Tease Me Please Me by wizardtho
Chapter 10:
As Major and Captain caught up with everyone, I listened to their conversations and started my sketch. When there was a lull in the conversation, Captain smiled down at me, then all of a sudden got really excited about something. I giggled, "What has you so happy just now?" He beamed at me, "Oh, I just know what the dual level loft above the master suite will be." I looked at him questioningly, but he turned to look at Major. "Her art studio, Major. Her paintin's. The higher portion, where the skylights are, is the perfect place for her to paint. The lower portion she could set up as either a showplace for her finished work that doesn't get hung around the house, or used as a supply and dryin' area. I know the water-miscible oils she uses dry quickly, but they still take a few days to fully set. It already has a sink area for cleanup, plus a small fridge for drinks. She just needs good shelvin' to display her paints and tools on, a place for her canvases to be stretched, as well as a place for the un-stretched canvas and frame pieces."
God that sounded so nice. To be able to have such a large and inviting area to work in would be awesome. To have it be specifically for me would mean no one else bumping into me while I worked. Major beamed at Captain, "It's a brilliant idea. It's settled, then." I looked up at them, "Really? You're sure? What about the game room? With so many non-sleepers in the house, I don't want anyone getting bored, Major. They may be taking orders, but they're still our guests. Having bored guests is bad juju." He kissed my lips with a chuckle, trying to calm me. "Isabella, calm down. You're forgettin' there's still a-whole-nother floor to be planned out. We still have the whole walk out basement we can put a theater and game area in. We can even put a few more guest rooms down there if we want. That floor is just as big as this one, Kitten. I promise, there will be no bad juju in our home. Our guests will be anything but bored."
I instantly turned around, straddling a leg from each of them, then hugged them to me, "Oh, thank you, thank you. I've never had my own area to paint and sketch in. It'll be so nice not to have to worry about getting paint on furniture or bedding... not to feel like I'm being in the way of someone when I paint." I kissed them both as they tightened their arms around me, then Peter whispered, "You deserve your own space, Beautiful. No matter where you chose to paint -even if it's in our bed- you never have to worry about your paints ruinin' anythin', or you bein' in the way. Material things can be replaced so easily. Your happiness is what matters to us."
They each kissed their mark on me to finalize that statement. The familiar zing of electricity tingled through me, making me smile widely. I turned back around, then soon they all started talking again as I finished up my sketch. When I was done, I looked down, only to whisper, "Wow." Major kissed my shoulder as Peter kissed his mark and said, "Care to share with the class, Beautiful?" I giggled, then lifted the paper to show both of them our new bedroom suite and sitting area. I watched as their soft smiles slowly got bigger... and bigger... and bigger still, until they both had ear splitting grins. Major said in explanation, "I never envisioned anythin' this luxurious for our room, but it works... especially with the style of the house. It's not too feminine, but it's not too masculine, either. I think it's just right for the three of us, don't you, Captain?"
Captain nodded excitedly, saying, "I like that it's a canopy bed. That close feelin' you like, Beautiful? It'll feel even better for you when the three of us are curled up with the side curtains drawn." Major nodded, but I noticed Nate and Kota starting to look antsy. I laid the sketch book down in the center of the coffee table, then said, "Have at it, guys. I haven't done the detail sketches yet, but I will in a few minutes." Ang came in with my dinner, saying, "Not yet, Little Miss. Your dinner's ready. By the growling in that tiny frame of yours, I'd say it's been quite a while since you had a full meal. Please eat before you make yourself sick from lack of nourishment."
I agreed while smiling up at her, "Thank you, Ang. I believe I'll take you up on that. This seafood portofino looks divine. Sorry if the scent bothers any of you, but I'm seriously going to chow down on this." They all chuckled when I dug into my plate happily. Damon asked at one point how I came up with the ideas for the rooms, so I took a drink, wiping my mouth before I said, "Well, when we first toured the house, I got jumbled images in my head of what it could have looked like. It was after the tour was complete, but nothing was clear. When I sketch, I need to be concentrating on something else... like I need the distraction from what's going on the page, or the page doesn't work. It's hard to explain, but it's like it just goes from my hand to the paper, almost without my knowledge. I don't know what it will look like until I look down at the completed sketch... and I somehow just know when it's done."
