Ghost Walk (17 page)

Jamie
himself had no doubts, at all.  The man’s confidence level was deep as the
sea.  He leaned in closer to her, his body moving over hers.  “So… you read
books about me, then?”  He asked and she knew that he was trying to distract
her from overthinking his newest crazy bad idea.

“Some.” 
Energy licked through her wherever he touched.  And he was doing his best to
touch her
everywhere
.  His beautiful palms couldn’t make contact with
her skin, but she could still feel them all over her.  Her nipples went rock
hard as his fingers passed over them, her eyes drifting shut in pleasure.

His
mouth curved.  “Only
some
books?”

“A
lot of books.”  Her breath was coming in pants.  “I took three semesters of
Virginia history in college.  You were my sophomore term paper.”

“I
can’t imagine you had many flattering things to say about a lackluster pirate
hanged for murder.”

“Nope.”

“And
yet here you are with me.”  His lips hovered over hers and his hand drifted
downward, towards her weeping center.  “Why is that, do you think?”

“Well,”
she chewed on her lower lip, “I really wasn’t as good a student as you might
imagine.”

“Oh,
I doubt that.”

“Really. 
I needed a magic potion to pass geometry.”

Jamie
chuckled.  “I think fate brought you here.”  He corrected.  “I think you were
always supposed to be mine.  I think no other man has been able to satisfy you,
because none of them were
me
.”

She
thought he was right.

All
the unrealistic expectations that her therapist bitched about were embodied in
this one man.  They always had been.  Only Grace suddenly wasn’t sure they were
so
un
realistic, after all.  Just being close to Jamie was sending her
body into complete meltdown.  Rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air had
nothing on the fireworks the pirate set off inside of her.

Grace
reached for him, needing Jamie more than she’d ever needed anything.  Her hand
passed through his back and she nearly sobbed in frustration.  “Please.”  Her
breathing hitched, her palm moving up to grasp one of the wrought iron bars of
her headboard instead.  “Jamie, please.”

“Christ,
you’re beautiful.”  His voice was ragged.  “From the first time I saw you --
both
bloody first times-- I wanted you like this.  Wanted to hear you say my name,
just like that.  Needful and dazed.  I imagine it every time I look at you.”

That
shocked her.  “You do?”

“Oh
yes.”  It was a purr.  “And now I have you.”

He’d
had her from the time she was fifteen.  “First time I saw you was in a
painting.”  She got out.

“The
one with my ship?”  He nodded approvingly.  “I look damn good in that portrait,
if I do say so myself.”  One of his long, artist’s fingers slipped inside her
and she gasped.  “That’s it.  Show me just what you like, lass.”

“That. 
I like
that
.”  Whatever he was doing, she was afraid it would stop
working and she was closer than she’d ever been.  “Hurry.  Jamie, please
hurry.”

Blue
eyes burned hot.  “I didn’t propose to you when we kissed.”  He got out,
ignoring her pleas.  “You said you thought I did, but you clearly weren’t
listening.  A proposal would have meant giving you an option and I’m far too
much of a pirate for that.  We just
take
the bride we want.”

God
did she want to be taken.

“If
you’d stayed back there, I would have stolen you, Grace.  I’d have carried you
back to my ship and claimed your pretty body in every way I could think of. 
And you’d have let me, because you’re not such a timid lass, after all, are
you?  Under that proper exterior, you’ve got a yearning for a bit of danger in
your life.”

She
had a yearning for
him
.  She always had. 
That’s
why she would
have let him have her back in 1789.  That’s why she was letting him have her now. 
“You’re not dangerous, Jamie.  Not to me.”  She believed that with all her
heart.  He was the only one who made her feel safe.

“No,
not to you.  But I would be a fucking monster if someone tried to take you from
my arms.  I promise you that.  Ghost or man, the need I have for you is bigger
than anything I can control.”

She
gulped, her body clenching at his words.  “Okay, for real, I think this might
actually work.”  She’d never felt soooo close to something soooo huge.  “Can we
go faster, now?  Please?  I don’t want this feeling to go away.”

