Author's Notes:
Excuses and Gratitude
So, did you just give up and figured I'd kicked the bucket? Well, feeling the call of exotic lands, I became a stowaway on an Algerian freighter, joined the Roma in Asia Minor, fished for calamari in the Aegean Sea, and eventually ending up in Venice where I became an accomplished gondolier. Okay, although I did have time to do all that crap since my last update, I just really needed a break, went cold turkey off fan fiction for a few months, and have returned revived and refreshed. During all this time, nary a one of you threatened me with bodily harm, which is pretty amazing considering what a lazy butt I've been. I really appreciate your tolerance, support, and friendship.
Thanks to my beloved betas, the All Knowing One, mybrandofheroin, who divines each and every issue and always has the solution, and my wonderful sounding board, diamondheart, who puts up with my constant problems and questions and is always there with feedback. Special thanks to bellaissofuckinlucky, my guest beta. What a doll you are, sweet girl. Thanks so much for all of your help and input and for waiting so patiently for me to get my head out of my ass.
Special thanks to my foreign correspondents: Clover, Halo, and the ever dynamic Diana Chicka Brazilia! You three rock and are always there to get me out of whatever mess I have currently embroiled myself in! I love you.
Shameless Pimping Section
Working Man by diamondheart (oooh, this is my favorite one shot she's written. Soooo good. Do yourself a favor and take ten minutes to read this. Then tell her to hurry up and finish Bella's POV!) fanfiction(dot)net/s/6374763/1/Working_Man
Freewill and Chains by Fuiku fanfiction(dot)net/s/6300499/1
(precious story about little Bella secretly meeting her best friend, a wolf, out in the forest)
Bet on Me by Kissa621 fanfiction(dot)net/s/6410017/1 (fun, sexy story about very bad boy Jake trying to get the school cheerleader away from Edward. I love it!)
Timing is Everything by Pikapufftwilighted(dot)net/viewstory(dot)php?sid=13121
Ethnographer by Shawniejacobblack-n-pack(dot)ning(dot)com/group/theethnographer
Usual Crap
I own nothing. SM owns everything. Looking at the 468 pairs of shoes in my closet, my husband disagrees with this statement.
Chapter 12 Wolf Bait
Previously … Bella, Jake, and half the pack, (including three 15 year old bratty pack members: Mick, Randi, and Nikki), go to Milan, Italy to model for the very nasty Carmen Bianca Silva. She has a major thing for Jake and tries everything possible to seduce him. Bella and Jake are madly in love and in lust, but Bella has been warned by Leah not to tell Jake she's in love with him before he tells her first. Meanwhile, Jake wants to make sure Bella's in love with him before they have sex. (No, Jake has not imprinted.)
Each ends up at the same restaurant, Bella with a handsy date (arranged by Leah), and Jake at a business dinner with Carmen, who planned to get Jake by himself, but Jake has dragged along Quil, Embry, and Paul, seriously pissing off Carmen. She strikes back by arranging a meal that would starve a pygmy mouse for the pack members. When Jake sees Bella being felt up by her escort, he gets so angry his eyes change, and he hauls her back to their hotel room. Carmen is not pleased. Bella and Jake end up having a very heated encounter in the room and in their bed. They don't actually do the deed, but they do have the most satisfying sexual episode they've had to date.
Carmen's POV
(Please excuse Carmen's poor English here. She was most upset.)
Puta que pariu! Caralho! Que merda! Que cu! Porra! Essa foi de foder! Eu não acredito!
Goddamn it, goddamn it, godDAMN IT! Puta que pariu! Caralho! If that vadia desbundada e chorona, that bitch skinny ass, thought she getting Jacob Black away from ME—! She don't know Carmen Bianca Silva!
Que merda acabou de acontecer? What the fuck happen tonight? There could be NO WAY my Jacob go anywhere tonight without me, caralho. But minute ago, I see it. He storming out door of Trussardi's with that Bella bore he look like he going to devour. Eu simplesmente não podia acreditar! How some bárbaro who live at Indian reserves chose that plain pequena virgin when Carmen Bianca Silva want him? Why possibly could that be?
Pelo amor de Deus! Every time I think he is mine, Jacob somehow slip away. So, I manipulate him in situation he can't got out of. Then I take care that annoying little twit. Tearing her in parts is real pleasure. What fun to watch pains on her face while I rip away her happy little Jacob World. Everything set to go perfect when what happen? In walk Jacob with those three idiotas! He need chaperone to keep me away? I want I should fire his beautiful fucking ass. And Deus, his asses is so beautiful and mouthwatering sexy. Ô, lá em casa … !
My Jacob, he fascinate me. On outside, he smile. But underneath? There flashes of—I don't know how to say—selvagem, something wild. It make him such a fabuloso model; something always lurk just below his surface. That wild thing in him, it … call to me. It tell me Carmen must be the one to tame.
Seeing Bella in that maravilhoso black dress just piss me off. Where the hell she got something like that anyway? In she walk and every man in restaurant start drooling over her. Even I admit the pale little pipsqueak look, well, sedutor, alluring, goddamn it. And my Jacob—meu Senhor amado! When he look at her, Jesus, the fever seem to pour off him was unbelievable.
But there is more tonight. Something happen I have no understanding. It scare the shits out of me. When Jacob sees Bella and that Valentino imbecil together, change over come him. I see across the table from me is not entirely humanos. Jacob is absolutely aterrorizador—terrifying—and the thing sexiest I ever see in life. And he is wasted all his beauty savage on that amadora desajeitada, that clumsy amateur, Bella Swan.
Whatever, he going to be mine. But if I no can have him, no can that puny little biscate neither. Ela vai ver! I keep them apart every second. I have photo shoot 5 a.m. tomorrow. I keep both their asses moving every second they in Milano—in different direction. Pour Deus, I make their life living nightmare while they here Milano. And that putinha, that little slut that dare to take my Jacob away from me? Que Deus me ajude, I going to heap misery much on her as I find.
Embry's POV
Damn, I was going to start renting Jake out for dinner parties; he'd made me laugh until my stomach hurt. There we'd all sat listening to Carmen and the Cool Brothers smammer away in Italian for a fucking eternity in that glass torture chamber of a restaurant we'd been dragged to. I'd been so bored that I was trying to figure out how I could use my dinner forks to prop my eyelids open without anybody noticing. After all, I had five of the fuckers and it was not like I needed any of them to eat or anything. The Brazilian Battle-Ax had made sure of that.
Suddenly, Quil jolted me out of my stupor of semi-starvation by projectile snarfing his rum and coke all over Carmen and her dinner—ruining a perfectly edible quarter of a cracker she'd left on her plate. And I'd been eyeing that piece of cracker for the last thirty minutes, damn it.
The Wicked Witch of Milan never even noticed Quil's antics; everybody at the table was staring at Jake, who was twitching convulsively and making sounds like a rabid rhinoceros, while his eyes devoured something that was going on over my shoulder. Reaching across the table, Carmen tried to physically restrain him. Yeah, right. Like that was going to work.
