Page 58 of Ghost Walk
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
“Donea go looking for a madman, Grace.” Just the thought chilled him. Bloody hell, why was no one looking out for this daft woman? Where had she come from? Why did she seem to know him? How had the strange box she’d held outside Lucinda’s house glowed without fire? Not a single theory he’d come up with made sense.
Grace ignored that, frowning in deep thought. “Why did I get sent back tothisspot, though? There had to be a reason.”
“Oh, I can give you a reason, lass.”
Most of the time, Jamie had no clue what she was talking about and he gave up trying to decipher it. Anabel Maxwell’s whereabouts were of no concern at all. Not when he finally had what he wanted standing right in front of him.
For days, his entire focus had been on trying to find Grace. After she entered Lucinda’s bedroom, it was like she dissipated into thin air. He’d been afraid the murderer had made off with her, too. No one in the whole bloody town had heard of her, no matter how much gold he offered as a reward. However the hell she’d vanished, it was a sure bet she could do it again.
That made it all the more important that he stake his claimnow.
“I think we need to find Anabel.” Grace decided, chewing on her lip in a way that made all the blood leave his brain and travel southward. “Figure out what she does between now and tonight to incite…” She trailed off with a wary gulp as he left the tub and stepped closer to her. “Jamie?”
“Iknowyou.” He said quietly, ignoring all her muttering. “And you know me.”
She hesitated and then slowly bobbed her head.
“How?”
“It’s a little crazy. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
He smirked at that, thinking of fairy lights dancing in the Scottish hills. “Donea be too sure.”
“I…” She let out a long breath, her eyes drifting down and then jerking back up. “I’m from the future. You’re going to know me in the future. It’s how I knew about Lucinda’s murder.”
Jamie blinked, digesting that story for a long moment. Her claim was preposterous, but so was every other explanation for her presence. He had no idea what kind of magic she possessed, but he knew it flowed in her blood. Hell, it practically glowed through her skin. God only knew what such a creature could truly do. Maybe she was telling the truth.
…Or maybe she was a lunatic.
He shook his head, not wanting to be distracted. Regardless of what else she was, he knew one thing for certain. “You’re my wife.”
“In the future? No, I’m not.”
He frowned in annoyance. “Are you my lover?” If she was telling the truth about any of this, she could only answer yes. Jamie knew himself. If he’d ever met this girl --past, present, or future-- he’d would have recognized her as his and maneuvered her into bed. It was a simple fact.
“Sort of.”
The way she spoke confused the hell out of him. “Sort of your lover?”
She bobbed her head.
He moved closer to her, wanting her cornered and knowing it was about to happen. Sure enough, she took a small step back, coming up against the bookshelf. A woman this guileless had no business being in a room with a pirate. She’d already managed to trap herself. Surprise flickered over herbeautiful face, but still no genuine fear.
Jamie smirked and put his palm beside her head, caging her in with his body. “What does ‘sort of’ mean?” He asked casually.
“It’s complicated.” She got out in a wary voice, looking around and seeing she had nowhere to go.
“Seems simple to me.” He untied the string of her bonnet with his free hand, tossing it aside. Thick, black curls tumbled to her shoulders and he nearly purred. “Have I been inside of you?”
Her blush got even deeper, just as he’d hoped it would. He’d never been alone with such a wholesome lass before. It was charming as hell. “No. But you’ve touched me.” Her eyelashes fluttered down and it was all he could do not to rip her clothes off right then.
“Howdid I touch you?” He wrapped a finger around the silver chain at her neck, smiling at the whimsical mermaid pendant she wore.
Her pulse was pounding in her slim throat, but she looked up at him again with absolute faith. It was an intoxicating combination. Most women who sought him out liked the danger of being with a dangerous man. They liked the fact he was frightening. Grace was nervous, but she wasn’t scared of him.
In that second, Jamie knew she believed everything she said.
