Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any original characters therein. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: Hi all. Thanks for all the b-day wishes last chapter. Some of y'all had me laughing with the comments! I'm still dealing with the migraines, and I can't get into the neurologist until the 30th, but I've had a tolerable few days so was finally able to write some. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Let me know if ya do, yeah?

P.S. The lyrics at the top of the chapter are a portion of the song "Asleep At Last" by the Wailin' Jennys. This song brings me to tears (damn hormones) and fits Bella and Jason perfectly. I listen to it incessantly while writing them (well, that and a smattering of Black Sabbath), so give it a listen if you're interested. It's worth it!

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Chapter 12

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Be my 'asleep at last'

Kiss me slow and hold me fast

Be my sail and be my mast

In the blue, forever cast your love

Far from pain and past

Be my 'this one's meant to last'

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His touch was gentle, the look in his eyes reverent as we slowly rid each other of our clothes.

Between long looks, nervous smiles, soft, slow kisses, and rousing touches, neither of us really spoke.

There was no need...

Our eyes, our hands, our lips, the way we gravitated together, limbs entwining as we lay upon his bed — as though we could never be close enough — all of that said all there was to say, and in a way mere words never could….

As I cradled his hips between my thighs, our parted lips met, my gasp meeting his low, quiet groan as his body finally breached and filled mine for the first time.

His kisses trailed across my cheek and his thumb caught the lone tear that rolled toward my temple as he whispered a quiet, "You okay, darlin'?" while holding still as he awaited my answer.

The tear was purely emotional, I knew, as the pain hadn't been nearly as bad as I'd feared. After the initial sharp sting and stretch, there was now a pleasant fullness where that aching need had been.

I scrunched my fingers in the hair at his nape and kissed his cheek while breathing a whispered, "Better than okay."

A dimpled smile curved his lips, and he dipped his head for a kiss as he began to move within me, his pace slow but passionate as he pulled out and rocked back into me.

I hitched a leg high on his hip as my free hand slid over the smooth skin and firm muscles of his back, not able to hold back a breathy moan at the feeling of him deep inside me as I clung to the rest of him.

This…

This is what I had wanted, what I'd been dreaming of, but my dreams—well, they hadn't even come close to this reality.

"Jason…" I breathed as he loved me, the fingers of my right hand sliding down to knead the firm, warm flesh of one perfect, flexing ass-cheek. "God, but you feel good…" I whispered on a sigh, my head thrown back and eyes closed as he kissed my neck and, with a low groan, picked up the pace, his thrusts gently rocking my body into the plush pillows and mattress.

This was Heaven, I was sure of it, or at least as close as I was going to get on earth, anyway. And this was the dreaded 'first time' that I'd heard so many horror stories about.

I couldn't help but wonder then, if my first time was this good with him, what would the next be like? Or the next?

'Would it feel different when we could finally go without a con—'

"Oh shit!" I yelped as my eyes flew open and he jerked back to look at me.

"What?! Did I hurt ya?!" His hands cupped my face and he looked a bit frantic as he pulled out. "Baby-doll, please say somethin'. If I hurt ya—"

He looked so worried and confused that I forgot my panic for the moment and smiled as I tugged him into a kiss, then chuckled, "You didn't hurt me, Whit, but I think we forgot something important."

One of his brows climbed and a bemused smirk quirked his lips as he quipped, "I thought we were doin' pretty good, sugar."

I smirked and playfully swatted his shoulder. "Oh really? You can't think of anything we forgot?"

His answering grin was wicked. "Well, I figured ya might be a little too shy for that yet, but I'm game if you are, sugar."

I gotta admit, I didn't know what the hell he was talking about…

I didn't have a chance to say that though as he'd already ducked his head under the sheet and started kissing his way down.

Then all I could think was… 'I like this. I like this—a lot.'

He'd made it all the way to the crease between my hip and thigh when my brain finally came back online, but by then, my eyes were wide and words were failing me.

