Ghost Road - Chapter seven

[herumtreiber]

Title: Ghost Road
Chapter seven: The slow dance of desire
Author: herumtreiber 
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mention of possible trigger
Characters: Jacob/Edward, Rosalie, Esme, Jasper, Alice
Chapter length: ~5,938
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, not me. This is for fun, not profit. 
Summary: There's a slow dance of desire


Table of contents




Chapter six: The spirit quest

I stood at the threshold and my hand gripped tightly the doorknob as I peeked inside the guest room. The moon struck sparks out of the pearls of sweat on Jacob's neck and shoulders. He had thrown aside the sheets and was lying on his side, his brow clear as he slept dreamlessly. Bathed in the soft moonlight, he appeared ethereal, a vision of unsullied beauty I had no wish to spoil. It was the reason I didn't enter; I was afraid I would not be able to contain myself, and my hands would roam free through that smooth body which my cursed existence would inevitably taint.  

I read my sister's thoughts and turned towards the left. Alice gripped the door to my room.  She cocked her eyebrow at me and motioned inside. 'See what I've done with your room!'

Sighing in contemplation, I stuck my hands inside the pockets of my trousers, not without glancing back at the silhouette of the wolf. I walked towards my room and gazed inside.

Alice sat on the sofa which she had changed; it was upholstered in a cream fabric with a horrid-looking fringe. It looked as if she had dragged it out of the set of the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs. She smiled at me as she tugged the cuffs of her white silk blouse.

"Do you like it?" She pointed to the music shelves, where Jasper was quietly putting the plastic CD cases.

"Do I have to answer?" If my voice sounded resigned, Alice feigned she didn't notice.

"I changed your shelves too," she said with a trace of smugness. "Emmett and Jasper helped."

I had to shake my head at the garish and baroque style of the shelves. Gone was the clean, streamlined Scandinavian style I preferred. They were painted an obscene maroon. As I laid my palm on the shelf, it was easy to divine Alice's intent. She wanted to annoy me so I would get interested in music again.

The wolf didn't pry like my sister. Jake wouldn't prod me like this, just so I would compose again. He would either leave me be, or if he got it in his stubborn head to intervene, he'd do something outrageous.

"It's nice to see you smirk again," said Alice.

"Funny you should mention that," I said fondly. "Jacob said something very similar."

Alice sighed deeply. "The wolf is right, you know. I missed your smile." She stood up and grinned. "Talking about the wolf, I bought the nicest outfits for him!"

"You did?" I exchanged a look with Jasper, who shrugged in commiseration.

"Well, Esme went along. She had her own opinions." Alice walked to the shelf and stared at it. "She bought stuff for him too."

"That's nice of her." My eyes shying away from the shelves, I hoped my mother's common sense would suit the wolf better than Alice's flamboyant style.

She didn't answer immediately. Alice frowned when she noticed the way my eyes avoided her attempts at decoration.

 "Sorry you don't like the way I fixed your room. I was unable to see if you would."

Her words reminded me that with Jake in the house, she couldn't use her powers. I raised my eyebrows at her. "Do you miss not being able to predict the future?"

"I certainly do!" She smiled wryly. "But it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders, you know; that burden of being jerked in the middle of the day by a vision?"

I nodded because the ominous weight she mentioned was something I was very used to in my relationship with Bella.

Somehow, thinking about her did not sink me into deep sadness. I stared at the scant stars visible through the clouds outside the windows. "If Bella had followed our suggestions, she'd be alive."

"Now that you mention that, she made me despair about my visions!" Alice went to Jasper and hugged his waist, seeking the comfort his solid presence provided her.

"How so?" Jasper said, smiling at her.

"Visions of her eluded me." Alice explained, looking intently at Jasper and then turning to me. "I guess the baby, or something at any rate, interfered with my powers."

I nodded at that. I had wondered why Alice hadn't foreseen the way Bella ended.

Hugging herself, Alice looked down at the floor. "Bella wouldn't listen to any of us! Not even your advice about her and--" she motioned to the door, indicating the guest room where Jacob slept.

