A/N: Okay, here's . . . something I'm really nervous about. Just to inform you, it serves a purpose. I'm really not putting it here just to put it here. But nonetheless, I'm nervous to hear what y'all think. Please don't hesitate to be brutally honest. I'll tell you, the lyrics for this chapter were hella hard to decide on. I changed it about five times before I decided on these. I think they're the best option.

And kudos to whoever figures out why Jake's acting weird before he lets us know.

Disclaimer: Only own the chapter title, which as always, I think is witty. Don't own the lyrics to any Vanessa Carlton songs, but I do owe the girl a lot because she loaned me my story title. Okay, I stole it - let's, let's just get back to Jake and Nessie, okay?

In Which There is a Climax of Sorts

because the only one i come undone for is you
yes, the only one i come undone for is you
oh, the only one i come undone for is you

- vanessa carlton, come undone

-

I walked into the hotel room that night feeling a little tight-wound. A lot tight-wound, actually. Today was one of the rare days we actually spent in the car, driving for about five hours. I'm not exactly sure how we haven't been everywhere in California yet, but we kept zigzagging, and it was the largest state.

Anyway, being trapped in a car with Jacob for five hours, unable to touch him and kiss him like I wanted was not how I'd rather spend my days. And on top of that, I'd let myself get carried away last night and Jacob had to stop us. I promised myself I wouldn't make him do that anymore.

And then I was so frustrated, I actually started crying again. I made it to the bathroom before Jacob saw, but still, it was ridiculous. Who cried from sexual frustration? Jacob felt so bad about it, apologizing and saying it was his fault for letting us get that far but I couldn't be upset with him. I wanted him to touch me. He wasn't shy to run his hands over my breasts and backside at all now, and his kisses had always been perfect.

And then sometimes I could feel exactly how much he wanted me, and well . . . it just made everything so much harder. No pun intended.

Jacob had been a little weird today too, holding my hand more lightly than usual and avoiding my eyes. He set our bags down and went back out for the cooler of fruit that we replenished day before yesterday without looking at me.

I kicked off my shoes and snatched my hair out of its ponytail. I massaged my scalp. It was tender – I wasn't wearing it up as much anymore since Jake liked it better down. Jake set the cooler down on the table and locked the door. He fished a box of strawberries and two bananas out, sitting the strawberries on the nightstand. He didn't sit down, but went to town on one of the bananas leaning against the wall.

I watched him a little warily.

"You wanna change?" He asked me, avoiding my eyes as he threw the empty peel down and started the other banana.

I took a second to admire how nice he looked, his back pressed flat against the wall, one leg braced behind him before I nodded. I kneeled down to fish my sleeping clothes from my bag, surreptitiously checking the angle of his body from down here. Just as nice.

I shot a look at Jake before I disappeared into the bathroom, but he was still leaning against the wall, not looking at me. I didn't know what was up with him.

I changed slowly, since it wasn't like I had anywhere to be and Jacob wasn't in a chatty mood at the moment. I gathered my jeans, bra, and t-shirt when I was done and made my way back into the room. There was something wrong with the picture and it took me a second to figure out it was because Jake hadn't changed.

He usually changed while I was, but he hadn't. He was sitting down now, his back braced against the headboard with his long legs stretched out in front of him and the remote in one hand. Jake was still in his t-shirt and jeans from this morning – he hadn't even removed his socks. He had pulled his hair back, though.

"You okay, Jake?" I asked as I crawled onto the bed to sit beside him. He offered me an arm to snuggle under but still didn't look down at me. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Nah, Ness, I'm fine," Jake assured me, still flicking mindlessly through the channels. He looked down then but for some reason he met my eyes shyly. "Are you sleepy?"

"No." Why would I be sleepy? Jake nodded like my response was interesting.

"You hungry?" He asked, setting the remote beside him and reaching onto the nightstand to grab the box of strawberries. He offered them to me.

