Chapter 4: First Beach
I awoke the next morning to the warm glow of sunlight, which was streaming into the room from the broken window. I slowly opened one eye. Yep, I was still in Jacob's bedroom. After confirming that fact, I propped myself up in bed and then turned over in order to look at my sleeping best friend.
He wasn't there. A sudden uneasy feeling flooded my stomach. Oh my god, I thought, was it all a dream? Did Jacob and I not have that incredible night together? Feeling slightly panicked, I sat up fully and then climbed out of bed. After a quick glance in the mirror at my dishevelled self, I threw on yesterday's dusty jeans and T-shirt, gave my best attempt to straighten up my appearance, and then walked out of the room.
Jacob and Billy were in the kitchen making breakfast and talking amongst themselves.
"...yeah, and last night Sue's sister was asking me if you had found yourself a girlfriend yet," Billy said. "To tell you the truth, I didn't quite know how to answer that one…"
Jake chuckled, "Well, that makes two of us, Dad…"
"You know, I just thought, since you've been spending so much time with…"
"Bella! Hi!" Jacob suddenly caught a glimpse of me standing in the doorway and then accidentally banged his head on one of the kitchen counters. "Ow…" He rubbed his head and then smiled that amazing smile, the one that gave me butterflies.
"Morning Bella!" Billy greeted me. "We were just talking about you."
"Yeah," Jake replied, "about how you like to sleep in until eleven-o-clock on Saturday mornings." He glanced at the clock as he teased me.
"Yeah, sorry about that," I chuckled nervously, "I was just tired out from last night."
I hoped my words were subtle enough so that Billy wouldn't read too much into them, but I desperately wished that Jake would pick up on my innuendo and give me some sort of sign that last night existed outside the realm of my own fantasies. He looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why, what happened last night?" My stomach dropped as I glanced over his face.
There was absolutely no indication that he knew what I was talking about. Oh, it suddenly occurred to me, he must be trying to hide it from Billy. I felt a little relieved as Jake started scooping some scrambled eggs onto a plate for me.
"Now, Jacob," Billy remarked, "don't you be too hard on this girl. She's probably not used to the fast and busy pace of your lifestyle. Bella, when I heard he had you out riding motorbikes for hours yesterday I thought it was going to tire you right out."
"And you were right, Dad," Jake teased. "Last night Bella fell right to sleep on the couch after dinner. I had to carry her into bed, she was so out of it…" My stomach plummeted.
It was all a dream. I didn't kiss Jacob. Not even close. As I stood in the kitchen with a confused expression spreading across my face, Billy was suddenly wheeling his way towards the hall.
I was devastated that last night didn't actually happen. It had just felt so real. So right. As I watched Jacob, now dishing some homemade hash browns out onto my plate, I couldn't help but wish that he had seen my dream too, to know just how much my feelings towards him had been, well, transforming these past few weeks.
Of course I still loved Edward, I was reminded of that fact every single day, but the thought of Jake and I, holding each other close as we kissed, had pushed all thoughts of Edward from my mind. Last night was just Bella and Jacob. No werewolves, no vampires, just the two of us. And the scary thing was, I had loved every single moment of it. At least, I reflected sadly, I did when I thought it was real…
Somewhere in the house, a telephone was ringing. As Billy continued to head towards the hallway to answer it, he nodded in my direction as he passed by.
"Don't let Jake push you too hard, okay Bella? I promised your father I'd keep an eye on you this week." He winked and disappeared down the hallway.
Jacob strutted over towards the kitchen doorway, where I was standing, and poked his head down the hall.
"She's fine," he yelled to Billy. "She's a tough girl, she can take it…"
And then, without warning, his two enormous hands were on my waist, gently forcing me back into the kitchen wall. He pressed his body against mine and wrapped his arms around my trembling figure. Before I even had a chance to think, his lips crashed onto mine and he was kissing me passionately. My knees buckled and the butterflies in my stomach all started flapping their wings at once. This was what a real kiss felt like. His tongue toyed playfully with my own, causing pleasurable sensations to cascade down my body.
After a few blissful moments, his mouth broke away from mine. He gasped for breath and then whispered in my ear,
"Damn, I have been waiting to do that all morning."
"Wait," I hesitated and flashed him a warning look, "so last night wasn't just a dream?"
