"So I'm beautiful on the inside?" Solana tried to snipe back, but the way Jack looked at her, the words came out more of an awed question. Those glacial eyes that had been unfocused became laser sharp, pinning her to the spot and making it hard to glance away.

"No." His denial pierced her bubble of wonder and she pushed against his chest. Jack resisted her attempts at escape and shook his head. "I mean yes. You are beautiful on the inside and on the outside. You light up any room you enter."

There was something in the way Jack spoke, a wonder or if she didn't know better honesty. She wanted to believe him. More than she cared to admit. This handsome man who could have any woman in the world thought she was alluring. But he wasn't only judging her by her outward appearance. He seemed to penetrate beyond the surface and appreciate all of her.

Jack inched forward and the embers of the fire that constantly burned when she was near him snapped and crackled. "There's a fire inside you, burning so bright I can't resist." The handsome face veered too close to focus on, his lips almost on hers. "I want you."

The words wove a spell and giving in to him, giving in to what she herself wanted as well would be oh so easy. Just let it happen, her heart screamed. It'll be worth it, a lower section of her body chimed in. He feels so good, her fingers sang. I agree shouted her nipples. We'll worry about tomorrow later, her mind tossed as it left the room.

Tender lips brushed against hers, and Solana lost herself in the taste of Jack. His kiss was gentle, a silent question asked. She answered yes, parting her lips and letting him in. The reward was a pleasant, warm sensation rushing through her, driving away all thoughts of the cold.

Her hands found his waist, pulling him closer. The sensation of Jack towering over her, offering himself as a shield to the outside world as he wrapped his tall frame around her, spread through her. Any residual notions of resistance falling away as Jack deepened the kiss.

His hands left her hair, trailed down her body, and cupped her bottom. Gravity fell away as Jack lifted her like it was nothing and she wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

She almost missed the sound of running water, the pounding of her heart was so loud in her ears. But years of living in this house, being attuned to her abuela's comings and goings, made her hypersensitive to the sounds of her grandmother.

Solana wrenched her mouth from Jack's. "Put me down."

She half expected Jack to resist, but he dumped her on the floor like she was a hot potato. A pained expression was plastered across his face and her fingers automatically flung to his cheek to iron out the wrinkles of concern. "We can't disturb my Abuela."

All benevolence coursing through her veins for Jack since coming home tonight flew out the window as a mischief flooded Jack's eyes and a devilish grin slowly took over his face. "She's here?"

Solana stepped away, scrambling to quell the enthusiasm bursting forth from Jack. "Of course she is."

He blurred past her in a rush of life, his voice a sing-song whisper. "Oh, Mrs. Monero."

Solana scrambled to catch his hand. Her bare feet slid and scrapped against the worn hardwood of the hallway leading to the cluster of bedrooms at the back of the house as she attempted to slow his progress. But Jack was suddenly steady on his feet and intent on his purpose. She couldn't hold him back.

At the end of the hall, a light peeked out from under the door.

"Shit." Solana shoved Jack through the entrance to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. The green light from her ancient alarm clock glinted off the metal cufflinks at Jack's wrists as he stood in the middle of the tiny space. She flipped on the light and held her finger to her lips, praying her abuela would go back to bed.

The light tap on her door told her otherwise. "Heart and Sol, is that you?"

Solana cursed internally as she leaned against the door. A wide smile broke on Jack's face and he stepped toward her. Hand on his chest, she pushed him aside and glared at him, mentally telling him to be still. She tried to make her voice light. "Yes. Sorry to disturb you."

"I'm glad you're home safe." There was a pause and Solana knew she'd have to open the door. Fingers and toes crossed Jack would behave, she turned the knob and stuck her head in the small gap. Her abuela's eyes, puffy from lack of sleep, peered back at her.

"Yup. Safe and sound." Behind her, she could feel the warmth of Jack's body lingering close by. A light kiss on her shoulder made Solana jump. Jack nuzzled her neck, resting his forehead on the spot his lips had just caressed. The motion both calmed her nerves and set off waves of exhilaration in her chest.

Ximena's mouth curved at the corners. "You want some tea to help you sleep?"

Solana mirrored her grandmother's expression. "I think I'm good." Jack's fingers dug into her hip and heat blazed across her skin as his hand slid around her waist. She faked a yawn, even though at this moment adrenaline surged through her, part at the fear of being caught and part at the thrill of having Jack's hands on her body. "Let's talk in the morning."

The curve widened as her abuela twisted away. "Sleep well."

Jack whispered into Solana's ear. "You too."

"You too," she echoed out loud to her grandmother's receding back. The door clicked shut and the tendons in her neck relaxed. For an instance. Jack's arms tightened around her waist, and she was caged, unable to move. Her cheek pressed against the cool wood of the door was no match for the firestorm crushed against her back. Every hard line of his torso defined itself against her accepting skin, like he was stamping her as his. Hot breath fanned her ear, stoking the glowing coals she could no longer ignore and making her legs wobble.

