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Key
A Locke Sequel

First Chapter of Locke
First Chapter of Key
Latest Chapter of Key
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Jasper swore to Bella he would give her the best year of her life, but after ringing in the New Year with fresh scars from a serial killer, is that a promise he can keep? Time heals all wounds, but some reminders are permanent and the pain remains even after the marks have faded away.

They were always the keys to unlocking each other’s future, but can they survive the trials the next year have in store for them? Love, justice, success, bondage, and pain. Together, they hope to find a new normal that is anything but vanilla. 

Now Completed! 

Warning:
This story contains graphic sexual depictions, violence, and mental illness. Reader discretion is advised. 18+ only 


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5/22/2020

Key. Chapter Twenty. In Pajamas

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Chapter Twenty: In Pajamas


When Monday came, we woke up together to have breakfast, but it didn’t feel the same. I could see his anxiety growing in his body. Jasper dropped me back off at my apartment on his way to the office. The FBI building wasn’t far from it.

“So, I’ll pick you up when I get off tonight?” He offered as we sat in the parking lot. He had a few minutes to spare. We left early because we were worried about traffic. The morning was so hot, heat lines were already rising from the blistering concrete and black tar road top. 

“Yeah,” I nodded, glancing over at him with a strained smile. “Do you want me to make dinner? We can Netflix and chill,” I offered.

“I’d like that. But maybe instead of Netflix… would you prefer to look at places online tonight?” He said in a small voice, almost as if he was worried about my answer.

Smiling, I leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. “That sounds like a great idea. We’ll search this week, and we’ll go this weekend to check out any we like?” He quickly nodded, grinning at my words. I loved how eager Jasper was about it. He was such a different man from when first I met him, but it was a good thing. The strain of his lifestyle was getting to him far before he found me. Something had to change.

He pulled me to him, holding me to his chest for a long while. His mouth was gentle but demanding. Finally, he laid his forehead on mine. “There is such a big part of me that wants to just say screw it and go into the apartment with you.”

I giggled softly. “We had sex less than twelve hours ago.”

“That’s not why. I mean, we’d fuck if I went in there. All-day, in fact. But, no…” He trailed off, closing his eyes. “I don’t know if I still want to do this.” Jasper paused and drew in a deep breath before glancing at me. “I’m not freaking out, but I’m just not sure anymore. I need to see my part through with King, but-”

“Do we need to not look for a place until you find a different job?” I inquired gently, placing my hand on top of his thigh.

He seemed surprised. “What? No. No, I want to stay in Dallas, no matter what. Or at least Texas. I won’t quit, especially not now, when they’ve been so good about holding my position for me. But everyone has these thoughts, right?”

“Quitting their job? Of course.”

“You don’t.” My boyfriend spoke so softly I could barely hear him.

“Mm,” I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s different. You shouldn’t compare our careers, anyway. It’s not even possible.”

Turning to face me in his seat, he brushed his fingers along my jaw. “It’s because you were always meant to be a writer. You’re doing exactly what you should be doing.”

“And you’re supposed to catch the bad guys and bring peace to those who’ve lost the ones most precious to them. You want to stop because it’s hard. I understand that. Not everyone can do it, but you can. Because you’re my hero.” I adjusted his tie as I gazed into his eyes.

He ducked his head. His cheeks were slightly pink. “My brain says to prove you right. My body is telling me to haul you over my shoulder like a caveman and fuck all week.”

“Isn’t that what we’ve already been doing?” I joked with a smirk. I tilted my head to the side, batting my eyelashes innocently. “There were at least three days filled with nothing but sleeping, eating, and banging.”

Jasper pouted out his bottom lip. “It wasn’t enough.” I giggled softly. He kissed me again, his fingers going into my hair and tugging on it gently. “Ugh…” He laid his forehead against mine. “Tell me to go to work, Goddess. I have no willpower. I’ll do whatever you order me to,” he said in a jesting tone. It was cute.

“Go, or I’ll punish you,” I teased against his lips before curling my tongue across the top one. It made him shudder with pleasure.

“Oh, punishment is not a deterrent, Ma’am.” His fingers wrapped around the back of my neck.

“I’ll get the paddle,” I warned seriously.

He leaned in for another kiss. “Please do.”

I decided to be sassy and stepped out of the car without saying anything. I told him what I wanted him to do. He quickly followed. I gave him a funny look. “What are we doing, Jasper? Do we need to go get it now?”

“I’m just walking you to your apartment,” he swore. Coming around the BMW, he took my hand. I searched for my keys in my purse with the other. When we got to the door, he didn’t let me unlock it. Pressing me against it, his deep blue eyes peered into mine. “Okay, I’m really leaving. I promise.”

“Good. I don’t think you could have handled your punishment, anyway. Disobeying one of my orders like that. And with that attitude. I would have made you suffer all day long,” I answered as seductively as possible. 

His cheeks flushed a little. “You’re a cruel mistress.”

“No, but I will be if you don’t stop stalling. Make up your mind. Come in and become a slave to your most basic instincts or go be a champion for the voiceless, saving countless lives in the future. It’s up to you,” I stated as seriously as possible as I leaned my head back against the door.

Glaring, his intense eyes focused on my mouth. Finally, he shook his head. “I’m your servant.” He pressed his lips to mine. “Thank you for having such confidence in me. Have a good day, okay?”

Smoothing one of his blond curls away from his forehead, I smiled at him. “I always sincerely try.” He grinned in return. “Now, go. Don’t be late on your first day.”

When I got into the apartment, I leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Roughly, I scrubbed my hands over my face. There were things I needed to do, but all I wanted was to go to sleep. I was sweating already from the heat.

A drowsy Edward came stumbling out of Tanya’s bedroom. He was stretching his arms over his head, his chest bare, and just wearing pajama pants. When he realized I was there, his eyes got wide. “Oh, hey.”

“Hi,” I replied softly.

“How- How are you?” he asked, taking two steps towards the living room. We hadn’t seen each other since the night of Tanya’s birthday party. Honestly, I had almost forgotten he existed. He wasn’t that important to me anymore. 

“Uh, fine. Tired,” I admitted, putting my purse on the hook beside the door. I couldn’t meet his eyes.

We were both standing in silence for several long, awkward seconds. Sniffling, he looked down at his feet. “Um, can I ask you something?” Surprised, I nodded slowly, not saying anything. “What did I do wrong that night? I keep thinking about it. It was innocent, I swear. It just happened so quickly. I don’t understand.”

It shocked me that this was what we were going to be doing so fast. It wasn’t what I was expecting to do when I showed up at my apartment early on a too hot morning. Glancing away from him again, I bit my lip as I considered the best way to explain it to him. “It was me. I shouldn’t have agreed in the first place,” I eventually replied because it was the truth.

“Why?” He pushed, holding his hand out in front of him. I shrugged, shaking my head in answer. “Are you so disgusted by me? Do you despise me that much? You can’t even look at me.”

“No. Not at all. And I don’t hate you. But I realized what we were doing was wrong. And that I didn’t want to be in that position anymore.”

He didn’t like my words, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Why was it so unacceptable? I thought we were going to try to be friends.”

Pausing, I gazed up towards the ceiling. My brain grasped at straws. Then I sharply looked at the man facing me. “Do you want to have sex with me?”

Edward laughed in surprise. “Yes,” he confirmed, his answer just as blunt as my question.

I raised both of my hands up. “And that’s why.”

Pinching his nose, he closed his eyes as he sighed. “Yeah, okay, but there are plenty of people I wish to have sex with, but I’m not and never will. I realize you don’t want me. I understand I slammed that door in a spectacular fashion when I screwed up and grabbed your ass. It was, without a doubt, one of the single stupidest things I’ve ever done. I’m a creepy idiot, I get it. I’m sorry. Trust me, I regret it.”

“Listen… I don’t want you to think for even a second that we ever will. I won’t lead you on. Dancing with you would have been. You were just so sad, and I was too drunk to realize it before you touched me. It hit me all at once.”

“I only wanted to be your friend,” he stated in defeat. “I wanted to show you I’m not a perverted douchebag. I’m not a bad person.”

Wrapping both of my arms around my stomach, I couldn’t look at him still. Everything felt so awkward and embarrassing. “I don’t think you are. And we can be friends, but we won’t be that kind. I won’t be able to dance with you. It’s too intimate, and it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Do you want to have sex with me?” He asked suddenly. It was so shocking that I laughed. His face scrunched up in annoyance. “It seems like a fair question. It would explain why it caused you to be so uneasy.”

“Not even a little. No.” I walked towards my room around him, finished with the conversation. “So, as your friend, I won’t make you think I do.”

He turned to watch me leave. “You wouldn’t have freaked out if you didn’t.”

“I wanted to fuck the version of you I invented in my head. But he never existed, and I only created him because I was too lonely and depressed to find a real man. But now I have one, and there’s no comparison.”

Edward rubbed the back of his neck, frowning as he did. “I couldn’t get you out of my mind when you were gone. I thought about you every single day.”

Opening my bedroom door, I deliberated for a second before moving inside. I barely glanced in his direction. “I honestly didn’t think about you at all.”

Instead of going through my closet and cleaning my room like I intended to, I laid in bed and ordered groceries to be delivered later in the afternoon and went back to sleep until fifteen minutes before they were supposed to show up. The apartment was empty by then, both Edward and Tanya had left for work.

I dreamed about Albany and grilling out when I napped.

Jasper got off precisely at six. It felt strange to have him knocking on the door. I wanted to be in a home he could walk into. For it to be ours. I had given him keys, but he wasn’t comfortable enough with my feisty roommate to just barge in. 

He had already removed his blazer, his guns put away in the trunk of his BMW for safekeeping. Pulling me into his arms as soon as I opened the door for him, he pressed me against his chest with his hands on my ass.

“How was your day?” I asked as I embraced him tightly, my fingers in his hair. We were both acting like we hadn’t seen each other in months, not hours. 

“So boring,” he mumbled into my neck, making me giggle. It tickled.

“What did you do?”

“I did paperwork from eight until noon, and then I had lunch with my new boss, Dr. Anastas. I learned her husband just bought her two pygmy goats that she puts in baby clothes she gets from thrift stores. She customizes them on her days off. Then did more paperwork from one until six.”

It was so hard not to laugh. “Aw! I don’t want any baby goats, but I want to play with them. I hope she has a farm for them to run around,” I smirked, nuzzling his cheek gently.

He snorted softly against my throat. “They apparently have a lot of land. I think my boss might be a hipster, but I like her. She might be weirder than me, though.”

“Better than Jerry?”

“The goats would have been better than Jerry,” he replied dryly.

Pulling back with a laugh, I put my hands on his shoulders. “Well, better a quirky hipster with farm animals in pajamas than an asshole.”

Jasper chuckled softly, nodding his head in agreement. “Amen, darlin. How was your day?”

“Ugh.” I pulled away from him gently. “I ran into Edward this morning as soon as I got inside. He came at me right away about the club, too. I had to explain some things to him. It put me in a bad mood, so I just napped all afternoon.”

