'Try this on.'
"No."
Jini gave her a firm look, holding up the emerald green, Chantilly lace corset which Bella found more suitable for someone who was getting some action in the bedroom.
So not virginal and far from what she had in mind when she set foot in Victoria's Secret.
'Oh no, don't even think about buying anything pink.'
Bella rolled her eyes.
'I mean it.' Jini added while they were checking out the push-up bras.
"Sexy is what we're here for, I know. I just can't see myself dressed in this."
'Suit yourself; I just thought it might be a fun addition to your otherwise boring lingerie drawer.' Her best friend remarked, returning the item back on its rack.
Bella gasped, looking incredibly insulted. "Boring?" she repeated.
'Yes, boring. When was the last time you splurged on underwear? You have great taste, don't get me wrong but when it comes to underwear you don't take risks.'
Jini smiled in triumph as Bella straightened her posture, squared her shoulders and pushed past her with a determined stride. She sifted through a row of slips with attached garters before picking out a black magenta lace slip with a black ribbon at the breastbone.
"This risky enough for you?" She raised an eye-brow in J's direction who nodded enthusiastically in return.
It was fascinating to watch Bella choosing bras and panties which were a bit out of her comfort zone. She wasn't a fan of push-ups but the idea of Jacob seeing her in a satin plunge bra that gave her enticingly sexy cleavage was enough for her to pluck it off its hanger.
Jini didn't even have to intervene after that; she merely tagged along while B purchased three push-up bras, a cotton Mayfair pajama and the slip-garter set. She was doing so well until a shelf of cupcake themed underwear caught her eye in another section.
She immediately made a beeline towards the black panties, buying the entire collection along with the cupcake thong.
Yes, a thong.
She hated wearing it but then again, the image of Jacob licking icing off a red velvet just like the one printed on the thong made her add two to her shopping basket.
'You and cupcakes.' Jini's eyes were filled with amusement once Bella had paid for her lingerie. The gift card covered most items but she still had to dig into her wallet and pay a small amount of extra cash.
"What? You're not the one I'll be wearing them for." B revealed.
She wasn't entirely serious of course but Jini knew from the look in her brother's eyes this morning that he was definitely serious about Bella.
'One look at that garter you just bought will have my brother wrapped around your little finger.'
Bella playfully swung her shopping bags back and forth, a shy smile forming on her lips.
"You think so?"
'No hun, I know so.'
Three days later…
Jacob was distracted.
In class.
At the dorms.
Everywhere.
He was constantly thinking about Bella and looking forward to going home to someone other than his family and friends.
They had talked on the phone once when he reached the dorms after his four hour drive on Sunday. The next morning, she sent him an early text from work which he eagerly replied to during economics class.
His roommate Adam instantly noticed the change in his demeanor when he heard him whistling to himself while studying which then led to a brief conversation about how he was 'dating' a hot, slightly older woman named Bella.
Adam was curious to know what Bella looked like and Jacob suddenly realized that he didn't have any recent photos of the two of them together.
'Dude, are you for real? The next time you go home I want some evidence of this piece of hotness you've been talking about.'
Jacob nodded; wishing time would fly by so he could get back to her.
In the meantime, he settled for texts knowing how busy she was at work.
On Thursday morning, and after having a vividly erotic dream of Bella stripping for him on top of a cupcake filled stage; he sat up in bed and texted her about it.
In the meantime at the Black/Swan office…
Bella sipped her cappuccino, blankly staring at the long unchecked to-do-list for the day.
She had a new client who was extremely picky, stressing the hell out of her; a mother who wanted to renovate her daughter's bedroom but the pieces of furniture and light fixtures had to be from local shops and not IKEA or Pottery Barn.
The theme she desired was hard to execute with those very limited options. It also meant that she had to do some legwork in order to scout the few remaining shops in the city.
Fantasizing about Jacob was her only escape while she sat at her desk.
