Some of you will like this chapter and some won't. Keep in mind that Bella is rediscovering herself, trying to figure out her wants and needs. This is just part of that experience. There will be more experiences for her that readers may or may not like, but no one is perfect. We all grow and learn, and Bella, while fictional, is no exception. I hope you enjoy this chapter and keep in mind - this is not a Bella/Jacob endgame. She will be paired with Leah by the end, as intended. We're quickly approaching Jacob's first phase. Change is coming. Unfortunately, Bella is not. At least not in this chapter. LOL.

Bella opened her eyes as lightning boomed outside, followed by a roll of thunder. It took a moment for her to realize she was asleep on Billy's couch, covered in a light blanket.

Groggy, Bella sat up slowly and yawned. She vaguely remembered feeling sleepy earlier but couldn't recall drifting off or Jacob heading to bed.

Wait a second… It surprised Bella that he left her on the couch to sleep and assumed it was a long-awaited payback for the comment about not kicking her out of his bed. The cool air made her shiver as she threw the blanket back and carefully walked to the bathroom. She tried to turn on the bathroom light and groaned after nothing happened.

The power is out. Awesome.

The toilet seat was like ice as she sat down and hissed at the discomfort. For Pete's sake, it's April. If I were in Arizona right now, I'd be sweating.

After taking too long fumbling in the dark, Bella washed her hands and headed for Jake's bedroom. The door squeaked as she pushed it open. Thankfully, his LED night light glowed brightly, casting a soft blue light throughout the room. Bella nearly laughed. He only used it when she stayed over.

He knew damn well that I'd come in here.

Jacob sprawled across the bed, his long legs hanging over the short footboard. Bella snorted over his awkward position and rubbed the chill from her upper arms. She watched him sleeping for a few minutes, ignoring the cold and taking in the sheer beauty of his peaceful form. His long, thick arms stretched above his head as they clutched his pillow. His chest pressed into the mattress, and Bella could not help but follow the curve of his bare shoulders, down his back to the dip at his waist before rising over his firm white boxer-covered buttocks.

Hmmm. Nice ass. It wasn't as if Bella had never looked at it before, but it was never so well displayed. She shivered from the warm, pleasant ache between her thighs and told herself it was from the cold.

Bella could feel his body heat from the doorway and longed to slide in beside him. Still, he looked so peaceful that she felt guilty and seriously contemplated returning to the couch where she'd left the other blanket. Another shiver coursed through her limbs as her teeth chattered. She sighed and turned to leave.

"Bells?"

Bella startled at Jacob's deep, sleepy-roughened voice and turned toward him. "Uh, hi, Jake."

He teased, "Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, I'm freezing. The power is out," Bella said, her voice shaking as she shivered again. "How are you not cold?"

Jacob rolled to his side, glanced down at his nearly naked form, and laughed. "I think it feels good in here. You're just always cold."

Bella's teeth dug into her bottom lip to keep quiet as her eyes trailed down his chest toward his low-sitting boxers, the deep v between his hips peeking above them. She shook her head as she looked away, becoming frustrated with herself. It was the third time in less than a full day that Jacob turned her on without trying. What the hell was wrong with her?

Okay, so maybe she wasn't in love with her best friend, but she was definitely in lust with him.

Jacob chuckled and said, "Get over here before you tear a hole in your lip with all the teeth chattering." He moved to one side to make room for her, glancing down at her bare feet. "You should grab the blanket. I guess I kicked it off."

"Well," she teased, "You are a walking furnace lately."

Bella pulled the blanket over them as she climbed into bed beside him. Jacob draped an arm over her waist and tugged her closer. His warmth was soothing. Bella immediately relaxed against him, burying her face against his chest. Jacob hissed and laughed as her cold nose met his skin.

"I'm wondering about your circulation," he said as he stroked her upper arm, wanting to help her get warm. As his knee slid against her jean-clad legs, he teased, "You'd get warmer faster if you took those off."

"Jake!" Bella laughed, blushing deeply. He flirted with her, sure, but had never been that bold. She couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to let her bare legs tangle with his - for his warmth to reach every surface of her chilled skin.

For the sake of her circulation, of course.

"Survival 101," he teased, his voice nearly a whisper.

