Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 24
Jasper stood on the boardwalk, broad shoulders squared and hand casually draped over the hilt of his saber, waiting for a carriage to rumble by before crossing the busy street.
He was heading to the poshest restaurant in Houston in search of his law-father whom he knew to frequent the place quite regularly, especially since the beginning of his disconcerting courtship of that woman—Katherine Pierce.
As he stepped up from the street to the raised walkway, he stifled a cringe when he thought about the object of his law-father’s affections. The woman still grated on him for some reason that he just couldn’t place, and he avoided having anything to do with her as much as possible. Today however, he had to speak with Damon. He wanted to make sure Isabella was looked after for the week or so that he’d be out of town.
He’d recently been promoted to Captain, and this would be his first assignment with his own regiment under his command. They were to scout the western plains for bands of raiding indians that were supposedly causing havoc with outlying homesteads, and if necessary, take care of the problem. It would be dangerous, and he needed to make sure his wife and son were in good hands should anything happen to him.
Stepping through the door of the establishment, he reached up and swept the wide-brimmed hat from his head while smiling politely at the hostess who greeted him with a blush and a curtsy. “Good afternoon Captain Whitlock,” she said somewhat breathlessly while meeting his amused green gaze. “Will you be dining with us today?”
“I’m actually lookin’ for my law-father, Mr. Salvatore. Is he here by any chance?”
“Oh, yes sir, he is. I’ll take you to him. This way, please,” she said and he followed her through to the opulent dining room that buzzed with the sounds of many quiet conversations over mid-day meals and elegant cut crystal glasses of expertly aged spirits.
A tiny smirk quirked one side of his mouth as he took it all in. It was all so very pretentious, one would never guess that full-out war was threatening to break out any day or that the city was still struggling to rebuild from the devastation of a fire that had burned down fully one quarter of its buildings just a handful of weeks back.
He gave his head a tiny shake at how shallow some of the population could be and focused back on his purpose for being here as the hostess stopped beside a quiet table tucked away at the back of the room. “Beg pardon, Mr. Salvatore,” she said with a curtsy, “but you have a visitor, sir.”
Damon set his glass back down and glanced at his son in law. “Thank you,” he said with a nod of his head and the girl hurried away after one last blushing glance at Jasper. Damon cocked a brow and smirked at her retreating form before gesturing toward an open seat.
“Jasper, I believe you know Miss Pierce?”
Jasper gave a cursory bow toward the sweetly smiling woman before taking the proffered seat. “I do. Good afternoon, Ma’am.” He looked to Damon, completely dismissing the woman before she could utter so much as a word. “Apologies for interruptin’ your meal, but unfortunately, I’ve little time to waste. I’ve just been assigned a command that will see me out of town for the next few days and I wanted to make sure Isabella and Jace would be well looked after…during that time and after, should the need arise. I leave in just under two hours.” He met Damon’s ice-blue gaze unflinchingly and Damon nodded.
“That goes without saying, but since you seek reassurance, you may depend upon it.”
Jasper relaxed visibly while still retaining his military bearing. “You have my thanks. It’ll be much easier to focus knowin’ they’re taken care of.”
Damon inclined his head. “I wouldn't have it any other way. I’m assuming you’ve yet to tell Isabella?”
Jasper sighed. “I have not. I’ve only just been assigned and I wanted to speak with you first.” He rose from his seat and pushed the chair in. “Now that I have, I should be going. I’d like to spend these last few moments with my wife and son before we ride out.” He shook Damon’s hand and nodded toward Katherine. “Damon, Miss Pierce,” he said before striding away.
Damon picked up his glass and took a sip while arching an inky brow at his companion’s wry smile. “I do believe he’s warming up to me,” she quipped and Damon just barely stifled the urge to roll his eyes. He did it—but it was a close thing.
“It just flies all over you that you can’t seem to reduce him to a walleyed, drooling idiot whose only function is to pant after your skirts, doesn’t it?”
She frowned delicately. “It does not,” she denied with a pout. “I just don’t see why he should be so…cold towards me. I’ve never done anything untoward to him and I am, after all, being courted by his law-father. Why, we’re practically family!”
