Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(68)

This was beyond nice, polite, simply protecting the mother of my unborn child thoughtfulness. It was something else, something more.

Much more.

Additionally, she was trying to figure out how she felt about the fact that it was very clear…

No.

It was vehemently clear that Jack was thrilled he had fathered a child during a one night stand. Belle thought that was every man’s worst nightmare.

Not Jack’s.

But further, he seemed just as thrilled (if not more so) that he’d fathered that child through Belle.

Most men would not be thrilled about this in any way, shape or form.

Jack seemed delighted.

Belle found this weird though, she had to admit, it also made her secretly happy. Not only for herself but also for their child.

And she was trying to figure out what Jack meant when he told her she’d meet his PA, Olive, saying this in a way that inferred Belle would be around for a while. Not the while it would take for her successfully to birth their child but the kind of while that said she’d not only meet Olive, she’d get to know her.

Which would mean Belle would be a fixture in Jack’s life and not the kind of fixture that he’d see when dropping off their son at her cottage or picking him up or speaking with her on the phone to discuss his grades.

A different, extremely more fixed, fixture.

She was also trying to figure out how she felt about the fact that she was letting him sleep with her and she’d allowed him do the delicious things he’d done to her on the couch.

But mostly, she was trying to figure out how she felt about him not thinking she was the brazen hussy she thought she was behaving like but instead that he was a “very lucky man” that she behaved this way with him.

The memory of him saying that (and calling her “my love” while doing it), made her scalp tingle and her belly curl in a way that was nearly (but not quite) as nice as the amazing orgasm he’d given her. Something which didn’t embarrass her in the least (well, not after he’d said the things he’d said and held her so tenderly after she’d had it).

She was further trying to figure out how she felt about living in a haunted castle. Something that seriously weirded her out but something she seemed to be able to do (with Jack around, that was).

And, lastly, Belle was trying to figure out what her next move was.

She could either trust Jack would keep her safe and believe in all the things he was saying not to mention the way he was behaving.

Or she could flee to the wilds of South America and live in a tree house in the rainforest.

She was coming to no conclusions but considering the many dramas that seemed to befall her moment to moment and thus befall the baby she was carrying, she felt it important to reassure her child.

So she pressed her hands closer to her belly, looked down and said, with more hope than certainty, “Okay, sweets, it all seems very crazy right now, there’s a lot happening but I promise it won’t be like this forever. It’ll calm down and life will be normal and boring.”

On her last word, her body gave a small jolt and her head came up as she felt Jack behind her.

His arms went around her, one hand joining hers at her belly, his other arm wrapping around her upper chest to pull her against his tall, hard body.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts she hadn’t heard him approach and was completely still when his mouth went to her ear and he said low, “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to start lying to our child at this early stage. With your mother and grandmother, I doubt things will ever be normal and boring.”

Belle turned her head to look at him, he lifted his own and their eyes caught.

“Your mother isn’t exactly sedate and unassuming,” Belle reminded him with no disapproval in her tone whatsoever.

Jack grinned and Belle’s belly did a flip.

“This is true,” he agreed good-naturedly.

As if to prove this fact to them, Joy swept into the room, a bottle of tequila held aloft, announcing grandly, “I’ve got the tequila!”

Jack and Belle shifted slightly to watch her entrance.

Though Jack turned them, he hadn’t let Belle go.

Joy slammed the bottle down on the coffee table, straightened and looked at the couple in the window.

Her eyes did a sweep of them, they got bright then she went on, “I’ve called Yasmin. She says she’s dropping everything and will be here in ten minutes. That was five minutes ago.”

“Mum,” Jack’s voice was low and rumbly. Not the happy shiver causing low and rumbly but the oh so scary low and rumbly.

Joy ignored him. “I’ve ordered a late lunch to be brought in so we can all have a bite to eat while we’re chatting.”

“This isn’t a party,” Jack informed his mother, turning Belle fully to face Joy but still not letting her go. His hand moved from her belly and both arms wrapped around Belle’s upper chest, keeping her back close to the heat of his front.

She’d never been held that way in her life.

It felt nice.

So nice, of their own volition, her hands lifted to curve her fingers around one of his strong forearms and she held on.

“With a little effort, anything can be made into a party,” Joy replied breezily, her eyes dropped to Jack’s arms and Belle’s hands and she continued in a softer voice. “And these days, it seems we have more and more to celebrate.”