Chapter 2 - Fixed Fit
Bella paced nervously beside her scooter.
Yeah, the Harley scooter with the gorgeous hunk of tall, dark and hottsome wrapped around it - digging into the engine with his bare hands.
She couldn't tear her eyes from the scenic view that had become, every move he made.
The black tshirt he wore, strained to cover his bulging physique, revealing every inch of his bare arms. Large sculpted biceps bunching effortlessly, up and down...up and down... as he worked on her ride.
"Whoa!" Bella jumped back in surprise as Jake's long leg came across the the scooter, just missing her.
"Sorry 'bout that." he winked, shoving his hair away from his eyes. He smiled sheepishly realizing he'd almost kicked her with that move, but seemed amused to find her hovering so close to him.
Leaning farther into the work, his deep grunts of effort, rumbled around them. She noticed his hips rocking against her leather seat as his determination to pull that dead battery out increased.
Her two hundred fifty pound scooter shook and moved beneath his efforts as if it weighed nothing.
She could only imagine what that much...man...felt like wrapped around her tiny body and how easily he could...ughh...a guy like him could do...anything he wanted.
Heat rushed over her cheeks, turning them bright pink. An undeniable admission of erotic thoughts about him - she tried reading his tshirt to distract her thoughts.
Rising up on her tiptoes, she strained to see ...
Work Hard*Play Hard*Stay Hard
Alpha Auto & Body Shop.
LaPush, WA 515-279-6969
A wolf claw graphic gave the shirt a faux ripped appearance.
Who was this guy and what the heck was he doing with Paul?
"Alpha Auto?" She actually managed to squeak out two fully formed words as a question.
After a moment, his head came up, turning towards her, finding her just like a baby doe caught in his headlights.
"Yeah, its my shop." he smiled, totally checking her out from head to toe. " You should come by sometime - we could swap training sessions with each other."
She shivered under his lusty gaze with certainty,that gleaming white fangs would appear in his mouth any moment, to compliment the wolfish grin he held in place.
With a high pitched whine trapped in her throat, she spun away from him, unable to take the heat of his gaze.
Thoroughly amused by her, Jake watched her nervous pacing, long and hard, before returning to his work. " Yeah, baby - I got some long and hard, for you." he mumbled to himself grinding the heel of his palm against his dick - willing it to behave.
Yeah, she was exactly his type. Exactly, his rock hard, go all night long, just enough tomboy, just enough soft pink girliness, mutherfuckin type. She couldn't weigh more than a blow up doll, he laughed to himself. And, damn baby, all the positions he could get her into with her mad yoga skills. He turned back to the job at hand - trying to shake off all the distraction she was providing.
She continued pacing fitfully trying not to stare at him, trying not to think about how he made her feel. Trying not to count the months...Ten?
Shit, 10 months of self imposed celibacy?
With her head swimming in a cloudy haze of lust, her body throbbing with need...she was struggling to recall exactly, why she had sworn off all men.
oO~0~Oo
Uncurling his body from over her scooter, he stretched his tall stiff body, loud and long. Growly animal noises rumbling around him as he reached high over his head, demanding Bella's attention once again. His thick arms twisted, pretzeling into each other, cracking his back and muscular shoulders, loudly, followed by his neck.
Holy mother of all...his shirt rode up revealing miles of delicious male body.
His freaking abs were ...oh god! With her head spinning, her vision narrowed to the most impressive 8 pack abs she'd ever...dang...his coppery, buttery soft, skin made wanting, no needing to lick across that 8 pack utterly irresistible.
Not to mention the fine silky, sexy , darkened path leading her eyes down, directly to his equally impressive..."Shit..' she jerked her head away not wanting to get busted drooling over his package.
"You're right about needing a new battery." He said, carefully turning towards her, balancing the old battery in one hand, displaying a giant mushroom of blue corrosion living on top of it.
"Oh my god! What's that?" she screeched, smacking her hand tightly over her mouth.
"Just some corrosion - Don't worry, I'm not gonna feed it to ya!" He laughed at her expression, reaching to pry her hand from her mouth, to comfort her with his free hand.
Upon contact, a full body rush shot through his frame, causing them both to tremble slightly under the touch. His eyes darted down at her. He wouldn't have been able to drop a screw driver between them, he assessed, ridiculously pleased at that for some reason.
"Did you..did you feel that?" she questioned up at him wide eyed.
"Yeah, you okay? "..he smiled shaking out his hand. "I think the battery is throwing off a few last amps." He leaned away from her, stretching to set the battery on the ground, and throwing a few tools he had back in the storage on his bike.
