Marked Chapter 13 - When You Say Nothing at All

JPOV

I pulled at my tie, loosening the knot a little less carefully than usual. It was one of the ties Emily had given me - an Escher, to be exact - but I was feeling anxious and couldn't make myself care like I normally did. The tie was actually the reason I was in my car.

On my way to Edward's house.

He didn't know I was coming over. I'd never gone to his house unannounced - and he, of course, had never stopped by my apartment unexpectedly. So I was somewhat nervous that...I don't know what, really. Maybe that I wouldn't be welcome.

I didn't think that would be the case, though. It had been just over a week since we'd had sex for the first time, and work had been crazy busy for me. I couldn't get enough of him - but I quite literally couldn't get enough time to see him very often. As I'd sat at my desk this afternoon on a followup call with the manager Mike had visited in Denver, I'd idly played with my tie. The more I looked at the red silk tie, the harder it was to concentrate on what was being said on the other end of the phone.

The damn tie had Escher's lizards crawling all over it.

I hadn't looked at it that morning when I picked it out. I'd just pulled a red one down from my tie rack because I felt like something a little brighter.

I'd been fine all day, but around lunch, I'd noticed the tie's decoration and chuckled out loud, causing Eric to tilt his head and look at me curiously. I'd shaken my head and gone about my business, but once I'd seen what was on it, it had seemed to draw my eyes. The manager had called raving about the program we'd written him and how efficient Mike was - which made me roll my eyes a bit - and the longer I'd sat there, looking at Escher's lizards and thinking of the sexiest one I'd ever seen, the more I couldn't wait to see Edward. By the time I'd hung up the phone, there wasn't even a decision to be made. I'd shut down my computer, grabbed my suit jacket, and was on my way out the door.

The drive seemed to take longer than usual. My mind had way too much time to drift, and it kept going straight to all the naughtiest places. As I sat at a stoplight, I groaned, lifting my hips as I had to adjust myself because I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened just after breakfast when Edward stayed over.

As soon as we finished eating, Edward took my plate from me and walked to the sink. I watched as he washed the dishes by hand, and as I saw the muscles in his shoulders flex and move, I felt a growing need to touch him.

I walked up behind him slowly, slipping my arms around his waist, and I kissed his neck, letting my lips caress his skin while my tongue tasted the salt from our exertion. His soft hum was a low rumble against my chest, and his hand - damp from the dishwater - patted mine before I let him go.

He turned around, that damn crooked grin on his lips, and he arched an eyebrow at me. "Something on your mind, Jazz?"

I grinned in return. "I'm sure you can figure out what..."

"Mmm..." He reached out, pulling me close and settling me between his outstretched legs as he leaned against the counter just in front of the sink. We kissed, our lips parting, moving slowly together, and I lost track of time until his fingers began playing with the tie of my pants.

I shifted away slightly, biting my lip with what must've been a mischievous look in my eyes as I said, "Now just what's on your mind?"

"Not a thing," he said lightly, the impish grin on his face giving the lie away.

"Right..." I rolled my eyes and then took his hand. "Come on..."

I took him back to the couch, where we stretched out together and spent well over an hour just...making out. There was no other way to describe it. We kissed and petted, keeping all the action above our clothes, and we talked in between - nothing serious, just little things, though I could tell there was something Edward wasn't saying.

I wasn't sure I was ready to hear it, so I didn't ask.

Eventually, Edward shifted, and I bit back a moan when I felt his hard length pressing against mine. I hadn't realized quite how aroused I'd become, but as one, our kisses became more urgent, and his hand slipped under my shirt, resting low on my back as his fingertips dipped into the waistband of my pants.

I wasted no time, lifting the hem of his shirt, and he pushed up on one elbow to help me take it off. Mine was discarded as well, and when the bare flesh of our chests met, he groaned, ducking his head to take my nipple between his fucking beautiful lips. My fingers tangled in my hair as my head fell back, and I just lay there, letting him do whatever the fuck he wanted while I enjoyed the hell out of it.

He pulled at the barbell, flicking it with his tongue, and my hips bucked against his, my fingers moving to tug at his hair. I hissed when he pulled harder, but what I really wanted to do was beg him not to stop.

And he didn't.

His hand moved from my back, trailing tantalizingly over my side before his sure fingers began untying my pants. He never faltered or stalled, never asked what I wanted, and it was a fucking turn on to see him so confident, so sure that I wanted him. He was right, of course.

He kissed my jaw, his teeth rough against my stubble, and he tugged on my pants with a frustrated grunt. I lifted my hips, and in no time, he had pushed the fabric down my legs, using his foot to kick them off the rest of the way.

"Much fucking better..." he mumbled, his lips returning to my skin as they roamed all over my upper body.

I was breathing shallowly, enjoying the way his long fingers wrapped around my dick and the way he stroked me smoothly. He was squeezing and twisting just the way I liked it, and the little smirk I caught when he lifted his head to toss his hair out of his face told me he knew it.

"Take your pants off, baby," I whispered, capturing his lips with mine. He moaned, making me smile, and he was instantly in motion, shifting away so that he could rip his pants off and throw them aside.

He rolled back, his body flush with mine, and we were a blur of hands and lips and tongues as we rubbed and caressed each other. Somehow, I ended up on my back with Edward hovering over me, his knees pressing into the couch on either side of my hips. He was rocking and grinding, nibbling on my bottom lip between kisses.

Fucking tease.

He knew what I wanted, and he was trying to make me beg for it. Little did he know I had no intention of doing that.

"My turn," I murmured into his ear, biting hard enough to make him squirm. When he whimpered, I smiled, and when he didn't move at first, I smacked his ass lightly.

He raised his head, his eyes wide.

"Get moving, Princess..."

He grinned then, a slow curving of his lips that gave away his excitement. He whispered, "Just what is it you want, Jazz?"

"You," I said, nipping at his jaw. "Bent over my couch, ready for me." A shiver ran down his spine, making me smirk. "Now."

I would've laughed at how quickly he moved then if I hadn't been trying to stifle a moan at the thought of what I was about to do. It had been hard to let go of my first fantasy of Edward, and it had become a favorite of mine.

And now it would be reality.

I stood up a little more slowly, and by the time I made it around behind the couch, he was already there, half-resting on the back. His hungry eyes watched me as I walked toward him, and I saw the way they flitted over my body, his jaw clenching when he caught sight of my arousal.

"I'll be right back," I said quietly, giving him a chaste kiss before walking away. I felt his eyes on me all the way down the hall until I turned into my room. After I'd grabbed another condom and the bottle of lube - which we'd made a complete mess of - I took my time walking back to him, just because I could.

I could tell he wanted me to hurry, and I liked that he bit his tongue, letting me do this my way. When I reached him at last, I rewarded his patience, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close as I kissed him passionately.

Now that I was so close to what I'd wanted for so long, though, I found that my patience was even thinner than his, and without warning, I spun him around. He made a little noise of surprise that turned into a sigh of longing when I jerked his hips back against me.

"Fuck, Jazz." He groaned, pressing his ass harder against my dick.

I licked my bottom lip, my palm caressing his ass as I tilted my head, memorizing the way he looked. The blue ink on his shoulder blade drew my eye, the contrast with his skin giving more definition to his muscled back. I leaned down, finding myself unable to resist biting it, but I soothed away the sting with a soft kiss. I knew it stood for his father, but I couldn't resist the way my body responded to Edward's ink.

He reached back, both hands rubbing my thighs as he lowered his head. I peppered his shoulders with kisses, my hands roaming his sides, moving over his hips to his ass and back. I popped the top on the lube and poured a bit into my palm, reaching around to stroke him teasingly. His hips rocked into my hands insistently as quiet, broken whimpers reached my ears.

And then he murmured, "Fuck me, Jasper...please..."

How could I deny him?

With a smile curving my lips, I reached between his legs, my fingers gently stretching him as I made sure he was ready. I felt a tightness in my thighs as I let my anticipation build. Picking up the condom from the back of the couch, I ripped open the package and rolled it on, coating it with lube before I capped the bottle and dropped it to the floor.

"You ready, baby?" I whispered. I was aware of the differences between this moment and my fantasy, but I didn't care. I hadn't known him then...and I hadn't expected to feel this strongly about him. I wanted him to enjoy this, too.

"Please, Jazz..." was his only answer, and I wasted no time, thrusting smoothly into him. "Oh, fuck..." His voice broke off into a growling groan, and he lifted onto his toes as his upper body pressed into the top of the couch. I held onto his hips, helping him stay on his feet, and I heard him panting shallowly for a moment before he bucked his hips against mine.

It was all the encouragement I needed, and I gave myself over completely to fulfilling my fantasy - and hopefully making him feel damn good as well. Our bodies were rocking, muscular thighs slapping together, and he was so tight around me, squeezing, massaging, driving me to the brink.

