A/N: Thank you for the feedback! Like I have said, I appreciate both praise and constructive criticism as I want to grow as an author. Here comes the following chapter and I hope you will enjoy reading it.
The Man From Apartment 512
Chapter XI - So Emotional
After this reckless twisting and turning in bed, Jack is quite tired in the forenoon.
Not only because of this lack of sleep, but because of the constant tug in his gut.
And...
The alcohol.
The rum.
Bloody rum.
Nah, how can he curse the rum? But he can blame it - oh yes. It is certainly the rum which has put him into this hard position.
Angelica hates him.
Really, really hates him.
Or, she suddenly has realized her husband is her true love.
He does not know what he prefers.
For whatever reason - she has spent all morning ogling her husband.
Right in front of Jack.
When Sir Albert visited their porch to briefly encounter the lord, Jack took the opportunity to lean over the table to reach closer to Angelica as he hissed.
"Ridiculous."
Her ignoring eyes drifted to meet his. Cold as ice.
"What is?"
His motions to the empty chair on the edge of the table revealed he spoke of something that had to do with Christian.
Angelica's delicate hands tenderly reached out to her napkin which she folded and scraped her nails along.
"Are you trying to interfere in my marriage, Mr Jarrow?" she wonder aloud as if he was a stranger.
He gave her his unbelieving eyes and leaned back into the chair.
"Oh..," he pointed out. "That is how you want this? Look 'Gelica. I know ye be mad but-."
She met his eyes again, now with a more determined expression and threw her napkin angrily down onto the plate.
"Look, Sparrow. I am in love with my husband and I suggest you to leave as soon as possible!"
He opened his mouth to retort when the master of the house returned to the dining room.
"Excuse me for my absence, Mr Jarrow. Sir Albert and I had things to discuss."
Jack nodded once and noticed how Angelica's face softened.
And that was how the morning turned out. She would lean over and let her soft hand rest on top of Christian's while gazing intently into his eyes. She smiled flirtatiously towards her husband and in between laughed ridiculously at his jokes.
Jack just sat there with arms crossed and rolled his eyes when they did not see.
He had to speak to Angelica. This was all just a major mistake.
He did not want that maid.
It was just a moment of lust.
In his drunken state.
So there he sits. After a long persuasion by Christian, he was allowed to babysit Diana. By Christian's quirked eyebrow, Jack had explained how he himself always had longed to have a child - but was unfortunate to not have any.
Winningly, he had grinned to Angelica.
Boy was that a bad idea.
She had accepted his challenge and immediately snatched the feather from her hat and caressed Christian's hand with it.
"Perhaps we could get a good use of the time for ourselves."
Ugh.
Those words still echo in Jack's mind.
How can she do that?!
He is still going mad and in between glances to the door being ajar in Diana's playroom. This thought of Angelica with another man truly drives him mad.
"Zack?"
Jack finally snaps out of the trance and stares at his daughter.
His daughter.
Carefully, he clutches his hand around her tiny one. "Call me Jack, darlin'."
Diana examines him carefully.
"Why?"
Jack chuckles. "Well, why not? Don't ye like it?"
"Jack?" she tries the word and nods. Then she bends down to search for something below her bed, returning with two sticks. "Can we play swordfight again?"
Aw, such a sweetheart. Her pouting resembles of Angelica's when she wants Jack to do something for her.
Wants?
Wanted.
When she wanted Jack to do something.
He swallows and nods, somewhat proud of this girl's hobby in swordfight. It definitely comes from him.
"Throw me one, dear."
She does and he begins to teach her, in between pretending to be defeated and Diana giggles loudly.
During a moment when she laughs hysterically, Jack picks her up in the air and she laughs harder. During that moment he manages to catch Christian, deep in his own thoughts passing the doorway.
He sets Diana down onto the ground and sees outside the window. It is pitch dark. Already a very late evening.
"Father," Diana begins.
"Yes?" Jack jumps and turns to Diana, too late realizing his mistake.
She squints and examines him.
Jack chuckles. "I mean, ye were sayin'?"
Diana points through the doorway before looking at Jack. "Father tends to work downstairs."
Jack nods understandingly. "So that means yer mother is alone upstairs?"
Diana frowns confused but nods. She suddenly smiles widely.
"And me of course!"
Jack grins. "And ye of course."
When he nods towards the door she shakes her head and crosses her arms as she already knows what he is about to say. Even a foot is stomped disobediently onto the floor.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"I said - NO!"
He gestures to her. "Come on, Diana. The sooner ye fall asleep, the sooner we can play swordfight tomorrow."
Her eyes reveal excitement but her mouth yawns.
"But I'm not even tired... Jack."
He scoops his daughter up and walks out into the hallway, unknowingly watched by Angelica who sees the whole event of a father who is about to tuck his daughter into bed.
He carefully leans down and with one hand, he removes the covers. Diana yawns again as he lays her down.
"Promise me we will play more swordfight, Zack?" she begins before correcting herself sleepily. "I mean Jack."
Jack sits down and moves the covers upwards, like his own father used to do when he was a little boy.
"I promise ye that, my princess."
He leans down and kisses her temple and Diana plays with his longer hair. Her hand moves back to her side and she is fast asleep before Jack leaves the room.
He closes the door partly but lets it be ajar in case she later will wake up from a dream or something.
Thoughtful, was he not?
Damn he had no idea a child could awaken those type of feelings.
