A/N - A little holiday treat. Dickens, WA, is fictional. This is for fun.
Standard disclaimer: Don't own the characters, the storyline is mine, and all mistakes are mine as well.
Update schedule: Not sure but will probably stop writing by Christmas. Please let me know what you think as that inspires writing. If there's minimal interest, I probably won't post much - too many distracting RL obligations during the holidays this year to be inspired only by my own imagination. Thanks!
Yuletide is our town's only formal Christmas event. At least half of the 524 residents bundle up and come into the square for the evening, leaving their warm cabins in the woods or their cozy houses in town to spend the night outdoors with neighbors and friends. Reverend Weber organizes carols, we drink apple cider and hot chocolate, and we cuddle under blankets and a few heat lamps to watch It's A Wonderful Life on the make-shift outdoor movie screen.
Dickens, WA, exists mostly on tourist traffic during the summer, catering to backpackers and daytrippers who visit the Olympic National Park that surrounds us on three sides. To the north, land stretches down the mountain below the snow line. In winter, we're the last stop on the road, making Dickens a convenient spot for the Washington Department of Transportation's garage and storage facility. That means we always get plowed first, so despite the heavy snowfall that's common at our elevation, we're rarely housebound due to weather.
Billy Black, who runs the local DOT and keeps Dickens plowed during the winter, offers me a cup of cider from behind the DOT's booth at Yuletide. "Bella, when are you going to settle down and get married? My boy Jake would be a good catch. You should give him a chance. He's had a crush on you since the ninth grade."
Billy always teases me about being single, something of an anomaly in Dickens. "Oh, come on, Billy. Jake is more like a brother, plus I don't fancy being a cougar. My ten years on your son is enough to turn heads in progressive towns like Seattle, let alone our little hamlet. Not to mention he's underage and I could go to jail," I end with a laugh.
"Age is just a number, baby," Jake pipes in from behind me, apparently eavesdropping on my conversation with his dad.
"Yes, well, Jacob when you turn 18 we can start talking possibilities. But I've promised myself I won't marry anyone younger than 25, so you've got 10 years to go before we can have that particular conversation. You're a catch, though. Any tenth-grade girl would be crazy not to want you," I say with a hug and kiss to his cheek.
Jake and Billy live in the house next to mine. Ever since Jake signed up for auto mechanics at the beginning of high school, he's spent much of his free time in the garage tinkering on an old VW Beetle. I often read on my back deck, which has a view into their garage. Jake usually keeps the door open while working on the VW, so we've gotten to know one another. Last summer, between Jake's freshman and sophomore year in high school, he started shooting up in height. He's grown at least four inches in the past six months, surpassing my 5'7" height by a good 2". And, I don't think he's done growing.
"Then you need to wait for me," Jake pleads.
"Can't, buddy. I've got a hot date tonight." Jake gives a pout. I give him a pat on the arm and a wave to Billy before heading towards the Dickens Clinic that occupies a storefront under the town's only apartment building. "Thanks for the cider, Billy. See you at the movie?"
"You bet, Bella."
Most Dickens' residents prefer to see Dr. Edward Cullen for their primary health care, even though a full hospital is available in Port Angeles a mere 30 minutes away. Edward is my hot date tonight, though really what we have is a teasing friendship laced with sexual innuendo. We're the only singles in town between the ages of 21 and 50, so everyone naturally assumes we'll end up together. Edward is very handsome, but I haven't allowed myself to think about that possibility. I like our friendship and don't want to create an awkward situation.
"Hey Doc," I call out as I enter the clinic.
"Bella, hi! I'm in my office," Edward calls back. As I walk into his office, Edward is heads down writing in a chart. "Just a minute. I want to get these last notations done before finishing tonight. Have a seat," he says with a smile, finally looking up at me.
"When are you going to move to an electronic system, Edward. I could help you with that. I'm sure there are off-the-shelf products for medical offices and it would make sharing patient information with specialists in Port Angeles much easier."
"I'm a traditionalist."
I sigh and wait patiently, watching Edward's expressions as he pauses to consider something, then begins writing again.
"Writing a novel?"
"No, just capturing a complicated diagnosis, which I'd finish if you'd sit quietly," he says with a smirk.
"Fine," I huff.
After a moment the silence bothers me. "Mmmm, this cider smells fantastic," I say as I make an exaggerated sniff of the drink warming my hands. Edward holds his hand out as an indicator that he wants my cup. "Oh, you want some? Billy's got a booth outside. I'm rather partial to my cup. You'd have to do something really cider-worthy for me to want to share."
This gets his attention and Edward puts down his pen. "Cider-worthy? What would that entail, Bella?"
"Oh, I don't know. My pipes are really rusty. You could clean them out. Or, hmm, I haven't been shopping in Seattle for a while. My truck's a bit cantankerous to make the trip. You know how I love to wear lacy under things beneath my jeans and flannel. The closest Victoria's Secret is in Seattle. You could drive me there. That's definitely cider-worthy."
"I know no such thing, but feel free to give me a first-hand glimpse any time. And yes, let's make a trip into Seattle. I need to do some Christmas shopping. It'll be fun. How about next Saturday?"
"Really?" I ask with a wide grin while handing over my cider.
"Sure, why not?"
"I don't know. I figured you wouldn't want to hang with me for an entire day. I can be a bit much."
"You can, that's true. But, I'll prepare myself. We'll need to hang out each day this week, increasing the time by 30 minutes a day so I can handle an entire Saturday with you. So, let's see... today is Friday, and we're hanging out for the movie. That's a good three hours if you count the milling around before and after. What are you doing tomorrow night? We have to find a three-and-a-half hour activity so I can gradually acclimate myself. Oh, dinner in Port Angeles! We'll go to the fondue place and have the three-course meal. That's at least a two-hour experience, and with the half hour ride there and back, we're almost covered. I guess we can end the night with you liquoring me up at your place for 30 minutes before I walk home. How about Sunday? Well, don't worry, I'll figure something out."
"You're joking, right?"
"Absolutely not. If we're going to have a relaxing time during our trip to Seattle next Saturday, I need to prepare like an athlete."
"Really, Edward, you take things too far. Are you done yet? Clicked control-s on that pen of yours?"
"I can see you're getting restless. Let me grab my coat, hat, and gloves. Where's your hat? It's cold outside."
"In my pocket, dad."
"Is that a dig at my age? You're only a few years younger, you know."
"Yes, I'm practically jailbait where you're concerned. I have a high school admirer, you know?"
"Jacob Black's infatuation with you is a little creepy, Bella."
"Yeah, it is. I told him I have a hot date tonight. You'll have to let me hang on your arm so I'm not a liar."
Edward grabs his coat from the closet and puts on his hat and gloves. He pulls my hat and gloves out of my coat pocket, hands me the gloves and puts on my hat himself.
"Let's go, date woman," he says while offering me his arm.
Edward's clinic is on Main Street, a block from the square where Yuletide is happening. Our first stop is at Billy's DOT table to pick up another cider for me and one for Edward. Reverend Weber's Bethany Lutheran Church table is selling treats and baked goods, so we also pick up some red and green caramel corn balls to eat during the movie. Edward wants dinner food, so we head to the food trucks that have set up on the side of the square. Jacob comes by while Edward and I are sitting across from one another on a picnic table eating our hot ham and cheese hoagies.
"Bella," Jake says while situating himself close to me on the bench, "I've been missing you."
"Hi Jake. Where are your boys tonight? I thought you'd be hanging with Embry and Quil near the cheerleader's booth. One of you must have aim enough to knock over those pins for a kiss."
"Jake," Edward asks, "how's the VW restoration coming along? Bella tells me you're almost done."
Jake looks at Edward, who has slid his hand across the table to grab my fingers. "Hi Dr. Cullen. It's good. So, um, you're Bella's date tonight?" Jake asks nervously.
"Not just tonight. We're going to Port Angeles for a romantic fondue dinner tomorrow night, and have an afternoon date planned on Sunday, too. In fact, I'll be seeing Bella every day this week, and all day next Saturday. We're practically inseparable."
"Oh yeah? Huh. Um, are you guys, like, dating now?" Jake asks, still uncomfortable.