Edward straightened finally, his legs more steady as he pushed himself up to his elbows. He began murmuring, whispering about how good it felt and what he wanted me to do, and both my hands went to his shoulders so I could pound into him harder - like he asked.

I was brought harshly out of my memories by the sound of a horn honking, and my face flamed when I realized I'd been sitting motionless at the stoplight for...I didn't know how long.

Fuck!

I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a shaky breath as I hit the accelerator and quickly got out of the way. I kept my eyes forward, not looking in any of my mirrors until I saw the car behind me turn down a side street.

Still, I couldn't stop the small smile on my face that formed at the memory, even through my embarrassment. I kept my mind on the road, though, partially to make sure I didn't space out again...and partially because my dick was already painfully trapped in my pants.

When I finally got to his house, I barely remembered to grab my suit jacket and put it on, patting my pockets to make sure I had my phone and wallet. I locked the car as I walked up to the doorstep, and I had just rung the door bell when it occurred to me that he might not even be home. What if he had plans tonight? What if -

My musings were cut short by the shadow of Edward appearing through the frosted glass, and I could hear his voice. Is someone there with him? I shifted my weight from foot to foot, feeling anxious, aroused, and impatient all at once.

I heard him say, "Hang on one second; someone's at the door," right as it swung open.
Edward's eyes widened slightly with surprise, and I wondered if that was good or bad until I saw him smile brightly. He lifted the phone back to his ear and said with a grin, "Hey, Carlisle? I gotta go. Tell Esme I'll call her tomorrow?" There was a slight pause as he ushered me through the door. "Yeah, thanks for thinking of me...take care. Bye."

He ended the call, holding the phone in his hand as he watched me - his eyes were practically dancing, and his smile just made me want to kiss him even more than I already did.

"Jasper, what are you do-"

I grabbed his face - closing the distance between us as I did - and kissed him hungrily, cutting him off. He moaned into my mouth, his free hand going to the nape of my neck and the one with his phone pressing hard into my back as he returned the kiss with equal hunger.

We stood like that for several minutes until, finally, I had to pull away to catch my breath. I rested my forehead against his, our noses barely touching. Edward's eyes were closed as he smiled softly. I ran my thumbs over his cheekbones, simply needing to touch him.

"Sorry for just showing up, sweetheart. I just...had to..."

He pulled away far enough to look me in the eyes. "Don't fucking apologize for wanting to see me, you dope. I'm glad you're here." He paused, taking a shallow breath. "I missed you, too."

I smiled at his confession but couldn't find the words to respond, so I kissed him instead. This kiss was less urgent, but no less passionate. He pulled me closer as he tilted his head, that stupid phone digging into my back, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I wrapped my arms around his waist, my hands trailing up and down his back.

I started to walk us toward the stairs - guiding Edward, since he was moving backwards - without breaking our kiss. He had been driving me crazy all afternoon, even if he didn't know it, and now that I had him in my arms, I just had to have more - needed more of him. We'd only gone a couple of paces when he pulled away just enough to chuckle and murmur against my lips, "Just what did you have in mind, Mr Whitlock? My ass the only reason you're here tonight?"

Grabbing his ass with both hands and pulling him hard to me, I gave a low growl. "Fuck no...but you've been on my mind all fuckin' day, and right now I need to feel you."

I was hard, aching, and I made sure he could feel just what he was doing to me as I pushed my hips into his. He let out a breathless "Fuck" before crashing his lips to mine again. His hand went between our bodies as he slipped his fingers along my waistband, teasing his fingers against my skin. When he brushed the tip of my cock, I whimpered.

Forget going upstairs...I need him now.

Changing directions slightly, I pushed Edward against the wall and began unbuckling my belt to give him better access. He didn't miss a beat, slipping his hand down my pants and wrapping his fingers around my erection. I moaned into his mouth as he pumped me slowly. My lips soon found their way to his neck where I kissed, licked, and nipped every inch I could reach - his moans and quiet pleas for more egging me on.

I was undoing his belt, intending to give as good as I was getting, when the doorbell rang. Both of us muttered a quiet "Fuck!" as we heard voices outside, though I couldn't tell what they were saying as the sound was too muffled - something that gave me hope that no one had heard us, either.

We stayed quiet for a moment - though Edward never stopped stroking me, only slowing down his movements. Both of us were hoping that whoever it was would just leave - at least, I know I was. When the doorbell rang again, Edward whispered, "Ignore them," and captured my lips with his.

His continued teasing had me whimpering softly into his mouth, but when the knocking started, I began to wonder if maybe he did have other plans tonight. I pulled away to ask as much when his phone started ringing. Edward muttered something under his breath and shook his head before his lips were on mine again.

I frowned at him and pulled away, feeling a little uneasy. I started to tuck everything back in place as I asked, "Aren't you going to answer that?" When he said no and tried to kiss me again, I turned my head, not sure what to make of it. His hands were undoing my attempts to cover back up when his cell phone started ringing. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. I just saw the name Seth before he hit the button to send it to voicemail.

Who the fuck is Seth? What's going on?

The thought crossed my mind that maybe he was seeing Seth, that he didn't want me to know. God knows I'd been in that situation before, and I felt sick as I remembered so many mysterious phone calls between Paul and his so-called friend. I took a step back from Edward, my fingers tugging at my hair as I tried not to think about Paul right then - tried, and failed.

Too fucking familiar...knew this was too good...

Edward watched me, a look of confusion and hurt and...something else on his face. As much as I had wanted to be here before, all I could think of at that point was to get the hell out. If this was anything like with Paul, I wanted no part of it. I couldn't stand the idea of him having another guy - or worse, of me being the "other man."

Whoever was at the door appeared to be insistent, as they kept knocking - Edward's phone also rang again. I cleared my throat, frowning as he once again sent it to voicemail, though his eyes went straight back to mine.

"I...I'm just gonna go..." I roughly ran my fingers through my hair, feeling uncomfortable. Glancing at the door, I clenched my jaw before continuing, "It seems you have...guests."

My eyes cut to his again, and I was a little shocked when I saw him going from surprised to irritated to downright pissed.

"What the fuck, Jasper? What the hell is going on? You come here, unannounced, get us both all hot and bothered, and now you want to leave? Just like that? Why?"

I looked at the door again, at the silhouettes I could just discern from where I was standing. "I shouldn't have come..."

Edward grunted as he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at it in irritation before throwing his hands in the air and hissing out, "Why?! Why shouldn't you have come? What the fuck changed for you, Jasper? Can you tell me that? It's like a fucking switch just flipped, and I don't know why!"

Is he serious? I pointed first to the door, then to his phone - which chose that moment to ring again, and he again sent it straight to voicemail, this time with growing agitation as he slammed his phone shut. "Why? Why are you not answering your door? Or your phone? What are you trying to hide? Or should I ask who you're trying to hide?"

The look on his face instantly changed from anger to stunned disbelief as he gaped at me. He didn't say anything for a full minute, and I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he trying to think up some excuse, as Paul had done time and again? When he finally spoke, his voice was hushed, and I thought it sounded...pained?

"Are you kidding me? You're upset...because I would rather spend time with..." He paused, as if he was going to say something else and then changed his mind. "...with you, than with my friends?"

My eyes flickered between his, trying to look for any deceit, anything at all to counter what he was trying to tell me. I didn't know what to believe anymore, what to trust. I took a few steps back so I could lean against the wall, suddenly so very tired and just...drained. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands, letting out a low groan as I tried to think.

My voice sounded strange to my ears when I spoke again, almost hollow. "Why not just answer the phone? Go to the door and make an excuse? Hell, invite them in for that matter? Why hide it...me...them?"

He snorted, and when I raised my eyes to his again, he quirked a brow. "I thought that was rather obvious...we were kind of in the middle of something, Jazz. Something I was quite enjoying and looking forward to finishing, I might add."

I didn't know what to say to that, and before I could come up with a response, he crossed the hallway and stood in front of me. He cradled my head in his hands - his thumbs brushing my cheeks gently - his eyes looking directly into mine as he said in a low voice, "But if you want to spend time with Seth and Embry..."

I frowned. "Embry?"

He gave me a half-smile as he nodded. "Yeah, my friend Seth's long-term boyfriend. They live together."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I nodded. I felt like a complete idiot. Will I ever meet any of his friends under less humiliating circumstances?

I wanted to believe Edward. He had been nothing but patient and caring - a small voice in the back of my head reminded me that Paul had been just that, too...in the beginning, at least. I frowned at the thought.

He. Isn't. Paul!

Taking another deep breath, I said, "I'm sorry. I...I just..."

My voice was barely above a whisper, and I couldn't finish my sentence. When I opened my eyes, it was to find Edward watching me closely. He just nodded and then kissed me briefly. When he let go, I felt the loss of his touch, and I had to swallow hard to rid myself of the lump that had formed in my throat.

