Chapter 11: Ember

Half an hour later, Jacob was still sitting at the table, completely stitched up. The process of teaching Renesmee how to do decent stitches had been a complete fiasco. She had stomped away twice, been reduced to panicky tears, and had apologized about a thousand times in the process.

"So we know to not depend on you for medical help I guess?" he joked once she was done.

Renesmee let out a relieved, shaky sigh as she gave him a wide-eyed look.

"I'm never doing that again."

"You're right. I'm never taking a bullet for you again either."

"Jake…" she whined, picking up the rest of the bloody gauze. She cleaned the mess off the table, her jaw set with determination. "I did it, it's over….there," she added.

He watched with amazement as Renesmee stood up, opened the back door, and loaded up her arms with firewood. She brought it inside, dropping it in front of the fireplace, before tossing a few new logs into the fire. She brushed off her hands and walked over to the couch to sit next to him.

Jacob was awestruck. "I think that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen you do, Princess."

Renesmee blushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears. "I'm not useless," she said quietly, a slight pink color tinting her cheeks. "Does it hurt?"

He snorted bitterly, glancing at his bandaged arm. He was sitting on the couch without a shirt, only because it hurt too much to try to put his arm through one.

Renesmee glanced his way, her eyes lingering slightly on his half naked body.

"It hurts, yeah."

"I'm sorry we don't have much for pain," she lamented, giving him an apologetic look. She fiddled with her hands in her lap as she chewed on her lip. The fire crackled in front of them, the flames dancing merrily in the fireplace.

"Well, normally I would just take a drink…if only we had some scotch," he joked, looking over at her. "Oh wait, we're out," he finished sarcastically.

"Would it help if I said I'm never drinking scotch again?"

"I think if scotch had legs and saw you coming, it would run away screaming."

"Oh, screw you," she muttered, flopping back against the couch.

"Oh, don't get your panties all twisted up, Princess. I'm just teasing you."

"You've had no effect on my panties, Jacob. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Jacobs sighed, feeling flustered. How could she be so wonderful and beautiful one moment, and then do or say something the next that made him so crazy? "Why are you such a bitch to me?"

"Excuse you?"

"I'm not afraid to call it like it is, Ness."

"Really? Well, neither am I! Guess what, Jacob? You're an asshole."

They stared at each other for a moment after their outbursts, both of them wide eyed and a bit slack-jawed. Renesmee bit her lip, watching as Jacob pressed his together. Both of them seemed to regret their harsh words, but neither could find a way to say it.

"Do you want some Tylenol? I have some here," she offered softly, reaching for the bottle on the table.

He shrugged, nodding slightly.

"It won't help much, but…it might numb the pain a little tiny bit."

"Sure," he said gruffly, his cheeks turning pink. He felt stupid for calling her such a name when she was actually being nice. He hadn't thought she'd have ever done something so nice for him after he'd turned her away. In all honestly, Jacob didn't think she would ever forgive him for that. But now, as she gently wrapped the gauze around his arm, he wasn't so sure.

Grabbing a small handful of the medicine, he shoveled them down, ignoring Renesmee's wide eyes.

"You shouldn't have taken so many!"

"I got shot in the arm. I think I'm allowed to attempt a Tylenol overdose!"

"Whatever," she laughed, reaching for the medical tape. "Will this work?"

"Yeah. I heal pretty quick, so…"

He trailed off, watching as Renesmee leaned closer. Her clean, fresh scent wafted toward him as she moved even closer, ducking to the side to make sure she had secured the tape around his arm properly. He unconsciously held his breath as he observed her as she worked. She was so close to him that he could see the light dusting of freckles placed sporadically across the bridge of her nose and smell the faint traces that were left of her perfume.

She's gorgeous, he thought to himself, biting his lip. Should I just be honest and tell her how I feel? Or do I shut up and focus on the case? I can't be distracted right now…

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Renesmee's voice cut through his thoughts. He jumped slightly, glancing down at her as she leaned over and gently cut the remaining gauze off his arm. Honestly, the stinging of the bullet and his fresh stitches barely registered; all he could think about was how close Renesmee was and how her mouth was begging for his to be on it.

"What?"

"You looked…like you were in pain. Or…or is that how you look when you get a deep thought?" she cheeked, cocking a coppery eyebrow at him.

He smirked back at her, biting his tongue.

"Were you about to say something Jacob?" she asked knowingly.

He chuckled, realizing she knew that a sarcastic comment was usually on the tip of his tongue, just waiting for him to use it. "No, not one bit," he said.

His eyes lingered on the flannel shirt she was wearing in lieu of her own clothes. It was oversized and faded after one too many washes, and she had it rolled up to her elbows and only half buttoned. Her copper hair was up in a messy bun, a few curly tendrils falling out and hanging against the alabaster skin of her neck. He sighed and looked away, trying to calm himself down. Something about Renesmee Cullen just got him so wired.

