I'm baaaack! :)

Learn to lose- Hockey and Crazy yes dumb no - The Mint Chicks

Jacob

I hate dance class. No – correction – I hate dance class run by Count Chocula.

We were all at a local dance hall on a Saturday morning. In dress shoes.

Dress shoes and vampires. My own personal hell.

I looked around for Bella, throwing what I hoped was a casual "where is she?" look at Seth. He shrugged. I wondered why I picked him of all people to watch out for Bella. Embry was way more clued-in. Hell, even a squirrel with a concussion would have been a better option than that gangly kid. He was being all gooey with Mia. Those two were inseparable now. She had even decided to drive down with them to Forks to go through this torture.

If that ain't love, I don't know what is.

Edward cleared his throat to get our attention. "Good morning."

Maybe for you.

He continued with a smirk, "Since the couple has not decided on what kind of dance they want to do, I thought we'd go through a few till we find something that fits. Tanya couldn't come today...stop being immature, Jacob...so I've asked a good friend – Peyton – to fill in. We will start with the waltz."

Leah walked up to me sulkily. "No funny business, Black."

I held her hand, trying to remember the times my mum would twirl me around the living room when I was little. Leah growled as I tried to steer her across the dance floor.

"What?"

"Don't push me," she whined.

"It's dancing, Leah; I have to push you. And don't start spouting your feminist crap at me."

Edward tapped my shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

"Can I cut in?"

"Please," I held my palm out at Leah. Anything to get her off my back.

"Actually, Jacob, I think Leah should dance with Seth and you can dance with Bella when she gets here."

I'm gonna dance with Bella? Keep it together, keep it together, keep it together...

He held his hand out to me.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I eyed his hand with disgust.

Girly hands...

"Jacob, if you wish to lead, you must first learn to follow." I rolled my eyes and was about to stalk off when Emily caught my eye. She mouthed a 'please' and gave me her best puppy eyes.

Jeez, what is up with that look? They better name their first child after me for all the ridiculous crap I go through.

I took his hand, cringing at the iciness as his palm rested on my lower back.

"Ok, Yoda, but you better not touch my ass." We started swaying to the music.

Kill me. Kill me now.

I heard Leah whistle as Seth awkwardly tried to steer her to the beat. "Don't give it up on the first date, you two!"

Oh, he definitely won't.

"Why do you have to be so juvenile, Jacob?" he said with disgust.

"Why do you have to smell like a girl, Edward?" I mimicked him.

We danced in silence. I was starting to get the hang of it. Well, the girl side of things anyway. I analysed his every move, counting out the steps in my head. On cue, he sighed.

"I have to ask you a question."

"Oh, god, can't you just read my mind and get it over with?"

"It's 'Edward' and no, I want to hear you say it."

If I rolled my eyes anymore, they'd be stuck in the back of my head.

"Why haven't you told Bella yet?"

"Cause I'm a masochistic lion..." He frowned and my shoulders slumped in defeat. "...Fine, if I tell you, will you stop asking about anything else?"

"Yes." I didn't believe him.

"I can't believe I'm talking to you about my love life while doing the bloody fox step..." I gritted my teeth.

"Box step," he gently corrected.

I know a box I'd put you into...

"We should put you two in a porno!" Leah hooted, cutting into my mental threats.

"Shut up, Leah. Or I'll show Edward that time when you phased back in front of me!" I yelled over Edward's shoulder. She had the decency to look ashamed. Seth looked like he was about to throw up.

"It was an accident!" she yelled back, avoiding the stares from the others.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Flasher McGee," I chuckled. Edward cleared his throat. I exhaled sharply and stopped myself from asking if he wanted a cough drop.

This was serious shit. Far more serious than dancing with a man called for.

"I don't want to tell her cause I don't want her to fall in love with me just cause the fates ordained it or some bullshit."

"But it is fate."

No shit, Sherlock.

"Yeah, the thing is, I'm not gonna dazzle her into loving me, sparkle boy. I want her to love me out of her own free will and I'm willing to give her all the time she needs to figure it out by herself." It felt strangely good to say it out loud. It sounded less crazy somehow, like I wasn't a total dick for sleeping with her and keeping my distance.

"But she must be feeling something..." he stopped suddenly when he heard my thoughts "...you slept with her? Way to go at not...ohhhhh….. friend zone."

Great, make me relive the shame, why don't ya?

"If you were gonna read my mind, why the fuck did you ask?" I loosened my grip on his shoulder.

And when the fuck was this song gonna end?

"Language, Jacob," he muttered.

"Fuck language," I spat back. He sighed. He seemed to do that a lot when I was around. Like I was some sort of child who disappointed him on a regular basis.

"You think she feels something?" He sounded worried. So he did care.

"Em said that since I'm fighting it, maybe Bella doesn't feel it as intensely as she did."

"But she wants to be friends." He sounded thoughtful and a little confused.

Join the line, buddy.

"Yeah, whatever she needs."

Please let her need me...like she did that night.

"Whoa!" I was suddenly looking up at the ceiling. The music had stopped and Edward's face hovered over mine. The bastard had dipped me like I was some chick. I scrambled to get upright and wiped my hands on my jeans. "Jeez, what the fuck was that?"

