Chapter 8

Jake sat at the kitchen table and finished eating his breakfast while Sam hugged and whispered to Emily. He could have heard what Sam said if he wanted to, but after one long week of having Sam on his tail all the time, Jake was simply thankful Sam would be leaving for a couple of hours. When Jake moved in with Sam and Emily, he had no idea Sam would take his babysitting duties so seriously.

It was the most annoying experience of his life, but finally Sam decided Jared, Paul, and Embry needed a break from patrols and he would fill their shoes, or paws in this case. Jake kept his mouth as full as possible to keep from saying the sarcastic remarks lingering on the tip of his tongue. If he ran out of food, he would eat his tongue to keep him from saying anything at all. He needed to be away from Sam like he needed air to breathe.

Finally he heard the front door shut behind him and Jake took a much-needed breath.

"Good grief, I thought he would never leave," Emily said with a sigh.

"Driving you crazy, too?" Jake questioned.

"Yes, I have never had him here for so long. There has always been something pack related to keep him away. Whatever you all did on your last run, it must have really scared that leech because it hasn't been this calm in a long time."

Jake took his plate to the sink and leaned against the counter. "I never thought I would wish for vampire activity, but damn…"

"I know," Emily giggled and took his plate to wash it.

"You didn't have to do that. I do know how to wash a plate you know." Jake reached for the dish, but Emily playfully kept it away from his reach.

"I have seen you do it." Emily smiled.

About the only time Sam wasn't breathing down her neck was after he finished eating. Sam would wander over to the couch and sometimes take a short nap with a full belly. Jake would help Emily, which often resulted in water being sprayed on one another and lots of laughter. Granted the whole kitchen had to be mopped up by the time they were finished, but it was a lot of fun.

Side by side, Emily washed and Jake rinsed and sat the dishes on the rack to air dry. Once finished, Jake turned to Emily and used to the front of her shirt as a towel.

"Hey!" Emily protested with a huge grin on her face.

"Don't 'hey' me. If you didn't want me to do it, then there would have been a towel to use instead."

"The towels are being washed, but you do have a nice idea." Emily wiped her hands on Jake's chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and she pressed her hands into the heat of his skin.

Jake leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. Her hands were wet, but warm from the dishwater and his body absorbed the moisture easily. Everything about Emily was easy. She was by far the best part of his week. The long glances they shared helped him realize she wanted more. Deep sighs let him know she was bored. Slumped shoulders meant she was tired.

Her forehead rested against his shoulder and one of his arms snaked its way around her waist. Whoever came up with the saying 'girls were made of sugar and spice' must have known Emily. She always smelled delicious and Jake breathed her in.

"Let's take a break," Emily suggested and nodded to the couch.

"Agreed, but I like it here." Jake lifted Emily, so she sat on the counter and he stood between her legs. "Just relax," he told her

Jake brushed her long hair from her face and bound it loosely with a hair tie. One of the advantages to once having long hair, he knew what to do with it. He rubbed her back and shoulders, her thin robe revealing tiny shorts and a tank top. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.

With one tug of her robe, more of her skin was accessible. His hands danced over her, torn between feeling her skin and wanting to touch what was still covered by clothing.

Emily opened her eyes and saw the hunger in Jake's eyes. Without hesitation, she leaned forward to press her lips to his. It felt like an eternity had passed since their first kiss. That kiss had been impulsive and brief, leaving Jake to wonder if it actually happened. The kiss they shared now was full of passion and longing.

"Jake…" she whispered softly.

He loved hearing his name roll off her tongue. It made him want to leave her mouth free to say it again. His lips explored her neck, sucking on her flesh.

Emily moaned, pulling his hair to guide his lips back to her. As their mouths moved together, his body pulsed with tenderness and want. Tongues explored new and uncharted territory. Electricity charged between them, heightening every sensation. He felt a smile break free between each tender kiss, making him want to kiss her again, so he did.

His hands found her hips and pressed her into him. He had never felt anything like it and wanted to feel it repeatedly. Each time was better than the time before. Emily had more curves and valleys than Jake knew what to do with, but he was determined to figure it out.

The thin straps of her tank top fell down her shoulders and Jake helped them the rest of the way down her arm. He marveled at her beautiful breasts with perky tips, begging to be played with, so he did. Through her moans of encouragement he learned what she liked best and instantly became his favorites as well.

"Oh god… Emily…" Jake moaned.

"Jacob..." He heard off in the distance.

The only thing Jake felt was her hand on his length. His hips bucked up against her instinctively and his head fell back. He felt like he could hardly breathe and heard his name said again. For some reason it alternated between Jake and Jacob.

"Jacob!"

"Jake…"

"Jacob!"

"Jake…"

"Jacob!"

Jake awoke with a jolt. He looked around the guest room, his eyes finally focusing on Sam, standing in the doorway.

