Capri's Fate (11 page)

He glanced at the front of her blouse. "Often thought that myself."

She closed her eyes and dropped her head to his shoulder. "Tips. Tips. With a p. I don't believe I said that."

Thall reached to embrace her against his body, but caught himself and lowered his arms.

"I'm going to go back in my chair and pretend none of this happened." Holding her bottle of wine,
Capri stepped out of the galley.

He chuckled as he called after her. "There's Hazelnut Torte for dessert. What's a torte?"

"Fancy cake." She called over her shoulder.

"A fancy cake made out of nuts?" He shrugged, placed the meals into the warming ovens and set the timers. Settling himself back onto the couch next to
Capri, he placed his feet on the table. "Dinner in twenty minutes or so."

"How do I get to my luggage? I'm going to take you up on that offer of doing my hair. And my shampoo is in my luggage. Obvious statement I know, but just tossing it out there."

"Crap." Thall turned and peered out the window. The rain continued to fall. "I should've thought about the storm before I decided to play white knight and gallantly offer to wash your hair." He settled back into his seat. "Of course your shampoo is in your luggage, which is in the storage compartment, which is in the belly of the plane, which is—if I can use one more which—only accessible by going out there." He pointed to the storm.

The windows on the left side of the plane illuminated with a burst of brilliance. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a coin. "Flip you for it. Best two out of three."

"No take backsesy. You offered."

"Take backseys? This woman speaks a foreign language."

Capri giggled. "Don't think I've used that word since I was eight. Must be the wine." She picked up her glass and finished the last mouthful.

Thall straightened his shoulders and stood. "I can do this. I'm the captain." He strode to the door, released the lock, pulled it aside and pressed the switch to lower the stairs. The roar of thunder rumbled through the cabin. He turned his head. "Couldn't you wash your hair with those little bars of soap?"

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "Do you have any idea how much this hair color costs?"

He placed his hand over his heart. "I do this for hair color." He stepped out onto the stairs.

"And don't fall down and break your leg like the attendant did. I suck at being a nurse."

Thall peeked into the cabin. "Did you say you changed your mind?"

~ * * ~

Laughing and trying not to spill her wine,
Capri flicked her hand indicating he get a move on.

Stomach and curiosity aroused by the aromas emanating from the warming ovens,
Capri returned to the galley, found an oven mitt and peered inside. She was fantasizing about the meal when she heard her luggage drop to the floor and the Captain mumble something about, "Need to dry off."

Pulling open doors and drawers,
Capri found silverware, dishes and linens and set the small table for dinner. She placed two tall red candles in gold candlesticks and placed them on the table. The timer buzzed. She pulled out a tray and peeled the foil back. The rich, heady aroma of beef in wine sauce wafted across her face.

Capri
turned to place the tray on the counter. She fumbled, but caught the tray, and the gasp that almost escaped her throat. Standing before her in low-slung jeans with his t-shirt draped over his left shoulder was her fantasy. She blinked. Her gaze started at pectoral muscles, which screamed
lick me
and lowered to etched abs that slid down to – Capri guessed--heaven covered by denim.

He gave one last swipe to his hair with a handful of paper towels and looked up. "Smells great."

"What does?"

He pointed at the tray of food in her hand.

"Oh, uh, yes. It, uh, does." She placed the tray on the counter.

He tossed the paper towels into the trash and bit back a smile.

"Why didn't you use hand towels?"

He stepped back out of the way. "Not a lot of towels on board. You have more hair than I do. You'll need more towels to dry it." He pulled his shirt over his head.

Capri swallowed the urge to shout. "Don't put it on." Instead, she placed her focus on putting their meals onto plates and their plates on the table.

Thall
lit the candles and pulled out a chair. Capri smiled and sat. "It's been a long time since a man held a chair for me."

"A woman should always be treated with respect." He slipped onto the chair across from her and picked up his wine glass. "Bon appetit."

Capri lifted her glass, nodded and sipped her Gevrey-Chambertin. "Oh my. Grapy goodness." Lifting her fork, she said, "If the meal is half as good as the wine, this will be wonderful." She slipped a portion of the Beef Bourguignon onto her tongue. "Mmm."

~ * * ~

Thall's nose twitched at the wonderful fragrance that emanated from his plate. He scooped a scallop onto his fork and wrapped his lips around it. Having no other experiences with mortal food, he had no words to describe the flavor sensations bursting in his mouth. He closed his eyes and savored the moment.

"How are your scallops?"

He swallowed. "I can't describe it. I've never eaten these before."

"Do you like them?"

Nodding, he scooped up another forkful. "This has got to be one of the best things I've ever eaten. Even better than the wine covered pretzels I had earlier."

They continued their meal in silence. Capri seemed to enjoy her wine and beef while Thall bordered on ecstasy with each mouthful. She picked up the dirty dishes and Thall followed her into the galley. He read the directions on the coffee maker and set a pot on to brew then placed two slices of the hazelnut torte onto plates, set them on the table and sat.

"So, Ms. Gray, while the coffee is brewing, tell me your life story in fifty words or less."

"I was born in Michigan. Parents still live there. Two older brothers. Went to U of M and got a degree in business. Got hired right out of college. Married. Divorced husband. Kept job. Promoted to Chief of Operations, South Pacific Region, and lastly crash-landed who knows where." She recited her narrative in her head and ticked off her fingers. "Forty-eight words."

"I guess for your prize, I'll go get the coffee."

"Cream. No sugar."

