She stopped talking abruptly and her eyes grew wide as she realised what she was giving away. Her body went solid, she tore her gaze from his and looked at his ear.
Then belatedly she tried to pull away.
Jack’s arms slid around her, containing her retreat.
She gave up immediately but held her body stiffly in his arms.
She’d felt safe with him.
This was a highly welcome revelation.
At least it was to Jack.
Belle looked like the very thought terrified her to an irrational extreme.
“Look at me,” he commanded gently and her eyes went from his ear to his far more rapidly than normal which was also highly welcome. She was looking in his eyes more often, holding his gaze easier and meeting his eyes more swiftly at his command.
Jack decided to confront her directly, not giving her time to retreat emotionally either. “I’m pleased you feel safe with me, love, but I still don’t want you out on that cliff.”
“Okay,” she replied readily and he knew she was agreeing in order to end the conversation not that she actually agreed. He knew this because she made a move to pull away but his arms tightened. He gave her a gentle shake when her eyes started to slide away again and he held her gaze.
“You’ll always be safe with me, Belle,” he told her.
She wet her lips nervously and hastily changed the subject by requesting, “Can we go back to the house?”
“No,” he answered instantly.
“Why not?” Her voice was beginning to rise with anxiety but he ignored it.
A breeze slid through the air, taking with it some tendrils of hair that had escaped her ponytail. They caught on her wetted lips and Jack lifted a hand to slide his fingers along her hairline, tucking the tendrils behind her ear as he held her to him with his other arm. He felt her body tremble at his touch with a resultant, vastly pleasant, clutch in his gut.
“A number of reasons,” he answered as his hand wrapped around her ponytail, his other arm pulled her even closer and, when he had her affectionately imprisoned, he continued. “Firstly, because I’d like a moment to savour the knowledge that you felt safe with me regardless of the fact that I lost that gift through no fault of my own.” He heard and felt her draw in a quick breath but he kept talking. “Secondly, I’d like to know that you understand you were mistaken when you withdrew that gift and further that you understand now that I’ll always keep you safe.” At these words her body locked and he saw the colour leave her face but, relentless, he carried on. “Thirdly, I’m considering kissing you, I haven’t decided yet but I’m definitely leaning toward it.”
He watched her lips part, colour again suffused her cheeks before she informed him, the anxiety in her voice increasing, “I think we should stop kissing.”
Jack grinned at her. “Now why would we do that?”
She looked away but he gave her ponytail a soft tug and she looked back, saying, “I don’t know. We just should.”
“Should we stop sleeping together?” he asked.
“Probably,” she answered hesitantly, no resolve whatsoever underlying that word, telling him she not only liked his presence in bed but she wanted it.
The sharp sense of triumph he felt, mingled with the sweet way she’d made this admission, made him chuckle.
Her eyes dropped to his mouth, Jack liked her eyes on his mouth so he dipped his face closer to hers.
“Poppet, I’m not going to stop kissing you and I’m not going to stop sleeping with you. In fact, the minute you give me the first indication I can take it further, I’m going to do more than kiss you.” His face got even closer and he went on, “a lot more.”
He felt her body jerk and her startled gaze shifted to his eyes.
“We shouldn’t complicate things,” she told him in a tremulous voice and he couldn’t help it, he pulled her closer but threw his head back and laughed. Her hands at his waist tensed as she protested, “I wasn’t being funny.”
He looked down at her again, still laughing. “Don’t you think things are already complicated?”
“Well, yes,” she replied. “That’s why we shouldn’t let them get more complicated.”
His face got close to hers again and he returned, “I like them complicated and I’ll like them even better when they’re more complicated.”
He saw she was having trouble breathing and he knew this reaction directly corresponded with the fear, desire and wonder he read in her eyes.
“Maybe we should talk,” she whispered in a way that said she most definitely did not want to talk. In fact, she’d rather have her fingernails ripped out at the roots but she thought it imperative that they do so.
Even though Jack wanted to kiss her, he felt she’d had enough. Instead he moved away from her body but placed an arm around her shoulders, keeping her close to his side as he guided her toward The Point.
“We’ll talk later,” he promised.
She kept moving forward but her head tilted up to look at him. “When?”
He looked down at her. “When you tell me you feel safe with me again.” He bent his face closer to hers and grinned before he went on, “And after things get far more complicated.”
He watched her swallow and her head jerked to look forward.
He knew she wanted to say more. He also knew she didn’t have the courage.
Taking advantage of that, he pulled her deeper into his side.
They arrived back at The Point only to learn his mother, Lila and Rachel were out somewhere together doing something they didn’t share with Elaine.
This meant that Belle, who he knew wanted to escape him but he also knew did not want to be left alone to face the possibility of whatever might befall her at the hands of Myrtle and Lewis was forced to go with him to his study.
He went to his desk to see to some work and call Olive about Belle’s new employee.
Belle sat on the couch and gazed out the window.
This was something she seemed to be able to do for hours, mutely, peacefully, as if drawing strength from the view.
This was also something he very much liked about her. It was inscrutable but tranquil and he found it unbelievably appealing.
Within a half an hour, she was curled in the corner of his couch, asleep.
Jack watched her in sleep for long moments, made a decision, left his work, got his book and went to the couch.
With gentle but determined movements should she wake and withdraw, he shifted her sleeping body so he could join her.