For a moment, he looked as if he were going to say something, but when his phone rang for the final time, he gave a low growl and muttered, "Oh, for fuck's sake..." He brushed his lips against mine and then went to open the door, raising his voice so they could hear. "I'm coming already! Christ!"

He opened the door with a gruff, "Jesus, Seth, you sure are a persistent fucker, aren't you? Well, come on in."

"I have to be! You could sleep through the atomic b-" The joking voice cut off as a slender guy just a little shorter than me walked through the door and caught sight of me. He had jet black hair that reached just past his chin, and something about his smile made me think it rarely left his face. "Well, hello there..." he greeted me, cutting his eyes to Edward. "You've been holding out on us, Masen."

Edward cleared his throat. "Jasper, this is Seth..." He grumbled under his breath and punched his friend's shoulder as Seth stepped aside, and a taller, slightly bigger guy walked in behind him. His hair was black as well, but cropped short, and his smile was more reserved. Both men were darker skinned and very good-looking, and I wondered a little if Edward had ever been attracted to either of them. "And Embry."

Embry gave me a smile and nod just as Edward said, "Seth, Embry, this is Jasper."

Before I could open my mouth and say, "It's nice to meet you," Seth turned to me with a grin, his eyes flickering to Edward as he said, "Ah, so this is Jasper! I was beginning to wonder if you were ashamed of him since you've been hiding him away."

At his words, that feeling of unease settled in my chest again. Had I been right after all? Was he hiding me? I ran my fingers through my hair as I looked anywhere but at the three men in front of me. I thought I heard Edward groan softly, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. It wasn't until Seth spoke again - his tone slightly different - that I looked up.

"Nah, definitely not ashamed...or else you wouldn't have been drinking yourself stupid on Labor Day because your boy J wasn't there to-"

"Oh my God! Em, can't you control him anymore? For the love of all that is holy!"

I looked up at Edward with widened eyes at his outburst. The irony that we had both drunk ourselves into a stupor on the same day, and for similar reasons, wasn't lost on me, and I had to bite back a chuckle. This wasn't the time to come out with that revelation - at least, I didn't think it was.

I glanced at Seth, who was watching us both with an innocent grin on his face, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. I was a little bit thrown off by him. His comments sounded calculated, designed to provoke a reaction, but whenever I looked at him, there didn't seem to be any sort of mischief in his eyes.

My eyes moved to Embry, who appeared both amused and maybe a little embarrassed at what was going on - the look in his eyes said clearly that he knew they were interrupting something, even though Seth seemed oblivious.

Edward cleared his throat as he ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes on Seth as he said, "So to what do we owe the dubious honor of your presence, Seth?"

Seth crossed his arms over his chest, his grin still firmly in place as he looked at Edward. "Fuck you, Edward. There was a time where you were all too happy to see me, but I see how it goes..."

At his words, I felt a twinge of jealousy. Had they been involved before? Just how well did they know each other? I glanced at Embry to gauge his reaction, but he was just smiling fondly as he watched his boyfriend. I vaguely heard Seth mention something about having been in the area and deciding to drop by to watch the Sox game that was on, and about not having seen Edward since Labor Day. I didn't pay too much attention, though, as my mind was still trying to make sense of what he had said before.

I must have zoned out, because the next thing I knew was Edward standing in front of me, his fingers running through my hair as he looked at me. I couldn't quite tell what was going through his mind, but he looked concerned. I shook my head slightly in an attempt to clear it, mumbling, "I'm sorry...what?"

Edward gave me a small smile as he asked if I minded if Seth and Embry stayed to watch the game.

"Yeah...sure..."

I knew I sounded off - out of it - but I couldn't quite seem to shake it. Edward nodded, telling Seth and Embry to go ahead and put the game on and we would be right there.

"Come help me get drinks for everyone?"

He sounded hesitant, as if he wasn't sure what was going on. I took a deep breath and nodded before following him to the kitchen. Once there, he stopped by the bar and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me as he whispered, "Are you alright? We don't have to do this tonight, you know...I can ask them to leave."

I shook my head again. "You don't have to do that..."

He grinned slightly, his voice becoming a little huskier as he said, "What if I want to?" He bucked his hips into mine as he trailed open mouthed kisses down my neck, nipping playfully every so often.

I groaned softly, tilting my head to the side automatically to give him more space. As much as my body was reacting to what he was doing, his actions made me more determined to spend time with these friends of his. I didn't quite understand it myself - I had never bothered too much with that aspect of things; I had never really gotten this close to anyone before - but it felt important.

"Edward..."

He hummed against my skin without pausing what he was doing. When he began to suck lightly on my pulse point, I pulled away with a soft groan and took his face in my hands. I gazed into his eyes for a few seconds before kissing him soundly on the lips. He responded immediately, giving a disgruntled noise when I cut the kiss short.

"Your friends are waiting for you, Princess. We should get back to them." When he neither moved nor responded in any way other than looking into my eyes as he tightened his grip on my hips, I added, "Please, Edward?"

He sighed, resting his forehead against mine. "Okay." He pulled back, giving me a small smile. "Have you had anything to eat yet, baby?"

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "Err, no. Food wasn't at the top of my list earlier. Why?"

He muttered under his breath, and I thought I heard him say, "You're killing me here..." but I wasn't sure. He told me to go ahead and order take out, giving me the choice as he handed me a stack of menus. When I asked about Seth and Embry, he just grinned and said that they could just deal with whatever was offered, and that they ate anything anyway.

Figuring pizza would be the safest bet, I ordered a few different ones so at least there would be some variety. Even though he had said that Seth and Embry would eat whatever, I didn't feel right just saddling them with limited options. Edward stood by me while I ordered, leaning against the bar with his arms and legs crossed, a tender smile on his face. Right as I was taking my wallet out of my jacket, he grabbed the phone from me and rattled off his card number while he watched me with a raised brow, as if daring me to object.

I rolled my eyes at him as I crossed my arms, waiting for him to finish up the call so we could head into the den. After he hung up, he went to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers, handing them to me before grabbing a couple more and heading toward the den. As soon as we rounded the corner, though, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Make yourself at home, why don't you?"

I wondered what was going on, but since I was behind Edward, I couldn't see what had caught his attention. He walked over to his side of the couch, and I followed. I chuckled as Edward nudged Seth's foot and muttered, "Fucker," under his breath. Embry was sitting on the other end of the couch while Seth had stretched out, resting his head on Embry's lap.

Seth just grinned and winked at us. "Don't mind if I do."

I glanced at Embry, who was running his fingers through Seth's hair, looking apologetic as he gave me a small smile. I grinned at him and handed him a beer as I passed him on my way to the loveseat. He gave a soft, "Thanks," and I nodded.

Edward made a show of being annoyed as he handed Seth his beer. When he sat down next to me, I could hear him chuckle softly, so I nudged his side as I rolled my eyes at him. He grinned and whispered, "What?"

I leaned in so my lips were barely brushing his ear. "You really are an ass sometimes..."

I placed a kiss just below his ear, and he grumbled playfully, "Maybe...but I thought that was one of the things you l-...liked about me."

His eyes cut to mine - a slightly panicked look in them - as he took a quick pull from his beer. Right as I was about to ask what was going on, Seth jumped out and started shouting at the screen, and before too long, my question was forgotten as we all got absorbed in the game. It turned out to be fun, spending time with Seth and Embry. They both knew a lot about baseball, and during the quiet moments, I found out that they used to play together with the rest of their friends - though they hadn't done so in a while.

I also found out that they sometimes played ice hockey together, and that Edward supposedly was very good at it. I had never been skating in my life, but the thought of seeing Edward on ice had me squirming in my seat.

As soon as the game was over, Embry said they had better get going. When Seth started to say something, Embry shot him a pointed look and nudged his side. Edward and I walked them out, and as they were leaving, they each shook my hand, saying they hoped to see me again.

When Edward finally closed the door behind them, he leaned against it. He looked sad, almost, as he watched me. I stepped up to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He snaked his arms around mine with a soft sigh, resting his head on my shoulder. I turned my face, kissing his temple as I rubbed his back. I kept my lips against his skin and, needing to let him know what I had realized earlier on, murmured, "I got drunk on Labor Day, too."

He raised his head, giving me a puzzled look. It took him a few moments before I could practically see the penny drop for him - his eyes widened slightly, and his mouth formed a perfect 'O' before turning into a lopsided grin.

I gave him a small smile of my own before kissing him lightly. I rested my forehead against his and sighed. "I'm sorry-"

He cut me off by planting a soft kiss on my lips. "Jazz, I know...and I don't need to hear you say it. But like I told you once before, please just talk to me about this shit...whatever it is. I'm not a mind-reader, Jasper. You're going to have to tell me when something's bothering you."

