Apologies for the wait, everyone! I just couldn't seem to make this chapter happen for a while. Thankfully, my muse decided to come back! Thank you for your patience, thank you to everyone who had added this story to their alert/favorite list, and thank you to everyone who took the time to leave feedback! I really appreciate it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.
Chapter Six
Danielle woke to warm sunlight on her face and the sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore just outside the window. She kept her eyes closed against the morning sunlight, sighing quietly to herself as awareness slowly returned to her mind, then turned onto her other side to snuggle closer to Jasper. Upon reaching for him and only finding an empty space next to her, however, she frowned and finally opened her eyes.
Jasper wasn't in bed, but there was a beautiful tropical flower laying on the pillow he had occupied the night before. Danielle smiled, propped herself up on her elbow, then reached for the flower to smell it, inhaling the sweet aroma. It was then that she noticed something else about the bed that had her tilting her head to the side curiously. There was a sizable tear in the sheets – in fact, the mattress topper underneath was torn, too, and there was even a rip in the mattress itself.
Danielle touched the mangled fabric with confusion, until memories from the night before rushed back. She could vaguely recall hearing something being ripped while she and Jasper had been making love, though she had been too caught up in the heat of the moment to know the cause of it. But now she knew, and the thought that Jasper had been so beside himself that he had literally ripped the bed was enough to make her grin and giggle into her pillow, before she turned onto her back with a happy sigh.
Now that she was thinking about last night, she couldn't stop thinking about it. The way Jasper had kissed her, the way he had touched her, how amazing it had felt to be joined with him as intimately as possible…the memories of it all sent a rush of heat through her and made her heart start to beat faster. Danielle had always expected that when the time came for them to take that final step together that it would be good. But making love with Jasper had far surpassed her expectations. It hadn't been just good – it had been incredible. She couldn't wait to be with Jasper again, to feel his hands and his lips on her, to love him and touch him in return and get lost in that exquisite pleasure that only he could give her.
But if she wanted to do any of that, she had to know where Jasper was first.
With that thought in mind, Danielle threw off the covers and got out of bed. She noticed as she stood up that there was a slight ache between her legs from the previous night's activities, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle, nor anything she hadn't been expecting. Danielle opted to put on the button down shirt that Jasper had worn the previous day, which swamped her once she had it on and the buttons fastened. Then she pulled her hair into a knot on the top of her head and left the bedroom to find her husband.
As soon as she stepped foot outside the bedroom, she was greeted with the smell of cooking food and the sound of Jasper's favorite band from back in the day. Smiling, she tiptoed toward the kitchen to try to sneak up on him, even though she knew it would be a futile attempt – with his vampire hearing, he had probably heard her coming as soon as she had gotten out of bed.
When Danielle reached the kitchen, she leaned against the doorway and smiled broadly to herself, her heart instantly warming when she saw what Jasper was doing. He had his back to her as he stood in front of the stove, dressed in the most casual attire she had ever seen him wear – a white t-shirt and blue colored swim trunks – and he was humming along with the song that was playing as he made what looked like an omelet.
Good lord, he was adorable. Just when she thought he couldn't get anymore perfect, just when she thought she couldn't possibly love him anymore than she already did, he went a did something like this and made her fall in love with him all over again.
"Are you planning to stand there and stare at me all day?" he asked to break the silence, his voice tinged with amusement.
Danielle smirked as she gave him a once over, her eyes lingering on his rear end. "Maybe. You do have a pretty cute tuckus," she remarked.
Jasper just shook his head and chuckled to himself. Danielle couldn't stay away from him any longer and went to wrap her arms around him instead, stepping in close so that her front was pressed firmly against his back.
"Did you just refer to my butt as a tuckus?" Jasper asked, peering down at her over his shoulder with a smirk and a quirked brow.
To hear Jasper, who always spoke so properly, say the word tuckus made her giggle into his shoulder. "I did," Danielle confirmed, before peeking around him to see how the omelet was coming along. "Look at you. You're a regular Gordon Ramsay…minus all the yelling and cursing," she said with a smile.
"I've been practicing with Esme," Jasper admitted. He then frowned and poked at the omelet with the spatula in his hand. "Does it look alright?"
"It looks wonderful," she reassured. Jasper smiled, looking quite proud of himself. "Speaking of Esme," Danielle continued as she remembered the state of the bed, "we owe her and Carlisle a new mattress."
If Jasper had been capable of blushing, she had a feeling he would have done so now. "Yes, I…got a little carried away," he said with a slightly sheepish smile.
Danielle pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I'm not complaining," she assured him. "Though I hope this doesn't get back to Emmett. He'd never let us hear the end of it," she added with a roll of her eyes.
"We'll keep it on a need to know basis. And Emmett most certainly does not need to know," Jasper said with a firm nod.
"Agreed."
Jasper turned off the burner as he finished cooking the omelet. "Will you grab a plate? They are in that cabinet," he said, nodding his head toward the cabinet above the dishwasher.
Danielle nodded, but didn't move just yet. "Only if you give me a good morning kiss, first," she compromised.
Jasper smirked, set down his spatula, then turned to face her fully. He smiled down at her for a moment, his hands resting on either side of her neck. Finally he leaned down to kiss her, and as soon as his lips were on hers, the heat that had been simmering in her belly since she had woken up immediately began to grow into a full on fire. Danielle couldn't hold back a little moan, pressing closer to him as she wrapped her arms around him. Jasper made a sound deep in his throat, his hands sliding down her back until they settled low on her hips.
He pulled his lips away to press his forehead against hers. "Good morning, darlin'," he said with a small smirk.
"Good morning, hubby," she said back.
Jasper started to say something else, but the words died on his lips. He seemed to have finally noticed what she was wearing, which made him pull back far enough to be able to look her up and down. When his eyes met hers again, they were a little darker than they had been previously.
"First and foremost, you look far too good in my clothing," he said appreciatively. "More importantly…are you wearing anything underneath that shirt?" he asked, one brow slowly inching upward.
Danielle grinned and traced a circle on his sternum with her finger. "Nope."
Jasper growled low in his chest and pulled her flush to his chest, his eyes turning black now as they filled with desire. "Are you trying to test my restraint?" he drawled, voice huskier than normal.
Danielle gulped, her knees feeling weak all of a sudden. "And why, exactly, are you restraining yourself?" she questioned.
"Because you need to eat the breakfast I just made you. And because the gentlemanly thing to do would be to keep my hands to myself and give you time to recover from last night," Jasper said. He moved his lips to her ear, pressing a kiss to the space just behind her jaw. "That is very hard to do, however, when all I can think about is ripping that shirt off and having my wicked way with you."
She was pretty sure her heart was beating fast enough to explode out of her chest. "Well, while I appreciate you for the southern gentleman you are, I feel fine," she insisted. "More than fine, actually. So…care to elaborate on the whole having your wicked way thing?"
Jasper pulled back to look at her, then leaned in to give her another toe-curling. Instead of taking things further, however, he sighed and pulled away from her altogether, which made her frown with disappointment. "I will happily elaborate on that…later. For now, you need to eat," he said, moving to the cabinet to grab a plate. "I would be an abominable husband if I deprived you of your meals because I cannot control myself."
Danielle sighed with resignation. Clearly Jasper was not going to give in to her charms just yet. "If you insist."
"I do."
She started to take a seat at the dining room table, but changed her mind when she looked to the window and spotted furniture out on the back patio. While Jasper plated her food, Danielle went to the double doors that led outside, pushed them open, and stepped out onto the patio. A smile immediately spread across her face as she took in the beautiful scenery, able to really admire everything now that she was seeing it in the daytime. There were palm trees and tropical foliage swaying all around the house, giving off a heavenly scent that made her close her eyes and inhale appreciatively. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a little stairway that led down from the patio to the beach, which wasn't far away. Danielle then looked to the water, smiling when she realized that all she could see was nothing but beautiful, clear blue water as far as the eye could see.
It was official – Isle Esme was breathtaking.
"Lovely view, isn't it?" Jasper asked as he joined her.
