A/N: My beta, TwilightMundi, is the best. And so is my pre-reader, afeistyginger. I'm pretty much the luckiest girl ever, 'cause on top of those two ladies, I have you fucking awesome readers.
All copyright and trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. The remaining content is all mine. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.
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Thankfully, he saw things my way and agreed. We talked as he packed, and the mood lightened considerably when he realized he was going on vacation. Then he confessed he hadn't been on a bona fide away-from-work vacation in several years. I was surprised, but even more determined to make our time together amazing.
EPOV
My alarm was set for far too early, and I took the world's fastest shower, then put my luggage in my car and drove to Jasper's.
When he answered the door, his hands circled my waist and he ran his nose up and down my neck, just beneath my ear. "Ready for vacation?"
"Yeah," I breathed.
I was really, really ready for vacation.
"Me too." Jasper gave me one small kiss, then grabbed his bag and closed the door behind him, locking it. "Come on, let's get going. You've never seen Travel Bella."
He shuddered and shook his head.
"That bad?" I asked.
"Worse," he said. "Come on, no time for funny stuff. If we're late, she'd probably leave without us."
I whimper-whined, but listened. I'd experienced enough of Bella that I could vividly imagine just how structured even her vacation time could be.
After the obligatory coffee stop, we headed to the airport and were on our way. Sitting next to Jasper during the flight was torture; we could barely keep our hands off each other when anyone walked by.
"Fucking tease," I whispered when his hand slid under the blanket to run along the seam of my pants.
His answering grin just showed me exactly how relaxed he was, and how Vacation Jasper was nothing like Travel Bella. Thank God.
I knew Alice had booked a suite for herself and Bella, and while I had just booked a regular room for us, I was pleased that our rooms were several floors apart. The thought of over-hearing my sister and boss getting dirty made me physically ill. I was pretty sure they felt the same about Jasper and me.
Once we were all checked in, Jasper practically dragged me to our room, the girls off to play in the casino. I was grateful. There was no possible way I could spend the day around people and be able to hide my near-constant erection, thanks to Jasper's teasing.
When he slid the keycard through the lock and we entered the room, I realized they'd made a mistake and given us a suite.
"What the … ?" Jasper said.
"I didn't do it, I swear."
I dialed the front desk, spotting a bottle of champagne chilling in the corner. After I explained the situation to the lady that answered, I listened patiently as she tapped away at her keyboard. I really just wanted to get Jasper naked and fuck; this inconvenience was starting to annoy me.
"No, Mister Cullen," she said. "It looks like you have the right room. We called and confirmed the reservation as well as the special request a few days ago with your wife, Alice?"
The enormous gust of laughter that burst from my mouth probably made the woman temporarily deaf.
"Oh. My sister," I explained.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Mister Cullen?"
"No, thank you."
"Have a nice day."
A smile spread across my face as I placed the receiver back in the cradle.
"So, Mister Whitlock, it looks like my sister has a few tricks up her sleeve."
"Yeah?"
I walked to the bucket of champagne and touched the note I hadn't dared to look at earlier, for fear it was meant for someone else.
Edward, have a fun weekend, I mean it! You deserve it. Love you. Alice
Smiling, I put the note down on the table and picked up the bottle. Once I'd popped the cork, I poured us each a glass. Jasper walked over and took a flute. I watched as he tipped it back, swallowing twice. The bob of his Adam's apple mesmerized me, the spell breaking only when I heard the glass land back on the table.
A predatory grin crossed his face, his eyes widening playfully at me.
I suspected my time was limited, so I followed his lead and tossed back my drink, setting my glass to the side. Just as I thought, Jasper pressed against me and for a moment, I stood my ground, appreciating the way his body felt against mine. I loved the hard planes of his chest, and the way his arms felt beneath my hands. I wasn't a small guy, but Jasper made me feel enveloped at times, and I found that I enjoyed it.
"Do we ever have to leave this room?" he asked, muffled by the skin of my neck.
"Nope. Never."
Our hands worked together to peel off the layers of clothes we had on. There was a path of cotton and denim from the champagne bucket to the bed. We laughed as we fell onto the bed together.
