Beautiful Disaster (A Pirate Romance book, Historical Romance) by Heather C. Myers

and really had no one he could rely on.  It was why he chose to run away after Willow told him of what would become of him, why he out-right refused the position she had said he would inherit whether he liked it or not.  And yet, here he was, completely dependent on a woman in this new, scary, and yet fascinating world.  However, what struck him the most was that he didn’t necessarily mind it very much.
     
    Johnny continued to walk through the apartment, hoping to catch the young woman so they could converse over breakfast as they had the previous morning.  However, the apartment looked completely empty.  He stopped abruptly when he reached the door to her room.  Maybe she was still sleeping…?  After bringing his curled knuckles up to the door, he hesitated.  The pirate didn’t want to wake her up… Maybe if he just opened the door slightly.  If he saw her sleeping form still in bed, he would leave without a sound.
     
    And what if she’s indisposed? a voice asked him.  Doing something you’re not supposed to see… What if she’s naked? 
     
    “All the more reason to check on her,” he murmured to himself as his hand began to make its way to the doorknob.  “What if she needs my help getting dressed?”
     
    Before Johnny could turn the knob and push the door open, an odd sound came from the front door.  Johnny immediately straightened himself up and cast an odd glance at the door.  Without even thinking about it, his right hand moved to his waist.  It was then that Johnny remembered he had no weapons, no means to defend himself.  Even when he first came here, Willow made it a point to have him leave his weapons behind.  Well, maybe he could find something useful…  The noise at the doorway persisted once again, and Johnny’s eyes darted over to it rather worriedly.  Would now be the proper to time to burst into Izzy’s bedroom and warn her of a coming intruder?  But then what about his reputation as a strong pirate?
     
    All his thoughts vanished, because at that moment, the door stated to open and Johnny had no way of stopping it. 

Chapter 9
     
    “I assure you,” Johnny announced as he placed his full weight against the door once he heard the odd fumbling sound persist, “though you may try, this door will not desist.”
     
    “Johnny?” the voice on the other side asked, slightly puzzled.  It was vaguely familiar, and Johnny had the feeling that he should probably know this female.  “It’s me, Bex.”  Ah.  There it was.  “Care to let me in now?”
     
    “And how am I to know that you are really who you claim to be?” Johnny asked, though his warm chocolate brown eyes sparkled mischievously.  Bex was a very pretty woman, and if he had encountered her back in his time, she would definitely be worth getting to know quite intimately.  However, for whatever reason, upon encountering this new world, his libido had lacked luster, truth be told.  Not that he would ever admit that aloud, of course, but though he saw many women that seemed to favor in substantially less clothing than he was used to, he didn’t have the necessary desire for any of them to actually follow through should he (or they) propose an offer. 
     
    When Johnny realized this added predicament, he spent time wondering if waning sexuality was Willow’s doing, and concluded that it most probably was, just to spite him.  So while Bex was definitely a beauty in her own right, Johnny harbored no such feelings to take their forming relationship to the next level.  Instead, he liked teasing her as much as she liked teasing him.  It would seem the two reveled in giving each other hard times and whatnot.
     
    “Let’s see,” Bex replied dryly, “if you look at the door, there’s this little hole that resembles a window.  If you look through it, you will see it’s me.”
     
    Johnny turned, though his weight was maintained against the barricade, and peered through the peephole with his right eye.