First of all, apologies for the slight delay! RL kicked my butt this week! There were stitches and a plastic surgeon involved, but everyone will be fine, thank God
My long AN will follow, but I'm too excited to put this at the end! Its official, my Jasper has been christened!! Thanks to Cullen Cousin for coming up with Jasper Liplock, lol! LOVE IT!
As usual, mynxi is my beta-licious! She gives yummy treats to reward good grammar!
Twilight characters and storyline are the property of Stephanie Meyer.
Chapter Nine
JPOV
I gently moved Bella to walk in front of me as we entered the dark theater. The room was nearly empty and the few people who had decided to see the Valentine's Day themed horror film were seated far apart from each other. Mentally sighing in relief, I allowed myself to breathe normally. I wasn't feeling any strain, but I hadn't been in an enclosed space with a crowd since I had decreased the frequency of my hunting, and I was unsure of how difficult I would find it to control my thirst.
Laughing to myself, I followed Bella as she walked purposefully to the very last row and sat down in the middle chair. She reached out for the large tub of popcorn I had purchased on our way in, but I pulled it back with a teasing smile. "Who said it was for you, Sweets?"
Sitting down beside her, I rolled my eyes as she crossed her arms and fake pouted. "Don't make empty threats about eating that, Jasper. If you say it's for you, you'd better eat up or I'll never let you forget it," she warned, her eyebrow lifted in challenge.
I leaned over to whisper in her ear. "If you ask me nice, maybe I'll share," I answered, giving the shell of her ear the briefest touch of my tongue as I withdrew my head. Her heart raced and I enjoyed watching the shiver that she couldn't hide from my vampire sight.
The theater lights dimmed and Bella jumped as loud music announced the beginning of the previews. I watched her pupils dilate as her eyes adjusted to the bright movie screen. Turning her face toward me, she slowly licked her lips as she opened her eyes wide. "Please, Jasper, may I have some popcorn?" she asked in a throaty voice.
My dick twitched at the sight of her tongue, but I forced myself to refrain from climbing on top of her and simply reached my hand into the popcorn tub instead. Selecting a single kernel, I deliberately held it out toward her mouth. Slowly, she moved her head toward my hand and opened her mouth as the kernel neared her lips. It was all I could do not to moan as she accepted the popcorn piece into her mouth without touching my fingers, chewed it precisely, and finally swallowed it.
"Thank you very much, Jasper," she said primly as she knowingly eyed my now bulging erection. Settling back into her seat, she pretended to watch as the movie began. Chuckling, I planned my next move, all the while wondering how feeding her popcorn had turned erotic. I mentally thanked the stars for stadium seating and moveable armrests since it would make my next trick easier. Smirking to myself, I began the classic movie theater arm-over-the-shoulder move, pulling her body up against my side.
She kept her eyes on the screen and pretended not to notice, but I watched her chest heave as she drew a deep breath. I reached out toward her with a piece of popcorn again, but this time she didn't react, keeping her lips closed tight. Undaunted, I began to lightly trace her mouth with the kernel while she stared at the movie. I completed several circuits before she quickly opened her mouth and snatched the piece, dragging her teeth and tongue along my cold index finger. Her eyes never left the screen as she chewed absently.
When she slowly licked the salt crystals from her lips, I couldn't restrain my low moan. She whipped her face around to look at me and arched a graceful eyebrow. Without a word, she grabbed my hand, raised it to her lips and took my entire index finger into her mouth. Her hot tongue caressed me as she licked my finger base to tip before releasing it with a small kiss. Returning her gaze to the film, she murmured softly, "You forgot napkins, Jasper."
Shifting in my seat in an attempt to ease my throbbing dick, I laughed softly as I decided to bring it to the next level. I noticed she was watching me out of the corner of her eye, so I reached deliberately into the popcorn tub and chose another piece. Slowly, I brought my hand up to place the kernel between my own lips, trying to ignore it as the unfamiliar taste began to creep over my tongue. Before I could make my next move, she swung her body towards mine and reached up with both hands to pull my head down toward hers. Her tongue swept over my slightly parted lips as her teeth delicately extracted the popcorn from my mouth.
