaze followed his hands. “My position?” She started to chew her bottom lip.
He sat down, tugging at his collar. How the hell had it gotten so hot? He’d have to talk to someone about the temperature of his office.
Pulling out two vid screens, he handed one to her, then rattled off her schedule for the day. “Tour the ship, get settled in your room, and spend the remainder of your day escorting people from the transporter room and the cargo bay to their rooms.”
“Anything else?”
He opened his mouth, but then his computer buzzed. Clicking the button on the screen, for one minute there was a frozen image of the captain. His bald head and dark eyes, before the connection was made.
“Commander. Is the new lieutenant there?”
He looked over the top of the screen at Hannah. “She is.”
“Good,” the older man nodded, “send her to me when you’ve got her settled.”
“Of course.”
The captain clicked the screen, ending the call.
An image flashed in his mind, of the command deck ogling her as she walked past them. Liam glared at her. “Head to your quarters, and don’t step foot on the bridge until you’re in proper uniform.”
She rose and leaned toward him over the desk. “So, I’m dismissed, Commander?”
Her voice was a seductive invitation.
Damn it.
It took him a second to catch his breath as he stared down her shirt at her ample chest. “I meant what I said, Hannah. Don’t push me. We’re not in school anymore. And you might not like what you find beneath the uniform.”
Turning, she strode to the door. But when it opened, she looked back at him. “I already know what’s beneath the uniform. And let me tell you, I like it.”
And then, she headed out into the hall, the doors closing on her swaying ass.
He tugged at the front of his tight uniform pants. I’m going to have to go up a pant size. Tonight.
Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his chair. What am I going to do?
His mind went back to that night at the academy, when he’d poured his heart out to her, and she’d pushed him away. Then, she’d made it clear her career was far more important than him. Does she still feel that way?
It doesn’t matter. He’d learned his lesson. He could not be connected to a fickle human. He needed to make a Keltair woman his mate. Only then would he have a female for life. Only then would he have a chance at not repeating his father’s past mistakes.
But the way he’d reacted to her had him worried.
What if it’s already too late?
To Challenge a Warrior: An Alien Rogue Romance (Starflight Academy Graduates Book 1) Page 5