Chapter 3
Bella pushed the salmon around on her plate. It was delicious, but she wasn't the least bit hungry. Her lack of appetite may have had something to do with all of the newlyweds at her table. Catering for these "Marriage weekends" as the local chapel had put it, paid fairly well but it was near torture to be single and attending one. As far as she could tell there wasn't another singleton around for miles. If she had to hear one more word about engagement rings and honeymoon trips, she was going to puke. Abruptly, she pushed her chair back and made a beeline for the bar.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stood with his back to her. Bella hadn't paid much attention to the wedding ceremonies, but she couldn't help but notice the striking good looks of the best man from the last ceremony. The one that had the weird ingredient for the cake. He had looked oddly grim throughout the ceremony (maybe he realized he was going to have to eat the cake?), but at one point when he had grinned at the groom, it was as if the sun had come out from the clouds to pour down over everyone.
Bella cursed her unfortunate weakness for tall, cute, and handsome. Her friends liked to joke that the guys she always fell for were the perfect counterpart to her smaller auburn curves. But it wasn't really all that funny. The truth was that if the man came with a harsh past and emptiness in his soul, she was moth to his flame.
Which may have had something to do with her still being single, she mused sardonically. Staying single was a decision she had made last time she got her heart trampled all over.
According to her mother, who after ten years of marriage still had stars in her eyes when she looked at her husband, if she could only find a nice, simple, happy man, everything would be perfect.
Oh yeah, except for the fact that she was going to have to close her bakery if she didn't start making a better profit. Love was nice and good to have, but it wasn't all that, nor a magical fix-it.
Bella fell even deeper into her misery as she made her way past the last of the tables. The best man ran a large hand through his hair and said something in a low voice to the bartender. The sound of his voice sent goose bumps running up her bare arms. Coming shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Handsome and Tortured, she said to the bartender,
"Give me something. Anything. Just make it strong."
She had never had more than wine before — alcohol wasn't her thing, not when she could do such amazing things with sugar and chocolate — but Bella didn't care. If there was ever a time to get drunk, it was now.
The best man, who was even more striking up close, tossed back a shot of something golden then turned to face her and promptly spat his drink out. Bella's left brow went to visit her hairline and chose seat a bit further away from him miffed. So much for chatting with another single - he wore no wedding ring, not that she looked, mind you - in the sea of newlyweds.
"She'll have a shot of tequila"
He told the bartender, all the while holding her gaze with his own and deliberately moving to sit on the stool right next to her. Seemingly pleased by her shock at his forward behavior, he quirked an eyebrow and added,
"Make it two. With lime and salt."
Bella had never seen eyes so red, just like the eyes of the couple with the weird taste in cakes. Or such a gorgeous, masculine face. She blinked and tried to tear her eyes from his, but she didn't have a chance.
"Jasper Whitlock"
He said, his voice warm and slightly thick, a small smirk curving his lips.
Bella's tongue darted out to lick her lips. She knew she was supposed to say her name, but she was having the darnedest time just remembering to breathe around this guy. His name seemed vaguely familiar, all of him did for that matter, but her brain wasn't working well enough for her to think about anything at all.
One side of his mouth quirked up higher, but his semi-grin was far from being a smile. Shame, he'd look cuter if he smiled.
"And you are?"
He asked, his tone slightly mocking, as if he was used to women losing all use of their tongues whenever he deigned to speak to them. Annoyance babbled up inside her then and that got her mouth moving.
"Bella Swan"
The bartender placed a shot glass of tequila in front of Bella and she finally pulled herself away from her trance of lust. It was long past time for her to stop acting like such an idiot. What did it matter how gorgeous this guy was? She had more important things to occupy her mind.
She blinked and tore her gaze from his. She picked up the little glass. She took a small sip of the liquid and nearly spit it out. Her annoyance turned to anger at being the butt of some stranger's joke; she turned towards Jasper, her eyes flashing.
"What is this? Are you trying to kill me?"
His laughter was so unexpected that Bella took a step back.
"I take it you've never had tequila before?"
He said, his words mixing with his laughter.
Bella shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything more to this awful, albeit incredible, specimen of a man. When he laughed his eyes lit up and she thought they sparkled like pools of fire, which was a ridiculous thought.
But before she could walk away — scratch that, run away — to her car and leave to go hide in her kitchen in her bakery, he leaned down so that she could feel his warm breath across her cheek and said,
"Won't you let me show you how?"
His softly spoken words made her shiver. Her mouth opened to say 'yes' but the words that came out were different.
"I don't think so"
Despite her words and that Bella knew she should get up and walk away, she remained seated, watching him slide the two glasses together and picked up a slice of lime.
"First, you hold the lime between your teeth, with the flesh facing me"
She shook her head, laughing when Jasper he took the opportunity to slide the small green fruit between her lips. His thumb brushed lightly over her bottom lip as he did so and she rolled her eyes.
"Now tilt your neck to the side"
He said as he brushed her curls away from her neck with icy cold, sure fingers, Bella was about to burst with laughter. She may only have had a handful of boyfriends, but she was fairly sure laughter wasn't an appropriate response to flirting.
"I'm going to sprinkle a little salt onto your skin"
He whispered, shaking out several grains of salt onto her and Bella bit hard into the lime, getting afraid for the first time.
"And then,"
He said, in so low of a voice she could barely hear him,
"It's time for the tequila."
In one smooth motion, he leaned down and sucked at the skin on her shoulder, taking the salt into his mouth. Bella lost her breath when he pulled away and downed the bitter liquid in the shot glass. Bella watched as if in slow motion when he leaned towards her, closer and closer, until they were finally eye to eye. With a tenderness that she could hardly believe someone could possess, he placed his mouth over hers, slowly tasted her lips with his tongue, tasting every curve and the corners between her upper and bottom lips, taking his time to brand her once again before he sucked the juice from the lime.
Jasper removed the lime from her mouth with his teeth. Dazed, she watched him pluck it from his mouth and put it in the empty shot glass. Loud clapping for the band playing at the reception brought Bella back to reality.
Then she bolted.
A/N: Yeah... If when you hear/read Jasper Hale/Cullen you imagine a pained expression and a constipated face, think again. Jasper Whitlock is a lot more more self assured, used to playing human and being with humans, who may or may not play with his food prior to eating it and reacted just a tad too human when he got a big shock. There's more to come though!
