A/N: Heyo! So here's the epilogue, the final part of Melt! -sobs- Sorry for taking so long. I have no life for the next month due to finals coming up and butt tons of homework and such. T_T But I shirked it off all for you guys, so I'd better get some reviews! XD Ah, my leg is asleep. D:
Yalina09: Your review made me really happy! I find myself very fortunate to have kind readers like you. -sniffles- :')
Warning, slight bit of smut. Just in inkling. Lol. I knew you guys would hate me without it. So there you go. :)
Oh! And if you want pics of what Ina's dress and the bridesmaids dresses look like, just message me and let me know! I have them saved onto my computer so I'll have to attach them.
PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Love, as always, your humble authoress, wolfsbane92. :)
Ah! I forgot to mention! The song at the beginning is "Howl" by Florence and the Machine. It's awesome, go listen to it. And no, I did not write up those lovely vows and such. I googled them, and the blessing Grandpa Call gives is from the Apache tradition (so says Google), but I thought it was really beautiful and wanted to add it. Also, I've only been to two weddings, one that I can remember (I was five at the first one, haha), so do forgive if I've made some mistakes. I did some research, but it's not as good as the real experience. Please enjoy!
Epilogue
Jake and I were circling each other, eyes glued to the other's face as white lights flashed all through the darkness around us.
If you could only see
The beast you've made of me
I held it in but now
It seems you've set it running free
Music blared around us as we continued to stalk around each other, our surroundings a mirage of blue, black, and purple mist. Jake stepped in front of me and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again they were glowing bright yellow. He grabbed my waist and roughly pulled me to him, one corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk.
Screaming in the dark
I howl when we're apart
Drag my teeth across your chest
To taste your beating heart
He stepped forward and I stepped back, our bodies still meshed tightly together. His grip slid down to my hips, fingers digging into my flesh as I swung my hips to the beat. We spun around the dance floor, Jake's eyes flickering down to my neck as he bowed me against him. He inhaled deeply, the hard bone of his fangs pressing against my soft skin. He suddenly pulled me back up and we were off again. My body was moving of its own accord, mirroring Jake's sensual movements.
My fingers claw your skin
Try to tear my way in
You are the moon that breaks the night
For which I have to howl
Jake flung me out and spun me back in, pulling my hips tightly against him as he swung his to the right and left. His breath was hot on my ear, his chest rumbling with a deep purr and vibrating against my back. He pushed me out again, his hand twisting and spinning me around and around. I started to get dizzy and the warmth of his hand disappeared as I fell to the ground, panting. I shielded my eyes against the spotlight and searched for him, but he wasn't there. Yellow eyes surrounded me, glowing against the darkness like stars in the night sky.
"Jake?" I called feebly.
My stomach was in knots, my vision blurry. I was freezing, shivering violently as the eyes slowly turned crimson and stalked closer.
"Jake? Where are you? Jake? Jake!" I shouted. The creatures lunged at me, their claws wrapping around my limbs. I screamed.
"Ina! Wake up!" someone hissed, shaking me gently. My eyes popped open and I sucked in a breath, nearly head butting Leah as I jumped up. "Whoa! Hey kid, calm down! It's just me!" she cried, taking hold of my hand. I stared at her, wide eyes still remembering the red orbs that had surrounded me.
"Just a dream," I panted, sinking back down onto the bed. I groaned and palmed my forehead. Leah wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to her, petting my hair gently.
"You okay? What happened?" she asked, her voice soft. I quickly related the dream to her and she chuckled, shaking her head. "Boy, this separation thing has got you two all torn up, huh?" she laughed. I frowned at her.
"It's your fault," I snorted. She pulled back and grinned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"Yeah, well, you'll thank me for it later. Besides, this is the last week of freedom before you're a married woman! You'll get to spend the rest of your life with Jake," she smiled. I frowned at her some more and she chuckled.