I could feel daggers shooting out of my eyes towards him. Jacob Black, you'd better have a damn good explanation for this…
"Of course it happened!" he said with a chuckle. I shot him a look of pure loathing, which he ignored, and then he continued with a sly grin, "I just needed to make sure that you really wanted it, especially the morning after, when so many people change their minds…" He smirked at my suddenly shocked and accusatory expression.
"Jake! You are such a jerk!" I tried to lift my hands to punch him in the chest, but he held them down at my sides.
"Admit it, you want me…" He teased and released my hands so he could tenderly stroke my face.
As he went in for a second kiss, I used all of my strength to punch my fists against his strong chest. He recoiling, laughing.
"Hey-y!" He threw his arms up as a shield to block my jabs.
I tried to act like I was mad at him, but I couldn't help letting an amused smirk spread across my face. I loved teasing Jake like this.
"That," I gave him one final punch on the arm, "is for tricking me, you big…doofus!"
He howled with laughter as I grabbed my plate of eggs and hash browns off the counter and proceeded to take a seat at the dining room table.
"Doofus? Wow, Bells, I haven't heard that one since the third grade…"
"Shut up, Jake. You're a jerk."
He grabbed his own plate, which was overflowing with food, and took up the seat across from me.
"Aw, Bella, honey, I'm sorry… Honestly, I am," his look was genuine. He continued in a whisper, "I just didn't want my Dad to suspect anything. Otherwise, we might not get to spend so much time alone in the house. I even got up at 6am today and snuck out here to the couch so that he wouldn't know I slept in the same bed as you." My heart pounded with excitement.
Last night's steamy make-out session was just a taste of the incredible potential that had been building between us for the past few months. I had been alone, neglected for far too long. It had been an entire year since Edward had last kissed me, and during that time my body had become somewhat dormant. But now, I was developing increasingly intense feelings towards my best friend and could sense my body reawakening; surging to life once again.
I gazed across the table at him and he flashed me a heart-breaking smile. I couldn't help but slip into my own shy grin. He was so gorgeous. And the way he handled my body last night made me crave for more.
Edward had always been very careful with me, as if I would break or crumple helplessly at the slightest touch. Jacob, on the other hand, liked to push the limits, roughhouse, and fully express his physical desires. I had enjoyed being Edward's little fragile porcelain doll, but I took pleasure in the way Jacob made me feel like a tough, sensual, desirous woman. A she-wolf, I chuckled to myself. He suddenly raised a curious eyebrow at me.
"What are you thinking about, Bells? You've been staring at me for like two minutes." I looked away, embarrassed.
"Oh God, sorry Jake. I was just…"
Thinking about what it might be like to have sex with you? No, Bella!
I continued, grasping at straws, "Umm, I was just thinking about how..." He scarfed down an entire piece of toast. "…about how in the hell you can eat so much!"
"Bella, you heard what my Dad said. I have a very active lifestyle. Just try and keep up, okay?" He chuckled through a mouthful of eggs and I smiled at his goofiness.
It was definitely reassuring that what happened last night didn't create an awkwardness between us, or change the way we acted together. He was still my Jacob. I can't wait for him to be all mine, I thought naughtily to myself.
At that moment, Billy re-entered the kitchen with a small backpack and a slightly troubled look on his face.
"That was your sister on the phone," he said with a sigh, "she broke her ankle last night after taking a nasty tumble down her dormitory stairs." Jacob looked as concerned as a little brother could possibly be.
"Umm, was she drunk or something?" I threw him a reproachful glance and then tossed one of my hash browns in his direction. Billy chuckled.
"Actually, she was… Which is good, I suppose, because it means she doesn't really remember much of what happened." Jacob returned to eating his toast.
"Wow, Rachel Black, making the family proud since 1987." He and Billy shared a laugh and I couldn't help but join in. Everything was always so easy and carefree in La Push.
"Yep," Billy continued, "you know how those college kids are these days… Anyway, I'm going to take a drive up there to make sure she's okay."
"Should I come?" Jake asked.
"No, you stay here and look out for Bella. I'm sure Charlie would be okay knowing that she was in your hands while I was away."
Jacob glanced over at me and then raised his eyebrows in a 'you-have-no-idea' sort of fashion. I quickly cast my eyes down and focused heavily on my hash browns. As Billy wheeled towards the front door, Jake got up to assist him.
