He stretches his arms up behind his head, looking pleased with himself, and I roll my eyes at him.
“I wonder where it went.” I look around for it.
“It must be somewhere around here.” He glances around too, then shrugs, nodding his head over at me. “How do ye feel?”
“I’m starving,” I tell him, and he starts laughing, pushes his hand through my hair.
“Aye, it’ll do that to ye.” He nods. “Briggs!” he calls out. When the house fairy doesn’t appear after a few seconds, he calls again. “Broonie!”
Briggs appears. “Sir?”
“Would ye mind getting us some breakfast, please?”
“Yes, sir.” He nods, backing away. “No baths this morning?”
Jamison points at him. “Watch it.”
Briggs nods once at me. “Apologies,” he says with absolutely no eye contact.
Jem looks back at me, squashing a smile. “God, he’s no’ yer biggest fan.”
I flop my head into his chest and start laughing.
He plays with my hair mindlessly.
“Hunger,” he says, tugging my hair back so I face him again. “Is that the prevailing feeling of the hour?”
I give him a look. “What would you prefer me to say?”
He gives me a gentle look. “You can say anything ye want t’ me.”
I press my lips together, watching him. “I like you more now than before we did that.”
He squashes a smile, nodding.
“You’re really good at that,” I tell him.
He nods confidently. “I am.”
“Why?” I ask delicately.
“Why am I good?”
“Yes.” I nod, then give him a little look. “Is it because…‘many, many’…”
Jamison pinches the bridge of his nose and squints over at me. “I d?nnae know how many girls you think I’ve bedded, but it’s nothin’ outrageous.”
“How many then?” I ask curiously, my chin in my hand on his chest.
“I d?nnae ken.” He shrugs. “Seven? Eight?”
“Including me?”
“Aye.”
Unconsciously, my lips pout as I think of him being like this with anyone but me.
He lifts me up, pulling me on top of him, and he holds my face with his hand. “Believe it or no’， before ye got here, no one else quite pissed me off so much that they drove me into the arms of another woman.”
I frown at him. “So you started having sex with other people because I arrived here?”
“Aye.” He nods.
I pull a face. “Is that a compliment?”
“I d?nnae know.” He laughs, pulling a face back. “But it’s a commentary on something, sure.”
“Are you good though, because of the practice?” I rephrase my question to be more delicate.
“That cannae hurt.” He shrugs. “But sex is better when ye do it with someone you care about.”
“So last night was terrible for you then?” I ask him with pinched eyes.
“No.” His thumb runs back and forth over my cheekbone. “Thon’s the best it’s ever been fer me.”
I stare over at him, eyes wide, cheeks pink, stomach all in knots for wanting him.
“Oh” is all I say.
Jamison sniffs a laugh and pulls me farther up him so we’re nose to nose, slips his hand to the back of my head, and then kisses me quickly.
Light and perfect, like a sea mist that graces you with its presence on a hot day.
Then he pulls back a bit, hand still behind my head. “Do ye still want me t’ take you back to England?”
“Mmm.” I purse my lips, pretending to think about it. “I think I’ve found a compelling reason to stay.”
“Sex?” he asks with a grin.
“Jamison.” I toss him a look and he laughs, rolling me over. Me under, him over.
“Stay,” he tells me, the top right corner of his mouth tugging away to be a smile. “Please stay an’ annoy me.”
“Annoy you!” I say back, wide-eyed and laughing.
“Sure, but aye.” He nods. “Stay and annoy me. Stay in my bed.” He shrugs. “Stay in my bath, I d?nnae care. Just stay.”
It feels as though there’s some gravity to what he’s saying that neither of us was anticipating, but suddenly the room sounds terribly quiet, and the tide switches to serious. None of it’s bad; all of it’s just weighted.
I swallow nervously and toss him a smile to break the tension. “Well, I don’t have anywhere to live so I might have to.”