Chapter 19: Secret Door

(Song: E.S. Posthumus - Estremoz)

“Bella, where’s the file for the McAllister account?” Charlie’s voice preceded his entry into his daughter’s office where her head had quickly shot up from the notes she was studying at her desk.

He raised an eyebrow as he said, “Studying on the job, are we?”

She sighed. “Sorry dad, it’ll all be over in two weeks, you know.”

He waved his hand in nonchalance. “It’s okay, I know how you are with studying. Which makes me wonder why you are here instead of at home.”

She shrugged. “I can multi-task.”

Charlie shook his head. He knew Bella was excellent at multi-tasking, but he also knew she could run herself into the ground if no one else kept an eye on her. It was something that had been keeping Jacob, Renee and himself on their toes. Granted, Jacob was working just as hard as Bella was but he seemed to know his limits, somehow managing not to run himself ragged the way Bella was doing these days.

The evidence was in the way Jacob still walked around with a smile on his face while Bella was growing more and more short-tempered every day. Of course Charlie had reasoned that Jacob could also still be on the high that came with having gotten engaged to his daughter, but that had been a couple of months ago. Months during which a flurry of activity had quickly followed their announcement.

Charlie and Renee had already known that Jacob was going to propose to their daughter because Jacob had asked Charlie for Bella’s hand while arrangements were still being made for the Las Vegas trip. When Billy and Jacob had told Charlie why the trip was important- the plan Jacob had for Bella- Charlie didn’t have the heart to ruin it for his baby girl. He knew if he had prevented them from going and Bella had found out what Charlie hadn’t let happen, he would have been in the dog house not only with Bella, but with Renee too.

When they had returned home with Bella wearing the ring that Billy and Renee had helped Jacob pick out, everyone had congratulated and hugged the newly engaged, happy couple. Then, Sarah and Renee got to work on planning an engagement party for them which took place a month later, even though Charlie and Billy worried if it would be wise to make it public since they knew not everyone would be thrilled about the news.

Now, a month after the party and public announcement, danger seemed to be non-existent, yet the tension still remained as Bella and Jacob entered into their last few weeks of college before graduating. Jacob had taken everything in stride, yet Bella had been stressed enough for both of them.

“Just go home Bella. You don’t really need to be here.”

She waved him off. “I’m fine dad. And the McAllister file is with your secretary, where you told me to leave it in the first place.”

“Oh, right! Okay, thanks.” He sighed. “Really, Bella, go on home.”

She waved him away as she stuck her head back into the notes she had been looking at before he had interrupted.

Charlie made his way towards his office when Billy caught up with him. “Charlie, got a minute?”

Charlie nodded, “Sure, let’s go to my office.”

Billy followed him to his secretary’s desk first, so he could retrieve the McAllister file he needed. Once she handed it to him, he motioned for Billy to precede him into his office, then shut the door behind him.

Dropping the file on his desk, he sat in his chair and folded his arms over the edge of the desk. “What’s up, Billy?”

Billy sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, scooting it closer with a sigh. “Got an update from my men, she’s eluded them again.”

Charlie arched an eyebrow. “Really? So she’s moved on then?”

“Yep, her apartment is cleaned out and she left no forwarding address,” Billy paused a moment before he looked his best friend in the eyes. “The men think she’s on her way back here, that she got wind of the engagement.”

Charlie rubbed his face in frustration. “What do you think?”

Billy still looked him in the eyes. There was a heavy pause before he said, “I agree with them.”

“Great,” replied Charlie, voice full of sarcasm.

“Look, I have security already on the lookout for any sign of her here. And I’m talking about all of our security, Charlie. Here and our homes. Thing is, we’re going to have to put personal security guards on the kids again, like they had in Las Vegas. Only this time, we don’t tell them.”

Charlie sat up straight in his chair. “Why not?”

Billy rolled his eyes. “You and I both know Bella doesn’t like being followed.”

“Yeah, but it’s for her safety!”

“I know Charlie, but do you really think she’ll go for it, even if we tell her why? Remember the words she had with us before going to Las Vegas?”

“Don’t you think she’ll figure out someone is watching her even if we don’t tell her? I’d think she’d be angrier if we did this behind her back than if we were honest with her Billy.”

Billy groaned as he sat back in his chair. “Okay, you have a point. Tell you what, let me discuss this with Jacob and see what he thinks.”

Charlie frowned. “Why? Bella’s my daughter.”

“Yes, I know that, but Jacob knows Bella in a way none of us do, plus he might be able to keep her calm when we tell her what’s up.”

Charlie was quiet for a few moments, making Billy think he wasn’t going to agree until he finally nodded his head slowly. “Okay, fine. Talk to Jacob, get him to help us convince Bella that this is the right thing to do.”

With a final nod, Billy got up from his chair and left the office, his stride full of purpose.

*************************************

(Song: Within Temptation - Running Up That Hill) (remake from Kate Bush original)

Bella tossed her cell phone on the bed a little harder than necessary before stomping towards her bathroom. She was furious with her fiancé even though she knew she had no right to be.

Both of them had been studying so hard for their finals while also getting ready for graduating from UW. Not only that, but they had both been working with their fathers, taking on more responsibilities as they got closer to being full-time in the family business. All of that left them virtually no time to simply be with each other recreationally.