"You taking the truck?" he asked.
"Yep, and I'll be back sometime tomorrow afternoon. Take care, son. Bye, Bella!" he called from the front porch. With a final goodbye from me, Billy was out the door and off to Seattle.
It was just me and Jake. All alone. All night.
I shivered with anticipation as he came back into the house and let the door slam behind him. It was deathly quiet, and the sudden silence made the butterflies in my stomach flutter even more vigorously. As I picked away at my eggs and buttered toast, he rejoined me at the table. I could sense the tension between us building as the silence lingered on.
"So…" I said nervously, "last night…"
He looked up at me with a confident expression on his face.
"What about it?"
I knew how I felt about what happened, but I didn't quite know how to put it into words.
"It was…"
"Amazing? Yeah…" he grinned.
I returned his smile with my own. And I can't wait to kiss you again, I thought excitedly to myself.
The great thing about Jake and I was that there was no pressure. In my heart, I knew that tonight would be amazing because we would be spending it together. Of course there were the butterflies, but no matter what happened later, I knew that I could trust him with all of my insecurities, my nervousness, and, most importantly, my heart.
After we had finished our breakfast, he grabbed our plates and dunked them into the soapy water in the sink. I grinned at him as he scrubbed away at the dishes. I decided to have a little fun with him and put my fake-flirting skills to the test.
"You know," I said seductively as I trailed my finger across his back and along his muscular arm, "a lot of girls would give almost anything to have a good-looking guy who also does the dishes…"
He raised an interested eyebrow at me as I traced my finger down his bicep and then drew it away from him.
"Too bad I'm not one of those girls…" I teased as I flashed him a flirty smile and a little sexy hair toss.
He ate it up. Smiling his signature little grin, he flicked one of his soapy hands in my direction, spraying me with warm water. I jumped back and then darted forward again to plunge my own hand into the water, splashing him worse than he got me. He looked at me with a devious expression on his face.
"Oh, you are in trouble now…"
I ran from the room, down the hallway and into the living room as he chased me. He tackled me mid-run and threw me down on the couch, breathing heavily as he hovered over my body. I made the first move this time.
I lifted my head up and quickly grabbed his lips with my own, sucking him in closer to me. My hands clutched desperately at his shirt, pulling his body down onto my own. He loved the way I took charge, I could tell, as his mouth moved unwaveringly against mine, soaking in every single sensation our bodies created together.
After a few moments, I ended my kiss, looked deeply into his eyes, and grinned.
"I think those dishes in the sink still need finishing…"
He rolled his eyes at me and pushed himself off the couch. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up into his arms.
"Bella," he said with a defeated shake of his head, "you are a troublemaker."
I giggled as he hugged me tightly and then headed back into the kitchen to finish off the dishes. I followed him, just admiring how adorable he was.
"So, what's the plan for today, huh?" I asked.
"Actually, the guys wanted to head over to First Beach. They called earlier and mentioned that it was a nice day, so there would probably be a lot of 'hot chicks' there," he made little quotation signs as he talked, as not to offend me or something. Aw, what a cutie.
"So, are you going to go?" I asked tentatively.
"Yeah, I felt bad for the way things ended the other night, what with Leah going all psycho-bitch and everything, so I said I would hang out for awhile. Is that okay?"
"Sure, sure," I told him, although I was secretly disappointed that I'd be spending the entire day Jacob-less. "Have fun, and say 'hi' to the guys for me." He shot me a confused expression.
"Bella, you're coming too!"
I rejoiced in the fact that he wanted me to be there with him.
He continued, "What, do you think I would just leave you home alone all day? I think you'd miss me way too much for that…"
I knew he was poking fun at me, but I wondered if he realized there was an actual truth to his words. I grinned happily,
"Okay, I guess I'll come, but only if you beg me to." He rolled his eyes.
"Bella, only dogs beg."
"Exactly," I smiled. He grabbed me around the waist.
"Well, right now," he muttered into my ear, "I'm one-hundred percent human and one-hundred percent sure that I don't need to beg to get you to come with me."
He kissed me softly on the neck and then pulled away and retreated down the hallway. Damn, that boy is sure of himself, I thought, feeling slightly dizzy from his closeness.
