A/N: Thank you to TwilightMundi, who so graciously helped me clean this up a bit.

All copyright and trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. The remaining content is all mine. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.

My heart jumped when there was a knock on the door at seven on the dot. Jasper.

BPOV

I got up and opened the door, surprised once I saw who'd been knocking.

"Edward?"

"Um, hi, Bella. How are you?"

"I'm good, Edward. How are you?"

"Well, I'm okay, I guess. Listen, I don't mean to bother you, Bella, but could you tell me if Alice or Rose are around? I was hoping one of them was free to talk for a bit. I tried their cell phones, but neither are answering them right now, so I thought I'd check here."

I looked at the ground, unsure of how to proceed. I didn't want to leave Edward outside, in need of a friend, but I also knew Jasper would be there at any moment.

"They're both out for the night. Rose is on a date, actually, and I have no clue where Alice is. Why don't you come in. I can send her a text and see if she responds."

"Are you sure it's no trouble? I can go wait in the lobby if you prefer?"

"It's no trouble at all, Edward. I'm expecting someone, but it shouldn't be a problem."

I smiled to reassure him and he seemed to accept my answer, walking in and taking a seat on our couch.

Just as I was getting ready to close and lock the door, Jasper knocked softly, so as to not push the door back into me.

"Jasper!" Smiling broadly, I gave him a soft kiss on the lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, no doubt wondering who the strange man in my room was, and pulling me closer.

"Mmm, Bella. You smell nice."

"Thanks, Jazz. Come on in, let me introduce you to Alice and Rose's cousin, Edward. Edward, this is Jasper, Jasper this is Edward."

Edward stood and shook Jasper's hand, both of them eyeing each other with slight suspicion. Guys are so weird sometimes.

The boys flanked me and we sat on the couch together. I grabbed my phone to text Alice and noticed I had somehow missed a text from Tanya, asking if I could meet at seven on Saturday. I replied back to her and confirmed the time, asking where we could meet. I sent Alice a frantic text next, asking where the hell she was and if she could come back ASAP.

No sooner had I hit "send" on my phone than the door was flying open, Alice looking flustered as she turned her back to us to shut and lock the door.

"Sorry, sorry! Edward, I just saw your missed calls, I must not have had any..."

Alice turned and looked at the three of us, her sentence fading into nothing.

"Had any what, Alice?" Edward asked.

I turned around to see if I could tell what Alice was focused on, but she just seemed to be staring into space. Or maybe my bedroom? The wall? What the hell?

"Alice? Hello? Earth to Alice?" I started snapping my fingers at her.

She looked at me and focused, thank god. "Sorry, did you say something Bella?"

The three of us on the couch laughed. Was Alice really that spaced out? I hadn't known her long, but I'd never seen her just check out like that.

"Edward asked what you didn't have any of? You dropped your sentence without finishing it," I reminded her.

"Oh, I must not have had any cell phone reception. Sorry."

She still looked a little dazed, so I got up to talk to her in a lower voice, so the boys wouldn't hear us.

"Alice, are you okay?"

She looked up and I could see something odd in her eyes; was it fear?

My phone chirped again with a text from Tanya. She wanted to pick me up at my room, so I texted her back with the building and room number information, and let her know that I was looking forward to seeing her.

"Yeah, Bella, I'm fine. Sorry," she whispered. "I had no idea Edward would interrupt your date. I'll take him out for dinner so we can get out of your way."

"It's okay, Alice, I know you didn't know. Actually..." I turned around and looked at Jasper. "Jasper, do you think we could all go out for dinner? I know we were going to just order pizza, but a night with some friends would be nice, right?"

"Sure, Bella, I'd love to get to know your friends better," he said.

"Edward, would that be okay with you?" I asked him.

He smiled at me and nodded. "As long as you're sure we aren't intruding."

"It's settled, then. Let me just get my purse and we'll be on our way. You three hash out who's driving and where we're going."

Walking into my room, I stopped and looked at the board. The truth was, I created the purse excuse for a minute away to catch my breath and clear my head. I was attracted to Jasper, but there was something compelling about Edward, too. This was either the best plan I'd had all year, or the worst.

Walking back into the main room, I looked at Alice expectantly. "Okay, everyone ready?"

"Yep. We're going to walk down to Carpaccio," she said.

"Yum! Let's go."

Alice and Edward led the way with Jasper and I trailing behind them, hand in hand. We were mostly silent, making our way to the restaurant within ten minutes. Since it was early still, we got seated quickly without reservations.

