Chapter 51

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Chapter 51: Love is all that I need

Jasper led me to the side of the bed, where he pulled me into his embrace again and continued our kiss. I felt his hands slipping under the hem of my tee shirt and riding up over the heated skin of my back, pushing the shirt upwards.

"Take this off," he encouraged, waiting for me impatiently to raise my arms so he could pull it off. I found his urgency highly arousing, yet something about the pace also made me uneasy. I wanted him badly, of course, but I'd hoped our first time together we would slow things down and take our time. I wanted to show him exactly how much being with him meant to me, and that required time.

To try to slow things down, I deliberately kept my arms down as his hands roamed my chest, taking a quick look around the room instead. My eyes rested on my bag and I instantly recognized this was one source of my discomfort. It wouldn't do for us to strip, tumble into bed and go who knows how far how fast, only to have to interrupt in order to get the supplies we so carelessly forgot to bring with us to Stehekin. I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him, deliberately taking my time.

"Hold that thought a sec, Baby. I need to get the condoms and lube."

The instant the words were out of my mouth I felt him stiffen.

"Jas?" I asked uncertainly.

Instead of reassuring me, he pulled his hands from under my shirt and pulled back, a shadow crossing his face that definitely wasn't there before. I frowned with concern. Just as it had in my hotel room in Chicago, the atmosphere shifted, and I had no idea why. I wondered if perhaps he was angry with me for the interruption.

"Jas, you know how badly I want you, and I wouldn't stop this for anything else, but we do need..."

"Yeah, no, I know," he mumbled, taking a step back. It wasn't my imagination. The temperature in the room, or at least between us, had definitely dropped.

"What's wrong?" I stepped up to him and tried to look into his eyes only to see him deliberately look away, a frown etching his face. I shivered. This was not what was supposed to happen once we got into the room. Just a few moments ago he had been so eager, and now he seemed to have completely changed his mind.

"Jas, talk to me, please. What did I do?"

His head whipped back in my direction, his expression strickened. "No, Edward. It's not you, it's me."

I cringed, the trite phrase deflating what was left of my optimism. After everything that happened since June, and especially over the last day and a half, was it all going to come down to a clichéd dismissal? Everything in the room felt suspended. Even my heart, which had just readied itself for a sprint, was now beating slowly, painfully.

"It doesn't really matter if it's you or me," I said heavily. "Won't you just tell me what happened?"

My voice was full of resignation. I knew he heard it too by the regret that covered his face before he sat down on the bed and buried his head in his hands. He suddenly looked very vulnerable, and my concern for him overrode any instinct to brood and lick my newly opened wounds. I sat down beside him and put my arm around him, pulling him into my chest, hoping he wouldn't resist. I was relieved when he released his head and leaned against me heavily, wrapping his arms around me tightly and clinging to me like a drowning man would to a piece of driftwood. I added my second arm to the first, surrounding his body in my protective embrace, running my hands over his back to soothe his obvious tension.

"It doesn't matter if it's good or bad. You can tell me anything. Just please don't keep me in the dark this time. I swear, if you want to leave again, to go back to New York, I won't try to stop you. Just tell me why?" I pleaded, and I didn't care if that made me feel as vulnerable as he looked. I hated saying the words, hated acknowledging out loud that he might be re-considering everything, but it had to be done. I couldn't handle another silent departure without any explanation. At least if he told me what made him change his mind, it would be some sort of closure.

His head moved back and forth against my chest in a silent denial. I didn't know what it meant and I didn't want to have to guess.

"Please talk to me?" I requested in a small voice. "Don't make me have to imagine the worst or hear it second hand from someone else."

"I don't want to leave," he finally said. "It's the last thing I want to do. But you deserve someone better than me."

I couldn't believe I was hearing this. The statement was patently ridiculous. No one on the planet could possibly be better for me than he was. Of course, I knew this was yet another one of those things that people said without really meaning it, a pointless effort to make the one being left behind feel better, but in this case it didn't sound like a trite brush off. It sounded like he really believed it.

"Jas..." I began to protest, only to be immediately interrupted.

"I've been through therapy, counseling and support groups. I spent a ton of time by myself trying to sort everything out. I really thought that I'd gotten through everything that happened six years ago, past it. I managed to convince myself I was strong. Seeing you at Seth's wedding almost derailed it all, which was terrifying, but then we talked and it got better. The more we talked the better it got. And then you told me you loved me," he choked up and had to pause. I kissed the top of his head to comfort both him and myself. I wished I knew where this was going.

"I do love you, Jas," I reminded and reassured him, without knowing which was more necessary. "I love you more than anyone or anything."

"How can you," he pulled back and finally looked at me, his beautiful eyes glossy but challenging. "How can you feel that way about someone who falls apart at hearing a stupid word? A stupid, meaningless word."

"What word?" I asked, frantically trying to play back everything I'd said since coming into the room. It wasn't much, and yet I couldn't figure it out. I latched on to the only thing I knew had caused problems before. "Jas, is this about the condoms? I know we'd talked about that this morning, but if we need to talk more, we can and will. As much and for as long as you need. And if you'd rather wait to do anything that would require us to use them, you know that's fine too. I would never push you to do anything you weren't ready for. I just thought...You seemed to want to..."

He pressed his head into my chest again and shook his head back and forth in denial.

"I did want to. Do want to. It's not the condom. It's... Baby," he paused.

"Yeah?" I asked when he didn't continue. "You can tell me, Jas. What is it?"

He burrowed deeper into my chest. "God, I feel so stupid," he said, his voice muffled.

"You're not stupid," I denied vehemently. "Whatever it is, just tell me," I begged.

I felt as much as heard him inhale deeply, then he shifted back again, though this time he didn't look at me, keeping his eyes trained on the bed instead.

"It's the word "baby," he spoke quietly. "I know it's stupid. It's just a word. It means nothing," he paused and then chuckled mirthlessly. "Though I guess that's the whole problem."

Once again I searched my brain for clues as to why a word as simple and common as "baby" had the ability to send us into a tailspin. At first I found nothing, compounding my confusion and frustration. Then I remembered Jasper's reaction to Seth calling him Honey when Emmett first brought him to my apartment after Jasper left James.

"Was it something he used to call you?" I asked tentatively. "Someone else?" I tried again when I received a negative shake to my first question.

"Not someone else. You," he whispered.

"Me?" I was incredulous. I searched my memories again. Baby wasn't a word I would have ever used with a friend, even one as good as Jasper. I only ever called someone that when I...

"Did I call you Baby that night, Jas? And it reminds you of what happened? Is that it? If it is, I'm sorry. So sorry. I just didn't remember."

"That's not it," he denied. "Not exactly. You did call me Baby that night, and it does remind me of what happened, but that's not quite all of it," He was still looking down, so I couldn't quite see his expression.

"I don't understand," I said, trying hard to keep my frustration out of my voice. "I get that you're trying to tell me something, but I'm missing it. Jas, please, I'm not good at guessing this kind of stuff. I'm different than I was before, but that only means that now I know when I need to go to Seth or Emmett to help me figure things out, not that I can always do it myself."

He glanced up at me in surprise. Our eyes locked and I desperately hoped he wouldn't look away again. Seeing his face, being able to read him, was so important. Once again, he surprised me. Instead of looking away, he slowly leaned in closer and kissed me. I let him take the lead, responding only when I felt his soft lips moving against mine. It was a slow and gentle kiss, and neither one of us tried to make it more than what it was. In fact, I had to fight hard against the instinct to close my eyes so I could fully enjoy the sweetness, afraid if I did he might pull back and look away once more.

He did break the kiss, but not before he put his hand up to my cheek. I let my eyebrow lift ever so slightly to let him know I was curious about his reaction, but that I wasn't going to question it or him. He smiled. It was a small smile, but already it made him seem so much happier and more relaxed, I began to relax myself.

"I love what you said," he explained. "I love that you know when you can't do something yourself and are willing to go to someone else for advice. And I love that you had the patience to ask me to explain instead of being annoyed with me or assuming you knew what I meant when I was too cryptic."

