The Unidentified Redhead (Redhead #1)(64)
Author: Alice Clayton

“Wow. That was loud and right in my ear.”

“Shut it, Hamilton, or you will get the entire Oklahoma score tonight, and don’t think I don’t know all the words to every song.” I laughed, ducking down as we walked inside. He kept me on his back as he put his bag down and plugged in his cell phone.

“Are you going to get down anytime soon?” he asked, walking over to the patio doors and sliding them open.

“No, I like it up here,” I answered promptly and launched into a song from Oklahoma. “Don’t throw bouquets at me … ”

“Grace … ”

I continued, louder, and added a tongue in his ear.

“Gracie … ”

The song went on, an actual Oklahoma twang now making itself known.

“A few shots and I get a musical?”

“People will say we’re in love,” I continued to sing, playful still.

“Oh man, you really do know all the words … ” He grimaced, but swung me around to his front and placed me on the railing of the patio.

I sang on, thinking about the words of the song, losing the twang and adding my heart.

He was quiet now, moving to stand between my legs, with his head cocked to one side like the dog in that stereo ad, smiling at me.

I ended the song, wrapping my legs around him and pulling him closer to me. He leaned his forehead toward mine, resting against me. We were both quiet for a minute, and I giggled. “This is why I don’t do shots. They make me go all Broadway.”

“I like when you’re all Broadway, sweet girl.”

We were quiet for another minute, and then I pulled away.

“Let’s order some dinner so we can get to the sexy times sooner,” I said, clapping my hands and breaking the spell that Rodgers and Hammerstein always cast.

I moved past him to get the room service menu when he caught my hand.

I stood, half in and half out of the doorway, with him tugging on my hand.

“Hey, Gracie. Where you running off to?” he asked, pulling me toward him.

“I’m not running anywhere,” I answered as he wrapped his arms around my waist. Feeling emboldened, I continued, “Wanna know a secret?”

“What’s that, love?” he asked, sweeping a series of gentle kisses along my jaw.

“It’s not that much of a secret, but I want you to know … ” I started, but he interrupted me.

“Hey, if you’re going to say what I think you’re going to say … wait, are you going to say it?” he asked, smiling down at me.

“Yes, yes, I think so.” I grinned shyly back.

“Well, then I think we should say it at the same time, yes?” he suggested.

“Count of three?” I asked. He nodded.

“One … ” I started.

“Two … ” he said, eyes twinkling.

“Three,” we said together. We both paused, smiling hugely, and then I took a deep breath.

“Jack, I love you.”

“I know,” he said at the same time.

Ass …

“Ass!” I said, smacking him on the arm.

“That was great!” he laughed. I turned and started to walk off the patio in a mock huff, feeling his arms grab at me and not let me go. I smiled since my back was to him and he couldn’t see.

“Gracie, Gracie, Gracie. You know how I feel.” He chuckled, turning me around to face him.

“Say it, George. I want to hear you say it,” I teased, scratching his scalp the way I knew he loved.

“Well, lately I find myself quite in love with you, Sheridan,” he said, tracing my mouth with his fingertips.

I kissed them, and then said, “Mmm, I love you too, Hamilton. I really, really do.”

He kissed me then, slowly and sweetly, and then pulled away a little to look at me.

“You didn’t just say it because I got you drunk, right?” he asked, grinning sexily.

“No dear, I got drunk all on my own. Now can we please order dinner?”

“Let’s go get the menu, Nuts Girl.” He laughed, taking my hand and leading me into the cottage.

“I don’t need to look at the menu, just order me a grilled cheese and a chocolate shake. And ask them to bring more candy, please,” I instructed, heading toward the bedroom to change into something more comfortable.

“Grilled cheese, shake, got it,” he answered, grabbing the phone.

“And see if they have any energy drinks, something with ginseng,” I called back to him from the other room.

“You want an energy drink and a shake?” he asked.

“No, silly. The ginseng is for you, to keep up your stamina.” I laughed, changing into one of the hotel robes. I heard him muttering about not needing help with his stamina. He was right about that.

“Oh, and George?” I asked, poking my head around the corner just in time to see him put the phone down again, rolling his eyes slightly at me when he saw me.

“Yes, bossy?” he asked, smiling through his clenched teeth.

“I love you,” I said, blowing him a kiss.

“I love you, too,” he answered, catching my kiss and placing it on his cheek.

Yeah, we were pretty freaking great.

Chapter 23

As promised, we ate our room service in bed, clad only in our hotel robes. I insisted that he be bare beneath, making it easier for me and my trusty oonie to pounce after dinner. We laughed and talked, and I even let him have a few bites of my grilled cheese. The shake I kept for myself. Grace does not share ice cream. She does, however, talk about herself in the third person.

By the time we were done and he wheeled the cart away, I was thoroughly sated and happy. I giggled and applauded when he began performing an impromptu striptease on his way back into the bedroom, and I even hummed a burlesque bump-n-grind tune while he danced about. I hooted and hollered, and threw a flower that had been left by housekeeping in appreciation of the show.

He was truly one of the funniest guys I had ever met. I hoped that as his fame increased his fans would get to see that side of him. He wasn’t just a pretty face. He was damn smart and had one of the quickest wits I’d ever encountered.

What I loved about him was that he wasn’t ever embarrassed. He always just let go of how silly he sometimes looked. It was absolutely endearing. Who would have guessed the guy who was making women swoon across the country could engage in the silliest robe removal I had ever seen? Certainly not me.

He finally dropped the robe while I screamed in laughter, crawling under the covers at the foot of the bed, now humming his own tune. I watched as his truly bite-able buns disappeared under the comforter, and I squealed as I felt his teeth nip at my ankles. His entire body crept under the covers, and I tracked his progress based on the bites I was receiving, my calf, the side of my knee, the top of my thigh, the inside of my thigh, and finally my Hamilton Brand. This was reached only after he prodded my legs apart with his nose, his hands wrapping around my hips and pulling me roughly down the bed. He continued to hum his merry little tune and, at some point, I heard it change into something that sounded like “God Save The Queen.” I began to hum along with him, and I felt him smile against my skin.