I closed my eyes as I nodded once, a frown forming as I said, "I'll try, darlin'. It's just..." I couldn't even put into words what I was thinking. Hell, I couldn't even form a coherent thought at that point. All I knew was that I hated doubting myself all the time, and that I didn't like knowing I was hurting him doing it - and yet I couldn't seem to stop it from happening.

He brushed the back of his fingers against my cheek as he whispered, "That's all I ask, baby."

We stood in the hallway and just kissed until it was time for me to head home. Part of me wanted to stay - not just to finish what I had started when I'd first arrived on his doorstep that night, either - but I just...couldn't. At least not yet - not on a weekday. Or so I kept telling myself.

We said our goodbyes before I got into my car. As soon as I got home, I sent him a text to let him know and went straight to bed, trying not to think about what had happened.

The next day I swung by the coffeeshop again to pick up our weekly order, and when I got to the office, most everyone was already in the breakroom waiting. Eric and Mike were talking about the game that was on last night, and after I had handed out all the drinks, I went to sit with them, hoping to jump into their conversation.

I'd barely sat my ass down, though, before Mike was on me, bitching about trying to get ahold of me the night before. "Eric and I both tried calling you, but you never answered or called back. I figured you were probably too busy with your new boy-toy."

I frowned, trying not to make anything of the way he talked about Edward, but it needled me none the less. Instead of saying anything, though, I checked my phone. "You didn't call my cell, so it can't have been too important."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, since you weren't home to answer your phone, we thought you'd be at his place...and we didn't want to intrude."

I opened my mouth to say something, because the tone in Mike's voice didn't sit well with me. He'd teased me before when I'd been with a guy, but this time...it just felt different. And I didn't like it one damn bit. Before I could say anything, though, Ben walked up behind me and put a box of donuts in the middle of the table as he said, "Give him a break, Mike. Edward seems like a nice guy, so...lay off, okay?"

Ben put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it once before sitting down next to me and taking a careful sip of his Caramel Macchiato. I shot him a grateful look, and he nodded at me. When I turned to look at Mike, it was to find him gaping at Ben and me. I frowned at him. "What?"

He looked at me. "Ben gets to meet your new guy, and I have yet to do so? What the fuck, man? How did that happen?"

I cleared my throat as I lowered my eyes to the cup in my hands; I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Ben came to my rescue again, and I cut my eyes to his as he spoke up.

"He happened to be at Jasper's when Ang and I picked up Bella on Sunday."

Thankfully he didn't mention just how early they had picked Bella up, or that Edward had stayed the night. I chanced a glance at Mike, who seemed satisfied with the explanation, and I gave a soft sigh of relief. If Mike had suspected there was more to it, I was sure I'd never hear the end of it, and I wasn't ready to deal with all of that yet - if ever.

The conversation shifted back to sports for a bit, circling around to why Mike and Eric had tried to reach me. Eric let slip that he had gone to Mike's, claiming they had plans to watch the game - it seemed all was not well between him and Senna, and rather than going out with her, he had fled to Mike's. They thought it would be fun to just hang out together, so they had tried to call me.

Eric suddenly looked sharply at Ben, saying, "Hey man, when are you going to come out with us again? We never see you anymore! The last time we all hung out together was before Bella was born!"

I couldn't hear what Ben said in reply. I was frozen in my seat as Eric's words kept ringing in my ears. The last time we had all hung out together had been before Bella was born, and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn't gone out with any of them since then - not counting Labor Day, of course, or the night Mike and I had gone out to the bar.

I was doing it again - allowing someone else to completely take over my time, my life. My heart felt like it was going a mile a minute and my palms started to sweat. I couldn't - wouldn't - fall into that pattern again.

"Let's go out Friday." My voice sounded off, and I couldn't quite get myself to meet anyone's eyes, certain that they would feel like it was about time. I was kicking myself for having let things get to this point, and I felt sick to my stomach.

When no one answered, I finally looked up to see them all watching me. Mike said, "You sure, J?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Eric's right. It's been forever since we hung out. We should go to the club, like we used to. Have some fun..."

I wished I could get my voice to sound right, but it felt as if something was stuck in my throat, and the air I needed to speak had trouble forcing its way past it. I wasn't interested in our usual coffee time anymore; I just wanted to get back to work and not have to think about this feeling that was twisting my gut right then.

"Alright...I'm sure Ang'd be okay with me hanging out with you guys for a couple of hours. Friday it is."

I looked up at Ben, intending to thank him quietly, but the look on his face stopped me dead. I couldn't figure it out, but it wasn't relief or hope or anything like that that I saw in his eyes. It was caution and worry. When Mike and Eric both agreed, I got up and dumped the rest of my coffee. My stomach was rebelling against it, and I just wanted to get to my office and bunker down.

There was plenty of work for me to do to keep my mind off of things, and I told Felix to hold all calls and not to disturb me. I was certain Mike, or Ben even, would come knocking at my door to talk, and I wasn't willing to do so. Not today. I needed to try and sort things out in my own head first.

I felt cold all day, as if ice had been poured into my veins at the realization that I had fallen into my old patterns again. I couldn't believe that I had done so, when I had worked so hard to not let it happen again. I didn't understand how Edward had managed to invade so much of my life - how I had allowed him in so far.

Every moment I wasn't working, I spent trying to analyze everything - and I was getting nowhere. The pad I was currently using for my sketching was rapidly filling up - mostly just drawings of Edward's eyes, but there were a few of a pair of eyes I hadn't wanted to see in many years.

Paul's.

I had at one point actually drawn them side by side, almost as if to compare the two, and I snorted when I realized that I had been doing just that. I sat back in my chair as I looked at the two sets of eyes looking up at me from the page - my hands were in my hair, tugging at the ends in frustration.

Though both men were certainly very different in some aspects, they were also similar - at least up until this point. Paul had - at first - been very attentive, very sweet; he had made me feel safe and loved. At least, that's what I had thought, then. Edward had so far been much the same. He was very sweet, he had a quick wit, and the tenderness and care he was showing me made me feel loved and, apparently, safe enough to let my guard down with him.

Felix beeped in, letting me know Emily was on the line and asking if I wanted him to put her through or take a message, since I had said to hold all calls. He knew to at least ask, though, if my family called. I took the call, literally shaking my head to try and clear it of any thoughts about Edward and Paul.

That didn't exactly last very long after Emily told me that James had yet again been called into work when we were supposed to be meeting for lunch. I leaned forward, putting my elbow on my desk and resting my forehead on my upturned hand.

"Emily...I don't know..."

"He's just busy, Jasper. I'm sure you'll get to meet him soon."

Her voice was pleading, and the sick feeling I had been dealing with all day intensified at the sound of it. I wasn't sure whether it was due to what I had been thinking about, or James, or that Lee's situation left me with a feeling of déjà vu - in some ways, she was just too much like me.

This time, I was the one to bow out of meeting her for lunch even after James canceled. I didn't think I'd be able to handle it with my mind in too much turmoil to deal with anything else. We talked for a few more minutes, and Emily changed the subject to our upcoming date-day.

"Hey, Spurs, don't forget about Saturday. I've got plans for us."

I groaned softly. "Do I dare ask?"

She chuckled. "Don't be like that, Jasper. You'll have fun, I'm sure. I've gotten us into a pottery class. It'll be an all day thing, and it starts early, so no late night on Friday! Or, at the very least, put your alarm on this time - I'll kick your butt if you oversleep again."

Her threat was harmless enough; I knew she wouldn't try anything, but it made me chuckle. "Alright, Lee-Lee, I'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you have my word."

"Hey, why don't you ask Edward if wants to come? Would be fun!"

I bit my lip to keep from groaning for real this time. "I don't know, Lee..."

"Awww, come on, Spurs. I like him. He's fun to hang out with, and I'd like to get to know him a little better since you're spending so much time with him."

I cringed. Even she had noticed that Edward was dominating my time. Damn it. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I don't know, Lee. I'd kind of like to spend time with my little sister."

She pleaded with me to ask him, and after promising her I'd consider it, we said our "goodbye"s and "I love you"s, and hung up. I asked Felix to order some take out from the Chinese restaurant down the road, since I didn't have time - or the inclination, for that matter - for anything else.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and I actually managed to get some work done. The guys left me alone, and with considerable effort, I put all thoughts of Edward and Paul aside. By the time I got home, though, I was mentally exhausted - all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. Forget eating, or watching TV, or anything else. Just sleep.

I went straight to my room and stripped, not even bothering to put anything away. I turned off my phone and set my alarm before slipping under the covers. I was asleep faster than I would have thought possible, considering everything that was on my mind.

When I awoke the next morning, my whole body felt heavy. I had a hard time really waking up, even though I had slept a hell of a long time - or maybe it was because of it. After a nice, hot shower, I started to finally wake up a little, my body relaxing as the unease from the day before went by way of the shower drain.

