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Belle saw the desperation in his face and her resolve shattered "No one!" she burst out "No one! It was a lie! Just a lie to get you to corip slackened with surprise, and she quickly jumped away and turned her back to him "Now I'm completely humiliated I hope you're satisfied"

John stared openmouthed at her back as her words sunk in She still cared for hi heart But he did not for one h, and he fully intended to tell her that "I do not like being manipulated," he said in a low voice

Belle spun around, coI don't like being insulted And I have found your behavior extreht, and her head held with a dignity she did not feel

John was still so stunned by her unbelievable confession that her ht hold of her fingertips when he tried to stop her "Belle," he said, his voice ragged with eo"

Belle could have easily left the balcony; his grip on her was tenuous at best But so in his hoarse voice compelled her to turn around, and once she did, she was spellbound by the fierce longing in his eyes Her ot how to breathe She had no idea how long she stood there, her gaze captured by this man who had come to mean so much to her "John," she whispered "I don't knohat you want"

"I want you"

His words hung heavily in the air as Belle's heart begged her head to let herself believe him What did he mean-he wanted her Did he just want to touch her, to kiss her? She already knew that he was strongly attracted to her; he'd never been able to hide that, just as it had been quite obvious that she felt the same way

Or did he want her in his life? As his friend, companion, or even his wife Belle was terrified to ask the question He'd already broken her heart once; she was not especially eager to let hiain

John saw the hesitation in her clear blue eyes and hated hi made her so wary It was time to tell her how much he cared for her, he knew that But his own fears held him back, and instead he said softly, "May I kiss you?"

Belle slowly nodded and stepped forward as John reached out and took her other hand in his An overwhelaze

"Don't look away," he whispered, ently tilted her face up as he closed the distance between theood and s on hers "Why?"

"It's too much," she replied tremulously

"No No, it's not It will never be too ently brush over hers, and Belle felt a shiver of excite , until John could bear it no longer, and he crushed her to hiroaned He didn't kiss her, just held her next to him as if he could so that soe would infuse into higedly "It was the one thing I'd never meant to do"