“Good Lord,” Danika breathed heavily, breaking their eye contact, forcing Trisha to finally look away and breathe around the giant ball of heat sliding up the back of her throat. “I hope you don’t plan to eat the girl, Hook. The way you look at her, ‘tis enough to make me mourn my younger days.”
Twittering, she fanned her face while she flew in front of Trisha again. “So, now do you believe?”
Loaded question that, Trisha knew Danika wasn’t asking her, but if she had she knew now there was no choice but to believe. And if this were just a dream inspired by smoke inhalation, she’d cross that bridge when she got to it. For now, she waited to hear Hook’s answer.
His dark eyes found hers again, settling on her face for a minute longer than necessary, making her entire body burn from her toes to the roots of each hair follicle. Amazing how a scalp could prickle from the heat of a gaze.
This wild man made her feel reckless in return. She shouldn’t like it, but she kind of did. This was a man who wouldn’t get attached, just like she couldn’t. It might be fun to flirt and not have to worry about the consequences of doing so.
Squaring her shoulders she winked at him.
His nostrils flared. “No,” his throaty accent rolled over her like sun-warmed honey, “no, I do not believe you’ve returned my Talia. But anything aboard the Jolly Roger belongs to me.”
Mouth going slightly dry, Trisha forced herself not to fidget, but couldn’t stop her fingers from clenching into a tight ball by her side.
The way this man said things, totally turned her on. But that didn’t mean he needed to know it.
“I don’t think so. I’m a free woman and I belong to myself.”
“Free woman,” he scoffed, swatting Danika out of the way. “Mortal women and their uppity ways.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she was pleased when his eyes zoomed to her breasts. There were ways to make a man (even one as potently male as James) bow to her wishes. Men might be stronger, but women were a million times more clever. A lesson he’d soon learn.
“It’s the twenty-first century, caveman. Even in Neverland you must know women aren’t your chattel to use and toss away. I’m a free woman and I get to decide my fate. Now—” she smoothed out the front of her forest green tunic and turned toward a gaping Danika, “I’m ready to go home. You’ve shown him to me and I find him incredibly lacking. If this is my ‘mate,’” she finger quoted, “I think I’ll pass. Let’s go.” She clapped her hands.
He laughed.
Full on, throaty, deep belly laughed. The sound was kind of nice. No scratch that, it was hot. Sexy and hot and made her nipples tighten into hard little buds against her scratchy top.
“Me, lacking?” He leaned a hip against his desk, legs sprawled out casually before him. He was making it really hard to focus on being angry and not panting like some sex-starved floozy. “At least I’m not the towheaded bean pole dressed in drag. You’re quite hideous, little Pan.”
She huffed, glowering at him. Bean pole. Hideous! Oh, the nerve of him. He was insufferable and she couldn’t stand being around him for another minute. It was one thing to say she had the temper of a she-cat, that she’d agree with, but to call her a bean pole…jeez, didn’t really say much for her priorities, but there it was.
“Good, then it’s agreed I’m going. Thank you for saying so.”
“I said no such thing.”
“Didn’t you?” She tapped her chin and looked at Danika, “I think he did, didn’t he?”
Danika’s face was scrunched up, her lips rolled in tight and her cheeks puffed out. Her face was a bright red and it was obvious she was holding back a peal of laughter. Exhaling her breath in a huff, she shook her head, causing her ringlets to bob. “Oh, Hook, you’re going to have so much fun. And I’m sorry, dear, you’ve landed in Kingdom. Once here there is no going back. Not for three days at least.”
“What?” Trisha shook her head. “No way, I didn’t sign up for this. You guys don’t get to decide my life.” She refused to even look at him. “You can’t just expect me to be okay with this. I have a life back home.” Then she recalled something Betty had said at lunch. It hadn’t made much sense then, but a sickening, sinking feeling stole through her gut. “Wait a second, Betty told me time moves differently here than on Earth.”
“Yes, well…as to that,” Danika hemmed and cleared her throat, “each day here is an Earthen month.”
It took two seconds to process the thought. She could feel Hook’s smug look. The bastard.
“No. I don’t think so. No. I have to go home, I have responsibilities. People who expect to see me.”
“All covered,” Danika said with a tight, little smile. “Betty is…”
“What?” Trisha pressed her face as close to the little devil-bug as possible without having to cross her eyes. “Betty is what? Because Betty is not in charge of my future and I refuse—”