Alice sat next to me and Jasper sat across from me. There were a few moments of awkwardness as the waitress took our drink and dinner orders. I realized that maybe Edward was waiting for a time to talk to Alice about Kate, and that made things even worse.

Looking over at Jasper, I noticed he was glancing between Alice and I, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"So, Edward, how are classes going?"

"Fine, Bella, thanks for asking," he said.

I'd been trying desperately to break the silent tension in the air. Clearly it wasn't working very well. I looked at Alice, begging for her help. She was always so peppy and cheerful, surely she could add something to the conversation. Nope. Her eyes had been glued on Jasper before she noticed me watching her, then she snapped her head to me, and her eyebrows were furrowed as well.

What the fuck is wrong with everyone?

"How was your last class, Jasper?" I tried.

"It was good, Bella."

Fucking great, no one is helping here.

"So Bella, what's been your favorite part of New Hampshire so far?" Edward asked.

Finally.

"Oh, well, so far the weather's great. I know that will change in the winter, but for now I'm enjoying Fall. It never really gets sunny in Forks, so it's nice to see the big, yellow ball for more than a few brief moments at a time." I smiled, glad someone had finally engaged me in conversation, and the rest of the table laughed.

"How about you, Edward, how do you like New Hampshire? Do you miss Chicago?"

"I do, actually. My parents are still there and I miss them terribly."

"Oh, you're close to them?"

I noticed in the background that Alice and Jasper had begun to talk across us about something architecture related.

"Yeah, I am. I'm an only child, so I'm pretty close to my parents, and of course Alice and Rose."

Our food and a second round of drinks arrived, bringing a calm quiet to the table. It was a nice peace, not the uncomfortable silence from before.

I ate my pasta and everyone seemed to be sneaking peeks around the table. I caught Edward looking at me more than once. Jasper had his turn of staring at me briefly as well. Then, I saw a little spark between Alice and Jasper that made me curious. I wondered, as they looked at each other, what was forming between them. They seemed to be getting along really well and I thought I maybe saw something else there, in the way they looked at each other. I made a mental note to ask Alice about that later.

Once dinner was over, we were talking about desserts and Edward and I both wanted the tiramisu, while Jasper and Alice were both interested in a gelato sampler. Each pairing agreed to share, so Alice and I swapped spots to make it easier. I have to admit, it was nice to sit across from Edward and I kept an eye on Jasper and Alice, watching them share a spoon at one point as Jasper scooped a bite of the gelato closest to him for Alice to try.

Huh.

Edward insisted on paying for our dinner since he'd interrupted my date with Jasper. Oh, right. I'm technically on a date with Jasper. Shit.

When we got up from the table, Jasper took my hand and smiled at me again, all four of us walking back to our room. Edward and Alice were speaking in hushed tones and once we got to the door, they explained that they were going to head over to Edward's place for the rest of the night. I was grateful, sort of?

We separated at the door and Jasper and I went back inside to watch our movie and have the rest of our date alone. He'd brought Season 1 of Dead Like Me, so we sat on the couch and watched that. It was funny and sarcastic, slightly sad, but not at all romantic.

While we were watching the DVDs, I noticed Jasper making the "yawning" arm move, which totally cracked me up. Scooting over, I snuggled myself into his body with a smug grin. If he needed to pretend to make moves, that was fine, but I was certainly beyond pretending. I had no idea where things would go with Tanya or Edward, but I decided that I wasn't going to let that stop me from being with anyone. I would take each relationship on its own merits and evaluate them independently.

Jasper's arm moved around my shoulders and I yawned softly. His body vibrated with laughter beneath mine.

"I'm sleepy, Jazz," I said. "You wanna go into my room?"

"Sure, Bella."

Standing up, I reached for his hand, not so much helping him off the couch as just maintaining contact with him. I led him into my room, then turned to shut the door, positioning me face to face with him. Twisting the lock, I gave him a soft kiss on the lips. We both undressed down to our underwear and slipped into my tiny bed together.

We kissed in a soft, slow, almost lazy way. Comfortable.

I woke up the next morning wrapped in Jasper's arms from behind me. The sun was streaming through my room and for once I wasn't cursing it for waking me up, I was smiling. The clock said it was almost ten, and I couldn't believe we'd slept so late, and so comfortably.

Rolling over to face Jasper, morning breath be damned, I gave him a soft, small kiss on the lips. Without opening his eyes, his mouth turned up into a smile and he let out a sigh.

"Hungry?" I asked.

"Famished."

"Let's get dressed and head out to get some breakfast."