I don't want to lie to Jake, so I change the subject, talking before Edward can respond. "Jake, Edward and I would like to get a tour of your VW restoration. Any chance you could show it to us Sunday afternoon? Your dad's invited me over to watch the Seahawks game, and if it's OK I'll bring Edward along. You could show us your work during half-time or before or after the game."
"Oh, yeah, I guess," Jake says, defeated. Edward kicks me under the table. He hates football.
"We could do that, right Edward?" I say with my sweetest smile while Edward grips my fingers tightly, too tightly.
"Sure, babe. I'd love to," he says in an overly saccharine voice.
"OK, um, I see Quil over there. I'll catch you later Bella. Bye, Dr. Cullen"
"Bye, Jake," Edward and I call out in unison.
"You know," I tell Edward who is still gripping my fingers, "we're giving the ladies who lunch some gossip fodder."
Edward glances over to the Catholic and Lutheran church tables where the women at both booths are atwitter about something, most likely us since they're looking our way. "Then let's give them something to talk about." He rises from the table and cleans up our food wrappers before coming back to offer me his hand. I have no idea what he has planned, but this can't be good. Jake's across the square talking with Embry and Quil but also looking our way, so I take Edward's hand and rise from the table. Edward pulls me into an embrace, nuzzles against my neck and whispers in my ear. "Just go with it, Bella."
He slides his hands down my shoulders to my hands, which he raises into a praying position and begins warming them with his breath and his own hands. "Your fingers are freezing."
"I had to eat. I'll survive. Besides, you don't have on your gloves." Edward unbuttons his coat and pulls me into his embrace again, this time wrapping my arms around his torso inside his coat. I can't deny that this is warm and cozy. This is the first time I've had my nose so close to his torso and I'm struck with how good Edward smells. "You smell good," I blurt without thinking.
Edward laughs, then takes an exaggerated whiff of my hair. "So do you. Strawberries or something."
"Shampoo."
"Deodorant."
"Really?" I laugh, glad we're still us even during this strange public affection. "Few men would admit they smell good because they put deodorant on their arm pits, Edward."
"What? I'm just being honest. Right Guard Musk deserves the credit. Doctoring is hard work."
"Yes, all that physical labor must be difficult. Do you break a sweat thinking while you write your pen-on-paper notation?"
"I break a sweat while thinking all the time, though never about a diagnosis. It happens when my thoughts stray to more private topics."
"More private than doctor-patient confidentiality?"
"Hmm, good point. I guess that depends on the particular confidential topic."
"What, like erectile dysfunction?"
"Oh, there's never any dysfunction in my thoughts. Or in my personal experience. Come on," Edward says to change the topic, pulling my hands free and leading me towards the outdoor movie screen. "Let's grab our spot for the movie. I want to snag a couple of seats in front of the bonfire."
An hour later, I'm shivering while watching Jimmy Stewart learn what life would be like for the people he loves if he'd never existed. Edward snickers at me when Jimmy's wife is, horror of horrors, an old maid who works in the library. "Look Bella, that's just like you. No wonder Billy gives you a hard time about being single. He's trying to save you from becoming old and bitter."
"Shut it, Dr. Cullen. It's hard enough for us librarians to get respect as it is. At least I don't have cats, and I own my home. Whereas you, probably the wealthiest man in town, rent a one-bedroom apartment above your clinic. When are you going to put down some roots? It's a disgrace that a grown man, a professional in this community, is still renting like some transient and has furnished his apartment with items most college kids would reject. That milk crate coffee table really works for you, though."
"I'm a traditionalist, Bella. I'm waiting for the perfect place. Nothing has caught my eye yet. Speaking of my one-bedroom apartment, you're freezing. We should head inside," Edward says while scooting over to me and rubbing my shoulders to get me warm. Mrs. Cope smiles at our affection across the bonfire and Edward whispers in my ear, "Just go with it, Bella."
"We can go, but I want to head to my place. It's only two blocks from yours, has a fireplace, and that way I can change into my pajamas."
"I'll walk you home. It's not like we don't know how this movie ends. 'Look daddy, teacher says that when a bell rings an angel gets its wings,'" Edward finishes in an imitation of a little girl's voice.
"Please never do that again. And anyway, that's not the end."
"Bah humbug, Bella."
"That's Dickens, Edward."
"That was the point, Bella."
"What, because we live in Dickens? Lame."
"Whatever. Let's go. You're still freezing."
We walk the three blocks to my house, Edward with his arm around my shoulder in an attempt to get me warm. Jake, Embry and Quil are outside on Jake's porch when we arrive. "Hi boys. Bella's freezing. I'm going to warm her up," Edward says with a wink. I elbow him in the ribs.
"You're incorrigible," I grumble under my breadth.
He nuzzles his head into my neck and breathes into my ear. "When I see an opportunity, I take it. Just go with it, Bella," Edward repeats.
Once inside I head back to my bedroom to change into sweat pants and a fleece sweater while Edward starts a wood fire in my fireplace. When I've finished, Edward is sitting on the couch watching television, and ironically NBC is showing It's a Wonderful Life. "Tea?" I ask as I head to the kitchen.
"Sure, if you have something decaf."
I hand Edward a cup of peppermint tea and sit on the opposite side of my long couch from him, leaning against the arm and putting my feet up. Edward scoots to the middle and grabs my feet, rubbing them on his lap.
"This is the royal treatment. Thank you."
"Yeah, it's odd. Seems weird not to touch you now," Edward smirks at me.
I deflect because I'm not sure how to take that comment. "Do you really want to watch this? It's like déjà vu."
"No, I was just waiting for you. Do you want to go to bed? Should I leave?"
"We can watch a movie. But not this one. A holiday one, though, OK? Yuletide has put me in the Christmas spirit."
"What do you have?" Edward says as he rises and begins flipping through my DVDs on the shelf beside my television. "How about this?"
"Sure. Good choice." Edward pops in Love Actually and settles back on the couch, lifting my legs again and placing them on his lap.
As the movie starts up, Edward turns to me and says, "I love your house, Bella. It feels like a home."
My one-story house is a small craftsman that was tastefully updated by the previous owners, a young couple who moved to Port Angeles when they became pregnant with twins. I have two bedrooms and a bathroom, a kitchen with an eating nook, and a large living room with a fireplace. My favorite feature is probably the back deck. I have a small front porch, but I prefer the relative privacy of the back. My least favorite aspect is the unfinished basement, where my washer and dryer are located in what feels like a dungeon. I wouldn't mind having an attached garage but the single car detached garage is still a luxury when it's freezing outside. My garage is adjacent to Billy's, with the driveway to both between our houses.
"Thanks Edward. When my dad died, I didn't want to move into his house but I also didn't want to sell it. My dad's estate allowed me to buy this place and the rental cabin, plus rent out my dad's place. It wasn't a lot of money, but enough not to have to worry about house payments and also invest in something that would deliver a small income over the years from rent. I don't need much. I like that the library job is only 75% time. Gives me more time to read," I smirk at him.
"Well, it's beautiful, Bella. I'm sure you'd rather have your dad with you, but I bet he'd be very proud of the choices you've made with your inheritance. Most 23-year-olds wouldn't have made the same decisions."
"I don't know. I just made decisions that felt right to me at the time. It was a rough period. His death the September after I'd finished school was a shock. I'd spent so much time studying to complete my combined undergrad and graduate library science program on an accelerated schedule that I didn't spend quality time with my dad in his final years. If I'd known they were to be his last, I would have spent more time in Dickens than in Seattle at UDub. I only made it home twice for brief visits that final year, and he looked and acted fine."
"I doubt he would have wanted that, Bella, and maybe it's why he kept his illness from you. From what you've told me about your dad, he was extremely proud that you were in college. I bet you fulfilled a dream he had for himself, and seeing you get your education was worth it despite the separation required at the time."
"Maybe. It's a nice thought anyway."
