Page 74 of Hot & Heavy

"Maddie—"

"When were you going to ask my permission?"

"Maddie—"

"Oh, how like a man! You think women have no brains. You think you are so much smarter."

"Maddie—"

"Do not 'Maddie' me, you stubborn lout. I do not know why I am surprised. My father and brothers did the same. Always underestimating my abilities, unless it came to running the household. Well, I proved just how capable I could be for one year as I led the Norstead warriors in one fight after another to fend off our attackers. Until Steinolf. But that—"

"Shut up!" he shouted.

Which surprised her, of course. "You crude oaf. You cannot speak to me like—"

He stood and shoved her back into her chair. "Just sit and listen for a change. I don't need or want your nagging. This is not the day for it. I'm pissed off at the SEAL commander. I'm pissed off at the CIA. I'm pissed off at my father. And I'm sure as hell pissed off at you. Dancing with a guy who has notches on his belt for all the women he's laid. And putting your feet in the lap of a guy who gives new meaning to the word stud." He stopped suddenly and rubbed a hand across his forehead. Maybe he was turning into a male shrew, as Pretty Boy had muttered earlier tonight. "Hell, Maddie, I sound just like you."

" Me?" But then she changed the subject on him, like she did all the time, probably to distract him. "What has your father—"

No, no, no! I will not talk about my father. He gave her a glower that stopped her tongue. Thank God! "When I went into the base today, I was ordered to report immediately to my commander's office.

When I got there—"

"They took away your rank. I feared this would happen… because of me. Well, I will go give your commander the straight story. Do not think that I cannot. Tell me his name so I—"

Ian's jaw dropped. Then he said, "Do… not… interrupt… me… again."

She must have seen how angry he was, but did that stop her? Hell, no! "Do… not… give… me…

orders."

He had to smile at her mirroring his own words. "Some wife you are! You don't show proper respect for your husband."

He'd been teasing, but she took him seriously. "Mayhap if you acted more like a husband, I would act more like a wife." He could see that she regretted the words the moment they left her mouth.

The prospect of their acting like a real married couple hung in the air between them. Could they? Should they? Would they?

Finally he shook his head to erase the erotic images that hovered there. "Maybe I should have had you sit in on the meeting. But I didn't. So let me tell you now."

"Your apology is accepted."

"I didn't apologize."

She arched her eyebrows at him.

"You're a hard negotiator." I'm turning into my father. He could never apologize either… even when he'd been proven wrong. He stood and walked over to her chair, then reached a hand out to shake hers. "I'm sorry."

She nodded her acceptance, but appeared suspicious. As he walked back to the sofa to continue his explanation of the mission, she said, "You have a nice arse."

He stopped in his tracks, then plopped down on the sofa. "I beg your pardon."

"You have a nice arse. I noticed it in those tight jeans as you walked away from me," she explained.

"What? Is that another unsuitable thing for a woman to say to a man?"

"Not for a wife to say to her husband, but a woman who says it to a single, red-blooded male is giving a clear signal."

She pondered his message for a moment, and said, "Oh."