Jacob Moves In

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Chapter Thirty Five

Bella wondered if her blush would ever die down. She couldn't believe she had kissed Jacob in front of a crowd of people. She had become caught up in the moment after weeks of frustration had emboldened her to just act on instinct. Well she had definitely shown her affection for Jacob in a very public fashion. He couldn't stop grinning. HIs arms were wrapped around her as they joined Billy and Cora.

"Well it's been a great night in more ways than one." Billy joked as he caught Cora's eye and smiled. She smiled back shyly. "Um, Jake, um...Cora said she would drop me home. You and Bella go on ahead if you want to."

Jacob was still struggling with the idea of his dad dating again. It felt so weird. But he knew Cora and liked her very much. Billy was in a safe pair of hands. "Okay, see you soon." He captured Bella's hand in his and was touched when he felt her squeeze his fingers comfortingly. If anyone knew how he felt it was Bella.

"See you later, son. Bye, Bella." Billy's attention was already on Cora again. He hardly noticed when Jacob and Bella took their leave.

It was a balmy night. A light breeze ruffled Bella's hair, lifting it off her hot neck. Her hand was warm in Jacob's. They took a slow stroll back to the Swan house, neither feeling in the mood to drive the truck. They could collect it in the morning. Both of them were processing the latest turn of events in their own ways. They circumnavigated the school's gym where the speed dating night had been held.

"Is it crazy that I feel weirded out by our olds actually meeting someone." Bella admitted as she paused by the back entrance to the gym.

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had guessed correctly and that Bella was feeling as he did about the situation. "I mean don't get me wrong." He replied hastily. "I'm happy that our dads met someone."

"Me, too." Bella turned her face toward him, her expression turning guilty. "I mean I know we actively encouraged them, but it's just gonna be hard to get used to." Her expression softened as she squeezed Jacob's fingers again. "It must be harder for you, though. I mean my parents were divorced, they chose to separate. But yours didn't. If Sarah were here..." She tailed off as she noticed the glimmer of moisture in Jacob's soulful dark eyes. She knew he had been thinking of his mother.

"Mom's been gone for so long." Jacob replied thickly. "And dad has mourned her loss ever since. I know it's selfish, but it's just hard to see him happy with someone else."

"It's not selfish. It's natural." Bella stood on her tiptoes intending to press a soft kiss on his cheek, but Jacob turned his head so her kiss landed on his mouth instead. Bella pulled back a little, smiling. Jacob was smiling too. They looked at each other for a long moment before he suddenly swept her up in his arms and they kissed again, more intensely this time.

This kiss wasn't as innocent as the first one. There was no one watching them now. It was hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. Their lips only parted long enough so they could breathe. Jacob was half holding Bella against him, her back was pressed against the wall of the gym. Her fingers moved fluidly across the curve of his cheek as she drew him nearer, trying to get closer even though there wasn't a hairs breadth of space between them. Then suddenly he pulled back abruptly, leaving Bella gasping. Her eyes opened wide in confusion, not understanding why he had stopped. She saw that his gaze was fully focused elsewhere, his nostrils slightly flared.

"What is it?" Bella whispered hoarsely as she followed the direction of his gaze. She couldn't see anything through the gloom. She felt his muscles tense and quiver when she rested her palm on his chest. "Jake, talk to me, please."

"I can smell her." Jacob ground out. His grip on Bella tightened as he drew her into the protective circle of his arms.

"Victoria." Bella breathed. She leaned against him, staring fearfully around. "I can't believe it."

Jacob cupped her sweet face in the palm of his hands. He didn't want to tell her the rest, but he had to. They never kept secrets from each other. He wasn't Cullen. He shared everything with Bella, no matter how difficult it was for her to hear. "I can also smell Charlie, Bells. At some point he was out here, too. I just don't know whether it was at the same time or not."

"But he texted me to tell me he had met someone. He has to be alright." Bella cried as she looked up at his handsome face for reassurance. Jacob couldn't offer her any. She collapsed against him and sobbed into his chest. "You think the text was a ruse."

