“Are you so certain it would end that way?”
“Can you believe otherwise?”
“You believe that I am what I say I am. Why not believe anything is possible?”
“Because if I do and I'm wrong, then what happens?
“You'd rather be alone.” He made it a statement. “You'd rather I didn't finally question my continued existence on this earth and perhaps find a way to end it.”
“How can you? Without ending it completely?”
“I don't know. But for the first time, I want to find out.” He didn't let her escape this time. He came and pulled her into his arms. “I have to find out.” He cupped her face. “Don't you understand? I can't continue in this altered existence. I want to live my life with you.”
Jamie's heart nosedived right to her toes. He was everything she'd ever wanted, and it scared her to death. A man who wanted her for herself, who wanted her so badly that he'd give his life for the chance to be with her. A man she in turn wanted so badly that she was willing to let her soul be destroyed just to be with him again. Her defenses were so mangled, she no longer knew how to keep them up. She ran a trembling hand over his cheek, bone-numbing fear and radiant joy all twisted up inside her gut. “I understand completely.”
“Then let's try to find a way. Let me find a way to give you happily ever after.”
Chapter 23
Jamie wasn't certain she believed in happily ever after. That it was possibly staring her in the face made it seem even more improbable. “Is there any such thing for us?”
“Fight with me, Jamie,” he whispered roughly. “Help me find a way to keep us like this, with your heart beating against mine.”
She couldn't speak for the lump in her throat. This was real, and yet it seemed every bit as fantastical as Sebastien's existence. It would be so easy to say yes. In that moment she would have given anything to ensure that they would be together forever. And yet, when she nodded and pulled his head down to hers, it was the single hardest thing she'd ever done. “I'll fight for you, Sebastien Valentin,” she murmured against his lips. “But you'd damn well better make sure we win.”
His laughter, rich and full-bodied, filled the sultry night air. “This is the pirate queen who stole my heart.” He swung her up into his arms, ignoring her squawk of surprise as he kissed her.
They both laughed as he maneuvered her around so she could unlock the door. “I can walk, you know,” she said as they locked the door behind them. She wasn't entirely certain it was the truth. Her body shook with the need to have him inside her once again. The very idea that they would claim each otherin her bed, where she'd spent night after night trying to ignore that very fantasy, all but undid her.
“Carrying you gives me pleasure.”
She hated to admit it, but it gave her a great deal of pleasure too. “I suppose you'd enjoy knowing that I could rather get used to this.”
“Indeed. I love to feel you in my arms,” he said as he climbed up the stairs. “I never thought I would again.” He was barely winded when he slid her to her feet inside her bedroom doorway. He looked from her face, bathed in the moonlight streaming through the curved front window, to the bed. “I have so longed to have you here. I have longed to see your hair spread upon the pillows, your arms lifted in welcome to me.”
Jamie slid the band from the end of her long braid and slowly began to untwine her hair. A devilish smile curved her lips. “Your wish is my command.”
His grin was so wicked it took her breath away. “I rather like this reversal of roles.” He stepped closer to her and lifted his hands to the buttons of her polo shirt. “How many wishes do I receive?” He leaned down and nipped gently at the curve of her neck.
“And here I thought racing was a good adrenaline rush,” she murmured as he continued his assault, shifting his lips to the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.
He pushed aside her heavy mane of hair and nibbled his way around her neck as he moved behind her. She felt his chest brush against her back and gasped. She'd had no idea that her spine was such an erogenous zone.
“I like that I make your heart pound,” he whispered, brushing his lips toward her other earlobe. “Just the taste of your skin makes my pulse race like that death-defying automobile of yours.” He circled back in front of her. He lifted her hand and kissedher palm very gently, but with definite purpose, then curled her fingers around it. “You carry my heart right there,” he said.
Her own heart skipped a beat, and a lump formed in her throat. She would fight for this man, for the happiness he could give her. Life didn't hand out guarantees on time. Any time they had together was worth whatever toll it took. He was worth it. And looking into his smiling eyes, she knew for certain that she was worth it too.
Jamie shook her hair loose, the unbraided waves cascading over her shoulders. “How many wishes should I grant you?” she asked, feeling suddenly lighthearted and free. Freer than she'd ever felt, even when racing across the wide open water. Now she had something important to race toward. A finish line that could reap rewards she'd never even dreamed of. “You've already used one. And I believe the standard is three.”
“Then I will take the other two. With pleasure.”
Her smile was bold this time. “Use them wisely. Because then it will be my turn.”
“Perhaps my wish will be to grant you more wishes.”
“Oh, no, it doesn't work that way.”
He immediately captured her hips and held them firmly in place when she tried to move away. “Non? Then why don't you show me how it works.”
She took the challenge and began to unbutton his shirt. The task was made all the more erotic when he refused to release his grip on her hips. She was forced to lean back to get to them all, which only served to press her hips all the more intimately into his.
“Your turn,” he said as she slid the shirt down his arms and let it drop to the floor. “And I wish to see you more clearly. Turn on your bedside lamp.”