"Come on, let's go back to sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you, and we have-" she glanced at the alarm clock, "—four hours before the madness begins." I groaned and flopped back onto the bed beside her. "Just think," she whispered, taking my hand, "tomorrow when you walk down that aisle, Jake is going to be right there waiting for you, monkey suit and all. He'll take your hand, look you in the eyes, say 'I do,' and you guys will be off on that fabulous honeymoon of yours. Two whole weeks of nothing but you and some Jakey loving." I glanced at her and we burst into a fit of giggles.
"Jeez Leah, when did you turn into such a sap?" I teased. She rolled her eyes.
"I've been hanging around that pretty boy too much," she grinned. I cocked an eyebrow at her, trying to hold back my smirk.
"You know you like him," I giggled, poking her in the arm. She narrowed her eyes at me. "What? Don't lie! Leah loves a pretty boy! Leah loves a—OW!" I yelped as she pinched my arm. I scowled at her and she grinned innocently.
"Oh yeah? Well this time tomorrow you'll be going 'Oh, Jake! Oh Jake, touch me there!'" she sighed in a high pitched voice.
"Ew, Leah!" I squealed, throwing a pillow at her.
"'Oh, Jake, you're so good! Jake!'"
"LEAH!" I shouted, hiding my burning face under the blanket. She cackled evilly and tugged the blanket off of my face. "You've been around the guys for way too long," I scowled. She grinned.
"Yeah, well, your man is one of those guys so I'd get used to it if I were you," she smirked. I rolled my eyes and she patted my head before turning her back to me.
"Get some sleep, future Mrs. Black," she teased. My heart jumped in my chest, and I knew she heard it because she started cackling again.
"You're evil. Remind me why I picked you as my maid of honor again?" I sighed.
"Because you love me and I'm awesome," she replied simply.
I sighed again and closed my eyes, smiling against the fabric of the pillow.
"Future Mrs. Black," I mouthed.
In what seemed like mere seconds later, the alarm clock shrieked loudly. Leah groaned and smacked it, effectively shutting the blasted contraption up. A few minutes later it buzzed again, and this time I groaned.
"I don't want to get up," I mumbled.
"Me either. Let's sleep in today," Leah replied.
"Agreed."
I cracked one eye open and looked at Leah.
"What's that noise?"
"Ionno."
Tmp tmp tmp tmp tmp BAM!
The door was flung open and we were suddenly showered in rose petals as May danced around the room, a basket slung over one arm.
"Wake uuuuup!" she sang, pouring the basket of petals on Leah's head. Leah grunted and swung her arm around in an attempt to hit her, but May danced away. Leah and I hissed as she pulled up the blinds and sunlight seared our retinas.
"The hell, May?" Leah growled, rubbing her eyes. The blonde jumped onto the foot of the bed and pointed down at me.
"In case you've forgotten, Miss Call, you are getting married today!" she shouted.
"May, shutup!" Seth groaned from down the hall.
"Love you too, Sethy Poo!" she called, grinning.
"Oh yeah," I mumbled, eyes widening as realization dawned on me.
"'Oh yeah,' like you really forgot," May snorted, grabbing my arm. "Come on! It's already almost nine thirty! I even let you guys sleep in a little, you bums!" she grunted, pulling me up into a sitting position. My head lolled back as she tugged on my arms, trying to pull me off the bed.
"Urg. Guess we should get up. We have a lot to do," Leah groaned, rolling off the bed. She crawled over to the window and roughly tried pulling the blinds close, but only succeeded in making the whole thing fall on her head. She grumbled curses as May cooed and rubbed her head.
"Hey Lee, Sonnet will be there to escort you down the aisle. He'll be wearing a tux, and he even cut his hair. He said he didn't want to look like a sissy pretty boy standing next to a hard ass like you," she chuckled.
"Did he really?" Leah questioned curiously. May grinned.
"Okay, he only cut it because he knew you'd make fun of him if he pulled it back into a ponytail," she admitted.
"Sissy," Leah grunted, though a small smile tugged up the corner of her lips. May and I both rolled our eyes, then we got up to start getting ready. I jumped in the shower and let May braid my hair into pigtails as Leah was bathing, then got dressed in sweats and headed out for some last minute shopping.
