Thank you all for the reviews on the last chapter. I tried to respond to each and every one of them. I am thrilled that so many people seem to be enjoying this little story. This chapter has some lemony goodness. I hope you enjoy.

As always, I own nothing Twilight but I am forever grateful to be allowed to play in the garden for just a bit.

JPOV

"Mr. Hale?" he asked, "Mr. Jasper Hale?"

"Yes," I answered, noticing that everyone was gathered in here except for Carlisle and Edward, who were both away.

"I'm Lieutenant Sam Uley. I have a few questions for you about your whereabouts on Saturday evening," he said with a bit of smirk on his face. "Why don't you have a seat?"

I took a seat beside Bella who was looking pale and withdrawn. Jacob was staring across the table at her with a look of worry on his face. Mike, Eric and Ben were sitting at the far end of the table with Angela and Lauren sitting close to the front. Lt. Uley began to address us as a group.

"I'm sorry to have to interrupt the beginning of your work day folks. But I thought it would be easier to speak to you as a group to begin with," he wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead. "Later, a couple of other officers will be coming in to help with your individual interrogations."

"Interrogations?" I asked. "Just exactly what is going on here Lieutenant?" He was being awfully secretive and it was getting on my nerves.

"Mr. Hale, I'm getting to it," he stated looking across the room at me. He wrote something down in a notepad and then continued. "Sunday morning at approximately 3:00 a.m., Jessica Stanley was murdered in the garage of her apartment building."

The entire group started talking at once. I heard Bella stifle a gasp and saw tears start to roll down her face. Jacob was around the table and at her side in an instant. Mike was being held in his chair by a much slighter built but apparently strong Eric and was clearly very upset by the news. Angela and Lauren stood and seemed shaken but remained quiet after the initial shock. Why did I never realize how tall Lauren was before now? She was towering over Angela by several inches. Ben surprised me more than anyone. He rose from his chair and went to look out the windows facing the sound. I could clearly see his shoulders hunched over and shaking. Was he crying?

"People! People! If you'll come back and take your seats and quiet down, I'll explain." Lt. Uley waited until Ben was seated and then continued. "It appears that after leaving a club downtown called Pinkie's, where she worked on the weekends, Ms. Stanley returned to her apartment building. She was attacked by parties unknown at this time. Her body was found at 7:00 am on Sunday morning by another tenant of the apartment complex."

Bella's soft voice echoed in the silent room, "How was she murdered?"

Lt. Uley looked at his notebook, as if he needed to check something, and said, "Her neck was broken. She died almost instantly."

From the back of the table, Mike's voice came across rough with anger, "What are you doing to find the filth that did this?"

Lt. Uley stared at Mike for a moment, and then wrote in the damn notebook again. Seconds ticked by before he looked up at Mike and said, "I'm here, Mr. Newton. You can be sure I will find who did this." His glance around the room implied that he thought whoever it was could very well be sitting in this room.

Two other officers in suits, just as bad as Uley's, entered the boardroom. One walked up next to Uley and whispered in his ear.

"I have to take a call and I'll be back in just a few moments, folks," he said. Just as he reached the door and started to walk through, he turned back to us and said, "Please don't leave the building."

As soon as Uley and the other two officers stepped out and closed the door, the room erupted with voices again. I could only sit there and watch as the scene played out before me. I knew where I had been at that time. Edward and I were in bed in Forks at Carlisle's and Esme's home and it could be confirmed. Jacob and Bella moved to a corner of the room and were having a careful personal conversation. There was more to them than I had noticed before. Jacob was clearly concerned for Bella as she was clearly upset about Jessica's death. Mike and Eric were having a heated discussion and having a difficult time keeping their voices down. I couldn't make out everything that was being said but Eric was very upset with Mike because he seemed to be upset about Jessica. I never thought Mike would have any real feelings or emotions about anyone but he truly seemed devastated over current events. Angela looked…well I really wasn't sure about her. She wasn't crying but she didn't look happy either. I realized that she was controlling whatever she was feeling and was keeping herself as calm as possible. Ben was back at the window again and seemed to be in a world of his own. He clearly looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him. I never would have suspected that Ben would have feelings for someone like Jessica.