As one, we all turned around to see what kind of confuckulation was going on behind us. There sat Bella at a table below staring at Jake as if she thought he was going to blow at any second. Next to her was some clueless fucker who had no idea he was about to get denutted in the next sixty seconds. I turned to glance at Jake and about shit my pants.
Fuck, he looked like Cujo.
His eyes had turned and I could see he was so pissed he was about to literally come out of his skin. Holy shit, dude, not here in a restaurant! If Jake wolfed out in a room full of witnesses, I had no idea what the hell we would do. Kind of difficult to act nonchalant as your buddy morphed into a 12 foot snarling mass of fur and teeth. We tried to calm him down, but he went alpha on our asses and forced us all to stay where we were.
Jake was able to pull his shit together, thank you Jesus, and shook off Carmen like she wasn't even there. (The bitch had no idea just how lucky she was that's all he did given the state he was in.) He charged over to the table where Bella and Dickless were sitting and shocked the crap out of us by joining their cozy little dinner. Immediately, we gave up on being subtle; I turned my chair so I could get a front row seat and enjoy the show. The guys and I almost busted a nut trying not to laugh as Jake reduced the poor douche bag with comments straight out of the serial murderer's handbook and then practically threw Bella over his shoulder and stormed out of the restaurant.
Fuck me. Sometimes, I really wanted to be Jake.
The aforementioned douche looked like a piece of road kill and I figured Bella was going to put a beating on Jake's ass once she got a hold of it. She might be little, but she'd had Jake by the short hairs for years, and at this point, she had them twisted right around her tiny fingers. We couldn't wait to find out what happened in Act Two of this little soap opera.
Turning around, we tried to pretend as if this kind of stuff was standard operating procedure at every dinner party we attended, while we covertly watched Carmen and the Cool Brothers' reactions. Those poor saps were clueless, but C-lady was showing an interesting mix of jealousy and fury. Overriding it all, though, I could see real fear in her eyes. She'd gotten a close up look at Jake on the verge of shifting and it had scared the piss out of her. Well, maybe now she'd back the fuck off and leave the poor guy alone. It would have served the bitch right if Jake had phased on top of her and taken out a chunk of that beautiful face she was always so concerned about. I kinda think she might have been thinking along the same lines.
Jesus, it was turning into a regular Peyton Place around here as Jake and Bella finally got down to doing the nasty. Yeah, I'd wanted Bella for years. How the hell could I help it? All Jacob ever thought about was Bella, Bella, Bella. As our alpha, he pretty much led us around by the nads in everything we did. (We were pack animals, after all.) I don't think he realized his obsession with her fueled ours. It was no wonder all the non-imprinted males had the hots for her.
Please, Christ, let them have fucked each other's brains out so we'd get some kind of relief from Jake's raging case of blue balls! Sure, I'd have liked my shot at her, but it was never going to happen. I'd known it for years. Besides, I kind of wanted to live a long and happy life—not to mention father children at some point—and that sure as fuck wasn't going to happen if I got jiggy with Bella. Jake would probably end me before we finished the deed. And even if I was dumb enough to try, it's not like she gave a shit about me anyway. She was completely addicted to Jacob. Hell, she'd been in love with him for years; she'd just been too hung up on that Cullen P.O.S. to realize it. Maybe tonight it was finally going to happen.
As soon as we were able to get away from Dragon Lady, we all beat feet back to the hotel so we could find out what was going on. Even Paul gave up his usual poon hunt in order to keep up with current events. We figured we just needed to get close so that our wolf ears and noses would tell us what was happening behind closed doors. No such luck. Seth and the Punk Pack were waiting for us by the hotel elevator. Before we could pump him for information, he lowered the boom on us.
"Forget about it. Nobody is allowed within a hundred yards of their room—or our hangout. Jake gave a serious alpha order, man," Seth informed us all. We stared at each other, stunned.
Paul immediately started to steam. He had a tough time with the whole alpha thing anyway. Hearing it second hand was going over like a pile of crap pancakes. "Bullshit. Jake didn't say a goddamned word to me. I'm going up there."
"Suit yourself, butt head. But I'm telling ya, if the hotel maid knocks on their door, Jake is probably going to gut her like a halibut. I don't even want to think about what he'd do to you, dude. He's never acted this way before, you guys." Seth took a deep breath. "I think he's going to kill me tomorrow," he confided bleakly. "He told me to keep Bella safe and I let her go out by herself. I knew he'd find out about it and, sure as shit, not even thirty minutes later, in he walks with her thrown over his shoulder and both of them ready to commit murder. He told me we'd have a nice, long talk tomorrow." Seth looked like he was going to crap a frisbee. " Fuck, man, I'm doomed."
"What the hell, Seth? Shit, no wonder he's going to kill you. You deserve it, you hoser. He trusted you to keep Bella safe and then two hours later he sees her with some prick pawing all over her. You're right, buddy—your days are numbered." Well, at least Quil was honest. Nobody ever accused him of being subtle. If anything, Seth looked closer to puking than ever.
"Somebody was pawing all over her?" he whimpered faintly.
"Jesus, you wouldn't believe it, man. I saw the whole thing and I thought the guy was going to just strip her in the middle of the fucking restaurant. Jake looked like blood was going to start shooting out of his eyeballs once he figured out it was Bella," Quil continued helpfully.
Seth slid down the wall of the hotel hallway, grasping his head and muttering something about Leah and her threats. I didn't know how Bella managed to slip by him, but I could guaran-damn-tee it wouldn't happen again. Fuck, you couldn't pay me to change places with Seth for the next 24 hours.
"Well, look at it this way," I smirked. "If he gets laid, he's probably going to throw a party in your honor." Seth gave me a nasty look. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not hanging out in this frigging hallway all night. My room is on a different floor from theirs. We can crash there. But you guys can get fucked if any of you thinks you're even putting a toe on my bed."
Mick and Randi started calling dibs on the chair and sofa—like dibs counted in a wolf pack. Paul and Quil would take care of their stupid asses. We piled into my room and everybody promptly made himself at home, sprawling out all over my stuff, and fighting over my furniture. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
The brats were forced to scrounge for chairs from the eighth floor lobby while the rest of us ordered three of everything off the room service menu. Jesus, we were so hungry we could eat four horses and a pig. Fucking Carmen and her stupid dinners. No telling how much this was going to cost. The Brazilian Bitch could kiss the darkest part of my little tan ass if she thought it was coming out of my pocket!
The food service people were plainly pleased with how much stuff we ordered, but then seemed to panic as they stumbled into the crowded room and struggled to find places to put it all. Being eyed hungrily by seven hulking giants has that effect, I've noticed. Europeans always seemed to think Americans can comfortably eat half a house at one sitting; somehow were managed to reinforce that idea wherever we went.
After squabbling over seating, food, and the crap on Italian TV (they could get bent if they thought they were charging a porn marathon to my room), we decided to stay in for the night. I think everybody was worried about losing the tiny bit of space they'd claimed around my bed if we went out, and we were pretty much beat anyway. Seth was fretfully dozing off and on. Occasionally, he'd utter Jake's name in his sleep and then sit bolt upright, searching frantically around the room, the poor boob. I heard loud snores coming from Quil's corner. His head was tilted back against the wall and his mouth was gaped open. Nikki, Randi, and Mick were shooting M&M's in it for points.
