“I like your cousin. I’m glad you took me to that restaurant so I could officially meet her.”
Bella smiled at Edward, his profile the picture of concentration in the glow of the dashboard light. Her comment brought a matching smile to his face, though he didn’t take his eyes from the road winding through the residential hills of Magnolia.
“I had the feeling you two would hit it off. But I must be insane, encouraging the two of you to hang out together.”
“Why is that?”
“Because Alice is an open book. I won’t have any secrets left by the time she’s done talking to you,” he replied with a rueful laugh.
“So, you’re keeping secrets from me?” Bella mused.
“No. You’re already fully aware of my biggest skeleton. It isn’t exactly in the closet.”
“Then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
Nothing at all, he thought. Just getting in even deeper with you, that’s all.
He hadn’t consciously decided to bring her to the house after their date, but as he navigated the familiar streets winding toward his family home, he realized the destination had been inevitable. She had already found where he lived. Inviting her into the actual structure was a mere formality now.
He turned off of Magnolia Way onto a cul-de-sac that held a handful of vintage Craftsman and Tudor homes, all situated to afford stunning views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier. He glanced over at Bella to get her reaction as he pulled into the drive of the Cullen home.
“This is where you live? It looks like a gingerbread house.”
She stared through the windshield at the stately English Tudor looming before them at the end of the drive. Edward slowed the car as they neared the detached garage and waited for the electronic door to open. The clouds above had given the moon a break, letting it illuminate the grounds so Bella could glimpse the lush landscaping surrounding the brown and cream two-story home.
“This looks like something out of a fairytale,” Bella commented as they pulled into the former carriage house, now a fully modernized two-car garage.
“That’s what I thought, too, when I was a kid. I was always nagging my folks to go visit Grandpa and Grandma Cullen. Little did I know I’d end up living here.”
Bella wanted to ask again what happened to Edward’s parents - car accident, he’d said - but she was hesitant to bring up a sore subject. She hoped his invitation to visit his family home would prompt him to fill her in about his history without her having to pry.
She was still unlocking her seatbelt when Edward reached her car door, opening it for her like a proper gentleman. As they left the garage and followed the paved path to the side door, she was struck by the feeling she was entering a different world. A certain old-world charm clung to the house and its slightly overgrown foliage, replete with fragrant flowering shrubs and large shade trees. The stars were beginning to emerge overhead, sending showers of tiny spotlights through the sighing leaves. She reached for Edward’s hand and he grasped hers immediately, leading her down the walk.
“It’s so beautiful here. Peaceful,” she said quietly.
She saw Edward’s smile broaden in the dusk, and he squeezed her hand. “It is. That’s one of the reasons I couldn’t give it up.”
He unlocked the heavy oak door to the entryway and held it open for Bella. She stepped inside and stood on the landing, looking around in curiosity. Straight ahead, a few steps descended to a basement door; to the left, a short flight of stairs led up to the kitchen. She dutifully wiped her feet on the doormat and wondered if she should hang her backpack up on one of the coat knobs fastened to the wall next to the door.
Seconds later, mind-reader Edward told her, “You can leave your backpack here if you want.”
She laughed a little to herself as she took his suggestion. He opened his own backpack and removed the quilt, tossing it on a bench next to the basement door. “I’ll take that down to the laundry room later,” he said in explanation. Then he motioned for her to climb the stairs to the kitchen, and she obeyed. He followed close behind, flicking a light switch at the top to illuminate the room.
She gasped a little as she surveyed the brand-new granite center island with its modern bar stools, surrounded by rich cherry cabinets, steel appliances and matching light fixtures.
“This is nice,” she said at last. “A little different than what I was expecting.”
“How so?” Edward queried, a peculiar edge to his voice.
“Well, it looks so new. I thought it would be more . . . traditional.”
His smile was wry. “Most of the house is traditional. But the kitchen is brand new.” He paused and looked at Bella, his eyes hesitant, yet determined. “That’s how I found out how bad my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s was. Right at the end of my college finals, I got a call from Alice telling me Em had left lunch burning on the stove. She came home from school and found the place filled with smoke. She could see the flames from the kitchen, and she ran frantically from room to room, looking for our grandmother. She found her asleep in the downstairs guest bedroom and thankfully got her out before the smoke got to them. Afterward, Emily had no memory of putting a pan of oil on the stove to cook some French fries. She’d just wandered off and forgot she was even making lunch, apparently. She said was tired so she went to take a nap, and that was all she could remember.”
He grimaced slightly and looked around the room. “The kitchen was pretty much a loss, and the downstairs had smoke and water damage after it was all over. Thankfully the upstairs didn’t need much more than a good airing out. It took a year, but we got everything cleaned up, repaired and remodeled. Good as new. Maybe better,” he told her with a humorless laugh.
Bella didn’t know what to say. She sensed Edward wasn’t finished, so she waited, watching him as his eyes scanned the room again.
“Alice likes it. She’s not into antiques too much. I like new things, don’t get me wrong. I used to love staying in luxury hotels when I first started escorting. But they can feel sort of cold and sterile after awhile. Older things have character. Substance. They tell a story.”
Bella nodded, though she’d never given the subject much thought before. Her father’s house was a cozy, non-descript bungalow near the gloomy green depths of the Olympic Forest; while her mother’s Florida home was a typical warm-weather dwelling of stucco and tile, similar to the one they’d shared in Phoenix together when she was young. Both her parents’ homes contained a hodge-podge of garage sale finds and knock-down discount store furniture - nothing with a story to tell, that she knew of.
But when Edward motioned for her to follow him into the next room, she realized what he was talking about. Her mouth dropped as she looked around at the combination living/dining room, a large, open space anchored by impressive pieces of solid wood furniture atop gleaming hardwood floors. Her eyes roamed from a massive oak dining table with eight high-backed chairs to a huge mahogany breakfront full of beautiful antique dishes, then to an ornate coffee table with matching end tables, situated around elegant wing-backed chairs and a sofa. Even to Bella’s untrained eyes, everything in the room obviously was crafted with great skill and attention to detail. Each piece of furniture was meticulously carved with gorgeous embellishments, and glowed with the luster of repeated polishing over the course of many decades.
But the most striking thing about the room was the back wall behind the sitting area. The long, rectangular area was conspicuously empty in comparison to the adornment of the rest of the room.
Edward strolled over to the dining room table and ran his hand along the rich, glossy wood. “My great-great grandfather and his son were carpenters,” he explained, still looking at the handiwork under his fingertips. “They built this house together over eighty-five years ago, and most of the furniture in it. They had a booming business together until the Depression, when the housing market collapsed. They lost most everything, but managed to hang onto the house.”
Edward turned to Bella, his expression hard to read. “My grandfather didn’t follow in their footsteps. He was more interested in cars. He loved to take them apart and put them back together. He was a mechanic for a long time, and then went into parts sales, traveling around the area as the auto repair industry grew. He was a great guy - everybody loved him. That’s what Em always told me, anyway. She loved him, of course - probably to a fault. Because the truth was, he liked liquor and gambling almost as much as he liked cars. The liquor finally did him in - he died of liver disease before I was ever born. And I found out years later that the gambling ate up whatever money he’d made, and then some. I never knew my grandmother had mortgaged the house long ago to pay off his debts.”
Bella stood, rapt, in the middle of the room. The hush between Edward’s words felt almost sacred, like the slightest noise on her part would break the spell. He was finally opening up to her, spilling the secrets of his past, and she would do nothing to stop his flow of words now that the dam had broken.
“My uncle Carlisle was determined not to go down the destructive path his father had. Maybe that’s why he became a doctor - an internist. His younger sister - my mother - became a nurse. They both had the perfect temperament for medicine: compassionate, kind-hearted. Sometimes I think I used to fall and scrape my knees on purpose just so my mom would bandage me up,” he said with a chuckle. “She’d always tell me some little story to divert me while she was cleaning the wound, so I’d never feel the sting. And it worked.” He stopped for a moment and smiled, his eyes far away, focused on a memory. They finally returned to the present, and Bella’s patient gaze, prompting him to continue.
“She met my dad in college - they were both pre-med. He ended up being a general practitioner. He had just as good a bedside manner, but he was always a little harder on me than she was. He didn’t want me to grow up too soft or spoiled. He wanted to make sure I was self-sufficient. So he’d challenge me to figure out how to do things on my own, and then he’d help me when I really needed it. I can’t really blame him, considering how he grew up.”
Edward paused again, ruffling his hair with his fingers as he approached Bella. His eyes met hers in a strange sort of challenge that she didn’t understand at first.
“My dad was orphaned at the age of seven,” he said abruptly, his voice brittle. “He was born in Chicago. His mother got pregnant when she was a teenager, which was pretty scandalous in the 1950s. Her parents wanted her to give the baby up for adoption, but after my father was born, she couldn’t go through with it. She ended up running away with him so she could keep him, but she had no money and no skills - she’d never finished high school. Dad always told me she supported them by being a waitress, but I have my doubts about that.” He stopped and grimaced, shaking his head.
“Why?” Bella blurted, unable to stop herself. She almost clapped her hand over her mouth, she was so worried she’d ruined the moment. She didn’t want him to clam up on her now.
His face was grim, but he continued. “Because of the way she died. Her body was found in a hotel room in a seedy part of the city. There were drugs in the room; drugs in her system. She had a few bruises on her body, but they were faint, inconclusive. Her death was determined to be an overdose, but I don’t know . . . I’ve always had the feeling she was murdered. I don’t know whether she was dealing drugs or whether she was a prostitute, or a combination of the two. But whatever she was doing got her killed at the age of twenty-four.”
A chill ran down Bella’s spine. She stared up into Edward’s eyes, now oddly vacant and hard, like chips of black ice in the dim light from the chandelier over the dining room table. The similarity of twenty-four-year-old Edward’s choices to those of his grandmother was not lost on Bella. Clearly it wasn’t lost on him, either.
“My father never wanted me to know any of that, of course. And he died when I was only ten, so I had to pry the truth from Emily when I was older. But I’m glad I know. It explains a few things.” His crooked grin was sardonic. Bella wanted to protest, but stopped herself when Edward spoke.
“Don’t worry. I don’t feel doomed to repeat her mistakes, if that’s what you’re thinking. But I have to appreciate the irony of it, all the same. One of life’s little jokes.”
But neither of them was laughing.
Edward shook his head, his brows furrowing in regret. “I’m sorry, Bella. I really didn’t bring you here to dump all my family baggage on you.” He reached a gentle hand to the side of her face. “I just wanted to show you were I live, maybe explain why I love this place - why I did what I did to keep it. I’m doing a hell of a job so far, huh?” he concluded with a rueful laugh.
“You’re doing fine,” she assured him, reaching for his free hand. He took it and slid his fingers between hers, clutching them tightly. “Don’t apologize. I want to know more about you, where you came from. You have no idea how much I’ve been hoping you’d share that with me, even if it isn’t all good. Nobody has perfect families or perfect lives, you know. I like hearing about your past, even the bad stuff. It doesn’t have to ruin the present.”
Edward’s smile was genuine this time. He stroked her cheek gently with his thumb and wondered again what he’d done to deserve her.
“I already told you today that you’re amazing, right?” he asked.
That brought her smile out to join his. “Yeah, but there’s no statute of limitations on that.”
“Good. Because you are.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes for a moment. Bella kept hers open, loving the soft blur of his features so close to hers. He sighed a little, his breath warm on her skin; then he turned his face ever so slightly so that his lips could reach hers for a gentle kiss.
He wanted to say it then. He was amazed that the words were so close to the surface, so ready on the tip of his tongue.
I love you.
No, that couldn’t be true, could it? He’d known her for only sixteen days.
You’re counting the days. That’s love, idiot.
He kissed her again, letting the knowledge sink in. Letting the weight of it settle in his bones and tissues, imbuing his lips with a special reverence, a curious calm, as they caressed hers.
He pulled back slightly so his eyes could focus on hers. He wondered if she saw the words there, printed across his corneas in naked relief. He tried to read hers, hoping it was more than sympathy - or worse yet, pity - that made them shine with unshed tears. He hoped instead that something as profound as what he was feeling was the culprit.
And then she spoke, and his hopes were dashed.
“So what happened to your father after that? After your grandmother died?”
He let his hands drop, and took a step back. Her look of disappointment was reassuring, at least.
“Orphanages. A couple of sets of foster parents,” Edward answered. He felt his hand reaching for his head, fingers finding comfort in thick shanks of hair. “He studied hard and did well in school, so he had a few scholarships to help him get to college. He chose U-Dub’s pre-med program; that’s where he met my mom. They got married after they graduated, and she went to work as an RN while he finished med school. By the time he graduated, Carlisle had already been working for a few years in a medical clinic, and he managed to get my dad a position there. It was just in time, too, because my mom was pregnant with me.”
The smile that stretched across Bella’s face at those words encouraged Edward once more. “I had a pretty normal childhood. A happy one. I grew up in a little two-bedroom house in Beacon Hill. Mom worked part-time until I went to school, so she was home with me a lot. I was probably pretty spoiled, being the only kid in the family until Alice came along. I remember how excited Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme were - I guess they’d been trying for awhile and were beginning to give up hope. But Alice’s arrival changed all that. I think she came out of the womb smiling. That’s just her temperament. She always sees the good in people, always hopes for the best.”
“What about you?” Bella asked. The wistful look in his eyes gave her the answer.
“I hope to be more like Alice when I grow up,” he answered half-jokingly. He glanced around the room again, his eyes falling on the gaping hole in the corner. He frowned slightly.
“Why don’t I show you the rest of the house?” he suggested, leading Bella past the foot of a beautifully carved staircase to the family room entry. He explained that a wall had been knocked out between the former parlor and study to create another large living space, this one more eclectically furnished with comfy furniture and a big-screen TV. The far end of the room still contained vestiges of the study, including an antique roll-top desk and floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves sporting dozens of volumes, old to new.
Bella digested it all in silence, save for the occasional appreciative comment. She followed Edward to the rear terrace overlooking the Sound, gleaming darkly under the night sky, and she marveled at the view. Even more, she marveled at what this place did for Edward. “Content” wasn’t quite the right word to describe him, but there was something about the house that clearly resonated with him. She could see the deep connection he felt to it, and to his family’s past. She supposed it stemmed from having so little family history on his father’s side, and so few relatives still living. This place represented security to him, in a world where there was precious little of it.
She reached for his hand again as he guided her back to the family room, briefly showing her an offshoot to a small guest bedroom, where Emily had gone to rest after leaving the stove on that fateful day. Then he led her back to the staircase dividing the family and living rooms and asked her if she’d like to see the upstairs.
“Sure,” she answered at once, her pulse quickening. She was anxious to see Edward’s bedroom, and wondered if he would invite her to spend the night. But as she turned to follow him up the stairs, her eyes caught the yawning emptiness in the corner of the living room once more. She gasped when it struck her what had been there - what was missing from this house.
“What is it?” he asked her, stopping short at the bottom step. He caught where her gaze had fallen before she turned curious eyes to his.
“Where’s the piano, Edward?”
He wasn’t sure why the question stabbed at him the way it did, but he felt the breath leave his lungs at her words. He sagged against the railing and took a breath so he could answer.
“Remember when I said that the kitchen incident was what tipped us off to how bad my grandmother’s dementia was getting?” He shook his head. “Well, for me, it was this.” He nodded toward the empty spot. “I had just graduated from Juilliard when I came home to find the kitchen destroyed. But even that didn’t hit me like this did - this hole in the living room.”
He glanced at the empty floorboards in the corner again, not noticing Bella’s jaw drop at his words. “She forgot I was a musician. Forgot the whole reason I was away at school. One day she just looked at the piano and couldn’t figure out why we still had one. She’d never learned to play it, and my grandfather, who tinkered at it, had died long ago. So she sold it.” He let out an incredulous laugh.
“Alice hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell me yet - she could hardly believe it herself. But that’s how I knew my grandmother was really gone, or at least halfway there. Because the woman who raised me from the age of ten and encouraged me to follow my dreams never would have done such a thing. She never would have forgotten.
“But she did. She did forget. Later, when she realized what she’d done, she cried and begged me to forgive her. And that’s how it went - how it’s gone - for the past two years. She has moments of clarity, but the confusion and memory loss take their place more and more every day. I used to bring her here every Thursday so she wouldn’t forget this place. We’d look at all the old photo albums, and I’d remind her all the stories she told me about our ancestors, and how they built this house. And she’d remember, and repeat the stories, maybe even tell me some new ones, so I’d know she was still in there somewhere.
“But lately she’s afraid to leave Tranquility Gardens. She gets disoriented and doesn’t know where I’m taking her. Sometimes when she’s here, she cries because she can’t remember the things she knows she should. So I don’t bring her here as much anymore. It’s too hard on her.”
“And on you,” Bella added softly. She reached out and closed her hand around Edward’s forearm, stroking the soft brown hairs up and down. “I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this. It’s so much to deal with. I don’t know how you do it.”
His smile was wry. “Some would argue that I don’t deal with it very well. Alice, for one.”
“She just wants more for you, that’s all,” Bella said. She slid her hand down to his, grasping it tightly. “You never told me you went to Juilliard. That’s . . . pretty impressive, to say the least. You shouldn’t throw that away. It’s not too late, you know. I’m surprised you never replaced the piano, so you can keep playing. I know they’re expensive, but . . .” She trailed off, waiting to hear his thoughts on the matter. She couldn’t imagine ignoring that kind of education to become a glorified prostitute, no matter how dire the circumstances. But she wanted to understand, and waited for Edward’s explanation.
