I'm so sorry to do this, but people have complained that they didn't receive notification that this chapter posted, so I'm reposting it. If you did get a notice, I apologize for bothering you with another one, and if you didn't get one initially, I apologize as well. :/
So what do you think of my new banner? :D You can see it on my profile page or go to:
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Hope you love it as much as I do. EnjoyyourJacob created it, basing it on a poster for the 1961 Fellini movie La Dolce Vita. She absolutely outdid herself working on it. Read some of her terrific stories and see more of her outstanding banners at
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Lack of Excuses and Thanks: Yeah, so I finally got off my ass and updated. Many reasons why it took so long, none of which I would care about or want to hear the details of were I you. Needless to say, this chapter kicked my butt and would never have been completed without the great work of my busy beta team:
Head Honcho, mybrandofheroin, did her usual brilliant work with my pile of crap, patting me reassuringly whenever I cried on her shoulder while she gently led me back on track. The Big Cheese, diamondheart, was her usual inspiring self, and really helped to pull my ass out of the fire. Guest beta'ing for this chapter was RussetDiamond, author of "Aisle of Love."
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I really appreciate her hard work and insightful commentary. All three of these folks are not only extraordinary betas, but also amazing writers. Do yourself a favor and check out their stories. Thanks so much to Clover for her help with Italian translations.
Shameless Pimping Section:
For some great wolfie stories, check out the nominees for the JBNP Awards.
ht(delete this)tp:/jacobblack-n-pack(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/nominees(dot)html?zx=d20129edd4488a93
Here's my condensed list of rec's:
All Human Story—Bet on Me by Kissa621 is one of my favorite all time AH stories.
Favorite Short Story or One Shot—Papa Wolf by is so fricking amazing it knocked my socks off.
Most Original New Story Line—Intoxicating by Willow2883 is just delightful.
Canine Comedy—Lots of great authors here. I love Little Furry Cannibals (despite her bewildering adoration of Quil), and Return to Sender by MeraNaamJoker & Grrlinterrupted was great. Micah's Moonbeam is becoming one of my very favorite authors.
Most Creative Story—Freewill and Chains by Fuiko. Oh, my God, I ADORE this story. Please check it out!
All Time Favorite Wolf Story-Coming Full Circle, Closure, Nature vs. Nurture, Closer to God, A Little Crush
All Time Favorite Wolf Author—mrstrentreznor, LuvinJ, audreyii-fic, Pavarti, August Shaffer, MeraNaamJoker, Naranwien are all fabulous. Check them out!
Usual Official Bullshit: Okay, so you know the drill. I didn't write the Twilight Saga, and I make no money from this endeavor. SM wrote and owns everything. And she's welcome to Bella and most of the Cullens. You know, I'd pay her big bucks if she'd just rewrite Bella—completely. Jesus.
Previously in How to Seduce a Werewolf …
Years have passed since Edward left Bella in the woods. Bella's discovered she's in love with Jacob and is trying to seduce him with Leah's help and advice. Jake, Bella, Embry, Seth, and Paul have left Milan, Italy and are going to Florence for some modeling jobs.
Jacob has bribed the hotel manager in Florence to cancel his and Bella's room and to tell everyone the hotel is overbooked so the two of them can stay at another hotel far away from the rest of the pack.
Paul showed up hours late for the scheduled departure from Milan. As a punishment, Jake sent Paul by himself to Florence in a tiny car, a Punto, packed with luggage while everyone else went on a driving tour through Italy. Bella has accidentally directed the driving tour right into the town of Volterra.
(End of Chapter 13 JPOV)
"'Once a year, on March 19th, the town celebrates St. Marcus Day, the day when St. Marcus supposedly rid the Italian city of Volterra of all v—'" Her voice came to an abrupt halt.
I heard some choking gasps coming from Bella, and I glanced over at her, concerned. Her face was white with shock, and her eyes were huge. She looked like she was trying to say something, but nothing coherent was coming out. Worried, I started to pull over.
"No. NO!" Bella shouted at me—and it shocked the hell out of all of us.
I slowed down so I could try to find out what was going on.
"Don't stop, Jake! We've got to get out of here NOW! Roll up the windows!" Frantically, she cranked hers up and shut off the air circulation in the car. "Do it!" I turned the Punto around and headed towards Florence as fast as the tin can would go. Eventually, we sputtered into a grove of trees some thirty kilometers away from Volterra and rolled to a stop.
"Spill, Bells. We're not going another inch until you explain exactly what the hell is going on," I told her.
Chapter 14 Bella, the Vampire Slayer
BPOV
What in God's name was I going to tell them? And how could I have been so stupid as to bring such danger down on their heads? My mind was consumed with the image of a swarm of super vampires attacking the car, pulling out each member of the pack, and tearing him to pieces right before my eyes. My God, my God, I'd put Jake's life in jeopardy because I was the most idiotic person on the face of the earth. What if Jake, Embry, and Seth felt it was their "duty" to eliminate the Volturi? Horror filled me at the thought.
"Okay, okay. Just give me a second." I tried to contain the overwhelming panic that filled me and think clearly. My hands were shaking with reaction as I covered my mouth and drew in an unstable breath. Finally, I raised my head and looked into each set of worried eyes, and my jaw clinched. There was no way I was going to lose one of these men to those monsters. I'd make sure of it.
"All right, I'll tell you. But first, you have to swear to me that no matter what I say, none of you will ever go back there."
They were going to give me a guarantee before I would tell them anything, damn it. If Jake gave me his promise, I knew he'd never break it. The three of them looked at each other in astonishment—obviously not knowing what to say. Finally, Jake replied in a soothing voice as if he were trying to talk a crazy person off a ledge. "Honey, how can we say that when we have no idea what we're swearing to?"
Tears started to collect in my eyes as I thought about something—anything hurting Jacob. I launched myself at him and buried my face in his neck, frantically clinging to him. I wouldn't lose him! I just couldn't.
Jake's arms came around me, and he gently stroked my head, whispering some nonsense about Seth. Finally, he said, "Sweetheart, none of us will go to that place unless there is a damned good reason, okay?" As if that would placate me.
"No!" I cried, clutching him tighter. "That's not okay! I want you to give me your word!"
"Baby, why the hell would we ever want to go back there?"
God, he wasn't going to agree—and all bets would be off once he found out what existed in Volterra. I stared at him, desperately longing to wring from him the promise I knew he wasn't going to make. There was no other choice: I had to explain it. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't stall any longer. "Because of what I'm about to tell you." I took a shaky breath, and the words spilled out. "Have any of you ever heard of the Volturi?"
Their blank expressions gave me my answer.