"Jacob, get up! We have patrols in an hour," Sam instructed.

"Alright, get out of here!" Jake took a much needed breath and prayed the bulge in his shorts wasn't as noticeable as it felt to him. He had only been at Sam's for two days, but it was seriously the longest days of his life. Not phasing and having Sam see his intense dreams about Emily made the past few days tolerable.

The first night Jake thought it was some sort of fluke, but then when he had the same dream again, he began to get concerned. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the exact same dream, but it was pretty damn similar. If Sam hadn't woken him up when he did Jake would have made a mess in his shorts again.

Sam shut the door behind him and Jake made it to the bathroom. He needed a cold shower if he had a chance of keeping his thoughts to himself. During his stay with Sam and Emily, Jake had managed to be as normal as possible. Emily constantly cooked, and he offered to help, but she declined unless she actually needed another hand to help with something.

When he did help, it was usually for only a few minutes. Jake felt awkward, like he was invading her space. Emily thanked him and then it was back to the couch. Once he thought about Emily tickling him and he began to chuckle, which resulted in Sam raising his eyebrow at Jake in confusion.

Most of the time, Jake spent his day watching TV or movies and while he wasn't looking forward to phasing with Sam, he was thankful for a change of scenery. After showering, Jake dressed in shorts and went out to get some food. Emily kept a tray of 'free for all' baked goods for the wolves for whenever they were hungry. He grabbed a couple of muffins, an apple and helped himself to a tall glass of milk.

"Thief," Emily teased.

Jake jumped and spilled the milk on the counter. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come," he stammered and reached for a rag.

Emily reached for the same rag and their fingers met. "You scare easily, Jacob." She smiled and Jake simply nodded his head not sure of what to say or do. He looked around and noticed they were alone for the first time since Jake moved in. "Where's Sam?"

"He already went out."

"Fantastic," Jake said with a smile.

Emily giggled softly.

Jake felt a creepy sense of deja vu flutter across his mind as everything seemed oddly similar to the dream he had just experienced. Did it seem like Emily was more relaxed without Sam in the room? Maybe he was imagining it, wishful thinking on Jake's part. He quickly ate his breakfast and convinced himself it was his imagination.

"As soon as you finish, Sam wants to see you outside," Emily added.

Jake nodded. Yes, reality was back. Of course Sam wanted to see him as soon as possible, and even if he didn't, there was no way Emily would randomly decide to hump Jake in the middle of the kitchen. He felt himself get a little excited at the thought and knew he desperately needed to think of something else. Emily propping herself on the countertop to eat her banana wasn't helping Jake's obvious situation.

It wasn't the first time Jake noticed the similarities between a banana and a particular part of his anatomy, but it was the first time he thought he might actually die watching the fruit be eaten.

Sam is going to kill me! Jake thought, closing his eyes, trying to think of anything or anyone instead of Emily.

"Hey Jake," Emily said.

He slowly opened his eyes to look at her, having no idea what she would want to say to him. "Yeah?"

"Do you like being here?"

The question was not an easy one, and he had to pause a moment before answering.. "I don't know, I guess that is hard to answer. I'm sure you can tell Sam and I don't exactly get along well, and I don't like having to be here. I feel like I have responsibilities to my dad and Bella's safety which other people are having to do for me instead of myself. I would much rather visit because I want to be here then be babysat." He gave her a pleasant smile which she returned.

"I have enjoyed you being here."

"What have you enjoyed about it?"

Her legs swung out in front of her as she sat thoughtfully. The stillness felt comforting, but the silence hung over him until he thought he would burst from curiosity. For the past two days, Jake had thought more of Emily than almost anyone else. He had observed her and could read her emotions and feel the words on the tip of her tongue, begging to be released. Jake wasn't the best at understanding women, but he knew he was getting some seriously mixed signals coming from her. When they did simple tasks together, her lips would smirk and a mischievous spark danced across her eyes.

He wanted to understand her better and waited patiently.

Right as Emily opened her mouth, Sam walked through the front door. "False alarm."

Jake sighed and ran his hand through his short hair. Sam's timing couldn't have been worse. He really wanted to know what Emily had been about to say. For a brief second, Emily made direct eye contact with Jake and then she leapt from the counter.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked Sam.

"Jared found a trail of blood and thought it might have been her, but it was an animal."

"So, no patrolling?" Jake asked.

"Nope."

Jake had the strangest mixture of relief and dread wash over him. He didn't look forward to phasing and then being skinned alive or losing valuable parts of his body, but he also really liked the idea of doing something besides watch TV all day.

"That's great and all, but Sam, I need a break. Give Embry or Paul some relief and I'll patrol with Jared."

"There is nothing out there, I don't need two wolves out at the same time. Besides the forest is full of hunters right now. It is not safe. If you are so desperate to patrol, what the hell took you so long to get out the door?" Sam challenged.