We stop our conversation then, turning our attention to the movie. When I wake four hours later to glowing embers in the fireplace, we're both laying on our side on the couch, with Edward snoozing behind me. I move his hand from around my middle, rise to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, then bring back a blanket to cover him on the couch. When I finally snuggle under my covers in bed, I briefly think about the rumor mill that's sure to spin up from Edward spending the night. Embry is a gossip, and Edward left the boys with the impression that we were headed inside for more than just hot cocoa. I've never much cared for the gossip in town, choosing to ignore it most of the time. A part of me likes giving them something to talk about, knowing they'll read more into anything between me and Edward no matter the truth. I'm not sure if I like it because it feels superior to know the truth, or if the idea of the rumor appeals to me. When I fall asleep, I dream of walking with Edward, his arm around my shoulder and his lips whispering in my ear.
He's gone in the morning, but has left a note on my kitchen table:
Bella, thanks for the movie and the blanket.
I had a great time last night, despite the kink in my neck from your couch (ha ha).
Remember, we're going for fondue in Port Angeles tonight.
I'll pick you up at 6:30. Call me if anything changes.
-E
I work 30 hours per week as the librarian of our town's storefront library two doors down from Edward's clinic. Though small, I try to keep the Dickens Library stocked with the latest best sellers, as well as updated reference materials. I receive a small grant from the high school, one block away, to maintain a reference library suitable for high-school-level research. The school finds it more economical to fund my efforts than to include the latest reference materials in their own library. They can't afford a librarian, so I also volunteer a couple of hours a week in the school's library.
I try to arrange my office hours in the Dickens Library to accommodate patron use, so this Saturday I'm working 10:00 am - 2:30 pm. I'll usually work a couple of evenings, too, posting my schedule online. Most people have my cell phone, though, and just call me personally to ask about the week's library hours. Edward usually hangs out with me on the evenings I work after he closes the clinic. I've gotten in the habit of making big meals on Sunday with leftovers that I store in the small refrigerator at work so we can eat dinner there together.
I'm the first to admit that I have a lot of free time. My dad's death made me realize I should spend time relaxing and enjoying life. Mostly, I spend that time reading. Everyone assumes I have tons of free time to read while I'm in the library, but I actually do work while I'm there. When I'm not maintaining the shelves or keeping our collection updated, I'm usually busy doing special projects that patrons have requested. Last week I prepared a collection of geriatric psychology articles for Reverend Weber, using the library's various inter-library arrangements to gather medical and professional materials from online and print sources.
During the summer, I like to hike in the park and lead occasional day trips for Newton's Sports and Recreation. The store is our town's largest single employer, but that includes people like me, who only help out with their organized trips during the tourist season. I don't think of it as work, and usually donate my small guide fee to the library's capital fund.
When I reach the library's door, I glance up at the windows of Edward's apartment and notice his living room light is on. I wonder what time he went home this morning, and if he got breakfast. An hour after opening, Edward pops into the library with a large to-go coffee for me from the cafe in the square. He also brings me a ham and cheese pastry, which sounds better than my peanut butter and jelly sandwich I brought for lunch. Edward says he can't stay, but kisses me on the cheek when he leaves. That's new. This affection thing from last night seems to be continuing. Jessica Newton is in the library with her four-year-old son, sitting in the children's section in back. She leaves him to leaf through the picture books and comes to the front where my desk is located.
"So, you and Dr. Cullen, huh?" she smiles at me. "It was just a matter of time, Bella."
"Jess, you and Mike have been trying to set me up since I moved home to Dickens. Edward's a friend. He's just touchy feely lately."
"Bella, you need to wise up. That man worships the ground you walk on."
Her cell phone rings and her son begins crying at the same time, so she heads to the back to take care of both. A moment later she's packed for leaving. "I'm going to go, Bella. Mike's at the store today and wants us to join him for lunch. Want anything else from the cafe? I could bring it back after we've eaten."
"Thanks Jess, I'm good. Say hello to Mike for me. Bye little guy," I say with a messy handshake with little Mikey, or Trey, as they call him since Mike's dad is also a Mike.
When I'm done at the library, I call Edward and ask if he wants to go to the gym in Port Angeles before we go out tonight. I like to swim and use the sauna and steam room, and usually drive into Port Angeles at least twice a week to justify my gym membership. Edward can use a guest pass, but he's talked about getting his own membership. The couple of times we've gone together, Edward used the weight room and we met up afterwards. He tells me he'll swim today instead.
In the locker room, I'm suddenly self-conscious about Edward seeing me in a swimsuit. It's just a practical one-piece racing Speedo. This is crazy, I tell myself, and no different from my normal swims at the club when I never pay attention to how I look or who sees me in a suit. I'm not ashamed of my figure, but I've never been one to show it off either. I shake the thoughts out of my head as I pull my long hair back into a pony tail and head into the pool area.
Edward is doing laps when I arrive. He's a good swimmer and I'm impressed with his form. He's got on racing shorts, not board shorts that most men wear. I wonder if he was a swimmer in school. I jump in and start my own laps in the lane next to Edward, who does a flip turn just as I kick off from the wall. We're neck and neck for a while, until he sprints ahead. I don't race. This isn't a competitive sport for me. Slicing through the water is calming, though today I'm distracted by Edward. He swims past me in the opposite direction a few seconds before I do my own flip turn. We do this for at least 15 more laps until I find Edward breathing hard at the end of his lane. Apparently he's a sprinter, whereas I'm more of a distance swimmer.
"Tired, Cullen?" I smirk.
"Not all of us have your crazy stamina."
"Too bad. I've been hoping to find someone to swim with who has stamina."
"I've got stamina where it counts, Swan. By the way, you look cute in a bathing suit."
"Is that a dig?"
"What?! No! I mean it. You have a swimmer's body, Bella. You look great."
I blush at his sincere compliment. "Oh, OK," I say before pushing off from the pool edge. Edward is still standing in the shallow end when I complete my lap. "Are you done? I can call it a day if you want, but I want to spend 15 minutes in the steam room."
"Just resting for a moment. How about 10 more laps, then I'll join you in the steam room?"
This time I do race, trying to keep up with Edward's long strides. He finishes the first five laps well ahead of me, but I catch up as he tires and I sprint the final leg to beat him by at least two body lengths. We're both breathing hard and laughing when we finish. "Come on, Swan. Grab some water and meet me in the steam room."
Edward pulls himself from the pool and I notice again how fit he is. The female lifeguard and a mom with her two kids in the pool also notice. Both the steam room and the sauna are down a short hallway, across the hall from one another. I slip into my flip-flops, grab my water bottle and towel, and head into the steam room. I can't see Edward when I step inside, but sense that the room is empty except for the two of us. My foot catches on his and I stumble. Edward's arms come out to steady me, one hand grabbing my breast and the other my hip before righting me with both hands on my waist.
"Oops, sorry. You OK?" he asks as I twist down beside him, our legs touching and one of his hands still on my waist.
I scoot a few inches to the side, embarrassed by my clumsiness. "Yeah. Graceful, huh?"
"You're dehydrated and it's hard to see in here. Don't worry about it. Sorry about the boob grope. Well, sort of," he laughs and I hit him in the arm. "What? I'm a guy. You're an incredibly hot woman in a bathing suit. I can't truly be sorry about an accidental boob grope."
We're quiet then, both periodically drinking our water. When the steam turns on and then dissipates for the third time, Edward asks if I've had enough. "We can dry off in the sauna," he suggests.
As we exit the steam room, Edward places his hand on my lower back to guide me through the dissipating steam and across the hall to the sauna. The wave of cool air in the hallway followed by hot air in the sauna is at first refreshing and then tiring. I'm hit with a wave of exhaustion, but the good kind of post-exercise tiredness. I arrange my towel on the upper bench and stretch out. Edward sits on the lower bench perpendicular to mine, his back against the wall. "Bella, I wasn't joking in the pool or steam room. You're really beautiful."
"What?"
"No, I mean it. I've always thought so, but right now, seeing you reclined on the bench with your leg bent like that, you're a vision. I get the sense you have no idea how beautiful you are. You should know. You're stunning."
"Oh," I say at a loss for words. I turn my head to look at Edward, whose expression is nothing but sincere. "Thank you. You're, um, beautiful too."
He laughs. "I wasn't fishing for a compliment."
"OK, but you are. The lifeguard and that mom with the kids couldn't take their eyes off you when you got out of the pool. I think that middle-aged guy noticed, too."