Jacob stopped stroking her arm to trail one finger down her side toward her hip and dipped into her waistband. Her head snapped back to meet his gaze. Smirking and silently challenging her, Jacob slowly slid his finger along the inside over her stomach and back to her hip.

Bella couldn't lie to herself about the trembling in her limbs or the breathy noise that escaped her as he palmed her side and rubbed his hot hand upward over her ribs. Reburying her face against his chest, she slid her hands to her waistband and unbuttoned her jeans.

The sound of the zipper sliding down made him pause. Bella lifted her hips to shimmy her jeans down her legs as Jacob leaned back to see her face. His eyes were wide with surprise as Bella used her feet to push them down her calves and off the end of the bed. She slid one chilly hand over his chest before burying it into his hair. Turning her body toward him, Bella pushed one leg between his and whimpered at the feverish contact. His hand slid from her ribs to her lower back as it closed into a fist around the bunched-up bottom of her t-shirt.

"Bells?" It was a breathy plea, and his brow furrowed with apprehension. She could feel him hardening against her abdomen, and his warm hand released her shirt to knead her side. It was incredibly distracting. Her heartbeat quickened, and she shivered as anticipation charged her body like a static shock.

Bella tugged at the back of his head and whispered, "Jake? Kiss me?" She didn't have to ask him twice. He slowly lowered his lips to hers.

Entirely different from their previous kisses, Jacob's lips moved softly, tenderly against hers in a sweet, lingering, affection-filled kiss. She parted her lips, and his tongue dipped into her mouth. Bella's heart pounded in her chest as her body came alive. Her fingernails pressed into his flesh as she pulled him, guiding him over her. Jacob straddled one of her legs as he moved over her, resting his weight on one forearm.

Bella pulled away from his lips to kiss down his chin and then across his jaw. "Mmm," she hummed against his skin as she grabbed his hand on her side and tentatively guided it to her breast. Jacob sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively pressing his erection against her thigh. The firm, prodding sensation sent a rush of heat to her lower abdomen, making her suck in a sharp breath. Bella raised her hips to grind against him as he rested his forehead against hers and squeezed his eyes shut.

Jacob choked out, "Bells?"

Dazed, she looked up into his dark eyes, panting. "What? What's wrong?"

A bashful grin spread across his face as he chuckled and said, "If you keep moving on me like that, I'm seriously gonna blow a wad right here."

Bella shook underneath him and turned her face away as she cackled over his unexpected admission. The vibration of her laughter rubbed against him, and he hissed. Emboldened by his blunt honesty, she said, "Well, it's too late for me, buddy. My underwear has been ruined since the picnic table yesterday."

Jacob groaned and dropped his forehead to the pillow beside her before rolling back to his side of the bed. His erection stood straight up, tenting his boxers, making his ears flush scarlet. As soon as their eyes met, their laughter began again, and Jacob grabbed the other pillow to place in between her hip and his erection.

Bella sighed as her laughter calmed, all the glorious lust-filled haze left quietly aching as her heartbeat slowed to its usual sluggish beat.

Nervously, he asked, "You're not mad that I stopped, are you?"

Bella turned onto her side to face him as one eyebrow shot upward in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

Jacob raised up on one elbow and used his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Things are different for all of us lately. I don't know if you're just… testing the waters here, or…"

Bella's stomach instantly churned with uneasiness as she asked, "What if I am?" When he didn't respond immediately, she asked, "What if I am… extremely physically attracted to you?"

"I can tell," he teased, nodding. "You're my best friend, Bells."

"You're mine, too. That's part of why I…"

"Want to use me for sex?"

"No!" Bella yelled indignantly, immediately offended. "Of course not. I was going to say that's why I trust you! I know you won't hurt me."

Raising his voice, he asked, "Enough to have sex with me? Because we're half naked already, Bella. Where do you expect things to go?"

She dropped her gaze, absently focusing on his chest as she whispered, "I don't know…"

Bella honestly hadn't considered that part. She was simply allowing herself to feel for the first time in months. And that feeling was addictive. She longed for more of it, for someone to touch her as though they genuinely wanted her. Bella wasn't so sure that being in love mattered as much as the need she felt for the physical affection Edward deprived her of. His icy presence had never soothed what burned beneath the surface, only stoking those urges before fleeing every time. Lost love had left her brokenhearted, but being with Edward had neither soothed nor hindered her craving for touch.