"Oh, these are cute," I commented, holding up a pair of silver heels. I glanced over at May, who was snickering, and dropped them on the floor. "No. Just…no."
"Why not?" she whined, holding the white lace corset up to me. "You need something to hold your girls up! You want them to be giving a pleasant hello, not hiding under your dress."
"Why should they say hello? Do they not already say hello just by being there?" I squeaked, swatting her away.
"No. They're just like 'yo, sup.' You want them to be like, 'Hey stud, going my way?'" May teased in a Southern accent, batting her eyelashes at me. I rolled my eyes, then eyed the corset.
"Oh, alright," I sighed. May pumped her fist in the air, then scurried over to find Leah. I chuckled and shook my head, jumping when I heard Jake's ringtone going off. I raced to find Leah, as she had stolen my phone and refused to give it back until after the wedding. When I found her, she was smirking.
"Huh. Right…No Jake, you can't talk to her…I know you're in pain, but you only have to wait a few more hours…don't talk to me like that, young man! Respect your elders!" she growled. May snatched the phone from her and grinned at my pouting face.
"Jake, just you wait until you see what she's going to be wearing under her dress…heck yeah it's good!...wipe your mouth, puppy, I hear your drool slapping against the floor…alright, I'll tell her. Jake says he loves you and misses you so much, Ina," she smiled, blowing kisses at me.
"I love you too, Jake! Only a few more hours! And then we can get our revenge! I love you!" I shouted. Several ladies turned to look at me.
"She's getting married today," Leah smirked. They all nodded and smiled knowingly. May whispered some other things into the phone before snapping it shut and handing it back to Leah.
"Now, let's see about something for you to wear tonight," May teased, the mischievous glint in her eye turning to pure evil. I scowled at her.
"Messing with you never gets old," Leah joked, pushing me back toward the lingerie. I groaned and pretended to cry as they held up various items.
"Sunday morning, rain is falling!" May sang, swinging her hips as she curled my hair. I clasped and unclasped my hands nervously in my lap, exhaling loudly. May ignored it and continued singing, using a hair brush for a microphone. Emily shook her head and smiled, leaning in to swipe a brush across my eyelids.
"You'll be fine, I promise," she smiled. I gulped and nodded as May belted out the "ah yeah yeah!" part of the Maroon 5 song. My mother was beaming and taking pictures right and left.
"Mom, you're not going to have any room in your camera left for the actual wedding!" I teased. She grinned and snapped another picture in response.
"It's not every day my baby girl gets married. To a hunk!" she chortled.
"Amen sifta guhl!" May agreed through a mouthful of bobby pins. She soon had my hair arranged in a delicate cascade down my shoulder, the top half of it pulled back loosely with several flowery pins.
"Alright, I'm done. What about you, Emily?" she asked. Emily finished sweeping a little gloss across my lips before sitting back and smiling.
"Done here," she said. My mother snapped several more pictures. Leah smiled and brought the bag that was holding my dress over, hanging it on top of the door.
"Ready for your dress?" she asked, unzipping it.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I sighed nervously.
"Wait! We almost forgot the secret weapon!" May shouted, running over to her bag. She pulled out the box that contained the corset, aka "secret weapon," and grinned. I sighed again.
"Yeah, go ahead and sigh. It's the last deep breath you'll be taking for a while," she chuckled. I tugged my shirt off and hugged my arms around my chest self consciously.
"Don't be shy, Ina. I've already seen more than I've ever wanted to see through Jake's thoughts," Leah smirked. My face burned bright red and she took the opportunity to uncross my arms so May could slip the corset around me.
"Oh? Have you guys done it already?" May asked curiously. I gasped as she yanked the strings at my back, contracting my ribcage several centimeters. I heard the door shut as Emily and my mother slipped out.
"No, but they've gotten close," Leah replied for me. I scowled at her, and at Jake, who wasn't there, for sharing our private time with everyone.
"I could ask the same of you, May," I grunted, trying to take in a small breath.
"Of course not, Paul is the perfect gentleman," she smiled. Leah snorted.
"That's not what he says," she grinned. "What about that time in his truck by the cliffs? Or on the beach? Hm?"
