“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.