I grimaced when I remembered my suggestion to abort the fetus. I had urged Bella to have another baby, this time with Jacob. I was desperate as I watched her deteriorate daily; her sharp cheeks becoming as pronounced as a living skeleton. Grasping at straws, I had tried so hard to keep her alive!

I worried how Jacob would react when I told him. I didn't want to hurt him; this was another reason to stay away from him, to resist the lure of his innocence and warmth.

Jasper sensed my distress. He walked up to me and patted my shoulder. "Edward, I'm glad you're feeling better. I reckon I must tell you the reason I didn't use my powers…"

"… when I was feeling down?" I said, biting back a sigh at the thought of telling Jake, because I certainly would. My wolf deserved the whole truth.

"Exactly, Edward. Do not think I purposely left you to flounder. I used my empathy when you felt utmost despair, but I didn't want to…" Jasper trailed off as he walked to the shelf, idly picking a random CD. He passed it from his left hand to his right as he sought the way to frame his thoughts. "I could've made you feel giddy, Edward, but when I got tired and my powers waned…"

I nodded, realizing the point he wanted to make. "I would have felt worse. The abyss would have seemed deeper."

"We spoke of this at length." Alice walked up to Jasper and put her hand under his elbow, turning to smile at me. "Do you understand why you had to pull out of your despair naturally? Why I sought Jacob's help?"

I nodded at them. If my siblings spoke so freely of this matter, it hinted that they considered I was well on my way to healing. I lifted my eyebrow at Jasper, asking a silent question. He shrugged. "You feel better to me, like you were before."

Looking at the door and the guest room beyond it, I stuck my hands in my pockets and asked the question that was uppermost in my mind. "What about Jacob? Do you think he is out of the valley?"

"He's doin' better than when he came, that's for sure." Jasper smiled enigmatically. "It's funny, but you two feel as if you're in synch."

"They do? Dear, you haven't told me!" said Alice as she went to the shelves, examining them critically.

"It's like you two are…" Jasper made a sinuous movement with his hand. "How did the physics prof call it?"

His mind was fuzzy when he thought about that so I didn't get what he was talking about.  The mental picture of the wild-haired professor could only mean Mr. Wilkes in Alaska though, and I remembered him talking about the Fermi Paradox. "You mean synchronized waves?"

"Exactly. Your emotions gravitate towards each other." Jasper shrugged and walked to the door. "And when you two hit a peak? I just I take a walk in the woods." He cocked his eyebrow at Alice. "Comin', darling?"

She patted the shelf in resignation and walked to the door.

oOoOo

I grabbed a book and made my way to the sofa; I hoped literature would distract me from the enticing man who slept across the hall.  I opened the heavy tome, a mint edition of Wuthering Heights, and prepared to immerse myself in Brontë's work, hoping the sweeping prose would soothe me. I fingered the dog-eared book which was a favorite of Bella's. I hadn't understood why she considered it a love story; I thought it was full of hate. As I took a deep breath and fingered the pages, I reflected that maybe she was right. My own relationship with Jake had been full of distrust, which he had changed with a sweep of his hand. It wasn't ever hate that bound us, though. I wouldn't call on someone I hated to dispatch me from this world; it would be someone I trusted, a person I cared deeply about.

The hours passed away. I had grabbed a notebook as I tried to put down in writing what I would say to Jacob. I tried to explain how much I despaired at the time I made the suggestion about her pregnancy.

Between the book and my scribbling, I was so engrossed that I hardly noticed the light of dawn illuminating the room.

The warm thoughts of the wolf approaching the room alerted me to his presence. I hastily ripped the pages from the notebook and stuck them inside the book.

The door opened a bit as he knocked on the wood. "Edward?"

"Come in, Jacob."

He peered inside. "You're free?"

"Of course." I wondered if he felt ashamed of masturbating in the bathroom and that was why he was so uncharacteristically shy.

Jake strode into the room. He was clad on white Levi's 501 that hugged his slim, strong legs. He wore black and white Reeboks with the straps undone, and he had a beige t-shirt with a map of Washington State stamped across his bulging chest. When he turned to frown at the shelves I saw him in silhouette. The way the light-colored clothes clung to his russet body just took my breath away.