His frown was so deep, and his nose wrinkled in automatic disgust. “Do I need to clarify some matters for him?”

“No. It’s fine. He didn’t do anything. He wanted to know what he did wrong, and I had to tell him it was several things. Like he aspires to have sex with me, but I don’t want to fuck him. Or touch him. Even if he was just being friendly, I could… feel it, and it made me uncomfortable.”

 “Mm, I’m sure he took that well.”

“He told me he couldn’t get me out of his head,” I breathed, horrified by the knowledge. “But I barely even thought about Tanya when we were away, and she really is my dear friend. I certainly didn’t think about him. Why is he so interested? Honestly, I don’t get it.”

My boyfriend put his hand on my cheek as he smiled slightly. “You are the most beautiful woman that has ever turned him down. You are intelligent, creative, and into the same things he is. It just eats him up that he ignored you for years.”

“I’m so glad he did.”

“Me too,” he admitted as his grin grew. “You wouldn’t be mine then. It was his mistake. One he regrets, especially when he sees how happy we are together.”
“He has Tanya. I doubt that part bothers him.”

He shook his head. “Edward told me it does. Before we left.” I looked up at him, stunned. “He sent a message to patch things up before Tanya’s party so it wouldn’t be awkward if I came. I’m not interested in being friends with him again. I don’t hate him, I just-” he sighed. “He’s right to be jealous, though. You’re incredible. And all mine.”

“Yes, sir, I am,” I grinned. “Are you ready for some dinner?”

“Yes, please.” I took his hand and led him towards the kitchen. “So, to change the subject to a much better one, I was thinking about some things we might want from a townhouse. I’d like just a little yard, so we can have a space to grill out. Three bedrooms, two baths for sure. A garage would be nice, too. Do you care about access to a pool? I wouldn’t hate it.”

We spent the entire evening looking at my laptop at houses until we left to go back to the hotel for the night.


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Thank to Gina for proofreading this chapter!


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💛💛💛Hey, y'all! Just wanted to let you know that Key will be taking next week off (May 25th-29) so I can focus on my anniversary (😘18 years! 🥰) and take a little break now that school is over. Key will return June 2nd with Chapter Twenty-one: In a Leather dress! See y'all then! 💛💛💛

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5/19/2020

Key. Chapter Nineteen: In a Crowd

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Chapter Nineteen: In a Crowd


The next day, we slept in and relaxed. Wednesday, I went to dinner with Tanya and Alice. Rosalie was hanging out with her, so we invited her to join us. They got along instantly. It was sweet. It was nice to catch up with my oldest and now newest friends. Hopefully, my former roommate would warm up to my boyfriend since she liked his sister so much.

Thursday, we had dinner with his family at their home. They were all so happy to have Jasper back again. And he was obviously delighted to be there. We stayed late into the evening, talking, eating, and playing card games. Mamaw kicked everyone’s ass at poker. I wasn’t surprised. She was a hustler. It was a nice way to spend Independence Day.

Justin was the most excited I had ever seen him as he talked about his party that was coming up on the weekend. He rented out a whole lakeside event hall where they would shoot fireworks off a barge. Jasper was silent throughout the entire discussion. He really thought what they were doing was too much, but he wouldn’t rain on their parade.

On Saturday, when we arrived at the lake, the parking lot was filled with cars already. There would be well over three hundred people there from what his father said. Jasper seemed uncomfortable in his polo shirt and jeans, sunglasses over his eyes. He still looked like a cop. His face was tight, his body tense. I couldn’t understand why. He had been anxious all day long.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned softly as we walked towards the building. The gravel crunched under my sandals. Music was already playing loud enough that we could hear it outside. There were red, white, and blue decorations everywhere.

“Big noisy places like this make me uncomfortable,” he stated.

“They’ve never bothered you before.”

He cleared his throat, the sound rough and unpleasant. “Okay, loud situations like this with lots of people who know me, but I don’t know them, makes me uneasy,” Jasper corrected himself.

“Ah,” I nodded in understanding. “Okay, that makes more sense.”

Sighing, he shook his head as if it disappointed him. “These individuals have known me, or at least learned all about me, since I was a child, and I don’t know a damn one of their names. And frankly, I don’t want to!” His pout was a little cute. He opened the door for me to go inside the building.

I laughed. “You’ve turned into a cranky homebody.”

Opening his mouth, Jasper snapped it shut quickly. His frown just made me giggle more. “Ugh, maybe. It’s so hot, too. I’d rather go soak in the pool at the hotel.”

“Tomorrow?” I offered. He nodded, sighing again as my boyfriend pursed his lips. I bumped my elbow into his side, glancing up at him. “Aw, you’ll be okay. There’ll be good food and a bar! I promise it won’t be that bad.”

Scoffing, he looked at me from the corner of his eye. “Yeah, that’s not terrible, I suppose.”

People surrounded Caroline and Justin, but she still saw us from across the room as soon as we entered. She waved frantically. “Y’all come here! I want you to meet someone!” She shouted, wiggling her fingers. In her other fist was a drink. The woman was exceptionally loud.

Moving through the party, they separated like the Red Sea. Jasper’s hand curled against the small of my back. I could hear the whispers that I was the future novelist daughter-in-law to the hero-son as we walked closer. “How’s the pool sounding? Are you hungry?” He asked under his breath.

“I could use a drink,” I replied in a low murmur with a smirk. “Hi!” I called brightly to his mother when we got close enough. My smile was huge and fake, straining my cheeks a little. “It already smells good in here.” I didn’t know what else to start with. 

“They’re setting up now!” She informed me as she put her arm around me and turned me towards the crowd. Caroline pulled me totally from her son’s grip and ignored him. “Everyone, this is Bella, Jasper’s girlfriend. Isn’t she gorgeous?!”

I quickly looked back at him in surprised horror. His eyes were sparkling with apparent amusement, the corners of his mouth twitching. My boyfriend nodded along with her in agreement when his mother finally glanced at him. When she turned, I gave him an annoyed glare. He just shrugged and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’ 

Someone cleared their throat to get my attention. “Caroline has been talking about you for months! It was so sweet of you to go with him up there while he worked,” an older woman I had never met before began. I smiled at her politely because I didn’t know what to say. Frankly, I didn’t think it was. I couldn’t have been without him any more than he could have been without me. “So, when are y’all planning on getting married?”

My jaw hit my chest. 

“Well, I have no earthly idea,” I spoke as lightly as possible, trying not to laugh anxiously in her face like a crazy person. “Honey, can you get me that drink we were talking about?” I asked Jasper, tilting my head to the side.

“Malibu and rum, rum punch, or a beer?” He inquired with a chuckle. It was a little petty, but he didn’t mean it like that. He just knew exactly how I felt.

“Rum punch,” I mumbled. It was the strongest. I wouldn’t ask for shots in front of his parents, even if I wanted them. 

Jasper’s father perked up. He was almost done with whatever was in his transparent plastic cup. “I’ll get that for you. What about you, boy? You want something?”

“Martini?”

He visibly shuddered. “I just don’t know how you can drink that rubbing alcohol with pickle juice.”

“Make it extra dirty, please.” He grinned at his disgust. “Thank you.”

The room instantly got noisier when Emmett and Rosalie arrived. There were a lot of younger men there that were mechanics with their dates, and they all knew both of them. It took them five minutes to get through the crowd to us. The entire time they were greeting folks.

Rose hugged me as soon as she saw me, pushing through several people to get to me. It seemed to surprise the group of women around Caroline. They were the office workers from some of their lots. Most of them had worked together for twenty or thirty years. Emmett lifted me off the ground with his embrace next.

He wiggled my dangling legs, his grin bright. “Are you going to get smashed with me again, lady?” He asked me like an eager child. I giggled in response, putting my arms around his neck so I wouldn’t drop to the floor.

“Uh, no,” I remarked right away, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “Last time was a mistake. You did it on purpose, too.”

Laughing softly, Jasper leaned in some. “You just realized that was what they were doing?”

His brother-in-law turned to look at him while still holding me. “Shh… Don’t give away my secrets.” He carefully put me down to my feet. “What you got there, girl? I’ll get you a refill,” he questioned as he pointed at my nearly empty cup. Only a little pink liquid was left at the bottom.

“Rum punch, please.” He winked at me and did two stupid finger guns, clicking his tongue as he did. “Beer, baby?” He asked his wife. She rolled her eyes but saluted him in return.

“He pre-gamed hard, didn’t he?” I whispered to Rosalie.

“Oh, god. So hard. We’re taking an Uber.” I nodded my head. We were, too.

“So, Bella,” another woman started. “Why don’t you tell us about your books?” They all leaned in eagerly. I had experienced nothing like it before. Fifteen old ladies all stared at me at once as if I was about to perform a trick. Nervously, I fidgeted with my lock and key. “You’re getting published, right?”

“Well,” I cleared my throat and smiled. “Um, I’m already self-published, but I just signed a deal with a publishing house out of New York. And I have an agent now. My novels are available online, but they’re going to distribute them on a national scale.”

“Like at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million?” someone else asked.

It felt as if I was being passed around like a party favor. I was glad when it was time to sit down to eat. It was like dining at the actual restaurant, waiters hurriedly bringing the meat to each table with cheese bread, baked bananas, and yucca fries. There was also a full salad bar. Jasper’s brother-in-law gave them a workout, as did his father. It was good, though, and I couldn’t blame them. I enjoyed more than my fair share.

After dessert, I was once again swallowed by a crowd of women led by Caroline. Jasper slipped away to use the restroom after a time. When twenty minutes passed, I realized he wasn’t coming back. Excusing myself, I looked for him until I finally found him outside around the corner behind the building. The hall had large glass windows that overlooked the lake, and he was just out of sight of them. The music and the laughter were so loud.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I gently inquired, walking towards him slowly.

“Just getting some air,” he breathed. Jasper quickly moistened his lips, looking up at me. His face was stressed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you like that. I needed a few minutes.”

I leaned against the wall beside him. “Were they becoming too much?”

He nodded his head. “Yeah. Just a little.”

The light was fading, and the cicadas were getting louder. It added to the near frantic tempo of the activity inside. “They’re only curious, that’s all. I don’t mind it.”

“Yeah,” Jasper smiled. He paused, clearing his throat. “Honestly, this is why I don’t enjoy going to church with them, but at least there is a point when they’re forced to shut up.”

Laughing, I squeezed his hand. We were silent for a long moment. I wanted to give him whatever he needed. In the darkness, I looked over his delicate features and pale skin that glowed in the moonlight. I turned my head towards the lake just in time to watch the first firework rocketing into the air. The boom was deafening, echoing over the water as the sparks of light reflected off the calm surface. I felt Jasper’s entire body jerk and tense. Automatically, I pivoted to see what was happening. Grimacing, he twisted his face away from the sky.

“What’s wrong?” I spun entirely to look at him.

He closed his eyes tightly. There was another bang, two in a row this time. I could see the pain in his face. “Nothing-” Jasper lied. There was shame in his voice, and I couldn’t understand it.

Another went off, making him jump again.

