The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter XLIII

"Good morning," Jake said, coming up behind me. His arms snaked around my waist as he dropped his chin to my head. "What you making?" My heart was racing in my chest. I wasn't going to be able to do anything with him this close.

"Nothing if you don't find something to do," I said threateningly. At least, I hoped it was threateningly. I was so out of breath, he probably knew that something was up. He just chuckled and walked away, settling himself on the counter with a cup of coffee.

"Okay, if we're going to do this, us," I said, waving a hand between ourselves, "we need to set a couple of ground rules."

"Like?" he asked curiously.

"Like no nastiness around people, including your dad," I said.

"Nastiness?"

"The affectionate stuff. Come on, how many couples do we see walking around school that make us want to vomit? I don't want to be like that, Jake. I want us to be like we've always been around other people, you know? I don't want the guys to hate us," I explained.

I set his breakfast plate down beside him, taking one down to Billy's room, and finally getting my own before Jake spoke, mouth full of egg and bacon.

"So, what you're saying is no PDA?"

"Essentially," I said, hopping up next to him. "I know the guys hate the imprinted wolves. And I don't want it to be like that for us. I don't want you to be as whipped as Jared," I added. He just laughed at me.

"So what about the hand holding? How is anything different about us if we don't show it?"

"I can do hand holding," I said. "But nothing more, Jake. When we're around people the overprotectiveness is not okay." He sighed. "I don't want to be that couple."

"So we're a couple?" he asked, eyes narrowed and a smile on his face. "I mean, isn't that what you just said? Or are their more rules?"

"There are more rules," I promised him. "I just haven't thought of them yet." He laughed out loud at that one. "If you can obey the rules, we can try a relationship thing," I added.

He jumped off the counter and stood in front of me, my knees on either side of his hips.

"I don't know what relationship thing is," he said, glee written on his face. He pulled my plate away from my hands, setting it beside us. His hands grabbed my waist, pulling me a little closer. "But if I can do this, I'm fine with it."

His mouth came down on mine, slow and softer than anything that I'd ever felt. He pulled away, a smirk on his lips. "That would be under the rules, Jake. No PDA, remember?"

"I don't see anyone around," he replied cockily.

He lowered his head again, only to catch the palm of my hand.

"Jake, I'm not kidding. We do this my way or we don't do this."

He sighed, his hot breath sticky on the palm of my hand. Gently he pulled my hand away from his mouth, his eyes serious.

"We're never alone," he said. "And I don't know if I can just not kiss you for days on end." I glared at him. "You want this to be a real, normal relationship, right?" I nodded. "So how about we compromise, like normal people. No PDA, but when no one can see us it's acceptable."

I continued to scowl at him, licking the inside of my cheek as I thought about his proposition. "Only if you're sure no one else is around. I mean, sure; like wolf senses and all that jazz. And you can't abuse it!" He chortled but nodded. "Don't act like you wouldn't do that; I know you, remember."