"Rosalie asked me to help her with her car." I didn't say anything; looking sideways at the wall of shelves next to Jake, I tried to unobtrusively drink the sight of him.

He sauntered towards me and leaned down; as he peered over my shoulder, his warm breath on my neck made me shiver. "Huh, you're reading."

"What?" I said a bit thickly; only the wolf had the ability to leave me speechless.

"Sorry to disturb you. I'll leave you to it." Jake took in the garish beige sofa while he thought. 'Man, Edward surely redecorated in the style of an old lady!'

He said out loud, "Will be in the garage."

Turning to glare at him, I put down the book and said grumpily, "Fine. And for your information, wolf, it was Alice who decorated this without my input!"

He lifted up his hands while he shot me a grin. "Whatever, man!"

oOoOo

Jake left the room, leaving in his trail the afterimage of his nice figure from behind and the lingering smell of the aftershave Alice bought him. I tried to go back to the book but it was useless; the more I read about dark Heathcliff brooding, the more I thought about Jake's russet skin contrasting so nicely with his tight Levi's and t-shirt. I closed my eyes, remembering how he looked in a black t-shirt; the contrast was nice.

I went back to reading for a while; when the sun had risen significantly, I stood up and went to the shelves. I rearranged the CDs until they were more or less in the order I wanted. Finally the temptation was too much; I had to see the wolf. I trotted downstairs, but before I reached the lower floor Esme's voice came from the kitchen to my left. "Dear Edward, won't you come here?"

I walked inside; Esme was staring intently at a red can. She kept glancing at the oven, and finally she lowered its door with her bare hands. She didn't have to use mitts, which was one advantage she had over mortal cooks.

I had to admire the deft way she cooked, even if she was unable to taste the food; it was akin to Beethoven composing when he was deaf. I smiled at the domestic picture Esme made, clad in her flowery apron as she hefted the tray filled with pastries and carried it to the kitchen island.

Esme brushed her hands on her apron and gazed at me. "Jake must be hungry! He's been downstairs for hours! Your sister got mad at Emmett and now poor Jacob has to help her with the cars."

"What did Emmett do?" I said while I gazed at the brown crust of the sugar-covered pastries.

"Oh, he distracted Rosalie while she was fixing the car." Esme shook the can and started decorating the goodies with whipped cream.

I shook my head at those two. They fought and then made up the next moment. In fact, I envied their banter because it was something I had lacked in my relationship with Bella.

"I want you to take the biscotti to your friend." Esme smiled a bit enigmatically as she pointed at the tray filled with delicacies.

"Fine, I will." If Esme only knew that friendship was the farthest thing in my mind when I looked at my wolf, but I was fated to remain only his friend while I saw to his welfare.

"I have to feed that strapping boy." Esme touched her chin as she squinted at the tray. "Those bulging muscles need food, not to mention vitamins for his smooth skin."

Hearing her words, I choked back a moan.

Esme smiled brightly at me and in an elegant motion, she brushed her hair from her forehead. "Rosalie told me she wanted Jake's help. I made sure he was dressed adequately." She shook the can once more and added the finishing touches. The biscuits looked quite appealing.

I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. Esme was a great cook and excellent mother, but she obviously had no idea about the work involved in fixing a car. Jake's white Levi's would easily become dirty if he was not careful.

oOoOo

"… except for that, you'll find he likes all kind of music."

Catching the trail end of their conversation, I entered the garage holding the tray aloft. I frowned at my Volvo, it was very untidy. I should take it to the workshop and get a new coat of paint. I wanted it to be perfect in case Jake and I went somewhere in it.

I walked to the rear where my sister kept her new acquisition. Rosalie nodded at me while she buffed her nails on her silk blouse. I gazed around at the brightly lit cars, but there was no sign of his russet skin. I frowned when I caught a glimpse of what he was seeing; a dark, round shape above him.

My eyes finally lit upon the Reeboks which were next to a bench on the front of the car. I guessed Jake didn't want them to get dirty and had taken them off.  I walked towards the bench and laid down the tray, all the while staring at Jacob's white socks peeking from beneath the grey Porsche. I nodded at my sister, who stood on the other side of the car which looked like the model James Dean drove.