He smiled, "So it's almost like automatic writing? Your process is a little different, though. Looking at the page at different points during your sketch, I couldn't tell what it would be. It was only the last ten minutes of the sketch that things started making sense. It's almost as if your highlights, shadows and details came first, then the actual pieces formed around them. It was a very interesting process to watch, Bella, with exquisite results. I can't wait to see what you come up with next." I smiled softly, then said, "I think you might be right about working backwards. I never thought of it like that before. Maybe that's why they never made sense when I looked at them before they were complete. It always frustrated me, so I ended up scrapping what I was working on, then started over. Ang, would you mind terribly making me another plate, please?" She beamed, "Of course not, Sweetie. Do you want the same amount... and some more to drink?" I nodded, "Yes, please... but can you change my drink to milk? It goes better with the sauce for me."
She smiled, nodded, then dashed off into the kitchen as I felt both Major and Peter kiss my shoulders. My eyes closed, a soft smile playing at my lips from their attention, which caused Major’s whispered, "I love feelin' that from you, Kitten. We like givin' you the attention as much as you like receivin' it... I can promise you that. How are you feelin' otherwise?" I thought for a moment, then just decided to see if I could will myself to open up for Major to read me completely. I turned to straddle his lap, placed my hands on his heart, closed my eyes, then concentrated. I could almost feel the exact moment that it worked, but my concentration wavered as I heard Ang set my plate down.
Major gasped, then took my face in his hands gently as I opened my eyes, "Isabella... you... I... can you do that again?" I looked at him, unsure if I could, "I think so, but that was the first time I ever tried. I lost my concentration. I had to focus to get it to work. I might be able to if the room stays quiet." He snapped his fingers in response. Instantly, the room went so silent a human could hear a pin drop from the other side of the house.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, then placed my hands back over his heart as I concentrated. I knew when it had worked. I was able to concentrate for a few minutes before I heard everyone in the room gasp. Of course, I startled and lost my concentration immediately. Major cooed, "Shh, Kitten. Everythin's fine. I shared your emotions with everyone. I meant to only share them with Captain, but they slipped out of my hold, so the whole room felt what I got from you. Sorry it startled you." I nodded, "It's okay, I just wasn't expecting it. So, umm... how well did it work?" He smiled, "I got everythin', Isabella. I got all your emotions, even the ones to things you weren't currently thinkin' about... but I also got the reasons for them. The hurt and betrayal over Edward and Alice; the thankfulness for Captain bein' the one to be your other mate; the hope that Carlisle, Esme, Rose and Em haven't sided with Edward and Alice; the sadness about leavin' Charlie so quick; the confidence that Renee will be alright with Phil to take care of her; the worry about what's to come; and most of all, those beautiful pure feelin's you have for me and Captain."
I looked at them, then slowly said, "I do, you know. I might not be able to say it yet, because I get so choked up and the words won't come out, but I do." They both nodded while nuzzling into my neck, then Captain whispered, "We know, Isabella. We can see it shinin' in your eyes every time you look at us. They'll come out when it's the right time, and there's no rush. We have all of eternity, Beautiful."
See, now that's what I mean about getting all choked up. They'll say the most perfect thing, and the words will be on the tip of my tongue… but my throat will close up on me while tears fall from my eyes. Exactly like right now. I swear I have the two most perfect mates.
