Alice

"I don't want to start out this way with you," he said, stopping her before they reached the double doors. Alice knew that the woman she'd just met had been more than a friend but this was all too new. Her betrothed had an ex. Not so unusual.

Now, the cigarettes- how far was she willing to go with this? Judging by Jasper's declaration, he realized how much this affected her.

Alice looked at her new husband, hoping the camera were not coming to meet them as she already spied the producer on her way over to them. She took Jasper by the hand and led him around the corner and into the ladies' restroom. If he was uncomfortable being there, he didn't show it, evidenced by the determined wrinkle on his forehead.

"I just want to be honest with you," he continued.

"I'm listening," she said, preparing herself for the worst. In her experience when someone began a conversation this way something good usually did not follow.

"That woman back there - we were together…over a decade ago. I was a different person then. I did things I'm not proud of. I will tell you eventually, but I don't even recognize that younger version of myself. Do you believe me?"

"I do. Everyone has a past."

"She - that woman is trouble. She means nothing to me. I don't trust her though." He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips and turned from Alice. "Jesus. This has to be our first conversation as man and wife? I'm so sorry."

"I'm not worried about her," Alice told him. "And I appreciate your honesty. It tells me a lot about your character."

"You are so good…I don't know how I got so lucky," he said, taking her hands in his.

Alice drew back a hand and pinched her nostrils. "I am so attracted to you, but the cigarette smell…I just can't."

His expression didn't change and he removed his jacket. He also pulled out a tin of mints from the inside pocket. "I get it. Nobody wants to kiss an ashtray."

She smirked as he popped several into his mouth and then dumped his jacket into the trash. Was he just too good? So many smokers she'd known were incredibly defensive of their smoking. They often made excuses why they should or that they couldn't quit or were to be accepted the way they were.

Jasper spoke through the mints. "I wasn't making that up about quitting. Maybe I can score a patch from the producer or maybe someone in the crew has some nicotine gum."

"How long have you smoked, Jasper?"

"Since I was 16."

"And you are how old now?"

"32."

"I see." Alice cringed a bit. Lifelong habits were the toughest to overcome.

"How old are you?"

She told him and took his hands in hers. "Thank you."

"For what? All I've done is bring trouble to our relationship."

"For being willing to quit for me."

"Until now, I've never had a good reason to."

She couldn't help it. Alice sprung into his arms and met those lips with hers and her heart fluttered as he wrapped her into his chest.

"Can you still smell it?" he asked.

"I can," she said, but she'd been ignoring it.

He exhaled, then pulled away and unbuttoned his white dress shirt. He threw that on top of the jacket. "Better?"

She gestured him forward to meet her, getting a better look at how nicely the white t-shirt fit his chest and shoulders. And how the short sleeves hugged his biceps. "I can't tell. You'll have to come closer."

He smiled, standing at attention, as though Alice was free, like some kind of drill sergeant to just circle and sniff him at will. "Just say the word and the shirt comes off."

This gave her a little shiver. She thought that was what tonight was for, but heck, a preview couldn't hurt. She only picked up a minor trace of the smell in his hair, but what was she going to do? Ask him to shower? No. He'd already made such an effort. "Much, much better," she said, making a show of running the tip of her nose along his chest and collarbone. While breathing in that citrus and earth, she took the opportunity to get a nice view of his backside.

She wanted his lips on hers so badly.

"What is your last name, soldier?" Alice asked. That stiff form, chin held high, shoulders back showed that discipline. It reminded her of her uncle, who had been in the army.

"Whitlock, Ma'am." He didn't bat an eye.

"And, how long have you served in the military?"

"14 years, just retired."

Retired? Now, this left him a civilian and this was a relief. Part of the agreement of participating in this "experiment" was to be open to either moving or changing their living situation. Although she enjoyed traveling, Alice did not relish the idea of being stationed in different states or countries. "Thank you for your service," she said with a smile and traced her finger along a long white scar down his right forearm, at which he kept at his side. Battle scars?

He nodded. "Permission to ask you questions, Ma'am."

"Permission granted," she said.

"Your full name."

"I was born 28 years ago as Mary Alice Brandon. But if you call me Mary, I will not answer you."

"Noted. What is your favorite flower?"

"Lilies. Though they're more of a funeral flower, I adore their smell. That's why I chose lilies and roses for the wedding."

His eyes sought hers just then. "Why are you here?"

Wow. She thought he was going to start with something like her favorite color. "I'm here for the same reason as you. Looking for the one for me, someone who isn't just looking for a hook-up or doesn't want to talk about themselves endlessly, someone who wants to know about me."

"Have you ever been engaged?"

"Once. But it didn't last more than a month."

"Who called it off?"

"I did. Too many red flags. Now you. Have you ever been in love?"