"Rose, where did you say the leak was?" Jake's muffled voice came from beneath the car; I stared as his left foot moved in an arc towards me. "Hi, Edward!"

"Wolf," I mumbled, my lips suddenly dry.

"Beneath the carburetor, Jacob." Rosalie muttered angrily, "I must have put the head gasket on wrong. Emmett kept pawing me!"  

I walked towards the chassis of the Porsche, looking down at his white socks.

"Think I've got it," Jake said, and then his foot found my leg; his sole and toes curled around my ankle as he rubbed his foot up and down. I shivered and barely restrained a moan. To Jake it was a playful greeting, tinged with longing; his mind was concentrated on the damned car.

I decided to turn the tables on the sensual wolf, just like I had played the predator game better in the woods. As my resolve to keep away from him started crumbling like the walls of Jericho, I crouched and ran my hands over his sole. I smirked in satisfaction at the way his toes curled; I could imagine his blush under the car.

Giving me a last caress, Jake reluctantly moved his foot away. He heaved a deep sigh and said, "Have to pull the gasket back off. Blondie, I need a torque wrench."

Before Rosalie could answer, I rushed to the bench and picked up a wrench. Frankly, I wasn't sure it was the one Jacob wanted. My mechanical talents were directed more towards sabotaging cars, rather than fixing them.

Dashing to the other side of the car, I stopped next to Rosalie. While she looked at me with aggravation, I bent down and held the wrench towards Jake. His right hand touched the handle of the tool; but his fingers traced a circle around my palm, lingered on my wrist and then caressed my forearm up and down.

'Your skin is so soft and cool, like jade.' I shook my head at his thoughts. Jake was unaware of what he was doing; the way my resolve vanished like a mirage faced with his mind and body. His soft touch eroded all my defenses.

Rosalie impatiently tapped her high-heeled shoe against the floor and scrunched up her nose. "Jake, did you find the gasket bolts? I pointed them out to you in the drawing I downloaded."

I could hear the squeaks as his rolling creeper moved. "Yep, found them. Just hard to get them off is all."

"You should've let me do it myself!" Rosalie frowned at me. It was obvious she was a bit miffed with me because of my interruption, and yet she was amused by the situation.

"Nope, you would ruin your beautiful shirt."

Rosalie snorted; a smile tugged the corners of her lips upward as she looked at me and rolled her eyes. She said fondly, "It's a blouse, wolf."

"Whatever." Jake grunted with effort; then I looked down and saw the metallic shimmer of the wrench peeking from beneath the chassis. "Wrong tool, Edward. No wonder it was so hard."

Rosalie picked up a slim, long tool with a black handle and bent down. Before Jacob could reach for it, I gently pried it from her fingers. Our pale hands were on both sides of his forearm. As if drawn by some magnetic force, his hand unerringly turned towards mine. He made a show of searching for the tool when it was obvious he knew where it was. His fingers caressed mine and made a detour around my thumb, rubbing circles around my palm as his fingers dug under the cuff to hold my wrist.

I lost track of time. The brightly lit garage and the cars receded in my eyes; the smell of the biscotti became weak, overlaid by my wolf's scent while his soft touch drove me mad with desire.   

Finally he grasped the tool and his hand vanished under the chassis. I stood up, sighing softly while Rosalie touched my shoulder. She was scowling fiercely, but her lips trembled as she fought back a smirk. 'You interrupting men! Edward, I hope you realize you're taking away the only man who really cares about cars in this house!'

I nodded dumbly while my sister lifted her eyebrows in a mischievous gesture and waved elegantly towards the grey car door. "Jake, did you disconnect the hose? It must be glistening with oil; connects to the round fitting on top the crankshaft which is as thick as your wrist."

Jake gulped and in his mind I realized my sister's words were having a decidedly non-mechanical effect. He said hoarsely, "Think I found it."

Rosalie patted my shoulder and silently glided away; at the threshold, she turned to me and raised her eyebrows. 'First Emmet and now you! Better make it work, Edward; I was having fun with Jake.'