I slid Paul a sidelong look and a half wink. Time to have some fun with the kiddies.
"Hey, Paul, do you still have that lacy thing you lifted out of Bella's dresser? What's it called? A freddy?"
"A teddy, you goober. Jesus, Embry, what are you, 13? I bet you never had a woman's underwear in your hands, much less a real woman, have you?" One thing you could say about Paul—he was quick on the uptake. The guy was always ready to assist in shoving the punk pack into a swamp full of kimchee and not much gave him more pleasure than watching from the sidelines while they drowned in it.
"Lick my left one, Lassie," I replied sweetly. "You saying that after all these years of traveling with Bella that you think I haven't been through her panty drawer? Dude, I've been there, touched them, and smelled them. Fucking sweetest stuff on the face of the earth." I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. Yep, the little jizz monkeys were falling for it hook, line, and sinker. Nikki looked a little apprehensive, but Randi and Mick had swallowed the bait and were just waiting for us to reel them in. "Did you get a look at those black lace things she has? Fuck, I should have grabbed them while I had the chance."
Now, there are certain lines in life that you learn, when you are an adult male, you just do not cross. Yeah, you may want to root through a certain chick's underwear drawer, but in reality, unless you're some sort of sick twist, you don't do it. And you may actually want to steal said hot chick's panties, but unless you have a death wish, you just know better. Most importantly of all, you don't even think about the underwear your alpha's girlfriend is wearing. I'd learned from experience that was a real unhealthy occupation. And as far as touching, smelling or stealing her panties? A reflective shudder racked my body at the thought putting the kibosh on any kind of twinge my dick may have had.
Paul and I would have to make sure we just happened to mention that Jake and Bella were going to be out of their room for a few minutes so the three brainless wonders could sneak in. Looking at the excited expressions on their faces, I knew they actually thought they could get away with it. Jake was going to chop their asses into hash browns. It was hard to keep the smile off my face; Jesus, I loved fucking with those idiots. I turned over to try to get some sleep before the room was filled with snoring werewolves.
My, my, tomorrow was going to be a fun filled day.
BPOV
All around me, I could feel hot, silky skin surrounding my body. Slowly, I turned my head and inhaled. Mmmm, the most delicious scent in the world filled my brain. When I opened my eyes, I realized I was sprawled on top of Jacob's chest with my face buried in his neck. God, he smelled wonderful. I couldn't help running my nose over his throat, and closing my eyes. Would I ever get enough of him? I didn't think it was possible. He was slightly sweaty which made him smell even better. Good Lord, what was the matter with me? How could his sweat be enticing? I could hear Leah's voice in my head and I smiled.
Leah's Rules of Seduction #71 Don't ever think what a guy smells like before his shower doesn't matter. If he smells terrific to you when he's dirty, it's true love—or at least great lust. Since most guys smell like the bottom of a dirty gym bag when they're sweaty, keep your claws in Mr. Sweet Sweat no matter what you have to do.
Leah's Rules of Seduction #72 On the other hand, if a guy never smells wonderful to you, or even worse, he stinks, give it up. Even if otherwise he's perfect, it's a hopeless case and your relationship is doomed. Might as well save yourself some time and punt Stink Ass immediately.
I snickered quietly and buried my face behind Jake's sweet ears since he always had a stronger smell there that I loved. Silky black hair tickled my cheeks. I stroked it away and smiled at the face in front of me. Jake's bone structure was exotic and yet so familiar. I wanted to trace the thick lashes, dark eyebrows, high cheekbones, and beautiful, soft mouth with my fingers but I was afraid I'd wake him.
As I stared at him, gradually memories of the previous evening started trickling into my mind, quickly becoming a flood and interrupting my pleasant haze. Holy freaking cow, what on earth had happened?
My eyes snapped open as I remembered the whole restaurant fiasco and then the huge knock down drag out fight in our room. But, overriding all was our incredible encounter right here on this very bed. The sensations of us being totally aroused and virtually naked, then coming together the way we had—holy crap on Sunday!
Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. Damn it, could I possibly have dreamed the whole thing? It had happened, hadn't it? It hadn't been another one of my stupid fantasy dreams; it couldn't be, could it? No! Jake had wanted me! Not freaking Carmen or that stupid pig dog, Amy, he'd actually wanted me—hadn't he? I stared at him frantically, hoping that just by looking at him, I could figure out whether or not I was losing my mind.
He was sleeping so peacefully; he was cuddling me close to him, but that wasn't new. Jacob always loved to hold me when we slept together. I moved slightly and suddenly realized something that made a huge smile crease my face. We were both stark, staring naked. It had happened. There was no way we would be laying nude in our bed unless something pretty darned dramatic took place last night.
Thank God! Tears of relief actually filled my eyes. He'd wanted me. Jacob had wanted me as desperately as I'd wanted him last night. And we'd had each other—well, more or less. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, God! I prayed fervently. I couldn't stop the litany from going through my head or the tears spilling out of my eyes and dripping onto his neck.
Jake started to stretch and shift under me. Great, Bella. Now, not only are you sobbing down his neck like a four year old, you've awakened him from a deep sleep. Congratulations, moron! I snarled at myself.
A smile lit Jacob's face as he opened his eyes and gradually focused on mine. Instantly, worry creased his features.
"Bella, Bells, honey, what's the matter?"
I hid my stupid face in his skin and mumbled, "Nofing, Jake."
He sat up and took me firmly by the arms. "Bella, sweetheart, look at me." I ignored him as a few more tears trickled out. "Honey, you're really scaring me." Alarm was leaking into his voice. "Baby, whatever it is, we can take care of it. Now, look at me right now and tell me exactly what is going through your mind, okay?"
I stared up at him with my face red and my nose running. His beautiful eyes were filled with concern and the beginning of full-blown panic. When more tears dripped down my face, I dove into his neck, hugging him tightly. "Eyye wath dus awaid Eyye dweemed uh hoe thung," I wailed incomprehensibly into his throat.
"What sweetheart? You had a dream? You had a bad dream?" I snorted into his neck, unable to make sensible sounds. He stroked my back like I was a frightened kitten. "It's okay, Bells," he soothed. "It's okay, honey. I've got you now." He suddenly tensed and then murmured quietly, "Was it something about last night, baby? Did I cause it, Bella?"
"Uh, well, uh … ." I stuttered.
"Did you—? Bells, you can tell me about it. If I … ." He was beside himself with worry and he paused to collect himself. "Damn, honey, if what we did last night upsets you so much that it's causing you to have nightmares again, Jesus, we'll stop, okay?" He laid his head on top of mine and hugged me tight. "We'll, uh, we'll—well, I don't know just what we'll do, but we can fix this somehow."
I shook my head frantically. God, look what you're doing to him, you dolt! Spit something out or he's never going to touch you again!