Damon coughed on a swallow of aged bourbon before recovering behind his hastily lifted linen napkin. “Good god,” he swore quietly. “You can’t just say things like that.”
“And why not?” She scowled, looking truly insulted now before angling her body to face him fully, her patience with his constant rebuffs and poorly concealed disdain having come to an end. “Just what are your intentions toward me Damon? Have I truly wasted the last four months? Have my efforts been all for naught?”
Damon eyed her for a beat. Damn, she was good, he’d give her that. If he didn’t know better, he could almost be convinced what he saw in her eyes was sincere hurt. As it was…
“My intentions toward you?” he questioned, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression darkened and his brows inched up. “You’re serious,” he stated with a bit of wonder while settling more comfortably into his chair.
“Of course I am!”
He took up his glass, holding the sparkling crystal halfway to his lips before answering. “Need I remind you who followed whom to this place, doll?” He took a slow sip from his glass while studying her over the rim. Shockingly, he saw no duplicity in her eyes; only longing and a bit of sorrow as she finally looked down with a nod.
“I deserve your rancor. My actions back in Mystic Falls were deplorable, to say the least; something I’ve come to sincerely regret.” She looked back into his eyes. “And I admit I followed you here merely to appease my curiosity… at first…but after seeing you and speaking with you—this decidedly more mature you—I had hoped…” she trailed off with a delicate shrug of a shapely shoulder and a nervous twist of the linen napkin in her lap, “I had hoped by staying, you would have warmed to me—given me a chance to prove my love to you.” She met his gaze then, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “It’s genuine Damon. You’re the one I want—no one else—please believe me.” She reached for his hand where it rested on the table and he didn't pull away as she held it tightly. “So tell me, have I wasted the last four months here? Should I—should I pack my things and go back to Virginia? Or will you give me reason to stay?”
“And Stefan?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically husky as he voiced the question that was ever present in his mind and heart. She was shaking her head before the last syllable passed his lips.
“He’s a sweetheart—lovely and polite—but he’ll never be you, Damon.” She held his gaze as she leaned forward, her tone low and impassioned as she spoke. “You lit a fire within me—a feeling that’s difficult to explain—sometimes it’s gentle, smoldering and giving off a constant, soothing warmth,” she said with a soft smile as she raised his hand and kissed it. “And other times it roars into an inferno—one that I’m more than happy to be utterly consumed by. No one else—ever, in all my years—has made me feel the way you do, and I know it’s because…well, to be completely honest, it’s because I truly love you…like no other, Damon Salvatore.”
He studied her for a moment—her earnest expression and the love shining in her eyes—before lifting her hand to his lips and placing the softest of kisses there. “Would you like to accompany me back to my home, Miss Pierce? I do believe we have some…business to see to that requires more privacy than that which this establishment affords.”
Her breath hitched and she caught her pillow-soft bottom lip between her teeth before giving him a tentative smile as hope bloomed in her chest. “I believe I would love nothing more, Mr. Salvatore,” she murmured as he stared at her from hooded eyes.
He rose and helped her from her seat while discreetly placing a heated kiss on the exposed nape of her neck. “Let’s be going then, shall we?”
“Yes, please,” she breathed as he settled her shawl over her shoulders before offering his arm.
She took it and together, the breathtakingly handsome couple strolled from the room amidst envying glances and whispered speculations.
They hardly noticed.
~o0o~
Jasper hung back, watching discreetly as his mother interacted with his wife and child, his heart warmed by the soft laughter of the women he loved and the delighted gurgles and coos of his infant son.
The rift that had been so heavy on his heart upon his return to Houston was a thing of the past and he couldn’t be happier that his mother had finally overcome her misplaced anger, swallowed her pride and repaired her relationship with his wife.
It had taken some time, of course, but his wife’s ability to love and forgive was nothing short of amazing in his opinion, and he should know, after all. He’d been on the receiving end of that forgiveness, even though he’d put her through hell when he’d discovered her secret.