"I guess I wouldn't mind some strawberries," I decided, intentionally brushing my fingers with his when I accepted it from him. I set them down in his lap and flipped the lid open. "Want one?"

"I'm good," he told me. "You eat."

I ate a few, but Jacob didn't so much as look down again and I soon got bored. Everything was boring when he wasn't participating. I took a bite from a huge, particularly sweet strawberry and got an idea.

"These are really sweet," I said around the fruit in my mouth, holding the strawberry up closer to Jacob's lips. "Here – try it."

Jacob actually looked a little wary. "No, Nessie, really – I'm fine."

"Just try it, Jake," I persuaded, lifting it up a little further. "Please."

Jake's lips fell open a little, his concession, and I lifted the strawberry to his lips. It was better than the day with the pomegranates; he had to open his mouth wider and when he bit down, his full lips brushed my fingers. They were so soft.

"See?" My voice was high.

Jake nodded, seeming strangely unaffected. His eyes were a little darker than usual, but besides that . . . what was wrong?

I sighed a sigh that held more than a little disappointment and ate the last bit of strawberry. I threw the green part into the box and shut it, crawling across Jacob to set it on the nightstand.

I'd been doing that more often lately, ever since Jacob expressed – appreciation for certain parts of my anatomy. It wasn't to tease him; I just wanted to show him I didn't care if he looked . . . or touched. Anyway, it had kind of become a habit and right then, enticing Jake certainly wasn't my intention, but as I tried to move back into my place, Jacob's hands caught me around my waist and guided me into his lap.

I went willingly, but a little confused. I wasn't sure what to expect.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, running his hands lightly up and down my arms, making me shiver.

"Fine," I said quietly. I reached up to touch his face. "How are you feeling?"

He brightened his eyes a little and nodded instead of answering me verbally. One of his hands slid back to play with my curls. Jacob opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then shut it again. Then he leaned in and kissed my lips once, so softly. So sweetly.

He pulled back and checked my eyes, like I was going to have a problem with it. I nodded my head an infinitesimal amount, beckoning him back. Jacob obeyed me, a hand reaching up to grip my neck softly and pull our lips back together.

The kiss quickly regained a more normal feel, Jacob's body becoming more normal under mine, more like usual. He didn't seem so hesitant anymore, one hand sliding back to grip my backside. I made a small sound into Jacob's mouth and felt him suppress a smile against my lips. Yes, normal Jake was back.

"Roll us over," I whispered against his lips in between kisses. I needed to feel his weight on me – the tightening in my stomach was back, never having really left.

Jacob obeyed me, pressing me into the mattress just the way I liked, his large body covering every inch of me. He propped himself up with his right arm and his left massaged my waist softly, slowly making its way up. I didn't know if I could wait.

Despite myself and my promises to stop myself before it got too much, I felt myself surreptitiously begin to shift my legs, spread them so Jacob was lying between them. I was trying to do it without Jacob noticing, sure that he would stop us if he did, but he didn't. When he noticed, he lifted the lower half of his body up long enough for me to part them then laid back down. He sidled down a little though, so my hips were pressed into his lower stomach. I didn't have to ask why.

Jacob's lips were becoming more and more insistent against mine, his kisses more hungry, the tension in my stomach and the dampness in my panties stronger than before. I moaned loudly into his mouth when his warm hand palmed my breast – I immediately hardened under his touch. He nipped my lip lightly.

I pressed myself into Jacob's stomach as his hand began to make its way back down, quicker than before, at the same time he moved his lips to my neck. My breath hitched when he slipped his hot fingers under the hem of my shirt and began caressing my stomach.

Why – why was he – why wasn't he stopping? Was it a test?

Jacob's fingers smoothed their way across my stomach and he pressed his body down harder into me. I pressed back, and the pressure between my legs got better and worse at the same time. Jacob bit down lightly on my neck at the same time his fingers brushed the underside of my breast.

