Chapter 26: Visitors
My hand slips on the countertop as juice runs into my fingers. I peel the skin back impatiently, biting a chunk out of the flesh before I can remove all the seeds. The sugar makes me salivate in anticipation.
Each bite makes me want more. It's about the next bite and the next bite. An oral fixation, the pleasure behind taste is immeasurable. I study each chunk in frustration. Why can't every piece be as good as the first? Nothing ever lives up to the first bite.
The tension in my shoulders ruins the vibe. I'm supposed to be calm. This is supposed to feel like home. I can't quite explain the itch. Is this displacement?
It's like anxiety attached to being in someone else's kitchen. The kitchen is quiet and still. It's clean and dimly lit from the natural light, but it's incredibly hard to touch anything. Everything is approachable, from the wooden countertop to the white appliances, normal. But to disturb what already has its place for the sake of my presence feels bold.
I roll another piece around my tongue, chewing slowly. The flavor makes me think of honey and mellow cream. It's so soft and smooth. It's not as good as the first time, but it still excites me. Ripe is ripe, right?
It's best served warm the way the blade slices through and the juice flows. I tighten my grip on the knife and cut carefully, watching the nectar pool between my fingertips.
"Can I have some?"
"Jake!" Juice bursts from my lips and runs down my chin in surprise.
His open mouth stings my shoulder as he wraps me in his arms from behind. I feel his nose nudge my jawline until his tongue reaches my chin and swiftly licks the sticky sweet trail.
My knife-hand jerks at the sensation, knocking a persimmon over the counter edge. He catches the plump fruit just in time. His large hand delicately closes around it before placing it into the fruit bowl.
Jake's presence brings calm energy. I time his even breathing and languid, purposeful movements down to the moment he catches my breath with his smile. He's so pleasant and graceful today.
My brows furrow at the thought of what it's like to be both, then one without the other. I believe I possess neither. I entertain the thought of trying to unwind myself, but I'm unsuccessful. There's a tension in me that only he can release. And without him, I can't say I have a real purpose. Without it being him, I don't think I could smile back.
I turn to face him but he stops me, pressing his hips firmly against my behind. He eases under my shirt with his gentle fingertips smoothing over my skin, swirling sweetly in and around my navel. The warmth from his palms spreads to my pelvis. The vitality from his lips on mine calls my center to rain.
He's in control of my desires when he turns me on and plays with my clingy nature. The way his tongue caresses mine sends chills through me. Rough to chaste kisses have me buried in his aura. He breaks away and rubs his face along mine over and over like some primal call.
Drawing a wet trail from my ear and down my neck, his voice pierces my soul, "I'm so glad you're here." Words that send a thrill to my heart as he rubs my belly. "Can't you stay another night, here, with me? I want you to stay."
Jake's begging makes me focus on our audience. A colorful chorus of judgment makes me wary of my desire. Will I disturb them with a loud groan or knock them over in the throes of passion? We've never done it with a kitchen audience.
The fruit bowl stares back, warning me of its odd arrangement. I've never seen a fruit bowl with cobs of multicolored corn between assorted fruit. Somehow it makes the corn look more appetizing. It's balanced by the presence of desire. It was made to be eaten. I want to be eaten.
"I can't. I have school tomorrow."
"Can I have a piece?" One of his hands lowers toward the folds of the boxers I've made into pajama shorts. He slips into my downy hairs, following a trail that only he knows. His fingers glide over my wet lips, teasing me with a ghostly touch toward my center.
My hands flatten on the cutting board and hopelessly grip for traction. "Jake we shouldn't. Not here."
"Why? I have everything I want right here." His teeth lightly nip my shoulder.
My breathless moan negates my reasoning. My heart has already set a new pace. Hot and heavy breathing at my back sends me into a panic. "What if your dad comes home and sees us?" I bite my lip to fight another moan as he plays with the honey that's spread onto his fingers.
"Shhh, just relax." Jake nibbles on the rim of my ear until the gnawing makes more honey to quench his fingers.
My breath stutters at the feeling of being split open and caressed. Slow swirling and curling make my neck lull in pleasure. I rest my head on his chest and welcome him completely.