A soft smile curved his lips as Isabella—his beautiful Isabella—smiled brightly and leaned her head against his mother’s shoulder as the woman finished a story about his infancy just as his baby son rolled over on the soft blanket next to where they sat in the floor of the parlor. “That was a lovely story Eliza, thank you for sharing it with me.”
The older woman smiled fondly at her daughter-in-law while tucking some wayward hair behind the younger woman’s ear. “It was my pleasure, sweetheart. I miss those days when he was such a sweet, tiny baby that I could hold and rock for hours.” She leaned forward and ran her fingers through Jace’s wild, golden curls as he tried his best to master crawling. “He looks so much like his daddy,” she mused and Bella could only nod because he really did, right down to the adorable little dimple in his cheek. “Cherish these short months in Jace’s life, Isabella, because before you know it, they are grown and gone with families of their own,” Eliza finished wistfully.
Just then, Jasper heard Charles open the front door and bare moments later, his sisters rushed right by him with barely a greeting as they took up places on the blanket by their gurgling nephew.
With a wry smile, he straightened from where he’d been leaning to watch and entered the room. “Jasper!” Isabella greeted with a bright smile as he greeted his mother with a kiss to her cheek. He then helped his wife up and kissed her soundly before she pulled back with a blush. “Behave,” she whispered as he smirked.
He caught his mother’s amused gaze. “This is quite the mid-day party. Are you planning on being here for a while longer, Mother?”
“Well, yes, as long as Isabella would have us. I have to be home by six though, why?” she asked knowingly.
“Would you and the girls mind sitting with Jace for a time? There’s something I must speak with Isabella about and I’d rather do that without distraction.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Y’all go on. We’ll be fine here for some time yet. You just fed him, right sugar?” she asked Bella.
“I did. He shouldn’t be hungry for another two hours or so.”
“Well, go on then!” she said with a wave of her hand as her daughters tickled and kissed and spoiled their nephew. “We’ll be just fine here.”
“I’ll send Charles in with refreshments,” Bella said and Eliza nodded.
“That will be lovely, no go on! Shoo! We’ll be just fine.”
Jasper offered his arm and they walked from the room, passing a tray laden Charles on their way to the stairs. “I thought your guests might enjoy some refreshments, Miss Bella,” he said with a grin and she shook her head.
“Are you sure you don’t read minds, Charles?” Bella asked with a grin.
“No Ma’am, I’m just good at what I do.”
“Charles, Mrs. Whitlock and I require privacy for the next two hours or so. Please see that we’re not disturbed unless it’s an emergency or the baby requires attention.”
“Yes sir, Captain Whitlock, I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you,” Jasper said and continued leading Bella up the sweeping staircase to their rooms. There he escorted her inside before turning and locking the door securely while Bella perched herself on one of the chairs, a curious look in her eyes as a slight frown creased her brow.
Jasper never came home this early, as it seemed his duties had only managed to increase by the day, keeping him busy well past the dinner hour most days, so she was anxious to hear about his sudden appearance now, so early in the day.
Once the door was secure, he went to her and pulled her up from the seat as she began speaking. “Jasper, what…”
A searing kiss cut her off and she could only clutch herself to him as he pulled her close, one hand cupping the back of her head and the other splayed across her lower back, keeping her snug against his whole body as his tongue swept past her eagerly parted lips.
A shiver of anticipation ran through her entire body as he dominated her mouth, and she moaned low in her throat while pulling herself impossibly closer, one leg rising to hitch itself over his hip as she ground against him. “Jasper,” she breathed as her head rolled back when his kisses trailed down the tender flesh of her neck. “Not to ruin the moment,” she panted while burying both hands in his silky curls, “but what brings you home this early?”
“Talk later,” he managed to mumble out between kissing and sucking her neck as his deft fingers worked the laces on the back of her bodice.
Before she knew it, he’d backed her toward the bed and laid her back on it after her loosened dress had fallen to the floor. The next item to fall victim to his impatience was her knickers, and she gasped, her eyes widening in momentary shock when he knelt, hastily parted her thighs, and ran his talented tongue through her folds.
