Contest entry for the May to December Romance Contest

Title: The Case of the Salacious Swan

Rating: M

Summary: Everything told me she wasn't a victim. No, this swan was fierce. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to get it.

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.


"Please take a seat, miss." Her hands shook – anyone's would after going through what had happened to her. The torn sleeve of her shirt and the blood on her pants gave evidence to the scene on the front step, as if the guy writhing in pain on his way to the ambulance wasn't enough. "Try to relax and breathe deeply." She wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were trying to hold herself together, letting the tumult of her mahogany hair fall across her face like a curtain. The man next to her hovered over her protectively, as if she'd break.

This young woman was small and fragile-looking, appearing even more so with the behemoth man standing next to her. He stood next to the couch with his arm around her shoulders, acting fairly possessive of her and I wondered idly if it was because of the ordeal she'd just faced or this was his general demeanor. It really didn't matter – it shouldn't matter – not to me. I was just the cop assigned to take her statement.

Her eyes flashed to mine and immediately I knew I'd read the situation wrong. She was small with delicate features, but the fierceness in her gaze spoke volumes about her inner fire. She shook out her bloodied and bruised hands as if trying to relieve herself of writer's cramp.

"I'm ready now," she said, her voice still shaking. "Where do you want to start?"

"Please start with your name, age, and address," I said, my pen poised over the report.

"Isabella Marie Swan, twenty-three, 5437 Placard Street."

"In your own words, please tell me what happened." I steeled myself, ready for this part; this is when most victims fell apart. I never liked this part of the job, asking people to relive their pain; I'd rather do anything other than paperwork.

"I walked two blocks over to the grocery store. I go there most nights just to get something fresh for dinner. I saw this guy in the produce section, but I didn't think anything about it because he was talking to another woman. Anyway, I did my shopping and paid for my bag of stuff. Since I was walking, I thought I'd better pee before I headed home.

"When I went in the bathroom, I saw the lady he had been talking to, but I didn't pay her much mind."

"How did you know it was the same woman?" Most people don't notice details like that, so my curiosity was piqued.

"She had on a DKNY sweatshirt and was carrying a Dooney-Burke bag."

"And you saw that… when?"

"When I was in produce. When I saw her in the bathroom, she looked upset. Not crying or anything, but kind of pale. I did my business and when I came out, she was putting on her lipstick with a shaky hand. I asked her if she was okay and she said yes.

"I came out of the bathroom and saw the guy waiting outside. I figured they'd had a row or something and didn't think much of it. I started for home, but I felt someone following me. I turned around and looked, but there didn't seem to be anyone on the streets. Still, I threaded my keys between my fingers, just in case something happened."

Okay. Brownie points for being smart, too.

"When I got home, I turned around again and didn't see anyone. Mrs. Cope waved from the apartment next door and –"

"Is she the woman who called?"

"I guess so – I really didn't think about how you got here. Anyway, I unlocked and opened the door. I kept my keys in my hand as a safety measure. When I turned to shut the door, he was there." She stopped and took a deep breath.

I braced myself for the waterworks. This was the hardest part of my job, handling the tears and the residual terror vics felt. I had cards in my pocket for counselors – good ones who knew how to help vics past their fear – but I had to live through her pain first.

"Whenever you're ready," I urged. Her eyes met mine, heating me in a fervent glow.

She blinked quickly, pulling herself upright and continued. "Okay. Uh, what happened… Oh." She swallowed hard. "I guess he tried to push his way in. He grabbed my free hand – the one that happened to have the keys. He tried to push my arm up against me, but I pushed back hard and jammed the keys into his throat. He cursed and swore, and I dropped the bottle of milk. That's probably when Mrs. Cope called," she said as an aside to herself. After a moment, she continued in a straightforward tone. "I kicked his knee and pushed him into the broken glass and milk and when he slipped, I kicked his foot out from under him. Unfortunately, he had my wrist and pulled me over with him. I got up before he did though; I didn't want him in my house. I didn't know what weapons he had."

