Through the Lens One-Shot Contest
Story Title: Do You Believe in Fate?
Summary: Bella is a single parent with a complicated story; Jasper is a photographer with a heart of gold. What happens when their worlds collide? Could it be fate?
Authors: JasperLuver48
Characters: Jasper/Bella
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted material of this story. I just use them to play out my own personal fantasies! Please Enjoy!
A/N: I gotta say thank you to the best beta in the whole fucking universe, coachlady1 :) She owns my heart and rocks my world! You should definitely check out her story, Guarding Bella Swan because it's fan-fucking-tastic :)
Thanks to both of my pre-readers... Tiffaninichole and Handsandfingers :) You ladies pwn me hardcore! I love you to death for all that you do to help me fix this shit!
There are lots of things going on in the fandom, including the Slash/Backslash Awards which you should go vote for, because Tiff has an entry called Operation: Breakup and it's amazing :) There are also a lot of other wonderful entries so go vote! Also, Tiff was nominated for best lemon in the Single Shot Awards for her collaboration with Kitty Cullen called Three's Company. Go vote for her and show her some love! Also in the Single Shots, my girl Savannah_Vee was nominated for her O/S That Night and should be voted for as well :) Get to it: http : / thesingleshotawards . blogspot . com/
Written for the Through the Lens Anon Contest which is now over! Let me know what you think!
"Say cheese!" I exclaimed happily, trying with all my might to get this cute little man to crack a smile.
"No!" he pouted, "I don't wanna. I want my Dada!" He crossed his arms and had the saddest expression on his face.
"Lil' J, please smile for the nice man," his mother pleaded, exasperatedly. "We want these pictures to turn out good for daddy, don't we?"
"I no want pictures, I want my Dada!" he screamed, tears beginning to stream down his face. My heart broke for this adorable child; it was always sad for me to see the smaller ones cry because it was my job to make them smile.
His mother rushed over to him and wiped his face, hugging him and whispering that it was okay.
"I am so sorry about this. I really didn't think this was going to be so hard," she apologized, looking in my direction with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
"Oh, it's no problem at all, hun. I work with little ones all day long, so I'm used to the tears. It'll be okay though, I swear," I assured her.
"Thank you so much, it's just that these pictures are so important," she revealed to me. I just nodded and turned back to the little guy.
"Lil' J, is that your name?" I asked the little boy, who couldn't have been older than three or four.
"Yup, dat's my name, like my daddy," he answered, smiling a little bit.
I smiled because talking about his daddy seemed to make him happy. "Well, that is very nice name. What else do you like about your daddy?" I asked, snapping a few shots while he had that cute smile on his face.
That question lit up his face and I started snapping more photos. "My daddy is da bestest man. He plays trains wif me and he is big and strong. He sings me songs at night-night time and reads me a hunnerd books. I lub him so much!" he boasted. The kid really loved his dad, that much was obvious, and it sounded like he was a great man.
"That's awesome! You're daddy sounds like the best guy ever! Can you stand up now and put your hands on this really cool block in the middle of the floor? I bet your dad would be really happy if you did that!" I said over-excitedly, placing down a white block with the letter 'J' facing the camera.
"I can do it!" He smiled big and the rest of the photo shoot went very smoothly. I just kept him talking about his daddy and he was the happiest little boy.
I began packing up the studio while the photos uploaded to the system, since this was my last appointment of the day. I noticed that Lil' J was sitting very contentedly in his stroller and his mother was sitting in a chair next to him waiting patiently.
I looked a little more closely at the woman and realized that she was incredibly gorgeous with her long, wavy brown hair and big, beautiful brown eyes. She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose and her lips looked delectable. She was a natural beauty and it showed in her simple choice of clothing. She had on a pair of light wash blue jeans and a white tank top layered under an ice blue, low-cut shirt.
My face heated up a bit when I realized that I was staring at her and was becoming slightly aroused at what I saw. It didn't matter how beautiful I found her or how attracted I was to her, she had a family and seemed very happy at that. Deflated by my thoughts, I quickly finished putting the camera in its case and walked over to the computer.
"Sorry about the wait Mrs...?" I held out my hand, trying to find out her name.
"Uhm... it's Swan. Bella Swan but it's just Miss," she corrected me taking my hand in her own and shaking it. She flashed me a knowing smile that sent electricity straight to my dick.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you and Lil' J. He was such a good little man today. Let's take a look at what I captured."
I pulled up the pictures on the screen and we went through them pose by pose. Bella picked out several poses that she loved and even I had to admit that I did a great job with this shoot. I'd never had anyone complain about my technique and photo taking ability since I'd opened up this small studio in downtown Forks, Washington.
"Wow, Mr. Whitlock, you have done such an amazing job on these photos. I'm still amazed at how quickly Lil' J took to you today, and I have to tell you that you were brilliant by keeping him talking about his daddy. He idolizes his daddy," she explained, looking a little pained at the end of that statement.
"Please, just call me Jasper. Also, thank you for the compliment. I noticed that he wanted his Dada and I went with it! Your boyfriend seems like a great guy to have Lil' J as such a huge fan!" I smiled, nodding at him in his stroller, where he had fallen asleep and was snoring peacefully.
Bella went quiet for a moment and then simply replied, "I don't have a boyfriend."
My heart sailed as those words were spoken which made me feel like a complete ass because I could tell there was sadness hidden behind her words. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have assumed, it's just that you're so beautiful I couldn't imagine you not having a boyfriend."