I did a quick cleanup of my room - considering I had just left everything where it happened to fall - before heading out the door, and it wasn't until I was stepping into the office that I remembered I had turned my phone off. I was logging on to my computer when the familiar 'ding' alerted me that I had a voicemail.

My stomach twisted into knots again when I heard Edward's voice, asking me to call him back...last night, which I obviously didn't do. A second voicemail followed - again from Edward - this time asking if I was alright, and letting me know he was headed to bed and to please call back when I got his message.

There were no other messages. I sat back in my chair, holding the phone in my hands as I rested them in my lap, pondering my options. I decided to wait until lunch time to call him back, figuring it was still too early and I didn't want to risk waking him up - or getting his voicemail in return.

Work seemed to drag as I anticipated my call to Edward. When the clock finally read noon, I dialed his number - he answered on the second ring.

"Jasper! Finally...is everything okay?"

I picked up a pencil and started sketching without really thinking about it, my mind on the decision I had made and how to tell him. I could feel a frown form on my forehead even as I said everything was fine.

"I was just really tired yesterday, and I turned my phone off so I could sleep. I was already in the office by the time I remembered to turn it back on. Sorry...I didn't mean to worry you or anything."

I heard him sigh, and I could imagine him running his fingers through his hair as he slouched back into his couch. "It's okay...it's just...after the other day and all..."

I cleared my throat, my frown deepening a little as I continued to sketch. "Yeah...anyway, what was it you called about? Your message didn't say."

A small part of me recognized that I was distancing myself - I had a good idea as to why he had called, but I didn't want to admit to it. I didn't want to be the one to bring up the weekend; I didn't want to mention any plans, or ask about his. So I put the ball in his court.

I could hear the confusion as well as the hope in his voice as he said, "I just wanted to see if you wanted to get together after work on Friday?"

I cleared my throat as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "I've got plans already. The guys and I are going out after work."

"Oh...Okay."

I bit the inside of my cheek as I heard the disappointment in his voice. It was his turn to clear his throat before he continued, "What about Saturday?"

I remembered Emily's request and, for just one moment, thought about actually asking him - I had to literally bite my tongue to stop the words from coming out. It was supposed to be a time for the two of us to hang out, and I needed to try and reclaim my life again.

"Emily and I have another date-day."

There was no mistaking the dejection in his voice. "Oh...I see... Well...call me, I guess?"

It sounded as if he wanted to add something more, but when he didn't, I sucked in a breath. "Yeah, sure...listen, I'm sorry, Edward. My lunch is almost up, and I have to get back to work. I'll...talk to you later?"

He gave a timid, "Yeah...have fun, Jasper," before hanging up.

I glanced down at my sketch and muttered a low, "Fuck," under my breath. Edward's eyes were looking up at me - even with just his eyes visible, the sadness and hurt were plain to see.

I gritted my teeth as I resolutely flipped the page over and pushed the pad aside so I could get some work done. His eyes kept haunting me throughout the day, and it was all I could do not to call him again and tell him I had changed my mind. I couldn't - wouldn't - do that. I had to take control back over my life.

I kept repeating this to myself whenever the urge to call him became too much. At one point, I even had the phone in my hand and my finger poised to call, but I stopped myself before following through. Just the fact that I felt the need to call him the way I did made me even more sure of my decision - as well as my conclusion that I had indeed given up too much of my control to Edward.

I stopped by the grocery store on my way out and grabbed a salad from the deli. I wasn't very hungry, but I knew I had to eat, and I figured a salad would be the best way to go. When I got home, I went through my usual routine before plopping down in front of the TV with my salad and aimlessly flipping through the channels while I ate. I ended up putting on ESPN just to have some background noise, but I couldn't tell you what was going on or even what sport they were broadcasting. I wasn't paying any attention, my mind too preoccupied. I went to bed early again, exhausted.

When I woke up, I felt a little disoriented - I vaguely remembered dreaming about Edward being here with me, and I automatically looked over to where he had been that first time. I could almost sense him there - it was eerie. I shivered and hurriedly got ready for the day.

Since it was Friday, and I was going to go out with the guys after work, I opted to actually do 'Casual Friday' I put on a pair of nice jeans, an eggplant-colored button-down, and grabbed my "Warped Time" tie. I was running later than I liked, so I rolled up the tie carefully, put it in my jacket pocket, and pulled on my Docs boots. There, that ought to be good enough.

I made it to work just on time and was putting on my tie when Mike stopped by my office to discuss an account. We talked for a couple of hours, going over all the details, and ended up putting in a conference call to the client. The day went by quickly enough, and though part of me was looking forward to hanging out with my friends again, another part of me really missed Edward.

When five o'clock rolled around, Ben knocked on my door and asked if I was ready. After making sure everything was taken care of and closed down, we all headed to Aro's and were welcomed with open arms, so to speak. Aro got us a nice table that allowed us to talk, and he even sat with us for a little while, asking about Angela. Ben proudly showed him pictures of Bella, promising he would bring the girls by soon so he could meet her in person.

Gianna stopped by for a while after our food had arrived, and Ben showed the pictures to her as well. I watched her as she flipped through them with a wistful look in her eyes. I knew that look, and I idly wondered if she had anyone in her life. I had a feeling she would end up making a great mother - and I knew that Aro would be one very proud and doting grandfather.

As always, the food was the best, the service better, and we had a great time. We hung around for a little while, and Aro insisted on giving us a huge plate of cannoli to "share in celebration of Bella's arrival."

Even though it was nice to hang out with the guys again, I felt slightly off all through dinner. I tried to shake the feeling and just be in the moment, and for the most part, it worked. I caught the ocassional stare from Ben, but he never said anything.

Eric suggested we hit the Cask 'n Flagon for a few drinks before going down to Oliver's to dance. Ben and I both groaned at the thought - I was not in any particular mood for dancing. Not without...

The thought of going dancing with Edward had me shifting in my seat, and I ducked my chin, hoping to hide the sudden feeling of longing and discomfort. I couldn't get the image of dancing with Edward out of my head, and I wished that he was there - I wanted to find out if he was as graceful on the dance floor as he was in the bedroom.

Ben nudged me in the side and gave me a strange look. I was startled to find that Eric and Mike were already walking to the front of the restaurant as they talked to Aro. Ben didn't say anything, though, and I hurried to catch up with the others.

A short while later, we were all sitting around a table at the Cask 'n Flagon, enjoying the first round of beers, courtesy of Eric. We chatted about life in general, and I was starting to relax a little more. After a while, Eric sighed and looked down at his glass, his fingers curved around it. He cleared his throat and looked at us, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment as he quietly told us that he and Senna had broken up the day before.

When Mike asked him if he was going to be okay, he just shrugged.

"Yeah, man, I'll be fine. Just one of those things, you know?" He smiled at Mike. "Thanks."

Mike nodded, his eyes cutting briefly to mine, making me wonder what was going through his mind. "No problem, bro. So I take it that means you're officially on the market again?"

Mike grinned at Eric as he took a drink of his beer, wiggling his eyebrows at him. Eric laughed and said, "Yeah, I suppose it does. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wanted to know if I had a good excuse to ogle the pretty ladies for a while again...you know, to see if there are any prospects for you out there."

Mike looked ever-so-serious as he spoke, and when he was done, we were all silent for about two seconds before we burst out laughing. I smacked Mike's upper arm, rolling my eyes at him.

"Hey man, better watch that shit, or Jess is gonna have your hide."

Mike feigned shock as he looked at me all wide-eyed. "Dude, it's all for a good cause...gotta get Eric somethin' fine now, don't we?"

Ben just about choked on his beer, laughing. When he finally got himself under control enough, he muttered, "God, I so don't miss those days...I'm glad I don't have to worry about all of that shit anymore." Then, raising his voice enough so Mike could hear him, too, he said, "Especially considering some of the girls you thought were so 'fine'."

Ben shook his head as Mike threw his head back and laughed. "You are never going to let me forget about what's-her-name, are you?"

Ben cocked an eyebrow at Mike. "You mean Chelsea? Hell, no!"

I tried to hide my grin by taking a drink, but when Mike continued to laugh and Ben joined him, I couldn't help myself. Eric was valiantly trying to hold back as well, but I could see his shoulders shaking, and when our eyes met, he let loose, too.

Chelsea had been...well, she had been a case apart. I could acknowledge that she had been pretty enough - tall, statuesque, with long, dark blond hair - but the memory of her voice was, to this day, able to send shivers down my spine, and not in a good way. It was high-pitched and nasal, and if that wasn't bad enough, she didn't know how to shut up - especially not after putting a few drinks in her. We talked a little while about the disaster that was Chelsea, which led to us talking about the various exes we had between us - though the subject of Paul was left well enough alone.

