Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or these characters.

Warning: contains strong language and graphic sexual content

The soft glow of twilight glittered brightly into the little coffee shop, its slant casting shadows here and there and its orange rays glinting off Bella's cell phone that sat idly on the small table next to her open book. She curled her fingers around the Styrofoam cup and brought it to her lips, sipping gingerly on the hot liquid.

Her phone vibrated, jumping across the table.

She ignored it.

It was Jake.

Calling for the umpteenth time in the two days since their date and his failed attempt to prove to her that he was ready to invest in a real relationship. She had made up some excuse about needing to get up early for work and asked him to take her home. The car ride was tense and silent to say the least.

And now she was steadily avoiding him.

She sighed heavily and slapped her hand down on her phone after it started buzzing for the fourth time in the last hour.

"Bella?" a somewhat familiar, deep voice sounded behind her. She turned around and found Emmett's bright eyes and warm grin smiling back at her.

"Oh, Emmett, hi," she smiled politely. He leaned in slightly, his hand resting on the back of her chair. Her eyes darted to his hand and then back to his twinkling blue eyes. Was he...flirting with her?

"So, can I buy you a cup of coffee?" he asked straightforwardly, his voice deep, smooth, and rich as honey. Bella was slightly taken aback by his forwardness, and she blushed despite herself. She had to admit he was charming, friendly, and attractive. A cup coffee couldn't hurt, right?

"Sure, sure. Um, just regular-black, no sugar," she agreed and watched him as he winked and retreated back into the crowded line to order her coffee.

Bella felt a little awkward at first when he returned, but that quickly faded. As he started talking, she found herself relaxing. He was surprisingly easy to talk to.

"So what's the story? With you and Jake, I mean," he asked after he had finished telling a rather lengthy story about his recent travels.

"Uh," Bella stuttered, burning her tongue on the hot coffee she was sipping. She sighed heavily. "It's complicated."

He ginned wider. "I'm a good listener."

She smiled back. She couldn't help it; his smile was contagious.

She proceeded to tell him much about what had happened in the last few weeks and a short history of their past before that. She wasn't used to divulging so much information to a stranger, but it felt so good to say it all out loud without judgment.

She was so involved with her animated conversation-Emmett's soft words of encouragement to make it right, to forgive him, to give him a chance, and that he'd never known Jake to look at anyone the way he'd looked at her-that she didn't notice the sly little redhead who walked into the café.

Lily's bright green eyes flickered to Bella, who had leaned in to whisper something to Emmett, her cheeks blushing a bright red.

Lily scoffed, muttering under her breath, "Mine, huh? We'll see about that."

~000~

Jake was sitting on his couch with his elbows propped up on his knees and his head cradled in his hands. His slim black phone was pressed against his cheek. How many times had he called her? He wasn't sure, but he felt like an obsessed, crazed stalker. And he knew why she was mad.

Best friend. Goddammit! Why did I say that! he cursed himself.

A soft, almost timid, knock jolted him out of his self-loathing pity party. For a brief, fleeting moment, he had hope that it was her. But then, he thought, his luck was usually worse than that. He dragged himself off the couch and was startled when it was, in fact, Bella standing on the other side.

She looked absolutely beautiful. Achingly so. Her brown hair seemed to glow red under the lights from the hallway, her pale skin soft and luminous, and her deep chocolate eyes open, clear, and holding the deep emotion that he could only describe as love—although the word fell so short of how it made him feel. It reached inside him and twisted everything while somehow making everything right.

Bella took in his appearance carefully. His hair was disheveled, like he'd been running his hands through it all day, pulling and tugging the inky strands. His face looked tired, worn. Tiny fine lines wrinkled around his eyes, which looked red, like he'd been rubbing his palms against them. Her heart thudded at the sight of him.

Their eyes locked for what seemed like one endless minute; the tension and emotion that filled the air between them were as thick as smoke.

And in an instant, that changed.

He reached for her, his large hand curling around her slender arm and pulling her to him. With their bodies flush up against one another, he captured her face between his rough hands, his warm breath tickling her lips as he leaned forward, eyes still open and focused on hers so intently, so intensely, she felt completely enraptured. The rest of the word seemingly faded away.

His warm whisper against her lips pierced her heart. "I love you. Please, Bells. Just let me love you."

She instantly closed the small gap between them, feverishly pressing her lips to his. Her fingers fisted in the thin material of his shirt as his hands slipped from her face, leaving tingling trails of goose flesh in their wake as they moved down the slope of her neck, over her shoulders, down her bare arms, and finally came to rest on her hips.