With a groan, her eyes slowly closed as he settled her legs over his shoulders and slid two fingers within her wet and ready depths. Meanwhile, his lips and tongue worked her clit relentlessly as his fingers plunged and pressed within her, working that one special place inside her that drove her beyond coherent thought as she bucked and writhed under his attentions. “Jasper!” she cried, both hands clutching him to her, her grip bordering on painful in his wild golden curls as her orgasm crashed over her almost without warning.
“That’s it,” he murmured proudly, his hooded green eyes watching her as her walls fluttered and gripped his fingers while he milked every drop of pleasure from her.
When her whole body relaxed, he stood and quickly shed his clothes before helping her from her corset and shift. She was barely aware of any of that though and hmm’ed blissfully when she felt his bare body cover hers as his lips latched onto one sensitive, hardened peak, his tongue swirling around it as the fingers of his other hand kneaded the other firmly but gently.
“Jasper, please,” she begged, her heavy eyelids fluttering open to take in this beautiful man lying atop her, his body firm and powerful under her questing hands that roamed over the rolling and flexing muscles of his shoulders and back.
When her hands reached the firm mounds of his ass, he groaned against the silky skin of her neck, his breath sweet and hot, his lips warm on her skin as he ground his hardened cock against her slick center and she begged again, “Jasper, please…need you now.”
Without preamble, he drew his hips back, lined up, and plunged in, eliciting a gasp and deep-throaty moan from her as he stretched and filled her deliciously as only he could. “Yessss,” she whispered while arching against him, her legs opening wide to welcome him fully as he thrust slowly but firmly into her, his body rocking hers into the mattress as he held her close, one hand supporting her lower back as he drew her up to get the angle just right. “Heaven,” he mumbled into her neck. “You are my heaven,” he whispered before taking her lips in a heated kiss.
He fucked her thoroughly, her body completely his for the taking as she clutched herself to him, her silky walls tightening around him as her orgasm built with every powerful thrust he gave her.
With a throaty cry of bliss, she peaked, stars dancing in her vision as pleasure suffused her, spiraling out from where they were joined in a heated wave of ecstasy as he thrust deeply one last time before seizing with a groan of his own while filling her. “Isabella…” he murmured on a breath as his body jerked in the throes of it.
Together, they laid there recovering for moments before she ran her fingers through his hair. With a breathy laugh, she met his amused and curious gaze as he rolled them both to the side, their bodies finally separating as she smiled. “Not that I’m complaining,” she said while raising a brow, “but what prompted this? You’re hardly home in time for dinner these days and now here you are, in the middle of the day…”
He sighed and smoothed some wisps of hair away from her face as he stared into her ice-blue eyes. “You’re right, of course,” he said, and she watched as his expression turned serious. “I received orders today. I’ll be gone for a week or so and I leave in an hour.”
Her heart stuttered and she swallowed heavily. “To do what?”
He sighed and rolled onto his back as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. “We’ve received reports of bands of indians raiding some outlying settlements. My regiment is to investigate and eliminate any threat that we find.”
He looked over at her and she nodded, her eyes wide with fear that she couldn't quite give voice to. There was nothing she could do to change the situation after all, and crying would only cause them both more stress. When she finally mastered her emotions, she spoke. “You’ll be safe?”
He smiled ruefully. “As safe as I can be.”
“I’m afraid for you,” she whispered and he rolled toward her and pulled her close, placing a kiss on her brow as she curled into him.
“I know, but we’ve all trained for this and while it’s not without risk, I’m confident in our abilities. I’ll come home to you, I swear it.”
“You have the vial I gave you?” she asked and felt him tense.
“I do.”
She looked up into his grass-green eyes. “And you’ll use it if need be?”
His eyes searched hers for a moment before he nodded with a sigh. “I will.”
She tightened her hold on him. “Promise me, Jasper. Promise me you won’t hesitate if that time comes.”
He pulled her even closer and nodded in the crook of her neck. “I promise.”