“That's wish number two,” she said, her voice a bitshaky as his fingers slid beneath her shirt and pulled it over her head. He held her tightly enough for her to arch over and just barely reach the switch on the lamp. He lifted her upright, the tips of her breasts just brushing against his chest. “One wish left.” She moaned aloud when he bent his head and captured a nipple through the cotton cup of her bra. “But please,” she managed, “take your time.”
“I plan to take all the time allowed me.” He bent her gently onto the bed.
He followed her down, and there was no escaping her deep groan of satisfaction when he settled his weight on her in all the right places. “Pants,” she gasped. “We have on too many pants.”
He chuckled, the action making his lips vibrate against a particularly sensitive spot just above her navel. He'd somehow managed to slide down her body, his mouth doing all sorts of interesting things to her stomach. She lifted her head just as he managed the tricky maneuver of unbuttoning her pants with his teeth. Their eyes caught and he winked at her, teeth bared with the fabric of her pants clutched firmly between them. He lifted his head so the zipper slowly opened, then released her pants and looked intently into her eyes before dipping his head down, apparently intent on the elastic waistband of her panties.
Dear God, she thought dazedly, he was every woman's pirate fantasy. Only he was no fantasy.
Her head lolled back on the bed. She felt the night air brush her skin as he slid her pants down her legs, with his hands this time. His mouth was now finding all these interesting paths along her thighs. Who knew the knees were erogenous zones? Hell, with this man, there was no such thing as a nonerogenous zone.
She felt his weight leave the bed, and she opened her eyes to find him standing at the edge of themattress between her now-bare legs. He lifted her feet and placed them on his chest, then pressed one foot to his mouth and began to tease her with his lips and teeth, working his way slowly toward her knee. He watched her all the while. She was hot
and edgy, wanting him to move faster, to hurry. It was all she could do to keep her hips on the bed when what she desperately wanted was to buck and writhe as he continued his slow and thorough assault. “Sebastien, please—”
He lifted his head. “I have one wish left, then you may begin making your demands of me.”
She groaned and dropped her head back on the bed, accepting her defeat willingly.
He unbuckled his pants and she heard the whisper of fabric as they slid to his feet. She had to look, then immediately wished she hadn't. Torture. It was sheer torture. And naturally he was grinning.
“I see you approve.”
“What, bikini briefs weren't … brief enough?” Her voice sounded more like a croak.
“At the moment, any restraint is too much.” He stripped the indecent scrap of black cotton off.
And she'd thought the torture couldn't get worse. The man was gorgeous. Everywhere. She truly hadn't … well, magnified his gifts during their time spent apart. There was no stopping her from squirming now. Her body knew what awaited it, and it wanted it right now, dammit.
He slid her panties down her legs and she wrestled to take off her bra. Not nearly as seductive a maneuver as his disrobing, but it accomplished her goal. Which was to feel as much of her bare skin pressed against as much of his as soon as possible. “I can't wait any longer. I'm dying.”
He smiled and moved his body over hers, slidingher farther up the bed as he did so their feet didn't dangle over the edge. His body teased hers unmercifully, every contact point screaming with almost painful arousal. He brushed against her but didn't enter her.
“Sebastien,” she groaned, shamelessly lifting her hips.
He kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and himself into her at the same time. She arched violently against him, taking all of him, wishing only that they could be even more closely joined.
He took her hard, and she pushed him even harder. She rode the wave fierce and fast, wanting to climax right then and simultaneously wanting to stay right on that blissful crest forever.
His mouth was on her neck, his hands full of her hair. “Now it is time for my last wish,” he ground out. “Hold on tight.” He rolled to his back, taking her with him, until she was straddling his hips.
He was still hot and deep inside her, even more deeply now. She gasped at the sensation of it, her hands braced on his chest while she adapted to all the new sensations rocketing through her.
“Look at me, Jamie.”
She raised her eyes to his, her body already moving on him, unable to remain still.
His hands were on her hips, then he slid one hand along the inside of her thigh until he was touching her just above where they were joined.
“My wish is for you to come to me, Jamie. Come to me now.” He moved his fingers and thrust inside her at the same time.
The pleasure was blinding, the release explosive. It crested and crashed down all over and through her. She bucked helplessly on top of him and rode it for all it was worth. Only when she collapsed onto him, stillshuddering and quivering, did he carefully roll her back beneath him. He kissed her as he began to move inside her again. Amazingly, the wave began anew.
“Come with me this time,” he demanded, his body establishing their rhythm this time.
She complied. Fervently.
He took her deeply and she rose to every thrust. His body tensed and he reared up above her, groaning loud and long as he climaxed. The pleasure of watching him, hearing him, knowing she had given him such satisfaction, drove her over again seconds later.
She pushed her fingers through his damp hair and kissed him on his temple. He responded by kissing her beneath her ear, then in the crook of her neck. It seemed impossible, but those gentle kisses stole more of her heart than the pulse-pounding moments just before. She felt cared for, cherished.