"Are you with me?" His lips gently kiss my forehead, waiting for my answer.
I nod, my nose gliding along his chiseled jaw.
"Can I have some, please?" He applies pressure to my clit until my hand obeys his command. I shakily feed him a slither of the fruit. My finger gets caught between his lips and I almost melt instantly.
He moans and I shutter at the sudden wave of ecstasy. He goes deeper into my source with slow, firm movements. Expert hands drag embarrassing sounds from my throat with the slightest movement.
I risk taking another bite from the sweet flesh to cool down and share the moment with him. It's so much sweeter. It's so much better, the way it feels between my teeth. Another bite sends me into a rush as I wait for the chorus to sing on my tastebuds.
His long thick digits make my nails curl against the grain of the countertop. I can't stand the heat in my center. I yelp at the pace when he swiftly changes the tempo.
"Is it that good?" The tight circular motions over my clit forge a gushing squelch.
"Yes." I rub my cheek against him in slow cat-like circles before feeding him another slice of sweet fruit. As the nectar makes my fingers stick together, my senses are heightened to the tenth degree.
"So soft, Bella." He kisses the sweet spot along my neck over and over, making me twitch and lock my knees.
My palms slam back down to the sticky countertop as the pleasure grows to new heights.
"Is it too much? Should I stop?"
"Don't you dare stop?" My mouth is left ajar at the intense currents.
He brings his ear close to my lips, catching every hitch and whine from my throat. "I won't. I promise I won't. I love you so much. I won't stop." He plays with me until he feels the pulse of my clit. "So beautiful." The darkness in his voice makes me jerk against him. "That's right. I want my wife to feel good."
His other hand has settled on my sensitive breast. "Look at me, Bella," A familiar request from him when we make love. He likes to watch me in rapture. His intensity grows with his erection on my back. "I wanna see you. Let me take a look."
He possesses something in me now. I'm his Bella. He always wants to see more. He knows all my secret desires just from searching my eyes. The raw connection makes me vulnerable.
He tilts my face up, my embarrassing expression before his relentless eyes. They seem different at this moment. I see something in him for the first time that leaves me clenching around him. He could burnish copper with this gaze. He's wild and focused on a form of mutual gratification.
I love you, too. Can't you see how much I love you? I want to please you.
I want to love him better. I want him to relish in my pleasure until we're satisfied. "Hold me tighter." I want you to feel this with me. I lose control of my hips when he obliges.
He makes a pattern that has me twitching so deep over and over as he holds me even closer. I finally break. I shatter in his arms. I'm gushing within the palm of his hand. My walls clench and grip his fingers in an orgasmic vice.
"Amazing," His gruff exclamation was released with me. The final flood of slippery honey pours for him with my rushed exhale.
"How'd you get so wet?" He asks, holding his hand up, letting my essence glisten and string between his fingers.
"Just for you. It's just for you."
"Only me?" He brings my honey to his lips, tasting it without breaking eye contact.
"Yes, I'm just for you."
"I'm the only one for you?" His intensity flares.
"You're the only one."
I weave our hands together and tighten his hold around me until I'm snugly enveloped once again, this time facing him. We orbit around our love, talking in circles.
"Aren't you glad I made you stay over the weekend?"
"Oh what, with persimmons, pumpkins, and multicolored corn? How could I say no?"
"Yes, definitely the corn." He laughs, grabbing my hips and grinding into me.
"Don't you want me to satisfy you?" I slowly wet my lips in anticipation. My hands reach for his waistband, his cock bulging through his sweatpants.
"You already have." He lightly grabs my wrists and brings them closer for a kiss. "I can't wait for you to move in." His eyes search mine for a sign of opposition.
"I feel guilty for that, ya know, not being here."
"You shouldn't."
How can I not when everyone is rubbing it in my face. "I'm making you look bad because I can't get out of my own way. I can't let go of what isn't working."
He warmly rubs waves up and down my spine sending alien messages of comfort. "This is us. Nobody else can tell us what's best for our family. we are who we are."
"You're right."
"I know I am." His hands once again come to rest on my belly.