Jasper stood on the boardwalk, broad shoulders squared and hand casually draped over the hilt of his saber, waiting for a carriage to rumble by before crossing the busy street.
He was heading to the poshest restaurant in Houston in search of his law-father whom he knew to frequent the place quite regularly, especially since the beginning of his disconcerting courtship of that woman—Katherine Pierce.
As he stepped up from the street to the raised walkway, he stifled a cringe when he thought about the object of his law-father’s affections. The woman still grated on him for some reason that he just couldn’t place, and he avoided having anything to do with her as much as possible. Today however, he had to speak with Damon. He wanted to make sure Isabella was looked after for the week or so that he’d be out of town.
He’d recently been promoted to Captain, and this would be his first assignment with his own regiment under his command. They were to scout the western plains for bands of raiding indians that were supposedly causing havoc with outlying homesteads, and if necessary, take care of the problem. It would be dangerous, and he needed to make sure his wife and son were in good hands should anything happen to him.
Stepping through the door of the establishment, he reached up and swept the wide-brimmed hat from his head while smiling politely at the hostess who greeted him with a blush and a curtsy. “Good afternoon Captain Whitlock,” she said somewhat breathlessly while meeting his amused green gaze. “Will you be dining with us today?”
“I’m actually lookin’ for my law-father, Mr. Salvatore. Is he here by any chance?”
“Oh, yes sir, he is. I’ll take you to him. This way, please,” she said and he followed her through to the opulent dining room that buzzed with the sounds of many quiet conversations over mid-day meals and elegant cut crystal glasses of expertly aged spirits.
A tiny smirk quirked one side of his mouth as he took it all in. It was all so very pretentious, one would never guess that full-out war was threatening to break out any day or that the city was still struggling to rebuild from the devastation of a fire that had burned down fully one quarter of its buildings just a handful of weeks back.
He gave his head a tiny shake at how shallow some of the population could be and focused back on his purpose for being here as the hostess stopped beside a quiet table tucked away at the back of the room. “Beg pardon, Mr. Salvatore,” she said with a curtsy, “but you have a visitor, sir.”
Damon set his glass back down and glanced at his son in law. “Thank you,” he said with a nod of his head and the girl hurried away after one last blushing glance at Jasper. Damon cocked a brow and smirked at her retreating form before gesturing toward an open seat.
“Jasper, I believe you know Miss Pierce?”
Jasper gave a cursory bow toward the sweetly smiling woman before taking the proffered seat. “I do. Good afternoon, Ma’am.” He looked to Damon, completely dismissing the woman before she could utter so much as a word. “Apologies for interruptin’ your meal, but unfortunately, I’ve little time to waste. I’ve just been assigned a command that will see me out of town for the next few days and I wanted to make sure Isabella and Jace would be well looked after…during that time and after, should the need arise. I leave in just under two hours.” He met Damon’s ice-blue gaze unflinchingly and Damon nodded.
“That goes without saying, but since you seek reassurance, you may depend upon it.”
Jasper relaxed visibly while still retaining his military bearing. “You have my thanks. It’ll be much easier to focus knowin’ they’re taken care of.”
Damon inclined his head. “I wouldn't have it any other way. I’m assuming you’ve yet to tell Isabella?”
Jasper sighed. “I have not. I’ve only just been assigned and I wanted to speak with you first.” He rose from his seat and pushed the chair in. “Now that I have, I should be going. I’d like to spend these last few moments with my wife and son before we ride out.” He shook Damon’s hand and nodded toward Katherine. “Damon, Miss Pierce,” he said before striding away.
Damon picked up his glass and took a sip while arching an inky brow at his companion’s wry smile. “I do believe he’s warming up to me,” she quipped and Damon just barely stifled the urge to roll his eyes. He did it—but it was a close thing.
“It just flies all over you that you can’t seem to reduce him to a walleyed, drooling idiot whose only function is to pant after your skirts, doesn’t it?”
She frowned delicately. “It does not,” she denied with a pout. “I just don’t see why he should be so…cold towards me. I’ve never done anything untoward to him and I am, after all, being courted by his law-father. Why, we’re practically family!”