Jacob, Embry, and Seth needed to know all I knew, such as it was, and fast. Racking my brain, I tried to remember everything I could about the Volturi. God, I hadn't even known Volterra was where they lived, for heaven's sake. Edward and Carlisle didn't tell me much, nor did I discover anything substantial from the neurotic digging I did after they left.
I looked at the worried faces around me. How were my next words going to impact their futures? I had to carefully explain it in a way that would prevent a catastrophe from happening—and, most importantly, keep every single one of them safe.
"There is a … a ruling family that lives in Volterra known as the Volturi. They are the governing body that oversees the actions of all … vampires." Suddenly, the already tense atmosphere in the car dramatically escalated. No one made a sound, and all eyes were riveted to me as I continued. "It's made up of the most powerful and the most dangerous of their kind. Everyone who knows they exist fears what they can do—even Carlisle, who lived with them centuries ago."
The three men looked stunned. What I had to say next wasn't going to make anybody feel any better. "I told you how some—like Edward and Alice—have special talents. Well, the most skilled of all are either part of the Volturi or are part of its guard. There is a trio of rulers, and everyone else is there to protect them and enforce their rules. That's why the Volturi search for the most gifted vampires there are—so that the ruling triad is virtually indestructible."
The atmosphere in the car started to change as Seth and Embry restlessly stirred in the back seat, and a low, throaty rumbling came from Jake, but I kept going. They were going to hear every little bit I knew no matter how bad it was. "Their abilities as a whole must be terrifying, and they use them to insure their one unbreakable law—anyone who knows about them dies."
I took in the confusion and growing horror on Jake's face. "Don't you see, Jacob? That means you—every one of you—will be killed if they find out you exist. And I just led you into the middle of their lair." My voice cracked after that admission, but I had to get it out. "You know your smell is very distinctive to vampires." Dealing with Victoria and her gang had certainly cemented that lesson. "Who knows what could happen if they find out about you? They'll hunt you down. That's a given, but what then? It's possible if they find out they could go to La Push. Jake, they could kill everyone who might inherit or pass on the wolf gene."
At that, Seth began to shake until Jake snapped out an order that immediately brought him back under control. My breathing was labored, and my hands still trembled, but I had to make sure they saw. "Now do you understand why none of you can even think about going back there?"
Their faces were paler than I'd ever seen them. "Jesus H. Christ." Jake looked almost as sick as I felt.
"How many of them are there, honey?" he asked.
"I don't know—somewhere between twenty and thirty maybe?"
"Holy fuck!" That was a bigger force than Victoria's enormous newborn army, and instead of inexperienced blood-crazed loonies, the Volturi were comprised of the most dangerous vampires that ever existed.
"Jacob, you can't go after them no matter what. You wouldn't have a chance."
He gave me a long look, and I felt as if I said something disloyal, but I was right and he had to know it. Three or four werewolves could not destroy two-dozen super vampires no matter how determined and special they were. Finally, he turned to stare out the back of the car, and then he, Embry, and Seth seemed to silently communicate.
"Bella's right. We have no idea what they're capable of. Without knowing their weaknesses, attacking them in their territory would be nothing short of suicide. The only smart thing we can do is get the fuck out of here—Right. Now." Those were the sweetest words I ever heard Jake speak. With that, he floored the Punto and took off towards Florence like the hounds of hell were at our heels. Maybe they were.
We sat in grim silence for a while. I kept checking out the back and, for once, was glad Embry was facing that direction. His eyes would pick up the slightest movement before I had a clue anything was going on.
Finally, Jacob spoke up. "Honey, why didn't you tell me about this years ago?" His voice was gentle and there was no accusation in his tone.
"God, I wish I had." For a moment, I thought back to the desolate hole that consumed me when Edward left. The memory of the way I was back then made me … ashamed, and it was hard to keep talking. "The Cullens never said much about the Volturi, but after they moved, I was so desperate to find … them." There was an awkward pause that none of us seemed able to fill.
"I told you Carlisle lived in Volterra at one time, and I thought that maybe … he would come here for a visit," I said. Of course, everybody in the car knew whom I had really been seeking. Heat rushed to my face, and I stared at my lap until I collected myself. "For a while, I searched for any and everything I could get my hands on. There wasn't much available. Just a few random stories, legends mostly, but based on what I already knew to be true, I kind of pieced some things together.
"And then you and I became friends, and I made myself stop looking." I turned and fixed my eyes on Jacob. "Eventually, I blocked it all out as much as I could. I'm so sorry—I haven't thought about the Volturi in years, and no one told me the name of the town. If it occurred to me—if it even crossed my mind as a possibility—I would never, ever have let you go near that place."
Jake reached over and gently stroked my face. "Don't you think I realize that? But we're able to protect ourselves against those fuckers, Bella. You're the one that's in danger. If they ever found out that you know … ." His voice trailed off and there was a hint of desperation in his eyes.
Trust Jacob not to think of himself but to worry about me. "That's ridiculous. They don't know about me and they couldn't care less about me. And really, what's one more human to them? But you guys … ." I shivered until his warm hand rubbed my arm.
"Bells, they're not going to hurt us, I promise." His eyes locked onto mine and I could see the determination in the tight lines of his face. "And I'm not going to let anything happen to you, no matter what, okay?"
"I know." Looking at the hard edges of his profile, I felt some of my tension start to melt away. Jacob wouldn't take any chances—not with the packs' lives or with mine. And I trusted him with every inch of my being.
He could sense me relax a little and simultaneously he did too. "All right, you guys, we're not going to drive ourselves crazy about this. We've been in Italy before and haven't sniffed out a vampire yet. Do they all stay holed up in that Vulture place, or what, honey?"
"Volterra." God forgive me if I ever forgot the name of the damned town as long as I lived. "Umm, yeah, I think so. Unless they have duties to attend, I got the idea they all pretty much live in some sort of castle or dungeon thing there and don't ever go out." Trying to come up with a change of subject, I asked, "Embry, you doing okay? Are you getting car sick looking out the back like that?"
"Nah, I'm fine, Bella. You know me. I've got a cast iron stomach, anyway." He gave me a cheeky grin and winked.
"Yeah, right." Jake let out an incredulous snort, and Seth and I tried not to snicker. Everybody knew Embry could toss his cookies at the slightest provocation. And just like that, the stress level in the car began to ratchet down. "E, have you seen anything at all coming behind us?" Jacob asked.
