Stubborn and in Love (Book Three)

24.

Melody's POV

"OH MY GOSH SOUTHERN BELLE! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD SING LIKE THAT!!" Shouted Angie.

"Really beautiful, Melody," chirped Peggy.

Daniel gave me a warm smile and pulled me in for a hug.

"Have you seen Jack?"

"He's still in a trance, go see if you could break him out of it will you? I need him to be able to speak on my wedding day," he joked.

"Of course Daniel. I'll get him talking again."

As I weaved my way between waiters with champagne and ladies wearing long dresses, I grew nervous.

Was he really in a trance? Just from my voice?

Then I remembered how he called my voice lovely as he drove me home for the first time. And even then I wasn't singing.

Finally I found him, his brandy hanging dangerously low in his grasp.

"So, what did you think?"

He didn't answer at first, his baby blue eyes just pierced into mine, like he was searching for something.

I looked away for a moment, but a touch of his hand to my chin brought me back to him.

"I love you."

That's all he said, but that's all he had to say. Something about the way he said it, it was different than the other times.

The meaning felt deeper, stronger than ever before.

My cheeks flushed, but a soft kiss to my lips caused the red to spread to my neck, a fluttering feeling landing in my stomach.

Oh, how much I wanted him.

He gripped my hand firmly and led me to where Daniel and Peggy were. He grabbed us two bubbly glasses of champagne and handed one to me.

"A toast," Daniel said as he raised his glass, "to life, to love, and to the beautiful woman who encompasses all of that for me, Peggy Carter."

"To Peggy!" We cheered.

Before I had a chance to raise the glass to my lips, a wave of nausea crashed over me. My stomach pulled me away to the bathroom where I lost all of my dinner.

In the bathroom mirror, I noticed my appearance had changed slightly.

Something was off.

When I left Jack found me again and pulled me aside.

"Hey, you okay? You rushed off there."

"Oh, just a little nausea. Probably from the fish."

He nodded and tugged at my hips, his breath resting on my ear.

"Wanna get out of here?" I nodded.

This odd feeling could wait, Jack couldn't.

Jack's POV

I couldn't sleep, and not because Melody was using me as her personal pillow. No, that was comforting, her being close to me.

It wasn't just today.

Every night I lay awake with thoughts of her, and each morning I woke up early to watch her peaceful face rest. As softly as I could I removed her head off of my chest and reached for my suit jacket.

It had been ripped off a few hours ago in a fit of passion and now lay at my feet.

I touched the pocket, the special item resting inside. I hadn't told anyone what I brought, but it didn't matter.

The only person I needed was her, and I was determined to keep it that way.