Degrees of Wrong Read Online Free PDF

obedience.
    My nod incited a collective whisper from among the ranks. I wasn’t sure if it was the act of threatening an officer, or that I’d admitted to doing so, but this seemed to take him by surprise. Get in line , I thought. Behind Pretty Princess.
    The perfect creature closed the distance between us in three efficient strides, and I thought my blood pressure would suffer as well, but for a different reason.
    Lt. Horan was still red, but part of it now seemed to stem from embarrassment. “I had everything under control, Captain,” he muttered.
    Captain looked at me, and back to Lt. Horan. I began to feel foolish—this man regarded us both as a teacher chastising two children in a playground fight. I resented it, since this man couldn’t have been much older than myself. I even resented it for Lt. Horan—Captain was much younger than him.
    “This little twit was in the process of—” Horan started, and it was all I needed to continue where we’d left off.
    “You enjoy name-calling, do you?” I drew in a breath to accommodate the long list of expletives waiting at the end of my tongue.
    “Enough,” Captain hissed, stepping between us and grabbing my arm. My momentary pride at being considered the bigger threat was destroyed when my boot caught on the dock. The grip on my arm tightened, preventing a definite face-plant to a wooden plank. Instead, my cheek smacked against Captain’s chest, forcing him to wrap his arms around me to hold me steady. There, pressed against him, I wondered if the dock wouldn’t have been a softer landing. Everything hiding under his shirt was solid, hard, planed. I tried to convince myself that the heat ripping through me was just from embarrassment. But myself didn’t believe it.
    Gentler than I expected given the circumstances, he pried me from his chest and peered down at me, his deep brown eyes smoldering in what looked like disbelief. You’d think he’d be used to women throwing themselves into his arms . He cleared his throat. “What is your name, cadet?”
    That’s a great question. Pretty Princess leaned closer, now more curious than ever. The abused ranks behind us grew statuesque. Too bad concentration couldn’t be corralled—I would have borrowed enough from our audience to at least remember my name. So far though, only four-letter words came to mind. Then I understood the problem—he never let go of me. His hands on my shoulders, holding me close enough to count his eyelashes, were robbing me of sense. That, and the way his intense gaze seemed to be questioning me, asking for more than my name.
    Taking my chances with the dock, I stepped away from him and reclaimed my shoulders, tucking my laptop behind me. Even the tropical breeze felt cool where he’d touched. He blinked, as if realizing where he was—and who he was. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe I’d had the same stupefying effect on him. He was probably perplexed that the UN would recruit someone clumsier than an ox on stilts.
    As the heat from his touch seeped away, my memory seeped back, like a magic potion was wearing off. “Elyse Morgan,” I said, as if I hadn’t been about to assault the lieutenant with a barrage of obscenities. As if I didn’t just leave part of my DNA on Captain’s uniform. As if I had known my name the whole time.
    Enlightenment softened Captain’s face as he cleared his throat again. I remembered that Ralph had said he was aware I’d be boarding. Finally, a reprieve from the lunacy . But my reprieve seemed to slither from my grasp as Captain frowned, all traces of disorientation vanishing like a doused fire.
    “Well, Cadet Morgan, I am Captain Nicoli Marek. I’m sure Lt. Frank Horan has already made his introductions.” He was polite, but nothing more. Well, he was irritated. “And you have interrupted the peace and unity of my vessel without even stepping foot on it.”
    I’m sure my mouth gaped open, but I couldn’t bring myself to close it once it came