Edward idly played with her hand, rubbing his thumb along her palm. “After I’d made the decision to be an escort, I was glad the piano wasn’t here. It just would have been a reminder of what I’d given up. But I did start to miss it. I needed the release. Luckily, I have a friend with a piano so I can still practice. I’m rusty, but not as much as I might have been otherwise.”
He paused, wondering if he could ever make Bella understand why he’d done the crazy thing he did to survive. He wasn’t sure he understood it himself.
“When I ran into Emmett McCarty - the Enforcer, remember? - I was kind of in panic mode. I didn’t know how I was going to afford to fix the kitchen, or even save the house from foreclosure by the bank. Long story short, my grandmother’s finances were a mess. All her insurance policies had lapsed, she had two mortgages on the house, and she was in need of twenty-four-hour supervision. I didn’t know how to handle any of it. When Emmett told me how much money he was making, it was an eye opener. It looked like the golden ticket to me at the time.
“I didn’t think about his offer for very long. I knew if I did, I’d talk myself out of doing it. So I took the job and tried not to look back. I told myself it was a dream job, anyway - getting paid to date women. And if I got no-strings sex out of the deal, even better.”
Edward stopped to gauge her reaction; to watch the look of discontent furrow her pretty features. He reached one hand up in an attempt to smooth them.
“I’m no saint, Bella. I didn’t mind being an escort at first. I even enjoyed it sometimes. But by the time I met you, I didn’t really feel much of anything anymore. The numbness was easier to take. Complacency made it easier for me to just keep doing what I was doing. And I won’t lie, I liked the money. I liked being able to keep this place in the family, and being able to take care of Emily and Alice the way they deserved. I promised my father I would.”
Bella shook her head sadly. “What about what you deserve?”
Edward’s snort was derisive. “I lived a lot of years in ignorance, not knowing how my grandmother was struggling to make ends meet. She protected me from that and allowed me to selfishly pursue my dreams. So now it’s time for me to put her first.”
Bella could hear the conviction in his words; could see the stubborn determination in the set of his jaw. No wonder Alice had failed to get him to look for another way. He’d already found a solution, and in a twisted way, he thought he deserved to pay the price for it.
Edward sighed and gave her hand a squeeze. He began to ascend the stairs, gently pulling her along. Halfway up, he paused at a series of framed photos stair-stepping up the plaster wall beside them. At the bottom were typically stoic black-and-white portraits of his ancestors, starting with his great-great-grandparents. In the middle were his grandparents, captured in their youth, attractive and smart-looking in their 1940s styles. She wondered what Emily looked like now. She would be near eighty, Bella guessed.
As they neared the top of the stairs, the last two photographs greeting them were more recent family portraits, their vibrant colors mildly faded by the passage of the past decade or two.
“That’s my Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme, with Alice - I think she was about three years old there. And that’s me, when I was eight, with my parents - Edward, Senior and Elizabeth.”
“You’re a Junior?” Bella commented, studying the portraits. “Look how cute you were! And your mom and dad - so good-looking. Your aunt and uncle, too.” She leaned in and looked more closely at Edward’s parents. “You have your father’s jaw and eyebrows. But the rest of your face is a dead-ringer for your mother’s. You look just like her.”
“So I’ve been told,” he agreed with a smile.
“You said Carlisle was your mother’s older brother, right? But that makes her maiden name Cullen.” She thought back to Edward’s good-luck charm, still tucked into the corner of her desk calendar. “The painting she did, with the four-leaf clover, was signed E. Masen. If that was her married name, then that makes you . . .” she trailed off as the puzzle pieces of Edward’s identity came together.
“A Masen,” he finished for her. “I’ve thought about legally changing my name to Cullen. Masen was my grandmother’s last name. I don’t even know the name of my grandfather, because she never revealed it to my dad. So we both grew up as Masens. My real name is Edward Masen.”
His last sentence came out quiet and uncertain; a tentative introduction. Bella took him up on it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Edward Masen,” she replied just as softly. She squeezed his hand tightly, an intimate handshake, and he almost felt as if he and Bella were meeting for the first time.
She definitely felt like she had just met him today, in more ways than she could have anticipated. But there was still one piece missing before the puzzle of Edward Masen, Junior was complete.
“What happened to them?” she asked, her words whisper-light, yet seeming to echo in the staircase around them. She looked back at the happy faces of Edward and Elizabeth, Carlisle and Esme, and braced herself for the tale of their unhappy end.
Edward braced himself, too. He sat down on the top step and motioned for Bella to join him. “My father and my uncle decided to open their own practice together. They bought a small office on Pill Hill - that’s what they call First Hill, because of all the medical centers there - and they had just remodeled it to open a family practice in November of ‘97. They decided to have an open house for the place, inviting all their patients and friends in the medical profession to come visit. It was an early Friday evening, but they thought it would be boring for Alice and me, so Emily offered to skip the open house and watch us instead. Our parents dropped us off here, then all left in Carlisle’s SUV together.”
He paused while Bella waited, her apprehension growing. She found herself gripping his hand a little too hard and tried to relax her fingers.
“They made it to the office just fine, but then a freak ice storm hit. Forecasters had missed it; they said we’d have a slight chance of snow. It started up right before the open house was over, so my folks and aunt and uncle closed early and decided to come home. But it wasn’t soon enough. They were on Highway 5 headed north when they lost control on the ice and slid into a semi.”
Bella was holding her breath now and gripping his hand even tighter, despite her efforts not to. He didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were far away as he continued.
“The front of the car was crushed. Carlisle and Esme were already gone by the time the paramedics arrived. But my parents survived for a little while longer. Long enough for us to say our good-byes. Long enough for my father to tell me that I was the man of the house now, and I would need to be strong and take care of my grandmother and my cousin.”
Bella finally let out a long, shaky breath. “Edward . . .” She stopped, afraid to say what she was thinking. She looked up into his face, a mask of stoicism; but he couldn’t hide the pain that sharpened his eyes to flint. She turned her body toward his on the stairs, making him look at her before she spoke her mind.
“You were only ten years old. Who was strong for you?”
The pain flashed through his eyes again, softening them this time. Tears formed, but he didn’t let them fall. “Em was. She was the strong one. The adult, the caretaker - the only one left. But now it’s my turn.”
Bella shook her head. She’d always known Edward was serious about his responsibilities, but she’d never known to what extent. She mustered her courage and hoped she could stand behind the words she was about to say.
“Well, if it helps any, you’re not in this alone anymore.”
Edward searched her eyes for the truth. Could she really be there for him, no matter what? No matter how long it took for him to find his way out of the mess he’d gotten himself into?
“I can’t ask you to -”
But Bella cut him off. “You don’t have to ask. I’m telling you I’m here for you. If you want me,” she added uncertainly.
He stared at her in disbelief. “If I want you?” he repeated hoarsely, making sure she understood how ludicrous her words were. He let go of her hand so he could grasp her face in both of his. “I can’t remember the last time I wanted anything so much.”
His mouth claimed hers then, but the prize was already won. She yielded immediately, giving in to his kiss, greedily taking and returning his passion in equal measure. Their kisses multiplied as they grasped at one another, clutching hair and clothes and warm skin, under the watchful two-dimensional eyes of Cullens and Masens past.
When at last they broke apart for air, Edward realized Bella’s tour of his home was now ready to come to its logical conclusion.
“Would you like to see my bedroom, Miss Swan?”
She looked into his heavy-lidded gaze, and her slow grin matched his. “I would love to see your bedroom, Mister Masen.”
A strange thrill shot through him at the sound of his real name spoken in Bella’s sexy alto. He couldn’t recall the last time a woman had uttered it. Maybe none had. Edward Cullen was the only incarnation who had dated any women for over two years now. For Edward Masen, this experience was brand new.
He stood and reached for her hand once more, helping her to her feet. After briefly pointing out the doorways of Alice’s and Emily’s bedrooms, he led her to his own. But instead of turning on the garish ceiling light, he reached for the nearest lamp, a small fixture atop his desk near the door. One turn of the switch cast a deep amber glow throughout the room, at once soothing and seductive.
“This is my room,” he hesitantly announced, waiting for the only judgment that mattered.
Even in the ambient light, it was easy to see that Edward’s room contained more beautiful pieces of antique furniture. The dresser, chest and desk were all constructed of matching lustrous dark wood. But by far the most impressive piece in the room was the huge four-poster bed that loomed before her.
She was still gaping at it when she felt Edward’s arms circle her waist, pulling her close.
“Do you like it?” came the velvet voice in her ear seconds later. His breath on her neck sent the usual tremors down her spine, and she wondered if she would ever be immune. She hoped not.
“I love it.” I love you, was what she really wanted to say. This beautiful house and its furnishings would mean nothing to her if they didn’t mean so much to him. But as symbols of something solid and enduring, she could appreciate them almost as much as Edward did. She could even envy them a little because of his regard for them. She longed to make that bed jealous by stealing every ounce of his affection and holding it hostage. Right now, Bella wanted nothing more than for Edward to make love to her in the middle of that enormous antique until all four posts shook with fury at their passion.
His lips were on her neck now, soft and warm and wet. They mimicked the flesh between her thighs, already aroused and craving his kisses. Her eyes closed and her head fell back against the broad hardness of his chest. She sighed, remembering that first night with him . . . the unexpected intimacy of a stranger’s touch; the freedom of surrender to its inexplicable power.
“Make me feel it again,” she whispered. She wondered if he would know what she meant.
He knew all too well. He was right there with her, remembering the silky blue dress, feeling it now between his fingertips as he caressed the cotton of her t-shirt. He pulled at it, baring her shoulder, and recalled the sun gleaming off of her ivory skin. She was dusky peach now in the lamp light, and tasted just as sweet to his searching lips. Her head lolled against his; her hair smelled of the beach. He buried his face in the wind-whipped strands and inhaled deeply. The undeniable urge gripped him again - the need to lose himself in her, to burrow deep and live in her warmth.
He pulled the clothes from her body with an impatience he could no longer suppress. She had made him reckless that first night, and every time he’d seen her since, so it should have been no surprise that she had him on his knees the minute he got her alone in his bedroom.
And that’s exactly where he found himself moments later: on his knees amidst a pile of discarded clothes, clutching Bella’s beautiful ass cheeks in his greedy fingers, his face buried deep between them. He didn’t remember how he’d gotten her to the edge of the bed. Yet there she stood, her hands grasping the nearest bedpost, hanging on for dear life while he devoured her sex from behind with a hunger he could not contain. This was the dessert he’d been fantasizing about all through dinner, watching her give him that sexy, knowing smile across the table; remembering those lips wrapped around him, drinking him down.
And now he took his fill of her juicy flesh, sweet and tangy and more delicious than any girl had a right to be. He nipped at her ripe cheeks; pulled at her soft lips with his own. He tongued the steamy entrances to her body, back and forth, up and down, in and out, until her gasps turned to sobs. Those were his favorite sound: the cries of a pleasure that was too intense - the cries that begged him to stop, yet never stop. The sounds a woman made when teetering on the edge of no return. That was the ultimate destination, and he’d taken her there.
He paused, breathing heavily against her sex; and she sobbed again, her body quivering. He gazed up at her and found her utterly glorious: thighs parted, back arched, hair swaying gently across her back with each panting breath as she clutched the bedpost in both hands and waited for more. The truth struck him in that moment: she loved his impatience. Loved his hunger. Loved his need. She loved making him lose control, and loved him taking it back.
Maybe she even loved him.
He let his hands wander from the perfect globes of flesh they’d been cradling and let them caress the rest of her, up and down: the line of her long legs, the smoothness of her belly, the rigid peaks of her breasts. He was rewarded with her sighs and soft moans, so he continued on, tracing the length of her spine until he was back where he started. He massaged her sweet cheeks again, working his way between them until he found the slippery entrance. And now he would bring her to the brink once more.
Her whimpers started up again as he teased her with his fingers, probing gently, dipping in and out with a tantalizing rhythm that served to ramp up her frustration. She was soon pushing rhythmically against his hand, pulling his fingers in deeper.
“That’s it,” he murmured softly, reaching his free hand down to stroke his erection. He worked both hands together, gently fingering her in time with the motion of his fist pumping his cock. He was beginning to make the same desperate sounds she was, but he wanted her to be the first to crack. He needed her to want it, to want him, as much as he did her.
His fingers were moving rapidly against her pussy now, working her clit before plunging in deep, and then starting over again. Her cries increased with his pace until she was shaking and clinging to the bedpost. He was near the breaking point himself, growling like an animal, ready to throw her on the bed and take her before she climaxed all over his hand instead of his desperate cock.
“Edward!” she finally gasped in a broken sob. “Please . . .”
He stilled his hand at once, two fingers still buried knuckle deep inside her.
“Please what?” he demanded hoarsely.
“Fuck me,” she moaned, and he couldn’t tell if it was a plea or a command. “Give me your cock. I want your cock. . .”
But he was already on his feet, sweeping her off hers to the waiting bed. Covers down; pillows found. He was on her, she was under him, and they were both delirious at the connection. As unhinged as he had just made her with his oral skills, it couldn’t compare to the feel of every inch of his skin pressed against hers, their flesh and bone creating a symphony of movement together. She craved the intoxication of his breath mingling with hers, the thick silk of his hair between her fingers, the trails of wildfire his hands left wherever they roamed. But most of all, she loved his eyes on her. His eyes said the things his lips could not.
His eyes told her the truth.
She looked for it now, between ravenous kisses and lust-filled groping. And sure enough, she saw what she’d always seen: a certain reverence, maybe even awe. Like her presence was a gift he was surprised, even baffled, to have received. But she saw something else this time - something new.
Acceptance.
He was no longer debating whether or not he wanted this gift, or deserved it, or should refuse it. Instead he was embracing it, literally and figuratively. He held nothing back now. His body moved in sensual abandon with hers, its natural rhythms propelling him into her and all around her, limbs encasing, hands and lips caressing everywhere they could reach.
He spoke now in whispers washing over her, his words spilling out in an unconscious stream. Do you have any idea how much I’ve thought about you . . . how much I’ve wanted you? . . . I can’t fucking shake you . . . I don’t want to . . . You’re like a drug to me. . . so beautiful . . . You’re in here, so deep . . .
She was drowning in his words, swimming in their lyrical cadence. She undulated to his rhythms, her body dancing with his, rising to meet his slow thrusts. Taking him deep inside . . . so deep.
She gasped at the sudden realization of what was happening. Edward was fucking her, and it didn’t hurt. She felt many things, but pain wasn’t one of them. Pain was the furthest thing from her mind. She gazed up at the tenderness in his eyes and felt a different kind of ecstasy than she’d ever known before. It had nothing, and everything, to do with the physical act taking place between them. It was the joining of so much more than flesh. It thrilled her, completed her, scared her to death. When she’d signed that agreement, she never knew she’d signed up for this - this all-encompassing, life-altering connection to another human being.
But as she wrapped her limbs around him, she knew she was clinging to a force greater than anything she dreamed even existed. She groaned when he impaled her, but they were very different groans from the ones her virgin lips had emitted two weeks ago. Now they were of her own acceptance, then transcendence. Each thrust of Edward’s cock inside her seemed to drive her out of her body, onto some elevated plane she didn’t recognize.
She heard desperate words fill the air, but from her own mouth this time. Begging him for more. Faster. Deeper. Harder. God, you feel so good . . . so good . . .
He was repeating the same grunting mantra as he drilled her, driving her to the head of the bed. She felt amazing to him. So responsive this time, so uninhibited. He wondered if she’d been practicing with those crazy things the doctor gave her. Surely not. But whatever the reason, she was free with him now in a way he’d never seen, urging him on, pulling him so deep that their skin smacked together and her body lurched beneath him with every thrust. He grabbed the headboard to steady himself, to keep from pounding her right into the ebony wood.
“Fuck,” was all he could mutter as he lost himself in the wetness of her tight walls gripping him. And then, through the frenzy of lust, it hit him why this was so different - why she felt so incredible, so mind-blowing - and it wasn’t just because he loved her.
“Oh no,” he whispered at the realization. He slowed his pace, his eyes growing round with dread as he stared down at Bella’s euphoric, innocent face.
“What?” she asked, her forehead creasing at the lull in his affection.
“Protection,” he croaked. “I forgot - I’m not wearing - shit,” he muttered. “Shit.”
And suddenly Bella was cold and empty while Edward dug frantically in the top drawer of his bed stand. She watched relief flood his face when he found a colorful wrapper conformed around the tell-tale ring of the condom within. She knew she should feel relieved, too - after all, it was for her protection - but she could only cringe at the sight of the thing.
“What is it?” he asked when he noticed her reaction. “You aren’t worried this is going to chafe you again, are you? I probably have some lube in here, too,” he said, diving for the bed stand again.
“No, it’s not that,” she said, sitting up and grabbing his arm to pull him back. “Well, maybe it is, a little. But mostly it’s . . . I don’t want to ruin what we just had going,” she admitted, stroking his arm as she looked up into his confused face. “It was so perfect. You felt so good. I want to feel you, not a rubber glove inside me.”
His half-grin was one of frustration. “You realize I want that too, don’t you? But they make these things so thin now, it’s really not like that,” he argued, referring to the foil packet he still clutched in one hand. “It’ll be good, I promise you. Let me find some lube and we can get pick up right where we left off.”
Her frown only deepened. “But we don’t need it. It’s way too late in my cycle for me to get pregnant. And I’m like clockwork, trust me,” she insisted.
“Spoken like a thousand other girls who ended up with unwanted pregnancies,” he said with a sigh. “Come on. Don’t be careless.”
“I’m not being careless,” she retorted, trying not to sound like a petulant child. “I just want this to be different. I want us to be different.”
Edward reached gentle fingers up to touch her cheek. “We are different. I know you have no good reason to believe me, but it’s true.”
“I do believe you,” she said. She pressed the side of her face into his hand, and his caress deepened. “You always use condoms, don’t you?”