She glanced over at him, noticing straight away that he was sparkling underneath the morning sun. He was completely unbothered by it, too, since they were alone and there was no risk of anyone seeing him. It brought another smile to her face and made her feel happy that Jasper was in an environment where he could truly be himself
She had to force herself to stop ogling him. "Lovely doesn't do it justice," Danielle replied with a smile. "Why do Carlisle and Esme stay in the doom and gloom of Forks when they have this place to disappear to? If I were them, I'd never leave this island."
Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "There have been plenty off times over the years where they have stayed here for months at a time," he said. "But they like being around people, and they prefer not to be separated from the rest of the family for too long a time. Plus, Carlisle loves his job too much to give it all up for the island life."
Danielle nodded in understanding. "Makes sense."
Jasper handed her the plate of food he had brought, then led her to a cushiony couch that faced the water. Danielle sat down, tucking her legs underneath her, and Jasper quickly joined her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer, so that she was snuggled into his side.
The first bite she took had her making a sound of appreciation. "Wow. The practice really paid off," she said.
"It tastes good?" Jasper asked, sounding a little self-conscious.
"It's delicious," she corrected, before leaning in to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, honey."
"You are very welcome," he said with a grin.
They sat in comfortable silence while she ate a few more bites. It wasn't until she had begun eating that she had realized how hungry she actually was. Maybe it had been a good idea to eat, after all – a stomach growling for food during intimate moments wasn't very sexy.
"So what's on the agenda?" Danielle asked, raising her brows questioningly. "How are we gonna spend our two weeks in paradise?"
"Well, I expect there will be a lot of swimming," Jasper started. "We can take the boat out, go snorkeling, explore the island," he listed off. "I also thought that it would be nice to venture back to the mainland at night. There is a lot to do in Rio that I think you would enjoy."
"All of that sounds great. I'm game for everything," Danielle said with a nod. "But just so you know, I'm definitely not opposed to just hiding away in the house with you," she added. "If there are days where you just wanna be lazy and lay in bed naked all day, I'm totally down for that, too."
Jasper smirked and quirked an amused eyebrow. "Is being naked a requirement?" he teased.
Danielle pretended to think about it, then grinned wickedly. "Yes."
Jasper chuckled, his eyes gleaming playfully as he pulled her even closer. "Well, who am I to deny what my wife wants?" he asked, though if she wasn't mistaken, he seemed to rather like the idea of being naked with her all day.
"Happy wife, happy life," Danielle quipped, before winking at him and taking another bite of food.
Jasper smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. There was a beat of silence, then he rubbed her shoulder and sighed quietly, which made her look up at him again. The easy smile that had been on his face had melted into a small frown of uncertainty, which had her own eyebrows pinching together. He seemed worried, though she wasn't sure she could say she knew why.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
Jasper looked down at her, his eyes still filled with concern. "I know you said that you feel fine, but…do you really?" he asked, sounding almost afraid to hear the answer. "I did not…hurt you last night?"
Danielle gave him a gentle smile. "Did you hear me complaining at any point, Jazz?" she asked.
Jasper pressed his lips together. "Well, no. But – "
"No but's," Danielle interrupted. "If something was wrong, I would tell you. But there's nothing to tell, because last night was perfect. Making love with you was everything I hoped for and more, and it's something I would like to do again. And again…and again," she added with a laugh, which finally made Jasper give her a small, lopsided smile. Danielle lifted one hand from her plate to brush her knuckles over his cheek, smiling when he immediately leaned into her touch. "Don't worry, Jazz. We've got this. I trust you. And I love you."
Jasper relaxed completely at those words. "I love you, too."
He leaned down to give her a sweet kiss, his lips lingering on hers for a long few moments. When he finally pulled away, he opened his mouth to say something else, but then he paused and looked to the house, his head cocking to the side a little. Danielle had seen him do this enough times to know that he had heard something her human ears could not detect.
"Your phone is ringing," he said.
Danielle waved a dismissive hand. "Let it go to voicemail. I don't wanna talk to anyone but you."
Jasper gave her a pointed look. "It could be your mother," he said. "You were supposed to check in with her when we arrived, but you didn't," he then reminded.
Danielle groaned and smacked her forehead. He was right – she had completely forgotten to let Lynne know that they had made it to their final destination. And knowing her mother and how protective she was, especially so after what had happened in Phoenix, the woman was probably beside herself with worry by now.
"Can you grab it before it stops ringing?"
Jasper nodded, then was gone in the blink of an eye. He returned precisely two seconds later with her phone in hand. Sure enough, it was her mother calling. Danielle set her plate off to the side and quickly answered before it could go to voicemail.
"I'm sorry!" she said upon answering. "I'm a horrible daughter for not checking in!"
Lynne made a sound of relief. "Well, at least I know your plane didn't crash into some mountain somewhere," she said, though she didn't sound nearly as panicked as Danielle might have expected. "And you're not a horrible daughter," she continued. "It was your first night with your new husband. I would have been more surprised if you had actually remembered to call."
"So you're not mad?" Danielle asked hopefully.
"Of course not!"
Danielle relaxed with relief. "Good." Jasper sat down next to her again, which had Danielle automatically leaning against him. "By the way, why are you up so early?" she asked when she remembered that it couldn't have even been six in the morning back in Forks.
"You know me. I get paranoid and then I don't sleep well," Lynne said, which made Danielle feel guilty for not checking in sooner. "It's alright, though. I'll sleep like a baby now that I know you and Jasper are okay," Lynne said reassuringly, as if she could sense her guilt through the phone. "So how was the flight in?" she asked to change the subject. "How's the place you're staying at? Give me details!"
While Lynne knew they were staying on an island off the mainland of Brazil, Danielle had neglected to tell her that the island was owned by the Cullen's. Her mother was fully aware of the fact that Carlisle and Esme had money, of course, but Danielle had thought it would raise too many questions as to how exactly Carlisle and Esme were wealthy enough to own an entire island, so it had seemed better not to mention it at all.
"The flight was fine. Long, but not too bad. The place we're staying at is gorgeous, though," Danielle said. "The house is huge and beautiful, and we've even got our own private beach."
"That sounds wonderful," Lynne said. "Make sure you take pictures so I can see everything."
"I will," Danielle promised.
"What do y'all have planned for today then?" Lynne asked next.
"Not sure yet," Danielle answered, becoming momentarily distracted when Jasper rested his hand comfortably on her exposed knee. "Probably just gonna be lazy on the beach and soak up some rays."
"That sounds lovely," Lynne said, and Danielle could hear the smile in her words. "Well, I don't want to keep you on the phone and interrupt your honeymoon. I just wanted to make sure you both were okay," Lynne said. "I'll let you get back to your vacation with your wonderful new husband now."
"Thanks, mom," Danielle said with a smile. "And thanks for checking in."
"Of course." Lynne paused, then spoke again. "Before I go, though…how did everything go last night?" she asked, her tone similar to that of a teenager looking for juicy gossip.
Danielle, knowing exactly what she was asking about, blushed furiously. "Mom. I am so not discussing that with you," she said firmly.
Jasper chuckled, which she ignored, while Lynne scoffed on her end of the line. "Oh, come on. You can tell me! I'm your mother."
"Exactly – you're my mother. And as my mother, there are some things you don't need to know about," Danielle countered swiftly.
"Oh, fine," Lynne sighed, before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like the word prude.
Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go now, but I'll check in again soon, okay?"
"Okay," Lynne said. "Have fun. Give Jasper my love."
"Will do," Danielle promised. "I love you, mom."
"I love you, too, sweetie," Lynne said with affection.
They said goodbye after that, and as soon as she hung up, Danielle gave Jasper a look that had him chuckling again. "That woman is too much sometimes," she said, shaking her head as she put her phone aside and picked up her plate again to resume eating. "She's such a nosy Nancy."
"Reminds me a little of someone else I know," Jasper commented.
Danielle gasped, affronted at the comparison. "I'm not nosy," she said defensively. When Jasper just looked at her, she heaved and rolled her eyes. "Okay. Maybe I am sometimes," she reluctantly admitted. "But only when the occasion calls for it!"
"Yes, of course," Jasper agreed, though the tone he used and the glint in his eye let her know he was still teasing her.