She blushed as I said that and it brought some hope back into my world. "It's okay. It's just a long story."
Here's my chance, I thought to myself. "Bella, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me sometime. I mean, I find you incredibly attractive and I would love to get to know more about you. I understand if you don't want to but I was kinda hoping for a chance..." I was rambling but I couldn't help it, this girl had me feeling like a teenage boy again, not the twenty-five year old college graduate and new business owner that I was.
"Jasper, I'd love to have dinner with you but I just want to be up front about things. Lil' J comes first in every decision I make and he's always gonna be there. If you aren't comfortable with that or can't handle it, I understand but you need to know this." Bella's face was full of determination and hope, it made me wonder how many times she'd had to have this conversation with someone who fled after she brought up Lil' J.
I took her hand in mine and squeezed it. "Bella, I adore children and I completely understand that Lil' J has to come first. I wouldn't expect it any other way and I'm glad that you're being up front about this."
"It's just that so many guys run as fast as they can in the opposite direction when they find out about him. It's a little disheartening because he's the best thing in my life and he's such a joy to be around."
"He is quite the handsome little devil and his personality is so exuberant," I commented, smiling at him.
"Thank you, he gets that vivid personality and all his good looks from his daddy," she whispered.
"Well, to be honest, Bella, I'd say he gets his good looks from you, at least partially."
Her cheeks returned to that cute shade of red and I shifted in my seat to hide myself again. Damn this girl was really getting to me. "So, have you made your final decision on the poses that you want?" I asked, getting back to the task at hand.
We spent the next twenty minutes finishing up the order, having Bella pick out the packages that she wanted with each pose and I entered the order into the computer. I knocked ten percent off the order total because Bella signed an agreement to let me use a couple of Lil' J's cute dimply smile shots on my next set of advertisement flyers.
After we finished up the appointment I turned to her and asked, "So, when would you like to have dinner with me, darlin'?"
"Is tomorrow night good for you? I need to make sure I can arrange a sitter for the little one but otherwise I'm really looking forward to doing this soon," she admitted.
"Tomorrow night is perfect, do you like Mexican food?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes.
"Yes! I love it!"
"Good, I'll make reservations at Sergio's in Port Angeles, does that sound okay?"
"That sounds perfect," she agreed and we started to walk toward the front of the studio.
We exchanged cell phone numbers and I told her that her order would be finished by the end of business on Monday. She left the studio with an extra bounce in her step, and I was smiling like a fool as I locked up.
I got into my car and pulled out my cell phone, entering her number into it immediately. I then hit the "compose new message" button and proceeded to send her a text message.
*Hey, it's Jasper! I just wanted to make sure you didn't give me some automated rejection hotline number ;) *
I proceeded to make the five-minute drive to my house and as soon as I walked through door and set my keys down, my phone beeped at me.
*No silly boy, I didn't give you a rejection hotline number :) Lil' J is going to spend the weekend with his daddy so I am free to go out with you tomorrow night *
A smile instantly spread across my face as I made the call to the restaurant to make our reservations.
*That's perfect! I have our reservations set for seven-thirty, I'll pick you up at six-thirty, is that okay? *
*Perfect, see you tomorrow night Jasper. I'm really looking forward to it! *
The rest of my night flew by in anticipation of the date I had with Bella the next day.
I got through the work day with amazing ease. I only had one small child appointment and even she was a complete doll and listened pretty well. As I was locking up the studio, all the nerves that I had been trying to suppress came bubbling to the surface and my stomach began to churn.
I only had an hour to get ready and be at Bella's house to pick her up. I showered quickly and towel dried my body. After I put some fresh Axe Whatever Messy Look Paste in my hair, for that just-right disheveled look that drives most women crazy on me, I brushed my teeth and headed into the bedroom to find my outfit. Not wanting to be over-dressed, I opted for a nice pair of blue jeans with a white dress shirt, topped off with a light blue and green sweater vest. Giving myself a final once-over in the floor length mirror in my bedroom, I chuckled quietly when I realized that I kind of looked like a clone of Ryan Seacrest but, hey, his clothes are always nice.
I headed out of the house, locking the door quickly behind me. After I got into my car, I stopped by the flower shop and picked up a single pink rose for Bella. I choose pink for its meaning of sweetness and elegance, which were both traits that I felt emanated from Bella as we spoke yesterday.
As I pulled up to her house, checking my phone once again to make sure I had the right address, my heart began to beat wildly. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and got out of the car, walking slowly to her door. I knocked and then waited, willing my heart to stop trying to pound out of my chest. Why was I so nervous? I didn't date a lot but on the few occasions that I had, I was never this nervous.
Just then, the door swung open and my jaw dropped. Bella looked ravishing in a pair of tight black dress pants and a fitted black, white, and pink tie-dye one-shoulder dress shirt. Her hair was half pulled up and the rest fell in waves over her bare shoulder.
"Hey there, gorgeous," she greeted me, looking me up and down as I had just done to her.
"Hi," I answered nervously, my voice cracking from dry mouth. I held out the pink rose, "I brought this for you."
She smiled and took the rose, putting it up to her nose and inhaling its scent deeply. "Thank you, Jasper, it's beautiful! Let me just put this in some water and we can head out. Come on in." She held the door open wide enough for me to enter and then turned to walk to the kitchen.
