Stella touched her lips again. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
Jack nodded. “The chaos should be over now.”
Finally, her heartbeat settled into a more peaceful rhythm. Knowing Hook couldn’t cause any more mayhem offered major relief. “This is probably where I should say that you were right.”
Although Stella had never imagined what kind of kisser Hook would be, she was sorry she now knew. Desperate, air-sucking, forced kisses were as far from what she dreamed about as possible. But she had wondered what kind of kisser Jack would be. While he didn’t seem like the shy, nervous type, he also didn’t seem like he’d be as aggressive as Hook, trying to suck all the life from her body like a dementor from Azkaban. Would he be passionate and direct without being forceful?
Her brain quickly created a list of Jane Austen’s leading men—so many swoon-worthy characters whose kisses changed lives andcaptured hearts. She scratched through Fitzwilliam Darcy’s name immediately. Then she cleared her throat when she felt her cheeks warm. What was she doing? Making a list of men who might kiss like Jack after just being kissed by a merciless pirate?
Stella rubbed her fingers across her forehead. “I’m sorry about all of this. I should have listened to you. This is a mess.”
Jack nodded and pushed off from the bookshelf. “It’s mostly sorted.”
“Will we be able to keep Hook tied up for two weeks?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not.”
Stella’s mind whirred. “What about food and water? We can’t starve him. Or... do you eat?” She’d seen Jack drink coffee, but was that for show?
Jack laughed unexpectedly. “I can eat, yes, but do I need to? No.”
“Whoa, that’s weird. You can stay here for two weeks and never eat? What about sleeping?”
“I can sleep,” Jack said, “but it’s much the same. I don’t need it. Because I guess in a way, I’m not real in this world.”
His mouth turned down at the corners, and he looked away from her. Did that bother him? Stella felt compelled to reach out and touch him. When she grabbed his hand, he looked at her.
“But youarereal,” she said. “In your story, I mean. You lived in Blue Sky Valley and had a life and a family. Maybe it’s easier not having to worry about food and sleeping when you’re here now. You can enjoy yourself twenty-four hours a day.”
He squeezed her hand. “It is odd—or weird, as you say—that Ifeelvery real, but I know that in this world I’m not.”
Stella released his hand. “Honestly, Jack, this whole situation is weird. Not justyoubut all of it. The library, the magical ink, the idea that characters can disappear from books forever. You, in particular, are less odd to me, because I’ve been reading about you forso many years. But...” She hesitated, doubting her ability to say the words rising within her.
Jack stepped toward her. “But what?”
His hazel eyes stared into hers, and for a moment, Stella felt a lightness in her body like she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She was reminded of the girl she was before her heart had broken. “I’ve dreamed about having a conversation with you for years.”
Jack’s features shifted, and she could swear she saw desire in his expression. “We’re having a conversation now.”
“We are.” Stella smiled shyly. “You’ve always felt like a real person to me, and I had all kinds of questions I wanted answers to.”
“Ask me anything.”
Stella felt herself leaning toward him, and almost instantly an alarm went off in her head. What was she doing, looking at Jack with puppy dog eyes? Could this day be any more insane? She’d been kissed by Hook, and now she was standing inches away from her childhood crush, acting like she might swoon?
She cleared her throat, stepped away from Jack, and broke the moment they’d been sharing. “What about Hook? You think it’s okay to leave him tied up for two weeks?”
Jack sensed the shift in her energy, and his shoulders straightened, his expression unreadable. “We certainly can’t let him wander around, no matter what kinds of promises he makes. I suspect he’ll try to woo someone into untying him, so don’t fall for that. He’s not a good guy.”
Stella shook her head. “He’s too intense for me. Totally not my type.” She headed toward the main staircase, leaving Jack to catch up.
When he was by her side, he asked, “What is your type?”
She nearly blurted, “You,” but managed to press her lips closed.
Jack paused at the top of the stairs and looked at her. “Everyone has a type.”
Stella continued walking. Her skin itched below the surface, and the back of her neck prickled with heat. Silvery, shiny words drifted across the steps, and she stopped moving.Come out, come out. You can’t hide forever. Open up.She narrowed her eyes at the words, and they skittered into the shadowed corners. She caught Jack watching her, knowing he’d seen the words. “I’m not interested in having a type.”
