tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42697043069573384202024-03-08T03:32:16.114-08:00AWriterNamedABLUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-79136118638379340102010-12-13T14:31:00.000-08:002011-01-25T12:25:57.639-08:00The Neighbor - Chapter 1 - The Run-In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4303522543_c966043ece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4303522543_c966043ece.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4389069881_a09d2dc85f_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4389069881_a09d2dc85f_m.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary:</b> A chance meeting turns into unbridled attraction and a month of hot days and even hotter nights. Can a relationship be grounded on toe-curling, mind-blowing sensuality?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/summary-chance-meeting-turns-into.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 1</span></a><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/neighbor-chapter-2-midday-and-chocolate.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 2</span></a><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/neighbor-chapter-3-chapter-3-awakening.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 3</span></a><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/neighbor-chapter-4-slow-ride.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 4</span></a><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/chapter-5-neighbor-cant-get-no.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 5</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/03/chapter-6-neighbor-click.html">Chapter 6</a></span><br />
<a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/12/neighbor-chapter-7-leaving-on-jetplane.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 7</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/12/neighbor-chapter-8-pressed-again.html">Chapter 8</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://awriternamedabl.blogspot.com/2010/12/neighbor-chapter-9-paris-nights.html">Chapter 9 </a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> ==</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4362873856_036d7c37d5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4362873856_036d7c37d5.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 1: The Run In</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bills, Bills, junk mail, coupon for $5.00 off my next teeth cleaning, birthday card from Charlie, bills..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wall.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body met a solid structure with a muted thud and my handful of letters, flyers, circulars and other crap went flying.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wait.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This wall wasn't concrete; it was clothed, and warm and soft, but solid. It was the warmest wall I'd ever run into. And trust me; I've had my share of run-ins with walls.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh! Excuse me..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, no, it was my fault..." the wall said.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I am such a klutz sometimes..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No, I saw you there. I just..." it tried to explain.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I just..." I finally looked up from shuffling the stack of mail, various forms of paper, and shit now littering the entryway of my building and saw the wall.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This wall of...man.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…Beautiful, gorgeous, man.</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I uh..." I couldn't quite formulate what was happening to me, or rather, come up with anything witty or even cohesive to say. So, save for giving any real form of communication, I stood there, mouth agape, mesmerized.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His skin...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was perfect and smooth; a shade of reddish-brown that made me want to reach out and touch...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sorry about that, I..." He trailed off when our eyes met, blinked and then continued. "...I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going, either."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That voice.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had the deepest baritone that strummed over every part of my body like a well-tuned instrument.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grabbed my elbow to steady my uneasy and wobbly legs and there was electricity.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt it just as sure as I am here breathing. He looked at me with a furrowed, confused brow.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Had he felt it too?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No, no...I just. I have a run in with something or someone at least once a day. It's God's own little way of mocking me,"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chuckle. Genuinely amused. Not at me, with me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could deal with that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then he looked at me with those eyes – so deep brown and soulful – like a laser cutting straight through me. Mine where brown too, but like chocolate. His were near black, like the gorgeous head of hair atop his head, and seemed to darken the longer we stood there in that hall. His eyes dragged over my body wantonly, and I thanked God that I'd worn a push-up bra and the fitted Kelly green top that always seemed to get attention against my fair skin. I smoothed down my skirt and hair self-consciously, hopeful my make-up had sustained throughout the day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, uh..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He shifted awkwardly, after we both noticed his gaze rested on my lips a little longer than necessary. His hot fingertips also sat at the back of my elbow a little too long for mere polite chivalry. Not that I was complaining.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced around, then absently licked his bottom lip before his eyes darted to my own parted lips. I paused, feeling my body ache for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was insane. I'd never seen him a day in my life and there we were, eye-fucking each other in the hall of my building.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, glad I could help you fulfill your daily run-in quota," he joked, smiling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who was this man?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"...I uh. I live in 4A," he extended his massive palm, "Jacob." My lips moved, making an honest attempt to speak. There was a moment of delay, and then my brain finally caught up with my mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella, Bella Swan." Did he really need my entire name? "I, uh, I live in 4C. I've never seen you in the building before. Did you just move in?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No, I've certainly never seen him before. I definitely would have noticed this much hotness living right down the hall from me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, same here; I've never seen you around here, either." He paused, slowly sliding his fingers from my body and I caught his gaze lingering on the curve of my hip. "And no...Uh, I haven't been here much, lately. I'm a freelance journalist. I've been covering the crisis in Haiti for the past two weeks. I was in Indonesia before that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh my god. …Beauty and brains? He's like my walking wet dream.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sounds interesting."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sounds interesting? FYI, Bella: saying that makes it sound infinitely less interesting.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, uh, it is, but it's tough sometimes – traveling to some places. Still, I love it." He shifted throwing his shoulder-length hair, casually, over his shoulder. That was when I finally dragged my eyes away from his perfect, chiseled face, and took a good look at him, from head to toe.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob was huge, but not bulky. He was leaner, with perfectly-crafted muscle. He had to be at least 6-4.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wonder if he's ever played football, or hockey, or like rugby or something…</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…I was mentally rambling. I felt myself swooning and hoped, to whatever god would listen to me, that I wasn't my usual bright red at the thought of traveling next to this man I'd never laid eyes on before five minutes ago and yet would like to take to some exotic place with tiki huts, private beaches, and bright orange drinks with little umbrellas sticking out of them. More rambling...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His gaze softened as we caught eyes, again. The sexiest smile that had ever been directed at me played at the corners of his lips. He whispered, hoarsely, "4C huh? Well then, Bella Swan, I guess that makes us neighbors."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well. I uh. I guess it does."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Listen, I gotta run - meeting - but, it was nice...running into you. Maybe we can...do it again sometime."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That smile peered out, again. The beautiful man was funny, witty. And his teeth were perfect.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He took a few steps back, never peeling his eyes away from mine. He moved lithely, almost animalistic, and I was sure I would combust if I didn't have his hands on me again, soon. Then he finally turned to depart, and I waved weakly at his blue t-shirted back – and what a beautiful back it was – as he exited our building.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just like that, my world changed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't see him again for almost two weeks - believe me, I'd been counting the days. I'd walk slowly down the hallway, taking entirely too long to reach my door and pausing to stare at his, willing it to swing open.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It didn't.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It had taken every ounce of willpower in me not to knock on the door.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd planned on doing just that if I went even one more day without seeing him. Saturday morning, I set out orange juice and a bagel on the small table on my spacious balcony – perfect for mornings like these –with paper in-hand, my mind was finally off Jacob. Maybe he'd gone away on location again. Maybe our attraction was all a dream. All I knew was that I had to stop thinking about him and to focus on something else.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This couldn't be healthy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My balcony faced the street, so it provided the option for people-watching. From a distance, I heard the rhythmic shuffle of sneaker against pavement. My body responded instantly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No. It can't be.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I glanced up and saw just the outline of his body and his deep sienna skin shining with sweat. I was mesmerized...again. Just as I became even more swept up in my revelry, I felt a thick, fat raindrop plunk the top of my head. Then another on my cheek and the middle finger of my right hand. Rapidly, the sky opened. On a sunny day, without a cloud in the sky, rain pelted me from where I sat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stupid Florida sun showers...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then it dawned on me. If I was getting rained on, so was a very shirtless Jacob. I looked in his direction once more and watched the water slide over every groove, every indentation of his muscular body. It was the most sensual, non-sexual thing I think I'd ever witnessed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was beautiful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was beautiful; his slick, and hot, and wet body. He made no effort to run any faster, to escape the rain. Instead, he kept his pace and I was awarded the view of his body as it became larger and larger with each step he took closer to our building. While the rain continued to fall, his body became shiny, dripping, and more delicious.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I made no move to get out of the rain, either. My now inedible bagel soaked up the water from the sky and my orange juice turned light yellow and cloudy from mixing with the rain. Even more, I was drenched; the thin white cotton tank I wore was soaked through, as were the matching pajama bottoms.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I stayed where I was, though. I kept standing, trying to get a better look at him as he entered the building, and felt a pang of sadness when I realized that he would be dry soon, and out of sight. Then my brain snapped.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had to catch him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had to stop him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And do what?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wasn't sure of at the moment. I just couldn't let him go. As fast as my feet could carry me, I rushed to my front door, gripping the knob and swinging it open.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh!" I almost stumbled backward in my surprise. I looked up, clutching my chest.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...and was met with my wall of man.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Standing there, dripping on the hardwood hallway floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Soaked to the bone with rain water.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eyes black and intense.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His gaze lowered to my breasts. I knew he could see through the sheer wet cotton - now suctioned to my body, to my nipples - as clear as if I'd been shirtless, too. Then, he stepped closer, entering my apartment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't move, and felt his hot, hard, slippery body pressed against mine. His chest just barely kissed my nipples through the thin barrier. He stared at me for a long moment, unblinking, and hungry.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I heard the lowest sound escape his chest. Something crossed in his eyes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Decision?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pounce?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He leaned forward, and I prepared my mouth for his kiss; for his full lips to press hotly against mine. Instead, his mouth passed mine and lowered.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His pink tongue darted out, and pressed against my collarbone, effectively catching a droplet of water that was sliding south toward my cleavage. And my clit lurched toward his body, urgent and needy. A shiver snaked its way up my spine and he kicked the door close behind him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jacob..." I whimpered as his hands where on my skin, all at once. His lips met mine and I was caught up in the slick feel of his warm mouth against mine. He searched my body, starting at the dip in my waist, squeezing and kneading me, and sparking flames over my skin. I stepped closer to him, pressing my body harder into his, needing to feel him on my nipples. Subsequently, his hardness pushed against my stomach.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body was...indescribable. It felt even better than it looked under my fingertips: the deep curves rolling over his chest and abdomen, so sinfully pronounced and perfect.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My fingers were greedy and my body, aching. I arched and clawed at his back, pulling off the tie that held his beautiful hair. I ran my fingers through it reverently, even in our frenzy, just as I had wanted to the day we'd met.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just needed to feel him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was silent, biting and sucking my neck and shoulder. His fingers slipped underneath my top, pulling it away from my body frantically, so hard I thought he might rip it. He lifted it over my head and threw it with a slap onto the floor. Immediately, his mouth was on my nipples, rough and hard, and greedy. Finally, his fingers pulled at the string holding my pajama bottoms on my hips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted this. I needed this so bad. I wanted him so bad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Please..." I panted as I slipped my thumbs in the waistband and we both slid my panties and pants off, in one quick motion, with his help.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I stood there, naked, and I felt him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt him pressed stiffly against my bare body, through the thin nylon fabric of his running shorts. He spun me and pushed my body against the back of my front door. Then I snatched the shorts away from his body, pulling them down and gripping him like he was mine. I could have done this a million times before. It was like second nature to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His cock was hot, heavy, and massive in my palm. It was a thing of beauty; just a shade darker than the rest of him, begging to be touched and then slid inside me. I released him, and fisted my hands in his hair. Pulling him toward me, I crushed my mouth against his.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sliding his fingers down my thigh and under my knee, he held himself between my parted legs, and dragged his fingers along the slick, wetness outside my folds. My whole body shuddered at his touch, as he rubbed guided circles over my sensitive clit, and then slipped two fingers into me. I whimpered and then moaned, leaning my already arched body against the door and allowing him to do as he would with me. Because I was already wetter than I'd ever been, his fingers glided effortlessly in and out of me, until I was begging and panting.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He slipped his fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean with a low satisfied moan. After, he quickly guided himself into me. It was all too much.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A guttural cry escaped my lips and we paused. I was completely overwhelmed at the fullness I felt, and the tightness I was sure he was now sucked into. The heat, and fire, and tightness were almost more than I thought I could handle. After several moments, he kissed away my distress and pumped until he was completely inside me and I was gushing over his length.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">An unabashed moan escaped me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Please...please don't stop..." I begged through my pants.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stroked his body into mine and I reached to grip his shoulders, slowly meeting his thrusts. It was all I could do not run my nails down his back until I drew blood.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted this. I needed this – him – so much.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In one swift movement, he grabbed my other thigh, and I was off the ground with my legs crossed behind his back. He held me there for a moment, with his eyes closed, biting his lip, and I knew he was pulling himself back from the edge.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This position was so much deeper. I could feel him in every part of me, and it was intense .</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ah...fuck..." I moaned into his mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He held my waist, pulling me up and down, slowly, and carefully rocking his hips against my body. Soon, we were in perfect sync. I was eager and ground my hips against his as he held me tightly, and his moan was the first noise he'd made since entering my home.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ahh...Bella, God..." he whispered.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"God...I know..." I grunted.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did know. I knew this was something all consuming and terrifying. This, with him, was too good and something that couldn't be right. It was something that felt so insane; we both were teetering on the edge of madness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything inside my body shivered and shuddered against him, contracting again and again. Wetness dripped and leaked from my body onto the floor. I screamed, not caring that we were inches from the hallway and the door to my balcony was still open, rain pattering the floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh god....oh god..." He gripped my hips tighter, thrusting himself into me harder. My body, not even completely stilled from my first orgasm, began rolling in waves as I felt the stirring of my second.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella..." He panted, grinding harder. "I...fuck. I gotta cum..." He thrust into me with abandon, never taking his eyes from mine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still intense. Still focused.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"...Let me down," I whispered. He looked at me incredulously. "Let me down...." I whispered again, tapping him lightly on his shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He obeyed me, yet never stopping his thrusts, which made it terribly difficult for my body to ever want to leave his. I did though, sliding him out of me, and he had the most painfully sexy look on his face. It was one of madness and need. He needed release.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I gripped his cock, and knelt before him. His look became more pained, but in a different way. It morphed into a level of desire I'd never seen in someone's eyes and was sure it mirrored my own.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wrapped my mouth around him, sucking his tip, and then slid it as far as I could into my mouth. His body tensed, and his face grimaced as he held onto the door for support. He slowly propelled his hips, easing himself in and out of my mouth. I wanted to taste him – I wanted him to cum – so I pumped him with my hands, which were barely large enough to get completely around the width of him, allowing them to follow my mouth on his body.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Fuck..." he mumbled.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His brows knitted together, his lips parted, and with one final jerk, he exploded in my mouth: hot, thick, and him. I licked my lips, savoring the taste of him, as he stood above me with his palms still resting on the door. Finally, he opened his eyes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was fire in them.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His cock, still as stiff as if we'd just started, twitched in my hands, inches from my lips. He raised an eyebrow and pulled me to my feet. My heart soared as he cupped his palm against the heat between my thighs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm not done with this yet," He whispered seriously, glancing around for my bedroom.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A/N – I've never shipped just Jake and Bella, and I have to say, I absolutely love them in this. It was SO fun and *ahem* rewarding to write. These two got a little carried away, which I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed. FYI, there are EPIC lemons and a little teeny bit of angst later, but I'm sure you guessed that already.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-16200105974067646672010-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:48:07.594-08:00The Neighbor - Chapter 9 Teaser<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<b>A/N -</b> You can expect an update for this chapter no later than Thursday of this week. Love you guys, and I hope you enjoy :)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">==</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My thighs rubbed together with each of my strides, tiny thong against my body, making me acutely aware of its presence, and my need for him. My whole body had been on edge since this morning when he’d left me working on my computer, dress shirt fitted perfectly to his body, and slacks that made me want to do all sorts of things that I was sure were illegal in most states.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Jake.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yeah Bells?” He said absently, just trying to get us where we were going. I tried to steer him toward one of the many quiet little alleys between the buildings, just for a few moments, then we could be on our way.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What...what are you doing Bells?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My heels clicked as I tugged him into a deep hallway, no one was around, no one would know. He glanced around and upward, making sure that we weren't about to make a peep-show for some French college kids, or something of the like. I mean, it wasn’t like we were in the red-light district; something like two people having dirty public sex wasn’t bound to go over very well, even in Europe. Despite this, the fact that Jake was following me, however hesitantly made me even less concerned than I already was, per-usual, the wine had made my inhibitions missing in action.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I backed him against an ancient-looking wooden door, his hands all over my body with familiarity and lust. My lips were on his throat, softly at first, but affirming what I was thinking. I grabbed his wrists placing his hands on my ass, pulling away from him for only a moment, and of course, he stood there, gaping at me like I was insane. His body belied his expression though. He was more than ready for me, his hands roaming and squeezing, his cock steel against denim.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“You’re crazy...”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His hands pushed my second-skin skirt up my thighs, just for him to do what he needed to do without giving the world a show - not that there was a soul there to pass judgment.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heart hammering against my ribcage, I felt his fingers roughly push my panties aside, and sink upwards and into me.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I’m gonna make you cum here, then I’m gonna fuck you when we get back...you’re so wet babe...did I do this to you?” His warm mouth ecstasy against my ear, his body like heaven pressed against my hot skin.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-87899979070496713522010-12-13T11:31:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:33:33.620-08:00The City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1115/5154450338_8f21c6dc7a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1115/5154450338_8f21c6dc7a_b.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Summary ::Slash:: </b>Emmett & Paul spot each other on a NYC train, but the moment passes...or does it? A slash romance with a bunch of usual suspects from Twilight, plus tattoos, steel & a black eye to round things out. Rated M for Major Lemons & Language - AH/AU</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N – </b>Thank you to the girls of Friday Free For All for giving this kid with a dream a chance, and to Connect2tjb and Chele681 for helping me come up with this pairing - Paul and Emmett kinda took it from there. Thank you to my awesome team of slash pre-readers, you know who you are, and of course, my ficwife and betafish, Kay Cannon, for helping me fix all my mistakes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>DISCLAIMER: </b>Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: small;">The City</span></b></u></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had to have been about six the first time I actually remember riding the train with my grandpa.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…His senior bowling league in Flushing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I always looked forward to those weekly rides I got to spend with him. I mean, he was just about the best guy I knew. Not to mention, I got the chance to escape the insanity that was my four older brothers, if even for a few hours. That, and the candy.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He always gave me these butterscotch candies wrapped in foil, as soon as we sat down on the hard plastic seats. A bribe, I guess, to behave myself. I swear though, from the time I was a kid, the sound of the train always mellowed me out.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The speed of wind hitting metal at 60 miles an hour, the searing grind of steel against steel, the bounces and jerks and hum – the noise, the chaos, and beauty of it; I liked to take my headset off for a couple of seconds, just to hear it all. I'd pause my music and just listen.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The train was dirty as all hell, and even more crowded than that this time of day, but it was better than driving and I always tried to get a seat next to a window. It let me overlook the Hudson and watch the tiny boats with puffs of smoke as they docked in Manhattan. I was home – even in this pissy-ass train.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't want to think about the ride next to the older lady eyeballing me, though, because then I'd just have to laugh. For more than one reason, I was so not interested.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I eventually let Bose shut me out from the noise. Let Nirvana take over the soundtrack to my ride home. I definitely needed to reach that six-year-old me, and mellow out after the day I'd had.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A project for one of my agency's biggest clients had me reeling. I never had this much trouble being inspired, but I was starting to doubt my work after my last round of edits. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fucking amazing designer, but, shit, even I had to start questioning my ability.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Said it wasn't 'out there' enough.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Said, I was 'playing it safe.'</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Safe.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That was the last fucking thing Emmett McCarty ever was. So, why the problem?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I needed to relax, take my mind off all the shit. Hit reset and start the game over; maybe then I'd find my inspiration.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shoved my hands in my pocket for my Evo to check my email; one from Jake, two from my office, and one from my sister in law. I scrolled down the screen, too focused to notice that Older Lady had moved from beside me, and Little Pubescent Teen had replaced her. I glanced around – because, really, you can never be too safe or aware of your surroundings in this city – with my eyes darting in the direction of one side of double doors and back to my cell, then back up.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">…Just a healing, thin layer of purplish-brown swollen flesh.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I saw that bruise under his right eye and figured it must have been a fucking shiner when it was raw and new. His hair was nearly buzzed clean off, with just enough thick peach fuzz to lie down against his scalp. He shifted his weight to lean along the wall of the train car, glancing around easily.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My eyes flickered away again, because, after several long moments of taking him all in, I realized I was staring. That wasn't the type of thing you did, not if you wanted to keep your teeth. Trying to make sure that no one noticed me gawking at his striking beauty, I looked around in that self-conscious way that people do.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And beautiful he was.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt like I could get away with a couple more long gazes at him unnoticed, and I was greedy. I thoroughly scanned every piece of him that I could, and really tried to get a good look at him. His perfect reddish-brown skin that glowed in the harsh, dim florescent lighting. His square jaw, thick bowed lips, cheekbones, and eyes so soulful it seemed like he'd seen enough lifetimes to last him... a lifetime.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was more than beautiful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body was built from God himself; I could see that even under the leather motorcycle jacket, simple white tee and jeans he wore. His broad chest swelled and then narrowed at his waist. I swallowed, trying to find some moisture, because my mouth had gone bone dry.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His thighs...were...<i>awe-inspiring.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sinew and packed muscle.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From where I sat, I could see that he was tall, and he seemed fixated on whatever it was that had captured his interest out the window. He was brooding, and focused, and deep in thought.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I...I...needed to know who this guy was.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just as I began to wonder about the key that hung from a long simple leather string around his neck, he peered up and around, almost like he could feel my eyes. The train jerked forward, and our eyes met as he tried to keep his footing. He was more than five feet away, several bodies separating us, but I swear there was no one else around. Those intense, focused eyes were on me, and he seemed intrigued with what he saw, for whatever reason.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whoever he was, I knew I was fucked. He couldn't be gay, and I made it a rule not to dip in the straight pool. Too unpredictable, and too much drama that I definitely didn't want or need at this point. I mean, he had to like chicks…this guy oozed straight from every pore.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, shit, then again, so did I.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He cocked an eyebrow at me, above that same bruised eye, and smirked.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He fucking <i>smirked</i>, and I had to try to adjust my dick in my jeans to keep the hard-on that was screaming its appreciation under wraps. I glanced down, trying to put my eyes on something other than the guy that was currently on the verge of making my face turn redder than a 12 year old girl. I moved the strap on my messenger bag across the center of my chest, cracked my knuckles and rolled my head around, just to have something to do, really. By the time I was done with my display, I hoped that Sexy had gone back to looking out of the window, and I could commence my ogling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He hadn't.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was still looking.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was still staring, still drilling a hole through my scull with his eyes, and I had nowhere to run. He was hot, yes, but something so much more was stirring in my stomach. That thing that I hadn't felt in so long, which felt amazing and scary as hell all at the same time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't even know him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't even know if he'd be interested. Maybe he was intrigued and nothing more; who knew? Who was he to make me feel these things? I'd never felt his touch on my skin, or heard my name on his lips, and here we were. Here I was, feeling <i>things</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The train bounced again, as we continued our song and dance that I was fully trapped within, and the people around us shifted and shuffled, and prepared for their departures. Sexy looked around, obviously realizing he was nearing his stop. He glanced at me again, and the expression he wore changed from amusement to mild hesitation and discomfort. It was almost indistinguishable, but it was there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Shit.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">What if I never see him again?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I blinked, briefly toying with the idea of following him off the train, which had stopped, and the doors were open. As passengers quickly got on and another off, he looked at me once more with his eyebrows creased at the center, and tugged at that leather jacket. Then, he hopped off of the train and into the darkness of the subway platform.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following week, I still couldn't get the guy with the eyes out of my mind. And, I'm ashamed to say, I'd ridden the train every chance I got, looking for him with no luck. Two nights from then, I had possibly the worst night's sleep ever recorded in history. I must've dreamt about him because, somewhere in that dreamy state, just before I'd woken up completely, he was there with me. Looking at me and smiling at me with perfect teeth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could smell the leather on that jacket and taste the brine on his skin. He smelled even better than he looked, and felt even better than that. He was there with me, and my dick was rock hard. I pulled my sweats down, clumsily searched in the blue night for lotion, and gripped myself, then stroked…</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My thoughts went to us, together, to those lips wrapped around me, to him bent over for me, mouth forming a pronounced 'Oh,' and moaning in toe-curling pleasure…</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After rubbing a much-needed one out, I ended up just staring at my MacBook for an hour, unable to come up with anything substantial, before sitting next to my open living room window and listening to the city; listening to Williamsburg – to the sirens and the sound of some kind of brawl a few blocks away. That pretty much kept me busy until it was late enough on a Saturday morning to call Jake. He invited me out to hear him play, which was more or less standard for us on the weekend.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Later, I sat through a set or two of the band he had started when we were still in undergrad. I swear, if the kid wasn't like my brother, even I'd have the hots for him. God knows pretty much anyone who knew Jacob did. He was one of those kinds of hot that was in your face, and perfect, and just demanded attention.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the last notes of his song were done, he exited the stage and made his way toward where I sat on a stool by the bar. The club he played at on the weekend had become one of our favorites to frequent. Always hot guys there, plenty of steel, and art, and body mod, and good music of course. It just so happened that he had been fucking the owner at the time. Neither one of us ever thought it'd turn into anything serious. That was just about three years ago.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What cat peed in your cornflakes?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nice.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I looked up from the brown liquor in the lowball glass I cradled in my hands, poking my tongue at the steel piercing my lip and rolling my eyes. "What?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A smile broke across his handsome face. "What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? You've been looking like someone stole your bike all night. You're fucking with my vibes, man."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake was lead singer and bassist, and always talking about some hippie-type shit. I ran my eyes up the full sleeve covering his arm, and shrugged.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Work's got me stressed as fuck. My brain is all over the place." I'd intentionally left out the part about Sexy, because I knew Jake would have called me chickenshit for letting him leave without ever talking to him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't let those fuckers hurt your brain too much, Em. You're fucking talented; don't forget that. Plus, I personally think you just need to get laid, dude. You're wound tighter than skin on a drum. You just need to bust one…or ten. Just sayin'."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I laughed at that sentiment. It had been way too long, and Jake was always the person to make sure I remembered that. Before Jake had gotten with Edward, he was definitely the friendlier of the two of us. He had been slowly making his way through two boroughs of men, and was working on a third.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, for me, there were guys, but it never seemed to go anywhere. I wasn't really the 'sleep around' type. I met them all the time, especially in the creative field I was in. If it wasn't other designers, it was advertising account managers or PR reps. They all seemed to like me – suckers for the baby blues and a nice set of abs – but I was never really into it. I was just too focused to start anything serious and, despite my alternative outward appearance and demeanor, I was way too tight to get that loose.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who said all gay men were sluts?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He looked at me, trying to assess the extent of my current situation. I ran my fingers through my curly black hair and, after I smiled weakly at him, he seemed appeased, for then at least.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He nodded. "Okay, well, get another drink. Tell Ed it's on my tab. We can talk after I'm done, okay?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mimicked his nod and finished what was in my glass, only to have Jake's boyfriend behind the bar fill it again. The warming effects of the whiskey were doing just what I needed them to do, and I was feeling great. I was finally relaxed and everything was just a little fuzzy around the edges, as Jake and Edward told me some story about something.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I laughed at all the right times and talked to their friend Jared, who was just about the fucking sexiest thing I think I'd ever laid eyes on. His slow smile and friendly eyes made talking to him that much easier, and I knew that I was in for trouble. Jake winked at me, and then I realized that this was supposed to be some kind of fix-up situation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Gee thanks, Jake.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean, Jared was hot. That was undeniable, but I was pretty sure I wasn't ready for a one night stand. In some crazy way, I felt like I was cheating on Sexy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I know, I know; that's crazy...right?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jared grinned at me and put his hand on my leg. At first, I wanted to swat it away, but he was just so fucking hot...and funny. Maybe I could do the whole 'meaningless sex' thing. Jared looked like he'd be a willing and able participant in my sexual experiment. My dick twitched again in agreement and I felt like everyone was against me, my own body included. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey!"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Slap on my back, firm grip on my shoulder.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I jumped at the action, because, actually, it startled the fuck out of me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I was looking all over for you." I glanced around, and I literally almost pissed myself. Jake's eyes went wide, and Edward smiled and grinned at our new visitor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was fucking Sexy. It was Sexy, Soul Eyes, Perfect Body, in the motherfucking flesh.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What was he doing here? In all the goddamn years we'd been coming here, I'd never seen him here. Not ever.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now he's here, looking like hot sex covered in honey, and I'm fucking sputtering. I didn't know if it was the drinks making their way through my system or the surprise of seeing the very man I couldn't get my mind off of for the last week, but I couldn't find the brain function to hear or speak.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Another slap on the back.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jared was not amused, and I was briefly wondering if there would be some kind of battle to the death situation. Then, I'm ashamed to say, I got harder thinking about the two of them naked and wrestling for my affection.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sexy thrusted his palm toward Jared. "Paul. Paul Atera."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Edward grinned even larger, turning to Jake, who was just sitting there like a fucking cat who swallowed a canary, even more intrigued by the display than Edward was. As his green eyes shined with mischief, I guessed I wouldn't be asking those jerkoffs for any help in this situation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Paul huh? Emmett hasn't mentioned you, before," Jake said, as Jared gripped Paul's hand, giving him the stare of death. Paul greeted Jake and Edward with the same amount of humor and I hated him and wanted to run away and I didn't even know him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt like fucking Helen Keller, because not a word had come out of my mouth since Paul had joined us.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Emmett..." He smirked again saying each syllable in my name for the first time, rolling them around in his mouth, and sliding his large hand into his pocket. I was too mesmerized by the way his bicep flexed with the small gesture, way too mesmerized. "...now, I'm just hurt."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I rolled my eyes, but at least I knew Sexy's name now. "Paul...This is Jared, Edward, Jake. Jake's in the band. Edward owns the place."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Right, right. Jake, great band man. You guys have an awesome sound."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thanks, dude." Jacob smiled at me and I knew I was never gonna hear the end of it. Paul jerked his head in the opposite direction, wanting me to follow him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Can I steal this one away from you for a second?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...please, do," Edward permitted, and I was on my feet in the next moment, following him pretty much anywhere he wanted me to. He cornered me against a far wall, just the two of us. I could finally see that we're about the same six-foot two, height. If it was possible, he looked even better than he did the last time I saw him, in a snug black v-neck t-shirt and jeans.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I noticed the intricate ink that he had on his right upper arm, wrist and, from what I could see, peeking from under that shirt and running across his collar bone. All well done and made me want to see what else that cotton and denim were covering, and where else on his body could I find it. He stared at my mouth as I bit at my spiderbite, and I waited nervously for him to fucking talk.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're here."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"That I am," he replied, looking at me fiercely, like he was trying to see through me. Like, if it were possible, we'd be naked and doing far less talking than we already were.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You left. You left the train." I swear, in my everyday life, I was far more eloquent than that, and possessed more than a two-syllable word vocabulary.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I had to go..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Why? Why? You eye fuck me, then you leave without a backward glance? I...I thought I'd pretty much never see you again," I admitted.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He bowed his head and nodded, tracing his fingers along the side of my neck, and I was fucking mush. "Had to be at the gym. I gotta be sure I make weight."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Make weight?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pointed to the bruise under his eye. "I'm a fighter."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Ah.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His beautiful face had been marred by his own choosing. He'd gotten hit in the face by some other guy wanting to beat the hell out of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You box," I said simply, and he nodded. Then, he stepped closer to me, anchoring his palm against the wall and forcing me further against the cool metal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Mmm</i>...You smell good." He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. I just wanted him to put his hands on me. I needed him to touch me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I swallowed and shifted my weight, nervously. It was crazy. I never felt like this with guys, but he was so sure of himself, and so confident, and I was so fucking out of practice. He looked amazing and smelled like dreams, and desires, and rainbows and all that shit.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He licked his bottom lip. "Sorry."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"About?" I glanced over his shoulder and, just as I'd expected, Jake, Edward, and a scowling Jared were staring at the show that Paul and I were performing for them.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sorry for leaving. Sorry for embarrassing you in front of your friends. Sorry I didn't do what I wanted to do when I first laid eyes on you." I couldn't find my voice as he stepped close enough that I could feel his chest touch mine, and his eyes flicker to my lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What's that?" I croaked. Before I could catch my next breath, his lips and tongue were against mine, and I felt like I really, really needed to cum as the thick bulge in his jeans pressed against my hip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh my god.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He tasted amazing, and his mouth was soft, and slick and warm, and I wanted to be there forever, and never stop thinking about his thick lips and how insane that mouth would feel wrapped around my dick.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I'm a terrible person.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I broke my mouth away from his. "McCarty."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul was breathless, just a half-inch away from my lips. He cocked an inquiring eyebrow, then smiled.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"My last name is McCarty. Emmett McCarty," I breathed. "Now I don't feel like such a slut thinking about you naked."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He laughed and it became one of my favorite sounds, just like his neck had become one of my favorite smells.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hi, Emmett McCarty," he whispered, rolling his hips until we were aligned just right and he could feel me just as hard as I could feel him. "Emmett McCarty, are you single?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded and wondered if he was really as big as he felt, and if he was, he was going to make this not being a slut thing really, really hard.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Paul Atera, are you single?" He nodded and lightly traced his fingers over my left nipple.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Oh god, give me strength.</i> I felt like I needed to say the Rosary or something for the x-rated thoughts blinking in my mind.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Perfect. You want to get out of here?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wanted to leave with me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wanted to ride the train back to his house and hopefully ride me all night.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wanted to fuck me just as much as I wanted to fuck him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I chuckled. "I don't even know you. You know people are crazy in this city."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He smiled back at me and I heard Jake's band start playing again. "Well, I box, I live in Harlem, I'm single, I've been tested and I'm clean and clear." He rubbed his lips against mine, and darted his tongue out for just a taste, then continued. "I'm 28, originally from Washington – state, not DC – and I live alone. Is that enough, or do you need to see two forms of identification?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I laughed and ran my palms up either side of his waist. He was all thick muscle, and I was really starting to consider going home with this guy, but thought better of it. "No...I can't..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You can't?" He looked amused, and I hated his sexy ass all over again. "Why is that? Do I look crazy to you?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No, but those are the ones you have to look out for the most," I mused, sliding my index finger across his bottom lip. He chuckled, nipping at my finger.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I see. Well, what can I do to make you chill out some? Huh?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I don't know. You got any references?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He laughed and I my body eased. I loved the way he made me feel; like he was home and, weird enough, like I'd known him for years. Everything about him was a complete aphrodisiac, and all I wanted to do was run my tongue across that bruised skin under his eye.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul makes me a little bit insane, apparently.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay, Emmett McCarty. Can I at least take you to dinner?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Now, that's a thought. Dinner would be nice.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"...I'd hate for this to be the last time I ever see you," he finished.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, god no. Never, ever that.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to see him every moment for as long as I could think of, and maybe even longer than that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Alright, that sounds okay."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Tomorrow."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Wha..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Tomorrow. I'll come pick you up," he finally said, pressing his lips to mine before I could protest any further. "Now, I have some friends that I have been extremely rude to because you've completely monopolized my time."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"But you came over to me."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He shushed me and kissed me, again. "Here, let me introduce you. That's Sam. And that's Jasper..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">===</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul Atera was not at all what I'd expected.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That fact was a very, very good thing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Admittedly, whether it was the black eye adding to his 'rough around the edges' appearance or not, I wasn't sure what to make of him. Not initially, at least.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, Paul pleasantly surprised me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt his knee rub playfully against mine, as he answered me with a grin from across the table.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"But, what is the military, if not an arm of the federal government?" he offered, cutting into the medium rare steak he'd ordered. He explained to me that he was on a strict proteins and veg diet, so carbs were completely out of the question, at least until after his fight. He agreed after I suggested a little Italian spot I knew could make a porterhouse that you'd kill your grandmother over.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I looked at him thoughtfully, a million questions running though my head; this man was full of surprises. I also learned there, over dinner, that Paul was beautiful from all directions, and in every lighting. His face was so smooth…</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, but don't you think Don't Ask Don't Tell should be handled by the military courts, not civilian?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He chewed and swallowed, taking a long sip of water, and sitting back in the booth opposite me. "Well, in instances like that, I think that something that affects all branches of the military should be managed by a federal entity – a higher court."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded and sipped more of my lager. No, Paul wasn't at all what I'd expected him to be. "Fair enough," I conceded. "Where does a guy like you come from, anyway? I mean, I'll be honest, you don't seem like the type to talk about politics the way you do."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ah, I see. You thought I was some stick-up kid who barely finished high school."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No! I didn't mean it like that," I sputtered, as he stared at me harshly for a long moment, before breaking into a smile.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm kidding, Em... You gotta relax a little." He laughed. I was such a fucking spaz. Though, honestly, what he'd said wasn't so far from the truth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, I was pre-law at NYU...decided to fight after I had a degree and realized I hated it too much to go to law school." He took another massive bite of meat, followed by a forkful of salad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hate... That's a strong word."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, I love the law. I hated what I realized it meant to be an attorney after I finished school. I'm actually considering getting back into the law, you know? Doing policy, maybe. I don't know."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"A good friend of mine is down in DC, working in international policy. Jake and I both went to the Art Institute. I did graphic design, he did advertising." Paul nodded, listening intently with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I'd learned that this was a face that he made often when he was amused, and when he was interested.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Turned out he was Native, not Puerto Rican or Dominican like I'd originally thought, and like so many of the fighters around the city were. He looked even better that night, dressed in a black button-down with the sleeves rolled. Even though it was a bit dim after dinner, we compared artwork. I pushed my thin sweater's sleeves enough to explain the Celtic tattoos I had along my arm, and how my brothers had similar Irish-Scotch art.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm from here. Been here my whole life. Visited a lot of places, but I always come back. I mean, my family's here."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We traded coming out stories, as well, both going pretty roughly; him from his hyper-masculine choice of profession and traditional father, and me from being the youngest in my huge, mostly male Catholic family.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So, Emmett McCarty, when can I see you again?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Perfect, perfect. He's locking in the next date before the current one is over. Good work.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Whenever you want to," I replied, coolly. At least I was remembering some of my game, pre-subway.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I want you to come to my fight next week, of course. But, can I see you tomorrow?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Yes! Yes!</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I have to work, but maybe tomorrow night?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sounds good," he said, looking at me fiercely and finishing his steak.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Tell me more about this fighting thing, though. How do you, like, stand there and get hit in the fucking face, dude?" I laughed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well," he started with a chuckle, "if I'm doing my job right, I won't be getting hit square in the face, now, will I?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">====</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have to admit, beyond being hotter than should be legal and smart, Paul was charming. And, against my better judgment, after our date was ending and plates had been cleared from our table, we'd hopped into his Jeep, and I ended up inviting him upstairs to my apartment. We talked more, sitting at my dining room table, listening to vintage Carlos Santana. I felt his eyes on my back while I reached for glasses, until I felt his presence behind me as I opened the Jack.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I smiled, and he rested his palms on either side of the counter, trapping me. "Yes? Can I help you?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That dazzling smile broke, and I was done. He wet his lips, glancing to mine hungrily, leaning closer until they were pressed softly against mine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was like magic.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He kissed me like he knew me, like he knew my body, and I was his. His lips were so soft and so warm. Actually, his whole body was warm, hot really, and I briefly worried that he may be getting a cold, or the flu or something. That thought was just a fleeting one, though, because he sucked me into what his lips were doing to mine. His tongue slid across mine, tentatively, asking me if it was okay, and I stepped closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His kiss was insane. It was addictive. Everything about him was.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Instantly, I felt his hardness pressed against mine, felt him softly grinding against me, felt him nipping at my bottom lip, and I knew I needed to stop this before we got too carried away.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Shit, I felt like a girl.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I pulled away, just as I felt his hands reach my ass and pull me closer. He ducked his head forward, reaching for my mouth with his, and I placed a palm on his chest to stop him with a smile.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Later..." I said. I mean, I had to make him want it – want me – and he'd always come back if I made him wait. He'd be jumping out of his skin until the next time he'd see me, and that, folks, was a very good thing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grinned at me in challenge, his eyebrows twitching as he licked his lips again, and he may as well have been licking along my dick. I seriously felt him there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh boy.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">====</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had never seen a live boxing match before. I mean, beyond the occasional pickup game of basketball with Jake, I wasn't what you'd call athletic. We were all much more likely to check out a band or an exhibit than any sort of sporting thing. So, when Paul told me to just let him know how many people I was bringing to his fight, that we'd get front row tickets, I was more than intrigued.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So, let me get this straight. You want me to go with you to an event with half-naked men, with perfect bodies, beating each other to a sweaty pulp?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake was such an ass.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, yeah."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"And, you really have to ask me this...why?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I guess he was on board.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our friends Embry and Mike came with, and we took our seats amid other spectators, obviously, but also a litany of coaches, and what appeared to be other boxers as well.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, so, what Paul failed to mention was that this event would be as huge as it was. I was pretty sure it was televised, and the arena where it was held was almost stadium-sized. I don't know what I was expecting, but Paul, The Wolf, Atera was a fucking local celebrity. Of course our asses would have never heard of him – Jake watches even fewer boxing matches than I do – but, from what I could see, with his face plastered all over Brooklyn, shirtless, and with his satin shorts and gloves, he was kind of a big deal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul was cruiserweight, but I didn't have to wait long to see him because the welter and middleweight fights before his were knock outs and done in less than 30 minutes. He entered with a deep-bassed hip hop song, flanked on his sides and back by whom I assumed were his trainers and coach. His shirtless body was shiny and slick, and my heart literally stopped for just a second when I saw him in those blue shorts. He looked like sin covered in sex.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was lean in all of the places he should be, and had thick muscle along his arms, legs and thighs. He was focused, as his coach animatedly yelled something in his ear, beat on his chest, and rubbed his shoulders. And honestly, with the way those eyes darkened as he stared at the other guy in gold shorts across the ring, I felt seriously bad for the guy. Paul looked like he was gonna murder him, and chew his bones to broken, powdery nubs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">An hour or two later, his fight was done and we were buzzing with energy. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets as we waited patiently in the cool night air for Paul to finish with the doctors and trainers on-site for his post-fight checkup. My body was still on fire after watching him beat the shit out of that guy. He was completely in control the entire time. His body danced and started a rhythm; he was controlled power in a beautiful package. I mean, Paul was a nice size – not too muscular, just big enough – but the way he threw those punches so mercilessly was a goddamn turn-on.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I saw him exit the large doors with a couple of other men, one of them a trainer I'd seen him with earlier who eventually fell away. He was bundled up and freshly showered, in jeans, a knit cap and boots.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey! Congrats, man. That shit was awesome!" I really couldn't contain myself; especially after I saw that big ass shiny belt he'd won thrown over his shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thanks," he said softly, turning to greet each of the men standing there, and thanking them for coming out to support. After a few more moments of pleasantries, he continued, "You wanna get out of here? I drove."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His intense eyes were fixed hard on me, and, well, I guess I already knew the answer to that question. Although he'd just gone a few rounds, he looked no worse for wear, if not a little antsy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah... Yeah, guys, I'll catch you later. Jake...lunch Sunday?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You got it. Hey, Paul, great fight man. Woo! You beat that guy's ass!" A round of laughter and approving comments followed, with Paul's appreciation and thanks. I will say this – I was proud of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We arrived at his truck, and I could literally feel the energy rolling off him. When we reached my side of the SUV, and before I could lift the handle to let myself in, Paul had me pinned.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Are you going home tonight?" It wasn't really a question and, by the tone of his voice and the fierce look he had directed squarely at me, I could guess the answer he expected me to have.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Paul...I have..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I want you to come home with me," he whispered, glancing around him, and harshly chewing the gum in his mouth. "Come home with me, Emmett." He was serious, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. I swear I felt the roughness in his voice go straight to my dick again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">God, he and my dick had been having conversations without me a lot, lately.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pressed closer to me, looked around once more, and kissed my lips with an intensity that left me panting and grabbing at his hair, and grinding myself into him wantonly. He pulled away, eyes serious and dark as midnight, opening the door and making the decision for me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Get in."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I obeyed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He forced the key into the ignition and we were in route in the next minute. I didn't know what to say; I didn't dare break the sizzling electricity in the cabin of his car by talking. Instead, I was quiet, watching the city lights as we sped toward Harlem. Paul was focused and on fire with energy. I could see it just as clear as I could see my own hand on his thigh in front of me. It wasn't a bad thing, just an intimidating thing. There was a little piece of me that was excited, as well. He was as sexy as I'd ever seen him, or even more so with the humming testosterone just at the surface of his flawless skin.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pulled into a free space right in front of a sleepy row of mid-scale brownstones, cut the engine and hopped out of the car, almost simultaneously. He grabbed his bags and met me on my side with a look that bordered somewhere between mischievous and hungry. My heart was beating like a goddamn hummingbird and I felt like a fucking virgin on prom night. I had to laugh at myself, trying my best to calm the hell down.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul quickly lead me to the second floor of the building, with his hand on my lower back, flicking on a small lamp in his simply furnished but very modern and very cool-looking apartment. I didn't have time to look around much at all, though, because Paul's hands and lips and body were on me, attacking me with blind excitement and one-mindedness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His lips found mine, his hands gripping my waist and jaw tenderly, but also with a force that left me breathless. Our mouths moved like it was something we should have always done, biting and sucking familiarly. I didn't know what else to do, and there wasn't much to say, so I followed him in the fury, gladly. He sucked and kissed down my neck, grinding his denim-covered dick into me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He ripped my jacket off and threw it on the couch, never allowing our lips to part. My sweater and his hat were gone faster than I could register, as Paul stepped back for a few short moments to look at me – I mean, really look at me with those eyes, and there was passion and lust, unbridled.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Damn..." he whispered, in a tone that I completely assumed was positive. As he ran his fingertips along the art I had etched across my chest, I felt like I would burn up, literally combust when he slid his open mouth and tongue along my right nipple, and then my left. He stayed there, sucking and licking each one, and humming once I'd started whimpering and moaning his name.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wished to god that I wouldn't cum; I was just too excited. I needed to calm down, but he was making me way too hard. I was positive that if he touched any other point on my body that's what would happen. I could feel it stirring and burning, flaring through my veins. My dick was painfully stiff; my brain was completely warring with what my body wanted, and I knew that I was all too close.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Paul..." He was unbuckling my belt...unbuttoning my jeans...sliding my boxer-briefs and jeans down, and dropping his beautiful body to its knees. "Shit..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Goddamn..." he whispered, inches from me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I willed him to blow on me, or dart his tongue out to the tip just once, because I knew I would cum all over that beautiful face. Those thick lips – that gorgeous mouth wrapped around the head of my dick as he sank down on me, taking me and swallowing me until I felt the back of his throat. I tried to think about anything.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baseball.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fat people.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kicking puppies.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anything but the way that he looked on his knees in front of me: his sienna skin, his eyelashes flared out against his cheek with his eyes closed, his lips curled upward sliding toward and away from me. Not the way that he was bobbing his head back and forth. Not the slippery sound of my dick entering and exiting his mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh fuck..." I gripped the back of his head.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Goddammit... going too fast... going crazy.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt the tightening in my balls and I knew that this was a fucking runaway train, and I didn't even give a shit if it would stop, or slow down for that matter.