The resulting jolt of pleasure somehow pulled me back into consciousness. If I let this go on for any longer, I would really start crying again when he stopped us.

"Jacob," I panted, my voice coming out breathy. I pushed my hips up into his stomach again. "Jacob, we – I – need to stop."

I have to admit, I was a little surprised when Jacob didn't immediately take his hands off of me. He released my neck, my back arching as his teeth scraped the skin there and his fingers didn't move any higher, but continued caressing the skin under them.

"Why?" He asked, his voice rougher than I'd ever heard it.

What did he mean, why? Wasn't it obvious?

"Because – it's too much – I'm getting too – " Really, how was I supposed to talk when his lips were doing that to my neck? " – I'm not going to want to stop – I'm going to get – upset again."

"Do you trust me, Nessie?"

There was never any doubt as to the answer of that question, but I still wondered why he asked it.

"Of – course I do, Jacob."

"Okay," Jacob said, and slid his fingers up a little more.

My bare stomach was pressing against the cotton of Jake's t-shirt and his fingers brushed my nipple and I almost cried. There was the frustration – it was coming and the tears would spill over when Jacob stopped us.

"Jacob – I'm serious – "

"Is it too much for you?" He asked as his tongue flicked just under my ear. "Or are you just worried about being frustrated when we stop?"

"The – " I paused as Jake's fingernail caught the sensitive tip of my breast and I arched hard against him. What had he asked me? "The last one."

My legs clenched hard around Jacob when he said, "We're not going to stop."

What? I – I thought –

"I thought – I thought you wanted to wait," I panted, my heartbeat becoming even more erratic than it already was. I – I wanted to wait.

Jacob's hand slid to the hollow between my breasts and pressed firmly against my wildly beating heart. I felt his warm breath on my ear and I shivered.

"Relax, Ness," he whispered into my ear, but I couldn't. I couldn't relax – I didn't want to do that now, not that and I didn't think Jake would ever make me tell him twice. "We're waiting. That's not what I meant."

My body became ridiculously light. Of course not. Of course Jacob wouldn't go back on his word. But what were we doing then? Just driving each other crazy?

I think Jacob sensed the question on my lips because then he said, "I think I can help you."

"H-how?"

"I think I can make you feel better," he said roughly into my ear, his lips tracing along the shell of it. His hand slid over to my right breast and we both groaned. "If you trust me. I think I can make it easier."

Easier? Easier like . . . like how we talked about before? Was Jake going to do that for me? I thought he didn't know how? Jacob's tongue ran along my jaw then and I didn't care what he knew or he didn't know, I just didn't want him to stop.

"Please." That sounded suspiciously like a whine.

Jacob's lips disappeared from my neck and a second later his gorgeous face was hovering over me.

"Stop me if you need to," he whispered, and then his mouth was on mine.

He kissed me with such a slow intensity that I soon got lightheaded. His fingers playing across my breasts didn't help either. I lost track of time. Minutes, hours, days, it all turned into the same thing. I don't think it could have been that long though, because my lust was still at a manageable amount. Relatively manageable, at least.

I wanted to feel Jacob's skin against mine, for our stomachs to rub together as we kissed and I wanted to explore his chest with my hands. I wanted to feel his stomach – I wanted to trace that line, but when I reached to tug Jacob's shirt up, he stopped me.

"No, Ness," he said against my lips.

"Why?"

"Don't – don't worry about me," he said, his tongue doing things to my lips that made me make embarrassing sounds. I didn't even try to hold them back anymore. "Just feel."

"I am," I gasped, my body on fire. I was doing nothing if not feeling. "I am feeling. I want to feel you, Jacob."

"No, Nessie," Jacob said firmly, kissing the corners of my lips. "Trust me when I say no."

A second later I had forgotten what he said. He could have been calling me every name in the book and I wouldn't have minded because he was using his Alpha voice and it seriously affected me in ways a voice should not be able to.

