"Belle could feel her face flush with heated blood as The Knight gently laid his warm, calloused hand on her neck. Then, as he closed the distance between them all of her anxiety and concerns fled as his rough lips found hers. As they kissed she couldn't help but feel his firm ere..."
Juliet Higgins closed the book in a hasty retreat from the feelings they evoked. She had already read through the steamy love scene once, and that was out of sheer disbelief that Robin would write something so provocative. She couldn't fathom why she always went back to it, over and over. Was it an exercise in futility? Was she hoping that if she read it enough the words would burn away? If she were honest with herself, which she hadn't been ever since the day she thought she had lost Thomas, she was running from the need for that scene to be true to life. No, she had to remember that she was still with Ethan. Ethan was safe, he wasn't constantly putting his life in danger day in and day out. With Ethan, there was no chance that what happened with Richard would happen again. While those were all pros there was only one con that trumped them all. He wasn't Thomas.
Suddenly there resounded a thunderous clap that seemed to shake the house. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she forgot about the raging storm outside. She stood up and walked across the study and opened the curtain of the sliding door, only to find Thomas with hand raised, ready to knock, and soaked to the skin. Quickly she opened the door and pulled him inside.
"Thomas, what are you doing out in this storm"?
"Well, I'm sure you've noticed the lights are out".
"The thought had crossed my mind", she retorted.
"Well, I used up all of my candles in the anniversary dinner that Lia never showed up to".
Juliet turned away to hide the look of fury and happiness. Happiness that Lia never showed, which allowed Juliet to share the dinner with Thomas, and fury that she would stand Thomas up when he was actually making an effort to make a relationship work. Then there was the massive disappointment that it wasn't Juliet.
"Take your clothes off Thomas, unless you want to catch your death by way of a man-cold. I'll be back with a robe and towel for you".
As she walked away she made a conscious effort not to look back. For the number times that she had berated Thomas for walking around half-naked, there was an equal number that she had wanted to take him right then and there. When she returned she found Thomas hiding behind the decorative screen that hid everything but his silhouette. She prayed that he wouldn't turn sideways. As he walked out, tying the robe off, she looked at him.
"Thomas, why are you really here"?
"For candles".
"You know full well that it would be ludicrous to soak your clothes just for candles. And you very well can't go back to the guest house tonight".
Thomas hung his head and sat down on the reclining sofa, taking notice of the chapter of Robin's book that she was on.
"You're right, Higgy".
"Of course I am", she said, making him chuckle.
"I have to tell you something. When Lia broke off our anniversary date...I thought I would be hurt. But I wasn't".
Juliet felt her breath catch in her throat. She wasn't sure that she was ready to hear this.
"And then you were there. You got all dressed up to share a dinner with me that you had no obligation to do. For the past five months I missed the only important person in my life. Now that you're back, I can't keep seeing Lia. It's not fair to her, which is what I told her just before I came over".
Juliet turned towards the window, not trusting her emotions to behave themselves. Thomas was saying things that she had only dreamed he would. But why did he have to say them when she was dating Ethan. She finally gained control of her face and turned to face Thomas with a blank expression, the only expression she could muster. Thomas looked absolutely desperate.
"Well", he asked, standing up to face her. As he took control of the situation by standing, his presence absolutely commanding, she shrunk a little, "say something".
"What do you want me to say, Thomas", she finally said, the words more sad than she wanted, "I'm with Ethan".
"I just bared my heart to you Julie, at least acknowledge how difficult this was, not to mention I broke up with a perfectly decent woman because of how I feel about you. Juliet, I lo"...before he could finish she held up a hand and pushed away from him.
"No Thomas, don't say that".
"Why not, it's the truth".
"Because I don't want to lose you", she yelled. As the words left her lips she felt as if a dam had burst and all of her emotions came barrelling out of her. In a torrent of tears she crumpled. Rushing forward Thomas caught her in his arms, holding her close as she held on tight to him. As she held onto him she looked up, into his loving eyes, eyes that never undressed her like so many men had over the years, like she had done to him a few times before. Without hesitation she closed her eyes and moved forward, letting him know what she wanted. But she was stopped by a calloused finger to her lips. Caught off guard she opened her eyes to see him smiling gently. She looked at him with questioning eyes. He simply sat her down.
"I dont want you to do anything out of an extreme emotional response Jules. Take time to think about it. Go to bed, I'll take the couch". Then he tenderly kissed her forehead. She blushed, that was such an intimate act. Yet she couldn't help but feel...right about the whole thing. She would take his advice and think about it, but she had a feeling that she already knew what she wanted, and who.