We sat up and yawned together. I felt his warm hands on my back and I leaned forward, resting my chin on my knees as he touched me. I hadn't told Jasper about my date later that day, and I wasn't sure what the protocol was. Did I just come out and tell him? Was it wrong to not tell him at all? We weren't exclusive and neither of us had said I love you. I didn't think we were even anywhere near that step.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Jasper getting up off the bed and slipping his clothes back on. I followed him up off the bed and walked to the closet to grab some clothes.

"Jasper, you don't mind if I invite the girls with us, do you?" I asked.

"Not at all."

We walked out of my room at the same time Alice was coming out of hers, hair standing up in several different directions. We surprised her and she sort of jumped back a half step before smiling.

"Hey, Ali. You and Rose want to grab some breakfast with us?"

She looked hesitant. "Rose never came home last night. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel."

I hugged her. "You're so silly, Alice, you're never a third wheel. Go change, we'll wait."

Since I left her no other option, she complied and reappeared moments later dressed for the day.

The three of us headed off to grab breakfast at the cafe and I both hoped we would and prayed we wouldn't run into Edward. He mentioned at some point that he was working fewer hours lately due to his classes picking up, so there was that.

We walked in and Edward wasn't there. We each picked our breakfast items and got a coffee, then sat at a table together.

That's when it hit me. I recognized the look in Alice's eyes, which had returned once again. That time, however, I saw it in Jasper's eyes, too – it was attraction. Not that movie attraction where you see each other and instantly "KNOW" you're going to be together for-ev-er. This was soft, gentle, warm, like a lover's embrace. The possible beginnings of love. The potential.

Jasper might have felt very strongly for me, but as I watched them both chat quietly together from across the table, I realized that he never looked at me the way he was looking at her right then.

I wasn't sure what to do or say. Sure, I really, really liked Jasper. Did I love him? No. At least, not yet. I might have the potential to love him someday, but if you try hard enough, can't you love just about anyone?

Most of breakfast was spent quiet and observing. I wanted to see if either of them were going to make a move on the other. I knew already that Alice was the kind of friend who would absolutely never do that, but I wanted to see if Jasper was the kind of guy that deserved Alice in return.

After we ate, I explained to Jasper that I needed to get some things done, so Alice and I said goodbye to him and we separated after a quick kiss.

Alice was quiet on the way back to the room. I decided to wait until Sunday brunch to ask her about Jasper. There was no reason to stir up the drama before my date.

We got back to the room and lounged around together until Rose came home at two. We tried to grill her for details but she went straight to sleep, mumbling about a long night and said she'd explain at brunch. It's going to be an interesting first Sunday brunch....

At five, Alice demanded I take a shower and start the 'prep work' for my date with Tanya. I was so nervous. I mostly knew how to go on a date with a guy, but I had no clue how to date another girl. Complicating matters was the fact that I had no fucking clue where we were going or what we were doing. I decided to just proceed as usual, so I put on some jeans and a green and black corset top with a black velvet jacket over it.

I let Alice do my hair and makeup, and was pacing the room by 6:55. There was finally a knock at 6:59, and I flung the door open to be greeted by Tanya.

To say she looked like walking sex would be an understatement. She had on what looked like a red silk blouse with black lace edging, her luscious breasts peeking out at me, black pants, and black heels. Her blonde hair was pinned up away from her face, cascading down her back.

She had on blood red lipstick – the kind that would look ridiculous on anyone else. On her lips, it just made me them even more kissable looking. I was literally stunned and unable to speak.

"Bella? Are you okay?" she asked.

Alice was giggling from behind me. I just could not open my mouth and speak. Tanya took a step toward me, placing her hand on my shoulder to give me a gentle shake.

"Bella? You're scaring me. Are you okay?"

Clearing my throat, I looked at her eyes for the first time. She giggled and I presumed this meant she realized why I'd been mute. Positive I was blushing, I allowed Old Bella to creep in while I tried my best to hide the saliva I was sure was falling out of the corners of my mouth at the sight of her.

"Sorry, yes, I'm fine… Sorry. Let's get going. Wait. Let me say goodbye to Alice."

Turning to hug Alice goodbye, I saw she was still laughing at me. She stopped laughing just long enough to whisper in my ear.

"Nice job, Bella. She might even make me switch hit. Don't forget, brunch at eleven tomorrow."

I slapped her shoulder playfully before leaving.

Looking at Tanya, I smiled. "Where are we headed?"

I felt slightly more comfortable, but god damn, she was still making me want to run, not walk, to the closest room with a lockable door. Not that I'd know what to do once we got there.