"Yeah?" I couldn't keep back a smile. I figured him telling me things he loved about me couldn't be a bad thing.

"Yeah," he confirmed, then his face clouded again. "Calling me baby would have been fine, except that's what you called everyone you ever slept with. All those girls who didn't mean a thing to you - you called them all baby. And I just... I felt like just another piece of tail, another person you fucked because I was convenient. I know you probably didn't mean it that way. It was just a habit for you, I'm sure."

"It was a habit," I confirmed. "I guess it still is, even though these days..."

"You don't have to explain, Edward. I told you, it's not you, it's me. I'm the one with an irrational reaction to a harmless word."

"And I told you that distinction is irrelevant. And your reaction isn't irrational."

I grabbed him and pulled him to me, holding him closely, my lips hovering near his ear. "I get it Jas," I whispered, "And I never, ever want to make you feel anything other than special, unique and loved, because that's exactly what you are to me. How could you not be, when you know me better than I know myself?"

He turned his head and pressed his lips to my neck. "I used to know you really well," he said. "Now that you've changed as much as you have, there's a lot I'm going to have to learn. But that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to it."

"Well, unfortunately some things apparently haven't changed. Until you mentioned it, I didn't even realize that I used that word in that way. But that's another thing that will change, Jas. You'll never hear that from me again, I promise!"

We shifted our heads again, our lips connecting in another lingering, loving kiss.

"It's okay, Edward. It's okay if you say it. We both know a lifetime habit is hard to change. Now that we've talked, I'll be able to handle it better."

"All right. That's good, just in case I slip," I decided not to bother arguing with him, even though I knew I would not be slipping in the future.

"Jesus, I wish I had handled it better from the start. I'm sorry, Edward," he said sadly.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Jas," I protested.

"I wanted so badly to get here and get us in this bed so we could finally be together, and instead I had to go and ruin it all."

"No, Jas, what are you talking about? Nothing's ruined. We're still here. The bed's not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere. We've got all evening and all night. We don't even have to leave the room to eat if you don't want to."

He looked at me from beneath his lashes. He seemed hopeful, but not entirely convinced.

"But it won't be the hot and heavy, gotta do it as soon as we hit the mattress kind of thing. I mean, I definitely ruined the mood."

"Stop!" I ordered and leaned in to kiss him, hard. I could see a flash of surprise in his eyes, but no sign of protest. I shoved my tongue into his mouth and plundered its depths, drawing out a low moan. I knew I had done the right thing when I felt both of his hands move to the back of my head and neck, pulling me forward to make sure I didn't break the kiss. He began to slide his tongue over mine, causing me to moan, the sound almost lost inside him. I continued kissing him hard until I felt his hands relax, allowing me to pull back. Both of us were breathing hard and I found I enjoyed the chorus of heavy panting.

"You didn't ruin anything, Jas. If anything, you saved the mood. Just think what might have happened if you hadn't said anything and I'd kept using the word you hated and turning you off without having a clue how or why. That would have ruined the mood for both of us. I'm so glad you said something when you did. I love you!" I told him earnestly. "Which means that there is no wrong time for you to tell me if something's bothering you. And I think we just showed that it doesn't take us long to get back to that hot and heavy, gotta do it as soon as we hit the mattress kind of thing," I teased, lifting his chin with a couple of fingers of my right hand so I could look into his eyes, making sure that the smile appearing on his face reached all the way up.

He ran his hands up my stomach and chest to rest them on my pecs, squeezing lightly. "Thanks, Edward. I love you too," he said, holding my gaze captive with his beautiful blue eyes. "More and more every minute!" He smiled again and then pressed the side of his face against my chest between his hands. "Now you better get your ass to that bag and get the stuff we need to do what we've been waiting to do since the moment I stepped off that plane in Seattle," he growled, surprising the hell out of me and shocking me into action.

I got up obediently to retrieve the lube and condoms from my bag. While I was up, I also headed to the bathroom to grab a towel and a couple of washcloths, moistening one of them. Ideally it would be warm when we needed to use it, but I figured being able to stay in bed when we were done offset the less than perfect temperature. For a second I remembered the baby wipe warmer the girls had for Liam and Owen's comfort when the boys were still in diapers, and I wondered if, once Owen was completely trained, they might let me take it off their hands. The thought made me giggle.

I returned to the room, where Jasper had already taken off his hiking boots and socks and was sitting in the center of the bed, resting against the headboard.

"What's so funny?" he asked, arching a brow.

"Nothing," I shook my head. "Just a stupid random thought, not worth repeating."

I deposited everything I was carrying on the nightstand and leaned down to untie my own boots. I pulled them off along with my socks and crawled up on the bed to sit next to him.

"This is a great room," he commented. "Beautiful mountain view, refreshment center, fireplace, our very own in-room hot tub," he ticked off the features as he looked around.

I reached up to capture his face in my hands to make him look directly at me. "Really? I hadn't noticed. I can only see the man I love, the man I've waited too long to have back in my life."

I watched his expression melt as I leaned in to kiss him. He met me halfway, our lips meeting sweetly. We didn't rush the long, languid, romantic kisses - they simply felt too good. We held each other and let our hands roam our bodies over the fabric of our shirts and shorts. Neither of us felt compelled to push for more, content to go with the gentle flow, knowing the intensity would eventually build all on its own. As eager as I was to feel his skin against mine again and to finally make love to him, I also enjoyed this relaxed rhythm. It was almost as if I could feel our love flowing between us like spring mountain snow melt, finding its natural path through a riverbed, beginning with a trickle before picking up speed and strength until it turned into whitewater rapids.

Eventually, without even realizing what or how it happened, I found myself on my back with Jasper hovering over me. He curled his hands around my biceps for support, dipping his head to kiss my face and neck.

"You're so strong," he murmured, squeezing my biceps for emphasis. "Even stronger than you were in high school, I think. I love it. So hot!"

He lifted his head to take a good look at me, head to toe. I smiled when he dropped his head to look back between his arms, his hair brushing over my shirt.

"I hike a lot," I explained, "and I have some machines at home. I try to keep in shape."

"I'd say, a very fine shape," he confirmed in a seductive purr and lowered his lips to mine again, this time for a harder, more passionate kiss. He lowered the rest of his body over me as well, and undulated his pelvis against mine. I wanted to answer, but my mouth was much too busy entertaining his tongue. I figured this was a far better use of it, and melted into his kisses.

With his hands still wrapped around my biceps, my mobility was limited, so I did the only thing I could, bending my arms to grasp his hips in my hands. Limiting his movement for a moment, I answered with rocking of my own. Even with our shorts between us, I could feel we were both hard and ready. I slowly moved my erection back and forth against his, our mutual groans muffled by our deep kisses. I released his hips and moved my hands to his back, slipping them inside his waistband and spreading them out over his ass cheeks to push him even harder into my body, below. He had the most perfect ass. His cheeks were smooth, hot and firm and exactly the right curvature to give him a delicious bubble butt that wasn't in any way feminine. I felt his well-developed glutes clench and unclench as he alternated hip rotations with thrusts, and I couldn't resist curling my fingers to dig into the all too tempting flesh. The resulting grunt and feverish tongue tangle let me know my instincts were on target.

Emboldened, I moved my hands to spread his cheeks, letting the fingers of my right hand venture inward. I felt the soft hairs inside his crack and couldn't help smiling, imagining my tongue traveling the same path. I paused when I reached his entrance, gently moving my finger over the ribbed skin, only barely touching him. I felt him pulling back from our kiss, sucking my lower lip into his mouth before he released completely.

"I want you," he said, staring straight into my eyes, his tone serious and heavy with desire.

"I want you too," I replied, "but I don't want to rush this. I'm going to love you more thoroughly today than you've ever been loved."

He closed his eyes and a small whine escaped his lips. I pulled my hands out of his shorts and inserted them under his shirt, pushing up as far as I was able.

"Off," I commanded softly.

