Page 79 of Another Damned Pirate

Translation:I feel off, but I don’t want to talk about it.

He adjusted the knobs and tested the water again. “Let’s try that again, but this time with truth.”

A childish part of me wanted to fold my arms over my chest and refuse that order. “Did you get that from our little connection?” A completely unfair and one-sided connection.

Letting the water run, he turned and rested his fine ass on the edge of the tub. His strong fingers gripped the edge tightly. “Yes, and on that note, there are things you need to know.”

My heart sank a little because he sounded so freaking serious. I was so tired of serious.

“Can it wait?” It wasn’t like anything he had to tell me could be any worse than smashing his pendant. Even just thinking about that moment sent a tidal wave of shame crashing into me.

He pushed away from the tub and closed the short distance between us. Warmth radiated from his palm when he reached up and cupped my jaw. His thumb traced lightly across my cheek, leaving a trail of heat along its path.

“You have nothing to feel guilty for, love. When you broke the pendant, the power that had been taken from me so long ago was returned.”

A spark of hope flared inside me. “Seriously?”

He nodded.

“I was worried it was lost to ether. Or worse.” Like maybe some other malevolent creature had gotten ahold of it.

He stepped back and touched the spot on his chest where that ragged scar had been. Now, there was just smooth skin. How had I not noticed that?

“You could have said something earlier.”

A warm laugh filled the small space, a sound nearly as intoxicating as the man himself. “When?”

I thought about it for a hot second. “When I told you what I’d done.” I nodded in the general direction of the ship’s deck. “Earlier.” I’d felt like absolute shit making that confession.

“Apologies.” He dipped his head, though his expression told me he wasn’t the least bit sorry. “I had other things on my mind. But I give you my word, the next time you sacrifice your only hope of getting home in order to keep your world safe, I will be certain to drop everything to tell you how your actions impacted me.”

Oof.He was probably trying to be charming and funny, but having the truth of my situation laid out so succinctly was a kick to the gut.

“Hey.” He caught my hands in his and brought them to his lips, pressing a kiss to the knuckles of each. “It’ll be okay.”

I wanted to believe that—wanted it more than anything—but that wasn’t usually the way my life worked.

“What about Petra? What’s going to stop her from sending her shadow back to my world again?”

He eased back without answering, letting go of my hands as he turned to shut off the water.

I stared at my palms, already mourning the loss of his touch, with no idea what I was supposed to do with my hands. So, I shoved them in my pockets. “I have to find a way back.”

“I know.” He tested the water, straightened, and leveled me with a look that had me biting my tongue. “And we can talk about that later.” Reaching out, he tugged the hem of my shirt. “We made a deal. You owe me a kiss, and I intend to collect.”

He grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands free of my pockets before lifting them over my head. “Do not move.”

The snarky little bitch in my head kicked up a fuss at that order, but it was all for show. Inside, that bossiness made me melt. I rubbed my lips together and, by some miracle, managed to keep my mouth shut.

Hook slipped his hands beneath my shirt, letting them roam across the sensitive skin just above my jeans before he finally dragged the fabric up and over my head. I thought for a second that he might try to use that soft fabric to bind my hands, and my pulse tripped over the shock of raw lust that rocked me.

His lips twitched. “What were you just thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Heat danced up my neck. “Just how good the bath will feel.”

He narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying my story, but he didn’t press. Well, not verbally.

Hook invaded my space, easily the most welcome invasion I’d ever experienced. His fingertips chased fire up my sides and around my back, and my bra fell loose. I started to bring my arms down to help, but he shook his head.

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