Belle of Bellville Ch. 07-08

"But what about Elena, then?"

"What about her?"

"She's your gender and she never says "mister"."

"Perhaps you need to ask her," Isabella said as they crossed the cobblestone walk to the back door of the house toward the steps leading up to the laundry room door.

"Naw. I already know why," he said with a sigh. "Elena's like family ever since her pa left her behind when she was only twelve and Pa took her in as his own."

Isabella was surprised to learn that Elena had been part of the Barrington family since she was a young girl. "What about her mother?"

James shrugged. "Her ma skedaddled when Elena was just six years old. She used to be our housekeeper and cook, but then when Ma left, Elena's ma went with her."

Isabella blinked big eyes as she looked at James. "Your mother is still alive?"

"Yea," he said, frowning as he looked at her surprised face. "What did you think?"

"I-I didn't think anything," Isabella confessed. "I assumed she'd passed away."

"Naw," James shook his head. "Ma didn't like life on the ranch. She was more into city life and left for New Orleans when I was just a couple of years old."

That was a surprise! Mrs. John Barrington was a resident of Louisiana??

"She writes Pa from time to time," James continued, oblivious to her surprise. "Well, she writes a letter every week." He shrugged.

"Do you still have contact with her?"

"I used to visit her every weekend," he admitted.

"Not anymore?"

"Naw. Just once a year. I'm fixin' to go visit her after college classes are done for the year like I always do."

"Do any of your brothers visit her?"

"Nah. And that's a shame. Junior don't want anythin' to do with her, and Jake, well, I reckon he's still upset that she'd left so he pretends he don't know she exists. But I think Jake misses her a lot. Oh, a team of wild mustangs can't git him to fess up about it, but I think he misses Ma the most since they were so close before she left. He took it hard. It's maybe the reason why he's so against marriage, ya know?"

"No, I didn't know but it stands to reason," she said with a brief smile. "And there you have your answer, Mister James," she said, drawing a curious look from him. "Elena is more like family than staff, therefore she's allotted privileges paid staff are not. It affords her the right to be less formal."

"Well, don't it count that you have a room at the main house? I mean, the ranch hands don't, so don't that make you different than them?"

"Although it's deeply flattering to me, no, Mister James, it doesn't change my status here. I'm still not a Barrington, I was not raised in the Barrington home and, at the end of the day, I'm still paid for my services. That makes me no more and no less than a member of the Barrington staff." Then she smiled. "And I'm fine with that," she said quietly as he opened the screen door to allow her through first.

Although she was well aware that John Barrington and at least one of his sons were nothing less than warm and kind toward her, she knew her place as just another employee, and she wanted to make sure that when she left, they'd never be able to say she took advantage of them.

She wasn't blind, though. She, too, had noticed how their interaction with her didn't seem to sit well with sexy, beautiful Elena. The spirited young woman she was supposed to oversee held a special place in the Barrington home, and even being the Barrington housekeeper and head of housekeeping, she knew better than to attempt enforcement of her position with Elena right from the start. She would eventually "woo" the sensual beauty to accept her, but for now, her barbs were up, and she kept her distance lest those barbs stab her.

Elena was also a few years older than she was. The exotic beauty's green eyes sent warnings loud and clear that she didn't appreciate her presence and she sure wasn't going to allow her to assert her authority with her. She had been with the Barringtons since she was a little girl, so the Latina, rightfully, still held seniority over her.

James had followed her into the laundry room and was still talking as she thought about these things, so she didn't hear half of what he was saying. She was busy tidying up the place for the day as he stood back against the long fold-up table on hinges that was used for folding clothes as he continued the conversation she'd already decided was over.

"I don't think Pa or Junior would either," he continued.

She had no clue what he was talking about.

"I really appreciate your help, Mister James," Isabella smiled up at him, but her smile faded when she saw him looking into her eyes with a look that sent alarm bells off in her head.

"Isabella?"

"Mister James?"

"I'd been thinkin'—"

The sound of heavy boot falls made him pause, and he raised his head to look over her head and at the door of the kitchen behind her.

"Oh, howdy, Jake," James said as he quickly straightened with pink cheeks.