“You don’t like fireworks?” I said in a whisper. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed heavily. He wouldn’t answer. I put my hands on his cheeks to make him look at me. “No, don’t. It’s okay.”

I leaned up on my toes and kissed his lips lightly. When more popped, I could feel his chest heave as his heart sped up. His fingers curled into the fabric of my dress.

“I haven’t really liked them in a while, but it’s worse this year,” he admitted, his eyes still shut as tightly as they could be. “They don’t scare me. But my body just reacts.”

“Oh, baby…” I breathed. Instantly, I felt like an inconsiderate asshole. “It’s okay. A lot of veterans don’t enjoy fireworks. I’m sorry. I should have thought about that. We can go-”

“No, it’s fine. They’ll be over soon, and the party is only really getting started. They’ve got games and door prizes and shit.”

Swiftly shaking my head, I made him look at me. “I don’t care about that.” I pushed my thumb over his cheek. He didn’t move, making me sigh. I wanted to take his discomfort away, but I wasn’t sure how. Finally, I removed my wireless earbuds from my purse with my phone and quickly switched on a playlist. Putting them in his ears, I turned the music up as loudly as I could. “Can you hear anything?”

Once more, he shook his head slowly. I twisted him away from the lake and tugged him down for a deep and powerful kiss. “Look at me,” I whispered softly against his cheek. “It’s okay. You’re safe, I promise.”

“I know.”

I didn’t even notice when the fireworks display ended. Jasper had me pressed as hard as he could against the wall, his hand under my sundress on my thigh. He had lost himself in touching me, aggressive and needy. There would be hickies on the places where he had pushed the straps of my dress down, the tops of my breasts exposed.

“Yo!” Emmett yelled at us, snorting as he did. “Get it, girl.”

“I’m trying to! Go away,” I complained as I peered over my boyfriend’s shoulder. I had wrapped my legs around his waist, and my feet were completely off the ground. Desperately, I clung to him.

Laughing, he shook his head. “Caroline is looking for you.”

Jasper removed the earbuds finally and put them back into my purse. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

“Need a second to get that boner to calm down?” He joked.

“I wish I had my gun,” he whispered to me. “I’ve not had enough alcohol to deal with your immature bullshit, Em.”

He quickly threw his hands up. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Jesus, I didn’t realize your panties would become so bunched. I’ll buy you both a drink to make up for it.”

When he walked away, I pulled Jasper’s face toward mine. “We can leave at any time. Tell me when.”

“No, I’m better now,” he promised after letting me back down to my feet. I pouted, not believing him. “I am, I swear. Thank you for distracting me. It helped. You always know exactly what I need.”  


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5/15/2020

Key. Chapter Eighteen: In a Pod

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Chapter Eighteen: In a Pod


Not long after, I spent most of the morning writing after Jasper headed to work. I woke up with him to make breakfast, sleepily sitting on his lap in just my panties and his socks that went halfway up my calves. It wasn’t a sexy look. Our meal wasn’t much. Bagels, yogurt, fruit, and iced coffee. The air was sticky and humid already, making it hard to even want to put on a shirt, let alone eat something hot. It made it difficult to concentrate, so I took a nap after struggling to get three pages down for four hours.

When I felt the bed shift, it scared the hell out of me. My heart fluttered in my chest as I jumped, almost ramming my forehead into my boyfriend’s. He was quicker than me, though. Thankfully, or someone would have had a broken nose.

“Shh, shh, shh,” he murmured calmly as he brushed his fingers over my cheek. “It’s me, darlin. It’s okay.”

“Oh, did you get off early again?” I asked, smiling up at him happily. His voice was all I needed to soothe me instantly. “Or did you just come home for a lunchtime quickie?”

Jasper laughed, shaking his head. “No. Um… My part is done. They said we could go. We fly out on Monday.”

I sat up in surprise, adjusting carefully so that my back was against the headboard. For some reason, I wanted to cry. Tears filled my eyes, stinging my nose. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, okay,” I breathed. I nodded, trying to act calm. “I guess we have a lot to do to get ready. Um, we’ll need to get-”

He lifted his hand, stopping me from going further. “This morning, I took the liberty of ordering one of those small pod containers they just ship. So you don’t have to get rid of any of the new treasures you’ve collected here. I figured you had become attached. And they’ll come in handy when we find our place.”

My mouth opened a little, but no noise came out. Swiftly, I leaned forward to kiss his lips. “Thank you. That’s so thoughtful.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, so I could bury my face in his chest.

“It’s easier than stressing out about it. It’ll be here tomorrow, and they’ll pick it up on Sunday. We have to turn our keys into the office in the afternoon. We’ll stay that night at a hotel. It’ll be delivered to my parent’s house on Wednesday.”

“That’s perfect. Do you want to stay at the Desmond again?” I asked with a grin. “You can tie me to the bed.”

“Huh, I already rented a room,” he smirked, running his nose over mine. He was in a great mood. I still felt on the edge of emotional, though. His arms tightened around my body. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just so happy here,” I breathed.

He pulled back to look at me, putting his hand on my chin. “And it’ll get even better when we get to Dallas. We’ll find a place that’s perfect for us, and we’ll be with our friends and family again. Don’t worry,” he emphasized with a smile, his thumb skimming over my quivering lip. “I promised to make this the best year of your life, and it’s not over yet, okay? It’s only halfway done. It also means we get to have a bit of vacation, finally.”

“Oh! That’ll be nice. I almost forgot about Mexico.”

“I haven’t,” he stated in a serious voice. I laughed a little as I looked down at my lap. “We might not be able to do that, but I will take a few days off for my birthday next month, at least. I need it.”

Thirty-five was coming up quickly for Jasper. We had met just before his last birthday, and he didn’t tell me about it. He tried to act as if it was nothing, but I think it bothered him he was hitting ‘middle-aged.’ He was more sensitive about his age than I thought he would be. I would be thirty-one soon, but I didn’t feel any different from when I was twenty-one. Perhaps I even felt better. I was eating healthier and not like a college student. Truthfully, I was the same weight, but I was actually a size bigger back then in jeans, and my boobs were smaller. I liked that the fat switched places in the right way. 

“Do you get any time off before you have to start your new job?”

“I start next Monday. I’m on administrative duty mainly while I learn the lay of the land down there, so it won’t be too stressful. I’ll have weekends off for a little while. They probably don’t want me to lead a case because I might be needed anytime in Albany.”

That made me more excited than anything else he had said. “Really?! You’ll have weekends off?”

“For the next month or two. I need to help them get caught up. They’ve had a temp, but it’s not the same. I’ll be working Monday through Friday, eight to six.”

That’s what I needed to hear to make me want to move. That sounded like a real vacation.

“What will you be doing exactly?” I asked curiously. I understood more about his job now and why he was required at crime scenes. He could tell you a hundred things by merely stepping into a room, like a party trick. One that took a decade’s worth of education to do. Jasper reminded me of Sherlock Holmes.

“Paperwork. Looking at pictures. Making calls to other agents. Juridical coordination. There is also a training class I need to take, which will be boring. I won’t be going to any sites for a while. So no traveling, yet.”

“Do you miss it?” He had been sitting still for the longest time I had known him. Jasper said he struggled with it as a child.

He shook his head right away. “Not a single bit, but I am ready to make a permanent home with you. With a bigger, softer bed. And a better air conditioner. A dishwasher.” I giggled as he listed the things he hated the most about the place. “So, what do we need to do?”

“Um,” I nibbled on my lip as I considered it, “I have some boxes, but maybe we should get some plastic tubs and some trash bags. Uh, packing tape, perhaps some bubble wrap for any glass stuff. I’ll wash everything to make sure it’s clean, so we don’t have to worry about that when we get back. It won’t be much. Just a couple of loads. I guess we pack tonight.”

Jasper nodded his head, smiling as he sat straighter. “Sounds easy enough. Think we can get everything we need down the block?”

I reached for his hands. “Yeah, for sure. Have you gotten lunch? Do you want to eat first?” I realized we never got that cute date at the Five Guys I wanted when we just arrived. It made me a little sad we didn’t explore the city more. We hardly went out. We enjoyed being together alone too much.

“Mm, yes, ma’am,” he smiled as he loosened his tie. He had already taken off his jacket and guns. “Let’s drive, though. It’s too muggy to be lugging things around.”

On Sunday afternoon, we stood in the shabby apartment’s doorway. It was perfectly clean, probably better than when we first moved in. It seemed so different, almost hollow. Only the smell of bacon lingered in the air from when Jasper made sandwiches for breakfast, reminding us it was our home. Sam would be there longer, so we gave all our food to him. I didn’t mean to, but I had gotten a collection of things. It felt like our visit would never end. Maybe I just didn’t want it to.

Funnily enough, we stayed in the same room at the Desmond. After we played that evening, we went to bed early. Jasper had nightmares about the shooting, the first in a while. Shaking, his breath was ragged as he cried in his sleep. I held him until he stopped. His trembling fingers curled around my back and into my hair.

The flight was boring, if anything else. Nothing happened. The weather was perfect. The plane took off on time, and we arrived when we were supposed to. Jasper’s parents were waiting at the airport to pick us up, so we wouldn’t need a rental car or taxi. I think Caroline was just eager to see her son again.

His mother held onto him for two minutes, squeezing his neck as she whispered about how much she missed him and how proud she was of him. Putting her fingers on his cheek, she cooed that Jasper was her big strong hero. I couldn’t help but giggle because I felt the same way, but I would never do that to him. 

With flushed pink cheeks, his eyes were on the ground. “Mama, please.”

Justin came to me and put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “I think Albany agreed with you! You look lovelier than ever.”

My boyfriend grinned. “Bella’s getting toned from all that walking she’s been doing. Getting a tan, too.”

“Yeah, as it turns out when it’s not a hundred degrees outside, it’s so much fun to go places that way!” I joked as Caroline came to hug me. “It’s so hot here!”

“Well, baby, it’s the first of July in Texas. I don’t know what you expected,” she teased in return. Playing with my hair, she smoothed it over my shoulder. “I’m so glad to have you back! And just in time for the fourth! It’s perfect! We’re going to have a big old party!”

“Joy,” Jasper murmured dryly. We walked towards the exit with our luggage. “Who’s catering this year?”

“Fogo De Chao!” she gleefully explained. “We’re getting the full-service setup!”

My boyfriend looked at me. “They throw one for all their employees and friends every fourth,” he informed me. “It’s bigger than their Christmas party.”

“Everyone can do a fun holiday bash, but I can blow things up on the fourth!” Justin chuckled, opening the car door for me.

“They do a full fireworks display. It is so overboard,” he told me bluntly as he slipped inside.

“I can’t wait!” I giggled. “It sounds like fun.”

“So, what plans do y’all got next?” His father asked as we started down the interstate.

Jasper looked over at me with a grin. “Lunch?” I over-enthusiastically nodded my head in agreement, making him smirk.

He laughed gently. “Okay, sounds good. But I meant for the future.”

I glanced at my boyfriend, who was relaxed in his seat beside me as he held my hand. “Well, we’ll take this week to unwind, and we will stay in one of those places with the little kitchens in them. Hopefully, for not more than a month, but I’m not in a rush. We’ve got to find the right place for us, so it might take a minute.” Grinning, I squeezed his fingers.

