His mouth did that twitching thing again before he asked, “Why not?”
She had no ready answer. She just didn’t like the idea of Jack gathering her stuff, of which there was a lot. She was very girlie. There were tons of bottles and tubs and things.
He might think she was high maintenance.
She didn’t want him to think she was high maintenance (even though she was).
And worse, what if he missed something?
“You just can’t,” she returned.
This, bizarrely, made him start chuckling. She felt the sound in her belly and the feeling had nothing to do with his body shaking with laughter beneath hers.
“Poppet,” he said. “If you don’t like the idea of people knowing about us yet then I don’t like the idea of you roaming the halls in the morning looking like you’ve been thoroughly f**ked.”
Belle gasped and her hand flew to her hair.
Was that what she looked like?
What did that even look like?
Oh goodness gracious! Her mind breathed in horror.
“It’s a good look,” Jack went on, his eyes smiling again as he watched her face. “But it’s my look. I gave it to you. I’m the only one who gets to see it.”
He had a point.
And what he said made her feel all warm and squishy inside.
She still didn’t want him to go get her stuff.
Belle looked to his bedside table and saw it was early. The party undoubtedly went late. Belle knew a bunch of people were spending the night (they had, like, a gazillion bedrooms). Still, she couldn’t imagine anyone was up yet. Belle was an early riser. By his instantly alert behaviour, she could tell Jack was too.
She looked back at Jack. “It’s early. No one will be up yet. I’ll hurry.”
“Belle –” Jack started to protest.
She broke in, “I promise, I’ll be really fast.”
“I’d prefer –” he began again but Belle leaned closer to him.
“Please, Jack. I’ll be quick.” When he seemed unrelenting, she got even closer and repeated, “Please?”
At her plea, he lifted a hand to the side of her face, his thumb moving to slide along her cheekbone and she knew she’d won.
Therefore, she smiled.
His eyes dropped to her mouth right before he smiled back.
At the sight, she knew she’d been wrong.
The smile in his eyes that didn’t reach his mouth wasn’t the most beautiful thing she ever beheld.
His returning her smile while giving into her crazy, neurotic wishes was.
“All right,” he muttered and she couldn’t help it (and didn’t try), she got even closer and brushed his mouth with her own before starting to push away but his arms tightened. He brought her back so she was crushed to him.
Then his hand sifted into her hair at the back of her head and he put pressure there until her mouth was on his. Then he gave her an open-mouthed kiss that was hot and wet and sweet and very, very long. So long, he curved her body around so she was on the bottom again, her arms wrapped around him and he was on top.