"I'm sorry." Her whisper was muffled as she spoke between their hungry lips smacking loudly together in the silent hallway. "I'm sorry. I-I—"

"Stop, honey. Stop saying you're sorry," he said. His tone was so low, scratchy, and warm like a sweater, his breathing harsh and shallow. His voice cracked as he continued, "I'm so sorry, Bells."

His lips were back on hers, melding and molding until she wasn't sure where hers began and his ended. His hands slid over the curve of her ass, down to her jean-covered thighs, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he spun around, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Wait!" she said breathlessly, tearing her mouth away from his. But he was already lost in her, and his lips merely continued to kiss across her jaw, down her neck, sucking the honeyed skin into his mouth. She moaned softly, reaching out to turn the lock.

He started walking them down the dimly lit hallway, and her fingers found themselves tangled in his hair, their kisses turning even more heated. He squeezed her round ass that he held in his hands as he strode purposefully into his room, gingerly laying her down onto his unmade bed.

Jake settled himself between her thighs, careful not to crush her with his weight. One hand slid up under her shirt, slowly traveling up her porcelain skin until he touched the bottom of her bra. His fingers glided around the edge, and she felt him grinning against her lips when she whimpered for more of his touch.

He deftly unhooked her bra, shoving the lace away from her breast as his hand covered it, flicking his thumb tenderly over her hardened nipple. His lips left hers again as he sat back slightly so he could pull off her shirt, helping slide her bra off her slender shoulders. His eyes were dark and passionate as they roved slowly over her naked torso.

"So beautiful," he breathed, the thick huskiness in his throaty voice sending shivers down her spine and a jolt of heat to her throbbing, aching center.

He lowered his head slowly, softly kissing the exposed skin just below her ear. His hoarse whisper against her skin was almost more than she could take. It was hot and tender, the desire and lust dripping like thick, smooth liquid from his tongue. "Let me make love to you, Bells."

There was something so innately right in that moment, something she could no longer deny herself. She wanted him to make love to her just as badly as his deep voice conveyed his desire.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible as he kissed down her smooth neck, across her collarbone.

"I promise," he murmured against her skin, slowly lowering his lips to the valley between her perfect breasts, "No, I swear I'll never hurt you again, baby."

His words struck her somewhere deep inside, and she knew with every fiber of her being that he was telling the truth. His tongue unhurriedly licked around her pert, pink nipples before engulfing her right one completely inside his warm, wet mouth. She let out a soft cry, her fingers coming up to rake through his short hair. He moved to the other one; latching on, his teeth grazing her sensitive flesh.

"Jake." She let out a shaky breath, the pressure between her thighs building and building and the coil in her gut tightening. Her eyes fluttered shut as he began kissing down the smooth expanse of her flat stomach. Her breathing hitched when he placed one open-mouthed kiss just below her navel. He slid down off the edge of the bed, landing on his knees. His fingers unbuttoned her jeans, leisurely unzipping, pulling them down her long legs, and then tossing them gently to the side.

He placed a few soft kisses against the inside of her trembling thighs as his hands gently spread them further apart. His warm breath hovered just above the damp cotton of her panties, his thumb hooked in the waistband. He looked up at her through hooded eyes.

"Look at me, honey," he commanded gently. She opened her heavily lidded eyes, looking down at him through her long, slightly wet lashes. "Tell me you believe me."

It took her a moment to answer, the raw emotion and vulnerability laced within his voice causing a lump to rise in her throat and something new to blossom in her chest.

"I believe you," she answered, her voice strong and unwavering. He didn't smile, but his eyes stayed locked on hers as he lowered his head, placing one hot kiss to the outside of her panties. She pressed her lips together, suppressing a whimper and her chest heaving with the effort.

In an instant, his careful, tender ministrations abruptly stopped as he tore her panties from her body, the animalistic need to claim her pumping adrenaline through his veins and engorging his member to the point of pure pain. He ran one long digit up her dripping wet slit, and Bella moaned loudly.

Jake grinned. All the heartache, the years of other women, the self-loathing… everything except for the woman he loved naked and wet in front of him faded away, vanishing into another world.

"I love you," his deep voice rumbled against her slick folds as he kissed her bare skin, gently sucking her swollen clit into his mouth. Bella couldn't respond. She simply threw her head back in utter ecstasy as his tongue swirled around her flesh, flicking her sensitive bundle before slowly stroking her heated flesh.

He delved inside her, lapping up the wetness he had created. She bucked her hips up, and he placed one large hand on her middle to keep her still as he fucked her with his tongue. He inserted two fingers inside her, his tongue licking upwards. C losing his mouth over her bud once again, he twisted and curled his fingers. Her breathy moans and half-whispered chants of his name urged him on. His ministrations became frantic, her fingers tugged and pulled his hair forcefully, and her hips bucked up. Faster and faster he pumped his thick fingers, his lips and tongue sucking and licking, stroking and caressing until—

"JAKE!" she exploded, coating his fingers in her come, falling apart. Her whole body trembled with the force, her veins flooded with the passionate intensity of her orgasm.