We fight like cats and dogs. So why the fuck does she have to look so sexy?

"You're getting good at this kinda stuff. Maybe you aren't the princess I thought you were."

She snorted. "I have been outside before, Jake. I've even been camping before."

"Girls Scout camp doesn't count," he snickered.

She gently grabbed his arm, holding it still as she continued her work. "How did you know that's what I was going to say?"

"Just a guess," he chuckled. "But really…you were brave out there. Most women would be curled up in a ball right now, crying in the corner. You're a trooper, Ness."

She smirked to herself. "Well, I didn't have much time for panicking. I'm sure that part is coming later. You might find me doing that later when this all sinks in."

"You all right, though? With all of this? I know it's, ah…a little much."

Renesmee paused, surveying her work. "I almost died tonight. So did you. It's a lot to take in."

"Yeah. I know."

"We're still here, though. Even if he is still out there."

Jacob glanced at the shotgun placed next to him on the table. He had at least five guns and three knives placed around the cabin, just in case.

"We'll be all right. People like him…he'll wait awhile to try something else."

"He knows where we are, though!"

"I know. But I'm still not too worried. He'll wait until he thinks we're not expecting him. But he'll try again. He's made it clear that he wants you d—"

Jacob stopped, biting his lip. He had about said "he wants you dead," but based on the look from Renesmee's wide eyes, he stopped himself.

"Sorry."

"It's okay." Renesmee swallowed, her eyes darting downward as she worked. "You know, I'm…this is hard…but I'm really glad you're going to be okay."

He felt satisfaction sizzle through his veins as he watched a slow blush rise up in her cheeks.

She bit her pink lip and frowned to herself as she secured the last of the gauze on his arm. "There."

He looked down at his bandage, suddenly not feeling much of the pain at all. He was so close to Renesmee that he could feel her breath on his bare skin as he sat at the table, shirtless. Scanning her face quickly, he coughed uncomfortably and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't um…agree," he finally said.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it before she said anything. Jacob felt the mood in the room shift from snarky to awkward to suddenly hot, as they sat knee to knee, staring at each other. He caught himself glancing at the skin on her neck again, unable to stop himself from licking his lips.

She watched him closely, reaching over to fiddle with the gauze, making sure it was secure.

He glanced down at her hands as she worked, glancing at the 'V' of the flannel shirt.

Renesmee followed his gaze, pursing her lips slightly. "I know, this looks stupid. Call me crazy, but I don't want to go out in the snow again to get my bag. I've seen enough snow these past few days to last me a lifetime."

Jacob swallowed. Did he go for it? Was this a do or die moment? It felt like it.

"No, I was just thinking that it…you're the only person who could make flannel look sexy."

"Sexy?" she asked, pulling her hands away.

He nodded.

Renesmee gave him a confused look, followed by a hard one as her body went noticeably rigid.

His hand reached out on its own accord, resting on her thigh. "Don't be like this, okay?"

She looked away, her body still unyielding. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like this. So weird and…and making me feel like shit. I said I was sorry. I even kissed you again."

Renesmee looked up, her gaze sharp. "That was a pity kiss. That was to get me to stay."

"No, it really wasn't," he argued, scooting forward on his chair. "It wasn't like that at all."

"Really? Then what was it like?" she bantered back, looking down at her lap. Her words were sharp, but her face was pained; it made his insides twist to see her looking this hurt.

"I'm on duty while I'm up here. I'm being paid to be up here. What would it look like if I took advantage of you?"

"Take…you…that's not what that was. I thought it was something…something mutual, something I…I should have never…" she said, her words jumbled. With shaky hands, she reached up and brushed her hair away from her flushed face. "I can't do this."

"Do what?" he prodded. "You didn't do anything wrong. Don't you see? It's principle that's keeping me away, Ness. Nothing more."

"What do you mean?" she asked, letting her hands fall to her lap.

She gave him a wide eyed gaze that nearly made him crazy. He felt his hands twitch as he watched the sadness cross her features.

It was now or never.

"I…I didn't want to stop…the other night. I didn't want to stop at all. And…I'm not ashamed to say it. You drive me so crazy sometimes, I…I want to just…"

"What?" she breathed, glancing down at his lips.

"Kiss you," he said quickly.

Renesmee's eyes widened slightly. "You want to ki—"

She was cut off as Jacob leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She sat up straight in surprise, Jacob reaching up to cup her cheeks and hold her to him. It was short and passionate and made them break apart roughly, both of them panting as they stared at one another.

"What was that?" she asked, reaching up to touch her mouth.

"I just…I needed to do that. To let you know how I feel," he explained, fighting his jagged breaths. The feeling of her mouth on his again had given him a high like a drug addict. He needed more.

God damn, he thought as she glanced at her mouth again.

"And how do you feel?" she prodded, her chest rising and falling with her own lost breath.

"I'm sorry. I want you. I…I need you," he stuttered. He felt stupid saying it, but it was the truth.