"So" he snorted, leaning back against his Harley seat, crossing his arms.
" You show me your abs and I'll show you mine!" His wolfy grin slid into place as if he'd been reading all her thoughts as he worked.
'Excuse me?" she tried irritated indignation, but her guilt bled right through, weakening the response.
"You heard, me. Show me yours, I'll show you mine." he persisted, uncrossing his arms, and stepping towards her.
" How long do you work out each day?" Bella evaded perfectly, quickly taking a couple steps back.
Taking another step closer, he smiled, "I teach three, one hour classes, each day, then carve out at least 30 minutes for myself before I leave at night." he shrugged, taking another step closer, his hungry stare burning into her.
" How bout you?" Jake shot back, sliding his hands onto her trim waist.
The feel of his hands taking possession of her, ever so slightly, made her heart pound and her brain stop working completely, insuring her surrender to his grasp.
Jake was enjoying her return to grunted syllables and the small whimpering sounds caught in her throat. He loved the way she responded to him, and the way they seemed so magnetically drawn to each other.
Their eyes stayed locked curiously on each other, reflecting an intense exchange of sexual energy and unspoken promises.
Waiting for her response, Jakes fingertips came to life, skimming their way across Bella's silky skin, exploring the shape of her sculpted waist and curvy hips, with soft, feather light touches.
It was her turn to be amused. Cocking her eyebrow in response to his actions, questioning the liberties he was so freely taking with her, as well as letting herself take in the feel of his thick callused fingertips skimming her sensitive flesh...her eyes drifted shut.
"Jake.." she protested suddenly, grabbing his wrists to pull his hands off of her.
With overwhelming strength and speed, Bella found herself gasping for breath, clutching at Jake's shirt with both hands, laid back over the top of her Harley.
"Were you gonna answer my questions today, Miss Swan, or are we going to be here for the evening?" He smirked, holding her firmly in place with one arm, as he pulled her leg up to his waist with his free hand.
"Wha..wha what questions?' she stuttered, lost in his piercing gaze, watching, enthralled as his head lowered slowly to her abs, never breaking eye contact with her.
" How long do you work out each day?"" he asked pointedly, slowly over enunciating each word.
She was mesmerized by his smile and the way his gleaming white teeth captured the hem of her shirt.
He chuckled tugging her thin yoga tanktop up her body with a forceful shake of his head.
She smelled like his favorite flavor of Victoria's secret...fanning his flames even hotter.
Goddamn, she was beautiful he thought taking in her perfectly feminine figure. He loved the soft golden tone of her tanned abs, the way she was so physically fit, without being overdone, or over built.
"Beautiful..." he breathed lowering his tongue closer and closer to her sensitive flesh and expectant body.
She trembled with in his safe yet controlling grasp. "Just a taste...One. Little. Taste." he tried reassuring her safety.
Another whine was strangled in her throat, as her body clenched tightly, with anticipation and need.
A swift tug on the front of her yoga pants and his fiery tongue was flicking against the tiny bow on the front of her underwear, then licking a hot trail all the way up the center of her trim, tight, body.
All the way to the tight elastic hem of her sports bra.
"Mmmmmmmm" vibrated roughly in his throat as he gently pulled her up off her bike.
His free hand caressing her abs softly, as she wiggled her way back to her feet.
"Jeezus.." she sighed, trying to get her legs to muscle up under her. She felt as limp as a noodle, and unsteady as a drunk - she couldn't get her thoughts or her body to react the way she wanted to at all! She was so weak with sexual need, she couldn't resist this guy at all.
" Very nice abs...princess...perfect." he smiled gazing deep in her eyes... "Delicious, in fact.." he smirked licking his lips.
"Glad you like 'em..." she huffed tugging at her shirt, a bit irritated with the steamroller act, and all foggy headed as hell.
"Your turn." his deep voice declared, pulling her hand up, under the hem of his t-shirt.
"What? No!" she tried protesting for a millisecond, until he parked her shaking hand all the way up his sternum, between two huge quivering pecs, and left her there. All alone, while both of his hands got busy tugging her closer, then tracing the delicate definition, of her finely cut upper arms.
"So sexy..." he breathed, scanning her appreciatively from head to toe.
He couldn't remember the last time he felt this attracted to someone. He was sure this was a big first in his book.
And, just as he started to relax, his heart pounded at the realization of his actions, and the fact she hadn't started screaming or beating him off her with his wrench only inches from her reach.
He continued watching her in disbelief..
Closing her eyes against the intoxication of his voice and the warm, hard, feel of him under her fingertips, the next thing she realized, BOTH of her hands were cruising the sculpted planes of his magnificently built body, and across his rock hard abs.