The one person who seemed to be totally unaffected by the whole situation was Lauren. She was still sitting in the same position she had been in when I first walked in the room. Her back was straight as an arrow, her eyes were hooded, and she seemed to have a slight smirk on her face. She hadn't said a word to anyone and she hadn't moved except to stand where Angela had before. Her body was there in the room but I got the distinct feeling her mind was somewhere else and where ever that was she liked it. A chill ran through my body and I shuddered at the sudden cold when she looked up and straight into my eyes. What the fuck was that? Whatever it was, I didn't like it and I didn't want to feel it again. For a moment she reminded me of Aro but I shrugged it off.

Lt. Uley returned and said that an officer would be in to retrieve us for our individual questioning sessions. There were three of them so it would go quickly. The room didn't break out into conversation this time when he left. The silence hung in the air like a thick fog, damp and foreboding.

Finally, after about an hour, the door opened and Lt. Uley walked in. I was the only one left in the room. He sat down at the table next to me and pulled out his notebook. He looked over a few pages and then turned to face me.

"Well, Mr. Whitlock would you like to explain to me why the people in the office believe your name is Jasper Hale?" he asked directly.

To say I was shocked wouldn't cover it but I wasn't about to let this person blow my cover at this point. So I made a quick decision to be as honest with him as possible. I in no way wanted to impede his search for Jessica's killer, but I needed to keep my cover in place for a while yet.

"If you already know that my name is actually Whitlock, then I assume you also know that I was hired by Aro Volturi to locate the person he believes is embezzling from this bank. I also believe that you must already know of my reputation in this field," I offered, never breaking eye contact with the man.

"Yes, I am aware of both things. The phone call I received earlier confirmed that information and also some other more disturbing details of Ms. Stanley's death," he replied, then hesitated, rubbing his eyes before he continued. "Her neck was broken first...then she was beaten savagely. I believe it was an attempt to keep her identity a mystery." He looked slightly pale at his own words.

"Mr. Hale, where were you at the time of the murder?" I was relieved when he used the name Hale.

"I was in Forks with Edward Cullen visiting his brother Carlisle and his family," I answered, leaving out the sleeping arrangements.

"Are you and Edward Cullen in a relationship?" he asked as he wrote in that broken down notebook again, not looking up at me.

"Yes, we are," I wasn't going to lie.

"I spoke with Carlisle Cullen on the phone earlier this morning and he has confirmed that you were there. He did not confirm your relationship with his brother; he only stated that that was between the two of you." He put the notebook in a pocket inside his suit coat. "I don't believe you had anything to do with Ms. Stanley's death, Mr. Hale, but I do believe that the reason you are here may have something to do with it. It would be greatly appreciated if you come across anything in your investigation that may be helpful in my investigation that you give me a call." He took a card out of another coat pocket and handed it to me. Rising he offered to shake my hand.

Walking to the door and into the lobby with Lt. Uley, I noticed that the officers present earlier in the day were all gone. The doors to all the offices were closed and I'm sure most people were not focusing on work behind those closed doors. Just as we approached the elevator it buzzed open and Carlisle stepped out.

"Jasper?" he asked looking over at Lt. Uley.

"Lt. Sam Uley this is Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle, Lt. Uley," I noted, making the introductions.

"It's good to meet you in person Mr. Cullen. Could we go into your office and speak in private?" Lt. Uley asked, motioning towards Carlisle's office.

I watched the two men walk to Carlisle's office, enter, and close the door behind them. I hadn't realized that Lauren was sitting at her desk in front of the elevator until I heard her clear her throat. I turned to face her.

"Such a shame about Jessica isn't it?" she said in that deep scratchy voice of hers. "But then you know what they say, you get what you deserve?" The phone rang and she turned to answer it before I could bounce back from her words and ask what in the hell she was talking about.

