Jamie was grinning again, almost smirking, at her murmur. He'd never been a vain man really but it never hurt to hear such things. Especially from a woman he felt ridiculously drawn to even if he shouldn't be. She was everything that a proper woman shouldn't really be. She was too independent, too stubborn, too feisty. And, oddly enough, he liked every on of those aspects.

The feel of her hands along his chest caused the hairs on his arms to stand straight up and goose-flesh to sprout all along his exposed bare skin. He'd been about to lean forward and kiss her again but her following words gave him pause. It should have been another red flag. It was a red flag. And for a brief moment, a war raged within him on whether he should be the one to put a stop to it all. He should, he really should.

But he couldn't.

"Turn around," he said quietly, but not at all in a harsh or demanding sort of way. There was a softness to his tone and to his face now. As much as he wanted to take her then and there, he knew he had to take things slowly. Even if it killed him.

---