"Not a damn soul. Or soulless as the case may be." Embry's laughing voice was a balm on my nerves, and I felt the knot in my gut start to release just a little more. Maybe we were actually going to get away after all. "Damn, Bella, when you say you're going to take us on an exciting driving tour of Italy, you don't fuck around!"
oOo
It only took us 15 minutes to get to Florence. Two hours later, we still hadn't found the stupid inn. I didn't get it. The Hotel Brunelleschi was easy enough to locate on the map, but getting there was another issue. Florence seemed to be an incomprehensible maze of narrow one-way streets leading to nearly impassible alleys, and each block appeared to have a different name—all of them long and Italian. It was as if every road leading to our destination were some sort of optical illusion, because not a damn one of them actually got us anywhere.
While the guys were amazingly patient with the situation, I was cramped, edgy, and growing more frustrated by the minute with my crappy navigational skills and our inoperable GPS.
"Hell, Bella, you managed to lose the Volturi," Jake cracked. "There's no way anything could follow our trail for the last two hours!" Jacob always knew what to say to make me feel better. I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I gave him a swat. It was the first time I'd been able to smile since reading about vampires in Volterra. But, as we wandered down yet another dead end, a depressing thought settled over me—Jake and I would not be stopping once we finally found the hotel.
I had myself to thank for that. The day before, in my zeal for some privacy with Jacob, I called the manager of the inn and cancelled our room. He was just as helpful as he could be, and, after giving him a hefty bribe, he told me he would gladly tell everyone the hotel was overbooked, and that Jake and I had to stay elsewhere. After more euros were exchanged, he promised me he would make the arrangements for our new accommodations as well—far away from the Brunelleschi.
It seemed like a great idea at the time. I didn't care if we stayed in the worst dump in Italy as long as we didn't have three sets of wolf ears nearby listening and speculating about everything we did. Jake and I desperately needed some alone time. But, as the night grew late, the realization that we wouldn't be able to crash if we ever did find the damned place was pretty demoralizing.
A ludicrous scene began to play out in my mind: Hungry and exhausted, we would all stagger into the hotel and collapse on the counter, begging for room service and eight bellboys to deal with the nightmare of luggage on top of the Punto. My accomplice, the efficient hotel manager, would courteously greet us, hand Embry and Seth menus and their keys, then pleasantly inform Signore Black and Signorina Swan they no longer had reservations and would have to go elsewhere for the night.
After Jake ate the efficient hotel manager, all of us would make a run for it while Embry waved the hotel menu about yelling, "Come on, you guys! They have bacon burgers and lasagna! It'll just take 15 minutes to order!" Cramming back into the Punto, we would spend weeks wandering the streets of Florence, lost and starving, until finally, we'd be arrested and tossed into Italian prison to serve the next twenty years—sans room service. Of course, that was assuming the Volturi didn't catch us and eat us first.
Great. Fatigue and hunger were making me hallucinate. Evidently, the last marble in my head must have escaped and was rolling around the floor of the crammed full Punto.
At best, the group of us would have to unpack the mountain of crap strapped to the car, dig through everything to find the boys' bags, and repack said mountain of crap back atop the Punto. Then Jake and I would be kicked to the curb so we could aimlessly roam around a foreign city in the middle of the night some more. I figured if I were still in charge of navigation, we would probably roll into our new hotel parking lot about dawn. Honestly, I didn't think I could take it.
Besides, the pack needed to be together since the threat of an elite vampire hit squad hung over our heads. Remembering Jake's name for them, I could just picture the Volturi gathering on the rooftops of Florence like a flock of vultures, patiently watching and waiting until we got out of our car so they could swoop down and devour us. It made me feel like a fresh piece of road kill.
As we weaved our way down yet one more dark alley barely wider than the Punto, suddenly a miracle occurred. "Stop, Jake! Look, that's it!" To our left was a beautiful sight: There on the wall was a small brass plaque with the words Hotel Brunelleschi.
Jacob slammed on the brakes and came to a halt right in front of the inn.
"Thank Christ!" I heard him take the first deep breath he'd had in hours. "Everybody out! I'm not moving this fucker another inch." There was no parking lot in sight—the hotel was just one doorway in a solid wall of buildings that lined the alleyway.
I turned and stared at him. "Jacob, we can't just leave the car in the middle of the road!" As narrow as it was, the alley was actually a two way street—and the Punto blocked it wall to wall. There was no way anybody could get around us.
He couldn't have cared less. "The hotel can deal with the son of a bitch. Look, I have no idea how we got here, and if I start searching for somewhere to park, I'll never find this fucking place again." After the last two hours, who could argue with that statement? And besides, the dark lane was completely deserted. Evidently, no one else in Florence could find the damned street either.
Getting out of the car wasn't as simple as it sounded. Since the guys just spent hours in positions a contortionist wouldn't attempt, they practically fell out of the Punto and then crawled onto the sidewalk. I felt terrible, but when I tried to apologize, they brushed me off and stretched themselves out, cracking their joints and groaning with pleasure.
By the time we got to the front desk, the three of them were fully recovered and deep into their favorite topic of conversation: food and how to quickly get more. Meanwhile, I tried to silently communicate with the hotel desk clerk. I attempted to let him know we really did want to spend the night by giving him subtle headshakes and meaningful winks. He stared at me as if he thought I was dangerously psychotic and might start foaming at the mouth at any second.
All my worrying was for nothing, though. Jake seemed completely unfazed, almost as if he expected it, when the manager told us the hotel was overbooked, and the two of us would have to stay elsewhere for the week. "Look, man, there is just no way," he replied. "We'll move tomorrow, but tonight we're not going anywhere. Isn't there some place you can squeeze us in?"
No, evidently there wasn't. That didn't matter in the least to Jacob. He decided the two of us weren't leaving, and, by God, nothing and no one was going to blast him out of there. After a terse discussion, we agreed that the boys would bunk with Paul for the night, and Jake and I would sleep next door in their quarters. Paul would be so pleased.
Then the guys heard room service was still available for a few more minutes, and all bets were off. They promptly dumped the luggage nightmare on the poor hotel staff and hauled me upstairs so we could turn in our order before the kitchen closed. Paul was discovered passed out in his bed—alone for once. Embry and Seth thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie and joined us for dinner. I think they were actually afraid to face Paul and tell him they were spending the night with him.
After we ate, Jacob arranged to rent a "decent" car for the rest of the week, while the boys quietly snuck next door into Paul's room. It was the first time since we came to Italy that I didn't resent having three other werewolves close by. Instead, it felt like my family was closing ranks to keep any sort of danger at bay. Jacob finally came to bed and wrapped me in his arms. I snuggled against him feeling safe and secure and in minutes was out like a light.