I glanced around the living room and there were toys scattered everywhere. Dirty clothes were in a pile by the bottom of the stairs and the television was blaring that silly cartoon with the talking sponge.
Bella came walking out of the kitchen, quickly frowning and started to apologize. "Oh, I'm so embarrassed. Please excuse the mess, Lil' J's dad was late in picking him up and I didn't have time to clean this up and get ready for tonight."
I reached out and gently touched her arm, reassuring her that I didn't mind. "Bella, there's no need to explain. I totally get it, I have a niece and nephew back home and I know what it's like to have little children running the place."
Her expression softened up and her smile returned. "Are you ready to go? I don't wanna be late for our reservation."
"Absolutely!" I offered her my arm and we walked out to my car like that.
The forty-five minute ride to Port Angeles seemed like it took ten minutes. The conversation between the two of us came naturally and there wasn't an awkward silence the entire time. It was nice and comfortable, which did a lot to calm my nerves.
We arrived at the restaurant exactly on time and were seated immediately. The waitress took our drink orders, a beer for me and a strawberry margarita for Bella, and then left us to make our food decisions.
"Have you decided on what you'd like to eat? I think I'm going to have the chicken quesadilla," I told her, folding my menu back up and setting it off to the side.
Bella looked at her menu for another moment and then put hers off to the side also. "The steak fajitas look amazing, I think that's what I'll try."
After the waitress brought out drinks and took our order, she left the table. That gave us a chance to jump back into the conversation. "So, I got started on your order today. I can't believe how darn cute those pictures of Lil' J turned out. You're going to love the finished product."
"I'm sure I will. You were truly amazing with him. Getting him going on his daddy was pure genius. Watching you work behind the camera was spectacular, your movements were so graceful and pure," she admitted, sipping her drink.
"Aww, Bella, you're going to make me blush. I just love what I do, being behind the camera is like being at home for me and it makes me feel so special that people trust me to capture their most precious memories for them."
"Well, I heard through the grapevine that you were the best and I wanted to get Lil' J's pictures done as a gift for his dad's birthday. That's why they're so important, I just want him to be happy," she told me, sighing softly.
That boosted my ego just a bit to hear that people were actually saying that I was the best, it meant I was doing what I came here to do. Feeling a little bit more confident, I decided to go ahead and bite the big one and ask the question that I had been dying for an answer to.
"Bella, it's okay if you don't want to answer this question because I know it could end up being really awkward, but what happened between Lil' J's dad and yourself? It's obvious that he still means a lot to you," I asked curiously, hoping that it wasn't something that would detour our budding romance.
"No, it's okay to ask. Jacob and I are best friends, have been since we were very little kids. His father and my father are best friends, so Jacob and I grew up together. As we grew up, we became closer than two people should be allowed to be; he's almost like a brother to me."
I cringed internally at hearing how close Bella and Lil' J's dad were. I could only hope that he wasn't going to try and hurt my chances with Bella, but forced myself to continue to listen to her story.
"One night, about four years ago, we were out drinking on the rez with some of his friends and we got more than slightly intoxicated. We ended up sleeping together, minus protection, and Lil' J is the product of that one night. He's named after his daddy, Jacob Ephraim Black II, but it eventually got confusing so we just started calling him Lil' J for Little Jakey.
"Neither one of us ever really had romantic feelings toward the other but we decided to try dating after we found out I was pregnant, thinking that we could make it work for our child. We just couldn't make the romantic connection work but we're still as close as ever."
I let out a huge sigh of relief internally when she revealed their lack of romantic connection with each other. It would definitely make things easier for me without excess romantic baggage.
"Since it didn't work out between us, I just hate the situation for little man because he loves his daddy so much and he cries every time he has to leave his house. He's been thrown into an unfair situation and he's going to have to deal with it as he grows up. It breaks my heart when he asks where Dada is or when he wants Dada to read him stories at bedtime, and then I have to tell him that Daddy is at his house with Papa Billy.
"Jake takes Lil' J whenever he can during the week and every other weekend, plus any other time that I need him to. He gets plenty of time with him, but I know he misses his son whenever he's not there and I always feel like that's my fault," Bella explained, finally slowing down to take a deep breath.
My heart was breaking as I heard her tell the story and I took advantage of the moment that she slowed down to breathe and cut in. "Bella, I'm a firm believer in the saying that things happen for a reason and I'm positive that this situation is no different. Everyone has obstacles that they have to overcome but this is in no way your fault. Yes, maybe you both should have thought about protection but then you wouldn't have your special little man. I can see the extra sparkle in your eyes when you talk about him or when you look at him. I'm sure Jacob feels the same way, so even though you two couldn't make it work between you, Lil' J has all the love he could ever ask for and he's so lucky."
Bella's eyes began to well up and I felt an overwhelming need to comfort her. I reached across the table and took her hand in mine, squeezing it in reassurance. She squeezed back and closed her eyes, forcing back the tears and when she opened them again, her warm smile had returned to her face.
"So, Jasper, back at the house you mentioned your niece and nephew back home, where is that?" she asked, turning the conversation toward what she assumed was a safer topic.
"Texas. I moved to Forks about six months ago to open the studio," I answered, relishing in the fact that she was still letting me hold her hand across the table.
"So that's where the accent comes from, I could tell it was Southern. So why did you move to rainy, dreary Washington State?"
"Let's just say some things happened back home and I ran away," I answered cryptically, hoping she wouldn't press the subject.