She suddenly realized she was leaning heavily into his big body, both of them lost in the feel and touch of the other. What the hell was she doing? What the hell was going...
She gasped loudly, shoving against him hard, breaking their bodies apart instantly.
They were perfect strangers, right?
With him towering over her, she gaped up at him still wearing the dazed look in her eyes from a few minutes ago when he went all " Prince Fucking Charming" on her.
What was she staring at him for? Answers? Questions?
What the fuck were they doing? She huffed loudly, raking her fingers through her long untamed locks.
He couldn't contain his laughter, realizing he needed to get them back on focus.
Wiping his hands on his jeans he smiled down at her, "So.. this just, might be your lucky day."
Assessing the closeness of their bodies, she blushed, taking several steps back, "Lucky? How so?" she asked fidgeting, trying to pull herself back together...
"You have any plans right now?" he glanced at his watch. "I can help you out with this, we can get it fixed."
" Yeah, uh, no, I mean, I'm free." she shook her head "what do you have in mind?"
Cringing in frustration, she hoped Jake wouldn't take her awkwardness as, well, awkwardness...
" I can get you hooked up with a battery if we hurry. My buddies take off exactly at quitting time." He grabbed her hand and pulled her across the parking garage, the sound of their quick steps bouncing around the concrete cave.
"We gotta make it across downtown in just 10 minutes . Think we can make it?"
He winked at her as he pulled a key from his jeans and reached for his helmet to put on her.
"Wait. You got a helmet don't you?"
She nodded wordlessly, still absorbing the feel of his hand around hers and the rush of excitement pounding thru her.
"Go get it!" he laughed pulling his helmet on, then succumbing fully to the pleasure in watching her go.
She hurried behind the pillar where her stuff was stashed, grabbing her helmet and heading back where he was waiting.
Crossing the huge, concrete space between them she felt his eyes all over her. Like huge warm hands, stroking her firmly from head to toe. Every cut of his eyes leaving a warm, tingling trail over her body.
She loved this part of being in great physical shape. Loved the confidence flowing through her, loved knowing she looked good.
Being admired, fuck that , desired by a man making the same commitments into his physical appearance that she did, really did it for her. In fact, in that moment - Bella realized, she needed this same connection and enthusiasm for staying healthy and fit with whoever she ended up marrying. Her partner would have to share a fitness lifestyle with her for sure.
"Hey beautiful." he smiled reaching for her, taking the helmet from her hands. With a step closer he placed it on her head, strapping it gently under her chin. The close contact thrilled her with a tingling response. He pinched her chin playfully and their eyes locked beaming with anticipation.
"Ready for a ride?" He grabbed her so fast swooping her up onto his Harley, she let out a high pitched squeal that dissolved into nervous giggles.
He mounted the bike and kicked it to life, with it growling and rumbling like a hungry predator between their legs.
Fishing around behind him for her hand, he pulled it firmly around his waist. "Hold tight!" he warned squeezing her hand as she brought her other around to meet it.
He was so big, there wasn't an inch to spare on the seat. Her legs spread wide to accommodate the girth of the bike, had her crotch up against his backside and the rest of her stretched flush against the broad expanse of his muscular back. She was forced to breath in his scent, his sexiness.
With a loud rev of the engine, they tore out of the parking garage on a deafening roar.
Jake was an animal on his bike. He manhandled the thing, demanding top performance from them both. Weaving in and out of rush hour traffic at high speeds he was like a skilled runner on a obstacle course. Her body whipped back and forth with his as he ran tricky maneuvers through city traffic.
After several hair raising blocks, they pulled up to a old warehouse down by the water.
He'd rendered her breathless, shaking, overdosing on adrenaline, and that was just from the grind against his body and the vibrations of the bike shooting up between her thighs.
There was no time to fear for her life, when she was with him.
"How'd ya like the ride?" he laughed peeling his helmet off and hanging it on the handle bars.
With a deep cleansing breath, in and out, to relax a bit...she stretched all the way up the back of his body pressing flush against him. Her mouth at his ear.
"Too bad we just met" she purred softly " sure would be nice to show you how I much I liked that ride." She gave his ear a french kiss and jumped off the back of the bike, tearing the helmet from her head, letting all her glorious waves fall down around her.
Jake just stared at her with his eyes bugged out and mouth hanging open.
" Two can play "Make You Piss Your Pants." she cooed smugly with goosebumps blossoming over her. She couldn't tell if it was the ball breaking ride he gave her, or all the sexual tension getting to her again.
"Hey Jake! Close your mouth dude, less you want me to put somethin in it" A deep voice snorted in loud laughter across the long drive.