Major, having felt my feelings, purred softly for me, causing me to totally melt in their arms. As the three of us rocked slightly, Major started the conversation back up, but I was unable to listen this time with my sole focus on my mates. When I started to doze off, I felt Captain move. I jolted upright at the feeling of loss. In less than a quarter of a second, Major was cooing to me, "Shh, Kitten. He's not goin' anywhere. We were just gonna move to the couch so you can stretch out. I could feel you didn't wanna leave the room, but you were fallin' asleep. We only wanted you to be comfortable. Shhh, Captain's not goin' anywhere, I promise."
I shook my head, trying to grasp my bearings. My voice was thick as I said, "He moved. He got up and wasn't touching me. I couldn't feel him touching me anymore, so it made me think something was happening." Captain knelt back down to stroke my hair, calming me some as he whispered, "No, Isabella. Shh, you're safe, Beautiful, and nothin's happenin'. We just wanted to get you more comfortable." Major stood up with me wrapped around him, then walked over to the couch.
He laid me gently down, then sat so I could lay my head on his lap while Captain sat holding my feet. Captain unzipped and eased my boots off my feet, then I smiled as I saw Damon pick up the throw from where he was sitting on the chaise. He brought it over, laid it over me, then smiled as he said softly, "Rest, Sweetheart. We won't let anything happen to you." I gave him a return soft smile as my eyes closed. I faintly heard the conversation start again as I drifted off. The last thing I heard was Major telling Kota to go into our room and place my shredded clothes from earlier into a plastic bag, in case someone showed up before I was awake. If the person wasn't sloshing or their eyes darkened even a hint from the scent on my clothes, that they weren't to be let in, and they were to hunt immediately. If everything was fine, whoever was on gate watch was to phone Peter's cell so someone in the house could open the gate. After I heard Major say that, everything else was a jumble that faded quickly.
I slowly stirred to a soft voice whispering, "She's exquisite, Major. I'm glad you and Captain finally found your mate. I'm not really surprised about it being one person for the both of you. She's got that rare beauty that you don't find anymore these days." Major stroked my hair gently, whispering in return, "Thanks, Lexie. She's more than I ever coulda hoped for. Now that the three of us are finally together, I feel almost at peace, you know?" It sounded like she was smiling when she said, "Yeah, Major. I know exactly. Is there anything special she likes when she first wakes up? I can prepare it for you... since both of you are still in your first 24 with her." I heard Captain whisper, "If you could make a pot of coffee, plus there's a recipe for an apple danish on the counter that I was gonna make for her. That would be a big help, Lexie." I just laid there and listened for a few minutes, but since everything went quiet again, I was quickly back to sleep.
The next time I woke up, it was to the scent of the danish and coffee filling the room. I hummed in appreciation while saying groggily, "God that smells heavenly. Remind me to thank Lexie for making it." I heard three soft laughs, then Major said, "Mornin', Kitten. Have a good sleep?" I nodded and stretched, then rubbed my eyes. When I opened them, I rolled onto my back to look up at Major. My smile was genuine at the sight of him, "Yes, very good. I only roused a bit when I heard you and Lexie whispering. I think the unknown voice was what made me stir. I settled right away when I heard you say her name, then was right back to sleep when she went to make my danish and coffee."
Said unknown voice spoke softly as it came into the room with a cup of coffee and a small plate. I took the few moments while she was headed my way to familiarize myself with her features. "It was my pleasure, Bella, so no thanks needed. Here you go. There's plenty more out there. Captain told me how you like your coffee, so I'm pretty sure I got it right." She set the plate and steaming cup down on the coffee table as I smiled at her, "Thanks, it really does smell wonderful." I took a sip of my coffee, humming as I said, "And the coffee is perfect. How long ago did you get in?"
She smiled as she sat on the loveseat, "I stopped to hunt again, to be on the safe side, right before I hit the state line. I got here about 20 minutes after my original assessment. That was just over an hour ago. I had just come in minutes before you heard me whispering to Major and Captain." I nodded as I started eating, then Lexie said, "Bella? I just wanted to say thank you. Not even many vampires would have taken the considerations you did earlier, and I just wanted you to know that I appreciated it." I smiled, but looked at her questioningly, so she said, "The scent recognition with Kendrick."