These fatherly sensations within.
He leans against a wall with his back, silently seeing the images of a smiling Diana.
Diana playing on The Pearl. Would she like that?
Would that be a suitable lifestyle for her?
No.
The answer is no.
And frankly... he is alright with that.
He just wants her around. She is his daughter.
His very own daughter.
And he can provide an amazing lifestyle to her - he just needs to give up The Pearl and all piracy for it.
He can do that.
Can he not?
He even had convinced himself the night before.
Or was it the alcohol?
But now he knows.
He marches to Angelica's bedroom and pushes the door. Swiftly he closes it behind him as she jumps up from bed. He does not know if she storms towards him or the door, but he decides to meet her halfway.
She tries to pass him.
Apparently she is aiming for the door.
Firstly he grabs her wrist to pull her back, and then he grabs her shoulders.
She lets out a muffled gasp in surprise and stares at him.
"Get out of here."
"Listen to my offer," Jack tries.
"Leave!" she warns.
Even with eyes trying to kill him with looks, she is the hottest woman he has ever laid his eyes upon. It is as if they are peering right through his soul.
She glares at him under her long lashes, still slightly framed in a black line. Her hair is down from the up-do she carried so graciously during daytime, and now her very loose curls go long down her back.
For this moment his heart flutters.
Not that he ever will admit that.
But it does.
And he feels this aching feeling. This missing hole that only can get filled by her.
Her.
She tries to take a step backwards but he stops her actions as his hands slides down her shoulders to grip her upper arms, steady her in place. He even pulls her closer to him rather possessively.
"If you're not gone when I count to three - I'll scream my lungs out," she threatens. "One!"
"I am-."
"Two!"
"I've got something-."
"Three!"
He covers her mouth with his hand and muffles her screaming. She is pushed down onto her bed and he falls on top of her. His hand is still pressing against her mouth. If her glares before were supposed to kill him, these she shot him now for sure want him sent to hell.
She struggles against him and eventually he lets her shove him off of her, and off the bed. He stumbles back onto the expensive wooden floor to regain balance.
Probably as well to not let her feel his physical want for her. She stands up and is beyond furious.
"I am willing," Jack starts and holds his hands up in surrender, trying to calm the woman down. "I am willing... to give up The Pearl, anything, to have Diana, and yerself," he trails off. "When yer not this mad." She shoots him a warning glare and even maybe, there is a hint of hurt in her eyes. "By my side," he finishes.
"So, that explains why you and Maria did what you did," the sarcasm is evident.
"We did what?" It is not like they have slept together. He simply made out with her.
"You tell me," Angelica shoots. "I didn't want to witness it all!"
The hurt in her eyes is as evident as her former sarcasm. When Jack notices it, she flushes and looks away.
Jack moves towards her but she flinches against his touch. He grabs her tenderly around her waist with one hand and the other one softly forces her chin up to make her face him.
"A huge mistake. Almost as big as letting ye go the first time I had to pretend bein' dead."
She swallows but let's him have her eyes locked under his gaze.
"It was an accident."
She peers. "No. An accident would be if you wobbled and fell; not pinning a half... naked woman against a wall. Mouth to mouth," the last words barely make it as her voice cracks.
Now, it is Jack looking right into her soul. He can feel the warmth of her. He is a scumbag. He is aware of that.
He hates to admit it, but this woman is driving him insane. Insane with his inner battles. Of how he wants to become powerful and rule everything that has ever existed. Yet, when she enters his vision - he cannot think of anything but being around her. With her.
Suddenly everything he has always believed was everything for him, blurs into nothing.
Nothing compared to her.
Her.
Angelica.
His hands move from her lower back upwards to the back of her head, fingers tangled in her silky hair.
She does not even do any kind of attempt to stop him. Her eyelids close as she feels the touch of his hand in her hair and leans into the touch.
His breath is felt against her lips and still she does not do much to fight against his touch.
She hates how she lets him handle her like that. As if he just has not hurt her more than anybody. But when fluttering her eyes open and meeting his from up close, she knows he is just as lost in their kept gaze as she is.
And it from there it goes.
Lips meeting in a searching kiss, devouring, hands caressing and a stronger longing.
His name being said in between moans.
And her name spilling from his lips.
Her forceful hands pushing the coat off him, soon making the rest of his clothing follow.
It is a tender moment, eyes teary and hands are above her head when he finally manages to gently push her down onto the mattress. Her fingers are intertwined with his.
She leans up to capture his lips midway as he leans downs and meets her, feeling her soft moan as he enters her.
When he opens his eyes he watches her face, wanting to take it all in and memorize every moment with her.
As she opens her eyes, she looks directly into his, letting him hold her once again under his locked eyes.
Just like that first time back at her childhood home in the Caribbean, when he had been her servant.
Usually their encounters tend to be hot, steamy and quick. But none of them prefer anything but a slow love making this time.
With walls clenching around him, he meets her edge by again leaning down to kiss her deeply. Her moan is muffled by his mouth and fortunately his louder groan is silenced by her kiss.
And frankly, they would have stayed in that position all evening, even all night - if the door had not opened and interrupted them.
A/N: Any opinion? :) My classic "Like it/Hate it"? I have gotten a few ideas from some of you readers sending wishes on PM and I just wanted to encourage it :) (Or in a review as that is OK as well). Well, I'd be super happy if you left an opinion.