Edward bowed while the others clapped. "That, Jacob, is what your pack brothers would call being my bitch."

I thought of a few choice curse words in my head.

I was gonna be polite. There were ladies present, one right in front of me, in fact.

He ignored my taunts and turned to the other couples.

"Ok, that wasn't too bad. For those of you who had a difficult time, don't worry. Your natural...abilities..."

Way to go with the subtlety, Cullen. The Peyton chick must be thick as a board to not get that one.

"...your natural abilities will help you master them soon enough. Let your bodies take over. Don't over-think it."

Yeah, last time I let my body take over...stop...Edward doesn't need to see the way she arched her back and screamed my...STOP! Dammit!

I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my forehead, willing the images to go away. Then I heard her voice.

"Hey, sorry I'm late...alarm didn't go off."

She was wearing a denim skirt and heels.

Fuck, look at those legs.

My mind unwittingly flashed to an image of us alone in the hall. Her hands were gripping the ballet bar as I watched her come over and over in the mirrored wall. Her skirt bunched up around her waist and her husky voice echoed in the empty room.

Oh fuck... Jake...

"Jake?"

Bella

I hate being late.

It wasn't really my fault. I forgot to put the alarm on before I went to bed last night. Not that I'm complaining, cause an alarm going off in the middle of a sex dream would have really killed my buzz.

You are shameless Bella Swan...shameless!

It was a good dream, though. I had been having a lot of them since that night.

Damn you, Jacob Black!

The latest offering had been quite vivid and involved the two of us in the back of his car. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. So good that I had to rush in to have a cold shower to stop myself from racing down to La Push to make the dream a reality.

This friend thing was becoming a pain in the ass. Why couldn't he stay nerdy and under-developed? Why did he have to fill out and...oh, my god, his ass looks good in those jeans...Why didn't I keep my hands to myself that night?

Edward looked mortified for some reason and for a split second wondered if he could see my thoughts, which were far from pure at the moment. He wasn't looking at me, though. He was staring, pretty much slack-jawed, at Jacob, who was in turn staring at me. I knew I was in skimpier attire than usual, but it was the only serviceable skirt I could find and I was ordered to wear heels for the full wedding torture experience.

Now with blisters AND future spine problems.

"Jake?" I touched his arm and he shuddered.

"Hey," he murmured, smiling nervously. "I've mi-"

"Bella, so glad you could join us! Will you do me the honour?" Edward bowed, extending his hand for me to take. I caught Jacob's eye, silently torturing myself in the hope that he would ask me to dance, but there was no reply. I placed my hand in Edward's cold one and a cha-cha beat struck up. I smiled at Edward nervously and mumbled an apology for the toe smashing that was about to commence. He smiled back as I glanced at the other couples out of the corner of my eye. Seth and Leah moved flawlessly while Jacob danced with some brunette I had seen around town. I focused on Edward's collarbone till he stooped slightly to get my attention.

"We need to talk."

Doesn't everybody?

"Sure! I hear the timber industry is really on the way up."

"Bella." He wasn't pleased. I bit my lower lip and shut my eyes momentarily.

"So, you saw, huh?"

"Saw what?"

What the hell?

"You didn't see anything in Jacob's head?" I ventured tentatively.

Now I was just asking for it. It's not like Jacob would think about it as obsessively as I do. I'm sure he's gone on to screw many other girls who were far more memorable and experienced than me.

"Nothing except his intense hate for anything other than hip hop or whatever those kids are listening to these days." He smirked.

He was baiting me.

"You sound like a grandpa." I punched him softly on the shoulder.

"I qualify for one." He grinned before twirling me.

"Sure, sure." I grinned back, staring absently at our entwined hands, so different from when I had held Jacob's. From when we had lain in bed, a mass of tangled limbs – one dark, one light. His so much more beautiful than mine.

"New habit?" He broke through my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Nothing...so you and Jacob have been hanging out?"

This was starting to feel like the Spanish Inquisition.

"Yeah, kinda...so you're sure you didn't see anything?"

Why was I torturing myself? P.S. he can hear you, you lust-lorn loser.

"Why? Should I have seen something? Is there something you'd like to tell me?" A smile played at his lips.

"So you do know."

"Know what?"

"Don't play mind games with me, Edward Cullen," I said with mock severity.

"I might suggest you do the same," he replied cryptically but I got the general gist of the argument. Jacob could do my heart some serious damage.

"We're just friends," I assured him.

"By the way, Seth wants to bring Mia as his date for the wedding but he's too scared to tell you because he thinks it will hurt your feelings."

"Of course it won't! Silly kid." I looked over at Mia, who waved at me shyly. I waved over Edward's shoulder and smiled.

They really were adorable.

"Perhaps you could find a date of your own? A friend maybe?" He stepped outwards and I copied him, trying to look as graceful as he did. I followed his gaze to Jacob and the brunette.

That would be an epic band name. Jacob and the Brunettes...and the Blonde...Ok, maybe not so epic.