"Fine, I'll come with you. But I don't have a bathing suit with me or anything…"
Jacob, who sounded like he was sifting through his bedroom drawers, called back,
"That's okay! We all swim naked anyway…" Just when I was about to cry out in protest, he shouted, "I'm kidding… We'll take a spin over to your house first and you can grab whatever you need."
Great, I thought to myself. I didn't mind it if Jake saw me in a bikini, but I wasn't sure how all the other wolves would act. And, of course, there was Leah, whose perfect body intimidated me more than I liked to admit. Oh well, driving to Forks will give me a chance to grab some more girly clothes. I was definitely a fan of wearing oversized T-shirts, but I figured I should at least have a few outfit options at my disposal for the rest of the week.
Jacob eventually emerged from his bedroom, wearing a pair of board shorts underneath his loose jeans.
"You ready to go?" he asked and I nodded. "C'mon," he gestured, "you're riding with me today."
***
The drive to Forks and then to First Beach was exhilarating. I loved riding with Jake. Unlike myself, he was actually experienced on a bike and liked to hit the road fast and hard. As he leaned around the corners at high speed and pushed the pedal to the medal on the straightaways, I clutched at his chest and savoured the moment. He was my good-looking, smooth-talking, motorbike-riding Jacob. And I was loving every god damn second of him.
Once we got to the beach, we dismounted the bike, me in my fresh pair of jean shorts and white tank top, and settled down near our spot: the gigantic tree trunk where he and I had had so many talks. It was where he first told me the legend of his tribe and that the Cullens were thought to be vampires. I frowned slightly when I thought about Edward and how long it had been since I first found out he was, well, supernatural. I missed him every day. But, as Jake and I lay down in the warm sand, I was able to push him from my mind. I smiled at my best friend, who was lying beside me. It's nice spending time with someone who enjoys being out in the sun, I thought humorously to myself.
The rest of the wolf pack had not yet arrived and our section of the beach was practically empty, save for a few people who were surfing much further down the beach. Jake had already stripped off his jeans and T-shirt and was now lounging comfortably in his beach shorts. As we soaked in the sun's rays in silence, he reached over and took my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. I smiled into the blazing sun. This is right where I want to be. With my Jacob. He suddenly interrupted my girly thoughts.
"Bella, you realize that you're a really cool chick, right?" I burst out laughing and glanced over at him.
"Um, are you talking to me?" I laughed in disbelief, "You must have me confused with someone who isn't clumsy and uncoordinated." He chuckled at my joke and then turned to me again.
"I'm serious, Bells. Think about it. You ride a motorbike. I mean, c'mon, you run with wolves."
I liked the way that sounded. It was very freeing. And I liked the fact that Jacob Black, the coolest guy I knew, thought of me in that way. I smiled shyly to myself and then went back to sunbathing, playing slightly hard to get. He propped himself up onto his side and looked at me, smiling.
His eyes soon wandered from my face, down my body to where my tank top had slightly pulled itself up to reveal a thin sliver of my bare stomach. His gaze lingered at that area and then his opposite hand compulsively reached over and rested on my abdomen. I felt goose bumps rising all over my body as his fingertips ever so softly grazed across the thin sliver of my exposed skin. I shivered slightly, although I felt very warm underneath the hot sun.
Still gazing at my bare skin, he dipped his fingers slightly under my shirt, pulling it up a little bit more. I froze with excitement. I loved it when Jake touched my body like this. It made me feel like he couldn't keep his hands off me, and I liked the idea that he had these cravings. He finally broke his stare and glanced up at me.
"Soft…" he commented as he delicately stroked the sensitive skin on my lower stomach, his thumb circling around my navel.
His eyes wandered back down to where his hand worked and I closed my eyes, enjoying his caresses. I finally felt his thumb graze seductively over my navel and then he lifted my shirt up more deliberately. He rubbed his entire hand across my abdomen, even creeping up to the bottom of my ribcage.
I didn't flinch as his hand explored my sensitive bare skin, feeling every inch, discovering every curve. I had that warm tingling sensation in the area between my legs again; a sensation that was building up with more intensity with each moment that his hand tantalized my body. I felt a surge of warm wetness escape from my nether regions and form on my bathing suit beneath my shorts.