He winced at her reference to the other times - the other women. He did not want to bring them into this house, and certainly not into this bed.
“Always,” he answered.
“Then be different with me.”
“Bella,” he said in exasperation. She closed her hand over his, then turned her face to kiss his palm.
“Please,” she begged, her chocolate eyes his undoing.
“I can’t,” he answered hoarsely, watching as she moved her lips to his wrist and pressed their pink satin against his pulse.
“You can,” she rebuked him quietly. She kissed her way up his arm, dismantling his armor. By the time her lips reached his ear, the battle was lost.
“Pull out before you come,” she whispered, her breath tickling his skin and snaking possessively down his spine.
His groan was one of submission; her faint grin was victorious. They fell back to the sheets and into one another’s arms. Edward was right - they quickly picked up where they’d left off, yearning bodies uniting in one effortless desire. But Bella was right, too. It was different with no barriers between them. Hungry flesh merged with raw and palpable urgency; fevered eyes met with naked honesty. There was nowhere to hide now. Nothing to do but trust one another.
Edward gripped the headboard in one hand again as he pumped into her with long, deliberate strokes, burying himself to the hilt before drawing out and thrusting deep again. Bella gasped at the intensity, but still tilted her hips upward to meet each thrust with her own. She grabbed his ass to make sure he gave her every inch of his cock, crying out softly at the impact deep within. The slow burn began - she could feel it coming. She was coming. Coming to meet him at last - to match his desire, his need, his ecstasy with her own.
Edward felt it too, and tried to hold back. But, dear God, she was so stunning at that moment . . . so gorgeous beneath him, red-lipped and flushed pink all over, panting and glistening with sweat . . . so wild and free, grabbing his ass and ramming him into her . . . dear God, that was hot. Too hot. She looked and felt so fucking good it almost brought tears to his eyes. Damn it, it was too much - he couldn’t wait any longer. He was going to come. Now.
He wrenched his body free of her grasping fingers right before his dick erupted. He grabbed it in one hand and frantically stroked his shaft right at its tender tip, moaning loudly at the sensation as he shot milky threads of cum all over her belly.
Bella had no time to be shocked at his sudden exit from her body. The nerve endings within her were already firing, already starting the chain reaction that would push the gathering blood from her engorged flesh. Her muscles clenched together in the first wave of her orgasm right after Edward pulled out, then quaked with shockwaves in perfect time to Edward’s ejaculations. She watched in wonder as her pelvis lifted to meet each emission. Their moans of pleasure created a perfect duet in the amber-tinted air; her painted belly became an erotic work of art.
They both stared at it, and then into each other’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Edward apologized.
Bella gazed up at him and shook her head at how differently they saw things.
“That’s too bad,” she said softly. “I’m not sorry at all.”
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Chapter 28
“This one turned out really good.”
Bella held her phone up to Edward, who took a quick glance and smiled at the image before aiming his eyes back at the road before them.
“I’m glad we finally made it out to the lighthouse,” he said. “The view is pretty amazing from there.”
“Yeah, it is,” Bella agreed, flipping through the photos on her phone’s touch screen. “We were lucky to come across that jogger - it was nice of him to stop and take pictures of us together.”
Edward nodded. “You’ll have to email them to me.”
Bella fiddled with her phone for a few minutes, forwarding the pictures one by one: the two of them close together, arms around each other, with the scenic lighthouse and impending sunset as their backdrop; the one of her holding up a giant shell to her ear to hear the telltale waves; the one of Edward posing atop a giant boulder like some explorer who’d conquered a new world.
“Done,” she announced when the photos were sent.
“Thanks.”
Bella stared at Edward as the sun descended behind him, casting his profile in stark and regal relief, like the bust on a coin. She wondered if she would always be this mesmerized by him. Surely that would fade as familiarity replaced novelty. But right now, she couldn’t imagine it.
“So, why won’t you tell me where you’re taking me to dinner?” she asked as they headed north toward the city.
“I told you, it’s a surprise.” His grin was positively impish.
“Well, I hope it’s no place too fancy, considering how I look.” She began searching her backpack for a brush to tame her beach hair, blowing about her face once more in wild abandon.
“You look gorgeous,” Edward answered without missing a beat. His eyes raked over her disheveled clothes, but she knew he was seeing her bikini, and what lay beneath, in his mind’s eye.
Heat seeped into Bella’s cheeks as she recalled their sexual tryst on the beach. She didn’t know what had made her so bold, going down on him like that in public, even if they were mostly hidden from view. She only knew she didn’t want to leave him unsatisfied, not after the dizzying heights to which he’d driven her once more with just a few well-placed fingers.
“I had fun today,” she said, wondering if her blush would give her away her meaning. “Thanks for taking me to Discovery Park.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” he answered, his smirk implying that he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Trust me.”
“I do trust you. But it was our pleasure. We’re in this together,” she reminded him.
His expression turned more serious as he turned grateful eyes to hers. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that? I’m a lucky guy.”
She gave him that little Mona Lisa smile again. “Yeah, you are.”
He chuckled and nodded as he steered them toward the twinkling lights of the city.
# # # # # # # # # #
Alice Cullen’s ass had been buzzing all night.
Well, it was her left butt cheek, to be exact. That was the pants pocket which held her phone, set to vibrate. Her right back pocket was reserved for her order pad. She’d never quite mastered the art of memorizing her customers’ menu selections, so she diligently wrote down their choices in a messy shorthand of her own design, complete with cues as to which dish went with which customer. Luckily Sophia and the sous chefs at Mama Giana’s Ristorante were adept at deciphering her scribbles.
She stuffed her latest order sheet into the carousel above the warming station, then reached eagerly for her phone. The text was a simple one, but made her perma-grin widen.
I’ll bet you look cute in your uniform. Describe it to me again.
Grandma Em had always told her the shy ones were the ones you had to watch out for, and Jasper Whitlock was turning out to be no exception.
Short-sleeved peasant blouse, cut just low enough to get me some extra tip money, she typed back as quickly as her thumbs would allow. Black slacks. Pretty basic.
I’m definitely coming in some night to see it. I might turn out to be a very generous tipper.
Alice nearly jumped up and down at that response. Well, I’m here until closing tonight. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until Wednesday for my next shift. She almost added, “How’s that for being direct?”
She stared at the screen impatiently for a full minute, waiting for Jasper’s reply. She was about to give up and stuff the phone back in her pocket when it buzzed once more in the palm of her hand.
I’m on my way.
Alice practically bounced back to the restaurant floor, giddy with excitement. She hadn’t seen Jasper since Thursday, when she’d met him for lunch between classes at a burger joint near the quad. They had shared their experiences of their first week at U-Dub over a giant order of chili cheese fries. They’d lingered over each bite, talking more than eating, neither very anxious to get to their next class. By the time they were forced to leave, he’d finally, somewhat bashfully, asked her what she was doing this weekend. She had regretfully informed him she was working at the restaurant every night. He’d looked as disappointed as she felt. Two hours later, after their classes were through, she received her first text message from him, asking her how it went. Her ass had been vibrating with Jasper Whitlock’s words ever since.
“Couple at Booth Five,” said Deb, the hostess, as she passed Alice on the way to the kitchen.
“I’m on it,” Alice chirped. She decided she’d better dial it down a notch so her next customers wouldn’t think she’d been free-basing out in the alley on her break.
She grabbed two menus and wove her way around the tables to the far side of restaurant where the cozier booths were situated. Booth Five was one of the smaller, more secluded spots usually requested by couples who wanted a romantic evening together. She wondered if she could get Jasper seated back here, and then spend her break with him.
She was plotting the maneuver in her head as she whipped around the corner to the opening of the booth, brandishing her menus.
“Hi, I’m Alice and I’ll be your server this eve---”
But her words were cut off by the blunt impact of surprise at who she found looking up at her. First she saw the enormous brown eyes of the cashier from the bookstore - the one Edward had a thing for - staring up at her in equal shock. Then her focus quickly jumped across the table to none other than Edward himself, looking a little sheepish, and a lot expectant.
Alice wasted scant time gawking at them both before exclaiming, “Get out! I can’t believe you’re here. Together. The two of you. On a date.” She said the last word with the incredulity it deserved, but then realized she might be blowing things for her cousin. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that. At all. I think it’s great, in fact.”
Edward cringed slightly. “Everybody’s got to eat, right?” he downplayed. “And Sophia makes the best Italian food in the city. I take it you remember Bella from the bookstore, right?”
“Yeah, of course!” she exclaimed with a smile at Bella, who gave her one in return. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but this first week of school kind of put me on overload, you know?”
“Oh, I know. It’s overwhelming at first. But you’ll get into the routine soon enough,” Bella said in assurance. “Call me anytime, though. Especially if you have any questions about classes or anything.”
“Thanks, I will. We’ll have to get together sometime, for sure.” She shot Edward a look, trying to discern his feelings on the matter. The small but pleased grin on his face nearly floored her. She hadn’t seen that expression since the last piano recital he’d done before going to Julliard. The appreciative crowd had given him a standing ovation, and though his face had been composed to express modest appreciation, his uncontainable grin had belied his struggle to keep from bursting at the seams with pride and happiness.
Alice looked at Bella once more, marveling at how she had accomplished such a feat. She had made her cousin happy again.
Bella was positively beaming herself, for that matter. “Yeah, we should hang out,” she told Alice. “I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about.” Her gaze drifted back to Edward’s, and her eyebrow raised mischievously. It looked like Bella Swan was ready to hear more about Edward Masen - if she even knew that was his real last name. And Alice was more than happy to give her an earful.
Edward colored slightly, perhaps realizing the can of worms he might be opening by encouraging the two girls to get together. “Great,” he said at last in resignation.
Alice chuckled and handed them their menus, then recited the evening specials for them. She already knew Edward would want the lasagna, but she figured she might entice his date into something more adventurous.
“The crab agnolotti sounds good. I think I’ll have that,” Bella decided after Alice was finished.
“Oh, it is! It’s delicious,” Alice enthused, scribbling the item on her pad. She was about to ask what they’d like to drink when her cousin stunned her for the second time that evening.
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” Edward announced. “And we’ll have a bottle of the house pinot grigio to go with it.”
Alice gaped at him dumbly like he’d given her the entire order in Italian.
“What, no lasagna?” she finally asked with a laugh. “Sophia will be crushed.”
Edward only smiled. “Well, maybe it’s time for me to change it up a little. Try something new.”
He and Bella seemed to exchange a conspiratorial look, like they had a special secret between them. Alice stared at them for a long moment before adding a “2” in front of the agnolotti order on her ticket. She then retrieved their menus and left the duo alone in their bubble of obvious mutual attraction.
She spent the next twenty minutes subtly eavesdropping on them while she waited on other customers. The two had clammed up when she served their wine, and then their meals, so she had to resort to sneakier methods. She wasn’t interested in the topics of conversation so much as Edward’s behavior. Though Alice had never seen him working as an escort, thank God, she knew he had a coolly charming persona that he could put on at will, like the suits he donned before leaving the house. She’d seen that side of him whenever she’d been able to attend his music concerts - the veneer of the consummate professional hiding a bundle of nerves and latent insecurities within. He used to throw up sometimes before performances when he was younger. But onstage, you’d never know it. He always appeared calm and unflappable, the picture of confidence.
But she soon discerned that Edward did not use this mask with Bella. His smiles and laughter were genuine, as was his obvious affection. Every time Alice glanced at their table, she was struck by how at ease her cousin looked. How like himself he was. His old self, before the demands of everyday life had thrown him off track. She overheard him joke about dunking Bella in the Sound, claiming he never would have gone through with it - that her shrieks when he threw her over his shoulder and waded out knee-deep into the water were entertaining enough. She thought she heard Bella say something like, “I have better ways of entertaining you,” which made Edward’s eyebrow shoot skyward as he agreed that she certainly did.
Wow. This is serious, Alice realized. Not because of the apparent physical intimacy, but the emotional closeness. Edward was all in. She’d never seen him like this with anyone before. A glimmer of hope flooded her, like the sun breaking through the cracks in a cloudy sky. This girl really was the key to Edward making a change for the better. Alice was suddenly certain the tiny brunette sitting across from him would be able to succeed where she’d failed, and give him a reason to quit selling himself to others.
Alice hummed happily to herself as she rang up Edward and Bella’s order. She was heading back to their table when a familiar tall, blond drink of water entered the restaurant. Happiness turned to elation at the sight of Jasper Whitlock’s broad grin and quick wave when he saw her. She waved back and grabbed Deb, who was already on her way to greet him.
“Seat him at Booth Six,” Alice whispered to the hostess.
Deb glanced at the handsome young man, then at her co-worker. “Sure thing,” she said with a wink.
By the time Alice got to Booth Five, Edward and Bella looked anxious to leave. They rose from their seats immediately when she tried to give Edward his change. He shooed her hand away and told her to buy herself a hot fudge sundae - her favorite - later.
“Thanks,” she told him, pocketing the change. “Speaking of which, are you sure you two don’t want to order dessert? The tiramisu here is to die for.”
Edward and Bella shared that same private-joke look as before, and Alice was still fascinated by the sight of it.
“No, I think we’re finished here,” he said, after Bella shook her head in refusal.
“The dinner was delicious, though, really,” she assured Alice, finally tearing her eyes away from Edward’s. “Please tell the chef how good it was.”
“I will, now that you’re leaving,” Alice replied. She shot her cousin a look. “I didn’t tell Sophia you were here with a date so she wouldn’t do anything crazy, like spit in your food.”
Bella frowned and gave them both a quizzical look. “I’ll explain in the car,” Edward told her.
As they all turned to leave, they nearly bumped into the hostess leading Jasper to his table. Alice intercepted, grabbing him by the arm to stop him.
“I’m glad you came,” she told him, giving his bicep a squeeze. “Jasper, this is my cousin, Edward, and his date, Bella. This is Jasper Whitlock. I met him in the bookstore last week - he just transferred here from Texas Tech.”
They all said hello, while the males shook hands and sized each other up. Both Edward and Jasper were similar in stature and build; they even had matching crooked grins. But while Jasper’s was conciliatory, Edward’s was wary. He was clearly protective of his baby cousin, but Jasper understood why. Alice had filled him in on a brief family history, enough for him to know Edward was a brother and caretaker to her, and the only real family she had.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jasper told him in his most polite southern drawl. “Alice has been kind enough to show me the ropes around campus, since I’m new. She’s a special girl.”
Edward gave him a brief smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. “That she is,” he agreed. His expression seemed to add, “And don’t you forget it.”
Alice was grateful for Deb’s interruption as she showed Jasper to the booth behind them.
“Geez, Edward, you could have been a little nicer,” Alice hissed, giving him a quick whack on the arm. “I like him. He’s a good guy.”
“I hope so,” her cousin replied. “If not, he’ll have to answer to me.”
Alice rolled her eyes at his macho posturing. Bella seemed to find the whole thing amusing, though she gave her a sympathetic look as she followed Edward to the door.
“I’ll call you soon,” Alice hollered after her with a wave. She decided she was going to make good on her promise this time. Not only could Bella help her coax Edward to look for some alternatives to his current job, but she might be able to help soften his attitude toward Jasper.
She turned her attention to the broadly grinning Texan awaiting her in the next booth. After handing him a menu with an exaggerated sweep of her hand, she recited the day’s specials once more. He ordered the linguini and clams with a Goose Island beer.
“And can I get you an appetizer of some kind?” she added, deliberately leaning over the table to flash him a little cleavage as she took his menu.
His hungry eyes lingered over her enticements for a moment before returning to her inquisitive gaze.
“You do know how to whet a man’s appetite, Miss Cullen,” he said with a lazy grin. “I’ll take an order of whatever you recommend.”
Her grin was not nearly so slow to arrive as his. “I’ll have the chef whip up something special for you.”
“Sounds great. Surprise me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Forget the left butt cheek, she thought. Alice’s entire body was vibrating this time as she bounced back to the kitchen.
Bella held her phone up to Edward, who took a quick glance and smiled at the image before aiming his eyes back at the road before them.
“I’m glad we finally made it out to the lighthouse,” he said. “The view is pretty amazing from there.”
“Yeah, it is,” Bella agreed, flipping through the photos on her phone’s touch screen. “We were lucky to come across that jogger - it was nice of him to stop and take pictures of us together.”
Edward nodded. “You’ll have to email them to me.”
Bella fiddled with her phone for a few minutes, forwarding the pictures one by one: the two of them close together, arms around each other, with the scenic lighthouse and impending sunset as their backdrop; the one of her holding up a giant shell to her ear to hear the telltale waves; the one of Edward posing atop a giant boulder like some explorer who’d conquered a new world.
“Done,” she announced when the photos were sent.
“Thanks.”
Bella stared at Edward as the sun descended behind him, casting his profile in stark and regal relief, like the bust on a coin. She wondered if she would always be this mesmerized by him. Surely that would fade as familiarity replaced novelty. But right now, she couldn’t imagine it.
“So, why won’t you tell me where you’re taking me to dinner?” she asked as they headed north toward the city.
“I told you, it’s a surprise.” His grin was positively impish.
“Well, I hope it’s no place too fancy, considering how I look.” She began searching her backpack for a brush to tame her beach hair, blowing about her face once more in wild abandon.
“You look gorgeous,” Edward answered without missing a beat. His eyes raked over her disheveled clothes, but she knew he was seeing her bikini, and what lay beneath, in his mind’s eye.
Heat seeped into Bella’s cheeks as she recalled their sexual tryst on the beach. She didn’t know what had made her so bold, going down on him like that in public, even if they were mostly hidden from view. She only knew she didn’t want to leave him unsatisfied, not after the dizzying heights to which he’d driven her once more with just a few well-placed fingers.
