"A Single Yellow Rose" - Chapter Three
"Okay, here you go." Brady pulled up in front of Shawn's house and put his car in park before leaning over to give Belle a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry about dinner."
"That's okay," Belle said, returning her brother's kiss. "You and dad have important work to do with your mom's foundation and with Mom away at that conference I can just eat here as well as anywhere else."
"You sure your mom won't mind?" Brady asked as he leaned forward looking at Shawn.
"She won't care," Belle butted in. "She thinks of me like family anyway."
Belle's words caused Shawn to chock on a large gulp of soda as Philip comments about guest lists and china patterns rang in his ears.
Belle reached over and started slapping him on the back. "Are you okay?"
Shawn waved off her hand and finally swallowed the soda. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it Brady, it's cool."
"Okay, we'll probably be back by around eight or so to pick you." Brady said as Shawn and Belle got out of the car. He leaned over the front seat and called out the window. "No going home sis, we don't want you and lover boy there home alone together okay?"
"I know the rules Brady," Belle teased, "number twenty two, no boys in the house unless an adult is present."
"Hey Shawn," he called, watching Belle head through the front gate. Brady waited until Shawn leaned back down in the window before he tried his best to copy his father's stern look and tone. "Behave yourself with my little sister."
"Get real man."
"Hey, I was a horny sixteen year old once myself."
"Yeah, and now you're a horny nineteen year with a revolving door on his bedroom at the Sigma fraternity house at Salem U."
"Ouch."
Shawn and Brady shared a laugh before Brady put the car in gear and took off. Shawn turned and walked up to the front door.
"What was that about?" Belle asked as she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Shawn's neck, pressing her body close to his.
Wrapping his arms around her to keep the two of them from falling over, Shawn returned her quick kiss. Holding back the groan that filled his chest as he felt Belle's curves conforming themselves to his own from his shoulders to his thighs was more difficult.
"Your brother was warning me off…about you." Shawn said as he released Belle and reached for his house keys.
"Maybe he should be warning you about me," Belle giggled and Shawn shared in her laughter as he let the two of them inside. "Hey Mom, we're home!"
Belle walked into the living room, leaving her bag near the front door. "Hey, do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"The silence. Your mom and your baby brother must be out."
Shawn smiled as he noticed a piece of paper propped up on the desk. Walking over, he grabbed it and read aloud. "Hey Honey, I took Johnny down to the police station for the Safe Kids program and to visit your dad. We will probably grab something to eat so you are free to raid the refrigerator or you can head over to the pub. We'll be home in a couple of hours. Use the cell phone if you need to reach me. Love, Mom."
Shawn raised his gaze from the paper to stare at Belle. "Well I guess we just broke that rule."
"What?"
Shawn slowly advanced on Belle until he was standing toe to toe with her. "Remember? No being alone in the house without an adult around."
"That's one of my parents' house rules, number twenty two remember?" Belle said with a smile.
"Well, your number twenty two works in conjunction with one of MY house rules."
"And which one is that?" Belle asked as she walked her fingertips under the center of Shawn's chest.
"Number one," Shawn answered, a slow smile dancing on his lips, "that states always take advantage of breaking Belle's rule number twenty two."
Belle felt her breath quicken at the intense look in Shawn's eyes as he stared down at her. It was a look she was seeing more and more often and she had to admit it scared her a little. They had been looking at each other since they were babies and she was used to seeing him glare at her in anger or in amusement as he teased her. But this look was one filled with emotions that she wasn't sure even he fully understood as they felt their relationship moving onto a different level.
"I better get out this outfit," she said breathlessly.
Shawn only arched his brow at her as the darkness of his eyes deepened even more as they burned a path from her ponytail to her toes and back up again.
"Let me re-phase that."
"You said it just fine the first time."
"I think I should change my clothes and you should go in the kitchen." Belle said as she stepped away from Shawn and headed towards her gym bag.
"The kitchen?" Shawn asked.
"Yes, to figure out what we are eating for dinner and to get yourself a tall, cold drink…with lots of ice."