"Have you had dinner?" she asked.

As she brought her head up to look me in the eyes, I felt my knees buckle slightly, tripping over my own feet. She laughed at my misstep and looked down at the ground.

"You're good for a girl's ego, Bella."

"Nope, no dinner yet." There you go, string words together... words are good.

"I made reservations for us at The Prince and The Pauper. It's about a thirty minute drive, is that okay?"

"Sure, of course."

Wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans, I contemplated thirty minutes trapped in a car with her.

I followed her out of the building and to a parking spot. She stopped in front of a very shiny light blue convertible. She opened her door and slid in, so I did the same. The roof had been down but she pressed a few buttons and it began to close, which I was thankful for; once the sun had set, it was cold. After I got in and buckled my seatbelt, I noticed there was a Jaguar logo on her steering wheel.

"Tanya, I never imagined this was the kind of car you would drive."

"I know, Mommy and Daddy bought it for me," she said, sighing. "They said they wouldn't be happy if I was driving anything else. It is a fun little toy, though."

"I bet," I mumbled.

"Just wait, if you want to after dinner, I'll show you where I live. I guess being insanely rich combined with guilt comes in handy at times."

The thought of going to where she lived after dinner made me squirm in my seat.

We spent the drive making small talk, my nerves slowly easing. I had to remind myself over and over, she was just like anyone else, but the flashy car and promise of an even more flashy apartment had me stunned.

Once we got to the restaurant and were seated, I realized that Tanya and I had completely different lives. She came from a very wealthy family, and while I had money now, I preferred to spend it less than I preferred to save it. Okay, I splurged on some clothes and accessories at Alice's insistence, but other than that, I had no intention of wasting away my money.

I wasn't sure how to feel about the whole money thing. It had so many other implications; different social classes, different ways of life. I shelved it in my head for the time being.

"So, Tanya, do you ever see yourself getting married?" I wasn't sure if this was exactly first date material, but what the hell.

She looked thoughtful for a moment and her eyes filled with tears. Oh, shit.

"I'm sorry, was that too personal?" I muttered a few obscenities under my breath.

"No, it's fine, Bella. Really." She reached out and took my hand under the table. It was warm and soft, and I nearly shivered with tingles at the sensation.

"When I was with Kate, had you asked me that, I would have been absolutely certain of the answer – yes. I thought we'd get married, have kids, picket fence, the whole deal. Now? I'm not sure what the future holds for me. I guess in a way I should be thankful. It's given me perspective and the chance to reevaluate what I want my life to be." She smiled softly at the end, looking me in the eye with sadness on her face.

"I completely understand mixed blessings," I said, squeezing her hand gently.

Making a mental note to not bring up any topics that might upset her again, I smiled. We ate and the food was so good, our table was full of moans and groans and every other foodgasm sound you could make. We decided to forego dessert. Tanya mentioned she had some things at her place and I was getting antsy to be alone with her.

She paid the bill, insisting that since she asked me out, it was her responsibility. While she went out to get the car from the valet, I asked the receptionist for a pack of matches. I knew I wanted something for the bulletin board to remember this night, no matter what happened. It was another step for me, doing what I felt was right, what I felt I needed. One step closer to finding out who Bella Swan really was.

Tucking the matchbook into my purse, I walked out into the chilly night air. I stood next to Tanya, my hands on my arms, shivering. She brought her hands out to rub up and down on my arms and I closed my eyes, trying to enjoy the sensation without freaking out that a woman was touching me in public. Of course, to any outsider, we no doubt looked like two silly friends on a girl's night out.

The valet brought her car around and we'd been in the car almost fifteen minutes when she slid her hand over to my leg. I tried not to freak out. Tried. It was worse than the first time Jake kissed me with tongue and I thought I might jump out of my skin. She started to pull her hand away, I'm sure thinking that I didn't want it there, so I placed mine on top and gave her a smile, lacing my fingers down through hers as much as I could.

We listened to music for the rest of the drive, and I let my head fall to the side of my seat, closing my eyes, enjoying the moment. I heard the sound of a garage door opening and my eyes shot back open. When she talked about where she lived, I assumed she meant an apartment. No, we pulled up to a very pretty house.

"This is where you live?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, I know, it's a bit much for one person. My parents bought it thinking they'd have a place to stay when they came to visit and could use it as an investment rental property once I graduated."

We got out of the car and met at the door to the house. She took my hand in hers and I smiled. Unlocking the door, she pressed the button to close the garage door and led me through an amazing mudroom, where I took my shoes off. She took hers off and lined them up neatly on a shoe rack she had in the corner with a variety of other sex kitten heels on it.