“You’re going to buy a home together?” Caroline squeaked as she turned around to look at us from the front seat.

Of course, Jasper hadn’t told them I had agreed to move in with him. He chuckled and sighed. “Well, something like that. I don’t think we’d want a house. We were actually discussing a townhouse or a condo. Three bedrooms, two baths, probably.”

“What would you use the third bedroom for?” she grinned at him eagerly. 

“Bella’s office. She deserves her own cozy workplace. Big desk, overstuffed couch with lots of pillows, a mini-fridge for snacks. That kind of thing. I’ll make it extra nice for my favorite author.”

“Aw,” I beamed up at him. He winked at me.

“Are you using the second bedroom for a nursery?” she asked next.

“Caroline!” Justin fussed at her. “They’re not even married yet.”

“In the future! Not right now,” she pouted as she turned back around with a huff. She crossed her arms over her chest. “If they’re buying, it’s something to think about.”

He shook his head at his wife. “There is a reason Rosalie yelled at you the other day. Stop pressuring these kids. Times are different. They ain’t in no rush. Now… what are we having for lunch?”

I wanted to tell Justin that I loved him. He reminded me so much of his son. They were both good men. Jasper was grateful for the distraction, too.

“You pick, my treat,” my man replied to his father with a small smile. They looked at each other in the rearview mirror for a moment.

After lunch, we went to his hotel. It was nicer than our place in Albany, admittedly, but the kitchen was smaller. It didn’t matter much. I had the one at my apartment if we needed it. I was still paying the rent there, so I might as well use it for more than a storage area for my things.

My truck was in my spot when we pulled up to my place. Tanya had been cranking it for me, driving it twice a week. Jasper would return after he dropped off his dry cleaning and ran errands. He didn’t like me using the rusted thing any more than he did before.

My roommate was sitting on the couch in her fluffy pink robe when I came in, a bright gold face mask smeared all over her skin.

“There you are!” She cheered as she hopped up from the sofa. She rushed to me to give me a big hug. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Me too,” I replied as I gently embraced her.

“It will be so good to have you back here again. It’s lonely without you.”

I laughed awkwardly. I knew I couldn’t give Jasper shit for not telling his parents when I hadn’t spoken to Tanya yet either. But I wanted to do it in person. “Yeah, about that…”

“You’re moving in with him, aren’t you?” she asked with a small frown.

“I’ll pay my part of the rent until we renew our lease in October. That way, you have more than enough time to find a new roommate or a place to stay. Perhaps you and Edward could move in together?”

She pouted her bottom lip. “Yeah, maybe. I kind of figured this was coming,” she confessed. Tanya stomped her foot. “I hate it. When will we see each other?”

“We’ll be in Dallas. And we’ll still be friends. It just makes sense. We will be together all the time, anyway.”

“Are you sure?” she asked in an almost childish voice.

“We’ve been together for over seven months now, and we’ve known each other for about a year. I know this is what I want. Being with him in New York was… magical.”

She let out a puffy breath. “Ugh, fine. I’m happy for you,” she commented dryly, making me laugh. “I can afford this place on my own. You don’t have to do that with the money. It’s nice, though.”

“No. I want to. I promised to do my part, and I signed the lease. Don’t worry. I have the cash. I’ll even give it to you all at once if you’d like.”

Clicking her tongue, she shook her head. She hugged me again before pulling back. “So, just stopping by to get some things?”

“Pretty much. Jasper will pick me up in a little while. He had some errands to run. Want to go to dinner sometime this week when I’m not exhausted? I’ll invite Alice too.”

She smiled in answer. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 


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5/12/2020

Key. Chapter Seventeen: In a Thrift store

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Chapter Seventeen: In a Thrift store


The money went into my account on that Friday. I cried when it did. I wished I could ask Jasper to come home so we could celebrate, but I knew how busy he was. But he made a point of going with me to the meeting. He felt guilty he couldn’t take me out sooner.

I didn’t care. Everything was perfect already. The attention he gave me every night was all I wanted.

June brought lovely weather in the mid-seventies. I adored being outside. In Texas, I would be sweating my ass off. I walked to the shops almost every day, and I often went to the park to write.

One of my favorite stores was the thrift shop in the same center as the burger place and the grocery store. I regularly got clothing there and a number of kitchen supplies. It didn’t take me long to realize I would ship a lot. But I didn’t care about that either. For once, I could afford something without worrying about the cost.

The best section was, without a doubt, the ‘new, still in the box with the tags’ area. I skimmed it every time I got something from the grocery store. So far, I had gotten brand-new Kevin Klein slacks that were just a bit big, so I could get them tailored to me, funky patterned Vans shoes, and a cast iron dutch oven that was a fire engine red.

This visit, I first went through the clothing racks. They rarely had anything my size. Then I noticed the little grill in a box on the floor under the kitchen items. It was only five dollars, was a name brand with cast iron grates, and it even came with the tool to put it together.

Even if we only used it once, it would be worth it. It was heavy, but it wasn’t a hard sell. I took it home and built it eagerly. It didn’t take me long. It was a small kettle dome and shiny black. I was so pleased with my findings.

At the grocery store, I first selected a bag of charcoal and matches. It was so tough to pick out what to cook, though. Steaks sounded delicious. And I knew how much Jasper loved them. But they also had pork tenderloin on a great sale. After staring at the meat section, I finally decided just to make both. We could eat whatever was leftover as barbecue sandwiches. I grabbed buns, the sauce, and chips and a whole host of vegetables. Large baking potatoes, zucchini, squash, corn, mushrooms, onions, and pineapple, too.

Since I knew it would take a long time to get everything done, I got started way before Jasper usually arrived home around seven. I wanted to have a feast waiting for him. I even made a potato in the pressure cooker for Sam. He would enjoy it. We had plenty of beer and wine in the fridge for a good night with his friend.

It took a while for the coals to become hot enough since I put in so many. I left the door open to the balcony, listening to music as I chopped vegetables to make kabobs. It was just a little windy, and it carried the warm smell throughout the apartment. They went on the grill first while I sliced the pork into thick chops. The meat would have a quick marinade while the steaks went on next. They would have to go in rounds since it was so small.

Leaning against the doorway, I sipped a beer and relaxed with the sunshine on my face. The air felt so good on my bare legs. My blue jean shorts barely covered my ass, but I didn’t care. It was so comfortable. Everything I could do in the house was done, and all I had to do was finish the meat and wait for my man.

The sun was still shining when Jasper’s car unexpectedly pulled up. He hadn’t texted, but it was early, and perhaps he was trying to surprise me. Sam stepped out of the backseat, which shocked me. Then another person I had never met before rose from the passenger side. He was a short, thin, pale fellow with shiny black straight hair that went past his shoulders. It was neatly pinned back. He appeared to be in his late forties, his skin smooth. Unlike the two men in suits, he was dressed more casually in slacks and a polo shirt. They were speaking until he stopped and sniffed the air suddenly.

“Oh, isn’t that a lovely aroma? The things we smell are rarely pleasant.” 

I giggled to myself. Sam was the first to look up. He smiled when he saw me. “Well, hello beautiful.”

Walking to the railing, I was barefoot on the concrete. As I pushed my sunglasses up, I rested against it to peer down at them. I wiggled my fingers playfully. “Good evening, gentleman.”

“How are you doing?” He asked next. My boyfriend was watching me silently with astonishment in his eyes, his expression curious. His cheeks were slightly pink.

“I’m fantastic! I found something kind of awesome at the junk store today. Wanna guess what it is?”

He hummed loudly, slamming his door. “I’ll say a grill.”

I gasped then pointed my beer bottle at him. “World-class detective skills, Special Agent Uley.”

Chuckling, he shrugged out of his blazer. “What can I say? I’m good at what I do.”

Both of the other men laughed a little under their breath, shutting their doors, too. The new guy smiled up at me. “Well, I don’t know what you’re cooking, miss, but it smells incredible.”

“Thank you. I’ve got veggie skewers, ribeyes, and pork chops. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to make and went a bit nuts.”

Sam looked at Jasper and sighed. “That’s exactly the crazy you want in a girlfriend.”

Laughing, he nodded his head in agreement, but his eyes never left me.

“Oh! So you must be the infamous Isabella Swan!” The man said cheerfully, looking over at my boyfriend with a grin. “This is your partner?”

“Oh, no! I’m infamous?” I responded with a giggle, taking a sip of a beer. “That’s never a good sign.”

He laughed too, putting his hand on his heart. “Excuse me, I misspoke. I mean, the fabled Ms. Swan. You are the stuff of legends around the bureau.”

Finally, Jasper cleared his throat. “Um, Bella, this is my boss’s boss’s boss, Dr. Micheal Aro,” he introduced me. “He is the director of all the behavioral units for the entire country.”

I stood up straighter, putting my beer bottle behind my back. “Oh, wow. Uh, nice to meet you, sir.”

“Trust me. The pleasure is all mine.”

All the men started up the stairs. Sam’s room was about three doors down from us. It surprised me that the head would stay in a place like this, but I said nothing. Maybe he wanted to show that anything that was good enough for his underlings was good enough for him. Or perhaps the FBI really was that cheap.

I had to pull the steaks off to rest and start the pork chops. His former partner was practically drooling, his chin tipped back as he took each step purposefully. “I am so jealous of you right now.”

Snickering at his attitude, I shook my head. “Sam, you know you’re always welcome to join us. And if you’d like to, you can too, sir,” I added politely like the good hostess I was.

Dr. Aro looked surprised, his face lighting up. He quickly glanced at Jasper then back at me. “I would be delighted! Thank you so much!”

Jasper’s eyes were huge. I couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t ideal to have your big boss in your sad apartment, but since he was staying there, I was sure he didn’t mind. It would have been impolite not to offer when we had so much.

“Come on in! Can I get you a drink?” I asked as I took the plate into the kitchen and placed it onto the table already filled with food. I covered everything in foil so it wouldn’t get cold. 

He followed behind. “Yes, please. I’ll take one of those beers if you have another.”

“Yes, sir, I do!” Hurrying to the fridge, Jasper was right behind me. I could feel him on my back. “Would you like one as well?” I asked him in a sweet voice, looking over my shoulder.

“Please,” he mumbled. I didn’t even bother to ask Sam. I just got him one. Lining them up, I started popping the tops with the opener. The caps clinked onto the countertop. “Are you sure this is okay?” He spoke in a low tone directly in my ear.

Smiling, I rose up on my toes to give him a quick kiss. “Of course, I am. It’ll be done in about fifteen minutes. Y’all got off early tonight! I wasn’t expecting you yet. I thought I had more time.”

“Take your time, Ms. Swan,” Dr. Aro politely replied as he took his beer and sat on our sofa beside Sam. He smirked at me when I gave him his drink.

“Please call me Bella.”

“And you can call me Mike, please,” he grinned in return. “How exciting! I haven’t been to an old-fashioned barbecue in years.”