Her deep brown eyes were fixed intently on mine as she chewed and swallowed. Her fingers tightened in my hair and she leaned forward again to sweep her tongue across my mouth, licking away the irritating salt and grease.
"Delicious popcorn," she whispered as she began to move back into her own seat. A low growl rumbled in my chest as I reached out and pulled her back against me, lowering my mouth to hers in a crushing kiss. She moaned softly back into my mouth as she responded, eliciting another low growl from me. The hot moisture of her mouth reminded me to be gentle with my movements to avoid bruising her delicate flesh.
Waves of electric heat flowed through my body, heading directly toward my dick as I pressed my tongue into her mouth. I tasted the salty popcorn, but it was quickly overpowered by the sweet flavor that was simply Bella. Her hot tongue met mine and she gasped as I slowed the pace to enjoy the sensation. Her eyes were closed, but she was moving her hands across my face and back up into my hair. Abruptly, she shifted position, hitching her left leg up over my thighs, placing her almost directly on my lap.
I groaned out loud as I could feel the heat from her inner thigh, even through the layers of our jeans. She moaned back into my mouth and leaned forward, pressing her breasts into my chest. Lust surged through me, more fiercely than any desire I had experienced in my years as a vampire. Before I could even register the urge to move, my hands were cupping her ass and pulling her on top of my denim restrained dick. She moaned deeply and pressed her body down onto my erection and my hands flew toward her breasts before I realized that the theater lights were turning back on.
I gently but quickly thrust Bella back into her own seat, as she looked around in confusion. Grumbles from the other patrons finally alerted me to the fact that the film had fallen off of the projector and was melting. As the handful of movie goers began to file out of the room, I reached for her face with one hand and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Best popcorn I've had in forever," I teased as I ran my finger down her face and across her mouth.
She gave a wide grin, leaned forward and kissed me hard with closed lips. "What was that for, Sweetheart?" I asked with raised eyebrows.
"Because apparently you missed out on decent popcorn as part of your human experience as well, Jasper," she sighed dramatically. "That shit was stale. The only thing that saved it was the way it kept finding its way into my mouth," she purred. I quickly stood and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, I'm getting you out of here before your sense of humor gets out of control," I teased as she followed me out of the theater.
We made our way back to my apartment, laughing as we teased each other about our "ruined" date at the movies. "Seriously, Jasper," Bella teased as we walked in the door, "I don't care about missing it. I don't even know what the title was, I just picked the next one starting."
I widened my eyes innocently at her, pretending to be surprised. "Why Miss Swan, what possible motive could you have for choosing a movie you didn't want to see?" I wondered aloud as I helped her out of her new coat. Without answering, she immediately started walking toward the sofa. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at me and raised one eyebrow.
"I told you before we left, Jasper, the point was to sit in the back and make out. I never planned to watch the movie, especially not that stupid horror flick," she stated firmly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and sat down. I used vampire speed to cross the room and was sitting next to her before she could even blink.
"And tell me, Miss Swan, did the experience meet your expectations?" I asked in a serious tone as I leaned my head toward hers. Her expression didn't change, but the pounding of her heart gave away her awareness of my movement. She shrugged slightly as she replied, matching my mock gravity.
"On the whole, the experience exceeded my expectations. The popcorn was stale," she admitted slyly. "But it was good and…hot," she whispered into my ear as she craned her head up to meet mine. Her hot breath in my ear did bad things to my ability to control my desire for her, and I was instantaneously hard again. In a flash, we were locked together at the lips, tongues thrusting together as I moved her onto my lap.
Her kisses were like nothing I had experienced as a vampire, eliciting sensation after sensation. Hot, wet, and soft, the feeling of her mouth on mine intensified and there was nothing I could do to stop myself from grinding her hot little body down onto mine again. She moaned and shuddered at the friction and I became frantic for more. My fingers pressed into her soft, denim clad ass and she moaned again.
