A/N: I don't own this. We all know who does. I'd be sitting poolside if I was her. She probably is, right now. :)
Thanks to my girls - Alice's White Rabbit, Belle Clementine, EdwardsBloodType, and MrsRobward. In the words of Selena Gomez … "I, I love you like a love song, baby." :)
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The week has dragged on. Some days it's all I can do to get through a math lesson with my third grade class. How my friend Angela handles sixth graders and their smart little mouths, I'll never know. And my idol-slash-mentor Esme teaches high school. I'm pretty sure she carries a can of pepper spray in her purse, not that she would ever use it. I've been waiting for Friday since last Saturday night, and now that school is finally out and I'm home, I'm still not sure if I really want to go back to the bar. Alice and Jessica have teased me all week about the cute bar boy and how he totally wanted to jump me, but I just don't know. I mean, I'm not horrible to look at. I know that much. I have a decent body, but in comparison to Edward, I'm so far below him on a scale of one to ten that it's not even funny. I'm pretty sure he won't even remember me if I do show up, and then I'll have to live with that humiliation. Although, maybe I could get him to make me another one of those amazing drinks so I can figure out what he put in it.
By the time nine o'clock has come, I've decided there's nothing I need to watch on Netflix or Hulu, and I may as well go back to the bar. At least, I'll have a good woe-is-me story for the teachers' lounge on Monday morning. I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard, but I don't want to look like a slob either, so I grab my nicest jeans—the ones that Alice says make my ass look fantastic—and a halter top. My shoulders are nice, and the top's got a built-in bra so my aging girls will get the support they're beginning to need. Damn, I feel ancient.
After making an effort with my hair and putting on some makeup, I'm just about to walk out the door when the phone rings. No one ever calls me at ten at night unless it's an emergency.
"Bella! I need your help!" Alice yells in a somewhat hushed voice when I answer the call.
"What's up?" I can hear a slight panic in her words, but I don't think it's anything terrible.
"Jasper's car broke down in Port Angeles again. He needs me to come get him, but I just put the kids to bed, and I really don't want to wake them up. They'll cry the whole way there and back. Is there any way you can come over while I go get him?"
Looking at the clock, I realize this most likely means I'll miss Edward. Not like it will matter since I'm pretty sure he'll be flirting with lots of other women tonight.
"Yeah. I'll be right over."
She's waiting outside when I pull up. "I don't know why he insists on keeping that stupid car. It's older than he is. Ugh, classic piece of shit," she huffs. "Thank you so much."
"Of course."
She pauses for a moment and looks at me. "You're sure dressed up for ten o'clock on a Friday night. Oh no," she gasps. "Were you on a date? Did I interrupt something?"
I didn't tell her what Edward said last weekend so she has no clue I'm supposed to meet him. If she did know, she never would have called. Operation "Find Bella a boyfriend and get her laid" is her favorite after-work activity.
Smiling, I grab for her hand. "No, it's fine. I was playing around with makeup, that's all. You didn't interrupt anything."
"Are you sure?" she asks, glancing over at her car.
"Yep. Go. I'll be fine. Be careful."
She rushes off, and I go inside. Netflix is already on, and I start scanning, finally stopping on some old comedy movie from my high school days. I've seen it a million times. What's one more?
It's around twelve-thirty when they finally get back. Knowing they're both exhausted, I tell them goodnight and hurry out to my car. Looking at the clock, I know I have two choices. Either I can go home and forget all about Edward and those smoldering green eyes of his, or I can put my big girl panties on and go to the bar. If I go now, I can make it by twelve-forty-five, and since they don't close until one, maybe he'll still be there. What the hell, I whisper to myself.
The bar's not packed, but I don't see Edward anywhere inside. I find an empty bar stool and take a seat, waiting for someone to notice me.
"We're closing in about ten minutes," one of the bartenders says to me after I've sat down. I recognize him from last week.
"I know. Um, I'm here to see Edward. Is he working?"
The guy looks at me kinda strange before he starts to smile. "Yeah, he's working. Is he expecting you?"
I nod. "Yeah, I hope so. I'm Bella."
He starts to laugh. "No shit. Well, he's gonna be stoked. He's been talkin' about you all week. He was pretty bummed you didn't show tonight."
"Well, the night's not over."
"No, ma'am, it's not." He smiles even brighter at me. "I'm Emmett. Let me go find his little whiny ass."
He starts to leave then turns back to me. "Cherry, right?" he says, pointing his finger at me.
"Um, yeah?"
He moves quickly around the bar, grabbing and pouring things into a glass. "One cherry coke. On the house."
He slides over a glass that's got Coke and cherries in it then heads off through a doorway behind the bar. It's probably two or three minutes before I see Edward come walking through the same doorway Emmett left through. His eyes scan across the room before finally settling on me. The way his lips curve upward makes me pause mid-sip, and I nearly drop the glass.
He's even better looking than I remembered.
"Bella."
"Hi," I quietly say, hoping he can hear me over the music. It doesn't seem as loud as it was last week. I'm glad.