Unfortunately, I didn't sleep for long. For once, Jacob was the one that tossed and turned most of the night, and his edginess was contagious. Was he unconsciously sensing or smelling something I couldn't? The feeling of dread that disappeared once we found our hotel started seeping back through my veins. The room certainly wasn't impenetrable; in fact, it would be almost impossible to defend since there was a huge bank of windows forming one wall. Could that be why Jake was so tense?
Suddenly, every unfamiliar noise made me jump, and each unidentifiable shape became sinister. I stared into a dark corner at what earlier seemed to be innocent looking draperies. Did they just move? Yes, it was possible that air was stirring the fabric, but what if it was something else? Could the black mass in the corner actually be hooded figures who watched us as we lay in bed?
Once that thought entered my brain, there was no way I could go back to sleep. I wanted to wake Jacob and have him search the premises—particularly behind the drapes—but he needed to rest as much as I really needed to get a grip. After thirty more minutes of scrutinizing every move the shifting draperies made, I'd had enough.
Well, check it out already! It's not like they can't see you just because you're cowering in this bed. Go over there and either let them eat you, or prove to yourself that there's nothing in the damn curtains so you can get some sleep!
I switched my bedside lamp on low, and my eyes snapped to the drapes to see if anything moved. Not a whisker. Everything was still and quiet. Next came the hard part. I tiptoed over, carefully patted the entire length of cloth along the wall, and then plowed behind the draperies just to make sure. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it thoroughly. Right when I was testing the window latches one last time, a groggy voice mumbled, "Whacha doin, Bells?"
Damn it, I woke him. As I poked my head out, I realized the curtains were dangling halfway over my face, and my hair was going everywhere. It wasn't too tough figuring out what I was up to. "Nothing, Jacob. Just seeing, um, about something." My nonchalant tone didn't fool him for a second.
He rolled over and looked at me, awareness in his eyes. "Come back to bed, sweetheart. I'll keep you safe. Promise. Now, quit worrying." He held up the sheets on my side and waited while I dove back in between the covers and snuggled into his body.
"I'm not worried, Jake."
"Uh huh. You always analyze hotel window security at two o'clock in the morning. Get some sleep, baby. Nobody's out there."
"I know. I'm good. Really."
"Everything's fine, Bells. Just relax." Jake pulled me into his side and wrapped me in his warmth. He was right. We were perfectly safe. Nothing was going to happen.
Seconds later, an angry roar and a deafening crash rocked through the hotel. Next door in Paul's room, all hell was breaking loose.
"Bella, get out of here, now! Go downstairs to the front desk! Run!" Jake's voice was low, but grimly intense. Grabbing his lighter, he tore into the hall swearing a blue streak. Noisy bangs and thumps, raised voices, and muffled cursing could easily be heard through the walls.
This is it, I thought hysterically. We're all going to die in this inaccessible hotel. And nobody is going to discover our bodies until they're half eaten by wild dogs.
My rational self was not pleased. Damn it, shut up! Quit whining and do something useful for once! I tried to regain control and think lucidly. Going next door would be the worst thing I could do. I couldn't actually help, and I would certainly distract Jacob.
Well, you're definitely not running away, and you're not just going to sit here like a plate of happy hour nachos waiting to be devoured. Get busy! You can at least search for some sort of weapon.
Frantically, I looked around the room staring at what was available. The lamps were attached to the floor or the wall, and almost everything we owned was still packed in suitcases except my stack of tour books. I picked up the heaviest one.
Right. You're actually going to lob a paperback at a vampire. Are you a freaking cretin? Get your head out of your butt, and find something that might actually work! I tossed the guidebook on the floor and tore into the bathroom to dig through our toiletries. Hurriedly, I dumped them on the counter.
Electric toothbrush? Maybe you could brush their teeth so they'll have fresh breath before they rip out your throat. Very helpful. Come on, damn it!
Hairdryer? Well, it is shaped like a gun, after all.
Shampoo? Shower cap? You're wasting time you don't have!
Dental floss? Granite skin probably won't succumb to garroting with a piece of string, you dolt.
Jake's razor? It's electric. What are you going to do—wave around a rotary shaver on a three-foot cord? That'll terrify them. Think! Think!
Eyelash curler? Emory board? Damn it, Bella! Well, I don't usually pack a Molotov cocktail when I travel to Italy. It's not my fault!
Fingernail polish? No, but … there! A bottle of polish remover sat on the counter—highly flammable fingernail polish remover. But Jake took the only lighter we had. I could hardly ask them to wait a minute while I doused them with my four ounces of acetone and ran next door for a match.
Keep looking! There's got to be something else!
Loofah brush? Soap on a rope? Self-tanner? They could certainly use that one.
Clorox Clean Up? Yeah, so what if I brought my own disinfectant and rubber gloves to another continent. I didn't care how much grief everybody gave me. When Paul and Embry got pubic lice, I'd die laughing. I started to put it back.
Hold it! Looking at the bottle, a plan quickly formulated. What about a direct shot in their eyes? It might slow them down for a second. At least it's better than the electric toothbrush idea. Clutching the bleach, I ran back into the bedroom and pinned myself against the wall so I could launch a surprise attack on anything coming in.
The hotel was ominously quiet. Oh. My. God. What was going on?
Suddenly, the door swung open. I held the bottle with both arms outstretched as if it was a gun and I was one of Charlie's Angels. Leaping away from the wall, I furiously sprayed into the face of the intruder.
"What the fuck, Bella? Jesus, what the hell was that for?" Jake clutched his eyes in pain.
"Oh my God, my God, Jacob, what did I do?" I hopped around, horrified, and immediately shoved him, unresisting, into the bathroom. "Honey, I'm so, so sorry! I thought you were a Volturi!" I turned on the shower and pushed him in.
"It wasn't those vulture fuckers, Bells. Shit! It's freezing! First you try to blind me, and now you're drowning me in ice water?"
"Quit being a baby, and wash out your eyes right now!" Standing on the side of the tub so I was his height, I aimed the showerhead straight in his face. "The water's got to be cold."
"Fuck, woman, you're killing me. This cure is worse than the damn injury." Ignoring his griping, I pulled his head forward so he got a direct blast and ordered him to blink. He wasn't going anywhere until I felt sure the bleach was flushed out, and I saw the redness start to fade from his skin.
"All right already. Shit, that's enough! It's gone, I swear!"
"Shut up, and let me see. Open your eyes." I yanked his hair back so I could examine him.
"OW! Damn, you're a bossy little thing. You ought to be nice to me, you know. This wasn't exactly my fault." He blinked a few times then opened his eyes. They were beautifully, perfectly normal.
I launched myself at him, winding my arms and legs around his body, heedless of the cold water pouring over us. "Oh, my God, Jacob! Honey, thank God you're okay!" Pulling his head down, I peppered his face with frantic kisses. "I thought I blinded you! I'm so, so sorry!"
