Lucky Stars (25 page)

Instead, her head tilted, her torso twisted, he let go of her hand and she wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her up his chest and deepened the kiss.

It felt good.

No, it felt
perfect
, kissing Jack on the rocks by the sea. It was the best moment in her life (barring the other best moments she had with Jack) and she never wanted it to end.

His mouth broke from hers, trailed down her cheek to her ear and he whispered, “So fucking sweet.”

She trembled in his arms, felt his hand glide up her spine and trembled again.

She was about to twist her head to invite another kiss when her eyes fluttered open, they caught on something odd, she focussed on that something and she went completely still.

She stared and terror raced through her, so strong, she didn’t feel Jack’s body responding to her withdrawal nor did she hear him call her name.

Instead she stared at the two children standing in the window looking down at them.
A boy and a girl.
The boy was black-headed, the girl was fair. They couldn’t be more than eight and ten or even younger.

And, even though Belle could see them plain as day, she could also see
through
them.

“Jesus, Belle, what is it?” Jack’s voice was harsh and it snapped her out of her terrified shock, she jerked from his arms and got to her feet. Her eyes never leaving the window, she retreated, walking backwards.

Then, the little girl waved at her.

Waved at her!

Belle let out a strangled scream just as Jack’s arm hooked around her waist, pulled her to his body and dragged her back several wide steps.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he clipped and her eyes flew to him. “You nearly fell over the cliff.”

She looked around her dazedly, not having time for the possibility that she nearly did herself, and their child, bodily harm.

She looked back at Jack and said in an urgent, frightened voice, “Jack, there are children in the turret.”

Jack’s head whipped around and up and when Belle’s eyes moved back to the window, the child ghosts were gone.

Jack turned back to her and Belle’s gaze met his. “They were there. I swear. I saw both of them!”

“Myrtle and Lewis,” Jack said and Belle’s mouth dropped open.

“Myrtle and Lewis?” she whispered.

“Who told you the story?” Jack asked.

“The story?”
Belle repeated stupidly.

“Was it Yasmin?”

“Yasmin?”
Belle parroted again.

His hand came to her jaw. “You can’t let it get to you, love. It’s just a ghost story. They aren’t real.”

“Ghost story?”
Belle breathed in horror.

He grinned and she was certain at that point he was definitely mad. Mad enough to be locked up because there was
nothing
to grin about when there were
ghosts haunting his
castle
.

“Trust me, I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve heard that story dozens of times and I’ve never seen them,” he assured her, still grinning like he thought she was hilarious.

“I just saw them,” Belle told him.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did.”

He looked over his shoulder and up at the turret again then back at her.

“Are they there now?” he asked and, hesitantly, she glanced up but there were no ghostly children in the window.

“No,” she told him when she was looking at him again.

“Belle –”

It was her turn to talk over him. “I can’t live here when there are ghosts in the castle.”

“Belle –” he said again and this time his tone had changed significantly. It had grown slightly dangerous.

She put her hands on his chest and fisted his shirt in her fingers. “We have to move to the cottage,” she announced then added hysterically, “this
instant
.”

“Poppet –” he began but she kept talking.

“You can sleep with me,” she blurted then went on. “And you can bring the dogs.”

His arms slid around her and drew her to his body. She could feel his shaking, not with terror, but with laughter.

She tipped her head back to look at him and saw it was true.

He was
laughing
.

“
This isn’t funny!
” she screeched.

“It’s hilarious,” he contradicted, still laughing.

“There are
ghosts
in your
house,
” she cried.
“
Child
ghosts.
There’s nothing creepier than child ghosts. Everyone knows that!” she yelled.

His face dipped close to hers.

“Everyone?” he teased.

“James Bennett, I do
not
find this amusing!” she was still yelling. Then again, there were
ghosts
in his
castle
.

“Well,” he started as one arm
dropped,
the other one shifted up to wrap around her shoulders and he guided her toward the rug. “That decides it,” he finished and bent to nab the rug before moving her toward the castle.

She looked up at him as they were walking. “Decides what?”

“Considering there are creepy child ghosts haunting the castle, even when I’m not in the mood to sleep with you, if that mood should ever strike me, which, so far, it hasn’t, then I’ll have to sleep with you anyway.” His arm gave her a squeeze.
“Protection.”

He was still teasing.

She pulled out of his arm, planted her feet and gave his bicep a light smack, shouting, “This is serious!”

He threw his head back and roared with laughter at the same time his hand shot out and wrapped around the back of her neck, playfully yanking her face first into his chest.

His other arm holding the rug came about her and held her to his shaking with mirth frame.

Even before he’d completely quit laughing, he looked down at her upturned face and said, “I’ll have to have a word with Myrtle and Lewis. They’ve supposedly been around for two hundred years without causing the least harm but I’d prefer it if they wouldn’t appear and scare you silly when I’m kissing you.”

“I
do not
find you funny,” Belle snapped.

He bent his neck to touch his lips to hers and after he lifted his head, he remarked, “That’s all right, poppet, I do.”

