AN: Another turn in the right direction for Jasper and Bella. Edward comes to town and Tanya comes to stay for a while.

Chapter twenty-one: New Roommate

**Again, there have been re-edits. Tanya is now playing the role of Jasper's favorite cousin.**

Jasper, January, 2011...

As dejected as I felt, Bella was right, we had to stop. If we hadn't, who knows how far things would have gone.

It was too soon. I wasn't about to bring Bella into a sexual relationship with me until she was ready. I wanted her. God knows I wanted her, but Bella had to be ready before we went any further. I would exercise patience – even if it killed me – until she was.

I climbed off her bed and made my way from her room to mine, heading straight to my adjoining bathroom. As I stripped down, I couldn't help but think about Bella in here with me. I wanted to feel her soft lips on mine again.

As I got under the cool spray, images of Bella and I making love assaulted my mind behind my closed lids while I tried not to wrap my fingers around my erection.

My lips were still tingled from our kiss and while I wasn't about pressure her into anything more intimate, it didn't stop my mind from going to the gutter when I thought about Bella. Her petal lips were like heaven against mine.

It was like I was in a dream I didn't want to wake up from. My hunger for Bella left me craving her body and the release I so desperately wanted and was denying myself.

Frustrated, I finished my shower, the cold water doing nothing to alleviate my needs, and quickly dried off and got dressed before going to my office to make some calls. I was hoping to get some work done. I wasn't heading into my practice today. Carlisle would be filling in for me.

I needed to get ready to head up to Houston next month for this supposed deal Paul was trying to do behind my back. But also, I wanted to stay at home…with Bella. She and I had to talk. She and I taken another turn in our relationship and I wanted her to understand that I wouldn't pressure her into anything.

When I took a moment to really think about it, it was weird. Never in my life, had any woman affected the way Bella does. Not even Alice, whom I thought I had loved deeply, had this effect on me. With Bella in my life, things were so clear.

My day wasn't complete without seeing her. I had to see the corner of her lips curl up in a smile.

I had to stop thinking about Bella right now. Thoughts of her were distracting me from the call I was on. As soon as I hung up with Uncle Joshua, I would go and find her, because there was nothing but Bella on my mind.

~~abt~~

The delicious smell of breakfast led me to the kitchen. Bella was standing by the coffee maker, sipping from her mug, unaware of my presence while I stood behind her transfixed by the lovely girl before me.

Bella was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I had my share of gorgeous women in college, but Bella, by far, was the most beautiful.

Her beauty transcended well beyond her outer appearance. Simply put, she was beautiful both inside and out.

She turned to face me. "Oh hey."

The softness of her voice and the way her lips curled up into a light smirk with those kind, melted chocolate eyes holding me under their trance, made me shiver.

"Hey."

"I made breakfast," Bella said while all I wanted to do was kiss her again. "You were in your office."

"I'm working from home today," I told her.

She smiled at that. "I'm glad you're here."

"Great."

We sat down to breakfast, but the tension in the room was almost unbearable. I couldn't do it. I wanted Bella badly. Every time she lifted her damn fork to those sexy lips, my cock twitched and I couldn't help the images of her lips wrapped around something else from flooding into my mind.

"Jasper, are you okay?" Her voice made me jump.

"Umm…yeah!" I jumped up from the table with my half finished breakfast and headed to the sink. I had to get away. I was about to explode.

Unfortunately, Bella followed. "Jasper, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I struggled to say. Her intoxicating scent of strawberry and freesia was killing me. I wanted to grab her and throw her down right here on the kitchen floor.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said, turning to her. I tried to smile but it was in vain. Bella looked very worried.

"What's really wrong, Jasper?" she asked, concern laced in her tone. "Is this about this kiss?"

I couldn't answer, because it partly was. But this was mostly about me wanting her. Now!

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have led you on. Maybe I…"

No. She wasn't about to do this.

"Don't," I growled. "I wanted that kiss as much as you did. Come on."

I pulled Bella to the living room. We sat on the couch, facing each other and I blurted out. "Do you want me?"

She looked shocked by the question. "Yes."

"Then I don't regret the kiss. I…"

"Want more," Bella finished for me.

"Yes."

"I know how you feel," she chuckled, looking away from me, but her hand stayed in mine.

"I'll wait, Bella." She looked at me. "I'll wait until you're ready, but please remember to trust me, I'm not going anywhere."

I don't know if it was what I said, or it was my eyes pleading with her to believe me, but Bella crashed her lips to mine. I caught myself in time, half falling on top of her as we fell back on the couch in a heated kiss. Bella's hands were everywhere. Our tongues and lips moved in fervor as her hands roamed all over my body.

"God, I want you," I mumbled against her hungry lips.

"Want you…mmm…want you too," Bella moaned.

She pulled me down on top of her; my body pinning her under me. My hands found her hair, and I deepened the kiss.

"Bella…" I moaned.

"God, Jasper…" she groaned as my lips moved to her collarbone, nipping and kissing her heated skin.

The doorbell rang and then there was a knock. Shit!

Bella didn't stop, and I didn't care about who was at the door. My beautiful girl was devouring me whole.

The door was knocked again. And again, and again.

"Jasper," Bella breathed, grinding her hips into mine. "Uh…mmm…want you." The need in her voice went straight to my cock.

God, I wanted to be inside her.