“I had fun today,” she said, wondering if her blush would give her away her meaning. “Thanks for taking me to Discovery Park.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” he answered, his smirk implying that he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Trust me.”
“I do trust you. But it was our pleasure. We’re in this together,” she reminded him.
His expression turned more serious as he turned grateful eyes to hers. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that? I’m a lucky guy.”
She gave him that little Mona Lisa smile again. “Yeah, you are.”
He chuckled and nodded as he steered them toward the twinkling lights of the city.
# # # # # # # # # #
Alice Cullen’s ass had been buzzing all night.
Well, it was her left butt cheek, to be exact. That was the pants pocket which held her phone, set to vibrate. Her right back pocket was reserved for her order pad. She’d never quite mastered the art of memorizing her customers’ menu selections, so she diligently wrote down their choices in a messy shorthand of her own design, complete with cues as to which dish went with which customer. Luckily Sophia and the sous chefs at Mama Giana’s Ristorante were adept at deciphering her scribbles.
She stuffed her latest order sheet into the carousel above the warming station, then reached eagerly for her phone. The text was a simple one, but made her perma-grin widen.
I’ll bet you look cute in your uniform. Describe it to me again.
Grandma Em had always told her the shy ones were the ones you had to watch out for, and Jasper Whitlock was turning out to be no exception.
Short-sleeved peasant blouse, cut just low enough to get me some extra tip money, she typed back as quickly as her thumbs would allow. Black slacks. Pretty basic.
I’m definitely coming in some night to see it. I might turn out to be a very generous tipper.
Alice nearly jumped up and down at that response. Well, I’m here until closing tonight. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until Wednesday for my next shift. She almost added, “How’s that for being direct?”
She stared at the screen impatiently for a full minute, waiting for Jasper’s reply. She was about to give up and stuff the phone back in her pocket when it buzzed once more in the palm of her hand.
I’m on my way.
Alice practically bounced back to the restaurant floor, giddy with excitement. She hadn’t seen Jasper since Thursday, when she’d met him for lunch between classes at a burger joint near the quad. They had shared their experiences of their first week at U-Dub over a giant order of chili cheese fries. They’d lingered over each bite, talking more than eating, neither very anxious to get to their next class. By the time they were forced to leave, he’d finally, somewhat bashfully, asked her what she was doing this weekend. She had regretfully informed him she was working at the restaurant every night. He’d looked as disappointed as she felt. Two hours later, after their classes were through, she received her first text message from him, asking her how it went. Her ass had been vibrating with Jasper Whitlock’s words ever since.
“Couple at Booth Five,” said Deb, the hostess, as she passed Alice on the way to the kitchen.
“I’m on it,” Alice chirped. She decided she’d better dial it down a notch so her next customers wouldn’t think she’d been free-basing out in the alley on her break.
She grabbed two menus and wove her way around the tables to the far side of restaurant where the cozier booths were situated. Booth Five was one of the smaller, more secluded spots usually requested by couples who wanted a romantic evening together. She wondered if she could get Jasper seated back here, and then spend her break with him.
She was plotting the maneuver in her head as she whipped around the corner to the opening of the booth, brandishing her menus.
“Hi, I’m Alice and I’ll be your server this eve---”
But her words were cut off by the blunt impact of surprise at who she found looking up at her. First she saw the enormous brown eyes of the cashier from the bookstore - the one Edward had a thing for - staring up at her in equal shock. Then her focus quickly jumped across the table to none other than Edward himself, looking a little sheepish, and a lot expectant.
Alice wasted scant time gawking at them both before exclaiming, “Get out! I can’t believe you’re here. Together. The two of you. On a date.” She said the last word with the incredulity it deserved, but then realized she might be blowing things for her cousin. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that. At all. I think it’s great, in fact.”
Edward cringed slightly. “Everybody’s got to eat, right?” he downplayed. “And Sophia makes the best Italian food in the city. I take it you remember Bella from the bookstore, right?”
“Yeah, of course!” she exclaimed with a smile at Bella, who gave her one in return. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but this first week of school kind of put me on overload, you know?”
“Oh, I know. It’s overwhelming at first. But you’ll get into the routine soon enough,” Bella said in assurance. “Call me anytime, though. Especially if you have any questions about classes or anything.”
“Thanks, I will. We’ll have to get together sometime, for sure.” She shot Edward a look, trying to discern his feelings on the matter. The small but pleased grin on his face nearly floored her. She hadn’t seen that expression since the last piano recital he’d done before going to Julliard. The appreciative crowd had given him a standing ovation, and though his face had been composed to express modest appreciation, his uncontainable grin had belied his struggle to keep from bursting at the seams with pride and happiness.
Alice looked at Bella once more, marveling at how she had accomplished such a feat. She had made her cousin happy again.
Bella was positively beaming herself, for that matter. “Yeah, we should hang out,” she told Alice. “I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about.” Her gaze drifted back to Edward’s, and her eyebrow raised mischievously. It looked like Bella Swan was ready to hear more about Edward Masen - if she even knew that was his real last name. And Alice was more than happy to give her an earful.
Edward colored slightly, perhaps realizing the can of worms he might be opening by encouraging the two girls to get together. “Great,” he said at last in resignation.
Alice chuckled and handed them their menus, then recited the evening specials for them. She already knew Edward would want the lasagna, but she figured she might entice his date into something more adventurous.
“The crab agnolotti sounds good. I think I’ll have that,” Bella decided after Alice was finished.
“Oh, it is! It’s delicious,” Alice enthused, scribbling the item on her pad. She was about to ask what they’d like to drink when her cousin stunned her for the second time that evening.
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” Edward announced. “And we’ll have a bottle of the house pinot grigio to go with it.”
Alice gaped at him dumbly like he’d given her the entire order in Italian.
“What, no lasagna?” she finally asked with a laugh. “Sophia will be crushed.”
Edward only smiled. “Well, maybe it’s time for me to change it up a little. Try something new.”
He and Bella seemed to exchange a conspiratorial look, like they had a special secret between them. Alice stared at them for a long moment before adding a “2” in front of the agnolotti order on her ticket. She then retrieved their menus and left the duo alone in their bubble of obvious mutual attraction.
She spent the next twenty minutes subtly eavesdropping on them while she waited on other customers. The two had clammed up when she served their wine, and then their meals, so she had to resort to sneakier methods. She wasn’t interested in the topics of conversation so much as Edward’s behavior. Though Alice had never seen him working as an escort, thank God, she knew he had a coolly charming persona that he could put on at will, like the suits he donned before leaving the house. She’d seen that side of him whenever she’d been able to attend his music concerts - the veneer of the consummate professional hiding a bundle of nerves and latent insecurities within. He used to throw up sometimes before performances when he was younger. But onstage, you’d never know it. He always appeared calm and unflappable, the picture of confidence.
But she soon discerned that Edward did not use this mask with Bella. His smiles and laughter were genuine, as was his obvious affection. Every time Alice glanced at their table, she was struck by how at ease her cousin looked. How like himself he was. His old self, before the demands of everyday life had thrown him off track. She overheard him joke about dunking Bella in the Sound, claiming he never would have gone through with it - that her shrieks when he threw her over his shoulder and waded out knee-deep into the water were entertaining enough. She thought she heard Bella say something like, “I have better ways of entertaining you,” which made Edward’s eyebrow shoot skyward as he agreed that she certainly did.
Wow. This is serious, Alice realized. Not because of the apparent physical intimacy, but the emotional closeness. Edward was all in. She’d never seen him like this with anyone before. A glimmer of hope flooded her, like the sun breaking through the cracks in a cloudy sky. This girl really was the key to Edward making a change for the better. Alice was suddenly certain the tiny brunette sitting across from him would be able to succeed where she’d failed, and give him a reason to quit selling himself to others.
Alice hummed happily to herself as she rang up Edward and Bella’s order. She was heading back to their table when a familiar tall, blond drink of water entered the restaurant. Happiness turned to elation at the sight of Jasper Whitlock’s broad grin and quick wave when he saw her. She waved back and grabbed Deb, who was already on her way to greet him.
“Seat him at Booth Six,” Alice whispered to the hostess.
Deb glanced at the handsome young man, then at her co-worker. “Sure thing,” she said with a wink.
By the time Alice got to Booth Five, Edward and Bella looked anxious to leave. They rose from their seats immediately when she tried to give Edward his change. He shooed her hand away and told her to buy herself a hot fudge sundae - her favorite - later.
“Thanks,” she told him, pocketing the change. “Speaking of which, are you sure you two don’t want to order dessert? The tiramisu here is to die for.”
Edward and Bella shared that same private-joke look as before, and Alice was still fascinated by the sight of it.
“No, I think we’re finished here,” he said, after Bella shook her head in refusal.
“The dinner was delicious, though, really,” she assured Alice, finally tearing her eyes away from Edward’s. “Please tell the chef how good it was.”
“I will, now that you’re leaving,” Alice replied. She shot her cousin a look. “I didn’t tell Sophia you were here with a date so she wouldn’t do anything crazy, like spit in your food.”
Bella frowned and gave them both a quizzical look. “I’ll explain in the car,” Edward told her.
As they all turned to leave, they nearly bumped into the hostess leading Jasper to his table. Alice intercepted, grabbing him by the arm to stop him.
“I’m glad you came,” she told him, giving his bicep a squeeze. “Jasper, this is my cousin, Edward, and his date, Bella. This is Jasper Whitlock. I met him in the bookstore last week - he just transferred here from Texas Tech.”
They all said hello, while the males shook hands and sized each other up. Both Edward and Jasper were similar in stature and build; they even had matching crooked grins. But while Jasper’s was conciliatory, Edward’s was wary. He was clearly protective of his baby cousin, but Jasper understood why. Alice had filled him in on a brief family history, enough for him to know Edward was a brother and caretaker to her, and the only real family she had.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jasper told him in his most polite southern drawl. “Alice has been kind enough to show me the ropes around campus, since I’m new. She’s a special girl.”
Edward gave him a brief smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. “That she is,” he agreed. His expression seemed to add, “And don’t you forget it.”
Alice was grateful for Deb’s interruption as she showed Jasper to the booth behind them.
“Geez, Edward, you could have been a little nicer,” Alice hissed, giving him a quick whack on the arm. “I like him. He’s a good guy.”
“I hope so,” her cousin replied. “If not, he’ll have to answer to me.”
Alice rolled her eyes at his macho posturing. Bella seemed to find the whole thing amusing, though she gave her a sympathetic look as she followed Edward to the door.
“I’ll call you soon,” Alice hollered after her with a wave. She decided she was going to make good on her promise this time. Not only could Bella help her coax Edward to look for some alternatives to his current job, but she might be able to help soften his attitude toward Jasper.
She turned her attention to the broadly grinning Texan awaiting her in the next booth. After handing him a menu with an exaggerated sweep of her hand, she recited the day’s specials once more. He ordered the linguini and clams with a Goose Island beer.
“And can I get you an appetizer of some kind?” she added, deliberately leaning over the table to flash him a little cleavage as she took his menu.
His hungry eyes lingered over her enticements for a moment before returning to her inquisitive gaze.
“You do know how to whet a man’s appetite, Miss Cullen,” he said with a lazy grin. “I’ll take an order of whatever you recommend.”
Her grin was not nearly so slow to arrive as his. “I’ll have the chef whip up something special for you.”
“Sounds great. Surprise me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Forget the left butt cheek, she thought. Alice’s entire body was vibrating this time as she bounced back to the kitchen.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Chapter 27
“I feel like I’m in a Volvo car commercial.”
Edward squinted over at Bella as she reclined dramatically against the sumptuous leather interior of his convertible, trying to smooth the hair that whipped around her head in a tempestuous dark cloud.
“You look like you’re in a car commercial, too,” he said with a grin. “Very sexy.” He reluctantly turned his eyes back to the road so he wouldn’t miss the Dravus Street exit.
“I feel sexy,” she replied. He glanced over in time to see an eyebrow raise provocatively over the rim of her Ray-Bans. Then the wind slapped a thick lock of hair across her face, and he laughed while she spit it out of her mouth.
“I can put the top up if it’s too windy,” he offered.
“No way! This is awesome. A sunny day in Seattle - film at eleven.”
“You do love the sun,” he murmured, half to himself. He shook his head in wonder that everything she’d ever done or said had left such a vivid imprint in his mind, like experiencing his first Technicolor movie after a lifetime of only black and white.
Bella fished in her backpack until she procured a small black hair band, then pulled her tangled locks into a thick tail and secured them at the nape of her neck.
“Voila,” she announced with a triumphant grin. Then she leaned back, face upturned to the sun, as if to soak it in all the better. Her ivory cheeks had turned rosy already from exposure, and Edward frowned slightly.
“Did you put on some sunscreen? I don’t want you to get burned,” he advised.
Bella only laughed. “Not yet. I decided to let you do the honors when we get to the beach.”
Her eyebrow raised again, and so did Junior. He felt it struggling against the layers of swim trunks and cargo shorts that ensnared it. Edward squirmed a little in his seat, trying to adjust himself.
“You enjoy tormenting me, don’t you?”
“Very much so,” she answered with a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I plan to make sure you’re well-covered in sun-block, too. I don’t want those sexy moles of yours to turn all crazy and malignant on me.”
“Heaven forbid,” Edward agreed. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, while Junior danced in anticipation of Bella’s hands on its owner’s skin. The two of them had been looking forward to this date with a longing neither of them was used to. By the time Sunday had arrived, Edward was sure that he’d built up Bella in his mind to ridiculous proportions. Why had he made her the shining beacon of his dark existence? Surely he was placing far too much importance on the connection he felt with her. It was time to bring his growing obsession down a notch and get real. She was just a girl. A young one, at that, like Emmett pointed out. It was unrealistic to expect anything good to come of this situation.
But when she opened the door of her dorm room today and smiled up at him, he knew it was no use. Everything within him sparked to life, like she was premium fuel to his engine. And now he thrummed along in time to the motor of the C70 beneath them, taking them on a journey from which he was increasingly certain there was no return.
He glanced over at Bella, hoping to see her mirror his anticipation. But instead her brows were knitted as she ran her hand along the buttery leather interior of his car.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” she said quickly. Her smile was forced.
“What is it?” he demanded.
Busted again, she thought. Why could she hide nothing from him?
“I’m just curious about something.” She paused, not knowing how to continue.
He waited, but as always, his patience fizzled quickly. “Just say it. You can ask me anything.”
She wanted to laugh and ask, “But will you answer?” Instead, she took a deep breath and voiced her real question.
“Well, I know that you started being an escort because you had a lot of debt and expenses to pay off. So . . . I guess I’m just wondering how you can afford a car like this.” She bit her lip and gave him a wary glance.
“I can’t,” he answered. She was relieved he didn’t seem offended. “It’s essentially a company car. Rosalie makes sure her employees show up for their dates dressed to impress, and that includes the transportation they arrive in. When I first started in this line of work, that was a definite perk for me. Having my car paid for meant one less bill for me to worry about, and Alice could drive our grandmother’s car whenever she needed it for school or work.
“Which reminds me,” he added, eyes narrowing behind his own sunglasses. “Why didn’t you tell me you met my cousin last weekend?”
Her surprise was easy to see despite the dark glass over her eyes. “I . . . I don’t know. She said she’d call me sometime, but she never did, so . . .” She bit her lip in that way that always drove him crazy. “I guess I didn’t know how you’d feel about me befriending your family behind your back. Does that sound weird?”
“A little,” he replied. “Why would I mind you being friends with Alice?”
She shrugged, wondering how to explain. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to insinuate myself into your life, like some creepy stalker. It was a total coincidence that she and I met.”
“Maybe there are no coincidences.” He’d never been a fatalist before, but maybe that was changing. He had a strange sense of the puzzle pieces of his life coming closer together. He just wasn’t sure how they were all going to fit into the big picture quite yet. Hell, he didn’t even know what the big picture was. All he knew was that the girl sitting next to him was suddenly the biggest, and most unexpected, piece of that puzzle. She gave him hope that the picture would be clear someday. He wondered what he could possibly give her in return.
“I think it would be nice if you and Alice became friends,” he said, trying to sound casual. “A lot of her high school friends went to different colleges, so she could use some on campus who know their way around.”
“The same thing happened to me. My best friend from high school is in Europe. And I was too busy studying to make any lasting friends last year. I kind of feel like I’m starting over now.” She didn’t tell him that her foray into hired sex was part of the plan, but he’d already figured that out the night they met. Sometimes when he looked at her, she felt completely exposed even when she was fully dressed. Even when she peered at him from behind dark, protective gray shades.
He was looking at her like that now from behind his own sunglasses. His lips twitched in that little grin of his, and she squirmed at the tingles that spread between her thighs.
“I think everyone deserves at least one do-over in life,” he said. “We’ll have to toast to new beginnings later,” he said.
“Sounds good. Did you bring wine?”
“Nope. Gatorade will have to do.” His grin broadened, and he turned his adorable face back to road as they took a right onto 20th Street.
Bella laughed and assured him she loved Gatorade. “And tell Alice to call me,” she added.
“Oh, she will. She was waiting for my blessing, too, if you can believe that.” Edward shook his head, baffled. “Am I that bad? Am I that much of a hard-ass?”
“No. Just stubborn.”
“How can you know that already? We just met.”
“I can tell. You get something in your head and there’s no swaying you. Am I right?”
He snorted in her direction. “Takes one to know one.”
She smiled. “Maybe. But I still think you’re more immovable than I am. I like to look at all sides of an issue. I have the feeling you always think your side is the right one.”
His shrug was cavalier. “That’s because it is.” He tried to keep a straight face, but his grin only grew wider.
