Grace. That was her name. It had been whispering in his head, ever since she told him. What else would his savior be called? His father would have scoffed at the notion, considering Jamie’s list of unpardonable sins. There would be no grace for him in the afterlife. Jamie knew that already. But he had his Grace here before him now and that was enough.
She peeked through her fingers and swallowed hard when he didn’t reach for a towel. “The others times I did this, it dropped me in the same spots I left. I didn’t expect to be transported into your cabin, instead of the hedge maze.” She blushed a becoming shade of pink, trying to look everywhere but at his growing erection. “Really.”
“There’s no need for concern. You can come here whenever you wish.”
“Um… Thanks?” She licked her lower lip. “I guess. Anyway, have you --uh-- seen Anabel Maxwell recently?”
“Who?”
“Anabel Maxwell, Jamie! You danced with her at the ball and now she’s missing.”
“Oh the Maxwell girl. She’s not missing. She’s probably at Lucinda’s funeral.” Which he wasn’t welcomed at, since half the town thought he’d killed her for some damn reason.
Morons.
That news distracted her for a beat. “Anabel’s not dead?”
“Of course not.”
“What day is it?”
“July first.” He gave pointed pause. “And --before you ask-- Yes, it’s still 1789.”
“Don’t be a wiseass.” Her swearing was bloody adorable, as was her frown of concentration. “Things are already different.” She murmured to herself. “Last time Lucinda didn’t have a funeral, because there was no body. It’s changing. This could actually be a good thing. It’s only morning and the killer won’t strike again until tonight. I’m ahead of him now.”
Jamie tried to piece that together. “You know who killed Lucinda?” It seemed likely, since she’d known the murder was going to happen. If Grace could give him a name, Jamie would gladly run the bastard through himself. Lucinda had been a harmless girl and a good friend. It was the least he could do.
“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 to this spot, 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, not 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 claim now.
“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?”
“I know you.” 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 a room with a pirate. She’d already managed to trap herself. Surprise flickered over her beautiful 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.
“How did 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.
There was no reason for Grace to have any confidence in a man of his illicit notoriety. Not unless she somehow knew he wouldn’t hurt her. Unless she knew she belonged to him. Unless she knew he struggled with gentlemanly impulses, beneath his bad reputation. To her, he wasn’t a soon-to-be-forgotten scoundrel she was using to shock her parents. He was…
Husband material.
The strange words flited through his head and, while he wasn’t exactly sure what they meant, he knew they were true. Grace didn’t see him as just a passing diversion. She trusted him to care for her. To keep her safe. She knew that Jamie belonged to her, too.
His heart melted.
The woman would have being running for her life with any other man, but she gave the most notorious pirate in Virginia a bashful smile. “You brought me to… um… pleasure.” She explained in a rush. “But I couldn’t bring you.”
“Well, that’s a shame.”
“I wanted to, but it wasn’t really possible, because…” She trailed off and puffed out a breath. “It’s really complicated.”
He shifted close enough that she could feel the hard ridge of his arousal. He nudged her gently, grinning a bit as she jolted in innocent surprise. “This time, I’ll simplify it for you, then.”
Wide brown gaze slashed back up to his. “I’m not going to sleep with you, James Riordan!” She protested. “Absolutely not. I’m
on a mission here. Jesus, you really do have a one-track mind, no matter the century. And I can’t believe you haven’t even put pants on. You’re trying to get me all befuddled!”
But she still didn’t try to push past his naked body and flee the room. Instead, her attention drifted downward to the straining evidence of his desire and stayed there. Those small white teeth nibbled at her lower lip again. Whatever she thought they had done in the past (or future) she hadn’t seen him naked before. He could tell by her hesitant fascination.
The version of Jamie Riordan she’d met clearly needed to learn a few things.
“Is it working?” He asked, letting her look her fill. “Are you feeling befuddled? It only seems fair, since just being around you makes my brain cease functioning.”