Well, alrighty then. I'd really misread the entire situation and the woman as well. I turned to the guy. "When did you come into the picture?"

"I got here right before you guys pulled up. The guy was just lying there moaning and I ran in to check on Bella." He pulled her a little tighter. "I live here."

I don't know why I felt so crestfallen at the guy's admission, but I swallowed it down and tried to concentrate on my job. "Is there anything else you'd like to add, miss?"

"No, that's about it. Oh – wait, one other thing," she added quickly. "Check the guy for drugs. He's got pretty bad speed bumps, a cracked tooth, and he smells really bad."

I wasn't sure how she knew all this. "Alright, noted. Where can we get in touch with you if needed?"

"Probably here," she said, taking my pen from between my fingers and writing her number on the bottom of the report – right where I would have put it. My mouth fell open and my shock must have shown. As she sat back down, she said, "Oh. Sorry. Dad's a police chief in my hometown."

That spoke volumes to me. Through his tutelage, she must have learned how to kick ass as she so appropriately and soundly had done to the perp. He wouldn't be going anywhere for a long time by the looks of it.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. You can get a copy of the report in a couple of days, if you'd like."

The man with his arm around her stood up as I did. "Are you guys going to put that guy away for good?"

"Jacob – ,"

"No, Bella, he's lucky to be alive. If I'd have been here ten minutes earlier, he wouldn't be so lucky."

"But you weren't, so…" She looked up at me through her lashes, that same intensity burning in her eyes. "Sorry …" She glanced at the badge hanging from my belt. "Detective? I didn't get your name."

"Detective Cullen, miss. I'm glad I could help. Here's my card. Call me if you need anything." Like someone to kick this guy out of the house.

She stood "Thanks. C'mon, Jake. Let the detective do his job."

I reluctantly left the premises, leaving the young Miss Swan to tend to her affairs, however misguided they may have been.

I turned in the report when I got to the station and headed for home. The young Miss Swan paraded through my thoughts punching the dirtbag with her keys, blowing out his knee, and shoving him onto the broken glass. In my mind's eye, she was terrible and beautiful and… And way too damn young.

By the time I opened the door to my flat, I felt dirty and disgusting. "What an old perv," I mumbled as I hung my coat and holster on the rack by the door. It's true what they say, old habits do die hard. Even though I lived alone now, I still took my pistol to the gun safe and locked it up as a residual habit from my time with Tanya.

The remainder of my clothes lay by the foot of the bed in a heap as I examined my body in the mirror. At forty, I was still fit and trim – the job and the gym kept me that way. I never knew when I'd need to chase a perp or put someone in a headlock. I wasn't bad. But was I twenty-three year old material? If Jacob was any indication, I was sunk. I gave up and walked to the tub.

I let the water ran for a minute, trying to get the old pipes in the building heated up sufficiently for a steamy shower. It was one of my only vices: a shower so hot my skin stayed pink until bedtime. I wondered idly if I'd started this with Tanya as well. She was always so cold, first literally and later, figuratively.

I stepped into the steaming shower like a lover's embrace. I sighed aloud, knowing no one would condemn my indulgence. Most others in the building had gone to bed long ago, so the chances of keeping the hot water hot were good.

As I rubbed the soap over my body, my thoughts once again returned to the night's victim. No, that wasn't right. It was apparent that Bella Swan was no one's victim. Remembering the way she'd looked at me, the intensity when she asked my name after looking at my badge… I couldn't help but imagine that look to be much sultrier than it was. My hands followed a course from my nipples past my scar to my cock, soapy and wet. I was lost in my fantasies about the delectable, young, saucy Miss Swan and pumping my shaft with each remembered nuance. Had she checked my badge? Or was that an appraising glance at my package?

The thought sent a signal to my balls that it was time to release my load. My hand sped up around my needy cock, and I shot long and hard and wet and soapy, suds flying with the cum. At least I was in the shower; cleanup would be a breeze.