Once we were through that room, she took me into the kitchen and living room, then we went up to the bedrooms. Walking through the loft study first, I could see a desk with Tanya's laptop on it, paperwork, and things scattered around. The guest bedroom was simple, plain maybe even. Not much, a dresser, a bed, a few knick knacks.

The master bedroom was an en suite with a reading nook and the biggest bathroom I'd ever seen. There was a jacuzzi tub in one corner and a makeup station in the other. The whole house was beautifully decorated, but these rooms screamed what I thought of as Tanya. They were sexy, clean, and had a slightly old Hollywood glam feel to them.

I was pretty sure Tanya's product collection in her bathroom could rival Alice's, but I left that one alone for the moment.

"Wow. I'm pretty speechless. This whole house is amazing. I'm definitely jealous."

We shared a laugh that died into a smile and she took my hand again, leading me back down to the kitchen.

"Are you ready for dessert, or should we watch a movie or play a game or something?"

"Hmm... no dessert just yet. Let's watch a movie?" Far, far away from each other.

She led me into the living room and let go of my hand to grab the remote. She explained her parents had setup a media player with movies loaded onto it. I honestly got lost as she tried to explain it, mentally checking out to roam the room with my eyes. She sat on one end of the couch and I wasn't sure what to do. Did I sit next to her? On the other end? Hell, in the other separate chair? I was leaning toward the chair when she spoke up.

"Get over here, silly. You've been sitting next to me all night, don't get shy now."

I laughed, and she smiled when I sat down next to her. She turned the TV on and flipped through to the movie menu. We agreed on a comedy and there were still an overwhelming number of movies to choose from. She narrowed it to movies released within the last twelve month, and we settled on Knocked Up, which I had already seen but she hadn't.

The intro had us laughing so hard the couch was shaking. Right about the time Katherine Heigel takes a plethora of pregnancy tests, I could feel her shift in her seat.

"Bella, can I snuggle up with you?" She spoke to me without looking at me, or even moving at all.

"I think I'd like that."

Tanya grabbed a soft fleece blanket from the back of the couch and I stood. She readjusted her body so that I had a spot between her legs, my back against her chest and we laid on the couch together, the blanket wrapped around us. If I thought it was hard to concentrate before, it was impossible after we repositioned ourselves.

Just as I was thinking how glad I was I'd already seen the movie, I felt her hands wrap around my waist and her lips against my neck. She was softly kissing me, tentatively. Testing the waters, I guess. Ever so subtly, I leaned my head back and away from her, giving her more access to my neck. I felt her lips widen into a smile against my skin.

Closing my eyes, I willed my breathing to calm down. All I needed at that moment was to sound like a panting dog in heat.

She pulled me closer, tighter to her body, and I could feel her breasts against my back, hard nipples pushing into me. I knew this was the moment – if I wanted to stop, to not go any further, this was the silent sign between us. I could turn back with little harm, but if I said or did nothing, I knew from the way she was holding me, kissing me, breathing against me, that we were going to go further.

I also knew there was no fucking way in hell I wanted her to stop. Leaning my head back all the way, I rested it on her shoulder. A deep sigh left my lips.

"Bella, as much as I'm enjoying molesting you on the couch, do you think we could take this upstairs?"

My brain was shouting "YES PLEASE!" but I knew it would be better to wait at least one whole second before answering her. One. Two. Three.

"Yes, please," I giggled. Christ, what am I, a 17-year-old virgin again?

I stood up, Tanya right behind me. She turned the TV off and we started to walk up the stairs. Somewhere around step three, I realized I hadn't kissed her yet and decided to remedy that immediately. Leaning my body into hers, I pressed her against the wall next us. I wanted to take my time with this, another first.

My eyes were locked on hers as I brought my hands up to her head. I had one behind her neck and the other woven through her silky hair. I was grateful for her patience; she knew I hadn't ever kissed a woman before and she let me make the first real move. My breathing sped up as I contemplated exactly how I wanted to proceed.

Tilting my head slightly to the side, I licked my lips slowly. My gaze shifted to her lips, the red lipstick still as bright and delicious as it was at the beginning of our date.

I moved my head forward slowly, maybe too slowly. As I contemplated all the things running through my head, I had a newfound respect for guys that have to make the first move. I could feel her breath against my mouth and I closed my eyes, moving those last few centimeters forward. My lips touched hers and the tension melted away.