"Right, Quil! You horse's ass!" he barked loudly in response.
Jake jumped off the bike as he and this Quil guy swung at each other playfully.
" Don'tcha mean hung like a horse" Quil taunted, " which is why you want it in your mouth... dontcha!" Quil taunted further, pumping his hips at Jake, then ducking the playful swings coming at him.
They chased up and down the drive, growling and slinging insults at each other till Jake got Quil in a headlock.
"Say Mercy!" Jake demanded, grinding his knuckles into Quil's head.
"Get off me you butt-muncher." Quil growled struggling for a breath. Jake just bore down harder, cutting off more air.
"So, hows the 30th Birthday pact going?" He choked out from the headlock.
Jake dropped him in a heartbeat, scowling down at the coughing, gasping, lump on the concrete.
"Who's your friend?" Quil asked pointedly, rubbing his neck as he stood.
Jake looked back and forth between the two .
"Bella, this is an EX friend of mine Quil Atera. We grew up together. Quil, this is Bella Swan, a damsel in distress, I just met. We're in need of a battery for her Harley D Scooter."
"Awww, I see! A damsel in distress. Okay, that we can accommodate!" He nodded once, brushing off his pants and then his hands.
" EX? Thats a bit harsh isn't it Black? C'mon, follow me.." He motioned them towards the building.
" You're thhhiiiirrrrtyy?" She guffawed at him wide eyed.
"What?" he snapped back - looking hurt. "I just turned 30 yesterday. How old are you?"
" Sorry. No big deal." She quickly turned away, feeling bad at blurting out the 30 thing the way she did.
She jogged up the drive after his friend to avoid the embarrassment.
"Hey Quil, how old are you?" She asked joking around. "40?"
Quil threw his arm over her shoulder, laughing loudly together.
" I didn't mean to make him feel bad." she confessed to his friend. " I guess I was just shocked. I hadn't seen myself, hanging out with thirty year old guys...yet."
"What is it with you and age?" Jake scoffed catching up to them.
"Oh c'mon, Black - you're not still sensitive about the 30 thing?" Quil accused with amusement while squeezing Bella to him more tightly.
Bella bet he was gonna be sensitive about 30 for a while.
Spinning out of Quil's hold, she turned to face Jake.
Forcing him to stop dead in his tracks to avoid running over her.
Meeting his hurt, questioning eyes, Bella threw her arms around his waist delivering a quick firm hug.
"Happy Birthday!" She mumbled quickly against his chest.
He eased his arms around her slowly, accepting her peace offering with a slight smile.
"Age ain't nuthin but a number, baby.." She teased, gazing up into his warm eyes.
" You got that right." Quil teased back putting his arm back around Bella and marching her forward up the drive.
"So, now I'm your "baby"? he croaked like the word was distasteful. " Tha'ts quite a fall from Knight in Shining Armor...isn't it?" he grumbled loudly.
"Knight on a Shiney, Loud, Harley" She corrected, earning a laugh from both guys.
"So Quil, what's this 30th Birthday pact you mentioned? Must be a pretty big deal. It sure freaked out your buddy, Jake...froze him like a popsicle at the mere mention of it."
"Awww no way, girlie." Quil shook his head. "It takes alot more than a pretty face to get that kinda information outta me." Leaving a quick kiss on my cheek, he smiled, releasing me as Jake came up behind us. "Let me get your battery."
Turning back towards Jake, they met at the warehouse door.
" Dude, it's supposed to rain real soon, you planning on heading back tonight?" Quil asked holding the door open wide.
" I dunno, I'm playing this by ear. I wasn't planning on being here this long." Jake gave a sideways glance towards Bella, then, finished giving Quil the specs on the battery she needed.
Quil reappeared minutes later, kicking the side door open, handing Jake a 10 pound battery.
"We gonna hang out on this trip?" Quil asked.
"Let me get her taken care of first." He threw a glance over his shoulder, noticing the darkening sky. " I'll call you later. Thanks, Quil."
~o0O0o~
With the last battery cable connected, and loud thunder rumbling through the evening sky, the dark clouds finally burst open its heavy load of rain.
The parking garage wasn't going to be much shelter from the unwelcome storm. Cold, wet winds, whipped through the partially open garage with relentless fury.
"Shit" Jake fell back on his heels his hands collapsing against his thighs, still clenching his tools.
"What? its not the battery?" Bella was confused by his responses to the silent exchange he was having with the little motorcycle.
" No. Its the battery, it'll run just fine now." He pulled himself up off the ground trudging over to his bike to put his tools away.
He seemed so preoccupied, compared to earlier.