He chuckled. "I remember."

Thall placed a coffee cup and a small silver coffee creamer beside her dessert. A dark roasted Columbian fragrance wafted up her nose. Capri could only nod her thanks as her mouth was full of hazelnut torte. She swallowed. "Oh my God, this is exquisite. It's so wickedly sweet."

Breaking a slice off with his fork, Thall popped a bite into his mouth. "Mmm. It is good." He waved his fork at her plate. "You gonna eat all that?"

She pulled her plate closer and wrapped her left arm around it. "People have died trying to steal my dessert."

He coughed and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Notice in my description of family, I didn't mention younger brothers." She pointed her fork at Thall. "They tried to take my dessert and were never heard from again."

Thall threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Point noted."

When dessert and coffee were finished, Thall poured two snifters of brandy and escorted Capri to a couch. She swirled the amber liquid around in her glass and raised it to her face. A bouquet of distilled fruit teased her nose.

"So Captain T. Hall, what
does
the T stand for?"

Chapter Eleven

"Taboo." He chuckled.

Capri raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Your parents named you Taboo?"

"Titanic."

Swallowing a large mouthful of brandy, Capri shook her head. "What was your previous job? Failed stand-up comedian? Why won't you tell me your name? Hiding from the FBI or something?"

"No, I'm not hiding from anything."
Thall closed his eyes for a moment. His eyelids fluttered open. "Taren. The T stands for Taren. It means warrior."

"I thought you just passed out."
Capri patted his arm. "Let's try another question."

"Oh, goody." He lifted his brandy glass to his lips. "We're playing twenty questions."

"When's your birthday?"

"Stardate  34087.9."

Capri choked on her brandy. She sputtered and coughed several times then blinked back a tear. She pinched her fingers under her nose, blinked again and stared at Thall.
That sounded weirdly familiar. His voice reminds me of someone.
"What would that be in Earthling?"

"August fifteenth."

"You're a Leo."

"I'm a what?"

"Leo the Lion. Your astrological sign."

Thal
l stood and held out his hand. "Why don't you explain this to me as I wash your hair?" He lifted his glass, swallowed the last of his drink and placed it on the nearby table. "And we'd better do this before the brandy hits me. I don't know if I can wash hair, drunk."

Capri
jumped up, grabbed her suitcase, and rifled through it until she found her shampoo and conditioner. She held the bottles and followed him into the jet's small bathroom.

Standing toe to toe with his back against the counter,
Thall grinned and reached for the shampoo. "If I'd known we were going to open a hairstyling salon here, I'd have gotten a bigger jet."

Capri
snickered. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."

T
hall shifted to the right, turned on the water and checked the temperature. "Why do we need a bigger boat? We're in a plane."

"
Bigger jet. Bigger boat. You know,
Jaws
. The movie with the big shark." She placed her hand above her head like a shark fin and sang the theme song. "Dunuh. Dunuh. Dun. Dun. Dun. Du…oh, never mind."

"Must have missed that one." He popped the top on the shampoo and pointed to the sink.

Capri pulled a towel out of the storage area under the sink. She lowered the toilet seat and placed the towel on it. "Uh, turn around."

Thall'
s brow wrinkled, and he completed a full circle.

She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh. "No. I meant turn away from me."

"Clearly two bottles of wine and a glass of brandy are making communication difficult. How am I supposed to wash your hair, if I'm not facing you?"

"I have to take my blouse off. I don't want to get it all wet."

"Once you take it off, I'll see you without it, so why do I have to turn around and not watch you take it off? Or am I really confused?"

"Oh, what the hell."
Capri undid the top button. She glanced up at Thall. His gaze was focused on her fingers.
Do I do this? Yes? Well, obviously that's the brandy talking. How about the common sense side of me? Hell, yes. The guy's hot. You're stranded here. He's going to wash your hair. Maybe he'll slip and his fingers will work on something else. It's been a while. Quite a while. Yes, it has. Listen to us, your nipples are talking to you here. Go for the gold!

She dropped her hands. "If I have to take my top off, you have to remove yours."

In a heartbeat, Thall pulled his t-shirt up and over his head. He stepped past her and tossed it out the door into the main cabin.

Capri
's blood pressure rose as her pussy clenched.
Oh, my God.

"Your turn." His grin stretched across his face. "Or would you like me to undo that for you?"

Capri blinked. Thall raised his hands and undid the second button. A shiver shuddered through her. He lowered his hands to the next one. Her gaze followed his hands. When the next button was released, the blouse fluffed a bit, and the top of her right breast was exposed. She caught the dilation of his pupils and the quick flick of his tongue across his lips.

He popped the fourth button. Her top opened more, showing the edges of her Victoria Secret white lace Bombshell bra. His fingers hovered over the fifth button.

Capri closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She reached behind and gripped the edge of the counter. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her pussy was meowing for attention. She felt the button release. One more to go.

The blouse fell open as the last button was undone. "There. All done." His brandy-scented breath tickled her ear. She opened her eyes and gazed into his dark chocolate eyes.

He lifted his right hand and slid his fingertips over the skin on her shoulder and down the back of her arm as he removed that sleeve. Tingles exploded down her skin. She inhaled again. Her chest strained against the lace of the bra.

Repeating the same move with his left hand, he slipped the blouse off and tossed it onto his shirt. Their chests, mere inches apart, raised and lowered in unison. He tugged at the shoulder strap of her bra. "Does this need to come off too?"