Tanya had soft lips, very soft lips. As I moved mine gently over hers, I thought I might pass out from pleasure. She took over shortly after our lips made contact, hands wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling my body closer. Her lips moved against mine tenderly, but I could sense the question in her kiss.

I smiled against her mouth; I knew the answer, even if she wasn't sure yet.

Taking her hand, I pulled away slightly, sprinting up the steps. She squealed and caught up as I began to run. We were laughing by the time we got to her room, collapsing on the bed together, her on her back and me on my stomach. I was looking at her, really looking at her and seeing her for maybe the first time. The fun side of Tanya, playful even. Sure, she could be sexy, but I could imagine her with her hair in a bun in a pair of sweats, adding logs to the fireplace downstairs, too. In that moment, she wasn't just the girl I fixated on in my head, she became real.

She reached over and touched my face gently with her fingertips, tracing over my features. "Bella, are you sure?" I had never seen her vulnerable before; it made her even more beautiful.

I smiled. I wasn't sure of anything other than the fact that I wanted to be right where I was. I knew she needed some sign, some reassurance that she wasn't taking advantage of an overly horny college freshman. Mustering up my best predatory gaze, I got up on my hands and knees, crawling to her body. I moved so that I was over her and we were face to face, inches apart. Bringing my hand to her face, I used my fingertips to trace her features as she had done to me. When I was done, I lowered my lips to hers again, nestling my body into hers. I trailed my kisses across from her mouth to her ear.

"Never been more sure of anything," I breathed more than spoke.

Her hands came up and around my jacket to grip my hair, tugging to bring our mouths back together.

"Please let me take this off?" she whispered against my lips.

Sitting up, I straddled her as she undid the one button holding my small jacket closed.

"Do you know how much this has been driving me crazy all night?"

Leaning forward, she began to kiss the line of my cleavage created by the corset.

"It can't be more than your little outfit has been taunting me. Seriously? Does that scrap of fabric even qualify as a blouse?"

"I could take it off, if it offends you so." The corners of her mouth turned up in a half smirk as she spoke.

Oh, now she's gonna get it.

Shaking my head no, I saw the look of disappointment cross her face. I brought my hands around her waist, lightly running my fingertips underneath the silky fabric of her top. My chin rested on her shoulder, once again placing small, soft kisses on her neck.

"I want to be the one to take it off."

She shivered beneath me as my hands went up and under the fabric, gathering it as they moved, sliding it over her head. As I tossed it over the side of the bed, I wondered how the hell I hadn't noticed she had no bra on before. Wait, seriously, better things to focus on Bella...

I looked down at her breasts, naked and exposed, waiting for me. I felt a moment of panic before the lust washed over me. Bringing my hands up to cup both of her breasts, I ran my thumbs lightly over her nipples. I heard her sharp intake of breath as they hardened under my touch and I smiled.

My head lowered and my tongue moved on its own out of my mouth to lick and lap at her breasts and nipples. As I sucked one of them into my mouth, I heard her moan. I softly nudged her back so that she was lying on the bed again. I moved my mouth to the other side, licking slowly first, flat-tongued swipes across the nipple, then wrapping my lips around it. I gently grabbed the peak with my teeth, giving a tug as it slipped back out of my mouth.

Tanya's hands were at the back of my corset, slowly inching the zipper down. Once zipper hit the bottom and she'd unhooked the fabric, the cold air hit my back.

"Sit up, Bella," she said softly.

I hesitated for a very brief moment knowing that as soon as I raised myself even a tiny bit, I would be exposed. I did as she asked, the corset staying on her body. Once I was all the way up, I had to fight the urge to cover myself with my hands. Tanya smiled at me, her hands reaching out to touch me. She ran them down from my breasts, across my abdomen and then one hand flipped the corset off the bed as the other undid the button on my jeans. Her eyebrow shot up in a question and I gave her a quick nod, letting her know it was okay to proceed.

The vibration of the zipper as each tooth unhooked was something I had never quite paid attention to, but was now acutely aware of. I leaned back, giving her all the room she might need.

"Bella, sweetheart, stand up so I can slip these off."

We stood together and I gave her a playful smile.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I teased.

She laughed and went back to removing my jeans. Once she had them off my legs, she was down on her knees, looking up at me through her lashes. She put one hand on the outside of each of my legs, slowly working their way up to my hips. She reached out with her tongue and traced the outline of my pussy through my lace boyshorts, making me gasp.

Once her hands had reached the top of my panties, she pulled them down. I felt as naked as I was – completely and entirely exposed to her. This time as her hands ran up the inside of my legs, I suddenly felt like my whole lower half was made of Jell-o. When her fingertips reached my lips, she flattened her right hand out and palmed me while standing back up.