Danielle looked at him, then calmly set her plate back down. "Alright then. That does it."
Before he could ask her what she meant by that, she launched herself at him, catching him by surprise as she straddled his lap. She started tickling his sides, and though Jasper was laughing now, she was pretty sure he was laughing at her, not because she was actually succeeding at tickling him.
"Apologize for calling me nosy!" she demanded, redoubling her efforts to tickle him.
Jasper fended her off her attacks easily. "Is this supposed to be affecting me?" he taunted with a quite of his brow.
Danielle gave up and threw her hands into the air with defeat. "What, vampires aren't ticklish?" she asked with exasperation.
"Not this vampire," Jasper said with a shake of his head.
Danielle pouted for a moment, then smiled suggestively as another idea came to mind. She slowly slid her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer, using their position to her advantage. His hands immediately came to rest on her waist, his eyes widening a tiny bit as she shifted on his lap.
"If you apologize for calling me nosy, I won't make you sleep on the couch tonight," she said, dropping her voice to something she hoped sounded seductive.
Jasper's grip on her hips tightened. "Not much of a threat, seeing as I don't sleep," he murmured back, his voice going husky again.
Danielle lifted a brow, then leaned close enough to brush her lips against his, her teeth catching his bottom lip briefly. He moaned in response. "Then I'll just have to withhold something else, won't I?" she asked.
That particular threat did the trick, because Jasper immediately looked alarmed. "Danielle Katherine Whitlock Hale, love of my life and center of my universe, please accept my most sincere apology for calling you nosy," he said seriously. He lifted one hand from her hip to place it over his heart. "I will never commit such a travesty again. This I solemnly vow."
Danielle couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement at his overly dramatic apology. "Alright, alright. Apology accepted," she said with a laugh. "Geez, what's next? You gonna start reciting freaking Shakespeare or something?" she teased.
Jasper's answer wasn't to recite Shakespeare. His answer was to growl, wrap a hand around the back of her neck, and draw her in for a heated kiss. For a few moments she forgot which way was up and which way was down as he kissed the absolute life out of her. When he finally pulled away, she smiled dreamily.
"Now you're definitely forgiven," Danielle confirmed, slowly nodding her head.
Jasper smirked and captured her lips again, sighing when her fingers threaded into his hair. After a moment she gently pulled away, giving him a playful smile as she disentangled herself from his arms and stood up. Jasper peered up at her, his brows furrowed with confusion but his eyes darkened with lust.
"I think I'm ready for a swim," she said, slowly stepping back away from him.
Jasper tilted his head. "Now?"
Danielle nodded, then reached up to begin undoing the buttons of the shirt she wore. Jasper's gaze immediately flickered to her hands, his jaw tightening as he watched her slowly unbutton the shirt. When the last button was undone, Danielle shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall to the ground, leaving her bare in front of him. An almost predatory look overcame his handsome face, which made her shiver with anticipation.
"Care to help me change into my bathing suit?" she invited.
He didn't need to be asked twice. The moment the words left her lips, he was on his feet and scooping her up, his mouth locking on hers in a searing kiss. Then he was whisking her back inside and back to the bedroom.
They did not go swimming for quite some time.
"This is such a bad idea," Danielle said, her voice full of apprehension.
Jasper gave her shoulders a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It will be fine, darlin'. You can do this."
Danielle gnawed on the inside of her cheek, unconvinced despite his confidence. It was their third day on Isle Esme, and after spending the past few days lazing on the beach and spending quite a bit of time locked away in the bedroom, they had finally decided to go out to a snorkeling spot that Jasper insisted was spectacular. Instead of Jasper piloting the boat, however, he had insisted that Danielle give it a try. She had never done anything like this before, however, and as she eyed the dashboard and all of its unfamiliar gadgets, she felt more than a little anxious.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," she reminded him.
"It's easy," Jasper said with a nod. "I will talk to you through everything."
Danielle gave him a worried look. "Will I be disowned from the family if I wreck the boat?"
Jasper chuckled. "No, darlin'. You will not be disowned," he assured. A distinctly calm feeling overshadowed her nervousness, which she knew for a fact was Jasper's doing. "I'll be right here the whole time, okay?" Danielle sighed and finally nodded. "Good."
He stepped away for a second to untie the boat from the dock and push them out into the water with a firm kick, then he came back to join her at the wheel. "Alright, you're going to turn the engine on and then ease the throttle forward," he said, pointing to throttle. "Be mindful of the waves and try not to turn the boat too fast, otherwise we might find ourselves flipped over."
Danielle gave him a frightened look. "And what do we do if that happens?" she asked meekly.
Jasper squeezed her shoulders again. "I won't let any harm come to you. I swear," he promised.
Danielle nodded, then finally moved to stand in front of wheel. With one hand she gripped the wheel, and with the other she started up the rumbling engine. Gulping nervously, she placed a hand on the throttle, looked out at the open water, and then pushed it forward a little harder than she had meant to. The boat lurched forward faster than she anticipated, which would have been enough to send her stumbling backwards. Jasper was right behind her, however, and he had no trouble keeping her steady.
"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly.
Jasper smiled. "It's alright. Try again."
She tried again, this time a bit slower. The boat began to glide forward, slowly gaining speed, bouncing lightly whenever they went over a wave. After a few minutes passed by and she did not flip or wreck the boat, Danielle began to relax and actually enjoy herself. It was fun, speeding along the water like this and being the one in control of something so fast – now she understood why the Cullen's were so bonkers for fast things. But it was also oddly relaxing. With nothing but open water around them, it felt like they had the whole ocean to themselves, like they could go speeding off to wherever they desired. She decided very quickly that she liked being behind the wheel of a boat.
"See," Jasper said in her ear over the howl of the wind. "You're a natural."
Danielle just grinned at him over shoulder, then turned forward and pressed harder on the throttle to make the boat go even faster.
Jasper indulged her a little joyride around the island, before he finally began to direct her toward the snorkeling spot he wanted to show her. When they made it to the spot, Jasper dropped anchor and told her to turn the boat off. He then pulled out some snorkeling gear that he had gotten specifically for her, including goggles, a snorkel, and flippers.
"Shouldn't I have a life jacket or something?" she asked, remembering the one time she had gone as a kid while on vacation with her mother and had to wear one.
Jasper smirked. "That's what I'm here for," he assured her.
Danielle nodded, then pulled off the shorts and the tank top she had been wearing over her bathing suit. Jasper eyed her up for a moment, which did not escape her notice, then handed her the gear. She fixed the goggles around her head, letting them rest on her forehead for now, then looked out at the water with a hint of skepticism. She could still see Isle Esme, but they were a good mile or so away from land by now. Though she knew Jasper wouldn't let anything happen to her, the thought of being out in open water that was only God knows how deep made her a little uncomfortable.
"Are there sharks out here?" Danielle asked, giving him a worried look.
Jasper pursed his lips. "Sometimes there are," he said honestly, which made her stiffen. "Relax. Even if one does show up, it will be no match for me."
The mental imagine of Jasper wrestling a shark came to mind, which was both fascinating and horrifying at the same time. She was fairly certain a shark wouldn't be able to hurt Jasper because his skin was impenetrable, but still…on the off chance that the ferocious bite of a Great White would be powerful enough to inflict damage on her vampire husband, she thought it better not to risk it.
"If we see one shark, we're out of here," Danielle said firmly. "I've seen Jaws, you know. Freaked the hell out of me, too. So let's try not to end up like those people, okay?"
Jasper smirked and nodded. "Alright."
After she had wrestled her feet into her flippers and adjusted her snorkel, she fixed her goggles over her eyes and went into the water first. It was immediately refreshing to be enveloped by the cool water of the ocean after being under the hot rays of the sun for so long, and it momentarily made her forget any worries about sharks or deep sea creatures trying to eat her. Danielle floated on the surface for a moment, her feet lazily scissoring back and forth to keep herself in place, then looked at Jasper. He stripped off his shirt, the sparkling of his skin intensifying now that he was showing more of it, then stepped up to the edge of the boat. With one graceful move, he raised his arms over heads and dove in, disappearing beneath the depths.