They stood there, not moving, listening to the floor in the hall creak as her abuela made her way back to her bedroom.

"You're so lucky." Jack rubbed his nose along the base of her neck and flames flickered in her stomach.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Her." Another nudge at her neck. "To have someone who cares if you make it home safe."

Her palm pressed against the door to push away, but her fingers stilled at his words. "I guess."

Jack's head rested on her shoulder again and she leaned back, her hand moving of its own accord to nestle in his hair. The short locks were stiff with the product he must use to keep every hair in place. She couldn't resist mussing up the immaculate style, breaking the illusion of perfection. More weight on her shoulder as he gave in to her touch. "Mrs. Winston was as close as I got."

A lump formed in her throat. She didn't quite know why, but she had the sensation Jack's admission was personal, private. Like this was a privilege to know this fact about him. "Who was she?"

"The only woman who loved me." The sadness in Jack's voice stabbed at Solana's heart.

Her fingertips made soft circles against his scalp, messing up more of his hair, but that was no longer her intent. She wanted to offer comfort. The words that spilled from her mouth betrayed that intent. "I'm sure many women have loved you, Jack."

"No. Only her." His words pricked at her heart.

This must be the alcohol talking. In her experience, people either transformed into happy, giddy clowns or sunk into depressive saps. The other times she's witnessed Jack drink to excess he'd never shown signs of depression, but she hadn't stuck around long enough to really find out.

She shifted in his arms. "Tell me about her."

"Imagine Mrs. Santa Claus meets Helen Mirren. She told the worst jokes, baked apple pies that should have won awards and gave warm hugs on cold days." His voice faded from a whisper to a whimper. "There are so many cold days."

Her heart, the silly caring thing, clenched at his confession. The image of an imaginary Jack at Luc's age, dressed in a black suit, swam before her. He was alone, sitting on stone steps, shivering in the cold. Her hand found his on her waist and thread her fingers through his. Jack's chest rose and fell, rubbing against her back. She waited, knowing enough from working as a bartender when a person had more to say.

He sighed before continuing. A long, slow exhale, as if what he was about to say would hurt and he needed to steel himself against it. "When my parents died, my uncle became my legal guardian. My mom's parents lived in Poland and James Blackhorne insisted the heir to the Blackhorne dynasty had to be raised in America."

Solana closed her eyes. The pain of growing up without parents, under the guardianship of a relative she understood. Her Abuela was her best friend, but there was a gapping hole in her heart where the love of her mother and father should have resided. "How old were you?"

"We celebrated my fifth birthday the week before the crash. The lawsuit over my custody lasted until my next birthday. Mrs. Winston made me a cake and we ate it watching Toy Story." Jack's grip slackened and his arms slid away from her, cold air rushing in between them. She shivered and tensed at the loss of him.

"My uncle wasn't actually interested in raising me. Children didn't fit into his lifestyle. More like he wanted to control me." Jack's touch slipped further away until it barely skimmed her hips. "Or what I represented."

Solana turned around and buried her head in Jack's chest, unable to be separated from him. Ever since finding him on her porch, she'd wanted him gone and now having him move only inches away from her was painful. She sensed him withdrawing and the ice forming around him. His torso shuttered, and she wove her arms around his waist, holding him against her, trying to melt the frost. "That's terrible."

The familiar weight of his chin rested on the top of her head, and the pounding of his heart thrummed in her ear. It was strong and solid and marched to its own beat. She found herself holding her breath, stuck in animated suspense as to whether he would push her away, leave her, or stay.

She got her answer as fingers snaked along her spine and settled on her back. "During the custody battle, Mrs. Winston moved into my parent's home to look after me. She'd been the nanny of a family friend and James was more than happy to have someone else deal with a grieving child."

The childhood vision of Jack now sat alone in a massive mansion, no one to tuck him in at night like she did with the Luc before she'd disappeared to Vegas. Only a hired nursemaid to offer him comfort. Ximena had held her every time she cried because her mother wasn't around. Jack was left alone. Had Mrs. Winston dried Jack's tears?

Her hands sank into his back as if this one embrace could make up for the years he'd missed out on hugs from a loving family member. He didn't deserve such a lonely childhood. No one did.

His fingers flexed against the small of her back. "She read me bedtime stories, answered my questions about death, put a bandage on my wounded knee."

Solana closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't like the answer to her next question, but needing to know. "What happened to her?"

His fingers stopped their caresses and his body hardened to stone. 

"James fired her and sent me to boarding school. Told me I didn't need to be coddled by a woman." Jack pushed away from the door, disentangling himself from Solana's embrace. "Time to be a man."

Hi! D. L. Croisette here. So I may be enjoying this little interaction between Jack and Solana too much. I've been anticipating giving you this insight but might be over doin it. Are you getting bored?