"As I recall, there was no penetration, Your Nosiness," May snorted. I winced as she tugged the strings especially hard, then tied them and stepped back.
"Hoo doggy, those babies are ready to pop out and see the world!" she cried satisfactorily. I looked down and was met by a faceful of flesh.
"Don't you think…it's a little much?" I grunted. May shook her head, but Leah rolled her eyes.
"Here, I'll help you out," she said, loosening the strings a little. I breathed out a slightly larger sigh of relief and gave her a grateful look. May handed me the lacy garter we had brought earlier that day and I rolled my eyes, slipping it up my leg with some difficulty.
"I'm afraid of bending over, I think my boobs are going to fall out!" I chuckled.
May grinned and unzipped the bag with my dress inside. The sunlight made the jewels embroidered on the outside sparkle, and I felt a small part of me break inside. I couldn't stop smiling as warm tears poured down my face.
"Aw hell, she's crying. May get the tissues!" Leah ordered, gently dabbing at my face with her fingers. May quickly scurried to grab some tissue and handed it to Leah, who expertly wiped the streaks of mascara off of my face. I sniffled and blinked several times, trying to hold back the tears.
"Guys, I'm getting married!" I cried, blinking more as the tears started falling once more.
"Yes, honey, we've already established this," May grinned. Leah fixed my makeup and she brought the dress over. They helped pull it over my head and tugged it down so that it rested perfectly against my frame, then buttoned up the back.
"Ohhh you look so good!" May beamed, clasping her hands together. "Guh, I need to go get dressed. Think you can handle her, Lee?"
Leah snorted and waved her away, and May bounced out the door. Leah picked up a medium sized blue box and opened it, taking out the sparkling chandelier earrings inside. I put them on and she smiled gently.
"You look beautiful," she said. I thanked her and stood in front of the full length mirror as she went to go change.
The woman staring back at me was far from the girl I had been a year ago. That girl knew nothing about what it meant to live. She passed every day in the same routine, not giving a second thought to anything out of the ordinary. Then a certain wolf boy came along, and her world was turned upside down. Now I knew that every step, every movement, every breath was a blessing because it meant that I would get to see my friends, family, my sweet Jacob Black for one more moment. And that meant everything.
The door creaked open and my mother poked her head in, her face grinning widely as she bustled over beside me.
"Oh Ina," she sighed, wrapping an arm around my waist. She leaned her head on my shoulder, smiling at my reflection. I gave her a squeeze, letting my arms linger around her as I rested my head against hers.
"I remember when you were five years old, sitting on the porch eating popsicles with Paul and Embry and catching fireflies," she smiled. "Now you're all grown up. A woman." Her voice cracked at the end and I held her as she cried.
"I still like popsicles," I teased, handing her a tissue. "And I'm still your little girl." She gave me a watery smile and blew her nose. There was another tap at the door as Leah returned, looking utterly stunning in her dark green, one shoulder dress. Her short, wavy hair was swept to one side, a butterfly pin sparkling against her black locks.
"Wow, Leah!" I whispered in awe. She bowed and smirked, then came to give my mom a hug.
"She looks great, doesn't she?" she asked, nodding her head in my direction. My mom beamed and sniffled some more.
"Well, I'm going to head out. Going to take my seat on the front row," she chuckled, winking at me. I hugged her again and waved as she walked out the door.
"Now what?" I asked, twiddling my thumbs.
"We wait," Leah grinned. I sighed and perched on the side of a stool, afraid of ruining my dress. The room was quiet except for Leah's humming as she helped me into my strappy heels. She finished and stood up, then adjusted the top of my dress.
"Boobs are lookin' good," she commented wryly. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her.
"The things you guys get me to do," I sighed. She grinned.
"Hey, if it weren't for me, May would have packed your suitcase full of all kinds of naughty things," she chided. I winced.
"Yeah, true."
The room was silent once more. I could hear my heart thumping loudly inside my chest, and my stomach was in knots. It felt like my first date with Jake all over again.
