Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(35)

Belle really hated vomiting.

She’d avoided doing it for years and was glad she’d never have another child because, after this, she was hoping she’d avoid it for many years to come.

Her eyes opened and she looked at her belly. “You’re already causing trouble you know,” she told her belly softly. “I’m kind of not enjoying this throwing up business. So, if you could tone it down, I’d appreciate it.” Her still (almost) flat stomach didn’t reply so she went on, “Or, at least wait until I’ve had a hot fudge sundae and wouldn’t mind a second taste.”

At her final word, she felt a hot hand on her back.

She’d know the feel of that hand anywhere, anytime. If she had to walk blindfolded through a million hands, she could source it and if she lived to be a hundred years old, she’d remember it.

Her head shot up and to the side and she saw James crouched close beside her.

He wasn’t looking at her, though his hand was still on her back. He was reaching out and flushing the toilet.

Okay, so, she’d been pretty humiliated by this man but this was the icing on the cake.

His eyes came to her and she wished she wasn’t so slow. She should have got up and walked out. Just like that gloriously awful night when she’d woken and he’d still been asleep, she should have left then too.

Instead, she was in close quarters with James after having just vomited, feeling like an idiot and she could see his lushly lashed eyes close up.

Something she never wanted to do again in her life.

Something she relived in her dreams every night.

“Does this happen often?” he asked softly using a voice she was far more familiar with.

“About twenty times a day,” Belle tried to reply matter-of-factly but, she had to admit, it took effort not to lean toward him. His internal magnet, in this mood, was full force.

“Have you told Dr. Flanagan?” he went on and she nodded but didn’t speak. “And?” James prompted.

“I’m drinking stuff she gave me. It’s okay, James. You don’t have to worry. The baby is getting nourished.”

Something she couldn’t read flashed in his eyes but before she could decipher it, he continued, “And you?”

“Me what?” Belle asked, confused.

“Are you getting nourished?”

On that, she broke from his magnetic beam and stood.

She could, surprisingly, cope with him being a jerk (just barely) but his fake concern was something she couldn’t bear.

He stood with her and she walked around him to the basin saying, “I’m fine.”

She leaned into the basin and rinsed her mouth, hoping he’d leave, something he did not do.

When she was done, she grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth. Then she pulled the now ever present roll of mints from her back pocket and put two in her mouth before returning the pack to her pocket.

Then she moved toward the door.

James brought her up short with a hand on her arm.

She looked at his hand then at him. “We should join the others.”

He ignored her remark, didn’t remove his hand (which felt, by the way, like it was burning her skin) and said, “You’re too thin.”

“I’m told that happens,” she informed him.

“It’s my understanding women gain weight while pregnant,” he replied.

“Not in the first trimester.”

“You’re completing the first trimester,” he reminded her.

“This will pass,” she assured him.

“I’d like to attend an appointment with you and your obstetrician.”

“I’ll arrange that,” she agreed but she’d agree to anything to get away from him. She tried to pull her arm from his grasp to get out of the close confines of the bathroom as soon as humanly possible but he didn’t let go.

“Next week,” he demanded and her eyes flew to his.

“Dr. Flanagan is very busy,” Belle told him.

“I’m sure I can convince her to find an appointment for us in her diary,” James returned.

With the way he said it, who he was and the mountains of money he had, Belle was sure too.

“Fine,” she gritted between her teeth and looked away.

“Belle,” he called and her eyes snapped back to him. “I want you moving to The Point.”

“You’ve made that clear,” Belle assured him.

“I want your verbal agreement, right now.”

She shook her head and pulled at her arm but he still didn’t let go so she gave up.

“Belle, we’re agreeing this now,” he demanded.

She looked at his ear. “Give me some time to think about it.”

“No.”

Her eyes moved back to his and she asked on a whisper, “Why?”

“You know why.”

“No,” she said with complete honesty. “I don’t.”

He regarded her a moment as if to assess her truthfulness then he moved closer even though he was already close.

Belle backed away but she had nowhere to retreat and came up against the door.

When she did, he put his hand not on already her to the door by her waist and got even closer.

“You want to know why?” he asked quietly and she nodded, at his proximity unable to speak. Feeling the heat from his body, feeling overwhelmed by his large frame in a way she’d not felt when she was with him before and he continued, “All right, I’ll tell you why.”