He laughs. "Well, thank you. In any case, your opinion is the one that counts."
We're quiet then, until Edward notices the sand timer we flipped when we came into the sauna has run out. "We should get out. How much time do you need in the locker room? We don't have reservations until 7:00, so we've got a good hour."
"Give me 25 minutes. It takes a while to dry my hair."
"I'll meet you by the reception area."
I stumble a little when I get down from my sauna bench, and once again Edward catches me. He leads me outside with his arm around my waist. "Drink more water, Bella. You're dehydrated." Edward fills up my water bottle from the fountain on the wall, then hands me the bottle with a nod to drink it.
"I get it. You can stop babying me now."
He smiles and squeezes my hand before heading back to the men's locker room. "See you out front," he calls back at me.
Alice is manning the front desk when I finish. Her husband Jasper is a trainer here. I've gotten to know them and we've had dinner a few times. "Hi Bella! Wow, you look amazing? Hot date tonight?"
Edward rises from the couch in reception. "Yes. With me, right Bella?" Edward states with a smirk and an eyebrow raised in my direction.
"Alice, Edward Cullen. Edward, Alice Whitlock. Edward is the doctor in Dickens."
"Oh, right. Hi Edward," Alice says as she extends her hand for a shake. "Are you a member here, too?"
"No, I came in on a guest pass with Bella. But I've been thinking about joining."
"Oh, you guys should join as a couple. It's a lot cheaper. I can process that for you. Technically you're supposed to be married, but no one would say anything. Hang on, let me grab the paperwork."
Alice disappears behind a door and Edward shrugs his shoulder and smiles at me. I shrug back. If it's cheaper, and they don't care, we might as well.
We head to the restaurant once we've completed the paperwork to add Edward to my membership. It's $35 more per month, but half the cost Edward would pay if he joined by himself. He completes an extra form to have our combined gym membership automatically paid from his checking account, and tells me I can just pay him separately. It's easier, he argues. I have a feeling we'll be arguing in future about Edward accepting my check for half the gym membership.
I get tipsy drinking two glasses of wine during dinner. Edward teases me about how much of a lightweight I am. My chattiness also seems to amuse him. We're at a small round table in the corner by the window, seated more side by side than across from one another because the space is tight. Edward has his hand on the back of my chair. I get touchy when I'm tipsy, so I keep touching his chest to accentuate my conversational points. On one of those touches he grabs my hand and pulls it down to my lap, keeping it there with his fingers wrapped around mine. "I like you when you're drunk," Edward laughs at me. "You're very friendly."
"What do you mean? I'm always friendly," I defend myself.
"You are," he says with a smile and a kiss to my cheek. "But when you're drunk, you kick it up a notch. I like it," he laughs. "Ready for the dessert course?" he says into my ear.
"Ohh, chocolate!" I'm enthusiastic about melted chocolate, strawberries and pound cake. Edward motions the waiter over who is quick to clear our meat course and serve the dessert.
"Open up, Bella," Edward says as he holds a chocolate-dipped strawberry in front of my mouth. We laugh through several more feedings, me getting chocolate on Edwards lips and him getting it on my chin. Edward orders me another wine with the chocolate course, and my tipsiness makes me bold.
"We're really touchy feely since last night," I observe as Edward rubs my back with his thumb while his hand rests on the back of my chair.
"I know. I like it."
"Are you this touchy with all your friends?"
"Nope. Only with you, Bella. Are you this touchy with your other friends? You give young Jake plenty of hugs."
I laugh at that. "No. And my hugs to Jake represent mother-hen affection."
"I rather doubt Jake sees you as a mother figure."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for last night, by the way. I appreciate it."
"Trust me, it was no hardship," he says with a squeeze of my shoulder. "Here, have another strawberry." I do and Edward watches me eat it, rubbing a chocolate drip from my lips with his thumb. "We should go," Edward says with finality. "Do you want coffee or anything?"
"Um, no. I'm good. We can go."
On the ride home, I'm turned on my side in the front, my left knee on the seat so I can look at Edward while he drives. "Hey Edward, you've been in Dickens for about 18 months now, right?"
"Yep."
"And you took over the practice after your residency?"
"Right, I wanted to work in a small town like my dad had when I was in elementary school, before we moved to Seattle. Nostalgia, I guess."
"So, um, when was the last time you were on a date?"
He laughs at that. "You mean, not counting tonight? Or last night?"
"You know what I mean. OK, so put it like this: when was the last time you had a boob grope? A non-accidental one."
"Bella, are you asking me when was the last time I had s-e-x?" he smirks at me.
"Just answer the question, Edward. Or tell me if you don't want to."
"Well, two years ago, I guess. Shit, really has it been that long? God, I'm practically a virgin again!"
"So, were you dating someone?"
"Yes. Her name was Katherine. We were in med school and then had our residency together. It was convenient, but we wanted different things and she took a job in Washington, D.C. Our split was amicable. OK, how about you. When was the last time you had your boob groped, in the non-accidental sense?"
"Um, the night before my dad died."
"Really?! Shit Bella, I'm sorry. What happened?"
"It's not what you think. We weren't really dating. I mean, neither of us was seeing other people, but it was during my wild summer after graduation. I wasn't that wild. I just wanted to experience things again after being a hermit during my last year of school. I guess you'd say we were fuck buddies."
Edward nods at that, and smiles gently at me.
"Do you miss it? I don't mean sex, not exactly anyway. I mean being carefree like that. Seems like you got serious really fast after your dad passed away."
"I don't think about it much. I chose to move back to Dickens and I like my life. Maybe there are things I'm missing, but isn't that true for everyone? Anyway, how about you? Do you miss it?"
"Absolutely! The sex, that is. I was never particularly carefree. But I am like you in one regard: I chose my life and I like it. I love it, actually. Now I just want continuous improvement, you know?"
I turn back around to face the road for the remainder of the ride and think about what Edward has said. Continuous improvement. Maybe it's not wrong for me to push the envelope of my comfort in order to improve my lot. I like my life, but change is inevitable and I want to make the change happen for me rather than to me.
In my driveway, where Edward has pulled up to drop me off, I turn to him again. "Thanks for tonight. You're easy to talk to. I know we banter back and forth a lot, but I like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is you're pretty much my best friend, Edward. So, thanks. Now, do you still want to come inside so I can liquor you up before you walk home?" I smile at him, referring to his words from last night.
Edward gives me a shy smile, something I rarely see from him. "Bella, you're my best friend too. And I won't deflect that statement with a comment about you liquoring me up. But yes, I can come inside for a while if you want."
"Fire?" Edward asks as we leave our coats and my gym bag by the back door.
"Sure. Liquor or hot chocolate?"
"How about both? Want me to make you a Christmas drink?"
"Do you have mad bartending skills I don't know about?"
"No," he laughs. "My dad makes a few different things for my mom. I thought I might try one of those, depending on how well stocked your liquor cabinet is."
"Oh, it's stocked. Jess came over a month ago for a break from parenting and left about 10 bottles of miscellaneous liquors. They're in the cabinet. Feel free to have a look. I'll start on some hot chocolate."
"This is perfect," Edward calls from the living room. "Who has butterscotch schnapps?! Jess must have been thinking ahead to the holidays."
"Actually, she made us something called a Slippery Dick," I laugh. "It was very sweet - had Bailey's and cream in it, too."
"Well, we can use it with the hot chocolate. My dad makes something called a Butter Baby for my mom. That's what he calls her, actually. He'd call her that around my high school buddies just to embarrass me."
"I think it's sweet. My parents divorced when I was young, so I had different things to be embarrassed about, like 'where's your mom', or 'where's your dad', when living with one or the other."
"Where is your mom, anyway? You mentioned you lived with her until high school. Did you ever think of living near her after your dad died?"
"She's in Florida with her second husband, Phil. My mom encouraged me to move to the sun, but I'm partial to the mountains and they aren't committed to Florida. I didn't want to settle somewhere only to be left alone again. Anyway, the Pacific Northwest feels like home to me. I'd forgotten that you were out of town at a medical convention when my mom last visited. You'd like her. She's very charismatic."