"Stop chewing on your lip, you're getting lipstick all over your teeth," Leah chuckled. My eyes widened and I quickly ran my tongue over my teeth, then bared them to her. "You're good," she smiled, patting my cheek. There was a knock at the door and Jay poked his head in.
"You ready sis? It's almost time," he grinned. My stomach jolted and I winced. The nervous dragons were being especially rowdy today.
I nodded and stood up, nearly tripping on the hem of my dress. I groaned, my heart pounding in my chest and making me short of breath.
"I'm so nervous!" I yelled. There was another knock as May and Paul both poked their head in. Their jaws dropped and May immediately pulled out a tissue, dabbing at her eyes.
"Wow. WOW. Ina, you look great!" Paul grinned, pulling me into a hug. He kissed my forehead and stood back to look at me. "Jake is going to be floored. I mean it. You look beautiful, kid."
"Thank you, Paul. That means a lot," I sniffled, blinking away tears so I wouldn't ruin my makeup again. May pouted, her green eyes huge as she squeezed me into a giant hug. She was wearing the same ensemble as Leah, and it looked beautiful against both of their contrasting skin tones. May had pinned part of her hair back too, but gave it a little twist with a plastic pink dog barrette in perfect May style.
"I can't wait to see the beautiful babies you guys will make. Peace and blessings and all that," she beamed. Jay held his arm out and I took a deep breath, slipping my hand around his elbow. He smiled gently down at me, his hazel eyes so like my own shining with tears as he leaned down to kiss my cheek.
"I'm proud of you, sis," he whispered. I nodded, still blinking. Leah kissed my other cheek and waved before she went out to find Sonnet, who she would be walking down the aisle with.
I jumped as Paul smacked my butt and said, "Go get em' tiger!" He grinned and pulled May out behind him. I took another deep breath, hearing the music beginning to play outside. My heart thundered in my chest, threatening to break out of my ribs and run down the aisle by itself. I let Jay lead me to the back door of Sam and Emily's house, where we would then go outside to the large back yard where the wedding was being held. I glared at the solid block of wood that separated Jake and I, anxiously waiting for it to open.
"Ow. You're cutting off my circulation," Jay chuckled.
"Oh, sorry," I grunted, releasing his now slightly wrinkled sleeve. He patted my hand and looked back at the door.
Jared's grinning face finally peeped through a crack in the door. "You ready, sister?" he asked. I gulped and nodded. The door slowly swung open, and I tried not to flinch too horribly as I was blinded by sunlight, since I heard the numerous clicks of cameras going off.
The wedding march began to play and we stepped outside.
The sun was setting over the horizon, casting an orange glow around Jake, Sonnet, Embry, Paul, Leah, and May. Spud was sitting in front of May, her golden fur gleaming in the sunlight. The little green barrel around her neck held the rings. I smiled and looked back up, my eyes catching Jake's chocolate brown orbs. He grinned, beaming at me as Jay and I made our way up the aisle, and I tripped. The crowd gasped and I coughed, righting myself quickly as my eyes darted back and forth. Paul snorted but quickly turned it into a cough with a look from Emily. I took a deep breath and concentrated on not falling over until we finally made it to the altar.
"Who gives this woman in marriage?" Grandpa Call asked, smiling down at me.
"Her mother and I do," Jay said firmly. Grandpa nodded and Jay gave me a kiss on the cheek before handing me off to Jake. The warmth of his skin surrounded me and the world melted. It was only Jake and I standing there, our eyes locked together. Grandpa's voice slowly permeated the fog of my brain, but I kept my eyes on Jake.
"Repeat after me," Grandpa ordered Jake.
"I, Jacob Ethan Black, take you, Ina Alexa Call, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life," Jake said, squeezing my hands. I felt warm tears slipping down my face as I beamed at him. He smiled and gently wiped them away.
I repeated the same words to Jake, my heart swelling in my chest with each word until I thought it was going to burst. We exchanged rings and waited patiently as Grandpa rambled some other words until finally he said, "Jacob, you may kiss your bride."