"Oh, Jasper, I never…" her breathy voice cut off as I abruptly broke our kiss. Her words had struck home and I forced me to exert some control over my lust for her. I had no idea what her sexual experience consisted of, other than the time she had been forced to trade sex for shelter. Even beyond her potential lack of experience, our physical reaction to each other was causing us to rush this more than I liked. I gently lifted her to shift her body off of my dick, trying to slow things down without brushing her off.
Her breaths were hard and heavy as she pulled back to look me in the eye. "What's wrong?" she gasped out. "Why did you stop?" Her hands were shaking slightly as they clutched my shoulders, trying to hold me close to her. Confused by her intense reaction, I tried to reassure her.
"Nothing's wrong, Bella. I just thought that maybe things were moving a little fast, that's all." My words didn't achieve their intended effect as her eyes filled with tears and she heaved herself off of my lap. A sharp wave of frustration and anger tinged with shame lashed at me before disappearing.
"Not you too," she spat out as she stood up. "I will not do this again. There will be no never ending intense kissing, followed by 'Sorry Bella, too close, we have to stop.' Been there, done that, bought a t-shirt," she snapped. "If you can't handle being physical with me, then we stop now and stay friends. I refuse to go through that again," she finished in a quieter tone, wringing her hands.
I reached out for her hands and tugged her back down to sit beside me. I kept her hands in mine, hoping she felt the peace from our contact. "Slow down, Sweetheart, you've lost me," I said softly. "I can tell you're really upset, but I don't understand exactly why. I take it you had a past experience that was frustrating in some way," I hedged uncertainly, trying to avoid making her more uncomfortable.
She squeezed my hands and pressed her head into the outside of my shoulder. "Edward," she whispered into my shirt. Waiting patiently for her to continue, I just sat and held her hands. "He always said sex would be impossible, but then we would start kissing and it would get heavy and I would think he was changing his mind, deciding to try. But he always ended up pushing me away, saying it wasn't worth the risk," she mumbled. "It was so embarrassing, Jasper. I was desperate for more and he was desperate to avoid it."
I released her hands in order to wipe away the single tear that was sliding down her cheek. "Oh, Bella," I sighed. "I'm so sorry, I never realized. Edward was always uptight about his morals and your safety, but I didn't know he carried it that far. I don't blame you for not wanting to repeat that, but that's not what's happening here. I've never had sex with a human, but I don't see why it wouldn't be possible for us," I reassured her. Her eyes lit up at my statement and I smiled back at her. "Take it easy there, we'll have to take it slow and try a lot of things out first to keep you safe, Sweets."
Suddenly, memories that I usually repressed flitted through my brain. I remembered walking away from scenes of carnage, unable to tolerate the emotions of screaming women being raped by red eyed newborns preparing to feed. Maria hadn't understood my avoidance of her "rewards", but any attraction the victims' warm little bodies had offered had been completely obliterated by their unrelenting terror and pain.
"Jasper, where'd you go?" Bella whispered, running her hand over my face. I shook my head and gave her a sad smile. "Sorry, Sweetheart. Got stuck in a bad memory for a minute," I sighed. "Please don't fight me when I tell you we need to be careful while we figure this out," I begged her. "We will figure it out, but I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt you because we tried to rush things. You've seen and even felt how much I want you, but it'll take some time to get there," I said earnestly.
She looked down at her lap again before meeting my eyes. I felt her pulse increase as she bit her lip. I could almost see her internal struggle over whether to shut down or speak up. "I believe what you're telling me, Jasper. That you do want me, and that things between us will take a natural course eventually. But," she hesitated briefly before pressing on. "I can't lie. I'm afraid that every time you feel like we need to back off it's going to feel like rejection again, and that I'll be ashamed of wanting you so much," she finished softly.