"I don't know." Jacob confessed as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "I just don't know."

Charlie and Tori had travelled to Port Angeles in her car. It was an expensive Ferrari. Charlie, carried along by the strange attraction he felt for this complete stranger, ignored the wires hanging out of the dash. He was a cop. He knew when a car had been hotwired. But he found the red head's company so compelling he oddly decided to ignore the obvious and instead let his reckless side take over. Tonight he wasn't Charlie Swan, police chief of Forks. Tonight he was just Charlie, a single man enjoying a sultry night with a hot woman. He admired the way the fading light played across Tori's alabaster skin. She often glanced in his direction as she drove, an intrigued smile tugging at her lips as she drove effortlessly. The wind tugged tendrils of her vibrant red hair out of the twist at the back of her head. The curls framed her perfect face and he was captivated.

They ended up near the harbour. Charlie walked beside Tori, who nearly matched him in height, his hands were dug deep in his pockets as he fought the urge to take her hand. She strolled beside him, matching his stride easily. "You seem to know this area well." He said eventually to make conversation. "Do you live close by?"

Tori paused mid-stride. She stood with her back facing the dark pool of water. "You are not what I expected." She sounded surprised by her own admission as she frowned.

"I hope that's a good thing." Charlie said awkwardly. He peered at her lovely face, wishing that he could see Tori's eyes, but they were still shielded with her dark ray bans.

Tori changed tack suddenly. She whipped around, settling gracefully on the edge of the marina. She pulled off her shoes and let her feet dangle in the water. She motioned for Charlie to copy her. He hesitated before complying. He pulled off his dress shoes and tossed them to one side, along with his socks. The water was cold as he sunk his toes into the water. He tried to keep his face straight as the chilly water numbed his feet. Tori didn't seem affected at all.

"Is Bella your only child?" She asked.

"Yes." Charlie replied cautiously. Once again he found it odd that Tori kept bringing the conversation back to his precious daughter. "Do you have children yourself?" He questioned. He was still trying to work out how old Tori was. She could be thirty or younger. It was hard to tell. She seemed ageless.

"No." Tori snapped harshly. Her beautiful face settled into hard lines. "My only family was James and he was taken away from me."

Charlie stilled as he heard the underlying deep emotion in her voice. She almost sounded threatening. "This is the guy you mentioned earlier. The one you said you lost and was very important to you." He sighed heavily. Great, his stunning companion was still hung up on her ex. It looked like his night was going to be a bust. "Why don't you tell me about him?" He offered. He could lend a friendly ear, if nothing else it would make the time pass until he headed home.

Tori seemed bewildered by this request. She studied him carefully as if deciding whether he was being earnest. "James was everything." She said eventually. "Being with him was exciting, thrilling. He was a ruthless hunter, a skilled tracker. He pursued me for months until I eventually succumbed."

Charlie heard the change in Tori's tone as she described her former lover. She sounded enthralled by him rather than in love. The way she talked about him was like an obsessed fan talking about their idol. "What happened to him?" He asked after he tired of hearing about James' marvellous traits which in truth horrified him.

Tori's expression hardened again. "He was hunting, tracking his latest victim..."

"Victim?" Charlie snapped.

"He died pursuing his last quarry." Tori said bitterly. "I warned him this hunt would be his most dangerous yet. But her refused to heed me."

Charlie turned away from him and stared at his reflection in the water. He felt suddenly weary and had no idea what he had been thinking following this strange woman to Port Angeles on a whim. It was like he had temporarily taken leave of his senses. She may be beautiful but was clearly damaged by a past abusive relationship. This James character sounded like a classic control freak.

"In my honest opinion you're well rid of him. He sounds like a brute." He said frankly.

Tori made a hissing noise through her pearly white teeth as she whipped around to face him. She was practically snarling. "You go too far."