Friday, 5:55 p.m.

I paced back and forth in the waiting area of the SeaTac airport waiting for Edward's plane to land. It had been one hell of a week and I had missed him terribly. We talked on Monday evening and I told him about everything that happened. He was as shocked as I was about Jessica's death and couldn't imagine anyone who would want to do that to her.

The weirdest part of the whole thing was when Edward checked messages on his phone and realized that he had received a call from Jessica about the time of her death on Sunday morning. I realized after he told me about it that was the phone call I had thought I heard. She tried to reach him and the message was cut short. He had saved the message so he could play it for Lt. Uley when he returned. I called him myself and told him about the message and he was very interested in hearing it. He said he would meet with us to listen to the message on Saturday afternoon.

The closer the time came for Edward's plane to land the more my stomach ached. I missed him so much and I needed to see him, to be sure that he was fine. I hadn't received any more threatening messages since last Saturday but it was still hell having him away from me all week.

Shit! The sign just flashed telling me the plane was going to be late. Now I was going to have to wait even longer to see him. I decided to go get a cup of coffee to kill a little time. The coffee actually gave me a chance to calm myself down. Twenty minutes later I was standing with the others waiting on the delayed plane. I spotted Edward walking at the back of a sea of people moving forward. His bronze hair was unmistakable in the crowd. I began to relax as soon as I saw it.

When the crowd parted and I saw his face searching for mine, my heart swelled. God he was the most beautiful thing in the world. Everything else, every person in the crowded airport disappeared as our eyes met and focused only on each other.

He stepped in front of me as the crowd moved around us, placing his bags on the floor at our feet. Rubbing his hand across my cheek tenderly, he whispered, "Let's go home, love. I need to hold you." We gathered his luggage, made our way to the garage for his Volvo; he had left it with me so I could come to pick him up. The trip to Edward's home took a little over an hour with traffic. There was no conversation but Edward held my hand and occasionally stroked the back of it gently.

When we reached his home, I helped him carry the luggage into the two story Victorian. It was a lovely house with deep green shutters and trim. I'd been here many times over the past few weeks and I enjoyed the atmosphere that Edward had created here. It felt like a home. Soft touches, not feminine, just relaxed were evident everywhere you turned in the house. Carrying the bags up the stairs to his bedroom, he still had said very little and I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. I placed the bags on the chair by the closet and turned to ask him if he'd rather be alone tonight to rest up from his trip. The look in his eyes was fierce and determined. I spoke his name and he was on me immediately.

His body pressed against mine, his hands touching every exposed area of skin he could find. When his lips touched mine it was as if the world had shut down completely and there was nothing but the kiss between us. Hungry wet lips, tongues begging for entrance, moans and grunts, bodies needing more and more, it was almost too much. My shirt was somehow on the floor and his tongue was licking down the side of my neck, greedy in his need to taste more of my flesh.

"Jasper, I need you," he breathed against my skin. Bringing the embers that he'd started to a flash flame. "I want you now." He pulled me to the bed. Sitting down he looked at me with pure lust in his eyes.

"Take them off. Take everything off. Now!" he said with authority. "I've gone too long without seeing your body completely open to me."

I wasn't ashamed of my body but I had never had someone demand to ogle it. It was a little unsettling but also highly erotic. Deciding that giving him a little show might be in my best interest, I slowly removed my belt. Next I kicked off my shoes and removed my socks. Seeing as how he had already removed my shirt, I felt delaying the removal of my jeans might heighten his anticipation. I loved these button fly jeans because they fit my ass so well but now suddenly the whole idea of the buttons popping one at a time was fucking turning me on.

Edward groaned deep in his throat, moaning out, "You're killing me here Jasper. Get them off!"

The last button popped open and I slid the jeans down to reveal nothing but skin underneath.