"I'm going, Jake. Have fun."

"Blondie, wait! I'm about to…. damn, this thing is harder than I thought," mumbled Jake. "I'll need a larger wrench."

I picked up a bigger one and sat on my haunches, holding it towards him. "I hope this one works, Jacob."

I laid my palm on the Porsche's door. It made me yearn to feel something as smooth, but warm and alive.

Jake's hand shot out and he fumbled for the tool, his fingers toying with mine. I just couldn't hold back from this dance of desire. The feelings Jake called up in me were more than I could stand; he was like the tide, slow but irresistible. Grabbing his arm, I gently pulled him towards me. He smiled up at me, and then his brow furrowed in puzzlement. I pressed the fat wrench against his palm and leaned down to kiss his smooth brow; then I pushed the rolling creeper towards the car.

Jacob sighed deeply. 'That was… unexpected.'

The wolf then said out loud, "Hey, knew it was you who kissed…. Ouch!"

I shook my head when I read his thoughts; the silly wolf had realized I kissed him in his sleep. He had tried to sit up and hit his head against the unforgiving metal.  

I hastily yanked him back. Jake rubbed his forehead, grimacing in pain. I bent down and batted away his hands, kissing the smooth skin.  My fingers massaged his head while I asked him softly, "Better?"

"Still hurts," muttered Jake, pouting cutely.

I kissed his forehead again, more slowly. My voice sounded hoarse to my ears as I said, "And now?"

"Still hurts." Jake said thickly; he wiggled on the rolling creeper and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

I caressed his brow, raining kisses upon it. My gaze slid down his face which was upside down to me. I leaned at an angle and kissed his right eyelid, moving then to the left one. I whispered against his eyebrows. "Better?"

Jake didn't speak or open his eyes; he nodded as he took deep, fast breaths while his heart beat wildly in his chest. Groaning, I kissed the tip of his nose as I gently pulled him towards me. I bent my head to kiss the corner of his full lips and the wolf… snickered?

I scowled at him; Jake opened his eyes and smiled up at me as his hands reached for my head. "Cullen, your hair's tickling my collarbone!"

He grabbed a handful of it, running his hands through my mane. He bit back a moan. 'God, it's as soft as I thought!'

His hands ruffled my hair restlessly, and I finally took the plunge and kissed him, rubbing my lips against his, caressing them with my tongue. The kiss was awkward and a bit sloppy due to our positions, but at that moment it was all I wanted.

The harsh garage lights faded away and my worries briefly disappeared while I lost myself in the sensual feeling of his soft, warm lips caressing mine. He finally opened his mouth and my tongue dove inside, chasing his own and caressing his teeth. I wanted to know him from inside, to lose myself in him in the same way my tongue did.

Jake's restless hands were the counterpoint as he pulled me towards him; his fingers warm as he carded through my hair. My hands roved through the expanse of his broad shoulders and the hollow of his neck, tracing a path to his ears which made him giggle.  

I couldn't get enough of him as I cradled his head between my forearms and kissed him slowly, seeking to extend the moment.

'Man, I'm trapped.' His discordant thought gave me pause; I broke the kiss reluctantly and lifted my head as Jake grinned at me and tapped my forehead. "I mean the car, Edward."

I grabbed the headrest of the rolling creeper and swung it towards me; the wheels squeaked on the floor as it pivoted from under the Porsche until my prize was out. Jake was lying beneath me, an arm's length from the chassis.

He sat up and flexed his legs, which were tingling. Rolling over me, he snaked his left thigh between mine as his eyes gazed intently at me. His face was flushed and he panted harshly; the after-shave and soap he'd used were tinged with his unique scent. Jake's heart beat wildly under my fingertips as the sounds of our groans mixed. His irises were blown with desire; instead of warm chocolate, they were deepest black as I saw my tousled reflection upon them.

Jake's hands roamed over my chest; his fingers were greasy so they left stains on my white button-down shirt.  Jacob was so caught up in the moment he didn't notice; but when he looked down towards his groin to check if his bulge was noticeable, the modest wolf groaned. There was a big grease spot over his nipple, right over Spokane on the map on his t-shirt. "Hell, Esme's going to kill me; she picked this for me!"