It had left Bella feeling a little neglected, especially when Jacob continued to walk around with a smile on his face, charming the pants off of everyone and looking like nothing bothered him. Bella was civil towards clients and the like, plastering a smile on her face when it was needed, but it seemed so effortless for Jacob. What really irked Bella though, was the way he charmed the ladies and they ate it up like it was candy.

Sure, Jacob had always been that way and Bella knew he was always popular with the ladies, but now that they were engaged, it seemed to be upsetting her a lot more often. Couldn’t he just cool it now and not appear like the playboy he once was? He was engaged for crying out loud! He was the one that proposed after all! He needed to show the world that he was a one-woman man now! Off the market!

“Ugh! What is wrong with me?” she snapped at the air as she slammed shut the door to the bathroom.

Turning on the sink’s faucet, she splashed water on her face to try to cool down, then she brushed her hair out before tying it back into a loose ponytail. Returning to her room, she slid into the sandals she had on earlier, picked up her purse and backpack, then headed out the door deciding to go to the library to study instead of moping in her bedroom.

She had been studying at the library for nearly an hour when she received a text from Jacob.

Hey Bells, u busy?

She immediately replied: At library. What’s up?

He texted back. Nothing really. Can I meet u there? Dad will drop me off.

She couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her face when she read that message. Of course she wasn’t going to pass up time with her fiancé!

Sure, I’ll meet u out front.

Cool. Will B there in 20.

Once she looked at his last text, she finished up the last of her notes before loading up her backpack. Eventually she took the elevator and made her way towards the entrance of the library. As she was walking past the check-out lanes towards the entrance foyer, she heard her name being called.

“Bella? Bella Swan?”

She turned towards the voice to see Paul Lahote grinning at her. Her eyes went wide in surprise.

“Paul?”

He chuckled as he approached her. “Yep, it’s me.”

She shifted her backpack a bit before giving him a hug then asking, “What are you doing here?”

His grin widened as he stepped back, but he still held both of her hands in his. “Dropping off my sister.”

Bella shook her head with a laugh, “No, I mean, I thought you were living in New York now.”

He nodded, “Oh that. Yes, I am, but I came down for my parent’s anniversary, so I’m here for a few more days.”

She smiled, “Really? Well congratulations to your parents!”

“Thanks,” he replied before reaching one hand up to touch her cheek. “It’s good to see you again, Bella. You’re looking much happier than the last time I saw you.”

She nodded as she looked down at the ground. “Yeah, Paul…”

“Hey Bells, there you are,” interrupted Jacob’s low voice.

Bella glanced up to see him entering the door with a smile on his face. A smile that clearly wasn’t reaching his eyes at the moment. She quickly took her hand out of Paul’s and moved to Jacob’s side. 

Jacob was doing his best not to seem too territorial over Bella since he had entered the library only to see her looking too cozy with a guy she had once dated. He was glad that she didn’t protest when he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, tugged her closer to his side then leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“Ready to go, honey?” he whispered against her skin.

She nodded before looking back at Paul. “Paul, you remember my fiancé, Jacob Black.”

Jacob couldn’t help but feel proud that Bella said that in front of Paul, nor could he barely suppress the smug smile that threatened to cover his face at Paul’s wide eyes.

Paul handled it better than Jacob had hoped since he simply grinned at Jacob while holding out a hand. “Yes, Jacob, good to see you again. I guess congratulations are in order for the two of you!”

As Bella beamed up at him, Jacob took Paul’s hand, giving him a friendly shake. “Thanks, yeah, you could say that.”

Paul glanced between the two of them as he asked, “So, how long has it been, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Bella answered, “About three months now.”

Paul whistled. “Really? Hm, I would have thought it was longer than that.”

He winked at Bella, then looked at Jacob. “So, when’s the wedding?”

Jacob tensed as Bella groaned and said, “Oh please don’t mention that right now. We’re concentrating on graduating first, then getting situated at the business before we plan a wedding. I really don’t look forward to the headaches over that.”

Jacob couldn’t help but chuckle at Bella’s pained expression as he leaned down to kiss her temple. “I’m sure it’ll be easier than you think honey, we’ll probably have our mothers trying to do the job for us.”

Bella nodded. “That’s true. I’m sure if they had their way, we’d be married yesterday.”

Paul laughed. “Right! I remember you telling me about your mom.” He shook his head before smiling at Bella. “Well, it was good to see you again Bella, I’m glad everything worked out for you.” He turned to Jacob with a nod. “Jacob, congratulations man. You’ve got a great woman there.”

Jacob returned his nod. “Thanks, she’s the best.” He looked down at his fiancée with a beaming smile.

Bella returned his smile with one of her own before she looked back at Paul. “Say congratulations to your parents for me, will you? Besides that, though, I hope your time here is a relaxing one before you have to go back to fast-paced New York.”

Paul chuckled. “It’s not as bad as you make it out to be, Bella, but thanks anyway. I do plan to relax a bit before I leave. Maybe I’ll see you around, huh?”

