Intrigue
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 6
Her smile was a bit sad as she stared at the envelope in her hand. It made him curious. “Something good?” he asked and she shrugged.
“It’s from my mom.” She opened it and dumped a CD onto the tiny counter of her kitchenette before reading the enclosed note. “It’s a music CD she made for me. ‘All her favorites for relaxing’ she says.”
“Why don’t you put it on and come back here,” he said, patting the couch next to him.
She smiled and blushed. “All right.”
Popping the CD into her small stereo, the soothing strains of classical music filled the space as she curled up next to him. “Where were we?” she breathed with a smile as he pulled her close.
“Right about here,” he answered while tipping her chin up to place a soft kiss on her lips.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, her lips curving into a smile as her hand roamed over his chest, and up around the back of his neck. “That’s right, how could I forget?” she said as his lips trailed kisses down to her shoulder.
“Not sure,” he teased through kisses and nips, “but it is enjoyable reminding you.”
She chuckled lowly and tilted her head. “Can’t argue with you there.”
Their relationship had been progressing steadily. It had been a month now since he’d followed her to that first therapy session and they were becoming closer every day, though she’d yet to speak of her past. He wouldn’t press. There was pain there and he would wait for her to share when she was ready.
He hadn’t followed her to any more sessions. It just didn’t feel right for him to do so. She was entitled to her privacy. He would wait for her trust. He would earn it.
To him, she was worth that and more.
Much more.
Moving slowly, she held his gaze as she straddled his lap, her bottom lip captured by her teeth as a light blush stained her cheeks. When she’d settled and his hands rested on her hips, she glanced into his eyes. “Is this okay?”
He cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing over that blush. “It’s more than okay,” he said before brushing a kiss over her plump lips. “You’re so beautiful, I’ll never get enough of you,” he whispered as their heads rested together.
She smiled. “I—I feel the same way. How’d I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one, Miss Swan.”
A light laugh was her reply just as the song changed.
Her reaction was instant. She froze and clutched her head, her emotions crashing to despair and worthlessness as she whimpered. “Turn it off, Jasper, please!”
Her whole body trembled as he lifted her from his lap to set her beside him, and he rushed to the stereo and ejected the disk. He was holding her the next second, rocking her in his lap as she fisted her hair and cried. “What’s wrong Bella? What happened sugar? Speak to me, please?”
“That song,” she moaned. “Something about it…hurts.”
In the next instant, she scrambled from his lap and to the tiny bathroom where he could hear her throwing up.
The song had obviously triggered something and he went to the stereo and picked up the CD, noting the handwritten list of songs.
“#2 — Clair de Lune,” he muttered before staring at the closed bathroom door with a frown. “Why?”
Her smile was a bit sad as she stared at the envelope in her hand. It made him curious. “Something good?” he asked and she shrugged.
“It’s from my mom.” She opened it and dumped a CD onto the tiny counter of her kitchenette before reading the enclosed note. “It’s a music CD she made for me. ‘All her favorites for relaxing’ she says.”
“Why don’t you put it on and come back here,” he said, patting the couch next to him.
She smiled and blushed. “All right.”
Popping the CD into her small stereo, the soothing strains of classical music filled the space as she curled up next to him. “Where were we?” she breathed with a smile as he pulled her close.
“Right about here,” he answered while tipping her chin up to place a soft kiss on her lips.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, her lips curving into a smile as her hand roamed over his chest, and up around the back of his neck. “That’s right, how could I forget?” she said as his lips trailed kisses down to her shoulder.
“Not sure,” he teased through kisses and nips, “but it is enjoyable reminding you.”
She chuckled lowly and tilted her head. “Can’t argue with you there.”
Their relationship had been progressing steadily. It had been a month now since he’d followed her to that first therapy session and they were becoming closer every day, though she’d yet to speak of her past. He wouldn’t press. There was pain there and he would wait for her to share when she was ready.
He hadn’t followed her to any more sessions. It just didn’t feel right for him to do so. She was entitled to her privacy. He would wait for her trust. He would earn it.
To him, she was worth that and more.
Much more.
Moving slowly, she held his gaze as she straddled his lap, her bottom lip captured by her teeth as a light blush stained her cheeks. When she’d settled and his hands rested on her hips, she glanced into his eyes. “Is this okay?”
He cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing over that blush. “It’s more than okay,” he said before brushing a kiss over her plump lips. “You’re so beautiful, I’ll never get enough of you,” he whispered as their heads rested together.
She smiled. “I—I feel the same way. How’d I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one, Miss Swan.”
A light laugh was her reply just as the song changed.
Her reaction was instant. She froze and clutched her head, her emotions crashing to despair and worthlessness as she whimpered. “Turn it off, Jasper, please!”
Her whole body trembled as he lifted her from his lap to set her beside him, and he rushed to the stereo and ejected the disk. He was holding her the next second, rocking her in his lap as she fisted her hair and cried. “What’s wrong Bella? What happened sugar? Speak to me, please?”
“That song,” she moaned. “Something about it…hurts.”
In the next instant, she scrambled from his lap and to the tiny bathroom where he could hear her throwing up.
The song had obviously triggered something and he went to the stereo and picked up the CD, noting the handwritten list of songs.
“#2 — Clair de Lune,” he muttered before staring at the closed bathroom door with a frown. “Why?”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.