"No, Ma'am, but I see the potential."

Alice definitely saw the potential. The discipline at which he stood there and allowed her to question him and touch him, yet there was also something there, like a lion beneath the surface. It didn't scare her. From the moment they'd had the chance to speak, he was concerned the most about pleasing her, making sure she was okay with him.

"Permission to kiss you?"

Oh, she really liked this. "Permission granted."

A moment later, his arms were around Alice once again, and his lips on hers. The mints, not fully dissolved, masked the cigarettes, and she allowed herself to melt into the kiss. She grasped the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer, wanting to feel his body against her, and he edged their bodies back against the wall beside an air dryer.

A knock at the door brought her back to her senses, and the producer entered, finding Jasper and Alice making out like teenagers, him wearing a t-shirt and dress pants and pinning Alice against the wall beside the air dryer.

"You two look like you're hitting it off," she said, holding back a smile, "but we have a reception to film. We have pictures and the dance and the meeting of the families."

For Alice it all passed in a blur, and from the moment they were able to escape the reception, their hands never left one another. Other than his blatant handsomeness, she noticed small details about him she hadn't before - scars, very faded and small, like one across his cheek and another from the outer edge of his right brow across the temple. Where had these come from? Had he been to war? Yet, in no way could she ever conceive of this man as a threat or instigator. He carried this air of confidence about him, even authority. It made her feel safe, and she almost felt sorry for the other guy.

The air in the limo was charged as the producer interviewed them on the way to the hotel. Jasper had been so gallant and charming, the way he'd introduced himself to Alice's mother. His mother, a heavyset woman in her sixties with Jasper's brown eyes and blond hair, took Alice into her arms, saying she was so happy her son found the right woman. He stood at her side, grinning as she said it, though hiding a blush, as though she was speaking God's honest truth.

Alice's own mother had tears in her eyes as she introduced them, and he didn't just shake her hand, he threw his arms around her. "Thank you for bringing this angel to earth," he told her.

As far as the ex, Alice tried not to think about her too much. Though it had crossed her mind that she might try to play a part in breaking them up in some way, Alice also wondered if the show had put her up to it to add some extra spice. He'd said he'd done things he wasn't proud of. Well, who hadn't? Despite his reassurance, Alice wasn't threatened by his ex. His posture had tightened and the way he backed away from her showed he didn't want to have anything to do with her, so in her mind, this Maria - this woman from his past, who obviously belonged there, didn't exist as a threat if Alice didn't allow it.

The thing that put her off were the cigarettes. She'd had a long-standing issue with those cancer sticks in her family - losing her favorite aunt in her forties from them, and because her father had smoked like a chimney since he was a teenager, she felt forever cursed having to smell it on his clothes, in the house, in the car, and anyplace her dad took up presence only to then lose him as well to that ugly habit. That was the thing about cigarette smoke; it permeated and saturated, and the hatred she had for it went deeper than just the dislike of the smell. Cigarettes represented, to her, addiction and weakness. It was a choice that a person made because of the way it owned them. Her father watched his sister die, and he knew damn well it was the cigarettes that led to her throat cancer and they all watched as her aunt deteriorated, losing not only the function of her voice, but her teeth, and even most of her tongue. He lost his favorite sister…and he still refused to quit. Alice knew she had daddy issues. Who didn't?

She still smelled the hint of it on Jasper's jacket as they walked back inside. He left it on a chair next to the exit, which was far from where they sat, which she found very thoughtful. Of course later, she would explain this all to her new husband. The last thing she wanted was to be the person who had to change him. The show must have seen this as not so important because she hadn't preferred to be matched with someone with this habit. But, once she saw Jasper, felt the utter perfection of their match, she had to allow him his past and his human-ness, because they were all imperfect. Because in his eyes, Alice saw something reflected there in his expression that was far beyond attraction. Her guides had been right. She was meant to come here to meet him, and if she was to overcome or defeat this addiction of his, then that's what she was going to do.

Out of courtesy, he removed his jacket again after they'd posed for all the pictures, and it was slightly easier to pretend on her wedding day that this wasn't an issue. He held her tight as the photographer posed them. He'd even gone through an entire tin of altoids. It was hard to tell whether it was because he might have hoped for more kisses, or because he was trying to replace the urge that the nicotine had on him. She hoped it was the first. She wanted to kiss him again. So badly. But, she also believed that if he said he would quit, that he would. He wouldn't lie to her, would he? Had he ever had the desire to quit on his own? Or was it just Alice - the new wife who was cracking the proverbial whip so soon in their relationship, giving him cause to seek a change in his addiction?

"How do you feel, Alice?" the producer asked as Jasper held her hand in his.