Then he moved to her side, arm still around her shoulders and guided her resistant body to the castle while she muttered, “I’m
so
pleased you amuse yourself.”

He stopped at the foot of the steps and turned her to his front.

She looked up at him to see his eyes still smiling but his voice was serious when he said, “I’ll not let anything harm you.”

Since he sounded serious, she did too when she told him, “I saw those ghosts, Jack.”

“I believe you,” he replied instantly and she was so relieved he didn’t think she was a raving
lunatic,
she relaxed into his body as his hand came to her jaw. “I don’t believe in them but I believe you think you saw them. But Belle, even if they do exist, they won’t hurt you and I wouldn’t let them. I promise.”

She just stared at him and made no reply.

“You’re safe in my home. You’ll always be safe in my home,” he told her.

She swallowed because his eyes had lost their smile and had become as serious as his voice.

She still made no reply.

“All right?” he asked when she didn’t speak.

She nodded but indicated her understanding of his serious words by letting her body rest deeper against his.

“Can we go inside now?” he
enquired,
his tone lightening back to teasing.

She looked up at the big castle behind him then at him.

Even though she believed Jack would keep her safe (or, at least, wanted to), she still did
not
want to go into his castle.

“I hope so,” she sighed dramatically.

When they walked inside his haunted castle, Jack was still chuckling.

Chapter Eleven

Complicated

Jack

Jack lounged diagonal on the couch in his study, his feet up on the coffee table.

Belle was asleep, curled into his side, arm resting lightly across his stomach, cheek to his chest. Jack had a book he was not reading in his hand which he held against his thigh, his thumb holding his place.

His eyes were looking out the window at the sea stretched out to the horizon.

Things had definitely changed with Belle.

Not much but he was making progress.

And he had Myrtle and Lewis to thank for it.

The evening before when they’d walked into the house after their time on the cliffs, Belle hadn’t left his presence.

He knew this was not because she wanted to be in his company but because she was frightened of the ghosts she thought she saw.

He’d explained to her she had nothing to be frightened about. There was nothing more he could do.

Except take advantage of her fear.

This he did without a shred of remorse.

Jack had been correct those months before, Belle was not someone he could take or he could win.

He had to earn his place in her heart.

And he was going to do this.

Not for the sake of his child but because he wanted Belle.

But she clearly was not going to make it easy for him. She’d proved this in many ways, starting with finding an excuse at her earliest opportunity to walk away from him without looking back that morning after the night they’d shared.

And she’d do it again. This he knew for she was, for some reason, absurdly terrified of him and also what they’d shared.

Therefore Jack had to do whatever he had to do to earn his place in her heart and that included entangling her in his life.

To do this, first, he had to win her trust. He’d had it once but she’d taken it from him.

Although he felt he was justified in his anger when she came back to him that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t done himself any favours with his behaviour.

Regardless, inherently Jack understood it was essential he conquer the obstacle of repairing the damage he caused and earning her trust before anything else.

And he had little time to do it.

In fact, he had around five months.

At the outside.

He’d prefer to have this accomplished far sooner.

His preference being that very day.

If not, the next day, if he could manage it.

Obviously, Myrtle and Lewis making an appearance worked in his favour. And Jack Bennett was not one to waste an opportunity.

So he didn’t.

The night before, Belle had sat at his side at dinner and before they left the table, she’d turned her head to him and timidly asked if she could join him during his nightly walk with the dogs or, more precisely, she’d asked his shoulder.

He’d agreed and they’d taken their silent but peaceful stroll.

When they came back, he went to his study and she went in search of her grandmother.

Not long later, a soft knock came at the door.

When he called, he was surprised to see Belle put her head through and even more shyly ask him if it would be too much bother if she sat with him.

He knew this mortified her on about the same significantly elevated level as it pleased him.

What he didn’t know was how to make something that was clearly difficult for her, easier on her.

He decided simply to nod. She’d scooted in with her sketchpad and a box of coloured pencils, head
bowed,
cheeks pink and without a word sat in the armchair across the room from him.

Then she’d spent the evening in his study while he worked at his desk.

This, too, they did silently until it was late and she was so drowsy, he saw her head was nodding in an effort to stay awake.

Although Jack very much liked Belle sitting, feet tucked underneath her, silent and busy while he worked, the only noise being the scratching of her pencils on her sketch pad and he wished this to continue, he’d taken pity on her.

He’d finished with his work and escorted her to her room. There, he lifted her face to his with a hand at her jaw and touched her lips with his own.

Then he left her at her door.

He had every intention of going to his room, preparing for bed and joining her in hers but he’d had a call come just as he was about to leave his room.

Five minutes into his call, there was a knock on the door.

Still talking, he opened it.

Belle stood there wearing a cream-coloured silk nightgown with thin straps, a chiffon ruffle at the hem at her knees as well as around the neckline. Although it exposed a good deal of skin, it was not overtly tempting. It was simple, delicate, intensely feminine and, because of all of this, very sexy.