The morning sun streamed through the office windows as I walked into the station. The captain sat at the edge of my desk, holding what appeared to be an incident report.

"Cullen," he said, his voice deep and gravelly. "Read your report. That Swan girl's really something."

"You said a mouthful," I replied, trying with everything I could to keep my dick soft. I repeated in my head, 'My dog is dead, my dog is dead' until the vividity of my Bella fantasy faded.

"Yeah. She told you her dad's a police chief, yes?"

"Yes, she did."

"Did she tell you who he is?"

"Uh, Police Chief Swan, I assume," I replied, fingering through the cases on my desk.

"Yes, that's right, smart ass. Police… Chief… Swan…" He let each word trail off, giving emphasis to the whole.

The way he said it brought images to mind. "Are you saying it's the same — ?"

"Yes, that Police Chief Swan. The guy who took down the Aberdeen Three. By himself. Without back up. That guy."

"Well, that explains a lot," I said. "She put her attacker in the hospital last night. That guy won't be dancing anytime soon."

"I don't know if her dad taught her that," he said, lowering his voice. ""Member a few years back, there was a kidnapping over on the peninsula?"

"Yeah…," I was immediately wary and at attention. "The one with the babysitter?"

"Yeah, that one. That was her – your vic. The babysitter was trying to leave the country through Canada. I'm sure the fact that her dad was chief of police got the bulletin there faster. Good thing, too. When they caught the babysitter, she was all scratched up, bleeding and bitten. The girl fought like a dervish. The babysitter had slapped around her, too, but other than that, the girl was okay."

"Other than that." As if that weren't enough. Taken from your home by someone you trust who's supposed to care for you – that had to leave immense emotional scars. No wonder her boyfriend was such a possessive brute; you'd want the biggest bad ass motherfucker to protect you from shit like that.

The day wound down uneventfully. After an hour of shuffling papers here and there while the young Miss Swan called me 'Daddy' and did a striptease in my head, I decided I had to do something to keep my thoughts – and hands – occupied. I brought the finished cases into the chief at ten minutes before quitting time.

"Fire sale on pen and ink today or what, Cullen?" He was entitled to his snark; I was weeks behind.

"Just a slow day, Cap," I replied. "Just trying to get while the gettin's good."

"Well, I think you achieved that with a vengeance. See you tomorrow, Edward."

"'Night, Andy," I said as I pulled the door closed. My eyes were blurry from staring at papers, reports, and requests. I rubbed the heel of my hand in my eyes as I stepped outside the office.

"Detective Cullen?" I knew that voice; it had been featured in my fantasies since last night. I threw my hands to my side and focused on the demur beauty before me.

"Miss Swan," I said, trying not to drool.

"Bella," she said with a chopping motion of her hand. "Uh, you gave me your card yesterday and said if I needed anything…"

"Are you alright? Did something happen? Do I need to – "

"No, no, nothing like that. Everything's okay." She smiled sweetly and pink blossoms flowered in her cheeks.

"How can I help you? Would you like to go inside?"

"It's not really… Um. No, I don't think so. Weren't you just leaving?"

She was looking up at me through her lashes again and it took all my willpower not to grab her and kiss her right then and there. Her embroidered ivory dress was halfway up her thighs and her hair was halfway down her back. "Yes, I was."

"Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Do I mind… No, no, that'd be fine. I was just going to get a drink." I had to remind myself that as rich as my fantasy life had become, Bella had no idea of her starring role. "So, Miss Swan – "

"Bella."

"So, Bella, what do you do for a living?" This should be a safe topic, something to keep my mind on the job while she spoke.

"I'm studying to be a therapist at UDub, but I work at the clinic part time to help with expenses." Although she watched her feet as she walked, she'd already stumbled twice. She didn't reach out or break her stride; this was a lifelong problem. "When I graduate, I hope to open my own sexual therapy clinic."