Bella felt the slight tensing of Jacob’s arm around her waist, but continued to talk to Paul as if nothing was wrong. “Yeah, we’ll see you around, Paul.” She reached behind her to take Jacob’s hand in hers, then leaned forward to give Paul a quick, one-armed hug. “We’ve got to get going now, but you take care of yourself, okay?”

He hugged her back before stepping away. “Will do! Congrats again!”

He waved to both of them before heading out of the library and out of their sight. When he was gone, Bella turned slightly to look up at Jacob, raising one eyebrow.

He gave her a sheepish look. “What?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Oh don’t you dare, ‘what’ me, Jacob Black! Don’t think I don’t know what you were trying to do here!”

Innocent-looking eyes locked with hers. “Huh? What am I missing?”

She let out a huff as she shifted her backpack on her shoulders before walking briskly out of the library. She didn’t see the smirk Jacob wore as he began to follow her out of the building. They made their way to the parking lot, where Bella used her key fob to unlock her car.

Jacob climbed into the passenger seat besides her, not saying a word as they both buckled themselves in before Bella started the car and drove them out of the lot. Silence reined as Bella drove them to Jacob’s house, even though they both kept sneaking glances at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

When Bella pulled up in front of the house, Jacob turned to look at her. “You coming in?”

She turned to give him an incredulous look, opening her mouth to respond, but Jacob didn’t let her. He leaned over and quickly took her lips in his, kissing her hard, stealing her breath before trailing his lips to her ear.

“Please?” he whispered as he let his tongue brush over the sensitive spot behind her ear. “So I can give you a proper, I’m sorry.”

When he nipped at her neck, Bella couldn’t stop the moan that slipped past her lips. She pulled back to look into his puppy-dog eyes. “Not fair, Jake!”

He pouted. “I really am sorry.”

She sighed. “I wasn’t mad at you.” Then her eyes met his and she grinned. “But anytime you want to remind me that you love me, is fine by me.”

He matched her grin with one of his own before he leaned over to give her lips a quick peck. “Mm, I love you, Bells. So much. Come inside and let me show you just how much.”

She giggled before she turned the car off. “Race you!”

**************************************

(Song: Evanescence - Secret Door)

He was standing in the middle of his room when she finally entered it. He looked so delectable as he began removing his shirt, making Bella quickly toss her backpack against his desk before she shut and locked his door. She leaned back against it, watching as he removed the rest of his clothes in such a slow, teasing way. By the time he was completely naked, she was breathing hard.

His eyes darkened and his lips parted slightly as he made his way towards her. She straightened up as his hands caught hers in his so that he could lead her to the bed. He maneuvered them so that she was standing with her back to the bed, then slowly began to undress her.

Lifting her shirt up, he went down to his knees so that he could brush his lips over the skin he revealed. With each piece of skin that came into his view, he worshiped it with his lips or tongue. Once the shirt was discarded, he removed her bra, tossing it aside to worship each soft, swell that ended with tiny, pink tips hardened by each swipe of his tongue.

Her hands were in his hair, holding him to her as he loved her breasts with his mouth. He let his hands trail down her sides until his fingers met the rough material of her jeans. He teased her skin with his fingertips as they made their way to the button of her jeans, even as his mouth left her pert breasts to leave open-mouthed kisses down her stomach.

As he began to remove her jeans, he let his tongue dip into her navel, smiling at her soft groan and the way her hands tightened in his hair. It was pure torture for Bella as Jacob slowly slid both her underwear and jeans down her legs, pausing to let her slip out of her sandals before he helped her lift one foot at a time to step out of her clothes. 

When she was as naked as he was, he trailed his fingers up the inside of her legs until he reached the apex of her thighs. He leaned forward to press soft kisses against her hip, nibbling her skin as his mouth moved south while his hands pressed her legs open wider. When his tongue leisurely stroked her petal-soft core from back to front, her legs nearly gave out on her.

Jacob’s hands held her up as he leaned back to look up at her with smoldering eyes. “I can never get enough of you, honey. You’re so beautiful to me.”

He stood up, taking her in his arms so that he could lay her in the middle of the bed. Laying his body over hers, he kissed her lips before making his way down her body again. 

With each kiss he left on her skin, he spoke to her. “I love everything about you, Bella…your strength…your independence…the kindness of your heart…the way you look at me…the way you say my name…the way you taste…the way you feel.”

He was between her legs again, once more pushing his tongue through her already moistened folds making her moan. As his tongue swirled over her ripe bud, her fingers once more found purchase in his hair as she breathed, “Jacob.”

He smiled against her skin, pressing a kiss there as he murmured. “I love the sounds you make when I make love to you.”

She tugged at his hair. “Okay,” she moaned again as he sucked her nub into his mouth. “Okay, I get it. Please Jake! Put me out of my misery.”

He chuckled softly. “As you wish, honey.”

Sliding a finger inside of her, he took his time, working her up even as his tongue continued to tease her. He added a second and then a third, finally curling his fingers and sucking harder on her pearl to send her into the first climax of the night. As her body writhed in ecstasy, he continued to lap at her center until he had wrung all that he could from her.

She was settling down against the mattress when he slid his body up the length of hers, both of them sighing at the skin to skin contact. He settled his groin between her hips, propping himself up on his elbows to look down into her lazy gaze.