"I didn't think you were coming."
"Oh, um," I say, placing the glass back on the bar. "My friend needed me. It was kind of an emergency. I'm sorry."
He smiles as he leans his forearms on the bar top and gets closer to me. "It's okay. You're here now. I thought maybe I freaked you out last week."
"Nope. You didn't."
After a few moments of quiet and something I can't even describe that seems to be happening between us, his fingers fold over my hand.
"I need to finish one thing. I'll be right back. Please don't leave."
"I won't."
As if I could go anywhere with him looking at me like that. His eyes have me pinned to my seat, and I'm not leaving unless he's taking me.
I'm nervous and I chug the rest of my drink. The ice rattles around the glass as I fish out the cherries and eat them one by one. I'm a little surprised when someone sits down on the stool next to me until I look up and see that it's Edward.
"Will you dance with me?" he asks. There's a hopeful look on his face, and I almost feel bad about having to turn him down. Almost. My lack of coordination is nearly lethal. I really can't inflict that upon him.
"I don't really dance. Like, I'm not good at it. Sorry."
"I didn't ask if you do dance, or if you can dance. I asked if you would dance. With me. I'll lead, don't worry."
He stands up from his seat and holds his hand out, waiting for mine. I can't say no to him. I realize as he's pulling me out onto the floor that if he wants anything from me, I'm pretty much gonna give it to him. I'm not a one-night-stand kinda girl, but for him I could be. Just the thought of seeing and touching him when all his clothes are gone and having his lips on me again is almost enough to make me drag him out the door right now. And I don't even know his last name yet. I think I might just be a slut. A 31-year-old school-teaching cat-owning slut. Damn, he's already got me, and he doesn't even know it yet.
There aren't too many people left in the bar, and only a handful of couples are on the dance floor. The song changes as we get to the edge of the tables, and I feel Edward's hand tighten around mine as he pulls me along for a few more steps. Once we've reached the spot he wants to be in, he turns to face me and puts his hands on my hips, guiding me into his embrace.
I'm dazed for a moment by how smooth and assured he is. I don't even know how old he is, but he seems so steady and determined. I like it, and soon enough, my hands are creeping up his muscular arms and wrapping around his neck. As I feel his hands slide along my hips, resting at the small of my back, I feel his fingers dip lower and push into the tops of my back pockets. My girly parts are awake and aware of what's going on, and I'm feeling like I could fly. Or burst into flames. I'm not quite sure yet which one it will be.
He starts to sway, pulling me against him and pushing his thigh between mine. His legs are bent just a little, bringing his face closer to mine, and I tilt my head back and tuck in under his chin. Damn, he smells so good. Damn this man. Damn, damn, damn. He's rubbing against me, moving and swaying. Then I feel his lips at my ear, and he starts to hum along with the song. Just when I think his voice can't possibly get any sexier, he starts to sing the words to me.
I'm so fucking screwed.
"But I just can't wait no more,
Can't let you slip out that door,
Prettiest thing I ever seen before ..."
"You sing, too?" I whimper. Yeah, I'm melting fast.
"For you, I can do anything." His lips press into the skin under my ear, and I'm pretty sure he can feel my nipples hardening against his chest. He's so sexy. And he's dancing with me. Holy shit.
He pulls his lips and tongue away long enough to start singing again. I can feel air cooling the wet spot he left on my neck. His voice sounds so amazing. I think I'm drunk off it.
"Gotta get your number in my phone,
Gotta get me some of you alone,
We can worry 'bout it later on,
Right now just keep makin' this my favorite song."
His hands are grasping my ass, pressing me against his stomach, and he's hard. I can feel him, and he knows it. For a split second, I wonder how many other women there have been. How many other times has he done this? He doesn't seem nervous at all, and yet, I know I'm shaking, my breath is stuttering, and I can barely think straight. He must know what he's doing to me. There's no way he can't know.
As the song ends, he moves so his lips are brushing against mine, and he sings the last few lines all slow and easy and sexy.
"I bet your kiss is a soul saver ... my favorite flavor ... I want it now and later ..."
Then he kisses me, and I never want him to stop. The way his lips move over mine and his tongue slips out to lick at me has me nearly panting. His hand slides up my body, skimming across my breast before reaching up to cup my cheek, holding me still so his mouth can devour mine. I've never been kissed so good, so completely. It's as if every inch of his body is guiding the movements of his lips. I don't want it to end.
"You wanna get out of here?" he asks between kisses.
I nod.
"Can we go to your place?"
"Okay."
He pulls back and looks into my eyes for the longest time as if he's studying me or something. His eyes dart back and forth between mine, and his lips press together as he takes a deep breath in through his nose.
"This isn't a one-time thing for me. You need to know that before we do anything else. I want you for more than just one night."
My eyelids blink a few times as I process what he's saying. "How old are you?"
He smiles. "Why? Is it important?"
"You're not jail-bait, are you? I don't wanna get arrested."