Damon coughed on a swallow of aged bourbon before recovering behind his hastily lifted linen napkin. “Good god,” he swore quietly. “You can’t just say things like that.”
“And why not?” She scowled, looking truly insulted now before angling her body to face him fully, her patience with his constant rebuffs and poorly concealed disdain having come to an end. “Just what are your intentions toward me Damon? Have I truly wasted the last four months? Have my efforts been all for naught?”
Damon eyed her for a beat. Damn, she was good, he’d give her that. If he didn’t know better, he could almost be convinced what he saw in her eyes was sincere hurt. As it was…
“My intentions toward you?” he questioned, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression darkened and his brows inched up. “You’re serious,” he stated with a bit of wonder while settling more comfortably into his chair.
“Of course I am!”
He took up his glass, holding the sparkling crystal halfway to his lips before answering. “Need I remind you who followed whom to this place, doll?” He took a slow sip from his glass while studying her over the rim. Shockingly, he saw no duplicity in her eyes; only longing and a bit of sorrow as she finally looked down with a nod.
“I deserve your rancor. My actions back in Mystic Falls were deplorable, to say the least; something I’ve come to sincerely regret.” She looked back into his eyes. “And I admit I followed you here merely to appease my curiosity… at first…but after seeing you and speaking with you—this decidedly more mature you—I had hoped…” she trailed off with a delicate shrug of a shapely shoulder and a nervous twist of the linen napkin in her lap, “I had hoped by staying, you would have warmed to me—given me a chance to prove my love to you.” She met his gaze then, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “It’s genuine Damon. You’re the one I want—no one else—please believe me.” She reached for his hand where it rested on the table and he didn't pull away as she held it tightly. “So tell me, have I wasted the last four months here? Should I—should I pack my things and go back to Virginia? Or will you give me reason to stay?”
“And Stefan?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically husky as he voiced the question that was ever present in his mind and heart. She was shaking her head before the last syllable passed his lips.
“He’s a sweetheart—lovely and polite—but he’ll never be you, Damon.” She held his gaze as she leaned forward, her tone low and impassioned as she spoke. “You lit a fire within me—a feeling that’s difficult to explain—sometimes it’s gentle, smoldering and giving off a constant, soothing warmth,” she said with a soft smile as she raised his hand and kissed it. “And other times it roars into an inferno—one that I’m more than happy to be utterly consumed by. No one else—ever, in all my years—has made me feel the way you do, and I know it’s because…well, to be completely honest, it’s because I truly love you…like no other, Damon Salvatore.”
He studied her for a moment—her earnest expression and the love shining in her eyes—before lifting her hand to his lips and placing the softest of kisses there. “Would you like to accompany me back to my home, Miss Pierce? I do believe we have some…business to see to that requires more privacy than that which this establishment affords.”
Her breath hitched and she caught her pillow-soft bottom lip between her teeth before giving him a tentative smile as hope bloomed in her chest. “I believe I would love nothing more, Mr. Salvatore,” she murmured as he stared at her from hooded eyes.
He rose and helped her from her seat while discreetly placing a heated kiss on the exposed nape of her neck. “Let’s be going then, shall we?”
“Yes, please,” she breathed as he settled her shawl over her shoulders before offering his arm.
She took it and together, the breathtakingly handsome couple strolled from the room amidst envying glances and whispered speculations.
They hardly noticed.
~o0o~
Jasper hung back, watching discreetly as his mother interacted with his wife and child, his heart warmed by the soft laughter of the women he loved and the delighted gurgles and coos of his infant son.
The rift that had been so heavy on his heart upon his return to Houston was a thing of the past and he couldn’t be happier that his mother had finally overcome her misplaced anger, swallowed her pride and repaired her relationship with his wife.
It had taken some time, of course, but his wife’s ability to love and forgive was nothing short of amazing in his opinion, and he should know, after all. He’d been on the receiving end of that forgiveness, even though he’d put her through hell when he’d discovered her secret.