“You okay, Bells?”

She sighed as she wrapped her legs around his hips. “Not quite yet, but I’m getting there.”

They smiled at each other as he let her lead him into her body, the smiles faltering behind matching groans when he was finally seated deep inside of her. Jacob wanted to remain still, simply enjoying the fact that their bodies were joined as one, but Bella had other ideas. Lifting her hips, she gyrated against him, making him moan as her walls stroked his length.

He lowered his head to her neck, pressing his lips against her skin. Groaning as her inner muscles squeezed him harder. “God, honey! You keep that up and I’m not going to last long.”

“It’s okay,” she panted against his shoulder. “I’m not going to last long either…and we have all night.”

He quickly matched her rhythm with his own hips, letting her set the pace. When she sped up, so did he. When she shifted her hands to his ass, to indicate that she wanted it harder, he obliged. Bodies in-sync with each other, glistening with sweat, they alternated between fast and slow thrusts. Building the friction between them, making it burn hotter and hotter until neither one of them could take it anymore.

Bella was the first to reach that perfect moment, convulsing around him as her lips sought his so that he could swallow her scream of passion. Jacob willingly kissed her, enjoying the way her body contracted around him, coaxing him to explode in bliss. As his body joined hers in that final perfect moment, her lips were there to receive his groan of satisfied pleasure just like he had done for her only seconds ago.

As his body began to weigh hers down, she sighed with contentment, letting her legs fall to the bed while her hands made soothing circles on his back. He nuzzled her cheek, making his way down her neck to her shoulders before returning his lips to hers. He lingered there, feathering his lips against hers with an occasional slow sweep of his tongue until their bodies had calmed somewhat.

When he knew they could breathe again, he rolled to his side, tucking his fiancée into his body then wrapping her securely in his arms. Lowering his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Love you, Bells.”

She smiled tenderly as she replied, “Love you too, Jake.”

Chapter 18: Say You Will

(song: E.S. Posthumus - Arise )

Bella shifted in her seat trying not to feel like the walls were closing in on her. When Jacob turned his head to give her a questioning look, she just shook her head then turned to look out of the window. She felt Jacob take her hand in his as he continued to talk to Embry and Quil who sat in the seat in front of them.

They were in a van on their way to their hotel from the Las Vegas airport to spend a few days of their Spring Break there together. This time only Embry, Quil, Leah and Alice made the trip with them since everyone else was either busy or unable to afford the trip.

Bella glanced at the two men in the driver and passenger seats again, even as she heard Alice and Leah talking together in the seat behind the one she shared with Jacob. Those two men were security guards hired by both her father and Jacob’s since Vanessa was still at large.

No matter what Billy’s lawyers and the men he’d hired did, no one could seem to catch up with Vanessa. Since the call back in January, Vanessa had made one more call in February to Jacob to try to get Billy to call off the search. When that still hadn’t worked, Vanessa had told Jacob that she knew exactly who it was Jacob was dating and if he didn’t agree to get back together with her, things could get ugly.

That had prompted Billy, Charlie and Jacob to immediately beef up security not only at their homes, but also by providing guards to accompany Jacob and Bella when they left their homes. Bella hadn’t been as enthusiastic or as panicky as the three men were. She felt Vanessa was just trying to pressure Jacob into giving in to her, especially since it was now March and Vanessa was nowhere to be seen or heard from.

Still, when Alice had come to Bella and asked if she wanted to go to Vegas with her since her parents had agreed to let her use one of their comps, Bella had jumped at the chance. Alice had told her the suite would have two bedrooms, as well as a couch bed, so they could invite a few more people to go with them. Of course Bella wanted Jacob along, so he was the first one she’d asked.

At first, Jacob was actually not interested since he was still a little wary of Vanessa popping up somewhere unannounced. However, once Embry and Quil heard about it, they somehow managed to talk him into it as well as getting Alice to agree to let them go along. Since Ashley had gone back to California for a while, Embry was free along with the eternal bachelor, Quil.

Jasper couldn’t take off from work, just like Angela and Ben, while Jared and Kim couldn’t really afford to go. That left one more spot open and since Mark was not on Spring Break that week, he convinced Leah to go with them to keep the three musketeers out of trouble.

Once the list of people was known, it took a lot more to convince both the Black and Swan families to let their kids go. As usual, it was Charlie who balked the most, although this time it was because of safety rather than the fact that Bella was going off with Jacob again. However, Billy and Jacob took Charlie aside and said something that convinced Charlie to let them go, but that didn’t stop Billy and Charlie from making sure two security guards would be going with them too.

Bella had tried to talk them out of it when they had suggested six guards, but it had been useless from the start since Jacob was on their side instead of hers. In the end, she had no choice but to deal with having just the two guards along, although from the looks of it, she was the only one who had a problem with it. All of the others seemed not to notice the addition of them.

Especially Jacob, who took to having a stranger shadowing his every move with the nonchalance he was known for. He continued to be his usual flirty, fun self, even joking around with the bodyguards despite the fact that said guards weren’t smiling or laughing in return. They took their jobs seriously, eyes and ears always alert for any kind of danger towards their two main charges.