Her tiny pink tongue touched the corner of her mouth. “Um… Speaking of which…” She seemed to be trying to rally. “Do you think you could drink this for me?” She dug in her pocket and came up with a vial of some unidentified green liquid.
He arched a brow. “Drink it?”
“Yeah. I know it sounds sketchy, but it will help you remember me. Really. Before you say no, just take a few minutes and listen to me explain some of this, okay?” She gave an earnest nod. “And if it helps befuddle you, you can --um-- touch me a little bit while we talk. The other you said to offer that and it seems like a good idea. Honestly, if you’re not thinking clearly, it’ll probably…”
Jamie snatched the potion out of her hand and belted it back. It tasted like shit, but what the hell? It was still far better than the watered-down ale at The Raven. He tossed the glass container over his shoulder and arched brow. “No. Still donea recall you, love.”
“Oh for God’s sake!” She looked exasperated now. “You seriously just drank that, without even asking what it was. I could have been trying to poison you, you idiot! Did you even think of that?”
“You’re not here to hurt me.”
The confidence in his tone took the wind from her sails. “No.” She admitted. “I’m not.”
“You’ve come to save me.” He continued, knowing it was true. “Yes?”
“Yes.” Her eyes drifted south, again. “I came back for you, Jamie.”
“And it’s about bloody time you got here, too.” It was in Jamie’s nature to take all he could, regardless of propriety or common sense. It was the only way a pirate got anywhere. He was going to push forward as far as he could until Grace gave him an outright refusal. And so far the lass wasn’t refusing. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to show up.”
Reaching over, he grasped her wrist, drawing it forward. That remarkable jolt of power went through him again, just as it had the last time he touched her hand. God, he couldn’t wait to feel it on his shaft. Grace’s breathing gave a hitch and she instinctively tried to yank back from the hot flesh. Jamie ignored her shy struggle, pressing himself into her hand.
Aw fuck… His eyes closed in pleasure. She truly did feel like heaven.
She looked scandalized. “You want me to…?”
“Aye.” He’d never wanted anything more. “You said I could touch you a bit. Instead, let’s have you touch me. I need you, lass. You have no bloody idea how much.”
Uncertainty and burgeoning desire flickered across her face. “I’ve never done that before.” She blurted out, forgetting to be modest. “Not with anyone. You’re probably going to be disappointed.”
Her pessimism was adorable. “I’ll bet you this ship that I’m not.”
“For real, I’m not very good at embracing my inner pizza-tramp, yet. I’m still kinda semi-frigid.” She nodded like that made perfect sense. “You’re the only one who’s ever been able to give me an orgasm.”
Oh, she really shouldn’t have said that if she planned to talk him out this. Jamie’s whole body reacted to that happy news and he didn’t even know what a pizza-tramp was. “All you have to do is touch me.” She let him wrap her fingers around him, filling her soft palm. “It’s not complicated, a’tall. Touch me just like this. Hard and fast.” Jamie guided her up and down for a few beats and then withdrew his hold. “Stroke me. Make me come.”
“This is a really bad idea…”
“Now, Grace. Make me come now or I’ll think of something even more fun for us to do together.”
She gave a little gasp at the order and obediently stroked his manhood just as he’d instructed. Apparently, the lady liked to be commanded in bed. That was quite useful to know. He thrust against her, reveling in the pace she set.
“Such a good lass.” He leaned in to bury his face in her thick hair. “God, I could drown in the scent of you. You’re so pretty and so sweet.” Her grip got tighter, emboldened by his praise and he grimaced in pleasure. “Fuck! That’s it. Just like that.”
“I could be a lunatic stranger, you know.” She informed him in a prim voice that amused him greatly considering what her wee hand was up to. “My story is insane. Even I see that and I know it’s true. You should definitely not be doing this with me, Jamie.”
“You may be a lunatic, but you’re no stranger.” His lips brushed her temple. “I knew you from the first, Grace. I’ve waited for you my whole life.”
She gave a soft sigh at his words. “You’re so hard to argue with when you say things like that.”
“Stop arguing then.” He nuzzled her temple. “Wouldn’t mind knowing your last name, though.” Before it became “Riordan” anyway.