A louder knock startled us both and I begrudgingly moved away from Bella; although the desire in her eyes was making it extremely hard to get up.

"You should get it," Bella said breathlessly.

"I should," I said, bending down to kiss her again. Our lips molded and the moans escaping us made my cock twitch.

Another knock.

"I really should go," I mumbled against her lips.

"Mmm…" was Bella's answer.

I got up, adjusting myself as I made my way to the door. I moved slowly, giving Bella time to make herself presentable to whoever was at the door.

When I opened it, I mentally rolled my eyes at the sight of one of my best friends, Edward Cullen, and my cousin, Tanya, standing before me.

"What are you two doing here?"

Tanya smirked, ignored my question, and looked me up and down. "Tell me something…" she said, handing me her bags, and continuing, "…if I go and find Bella right now, will she look as disheveled as you?"

"Maybe even worse," Edward snorted, moving pass me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied to Tanya and ignored Edward's chuckle.

"Sure you don't," she teased. "But I'm sure Bella does. Bella!" Tanya shouted, walking off while Edward laughed.

"This Bella must be something else," he smirked. Oh hell no, I wasn't going to do this. Not with Bella. This wasn't college.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Edward said with that crooked grin of his that always pissed me off.

"Bella is off limits, Cullen." I loved Edward like a brother but the ass got on my nerves sometimes. Edward was very competitive. But so was I. And to me, Bella was mine.

Things with her would be different, and Edward will respect that.

"Stay away from her," I warned Edward. "You're gonna work for me, so mind your business."

Edward chuckled darkly. "What if I want to make her my business?"

"Don't fuck with me, Cullen."

"Damn," He laughed. "You are in love with her."

"I never said that…" I snapped defensively.

"You didn't have to. Peter said so, but I didn't believe him until now. This is going to be interesting. Let's see if I can change her mind." Edward moved around me, heading to living room where Tanya and Bella were.

Dropping Tanya's bags, I followed Edward while thinking of how I'm gonna kick his ass if he tried to make a move on Bella.

We found Tanya and Bella standing in the middle of the living room. Bella didn't look disheveled but the smirk Tanya gave me showed me that she knew Bella had spruced up before she walked in.

A blush stained Bella's cheeks after Tanya whispered something to her while she glanced over at Edward and me.

Edward took a step forward, but I grabbed him by the arm, yanking him back to my side. "Play nice, Whitlock," Edward mumbled with a fake smile.

"This isn't college," I reminded him.

"We'll see," Edward said with a clenched jaw and a snide grin before I released him.

Tanya gave me a stern look. She was right. It was a part of what I had to talk to Bella about. I wanted her to know all of me.

Tanya turned her attention to Bella. "Well, it's great to see that you and Jasper have been getting along, since Christmas?"

"Bella, aren't you gonna be late?" I was giving her a way out of the interrogation and I hoped she picked up.

"Yeah!" My girl said, picking up that I was giving her a golden opportunity. "I've gotta go. I've got something in town to do."

"Okay," Tanya smiled with a cocked eyebrow directed at me. "I suppose we'll talk when you get back."

"Yeah," Bella said less enthusiastically and I smiled, reassuring her that it would be okay.

"I'll see you too when you get back," Edward said, unfortunately reminding me of his presence. I didn't need his games right now.

"Who are you?" Bella asked.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he told her, and I rolled my eyes, making Bella chuckled lightly as they shook hands. He was giving her that crooked smile so I wasn't sure if Bella chuckling at me or laughing with him.

On the unsuspecting female population, Edward could be very disarming. I guess it was only me and the rest of our friends who knew what an ass he could be.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward," Bella said, and I watched Edward, if possible, swoon at the sound of Bella's kind voice.

She let go and moved away from him, stepping closer to me, her eyes never wavering from mine, and she smiled as she walked by. "I'll see you all later."

As soon as I hear Bella's feet pounding up the stairs, I turned back to the troublemakers. "Why are you two here?"

"To meet Bella," Edward said casually, taking a seat on the couch.

I looked at Tanya. "To be with my favorite cousin," she pouted.

"Her divorce is final," Edward supplied Tanya's real reason just as Bella was descending the stairs with her jacket in her hand.

Edward ran his hand through his unruly hair and jealousy sparked in me when Bella's noticed the move. But before that feeling overwhelmed me, she glanced at me and blushed, ducking her head as she whispered a soft 'goodbye' while her sweet scent filled my nostrils when she brushed past me and out the door.

"You've got it bad, man," Edward commented.

I leaned my head against the door, wishing I had gone with her.

"Oh my God, Jasper, come away from the door," Tanya demanded from her position on the couch. "She'll be back."

"Why are you two really here?" I asked, attempting to not let my irritation bubble over.

The pretend happiness disappeared from her face as she began to speak, "I wanted to get away. Paul is still in the house and I don't want to deal with him. It's over and he's talking about how we can still be together."

"I'm sorry," I sympathized.

"It's okay," she sighed. "I knew he was cheating on me, and I guess I was stupid enough to think that if I tried to be the best wife I could, he'd stop."

"It's not your fault," I told her calmly, keeping my building rage at Paul in check. "You can stay here for as long as you want."

Her face lit up and she was back to her mischievous self. "Thanks, Jasper. I plan to."

"Oh, this should be fun," I laughed.

I could only imagine all the trouble they were going to get me into.