Oh my friends you make me so happy. I love the nice and sometimes naughty things people write to me in their reviews. Each and everyone of them make my day. So thank you. Also a few people have now offered to Beta for me and I really appreciate it. I'm gonna finish this one on my own. Unless my punctuation is really killing you all and then I'll get someone to try and help me. If not them it's all good. Anyway just wanted to say I love you all and I wanted to give a shout out to my Nashville peeps.
As always they are Steph's not mine.
Chap 7
The party is in full swing now. I don't know what to say, so I skirt around the far side of the pool deck purposely avoiding eye contact with anyone.
I hurry out the side door and head toward the lake. I spot Jasper immediately sitting on the end of the dock his legs hanging over the edge feet dangling in the water.
His honey hair glistening in the sun takes my breath away. Even with his nose taped up and the half of his face I can see all bruised he takes my breath away. He is truly the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Sitting there all alone with his head hanging down staring at his folded hands he looks so dejected I want to run to him and take him in my arms and beg him to forgive me.
Taking a deep fortifying breath I walk out onto the dock a million and one things I want to say running through my head. When I get to the end Jasper turns his battered face up to me. The sun is directly behind me so he has to squint a little. When he realizes it's me a sad smile comes to his lips.
"Hey" I manage to squeak out.
Oh, awesome Mary Alice. Why to start a conversation. Your stunning use of the English language will have him dazzled and eating out of your hand in no time. It still amazes me that I never realized how much that snide little voice in my brain that always feels the need to point out my short comings sounds like my mother. But she's right. I have no idea what to say to him.
Stop it Aly, the new voice inside my head yells. Look at him he's so into you. He let your brother mangle his face for your honor for God sake! Sexy pixie yells at me. I really thought she would wash down the drain in the shower this morning with all the make up and hair goo, but she's still there championing my heart. And all my other parts that want Jasper. Maybe Rose is right. She is a part of me. She just needed to be let out.
I squat down and look into his stunning blue eyes of the man that released her. My hand, of it's own free will, goes to his face. I gently stroke his bruised cheek with my thumb. His hand comes up to cover mine. He turns his head to place a gentle kiss into my palm and then rubs his cheek against my hand. I can feel tears stinging my eyes. He swipes his thumb under my eye and gazes at the drop of moisture on the tip.
"All I seem to do is make you cry." He says dropping his hand and turning back to stare out at the water.
I stand up not entirely sure what my next move should be. I wipe my eyes with my thumbs and press my fingers to my temple. OK such an important matter calls for action. I take in a deep breath and release it. I resolve to explain to him that I am a stupid fool that should have grabbed him and held on tight instead of running like a scared little girl.
"Jasper" I say his name hoping he will look at me.
Nothing. He just continues to look out over the water. Oh no mister you will hear what I have to say. I walk right up to him and step one foot over his legs. I place my hands on his shoulders and lower myself until we are eye to eye. I am know kneeling on the dock straddling his hips.
To say he is shocked is an understatement, but the expression on his face is priceless. I can't help but giggle a little. He arches his one brow at me questioning my actions.
"I wanted to be sure I had you undivided attention." I tell him.
"Your methods are very effective." He manages to joke with a small smile.
"I'm glad you approve." I say.
"Yes ma'am I do. Now that you have my attention what are you going to do with it?" He says as his hands slide up my legs to rest on my hips.
"Apologize." I tell him.
"Now Alice you have nothing to apologize for." I flinch remembering that I had yelled at him earlier and told him to call me Alice because only my friends called me Aly.
"Yes I do. Stating with that. You can call me Aly. I mean good lord after last night if your not a friend I don't know who is." I say giving him what I hope is a sassy smile.
He snickers a little and his hands squeeze my hips. He cocks his head to one side and gives me that sexy ass half grin of his. What I really want to do is shove him down on the dock and have my wicked way with him, but I need to apologize and clear the air first. But if thing go well the whole dock scenario can defiantly be revisited pixie points out. I shake my head trying to stay focused.
"I'm also sorry about last night." He tenses tries to interrupt me, but I place my finger over his lips and continue. "Just the part were I freaked out and left you. All the bits up to that were amazing."
He relaxes a bit and signals for me to continue.
"I'm a fool when I should have taken the wonderful gift I was given and held it close to my heart I got scared and ran instead." I forced myself to continue to meet his eyes. "I listened to the voice in my head that told me that I was a fool to think that you could really be interested in me. That horrible voice in my head kept telling me that if you had met the real me, this me, you never would have given me a second glance."
"Woman you don't see yourself very clearly." He says pressing his forehead against mine. "I'm not gonna lie last night you were the sexiest women I have ever laid my eyes on, but today when I walked into that room and saw you, this you, you took my breath away. You are the most stunningly beautiful woman I have ever met in my life." He punctuated his statement with a soft kiss on my forehead.