Sam finished half his booze in one go before putting it down on the coffee table. He stood up with his briefcase. “Honey, I’m going to go get changed real quick. I’ll be right back.”

Poor Jasper looked overwhelmed as I went back to him in the kitchen. He said nothing, his eyes wide. I wrapped my arms around his waist and lightly kissed his lips. “Why don’t you get changed so you can help me?”

This got him out of his head. “Oh, yeah. Sure. I’m sorry. Let me do that,” he uttered in a rush, going to the closet to pick out his jeans and shirt. I smiled as I watched him, finishing getting the rest of the meat ready for the grill.

Since there were more than three of us, I peeled the pressure-cooked potatoes and swiftly mashed them with lots of butter and cheese. They were more than big enough for that. I also added the salad to the table with all the dressings we had. We had a good selection since it was my typical lazy lunch.

Sam returned in jeans and a polo, carrying a six-pack of beer. “Here, I don’t want to come to this party empty-handed.”

“Thanks,” I giggled. “Put it in the refrigerator for me.”

“I can’t wait to get back home, and I’ll have you over to my place. You can meet my wife. You’d love her. She’s a cook like you,” he told me as he did. His expression was wistful.

“I can’t wait. I’ll tell her how terrible you’ve been behaving up here.”

He laughed, going back to the couch. “Oh, god. She knows. She’s glad I’m out of her hair.”

“I doubt that.” My boyfriend finally came out of the bathroom, changed, and in socks. He seemed so awkward. “Sweetheart, can you flip the pork chops, please?” My hands were busy. “The tongs are over here.”

He took them from beside me on the counter, smirking a little as he looked at them. Jasper clicked them twice. Almost without thinking, he playfully snapped them at my stomach. They pinched my shirt, making me giggle. He smiled as well but said nothing. Before he went outside to do as I asked, he kissed my forehead.

We sat around the table together, enjoying way too much food. All the men had at least three beers each. They were chatting and laughing about work. I knew enough about what was going on to follow along and contribute to the conversation. Dr. Aro was very cheerful and interested in hearing the things I had to say. He even asked me questions.

“And you’re a novelist, from what I understand?” he inquired as we got dessert. Freshly baked brownies. I wasn’t sure how they could eat anymore. We still had plenty of leftovers for barbecue sandwiches the next day, though.

“Yes, sir,” I smiled.

“And she just signed a four-book deal!” Jasper praised as he took my hand. “I’m so proud.”

Mike beamed. “My beloved Sulpicia, my wife, is a librarian and loves to read. Our house is floor-to-ceiling books or places for her to read. Yet, she still has a Kindle and an iPad… and a million audiobooks.”

I laughed. “Oh, a woman after my heart.”

“It’s too much,” he smirked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Certain novels are better experienced in different ways. Honestly, she just sounds like the kind of person who is ready to read in any situation.”

He chuckled, touching my hand lightly for only a moment. “That’s exactly what she says.” He shook his head. “I still say it’s a fire hazard.”

Playfully grimacing, I ducked my head. “Okay, yeah, maybe a little. May I suggest no candles?”

Laughing louder, he smirked as he raised his eyebrows. “The problem with that obvious recommendation is she also loves candles.”

“So, good fire insurance?” I deadpanned.

“The best!” He laughed again as he stood. “Thank you so much for this marvelous meal and wonderful company. It’s getting late, and I have to fly out first thing in the morning. If you will excuse me?”

Everyone rose from the table, too. “Yes, sir! Thank you so much for joining us,” Jasper quickly answered.

“I’m heading out, too. I’m so full I can barely keep my eyes open,” Sam added as he patted his stuffed belly.

Dr. Aro rubbed his shoulder as he followed him to the door. “Same. I don’t think it’ll be hard to sleep tonight.” He turned around and took both of my hands. “It was a pleasure to meet you once again, Bella. I hope one day I can return the favor and have you over to my home for a meal. Maybe someday soon you’ll find yourself in Washington, D.C.”

“I would like that. I’m sure your wife and I would have plenty to talk about.”

Impishly, he shook his head. “She’d never let you leave. Anyway, goodnight.”

We watched the two men move towards their rooms. The grill was still smoking. I leaned against the arm of the sofa, playing with my necklace. Jasper clicked the lock into place after shutting the door, letting out a slow breath before he turned to look at me.

His smile was huge, and his cheeks once again pink. “Holy shit.”

“That went well!” I said proudly. “He seems nice.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t think you understand exactly how big this was for my career.” He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it at the ends.

“Having dinner with your boss?” I questioned, tilting my head to the side.

He rested against the door. “No, not just a dinner with my boss. With one of the top people in all the FBI. He claims a position I aspire to hold, and he invited us over for a cutesy date with his wife.” Jasper covered his mouth with his hand and laughed. “You just charmed the hell out of him. He is a powerful friend to have, darlin. And I thought I was doing well with giving him good scotch every Christmas.”

Playfully, I wiggled my shoulders at him. “Aw, I didn’t do anything special, but I’m glad you’re so happy about the results. I’ll keep it up, I promise.”

Rushing towards me, Jasper tackled me to the couch and kissed my lips deeply. I giggled against his mouth, wrapping my legs around his waist. “You’re unbelievable. I feel like I need to reward you somehow,” he joked as he pecked down my chest.

“Oo, I like the sound of that. What kind of reward?”

He considered it for only a second. “We can do anything you desire tonight,” he offered seductively, pushing my shirt up my stomach to kiss my bare skin lightly. “I’m off tomorrow. We can play all night.”

Biting my lip, I thought about it with a smile. “Do you want to switch?”

Jasper grinned wickedly. “Hell yeah… Goddess.”


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5/8/2020

Key. Chapter. Sixteen: In my Purse

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Chapter Sixteen: In my Purse


At six o’clock, Ms. Rachelle finally turned the camera off again. We had just finished discussing my relationship at length. We went over the ‘when’ and ‘how’ it started. And we covered our sexual practices in the most exceptional detail. It stressed poor Jasper out, but I thought it was funny. It was hard to keep my amused snickers in.

“Alright, Ms. Swan, I have more questions for you. Will you be able to come in again tomorrow? At the same time?” She asked as she wrote a note.

I nodded my head quickly. “Yes, ma’am. I can. May I ask how many more days do you think I’ll have to come in? I have a business meeting planned for Saturday, and I want to make sure I can make it.”

She smiled at my eagerness to be helpful. “We should finish up tomorrow, hopefully.”

“Perfect,” I answered as I stood from the table and picked up my purse. “Anything else besides that list I need to bring?”

“No, I don’t think so. Thank you for being so open with us, Ms. Swan. I know we’re asking some invasive questions, but you understand the nature of the case.”

“No, it’s fine,” I promised. She opened the door for me. “Have a good night.”

Jasper was waiting for me, leaning against the wall across from the entrance. He smiled when he saw me. “Perfect timing. I just got off. Do you want to go home to get freshened up first?”

“No, I’m starving,” I mumbled, resting against him as I wrapped my arm around his. “We’ll have dinner, have a couple of drinks, stop by the store for some wine and cake on the way home, and continue this celebration in private?”

“Perfect,” he agreed. “But, I already got one and some champagne in the car.” I looked over at him in surprise. “Delivery is so handy. It’s a Japanese strawberry cream cake. I thought we could try something different.”

“Oh, how fancy!” I grinned. “Thank you. So thoughtful.”

He pulled his badge from his chest and put it in his pocket as we walked outside. “I wanted to get my beautiful girl something nicer than the paltry grocery store by the apartment offered. You deserve it.” Jasper put his hand on my lower back. “By the way,” he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “you’re so sexy in this skirt.”

Smiling, I bumped my hip into his. “I wore it one of the first times we were together,” I replied with a smirk, glancing up at him. He looked down at me so warmly.

“I know. It’s one of my favorites.”

He put his guns in his briefcase, then came to open the door for me. Before allowing me inside, Jasper brought me into a gentle kiss. His fingers twisted in my curls as his hand slid down to my ass. He gave it a big squeeze.

“Get me drunk and use me tonight,” I told him against his lips, still grinning.

“Mm, with pleasure, darlin.”

The parking lot wasn’t as busy as New Year’s Eve. It was early on a Tuesday, though. There were only a few police cars and a handful of regular ones. Several of the officers greeted us as we walked in. They were smoking outside like before. The weather was much more pleasant. May was delightful. Especially at night. I loved it.

We sat at a table in a corner. A waitress hurried to us right away, giving us a menu. Jasper didn’t look at it. He didn’t have to. He came enough for lunch.

“I’ll take a martini to start. What about you?” He asked with a smile, reaching for my hand. It felt so different from the first time we came. He was so relaxed.

“I’ll try the rum punch,” I answered, looking at the happy hour specials. “Can we have a basket of cheese fries?”

“Sure,” she replied before bounding away.

Jasper brought my knuckles up to kiss. He was smiling at me so proud. “So, we’ll have to do something huge to celebrate when you get published. We should start planning now. What would you like to do?”

“Oh!” I laughed, putting my chin on my knuckles as I gazed at him. “I don’t know. Something wildly naughty.”

He chuckled, nodding his head. “I think I can handle that.” My boyfriend winked, kissing my palm lightly. “Why don’t you write some scenes for inspiration, Isabella?” He asked, looking at me from underneath his eyelashes.
​
“I think I can handle that,” I repeated his words with a grin. I felt a hand on my back. Turning around automatically, I realized it was Sam. I smiled at him brightly. “Hi!”

“Hello, sugar. It’s always good to see you. We were wondering if we would see you out here again!” He teased me gently.

“It’s my fault. She’s wanted to,” Jasper told his friend. “I’ve been too tired to do anything, but we’re celebrating a little tonight.”

Leaning in, he gave a rueful grin. “Oh, what are we celebrating, hm?”

“My publisher wants to expand my contract to four books, and I’ll get my first advance this week. So, sit down, and I’ll buy you a drink. And some dinner, too.”

He put his hand on his chest. “Well, thank you! I don’t mind if I do,” he answered as he pulled up a chair beside me. Jasper rolled his eyes, not exactly pleased. “Don’t worry, I’ve already eaten. I’m just staying for a drink,” he promised with a chuckle. “I realize this was going to be a private party.”

“No, the real celebration will be later, and you won’t be invited to that,” he mumbled under his breath before smirking. The waitress brought his martini and my punch.

“Oh, you’re not that kinky?” He said dryly. My boyfriend kicked his shin. “Fuck,” he murmured in pain. Our confused waitress looked at him. “I’ll take another beer, honey,” Sam informed her, holding up his hand. She knew exactly the kind he wanted without even glancing at his bottle.

“Put it on my tab,” I told her quickly.

“It’s adorable how you think you’ll pay for a thing tonight,” my boyfriend told me as he took a sip of his drink. He licked his lips. “We’re celebrating you. I’m buying it.”

“Hell no, you’re not. I just made a shitload of money today. I want to.”

“Isabella-”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” I laughed, making him smirk. “You already bought the cake! And I bet it was way more expensive than this. I want to. Let me treat you.”

Sam raised his beer. “Yeah, man! Let her! She wants to.”