'Is this… Would he… Is he really gonna…'

I gasped and buried both hands into his hair as I felt a warm, wet tongue swirl around and over my clit as two supple fingers smoothly slid into me and curled.

"Oh fuck," I drew out on a moan, my head tossed back into the pillows as his warm, velvet tongue, soft lips, and questing fingers had me seeing stars as my thoughts raced.

'So this is what all the fuss is about… Holy mother of god and choirs of cloud-cruising, sunglass-wearing angels… I'm never, ever leaving this man's bed.'

"Whit…oh god, Whit…yes…yes…" I hissed as my back arched, abs tightened, and legs began to shake.

I felt him smile against my inner thigh as his fingers curled and pressed in a firm come-hither motion. "C'mon, darlin, gimme what I want, cum for me," he murmured. Then he licked and nibbled that sensitive little bundle of nerves and it was my undoing.

With a cry of his name, I felt the tight tension in my center peak and explode into heated pleasure. Pleasure so intense that it flooded my body in wave after breath-stealing, heart-pounding wave.

I felt boneless as he kissed and nipped his way back up my body to regard me with a cocky smile as I caught my breath. And hell no—I wasn't about to begrudge him that cock-sure grin. He'd damn well earned it.

"Was that okay?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with heat and amusement. I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him into a kiss, not caring at all that he tasted of me.

I tilted my head to deepen the kiss, my tongue stroking against his as my fingers carded his hair. When we eased away and broke the kiss I grinned. "Is that answer enough for you, Whitlock?"

"I dunno," he murmured and gently sucked my bottom lip. "I might need a little more convincin'."

He guided himself back into me and I froze, reality intruding once again as I gripped his shoulders to still him. "A condom, Whit. I mean, yeah, I love you, but kids…I'm not…no way am I ready for kids…"

He pulled back, his brows drawn and leaf-green gaze intense, and I realized what I'd just said as he asked, "Did I hear that right?"

My heart was pounding now as I searched for words. This wasn't how I'd pictured telling him, damn it, and now that I'd just blurted it, I was terrified of what he might say so I nibbled my lip and hedged, "About the condom or kids?"

Something in his eyes changed—like a little of the light in them had dulled as he smiled and said, "I took care a' that up front, darlin, before we ever started."

"Oh."

I don't know why, but my heart hurt. He looked fine, but his eyes…it was like some of the joy I'd seen there had died and I somehow knew…I'd hurt him. "Whit," I whispered, carding my fingers through his hair then holding his face as I looked into his eyes, "You—you heard me right. I love you, and it scares me a bit, but I'm not willing to hurt you by denying it. I—I love you."

The smile he gave me felt like the sun coming out from behind grey clouds and he brushed some hair from my brow before kissing me softly. "God, Bella, I love you too…so much."

Something fierce welled inside me when he said that—something that felt almost…feral, a wave of possessiveness that I would consider shocking when I had time to think on it later, but now…? Now, I went with it and pulled him into a heated kiss.

I moaned into that kiss when he pushed into me, then broke away to cry his name as he pulled out and thrust back in with a firm snap of his hips. With a toss of my head, I dug my heels into the backs of his thighs and urged him on.

There was still the passion, the connection, but now there was also something more…so much more, driving us both.

"More," I demanded, my gaze locked with his. "I need more."

He grinned and knelt on the bed while lifting my lower body with both hands under my ass. "My pleasure, darlin'," he said as he resumed his firm thrusts.

If he'd felt good before…now…well, now with this new angle, he was hitting that spot inside me every time and I couldn't stay still or quiet for all the money in the world.

And the sight of him…

I'd never seen such a beautiful man.

Not even the vampires I'd known could compare…

A light sheen of sweat shown on his smooth, sun-kissed skin, his lithe muscles taut with tension, flexing and relaxing with every powerful thrust he gave me…

His burnished brown hair fell into his eyes…eyes that were alight with ardor and a possessiveness that seemed to match my own as he met and held my gaze.