“It’s
not going to go away.”  He soothed.  “I’ll give you everything you need.  I
promise.  But, this has got to be a team effort.  So you just do what I say and
this is going to be
beautiful
.”

“You’re
sure?”

“I’m
positive.  Put your hand where mine is.”

Grace
was too far gone to even hesitate.  Her palm slid down to cover the spot he was
touching, pressing deep.  “Oh
God
.”  Her lips parted, her head going
back in ecstasy.

“Fuck
yes.”  It was little more than a snarl.  “So wet and pink and soft.”  He
watched her hand move with a rapturous expression.  “Harder, Grace.  Deeper.”

“I
can’t…”

“You
can
.”  He interrupted.  “I want it
all,
Grace.  Give it to me. 
That’s it.”  He let out a groan of pure pleasure as she did what he demanded,
her back arching to accept the more powerful thrusts of her fingers.  “That’s
it, my love.”

“
Jamie!
”

“I’m
here.  Christ, I would never want to be anywhere else.”  He gave a laugh that
sounded like he was in pain.  “See what having a bit of optimism can do? 
That’s a lesson for both of us.”

“I’ve
never gotten this far before.  I didn’t expect it to be so… tight.  I feel
really, really
tight.
”  Her words ended in a whimper that just seemed to
enflame him.

He
watched her intently, like he was committing every freckle on her skin to
memory.  “I need you so much, Grace.”  His voice was unsteady and darker than
she’d ever heard it.  “I know you donea need me.  Not really.  I know you
deserve more than a dead man in your life and bed.  But, I’m going to make you
come so hard you won’t even
think
of another partner, again.”

She
wanted to respond to that, but she was too far gone.  All she could was gasp as
he touched some magical spot with his incorporeal fingers and her body reacted
like he’d stroked the very core of her with liquid heat.  “
Jamieeee!
”

He
dipped his head to her ear.  “Come for me, lass.  I need to see it.  Come now
and I’ll keep you safe.”

That
was all it took.  Grace screamed as she convulsed against both their hands. 
The explosion shook her whole body, her knuckles going white around the
headboard rail.  Her body shattering into a million pieces and Jamie drank in
every tremor.  A satisfied smile curved his mouth, like he was the one who’d
reached completion.  She chanted his name and he whispered endearments in
Gaelic and, for a timeless moment, it was all… perfect.

Exactly
the way she’d always know it was supposed to be between Partners.

Grace
lay there, struggling for breath.  “Wow.”  Unrealistic expectations, be
damned.  If anything she’d
under
estimated Jamie’s abilities.  “You
really just did that.”  She panted.

“
We
did that.”  He settled down next to her, looking smug.  “Take your share of the
credit, lass.  You are bloody amazing at this.”

She
blinked up at him, owlishly.  “Thank you.”

“Oh
believe me, it was my extreme pleasure.”  He smoothed a hand over her hair.  “I
will
keep you safe.”  He repeated in a more serious tone and she knew he
wasn’t just talking about in bed.  “I promise you.”

“I
know.”  She smiled, more replete than she’d ever been.  “I’ll keep you safe,
too.  Which means going back to 1789 and fixing what went wrong.”  She needed
to make sure he knew that, because she wasn’t going to change her mind no
matter how many orgasms he gave her.

And
hopefully it would be a lot.

Jamie
gazed at her, patriot blue eyes roaming all over her face.  She could see him
searching for a way to talk her out of more time travel.

“You
can’t talk me out of it.”  She assured him before he ruined the mood.  There
was no way she was going to let his name be slandered throughout history. 
Jamie deserved so much more.  She couldn’t save the whole world, but she could
save Jamie Riordan.  “You’re the one telling me to be more positive.  Well, I’m
positive
I can find a way to prove your innocence.”

“I
donea think it’s a good idea to…”

“Help
me do this, Jamie.  I
need
to do this.”

He
squeezed his eyes shut at the entreaty.  “This would be far easier if you were a
timid lass.”  He muttered.

“Maybe.” 
She arched a brow, knowing she’d won.  “But, then again, a timid lass wouldn’t
have just taken off her panties for a pirate.”

