Taming Her Navy Doc by Amy Ruttan Page B

this is the time or the place to bring it up.”
    “Oh, it’s the time and place.” She glared at some of the nurses and then grabbed him by his arm and dragged him into an on-call room, shutting the door behind her, locking it.
    “Commander, what’s the meaning of this?” he asked, trying to keep his voice firm. He didn’t like the idea of being locked in a dark on-call room with her.
    Especially when his blood was still thrumming with wanting her.
    “I think you know exactly the meaning of this. Why did you pretend you didn’t remember me?”
    “You did the same.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “Only because I thought you didn’t remember me for the last two weeks.”
    He cocked an eyebrow. “So that justifies lying to me?”
    She snorted. “I never lied to you. However, you lied to me.”
    “Why didn’t you say anything to me?” He took a step toward her, though he knew very well he should keep his distance.
    “Why would I? If you weren’t going to mention the traumatic experience, I wasn’t about to bring it up again.”
    “Perhaps you felt guilty.” He was baiting her, pushing her buttons.
    Hate me. Loathe me.
    She advanced toward him. “I don’t feel guilty for saving your life. I did what had to be done. You would’ve died if I hadn’t taken your leg. You’re a doctor, and I’m sure you’ve had access to the chart which magically disappeared off the ship when you were taken, so you know I had no choice—I don’t regret what I did. Given the choice again, if it meant saving a life and having someone hate me for the choice I made, I would cut off your leg to save your life.”
    Thorne took a step back, impressed with her, but also annoyed that he was even more drawn to her and her strength.
    He didn’t know how to reply to that.
    Didn’t know what to say.
    Suddenly there was someone pounding on the door.
    “Commander Griffin, it’s Corporal Ryder… He’s crashing.”
    Suddenly there was nothing left to say. Erica flung open the door and both of them sped toward the ICU, the sound of a flatline becoming deafening, and everything else was forgotten.

CHAPTER FIVE
    E RICA FLIPPED THE tooth over, like it was a poker chip, staring at it morosely as she sat at a bar, which reminded her of
Gilligan’s Island
, complete with bamboo huts, tikis and coconut shells. It was like a throwback to something from the sixties.
    Normally, she wouldn’t occupy a bar or pub, but tonight she needed company.
    She needed a drink and this was the closest place to her quarters.
    Besides, she’d never had a whiskey and cola adorned with a pink umbrella and glittery streamers before. Her drink reminded her of her first bike, which had had the same streamers. At least her drink didn’t have spokey-dokes. The Bar Painappurufeisu, which she believed translated to “Pineapple Face,” served alcohol and that was all that mattered at the moment.
    “Scooby, hit me again,” she called to the barkeep.
    Scooby nodded and smiled, probably not really understanding what she was saying, and said, “No problem,” before heading down to the other end of the bar.
    Erica giggled again.
    She definitely needed to lay off the liquor. She rarely indulged and this was what she got for that. She was a lightweight and laughing at everything.
    At least if she was laughing she wasn’t thinking about what had happened to Corporal Ryder. Then she glanced down at the shark’s tooth in her palm and slammed it against the counter.
    “To hell with it, Scooby. I need another drink.”
    “No problem,” Scooby answered from the end of the bar.
    “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
    Erica glanced over and saw that Thorne had sat down beside her.
    Just what she needed. Someone else whose life she’d ruined.
She wasn’t a surgeon—she was apparently no better than the grim reaper.
    “Scooby will let me know when I’ve had enough.”
    A smile twitched on Thorne’s face. “The only English Scooby knows is what kind of drink you