"Your hair is getting longer." I play with his silky strands, so dark and pretty.
"I noticed."
"I like it. Don't cut it."
"Sure, sure." He tucks my hair behind my ears and bends forward for our foreheads to touch. "We will always be out of reach when it comes to tradition. I don't want you and the baby to be stressed. I want you to get used to being here. I want you to feel at home with me."
My eyes soften in relief. "I always feel at home with you."
"What time do you have to be at school tomorrow?"
I laugh at his abrupt change of topic. "Eight, like every other school day." There's no way I can stay another night.
"Doesn't hurt to ask."
"You could pick me up after…"
"Not tomorrow. I've got business to handle."
"Doesn't hurt to ask." I parrot his phrase, echoing his disappointment. "I should put clothes on before someone comes home and sees us." I pull him into his bedroom before stripping.
"You're so beautiful."
I look over my shoulder and sway my hips for him while he sits on the edge of the bed."You are too."
He breaks out in a bright laugh. "Oh no, not that again." His eyes playfully roll.
"It's true. My big, strong husband is the most beautiful man in the world. I hope our baby looks just like you." I quickly dress in my clothes from yesterday and stand between his legs.
"Oh, but I think he'll look more like you, your smile and good nature with your curls."
"You think it's a boy? Everybody says I should hope for a boy, but I don't—" our little world comes to a halt from the unexpected knock on the front door. The sound reverberates through the entire home. Something about it forces us to search for the source.
I slowly follow him towards the front of the house and wait for him to greet the visitor.
"Sam's not here." I'm shocked to hear Jake's cold, unwelcoming tone.
"I know that. I came to see you."
I peek beyond Jake's arm to get a look at the man who's turned my Jake back into his dangerous self. I recognize him from the meeting at the sacred table. The stoic guy who sat on Sam's side of the table. He's a few inches shorter than Jake but makes up for it with his robust stature. If it weren't for his low pillowy voice, I'd be absolutely terrified.
The two men stare at each other with an oddly vicious, biting vibe that's riddled with immature, childlike undertones. I get the feeling they know each other very well.
"Jared, honey please." A small woman holding a woven basket walks up the porch steps to stand beside him. "I would've made my husband bring me sooner, but he's so stubborn. I forced him to drive me over today."
I look past her smile and observe a dark green pathfinder parked in the driveway.
"I'm Kim by the way. I couldn't come to your ceremony, but I spun the yarn for Sally."
"Oh, thank you so much!" I turn my weak smile towards her husband. "You must be Sally's son, Jared. Please tell your mom thank you again for knitting my sweater. It's absolutely beautiful." I look between Jake and Jared with a cautious hand clinging to Jake's arm.
"Yeah." Jared's eyes finally divert to mine before quickly appraising my appearance. He's just as untrusting as I am except I'm no threat to him.
"I would hug you, but I didn't want to show up empty-handed." Kim hands me the heavy basket with two hands and an oddly cheerful "Congratulations!"
I peer at the contents and find corn, figs, and a tiny pair of baby moccasins with beaded detail. "Oh, more corn! Thank you." Everybody burst into laughter at my nervous slip of the tongue.
"Yeah, my family lives on a farm. We have a cornfield. Everybody knows I always bring corn or something made out of corn. It's like my thing." Her sheepish expression drives me to refocus.
"The baby booties are so precious. Did you make these too?" I finally look up and notice her appearance. "Oh, congratulations to you as well!"
She gently taps her protruding belly."Yeah, I'm about halfway done. The back pain and leg cramps are no joke. I've been stuck in the house making tons of earrings and moccasins instead of tending to crops."
"Oh wow. That's exciting!" I wish I was as talented as Kim and Sally. What can I do besides clean and carry a tray of glasses? "I can't wait to be halfway through. I want to see my baby already."
"Exciting? Kind of…It's a girl so we'll have to try again for Jared's sake. That's part of the reason why I made him bring me. I really want to talk with you." Kim elbowed her hulking husband's side.
"We came to speak with both of you about the future."
Cryptic statements like this burn a hole in my stomach. Jake and I share a glance.