At that moment, I felt that he was looking into my soul, and it was then that I knew, this man was mine and I was his. There were no doubts—I knew it like I knew the sun would rise and set, and that absolute certainty brought tears to my eyes.

I reached a hand out to him then, and he grasped it and pulled me up and into his arms, barely slowing the pace he'd set, even as our lips met in a languid kiss.

Throwing my head back, I breathed his name as I felt myself peak and tighten around him, drawing a deep groan from him as he thrust twice more and rode out his own completion. His face was tucked against my neck and hands splayed on my back as he held me close. "I love you, baby-doll," he whispered against my heated skin.

I smiled and nuzzled his cheek, then placed a soft kiss there as I told him the same with no doubts, no fears, no reservations.

And as good as the sex had been, that feeling, that connection we'd made, was even better.

The light from the window slowly trekked across the room as we lay there, both of us content with sharing lazy touches and the occasional soft kiss.

At the moment, my eyes were closed as he dragged his fingers through my hair that spilled across the pillow. "It's gettin' long," he murmured. "I like it."

I smiled and cracked an eye to glance at him. "Would you mind if I cut it short again?" I had no intention to, but I wanted to see what he'd say.

His hand moved to softly trace my face. "Darlin', you could shave it all off and get tattoos and a nose ring and I'd still love ya, so do whatever makes ya happy."

I laughed at that mental image and turned on my side to face him. "A nose ring?"

He grinned and teased, "Sure, then I'd have something to grab a'hold of if ya get stubborn."

I gasped and he laughed and dodged as I swatted at him. "I can't believe you said that!"

I gave him a mock glare, doing my best not to smile as I poked him in the ribs. He grunted and caught my hand and kissed it as his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Ya gotta admit, it'd be handy."

I arched a brow. "Yeah? Maybe I'll get one for you too, except it won't be for your nose."

He cringed, quickly catching on to what I'd left unsaid. "Not sure I like the sound a' that, sugar."

"Awe, c'mon, Whit, it's a fine looking example of manliness now, but with a nice gold piercing—" He hissed and discretely cupped himself as I continued, "Well, it'd be awfully pretty then, I think," I finished with a nod while fighting the laugh that wanted to bubble up at the pained expression on his face.

"All right, sugar, ya made your point. No pokin' holes through anything for either of us, deal?"

I blinked at him and tried out a pout—something I'd never been particularly good at … until I'd perfected it on Pete, with a little—okay, a lot of—coaching from Charlotte.

It must've worked because now he looked kinda worried.

Yep, this was fun…

I bit my lower lip, arranging my face into a wounded look as I glanced through my lashes. "You mean, you wouldn't even consider it if I really wanted you to? For me?"

His brows drew together and his mouth opened and closed a couple times until he finally said, "I—Bella—I… Folks really do that?!"

I cracked. I couldn't help it, and as I laughed he shot me a testy look as he grumbled, "Knew it had ta be BS."

I wiped a tear from my eyes and shook my head. "No, really, you name it, someone, somewhere has pierced it."

His face scrunched. "That ain't right. I can't even… No damn way…" he groused.

I chuckled and pecked his lips. "Your face, though…" I giggled. "You should've seen it."

He grunted. "I reckon I deserved that for teasin' ya."

I raised up on my elbow and cupped his cheek as I kissed him. "Yeah, you did, now get over here, cowboy and I'll let ya make it up to me."

His ready grin reappeared and he eased me back against the pillows, his hand running lightly down my side to settle on my hip as he muttered a slow, lilting, "Yes Ma'am."

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So yeah... I sweated this. I really wanted their first time to be good. Not sure I nailed it, but I tried. I'm getting excited for the upcoming chapters though. So review, and let me know what you thought?

Love and light,

~Spudz