My fingers tingled as I came down from my peak, and I ran them lovingly through Jacob's wet hair. He gently lowered me, and then grasped me tightly to him, murmuring words of love and many other things that I couldn't focus on in the afterglow of my orgasm.
I giggled, overcome with happiness. "I love you too, Jake."
He continued to whisper in my ear, more urgently this time and finally I heard the words, "life" and "forever."
"Wait, what are you saying?" I asked, pulling away so I could look into his eyes, which burned with an intensity I had never seen before.
"Marry me, Bella."
***
"Excuse me?" I stammered, truly believing my ears were playing tricks on me. There was no way Jacob had actually just said…
"Marry me, Bella…I…I want you to be my wife," Jacob looked terrified and exhilarated.
I pushed away from him in shock. "Jacob, get serious. With everything we're going through…that isn't a funny way of joking with me."
He followed my retreating form to the other side of the Jacuzzi. "I'm not joking, sweetheart. I'm completely serious. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, marry you." He gestured around him. "I planned this entire evening for a specific reason…I wanted to give you this." He reached for the towel he had discarded earlier and pulled out a worn blue velvet box.
My heart stopped, and I felt dangerously close to hyperventilating. I opened my mouth and closed it again, forgetting for a moment how to form words. I grabbed his wrist, stopping him from opening the little box that I knew held a ring. "Jake…we're just kids…you're just 16." My eyes were wide in unexplainable panic. "This is crazy...we're just kids!" I repeated again.
Through his disappointment over my reaction, the smallest sign of amusement flickered in Jacob's eyes. "Bells, first of all, you know that I'm only technically 16, right? Physically and mentally, I'm at least 25. But regardless, I'm not saying we should get married tomorrow."
"You're not?" my voice squeaked. "What are you saying?"
He took my hand in his own and gazed deeply in my eyes. "I'm saying that I've made up my mind, Bella. You're the only one for me. Not now, but someday, I want to marry you. I want you to say you'll be mine. And I want you to wear this." He opened the box before I could protest and I couldn't help looking at what was inside. I gasped at the simple ring nestled in the satin.
It was a minimal, cloudy purple stone set in a gold setting unlike any I'd ever seen. It had intricate carvings along the entire band and surrounding the gem. It was unique and beautiful, and definitely one-of-a-kind.
"Jacob…" I said softly, not wanting to get his hopes up but desperately wanting to touch the ring.
He looked uncertain for the first time all evening. "I know it's not anything fancy or flashy," he said. "It was my grandmother's engagement ring. The amethyst was found by my grandfather right here in La Push, and he designed the band."
"Oh, that's not it…the ring is gorgeous," I gushed, looking at it with longing. "I just…well, you kind of took me by surprise with this proposal, Jacob."
"Do you not want to marry me?"
"I do, or…I mean…I want to be with you too, Jake," I babbled, trying to organize my thoughts. "But marriage? I've never really thought about it."
He looked crestfallen. "Why not?"
I chose my words as carefully as possible, trying to keep my emotions in check, but feeling my chin starting to tremble. "Everything is so uncertain. I know I want to be with you, and I will be…as long as you'll have me. But it's hard enough knowing that someday you could leave me completely alone, under no fault of your own. Marriage just adds a whole bunch of legal and family issues into the situation as well. And if the day ever comes when you imprint, I'll be devastated enough without having to worry about joint bank accounts and stuff."
Jacob was quiet, contemplating what I had said. Finally, he shook his head. "No, I refuse to give up any bit of our happiness over 'what if's.' This is how I feel…I want you to be Mrs. Bella Black, and I'm not going to give up until you are." He leaned closer, as if preparing to share a secret. "I can be even more stubborn than you, Bells."
Finally, I eased. "That's true, you are pretty persistent."
Common sense was screaming at me to protect myself from even more unnecessary hurt, but my heart ached to accept. I didn't know what to do until I heard Jacob's small voice say, in a hurt tone, "this isn't how I dreamed it would go…in my dream, you were smiling. You wouldn't stop smiling."
"Oh, baby…" I started, sliding my arms around him and tilting my head up to give him a reassuring kiss. And before my mind had truly contemplated the pros and cons of accepting, I heard myself say, "Of course I'll marry you."
He pulled back in shock. "You will?"
And suddenly it was like I weighed ten pounds lighter. My heart rejoiced and I felt nothing but happiness.
"Yes, Jacob…I'll marry you." And for good measure, I added, "Screw fate!"
Jacob's hands trembled as he took the ring out of the velvet box. It didn't look like a traditional engagement ring, so I knew I'd be able to wear it without raising any suspicions. And, I could get by without having to explain it to Charlie. I held up my hand and he slid it on me, echoing my sentiments with a whispered, "Screw fate."
Something flashed in Jacob's eyes as he gazed at the ring on my hand. He looked proud and triumphant. I smiled at him and waved my fingers, realizing how much he enjoyed the sight. The small amethyst glinted and the gold caught the moonlight. Before I knew what was happening, Jacob had his arms around me and I was flying through the air, water from the Jacuzzi dripping everywhere. I never had time to be cold, because Jacob had me on my back on the bed in mere seconds, covering me with his hot flesh.