I recalled the way Esme had smiled mysteriously in the kitchen, like the Mona Lisa. "Don't worry, Jake. She won't."

I grinned at him and my hands circled his slim waist; pulling the hem of his shirt up, I groaned at the expanse of smooth, bronze skin that was laid open to my gaze like an exquisite banquet. Jake lifted his arms and sat astride my legs as I took off the shirt, throwing it next to the bench.

I laid on the cold floor and narrowed my eyes at him, motioning to my shirt. "Won't you reciprocate?"

Jake awkwardly tried to take it off; giving up after he unbuttoned it, he just pawed it aside, exposing my skin so he could lie down and rub our chests together. The contrast between his warmth and my cold made us squirm. His hands caressed my chest, evading my grasp as he rubbed his palms over my flanks, under the shirt. When it seemed he couldn't get enough of me, he suddenly stopped.  

I puzzled my eyebrows in question as Jacob sat up and bit his lips, frowning as he tried to frame his thoughts. Finally he shrugged, wiggling his enticing body on top of mine and fixing me with an intent stare; then he gazed up at the ceiling and took a shaky breath.  "I want us to take it easy, man."

"Why, Jake?"

He bent down and ran his fingers through my lips, shuddering when my tongue sneaked out to lick his fingertips. "I want… "

He paused; the gist of his thoughts made it clear what was on his mind but I felt torn. I didn't want to spoil this golden moment and make it awkward, but Jake needed to talk about her. His feelings, his dreams and frustrations, they had to come out. If I had a choice between being suave or caring for my Jake, I hoped I would always choose him.

I caressed his left forearm, enjoying the way he got goose bumps from the contact. I nodded at him and voiced his thoughts.  "You want romance, the things you didn't get to have with Bella."

He reclined upon me, his body soft and warm, heavy upon my chest as we aligned perfectly while he rubbed his nose on my cheek. He whispered, "Does it bother you, talking about her?"

"No," I smiled against his soft skin, running my fingers through his short hair and breathing in his musky scent. To make it easy for him, I tried to make light of the situation. "What bothers me is that you think of other people when you… jerk off."

I could feel the heat blooming on his cheeks as he blushed. He licked my cheek and whispered hoarsely. "Guess the two things are tied. Lemme explain."

 He laid his hot cheek against mine and said softly, "It feels safer, thinking of other guys. I can imagine meeting them somewhere and doing… things. Bella taught me that certain things are forever out of my reach."

"Jake, don't."

"Lemme finish." He said hoarsely, "Guess I lowered my goals… so I picture other guys because I thought that, like Bella, you were out of my reach."

"I couldn't read Bella's mind, so I don't know what she truly thought about you." I whispered, caressing his shoulders as I sought the way to assuage his pride, to make him realize how much he was worth. "But I can tell you I'm strongly attracted to you." I paused for a second. "You are worth so much. I'd be even more of a fool if I didn't see that. I thought I'd never get to act on my feelings…"  

"Why?"

"I don't want to hurt you!" I motioned to my cold chest. "I curse everyone I touch!"

"You should've told me!" He growled, sitting up and shaking my shoulders. "Would've told you it's just you being emo!"

I frowned at him and he leaned down to kiss me, murmuring against my lips, "What made you change your mind?"

I rolled him sideways so we ended up facing each other in the brightly lit garage. I cupped his cheek while my right hand brushed his hair. "You did. This dance you're leading me on? It was too much for me; you win, always."

I was struck by this consideration and tenderness I saw in him, this willingness to take things slowly and savor the moment. I shook my head at this new strike against my stubbornness, for I had always thought him so impetuous. Looking into his eyes, I took a deep breath before I said, "I'm sorry."

"For what? And will you please stop being sorry?"

Disregarding the wolf's chastising, I said, "I'm sorry for thinking that, if Bella had chosen you, you would have been rough with her. I'm sorry I misjudged you, and…"

"Hush." He put his index finger upon my lips. "You're not the only one who's sorry, Edward." He scooted closer to me and leaned forward so our foreheads touched.