"We can talk in the dining room." Jake's stiff offering put me on guard again. He picked the most impersonal room in the house. A Pine table and chairs and a single-window furnish the space.
"I'll take the basket to the kitchen and I think there's pie left." My nervous, shaky voice ruins my composure. "I think there's iced tea in the fridge too…" I rush to the kitchen and there's no talking in the house until I return with the snacks.
"Sorry, no pie but there's spice cake," I hospitably offer.
"Oh, that's fine. I'll pretty much eat anything these days." She pulls the cake towards her and cuts a generous slice.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I pour tea into four glasses and tense in my seat when Jake crosses his arms.
"Jared and I want to help."
I turn to Jake, confused by her declaration. "I'm sorry I'm missing something."
Jared takes over for Kim, explaining, "We all are a bit worried about what Sam has planned for the tribe if he gets his way. I can't cover for him anymore. I can't be his right hand with a kid. I won't be a part of it."
My head tilts defensively, "What does that have to do with me?"
"I'm asking to be in good standing with the Alpha family in exchange for my help."
"What did you have in mind?" Jake finally speaks up.
"I realize the tide is changing. I want Kim and my child to be recognized as a part of the first house. I'm willing to betray Sam if that means securing the future of my child and restoring our family name."
Jake's eyes narrow and his lips stay tightly shut in response.
"You asked Embry to stop the Volturi ship and you know nothing gets past me. I watch that port schedule like a hawk. He asked me if I was willing to look the other way. I was pretty shocked to find out you knew about a Voturi ship coming to port, but then I wasn't. Your wife told you about it."
Everyone looks at me when I almost drop my glass.
Jared clears his throat adding, "Sam lifted some sort of ledger off of one of the dead guys and it's got some important details in it. That's how he knows about the ship. I'm assuming the Cullens know that by now."
"What's your plan?" Jake's hand reaches under the table to steady my shaking knee.
" I would suggest that we make a deal with the Cullens. They forget about the bodies in Denali in exchange for stopping Sam, and allowing the treaty to stand."
Jake snidely huffs before asking "And how are you going to get them to agree to that?" His quick thinking deduces the extreme conditions. "You want my wife to risk getting involved with the Cullens?"
"She's already involved with the Cullens. We can drop the diplomatic pretense. I'm not opposed to having an ally within our tribe, especially when she's being held to Alpha standards." He turns to address me, "Bella, can you get in touch with Edward?"
Is that a trick question? Is this some sort of setup? The ghost of Edward's phone card sits in the front of my mind, mocking me and my joke of a moral compass.
"No, he normally gets in touch with me. I'm not as familiar with the Cullens as you think I am." I can picture Edward's smug face now, telling me to 'lie better' but that's all I've got. I know enough to keep my lie short and my mouth shut. I slip up, and they can take Jake's position from him.
"What exactly are you asking for? I don't have much to offer. I can't change your ranking or place you in the top five. The elders have forbidden me to do so," Jake smoothly deflects in my favor.
"I'm aware. Caleb and Old Quil paid us a visit. This is our chance to put an end to Sam's hold on the tribe."
Kim interrupts her husband," All we ask is that our child becomes part of your family." She reaches across the table and takes my hands.
"I'm sorry you're going to have to clarify. I don't understand. Jake, what are they talking about?"
Kim continues, "We would like our baby girl to be a match for your son."
"Don't you think it's a bit soon for that? We don't even know what we're having yet." I pull my hands away from hers.
"Old Quil is never wrong. It's definitely a boy. This is something that's done often. It's how Jared and I were paired. Not everyone has a chosen one or the option to do as they please." Her gentle tone irritates me even more.
"You are asking me to betray Sam, to stop that boat from docking and I'm asking for my daughter's future to be secured."
No one is shocked by Jared's proposition except me. Arranging a marriage before my child is born is absurd. I can feel my face turning red.
"Nobody asked you for anything. We'll give it some thought, but I'm not putting my wife in danger. Bella is nobody's pawn."
"Why would I risk my child's future if I didn't think this would work? We are not here to hurt your wife. Without your son, we have nothing. I asked if you have a phone number or meeting place. She doesn't have to be there. All she has to do is make the phone call and you and I can do the leg work."