Hold the phone. "What?"

She stopped walking and looked up at me. "I want to open my own sexual therapy clinic. Does that bother you? Too much information?" Her eyes twinkled as she shared her dream and I couldn't tell if it was amusement, aspiration, or the moonlight.

"No, no, of course not. That's just… I just wasn't expecting you to say that."

She swung her glance back to her feet and resumed walking. I lengthened my stride for a few steps to catch up to her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Why weren't you expecting me to say that?"

"Uh… It's just..," I searched for something innocuous to hide my stimulated interest. "It's just a very specific field. Most people I've met who are still in school don't have the future so nailed down."

She nodded as she walked. "That makes sense. I just know what I want to do. I've watched too many relationships fail because one or both partners had some hang-up they thought was too kinky to talk about to the other one." She walked on in silence for a moment, and then added, "Like my parents."

It was definitely startling news to hear that the legendary Chief Swan was having trouble in the bedroom, but I kept my expression and tone neutral. "Are they still together?"

"No. They divorced when I was thirteen. They had a… problem… they couldn't get past and with the other sexual problems, well, it just became too much."

"How do you know it was a sexual problem?"

"My mom told me." She glanced at my face again, her deep brown eyes looking like inky, twinkling pools. "She tells me everything. She really shouldn't, but she does." She shrugged. "If my dad ever found out – well, I'm not sure we'd ever talk again."

Aside from piquing my curiosity about Chief Swan – and it was most definitely piqued – I was a little more than intrigued by the young Miss Swan herself. I hadn't met a woman of her years that could handle knowing her father's sexual kinks without being reduced to giggles and sarcasm. It was impressive.

We arrived at the bar where most of us went after duty. I held open the door for her and let her pass in front of me. Her scent as she went by floored me; the scent was familiar and beckoning, but I'd never encountered it before. It was unlike perfume, but somehow floral, clean. Inviting.

She waggled her fingers to the bartender as she came in and he jerked a nod in response. I held up two fingers and he walked to the tap and began to pour.

She threaded her way through the crowd, watching her feet and avoiding hands with drinks. "Want to sit over here? It's a little less noisy." The booth by the window had just vacated and she slid onto the seat, gesturing for me with her hand.

I nodded to her as I stood trapped by someone getting drinks from the bar. It gave me an excellent opportunity to examine everything about her. Her skin was pale and smooth from the apples of her cheeks to her long legs. She crossed those legs beneath the table and placed her hands on top. Her smile was wide and genuine. What could she want? She didn't seem distracted or disturbed by last night's incident, but what else could have brought her to me? I had to confess, I didn't know and I didn't care what brought her to me; she was here and she looked good.

"Sorry," I fumbled once I made it through the crowd. "Gotta get their drink on, I guess."

"Here you go, Detective," the bartender said as he slid the beer in front of us. "Hey, Bells. How you doin'?"

My mouth must have hung open as she looked up at him and blushed. "I'm good, Sam. I'll tell Charlie you send your best."

"You do that," he replied, patting the separator between the booths. "If you need anything, I'm it tonight. Leah's off."

"Thanks, Sam," I said, circling my beer with my hand. Bella pulled her glass forward, lifted it, and took a sip as Sam strode back to the bar. "So, you know Sam?"

"Yes," she said, carefully setting the pilsner glass back on the table. "Sam grew up on the rez where Jacob lived. He used to fish with my dad and his friends."

Jacob. In my eagerness to talk to (and dream about) the young Miss Swan, I'd forgotten about her brute of a boyfriend. "I see." I took another sip of my beer just for somewhere to look as I got over my unjustified irritation. "What did you need help with, Miss Swan?"

"Bella, please," she said, reaching for my hand across the table. She stopped herself, her fingers hovering over my hand. It was a natural enough reaction, something she was probably used to doing to make a point. She drew her hand back, dropping it to her lap. "Um. I feel kind of stupid now."