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Idiot move number one when you're getting the best head of your life from the hottest guy in the universe: watching the saliva slide down his gorgeous fucking mouth as he has his lips wrapped around you. No, that isn't the best idea ever for trying to show him that you have some resemblance of dick control. No, not at all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I moaned. Embarrassingly loud, I moaned.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"P– Paul...god...gonna–" I hissed as I felt his hand grip me, firmly, and his mouth ease away. His tight palm slid down to the base of my dick, and the other followed that one, making it feel like an infinity handjob. When he reversed...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Base of my dick to tip. Base of my dick to tip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then he released me and swallowed me entirely with his mouth, once again. I was fucking done.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body unfolded into a series of contractions, releases, and spasms that I thought I would die from. The ground could have just as easily swallowed me up, because I'd never cum like that in my 27 years of existence on this planet. My toes curled inside my steel-toed boots and I came more, and it was so fucking satisfying. A string of profanities and his name left my lips, and I tried my best to find purchase in something – anything: the doorknob, Paul's short hair, his jacket; whatever would prevent me from losing all functionality of my limbs and falling to the floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was silent, a rock against my writhing, and grinding, and moaning. He kneeled there with his hands on my dick, swallowing every drop of cum, and easing down on me one last time before sliding his mouth away. I was still twitching with my mind-altering orgasm when he stood and tenderly gripped me in his palm, stroking ever so lightly and licking the soft flesh of my earlobe.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could only feel his leather jacket against my nipples and smell the mint from the gum he'd popped back into his mouth. He helped pull me back together, dragging my jeans back over my hips. I didn't provide much assistance, because, really, I could barely keep myself upright at that moment. Every part of me was on fire, every nerve ending raw and deliciously sensitive.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You taste amazing. I want to fuck you tonight. Is that okay?" he asked, kissing and licking my neck. "Please..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My dick twitched at his question, and I wordlessly nodded while he pulled me in the direction of his bedroom, which, much like the living room, was decorated with large, dark, masculine furniture. Late night darkness spilled into the space but, save for the sounds of our voices, it was peaceful...quiet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I just... I– I always get like this after a fight," he muttered, softly pushing me onto the bed and helping me out of my boots, jeans, and...underwear. "I– You just look so good. I'm sorry. You can run for it if you want to, and we don't have to talk about this again." He laughed, running his palm across his hair, and then pulling off his jacket.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No!" I answered, a little more harshly than I'd meant to. There was no way this wasn't going to happen. No way on earth. He chuckled, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sorry...sorry." He unzipped the hooded sweatshirt and yanked off the tank he wore, letting them tumble to the floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh Jesus.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seeing him up close was just...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh god.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd seen him shirtless, boxing of course, but his skin was smooth and tight and soft in a way that I could only really appreciate up close, and under fingertips. Powerful muscle beneath smooth, copper satin. He had tattoos along his hip and forearm, and his shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I could smell him. Freshness mixed with him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I read the tattoo just under his collar bone, running nearly from shoulder to shoulder. I stood and stepped closer to him, getting my second wind, wanting to touch every part of him, and wanting him to touch me more. I ran my hands up his chest, caressing him before placing kisses across the delicate words, reaching to unbuckle his jeans, and slipping them off. I felt him swallow, thickly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It means... It means, 'Fear nothing but failure'. It's Kw`oliyot." I nodded in understanding and wrapped my hand around his thick, solid erection. His eyes fluttered closed, his teeth biting his bottom lip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My lip. I wanted that lip and every part of him to be mine. I didn't know what any of this meant, but I knew that I wanted him for me only.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His skin was literally burning up as I pushed him onto the bed and took him into my mouth. He was big. I mean, Paul was huge, just like I thought, so I had to take my time with him, making sure I sucked and licked in all the right places. I ran my tongue along the underside, suctioning my mouth, and softly running my fingers over his balls, which caused his hips to jerk upward.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Em...babe...wait..." He pulled at the back of my head, grabbed my hair, and tugged lightly. My slick swollen lips frowned in question.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What baby? Let me make you feel good."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Em...wait," he repeated, laughing. "You do that way too well. Shit."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I chucked, too, licking my lips and letting him pin me to the bed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Let me do this, okay?" he whispered, dragging his tongue across my nipple, then grasping my hips firmly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bent on hands and knees, he reached for a handful of condoms and a bottle of lube, allowing me another view of his muscular ass that I just had to palm for a few seconds. He turned back to me, spreading and bending my legs, placing my feet flat on the mattress. He poured a generous amount of lube on his hand and fingers, just after taking me into his mouth for a few more seconds.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That beautiful mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My dick was hard again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'll go slow..." he whispered, slipping one finger into me, carefully, easing his hand in and out...in and out. "Move your hips with me a little, baby..." he murmured, sliding his other palm up and down my dick, continuing his stroke with the other.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I moved my hips with the gyrations of his fingers, just as he had told me, and a white shock of pleasure ripped through my groin and up my spine. His eyebrows creased in concentration, lips parted, and body flexing with his practiced movements. I groaned with pleasure as he slid another finger inside, so easily, while pumping his fist up and down.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...god...Paul...shit..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Good, babe...good. Em, you're so sexy baby...so sexy. Does that feel good?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded, face grimacing as I tried to reach for his dick, but not able to conjure up enough energy or dexterity to do so with him making my body feel the way he was. I rolled my hips with him, as he massaged that spot that made my whole body tense and shiver.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Please...Paul...shit...please, just..." I pleaded, reaching for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just needed him inside me. I needed him so badly. My back arched in pleasure as I wrapped my hand around his, showing him what I needed, though he didn't actually need much instruction, as he slid along my dick. Somehow, he'd gotten a condom and the lube, and had squeezed enough to coat his rock hard dick, and replace his fingers with his hardness all in the same moment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh god, oh god...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He moved his hips into me gingerly, trying to go slowly for my benefit, but I grabbed his waist and pulled him, urging him as deep as he could go.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, Emmett, babe...shit...so good..." It was a clipped, strangled whisper, as he pressed himself deeper, leaning forward until our chests touched and slid with sweat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul moved against me, his back curving and his body thrusting with power, his face beautiful and strained. My begging grew louder and I locked my ankles at the dip of his lower back as he found the place deep inside me and laved my nipples with a flat tongue.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could see the stripes of streetlight crossing his body in the darkness as he fucked me, and I realized just how beautiful he was. It was a simple thing, but it made me realize that this was much more than a one-time occurrence; this type of thing just didn't feel that good, or this right. I could fall in love with him; there was no question about that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I loved how he said my name as he grinded himself into me. I couldn't take his murmurs, his deep voice, and his sweet breath on my neck. He rolled his hips, grabbing my ass in each hand, and pulling me against him rhythmically, moaning and cooing, urging me to keep going just the way I was. He angled his body against mine just-so and, before long, it was overwhelming; I felt my next orgasm building.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Paul...babe..." I whimpered.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Uh, huh, babe... Come on...cum for me. You feel so good. Cum for me again..." he panted, pressing firmly against my abdomen, never stopping his sure, steady stokes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wha...What is he doing? Oh god...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pressed harder, the thick muscle of his biceps twitching and straining against his exertion as he went deeper, and pushed into me harder, enough to have me writhing, and bowing, and rolling my body. With my back arched until the top of my head nearly rested on the bed, I said his name.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I pleaded for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We, us together, changed into something altogether different. From this fiery, uncontrolled thing, to smoldering, molten passion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stroked into me no more than five times after that, with his hand pressed against my abdomen – when it shook my body. Every ounce of energy I had focused and concentrated, contracted around me, and I came. I gripped my dick, willing the spasms to end and continue at the same time, because it was too much to bear. I came all over my hand, and his chest, but he kept going, chanting my name, telling me how good I felt.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Emmett...oh god..." He moaned loudly, his fingers threaded in my hair, gripping it at the root, making me fucking crazy. Making me feel like I wanted to come again, or…more. I wasn't even sure at that point, because my body was still possessed with contractions and release.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body tensed above mine, stroking into me one last time before... "Em..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head, obscuring his face for just a few seconds, as he panted against my ear and continued small grinds and thrusts into me. Then, he laid his perfectly chiseled body against me. Our hearts were thrumming erratically. I could feel his beating against my breastbone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a few moments, he left me and I heard some rattling around, then the patter of water hitting tile. He returned and set a glass of water on the nightstand closest to us for me. He leaned over my body with fists on the mattress and kissed me gently.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm getting in the shower. You want to join me?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We stood in his amazing bathroom, and even more amazing shower, with his head resting back against my shoulder, letting the steaming water beat against our bodies. I said sweet things to him as I lathered soap on his smooth body. Said his name as I washed his short hair. Ran my lips along his neck as I reached for his already hard dick. I lathered it too, but stayed there, loving it, stroking it, until Paul was moaning and thrusting his hips into my palm.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I rinsed his body, then prepped him, placing his foot higher on one of the raised grooves in the tub, and slid wet fingers into him tentatively, until he was ready, panting and groaning. I bent him slightly, just enough to accommodate me, and I was deeply seated inside him in the next breath. Paul arched his back, ground himself against me with lips parted and eyes squeezed shut, he said my name again, as I stroked him with my fist, and eased in and out of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">God he felt good.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't stop…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I never wanted to stop. He felt too good, so tight and ready for me; I could live here forever with him, like this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was early morning once we'd finally rested, my head on his chest, him coiling and uncoiling my hair around his fingers. We were silent for a long while, the streetlight still spilling into the room's darkness. I was so satiated and relaxed, listening to the steady beat of his heart, and watching his chest rise and fall.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So," I parroted. He was the first to say anything. That had to mean something...right?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Listen, Em... This didn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I won't lie; my heart stopped beating for a second, just on the precipice of shattering into a million little pieces.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Is... Is that what you want?" I shifted in his arms.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No. I mean, not if that's not what you want. I mean...what I meant to say is that, well… I really suck at this..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No, no, I understand." I moved to get up. Maybe I could get a cab.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He held me in place. "No, you don't get it. What I mean is – is that I really like you. And, well, I was hoping that this wouldn't be the last time. Uh, I mean, not this – well, this too, but I mean, us… I want to see you again."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I smiled and nodded. Paul was stuttering. It was cute; he really did like me, a fact that made my heart skip, then start its normal rhythm again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'd like that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You would?" That dazzling smile shined bright again, and I was home. I nodded in confirmation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of course. I mean, I've already kinda broken you in. Don't want to have to find another hot, non-crazy guy in this city."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His whole body shook with laughter, and he ran his hand over his hair, then pulled me closer to him. I rested my head against his chest, once again, and we slid under his comforter. His fingers drew circles on my back and, before I'd ever realized, his rubbing slowed to a stop, and he was asleep. And I was just behind him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">===========================</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was my first pass at slash, so, I hope I didnt fuck it up too much.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let me know what you think.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, and in case you didn't know, Kw`oliyot is the way our Quileute friends say, well... Quileute.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-58995412195222119812010-12-13T11:16:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:38:07.341-08:00Stealing Forever - Chapter 8 - Easing the Hurt<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 8 - Easing the Hurt</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Generally speaking, Claire considered West Virginia a grim-looking state. She waited silently for the others to comment on their surroundings, not wanting to seem pretentious, though it was hard not to at the moment. The landscape and what she'd seen of the people left quite a bit to be desired. Of course, Embry looked around brightly, and she watched his eyes survey the road ahead as they entered the state. He craned his head to look at her and flickered his eyes toward his window with a quizzical look. Then, a mile-wide smile broke across his face; it was infectious, and she responded wordlessly, with a shrug and a small grin.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She guessed that, at some point, the northern half, where their journey had brought them, was fairly modern and industrialized. She'd heard over the years that the area had had a considerable amount of coal-mining money filtering through, which helped with the local economy. But that day, by the time the three had seen it, it resembled a more or less ghoulish-looking cowboy-era ghost town. It was nothing like Philadelphia or anywhere even remotely surrounding it. As they quietly drove through the state, she found herself excited when she caught sight of something modern; anything to offset the rusted mid-century pick-up trucks littering house after run-down house. This fact helped her forget and stay occupied, which was all she really wanted at that point.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She searched the barren rustic land to the left or right of them. She counted the number of vehicles made after the 1970s, and then the 1980s, amid farms or old mills or deserted mines. It kept her mind busy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It all helped her forget, how much her heart and mind still ached.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Five days since the funeral and two weeks since... Things were still hard for her; very hard.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Times like this, though – watching the brilliant sun glow off the perfect, golden, reddish-brown skin of Jacob's bare forearm, or the way the cool breeze flipped and mussed Embry's unkempt hair, keeping her mind on what Jake was thinking or focusing on the curves and dips of Embry's left ear; the thought of nothing really, but the perfect weather and their surroundings made her almost, almost, forget.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In her perfect world, she'd never met Quil. So, there was no pain of loss, and she could just exist with these two selfless men, who were protective and watchful of her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wanted those memories of Quil to go away.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wanted to forget that Christmas party and her soiled Chanel jacket. She wanted to forget the wedding dress hanging in a bag that she could never again allow herself to unzip. She wanted to forget the beautiful muscles of his back, or his intricate tattoos, or the way his eyes wrinkled at the edges when he was being mischievous.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wished she could take her perfect, perfect memories of Quil and freeze them in time. She wished she could tie them with ribbon and place them in a wonderful, perfect box, lock that box and put it away forever. She wished she could forget, and just...be.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her perfect world was interrupted that afternoon, by no fault of her own.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Suddenly, as she drove along the sleepy towns littering Route 50 with the two people she felt closest to in the world, all she could feel was guilt. She felt the guilt of quarreling with Quil for leaving his socks on the bathroom floor the morning before the accident. It was a trivial thing, and they'd made up shortly thereafter, but she still felt the stinging pain of regret.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He'd been talking about taking Jacob out that evening, all week. Quil had been excited to see his friend and was determined to make him feel better. He'd called her one last time, just as he pulled up to Jake's house, apologized for their fight that morning and told her he loved, her among a myriad of other non-important topics of conversation that couples in love and in comfort with each other engage in. If she'd known that would be the last time they'd speak, she'd have come up with so much more to say, something meaningful and poetic. She'd tell him that he was her air, and her sun, and her life. She'd tell him he was everything she never knew to ask for.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She never got the chance, and that was something she'd always desire; those small, insignificant and all-consuming moments with her Quil that she'd never, ever get back.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, on days like this, on this clear, sunny July afternoon, she could forget. She bit back the stinging in her heart – it was always a stinging, a burning, or numbness – and let herself ease back into the comforting cadence that was Embry's conversation. He always helped her forget. He was so funny, and kind, and interesting. She could listen to him explain nearly anything to her for an infinite amount of time, because everything he said sounded so complex, and so beyond.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He'd held her when she'd snuck in his bed, so tenderly and chastely that she'd almost forgotten her pain. She wanted to go to him and tousle his hair, and let him smile his smile at her It was the smile that told everything would be okay, the smile that comforted her in those dark, frighteningly scary hours, and the smile that, though she'd never admit it to anyone, barely herself, reminded her of Quil's.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was grateful to Embry for engaging her from his passenger seat beside Jake, who was driving, and bobbing, and dipping along the hilly landscape. He talked to her, which also helped her drown out her own thoughts. Yes, today was a pretty bad day, but she noted that it wasn't as bad as the day before, and not nearly as bad as two days before that. She really only listened to every third or so word that he said, but that was enough to keep her mind off of anything that could drag her back down and ruin the progress of that bright West Virginia afternoon.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They'd traveled about half of the 150-mile trip through the state, and it had gone by faster than she'd even noticed. Jake was deathly quiet from the driver's seat, as she expected from him. He was focusing so intently on the road that she was sure he hadn't heard a word she or Embry had said in the last hour. She wanted so badly to know what was going on in his head, but he hadn't given her a glimpse of what was bubbling inside of him since that morning in the hospital when he'd cried and poured his soul out to her, and Embry, and everyone else who knew her Quil.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was still in pain, that much was clear, and she knew better than to compare her pain to anyone else's, but, God, he'd known Quil his whole life. He was a part of Jake as much as he was her. It hurt her more than she realized, initially, to look at him these days, because, while Embry was the light spirit he always was and she herself was slowly, very slowly, seeing changes in the grief, he was not changing. Not at all. She would even wager that things were getting worse, more difficult for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her heart was so full of love for him; even in these few days, the love she'd gained had grown so much that Jake's anguish was tangible to her. His hurt was her own, and, combined with her very real emotions, it was something that was physically painful for her. So, sadly, she avoided him, and looked to Embry to share her burden. [4] The hum of his voice eased and salved her, lulled her...lulled her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry paused, mid-sentence, when he glanced in the green tinged rear-view mirror only to see that Claire had fallen asleep. He'd have to continue his rant about his parents, his childhood, his rocky start to adolescence, and of his schooling later.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">St John's Academy, situated in a wealthy section of suburban Philadelphia, was a place where the judges and politicians, and chief executives of the area sent their sons for grade and high schools.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By the summer of 1994, Embry had all but sold his soul to avoid having to go there. Even upon entering his sixth grade year, he had a fairly firm handle on what he needed, or, at the very least, wanted; especially with regards to a place that he'd have to endure for eight or more hours of each day. This place was not a place he'd want to be, with its perfect, shiny floors, perfect-looking WASP students and massive church attached. Not this place, with its choking stiffness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was not a place for the creative. This was not a place for someone like him. He required a place that would provide the patience and one-on-one attention that, at that point in his young life, he needed so desperately.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry had known he was different for as long as he could remember.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He saw things differently. He thought differently, though, of course, he never realized until it was so unceremoniously pointed out to him by his peers, on several occasions. One thing, however, that Embry never lacked was self-confidence, which helped turn his unfocused brain into a wunderkind, after some time, and a person that had several friends, generally. In those early years, this was always a quandary to Embry – he never really tried to gain them.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At fourteen, he drew the line at boarding school. He refused to go to Boston-area Worton; he'd sooner run away, to Spain, perhaps. Maybe he'd even go to Greece, but before he'd ever choose to do something so rash, so selfish, he had to consider Jacob and Quil. They were his real friends. They got him, and they didn't judge. He also refused to leave the art department that he'd been doing so well in, or the support of Ms. Dwyer, who had been so patient and saw the potential in him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Math and the arts were where Embry excelled. Well, he excelled in most things without much effort, but mathematics was where he soared. When he tried to explain how he'd only ever gotten perfect grades in every math class he'd ever been in, including advance calculus by grade six, he could only describe numbers and logic as he'd always seen it in his brain.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…The way he'd always seen numbers, and music notes, and chess moves, and scientific equations.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He saw them as a series of colors.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It all came down to color.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eights were cold and blue.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Zeros were red and thin brush strokes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He soon learned that that was also not normal.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neither was the perfect score on his SATs or his complete inability to focus on anything that didn't involve percussion instruments.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No, none of it was very normal, at all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry was special. Even still, at the time, what was occurring seemed anything but. His genius manifested itself in almost complete withdrawal from anything and anyone that weren't his two friends, an easel, or a piano. More, once he'd hit puberty, his differences morphed into a complete inability to focus, need to always be away from home and with Jacob and Quil, and a near-perfect mathematical, musical, and artistic memory.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He would continue at St. Johns. He would stay as his parents travelled in Europe and Western Asia, his only supervision being his elderly grandmother. And he'd managed to get himself into quite a bit of trouble over the years, which, looking back, he was sure would have been a lot worse were it not for his friends. For the first few years, he was bitterly angry with his parents for leaving him there to fend for himself. Even now, at almost thirty, he still harbored the same boundless emotions of his youth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob stopped just outside Cincinnati's city limits to refill the tank, quietly engaging in the simple task. He took his time and didn't make a big deal when Claire wandered off to look around and stretch her legs. Embry leaned against the MDX with his arms crossed and brows furrowed, thoughtfully, for a few moments. Then, he pursed his lips like he always did.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You good to drive into the city? You've been goin' since Virginia." He cocked his head to the side and looked at Jake for any signs of fatigue.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake returned his friend's gaze and took inventory of how he was feeling at the moment. Just like the days prior, the only thing he could really feel was raw. He didn't know what to do with or to make of these feelings, so he tried this best to push them away. He tried everything to ignore the emotional distress, which he was learning would remain with him for the long-haul, like a deep-set splinter underneath his thumb.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body was healing nicely, thankfully, because he was nearing the bottom of his prescription, but he still wasn't resting enough. He'd really gotten used to the tired, dull wanton ache that resulted from a lack of good sleep. So, he ignored that altogether.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm okay. It's only another hour or so, or at least that's what the GPS says."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry smirked and Jake almost smiled. He'd always had the worst luck with GPSs and the one that came with his truck was no exception. Embry hated the thing, but, at least it kept them somewhat on-route. God only knew what would happen if he'd have to read the map that he'd commandeered from the hotel in back in Crystal City.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Where's Claire?" Jake looked around and tried his best not behave as the concerned patriarch he was feeling like at the moment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry glanced around, as well, and then saw a head of jet-black hair and a graceful neck from fifty yards away. She was standing in line with a handful of various food items, and smiling a weak smile at the obvious advance of a guy, about their age, in line behind her. Jake followed Embry's gaze and his jaw clenched involuntarily, as did his grip on the handle of the gas nozzle. He watched intently for any wrong-move by the guy, quietly sizing him up from where he stood in the parking lot and preparing himself for the possible need to react if the stranger stepped out of line with their Claire. Embry watched, too, with less fury, yes, but watched closely, never the less.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After half a beat, Claire exited, the guy seemed to back off, and Jake was able to relax a bit. Embry met her a few steps away from the car and helped her with the bags. Jacob watched the simple interaction until she was seated in the vehicle, and the gas nozzle clicked loudly indicating it had reached capacity. He climbed into the driver's seat and prepared for the remainder of the drive, pressing various buttons – the air conditioning, the radio. He preferred the silence, but learned that hours on an open road with nothing to entertain didn't do well with others included on the trip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake..." Claire's sing-songy voice got his attention, his head turning.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"…Got you some Mountain Dews." Her tone, coupled with her feminine hand swaying the green and yellow can in feigned enticement, caused an unexpected smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. It felt so foreign, so odd, and uncomfortable. So much so that he took the cold beverage from her and that small smile quickly disappeared.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...but not before Claire saw it, and man, did it look amazing on him. It made her heart jump a little, which was a decidedly strange reaction to have for Jacob. But, he had smiled for her. The first one she'd seen since, well, she couldn't remember when. Perhaps, things weren't as bad as she had previously thought with him. Maybe he was coming around, if even in the smallest amount.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake slipped into his favorite sneakers after feeling around in the dark for jeans and a t-shirt. The night was cool but pleasant, and the twinkling city lights made his walk an easy one. After relenting to the gorilla that was his insomnia, he remembered the bar he'd noticed as the trio made their way into the city when he'd awaken. It would do and provide him with something to pass the next few hours until Quil and Claire would wake, too. He could finally get a drink and, hopefully, some time to himself, and rest from the perceived strong front he was performing for Claire and Embry's benefit. He was tired in mind and body, and, as he crossed the small side street to enter, he began his descent and took off the mask.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hours before he'd left, Claire had crawled into his bed and snuggled closely to him. He flipped through every thought imaginable, wondering why she had chosen to sleep with him that night. Did she pity him? Did she see the aching desire for human touch that he furtively wanted so badly through this difficult time? It was a desire that he'd never, ever admit to her or Embry. He'd wanted to stay there with her, to feel her warm, soft body and smell her light, citrus smell, but his mind was racing and he literally couldn't remain there, lying next to her a second longer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, there he sat, in the little dive with heavy wooden booths, a loudly-playing FIFA match, and too many patrons. He straddled his massive body on a stool in a corner of the bar, sipping his Jack and Coke. Then he followed it with a Red Stripe, staring straight ahead for the first hour, sipping, and thinking, and sipping.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Can I get you another one?" Jacob glanced around after his broken daze, finally locking his two black eyes with two blue ones.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bartender was hot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even through the haze of liquor and pain, Jacob could see that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wore a denim vest, showcasing her ample breasts, a short leather skirt and cowboy boots. She flipped her waist-length auburn hair over her shoulder, noting his confusion and nodding to the empty glass sitting in front of him. He nodded, and she turned to prepare his simple drink.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're not from around her, eh?" She set the dark mixture in front him after placing a small, squared napkin down. He remained silent, and looked at her through intense eyes. Hot or not, Jacob was not in the mood for small talk.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bartender nodded her understanding, and went about her night, serving her other patrons, glimpsing in the direction of Jacob and monitoring the liquor in his glass. As much as he tried to ignore her, though, she made herself known; bending over to better hear a customer, a sliver more of shapely thigh making itself known to him and, while reaching up for a low-ball glass, a slice of stomach peeking through.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As the night wore on and the futbol matches continued, she retrieved a pair of shot glasses, placed them on the edge of the bar, and reached for the Cuervo, because it was her favorite and because the tall Indian was cute and dangerous-looking. She filled them each to the brim and Jacob watched intently as she placed small bowls of salt and limes between the two of them. Bartender raised an eyebrow and glanced around the bar, before resting her blue eyes back on Jacob.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"C'mon, now," she began, "you won't let a girl drink by herself, huh?" Jacob's jaw clenched and unclenched, in mild annoyance, as he made his decision. His fingers dwarfed the tiny glass, as Bartender licked the fatty crook connecting her thumb and index finger. She noticed that the tall Indian completely ignored her salt and limes, so she decides to, as well.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Salud." She raised the glass to her lips, with chipped black nail polished-fingers. Then, the pair consume the liquid in one synchronized motion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was where he needed to be. His head was just fuzzy enough to numb the pain, but not so much so that he didn't have control over his actions. At least, that was after the one; by his third shot of tequila, he was certifiably intoxicated. He could get back to the hotel, but just barely – only, only if he didn't drink anymore.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bartender continued to chat him up, and pour him shots of tequila, even after her shift ended around 3AM.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So, you gonna tell me more about yourself, or do I have to feed you more of the Cuervo for you to open up?" She cocked an eyebrow and licked her lips with a smirk. Jacob knew that look; he'd seen it on every sorority girl that had ever played late-night beer pong with him and his team mates. Initially, that look scared the shit out of him, coming from a girl like this bartender. She looked wild, and powerful, and fearless, three things he neither had the wherewithal nor the cognizance to handle. But, as the night and morning wore on, she looked even better than she did when he was sober, and her fearlessness pulled out of him a fearlessness of his own. He lost what little resistance he had, and his brain slowly turned to mush at the thought of her knee pressing persistently against his under the heavy, worn booth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He squinted and, in that moment, he noticed something for the first time since the accident, and even before that; the night with Rose and Edward and his lost best friend.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wasn't hurting. He didn't feel the stabbing in his chest, and the guilt wasn't overtaking him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was swimming, watery, like a dream. His body felt fine, and his mind was only on one thing; the undeniably attractive bartender who had released a button on the top of her vest and had her practiced fingers gripping his knee. He grinned at her, playing with the skinny straw he'd been chewing on for the past half-hour, and showing her what he hadn't showed in a while: his perfect teeth and the deep dimples of his cheeks that seemed out of place on his masculine face.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Now, that's what I want to see," Bartender said, her eyelids droopy from alcohol and a 10-hour shift, and from lust.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Something passed between the two, sitting in that too-loud bar in Cincinnati. Somewhere between the proceeding shots of golden liquid and the dimly-lit dank bathroom, they came to an understanding. They each would get what they needed, and there would be no discussion of it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bartender tried her best to keep her balance as Jake pressed himself into her again, and again, her bare back rubbing against the scratchy, graffiti and god-knows-what-else covered bathroom wall. The heel of her boot on the edge of the toilet did little to help, as she jerked violently toward and away from him. Jake was fully with her, in that men's bathroom that smelled of urine and stale liquor. What he wasn't was thinking about the pain, and for that he was grateful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She moaned loudly. He grunted, and after exactly thirteen minutes in the red-light lit box, Jake emptied himself into the sheath of latex. Bartender smiled the smile of a minx, of a woman that had gotten what she'd wanted, and Jacob tucked himself back into his favorite jeans; jeans that Rose had bought him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After she'd slid her phone number into his jeans pocket and made her way back into the bar, Jake tried his best to steady himself and splash water from the ancient-looking faucet on his face. He stumbled back into the cool early-morning air and then the expensive hotel room the three were staying in for the night, or the week, whatever.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was drunk, but not drunk enough to miss that he smelled of sex and sweat and nauseatingly-sweet liquor. He briefly considered showering before entering the bed with Claire again – he wouldn't have her smelling another woman on him – but thought better of it. He could barely fish out his key card and enter the hotel room, let alone master the dexterity required for washing oneself at this level of intoxication. So, instead, he found the oversized chaise lounge in the sitting room, slipped out of his sneakers and shirt, because shit, he was hot, and did as little to focused on what he'd spent the night doing or who he'd done it with as possible.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wasn't in pain. He felt okay. He still felt watery, and dreamy, and fuzzy, but at least he felt fine. He didn't think of Rose, or of Quil or the accident. He didn't think of Philadelphia, or of his parents, or of his mortgage. He thought of Bartender; of the feel of her and the taste of her mouth. He shifted until he was comfortable. Then, Jacob let the numbing effects of sleep and drunkenness ease him under.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">====</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N – </b>Thanks for reading; I appreciate each one of you. Jake is obviously going through a tough time, as are the rest of the group, each processing their grief differently.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to my beta, Kay Cannon, she rocks, and to her I am wildly grateful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I want to invite you to check out my C2, Pack Play that I manage with my friends Little Furry Cannibals, Dahlia Black, and Wolfpull85. It's not for the faint of heart, but, you may find some naughty things staring your favorite member of the TTS wolfpack. (http):/(www.)fanfiction.(net)/community/(Pack_Play_The_Best_In_Wolfpack_Lemons)/75509/</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come follow me on Twitter. ArtBeatsandLife</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-68958726879997368712010-12-13T11:09:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:38:36.595-08:00The Neighbor - Chapter 8 - Pressed Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4921838903_4a2d620094_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4921838903_4a2d620094_z.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 8 - Pressed Again</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We made it to our gate in enough time, even after stopping at an airport restaurant for burgers and mulling around for snacks and magazines. I really, really needed gummy bears, so Jake searched for the ones I wanted that weren't too hard - I hated that. He also tracked down the exact People Magazine with Matthew McConaughey on the cover that Alice had been telling me all about. It had an editorial with a vintage-looking dress she was considering incorporating in the wedding somehow, maybe for a bridesmaid or even a mother-of-the-bride dress. Her mother Esme did have the perfect figure for it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, being with Jake day to day I'd seen others stare. I mean we were a pretty striking couple, especially Jake with his height and perfect body, and stunning face and eyes. But, I'd never traveled with him, never had that many eyes on us, especially from women - young, old, flight attendants, teens traveling with family, all of them couldn't help staring at Jake, and then at me, appraisingly. 'Who was the brunette with the amazing, demigod?'</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Eat your heart out, bitches; yes, he's fucking me, and it's better than you could ever imagine.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake was definitely beautiful - it was apparent to anyone that had eyeballs - but, what made it special, and almost comforting, was that it was unobtrusive. His gorgeousness wasn't obnoxious, and, with those dimples, well, he had an acute masculinity juxtaposed with near...cuteness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A smile so small I'm sure no one could see it but me played on his lips as he glanced in my direction, seeing my subtle but apparent war stare. Yes, I was peeing on him, marking my territory, ready to strike in the direction of any woman willing to challenge this brunette.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was amused.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He paused for a moment, pulling me to a complete stop and wrapping his arms around me lovingly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">What? What is he doing?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pressed his lips to mine, parting them slightly and sliding his tongue across my own, smoothing my lips softly, moving his mouth in a kiss that nearly singed my eyebrows off.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Wow.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm yours," he assured, placing one last peck against my very surprised lips. He nodded a silent punctuated affirmation, then quickly walked us to the appropriate gate, never moving his hand from my ass, while managing our baggage with practiced agility. I did a mental victory dance as I saw the faces of so many of those women go sick with envy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Mine.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He smiled at me again, as we made our way through the tunnel, and the butterflies that had most recently shown themselves in my stomach returned to their fluttering. I realized I was being a bit silly. If this thing was ever going to work between us, I had to promise myself that I'd deal with this whole jealousy issue. I mean, I couldn't in good conscious man-handle every goo-goo eyed school girl and hot business woman that ever laid eyes on Jake, now could I?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were seated on the top level, in two of the seats closest to a window, toward the back, giving us privacy, which was perfect for us. We settled in for our thirteen hour flight – Jake pulled out his laptop and began working on his next chapter, countless books and notes scattered about. I loved watching him work, especially on something he was so passionate about. I stuck in my ear buds, turned on Kings of Leon and tried to shave off a couple hours by taking a nap.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake and I both purchased on-air wifi, so I managed to get quite a bit of work done, plus answer the looming list of emails that were piling up in my work inbox. Victoria was asking for several items for Zenitar that Brent was on her ass about. And, after some creative 6 hour time difference scheduling, I had a conference call with Mike and team on Monday evening. Not to mention, I had to proof a billboard that another of our clients, Red Circle, was planning on placing in the middle of downtown Miami.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tried to break up our hours of work by pausing to kiss Jake's cheek or neck. He'd follow with a peck on my forehead or nose, or rub my knee, and my heart would jump. Still. My heart still jumped for him like when I had just laid eyes on him in that hallway.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took a break finally, deciding to pull out a book, and, after a while, peeked out from behind the copy of Grapes of Wrath I'd started over an hour before that. I'd napped, Jake and I had talked, of course, iPod, laptop, work and writing...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was restless.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was restless, we still had 5 hours left before we reached Charles de Gaulle, and Jake was doing that thing he did when he was deep in thought that just drove me crazy. His eyes were deeply intense and his brows were drawn inward in concentration. He just looked so handsome and I couldn't stop myself from remembering this face as one I had seen so many times before, only, there were far less clothes involved between us.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My knee started bouncing about two seconds before I realized the wetness and heat. I tried to get some relief, squeezing my thighs together, rolling my hips as inconspicuously as I could, but those small movements were of little help to my current situation. I lifted the center armrest, and moved a bit closer to Jake, lightly leaning into him so I could feel the hardness of his muscular arm against my soft, and growingly more sensitive, breast.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I paused to appreciate him, the smell of him, the earthy sweetness of clove, the feel of him against my body. I had long before slipped out of my flats, and was gently rubbing the top of my foot against his calf, wrapping my leg around his, and soundlessly purring my pleasure and need for him. His cheek curled into a half-smile for a couple seconds; he tapped a few keys and hit save before lifting his fingers from his keyboard and stowing his laptop away.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes?" he questioned, playfully.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By this point, I had all but wrapped my entire body around him; my legs were tangled in his, and I was leaning the full weight of my body on him. I grinned, and he laughed and slipped under the blanket I had draped over my lap. I looked around in the darkness, attempting to be...demure? I mean, we were on a public flight with dozens of other people just feet away. I'm pretty sure Jake didn't give a shit, though, as he leaned me against the cabin window, his massive hands inching and squeezing up my thigh. I tried my best not to giggle too loudly, but was fast losing that battle as his soft mouth kissed and bit my neck, setting off sparks of pleasure directly connected to my nipples.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're insatiable, you know that?" he murmured against my ear, inching his hands higher on my thigh, his cock stiff against my hip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body responded immediately to him, my mouth watered, and I felt another wave of heat spread over me. It was late, or early, as we jetted somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, many passengers fast asleep or reading in the dim lighting above head. I wanted to be quiet, I really did, but, after Jake curled his hand around mine and pressed it against him, wanting me to feel his cock, as solid as iron, I was a whimpering, low-moaning mess.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You are so bad. I want you," he continued, grinding himself into my palm. "We need to find somewhere to go, cuz I gotta fuck you soon..." he whispered, slipping his fingers in the waistband of my leggings and past my panties, until he was knuckle-deep inside me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Oh my god.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe, let alone figure out where we could go. All I could do was feel his fingers rhythmically inside me. In...out...in...out...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Goddamnit Bella...you smell so fucking good." He quickly pulled his fingers out of me, sucking them clean, and then eased into me again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could have cum right then. The thought of him enjoying the taste of me that much was just so beyond sexy. Even in the dim night air, I could see him licking his lips, and sucking them into his mouth. I was so fucking wet, so ready, I was sure I'd need new clothes. This was just ridiculous.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Shit—" I ground out, feeling the deep spasms begin as I rolled my hips against his steady fingers. His thumb circled my clit, as he forced three fingers back inside me. I tried to find purchase on anything I could, one hand gripping the back of his hair, the other curling a fist around his sweatpants-covered dick. The heat hummed though my body. It wasn't a huge, overpowering thing like so many of the orgasms he'd forced from me, but it was delicious all the same. His lips finally found mine, soft and eager, and I moaned into his mouth, assuring him that I'd just cum. I knew he was just as wound up at the moment as I was, leaning closer to me and trying to catch his breath.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella, I'll go first. I'll be at the back of the plane, in the bathroom. You wait a minute, then..." He kissed my lips, again. "...meet me in there."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body immediately felt the emptiness once his warmth was away from me, and as soon as he left, I wanted him near me again. I wanted to be anywhere he was. I watched him lithely make his way the short trip down the aisle, and enter the lavatory. I was obedient, doing just as he had told, but wondering how the two of us would fit into such a small space comfortably and unnoticed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bathroom was slightly larger than any I'd seen state-side, I assumed because I'd never flown a non-American airline, and it flew internationally, so there's probably something to be said about flying on such long flights. Jake had barely folded himself into the small space height-wise, but he looked to be okay, even more so now that I had joined him there. What was it with us in bathrooms these days?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt his lips on mine, as he pulled me to him, running his hands up and down the sides of my body, while sucking and kissing my neck and the underside of my jaw. All at once, I had on too many layers of clothes, and so did he. I wished that I could see his body - all of him - but we didn't have much time, or room, and we needed this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake urgently pulled at my pants, leaning into me and squeezing and biting at my tits. He yanked my shirt and bra enough to expose my nipples. Then, his soft, wet mouth was on them, licking and sucking, rolling his tongue and flicking my nipple, and I stifled a moan. He knew what that fucking did to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His hands slid into the back of my panties and pants, pulling the wet-suctioned fabric away from my body and down to just below my knees. My fingers found the drawstring of his sweats and pulled at them until I had access to what I wanted. I slipped his shirt up and over his head, because I had to feel his hot naked skin against mine. I had to smell him and taste his nipples in my mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I licked my palm, wrist to tip, and began pumping my fist up and down his cock. He leaned me against the small sink area, patting my hip and prompting me to widen my stance. I was so excited that I wanted him inside of me like I needed air. I needed to feel the searing heat and burn of his body stretching mine. I needed to feel his dick filling me, tightly, until I'd lost all other thoughts except how good he made me feel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake gingerly bent his knees, with his dick gripped with confidence, positioning himself just-so. Then, he stood upward and eased inside me with his fingers squeezing my hips firmly. I hissed it was so good; the satisfying feel of him stretching, making it hurt with pleasure at the very same time. The feel of his hands on my body, the way he commanded and had complete control over me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He began his slow pace, taking his time, pulling and pushing my body as he needed to, kissing my neck, and licking a long trail to my shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake...shit..." I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut, only to have him shush me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella," he said against my ear, so low even I could barely hear him, "you gotta be quiet, babe. Damn you feel so good." He was even harder, even bigger, in this position, grinding deeper inside me with every stroke.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could only stand there and feel. Feel him wrap my hair around his fist, and tug, jerking my head back gently so he could have better access to my lips. Feel him smoothly fucking me, like it wasn't affecting him nearly as much as it was me, but I knew better. He looked at me closely with those black eyes, and was rough but tender, and passionate, and entirely focused on what we were doing, what he was doing to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He lapped at my nipples, pulling each one into his mouth silently, the only sounds the whirring of engine jets and the soft slosh and of him pressing and dragging his too-big dick in and out of my embarrassingly wet pussy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I bit my lip to keep from moaning and dug my nails into his upper arms to stop myself from slapping his chest. The sensation, the excitement of us there at that moment, inches away from others, not able to move more than a foot in any direction, and concentrating on his movements was a bit much. I tried not to, because it was so good, like better than some of our best times together, and I really never wanted him to stop fucking me just like this, but...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Cumming," I said, in a clipped whisper against his mouth on mine. He growled an affirmation, before bending his knees until the thick rounded tip of his dick was almost entirely out of me, and standing upright, deepening his stroke; so deep, he forced me upward with him to near tip-toe. I could feel everything, hyper-sensitive to every piece of naked skin touching me, every groove, and every thick inch of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My fingers curled tightly, while my teeth bit into the tender skin of my lip so hard I was afraid I'd draw blood. My pussy contracting around him was so intense I wanted to cry, and yell, and hit him even more. I tried to keep control, but it didn't matter, just as it never did, and my body continued to jerk, and spasm, and grind on his still very solid cock.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He let me finish; he waited a few moments until I was done, before slowly pulling out of me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Turn around," he whispered, simply. Jake stepped backward, slightly, to allow for me to obey. Then he lead me to the right spot, placing my palms flat against either side of the sink. "Wider."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I spread my legs as wide as the space and the elasticity of my leggings would allow. He ran his fingers up the length of my bare lips, pausing to rub my clit, before he was deep inside me, again. I grunted, forcing back the proceeding loud outburst that had nearly escaped. My palms were tight fists, steadying myself against forceful strokes. Jake's hands found my waist, pulling me onto his cock, moving me here or there, and looking for the spot that he knew would make me cum a third time, with his eyes trained on my body, my ass, or my tits.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I watched him fucking me, though.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the mirror, in the low lighting, was the reflection of the man I loved behind me, glancing up, and looking me intensely in the eye, as he fucked me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella..." he whispered, pulling my hair to the side opposite him, "you look so good..so fucking sexy... so bad. You love it like this don't you?" Face grimacing in pleasure, I nodded.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah. I'm gonna cum again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There, as he forcefully drove into me, causing my whole body to jump forward with every thrust, I got why he loved watching my tits bounce like this when he fucked me; this shit was so hot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Want me...come...don't you?" he mouthed to me in the mirror. His face was so beautiful, so satisfied, with so much love for me, full and on display.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded again, as he slipped even further and sped his pace, gripping me tightly, pressing his lips to my ear.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Almost losing my balance a couple times, Jake leaned me into the cold steel So, I let him touch me, and grab me, and press his bare chest against my back. He brushed his fingers roughly against my clit, stroking me, as I pushed myself against the steady movement of his hands and hips. He only held my gaze for a moment later, his dark eyes squeezing shut and his focus turning to the orgasm that was washing over him. My attention turned, as well, every ounce of concentration on the building, then to the clenching drug out of my body, and the dripping and slickness that was his release mixed with my own.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We stayed there, coupled for a few moments, as we both allowed our breathing to return to some semblance of normal. I tried my best to clean up, while Jake re-dressed, and wantonly watched me push my tits back into my bra. "See something you like over here?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, yeah." He reached for my clothes, playfully trying to pull them back off. I giggled a little too loudly, slapping his hands away as he exited the small space with me right on his heels. We nearly ran straight into one of the attractive middle-aged flight attendants, who gave us both a knowingly stern eyeing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake smiled smoothly at her, like the most normal thing in the world was two people exiting a transcontinental flight restroom together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I chucked nervously. "Hi…uh, hey."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Please take your seats. The captain has just turned on the 'fasten seat-belts' sign," she murmured with a heavy English accent. I pressed my forehead into Jake's back, clasping his hand tightly, fully mortified.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As inconspicuously as possible, we made our way back to our seats, me completely satiated, him with a knowing grin. He couldn't keep his hands off of my hip, my thigh, my arm; he was excited like I'd ever seen him before, hopped up on the thrill of us in that enclosed public space.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Soon, after we'd both come down from our sex high, and had finished making out for a few moments, we did something we rarely did, because, admittedly, neither of us are extremely verbose. We talked.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I love you," Jake said, kissing the side of my neck.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I love you too, babe."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm glad you're coming with me. I can't see wanting anyone else to be here besides you." He kissed along my jaw until his lips lingered against mine. He pulled away, leaning back in his seat and pulling my legs into his lap, rubbing my calves and ankles.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We do always have fun together."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "That we do."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I slapped him playfully on his chest, and he responded with a look of feigned innocence and surprise. I rolled my eyes with a grin. "You know what I mean."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I do." He squeezed my thigh, almost wrapping his entire palm around my leg.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well...that, but we always laugh, you know? I mean, you're my person. Besides Ali, you're the first person I want to run to and tell a dirty joke or, like, when Victoria's being an ultrabitch."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells, you're my person, too. You know that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I know, I know. I just – I mean," I shifted in his hold on me, "I just wanted you to know it."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He nodded. "I know it, Bells, cuz I feel the same way."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His honesty was all in his eyes, just like it always was; I kissed his lips softly, playing with the wisps of hair at the nape of his neck. I wondered if it ever got lonely while he was away from Florida, away on assignment to these places where there was not a soul who knew him or his family. No one to look after him or to make sure he was calling his dad, or eating right or just... someone that loved him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You and Angela ever go to Paris?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No, just me. She could never get away from the office long enough for anything overseas." Jake talked about his ex sparingly, as did I, neither of us wanting to relive past lives that were gone long before we'd met.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You never wanted her there with you?" I found it odd that he wouldn't. He always wanted me with him, even in those small little life moments that don't really mean much, but mean everything.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake paused and looked at me thoughtfully. "I did, but I think by the point I'd really started going overseas, Angie and I were going through some things, you know?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded. "Yeah. Those last days can be rough."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Right. So, traveling started being an escape from the situation, I'm kinda sad to say."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were a few moments of comfortable silence between us. He pulled me closer to him, and I glanced at my BlackBerry, realizing we had just over three hours left.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You talk to Peter?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Of course he'd bring up Peter. I brought up Angela, after all.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, for a few minutes last week. He called to tell me his mom was sick, again."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake nodded an affirmation, eyebrows furrowing. He'd never admit it – Jake had way too much man pride for that – but I knew he hated when I talked to him. We'd broken up over two years ago, but, really, no one ever really forgets their real first love.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You planning to visit her?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No. I'll send over flowers or something. I just can't do that with him right now."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You sure?" He meant that I should think of my relationship with his mother and not my relationship with Peter, and think about seeing her. I wasn't disagreeing; it was something I'd just have to think through before breaching. I'd have to figure out a way to completely bypass any possible face-to-face contact with him. I definitely wouldn't deal with that if I could help it at all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah. I'll have to think about it. I do want to see Marie. I just...I don't want to see him, you know?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake was quiet, appeased for the moment, but I was sure I'd hear more about this subject in the future.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You ever think you won't want to do this traveling thing, I mean, long-term? I know you love it..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, you know I love this. Right now anyway, but, with you now, it brings up some things."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was my turn to look at him quizzically. Not really sure what he meant by that, a million things ran through my mind, most of them good, some of them pretty awesome, a couple of them kinda, not so nice. He saw me purse my lips, preparing for my line of questions.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Why don't you take a nap, babe? I have a little more to write before we get there, huh?" He slowly kissed my lips, and I nodded my response, pushing back my questions for a later, easier time. Then, I sipped my room temperature apple juice, and pulled my blanket up around my chin.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">---</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The water was set as hot as I could stand it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I stood there, under the spray, letting it soak my body, from head to toe, rubbing my shoulders, arms and legs, because I was beyond sore from traveling on that flight for all those hours. Even with my periodic strolls through the plane to stretch my legs, being out of that small space was like heaven. My fingers raked through my scalp, ran over my body, scrubbing the day, and early morning and sex from my skin. It was just about midnight back in Jacksonville and Jake and I were already feeling the effects of jetlag taking over our cognitive functions.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake was in the room, unpacking whatever was most important for now, plugging in our various electronic devices and stripping down to just his boxer-briefs. I peeled my own clothes from by body, leaving them in a heap in the corner of the bedroom. The hotel was more than I'd expected, our room being more of a long-term stay mini apartment with a master bedroom, sitting area and small kitchenette.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I scrubbed again, ran shampoo through my hair, thoroughly washing and rinsing because the showerhead in that hotel bathroom was like ecstasy on my skin. After dragging my toothbrush around my mouth and a few other primping rituals, I was ready to test out that amazingly soft-looking featherbed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"All yours." We crossed paths, me with my towel wrapped snugly around my body.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I ran my hand drier through my hair, just enough for it not to soak the pillow through, before giving Renee, Alice and Charlie a quick text letting them know I was beat, but I'd made it to Paris safely and to expect calls once I'd slept for three days. If I was any less exhausted, though, I would have jumped on Jake, getting things started that I was much too tired to do, as I watched his perfectly muscled bare body casually stride into the bathroom, steam billowing from the door.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Good God. That ass.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I curled into the bed and, just as I thought, it was amazing. Sleep in a brand new bed, in Paris, even though it was 6 a.m., was ideal. I waited a good ten minutes for Jake, but I was exhausted, and the bed was just so...damn...awesome.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sounds from the street below woke us, the light spilling in from the afternoon sun. Luckily, our room was facing away from the searing heat of day, granting me some relief. Jake's iPhone went off next, his dad, or editor or someone like that, no doubt, though. He just felt around for it, silencing it without looking, his head still buried in a mountain of ice-white pillows.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh my god..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I know..." Jake finally rolled over, fidgeting with the small device, making sure the settings were turned off completely.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Somewhere, someone's telling us it's time to get up."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I completely disagree with you" he mumbled, pulling my body closer to him and wrapping himself around me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I giggled. "So, how do you think we're ever gonna sleep now, huh? It's like Central Park out there, and like my office in here."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care," he chanted, burying his face in my hair, then kissing my neck.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Jake</i>..." I sing-songed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His mouth was on me, kissing me softly, placing pecks along my bottom lip, and then deepening, with his smooth tongue moving across mine. We stayed there, kissing, and running fingertips over cotton-covered nipples, and bare skin. We were completely naked seconds later, as he edged his way between my thighs, wrapping his strong arms around each of them, running his tongue around my clit, and pressing his middle and ring fingers inside me. He lapped his stiff, then flat tongue across that sensitive spot, curling his fingers until we both felt the wetness, and I was cumming.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He hovered above me, kissing me again, letting me taste myself on his lips. I slid my palms along his waist and hips, taking his boxers with them and throwing them to the hardwood floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he was inside me, again. We were moving, grinding our hips together, wetness covering my bare pussy, him slickly bowing and curving his back and sucking along the underside of my breasts.