No such luck. "What sort of things, Jasper? I mean, you don't have to tell me but I'm here if you wanna talk about it."
I sighed hesitantly and then decided that I could do this, if not for me, for Bella. She just shared a private piece of herself with me; it was time to do the same for her. "I was engaged to be married to my high school sweetheart. The wedding was almost done being planned and our families fit together perfectly. Much like you and Jacob, we'd known each other for a long, long time, but the major difference is that we fell in love. Alice was my first everything and I was hers. I thought everything was perfect between us and had invested every part of me in her. One day, out of the blue, she packed up her things and told me she was leaving me. She said that since we'd been together for so long she didn't know who she was anymore and was going to experience life and find herself. Then without another wasted moment, she walked out on me and the life we had planned together."
My heart felt constricted for a moment as I retold my story, almost as though I couldn't breathe. I felt Bella lightly squeeze my hand and my heart began to swell, breaking free of any hold Alice may have had left on my heart.
"Oh, gosh, Jasper," Bella gasped, "That's horrible! How could she just walk out on you like that? That's heartbreaking."
She got quiet for a moment and I studied her features. Bella was stunning no matter what expression she had on her face and I realized that I would love to photograph her. She caught me by surprise when she quietly whispered, "When?"
"It happened about a year ago. I spent the first few months wallowing in my own self pity and living in a very destructive, constant state of drunkenness. I wasn't even living anymore, I was like a hollow shell of the person I had been. One day, my brother Emmett barged into my home and delivered the wake-up call that I so desperately needed. He basically told me to quit being a pussy and put the passion that I had for Alice into making something of myself. I'd always had a passion for photography and when Emmett smacked the life back into me, I took a few classes and discovered that I was really quite good at it. I knew that I had to get out of Texas and away from all of the things that reminded me of Alice and the time I'd wasted loving her. It killed me to leave my family behind but I can always visit them. I had to do this for me and for the health of my well-being," I choked out, trying not to get too emotional.
"How did you end up in Forks then?"
"Honestly, I pinned up a map of the United States on my wall and blindly threw a dart at it. I decided to go wherever the dart landed, so that's how I ended up in Forks. I honestly would have moved anywhere to get out of there, but in this moment, I'm so glad I ended up here." And I truly was, because being in Bella's presence was making me feel more whole than I had in months.
Bella smiled and was about to say something, when the waitress delivered our food and the moment was gone. We ate in companionable silence and both ordered another drink. Bella was visibly tipsy by the end of dinner, claiming that she hadn't drunk since that night she shared with Jacob on the reservation. She was positively adorable when she was drinking, her face perma-flushed, and she was a lot more flirtatious.
She giggled and got up from her seat, sliding in seductively next to me in the booth. "Jasper," she whispered, "thanks for taking me out tonight. It's been a long time since I've felt so sexy and desired."
"Well, that's a shame because you are beyond sexy, Bella. I hope you never have a chance to forget that," I said, winking at her and kissing her hand.
I paid for dinner and we left the restaurant, heading toward my car. I wasn't ready for the night to end so I came up with a last minute surprise.
"Bella, would you mind going somewhere with me before we go back to Forks? I would like to do something," I asked nervously, hoping she wouldn't deny me.
"Of course, I'll go anywhere with you, Jasper," she told me, smiling so widely that I thought her face might break.
I instinctively drove toward the ocean and once we arrived, I opened the trunk and pulled out my camera case and tripod.
"What are we doing here?" Bella asked curiously, eyeing my case, "And why do you have your camera with you?"
"Bella-boo, I'm a photographer, I have a camera with me no matter where I am."
Her face got beat red and she giggled nervously, "Jas, what made you call me that? I mean, I love it, but I've gotta know."
"Uhm it just sorta came out that way, it felt right," I told her nervously, hoping that it wasn't too soon.
"That name is very special to me, it's what my Gramps used to call me before he passed away. I love it, Jasper," she told me quietly, looking out into the ocean.
I felt the need to bring her attention back to the task at hand. "Oh, and we're here because I want to capture some of your natural beauty on film. Will you let me?" I asked, giving her my most convincing puppy eyes.
"Jasper, no fair with the puppy dog eyes! Lil' J pulls that on me too!" she giggled. "I look terrible in pictures and the wind is blowing, my hair will be all messed up!"
I laughed and begged, "Please, Bella? It would make my night even better than you already have! You are positively gorgeous and I feel like I need to capture it. The wind only makes for sexier photos..." I trailed off as her face lit up and I knew she had decided to let me.
"Okay, but I get the final say in what pictures are kept and which are deleted," she finally agreed.
"Absolutely!"
I was childishly giddy as I set up the camera and Bella stood off to the side, nervously waiting. As I finished setting up, I turned to the beautiful subject of my photo session and instructed her to stand at the edge of the water.
She removed her shoes and slowly walked to the water. I couldn't help but snap a few shots of her walking and she looked at me questioningly. "Sorry, I can't help myself, Bella. Everything about you is gorgeous."
She smiled and I snapped another shot. "Is this where you want me?"
"That's perfect. Now tilt your head up toward the sky just a little." She did as she was told and the light from the moon poured onto her perfect skin and I was dumbfounded. "That's perfect, Bella, you're beautiful. Good, now put your hands up next to your face and show off those pearly whites."