Bella resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance again as Jacob slid closer to her, curling an arm around her shoulders to tug her into his side. He nuzzled her temple before whispering into her ear.

“Do me a favor, honey? Try and enjoy the next few days with me?”

She forced a smile onto her face as she nodded at him, letting him know she would try. Yet she knew if she said it out loud, he’d hear the lie in her voice. She leaned her head against his chest, not wanting him to see the displeasure on her face. She really wanted to enjoy some time alone with her boyfriend, but something told her she wouldn’t be able to ignore the two silent figures trailing their every move.

It wasn’t long before the hotel came into view. Like many of the hotels in the area, it was tall and shiny with well-maintained grounds. It screamed extravagance and entertainment for those with the means to take advantage of it all. Not only that, but it was clearly not advertised as a family-type place. No sir, you weren’t going to find many children running about in a cold, high-security place like that.

Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly the type of place Bella would have normally gravitated towards, but she knew that if she was going to have a few days of uninterrupted time with Jacob, this was the best place to give her that chance. The others weren’t as disappointed as she was since a chorus of ‘oohs’, ‘aahs’, squeals and whoops echoed throughout the car. The excitement continued as the van came to a stop in front of the entrance to the grand hotel where valets were waiting to help visitors with their belongings.

Before the van had come completely to a stop, the guard in the passenger seat hopped out and directed the valets to the back of the van to retrieve the luggage. He refused to let anyone handle the side door which would give them access to his precious cargo. As he opened the door and let the others out, the driver walked to the back of the van to watch over the valets who were removing the luggage.

When Jacob tried getting out, their guard shook his head, telling him to stay put until the others had gotten out first. Bella frowned at Jacob’s back as Jacob chuckled and sat back in the seat. He turned an amused look on Bella who quickly hid her frown from him.

It turned out to be quite the chore just to get the group signed in, then safely escorted to their suite where the guards had to sweep the room before they could finally relax. By that time, Bella just wanted to curl up on the bed to take a nap, allowing the tension to seep away during her sleep.

When she woke up a few hours later, the sun had gone down and the suite was quiet. She was also alone in the bed. Yawning, she crawled out of bed and stretched her arms over her head. Feeling better after her nap, she went into the bathroom to refresh herself, grinning as she shook her head over the small pile of clothes Jacob had already made on the tiled floor.

Once she was done and dressed in one of her favorite silk shirts with a pair of jeans, she walked out of the suite to find Jacob flicking through the channels on the slightly muted TV. He grinned at her as she plopped down next to him and snuggled into his side where he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day,” he teased.

She poked him in his side as she responded, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He shrugged as he looked back at the TV. “You looked like you could use some rest.”

His words and the way he wouldn’t look at her made her scowl. “You mean I needed a break.”

He sighed, but didn’t answer her for a few moments. She continued to glare at his profile until she got tired of waiting for his answer. Reaching out, she grabbed the remote from his hand, pressed the off button then tossed it on the coffee table.

Jacob turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe you need some more sleep.”

Her scowl deepened. “I don’t need anymore sleep! What I need…”

“I know, Bells!” He interrupted before she could launch into another one of her spiels. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but this is all we get right now, so can’t you at least make the most of it?”

She pursed her lips as she folded her arms over her chest and huffed. She had pulled slightly away from him, but now he moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as he brushed his lips over her neck.

“Please,” he whispered against her skin. “Please? For me?”

She closed her eyes, trying to resist the affections of the one person who could convince her to do anything without any effort at all. As his lips trailed butterfly kisses up her neck to her ear, she knew she was losing…badly.

“Come on, Bells,” he urged as he nipped at her ear, “Let’s have a great Spring Break.”

She turned her head to his, tilting her head back to accept his kiss. He didn’t disappoint. Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her until he was breathing for her. Until her heartbeat matched his and she was impatiently tugging him off of the couch and back to the bedroom where she was determined to take advantage of the fact that none of their friends were going to interrupt them for the rest of the night.

**********************************************

(Song: No Doubt - Hella Good)

Alice’s loud giggle caused Bella to look up at her in the middle of getting her groove on in the middle of the crowded dance floor. When Alice saw Bella’s arched eyebrow, she leaned in to be heard over the music.

“Don’t look now, but Quil is once again getting shot down by another smart woman.”

Bella rolled her eyes before looking over her shoulder to see Quil’s latest attempted conquest storming away from him as he rubbed his cheek. Quil’s continued attempts to pick up women still hadn’t improved, making them all wonder if he was forever going to be alone.

Glancing in the direction of their table, Bella could see both Jacob and Embry trying not to laugh over their friend’s usual futile attempts. As she and Alice shook their heads, Leah sashayed up to them with water bottles. Alice and Bella each took one, thanking Leah before downing the water, then going back to dancing.

It was their second night in Las Vegas and the day had been better than Bella had expected despite having shadows following her and Jacob everywhere they went. The group had spent the day at a nearby amusement park, imbibing in all the things that made one scream, laugh, cheer, howl, shriek, cry and even nearly vomit.

After that, they’d all returned to the hotel suite to rest, shower then change into dressier clothes so that they could go out to a nice dinner before hitting the clubs. They were now at their third club of the night which Bella was certain was the last one for both her and Jacob, even though some of the others might be going on to yet another one.