They were a flurry of hands and arms as they collided together again. She kissed him desperately, nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth. Her hands were on either side of his face, in his hair, his neck… He growled in satisfaction as she pushed her tongue past his lips to taste him. He returned the favor, letting their aggressive kisses and battling yet flirtatious tongues do the talking they obviously could not. Gone was the unsure girl with the wounded pride from hours before; in her place and kissing him was a hungry, ravenous woman.

They broke apart, Jacob holding his wounded arm out of the way of her traveling hands. He kissed down her neck, her small moans only fueling him further.

"Jacob…." she choked, weaving her hands into his hair. Her fingers pulled at it as he sucked on the sweet skin beneath her ear. Another high pitched noise slipped out as she fought to form words. "I don't know if I would have ever forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt."

He laughed against her skin, pulling away to hold up his arm. "Are you blind?"

"Okay, killed."

"That's more like it," he replied, eagerly crashing his mouth against hers again. He couldn't get enough of her; she smelled like sugar mixed with fresh snow as he ran his hands down the sides of her body. His arm was killing him, but he couldn't bear the thought of stopping now. For the first time ever, he felt such a connection with this woman that he couldn't explain; all he could hear was her short, heavy breaths, smell her sweet scent, and all he wanted to feel under his hands was her soft, pale skin.

Nothing mattered any longer. Not that he was a cop, that James was out there, or that he was breaking code by doing this with her, nor any of the other million little reasons why they shouldn't be doing this. An ember had ignited within him when he had first met her, and now that they were together like this, it had turned into a roaring fire that couldn't be tamed.

He heard Renesmee moan again as his hands roamed over the flannel shirt she wore. His own body was screaming at him for more, but he had to be certain. They broke apart, breathless, both their faces pink and their breathing heavy.

"Yes, I want this," she panted, reading his mind.

He grinned, jumping up carefully. With his good hand, he pulled her over to the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Here?"

He nodded.

"Oh," she cheeked. "I feel like I'm in a romance novel."

He stopped, gripping her hand in his good one. "You said the sex with your old guy was just okay."

"I said it was decent," she reminded him.

He grinned, biting his lip.

"Why?"

"Just wanted to have it on record," he replied, sitting down on the rug.

She followed, sitting down beside him in front of the fire.

"Now…where did we leave off?"

"I think I was the puddle of goo, and you were the cocky bastard," she quipped.

He nodded, agreeing. "That sounds about right."

She leaned forward, resuming where they had stopped at the kitchen table. While being careful of his injured arm, he could hardly contain his excitement – bullet wound be dammed. He had Renesmee Cullen all to himself. Now it was his turn to moan as he felt her chest press against the side of his body, her hands roaming down his stomach. Her fingers worshipped every dip and curve of his stomach, making him grateful for doing all those extra sit ups. Her palms were hot against his skin as she took him all in. Figuring it was all right to explore, he moved his hand up to softly cup her breast.

No bra. Knew it, he thought with glee. Renesmee whimpered as he teased her through the flannel. Then again, I never thought flannel could be sexy. I guess this girl is full of surprises…

Renesmee kissed him with vigorous enthusiasm, making every doubtful thought float out of his mind. She wanted this as much as he did; that much was clear.

Renesmee smiled against his lips, rubbing her leg suggestively up and down his. He grinned, flashing his white teeth, before letting his mouth connect once again with hers. She squeaked in surprise as he pulled her leg with his good arm, effectively landing her on his lap. He knew she could feel his hardening arousal as it strained against his jeans.

Leaning down, she captured his mouth with hers and kissed him deeply. His hands roamed to her backside, grabbing her tightly there. She groaned appreciatively, grabbing his arm and pulling herself against his body.

Jacob hissed in surprise, wincing. "Gah, woman!"

"Sorry!" she yelped, her eyes widening. "Did I hurt you?"

"Yes…ah…" he gasped, holding his arm and wincing. "You gonna break me before you even try me out?"

His wince turned into a cocky smile, and she playfully smacked his good arm.

"Jacob Black, you're incorrigible," she laughed. She swiveled her hips in a half circle against his crotch, making them both groan.

"I don't know what that means, but I hope it means that I'm a hot, sexy beast," he practically growled as he pulled her in closer. He was addicted to her mouth and felt like he could never be away from her. In the back of his mind, he was already beginning to worry about what would happen in the morning when this was all over. He knew he shouldn't be mixing business with pleasure.

But damn the consequences. I want her, he thought. He would deal with tomorrow later.

Oh, I know I'm mean! I have to admit, I'm still putting the finishing touches on this next chapter - expect it sometime this weekend! Yay!

So glad you are all enjoying this fic! It's been a blast to write, and your reviews are lovely. They're kind, inspiring, and sometimes make me laugh out loud as I read over them at work. I'm waaay behind on answering them, but rest assured I will get to them.

Now what did you think of Nurse Nessie and Cocky Bastard Jacob?