Grinning, she met Jasper's eyes, whose expression seemed dependent on what hers showed. Like a mirror. He smiled also and squeezed her hand, though before he even said a word. He was there for Alice. Alice was there for him. Weren't all the other things just small stuff?

"I am happy."

"Jasper, it looks like you're pretty happy as well."

"I am," he said.

There it was - that little accent. She had to ask him about where in Texas he was from. Being born and raised in Mississippi, she easily picked out the accents from the different states. They were both from the south. Another thing in common.

"What is your favorite thing about Alice so far?"

"The way she makes me feel."

"How is that?"

"Like she really likes me. Like she's here to start a life together. Like I didn't make the most foolish mistake of my life by doing this show."

This made her even more giddy. What he said about Alice was so spot on. It was a miracle to her to find this connection.

The crew of five followed them to their honeymoon suite, which Alice and Jasper knew they were not obligated to sleep together. There was also an adjoining room with a sofa bed.

Alice wanted to shoo the cameras away as she sifted through her suitcase, wanting to discard the itchy wedding gown and all of its foof, in favor of something more comfortable and toss away the darn microphone attached to the back of her waist. This was one of those moments, although private, where they were supposed to just be with one another and "forget" that there were other people in the room with them. They told them when they got the angles they needed, then the other cameras mounted in different corners would take over at designated times. But they also guaranteed their privacy, once they gave the signal. One thing was for sure: the cameraman was not going to leave them alone until Alice and Jasper made an indication whether they'd be sleeping together or separately.

"So…may I address the elephant in the room?" Jasper said as Alice pulled the gold chemise from her bag.

He was bringing this up now. On some of the seasons Bella and Alice had watched, the couple danced around the topic, avoiding it as though it wasn't the reason that thousands were watching. Ooooh. The wedding night. Will they or won't they? The episodes went on painfully long. But, her groom wanted privacy…asap.

Jasper stood at attention, just like he'd done in the ladies' restroom earlier.

"You may." Alice hadn't had any preconceived notions. She was attracted to him for sure. But, was she going to jump into bed with him? She didn't know yet. The idea of his hard body pressed against her again was more than tempting, and she definitely wasn't taking it off the table.

Jasper approached her and took her hand in his. "I know we're strangers to each other, and I understand if you…we don't have to share a bed tonight."

For Alice, there was only one way to respond. She sprung upon him like a cheetah and laid her lips on his, giving the camera the show they wanted. While their lips were connected, and she deepened the kiss to make their intention very clear to the producer, she heard the sound of the shuffling papers, the moving equipment. With lips locked, they stayed that way until the door closed shut.

Jasper pulled away from her a second later, out of breath and smiling. "You did that on purpose."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You wanted them to go."

"I just followed your lead."

"Alice, I am not here looking to get laid. I really like you. I want this to last."

"Me too."

"I mean, I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for."

She kissed him on the cheek. "I don't feel rushed." They stood, staring at each other. "But, I'm not going to be the one who rushes us." She threaded her fingers into his. In a move that was contrary, she turned and gestured for him to unzip her dress.

"I'm getting mixed signals," he laughed, inhaling a breath as she felt the tug of the zipper pull being drawn downward. His finger ran along the bare skin of her back and she shivered.

Modestly, she turned to him, holding the bodice to her chest. "Close your eyes."

He straightened right away and obeyed, and she let the heavy garment fall to the floor in a big satiny puddle. If he opened his eyes, he would see her in a strapless bra and a slip - much less revealing than a bathing suit. His eyes remained closed as she discarded the undergarments and pulled on her chemise, and the hem landed mid thigh.

She headed to the little round table that had a bucket of champagne, two flutes, and a bowl of fruit and chocolates.

"You may open your eyes," she said, now tugging on the handle of the cork.

"I am one lucky man," he said, and as she turned her gaze back to his and away from the cork, she witnessed the admiration in his eyes. This melted her in ways she hadn't expected.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, do you want to help me with this?"

Instead of taking the bottle from her, Jasper came up from behind, planted some small kisses on her neck and placed his hands over hers, using his thumbs to dislodge the wire fasteners until the cork exploded outward onto the carpet, and a small amount of the champagne spouted.

They both laughed, and she pulled the bottle upward, trying to catch the liquid with her thumb. She grabbed a washcloth and mopped up the spillage from the carpet while he filled their flutes with the bubbly liquid.

"To the beginning of our lives together," he said, holding up his glass and handing the other to her.

"To amazing beginnings," Alice said, clinking their glasses together. He wound his forearm around hers, so she sipped from his and vice versa, and somehow they accomplished this as if they'd done this every day of their lives. They were already so in sync.

And she couldn't wait to find out how else they were compatible.

A/N: So, did they or didn't they? Guess you'll have to stick with me to find out! Thanks to all for following, sticking with me, and for your reviews! I appreciate you all!