He moved his legs first to straddle me, then sat up and lifted his arms, letting me push the shirt up and over his head. I tossed the garment to the floor and stared up at him. He wasn't muscular, but he was fit and firm, and he had a perfect body that I could not wait to taste, inch by delectable inch. Suddenly inspired, I reached up to grab his torso and, in one smooth motion, flipped us so that I was on top, lying between his widespread legs.

"Oomph," the movement forced air out of his lungs, but his smile told me he didn't mind. His muted, "Yeah," just confirmed what I already knew.

I hovered above him for a few seconds, taking him in, then lowered my head. I knew he expected me to kiss him, but I had other ideas. My tongue's sensory receptors had been denied for too long, and were now determined to get their fill. Teasingly, I pretended to aim for his mouth, only changing direction at the last moment and swiping my tongue broadly over his cheek. His shiver below me was pronounced enough for me to feel it.

"Mm," I murmured appreciatively. "You taste delicious. I want so much more."

"Yes!" he acquiesced with quiet enthusiasm. Encouraged, I began to lave his face. I covered his cheeks, tracing the cheekbones up to the corners of his eyes. I washed my tongue over the eyelids that fluttered closed at my approach. The tip of my tongue traveled down his nose, over his lips and down the nearly imperceptible cleft in his chin. I flattened my tongue out again as I rasped my tongue over the scruff covering the lower half of his face.

"Edward," he moaned softly, turning his face to direct me to places I might have missed, or ones where he wanted more attention.

Eventually I moved down to his neck, which arched beautifully as he threw his head back to give me better access. I tried not to slobber as I circled and lapped at his Adam's apple. Not an easy task, considering tasting him was actually making my mouth water.

My tongue continued its journey lower still, carefully covering his collar bones and shoulders. I lapped down the sides of his torso, regretful that deodorant made it impractical to explore his pits. I paid particular attention to his nipples, circling and flicking the tip of my tongue against the tightly constricted nubs. His sighs and cries of pleasure, together with his writhing beneath me, were driving me insane. I had shifted low enough now that I was grinding into the duvet. He was frantically rocking himself into my stomach, and I could feel the wetness from his leaking cock saturating the fabric of his shorts. I hated wasting any drop of him, but I consoled myself with the thought that soon I would be low enough to lick up every additional drop his body had to offer. But not yet.

I used my tongue to trace along each one of his ribs, then licked my way over his toned abs to the tops of his hip bones, which peeked teasingly out of his low-riding shorts. I nuzzled both hips, one at a time, and as far down each side of the v-crease they created as was possible with his shorts still on. Thwarted by the fabric waistband, I licked across the top of the barrier towards the center of his flat stomach, where my tongue swirled through the trail of hair leading up to his belly button. I showered the indentation with a liberal dose of my attention before retracing my path back down to the fastener keeping up his shorts and keeping me from the rest of my prize.

"I seem to have encountered a roadblock," I mused, looking up at him with a falsely innocent expression. "I guess I'll just have to skip this area and seek exposed skin further down."

"Don't you dare!" he threatened, reaching down to unbutton his shorts.

"That's enough now," I said when he had pushed the button through, capturing his wrists and moving his hands to his sides, holding each one loosely captive with mine. I lowered my head and caught the zipper tab with my teeth, tugging downward. When the zipper was fully undone, I parted the flaps with my nose and returned my lips to his hip bones, my tongue completing its travels down each one until it rested where the v-crease met his inner thigh.

With my hands restraining his, he was reduced to squirming beneath me in an attempt to angle his body to direct my tongue. I lifted my head and looked up into his heavily lidded eyes.

"Please!" he moaned, bucking his hips beneath me. Despite the open shorts flaps, his fully erect dick was still partially trapped by the garment down his left leg.

"Patience, Jas," I chided. "There's no need to rush."

"It's not fair," he complained. I frowned a little.

"What's not fair?"

"Slowly driving me insane like this while you remain completely clothed and untouched."

"You want me to take something off?" I teased, the tip of my tongue tracing as much of the base of his cock as I could reach without releasing him from the confines of his shorts.

"Ugh! I want you to take it all off and then come up here and let me taste you."

"Hmm," I considered for a moment. I had planned to be extremely thorough with my tongue bath, but I knew by the hardness and wetness I felt against my chest that he was very turned on, and it was probably a good idea to give him a break. I decided to do just that, right after I got rid of his shorts. "Fair enough, but you have to wait just a little longer," I explained as a released his wrists so I could grasp the shorts and tug downward.

Understanding my intent, he lifted his hips to make my work easier, sighing in relief when his dick was finally freed. I slipped the shorts down his legs, tearing them off and tossing them aside, but the entire time my eyes were trained on his gorgeous hard leaking cock. My tongue tingled in anticipation of the taste of his precum, and I wasted no time dipping me head and running the full flat breadth of my tongue from the base up the sensitive underside and then all around the head of that beautiful organ. Without using my lips, I teased his frenulum with just the very tip of my tongue before running it through his weeping slit.

"You taste so good," I crooned.

"Please, suck me," he whined, moving his hips in an attempt to push his cock into my mouth.

"Not yet," I said, lifting my head. "I thought you wanted to taste me?"

I could see the indecision on his face.

"I do, but..."

"I'm not going to suck you yet, but if you want me to keep licking..." I dipped my head and slid my tongue along his length to further demonstrate my offer. He hissed and closed his eyes, but then opened them right back up.

"No!" he protested. "You're driving me crazy with that tongue, and I need to taste you."

"You're saying I should get naked?" I asked to confirm, licking him again, deliberately drawing out the teasing.

"God, yes, and right now! Unless you really hate the clothes you're wearing and don't mind me ripping them off you."

I pushed myself up and got to my knees, crawling over to his side. He was now leaning back on his elbows, watching me with pure lust in his eyes. I reached for the hem of my shirt and started to pull up.

"Let me," he requested, pushing himself to a sitting position. "But first," he finished his thought by leaning forward and kissing me deeply as he pulled up my shirt with both hands. I lifted my arms and we only separated to let the garment pass between us on its way to the floor.

He put both hands on my shoulders and pushed me onto my back, immediately following. I didn't try to resist - turnabout was fair play and I was eager to experience his brand of teasing.

"I'm not as patient as you are," he warned right before lowering his head to my chest to gently nip one of my nipples. His left hand immediately dipped down to my shorts. He quickly and expertly pushed the button through the hole and pulled down the zipper. "I'm not patient at all," he reiterated, moving to the other side of my chest while inserting his hand into my shorts and firmly grasping my hardness.

"I've always loved the way you fit in my hand," he offered, stroking me so that my skin moved over my shaft.

I closed my eyes and threw my head back, arching my body into his touch. "Your hand always felt like home," I said, sounding a little drowsy, intoxicated with pleasure of feeling those long, slightly coarse fingers around me again. "I belong in it." I stated affirmatively.

"That's one of the places you belong," he concurred. "I can think of a couple more," he pointed out, kissing his way down my chest to my stomach. I opened my eyes again and lifted my head slightly to watch.

"The Jasper trifecta," I said with a smile. "I like that."

"Yeah?" he questioned as he released me to pull off my shorts. I aided as much as I could, feeling his hot breath just above my erection. He looked up at me with a wickedly suggestive smirk, his tongue sneaking out to travel along his upper lip. "Hand, mouth, ass for the win!" he proclaimed with an eyebrow wag, before swallowing down my cock. It was too erotic not to watch as inch after inch disappeared into his mouth and throat until his nose was pressed against my trimmed pubes. He held me there, tightly encased in his throat, for as long as he could before he had to pull back to take a breath. I felt the air move as he inhaled deeply through his nose, his contented hum reverberating around me before he sank down again.

"Oh, God," I groaned when he pulled back up and I felt him massaging me with his tongue.

His lips slid up my length slowly until he could wrap his hand around the base and stroke me as he released me. "Welcome home, Edward," he whispered while simultaneously completely pulling the foreskin off my head with a downward stroke before swirling his tongue around the circumference and swiping it broadly over the top.