Once again, she felt intimidated by Jacob even though she didn't even see him. He was standing in the kitchen doorway behind her, but the fact that he only stood within a few feet of her, unnerved her. She quickly took a rag and pretended to wipe down the dark red washer as James turned to face his brother.

"Was wonderin' where you'd been keepin'," Jacob drawled.

James cleared his throat and looked more uncomfortable. "Here, there... So, ah... what can I do for you, big brother?"

"Didn't Junior tell you to go help Dan with herdin' cattle to Parcel Six?" Jacob said with an authoritative, unfriendly tone that even surprised his younger brother.

"Yea, I was on my way to saddle up when I saw Isabella here strugglin' with some heavy laundry baskets out back. I reckoned she might need some help, is all."

She wished the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. The last thing she wanted was to be in the middle of this and she wished James hadn't brought her name up in his defense. She understood it, but she didn't like it.

"Really? That's mighty helpful of you, James."

"Just wanna help where I can, considerin' Pa had said that Isabella shouldn't overdo it," James said with a sheepish smile.

She frowned as she looked up at him, but he had his full attention on his brother behind her.

"Yea, well now that's done, you best go relieve Jerr. He had to take your place, and I had to pull 'im from Chet's group off Parcel Two."

"Oh?" James' blue eyes lit with tease. "Which Jerr you talkin' about, Jake? That smelly old dog or your Australian Shepherd?" He followed that up with a chuckle at his own joke.

Well, at least she now knew the name of Jacob's beautiful dog.

Isabella pressed fingers to her smiling lips, knowing the old cowpoke and his penchant for avoiding the showers, but she couldn't stop her shoulders from shaking in silent laughter. Momentarily forgetting herself, she looked over her shoulder with a smile behind fingers, but one look at Jacob Barrington's stony face wiped the smile from her face instantaneously—and he wasn't even looking at her!

"Yea..." James cleared his throat as his brother remained stoic, silent, and unamused. "Better git my behind in gear," he mumbled as he twisted his waist and took his hat off a higher shelf, plopped it on his head and headed for the screen door. "See ya, Isabella," he said as he pushed open the screen.

"Mister James," she returned politely as she watched him go. Then it dawned on her that she was alone with the last person she'd want to be alone with.

She turned her head, but Jacob had already strolled over to the screen door to watch his younger brother walk around the verandah before he exited via the screen door, too, and she quickly dropped the rag, turned, and hurried through the door into the kitchen.

**~*~**

An hour after that uncomfortable situation in the laundry room, she was in the kitchen finishing the bread dough. She had already packed it in bread pans and covered them with cotton cheese cloths. They stood side-by-side on the counter to rise, and would soon be ready for baking the perfect loaves that Marie, the Beaumont-Boucher's family cook, was famous for.

She had taught a reluctant five year old Isabella this little trademark secret, and although a curse back then for a playful child that wanted nothing more than to play outside, as a grown woman now, she could appreciate what she'd learned from the friendly Cajun woman now.

"You truly are a godsend, Marie," she said with a soft smile.

The sounds of the refrigerator door being pulled open behind her made her pause and look over her shoulder. She blinked surprised eyes when she saw Jacob had returned to the house and was helping himself to a bottle of coke—a Dr. Pepper. She soon learned that coke was the generic name for all carbonated drinks here in Bellville.

Thankfully, the refrigerator's silver-chrome door was in-between them, obscuring his view of her. It was then when she decided it would be a good idea to make a quiet exit...

"Need anythin' from town?"

Having only taken two steps into the direction of her room, she stopped in her tracks and let a moment pass before she turned and looked across the kitchen at him. He was sauntering over to the tidy round kitchen table to help himself to a big Red Delicious apple, his tall, imposing profile to her with hat in hand that left his wild blond locks free. For a brief few moments, she wondered how they would feel slipping through her fingers...

"Don't you mean "city"?" she said, clearing her throat and producing an amiable smile.

He turned his head and looked at her. "You know it's a city now."

She nodded as she looked away. "Yes. I understand." She understood that she could now refer to Bellville as "town" since she now understood that using "town" was relative rather than literal. Like coke was the generic word for all soda pop.

"Supplies? Groceries? Women things?" he said as he moved the apple as he spoke, looking at her now with no animosity.