Danielle quickly flipped over, pressing her goggle-covered face to the water to watch him shoot downward with the speed of a missile. He disappeared for a long few moments, leaving her to wonder just how far down he was actually going, before he finally reappeared and returned to her side with just a few powerful strokes. When he broke the surface, Danielle lifted her face from the water to gawk at him.
"Did you just touch the bottom of the ocean?" she asked incredulously.
Jasper smirked as he pushed his wet, blonde hair back away from his face. "I did," he confirmed.
She felt both jealous and excited – jealous over the incredible things he was able to do, but excited because she knew that someday in the future she would be able to do the same things. "After I'm a vampire, we are so coming back here so that I can do that, too," she said, leaving no room for argument.
Jasper chuckled and nodded. "Deal."
It was time to go to the snorkeling spot now, which Jasper told her was only a short swim away. They swam over, Jasper making sure to keep his pace slower so that he was by Danielle's side, and after a few short minutes they reached the reef, which was about thirty to forty feet below the surface of the water. As soon as the reef came into view, Danielle's eyes widened with amazement.
The first thing that caught her attention was all the color – pink, green, purple, orange, blue. The reef was exploding with beautiful colors everywhere she looked. The next thing she saw was that the reef was teeming with life, filled with fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as urchins and sponges and plant-life. She smiled around her snorkel when she spotted some turtles lazily swimming around a large rock structure, then watched in fascination as a school of shiny fish swam past, before abruptly turning as one and going in another direction. It was amazing and it was beautiful, and she was instantly glad that they had come.
A tap on her shoulder made her look at Jasper, who motioned for her to surface, which she did.
"What do you think?" he asked eagerly.
"Oh my god," she said once she had taken the snorkel out of her mouth. "This is beautiful."
Jasper grinned as he treaded water. "Want a closer look?" he asked. Danielle nodded vigorously. He pulled her closer and urged her to wrap her arms around his neck, as if he was going to give her a piggy back ride. "Hold on tight. Tap me when you need air," he instructed.
She held onto him as he dove back under, the two of them gliding easily downward with his powerful strokes. Once they were closer, she could see starfish and seahorses and spiked sea-urchins. Jasper swam slowly around the reef so that she could take it in, making fish scatter and quickly swim away as they approached. Danielle could not resist reaching out to touch some of the plant-life with her fingertips, feeling its silky and slimy leaves as they swayed lazily with the current. Finally she tapped Jasper's shoulder and he immediately tuned upward to go back to the surface. Once they were above water again, she kept an arm around his neck so that he could keep her afloat, moving her goggles up and taking her snorkel out of her mouth again.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so amazing," she asked with awe. "I went snorkeling with my mom in Florida once, but this blows that place out of the water!"
Jasper grinned, looking pleased. "I'm glad you like it."
Danielle smiled and kissed him, tasting salt water on his lips as she did so. "Thanks for bringing me out here…now let's keep looking around!"
Jasper nodded and held her steady as she started to fix her goggles over her eyes again. She froze, however, when she noticed something over his shoulder.
A distinct looking fin had broken the surface of the water about thirty yards away, which made her whole body stiffen. As it disappeared beneath the surface, she clutched to him tighter, fear washing through at the possibility of a shark being nearby. "Jasper, I saw a fin," she said worriedly.
Jasper frowned and glanced over his shoulder searchingly. "Where?"
She pointed in the direction she had seen it, but it had not yet resurfaced. Jasper ducked his head beneath the water for a moment to, seemingly, look for what she had seen. When he lifted his head again, he gave her a smile. "It's alright, darlin'," he said reassuringly. "It's not what you think."
Before she could ask what he had seen, something large and grey broke the surface about ten feet away, making her shriek with fright and hold Jasper even tighter. The creature leaped out of the water and soared through the air for a moment, before landing back in the ocean with a splash. Finally, Danielle realized what it was, and immediately she relaxed.
"A dolphin!" she exclaimed, giving Jasper a wide, excited smile.
"Not just one," he corrected.
Sure enough, more dolphins began to leap through the air not far from them, landing with splashes as they returned to the water. Danielle couldn't hold back a laugh of glee, watching with amazement as a pod of at least seven dolphins continued to dive in an out of the water around them, as if they had come to specifically put on a show just for them. It was the only time she'd seen a dolphin with her own eyes, and to have so many of them so close was an unexpected treat.
"Can we get closer?" she asked hopefully.
Jasper shrugged. "We can try."
She put her goggles back on, and then she and Jasper began to swim closer to where the dolphins were. Danielle supposed it was not too surprising when most of the dolphins kept their distance as they came closer, seeing as they were unfamiliar to the pod and Jasper was, technically, a predator, which the intelligent animals seemed to be able to sense. But a few brave dolphins swam closer, circling around them a few times, until eventually one of them came near enough for Danielle to reach out and touch, her fingers sliding along its silken skin.
The dolphins seemed to decide that they were trustworthy after that and swam around them for quite some time, much to her delight. Danielle didn't really know how long she and Jasper stayed out there for, alternating between swimming with their new dolphin friends and exploring the reef further, but eventually the time came where the dolphins departed and where Danielle felt utterly exhausted from swimming for so long. She and Jasper decided to wrap things up and headed back to the boat, and after making Jasper promise to bring her back for some more snorkeling before their honeymoon was over, they pulled up anchor and went back to the island.
Back at the house, Danielle had a quick lunch and then went to take a shower and get freshened up. As she started to peel off her bathing suit, she noticed that her skin had started to feel rather warm and that some parts of her were definitely looking a little pink. Being the melanin-challenged redhead that she was, it was very easy to get sunburned. And while she had been diligent about putting on sunblock whenever they went outside, they had been at the snorkeling spot for much longer than she had anticipated and she had not reapplied like she should of. Danielle stepped into the shower, knowing her sunburns always reared their ugly faces post shower, hoping in vain that her burn wasn't going to be as bad as she feared it would. But once she had finished showering and stepped in front of the bathroom mirror to inspect herself again, she cringed at her reflection.
She was as red as a tomato.
Burned from nearly head to toe and looking like a long lost relative to Sebastian from the Little Mermaid, she wrapped a towel loosely around her body, doing her best not to let it touch too much of her skin. Jasper was in the bedroom rifling through the suitcase when she stepped out of the bathroom, and the moment he saw her, his brows furrowed with sympathy.
"Oh, darlin'," he said, taking a step closer. "I should have made you reapply while we were out there."
Danielle held up a hand to stop him from coming any closer. "Don't touch," she warned, wincing as the fabric of her bath towel rubbed against her a little too hard. "My skin hurts so bad, just you looking at me hurts."
Jasper clicked his tongue. "What can I do?"
"Get me some new skin?" she asked with defeat. "Or maybe stuff me in the freezer?"
Jasper sighed, but then straightened up when he seemed to think of something. "Hold on, I think I have something that will help."
He went back to the suitcase to rummage through it again, before finally producing a small bottle of aloe vera. Danielle smiled, relieved to see the magical lotion, then raised her brows knowingly.
"Alice warned you I'd get burned?" she asked.
"Actually, it was your mother," he admitted as he walked toward her. "She gave this to me before we left, said you would probably need it. It would seem she was correct."
"God bless that woman," Danielle said, glad that someone had planned ahead. "Remind me to get her something nice before we leave."
"Will do," Jasper said with a smile.
When he motioned for her to take off her towel, it became clear that he intended to put the aloe vera on for her. Danielle dropped the towel, and though she was positive she looked completely ridiculous with her red skin and atrocious sunburn lines, when he started to gently rub the aloe into her skin she forgot to feel self-conscious about it. Between the aloe and Jasper's cold hands, the relief was instantaneous. Danielle sighed contentedly as he massaged the lotion onto her back, her eyes sliding closed blissfully, before she laughed with surprise when his hands passed boldly over her rear end.
"I'm not burned there," she said, giving him a look over her shoulder.
Jasper gave her a cheeky grin. "Just making sure."
He resumed his task, rubbing aloe into her arms and legs, and then moving to her front. When he started rubbing aloe onto her upper chest, she became acutely aware of how close his hands were getting to her breasts. He merely gave her a quick look, however, and then respectfully skipped over them to rub the lotion onto her stomach instead.