Kissing me, she brought her hands up to my breasts, cupping them.

"My turn?" I asked.

"Mmhmm."

Undoing the clasp on her slacks, I lowered the zipper. I ran my hands under the band holding them up and pulled her closer, cupping her ass beneath the fabric as the pants fell to the ground. I stayed where I was for the moment, enjoying our almost naked bodies pressed against each other. I wasn't as nervous as I imagined I would be; I felt comfortable and perhaps even slightly confident. Pulling back, I gave her a quick peck on the lips before lowering to remove her panties.

I was surprised; what I normally would have looked at with unfeeling evaluation in the store now brought out a lusty sigh – I had felt how little of her ass the thong she had on was covering when I embraced her, but now I saw the small triangle of fabric covering her pussy and I couldn't help it. My hands went to the band and pulled them down much faster than I had intended; I wanted to tease and torture her, but I felt like the only one being tortured in that moment.

As soon as she was exposed to me, my tongue darted out to taste her. She was trimmed and I felt a slight tickle as my tongue slipped between her folds and my lips touched hers.

I nearly went a science experiment route, asking her to lay back so I could fully inspect what she had going on, then I remembered - date, not class. I made another mental note to get a hand mirror and do some inspecting when I got home.

Withdrawing my mouth, I ran my hands up her sides, continuing all the way to her head, bringing her lips back to mine for a searing kiss. I wasn't lying before – I'd never been more ready for anything in my life.

Tanya grabbed me and pulled me back onto the bed, our bodies meshing together. I almost laughed at the sensation of breasts being in my way as I laid on top of her, but I was quickly taken from that thought when I felt her hand down at my pussy. Her fingertips were playing with me gently, teasing me.

"Turn over," she said.

As soon as I had, she began trailing kisses from my mouth across to my ear.

"Bella, you know I'm going to lick you now, right? You're still okay?"

My breath left me in a shudder. "Yeah, yes, mmhmm, okay, yep." Great, I've become a mumbling idiot.

She laughed softly and kissed my lips again. "You're fun, Bella."

The sarcastic reply I'd been forming, along with all of my thoughts, flew out of my brain as I felt her tongue swirl around one of my nipples, her fingers pinching the other one. My back arched off the bed, pressing her further into me.

She kissed and licked a trail down to my hips, stopping to kiss at the edge of each side. As she settled between my legs, she kept her hands on my body, moving all the way down to my feet. She kissed the bottom of each foot before lifting my legs and setting them back down once she had bent my knees, giving her the access she wanted.

I could feel her hot breath against me before she did anything else. She was taking her time, moving slowly, letting me adjust. Fuck adjusting. I bucked my hips up, begging for her to go on.

"Eager, are we?" she teased.

"Oh fuck, you have no idea." Even to my own ears, I sounded whiney and petulant.

"Mm, I like it when you say 'fuck' Bella."

"In that case, please fucking continue."

"No need to beg, dear."

She didn't hesitate even for a second before bringing one hand down to my pussy, slipping a finger between the lips and trailing it to my opening. She eased it all the way inside of me before adding a second, and then lowering her mouth to my clit. When I felt her start to hum against it, her tongue pressed flat, lips surrounding it, I cried out.

She pressed her fingers all the way inside me again and used her tongue to lick in long strokes up the length of my slit.

"Oh fuck."

I couldn't help it, I wasn't even trying to tease her anymore, I just couldn't hold it in. Who knew I was so vocal in bed? I realized I'd been just as loud with Jasper.

Tanya whimpered against me and continued fucking me with her fingers. She sucked my clit back into her mouth and gave a small tug with her teeth. I felt myself come around her fingers immediately, the low moans escaping my mouth in a steady stream. She let go of my clit and kept lapping and kissing me until my breathing had returned to normal and I was wincing slightly from the sensitivity of her actions. She kissed each thigh before bringing my legs back to a flat position and crawling up my body.

Wrapping my arms around her, I closed my eyes. "Thank you."

She brought her lips to my chin, my cheek, my closed eyes, my nose, and finally, my mouth. I could taste myself on her and it wasn't as awkward or weird as I thought it might be.

"I don't think I've ever made a girl come that fast, Bella."

I could only laugh, words were impossible. I could tell by the way she snuggled into my body that she didn't expect me to reciprocate, and that only made me want to even more. Smiling, I gave her a gentle push so she would roll over.

