Her eyes moved to his ear which, she found, now with lots of practice, was the safest place to look, especially if he was naked.
She considered his question.
Then she answered his ear with, “I don’t…” her voice hitched and she finished on a stammer, “don’t know.”
His hands on her face tensed and he ordered gently, “Look at me.”
She licked her lips and her eyes went to his.
His eyes were warm, they were tender, they were amused and…
She stared at him, her heart leaping.
She hadn’t seen it in weeks but she saw it then, right in his eyes.
He looked happy.
Her tears instantly stopped and, out of the blue, she asked, “Jack, are you happy?”
The warmth in his eyes intensified mere moments before he burst out laughing and his arms wrapped around her so tight she was forced to collapse against him and tuck her face into his neck again.
“What’s funny now?” she demanded over his laughter.
His voice was still vibrating with amusement when he answered, “You’re here, I’m here, you’re in my arms and I’m still inside you. I just watched you come so hard I thought for a second you were going to pass out and, I have to admit, love, my orgasm was nearly as f**king good as yours and you’re asking me if I’m happy?”
There was a lot there but Belle’s mind immediately honed in on the part she thought she needed to get straight.
“I didn’t, um,” she hesitated then skipped over the embarrassing bit, deciding he’d figure it out, “so hard that I nearly passed out.”
“Poppet, your eyes rolled back in your head and I could swear for a moment you were in a trance,” he replied.
She pulled against his arms so she could glare down at him.
Seriously!
How smug could he be?
“Hardly,” she snapped.
He grinned.
It was then she realised he was teasing.
“Stop teasing me, Jack,” she demanded.
“Stop being so easy to tease, Belle,” he returned, still grinning.
She slapped his arm and demanded, “Stop it!”
Jack rolled her to her back, their bodies disconnected but he tangled his legs with hers and let a goodly amount of his warm weight rest on her which was almost as nice as feeling him inside so she didn’t protest.
He was still smiling when he looked down at her. “All right Belle. No more teasing.” He touched his lips to hers and when he pulled away, his eyes were still tender and amused but his words were serious. She knew this because they were low and rumbly. “To answer your question, yes, Belle, for the first time in what feels like a long time, I’m happy.”
She felt her belly melt and so did her body.
Because she believed him.
And she knew it was her that was making him happy.
Not the thought of her having his baby. Not temporary insanity. Not the heretofore unknown prospect that they were living in an alternate universe.
All of these (and then some) were possibilities her mind came up with in the last three and a half weeks as to why he didn’t, without delay, leave her when he found out she’d lost their baby.
No, she made him happy in the real, the here, the now.
She, Meek and Mild Belle Abbot was making him, criminally handsome James Bennett, happy.
She let that thought settle in her heart, her soul and, finally, her mind and surprisingly even her mind let that thought be.
His hand sifted into her hair at the side of her head and his eyes stayed tender but lost their humour when he asked, “Now, poppet, what I’d like to know is, are you?”
She sensed this question meant a great deal to him so she answered honestly.
“No.” When she watched his jaw get hard she lifted her hand, rested it against that hard, handsome, morning stubbled jaw and continued on a whisper, “But, with all your help, I’m getting there.”
His forehead dropped to hers and he murmured with feeling, “Thank God.”
Then afraid but feeling ready, Belle admitted softly, “I’m sorry I went away. I missed you too, Jack.”
She felt the air turn velvet all around them as his face went soft.
Then she felt nothing at all but his lips on hers and his arms crushing her tight.
* * * * *
Belle and Jack walked hand in hand into the dining room.
They were late for breakfast.
Everyone was there, including, surprisingly, Olive.
“Hi Olive,” Belle smiled at the woman as Olive’s gaze came to her.
“Belle, you look beautiful, as ever,” Olive replied, her eyes sharp and Belle had the weird impression Olive not only could read her thoughts but was doing so.
Then Olive looked to Jack and she gave him the same assessing stare.
Jack pulled out Belle’s chair, she sat and he helped her scoot it to the table before his hand cupped her jaw, his thumb slid along her cheekbone and she saw that tender look in his eyes as the sweet feel of velvet hit the air.
His hand dropped, he moved around her and sat at the head of the table.
Belle, temporarily in Jack and Belle Land where no one else existed, came back into the room and glanced at her audience.
Joy, Yasmin, Gram and Mom were engaged in sipping coffee, slathering toast with butter and forking eggs into their mouths. They were veterans of Jack’s loving demonstrations and didn’t notice a thing.
Olive was glancing between the two of them and seemed to find her readings of Jack and Belle, post-accident, heartbreaking loss of unborn child were acceptable but she was keeping an eye out. And yes, Belle barely knew Olive but she could still read that with a look.
Cassandra was looking amused but this look was directed at Angus.
Then she said (bizarrely), “So Joshua.”
“Lass, no’ even,” Angus (bizarrely) flashed back.
Belle’s Dad was staring at Jack.
Then he said, “Dude,” as if this one word spoke volumes.
Jack’s eyes went to Belle’s father and he asked, “Jensen, to which ‘dude’ at this table are you referring?”
“You,” Dad replied.
“And?” Jack prompted.
“Seriously,” Dad answered on a grin though that wasn’t really an answer, it was clear her father thought it was.
Jack’s brows went up then his gaze came to Belle as if she could interpret.
“Don’t ask me,” Belle murmured and Jack looked back at her father.
“Jensen, would you care to elaborate?”
But her father apparently did not care to elaborate because he looked at Mom and remarked, “Is it me or do English dudes speak funny?”