Page 106 of Hot & Heavy

"She will, honey… when we're done fixing her up." He reached to squeeze her shoulder.

She ducked away. "Do not call me honey."

He frowned, the vein popping out in his forehead. "What bug crawled up your ass?"

"Not you, that is for certain," she replied, matching him crudity for crudity. "I am Madrene Olgadottir. I come from a bloodline of fierce fighting men and noble kings. Ne'er do I pay scutage to another to fight my battles."

Ian's jaw dropped. "Are you saying you want to do the job yourself… that you want to risk possible death?"

"That is precisely what I am saying."

"Everyone," he shouted, waving to all the others in the room, "scram!"

They all left, reluctantly, even the woman, who had been staring at Madrene as if she were demented.

She felt a bit demented.

"You said you loved me," he said, looking wounded.

She was wounded herself. Where was the euphoria she'd been experiencing all morning? "You said you loved me, too. But you do not know me if you think I can accept another taking my place in the front line of a battle."

"Maddie, be reasonable."

"There is no room for reason when honor is involved."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to argue about this. We'll talk about this tonight." He leaned down to kiss her, and she turned her face to the side.

He gave her a hard look, then turned away, going down the hall to join his comrades.

Madrene sat brooding in the solar. Sam hopped up and nestled against her leg, meowing her commiseration, probably saying, Men! Dumb dolts, all of them! Geek was going to give her some reading and writing lessons this afternoon. She doubted she would be able to concentrate now that she knew Ian would be out facing danger. Anger warred with worry, and her concern for the overbearing brute won out. But only for a moment.

Ian and the seals came from down the hall, grinning. When they got to the archway of the solar, Ian asked, "What do you think?" He stepped aside and Madrene got an eye-popping look at the woman who presumably looked like her.

Joan wore a long blond wig that looked remarkably like Madrene's own hair. She had applied a large amount of lip rouge which made her appear to have a larger mouth. She had on tight jeans and a red sleeveless top. She carried a long-sleeved jacket of the same denim fabric. But there was one thing that really stood out. Joan had somehow developed a bosom that was huge. Huge!

"You are all a bunch of blind lackwits if you think I am that big."

"I don't know about that," Ian said, winking at her.

She knew he was just teasing, but she was in no mood for his jests. "She looks like the prow of a longship my lackwit brother once built."

"Okay, guys, weapons ready," Ian told the men. "Joan already has her body armor on."

Oh. So that's what all that padding is. Still, they had deliberately made her voluptuous.

All the men were taking off their shirts, putting on what she knew were called flak jackets, then putting the shirts back on. Concealed weapons were strapped onto every concealed part of their bodies. The larger weapons were broken down and carefully packed in special carrying bags.

Geek, who would be staying behind with her, was equally well armed, though he did not wear the protective armor. The young man was just as chagrined at being excluded from the mission as she was.

Babysitting, he called it.

Everyone was ready to go. In fact, Ian checked each of them in turn and said, "Good to go!" And Pretty Boy yelled out, "Yee-haw!" Madrene figured that must be a seal battle cry, like "Hoo-yah" which they also often said.

Ian looked at her, probably expecting her to melt, but she was too stubborn for that. He just nodded his disappointment with a clenched jaw, and turned away. Five of the seals went out the front door to their cars. They would pretend to be returning to the military base. Ian and Joan headed out the kitchen door to his car in the garage. They would pretend to go on a pick-knack… that was a kind of outdoor meal.

She heard the door shut, softly but ominously.

Madrene stared at the empty space where Ian had been. What is wrong with me, that I cannot bend, even for the man I love? I have had to act the man for too many years. That must be why I insisted on… Her eyes shot up.