"Bella, you don't ha-"

I cut her off with my mouth against hers, except that time I wasn't soft or gentle. I pressed against her with need, want, desire and more. I wanted her to know just how badly I wanted to give this to her, to experience this with her, to give this to me.

"Of course I don't, but fuck, do I want to. Now shut up and lay back. If I do something wrong, let me know, okay?"

She nodded and I started moving lower, wasting no time. I stopped briefly at her breasts, realizing I would never look at mine the same way again. I gave each nipple a swipe of my tongue and a kiss before moving lower.

From what Jasper had done with his hands and what Tanya did with her mouth, I was pretty sure I could handle this. I mean, I wasn't afraid I would get grossed out, I was more worried about my technique and if I would even be able to get her off... but really, I had all the same parts, so in theory I knew what needed to be done.

Bringing her legs up and over my shoulders, I dipped my head down to the apex of her pussy and felt that eager need crash over my body again. I began to give her soft, open mouthed kisses, swiping my tongue out to lick now and then. I was guessing from the way her body was writhing beneath my mouth that I wasn't doing a half bad job.

"Oh god, Bella, oh fuck," she moaned. Better than 'not half bad,' perhaps.

Just as she had, I moaned softly against her, hoping the vibrations would transfer through my lips into her. She lifted her hips, pressing my mouth against her wetness even more. More out of curiosity than anything, I lowered my mouth and pressed my tongue against her opening to gauge her reaction. She seemed pleased, her hands flying to the back of my head to press me into her, so I pointed my tongue and pressed forward more.

Her sweetness surrounded me – I could smell her, feel her against my mouth, taste her on my tongue. She bucked again and I withdrew my tongue only to push it back in, this time moving her lips aside with my fingers to allow my tongue deeper access. I felt giddy, drunk from her body. I took my tongue back and replaced it with a finger. It was like nothing I had ever felt before; soft, spongy, slippery and wet, warm and inviting. I began to move my finger in and out of her and she was encouraging me with her words.

I nipped at her lips with my teeth, wanting to try as many sensations as I could. Returning my attention to her clit, I flicked it playfully with the tip of my tongue and she began to moan louder.

"Bella... Oh fuck."

The last word slipped from her mouth and I moved my mouth faster, plunging a second finger deep inside of her, needing to feel her as much as possible as she came around me. She arched her hips and I fought to keep my mouth latched onto her, licking and sucking as my fingers moved and she contracted around them.

I felt the throbbing slow and her hips came back down to the bed inch by inch. She was mumbling to herself and I wondered if I had done something wrong. I gently moved her legs off of me, and once I started to move back up toward her head, I realized she was mumbling words of satisfaction and happiness.

She took me in her arms and wrapped her legs around me. We were snuggled together in a soft embrace.

"Oh my god, Bella, are you sure you haven't done that before?"

I laughed and buried my head in her shoulder. Even if she was just giving cliché compliments, I took them at face value. We laid there resting together for several minutes.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Wanna take a bubble bath?" she asked.

"Ooh! Yes!" I sat up and clapped. Sometimes it was impossible to turn off my inner five year old.

She got up and we walked to her bathroom together, hand in hand. As she reached for some bubble bath, I watched the way her body moved, breasts swaying on their own, legs long and lean, muscles contracting. She didn't have a perfect body, but who did? I noticed the soft roundness of her belly and for once realized that my very own stomach was something worthy of the same awe-inspired look; the look that made me realize that our bodies were meant to carry babies and that seared into my brain that I would not criticize my own flaws the next time the instinct to do so kicked in. I saw myself through new eyes, via my admiration of Tanya's body.

When I snapped out of the thought, I realized she was already in the tub, water running, bubbles piling high.

"Are you coming in?" She winked.

I crawled in, the hot water relaxing my muscles, and sat between Tanya's open legs. Leaning back to rest against her chest, her hands moved to circle my waist.

We were in the tub until the water ran cold and the bubbles deflated. We touched, kissed and licked any part of our bodies we could reach, bringing each other to a few more orgasms. In that moment, she was like a drug that I couldn't get enough of.

Once we toweled off, she asked if I wanted to stay the night.

We crawled back into the bed together, naked, once I said yes. We laid, facing each other, wrapped tightly together under the down comforter. Instead of feeling conflicted, confused, even more complicated than before, as I expected to, I just felt sated. Happy. Warm. Right.

As my brain slowly unwound and relaxed, I knew I was on the right path. I was proud of myself, knowing that I wasn't afraid anymore to tackle new experiences. Sure, I had to deal with Jasper and Alice, and Edward, oh and Tanya... but mostly, I was learning to deal with me.