Shawn only smiled as Belle picked up her bag and headed for the stairs. "We could go to the pub if you really want."
Belle stopped half way up the stairs. "What do you want?" she asked over her shoulder.
Shawn opened his mouth but quickly closed it again. He balled his mother's note with his fingers into his fist. "I want…to stay."
Belle nodded before turning back to continue up the stairs to the bathroom. "Okay, we'll stay. Besides we have homework to do."
Shawn only shook his head as he tossed the note into the trash and headed for the kitchen. "Thanks mom," he muttered to himself, "thanks a lot."
A few minutes later Belle walked into the kitchen to be greeted with the sight of Shawn's rear end sticking out of the refrigerator. Belle had to admit it was a pretty cute rear end and the impulse to give it a quick pinch got the better of her.
"Ouch!" Shawn yelped, hitting his head on the shelf. Backing out he had a carton of eggs, butter and a package of bacon in his hands. "What did you do that for?"
Belle tried to hide her infectious giggle behind her hand. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist."
Shawn just shook his head and smiled. He placed the items on the counter and got a couple of fry pans out of the bottom drawer. "Okay woman, start cooking!"
"Excuse me? You expect me to cook for you?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Well, there are about a hundred reasons but let's start with the woman's movement."
Shawn held up his hands in mock horror. "Oh no, don't go there!" He started opening the bacon, lying pieces on the fry pan. "You know, all you had to do was admit it that you CAN'T cook and I-"
"I never said I couldn't cook," Belle stated as she moved next to him at the counter, "I just didn't like the way you asked."
"Okay, Belle will you cook dinner for me?"
"Don't you mean breakfast? And no I won't but I will help you."
Shawn turned back to the stove as the bacon started to sizzle. "Well I guess I'll just have to accept that but I still don't think you can cook."
The sudden cracking noise caused him to jerk his head around just in time to see Belle expertly opening an egg in each hand allowing the contents to fall into a mixing bowl. She tossed the empty shells into the trash and repeated the movement again of cradling an egg in the palm of each hand, tapping them against the edge of the counter and again, easily splitting them open over the bowl.
"So," Belle turned to look up into Shawn's shocked face, "how many do you want?"
"You're going to make me eat my words aren't you?"
"Nope," she answered, "just your eggs."
Twenty minutes later, Shawn leaned back in his chair and pushed his plate away. "Oh, I'm stuffed." he groaned.
"You should be after five eggs, four pieces of bacon and two english muffins."
"Hey, I'm a growing boy," Shawn protested, "besides, I need my strength if I am going to keep up with you."
Belle smiled at his words. "So, tell me about this Kids Safe program your mom mentioned in her note. What does it have to do with your baby brother?"
"It a program where kids ages twelve and younger are photographed, video taped, fingerprinted and DNA printed so that the family has an record in case of a kidnapping."
"Don't most family have that kind of stuff?"
"Some but not all. My dad says its amazing how quickly the appearance of a child can change in just a few months. So the pictures and videos are done every three months so that the parents always have an up-to-date record, if God forbid, they should ever need it and Mom wanted to have Johnny done."
"Yeah, I guess you can never know when a child might be kidnapped." Belle said quietly.
Shawn knew she was thinking about her own past and the fact that her own sister had kidnapped her and tried to place her with another family because she was mad that John Black was Belle's father.
"So, what do you think about Chloe showing up at school this afternoon?" Shawn asked, wanting to erase the look of hurt that filled Belle's eyes.
"I know, wasn't that strange. She usually doesn't get home from her lessons until after seven. And Nancy was no where to be seen."
"It's a good thing Brady came along. I bet Philip was psyched when he saw her and glad that he finally got some time alone with her."
"Maybe he can finally find out what he thinks is bothering her," Belle said, rising from the table with her dirty dishes and heading for the sink, "or maybe Chloe can reassure him that nothing is wrong."
"Well, now that Phil's mentioned it I think something is off with Chloe lately," Shawn said as he joined her. "Okay, who's washing and who's drying?"
