"Behave for now, Vicky. This isn't the academy anymore," he said with a wink.
She winked back and started to walk toward town. "Poor me. Looks like I'll have to find another sailor to keep my bed warm tonight." She pursed her lips and practiced batting her eyelashes.
"With that look, I'm sure you'll have no problem, my dear," answered Jack.
She laughed and then headed into town. Jack watched her go before turning his attention back to his small squadron. Most of the sailors that wanted to be off the ships were already gone. His eyes drifted from the narrow silhouette of the Valiant to the much larger figure of the Destiny.
Taking a step toward the mighty cruiser, Jack scanned the entire ship to take her in. The Destiny looked impressive even from far away, but this close she looked positively majestic. He ran his hands along her hull and pictured her slicing through the waves as her turrets fixed on an enemy ship, only to pound her out of the water with those massive twelve inch guns.
"Getting a good look, Commander?"
Jack turned to face the voice and found himself looking into the eyes of another sailor. She stood tall—almost as tall as he was—with dark hair and eyes.
Jack found himself immediately attracted to way her wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. After he took his attention off of her features, he looked for a name tag but found nothing. No other markings on her jacket indicated her rank either.
"You could say that. It's a lovely ship," answered Jack.
"That she is!" The woman grinned and sauntered next to him. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure yet."
"We should change that," said Jack. "Commander Jack Easterbrook."
"You can call me Abigail," she said with a smile as she took his hand in hers.
Jack looked down into her dark eyes and felt the first stirrings of lust for the woman. The way she pursed her lips caused some very interesting ideas to cross through his mind.
"Do you serve on the ship, Abigail?"
"Aye, I'm part of the commanding division of the ship, Jack."
"So I take it you serve under Lt. Commander Wainwright?"
Before she could answer, they both heard the sound of revelry coming from town. Some of the sailors were already having a good time and the noise was enough to bring a chuckle to both of their lips.
"Sounds like your men are already enjoying their stay," said Abigail while pointing toward town.
"That's the problem. They've been coped up onboard for several weeks and now we've let them loose. You see for most of them, fun involves a few broken bones and a venereal disease."
"Sounds like a typical sailor if you ask me," said Abigail with a giggle.
Jack chuckled. "That they are." He ran his hands along the hull again and looked up at the impressive profile of the ship.
"You look like you want to come aboard for a while, Jack."
He laughed. "Is it that easy to read my mind?"
"Considering the fact that you're looking more at the ship than at me, I'd say yes," answered Abigail.
"You'll have to forgive me for that. My brain is confused on which sight is more lovely."
Abigail grinned. "As part of the crew of this fine ship, I'll give that one to you."
She reached across and unhooked the chain from across the plank. Jack followed her up the wooden walkway, taking the moment to admire the way her ass filled out her uniform.
The material seemed to stretch tight against it, almost inviting a touch or caress if he were to be so bold. It was almost hypnotizing watching her hips swing from side to side as she climbed up the plank. If he didn't know any better, Jack could've swore she was walking with extra wiggle just for him.
As they arrived on top of the ship, Jack came face-to-face with the rear turret. The impressive gun barrels pointed to the sky and he took a moment to run his hands along the steel.
"You act like you've never seen twelve inch guns before, Jack," Abigail teased.
"Only on the battleships, Abigail. Nothing of the sort on anything as impressive and as fast as the Destiny here."
"You're in luck today. We have both speed and firepower on this ship, Commander. Best of both worlds," said Abigail.
"I would sure like to meet your commander. Wainwright is his name, I believe."
Abigail nodded before continuing. "Perhaps you'll get the chance to meet him."
"What's the man like? Is he easy to work with? I have a feeling my mission here is going to involve working with him in the near future."
Abigail smirked. "Let's just say you'll be surprised about Wainwright. Not a traditional man in any sense."
"That sounds a little ominous," Jack said with a laugh.
"I can't spoil the entire surprise right now," said Abigail, nudging him with her elbow. "But you'll soon see what I mean."
"So what's your story, Abigail? How'd you find yourself on the Destiny?"
Abigail shrugged. "That story is quite a long one."
"Good for us. We have plenty of time," said Jack.
She smiled and approached the railing. Gazing out to the town, she finally opened up. "My parents never wanted me to be in the navy. They said it was a man's world and a man's role. You know, to fight for your country? Both of my older brothers are seamen. One of them is a petty officer on the battleship, Lion. The other is part of the garrison at the naval base in Aberdeen. I remember when they first joined and how much they delighted in reminding me that they were going so that they could protect me."