In the past week alone, she imagined countless scenarios of what might happen when he comes to visit at the end of the month.
Bella would greet him at the door in a really slutty dress and he'd drop his bag, lift her up with both hands on her thighs before kissing her passionately against the wall.
She imagined him stalking his way towards her while she sat at the bar with her friends, an intense look in his onyx eyes, glaring at the men who dared to stare at her enhanced cleavage. She would give him a coy smile then he'd hoist her up and French kiss her in front of everyone, including Ryan.
Her favorite fantasy was in an entirely different setting where she's dressed in a white medieval dress, a section of her long, brown hair pulled into a braid while the rest of it flowed down her back.
She's lying on the grass, feeling horny and helpless when a knight in shining black armor rides in on a stallion. He dismounts from his horse, looking sexy and intimidating then he helps her up to her shaky feet.
He would take off his helmet; toss it on the ground before pulling her into his iron clad arms and taking her virginity; claiming her as his bride.
The vibrating alert on her phone made her jump out of that particular fantasy to check the incoming text message. She took a sip of her hot beverage and opened the text which happened to be from Jacob.
I just woke up 4rom a sexy dream about u. It involved stripping & cupcakes. I'm so turned on right now. Sorry, just had 2 let u know.
Bella whimpered, rubbing her thighs together.
Thank God Jini was not in the office or she would've seen the flush of arousal spreading all over B's face. She rose out of her leather chair and opened the mini-fridge next to her desk, grabbing a small water bottle.
She chugged it down while staring at the text, reading it over and over. The words were not explicit but the knowledge of Jacob having any sort of dreams about her was so damn HOT.
Why did he have to be miles away when they could get turned on together?
Things were never this intense or lust driven with her previous love interests, not even her only high school boyfriend who was also good looking. He never stirred any –must have sex NOW- feelings in her at all.
Bella paced her tiny office, those butterflies assailing her stomach while she brainstormed ways to reply to Jacob's message.
A few minutes later, she closed her eyes, crossed two fingers behind her back and hit send.
Don't b sorry. We're on the same page ;) U still in bed?
She sat down and started up her computer, placing the phone on her lap, away from view.
Jini showed up just as it buzzed with an incoming text again. She was carrying a flower arrangement of expensive red roses with a pissed off expression on her face.
'Guess who sent me those?' She rhetorically asked not even waiting for a reply. 'A.J, can you believe the nerve of this guy?'
"Umm...did they come with a card?"
Jini sat at her own cluttered desk and untangled a white card from the elegant wrapping.
'Yeah, I thought scaring him off would make him go away, but no. What is it with guys chasing after girls who hate their guts, ugh!' She huffed, reading the card.
Bella quickly glanced down and checked the new text.
Yep but not jerking off, promise…in case u thought I was a big perv. Have u been to VS yet? ;)
She fidgeted in her seat, biting hard on her lower lip.
It was kind of funny how he was refraining from touching himself out of respect for her. He didn't want to take things too far or cross any sex-dotted lines yet.
Jini startled her when she tossed A.J's white note at her, asking her to read it too.
'He's apologizing for invading my privacy and is asking me out on a date. He's freakin' delusional.' J snorted.
"Oh for God's sake why don't you give him a chance? You hardly know the guy. Besides, Jake's a good judge of character so A.J might actually be nice after all."
Jini rubbed her eyes and sighed.
'You think there's a reasonable explanation behind his peeping?'
"Maybe." Bella answered distractedly.
'Bells, what are you doing? OMG are you sexting my brother again?'
Bella gave her an innocent look.
"No."
'Liar, I can see it in your eyes babe.'
"Okay, fine. I admit that my inner slut really wants to sext him but I can't."
Jini burst out laughing.
'You have an inner slut?'
"Hey! Don't insult her; she also happens to have an inner bitch for a sister." Bella frowned.