It was in the intimate space created by our bodies, with our voices hushed by the looming shapes of the cars that surrounded us, that Jake bared his heart to me. "Thought you didn't love Bella enough, that you just manipulated her and I was better for her. Seeing your pain made me realize how much you… cared… for her."

The way he changed the word he meant to say, love, gave me pause. Jake felt insecure about me and I wanted to clarify this.  I frowned at him and then grinned, pointing to my chest. "My heart is big enough to love two people, Jake, if yours is."

He hugged me fiercely, cradling my head to his strong chest. "It sure is, Cullen. I just don't want this thing between us to hurt you again."

The thoughts behind his words made me smile at his tenderness, but they also made me scowl at Jake's persistence in thinking my emotions were too fragile. 

"Bella's death tore me to bits, Jacob," I tried to explain myself, to get rid of the emo tag in his brain. "But then you came…" I trailed off, gazing at his eyes as I framed the question that made me curious. "What would you have done if our positions had been…?"

"… reversed? If Bella had chosen me over you and then she died?" Jake bit hard his bottom lip, until my thumb pressed over his mouth. He sighed brokenly. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Would like to think I'd be mature and stuff, but if she'd been with me and died… I might've…"

He sat up against the door of the Porsche. I sighed at the loss of the intimate contact but I understood he needed space to frame his thoughts. He looked down at me, absently running his fingers through my hair. "Don't know, man. Might've gone crazy with grief; might have wanted to use my Dad's gun."

"Don't, Jacob." I shivered at the thought of Jake playing with this scenario.

"Don't worry." He essayed a weak grin. "Even if I fired point blank at my head, my healing would prevail. You'll find it's hard to get rid of me." He smiled at his own joke and went on. "I don't know, one day you might've found Leah on your doorstep, asking you…"

I said firmly, "I would never hurt you."

Jake didn't hear me though, as he visualized the scene in his mind. "To dispose of me." He didn't say anything more, but his fingers intertwined with mine and he sighed wistfully. 'Your golden eyes would've been with me as I stepped on the Road my ancestors traveled.'

"I thought the same," I said slowly. "One of the reasons I asked for you so you'd kill me is that... I yearned to see your face one last time."

Jake snorted in disbelief, "Really? Whatever for?"

I rolled my eyes at his innocence."Because you are you."

We were quiet for a little while until I couldn't stand the sad look on his face. I sat up next to him, my back reclining against the cold door of the Porsche. I gently pulled him towards me until he was nestled against me; he sat between my legs, his back touching my bare chest.

I turned his face, kissing him. It was slow and lazy; we savored the moment which I knew I would hold in my mind for as long as I lived.

Soon enough, we were interrupted by Jake's stomach which started grumbling. He hid his face against my shoulder, blushing once more. His breath felt warm against my bare neck as he whispered, "Sorry, man."

I gazed at the biscotti Esme had prepared, which were on the bench next to the Porsche's fender.

Trying not to break contact with Jake, I reached my arm until I grabbed the plastic leg of the bench, pulling it towards us. Jake made to stand up but I held on to his waist. "Where are you going? You have to eat."

He wiggled his greasy fingers in front of me. "Have to wash my hands, Edward."

"No need." I hefted the tray and put it upon his lap, hiding his tempting bulge from my sight. I hoped we would have opportunities to explore that side of our relationship, while we engaged in the romance we both had been deprived of.  

I grabbed the first biscuit on the left and held it towards him. "Open up."

"I'm not a kid!" He protested, frowning in that cute manner of his. I waved the biscuit at him, knowing the sight and the smell would be his undoing. When his stomach rumbled again, he shrugged and opened his lips. He bit into the pastry a bit awkwardly, which gave me the chance to wipe the cream off his lips and feed it to him, shivering at the raspy feeling of his tongue against my thumb.  Food meant nothing to my dead taste buds, it tasted like cardboard to me; but Jake's sensual imagery, the crunchy feeling of the biscotto dissolving against his tongue, the way he licked the whipped cream and sighed gustily, the feeling of our bare skin touching in that tantalizing mix of cold and warmth, together with the heady feel and scent of him – that was enough to make me taste paradise. 