"Bella, I'm fine. Really. Don't worry, sweetheart." I could hear the laughter in his voice as he struggled to get the words out between my frenzied kisses. "Damn, you are something else, Bells. One minute you're Cujo and the next you're Lassie!"
For a few seconds, I just hugged him until my heartbeat returned to normal, and then I leaned back and stared into his undamaged face. "Forgive me?" I asked as I carefully petted the healthy skin around his eyes. He could and should have had serious vision injuries because of my idiocy.
His face lit up with one of his smiles. "Well, I'll think of some way you can make it up to me." One hand came up to cup my cheek.
Leaning forward, I licked his lips and then nuzzled his ear. "It's the least I can do." I nipped his earlobe gently and whispered, "Mmmm, you taste good."
"Okay, so maybe you're not such a bad little puppy dog after all." His laughing voice was husky. One of his hands began palming my bottom, and the other clutched my wet head to his as he leaned down and started to kiss me with purpose.
"Knock, knock!" Seth called out as he walked through the open door of our room.
Instantly, everybody froze in place—Seth by the door, gaping at us in the shower, Jake in his wet boxers, and me in my soaked nightshirt wrapped around his body while water poured over the two of us.
"Uh, I can come back if this is a bad time." Seth started backing out the door. I didn't know who was blushing harder—Seth or me.
"No, bro, you're fine. Bella was trying to disinfect a bloodsucker and missed. Just give us a second." Jake walked over with me still wrapped around him, closed the bathroom door in Seth's bewildered face, and then gave me a wicked grin and a robe.
A couple of minutes later as I toweled off my hair, Jake was searching through our bags trying to find some dry clothes while Seth stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. "Bells, Seth's going to sleep in the other bed tonight, okay?"
"What? Oh. Well, okay, Seth. Sure, sure, that's fine." After the night we'd had, the entire population of La Push could bunk with us if they wanted. The more the merrier. "Hey, is somebody going to tell me what the heck was going on?" I nodded in the direction of the guys' room. "It sounded like aliens were invading over there."
"Paul," Jake and Seth said in one voice, giving endearingly similar shrugs.
"Ohhh." No other explanation was given or needed. Among the pack, it was a commonly held belief that Paul would probably be the catalyst for WWIII. When he was being an ass, anything was possible. I found that, generally, it was better not to know the details.
After our early hour adventure, morning came quickly, and I couldn't wait to get my first glimpse of Florence during the day. As soon as everyone was up and dressed, I pulled open the draperies and literally gasped out loud. At that moment, I fell irrevocably in love with the city of Florence.
Filling up our entire window was a brilliant explosion of color and the most jaw droppingly beautiful building I'd ever seen in my life. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the Duomo, was an ancient cathedral and one of the most photographed buildings on the planet. Although I'd seen thousands of pictures of it, none of them prepared me for the size and scope of the famous dome, how it commanded attention, or how the color of the fiery red brick blazed against the perfect Italian sky. Nor had I realized the walls of the church were actually thousands of white, green, and pink intricately inlaid marble panels that gleamed in the morning sun. As I stood there, it seemed so close I felt that if I leaned out the window I could touch it.
Jake came and stood behind me, wrapping his arms around mine. "Oh my God! That's amazing. I've never seen anything like it." Well, who had? It was an unbelievable sight. "Are you sorry we're going to have to leave the hotel, Bells?" I could hear the concern in his voice. Meanwhile, I was hoping he wasn't upset. After all, even though he didn't know, it was totally my fault we were getting thrown out on our ear.
"Well, do I get a view of you instead?" I turned around and grinned at him.
"Yes, ma'am! Any time." He laughed and kissed my neck. "Don't worry, honey. We'll get a room with a view. I promise, okay?
For a minute, I was a little crushed that Jake and I were leaving before I quickly got my priorities in order. You've only got four more days, I told myself as we stared out the window, and being alone and undisturbed is all that matters. Sure, I was going to leave the most incredible sight I'd ever seen in my life and move to God knows where. But that wasn't the big issue. I needed to remember that, no matter what kind of hovel the new place was.
At the end of the week we were flying back to Forks. From then on, Jacob was going to be asleep in one bed, and, twenty minutes away, I was going to be in another—probably wide awake and miserable. You better make every moment count while you can, and quit worrying about the damned scenery.
I looked closely at the shadows and valleys of the famous dome. Besides, there was really no telling what might be crawling around on a roof that size. The thing could easily hold the entire department of defense and possibly a couple of aircraft carriers, much less twenty or thirty vampires. I'd have to let Embry and Seth know right away. Great idea, Bella. That way, they can be as freaked out as you are.
An hour later, everyone but Paul was downstairs and ready to eat. The guys' eyes grew huge when they saw the lavish breakfast spread that was laid out for the guests. Homemade breads and pastries, Italian meats, fruits, fresh eggs, cappuccino, and juices made my mouth water, and I could hear stomachs growling on either side of me. The inn was certainly going to lose money on our stay. By the time Jake, Embry, and Seth finished raiding the buffet, our table was piled high with food, and the staff was hurriedly restocking ravaged platters.
Meanwhile, I was trying to soak up all the beauty of the Hotel Brunelleschi while I still had the chance. The building originally was a 12th century church, which was obvious when I noticed the ancient stone walls and the forty-foot cathedral ceiling in the dining room. I could hardly eat because I kept gaping all around me.
"Paul's gonna be pissed when he finds out he missed this." Seth took a five second eating break as he switched from one plate to the next. The guys were fiercely concentrating on breakfast; we could have been dining on a garbage scow for all the attention they paid to their surroundings.
"Gonna be pissed?" Embry's tone indicted that ship had long passed.
I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Paul for almost 24 hours. "Where is he? Still sleeping?"
"He's awake, more or less, and about as pleasant as a cornered pit viper. We are so damned lucky we don't have to deal with his nasty ass today," Embry said, chewing vigorously.
"I don't give a shit what his problem is as long as he shows up for his assignment on time and does his work. I'm gonna eat his fucking lunch if he screws up the shoot because he's still got his panties in a wad." Jake knew Paul all too well.
"He takes great pictures when he's in a bad mood," I said and then added under my breath, "thank God." Paul in an ugly temper wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. He had a different job for the day, and none of us were too upset we wouldn't be spending any time with him. When he was in a good mood he could try my patience. When he was being foul, Paul made oral surgery seem like a pleasant alternative.
Jake, Embry, and Seth had shoots all over Florence's many famous sites, so, after one last sweep of the buffet table, we quickly got on the road. I tried to keep my fears about the Volturi under wraps, and it helped that the day was a busy one. But instead of concentrating on the job, at first I caught myself searching through crowds looking for a beautiful pale face, or jumping when a quick movement caught the corner of my eye.