"Fuck," I let out a half-groan-half-sigh as he returned to licking and sucking my engorged dick. The muscles in my neck were starting to tense from holding my head up off the mattress, but I just couldn't stop watching. It was a mesmerizing sight: Jasper lying between my legs, his blond waves covering my left thigh, an expression of eager concentration on his face as he lavished my hard-on with ardent attention. It was, by far, the most beautiful, most erotic thing I've ever seen. Better than any dream or fantasy.

He went about his task meticulously, stroking, tugging, teasing, kissing, licking and sucking my cock and balls slowly, yet so thoroughly, it was a miracle I didn't come. Thankfully, each time he brought me to the brink he eased up in his ministrations even more just in time to keep me from going over the edge. I loved how well he could read my body, but after the second time I decided that regardless of how good it felt, it was unwise to keep pressing our luck. A blow job from Jasper, especially one as thorough and enjoyable as this one, would never be a consolation prize, but on this day it was also not the goal, for either of us. Which was why, with the greatest of reluctance, I slid my hand into his hair and tugged to get his attention. He opened his eyes and looked up at me questioningly as he continued to gently suck my left nut while massaging the right with his hand.

"You've got me too close, Jas," my dry throat made my voice raspy, a quality he apparently enjoyed, judging by the almost dreamy expression that came over his face. "Unless you want this to be the end of the road for now, you'd better let me take care of you for a while."

He released my nut from his mouth, his lips forming first into a pout, then a smile. "It's a tough choice," he said, pretending to contemplate his options. "I would very much love to finish what I started, but then I have been waiting much too long to feel you moving inside me."

He narrowed his eyes as if trying to decide what to do, all the while running his lightly calloused fingertips over my scrotum. I held my breath, both in anticipation of this answer and because what he was doing was once more starting to feel too damn good. "Yes, we definitely need to complete the trifecta today," he finally said with a wink.

We both sat up and exchanged another series of deep sensual kisses. I couldn't get enough of him, wrapping my hands around his neck and stroking his cheeks with my thumbs as I delved as far as I could into the recesses of his mouth. I was painfully hard and was so tempted to push him back, hook his ankles over my shoulders and fuck him into the mattress, especially since I knew with reasonable certainty that he wouldn't object, but the kisses felt too good to rush through. I kept devouring him, leaving my left hand on his neck and face while I moved my right first all over his upper body, and then down to wrap loosely around his erection and stroke him ever so slowly, until in the end he was the one who tipped back, pulling me down with him.

"Time to get back to business," he said suggestively. I understood and agreed, quickly moving to the foot of the bed and between his legs. I grabbed both of his ankles and pushed them back, first to bend his knees and then further until his body was folded and his balls and opening were invitingly on display. Instead of diving in to feast on the most obvious morsels, I turned my head to the side and placed a loving kiss on the top of his right foot. He squirmed beneath me impatiently.

"For the love of all that's holy, Edward, if you start licking my feet, so help me..."

I chuckled. "Where should I start then, huh?" I questioned, moving up a little. "Your knees?" I emphasized with a lick of first one kneecap, then the other as I waited for his answer.

"You know where. Higher!" he growled with obvious frustration, which amused me to no end.

"Okay, higher. Your thighs?" I licked broadly over his toned but not overly muscular thighs.

"Edward!" there was still admonition in his voice, but much less than before.

"Or did you mean higher still?" I asked, pushing his legs back so that his butt lifted off the mattress and I could dip down to lave his balls with my tongue.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed. "Right there!"

"Mm, I absolutely agree," I conceded, then pulled one of his testicles into my mouth, sucking gently while massaging it with my tongue. I then switched, using my fingers to continue fondling the just released egg. I listened to his contented sighs and watched him move his head from side to side, his face radiating with pleasure. It wasn't much longer before I decided to up the ante and abandon his balls for the ultimate prize located directly beneath. I lowered my chest to the mattress and used my hands to part his ass cheeks even more, revealing the beautiful ring of dark rose colored, puckered flesh.

"Or perhaps you were wrong and you'd like me to be a little lower after all?" I purred as I swept my tongue up one side of his crack and down the other, avoiding the tempting center.

"Yess!" his hiss was both a plea and command. I didn't quibble, just ran the tip of my tongue directly up his crack, circling the rosebud opening when I got there. He yelped and pushed his ass up higher, but I ignored the silent request, using my lips and tongue to tease the surrounding area without breaching him. I ignored his protesting whines, knowing what I was doing felt good, even if it fell short of what he wanted. Finally I pulled back completely and rose to my knees. The move was unexpected enough for him to still and look up at me with surprise and confusion. Without answering the question in his eyes, I quickly pushed his legs closed and pushed them to the left, until he was nearly lying on his side, then grabbed his waist and push-pulled him over until he was lying on his stomach.

I ran my eye appreciatively over the blond waves on the back of his head, the smooth expanse of his back, the perfect mounds of his ass and the toned backs of his thighs, covered by barely visible fine blond hair. I moved to straddle those thighs while cupping his ass cheeks and squeezing them, as if checking for ripeness.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I breathed, genuinely awestruck.

He moved his arms up and folded them beneath his chin, then turned his head to look back at me. "See something you like?" he teased, lifting his hips slightly and flexing his glutes beneath my fingers.

I let him go, throwing my hands to rest on either side of him as I shifted forward to lie on top of him, supporting myself enough not to crush him.

"I see everything I like," I whispered into his ear. "I see someone I love," I added, then slipped my tongue in for a quick lick. In this position my cock was pressed right into the crease between his cheeks, and I began to rock my hips involuntarily.

"That's it, Edward," he encouraged. "Just get me ready. I need you inside me."

I moved my head over enough to kiss him deeply, then slid down his body. "Just a little bit longer," I announced "I need to do this right, Jas. I need to make you feel as special as you are."

Just as I had with his front, I licked his entire back, starting with the shoulders, then moving down to the shoulder blades that protruded slightly from beneath his soft skin like retracted angel's wings. I licked the breadth of his lower back, slurping at the two dimpled indentations above his ass. I dragged my nose up the valley of his spine and kissed and licked every individual vertebrae on the way back down. I licked and nibbled his cheeks, allowing him to pull up his legs and get on his knees. With his head still resting on his folded arms, he presented a stunningly tempting sight.

I leaned down, parted his cheeks again and returned my tongue to his opening. I circled the rim a few times, but this time I didn't stop there, pushing the tip inside him instead. He gasped and I held still, neither pulling out nor pushing further in, waiting for him to adjust and direct me. Only when I heard his "More!" did I press forward, wiggling my tongue back and forth as much as I could within the tight confines of his tunnel. I withdrew then breached him again, plunging my tongue in as far as I could. He shifted his body to push back against my face, while at the same time reaching back with his hand to grasp his cock. I grabbed his hand before it reached its goal, earning a protesting mewl, and replaced it on the mattress. I smiled when I felt the mattress vibrate as he hit it whimpering, "Yes! Yes!"

I continued to tongue fuck him, but stuck my finger inside my mouth at the corner to slick it up as well. The next time he cried out for more I withdrew my tongue and pressed my finger inside him instead. His surprised "Oh!" was quickly drowned with another grunt and another push back, this time against my hand, in an attempt to force deeper penetration.

"You're not being patient, Jas," I chastised with a chuckle, pulling my hand and finger back.

"Fuck patience," he panted. "I need you, Edward. Please, stretch me, lube me up and let's go. You're driving me out of my mind."

"Let me get the lube," I said, giving in. The truth was I needed to be inside him as much as he seemed to need me. I leaned over to reach for the lube, but he beat me to it, stretching his arm and tossing back the bottle, the box of condoms and the towels.