I knew we were on a public beach. I knew that the farthest Jacob and I had ever gone was a deep kiss. I knew that I wanted more. I concentrated on his massaging hand. God, Jake, I thought desperately, just go higher or lower, please…
My breathing started to ramp up as my mind wandered to naughty places. His hands, grabbing, touching, rubbing, squeezing, pumping. It was too much. The wetness on my bathing suit was a definite indicator that I craved for his touch. I wanted his hands all over me. Everywhere.
In a move that startled me (in a good way), the tip of his nose suddenly grazed my cheek. He nuzzled it smoothly up onto my own and then his succulent lips found mine. I gave into his kiss; probably more than was necessary. I pulled myself into it, desperately craving the warmth and wetness of his mouth.
As we tantalizingly explored each other's mouths with our tongues, he gave the skin on my abdomen a little squeeze of pressure and then gently moved his hand upwards. Yes, Jake, keep going… I gave a little moan of pleasure in an attempt to urge him forward. Still holding my hand in his other one, he gave a little squeeze of acknowledgement.
As our mouths slowly and deliberately exacted every single sensation out of each other's, his hand crept slowly upwards, moving underneath my thin tank top, until his fingers finally met the bottom of my bikini. I braced myself in anticipation. I needed to feel his hands on me. Not even Edward had gotten this far… I was waiting desperately. But not for long.
Jacob, in an agonizingly pleasurable movement, slowly slid his hand over my bathing suit top so that it rested on my breast, conforming into its curves. I gasped as he gently squeezed, once, twice, in a slow pulsating rhythm that matched our sumptuous kissing. My body shuddered as his thumb moved back and forth across my erect nipple. I had the sudden urge to be naked with him, to felt his warm hand against my bare skin, with no clothing in between to interfere.
I let out a low moan into his mouth as we kissed and I could feel his body tense against mine in response. He was definitely turned on, the hard protrusion in his shorts that suddenly pressed up against my hip proved that fact. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing as me… I wondered if he wanted me, naked. The feeling of his hand erotically massaging my breast was too much to handle. I wanted more. I needed more. I reached up to grab his face, pulling myself deeper into his kiss and …
"Awwwoooooooooo!"
"Wooooo yeahhhhh!"
"Oww owwwww baby!"
Three simultaneous howls from nearby caused us to wrench apart in surprise and embarrassment.
"Shit!" we both cried in shock as Jake pulled his hand out from underneath my shirt.
We both turned our heads behind us to where the sounds were coming from. There, emerging from the woods were Quil, Embry, Paul, and Seth, all smiling with satisfaction, and Leah, looking absolutely sour. I gulped loudly.
I had never been caught by anybody before. It was extremely humiliating, especially since all of the guys were staring hungrily at me. Oh God, I thought, this is going to be bad... Damn it, Bella, why can't you control yourself! And on a public beach, for God's sake!
As the wolves descended upon us, Jacob shifted his seating position so that the obvious bulge in his suddenly-very-thin-looking shorts was hidden as best as possible. The guys' grins made it seem like they had just discovered an endless pile of gifts underneath the tree on Christmas morning.
"Why don't you stand up and greet us, Jake?" Paul taunted, trying to make the situation even more awkward.
Jacob responded nervously, but with a sense of humour nonetheless.
"Um, ahh, I think I'm okay sitting, thanks…"
Oh God, I thought to myself, this is my nightmare. Jacob was lucky; they were his wolf pack, they already knew all of each other's most intimate secrets. I, on the other hand, was mortified that my new, and mostly male, friends had caught us in the act and were now taking pleasure in prolonging our embarrassment.
"Yeah, sorry to interrupt," Quil teased. "We just had no idea that you guys would be getting all hot and heavy on a family beach." My face turned even more red.
"Yeah, Jake," Embry chimed in, "there's a kid over there, dude!" I spun my head around.
Sure enough, there was a small child about fifty metres away, his parents glaring over in our direction with expressions of disgust. I turned back towards the wolf pack, mortified. They all started laughing hysterically. Leah, on the other hand, looked like she was about to explode with fury.
I couldn't handle any more embarrassment. I had to get out of there, at least for a few minutes. I stood up suddenly and stumbled around with dizziness.