I gave a whimper that was my concession and gripped my fingers in Jacob's hair as his lips began slowly making their way back down my neck. His hand slipped out from under my shirt and came back to cup my breast from over the top of it. But his kisses didn't stop there, when my neck ended, when he reached the neck of my shirt – he continued down.

I bit my lip so hard I almost drew blood when Jacob's mouth closed around the tip of my breast.

My body arched, harder and longer than before, the friction welcome but not enough and I gripped his head tighter. I let out a loud, high-pitched sound that I'm sure I would be embarrassing in any other situation but now I couldn't care less.

It was by far the best thing I had ever felt. Moisture from Jacob's mouth soon soaked through the material and I could feel every bit of his mouth on me. His lips – oh God, how could I have never thought of this before?

"Jac-ob!"

Jacob pulled away to check my face and moisture on my shirt quickly cooled, my breast hardening, if it was possible, even more than before.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes – yes – please – "

I was incomprehensible. I couldn't make full sentences. I couldn't make full thoughts. I wanted to cry with relief when Jacob's mouth took back its previous place, sucking me gently through the shirt. Then I felt the flat of his tongue run across me, even through the extra material, and I almost did.

Jacob's hand slid slowly back up my shirt and I wondered for a second if he was going to take it off, but he just switched his attentions to my other breast. He caressed me, skin-on-skin with his hand. My breast was slightly wet from his mouth and it provided a friction that teased me even better (or worse, I wasn't sure) than before.

The pressure between my legs was at a breaking point. It was kind of getting hard to breathe. I wasn't really aware of anything around me besides Jacob. Was that normal? My body took up a small, insistent movement, creating a rhythm, pressing myself against Jacob's stomach over and over and it helped, but not much.

After a few more minutes, Jacob's hand slowly slid back out from under my shirt and made its way down. Back to his favorite place. I would have grinned at the thought if my brain was capable of processing it. Jacob did head there, but it was only a pit stop. He gripped me gently and the movement pressed me even harder against him. Jake groaned around me, the sound vibrating against my skin and making me groan with him.

Jacob's hand continued its path down, and he ran a hand up and down my thigh. After a few seconds, he slid his hand up until it was pressed flat against the front of my hip. My body bucked toward him. Did I want . . . ?

Jacob shifted, his mouth coming off of me as he pulled himself up to face me. He lifted his body off me so we weren't touching anymore and my body cried out in dissatisfaction, attempting to come up off the bed after him. Jacob's fingers twitched on my hip, running over my hip bone and my body bucked again. He leaned in until our lips brushed.

"Can I . . . can I touch you, Nessie?"

My body reacted just to the words. My stomach was spinning around my abdomen. I knew what that meant. I didn't know much, but I knew what that meant. And I was scared out of my mind, but . . . God, I wanted it so bad.

I gave the smallest of nods.

Jacob kissed me softly.

"You'll have to . . . help me," he whispered against my lips, his fingers swirling patterns on my hip that were literally driving me insane. "Tell me what feels good. Let me know if I hurt you."

Hurt me? Hurt? What was hurt? I couldn't even remember. My brain couldn't even comprehend pain right now – it was so focused on pleasure. I forced myself to nod again.

Jacob kissed me again, slower than earlier, but just as heatedly as his hand slowly slid over to the only place on my body he had never touched before. Then his fingers brushed down, just the tiniest bit, and I forgot where I was.

I gasped against Jacob's mouth and pushed myself forward into his hand. I had never felt anything so amazing in my life. I didn't know where this was leading, but I was planning on seeing it out.

Jacob's lips disappeared from mine. "Is this . . . okay?"

His fingers rubbed again, down lower this time and it was amazing but nothing like before.

"Yes, yes," I panted, gripping his hair even tighter than before. "Just – back up . . . a little, Jacob – please."