He continued to kiss her soft, wet skin, slowly withdrawing his fingers as he rose up from his knees. He placed one more kiss there before pulling away so he could shove down his shorts and pull his t-shirt over his head. She looked up at him, her hooded gaze roving appreciatively over his smooth, tan skin, ripped abs, bulging biceps, and down to the sharp 'v' that cut across his hips. She swallowed hard when she took in the girth of his hard, thick cock.

He lowered himself back to the bed, pushing her gently to the middle before settling himself between her still shaking thighs once again. He kissed her lips, deeply and passionately, stealing the air from her lungs. His hands moved up her ribcage, curling around her side. His lips left hers, trailing fervent kisses along her jawline, up to her ear.

He skimmed his nose along her skin, inhaling deeply. He positioned himself at her entrance, kissing her soft pink lips. She inhaled sharply when she felt the tip glide along her moist folds.

"Don't worry, baby," he crooned, "I'll be gentle."

He reached down with his free hand and hitched her leg to him while gradually guiding his thickness inside her warm pussy, pushing into her one hard inch at a time, until he buried himself to the hilt.

"Fuck," he breathed shakily, closing his eyes as he fought the urge to fuck her hard and fast. His muscles twitched with the effort. "Damn, honey. So fucking tight."

Bella's breathing was short and labored, her chest heaving against his. Jake rested his forehead against her shoulder. After a few minutes, any initial pain Bella felt subsided, replaced by a sensation of fullness. Her hips moved against his, testing the feeling. A shot of pleasure jolted through her, and she moved again.

Jake slowly began to thrust his hips, sliding effortlessly in and out of her tight, wet heat. Her walls wrapped around his cock so perfectly—like she was made just for him. His hands gripped her hips as he thrust a little harder. Her corresponding cry of pleasure made him feel like more of a man than he'd ever—ever—felt before. He thrust harder, faster, the sensation almost more than he could bear.

Bella clung to Jake's flexing arms, her nails cutting into his flesh, as he pounded into her. She wrapped both legs around his waist, raising her hips up to meet his, and he slid inside her a little deeper, groaning and cursing as he did. She felt her whole body trembling again. Her legs were like jelly as she felt herself nearing the edge.

"Oh, god, oh, oh... Jake! I-I..." she mumbled incoherently as she shattered in his arms. He slowed down as he enjoyed her coming around him. After a moment, he pulled out, and her eyes shot open and he reached down, snaking an arm around her waist, standing and pulling her up with him.

"Jake?" she began to question, "But you didn't..."

"Shhh, honey. I'm not done." He placed one finger against her lips while smirking at her. He flipped her around; her hands automatically braced herself above the bed, fisting in the sheets. Jake stood behind her. Both their feet were flat on the cool wood floor, and his hands gripped her hips as he pushed inside her again. He leaned over her, his hot breath against her neck. He snaked an arm around her, crossing over her body and latching onto her breast as he fucked her hard and fast.

"I love you so fucking much," he whispered, his voice was so tender and contradicting with his hard thrusts. She couldn't even think, could only react. She twisted her head to the side, capturing his lips between hers. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth, and he groaned, his steady pace becoming frantic and uneven.

In one swift, fluid movement, he flipped her over again; still standing, he shoved inside her wetness unsteadily, his eyes rolling back in his head. He held onto her thighs as he pounded into her swollen, dripping wet pussy over and over again.

"Jake! Jake! Oh, my fucking god, Jake! I lo—" Her screams were cut off as a wave of ecstasy overcame her. A guttural moan left his throat, and he buried himself to the hilt once more, exploding inside her. He leaned down, kissing her as deeply and passionately as he could.

He pulled out slowly, collapsing onto the bed, reaching for her, and pulling her into his chest. Jake wrapped his arms around her, and she nuzzled his neck.

"I love you," she whispered after a few silent minutes had ticked by. His hand was lazily drawing lines up and down her arm, and he sighed-a heavy contented sigh as though everything had just clicked into place.

"I'll love you forever, Bells."

She faintly heard his phone ringing where it lay on the floor buried beneath their shed clothes. But he didn't move to answer it. It rang again.

"Shouldn't you—"

"No," he said firmly, his eyes still closed, breathing deep and even. "Everything that matters is here in my arms."

A/N: Thank you jkane180, for being such a great beta, and making my work worth reading! ILY! Special thanks to wordslinger and kissa_621 for being awesome pre-readers, brainstormers, friends and partners in crime. Love ya.