Page 56 of The Artist
Belle mustered a sympathetic smile for Aubri and then she yawned.
“Stop that. It’s infectious. Now you have me yawning too.” Aubri held a hand up to cover her open mouth and spoke on her exhale. “Maybe we should just go to bed.”
“That’s a great idea.” I rose up and looked toward the fireplace. “I’ll just stock up on firewood before I hit the sack.”
Belle said her goodnights and walked upstairs while I went outside in the freezing cold.
When I returned to the living room the inside temperature made me feel like I’d stepped into a sauna. Kneeling down in front of the fireplace made it worse.
The group was breaking up with everyone going to bed, but Freya and Aubri were chuckling not far from me. The moment I heard Belle’s name, I listened to Aubri whispering.
“That is hilarious. Mila will get a kick out of it. Please, can I be the one to tell her and Jonah that Belle thinks he’s hot?”
That sentence made me stiffen.
“No. I was looking forward to telling him myself. I asked Belle if I could and she said that she didn’t care. She doesn’t even think he knows who she is,” Freya whispered back.
Aubri scoffed low. “Of course he does. That’s so typical of Belle. She’s too humble.”
“What is it about Jonah?” I asked and felt the flames lick my hand as I put on three more logs.
Aubri made sure we Northlanders were alone in the living room and then she turned her torso to face me. “Freya suggested to Belle that she should move to the Northlands and they talked about Belle’s taste in men. Turns out she would marry someone like Jonah if she could. She thinks he’s hot.”
With a poker face I pretended I didn’t care and responded with a small snort. “Is that a joke?”
“No, she thinks he’s the perfect combination of intelligent, kind, and handsome.”
“Isn’t he forty or something?” I rose from my position by the fireplace and brushed off my hands.
“Yes, and he’s married.” Freya rolled her eyes. “Obviously, nothing is ever gonna come of it, but we just thought it was funny and we’re going to tell Jonah. Don’t you think it’ll boost his confidence that someone as lovely and beautiful as Belle feels that way about him?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be doing fucking cartwheels.” My mutter was low and irritated.
Indiana picked up a pillow from the floor and threw it back on the smallest of the couches. “I like Belle, but hypothermia must have given her brain frostbite. Jonah is a sensitive Motlander.”
Victor came back into the living room and walked to the couch, converting it into a bed.
“Do you need help?” Freya offered.
For a fraction of a second, his eyes lowered to her cleavage before he averted his gaze. “No.”
I exchanged a look with Indiana to see if he’d seen what I saw, but maybe my irritation with Belle was messing with my head. How could she lust after another man when I had been inside her last night?
Victor pulled off his shirt clearly feeling at ease with his body, which was fit but nowhere as muscular as mine or Indiana’s.
Indiana chuckled. “What the hell, Victor. I thought you were a lab rat, but I actually see a tiny bump of muscle on your arm. You remind me of someone…”
“Who?” Aubri asked and tilted her head while shamelessly assessing Victor, who was now pulling off his pants.
“Me. Don’t you think Victor reminds you of me?”
Aubri laughed at the absurdity. “You both have dark hair but that’s about it.”
“No, I didn’t mean menow, but back when I was ten or eleven and beginning to grow muscle.”
Victor gave a dry laugh followed by a yawn. “When you four are done admiring my body feel free to leave so I can get some sleep.” For a second, he locked eyes with Freya and I swear there was a look between them that gave me chills. Over the years, I’d seen her do her best to be polite to him, but it was no secret that they didn’t like each other. Why the fuck did he look at her like he was challenging her to another verbal fight?
Backing up a step, Freya turned and left with the rest of us following her out.