"No, I don't want her name to be in this at all."
"For this to work, I suggest we find a way and soon." Jared's eyes avoid mine.
"That's your job. You want something from me, remember." Jake's face hardens.
"I'll be in touch if I come up with another way." Jared places the responsibility on me adding, "If this plan works, I will extend my daughter to you."
Jake answers before I can disagree, "If this works, we will accept her as our own."
Kim places her hands on mine again. "Don't worry we're sisters now. You should come by sometime so we can get to know each other. From birth, I'd like her to be yours as well."
When they leave, we study each other's calm expressions, mine cracking under his disappointed eyes and the sound of their truck leaving the driveway.
"You said we would do this together." I can't help the daggers that I throw with my words.
"We are."
"You believe him?" I don't. He accused me of being involved with Edward. He's trying to plan my child's life.
"I can't think of a reason he would lie to me. He almost begged me to adopt his child now. He seemed pretty worried about what Sam has planned."
"You know I trust you, but you just promised our son to be paired with another before he's even born."
"I warned you." His cold, calculated demeanor scares me more than any agreement that was made today.
"We haven't even picked a name yet and you've already decided who he will marry. If it's a boy, that is."
His silence drags on until my chest gets too hot.
"What's next? Are they going to name my son too? He belongs to the tribe but he's still my son, Jacob!"I can barely contain my rising voice. How can you let them choose for my son before he's born?" My arms tightly wrapped around my midsection. "And what the hell does she mean 'from birth she will be yours too'?"
"They are essentially giving their daughter to you. Our son's life won't change nearly as much as theirs would. She wants you to love her child as if she were your own because once she turns 15, she'll be considered our daughter, living in our home."
"Just stop, Jacob. I'm not grooming a child to take care of mine. They will be taking his free will just as much as we would be taking their daughters. The only difference is they become part of the Alpha's family. We are giving while they're taking everything."
You said I would have to deal with the consequences of my actions. You didn't say my baby would have to pay as well.
"Everything costs, nothing is without consequences. This will stop Sam from gaining the majority and burning the tribe down. It will ensure your safety during your pregnancy. Jared knew that when he had the balls to come into our home and asked you to do his bidding."
"I can't believe you right now." Who are you? What has you so shaken? This is wrong!
"Nevertheless this is chess, Bella. Things change every day. Other things will come up. This is a chance to legitimize our marriage and our place as the Alpha family. With me not being able to reorder the families, we need all the respect and support we can get."
"You are deciding his life before you even meet him!" The tears start to leak into my voice.
"He still has a choice, Bella. Old Quil could prophesy his chosen is someone else. If we have more children, he can relinquish his right as Alpha. Nothing is set in stone. Things change. Pieces move and things shift all the time."
"How do you know Jared won't use this against us in the future?" There's no way I'm giving Jake that phone card. I won't give my son's life away for a phone number. He will not be punished for my mistakes and Jake's misguided desperation. Even if they never accept me, my son will have free will.
"There's only one way to find out. Do you have any way of reaching the Cullens?" He looks at me in defeat and exhaustion.
"No! How could you even ask me that?" Did you see through me? Did everyone at the table know I was lying? "There is nothing between him and me." I'm careful not to say Edward's name.
"If you know something, I need you to tell me."
"No, I'm staying out of this. From now on, I'm Switzerland." I'm not going to be a part of binding my son for the sake of respect.
He slowly shakes his head. "There's no such thing as an impartial stance. From the moment they saw you with a Cullen, I knew they would use it against you. No matter what, I am with you." He drops to his knees in front of me. His hands rest on my hips before he looks into my downcast eyes. "Let me get us through this. You are my wife. Have you made me your husband?"
This one was kinda long , but thanks for reading! I think the next few chapters may be a little…fun?* blink, blink* I must be crazy because my outline has seen some major changes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to say thank you thank you thank you to everybody who leaves a review. You make me feel so warm inside. The more I think about it, I'm probably going to start responding more often… I did want to ask though… Do you think Bella is overreacting?