OK girl it's now or never. Just tell him what's in your heart and ignore you stupid logical brain. Pixie's voice says giving me a pep talk. You've listened to your mom's voice in your bran all your life and look where that's gotten you.
She's right. I've got to just do this.
No you'll regret it. My mother starts in my head.
Just do it! Pixie yells,
"Jasper I love you too!" I practically yell at him.
Yay! Pixies yells jumping up and down and doing cartwheel's in my head. Mom is for once silent thank God and I realize so is Jasper.
"This would be the time that you say that you do I love me too and reassure me that I didn't just imagine you saying it earlier." I say with a very nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little shocked." he says. " I was expecting to have to woo you."
"Woo me? What are you like 80?" I tease.
"Yes woo. You know candle lit dinners, dancing, moonlit walks on the beach. I was sitting out here planning my strategy. And here you come and plop yourself down and announce you love me too. Are you sure that wasn't you last night?" He asks with a laugh.
"Rose has very recently brought it to my attention that I am a beautiful and sexy woman and that I just needed the right man to bring that out in me. And that amazing man just happened to confirm it just now. I have decided she and he are both right on all counts. So yes that was me last night. A part of me anyway. And I just hope you like all the other parts of me too" I tell him.
"Remind me to thank Rose and this amazing guy." he says with a mischievous grin. "And for the record I have a pretty intimate knowledge of most of your parts darlin' and I gotta tell you I love each and every one of them."
I'm about to point out that is not exactly what I meant when I said I hoped he liked all my other parts, but at that moment he wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. Our bodies are pressed together and he is teasing me with his lips. Ghosting them over mine but not quite touching.
"What about my wooing?" He ask me in a husky whisper
"Far be it for me to interfere with a man and his wooing strategy. So woo away." I answer my fingers gliding into his silky golden hair. I pull him toward me.
Our hungry mouths meet. I press my tongue against his lips and he opens allowing me to devour him. His hands slide down to grip my ass pulling me closer, he grinds his hips into mine. His lips leave mine to trail down my throat. I arch my back as he leans into me to run his tongue down my neck to the tops of my breasts.
My head is spinning and I feel like I'm falling. And the I realize I am falling! We're both falling.
The water rushes around me cooling my heated skin. I have a moment of confused panic and the Jasper's strong arms are pulling me up.
Our heads break the surface at the same time. I sputter a bit clearing the bit of water I swallowed out of my throat. Jasper has the biggest grin on his face and his shoulders are shaking trying to contain his laughter.
"What are you grinning about Mr?" I ask him treading water.
"I wanted to make you wet, but this is not exactly what I had in mind." He playfully splashes me.
I try to look angry but his beautiful smile is infectious and I can't resist grinning back at him. A loud rumbling noise distracts me and I look up to the sky. Not a cloud in sight.
"What's wrong." Jasper looks up too.
"Do you hear thunder?" He laughs at me and motions with his chin behind me. I turn to see the bane of every Quarterback in the NFC East running full steam down the dock like the over grown child he is. As he gets to the end he jumps into the air and yells "Cannon ball!" He sails over our heads and hits the water with a loud crack and a giant wave of water pours over us.
Emmett comes up grinning like a fool. He looks from me to Jasper and back again
Em hesitantly asks "Everything OK here?"
"Well other than you almost drowned us ya big whale, yes I think everything is gonna be OK." I look at Jasper and he nods and gives a million mega watt smile.
"Jasper, man I'm sorry about you know your face and stuff." Em apologizes awkwardly.
"Don't worry about it Em. I would have done the same thing in your shoes." Jasper puts out his hand and Em takes it pulling Jasper into one of his signature bear hugs. My brother has no issues with his masculinity at all.
As the others join us in the lake some diving in off the dock like my brother others just wading in from the shore I swim toward the ladder. Rose is there with a towel and she gives me her hand to help me out of the water.
"You know that dress is probably ruined." She hands me the towel.
I look down my once white dress is now a ugly brownish color from the lake water. I wrap the towel around me a shrug "Oh well, it was soooo worth it."
"Oh girl you do got it bad." Rose laughs hugging me " I'm so happy for you. Now lets see if we can find you proper swimming attire. I think you left a swim suite over here last weekend."
