It seemed like it was over the instant they settled into a rhythm. Rose hugged his body to her. Her hands pressed against his back. His head was nestled between her shoulder and neck. His lips just touched the bottom of her ear. Her own mouth was pressed against his cheek. She smiled against his skin as she felt him tremble in her arms. She didn't realize she was trembling, too.
Jack closed his eyes and tried to bring his breathing back to normal. He could feel Rose's body trembling beneath him. That's good, right? Hey, man of the world, you should know that already.
"Rose?" His voice came out sounding more like a sigh.
"Jack?"
He lifted his head and looked into her face. "Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You're trembling."
Rose stifled a giggle. "So are you."
His face broke into a grin. "I didn't even notice." He leaned down and kissed her again. Had they been less absorbed in each other, they would have remembered their situation, but as it was, neither of them could think of anything but the other.
*****
Meanwhile, in the first class dining room, Ruth was furious—though she hid it quite well. A part of her had actually been surprised when Rose didn't show up to dinner. She'd been holding out hope that enough time would have gone by for Rose to come to her senses. It could happen. Yes, and that boy she's so infatuated with will suddenly reveal he's actually a millionaire in disguise. Dinner was coming to an end, and so far it didn't look like either thing was going to happen. She saw Cal head off with the other men. He seemed completely unconcerned by the crisis on their hands. Why would he be? He won't lose anything if she does something foolish.
And that's how Ruth came to hear herself say, "Excuse me. I really must go check on Rose. She's been ill today."
*****
Jack and Rose had yet to move from their embrace. The vague notion that they had stayed far longer than they should have had just entered Jack's mind, but he wanted to ignore it. It seemed like the whole damned world was conspiring against them. They'd managed to block it out, but he knew—as much as he hated to admit it—the wall they had built between themselves and the rest of the world wouldn't last much longer. Rose knew it, too. She just didn't want to be the one to say it first. They were too absorbed in their thoughts—and in each other—to notice the doorknob turning.
Ruth stared at them, her mouth hanging open. Had she been able to move, she would have pinched herself. It couldn't be. She wouldn't have.
Jack had the peculiar feeling they were being watched, though that couldn't be, could it? They'd locked the door...except they hadn't. He lifted his head and looked around the room. His heart skipped a beat as his shocked eyes met Ruth's horrified ones.