"Please, Miss – " Her eyes shot to mine and I corrected myself. "Please, Bella. Tell me what's going on."

"Well, there's really not anything 'going on' so much as…" Her words trailed off as she shot her gaze to the ceiling then back at the table. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, unwittingly showing off the soft and plump skin. "I wanted to ask you..."

"Yes?" I didn't understand her hesitation; I couldn't read her mind. Her halting words held me captive.

She did it again, that look up at me through her lashes. Her eyes held that same fervency, that fire, as they did last night. That was some potent stuff; I felt parts of me sit up and pay attention.

"Wow, this is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be." She slumped back against the booth, suffering some sort of internal defeat.

"Look, er, Bella, you can just tell me. There's nothing you can say that would shock me or make me turn away. You can trust me; I'm a professional."

She took a deep breath and let it out, sitting up straight in the booth. "I've never done this kind of thing before, so forgive me if I sound, er, ah… Would you be interested in getting together sometime?"

I take it back. She caught me mid-sip and I nearly choked. After coughing uncontrollably for a moment or two, I finally spat out, "What did you say?"

"I said, I wanted to know if you'd be interested in getting together sometime." She stared at me directly, confidently, that same fire burning in her eyes, though the blush on her cheeks told a different story. "I know you don't know me well, but I'd like to change that." She smiled tentatively.

I was unsure how long I sat staring at her. Knowing I needed to respond did not help me at all; I was lost weighing all the different responses to her question.

Yes, let's go to my place.

You know I'm twice your age.

Let's go to your place – your car – the bathroom.

You know I'm twice your age.

Yes. Emphatically, yes.

"You know I'm twice your age," was mine final choice, though how much choice I had remained to be seen.

"I like older men," she said without batting an eye. "Let me ask you: Is it a problem for you? That I'm twenty-three and you're… What? Thirty-five?"

"Forty-one," I corrected. "I'm forty-one. I graduated from high school before you were born, Bella."

She shrugged and averted her eyes. "If you're not attracted to me, then I get it."

"It's not that, I assure you."

"Then you are attracted to me?" Her smile returned only broader this time.

"I didn't say that." She wasn't jailbait, but only just. I didn't want to lead her on – I wasn't' a pervert. And she was Chief Swan's – the Chief Swan – daughter, for crying out loud. He was just a few years older than me. What was I supposed to say? Hi, sir, I'm here to molest and deflower your daughter. Hope that's okay…

"Look," she started again. Her eyes bore into mine and the connection was intense. "I like older guys, okay? And I think you're, well, hot. Don't treat me like a kid. Age doesn't have to make a difference, you know."

I took a big gulp of my beer and set down the glass. This was crazy. "Thank you very much, Miss Swan," I said, anticipating her objection. I opened my wallet and threw a twenty on the table. "I'd better be on my way."

I turned on my heel and headed for the door. I didn't look around me for anyone's reaction, I just wanted out, out in the air, out where I could breath and fight down the stiffie that had grown in my pants.

I took two long strides away from the bar before I heard her voice.

"Detec –" I swung around in time to see some frat guy blocking her path. She was jostling and dodging, trying to get around him, which seemed to amuse his friends. He hadn't touched her, but his intent was obvious.

"Just get out of my –"

"Is there a problem here, Miss?" I flashed my badge. Lo and behold, how the drunken do part.

"No, officer, we weren't doing anything! We were just talking to –"

"I think you boys have had enough. Time to call a cab." They bowed and shucked, trying to get away. "And I don't want to see you behind the wheel of any vehicle – you hear me? I'm watching you."

They ambled away, grousing to each other as one of the more sober hailed a cab.

I put my arm around Bella and pulled her away beside the bar. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. A little shaken, but I'm okay."

I dropped my arm. "Where's your car?"

"I rode the bus. It's only, like, a block from here."

The roads weren't empty. It was still early.

"I'll walk you home."