"No, no! I wasn't talking about that kind of a dream, Jacob," I managed to gasp.
"Well, what kind of a dream was it, honey?" he asked coaxingly. "If it's got you this upset, I want you to tell me about it. You know we can tell each other anything, Bella, no matter what it is."
He looked like I was going to tell him I'd dreamed he'd beaten me with a board. That misunderstanding had to be cleared up immediately.
"No, no, Jake. It wasn't like that at all! I'd never dream you'd hurt me. Don't even think something like that."
He looked only slightly less worried. I was going to have to spill the beans. God, how embarrassing. Could I actually just blurt out that I'd been having sex dreams about him for months? He stared at me with such concern that I had to tell him something. And he'd know in a heartbeat if I were lying to him.
"Uh, well, um, I've been having some dreams about you recently," I started faintly as color bloomed in my cheeks.
"Are they bad dreams, Bells?" he asked quietly as if he was trying to keep me from freaking out.
"Umm, er, no, uh, well, actually, they've been really good dreams, and uh … ." I avoided his eyes since I just couldn't seem to get the words "erotic dreams" out of my mouth. My face felt like it was the temperature of a five-alarm fire.
After a second, I could feel him slowly beginning to relax and we both sank back down on the bed. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at me as warmth poured from his eyes. Then, smiling gently, he stroked my hair away from my face.
"Are you talking about the sex dreams, sweetheart?" My blush intensified, if possible. He grinned at my embarrassment, then dipped his head and whispered against my ear, "Don't worry about it, honey. I dream about you almost every night. And they're the best dreams in the world."
"You mean, you know?" Hell on toast! I was so flustered that I didn't even want to think about how he—
He rubbed his nose into my neck and inhaled. "Wolfy senses, Bells. I can smell just about everything your body does." Ho-ly crap! My hands flew over my face in total mortification. God, weren't there any secrets when you lived with a werewolf? "Honey, there's no reason to be embarrassed. As long as you're enjoying yourself, I love that you have wet dreams about me." His warm voice seemed to stroke my body. I stared at him, mesmerized, trying to keep my eyes from glazing over.
"But why were you crying, sweetheart? Did something bad happen in your dream? Why were you so upset?"
Shoot, how was I going to get around this? I wasn't. Just blurt it out, you dork. "I didn't have a bad dream, Jacob. It's just that I've been dreaming so much recently that I was worried I'd fantasized everything that happened last night. And when I finally realized that it really did happen, I was just so relieved!"
His face relaxed and he lay back onto the pillows; his arms went around me as he stroked my back and rubbed his forehead against mine. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me, Bells. I really thought you were crying over spilled—uh, you know."
"I'm sorry," I sniffled. "It was just so wonderful and I love—loved it so much," I stumbled and felt him tense. Crap, I'd just about blown it again. "I'm just so happy, Jacob," I blubbered.
"Well, you could have fooled me, honey. Damn, Bella, the worst thing a guy can wake up to the morning after is finding his girl in tears."
I finally sank back into Jacob's embrace and mumbled reassuringly. God, get your act together and quit freaking him out, you complete and total idiot! Do you think he's ever going to go any further with you if you keep this up? I shouted at myself. Instantly, another of Leah's rules floated into my brain.
Rule #45 If you find you're thinking about the laundry or some shit other than sex during an intimate moment, just close your eyes and concentrate on your guy.
God, it was so simple, yet it worked like a charm. I thought about how much I loved nibbling on his ears and how it drove him crazy. Instantly, all the stupidity I'd been fretting over disappeared and my entire focus became Jacob. My hand drifted down to his chest while I began to lick that enticing ear delicately. I sighed with total satisfaction. Mmmm, if I could only have this for breakfast every day, I mused as moisture gathered between my legs.
Jacob's breath started to hitch and I could see the pulse in his neck moving faster. "Ummm, Bella … ," he inhaled raggedly. My body casually brushed against the velvety skin of his penis and I realized he was already getting hard. God, he was enormous. Leah's anatomy lessons and props certainly hadn't prepared me for anything like Jacob, Lord help me. I was a little unsure how this all was going to work out, but I was certainly ready to get educated—and no time like the present, I thought.
I turned so one of my legs rubbed against his growing erection and I stared into his face. The soft, dark eyes were meltingly hot and I could feel the growl in his chest coming from underneath me. I hesitated for a second, and then smiled and leaned down as Leah's voice again invaded my thoughts.
Rule #83 Nothing is less romantic than racing to the bathroom before you kiss your guy. While morning breath is fatal, two cases of morning breath automatically cancel each other out. Unless you ate anchovies the night before and he didn't, the two of you don't have to leap for your toothbrush first thing in the morning if something comes up.
I sincerely hoped Leah hadn't led me up the garden path on this one. How did that saying go? Faint heart never won the fair maid? Or dark werewolf, I thought as I inhaled and then dipped my tongue into Jake's mouth.
God, he tasted sweet. How was that even possible? I wondered as I merged my tongue with his. I closed my eyes and just reveled in the sensation of his soft lips under mine, while his mouth opened for my exploration.
We both groaned and deepened the kiss. My hands slid up his chest while his moved into my hair, holding me to him as our mouths' melded. I licked and nipped at him like he was my favorite creamy ice cream. Holy Toledo! I really couldn't help myself; when had I become so totally addicted to him?
The rumbling in his chest grew louder; one huge hand reached down to grasp my bottom and pull me firmly on top of his length while he ground against me.
"Holy shit, Bella," he gasped. "Damn, honey, you feel so fucking good." God, that deep, growling voice of his was the sexiest thing I'd ever heard. I felt liquid flow between my legs as I cradled his swollen tip and rocked onto it gently. He groaned, hugged me to him, and instantly flipped our positions, caging me under his body; his hardened flesh pressed into me gently. Somehow, the pounding rhythm of my pulse was matched by the subtle thrusting rhythm he was generating. My eyes closed as my fingers slid down his back, inching towards the smooth muscles of his behind. I moaned and started nibbling up one side of his neck. The skin was both salty and sweet. I needed more of it. My tongue traced the thick cords and muscles that ended at the delicious curve of his ear. He shivered as I dipped into that sweet spot.
Leah's Rules for Seduction #17Nothing is worse than screeching in your man's ear, but not much is sexier than subtly purring, softly groaning, or the ever effective catching your breath "in surprise" at how turned on you are.
As he continued to rock into me gently, I let my voice quietly catch on my words. "J-Jake, Jake, honey. Oh—oh God, Jacob," I whispered so softly into his ear that someone standing next to us would have never heard it. The intimacy of talking to him so quietly, so secretively, made me feel like we were in a cocoon totally separate from the rest of the world.
Suddenly, the jarring ring of the hotel phone pierced the air and instantly we were jerked from the warm world we'd been basking in. Jake stiffened up immediately.
"Don't pay it any attention, sweetheart," I murmured into his neck and tried to continue with that hypnotizing movement. "Let's not let anybody intrude." I was desperate to keep real life from trespassing on what was happening in our bed. But it was too late. Jake was rolling off of me while the phone continued its endless, harsh screeching. I was going to murder who ever was on the other end. Evidently, Jacob felt the same.