"Like mother, like daughter then. Here, try this," Edward says as he hands me one of the two drinks he's prepared. "But we should toast. Here's to parents near, far, and gone but not forgotten."
We clink glasses before I take a sip. "Wow, this is great. Much better than the concoction Jess made me."
By the time I've finished my drink, I'm tipsy again and Edward has caught up to me. Now it's my turn to tease him about being a lightweight. We make another couple of drinks and watch The Colbert Report on television, finding it much more funny than we would if we were sober. "You should stay, Edward. It's late and cold outside."
"I can't sleep on this couch again, Bella," he laughs. "I wasn't kidding about my neck ache this morning. There's still a kink in it."
"Poor butter baby. Here, scoot back. I'll rub it out."
I find the kink in Edward's neck and work out the knot, causing him to first yelp in pain and then moan in relief, and go limp against my torso as I massage his neck. "God, you're good at this. How have I never discovered this before?"
"You can reciprocate. My shoulders are sore from that ridiculous race in the pool. Speaking of which, you have good form. Were you a swimmer in high school?"
"Good form, hmm?" he says with what I'm sure is a raise of his eyebrows that I can't see. "Yes, I swam in school, but I've lost my stamina in the pool. We'll have to go swimming together more often. It was fun tonight. Turn over. I'll do your shoulders now."
"That's OK. You'll pull something out of whack again if you try to give me a massage on this couch. I need to lay down in my bed, anyway."
"OK, I'll do it there. Come on, show me your lair of sin."
"Hah, I already shared that there's no sinnin' going on with me these days." We head back to my bedroom and Edward dwaddles in the doorway. "You can come in, you know. There's nothing particularly secret in here, plus I've seen your room." I reach my hand out to pull him inside. Edward takes it and doesn't let go. "Maybe this feels a little different, though?" I ask in a half apology as I loosen my grip on his hand. Edward tightens his in response.
"Just go with it, Bella. It's just us. Lay down on your stomach and I'll give you a shoulder massage."
I do as I'm asked, resting my head on my hands. Edward takes off my boots and I hear him take off his own shoes before his weight settles on the bed, his legs on either side of my hips. He runs his hands up the center of my back, which pulls my untucked sweater up to my mid back. I have on a v-neck purple Angora sweater and a black skirt with tights. My high black boots were stylish but left my feet sore, and I rub my toes together while Edward massages my shoulders. He's settled his weight on my upper thighs and can feel the movement in my feet.
"Are your feet cold or sore, Bella?"
"Sorry. This feels great, honest. But I guess my feet are sore from my boots. I didn't notice until you took them off."
"Go get dressed for bed, Bella. I'll include a foot massage once you're out of your tights."
"You don't think this is weird?"
"No. Do you?"
"No, I guess not."
"OK, then let's just go with it."
I'm not sure what "it" might mean in this case, but decide Edward's right: I don't need to over think our interactions. I grab my sleep shorts and tank from my dresser and walk into the bathroom, brushing my teeth, washing my face, and changing before heading back to my bedroom. Edward is waiting in the hallway to use the bathroom. "There's a clean pair of sweats over the side of the bathtub. They might be a little short, but you can wear those if you want."
As I walk past him, Edward grabs my hand and pulls me into a hug. "Thanks," he says. I hug back, then move to shut off the lights in the rest of the house while Edward uses the bathroom. Back in my bedroom, Edward is done and sitting on the bed, still in his jeans but not a shirt.
"No to the sweats?" I ask.
"They don't really fit."
"Boxers or briefs?"
"What?"
"Briefs are too much like Speedos, but boxers are like the swim shorts you wore in the pool."
"Oh, boxers."
"Well, it's up to you, but you can take off your jeans if you want to be more comfortable."
"I still need to finish your massage. Lay down on the bed, same position as before."
I do as Edward asks and hear him take off his pants before settling back on my thighs. I look back and catch a glimpse of Edward's black boxers while he again runs his hands up my torso to my shoulders. My tank doesn't move around as much as my looser sweater did, but the material is thinner, and nothing covers my shoulders. Even though it's winter, my bedroom stays warm and I don't like to sleep in pajamas that are too heavy. In fact, usually I sleep in the nude.
"Question for you: what do you normally sleep in?" I ask.
"Nothing."
"Wow, me too. What do you wear when you stay at your parents?"
"I bring a pair of sleep pants, but I keep them at the side of the bed." Edward says this while digging into my shoulders, running his hands up the side of my torso and using his thumbs to rub into the muscles around my shoulder blades. The rest of his fingers run across the arm holes of my tank, touching skin against each side of my breasts.
"Going for another boob grope, Edward?"
"Not unless I'm allowed."
Interesting answer. I turn around, surprising us both when I'm pinned under him in a face up position. Edward's balance was disturbed in my manuever, and he's put his hands down on the bed, close to my chest. He inches them closer so that his arms are pushed up against my side but his hands are still flat on the mattress.
"Bella, I have very itchy palms right now. This is an incredible view. There are these beacons staring at me, and I'm not talking about your amazing eyes." My nipples are erect and Edward's gaze is locked on them.
"I've decided. You can touch them."
"What if I can't stop at touching them?"
"You mean, can't stop at touching them, or can't stop at touching them?"
"I mean both."
"Maybe you should just go with it."
"Is that what you're doing?" Edward asks as his hands move to my waist, below my tank top. I nod my head as he moves his hands up my torso, pushing my tank top up as he goes. "You need to tell me when going with it has gone too far."
"We're not too far," I tell him, trying not to over think this and to just feel. Our actions feel comfortable, but not completely restful. Now that the idea has been spoken, I really, really want Edward to touch me and I have to keep myself from squirming my hips underneath him. When his hands finally cover my breasts under my tank, I do squirm. Edward scoots up my torso so that he's now resting his weight on my hips instead of my thighs. I put my hands on his thighs in response.
"I'm going to do more, Bella," Edward whispers. "Tell me if I should stop."
"OK. I mean, more. That's Ok," I whisper back in a pant as his thumbs rub over my nipples.
"But first, I need to do this," Edward says as he leans down to kiss my cheek, just to the side of my lips. He kisses my jaw, then pulls his head up to hover over my lips. "Are you still going with it?"
"Yes," I whisper as my back arches under his hands. He pecks my lips in response. A gentle kiss followed by another, testing it out. I kiss back, then pull his upper lip between my teeth. Edward gives me an open mouth kiss, licks my lips, then pulls my lower lip between his teeth. My hands are gripping his thighs, and his are still playing with my nipples, but all of my focus is on our lips as we both open our mouths, touch tongues and tangle them together first inside my mouth and then his.
"Bella," Edward says as he pulls away from me. "I don't want to be your fuck buddy."
This stops me. "I, Edward, that's..." I don't want that either. "Is that... is this... is that what you think this is for me?"
"I just want to make sure. I can't have that with you, Bella. I can't be dispassionate about you. You're too important. This feels natural, a natural progression. I just... I can't just fuck you."
"Don't. I mean, don't just fuck me. I don't want that either. Do you, um, not want to do this anymore? Is it weird for you?"
Edward leans into my ear. As he moves a hand from my breast to my hip and around to my ass, he whispers, "It's not weird; it's perfect with you."
He flips us over so that he's underneath me and I'm lying across his torso. My legs fall to the side of his hips, and my belly connects with his erection. I knew where this was going, but feeling the reaction I have on him makes me want to move it along faster. I grind against him and Edward groans as he pulls my mouth down to his with one hand and uses his other hand on my lower back to grind back.
We flip again, our groins lined up more directly with my legs splayed wide. I wrap them around Edward's waist, and he rubs his hand over my leg and hip, dipping into the back of my sleep shorts. I'm wet between my legs, which he feels when his fingers wrap around my upper thigh. "Can I touch more?" he asks gently and I nod my head.
Edward pulls back to his knees, gently pulling my feet from around his hips and onto the mattress. He lifts his eyebrows to confirm his intent and then slides my sleep shorts and underwear over my hips and off my legs. I sit up to take off my tank top and Edward stares appreciatively, but I don't want that or I'll get self-conscious. I nod at his boxers, indicating they should come off and he stands from the bed to disrobe completely. It feels completely normal to be sharing this with each other. As Edward said earlier, it feels like a natural progression of our relationship.
