Chapter 11 #4
Jack’s mouth flattened. “Nope. There is no ‘well’. There is no defense against this, no justification. Your safety is my top priority, Charli. The thought of you falling through the flooring or off the side of the house makes me insane.”
He brushed a hand through her hair and tilted her head back, staring into her eyes. “I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you. Do you understand?”
Her breath froze in her chest. The intensity of his gaze held her captive and she found herself nodding, agreeing to whatever he said. “Okay,” she breathed.
Jack leaned in and kissed her gently and groaned when her tongue snuck out to lick his lower lip. His mouth slanted across hers, demanding a response. He drew away after a few moments, both of them panting, and rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes.
Trying to catch her breath, she whispered, “Don’t you want to see what I found up there?”
Jack’s eyes shot open, his mouth twisting to the side as he stared at her. Eventually, he drew back and released a deep sigh. “Sure. But I need to ask you something first.”
Charli’s head tilted. “Yeah?”
Jack grinned suddenly and Charli blinked at the sudden change. His gorgeous, chocolate eyes and dimples sent hundreds of butterflies to flight in her stomach.
He caressed her cheek lightly. “Do you have any plans this weekend?”
Charli huffed a light laugh before she shook her head. “Other than some serious reading that I need to talk to you about, no.”
Jack snorted at the snark in her voice and gave her a swift kiss. “Come away with me for the weekend.”
Her brows furrowed. “Huh?”
He lifted his head. “I want to take you to Sunset Key for the weekend. I think you’d really like it and I think we can both use a break from all of this. Come away with me,” he urged.
Her heart warmed in her chest and she grinned. “Okay. I’d love to.”
His eyes widened and she heard his quick intake of breath. “Really? You’ll go?”
Charli giggled at his reaction. “Yes, of course I’ll go. It sounds fantastic.”
“Wooo!” Jack shouted as his arms circled her hips and twirled her around. Charli grasped his shoulders for support and laughed at his excitement. He set her down and kissed her firmly. “We’ll leave late tomorrow afternoon and get back Sunday evening. Does that work for you?”
“Sure,” she replied, loving the enthusiasm. The hard edges of his face melted and she sighed internally. The man was just beautiful. “But where is Sunset Key?”
“It’s a small island just north of Key West—you can see it from Mallory Square.
It’s an exclusive resort with a handful of private homes that you can only get to by boat.
You need pretty deep pockets to stay there and really, REALLY deep pockets to live there.
” Jack shrugged. “Or you just have to know someone.”
Charli grinned. “And I’m guessing that you know someone?”
Jack chuckled. “Yeah, I definitely know someone...a few someones who own cottages there and owe me a lot of favors,” he added.
“It sounds like fun. I can’t wait.” She glanced over at the stove. “And I can tell you what else can’t wait—dinner! Are you hungry?”
Jack’s eyes darkened as he stared down at her.
“I’m starving,” he replied in a husky voice slightly lower than his normal pitch that told her in no uncertain terms he was talking about an entirely different appetite.
Heat bloomed immediately in her core and the familiar sensation of desire slid through her body.
Charli cleared her throat and focused on the oven, replying, “Good!” She reached over to grab the plates and handed them to Jack. “Here. Would you mind setting the table? I’ll get dinner out of the oven.”
He turned and followed her orders, then sat down to sip his wine, his eyes never leaving her. When Charli placed the large casserole dish on the table, his eyes widened. “What is this? It smells incredible!”
Charli grinned as she set a large metal serving spoon on the table. “This is my all-time favorite comfort food—lobster mac and cheese.”
Jack groaned and his eyes rolled back in his head for a second. “My god. That’s it. I’ve officially found the perfect woman. You’re never leaving this island,” he teased, spooning a large helping onto each of their plates.
Charli snickered. “Just wait until you taste it. It’s literally like crack.”
He moaned as he took his first bite, his eyes closing in bliss. “Damn...this is incredible. I could eat this all night.”
“See? I told you.” Charli took a bite and groaned as she chewed. “I don’t make this often because it’s not friendly to the hips, but I felt like we could both use some ultimate comfort tonight.”
“Mmmhmmm,” he mumbled as he continued to eat. He sat back after a moment and picked up his glass, swirling the wine inside. “So now, tell me what you found up there.”
Charli’s gaze shot to his and she bit her lip, excited to share her treasure with him. “Well, the board I broke was the top of a hidey hole. I guess it was where Amelia stored her diaries and a keepsake box. It really freaked Gus out when I told him.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Diaries...as in plural?”
Charli nodded, her brows raised. “Yep. There were five of them. I haven’t even opened the box yet, but it’s beautiful hardwood with a gorgeous inlaid design.”
“Anything else?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you find anything else?” Jack clarified.
Charli grimaced. “Well...” She didn’t exactly know how to explain this.
“Well, what?” Jack urged, his brows dropping.
She cleared her throat and swallowed awkwardly. “I didn’t find anything else, but Amelia was there.”
Charli watched him, expecting him to assure her that she had been imagining all of it. Instead he stared back at her, eyes wide, patiently waiting for her to continue.
“The temperature dropped suddenly—just like Gus described that first day—and then I felt...something along my cheek.” She shivered at the memory.
Jack leaned toward her, his expression intense. “Felt what?”
Charli traced her finger along her right jawline. “This weird tingling sensation all along here. I...” She paused for a moment and then shook her head. “It’s so difficult to describe, but I think...I think she touched me,” she finished quickly.
Jack released a huge breath and sat back in his chair, gaping at her, his eyes wild. “Damn,” he whispered. “That’s fucking intense.”
“Yeah, that’s the understatement of the year.” Charli swallowed awkwardly. “It scared the crap out of me, so I grabbed the diaries and box, flew down to the first floor where I ran into Gus. He then lectured me for about five minutes about safety and swore he was going to tattle to you.”
Jack chuckled. “He didn’t say anything about Amelia, but he did say that you were snooping up in the Widow’s Walk and that I needed to take care of that.”
Charli smirked. “Yeah, well. When I told him what happened, he freaked out, too.”
Jack grunted. “Of course it spooked him. His superstitions are off the charts.” He paused for a moment. “Have you read any of the diaries yet?”
She pursed her lips. “I only glanced at a page before the touching incident happened. I haven’t had the nerve to look at them again.”
Goosebumps popped up on her arms at the memory. “But the one I opened was dated 1867, about four years before she died.”
“Hmmm,” Jack murmured. “Well, I’d guess that she wanted you to have them. Otherwise I think things might have turned a little scary for you.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Charli pressed her lips together. “Maybe we should read through them together?”
Jack nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll probably understand some of the references or phrases she’d use.”
“Great!” Charli grinned. “We’ll start after dinner.” She took a big bite of mac n’ cheese. “Now tell me what I need to wear on Sunset Key.”