His friend looked at him with a slightly annoyed scowl, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes. “We’ll see.”

I picked up a small white cocktail napkin from the table, balled it up, and threw it at his face. “No. I don’t care if you don’t like it. I’m paying.”

“We’ll see,” he repeated wryly. He tossed it back at me.

“Stubborn,” I complained, rolling my eyes, too.

“Be careful. You might just earn a spanking, Doc,” his friend teased softly under his breath.

Slowly, I turned to stare at him. My expression was dead serious as I leaned in. “Look, Sam, I like you. I really do. But if you continue to give Jasper a hard time about all the incredible ways he gets me off, I will take you out behind this bar and beat you like a redheaded stepchild and then never feed you again. Do you understand me?” My voice was low and threatening, with each word calm and even.

His big black eyes got wider with shock. “Yes, ma’am. I apologize. I am very sorry. It will never happen again,” he replied right away, sitting back in his chair. I had truly shaken him.

“He will tell me if it does. I’m serious.”

“I understand.”

Jasper’s mouth hung open in surprise. “You complete piece of shit. Seriously, that’s all it takes? I could beat your ass at any time.”

“You won’t, though. And more importantly, she will stop feeding me,” he answered before shrugging. “That’s far worse.”

My man took a long drag of his drink. “You’re more spoiled than I am.”

“That ain’t true, and we both fucking know it,” he remarked, finishing his beer just in time for the waitress to bring another and some fries. Good, I wanted him pampered.

After we ate our meal, another couple came into the bar. I barely noticed, though. I was having too much flirting with Jasper and making fun of his friend. But Sam couldn’t keep his eyes off of them.

“What are you gawking at?” My man questioned. “You’re not subtle at all.”

“The hot DA has a new boyfriend,” he whispered, openly watching. “Oh, they’re coming this way,” he stammered as he quickly looked straight ahead.

“Hello, Ms. Rachelle. It’s nice to see you again,” Jasper said pleasantly.

She was dressed prettily in a tight mini dress and was leaning against a handsome man with long blonde hair that went to his shoulders. His was dirtier, darker. His jawline was strong, and he had an unusual shiny steel gray eye color. When he studied me, they moved across my entire body. It made me feel warm and slightly embarrassed. 

“Dr. Hale! Special agent-” She paused, looking at Sam. “I’m sorry, I know your name. It’s just slipped my mind. I apologize, I work with so many people.”

He appeared slightly deflated, not that he would ever go after her or even had a chance if he did. But I was sure he spoke to her often. “Special Agent Samuel Uley, ma’am.”

“Right,” she laughed awkwardly, leaning her head against her boyfriend’s shoulder. “Um, this is Riley.”

“Nice to meet you,” my two male companions responded in unison. Jasper cleared his throat. “This is my partner, Bella,” he introduced me to the new gentleman in the baseball jersey.

“Yes, I’ve heard all about you,” he stated to me, nodding his head as he looked me over once more. He softened his smile before glancing at his girlfriend. “She was telling me about her day,” he explained, pressing a kiss to her forehead lovingly. “Such a gruesome case. I can’t even imagine.”

“Are you in law enforcement as well?” Sam asked, just trying to make conversation. I was glad I didn’t have to. It was awkward enough with everything we had discussed. I wondered how much she had told her man. It probably explained why he was looking at me funny. I was the kinky slut that found a killer. It would make for some exciting pillow talk, I had to admit.

There were worse things in the world to be, I suppose.

He nodded his head quickly. “I’m just a beat cop for now, but, uh, I’m working my way up the ladder,” he answered almost cockily. The DA looked up at him, her smile bright. “Anyway, we’ll let you enjoy your evening.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. Swan,” she promised before they left. “We have so much more work to do. Oh… Dr. Hale, I’ll have some follow-up questions for you later this week.”

“I expected as much,” he replied with a slight grimace. He finished his martini, the empty glass clinking on the wooden table. I felt a little bad for him.

“Yeah, I should shove off, too. I’m wiped, and I wanted to talk to the missus before I knock out,” Sam declared as he stretched his arms over his head to pop his back. “Thanks for the drink, sweetheart.”

“Sure,” I acknowledged before leaning forward to look him in the eye. I lowered my voice once again. “Just… remember what I said.”

Sam looked at me, then his former partner before shaking dramatically. “I’ve dealt with mob bosses. And yet… She’s a little unnerving.”

“Yeah, isn’t it hot?” Jasper joked, making his friend laugh. “Yeah, you better be nice to me. I don’t mind siccing her on you. She’ll poison your dinner, and I’ll hide the body. We’re unstoppable together. Then she’ll write an amazing story about it and sell a million copies.”

Throwing his head back, he laughed loudly. He clapped him on the shoulder. “God, that is utterly terrifying. I will have nightmares tonight.” He came over and gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, sweetie. Congrats on your book deal. That’s really cool, and I’m proud of you. I want a signed copy.”

“I will be happy to sign whatever book of mine you pay full price for, preferably a pre-ordered one.”

“I will be the first to buy one.”

“No, you won’t,” Jasper told him firmly, looking at me as he did. We smiled at each.

Sam left us alone. The bar was almost empty. I realized the only other women in the place were the DA and the waitresses. I quickly finished my third rum punch as I got an idea. It made me warm and tipsy. Gently, I skimmed the tip of my shoe across his ankle.

“Want to do something a little dangerous?” I questioned softly so that only he could hear me.

“That depends on what it is,” he countered as he took my hand. His grin was wicked. I loved it.

“There is a shockingly low number of women here,” I dryly began.

He looked at me curiously, pursing his lips. “There aren’t many ladies here on the weekdays, no. Usually more of Friday and Saturdays.”

I bit my lip for a moment. “Follow me to the bathroom in a minute.” I laid some money on the table. “Make sure she gets that first.”

Hurrying to the restroom, it was empty just as I expected. It looked as if it hadn’t been touched all day, still clean from whenever it was done last. I washed my hands and put on more chapstick while I waited for him.

Two minutes later, the door opened. But it wasn’t Jasper. Instead, it was the lovely attorney. She stumbled in, appearing drunk. I almost laughed out loud, but I kept it inside. She briefly made eye contact before hurrying to one of three stalls. To waste time, I brushed my hair and added some lotion to my hands and arms. She was coming out as I spritzed on some perfume.

“Oh, that’s nice!”

“Thanks. Jasper got it for me for Valentine’s Day,” I explained. I showed her the bottle. It was some fancy brand Alice helped him pick out because she knew what scents I liked. It was weird to think of my boyfriend in the cosmetics store with our tiny friend.

She washed her hands thoroughly before leaving. Another minute later, Jasper slipped inside and locked the door behind him. He had a smirk on his face.

“This is a little more than dangerous, darlin.”

Wasting no time, I yanked down my panties and put them in my purse. He undid his belt to unbutton his trousers just as quickly. When his fingers touched the buckle, it made me so warm my cheeks flushed. He noticed, smirking as he pulled it out slowly and stalked towards me.

Swiftly, he spun me around so that I was facing the mirror. He cracked it across my ass twice hard enough to make me gasp.

“Pull your skirt up,” he ordered gruffly. I did so, yanking it up to my waist over my bottom. He hit me three more times, making me softly moan. “No, slut. You can’t get loud here.” He brought the belt up to my lips. Automatically, I kissed it. “Open your mouth.” Jasper slipped it between my teeth instead. “Don’t make a fucking sound, or I’ll paddle your ass until it’s purple when we get home.”

I whimpered right away. He freed himself before pushing inside of me from behind. His fingers wrapped around my neck, his eyes on mine in the mirror. He pulled out and rubbed himself against my clit, teasing me. “Is that what you want? Do you want me to hurt you?” I nodded, my grip tightening around the sink as I tried to keep my balance.

His other hand went to my breast, squeezing it through my shirt. Jasper pushed his lips against my cheek, forcing me to hold his gaze as he pounded into me. It was rough and powerful, the sensation overwhelming almost right away. His grasp tightened around my throat. I barely squeaked as I came. He grunted in my ear as he followed behind.

The whole encounter took less than ten minutes. It left my heart pounding.

Jasper took the belt from my panting mouth and put it in my purse, then washed his hands almost casually. He was so calm while I was still trying to catch my breath. “Leave your panties off,” he commanded as he fixed his appearance. Coming behind me, he pulled my skirt back down over my ass before lightly kissing my temple.

He left the bathroom as if nothing had happened at all.

It took a moment for my brain to focus enough to fix my shirt. A few seconds later, I followed him out. I almost hit our waitress in the face in the door. It startled both of us.

“Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry!” She laughed nervously, putting her hand on her heart in surprise. “That was close! Have a good night!”

“You too!” I said, rushing to my boyfriend, who was standing at the table again. He was chuckling when I took his hand. “Okay, let’s go before I get in trouble,” I whispered, my face a bright scarlet.

Giving me a teasing look, he put his palm on the small of my back so he could lead me outside. “And here I thought that was what you were hoping for.”  

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5/5/2020

Key. Chapter Fifteen: In an Office

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Chapter Fifteen: In an Office


Another month passed. We took a second overnight trip to New York City, but this time I got us a room in a cute bed-and-breakfast outside Manhattan. Jasper took me to a play and a nice dinner, though. He tried his best to give me any romance he could when we got the time.

He came home on a Monday, not long after, and it was clear he was distracted as soon as he walked in the door. But it was a late evening, almost ten. Purple circles were under his bright blue eyes. Jasper plopped his briefcase onto the dresser, removing his gun holster as well without saying anything.

“Hey, baby,” I called from the bed where I was working on editing. It was the sixth time I had gone over the whole cop story, and I felt it was the best I could do on my own. I also spent part of the afternoon looking at stuff about Bree Tanner. But I did that a lot. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every evening, I hoped he would come home and tell me they found her. “How was your day?”

“Long,” he mumbled as he pulled off his tie. Leaning his head back, he rolled it from one side to the other. “Tomorrow, you’ll need to go with me up to the station.”

“Oh, um, okay. Why?” I questioned, closing my laptop to give him my full attention.

Jasper sighed softly, finally looking at me. He forced an awkward smile. “The DA’s are ready to ask you some questions. They also want to prepare you for what will happen in the trial.”

I took a deep breath, my chest tightening slightly. “Are they really going to call me to the stand?” I already knew the answer, but I still needed to say the words out loud. He nodded his head. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You gave us what we lacked. A connection. That’s enough. The jury will want to know how and why you figured it out. If we don’t, they will. Either way, you will be questioned.”

I shrugged. “I’m a boring nerd who likes research and was trying to learn about my boyfriend’s case. I don’t know how many more ways I’ll have to explain it.”

“Which is exactly what they will want you to articulate, just probably not like that.” He sat at the end of the bed, kicking off his shoes as he did so.

“As a writer, I often research, which I enjoy. In doing so for my latest novel, I came across a cold case that was eerily similar to the one my romantic partner was working on. I merely informed him of my interesting findings, and he made the connection himself because he is a brilliant doctor and detective,” I spoke in my best professional voice as I crawled up behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Mm, yeah. That’s a little better,” he murmured, turning his head to the side to kiss my cheek lightly. “They know about your stories, though.”