I was impatient, after the entire morning full of foreplay and teasing. I helped Jasper roll to his side, then placed a deep kiss on his full lips. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, I mimicked what I wanted to do with my cock. My teeth grabbed his lips, teasing and tugging. My hands were pulling at his hips, our cocks pushing against each other.
I pushed and straddled his body, leaving him on the bottom as I moved into a sixty-nine position above him. My hands rested on his thighs, tense and strong beneath me, and I reached the tip of my tongue out to swirl over the tip of his cock.
Jasper's hands pushed at my hips, lifting them, and before I could anticipate what he was doing, his hands were moved to between my legs. Instead of taking me into his mouth, as I had done with him, I felt his lips press against the sensitive skin just to the side of my dick. I pulled back, tracing my teeth gently against his skin as I did, and he placed another kiss on the opposite side.
When I tried to push my hips down, he held strong, teasing me further. The soft slope of his lips met the tip of my cock and instead of begging for him to take me in his mouth like I was tempted, I focused on doing an even better job. I put all of my energy into driving him even more crazy.
Removing my mouth from his cock, I sucked the tip of my thumb into my mouth, leaving it slick and wet. His length pulsed in front of me, an unspoken request waiting to be fulfilled, and I complied. My mouth surrounded him again, dropping all the way down as my thumb swirled his entrance. Pushing the top of my thumb into him, I held his hips still as he tried to buck up further into my mouth. My lips widened, tightening around him, as I smiled.
Moving my thumb, I brought him higher, focusing even more on making him come apart beneath me. He shivered and shook, his entire body tense and fatigued with effort. I could feel him pulse around my thumb just before he shot into my mouth.
Watching and feeling him come made me even more turned on. I was finally able to focus on his lips and fingers and tongue, as he brought my body to the same heights I'd just brought him. I fought not to collapse right on top of him, my exhaustion practically overtaking me.
"Come back up here," he said, hand rubbing the back of my thigh.
"Too tired," I complained. "Sleeping now."
Jasper smacked my ass, laughing. "Come on, turn around."
I mumbled, succumbing to sleep quickly.
I woke up and the room was still blindingly light. Why hadn't we bothered to close the blinds, I wondered. Then I remembered how busy we'd been before we fell asleep. I burrowed my head in Jasper's arm, which extended out and around me when I moved.
"You switched sides," I said, still half-asleep.
"You wouldn't move and I wanted to be close to you."
Moving my head, I looked into Jasper's eyes and smiled. We shared several kisses, then laid together in silence. My brain was a euphoric playground of past and future. I wondered where our next vacation might be; would we ski together? Would we still be together at Christmas? If so, what would the perfect gift be for Jasper?
"You look so happy right now," Jasper said, startling me.
Humming, I leaned in to kiss him again. "Happy only scratches the surface. You make me so much more than that."
At that moment, Jasper's stomach growled fiercely.
"Come on, handsome," I said, pulling him out of bed. "Shower, then dinner."
Inside the glass paradise, I silently thanked Alice for the room upgrade. I was sure we wouldn't have both fit into a normal room shower, but this was heavenly. In an effort to speed things up, we lathered together – each of us cleaning the other. When he washed my hair, I closed my eyes and practically purred.
Soon after, we were dressed and back at the blackjack table, pestering the girls to eat. I had no idea how two such small women could go even longer than we had without substantial food, but from the level of giggling they were doing, they seemed to be keeping themselves well-stocked with alcohol.
"Come on, wrap it up ladies," Jasper implored. "We require real food."
We'd agreed on a steakhouse nearby, and after we were seated, we ordered appetizers to share. Alice and Bella were still in their own private bubble, red wine flowing and hands not-so-subtly touching.
Jasper sat across from me, the two girls squished between us in the booth. We were too far apart, and continued our teasing of each other. I took extra time wrapping my lips around my fork when a bite of buttery steak was on it, and he closed his eyes, moaning, when he spooned his dessert into his mouth.
Finally, when dinner was over, the four of us walked to the elevators together, arms around our beloveds. Sleep came easily, a peaceful rest unlike any in recent weeks.