I pulled her back into my lap and wrapped my arms around her. Tipping her head back, I leaned forward and gave her a long, gentle open mouthed kiss. Her lips opened to meet mine, but we kept the kiss soft. I pulled away to kiss down her jaw line and back up before completely releasing her. "Do you feel rejected, Sweetheart?" I asked, smiling at her glassy eyes as she recovered from the kiss.
She shook her head in denial and my smile widened. "Good, because I'm not rejecting you. I'm treasuring every second I'm spending getting to know you and your hot little body," I teased gently. "And don't ever feel ashamed that you feel desire. I love it that you want me, and I want you too, bad. But even without our 'interspecies dating issues', I think maybe we each deserve some time to let things grow between us before we make love, Bella." I spoke softly but fervently, hoping she could feel my sincerity.
Her breath hitched and her eyes gleamed as she simply nodded her head in agreement. "So for tonight, I think we should keep things closer to first base," I said with a smile as I pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand. "If we get carried away, I'll try to back us down gently so you don't feel like I don't want you. If you want to stop, just start to pull back, I'll understand."
Her eyes flashed with desire as she leaned toward my face and licked her lips. "Who says I'll ever want to stop, Jasper?" she purred before she pressed her lips to mine again. Laughing softly, I allowed her to push me back into a half reclined position as we resumed kissing.
We spent a few more hours fooling around on the couch, starting to learn each other. Our kisses grew deeper and longer several times before I gradually eased off by kissing her nose or licking her ear, trying to break the tension while making her aware that I desired her. Finally I noticed her eyes beginning to droop, so I suggested she get ready for bed.
I met her in the bedroom after she finished her night time routine. She was snuggling into the covers, waiting for me to join her. Lying down beside her so that we were face to face, I reached for her hands. She smiled at me and kissed my knuckles. "Thank you for taking me to the movie tonight," she whispered. "I really enjoyed it."
"It was my pleasure, Sweetheart," I murmured back to her, returning the kisses to her own hands. By unspoken agreement, we didn't start any heavy kissing in the bed, aware that it would be difficult to maintain limits there. "Jasper, can I ask you something?" she asked, concern flashing in her eyes. "Anything, Bella," I answered softly.
"Does it bother you to talk about Alice?" she asked hesitantly. "You don't have to if you don't want to, I just wanted to know if it was painful…" she trailed off. "No, Bella, it doesn't bother me," I answered immediately. "Right after she left, it was really hard to talk about, but now it's okay. I guess if anything, I feel sad that our relationship wasn't what I thought it was for all those years, but it doesn't hurt to talk about her."
She gave a small smile as she nodded. "That's good to know." She looked as if she wanted to say something else, so I smiled back and raised an eyebrow. She blushed and began without further prompting. "Do you think she saw this coming?" she blurted out suddenly.
Unsure of the motive behind her question, I tried to answer carefully. "I'm not sure what she saw, Sweetheart. She stopped talking to me, so I guess I'll never know. Any reason you bring it up?"
"Not really," she replied. "I was just thinking about us and how I never could have imagined it, and the thought ran through my brain that maybe Alice saw it. That, and I wanted to know if you'll freak if I mention your ex," she teased.
"No freak outs here, baby," I teased back. "How 'bout you? Does it hurt to talk about Edward?" I asked more seriously. She shrugged a shoulder as she answered. "More like what you said. Sad but not painful."
I leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her nose. "Good to know," I replied using her words from a few moments ago. "I think we have to be careful not to make assumptions about how things were in each others' past relationships, Bella. We each know the others' exes, but we need to remember we don't know all the 'messy details'. I don't want either of us to get trapped into comparing things to an unrealistic idea of what things were like with Alice or Edward. If there's ever something you want to know, I want you to ask," I told her gently. She nodded her head. "Same here, Jasper. You can ask me anything," she murmured drowsily.
"Now go to sleep, Sweets. I'm getting tired just looking at those drowsy eyes," I whispered, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She smiled and pressed a soft kiss back to my chin. "Okay, boss," she mumbled, closing her pretty brown eyes.