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, Jake, baby..." I gasped and moaned his name, and a million other things, as I came, quickly and easily. I don't know if it was something about us being in Paris or about this being our first time in this bed together, but, god, we felt good together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were together three more times before the night came, and Jake went out for food for us. We ate on the balcony, talking about all kinds of unimportant things, drinking wine and watching the night lights. I loved him even more, as he cracked his jokes and told me stories of him travelling over the last couple years.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"And, what exactly am I supposed to do while you're out saving the world with your pen?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I told you, Bells, I'll introduce you to Rose tomorrow. She's great. You'll love her; she can show you around. I'm pretty sure she'll have lots of time on her hands with all the retail shops around here being closed for holiday and all."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I looked at him, completely unconvinced. "Okay, Jake. I really hate to make her have to babysit me."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No way, Bells. I already talked to her, and let her know that I'd be here and I was bringing you with me. She's excited, trust me."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"But, uh, you may have to do some shopping with her..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake. Define some."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You worry too much, Bella. It will all work out. Trust me." He flashed me that grin, again, the one with the dimple I wanted to stick my tongue in, and, somewhere, I knew I was in for trouble.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">=====</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N -</b> So, they finally made it! I hope Jake and Bella's recent induction into the Mile High Club was everything you hoped it would be!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you to my ficwife and beta, Kay Cannon for all her hard work. Whipping this thing into shape was no small feat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you to Live720, KennedyMommy and Bella Gattino for all their positivity. You girls make this story so fun to write.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few plugs:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-The Neighbor has been nominated for an Underdog Award over at The Air, The Sun. If you like this little tangy fic, show some love over there when the time is right for voting :) (http):(/community.)livejournal.(com)/theair_thesun/96200.(html)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I have a little C2 here on FFn, Pack Play: The Best In Wolfpack Lemons. I personally suggest you hopping on over when you get a chance, if you're looking for a dirty little story starring your favorite wolfpack member. Don't forget to search the M-rated fics. (http)(:)/(www).fanfiction.(net)/community/Pack_Play_The_Best_In_Wolfpack_Lemons/75509/</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-If you aren't following me on twitter already, what the hell are you waiting for? Artbeatsandlife</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay that's it ladies and germs. Until next time...</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-53862703389376738452010-12-13T11:01:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:39:13.551-08:00The Neighbor - Chapter 7: Leaving on a Jetplane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4854575747_7c9443149a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4854575747_7c9443149a_z.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Short A/N: </b>The Neighbor is up for the 'Jacob You Would Do' category http : / / www . livejournal . com /poll/?id=1618053 in The Underdogs Awards http : / / community . livejournal . com /theair_thesun/108134 . html, be sure to show some love and vote! Shout out to Seventh Inning Stretch by Live720 as well. AWESOME story!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">--</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake!" Renee completely bypassed me in favor of a near running-hop into the arms of my boyfriend.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ms. Dwyer..." Jake started, his sun-eclipsing smile spread across his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Renee!" my mother admonished, "I told you to call me Renee."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of course, Renee," he continued, with his grin. "I brought dessert. I hope that's okay." I had convinced him to make that chocolate thing that I'd gone so batshit for once upon a time. It seemed so long ago, so many things had changed in our lives, even in that moment, as we stood at a precipice of our future, only days away from our month-long trip abroad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even though I tried my best to stop myself, I couldn't; trust me, with an hyperactive best friend like Alice chirping in my ear about the whole thing, I couldn't help it. I was so, so excited. Excited to travel to a place I'd never been and to be living in the city of lights, Paris, for such an extended period of time. Excited to be staying at the gorgeous hotel we were, but, most of all, excited to be going with Jake, a man that was single-handedly showing me what love, and passion, and the thrill of newness was really all about.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of course, Jake," Renee answered, smiling. "Bella has told me all about this stuff. And, lemme tell you, if its half as good as she says, you may have to pry it away from me." She winked, and I rolled my eyes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Uh, hi?" <i>What am I, chopped liver? </i>Maybe at some point, she'd notice I was standing there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, hey Bellabear!" She kissed me quickly on the cheek, and then turned back to Jake. Gotta love her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He handed Renee the tulips I'd picked out. I told him they were her favorite, and he thought it'd be a good idea to bring them along. This was the second time they'd ever met, with the first being an impromptu drop-in when I needed to pick up my birth certificate from the house. We'd only stayed for a short time, but I knew my crazy mother enough to know that she was absolutely gaga over him, which made me smile.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She'd insisted, much like Jake's dad, that we stop my soon, and we all figured it would be a good idea that that happen before we left the country for so long. I tried to tell my mom that I'd cook, or even Jake – that she didn't have to go to any trouble – but she insisted that Gavin, her personal chef, make something for the occasion. We didn't protest too much because, as I'd told Jake before, Gavin's jerk chicken and herb potato mash was worth killing over.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We walked through the massive doors of the home I'd spent most of my teens in, everything still brilliant, colorful, and eclectic, just like Renee. Phil was travelling, of course; taping something or other for ESPN, now that he was a high-paid anchor one of its more popular shows. It was an easy transition after he'd retired from baseball last year.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The three of us stopped at the kitchen, and as Renee took the clear dish from Jake, ushering us into the living room sitting area, she began chatting away with him. I adored how he looked with the people I loved most in the world. It gave me warm-fuzzies I'd never admit to. He felt comfortable; warm like the sun. He felt like home</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As Renee continued her friendly questioning, Jake answered every one charmingly, and I shook my head with a smile. Before long, dinner was ready.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I searched for the teeniest bikini I could, because I really didn't want any tan lines, and my blue one appeared to fit that description. Jake seemed to love the racing stripes across the outsides of by breasts and along my hips after I'd been in the sun for an extended time, though. He had convinced me that we needed a day at the beach before we'd be away from his beloved Florida oceans.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The weather was perfect, the waves were ideal for surfing, and there weren't a million tourists out that morning, not yet anyway. I wasn't much of a surfer, because of the whole accident-prone thing, but Jake was. Well, to be specific, watching him on that large piece of bright plastic was like poetry in motion. It was like a song. How someone so large could be that graceful and practiced, on a moving surface like water, was beyond my comprehension.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We made it out in early morning because I still had a date with Alice to look through bridal magazines. I found a good spot with my beach gear, trying my best not to ogle Jake but, not doing a very good job, as he sauntered beside me with his board tucked easily underneath his arm, shorts so low I was sure they were being kept up by the grace of God, and his hair tied tightly at the back of his head in a knot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He and I had a hard time getting much done, and actually getting out of my apartment; Jake was extra frisky this morning. I didn't know what had gotten into him, lately but, if it were even possible, we had been together almost twice more than usual, not that I was complaining.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay, babe." He placed a sweet kiss on my lips, and was jogging toward the water in the next moment. You have no idea how this man looked walking away from me in that early morning. Golden brown, lean, and perfectly built and a broad back that Jesus couldn't have made better if he'd chiseled it with his own hands.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I never realized how much I loved his hair tied back like that. I thought I'd always want him with long hair, but I briefly wondered how he would look with it short, or, even say, with a buzz cut.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Oh, god. I wanted him again. I did.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By the time he came back inland, an hour or so later, dripping wet and chest heaving with exertion, I was ready to be naked with him. The next time, after he'd gotten his second wind and had returned to the water, I was an even golden brown, and pretty twitchy. I pulled my ear buds out and turned my iPod off, enjoying the view of him approaching; water glistening off of his bare chest and arms, and his board shorts allowing a peek of muscle pulling against the skin at his hips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">""You look good out there," I mused, handing him a sandwich and bottle of water.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You look good over here..." He grinned, mischievously. I noticed his long eyelashes were wet, as well, his whole appearance managing to be both sexy and child-like, simultaneously.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, looks like you got some sun." He drug his eyes over my body, his fingers playfully flicking the pages of my warn copy of Wuthering Heights.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah," I agreed, happily, wordlessly promising myself that, no matter what, I'd always live in warm climates because my ghostly natural skin just wouldn't work against his amazingly rich brown.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He inhaled the turkey and cheese I'd made, downing the bottle of water just as fast. I unwrapped another and handed it to him, silently loving the way he ate, well, pretty much anything.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His fingers were on me moments later, running along my abdomen, my thigh, my knee, and the swell of my breast.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're so sexy, you know that?" he whispered, looking around us and, I'm sure, trying to surmise how much he could get away with in public, without getting arrested or traumatizing any families. I looked around, as well, and, at about 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning, we were still relatively alone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake...what...?" He slid closer to me, blocking any easy view of us, and dipped his fingers into the side of my bikini bottoms. I tensed, caught off guard by his boldness and the feel of him stroking me, softly. "You are so bad, you know that?" I grinned, relaxing, and spread my legs slightly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Mmhmm..." he grinned, looking so sexy and naughty, and everything I loved about him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a few moments, he had me completely wound up, panting, and whimpering quietly . I closed my eyes, enjoying him, and the morning, and the ocean; the sea air was delicious, an aphrodisiac blowing sweetly against us. He slid a third finger inside me, and I gripped his shoulder and bit his arm to keep from moaning loudly as I came, in a sloshing puddle in his hand.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grinned. "There we go..." he whispered, approvingly, to me. Things like that made me absolutely nuts...in a good way. He was so fucking cocky sometimes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, what am I gonna do with you?" I breathed, trying my best to straighten my suit and look around for anyone that may have seen this craziness. He laughed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, I can think of a few things; all of them involve us laid across various pieces of furniture in my apartment." I slapped him on his arm as he chuckled more.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So bad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He couldn't keep his hands off of me the whole walk back, even through the jumper I wore over my suit, even as he balanced his board on the left side of his body. We ran into a neighbor of ours, an elderly woman who lived across from me. The look she gave us made me break into uncontrollable giggles, and surprisingly, Jake even looked a little, I dunno, bashful. I guess the whole building knew of our <i>extracurricular activities</i>, not that that would ever stop us.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With a few string pulls, my bikini was on the floor, and he was pulling me on top of him. A couple of adjustments – a knee, here, widen my thighs, there – and I was riding him, Jake spread across his bed, anchoring himself to the mattress by his heels. He held my hip tightly, gripping my hair in his fist as I ground myself deeply on his cock. I steadied myself with spread fingers across his chest, rolling my hips, and taking the full length of him, which, trust me, was no small feat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So wet..." he mumbled, leaning up and wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. I moaned, the whole movement giving me little room for control, forcing me to wind small circles, which, unbeknownst to me, caused a fire inside me I was fully unprepared for.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...yeah, babe...that feels so good..." I moaned, rising to my knees, and then slowly sitting, again, and again, until I couldn't move an inch and he had me completely resting on his hips, fucking me until I couldn't stop myself.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Shit...goddamnit...I'm gonna cum..." I cried into his ear, digging my fingers into his shoulders, and holding onto him tightly. Jake clamped onto my hips, guiding me back and forth, harder, pushing himself upward. All the shallow strokes, the wetness causing our bodies to roll and slide together with ease did just enough, added just enough friction, and, before long, a second orgasm shot through me just following the first.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Moments later, when I was shaking and moaning, he flipped onto my stomach, and pulled me to the edge of the bed, my feet flat on the floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ohmygod.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This position was really, really deep, and as he slid into me, I couldn't help the loud moan that escaped me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stroked a few times, asking me if I was okay, if he was too deep, letting me know that we could stop if I wanted to, and that he knew this particular position stretched and took my body places that most didn't. I just mumbled his name and assured him, through the cotton fabric that was now bunched in my mouth, that I was okay, to keep going, that he felt so good, and that his dick was the best.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I gripped his comforter – well, the part that I wasn't biting – as he grabbed my shoulders, taking it slow with me until my pussy was okay with the beating that she was taking at the moment. Soon, I was more than ready, and gushing. His hands gripped my waist with control, and we were one fluid motion, grinding and moving with each other. His teeth came down on my back, and I came again. And, somewhere between him rubbing my clit and grabbing my hair, we came together one final time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Good God.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He slid out of me, carefully kissing the spot he had just bitten, and I was dripping wet. He kissed me tenderly everywhere he could, and whispered all the love that made me swoon. Although I really didn't want to, I had a best friend to take care of, and he had some writing to get in before he met up with Paul at AutoZone for whatever it is they did when they got together. He kissed me deep and passionately, like he loved me and I loved him, and I think we were both a little grateful that we could still have mind-blowing sex like that after so many times.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I swatted him away when he tried to join me in the shower, because I knew there'd be very, very little showering going on if he were in there with me, and my pussy was screaming at me. A simple yellow dress and sandals, with my hair piled on my head made for my afternoon attire. Of course, Jake palmed my ass before letting me out the door with a long, deep kiss.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alice already had just about every bridal magazine in the world spread out on her dining room table, not to mention a 'bridal book' with all her invitation options, fabric swatches, torn-out ideas for reception spaces, and anything else you could think of. Event planning just wasn't my thing, but Alice was organized, she had connections with vendors from just about everywhere, and she had this constant ball of energy that served her well whenever she planned these types of things. Truly, if she wasn't the insane marketer that she was, she definitely would have had a successful career doing just this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"B..." She met me at the door before I got a chance to knock, took my bag, and lead me to the table. "Hungry?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Actually, yeah, I'm starved. I haven't had anything since this morning."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She smiled knowingly. "Hmm, I bet. Jake kept you busy today?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I laughed at my friend. I'd swear sometimes that she was psychic. "Well, we did go to the beach today. You know I need all the sun I can get."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I bet. The beach. That's what they're calling it now? Me and Jazz just call it fucking." She deadpanned for half a beat, then shrugged. I was a complete mess shortly thereafter, laughing almost continuously for the next couple of hours, until my stomach hurt.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She fed me leftover chicken and vegetables, and white sangria, as we planned out her wedding. And she told me how perfect her fiancé was, to which, I deeply agreed with her. Jasper was perfect, and even more perfect for her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She showed me the two loft spaces she had decided on for the reception and asked if we could go take a look at them later that afternoon. She asked me about Jake and the trip, and made me promise that I'd bring her back a specific list of things from France, since she'd never been either. I admitted how excited and nervous I was. That Jake was just about the only thing in this whole crazy situation that I was sure of, the one thing that put me at ease.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You think you'll stay in Jacksonville forever? I mean, you guys are getting married and everything." I said, marking up a vintage dress that would work perfectly with Alice's theme of vintage 1920s, lace and pearls.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I dunno. We've talked about it a bunch. I mean, for now, with V-V and everything, you, then of course Jasper's family being right in Georgia, it's hard to think about wanting to leave. I really love it here."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It made me happy that Alice thought of me in her future plans. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have her around here to bug about clothes, or to bitch to about work, or about Renee's latest crazy outburst. I mean, she was my person. The person. It also scared me to think that I'd pretty much been in Florida my entire life, and when Jake offhandedly tells me about a travel to Morocco or to Haiti or Sri Lanka, I feel like I want to do that too. Like, my little corner of the earth in Florida just...didn't mean as much to me as it once did. I wanted to see the world.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thinking about Alice's future had me thinking about my own, and, as she showed me the invitations she'd finally settled on, that just needed to be printed, I did something I tried my best never to do.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started thinking about me and Jake, and our future. Together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't know what I wanted. I wasn't really sold on the whole idea of marriage. Charlie and Renee had been divorced since before I was old enough to know. I didn't have too many marriage role models to choose from to make me feel better about the whole thing. It just seemed so archaic, so old-fashioned. It was just a piece of paper, and what Jake and I had, when we'd only really known each other a few months, was stronger than I could really ever hope for. Why threaten to mess that all up with some legally-binding promise? One that most people don't even take seriously anyway?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake's good – we both are. And, Ali, I am so fucking happy, I can't even tell you." I smiled so big my cheeks hurt, and I didn't even care. "Things are dying down for me at work, thankfully, and Jake and I are really just taking it one day at a time. We'll see where this Paris thing goes. Then, who knows?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alice nodded, thoughtfully, with a tiny smile, running her fingers through her hair, and planting a kiss on my cheek. "I love you two together, and you know I heart him for you. You know I'll miss you like crazy every second you're gone, right?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of course. You're my Alice, and I'm your Bella. A few thousand miles, some boys and an ocean can't change that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells!"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This morning had gone to hell.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First, I left Jake's entirely too late, because we woke entirely too late, because we stayed up half the night sweating up his bed and room.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sigh.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I ensured him, as he pushed me out of his apartment door, that he wouldn't have to come looking for me. That I could manage getting the last few things I needed to pack in my suitcase, and get myself out and waiting for him in an hour, without him having to help me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah. That wasn't going so well.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh God. He'd be here in a second, and I was not ready.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, babe?" I responded weakly, looking frantically for my other earring. I couldn't leave without it; Jake had given me the simple studs weeks before and they were pretty much my favorite things on the planet to date.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells, cab's here!" he yelled from the hallway. Then, before I knew it, he was in my apartment, and next my bedroom, watching me search around like an insane person. We met eyes, his black ones, frustrated, and then softening, mine brimming with moisture and near-teary.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells...babe." His tone softened, and he walked toward me, arms outstretched. "What's wrong?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I...I can't find your earrings, the ones you gave me..." I stuttered, "I can't find the other one...I can't...I can't leave without..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He shushed me and took me in his arms, smoothing my hair and kissing the top of my head.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay, babe, let's look together. The cab can wait for a couple minutes while we find it, huh?" He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my mouth to his, and kissed me softly on the lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I watched this man search around my bedroom, looking under chairs and across my dresser, carefully sliding his massive hand across surfaces to find the small piece of gold and diamond that I was so fond of, and, I swear, I loved him a little more.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After exactly 3 minutes and 16 seconds, Jake found my misplaced earring nestled on top of the holes in the toe of my running sneakers, packed up both our luggage in the back of the car, with the help of the cabby, and helped me get settled in as well.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You ready?" He looked at me with those eyes, again, pulling me toward him and tucking me under his arm.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, pressing myself closer to his warm body, and closing my eyes for the thirty-minute ride to Jacksonville International Airport.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ride felt brief with my nap and, too quickly to realize, we were meeting with international security and having our baggage screened closely. Jake was organized and easily showed them all his paperwork, including his passport and press pass; my own process similarly mirrored his. We'd made it there just over three hours before our flight was scheduled to take off, timing ourselves for this song and dance. It was relatively painless, as Jake had prepared me for it and we were visiting a US-friendly country. Once settled at our gate, we still had over an hour until the flight would board.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Wanna grab something to eat?" Despite my best protests, Jake insisted upon carrying both his and my carry-on luggage and, at this moment, he was bent attaching my bag to his rolling one and adjusting his sweatpants. Again, his hair was tied tightly back and away from his face, which, for some reason, I was learning turned me on like I'd never expected.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I think I might..." I glanced down and up with a grin, "...have something to show you before the flight, but we may have to hurry."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He looked at me quizzically for half a second. Then, understanding spread across his face, and at last amusement. "But, where bells? There's security all over this place."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thought for a couple minutes, glancing around for an appropriate place. Finally, I realized there were family restrooms on pretty much every corner. They were big enough for the both of us, and had low-traffic. He must have read my mind because he had our luggage dragging behind him before I could even make the suggestion, toting his book bag on his free shoulder and opening the door to the nearest one. I double checked that we'd gone unnoticed before closing and locking the door behind us. Luckily and to my surprise and delight, the room was spotless. Jake wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me to him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We gotta make this quick, Bells," he said, attempting to pull my yoga pants down and off my body. I stopped him, pressing the full length of my body against his and whispering against his lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I said I have something to show you. We can do that in a second." He grinned even larger, waiting, I'm sure, for me to reveal what this thing I needed to show him so badly was.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I covered his lips with mine, taking my time, running my tongue along his, and placing small pecks across his full mouth. His lips felt so soft and warm pressed against mine, if we didn't have to get on that plane, I'd do this for the rest of the day and night. We stayed there for a few long moments, enjoying each other, like it was our first time. He ran his hands over my body, pressing his palms against my nipples, and kissing along my neck. My hands were quick, untying his drawstring sweats and pulling them down just enough to release his stiffening cock.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I purred approvingly, squatting down, and placing my palms on either thigh. Then, taking him hands-free into my mouth as deeply as I could, I slid to the tip.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ah...shit..." he hissed, urging me on. I was confident, a fact that I'm sure helped me do this the way I knew he liked it. I'd loved him this way countless times and, even with his stamina, I could make him cum. Fast.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took my time, savoring the sounds of his groans and the feel of him softly pushing his hips against my mouth, his entire body flexing and coiling against me. I sucked the tip, then fisted him with both hands, just hard enough to make it feel good, to make it feel like my throat was deeper, and tighter, and wetter. I loved the feel of him in my mouth, the way he was so thick my lips would curl over when I pulled away from him, and the way I had to relax because my Jake was excited and tended to treat my mouth like my pussy, and go a little too deep.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body tensed, and he tightened his fingers against my shoulder, but I was sure he was just being his polite self and not grabbing the back of my head like he wanted to at this moment. I licked and sucked the tip, again, just hard enough, then throated him once more. I followed his rhythm, riding out his orgasm with him, until he was cumming, and I tasted him. A taste that was better than anyone I could think of in the moment, or in moments like this. I tasted it on his skin, and in his mouth. I tasted it strong and briny on his damp from sweat chest, or along his hip. I loved it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It was success.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His chest was heaving with pleasure and euphoria and I cradled his cock in my mouth, careful not to touch too much because I knew he was really sensitive right now. I held him there, gently licking the underside and placing small kisses there, until his breathing slowed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By the time I stood, my knees were a little sore, but I forgot it all when I saw the look on his face. A look of pleasure and satisfaction, and... love. He grinned at me through heavy-lidded eyes, tucking himself back into his pants.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...that. Yeah, that was great..." he forced out, hoarsely. "I think I have something like that for you."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I grinned in response, allowing him to pin me to the bathroom wall.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced at his wrist watch, catching my top lip between his teeth. "Here let me show you."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">=================</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N - </b>Hope you liked! Next stop, gay Payree! (I don't care if I spelled that right.)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to my beta, and new fic-wife (yes, I finally made an honest woman out of her) Kay Cannon, without whom, you'd probably never get an update from me. She's a slave-driver o.O</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, a shout to my bb, Little Furry Cannibals, an awesome writer and co-co-co-manager on my naughty little C2 here on FFn, Pack Play: The Best In Wolfpack Lemons. I personally suggest you hopping on over when you get a chance, if you're looking for a dirty little story starring your favorite wolfpack member. Don't forget to search the M-rated fics. (http)(:)/(www).fanfiction.(net)/community/Pack_Play_The_Best_In_Wolfpack_Lemons/75509/</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, that's it for now, and yes, SPOILER ALERT: there WILL be sex on a plane in the next chapter. I'm personally looking forward to it; KennedyMommy, are you?</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-64700259451318654172010-12-12T12:05:00.000-08:002011-01-25T12:08:45.370-08:00The Neighbor Chapter 10 TeaserI glanced at the clock. Alice and Jasper would meet us here in just twenty minutes. Mike’s house was closer to our apartment building - just a short few blocks away, an easy walk in the warm early evening. Jake ran his hands along the front of my shorts, my pussy aching for his thick fingers to roughly rub until I was excited beyond all comprehension.<br />
<br />
I ran my hands along the smooth skin of his shoulders and chest, trying to touch him everywhere quickly. None of it was enough- it never was, really. I felt greedy and deprived. He bent down, ground his swollen dick along the front of my shorts, and really, there wasnt much fabric keeping us from what I could tell we both really needed.<br />
<br />
<br />
The rap on the door was abrupt. Enough to make both of us jump a little.<br />
<br />
It reverberated up my spine, to my skull, over my nipples and down to my damp pussy being dryhumped into submission by my insanely sexy boyfriend.<br />
<br />
“Fuck.” Jake breathed against my mouth. “What the fuck...”<br />
<br />
“Shit, shit, shit.” I whined, unwrapping my calf from around his thigh. “Ali and Jazz...”<br />
<br />
“Of all the fucking times they could be on time, they choose fucking now.” He continued to mutter under his breath, straightening his solid cock in the shorts he wore under his costume. As Jake answered the door, all I could think of was the painful clenching that was my pussy’s protest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-79553382888181316642010-12-01T07:45:00.000-08:002010-12-29T07:54:28.278-08:00The Neighbor - Chapter 9 - Paris Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5262040953_a89c1968af_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5262040953_a89c1968af_z.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 9: Paris Nights</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I drank too much wine that night.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body hadn't reached the 'hold my hair over a toilet' phase by a mile, but I was tipsy. That much was certain.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're drunk, Bells." Jacob's grin was toothy, and amused and mocking.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I am <i>not </i>drunk."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grinned wider, downing the last of the deep mahogany liquid in his over-sized wine glass, reaching for the bottle and filling his glass again, pouring more for me as well. His bicep flexed with the movement, and I allowed my eyes to roam unabashedly across the table at the man who had become my best friend (next to Alice of course), the person with whom I was deeply and passionately in love with.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was fucking horny.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What I was saying, before you started mumbling and hiccuping and shit, was that Billy's doing great. He asked about you, again, of course."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I darted my tongue between my blush-stained lips, mockingly. I was <i>not </i>drunk, just a little tipsy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was a difference.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You two talk way too much for my liking…" He grumbled with that perfect grin. "What do you two talk about, anyway?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The thought of his father made me smile, as did the way Jake's skin glowed against the flickering candle serving as our only light for dinner. The dozen or so lights that mirrored our own lit a path to the door leading to the inside of the restaurant. The air was still that night, the street still bustling with Parisian downtown nightlife.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"That's none of your business. Billy and I have a special relationship." We did. I saw so much of Jake in his father – his stubbornness, his wry sense of humor, his unending determination, his charm. Over the months, I'd found myself emailing or calling Billy almost as much as I did Renee. Neither of them were what you'd call traditional parents, but, what they lacked in that area, they both made up for in spades with a deep wisdom that only really came from living life without apology, without regret.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"'Special relationship'" He scoffed, and I giggled, sipping more wine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I want to cook for Billy, make him something good when we visit over the holidays. I need to call him, soon."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He cocked his head at an unexpectedly sexy angle and licked his lips. "When are you going to cook for me, again, Ms. Swan? Seems like I'm the one filling that order these days."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, really. We're in Paris and have a tiny little stove. Shit, a bottle of Pinot is cheaper than food or water. Let's say I'll get back to my happy homemaker duties once we're back in the states, hmm?" He chuckled, as did I. We were easy that warm night. We were easy like we always were, and I was happy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…Happy, and tipsy, and very, very horny.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You think it'll always be like this?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Like?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Us, this—" I pointed between us, with the same hand that gripped the smooth glass. "We're disgustingly happy. I mean, you think this is honeymoon, or like..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake shook his head, thoughtfully. "Naw, Bells, this is real. I really am happy, like deep-down happy. The kind of shit that I'm embarrassed to admit and that Em makes fun of me for."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I smiled at the thought of his best friend, and at his words. Layer by layer, I was getting Jake to open up; to admit things about our relationship, about his feelings that I was sure he wasn't used to admitting.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to follow up, quip my own little view on our relationship. I wanted to tell him that I couldn't imagine my life before him. Like, literally, I couldn't remember how things were before he'd stumbled into my world that day. I could barely remember where I'd come from moments before or where I'd planned on going moments later. All I could remember was him. He was in me, set in and unmoving in a way that comforted me like nothing else ever had, beyond the love of my family and closest friends.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, holding it there for a few seconds with his teeth, and let his eyes wander across my body, lingering at the swell of cleavage peeking above my tank top. "You look good tonight, Bells...really good."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I ran my fingers through my hair, sipped my wine, and took another bite of pasta. He looked good too, beyond good, really. His dark hair was messy in a very deliberate way, his shirt and jeans fitting against his body effortlessly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We needed to get back to the hotel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thanks…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He ate the last of his linguine, and took a sip of water, with a small, knowing smile. Then he finished of his wine, straightened his body from his relaxed posture and leaned in closer to me, black eyes lingering at my lips. I knew too, of course. I knew what we both wanted and needed at the moment, and for me, one of them was for Jake to cut off my alcohol consumption before I stripped off my clothing and straddled him in that little metal chair.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You done?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wasn't. I kinda wanted dessert, but all I could feel was the warming effects of wine doing things to my body, and my boyfriend would most certainly be the target that night. I nodded, grabbing my bag, preparing for our departure.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake plunked down his Amex, knee bouncing impatiently; neither of us could stand the three minutes it took the waiter to return with his receipt to sign. I was already standing, as Jake mindlessly returned his wallet to his pocket, ushering me toward the sidewalk, beginning our four-block walk back to the hotel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His fingers lingered at the curve in my lower back, pulling me closer to him until I was tightly wedged at his side. I wrapped my arm around him, as well, and tried my best to keep up, all the while thinking of ways to speed our pace. My thighs rubbed together with each of my strides, tiny thong against my body, making me acutely aware of its presence, and my need for him. My whole body had been on edge since this morning when he'd left me working on my computer, dress shirt fitted perfectly to his body, and slacks that made me want to do all sorts of things that I was sure were illegal in most states.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah Bells?" he said absently, just trying to get us where we were going. I tried to steer him toward one of the many quiet little alleys between the buildings, just for a few moments. Then we could be on our way. "What...what are you doing?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My heels clicked as I tugged him into a deep hallway. No one was around. No one would know.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced around and upward, making sure that we weren't about to make a peep-show for some French college kids, or something of the like. I mean, it wasn't like we were in the red-light district; something like two people having dirty public sex wasn't bound to go over very well, even in Europe. Despite this, the fact that Jake was following me, however hesitantly made me even less concerned than I already was. Per-usual, the wine had my inhibitions missing in action.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I backed him against an ancient-looking wooden door, his hands all over my body with familiarity and lust. My lips were on his throat, softly at first, but affirming what I was thinking. I grabbed his wrists, placing his hands on my ass, pulling away from him for only a moment. And, of course, he stood there, gaping at me like I was insane. His body belied his expression, though. He was more than ready for me, hands roaming and squeezing, his cock steel against denim.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You're crazy..." He pushed my second-skin skirt up my thighs, just enough for him to do what he needed to do without giving the world a show – not that there was a soul there to pass judgment. Heart hammering against my ribcage, I felt his fingers roughly push my panties aside, and sink upwards and into me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm gonna make you cum, here. Then I'm gonna fuck you when we get back...you're so wet babe. Did I do this to you?" His warm mouth ecstasy against my ear, and his body like heaven, pressed against my hot skin.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded as he took my parted lips with his, bit them, sucked them. I whimpered, feeling every ridge, every curve of his fingers slide in and out of me, making it almost impossible to think straight, coupled with the wine sloshing around my system.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...fuck..." That moan took over me, escaped and, for a second, I thought I should suppress it, but thought better of it. There was no one there – no prying eyes, only an incredibly sexy, digitally talented Jacob Black.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Did you just cum that quickly, Bells?" I giggled my affirmation, pulling him closer to me, covering his lips with mine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Fuck me here...I want you right now...Jake, please..." I breathed, unbuttoning his jeans.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella, babe..." he protested, but only until I had his cock firmly in my hand, after which his entire body became as rigid as a board against me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shit he was sexy as sin. I just needed a little bit, just enough to get me off until we made it back to the room. My one-mindedness overtook all logic; I just needed him inside of me, making me feel those things that were so clear, yet just a memory from the day before. I was long overdue.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"C'mere..." he mumbled, bending his knees slightly, taking his cock in his fist and parting my glistening-wet pussy lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh shit...oh shit..." I moaned, again, as he ground into me, filling me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He chucked, disbelievingly. "Can't believe you have me fucking you here..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He gripped my ass, pulled my body toward his over, and over, helping me balance on my wedge heels. He tugged my top down enough to expose my nipples to the warm night, sucking and licking each of them as he fucked me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake...baby..." I was gonna cum, again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt the tiny contractions holding his dick inside me for a mini-second, then releasing him. I ground my hips against his, as he roughly thrust himself further, biting and licking at my neck. My fingers gripped his hair at the scalp as my orgasm ripped through my body. Toes curling, eyes rolling-back, pleasure took over me, as he continued his assault on my body against that hallway door.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once I'd caught my breath, he kissed me tenderly and pulled my shirt up and my skirt down. Of course I noticed that he was still solid, and long, and thick.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We can finish...let's get out of here..." he murmured, tucking himself back into his pants.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake took his time once we were back at the Chambiges Elysées, with doors locked and lights turned down Just the night spilled in through the windows, despite the fire that propelled us moments before.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He crept behind me, pushed my hair over my shoulder, and placed simple, slow kisses along the back of my neck and shoulder blades. A shiver went through me, the sensation delicious as he smoothed his hands across my breasts, softly biting across my back. He cupped them, running his fingers over my stiff nipples beneath my thin top.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake's palms eased down my ribcage achingly slowly, as he stepped a little closer to me, until I could feel his dick against the small of my back. He kissed my neck, ran his hands over my hips, sliding my skirt to the floor, and pulling my tank over my head. I felt his warm chest against my back moments later, felt his body hard, smooth, and ready.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was so wet, so excited, still. And in the next moment, I was kneeling, chest down against the mattress with him gripping my waist, fucking me from behind.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ah Bella..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I gripped the sheets tightly, bit my lip until it was raw, and fucked him back until it hurt so good and I was dripping on the downy hotel bed. My hair was a puddled mass above my bowed head, spilling over my shoulders, with my face grimacing and mouth whimpering for mercy and more. I loved it when he rode me, loved it when he pressed his thick fingers into my hips and roughly drove into me. I loved it almost more than those lazy Sunday mornings that rolled into late afternoons where we made love slowly and languidly. Those times when he laved my body with his tongue and told me how beautiful I was, how much he loved me, and how delicious I tasted.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Almost.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh god..." I sighed, just before he pulled out and lay down beside me, raising me above him, bringing each of my legs over either side of his body. I straddled him, placing eager palms on his soft but hard chest, getting my balance on his huge cock – one that I'd grown quite acquainted with, but that still took some getting used to, even then.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He let me know how good I felt, as I slid wetly up and down his cock. I rode him, rolling my hips, breasts tilted upward and back arched, moaning his name.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I love you," I whispered, grinding deeper, as he gripped my hair and licked my nipples.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I love you, Isabella."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wine was a memory, just enough to keep me wet, by the time he placed my calves on his shoulders. I was sober, and I'd come more times than I could've kept count of. He was so deep inside me, rubbing his thumb across my clit, and murmuring to me. We were the only two people on the planet. I felt so completely close to him in that moment, and moments like it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body on mine made me feel tiny in comparison, in that way that I loved. So, when he took the soft piece of flesh along the curve of my neck between his teeth, with his chest pressed against mine, and our skin and sweat fused together by our body heat, I cried out. Mostly because I was cumming again, my pussy wrapping around him over, and over, his rhythm slowing from fast and wild and shallow, to deep and pulsating.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He fell asleep on my chest, his comfortably heavy body resting between my legs, our bodies still joined.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt him slide out of me, leaving the warmth of our bed, after I'd I passed out for what I saw was about three hours after glancing at the side table clock. He was writing; I was sure of it. I wrapped the crumpled sheet around me, finger-combed the bird's nest that had become my hair from the past five hours, and padded to where he was on the couch in the living area.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pulled his earphone out of one ear. "Hey good-lookin."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Couldn't sleep?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Nah, my brain's all over the place with this next chapter. I was thinking of adding another piece to it, this legend that Billy was telling me about. Thought I'd write more of chapter nine."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I nodded, heading to the fridge for a coke. I handed him a can, and curled up to him as he typed. It was just after 3 A.M. and I was happy to quietly keep him company.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"...It's about vampires and werewolves, if you can believe it."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The legend. It's about vampires and werewolves, and how the wolves protect the reservation around La Push and the city of Forks, not too far from there."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"From the vampires?" I smiled, partially thinking of these big bear-wolf creatures attacking Brad Pitt's character from Interview with a Vampire.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, it's crazy, right?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sounds pretty Underworld, actually – cool though. Ever thought of writing a screenplay for that thing?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He smiled, leaning into me and kissing me softly against my lips, jaw, and neck. "Right, but this legend's been since around before Underworld was Underworld."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I bet."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His writing process would be insane to anyone who'd never seen it before. He'd slouch down, nearly prone on his back, with his laptop on his stomach, eyebrows pinned, mouth frowning. That, or he'd have his computer resting on the coffee table in front of him with his large frame hunched over in concentration. Every few moments, he'd space out and get this far-away look, or close his eyes, and he always needed music by that point. He could never really write without those earbuds.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sat beside him as he tapped away on the keys, folded my legs under me, wrapped the sheets tighter around my naked body, and blinked a long blink...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells…Bells, babe?" his voice was far away, just a whisper, and then I was in his arms, with my fingers linked at his neck. He placed my sheet-swaddled body on the featherbed, and my eyes opened just enough to watch him step out of the sweatpants he was wearing; enough to watch his sturdy, sinewy thighs strain with his movements; just enough to make me want him again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I turned to him, pulled him closer to me, threw my leg over his hip, and pressed my eager lips against his warm and soft mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He mounted me, spread my thighs, ran his palms along my legs. "Insatiable."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">---------- </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So many of the conversations with my job were made through email over lapses due to differences in time zones, but once a week I Skyped with Victoria, as well as with my clients. The launch of one of their biggest products was approaching and, save for a few last-minute line items, I was handling things pretty nicely.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mostly, though, I missed Ally. I wondered what she was doing, and how she was making out with the plans for the wedding. It was only three months away – a winter wedding. She'd been closely updating her plans according to what the Farmer's Almanac had claimed the weather in Atlanta would be. Chilly, for a southern winter, in the thirties, and an icy but clear day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You have to see the bouquets the bridesmaids have. They are insane. We'll have the best ones, MOH, but still, theirs are pretty epic too."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her excitement was contagious, and soon, I was looking as forward to her plans as she was. It looked liked she'd dyed her hair a crazy shade of orange, just a streak across the front to replace the blue, but I had to admit, it was pretty badass.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Soooo, how's that boy of yours?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"He's great. Writing up a storm to make these deadlines for his publisher before January. I've read a bunch of the book, and Als, it's fucking awesome. He's such a good writer."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Mmhmm, mhmmm." She paused. "How's Paris? You'd just gotten there when we talked last; how are things there? I hear it's gorgeous this time of year. I need to get Jas to take us out there. He's a country boy, though; hates leaving, and you can all but forget about getting him on a plane for that long, you know?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A laugh bubbled up. "Things are so much better than I could have expected. I mean, really, he's beyond perfect, and so is the city.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Fucking all over the place I'm sure, Did you bring enough lube?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Als, really?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I laughed, rolling my eyes at her coy smile and green eyes beaming through my laptop screen. "I met his friend Rose…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Friend, huh?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, he's known her forever. They grew up in Washington together"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean, Rose was striking.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know it sounds corny, or lame or whatever, but really, Rose was the type of woman that you just had to, you know, stare at for a while, just to make sure she was real or, from some morbid, deprecating curiosity, wait around to find some kind of imperfection in her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Black!" Jake and I approached her leggy frame, leaning absently against the classically designed marble building, and running her thumbs along her smartphone. She seemed genuinely excited to see us – well, Jake and by association me, I assumed. She gave him a friendly hug, commenting on his hair and how he was getting skinny.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Look at you; you're wasting away. Shit, Black, eat something..."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Rosie, seriously," he said, grinning, running his hand across his perfectly lean, muscular stomach, and nudging his friend, "you know, I eats."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">She laughed, throwing her natural blond hair (because really, you can't get that kind of perfection from a salon) over her shoulder with a dimpled grin. "That I do."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">They were sharing an inside joke that I obviously wasn't privy to and, after a short second, Jake pushed me forward.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"This is Bella," he introduced, proudly. "Bells, this is Rosalie...you can just call her Rosie."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Black, please don't make me commit murder on this fine Parisian street ," she replied icily, with humor tinged just at the edges of her harmonic voice.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Rose." She smiled.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I ran my hands through my hair self-consciously and stepped closer to her, pulling at the straps on my tank. She pulled me into a hug, and really, I bounced between turning completely lesbian and running away screaming from her out of fear.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Her clear blue eyes were round and large, perfect. Her face was, well, perfect too. No, really, like perfectly symmetrical, and probably what one would draw or describe if they were thinking of someone classically beautiful.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">She made me nervous.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Jake placed a warm palm at the center of my back, as I backed away from his gorgeous long-time friend. He nodded, probably sensing my hesitation. There was just something – well, besides the whole perfection thing – that made me really self-conscious, and really intimidated. It was already hard not to feel a little small standing next to the glamazon and giant, without her lingering gaze at my shoes, hair, clothes, purse, Jake next to me, making me shift even more.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">She was sizing me up.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">She scanned me, her smile still warm(ish) and (kinda) inviting. She wore simple khakis rolled at the ankle, a white tank and nude ballet flats, but she looked like money – well, money and a supermodel. Her layered blond hair framed her square jaw, then was pushed back and held in place by her pricey-looking aviator sunglasses.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Effortless.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Rosie, cool it will ya?" Jake smiled, nudging her, then turned to me and pressed his lips to my ear. "She's harmless; you'll like her. I promise."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I giggled, nervously. I mean, really, I was being silly. We'd be spending the day together, so I really needed to get over my jitters; that and our towering height difference.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay, you two. Play nice. I gotta get over to the embassy." Jake smoothed a hand over his hair, and straightened his collared shirt. Rose looped an arm through mine, as Jake hailed a cap, winked at me, then ducked his large frame into the comparatively smaller black car.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Half a beat passed and I could feel Rose's eyes on me.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"So."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"So," I parroted, noticing the simple but, again, perfect pale pink nail polish on her toes.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"You into music at all?"</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah..." What was she getting at?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, a friend of mine is playing at a festival. You game?" She grinned at me, and I grinned right back.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">------------ </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob pulled me into a quick embrace, his fingers rubbing circles on my lower back as I looked in each of the store windows lit up for evening, housing a mannequin here or a Swarovski-crystallized clutch there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The day had been so busy and my feet were verging on achy, but I was with Jake, and neither of us were working or writing, or whatever that day. So, I was a champ and never complained, even after we walked along the cobble-stoned Paris streets. Just the two of us – well, me – doing the tourist thing. I was pretty sure he'd seen everything there was to see in that city.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Champs Elysees, not far from the hotel, and the Arc deTriomphe were all breathtaking, though much better from a distance. He'd taken me all the back ways, through the side streets that were the heart of Parisian architecture and ancient in a way that, being from America, I'd never really seen up close.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We'd made it to the Eiffel Tower, of course. I'd taken more pictures than I could count, making him stand next to the world-famous structure, towering over it by comparison through my lens. We'd ended the day, though, at one end of the Concord Place, and my Jake with all his patience, allowed me to salivate over the clothes, and shoes, and bags and other things I'm sure he had no interest in.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So...you never really told me how your day with Rose went. I saw the bags in the room but, yeah, I'm gonna need more of a play-by-play than that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rose.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"So, you and Jake. How long's it been now for you two?"</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Just about six months, now."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"And you get the trip to Paris...you must have put it on him pretty good, girl."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Naturally , my face was an unflattering shade of red. What was I supposed to say to that?</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake and I have fun." I grinned, trying my best to give her enough that she wouldn't get the same brilliant reaction from my skin, twice.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay, okay, you win." She chuckled, every syllable rounded with a melodic French and northwest American accent. Her hair blew in the gentle breeze as she pulled another blade of grass from the ground beneath us and twirled it around her slender fingers. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "You know, I've known Jake almost as long as I've known myself. I was there when he was awkward and dorky, and couldn't get a girl to like him to save his life."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"You're kidding. Jake? Awkward?" Her blue eyes stared squarely at me for a few seconds, her mouth twitching with mischief.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, you have no idea…Jake was a brain in school, absolutely no luck with the girls. But, he thought he was so, so cool. He was thin as a rail; all arms and legs, you know?" She had my complete attention. I needed to know all of this. All of it. "Then, one day, we went away for the summer – I think it was around sophomore or junior year – and he just grew like six inches, filled out, in what seemed like overnight. All the girls were after him, after that."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"You and him…were you close back then?"</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh no – not like that, Bella. He and I are like family. We were close. My family knew Billy and Jake's mom before she passed, but that was it." She chuckled, again, clearly remembering some memory I was too afraid to ask about.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Obviously, I had more in common with his twin sisters than I had with him, but, still, Jake was one of my best friends. I've been around the world a few times, done a bunch of things and met a lot of people, but I'll tell you this: Jake's one of the best people I know."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"He really is great."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"He is. You hold on to that one, girl. He's one in a million."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Later, when she dropped me off back at our hotel, after Jake had met us at the front just beside the bellman, she mussed his hair, turned back to me, and then whispered something to him.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"We'll all go to lunch soon, Je ne prendrai pas le non pour une réponse. Comportez-vous vous deux!"</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Jake laughed and waived to her as she hailed one of the passing cabs, turned to wink at me one last time, and blew us a kiss.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, you know us girls. Just shopping, sight-seeing, you know."</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Offhandedly, I thought of Rosalie: of her beauty, and how I was sure she'd left a trail of broken hearts – both male and female – in her wake. I thought of her perfect lips and her abrasive personality and, I had to say, I really liked the girl, and, in a different life or a different time, I could see maybe having a crush on her.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Wow, I'm coming to all kind of revelations in this city. Jeez.</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Knowing Rosie, I'm sure it was no good. At least she got you back to me in one piece."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As we strolled along that busy square, surrounded by tourists, and students and lovers, I once more since we'd arrived, weeks prior, realized how much I could live there; how France was just enough culture, and history and modernism all rolled together, that I couldn't mind being there long-term. I loved the area and kinda liked to think of myself as a Parisian at heart, after completely falling in love with the city.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean, Jake and I are both pretty low-maintenance, and, although he claims I have burgeoning shopping problem – something that I wholly and vehemently disagree with – I'd rather sit on the couch with him with a glass of wine, and eat in than go to some upscale restaurant. Jake had lived and continued to live this sexy, sickeningly worldly, amazing life; one that I couldn't help but be drawn to.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also realized, not much later, that Jake was being a touch...coy when he told me he knew a 'little' French. 'Just enough to get me by,' he'd said.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Complete bullshit.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Savez-vous où le souterrain est? Nous savons que nous sommes étroits, mais, we' ; au sujet de a perdu. nous sommes juste visite re."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd made out something about either a goldfish or a train. The obvious tourist couple approached us like we were French, like we knew what the hell we were talking about.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Should have studied that Rosetta Stone a little longer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Aucun problème! Juste autour du coin et avalent le bloc. Vous verrez la station vers votre gauche, vous ne pouvez pas la manquer," Jake rattled off, easily. I didn't understand a word, but it sounded really, really good.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The couple looked appeased, happy and thankful, walking away from us arm-in-arm. I turned to him like he'd grown another eyeball.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What?" He smiled</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"A little French."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He laughed and wrapped his arm tighter around me. "What? I do..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Mmhmm..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You hungry yet?" he asked, completely changing the subject and pulling me closer to his side. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his waist, tugging at the back of his shirt, pulling him ever closer to me, until my cheek was buried between his breastbone, and I was smelling clove, and citrus, and my Jacob.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My heart was so full in that moment; I couldn't remember a happier time with him. We were so perfect together that it was worrying at times. Like, in the back of my mind, I'd always really expected the other shoe to drop, but it never, ever did. Jake gave me so much more than I ever really knew I wanted. I didn't want to cry, so I refused to look up into that beautiful face, for fear I'd shatter into a million pieces of happiness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I swallowed. Thickly. "Let's–let's get something. I think I'm in the mood for seafood." I quickly wiped a tear away, admonishing myself for the sniffing idiot I was being. Maybe all these churning emotions were just PMS or something.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, let's get you something to eat, huh?" He tilted my head upward, placing a simple, sweet kiss on my lips, and I fell deeper still for him. Like, I couldn't breathe if I wasn't with him. Like he was my shelter from every storm, and like if we were together, I could do or be, and handle anything. The one person in my life that made me feel comfortable and unjudged, well, besides Alice.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"C'mon, Bells." He grinned at me, placing kisses on my cheeks and forehead. "I know...I love you, too."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course he knew. He knew me; the real me. Not the expensive shoes wearing, advertising girl, but the perpetually late, clumsy, silly, tipsy, nympho real me, and he still loved me in spite of all those things. You can't buy that kind of devotion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was being silly and sentimental, and I knew it. I blame all the twinkling lights, and Eiffel Tower and shit.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We strolled through the streets for a few more minutes, just talking and enjoying the perfect weather, until we came upon a little restaurant, much like many of the one's we'd eaten at over the course of the weeks we'd been in Paris. As we took our seats outside on a tiny little table, I remembered that he'd told me about this one on more than one occasion, and how we just had to come here because I'd love the seafood and wine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That night was another of the few that we'd eaten by candlelight. We both thought it kinda of silly and pretentious, but, in the moonlight and perfect weather of downtown Paris, it was...romantic.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wonderfully, beautifully, romantic.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I peeked at him from across the small table we'd secured outside Par L'eau, attempting to read the menu. As I watched his deep brown eyes flare and glow in the tiny flame, I knew, more than I'd ever known before that moment, so strongly that it became a part of me, that Jake was the one for me, and that I wanted him forever.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake stowed our leftovers in the refrigerator, as I undressed and showered. The day had been so long, but in a good way. I dug in the myriad of bags from my shopping with Rose to find one of the sexy lacy things that she'd convinced me to buy, and that he hadn't seen yet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She really was a great girl, and I could clearly understand, even outside the amount of time they'd known each other, why they were good friends. Her disposition was a little rough, and god she sure did say the first thing that was on her mind, but I got used to it pretty fast. She didn't offend me too many times, and even in those times, I'd blame on being around the French too long.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I heard Jake in the bedroom and the sigh of his weight against the mattress, just as I turned the water stream down and off. I tried to make quick work of towel-drying my hair and slipping into the satiny-lacy stretch fabric that wrapped around me, hugging everything that needed hugging and pushing my breasts upward. He was gonna die.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, babe?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His eyes changed focus, from his computer to where I stood in the doorway, in a little expensive piece of fabric that could hardly be considered clothing for its price and size.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bells…" I smiled as his eyes drank me in, first moving quickly to make sure no angles were missed, then fixating on certain very important areas."Turn around."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I obliged.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'll have to thank Rose for that."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wiggled my hips, bending over just enough to show him that I was wearing the smallest g-string ever created in the history of lingerie. "I'll take that as a job well-done?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Definitely."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sauntered over to him, pulling the covers back. "You gonna show me how much you like it?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He nodded. "Why don't you tell me how you want it?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So many choices, but, then again, we had all night.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I wanna be on top."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"As usual." I slid my hands into the waistband of his pajamas, tugging them down just enough. His hands roamed up my thighs until they met the strings of my brand new, barely there panties, and, instead of sliding them down, he simply pushed them aside.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Keep this on. Keep all this on."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Wait..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I leaned down in an ungodly flexible position and took him into my mouth for a few seconds, before sliding him out with a pop.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Just to wet it a little," I said with a grin.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of course."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I straddled him and slid down until my ass was flush with his thighs and he was so deep I could barely think straight enough to move.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"God Jake..." I moaned, my mouth against his, sucking on his tongue. "Your dick..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He slid his hands up my hips, gripping my satin-covered back, pulling at the straps on my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him completely into me, and I fell. I fell hard and faster and further into him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Take it off."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I pulled the hemline over my head, tiny g-string still cutting into my moving hips, and his fingers pressing against my clit as I pushed harder and deeper onto his cock. Our eyes met, kept each other locked. Our bodies kissed, and slid, and rolled and gyrated, but our eyes stayed trained on each other, and we came together; him deep inside me, me wrapped around him with my body folded around his, and we were one.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">---------------</span></div><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N-</b> Hoped you enjoyed more of Paris, I know I did!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks so much for reading, I love you guys.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- A big thanks goes out to my betafish, Kay Cannon, who is awesome and amazing. She actually recently wrote a Blackwater one-shot that I heart called Art Affairs, so go check her out, she's a great writer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- In case you haven't visited yet, we started a great Wolfpack fic-focused site called Phase Fics. If you're looking for recs to some of the best fics around starring the Wolfpack, you'll definitely find it there. www(dot)phasefics(dot)com.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- For teases, updates, and general fuckery, you can follow me on Twitter - artbeatsandlife </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- <b>NOTE</b>: I do NOT speak French, and haven't been to Paris since I was very, very young, so forgive any inaccuracies. All the French in this chapter was commandeered thanks to Babelfish, so, blame them, not me *passes buck*</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 9 French Phrases:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Je ne prendrai pas le non pour une réponse. Comportez-vous vous deux! – I won't take no for an answer. Behave yourselves, you two!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Savez-vous où le souterrain est? Nous savons que nous sommes étroits, mais, we' ; au sujet de a perdu. Nous sommes juste visite re. – Do you know where the train station is? We're just visiting.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aucun problème! Juste autour du coin et avalent le bloc. Vous verrez la station vers votre gauche, vous ne pouvez pas la manquer. – No problem! The station is just around the block to your left.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, I think that's it for now. Until next time…</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-36626140757208150782010-07-22T08:14:00.000-07:002010-07-22T08:14:16.072-07:00TEASER: Stealing Forever - Chapter 8Something passed between the two, sitting in that too-loud bar in Cincinnati. Somewhere between the proceeding shots of golden liquid and the dimly-lit dank bathroom, they came to an understanding. They each would get what they needed, and there would be no discussion of it.<br />