We walked to her apartment in relative silence, the weight of her request hanging between us. I couldn't tell her what buzzed between my ears. It had been a long time since I'd felt a woman's touch or breathed her breath as we sighed together. I'd let my heart become cold and dead. I'd held myself responsible; I held myself apart.

The truth was, I was broken. Soon – too soon – she'd see that. She'd see I was incomplete, unable to function without my job, unable to function without my walls. I might fantasize about her, beautiful young woman that she was, but that was all I was going to do. If I ever got close to someone again, it wouldn't be long before she'd want more, want me to quit the force, to stop being who I was, what I was. And then that refusal would burn in her just as it had in Tanya. It would turn from my refusal to her rejection, to her anger and scorn… No. I wouldn't risk that again. I couldn't.

"This is it." Her voice broke through to me and halted my footsteps. "Do you want to come in?"

"I don't think Jacob would appreciate that much."

"Jake's not here. He's spending the night at his girlfriend's."

That two-timing, sonofabit-

"Did you think –" The shock on her face stopped her words. "Jake's not my boyfriend. He's my brother."

"Your brother? He doesn't – wait. You said he grew up on the reservation."

"He did." She turned and faced me, leaving her keys in the lock. "He grew up on the rez until his dad died in a wreck. His dad was my dad's best friend. My dad adopted him." She watched me take the new information in. "When I moved to the city to go to college, Jake came along to help with the rent. That's it. We're roommates.

"So, do you want to come in?" She turned the key and the door swung open.

"Look, Miss Swan…" I said, running a hand through my hair. She wasn't getting this.

"No, you look," she whispered and pulled me close, her lips pressing against mine - her very soft, warm, pliant lips.

After a few heated, pleasurable moments, I pushed her back by the shoulders. "Bella, I – I can't. I shouldn't. It's –"

"Yes, you should." She was very persuasive. We stood in the open doorway to her house, bodies pressed tightly together. The electricity of her touch ran through me. "If you can tell me right here, right now, you don't want me, too, I'll step away and let you go. Tell me."

"Bella, I –"

"Say it," she purred. "Say it out loud," She pushed herself against me, against the evidence that proved if I said it, I was a liar. "Let me in," she whispered into my mouth.

I pushed the door closed.

Desperate to have some portion of me inside her, I plunged my tongue into her eager open mouth. Her ambrosial flavor was unlike anything I'd ever tasted and I moaned as our tongues battled in a war we'd both win. The woman knew how to kiss.

My body was screaming for her warmth, her tongue, her touch, but in the back of my mind, a voice kept insisting I stop. It wasn't right to take advantage of this young woman. Throw out her age, I'd still been the officer to take her statement. We shouldn't be involved. I couldn't ignore the nagging of that voice.

She broke for air just as my conscience broke through. "Bella, I want to. I can't. It's not right…"

"Tell me your first name," she breathed. She wasn't listening.

"Bella, I – "

"I can't keep calling you 'detective.' I need to know your name." She pulled back, doing that through-the-lashes look I couldn't resist.

"Edward," I said. I dropped my hands from her waist, holding my palms to the wall.

"Edward," she sighed and I felt my willpower and conscience crumble to dust against the pull of her. She dropped her chin to my chest, standing on her tiptoes to lick my neck. Her hands loosened my tie, letting her tongue have more and more of my skin. "Mm, Edward."

How long had I been alone? Why had I been alone? I no longer knew the answers. My mind filled with the scent of Bella, the taste of Bella, her touch, her taste… "Bella," I sighed, letting her name become my prayer. The safety of my stance against the wall failed me and I found my hands sliding all over her delicious body.

My breathing was ragged and I longed to kiss her again, but she had other plans. Slowly, she unbuttoned my shirt, kissing, licking, and sucking each patch of naked skin as she went. Each touch of her lips to my skin sent a scintillating flash of electricity through me, electrifying all my erectile tissue. When she reached for my belt, I gasped.