She fell asleep quickly and had a peaceful night while I watched over her. I didn't even bother to read, I just watched her breathe while I processed the fact that I had spent the evening kissing Bella Swan, and that the idea of kissing her forever was extremely attractive.
BPOV
I walked slowly up the street, browsing the storefront windows while reminding myself to scan the crowds carefully. This was the first time in over a week that I had been out without Jasper by my side, and I was surprised at how complacent I was becoming. It was a struggle at first to keep my eyes peeled for sunglasses on this overcast day, but I was beginning to fall back into the habit.
I had just grabbed a slice of pizza for lunch and was taking advantage of the relatively mild afternoon to do a little shopping while Jasper hunted. There was a spring in my step because that morning I had received a call on Jasper's phone from one of the bookstores I had applied to. The store manager was interested in setting up an interview early next week. I had rapidly agreed to Monday morning, glad that I would have the next few days to put together an appropriate interview outfit.
Smiling to myself as I walked, I thought about the different attire that would be required if I were lucky enough to get a job in retail. Hopefully, I would no longer need my wardrobe of spandex and fishnets. Although, I thought to myself, Jasper seemed to enjoy a couple of those outfits. Maybe I'll keep a few pieces in case we ever go to a club or a concert or something.
I headed into a thrift shop that I had previously browsed at and got to work looking through the racks for something a little dressier than jeans and a t-shirt. I pulled a couple of choices and hit the fitting rooms. In a short time, I had chosen a deep green cardigan over a cami, paired with a pair of flat front khaki trousers.
I paid cash for my purchases, sighing at the total. The outfit was a bargain at fifty dollars total, but that was a big dent in my meager savings. Grimacing at the much tinier wad of cash in my backpack, I realized that I needed to pay Andy rent this week. I didn't have as much as I usually gave him, but I figured some was better than none, and I could get him the rest tomorrow after Jasper "loaned" it to me.
Instead of walking back toward Jasper's apartment, I headed down to the subway station to go to my place. I knew Jasper wouldn't be thrilled with my decision to go home without him, but I wasn't sure how bad Andy needed cash, and I didn't want to leave him hanging, even if he was just going to use the money to get high.
The subway ride was quick, and soon I was climbing the stairs to exit the subway station onto Broadway. My neighborhood felt almost foreign, especially without Jasper by my side. I started to feel exposed and uneasy, and forced myself to remain calm. I had survived on my own for over two years, and I wasn't about to fall apart because of an afternoon walk by myself.
Taking deep even breaths, I made quick work of the walk to my building and headed inside. Unlocking my door for the first time in at least three days, I called out, "Andy, are you home?" before I stopped short at the sight in front of me. Garbage was strewn throughout the living area, pizza boxes on top of fast food bags, with copious numbers of beer bottles scattered into the mix. Shocked, I walked further into the disaster, wincing as I kicked an empty bottle hidden under a plastic bag.
Andy and I had never been neat freaks, but we both tended to keep things clean. This level of mess was simply unprecedented in the months we had spent as roommates. Hearing a soft moan, I looked over to the couch to see Andy sprawled out over it. His face was covered in stubble and his hair was a greasy mess. His eyes twitched and slowly opened as he struggled to focus on me.
A sick smile split his dry lips as he finally registered my identity. "Well, well, the prodigal roommate returns," he said in a hoarse voice. "Sorry about the mess, but I didn't figure you'd be around to see it. I had a couple friends over a day or so ago, and I just haven't gotten around to cleaning yet," he sneered at me.
Chills were running down my spine at his appearance and his behavior. "Fuck the room, Andy, you're the mess I'm worried about," I blurted out as I picked my way through the mess to the couch. "When did you eat last, and God do you need a shower," I continued, fighting the feeling of dread in my stomach.