Jake smiled his most beautiful, heartwarming smile and took my face between his hands, leaning down slowly. I couldn't help but giggle along with him until he pressed his warm lips against mine and took my breath away. His lips were so warm, and I could feel all the love and longing he was pouring out into that very kiss. Reluctantly, he pulled away and grinned at me once more, his eyes shining. The sun lit up his gorgeous orbs, fracturing the deep brown with emerald and amber and making his russet skin glow radiantly. He leaned down and kissed me again, smiling against my lips. I vaguely recall multiple whistles and howls, mainly from the wolf pack, but I distinctly heard Jay and Sonnet howling along with them.
"Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth," Grandpa recited. "I now announce you man and wife."
Everyone cheered as Jake picked me up and swung me around. We were attacked my vicious bear hugs from all angles, and one vuvuzela that May had snuck under her dress. Jake held my hand tightly as we ran back down the aisle and into Sam and Emily's house before they could bombard us with rice. We made it inside and collapsed onto the couch, both laughing wildly. I sighed and leaned my head against Jake's warm chest, chuckling every now and then.
"So, how are you my dear husband?" I grinned, looking at Jake. He smiled and pulled me down for a searing kiss. His tongue slid seductively along my lips and he pulled back as the door burst open.
"Ack! You guys have to wait until tonight to get it on! It's party time now!" May cried, blowing her vuvuzela again. Jake winked at me, once corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. Paul pulled me up off of Jake and threw me over his shoulder, racing outside as Jake chased him around the yard. Emily threw a spoon like a ninja star and hit him in the head, effectively ending his little game of cat and mouse.
The rest of the night was spent in mad dancing and pigging out on Emily's delicious food.
Well, everyone else was pigging out.
I could barely breathe, thanks to May.
I scowled at her as she stuffed a giant piece of cake in her mouth and she grinned.
"What's wrong? Not hungry?" Jake asked, his face concerned. He was sitting in the chair beside me, one arm around my shoulders.
"No, May made me wear this stupid corset and I can barely breathe, much less eat," I complained, pouting. I caught his eyes flashing down to my chest and he grinned.
"I'll get us some dinner later, okay?"
I nodded, sighing.
Soon after dinner, May stood up and clapped, pulling a chair into the center of the yard.
"Oh, Ina dearest, why don't you have a seat?" she said, grinning evilly.
"Oh boy," I grunted, sitting down. The crowd gathered around us as May blew her vuvuzela to get everyone quiet.
"Alrighty, fellas! Gather round, gather round!" she called. "Paul you better catch this," she growled under her breath. Paul grinned.
My face reddened as Jake's heated hands skimmed up my leg, bringing the folds of my dress along with them. I laughed as he kissed his way up my shin, his dark eyes glued to my face, then shrieked as he licked his way up my thigh.
"BAH! JAKE!" I giggled, swatting at him playfully.
"Get it, bad boy! Woo hoo!" Quil shouted.
"Look at those legs, baby! Ow ow owww!" Leah howled. The rest of the pack joined in with her, then all started laughing and punching each other. I shot them a look, then yelped as Jake nibbled my skin.
"Eyes on me," he ordered, his voice deep. I shivered, heat coursing through my body and the crowd forgotten. He grinned, nibbling delicately at the garter around my thigh. His searing hands skated up my thigh, one coming to rest at the junction between my hip and leg. He groaned and closed his eyes, smiling as he slowly pulled the bit off lace off of my leg with his teeth. He looked up at me and his eyes flashed yellow before turning back to their normal color.
The unmarried guys all crowded up behind him, pushing each other playfully. Jake winked at me before chucking the garter behind him. There was a flurry of motion as everyone raced to catch it. Out of the corner of my eyes, a blonde blur streaked through the crowd and leapt off of Quil's bent back.
"SPUD!" everyone groaned, laughing as the blonde pup brought her prize to Paul, her tail wagging. Paul grinned and patted her on the head, throwing a glance at May.
After that fiasco, all of the women crowded up behind me and waited for me to through the bouquet. I teased them for a few moments by pretending to throw it, and when I did everyone gasped. I turned to see Leah looking dumbfounded with the bouquet in her hands. The party became silent except for the chirping of crickets. Leah glanced unsurely at me, then let her eyes flicker to Sonnet, then back to me. I nodded, smiling at her.