"I'm g-going for a w-walk…" I stammered and pointed in the direction of the faraway surfers.
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I took my first step and my foot got caught around the strap of my purse, the contents of which went flying everywhere. I, with Jacob's help, hurried to collect up all of my spilled belongings: my wallet, my keys, my sunscreen, my lip gloss, and my … Oh no! I glanced up, horrified, as Paul was holding a small circular object in his outstretched hand.
"Here, Bella," he said with a mocking smile, "you definitely don't want to forget these. I'm sure they'll come in handy sooner or later…"
My birth control pills. I almost died of humiliation. Jacob, sensing my mortification, snatched them up quickly before Leah or Embry could take a closer look and stuffed them into my bag. He stood up, pulling me up with him, and gestured to the guys,
"Ha ha ha, yes, this is all very funny, you guys. But, Bella and I are going for a walk and when we come back I sure as hell hope that everyone has gotten all of the hilarity out of their systems. Got it?!"
The guys snickered amongst themselves but all nodded in compliance. I started walking down the beach towards the surfers, Jacob right beside me. After we were a safe enough distance from the pack, he finally spoke up.
"Well, that sucked…" he remarked. I laughed nervously, still embarrassed from what had happened. He noticed that my face hadn't gotten any less red.
"Don't worry, Bells," he said comfortingly, "you won't feel embarrassed for long. The guys have a way of making fun of something until it becomes annoying rather than awkward." I rolled my eyes.
"Great…"
I looked at Jake and then forced out a little nervous giggle. He smiled and then grabbed me, hugging my body in a loving embrace and making me feel much better about the whole thing. I smiled in disbelief,
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe that they caught us like that! And the very first time you… well, you know…" I felt too shy to say the words.
"Oh, trust me, I know…" he said with a smug grin. "Jeez Bella, your coolness factor just skyrocketed. Only the coolest of cool girls let guys do that to them on the beach…"
I gave him a mortified glare (to which he responded with a laugh) and then slapped him hard across the arm. I giggled at how awkward the situation was and then covered my face with my hands. Again, he wrapped me up in a gigantic bear hug and I felt more relaxed about the whole thing. Jacob had an amazing skill of taking the pressure out of even the most stressful situations. And right now, I loved him for that.
I knew that his next question would eventually come to the surface, though, and I was relieved when it finally did.
"So, um, Bella," he said nervously, "about… what's in your purse…" I felt awkward talking about it, but decided that I should probably explain.
"Oh, that. Yeah, well, my Mom wanted to make sure I was being safe in high school, so she asked me if I would go the pill during the ninth grade. She knows that accidents happen and, well, people make mistakes, so I've been on it for a long time, just in case. I hope it doesn't weird you out or anything…" I gazed reluctantly at him, who was clinging to every word I uttered.
"It doesn't weird me out, at all. It sounds like a good idea, actually…" Then he smiled goofily at me, "But, grade nine, Bella? Holy shit…" I punched him in the arm.
"Jake, shut up! It was just as a precaution!" We were laughing to ourselves when I suddenly heard a high pitched girl's voice in the distance,
"Bella? Is that you?" It was Angela Weber. I looked more closely at the now nearby surfers: Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton, and Eric Yorkie.
"Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise as they all came walking towards us, "I didn't know you guys were here!"
I knew that they all liked to surf once in a while, but it still shocked me a bit to see my Forks friends inside of Jacob's world, at La Push. All of a sudden, Jessica's jaw dropped and she let out a little squeal of delight,
"Oh my god… you guys kissed!" Jake and I looked at each other quickly and then glanced back towards my friends, all of whom were giving Jessica some very strange looks.
"What?" she said in response, "I can totally tell…" Mike Newton looked from me to Jacob, reluctantly.
"Ummm, I don't think so…" he said with a slight shakiness in his voice.
"Anyway," Angela interjected and I threw her a 'thank you' look, "do you two want to come chill with us? We just finished surfing…" Eric chimed in,
"Yeah, the waves are totally hating on us right now…"
I glanced over tentatively at Jacob, who gave me a little smile of reassurance, and then turned back to my friends.
"Actually, a bunch of Jake's friends just got here, so if you guys want to come hang out on the beach for a while longer then you are definitely welcome…"
I hoped they would, even for the simple fact that if they did, I wouldn't be one of the only female focal points of attention for the Quileute guys.