As the song finished, she leaned towards Alice and Leah, telling them that she was going to sit down. When they nodded, Bella walked off of the dance floor, ignoring one of the shadows who stood nearby watching her every move. She continued on to the table where Jacob lifted his arm so she could slide beneath it as she settled into her chair.

She glanced to the other empty chairs before looking up at her boyfriend. “Where did Embry go?”

Jacob leaned down so that he wouldn’t have to yell over the music. “He’s at the bar with Quil, getting him a consolatory drink since he got shot down and slapped.”

Bella grimaced. “Yeah, I saw that, poor Quil.”

Jacob snickered. “Um, I wouldn’t go that far, but yeah, something like that.”

She playfully slapped his arm. “Jake, be nice!”

Yet try as she might, she began laughing along with Jacob until Embry and Quil returned to the table with their drinks. She was still giggling over the way Jacob was teasing Quil about getting a girly, fruity drink when Alice and Leah finally joined them at the table.

The six of them continued to drink and tease each other until a mellow song began to play. When Jacob recognized it, he reached out to take Bella’s hand with a smile.

“Dance with me one more time, then we’ll call it a night?”

Alice pouted. “Oh come on! You can’t be tired already.”

Quil chortled. “Um, no, that’s not why they’re ready to go to bed.”

Leah slapped him upside the head as Embry covered his laughter with his hand to keep from getting slapped too.

Leah glared at Quil. “And you wonder why you can’t pick up a woman? You have absolutely no tact whatsoever! Geez!”

Quil grumbled under his breath as he rubbed the sore spot on his head while Alice ignored them and continued to pout at Bella. She apologized to Alice, telling her that Leah and Embry would be more than happy to keep her company before letting Jacob lead her to the dance floor.

She ended up dancing for two slow songs in Jacob’s warm embrace before the music turned rowdy again. When it did, Jacob took her hand in his, then led her back to the table where they said goodnight to their friends before heading back to the hotel with the two guards in tow.

The moment their bedroom door was closed, they were both up against it in a race to tear each others clothes off while tangling their tongues together.

“Mm, didn’t think I was ever going to get you out of there,” Jacob mumbled against Bella’s lips.

“What do you mean?” Bella gasped between breaths.

“Want you so badly,” came his response against her neck where he was leaving little nips, then laving the sting with his tongue.

She moaned, trying to lift a leg that was caught in her thong. “Jake! Bed! Now!”

She shoved him, managing to make him stumble back. He chuckled then grinned at her as he removed his shoes and the rest of his clothes. “Wow, didn’t think you were that eager to be with me.”

She raised an eyebrow as she tossed the offending thong over her shoulder before stalking towards him. “I always want you, why would you think differently?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, then leaned back on his elbows to watch his naked girlfriend saunter towards him. “I didn’t think I’d ever get you off that dance floor.”

She gave a throaty laugh before she began to fold her body around his. As she settled her core against his groin, they both moaned softly before she leaned close enough that her lips brushed over his. “That, dear Jacob, was just another version of foreplay.”

Jacob growled as his arms went around her waist. Lifting her up, he quickly seated her on him, both of them knowing there was no need to get her ready since the hours of dancing had done the job for them.

Bella bit her bottom lip and threw her head back as he filled her up. The feeling of completeness made her whimper before she began to grind her hips against his. His hands on her hips gave her the help she needed to get them to the destination they both aimed for.

Their bodies, which had already been a little sweaty from club-hopping, began to produce more heat as the friction built between them. Jacob leaned in to capture a breast in his mouth, sucking it in as far as it could go. The tug of his mouth and the flick of his tongue on her hardened peak was almost too much for Bella.

She ground against him as more moisture made their bodies almost too slick to create the friction she wanted. “Jake! Please!”

In answer to her hoarse plea, he flipped their still connected bodies onto the bed so that she was now beneath him. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her chest to his, buried his face in her neck and began thrusting his hips into hers as fast as he could go.

Bella wrapped her legs and arms around Jacob, holding him tight as he pounded into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting herself feel the rhythm of their bodies moving together while losing herself in the grunts he made mixed with her breathy moans.

The next thing she knew, she was flying apart at the seams, yet somehow remained grounded through the fingers she dug into his shoulders and the heels she pressed into his behind. Above her, Jacob threw his head back with a shout of her name, yet he never once let her go as his body jerked against hers.

When they both floated back to earth, Jacob pressed a soft kiss against her forehead then rolled to his side, taking her with him. They both softly laughed over the perfection of their slightly rushed lovemaking before crawling under the covers to cuddle up together, letting their tender kisses and hushed words soothe each other into a deep, restful sleep.

*******************************************
(Song: Pink - Glitter in the Air)

Jacob did his best not to look nervous at all the following day, especially after the night he and Bella had shared together. Still, he couldn’t help the jitters that kept threatening to seep through his skin. He had big plans for that evening and he just hoped nothing interrupted them.

After waking up a bit late in the afternoon, Bella had been dragged by Alice and a surprisingly chipper Leah to spend a few hours at the hotel’s spa. This was all a part of Jacob’s plans, of course, but Bella didn’t know that. Jacob just hoped that Alice and Leah were able to play their parts without Bella being any wiser.

