When I woke up the next morning, I was wrapped up tightly in a pair of warm, strong arms. I tried to unwrap myself from the death grip Jasper held me in, but each time I tried to move he tightened his arms.

I was stuck and I needed to pee. I really needed to pee. I nudged him with my elbow, and he shifted and moaned. I didn't wait to see if he woke up; I jumped up and ran into the bathroom to do my business. When I came back into the bedroom, I was overwhelmed by the sight before me. Jasper naked at night was a thing of beauty: Jasper naked in the light of the morning was spectacular. His skin had a healthy golden glow and his hair shone in the rays of the sun and he looked like an angel asleep on my bed.

I crawled back under the sheets and glanced at my clock. It was already six o'clock and I knew his alarm would be going off in a few minutes. I couldn't resist tracing the lines of his face with my finger tip, marveling at his soft skin and perfect bone structure. I ran my fingers along his jaw, smiling as the stubble scratched and tickled me. I leaned in and pressed a wet kiss on his beautiful jaw, right beneath his ear. He turned towards me, still sleeping, and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I kissed his lovely face again and again, from his temple to his jaw. I felt his lips turn up into a smile so I dropped a chaste kiss on his mouth, aware of my morning breath.

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice gravelly and quiet. His eyes were still closed and I noticed his eyelashes were so long, they fell along his cheekbones. What a waste for such beautiful, thick, long lashes to be placed on a man! I giggled as he opened one eye, and wrinkled his forehead.

"Morning," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Are you hungry?" I asked, pressing my body closer to his. I felt his arousal against my hip and I desperately wanted to stay in bed with him all day. I ground my sex into his thigh, smiling when I felt his breath hitch.

"Not really," he answered, pressing his hips harder against me, "but I need to go shower and get ready for work." I laughed out loud at his pained expression. He looked so disappointed.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" I asked, pressing a kiss against his jaw.

"Absolutely," he replied, groaning as he rolled away from me and climbed out of the bed. "God, I wish I didn't have to work today."

I climbed out of bed and slipped on my shorts and tank top. I walked over to Jasper and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Thank you," I mumbled into his chest.

"For what?" he asked, confused. He held me at arm's length so he could look into my eyes.

"Just… for last night," I smiled at him. "I haven't felt this happy in a really long time," I admitted.

At that, Jasper pulled me back into his warm embrace and his lips met mine in a kiss so filled with emotion, I thought I might cry. He gathered his things and headed out my door much sooner than I would have liked.

I was very busy all morning. I had to go to the police station and fill out a shitload of paperwork. Afterwards, I did the grocery shopping I abandoned the day before. Thankfully, I made it through my shopping trip with no confrontations. I had just finished putting away my groceries when Esme brought Emmy home. She was full of questions about James and I answered every single one, grateful she didn't ask many questions about Jasper's role in my night. I just wasn't ready to talk about it yet, plus I didn't want to divulge anything without speaking to him first. I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in any way. She was meeting Carlisle for lunch, so she excused herself pretty quickly, promising to call me soon.

Emmy and I had a quick lunch and then I got her settled down for her afternoon nap. While she was sleeping, I called Rose and made plans to visit her the next day. Tanya and Jacob were both doing well, but I could definitely tell they were exhausted. I remembered the days of having a newborn and how excited and happy I was when Emmy started sleeping through the night.

When we got off the phone, I pulled out a notebook and began making lists to plan for Emmy's birthday. It was in two weeks, and though I didn't want anything extravagant, I did want her to have a sweet little party. I hadn't even really begun planning, so I got online and searched for ideas for a while. When Emmy woke up, I had a pretty good plan in place.

I had a steak marinating and herb roasted potatoes in the oven when Jasper knocked on my door that evening. I let him in with a kiss and passed him the tray of meat, sending him onto the patio. I brought him a beer and some tongs and let Emmy play on the swing Jasper had attached to a tree in the yard.

Jasper settled into the grilling and he and I had an easy conversation about our days while I pushed Em. When I told him I was spending time with Rose the next day, he nearly choked on his beer. I met his gaze and he was smirking like crazy. "What?" I asked, wondering what he found so amusing.

"Well, you know she's going to harass you tomorrow," was his reply. I frowned. I had forgotten about that.

"What do you think I should say?" I asked him, not wanting to tell his sister something that would make him feel uncomfortable. He looked at me and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Why don't we talk about it tonight after Em's in bed?" he asked. I nodded, feeling a little nervous, suddenly. I grabbed Emmy and sat her in her high chair with some cheerios as I put together a salad. I was just taking the potatoes out of the oven when Jasper walked back in with the steaks.