The longer he lingered at his bike shuffling his supplies around, the more she worried.
Was he mad at her? What had she done, what next?
Walking over to him, she gently rested her hand on his back. His body flexing in response to her touch.
A rush of desire rolled through her body recalling their earlier, intense, contact on the motorcycle rides. She was craving more of him already?
When he didn't turn to her, she leaned down, touching his shoulder, speaking softly in his ear.
"Thank you for helping me."
"Not a problem" he said tightly, still avoiding eye contact.
"Let me pay you." I prodded the bull, wanting him to talk to me.
"No." he barked, clearly irritated, increasing his activity.
Dropping her hand from his back, she stepped away, figuring the attraction wasn't mutual.
The longer his silence stretched out - the more unnerved she became.
"Sorry for what ever I did to upset you." Her voice cracked under the stiffness between them.
Wrapping her arms around her stomach tightly, she leaned into the concrete pillar, needing stability and some warmth.
" I appreciate everything you did - you didn't even let me pay for the battery.." she complained as he passed by her again.
"Please don't leave like this..." she pleaded, when his departure looked imminent.
" I want to repay you in some way. I insist." She stomped her foot,trying to act equally forceful and perturbed.
The sound froze him midway thru jamming shit into a small tool pack.
" You did not, just stomp your foot did you?" he growled without looking at her.
" Jake..talk to me."
Shoving the pack into the compartment under his seat, he turned to face her, settling back against his bike, his bulging arms crossed over his huge chest. She stared at the tattoos covering his arms, she'd finally noticed. Anything to avoid whatever hurt was coming.
He stayed silent as long as she avoided eye contact.
Finally, he reached out, lifting her chin with his thick calloused fingertips, so their eyes would meet.
"I did this to spend time with you, trying to get to know you and things, well...things didn't go quite like I thought." He looked over towards the street entrance where the pounding rain was being blown sideways in blinding sheets. His hands were clawing into the leather seat, raking at the trim anxiously.
"What happened that was so awful it made you wanna give up on getting to know me?"
She asked, twirling her hair nervously.
"What?" he growled, pushing off his Harley with both hands.
Now he was towering over her at full height, his eyes seemed angry, and she started to shake.
"Bella - what's wrong?" he demanded seeing her begin to get visibly upset.
" I'm sorry! I didn't realize I was being such a cocky pain in the ass, at your friends shop! I'm sorry I was shocked you were thirty...I'm sorry I was a puddle of goo when you first tried talking to me, but I haven't been with anyone for almost a year! and and and then I was a wise ass about the motorcycle ride..."
" Bella, Bells...sshhhhhh.." he chuckled pulling her into a consuming embrace, trying to silence her self damnation.
" None of it was you, honey...It was all me! I'm pissed at myself." he confessed.
" Bella.." he sighed making space between them again. " I'm the one who's sorry and ashamed of acting like a thug. I can't believe I laid you out on your bike and licked your stomach, like a tramp in the clubs I was taking a body shot from. I'm sorry I scared you on my motorcycle. NO ONE should ever scare you or put your beautiful body in harms way like that! Do you hear me? No one gets to treat you like that Bella!"
"Jake, its OK, I was right there, remember. Besides, normally I take good care of myself. But with you.." she stopped, a bright pink blush taking over her face.
" What about me Bella?" He urged her on... taking her back into his arms.
" I, I just lost myself..." she smiled up at him her eyes shining with the memory.
He smiled back..." I know what you mean, I lost myself too...and..and it scares me. Its weird Bella. I always have control, but I don't feel like I do around you."
"Can't we start over, or something?" she asked caressing his biceps.
"This day has just been so weird , from the moment I woke up." she confessed.
" Like start over with me taking you to dinner or something?" he asked, and they both turned to see the storm raging around them, outside the parking garage.
"We're not going anywhere in this with these bikes." he complained slumping back against his seat. "Thats the other thing I was trying to work out in my head...how I was gonna get back to LaPush tonight if this shit holds out... I'm sure Quil will come and get me and the bike.." he was thinking out loud now - eyeing the storm.
She'd spent a lot of time and effort keeping men at arms length, measuring character and intentions, critically. She had no desire to waste another moment of life in the company of a player. Had no intention of giving another piece of herself away, to a selfish, immature male.
But, as big of a mistake as it might be - and hurt her as he may, he felt different to her. She never felt such a strong draw towards a guy in her life. Never had such a strong physical response to anyone's presence in her life.
She was convinced it had to mean something.
With a deep breath, she shut her eyes and jumped.
"How about... we go have dinner...at my place?" She invited hesitantly.