"No. Not that can think of. Thank you, Mister Jacob," she said politely.

He calmly turned and leaned lazily back against the table. He crossed booted ankles and laid a muscular tanned forearm over his abdomen.

"You sure, now?"

"Yes, Mister Jacob, I'm sure," she answered, not at all certain that was the case, but it was the best answer to give. She wasn't planning on going anywhere with him. Ever. Not after that uncomfortable situation from the day before. "Now if you'll excuse me—"

"—I'd like you to come with me to town."

"What?" she piped with big, saucer-like eyes.

"Come on." He motioned with his head, already heading into the direction of the door as if it was a settled case.

It wasn't. At least, not to her.

"Um, Mister Jacob? Sir?" she tried but got no response. "Mister Jacob!" she finally called out a little louder and finally got him to stop and turn on heel to look calmly back at her. "I can't go with you. I still have the laundry outside, and I have bread rising for baking, and—"

"—It can wait. Evenin' supper ain't for another seven hours and we'll be back long before then."

"You're forgetting there's afternoon supper," she pointed out. "Your father is strict when it comes to three meals a day—"

"—Taken care of. Rosita's Caterin' is comin' by in an hour," he said. Then he quirked his eyebrows. "Any other excuses you wanna toss out, or can we git goin'?"

He was clearly telling her he knew she was making up excuses not to go with him, once again confirming for her that he was more astute than she gave him credit for. It irritated her, so when he arched an eyebrow, he got a cross look in return.

"I don't want to go into town," she finally conceded.

He stared at her and saw her flush with color before she looked away.

"With me? Or in general?"

"Please don't make it personal, Mister Jacob," she said softly.

"But it is personal, Bella." He finally moved and turned to face her, eyeing her with hard blue eyes. "I thought you understood that. It's very personal. And it's all your doin', too."

She blinked big eyes in disbelief. Was he upset with her? "My fault?!" She shook her head. "No. How can my not going to town with you be—?"

"—I warned you to leave that day, remember?" he said, narrowing eyes and watching color rise in her cheeks. "But you didn't listen. You had to stick around and prove somethin'. Now you've won my Pa's heart and nestled there, and it's too late. I offered you enough money to go and find another place, but you wanted to challenge me, and by doin' that, you made it personal. So yea, Bella, it's been personal since day one."

"You can't be serious." She shook her head incredulously. "How did you expect me to act after you came charging into the kitchen like an irate bull, bossing me around? From the moment I stepped on hallowed Barrington ground that day, you acted like a tyrant toward me. You even threatened me if I stayed."

"I wasn't threatenin'. I was tryin' to give you fair warnin'."

"Same difference!"

He slowly shook his head. "No. I was givin' you a chance to leave while you still could cuz I knew you couldn't understand what you were gettin' yourself into here," he said as he checked his wristwatch.

Her lips tugged into an annoyed line. "If time is of essence," she said, "I suggest you leave posthaste and tend to your business, Mister Jacob."

"I'm trying, but she ain't cooperatin'," he drawled.

She stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"

"Now as I see it, you've got two choices, Bella," he slowly began as if talking to a slow child. "You can either come with me on your own two feet, or you can come kickin' and hollerin' over my shoulder," he said, ignoring her gasp of outrage, "but you're comin'."

"How dare you threaten me!"

"You got one minute to make up your mind," he said, unimpressed with her indignation. "And before you go thinkin' you can go callin' for my pa's help, he's gone for the day and he ain't gonna be back 'til supper."

Isabella narrowed her eyes but he arched a mildly surprised eyebrow. "Now you listen to me, Mister Jacob Barrington, I'm not one of your mindless cows that you can push and prod as you see fit. You're not the first man who thinks he can push me around, and I'm certain you won't be the last, but you'll learn soon enough that I refuse to be pushed around."

"Time's up."

Her heart skipped a terrified beat. The color in her face sucked straight out when she saw him take his first step toward her. Panic ignited but hope returned when she realized there was still a decent gap between them—big enough for her to easily run and stay out of his reach.

Acting purely on instinct, and absolutely not thinking, she quickly turned tail and fled for the door that led to the hall by her room, but despite his bulk, Jacob Barrington was quick on his feet!