"Somebody better be fucking dead," he snarled into the receiver. I couldn't make out the low voice of the caller. A few non-responsive grunts later, the phone was slammed down in its cradle.
"Carmen's scheduled a shoot at the Duomo at eight-fucking-o'clock this morning and it's mandatory we both attend. Embry said he thinks she's been beating on the door of the cathedral since 4 a.m. trying to set this up for first thing in the morning so she could make sure we're not spending the morning in bed together. Luckily, the priests wouldn't answer until a few minutes ago or she'd have had our asses there at dawn. Nothing like a thoughtful boss, is there?"
"The Duomo? Heck, you can't take a picture in an Italian church, Jake. What is she trying to do?"
"Well, I imagine we're going to be on the roof all day, honey. Unless she plans to have me sacrificed on the altar or something."
"Uh, I think that's more likely to be my role, don't you?" I giggled.
"Just stay away from the edge of the roof when she's around, Bells. No telling what she's got in mind."
I glanced at the alarm clock in the room and panicked.
"Holy crap, Jacob! We're supposed to be there at 8 a.m.? We've got little more than an hour to get everything together! I get dibs on the shower!" I raced into the bathroom in a frenzy. As I stopped to throw my hair in a clip, I got a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. The black eyeliner and shadow that had been so sexy the night before was now smeared under my eyes or in blurry lines where tears had partially washed it down my cheeks. I looked like a heroin addict on a bender. Torn between laughter and horror, I dove into the hot water of the shower. Maybe it was best we had been interrupted. Jake would have started screaming once he got a good look at my face.
While I flailed frantically about trying to get presentable, Jake smoothly moved through the motions, looking delectable whatever he did. Occasionally, he'd swoop me up into a bear hug and nibble at my neck. There was something different about his expression. It took me a while to figure it out but it finally dawned on me; Jake was happy. Not only that, he was more relaxed than I'd seen him in—gosh, had I ever seen him that relaxed? I took great satisfaction in the fact that I was responsible for his mood. Take that and shove it where the sun don't shine, Carmen! I thought gleefully.
I had to admit that I was just as content. All of the tension and jealousy of the previous day felt like it had been lanced open and drained out. I couldn't keep the dopey smile off my face.
"Wanna have some fun with the guys?" Jake grinned at me. I was putting on the last little bit of makeup and raised a brow at him.
"You know they're dying to find out if we killed each other," he went on. "Why don't we tie your arm up into a sling with a pillowcase and see what they do. We could act as if we're still really pissed and move like we beat the crap out of each other."
I smiled and rolled my eyes at him. "You are a sick puppy, Jacob. Do we really have time to goof off?"
"Come on, Bells," he cajoled. "They'll shit in their pants. I can't wait to see what they do."
For all of Jake's amazing maturity, occasionally he still acted like a seven year old. I sighed and grinned. Any time he batted those long lashes of his and gave me that darling little boy look out of his beautiful dark eyes, I was a dead duck. Did he have any idea how tightly I was wrapped around his little finger? We'd texted the pack we would meet them in the lobby and we crept down, making sure we weren't seen in the hallway. Jake adjusted my "sling" in the elevator and I had to admit it did look pretty convincing. Staring in the mirrored wall panels, we poked fun at each other's angry expressions that we were practicing and tried moving like we'd been run over by a truck.
We peeked around the door of the elevator when it opened and saw the pack assembled on sofas in the lobby just a few feet away. Jake stalked out of the elevator first and had an expression like a thundercloud on his face.
"Hurry it up, for Christ's sake!" he snarled at me. I hobbled out pitifully, trying to stare at him with all the disdain I could muster. It wasn't much but it must have been effective since I heard a collective gasp from the pack. Jake reached out and pulled on my "broken" arm and I gave a cry that I'd rehearsed moments earlier.
To my never-ending shock, Paul Young was instantly in Jacob's face.
"What the fuck did you do, you piece of shit?" he hissed at Jake. The other pack members swarmed around us as Leah instantly inserted herself between Jacob and me.
"You gonna do something about it, Young?" Jacob sneered as Paul tried and failed to chest bump him back.
"If you so much as laid a finger on her … !" Paul started. I heard low growls coming from the other guys. It was the sweetest damned thing I'd ever heard.
"Well, you tell them Bella. Did I lay a finger on you?" His eyes were sparkling with laughter.
I pulled off the sling and dove into his side. "Mmmm, I'll say you did," I laughed and reached up to kiss his neck. The guys stared at us in shocked confusion.
Jake grinned and grabbed all of them he could and squished us into a group hug. "Thanks, guys. Thanks for having Bella's back and for putting up with my grumpy ass these past few weeks. I know I've been a real prick recently." He knocked against Paul's stunned shoulder. "Thanks, man. I can't believe you fell for it, but thanks for standing up for her." A slow grin was splitting Paul's face.
"Jesus, man, I thought you'd really hurt her and I was finally going to get to kick your ass."
oooOOOooo
Six hours later, everyone was ready to murder Carmen Bianca Silva. As Jacob had guessed, we were marched up to the rooftop of the church for an all day torture session. The weather was terrible. A thick, misting fog obscured the rest of the city and created an eerie world made up of the strange gothic spires, bizarre statues, and weird gargoyles that crowded the roof of the Duomo. I knew the photos being shot would be amazing.
Carmen must have imagined being outside all day in early March would be miserable for everybody, but, of course, the pack members were actually comfortable for once. I was freezing, but it gave me an excuse to seek out Jacob. He was like having my own portable heater. As hard as we tried to put on a professional demeanor and keep our hands to ourselves while we worked, it was obvious we almost glowed when we were together.
On the other hand, Carmen Bianca's mood resembled that of a sexually frustrated piranha. She snarled and snapped at everyone and I seemed to be her favorite target. Jacob kept a watchful eye on her and subtly insinuated his body between the two of us whenever she got anywhere close as if he thought she really would try to chuck me off the roof should the opportunity presented itself. We'd laughed about it earlier, but after receiving a few of her hate filled glares, I decided we'd been wrong. Actually, she wanted to set me on fire before she shoved me off the building and I was thankful Jake was sticking close by.
As soon as Carmen's attention was otherwise occupied, Leah pulled me aside away from sensitive wolf ears.
"So, spill. I want to hear a blow by blow, so to speak." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Shaking my head at her hopeful expression, I didn't know whether to hug her or hit her. "First off, that dress you talked me into wearing almost got me into serious trouble and Valentino killed," I started in on her. "I swear, Leah, as soon as I took off my coat, Val acted like a fat kid in a candy store. He wanted one of everything—well, two of some goodies. I should never have worn that outfit."
"What are you talking about? Girl, you looked like a slice of sin in skin last night."
"Well, maybe that's not the best image to project during a business dinner, Leah. Jake said it looked like some kind of bondage ensemble or something. He was really ticked off."
"Who gives a shit what Jake thinks?" she tossed back immediately. "You weren't wearing it for him—you were wearing to make a statement at Trussardi's."
