“Sargeant Forge?” Jett questioned after a moment of silence. “This is Jett DeLuca. I’m part of the dive team who will be on scene in…” she looked at Trask.
“Fifteen minutes,” he replied.
“Fifteen minutes,” Jett relayed. “And myboss,” she emphasized the word, “wants a veterinarian on site, ready to administer a tranquilizer.”
Trask saw Jett’s shoulders visibly relax. “Good. That’s great. Uh, huh. Yes. We have everything else we need.”
Jett hung up the phone. “There’s a local guy who deals with large animals. She says she’ll have him on site.”
“Great.” Trask was still running scenarios in his head when he pulled up next to Jett’s plane. She jumped out, barking an order to her dogs in the back. “Stay, boys.”
There was nothing hesitant about her actions as she walked to the opposite side of the plane, opened a cargo area up front, and began rummaging around. Trask really appreciated her professionalism at the moment. He almost wouldn’t recognize this woman as the one who’d been scatterbrained and impishly teasing him just a few minutes earlier.
He left the truck as well, not knowing if there was something he could do to help.
“Check the back storage compartment on your side,” she called out. “You should find some straps, ropes, and pulleys.Load up whatever you need. Hopefully I have enough to do the trick.”
Trask immediately did as she suggested, and was faced withmoreequipment than they’d need, for sure. Especially because he assumed the fire and police departments on scene would also have rescue paraphernalia.
He marveled that the rear hatch was stuffed with goodies that included flares, flotation devices, food rations, and other emergency necessities.
Here was another side of Jett he hadn’t been expecting. She seemed to be well prepared for any crisis that might arise.
After choosing the things they might need, he glanced up through the windows that separated him from Jett, and his breath caught. He couldn’t seeallof her, but what hecouldsee was her stripping off her winter coat and the shirt she’d been wearing underneath it, to stand in the frigid cold in just her bra.
Trask’s brain almost short-circuited. It was all he could do to keep his tongue in his mouth.
Jett’s breasts, now on prominent display, were impressive.
Trask looked around with narrowed eyes, and thankfully saw no one else who’d be ogling her.Dammit. He was doing enough of that, himself.
But those breasts… More than handfuls, their creamy swells were nearly spilling out over the top of her light blue, lacy bra.
Trask shook himself. He felt like a creepy voyeur,
“What are you doing?” he barked, because it was either revert to his commander form, or make a fool of himself, begging for a touch.
She glanced up, seemingly not in the least bit perturbed that he was witnessing her without a full contingent of clothes. “My shirt was cotton, and I can’t wear that under my drysuit,” she explained reasonably.
Duh. Trask knew that.
Cotton would absorb her body moisture instead of wicking it away, putting her at risk of getting chilled, or even worse, becoming hypothermic in the cold water she’d have to brave.
He cleared his throat, steering his brain back on track. “Right. I have a fleece hoodie in the truck if you’d like it.”
“I actually have one polypropylene shirt in here somewhere…” She leaned into the passenger compartment and Trask almost groaned. Her cleavage was on full display, and it almost looked like one wrong move would have her popping out.
Please yes… Please no…
“…but layers are better, as you well know,” she added, unaware of his turmoil, coming up delightedly with the shirt she wanted. “So I’ll also take you up on the loan of your hoodie.”
Trask took a deep breath, dragged his eyes away, and headed back to his truck with his arms full of gear. After stowing it on the seat with the dogs, he almost forgot what he was looking for, but glancing over his shoulder to see Jett pulling a tight, black shirt over her head, he remembered.
Grabbing his hoodie from the netting on the back of his seat, he strode briskly to where Jett stood; the bottom half of her body already encased in her drysuit, the top half of the neoprene hanging, waiting for her to don additional layers.
“What do you have on for pants under there?” Trask asked, taking her in with what he hoped looked like a professional eye.
“Luckily, I had thermals on under my jeans, so I’m going with them. I’ll have noadditionallayers on the bottom, but the thermals are double thickness, so if I don’t spend too much time in the water, they should be adequate.”