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of coffee and something sweet. I wasn't quite ready to open my eyes, though, so I rolled over, feeling around in the bed for Jasper, but he was nowhere. Relenting, I eased one eye partially open, looking as much as I could to try and find him. No such luck, as the darkened room seemed empty. I could hear a faint sound coming from just beyond the bedroom, so I reluctantly pulled on my boxers and investigated.
Jasper was lounging on the couch, mile-wide grin on his face as he watched FoodTV and sipped what looked and smelled like coffee. Several dirty thoughts flew through my head, but I finally settled on a non-dirty greeting, taking a spot next to him on the couch.
"Coffee?" he asked.
"Mhm."
"Hungry?"
The smirk and wink I gave him answered that as I put the warm cup to my lips.
"Perv," he said, laughing.
I laughed right back, muttering into my coffee cup, "You have no idea."
The thought hung in the air between us – that there was still so much more for us to explore and experience together. It was exciting and new and perfect.
"I saved you some pancakes," he said, sliding the plate in front of me.
I set my coffee down, gave him a quick kiss and whispered my thanks before digging in. I was beyond hungry, I realized as the first bite permeated my taste buds. Fuck, they were good. When they were gone, we sat and watched mindless television, hands linked.
Both of our phones began to chirp at the same time and I chuckled as I realized the girls were probably ready for some sight seeing. Nope, after checking the messages, we realized they were just as interested in gambling as they had been the day before. I didn't get it myself, never having been much of a risk taker, but I could respect that we were in Vegas. When in Rome and all that.
"You want to go play some Blackjack?" I asked.
Jasper shrugged.
"No?" I raised my eyebrow. "Want to walk around for a bit?"
"That sounds perfect. I can think of much better ways to piss away my hard-earned money."
Showering with Jasper was a great way to start the day, and we wandered out of the hotel into the bright sunshine. We'd left snow and cold weather, and I was delighted to see the sun.
We walked the strip, laughing at the difference between the streets during the bright light of day and the dark night, when every other foot seemed packed with people shoving naked ladies in our hands. As I thought about it, I realized that Jasper seemed even more amused than I'd been the night before, and I wondered.
"Jasper, are you bi?"
I knew he'd mentioned straddling both sides of the community and being ostracized by each side, but I wasn't sure if he was a gay guy that sometimes had sex with women or what. It came out of my mouth as a casual, off-hand question between two people, but I realized when Jasper froze in place that perhaps wandering the streets wasn't such a great spot for deep thoughts.
"Sorry," I began.
His hand shot up, stopping me from apologizing any more.
"No, you have every right to ask. I just didn't expect it," he said with a laugh. "Yeah, I guess I am. I haven't really put too much thought into it. I love, I fuck, I live."
Suddenly the difference between us hit me. The years of torture and agony I'd spent analyzing and thinking about my own sexuality, and for him, it was just as simple as loving and fucking. Why wasn't it that easy for me? Did he approach everything in the same no-nonsense manner? Was I wasting my life away, thinking too much about topics and things I couldn't change anyway?
Jasper's hand waved frantically in front of my face. "Hello?" His smile spread when I looked at him. He took my hand and we began walking again.
"Ever attracted to women?" he asked.
Tilting my head to the side, I tried to think of any women I'd ever been attracted to. "Sure, there've been a few I could appreciate the aesthetic beauty of."
Jasper snorted. "That's not what I asked."
"Did I want to fuck them? Hmm. No. They don't make me hard, like when I think of the way your chest tightens and your muscles press against my skin as you fuck me."
He actually blushed at that, and I squeezed his hand, laughing. He was adorably uncomfortable when he received a genuine compliment and not just what he perceived as a nicety or someone trying to pick him up.
"Do you miss them?" I asked quietly.
I felt like my every insecurity about dating someone who loved both genders was highlighted in neon green and flashing from my heart at that moment.
Jasper stopped again, this time leaning against a half-height brick wall. He pulled me between his open knees and my heart sped up. I'd grown mostly used to his public displays, but already felt too raw, too exposed.
In a bold move, even for Vegas, Jasper's hand that was joined with mine slid between us and inched slowly up the middle of his pants. His lips moved to my neck, wet and soft and warm and ung.
"Does it feel like I miss anyone but you right now?"
"No."