The sound of Jasper's laughter draws my attention. I look back out to the lake Jasper and Em have organized an epic splash war. Best I can tell it's Offense versus Defense with all the kids on the outskirts just splashing anyone that comes close. As we watch Emmett grabs Hector, Sanchez's four year old from his mother. Hector was wiggling in his momma's arms wanting to join in the water fight, but I know he doesn't swim very well yet so I'm sure she was afraid he could get hurt. Em uses his body to shield Hector from the majority of the splashing and the helps him to splash his daddy and the others. Hector holds on tight to Emmett's neck and we can hear him laugh hysterically every time they splash his dad. Em spins Hector around in a fast circle letting Hector kick his little feet and splash the other kids. Suddenly the other kids turn on them and start all jumping on Em. He passes Hector off to his daddy as he let's the bigger kids take him down. I can't help but laugh. I turn to Rose to make a comment about how wonderful Em is with the kids and she has the most beautiful dreamy expression on her face and her hand is gently rubbing her flat stomach. I suddenly remember what Rose let slip earlier.
"Have you told him yet?" I figure she hasn't or I would already know. My brother would never be able to keep something like this secret. We head toward the house arm in arm. I glance over my shoulder and catch Jasper's eye and he winks at me as he throws off a few of the kids that were now attacking him. I smile at him and turn back to Rose.
"No not yet. I was going to tell him earlier so he could announce it when everyone got here, but with all the craziness I didn't get the chance." She squeezes me.
"Oh Rose I'm so sorry my drama interrupted your telling him."
"It's OK sweetie. I'll tell him later after the party is over." We walk through the pool area into their bedroom. "Maybe it's for the best, this way we can kinda keep it quiet. You know to be sure everything is alright before we announce it to the world."
She digs through a laundry basket and produces my swim suite. I peel off my wet dress and underthings and put on the blue two piece. I bought it just last week. It's aqua blue and has a boy cut shorts and a halter top. I thought it was cute and practical, but now looking at myself in the mirror I wish I had ordered the tie-dyed string bikini with the cute little ties on the side from the Victoria's Secret catalog. I sigh.
"Aly I know what your thinking and just stop. You look gorgeous. Now give your wet clothes, let's see if I can save your dress."
I follow her into the laundry room. She puts my dress in the wash and sets it to the gentle cycle.
"I hope you can save it. It's so pretty." I joke.
"All we can do now is pry." Rose says in a very solemn voice. We both laugh and walk into the hall. "Now let's go see what our men are doing."
I freeze in place.
"Aly what's wrong?"
"Oh Rose I like the way that sounds." I tell her with a huge grin.
By the time we get back out to the lake the splash war had ended and both sides claimed victory. According to my brother the prize for winning was that the captain of the winning team gets a kiss from the fairest lady in the land and since no one could agree which team won both captains got to claim their prize. Em and Jasper swim to the end of the dock. They both lift themselves out of the water at the same time, but I only see Jasper. He had removed his shirt while I was inside and I was mesmerized by the flexing of his arm muscles and he pulls himself out of the water and up on to the dock. I feel like I am in a movie everything sees to be moving in slow motion. I can see the individual droplets of water as they race each other down his tan chest. I long to follow the path the water had taken down his chest to his amazing abs and lower beneath his low slung board shorts.
"Breath!" Rose whispers out of the side of her mouth. I realize I am holding my breath. I exhale and meet Jasper's eyes and the look of hunger in them and the cocky smirk on his face tells me he knows exactly what I thinking. He walks up to me a bows low like a knight would have to his maiden fair. He even pretends to sweep off a hat. Out of the corner of my eye I see Em try to copy him but not as gracefully. Rose giggles and does not seem to mind my brothers clumsy attempt at gallantry.
Jasper rises from his bow and reaching up he slid his hand into my hair and pulled me to him. The kiss started out playful and gentle, but I couldn't help myself I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me deepening the kiss. His arms came around me ans pulled me to him. I could feel his impressive erection against my bare belly. All on their own my hips started grinding against him. I heard him moan.
"Get a room" Emmett yells. Breaking through the lusty haze in my brain. I realized we were surrounded by his teammates and their families. Probably not proper actions in front of small children. Rose suggested Em get the jet skis out and everyone ran off to the boat house on the other end of the dock. I mouthed thank you to Rose as she followed after Em.
"So how long do we have to stay at this party?" Jasper asks with a very naughty grin.
"I'm afraid I'm stuck here until the fireworks are over. Em designs the firework displays himself every year and it would break his heart if I didn't stay to see his masterpiece."
"I'm not sure I can wait that long, but I'll try." He says with an exaggerated sigh.
"If it make you feel any better I'll be suffering right along with you. Besides what happened to wooing me?"
"Fuck wooing, I'm going to come burred deep inside of you before this night is over." He whispers in my ear and then walks toward the boat house.
Oh brother I love it when Jasper talks dirty. Don't you?
Did a little, um, research while I was in Texas so beware I see lemons on the horizion.
Who's going to see Eclipse opening night? I really really want to but my friends that were supposed to be here for it have stiffed me and won't be here untill the week after. Booo.
;-(