In the next instant, she felt arms snatch around her, and she made a yelp before she was snapped about-face and shoved back against the wall. In her panic—and anger—she immediately flew into a struggle and began shoving at the offending arms around her waist, but then he pressed his entire body against hers, pinning her back against the wall, and the effect of that move was instantaneous.

She froze and ceased all struggles.

It was as if an electrical shock sped through her entire being. Her nipples puckered and hardened and her feminine parts far lower than that, heated up. Shocked by this purely physical reaction to feeling Jacob's hard body against hers, she quickly looked up at his handsome but tense face...and then she went bright red—brighter red than that Red Delicious that he'd just dropped on the floor. But she couldn't tear her gaze away from him.

Once again, her body betrayed her common sense, as her gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips. They were so close, so strong, and so full, well within her reach. She ached to know how they'd feel against hers. Her fingers that had come to rest on his hard shoulders, curled as she fought her desire to find out what it would be like to kiss him and to be kissed by him. Her desire proved too strong and her will, too weak, when he made the first move and his head lowered...

She felt his warm breath brush her lips, and she went instantly dizzy. Although he was so tall and so broad, his body didn't frighten her as she had expected. In fact, it was as if she couldn't get enough of being enveloped in the strength he emanated. They were touching from chest to toes and it felt heavenly...like nothing she's ever known...and when his lips descended, hers rose to meet him in a deceptively gentle kiss that hid the intense desire burning just beneath the surface.

Her mind spiraled out of control. She was overcome with a strange hot dizziness that made her unstable on her feet. In that state, she didn't trust her legs and leaned into him, pressing her body only tighter against his. The sensation of her hardened nipples grazing his chest sent fresh bolts of electrical current shooting through her, and she knew he could feel her tremble when he reacted by intensifying the kiss; gently twisting and molding her lips to his as he seduced her and welcomed her into the passionate world of lovers.

She never wanted the kiss to end. It was as if she fed a certain need inside her that had been starving. Her arms slipped up his shoulders and around his neck, and she kissed him with a growing hunger that even surprised her. Her lips never left his even when she felt him lift her as her feet left the floor; they never left his even as her legs wrapped around his hips as he carried her to her room, even as she felt the soft downy surface of her comforter at her back. Her lips only broke free with a gasp when she felt his groin press tightly high between her thighs, and she experienced the most incredible sensation of his hot bold erection burning through the layers of both their clothing against her spread parted labia and aching pussy.

They were both fully clothed, but he was unmistakably making love to her as if they were as naked as the day they were born. His tongue licked across her lips and she opened them, thirsting for him like a rose for the taste of first morning's dew, welcoming his tongue for deeper exploration.

His hands smoothed down her body and along her thigh and leg, slipping first one then the other around him, encouraging her with deed, not words, to wrap them around him. He never broke the pace of pushing his hips tightly against her; back and forth, demanding then relenting, mimicking the rhythm of the real thing.

To her, it was the real thing. She gasped and writhed under his gentle but persistent sexual seduction. Her body was set aflame. She never felt this incredible heat before and never thought she ever would. But he felt so good and hard against her, and she welcomed the bold outline of his erection, still separated by layers of cotton, against her, stimulating her aching hot core to surrender until she thought she'd go insane.

"Jacob..." she whispered breathlessly with growing desire, and began rubbing and pressing his groin against her in earnest. "Jacob—oh!" she ended with a cry when it felt as if her very soul was ripped from her body and hurled out into the stratosphere!

That rubbing, that pushing, and that pressing finally resulted in her first true orgasm with another. It was a wondrous experience that she's never had in all her adult years...and it was surprisingly draining. She discovered that she was unbelievably sleepy, but even as she fought against the tide of slumber, she was already succumbing to it.

When he finally broke the kiss, she was already quiet beneath him. He lifted his head and looked upon her with eyes that were still dark with unrequited lust. But this wasn't his moment. This was hers. And for a few moments more, he stared at her flushed, sleeping face before he gently slipped her arms from around his neck and laid them on her chest. Then he moved away and carefully moved her further onto the bed. He removed her uncomfortable looking strap sandals from her delicate feet, and then took the throw from the armchair and laid it over her. She stirred only once, mumbling something before she turned onto her side with hands under her cheek.