Unfortunately, Sam had asked a very good question. It wasn't really being on four legs Jake needed so much as some space from them both. Before he could think of anything to say, Emily stepped in.

"Calm down, Sam. I was asking him some questions. He would have met up with you soon."

The moment Emily spoke there was a sudden change in Sam's demeanor. Sam walked towards her and took both of her hands in his. "Did you need something?"

Jake felt like he was watching Sam imprint all over again, even though it wasn't possible. He could see Sam's need to please his imprint. Emily had him completely at her mercy. Sam was giving her the opportunity to ask anything of him and it would be granted. Jake looked at Emily, curious what she would do.

"No, I don't need anything, except for you to calm down. I was asking Jacob some questions, and it is my fault he didn't come sooner."

Sam gave her a hug, cradling her head against his shoulder. "Oh, it's okay Em." He kissed her hair and then gently lifted her face to look at him. "Just, next time maybe, wait until later. When I tell my pack what to do, I need to know it will happen. Okay?"

Jake couldn't decide if he was horrified or disgusted by the display in front of him. It was clear Emily had Sam by his jewels and could do whatever she wanted with them, and yet Sam babied her and treated her like she couldn't handle anything on her own. Living like that all the time would drive Jake insane and he wondered how Emily dealt with it all so calmly.

"Try not to worry so much," Emily replied, giving Sam a quick kiss on his lips.

Without another word, she turned back to the kitchen. Jake didn't know what she was about to make, but he noticed her hands tremble slightly as she measured this and that. It reminded him of when he first had the crazy plan to separate her from Sam. When Jake had asked her about her past, she got nervous and went to the kitchen. It was a stress reliever for her. Jake still didn't know what caused her anxiety. Based on how much she cooked, it had to be something huge.

Before he could ask her anything, Jared and Paul came to the house. They talked to Sam and Jake could see they were great friends. It made him feel like an outsider.

"Where is Embry?" Jake asked them.

"Taking care of your leech lover," Paul sneered.

Jake glared and started to say something when Jared did first. "Is that really necessary?" Jared asked, shaking his head.

"Is he still volunteering or have you actually acknowledged she does need protecting?" Jake asked Sam.

"I have added her to our patrol route," Sam answered.

"Good." Jake released a deep breath.

Emily watched them as she kneaded the flour to make bread. Her strong hands beat into the dough and it looked like something Jake would like to do.

"Want some help?" He asked.

"I got it," Emily responded.

"Please," Jake added.

Emily gave a simple nod of understanding and Jake moved towards her. He had never made bread before and she showed him what to do. As his hands kneaded the dough, Emily sprinkled flour and other spices for him to mix in. Some cinnamon landed on his arm and Jake lifted it towards Emily, blowing the spice towards her.

She giggled. "You are going to make me smell."

Jake laughed. "You already do."

"What? I do not!" Her face grimaced as she smacked his shoulder, leaving behind a floured hand print.

"Yes, you do, but not bad. You smell amazing." Jake stepped closer to her and took a deep breath. "It's like fresh baked awesomeness."

Emily's cheeks reddened. "Thank you." She turned her head to look at him and for a moment their eyes locked. Jake's senses heightened as he felt their arms touch each other. His breath caught in his throat and he heard the beats of her heart accelerate. Emily's eyes roamed over his face and she licked her dry lips.

He felt the same impulse to kiss her seep deep into his bones and he didn't know what to do. After the dreams he had, the temptation had never been greater, but they were not alone. In the back of his mind, his sensitive wolf ears heard Sam, Paul and Jared talking to each other and knew he had to keep his actions in check.

"What is this?" Jake whispered, gesturing between them. The words leaving his lips were so soft for a moment he wasn't sure if Emily had actually heard him.

Emily's teeth found her lower lip, and she quietly shook her head, taking a step back. Jake didn't want her to leave and gently took her arm. Looking back at him, he saw shock, but the most troubling of all, he saw fear.

"I'm sorry," he quickly let go of her arm.

"Don't be," Emily insisted.

"I can see it, Em," he challenged.

Emily ran a shaking hand through her long hair to calm down the stray hairs which had found themselves in a disarray around her head.

"It is not what you think."

"Then what is it?" Jake asked.

"We can't talk here." Emily looked over at Sam in the other room and then back at Jake.

Jake nodded in agreement as different ideas of what to do swam inside his mind. He didn't need to be trapped inside the house. Sam had over stepped in his role as alpha. Why did it take Jake so long to decide he didn't have to do everything Sam wanted? Jake didn't want to be constantly difficult and butt-heads with Sam, but he was going out whether Sam liked it or not.

"Outside," Jake whispered to Emily.

She nodded her head, placing the kneaded dough in the bread pan to rise.

Jake didn't say a word as he washed his hands at the sink and then walked out the front door.