“What am I getting myself into?” She meant it as a joke, but it hung in the air with more weight than she intended.
Edward fell silent, because he had no good answer for her. He concentrated on following Government Way down to 36th Avenue. It wouldn’t be much further now.
“Have you ever been to Discovery Park?” he asked at last.
Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She’d spent the last two minutes trying to figure out how to take back what she’d said. She was surprised he hadn’t taken the opportunity to give her an easy out from what he deemed their “impossible situation.” He had every time before.
“No, I’ve never been there, believe it or not. Is that where you go to run?”
“Yeah, sometimes. I like it because it really feels like you’re away from the city, even though it’s so close to downtown. We’ll have to walk about a mile and a half down to the beach, so it’s a good thing you wore your sneakers.”
“You’re going to try to get me to jog yet, aren’t you?”
He gave her that gorgeous, lopsided grin. “You might want to race me. Last one to the shore has to sunbathe in the nude.”
“Ha!” she exclaimed. “In your dreams. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to get arrested, would you?”
“Oh, it’s doubtful you would. This place is known for nude sunbathing. You probably won’t be the only one if you decide to go au natural.”
Bella stared at him, trying to determine if he was joking. “You aren’t seriously taking me to a nude beach, are you?”
He tried to keep his poker face intact. “It’s not a nude beach, per se. But the naturalists like to come here and let it all hang out - literally. To make a statement, I guess. The human body is beautiful, Bella. Especially yours. You should embrace it.”
She was gaping at him in mild terror, and it was all he could do to keep from erupting in laughter.
“Look, I’m no prude. I’m all for embracing the beauty of the human body or whatever. I mean, I took a life drawing class this semester, so I’m going to have to draw naked people at least once a week. But that doesn’t mean I have to expose myself to every Tom, Dick or Harry who happens to walk by me on the beach.”
Edward could no longer contain his laughter. “I don’t want you exposing yourself, either, trust me. Well, not to anyone but me.” He side-eyed her meaningfully, and warmth radiated from her nether regions until it crept all the way up her face.
“Good. I want the same thing.” Her look was twice as meaningful as his, and his smile faded. He deftly changed the subject before the usual elephant sat its giant ass down between them.
“So, back up a minute. You’re drawing naked people this semester? What kind of class is that?”
“Life Drawing,” she reiterated, sounding somewhat defensive. “The main emphasis is studying and drawing the human form. We have models posing in various positions so we can try to capture the muscle and bone structure of the body. I guess they’ll be nude a good chunk of the time, according to the instructor. Right now we’re just drawing each other - facial portraits, from across the room. Our easels are in a big circle, so we draw whomever is straight across from us. But the models will show up in a week or two.”
“Interesting. Male or female?”
“Both.”
“Huh.” He didn’t like the thought of her staring at naked guys all day, and again realized the taste of his own medicine wasn’t so sweet.
Bella looked out the window, keeping her satisfied grin to herself. She liked the thought of being able to level the playing field a little between them, even superficially. Though this was hardly a game they were playing, she still savored each small victory, each piece of evidence that Edward was in as deep she as she was.
“Tell you what,” she suggested. “I’ve got a pen and notebook in my backpack. Since you’re all hot to take your clothes off today, you can be my practice model and pose for me on this nude beach.”
It was Edward’s turn to guffaw. “I didn’t say I was hot to take my clothes off. I’m just hot for you to do it.”
“What kind of double standard is that? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If I’m frolicking naked in the surf, then so are you.”
Edward’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You’re actually considering it?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.” That was a bald-faced lie, so she tried to perfect her own poker face.
Before he turned on West Emerson to head for the south parking lot, he paused and studied her closely. He leaned in so he could find her eyes between their twin sunglass barriers.
“Be careful, Bella. I might call you on your bluff.”
“Go for it,” she answered.
“Oh, I intend to.”
Their grins were a matched set as they headed toward Discovery Park.
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“This view is amazing. No wonder you like to come here,” Bella said in awe.
She and Edward stood at the top of the bluff, looking out over the Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Backpacks in tow, they had traversed a beautiful meadow until they reached a fork in the road. One path would lead them through the woods, while the other would take them down the steep bluff to the water below.
“It is pretty awesome,” he agreed, taking in the majestic scenery before them. “Kind of puts your everyday worries into perspective.”
“Yeah,” she agreed softly. Though she and Edward had come across plenty of other hikers and runners so far, there was still a feeling of solitude surrounding them as they trucked along the path through the wilderness. Edward took her hand whenever the trails became rough or steep, and now was no different.
“We’ll go down the South Beach Trail,” he said, nodding to the left. “We can always come back up the Loop Trail and use the access road if you’re too tired to take the bluff trail later.”
“No way. I’m not a pussy,” she protested, taking his hand.
He chuckled and entwined his fingers through hers. “Come on, tough girl.”
He led her down the steep path toward the beach. The warmth of Edward’s hand in hers matched that of the sun on her face, seeping clear down to her bones. All she could think was, This is what happiness feels like.
“This isn’t a very good place for sunbathing,” he admitted as they made their way down to the rugged shoreline. The dark, sandy beach stretching out before them was littered with driftwood and rocky outcrops. “But it’s a lot more private. I didn’t really want to go to someplace crowded like Golden Gardens. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s perfect.” She squeezed his hand and walked side by side with him along the pebbled sand, enjoying the sound of the waves washing along the shore. In the distance a couple threw a Frisbee back and forth, and a few kids played in the thick, wet sand while their parents chaperoned from nearby blankets.
“You want to walk to the lighthouse at West Point?” he asked.
“Sure.” She nodded her consent, and they headed down the coastline, watching distant boats sail across the Sound. Edward looked over at Bella, still feeling almost startled to see her there, like he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Her cheeks were glowing, hoperfully from the same euphoria he felt inside; but then he remembered that she said she hadn’t put any sun-block on yet. Her skin was far too fair to last an afternoon by the water without protection. He looked around and spied a secluded spot near a boulder, piles of driftwood providing shelter on the other side.
“Maybe we should rest here for a minute and put on some sunscreen before we both fry,” he suggested, gesturing to the sandy alcove.
“Good idea,” she agreed. She followed him to the spot and opened her backpack, drawing out a beach towel; but when she looked over at Edward, he had already removed a large quilt from his pack and was spreading it over the ground.
“Wow! Nice,” she commented as she took in the ornate, if faded, patchwork design. “Too nice to ruin at the beach.”
“Nah, this is an old quilt,” he assured her. “I use it for outdoor stuff. My great-grandmother made dozens of them, so we might as well put them to use.”
“Okay,” she said with a shrug, dropping her folded towel onto the quilt as a makeshift pillow. She kicked off her sneakers and watched Edward do the same. Then they stopped and looked at one another, a sudden tension springing to life between them. They were each staring at the other’s worn t-shirt and shorts, wondering what lay beneath. Bella was itching for Edward to pull that faded cotton over his head. Edward couldn’t wait to see her wriggle out of her blue jean cut-offs.
He cleared his throat and took a step closer - close enough to reach out and slide his fingers under the neckline of her vintage 80s new-wave shirt.
“So, what color is Bella Swan’s bathing suit?” he mused aloud, his lips pursing provocatively as she waited with bated breath. “I’ve been wondering about this all week.” He pulled gently at the knit fabric of her shirt until a spaghetti strap the color of fresh snow was revealed.
“White,” he murmured, running his fingers over the strap and the skin around it. “Pure white. Virginal, even.”
His smirk was subtle; knowing. She was offering herself up to him a second time. No one had touched her since he had, and the thrill of it was equal to the guilt that he’d made no such covenant to her.
She exhaled slowly, trying to keep from shaking. The mere touch of his fingers on her collarbone sent tremors down to her toes. Despite the sunglasses, his gaze seared her like it had that first night when he’d made her twirl for him in front of the window.
“Let me see the rest,” he ordered softly.
He dropped his hand and waited. He was going to make her undress for him, damn him. She was definitely trembling now, despite the heat from the sun and his shielded eyes.
She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and slowly pulled upward, revealing several inches of pale flesh above her tight shorts. Then she grabbed the tee decisively in both hands and yanked it over her head, inhaling sharply, her breasts rising with the movement before she tossed the shirt on the quilt beside them. She felt her nipples pebble beneath her swimsuit as the sea breeze brushed over her. Then she pushed her sunglasses atop her head and squinted up at Edward, feeling triumphant at the expression on his face.
His mouth hung slack, his eyes darting up and down her body like the marble in a pinball machine, unable to rest in one place for long. They traveled over her ivory skin, only a few shades darker than her swimsuit; they took in the delicate architecture of her neck, shoulders and arms, their lines softened beneath her supple flesh; then they settled on the rigid outline of her nipples, clearly defined beneath their flimsy triangles of fabric. He was overwhelmed by the desire to push the material aside and thumb those dusky pink buttons before sucking each of them into his mouth.
“Your turn,” she whispered. Her dark eyes fell from his face to his waistline, and she reached for the bottom of his own t-shirt. He let her fingers wander underneath, over the tense muscles of his stomach until they tickled the trail of hair leading down from his navel. Junior was positively ecstatic at this turn of events, urging Edward to pull his shirt off and allow her easier access. She took full advantage, placing both hands on his naked torso, running them slowly up his belly and over his chest until his breathing was as unsteady as hers. Why did she make him feel this way? Nervous and excited, like it was the first time they’d seen each other’s bodies, the first time they’d touched.
He didn’t know why; he didn’t care. He gave in to the sensation and slid his hands around her, letting them glide up her slight frame until they found her beautiful face. She reached up and pulled off his sunglasses, needing to bare his gaze as well as his body. Their naked eyes connected and held until their lips took over. And then there was nothing but the soft wetness of their mouths conducting the heat between them, passing it back and forth until it became a fire of its own, fanned and fueled by the two hungry mouths feeding it.
They broke part at last with overwhelmed gasps. Edward felt exactly the same as he had on the swings a week ago when he’d lost himself in their kiss, barely registering where they were or who might be watching. He wasn’t sure he liked how easily she made him lose control. Or maybe what troubled him was that she made him stop caring if he had any control to begin with.
Bella loved the feeling of him giving in, surrendering to the force that pulled them together. She had recognized its power that first night and given herself over to it. But she’d had to tell him to let go the first time he came inside her. If she had to coax him to be free with her again, she would.
She trailed her hands down his warm, musky skin to the closure of his shorts. She looked up at him as she undid the button and unzipped the fly.
“And what color are your swim trunks, Mister Cullen?” Her eyebrow raised quizzically. “What complements my virginal white?”
She took a peek down at the nylon fabric beneath his khaki shorts, then returned her gaze to his.
“Basic black,” she announced. “Classic.”
His half-smile was twisted. “Don’t you mean ‘villainous?’”
“You’re not a villain.”
“Are you sure about that? The bad guys always wear black.”
“Johnny Cash wore black.”
“Johnny Cash went to prison,” he pointed out.
“He also loved one woman with everything he had until his dying breath. That’s good enough for me.”
Bella was almost as shocked at her words as Edward was. It was far too soon for that kind of truth. But she couldn’t quite regret saying it, even though the meaning was a double-edged sword, considering his current line of work.
Edward wondered why he continued to be thrown by her blunt honesty. He should have come to expect it by now. And though it often left him speechless, it was one of his favorite things about her.
As the silence veered toward awkwardness, Bella looked for a way to steer the conversation back to the easy banter they’d shared before.
“Besides, I think you’ve forgotten one crucial thing,” she said. She grabbed the waistband of his sagging shorts and tugged until they fell to the sand. She eyed him up and down and announced, “Black is sexy. And it’s the perfect counterpoint to white. They balance each other out.”
His smile was wry. “The darkness and the light.”
“You can’t have one without the other.”
“I guess not,” he conceded. “I’ll let you light my way, then, Miss Swan.”
She smiled at this, and so did he. His gazed drifted down her porcelain skin and its matching swim bra, then stopped at the incongruous blue of her shorts. He slid his hands over the waistband and deftly undid the button. “Now let’s see the rest of this white bikini of yours,” he said as he slowly pulled at the zipper. He tried pushing the material down, but the jeans clung stubbornly to her hips. “You’d better do this yourself. I’ll end up taking the bottom of your swimsuit off with the shorts, and then I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Bella grinned up at his wicked smirk as she carefully peeled her shorts over her bikini. “Is that a promise or a threat?”
“Both,” he replied as his eyes followed the path of her hands gliding over the curve of her thighs.
“Well, then, that gives me something to look forward to.”
Edward shook his head at her flirtation. “That’s a pretty bold statement coming from someone who’s afraid to take her swimsuit off in public.”
Bella looked up and down the beach. The closest person was many yards away, and would never be able to see them if they were to nestle into their rock-and-driftwood nook, surrounded by the tall grasses leading up to the bluff. She took Edward’s hand and sat on the quilt, pulling him down next to her. They were mostly hidden from view, save for the opening to the beach with its tide lapping ever closer.
“Seems pretty private to me,” she whispered, reaching up to stroke the side of his face. His jaw was rough with its perpetual stubble, and she wondered how many minutes it took after shaving for his hair follicles to spring to life.
His hand mimicked hers, finding her cheek quickly, but feeling only smooth silk beneath his fingers. Their faces drew closer, mouths demanding another taste. Edward looked down at her flushed cheeks and came to his senses once more.
“Stop trying to distract me from saving your lily-white complexion,” he muttered into her parted lips as he watched her eyelashes close. “Suntan lotion, remember?”
Bella’s eyes popped back open in annoyance. “Killjoy,” she grumbled as she drew back with a sigh. She reached for her backpack and found the tube of sunscreen she’d packed inside, then waved it under his nose. “SPF 50. Are you happy?”
“Ecstatic. I can’t have any fun with you later if you’re all sunburned.” He flashed her a positively wicked grin and grabbed the sun-block out of her hand. He scooted around and knelt behind her, lifting her ponytail out of the way. Then he squeezed out a dollop of suntan cream and smeared it directly between Bella’s shoulder blades.
The cool wetness startled her, but she soon relaxed as Edward’s fingers spread the liquid over her skin and rubbed gently until it disappeared. He repeated the process with maddening languor all the way down her back, using both hands. Junior twitched sporadically as Edward ran his fingertips along the edge of her bikini, pausing to trace the dimples above her cheeks. He leaned in, lips close to her ear. “I love a girl with dimples.”
His words sent wildfire racing down her spine, his breath fanning the flames. She was trying to come up with a reply when he spoke again.
“Now lie down so I can do the backs of your legs.”
She was face down on the quilt before she even realized she’d moved, her body eagerly complying with his quiet demands. She shivered the moment she felt his slippery fingers on the back of her right calf, and the gooseflesh spread with the motion of his hand working up the back of her thigh. He stopped only when he reached the edge of her bathing suit, his fingers pushing at the fabric over her buttock before dipping precariously close to the sweet spot between her thighs.
She stifled a moan, her back arched and moisture pooled in her groin. Images began flashing through her mind, an erotic collage of various positions and sensations as she envisioned him spreading her open and entering her. No man had ever done this to her before - made her fantasize and yearn for him so shamelessly. He repeated the slow stroking of her left leg, up and down and in between. She felt herself lengthen and arch even more into the pressure of his hand.
Touch me, she wanted to beg. Slide your fingers in, deep. She wondered if he could sense the desire seizing her, stretching her body into a tight rubber band beneath his touch. She couldn’t know that the man hovering over her was a perfect mirror of her in that moment: the same rampant thoughts and wants flooding him; tempting him to throw all caution to the wind, remove her swimsuit and take her from behind.
He took a deep breath instead and knelt down, placing his mouth to her ear again.
“Do you want me to do the front?”
The huskiness of his voice was impossible to miss. She turned her head to look at his face close to hers and saw the same lust-filled gaze he’d given her on the couch two weeks ago. He had asked her then to give up her inhibitions for him. She responded now by silently rolling toward him until she was on her back, looking up at him with undisguised longing. The invitation in her eyes couldn’t have been more clear.
His answer was even clearer. His eyes wandered freely over every inch of her as she lay before him; his hands and thoughts soon followed. He slathered every inch of ivory skin with sunscreen, gratefully revisiting the hills and valleys he’d feared he would never travel again.
“Do you know what this reminds me of?” he asked at last, his fingers splayed over her belly, smoothing the creamy lotion into her skin. A cloud had drifted across the sun overhead, blocking its glare so that Bella’s eyes could meet Edward’s without squinting.
“The shower,” she answered.
He nodded and moved his fingers gently up her sternum, then back and forth across the soft swells of her chest.
“I was so afraid then that I’d never get to touch you like this again.”
She let out a noise of disbelief. “You couldn’t have been as afraid as I was. And it’s not like I have so many other options. Not that I’d want them.”
It was his turn to snort softly. “You have more options than you know.” He thought of the boys who’d walked her home last weekend. And the boys she probably didn’t even realize had looked at her, thought of her, the way he was right now.
“They pale in comparison,” she replied. She couldn’t imagine Mike or Jake coming close to being this sensual, this compelling. She was nearly in a trance at the feel of Edward’s fingers trailing along the nape of her neck, his liquid azure eyes leading the way. His hand closed softly around her neck, cupping her chin, holding her head immobile as he leaned down and stared into her eyes.
“Are you saying you want only me?”
Something between a laugh and a sob was strangled beneath his gentle grip. “Only you,” she repeated in a thin whisper.
His thumb reached up and traced the contour of her lower lip. He suddenly cracked a wry smile. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
She mustered a weak smile in response. “Yeah. I know.”
“Lucky for me,” he murmured, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. “You deserve so much more.” He kissed her again, and she struggled to return it; but his hand impeded her efforts. “And I deserve a hell of a lot less.”