Bella was great at following instructions and by the end of the session, I had several perfect shots of her. She'd loosened up and became quite the natural in front of the camera. She'd let her hair down and it blew lightly in the wind and those shots were sure to be fantastic.
Bella came running up to me after the shoot was over and threw her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist and picked her up, spinning around on the beach.
"That was such a rush!" Bella squealed, laughing freely. "I've never done anything like that before but you made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world while you were photographing me."
"That's because you are the most beautiful girl in the world to me right now, Bella," I put her feet back down on the ground but didn't release her from my grip and looked into her eyes.
"Jasper..." she whispered but I couldn't stop myself and my lips brushed up against hers and she returned my kiss. Our mouths molded into each other's and our lips were moving in perfect sync. She brought her hands to the back of my head and grasped at my hair, pulling my face closer to hers. As we kissed, she opened her mouth just enough to let a moan escape and my tongue acted on its own, plunging deeply into her mouth, tasting and dancing with her own tongue.
In that moment, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. The kiss was perfect, under the moon and stars on the beach, with the wind dancing lightly around us. I pulled my lips away from hers, allowing both of us to inhale the air our lungs so desperately needed.
"That was... wow... just wow," Bella breathed, not making a whole lot of sense, but my brain completely understood.
"It was perfect," I agreed as a dorky grin was, once again, plastered on my face.
We stood there just relishing the contact with each other and then I noticed that Bella was beginning to shiver. The temperature had dropped several degrees and I needed to get her to the car.
"Let's get you home, baby. Head on up to the car and I'll get this packed up quickly," I suggested and Bella complied willingly.
As we headed home, I laced my fingers with hers and we spent the rest of the drive acting like silly teenagers. We arrived back at Forks and my heart began to ache. I didn't want this to be the end of the night for us.
"Where would you like to go next, Bella?" I asked nervously, not sure whether she wanted me to take her home or not.
She was suddenly stiff and I could tell she didn't understand, "What?"
"I'm sorry. It's just that I didn't want this to be the end of the night for us. I'm enjoying your company more than I have with anyone since... well, since it all happened," I told her, stumbling over my words while trying not to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh," she said softly, an understanding look came over her face. "Can we go to your place? I mean, we can go back to my place but it's a mess and I thought that since you've seen mine, you could show me yours..."
She immediately cupped her hand up to her mouth and we both started giggling when she said that. "Oh, Jasper, I'm sorry! That's not what I meant... I mean... I just don't want the night to end either!" she stuttered, her face instantly becoming that beautiful shade of red.
"It's okay, Bella," I chuckled, reassuring her. "I know what you meant to say and yes, I would love to show you mine."
We laughed together again and I soon pulled up in front of my house. I walked around to open her door for her and then quickly grabbed the camera card out of the trunk. She looked at me curiously and I simply said, "I want you to see how beautiful you are."
After we got inside, Bella settled in on the couch next to me and I loaded her photos onto my laptop. I was right, they were fantastic.
"Jasper, you worked miracles on these photos. Seriously, I look so good that it almost doesn't even look like me. I never look like this normally, I mean all dressed up. It just takes too much time."
I laughed lightly at her, "Bella, you'd look beautiful in a fucking potato sack. I swear, you have the most under rated view of yourself. If you'll let me, I vow to make you realize just how truly stunning you are every day until you don't want me anymore." I set the lap top down on the coffee table and turned to her, cupping her face gently with my palm and brushing her cheek with my thumb.
"Jasper, you are too sweet, but you have to understand something, okay?"
"What is it, babe?" I asked, growing a bit worried.
She was pensive for a moment, as if she was thinking carefully about her words and then slowly began to speak. "This..." she waved her hand in a circle as if to mean us, "is not normal. Getting dressed up for romantic dinners out, having beautiful photo shoots under the moon on the beach, going back to your place after to cuddle on the couch is fantastic for one night, but it's not my life. My life involves cartoons blaring on the television and toys scattered all over the floor, food splattered all over my clothes and a kitchen and house that never gets clean enough. My everyday life is hectic and I don't want to give you false expectations. I've never felt so strongly about anyone after one date, but I can't get my hopes up if you decide this isn't the life for you. I can't handle getting my heart broken, I have Lil' J to think of and I just don't know if I can do this."
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closely to my chest. "Bella, I understand all of that and I'm not going anywhere, I swear. As long as you'll let me, I want to be a part of your life. I want to be there for you when you need someone to hug you and tell you that everything is going to be okay or when you just need a shoulder to cry on. I also want to be there for the times when you've got fantastic news and can't wait to tell someone. I want to be that person that you come running to with open arms and never want to let go of. I'm all in, Bella, with everything I have."
Bella leaned back and studied my face, as if to see if I were telling the truth. "How do you know, Jasper? You've only been on one date with me on one fantasy night."
"It's in the way I feel when I'm around you, Bella. The way I was so nervous on my way to pick you up and could barely force myself to breathe when you opened the door. It's in the way I want to hold you, touch you, kiss you, and prove to you that I'm worthy of your affection. I want to protect you from all the bad things out there and make sure that you never have to doubt just how beautiful you really are. I haven't felt this way since Alice, Bella. I haven't kissed anyone since then and I felt compelled tonight to just take a chance. Will you take a chance on me, Bella? Let me prove it to you..." I was breathing heavily, but I put every ounce of passion that I had into the confession I'd just made, hoping it was enough to convince her.