Danielle sighed again as the combination of the lotion and his cold hands chased away the heat from her burn. "You have no idea how good this feels," she said.
"The aloe is working?" Jasper asked.
"I think your hands are doing a better job, actually," she said. "Them being so cold really does wonders for a sunburn."
Jasper hummed at that, then put the aloe away as he finished putting it on her. "In that case, I think I have another idea," he said.
He started stripping off his clothes, and though seeing him naked would have normally had her heart racing and dragging him to bed, the move elicited quite a different reaction now. "Babe. I love you. But I'm not really in the mood right now," Danielle told him gently.
Jasper gave her a look. "That's not what I am trying to do," he said patiently. He then stepped closer and extended a hand to her. "Just let me just try something. Alright?"
Danielle thought about it for a moment, then finally nodded. After she slipped her hand into his, he guided her to the bed. He sat down first, leaning back against the headboard, then pulled her down to sit on his lap. Danielle figured out what he had in mind very quickly. As her body molded to his and he wrapped his arms around her, the chill of his body enveloped her and helped ease her burn even further. She relaxed against him fully, resting her back against his chest and laying her head on his shoulder.
"You're a genius. Have I ever told you that?" she asked, turning her head to press her hot face against his chest and sighing as her cheek instantly began to cool.
"Just trying to help you feel more comfortable," Jasper said, being careful not to hold her too tightly.
"And seizing the opportunity for naked cuddling," she added with a smirk.
Jasper chuckled. "That too."
She was definitely starting to feel better thanks to Jasper's caretaking. If his remedy for sunburns was to massage nearly every inch of her body and then cuddle with her completely naked, then maybe getting a sunburn from time to time wouldn't be so bad after all.
"I think you should stay out of the sun for a few days," Jasper advised, pressing a gentle kiss to her red shoulder.
"Yeah, probably," she agreed. "Guess now's as good a time as any for those naked lazy days we were talking about," she added, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes and let her fingers trace delicate patterns on his arm.
Jasper chuckled. "I won't be opposed to that," he said, letting his chin rest on her shoulder. "But I am afraid I won't be able to participate in naked day tomorrow."
Danielle frowned and looked at him over her shoulder. "Why not?"
"I need to hunt, so I'm going to go to the mainland tomorrow," Jasper revealed. "With us being more intimate now, I don't want to risk anything. Better I hunt a little more frequently to keep my hunger under control," he explained.
"Can't you just hunt on the island?" Danielle asked, not really liking the thought of him leaving her all alone.
"No," Jasper answered sharply, which made her blink in surprise. "That would put you at serious risk, and I refuse to do that," he said, his tone a bit more gentle now. He kissed her temple, his arms tightening around her a fraction. "I will only be away for the day. You will hardly even notice I'm gone."
Considering they had been stuck to one another like glue since the moment they had arrived, she was definitely going to notice his absence. But she understood why he needed to go, and she wasn't going to stand in the way of him tending to his needs. "Alright," she agreed. "But you better be back by bedtime tomorrow. Okay?"
Jasper turned her face toward his, his lips pulled into a smirk. "I will, Mrs. Hale. You have my word."
And then he leaned down to seal the promise with a kiss.
Jasper left before the sun rose the next morning, waking her long enough to give her a kiss goodbye and promise, once again, to be back by bedtime. It was a very uneventful day after that.
With Jasper gone and little to do for entertainment, Danielle spent most of the day lounging on the couch, grazing on snacks and delving into the movie collection she had found. She watched Casablanca first, then Roman Holiday, then, finally, Dirty Dancing, which just so happened to be one of her favorite movies. She sighed as she watched the love story of Baby and Johnny unfold, laughing when they practiced their lift in the water, shedding a tear or two whenever it looked like things wouldn't work out, and then feeling so happy that she had to get up and dance around the living room whenever the two found their way back together at the end. Truthfully, the movie was pretty cheesy, but she loved it so much that she simply didn't care. It was a classic that always made her happy to watch and always left her wanting to dance. It made her wonder if she could convince Jasper to dance like that with her. Because he was wonderful and obliging, he would probably give it a try – because he wasn't comfortable with anything other than fancy waltzes and sweet slow dances, she had a feeling he would look ridiculous trying to dance dirty.
The thought just made her want to do it all the more.
After the movie was finished, she decided she'd watched enough television for one day. It was late enough to start working on dinner, so she headed into the kitchen to scrounge through the fridge and pantry to see what her options were. In the end, Danielle decided on spaghetti and meatballs. She got to work, getting some water boiling for the noodles and chopping up fresh onion and garlic to put in the sauce. Once the meatballs were cooking in the oven and everything was going, she retrieved her phone and dialed a familiar number, eager to hear a friendly voice after being by herself all day.
Tom picked up on the third ring. "Dani-lani-ding-dong? That you?" he asked upon answering.
"The one and only," she confirmed, smiling at the sound of his voice.
"I'm a little surprised you're calling me. Aren't you and Jasper supposed to be locked away in the bedroom going at it like a couple of rabbits?" he asked bluntly.
Danielle laughed and rolled her eyes. "We were, actually," she said, which had Tom making a noise of disgust. "But Jasper had to go to the mainland for some supplies, so now I'm in search of other forms of entertainment while he's gone," she explained further.
"Can't decide if I'm honored or grossed out that I'm the first person you thought of post sex-capades," he quipped dryly.
Danielle just laughed. "How's everything going?" she asked as she stirred the tomato sauce to make sure nothing got burned on the bottom of the pan.
"Fine," Tom answered, his tone friendly and casual again. "Nothing much to report on my end. Just hanging out and getting ready for school to start. How about you?" he asked. "How's the honeymoon going?"
She told him about their time on Isle Esme so far, from how nice to the house was to the pretty beach right on their doorstep to her and Jasper's snorkeling adventure the day before. "This place is so great, Pickles. I know Forks is our home, but I kinda just wish we could stay here forever," she said wistfully.
And it was the truth. She felt so comfortable there, and being on Isle Esme had brought out a new side to Jasper, one that was more relaxed and more carefree than she had ever seen back in Forks. She loved how easy and uncomplicated life was on Isle Esme, and she would definitely be sad to leave this place and the little slice of heaven that they had found there when the time finally came for them to leave.
"Your mom would have a fit if you and Jasper decided to uproot and leave her in Forks by herself," Tom pointed out.
"She wouldn't be alone. She'd still have Charlie," Danielle reminded.
"She'd still freak," Tom insisted.
Danielle sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. She'll have to get used to us being away, though," she continued as she opened the oven to check on the meatballs. "Jazz and I are talking about doing some traveling once we leave here."
"Yeah?" Tom asked with interest.
"Mhmm," Danielle confirmed, thinking back to a conversation she'd had with Jasper the previous month. "Jasper's sick of all the people in Forks gossiping about us, which I'm totally with him on that one. We thought it'd be good to just go and explore and get away from it all for a while."
"Where would you go?" Tom asked.
"We haven't decided yet," she answered. "I could probably convince him to visit Houston, though."
"Well, I'm certainly not opposed to that," Tom said, perking up considerably. "You wouldn't even have to worry about a hotel if you came. You know my parents would put you guys up. My mom loves you, and she's been dying to meet Jasper," he said.
Danielle smiled, though she couldn't really see how them staying with Tom's family would work out. Mrs. Fitzpatrick would probably want to play tour guide to Jasper, which would be problematic if it was sunny outside. In the end, it would probably be better if they found other accommodations, just in case.
"We'll see. I don't want to inconvenience anyone," she answered vaguely.
"Dude, you know it wouldn't be an inconvenience," Tom huffed.
She still didn't think it was a good idea, but she could tell Tom wasn't going to give up on trying to convince her to stay with his family. "We'll see, okay?" she said with finality. And before he could say anything more on the matter, she decided to steer the subject elsewhere. "Anyway, maybe when we come, we can convince Alice to come with us," she said with a mischievous smile. "Wouldn't that be something?"
There was a long pause on Tom's end. Too long of a pause. "I'm not sure she'd wanna do that."
