A/N: Songs Mentioned
Def Leppard, Pour Song Sugar On It

Chapter 30: The Gift

APOV

Late February 2006

It was time to put my Christmas gift from Alice to use. I tried not to think too hard on why she got me this particular item. Like, did she have a vision of Jasper and I? I mean, I wasn't stupid. We were both women here. Well, technically she was a teenager, but you know what I mean. And she was a psychic. Who had a better grasp on Jasper's future than mine.

It was weird if I thought too much about it.

But fuck it, in for a penny in for a pound.

Getting out of bed I noticed Jasper was downstairs, I could smell coffee brewing, and I could hear him softly singing to himself as he cut up some fruit for my breakfast. God how my mate was getting domesticated. I wandered over to the railing that overlooked the downstairs and softly said, "Hey Tex, I'm gonna have a quick shower, you wanna pop out for a bite while I do that?"

He looked at me quizzically, so I rolled my eyes, "Please? You know how much I like it when you're…satisfied."

He nodded, "I don't need to, but if you're asking nicely..."

"I am," I tossed back.

Perfect, step one accomplished. I hopped into the shower, washed my hair, shaved my legs, generally taking my time. When I finished, I quickly towel dried my hair before putting it into two loose braids. I threw on one of Jasper's dress shirts that was miles too large for me but perfect for today. I quickly set up the gift on my bedside table, following the directions and then headed downstairs to have my coffee and fruit. I had just finished up when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Vampire – mine.

"Perfect timing Tex." I said lightly when he came into the kitchen, I kissed him and then asked him to follow me upstairs.

He didn't need to be asked twice, he merely hoisted me over his shoulder and whisked me up the stairs, disregarding my shrieks of surprise, "Jasper! I just ate!"

He clearly thought I had other ideas because he was all over me kissing me and running his hands up my legs.

"Anya." He murmured, "why are you not wearing any panties and why did you ask me to hunt?" His desire for me was clearly evident.

I laughed, trying to get out of his grasp. "Because Tex, I need your help with something." I flicked my eyes over to what was on the bedside table.

An at home waxing kit. The beads were already in the pot and melted.

Yeah, wasn't what you were expecting was it. And from the look on Jasper's face, he was pretty damn confused.

"Anya, am I special kind of stupid here, because…" He sat there on the bed beside me, his eyes darting from me to the pot, and back.

I merely got up and went to fetch a towel and shooed him out of the way so I could like down on it and get comfortable.

"I thought it was obvious Tex, it's wax. For hair removal." It was so hard not to keep the laughter out of my voice. As well as my nerves. I had always wanted a full Brazilian, but I was too chicken shit, embarrassed, nervous, scared. Call it what you will. But with Jasper, an empath, I kinda figured it would be easier.

And apparently so did Alice. I mean I think she did. I'm not sure why else she would have gifted this to me. I was very perfunctory about personal hygiene. Although there were many times after Jasper and I had gotten busy I couldn't be bothered to shower.

I figured venom wasn't really the same as seminal fluid and I dunno. It felt different. Less sticky and bodily. Let's just say Meyer never went into great detail about that aspect of vampire physiology. Or if she did, it wasn't in the books I had read.

"Anya, are you," Jasper was still clueless.

God, I swear if he were human he would blush. So, I gently spread my legs and got comfortable.

"Anya!"

God this was priceless.

JPOV

She wasn't drunk. I hadn't seen her go for a bottle in ages. But from the moment she woke up, I could feel her mood. Nervous, excited, and mischievous.

Never a good combination.

I was downstairs, cutting up berries to go with her yogurt, the coffee already to go in the French press in the kitchen, when I heard her call out from upstairs. "Hey Tex, I'm gonna have a quick shower, you wanna pop out for a bite while I do that?"

What? I'd just hunted a few days ago. I wasn't exactly hurting for it. I barely dealt with bloodlust. Not like before.

I stepped out of the kitchen to look up at her leaning over the railing, and she playfully rolled her eyes and said, "Please? You know how much I like it when you're…satisfied."

I smirked at that. The way she said "satisfied" had a thousand different meanings. "I don't need to, but if you're asking nicely..."

"I am," she sang back, voice sweet as honey.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the grin spreading across my face. What was she up to? Anya had a way of getting what she wanted, and if she thought me hunting was necessary, well, who was I to argue? Maybe I was a little peckish, after all. I hung up the dishtowel and headed out the door.

What was my devious human up to?

I took my time in the forest, enjoying the crisp winter morning air, the rush of speed as I darted between the trees. We had had a fresh snow fall during the night and it looked like we could expect some more. Not a blizzard, just a constant reminder it was winter in upstate New York. It felt good, shaking off the cabin fever. I was definitely enjoying my various pursuits with Anya, far away from the brooder. Last I heard he was in South America, Brazil I think. Other than my night communing with nature as Anya called my time with Alice, things between us were good.

Well, there was the flu, her near death anaphylactic shock from mussels, that awful argument New Year's Day, but who's counting. The make up sex was phenomenal if I do say so myself.