"Yes..." she said tentatively, "I will take a chance on you, Jasper. Don't let me down..."
I didn't even let her finish before I was ravishing her mouth with mine again. The kisses were full of passion and need and every ounce of lust that I'd been containing since the day before when we met.
"Oh, fuck... Jasper," she moaned, gripping at any part of my body she could get her hands on.
I stood up, picking her up as she wrapped her legs around my waist never breaking contact, and carried her into my bedroom. I set her down gently on my bed and crawled up to hover over her, using both my arms to support my weight above her. She leaned up and crushed her lips back to mine as she pulled me down on top of her.
"Damn... you make me feels things I never thought I could feel again," I whispered, kissing down her jaw and back up to her ear.
"I could say the same for you, mister," she replied in my ear, sucking the lobe into her mouth and effectively making me moan.
She pulled my vest off and began to work on unbuttoning my shirt. I was harder than I had been in a long time and was sorely aching to be touched. It was difficult not to rip her clothes off and take her right there on the spot, but I wanted to do this at her pace. After she peeled my shirt off, I went about taking hers off and dropping it onto the discarded clothing pile on the floor.
Her breasts were perfectly nestled into a black strapless bra lined with red lace across the top. Before I could stop myself, my mouth was on them, kissing and licking, fueled only by the sexy moans escaping Bella's mouth. I removed the offending piece of clothing and took her nipple in my mouth, swirling my tongue around it and gently biting down. Bella moaned even louder, voicing her approval and I made sure to show her other nipple the same attention.
Out of nowhere, Bella flipped me over and unsnapped my pants, slowly pulling them down my legs. "I can't control myself any longer, Jasper," she murmured huskily. "I've never wanted anyone so badly as I want you right now."
Then standing at the edge of the bed, she pulled hers down, revealing a matching pair of lacy panties.
"Goddamn you are so beautiful."
She grinned at me devilishly and crawled ever-so-slowly over my body, her beautifully firm breasts were brushing lightly against my bare chest, sending shivers throughout my skin. She planted sporadic kisses along my body, then when she reached my face she placed one sweet, chaste kiss on my lips.
I was practically begging for more when she began to grind herself on my throbbing cock. I could feel how warm and wet she was even through the remaining clothing we had on. She knew exactly was she was doing to me and was enjoying every moment of it. I thrust myself up into her, needing more contact and seeking that sweet release I so desperately needed.
Our movements were completely in sync and we were groaning and grunting in harmony. I was close to blowing my load all over my boxers and needed to let her know, "Bella..." I groaned, my breathing very heavy, "If you keep that up... I swear I'm not gonna last."
She smiled knowingly and pushed down even harder. "Good... let it go, Jasper. Let me make you feel good..." she commanded with surprising authority.
"FUUUUUUUCK! Bella, I'm gonna come," I screamed and with just a few more movements, I was thrusting up into her and coming harder than I thought possible. My whole body was shuddering and I pulled her down to me, kissing her and moaning into her mouth.
That's all it took and she threw her head back as her eyes rolled into her skull, "Fucking goddamn, Jasper, I'm coming!" Her body was shaking violently and I couldn't help but think about how I wanted to get that on film sometime. The sight of Bella coming undone on top of me was the most beautiful thing I'd ever witnessed.
She collapsed on top of me and we just stayed like for a several minutes. It was the most relaxing few minutes of my life, but before I knew it, Bella rolled over on her back next to me.
"Jasper, I'm sorry," she whispered.
I turned on my side to face her, completely confused. "For what, darlin'?"
"I know you probably wanted more than that, but I'm just not ready. The last time I had sex with anyone was with Jacob, actually, that's the only time. I just couldn't help myself, you were making me crazy and I needed that release..." she answered softly.
"Oh, my God, Bella. Please don't be sorry for that, I swear I enjoyed myself. I would never expect you to do anything you aren't comfortable with. Just being here with you is enough for me." I kissed her gently on the lips then whispered in her ear, "I haven't been intimate with anyone but Alice, so you aren't alone, sweetie."
"Thanks, Jasper. You're the best."
I smiled like a fool and thought it would be good to lighten the mood a little, "So, did we seriously just hump like teenagers?"
Bella burst out laughing and that sparkle was back in her eyes. "Yes, I suppose we did."
"I need to clean myself up a bit, this is getting a bit uncomfortable. Feel free to wear anything of mine that fits, my clothes are in the dresser. I'll be right back." I kissed her cheek quickly then grabbed a clean pair of boxers and headed into the bathroom.
When I returned, she was sitting in my bed in a pair of boxers and a wife beater. "Well, look who's back," she giggled, smiling sheepishly at me in only my boxers.
"Sorry, sweetie, I only sleep in my boxers. Does that bother you? I could put on some pants," I offered.
"No, you're fine." Patting the bed next to her, she asked shyly, "What are you waiting for? Get in bed with me."
I crawled in next to her and lay back against my pillows. She settled into my side with her head on my chest and her arm draped across my waist. I turned the lamp next to my bed off and held her closely. As we lay there quietly, there were so many thoughts running through my mind but one in particular jumped out at me and I had to ask. Breaking the silence, I softly questioned, "Do you believe in fate?"
For a moment, I thought she had fallen asleep until she quietly responded, "I'm not sure if I do. Why do you ask though?"