I moved to sit on the chair opposite him, but he sat up suddenly. "Ah ah, Izz, I wouldn't if I was you. Wouldn't want to sit on a needle. We did our best to keep track of 'em , but you know how it goes as the night gets longer." His voice was mocking, but his eyes were serious.
My breath was coming in short pants. "Tell me you are not sharing needles with those ass holes from the bar, Andy. You should have plenty of clean ones, tell me you are not fucking sharing needles." He rolled his eyes at me and reclined back on the couch again.
"Chill, we didn't share Mommy dearest," he sighed. "Why the visit today, anyway? To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, clearly changing the subject.
My stomach was still clenching as I whispered my answer. "I came to give you money toward the rent. I'm short some, but I'll get it to you tomorrow." I struggled against tears as I looked at the shell of a man across from me. It was obvious that his drug abuse was spiraling out of control, but it seemed like his entire personality had altered.
"Are you trying to die?" The words left my lips before I could stop them. He barked a short humorless laugh. "I'm not just trying, Bella, I'm succeeding," was his cryptic answer. Before I could question him further, I heard the door to our apartment open.
"Andy, are you among the living yet?" a smooth voice queried through the opening door. My queasiness increased exponentially as I identified the blonde man stepping into the apartment as the guy who had been "in charge" of Andy's new friends my last night at the club.
"Shit," Andy hissed quietly as he sat up and looked at me nervously. The man walked further into the room, disregarding the trash under his expensive shoes. His eyes flashed in recognition as he took in my appearance. "I'm so sorry," he said insincerely. "You seem to have company already, Andy. The little girl from the club the other night, isn't it? We weren't properly introduced in the mayhem. I'm Alex, Andy's new boss. It's a pleasure to meet you…" he trailed off, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Before I could answer, Andy cut in. "Izzy here was just dropping something off, Alex. She and I used to hang out down at NYU last year," he explained. "Izz, just throw it in on my bed. Tell Brian I said thanks for returning it, and we'll all have to get together soon," he went on, apparently pulling the name Brian from thin air.
I struggled to control the fear that was beginning to well up. Something was very wrong here. Andy was afraid and trying to get me out of here. I forced myself to nod at Andy and walk toward his room. "Sure, Andy, sounds good," I called back over my shoulder. "I'm sorry you're too busy to hang out today. You're sure you can't come over to Jasper's with me?" I asked as I threw the envelope of cash onto his bed, desperate to get him to leave with me.
"Oh what a shame, we're going to lose your company so soon?" I couldn't stop my gasp as I turned to find Alex's hard face uncomfortably close to mine. He smiled, but his eyes were cold and my fear began to morph into panic. I forced a bright smile on my face and nimbly stepped around him to walk back down the short hallway.
"Yeah, my boyfriend will be back by now, and he'll be worried if I'm not home soon," I said cheerfully as I made my way to the door. "Andy, you really have to call more often," I chided in a light tone. "I worry about you when I don't hear from you." I had reached the door and was grasping the doorknob when Alex's face invaded my space again.
"Ah yes, mustn't keep the boyfriend waiting," he mocked with an eyebrow raised. "I assume you're referring to the tall hero from the other night?" he queried in a pleasant tone that didn't match the grim look on his face.
"Yep, that's Jasper, my hero," I chirped out truthfully. "Later Andy! Alex." I nodded vaguely in his direction as I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind me. I forced myself not to run, keeping my gait quick but controlled as I navigated the stairs and exited the building, grateful that no steps followed my progress toward the street.
Consumed with fear for Andy, my commute back to Jasper's building passed in a blur. If Victoria had happened upon me, I wouldn't have noticed until my bones started breaking and the venom hit my veins. Thoughts of what could be wrong with Andy and what I could do to help him circled endlessly in my mind.
I walked through the lobby of Jasper's building in a daze, thankful the security guard on duty recognized me. I staggered into the apartment and sat heavily onto the couch, my shopping bag forgotten at my feet. I leaned over and put my head in my hands, overcome with despair at Andy's situation and my inability to help. I had known going into it that he was a drug addict, and I recognized that I couldn't help him with that unless he was ready to ask me. But his new "boss" and the people he was spending time with were obviously bad news, and I was worried for his immediate safety.