Danielle frowned. "Why wouldn't she?" When Tom didn't answer, she frowned deeper. "Did something happen between you guys?"
"Dani…I don't really wanna get into that right now," Tom said evasively. "You're on your honeymoon. I don't want you worrying about me, okay?"
Now she was really concerned. "Okay, you can't say something like that and expect me not to ask questions," she said matter-of-factly. "Tell me what's going on, Tom," she then demanded. "What happened after we left?"
Tom heaved on his end, but he seemed to understand that she wasn't going to let the subject go. After a moment, he finally came out with it. "Alice volunteered to take me to the airport when it was time for me to fly out," he began. "When we got there and it was time to say goodbye, I kinda realized just how much I liked her. It also hit me that I had no idea when I was gonna see her again, so I figured…why not go for it?" He sucked in a breath. "I told her how I felt and then I…tried to kiss her."
Danielle's heart leapt into her throat. "And?" she asked, eager for information.
"And she totally freaked, Dani," Tom said with a defeated sigh. "You would think I'd tried to strangle her or something. She pushed me away – really hard, by the way – and said that we would be better off as friends and that we should leave it at that. Then she just…left. Couldn't get away from me fast enough." He sighed heavily again. "I've sent her texts and I've tried calling. I wanted to apologize for overstepping my boundaries, you know? But she's not responding. She cut me off, Dani."
Danielle cursed under her breath and shook her head. She was surprised, but not at the same time. She knew that Alice liked Tom, because the vampire had outright admitted it to her. But she also knew that Alice was very afraid to become involved with him in any sort of romantic way because of all the circumstances working against them. After everything her sister-in-law had admitted during her bachelorette party, and considering how lovey-dovey the two had seemed at the wedding, Danielle had hoped that Alice had managed to move past her fears and insecurities enough to give Tom a chance. Unfortunately, it looked as though she had been wrong. Alice was still scared, and now she had – literally – pushed Tom away because of it.
"I'm sorry, Tom," Danielle said gently.
Tom huffed. "Yeah, me too."
Danielle gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "I know you're disappointed and I know you're hurting…but I do still think there's hope," she said optimistically.
"How so?" Tom asked with no small amount of doubt.
"Because I know Alice, and I happen to know that she does like you. She's just…afraid," Danielle explained.
"Afraid of what?" Tom countered. "I'd never hurt her."
"I know you wouldn't," Danielle said quickly. How could she explain this without revealing anything that would make him suspicious of her new family? "This is just…new territory for Alice. It's kinda like what happened with me and Jasper," she explained. "He pushed me away in the beginning because he was scared, too. But once he figured some things out and let his walls come down, everything worked out. I think that can happen with you and Alice," she said reassuringly. "Just give her some time and some space to figure stuff out."
Tom heaved heavily in her ear. "I dunno, Dani. She sounded like she'd made her mind up. I don't think we're gonna get the fairytale ending like you and Jasper."
Danielle started to tell him that her and Jasper's relationship was far from being fairytale material, but bit her tongue. Instead, she remembered something she had said to Alice when the vampire had confessed to not seeing Tom in her future and decided to tell Tom the same thing she had told Alice.
"Maybe it's just not the right time right now," she said. "But it could be the right time later. So don't give up hope yet, Pickles."
Tom heaved again. "Hard to hang on to hope when she won't even talk to me."
Danielle frowned. "Do you want me to say something to her?"
"No," Tom countered swiftly. "Everything feels weird enough already. If you get involved, that'll just make it weirder. The last thing I wanna do is guilt her into talking to me again."
"Okay, I won't say anything," Danielle agreed, albeit reluctantly so.
"Thank you," Tom said gratefully. "Now can we talk about something else?"
She ended up talking to Tom all through her dinner, chatting about anything but Alice Cullen. When they finally got off the phone, she turned on some music and started cleaning up the kitchen. All she could think about, however, was the situation between Alice and Tom.
It was disappointing, to be perfectly honest. The two had undeniable chemistry and obviously were crazy about one another, but it just didn't look like a relationship was in the cards. Not for Alice, anyway. As sad as Danielle felt for Tom for being rejected, she felt just as sad for her sister-in-law for denying herself a chance to be happy with someone who really cared for her. Frowning to herself, Danielle glanced at her phone, her fingers itching to dial Alice's number and ask the dozens of question rolling through her mind now.
In the end, she remembered her promise to Tom and resisted the urge. If Alice wanted to talk to her about what had happened with Tom when they were back in Fork, then Danielle would be happy to listen. But for now, Danielle was going to keep her nose out of their business.
The days passed quicker than she might have thought on Isle Esme.
Almost every morning she woke up exactly as she had the very first day – to a tropical flower on the pillow and a hot breakfast made especially for her by Jasper. They would eat on the patio, then spend the rest of the day either hanging out on the beach, taking the boat out, or hiking around the island. In the evenings, they would turn on some music while cooking dinner, which Jasper always insisted on helping her with. Then they would play board games or watch movies or go out onto the beach to look up at the stars until it was time for bed. Every night they made love, and every night it just got better and better and better. They were in their own little world on Isle Esme, and that world was truly and utterly perfect.
As their second week of their honeymoon kicked off, they started venturing onto the mainland for a change of scenery. The first night they went to Rio, Jasper treated her to a swanky dinner that allowed them to dress up a little and cost way more than she wanted to admit to. The second night they went, they made it their mission to hit a bunch of shops and pick out presents to take back to the family, making sure everyone got something unique and different.
The third night, however, they just wanted to explore the city and keep things casual. They made it to the mainland just after sunset and had a cab take them to a lively looking area where they could mingle with the locals. Walking the streets of Rio de Janeiro arm in arm, Danielle could only smile and let her eyes dart around as she took everything in. The streets were filled with people, laughing with their friends as they passed by, talking loudly as they ate on restaurant patios and dancing next to street musicians. The whole city just seemed so alive, and the energy was infectious.
She looked up at Jasper as they paused at an intersection to wait for a line of cars to pass by. He looked down at her when he noticed her looking at him and smiled, which made her heart flutter in her chest. Would there ever come a time where his smile didn't turn her into a pile of goo?
She sincerely hoped not.
"Where do you want to eat?" Jasper asked once they crossed the street, directing her around a couple that was having a little too much fun dancing and nearly knocked right into them.
Danielle glanced around, until she spotted a cute, two story café that had tables out on a balcony overlooking the street. "How about there?" she suggested, pointing to the café.
Jasper nodded, then led her into the café.
The hostess seated them on the balcony, and with Jasper's help, Danielle ordered some sort of fried chicken dish that looked completely unhealthy but smelled absolutely heavenly. With the local drinking age being eighteen, she decided to be brave and also ordered herself a fruity, tropical cocktail that tasted more like a smoothie than an alcoholic drink. It was cold and delicious, and it was the perfect drink to cool her down on this hot, humid night.
"How is it?" Jasper asked, motioning to her food and drink.
"Delicious," Danielle said appreciatively. She took a long sip of her drink through her straw. "I'm not big on alcohol, but I like this drink," she said with a nod.
Jasper smirked. "I'm surprised you ordered a drink in the first place," he admitted.
Danielle smiled and shrugged. "Hey – when in Brazil, do as the Brazilians do, am I right?" she said.
"Is that how the saying goes?" Jasper asked with an amused twinkle in his eye.
Danielle waved a hand. "Something like that."
Their server came back to check on them in the next moment. Jasper chatted briefly with her in Portuguese, presumably assuring her that they weren't in need of anything else at the moment, then the server smiled and wandered off to check on another table. Danielle looked at Jasper once the server was gone and slowly smirked.
"By the way…have I mentioned how impressed I am that you can speak Portuguese?" she asked, leaning forward a bit.
"I'm not fluent," Jasper said modestly. "I just know enough to get by."
"You still know more than I do," she said matter-of-factly. "And it's pretty sexy to hear you speaking in a foreign language," she added with a playful smile.
Jasper smirked and leaned closer, his hand closing around hers. "So I should speak in Portuguese more often then?"
Danielle thought about it, then turned her hand under his to lace her fingers with his own. "Actually, I prefer your southern drawl," she admitted, which made him smile. "I'd take that drawl over Portuguese every day of the week."