"Sure!" Jessica and Angela both exclaimed. They seemed keen on meeting anybody who could be friends with someone as good-looking as Jake.
We all returned to where the wolf pack had set up camp. As promised, nobody made any embarrassing remarks about what they had caught Jacob and I doing, but I still felt self-conscious of all the smirks and grins aimed in my direction.
"Guys," said Jake to his buddies, "these are some of Bella's friends from Forks."
After all of the introductions were made, we settled down onto the warm sandy beach. To my delight, everyone seemed to be getting along quite well: Mike, Quil, and Embry were chatting about the latest pro football game; Eric and Angela were deep in conversation with Leah and Seth; and Jessica had taken a definite interest in the dark and mysterious Paul.
Once the conversations had been going on for quite awhile, somebody suggested that we all hit the water. Quil and Embry seemed more enthused than everybody else because they suddenly jumped up to their feet, simultaneously yelled "Skinny Dipping!" and then stripped off their beach shorts and ran, stark naked, down the beach and into the water. Everyone roared with laughter and shock and then the rest of us eventually made our way down the beach.
As I drifted in the water for a while my body started to get the chills. It was a warm day in La Push, but the autumn breeze was nippy, nonetheless. Before my teeth could start chattering, however, I felt a warm hand brush up against my waist underneath the water.
"You cold, Bells?" Jacob, as usual, looked very delectable when he was shirtless and dripping wet. I shivered slightly as he pulled my body into his, but not because I was cold. We had drifted slightly further away from the rest of the gang, so we could talk privately without being overheard. He snuggled my body close to his, wrapping his gigantic arms around my waist and resting his head down over my shoulder. I moved my cheek softly against his.
"Jake," I said softly, "you know you are an amazing guy, right?" I could feel him grinning and then he chuckled.
"Aw shucks, Bells. Stop, you're making me blush…" he teased.
"I'm serious. From what I've seen, there's not a whole lot of genuinely great guys out there, and I just wanted you to know that you are one." He gave me a little squeeze in recognition.
"Well, it's hard not to be nice to insanely hot women, such as yourself." I smiled and then he added, "Actually, it is hard to be nice to you sometimes, when I have all these dirty thoughts clouding up my mind..."
"Jake!" I squealed in reaction to his words. I had always figured that he had fantasies about me (hell, I had them about him sometimes), but he had never actually admitted that he did, until now.
"What?" he whined comically. "What am I supposed to do? You're just way too damn sexy for your own good…"
"And what about people like Leah or Jessica? Aren't those gorgeous girls enticing to you?"
"Nope. Just you, Bells. Just you."
I smiled to myself as he said those words. He loved me, and only me. It was a wonderful feeling. One that I began to slowly reciprocate…
I glanced over at the others. Mike looked like he was chatting up Leah. What a perfect match, I thought. Mike likes me, Leah likes Jake, and they both liked to give us a hard time about it. As I watched, I noticed them periodically glancing over at us. I felt a slight twinge of guilt, even though I detested Leah. I knew how it felt to love somebody that you can't have. Someone who was either already taken, or had gone away and left you broken-hearted…
After swimming for a while, everyone clambered out of the water and back up to the beach. As we were all towelling off (and Quil and Embry were putting their clothes back on…), Paul spoke up,
"So, Jake, bonfire at your place tonight?"
"Ooh, I love bonfires!" squealed Jessica, obviously wanting to spend as much time around Paul as possible. Jacob shot me an apologetic look and then turned back towards everyone, all of whom were waiting on edge for his affirmation.
"Yeah, sure. A bonfire sounds like fun. And you guys are definitely welcome to come too," he motioned to my Forks friends, all of whom exchanged excited glances, except for Mike.
After getting directions to Jake's house and packing up all of their belongings, my friends said their temporary goodbyes.
"Nice to meet everyone" said Eric as he nodded to the wolf pack. "We'll meet you guys at the campfire later after we get something to eat in Forks. Peace out!"
"Bye Paul…" Jessica said with a flirtatious wave and smile. I rolled my eyes at Angela and she giggled.
Once they had all retreated back down the beach, Quil started gathering up his own things.
"Well, guys, I think we should head out and grab some food. I'm starving."