She was laughing as he effortlessly moved her across the dance floor. Their lower halves were pressed together in a way that would make mothers cover their children's eyes for shame.

"Its natural athleticism." Edward sounded proud.

Natural athleticism, my ass. He could knock her up with those moves.

Her foot popped up as his hands went down to her hips, dipping her quickly before pulling her back up against his chest.

Congratulations! It's a boy!

He twirled her a few times and she did some complicated thing with her feet that would qualify her for a tour with an Irish dance team and rolled herself back into his arms. She had a post-coital grin on her face as they walked back to the chairs. Edward, ever the gentleman, thanked me for the dance and called for a ten minute break. I stayed close to Mia, asking her how she liked Forks while only occasionally staring at the back of Jake's head.

As long as you don't go down to his ass...

He caught my eye and I looked away.

Jeez, this was getting immature.

"I think we'll try the salsa and end for today. Emily and Sam can decide what they want for the first dance and also for the wedding party."

Peyton made her way towards Jake before Edward stopped her. He indicated to me as Latin music began to play.

Great, faster toe smashing.

Jacob grabbed my hand and pulled me close, his eyes on Edward as he mirrored his moves exactly, though a little less gracefully. After a few seconds he seemed to get the hang of it and smirked at me.

'Burning up the dance floor, huh?" I nodded at Peyton.

"You could say that..." His hand slipped lower on my back, a finger gazing my skin. I willed myself not to shiver. I needed to cut the tension.

"Soooooo… about that night."

CUT the tension, you idiot.

"We said we wouldn't talk about it, remember?" His voice was low as I felt his fingers flex against mine, his hot palm reminding me of things I'd much rather not think about while pressed against his crotch.

"Oh, yeah," I mumbled, like a moron.

"Does that mean we should stop thinking about it?" I felt him harden against me as he murmured in my ear. He placed my hand on the nape of his neck as I raised an eyebrow at him. I gasped as he ran his hand down my body and wrapped my leg around his thigh, dipping me slightly. "Now this seems familiar."

"Jake..." The tips of his fingers were grazing my inner thigh, as was the rough fabric of his jeans. He smelled so good.

FOCUS!

"I meant, I was just taught this move. It's all coming back to me."

"JAKE!" I looked around to see all the other couples were doing the same action. Well, everyone except Seth and Leah, who looked positively disgusted at each other. He smirked at me.

"You know, Bells, for a girl who doesn't want to talk about it, you've got such a one-track mind."

"I've been hanging out with perves for too long," I pouted, trying desperately to regain some dignity as he dropped my leg and his dark gaze locked onto mine.

"I think its cause you got exactly what you wanted and now you can't stop thinking about it."

His hand hovered dangerously above my ass. As we continued, I tried to think of the most un-sexy things possible while dancing, a.k.a. faux-molesting, Jacob.

Sunshine...sunshine is hot...hot like Jacob. Dammit! Accounting....accounting is un-sexy...unless it's Jacob in a skinny tie...wanting to do my accounts...do my accounts over and over...Dammit! Rainbows...rainbows are cute! There's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This is going well. Also leprechauns...they wear green...green like the forest...trees...up against a tree...Jacob in jorts up against a tree. DAMMIT! FUCK! SHIT! DAMMIT!!!!!

"You look pissed. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just frustrated."

"You know, Bells, I'm here for you." He pressed his cheek to mine and whispered "Anything you want..."

Oh fuck...did he just offer…?

He moved his hand up to cradle the back of my head then bent me backwards. "Anything."

His breath in my ear sent shivers down my spine.

"Stealing my moves, Jacob?"

He straightened us back up and glared at Edward.

"Bite me, Cullen." I felt his hand grip almost painfully at my waist.

"Is that an invitation?" It looked like Edward was reading Jacob's mind. "That could be arranged."

He smirked as he walked away. Jacob loosened his hold and I gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks for the dance."

I felt him run his hand through my hair before letting go. I had a lot of things to figure out but I needed to talk to Seth first. I caught up with him at the door and pulled him over to the ballet bars.

"You can bring Mia, Seth. I don't mind."

"Edward told you, huh?" He still looked guilty.

"You've imprinted, Seth. I was gonna tell you anyway."

He looked relieved, giving me a bone-crunching hug. He let go only when I started flailing.

"Are you gonna be ok?" His relief was quickly replaced with worry. I patted his hand reassuringly.

"It's a wedding, Seth, not senior prom. Maybe I'll ask Embry..." I looked back to see Jacob stop mid-wrestle with Leah, ".... or maybe I'll just go alone. I'm sure Em has some cute relatives I could hit on."

"Well, whoever it is, you better decide fast. The wedding's just a month away."

"Don't worry. I'm sure something...or someone will come up." I held Jacob's gaze for a second longer before walking out.

Please let something come up.

Did that answer the Jacob questions? I dont really want to answer major plot-related questions so please dont be mad. I believe in a gradual exposition and being fair to all my readers. The same readers who by the way make me smilier than Mr. Happy on chocolate.

Much love to my Ninja Mafia who rock my socks off. *wriggles bare toes*

So from the sunny climes of Sri Lanka...till chapter 13....Muah!