I pushed a hand against her shoulder. "Wait, are you sure you want to do this?" I wanted her to consider what was going on, to give her a moment to see the situation for what it was.

Her hands never slowed as she reached inside my pants and pulled out my hard, throbbing cock. She dropped to her knees and looked up at me. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life, Edward."

I stood transfixed, attentive, completely engrossed as she pulled on my member and popped the head in her mouth. The tongue that had so bewitched me earlier continued to enthrall me as it swirled around my swollen head. I was sure I was dreaming; this kind of thing never happened to me.

But if I were dreaming, I never wanted to wake up. Her silken swirl started at the head but continued down, hungrily sucking down my engorged cock. Her hand cupped my balls, punching up behind them with her fingertips to send a thrill right through me. She'd pull back to the head, never letting my cock leave her mouth, only to plunge back down the shaft with that same swirling motion. My held fell back against the wall as she repeated the process over and over, until soon I was clutching her hair, force feeding my cock to her eager mouth.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself against coming.

"Give me your love," she mouthed against the head of my cock before swallowing it once again. She pulled back one more time and said, "Let it go, Daddy."

And that was all it took. The cum seemed to explode from my toes, up my legs, through my cupped balls, and out the end of my cock into her waiting mouth. "Oh good god, Bella!" I screamed as the hot jizz shot out of me, unaware of the words and lost in the feeling. She didn't stop sucking on me until I fell back against the wall, exhausted.

When I regained my sanity, I looked down to see her smiling up at me. My hands were still in her hair pressing her to me and when our gaze connected, she gave my limp cock a lick.

"Was that okay?"

I lifted her to her feet and wrapped my arms around her. "No, sweet thing, it was not okay." She gave the most adorable pout I'd ever seen. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It was fanfuckingtastic." She smiled and leaned her head against my chest. "But I think we've left the job half done, haven't we?"

She lifted her face to me and nodded.

I lowered my gaze to hers. "I want you to know, I wasn't looking for a quick fuck, or in this case, blow job." I kissed the middle of her forehead again. "No matter how spectacular that blow job may be."

"Good," she said quietly. "Neither am I."

"I feel… very… protective of you," I said, raising her chin to look at me. As her eyes met mine, I felt that intense connection, that fierceness and passion that seemed to burn inside her, reaching out to me, pulling me in.

"Bella, I need you to tell me this is what you want." She opened her mouth to speak, but I held a finger to her lips. "Cops as friends are one thing, but having one for a lover is entirely different. It's not easy. Being a cop is who I am, it's a part of me. That won't change, and I don't want to hurt you. Are you sure you want this?"

"Edward, my dad's a cop," she said, looking deeply into my eyes. "I'm not going to ask you to change who you are or try to mold you into something you're not. I feel drawn to you and I want to explore that. I want to know you, I want to know what you like, and I want to give you what you need. I know what I'm doing – "

I'll never know what more she was going to say. I picked her up into my arms and whispered in her ear, "Point me to your bedroom."

She pointed to the room on the far left and the nestled her head against my chest, burrowing like a little bunny. In three strides, I was across the room; in four, she was on the bed. I kicked the door closed, threw off my coat, and removed my clothes, watching her watching me the whole time.

I sauntered to the bed, naked, letting her watch my erection grow. She hadn't moved from where I'd placed her except to roll her tongue across her lips and pull the bottom lip between her teeth. I crawled onto the bed, up her legs, reaching for her mouth. "Such a beautiful mouth deserves better treatment," I said, tugging her lip free. I kept my weight off her, touching her only with my lips as I stretched to kiss her. She moaned into my mouth.

I broke the kiss leaving Bella leaning forward for more. She was ready for more, and I was ready to give it to her – but all these clothes were in the way. I sat back on my heels and stretched toward the ceiling, letting her take a good look at my body. Still leaning forward, she reached to touch the scar on my chest, but I caught her hands in mine. "My turn," I murmured, shifting her hands into one of mine and holding them well above her head as I reached around her to unzip her dress. I was well aware that my ever-stiffening cock was right below her jaw and I could feel her trying to take it in her mouth. Holding her hands at this height kept it from her, just out of her reach.