Charlie wasn't intimidated by her posturing. In his head he thought it was all an act. He had no idea of the danger he was in by being so blunt. He pulled his feet out of the water and dabbed them dry with his socks. "The truth sometimes hurts, Tori." He continued as he pulled his shoes onto his bare feet. He met her fiery gaze. He could see his face reflected in her sunglasses. He sighed again. "I get it, okay. My first marriage was a bust. Renee was a selfish woman. I knew that deep down but refused to admit it because I was in love with her. She used my feelings against me. She abused that love and my trust by taking away my precious daughter. And she further manipulated me over the years using Bella as a way to gain financial support, even after she remarried and Bella was living with me, I allowed her to continue manipulating me."

Tori had stopped snarling and had become very still. "Where is she now?" She asked harshly.

"Hell if I know. I finally told her to do one, but when she realised she could no longer emotionally manipulate me she did it to Bella instead. She took the college money that my little girl had worked so hard for and ran off with it. You're lucky you got rid of this James guy before he pulled a similar stunt on you." Charlie replied just as harshly. He shook his head and stood up. "I don't know why I shared any of this with you. I don't even know you. But I suppose I thought I'd met a kindred spirit. I feel for you I suppose. My daughter has just come out of a controlling relationship. It nearly broke her. I let mine break me for far too long. I suppose what I'm saying, rather badly I might add, is that don't let yourself become defined by James. You seem a special person. Let him go and live your life. Concentrate on yourself. You deserve better than him."

Tori rose gracefully to her feet and faced him. Her expression was inscrutable. "I will drive you home." She said coolly.

"Fine." Charlie shrugged. His night of fun was over before it had even begun. Well at least Billy had scored, he certainly hadn't. Maybe it was for the best. Tori was probably a handful like Renee and way out of his league. He led the way back to the car with Tori walking silently beside him.

Bella was pacing up and down inside the house, ready to tear her hair out. Jacob had driven her home then left almost immediately to summon the pack. Seth had been left behind to watch over her. He was following her now, trying to calm her down.

"Jake and the others will find him." He assured her.

"How do you know that? I saw Jake's face before he left." Bella cried. She faced poor Seth, her hands curled into anguished fists. "I can't bear all this waiting."

"Please, Bella, you need to calm down. I know that Charlie will be fine." Seth said again.

He sounded so damn certain. Bella wished she had his faith. "How can you be so sure?" She whispered brokenly.

"Because if you can run with vampires and survive, so can he." Seth attempted to smile as he tried to cheer her up. He was rewarded with an answering smile from Bella as she walked over to him and gave him a friendly hug. He really was a sweetheart.

Tori didn't drop Charlie right to his door, instead she parked outside the diner. She switched off the engine and studied his profile. "It has been a night full of revelations." She said thoughtfully.

"Yes, it has." Charlie agreed as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her. He was surprised to see Tori's face hovering close to his. He could smell her sweet breath, her scent was intoxicating and he nearly died. His heart began to hammer in his chest, threatening to break free. His gaze flicked to her red pouty lips. He felt himself falling under her spell again. "What are you doing to me?" He whispered huskily.

"Anything I want to." Tori smiled sexily as she leaned closer. She pressed her forefinger to her lips before resting the same finger on Charlie's. "You are an intriguing man, Charlie Swan." She continued as she skimmed his lower lip lightly with her finger. "If things were different..." Tori let her gaze linger on his face for a moment before she abruptly retreated from him. "You should get out before I change my mind." She said throatily. Her chest rose and fell sharply as if she was fighting with herself.

Charlie reluctantly climbed out of the stolen Ferrari. He ducked down one last time. "Will I see you again?" He was practically pleading as he felt his attraction to Tori almost overwhelm his senses.

"Count yourself lucky that you won't." Tori breathed. She leaned across and grabbed the passenger door handle. She stared lingeringly up at Charlie one last time. "You just saved your daughter tonight. Be thankful for that." Tori laughed harshly before she slammed the passenger door shut, tearing it out of Charlie's grasp. She switched on the engine, reversing abruptly before swinging the Ferrari around and tearing off into the night.

A/N-thanks for reading!