'Cool. So I'm guessing your inner slut wants Jake to pop her cherry, you know, scratch her itch, deflower her…'
Bella nodded but not without blushing of course. "Yes, yes and YES to all of the above now can you shut up so I can text your brother?"
'Gosh, you're so cranky this morning. Fine, go ahead, sext him.' Jini waved her off, sniffing the roses rather discreetly.
Bella saw her do it out of the corner of her eye.
"You should thank A.J for those flowers." She remarked while typing the text.
'I know and you should get laid soon.' J retorted.
"Shut up."
'Seriously woman, three weeks and this office will spontaneously combust from how sexually frustrated you are.'
"Don't remind me." She said, finally sending the message to Jacob.
Yes I did. 4got 2 tell U. Skype this wkend? xoxo
The rest of the week was a blur of work for Bella and long hours of projects and presentations for Jacob. By the time Saturday night rolled around she was both nervous and excited about her first Skype session with him.
She changed out of her gym clothes and took a quick shower then got dressed in her new white PJs. They looked cute on her and she decided to leave the first three buttons undone at the last minute.
Her silver MacBook's screen lit up with life while she carried it around in her arms, not knowing where to sit.
She opted for the living room, propping it on the coffee table.
Seconds after she signed in to her Skype account; Jacob's name went online and he instantly video-called her.
She took a deep breath and clicked on the answer button.
The black screen faded to the image of her sexy stud hurriedly putting on a blue shirt.
He turned to look at the webcam, face slightly flushed and panting just a tiny bit.
'Bells!' He happily exclaimed, flashing B his perfectly white, even teeth.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
She leaned forward on the couch, watching him sit down in front of his own laptop.
'Yeah, I just got back from my mixed martial arts class.' He responded, tying his hair into a ponytail.
"Oh, I was just wondering why you're so out of breath."
His black eyes flickered down to her PJs as he touched his scruffy chin.
'What did you think I was doing?' He smirked, quirking an eye-brow.
"Nothing." She replied a little too quickly. "So, how was your day?"
Jacob licked his lips, taking in her sweet face and the way she was toying with a strand of her damp hair.
'Long and boring. There's this finance project that's kicking my ass Bells. How about you? Did you miss me?'
"You've only been gone a week, Jake." Bella laughed, avoiding his intense gaze. It made her feel all hot and bothered even through the computer screen.
'Really? Because it feels like a hundred years in here.' He let her know, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Hang in there." She lamely consoled him.
What the hell is wrong with you? Say something nice!
Her inner slut wanted to slap her silly for being so lame.
'I will...uh…you look really pretty by the way. Are those butterflies?' Jacob awkwardly asked, peering into the screen.
Bella glanced down and nodded, shifting her legs to sit closer to the coffee table.
"Thanks, yes they are. This PJ is actually from Victoria's Secret."
'Did you get something else?' He inquired, a devilish grin playing on his full, cupid bow lips.
"I did but the rest is…underwear."
'Anything you can show me?' Jacob blurted out.
Bella's chocolate eyes widened then she excused herself for a moment and disappeared from the couch.
Inside her bedroom, she exhaled the breath she was holding and opened her lingerie drawer. She fished out her cupcake panties and the striped push-up bra, clueless about what to do.
There was no harm in showing the guy her newly purchased underwear.
It's not like she was going to wear it and engage in a round of cybersex with him.
Bella channeled her inner bag girl and headed back to the living room with both garments in hand.
Jacob was still sitting there, muttering the word idiot in a hushed tone until she sat across from him. He cleared his throat and eagerly waited for her to reveal the stuff he's been thinking about the entire week.
"These are just a sample; I'm not going to show you everything."
He could only nod, seeing the garments on her lap. She first held up the strapless push-up bra, jokingly making a commentary about it.
"This lace and satin item is called a multiway bra."
Jacob snickered. 'A three-way bra?'
"Multi-way." She enunciated, knowing very well that he didn't mishear her.