"Then don't ask dumb shit like that, okay?" His teeth pulled at the soft skin on my neck, then he moved to look me in the eyes. "I'm with you, here, in this moment. I don't need anything but what you give me. Do you need something more?"
"No, of course not. No," I rambled. "I'm good."
Jasper winked again, giving me another kiss before mumbling against my lips. "Damn straight you are."
With a laugh, he pushed and we started walking again. We would duck into a casino, look at whatever touristy thing had drawn us inside in the first place, and exit, moving on to the next. It was exactly the way I'd wanted to experience Las Vegas with Jasper. I didn't need to sit at a table and drink – I wanted to walk, talk, learn more about him, and do lots of people watching.
We took turns taking photos of each other at various sights, doing touristy things. The one exception we made for gambling was when Jasper unexpectedly pulled me over to the Craps table at the very end of the day, back in our casino. I knew the basic premise of the game, having watched the in-room instructional channels briefly, and from past trips. When the dice came around to him and he picked them up, he leaned into me.
"Blow on them."
My neck practically snapped with the speed I turned to look at him. "What?"
"For luck."
I felt awkward, but not uncomfortable. It was mostly funny to me; my breath couldn't possibly bring (or take away, for that matter) luck, but if it was a superstitious thing he wanted me to indulge him in, I could do that. I snaked my tongue out to wet my lips, then pursed them together, keeping eye contact the entire time. The breath I exhaled was slow and (hopefully) seductive, bringing several catcalls from others around our table.
Jasper shook his head, that pink staining his cheeks again as he looked down at the table. He'd asked for it.
His hand shot out, eyes still locked with mine as the dice rolled, hitting the opposite end and falling on numbers. The noise of the room dissipated as I watched him. He was in his element, having a great time, and shuffling chips around as he spoke with the croupier. I didn't hear his words, just watched his lips and movements. I was mesmerized by his every move, having never quite seen him own an action like he did just then. When he picked the dice up from the table, my eyes flicked to his hand. The motion, a quick back-and-forth several times, brought only dirty images to mind.
The rest of the game passed in a blur. I only knew it was time to go when Jasper nudged me, hands overflowing with chips.
"Come on," he said. "Let me go cash these in. I need you. Naked. Beneath me. Now."
He was walking faster than me, a good pace ahead, and I followed as best I could. When his chips splayed across the marble of the cashier's desk, I could see how viscerally he'd been affected; it wasn't just his words from earlier, he practically shook with need and want. His fingernails nearly dug into my palm when we walked to the elevator, and then into our room.
Impatient, he was so impatient. My t-shirt flew over my head, shorts down and off my body before even my shoes. I tilted my head toward his clothing, a silent request to him while I took my shoes and socks off. Both of us naked, he bent me over the couch. The couch we'd had breakfast on, watched stupid TV from. His fingers worked my body first, always, slick and easily accepted, before he pushed his cock into me.
There was very little pretense, and as I gripped the back of the couch, bracing myself and pushing back against him, I took just as hard as he gave me. We made noise but didn't speak. We fucked, but we loved. It was a tangle of so many things, and I realized it didn't need to meet any narrow definition. It was us, and we were beyond that.
Each stroke filled me whole, physically and someplace beyond. I wanted to come so bad, so hard, it didn't matter by my hand or his, I just needed. The problem was the pounding Jasper was doing impeded any movement between my body and the couch. I cursed in my head, grunted and groaned long and loud, and waited.
My hands flailed behind me, desperate to touch him if I couldn't touch myself, and connected with his skin. I knew where my stomach met the leather of the couch I'd have a wicked red mark, the burn of the friction with my skin already setting in. Giving in to the sensations, I leaned over further, my entire torso meeting with the cold. I hugged the cushions, no longer able to grab the solidity of the couch back, and spread my legs slightly.
Jasper slowed, one of his hands trailing down my spine as he pulled back. Thrusting in hard, he wrapped the same hand around my body, pulling me to him at the same time, causing sparks of lust to shoot through me.
When he told me he was watching us, watching my body as his entered it, I almost lost it. I'd never come so close to an orgasm without touching myself in my life. His words and his body combined to send me someplace new.