June
25, 1789-  My parents hate me!  I should be used to it by now.  They see me as
an embarrassment and a disgrace to their precious name.  All they care about is
their standing in the community.  To them, I am nothing but a pretty package
they can sell off to a suitor of their choosing.  They don’t care a fig about what
I want or think or need!  They look at me with cold disapproval and even colder
hearts.

I
can’t even imagine what it would be like to have a loving family.

From
the Journal of Miss Lucinda Wentworth

“So
you’ve been time traveling with a ghost.”  Serenity summed up the next day, after
Grace was done explaining everything to her.  “Does this mean you
aren’t
going to help me get ready for the 4
^th
of July sale?”

Jamie’s
eyebrows soared at such a blasé response to such unbelievably weird news.

Grace
didn’t seem surprised, at all.  “I knew you were going to start nagging about
that stupid sale.”  She pushed her way through some beaded curtains, shaking
her head.  “How inconsiderate of me not to focus on what’s
really
important,
right?”

“My
sale
is
important.  Do you have any idea how bad business is for us,
Gracie?”

“I’m
the only Rivera in ten generations to try to organize the accounts around here,
so… yeah.  I’ve got a pretty good idea.  Have you been looking at the
bookkeeping software I set up?”

Serenity
sniffed.  “I’ve no time for all that numbers bullshit.”  She was a tall, curvy
woman with red hair and a turban that matched her flowing hippie-ish robes. 
“I’ve got to compete with that phony palm reader down the street, who has a
fucking
Facebook page
.”  Her eyes narrowed in determination.  “I’m
thinking of offering a BOGO on live frogs.  Let’s see Madam Topanga top
that
.”

“Oh
for God’s sake, would you forget your war with Madam Topanga?  I’ll help you
generate some new business plans later.  Not that you’ll
listen
to them…”

“Running
a magic shop isn’t about ‘business plans.’  It’s about helping people find true
love, smite their enemies, and occasionally become trolls.”  Serenity gave a
mournful pause.  “God, I wish we could find that recipe.”

Grace
sent her aunt an exasperated look.  “I just need you to focus and help me. 
Please?  It’s an emergency.”

Jamie
followed her through the shop, his eyes darting around every dusty nook and
cranny.  Offhand, he didn’t recalled entering The Crystal Ball since the ‘20s,
but it looked pretty much the same.  …Just as it had looked pretty much the
same for the century before that.  The Riveras clearly didn’t care much about
creating an inviting shopping experience.  The dim interior held the same
wooden cabinets and shelves, filled with the same morbid knickknacks and
bottles of strange liquids.  At some point, one of them had added a few strings
of skeleton-shaped twinkle lights and a mirror that seemed to somehow be
reflecting the wrong image.

Jamie
cringed.  Even for a ghost, that was a bit creepy.  No wonder this family was
always broke, if this is how they welcomed their customers.

Grace
took it all in stride.  “We need some magic, Auntie.”  She called, heading for
a listing bookcase.  “A time travel potion.  Is there such a thing?”

“Easier
if we used a spell.”

“I
don’t like spells.  You know that.  Potions at least have the façade of
chemistry and herbal medicine to hold onto.  Spells are messy and they always
go wrong.”

Serenity
rolled her eyes.  “Well, a potion could take a while.”  She warned.  “No one in
the family has been able to time travel, since your great uncle Recompense went
back to the Crusades.”

“
Other
Riveras have time traveled and you’re just mentioning it
now?!
”

“Like
you would have listened before.”  Serenity scoffed.  “You were too busy
convincing yourself you were bonkers, until the ghost showed up and talked some
sense into you.”

No
one had ever called Jamie sensible before.  He shot Grace a smug look, which
she pointedly ignored.  She was too busy muttering about cornfields again.

“Point
is, time travel is a bit of a recessive talent.”  Serenity continued.  “Not
much research on the herbs we’ll need.  It’ll take some real innovation on my
part.”

“Blue
eyes are recessive, too.  But could I get
them?
  Noooooo.”  Grace shook
her head in adorable vexation.