His fingers slid back up, running over the exact place I was talking about. I gasped and tried to capture Jacob's lips but he only allowed me one kiss. "Like this?"

"Just like that," I managed to get out, rolling my head back onto the pillows. Every single part of my body was on fire. "Harder."

"Harder?"

"Yes," I said, not really believing I was giving orders but not really in control of myself enough to care. It sounded more like begging than orders to me anyway. "Kiss me, Jacob."

Jacob obeyed me in both aspects, kissing me and applying more pressure, stroking me with what I could now tell were his fore- and middle fingers. My body rushed a little and my hips bucked again. I'm sure Jacob could feel it now – what was he thinking?

I kissed Jacob a little frantically, losing control of myself in a way I hadn't before. Our tongues tangled together and there were lips and teeth, though I'm not sure whose and it was just all too perfect to be happening.

I rolled my hips insistently against Jacob's hand and he kept up the amazing, wonderful, spectacular pressure with his fingers and soon I felt something begin to build inside me. I felt like I was climbing.

I didn't know where I was going, but I sure did want to get there fast as hell.

I pulled Jacob down against me harder than before, pressing our chests firmly together. The front of my t-shirt was still wet from his glorious lips and tongue and my breasts were still at full attention. My whole body was at full attention.

Jacob found a rhythm with his fingers that I followed, rolling my hips with in turn and nearly biting his lip every time he pressed forward again. My body began to spur me onward, more strongly than before, and again I was climbing.

I pulled away from Jacob's lips and watched his eyes. It was amazingly sexy to watch his face as he touched me, so concentrated and handsome. His eyes were so dark.

He circled his fingers. I climbed a little higher.

"Jake," I panted. "I – I don't know what's – "

"What?" His voice was so sexy, so strong. Everything about him was spurring me on, helping me climb higher. Is this what it felt like to do drugs? I guess that's why they say one hit is all it takes. I was seriously hooked. "What is it, honey?"

"I don't know what's – " Another particularly talented swirl of his fingers. I went a little higher. " – what's happening. I'm so – I'm – "

"Just go with it, Ness," Jake urged me, and it was all the advice I needed. I threw myself into the sensation. "Do what comes natural. Guide me."

"Faster, please," I nearly-whined.

Jacob complied, leaning down to kiss and suck at my neck as he did so. I was reminded with a jolt how his lips had felt against my breasts. As though Jacob had read my mind, his lips continued down the slope of my chest until he had pulled my left nipple firmly into his mouth.

I couldn't help but imagine how it would feel if there were no material between us. If Jake and I were married, if this were our wedding night and nothing was between us at all. If Jacob's lips could caress my bare breasts, if his hands could touch me with no barriers. If I could see and touch every inch of him.

If it was his naked body pressing down on me now.

I flew up then, instead of climbing. I felt as though I was teetering on the precipice of something, like I was standing at the very top of a building and waiting to fling myself off. But the free fall didn't hold death, it held – pleasure. Indescribable, unparalleled pleasure.

I couldn't believe Jacob was doing this, that he was the one making me feel this way. I didn't even have the words to thank him, especially not now.

"Jac-ob!"

That was about all my mouth could handle at the moment. Then Jacob's teeth scraped past my nipple as he released my breast from his mouth. His fingers pressed against me faster, harder, rougher than they had before.

"I love you so fucking much, Nessie."

I flung myself over.

Coming up:

"My pleasure, Ness," Jacob said roughly, kissing the corner of my mouth. His choice of words was not lost on me – it may have been his pleasure, but now I had made him just as frustrated as I had been earlier. I felt his lips then on my ear. "It was so amazing to watch. That's another thing I definitely want to see again."

I was almost too tired to blush. Almost.

"I want to do that for you," I forced myself to say, sliding a hand back between our bodies. I stroked Jacob's stomach through his t-shirt and he held himself even more stiffly above me. "Would you show me how, Jake?"