Via some kind of insane acrobatics, he managed to slip his hand between me and the couch. The moment his fingers wrapped around my cock, squeezing and pulling and demanding, my body tightened. I didn't want it to be over, but had little choice against the pleasure he carefully extracted from me.
Several thrusts and pulls later, the dueling sensations provoking my entire body to be on edge, I came hard. Jasper's hand slowed but didn't stop, continuing as profanities dripped from his mouth, clearly the beginning of his own orgasm. When I could focus again, I realized we'd made a huge fucking mess on the back of this no-doubt expensive couch, and maybe the floor.
I couldn't help the sort of drippy and halfway gross feeling I had when Jasper moved off me. We both half-ran to the bathroom, cleaning ourselves up side-by-side. As I wiped my hands, Jasper closed the space between us, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"Thank you."
"Want to take a bath with me?" I asked, turning to face him.
Jasper nodded, so I turned the hot water on, adding bubbles, then climbed in. It seemed like kind of a girly thing to do, but the warmth felt perfect surrounding both of us, and I was too exhausted to stand for a shower. When Jasper was between my legs, he leaned back and we soaked together.
"You know," I said, realizing something. "If you wanted to gamble today, we could have done that. We didn't have to walk around."
"Edward, you're hilarious. I didn't feel obligated to walk around with you. I wanted to do it. Then I wanted to play Craps for a minute. Then you teased me, and well, I forgot all about the casino."
The hot water relaxed me, Jasper's body in front of me causing an overflow of bliss and love. My eyes closed and I slid further under the water, bringing us both lower. Some minutes later, my phone chirped with what I knew was Alice's text tone. Jasper jolted, pulling away, but my hand shot around his chest bringing him right back.
"It's just Alice," I said. "She can wait."
Quiet surrounded us again, and even though the water began to turn warm instead of hot, and then cool instead of warm, I couldn't be bothered to want to get out. Only when Jasper's phone chirped did I relent, knowing Bella was much more insistent than Alice.
Giant towels seemed to swallow us whole as we wrapped them around us, not bothering to get dressed. Alice had asked about dinner, and when I turned to ask Jasper, he explained Bella had given a time and location, not bothering to ask. We laughed at her, knowing full well we could have just ignored them both with no consequences – they'd understand – but wanting that outside connection with them, too.
I watched Jasper tap out a reply, then move to his suitcase where he got clothes out. His faded jeans hung over his soft cotton boxers, and the t-shirt he put on accentuated the way his chest flared. He wasn't overly muscular, but had clear definition, which he knew I loved.
"Going naked?" he asked, and I realized I'd been standing there staring, not bothering with my own clothes.
Laughing, I walked to my own bag and pulled out my clothes, taking my time to get dressed. When I got into the bathroom, he was already there, brushing his teeth and spritzing the smallest amount of cologne on. I cursed the fact that I wasn't fifteen anymore with a several minute recovery period, instead of several hours.
After I was done in the bathroom, I walked out to see him on the couch again. It was almost time to go, so when his phone chimed again, I figured it was Bella. He probably had, as well, since we both laughed and shook our heads, smiling at each other at the over-zealousness of our friend.
"Huh," Jasper said, phone in hand, reading the text. "Just one minute, Edward. I need to make a quick call."
Shrugging, I sat next to him, and started watching the hockey game that was on. In the background, I could hear Jasper's curt responses, and I wondered what could possibly need his attention the day after Thanksgiving.
His hand brought my attention fully to him as I turned and shifted my gaze to his face. He was pale, completely white, gone. His eyes were dark and haunted, then closed. The moment a tear slipped from between the lids, I began to panic. Something was very, very wrong.
"Okay," was his last word on the phone.
Slipping down, he fell from the couch to the floor, head in his hands.
"What's wrong, Jasper?"
He simply shook his head. I moved to the floor, an arm around his body in a stupid attempt at comfort.
"Please baby, talk to me. You're scaring me. What's wrong? Are you okay?"
I could tell he wasn't okay. I had no idea why I'd even asked; I was desperate.
"It's all my fault," he said, head still shaking slowly.
"What's your fault?"
I tried to unfurl him, to invade his space and help ease his physical pain even if it was just the tiniest bit, by pushing myself into his bubble. It was no use. There was a muffled sob, and then two words I never expected.
"He's dead."