Page 45 of Ghost Walk
Grace bit down on her lower lip. “Why has it never happened for me, then?” She asked before she could stop herself. “It happens for everyone else. Why not me?”
“Well, I think that should be obvious.” Jamie smiled like he knew the answer to every dirty question ever asked. “You just hadn’t met the right man.”
She snorted. “Let me guess:You’rethe right man.”
“Yes.” He sounded certain. “I told you, I can make you happy.”
Some heretofore dormant, pizza-tramp-y part of her brain cheered in anticipation. Grace shook her head again, trying to think. “But you can’t actually touch me, remember?”
“I donea have to touch you.”
She blinked, desperately curious about what he was planning. “…You don’t?”
“Nope.” He gave a predatory smile and eased onto the bed next to her. “Come on… You know I can do this, Grace. You’ve been waiting for me. We’ve been waiting foreach other. You feel it, too. This connection between us is real.”
She did feel it.
“Let me show you what I can do.” Jamie shifted so his body was even closer to hers, taking her silence as encouragement. “What do you really have to lose? The worst that can happen is I’m unable to meet all your ‘unrealistic expectations.’ That would leave you right where you are now. It seems like there’s no risk and all reward.”
Grace swallowed. “You probably tried that line with every girl in the thirteen colonies.”
“Nope. Just the one I would have married.”
Corny as it sounded, her heart skipped. “Jamie, you don’t have to…”
“Take off your robe.”
Yeah… She was totally going to take off her robe. Surprisingly, the commanding tone turned her insides to liquid. Who knew? If anyone could fix her intimacy problem, it was Jamie Riordan. The man had probably invented sex.
Grace’s hands went to the knot at her waist, pulling it free before she gave herself time to reconsider. “Okay, but this isn’t going to work.” She warned, wanting him to be prepared for failure.
“You truly are a pessimistic little thing. It’s quite adorable.”
“I just don’t want you to be too disappointed, if you can’t get me… all the way. It’s like a mental block or something.” It was because she’d never been able to let go with anyone. Deep down, she knew that.
She’d never felt safe enough.
“You should have more faith in me, lass. Even my bad plans have a proven success rate in this room. Besides, bloodthirsty pirates have an inborn talent for corrupting the innocent…” Jamie trailed off and muttered a quiet curse, as the robe slid off her shoulders. His gaze fixed on her bare breasts and stayed there. “Holy God.”
Grace had a hard time breathing under the intensity of his stare. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you kinda sucked as a bloodthirsty pirate.” She shrugged off the robe and tried to focus on somethingotherthan her nakedness. The past seemed as good a topic as any, so the words just poured out of her in an anxious torrent. “According to all the textbooks, you just stole from rich British merchants.”
His gaze licked over her skin. “They had the most gold.” He murmured absently.
“I think it’s more than that. You never bothered the helpless or the genuinely innocent. …Which, I have to admit, always seemed strange to me considering the books also said you were a crazed serial killer.” She winced. “Crap. I probably shouldn’t have brought up the homicide part, right now.”
His lips twitched. “I do love the fact you’re a bit of an odd-duck, love. You have the most fascinating pillow talk I’ve ever encountered.”
“Well, you’re making me nervous! History helps me when I’m nervous.”
“By all means, then. Let’s talk about my mediocre piracy.” He agreed in the world’s most agreeable tone. “Afteryou take off your underwear.”
Grace swallowed. “This won’t work.” She reiterated half-heartedly.
“There’s that adorable pessimism again. It truly isbecoming a turn on.”
“I’m serious. I’ve been dreaming about you since I was fifteen, but not even you can…”
“Fifteen?” Jamie grinned like she’d just handed him the map to an uncharted isle and --God knew-- he was a man who took maps seriously. “Why that’s quite naughty, Mistress Rivera. I’m very impressed.”