'Sounds interesting. So it's basically like sex, you can do it in different positions.'
"Jake!"
He chuckled deeply, hopelessly trying to behave but failing miserably.
"Got another analogy for this?" She lifted up her cupcake panties to the camera and his jaw dropped.
The door behind him suddenly burst open and a short guy with a buzz cut walked into the room.
'Hey J, what are you watching?' Adam peeked over his shoulder.
Bella hid the panties behind her back while Jacob was still opening and closing his mouth like a trout fish.
'Howdy pretty lady!' Adam greeted her. 'Wait, are you Bella?'
"Yes." She swallowed hard; her eyes on Jake who was having trouble speaking.
His roommate who had an eyebrow piercing and a detailed tattoo on one arm inched closer to the screen, his beady brown eyes locked on Bella.
'I wake up almost every morning to him calling out your name in his sleep. He's like ooh Bella, yeah...just like that!' Adam imitated his roommate's deep voice, earning himself a smack upside the head and was shoved out of the room in the blink of an eye.
Bella gaped at her computer as Jacob locked the door, looking extremely embarrassed while Adam was laughing his ass off out in the hallway.
'Sorry about that.' Jacob scratched the back of his neck.
"It's okay. Do you really talk in your sleep?"
'Sometimes.' He admitted. 'Uh...Bells? I don't want you to think that I'm this horny twenty one-year-old who's only interested in one thing. I uh...like you, a LOT.'
Bella was touched by his words and found herself laughing at the irony of the word sex. It was mentioned more than a handful of times in the past week and she wasn't even getting any.
Hearing her laugh was not the reaction Jake expected.
His puppy eyebrows made an appearance and he looked a bit hurt.
"Oh Jake, I'm not laughing at you, promise. It's so sweet what you just said."
Come on; say that you like him too, say it!
Part of her wanted to but she still wasn't ready to admit it out loud, especially to him.
His face instantly relaxed, his gorgeous eyes dropping to her lips.
'Tell me what you were laughing at.'
She blushed and shook her head. "It's nothing."
'Then answer this question; what was your impression of me before we got to talk and hang out over the past two weeks?'
"Honestly, you made it hard for me to make up my mind about you. We barely spoke to each other and when we did, it was brief and not so pleasant."
'Yeah, I thought you were a snob, miss high and mighty. You were so perfect all the time, even the way you ate was flawless.' Jacob told her, remembering all those times she dined at their house.
"Perfect? Me?"
'Yep. I don't remember you being impolite or heard you swear even when you were angry.'
"Holy cupcake Jake, did you watch my every move?"
He shrugged.
'I was fascinated by you, that's why I always pushed your buttons.'
"And pushed me in the pool." Bella added.
'Jacob! Let me in man! I need to study.' Adam interrupted with a knock on the door.
An irritated growl filled Bella's speakers as the guy in question gave Bella an apologetic look and rose from his chair. 'I gotta go Bells.'
"Okay, have a good night." She smiled.
'You too, I'll call you tomorrow.'
"Sounds good, bye Jake."
He waved at the screen before looking down at the keyboard.
'Bye honey.'
They both ended the call and Bella wasn't sure she liked to Skype.
It did nothing to ease her frustration.
So Jacob thought she was hot, out of his league, perfect AND flawless.
Seven words she never heard from any of the guys she used to date.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly, not allowing her to ponder over their conversation.
She got up and answered it, thinking it might be Jini or Nina who sometimes showed up unannounced.
Her grip on the doorknob tightened as she glanced up at the least person she expected to pay her a visit at this time of night.
"Ryan?"
A/N: What does that douche-bag want now? Will Jini go out on a date with A.J? Is it possible to send you all cupcakes for your awesome reviews?
I wish..LOL…
This chapter was longer than I expected.
Do you think Jacob can stay away from Bella until he's done with his projects and exams? ;-)