"Heck yeah!" Sonnet whooped, breaking the silence. Everyone laughed and the guys clapped him on the back, nearly making him fall over. Leah winked at me before putting her pretend angry face on.
As it neared midnight, everyone wished us well as we packed into Jake's car and headed off to our honeymoon. We would be spending a few weeks in a log cabin a little northeast of La Push, near the mountains. Jake cranked up the heat as I rubbed my arms against the autumn chill. He held out his arm and grinned as I snuggled in close to him. I sighed and breathed in his sweet, woodsy scent, closing my eyes.
"Ina honey? We're here," Jake whispered in my ear a little while later. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, then looked around. Jake chuckled and took my hand as he led me to the beautiful, two-story cabin in front of us. He unlocked the door and picked me up, then carried me over the threshold. I barely got a glimpse of the living room as Jake flew up the stairs and kicked open another door.
Bedroom, I thought, gulping. He grinned and set me down on the bed, leaning in to press his lips against my forehead. The dragons were rampaging around in my stomach as he loosened his tie and shrugged his jacket and vest off. He rolled the sleeves of his white Oxford up and held a hand out to me.
"My dear?" he smiled. I nodded and took his hand, eyes flickering nervously between the floor and his face as he pulled me in close. He pulled my arms around his neck and hummed softly as he unbuttoned the back of my dress. "My, my, what do we have here?" he asked, sliding his hands up my back. I shivered and closed my eyes as he pressed his lips against my shoulder and gently pulled the top half of my dress down. He stood back and whistled, a slight smirk showing his satisfaction.
"They're not really that big," I joked, rubbing my neck nervously. He chuckled and slid his arms around me again. "Uh, wow, that wasn't really a long car ride like I thought it would be," I rambled. He grinned.
"That's because this is our house," he said slyly. My eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"W…what?" I asked stupidly.
"This is our house, baby. The boys helped me build it. Do you like it?" he asked, biting his lip.
I was still in shock.
"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled, kissing my knuckles. He cocked his head to the side, looking like a sweet puppy as he looked at me.
"Wow," I breathed finally. He grinned and pulled me into a warm hug, his lips grazing my shoulder. His breath whooshed out onto my skin as he sighed.
"Are you happy here? With me?" he asked.
"Of course I am!" I said without hesitation. I gave him a big squeeze for reassurance and he chuckled. "Why do you ask?"
"I just want to make sure. I kind of feel like I forced you into it," he mumbled. I pulled back and cupped his face with my hands.
"You didn't force me into anything. Well, anything I didn't want to do already," I said. He grinned. "I love you, Jake. I always will," I whispered softly. He smiled and pulled me into another hug, rocking back and forth.
"I love you too."
It was quiet for a few moments before he pulled back and sighed.
"I guess I'll go grab our suitcases. Make yourself comfortable," he smirked, waving as he walked out of the door. Oh boy.
I fumbled with my dress, managing to pull it over my head by myself as my heart pounded rapidly in my chest. I tugged at the strings on my back until they finally came loose, then pulled on them until I got the blasted corset off. I inhaled deeply for the first time in hours, and man did it feel good. I pulled my shoes off and enjoyed breathing for a few more moments, until I heard Jake coming up the stairs. I panicked, looking around for an escape. A door stood off to the side, so I rushed over to open it, then quickly shut it behind me. I felt around for a light switch, and when I turned it on I realized I was in a bathroom. A sink and mirror sat directly in front of me, a bath tub to my left. I jumped into the tub and pulled the curtain closed.
A clear curtain? I thought. Really guys?
I jumped as Jake's footsteps thudded in the room and quickly turned the shower on, yelping as I was scalded by hot water.
"Ina? Are you okay?" Jake's voice called.
"Y-Yeah! J-just taking a shower! Whew I got sweaty when we were dancing!" I lied, hugging my arms around my chest. There was no shampoo or soap in the tub yet, so I just stood there dumbly for a while and stared at the bottom of the tub. My heart pounded in my chest, and it was even harder to breathe with all the steam.