Unaware that the door had opened, I gasped when Jasper's cold arms surrounded me as he lifted me onto his lap. "What is it, Bella? I could feel your panic from outside," he said urgently. "Are you hurt? What happened?"
Pressing my face into his hard chest and inhaling his scent, I felt my terror for Andy start to recede into a more manageable worry. "Not hurt," I whispered into his shirt. "It's Andy." I told Jasper the whole story, from shopping to running out of the apartment. His jaw clenched when I told him about the mysterious and forbidding appearance of Alex.
"I can't explain it, Jasper. I just knew I needed to get out of there fast. There's something in his eyes or something. He just oozes trouble," I finished sadly. A short sob choked its way out of my tight throat. "And Andy's with him right now, and there's nothing I can do to stop it," I moaned into my hands. "He saved me, and now he needs me, but there's nothing I can do to help him."
Jasper ran his fingers repeatedly through my hair and made a soft humming sound as he let me cry. After several minutes, I regained control of myself and moved to sit up slightly. Jasper looked deep into my eyes. "Okay now, Bella?" I nodded at him and he gently squeezed my hand. "Let's try to help your friend then," he sighed as he stood up and walked to his desk.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a manila folder. He returned to the couch and sat to face me again. "Bella, I think you should take a look at this. After the incident at the club, I had my guy start looking into Andy, and this is what he turned up. I know you won't like the idea that I did this, but I needed to know more about him to make sure you're safe around him."
My eyes widened in shock as I took the folder from him. "You started investigating my roommate?" I asked in disbelief. My feelings were so conflicted. I was annoyed because it just seemed a bit overbearing, and I wasn't used to that from Jasper. At the same time, I knew Jasper took my safety very seriously, so I could see why he had felt it necessary to check out Andy's past.
Jasper watched me closely, apparently concerned about my reaction. I sighed and leaned forward to kiss him chastely on the lips. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna lose my shit, Jasper. I hate that it's come down to this, but I don't see how I can help him if I don't know what's going on with him." He merely nodded in reply, but his eyes were soft as he kissed me on the lips before returning to his desk and turning on his computer.
I knew I needed to see the information inside the folder, but it felt so wrong to betray Andy's trust and learn his story from an outside source. Swallowing, I forced myself to open it, since the only way to make things better was to find out how they had gone wrong. Making myself comfortable on the couch, I settled in to read.
I made it to the second page before the tears started as I processed the information in front of me. Jasper silently appeared with tissues, which I accepted with a brief look of thanks. "You've read this?" I asked him. "Yeah, Sweetheart, I've read it. Go ahead and finish and I'll tell you what I've been thinking," he instructed gently, reaching out for my hand to place a kiss on my knuckles.
I made short work of the rest of Andy's sad past. Looking up at Jasper, I let desperation fill my voice as I spoke. "Jasper, can you help me help him? I know you guys didn't get off to a great start, but he's a good person, and he deserves a chance to start over," I continued.
Before I could go on, Jasper interrupted. "Bella, I've been working on some stuff for about a week now. He's important to you, and that makes him important to me." My heart stuttered in my chest at his words, and I was humbled at the care this amazing man had for my happiness. I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward to press a soft kiss onto his lips.
A short smile crossed his mouth as he returned my quick embrace before continuing. "I figure one of the big problems is that as much as he seems to care about you, you just don't have enough influence over him to force him to change anything." I nodded in agreement, having reached the same conclusion on the ride back to Jasper's.
"I'm having Jenks work on tracking down the remaining family members to see if anyone looks promising to lead a sort of intervention for him. In light of this Alex guy, I'm going to have Jenks put a local PI on Andy to see if we can find out who these new guys are. Then maybe we can find a way to help get him out of whatever he's gotten into."
