“But—” she began as he moved to push her gently toward the passageway.
“Bed,” he ordered.
“It’s annoying when you boys go macho,” she muttered.
He had no idea what she meant but this happened frequently, to him and all the men.
Sometimes they asked. Sometimes they didn’t. And sometimes when she answered, they still had no idea what she was talking about.
But whenever they asked, if they understood it or not, it was always interesting.
She didn’t protest further, looked around him as he guided her away, waved and called her goodnights.
She got the same in return.
He moved her into the passageway.
“This ship is a lot bigger than I would have expected,” she remarked as he pressed his fingers into the small of her back to move her before him.
“Mm,” he answered.
“It’s also way cool. I’m pretty much expecting Captain Jack Sparrow to jump out at any given time,” she went on.
He grinned, shook his head but said nothing.
She kept talking.
“And this would not be unwelcome. Johnny Depp is hot.”
Derrik stayed silent except for his chuckle.
They made the door of her cabin. There, she stopped and turned to him, lifting her eyes to his.
He no longer saw the Ilsa he’d known for years. The Ilsa his closest friend adored. The Ilsa who made them laugh in a dry way, not an exuberant one. Whose intelligence matched her husband’s, therefore she frequently challenged him and all of them to battles of wits, amusingly and wholeheartedly, just as she frequently won those battles (even against her husband).
No. Now he only saw Maddie, who was not one thing like Ilsa, except in looks.
She tipped her head to the side and shared, “I know I’m drunk.”
Derrik smiled down at her and replied, “You’re not drunk, Maddie. You’re drunk.”
She smiled up at him, the smile lighting up her whole face and he felt his heart thump harder.
“Okay, I know I’m drunk,” she agreed.
He shook his head, still smiling.
“And when you’re drunk, the truth comes out,” she informed him.
He turned his eyes to the ceiling and joked, “Gods, deliver me.”
She smacked his chest and he looked down at her just as she said, “I’m being serious, Derrik.”
He rearranged his features and promised, “You have my full attention, Maddie.”
She rolled her eyes.
When she rolled them back, her face sobered and she held his gaze.