I smiled after I finished swallowing, then said, "I know that I wouldn't want anyone touching Major or Captain if I wasn't around, no matter how innocent it may be, and I'm not even a vampire yet. I was just doing what I hope someone else would do if the positions were reversed. It's nothing to thank me for, Lexie." She smiled widely, "You're a rare creature, Bella. I can't even tell you how refreshing it is to finally see these two hooligans settling down, and delightfully to someone of your caliber... strong vampiric morals and extremely beautiful, even as a human. I can’t even tell you the amount of times all of us have speculated about the type of person it would take to final wrangle these two.”
I thanked her for the compliment, then turned my attention back to my danish and coffee when my stomach made its needs known. Between bites, I conversationally asked if anyone else had gotten here while I slept. Captain shook his head, "No, Beautiful. Lexie was the only one, though Stefan, Micha, and Adriana aren't far out. Then we're just missing Jade, Char, and Aaron. " I nodded, "Stefan's the one with the Veyron, right? That's almost a day and a half trip for a human on the most direct route, probably even two days, yet it's only been how long?" Lexie laughed, "That'll make his trip about 11 hrs, Hun. You were right about him being the crew's official speed demon." I giggled, "I guess so, in that car. I can't wait to see it, though. I've never seen one in person. The Reventon, either. I saw a Cayman in Phoenix, an Exige in Seattle, and one of my friends in Phoenix got an M600 for her seventeenth birthday. Her parents were totally loaded."
We continued to chat while I had another piece of danish and cup of coffee. Once my plate was clean and my cup was empty, Lexie took them into the kitchen, while I sighed in content. I curled up between my mates, asking, "Can we take a walk around the clearing before it gets dark tonight? I'd like to see how much of an area we have to work with for the party." Major nuzzled into my neck, "Anythin' you want, Kitten. What we do is your choice, as long as we don't leave the clearin' until one of the crew shows up."
I nodded, then thought of something, "Major? We're going to need to get them clothes and things for while they're here. I don't want them to go without just because they dropped everything to come here." Major kissed me, "It's alright, Isabella. Each one of them carries an emergency bag in every one of their vehicles, that holds a week's worth of clothes and necessities, for just this reason. With the washer and dryer, we'll be fine. If someone should want or need something, they know to come to Captain or myself. We'll make sure everyone's set, Kitten. I promise."
I nodded, then excused myself to the nearby powder room. When I opened the door back up, Captain was smiling, "Looks like I need to freshen up your hair, Beautiful. Come... sit on my lap, and we'll get your hair righted. Then we can take that walk around the yard and gardens." I smiled, did as he asked once he was sitting on the closed toilet seat, then felt his fingers weaving through my hair. It felt really good, which prompted Major’s chuckled, "Captain, looks like our mate loves havin' fingers run through her hair. I swear she'd be purrin' if she could right now." I hummed as Captain's fingers gently ghosted over my scalp, causing them both to chuckle in return. In just a few minutes, my hair was redone expertly. As I looked in the mirror, I smiled and said, "I really think this is my new favorite way to wear my hair."
They both smiled from the powder room doorway, then I took a hand from each of them. They sat me on the couch, then pulled my boots on for me. I smiled at their attention. They were definitely spoiling me rotten, but it was nice to be pampered. I kissed both of them before they stood and took my hands. No sooner did I get up, then Captain's phone went off. Lexie was immediately headed into the room, then Captain flipped his phone open to a text. He hit a few buttons, closed his phone, then said, "Everyone's waitin' for our okay. I told Nate for him and Kota to come back now. The rest will show the newcomers in when I open the gate in a minute. Micha and Adriana showed up, then Stefan pulled in right behind them." I nodded at the same time as Major, then he kissed my lips lightly, "Ready, Kitten?" I smiled, "Yep. I'm getting to be a pro at this part."