I grabbed the towel and opened it up. He helped me get it into place by lifting his knees so I could position it properly. I noticed with slight embarrassment that I should have thought of it much sooner, since it appeared both Jasper and I had already leaked some precum onto the duvet, but it was too little too late for those kinds of regrets. As soon as the towel was down, I grabbed the lube and poured some into my hand, spreading it over my fingers and moving my hand to drip the remainder directly onto his hole. He flinched a little as the first few cool drops hit his most sensitive skin, but then pressed back against as I used my thumb to spread the thick fluid around his opening and to push the excess inside him. Without having to be asked, I slowly inserted my well-lubricated middle finger inside him. He was completely relaxed and I encountered no resistance, so I began to thrust faster and deeper, spreading the lubricant all around his warm, soft tunnel. He hummed encouragingly until I reached and brushed against his prostate, when his hand quickly shot back and grasped my wrist.

"Another day, Edward. I'm too wound up right now," he explained briefly, and needed to say no more. My own dick was so painfully engorged, I genuinely worried that once it was enveloped in his heat, I wouldn't last long enough to satisfy him. I'd never had a problem with premature ejaculation before, but I'd never been quite this turned on either. I was determined, though, to make this good for him, even if I had to make love with my hand wrapped tightly around my cock to prevent a too sudden orgasm.

With his prostate off limits, I decided it was more than time to finish his preparation, and began to fuck him with two fingers. It took less than a minute for him to adjust to the extra girth, and soon I was thrusting into him rhythmically. Normally I would have stopped there, but this time I wasn't going to take any chances. I needed to make damn sure he was ready, so I leaned down and lightly bit his right cheek as I added another finger. He accepted the extra digit with ease, but became clearly agitated.

"Edward, don't take this the wrong way, but if you don't stick that hot, hard cock of yours inside me, and I mean right fuckin' now, I'm just gonna fuckin' tackle you and ride you myself," he growled threateningly.

I paused with my fingers inside him, suddenly wondering if he really wanted to take control of the sex this time. But his words were more a warning than a demand, and I remembered what he said last night about being attracted to men who took charge. Those two things convinced me he wanted me to lead. And fuck if I wasn't ready to take that lead.

I pulled my fingers out of him and reached for the box of condoms, ripping a package off the strip inside. I quickly tore the package open and expertly slipped the condom over my throbbing cock. I grabbed the lube and poured more out into my hand, then gave myself several strokes to ensure thorough coating. I leaned forward and landed on top of him, once again pressing my cock between his cheeks.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Jas?" I made my voice sound rough, though my question was serious. "You want me inside you?"

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely," he breathed. "Take me, Tiger."

I wasn't sure what it was about his invocation of the wild predator, but it send a powerful surge of desire through me to prove him right, this time knowing that he was ready and willing and knew exactly what he was asking for. Still lying flat on top of him, I reached down to part his cheeks and lined up the head of my cock with his opening. I pressed my hips down and forward, and felt my head slipping into his body's tight embrace. And then I stopped.

I wanted this. More than anything I wanted to be inside him, to give him everything that he wanted and needed from me, but I didn't want it this way, with me behind him unable to see his face, unable to kiss him or witness his pleasure. I gripped his ass tightly even as he tried to wriggle up against me, whining in complaint, and pulled out, rolling to his side.

"Edward?" he looked at me, concerned.

"I want to see you," I explained simply. "I need to look into your eyes."

He understood and immediately flipped over onto his back, pulling his legs up and hooking his knees behind his elbows. I moved into position and lined up again. Then I pressed, slowly and deliberately, until my entire head slipped in past the gating muscle, tightly gripped by his incredible heat. Being inside him was everything I remembered, and everything I fantasized and imagined since the last time I experienced it. It was even more incredible, in fact, because this time I could see my own wonderment and amazement reflected in his face and in his eyes. I watched him breathing as deeply as I was, both of us getting used to the sensations - him to the penetrating fullness and me to the clutching tightness. I waited for his signal. When his smile widened and his head nodded forward, I started to move.

I went slowly and carefully at first, not just because I wanted to make sure he was used to me and not in any pain, but also because any faster pace would certainly have had me shooting my load in a few dozen thrusts. I was beyond turned on, and having my cock enveloped inside him was better than I ever could have hoped. For a long time now I'd been aware that making love felt better than just sex, but I was surprised at just how much better this was than any sexual experience I'd ever had before. Exponentially better. Hell, it was immeasurably better. I realized it was mushy even as I was thinking it, but gazing into the depths of his blue eyes as I moved in and out, progressively sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of his body, I really felt like I was finally home. And what made it extra special was that I felt completely welcome.

Jasper and I barely blinked and we didn't look away from each other as inch after inch of my hard as steel dick disappeared inside him with every thrust until, finally, I was fully encased in his velvet-soft sheath. I remained completely still inside him as I leaned forward over him, balancing just above him. Lowering my face to his, I plundered his mouth with my eager tongue. He let go of his legs, brought both his hands to my head and ran his fingers through my hair and over my sides and back as we kissed, my cock throbbing within him and his between us.

"You feel so good, Edward," he said tenderly when we finally broke the kiss. "So good. It's beyond words."

"I'm glad, Jas. That's exactly how I want you to feel. I feel the same way. Sharing this with you is the best, most incredible experience of my life," I extolled. "I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, dreaming of being with you the way we always should have been, that I'm still not quite sure I can believe this is real."

He smiled softly and ran his hand over my face before returning it to the back of my head. "It's real, Edward," he sighed, pulling my head back down. "It's beautifully real." We exchanged another meaningful kiss, but when I looked into his eyes as we broke apart, I saw more than love there. I saw determination. "And now I need you to make it even more real and take me, Edward. I'm yours body and soul. Take me the way only you can," he insisted.

I knew his readiness and need was as urgent as my own, but as I lifted up and sat back I couldn't help teasing him a little more. I pulled all the way out of him and held my dick with one hand so that he could see it, while wrapping my other hand around his erection and slowly stroking its length.

"You want me to fuck you?" I asked. He nodded frantically, his eyes shining with excitement. "You want me to plunge inside you, hard and deep, over and over, until you cry out my name as you come?" I continued to question, this time more urgently. He nodded again. "Tell me!" I ordered.

"I want you, Edward. I want you to fuck me so hard I won't be able to remember my own name!"

Never, not even in my wildest fantasies, did I ever imagine him asking for this. The mere idea of it was almost enough to make me come. But if this was what he wanted, I sure as fuck would deliver.

I lined my cock at his hole again and pushed inside him. This time, we didn't need as much time to adjust. We were both accustomed to each other, so I could pull out nearly entirely and then thrust back into him fully, which I did, repeatedly. It felt fucking amazing, all the more because I could clearly see he loved it. This time we didn't try to maintain eye contact, so I watched as he threw his head back and closed his eyes, an expression of pure bliss on his face as I pumped in and out of him with long, deep, steady thrusts.

"Fuck, fuck," he nearly chanted. "Fuuuck," he cried out when I finally angled the right way to brush past his pleasure center. "Oh God, Edward, Tiger, right there!" he cried. "More! Exactly like that."

I increased the pace, instructing him to hold back one of his legs as I leaned against the other. I turned my head and kissed and licked his calf as I rocked my hips faster and faster. I saw him reaching for his cock, but I beat him to it, taking it into my still slick hand and stroking in time with my thrusts. I felt beads of perspiration forming on my forehead and others slipping down my spine. In my head I kept repeating a mantra. "Jas comes first. Jas comes first." Even with that, I felt my concentration and control slipping. My movements became more erratic and I wondered just how much longer I could hold out. I jerked him faster and saw that his skin was also glistening with a sheen of sweat. He placed his free hand on top of the one I had resting on the mattress for support. Since leaning against his thigh gave me all the leverage I needed, I lifted my hand and clasped it with his, our fingers intertwined.

"I can't wait, Edward," he suddenly whined, moving his head side to side. "I'm sorry, I just can't. It’s too good."

"Don't hold back, Jas. Come! Show me what I do to you," I urged as I stroked him faster. I felt his dick harden in my hand and knew the explosion was imminent as he tightened his hold on my other hand.

"AAAH!" he screamed his release. The jets of cum flew out of his cock onto his chest until he looked like a Jackson Pollack masterpiece painted on a human canvas. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily and he looked so fucking decadent and beautiful.