He rolled to his side and took her with him. Their arms and legs locked effortlessly, and she tucked her head against his shoulder. They fit so perfectly, she thought, her mind still recovering from the spin it had just taken. It was as if their bodies had been dancing like this for eternity.
She wanted to tell him how he made her feel and why she loved him. She was still trying to find the words when sleep claimed her.
Chapter 24
Sebastien knew the instant she left the haven of sleep. He'd been watching her for the past hour or so and had been perfectly content to continue forever. Now that she was awakening, he felt his pulse begin to speed up, his nerves tightening along with it. He was determined to have this morning proceed far differently from their last one.
He also knew today would be a day of reckoning unlike the other. Their true battle had only just begun. However, this time their adversary was his past, not each other. She would have to be strong and willing to trust him. He thought of the night they had just spent together and knew she had that inside her. Today they would face adversity. But he was determined that they would face it together.
She awoke slowly, sweetly. She turned her eyes to him and there was no surprise in them, no sudden shock of awareness. This time her entire consciousness had known he was there beside her. He took a measure of strength in that knowledge.
“Good morning,” she said, sleep making her voice husky.
He bent down and kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, her cheeks, and finally her mouth. When he lifted his head so he could look into her eyes, he was immensely gratified at the emotion he saw shining in them. “Good morning, monamour.”
She shifted and snuggled against him. He thought he felt his heart actually stop for a beat before resuming, so right did she feel nestled there. Her hands slid around his waist, and he pulled her more tightly against him and stroked her hair.
“I must say I recommend this as a way to start a morning,” she mumbled against his chest. “In fact, I think it would be a fascinating way to spend the afternoon and perhaps the evening as well.”
He continued to thread his fingers through her hair, smiling at her drowsy words even as his heart turned to more-serious revelations. She was precious to him. How had he ever thought to live without her? He knew he would do anything to protect her and keep her safe. He had to smile at that. If he were to reveal that last thought, he was certain she would make it understood that she could take care of herself. And that also gave him a sense of peace. She was a strong, smart, resourceful woman. He liked knowing that she wasn't helpless or frail. Yet he wanted to protect and coddle her nonetheless. Should make for an interesting partnership, he mused with a welcome sense of delight.
Partnership. How was it he'd never seen a woman in that light before? He settled her more closely against him. Because, he thought, he'd never met his soul-mate before.
And that revelation shocked another thought, an alarming one, into his suddenly clear mind. If he were to tell her this, tell her of his love for her, that would fulfill his obligation to the Sword of Hearts. Would he disappear?
Just then she kissed the skin that pulsed over his heart, making him wonder how on earth he could last even the next five minutes without saying those words to her, so urgent was his need. But it was a risk he could not take. Not yet. He had forged a plan in the predawn hours. He must adhere to it.
“I want to show you something,” he said quietly.
She smiled sleepily up at him. “I believe I've seen everything at this point.”
He smiled, his heart full of emotion. How was it he'd survived never truly feeling this? How did he have the audacity to match the hearts of others without knowing the true power the heart wielded? Would this revelation make him a better matcher of souls?
The very idea of returning to that existence brought a stab of pain. He resolutely turned his thoughts back to her.
“Can you take the day off work?” he asked.
Now she looked intrigued. “You're so serious all of a sudden. What exactly do you have in mind?”
“A short trip. We will need your car. The
re is a place I want to take you.”
“Can you tell me?”
He shook his head. “I will need your trust, Jamie.”
She studied him for a long moment, then scooted up and kissed him deeply. “You have it. You have it all, Sebastien.”
He could sense the words of love he so wanted to say himself forming in her mind before her lips began to move. He kissed her to keep them where they were—felt but unspoken. He refused to risk it until they were there.
“Get dressed,” he urged when he finally lifted his head. “Or I will detain you here for hours.”
“And I'm supposed to be motivated to leave by that?”
He smiled then. “We will have more time, Jamie. That is what today is all about.”
Now she turned more serious. “Sebastien, what is it you're planning to do? Maybe we should discuss this first.”
He slid from the bed and gathered his clothing. “I am asking for your trust. Please.” He came around to her side of the bed and pulled her up and close. “I let you down once before, but that is a mistake I will never make again.”
She nodded. “I know you would never purposely hurt me. It's not in your soul.”
He grinned at her, his heart lighter, more certain than ever that there was solution out there for them. There had to be. “I believe there is time in our agenda for a shower. Although I suggest we conserve time and share it.”
“Did I mention I adore your overdeveloped sense of logic? You're like Mr. Spock. Only sexier.”
“Who is Mr. Spock?”
Jamie laughed and pulled him toward her tiny bathroom. “I'm not so sure I can explain that one. Come on, I'll tell you after I get you all wet and soapy.”
Sebastien laughed and allowed her to pull him along. “Your wish is most assuredly my command, mademoiselle.”
Jamie followed Sebastien's directions out of the Quarter and away from New Orleans. They were heading south.
“Exit here,” he said.
Your Wish Is My Command Page 25