I barely heard the ripping of foil before I felt the heat of his erection filling me. I screamed in surprise and pleasure, wrapping my legs around his thrusting hips. His body completely possessed me — I was at his mercy.
"Bella!" he cried out, lifting his head from my shoulder to find my lips with his.
My breathing became louder as the friction of our bodies moving in sync began to overwhelm me. "You feel so good, Jake."
His hands snaked down and underneath me to grasp my bottom, lifting my hips to meet every plunge. I had never felt him so deeply inside of me, and it didn't take long for me to come unraveled, crying his name with every muscular spasm of my orgasm.
"Mmm, I can feel you coming," Jacob rasped in my ear. "It's amazing." His hands began to squeeze the soft flesh of my rear as he sped up his thrusting. "It's going to make me…ungh!"
"It's your turn now, Jacob…come for me. Please."
"Oh, God!" he shouted, roaring as his member twitched inside of me, spilling his seed into the condom. "Bella, Bella, Bella…you're everything to me…everything."
"Jacob…" I moaned, rubbing my hand with his ring against his strong back and shoulder. "I know. And I'm yours…I will love you forever."
And I meant every word.
***
Several hours later, I awoke to light filtering in through the large bedroom window and a quiet knocking on the door. Jacob was curled around my naked body, his arm thrown around my torso, covering my breasts. Our legs were entwined. I was so comfortable; I convinced myself that the knocking had just been my imagination.
Until I heard the knock again, this time accompanied by a hissed, "Bella, Jacob…it's time to go!"
I sat up and looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. 10:17 a.m. Jacob and I had finally gone to sleep at 3 a.m. after making love twice more, but I thought we would have woken up earlier than this.
"Guys," Kim's voice came through the door again. "Jared said that housekeeping is going to be coming around really soon. We need to be out before that."
I detangled myself from my stirring werewolf and wrapped the comforter around myself. Making my way to the door, I cracked it open to see a rumpled and sleepy Kim grinning at me.
"Hey there, hooker," she laughed, as I made a face at her typical crudeness. "You look thoroughly fucked."
Jared peeked from around her and I jumped, tightening the blanket. "Morning, Bella… Nice!" He motioned toward my state of semi-dress. "I'll have to try to stay out of Jacob's thoughts later."
I ignored the burning in my cheeks. "So, what's the plan?"
"Kim's going to take you home…to keep up appearances," Jared said, smirking. "Speaking of appearances, you might want to look at yours before you leave." He put an arm around his tired girlfriend's waist. "We'll be at the car."
I closed and locked the door, not wanting to leave this little bubble of bliss that Jacob and I had found the previous night, but knowing that facing the real world again was inevitable.
When I returned to the bedroom, I found Jacob already awake and half dressed. I went straight to him, letting the comforter drop. He smiled, his eyes flickering down my body. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and I climbed on his lap, straddling him.
"Insatiable…that's what you are," he grinned, kissing me gently.
I deepened the kiss, and then moved to brush my mouth against his cheek and ear. "I wish we didn't have to leave yet," I groaned, wriggling myself against him through his pants.
He growled. "Bella, I would love nothing more than to take you again, right now…but if we don't leave, Charlie will start to worry, housekeeping will catch us here, and I'll be late to start my 24-hour patrol. Leah's probably exhausted and grumpy by now, and needs to be relieved."
I pouted, climbing off of him and grabbing my wrinkled dress and shoes. "Crap," I said, finally catching a glance at myself in the mirror. My makeup was smeared all over my face and my hair resembled a wild, brown bird's nest. I smoothed it back as best I could and wrapped a hair tie around it. Running to the bathroom, I splashed some cold water on my face and wiped off as much of the makeup as I could.
Jacob came to the doorway of the bathroom, looking over at the tub with a smug smile, obviously remembering the previous night. "Are you planning on wearing that dress tonight?"
I had completely forgotten about Fork's prom that night. "Oh, double crap!" I cried, holding up the rumpled brown fabric. "Alice is going to kill me!"
He laughed and came up behind me to kiss my neck. "She wouldn't dare break the treaty," he joked.
I stepped into the dress and Jacob zipped it for me. "I look presentable," I grumbled, tucking a loose curl behind my ear and regarding my reflection critically.
"You look beautiful," Jacob said, lifting my hand and kissing the new ring on my fourth finger. "Let's get going, Bella. We have the rest of our lives waiting."
His words made me smile, but they also reminded me of my familiar worry. "I certainly hope so," I said, turning to give him one last kiss before we had to leave our private little world...a world where there were no complications. No imprinting, no pack responsibilities, and no Edward.
***
Author's Note: See? I promised I wouldn't make you wait too long before I updated! And I meant it! This chapter is short, but it accomplishes everything I needed to before I start writing the last two chapters.
A few people questioned if Bella will get pregnant because of them using the ineffective "pull out" technique. No, she won't. If you guys understand menstrual cycles, then she's pretty close to starting her period again, so her ovulation has already passed. I know, WAY too much TMI…but I figured I needed to clarify.
Enjoy, and review. I read and appreciate each and every one!