"It's just that I could have ended up anywhere, I left it all up to one absent-minded toss of a dart. I didn't question it when it landed on Forks, I just up and left. So now I'm wondering if fate brought me here to you, because I feel so much at home in this moment that I don't know how it could possibly be wrong," I explained.
"I never thought of it that way, but I suppose it's possible that fate did bring you here to me. I know it's too early to tell for sure, but I've never felt like this, even with Jacob. He's the only guy I've ever been close with and it should have been so easy to fall in love with him and have the perfect family, but it wasn't. I wonder if that was fate's way of saying that there was something better waiting for me and that I shouldn't settle."
That made me smile and I kissed the top of her head. "Good night, beautiful Bella. Sweet dreams..."
"Mm hmm" was the only response I got, and then her breathing evened off and I knew she had fallen asleep.
I drifted in and out of sleep, wondering if this were all just a dream, until I saw her lying there next to me in radiating perfection. The moonlight was drifting in through a crack in the curtain and it landed on her face in such a way that made me believe there was a true angel sleeping in my bed.
Before I knew it, I grabbed my digital camera off the desk and had this wonderful idea to take some shots of her various body parts. Nothing perverted, just the perfection that was her body. I carefully pulled back the sheet and exposed her to the moonlight. A snapshot of her foot with its beautifully painted pink toenails, the creamy skin of her knee slightly bent, her arm draped gently over her shapely chest, the milky skin of her magnificent shoulder, and the final shot was of the graceful features of her face, outlined by the light of the moon.
I was planning on having these framed and put into a collage for her bedroom and giving it to her as a gift. After I put the camera away, I drifted back into a peaceful sleep and stayed there until morning.
I woke up to the sound of Bella's voice, but she was clearly not talking to me.
"No, I'm not home right now. I thought you were keeping him until tomorrow morning," she whispered, sounding just a little frustrated.
"No, never mind. It's fine, Jake. I'll be home in twenty minutes so just bring him home."
There was a pause while she listened and then she simply said, "Good-bye" and hung up the phone.
I crawled up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close to me and kissing her neck. "Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?"
"Wonderfully, how about you?" Her voice sounded rough, like she was trying not to cry.
"Well, I had this amazing dream about the most exquisite woman in the world..."
She smiled a small, strained smile then said, "Jasper, I hate to cut the morning short, but Jake can't keep Lil' J today and he's bringing him home. I need to be there in fifteen minutes to meet him."
"That's okay, baby. Let's get dressed and get you home."
We got ready quickly and left, heading to her house to meet Jacob. We pulled up to the house just as Jacob was getting Lil' J out of his car seat.
As soon as he was on his own two feet, he came running up to Bella screaming, "Moooooommy! I missed you!" with the biggest grin on his face.
I couldn't help but smile at the interaction between the two of them. He jumped into her arms as soon as he reached her and she spun him around several times, hugging him tightly. "Mommy missed you too, buddy. Did you have fun with Daddy last night?"
Lil' J nodded his head yes and smiled back at Jacob. Bella put him down and told him, "Go give Dada hugs and kisses and tell him you love him!"
He did as he was told and ran straight to the wide open arms of Jacob, who had crouched down to be level with Lil' J. I noticed that he was very tall and muscular, with the features and skin tone of the Quileute tribe. Lil' J threw his arms around his dad's neck and squeezed tightly and then kissed him. "I lub you, Dada!"
"I love you too, little man," Jacob answered back. "Now, why don't you go play on your horsey. Daddy needs to talk to Mommy for a minute, okay?"
"Okay, bye, Daddy!" he said and then ran to find his rocking horse.
I had unknowingly stepped toward Bella and was now right behind her, with my arm around her waist. Jacob sauntered over to where we were standing, "Hey, Bells," he said cheerfully, kissing her on the cheek, eyeing me carefully as he did. "I'm really sorry about this but Leah's only back in town for today and she wants to see me. You aren't mad are you?"
"No, Jake, I understand. Thanks for taking him last night so I could go out."
"It's no problem," he said to her, then turned his attention to me. "Hey there, I'm Jake, and you are?"
"Jasper. It's nice to meet you, Jake," I met his hand with my own and shook it.
"Nice to meet you too." He looked at Bella for a moment, then turned back to me and smiled slyly. "She's an extraordinary woman, Jasper. Take good care of her or I swear I'll have to hurt you. She means the world to me and I can't bear to see her hurt."
"I know how special she is, Jacob, and I promise I won't hurt her. Though it's nice to know she has someone else looking out for her."
I wondered for a moment if it was weird that I liked this guy already, but decided that he must be an okay dude if Bella trusted him so much and he took such good care of Lil' J.
"Yeah, she'll always be a huge part of my life and I'll never stop trying to take care of her, but it's nice of you to say so," he replied. "Well, I better get going or she's going to think that I'm not coming. I'll call you later to figure out when would be best for me to come get little man this week, alright?"
"Yeah, that sounds fine. Have a good time today, Jake." Bella leaned forward to give him a hug and I felt a little awkward just standing there.
"Love you, Bells," he told her.
"Love you too, Jake. Take care," she replied.
He turned to leave and hollered up to the porch where Lil' J was playing. "Bye Lil' J, you be good for Mommy, okay!"
He waved his little hand at Jake and said, "Okay, Daddy. I will be good for Mommy!"
After Jacob got into his car and left, Bella turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm sorry about that."
I was confused again, "Sorry about what this time, baby?"
"I'm sure it was strange to be here for that exchange. I just don't want to scare you away," she said nervously.