I pulled the zipper down her back, stopping at her waist. I let go of her hands, which she ran down my chest, exploring my erect nipples and scar.

"How did you get this?" Her question came soft and low.

"Ask me later," I said. I let my mouth discover the skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, biting lightly and eliciting shivers across her skin. The tiny prickles of her skin seemed to vibrate beneath my lips, breaking the walls around my heart. Tugging the sleeves down, the dress fell to her waist, exposing two pert mounds topped with erect pink nipples. How could I resist?

Planting a hard kiss on her lips, I pushed her back against the mattress then dragged my tongue down her chest. The aroma of her skin was so much stronger, pulling me, making my dick throb with want. Her breasts were perfect – there was no better description. The pink buds were hard and hot as I flicked my tongue against one then the other.

Her hands weaved into my hair as I entertained myself with her body. I'd been with other women, but this was the first time in all my years that I found where I was supposed to be. I tugged her dress down, kissing her chest, her stomach, her hips as the dress came down. She lifted her ass and let me pull the dress away.

"Why, Miss Swan, where is your underwear?"

Her answering blush crept down her cheeks to her breasts in an innocent and delightful manner. I watched her flush recede and fade with fascination, then set to my prize.

With my face in her crotch, I inhaled her vibrant scent and reached out with my tongue to her hard little nub. She gasped and my cock twitched, hungry for attention. My erection so soon after coming surprised me, but even more shocking was the greed I felt for her skin. I wanted her touch everywhere against me, merging with me. She serviced me beautifully, yet I needed more. I shifted my body to the floor, rubbing my greedy cock against the edge of the bed but never leaving her quim unattended.

She moaned and jerked her hips. Her hands, still knotted in my hair, pressed my face into her box, demanding pressure and friction. I was happy to oblige, her sweet taste tightening my already stiff shaft. I swirled my tongue around her nub, alternating flicks and sucks and licks until I swirled it again. The core of her pleasure became rock hard and pulsating, and suddenly, her body became rigid. My sweet girl was coming. I mouthed her through her throes, warming her mound with my breath.

As her body relaxed, I eased away from her crotch, pulling myself next to her on the bed and holding her in my arms. She wrapped herself around me, holding me tightly. I tried to position my rapacious rod away from her; this hug was for her.

"Thank you," she breathed into my ear. "No one's ever done that for me before."

"Never?" I was astonished and pulled back to see her eyes.

"No, never," she said. "Young guys, they just don't care or pay attention. They want to come and go, and that's what they do. That's why I wanted an older man, someone who will give as good as he gets." She leaned in and kissed me.

"Well, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but that, Miss Swan," I said, nestling her in my arms. "Is a crime."

"Bella! You won't believe what that bitch did tonight!" The man's shout from the other room shook the walls of the apartment. I rolled over her, protecting her with my body. "I swear, if I ever see Paul again, he's dead meat!" The bottles in the refrigerator door clanged together as he flung it open. "What've we got to eat?"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she whispered, climbing out from under me to get her robe. "Stay here, okay? I'll just be a minute." She glanced back at me. "Stay."

"Bella? Are you in the shower?" The voice was approaching the door. I sat up.

Bella dashed across the room and slammed her hands against the opening door. "Jake! What the hell?"

"Oops, sorry. You taking a shower?" He smacked his lips on whatever he'd found to eat.

"What if I am? Can't I have a little privacy? You do remember privacy, don't you?"

"Jeez, bite my head off."

"Look, Jake, I'm going to bed. Can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Sure, sure," he said, smacking his lips again. "Hey, I ate the last of that fried chicken." His footsteps faded as he marched away. "See you tomorrow."

She pushed the door closed and leaned against it breathing hard. "Next time, we're doing this at your place."


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