He frowned slightly and pulled back, releasing her long enough to squeeze more lotion onto his fingertips. Then he leaned over and gingerly applied tiny dollops to her cheeks, forehead, and the tip of her nose and chin. He gently stroked both hands over every inch of her face, swirling the cream into her flushed, satiny skin. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was to him. Surely it was written all over his face as he studied hers.
Bella gazed up at him in wonder. She had never felt so cared for in her life. He looked at her almost reverently, as though she was something to be cherished. And when he was finished, he knelt and kissed her softly again, several times, his lips sweet and damp and delicious.
“There,” he pronounced, propping his hands on either side of her head as he viewed his handiwork. “Now you won’t get burned.”
The metaphor resonated between them for a bittersweet moment. Edward’s brows furrowed at the implication. But Bella couldn’t help but smile at the big puffs of clouds that were now drifting across the sky behind his head.
“Figures that the clouds would roll in, now that you’ve got me covered,” she said.
He glanced up at the sky, then back down at the reflection of it in her eyes. “You can still get burned on a cloudy day. Better safe than sorry.”
“True. So we’d better get some lotion on this pink skin of yours,” she said, reaching up to stroke his face. She propped herself up and reached for the tube of sunscreen lying on the quilt beside them. Edward sat back, cross-legged, and waited expectantly.
“Where to begin. . .?” she mused, looking him over. She’d dreamed of running her hands over his body every night for the past two weeks. She could hardly believe the dream was about to come true once more.
“I think it’s time for connect the dots,” she decided, crawling behind Edward and kneeling there. Instead of squeezing the lotion into her hand, she aimed the tube directly at his back and squirted a long trail down his spine.
“Shit!” he exclaimed in surprise.
Bella only laughed at his discomfort. “Don’t be a wuss,” she ordered. Then she dove into the cream with both hands and began spreading it in every direction, firmly massaging his muscles up and down, back and forth, as she went.
“Oh, God,” he groaned, sinking into the pressure of her fingers. “Why didn’t tell me you gave such good back rubs?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I’ll probably be begging for one every time I see you from now on.” He broke off in a moan at the feel of her fingers kneading his shoulders.
“I could get into that,” she teased. The truth was, she was loving every minute of the rubdown as much as he was. The masculine strength of his muscle and bone beneath her exploring hands only galvanized her desire for him. By the time she had finished stroking the rippling muscles of his arms, she could think of nothing but what they’d look like holding his torso aloft while he repeatedly thrust his cock inside her.
She took one last look at his back and made good on her promise to “connect the dots.” She touched her index finger to the bottom-most beauty mark on Edward’s back, near the waistband of his swim trunks; then slowly zigzagged up his torso, following the freckled path to his neck. She stopped at the tiny brown spot behind his right ear, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his skin. Her mouth continued the trek from there, moving softly across the nape of his neck to a matched set of beauty marks on the left. She planted her lips there and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
His head leaned into hers; his hands crept up to encircle her wrists as she held him. He wanted to say something, but words evaded him. He closed his eyes and reveled in the bliss of that moment.
“You feel so good,” she whispered in his ear, hugging him closer.
He wanted to argue with her, to tell her that the pleasure must certainly be all his as she melted against him. “You feel amazing,” was all he could manage. “You’re too good to me.”
“I’m just getting started,” she replied, her voice barreling down his spine like a shot of whiskey and settling, molten, at the base of his groin.
She let go and moved to crouch in front of him, pulling at his legs to uncross them. He leaned back on his hands and stretched out his legs so she could go to work, rubbing sunscreen into him one maddening limb at a time.
Her eyes drifted back and forth from the pale brown hair of his shins to the matching lashes that framed his eyes. As the sun peeked out from behind one cloud after the next, Edward’s eyes faded from blue to green to gray, kaleidoscopes whose colorful focus never faltered from her. She watched them darken slightly under heavy lids when she perched between his calves and slowly slid her hands up the sinews of his thighs. His lips parted, his breath coming fast, as she neared his crotch. She decided she would show him no mercy - not after the intimate way he’d touched her moments ago.
She worked her hands under the legs of his swim trunks until they reached the crease of his thighs, then pressed her thumbs inward, dangerously close to the family jewels. Her eyes never left his, but she knew if she looked down, she would see the proof of his arousal. His face evidenced it well enough, nostrils flaring slightly, lips twitching, eyes burning. She wanted to grab his erection right through its nylon cover and pump until Edward groaned.
But no, she would have to cultivate patience now. The kind he’d exercised with her their first night together, teasing her to the brink of insanity with his studied sexual prowess. She withdrew her hands and picked up the bottle of suntan lotion again, shaking it before aiming at his chest. She jettisoned the cream onto him in an absurdly blatant sexual innuendo that made them both laugh. And then her hands were on him again, quickly transforming the humor into something serious by the time she was done.
She took her time rubbing him down, fingers lazily exploring, then insistently probing every ripple of muscle beneath his supple flesh. The rhythm of his shallow breaths, the tensing of his belly, the swelling of his cock against his swim trunks - all of these were irresistible aphrodisiacs to Bella. They were proof of her affect on him - proof of his desire for her. Proof that she wasn’t just another notch in his belt. But the biggest testament lay in his eyes, in that relentless stare that never wavered. She was the only thing he saw. The only thing he wanted.
This was what she told herself. And this was what Edward wanted to tell her, if only he could utter the words.
But he was silent while she touched his face, caressing him as he had her, searching every plane and hollow, tracing and memorizing hallowed ground. He felt reverence in her fingertips, in her warm breath mingling with his. He saw it in her eyes, drinking him in. Insatiable, like his own.
She wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, but the words seemed silly and ineffectual. There were no words for this kind of need. And so she chose the wordless communication of a kiss, pressing her hungry lips to his.
His answer was immediate, overwhelming them both. He kissed her deeply, almost savagely, his tongue seeking hers in mutual communion. His arms were around her in an instant, pulling her against him, pulling her down to the quilt. She sighed in triumph as she fell atop him, fingers twisting in his hair while his hands gripped her back, pressing her closer. Their kiss grew frenzied, mouths devouring and moaning at the taste. Their bodies struggled to become one, limbs tangling, hands grabbing for possession.
They rolled to one side, facing each other, torsos undulating together in the telltale rhythm belying their need to join together. Bella pushed her thigh between his until the hardness of his erection dug into her hip. She ground herself against him, rubbing harder until she eked a groan from his lips.
“Fuck,” he swore. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” she demanded in a throaty whisper. Her lips scraped haphazardly along his prickly jaw, back toward the tender lobe of his ear. “No one’s watching.”
His fingers wound through her hair and massaged her scalp, oblivious to the words that came from his lips. “Bella, you were afraid of getting arrested just for public nudity. I guarantee you we will get arrested for public fornication.”
“Fornication?” she repeated with a giggle. “Sounds so dirty when you say it. Say it again,” she taunted, bringing her lips to his once more. “Fornicate me, Edward.”
He half-laughed, half-growled in frustration, one hand traveling down to her hip, fingers gripping her ass and squeezing. She responded by tilting her pelvis into his once more. “Fornicate you?” he rasped. “Oh, I intend to. I promise I will fornicate the hell out of you, later. In private.”
But his body wasn’t listening. Neither was hers. They rocked in time once more, kissing and fondling and grasping at one another with more desperation than before. Their hands found their way under one another’s swim suits, squeezing firm buttocks and teasing engorged sex. Edward released Bella’s ass long enough to reach up to her swim top and pull the fabric aside until hard nipples were released to his waiting mouth. She wound her hands in his hair as he suckled her, back and forth, until both breasts were taut and wet. Her moan drew the attention of his mouth and he returned to kiss her again, tongue probing rhythmically, deeper, stroking, mimicking. God, how she wanted to feel that tongue between her legs.
She moaned again and reached down, sliding her hand between them, under the waistband of his trunks. His cock sprang into her waiting fingers, eager for her touch. She gripped him firmly and pumped in time with the motion of his tongue against hers until he groaned and gasped, breaking their kiss.
“Fuck,” he swore again softly. “What you do to me. . .”
His words blazed through her, fuel to an already raging fire. “Touch me and feel what you do to me,” she entreated.
Her eyes were fathomless in the shadow of the gathering clouds over head. Dark, impenetrable. He wanted nothing more than to penetrate, to break through, to be inside her once more. And she was practically begging him to do so. How lucky a bastard could he be?
He reached over and grabbed the edge of the quilt from behind her, drawing it over their bodies, sheltering them from the errant glances of anyone who might wander by. Then he slid his hand slowly over the swell of her half-exposed breasts, down the flat length of her naked belly, until he reached the edge of her bikini. He pushed the material down, probing, spreading her lips until he felt her wetness. She cried out softly as he curled his fingers into her, pushing the middle one into her damp opening, then deeper and deeper, all the way. She sighed and reached inside his swim trunks once more, sliding her hand along the length of his cock, gripping the base, teasing his balls.
Their eyes met and locked, so close they could count eyelashes. Their breath blended into a steamy cloud that hovered between them as they lay face-to-face, hand-to-sex. And joined this way, they began an intimate pas de deux. Theirs was a dance of pleasure, hands working diligently together: hers gripping and stroking, his searching and plunging deep. Their lungs kept perfect time, breathing in sync with the movement of their busy hands.
Edward wanted to say something; to tell her how incredible she felt. How lucky he was to plunder those soft, wet ridges inside her; to stretch her tight walls with his fingers and reach so deep that he felt like he might touch her soul somehow. Her eyes reflected that search, that longing for more than just the friction of flesh against flesh. Her gaze told him the search had ended right here and now. He knew it with certainty as he reached even further, plumbing her depths with more urgency, utterly entranced by the sound and feel of her arousal against his fingers.
Her breaths became punctuated by soft cries as he increased the pace, his hand relentlessly working her wet pussy until her belly went rigid in preparation for its impending release. She responded by grasping his cock and pumping it more furiously, trying to keep up with the fingers buried inside her. Glassy eyes mirrored each other’s lust, eyelids closing more frequently, brows furrowing and lips parting with passion and need.
How could such a thorough invasion feel so overwhelming, yet so utterly welcome at the same time? Bella marveled at this as Edward’s hand relentlessly possessed her, fucking her to the point of madness, of utter surrender, of ultimate ecstasy. She squeezed her lids shut as her eyes rolled back and her body arched like a cat in heat. She was coming, and the burn raging through her groin made her cry out for deliverance. Her muscles contracted around the source of their frenzy, gripping Edward’s fingers in shockwaves of pleasure that had her sobbing and panting helplessly into his face so close to hers.
He stared in wonder at the intensity of her orgasm - the feel of her body trembling and bucking at his mercy. Her cries were matched by one of his own when her hand gripped his cock and squeezed mindlessly as she came. Oh, but it hurt so good, to buckle under her pressure as she just had under his.
She relaxed her grip on him as the waves of euphoria diminished and radiated dully through her body. Her eyes opened at last and settled in grateful awe upon his. Her breathing slowed, coming in longer and longer gusts that fanned gently across his face.
“What you do to me. . .” she quoted, her voice as spent as the rest of her. She felt his hand move slowly inside her, gentle and calming, until he finally pulled out. He closed his fingers around her hip and leaned in to kiss her. His lips were as soft and soothing as his fingers had just been. He was nothing less than perfection, driving her over the edge and then bringing her back with sweet assurance.
But what of his assurance? This was no time for slowing down. Not when his manhood begged for satisfaction in the sweaty palm of her hand. She moved to finish what she’d started, building once more from slow, sensual strokes to quick, hard pumps at the tip of his swollen shaft. His breathing soon caught up, labored and uneven, while she worked him with increasing speed. His eyes were dark and desperate as they stared into hers. He wanted release, and she would stop at nothing to give it to him.
She pushed the quilt down just enough to free him. Then she raised up, scooted down and knelt over him, taking the tip of his erection into her mouth. He groaned and fell back at the feel of her lips closing around him and pushing down the length of his cock until it met the back of her throat. He swore and winced in ecstasy at the sensation. How could she be this way - so ready, even eager, to swallow him whole? He marveled anew at the vigor with which she attacked him, using both hands and every part of her mouth to stroke and lick and suck him until it felt like every fluid in his body had been drawn into that single, throbbing rod of flesh.
“God. . . please,” he begged hoarsely, his hands threading their way into her hair while her head bobbed up and down. The sun teased him just as mercilessly, peeking out from its cloud cover every few seconds to make him close his eyes against the blinding light. He was going to come, and he didn’t even want to warn her. He wanted her to gorge herself on his cum, to drink down every drop and love it as if it were nectar of the gods. What a sick, arrogant bastard he was to crave that, he thought.
But Bella thought no such thing. She wanted the bitter taste every bit as much as he did. She wasn’t sure why. All she knew was that she felt more powerful and utterly sexual in this moment than she had the first time she’d knelt before him and taken him in her mouth.
She turned her head to look at him; he raised his to return the gaze. Then she slowly ran her tongue up the underside of his cock, grabbed the base in her hand, and swirled the head all around her mouth. She slapped the shaft against her tongue a few times before closing her lips around him again, pushing down, opening her throat and letting him in. She wanted him deep - as deep as his fingers had been inside her. The sound of his incredulous moan thrilled her down to the marrow. She began moving her lips up and down, pulling him in and letting him out, faster and faster, until his groin tensed beneath her. His breath caught, his hands tightened in her hair, and she braced herself for the explosion.
The sun broke free of its gray shroud at that moment, blinding Edward as his ecstatic eyes rolled skyward. He clamped his lids shut, but still felt the heat of the sun as he came. He groaned at the warmth radiating through him: on the surface of his skin, in his frantic beats of his heart, in the spasms of his groin; but most of all, in the wetness of her mouth cradling his cock, filling with hot liquid before she swallowed and lapped up more. Her lips and tongue pulled stream after stream of ejaculate from his pulsating dick, and moan after helpless moan from his throat. This was beyond ecstasy. Beyond sex. Beyond the realm of physical limitations he’d known before.
As he watched Bella cover his belly with soft kisses afterward, he felt a peace he’d never experienced. Her hands and lips roamed idly up his torso while his fingers played with locks of her hair. When she paused at the largest mole on his body, the one in the middle of his stomach, he cringed. He’d always considered the dark brown protrusion an eyesore, even jokingly referring to it on occasion as his third nipple. She ran a thoughtful finger over its oval contours while he waited for her to make her own crack about the imperfection.
Instead, she bowed her head and kissed it. He felt her tongue glide over the skin, tracing and tickling the aberration with the same reverence she’d shown the rest of him. She even smiled at the ugly thing, then at him.
And that was the moment Edward realized he was falling in love with Bella Swan.
Edward squinted over at Bella as she reclined dramatically against the sumptuous leather interior of his convertible, trying to smooth the hair that whipped around her head in a tempestuous dark cloud.
“You look like you’re in a car commercial, too,” he said with a grin. “Very sexy.” He reluctantly turned his eyes back to the road so he wouldn’t miss the Dravus Street exit.
“I feel sexy,” she replied. He glanced over in time to see an eyebrow raise provocatively over the rim of her Ray-Bans. Then the wind slapped a thick lock of hair across her face, and he laughed while she spit it out of her mouth.
“I can put the top up if it’s too windy,” he offered.
“No way! This is awesome. A sunny day in Seattle - film at eleven.”
“You do love the sun,” he murmured, half to himself. He shook his head in wonder that everything she’d ever done or said had left such a vivid imprint in his mind, like experiencing his first Technicolor movie after a lifetime of only black and white.
Bella fished in her backpack until she procured a small black hair band, then pulled her tangled locks into a thick tail and secured them at the nape of her neck.
“Voila,” she announced with a triumphant grin. Then she leaned back, face upturned to the sun, as if to soak it in all the better. Her ivory cheeks had turned rosy already from exposure, and Edward frowned slightly.
“Did you put on some sunscreen? I don’t want you to get burned,” he advised.
Bella only laughed. “Not yet. I decided to let you do the honors when we get to the beach.”
Her eyebrow raised again, and so did Junior. He felt it struggling against the layers of swim trunks and cargo shorts that ensnared it. Edward squirmed a little in his seat, trying to adjust himself.
“You enjoy tormenting me, don’t you?”
“Very much so,” she answered with a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I plan to make sure you’re well-covered in sun-block, too. I don’t want those sexy moles of yours to turn all crazy and malignant on me.”
“Heaven forbid,” Edward agreed. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, while Junior danced in anticipation of Bella’s hands on its owner’s skin. The two of them had been looking forward to this date with a longing neither of them was used to. By the time Sunday had arrived, Edward was sure that he’d built up Bella in his mind to ridiculous proportions. Why had he made her the shining beacon of his dark existence? Surely he was placing far too much importance on the connection he felt with her. It was time to bring his growing obsession down a notch and get real. She was just a girl. A young one, at that, like Emmett pointed out. It was unrealistic to expect anything good to come of this situation.
But when she opened the door of her dorm room today and smiled up at him, he knew it was no use. Everything within him sparked to life, like she was premium fuel to his engine. And now he thrummed along in time to the motor of the C70 beneath them, taking them on a journey from which he was increasingly certain there was no return.
He glanced over at Bella, hoping to see her mirror his anticipation. But instead her brows were knitted as she ran her hand along the buttery leather interior of his car.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” she said quickly. Her smile was forced.
“What is it?” he demanded.
Busted again, she thought. Why could she hide nothing from him?
“I’m just curious about something.” She paused, not knowing how to continue.
He waited, but as always, his patience fizzled quickly. “Just say it. You can ask me anything.”
She wanted to laugh and ask, “But will you answer?” Instead, she took a deep breath and voiced her real question.