I slowed down, but kept stroking him through his orgasm, though I knew I was just about there as well. The contractions of his ass around my cock were almost too much to withstand. Sweat began to flow down my face as I did everything I could to stave off my own climax so I could watch his. Then the sight of him coming became too erotic, and I had to close my eyes, internally chanting the mantra that had already been realized. I felt him peel my hand off his dick and clasp that one with his as well.

"Edward, let me feel you come," his panted request was my undoing. I was clearly still hitting his prostate. "Come in me, Edward!" Jasper pleaded and I had no choice. I thrust hard and deep into him and cried out as my cock began to spasm.

I continued pumping my hips, though only just, filling the condom with spurt after spurt of jizz. Making love to him was such an extraordinary experience. I didn't remember ever being so completely spent and at the same time so fulfilled.

I gave him an exhausted but wide smile, before I untwined my hand from his and wiped the sweat off my forehead with my forearm. I freed the other hand and, after placing both hands on either side of him for support, I fell forward to kiss him again. This time when he put his hands behind my head and neck, he used them to lift himself up off the mattress to meet my kiss halfway. He attacked my lips, slipping his tongue sensuously into my mouth. I became his willing captive for a long, elation filled moment.

"That was fantastic," he told me between kisses. "You're an amazing lover. No one has ever taken that much time and care with me before. You drove me crazy, but it was so worth it. I love you so much!"

I was breathing heavily, tired and drained, having just experienced the most intense orgasm of my life, but hearing him say those things almost made me want to start all over again. I was bursting with emotions: love, yes, and satisfaction, but also pride and a good dose of relief. I did it! I finally made love to my Jasper, and in a way that no one ever had before. Maybe we didn't come at the same time and maybe I didn't make him come without even touching him, but I made him feel special and loved, and that was most important. Plus it left room for improvement.

"I love you too, Jas," I told him earnestly. "More than I could ever say or even show. I've been waiting for so long, and being here with you now makes me the happiest man alive. All I ever wanted was to be with you, and it's all I'll ever want. You and me together. Always."

I dipped my head to his chest and ran my tongue along one of the cooling jets of spunk, licking it up and swallowing, already familiar with his flavor from the previous evening. "Can't let something so precious go to waste," I said with a smile when I looked up.

He smiled back, playfully pushing back my hair. "I sure hope you're gonna share."

Instead of answering, I just dipped down to lick up some more and returned to his lips, where I promptly shared my bounty.

I felt myself softening and, much as I hated it, knew I needed to pull out. I reached down with my left hand to make sure the condom stayed on as I reluctantly broke our connection and lay down beside him. I stared at the filled latex balloon thinking that I should take it off and dispose of it, but I was having trouble mustering even the little energy it would take.

"Here, let me," he said, as if reading my mind. He reached for me and pulled the condom off, careful not to spill the contents. He tied it off, then leaned over me and placed a loving kiss on the head of my softening cock. "You did good, Tiger," he said softly, and I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or my penis. Either way, I liked it.

He sat up and looked for a trash can next to the bed. He sighed when he didn't find it, realizing it was across the room. "I'll be right back," he said, stood up, and walked to deposit the used rubber in the trash container next to the desk.

Lying back on the bed, I could certainly appreciate being able to watch him stroll across the room and back, naked. He was quite a sight to behold. He had an amazing body, and he carried himself with such ease and elegance that I could swear my cock began twitching again. But as much as I liked watching him, I still found myself wanting to speed up time to get to a point when we no longer needed to use prophylactics that required us to separate too soon, Like we just had. I longed for a time when we could stay joined together for as long as was possible, until I could just slip out of him naturally without any worry or thought about the consequences. I knew, though, that this was important, and that we'd have to put up with the annoyance and inconvenience, at least in the short term. Being with him was completely worth all that and it was, after all, a small price to pay for keeping him safe. Especially when, as I reminded myself soberly, there were guys out there like Brad and Troy, who would never again have the pleasure and luxury of foregoing the use of condoms with their chosen partners. In that light, a few months was really nothing compared to the lifetime I hoped we'd have together.

Jasper came back to bed and pulled down the bedding on his side before tugging on the towel that was still beneath me. With a resigned sigh I lifted my butt so he could yank it out, then reached for the moistened washcloth I'd placed earlier on the nightstand, offering it to Jasper. He wiped off his chest and both of our cocks before drying us off with the larger towel and throwing both to the floor.

"You're tired, Edward. How about we get under the covers and take a nap?" he suggested as he reached for the lube and condoms and placed them on his nightstand.

"That sounds great," I concurred and pulled back the bedding on my side so I could crawl under and pull the covers up over me. He joined me from the other side. We naturally turned in the same direction and he scooted back against me even as I pulled him into my chest. Lying there with him all snuggled up together under the cool sheets felt extremely right. We were the perfect fit. And I felt the need to tell him.

"I love being able to hold you in my arms like this, Jas. I had no idea I could ever feel this good and this happy," I told him as I kissed his nape. "It's all because of you. Thank you."

He turned his head back, obviously seeking a kiss, which I was more than happy to deliver. "I've never been this happy or content either, Edward. I was always afraid to imagine us like this, but now I believe we were meant for each other. I believe that my family moved to Forks for a reason, so that you and I could meet, and that everything that happened since then happened so that we could come together again at this point in our lives, when we're finally ready. You know?"

"I know, and I very much agree," I said with conviction, though I couldn't stop the yawn that followed.

"Oh," he said quickly, "I should stop yapping and let you rest."

"Mm," I murmured drowsily, burrowing my nose into his hair. "I like when you yap."

When I next opened my eyes I found Jasper flipped over and staring right at me. I was still slightly groggy from the nap as he came into focus, but I felt my lips curl naturally into a happy smile.

"Hey," I croaked out and immediately cleared my dry throat.

"Hey yourself," he said softly and leaned in to kiss me.

"How long have you been awake? Why didn't you wake me?" I asked, raising my right hand to rub sleep from my eyes.

He ran his hand through my hair and brought it down to rest on my cheek. "Let's see. I woke up ten minutes ago, and I decided to let you sleep because you didn't get to nap on the boat and needed to rest. Plus I love watching you sleep. I always have. Only before I had to be careful not to let you see me do that. I figured now you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind at all," I confirmed. "As long as I can do the same. It's great, in fact."

"What's great?" he looked momentarily confused.

"Waking up next to you, your face the first thing I see when I open my eyes."

He smiled. "I agree. But then anything that involves being in bed with you sounds pretty great to me. I could be lying here with raging fever and as long as you were with me, I'd probably think that was fantastic."

I laughed and reached for him, pulling him into my chest.

"Once again, you make a very excellent point, Jas. Maybe we should just stay in this bed forever?"

He giggled. "That sounds good, but it would never work. If we're not back in time for the wedding, Seth will send out a search party."

I chuckled. "I'm kind of surprised he hasn't already. It's been over 2 days since we spoke with him. I bet he's dying to know what's going on, just squirming in Garrett's lap with impatience."

"I like Garrett," Jasper offered. "Nasir too. They're both good guys. I had fun hanging out with them in New York, though they probably don't remember much of that night."

"I'm afraid you may be right about not remembering much. You certainly managed to show them a good time, though it seems they paid for it the next day. And they are good guys," I confirmed. "Both Em and Seth got very lucky. Especially Seth. Garrett has the patience of a saint with him. He's completely devoted to Seth, but he's no pushover. He's earned Seth's respect like no one else except maybe Emmett. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do," Jasper nodded. "I noticed it when I spent time with them when they were both in New York in July. I think Seth realizes that Garrett loves him and cuts him a lot of slack, so when Garrett does draw a line, Seth knows it's with good reason. The two of them have a fascinating dynamic. I'm just thrilled that Seth found someone who suits him so well, and I think we maybe should take pity on Garrett."

"Pardon?" I was sure I'd missed something.