A soft smile curved his lips as Isabella—his beautiful Isabella—smiled brightly and leaned her head against his mother’s shoulder as the woman finished a story about his infancy just as his baby son rolled over on the soft blanket next to where they sat in the floor of the parlor. “That was a lovely story Eliza, thank you for sharing it with me.”
The older woman smiled fondly at her daughter-in-law while tucking some wayward hair behind the younger woman’s ear. “It was my pleasure, sweetheart. I miss those days when he was such a sweet, tiny baby that I could hold and rock for hours.” She leaned forward and ran her fingers through Jace’s wild, golden curls as he tried his best to master crawling. “He looks so much like his daddy,” she mused and Bella could only nod because he really did, right down to the adorable little dimple in his cheek. “Cherish these short months in Jace’s life, Isabella, because before you know it, they are grown and gone with families of their own,” Eliza finished wistfully.
Just then, Jasper heard Charles open the front door and bare moments later, his sisters rushed right by him with barely a greeting as they took up places on the blanket by their gurgling nephew.
With a wry smile, he straightened from where he’d been leaning to watch and entered the room. “Jasper!” Isabella greeted with a bright smile as he greeted his mother with a kiss to her cheek. He then helped his wife up and kissed her soundly before she pulled back with a blush. “Behave,” she whispered as he smirked.
He caught his mother’s amused gaze. “This is quite the mid-day party. Are you planning on being here for a while longer, Mother?”
“Well, yes, as long as Isabella would have us. I have to be home by six though, why?” she asked knowingly.
“Would you and the girls mind sitting with Jace for a time? There’s something I must speak with Isabella about and I’d rather do that without distraction.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Y’all go on. We’ll be fine here for some time yet. You just fed him, right sugar?” she asked Bella.
“I did. He shouldn’t be hungry for another two hours or so.”
“Well, go on then!” she said with a wave of her hand as her daughters tickled and kissed and spoiled their nephew. “We’ll be just fine here.”
“I’ll send Charles in with refreshments,” Bella said and Eliza nodded.
“That will be lovely, no go on! Shoo! We’ll be just fine.”
Jasper offered his arm and they walked from the room, passing a tray laden Charles on their way to the stairs. “I thought your guests might enjoy some refreshments, Miss Bella,” he said with a grin and she shook her head.
“Are you sure you don’t read minds, Charles?” Bella asked with a grin.
“No Ma’am, I’m just good at what I do.”
“Charles, Mrs. Whitlock and I require privacy for the next two hours or so. Please see that we’re not disturbed unless it’s an emergency or the baby requires attention.”
“Yes sir, Captain Whitlock, I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you,” Jasper said and continued leading Bella up the sweeping staircase to their rooms. There he escorted her inside before turning and locking the door securely while Bella perched herself on one of the chairs, a curious look in her eyes as a slight frown creased her brow.
Jasper never came home this early, as it seemed his duties had only managed to increase by the day, keeping him busy well past the dinner hour most days, so she was anxious to hear about his sudden appearance now, so early in the day.
Once the door was secure, he went to her and pulled her up from the seat as she began speaking. “Jasper, what…”
A searing kiss cut her off and she could only clutch herself to him as he pulled her close, one hand cupping the back of her head and the other splayed across her lower back, keeping her snug against his whole body as his tongue swept past her eagerly parted lips.
A shiver of anticipation ran through her entire body as he dominated her mouth, and she moaned low in her throat while pulling herself impossibly closer, one leg rising to hitch itself over his hip as she ground against him. “Jasper,” she breathed as her head rolled back when his kisses trailed down the tender flesh of her neck. “Not to ruin the moment,” she panted while burying both hands in his silky curls, “but what brings you home this early?”
“Talk later,” he managed to mumble out between kissing and sucking her neck as his deft fingers worked the laces on the back of her bodice.
Before she knew it, he’d backed her toward the bed and laid her back on it after her loosened dress had fallen to the floor. The next item to fall victim to his impatience was her knickers, and she gasped, her eyes widening in momentary shock when he knelt, hastily parted her thighs, and ran his talented tongue through her folds.