Did she want me to give her another hickey? Is that why she asked me to hunt? Yeah, I was down for that.

By the time I'd caught and fed from a deer, I was more than a little curious. My thirst was satiated, but my mind was spinning with possibilities as I disposed of the carcass. What was she up to? And why did she need me out of the cabin? I headed back, slowing as I approached the property, listening for any clue that might give her away.

The cabin was quiet. Too quiet. I opened the door, catching the familiar scent of Anya and the faint smell of coffee, but nothing out of the ordinary. I made my way to the kitchen, half expecting some kind of surprise.

Damn is Anya just wearing a dress shirt, barely buttoned and her hair in braids? What was this devious woman up to?

When she kissed me and asked to follow her upstairs, I didn't need to be told twice, I hoisted her over my shoulder, my hands going under the shirt. And plopping her onto the bed murmuring her name asking, between kisses, why she didn't have any panties on, and I was instructed to hunt.

When she said it was obvious, I had no fucking clue what she was going on about.

A wax kit. For hair removal. And with her lying there on her back and damn, when she spread her legs.

I truly was a special kind of stupid.

"Anya, you want me to wax you? There?" I asked, barely able to comprehend what it was she wanted me to help her with.

She laughed lightly and nodded her head, "Yes."

The word was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "Why?" I mean she did keep herself rather tidy. And well, it wasn't like female vampires could wax, so body hair never did bother me.

I sat beside her, "Anya I don't mind your ahh..." Did she have a euphemism for this too?

"Beaver?" she supplied, the laughter getting harder to suppress.

I rolled my eyes, "If you insist, your beaver. It doesn't bother me, honest."

She sat up a bit on her elbows and looked at me, "Tex, this isn't for you. This is for me. I've always wanted this but well…"

She left the words hanging there, Ok, we're playing guessing games. "You thought I would assist? I mean why didn't you ahh, go to a spa." That's where women went for these things, right?

Anya lightly swatted my arm, "Jasper! I'm supposed to be dead, remember?"

I still didn't know what to say. At this point she sat up completely and cupped her hand against my face, "Jasper, you're an empath. This hurts. I want it. But I don't want the pain, you feel me?" And she lightly kissed me in that way that'd melt my heart if it could. I leaned into it, and I could feel her desire spike for me, before she pulled away. "The sooner we get this over the sooner we can set the clock." And then she laid back down getting herself comfortable.

"Set the clock?" I asked, clearly confused but I was willing to look over the instructions. How hard could this be.

"No sex for twenty-four hours." she replied as if talking about the weather.

Anya wanted me to be up in her beaver, with hot wax, smelling her and then I couldn't have her for twenty-four hours? No wonder she asked me to hunt.

I did see that she was trying to keep her desire for me in check. She hadn't started to channel her boredom, but she was calm. Calming her nerves. Damn she really did want this but had been too nervous.

Well, who am I to refuse my devious woman. and we needed music. I raced downstairs to her records and put on some Def Leppard. Soon the riffs and heavy base filled the cabin. Back upstairs Anya was still lying on her back and laughing.

"Really Tex? Pour Some Sugar on Me?"

I shrugged as I sat beside her and looked over the instructions, "What it seemed appropriate." Right, what did we need to do first. Good it included pre-waxing instructions. Which included showering. And exfoliating?

"Anya, did you ahh, exfoliate?" I was trying to be as professional about this as possible but damn if it wasn't hard with her lying there in just my shirt and her scent filling my nostrils.

She rolled her eyes at me, "You truly are a special kind of stupid, Tex. What do you think the sugar scrub is in the shower?"

I looked at her trying my best not to laugh, "Well it didn't exist when I was a" She glared a warning at me, "solider in the army?" I said instead, trying to stick to her need for euphemisms.

"I didn't realize you didn't know how to read Tex." she teased back clearly enjoying my discomfort.

Very well she had exfoliated. Next step, hairs should be no more than ¼ inch long. How the fuck are women supposed to know that? Did she take out a tape measure?

She was back lying on her back lightly singing along to Def Leppard. But her legs were spread. My shirt was covering her, so I carefully lifted it up, and felt her breath hitch, "Anya" I warned.

"Sorry" she said meekly. "Nervous."

That safely out of the way, damn, my mate was beautiful. I supposed this explained why she hadn't shaved recently. They definitely looked the appropriate length. How long had she been planning this, and better question where did she get this kit? It wasn't as if we got deliveries out at the cabin.

Right, pre-wax spray and cotton pads. I looked over at the table and there was a bottle and the pads. I grabbed those and sprayed and then, ahhh cleanse what area? I started at the top of her mons near her bikini line.

"Oh Brazilian, not bikini" Anya said, again like she was ordering a latte.

"There's a difference?" I couldn't help to ask.

She laughed, "Oh Tex, yes. Bikini is just like it sounds, the top, Brazilian" she struggled to find the right words, "let's say I'm going for full hardwood and not shag if you catch my meaning" and she spread her legs even further to emphasize her point.

All of it. She wanted me to remove every single hair. From there.

Maybe I didn't hunt enough.