“Okay. I kind of figured,” I laughed gently. “They’re the FBI. Don’t y’all know everything?”

“They’ll ask you questions about it.” I just shrugged. “I only want to warn you, it might be uncomfortable.”

I squeezed his shoulders. “Is that what happened at work today?”

“Mmhmm,” he grumbled quietly. “There isn’t anything wrong with it. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just had to discuss that sometimes my companion and I engage in violent sex. And yes, we both enjoy it.”

In answer, I made a face. “We’re not that crazy. We’re not even into weird BDSM stuff. We’re only into the standard kinks.”

He chuckled. “I agree.” He leaned his head against my shoulder. “I had to explain a lot of terms to my boss I didn’t want to. All while Sam was trying not to laugh like a child.”

Grimacing, I ran my fingers through his hair. “He knows about us, though. He saw the toys when he brought your stuff back, I’m sure.”

Jasper nodded. “He does. And he thinks it’s the funniest thing because I’m so straight-laced, and you’re literally pure sugar.” I giggled at his words. “He’s been quietly giving me shit for months. He asked if you called me ‘Daddy’ today.” 

I cackled. “Not yet,” I teased. “Oh, Daddy! I’ve been such a bad girl,” I began in his ear in the sweetest, most innocent voice I could. He laughed, turning so he could throw me onto the mattress. “Yay!”

“Well, you are my little girl,” he flirted, leaning forward to kiss my lips. I scratched my nails down the back of his neck. “You should have seen their faces when I had to explain that I enjoy being dominated, too.”

I rolled my eyes. “I think you’re just humoring me and enjoy a little pain.”

Smoothing his thumb over my bottom lip, he moved it over my cheek. “No. I love serving my Goddess. But only you.” He kissed my forehead. “I trust you.” 

Closing my eyes, I grinned. He didn’t have to say anything else. I understood. “Honestly, I don’t care what they ask me. I’m not ashamed of what we do, and I’m not embarrassed.”

“Neither am I,” Jasper promised.

The next morning, I got dressed and had breakfast with him. We picked up a quick meal, eating in the parking lot as we watched the sun come up. I clipped his badge onto his blazer, his guns already in their holster underneath. I think he was more nervous than I was about the whole thing, but I couldn’t understand why. Perhaps he was just overprotective.

I signed in and was given a temporary badge. Jasper held my hand until we got to the office I needed to go to. Lightly, he kissed my forehead. “Text me when you get a break, and I’ll take you to lunch.”

“Do you think I’ll be here that long?” I asked in surprise.

“If not tomorrow, too.”

Somehow, I kept myself from pouting. “How many questions can they have?”

“All of them,” he responded before knocking on the door for me. A woman with light strawberry blond hair that I recognized from the bar answered the door with a smile. It was the lady that Jasper described as boring. “Ms. Rachelle, nice to see you again. Have a nice day, darlin,” he said to me before kissing my cheek. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry, Dr. Hale. I’ll take good care of her,” she remarked with a chuckle. “Ms. Swan, thank you for coming in. Can I get you something to drink?”

Ducking my head, I smiled politely in return. “No, thanks.”

She led me into a room with a table and two sets of chairs. They set a camera up to record what we were doing. There was a stack of papers an inch thick waiting for us. “So, my name is Bryce Rachelle. To let you know a little about myself, I’m the Assistant District Attorney working on this case, one of many. I’ve been dealing with this since the beginning. I’ve even been on some others in Rochester, but I didn’t realize that at the time.”

“Oh, wow. The missing girl’s cases?” I inquired curiously. She nodded in an answer as we sat down at the table. She turned on the camera. “Did you work on the Bree Tanner case?” She nodded again, not saying anything as she shuffled some files around. “I wish I could ask you questions about that.”

“Why?” She looked up at me in surprise. 

“I’m just so curious about what happened to her. It’s like a novel without an ending. And I want to write the conclusion, you know? And it would be nice to give her mom some peace. Can you imagine her pain?”

She smiled understandingly. “Yeah. I can’t… Poor woman.” Ms. Rachelle shook her head as if it pained her before giving me another smile. “I really can’t talk about that. But hopefully one day we’ll be able to complete the ending, to use your analogy. Anyway, let’s get started. We’ll begin with just asking you some basic questions.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Can you state your full name and date of birth for the record, please?”

That kind of interrogation took up most of our morning. At noon, Ms. Rachelle stood up from the table to turn off the camera. “We’ll take an hour for lunch.”

The first thing I did when I walked out of her office was send a message to my boyfriend. I realized then that I had a missed call from my publisher. I returned it while I waited for Jasper.

“Hello!” Eric began cheerfully.

“Hi, this is Isabella Swan.”

“Yes! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I just wanted to update you on a few things,” he said in a rush. I could hear traffic in the background. It definitely sounded like New York City.

“Okay,” I drawled.

“First, our editors have gone over your novel and have got some corrections for you to approve. It’s mainly typos, but we still want your say-so on everything. Also, would you like to do a dedication page?”

Jasper walked down the hall, smiling at me as he did. My answer was simple. “Yes. I’d love to do one. I have something in mind, actually.”

“Great. Just email it to me, and I’ll put it in there. Plus, I wanted to let you know I’ve got your advance ready. It should pop up in your account in the next day or two!” He informed me brightly, excited to let me know. “I don’t know how fast your bank is. But keep an eye out.”

“Oh, wow!” I stated for the second time in a day for a wildly different reason. “That’s awesome. Thank you.”

“Also, well, there was something else I wished to discuss with you. I’d rather do it in person, but since I have you right now.”

My boyfriend curiously looked at me. I mouthed the word ‘Yorkie,’ and he nodded in understanding. He leaned against the wall, giving me the time I needed. “Okay. What’s up?”

“I just finished reading everything on that flash drive you gave me, and I agree with your man. Your unnamed novel needs to be your next book. It is the perfect follow-up.”

“I’m so glad you liked it,” I whispered.

“Bella, I love it! So much, in fact, that I showed it to my bosses. We’d like to expand your contract. Another three books, twenty-five a piece advance upon completion of the editing process, same royalties as before.”

My hand flew to mouth, and I tried to keep myself from crying, but it was hard not to. A big fat tear rolled down my cheek. I had to close my eyes. Swiftly, I wiped it away. “Oh… that’s-” I let out a shaky breath. “Are you just interested in that one on the flash drive?”

He chuckled. “Oh, no. But we want that one next. Your teen novels are entertaining, but we think we’d like to publish those under a different name. Maybe don’t want to have murder and kid’s books linked.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s understandable. That’s what I do.”

“Good. So it won’t be a problem. That will be later, though. Next year. We’ll split up your publishing to get the most coverage. Anyway, this is why I wanted to discuss this in person. There is a lot to go over. Questions on both sides, I’m sure. I just wanted to see if that’s something you would be interested in.”

“Yes, it is,” I responded right away. Everything was going so well, and I couldn’t turn down that much money.

“Great! So, I’m busy for the next couple of days, but I can head to Albany this weekend for a meeting unless you’d like to come to me.”

I pushed off the wall and took Jasper’s hand so we could walk towards the canteen. “Actually, I’m doing stuff for the Tracker trial. I don’t know how long I’ll be unavailable, so this weekend might be better.”

“Oh! How fascinating! You’ll have to tell me about it… Saturday?”

“Yeah, that works. I’ll see you then.”

“Until then,” he declared before he hung up. 

I turned off my phone and stuck it in my purse before I looked at my boyfriend. I flung myself at himself. “They want to sign me for another three books!”

His expression lit up. Jasper spun me around once, kissing me as he did. He didn’t care that we were in the middle of the FBI office. “YES! I am so proud of you! I told you!”

“They want to buy your book next. It’s so good because of you. Thank you for helping me so much,” I confessed as I buried my face in his neck.

“You really need to name that,” he chuckled happily.

“Ugh, it’s the hardest part. You do it.”

Jasper laughed a little louder. “I’ll think about it.” Finally, he put me down to my feet. “Um…” He scratched the back of his head, almost timidly. “So, ready to have some government food?”

“How bad is it?”

“Not terrible. Better than hospital fare. They’ve got a decent pie. No good cakes, though.”

I pretended to clutch my pearls. “For shame! We should get some tonight. And some champagne to celebrate. I’m buying.”

“We’ll definitely celebrate,” he agreed. “Why don’t I take you out? We hardly ever go anywhere.”

“Oh, Daddy’s gonna take me out to-” Jasper poked my rib, making me dissolve into giggles. “You want to go out and get cheese fries and drinks?”

“I’ll take you anywhere, and you wanna go to a cop bar?” he questioned with a disappointed sigh. He would have liked a four-star restaurant better. I grinned at him innocently. “Yeah, okay. You know how much I like cheese fries.”

After our quick lunch, he walked me back to the DA’s office. She was waiting for me with the door open at her desk with a sandwich. Ms. Rachelle smiled at me pleasantly.

“Right on time,” she beamed. She dusted her hands off and put her food away.

“I’ll see you this evening. I’ll sneak out when you’re done, and we’ll go celebrate,” he whispered before giving me a quick kiss on the lips. He looked at the attorney. “Have a good day, ladies.”

“You too, Dr. Hale!” She called. “He seems like a great boyfriend,” she said to me more softly after I shut the door behind me.

“The best I’ve ever had.”

We walked back into the room with the camera, and she turned it on. She sat down in front of me, flipping his hair over her shoulder as she looked at her notes. “Okay. So I would like to talk to you now about your career.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It seems you distribute a lot of work under many names.”

“I do.”

She flipped a page and picked up a pen. “I’d like to discuss your work published under the pseudonym ‘Maria Bell.’ This is a name you self-publish under, correct?” The woman looked at me seriously.

Quickly, I nodded. “Yes, it is.”

“Can you describe the nature of the novels printed under this name?” She wrote something down and crossed out another before looking up at me expectantly.

“Erotic romance,” I stated plainly.

The DA scribbled something else down. “And how many of these books have you written?”

“Uh…” I drew out and laughed. “I’m not honestly sure. A lot. I also publish short stories and novellas on my website.” I smiled at her. “I’m sorry. I can get a list and give you a definite answer tomorrow. I didn’t realize this would be a question. Would you like one of all of my self-published works?” I offered. I wanted to be as helpful as possible.

She returned my smile. “Yes, please. Thank you. Um, I’d like to talk more about the genre in which you describe as ‘erotic romance.’ Some stories involve elements of bondage and other sexual acts that some may consider ‘violent.’ Would you agree with this statement?”

I straightened up in my chair, holding my chin high as I did. “Yes, I would. I agree some may deem it violent. That’s because they don’t understand what’s going on between two consenting adults, though.”


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5/1/2020

Key. Chapter Fourteen: The Carlyle

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Chapter Fourteen: The Carlyle


It was a full month before Jasper got two days off in a row. I wouldn’t take his rest away from him. The only opportunity we got to spend time together was cuddling in bed late at night, usually. He needed this more than anything else. I loved it. I adored snuggling with him. I would always be his teddy bear.