He rose to stand in front of me, never saying a word, his need was too great. Slowly he disrobed, holding my eyes with his. My breathing was becoming ragged and he hadn't even touched me. His eyes seemed to grow darker with each moment that passed. Finally when he was as naked as I was, he touched my cheek gently with just his fingertips.

"On your knees Jasper," he ordered, the authority back in his voice. I shivered and started to lower myself to the floor. He touched my chin with one finger.

"On the bed Jasper," his desire evident in the tone of his voice. I did as he asked and arranged myself on my knees, my ass on display for him as he stood behind me.

"So God damn beautiful," he whispered. He then continued, his voice raw with want, "I told you I was going to fuck you so hard all you'd be able to say is my name…and Jasper…I am." My entire body shuddered and I felt my already hard dick throb intensely.

I couldn't see him but I could hear and feel him. His hands were lightly touching my ass then squeezing firmly. I felt the wetness of his lips as they slid over first one globe then the other. I heard the nightstand drawer near the bed open and shut. I knew he kept the lube and condoms there. I couldn't help the slight rocking motion my body had begun. I heard him chuckle as he watched my body move. Knowing he had opened the lube, and then feeling his fingers trace my entrance slowly only added to the overload of sensations that were filling me.

"Shit!" I screamed as the first wet finger slipped inside of me.

"So damn tight Jasper, so hot," he mumbled as his lips slid across my ass again.

Two fingers, then he added a third to stretch and prepare me for him. I was pushing back against his fingers and fucking them but not getting the friction I needed. "More, Edward - fuck me now!" I didn't care if I was begging. His fingers slipped away and I heard the tear of the condom packet, knowing that he was rolling it on.

I felt his dick now sliding between my cheeks and he rubbed against me with such a delicious rhythm that I could do nothing but moan. Soon I heard him chuckle because I realized I was already moaning his name over and over again and he wasn't even in me yet.

"Are you ready for me, love?" he asked. I could only nod. His answer was one word, "Good."

He pushed through the wall of muscle and was deeply seated in me with one quick thrust. The combination of pleasure and slight pain was overwhelming and I screamed. He paused, checking to see if he had hurt me, but that wasn't it at all. I rocked back into him, signaling that he could move.

Then it got hot and the temperature in the room seemed to zoom to over a hundred in a flash. My skin and every nerve in my body were on fire. His thrusts became furious and fast. I could hear his balls slapping against mine and I could feel the sweat from his body drip against my back. I had never ever in my life been taken like this and it was God damn amazing. He was right - I couldn't say anything but his name.

"Don't you dare cum, Jasper. I have plans for that sweet nectar of yours. I'm almost there babe," he nearly shouted. "So close, so damn close, fuck, Jasper," he froze. I could feel the spasms of his cock as his juice pumped into the condom. It seemed to go on and on, and I wanted to cum so bad. My dick was so hard it felt like it would explode if I didn't release soon.

Before I knew what was happening, Edward was out of me and pushing me onto my back on the bed. He removed the condom, tied it off, and discarded it. Crawling onto the bed between my legs, his tongue ran one wet lick from the base of my still aching cock to the slit where he took the time to lightly lick all the leakage that had formed there.

"So good, Jasper, so fucking good," he sighed just before he swallowed my cock whole.

I nearly jumped off the fucking bed. The head of my cock hit the back of his throat and all I could think was I wasn't going to last a minute. He removed his lips only for a moment and the cool air seemed to send electric shocks through my cock.

"Fuck my mouth, Jasper. Let go and take what you need," his heart poured into me from his eyes.

When his mouth was on me again, I did just that. I didn't want to choke him but I had never wanted to fuck someone's mouth so bad in my life. I thrust up and hard. He hummed around my cock causing me to quiver from the sensation.

"Edward, fuck your mouth is so hot," I couldn't stop thrusting. "Don't stop babe, please don't stop. It feels so damn good."

Suddenly I felt the tightness in my stomach and the tingle in my balls and I knew I was close, so damn close.