He was still pacing in the bedroom when he heard a knock before Embry’s voice floated through the closed door. “Jake? Man, get your butt in gear! We only have a few hours to get this suite ready before Bella gets back!”

Jacob threw the door open and stared at Embry with wide eyes. “Em, I don’t think…”

Embry held up his hand. “Uh uh, no thinking bro! Let’s get this show on the road! Leah told me to make sure you didn’t get all flustered and screw this up, because if you do, she’s gonna kick your ass and Alice will mop the floor with whatever’s left. Got it?”

Jacob took a few deep breaths before nodding. “Okay, you’re right. Let’s get started.”

He followed Embry into the main room that connected the bedrooms together where Quil was supposed to be waiting for them. As soon as they saw Quil standing over the dining table rubbing his hands together, they came to a stand-still.

Embry was the first to break out of his shock. “Quil Ateara the fifth! You had better step away from that table this instant or I swear I’ll call Leah to come beat your ass right this second!”

Quil threw his hands in the hair in surrender as Embry stalked towards him. “What? I wasn’t doing nothing!”

Embry got in his face and poked Quil’s chest. “Yeah, but you were about to weren’t you? Geez, you fool! If you can’t be productive enough to help Jacob pull off a perfect evening then you need to get lost! Go…find a casino or something!”

The last was said with a flutter of his hand towards the front door.

Quil pouted. “Fine! I’ll behave!” He turned towards his best friend. “Sorry Jake, we’ll get this done. It’ll be perfect, you’ll see.”

Jacob simply nodded as he stood there still taking deep breaths to keep himself as calm as possible. Please, he silently begged, please let this go well.

****************************************

Bella tried not to grumble as she tugged on the dress Alice had managed to coerce her into wearing while ignoring the shadow that continued to walk close to her. After their day at the spa, Alice and Leah had dragged Bella into a nearby boutique where they found what Alice considered the perfect dress for another evening of clubbing which Bella wasn’t so sure she wanted to do.

Since Alice and Leah both got their own dresses too, Bella knew she couldn’t say no, not even when Alice insisted that they wear their dresses out of the shop in order to go find shoes to go with the dresses. Then after they had their new shoes on, they stopped to get their hair and make-up done at another boutique.

At that point, Bella was beginning to wonder just what kind of club they were going to that required them to get all dolled up like they were. Granted, the dress she wore was a simple soft pink sundress and the shoes she wore were low-heeled sandals. Her hair had been left mostly loose and wavy with the exception of one side being pinned back by a barrette shaped like a pink-tinted flower. Even her make-up was light, the blush barely there and a tinted lip-gloss on her lips.

Out of the three of them, Bella knew she was the most comfortably dressed. Alice was wearing a mini-skirt and sparkly silver shirt that hung off one shoulder. Leah was wearing skin-tight jeans and a burgundy see-through shirt with a black camisole beneath it. Both were wearing high heels and had their hair and make-up done to the nines.

Yeah, something was up and Bella wanted to know what it was.

As they made their way down the hall towards their suite, Bella tried once again to get it out of Alice. “What club did you say we were going to tonight?”

Alice giggled. “I didn’t, but just wait, you’ll see.”

Bella huffed as they reached the door. Folding her arms over her chest, she grumbled. “Why do I have a feeling you’re keeping something from me?”

Leah turned to grin at her as Alice opened the door. “Because we are.”

Then before Bella could retort, Embry sauntered out with a grin. “Hey girls, looking good.”

He leaned over to kiss Bella’s cheek. “You look great, Bella! Have a good night.”

Leah laughed as she followed Embry back to the elevator while Quil came out of the suite.

“Hey Bella! Knock him dead, kid!” exclaimed Quil as he waved to her on his way to the elevator.

Bella turned to Alice, feeling completely lost, her mouth opening and closing silently. Alice giggled before she leaned in to give Bella a hug.

“Don’t worry about it. Everything’s going to be fine! Have fun!” With that, she hurried off to join the others at the elevator.

Bella stared at her friends until she heard Jacob’s husky voice come from the doorway. “Hey Bells.”

She turned towards him and the confused look promptly left her face to be replaced by widened eyes. Jacob Black stood in front of her wearing dark brown slacks and a button down pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The entire outfit looked fresh and fit his physique so perfectly that she knew it had been tailored to fit only him. His hair, which normally looked tousled, had been combed back with some gel.

Altogether, Jacob looked like he meant business, yet Bella had to admit if this was what he looked like when he conducted business, she’d never be able to concentrate on getting any work done. She’d never seen him look so sexy and that was saying something since Jacob was always sexy to her.

His smile widened when she continued to simply stare at him. Holding out his hand, he spoke to her. “Come on in, Bells. Dinner’s ready.”

“Dinner?” she squeaked. “We’re having dinner in here?”

Jacob led her into the suite, where candles and dishes adorned the coffee table in the living area. She could tell that the rest of the furniture had been moved back and rearranged so that there was plenty of room for her and Jacob to sit on the floor around the coffee table. There were large, comfortable pillows thrown on the floor and soft music filled the air along with the scent of the candles and the food.