"Well, you said Seth must be squirming in Garrett's lap with impatience. I'm sure all that squirming must be having an effect on Garrett, and unless they're in a position to do something about it, it's gotta be getting pretty painful."

It took a moment for his words to set in and for me to give a hearty laugh.

"I'm pretty sure Garrett wouldn't mind holding a squirming Seth in his lap for an eternity, but for the sake of argument, just how would you alleviate this condition?"

"We should call him."

"Call Seth?" I considered. "I don't know, Jas. Once we open up those floodgates, we won't be able to close them again. He'll expect daily updates."

"I don't think so. He'll be too busy with the wedding preparations. In fact, this is probably a distraction for him, so we'd be doing Emmett and Nasir a favor by calling as well."

"I'm sure Seth is not letting our situation get in the way of planning the perfect wedding for Emmett," I protested, but frowned, considering the possibility despite my denial.

"We don't have to call," Jasper conceded, "But I kind of want to, Edward. I'm in love, I'm with the man I love, and I'm really fucking happy. And I think you feel the same. I'd like to share all that with our friends, and it might be better now than when we get back into town, when the focus really should be on Emmett and Nasir."

"First, of course I feel the same. I can't imagine ever being happier than I am right now. And second, you're right. We should let them know now so that when we get back to Seattle it won't be such a novelty - they'll know everything already. You remember, though, that there are no secrets from Seth, right?"

Jasper snuggled up close to me and sighed. "I know Seth will push for more information that anyone else, but I'm sure he'll know when to back off. Besides, if he really wants details of what went on this afternoon, I'd happily give him a play by play. Or, better yet, a re-enactment."

"Now you're talking!" I enthused, making him laugh again. I smiled and held him close, again thinking about how natural this felt, how there wasn't even a hint of unease or discomfort between us. I knew there were still more things to talk about and problems to overcome, chief among them the physical distance between us in our everyday lives, but in that moment I felt certain that we could talk through anything and overcome any problem. Nothing could get between us.

"Well, if we're going to re-enact stuff, I'd better get my laptop and set up a Skype video call. Though I suppose I should make sure Seth is home and available, first."

We continued to lie together, neither of us moving. "I hate to let you go," I finally confessed.

"I know. This is nice. But I'm not going anywhere," he pointed out. "And we'll have to let go sometime to go to the bathroom, eat..."

"Oh yeah," I said as my stomach grumbled at the suggestion of food. "We do need to eat. Should we go into Winthrop or to the restaurant here or order room service?"

"Room service, I think, if you don't mind. And we can call Seth while we wait."

Reluctantly I let him go, peeled back the covers and got out of bed. I looked around until I finally spotted my shorts and grabbed my cell phone out of the pocket. Then I went to my bag to retrieve my laptop. Finally I walked over to the desk and confirmed that the leather binder on top of it was the room service menu before I brought everything back to bed.

"See what appeals to you while I text Seth," I said, handing him the binder and sitting on the bed cross legged, phone in hand. He took the volume, but didn't open it as I typed.

"Hey, Seth, are you at home?"

The answer came back almost immediately.

"I am. Where are you? What's going on? Is everything OK?"

"We're in Winthrop. Everything's fine. We just thought we might Skype you, if you're near your computer."

"I'll get it up and running. When are you calling?"

"5 minutes?"

"See you in 5"

"He's home. I told him we'd call in five minutes. You haven't even looked at the menu, though? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he shook his head. "I'm just enjoying the view. It was too dark in the tent last night and we were too rushed this morning."

I laughed, but I was pretty pleased that he seemed as enthralled with me as I was with him. "Tell you what, let's order our food, call Seth, and then we can spend the rest of the evening ogling each other."

He leaned over to give me a quick peck. "Deal," he said and opened the menu so we could both look through it. A couple minutes later I called to place our order, adding a request for champagne and strawberries. I saw his arched brow, but before he could ask any questions I started to boot up my laptop and logged into Skype, noting that Seth was already on-line. Without knowing who might be at Seth's house, I pulled the covers back over my lap. Jasper scooted over so that we would both be in camera range and I clicked the button to connect with Seth's computer.

He answered immediately and appeared on the slightly fuzzy screen with Emmett by his side. Emmett was shirtless, while Seth wore a tan colored short-sleeved Henley with dark brown leather trim.

We exchanged greetings and I teased Emmett about him being over at Seth's house half-naked on a weeknight. "I know Nasir's in Seattle this week. Shouldn't you be with him right now? Or are you saving up energy for the wedding night?"

"Nasir and Garrett are out running an errand for my father-in-law," Seth chimed in. "And we're all going out to dinner when they get back."

"Okay, and the dress code for wherever you're going requires Em not to wear a shirt?" I teased further.

"I was just changing at my place when I got the order to come up here," Emmett grinned his dimpled smile. "And talking to you two is more important that looking for a shirt. Are you guys complaining?"

"No complaints at all," Jasper said and I felt a slight twinge of jealousy that was quickly replaced when he put his arm around me and leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Besides, we're both wearing less than you are, so we're in no position to complain."

"Aha!" Seth pounced. He tapped his chin with his finger and looked up to the ceiling. "Together in bed, naked, in the middle of the day. Emmy, what could they have been doing?" then he looked straight at the camera and asked point blank "So what exactly have you two been doing? Exactly. And in detail."

"It depends on your point of view, I suppose," Jasper mused. "Some would probably say we've been doing very bad things, but I'd say what we were doing was good," he quipped with a wink. "So very, very good!"

Emmett giggled and Seth pumped his fist.

"I knew it! I knew if we could only get you two to talk, you'd figure out the rest. So the trip's going well?"

"It's going great. A little unexpected, but great," I offered and instantly wanted to bite my tongue.

"Unexpected? Why?"

"We changed plans and decided to spend last night in Stehekin," Jasper explained. "So I'd have more time to see the place where Edward spent last summer."

"Stehekin," Seth wrinkled his nose. "Didn't you say that the lodge up there was really rustic, Edward?" I could hear in his tone of voice that he disapproved.

"The lodge is fine, though we didn't actually sleep there," Jasper kept going, unaware of the deep water he was dragging me into.

"No time for sleeping, huh guys? I know how that can be," Emmett said with a laugh.

"We slept a little," I admitted, realizing it was pointless to try to keep things from Seth. "Just not at the lodge. We camped out in a tent instead."

"What?" Seth was beside himself and lifted right up out of his chair. "Edward Cullen, do you mean to tell me that on your first night together after all those years apart you made Jasper sleep on the ground in the middle of some forest at the end of the planet?" he berated me as though Jasper was not sitting right beside me before sitting back down. Emmett grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back down.

"He didn't make me, Seth," Jasper giggled with amusement. "I wanted to camp. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I'd say it was," Seth huffed. "Edward, you know I love you, but I love Jasper too, and if I ever hear of you doing something like this to him again that will be the end of your lifetime."

I knew he wasn't being completely serious, but I cringed anyway.

"I don't know, Sweetie. I think you're not considering the entire situation. Remember our tents in the desert when we were in the Emirates? That was the middle of the wilderness and none of us were complaining. Making love in an isolated tent sounds so romantic to me. It was for us, remember? Especially since it was the first time in a long time for them. That is a once in a lifetime experience."

I sighed with relief, until I realized that Jasper was not gonna let that go. "Well, it would have been, had we not forgotten to bring condoms and lube."

"What?" Seth jumped out of his chair and stalked out of camera range, only to reappear second later. "Edward Cullen, what kind of a ranger are you? Aren't you supposed to be always prepared?"

"That's the boy scouts, Seth," I pointed out.

"Whatever," he waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Boy scouts! Evidently, a boy scout would be better at this! I can't believe you would forget something so basic, and so crucial."

"It was fine," Jasper had nearly doubled over with laughter at Seth's outraged reaction. "Really, Seth. It worked out well. There was still plenty we could do and we had time to talk. And once we arrived here we had more than enough of everything we needed. Truly, it was better this way."