"Edward, shit, I'm going to c…" I thrust hard one last time and felt the vein in my dick throb with each pump into his throat. I couldn't stop shaking, the orgasmic high I was riding was nothing like I'd ever experienced before and it left me sated and limp, body and soul.

I must have passed out because when I woke again it was sometime very early in the morning. I could hear a bird singing but the sun wasn't up yet. Edward was wrapped around me. Legs and arms tangled together until you couldn't tell where one of us began and the other ended. His sweet warm breath fell against my neck in a contented rhythm. I remembered last night and flushed. What the hell? I blushed because of sex. No, I blushed because it was the most intense experience I'd ever had. He made me feel things that I didn't know were possible. He made me want things I'd never wanted before; a partner, a home, a place to find refuge in and be a part of. My greatest fear was that we'd never get a chance to have that. I hugged him closer to me.

Everything, I had uncovered in my search this week, lead back to this man holding me in his arms. I didn't believe for one second that Edward had anything to do with the embezzling. But if I turned over what I had right now to the authorities, he would be a suspect. The innocent being brought down with the guilty, just like my dad.

I kissed his forehead gently and promised silently that I would get to the bottom of this. I would prove that he had absolutely nothing to do with it. Jenks was coming in at the end of the week and somehow I promised myself I would be in on those deals when they closed the loans. Then I would be able to watch and see where the funds were going and who was moving them. With a little luck, this time next week, I will have caught the embezzler and Edward would be safe.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Edward and I met with Lt. Uley and let him listen to the message from Jessica. He was very thankful for the information and told us both that there had been no new leads. He spoke with Edward alone for a few minutes and then we were free to go.

Bella had called Edward and told him that she wouldn't be able to spend Sunday with him this week. I noticed he was slightly upset about her canceling on him. He then said that something was going on with her and she had canceled on him for the last two weeks. I couldn't help but think back to the way Jacob was looking at her during the interviews last Monday.

"Edward, do you think maybe Jacob has feelings for Bella?" I asked him.

"Jacob?" he looked at me slightly stunned. "Well, I suppose it's possible. But Jake has a lot with his dad and all. I can't imagine he has much time for a relationship. Though, he would be good for Bella, I suppose."

We talked a little more about Jacob's dad and the whole drinking problem. I wasn't jealous of Bella. I knew there was only friendship between them but still I couldn't say I was sad about her canceling their usual Sunday plans either. This way I got him to myself for the rest of the weekend.

And that's exactly what we did, spend the rest of the weekend together. Monday could take a year to get here as far as I was concerned.

BELLA'S POV

He was so tired, I thought as I watched him sleep next to me. He'd had to go out again late last night and take care of that man. Damn, I hated him for destroying my man's life. He felt obligated and it made me love him even more.

I felt him move and pull me closer to him. He was waking up. I'd already called Edward and told him I couldn't make it tomorrow. I couldn't tell Edward the truth, not yet. I would as soon as I could. He'd be happy for me, I know. I saw how happy he was with Jasper now and he'd want the same for me.

"Bella?" he called out sleepily. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Go back to sleep and get some more rest," I tried to sooth him. He deserved someone to take care of him for a change.

"What time is it?" he looked toward the clock on the dresser. "I told him I'd pick him up and take him home by three." He moved to stretch his long, taut body and I couldn't help but touch him. His body was amazing. Toned and so beautiful - I could look at him naked for hours.

"It's just one. Are you hungry? I could make some breakfast," I offered.

"I'm hungry but not for food," he said as one of his large hands came up to cup one of my breasts. The nipple peaked almost as soon as he touched me; he affected me so strongly.

"Jacob," I sighed into the kiss as our lips met. I would never love anyone like this again, was the thought that ran through my mind as he pulled me on top of his hard body and I felt his cock throb between us. This is all I would ever need.

Well now we know that Bella's man is Jacob and she's in love. Next chapter will have some observations from Mike's point of view and you may or may not be surprised. Happy reading. Please review and let me know what you think.