Chapter eight: The imprint talk

Comments

[saiyoran.livejournal.com]

This chapter is by fa my favorite. Love how well and romantically involved they are with each other. Cannot wait till next chaptie to see how this dance of theirs continues.
Goor reading. I liked it a lot!!

[herumtreiber.livejournal.com]

They are finding their way, learning about each other. They find they have a lot in common.

The next chapters will be intense, though, there are still bumps on the road.

Thank you very much!!

[vanashta.livejournal.com]

Beautiful from start to finish!
Romance in a garage(greasy Jake and the sweet scent of motor oil!;)And i loved the double entendre in some of the conversations between them and Rosalie!

Jake's unaware of what he's doing to Edward?
"no wonder it was so hard!-this thing is harder then I thought"!?No,I'm sure Jake has no idea:D

BTW Thanks for the gift!!!!

[herumtreiber.livejournal.com]

Jake was worried about the greasy shirt, but I think he shouldn't have been :) Rosalie got her own back, because Edward and Emmett interrupt her work :D

And Jake was talking about the big, round, thick hose that he so wanted to grab :DDD

You're welcome! And thank you!!

Ghost Road - Chapter seven

[uld-ases.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful chapter. And they're cute & sexy together! Alice really need to redo Edward's room! And I would never painted Esme like a matchmaker. Go Esme!
:3

Re: Ghost Road - Chapter seven

[herumtreiber.livejournal.com]

They are very nice together. Alice needs to get rid of the sofa! And Esme is nudging them gently :)

Thank you!

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Awww! Loved the romance of their back-and-forth little dance, with the touches. The palletjack snogging was hot too :)

[herumtreiber.livejournal.com]

Thanks! They can't keep away from each other. And that snogging had to happen! :)

[jeri-1116.livejournal.com]

I just have to say Alice annoys the shit out of me. I don't think I'll ever be on her side, no matter what anyone does she just irks the hell out of me. If I came in my room and my shit was changed around and different, it would be a shit storm coming down. I know she did it for a reaction, but ewe anybody touching my stuff like that would piss me off. Anyway enough of my tangent. ;)

Gah! I love the flirting between them, it's so thick and tangible. Sometimes when people write them they don't build enough of a relationship between them for you to feel it, they just get right to the sex part and then you just don't care what's going on, but you do that and it's waaaay believable.


Jake strode into the room. He was clad on white Levi's 501 that hugged his slim, strong legs. He wore black and white Reeboks with the straps undone, and he had a beige t-shirt with a map of Washington State stamped across his bulging chest. When he turned to frown at the shelves I saw him in silhouette. The way the light-colored clothes clung to his russet body just took my breath away.

Man! I could so picture it and I loved the scene, and the way it played out.

I like your Esme here, just wanted to pop that in there.

Anywhoo's what I loved most about this chapter was when Edward went to see Jake and he was with Rosalie in the garage and Jake greeted him by rubbing his foot up his leg and ankle- I. Loved. That!

I really love this story and can't wait for more. That ending with Edward feeding Jake was perfect as well. You do them perfectly.

Oh and please don't take poor Jakey from Rosalie, she seems to really like him. :)

And again great chapter.

And thanks you for the birthday wishes. :)

[herumtreiber.livejournal.com]

Alice might be sympathetic sometimes, but she's also annoying. When I was watching BD I for the vid, I just couldn't believe she was ordering everyone around for the wedding and dictating things! She's demanding and resembles Bella, a lot :)

Thanks! In this fic they are finding their way, helping each other. They just can't keep their hands from touching.

Jake dressed in white and being playfully flirting, no wonder Edward succumbed!

Esme is very sympathetic and understanding; she knows more than the boys think :)

I had this scene in my mind, Jake working on the car and flirting with Edward. He responds and Rosalie is both amused and irritated :)

They can't keep from each other, even if they tried :) Rosalie feels protective about Jake and really likes him, so I won't take them away, though there are some storms coming.

You're welcome, and I hope you had a very nice day!!

Thank you very much!