"But you're not in love with me," Jacob said and chuckled as she pushed away the sudden thoughts of Edward and comprehended what he said. There was no bitterness as he spoke, only blunt honesty and a little humor. The relief she felt was instant and exhausting all at once.

Softly, she said, "No, Jake. I'm not, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not in love with you either." He chuckled again as she startled at his words.

Wait, really? More than one person had implied otherwise. Hell, his behavior often said otherwise. He smirked as she frowned in confusion and asked, "You're not?"

"I'm not," he admitted. "Although I crushed on you pretty hard when you first moved back here. I know our friends keep trying to push us together, too. I do like you, Bells. A lot. I think you're smart, funny, and kind. And hot as hell."

Bella scoffed but then laughed as he immediately tickled her sides in reprimand. As always, her giggles made him laugh, too.

"You are, even if you don't think so," Jacob said through laughter. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for…"

He paused his feather-light assault on her ribs to add, "But … despite how embarrassing it is for a guy my age to admit…I'm not ready to take things that far, even if we were a couple or something."

She chuckled. Two guys my age in the area aren't ready for physical relationships, and I somehow found them both. It was just her luck. It was bewildering, however. She and Jacob were only a few months apart in age. Bella had been ready for a physical relationship with Edward a year ago. Jacob had had plenty of girlfriends for short spans but never anything serious. And clearly, they hadn't been physical.

Aren't boys the ones usually more eager for physical relationships? It seemed the common assumption, anyway. Even the discussions in her sex-ed course in Arizona had given that impression. Bella barely knew any women who expressed their needs for physicality out loud. On the other hand, Renee had always been too forthcoming about her sex life with multiple friends before Phil, treating Bella like her sister rather than her daughter.

Now you're here discussing boundaries with your best friend in your underwear. Maybe Bella was more like her mother than she wanted to admit.

They say that girls mature faster than boys... Then again, she thought, women have to start fending off advances from grown men and take on nurturing roles while they are still children. It makes sense that they would mature faster. They're forced to.

Simultaneously, Bella had to admit to herself that she was relieved. At least Jacob had the self-control to slow things down and be honest. He'd also been forced to take on nurturing roles from a young age. Life with Billy had been much rougher than life with Renee, however. Did that technically make him the more mature one? Did 'putting on the brakes' make him more mature than her?

Then again… she thought as a smile swept across her face, he started it.

Jacob tickled her again to regain her attention. Shoving his hand away to protect her tender ribs, Bella harrumphed and challenged, "You sure were cocky earlier. Kissing me outside like you meant business and teasing me about removing my jeans. What's that about then, huh?"

"I didn't think you'd call my bluff," he admitted through laughter.

Bluff, huh? How often had he stared at her how she stared at him, with lust-filled eyes, pink cheeks, and a racing pulse? Or clutched her hand as if it solely belonged in his? Why the hell are boys so fucking confusing? Even Edward, despite his advanced years, had always been cryptic and contradictory. It nearly drove her mad.

Bella considered everything Jacob might hide about his feelings, as well. Was he afraid to ruin their friendship? She had worried about that, too. Then again, he was the one who frequently flirted with her, whether or not he realized he did so.

Realizing she'd gotten lost in thought again, Bella glanced up into his dark, affection-filled eyes. Regardless of everything they each said, her heart skipped a beat, and her lips parted with anticipation as she glanced toward his lips. It took a second longer for her to notice Jacob's heavy breathing as he stared intently.

Feeling bolder than ever, Bella lightly trailed one finger up his abdomen and flattened her palm over his peck. Her thumb brushed his nipple as she slid her hand to his shoulder and gently pressed her nails against his skin.

"Okay," she said, drawing out the word like a dare. "Sex is off the table. You've made that clear." Trying to sound like she was teasing (and failing horribly), she pressed, "Can we still make out, because that would be…"

Bella didn't get to finish her sentence as his lips crashed into hers.

For the sake of my sanity - please leave your thoughts or questions on this chapter. My apologies for any frustration.

Also - Ps. Love you. You know who you are. Extra loves to Twilight Pack Fanatfics peeps and my fellow Ratties. xoxo