Seth didn't look convinced, sitting in his chair with his arms crossed. Emmett, however, threw his arm around his best friend and leaned forward to partially block him out of sight.

"Don't listen to the little Diva, guys. The stress of planning the wedding may be getting to him and he's overly emotional. As long as you two are happy, that's all that matters. And you look damn happy to me."

"I am not overly emotional!" we heard but couldn't see the indignant Seth behind Emmett.

"We are really happy, Em," I told him, and then demonstrated by turning to Jasper and sharing what was probably too long and deep of a kiss, considering we had an audience. Not that they were complaining.

"And the trip is great," Jasper threw in, his breathing a little labored when we finally pulled apart. "The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. If you guys haven't been on the east side of the Cascades yet, you definitely should plan to come. It's like a different state," Jasper explained excitedly. It was my turn to lean over and give his cheek a kiss. I loved his enthusiasm.

Seth elbowed his way to the front of the camera again, apparently calmer, and we continued to talk, changing topics to the wedding plans, including some mysterious event he planned for Friday that called for bathing suits, and apparently would eventually require us to get naked. Seth made it absolutely clear that Jasper was included despite not being officially in the wedding party, and I was a little concerned, not sure how he'd respond. I breathe a sigh of relief when he made a quip about liking any reason to be naked with me, especially since I felt the same way, even if it meant putting up with some of Seth's crazy ideas. We only stopped talking when we heard the loud knock of the room service delivery. We said bye to our friends and I terminated the connection even as Jasper jumped out of bed to get dressed and open the door.

We quickly pulled on our shorts and greeted the bus boy who wheeled in a cart bearing the food we ordered as well as the strawberries and cooler with champagne. He set up the food on a table by the sliding doors which led out onto a balcony with a beautiful mountain vista.

"Will there be anything else?" he asked when he was done. He glanced around the room, spotting the bottle of lube on Jasper's nightstand, and blushed furiously. It might have been fun to tease him, but we were more eager to be alone, so I tipped him and we walked him to the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot," He stopped in the door frame abruptly. "I'm supposed to remind all the guests about the cowboy breakfast tomorrow. You can sign up by calling the front desk."

"Thanks, we'll think about it," I said.

"Have a pleasant evening," he offered, turned and left. I closed and locked the door behind him, then reached for Jasper's hand and together we walked back to the table, now filled with delicious smelling food. Jasper paused to look at the gas fireplace.

"Edward, since we didn't have a true camping experience, last night, with cooking outdoors and all, how about we turn on the fireplace and have a picnic in front of it? It would almost be like a campfire."

I thought it was a great idea and wished I'd thought of it myself. I grabbed the blanket that was folded up at the foot of the bed and unfurled it in front of the fireplace while Jasper turned it on according to provided instructions.

"Now about that ogling," I said, reaching for the button of my shorts.

"Great idea!" Jasper wasted no time taking off his shorts and I made quick work of undressing as well. Both completely naked, we somehow managed to move the food from the table to the blanket while hardly being able to take our eyes off each other. When all the food was transferred and we settled down on the blanket, it took quite a bit of time to kiss and caress enough to satisfy us before we could start eating.

The room service menu was more limited than the dining room, but we happily fed each other an array of appetizers and shared a salad and a sandwich, washing it all down with locally brewed beer. The gas fire wasn't quite as good as the real thing, but it was still romantic. After we ate and set the dishes aside, Jasper and I enjoyed lying in front of it on the blanket, cuddling. We both fell asleep again, tangled up in each other, but having made no plans for the evening, we didn't mind taking some time to rest.

"So what do you think about this breakfast tomorrow?" Jasper asked when we woke up together for the third time that day.

"I think horseback riding first thing in the morning sounds either brilliant or completely nuts, and I'm not sure which is more appropriate."

"It's been a long time since I've ridden. Not since we lived in Texas, and there it was only ponies when I was very small."

"Would you like to go?" I traced patterns on his chest with my fingers as we spoke.

"I think so," he said hesitantly. "I mean, I wouldn't go alone, but I'd go if you wanted to. It would be another one of those once in a lifetime things, and another first for us."

I had a feeling he wasn't entirely sold on the idea, but was curious and looked to me to make the decision. I also had a feeling we'd end up having fun.

"You convinced me. I like the idea of playing cowboy with you, even if it is just for breakfast. Let's try to make this an early night, though, so it's not quite as painful waking up tomorrow as it was today."

I got up to call the front desk to reserve spots for us at the breakfast ride, then suggested that we try out the hot tub. "We can leave the fire on, for ambiance," I said, "and relax a little before it's time for bed."

Jasper liked the idea and together we moved the champagne and strawberries to a side table next to the tub. The strawberries were hulled and attractively arranged on a platter, interspersed with thin white and dark chocolate wafers, surrounded a dipping bowl that was divided into two halves: one filled with a dark chocolate sauce and the other with whipped cream. I began to fill the tub and poured in a packet of the hotel provided lavender bubble bath when Jasper nodded enthusiastically after I asked him if he wanted bubbles. He, on the other hand, went back to the bed and retrieved the remaining condoms and lube.

"I'm being optimistic," he grinned as he placed them next to the strawberries and champagne.

"And I love that about you," I grinned back, grabbing his free hand to pull him towards me for a deep kiss that continued until a quick glance told me that it was time to turn off the water.

We stepped into the deep, oval, two-person, jetted tub, the water and bubbles rising until only our heads were visible above. I rested at one of the narrower ends of the oval and pulled Jasper back until he was sitting between my widespread legs and leaning back against my chest. With the hand that I had deliberately kept out of the soapy water, I reached for a strawberry, dipped it in first the chocolate and then cream, and brought it to his lips.

"Yum," he said after he took a bite and swallowed. "That's so decadent. You eat the rest," he directed. I popped the strawberry half into my mouth and reached for another.

In that manner we went through about half of the strawberries and some of the chocolate wafers. I then used both hands to reach for the champagne bottle and aimed it away from the tub as I worked to untie the wire cage. The cork popped impressively and the champagne flowed forth. I tried to direct it into the flutes but Jasper, who by then had moved to sit facing me, grabbed my hand and brought the bottle over his open mouth, laughing and catching much of the alcohol. I started laughing as well, and poured a good amount of the bubbling fluid into my mouth. I leaned over and grabbed him behind the neck with my once again free hand, pulled him forward and kissed him, simultaneously transferring some of the champagne into his mouth. He was momentarily startled, but then accepted the offering, swallowed and broke out into a huge grin.

"Now that's the way to drink champagne," he endorsed. "Let's never use glasses again!"

"At least not when it's just the two of us," I agreed.

We shared the rest of the bottle, eating more chocolate and strawberries in between. As we drank, ate and kissed, I could tell Jasper was growing progressively giddier. Finally, when I demonstrated that there was no more champagne to be had by tipping the empty bottle over the tub, he laughed a childlike laugh so full of joy that I couldn't help but join him. I set the bottle aside while he grabbed up a handful of bubbles and blew them over in my direction.

"This bubble bath makes me feel like I'm five years old again!" he exclaimed, clearly delighted. "I almost wish we had some toys - boats or divers or rubber ducks."

I glanced over on the tub ledge behind him and saw what he apparently failed to observe. I shifted in the water until I was lying on top of him, chest to chest, and reached behind him to retrieve a yellow rubber duck. "Your wish is my command," I said, bringing the duck around to show him, but he wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he wrapped his legs around my waist and slipped his hands in my hair, gently guiding my head so that our lips could meet in a romantic kiss.

"Thanks, but I found another toy I really want to play with," he murmured against my lips without fully breaking the kiss. He unwound one of his hands from my hair and slipped it between us to grasp my cock.

"I'm not sure that's an appropriate toy for little boys to play with," I teased.

"Fortunately for me, someone who can revert to a 5-year-old in a few seconds can return to his original age just as quickly, which now makes this toy entirely age appropriate."

"Well, in that case..." he didn't let me finish. We didn't talk much for the rest of our time in the tub that night, and I was glad Jasper had the forethought to bring over the condoms and lube.