I launched myself into his lap. "Thank you," I said fervently as I hugged his hard body. "He's worth the trouble, I promise." Jasper gave a small smile at my words, and I looked at him in confusion. "What?" I asked. "Did I say something weird?" His smile grew a little and he leaned forward to press his cold lips to mine. Sighing, I leaned into the kiss and opened my mouth to deepen it. As always, his kiss caused my body to sing and I was quickly panting.
Finally, Jasper chuckled and backed gently away from our embrace. He continued to hold me in his lap as he pressed small kisses around my ear and then down my neck to my shirt. Shivers of pleasure raced along my body at each kiss, and I realized that even though Jasper was clearly backing off, I still felt desired, rather than frustrated and abandoned.
"What was that for?" I asked once my brain regained the capacity for rational thought. He smiled again and kissed my nose. "I just remembered telling you that you were worth it once, that's all," he answered simply. I frowned at the thought of the terror filled days leading to Phoenix and James. "I barely knew you then, Bella, but I knew you were special, and I was right."
Leaning back into him to kiss along his jaw line, I raised up onto my knees to bring us to eye level. "You make me feel special, Jasper. For the first time since Forks, I feel like I'm important to someone, and it feels really good."
Before I could register the movement, I was lying on my back returning Jasper's passionate kiss, tongue to tongue. Desire raced through me, and I couldn't stop myself from hitching one leg up between the outside of his body and the couch. I was sure he would pull back, but instead, he reached a hand down to cup my ass, pulling me tighter against him. I moaned at the feeling of his hands on my butt and the delicious friction I was getting from his erection.
Deciding to follow his lead with our physical boundaries, I reached an arm up and ran my hand down his long torso. My fingers hesitated at the waist band of his jeans and I felt a purr-like rumble as we continued to kiss. Emboldened, I moved my hand further down to rest against the curve of his perfect ass. He gave a low groan and momentarily pushed his dick harder into my body.
"Oh Sweetheart, what you do to me," he whispered into my mouth before pulling back and sitting us both up. He ran his hands up and down my arms as he settled me back into his lap. "How are we doin' at this, Bella?" he asked me in a low tone. "Are you feeling okay when we have to back down?"
Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward to press a kiss at the hollow of his throat. "We're good, Jasper. I could definitely go for more of what we just did, though," I suggested in a husky tone. He gave a soft growl and quickly licked a line up the front of my neck with his cool tongue. "Be good, Bella," he chided, his eyes crinkled in humor. "You'll get more, but for right now we need to figure out your dinner and get to work on helping Andy."
Reluctantly agreeing, I moved off of his lap. Why don't you go grab something to eat while I call Jenks and fill him in. Then you can show off what you bought today," he said as he eyed my shopping bag. "Sounds good," I agreed. He walked over to his cell phone and began to dial. Following him, I quickly pressed my body into his. "You're a good man, Jasper Whitlock," I whispered into his chest before stepping away.
His only response was a wink and a smile as he began speaking into the phone. Grabbing my jacket, I headed for the door, listening as Jasper began to tell Jenks what he wanted. Jasper had a lot of faith in Jenks' abilities, so I was sure that he would come through with results. I just hoped Jasper and I would be able to use the information to save Andy somehow.
AN- First of all, THANK YOU for all the reviews last chapter! I got a record 43 for chapter 8!! You all rocked my world! Jasper said he had lots of fun helping you girls out in the kitchen, but his favorite was cleaning NatalieLynn's ceiling fan! He' s resting up because I have a big assignment for him today! Reviews of chapter nine will earn you a visit from Jasper, complete with a package of microwave popcorn, no napkins included. Make of it what you will!
Big sugar smacks *wink wink* to mynxi. Best beta in the world and the center of my fanfiction universe!
Finally, thank you for all the calming vibes, anti-anxiety meds, and especially the foot rub! This chapter went a little easier, so maybe by the time they're ready to seal the deal, I'll be able to write it without hyperventilating!