<br />
Bartender tried her best to keep her balance as Jake pressed himself into her again, and again, her bare back rubbing against the scratchy, graffitti and god-knows-what-covered bathroom wall. The heel of her boot on the edge of the toilet did little to help, as she jerked violently toward and away from him. Jake was fully with her, in that men’s bathroom that smelled of urine and stale liquor. What he wasnt, was thinking about the pain, and for that, he was grateful.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-26869240052815724902010-03-25T14:41:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:42:37.417-07:00The Neighbor - Chapter 3 Weekend Outtake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4303522543_c966043ece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4303522543_c966043ece.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">For those who want a little more insight into <i>THAT </i>weekend with Bella and Jake. You know - the one where they barely left Jacob's bed for 3 days straight? Yeah. That one. Here's a quick little outtake written for my dear friend and beta, Kay Cannon's birthday:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> ==</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Him, lying there, his sienna skin dewy from the work of the last hour was...amazing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to take a break, to give my body some time to relax, but everything in me told me to stay and watch the rise and fall of his chest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Rhythmic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He was so beautiful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I wanted so much more of him, I wanted him inside me again, and it had barely been thirty minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Jacob had drifted off, and <i>god</i>, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This was insane. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We were insane.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We had to stop at some point.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We had to breathe at some point.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But, I didn't want to.</span></div><a name='more'></a><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the last 16 hours, if we were awake, we were coupled.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The rain wouldn’t let up, which, for some reason, I couldn’t help being comforted by. As long as the rain fell, it reminded me of our time together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of this weekend.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I would always remember this weekend as one of rain and passion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I watched him, waiting for his eyes to re-open, but, after several moments, I realized he had earned his rest.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Padding to his bathroom, I caught sight of myself, which, rightly startled me, but, then, I welcomed it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hair amiss.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Face bright red.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Light bite marks and bruises on the pale skin of my neck and breast.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Skin covered in a light sheen of sweat that matched the beautiful man lying in bed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I searched for one of his ice-white towels and started the hot shower, the firm spray a welcome patter against my body.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The lather spread over my body, I was so deep in thought, remembering the last orgasm he'd exorcised from my body. It was the strongest of the night, and I it scared the shit out of me. That level of pleasure and release and clenching just...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn’t know if I could handle it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body shook violently, and he cooed and whispered to me, pulling me further, longer, holding my hips steady as he drove into me rhythmically.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I lathered shampoo through my hair, thankful that he'd been thoughtful enough to buy my favorite brand, turning the dial just a little hotter, and the feel of the streams of water massaging my scalp felt orgasmic. I closed my eyes, and just felt...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...arms circling my waist.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Warm arms - even in the scalding shower - pressing my body closer to his.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A roll of bass rumbled in his chest as his palm spread across my abdomen, the other, sliding over my neck, tilting my head for better access for his lips. He kissed a path to the nape of my neck, tossing my long hair over my shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was here.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was pressing himself into my lower back, thick and solid. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My body was already responding, already alive and raw with sensation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted him inside me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was tender and ragged and had had enough of him to last a lifetime, but I wanted him again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to feel his skin under my fingertips. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to taste him again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His body wash and cloth where in my hands in the next moment, and I was lathering circles, rubbing slowly, lovingly, against his body and he <i>moaned</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was small, but it was there, and his heavy-lidded gaze darkened.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Bella...." he murmured, bending to press his full lips against mine, and I melted into him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pressed my back against the shower wall gracefully, gripping my thigh and lifting my foot onto the small step, bending slightly. He gripped his very apparent erection firmly and rubbed it softly against my clit before sliding into me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was so familiar.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Achingly familiar, and delicious.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I moaned his name, pressing my forehead into his chest, then leaning my head against the wall and just feeling...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Feeling him press further into me, so deep, so focused and sure.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Feeling his body press against mine, his hips grinding in rhythm, as my own followed him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Feeling his hand grip the curve of my waist, leading me firmly but gently.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jacob..." It came out as a declaration and cry and prayer. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He continued, snaking his arm around my waist and bending deeper, stilling my hips, pushing into me. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I felt my body alive with his thrusts, and I knew it as sure as I knew I was in love with this man, that he was making me cum.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grunted something incoherent as he pressed his mouth against my neck and lifted the bend of my knee into his forearm.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It came unexpectedly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thought I was still a few more thrusts away, but, as he shifted my body just-so, I fell over the edge.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trembling, and moaning, and calling his name and calling out to god.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His hips continued their rhythm against mine, and, because I knew his body almost as well as I knew my own, I knew he wasn’t even close to finishing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Fuck.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He paused to turn the water off, lifting me easily around his waist and leading us back into his bedroom.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had opened the doors to his balcony and the breeze let in the most amazing briny rain scent, swirling about the room, letting in the beach and the smell of summer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My back was against his king mattress, my thighs parted for him, and this was where I needed to be.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With this man, like this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He needed to know how he made me feel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He needed to know that with each passing day, that I was falling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was my love, and my temptation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-7959637944686423242010-03-25T14:34:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:34:58.260-07:00The Taming: A Paul and Leah Lemonfest<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso" rel="Edit-Time-Data"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4395827249_fae3bcec7c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4395827249_fae3bcec7c.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Summary –</b> <b>Paul Wolfe and Leah Clearwater work at one of the premiere IT companies in Seattle and are at the top of their games. What happens when two alpha personalities are paired and forced to spend long hours at the office together? Explosion! AU/AH Paul/Leah. Rated M/NC-17 for Lemons and Language. Written for Ms. Kathy's Twifans for Haiti drive.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A/N – </b>I've never paired Paul and Leah together, though, I can't really see why now. They seem like the hottest, most volatile match, just waiting for some love. I hope you like this one, it was fun to write, and I personally think it's hot as hell. Paul was really speaking to me, and he has a dirty, dirty mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you <b>andyouloveher </b>and<b> Kay Cannon</b> for accepting my last-minute beta-begging and doing such a boss job with my very ROUGH draft and <b>Einfach Mich</b> for her general fuckawesomeness and for getting us together.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A special shout-out goes out to my twitter lovies, ClaudiRod22, ToDream, Reijilie, and Taye for inspiring this by bullying me relentlessly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>:::DISCLAIMER::: There is some pretty graphic language and even more graphic lemons, not to mention some light roughness, but all scenes are consensual from both parties involved. </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Stephanie Meyer owns the world of Twilight, I just play around and do dirty, smutty things to it.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay. Now. On to the lemons!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Seattle, Wa.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>--</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I couldn't fucking believe this shit.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of all the fucking people in the department and of all the fucking assignments on the planet, Jay paired me with <i>her</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>God</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Somewhere, someone fucking hated me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I couldn't even say I didn't deserve this shit, though. I'd done some pretty fucked up shit in my life, including fucking my cousin's wife in the bathroom of their wedding last year. But, fuck me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Really, God?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Really?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe if I could keep my fucking dick in my pants, I'd be working on this project with Jake, or Sam, or a fucking monkey playing cymbals. Anyone but her. Karma was a fucking bitch.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Wolfe, you and Clearwater'll work on the presentation to Tanya, set for two weeks after this coming Wednesday. We need to prove the need to move forward on this product, so there will be a fair amount of research that you'll need to conduct."</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Awesome.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fucking stellar.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">The hairs on the back of my neck rose as we sat in the large conference room being handed our allegorical papers for deployment. Jenks went on rattling off the different pieces of the project that paired others on our product management team. Jake glanced at me with sympathetic eyes. Sam just smirked and I fought with the urge to fucking punch a hole through his skull.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck me raw.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Sigh.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I glanced at her, sitting on the other end of the expansive mahogany table.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Smug bitch.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">She returned my gaze, her lips tight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Was that a scowl?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">What the fuck did she have to be pissed about? I was one of the top performers on our team. I'd outlined and created the project briefs for three of the last five products that had gone to production. I was a fucking asshole, yes, but I'd like to think of it as being assertive.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was just a bitch.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She mindlessly threw her dark hair over her shoulder, crossing her arms, defensively, under her breasts.<br />
My eyes wandered to the peek of cleavage that rose beneath her silk blouse.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck me.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Why did she have to be so fucking hot?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I mean, like, I'd kill my own mother to lick her pussy hot.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was like my mind and my dick were at constant war with each other. I fucking hated her and would give my left nut to change partners on this shit, but when I looked at her, all scowly, hair slick, shiny and bone-straight, silk shirt draped over those big tits, the way her tight skirt hugged her hips...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was confused.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She shifted, and my eyes darted back to her face, where she'd caught me eye-fucking her. She rolled her eyes, and turned her chair away from me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>FUCKFUCKFUCK!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I fucking hated her. Why couldn't she look like a troll or have some physical deformity or something? Hating her would be SO much easier than this bullshit internal struggle every time I saw her strutting through the office.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I turned my attention back to the laptop in front of me, attempting to take notes and not ogle her, too much more. A few moments later, I let my eyes wander back to her slender, fucking beautiful fingers – ones that would look so amazing wrapped around my dick.- I knew it was going to be a long fucking two weeks.</div><div class="MsoNormal">--</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>What a fucking jackass.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I couldn't believe Jenks put us on this project together. And, because I actually cared about my career and didn't just grin in the boss's face all day, I'd have to learn to play nice. Just this once.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Goddamnit.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I just wanted to slap that frown right off his fucking face.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who the fuck did he think he was? Like working with me was this huge inconvenience. He was so fucking cocksure.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'd bet he had a fucking small cock, anyway.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Him and that big SUV he drove around. I bet it was all overcompensating for a lack of <i>something</i>. The dick was usually the first thing that needed to be coddled.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had worked too hard at this fucking company to fuck up now because of some self righteous asshole.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My eyes wandered to where he sat on the other side of the room just as Jenks called out our names, and saw the look all the boys in the room gave him. Some looked relieved for the sake of their own balls, while others pitied the fate that was sure to await his. Like ones of relief for their own balls and ones of pity for his.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh shit, you have to work with Leah.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Bitchy Leah.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Man-eater Leah.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't give a fuck what they thought. I worked hard for this position, and they all ran to me when shit hit the fan and they had technical glitches with their products that only I could correct. I guessed it was only fitting that he paired two of the rising project managers on the team together on something as important as this.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He closed his laptop, slightly, a moment later and I could feel his eyes on me for a few short seconds. By the time I glanced at him again, he'd re-focused back on his screen, running a palm over his hair, mussing it slightly and letting out a frustrated breath. My eyes drifted over him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">That suit he wore was impeccable, I had to admit. Someone like him wouldn't have it any other way, I was sure. Navy blue, with a crisp white shirt underneath. Both complemented his reddish-brown skin, and made him look just as good as any Calvin Klein model.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was attractive, I guess, if you liked that tall, chiseled face look.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't have time for that bullshit, though. I wanted to work and get this shit over with so I could go back to my office, and he could go back to his. We could go back to a world where we only corresponded through email and in conversations over the various complex IT solutions we needed to come up with for the programs we supported.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It didn't matter a sliver what he looked like.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was here to do a job, and that was what I would do.</div><div class="MsoNormal">--</div><div class="MsoNormal">We sat tapping away on our laptops a few chairs away from each other in one of the building's smaller conference rooms, only stopping to and discuss this or that. She rustled a stack of papers and my ears perked.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>God she could be fucking annoying sometimes.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I still couldn't believe we'd made it through that whole time without one of us killing the other. As I had expected, we were both prone to loud outbursts and we'd gotten in countless arguments, mostly about her questioning me about something I'd said, or done, or written.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Was she fucking real?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">The weeks had come and gone and we were finally on the eve of our presentation. We had stayed late at the office and, after ordering take-out, said goodbye to several of our colleagues, as they left the building. The beaming Seattle sun gave way to oranges and yellows, and soon darkness seeped through the conference room windows.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I rose to turn the interior lights on, as I'd realized neither of us could really see anything any longer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Paul, have you run the DNS report for the TN corruption issue we've been having?" She paused to look up from her screen. She had long since removed the jacket of her suit, to reveal another of those silk blouses she seemed to be so fond of. I slid back into my seat, and pulled up my Outlook.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"No, not yet. I still have to get that document from Earl before I can run the statistics." I glanced away from my own work for a moment.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What do you mean? This thing is due tomorrow. This is the basis of the entire presentation," she said, incredulously, sitting higher in her chair.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Look, Leah, I told you Earl is supposed to be sending it over to me, at any moment."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Any moment...any moment." She nodded, her quiet tone belying the anger that I was positive was there, dancing on the edges of her voice.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yes, any fucking moment, Leah." I sighed, and knit my eyebrows together, completely disregarding all resemblances of professionalism. The gloves were coming off.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You know, Paul, I can't fucking believe my fucking career is on the line and you haven't done this yet. You are such a fucking joke." My head snapped to look at her.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Was she fucking serious?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was <i>so </i>tired of her shit. "Are you fucking kidding me, Leah? I've put in just as much work as you have."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"HA! That's fucking laughable."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What? You don't think that I have? I've supplied you with two other reports and I've included the attach rates on most of our products which are the basis of at least thirty percent of this presentation."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Paul, really. Spare me. I'm so sick of you and your fucking pompous, fucking entitled attitude."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh really, Leah? Then, why don't you shut the hell up and let me do my fucking job? <i>Huh</i>? Can you do that for me? Or is that asking too fucking much?" She rolled her eyes and let out another sigh. I hoped that fucking dropped this particular subject.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I glanced at my wristwatch; it was pushing eleven and Earl still hadn't sent over that report for me. Even <i>I</i> was beginning to be a bit concerned.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another half-hour passed and she was getting as restless as was I. "Look, why don't you just head home; I'll take care of this last piece."</div><div class="MsoNormal">She scoffed. "Are you fucking kidding me? And leave you in charge of this to handle, alone? You've got to be joking."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I could feel the anger rise, again, and I tried my best to tamp it down. I tried and was unsuccessful. "Why don't you shut up for once, Leah? This whole experience hasn't been the best for me, either."</div><div class="MsoNormal">She laughed, genuinely <i>laughed, </i>in my face, and I felt my anger as it bubbled over and oozed onto my shoes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I don't know how the fuck you've gotten in this position, or who the hell you been fucking, but you don't deserve what you've been given." She sneered at me looking disgusted.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You know, Leah, you are a real bitch sometimes," I muttered, and rose. I towered over her by at least six inches. She looked at me and, as clear as day, something snapped inside her.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her eyes narrowed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What did you just call me?" she seethed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You heard me!" I couldn't control my voice any longer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Look, you small-dick bastard," she began, through clenched teeth, standing, with her hair draped around her face. "I'm more woman than you'll ever hope to have in that pathetic little life of yours!" She pushed against my chest.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Wait. Small dick?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"Leah..." I warned, grinding my teeth; I clenched my jaw so tight I thought I heard a crack. She laughed, again, continuing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I bet you couldn't even get it up long enough to fuck a woman half as good as me. So remember <i>this, </i>while you're beating your little pen cap cock tonight: I'll be a bitch...but I'm the <i>best </i>bitch." She punctuated her tirade by pushing against my chest, once more, almost shoving me back into my seat.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted to wipe that fucking smug smile off of her fucking face.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She obviously had a fucking death wish.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I glanced down at her tight little body, in that blouse and skirt, and I completely blacked out.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before I knew it, my fingers wrapped themselves around her upper arm and dragged her down to the end of the table that was free of our mountains of papers.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What the fuck are you doing, motherfucker!?" She screeched, attempting to pull her arm out of my grip as she followed my steps, aggravated.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Shut up!" I hiked her skirt up, and crushed my lips to hers.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She tasted fucking phenomenal.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She pushed against my chest, at first, pounding her closed fists against me. But soon, she melted into me, and her fingers gripped forcefully in my hair. I slid my tongue along her soft mouth, and pressed my dick against her hip. A whimper escaped her throat. My fingers rubbed the front of her black lace panties with more pressure than I'd usually applied, but something told me she liked it rough.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I ran my fingers along the thinnest little straps I think I'd ever seen on a woman, and wrapped it around my fist. I wanted nothing more than to rip them the fuck off of her body but, instead, yanked them down her hips, fiercely. Our mouths moved feverishly against each other. Then, she broke the kiss, moaned into my mouth, and leaned away from me. Her eyes narrowed, giving me the coldest stare of anyone in my life, and then I was sobered by her palm cracking across my cheek, causing my head to jerk in the opposite direction from the sheer force.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>She'd slapped the shit out of me.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was stunned, but I think I kinda liked it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Kinky</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I licked my lips and grinned, grabbed her by her slender little waist and set her on the edge of the conference table, pocketing those tiny panties.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>No. She wouldn't be getting those back.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">She rubbed my dick through my suit pants, and rocked her hips against my fingers, sliding along her wet pussy lips and clit. She looked down at the bulge and I knew she was surprised, though she'd never say it.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yeah, that's all me..." I whispered in her ear, as I plunged two fingers into her. Her ass was moving all over the place, rolling her hips against my fingers, and I could only fucking imagine how that would feel on my dick.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Why don't you shut the fuck up?" She gruffly pulled on my tie, yanking it off, and moved down the buttons of my shirt. "Or better yet, why don't you do something with that pretty little mouth of yours?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was challenging me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I chuckled, stroking her deeper with my fingers, and then sliding them quickly to my lips to take a taste.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck me.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">No wonder she walked around like Queen Bitch herself, every day. She had the fucking golden pussy between her fucking legs. She tasted beyond amazing; I had to have more of this.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I dipped my head, settling between those beautiful golden brown thighs and sucked on her clit.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Fuck..." she said, leaning against her forearms with her head thrown back.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I fucked her with my mouth, rolling my tongue around her clit, biting, and sucking until she was moaning, begging, and whimpering. I could literally do this shit all night – she tasted just that amazing. And the sounds she made…</div><div class="MsoNormal">God that was enough to make me cum right there.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She widened her legs, moving and winding her hips with the rhythm of my mouth and fingers, and her moans became louder. I was fucking glad we were the only ones left in the building, because Miss Clearwater was a screamer. I could feel the heat of her clit, throbbing with her impending orgasm. I had only had my mouth on her pussy about two minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'd beat my own record.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I continued my strokes, alternating with sucks and nips, pushing my fingers into her, stoking the wet little pussy until it started clenching around me. She was cumming, in waves, soaking my hand. Miss Clearwater was also a squirter.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fucking <i>amazing</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Get that shit off," I commanded, reaching for her shirt. She was taking entirely too long, so I gripped either side, ripping it open in one quick motion, and exposing the matching push-up bra that I was sure she'd worn just to fuck with me. She moved her fingers to my pants, unbuttoning my fly. Then, she slid them down along with my boxer briefs, resting her palms on my hips.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She grabbed my dick and and it greeted her with an involuntary twitch. She moved to get off of the table, licking her lips. I bit my own lip at the thought of her squatting in front of me, sliding me in and out of her mouth, but I would have to save that for later.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"No babe..." I chastised, stilling her on the table. "We can do that later. I'm about to fuck the shit out of you," I promised. Before she could respond, I rubbed my palm up the length of her pussy and coated my dick with her wetness.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wrapped her legs over my forearms and pulled her to the edge of the table, opening those lips and sliding into her. She moaned, loudly, wither her eyes rolling back and her head lolling to the side. I began my strokes aggressively, grinding myself into her with reckless abandon.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Now. What. Was. That. Leah?" I punctuated each word with a hard, deep thrust into her. "I. Couldn't. Fuck. Right?" I asked through clenched teeth. I leaned over her as she gripped my forearms, tightly, not saying a word in response. Her mouth dropped open, her heavily-lidded eyes focused on my face, and I was sure she was attempting to speak.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Now. I'm gonna fuck you, here, until your little pussy comes all over my dick. Then, I'm gonna take you back to my house, and I'm gonna fuck you so hard, all you'll be able to think of tomorrow is my dick. Okay?" I whispered, sweetly, just inches from her open mouth. There was no response, so I took that as an affirmative.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wrapped her beautiful hair around my hand, tugging her toward me, and a yelp escaped her lips.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ah...of course. Leah likes it rough, doesn't she?" I affirmed, grinding deeper into her. "Talk to me, Leah, or I'll stop. You have so much to say all the time. <i>Speak</i>!"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"..Ye...Yes..." She panted, as her body rocked violently against my thrusts into her.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yes, what?" I solicited, unlatching the front hook on her bra, releasing those amazing tits. I just had to bend down to suck on each nipple, until she moaned louder.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yes, Paul..." she whined, grinding her hips against me. "I like it rough...."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmm, that's what I thought," I said, with a smile. "You like my dick, don't you?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"<i>Fuck</i>...yes..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"And, Leah, is my dick small?" I posed, teasing her as I bowed my knees to reach further inside her. She felt so fucking insane, if I didn't have the years of practice, I swear I would have cum inside her long before this moment.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She moaned louder, still. "God...no..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hummed, lifting her legs and placing her ankles at my shoulders, and easing her closer to the edge of the table, again. She followed me and laid back, flatly, folding onto my wrists. I felt the spasms inside her grip my dick and I knew she was just moments from her orgasm.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ah...Leah..." I called, moaning. "Mmm, I can feel that pussy...you're about to cum, aren't you?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">In place of a response, she dug her nails into my forearms. The sight of her, all hot and flushed, was pulling me over the edge. I leaned forward, pressing my palms evenly against the back of her thighs, until they were touching her chest and her knees where at her ears. Then, I tugged her forward, again, because fuck if she didn't want to go sliding all over the slick conference room table.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She grunted. "I'm fucking cumming...."</div><div class="MsoNormal">And I felt the wetness gush over my dick.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mmm...She felt so fucking amazing; I'd definitely need to do this again. A lot.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Fuck" I whispered, dropping my head and focusing my thrusts. I could feel my own orgasm mounting, and that shit was so fucking good that my toes were curling in my dress shoes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Can I cum inside you?" I asked, as I thrust into her harder.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Please say yes. Please say yes.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"Shit... Yes... Cum inside me...fucking, yes..." she commanded, moaning.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmm, fuck..." I whispered, again, circling her clit as I thrust, into her a few more times. The spasms hit me and I came so fucking hard my vision was blurry for a few seconds.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>No shit.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I set her legs down, carefully, sliding out of her and then helping her up.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Come on, let's get packed up," I said, tucking myself back into my pants and straightening my shirt. She looked at me like I was insane, so I stepped back between her parted thighs. "Leah. I wasn't joking. I'm gonna fuck you for the rest of the night."</div><div class="MsoNormal">She whimpered, latching her bra and attempting to close her ripped shirt as best she could. I was already packing up our papers and my laptop, as she stood there dazed, trying to get a hold of her legs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Call me fucking small-dicked. This is what you get. And this was just round one.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">She placed her laptop into its case and grabbed her suit jacket, purse, and then slid into her pumps.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She'd have to keep those on later. We made our way back to the elevator and we stood on opposite ends of the small space. I glanced at her and she looked...satisfied? Content?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Hmm. </i>I'd seen a lot of looks on her face, but contentment? Never.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I guess that's what happens when Leah cums. I suppose she sees the world a little more clearly.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">She still looked as hot as ever; her hair was still slightly amiss, and her skin was dewy and flushed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I parked over here," I said, walking to my lone truck in the parking lot. "Where are you?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'm in the garage," she replied, shifting her bags over her arm.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'll drive you, <i>eh</i>?" She nodded, walking behind me. I walked over to the passenger side door and opened it for her, taking her bags and putting them in the back because, yes, I was a complete dick sometimes but, my mother had taught me <i>some </i>manners.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I pulled up beside her BMW and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to make her move. She looked back at me, studying my face, and then ran her fingertips along my jaw. I leaned to my right, and pressed my lips against hers. It was even better than the first time.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The kiss started small and tentative, but soon grew hungry, and hard, and wanton. Her fingers were at the front of my pants, working quickly to release my already semi-hard erection. She freed me, and then leaned her head into my lap, taking my greedily into her mouth. I moaned.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck. Me.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">She sucked me between her lips – her mouth was so soft and wet, I could barely keep it together. She rubbed her thighs together, as she bobbed her head up and down in my lap, and I wanted her to sit on it so bad.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Come here..." I whispered.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmhmm?" she mumbled, still gliding her lips up and down the length of me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I pulled her to me, and understanding crossed her face as she rose to her knees and straddled my lap. I pushed the seat as far back as it would go, to allow for plenty of room between her back and the steering wheel. Thank you God for this Navigator.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She wrapped her fingers around my dick and slid it between her already-slick lips, sinking onto it.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"<i>Fuck</i>, Leah..." I whispered as she bounced lightly, squeezing her walls around me with practiced ease.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She began riding me, grinding her hips along mine, and gripping the soft leather headrest for leverage.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...<i>God</i>...so good..." She moaned, speeding her gyrations. I grunted and whispered how good she was, and how tight her pussy was, until she was dripping and purring against me. She brusquely placed her palms against my chest, moving fast against me and pushing us both closer to the edge.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Goddamn it, Paul," she said, through clenched teeth as she bounded, and then rolled her hips against me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Come on, Leah..." I urged, "...cum for me, again..." My fingertips slipped over her hardened clit. "You're so fucking sexy...cum on my dick, again."</div><div class="MsoNormal">She continued moaning and whimpering. Her head rolled forward, and her lips where on mine, again. We were moving together in perfect rhythm. There, as she moved her body against mine, something passed between us. I wasn't sure what it was, but it felt so good, so right.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She groaned into my mouth and it shocked straight to my dick. I didn't know how much longer I could take her on me like this. I grabbed her hips firmly in my hands, pulling her toward me, meeting her forward strokes with my own upward ones, searching, and reaching for the spot I knew would start the spasms, once more.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Shit, Paul...Fuck..." she called out. "I'm about to cum, again..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmm, <i>yes</i>..." I whispered, stiffening my grip on her ass. "Yeah, right there..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">And then she was shaking and convulsing above me. She moved her fingers to my mouth and I sucked them as the nails from her loose hand dug into my suit jacket. She came all over my lap, which was the hottest fucking thing I'd ever seen. I couldn't help clutching the beautiful hair, again, which seemed to set off another round of spasms.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'd have to remember that.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She leaned forward and kissed me, and I could feel her heartbeat thumping against my chest as we both struggled to catch our breaths. Finally, after several minutes, she leaned back and I helped her into the passenger seat.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"God..." she said with a smile, breathlessly.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I know..." I agreed, chuckling.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'll follow you?" he straightened her skirt, and ran a perfectly manicured hand over her hair.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yeah, I'm about ten minutes from here."</div><div class="MsoNormal">We could barely make it into my townhouse without ripping our clothes off, on my porch, as I fumbled around for my house key. Our clothes where in a trail that spanned from the front door, up the stairs, and to my master bedroom.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had serious dick control, I'll admit, but fuck if I could be rock hard as many times in these few short hours as I had been with Leah. It was insane. It was as if we were perfect fuckmates, or something. And, seeing her in the twilight, from the blue light spilling in through my bay window, completely naked, made my fucking dick like concrete.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her body was fucking perfect. Like an hourglass: full breasts, slender waist, and curvy hips and ass.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was even more perfect naked than when she was clothed in those power suits.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was fucking crazy.</div><div class="MsoNormal">--</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>God.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">His body was fucking phenomenal.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hadn't really gotten a chance to see him like this, perfectly nude, with every inch of copper skin smooth and delicious. I drank in the sight of his body, and it made me want to moan; long, lean muscle, not too bulky, like a swimmer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stepped toward him and ran my fingertips over his abdomen, licking my lips at the deep indentation at his hips. I just had to drag my tongue there when his cock was in my mouth, again. And it definitely would be.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had never – <i>NEVER</i> – had sex like this before.</div><div class="MsoNormal">...and I'd definitely never cum like this before.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was like our bodies were perfectly made for each other. We'd spent all this time fucking bickering and hating each other, when we could have been fucking. Well, I still hated him, but I fucking loved his cock.<br />
Before I knew it, I was on my hands and knees atop his king bed, with his hands gripping my hips. He pounded into me with a force that nearly knocked me off the bed. And god, he talked dirty.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His voice was like fucking liquid sex all over my body, kissing my nipples and swirling around my clit.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Fuck, Paul...shit..." I groaned. I knew it wouldn't last long in this position, and with him grinding into me so deeply, there was no way I wouldn't cum soon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Goddamnit.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">We'd have to do this again. And soon. Very soon. I was sure I'd have to do some serious apologizing before he'd let me live all this down, which, for another taste and ride of him, I was willing to push my pride aside for.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I ground my ass against his thrusts, pushing back to meet him at every forward stroke. I moaned his name, as the orgasm took me over and shook my body, erupting within me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Beautiful..." he murmured as he flipped me onto my back and pulled me toward him, his <i>very </i>stiff cock sliding back into me. He obviously wasn't done with me, yet.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I mumbled as I heard his blaring alarm clock's shrill ringing in the still of his bedroom. I cracked my eyelids open, searching for the red LCD lights in the darkness. After several long moments, I reached over and slapped the snooze button. It was 6:42.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck. I have to get going.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I stretched the full length of my body, working out the kinks of my lower back, shoulders, and thighs. He sure wasn't kidding about that all night thing. Then, I reached my hand out, searching for Paul in the darkness, and only found an empty bed in return.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Slipping out of bed, I found the trail of my clothing and dressed as I walked down his stairs. I found him on his couch, with laptop, studying the screen, intently.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey..." I said, getting his attention. He looked up, obviously finishing some last-minute items on the presentation. He sat the laptop beside him and stood in his boxer-briefs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck me, he was delicious.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey," he said, with a deep early-morning voice, "I just sent you a final copy of the presentation. Earl sent over that report a few hours ago, but, as you know, we were...<i>occupied</i>." I blushed a bit, which even managed to surprise me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Me? Blush? Never.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"I CC'd Tanya, Jenks, and the rest of the team, so they'd have a copy before the meeting at nine." He continued walking toward me. "I sent over the file to James, and he'll have some copies bound and on your desk for the meeting, as well."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I nodded. "Thank you for handling this."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"No problem, pretty lady."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Well, I'm gonna head home. I need to get ready." I grabbed my purse from the corner of the hallway.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Okay. I guess I'll see you in a few hours?""Yeah, I guess so." I shifted and gave him a small smile. Then, I turned toward the door, searching in my purse for my keys.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey, Leah..." He grabbed my arm. "Last night...it was...amazing."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I smiled wider. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">His smile grew to match mine, as he stepped closer to me and placed a sweet peck on my lips. "Would you like to get a drink or something after work? Maybe celebrate the presentation?" I looked at him for a long moment, mulling over what the possible implications of us, the asshole and the bitch, actually getting along would be.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Sure, Paul. I think that'd be okay." I smiled, one last time, reaching for the door.</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>OKAY….so, now, if your eyeballs are still intact and you aren't blushing too hard from all Paul's vulgar misogynistic language, I'd like to thank you for reading through and making it this far.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>I personally think this was both hot and hilarious. *shrug*</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>…but then again, I'm a smut-peddler and card-carrying member of Team Evil.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-22436661276870620512010-03-25T14:26:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:27:25.185-07:00The Neighbor - Chapter 2 - Midday and Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4396183816_ed3852886f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4396183816_ed3852886f.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Chapter 2: Midday and Chocolate</b></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">....absolutely vibrating with anticipation.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was a complete spaz at work. My brain was on him, not my job, and that didn't help me come up with new and zippysnappypoppy advertisements, at all. This was all insane. I didn't even know this man – had barely even had a full conversation with him – and here, now, I couldn't take my mind off him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…How his fingers felt on my skin.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…The briny taste of his shoulder, slick from rain and sweat in my mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…The mind-numbing feel of him inside me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bella, what the fuck is up?" hissed the only other Account Manager besides myself. After I'd stared at the Photoshop window on my laptop, gazing at the white and grey checkered boxes, obviously others started to notice.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Wha...What?" My brain was on vacation.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Alice snapped her tiny fingers in front of my face, whispering, "Bella. Snap the fuck out of it. Victoria is on a rampage this week with this new campaign. You have got to get it together. Now, what the fuck is up with you?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">I looked at her: her jet black hair, short spikes jutting out in all directions in back, juxtaposed with the slick electric blue stripes of her side bang swooping across her forehead. How do you tell your best friend that you've had the best sex of your life, complete with multiple orgasms, with a stranger whose last name you don't even know and now? How do you explain that you can't focus because your thighs keep squeezing together just from thinking about him?</div><div class="MsoNormal">I needed him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Three days was too long. I wasn't sure why I'd allowed so many days to pass without seeing him again. Better yet, I didn't know how I'd even been able to stand it. I guessed I was too chicken shit to go knocking on his door. What would I say exactly?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>'Er, excuse me Jacob (insert unknown last name here), that sex was the most toe-curling experience of my life and, well, I wanted to know if we could do it again, like, now?' </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Not so much.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I looked at the clock; fifteen minutes until lunch.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe he'd be home. He was a freelance writer, so, it wasn't like he had a typical 9-to-5.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe he'd take mercy on me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe he was losing his shit after our sex as much as I was.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Minutes later, after I'd assured Alice that I was fine and blamed my spaciness on PMS and too much caffeine, I jumped from my chair with my keys in-hand. My <i>Prius</i> flew the ten minute drive it took to return home, and I crept down the hall to find the door to Jacob's house slightly cracked. I paused, and then pushed it open to find him sitting with his laptop resting in his lap, tapping away at the keys.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He glanced up at me, expectantly. His eyes softened, almost like he'd been waiting on my arrival. Then he moved his laptop to the space on the pricey-looking brown leather sofa beside him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey," he almost whispered.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey," I parroted.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I crossed the distance between us in a moment, stopping to stand directly in front of him. I had no clue what I was doing, or if he wanted me even a fraction as much as I wanted him. All I knew was that I had to throw myself out there, go for broke, and hope that he'd reciprocate.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His eyes twinkled mischievously, though, not a feature on his face moved.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Expressive. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He slid to the edge of the sofa, until his face was just inches from me, and waited a moment, as if he were looking for any signal – any sign – that I didn't want this. When he received none, he buried his face in my abdomen, inhaling deeply.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh god...</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">My body ached for him, and I dug my fingers into his gorgeous hair, which, even from where I stood, smelled of myrrh and clove. I clutched him close to me, and we paused, breathed, and the feeling was so intensely intimate.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He looked up at me, sliding his fingertips over my sandaled feet. His hands ghosted over my ankle, up the curve of my calves, to the backs of my knees, and then thighs, and I gasped. The wetness was already there, pooling, and waiting for his touch.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His hands traveled higher still, caressing and squeezing my thighs until he met the warm, dampened lace of my white thong. I didn't move, not a muscle, awaiting his next move with excitement. He stroked there - <i>stroked</i> - until I was breathless.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He paused, one hand holding the curve of my hip and the other looping fingers under the thin strap, and pulled them down in one quick motion. I cried out at the feel of the fabric being snatched so abruptly from me, causing an immediate reaction and quiver over my throbbing clit. Instead of dropping them on the floor, or even throwing them across the room, he pocketed them. I was sure I would explode.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He bent and grabbed my ankles, yanking my feet apart. I whimpered his name, wobbling before finally catching my balance.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He slid his palms up my calves, next my thighs, and then finally met with my quivering pussy. He caressed me there, just along the lips, toying with me and fanning the flames. But then, he went deeper.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I have to...I have to go back to work...lunch," I muttered as his fingers began pumping into me, a muted sloshing noise filling the air.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He shushed me, distracted, and I felt myself drawn into the rhythm of his fingers inside me: pumping, then swirling around my clit …pumping, then clit. He whispered, "Feel good?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"So good...so fucking good..." I responded, needing to steady myself with my palms on his shoulders.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His lips fell open, but he never took his eye off me – not for a second, even when he slid his fingers out of me to taste them, before quickly returning to my clit. I moaned and begged him to somehow put me out of my misery.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Oh, Jacob...so good..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Good..." he murmured, as I felt the beginnings of the waves take over my body, panting and moaning. I could barely remain standing in front of him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He pulled his fingers from my body again and my closed eyes snapped open to meet his, dark and dangerous gaze- like I was his defenseless prey. He leaned back, and I could see the large outline of his cock pressed against the sweatpants he wore, stiff and ready. I'd made him like that. <i>I</i> was doing that to him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I reached down, unable to help myself. It was a thing of beauty to be admired and loved. I slid those pants over his hips and he used the back of the sofa for leverage as he lifted to assist me. He reached behind his head, pulling the tank from his body, and every inch of his copper skin sat there, exposed and beautiful.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He grabbed the backs of my thighs, pulling me forward, until I bent my knees and straddled him. Just as my mouth met his, tasting his deliciously sweet hot mouth, I glanced at the wall clock.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I'll have to make this quick. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I yanked my fitted black skirt to my waist, and took the length of him, rubbing the head over my clit: back, forth, slick, and slippery, mixing with the excitement from both of our bodies. He groaned my name, a plea to sit on his cock, and I obliged him. I finally positioned the thick head just so, and then sank down onto him, bouncing lightly, until his dick was coated sufficiently and I slickly rose back up.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I moaned into his mouth as his fingers arched, locking under my arms and over my shoulders pressing me harder and deeper onto his cock. I could feel every inch of him. As we began moving against each other, moaning and panting, that flint, the spark, stirred inside me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Fuck, Bella....<i>God</i>..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">My hips moved, grinding, gliding back and forth on him, while I frantically attempting to get us both off quickly. He was making it so hard for me, though. He tried to slow my hips with his hands on my waist, and milled into me so deeply it was almost immobilizing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I pushed him flush with the sofa and away from my body. He gripped my hips tighter, squeezing and guiding them over him, again and again. I felt the fire burning brighter, more intensely inside. I clung to his shoulders like they were the only things tethering me to the earth, as I fell over the edge and the shivers overtook me, once more.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He held me, pressing my body forward, which set off another orgasm within me. His hold became tighter, his rhythm more frantic, until he jerked and I felt him surge inside me. At the same time, his teeth bit my right nipple through my blouse.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our breathing slowed, and I tore my eyes away from his to look at the clock, again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Fuck. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"I gotta go...work," I said breathlessly. He grasped me firmer, and I knew he didn't want me to leave; he didn't want to let me go. I didn't want to leave either, but I pleaded with my eyes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Don't worry." I kissed him once more and I rushed to his bathroom to clean up.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Soon," he promised. Then he kissed me deeply, taking my breath away before I jetted back to the office, already fifteen minutes late.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yeah, so, his name is Jacob," I said, stabbing at a cherry tomato in my salad. After over a week of hot, spontaneous romps with him, I thought it was about time I shared this new development with her. Alice had all but stopped everything she'd been doing to gawk at me with her perfect mouth forming an 'O,' and her eyes widening.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What?" I questioned.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What, Bella? What?! You tell me this sex god comes and fucks you blind, and I'm supposed to… <i>what</i>?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You don't have to do anything at all, Ally. I just..." I searched for a piece of grilled chicken, hoping that I wouldn't have to look at her again, because the redness had long-since spread across my cheeks. "I just wanted to let you know why I've been acting so insane, lately."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oooooh, Bella. You've got it bad. Bad!" she mocked, laughing. "So, have you guys, like, been on a date yet?" She leaned forward, glancing around. "Wait, wait. Before you tell me about all the boring details, tell me how big his cock is again."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ally!" I was mortified. This was the most horrid thing I'd done in my relatively humdrum existence. And, outside of Alice's insistence on telling me every little detail of her and her fiancé, Jasper's, very active sex life, my world was pretty vanilla.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Well, Bella, you've already told me everything else and, from what I can tell, you need to ride this thing out – milk it for all its worth...Pun intended."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You're disgusting, Mary Alice."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...And you're a slut, Isabella." She smirked.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I could smell the buttery chocolate aroma as soon as I'd hit our floor. It was amazing, and chocolate had been my favorite for as long as I could remember. Where the hell was that coming from? I stopped to gather my stack of mail and lock the mailbox, shifting my graffiti-covered laptop bag over my shoulder. I entered the elevator, and then exited to my floor when it stopped. The smell became stronger the closer I got to his door.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>4A </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">The door was slightly ajar. My heart jumped and butterflies swarmed in my stomach. This had been the pattern from the beginning.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Had been the pattern for last two weeks.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was waiting for me. It wasn't a coincidence. The latch wasn't broken. It was an invitation. I silently thanked God, again, that I'd had the foresight to wear my sexy pink lace bra and bikini set.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He'd love it.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I smoothed my hair and popped out a stick of lip gloss, before pushing open his door. I walked through his neat apartment like second nature. The lights were dimmed. Only the faint sound of motion in the kitchen and the television in his bedroom with the volume turned low could be heard.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, I saw him. I didn't know what I expected. Coming here was always a surprise.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes he'd be naked; sometimes in the shower or casually lounging on his bed. Today, though, he had never looked sexier.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Well, save for that rain thing. That shit was epic. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He stood there, peering into a pot on the stove, carefully stirring, and then fiddling with the knobs. He was so distracted - so...beautiful – as his face frowned in concentration. His jeans hung dangerously low on his hips, the black classic <i>Deadhead</i> shirt he wore sinfully hugging his body, and he was casually barefoot. His hair looked slightly damp and I quickly wondered if he'd just showered.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The thought of him in a shower, again… Well, that was beyond sinful.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hello there," he said, not looking up from the pot. <i>How the hell did he know I was here?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Hi," I squeaked. He removed the pot from the burner, clicked the eye off, and turned to me, finally, with those eyes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Come taste this."</div><div class="MsoNormal">My body ached, and my feet were moving toward him of their own volition. Before I knew it, I was standing before him, every part of me alive, needy, and painfully throbbing with every breath.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Is it chocolate? …Because it drifted to the hallway and smelled amazing."</div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead of a reply, he dipped a finger in the cooling pot, coating it with the dark syrup, and lifted it to my lips. I parted them, and then sucked his finger into my mouth. It was delicious, just melting onto my tongue. It was perfect, buttery and silky, and I tasted just a hint of rum. I had to pause, briefly, to get my bearings.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh my god, Jacob..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I know, right?" He purred with a wicked smile, "Good?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Better than good," I answered. He turned to dip his finger, again.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Can I...have a taste?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">I coughed, trying to find my voice. I barely whispered, "Yes."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He smiled, again, his eyes darkening, and offered his finger to me. I took it, wrapping my lips around, sucking and licking eagerly. He slipped it out with a slick pop, and covered my mouth with his in a leisurely, sensual kiss, that nearly drove me insane. His fingertips skated up, cupping the side of my head, just at the nape of my neck, as his teasing lips and tongue languorously slid against mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing my own hands to roam up his ribs, stoking the muscles crossing his abdomen.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hummed into his mouth when he pulled me closer, never parting our lips. In a moment, my slacks fell with a swish to the ground, as did my blouse. He paused to look at my body, appreciatively, and said something in a sing-songy language I assumed was his native. Whatever it was, it sounded vulgar, and made me a bit wetter than I already was.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I slipped my fingers along the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head, and his hair fell in disheveled layers around his shoulders. I pulled his jeans open, finding nothing but his naked body beneath, to my delight. My panties were gone in the next second, and my bra unlatched and on the floor, right after that.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He lifted me, with no effort, onto the kitchen table, which I discovered was pretty damn sturdy. He parted my knees, and pulled a chair directly in front of me, sitting and looking at my pink folds like it was the most beautiful thing he'd laid eyes on. He widened my thighs a bit more, running a finger between my lips. Then, pressing two inside me, he leaned forward, and licked the place his fingers had just been. He lapped greedily, and then finally rested along my clit, placing tight circles there.