"You're drying because you know where everything goes." Belle said as she quickly filled the sink with hot, soapy water and started washing.
"Yes ma'am," Shawn answered as he reached around her for a dishtowel, stopping to press an open mouth kiss on her neck.
Belle couldn't stop herself from tilting her head, allowing Shawn more access to her and he gently bite down but soothed away the sharpness with the softness of his tongue. She felt his hand steal around her stomach as he pulled her back tight against him. "Shawn…"
"Hmmm."
"Shawn, we'll never get the dishes done this way."
Reluctantly Shawn released her, slowly dragging his fingers over the buttons of her blouse. "Yeah, you're right."
"Whatever happened to that tall cold drink I told you to get?" Belle asked as she placed two glasses in the drying rack.
Shawn reached over and picked one up. "Why?" he asked, "you need to do some cooling off?" He shook off the excess water in Belle's direction, causing her to shriek when the water droplets landed on her neck and back.
"Shawn Douglas Brady! Don't start!"
"Ah, come on," he pleaded as he put the dry glass away in the cupboard and reached for the other one. "It's just a little water."
He froze as a large clump of soap bubbles landed right on his cheek and slowly began to descend down his neck. He looked over to see Belle trying to maintain that little girl, innocent look she had worked so hard at creating but the glint of humor in her eyes gave her away. He slowly reached up and very careful wiped the water off his face. "So, that's how it is."
"I was just getting you back Shawn."
"Oh no, Miss Belle, you were doing was just getting things started."
Seconds later a soap and water fight was on as both Belle and Shawn grabbed handfuls of the dish water and starting flinging it at each other. The water was still running from the faucet and Shawn tried to cup his hands to gather some before tossing it in Belle's direction. She screamed when he got a direct hit in the middle of her chest but quickly retaliated by using the spatula as a catapult to launch even more suds in his direction. The floor was quickly becoming slippery which made it even harder for the two of them to keep their balance as they struggled to get one another while protecting themselves.
As Shawn moved toward the soapy water Belle slid around him and grabbed for the hand held sprayer. "Okay buddy, freeze!"
Shawn looked over and saw Belle with her arms stretched out, her fists tightly curled around the sprayer and it was aimed in his direction, Dirty Harry style.
"Take your hands out of that sink, nice and slow."
"You wouldn't dare" Shawn said, offering his most charming smile.
"Oh, don't tempt me." Belle replied, "and don't try using that cute smile on me either."
"Now would I do that?"
"In a heartbeat, Brady, in a heartbeat."
"Okay, you got me," Shawn conceded, lifting his hands out of the water and holding them high in the air, "you win."
"Really?"
"Yep," Shawn nodded, "but I don't think you really had the guts to do it any-"
A stream of water caught him full in the face as Belle laughter filled the room. He lunged for her and Belle tried to move away but the hose was only so long and seconds later Shawn yanked the sprayer from her hand. Belle shrieked as she felt her feet give out on the wet floor but Shawn quickly grabbed her. Tossing the sprayer in the sink, he too almost lost his balance and the two of them laughed as they tried to hold each other upright.
Suddenly Shawn's mouth descended on hers and Belle felt her knees go weak as the heat of his tongue sent shivers through her. The power of his kiss surprised her but Belle found herself responding with an unfamiliar passion. She felt him pushing her backwards as his hands gripped her waist lifting her up on the counter. She quickly opened her legs and Shawn stepped in between, their kiss never breaking.
Belle finally broke free when it became necessary to breathe but Shawn quickly trailed his lips down her neck to her collarbone. She tunneled her fingers in his wet hair as she let her head drop back. One by one the buttons on her shirt opened until Shawn's lips traveled to the lacy edge of her bra. Slowly he pulled away, his eyes burning bright as his gaze centered on the column of skin her open shirt revealed.
"God, you're beautiful," he breathed.
"Shawn…"
Reaching up he gently brushed back her hair, his fingers lingering over Belle's swollen, moist lips. "Shhh…it's okay."
To be continued…