Chapter Twenty Six
Bella
I sat by the fire while Charlotte unpacked the box she'd brought in and Jasper sat by my side, checking I was warm enough I think. The cold and the journey had worn me out and after a bowl of hot soup I excused myself to get ready for bed. That's when I realized I had nothing to change into, neither did I have any clean clothes for morning and I was just starting to panic when there was a knock on the bathroom door and Char popped her head round.
"If you look in the drawer there I grabbed some clothes, probably not to your taste but I was working to a deadline"
"Thank Char you're a saviour"
She grinned,
"Wait till you see what I got before saying that."
As she disappeared I pulled open the drawer and blessed her again. There were three pairs of jeans about the right size, three thick sweaters and some tee shirts plus bags of underwear, gloves, and hats. Well I may not be ready for a catwalk but I would be clean and warm!
There was no shower just a tub but there was hot water, although where it came from I had no idea, maybe the small range at one end of the room, and fluffy towels so I had a quick soak before pulling on the sweats I found in the drawer too. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and went back out. Peter and Garrett were talking quietly by the fire and Char was washing up but Jasper had been waiting for me and taking my hand he said goodnight to the others. I was immediately nervous, what did he expect? Was he coming to bed with me? Was I ready for this? We went up and I was relieved to see another smaller fire burning in the bedroom keeping it warm, the bed was turned back and looked very inviting. I sat down looking around, my heart beating very fast.
"Don't worry Bella I'm not going to force you into anything but if you don't mind I 'd like to spend the night in the room with you. I'm just terrified that if I lose sight of you I'll never see you again."
"Sure, I think I'd feel better with you here anyway"
Jasper
I didn't want Bella left alone ever, just in case, and at night while she slept she was the most vulnerable so I was relieved when she agreed. I knew she was nervous so I made myself comfortable in the armchair by the fire turning it just enough that I could see the bed without appearing to be staring at her. She climbed in and I picked up a book I'd found on the shelves downstairs, a very old copy of an almanac but it would do until she fell asleep then I could do what I really wanted to and watch her. For a few minutes she lay quietly eyes closed but her heart was beating much too rapidly for sleep.
"Would you prefer it if I asked Charlotte to sit with you?"
She sat up quickly and answered even more quickly
"No, why?"
"You don't seem very relaxed and I thought it might be my presence."
"It is but not the way you think. I'm not scared of you or what you might do"
"Then what is it?"
Bella
I lay down only too aware of his presence a few feet from me and when I closed my eyes I could still feel him but he wasn't close enough. I wanted him here in bed with me, and not just to keep me safe. I wanted his arms around me, his body close to mine, his lips on me, and with each thought came another and my heart beat faster my mouth went dry. When he offered to leave I almost screamed in protest. Did I want Charlotte in his place? Was he mad? Words tumbled out before my brain could stop them and now his question hung between us, thick with unspoken fears and desires. It had been so long since I had laid in a man's arms and even longer since I had felt desired. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists knowing this was my chance to be entirely honest with Jasper as he had with me all along.
"I'm scared that if I ask you to come to bed with me you might refuse."
He didn't speak for a few seconds and I thought I'd blown it, Edward hated it if I made any sexual overtures to him, was that true of vampires in general?
Jasper
The honesty of Bella's words was there in every syllable and it took me unawares so I needed a few seconds to compose myself then I smiled over at her,
"Why don't you try, you might be surprised."
She bit her lip and looked away and I thought the moment lost then she turned to me and pulled the covers back,
"Jasper would you join me?"
It was four steps from the chair to the bed but it seemed like four hundred I couldn't get there quick enough. I sat on the edge then turned to lay beside her, reaching out to take her in my arms and kiss her but she shook her head,
"No, I mean come to bed with me. I need you"
Without speaking she undid the buttons on my shirt and stripped it off throwing it to the floor with shaking hands then put them on my chest and resting her weight on me she kissed me hungrily.
"Jasper will you make love to me?"
I lifted her up and lay her back down then stood to finish stripping off before joining her in bed pulling her close, feeling her hunger wash over me.
Bella
I'd done more than I should and now I was scared that if I continued being the aggressor in this I would disgust Jasper and he would react as Edward did and freeze up. I watched as he stripped off and caught my breath, he was so magnificent in his nudity. I could feel my hunger spreading through my body setting my nerve endings on fire with a need to feel him inside me. He undressed me slowly then ran his hands over my body following his fingers with his lips and I couldn't contain a groan of pleasure but I kept still, not wanting to put him off or upset him by wanting to become more involved in this. He stopped and brought his mouth to my ear,
"Bella am I doing something wrong?"
"Oh God no"
"Then why aren't you responding?"
"I thought...I know its hard for you, with me human...I know I could set off your hunting instinct if I'm not careful and I really don't want you to stop."
"Bella I don't know what you were told by Edward nor do I care but I want you to respond to me, I want you to do anything you feel like doing. I wont hurt you and I couldn't get up and leave if I tried, not now."
I pushed him to lay flat on the mattress and stroked his chest with trembling fingers before kissing his throat, his jaw, and pulling him closer to me, feeling my own need becoming intolerable and I pulled him on top of me,
"I'm sorry Jasper but I can't wait. I need you, please."
He smiled and as I felt him enter me I gasped with pleasure, it felt so good I clawed his back then grabbed his hips pulling him as far inside me as I could and as he started to move lazily I felt my own orgasm building. He held back until I was panting and begging him before speeding up and timing it so we came together in an explosion of sounds and colours, his emotions mixing with mine to send us tumbling over the cliff and into a soft velvet darkness at the bottom.