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh...Jacob." I moaned. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of our reflection in the kitchen window to the left of me. Our bodies looked so hot – so beautiful together.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My back arched against the intense pleasure he was eliciting from my body. My thighs parted, his head sinking further between them and bobbing as he worked against me with his tongue. He reached up and held my breasts in each hand, skimming my nipples between his fingers, while never taking his mouth away from my clit.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was all enough to bring me over the edge and I writhed, moaned, and gyrated my hips against his skillful tongue. He mumbled something that I couldn't understand, and then slowed to a stop, just as I was on the verge of the peak brought on by his mouth. I snapped my head up, eyes dropping from the ceiling to meet his, which staring back, darkly.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Watch me, Bella," he whispered. Then, he snaked his tongue back to my body, adding more focused pressure to my clit, and slid his long fingers further inside me, curling them...curling them deep, beckoning me, pulling me all in one rhythmic climb.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ohhhh, fuck..." I rocked my hips along his fingers, meeting each thrust forward with my body, "...Oh, God..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">...And I was falling, tightening over his fingers, vibrating under his tongue, and moaning his name. I felt the gush of wetness pooling between my thighs, as I shook under his touch. He slowed his mouth to a stop, and pulled his fingers from me. Then, he stood, his cock stiff and proud, and just inches from where I needed him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He ran his hands up and down the length of my body, my neck, and down my nipples, pausing there to lick and suck them until I was whimpering and begging. His mouth continued to the curve of my hip. He took his cock in his hand and, after seeing at the pained expression in his eyes, I knew neither of us could stand it for even a second longer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I pushed my hips closer to him, grabbing for his body, and he bent to place a hard open-mouthed kiss on my lips as he eased into me. His fingers gripped the edge of table for leverage while he pumped into me. I couldn't help threading my fingers in that hair.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was beautiful. The muscles of his chest and abdomen tightened with every inward push, focused and steady. This was different. It wasn't frantic; it was methodical, and I could feel every ridge, and swell of him stroking me – making me feel so much fuller than any other time.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He stared into my eyes, his jaw tight, and I moaned. I moaned loud and long.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Shortly, just after our bodies had formed a thin sheen of sweat, he gently pushed me onto my back and gripped his hands under my knees, lifting them to his shoulders. He tightly held my waist with one hand, while rubbing my clit with the other. Following, he hissed through clenched teeth, clasping my hips with more force, each plunge boring deeper, until he was biting his bottom lip.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Fuck..." he whispered, leaning his body over mine until my thighs where almost at my chest. After crushing his mouth to mine, he steadied his palms on the table, at each of my sides, stopping my body from rocking against his deep thrusts.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Oh Jacob...Oh, fuck..." I moaned feeling the surge and contractions begin. He kept his pace, muffling my cries with his mouth and massaging my tongue. My body dripped with sweat, covering my bouncing breasts.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...I can feel you," he murmured, "Come on, Bella. Cum with me." His voice was like honey, smooth, sweet, and delicious, enveloping every cell in my body, as I came.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I came so hard, panting his name and curling my nails into his ribs, that parts of wanted to slap him and kiss him, all at once.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Shit..." he ground out. He was squeezing his eyes closed, gripping my thighs, and biting the fleshy skin at the side of my bent knee as I felt the pulsing heat and wetness inside me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He carefully let my thighs down, both of us catching our breath. I rose to my elbows, looking at this beautiful man who had just taken my body places it had never been before. Then he turned to me, and quirked his eyebrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Have you eaten?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">I smiled as we both reached for our clothing. I opted for sliding into his t-shirt, which reached just past my thighs, and my panties. He pulled on his jeans and walked over to something I hadn't noticed earlier that was covered in aluminum foil.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"No. I had a long day at work and haven't even been to my apartment yet."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Well, we can't have that," he said, finally stepping toward me and placing a peck on my lips. "I made lasagna and...You've already seen what I made for dessert." I blushed, and his eyes softened as he bent to kiss me again. I was speechless.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Wait...HE COOKS TOO??? </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Ok. So, he's intelligent, hotter than should be legal, has a cock the size of two Pepsi cans stacked on top of each other and knows what to do with it, and he COOKS? </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He'd won all around on <i>personal attribute day</i> in heaven.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Wine?" He asked me, turning away.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You have white?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I have a little white and some good red," he said, while peering into his refrigerator, and then above it at his wine rack with several bottles of red wine. "I got this red in South Africa about a year ago; I hear it's very spicy. I've been saving it for a special occasion, such as this."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Well, let's have that then." I was in the twilight zone, being swept up in his gaze, and smile, and voice all at once.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who was this man?</div><div class="MsoNormal">…This man who had just fucked me senseless and was now inviting me to drink wine at the scene of said fuck.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I suddenly wanted to know everything about him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">What were his wants and desires? What were his goals for life? Was he close to his parents? Shit, what was his last name?</div><div class="MsoNormal">He eased the corkscrew in, twisting it with practiced ease, and then pushed down on the levers. He peered into his cabinet for the appropriate glass, poured the mahogany liquid, and set it before me on the table. I smiled and took the delicate glass between my fingers, pausing to smell it. It was heavenly, and woodsy.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He stood there, waiting for me to taste, which I did, and fell in love. I pinched my eyes shut, swirling the fluid around in my mouth, and then swallowed, nodding my head in approval.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He nodded his head as well, elated. Then he grinned, and poured himself a glass, before turning to prepare our plates.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His eggplant lasagna was amazing. Said it was something he picked up travelling with a Sicilian writer friend of his while he trekked through Europe, earlier this year. Everything about him intrigued me, from the tribal masks hanging from his walls, to the way he pursed his lips in thought, and even the way he'd savagely stab away at pieces of food on his plate and shove it into his mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I let him know I'd only ever been out of the country when I went to Costa Rica on a high school senior class trip eight years ago, and had had wanderlust bubbling in my veins since then. I told him some about my work at the agency, how I was close to my mother who lived right on the west side of Jacksonville, and that my father lived in a tiny town in Washington State.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was close to his father and sisters and his group of friends he'd known since birth. Unfortunately, his mother had passed when he was just a boy. My heart ached for him, even though I'd never met her.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ready for the complete desert?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">He cleared our plates and placed them into the sink. I bobbed my head in response, secretly hoping it was just a replay of what had happened an hour ago. Instead, he reached for two small bowls and opened the oven to reveal something dark and sinful-looking bubbling in a glass dish.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Hey Jacob..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmmhmm?" he replied, scooping what looked like some kind of brownie-cake hybrid with nuts into a bowl. I felt like a six-year-old again, brimming with excitement at the thought of the rest of this dessert.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What's your last name?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Ha! I haven't told you, yet? Sorry about that...Well, I'm Quileute," he said gesturing to his hair and body, "Native. In Quileute, it's Sh`ipa - Black. Jacob Ephraim Black."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew he had to have been Native American, but I couldn't place exactly where. I felt a little more at ease; I may not know everything about this man, but at least I knew his last name.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Now, Miss Swan," he said with a smile, "Mr. Black presents...dessert. I call this, <i>Death by Chocolate</i>."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I looked down and was met with the most delicious-looking thing I think I'd ever seen. What he was stirring was chocolate sauce, of course, which he'd poured all over the brownie-cake thing. He nodded toward the bowl, urging me to taste. I picked up the spoon, scooped off a hunk of cake-brownie-sauce and slid it into my mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I died.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Died.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"How do you like it?" He smiled, watching me closely.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh my god...I'd give up all other foods and eat this for the rest of my life."</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Chuckle. …Deep, baritone, genuine. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He stepped toward me and kissed me, again. Then, I noticed there was only one spoon. I scooped another hunk off, and lifted it toward him. He took it between his lips, locking eyes with me, and slowly eased it out of his mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a thing of beauty. This man was really giving me an oral fixation.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Mmmm..." He paused, the mischief returning to his eyes. "This <i>is </i>delicious," he said, suggestively, and I quivered a bit more.</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A/N -</b> I have a thing with sauces, so, chocolate syrup seemed a natural choice. I think something with honey may be appropriate in later chapters. Hmmm.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This chapter is dedicated to every girl (and guy) who's ever really needed some midday love. Hope Jake lived up to your little fantasies.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks to my beta, <b>Kay Cannon</b>, and all you little chickies. You make me smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Also, thank you to all the boss girls (and some boys) out there that voted for <b>The Neighbor: Anytime, Anyplace.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Jake and Bella placed first in the blind public poll for the <b>Team SOB Rain Scene Challenge (fanfiction(dot)net/u/2046940/)</b> because of you and all your awesomeness. I thank everyone that clicked that button for my entry. There were quite a few amazing stories, and I am just happy to be counted among all the Wolfpack lovers out there.</div><div class="MsoNormal">And, if that wasn't amazing enough, TNAA was also selected as a favorite by one of the judges, <b>BloodofBeckie</b>, which is an awesome honor in itself.</div><div class="MsoNormal">You can check out the banner here, as well as all of the other winners: <b>teamsob(dot)blogspot(dot)com/2010/02/and-winners-are(dot)html</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-49798423113501208472010-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:24:50.570-07:00The Neighbor - Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Awakening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4395379221_3d1f461774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4395379221_3d1f461774.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Chapter 3: The Awakening</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alice was right. I had it bad.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Really bad for <i>this</i> man.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't even know if it was him or his dick, but when I was around him, I needed him inside me. And when we were apart, well, I need him inside me. I wanted his hands on my body, and his mouth breathlessly moaning my name.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I needed him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This shit was insane.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I tried not to think too much about it. I didn't want to think too much about what all this meant for us. I just wanted to enjoy the time with him while it was hot and new, and he was here and not in some third world county, saving the world one article at a time.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was hit with a new wave of inspiration at work, and came up with something our boss called 'next level' and 'career defining.' I barely cared though. All I could think about was getting home and getting to <i>him</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I passed his door, and of course, it was cracked just-so. Today, instead of immediately entering his apartment, I made a beeline for mine, and stripped out of my clothing. I was exhausted and wanted to take a nap, for just an hour.</div><div class="MsoNormal">An hour had turned into five when I popped my head up in my darkened living room. Quickly, I showered and slipped into the first pair of shorts I found, my favorite college sweatshirt, and flip flops. Then, I exited with my house keys in-hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His door was closed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course it was closed. It was fucking 12AM. My body said a silent prayer as my fingertips found the knob, turned and pushed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It opened.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He'd waited for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I entered into his home, closing the door behind me and locking it. My eyes searched in the dark for any bit of light so I wouldn't break something in his house or my leg tripping. I carefully stripped off my clothing in a trail to his room, and found him sprawled out on his bed. A stream of light washed across his face and chest. From where I stood, I could tell he was naked, with the sheet covering any view that might suggest otherwise.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>God</i>, I wanted him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He stirred, sensing I was in the room, but before he could open his eyes, my lips were on his. He moaned in approval, wrapping me up in his arms, and moving his mouth against mine. It all felt so safe – so right.</div><div class="MsoNormal">We moved in sync with each other, so easily, both reaching for the sheet and sliding it off his hips. Thankfully, he <i>had</i> slept nude tonight. I wrapped my hand around his already solid cock, sliding up and down, enjoying the feel of him, and he moaned against my neck.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"God Bella...thought you weren't coming..." he mumbled, as he trailed kisses down my throat. He flipped me onto my back and positioned himself between my parted thighs.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'm sorry Jake...such a long day...fell asleep." I gasped as he entered me quickly; we were both so anxious.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was already slick, and he went in deliciously thick and smooth. I moaned as he started his assault on my body: rhythmic and practiced. He knew what I wanted. He knew how to make me chant his name and beg for sinful things of him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His hips moved against me, his back arching, and then curving; arching and curving. My whimpers soon filled the air and my nipples hardened in arousal, as his tongue licked and lapped at them. I locked my ankles at the dip of his lower back. His mouth found mine again in the darkness, and his fingers threading in my hair. Then, he began whispering delicious things to me, hot against my ear.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was doing this to me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was making me insane.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh, Jacob..." I hissed as he drove even deeper and bit the swell of my breast. "Fuck me..." He kissed me deeper, and then pulled his mouth away. He stroked me a few more times, and then his thrusts became shallower, until he'd completely slid out of me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Turn over." I could barely obey before he had my ankle and was flipping me onto my stomach.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Up," he commanded, patting the curve of my ass. He pushed my lower back down until it arched, just right, and he was satisfied. After, he placed his palms between my thighs. "Wider."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I steadied myself on my forearms, waiting for what I wanted – what he wanted. He murmured something in Quileute, grabbing my hip and rubbing the head of his cock over it. I whimpered, "Please..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He slid into me, and my whole body tensed. Still, he never stopped his stroking. It was too good; too fucking good. He'd never taken me this way, and it was so much better than I could have even hoped to imagine.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"How's it feel?" he whispered, going deeper, "You're so wet Bells..." I couldn't hold my screams in any longer. I moaned, and cried, and thrashed my head as my body jerked forward with each thrust.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oooh, that good?" He whispered, again, slapping my ass hard enough to feel good and I cried out again. He thrust so deeply I swore I could feel him in my stomach and it hurt so good. "Your ass from this position Bells...its fucking amazing..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He'd never talked this much when we'd had sex, before. He was usually stark quiet, save for small moans or clipped swearing. This...this was a fucking turn-on; I just wanted him to keep going.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Jacob...oh my God..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Yeah?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Feels so good." I grunted, moving my hips to meet him. He dove long and hard into me, and I met him greedily each time.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Ah, Bells..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Smack.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Moan.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh. Oh. Oh. <i>OH</i>!" I moaned against each of his thrusts, hissing out his name as he moved and stroked within me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was tugging on my hair, and pulling me toward him, riding me hard and fast. I felt my orgasm just on the edges of my consciousness, and I gripped the sheets to anchor myself. The shudders erupted in me, beginning so deep – deep and soft – until they exploded in spasms that shook my entire body and caused a stream of wetness to pool where we were still joined.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Fuck!" He yelled behind me. His thighs slapped loudly against me, with one final, forceful thrust that caused me to cry out again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh my god. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>That was insane. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He squeezed my thighs, still pulsing inside me, and my head lulled to the side in exhaustion. Every part of my skin was alive and raw, and I wasn't sure I could take any more stimulation of any kind, for at least ten minutes. Then he leaned into my hair, never sliding out of me, and still semi-erect.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Shit..." he whispered.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Bells? </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Bells</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I liked that. He'd called me it all night; I couldn't help but notice when he'd called me something other than Bella. It was possessive, like I was his.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him with all the passion within me. I wanted him to know what he did to me. I needed him to know how he made me feel. He returned my fervor, running his hands over my body like it was the first time, and like I belonged to him.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This was...different.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'd come over Friday night, after work and well, now it was early Sunday morning. 3:07 A.M. to be exact.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I couldn't sleep; the rain had kept me awake, as did my racing mind, while I lay in his bed, watching him sleep as soundly as he always did. I rose, attempting not to rouse him, though I was sure I wouldn't. I'd learned he could sleep through pretty much anything, without moving an inch.</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had made love in almost every corner of his house for the last two days, stopping only to eat, or drink. At one point, I begged him to let me go and shower and just, well, rest. That I couldn't take anymore, at least, not for an hour, so I could catch my breath.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was insatiable.</div><div class="MsoNormal">So was I...with him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The days just ran together in one constant loop of blinding pleasure and release.</div><div class="MsoNormal">What was he doing to me?</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was afraid to admit a few blaring things to myself at that point. One, this was so much more than sex. Over the last month, he had burrowed his way into my heart, and my mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two...</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two kinda sucked.</div><div class="MsoNormal">We didn't know nearly enough about each other for me to be feeling this way; as strongly as I felt it. I mean, we knew how to make each other cum or moan, or scream, but... Our time not panting and sweaty was just peppered with light conversation.</div><div class="MsoNormal">What were we doing?</div><div class="MsoNormal">Three...I wanted more from him. I...</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was falling in love with him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alice had pointed that out on more than one occasion, in addition to her constant urging to meet him. I didn't want this to be some fuck-fest I had that one time, which was amazing, but whatever happened to that guy? No...</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wanted him to be mine. …Every part of him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The thought of him traipsing off to Indonesia or Haiti or where ever else without me caused me so much physical pain and it scared me. The thought of it now, while sitting in a chair, watching the rain fall in buckets outside his open balcony doors, made me want to cry. What the hell was I gonna do now?</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was in, deep. And every day, I buried myself a little deeper and he made his way into my heart a little more. I walked to where the rain splattered in pools against the balcony, both hands bracing myself on the beams of the doorway, deep in thought about what was the next course of action.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Stark naked.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Luckily, Jake's room faced away from the street, toward the beach, and we were far away from anything or anyone that could see me. That was reassuring. I stood, letting the warm wind blow in, swirling over my body, so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear him stir.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I felt his hands on my body reaching from behind me. He murmured, huskily in my ear, "Hey you..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I could feel him in every piece of me. Closing my eyes and just <i>feeling</i>, I whispered, "Hey..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I felt his body hot and soft behind mine. Felt his hands roam over my skin tenderly. Felt him smooth my hair over my opposite shoulder and his mouth pressed upon my neck.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What are you doing awake?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Couldn't sleep." I sighed, contentedly and he hummed, thoughtfully against the back of my neck.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You know, to my people, rain is sacred." He reached his long arm out to allow a few rain drops to fall into his palm. "...a life force. It brings with it life and new possibilities." He continued, rubbing my shoulder with his wet palm, and it was an orgasmic feeling. I let him continue.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"It's good luck. The rain brings with it renewal..." he murmured. He kissed my other shoulder, ran his hands across my collarbone, slowly lowering to my nipples, and paused to caress them. A small moan escaped my lips. Then he spoke into my hair, "Bella..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He stepped forward, taking me with him, willingly. Two more steps and we stood on his balcony, allowing the warm Jacksonville rain to cover us, running in rivers over our bodies. He massaged me, smoothing his strong hands over my body, rubbing my scalp, squeezing the swell of my thighs, and I was in heaven. It was like us in the shower, only, so, so much better.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I turned in his arms and stepped back gazing at him there in the moonlight. His eyes were black, his beautiful hair wet and falling about his shoulders, and his perfect body was covered in rainwater. It slowly dripped down every sinewy muscle of his torso, to his thighs.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bella..." he whispered my name again. I whimpered in reply as he lifted me and my legs wrapped around his waist. My hands were in his hair and I was being pinned to the wall in the next moment as he lowered me down onto his shaft.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He kissed me so tenderly, our mouths slippery and wet against each other as the rain fell steadily against us. It wasn't frantic or fiery.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was slow and deep and patient.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"...Bella...."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He whispered my name again, and again. I held on to his wet shoulders, gripping the back of his neck as he clung to my hips, tightly, guiding me along his body. My clit rubbed slickly against him as I bounced up and down gingerly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh God...</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was overwhelmed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was overwhelmed with the way he chanting my name. With the feel of our bodies, exposed, slick, and wet. With the feel of him inside me, shifting and driving into me. With the way my heart was so full and ached for him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was overwhelmed and I felt the tears, prickling the edges of my eyes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't dare let him see me cry. So I stilled myself, and wept silent sobs, moaning through my blindingly strong orgasm with him deep inside me. I prayed the rain would wash all my tears away.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">"You need to tell him Bella," Alice said, as we sat, sipping our daily Starbucks fix, that Monday morning. "You obviously love the guy. And so what? Your situation is a little less than conventional. Who gives a shit? You care about each other."</div><div class="MsoNormal">She had spent the last half-hour convincing me of my need to share my feelings with Jacob. That being honest would be the only way we could turn the corner on this...<i>relationship</i>? Situation? <i>Thing </i>we were doing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don't get me wrong, I had loved every second of the last month. He treated me like I was the most important thing in the world when were together. They were some of the best moments of my twenty-seven years on this planet, but it was time for more. I was getting too invested, and, if I just laid it all out there for him at this point, I might stand a chance of piecing my broken heart back together if he rejected me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Might.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"It needs to be today B, as soon as you get home. You're a big girl now, kid. So, do what big girls do, and go get your man." She smiled her infectious smile and winked at me. I felt besieged, and terrified, but damnit, I could do this.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was twitchy and anxious all day, staring at the small rectangle at the right side of my desktop screen. I peered at the time every ten seconds, it seemed, until it reached 5:00. I drove slowly, rehearsing what I would say to him and coming up with questions, or answers, and possible responses to things he might say. As I parked along the curb right outside our building, I blew out a collecting breath. Then I collected my laptop bag, purse, and other things, and made my ascent to our floor.</div><div class="MsoNormal">His door was closed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was never closed at this time of day. He was always waiting for me. It was always cracked.</div><div class="MsoNormal">A wave of panic washed over me, as I gripped the knob, turned, and then pushed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was locked.</div><div class="MsoNormal">If his door was never closed, then it was absolutely never locked. Not without me on the other side with him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>That's okay, Bella. Maybe he's not home. Maybe he stopped out for groceries, or went for a run. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">There could be a million perfectly normal, perfectly average reasons why his door would be closed and locked at this time of day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Relax. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">My heart slowed. This was ridiculous. I'd just go back to my apartment, change out of my work clothes, maybe watch some <i>OnDemand</i>, and catch up on a couple designs I'd been slacking off on, while I waited for him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He'd be back soon.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I could go a few hours without seeing him. I wasn't an addict. He wasn't my heroin.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I pulled on some old sweats and a tank and piled all my hair in a band. Next, I grabbed a glass of wine that I'd scored from Jacob and got started on my computer. After a couple hours, I had been surprisingly productive. I even managed to email Renee and give Charlie a call to check in.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just as I was walking to my kitchen for a second glass of red, I heard his door swing open.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My heart soared. God, what the hell? I was missing him like crazy, and he'd been gone for almost three hours.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I bee-lined for my front door, and opened it, but was met with voices.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Baritone.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Alto.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…A sexy Alto.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I popped my head out into the hallway, finding a smiling Jacob and a tall, leggy redhead, also smiling.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something snapped inside me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Tall, leggy alto.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Smiley Jacob.</div><div class="MsoNormal">…Locked door.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I softly closed my door, willing the rage not to overpower my senses. I felt the fire burning. I was fucking pissed. I was fucking pissed at him and I wanted to break her fucking neck with my bare hands.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Mine</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I waited until the click of her heels drifted down the hallway and I'd heard the elevator ding. Then I went flying out of my apartment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I had never knocked on his door, for as long as I'd known him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He swung the door open almost immediately. "Hey Ness. You forget somet—"</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Yeah. Not Ness. What kind of name is Ness anyway? </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">"I can't fucking believe you, Jacob," I spat, pushing against his chest.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bells—"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Don't fucking '<i>Bells</i>' me!" I growled pushing him again, then again. "What? Did you get tired of fucking me all the time, so you decided to add another girl into the mix? Huh, Jacob?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What?!" he yelled. He grabbed my wrists, mid-push, and pulled me roughly into his apartment. Then he turned to slam the door closed, and faced me, eyes black. "Bella. You need to calm down—"</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Calm down? You want me to calm down?! You're fucking some woman that's not me, and you want me to calm down? I guess it's alright, right, Jacob? I mean, we aren't together. We're only fuckbuddies, right? You can do whatever you damn-well please, right Jacob?" I hissed.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My heart was throbbing; it had shattered and was a bloody mess on the floor. I moved toward him to slap that beautiful face until I couldn't feel my fingers any longer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bella!" he said, catching my wrist again, He spun me in one quick motion, pinning me against his chest with my arms crossed tightly over my breasts. I struggled, and struggled, until we were both panting and breathless, and I was so angry the tears came in buckets.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bells. Baby..." he said, softly, "She's my editor."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Oh, that's just fucking great," I said, sobbing and defeated. "Perfect." He paused, and turned me around. His eyes were darker, and face was more serious than I'd ever seen it.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Isabella," he said through clenched teeth, "All I can ever think about is you. You hold every part of me in your hands. You say the word and I'd grab the moon and the sun for you..."</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I started to speak again but after the glare he gave me, I thought better of it and kept quiet.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"You're in every part of my being; I'm so wrapped up in you I can hardly think straight. I haven't thought about another woman since I laid eyes on you in the hall. I haven't thought about touching another woman since I touched you. And do you think I would ever do that? Betray what we have?"</div><div class="MsoNormal">I looked at him for a long moment. "Well, Jacob, what am I supposed to think? I'm not your girlfriend. We aren't official. I just...I just..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I love you. I love you with everything I am; I swear it, Bella. I don't need a label or a special list of questions answered for me to know that," he choked out, cutting me off.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The tears fell faster down my face as I dropped my head. I was ashamed. I was so stupid. Here was this perfect man, who had made me feel a way that I never thought I could, and I was accusing him of things that now seemed so fucking stupid.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He sighed. "Ness was here to tell me that there's a story I have the opportunity to cover in Paris – the protests there." My heart fell a little more. My body longed for him, already, so much that I had to sit on the arm of his chair for support. "The first thing I thought of was you, and how I would tell you. It'll be for almost a month."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I knew this would happen at some point. He'd have to leave. I'd be left here with a broken heart one way or another.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"It sounds like a great opportunity, Jake," I whispered, weakly. I blinked and wiped away the fresh tears that had just rolled down my cheeks.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'm not going."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"What!" I yelled turning to him.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I'm not going. I'm not leaving you. There's no way in hell I would now," he said, seriously.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Jacob, you can't put your life – your career – on hold just to stay here."</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I can, and I will, Bella. I love you." He walked to me, pulling me up and into his arms. Part of me was so relieved to have him with me – the immature, selfish part of me. Another part, a part that was older, wiser, and louder, knew I couldn't let him do this.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Jacob. You're going. That's it. I don't want to hear anything more about it." He started to speak, but I put my fingertips over his lips. "I'm so sorry, Jacob, for ever doubting you. I'm sorry for accusing you. I'm...I love you too," I admitted. "I love you so much, Jacob. So much it hurts sometimes."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He looked up at me, with those beautiful eyes so full of affection and emotion, and I felt more tears well up. He held me tighter, and then kissed my lips, and both cheeks. I let him, trying to calm myself – to stop the tears, but they still came.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He trailed kisses down my neck and shoulders, softly, reverently, and whimpered under his touch. He lifted me and I locked my ankles at his lower back I covered his mouth with mine, giving him all the love I had in my heart, hot and hard against his lips.</div><div class="MsoNormal">We undressed, slowly. He took care not to leave an inch of my skin untouched, pausing to kiss, lick or suck everywhere on my body. Then, he laid comfortably between my thighs, looking into my eyes, and positioning himself, ready to push into me. And I ached, more.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bella," he whispered, "Bella...come with me. Come with me to Paris." He slid into me before I could answer him, or even think. He filled me and it was like the first time, but...</div><div class="MsoNormal">It wasn't. It was familiar, and perfect, and mind-blowing, and...<i>different</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He pushed his hips into me, carefully, deeply feeling and reaching every part of me. I cried out in pleasure and need.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I want you with me," he continued, breathlessly. His hips rocked harder, taking both of us higher than we'd ever been. He buried his face in my neck and said, "I need you..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">I felt the tears begin, again; he had reached something locked so deep inside me... The beginnings of my orgasm took over me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I moaned his name.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I moaned words of love.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Please, Bella...." he said, as I shook, and the gushes flowed where we were connected. I expected to come down at some point.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn't.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He slowed his pace, lifting himself from my body, and giving me just enough of him to press upward inside me, at a new angle. He was grinding at the small concentrated place, smoothly and consciously.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was too much.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wasn't stopping.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wasn't coming down.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He wouldn't let me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My whole body jerked and shuddered again, but it didn't stop.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Bella..." he whispered, "Bella, please..."</div><div class="MsoNormal">He leaned closer to me, reached down, and grasped my hips so tightly that I could feel the indentations of his fingers. He gripped them, and then drove back into me, roughly thrusting, and I felt myself fall further – harder.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I came again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Oh, God, I came again.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I exploded into a million colors, and stars, and rain, and vibrations, and I felt him tremble above me finally.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Finally. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">He was panting.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was beautiful.</div><div class="MsoNormal">He lay gently on top of me, resting his head on my breasts, as we both attempted to catch our breaths. We were emotionally and physically spent. After a long while, I stirred, and he lifted his head to stare at me with those eyes, again.</div><div class="MsoNormal">At that moment, I knew. A small smiled tugged at the corner of my mouth.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"I think my passport is still good...My boss is gonna kill me, though."</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div class="MsoNormal">-</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A/N – Thank you to my beta, Kay Cannon; you rock. Paris is gonna be quite an adventure :)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-26388012450139710982010-03-25T14:22:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:22:37.182-07:00The Neighbor - Chapter 4 - Slow Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4395390799_453dcf7489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4395390799_453dcf7489.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chapter 4: Slow Ride</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Holy shit Bella." Alice sure had a way with words.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Yeah…" I blinked, glancing around at the busy walkway and pushing the last of my French fries around the red and white-checkered paper nestled in a plastic basket.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Today was just as hot as it always was during Jacksonville summers. The only relief was the briny cool breeze blowing against us, sending my hair whipping to the left of me, as we sat at the worn wooden table. The ocean made me feel so at peace, even in the middle of the fairly busy boardwalk.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"So, like, you're just gonna go?" she asked, incredulously, sucking a glob of ketchup off her thumb and taking another bite of her soy burger. I glanced at a shirtless in-line skater approaching, and I immediately thought about Jake and how he always favored running shirtless, especially on days like this. I needed him so badly, and I hadn't even been away from him for three hours. I nodded, raising my eyebrows and shrugging.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"You've got WAY more balls than I ever gave you credit for, there, B. I gotta say, I'm kinda proud."<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Gee, thanks, Alice." I scratched my upper arm and lifted the fallen strap of my tank top back onto my shoulder. I wondered what Jake was doing, at that moment. And I wondered if he'd be willing to cook dinner that night, and, well, what he was wearing. I hoped it wasn't much.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"No problem," she said, smugly, totally ignoring my blatant sarcasm. "Now, you <i>know </i>I have to meet this guy. This is fucking ridiculous, Bella. It's been, what, almost two months? I'm starting to get a little offended. If I had lower self-esteem, I'd actually be hurt that Jazz and I haven't met this guy."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Okay, okay," I pushed back, "You'll meet him."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"When, Isabella?" She dropped her burger and stared at me with those blue eyes as the wind tousled her already messy hair, making it look even cooler without her really trying. As if she heard my thoughts, she ran her fingers through the front, mussing it. The, she frowned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Let's have dinner; all of us. We can go to that new Thai restaurant off Southside Boulevard." I hadn't seen Jasper in ages, and Alice was chomping at the bit to take a look at Jake. She hadn't let up about him, and, now that I was leaving the country with him, she'd have all the more ammo to force this meeting on us. Alice nodded her satisfaction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Perfect! And, just think of it this way: if you end up like Natalee Holloway, or something, at least I've gotten a good look at the guy." She chuckled.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"God, Ally, you sure know how to ruin a wet dream, don't you?" I rolled my eyes, wiping my hands on a napkin and sipping the last of my Diet Coke.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She shrugged with a grin. "I know, I know. <i>Sigh</i>. It's a gift."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">--<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We'd barely made it out of the house.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When Jake opened the door, wearing those jeans...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And that shirt…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">His hair was freshly washed and slightly tousled, the way it always was when I ran my fingers through it. We were supposed to be getting ready. We were supposed to meet Alice and Jasper at the restaurant in a half hour and it took fifteen minutes just to get there. We didn't have time for this – not at all. But I felt the pull, the need to touch him, and the ache to have him touch me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jake drug his eyes over my body, hungrily. <i>This </i>was not the dress of someone not planning to get fucked.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I had carefully planned this dress <i>to </i>get fucked and fuck him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He cocked an eyebrow and licked his lips, stopping his gaze at my royal blue cotton-covered nipples.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"You..." He swallowed. "You're not wearing a bra."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I gasped, almost audibly. Five words... Five fucking words and I was on my back, atop his couch, with the dress pushed downward to my waist and upward exposing my thighs. His mouth was on me, hot and heavy, and I knew that, if he kept licking and sucking my nipples like that, I would cum and he hadn't even touched the wetness between my thighs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I moaned, arching my back, pushing my body toward his mouth, and urging him on with my fingers in his hair. He roughly shoved my panties to the side and pushed his middle and index fingers into me, his mouth never leaving my nipples.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Fuck..." I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut in the dim darkness of his living room. I instinctively began clawing at his shirt, trying to force it up and over his shoulders. Just as I began working on the fly of his jeans, my phone's shrill ring broke the rhythm of our quiet pants and measured movements.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Dammit!" Jake sighed, sitting back as I maneuvered under him, and then rose to reach for the phone which was nestled in a side pocket of my purse.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Heh—Hello?" I was still panting and breathless from Jake's hands and mouth on my body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Hey babes. Jazz and I are leaving, now. We should get there in about ten." Alice smiled through the phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Great." My voice was a strained murmur, as I tried to ignore Jacob who was now licking his fingers and lips. "We're about to leave now, too."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I pleaded with him, with my eyes. He'd have to sustain the willpower for the both of us, that night, because I had none. One more touch and we'd have to stand Alice and Jasper up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Okay, then..." he said, running his hand through his hair, effectively causing his bicep and the muscles of his chest and abdomen to flex, unconsciously. This simple gesture was almost my undoing. I was about to make the decision for us both. "I guess we'd better head out then." It was way more of a question than any form of statement of declaration.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Yeah, Jake. Alice is gonna kill me if we don't get going. Come on." I rose, urging him to follow my lead. In ten minutes, Jake was dressed, again (which, really, seemed like a sin,), and I was in his bathroom trying my hardest to calm myself, because I was beyond wet and hot, and worked up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Bells?" he called to me, from his spot on the arm of the couch. "We better get going"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Jake, you say that like this isn't your fault." I said with feigned indignace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Bella, really…? You came here in <i>that</i>." He pointed to the tight knee-length dress. "…without a bra and wearing <i>these</i>." He lifted my string thong, hanging it from one of his long fingers. "What the hell was I supposed to do?" I chuckled, attempting to grab the black lace from his hand, but, he snatched it away before I got the chance. "Uh, uh, Miss Swan," he said, shaking his head, "these are mine now."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">His grin was a mile wide, as he tucked them into his front pants pocket.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">--<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Alice raised an eyebrow as she saw me enter minus Jacob in tow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Relax, Ally. He's finding a spot for the car. The parking's pretty shitty around here." I readjusted my purse, as Jasper smiled his slow smile and gave me a hug.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Hey, Bella Always good to see you." His southern twang was like a warm Texas summer. "It's been too damn long."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"I know, I know! Where the hell has Alice been hiding you away?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"I totally agree...You're looking great, as usual. That color looks amazing on you, by the way."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Hey, hey, you two. You're just gonna flirt like that, right in front of me?" she joked, with her tiny hands on her hips. She shifted her weight in her platform sandals that still only put her at about five foot three.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I chuckled, patting Jasper on the arm. "Okay, fine, fine. I actually think I see Jake coming anyway."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Alice's attention was immediately on the front door, as Jacob made the breathtaking entrance he always seemed to make without much effort; it was actually pretty hard not to stop and stare. Alice's eyes widened for a millisecond, and then darted to me, as the right side of her mouth curved into a mischievous smirk.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Christ on a cracker, Bella...." She breathed. softly, taking the full view in as Jake sauntered over and stood next to me. She stepped, forward with an outstretched palm. "Jacob, so nice to finally meet you."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Same here, Alice. Bella talks about you all the time. Glad to finally meet you." He smiled, cordially, softly shook her hand, then turned to Jazz.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Jasper, right?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Yeah, man. Nice to meet you." Jasper took his hand and slapped him on his back. The boys began chatting, almost immediately, and my eyes stayed trained on Alice, waiting on her first comments about Jacob directed at me. She quickly sized him up, taking inventory of his clothing and hair and, well, his face and his body. As coolly as I'd ever seen it, and far too covert for Jasper to ever catch, Alice's eyes darted to me, and then back to her fiancé, in a quick motion, as she gave me the thumbs up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Guess that meant she approved. She cleared her throat, and then said, in her little tinkle of a voice, "Okay kiddies. Enough with the pleasantries. Let's get a seat and get some food, 'cause Mama is hungry."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Two bottles of wine later, Alice and I were buzzed something serious, as Jake and Jasper kept us laughing. Jake explained his job and, because Jasper was a graphic designer, it seemed we all had the creative job thing in common. I was incredibly happy that Jake was getting along so seamlessly with my best friend and her fiancé. Their easy banter made it feel like we'd all been friends for years, and I could tell Alice liked him, which was a relief. Just by the questions she asked him, the periodic glances in my direction after he'd said something funny or profound, and the twinkle in her eyes when she'd catch me looking at him, I knew he'd won her over.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I don't know if it was the wine, Jake's smile and easy laughter, or our time in his apartment before we left, but I was wound up tighter than skin on a drum and I needed him to relieve some of the tension in my body. My leg was bouncing, crazily, under the table and Jake looked at me knowingly, placing a stilling palm on my knee.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Don't worry. baby, I'll have something for you in a sec, okay?" he whispered, suggestively, kissing me softly on my neck. This did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves, if anything, my body ached more for him and the possibilities of what would come later that evening. We'd only been together once that day – just before breakfast – and I needed another fix of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The once busy restaurant slowly emptied as the hours ticked by and, before long, our group was one of only two left there. The busboys cleared the last of the tables around us. We'd long since paid of dinner and were really just sitting around shooting the shit, which was something I really hadn't done in a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Well, I guess that's our cue?" Jasper said, with a smile. He finished off his beer and stood to help Alice out of her chair, ever the gentleman. Jake smiled.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Yeah, I guess so. You about ready, Bells?" I nodded, gathering my belongings as Jake ushered me out the door with his hand on my lower back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Well, Jake, it was great meeting you." Alice breathed, with a smile, and wrapped her arms around Jasper's waist.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jacob nodded. "Yes it was – meeting both of you. We have to do it again; maybe before we leave for France?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Sounds awesome." Jasper clasped Jake's hand in his and we finished our goodbye, with promises to meet in the following two weeks. Though, I'd see Alice that Monday at work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"I think they like you," I mused, as Jake tucked me into his side, strolling toward where he'd parked about a half-block from the restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Well, I like them too. Thank you for inviting me."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We finally reached Jake's blue Tahoe Hybrid, and he walked me to the passenger side, just as he always did. I looked up at him through my eyelashes, still feeling the slightly lingering effects of the red wine flowing though my body, urging me to act.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"So..." I exhaled, linking a finger through one of his belt loops and pulling him toward me. "You said you have something for me?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He stepped forward, pressing my body against the cool exterior of his truck, and looking at me for a long moment. He dipped his head, his hair brushing across my face until I was allowed the fresh scent of his shampoo, which always made my mouth water. He paused, his mouth just inches from my lips, and then cocked his head. "Here?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I looked quickly around, at the quiet suburban street. It was nearing 2 a.m., and there wasn't a person in sight. His eyes darkened as he pushed his body even closer to mine, pressing his lips against my neck and mouth, exploring me until I was panting and begging.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">His hands gripped my waist firmly. Then, he cupped the curve of my ass and I felt myself dampening between my panty-less legs. He pulled his lips away and I almost whimpered, needing to have his mouth on me, almost instantly. He followed my lead, glancing around, as well. Following, and without waiting for an answer, he opened the back door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Get in."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I obeyed, climbing up and sliding across the tan seat, with Jacob close behind. Once he'd slammed the door shut, we came together, lips and hands and body pressing hard and fast against each other. Jake pulled my dress to my waist, again, quickly covering my breasts with his lips and hands, and at that moment I was so happy that he had tinted windows.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Oh my god..." I moaned, as I heard the soft suction his fingers brought by pumping in and out of me frantically. My hands were in his hair in the next moment, tugging and kneading, having to grip something – anything – as every part of me was alive and focused on his hands slipping in and out of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"I want to taste you...." he whispered into my neck. I felt the wetness surge more, as the bass in his voice kissed me like only he could.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Jake, please, later, please...just..." My hands where on the button and then zipper of his jeans, forcing them open and pushing them passed his hips. As much as I'd love his face between my thighs right then, I wanted him inside me even more. I released his already solid erection from his boxer briefs, forcing a sigh of relief from his lips. He pulled me toward him, gripping my thighs and lifting me onto his lap.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I gripped him in my palm, loving the weight and thickness of him that always excited me, and straddled his thighs, sliding myself onto him slowly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Oh Jake, baby..." I moaned, slowly sliding onto him, feeling him stretching and filling me. I gripped the seat for leverage, pausing for just a few moments so we could mutually enjoy this moment of connection, because it always felt so amazing. He wrapped an arm around my waist, cupping my breast with his right hand, and his eyes squeezed tightly closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I was so ready, so wet, and excited, I rode him quickly at first, needing to cum so badly. He felt so good so deep inside me, and, the more I wound my hips and rode the full length of him, the closer I was to cumming all over him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"...Oh god, Bella… Shit," he whispered, gripping onto my waist and hip, pulling me toward him rhythmically.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Shit, Jake, I'm about to cum..." I hissed, digging my nails into his shoulders. "You feel so good, you're gonna make me cum so fast...shit...I'm sorry..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Fuck...baby, I need you to cum for me. Can you do that?" he pleaded, clinging to my shoulders as I bounced and ground along the length of him. He sounded so good, his moans pushed me over the edge, and I felt my orgasm rolling deep inside me with every forward stroke he pulled me into. The begging and whining replaced the conversation between us as I came on him in waves. I felt the wetness pool over his cock and onto his lap as I clenched and clenched. The moans escaped, as he still pumped into me, even after my orgasm had subsided.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Dammnit..." he gasped and I knew he was close. I forced him onto his back, along the length of the seat, placing both palms on his chest and bobbing and arching, deeply. It started out as another position to get him off, just like he'd just done for me, but, as he licked his fingers and started rubbing my clit, I felt the orgasm stirring again. I was wholly overwhelmed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Oh Jake...Oh babe..." I whimpered, pressing my palm against the cool glass window, while clutching the back of the seat with the other. He was gonna make me cum, again. I was sure of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Come on Bells, baby, cum for me, again," he choked out, still trying to hold on for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Fuck...fuck!" I screamed as I gushed over him, once more, siding and grinding and riding, slickly, as he dug his fingers into my hips, pushing and pulling me, using my body. He seized my hair at the scalp, pressing his hand into my hip, and biting his lower lip. He burrowed his spread heels into the seat, and the other onto the carpeted truck floor, lifting me with a few more thrusts, until he was pulsing and cumming inside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My heart was soaring. His chest was heaving in and out, as beads of sweat formed on his brow, and the windows of truck fogged a little more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Damn..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"...I know, right?" He groaned as I slid upwards and off his semi-erect wet cock and straightened my dress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"You staying at my place tonight?" Jake asked, sitting up, pulling his jeans over his hips, and zipping them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"You want me to?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"I always want you to," he said, easily, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Can I have more of <i>that</i>?" I asked, with a smirk, gesturing downward.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Can <i>I</i> have more of <i>this</i>?" he said, cupping my damp pussy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"You can have as much as you want," I replied, with a slow smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Good. Now, let's get you home before someone calls the cops on us," he joked, helping me out of the back seat and into the passenger side.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A/N –</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> This was <i>so </i>much fun to write. I mean, it IS <i>Anytime, Anyplace,</i> right?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thanks go out to my beta Kay Cannon for her very strong opinions on some points of this chapter; as always, she has helped me tremendously with this. Also, Kennedymommy3, who is fast becoming my own personal one-man hype team.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">FYI, as much as I love Jake, Bella, and <i>The Neighbor</i>, this story will not be updated as frequently as <i>The Man In Me</i> or <i>Stealing Forever</i> (which are both bi-weekly.) So, unless I get a wild hair to update more frequently, you should expect a new chapter once every 3 weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As always, I am so happy you've stopped to read this chapter. I want to thank all the folks who read, review, save, fav and rec all my stories. You make it all worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hold on to your hats ladies; it gets better, wetter, and hotter next chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until then…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-25179779475629056292010-03-25T14:21:00.000-07:002010-03-29T16:56:46.833-07:00Chapter 5 - The Neighbor - Can't Get No Satisfaction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4471416318_3e3290fe98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4471416318_3e3290fe98.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Chapter 5: Can't Get No Satisfaction</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> -</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Jake Black (11:51 AM 6/11) :</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Hey. How's work?<br />
<b>Me (11:56 AM 6/11) : </b>Good. What's up?<br />
<b>Jake Black (11:57 AM 6/11) : </b>Nothing. I miss you.<br />
<b>Me (11:58 AM 6/11) :</b> I know jake. Im sorry. I miss you 2.<br />
<b>Jake Black (11:59 AM 6/11) :</b> Ok...so. Will you come over tonight?<br />
<b>Me (11:59 AM 6/11) :</b> I really want to. Im just swamped...Call you on my way home, k?<br />
<b>Jake Black (12:01 PM 6/11) :</b> Ok.<br />
<b>Jake Black (12:22 PM 6/11) :</b> Bella?<br />
<b>Me (12:25 PM 6/11) :</b> Yes babe?<br />