"I'm on the pill. I've been tested," I tell him.
"I know. And so have I."
"What? How do you know?"
"I've been nosy. I've looked in your medicine cabinet before. Tell me you haven't done the same to mine. Come here, Bella," Edward says and offers me a hand up from the bed. I climb into a kneeling position and he pulls me into an embrace, rubbing his hands up and down my back. "God, Bella, you're so beautiful. I'm just... I just want to slow this down a little. I want to savor this experience, OK?" he asks as he pulls back and looks me in the eyes. I nod my head and he helps me stand from the bed.
"Can we get under the covers?" I suggest.
"Are you cold?"
"No, not really. But if we're going to slow down, I want to lay in bed with you."
We pull my comforter to the foot of the mattress and climb under the sheet and light blanket of my queen bed. I usually sleep in the middle, so there's an indent that draws us to the center. We lay on our side, facing each other as Edward runs the back of his hand down my cheek, over my breast, and around to my hip where he grips me to scoot closer to him.
"What are you thinking?" I ask, unable to hold in the question.
"That I'm lucky." He leans in to my lips, holding them in a lingering kiss. "What are you thinking about?"
"I guess the same. But maybe a little about what this means, you know? Like, will we get to do this all the time now? Will it be awkward tomorrow morning? Will you be coming with me to Billy's and Jake's for the football game as my boyfriend? That kind of stuff."
"Ah. Well, here's what I hope are the answers: I'm game if you want that, no, and yes."
I grin at him and snuggle into his chest. "Edward, I think I'm going to like sleeping with my best friend."
"Isabella, I know I'm going to like it. Do you want to just sleep tonight? We don't have to have sex now. I've waited 18 months for this. I can wait a little longer."
"You said you haven't had sex in two years."
"Yes, but I've only known you for a year and a half. I've pretty much thought about sex with you since the moment I met you. But then we became friends, and I tried not to think about it."
"Really?!"
"Really."
"I don't want to wait. I mean, I don't need to do that. I can wait if it's important to you, but I'm kind of worked up now. And so are you," I say with a thrust of my hips to accentuate my point.
"Well, regardless of what else we do, I fully intend to take care of you tonight."
"We can take care of each other," I say as I slide my hand between us and finally palm Edward's erection.
"Mmm," he moans appreciatively in reaction to my hand. "It's been a long time for you. It might be a little uncomfortable if I enter you tonight," Edward says with an involuntary thrust of his hips that makes me smile.
"I'm pretty sure any discomfort will be worth it." I end with a moan because Edward has slid his own hand down to the juncture of my thighs and has started stroking my lower lips. I turn on my back to create better access. Edward leans over my body to take a nipple into his mouth and both my back and hips writhe on the mattress as I grip his hair. He inserts a finger inside me, then a second, stretching my walls and pumping in and out slowly.
"God, you're tight, Bella. I don't want to hurt you." Edward unfolds from my breast to bring his face above mine, looking into my eyes with such concern before he places a gentle kiss on my lips. But he keeps moving his hand, making my squirm.
"Edward, I'll stretch. You're a doctor; you know this. I want... ahhh.. I want to feel you inside me. I want us to move together like that. Please?"
"You on top, then. It'll be easier for you. But first I want to make you feel good. Hands up," he says as he places my hands above my head and leans over my body, kissing my lips thoroughly. Edward runs his nose over my jaw, down my neck, and across my left breast. His tongue flicks my nipple and he sucks it gently before giving the same treatment to my right breast. As he inches down the bed, Edward places open-mouthed kisses on my skin, dipping his tongue into my belly button. He pushes my thighs apart and uses his right hand to rub through my wetness. "I can't imagine what it will be like to be inside you, Bella," he whispers before leaning down and sucking my clit into this mouth, flicking his tongue over it while pumping two fingers into my pussy.
"Oh, my god," I moan as he sucks harder and uses his other hand to grip my ass. I squeeze my legs tight as I begin falling apart, panting hard and pushing against the side of Edward's face with my thighs. Edward pulls his hand out from around my ass to push one leg to the side, removing his face from between my legs but keeping his fingers inside me. As I come down from my orgasm, Edward kisses my belly button, retracing his path with his mouth up my body as he makes his way to my mouth again. He doesn't kiss me, just hovers above, perhaps considerate of where his lips have been. I use both hands to pull his head down. He only rests his forehead on mine so I arch my neck to kiss him. "Thank you. That did make me feel really, really good."
Edward kisses me back more thoroughly, resting his torso on mine. I flip us so that I'm on top and can straddle his hips, rubbing his dick between my lips. My inner walls are still pulsing slowly, and I want to feel Edward inside. "I liked feeling you come on my fingers, Bella. Go slowly. I'm fucking crazy for you right now," he whispers as I position the head of his cock at my entrance. He was right that penetration would be a little uncomfortable. Edward hisses in pleasure as I sink down fully, and my discomfort dissipates once he's completely inside. "You OK?" he asks me, firmly gripping my hips and ass.
I lean down to kiss his chin, then hover over his lips. "I'm good. Really good. Are you OK?"
"Isabella, I think we both know I'm more than OK," he says with a slight upward thrust. I start to move my hips up and down, allowing his cock to almost come out and then lowering my hips until he's fully seated again. Edward thrusts up as I push down, continuing to grip my hips. I speed up and he closes his eyes and opens his mouth, then lets out a gutteral moan. We're both breathing hard and I collapse on his torso, my mouth against his neck. Edward rubs his hands up and down my back a few times, then twines one into my hair and slides the other down to cup my ass. "I'm sorry I didn't last very long. I guess the pool isn't the only place I've lost some stamina."
I sit up with that and stare into his eyes. "You're crazy, right? Edward, we were great - I thought so anyway. Was it OK for you?"
He turns us to the side, brushing my hair out of my face. "I didn't mean that I didn't have a good time. Let's just say I'm a little embarrassed that I was nearly a two-pump chump."
"Edward, I think this is probably not the best time to talk about our past experiences. But let me just say that my previous times don't compare to how good this was. Not even close. OK?" He nods and we're quiet for a moment.
"Is it OK if I sleep here with you tonight?"
"I'd be very disappointed if you didn't. Hey, you're my confident best friend who earlier said I could call him my boyfriend. Don't be unsure about us, OK? It will make me nervous."
Edward kisses me gently, running the back of his hand down my cheek and neck and then gripping my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "You're right. How about we clean up. There's a wet spot that we can either ignore or address, and we're both a little sticky. Want to take a quick shower with me? I usually shower before going to bed."
Edward helps me change the sheets before our shower. The warm water relaxes me and I fall asleep quickly, my hair still wrapped in a towel and Edward's arm wrapped around my waist. I wake in the middle of the night from a nightmare that I can't remember. Seeing Edward snoring softly calms me, and I cuddle against him again and fall asleep.
It's late when I next wake, my eyes focusing slowly on the clock next to my bed. I turn my head and see Edward staring down at me, his body still spooning mine. "Hi," he whispers.
"Hi," I smile back. His hand starts caressing the skin of my collarbone.
"How do you feel this morning? Sore?"
I shake my head no and turn into his embrace, causing him to lay on his back and pull me against his chest.
"So, what do my boyfriend duties entail?" Edward asks.
"There are duties? What about me?"
"Oh, there are definitely girlfriend duties."
"Girlfriend," I say with a grin, trying out the word. "I like that label."
"So do I," Edward says as pulls my head up to kiss me.
I close my mouth and give him a brief peck. "I need to brush my teeth."
"Well, the first girlfriend duty is you have to kiss your boyfriend properly in the morning, even if you haven't brushed your teeth yet. Your boyfriend, because he's such an amazing guy, will always understand."
"Oh really?" I say with a smirk.
"The second girlfriend duty is you have to let said boyfriend play with your amazing body whenever the mood strikes, unless you're not in the mood in which case you're entitled to say 'red light.'"
"Red light? Like the children's game Red Light, Green Light?"
