Chapter Sixteen

Jasper

She stood there, eyes heavy as if she'd been sleeping, my ring on her finger and a smile on her face. For the millionth time I realized how lucky I was.

"Sorry if I woke you. I'll just shower and change then come to bed."

Her eyes lit up with something at that and I felt warmth and an excitement radiating from her. Maybe it was the way I'd phrased it and I grinned as I went through to the bathroom after a kiss on the cheek. I needed to get the smell of blood off me before I felt happy joining her. I pulled on a pair of loose cotton pants and an old tee-shirt not bothering with socks, I'd keep my cold feet away from her. Then I joined her on the bed for our usual nightly kiss and cuddle which satisfied neither of us and became a little more intimate every time. There was something different in her emotions tonight, something wilder, her eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed. She wrapped herself around me searching urgently for my lips as if this were our first kiss.

I felt her hands slide under my shirt, which they'd done before, she wasn't phased by my scars. As she caressed my back I felt her fingers trying to dig into my flesh pulling me closer still, her legs wrapped around me tightly burning my flesh as if she were on fire and her breathing became more rapid. This was testing my restraint and I felt myself reacting. I pulled her face closer to mine, tasting her, then my hands found their way under her top and roamed across her back waiting to be slapped away. Her next move had the beast in me roaring. She slipped my top off and let it slide to the floor along with her own. The feeling of skin on skin was almost too much for me, I felt my arousal throbbing against her thigh. I was so hard I ached and I longed to feel myself deep inside her, wrapped in her hot flesh. Realizing where this was heading if I didn't stop now I tried to pull away but she resisted.

"I need you Jasper. I want you to make love to me, please"

I had died and gone to heaven or this was a dream that I never wanted to wake from. I felt her hands tugging at the drawstring of my pants then her hot fingers wrapped around me. I groaned at the sensations pounding against my self-control and as she pulled our remaining clothes off I lost it all. I felt her hands, her mouth, roaming over my body, not an inch going unexplored. I felt her hunger, her passion, and mixed with my own it was more than I could bear. I pushed her down and tried to calm myself as I ran my hands over the warm silk of her skin until I reached her centre. She was ready for me and as gently as I could, remembering she was a fragile human I slipped inside her, feeling her muscles contract around me. A final thrust and I was there, fully inside her and I knew without a doubt I was the first. As I moved slowly she breathed my name and nuzzled my throat. My actions became faster and more urgent as I felt her orgasm start and rode its waves waiting until the last possible moment before allowing my own release. I felt her warmth cool as I came inside her then I relaxed onto her, repeating her name over and over as I felt her slowly relax, still panting,

"Bella I hope I didn't hurt you I never thought about you being a..."

She kissed my words away and opened her eyes slowly, looking into my face, inches from hers,

"You didn't. You just took me to paradise, I love you"

We made love again later, more slowly this time, exploring each other more fully and came together this time, tumbling around in each others emotions. This was how it should feel, I knew it at last.

Bella

We were both reluctant to get up the following morning, I could have stayed in bed with him for hours but sometimes human frailties rear their ugly heads. I needed the bathroom and food according to my protesting stomach so we showered together, a tight squeeze which neither of us complained about then he packed the car while I went next door for breakfast. Sitting in a booth in the window I looked at my ring, like us it was simple but beautiful, and I wondered how I'd got so lucky. He slipped in beside me before I was half way through my meal,

"Will you be OK if you don't hunt again? You used up a lot of energy"

He laughed

"I'm not complaining, only that we had to stop and can't do it again tonight"

I groaned, I'd forgotten we were staying with Charlie. No, he wouldn't approve, engaged or not.

"You'll just have to make it up to me when we leave"

His smile took my breath away,

"This is going to be the shortest trip ever."

I promised.

Charlie

I'd tidied the house, made up all the beds, filled the freezer, washed the kitchen floor, and emptied the overflowing bin. All I had to do now was wait. I hated this, I shouldn't be nervous because my Daughter was coming but it had been such a long time and even longer since I'd heard her happy. When a car pulled up I could see two people in it, so I'd been right about that. As I watched he walked round to open her door and put a hand out to help her. I was liking him a bit, then he tucked her arm under his and they walked to the door. so, she'd found herself a gentleman, well done Bella!

As I opened the door to them I got a good look at his face, he reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on who. He waited while she gave me a hug and a kiss then stepped forward and introduced himself,

"Hello Chief Swan, I'm Jasper Whitlock"

I didn't recognise the name but I knew that face and my jaw dropped.

"You're one of the Cullen boys"

He nodded

"Yes, I was fostered by them"

I glared at him then turned to my daughter,

"Why the hell are you getting mixed up with the Cullens again? Didn't they hurt you enough last time? You must be mad."

"This is different Dad, Jasper is different"

"Really? He wasn't with them when they left you high and dry?"

"Yes I was Chief Swan I won't lie to you"

"That's a sensible decision son. So, do you have a good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass out right now?"

"Dad, Jasper and I are engaged to be married"

"And we'd like your blessing Chief Swan"

I was furious, Bella tied up with another Cullen, hadn't she learned her lesson the last time?

"Well you better come in and sit down. Tell me how you two met up again."

They followed me into the sitting room and sat side by side on the couch holding hands. I noticed the ring on her finger, looked like it was a done deal.

"Where'd you meet?"

"I ran into Bella at a friend's house"

"A friend of the family?"

"My friend, not a friend of the Cullens if that's what you meant"

"A friend of Edwards too?"

"No"

It didn't sound like he was fond of his former foster-brother I was glad to hear.

"And what do your Foster Parents say about this engagement? It must be a little awkward for them."

"I don't have any contact with them Chief Swan. We parted after we left Forks."

" I see and you don't have any other family?"

"No, only two old friends and Bella of course."

"Old friends? OK, and Bella? Not yet young man. not until the ceremony's over and the ring on her finger, and sometimes not even then."

I thought of Renee and myself.

"what is it you do exactly? To support yourself and possibly a wife?"

"Dad" Bella broke in but he stopped her,

"Its OK Bella, a fair question from a Father. I have some investments and I free-lance"

"Free-lance at what?"

"Security and Surveillance"

"Really? A Company I might know?"

"I doubt it, a small Security Organisation in Mexico"

"That figures! You Cullens are slippery customers, hard to pin down and even harder to find. I tried to trace your family, your foster-brother in particular, after they left Forks. Couldn't find any trace, strange that. Do you have any plans? Somewhere to live perhaps?"

"That's for Bella to decide. I have shares in a small ranch, we could live there."

"Son its just occurred to me, weren't you involved with Alice Cullen when you lived here? What happened there?"

Now own up, how many of you did a Jasper on me? Anticipating what I would write next, just as he did with her responses to him! Jules x