"Well, then, Mrs. Hale," he said, purposefully making his drawl thicker. "If it's the drawl you want, then a drawl you shall get," he said, even tipping an imaginary cowboy hat to her.
Danielle giggled, amused by his antics. "You're kind of a dork sometimes, you do know that, right?" she asked fondly.
Jasper chuckled. "And yet you love me anyway."
Danielle squeezed his hand affectionately. "Yes, I do," she said with a loving smile.
Jasper's answer was to smile a little wider, then lift her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.
She took another bite of food, then looked to the street when she heard music kick up. A small band had started playing in a little square just down the way, and the lively music was already drawing quite a crowd. People started dancing without care, smiling and laughing as they moved to the music – some of them looked like they actually knew a thing or two about what they were doing, while others were using the music as an excuse to just grind up on their chosen partner.
Danielle watched the people dance a little longer, then looked at Jasper. He looked relaxed as he too listened to the music from the band, one hand resting on the table while his other hand still held hers. Suddenly Danielle realized that their time in Brazil would be over soon, which left her with a distinctly sad feeling in her chest. Sure, she missed their family and their friends, but it had been such wonderful trip, and she just wasn't ready for it to end.
Jasper felt her sadness, because he looked at her and frowned. "Something wrong?"
Danielle sighed. "This place is just so great. And being here with you has been amazing," she said. "I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready to go back to real life yet."
Jasper nodded understandingly. "Me neither. This trip has been everything I hoped it would be and more. I will certainly be sad to leave." He squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "But the fun does not have to end here. There are plenty more places we can visit together," he reminded.
"Where would we go?" Danielle asked.
"Anywhere you want," Jasper replied with a shrug.
"Ireland?" she suggested.
Jasper smiled. "Sure."
Danielle grinned with excitement now. "How about New Zealand?"
Jasper nodded. "It's far, but I hear it is breathtaking and it's a place I have never gone to before. I would be happy to go and explore it with you," he agreed.
"What about Houston?" she suggested, which had Jasper frowning a bit. Danielle instantly knew why. "I know you don't have the best history there," she said gently. "But it was home to both of us at different times. If you're up for it, I'd like to go back there with you."
Jasper took a second to think about it. "The south was not particularly kind to me," he started slowly. "But things have changed quite a bit since then." He looked at her, then nodded. "I would not mind going. Perhaps by going and making good memories with you there, the bad memories will finally leave me."
Danielle gave a small smile and raised his hand to her lips so that she could kiss his palm. When her fingers trailed the length of his forearm, she felt the rough texture of just one of his many scars from his days of fighting under Maria. She smoothed her thumb over the scar, as if trying to smooth it away.
"I'll do whatever I can to make you forget about those days, Jasper," she promised, hoping there would come a time where his past didn't haunt him anymore. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy."
As Jasper smiled at her, she felt a strong rush of love wash over her. "Trust me, darlin'. You're already doing a fine job of that," he assured her.
Danielle just smiled at him in response and kissed his palm again.
After she finished her dinner, they paid their tab and left the café. Jasper draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, then they started off down the street.
"Where to next?" he asked.
Danielle looked at the band performing down the way and the many people dancing around, before smiling up at him. "Let's go dancing," Danielle suggested.
"Over there?" he asked, nodding toward the street band.
Danielle shook her head. "I wanna go to a club. Not like a techno club, but a salsa club. I think it'd be fun," she said, nodding vigorously. "Can we go?"
Jasper seemed a little doubtful, but when she continued to give him a hopeful look, he finally gave in. "Alright," he agreed.
They started asking some of the locals if they knew of any good dance clubs to go to, until they were directed toward a club a few blocks over. When they arrived outside the building about a short walk later, they could already hear the beat of loud Latin music pumping inside. They showed the bouncer their ID's and then went inside, where they found the place already packed with people despite it not even being that late into the night yet. It was dark and crowded and the band was in full swing – it was exactly what Danielle had been hoping for.
They made their way to the edge of the dancefloor, and though Danielle had no idea what the band was singing about, she enjoyed the beat of the song nonetheless. Danielle watched everyone dance, her foot unconsciously tapping to the music and a wide smile stretched across her face. When she looked up at Jasper, however, her smile soon turned to a frown. Jasper was looking a little tense as he eyed the many people around them, his lips turned downward and his brows furrowed deeply.
It dawned on her then that this maybe hadn't been the best place to bring him. There were a lot of people in the club, and the air was thick with sweat and exhilaration as they danced to the upbeat tempo. Her excitement was dashed instantly, replaced by guilt for dragging him to a place that would surely put his control to the test. It didn't even matter that he had gone on another hunt the day before – it still had to be difficult for him.
Danielle moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his back. "Are you okay?" she asked over the loud music. "Do you want to leave?"
Jasper looked at her and gave her an easy smile. He seemed in control, but the slight tension in his shoulders still made her worry. "I'm fine," he said.
"Are you sure?" Danielle asked skeptically. "You look…tense."
Jasper smirked, then let his eyes roam the people around them again. "Not for the reason you might be thinking," he admitted, before nodding pointedly at something behind her.
Danielle turned just in time to see a few guys who looked to be in their mid-twenties eyeing her up and down. Upon realizing they had her attention, they started to smile charmingly. Upon seeing the look Jasper gave them, however, they quickly looked elsewhere.
Danielle looked to her husband again, realization dawning. It wasn't being around humans that was bothering him – it was other men looking at her that was bothering him. She smiled and pressed even closer, winding her arms around his neck. When he looked at her again, she gave him a kiss that would have immediately let anyone watching know that he was the one she was with, and he was the only one she wanted. When she pulled away, she couldn't tell if his eyes were darker because of desire, or if it was just because of the dim lighting in the club.
"Don't worry about them. They're not important," she said. "Now, are we gonna go tear up that dance floor or what?"
Jasper watched the way everyone else danced, then gave her a skeptical look. "I don't know that dance."
Danielle laughed. "Neither do I," she said, which pulled a smirk from him. "C'mon, hubby," she said. "Let's go make complete asses of ourselves."
Jasper conceded, and after she grabbed his hand, he allowed her to pull him into the thick of the dancing crowd.
There was no use denying it – she and Jasper were awful compared to the people around them. Where everyone else seemed comfortable and familiar with the style of dance, she and Jasper looked stiff and uncoordinated in comparison. Jasper, who was most at ease with an old fashioned waltz, didn't seem to know how to let loose enough to go with the flow of the movements, while Danielle did her best to follow his lead and mimic the way the other women around her moved, which she failed miserably at.
They were so bad, she couldn't help but laugh, which soon had Jasper laughing as well. He finally gave up trying to follow those around him and started spinning her around, almost as if they were swing dancing. He twirled her in circles and lifted her into the air, quickly making her forget to feel self-conscious about her lack of dance skills. Danielle laughed delightedly as they danced, and she didn't even care that they were getting more than a few odd looks. They were having fun, and the grin on Jasper's face was the only thing that really mattered anyway.
They stayed out there on the dancefloor for a few more songs, before Danielle finally needed a water break. Jasper took her by the hand and led her to the bar, where he quickly ordered her a cup of water. Danielle drank it greedily, then wiped at some sweat that had formed on her brow and fanned herself.
"You're looking quite flushed there, darlin'," Jasper commented.
"It's a little hot in here, in case you hadn't noticed," she said with a quirk of her brow.
Jasper smirked and gave her a blatant once over. "I noticed," he said, though the way he was looking her made her think he wasn't referring to the hotness of the room. He pushed away a lock of hair that had come loose from the knot she had thrown her curls into before leaving Isle Esme, then leaned closer. Shivers shot down her spine as he pressed a lingering kiss to the spot just below her ear. "You look ravishing tonight, darlin'," he asked in her ear.
Danielle smiled up at him, one of her hands finding its way to his chest. "You're looking rather ravishing yourself, Major Whitlock."
There was an all too familiar gleam starting to appear in his eyes when he pulled back to meet her gaze. It was a look she was starting to know very well. "Have I ever told you just how much I enjoy you calling me that?" he asked, pulling her closer, his hand sliding a little lower on her back.
