"Apologies, Admiral. A strange shuttle is requesting permission to dock. They lacked normal clearance for coming aboard the AAS airship. Those aboard only laughed when I asked for their registration. My instinct is to deny them, but I wanted to check with you first. It's rare anyone dares to go around well established protocol."
Nate stepped around a stiffening Sheena. He could feel her shutting down … and shutting him out. "Next time, use the damn com to warn me of your arrival. Wait for me outside, Captain."
Sheena snorted as the man's eyes widened over what she was sure was an unusual order. The idiot finally took in the scene he'd burst in on. You could see in his gaze the moment his pea brain finally figured out exactly what he'd interrupted.
"My apologies … uh … to you as well … uh … Dr. MacNamara."
"For what? Interrupting my stupidity?" Sheena asked, smiling wickedly. Stooping, she picked her shirt up from the floor where she'd dropped it during her pathetic strip show. "Do you think it surprises me that this airship is still staffed with more cock-blocking human bastards than aliens? I assure you that it does not surprise me at all."
"Sheena … " Nate began.
She raised a hand to stop his denial. "Save it, Admiral. I don't need more lame apologies. I'm horny, not heart-broken. But don't worry, I can take care of my own needs later. It not like I wasn't used to doing that most nights when we were married."
Beyond the stunned and gasping men, Sheena spied a semi-friendly face. "Oh look … Berg is here. He can take me back to Bri's quarters. Now there's nothing stopping you from rushing off to do your job, which apparently only you can do. I know how much you love being needed by every creature on this fucking airship."
Sheena walked forward with intention. The still startled men with Captain Cock-Blocker parted for her to pass. She saw Berg look over her head, no doubt seeking permission from Nate, but she didn't wait on him to get it. She started back to Bri's room at a rapid clip, cursing herself for giving in to her physical weakness.
At least some good had come of tonight. The sexually frustrated walk down memory lane had re-immunized her. Lust, desire, and whatever warmth she'd been feeling for Nate had left the moment he'd thrown his shirt over her head to hide her nudity. Worse, his scent now surrounded her, wiping away a hundred years of therapy. Just how crazy was she acting?
Thoroughly pissed, and just as thoroughly aroused now, Sheena promised herself that she was not about to fall down the damn rabbit hole of wanting him more than air again.
"Captain Cock-Blocker?" Bri laughed as she repeated the nickname. She also noted Sheena hadn't taken off Nate's shirt yet. Her too intelligent, former brother-in-law had to be one of the most stupid males she'd ever met when it came to women. "Did you actually call him that to his face?"
Sheena ran a hand through her hair and nodded. "Do we have any ale? I'm wound so tight, I feel like climbing the walls."
Bri chuckled, nodded, and rose from her seat to fetch a glass. She ended up pouring two and brought them both back to Sheena.
"Here. You can drink mine too. Maybe it will take the edge off. There's nothing worse than coitus interruptus. It makes a woman mean."
Snorting, Sheena took several good swallows. Then she lifted the first glass and downed the rest. She set it back on the table harder than she meant to.
"Damn Nate for making me feel like an idiot again. My hand was wrapped around his dick and the fucker still pulled away from me. Who does that shit? Other men wouldn't have done that shit. I fucking know that's the truth. There have been plenty of men in my life and none ever turned me down. None."
Bri nodded. "Of course, they didn't. Nate's just … I don't know. I can't explain him. Captain Cock-Blocker though. Wow. Every time I see him now, that's all I'm going to be able to call him, even if it's only in my head."
"I'm glad my torment entertains you, Bri."
Bri leaned back and studied her sister. "Bet Nate's jaw dropped when you said all that. He's not used to you being so sassy. A man has to respect a sassy woman. There's no other choice."
"I wasn't sassy," Sheena denied. "I was flat out a bitch and didn't care. I still don't."
She drank until she drained the second glass and set it beside the other empty one.
"Okay. This too shall pass. I'm heading to take a shower-a really long one that hopefully will involve some productive groaning and maybe even some weeping. I advise you to turn on a action vid and create some background noise."