With a groan, her eyes slowly closed as he settled her legs over his shoulders and slid two fingers within her wet and ready depths. Meanwhile, his lips and tongue worked her clit relentlessly as his fingers plunged and pressed within her, working that one special place inside her that drove her beyond coherent thought as she bucked and writhed under his attentions. “Jasper!” she cried, both hands clutching him to her, her grip bordering on painful in his wild golden curls as her orgasm crashed over her almost without warning.
“That’s it,” he murmured proudly, his hooded green eyes watching her as her walls fluttered and gripped his fingers while he milked every drop of pleasure from her.
When her whole body relaxed, he stood and quickly shed his clothes before helping her from her corset and shift. She was barely aware of any of that though and hmm’ed blissfully when she felt his bare body cover hers as his lips latched onto one sensitive, hardened peak, his tongue swirling around it as the fingers of his other hand kneaded the other firmly but gently.
“Jasper, please,” she begged, her heavy eyelids fluttering open to take in this beautiful man lying atop her, his body firm and powerful under her questing hands that roamed over the rolling and flexing muscles of his shoulders and back.
When her hands reached the firm mounds of his ass, he groaned against the silky skin of her neck, his breath sweet and hot, his lips warm on her skin as he ground his hardened cock against her slick center and she begged again, “Jasper, please…need you now.”
Without preamble, he drew his hips back, lined up, and plunged in, eliciting a gasp and deep-throaty moan from her as he stretched and filled her deliciously as only he could. “Yessss,” she whispered while arching against him, her legs opening wide to welcome him fully as he thrust slowly but firmly into her, his body rocking hers into the mattress as he held her close, one hand supporting her lower back as he drew her up to get the angle just right. “Heaven,” he mumbled into her neck. “You are my heaven,” he whispered before taking her lips in a heated kiss.
He fucked her thoroughly, her body completely his for the taking as she clutched herself to him, her silky walls tightening around him as her orgasm built with every powerful thrust he gave her.
With a throaty cry of bliss, she peaked, stars dancing in her vision as pleasure suffused her, spiraling out from where they were joined in a heated wave of ecstasy as he thrust deeply one last time before seizing with a groan of his own while filling her. “Isabella…” he murmured on a breath as his body jerked in the throes of it.
Together, they laid there recovering for moments before she ran her fingers through his hair. With a breathy laugh, she met his amused and curious gaze as he rolled them both to the side, their bodies finally separating as she smiled. “Not that I’m complaining,” she said while raising a brow, “but what prompted this? You’re hardly home in time for dinner these days and now here you are, in the middle of the day…”
He sighed and smoothed some wisps of hair away from her face as he stared into her ice-blue eyes. “You’re right, of course,” he said, and she watched as his expression turned serious. “I received orders today. I’ll be gone for a week or so and I leave in an hour.”
Her heart stuttered and she swallowed heavily. “To do what?”
He sighed and rolled onto his back as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. “We’ve received reports of bands of indians raiding some outlying settlements. My regiment is to investigate and eliminate any threat that we find.”
He looked over at her and she nodded, her eyes wide with fear that she couldn't quite give voice to. There was nothing she could do to change the situation after all, and crying would only cause them both more stress. When she finally mastered her emotions, she spoke. “You’ll be safe?”
He smiled ruefully. “As safe as I can be.”
“I’m afraid for you,” she whispered and he rolled toward her and pulled her close, placing a kiss on her brow as she curled into him.
“I know, but we’ve all trained for this and while it’s not without risk, I’m confident in our abilities. I’ll come home to you, I swear it.”
“You have the vial I gave you?” she asked and felt him tense.
“I do.”
She looked up into his grass-green eyes. “And you’ll use it if need be?”
His eyes searched hers for a moment before he nodded with a sigh. “I will.”
She tightened her hold on him. “Promise me, Jasper. Promise me you won’t hesitate if that time comes.”
He pulled her even closer and nodded in the crook of her neck. “I promise.”
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.