“I’m
quite fond of your eyes just the way they are.”  Jamie assured her.  The
chocolatey color was sexy as hell.  Especially when they were glazed with
passion and Grace was begging him for release.

God,
last night had been perfect.  Ghosts couldn’t come, but Jamie had still been
fully satisfied.  The way she’d let him touch her, and the sound of his name on
her tongue, and her startled joy when she climaxed for the first time…  Nothing
had ever made him prouder.  It made sense to him now why some people thought
sex was so important.  It had always just been a bit of a lark to him before,
but not with Grace.  She made it feel like something holy.  Every moment of his
time with her was imprinted on his memory forever.

Grace
looked up at him and gave a reluctant smile.  “If you’re flirting with me even
in this getup, you must
really
want to see me naked again.”  She
whispered.

“Oh
lass, you have no idea.”

Grace
was due back at her tour guide job that afternoon, so she was wearing her
Colonial garb.  The ridiculous yellow costume was only slight more authentic
than her Keds, but it was still remarkably appealing on her.  And Jamie
heartily approved of the low neckline.  He couldn’t wait to see her out of it.

Serenity
strolled into the backroom after them, reluctantly interested in a time travel challenge. 
“I suppose we’ll need to update the family Christmas letter, if you’re going to
start vacationing in the Revolutionary War.  Not much in the way of usefulness,
but at least you’re
finally
using your powers.  Grandma Verity will be
pleased.”

“A
dream come true.”

Serenity
ignored Grace’s bad attitude and snapped her fingers in excitement, like an
idea suddenly occurred to her.  “
Unless
you plan on looking for the lost
recipe for troll powder while you’re back there!”  She pressed her palms
together in a quick, silent prayer to some no-doubt scary deity.  “The recipe
wasn’t forgotten until your Great-Aunt Honor died in that sideshow, back in
1899.  Rediscovering it could change everything for us.”

“For
the last time, nobody wants to become a troll!”

“Troll
powder?”  Jamie repeated looking between them.  “Is that really a thing?”

Grace
waved a “don’t even ask” palm at him.  “And this is
not
a vacation.”  She
assured her aunt and grabbed an ancient tomb on Harrisonburg history, opening
it on an ebony table with carved skulls on the top.  “I’m being sent back for an
important purpose.  I know it.”

“Troll
powder
is
important.  It could help me shut Madam Topanga up, once and
for all.”

“An
important purpose as in
saving someone’s life
, Auntie.”

Serenity
gave a long-suffering sigh.  “Well, that
is
usually the reason that this
time-traveling power manifests.”  She admitted in the superior tone of someone
who was always eager to impart her wisdom… whether her audience wanted to hear
it or not.  “Laws of nature aren’t usually bent just for the hell of it.  Only
when something’s gone wrong and the Higher Powers want it fixed.”  She paused. 
“Well, there was the one time with Cousin Memory’s thirtieth reunion and the
tornado, but I
still
say that was mostly the leprechaun curse.”

“You
always
think it’s a leprechaun curse.”  Grace muttered under her breath.

Serenity
had ears like a vampire bat.  “When you’re cursed by a leprechaun, it tends to
ruin your social life.  That’s all I’m saying.  Cousin Memory should never have
taken his gold and bought that jet ski.”

“Taking
a man’s gold is a terrible thing.”  Jamie put in, although no one had asked his
opinion.  “I shall never get over the loss of mine.”

Grace
rolled her eyes.

Serenity
kept going.  “I told Memory it was a bad idea to follow that damn rainbow, but
she didn’t listen.”  She pointed a three inch long red finger nail at Grace. 
“It’s a lesson for you, young lady.  Psychics give the best advice.  If you
don’t
listen
to me, one day you’ll end up with a shamrock-green cyclone
sucking up your high school.”

Grace
dutifully nodded.

Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph.  Jamie was beginning to see why she was so keen on being safe
and normal.  The girl had grown up in a home where every day was Halloween.