"Evidently, I made quite the statement, Leah. All kidding aside, once Val got a look at that dress, I had a hard time keeping him in check. He acted like a total ass, which wouldn't have been quite so bad if Jacob hadn't been watching the entire performance and almost wolfed out in the middle of the restaurant."
"No! You're kidding! Jacob was at Trussardi's too?" There seemed to be a real lack of convincing surprise in Leah's voice and I stared at her with narrowed eyes. It suddenly dawned on me what an amazing coincidence it had been that Valentino and I just happened to be sitting at the feet of Jacob's dinner table the previous evening. Why that little, conniving … !
"Leah Clearwater, don't you dare tell me you set up the entire incident last night!"
"Okay, I won't tell you a thing," the no good traitor smirked at me. I was going to ring her neck.
"Leah, how could you!" I cried, horrified. "I seriously thought Jacob was going to kill somebody last night—either Valentino or me! Why would you make me look so bad?"
"Look bad?" she snapped. "Are you for real? The way you looked, you had every guy in Trussardi's with his tongue hanging out on the table—especially Jake's. Would it have been better if he had been drooling all over her? If I hadn't intervened, there's no telling what the Brazilian Bitch would have tried to pull off and you know it," she whispered fiercely, while she glanced over at Carmen. "That woman has no scruples, Bella, believe me. She had Jake's entire evening plotted out and then you came prancing in with Butt Nugget and her whole night just got shot to shit." She cracked an evil smile. "Did you see the look on her face when Jacob came storming over to your table? I thought she was going to spontaneously combust."
"No, I was too busy staring at Jake and praying he didn't spontaneously combust at that exact moment." I shuddered recalling what happened. Finally, it dawned on me what she'd just admitted. "Wait a minute! Are you saying you were there in the restaurant watching the whole time?"
"Well, damn, of course. You don't think I was going to let Jacob turn Val into wolf kibble, do you? I'm not completely heartless, Bella, since I more or less orchestrated the situation to begin with." She saw my dumbstruck expression and continued on. "Okay, more than less, I admit it. But when that ignorant son of a bitch started groping you right in the middle of the restaurant, I almost decided to let the chips fall where they may. I thought Jake was going to flay Val, make his skin into a roll of toilet paper, and use it before the evening was through."
"Eww, Leah!"
"Well, Jesus, did you get a good look at the expression on Jake's face? He scared the shit out of me! By the way, what the fuck was up with his eyes, Bella? Christ Almighty!"
"Yes, Leah, I saw them up close and personally. If he had eaten Val, it would have been all your fault, you know."
"Risk/reward, baby. Sometimes you have to roll the dice in life. Seems like it worked out pretty well since you two can't keep your hands off each other," she smirked knowingly.
My face colored up. "Ummm, yes, well, it could have all gone south in a hurry."
"Uh huh, right. I'll bet my right arm you two spent the night having hot, delicious Angry Sex or I don't know jack squat about men and women." Of course, my cheeks were blazing at this point. "Details, I want details, Bella."
"Forget it. You mind your own beeswax, girlfriend. If I need your input, I'll ask." I was not going into details about what happened in our bedroom.
"It is my beeswax, B. Who's been leading you by the hand through all this shit? You would still be dressing like Mother Theresa in Chucks and a hoodie if it weren't for me!"
"You're right, Leah, and I can never thank you enough for all of the torture you've put me through. It's been worth it, every second, and I owe everything to you. But I don't want Jake sharing intimate details about last night with the guys. How can I do the same?"
"It's easy. Just start talking and let it all pour out. They'll never know a thing."
"I'll know. Not happening, sweetie. Just be content to learn that due to all your sneakiness, I had one of the worst but also one of the best nights of my life. You are a real piece of work. I love you, but darn it, Leah."
"Well, based on the kiss he gave you when he got over to your table last night, I can only imagine what happened behind closed doors. Damn, that was hot enough to singe a girl's hair!" She looked at me leadingly like I was going to pick up where she left off. Finally figuring out that wasn't going to happen, she continued, "Okay, party pooper, I get it. Even though you're being very mean to me, do you want to hear what happened after you left Trussardi's?"
"Are you kidding? Tell me everything!" I couldn't wait to hear what took place between Carmen, Leah, Val and the rest of the pack.
"When Jake did his caveman act and hauled you out of the restaurant, Carmen's face was a sight to behold. For once, the fucking bitch didn't look like she had the world in her claws. You wouldn't believe the expression of sheer envy when she looked at you, Bella. And when she looked at Jacob, well, she wasn't only defeated, girl, she looked scared shitless." Leah cackled with malicious glee. "So, just as I was sitting there giving myself a well-deserved pat on the back, my phone goes off and guess who was calling?"
"Who?" I had no idea.
"My favorite Italian patsy." I had to giggle at Leah's expression. "So I'm thinking, 'Fuck me, what next?' I answered and this stream of frantic and probably profane Italian started pouring out of my cell phone as Val absolutely let loose on me. I swear to God, Bella, he was in a complete frenzy." I couldn't stop laughing at her. "Shit, you don't know the worst of it because my evening was about to go straight downhill. Do you know where I spent the next six hours?"
I shook my head, clueless.
"The fucking emergency room at Milan General Hospital, that's where." She looked utterly disgusted. "Val was sure Jake pulverized his shoulder and he was squalling like a scalded cow. Well, Jake did crunch it pretty good. By the time we finally crawled out of there at 4 fucking a.m., he looked the same way you did when you got off the elevator this morning, sling and all, the pansy. Serves the little twat right for pawing all over you."
I tried not to laugh but it was hopeless. Poor Leah. What a night she'd had—spending it and most of the morning with a hysterical model in an Italian Emergency Room. Comparing our evenings, I wouldn't have traded with her for all the money in Milan.
JPOV
I was fucking exhausted. The Brazilian Bitch had been in fine form all day long. As soon as she walked in the door, she looked ready for mass murder and she proceeded to run our asses into the ground for twelve straight meal free hours. Poor Bella and Leah still weren't finished and had stopped off at the office to wrap up a few last minute issues while everybody else had come back to the hotel a little earlier. The C-monster had just released me from indenture and I was finally going to be able to crash in our rooms. I was thinking of that wonderful spa Bella had been in the other day. Maybe I could talk her into a few minutes of rest and relaxation in there tonight.
As I walked into our suite, I noticed Embry and Paul were the only two pack members around. They were sprawled out comfortably watching a horror movie. Nobody else was in sight, but I immediately heard something moving around in our bedroom. What the fuck? It was understood that our space was not to be disturbed. Inhaling, I knew instantly who was rooting around in the privacy of our sleeping quarters and my ears latched onto their sniggering conversation. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what the little shitwits were up to. Silently turning the doorknob to our room, I stared at Nutless, Dickless and Clueless standing next to a Bella's dresser.