"Yes, exactly like that," Edward says as he begins caressing my waist and breasts, and then slides his fingers to rest between my thighs. He grips my leg and lifts it over his, sissoring his leg between mine and aligning his erection against my pussy. "The third girlfriend duty is to be gracious about letting your boyfriend develop his stamina again so he can regain the skills to fuck you senseless. This will be like training for the Olympics - athletes need to develop their skills and endurance often."
"I'm good with that plan. Green light," I whisper as Edward pushes in the tip of his cock. But instead of pushing in further, he pulls out and turns me to my other side. He spoons me from behind, then aligns his cock against me again and places his arm around my waist so his hand can rub my pussy.
We make love in this position slowly, with Edward stopping at times and telling me to wait. He wasn't kidding about wanting to build endurance, but I don't care about that. I want to move. "Faster, Edward," I plead as he rubs my clit with his fingers while continuing his slow thrusts from behind. He circles his fingers faster in response, holding himself still inside me, and I come around his cock.
"Yesss," he hisses. "Fuck, so good." Finally, Edward starts thrusting harder and faster, holding his fingers on my clit and drawing out my climax. I'm spent from my orgasm, but I try to push back against his thrusts though Edward is doing most of the work. He slides his hand from my pussy to my leg to hold it up and back more forcefully, and buries his head into my neck and shoulder when he comes. After, he grabs the tissues from my bedside table to clean us both, moving to lay me on my back beside him so he can look into my eyes.
"You OK," he asks tenderly.
"Definitely OK. Should we get up and have breakfast? Do you want to go home first?"
"You feel like home. I should go back to my apartment for a change of clothes before the football party. What time does it start?"
"I can come with you if you'd like. We could grab breakfast at the cafe. The party starts at noon with pre-game coverage. It's casual, and we may not need to stay for the entire game. I know you hate watching football."
"Why do you like it?"
"Nostalgia, I guess. I used to watch the games with my dad, and he took me to a couple of Seahawks games when he visited me in Seattle during college. Billy reminds me of a younger version of my dad. I like watching football at their house."
"I'll have to get into it then. I can appreciate nostalgia."
"I know. You're a traditionalist," I smirk at him.
Edward tickles me then, and we both squirm in a tickle war. He traps me under him, my arms pinned beside my head, and leans down to kiss me. "Hey Bella?" he asks gently.
"Yeah?"
"I loved sleeping with my best friend."
"I loved it too. Let's do it all the time," I smile sincerely.
"OK. Can I borrow a toothbrush?"
"Come on. You can have your own. I have an extra in the medicine cabinet."
We brush our teeth side by side at the sink, grinning like fools in the mirror. Edward finishes first, then waits patiently for me to finish. "Good oral hygiene habits, Miss Bella. And now we can properly kiss," he says as he pulls me to him by the waist. We're both still naked. The passionate kiss causes my nipples to pebble and I feel Edward's erection grow against my stomach. "We can't get too worked up," Edward says as he caresses my breast. "You'll get too sore, Bella."
"OK. For now. Let's go get dressed. You have a very tempting body, Edward. I think you're going to have to stay covered up or I'll turn into a nympho."
"Well, that's excellent information. Aside from wanting to keep you healthy, I'm very selfish about my endurance training schedule. I'll have to make sure we're naked more often," he says with smirk and a slap against my butt before he tugs me by the hand to the bedroom.
We have breakfast at the cafe before heading up to Edward's apartment. Once inside, he grabs me by the lapels of my coat and gently leans me back against the door. "I need to kiss you properly in my apartment so I know this is real. When I'm here alone, I want to remember you in the room, and me doing this," he says as he leans down for a kiss while unbuttoning my pea coat and throwing it back behind him to the couch. I kiss back, unzipping his jacket in the process. Edward halts our passionate kiss with a series of quick pecks and a huge smile. "I need to get changed."
He walks to his bedroom and I think expects me to stay in the living room, but I follow behind him. His kiss has left me a little worked up, and Edward's not the only one that wants to make some memories in his apartment. I come up behind him at his dresser, where he's opened the top drawer to pull out clean socks and boxers. "Let me help you with this chore," I say in what I hope is a seductive voice. I run my hands to the waist of his jeans and unbutton and unzip them, slipping my hand immediately into his boxers to push them down his legs with his jeans. Edward toes off his shoes and socks so he can step out of his clothes.
"I like these girlfriend duties."
"Well, I'm not so sure they're duties, but I like what I'm doing, too," I say as I unbutton his shirt from the bottom up. When I've gotten him naked, I lead him to the bed and ask him to sit on the edge, positioning his knees wide. He smirks at me but I just stand back and appreciate the view. "You're really quite stunning, Edward." His cock twitches in response. I pull a hair band from around my wrist and secure my long hair in a pony tail.
"So, this is something I'd like to do with you, but I'm not very experienced, OK?" I say awkwardly as a disclaimer.
Edward grabs my hand and pulls me between his legs, running his hands up my waist to my pants that he starts to unbutton and unzip. "Bella Swan, are you pre-apologizing for giving me head? Because I'm pretty sure I'll think anything you do is amazing."
"Well, I might suck. I mean, I might suck at sucking."
"Hmm," he says as he pushes my pants and underwear down my legs and wraps his hands around my ass, gravity causing my clothes to drop to my feet. "I very, very much doubt that," he says as I toe off my shoes and kick my clothing aside. Edward kisses my belly, still keeping his hands gripped around my ass. He moves his mouth up my body, under my sweater and camisole, using his hands to lift them over my head. "There, now you're not overdressed."
"Well," I say as I sink to my knees and push his legs apart, "my getting undressed wasn't strictly necessary."
"On the contrary. Having you naked in my bedroom is absolutely necessary. The only thing missing is your reading glasses and a book."
"Edward Cullen," I say as I grip his cock with my hand, "do you have a librarian fantasy?"
"Bella, where you're concerned I have all kinds of fantasies. Your profession just plays perfectly into one of them. This... oh, shit, that's very good... is definitely a fantasy," he ends with a hiss as I move from licking the underside of his erection to sucking the tip of his cock.
I focus then, developing my technique based on Edward's sounds and body movements, his hips writhing a little on the bed. After a while, I have an idea. "Stand," I tell him.
"What?" Edward says in a daze.
"Stand up so I can kneel more upright. I think it'll be better for you."
"This is damn good already, Bella. I'm seriously pushing my endurance limit."
"I want you to fuck my mouth, Edward. I want to try that."
Edward stands, but not before pulling me in for a kiss, tangling his tongue with mine, and dipping his fingers into my pussy. "It's my turn next, Miss Bella."
Once he's upright, I place him in my mouth again, looking up as I slowly take him to the back of my mouth. I relax my throat and test my gag reflex, sucking as he pulls back. One of my hands is on his hip, and the other wrapped around the base of his shaft. Edward wraps his hand into my hair, and I can tell he's holding back from thrusting. I pull back, sucking and letting him go with a pop, then licking his tip. "Edward," I say as I glance up at him, "you should let go. I can take it. I'm not uncomfortable with you in my mouth. Apparently where you're concerned, I don't have a gag reflex."
He stares down with hooded eyes, puts both hands in my hair, and thrusts gently against my lips. I open them slightly and use pressure as his cock slides into my mouth. With just the head inside, I circle my tongue around the tip, then open wide and take him in deeper. Edward moans above me, gripping my head tightly with both hands. I move both hands to his ass, pulling him in deeper, and then suck as Edward pulls back. When in thrusts forward, I can tell he's less controlled, and I relax my throat to see if I can take him back farther. Edward hits the back of my throat and apologizes, pulling back quickly, but it feels OK so I suck him back into my mouth while squeezing his ass. We look at each other, and Edward's eyes are wild. He starts thrusting more forcefully, still controlling his movement, but I can tell he's less concerned about hurting me. On a pull from my mouth my lips unfurl from my teeth, which scrape gently over the underside of his shaft. "Oh fuck, Bella. I'm going to come. You should let go if you don't want me to come in your mouth."