As the hours progressed though, my edginess eventually started to fade. It finally dawned on me that there was really no reason for vampires to be trailing after us. If they wanted to kill us, they could have done it anytime. Why wait until the middle of the day when we were surrounded by hundreds of tourists?
Besides, I reassured myself for the fortieth time, we'd been in Volterra for all of two minutes—while sitting behind the closed doors of a car. The sun had been out, which meant that vampires weren't. And it wasn't like any of the Volturi had ever been around the wolves of La Push or were familiar with their smell. They didn't know we existed, and they weren't out searching for us. Somehow, in spite of me being a Class A moron, we'd gotten away from them undetected. I just needed to let it go. We were safe, the day was perfect, and our surroundings were beyond spectacular.
The shoots were going smoothly, and the locals were friendly and interested—a little too interested, if you asked me. As the day wore on, and we switched locations, each place was becoming more and more congested. A crowd (an almost exclusively female crowd) was waiting on our arrival at every site as if Embry was handing out printed copies of our itinerary. That certainly wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, but, when I accused him, he flatly denied it. Regardless, it didn't do him or Seth much good because the wolf getting all the attention was Jacob.
Giggling women and girls gathered in droves, all of them sighing and whispering, squealing and waving as he posed. When he took a break, they practically knocked me down as they tried to close in on him. I started off being pleasant and understanding. After they jostled the photo team and disrupted the shoot, I became businesslike as I insisted they move out of the way. By late afternoon, I was nearly grinding the enamel off my molars, and vowing to myself that if every slut who was chasing after him didn't back off—rapido—I was going to snatch her bald headed. My fears of a bloody vampire attack faded when faced with the much more immediate threats posed by dark liquid eyes and shocking amounts of cleavage.
Jake, on the other hand, accepted the situation with never ending grace, sweetly greeting every bleating member of the ever-growing herd. The shrieks and hysterics that accompanied each of his famous smiles began to make my stomach churn. But somehow, in the midst of all the chaos, I caught his eye, and I saw his expression tighten for a second before he cut through the heart of the mob. Moments later, I was swept up into a bear hug, and his hand didn't leave mine until shooting resumed. He knew; wherever I was, whatever I needed—he just knew.
Finally, our workday was done, and it was time for dinner. Out of the blue, Embry and Seth suddenly announced they already made plans and took off, barely saying goodbye to either of us before disappearing into the crowd. That was odd. They'd never mentioned a word about it all day. Usually getting them away from Jake was like separating layers of super glue. I tried not to show my glee, but at last I had Jacob to myself for a while.
We had no agenda and no place in mind, so we decided to turn off our cell phones for once and just stroll down the streets until something looked intriguing. Soon, the two of us happened upon a tiny little restaurant, Tunde's Trattoria. When we took a look inside, Mama Tunde herself welcomed Jake and me like we were family members and seated us in a private little area off the main dining room. After handing us indecipherable menus, she ran a loving hand down Jacob's arm and gave me a wicked wink.
"Che bel pezzo d'uomo, un animale così bello ha bisogno di privacy con la sua compagna." *
We heard her rich laughter and an ongoing stream of Italian as she went back to the kitchen. Jake and I exchanged shrugs and started looking over our menus then glanced up, bursting into laughter at each other's blank faces. We really needed to learn the language.
"Honey, do you have a clue?" Jake asked.
"Nope. Not one," I said, smiling at him.
Mama Tunde must have sensed our confusion; she bustled over and began spouting Italian, pointing at a long list on the menu. We glanced at each other and then nodded at her, having no idea what we just agreed to, but we sat back and relaxed, knowing we would enjoy what was coming.
Honestly, I could hardly care less what we ate for dinner. Just being with Jake and seeing the tension of the last 24 hours gradually leave his body was all that mattered to me. As worried as I'd been, the discovery of the Volturi was much greater burden on him. After all, he was responsible for everyone's safety, including the tribe at La Push. Since the threat seemed to be behind us; his eyes were beginning to sparkle again, and the smile I adored was finally returning to his face.
"Bells, the hotel has moved all of our stuff to the new place where we're staying. We can just go there right after we eat and let the guys know where we are. Is that okay?"
Was it? For the next four nights, I was going to have total privacy with Jake. As much as I loved the pack, I couldn't wait to get away from them. Not only could they hear and smell everything going on around them, they gossiped like a bunch of preteens on twitter. With them out of the way, it was time to move on and take advantage of every precious seduction hour I had left with Jacob.
Sitting across from him at our tiny table for two, I actually felt an ache that I couldn't nestle myself into his body. I needed to touch him. Then Leah's voice seemed to whisper into my ears.
Leah's Rules of Seduction Number 64: If the only thing you can do is to hold his hand, make it count. Since the fingers have extremely sensitive nerve endings, this can be an incredibly sensual experience if done properly—or it can be as exciting as touching a dead trout if you just sit there like Quil's Great Aunt Beulah.
Reaching across the table, I laced my fingers through his and slowly rubbed his palm with my thumb staring into those gorgeous eyes.
"I can't wait to get back to the hotel, sweetheart—as long as it's quiet and private," I said before I returned my attention to our linked hands.
For some reason, the contrast of my white fingers against his beautiful skin always fascinated me. His hands were so typical of the rest of him: strong and muscular, but those big fingers were capable of great gentleness. I lightly traced the lines of his palm, sliding lingeringly over the creases, and then slowly massaged the muscle of his thumb.
Looking at them in the candlelight, I couldn't help but think of his hands on my body—the copper fingers cupping my breasts and playing with my nipples. I remembered the way his hands slid down the skin of my stomach to cradle my hips, and then slowly and deliberately they had separated my thighs. And what his magic fingers had done to me then … .
My body warmed at the memories, and I felt a delicious tingling between my legs. Glancing up at him, I saw Jake's eyes dilate as he inhaled. The thought of him smelling my rising arousal wasn't embarrassing. In fact, it was incredibly erotic to me that he seemed to crave and love my scent. He brought his hand to my face and gently slid a finger over my lips. I grasped the sides with my teeth, delicately sliding my tongue down its length and lightly biting and sucking at its base. Slowly, I drew his fingertip into my mouth and wrapped my tongue around it, softly raking his skin against my teeth, and moving it in and out of my lips. Mmmm. His skin always tasted so good.
"Fuck, Bells, what the hell are you doing to me?" His voice sounded funny, and I looked up to see hard lines of tension on his face.
"I've just missed you, Jacob. It seems like forever since we've been alone, and I … need you."