"Perfect timing," I smiled, raising my heels to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Will you grab the plates and drinks?" I quickly mashed an avocado and stirred it into Emmy's macaroni and cheese and she squealed as I set her plate on the tray in front of her. Jasper plated our food and got us glasses of water and we sat down to eat. I couldn't help but notice that it felt awfully "family dinner" of us as we dug in to our food.

We each took turns helping Emmy when she needed it and it just seemed very natural for us to work together this way.

When we finished our meal, Jasper offered to clean the kitchen so I could bathe Emmy. Bath time was a favorite at our house. I made crazy shapes in her hair and held up the mirror for her to see as she clapped and laughed in delight. She wrote on the tile with her crayon soaps, and she basically had a fun time splashing and swimming in my big tub. When she was squeaky clean, I massaged her with some Angel Baby lotion and she was back to smelling like a dreamboat. I got her diapered and jammied and we headed into the living room. "Hey, Jazz, would you mind hanging out with her for a few minutes while I take a shower?" I asked, hoping for a chance to get shaved and cleaned.

"Of course not," he replied, smirking. I'm pretty sure our minds were in the same place; the gutter. I didn't waste any time with the razor and shaved everything that could be shaved. I was a little embarrassed about my stubble from last night and didn't want to repeat that if I could help it. I felt myself blush, realizing I was glad to have a reason to shave again. I rinsed the shaving cream and gave myself a quick but thorough wash before slipping on my on pajamas. I needed to get something a little sexier than yoga pants and tank tops, soon.

I walked into the living room to find Jasper humming softly to Emmy who was cuddled into his neck, fast asleep. I smiled, watching as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her sweet curls. I made my presence known and he smiled up at me as I walked toward him. I took Em from his arms and put her in her crib for the night.

I settled in beside Jasper on the couch, taking a deep breath. "You wanted to talk tonight?" I asked, diving right into the conversation. He met my eyes, looking startled.

"Well, we don't have to do it right this second," he replied, eyes wide.

"No, I think I want to, actually," I said, with a lump in my throat. I wasn't sure I was telling the truth. "Alright," he sighed. He grabbed my hand and slid so he was very close to me, thigh to thigh, arms touching. "Well, I know how I feel," he said, cutting his eyes at me, looking very bashful. "I really love spending time with you. I've always loved you as a friend, and now what I'm feeling is definitely more than friendship. I don't know. I'd really like to see where this can go. I don't want to see anyone else, but I understand if you do. I know you're just now considering dating again."

I looked into his face and smiled shyly. "I don't want to date anyone else. I've never really wanted to date a lot of people. I mean, I have a baby; my priorities are different. I just don't want anything that happens between us to affect your relationship with Emmy," I finished quietly, looking down at my lap.

"Bells, you don't have to ever worry about that. I love that little girl. I'm her Uncle Jazz and that's never gonna change," he assured me. He kissed the top of my head and said, "So, are we going to tell people, then?"

I shrugged, "Well, I know I need to tell Esme, because she's going to have to baby-sit when we go on our date Friday. And, your sister is scary when she's intent on getting information. I'm not entirely sure if I can keep it a secret from her. But, if you're more comfortable, I'm sure-" he stopped me by squeezing my lips together between his thumb and middle finger.

"Relax," he soothed. "I'm fine with telling people. Hell, I want people to know!" he said, chuckling. We talked for a while longer and made out like teenagers. At nine o'clock, he stood to go home. "I have some papers to grade," he said with a sigh. I frowned, not wanting him to leave just yet.

"You could just walk over and get your papers," I said softly, running a finger down from his chest to the waistband of his pants. "And your toothbrush," I finished, curling my finger beneath the denim.

His eyes widened, almost comically, and he swallowed loudly. He recovered quickly and responded, "Well, I won't argue with that logic. I'll be right back."

I grinned to myself as he walked out my door. I checked on Emmy to find her sleeping soundly, and closed her door behind me. I washed my face and brushed my teeth and when I emerged from the bedroom, I found Jasper at the kitchen table spreading out several papers. "These won't take long," he said, smirking, and went back to work. I dropped a kiss on his head and grabbed a book. I curled up on the sofa to read for a while and before I knew it, Jasper was standing over me, a huge smile on his handsome face. "Let's get you to bed," he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

With a shy smile, I took he hand he offered and we made our way to my bedroom, checking the locks and turning out all the lights on the way. I spent my night wrapped in his embrace, exploring and being explored. I loved the way my body reacted to his and it thrilled me to watch how his body reacted to mine. He brought me to tears when he was gentle and passionate and he made me laugh out loud when he was playful. It was nearly one o'clock when we finally tangled our legs together and settled beneath the covers. My head rested on his chest, and I felt my eyes drift closed, lulled to sleep by his heartbeat. For the second time in as many nights, I had a peaceful sleep.