If I had a sense of humor about Bella, maybe I would have laughed at the scene in the room. Unfortunately for them, little about other guys playing with Bella's underwear was funny to me. I watched soundlessly as they dug their fucking paws into the drawer that held all Bella's beautiful silk lingerie. Mick had a pair of her panties pulled over his head and had latched himself like a tick to some sort of sexy one-piece thing that I'd never seen before. Ricki had lacy bras sticking out of his pockets and had the matching panties glued to his nose. Nikki stood to the side, just touching the silk of a delicate camisole.
I cleared my throat gently. As one, the three slowly turned around and stared at me. Color leached from their faces and I could hear their racing heartbeats from where I stood. I smiled at them coldly. "Boys, it seems we need some lessons in basic manners and boundaries, don't we?" After a few shocked seconds, they nodded numbly, their eyes huge. "First, I want you to get your filthy dickbeaters off Bella's clothes and I don't want you to even think about them again, you got me?"
Silky underwear fell like giant, colored snowflakes around their feet. Nikki pulled Mick's panty hat off his head and dropped it like it singed his fingers.
"Now, you three idiots go find Seth and tell him to join you downstairs." My voice was very calm and controlled, gentle even. The little fuckwads' faces turned the color of cold grease as I continued my instructions—they knew what was coming their way. "Order a car big enough for all five of us and let the driver know we're going waaaaaay out into the country. He's going to drop us off there and then it's going to be quite a while until we're going to need him again. You might want to bring along the first aid kit and a few towels so nobody messes up the upholstery on the way back. Everybody understand?"
The three of them looked horrified. Yep, they understood perfectly. I was going to kick all three of their asses from here to Austria. Seth was going to get his, too. I loved him like the little brother I didn't have, but I had to be able to trust him with Bella. Nothing was more important to me than her safety. Fuck, it was going to be a long night.
A few hours later, we returned and I was worn out, yet felt amazingly refreshed. Couldn't really say the same for the rest of our little group. Randi and Mick, in particular, were having real problems getting comfortable. Seth had felt so guilty that I'd had a hard time beating him to a pulp. As soon as we phased, I saw how Leah had blackmailed him. Unfortunately, it didn't make things better. Seth had to be strong enough to stand up to anything, even his bitch of an older sister. I had to be able to depend on him and I was pretty sure I got the message across.
It was hard to come down too hard on Nikki as well. Poor sap generally got dragged into whatever stupidity Mick and Randi dreamed up. He knew better, though. One of these days, he was going to have to grow the cajones to tell Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb to get bent.
Randi and Mick were a whole different story, though. Kicking their butts had been a real pleasure from the moment we phased. The little pricks had actually tried to run away from me, which only added to my fun. I hoped their cuts and bruises healed by tomorrow night since most of their bodies were going to be on display. But, if not, too fucking bad; at least they'd learned their lesson. It would be a cold day in hell before any of them even thought about Bella's underwear again.
Jesus Christ, I loved all three of them, but I couldn't wait until they got on a plane back to the States. I was sick of being the Alpha Mama. Time their own mothers' got to keep their dumb asses out of trouble for a while instead of me.
When we pulled up to the hotel, they staggered out of the limo and started to limp up to our suite. I let them all know they were spending the night in their own rooms since I didn't want to see another male face for the remainder of the evening. I called Embry and cleared all of the guys out of pack headquarters and I waited impatiently in the elevator to get up to Bella. She was in her bathrobe putting up her hair when I came into our room. A huge smile split her face and, in a second, she'd launched herself into my arms.
"I didn't think you were ever coming back, sweetheart," she murmured.
"God, I love it when you call me that." I nuzzled her neck and groaned into her hair. "Jesus, it feels like it's been weeks since I held you, Bells." I couldn't help myself. It physically hurt not to be around her. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I could feel the silk from her panties rubbing against me as I walked us to the main door and locked it. "We've got a little bit of privacy tonight, honey. I kicked all of the kids out. How about we check out that Roman spa again?"
As I headed in that direction, she sighed into my ear. "Sounds wonderful. I'm so tired and sore. How about you?"
"You don't know, sweetheart. I can't wait." I hit the switch for the low light in the arches and turned on the lights in the pool. She slid down my legs and walked to the edge of the spa. Then, fumbling at the tie at her waist, she glanced back over her shoulder at me as her robe slowly slid down her body. I stood stock still, staring at the beauty in front of my eyes. Her hair was piled on top of her head and her beautiful naked back looked like something from an artist's dream as the light from the rippling water reflected on her skin. Fuck me running and steal my shoes.
Kneeling down with her sweet little ass propped in the air, she turned on the jets and then swung her legs into the churning water. She glanced back at me again and raised an eyebrow. "Coming, Jake?"
She didn't have any idea how close I was to coming. As she slid into the water, I quickly stripped and plunged in after her, my dick already getting hard. I sat down on the ledge inside the pool and drew her onto my lap. Her legs wrapped around me and I throbbed as I felt the wet silk she was wearing glide over my groin.
She started to slip her fingers around my neck and then her attention was drawn to my arms and chest.
"Jake, what is this?" Her voice sounded stricken as she gently traced the welts and bruises that littered my skin. Leaning down, she carefully kissed the fading marks.
Jesus, she was so sweet. If only I could come home to this every night. Once more, my brain started shifting through plots to get her to move in with me when we got back home.
"What happened, Jacob?" My tired brain snapped back to the present and I stared into her worried eyes.
"It's nothing, sweetheart. Some of the boys and I went out for a little run. We needed to let off some steam and started roughhousing. Boys will be boys, you know." I smiled down at her.
She bit her lip and ran her hands down my arms and back, searching for lumps and bumps, sharply inhaling when she discovered each one.
"It's healing up, Bells, don't fret. You should see the other guys." Leaning down, I kissed the tip of her nose. I hated to be fussed and pawed over, but when Bella worried over me, it just seemed so right.
"I don't like seeing any marks on you, honey," she said softly. I looked into her concerned eyes and felt myself melt. As I started to brush off her worries as silly, she shushed me with her fingers.
"Jacob, how would you feel if it were me all scratched and beaten up?" she asked. Well, fuck, I'd be a basket case if Bella were harmed in any way. Just the thought of her hurt or her flawless skin being marked literally made me sick. I could feel the blood drain from my face.
She could tell she'd made her point. "You start taking care of yourself," she scolded me gently. "And you don't want me getting a hold of anybody who did this to you." I could just imagine my little girl ripping into Seth and the brat pack for daring to hurt their alpha. Poor kids. I'd just kicked the crap out of them and now my girlfriend was going to take out after their asses for daring to put a mark on me. I had to chuckle.
"Okay, honey, I'll be more careful, I swear. Just promise me you're not going to beat up the rest of the pack, all right? I need them in one piece." She giggled and then solemnly agreed.
The churning waters seemed to lift me up a little and Bella lost her balance. She fell in my cradling arms and crashed onto my chest. That seemed to delight her and she laughed softly as the warm water splashed onto her face. She leaned forward and started nibbling gently on my chest, her wet tongue dragging over my skin and, every so often, I got a tiny nip from her sharp little teeth. Jesus, it felt wonderful. Her nipples formed hard peaks that slid against my skin as she explored me. I could feel them drawing delicate lines on me as she moved. My hands slid slowly down that flawless back and wrapped around the firm cheeks of her ass. I loved the way they fit perfectly in my palms like they were made just for me. At this point, I was pretty convinced they had been.