“Now
then, as I was saying, usually time travelers are chosen to right some wrong.” 
Serenity continued.  “Recompense was supposed to save some serfs from a fire,
if I remember correctly.  Jackass wouldn’t stop bragging about it.  He always
was a bit of a tool.”

“I’m
supposed to catch this murderer and clear Jamie’s name.  I know it.  To do
that, I need to go back to the nights Anabel Maxwell and Clara Vance died and
save them.”

Serenity
pursed her lips, disapprovingly.  “Wasn’t Clara Vance some Puritanical bitch,
who burned witches for fun?”

“There
were no witch burnings in Harrisonburg!  Why do people keep saying that?  I
don’t think anyone was executed as a witch in this country since --like--
Salem, a hundred years earlier.  The Colonial era was the age of Enlightenment,
for God’s sake.”

Serenity
frowned, unconvinced.  “Some of our ancestors were witches, you know.  It’s a
noble profession.  Cousin Mercy used her powers to cure Methyn’s Syndrome.”

“I’ve
never even
heard
of Methyn’s Syndrome.”

“That’s
because Mercy cured it.”  Serenity explained smugly.

Grace
made an irritated sound and ran a hand through her shiny, dark, beautiful hair.

Jamie
nearly groaned as the strands slid through her fingers.  He wanted to feel the
thick curls so badly it was a physical ache.  And ghosts didn’t
have
physical aches.  He’d endured two hundred plus years of not being able to touch
anything and came through it all without breaking.  …But not being able to
touch
Grace
was going to break him.  He could already tell.

Grace
didn’t notice his torment.  “The problem is, we don’t have a lot of information
on the last two murders.  Gregory Maxwell’s book skimps on some of the
details.”

“I
cannot believe you think that idiot is an author.”  Jamie muttered, trying to
focus on anything beside his unsatiated need for her.  “He was confused by water
being wet and trees being green.  I promise you, he didn’t write
Horror in
Harrisonburg
any more than I did.”

“Well
whoever wrote it, they should’ve given us more specifics.”  Grace looked at her
aunt.  “Anabel Maxwell dies next, but saving her would be a lot easier if I
found a way to remind the Jamie-of-the-past about things that haven’t happened
yet.”

Serenity
squinted.  “Come again?”

“We
need to make sure the Jamie-of-the-past knows what
this
Jamie knows.  They’re
the same person, after all.  There has to be a way for both of them to remember
the same things.”  Grace waved a hand.  “Otherwise he’s going to think I’m a
raving nut job when I try to explain it to him back there.  Can you make a
potion?”

“I’ll
know you, Grace.”  Jamie assured her quietly.  “Donea worry about that.  Even
without the memories, I’ll
always
know you.”  This woman was his.  Alive
or dead, every instinct told him so.  The old him would be far more interested
in bedding her than in having her committed.  “Speaking of which, if you
do
go back again, would you do me a great favor?”

She
looked up at him and nodded seriously.  “Of course.”

“Submit
every sordid, twisted, wicked thing I want to do to your body.”  He endeavored
to look grave.  “I would dearly
love
those memories, lass.”

Grace
blinked and then burst out laughing.

Jamie
grinned at the happy sound, adoring her.

“I
can make a potion for
anything
.”  Serenity interjected, not liking to be
left out of the joke.  Her brown eyes unerringly landed on Jamie, even though
she couldn’t see him.  “Even for memory/time travel shit.  But, are you sure
the ghost is worth all this effort, Gracie?”

Jamie
glared back at the woman, even though she was probably right.

“I’m
sure.”  Grace flipped through the yellowed pages of the book.  “Darn it, I
know
that page is in here somewhere.  Isn’t there an index to this frigging
thing?”

Serenity
wasn’t giving up.  “Because you
really
need to be sure.  Your cousin
Prudence dated a ghost for a while.  …Until he dumped her for a zombie.”  She
crossed her arms over her chest.  “Said Pru couldn’t fit in with the ‘undead
culture’ and made himself invisible to her, so she couldn’t see him lurking
about… probably watching her do God-only-knows what.  That’s the way it is with
all of them.  Snobby perverts.”