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"Jasper-Esme and I are going into town for a while. I'll have my cell phone with us if you need me. I believe that Rosalie and Emmett will be staying in the city another day, as well. We'll try to be back sometime tonight, but I'm not making any promises. Esme's got a project in mind, and when she gets going she's unstoppable." He smiled, touching me on the shoulder on his way through the doorway. Bella came downstairs.

"Are you leaving?" she asked, sitting on the lowest step.

"Just for a while. Esme's got some shopping she'd like to do. You'll be okay with Jasper here, right?" he asked, and I could feel his undercurrent of worry, like he hadn't thought of that until now.

"Yep, I'll be fine. Have fun!" She replied, jumping up and heading to the living room. "I'm just going to rest on the couch for a bit." Carlisle watched her retreat, and then beckoned me closer.

"Will you be alright alone here with Bella?" he asked. I frowned. I was never going to live down that one little slip up. And I hadn't even touched her! Need I remind everyone that it was Edward who very nearly took her life while she lay on the floor in that ballet studio? Wasn't it Carlisle who had to pull him off of her? But of course they didn't tell Bella that. No. Edward had stopped in time, because he loved her so much. Liar. I was angry.

"I'll be fine. She's in no more danger with me than she is with the rest of the family." I told him, subtly reminding him of said incident. He nodded, and then joined Esme in the car. In a moment of spite, I thought that maybe I should tell Bella about that night. And then I could tell her all of the other things my family was hiding from her, like the fact that Rosalie had wanted to end her life right after her car accident. Of course, I was behind that as well, but she already knew I had a taste for her blood. I was sick to death of this mess. I was never trusted, not even by my own wife. Except for Bella. Even after my slip, she asked me to help her sleep. To watch her in such a vulnerable position, she must have known that I could have taken her at any time. I still could, and now we were alone. But yet here she sat.

She was curled up on the couch, watching me carefully as I walked through to join her. "A little help?" she smiled weakly. I chuckled, and then nodded. It was very easy to put her to sleep-she was under almost instantly. I watched her for a while. She really was pretty, I could see what Edward saw in her. She wasn't stereotypically pretty, but comfortable in her own skin. Not as confident as she could be, either, but what teenager was? She was tossing a little bit, and I was worried that she was going to fall off of the couch. I noticed that she was flushed-the blanket must be too warm. I walked forward and pulled it off of her. She was wearing a pair of biker shorts and a tank top-her 'lounge around' clothes, as she called them. And I was right to pull the blanket off-she was too hot. The tank top was sticking to her skin, and I surprised myself by the feelings of lust I was putting off. But it was only natural-I was a man, was I not?

I remembered the other night, when Bella said my name because I made her. I made her. And we were alone-Alice and Edward in Italy, Rosalie and Emmett in the city, Carlisle and Esme shopping…and shouldn't I try to expand my powers? Isn't that what the gifted did? It's not like I would hurt her, either. And she wouldn't know it was me.

So I tried it again.

And since I was feeling less than gentlemanly at the moment, that's exactly what I put out. Either I couldn't help myself, or I didn't want to help myself. I didn't know the difference anymore. All I knew was that I liked having this control over her. Nobody else trusted me, why should she? Maybe I should give her a reason not to. I let the man in me take over-forgetting Alice and Edward, and only allowing myself to think about the girl in front of me, and what I'd like to see her do.

"Mmm…" it came out as a whisper at first, and if I hadn't been a vampire I wouldn't have noticed. I also wouldn't have noticed the hardened little pebbles that had risen up to strain the fabric of her shirt. But I did. I wanted to run my hand down her chest.

She did it for me. I nearly came undone at this-like she was a mind reader and knew exactly what I wanted. Perhaps I was just concentrating hard enough to make it happen. So I tried again. Just the site of her like that on the couch, hand resting on her stomach, hot with heat and fire…I wanted to touch her where no one else had. Her smell lit up the room, and for once it wasn't her blood calling my name.

Her hand moved further down, past her belly button, and I had to close my eyes or I would have acted on impulse. "Jasper…." She whispered-I bared my teeth out of sheer desire. Instinct moved me closer to her-I was now directly in front of her, no longer keeping my distance. I wasn't trying to control my lust, instead letting it seep around her, just to see what happened. Her hand moved in little circles around her most private place, and I could feel how much she wanted it. How much I wanted it. God, did I want it. I hovered over her, so ridiculously turned on that I could barely move. But I didn't want to stop-didn't know if I could. She was acting out my fantasy for me.

Her hips gave a little jerk, and I growled. I desperately wanted to grab and pull and suck until I couldn't anymore. Her other hand moved up and granted my wish, pulling lightly on her nipple through her shirt. She was frantic now, desperate for release, and I wanted it bad-I wanted to see that. "Oh…"she cried, almost imperceptibly, and her body shuddered involuntarily as she reached my goal. I was breathing hard as she rolled to her side, falling into a deep sleep once again.

Oh. My. God.

Then I ran. I ran outside, trying to clear my head and come to my senses, because apparently I didn't have many left. That was my brother's girlfriend. My wife's best friend. And I had just…influenced her to…to what? Act out my own personal fantasy? That was exactly it. I took control again. And I took it too far.

I liked it. No-I loved it. She whispered my name. She'd done everything I wanted her to do. And the best part was she would just think it was a dream. It made me feel freedom like I hadn't felt in a long time-since before I met Alice.

I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to look, and Bella was standing a few feet away. I felt a strong course of embarrassment from her, and her cheeks blushed.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I wouldn't tell her that I knew exactly what was wrong.

"What? Nothing. I just had a bad dream. I woke up alone, and I thought I'd come and see where you were. So what's up?" she said.

"I was just thinking. It's not important. What would you like to do this afternoon? Your wish is my command." After all, I owed it to her. She thought for a moment.

"It's still warm. I'd like to go swimming, if you want to come."

"Sounds good to me. Is your suit still here?"

"I think so. If not, I'm sure Alice has something stashed around here for me-she never lets me have one of anything." She chuckled, and I felt a stab of remorse. Alice. But I wouldn't think about that now-after all, it's not like I touched Bella or anything.

"Fantastic. So let's go back to the house, and we can change." She nodded and turned back towards the house.

Heaven knows I could use a dip in the pool.