Jacob helped her to get comfortable on one of the pillows before uncovering the plates which held an assortment of meats, cheeses and fruits meant to be eaten with their fingers. He picked up a grape and held it out to her lips.

Bella leaned away, a question on her lips. “What’s going on Jacob? Alice told me we were going clubbing tonight.”

He smiled at her. “They’re going clubbing, we’re not. We’re going to have a night in, okay?”

She arched an eyebrow. “I know Alice didn’t drag me around the entire day for nothing, Jacob!”

He sighed. “Bells, do you trust me?”

She blinked, “What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do!”

“Okay, then just enjoy this evening with me.” He lifted the grape back to her mouth, asking her with his eyes to go along with him.

This time she opened her mouth, taking the grape from him and chuckling when his smile lit up his face. She continued to let him feed her from the assortment on the table, eventually taking her own turns at feeding him. Jacob had ordered some champagne to go with their meal which they both enjoyed.

Soon, they were leaning back on the pillows, feeling a bit sated and flushed from the food and champagne. Jacob was trailing his fingers over the skin of her arms and face while Bella trailed her fingers along his jaw and through his hair.

She sighed when Jacob slid his arms around her, tucking her into his side so she could rest her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for tonight Jacob, I’m glad we stayed here together.”

He pressed a kiss against her temple. “You’re welcome. I’m glad too.”

She tilted her head back, parting her lips slightly in invitation. Jacob took it, sliding a hand behind her head to hold her to him as he deepened the kiss. He could feel Bella’s fingers curling into the front of his shirt, an indication that she was affected by his slow, gentle kisses.

When they finally parted for air, Bella took a few breaths before whispering, “Wow! I don’t want this part of the night to end. I want this feeling to go on forever.”

Jacob’s husky laugh teased her skin as he replied, “It’s not over yet, honey. I promise you, we have the whole night to ourselves.”

She looked into his eyes, grinning. “Really?”

“Really,” he answered before kissing her again.

This time as the kiss deepened, Bella pushed Jacob to his back as she stretched her body over his. Jacob allowed her hands to roam just as his were doing, but when she went to undo the buttons of his shirt, he gently pushed on her shoulders.

Sitting her up at his side, he pressed a finger against her lips. “Wait, before we go any further, there’s something else I want to do.”

Bella nodded before sitting back on another pillow, rearranging both her hair and dress. While she did that, Jacob disappeared into their bedroom, then quickly returned to kneel in front of her. Taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes.

“Isabella Marie Swan, you’ve been my best friend since the day I was born. We’ve spent our whole lives together. Living, laughing, loving. I want to spend the rest of our lives doing all of that and more. I want to continue to be your best friend, your lover. I want to give you my every breath, every laugh and every smile. And I want to always be the one to put the light in your eyes, the smile on your face. I want to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, the woman I love more than life itself.”

He opened his hand, revealing the ring he held there. He heard Bella’s swift intake of breath as he asked, “Will you marry me, Bells? Will you make every day and every night from here on out better than the last?”

Glittering eyes met his as she breathed, “Yes, Jacob, yes!”

His breath whooshed out as Bella tackled him to the ground where they kissed, laughed and somehow managed to get the ring onto her finger before celebrating their new engagement in their bedroom…blessedly alone without any interruptions.

***************************************
(Song: Evanescence - Say You Will)

Vanessa tucked the blanket around her sleeping five-month-old daughter before making sure pillows were placed strategically around her to prevent her from falling off the full-sized bed in the motel room. Once she was satisfied that everything was as it should be, she walked to the tiny, lackluster bathroom nearby.

Flicking on the lights, she leaned over the sink to wash her hands, removing the stench of dirty diapers and baby spit. She scrubbed until her hands were pink, then turned off the faucets and reached for the stiff dirty white towel that hung next to the sink. As she dried her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror and frowned.

Her once long, dark lustrous hair was now lifeless and cut to just below her ears. The tan she once wore with pride was now non-existent, replaced by a washed-out beige hue that emphasized the dark circles beneath her eyes. Even her eyes didn’t sparkle the way they used to, as if all the shine in them had been sucked out by the birth of her baby.

Vanessa didn’t blame her daughter for the way she looked now. No, she blamed one person and that person would one day pay for ruining her life. She had plans. She knew what she wanted to do, it was just a matter of trying to find the right moment to do it that was the problem. After all, she had her daughter to worry about too.

She knew she couldn’t just leave her daughter alone in the hotel room. She knew that would be like practically handing over the baby to those goons who kept trailing her. For Riley’s sake, they said. Even her parents tried to convince her of that the last time she had talked to them on the phone.

Well, they were wrong! Vanessa was not handing over her daughter to Riley, she was not letting him get his hands on something that wasn’t his! She had already let someone else take something that belonged to her which was a mistake she was going to rectify as soon as she could.

As soon as she was sure her daughter could stand to be alone for a few hours in a place where no one could find her, she was going to put her plan into action. That was the only thing preventing her from getting the life she wanted. The life she deserved.

All she had to do was try to be patient enough for everything to fall into place. Staring at the forlorn face in the mirror, she silently prayed her patience would pay off soon.