“It’s Rivera.”
His mouth curved. “Like the town fortunetellers?” Well that explained the magic he sensed in her.
“Just focus, okay? I’m trying to help you.”
Her nails scratched him lightly and a holy choir of angels sang in his brain. “Oh, believe me, love, you are helping.”
“You don’t understand. I have to go. I’m trying to solve…”
He cut her off by trying another command. She seemed to like those and he wanted her to concentrate. “Finish me, Grace.” His teeth grazed her ear. “You’re not going anywhere until my seed’s all over your hand.”
Aye, she definitely liked that. Grace stopped objecting, her nipples tightening into points under the fabric of her not-exactly-normal dress.
Jamie’s whole body was throbbing with need. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed one of the apron straps on her gown, wanting to pull her even closer. There was a bizarre ripping sound and damn thing tore right off. Jamie frowned at the strap in momentary confusion. He hadn’t tugged her that hard. And what was the small fuzzy pad sewn to the end of it?
“It’s Velcro.” Grace explained, snatching it back from his and somehow reattaching it with a single touch. “It’s fine.”
“You do wear the most peculiar clothes.” He would’ve been far happier to see her out of them, all together. Much happier. Luckily, Jamie was good at figuring out how things worked, so it only took him a moment to tear the “vel-crow” open again. This time, he managed to get the front of her gown gaping.
The move caught her off guard. “Jamie!”
“Just let me touch you.” He pulled her strange undergarment up, releasing the bounty of her breasts. His gaze went to her berry-hard nipples, dismissing everything else from his mind. “Please, Grace. I’ve waited so long.”
She gave a soft moan as he cupped one of her breasts, kneading the soft globe in his palm. “You have the most perfect hands.” She breathed, glancing down to watch them shape her supple flash. “They feel so right touching me. I knew they would.”
Of course they felt right. Jamie had been born to touch this woman. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. “Mine.” He moved his head to kiss her lush mouth. Her lips parted beneath his and he growled at the honeyed taste of her. “Finally.”
“The you-of-the-future is a possessive guy, too.” She got out breathlessly. “If he gets jealous about this, you can be the one to explain it to him.”
“Every version of me is fucking thrilled with what we’re doing. I promise you.”
“The future me is a bloody genius.”
Except he hadn’t claimed this woman yet. If Jamie could’ve thought straight, that part would have concerned him.
His teeth ground together as her thumb brushed over the crest of him, catching a drop of moisture. “Love, I’m going to come.” He wanted to warn her, but it was hard talking through his clenched jaw. “I can’t wait.”
Of course the woman chose that moment to contrary. “Just another minute.” Her mouth curved as she watched him swell in her grasp. “You’re so big. How big can you get?”
She was about to find out. “Now, Grace.”
“Not yet.” It was her turn to start issuing demands. “Not until I tell you to.”
Jamie let out a snarl of lust, about to lose what little control he had. “Grace…”
“Change of plans.” She leaned up to nip his lower lip, effectively shutting down his brain. “I don’t want you to come in my hand, Jamie.”
Oh shit. If she asked him to stop, he might just cry. “Please.” He wasn’t above begging. Not when the situation was so fucking dire. “Love, I have to…”
His protest turned into a strangled groan as she dropped to her knees. That perfect mouth opened and she guided him inside, her tongue dancing over his straining flesh. That was all it took. Jamie let out a roar that shook the whole ship. She suckled him dry and it was the best moment of his whole goddamn life.
His hand tangled in her hair, guiding her head, frantically pledging himself to her Gaelic. It didn’t matter who she was, or where she came from, or how crazed her stories were, or what the future held.
This fay creature was his wife.
He truly would have known her anywhere. Grace sat back to smile at him and he touched her face reverently.
“Thank you.” It was the only thing Jamie could think to say. “Thank you for finally finding me.” His mind whirled with all the ways he could show his gratitude, but Grace didn’t give him a chance to suggest some erotic reciprocity.
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