"Yeah," said Embry slyly, "and it'll give Jake and Bella a little more alone time before we all crash the party later." I blushed slightly, but I hoped that the little bit of sun I got today would help to hide it. A frantic Leah butted in,
"Or, we could just all chill together until the bonfire…" Seth flashed Jake an understanding look and then addressed his sister,
"Leah, I think Mom wants us to come home for dinner. We'll meet up with Jake later though…" he shot a warning look, which definitely annoyed her.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.
As they all grabbed their stuff and headed towards the forest, Jake squeezed my hand and softly muttered,
"One sec, Bells, I'll be right back." I watched as he ran off into the woods after them. I wonder what he's up to...
JPOV
My body was on fire, my muscles ripping, my shape shifting. Before I knew it, I was on all fours, racing through the forest after the rest of the pack.
Guys, wait up, I silently called to them.
Yo, let's stop. It's Jake, Paul alerted the others.
Soon, five wolves were emerging out of the underbrush in front of me.
What's up, Jake? Seth asked curiously.
Who cares! Embry belted out, Dude, now that Bella's not around, you gotta tell us what's been going down between you two...
Seriously man, we're dying here! Quil chimed in.
Of course I had come to talk to them about me and Bella, but definitely not in the way that they wanted me to. I wanted to keep all of my best moments with her a secret, just for me. The way her lips felt against mine, the way she whispered my name when I touched her, how insanely turned on I got whenever she flashed me that sexy grin of hers. She was so fucking hot. Whenever I thought about Bella, everything else became a blur. My mind wandered to every detail that had happened between us and, for a few awesome moments, I forgot where I was and…
Duuude! Quil cried out in satisfaction.
Fuck yeah, man… Embry grinned.
Oh shit! I frantically thought to myself. I was a fucking wolf, and everyone could read my thoughts. They had seen everything.
That's PRIVATE! I yelled furiously at them and they all started laughing like the big morons that they are.
C'mon man, said Paul, you know you can't hide anything from us… we're your brothers.
I cursed inside my head when I saw every single one of their thoughts. Paul and Quil were grinning as they replayed the image of Bella panting and moaning in my bed ('And dude, she's on the pill! You know what that means…'). Embry was picturing her completely naked. I snarled viciously at him and he quickly refocused his thoughts on a nearby tree. Seth was just happy that we had finally kissed. But, my heart stopped when I heard what Leah was thinking.
Damn, Jacob, why can't you see me the way you see her. I can't stand being around the two of you, so happy together. It's too much; too painful. And why her? She's so plain, so average…
She finally caught my eye and quickly turned her head away, humiliated. The rest of the guys had heard her thoughts too and were all staring at her, expecting her to burst into tears at any moment. I felt bad for Leah; everyone, including myself, knew how she felt about me, but I was in love with Bella. And it was the best love in existence.
Out of respect, I pretended not to notice what she had been thinking about a moment ago.
Okay, is everybody finished being an asshole and ready to hear what I came here to say?
Everyone nodded in agreement.
I just wanted to ask if you guys would, you know, not stay too late at the bonfire tonight… Not that I'm expecting anything to happen with Bells, but, well, last night was amazing and Billy is gone until tomorrow…
Got it, man. Bella is super hot, we won't cock-block you… Embry winked as his mind wandered to an image of Bella on top of some faceless guy, riding him hard as she fucked his brains out. I snarled fiercely. It's times like this when I fucking hated being a wolf…
God, would you STOP thinking about Bella?! And, I already told you, I'm not planning for anything to happen between us… I'd just like to be alone with her for a while…
Yeah, Leah chimed in furiously, and it's not like Jake has any idea what he's doing anyway… I mean, he's still a virgin…
I growled angrily at her. She was such a fucking bitch.
Shut up, Leah. That's none of your business… I was really pissed now. She had a way of getting under my skin with her stupid comments. And I needed to get out of there before I accidentally revealed any more of the private moments I had spent with Bella.
So, I continued, I would advise against any of you doing anything to make Bella feel uncomfortable or unwanted, unless you want to end up with four broken paws…
I quickly phased back to my human form, bolted from the forest and re-emerged on the beach, where the sexiest girl in existence was waiting for me.
Damn, I thought excitedly as I looked her up and down, I can't wait to get her home tonight…
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more...