"Well, keep that up, and you're going to get what you need on top of this table."
"Sounds wonderful, but I'd hate to shock Mama Tunde, Jake." I peered at him from under my lashes and grinned.
"Honey, if I stand up, I'm going to shock the entire restaurant. Now please, baby, be a good girl, and stop torturing me before I completely lose my mind, and we get thrown in the skeeve tank. I really don't want to explain to the guys or your dad why we need to be bailed out of an Italian prison."
His eyes were as dark as could be, and his full mouth seemed to want to eat me whole. Leah's Rules were amazingly effective. I didn't mean to get either of us sexually aroused during dinner; I just had a hard time keeping my hands off him.
Mama Tunde brought out our first course of antipasti, and Jake and I completely ignored it. When Jacob didn't eat, something was seriously wrong.
"Sweetheart, you need to have some dinner." I picked up a piece of thin sliced prosciutto and fed it to him. His lips sucked in my fingers just the way I'd done to his minutes earlier.
"I don't want this." His voice was low enough so I was the only one that could hear. "Bells, all I can think about is spreading you out on this table, stripping off your panties, and feasting on that sweet juice between your legs." His words curled in my brain and through my veins; I could feel a slickness starting to accumulate at my center. The language was … shocking and arousing at the same time, and I wondered if Jacob knew the effect his speech was having on me. His eyes bored into mine as he leaned forward. Yes, he knew alright.
A low growl reached my ears as he grabbed the legs of my chair and pulled my seat as close to him as possible. "Do you know how good you smell to me, honey?" he asked in a strained voice. Huge, warm hands were on my knees and slid up my thighs, pushing my skirt out of their way. It vaguely registered that the tablecloth hid his actions to everybody else in the restaurant, but I don't think it would have made a bit of difference to either of us at that point.
"Christ, Bella, you tasted so good the other night. I want to lick you again, baby, right here." His gravelly murmur sent shivers down my spine that went straight to my core as his hands slipped between my legs and separated them, lingering over the wet silk of my panties. Abruptly, his fingers moved. I heard a slight tearing sound, and instantly cool air hit my sensitive skin; Jacob had just ripped my underwear open. I gasped as his fingers returned to suddenly bare flesh. My breath was coming in pants, and I clenched my hands into fists on the table.
"I'd lay you out right in front of me, honey, and I'd pull that pretty little ass of yours to the edge of the table and spread you open so I could see all of you," the mesmerizing voice continued. "Then I'd run my nose along the inside of your thigh and slide up to your clit, and I'd just smell that sugar that is seeping out of you right now." His fingers copied his words as he gently slid them into the sensitive nub. I shut my jaw to keep from moaning, but my body craved more of his touch. God, I could see myself leaning back on the table, watching that dark head dipping between my legs. I wanted it—so damn badly.
My eyes were heavy, my breathing erratic, and my thighs lolled open as if I'd been drugged while his low, hypnotizing words kept going. "I'd let my tongue sweep over those deep petals of yours. Do you know how beautiful they are? Honey, they're the most delicious shade of pink, and when you get turned on, they swell up and get darker, just like your nipples. You're the color of cotton candy or pink bubble gum, and I can't keep my mouth away from any of you." As his fingers rubbed me, I tried to sit still even though I couldn't help myself from moving against him.
I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears, and I realized my mouth was slightly open. Closing it with a click, I forced myself to swallow hard.
"And the way you taste … . God, I knew I'd love it, but baby, you taste so fucking good. I've imagined licking you for years. Did you know that, honey?" The deep, whispering voice started again after the dazed shake of my head. "It's just so much better than I dreamed it could be. It's sweet and salty and clean and just you, Bella, like manna from heaven, and I want more of it. Right. Fucking. Now." My breath seemed to be coming in gasps as he continued.
"I need to lick all of you, sweetheart. Would you let me tease that gorgeous clit of yours? I'd run my tongue ever so gently along the edges and then suck that little knot into my mouth and swirl it around with my tongue." Underneath the table, his hands imitated his words, and he rubbed the hood of my clitoris between his fingers. I bit my cheek to keep from crying out. "Would you let me do it, baby?"
He seemed to need an answer from me, and I forced the words from between my teeth. "God, yes, Jacob, yes."
"That's good, honey, 'cause I want to do it so bad. I'd take my time there, but then I'd have to taste that sweet little pussy of yours."
"Jake!" I couldn't take much more of this.
"Don't stop me before I've tasted it, Bella." His voice had me under a spell. I couldn't have stopped him if my life depended on it. The skillful hand slipped down until it reached my core. He had me so wet he could easily coat his fingers in my juices.
"I want to lick your pussy, honey," the voice continued as one finger slid against my opening and teased me unmercifully. It was impossible to remain still; I desperately had to have more friction from those magic hands. "I need to put my tongue inside you, Bella." Finally, he slid a wet finger into me, and I bit my lip to keep from moaning. My eyes started to roll back in my head—the pleasure and torture were so intense as the finger rocked gently in and out of me. God, he was going to make me come in public, sitting a short table length away.
"Look at me, sweetheart." It was not a request. I made myself open my eyes and focus on his. They were black and burning, and he seemed to be just as close to exploding as I was. How was that possible? How could touching me give him almost as much pleasure as it gave me? But I could tell it did.
With a low growl, he spread my legs apart with his own and pulled my chair flush to his. One finger became two, and my body craved more of the new sensations as the increased pressure was making me lose my mind. "I'm gonna shove my tongue up in that sweet little pussy of yours and make you come so hard, honey. Fuck, I can't wait for the first time you come all over my tongue."
"Jacob, God, Jacob!" My frantic gasping spurred him on, and his fingers moved faster in and out of me. I tightened up, my back arched as I desperately tried to get closer, to get more. Briefly, I saw red behind the eyelids I had to shut for a second. Tension gripped me. My feet and my arms tightened as my hands gripped the tablecloth. A coil wound tighter and tighter in my body until I felt as if the only movement I could make was to tremble all over.
"Come for me, Bells. Come all over my fingers, baby." His voice was so low and intense and so damned sexy that I opened my eyes and stared into his. When I did, he curled his fingers into me, hitting a spot that made me lose what little sanity I had left.
"Jesus, Jake!" Did I scream the words or breathe them? I didn't know or care. His eyes bored into mine as heat flooded my veins, and finally, finally shudders racked through me. I felt myself spasm on his fingers as if I was grabbing him and couldn't let him go. My mouth hung open, and funny sounds emerged as his touch continued, slower and gentler, while I finally relaxed and started to climb down from my incredible high. Cool air raced all over me lifting the tiny hairs on my arms and face.