You stupid! He's out there waiting for you! One side of me said.
Exactly! He's out there waiting to eat me! The other cried pathetically.
"What am I saying? He's not going to eat me," I sighed. I turned the knobs off and pulled the curtain open.
Where did those shiny black shoes come from? I asked myself. I gasped in realization as my eyes floated up to see Jake's shocked face standing directly in front of me.
"Uh, I , um, I just, um!" I rambled, trying to cover myself.
Jake quickly walked over to me and pushed my arms away, wrapping his tight around me as he pulled me out of the tub and pressed me against him, his lips crashing hungrily against my own.
"J-J-Jake I'm wet!" I gasped, struggling to get away.
"I know," he grinned, licking the water off of my neck. I shivered, fisting his shirt in my hands.
"Y-you're going to ruin your n-nice clothes," I stammered, brain beginning to fog up.
"Well you'll have to take them off for me," he growled in my ear.
I melted right then and there.
Jake picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me back into the bedroom. I fell back onto the bed and he kicked his shoes off, climbing on top of me as he kissed me again. I fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, groaning as his bare chest pressed against my skin. He flipped us over and I straddled his hips, kissing him fervently. I moved down to his neck and nibbled gently, then bit him hard. He made the most delicious sound as his hips bucked.
He flipped us back over and pinned my hands above my head, his eyes glowing as he panted quietly.
"No," he said. "We should do this slowly."
"I have no objection to that," I smiled.
He grinned, leaning down to kiss me gently. His lips pressed softly at first, then slowly built in pressure and urgency, my favorite slow burning kiss. His hands skimmed down my arms, around my neck, and tentively down my chest, coming to rest above my rapidly beating heart.
"Are you afraid?" he asked, his eyes concerned.
"Just a little nervous," I admitted, smiling at him. He kissed me gently, his yellow eyes dimming slightly.
"Ah, so you admit it finally," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes. His face grew serious as he said, "We don't have to do this tonight, you know. We can wait until you—"
I shushed him with a finger to his lips, then wrapped my arms around his neck as I pulled him back down to me. I wrapped my legs around him and pushed my hips up toward him. He hissed and ground back against me, making both of us groan. I kissed him again, then moved my lips to his ear.
"Take me," I whispered.
I scrunched my face up as sunlight hit my eyelids, making my inner world glow orange. My eyelashes fluttered open and Jake mumbled in his sleep, wrapping his arms tighter around me. I smiled, pressing a gentle kiss against his chest.
The sunlight fused into his skin, making him glow angelically, his messy hair and state of dress the only signs that he wasn't quite an angel. The corners of his lips were turned up slightly.
Are you having a good dream? I asked him silently.
He sighed and mumbled something else. I chuckled and slowly pulled myself away from him so that I wouldn't wake him, then grabbed his wrinkled Oxford and pulled it around me. I headed downstairs, feet padding quietly against the wooden floor as I explored the living room and kitchen areas. I noticed a coffee maker sitting in once corner and turned it on, then went to find all of the things to make coffee. I had never made it before, but I had seen Mom and Jay do it enough to know what was going on. After getting the coffee going, I wrapped my arms around myself and looked out the window, in awe of the beautiful sight before me. The woods stretched on and on behind the house, and snowcapped mountains could be seen in the distance. Birds were singing, squirrels were squirreling, I was married to the most wonderful man ever, and hey, life is good!
I jumped as a pair of warm arms wrapped around me from behind, a chin resting against my shoulder. He sniffed.
"That coffee?" Jake's rumbling voice asked.
I nodded.
"You don't like coffee."
"No, but you do."
"Oh. Aw for me?" he grinned, turning me to face him. He kissed my lips, resting his forehead against mine. "I knew there was a reason I married you," he teased.
"Jake!" I laughed, pushing him playfully. He chuckled and pulled me closer against him.
"Mmm. Good morning sweetheart," he mumbled sleepily. I chuckled and kissed his cheek.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," I replied, smiling.
Yeah.
Life is definitely good.