Page 46 of Ship Happens
I shift, placing my hand on his chest, then resting my chin on the back of my hand so that I can look at him. “Is that why you don’t get close to women?”
“To be honest, I always thought it was because I cared so much about my career. Now I’m not so sure. I mean, what does working have to do with shutting myself off from connecting with someone like—” He stops, unable to finish the thought, so I do it for him.
“Like what we’re doing now.”
“Yeah.”
I raise my head slightly and trace lazy circles on his abdomen. Goosebumps rise on his skin, and I hate myself for wanting to run my tongue over all of them.
God, what am I doing? He’s practically a kid. At twenty-two, I doubt he’ll know my clitoris from my urethra.
And he’s a murderer, Frankie. Let’s not forget that.
Instead of turning me off, the thought of Maverick standing over a body as blood coats his bare skin does something disgusting inside me. I imagine what it would be like to slide against him, both of us covered in that awful metallic scent. A low whimper squeaks out of me, and I freeze.
“Frankie?”
I close my eyes. “Yeah?”
“What the fuck was that?”
With a squeal, I press my forehead against his chest and mutter into his warm skin. “I don’t fucking know. My brain went somewhere really weird, and that sound just happened.”
“What were you thinking of?”
“I don’t wanna say.”
“Come on, sweetheart. Judgment-free zone, yeah?” He slips his finger under my chin and eases my head upward so that I’m forced to look into his green eyes. “We’re having a moment. Just let it happen.”
Okay. I’ll fudge it a bit, but I’ll tell him. What’s the worst that could happen?
“I was thinking about a dream I had. You were . . . naked.”
He tips his head back and laughs. “That’s all? Hell, I’ve thought of you naked a few times myself. At least a dream is involuntary.” His expression sobers. “That was rude of me, and I apologize.”
“Apology not accepted,” I say with a giggle, “but that wasn’t the worst part. You were covered in blood. And I liked it.”
His hand firms on my shoulder, like he’s hugging me the only way he can in this position, and my insides begin to tumble. “Nothing weird about that.”
“I’m getting wet to thoughts of our bodies coated in blood as we fuck. I’d say that’s thedefinitionof weird.”
His fingertips loosen, and his hand dips below my romper. Gentle warmth brushes over my bare skin. “Maybe we could try something tamer first.”
“Maybe . . .”
We’re dancing around a fire, both of us too scared to get close enough to feel the heat.
“Can I tell you a secret?” he whispers.
I nod against his chest.
“I didn’t want you to go on that date tonight. I wanted it to be me.”
“I know.”
He looks down at me. “You did?”
“Not at first, but when Cat said you wanted to make me laugh, I kind of thought something seemed odd.” I swallow around a lump in my throat. “And I wouldn’t say the curiosity is exactly one-sided.”