We got up at his usual time, just packing an overnight bag so we could stay in New York City for the evening. It was a three-hour drive. We hadn’t taken a road trip like this before, and it was nice. The scenery was beautiful, and we were listening to music as we held hands. We shared breakfast as he drove. It somehow felt cozy.

I gasped when he pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. It was in the middle of Manhattan. I recognized it from movies. Every single one of them showed it with a sweeping shot of Central Park. I didn’t know the name until then, though. It was on the awning when we came in, but I missed it.

He got out of the car, handing his keys off to the valet before taking our shared bag. My boyfriend put his hand on the small of my back, smirking to himself.

The logo was on the walls as we came inside the building, The Carlyle. The insides were black-and-white marble. It was like stepping into the twenties or thirties with the grand architecture and opulent decor. I just stared at him. 

“What?” he smiled.

“We are not in Dallas. A hotel like this in New York costs…” I trailed off because I had no idea. He made a face. He had made all the plans for the next two days, and I wanted to pay for parts of it, but he refused. Jasper claimed this was one of the times he was going all out, and he didn’t want to worry about my money. He made me promise the night before to not even try.

He spanked me with a wooden spoon until it, and I, broke. 

It was so much fun.

“I told you-”

“I know what you told me,” I laughed. “I just didn’t expect to see Central Park from our hotel.”

Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “We’ll be able to see it from our room.”

Surprisingly, we didn’t look too misplaced in the hotel. We were comfortably dressed, but there were tourists in shorts and tank tops that showed too much despite it being in the low sixties outside. It was pleasant but windy, and way too cold for that.

We went to the counter to check-in. He slid his credit card over and smiled at the woman. “Dr. Jasper Hale.”

“Yes, Dr. Hale. We have your room ready for you and those items you requested. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, thank you.”

“So, what are we doing today, Doc?” I asked as I leaned my head against his shoulder. “If you’re going to spend two thousand on a hotel room, we shouldn’t waste it.”

He chuckled softly. “It wasn’t that much.”

“How much?” I questioned as we stepped onto the elevator. We were all alone, so he pushed me into the corner and kissed me as he grabbed my neck. It was a distraction. “How much?” I asked again with a laugh. I curled my tongue against his bottom lip, grinning wickedly when he pulled away. “Tell me.”

“Half that,” he remarked, smirking as he flexed his fingers around my throat.

“We could have stayed in Brooklyn, and-” I teased, but he shut me up with a kiss.

“No. Tonight’s special.”

“Oh,” I drew out at his vagueness. “Are you really not going to tell me anything?”


Jasper kissed me again, holding my face as he pressed me as hard as he could against the wall. We just kept going up, our kisses deepening. His hands smoothed over my hips. The doors opened finally, and he took my hand.

“We’re going to put our things away, and we’ll have lunch because I’m hungry.” I giggled, nodding in agreement. “And then we’ll go to a museum for the afternoon.”

“What about tonight?”

“You’ll see.”

He pulled the keycard out and slipped it in the slot, waiting for it to flash green before allowing me inside first. As promised, we could see Central Park from our bed. The vast windows overlooked the busy city. The sky was a beautiful blue with fat fluffy white clouds. It was stunning.

“Wow! Honey!” I gasped stupidly, glancing back at him. He was so proud of my reaction, his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the bed. I ran and tackled him onto it, giggling as I did. “It’s so gorgeous!”

He flipped us so that he was on top, looking down at me with a big grin. “It was worth every cent for that reaction right there.” His lips pressed fiercely against mine. I held onto his blond curls, enjoying every second.

“This bed makes me feel like I’m lying on a marshmallow,” I joked against his mouth. “Oh, my god. You didn’t have to do this for me.”

“I did it for me. So I could see you act like a giddy little girl. It’s my favorite.”

“I have no idea what we’re doing tonight, but I swear I will try really, really, hard to make it extra special for you,” I teased against his lips before kissing him slowly. My hands skimmed down his sides to his ass.

“I have no doubt, darlin.” Jasper kissed down my chest and stomach until sliding off the end of the bed to stand. I pouted a little as he held his hand out to me. “I’ve got something to show you.”

He brought me to my feet and walked me over to a table. In the center was a bouquet of roses and a giant pink box. It reminded me of the one he had gotten after the meeting with the publisher, but much bigger.

Jasper flipped it open to reveal an assortment of tiny cakes. They were all very different and beautiful, decorated elegantly with frosting, chocolate, and fruit. There were at least a dozen of them.

He kissed my neck from behind, his hand going around my waist. “Just a hint at how much aftercare I think you’ll need tonight.”

I giggled like an idiot. “Oh, my god. Yay.”

Chuckling too, he pecked my ear. “Later, though. These are for tonight and tomorrow. We have reservations.”

We left the hotel and walked the busy streets together. He knew what direction to go, leading the way. Jasper took me right away into Central Park. The crowds thinned out as we traveled a tree-lined path. He was so quiet.

“Are you okay?” I questioned gently.

“Yeah,” he swore promptly. “Just excited about today. And a little overwhelmed. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. And it feels like it’s going really well.”

“Yes, it is.” I paused when we got to a beautiful set of statues. I recognized them right away, as did Jasper.

“Alice in Wonderland. A classic. Just like your books will be someday,” he breathed, smiling as he did. He squeezed my hand. I realized then he had come this way on purpose.

I wrapped my arms around him, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Oh, you are laying it on so thick, Dr. Hale. Don’t stop. I love it.”

He laughed as he pulled me closer. “Before we get to the restaurant… I have something for you.” He got out a tiny, baby-blue box from his pocket. “Since you’re enjoying this so much.”

Beaming, I took it from him. Afterward, he walked behind me, his fingers moving along my neck. I opened the package, revealing a miniature rose gold key that went perfectly with my lock. He unclasped my necklace so he could put it on before securing it back in place.

“Perfect,” he praised as his fingertips traced the chain.

I couldn’t say anything. I just turned around in his arms. Kissing him deeply, I felt as if I would cry. “I adore it. Thank you.”

Jasper rested his forehead against mine. “Good. I’m glad. I hope this makes up for me leaving you alone so much.”

“Oh! You don’t have to make up for anything. I love what we have here. You know that.” I promised, touching his cheek. He beamed at me, quickly nodding.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat roughly. “Come on. Lunchtime. We don’t want to be late.”

It was just a short walk to our restaurant. It was Loeb Boathouse, right in the middle of the park, by the bright green pond filled with boats.

After lunch, we walked to the Museum of Modern Art. It reminded me of the day we went to the one in Dallas, but only a little. Our world was completely different from then. I was honestly terrified back then as we strolled through the white halls together. None of that remained. My man had more than proven himself.

When we got back to the hotel that afternoon, Jasper told me to get dressed up. He wanted me to take a shower, and to do my hair and makeup, too. He washed up quickly before leaving me to get ready.

He came back to the room, clad in a nice suit while holding two bottles of champagne. I was just finishing. He grinned when he saw me, walking over to the fridge to make sure they were cold for when we returned.

Taking my hands, he brought each up to his lips to kiss lightly. “Sometimes, I’m still blown away by how gorgeous you are and how lucky I am to be allowed to occupy the same space.”

I giggled stupidly because I didn’t know what else to do or say. I believed him. He made me feel more beautiful and special than I ever had before.

“I can’t wait to eat cake off of you tonight,” I eventually replied, pulling him down to me for a fleeting kiss. Since we were dining out, I only put on clear lip gloss. I didn’t care if I messed it up.

His hands slid to my waist. “Me too,” he remarked with a chuckle.

We took a taxi to the restaurant he had selected for dinner. Once again, we had reservations. This one was called ‘The Modern.’ It was a bougie place with six-course meals. Right away, as we sat, Jasper ordered a bottle of wine for us to share and a martini. He gulped it down quickly and asked for another.

I held his hand. “Are you okay?” I inquired again, the second time that day.

“Yeah,” he immediately responded. “I’m just a little anxious. Don’t worry about it, darlin.”

“Don’t be. Today has been perfect,” I assured him, practically cooing the words before kissing his cheek. He leaned in my touch. “It’s already been magical.”

He relaxed some in his seat. “Good. I’m glad.”

Two martinis and the wine didn’t help, though. He seemed to be squirming in his chair. Finally, the bill came. Jasper took a deep breath, steeling himself, and looked at me seriously.

“So, I wanted to discuss something with you, and if you don’t want to, feel free to tell me no,” he began.

“Oh, my,” I started in a joking tone. “What ghastly things do you wish to do to my body?”

My boyfriend laughed awkwardly, sitting back in his seat. “No. I’m being sincere right now. Give me this.”

I giggled softly. “Okay, I’m sorry. Go ahead.”

He licked his lips and took a deep breath. “I just… I just want to start by saying that these past few months with you have been incredible. I didn’t realize when I asked you to be mine, that things would move so fast. I didn’t mean them to,” he hesitated. Quickly, Jasper cleared his throat. “Until I met you, I didn’t know this was what I wanted, and it feels like a gift. Bella, you are literally my fantasy, and I love you more than anything on this earth. And I will until the day I leave it.”

“I love you, with all my heart,” I swore.

“I know. You’re fantastic at showing me every single day. That’s why I wanted to make today so memorable for you. You’re putting up with so much.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. I feel like I’m on an adventure.”

“Good. Um…” he drew out. Jasper licked his bottom lip again. “I was wondering, or rather, I hoped you would move in with me when we get back to Dallas. I know we haven’t really talked about what happens after this, but I want that to be our next step. And I totally understand if you need some time to consider it, and I don’t expect an answer right away.”

Nodding my head gravely, I peeked at him from underneath my eyelashes. “Okay, let me think about it a little.”

Instantly, Jasper looked panicked, but he tried to keep it from his tone and expression. “Oh! Yeah, of course, darlin! Take as long as you need-” 

Giggling, reaching for his hand. “We’ve been living together for months. Yes. I’ll move in with you, you idiot.” I smirked, realizing this was why he had been anxious all day. Jasper had been building up to this moment.

He laughed, letting out a huffing breath as he leaned forward. Running his fingers through his thick hair, he glanced up at me with a small smirk. “First, I love you so much. Thank you. I can’t wait to have a real home with you. Second, I’m going to beat your ass for calling me an idiot.”

“Oo! Right now?” I asked cheerfully with a big devilish grin.

Retrieving his credit card, he shoved it hastily into his wallet. “Yes, right now. I’ve been freaking out for a week about this, and you make jokes like the little wise-ass you are,” he chided. Jasper wasn’t angry, though. We were about to have a lot of fun. Grabbing my chin, he yanked me towards him for a deep and forceful kiss.

“Why were you?” I asked when he pulled away, resting my forehead on his. “You had to know the answer. I’m yours. I belong to you.”

His fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, pushing his lips against my forehead and then my nose, brushing his own along it. “I feel the same way.” We kissed for a long minute before he stood up, taking both of my hands. “Come on, little girl. You have such a rude mouth. I think I’ll have to find something for it to do.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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