Her mouth moved to one of my nipples and she tongued it longingly. I never knew what a fucking turn on it was to have my nipple suckled and licked, I thought that was something that only happened with girls. Blood poured to my groin and I felt my cock get harder. She was making some sort of soft sounds against my skin. Fuck, was she purring? Jesus Christ, what next? She had me so turned on I couldn't think straight.
"Bells, Bella, honey, God, baby," I groaned. She raised her face and looked at mine hungrily.
"I want you, Jake. Right now."
Shit. I was in deep water already. This didn't need to go any further or things were going to get totally out of control in seconds. I reached down and gave her a soft kiss. "Sweetheart, let's not do this tonight. We're both exhausted and we've got another day from hell tomorrow. It needs to be a special night, okay?" I stared into her beautiful eyes as they clouded with disappointment.
"Seems like a special night to me," she groused. Climbing off of me, she stalked out of the spa and grabbed her robe. "I don't know when it's going to be good enough for you, Jacob. I'm more than ready."
So was I in every way. Shit! But I was too tired to get into a sex battle with Bella. Once we started, I didn't have the strength of will not to just go with the flow regardless of what happened. My determination to make sure she was in love with me before we had sex would go right down the spa drain.
God, why couldn't she just say the damned words? They were common, ordinary words she said a million times every day. She just had to string them together in the right order and say them to the right person. I'M—IN—LOVE—WITH—YOU. That was it—that was all she had to say to me and I'd keep her in bed for a month. And Jesus, sometimes it felt so close. Just this morning she'd talked about how much she'd enjoyed all the things we'd done to each other, how we'd gotten each other off. "It was just so wonderful and I love—loved it so much," she'd said. My heart skipped a beat for a second only to fall flat again. So damned close! "I'm just so happy, Jacob," she'd cried. Well, not any more. Now she was good and pissed. Fuckitfuckitfuckitfuckit! How come doing the right thing for the right reason was so goddamned difficult?
BPOV
The next day was another I'd pay money to forget. I admit it, I was still pouting when Jake and I got up. He'd been right, damn it. The first time we made love, we shouldn't be about to fall over with exhaustion. But still, he could have at least acted as if it was difficult for him to stop and let me put the brakes on. Of course, there was no way I would have halted a thing. The fact that he realized it was more than a little embarrassing and very aggravating.
As we got ready that morning, he tried to joke and laugh with me, but it was clear I was not in the mood. I was trying hard to be mature and not sulk and snap, but it wasn't easy. Finally, he turned my chair away from the mirror I'd been fixedly staring into and got on his knees so our faces were level.
Looking in my eyes, he asked me quietly, "Are you mad at me, Bells?"
Hell, yeah, I was mad at him! But when I gazed into those warm, sincere eyes, I saw how worried he was and my anger started melting.
"I'm sorry, honey. I just didn't want us to do something so important at the wrong time," he explained. "Please don't stay pissed at me." One look and he knew I was buckling; immediately, the little rat pushed his advantage. His lower lip poked out into my favorite pout and his eyes started to twinkle as he peeked at me from under his lids. All I could think about was a picture I'd wangled away from Billy of two-year-old Jake wearing the same exact expression on his face while clutching his bedraggled stuffed bunny, Petey.
I knew what was coming next, darn it. He had the whole sequence down to an art form. "Don't you dare bat your damn eyelashes at me, Jacob Ephraim Black!" I warned. Too late. He stared up at me and his lids fluttered as if he was trying to keep tears out of those gorgeous eyes. This technique had worked for him for years and today was no different. Any time he got in trouble, he went into his lethal "pouting little boy routine" and flapped those thick lashes of his, knowing it would make me laugh. What he didn't know was that it also melted my heart into a big, sticky pile of goo. How someone that appeared to be so fierce to the rest of the world could actually be so blasted adorable was beyond me. Now, what the heck had I been so mad about?
As soon as Jacob had charmed me out of my snit, I had the pleasure of facing Carmen Bianca for the day. She was nearly impossible to work with; foul tempered and demanding to everyone, she treated me as if I was something she'd discovered in the back of her refrigerator after six months. At least it was a short day. Carmen was preoccupied and wanted to get out of the studio as badly as we wanted her gone. Tonight was Carmen's event of the season—her masquerade party.
Once a year, Carmen Bianca Silva indulged herself and had the entire modeling industry at her doorstep. It was an opportunity for all the fashionistas to put themselves forward and we were excited that, for the first time, we were able to attend. Of course, Carmen never did anything simply and tonight's party was no exception. All who got in the door had to be in historical costume—no exceptions—and everybody who attended wanted to outdo everyone else. Money, lots and lots of money, was on the line. Each model, agent, or designer there dreamed of causing a stir and becoming the night's sensation. And we were determined it was going to be us.
Story Notes:
Special Gift for all Reviewers! Since I've been such an incredible slack ass, I've written a 3,600 word one shot that I will send to anyone leaving a review. It takes place a few years after HTSAW ends, so we don't have the … um … communication issues Bella and Jake are experiencing now. The entire one shot is not available or published anywhere and will not be at least until Chapter 13 is posted. (Btw, I've finished Chapter 13 and have sent it off to the betas.) The one shot is pretty descriptive. I've been informed it deserves a Have Your Significant Other Available Alert. Er, we are all 17 or older reading this, aren't we? If I screw up and you don't get it, write me at leelator(at)bellsouth(dot)net and I'll send it to you. Please remember to include your pen name.
If you guys like the one shot idea, let me know. If not, I'll just do the sneak peeks. They're a lot less work but a lot less fun.
So what next? ? Any thoughts about what they will wear to Carmen's masquerade party? (I'll have to send you an extra sercy if you get it right.) As frustrating as it is, do you understand why Jacob is holding off having sex with Bella? Did you mind or enjoy Embry and Carmen's POV? By far the hardest part of the chapter was writing Carmen's meltdown. Gave me a splitting headache to write poor Portueglish. Do you think the Big C is going to continue to cause problems?
If you'd like to guest beta Chapter 13, tell me why. I'll pick somebody to do it if there are any volunteers.
Roofline of the Duomo in mist (where the pack had their photo shoot) i980(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/as283/leelator/duomoofMilan(dot)jpg
Since this chapter was basically about nothing, I came up with the title. See what happens if I end up doing it?
Wolf Bait [woolf beyt] —noun 1. A load of feces —Synonyms 1. poop
Common Usage: Dude! There are three beautiful women in our house and you're in here dropping wolf bait?
Entry by Corey F. IA, USA, Oct 08 2004 The Online Slang Dictionary
Would the foreign readers like an explanation of some of the terms Jake and the pack say? As Spock says, "Your language is currently laced with, shall I say, more colorful metaphors." I really don't know how the hell you all understand much of the slang that they use. Do y'all know what a jizz monkey is? Just wonderin'.
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