“Well, I know that you started being an escort because you had a lot of debt and expenses to pay off. So . . . I guess I’m just wondering how you can afford a car like this.” She bit her lip and gave him a wary glance.
“I can’t,” he answered. She was relieved he didn’t seem offended. “It’s essentially a company car. Rosalie makes sure her employees show up for their dates dressed to impress, and that includes the transportation they arrive in. When I first started in this line of work, that was a definite perk for me. Having my car paid for meant one less bill for me to worry about, and Alice could drive our grandmother’s car whenever she needed it for school or work.
“Which reminds me,” he added, eyes narrowing behind his own sunglasses. “Why didn’t you tell me you met my cousin last weekend?”
Her surprise was easy to see despite the dark glass over her eyes. “I . . . I don’t know. She said she’d call me sometime, but she never did, so . . .” She bit her lip in that way that always drove him crazy. “I guess I didn’t know how you’d feel about me befriending your family behind your back. Does that sound weird?”
“A little,” he replied. “Why would I mind you being friends with Alice?”
She shrugged, wondering how to explain. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to insinuate myself into your life, like some creepy stalker. It was a total coincidence that she and I met.”
“Maybe there are no coincidences.” He’d never been a fatalist before, but maybe that was changing. He had a strange sense of the puzzle pieces of his life coming closer together. He just wasn’t sure how they were all going to fit into the big picture quite yet. Hell, he didn’t even know what the big picture was. All he knew was that the girl sitting next to him was suddenly the biggest, and most unexpected, piece of that puzzle. She gave him hope that the picture would be clear someday. He wondered what he could possibly give her in return.
“I think it would be nice if you and Alice became friends,” he said, trying to sound casual. “A lot of her high school friends went to different colleges, so she could use some on campus who know their way around.”
“The same thing happened to me. My best friend from high school is in Europe. And I was too busy studying to make any lasting friends last year. I kind of feel like I’m starting over now.” She didn’t tell him that her foray into hired sex was part of the plan, but he’d already figured that out the night they met. Sometimes when he looked at her, she felt completely exposed even when she was fully dressed. Even when she peered at him from behind dark, protective gray shades.
He was looking at her like that now from behind his own sunglasses. His lips twitched in that little grin of his, and she squirmed at the tingles that spread between her thighs.
“I think everyone deserves at least one do-over in life,” he said. “We’ll have to toast to new beginnings later,” he said.
“Sounds good. Did you bring wine?”
“Nope. Gatorade will have to do.” His grin broadened, and he turned his adorable face back to road as they took a right onto 20th Street.
Bella laughed and assured him she loved Gatorade. “And tell Alice to call me,” she added.
“Oh, she will. She was waiting for my blessing, too, if you can believe that.” Edward shook his head, baffled. “Am I that bad? Am I that much of a hard-ass?”
“No. Just stubborn.”
“How can you know that already? We just met.”
“I can tell. You get something in your head and there’s no swaying you. Am I right?”
He snorted in her direction. “Takes one to know one.”
She smiled. “Maybe. But I still think you’re more immovable than I am. I like to look at all sides of an issue. I have the feeling you always think your side is the right one.”
His shrug was cavalier. “That’s because it is.” He tried to keep a straight face, but his grin only grew wider.
“What am I getting myself into?” She meant it as a joke, but it hung in the air with more weight than she intended.
Edward fell silent, because he had no good answer for her. He concentrated on following Government Way down to 36th Avenue. It wouldn’t be much further now.
“Have you ever been to Discovery Park?” he asked at last.
Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She’d spent the last two minutes trying to figure out how to take back what she’d said. She was surprised he hadn’t taken the opportunity to give her an easy out from what he deemed their “impossible situation.” He had every time before.
“No, I’ve never been there, believe it or not. Is that where you go to run?”
“Yeah, sometimes. I like it because it really feels like you’re away from the city, even though it’s so close to downtown. We’ll have to walk about a mile and a half down to the beach, so it’s a good thing you wore your sneakers.”
“You’re going to try to get me to jog yet, aren’t you?”
He gave her that gorgeous, lopsided grin. “You might want to race me. Last one to the shore has to sunbathe in the nude.”
“Ha!” she exclaimed. “In your dreams. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to get arrested, would you?”
“Oh, it’s doubtful you would. This place is known for nude sunbathing. You probably won’t be the only one if you decide to go au natural.”
Bella stared at him, trying to determine if he was joking. “You aren’t seriously taking me to a nude beach, are you?”
He tried to keep his poker face intact. “It’s not a nude beach, per se. But the naturalists like to come here and let it all hang out - literally. To make a statement, I guess. The human body is beautiful, Bella. Especially yours. You should embrace it.”
She was gaping at him in mild terror, and it was all he could do to keep from erupting in laughter.
“Look, I’m no prude. I’m all for embracing the beauty of the human body or whatever. I mean, I took a life drawing class this semester, so I’m going to have to draw naked people at least once a week. But that doesn’t mean I have to expose myself to every Tom, Dick or Harry who happens to walk by me on the beach.”
Edward could no longer contain his laughter. “I don’t want you exposing yourself, either, trust me. Well, not to anyone but me.” He side-eyed her meaningfully, and warmth radiated from her nether regions until it crept all the way up her face.
“Good. I want the same thing.” Her look was twice as meaningful as his, and his smile faded. He deftly changed the subject before the usual elephant sat its giant ass down between them.
“So, back up a minute. You’re drawing naked people this semester? What kind of class is that?”
“Life Drawing,” she reiterated, sounding somewhat defensive. “The main emphasis is studying and drawing the human form. We have models posing in various positions so we can try to capture the muscle and bone structure of the body. I guess they’ll be nude a good chunk of the time, according to the instructor. Right now we’re just drawing each other - facial portraits, from across the room. Our easels are in a big circle, so we draw whomever is straight across from us. But the models will show up in a week or two.”
“Interesting. Male or female?”
“Both.”
“Huh.” He didn’t like the thought of her staring at naked guys all day, and again realized the taste of his own medicine wasn’t so sweet.
Bella looked out the window, keeping her satisfied grin to herself. She liked the thought of being able to level the playing field a little between them, even superficially. Though this was hardly a game they were playing, she still savored each small victory, each piece of evidence that Edward was in as deep she as she was.
“Tell you what,” she suggested. “I’ve got a pen and notebook in my backpack. Since you’re all hot to take your clothes off today, you can be my practice model and pose for me on this nude beach.”
It was Edward’s turn to guffaw. “I didn’t say I was hot to take my clothes off. I’m just hot for you to do it.”
“What kind of double standard is that? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If I’m frolicking naked in the surf, then so are you.”
Edward’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You’re actually considering it?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.” That was a bald-faced lie, so she tried to perfect her own poker face.
Before he turned on West Emerson to head for the south parking lot, he paused and studied her closely. He leaned in so he could find her eyes between their twin sunglass barriers.
“Be careful, Bella. I might call you on your bluff.”
“Go for it,” she answered.
“Oh, I intend to.”
Their grins were a matched set as they headed toward Discovery Park.
# # # # # # # # # #
“This view is amazing. No wonder you like to come here,” Bella said in awe.
She and Edward stood at the top of the bluff, looking out over the Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Backpacks in tow, they had traversed a beautiful meadow until they reached a fork in the road. One path would lead them through the woods, while the other would take them down the steep bluff to the water below.
“It is pretty awesome,” he agreed, taking in the majestic scenery before them. “Kind of puts your everyday worries into perspective.”
“Yeah,” she agreed softly. Though she and Edward had come across plenty of other hikers and runners so far, there was still a feeling of solitude surrounding them as they trucked along the path through the wilderness. Edward took her hand whenever the trails became rough or steep, and now was no different.
“We’ll go down the South Beach Trail,” he said, nodding to the left. “We can always come back up the Loop Trail and use the access road if you’re too tired to take the bluff trail later.”
“No way. I’m not a pussy,” she protested, taking his hand.
He chuckled and entwined his fingers through hers. “Come on, tough girl.”
He led her down the steep path toward the beach. The warmth of Edward’s hand in hers matched that of the sun on her face, seeping clear down to her bones. All she could think was, This is what happiness feels like.
“This isn’t a very good place for sunbathing,” he admitted as they made their way down to the rugged shoreline. The dark, sandy beach stretching out before them was littered with driftwood and rocky outcrops. “But it’s a lot more private. I didn’t really want to go to someplace crowded like Golden Gardens. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s perfect.” She squeezed his hand and walked side by side with him along the pebbled sand, enjoying the sound of the waves washing along the shore. In the distance a couple threw a Frisbee back and forth, and a few kids played in the thick, wet sand while their parents chaperoned from nearby blankets.
“You want to walk to the lighthouse at West Point?” he asked.
“Sure.” She nodded her consent, and they headed down the coastline, watching distant boats sail across the Sound. Edward looked over at Bella, still feeling almost startled to see her there, like he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Her cheeks were glowing, hoperfully from the same euphoria he felt inside; but then he remembered that she said she hadn’t put any sun-block on yet. Her skin was far too fair to last an afternoon by the water without protection. He looked around and spied a secluded spot near a boulder, piles of driftwood providing shelter on the other side.
“Maybe we should rest here for a minute and put on some sunscreen before we both fry,” he suggested, gesturing to the sandy alcove.
“Good idea,” she agreed. She followed him to the spot and opened her backpack, drawing out a beach towel; but when she looked over at Edward, he had already removed a large quilt from his pack and was spreading it over the ground.
“Wow! Nice,” she commented as she took in the ornate, if faded, patchwork design. “Too nice to ruin at the beach.”
“Nah, this is an old quilt,” he assured her. “I use it for outdoor stuff. My great-grandmother made dozens of them, so we might as well put them to use.”
“Okay,” she said with a shrug, dropping her folded towel onto the quilt as a makeshift pillow. She kicked off her sneakers and watched Edward do the same. Then they stopped and looked at one another, a sudden tension springing to life between them. They were each staring at the other’s worn t-shirt and shorts, wondering what lay beneath. Bella was itching for Edward to pull that faded cotton over his head. Edward couldn’t wait to see her wriggle out of her blue jean cut-offs.
He cleared his throat and took a step closer - close enough to reach out and slide his fingers under the neckline of her vintage 80s new-wave shirt.
“So, what color is Bella Swan’s bathing suit?” he mused aloud, his lips pursing provocatively as she waited with bated breath. “I’ve been wondering about this all week.” He pulled gently at the knit fabric of her shirt until a spaghetti strap the color of fresh snow was revealed.
“White,” he murmured, running his fingers over the strap and the skin around it. “Pure white. Virginal, even.”
His smirk was subtle; knowing. She was offering herself up to him a second time. No one had touched her since he had, and the thrill of it was equal to the guilt that he’d made no such covenant to her.
She exhaled slowly, trying to keep from shaking. The mere touch of his fingers on her collarbone sent tremors down to her toes. Despite the sunglasses, his gaze seared her like it had that first night when he’d made her twirl for him in front of the window.
“Let me see the rest,” he ordered softly.
He dropped his hand and waited. He was going to make her undress for him, damn him. She was definitely trembling now, despite the heat from the sun and his shielded eyes.
She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and slowly pulled upward, revealing several inches of pale flesh above her tight shorts. Then she grabbed the tee decisively in both hands and yanked it over her head, inhaling sharply, her breasts rising with the movement before she tossed the shirt on the quilt beside them. She felt her nipples pebble beneath her swimsuit as the sea breeze brushed over her. Then she pushed her sunglasses atop her head and squinted up at Edward, feeling triumphant at the expression on his face.
His mouth hung slack, his eyes darting up and down her body like the marble in a pinball machine, unable to rest in one place for long. They traveled over her ivory skin, only a few shades darker than her swimsuit; they took in the delicate architecture of her neck, shoulders and arms, their lines softened beneath her supple flesh; then they settled on the rigid outline of her nipples, clearly defined beneath their flimsy triangles of fabric. He was overwhelmed by the desire to push the material aside and thumb those dusky pink buttons before sucking each of them into his mouth.
“Your turn,” she whispered. Her dark eyes fell from his face to his waistline, and she reached for the bottom of his own t-shirt. He let her fingers wander underneath, over the tense muscles of his stomach until they tickled the trail of hair leading down from his navel. Junior was positively ecstatic at this turn of events, urging Edward to pull his shirt off and allow her easier access. She took full advantage, placing both hands on his naked torso, running them slowly up his belly and over his chest until his breathing was as unsteady as hers. Why did she make him feel this way? Nervous and excited, like it was the first time they’d seen each other’s bodies, the first time they’d touched.
He didn’t know why; he didn’t care. He gave in to the sensation and slid his hands around her, letting them glide up her slight frame until they found her beautiful face. She reached up and pulled off his sunglasses, needing to bare his gaze as well as his body. Their naked eyes connected and held until their lips took over. And then there was nothing but the soft wetness of their mouths conducting the heat between them, passing it back and forth until it became a fire of its own, fanned and fueled by the two hungry mouths feeding it.
They broke part at last with overwhelmed gasps. Edward felt exactly the same as he had on the swings a week ago when he’d lost himself in their kiss, barely registering where they were or who might be watching. He wasn’t sure he liked how easily she made him lose control. Or maybe what troubled him was that she made him stop caring if he had any control to begin with.
Bella loved the feeling of him giving in, surrendering to the force that pulled them together. She had recognized its power that first night and given herself over to it. But she’d had to tell him to let go the first time he came inside her. If she had to coax him to be free with her again, she would.
She trailed her hands down his warm, musky skin to the closure of his shorts. She looked up at him as she undid the button and unzipped the fly.
“And what color are your swim trunks, Mister Cullen?” Her eyebrow raised quizzically. “What complements my virginal white?”
She took a peek down at the nylon fabric beneath his khaki shorts, then returned her gaze to his.
“Basic black,” she announced. “Classic.”
His half-smile was twisted. “Don’t you mean ‘villainous?’”
“You’re not a villain.”
“Are you sure about that? The bad guys always wear black.”
“Johnny Cash wore black.”
“Johnny Cash went to prison,” he pointed out.
“He also loved one woman with everything he had until his dying breath. That’s good enough for me.”
Bella was almost as shocked at her words as Edward was. It was far too soon for that kind of truth. But she couldn’t quite regret saying it, even though the meaning was a double-edged sword, considering his current line of work.
Edward wondered why he continued to be thrown by her blunt honesty. He should have come to expect it by now. And though it often left him speechless, it was one of his favorite things about her.
As the silence veered toward awkwardness, Bella looked for a way to steer the conversation back to the easy banter they’d shared before.
“Besides, I think you’ve forgotten one crucial thing,” she said. She grabbed the waistband of his sagging shorts and tugged until they fell to the sand. She eyed him up and down and announced, “Black is sexy. And it’s the perfect counterpoint to white. They balance each other out.”
His smile was wry. “The darkness and the light.”
“You can’t have one without the other.”
“I guess not,” he conceded. “I’ll let you light my way, then, Miss Swan.”
She smiled at this, and so did he. His gazed drifted down her porcelain skin and its matching swim bra, then stopped at the incongruous blue of her shorts. He slid his hands over the waistband and deftly undid the button. “Now let’s see the rest of this white bikini of yours,” he said as he slowly pulled at the zipper. He tried pushing the material down, but the jeans clung stubbornly to her hips. “You’d better do this yourself. I’ll end up taking the bottom of your swimsuit off with the shorts, and then I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Bella grinned up at his wicked smirk as she carefully peeled her shorts over her bikini. “Is that a promise or a threat?”
“Both,” he replied as his eyes followed the path of her hands gliding over the curve of her thighs.
“Well, then, that gives me something to look forward to.”
Edward shook his head at her flirtation. “That’s a pretty bold statement coming from someone who’s afraid to take her swimsuit off in public.”
Bella looked up and down the beach. The closest person was many yards away, and would never be able to see them if they were to nestle into their rock-and-driftwood nook, surrounded by the tall grasses leading up to the bluff. She took Edward’s hand and sat on the quilt, pulling him down next to her. They were mostly hidden from view, save for the opening to the beach with its tide lapping ever closer.
“Seems pretty private to me,” she whispered, reaching up to stroke the side of his face. His jaw was rough with its perpetual stubble, and she wondered how many minutes it took after shaving for his hair follicles to spring to life.
His hand mimicked hers, finding her cheek quickly, but feeling only smooth silk beneath his fingers. Their faces drew closer, mouths demanding another taste. Edward looked down at her flushed cheeks and came to his senses once more.
“Stop trying to distract me from saving your lily-white complexion,” he muttered into her parted lips as he watched her eyelashes close. “Suntan lotion, remember?”
Bella’s eyes popped back open in annoyance. “Killjoy,” she grumbled as she drew back with a sigh. She reached for her backpack and found the tube of sunscreen she’d packed inside, then waved it under his nose. “SPF 50. Are you happy?”
“Ecstatic. I can’t have any fun with you later if you’re all sunburned.” He flashed her a positively wicked grin and grabbed the sun-block out of her hand. He scooted around and knelt behind her, lifting her ponytail out of the way. Then he squeezed out a dollop of suntan cream and smeared it directly between Bella’s shoulder blades.
The cool wetness startled her, but she soon relaxed as Edward’s fingers spread the liquid over her skin and rubbed gently until it disappeared. He repeated the process with maddening languor all the way down her back, using both hands. Junior twitched sporadically as Edward ran his fingertips along the edge of her bikini, pausing to trace the dimples above her cheeks. He leaned in, lips close to her ear. “I love a girl with dimples.”
His words sent wildfire racing down her spine, his breath fanning the flames. She was trying to come up with a reply when he spoke again.
“Now lie down so I can do the backs of your legs.”