"That's my girl," he whispered. "That's my good, sweet baby." His hands stroked me in time with my slowing pulse. He was so in tune with everything my body did. How did he know? How could he be so aware of everything I needed?
"Holy Crow, Jacob." I could barely catch my breath. What in the hell just happened? His fingers finally withdrew and his hands stroked my thighs as he pulled my skirt back down my legs. One hand came back in view and he slid his fingers into his mouth.
"Mmmm, so good, honey. That's what I needed for dinner—the perfect appetizer. "
ooOOOoo
A few minutes later, I was in the bathroom trying to get my act back together while I cleaned myself up; after all, it seemed prudent not to incite any more incidents until we were behind closed doors. We were lucky Mama Tunde hadn't tossed us out of the restaurant or called the police.
Looking at the shredded remains of my panties, I whispered a relieved thank you that they weren't the $135.00 pair I bought back in Seattle. Leah would have killed me—or Jake—or maybe the both of us. Jacob had ripped the silk as if it were tissue paper.
Warmth suffused my face as the table scene kept playing over and over in my head. God, did we completely lose our minds? Neither one of us had ever done anything remotely like that in our lives. I never even passionately kissed someone out in public before, and I was pretty sure neither had Jake. Leah would be so proud. I snickered as I dropped the tattered cloth in my purse. Maybe I would slip them into his phasing pouch before he went out on patrol one night to remind him of our dinner at Mama Tunde's. I knew I'd never forget it.
Holy Moses, where did that idea come from? God, not only could I hear her whispering in my ear, I was beginning to even think like Leah. I didn't know if that was a good thing or if it were really, really bad.
When I got back to our table, Jacob had already finished off every bit of the antipasti and was making inroads on our second course. Evidently, his appetite had returned with a vengeance. Dinner was wonderful. Mama Tunde kept bringing us plate after plate, clearly delighted with Jacob's ability to inhale her food.
She kept up a running dialogue the entire time she served us; it didn't seem to matter in the least that we had no idea what she was saying. Her hands returned to Jake's broad shoulders and arms again and again. As she caressed him, she kept giving me sly smiles and lectures in Italian. Somehow, I got the feeling she was saying that anyone who let Jacob slip through her fingers was a complete and total imbecile. As if I didn't know.
After our stomachs were full, Mama Tunde sat down two tiny cups of espresso and left us while our meal settled. Jake gave me an innocent look and reached across the table. "Now honey, if I hold your hand, are you going to behave yourself, or are you going to be a naughty girl again?"
"Naughty? Me?" That little dickens! I kept my voice low as I laughingly gave him a scolding. "I wasn't the one that had his hands up somebody's underwear in the middle of a restaurant, you know. You need to reassess just who was being naughty and who was just an innocent bystander—er, sitter."
"Well, I was watching you very carefully the whole time, Bells. I really didn't see anything too 'innocent' about what you were doing." His warm eyes smiled into mine as color shot to my face. How could I argue with that statement?
"Let's just agree that neither one of us would have won the Emily Post Award for Proper Restaurant Etiquette." I glanced around the quiet little room. "We're incredibly lucky Mama Tunde put us back here by ourselves, Jake."
"Don't worry, honey. I'm leaving her a huge tip." We looked at each other and snickered. It was just too much fun being naughty with Jake.
"So when are we going out on our date, Bells? You didn't forget, did you?" No, I certainly did not. "How about Wednesday night?" he asked. We had a light schedule planned, and it was only two days away. I could make it that long.
"Sounds perfect, Jake. What are we going to do?"
"You are such a nosey little thing. I told you it's going to be a surprise. Just wear something pretty, and be prepared for anything."
I rolled my eyes. "Wearing something pretty, and being prepared for anything does not exactly go hand in hand, you know."
Suddenly, Jake inhaled, and his head swiveled sharply towards the front door. Seconds later, I heard a commotion as, to my unending shock, Seth Clearwater came barreling through the entrance of the restaurant.
What on earth was going on? How did he find us, and, even more importantly, why did he want to?
Instantly, Jake and Seth's eyes locked on each other, and their silent communication seemed to vibrate over the sounds of the little trattoria.
No one needed to tell me anything. One glance at Seth's face and I knew something was very, very wrong.
oOo
*Mama Tunde's Italian translation:"What a sexy hunk of man meat. Such a beautiful animal needs some privacy with his lover."
ooOOOoo
Please review. It really means a lot. And I'll send you a peek at Chapter 15 if you do (after I finish it). Yes, I know parts of this chapter are pretty sucky, but this thing was a bitch to write.
So, did you enjoy the … umm … appetizer? Do you have an idea what Seth is about to tell them? What did you think about Bella trying to do something to protect herself from vampires for once? Are you pissed at her for dragging the Volturi into this, or do you think we are finished with them?
Mama Tunde represents Tunde-tre, one of the best reviewers and friends a girl or a writer could have. Thanks for all the support you give to so many of us, love button.
I swear I'm not on the Italian Tourism Board, but do yourself a favor and go to Florence if you ever get the chance. Yes, you'll be completely lost if you try to drive around, but so what? Not knowing where you are in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet isn't the worst thing that can happen to you—unless, of course, you're jet lagged and your husband is whining like a three year old.
The Duomo is beyond fabulous.
ht(delete this)tp:/en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral
Begun in 1296, the dome was finished in 1436. It is the largest brick dome that has ever been constructed. What I love about the building is the exterior. Honestly, I think the inside is a little dull, but the outside—Holy Crow—it's fantastico! Here are some pics:
ht(delete this)tp:/i980(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/ae283/leelator/florence-duomo2(dot)jpg
ht(delete this)tp:/i980(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/ae283/leelator/DuomoofFlorencewideangle(dot)jpg
ht(delete this)tp:/i980(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/ae283/leelator/DuomoofFlorenceFront(dot)jpg
The Hotel Brunelleschi is named after the man who built the dome of the basilica and I've described it just as I remember it. If you can ever find it, you will absolutely love it. It was actually built on top of a Roman spa and has a 6th century tower. (And it is very easy to find if you're walking. Just don't try driving there if you don't have plenty of time and lots of patience. Maybe directions would help.)
ht(delete this)tp:/www(dot)brunelleschihotelflorence(dot)com/
I'm hoping this will give you a clue why it can be so challenging to get around in Florence. It actually shows the streets of a much smaller town in Italy, so imagine tons more cars, vespas, and pedestrians all milling and zipping about on streets this narrow. You have the overwhelming feeling of being in an endless, claustrophobic maze where the instructions to get out are written in Klingon.
ht(delete this)tp:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=nSGZ6CqYSps