<b>Jake Black (12:32 PM 6/11) :</b> Nothing. I'll talk to you later.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I stared at the screen on my Blackberry, conflicted. My automatic response to Jake was to call, to talk to him, to be closer to him, but, I just couldn't focus on the issues we were having. Well, <i>issues </i>is kind of a strong word; I mean, Jake was great – that's what he does -be great. I, on the other hand, was floundering in the way of being a model girlfriend. My brain just wouldn't let me think past what was in front of me and getting this thing completed – hyper drive, productivity mode, if you will.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">At the moment, I was waist-deep in a project with one of our biggest clients, who, in spite of Alice's and my best efforts, never really seemed satisfied. This campaign was becoming the fucking bane of my existence. Although I was still riding the wave of success from the Coleman account, thanks to Jake's emergence in my life and my new found creative boost, things like that were short-lived in Victoria's eyes.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Yeah, yeah; that's all fine and good, but, what have you done for me lately? </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">You know how it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I hadn't really spent time with Jake in a week, let alone been naked with him. My easy-going creative job had turned into an 11-hour workday hell. My very active physical relationship had become a blur of drowsiness, and me bringing home files and working on this thing well into the night, with him staring at me longingly from across the room, or even in the bed next to me as I tapped away on my laptop.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I mean, really. I always want to have sex with Jake. How can I not? Any red-blooded woman would be hard-pressed to find a moment when that level of intimacy with this man wasn't a serious temptation, especially when he walked around in those tank tops, or dripping naked after a shower.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I was just fucking exhausted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">How many times did I have to fall asleep after an orgasm to really understand that something had to give? That shit was embarrassing. I'd passed out so suddenly, the next morning when my alarm went off, Jake joked that he had to check my pulse to make sure I was still alive and he hadn't broken anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">That was Jacob, though. So understanding. So fucking patient. Always supportive. He knew I was doing this for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella, when do you think you can have those changes complete?" Victoria threw her shock of red curls over her shoulder and pursed her lips, thoughtfully. She glanced from me to Alice, who was sitting beside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Well, I can work with Mike to try and get something done by midday tomorrow." I peeked over at him for confirmation, and he nodded his head, tapping his pencil on the glass table and crossing his ankle over his left thigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Good, good." Victoria nodded, lifting her slender wrist within her line of sight. "Okay, I have a 10 o'clock with Felix, and I'll fill him in on where you are with this."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I bobbed my head, as the group followed her lead, around the glass table and filed out of the conference room.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Mike was Director of Creative and an amazing talent in the company. Victoria knew well that he could be at any agency in Jacksonville – hell, Florida – and was hard pressed to keep him here at VolturiVolterra, for as long as humanly possible. So, when things weren't right, I became the whipping boy, even when it was creative that hadn't hit the mark. I'd have to hate the guy if he wasn't so damned nice and funny.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You wanna grab lunch and meet in my office?" I asked, while rounding the corner toward the west side of the office. He grinned and glanced up at the metal wall clock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I'll be there in about an hour."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I flopped down in my desk chair, moving the mouse around and diving into the dozen or so emails that had built in my inbox during the short hour we'd been in that meeting. I was on four accounts: two of them major and another that thought it was. Catering to every whim, every change, every last-minute life-altering edit that just <i>had </i>to be made was grinding on my patience. I had been on the account side of Creative since I'd gotten out of undergrad. The longer I was here, the more I wondered if I'd want to try corporate without being to blindingly bored, out of my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella, we have that 2 o'clock with Zenitar. Can I get the brief they sent over, yesterday?" Alice appeared in front of me before I'd even noticed that she was in the room. I started looking through the stacks of papers and folders on my desk as she waited patiently, and then took a seat in the chair opposite me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"So...how's Jake?" she asked, with a knowing grin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"He's...he's..." I said, sighing, "He's amazing. It's me that's the problem, right now." She cocked her head, urging me to continue. I'd found the file and handed it to her. "This damn project, you know? I'm trying to get this thing done before we leave, and, well, it's kinda putting a cramp in our relationship."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yeah... Jazz is starting to complain, too, and you know him; he never complains about anything, like, ever."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Right, and neither does Jake. So, I know, if he's telling me he needs me or he needs more time together, it's like, critical." She thumbed through the papers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Are they serious about this budget? They've got to be shitting me...." She closed the neon orange folder and shook her head. "Well, Bella, when you have a great guy like Jake, you have to make some sacrifices. But, if he wants you there in Paris with him, he's gotta know that you have to get this thing to a point where you and Victoria will be okay with you leaving the country."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I nodded, rubbing my neck and rolling my head about my shoulders. "He does, and he's being fucking awesome about this whole thing. I mean, it's not <i>all</i> him. I miss the hell out of him too."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #a0a0a0;" width="100%" /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I'm cooking tonight." No salutation. No hello. His baritone made little room for me to say no. He was telling me to get my ass to his house.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh, that sounds awesome, Jake." The corners of my mouth tugged upward and a chuckle played at the back of my throat. I knew full well that there was no way in hell I'd dare say no to him, at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You coming over?" It was more of a statement than a question. Still, he'd asked it, even though I was positive he already knew the answer. He paused, and the air between my ear, the phone, and his ear was palpable. My Jacob missed his Bells, and I knew it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This was ridiculous. It was now pushing two weeks, and we hadn't had a civilized meal at the table. More often than not, I'd just grab whatever was still edible in my fridge and eat it in front of my computer on the couch. That, or I'd bring my work over his house, and work through the night. He'd hand me a plate of whatever awesome meal he'd worked on, I'd grunt my approval, and then unceremoniously continue my work as he sighed and left the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yeah, babe." I smiled, actually excited at the idea of us getting to spend some much-needed time together. It was Friday afternoon, and I was rocking out this project and getting it where I'd be more than okay with taking the evening off. "It's me and you tonight. No work, I promise."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Great, I look forward to it. I'm making Seafood Paella." My mouth watered at the thought of him standing as sexily as he always did in front of his stove, so focused on his work. That, and his paella, which I'd learned was one of my favorite meals he'd ever cooked for me. He was really playing hardball with that stuff tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You're staying over, right?" Again, it was a statement – one that was more than a little suggestive. Of course I'd stay over. We weren't <i>that </i>far gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Definitely. Maybe we can get breakfast in the morning."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Jake was a far better cook than I was. So, I'd learned to leave that up to him and the professionals. I'd gotten by on tacos and pasta for years until we'd met and I was introduced to a world of daily home-cooked meals. Yes, I'd gladly handed over the meal preparation reigns to him. I was a better baker, though; he'd fallen hard for my upside-down pineapple cake when I made it for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Good. I can't wait. Now, how's work?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Work is work. You'd be proud of how much I'm getting done, though, babe."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I bet." He chuckled – one of my favorite sounds in the world. "I know you've been working your ass off on this thing."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You already know. I'm taking a fucking breather this weekend; I need a break."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Well, perfect, then. Maybe we can go to the beach for a while, Sunday. The weather's supposed to be nice. Oh, and Kings of Leon are supposed to be having that free concert tomorrow night, at the park."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. Yes, that'll be awesome. I'm so excited, babe. I know I've been fail, lately."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"It's okay, Bells. I know you gotta work now, so we can play later," he paused and let out a slow breath, "But, that doesn't mean you won't be making up for the last two weeks with me, tonight. So, get ready."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My eyes and thighs simultaneously squeezed shut at <i>that </i>thought. And I had to admit, I was ever more excited to get home to this man and the things he had planned for us. "Oh?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Most definitely," he assured me, confidently.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Okay, I have to say, I'm looking forward to that." I grinned, noting I only had a couple of long hours to go before the end of the day. "And what about you? Am I gonna have you all to myself this weekend? I know you were working on that article."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yeah, my source rescheduled for early next week. He's flying into town on business, and I figured we may as well meet in person."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Perfect. So, it's just me and you, then."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yep, just me and you," he reassured.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">---<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">His door was cracked, just-so, and my heart leaped a little more. No matter how many times I saw that small gesture, it always excited me. <i>He </i>always excited me. It was just before 6 'o'clock and all I wanted to do was get out of my work clothes, into a shower, and next to Jacob and some good food. Oh, and a glass of wine would be awesome, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Baby..." He greeted me, covering my mouth with his, and pulling me tight against his hard body. I let myself get swept up in him for just a few moments, loving the familiar feel of his hands on me. I ran my hands over his back and shoulders, relishing the feel of his soft cotton t-shirt and the hard muscles beneath it. I felt him seconds later...really <i>felt </i>him and his excitement to see me there, and almost forgot my initial mission for the evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Babe..." I attempted, but he ignored me. His hands ran over my hips and his fingertips just ghosted over the swell of my breast, through my shirt. I giggled as he began fiddling with the fly of my slacks. "Jake....baby.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmhmm?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Let me put my stuff down and get out of these clothes, okay?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh, no...No. I can do that here," he said, running his lips and teeth over the tender skin of my neck.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I laughed, again. "Is dinner ready?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"No, it needs about another twenty..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Perfect. I'll be right back, okay?" Before he could respond, I was out of his reach and through the door. I called back, "Be right back Jake. I promise!"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As soon as I hit my living room, I began stripping out of those binding clothes. I hopped in the shower, letting the hot water beat against my body, and realizing the knots in my neck and back needed some attention. Maybe I could get Jake to help with that. I washed my hair, shaved and scrubbed all the important places, happy that in the midst of my busy schedule, I'd still made that oh-so important trip to get my wax and mani-pedi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, tonight would be one for the record books. I had been thinking of the things Jake had done to me, and to my body, and all the things we had yet to experiment with. I was getting worked up at the thought of his hands on me, his lips on my skin, and the feel of him under my fingertips. All the things I wanted to do to him...I knew I wanted more of him, wanted him to take control, even more than he already always did. I was ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It had been way too long.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I ran my Sonicare around my mouth while I looked for a particularly scandalous bra and panty set I'd just bought, but still hadn't had a chance to wear for him. Then, I threw on my favorite white linen pants, and a tank of some sort. After brushing on some mascara and Chapstick, trying my best to towel-dry my hair so it wasn't dripping wet, I figured I was ready – casual, but not a complete wreck.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Right on time..." Jake said, when I re-entered his apartment. He had just set out a giant platter of rice, seafood and other yummy stuff, and a sliced baguette, before walking toward the fridge. I was in heaven. "White?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yes, please," I said, with smile. He retrieved my favorite wine and began the ritual I'd learned to love watching so much: him slowly and practiced, easing the corkscrew into the top of the bottle, and sliding it out. This huge, very masculine, and undeniably sexy man, engaged in an action so delicate, so, cultured; it made me squeeze my thighs together even tighter. I was wound pretty damn tight, that night.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He handed me a large wine glass, nearly filled to the brim and wagged his eyebrows. "I figured you'd need a double after this week."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He flashed me a panty-melting smile, and then kissed me softly on the top of my head. I took a couple of long sips of the sweet liquid and relaxed at his kitchen table. He stood over me, plating mounds of food onto my plate, and placing a napkin and fork in my hand. He took his seat opposite me, and waited for me to taste before he touched anything, just like he always did. Ever the conscientious cook.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I scooped the rice mixture into my mouth and it was as delicious as I'd expected it to be. I chewed, swallowed, and then dove into my plate, glancing up to a grinning Jacob.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"It's perfect...amazing...couldn't be better...." I muttered through the mouthful of food. I put a manicured hand over my mouth to keep some resemblance of manners.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He laughed, contentedly, tilting his head back, and then taking a swig from his beer. Then, finally, he dug into his own food. After a few long moments of me shoveling this awesome meal into my face, I paused, finishing my glass of wine, just to have Jake fill it back up, again. I lifted a forkful and studied what I saw.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"So, like, what makes it yellow like that?" He finished chewing, and swallowed, drinking more from the glass bottle in front of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"That's the saffron. Makes everything bright yellow – that's that taste you can't quite place, too." he answered, a matter-of-factly. I looked at him intently as he continued stabbing away at pieces of chicken and shrimp, and sliding them into his mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Well excuse me...What are you? Like, Emeril now?" He laughed loud and almost choked, which set off a round of laughter between the two of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bells...I'd just like to say, you aren't <i>that </i>funny...You caught me off guard."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Sure, sure," I teased. He gazed at me for a long moment, our eyes fixed on each other. I don't know if it was the wine, or the amazing food, or the way his white t-shirt hugged every inch of his perfect body, but I wanted him. Bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My bouncing knee wasn't lost on him, and, after he'd glanced down, quickly, and then back up at me, he raised an eyebrow and licked his lips – two gestures that set my body on fire in seconds, no matter how slight they were.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"So..." He cleared his throat, his eyes darting to his room for a millisecond, and then back at me. "I'll clear the dishes?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I nodded a quick response, grabbing my glass and heading in the direction of his open bedroom door. I paused, briefly, leaning against the door frame and watching his back ripple in his movements. The way his bicep flexed when he ran his fingers through his hair...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Yeah.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I continued on to his room, rubbing my neck again, loosening the tie on my pants, and finishing off my wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Let me help you with that..." His hands were on my shoulders in the next moment, rubbing steady circles into my muscles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh Jake..." I sighed, closing my eyes and letting him work his magic into my very rigid upper back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bells... Babe, you're so tense," he continued. "Here, lay down; take your shirt off..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I obeyed, and was in my bra and panties in what seemed like seconds, face-down on his amazingly comfortable bed, and soft down comforter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Sssss, Jake...yeah. Ow, right there." I mumbled through a daze of sleepiness and pleasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Here?" He kneaded his thumbs into my shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmhmm...." It felt so good. I felt my body slowly relaxing. All the stress I'd built up that week, everything resting in my shoulders, was gradually being pushed out of my body, all of it, and I was in ecstasy. I wanted to tell him to stop, that it felt way too good, and that he was making me sleepier and sleepier with every moment his hands were on my body, but my mouth wouldn't catch up to my brain. And, before I knew it....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Shit.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I opened an eye, and then the other, squinting against the bright sun spilling in from the double doors that lead to his balcony.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was fucking morning. It was morning and I'd fallen asleep on him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This amazing, romantic, perfect night he'd planned, and I'd fallen asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Dammit.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I glanced around the room, and then to the smooth mass of golden, red-brown skin spilling from under the white comforter and sheets beside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Shit.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">His chest rose and fell, steadily. His hair obstructed a good view of his face, but provided me with just enough to stare at the inherent beauty of this man.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I, like, <i>really </i>needed to make this up to him. I mean, he wouldn't be mad. He'd be understanding and all that, because that's my Jake, but I <i>definitely </i>needed to make this up to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My mind went through an array of I'm-sorries I could enact. I could make him a cake or, like, a pie. Yes, definitely a pie. He loved pecan pie, I could do one of those. My brain was racing as I sat up, watching his chest rise and fall.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">...steady; those muscles rolling beneath his perfect, beautiful skin. Then, I knew.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I definitely knew. I eased as delicately toward him as I could, careful not to wake him. I slid, all the while enjoying the view of his perfect self. I slipped the heavy comforter from his body, until...<br />
<i><br />
Fucking yes.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Thank you Jacob Ephraim Black for not wearing anything to bed last night. <i>God</i>...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Of course he was already almost completely stiff, which just made me even wetter than I was before now, simply from the thought of him. I seized him with my right hand and swiftly covered the length of him with my mouth. I took a full pass, about halfway down, and then back up to the head, before licking...licking... He stirred.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmmm...Ssss..." Our eyes met as he watched me love him with my mouth; watched me lick the head of his cock and suck and lick...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bells...baby..." He moaned, softly, his morning voice even deeper and huskier than usual. He lifted his head to watch me, but only for a moment before letting it fall back to the pillow. He was solid and hard in a few seconds, burying his fingers in my hair and guiding me up and down the length of him. Before long, his hips were involuntarily gliding towards and away from my awaiting mouth. "Shit..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">With his bottom lip firmly captured between his teeth, I knew we were almost there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Wait..." he whispered, lamely. He didn't want me to stop any more than I wanted to, but I felt his fingers tugging at the back of my head, sliding me up and off his rock hard cock with a slick pop. I licked my wet, swollen lips.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Babe, what?" I asked, breathlessly. He lead me toward him, closer to his mouth, and crushed his lips to mine, sucking my tongue and lifting me onto his body, while tugging at my panties, trying to get them away from and off my body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oh.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I quickly helped him slide them off of my hips and onto the floor, while he skillfully slipped the front hook of by bra loose, and immediately covered my nipples with his lips and tongue, sucking each one until I was whimpering and dripping wet for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oh god...</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">What was he doing to me? ...and he wasn't even inside me yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He lifted my leg, so my knees were on either side of his body, straddling his very ready hardness. I rubbed just the head along my wetness, until we were both jumping out of our skin for this. I was so ready for him, beyond ready – we both were. That's when my phone vibrated from the floor, where I'd stupidly left it in my pants pocket. The shrill ringer made every inch of my body tense, and it was <i>not </i>stopping anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Victoria.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Are you fucking shitting me?" Jacob said, with a loud sigh. He was gripping my hips with every ounce of strength he had left in him. "Don't you answer that phone, Bella. On everything I am, don't you answer that phone," he growled.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake, baby.... It's Victoria. I have to answer this; it must be important for her to call me this early on a Saturday." I struggled out of his hold, but he wasn't letting go of me without a fight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella, fucking call her back. <i>This </i>is important. This is what you need to be worried about," he responded, deathly serious. He nodded toward his cock, which was jutting proudly toward the ceiling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jay... I'm sorry. I promise, let me just talk to her really quickly, and we can pick up where we left off."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He stared at me for a long moment. "Five minutes, Bella. Damnit. Five. Damn. Minutes."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Okay, I will, babe. Five minutes." He looked at me seriously, again, and then released the death-grip he had on me. I hopped down, urgently searching for my cell, finally locating it, and hitting the green button.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Hello? Victoria?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yes, Bella. You need to get in the office. Zenitar is coming in on an emergency meeting. Clive has this big idea he needs to talk to the whole team about."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh...okay." I swallowed, thickly. <i>Fucking bitch</i>... I looked at the clock; it was just past 9 AM. "I can get there by ten or so."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Jake sat straight up, at that little revelation, giving me a stare so cold, I was convinced the temperature in the room dropped a good twenty degrees. He shook his head fervently, as I pleaded with my eyes for him to forgive me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Okay, yeah. I'll be over in a bit. Yeah, okay. See you then." I finished with Victoria, and tossed the phone on the bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella, don't do this."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake, you know I have to, baby."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You don't have to do a damn thing, Bella. First you fall asleep, <i>again</i>, and now this..." He was up and out of the bed in the next moment, every towering inch of him, looking like hot sex on a platter. He stalked forward, until he was standing inches from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake, I'm so sorry, but you know how important this account is." I placed a hand on the center of his chest, and then kissed him there, tenderly .<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He stood still as a statue. "Fine. But you know, I know all this is so you'll be able to come to Paris with me, and that's fine, but just know that this shit is wearing thin on my patience."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I know," I whispered.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Now, go ahead and handle your business, before I don't let you out of here." He gripped my ass firmly and I looked up at him; his gaze was straight ahead. I knew he was serious. So, I quickly gathered my clothes while he slid into his sweatpants, and then met me at the front door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I love you."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I love you too," I replied, pressing my lips against his and taking my leave.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #a0a0a0;" width="100%" /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"What are you doing?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I paused, wondering what the appropriate answer to this question was. I was at work, of course, working. The last thing Jake wanted to hear was that I was working, which, oddly, I knew he knew was the truth, already.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Thinking about you," I said, sweetly. Yeah, that sounded pretty good, and, well, wasn't entirely inaccurate. I had been thinking of him the entire morning, since I'd left for work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He'd made himself pretty scarce since Saturday morning; can't say I blamed him, at all. We spoke briefly, while I was at the office, and he'd gotten a couple friends together to go to the concert with him. He took a run on the beach that Sunday, and ended up staying the entire beautiful day, while I was held up in my office making yet another string of insane changes to the planned billboards and online ads.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Liar." His chuckle drifted through my receiver, sounding like warm honey.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was Monday, and I'd managed to work the whole weekend. We never did pick up where we left off, and I was growing restless. It was one thing to just be too tired to be with Jake, but not having the time to was an entirely different issue. I felt deprived.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"What makes you think that? I think about you all the time," I countered.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh, do you now?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Definitely." My breath caught at the thought of him dripping wet with sweat as he ran through our neighborhood, or above me, dripping streams from his chest onto my breasts and abdomen. That was always something I'd go back to when I couldn't be with him on shit weekends like this one. Then, I wondered what he was wearing at the moment – maybe a certain black t-shirt that made his body look amazing. Maybe nothing at all, which was always optimal.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Hmm. Well, since Bella thinks about me all the time, I think you need to come see me." It was just before 11am and I was headed into another meeting with Victoria and Mike. Luckily, my ass was still intact and she was actually happy with my work over the weekend, so I prayed this one wouldn't run too long.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I had no focus for work today and, of course, I couldn't help myself. My thoughts flashed to what they always did when I was alone – Jake. This time, it recalled a late night with us walking along the beach. It had to have been around 2 a.m. and we'd spent the day together, swimming, and laughing, and drinking on the sand. We walked back toward our building...<br />
<i><br />
I laughed, poking him in his side, and then running as fast as I could under the dock. Certainly, I was no match for him, and, before I knew it, he had me pinned against one of the wooden pillars. He was breathless and laughing, as well, his hair windswept and chest heaving and glistening in the moonlight. I linked my fingers behind his neck and pulled his mouth to mine, kissing him with every ounce of passion I had in me. I wanted him, right then.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Jake pulled away, slightly, glancing around, sweeping his eyes along the beach; we were alone. I dropped my hands and</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> <i>slipped them into the waistband of his board shorts, loosening them as he placed rough kisses and sucks along my neck. The bottoms of my bikini were tiny and barely there, anyway, and he eased them off, shielding my body with his, and sliding my top to either side.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmmm..." He moaned, quickly gliding into me...</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake..." I protested, coming back to the conversation, though I really couldn't think of a reason to. This had to happen, and soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella..." he mocked, "fake a stomach flu and meet me at the Omni downtown." He began rattling off the address to me before I'd even agreed to this foolishness. I had to admit, though, it was kind of exciting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You're crazy, you know that?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I do, and you love it. Meet me in about fifteen; it should take you about that long to get here. I just got done with my interview, and I'm starving." I paused, weighing the various negative endings to me leaving so early. When I couldn't find one bad enough to make me stay – well, besides being fired, and I knew that wasn't happening at this point – I started to plan my escape.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I had no fucking idea how I'd get out of this meeting. Maybe a serious illness? I wasn't even sure the whole flu thing would work with Victoria, unless there was, like, real evidence. I looked through the thin glass just to the left of my closed office door. The troops were circling, marching toward the conference room. I had to think fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Okay."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Okay?" He sounded hopeful and satisfied, which in turn made me happier than I'd been in a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Yes, okay. I'll meet you there. It may take longer than fifteen, though," I informed, laughing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Well, hurry up. I have something for you."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You do, do you?" Renewed, I reached deep for my best actress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Think sick, Bella. Very sick, so sick, I must go to the doctor. 'I've been fighting nausea all morning' sick.<br />
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
"I do. I think you'll like it a lot."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmmm, I bet I will..." I purred.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He chuckled, again. Then, in the sexiest voice, he urged me, "Call me when you're on your way. I'll be by the bar. You want me to wait until you get here, and we can both get something to eat?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"No, no. You eat. There's no telling how long this will take with Victoria. You'll die of hunger waiting on me."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">--<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I spotted him, casually seated in the posh hotel restaurant, looking so sexy in a collared shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of slacks. He was chatting with an attractive brunette with a stylish haircut, and, from the looks of things, she was definitely interested in my Jake. I couldn't help but be a little jealous, but tried my best to tamp down the errant feelings. He made me feel crazy and the thought of another woman touching my Jake was maddening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">At that thought, I quickened my pace toward the bar. He smiled at the woman, glanced toward the door, and stood as soon as our eyes met. Then he placed a few bills on the bar for the waiter, and politely excused himself. He strolled toward me, taking me tenderly by the elbow, and led me back into the massive lobby area.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Come on..." he said, softly but firmly. My heels clicked quickly in secession behind his measured stride, and I felt the excitement bubbling up inside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Where was he taking me? Where were we going? To a hotel room? It really didn't matter, at all, at this point. We were together, finally, and I'd gotten a day (and possibly week) medical leave pass. I think my acting skills were a little too good, after even Alice asked me if she could give me a ride to the hospital. I called her just as I was dropping my car off with the hotel valet, assuring her I was totally fine but to cover for me if anyone asked about my whereabouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Omni was gorgeous; definitely one of the nicest hotels I'd ever been in. I let him lead me to the hall of mahogany doors, and then onto the elevator. It was midday, so, the place was pretty empty, to my surprise and delight. He pressed the polished brass number 2 button, and then stood opposite me, knowingly. After a few moments, he pulled me closer to him, placing a long kiss on my lips, and running his palms up my sides.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"You look amazing." He dragged his eyes over my body, in my wrap dress, lingering at my cleavage. The electricity passed between us, as I smelled the delicious mixture of clove, fresh air, and <i>him</i>. Just as I was sure we were going to devour each other in that small public space, the elevator dinged and he lead me off, into a marble-paved corridor. We finally stopped at the end of the hall, Jake looked around quickly, and then guided me through the large door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The conference room was gorgeous and had a view of Jacksonville that took my breath away. My gaze out of the wall-length window was short-lived, though, as Jake tugged me closer to him. He bit and sucked along my neck and collarbone. I moaned, craning my head, digging my fingers into his hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Before I knew it, my dress was untied and hanging from my shoulders, and I was panting against his mouth on my nipples through my bra. He licked each one, biting softly, and sucking them into his hot mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I couldn't wait..." he mumbled against the curve of cleavage, pressed against white lace. His hands where all over me, all at once – my back, my thighs, in my hair – and I'd almost forgotten how good this man felt when he was touching me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Shit..." I whispered, pulling his shirt from his slacks and unbuckling his belt. My fingers made quick work of getting those buttons undone. "Damnit..." He'd worn an undershirt. I pulled his shirt off his shoulders and onto the floor, roughly followed by the tight tank top. "Is...Is anyone coming in here?" I was suddenly sobered by a sound in the hallway, and the very real chance that we'd be caught naked. He barely answered me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"No, no, we're good...." he tried to assure me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He pressed his fingers between my legs, rubbing my clit through the dampened fabric, and then pulled them to the side, and slid into me. I tried my best to stifle the moans brought on by his thick fingers, gliding purposefully inside me. I was so wet, so fucking ready. I refused to believe he was about to make me cum this fast, this quickly, and he'd barely even touched me. I was just so damned worked up, and he looked so fucking good. I ran my fingers through his hair, gripping tightly at the roots, as he finger-fucked me closer to my orgasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Damnit Jake... Fuck..." I brought his mouth to mine, trying to concentrate on getting his pants undone, but my damn brain was completely focused on his fingers and what they were doing to me. I finally loosened them and pulled him free, stoking his hardness, following his movements, as he pressed his fingers roughly into me. He quickly pulled them from me and sucked and licked my wetness from his fingers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I missed that so much..." he murmured, yanking my panties off in one quick motion, and sliding them into his pocket. He pushed me against the wall, and then pressed his palms between my thighs, widening my stance and glancing down. "Bella...those fucking shoes..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I chuckled, rubbing my hand up his ribcage, never stopping the stroking with right hand. I'd worn my secret weapon – the sexy secretary, fuck-me-then-sign-off-on-this-budget-Mr. Black specials. "You like?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He growled, sliding my dress completely off. "I <i>love</i>."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My bra was off, next, and I lifted my leg onto a close-by chair. Jake pressed his lips against mine, and then helped me guide his cock into me in a smooth stroke. He sighed and I moaned, as he grabbed my ass with one hand, and pressed a palm against the wall for leverage, grinding into me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bella...you feel so good, baby..." he whispered, pressing into me harder and sucking and biting my neck. I dug my nails into his waist, pulling him harder, needing to feel him even more inside me. He felt so good, we felt so indescribable together, that I could barely keep centered.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He was so beautiful, so focused on me and our bodies. I felt every thick inch of him as he bent his knees, grinding upwards so deeply, I thought he might have lifted me from where I stood if I weren't wearing heels. He tightened his jaw, closing his eyes for a moment, then looked at me, forcing me to see what he was doing to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh baby...oh babe. Shit..." I ground out, "...feels <i>so </i>good..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Damnit..." he whispered, and all in one lithe movement, he grabbed the outside of my thighs and I was off the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He caught me off guard, but I never stopped rolling my hips against him. I couldn't; he felt so damn good, and, as he held me firmly, I knew I wasn't far from cumming. I hissed, feeling him even further inside me as I rode him, tightening my thigh muscles and pressing my pussy harder against him. He sat in the chair, hooking his hands under my arms and over my shoulders, pressing me harder onto him, grinding into me, pushing his thick cock inside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh Bella...fuck babe..." His beautiful face grimaced as I scooped my hips upward with each thrust, letting him feel every fraction of me just like I was feeling him. He pulled me tighter against him, tilting my body just-so, and I felt it stirring. Through the wetness and the pressure, I felt myself cumming on top of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Baby..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oh god. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was so good, I couldn't form another word. Instead, I panted out a long moan and something that was supposed to be his name, as my body tensed and stiffened and squeezed his hardness. I vibrated around him until I could barely move. It was so fucking amazing, my body seized, everything contracted, my fingers digging into his back, my thighs against the frame of the chair, my eyes shut, everything snapped closed, and I just felt him. I felt the wetness; I felt him still thrusting into me, whispering, and cooing, and murmuring sweet things in my ear as I came... and came...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My Jake.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Hey... Babe...You okay?" He panted, genuinely concerned, but still not stopping his thrusts into me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I chuckled as my body jerked, again. "Shit, yes..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Mmmm....good...." He moaned, clutching my hips with more force. After I'd finally stopped shaking, he stood, still deep inside me, my legs dropped, and we were standing opposite each other. He continued gripping my hips, stroking me....up and down.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I could feel him in every part of my body, along my skin. He slowly eased out of me and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he kissed my shoulder, backing me against the shiny polished wood conference table, and turned me around. I instinctively spread my legs, already feeling his hands around my waist, squeezing and kneading. I looked behind me as he placed hot kisses across my back, grabbing his still rock hard cock, bending his knees, and then sliding into me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oh god.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It was too much, too good. I wanted to run. He was so much sensation, so much of him stretching and reaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He moaned. I grunted and jerked forward as he drove into me with enough force to make my toes curl. With whatever focus I could muster, I pushed back against him, attempting to balance on my heels as best I could. I wanted him to feel me. I wanted to feel <i>him, </i>even more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He clasped my hips hard, plunging into me and ordering me in his sexy tenor, telling me to keep my legs spread, or to arch my back more so he could get a better look at my ass. He leaned forward, over me, with his chest completely covering my back and his palms on the table in front of me. Every inch of him drove into my body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Bells, ba...." He was gonna cum. I knew it from the rhythm and the force of his stroke. I wanted to hang. I wanted to keep going with him for the rest of the afternoon and night, but fuck if he wasn't beating the hell out of my body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">When he rested his forehead against my back, still thrusting deeply, still squeezing my hips and waist for dear life, I knew he was finally falling over the edge. He licked his fingers and rubbed my clit until I was panting and whining; until I was grinding myself unabashedly against his hand and cumming again. I felt the gush soak his palm and he moaned so loudly, I was afraid someone would come in to the room. Then sank his teeth into my shoulder blade.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Ah...ahh...shit!" I moaned. The mixture of pleasure and the sharp pain was intoxicating, something I knew I liked from the spankings he'd give me from time to time when we were in this very position. But, this...This was something else altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Fuck... Fuck... Shit..." he muttered and moaned a long string of expletives into my back and the back of my head, where his face was now buried.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Damn.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We stood there for a few more minutes, neither of us moving, and him still deep inside me, semi-erect. Finally, he slid out of me, bent to retrieve my dress and bra, handing them to me, and then pulling up his boxer-briefs and slacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"So..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"So..." he parroted, sliding into his tank and buttoning his dress shirt. I chuckled as I tied my dress, feeling the damp breeze between my legs. I'd have to learn to bring more underwear when Jake was in the general vicinity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Wanna head back to my house?" I offered, gathering my purse and running a brush through my hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He cocked his head to the side with a shit-eating grin. "Well... Remember that surprise I had planned?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I looked at him, warily. "Yeah..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Well, I got us a room, for the next couple days. I figured you'd have some time and might need a change of scenery."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Jake... What the hell? You have a room in this amazing hotel, and we're fucking in a conference room?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He shrugged, sheepishly. "Bells... Where's your sense of adventure?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I looked at him, with that fucking dimple, and I melted into a puddle. Then, I let him lead me to our seventh floor suite.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We had a lot of catching up to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> ---</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">/N</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> - Hey, hey now...sorry for making you wait so long, but, it was worth it in the end, wasn't it? I thought this situation was pretty believable with two ambitious career-minded people trying to get together in the same space when they're both busy. I hope you enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">...If you didn't, you can blame my beta, <b>Kay Cannon</b>, for being a slave driver, and forcing me to build UST. I personally like to get right to the lemons. I like mine quick and dirty *shrugs*<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Shout out to<b> Team Evil,</b> a group of h00rs who always give me inspiration to keep my smut-peddling business successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Thank you all for your support; I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far; it's a lot of fun to write! Oh! And a special shout out goes to <b>Luv4Jake</b>, the only reader to catch the Janet Jackson video theme of the story. You win a prize...inquire within -mngmnt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Until next time...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-58409194265239424702010-03-25T14:20:00.000-07:002010-12-14T03:45:51.007-08:00Chapter 6 - The Neighbor - Click<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/4631977056_ed7e0a0d65.jpg"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/4631977056_ed7e0a0d65.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter 6: Click</b><br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
<br />
Alarm woke me.<br />
<br />
It always woke me. I never had any real reason for one, and, for a brief moment there, I'd forgotten where I was and why the damn thing was going off. There were reasons why I'd chosen the job I had – waking late being one of them.<br />
<br />
Muttering to myself, I felt around for the snooze, not at all able to open my eyes and thanking God for the blackout curtains I'd gotten for the room. While the floor-to-ceiling balcony doors were pretty awesome, especially in the summertime, that shit sucked pretty bad if I wanted to sleep in.<br />
<br />
Which tended to be always.<br />
<br />
There was movement, a rustle, then a dissatisfied moan. I felt fingers search around, followed by various expletives.<br />
<br />
This was a Monday morning ritual.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Our Monday morning ritual. Well, one that I'd been drug into, anyway. If I didn't slam the snooze button, she always did.<br />
<br />
<br />
I wrapped my fingers tightly around the very feminine wrist that crept its way across my chest to stop the urgently blaring clock radio and drew her closer to me. She smelled amazing, even this early in the morning. It had to be her pheromones or something that always drove me so crazy.<br />
<br />
"Jaaaake," she protested, but not enough to make me stop.<br />
<br />
"Bellaaaaa," I mocked, pulling her flush to my body. She writhed in her pretty bad attempt at trying to get away, failing miserably.<br />
<br />
I ignored her, as usual. I mean, this is what we did. We'd gotten into the rhythm of it all, even in this short time together. This is what and who we'd become; two people, who, during most waking moments together, couldn't keep clothes on, or hands off.<br />
<br />
Her sweet little giggle bubbled up, making my heart jump, even now, even after the hundreds of times I'd heard it.<br />
<br />
"Jake…" I ignored her still, pulling her on top of me, willing her to throw her thigh over my hip and sit just a little higher. I ran my lips along the soft skin of her neck, which was the best mixture of heat and lemon, and her. "Jake, you're not even listening to me, are you?"<br />
<br />
"I like the red one, babe," I joked. Of course I was listening to her. I listened to everything she said. She was like my air. Who ignores something as important to life itself like that?<br />
<br />
She stirred again, tugging away from me, and I let her go. She looked at me with a smirk, like she'd done something, like she could actually get out of my grasp if I really wanted to hold on to her. I raised an eyebrow, silently challenging her, and she smiled again – that bright, perfect smile – and I conceded, just like I always did when it came to her.<br />
<br />
Well, most times.<br />
<br />
Bella was pretty infuriating sometimes and always at minimum frustrating, both physically, and, well, she had the tendency to hurt my brain sometimes, without even trying. That was her, though. I welcomed her little disruptions in my life, because she and they actually made life better.<br />
<br />
I pretty much worked my own schedule. I set my interviews, checked in with Ness, and went about my merry way. But Bella…? Bella was a ball of nerves, and worry, and crazy, and I loved her for it. She woke too late for work and was constantly leaving something, somewhere, but she was the most amazing, creative, and sexy woman I'd ever met. She started a fire in me that never, ever seemed to let up.<br />
<br />
My eyes roamed around the room, and I noted, briefly, that I really, really, needed to hang up the pile of clothes in the armchair at the corner of the room. By the time I glanced back, she had made her way into the bathroom to get ready for work. This song and dance – the abrupt scream that was the alarm clock I'd bought just for her to keep at my apartment – would be over soon enough, and I'd promised myself that I'd be more patient with her and this situation. I would be understanding, just as long as she gave me what I needed. And, shit, I think I'd been doing a pretty good job of that whole thing.<br />
<br />
She was working more, and, while that shit did nothing at all for our love life, I knew she was doing it for us – for me. The last thing I wanted to do was disrupt her life, and then complain that the way she was handling it just wasn't good enough. So, I'd decided against that, early on.<br />
<br />
It was just a bitch sometimes.<br />
<br />
I heard her electric toothbrush buzz to life, and water patter against the bathtub, followed by billowing steam. Bella always showered in scalding water that flushed her body bright red, and her blushing skin always made me think of her below me, panting and moaning my name, at the most inopportune moments. She had a level of control over my thoughts that defied all reason. I welcomed it, yes, but, it was so intense, it was maddening.<br />
<br />
I still didn't know how the hell she could stand it, but whatever.<br />
<br />
There were a million things swimming around in my brain. I needed to get going on that next chapter and get it over to Angela. I had to make sure Bella had her security clearance paperwork in order. I needed to pick up my new press pass. Plus, I still needed to go shopping for some new sneakers, all before we left.<br />
<br />
All that melted away, though, once I heard the swish of metal rings against the aluminum rod, as she pulled the shower curtain back to step in.<br />
<br />
All I could think about was reddened, wet skin, and lime scented shampoo on chocolate brown, wavy hair, and stiff nipples with droplets of water sliding to the tip and down a flat, soft stomach, then thigh.<br />
<br />
Bella did this to me. My brain was fucking mush.<br />
<br />
She was just so hot. I mean, like, mind-numbingly hot. Like, a mixture between Jessica Alba and a not so slutty, but kinda, Megan Fox.<br />
<br />
It rolled in the base of my spine, up my back and settled like lava in my skull. Raking my fingers through my hair, I knew it.<br />
<br />
I needed her. Right then, like, desperately.<br />
<br />
I was already at half-mast once I reached the moist heat of the bathroom. And, once I peeked through the shower at her white, lather-covered body, all curves and softness, and pink-tinged skin, I was so fucking hard, it hurt. I needed to lick her. I needed to taste her. I needed to consume every part of her.<br />
<br />
Her eyes squinted against the sharp spray of water, not at all surprised to see me in the shower with her, though she'd left me just moments ago, barely awake. Her hair hung in a crazy mass around her shoulders, the water rinsing soap from her body. She looked at me, and cocked her head to the side, just like she always did. Then she reached her palm to grip my hip, firmly, pulling me closer to her.<br />
<br />
I smiled.<br />
<br />
She pulled me into the spray, completely covering me with water, and, standing on tip toes, placed her fingers in my hair and massaged shampoo through to the ends.<br />
<br />
"You know," she began, lightly running her nails across my scalp, "I really don't have time for this."<br />
<br />
My eyes rolled back. This was so good; so fucking good. "Mmmhmmm...."<br />
<br />
She chuckled, continuing, "How'd you sleep, babe?"<br />
<br />
I sucked my bottom lip in, trying my best to focus as she slipped her hands down my body, across my chest and abdomen, and, finally, gripped me firmly in her hand.<br />
<br />
"Good, Bells... I slept pretty good." Her hand kept its pace, sliding easily back and forth, spinning around the head, and sliding back and forth again. "Mmmm, that's good babe..."<br />
<br />
I slipped my fingers between her thighs, which was always like heaven – all slippery, and bare, and wet, and soft – making a quick pass over her clit a few times. She jumped and shook, just slightly. Then, her knees buckled a little, once I finally sank my index and middle fingers knuckle-deep inside her.<br />
<br />
"Whoa, whoa, there," I teased, catching her by the waist and pressing her against the back of my large shower. "Careful."<br />
<br />
A grin spread across my face as I stroked and pressed my fingers deeper into her pussy, eliciting that moan of hers, that sounded somewhere between a chuckle and a cry. I was done once her eyes squeezed shut and her eyebrows knitted together, in the pleasure my fingers brought to her body.<br />
<br />
"Jake... Have to go...work," she panted out, pinching her eyes shut and holding onto my shoulder for dear life with her non dick-stroking hand.<br />
<br />
This dance was always so fun; though we could barely ever get through serious foreplay – neither of us could stand the waiting – and it wasn't the best part of this thing, it sure as fuck felt good if we could ever slow down for a minute.<br />
<br />
"Mmmm..." I lifted an eyebrow, then covered those lips with mine. She was so sweet, hot, and slick. "Okay," I whispered, simply.<br />
<br />
Grabbing her wrist, I released myself from her practiced fingers, placed my palms between her thighs, and spread them slightly. She tilted her hips upwards to meet me, and I slid into her, easily. Just like every single time before, my toes curled under, just a little. Being inside her was as mind-blowing as it always was. Our bodies met. and her eyes rolled back and nails dug into my skin, until it was almost painful. This, I'd learned – the contracting of her fingers into my shoulders, or arms, or back – was a sure note that I was doing my job.<br />
<br />
She felt so, so good; so insanely hot, even in the steaming shower. I pressed deeper into her, holding her hips steady, then slid so deep that I felt that our stomachs kissed, then pulled out to the tip, then stroked deep back into her. She was eager, not allowing me to control the pace at all, needy and urgent.<br />
<br />
She whined my name into my mouth, kissing me hard with her fingers gripping my hair. I grabbed her slippery body, pressing my fingers into her fleshy hips, keeping her stable, so I could so I could drive myself into her the way she liked. A moan rolled in the back of her throat as she grinded her hips, wrapping her ankle and hooking it around my waist.<br />
<br />
"Oh god. Jake, shit..."<br />
<br />
"You're gonna be late for work."<br />
<br />
"Fuck work."<br />
<br />
I loved her dirty mouth. I laughed, kissing her neck and shoulders, then sucked her right nipple between my lips, licking and lapping each one until she was begging. My fingers found her clit, again, and rubbed long, hard strokes across it, just like she liked. And she rewarded me with a long, guttural moan, followed by her hands grabbing my ass, frantically pulling me harder and faster into me.<br />
<br />
"...Gonna cum," she panted, digging her nails into my hips. By this point, the water was pretty icy. I really didn't care, though, as I'm sure Bella didn't much, either. Her pussy seized, tightly, around me on my next in stroke, and she whimpered, helplessly, as I shoved my fingers into her hair, clasping tightly at the root, and fucked her orgasm out of her body.<br />
<br />
"Oh Bella, baby..." The moan scared me, a little. It barely even sounded like me, and crept up without warning. I felt the pressure in my abdomen. My dick throbbed so good inside her, I never, ever wanted to stop. I didn't know how long we were in there, or how long I'd cum, or what time it was; I lost all grasp of myself.<br />
<br />
Moments later, though, I realized my beautiful girlfriend - my awesome, hot, smart Bella – was shivering. Shit, so was I.<br />
<br />
"Let's go..." Her teeth chattered around each syllable as she dragged me back into my bedroom. I took a gamble and glanced at the red LCD numbers on the night stand. It was thirty minutes after the time Bella should have walked through her office.<br />
<br />
"Bells...you gotta go..." She pressed her palms against my chest, pushing me back onto the bed. She completely ignored me, and the time, straddling my wet body with hers, her hair dripping streams down her body. In the next instant her lips were wrapped around me, and I as hard. Again.<br />
<br />
Victoria, and her office, would have to wait this morning.<br />
<br />
"I still can't believe you're taking her."<br />
<br />
Emmett was an asshole.<br />
<br />
Yes, I had chosen Emperor Asshole of the Land of Jerk-offs to be my best friend. Shows a lot about me.<br />
<br />
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I slapped the basketball out of his hands while he was too busy letting me know how much of an idiot I was being, at the moment. "I mean, you've met Bella. You even told me you like her. So, where the hell is all this coming from, anyway? You've known we're going for the past three weeks and you've never said anything about it before now."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, well, that was before Leah dropped his ass." Paul laughed, blocking my shot and taking the ball back to the top of the key.<br />
<br />
Paul, also an asshole, but not quite as big an asshole as Emmett at the moment, tended to be the voice of reason in instances like this. He was helping, not a huge amount, but, shit, I'd take what I could get.<br />
<br />
"Ahhh, I get it," I breathed, unsuccessfully blocking Paul's lay-up. "You fuck up with Lee. Then, I get to get shit from you about Bella. Dude, you are so cliché."<br />
<br />
Emmett stopped, looking hurt, but, I knew better. "Jake, I'm trying to look out for you. You don't know this chick. You've only known her, what, two months? What if she's some insane, serial killer chick, like from that show..." He snapped his fingers, I assumed willing his brain to remember what the hell he was talking about.<br />
<br />
Paul returned, jogging back to half court, easily bouncing the ball between his alternating legs as he went. "What? One of those Lifetime movies?" he said, incredulously.<br />
<br />
"No, no. It's like a court show or something. Um...."<br />
<br />
"Snapped fucker? You mean, Snapped? You're really suggesting 5 foot 5, 130-pound Bella is gonna be a threat to me." I mean, I wasn't the biggest guy ever, but I had her by at least 90 pounds. Plus, she didn't even pass my shoulder. That shit was just insulting.<br />
<br />
"Jake." Emmett looked at me, seriously, striding within arm's-length. "I've known you, what, 9, 10 years?"<br />
<br />
"Right, right." I gestured for him to hurry the fuck up with the point, because I was struggling to find it.<br />
<br />
"Well, you know I care about you." He looked back at Paul, who was barely paying attention, hanging in the background, spinning the ball on his index, and then middle fingers. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, especially with a girl you just met."<br />
<br />
This coming from Emmett was laughable. This, coming from a guy that would bed any girl willing; a guy who'd finally caught a quality girl, willing to put up with his dumb ass, then fucked it all up. I rolled my lips inward, trying my best to not laugh in his face, because, for once, I thought he was actually bordering on being serious. Paul, though, couldn't help it.<br />
<br />
"Emmett. Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?" he yelled, throwing the ball at his head and just barely missing. Laughter burst between the two of us. Paul walked over and draped his arms over my shoulders, and we shared one of those deep, stomach-clenching laughs at one of my closest friend's expense.<br />
<br />
He nodded his head, and walked backward toward the locker room. "Fine. Fine, you asses. Don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart or robs you blind in France, leaving you butt-naked and tied to a bed."<br />
<br />
That was it. Any remaining composure Paul and I had, was effectively demolished, and we became a crumpled heap on the shiny wooden floor. After we'd both caught our breath, and could actually speak, Paul pulled his legs closer to his chest, just enough to rest his forearms on his knees, swallowing.<br />
<br />
"You're serious about this girl, huh?" Paul didn't say much but, when he did, I always listened, because he seemed to come up with some insight I hadn't thought of before.<br />
<br />
I thought for a second, really, really considering the simple question. I wanted to be real with myself, as much as with him. Something about it defined my internal conversation around me and Bella. I loved her, of course, and, well, I'd spent plenty nights thinking that whole thing through.<br />
<br />
It's easy to love someone that gives you the best sex of your life. It's easy to confuse orgasms with love. I get that, but, just like I'd told Billy, and even Embry and Tyler back home, this thing with Bella was real. It was so deep down, it felt old, like it had always been a part of me. Like, my soul was just waiting for the two of us to catch up to some cosmic shit that had always existed and would always exist in the universe.<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure about too many things in my life. Shit, I was only 29, and I was globetrotting every other month to third world country after shitty ass third world country. But, what I did know was that, since the moment I laid eyes on her, and spoke to her, heard that sweet voice and saw those almost too-big brown eyes, I knew that I wanted her right there beside me, all the time, no matter what.<br />
<br />
"Yeah," I said simply, nodding my head for emphasis. "Yeah, man, she's it. She's home for me."<br />
<br />
Paul looked around at the other groups of guys entering, throwing a few balls around, and warming up with free-throws, then back at me, with his deep-set gaze. He puffed air into his cheeks, then let it out with a slow whistle. "Well, do it then, man. Life's too short. Bella seemed pretty cool to me and, from what you've told me before now, you guys click. And that clicking shit? It's hard to come by these days."<br />
<br />
I nodded in agreement. He was right. This clicking shit, was the real deal, and, in his own way, Paul had summed up all the universe, and stars, and sun that I saw and felt for . We clicked. We clicked pretty damn well.<br />
<br />
If anyone had told me how much research and, well, work would go into writing this book, I would never have started the damn thing. Or, at least, I wouldn't have attempted it so lightly. Writing a book about growing up Native in a super-tiny tribe like mine was a bit of a challenge, especially putting together an idea that publishing houses could get behind. So, when everyone back home heard that I was planning to write it on Kw`oliyot' – on our traditions and language, and pretty much everything I'd ever heard and knew growing up – it changed from this project I was doing, to this massive thing.<br />
<br />
Before I knew it, the director of an entire arm of non-fiction/autobiographical works, at one of the largest publishing houses in New York, had read a few of my articles and was more than a little interested. I was surprised to find that, even though I was clear across the country and had long since left La Push for Florida, everyone was proud of me and what I was doing.<br />
<br />
As a kid, of course, I'd heard all the history stuff, legends, and the stories, but I wanted to find more. And, the more I wrote, researched, and read, the deeper I'd gotten. Plus, I couldn't get any deeper than Billy, who knew pretty much everything having to do with rez history. He jumped at the chance to do a brain dump with me, and tell me everything he knew.<br />
<br />
Bella was proud of me. Whenever she knew I was procrastinating, she'd threaten withholding our, er, happy time until I got back on track, which, knowing me way too well, always worked like a charm.<br />
<br />
"How's chapter seven coming?" She looked at me over the plate of simple spaghetti and meatballs I'd made for us once she'd gotten home from work. Her workload was still pretty thick, but she was figuring out a balance for us both, which I could deal with. Kinda.<br />
<br />
"Pretty good. I talked to Billy, again, today. Had a few more things for me, of course."<br />
<br />
"Of course," she agreed, with a smile, and took a huge bite of French bread.<br />
<br />
My father had bullied us both into letting him talk to Bella, on multiple occasions. She absolutely loved him, and, once it was just us, Billy, told me he really liked Bella, and couldn't wait to meet her. This was followed by him reminding me that I hadn't been home since Thanksgiving, and that was followed by his oh-so practiced guilt trip. The next day, I started looking for flights for me and Bella to visit La Push and her father in Forks, once we were back in the states.<br />
<br />
"So, show me what you have so far." She nudged my elbow with hers, and I topped off both our glasses with the rest of the wine.<br />
<br />
I smiled, reluctantly. "Oh...okay."<br />
<br />
Once we were both done and she'd put away the plates in the dishwasher, she curled beside me on my bed, humming softly to herself as I pulled up the chapter. I read her the part about one of the first legends I'd ever heard – about a woman and her sacrifice for the man she loved, and for the whole tribe.<br />
<br />
"I loved that, Jake." She smiled, seriously, at me. "You are an awesome writer. I know I tell you that all the time but, really, this is gonna be big. I can feel it." Her eyes sparkled the way they did when she looked at me. Like she and I were the only two in the world and we were in on some kinda secret that not another person on earth could begin to know or understand. I knew I loved her even more in that small moment.<br />
<br />
She always knew what to say to me, even though I was pretty sure she fully meant every word of it. This chapter had been a bitch to write, and, with all the research, I'd spent a lot of time on it. Now, knowing that I had her approval made me feel even better about it. I actually valued her opinion above a lot of others. So, she was a perfect sounding board before I got a chance to talk to Angela, Ness, or Billy.<br />
<br />
"Thanks, babe. You really liked it?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, Jake, baby. Of course. I like all your work." She kissed me, softly, on the corner of my mouth. Then she played with the ends of my hair, nodding toward my computer, urging me to keep going. I took another sip of wine and dug in.<br />
<br />
I could do this with her all night.<br />
<br />
It was about three hours before I knew Bella would push my cracked front door open. So, noting that my hair was threatening to reach far past my collarbone, I figured I'd take some time to actually get it cut, despite her opinion on the matter. My hair was an ongoing debate with that girl, and, while I did like it long, I refused to let it get as long as I was sure she wanted.<br />
<br />
I made a last minute appointment with my favorite girl, who, when I was actually in town, was the only one I let near me with scissors. There was a careful relationship between a man and his barber. I trusted her; she was the only one that didn't make me look like Courtney Cox, and never, ever mentioned the word highlights or flat iron around me.<br />
<br />
An hour and about four inches lighter later, I got back to my apartment, showered, and made a spot on the floor of my living room, with papers, notebooks, and MacBook in-place. I thumbed through the notes I'd made from the last time me and Billy talked, trying to reset my brain and pick up where I'd left off, the afternoon before.<br />
<br />
I'd taken a brief detour to talk with Ness, get her a quick article for The Ledger, and throw together a blurb for the website. That place depended on me way too much, especially considering I was freelance, and I had about a half-dozen other papers and magazines I wrote for. But, I'd always have a soft spot for Ness. She was one of the first people I'd met in the city. Also, she'd put me on to about half of all the trans-continental writing projects I'd done in the past two years.<br />
<br />
I really needed to focus, but my mind kept drifting to Bella – about how she felt in my arms, or how she tasted, which was always warm, and amazing, and sweet. She constantly tasted like a mixture of spearmint and some kind of orange, which I'd deduced came from her chapstick.<br />
<br />
"Hey you..." She'd managed to get just inside my front door without me noticing, her smile a mile wide. I'd gotten about eighty percent through chapter seven, which made me exceedingly happy. So, I figured I'd earned a little bit of a break.<br />
<br />
Bella threw her work bag and purse on my couch, then cocked her head. I really wanted her to come closer, but she just stood there, her grin slowly dropping until her lips parted just-so. She ran her fingers through her hair, and I waited, patiently, for her next move.<br />
<br />
"Hey back..." I placed my laptop on the floor next to me, unconsciously mimicking her movements and pressing my hair out of my face. I was happy to see her.<br />
<br />
"You got a haircut." She licked her lips, sliding out of her pumps.<br />
<br />
"I did. Thought it was getting pretty long." She grunted her agreement, unbuckling the huge belt she was wearing outside of her clothes; you know, the kind women wear that really serve no purpose.<br />
<br />
I noticed, in that moment, the dangerously hot way her waist curved in and then out, at the hips, making one of the sexiest silhouettes I think I'd ever seen. I dragged my eyes over her - how her skirt hugged her hips, tightly, and the soft curve of her tits in the fitted shirt she wore. I was sure she'd given those guys she worked with, at that agency, heart attacks in this outfit, today.<br />
<br />
She stepped a little closer to me, but still not nearly close enough. At this point, I realized she was fucking with me. Either that or she had some kinda death wish. I was pretty sure I couldn't handle any teasing today, not with the way she looked, and not with the fact that I hadn't gotten a chance to touch her before she'd left for work. I had about an 8-9 hour max on that front. Her arms bowed behind her back as she unzipped and wiggled out of that skirt.<br />
<br />
I unconsciously squeezed my eyes shut at the sight of her tiny blue panties, that weren't really panties at all; just strings and small triangles of fabric that barely covered anything. She smirked, and I couldn't help the evil smile that spread across my lips. She had no fucking idea what she was doing, but I let her continue her little tease because she looked so fucking good.<br />
<br />
"You, uh, get that passport stuff taken care of?" I was struggling with finding my voice. Her fingers slipped under the edge of her shirt, lifted it over her head and dropped it unceremoniously to floor.<br />
<br />
Fuck, that fucking bra should be illegal.<br />
<br />
"Yep. I think we're good to go." I nodded, not really paying attention to much else besides the way her breasts pressed together. She reached quickly behind her back, the blue fabric slacking forward, then pulled her bra off her shoulders and onto the floor. Her tits were perfect – I was sure of that; perfect tear drops, that were much more than a handful, with pink nipples, perfectly placed in the center.<br />
<br />
Her hips swayed over to me and stopped inches from where I sat. I couldn't help sliding my palm up her thigh, and my fingers under one of those straps, then back and forth across the satin. She bent down and kissed me, lightly, sliding just the tip of her tongue into my mouth. I'm sure it was meant to be that anyway. Though, I pulled her closer to me, until she had nowhere to go, and she was straddling me with her perfect tits at my lips.<br />
<br />
I gripped the back of her neck and lower back, and she whimpered as I pressed her onto my dick through my sweats. Her hands were clawing at my tank top. I let her pull it off, as I tried as best I could to pack up my papers and books and get them out of the way, because she was wild.<br />
<br />
"Babe..." she said in a moan.. She rolled her hips against me, sliding her tongue against mine, and softly kneading circles into my scalp, which was just about the best feeling thing I could think of besides being inside of her.<br />
<br />
I finally got her on her back, which was no small feat with the way she was bucking and whirling against me. We never broke the kiss, though, crushing our mouths eagerly against each other. I wanted my hands all over her. I wanted her to feel how crazy she made me, and how much I fucking loved her body. My hands stroked the sides of her ribs and waist, never touching her nipples, which were so hard and begging me for attention.<br />
<br />
She arched her back into my touch and writhed until I finally placed a flat tongue on her nipples, and licked, and lapped, and sucked. I bit a little too, making her moan, sigh, and beg a little, which was always a good thing. The curve of her breast, the warmth and softness – it was something I swear I'd never get used to, and never, ever get enough of. I flicked and sucked, not leaving an inch of her skin untouched by my mouth or my tongue.<br />
<br />
At that point, her legs where completely wrapped around my hips, and she was unabashedly grinding her pussy into me, and raking her nails into my back. I finally got her panties off and slid between those thighs. This. This was what I'd been thinking about all day, and she tasted so fucking beyond good. After a few passes with my tongue, just enough to have her moaning, I slid my middle and ring fingers into her, which got me a moan-sigh that shot straight to my dick.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. Baby. Oh god." She groaned, arcing her back as I finger-fucked her until my hand was drenched.<br />
<br />
I loved the way her tits bounced whenever I did it. So, as I lapped at her clit and pumped my fingers in an out of her, and tried my best to get a good look at them arched toward the ceiling. There was something so sexy and base about watching any part of her, like at this moment, bouncing or moving while any part of me was inside her, causing her body to jerk like this.<br />
<br />
"Dammit..." I mumbled.<br />
<br />
That was about all either of us could take, and we got my pants and boxers down and off, but, really, just barely. She grabbed me and, before I could, placed me right at her pussy, heaving her hips forward and upward. I steadied myself with balled fists on either side of her on the floor, as I let her steer the ship, for a little while anyway. God, this woman made me crazy.<br />
<br />
Completely unable to just sit there and let her do all the work, any longer, I shifted, got my leverage and drove into her with all the force I knew she could handle.<br />
<br />
"Oh my god..."<br />
<br />
I'm never very loud at times like this. I let her be the star of the show, because, trust me, she's more than a headliner. But I really, really couldn't help this. I wanted to be here with her, to be in the moment, but I literally couldn't. If I did, I'd cum. I'd cum after I'd thrust into her three times and she was just beginning to moan my name. I wanted to hear more of that. I wanted to see more of her thighs spread wide for me, as I did this to her.<br />
<br />
See? I can't think about that right now.<br />
<br />
So, for a few seconds, as I drove my hips hard against hers, and eyes were rolling back, and her face was morphing into this beautiful sneer-thing, I couldn't think about that or her. I couldn't think about the feel of her, so tight and wet, I could live there forever. The way my dick glided so easily and hard at the same time shouldn't work. Her pussy gripping me in spasms so tightly shouldn't be able to take place, but god was it, and it was like my own little Jacob heaven.<br />