"Okay, enough talking...let's go to Oliver's! See if we can still bust a groove." Eric clapped his hands together and grinned at all of us. We got up and headed over to Oliver's and found a place to sit. Mike bought us another round of beers, and we continued talking for a while longer.

My thoughts kept circling back to Edward, and while I made a show of laughing and joking around with Mike and the others...I wasn't really into it. I kept wondering what he was doing, wishing I was with him, or he here, with me.

Mike started pointing out girls to Eric, but Eric would just shake his head and point out what he didn't like about them. After a few attempts, Mike turned to me and said, "Help me out here, J. See if you have better luck."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, taking a swig of my beer. "Alright..."

I let my eyes roam the bar and pointed out a few guys to Eric while Mike continued to do the same with the girls. Ben just sat quietly by and watched us, drinking his beer with an amused look on his face. Eric, meanwhile, was bemoaning our supposed lack in taste.

We spent the next however long doing this, and Eric was starting to give Mike and I more shit about our picks. Ben even made a comment or two and pointed out a couple of possibilities - surprisingly, both men and women - even more surprising was the fact that the men he pointed out were actually pretty hot. I knew Ben was as straight as I was gay, so it was amusing to see him actually try and find someone to suit Eric's tastes.

My focus was on a group of guys standing by the bar when Eric slapped me in the chest with the back of his hand and said, "Now that's a damn good looking couple..."

I looked over at Eric, just in time to see his hand move back from apparently having slapped Mike as well, before following his gaze to the dance floor. I was about to take a drink of my beer when Eric caught my attention. When I saw who he was talking about, though, I put it down and got up without saying a word, only vaguely aware of Ben sputtering next to me.

My attention was on one thing and one thing only: the man in the middle of the dance floor, moving fluidly to the beat. He was facing away from me, so when I reached him I tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned his head.

As soon as he saw me, his eyes widened, and a brilliant smile lit his face. "Jasper!"

He turned around fully, his arms immediately slipping around my waist as he kissed me enthusiastically. The moment he had me in his arms and his lips were on mine, that off-feeling I had been having all night fell away, and I kissed him back.

I pulled away with a satisfied hum, smiling. My eyes were on his as I said in a low voice, "Hey..."

Edward chuckled softly. "Hey, yourself."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Kate and I decided to go out tonight..."

He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to - I saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes before he pushed it away again and smiled. It took a few seconds to register that he had mentioned Kate. I glanced to my left and saw her standing there, watching us closely - cautiously.

Oh boy...

I let go of Edward and stepped up to Kate to give her a brief hug. "Hey, Kate, good to see you again."

I did mean it, though I wished that - once again - it had been under better circumstances. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get it right when it came to his friends. She hugged me back, though, saying she was surprised to see me here.

As soon as I had stepped back from Kate, Edward was by my side again, his hand resting on my lower back as he smiled at me. I gave him a small grin.

"Yeah, my friends decided they wanted to go dancing...though, admittedly, we've yet to do much of that."

I looked at Edward, my head tilted slightly to the right as my teeth worried my bottom lip. Was I ready for him to meet everyone? Then again, was I ready to let go of him and go back to my friends, knowing he was here...and happy to see me - and truthfully, I him? Now that he was so close to me, the things I had been stressing about didn't seem to be so important, though they were still there in the back of my mind. It was as if just his presence had pushed those monstrous thoughts and feelings into the small recesses of my mind, whereas before, they had been allowed to roam free. I didn't know what it was that caused that, but I did know that - for right now, at least - I couldn't let it go.

He cocked an eyebrow at me in silent question as I continued to stare during my musings. I blinked, shaking my head slightly to rid myself of my thoughts, and smiled at him as I grabbed his hand.

"Come, join us? I...I'd like you to meet the guys."

If I thought his smile at seeing me had been brilliant, it was nothing compared to the one beaming at me now as he nodded. I kissed him briefly, needing to have the contact to steel myself. I glanced over at Kate. "You, too."

She nodded and smiled, though I noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes. I sighed and walked back to our table with Edward in hand and Kate following after us. When the guys came into view, they were all staring at us - staring at me. I raised an eyebrow in challenge, and Ben seemed to snap out of it before the other two did.

Just as we got to the table, Ben got up and fetched a couple of stools. I pulled Edward into my side, grinning at him.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet Mike and Eric. You've already met Ben."

I pointed out each man, giving Eric a pointed look as I introduced each of them to Edward and Kate. After everyone had shaken hands and the usual greetings were out of the way, we all took a seat. Edward stayed close to me, some part of our bodies in constant contact - and it felt good. It was both comforting and comfortable, and it surprised me a little at just how natural it felt to have him here.

Mike kept shooting furtive glances our way, but whenever I tried to find out what was going on with him, he'd just shake his head and take a drink of his beer before diverting his attention to the conversations around us.

We sat and talked for a while, and the guys were giving Edward a few highlights of some of the things we had been up to over the years - or, more to the point, they dished some of the dirt they had on me. I needed to remember to 'thank' them for that later. For the time being, though, we had fun, and the longer we sat together, the more relaxed I felt.

Eric started telling Edward about the time we had been playing baseball and I accidentally hit Mike in the head with the ball because I had been too distracted by one of the guys on the other team. He made sure to clarify my "distraction," and then he gave him an appraising look and said, "I'm glad to see Jasper's taste in men has improved since then, though. The other guy wasn't nearly as attractive."

And then he winked at him. Edward threw his head back, laughing as he said, "Thanks, I guess?"

He leaned in and kissed me as he squeezed my hand. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I muttered against his lips, "Don't mind Eric; he's just jealous."

Edward chuckled but didn't say anything, instead turning his attention to Mike and answering a question about his book. I had missed what Mike asked, but I listened to Edward as he explained what it was about - even though I already knew.

After a while, Eric was fidgeting, and I could tell he was itching to get on the dance floor. Finally, he asked Kate for a dance, and they went off together. We watched them for a little bit before resuming our conversation. Edward asked Ben how Bella was doing, saying that he had enjoyed spending time with her, which earned me a kick in the shin from Mike as well as his signature "what the fuck" look.

Before I could respond, though, Kate and Eric returned to the table. Kate took her seat again, but Eric asked Edward if he'd like to dance. I glared at Eric, who ignored me, grinning as Edward stood up with a "Sure."

Edward kissed me tenderly, saying, "I'll be right back, baby."

I tried to say something, but I got cut off by Kate as she asked me about the drawing I had made of Edward and Bella. This, in turn, caused Ben to ask about it, as I had forgotten to mention it to him. I tried to answer, to focus on them, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of Edward. When Eric started dancing a little too closely to him for my liking, I growled, got up, and stalked over to them.

Edward was once again dancing with his back to me, but this time I put my hands on his hips, pulling him close to mine. I glowered at Eric as I kissed Edward's neck and said, "Mind if I cut in?"

Eric - smug bastard that he is - grinned, took Edward's hand, and brought it to his lips with a wink. "Thanks for the dance, Edward. I'll leave you two to it."

Another low growl rumbled in my chest at the gesture, and if it had been anyone other than Eric, I would have likely decked him. As it was, I knew he was doing it to give me a hard time, so I tried to shake it off.

Eric was forgotten as soon as Edward pressed into me and began to dance again. All that mattered was moving with him, holding him, touching him. We spent the next several songs on the dance floor until we both needed a break, as well as a drink.

When we got back to the table, Kate and Mike were leaned into each other, talking. I wasn't sure what was up with that, but chose to ignore it. Seeing we were low on drinks, Edward went to order another round for everybody. He told me to just stay put when I tried to go with him, saying he was going to the restroom right after placing the order. That didn't exactly make me want to stay at the table, but I figured it would be better to hang out.

Once Edward was out of earshot, Eric leaned in and said, "Jesus, Jasper...you weren't kidding about him being fucking gorgeous... If you two don't make it, think I can have his number? 'Cause...damn!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, as I hissed out a low, "Eric!" For years it had been a long-standing joke between us that we would give the guy's number to the other if we ever broke up with him. Except, this time, it wasn't funny to me. Eric just gave me a knowing smirk, his eyes cutting to Mike as he sat back in his seat.

Edward sat down next to me shortly after our drinks were brought to our table, completely unaware of what had transpired. We sat and talked for a little while again, just relaxing and hanging out. It was nice to see both Edward and Kate fit in so well with my friends, and every time I looked at Edward, I did so with a smile - I couldn't help myself.

Kate stood up and walked over to me. She grabbed my hand, tugging at it lightly. "Come on, you - dance with me."

To say I was a little surprised by her request - if you could call it that - would be an understatement. I glanced at Edward, who was watching us with an amused look on his face as he nodded. I shook my head with a soft chuckle as I got up.

"Alright, l

et's dance."