She was face down on the quilt before she even realized she’d moved, her body eagerly complying with his quiet demands. She shivered the moment she felt his slippery fingers on the back of her right calf, and the gooseflesh spread with the motion of his hand working up the back of her thigh. He stopped only when he reached the edge of her bathing suit, his fingers pushing at the fabric over her buttock before dipping precariously close to the sweet spot between her thighs.
She stifled a moan, her back arched and moisture pooled in her groin. Images began flashing through her mind, an erotic collage of various positions and sensations as she envisioned him spreading her open and entering her. No man had ever done this to her before - made her fantasize and yearn for him so shamelessly. He repeated the slow stroking of her left leg, up and down and in between. She felt herself lengthen and arch even more into the pressure of his hand.
Touch me, she wanted to beg. Slide your fingers in, deep. She wondered if he could sense the desire seizing her, stretching her body into a tight rubber band beneath his touch. She couldn’t know that the man hovering over her was a perfect mirror of her in that moment: the same rampant thoughts and wants flooding him; tempting him to throw all caution to the wind, remove her swimsuit and take her from behind.
He took a deep breath instead and knelt down, placing his mouth to her ear again.
“Do you want me to do the front?”
The huskiness of his voice was impossible to miss. She turned her head to look at his face close to hers and saw the same lust-filled gaze he’d given her on the couch two weeks ago. He had asked her then to give up her inhibitions for him. She responded now by silently rolling toward him until she was on her back, looking up at him with undisguised longing. The invitation in her eyes couldn’t have been more clear.
His answer was even clearer. His eyes wandered freely over every inch of her as she lay before him; his hands and thoughts soon followed. He slathered every inch of ivory skin with sunscreen, gratefully revisiting the hills and valleys he’d feared he would never travel again.
“Do you know what this reminds me of?” he asked at last, his fingers splayed over her belly, smoothing the creamy lotion into her skin. A cloud had drifted across the sun overhead, blocking its glare so that Bella’s eyes could meet Edward’s without squinting.
“The shower,” she answered.
He nodded and moved his fingers gently up her sternum, then back and forth across the soft swells of her chest.
“I was so afraid then that I’d never get to touch you like this again.”
She let out a noise of disbelief. “You couldn’t have been as afraid as I was. And it’s not like I have so many other options. Not that I’d want them.”
It was his turn to snort softly. “You have more options than you know.” He thought of the boys who’d walked her home last weekend. And the boys she probably didn’t even realize had looked at her, thought of her, the way he was right now.
“They pale in comparison,” she replied. She couldn’t imagine Mike or Jake coming close to being this sensual, this compelling. She was nearly in a trance at the feel of Edward’s fingers trailing along the nape of her neck, his liquid azure eyes leading the way. His hand closed softly around her neck, cupping her chin, holding her head immobile as he leaned down and stared into her eyes.
“Are you saying you want only me?”
Something between a laugh and a sob was strangled beneath his gentle grip. “Only you,” she repeated in a thin whisper.
His thumb reached up and traced the contour of her lower lip. He suddenly cracked a wry smile. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
She mustered a weak smile in response. “Yeah. I know.”
“Lucky for me,” he murmured, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. “You deserve so much more.” He kissed her again, and she struggled to return it; but his hand impeded her efforts. “And I deserve a hell of a lot less.”
He frowned slightly and pulled back, releasing her long enough to squeeze more lotion onto his fingertips. Then he leaned over and gingerly applied tiny dollops to her cheeks, forehead, and the tip of her nose and chin. He gently stroked both hands over every inch of her face, swirling the cream into her flushed, satiny skin. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was to him. Surely it was written all over his face as he studied hers.
Bella gazed up at him in wonder. She had never felt so cared for in her life. He looked at her almost reverently, as though she was something to be cherished. And when he was finished, he knelt and kissed her softly again, several times, his lips sweet and damp and delicious.
“There,” he pronounced, propping his hands on either side of her head as he viewed his handiwork. “Now you won’t get burned.”
The metaphor resonated between them for a bittersweet moment. Edward’s brows furrowed at the implication. But Bella couldn’t help but smile at the big puffs of clouds that were now drifting across the sky behind his head.
“Figures that the clouds would roll in, now that you’ve got me covered,” she said.
He glanced up at the sky, then back down at the reflection of it in her eyes. “You can still get burned on a cloudy day. Better safe than sorry.”
“True. So we’d better get some lotion on this pink skin of yours,” she said, reaching up to stroke his face. She propped herself up and reached for the tube of sunscreen lying on the quilt beside them. Edward sat back, cross-legged, and waited expectantly.
“Where to begin. . .?” she mused, looking him over. She’d dreamed of running her hands over his body every night for the past two weeks. She could hardly believe the dream was about to come true once more.
“I think it’s time for connect the dots,” she decided, crawling behind Edward and kneeling there. Instead of squeezing the lotion into her hand, she aimed the tube directly at his back and squirted a long trail down his spine.
“Shit!” he exclaimed in surprise.
Bella only laughed at his discomfort. “Don’t be a wuss,” she ordered. Then she dove into the cream with both hands and began spreading it in every direction, firmly massaging his muscles up and down, back and forth, as she went.
“Oh, God,” he groaned, sinking into the pressure of her fingers. “Why didn’t tell me you gave such good back rubs?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I’ll probably be begging for one every time I see you from now on.” He broke off in a moan at the feel of her fingers kneading his shoulders.
“I could get into that,” she teased. The truth was, she was loving every minute of the rubdown as much as he was. The masculine strength of his muscle and bone beneath her exploring hands only galvanized her desire for him. By the time she had finished stroking the rippling muscles of his arms, she could think of nothing but what they’d look like holding his torso aloft while he repeatedly thrust his cock inside her.
She took one last look at his back and made good on her promise to “connect the dots.” She touched her index finger to the bottom-most beauty mark on Edward’s back, near the waistband of his swim trunks; then slowly zigzagged up his torso, following the freckled path to his neck. She stopped at the tiny brown spot behind his right ear, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his skin. Her mouth continued the trek from there, moving softly across the nape of his neck to a matched set of beauty marks on the left. She planted her lips there and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
His head leaned into hers; his hands crept up to encircle her wrists as she held him. He wanted to say something, but words evaded him. He closed his eyes and reveled in the bliss of that moment.
“You feel so good,” she whispered in his ear, hugging him closer.
He wanted to argue with her, to tell her that the pleasure must certainly be all his as she melted against him. “You feel amazing,” was all he could manage. “You’re too good to me.”
“I’m just getting started,” she replied, her voice barreling down his spine like a shot of whiskey and settling, molten, at the base of his groin.
She let go and moved to crouch in front of him, pulling at his legs to uncross them. He leaned back on his hands and stretched out his legs so she could go to work, rubbing sunscreen into him one maddening limb at a time.
Her eyes drifted back and forth from the pale brown hair of his shins to the matching lashes that framed his eyes. As the sun peeked out from behind one cloud after the next, Edward’s eyes faded from blue to green to gray, kaleidoscopes whose colorful focus never faltered from her. She watched them darken slightly under heavy lids when she perched between his calves and slowly slid her hands up the sinews of his thighs. His lips parted, his breath coming fast, as she neared his crotch. She decided she would show him no mercy - not after the intimate way he’d touched her moments ago.
She worked her hands under the legs of his swim trunks until they reached the crease of his thighs, then pressed her thumbs inward, dangerously close to the family jewels. Her eyes never left his, but she knew if she looked down, she would see the proof of his arousal. His face evidenced it well enough, nostrils flaring slightly, lips twitching, eyes burning. She wanted to grab his erection right through its nylon cover and pump until Edward groaned.
But no, she would have to cultivate patience now. The kind he’d exercised with her their first night together, teasing her to the brink of insanity with his studied sexual prowess. She withdrew her hands and picked up the bottle of suntan lotion again, shaking it before aiming at his chest. She jettisoned the cream onto him in an absurdly blatant sexual innuendo that made them both laugh. And then her hands were on him again, quickly transforming the humor into something serious by the time she was done.
She took her time rubbing him down, fingers lazily exploring, then insistently probing every ripple of muscle beneath his supple flesh. The rhythm of his shallow breaths, the tensing of his belly, the swelling of his cock against his swim trunks - all of these were irresistible aphrodisiacs to Bella. They were proof of her affect on him - proof of his desire for her. Proof that she wasn’t just another notch in his belt. But the biggest testament lay in his eyes, in that relentless stare that never wavered. She was the only thing he saw. The only thing he wanted.
This was what she told herself. And this was what Edward wanted to tell her, if only he could utter the words.
But he was silent while she touched his face, caressing him as he had her, searching every plane and hollow, tracing and memorizing hallowed ground. He felt reverence in her fingertips, in her warm breath mingling with his. He saw it in her eyes, drinking him in. Insatiable, like his own.
She wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, but the words seemed silly and ineffectual. There were no words for this kind of need. And so she chose the wordless communication of a kiss, pressing her hungry lips to his.
His answer was immediate, overwhelming them both. He kissed her deeply, almost savagely, his tongue seeking hers in mutual communion. His arms were around her in an instant, pulling her against him, pulling her down to the quilt. She sighed in triumph as she fell atop him, fingers twisting in his hair while his hands gripped her back, pressing her closer. Their kiss grew frenzied, mouths devouring and moaning at the taste. Their bodies struggled to become one, limbs tangling, hands grabbing for possession.
They rolled to one side, facing each other, torsos undulating together in the telltale rhythm belying their need to join together. Bella pushed her thigh between his until the hardness of his erection dug into her hip. She ground herself against him, rubbing harder until she eked a groan from his lips.
“Fuck,” he swore. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” she demanded in a throaty whisper. Her lips scraped haphazardly along his prickly jaw, back toward the tender lobe of his ear. “No one’s watching.”
His fingers wound through her hair and massaged her scalp, oblivious to the words that came from his lips. “Bella, you were afraid of getting arrested just for public nudity. I guarantee you we will get arrested for public fornication.”
“Fornication?” she repeated with a giggle. “Sounds so dirty when you say it. Say it again,” she taunted, bringing her lips to his once more. “Fornicate me, Edward.”
He half-laughed, half-growled in frustration, one hand traveling down to her hip, fingers gripping her ass and squeezing. She responded by tilting her pelvis into his once more. “Fornicate you?” he rasped. “Oh, I intend to. I promise I will fornicate the hell out of you, later. In private.”
But his body wasn’t listening. Neither was hers. They rocked in time once more, kissing and fondling and grasping at one another with more desperation than before. Their hands found their way under one another’s swim suits, squeezing firm buttocks and teasing engorged sex. Edward released Bella’s ass long enough to reach up to her swim top and pull the fabric aside until hard nipples were released to his waiting mouth. She wound her hands in his hair as he suckled her, back and forth, until both breasts were taut and wet. Her moan drew the attention of his mouth and he returned to kiss her again, tongue probing rhythmically, deeper, stroking, mimicking. God, how she wanted to feel that tongue between her legs.
She moaned again and reached down, sliding her hand between them, under the waistband of his trunks. His cock sprang into her waiting fingers, eager for her touch. She gripped him firmly and pumped in time with the motion of his tongue against hers until he groaned and gasped, breaking their kiss.
“Fuck,” he swore again softly. “What you do to me. . .”
His words blazed through her, fuel to an already raging fire. “Touch me and feel what you do to me,” she entreated.
Her eyes were fathomless in the shadow of the gathering clouds over head. Dark, impenetrable. He wanted nothing more than to penetrate, to break through, to be inside her once more. And she was practically begging him to do so. How lucky a bastard could he be?
He reached over and grabbed the edge of the quilt from behind her, drawing it over their bodies, sheltering them from the errant glances of anyone who might wander by. Then he slid his hand slowly over the swell of her half-exposed breasts, down the flat length of her naked belly, until he reached the edge of her bikini. He pushed the material down, probing, spreading her lips until he felt her wetness. She cried out softly as he curled his fingers into her, pushing the middle one into her damp opening, then deeper and deeper, all the way. She sighed and reached inside his swim trunks once more, sliding her hand along the length of his cock, gripping the base, teasing his balls.
Their eyes met and locked, so close they could count eyelashes. Their breath blended into a steamy cloud that hovered between them as they lay face-to-face, hand-to-sex. And joined this way, they began an intimate pas de deux. Theirs was a dance of pleasure, hands working diligently together: hers gripping and stroking, his searching and plunging deep. Their lungs kept perfect time, breathing in sync with the movement of their busy hands.
Edward wanted to say something; to tell her how incredible she felt. How lucky he was to plunder those soft, wet ridges inside her; to stretch her tight walls with his fingers and reach so deep that he felt like he might touch her soul somehow. Her eyes reflected that search, that longing for more than just the friction of flesh against flesh. Her gaze told him the search had ended right here and now. He knew it with certainty as he reached even further, plumbing her depths with more urgency, utterly entranced by the sound and feel of her arousal against his fingers.
Her breaths became punctuated by soft cries as he increased the pace, his hand relentlessly working her wet pussy until her belly went rigid in preparation for its impending release. She responded by grasping his cock and pumping it more furiously, trying to keep up with the fingers buried inside her. Glassy eyes mirrored each other’s lust, eyelids closing more frequently, brows furrowing and lips parting with passion and need.
How could such a thorough invasion feel so overwhelming, yet so utterly welcome at the same time? Bella marveled at this as Edward’s hand relentlessly possessed her, fucking her to the point of madness, of utter surrender, of ultimate ecstasy. She squeezed her lids shut as her eyes rolled back and her body arched like a cat in heat. She was coming, and the burn raging through her groin made her cry out for deliverance. Her muscles contracted around the source of their frenzy, gripping Edward’s fingers in shockwaves of pleasure that had her sobbing and panting helplessly into his face so close to hers.
He stared in wonder at the intensity of her orgasm - the feel of her body trembling and bucking at his mercy. Her cries were matched by one of his own when her hand gripped his cock and squeezed mindlessly as she came. Oh, but it hurt so good, to buckle under her pressure as she just had under his.
She relaxed her grip on him as the waves of euphoria diminished and radiated dully through her body. Her eyes opened at last and settled in grateful awe upon his. Her breathing slowed, coming in longer and longer gusts that fanned gently across his face.
“What you do to me. . .” she quoted, her voice as spent as the rest of her. She felt his hand move slowly inside her, gentle and calming, until he finally pulled out. He closed his fingers around her hip and leaned in to kiss her. His lips were as soft and soothing as his fingers had just been. He was nothing less than perfection, driving her over the edge and then bringing her back with sweet assurance.
But what of his assurance? This was no time for slowing down. Not when his manhood begged for satisfaction in the sweaty palm of her hand. She moved to finish what she’d started, building once more from slow, sensual strokes to quick, hard pumps at the tip of his swollen shaft. His breathing soon caught up, labored and uneven, while she worked him with increasing speed. His eyes were dark and desperate as they stared into hers. He wanted release, and she would stop at nothing to give it to him.
She pushed the quilt down just enough to free him. Then she raised up, scooted down and knelt over him, taking the tip of his erection into her mouth. He groaned and fell back at the feel of her lips closing around him and pushing down the length of his cock until it met the back of her throat. He swore and winced in ecstasy at the sensation. How could she be this way - so ready, even eager, to swallow him whole? He marveled anew at the vigor with which she attacked him, using both hands and every part of her mouth to stroke and lick and suck him until it felt like every fluid in his body had been drawn into that single, throbbing rod of flesh.
“God. . . please,” he begged hoarsely, his hands threading their way into her hair while her head bobbed up and down. The sun teased him just as mercilessly, peeking out from its cloud cover every few seconds to make him close his eyes against the blinding light. He was going to come, and he didn’t even want to warn her. He wanted her to gorge herself on his cum, to drink down every drop and love it as if it were nectar of the gods. What a sick, arrogant bastard he was to crave that, he thought.
But Bella thought no such thing. She wanted the bitter taste every bit as much as he did. She wasn’t sure why. All she knew was that she felt more powerful and utterly sexual in this moment than she had the first time she’d knelt before him and taken him in her mouth.
She turned her head to look at him; he raised his to return the gaze. Then she slowly ran her tongue up the underside of his cock, grabbed the base in her hand, and swirled the head all around her mouth. She slapped the shaft against her tongue a few times before closing her lips around him again, pushing down, opening her throat and letting him in. She wanted him deep - as deep as his fingers had been inside her. The sound of his incredulous moan thrilled her down to the marrow. She began moving her lips up and down, pulling him in and letting him out, faster and faster, until his groin tensed beneath her. His breath caught, his hands tightened in her hair, and she braced herself for the explosion.
The sun broke free of its gray shroud at that moment, blinding Edward as his ecstatic eyes rolled skyward. He clamped his lids shut, but still felt the heat of the sun as he came. He groaned at the warmth radiating through him: on the surface of his skin, in his frantic beats of his heart, in the spasms of his groin; but most of all, in the wetness of her mouth cradling his cock, filling with hot liquid before she swallowed and lapped up more. Her lips and tongue pulled stream after stream of ejaculate from his pulsating dick, and moan after helpless moan from his throat. This was beyond ecstasy. Beyond sex. Beyond the realm of physical limitations he’d known before.
As he watched Bella cover his belly with soft kisses afterward, he felt a peace he’d never experienced. Her hands and lips roamed idly up his torso while his fingers played with locks of her hair. When she paused at the largest mole on his body, the one in the middle of his stomach, he cringed. He’d always considered the dark brown protrusion an eyesore, even jokingly referring to it on occasion as his third nipple. She ran a thoughtful finger over its oval contours while he waited for her to make her own crack about the imperfection.
Instead, she bowed her head and kissed it. He felt her tongue glide over the skin, tracing and tickling the aberration with the same reverence she’d shown the rest of him. She even smiled at the ugly thing, then at him.
And that was the moment Edward realized he was falling in love with Bella Swan.
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