<br />
"Bells, baby, you feel so fucking..."<br />
<br />
She hissed as I shifted to hook my hands under her thighs, and lift and press them wider until they were almost touching her chest. This was not a fucking good idea at all. She was moaning and cursing at me, and slapping my chest, and sucking her fingers, and I was just about done.<br />
<br />
I rolled my head around, trying to look at the clock, or the dining room table, or fucking anything at that moment. Anything but her flushed skin, or her tits, or body jerking with every thrust I stroked into her. I couldn't help myself, and finally looked down at her and where we were connected, and it was completely slick and wet. There were even a few droplets of wetness on the floor, which did not at all help me with my current situation.<br />
<br />
"Ungh, Jake. Oh Jake... Oh, God..." she was squeezing her tits, again, and grinding her hips against me "Shit., Godammit..."<br />
<br />
It was her high-pitched moan, and she was cumming. Definitely. I could feel her contracting and squeezing around my dick like a runaway train. It was definitely not letting up, and while I really wanted to plunge into her with more force, I'd learned that keeping up this same pace, despite my body screaming to do otherwise, would get me a second orgasm out of her. I gently let her legs down, and she immediately wrapped them tightly around my waist, again.<br />
<br />
"See?" I panted into her ear, clutching her hair gently. "Please don't tease me, Bella."<br />
<br />
I stroked harder, deeper, and she fell over the edge, again, digging her fingers into my sides and stiffening beneath me, slapping at my ribs. She sucked her bottom lip in and nodded her head, frantically, in agreement.<br />
<br />
Mmmm... She feels so good.<br />
<br />
It's weird having to focus on the orgasm of someone, while trying to enjoy the insane, mind-blowing feel of them. I was doing a pretty good job of it. Bella was still moaning and trying to beat the shit out of me, which I assume was a good thing. For some reason, I was glad I'd turned up the air conditioner, earlier, because it was hot as hell outside that day.<br />
<br />
What a fucking weird thing to think of right now.<br />
<br />
In the next moment, though, instead of a slow build, it attacked me, and it was so, so, so good - like, beyond good. If good was better than best, that's how I felt with her soaking pussy wrapped around me like that. I pounded into her, and for a split second the only senses I could make out were me inside her and the sounds of the air clicking on, her much, much louder moans, and my wet from sweat thighs slapping against her.<br />
<br />
I actually whimpered a little bit. I couldn't help it; it felt like every piece of me was pouring out of my body, and, even if I wanted to stop it, there is no way in hell I ever could. I pressed my lips to hers, moaned, sharply, and thrust into her one last time, as the last of the tremors vibrated through my body.<br />
<br />
We looked at each other for a long moment, panting, trying our best to catch our breaths. Her skin was a deep pink, her hair all over the place, from the friction against carpet. Her nipples were still just as hard and as tempting as they were when she slid her bra off an hour before. I just had to reach out and touch her one more time, there, as I reluctantly slid out.<br />
<br />
"Mmmm," she moaned, with a smile. "Not done?"<br />
<br />
She reached up between us and grabbed at my dick, pumping a few times, which, at first, made me jump a little, because I was still so sensitive. But she was gentle with me. She sat up, running her hand through her hair, trying to lay down the crazy, and rising onto her knees.<br />
<br />
"Bells..."<br />
<br />
And her mouth was on me, just licking at first. Then, she fisted my dick, taking the entire length of it until I could feel the back of her throat, then sliding it completely out.<br />
<br />
"Mmmm, Jake, I think you're good..." She moaned, again, pumping her fist a few more times. And, yes, I was. Very ready.<br />
<br />
I stood, helping her to her feet, not at all able to stop myself when I saw those pink lips all swollen. I kissed her, pulling her against my body, and she felt so good there. I mean, how could she not? That was where she was meant to be.<br />
<br />
"Come on..." She squealed and giggled as I threw her over my shoulder, and carried her to by bedroom. When I plopped her down on my bed, she was still laughing, especially as she bounced a little. She reached out for me though, pulling me behind her and onto my back, quickly straddling me. I grabbed her hips, readying myself as she took me into her hand, and carefully sat until I was deep inside her.<br />
<br />
"Jake... You have no fucking clue, babe..." she whined, eyebrows furrowed, fingers digging into my chest for leverage. It was like the first time, all over again.<br />
<br />
"Tell me, then..."<br />
<br />
"You feel so good, baby..." She finally rolled her hips, rose on her knees, and then slid back down, so obviously enjoying this moment, as much as I was.<br />
<br />
"Where?" I pressed. I wanted her to say it.<br />
<br />
"I feel you so deep..." she groans, "so good in my pussy..."<br />
<br />
Fuck, she was so hot. It was literally always like this. Always hot, always new, and always insane, like we were always supposed to be doing this.<br />
<br />
"I love you..." I whispered. Because I did, and at that moment, I couldn't think of another place in the universe I'd rather be.<br />
<br />
"Oh Jake, baby..." she hissed, through her moaning. "I love you so much. So, so, much..."<br />
<br />
A/N - Jake was talking to me, so, I just had to write his POV, for a few chapters at least. I really hope you enjoyed.<br />
<br />
...yeah, yeah. Blahblahblah - 'where the hell have I been?' and 'why haven't I updated in forever?', and all that. I get it, I suck. Thank you for stopping by, reading and forgiving me and this story in spite of it all. RL was kicking my ass for a while there, but, now that all is back and right with the world, I expect to update more frequently. Hope.<br />
<br />
Of course, thank you to my beta, Kay Cannon, she is the best there ever was. Also, a thanks go out to Team Evil, and all my Twitter lovies. You guys make my work day go by so much faster.<br />
<br />
Did I mention I'm on Twitter? Yeah. Artbeatsandlife - be warned though, I am prone to throw foul language, inappropriate sexual humor, and other classless things around at-will. Be warned :)<br />
<br />
Thanks to all you guys that read, review and rec this story and any of my other ones. You make it all worth it.<br />
<br />
Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-62524080732385848152010-03-25T03:00:00.000-07:002010-12-14T03:41:48.612-08:00Stealing Forever - Chapter 1 - About Face<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_875228504"></span><span id="goog_875228505"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N –</b> Thank you to Hopeful Wager for all her patience and betaing talents, my lovies for encouragement and comments, and Pack 100 for causing the drabble brainstorm that brought about this story in the first place. <b>Banner here:</b> http: // www . flickr. com/2585/4134605723_aa843a56d3_o. png<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer,Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Chapter 1 – About Face</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>:::JACOB:::</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was irritated with himself for leaving his license at his Mount Airy home, almost twenty minutes away from the club. Backtracking was <i>not</i> on the schedule, and after the third stoplight in two blocks, he grew increasingly more eager to begin the night of tomfoolery, knowing his friends were becoming ever more intoxicated without Quil and him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outings like this were becoming less and less frequent as they settled into their late twenties. Two of them now had wives and children, the rest, time-consuming careers, mortgages and significant others that left little opportunity for extracurriculars.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">All he'd have to do is grab his identification - forgotten on his dresser instead of tucked in his wallet - then he and Quil could be on their way back to meet the group.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You know, Jake," Quil began as he turned the steering wheel into a space just outside Jacob's house, glancing at the large brick townhome, "without getting too mushy, I wanted to tell you, away from the rest of those guys, how happy I am that you and Embry are gonna be my best men."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob turned to his friend searching his face for signs of humor, but finding nothing but sincerity, a smile playing on his lips. "Who else would it be? I mean, really?" Jacob replied with all seriousness; then his smile broke into a full grin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No really, dude," he said genuinely. "I'm happy to do it; I know we both are. You're one of my favorite people in the word," he continued, patting Quil on the shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I hope that Claire and I are just as happy as you and Rose."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob's smile beamed. "One can only hope."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hopping out of the Land Rover and slamming its door loudly, Jacob ran to the front door in lieu of his usual garage entrance. He wasn't driving and didn't have his door-opener anyway; Quil had the "pleasure" of being designated driver tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He followed casually behind Jacob and headed for the first floor washroom to relieve himself. <i>Typical Jake,</i> Quil thought finishing and washing his hands, <i>always forgetting something. </i>He headed for the kitchen to find something to quench his thirst before Jacob made his way back downstairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The house was dark, and initially, Jacob thought Rosalie had left for the evening after his departure. He remembered that she had mentioned possibly going out with some girlfriends or something of the like, but he heard the softest of sounds coming from the upstairs bedroom they shared.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Figuring she was preparing herself for a night of club-hopping with friends just as he had, Jacob took the stairs two at a time, excited to see his love in whatever satin or tightness she had poured her luscious body into. When he ran down the list of everything he wanted in a woman and wife, Rosalie embodied every trait he desired, and so much more. She was beautiful, intelligent, and great in bed, qualities that ranked pretty high on his list of must-haves. She dealt with him and his flaws; she stood by him while his father was sick in the hospital and supported him while he worked on his doctorate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">All of that was forgotten now though.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neither of them saw him. Not at first.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>He</i> wasn't even entirely certain of what he was witnessing initially - his eyes catching fleeting glimpses of the display, not really piecing together its parts until moments later.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">An arm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">A thigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beads of sweat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">A rounded bottom jutting towards the ceiling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">A mattress yielding under their combined weight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, much like a sputtering car engine, his faltering mind quickly assembled what was before him in a stream-of-consciousness, garbled mess of thought and emotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Wha….?...What the fuck?...Can't deal with this shit right now…How could she do this?…...Done nothing but be the best boyfriend…OH MY GOD…I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him....gotta get the fuck outta here, gotta get out of here...</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stood there, petrified in his shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He supposed briefly that, through the soft music and pants and moans, and…<i>movement</i>, they wouldn't have been paying much attention to the opening of the door just a few feet away.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, for an excruciatingly long nine seconds, Jacob got the displeasure of seeing Rosalie bent, crouching on hands and knees in their king bed, body flushed pink, hair in disarray that only fingers and sweat and being rubbed against a comforter can cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, her perfect mouth moaned <i>his</i> name the way Jacob had heard her say his countless times. His heart lurched, then broke.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was <i>not</i> seeing this.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a brief moment, he attempted to give her the benefit of the doubt, running through any possible explanation that would suffice as to why she would do something like this, and be stupid enough to do it just a couple hours since he'd left - and in their home, no less. Even outside of the anger, hurt and confusion burned fiercest within him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her body rocked crazily against his thrusts, her once perfect face grimacing in pleasure. Jacob fought the bile threatening to rise in his mouth when he smelled them, the distinct stench of sex and sweat and heat lingering stiflingly in the room. He gritted his teeth-- so hard he felt and heard the popping-- as he swallowed hard and frowned his unease.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment, attempting to get a hold of the wild rage rising within him. He couldn't let it escape, because he wasn't at all prepared at this moment to deal with the consequences of what his unbridled anger and pain would bring.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rosalie's study partner from her Master's program. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>That piece of shit was fucking his girlfriend. In his bed. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">They had had that motherfucker over for dinner. He had played touch football with him, and here he was, stroking her without a care in the world, head thrown back, eyes shut tightly in satisfied bliss.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rosalie's fingers gripped the sheets firmly, her back arching into an almost painful curve. Whimpering and whining loudly on the verge of her climax, she swung her head wildly in his direction, still not realizing she and her partner in coitus weren't the only two in the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She loved Jacob, she did, and he would someday be her husband, but Edward made her feel seductive and carnal and alive. How long could anyone be expected to shirk the constant advances from someone so beautiful, so confident, so inherently sexual? She promised herself the last time would be <i>their</i> last time, but then, he'd come over tonight and grabbed her by her hips from behind, his already stiffening cock pressing against the thin fabric of her stretch pants and her resolution was lost against a wall of the hallway.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Please</i>," he'd begged her, his cool fingertips teasing at the bottom of her tank, then sliding into the waistband of her pants.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No…," she said halfheartedly as he whispered sensual vulgarities that heated her in ways she never thought she could feel for someone other than Jacob. They were naked within seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>…so close..</i>. She felt the delicious tightening within her, as she teetered on the edge of her climax. Through lust-hooded lids and furrowed brows, just as the climax wracked her body, she slowly opened her eyes and caught sight of the surprise, pain, then fury crossing Jacob's handsome face.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He waited there for just that. The shame, the revelation, the shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob nodded his head, silently agreeing with her that she'd been caught. He could never bring himself to love her in this way again, to touch her. This would forever be etched in his mind, and that's something he could never forget. Ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clamping tightly onto the doorframe, he squinted his eyes and clenched his jaw, two telltale signs that he was furious, Rose noted for a half-second. She had never seen him look this angry, this hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake!" At least she had the dignity to look surprised. She ripped her body from Edward's, with a slick slurp, searching frantically for something, anything, to cover her naked body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob didn't wait for anything more; he had to get the fuck out of that room to clear his head. He wasn't gonna just stand there and watch his girl get fucked by another man.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">A million questions crossed his mind again as he made it to the kitchen, pacing wildly and running his fingers through his hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">What would he tell his mother? Her mother? Why did she do this? Was he not satisfying her? No, that couldn't be it. They had sex daily, and she always seemed pleased. Did she love this dude? Jacob had no idea; she was nothing, if not stealthy with her infidelity. How long had this been going on?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Wha…?" Edward questioned. Confused at Rosalie's now hysterical search around the room, and the abrupt cease of their lovemaking. She didn't bother answering him, finally locating her silk robe and dragging her index finger under her lower eyelids to remove the smudged mascara that circled them. She caught sight of her reflection, all flushed skin, untamed hair and dewy glow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She looked like sex.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her tears were already streaming down her face as she saw Jacob reach their spacious kitchen area. He was gesturing wildly and gripping his hair at the scalp, walking the length of the kitchen nonsensically.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, dude, what the fuck is wrong?" Quil asked, attempting to grasp why his friend was behaving so crazily, walking and muttering to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It just hurt so bad. The worst kind of pain he could think of, because it wasn't going away, seemingly intensifying as his eyes met hers. And, as he unwillingly looped the scene of the woman he swore he would marry sharing something so personal with a man she had only known for a few months, his heart ached even more, if that were possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He just wanted it to go away. He wanted it to all go away.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rosalie made it to the kitchen, pausing at the doorway, before nearing Jacob and reaching out to touch his forearm. He yanked it away violently, and, for a split-second, she thought he would hit her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't <i>fucking</i> touch me," he said in a threateningly low hiss, his eyes raking disgustedly over her just-fucked appearance as he wrinkled his nose. "I can smell him on you… You look like a whore."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eyes widening in disbelief, then understanding at that revelation, Quil backed against a far counter, attempting to allow them some personal space. He did know his friend, however, so he kept an eye out for any loss of control. He stepped further away, pulling his cell from his pocket and placing a quick call to Embry, letting him know the details and that they may not make it back to the club.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, <i>please</i>, let me explain," Rosalie pleaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Let you explain?" Jacob said calmly. "Let you explain! You were fucking someone else in my bed. What the fuck else is there to explain!" Both she and Quil flinched at his tone. She was so completely and entirely mortified that this had to be happening in front of an audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She just wanted to go back to two months ago and redo this entire sordid, stupid decision. Why didn't she say no? Why did she allow herself to get sucked into this situation with Edward? Why didn't she get out when she'd first realized how attracted to him she was? Was that worth demolishing two years with the love of her life?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">And, at the most inopportune time possible, Edward descended the stairs, buttoning his green dress shirt, and smoothing his bronze hair. If that wasn't enough, he had the gall to attempt to get Rosalie's attention as he walked toward the front door of the home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Motherfucker, get the fuck out of my house!" Jacob yelled, launching towards the much smaller, thinner man. Before Quil could get his hands around his friend-- the only person in the house that could do so at the moment-- Jacob had already landed several stiff blows to Edward's face.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Surprisingly, he did get one fair punch into the side of Jacob's head, though he was no match as Jacob pinned him to the ground and began pounding his fists violently into his face and upper body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">At one point, Jacob wrapped his hands around his neck, squeezing with every ounce of strength in him. Maybe if he killed him, the pain would go away. Maybe if he removed him from this world, Jacob could get his own shattered world back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake!" Quil shouted futilely. "Jake, stop, man, stop! You're gonna kill him!" He attempted to grab him by one massive bicep but was met with enough force to push him to the ground momentarily.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake! Please! Please!" Rosalie screeched, as she saw the blood covering the hardwood hallway floor, Jacob's fists raw and bloody. The once quiet home was soon filled with grunts and yelling and the sounds of scuffling and struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Stop? Stop! You taking up for this motherfucker!?" Jacob yelled breathlessly. Quil no longer attempted to reason with words; he wasn't going to let his best friend kill this guy and get carted off to jail over a woman. He made his way to the front of the brawl and launched his entire body weight against Jacob's massive chest, forcing him to his back with a loud thud.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Rose! You better get that motherfucker out of here before I let him go!" Quil shouted, placing a similar hold on Jacob that he had restrained Edward with just moments ago, keeping him prone to the ground. Jacob riled and pushed until there was no more fight in him and tearless sobs quietly racked his body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I can't believe you! I can't fucking believe you!" Jacob yelled in her direction. His heart was ripping in his chest, he was sure he would start bleeding emotion and pain at any moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rosalie, now cowering in a corner, eyes wide and disbelieving, helped Edward's broken body to his feet and out of their home. She apologized profusely to the man, running to get him a towel and walking him outside, though, much like Jacob, he didn't have much to say to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quil could think of so many things to say to Jacob at the moment, but opted for silence, waiting, holding him tightly across his broad chest until his breathing slowed to a reasonable rate. Finally, his eyes lightened from the black hue they had distorted to, and Quil's own heart slowed. Rosalie re-entered the house, just as Jacob made it back onto his feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glared at her, longer than was normal, just long enough to make her uncomfortable and be forced to look away. Jacob straightening his rumpled t-shirt and walked towards the stairs, jogging up to their bedroom. He had to get the fuck out of this house. For how long, he didn't know, he just knew he couldn't be held responsible for anything that happened from this point on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob quickly threw several items into a gym bag donning his college logo, stopping for a moment to search a hanging suit jacket pocket to remove a small navy velvet box. There, nestled in white satin was a simple but large solitaire diamond ring. He felt like a fool for nervously dragging Quil, Embry and his father to the jeweler two weeks before. What now? What happened to their future? Their forever?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He snapped the lid close and threw the box into the bag, zipping it roughly and bounding down the stairs. Rosalie quickly moved out of his path, glancing sheepishly at Quil for a brief moment. How could she look him or any of his friends in the eye again? She'd always be known as the cheat, the one that wasn't good enough for their friend, and who didn't deserve him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake…" she pleaded. She couldn't just let him walk out the door without a word. Even through her shame and remorse, she wanted him to see clearly. This couldn't be the end of them. She couldn't just stand by and let her perfect, thoughtful, amazing Jacob leave her there without a backward glance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't," he warned again through clenched teeth, pulling the door ajar. "Get me the fuck out of here," Jacob said in Quil's direction, not bothering to stop to see if he had followed him through the doorway outside to the car.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quil waited for a brief moment, glancing in her direction and shrugging, then pushed past Rosalie with a pained look. He was at a loss in this awkward situation; Jacob was his best friend, and he was there to catch her naked, and with another man. Not much left to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Barefoot, she ran out the front door behind Jacob into the warm Pennsylvania summer night air, attempting one last time to stop him and get him to at least look at her. She just needed to look into those soulful eyes and catch a glimpse of hope, the smallest glimmer that the situation could be fixed - that would get her through all this.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He didn't bother yanking his arm out of her reach this time though, only standing still as a marble statue, tightening every muscle in his body, trying his hardest not to allow the tears just beginning to form to fall in front of her. She couldn't have that. She couldn't know she had hurt him so deeply. Anger was one thing; pain was an entirely different situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Rosalie," Jacob said barely above a whisper, but more than loud enough for her to hear. "I'm a gentleman, but, I'm still a man. Don't. Touch. Me." His tone made no room for discussion or confusion. It was a warning. "I want you out of this house by the time I get back."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, this is my home too..." she began, refusing to accept that it was all over that quickly. "You can't just tell me to leave."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He turned to face her, tightening his jaw once more, and she saw the lack of emotion in his eyes as he reached for the handle of the car door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You already made this decision for me."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<hr align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #aca899;" width="100%" /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">I know. This is rough. Stick with me, though. This story is much bigger than just this. Read on...</span></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-83854969448452648812010-03-25T02:30:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:17:03.001-07:00Stealing Forever - Chapter 2 - Sweetest Drug<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso" rel="Edit-Time-Data"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ctparks%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>:::CLAIRE:::</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It had finally come.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">After months of planning and place cards and registries and invites. Listening to the incessant bickering of her mother and his sisters. Selecting swatches in shades of blue and silver for cloth napkins. Food tasting and shower gifts and securing a venue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">At last, she had finally come to the veritable apex of her year-long climb towards the altar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, not quite <i>the</i> dress. Despite her best efforts over the last six months, that little bugger hadn't quite made itself known yet, sadly-- more like <i>a </i>dress, or <i>dresses</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a necessary evil - and, evil it was. Over time, she'd gone through a litany of emotions, from the highs of intense happiness to the trenches of sadness, anxiety, frustration, hopelessness – all brought on by a simple lack of fabric, thread, and buttons. Her emotions all lead her back to this place in the end. Even with weekend trips to New York, Los Angeles and Paris, three wedding gown 'specialists,' not to mention wreaking havoc on Philadelphia metro, that integral part of their nuptials still remained incomplete.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dress shopping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was dress shopping for her wedding dress once again, because she was someone's fiancé.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fiancé. <i>Fiancé</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You know, my fiancé and I would be happy to come. </i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Oh, yeah, my fiancé went to school there. What a coincidence.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yes, my fiancé and I will be travelling there this summer with our parents.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She rattled off various sentences in a variety of situations where she could not only say the word without thought, but mention the man she loved consequentially.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He would laugh at her when she did this in his presence, flashing her a bright smile, then draping his arm around her shoulders and placing a kiss on the crown of her head. She'd blush and run her lips along his jaw sweetly, shrug, then continue with her shameless, deliberate placement of the word in her conversation. She didn't care. She loved this man, had waited her whole life to feel even remotely close to this about another human being. Her heart fluttered; he loved her, and she wanted the world to be aware. What was so wrong with that?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, then came need for a dress. She needed to go, and inevitably live, in her happy place – far, far away from this. This whole inadvertent reaction-- a stress relieving exercise of sorts-- had become her escape over the past months of dress searching as she sat listening to the yapping hum of both his and her mothers and sisters in the background of her consciousness. Really, who in the world would remember the color of the table runners anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so, the discussion continued, and she couldn't muster the energy to comment, or even pay attention for that matter. She briefly contemplated running from the shop, but frowned remembering that she'd ridden with her sister, and auto theft wouldn't do well on her spotless record.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She just longed for silence, so she could daydream about her <i>fiancé</i> in peace: flawless, perfectly bronzed skin with just a hint of pink; broad shoulders leading proportionately to his small waist.... He was a swimmer, so the long, lean muscles of his body were painfully and powerfully beautiful. The way his face contorted in breath-taking agony when he'd reached his climax inside her. The tribal tattoo etched across his back that she loved to run her tongue across at just the right moment…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Quil.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She felt her face immediately flush at the thought of him, and hoped the others hadn't noticed the redness creeping its way across her high cheekbones. A bashful grin spread across her face, and she yearned to reach her phone tucked in her purse in the next room to call him or at least send a quick text.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She knew he'd be getting measured for his tuxedo that afternoon, along with the rest of the groomsmen, at Ralph Lauren. Claire's mother had insisted they use the American designer who was just about the only one that could fit each of their massive bodies properly. Why he had to have such huge, tall monstrosities for friends was beyond her, she thought fondly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her thoughts flickered back to him and his smile, every piece of her ached with complete and all-consuming love. Call her a cynic, but she had romanced the idea of matrimony to a point that she had thought the marriage secondary to the person she was marrying. She was in love with love. Quil changed that for her. All smiles and warmth and tenderness. Always thoughtful, soft spoken and of few words.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wistfully remembered the Christmas party her parents had had that he'd attended with his father, a colleague of her mother's. She knew the scheming duo was planning to set them up, and she was fairly skeptical of a guy who needed his parents to introduce him to women.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">That thought was quickly chased from her mind, though, once she'd laid eyes on him. He was gorgeous; he was perfect, if perfection were possible in this life. Extremely tall, with the most endearing dimples and ice-white smile. They were introduced and every conversation, every sound was silenced as they met eyes. His intensity saw through right to her soul, a fact that still brought a shiver to Claire's spine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had spilled his egg nog on her velvet jacket within the first ten minutes, too nervous to keep his composure. She'd assured him it was alright, and ascended the stairs to find something of her sister's to wear. Thank God they all wore the same size.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Even more beautiful than before," he said, eyes twinkling after she re-joined the party. He offered her his hand and she accepted it, following him into a chaste dance to "I'll Be Home for Christmas."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">They talked all night about their families and boarding school and careers and the future. Then, later when neither of them wanted to leave, Quil invited her to breakfast, which lead to an invitation to his best friend Embry's gallery opening the following day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">He picked her up, even opened her car door and every door thereafter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>An old school gentleman</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">, she'd called him, which triggered a bashful duck of his head and slow smile. She smiled remembering how nervous she was that night to meet his friends who were all in attendance. After getting the third degree, the worst of it from his sister, Leah, it was his best friend, Jacob, who made her feel most at home, telling her not to worry and to relax.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Her bark's worst than her bite," Jacob said handing her a much-needed glass of champagne.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Funny, I can't imagine her bite being any worst than that, geez," Claire said, downing the contents of the flute in one gulp, then offering it back to Jacob to refill. He chuckled, then grabbed the bottle by its delicate neck atop the drink station, and nodded his head towards a far corner of the party, urging her to follow him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She actually got her first good look at him below the spotlights beaming on an abstract portrait painted in vibrant blues and greens, hanging on a stark white wall. Though he was a bit taller and larger, he actually looked surprisingly similar to Quil and Embry, and she wondered briefly if they had some distant familial ties.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Quil's a good guy," he began, finishing his drink, then refilling both glasses once more. "He's one of the best guys I know, and I can tell he likes you a lot already."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She blushed uncontrollably and gushed about how much she cared for him, even in the short time they'd known each other. Jacob was kind and sweet to her, as she'd come to know was his nature. Embry was always good for a wisecrack or unwarranted, hilarious comment. They all protected the always excited and youngest Seth. Sam was his brooding, thoughtful brother. She'd quickly came to love all of them over the years and they'd become a part of her own family.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, she and Quil soon became inseparable. Their parents had warned both of them that they were falling too hard, too fast, though it didn't really matter to either of them. And now, even two years since, the love was still there, as sure as ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She needed him like she needed air; loving him had come so easy, too easy almost. It wasn't a frivolous thing that she had to think about or even give effort to. Together, they'd always felt like they were hurling towards something so much bigger than either of them even realized. It was certain and strong and steady. It was there for anyone who took even a fleeting glance at either of them to see, neon and bright, and egregious.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">They were soulmates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Miss Young?" Claire turned her head attentively in the direction of the tinkling bell-voiced shop manager calling through the door of the large changing room. "I've pulled these dresses for you. I think any one of them will look amazing on that figure of yours," she said, eyeing her with a playfully infectious smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unable to fight it, a broad grin fought its way onto her beautiful face as she let out a deep sigh and attempted to get her second wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, thank you, Alice." She draped a pale blue satin robe around herself and allowed the small woman to enter with the pile of dresses. Her mother followed closely behind, clad in silk and linen and pearls.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course controlling Daphne Young would take this opportunity to insert herself into Claire's life. What better a stage to blow her own trumpet than to bully her wedding planner into making choices she thought would be best? Her parents were paying for all this, so unless it was egregious, she let her mother have her way. Claire, however, did think it funny that her mother never had any comment unless she was telling her where to go, how to go, what to do, or who to do it with.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Claire, sweetheart," Daphne began, sweeping her hand toward the tulle, silk and lace now hanging on various opulent brass hooks, " we saw all these, and the one you said you like is here in the corner."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thanks, Mother," Claire thanked through gritted teeth. She hated all of them except for one. She sighed silently, pointing to various rejected dresses about the room, as Alice and her assistant quickly removed them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, Claire caught sight of the little beauty she'd seen as she walked in the door of the couture bridal shop that morning and smiled. "Hello there, lover," she whispered to the dress tenderly, running her fingers across the beading. It reminded her so much of her grandmother's wedding dress that she'd seen in so many time-weathered black and whites around her childhood home. She'd always thought she looked so amazingly feminine and angelic, so much how a bride should look as she married her grandfather.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glancing frustratingly around the warmly lit room, Claire felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her. This shouldn't be this difficult. She was being silly – they all were. It was just a dress. The important part was that she was marrying the love of her life; the dress didn't matter. She sighed once more, and had all but lost herself amongst the ivory and French white mass, when she realized she needed a Quil fix.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Kat," Claire called to one of her twin sisters, "bring me my purse. It's the big brown one under the chair in there with you."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">That reminded her; she needed a bag of some sort, a clutch perhaps, to go with her non-existent wedding gown.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her teenage sibling soon appeared with the bag and sat on the cushioned dressing room bench sipping a bottled soda, "Calling Quil, huh?" she said chewing her gum, complete with intermittent pops and crackles. She looked the consummate antithesis of everything in the room, which may have been partially why, though she'd never admit it, Claire favored her among her family members.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Katharine was all Converse and black nail polish and neon green streaks on jet black hair. The Young family was one of summers in the Hamptons and winters in Aspen, and, though Claire didn't exactly rage against the machine, she saw more of herself in her little sister than in her parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"God yes," Claire breathed, "I'm about to lose my fucking mind in here." She searched around the room for which dress looked the least hideous, and easiest, to try on next. Crossing the space between them, Claire slid the bottle from her sister's fingers, and took a long sip while rummaging deeply in her large purse for the cell.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Babe, kill me now," she began without a salutation. "No, really."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quil's masculine chuckle was jovial music to her ears. "It'll be over soon, and listen, we can head over to that Italian restaurant that just opened around the corner. I'll come pick you up, how's that?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay," she huffed. "How's it going for you?" she asked, pacing the room for no real reason other than her tendency to turn into a fourteen year old girl whenever she talked to him on the phone, complete with hair-twirling and lip-biting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Pretty good. I'm done, now Jake and Embry are going," he replied, running his fingers over the dozens of silver ties the store had pulled for the men to make decisions on. They all pretty much looked the same to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ah, to be a guy. You just stand there with your arms out and legs spread for fifteen minutes, and you're done."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quil chuckled again. "Ah, ah, ah," he chastised playfully, his smile making itself known through the phone, "jealousy doesn't help anyone, Clay."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Shut up," she teased, "Okay, I gotta go. I just wanted to hear your voice."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Alright, beautiful. I love you."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire turned to the remaining dresses with new found purpose and hiked the closest one over her strapless bra and satin bikini-briefed body. Thank God she hadn't had that third donut this morning over coffee, or she'd never be able to put this thing on. Alice re-emerged to help her zip and button herself where appropriate, stepping back and studying the dress closely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She turned to look in the mirror, smoothing her hair and fingering the fabric of the asymmetrical gown, then turned to Kat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It's…okay. It's nice," her sister said, cocking her head to the side and bouncing her crossed legs. Claire stared at her for half a beat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You hate it."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah..."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alice turned to her. "Not sure if that one's it…"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She didn't even bother going into the main sitting area with this one; she opted for tearing it off quickly and sliding into the next one, which was also a bust, and so was the next one; all wonderful, just not <i>it</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She turned to the last of the dresses and slipped it on, thinking how completely heartbroken she would be if she didn't like the way this one fit. She was sure if she had to choose between any of these again, she'd lose control of all cognitive function she was managing to hold on to at the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, Clay," Katharine uncharacteristically gushed. "You look… <i>wow</i>." She stood to take a closer look at the beading detail, and to have a glimpse at her sister's reflection in the mirror.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Do you like it?" Claire said, peering back at her reflection, then into the eyes of her sister. She needed little validation though; it <i>was</i> gorgeous, but Katharine was always good for an honest, upfront critique.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"O.M.G., Clay, if this isn't it, <i>it</i> doesn't exist. Seriously."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire took one last long gaze at her reflection, turning to see the dress from all angles in the mirror once more. After gathering the train over her forearm, she rushed out of the room, peeking her head around the corner tentatively.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, Claire? Let us see!" Quil's sister, Michelle, prompted, clapping her hands together excitedly. Leah even nodded, seemingly interested in how this particular dress would look.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Okay," she said with all the fanfare of a ringmaster, "here it is."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She entered the room slowly, careful to give everyone a view, as various gasps and whispered awes followed her to the center. She glanced down, sliding her stocking feet around the carpet, and rising onto the round, raised pedestal. All eyes were on Claire as Alice rushed to retrieve a suitable veil, standing on the edge of the room, admiring her in the perfect dress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, Claire," her mother clasped her manicured hands to her mouth, "That's <i>it,</i> sweetheart." Claire found a small, but never the less existent, satisfaction in Daphne's words. Her mother was rarely available for anything, especially words of the positive variety.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, Clay. You look absolutely Victorian. You should be on the cover of a novel," her sister, Kristina, agreed, smiling with all the enthusiasm of her sixteen years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"It's absolutely perfect, dear," Quil's mother, Denise, whispered with a smile, gesturing for her to make a full circle so each angle could be seen. The women commented and murmured on the length and color and cut. She shuddered to think of the price of the… Monique Lhuillier gown covering her slender, but shapely figure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had to crane her neck and twist her body to see the tag of the dress, because, despite the influence of her much chicer kid sister, she didn't have much of a penchant for fashion or its designers. She favored argyle, cable knit sweaters, and Top-Siders to pumps and skirts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire gazed at herself and thought of her fiancé, fighting back the mist in her eyes. She piled her long hair atop her head in a makeshift bun, admiring the detail at the back of the gown, and ignoring everyone and everything around her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wiping a wayward tear from her cheek, a small smile played at her lips and she imagined the look on his face once he had seen her walking the aisle leading to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">It <i>was </i>lovely, though. Mermaid, she'd heard among the chatting, covered in antique lace and delicate beading over the bodice and was the faintest shade of blush.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quil would love it. She couldn't wait to meet eyes with him once he'd seen her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reverence, she'd call it. Maybe even a tear or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yes</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">, she thought with a simple smile. <i>This is the dress. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-21599691710167551582010-03-25T02:29:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:16:16.607-07:00Chapter 3 - Stealing Forever - Give and Take<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>:::EMBRY:::</b><br />
<br />
"Seriously, Dude. You owe me big. Epic big," Quil grunted for the fifth time that morning, attempting to maneuver the large couch up the narrow stairs of Embry's new condo. "I don't know why you couldn't just get movers in here to help you."<br />
"I know, I know I do, and why get movers when I've got you guys?" Embry had called the rest of their friends, and all but two were unable to help him move, and even they couldn't make it until well after lunch. How convenient that daughter's ballet recitals and trips to the market with grandmothers were impeding upon their ability to help him get all his crap into this place this particular morning.<br />
His move into the much larger, loft-style space was past due. Things were picking up considerably at the gallery, and now he could afford something that had spacious rooms for painting and the storage of his own massive collection of artwork.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
"Yeah… turn it this way," he continued, gripping the black leather sofa more firmly, walking backwards up the steep stairwell, taking each step carefully to keep his balance.<br />
"So, how are things with the wife?" Embry asked through clenched teeth as he set the large piece of furniture in the middle of the living room.<br />
"Oh, Claire's good." Quil said wiping his hand on his sweatpants. "The whole wedding planning thing has her a little riled up, and you know, her mom, is a bit..." A wide grin broke across Quil's face as he gestured his index finger in a circle at his temple, "which isn't really helping the situation at all."<br />
"Yeah, I know how that can be. You know how my mom is… Hey, I'm thinking we should try and get all the larger pieces in first. I have those big ass beds for both rooms, plus the dining stuff, so we can start there," Embry said taking the stairs back to the first floor quickly, with Quil just behind him. "Hopefully, we'll have more help by then."<br />
"Uh. Yeah, I hope so, too," Quil said rolling his eyes and walking up the truck's ramp. As he grabbed one end of the overstuffed arm chair to his left, Embry followed his lead, taking the opposite side and bending his knees. "You know the suits are done, and we have that final fitting next weekend, so make sure you meet us up at the Ralph Lauren store on 44th."<br />
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. You're as bad as Claire."<br />
"Well, I have to be. She'd cut my balls off if I didn't keep you motherfuckers in line. And trust me; I'm actually kinda partial to my sack."<br />
Embry couldn't help but laugh at that sentiment. From what Quil had told him, Claire and her family were pretty serious about this whole wedding thing. After he realized that no one really wanted to know his opinion on really anything besides his fiancé, Quil relented and decided that all he needed to know was where to go and what time to be there and everything should be copacetic.<br />
"Hey," Embry began, setting down the surprisingly light large chair, "how's Leah doing?"<br />
Quil stopped for a moment, raising a knowing eyebrow and laughed. His friend always managed to wiggle his sister into their conversations. Embry and Leah dated briefly when they all were in high school, but things fell apart, as teenage romances tend to do.<br />
"She's good; just started her residency up at St. Catherine's," he said breathlessly, jogging down the stairs towards the truck once more.<br />
"How's that boyfriend of hers doing? Chris?"<br />
"Dude, just ask her out already and put us all out of our misery," Quil said playfully pushing his friend. "And if you had your stalking skills together at all, you'd know that they broke up about a month ago. You aren't on the job very well, are you?"<br />
"See, it's all a part of my plan. I'm gonna beg Claire to pair us up in the wedding. You know how girls get all sentimental at weddings? Yeah, it should be easy, all I have to do is turn on the 'ole Call charm." Embry wagged his eyebrows, picking up the wide ends of a large mahogany headboard and maneuvering it down the ramp and into the building, with Quil just behind him with other pieces of the bed.<br />
"Um, can we not talk about how you are strategically planning on macking my sister and just say we did? Thanks."<br />
Embry's snickering was uncontrollable, as he paused to lean against one of the exposed brick walls. He had been thinking about Leah more and more these days, hoping to rekindle something with her. Each time he saw her, and that seemed to be a lot more lately with the wedding approaching, he was reminded of how amazing a woman she was, strong and intelligent, always so sure of herself, and that was so sexy to him.<br />
"Okay, so, we can get those dressers next, then take a break for a second," Embry said, nodding his head in Quil's direction and wiping his brow. He was grateful for the cooler summer day in Philadelphia. It had been a hot summer and that would just not do well for moving conditions.<br />
"She did ask about you, you know?" Quil added after several moments.<br />
"What?! And you failed to tell me this why?"<br />
"Well, you were dating that Kennedy girl. Jenna, was it?<br />
"Shut up. And she was a Shriver."<br />
"Whatever the hell," Quil deadpanned with a flippant gesture of his hand. "Anyway, you were with her at the time, so I thought you were good on the girl front."<br />
"Thanks a lot for nothing dude. You're supposed to keep me in the loop about Leah."<br />
"Um, no, I'm not. You're a big boy. If you want to date my sister, then you need to hop to it and grow a pair."<br />
"Shut up. I gotta get some new friends…" He stopped mid-stride, deep in thought. "Wait, see, this works even better," Embry said, setting the dresser down and maneuvering it against the wall. "Here?"<br />
"Man! Will you go!?" Quil urged, annoyed as the heavy dresser was cutting into his fingers. The two set it down and he stepped back, assessing the positioning. "Yeah, that works, and the bed can go here," he said, gesturing to a space against a far wall.<br />
"Well, me and Jenna are over. She was way too caught up in status, and that's just not my thing. So, now I'm free and clear. Can you <i>please</i> put in good word for me with her? Shit, do something."<br />
"Now, why would I ever want my sister dealing with a loser like you?" Quil joked. It was all good-natured; Quil actually loved his friend like a brother. Their families had spent countless holidays together; his mother loved both Jacob and Embry like her own. Their life paths had begun braiding themselves together long ago.<br />
He quickly remembered their 17-year-old selves when Embry's parents were out of town while they were in their junior year of high school. They'd snuck out of the house to a party with Jacob in tow, drinking and doing things no teen should be taking part in. She'd caught them and dragged them all out of the party, punishing each of them just the same.<br />
"Okay," Quil said glancing around. "How the fuck one man has so much shit by himself is beyond me."<br />
"Hey, hey. I'm an artist, and I'm serious about my work. I have a creative mind."<br />
"You're joking right?" Quil said scoffed.<br />
"Can you please stop bitching for, like, 15 seconds and let's get this done? Or do you have more nagging to do?"<br />
"Wait, fucker, <i>I am</i> helping <i>you</i>. Don't you forget that. I got out a warm bed with a soft naked woman lying there to help your ugly ass," Quil said with a smile, grabbing the edge of another dresser and tilting it toward him as Embry grabbed the opposite end, hoisting it on his forearms.<br />
"You just have to let everyone know that little bit of info, huh?" Embry mused, grunting as he carefully walked backwards up the stairs and into the master bedroom.<br />
"You know it."<br />
"Oh, and before they get here, we never did get a chance to talk about the whole Jake-Rose situation."<br />
"Oh yeah, shit dude, I can't believe I haven't gotten a chance to tell you about that. It was like, forever ago."<br />
"Yeah, yeah, so what happened?"<br />
"Well, Jake didn't even want me to talk about it at all. He just sulked around our house for a few days, then decided to go home when he knew Rose wouldn't be there."<br />
"Right, right. So, let me hear it again," Embry said excitedly, grabbing a large box marked 'kitchen' and gesturing for Embry to help him. "This one's heavy, grab the other side. It's mostly dishes."<br />
"Okay," Quil said, obliging. "So, yeah, we walk in the door after we left you guys at the club. Jake runs upstairs for not even 5 minutes. I'm in the kitchen waiting on him."<br />
"Can I just say that motherfucker is forever forgetting something,<i> somewhere?</i>" Embry interjected.<br />
"…and you know this," Embry says rolling his eyes. "So, he runs down the stairs breathing hard and walking around crazy - you remember that time when he got in that fight with Travis Meyers over his sister in tenth grade? Yeah, that was the last time I saw him looking that fucking nuts."<br />
"Oh, shit..." Embry grabbed a bottle of water and threw it to Quil, then cracked open the top of his own and took a few deep swallows of the cold liquid.<br />
"So yeah, talking crazy and Rose comes down right after him - I know this is bad, but, can I say how hot she is?"<br />
"Uh, duh, anyone with a dick can see that, I won't tell the wife," Embry replies with a shrug.<br />
"Thanks... so yeah, she comes down all sweaty, her hair a mess, and at first I didn't know what the fuck was going on. But then, this guy comes down, like right after that, then Jake just loses it."<br />
"Shit, I would have too," Embry said, shaking his head. "They've been together for what, two years, and have that house together? That's some fucked up shit."<br />
"Yes it was, and dude, I wished to God you or somebody else was there too, because you know how fucking huge Jake is. It took everything in me to pull him off the guy."<br />
"Shit, I'd have killed that motherfucker. You guys would've had to come get me out of prison."<br />
"Me too," Quil agreed,."And you know me, I don't fight, but that's enough to murder someone. The fact that he caught her had to have been the worst," he said, walking back towards the stairs. "So yeah, I'm surprised the guy didn't press charges, 'cause Jake fucked him up pretty badly. He told me that the guy was married or engaged or something, so it'd be pretty hard to explain that situation to the wife."<br />
"Fuck yeah," Embry said shaking his head. "I talked to him yesterday, but about some wedding stuff, not about this. How's he doing?"<br />
"He's okay, I guess, as much as can be expected. He's real broken up about the situation, trying to figure out what to do with the ring. Says she keeps trying to talk to him about it, but he can't talk to her, says he can't even really look at her anymore."<br />
"Damn, but can't say I feel too bad about it. I mean, for Jake's sake I am, but I never thought she was right for him, not really," Embry said.<br />
"Well, you know how I feel about her. She was never really my favorite person for him anyway. But you gotta let folks do what they wanna do. The last thing you want to do is tell your friend that you don't like someone they love. Fastest way to get somebody pissed at you."<br />
"You said it."<br />
"So, this is what you call moving, huh?" Jacob's deep voice tinged with humor. "I must move all the time, because it just looks like you're just fucking around to me." His large frame suddenly filled the open doorway. He paused, then looked around the room, silently assessing the work that had already been done. Seth followed behind him, glancing around, then heading for the kitchen.<br />
"Says the guy who shows up three hours into the move," Embry mused, taking the hand Jacob had extended him into a quick embrace.<br />
"I swear, y'all are some of the laziest motherfuckers I know," Seth smiled. "Don't you know the meaning of hard work? I mean, really," he continued, his words dripping with cheerful sarcasm.<br />
"<i>Finally</i>," Embry breathed. "We've handled most of the furniture. It's just getting all the boxes downstairs in the truck up here."<br />
"Okay, let's do it," Jacob said, already walking toward the door. They headed downstairs to the awaiting boxes and other personal items realizing it would take several trips to finish the job.<br />
"Dude, did you <i>have</i> to move on the top floor? I mean, really," Seth complained.<br />
"Of course he did, he lives to make our lives a living hell. There's no way I'd rather be spending my Saturday than by helping this dude move his shit," Jacob grabbed two large suitcases from the trunk of Embry's car. "Nope, can't think of a single one."<br />
"Okay, okay," Embry finally responded, "are you jackasses gonna do this all afternoon? I just need to know if you girls are gonna be PMSing or can we actually get this finished?"<br />
"Oh no, trust that we'll get this handled, and you'll be handling lunch and dinner. I feel like a steak, what about you, Quil?"<br />
"Steak's good. Prime cut, of course."<br />
"Of course," Jacob agreed with an over-exaggerated bob of his head.<br />
"Hey, Quil, what time do we have to be there next Saturday again? I have an exam that morning, so I wanna make sure I can get there on time."<br />
"Claire says it's at 9. The one over on 44th."<br />
"So, what's the deal with these bridesmaids? Any of them hot?" Seth said suggestively. "You know that's what weddings are all about, the hookup. And I've seen a couple of Claire's friends already, and they were smokin.' That girl Angela? Damn."<br />
"Yeah, that's why I love these things: emotional women, booze, dancing, all the makeup of a killer evening," Embry said with a smile.<br />
Jacob was silent, still licking his wounds from Rose-gate, as his friends had now come to know it. His mother had come by several times to check on him and bring him meals. He was still having the hardest time attempting to focus on work, his heart still shattered in millions of pieces. The pain was still there, though now, instead of a fiery, all-consuming blaze, it was more of an ache - a dull pain that never let up, however much he wanted it to.<br />
"You know," Seth said clearly, reading his far away expression and grabbing one of the few remaining boxes. He looked up into the clear blue day, then turned to Jacob. "I know you're still dealing with the Rosalie thing, but I can think of about ten girls off the top of my head that would love to go out with you."<br />
"Yeah, man," Embry hesitantly added. "You know Kate, my assistant? She saw you at the opening and really wanted me to introduce you guys." He paused to gauge Jacob's reaction before continuing. "Obviously at the time you really couldn't do anything, but she's a sweetheart if you want me to hook it up."<br />
Jacob was quiet briefly, mulling over his friend's suggestion. "Yeah, that sounds okay, maybe we can get a drink or something. May as well drown my sorrows."<br />
His friends all looked at each other, then back at Jacob with sympathy. He wasn't over Rosalie, not by a long shot. The best thing would be to wait it out and maybe throw some women in his direction in the meantime.<br />
"That's the spirit!" Embry said, grabbing one of the last boxes in the truck and following the group up the stairs, dropping it on top of the black lacquer stove and glancing around. "I think that's it guys."<br />
It had taken the better part of the afternoon, but the group had sufficiently completed assisting Embry with his move. "You guys want to get something to eat? My treat."<br />
"Yes, it <i>is</i> your treat," Jacob said, slapping Embry loudly on the back, to the murmurs and chuckles of the group.<br />
"And, can I just say, don't ask me for anything for at least a year, because it's gonna be no. Always no," Quil said with a large smile crossing his face.<br />
"What are you talking about? I'm in your wedding, <i>you</i> owe <i>me</i>." Embry turned to him incredulously. Quil smiled at his friend for a few moments, not responding, just nodding his head amidst the laughter and ribbing. He did owe him - he couldn't deny that – because he was getting so much more from his friend.<br />
More than he could ever say.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
-<br />
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1" /><b>A/N - I love this one. It was simple, but showed how much the guys are there for each other in crappy circumstances. Plus, a little banter never hurt anyone :)</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-77577250326497152172010-03-25T02:28:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:17:34.357-07:00Chapter 4 - Stealing Forever - Left to Be Here<b>:::JACOB:::</b><br />
<br />
<br />
For the rest of his life, he'd remember everything that happened that night with near inhuman, excruciatingly perfect detail.<br />
He'd later think bitterly how he couldn't remember his first day of junior high school, or the first boy-girl party he'd ever attended or even what the topic of the first university lecture he'd ever sat through was.<br />
But he could always remember <i>this</i>.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>He had spent a little longer than was needed getting ready. </i><br />
Hell, what <i>does</i> someone wear after their girlfriend cheats on them and he's attempting to hide the fact that he's dying a slow, wrenching death inside? Jacob remembered sadly how Rosalie would always lay out his clothing, so he'd never really have to think about such things.<br />
<i>Quil had commented hesitantly how much of a girl he was being. </i><br />
Just enough to make Jacob smile and select a t-shirt and jeans quickly. He had seen Jacob's mood increasingly decline and being the only person to really understand the gravity of the night and what transpired with Rosalie, he felt it almost his duty to be there and support his friend until he got his arms around such a fucked up situation.<br />
<i>It had rained briefly that night.</i><br />
In spite of the weather, Jacob was in good spirits considering the crap month he'd been having. Quil had tried his hardest, and was beginning to see the small cracks in the shell of sadness covering his friend. It would be all about beers and wings and the game that night, and that was just fine with him.<br />
<i>Jacob walked to Quil's car, noticing how the deep gray paint gleamed in the moonlight. </i><br />
He climbed into the vehicle and Quil turned up the volume of his satellite radio to an upbeat song.<br />
Despite himself, Jacob leaned his head against the headrest and got lost with his thoughts. He was hurting, and he knew that time would really be the only thing to add the salve to the wounds around his heart. He wished he could step inside a time machine and fast forward to a year from now, to when he knew he'd be away from the raw emotions consuming him.<br />
<i>Everything reminded him of her. Everything.</i><br />
He'd made his way days later to his home. The house still smelled like her – like honeysuckle and fresh breeze. He couldn't sleep and had a maid come in to clean top to bottom because he smelled her everywhere, and just couldn't deal.<br />
He dropped his bag near the doorway and glanced around, looking for the changes, what would be or wouldn't be left of her. She'd begun clearing out her clothing, but not nearly fast enough, considering the last conversation the two had had.<br />
Part of him didn't want her to go at all. A large part.<br />
But then, the vivid scene replayed in his mind, like an all-consuming, carnivorous being, eating away at his compassion, his forgiveness, replacing both with a bitterness that he'd never felt before.<br />
He wondered where she was. If she was alone or with <i>him</i>.<br />
The thought of her running into his arms was enough to make Jacob call her and forgive all transgressions, if for nothing else, his own stubborn pride. He didn't want her at the moment, but, he couldn't stand for her to be with anyone other than him. It just wasn't fair. How did she get to cheat on him, ruin all his plans for the future, then ride off into the sunset with the man she'd broken Jacob's heart with?<br />
He tried and managed quite successfully not to talk to his friends about the situation, and definitely not about how it made him feel.<br />
He had cried silently the entire car ride to Claire and Quil's home, angry with himself for letting his friend see him that recklessly emotional. He knew that his intuitive, empathic friend would never judge his show of pain, would never speak about it, would never tell others anything about it at length. That brought some measure of comfort to Jacob, however small.<br />
He wandered around in a daze for the following two weeks. Barely making it into work, and, if he hadn't already planned his lectures for the semester, he was sure he would have been fired for lack of actual teaching. Even as he tried his hardest to remain professional, Jacob was sure his classes sensed the change in his usual upbeat demeanor, especially his student aide, Colin.<br />
"Dude," Quil said glancing at Jacob from the corner of his eye, "get out of your brain for a second, will you? I can hear you thinking," he said with a smile.<br />
<i>He was in a sickeningly-sweet, but infectiously good, mood that night.</i><br />
Never one to pass up the opportunity to bring about his friend's laughter though, even in his depression, Jacob mentioned something particularly funny about their friend Paul, and as usual, Quil belted out his booming laughter as they approached the stop light.<br />
<i>It was particularly muggy that night for Philadelphia. </i><br />
They always had warm summers, but coupled with the recent rain, the onset of night did little to rid them of the heat.<br />
He wiped a bead of sweat forming on his brow, happy he put on an undershirt, fiddling with the knobs of air conditioning, all the while Quil chattered on. He intentionally didn't mention Claire or the wedding, dancing around both subjects for Jacob's benefit. The last thing his friend needed to hear was how in love he was or how excited he was about his upcoming nuptials.<br />
Jacob continued, chuckling almost too hard to complete his sentence and review the punch-line as the stoplight ahead turned green. The duo pulled out into the street, as they had the right of way.<br />
<i>There were lights everywhere, really.</i><br />
Lit restaurant and bar signs. Dozens of pairs of headlights sprinkling the intersection with beams illuminating the road ahead.<br />
But those didn't matter. Not really.<br />
The ones that caught Jacob's attention were the ones gradually becoming larger to his left.<br />
Bright white lights- two of them- tinged in an arctic blue.<br />
<i>Quil had eyes straight ahead on the road.</i><br />
Bright red and blazing.<br />
A Jeep, heading directly for them on the driver's side.<br />
Quil's side.<br />
<i>The sound of his own heartbeat thumping in his ears.</i><br />
"Quil, st----!" The words spilled from his lips instinctively, somehow attempting to prevent the movie that played itself out in front of them.<br />
<i>The deafening crunch as the vehicle was rocked with earth-shattering force. </i><br />
Then, he was sliding, hydroplaning across the large intersection.<br />
The confusion set in, and his stomach was tossed with unrelenting impact. His equilibrium completely jostled though, that could only compare to the wind being knocked from his lungs.<br />
<i>The crushing pressure against his chest, and a cloud of blinding white powder.</i><br />
Jacob let out an involuntary loud yell, holding onto the handle of the door as the car was thrown several feet, flipping, then landing on its side.<br />
<i>Pounding in his head.</i><br />
"<i>Quil!....Quil!!"</i><br />
<i>Silence in return.</i><br />
… <i>smell. Like… pennies. Old pennies...</i><br />
Then, he was sucked into the darkness.<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1" />After what seemed like both days and mere seconds of sleepless dreaming, he awoke to a pin of light that grew into a much larger beam shining brilliantly into his eyes. He shook his head out of the path of the bright ray, squinting, then squeezing his eyes closed.<br />
White.<br />
The crisp white shirt of the well-built older man with white hair standing to the left of him. He was the cause of that irritating light.<br />
"He looks good," he murmured, clicking the pen and sliding it into his breast pocket. "I'll be back in a bit, once he's gotten his bearings. I'll send the nurse in," he said with a small polite smile in the direction of the blurry figures seated in front of him.<br />
The sounds around him reminded him of being underwater, or after a shower before he shook the water from his ears: garbled and distorted.<br />
He squinted again, then, through bleary vision, he saw his stepmom. And his father.<br />
Rosalie was there. So was his sister, Rachel, now smiling at him.<br />
"Quil…" he croaked.<br />
Bad move.<br />