She led me to the middle of the dance floor and immediately began moving to the beat. She was very graceful, and - if I had been into women - a sight to behold, something which was attested to by the stares she was getting from the guys around us. As we danced, I tried to just focus on Kate and the music, but my eyes kept being drawn back to Edward.

Eric had taken my seat next to him, and they were talking animatedly about something, and Eric was leaning in close. I frowned at the sight, but Kate's hand slapping me on the upper arm brought me back to what I was doing. She stepped closer to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, and my arms automatically went around her waist.

Her eyes were on mine as she said, "You should know by now that he has eyes only for you, Jasper."

I sighed, my eyes closing for a moment as I nodded. She sighed as well. "He really likes you, you know..."

I smiled at her. She seemed to be a lot more relaxed now than when we had first run into each other tonight, which I was glad for. My voice was more soft spoken than I intended when I said, "Yeah, I really like him, too."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that."

We grinned at each other then and continued to dance for another song before returning to the table. Instead of taking a seat - since Eric was still in mine - I went to stand behind Edward, slipping my arms around his waist as I leaned into him and kissed his neck.

His hand reached back, and he tangled his fingers in my hair as he said, "Hey, baby. You two have fun out there?"

I hummed my assent, nuzzling his neck as I gave a contented sigh. As much as I had enjoyed spending time with everyone, right then all I wanted was to just be alone with Edward. I murmured, "Come dance with me again, beautiful?"

The music had changed to something a little slower, and the thought of having him in my arms was too appealing to resist. Edward turned his head and kissed me lightly on the lips before getting up and following me to the dance floor. It was heaven to be there, swaying back and forth as we held each other close, exchanging slow and tender kisses every now and then.
The song was over much too soon to my liking. We stood there, neither of us willing to move, to leave our embrace, when Kate showed up next to us, her phone held to her chest.

"Hey, Edward, I'm so sorry, but I have to go...Garrett called and he needs me, so..." Her eyes flickered to mine briefly before she looked back at Edward again. "Are you going to be alright?"

He frowned at her, and I wondered what was going on, but when he smiled and nodded, I figured whatever it was couldn't have been too important.

"Sure, Katie-bug, I'll be fine. Tell Garrett I said hi."

He let go of me then and hugged her tight, whispering something in her ear. He seemed to twitch and suddenly Kate gave a short squeal and a giggle. She surprised me by giving me a tight hug, too, and kissing my cheek. She wished us both a good night and disppeared.

I looked at Edward. "What was that all about?"

He shook his head with a fond grin, his eyes lingering on where she'd gone before turning to look at me. "It's nothing...just Kate being Kate."

"Oookay...?"

He put his hands on my hips, pulling me close for a kiss, and murmured, "Don't worry about it,
baby."

I sighed, kissing him deeply as I wrapped my arms around him. I didn't want to stay here anymore - I wanted to have him to myself.

Edward tilted his head a little, deepening our kiss for a moment before pulling away with a soft hum. I rested my forehead against his as I looked at him.

"It's getting late..."

"Mhmm..." He gave a sad-sounding sigh as he tilted his head to our table, though he kept his eyes on mine. He sounded hesitant as he asked whether I needed to go back to my friends. I looked over my shoulder and saw the guys talking and laughing, paying us absolutely no mind at all. I turned back to him, frowning a little.

"Would it be alright if we went back to your place?" I asked.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, pulling away slightly as he did. I started to worry that he didn't want to spend more time with me, that I'd screwed up. "Please, Edward?"

I had spoken so low that I wasn't sure he had even heard me over the music. A slow smile stretched across his lips when he nodded, and I couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped me.

Since we didn't have any things at the table, we left, only stopping by my car to grab my jacket. I'd had too much to drink to even contemplate driving, so we took a cab to his place after Edward assured me he would pick me up and give me a ride to fetch my car the next day.

We barely made it through Edward's front door before he was on me, kissing me feverishly as he pressed me against it. I fumbled behind me to lock it before slipping my fingers through his belt loops and holding him close, returning his kiss with equal measure. When his lips left mine to move to my jaw, I moaned, my hands tightening into fists on his hips as I whispered, "Take me upstairs...please..."

"Fuck," was his breathless answer.

I chuckled, my head falling back against the door as his mouth moved to the hollow of my throat. "That's the general idea," I murmured.

He growled, bucking his hips against mine as his lips attacked my skin. He kissed and licked my neck hungrily, mumbling, "Taste so fucking good..." before he suddenly pulled away and turned around. He grabbed my hand and started down the hall, taking the left turn onto the stairs.

As quickly as his lips had left mine, they were back again. He shoved me against the door frame, kissing me hard before he was gone again, half-dragging me up the stairs. At my quiet laugh, he glanced over his shoulder and smirked at me. "Sorry...can't help myself..."

He climbed the stairs, my gaze focused entirely on his ass as it moved just in front of me, and I reached out, rubbing him gently before I squeezed. "Know the feeling."

We finally made it to his room, stumbling and kissing along the way, and I could taste beer and tequila on his tongue when his lips parted mine at his bedside. His curtains were open, and I could just see him in the moonlight streaming through the glass doors of his balcony. He was...breathtaking. I felt sort of grandiose and ridiculous even thinking it, but the silvery light brought out the curve of his full lips and the hints of gold in his eyes - eyes that were watching me intently, filled with longing and hunger and that unnameable emotion I kept seeing there.

"You're beautiful," I said softly, and he gave me his crooked smile.

"Not compared to you," he answered in the same hushed tone. "Come here, please."

I took the two steps necessary to reach him, and his hands went to my collar, carefully removing my tie before sliding down to begin unbuttoning my shirt as his head tilted and his lips met mine. I began unfastening his jeans, and he groaned when my fingers brushed against his hard-on. My hands sped as my desire grew - I just wanted those goddamn pants off of him now. I needed him naked. I needed him under me. I needed to hear him call out my name when I made him cum.

He pushed my shirt down my arms, and one-by-one our pieces of clothing fell to the floor until, finally, we tumbled into his bed, a mass of tangled limbs on the sheets as we rolled and kissed, pulled and tugged. First he was on top of me, and then my body was pressing his into the mattress before he somehow hovered over me again. Our lips never stilled, our breath panting and needy between us.

He bit my bottom lip hard with a grunt as he thrust his hips against mine. He flipped us once more, his arms tight around my waist as I was pulled with him. My thighs settled between his, and I began thrusting at once - I couldn't help myself. He was so fucking warm and hard and mine.

I gave an audible gasp at the last thought, my head popping up as I wondered what the fuck I was thinking. Edward didn't give me a chance to really think anything through, though. His fingers tangled in my hair as he pulled my lips back to his, and every coherent thought I had was chased away when he breathed, "For the love of all that's holy...fuck me now, Jasper...please..."

I smiled at the sound of his voice, hoarse and husky already, and I decided not to worry about any of that shit just then. With one more kiss, I shifted away, having to move over a couple of feet to reach his nightstand. He was in the middle of his bed, flat on his back with his legs spread, and when I glanced back at him, I couldn't help but moan when I saw the way he was stroking himself. He was watching me, his eyes roaming all over my body, and I decided to tease him a little.

I leaned down on my elbows with my ass in the air, and I felt the way the mattress jumped faster in response. I bit back my grin as I opened the drawer, letting my knees spread as I lowered myself.

"Holy fuck..." His breathing grew more ragged, and I could hear his hand speed.

Why the hell are you wasting time?

The thought was a kick in the ass when I realized that instead of fucking Edward, I was just making him wish I was...which was all well and good, but I needed some goddamn release, too, and from the sounds of his panting and whimpering, he was getting awfully close. I grabbed the lube and then felt around, pulling out a box. I was surprised when it was unopened and ripped it in my haste, cursing when the stupid little packages proved hard to pull out. I finally managed to extricate them and ripped one off with my teeth, letting the rest fall back onto the nightstand.

"Not planning to cum without me, are you?" I whispered as I settled back beside him. He swallowed, shaking his head as his eyes met mine and his hand slowed.

"God, no..." He broke off when his hand on the back of my head crashed my lips to his. His other hand went to my hip as he tried to drag me on top of him. I chuckled against his lips and sat up on my heels, taking a moment to enjoy the sight of him stretched out before me. The moonlight bathed his abdomen, highlighting the rippled muscles by flooding the valleys in shadow. His tip was glistening, drawing my eye to his hard, straight length as his hands kneaded my thighs. I felt his eyes on me, so I lifted my head and met his gaze. We stared at each other in silence for a moment, some sort of communication that I couldn't verbalize - even in my head - but that I felt deep in my soul passing between us.