"Bella-boo, I told you that I wasn't going anywhere. I actually liked him, but you can't scare me away by talking to Lil' J's dad who happens to be your best friend. I told you I'm not going anywhere until you tell me you don't want me anymore. I'm not that easy to get rid of." I laughed, but was only half-joking.
"That's good to know," she whispered into my neck. "Wanna come inside?"
"Sure."
We headed inside, and I sat down on the couch while Bella tried to inconspicuously pick up the living room. While she insisted that it wasn't because of me, I watched cartoons on the television.
It kind of surprised me when, out of nowhere, Lil' J climbed up onto my lap and leaned back against me.
"I know you," he said shyly.
"You do know me! How are you, buddy?" I asked.
"I want to watch Bob-bob on the hellovision," he answered.
I looked over to Bella to translate because I wasn't sure who "Bob-bob" was. "He wants you to turn it to Spongebob. It's on channel thirty-two."
"I gotcha!" I grabbed the remote and changed it and Lil' J got excited when the yellow sponge appeared on the screen.
"What is yer name, mister?"
"My name is Jasper, can you say that?"
He thought about it for a moment then cried out, "Jap-ser!"
Bella and I both cracked up laughing. "That's close enough! Good job! Can you give me five?"
I held out my hand and he smacked down on it. I pretended it hurt and gasped over-exaggeratedly. "Ouch, that hurt! You are one strong little guy!"
He giggled loudly then held his hand out flat and said, "You give me da five!"
I lightly gave him a five and he imitated me, pulling his hand back and saying, "Ouchie, dat hurt me!"
"Awww, I'm sorry!" I told him, acting very sad.
"You kiss my boo-boo," he instructed and held his palm up to my face so I could kiss it.
"Is that better now?" I asked him.
"Yups, dat's all better now!"
He then climbed down off my lap and I looked up to find Bella standing in the doorway, smiling at me. "What?" I asked innocently.
"You're so good with him, he likes you."
I grinned back at her. "I like him, too."
Back at work on Monday morning, I went about finishing up my orders from Thursday and Friday to have ready for the customers when they came in to pick them up. I also wanted to make something extra special for Bella so she could give it to Jake for his birthday, from Lil' J.
It took me a little bit to figure out what I wanted to do, but I decided to make a collage with various poses from the shoot on an 11"x14" picture. Across the top left of the screen in a hand script font it said, "The greatest gift I ever had..." and then in the bottom right hand corner in the same font it read, "Came from God; I call him Dad!" The photos were blurred around the edges and the collage turned out fantastic, if I said so, myself, and I finished it off by matte framing it with black trim.
When Bella finally came in to the studio to pick up the order, I surprised her with the collage and she loved it, kissing me in the middle of the studio in front of the other customers. I was like a giddy teenager again because my girlfriend liked my work and it made me feel very proud of myself.
Before she left, she invited me over to eat dinner and I graciously accepted.
Bella and I quickly settled into quite a comfortable routine. On the nights that she had Lil' J, I would head over to her place to eat dinner and watch a movie after she put the little one to bed. The nights that Jake had Lil' J, she would come to my place for dinner or we would go out and see a movie or something equally fun.
I became very attached to Lil' J because he was just a mini-version of Bella. He had such a bubbly personality and he was so smart and funny. We were always laughing and he still couldn't say my name right, so he called me "Jap-ser" and it quickly grew on me.
On the night of our one month anniversary, Bella arranged for Lil' J to stay with Jake and she came over to my place. I fixed her favorite dinner and set up the dining room in a very romantic setting, flowers, candlelight, soft music, the whole nine.
After dinner, we cuddled up on the couch and talked for a long time before I decided it was the right time to give her my gift.
"I'll be right back, Bella," I told her and walked into the bedroom to retrieve the gift.
I walked back into the living room with it behind my back, but it was too big to hide.
Bella's eyes lit up, "What do you have there, babe?"
"Just a small token of my affection for the wonderful woman in my life."
She jokingly looked around the room and asked, "Who ya talking 'bout?"
I handed it to her. "You, silly!"
She turned it over, saw all the photos in the frame, and gasped, "What's this, Jas?"
"Just some pictures I took of you and couldn't get over how beautifully they turned out."
"But... when?" she asked, choking up a bit.
"The night of our first date, when you were asleep in my bed. I couldn't sleep and the moon light was cast over you in such a beautiful way, there was no way I could resist. You're very charming, even in your sleep, love."
"It's so perfect, Jasper. Why are you so good to me?" she asked, admiring the photos again.
"Because you deserve so much more than I can give you, but I'm willing to give you everything I have," I admitted, wanting very much to tell her just how much I cared about her, but honestly not wanting to scare her away by moving too fast.
"Jasper, do you remember that first night, when you asked me if I believed in fate?" she asked me, out of the blue.
"Yes, I remember. You weren't sure if you did or not," I replied softly.
"I've changed my mind, Jas, I do believe in fate." She kissed me on the lips and her next words shook me down to my core, "I love you, Jasper."
I felt the tears welling up at the overwhelming joy those words brought me and I hugged her so tightly that I thought I might hurt her. "Bella-boo, you are my whole life now. I love you, too!"
We spent the rest of the night tangled up in each other's arms, holding on as tightly as we could.
As we drifted off to sleep, I thanked my lucky stars that fate brought me to the true love of my life. Things couldn't get any better than this.