His throat was dry as the Sahara, and burned just as badly. And scratchy.<br />
"Hey dude," his older sister said with an even larger smile, "glad to see you."<br />
Jacob swallowed unsuccessfully, nothing but air and the smallest portion of saliva made its way down his esophagus. He would try once more, "Quil…"<br />
Where was his friend? He was sure his car was totaled. Too bad, he loved that thing like his own child. If he had one.<br />
"Well?" he continued, awaiting his answer impatiently. He was growing more exasperated; he didn't know where he was or what was going on. Jacob did know, however, that his head was pounding. S<i>hit</i>.<br />
Why was everyone looking at each other? He needed someone to answer him, damnit!<br />
"Hey, why don't we get you some food, huh?" his father, Billy, said with a sad smile. "I'm sure you're thirsty, here." He handed Jacob a cup with ice water brimming at the top.<br />
<i>Score</i>! Jacob took it greedily and gulped down the cold liquid in one swig.<br />
"I don't want any food," he swallowed. "Where's Quil?"<br />
He had a broken arm.<br />
He had scratches and bruises.<br />
Nothing a couple Advil and a cast couldn't take care of.<br />
"Honey," his stepmother said slowly, like she was attempting to explain complex mathematical equations to a seven-year-old. "Jake, Quil… he... He didn't make it."<br />
He looked at her like she was speaking in ancient Greek. That's what it sounded like to him, anyway.<br />
"What?" he whispered, looking around the room to the faces of everyone, each pair of eyes on him, watching for his reaction.<br />
He looked to each of them, waiting, willing any one of them to disagree with his her words. No, no, that can't be right. He had just been with Quil.<br />
No, that isn't true. He's only twenty-eight; people that young don't die.<br />
"Jake, he..." his father attempted to clarify, sensing his son's confusion. He was sure the concussion wasn't helping his cognitive function. "Jake, they got the guy, he was drunk… Quil, he…"<br />
Jacob immediately clenched his fists, then lifted both hands to his ears, attempting to muffle the words. No. <i>No! </i><br />
"No..." he said, sitting up in the small hospital bed, the doctor silently leaving the room and closing the door with a soft click.<br />
It was too fucking quiet in that room. He needed to get out.<br />
"Jake, don't!" Rosalie wanted to go to him so badly, to touch his face, to kiss his swollen jaw. When his stepmother awoke her last night telling her that Jake had been in a pretty bad car accident, she didn't hesitate to jump into her car and fly to St. Catherine's in half the time it would have normally taken. He was unconscious when she finally arrived at the emergency room and didn't look as bad as she had feared. And he was alive. That was the fact that she delighted in and was relieved by. She still loved him, and she knew she couldn't live if anything had ever happened to her Jake. Even in light of all the issues they were currently having.<br />
Jacob ignored her plead and attempted to get out of the bed, swinging his bare feet onto the concrete hospital room floor.<br />
He had to find Quil, he had to see him. Why were they all telling him these lies? He had to find Claire, she'd tell him the truth. Jacob felt his heart beating more rapidly in his chest, anxiety crawling its way over his body,.<br />
He had to find Ms. Atera. He was sure she was worried sick, especially with all these lies about her son floating around. He had to get out of this room; the walls were closing in on him.<br />
"Where are my clothes?" he said. Jacob was becoming more and more annoyed with his confusion as he glanced around the hospital room. "What time is it?"<br />
He couldn't have been here longer than a few hours. He'd check on Quil, then he could head home.<br />
"Jake…." Rachel began with a furrowed brow, bringing her wrist watch up and glancing down. "It's, it's 9:18 in the morning. But you can't leave. The doctor wants to watch you for a while longer to make sure the concussion didn't do more damage."<br />
Wait, concussion? 9:18? He had been there for almost 16 hours? That didn't sound right.<br />
His father stood first, wrapping a steadying arm around Jacob's shoulders as he began searching the small drawers for his clothing, catching sight of his face in the mirror.<br />
He glanced harder at himself, turning his head side-to-side, trying to take in the full extent of the injuries to his face and upper body. He was pretty banged up, but not anything some ice couldn't get rid of. He had a few bruises, a split lip, and his chest ached like a motherfucker, but besides that, he'd be okay.<br />
"Baby," his stepmother's concern spread further across her sharp features, "Jake, honey, I… we brought you some new clothes, they… they had to cut… they had to get rid of the ones you were wearing."<br />
Cut them off? Uncertainty washed over him again, as he took the bag she held out to him and silently walked into the restroom to change.<br />
Jacob slid the nondescript red t-shirt over his head carefully, painfully aware with each move of his physical discomfort, most acutely in his chest. After sliding into the jeans and flip flops from the pile, he exited, taking one last look into the concerned faces of his family and ex-girlfriend.<br />
He walked out into the hallway and caught sight of Claire first.<br />
Deep blue bruises shadowed under her blood shot eyes. Her face was flushed and wet from crying as she held frantically onto Leah's waist in the chair next to hers. Her white-knuckled hands clasped desperately at a black scrap of fabric.<br />
Jacob looked away quickly, eyes widening after realizing it was the dress shirt Quil had been wearing the night before.<br />
Leah's sobs, loud and filled with pain, overflowed into the air as her face contorted in despair and disbelief. Ms. Atera sat opposite her, clinging onto her husband who was trying desperately to not fall apart in front of his family. Sensing his presence in the small waiting area, the pair turned eyes up at Jacob, as did most of the people in the room.<br />
"Jake!" Claire flew to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his abdomen, causing him to wince slightly, then wrap an arm around her.<br />
"What are we gonna do…<i>Quil</i>!" Her sobs shook her feminine frame to the core, her tears dampening his t-shirt. She was slowly losing her grip on reality, feeling her mind begin to float away, and talking to him about the only thing securing her to the ground.<br />
"What?" he said, instinctively wrapping his other arm around her, still glancing around, not sure where to rest his gaze.<br />
Jacob was afraid.<br />
He took a step back, attempting to gain his bearings, taking Claire with him against the wall.<br />
"I don't… I don't understand. I just… he was just here. What…what happened?"<br />
"It just happened about an hour ago. They worked on him all night. It was pretty bad, Jake. Are you… are you okay?" Claire hiccupped, her brown eyes softening in her sorrow.<br />
This couldn't be happening. Everything was fuzzy and blurred around its edges, like a dream. He furrowed his brow, refusing to believe this was occurring.<br />
He was just with him.<br />
He just saw him.<br />
His friend was getting married next month. Embry and he were supposed to be his best men.<br />
What about their vacation planned for next summer?<br />
What about…<br />
What about…<br />
…and Seth…and Sam.<br />
They were all here.<br />
"Oh no," Jake moaned, breaking away from her and finding Embry sitting alone against a solitary wall with his head hidden in his forearms across his knees. His friend looked up at him with the most painful, excruciating expression.<br />
He had never seen him cry before.<br />
"No, no, no, no, no," he chanted, shaking his head and feeling his legs weaken.<br />
He felt hands on his shoulders, strong and comforting.<br />
"Where's Quil!?" Jacob shouted to his father. "Where is he?!"<br />
A single tear escaped Billy's saddened eyes as he wordlessly attempted to pull Jacob into an embrace.<br />
Jacob mumbled as he lost his footing and almost stumbled into the wall, attempting to escape what he already knew.<br />
No longer able to hold himself standing, he rested his back against the wall and slid into a sitting position, the sobs wracking his body.<br />
The tears didn't stop. Not that day.<br />
Or the day after.<br />
Jacob willed them to cease. Or, he'd take the tears, if the pain would go.<br />
He felt himself falling, falling into the darkness.<br />
<i>He was afraid</i>, the blackness clawing at his heart, the unrest threatening his sanity.<br />
The bleak abyss he wasn't sure he'd ever find a way out of. He was drowning.<br />
He couldn't breathe.<br />
-<br />
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1" /><b>A/N - This was extremely difficult for me to write, as I've become rather attached to each of the characters, and damnit if Jake isnt going through enough right now to deal with this shit. Read on though, again, there is something so much larger than this coming in the future.</b><br />
<b>And, in case you were wondering, the title of this chapter came from the Alicia Keys song, <i>Like You'll Never See Me Again</i>:</b><br />
If I had no more time<br />
No more time<b> left to be here</b><br />
Would you cherish what we had?<br />
Was it everything that you were looking for?<br />
If I couldn't feel your touch<br />
And no longer were you with me<br />
I'd be wishing you were here<br />
To be everything that I'd be looking for<br />
I don't wanna forget the present is a gift<br />
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me<br />
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed<br />
So every time you hold me<br />
Hold me like this is the last time<br />
Every time you kiss me<br />
Kiss me like you'll never see me again<br />
Every time you touch me<br />
Touch me like this is the last time<br />
Promise that you'll love me<br />
Love me like you'll never see me again...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-89703794329376296232010-03-25T02:27:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:18:32.214-07:00Chapter 5 - Stealing Forever - Our Own Escape<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She'd always wondered why black was the socially-accepted color to wear to these things. When her grandfather died two years ago, she, her mother and sisters had all gone to Neimans and searched for Sunday-best shirts, slacks, dresses, skirts.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in black.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glancing tiredly at the dress hanging against the door, she sighed heavily and played with a stray string on her bath towel, void of all emotion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She found herself sitting on the edge of the double bed in her childhood room, staring at the same paint swirl pattern on the wall opposite her for the past twenty minutes, towel still draped around her naked body, black hair still damp and stick-straight, now becoming matted against her scalp. She knew better than to let the tangled mess begin to dry before running a brush through to the ends.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She just didn't care.</span></div><a name='more'></a><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Claire, honey," her mother said softly in the doorway, "we need to leave in an hour or so... Claire?" It took a few seconds for her daughter to glance in her direction, though she never really focused on the actual words she uttered. She turned lifeless eyes up at her mother, nodding slightly, and tightening the falling towel around the tops of her breasts.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daphne was at a loss with how to talk to her daughter. Her level of pain was beyond her comprehension, so she did the best she could, and gave her all the love she had within her. Her heart ached for her eldest child, but somehow found solace in the fact that she needed her at this agonizing point in her young life.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her once lively personality and animated eyes had diminished to a blank expression that bordered on catatonic. Claire hadn't left her room in the past two days, and before that, her mother and sister had to physically carry her to the bathroom to shower and force her to eat even the smallest portions of food.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She hadn't really slept in the days that followed the accident. The nightmares had begun soon after and Claire was terrified to close her eyes. The thin line between reality and dreams blurred dangerously close, and she wasn't ready to differentiate the two for fear of what she would find.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her Quil. Her love. He was gone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What happened to their forever?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She cursed God and all the angels of Heaven and demons of Hell for allowing this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a half-hour, Kathrine poked her head in to check on her sister to find her sitting in the same place, staring at the same swirl, string still wrapped around her graceful fingers, and called to her mother. The two helped Claire into her dress and designer shoes, applied makeup to her beautiful face, and pulled her thick hair into a smooth chignon.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though, the moment her mother zipped her chic, but appropriately sheath, she suddenly knew why <i>black</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Black was the only color that suited her mood.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Black hid the stains of tears.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire's family drove to Quil's parents' home, where they all were gathered awaiting the arrival of the limousine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She couldn't bear looking at any of them for very long, her own grief reflected so vivid and raw back at her in the eyes of each of them was too much to endure.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though his parents were remaining strong considering, Leah was beside herself and took to a private corner of the sitting room to cry silently into a tissue. Mrs. Atera's eyes were red and swollen from crying half the morning as they finalized the arrangements and itinerary for the day. Claire politely placed kisses on both her and his father's cheeks, nodding dully as they tried to comfort her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She hadn't cried yet that day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crying would make this all too real.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two shiny black limousines slowed to a stop in front of the home and she followed her queue to climb into the back along with his immediate family. Leah slid in next to her and laced her fingers in hers, catching her gaze and touching her cheek.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So funny the things that bring people together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire's heart ache had long since been replaced by numbness. She couldn't allow herself, for even a moment, to feel the pain. If she did, even for a second, she knew she'd never be able to swim to the surface of her depression.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anxiety, the first emotion that seeped into her consciousness in days, spread throughout her as they arrived at the church, just as six large men were carrying a simple mahogany casket through the front doors.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These were supposed to be his groomsmen.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All the people he loved, she loved, all in one place, that, if things had gone so much differently, she'd be wearing a white dress instead of a black one. She'd be in a limousine with 4 other women, all dressed in the fabulous gowns she had painstakingly selected, entering a church.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But all that was snatched from her in a split second.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her forever was stolen.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She stared at each of their faces, Embry and Jacob's mirroring her own hopelessly vacant expression, and she felt the tears threatening to pool in her eyes, but she swatted the pain away quickly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She couldn't do this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything in her body was telling her to run, to get the hell out of there and never look back. Memories of Quil etched into her mind would have to be her comfort, not this.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite this, she entered and walked the aisle, lagging slightly behind his parents, and taking her seat between Embry and Jacob, sliding her palms into each of theirs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her need to be with each of them at that moment flared surprisingly within her. She needed to touch them, his two closest friends still holding pieces of him, some she didn't even know of. One, the last one to see Quil that night, the other, knowing Quil longer than any other. Only they could even remotely come close to understanding the emotions churning inside her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry handed her the program with Quil's broad smile staring back at her. Across the cover was one of her favorite pictures of him, taken just the summer before while they vacationed in Martha's Vineyard. An almost indistinguishable smile played at the corners of her mouth as she remembered their time at the beach, and their time, more memorably, inside the lush guest house of her parents' summer home.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She would never touch him again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The pastor's words were just white noise to her ears, as she blocked out the well-wishes and kindnesses spilling from his lips. He didn't know her Quil, not personally, so she considered his words ceremonial at best and inconsequential. Instead, she passed a side glance at Jacob and the pain on his face was so unrestrained with emotion, she had to turn away. She squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob squeezed Claire's hand in return, welcoming the comforting feel of it, however small the gesture.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They decided that Quil would have wanted a closed casket. Jacob knew his best friend, and he let his family know in no uncertain terms, that Quil would have wanted everyone to remember him as he was. His funny, slow-to-speak, sarcastic self. So, throughout the service, those glancing at the front of the chapel were met with the handsome casket with a floral arrangement lying atop it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a day or so, Jacob's memory came flooding back to him, and it crippled him beyond his understanding. His stepmom had all but moved into his home, taking care of various arrangements, cleaning and cooking, without him ever having to ask for help.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After realizing that work would be impossible, he'd had a long conversation with the director of his division, telling him he would have to take a leave of absence, then made the appropriate arrangement with several members on his team that would handle the projects he'd been working on. He hated leaving everything so much in the air, but at that point, he really couldn't think that far in the future. He was living day-to-day, trying to keep hold of what little will he still had.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob and Embry had leaned on each other during this time, as neither knew when the days would prove effortless to manage or the sadness would not be so unbearable that emerging from bed would be nearly impossible.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry had tried to head over to the gallery a couple of days prior, sending away Kate gruffly. He didn't need her pitying eyes staring at him, not now or ever. Just after they left the hospital the day of the accident, he went to his home, running fingers over various boxes that he still hadn't gotten to yet. He couldn't be around anyone at that moment. He felt the pain filling to the brink, threatening to burst the carefully-placed seams he had made to get him through the next day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blasting music as loud as he could stand in the large space, he found several large blank canvases leaning against a far wall. He unrolled his brushes and located the myriad pastels and oils and began.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It hurt.</i> Dip, slather. Dip, stroke.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It hurt so bad.</i> Dip, smear, splatter.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Why did this have to happen now? At at time in Embry's life when things were beginning to line up just right? The way he had always imagined his life going.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the midst of his work, sweat and tears blinded him. He continued, stripping off most of his clothing, standing only in a pair of nylon shorts. At the end of a long day and night, his lean body, covered in paint and drying saline, sunk to the floor, too tired to go further.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next morning, he pulled himself up from where he had landed on his couch, realizing again as more fresh wounds formed across his heart, that his friend still gone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced at his work from the day before. It was beautiful.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">…and the tears began once more.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today was a hard day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry guessed that was a given.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hard to get out of bed. Hard to get dressed. Hard to grip the handles of the heavy wooden box Quil now lie in.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was all painfully h<i>ard</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, what is life, if not a struggle, right? And this too shall pass.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He repeated that simple phrase to himself often, though it did little to comfort him, but it did help to keep his mind off the pain in his heart.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob never thought he could love another man, not like this, but he loved his friend deeply. He realized that now. That reality made him become fiercely protective of Embry. He couldn't lose him, too. Not <i>ever</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When asked, he had originally declined speaking at the funeral, mostly because he was positive he couldn't make it through the entire thing still standing. How do you say goodbye to someone you'd known for the majority of your life? Someone who'd been a constant factor in your existence? The one person, family included, that you could always depend on, even in the most fucked up of situations?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, after some kind words from his mother, Jacob decided that he owed it to his friend to speak, but only if Embry agreed to stand beside him for support. They were a trio, and it only felt right.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob ran his fingers through his hair anxiously as he realized that it was nearing their time to speak. He craned his head slightly to look at Embry and, squeezing Claire's hand once more, he stood to take his spot at the raised podium.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Quil Atera was our closest friend. We've known him since we were all just about six or seven years old," Jacob began, glancing to Embry for confirmation. "He was always the voice of reason, even back then…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob and Embry agreed that their eulogy would be most authentic if they spoke from their hearts with a few notes for support, in place of complete prepared speech.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With a smile, Embry launched into a full flash back of the three of them at a fall junior high dance and Embry was terrified to dance with a girl he had secretly been in love with for several years of his young life.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>All you have to do is go over and ask her to dance," Jacob shrugged and sipped his red punch, his pubescent voice cracking in various octaves from its hormonal changes.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Okay," Embry had said, glancing at either of them for assurance. "I can do this, right? She's just a girl, and I'm a great guy. I have a lot going for myself," he continued, trying to boost his own confidence.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Yeah, you do," Quil said rolling his eyes with a smile. "Just don't do anything weird or stupid. We think it's cool, but girls really hate that…"</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not long after some laughter, and a lot of tears, the attendees made it out the graveside area. It was warm, even in the early morning, but a gentle breeze drifted to where they were all congregating. Covered in a kelly green tent cover, it was set atop a steep hill blanketed in the most beautiful wild flowers that had somehow still grown in around the graves. Several chairs for close family and friends were simply arranged. There was a brief rites reading, allowing the attendees to place items on the casket.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire's disbelief shattered once she straightened out the program she'd been gripping since the service, gazing at his twinkling eyes and playful smile, though, what resonated most heavily with her, were the dates.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a week ago.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He really was gone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She dropped her head, and shrugged against Jacob's strong, warm embrace that must have sensed her breaking, cracking under the perfect, numb veneer that had successfully gotten her to this point without slipping into a grief-endued coma.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her sobs and wails and cries shook Embry to his core, and his own disbelief mingled with hers.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Why!" he cried, dropping his head into his hands. "Why!" His sobs shook his body violently, as Leah ran to sit beside him, allowing him to drop his head into her lap as she silently rocked him, dabbing her tears, and letting a breath through pursed lips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"This is so hard…." Jacob whispered, biting his lip. "Quil…so fucking hard…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He cursed the piece of shit that did this to his friend. He cursed himself for not driving.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry wasn't sure how long the four of them sat crying and mourning the loss of their friend, but once his sobs had subsided, only Quil's parents were left; the rest had made begun making their way to his family's home for refreshments.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sun remained high in the sky and he shrugged out of the suit jacket that had become suffocating in the heat, lifting his head from Leah's comforting embrace. He looked at her and gratefully wrapped his arms around her, attempting to comfort her the way she had helped her just moments before.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You know he loved you," Leah sighed, "all of you, very much." Her eyes drifted to his casket resting on its metal bars, waiting to be lowered into the ground. "Let's try to get over to our house, okay? I know there are some folks that want to talk to all of us." She tilted her head back, attempting to get her second wind and find her strength. "Why don't you guys ride back with us in the limo? It's waiting for us."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The thought of leaving him here caused a fresh wave of tears and sobs to spill from Claire. "I can't… I can't leave him…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I know Claire, <i>we</i> know," Embry whispered, glancing again at his casket, "hey…hey… we need to be strong for his mother, huh?" He lifted her from Jacob's embrace and wrapped her in his own.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake and I'll be there. We can do it together, okay?" Embry continued softly, glancing into Jacob's pained eyes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob nodded and glanced into the distance for a brief moment, and sighed. "Yeah…yeah."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They arrived at the house buzzing with condolence-wishers, then filled plates with food and glasses with soda that would go untouched.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry smiled. Jacob smiled. Claire smiled.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They were all numb.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All fake grins and mindless conversation.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">None of them wanted to be there a second longer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They wanted Quil back. He'd laugh at the nonsensical nature of it all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob felt himself being sucked under again. He was drowning. He had to get out. After placing a quick peck on Claire's cheek, saying his goodbyes to Quil's family, and hugging Embry as he stood alone in a corner nursing a glass of cognac, he escaped out the front door of the house. He wanted to be alone. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. No amount of bullshitting country club members or waxing nostalgic about Quil would bring him back, so he refused to take part in it any longer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His head was fucking hurting again, and all this talking was just irritating him further. He had to get the hell out of this suit, he thought, looping his index finger in the knot of his tie and yanking it down in one quick motion as he found his SUV. Before he'd even gotten in the car, his navy blue jacket was off and draped over his arm, and his dress shirt was untucked and unbuttoned revealing his light gray undershirt. He drove the twenty minutes back to his empty house, relishing the cool air that met him at the door. He welcomed the quiet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking a few quick steps to the kitchen, he found some aspirin and downed a couple with a bottle of beer. <i>Hey, why the fuck not. </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These headaches were becoming a constant reminder that the accident had even happened. If the thumping in his head weren't so distracting, he'd welcome the pain. It made him remember he was alive. He hoped his bruises and scrapes never fully healed, never disappeared and forced him never to forget, to always remember that he was here, and Quil was not.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pulling another bottle of beer from the fridge before he had barely tipped the other, he expertly popped the metal cap off the top of the second on the edge of the expensive counter top, sending it flying across the kitchen.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rose hated it when he did that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reaching behind his neck, he pulled his tank over his head and threw it absently on a chair in the living room, sinking into the couch with his broad arms draped across its back and his feet on the coffee table. He may as well go for broke while his stepmother and Rosalie weren't around to complain about his behavior.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob lay there, head slowly sliding, until it was completely resting just above his shoulders on the back of the couch, until the sun was no longer was high and blazing and its light was replaced with the ones filtering in from the city. His eyes began to droop, and he drifted slowly into that fuzzy realm between awake and asleep, where all was well in the world and he was still conscious enough to realize it, when there was a knock at the door.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking one more quick swig of his now lukewarm beer, Jacob strode to the front door and opened it to find Embry's glassy eyes peering back at him. He didn't say anything, just widened the door for his friend and walked back the kitchen, reaching for a beer and handing it to him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey," Embry murmured simply. He let his eyes run over Jacob 's face and half-naked torso; he looked like shit. Beyond the already-healing bruises sporadically covering his ribs and chest, his face looked haggard and exhausted. He couldn't have been sleeping very well. Shit, neither was he.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry knew he couldn't have stayed at Quil's parents' house for much longer after Jacob left, but he remained for the subsequent hours mostly for Claire's sake. She looked so lost, so alone in that sea of people; he just couldn't leave her there. She seemed grateful for his hand in hers, and his shoulder under her head, however quiet her thanks were.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He knew Jacob would head home. He knew he was really the only one who could understand how his heart was breaking then. The two sat in silence for a long while, both wordlessly acknowledging the pain in the room that was consuming them both. Around midnight, they were awoken by a soft, demure knock.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Claire," Jacob breathed, running a hand over his hair, reaching for her, and pulling her into the house.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her fresh tears were hot against his chest, and his own began to form. She didn't know how much longer she could cry; she just wanted the waves of pain to go away, and the numbness to return more permanently. She could never stay strong around Jacob and Embry though; when she saw their tired, knowing stares, it reached her so deeply and tugged away the mask.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She turned to Embry, who had made it into the hall and buried her face in his chest, dampening his expensive dress shirt.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I...I..." She didn't know; the words wouldn't come. Her pain was blinding and incoherent, she just knew she had to be there. She had to be with these two, she had to have a piece of Quil that no one but the three of them even understood.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry smoothed her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head, shushing and attempting to console her. Jacob walked past the two of them, once again into the kitchen to retrieve some water for the young woman.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She found herself curled onto the couch an hour later, leaning against Embry's chest with her head under his chin as she held on to his tie, wrapping it and un-wrapping it around her hand. Her legs rested on the length of the couch, while Jacob mindlessly rubbed the soft pads of her feet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A million thoughts were racing through Jacob's mind. The insanity of it all, the pain, but mostly, the over whelming need to run, to get the fuck out of there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I... I gotta go," Jacob said softly to no one in particular.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What? Where?" Embry questioned through furrowed brows.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I don't know, I.. I just can stay here. I can't fucking do it…"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, dont..." Claire began, rising to a sitting position.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No..." Jacob said looking around vaguely. "I gotta go..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He pulled up his massive body, setting Claire's feet down, already walking towards the stairs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, don't do this," Embry called behind him, then looked to Claire confusedly. The two followed him into his large master bedroom, watching him frantically search for various items about the room. He pulled a large black suitcase from the closet and began throwing things into it in a daze.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake!" Claire called to him, "what the hell are you talking about? Where are you gonna go?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I don't know," Jacob said, putting several t-shirts in the bag. "I just can't stay here. I can't stay in this house. I can't look at his family. I can't fucking see Rose. I can't do it anymore!" He stopped for the first time since he began packing his things and stared at his two friends, who were becoming increasingly more afraid.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake, no," Embry pleaded. "You can't leave... We..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We... We need you. Don't make us do this alone," Claire pleaded tenderly, placing a stilling hand on his forearm, his shoes in his hand, hovering above the bag. He looked at her, putting a finger under her chin for a moment and kissing her temple in response.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire and Embry stared at him dubiously for the next few moments until the suitcase was filled and he dragged the zipper across the bag's mouth. He searched around once more, finding a t-shirt and sweatpants to change into, emerging from his walk-in closet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob crossed in front of Claire, who stood with arms crossed, grabbing the handle of his suitcase, his arm straining against the size and weight of it as he snatched it off the bed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, I'm fucking coming," Embry said absolutely, sure his friend would fight him on it. He was met with silence. Jacob paused for a moment, glancing at both of them, then slid into his running sneakers.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Embry!" Claire's eyes widening at the insanity of what they were saying.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stopped for half a beat, searching for his car keys and wallet resting on the table, turning to follow behind Jacob out the front door. He was already at the truck swinging the suitcase into the trunk.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The internal struggle fought within her. She couldn't let them go; she couldn't let them leave her to deal with this alone. But how could they do something so crazy, so impulsive? When would they be back? Where were they going?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had to say something, do something, because if she didn't come to a decision, it would be made for her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Wait!" She didn't know what lay ahead. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As she looked into both sets of dark eyes, she did know, though, that she loved these two men, and as long as they were together, her little piece of the world would be a bit more bearable without Quil in it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She called to the two of them as they began to enter the vehicle, running into the house, grabbing her purse and locking the front door behind her.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'm coming, too."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span></div><hr noshade="noshade" size="1" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A/N - </b>Banner - http :// farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/4134605723_aa843a56d3_o.png ...<b>Follow me on Twitter - ArtBeatsandLife</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lots in store for these three; the road will lead them in some important directions, I anticipate though, it will also lead them right back to each other.</b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-60114387332117472642010-03-25T02:26:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:18:59.979-07:00Chapter 6 - Stealing Forever - Leave it All Behind<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob drove the next hour or so in silence. His only comfort, the swish of cars beside him, the grind of tire against road.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He opted not to turn the radio on, it seemed almost blasphemous at this point to enjoy even the smallest pleasures. It pained him even to think that he would find any happiness, however minute, while he had been the catalyst for so much pain around him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wasn't even sure he could process the music anyway. </span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, he was quiet. They all were.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They couldn't find the words, so they fed off the silence. Exhaustion hung in the enclosed space like a thick, choking fog.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He drove, biting the side of his lip until it was almost raw, deep in thought. He thought about Quil mostly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">About how he should have driven.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The guilt. Quil wouldn't have even been in that car if he wasn't trying to help him out of his bitchfit depression.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was gone. Because of his own selfishness. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, Claire begged him to stop in Baltimore so she could use the restroom. Embry complained that he hadn't eaten since that morning.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob didn't realize his own stomach had been rumbling for the past hour until Embry's admission and glanced at the clock.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was just past midnight.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He hadn't stopped for gas before they left, obviously, and the tank was nearly empty by the time they reached Towson, Maryland anyway. He pulled off on the next exit on 83-South, and into a pretty harmless-looking gas station with a diner attached. Claire disappeared into the woman's washroom to the rear of the diner, while Jacob hopped out to fill up the truck. Embry didn't move at first, but thought better of letting Claire go into the 24-hour restaurant alone, so he unbuckled the constrictive seatbelt and followed her in. He found an empty booth and sat on the bright red leather, tapping his fingers anxiously and bouncing his leg.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There weren't many people there, an older couple that he thought seemed pretty out of place there this late at night. Next to them, a couple that seemed to be trying hard to keep their hands off each other, but not being very successful. There were a few tables of twenty-somethings he assumed went to the local college who were eating and laughing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laughter. It seemed a foreign concept at this point in his life. Inhaling and releasing a tired breath, he looked up and caught eyes with Claire and she maneuvered between the tables to slide into the booth beside him. She looked worn and frazzled, and Embry was sure she'd want to get out of that dress soon.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She glanced up at him, scooting closer to him, just needing to feel the closeness of someone, and he was the best person for the job at the moment. She felt the tears begin to form again, but swallowed them back as their middle-aged waitress stopped and took their drink orders.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Diet Coke for Claire.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Iced Tea for Embry.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire remembered that Jake loved Mountain Dew, so she went with that for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Alrighty," she said cordially, "I'll have those right out for you. The specials are a fresh vegetable soup with grilled ham and cheese for $3.99 and the bacon cheeseburger with fries..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was fuzzy. Watery.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That was enough for Claire; her hearing completely stopped, if that's even possible.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was exhausted, and didn't feel like listening to this woman for a second longer, so she ducked her head and scooted closer still to Embry, and he draped his arm protectively around her body after feeling her shiver. It was cold in the diner, so he shrugged out of his suit jacket and placed it on her shoulders. It swallowed her, but was warm and smelled like Embry, so she accepted it without protest.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Give us a minute, will you?" Embry said softly to the waitress, understanding Claire's distress. She snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes, and letting a few slow tears fall. He held her closer, tighter, wanting to comfort her, but knowing he could only do so much. He glanced up at the chiming bells attached to the glass door at that moment, as Jake's large body made its way to their table.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As so many times in his life, he drew attention to himself, just from his sheer size, not to mention there weren't too many Natives just hanging around in clusters in the Northeast. One table of girls stopped their conversation in mid-sentence as he approached them, gawking at him wantonly. Several more eyes were on him as he lithely slid into the booth opposite Embry and Claire, though he ignored them all in favor of ducking his head into the provided menu. He looked at them briefly, then, when it was too painful to stare at Claire, who was on the verge of tears, and Embry, who looked blank, broken, he looked around the restaurant, then at the menu. Anything to rest his eyes on except the two sitting in front of him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The waitress was back in five minutes and they all ordered food. Jake gathered the menus, handing them to her...the bright restaurant lights shining brightly off the thick laminated surface...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...The flash of dual lights, the loss of balance flipping...flipping...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the familiar gripping, clawing at his stomach. Suddenly his ribs ached exponentially more, and he reached and held his tender side trying not to breathe too deeply.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fuck he wished the doctor would have given him something stronger than fucking ibuprofen, even if they were the huge fucking horse kind. He guessed once he left that fucking hospital, that was the end of the drugs that ended in -ect, and -din.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He couldn't deal with this shit right now.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those fucking flashbacks were coming more frequently now that he'd regained his memory. He felt his breathing pickup; he felt the anxiety, the panic, but fought it. Fought the urge to run, and scrubbed his hand over his face.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It hurt.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It hurt to still be here without Quil. It hurt even more to know that he'd played a part in his death.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It hurt to think about Rose and what she was doing at the moment. Was she even thinking about him? She had come to the funeral, and sat in the back with her sister. He'd caught eyes with her for just a brief moment, her blue eyes filled with sadness and something else he couldn't place. Longing? She slipped out at the end of the service, and at that moment, Jacob was torn. A part of him would want nothing more than to have her comfort him. To regain some balance and still his mind. The other part, was still so furious at her, he could barely look at her. He longed for A month ago when his life was perfect, or so it seemed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It hurt to remember. The blood. The smell so strong, so acrid, so potent in his memory, he'd swear Quil was still beside him in that crushed truck.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire searched his face and wanted to sit next to him, to comfort him, even in her own despair. She ran her eyes over his handsome face, bruises and cuts marring the once perfect brown skin. He was there with her Quil. He was in the accident; Claire couldn't even begin to imagine how he must have been feeling at that moment. He hadn't talked much since the hospital, and even less after the service and she knew that couldn't be healthy for him. She wanted to run her fingers along his jaw and wrap her arms around him and pull him close to her, to coo and tell him everything would be okay in time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though, she wasn't even sure she believed that herself.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His level of loss was so much different than hers or Embry's. He was there. He had seen it all.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And in the midst of her tears, her pain, that very sobering fact hung thickly in her mind.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Jake..." she didn't know what to say, he was so deep into his mind, there, kneading his temples, eyes closed. He slowly looked at her, and the pain...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was staggering.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She looked at him, and couldn't force back the stream of tears that flowed. She cried for him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What would she do now? Quil was her life, her whole world, her soulmate.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More tears came, now enough to dampen the front of Embry's shirt. He felt the wetness, and let her cry, stroking her upper arm with his palm. he couldn't imaged how she was feeling at the moment. He'd bounced around in several relationships, never anything too serious, he was ashamed to say. Embry was always too caught up in his own shit to ever give any real time or effort to a girl. He couldn't fathom loosing someone that he'd loved enough to ask to spend the rest of their lives with him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob barely registered the bubbly waitress or her genial banter. He could barely taste the food he chewed in his mouth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He knew he had to eat, and he was starving, but, the energy, the will just...wasn't there. After some time, he figured they should leave, because Claire was all but completely asleep on Embry's shoulder.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wanted to cry so bad. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't seem to climb out of the hole he'd been dragged into.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He just. He just couldn't find the energy. The pain was so raw, so all consuming, every nerve in his body was frayed and exposed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Come on Jake..." Embry was talking to him about something. Leaving? He had Claire protectively tucked on his side, and looked at Jake sadly, "I can drive, okay?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacob nodded and slid from the booth, walking a few steps ahead of Claire and Embry, reaching the truck before the two of them, and climbing into the front seat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He just wanted to sleep. Sleep...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Without any real direction, Embry hopped behind the wheel after laying Claire in the back.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now. Where the fuck was he going? What the hell was Jake thinking when he decided to leave? Jake would never run away. Embry was much more apt to do something that impulsive.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, so he figured Jake definitely didn't want to go back to Philly; that's where they'd just come from, and to head back north would have been stupid after driving away for almost two hours. East would get them to DC, or even Eastern Shore, and neither one of those options seemed particularly viable at the moment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only place he knew close enough that he could get there without falling asleep at the wheel, was Crystal City. It'd take him just under two hours. The area was nice and they could camp out there until they figured this whole shit out in the morning, once they'd all rested and gotten a hold on this whole fucked up situation. He searched on his iPhone for a decent hotel within the Crystal city zip code and programmed Jake's GPS for the hour and a half drive. Today had been the longest day since, well...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a long time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry just wanted this shit to be over. He just wanted to press reset, like on Nintendo and start brand new. Like nothing ever happened. Like Quil was still here. Like Jake wasn't scaring the shit out of him with the hopelessness in his eyes, and like he didn't have to have a reason to console Quil's fiancé.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Like everything was okay.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced at his closest friend, arms folded across his chest to the left of him, turned toward the passenger window, just staring. Looking at what, Embry couldn't know, but he knew his friend was still hurting. He wasn't a fucking shrink, and the three of them never really talked about shit like, well, feelings, but he wanted to be there for him, to help him, but he could barely help himself.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry knew at that moment, though Jake had always been the leader- the one who got them into a bunch of bullshit over the years, but had also been the catalyst for some of the best times in his life- he was the only one in this car that had their wits even remotely about him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under normal circumstances, Embry would have run kicking and screaming at the thought of this level of responsibility. Taking care of someone other than himself? Well, it just wasn't his thing. But these two were just about the last people on the planet that he had left, so, well...fuck running alone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had to fucking steer this ship. For now at least.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He glanced back at Claire to make sure she was comfortable. She was curled up on the left corner of the leather seat, with his jacket draped over her body like a makeshift blanket, eyes shut, slight frown, almost too faint to notice. Embry was comfortable knowing she was at least able to sleep a little at this point.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was times like this he really wished he had family. Well, he had family, but not the kind that gave a shit when your best friend died or that you'd gone on a random road trip and have yet to let them know you've even left the state.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No. He didn't have that.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He'd always been kinda jealous of Jake and even more of Quil. They were perfect. Their families loved them, they were golden in their eyes. Over the years, he'd found himself spending more and more time away from his house, because god knows he couldn't stay there for more than an hour at a time. It was just easier to let Ms. Atera fawn over him, or tell him how amazing an artist he was or how glad she was that he was dating Leah.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, that positive reinforcement shit really did work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Putting a check in the mail every month or cash in his account used to be great. Fucking awesome. Just give him the money and stay off his back, but after a while, he'd trade in everything he had just to have parents who even gave a fuck. Even in the smallest amount.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He really wanted to turn on the radio. Anything to drown out the thoughts that almost always came when he was alone. He glanced at the two of them again, careful not to take his eyes off the road, and he guessed he would have to make do with the sounds of the cars around him and the light breathing of Jake beside him. That would have to be enough for now, at least until they got to the hotel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He heard Claire shift in the back, and the soft zip of her stockinged legs rubbing together as she tucked them under her in an attempt to get more comfortable. Embry knew there was no way anyone could be even remotely comfortable in a dress and stockings on a road trip. He was beginning to lose his mind and at least he had the luxury of pants and flat shoes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had to get her something to change into.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She hadn't brought anything at all with her except that massive purse. And, while he was sure she could fit a change of clothes in there, he was pretty sure she didn't have any, or, if for nothing else, she would have changed already.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, he would have to stop for her. Shit, he'd have to stop for himself. They'd have to go to a mall or something in the morning. But, wait, what would she sleep in tonight? That dress? Fuck no. Um. His shirt? Well, maybe.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His internal rambling went on for the majority of the ride, until the city of Washington, D.C. gave way to the rolling green shadows of Arlington, Virginia, and Embry started recognizing more and more of his surroundings. There was an exit to a pretty nice Marriott, so he decided they could get a couple rooms there, maybe even a suite, cause there was no fucking way these two were sleeping without him right there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just before they pulled into the hotel parking lot, he saw that there was a Wal-mart about five blocks down Jefferson Davis, so he thought that would work pretty well. He would have preferred at least a Target, but at those early morning hours, beggars couldn't be choosers. It would work well enough - he could get clothes for the both of them, some to at least last them until the morning.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He tried to close and lock the drivers-side door as quietly as possible without waking them, and walked quickly through the automatic doors of the 24-hour store.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First, the shit he knew about - toothbrushes, combs, brushes. Check.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He figured she might want to wash her hair, so, after looking pretty helpless at several options, he just picked the most expensive one. Fuck it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ok...um. maybe a sweatsuit or something for Claire? She looked about like a small? medium? That black one looks pretty good. He guessed she'd need a shirt or something to go under it, so picked a couple of those.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Er...sleep wear. He needed to find something that looked pretty generic.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a fucking family store, there sure was a bunch of lacy and sheer shit at Wal-mart.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Um, ok, tank and shorts look about right. Er...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Underwear?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Geez. He really didn't like doing this shit at all. No matter how hot he thought Claire was, he wouldn't admit it, and he definitely didn't want to think about picking out her underwear, Quil would have punched him for even suggesting this shit. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fuck it....okay. She looked about like, um. Medium on top and bottom? Fuck if he knew. Why not try it all? After throwing a few more items for both of them into the cart, including four sizes of the same 3 sets of bras and panties, the harsh florescent lighting began to annoy him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He finally remembered why he never came in these places.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He grabbed a couple of gym bags to put all the shit in- he definitely didn't want the lady at check-in to look at him sideways when they walked to their room with only plastic bags. Yeah.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Probably wouldn't fare well for them. Three minorities in a fancy hotel in Crystal City that checked in with Wal-Mart bags at two in the morning.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The gym bags would have to do until he could get to a luggage store or something.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He ran into the hotel and plunked down his AMEX for a decent-sized suite with two double beds and a King in the master. The stiff skinny guy behind the counter who smelled of cigarettes and had too much product in his hair eyed him as he was typing up his information, like he didn't believe it was his card.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry swallowed the desire to punch this fucker, and snatched the receipt from his fingertips.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thank you for rooming with Crystal City Marriott; you have a wonderful stay. Be sure to let us know how we can be of assistance, Mr...." he glanced down at the paper, "...Call."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, Igor, you have a map around here?" Skinny Dude looked startled and offended, but brushed it off with a frown. Embry cocked an eyebrow, silently challenging the guy and began searching the front desk area for any sign of roadmaps.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Well, sir, we have maps of tours of Arlington Cemetery and Washington here, there are shuttles..."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thanks Shaggy," Embry cut him off snatching a fist full of maps of the area and jogged back to the truck. It was too fucking late to deal with that motherfucker, and he was exhausted. Jumping back in the driver's seat, he turned to face Claire and Jacob.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Guys..." he whispered to the two asleep behind and the left of him. Neither of them stirred. "Guys," he said a little louder, pushing Jacob's shoulder, and starting to step from the large SUV. He walked to Claire's door and pulled the door open. Squinting against the surprisingly bright parking lot lights, she looked up at Embry, confused.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Come on," he whispered. "We got a room here, time to get up..." He talked to her softly, and it took a while to even figure out where they were. A hotel, she had gathered, but, where?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Where...where are we?" she mumbled as he set her shoes in front of her on the concrete. She stepped into them obediently and pulled his coat around her, even though it was fairly warm out. It made her feel safe.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We're in northern Virginia. Crystal City to be exact. I got a room for us, okay?" he responded, trying to help her understand, to relax.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh...okay," she whispered, feeling Jacob next to her, who had obviously heard the conversation. He looked down at her with tender eyes, and clasped her hand.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Come on."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry grabbed the stuff from Wal-Mart and stuffed it all into both the bags he'd purchased, handed Jake his gym bag, then lead them to an elevator to the sixth floor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claire glanced around, wanting nothing more than to take a shower and a couple of sleeping pills and sleep until the next century. She felt lost. What the hell was supposed to happen now? Here they all were, three or more hours away from Philadelphia on a whim and she really didn't know why. Embry interrupted her thoughts.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey...hey," he motioned to her, setting the bag on the king bed. "I figured you might need some stuff, so, I uh... I stopped off while you two were sleeping a while ago."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He unzipped the bag and Claire was delighted to know she could take these clothes off and wash this impossibly difficult day away. She smiled at him, more grateful to him for this gesture than she could ever express. His eyes twinkled, and she couldn't help but smile the first smile she could conjure all day. Hell, all week. It was small, it was pained, but, it was there.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Thank you so much Em." She slipped out of her pumps and slipped her arms around his waist. He felt so good, so safe, so warm.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"No problem, C. I couldn't have you walking around in that dress for, well, however long we plan to be gone, now, could I?" He kissed the top of her head, pausing to smell the light peach scent of her shampoo. He was sure that the shampoo he'd selected smelled great - he smelled a few of them himself - but it definitely wasn't peach. He'd have to remember that next time.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We gotta go to the mall or something in the morning, but, I figured this stuff would get you until then."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She smiled again, stepping back to look him in the eye. "Its perfect, Em. it really is."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah, E, thanks for taking care of this," Jacob said unpacking some of his things slowly. " I guess we can take these two beds, Claire can take the master?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yep, that's what I was thinking," Embry said leading her into the room. "Now, you get comfortable, okay? We'll be right on the other side of the living room."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He stroked her face and kissed her temple tenderly, not really wanting to leave her, but that's what was supposed to happen. He didn't want to overstep, despite feeling the need to comfort her, really, both of them. He knew he would check on her all night, but for now, he'd give her her privacy. Jacob followed suit, only kissing the back of her hands and hugging her tightly to his chest.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She nodded and closed the double doors with a soft click after they'd exited.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All she wanted to do was get into bed, so she reached behind her back attempting to rid herself of the form-fitting dress. She had trouble at first, but she stretched her arm behind her, reaching for the zipper, finally unzipping it and letting it fall to the ground.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If Quil was there, he'd have asked her if she needed help in the shower, she'd smile and say 'yes, of course.' He would join her soon after, where very little showering would have taken place.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But he wasn't there. She was alone as the hot water beat against her body. She stood there for an indeterminate amount of time, finally willing herself to wash. She couldn't go back into the darkness. She wouldn't have Embry or Jacob having to come and carry out her out of the shower like her mother and sister had had to do.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No. She couldn't place that level of responsibility on them.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She forced herself to wash her hair. She forced herself to lather her body and rinse. She forced herself into a towel, and into the perfect pajama short set Embry had picked. She forced the hotel-issued blow-dryer over her hair, then forced her hair into a knot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was all forced. But she did it, and that was enough for her at the moment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She forced her eyes closed as she sunk into the frighteningly large bed. Alone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She didn't sleep though. No. Hours ticked by and after a while, she couldn't hear the movement or talk of the boys on the other side of the suite any longer.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was quiet.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was quiet, and she was horrifyingly alone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before she even registered what she was doing, she was up and out of her bed, and peeking into Embry and Jacob's room, where they were both sound asleep.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This wasn't alone. This was an us. A we.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She slipped into Embry's bed, as silently as she could, and scooted closer to him, wanting so badly for him to take the pain away. To make her feel less alone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embry felt the bed move under her weight and barely opened an eye in the darkness, only reaching out to her with his arm. She fell into the perfect space between his chest and upper arm, and finally felt some sense of normalcy, whatever normalcy was at this point. He pulled her closer to him, and she rested her arm across his chest, and they were almost okay.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Almost.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, tomorrow, was another day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A/N - Thanks for reading and sticking with my own little emo fic. Also, thanks to my beta team, this time, VampWolfGamma, you rock.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you to everyone who voted, Stealing Forever won the Quileute "La Push" Challenge **happy dance.** For those who care, the winning banner is here: http : // farm3. static. flickr. com /2503/4228931443_e1e1399d0a_o .jpg</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And yes, there really is a Marriott in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, FYI.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-21701806393902693962010-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:002010-07-21T13:51:29.135-07:00DRABBLE: More Fun Than Brawny<b>Title:</b> More Fun Than Brawny<br />
<b>Prompt:</b> 18 – Cider/Fireplace/Homesick<br />
<b>Character/Pairing:</b> Jake/<span class="il">Ness</span><br />
<b>Rating:</b> PG-13<br />
<b>Summary:</b> Showing how convenient being imprint on by a shapeshifter-wolf can be since 2001.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
“Oh crap!” <span class="il">Ness</span> looked at the brown liquid now covering the front of her blouse, neck and chest.<br />
<br />
Running to the kitchen for something, anything to mop up the cider she’d spilled, she felt the familiar heat and presence of a large figure shadowing behind her.<br />
<br />
Jake caught her hand, poised to dab the wetness at the front of her shirt. He whispered, glancing around to make sure they were alone in the crowded house of holiday party attendees. <br />
<br />
“Let me get that for you…” Licking a trail from the swell of her breasts in her low-cut shirt, over her collarbone, pausing to bite her earlobe.<br />
<br />
Well, ahem, happy holidays.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-42388390688805764582010-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:002010-03-01T07:23:08.866-08:00Teaser - The Neighbor Chapter 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4395390799_453dcf7489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4395390799_453dcf7489.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Jake drug his eyes over my body hungrily. <i>This </i>was not the dress of someone <i>not </i>planning to get fucked.<br />
<br />
I had carefully planned this dress <i>to </i>get fucked and fuck him.<br />
<br />
He cocked an eyebrow and licked his lips, stopping his gaze at my royal blue cotton-covered nipples.<br />
<br />
"You..." he swallowed, "You're not wearing a bra."<br />
<br />
I gasped almost audibly. Five words. Five fucking words and I was on my back on his couch with that dress pushed downward to my waist and pushed upward exposing my thighs. His mouth was on me hot, and heavy and I knew that if he kept licking and sucking my nipples like that, I would cum and he hadn’t even touched the wetness between my thighs.<br />
<br />
I moaned, arching my back, pushing my body toward his mouth, urging him on with my fingers in his hair. He roughly pushed my panties to the side and pushed his middle and index fingers into me, his mouth never leaving my nipples.<br />
<br />
"Fuck..." I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut in the dim darkness of his living room. I instinctively began clawing at his shirt, trying to force it up and over his shoulders, just as I began working on the fly of his jeans; my phone's shrill ring broke the rhythm of our quiet pants and measured movements.<br />
<br />
"Damnit..." Jake sighed, sitting back as I maneuvered under him, then rose to reach for the phone nestled in a side pocket of my purse.<br />
<br />
"Heh...Hello?" I was still panting and breathless from Jake's hands and mouth on my body.<br />
<br />
"Hey babes...Jazz and I are leaving now. We should get there in about ten." Alice smiled through the phone.<br />
<br />
"Great." My voice was a strained murmur, as I tried to ignore Jacob now licking his fingers and lips. "We're about to leave now too."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269704306957338420.post-21264496060708471392010-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:002010-01-20T13:56:51.887-08:00WRITING FOR HAITI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i47.tinypic.com/9u3ozd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="461" src="http://i47.tinypic.com/9u3ozd.jpg" width="306" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<br />
In an effort to raise money for Haiti relief, <b>MsKathy</b> is compiling a book of author works (over 200 entries long, so far) for anyone who donates at least $5.00 to the cause.<br />
<br />
You guessed it; I'll be donating some work as well, a sexy little o/s I'm working on. GO, NOW! <a href="http://mskathyff.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti.html" mce_href="http://mskathyff.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti.html" title="MsKathy Blogspot for Haiti Relief">http://mskathyff.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti.html</a> for more details.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0