I licked my lips, keeping my eyes on him as I reached over and picked up the condom. I saw his lips twitch when he heard the package rip, and he sat up, supporting his weight on one arm as his other hand stroked me. We kissed again, his stubble roughing up my lips as I brushed his hands away and rolled on the condom without ever breaking our kiss. His hand left me, and he sat up straighter as he opened the bottle of lube, pouring some into his palm. He coated my length and then pulled back slightly, whispering, "I'm ready for you, baby..."

He lay down, pressing his lubed palm against his cock as he rubbed slowly, his eyes roaming my body. Despite what he said, I wasn't taking any chances, so after pouring lube into my own palm, I reached between his legs, circling his entrance with my middle finger before I slipped it in. I fucking loved the way his eyes closed and he made that little noise when he inhaled. I had grown addicted to it, craving the sounds he made whenever we were in bed.

His knees lifted, his heels pressing into the mattress, and he began to shift his hips back and forth as I stretched him, adding another finger. My left hand was on his knee, my own eyes closing as I focused on the way he tightened around my hand. I let my imagination wander, bringing me images of my cock buried in Edward, my hips thrusting against his, and it was a relief when he whispered again, begging me to take him.

Within moments, I was thrusting deeply into Edward, his body stretching to accept me. His hands roamed my back, reaching up to grasp my shoulders before they drifted down to squeeze my ass. His hips lifted and dropped, rocking with the motion of mine, and our voices whispered quiet words of desire between our kisses.

Being with Edward was a kind of heaven I'd never known before. I was so focused on making him feel good, on being the reason he whimpered and moaned, but he was equally as determined to bring me to bliss. The result was a unique union where we each tried to please the other, bringing us both to heights I'd never attained.

So together, our bodies writhed and sweated, our hips rocking while our lips danced, and when he cried out my name with his release spilling across his chest, a smile was on my face at seeing his abandon. I leaned down, kissing him with all the passion I felt warming my chest. He was breathing heavily, his lips having trouble responding, and I laughed softly, feeling light-hearted and happy despite the fact that I was still craving my own relief.

What the hell is going on...?

My eyes were wide in wonder, but I didn't question it, just kissing him as he came down from his high. He smiled against my lips, and it wasn't until his hips began writhing on the mattress that I moved again.

"Let me see you, baby...come on..." he was murmuring under his breath, his lips exploring my face and throat as his hands pressed on the small of my back. His hips met me thrust for thrust, and I sped up, concentrating on how tight he was around me and how goddamn good he felt.

His head ducked lower, his lips closing around my nipple as he tugged at my piercing. The tip of his tongue teased my sensitive skin, and his legs wrapped around my hips, his heels pressing into my thighs. His hands were gripping my back, his fingertips digging into my skin, and I could feel myself, right there on the edge. I held onto that feeling as long as I could, but in the end, my will power was no match for Edward's masterful lips and the way he gave himself to me so completely.

"God...Edward!" His name left my lips as a grunting, breathless moan as my hips rocked, and I soared to those heights that only he had ever been able to show me.

His lips scattered kisses across my chest, moving to my shoulders as he pulled me closer, holding me in his arms. He kissed my neck, and his lips brushed my ear as he whispered, "I know, baby..."

I wanted to ask him what he knew, but I felt too damn good. Free and fluid, like fucking Jell-O as I collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily. His fingers lightly scratched my back as his lips continued to kiss along my neck and jaw. When he reached my chin, I shifted, kissing him soundly until I had to pull away.

When I could move again, I rolled onto my side, but he just rolled with me. We shifted and adjusted, ending up with his head balanced on my arm, which was stretched out in front of me. My hand was on his hip, my thumb rubbing lazy circles as we kissed tenderly. His arm was around my waist, and when he broke our kiss, he settled in, squirming slightly until he was more comfortable before giving a content sigh.

We lay like that for several minutes before my mind began to clear and my skin to cool from the drying mess we'd made. I kissed Edward's forehead, squeezing his hip and then rolling over. I got rid of the condom, dropping it into the trashcan by his bed, and flopped onto my back again. I knew I should get up and go get a wash cloth to clean us up, but I didn't want to move just then. I wanted to stay there, lying beside Edward, and just enjoy our little post-coital bliss.

I reached out, meaning to guide his head to my shoulder, but he lifted up onto his elbow and leaned over me. He grumbled, muttering under his breath as he stretched further, his stomach cold against mine as he reached for something on the floor.

"Motherfucker!" His curse was barely audible, and it made me laugh. I laughed even more when I saw the way it jostled him, and when he straightened back up, he glanced at me with an amused grin. I smiled stupidly back at him.

"You're cute," he said simply, and handed me a baby wipe.

As he rolled onto his back and began cleaning his chest, I blinked before doing the same. "Fucking genius..." I mused.

He laughed as he cleaned himself up while I did the same. When we were finished, I tossed both wipes into the trash and stretched out on my back again, moving his pillow so that it was a little more comfortable. He lay right beside me, resting his head on my shoulder as his hand traced patterns on my chest. My fingers tangled in his hair as I yawned, my eyes watering as the long day - and even longer week - came crashing down on me.

"I missed you." My words were a surprise to me, even though I'd felt that way enough all week. With my fatigue came the realization that staying away from Edward was hard. It wore me out, like trying to swim against a riptide, and now that I was safely back on the shore, so to speak, I felt exhausted and...happy. Grateful, even. I turned my face, kissing his forehead as I felt the moisture and tasted the sweat beaded there. "I was really glad to see you there tonight," I admitted honestly.

"Really?" Edward's doubtful voice made me frown, and I lifted my head to try to get a look at his face. All I could see was the ridge of his brow and the tip of his nose and chin, though, and he didn't look up at me.

I shook him lightly, and finally his gaze met mine. He seemed sad, and I felt hollow as I knew at once that I was the reason.

I couldn't make myself say it, though - couldn't make myself admit that I'd been pulling away this week. I wasn't sure I could explain why. Even though I had very solid reasons that I still felt...it somehow didn't seem the same trying to say them to Edward. How could I tell him I was worried he was going to take over my life...and then abandon me?

I couldn't.

And when I didn't answer, I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. His eyes were searching mine as he said, "I sort of got the feeling you wanted to...be away from me for a while."

He tried so goddamn hard to hide the hurt in his eyes and disguise it in his voice, but it was all I could see, all I could hear. "I'm sorry," I said before I could think of anything else. It was true. I was sorry that I'd upset him - that was the last thing I ever wanted to do.

"I love being around you..." I felt a weird little fluttering in my stomach, and my chest was tight, and it seemed like I meant something different than what I was saying. Edward just watched me quietly, but his hand slipped down my chest and came to rest at my waist as he pulled me a little closer. "I just...I needed to spend some time with my friends. I hadn't really seen them since Labor Day, and..." I trailed off, swallowing as I realized I couldn't say anything else. It was too much, too close to all the things I just couldn't get out. Things I wasn't even sure of.

Instead, I kissed him, a gentle pressing of my lips to his. He sighed softly, but his lips parted mine, and the meeting of our tongues helped soothe some of the anxiety I felt. I didn't know what I expected, really, but I was on edge, worried that he would tell me that it just wasn't enough, that he needed more - more than I was ready to give.

He didn't.

When I rolled onto my side to face him, his hand moved up my back to tangle in my hair as our kiss deepened. His knee slipped between mine, and I pulled him closer, our bodies flush as I tried to let him know all the things I couldn't say.

We parted at last, and he seemed more relaxed in my arms. I was so fucking tired, both physically and mentally, and I knew it was getting very late.

I should leave now, before I fall asleep.

But...I didn't want to. I was comfortable and warm, and the thought of getting dressed and calling a cab was nearly fucking torturous. I didn't want to go across town and ride the elevator to my floor just so I could unlock my apartment and climb into bed all alone.

In truth, it was the "alone" part that bothered me. As much as I really didn't want to crawl out of Edward's bed, the truth was that it wasn't clothes or the cab or the elevator that bothered me. It was the fact that he wouldn't be there.

I cleared my throat. I hadn't even realized that I'd been rubbing Edward's back until my hand - and my whole body - grew still. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ear where it pressed into the pillow, and that nervous fluttering was back. "Hey..." I whispered, waiting until I heard him hum in response. "Umm...do you think...I mean...uhh..." I sighed and rolled my eyes at myself.

Not that fucking hard, dickhead.

"Is it alright if I stay here tonight?" I said the words in a rush, afraid that if I didn't, I'd stall and stutter like an idiot and maybe even change my mind.

His head lifted, and I watched his brilliant smile as it spread on his lips. His eyes, barely visible in the moonlight, flitted between mine. "Of course you can," was his simple answer.

I could feel happiness radiating off of him, and it was contagious. I smiled back as we stared at each other for a minute, and then his lips were on mine again, and he was climbing on top of me, his weight delicious as it settled on top of me .

"Please stay..." he whispered.

All I could do was nod...and kiss him.

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Chapter 12 ~ Chapter 14

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