Heat that had nothing to do with the crowded club started to settle in her belly. "Actually, I don't think you have. But I'm more than happy to hear all about it…Major Whitlock," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
Jasper's answer was to pull her in for a slow, languid kiss, his long arms winding around her and holding her close. They separated when the band finished their song and the crowd began to cheer loudly, interrupting the moment. The lead singer spoke to the crowd for a moment, then a new song started up.
The beat of this particular song was different, slower and more sensual. She looked to the dancefloor and watched as couples started moving together, this time pressing close to each other and dancing in a way that would have made nuns blush. Suddenly she felt like she was in Dirty Dancing, watching all the rebellious, horny teenagers grind on each other in the back room where the stuffy, rich people couldn't judge them.
She grinned, then looked up at Jasper. As much as she loved kissing him, she wanted to get him back on the dancefloor. "Dance with me?" she asked.
Jasper looked like he would rather keep kissing her, but a hopeful look from her had him nodding in agreement. She laced her fingers with his and led him back to the dancefloor, walking backwards so she could keep her gaze locked with his. Once they were there, Jasper pulled her close, one long arm wrapping around her waist. Danielle slid her arms around his neck, and they began to move to the music.
Unlike earlier, she felt uninhibited and uncaring of what people might think of the way she danced, and Jasper seemed too intent on her to worry about anything else. He followed her movements as she swayed with him, their hips grinding together as the music carried them whichever way it wanted.
Danielle sighed and closed her eyes, finding herself more focused on Jasper than on the music now. He was pressed so tightly to her, she could feel every inch of him. One arm was still around her waist, keeping her close, but his other hand had begun to wander, moving from her hip to her ribs, and then up to her neck. She gasped when he suddenly dipped her backwards, taking advantage of the moment to kiss her throat before slowly lifting her up again, holding her even closer than before.
The song kept going, continuing to weave its sensual magic. Jasper looked down at her with hooded eyes, his hands sliding lower onto her hips. He ducked his head to press his lips to her shoulder first, then her neck. Danielle leaned her head back to give him better access, a quiet moan escaping her when she felt his tongue taste her skin. He slid a leg between hers, his head raising so that he looked into her eyes again. Danielle had to kiss him, her tongue exploring his mouth hungrily. Jasper's lips eagerly responded to hers, a groan rumbling in his chest. He locked a hand under her thigh and pulled her leg up to his hip so they were pressed together more intimately, his fingers sliding along bare skin as they found their way under the skirt of her dress.
He pulled his lips from hers abruptly, and then she was hit so strongly with a feeling of lust that it nearly made her knees buckle.
"We need to go," Jasper said, his voice gravelly.
"Now?" Danielle asked, her thoughts a little incoherent from the feelings Jasper had ignited within her.
"Now," he ground out. "Otherwise I'm going to do something very inappropriate in a very public place."
Danielle nodded, and with that he pulled her off the dancefloor. They stepped out of the crowded club and back out into the humid, night air of Rio de Janeiro. Jasper hailed the first cab he saw and, once they were in the backseat, gave hasty instructions to take them to the docks.
He kept his hands to himself in front of the stranger driving them, but she could feel the anticipation rolling off of him and the looks he kept giving her were enough to make her feel as heated as if he was touching her. When they reached the docks, he paid the cab driver far more than was needed, then grabbed her hand and led her to the boat. He helped her aboard, his hands lingering on her waist, then made quick work of getting them out onto the water.
Danielle fully expected that they wouldn't stop until they reached Isle Esme, but Jasper seemed to have other plans. About halfway there, when he seemed satisfied that they had gotten far enough away from the rest of civilization, he slowed the boat and cut the engine. She started to ask what he was doing, but the words died on her lips when he turned and slowly came toward her, looking like a jungle cat ready to pounce.
When he reached her, he ran gentle fingers down her cheek before lifting her chin, so that her face was titled up toward him. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asked, his voice gravelly. "The way you look at me, the way you touch me, the way you kiss me." Jasper's chest heaved, as if he was using all his willpower not to claim her and it was exhausting him. "I feel like I might die if I can't get my hands on you."
Danielle sucked in a steadying breath and leaned into his touch, certain the raw, undiluted lust in his eyes was mirrored in her own. "Then why aren't you putting your hands on me now?" she asked breathlessly.
Jasper swiftly leaned down to kiss her. He pulled her up from her seat, then locked his hands enough her rear to lift her up into the air, prompting her to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He groaned at the contact, one hand sliding underneath her skirt to skim the length of her thigh.
"I need you, darlin'," he said huskily, his lips trailing down to her neck with urgency. "God, I need you."
Danielle sighed with satisfaction at the feeling of his lips on her, then tugged on his hair until he lifted his head to look at her. Jasper's desire was slamming into her like a wrecking ball, and she was just as desperate to be with him as he was to be with her. She didn't want to wait until they were back home. She wanted him now.
"I'm yours, Jazz," she said, before kissing him fiercely, so that he had no doubt in his mind about what she wanted.
He received the message loud and clear, and right there, underneath a sky full of bright, twinkling stars, their passion and desire for each other consumed them once more.
Soon, too soon, the day that Danielle had been dreading was upon them. She woke to the familiar sounds of morning birds and ocean waves, and for once she was not alone in bed. Jasper lay beside her, his head propped up on one hand while the other slid down the length of her bare back, then back up again.
"Good morning," he greeted.
She started to say it back, but then she remembered what day it was. It was the day they were scheduled to leave Isle Esme and return to Forks. She couldn't stop herself from frowning sadly at the thought of leaving their little haven behind.
"We're going home today," she said with a pout.
Jasper nodded slowly, looking a little disappointed himself. "We are."
"I don't wanna leave," Danielle protested.
"Neither do I," Jasper sympathized. "But we can come back whenever you want," he said with a nod. "Carlisle and Esme wouldn't mind."
Danielle nodded, then shifted closer so that she could wrap an arm around his waist and stretch up to kiss his lips. Jasper immediately returned her kiss, humming contentedly against her lips. "Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for such an amazing time," she said, nuzzling her nose against his. "Thank you for everything."
"It should be me thanking you," Jasper countered.
"What for?"
"For marrying me. For loving me. For making all of this possible," he said, brushing a red curl back away from her face. "I know you're sad to leave, darlin', but this is only just the beginning. We still have many, many years ahead of us, and I intend to make sure we spend all of those years as happy as we have been here."
Danielle smiled, heart warming at his words. "As long as we're together, I'll always be happy."
Jasper gave her a gentle, lopsided smile. "As will I, darlin'," he said. He rolled her onto her back then and settled on top of her, his eyes flickering over her face, as if trying to commit the moment to memory. "I love you, Danielle."
"I love you, too."
Then his lips were on hers, and she soon forgot to feel sad about the impending departure.
After they finally managed to drag themselves out of bed, the rest of the day passed quickly. They enjoyed one last breakfast on the patio together and one last trip to the beach, but after that it was time to start getting ready to leave. They straightened up the house and packed up their clothes, then made a quick call to the airport to check that everything was alright with their flight. By the time the house was clean and their suitcases were ready to go the sun was starting to go down, which meant only one thing.
It was, unfortunately, time to leave.
They turned off all the lights and made sure all the doors and windows were closed, then gathered their things and made their way back to the boat. While Jasper loaded their things into the boat, Danielle stood on the dock and took one last look at the island, sighing quietly to herself.
She sure was going to miss this place.
When Jasper reappeared by her side, she looked up at him. "Time to go."
Danielle nodded, then placed her hand in his and let him help her down into the boat. Jasper untied the boat from the dock and lifted the anchor, then started the rumbling engine. As they started back toward the mainland, the sky above them growing darker with the swift approach of dusk, Danielle stood next to Jasper, her arms wrapped around his waist for balance and her head resting on his shoulder. She just watched in silence as Isle Esme shrunk smaller and smaller into the distance, until it finally disappeared from sight altogether.
Hope it was worth the wait!
Things to look forward to in the next chapter – Jasper has a surprise for Danielle, and Danielle calls a family meeting!