I release him with a pop, rubbing his tip over my lips, then suck him back inside again. He thrusts forward and back, forward and back, and a final time before he groans out his release and comes in my mouth. It tastes awful, but I try to ignore that as Edward looks down at me with complete adoration, moving his right hand to my face. There's still come in my mouth, so I swallow quickly but can't contain the look on my face registering the unpleasant taste of his semen.
Edward chuckles. "Oh Bella, I really owe you for that. Come on, let me take you to the bathroom." We walk into his bathroom, where he puts a small dab of toothpaste on his toothbrush and tells me to open up. He brushes my teeth, and I laugh through the experience.
"I can brush my own teeth, Edward." He hands the toothbrush to me and stands behind me with his arm around my waist and his front pressed to my back as I finish.
"Better?" he asks as his hands wander up to my breasts.
I grin at him in the mirror. "Definitely better."
"Don't let me come in your mouth again. You didn't have to do that," he says with a kiss to my shoulder as one finger of his left hand circles around my erect nipple.
"I know I didn't have to do that. I wanted to. Was it OK?"
Edward turns me around and kisses me soundly, lifting me up by the ass and placing me on the edge of the counter. He fits between my legs, grabbing a breast with one hand and my ass with the other. When he pulls away, he looks intently into my eyes. "I can't believe you just asked me that. In what world would that ever register as anything but amazing? Bella, you were incredible. I don't think I'll ever again sleep in my bedroom without thinking about what just happened, which will make me hard, which will require some relief with my hand, which will never be as satisfying as your mouth."
"What if I'm in bed with you?"
"Then I won't need my hand. How are you feeling? Still sore?" I shake my head no. "Because you deserve some very special treatment. Let's see what we can do for you, huh?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Me, you, my cock, your pussy, you screaming. That sort of thing."
"We seem to be doing a lot of that since last night."
"Yes, I hope it's a trend. We both can make up for lost time. Or if not lost, then missed opportunity."
"I like how this has happened, Edward. I mean, us. I like how we've happened. I wouldn't have changed the months we took to become great friends."
"Me neither," he says sweetly. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm very distracted at the moment. There's an amazing woman with her legs splayed in front of me, her wetness rubbing against my growing dick. It's hard to have coherent thoughts that don't involve thrusting into said wetness."
"Feel free to thrust."
"Bella," Edward says while pressing his groin against mine, "what I meant is that now that we've had these naked times together, I don't think I can stop wanting that with you. I told you last night that I found you attractive the moment we met. I had to force myself not to think about you that way when we became friends, but I know that I've lost that control. Before it was just imagination. But now I know. I can't erase that knowledge, and reality is so much better than my thoughts ever were."
I put my feet up on the counter and take Edward's now fully erect cock in my hand, placing him at my entrance. We both watch as he slides inside me and pulls out covered in wetness to push back in again. Edward catches my eyes and smirks. "Watching this is amazing, and the feeling is fantastic, but I don't think I'm holding up my end of the bargain this way. I promised you some very special treatment. I'm a doctor, who understands the female anatomy. I think we should explore your anatomy a little more thoroughly. Ready?" he asks as he puts my legs around his waist and grabs my ass. "Hang on tight," he tells me as he lifts me off the counter, his dick still inside my pussy.
My clit rubs against his pubic hair in this position, and I squirm in his arms to create more of that pleasurable friction, which causes Edward to hoist me more securely in his embrace. He walks us back to the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed and turning to lay me down, his cock falling out of my pussy in the process. "I like that part of your anatomy in my anatomy," I pout.
"So do I. No pouting." He kisses my lips, pulling both arms about my head until I'm stretched out with Edward above me. "Can I stretch you out? Pull your legs apart? It will feel good, I promise." I'm not sure why he's even asking, but I nod my head. "Stay here, in this position."
Edward gets up and opens the top drawer of his dresser. He pulls out two long socks, returning to the end of the bed. "I'll keep them loose, Bella. I just want you to be able to strain against them so we can stretch you out." Edward ties each of my ankles to a corner of his iron bed, then crawls back up the bed. He uses his arms up to his elbows under my armpits to pull me taught against the ties, then grabs my hands and stretches them out to the side. "I'm just going to hold your hands to keep you stretched. OK? How do you feel?"
"Unsatisfied," I smirk at him. I'm missing having him inside.
"Well, I need to take care of that then," he says with a kiss as he moves over my body, gripping both my hands after he's placed his cock at my entrance again. Edward pushes inside and let's his weight settle over my outstretched body, his pubic bone pressing against mine. As he pulls out, he uses the leverage on my hands to move up my body, rubbing against my clit for the entire pull and the push back in. Oh, this is a really good position. I twist my ankles in response, liking the feel of being stretched. Edward stretches my arms a little too, grunting as he moves over me. I writhe underneath him, but the position doesn't give me much leverage. "How are you doing?" Edward asks with a pant. I want to move against him, but unless I twist my ankles out of the ties I can't, and I like the stretch. I'm liking it all, but it's the anticipation of an orgasm that is killing me. It's just over the edge, my entire body tingling.
"I'm close. So close, Edward."
"OK, so here we go then," he smirks down at me. With that, Edward takes my hands and puts them at the top of the bed, having me wrap my fingers around the bars. He uses his hands to lift his torso from my body, but keeps his pelvis against mine as he continues thrusting. The angle changes, putting more pressure on my clit and I start panting. Edward thrusts hard and fast, each pass doing wonderful things inside and around my core. I climax hard, pulling my legs against the ankle restraints and gripping the bed tightly, groaning out my release. Edward stills, my walls gripping him tightly, then resumes gently thrusting once I calm down a little.
He pulls out, still erect, and shifts to his knees so he can reach back to release both my ankles. "You OK?" I nod my head and smile. Then he grips my ass with both hands and pulls me forward, up his thighs. He runs a hand up my torso, squeezes my breast, then cups my neck. "Good. I want more, if you're OK with that."
"More?"
"Definitely more." Edward releases my ass and I slide back to the bed. He leans over my body and kisses my lips, then my jaw, and then my earlobe, which he bites playfully.
"OK," I whisper.
"Flip over, Bella." I do as he asks, then find myself pulled by my hips into a half kneeling position, my ass on his thighs and my feet on either side of his legs. Edward rubs his hand down my ass and between my legs, playing with my lips and inserting a finger inside me. "You gripped me so hard when you came, Bella. Fucking amazing." He gets up on his knees and inserts his cock in my pussy, so I push back using leverage from my forearms on the bed. "Beautiful," he says from behind me. I like the feeling of him, full and hard and stretching me. Edward wraps his torso around mine, a hand groping my breast and the other running down to my pussy, feeling where we're joined. "Let's see if you can come on my cock again. Tell me if you get sore, though. I don't want to hurt you."
"I'm not sore," I pant as I push back against his thrusts and he rubs circles over my clit. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Oh fuck, so good." I chant into the mattress.
"I love your dirty mouth, Bella. Let go, let me feel that I again. I can't hold back any longer." And with that Edward starts thrusting wildly, pushing me into the mattress. His fingers stop circling my clit, instead pushing down hard and this causes another orgasm, squeezing him after he's released into me. We collapse on the bed, Edward's weight settling on my back until he shifts to the side. He hugs me around the waist, kissing my shoulder and neck and pulling me into him tightly. "Best weekend ever," he whispers.
"Mmmhmm," I mumble, suddenly very tired. We'll need to head to over Billy's soon, but all I want now is to nap. "I need a nap, but we have obligations."
"Sucks having obligations sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Well, my girlfriend duties apparently involve sucking, so I'd have to agree with that. But that sucking was fun."
Edward chuckles into my shoulder. "Never feel like it's an obligation, Bella."
"I know. I was joking. We should collect ourselves and head back to my place. I have some brownies ready to bring to the party."
"Should I bring something? I may have a bag of chips in the cupboard."
"You can bring them, but it's not required. You're my date."
"Yes, your boyfriend, who has had his wicked way with you three times and will be thinking about that while we watch football. If I raise my eyebrow at you, no doubt it's because I'm remembering your beautiful body in the throes of passion."
I laugh at that. "Throes of passion? Edward you should be writing romance novels."
"OK, how about this: I will be thinking about how your anatomy fits with my anatomy in ways that are pleasurable for our body parts."
A/N - Please review.