His laugh rumbles through his chest. "Bella, I work as a bartender. I'd have to be at least 21 to do that."
"So how old are you?" I ask again. It's starting to make me a little nervous that he won't tell me.
He sighs. "I'm 23. That's eight years between us. I'm okay with that. Are you?"
Do I tell him now or later that my birthday is actually next week, and we're really nine years apart? What the hell, I think for the second time tonight as I once again throw caution to the wind.
"I'm fine with it. You wanna drive or should I?"
His hand that's still on my ass tightens even more as he pulls me against him. And he's still hard. Damn.
"I think we should take separate cars. That way if you change your mind, it won't be as awkward, you know?"
"Okay. But I won't change my mind."
"I sure as hell hope not."
The overhead lights begin to turn on, and I know it's after one. The bar's closed. We need to leave. I really hope my house is clean enough. I can't remember if I put away all the clothes I tried on earlier in the evening or if they're thrown all over my bed. Not like it matters. We can always have sex on the couch. Or on the floor. Or on the kitchen table.
He follows me through town. The streets are pretty quiet, so I don't have to worry about him getting lost. I tell him to park in my garage since I have the extra space, and I can see his eyes get a little hesitant. This might be the point where he freaks out about the fact that I'm 31, and I have my own house, and there's no reason someone his age should be here with me. I don't say anything. I just wait for him by the door that will lead us into my kitchen.
"What?" he asks.
"You still wanna do this, or ..."
His smile says everything I need to know. "Fuck, yes."
Before I even know what's happening, we're on my sofa, I'm straddling his lap, and his hands are everywhere. He kisses my lips, my neck, my shoulders, my chest, and I'm breathing so hard I think I might faint. It's dim in the room—the only light bleeding in from the kitchen.
"You're so gorgeous," he whispers in my ear as I weave my fingers through his hair and grind down against his crotch. "Can I?" he asks, his fingers tugging at the bottom hem of my shirt and pulling up ever so gently.
My mouth is on his neck, biting, tasting, and sucking as I murmur a "yes" to his request. I lean back and let him pull my top off then watch his eyes grow wider as my breasts bounce a little once they're freed.
"Holy shit. You're so hot," he says then buries his face between my tits. I'm rocking back and forth, wishing there wasn't any fabric between us. I can feel how hard he is, and I know he can tell how warm and wet I am. It's then that a stray thought enters my brain: I don't have any condoms. At all. I haven't needed them in about two years, so I don't buy them. Shit.
"Um, I don't have any ... um ..." I whisper, trying to pull his attention away from my nipples, one of which is being squeezed by his fingers while the other is sucked so deep into his mouth I can feel it in my toes. He pulls his mouth away, and the popping sound echoes through the room.
"I have one. It's in my wallet."
Pushing down the jealousy I feel for other girls who've benefited from him keeping a condom in his wallet, I force myself to remember he's young, this is what guys his age do, and at least, he's responsible.
"Okay." I press my chest against his face and hope he'll start sucking again.
His hands push me back ever so slightly, and he looks up. I can see the seriousness in his eyes as he stares at me. "I put it in there tonight. I was really hoping you'd show up."
"Yeah?" I ask, and I hope my voice isn't shaking too much.
"Yeah. Just you. Now stand up."
I do as he says, watching him lean forward, reach his hand back between his shoulders, and pull up his shirt. He's not the most defined as far as muscles go. There's not an outlined six or eight pack on his stomach, but he's smooth, he's slim, and I can see the bend and twist of muscles under his skin as he moves. I like it.
"Take off your jeans," he whispers just as his hands move to the belt he's wearing. I watch, almost mesmerized, as he unbuckles it and pulls the prong out of the hole in the leather then slides that out of the frame. "Off," he reminds me, and I pop the button on my waistband. Once the zipper's down, I push the waistband, sliding the fabric down my legs before bending over and stepping out.
"Come here," he says, and I step between his open legs. His hands run up and down my thighs, wrapping around the back where his fingers play along the edge of my underwear. He plants kisses on my stomach, rubbing his nose along my hipbone and under my breasts, making me whimper. He grabs onto the top of my lacy panties then looks up at me. "Can I?"
"Please."
With that, he's sliding them down my legs, and his lips are kissing the bare skin that's just been revealed to him. I know he can feel the goose bumps that are forming all over me, but I can't still my brain enough to care. The room's spinning, but he's holding me in place, and once my panties are on the floor, I feel his tongue softly licking the skin at the top of my thigh. As he moves closer to where I want him most, I can't help but take the smallest step to the side, giving him the space I can sense he wants. His hands wrap around my legs, moving up until his thumbs are together, rubbing circles over my pubic bone. My fingers scratch through his hair, and I can't take my eyes off of him. He looks up at me just before his tongue peeks out and licks me, almost touching my clit. I've never been so glad that I kept up with my waxing, even though I never thought I'd get laid again.
"You're so soft," he says then pushes his face deeper between my legs, and I can feel his hot, rough tongue on my most sensitive skin. Fuck, it feels good. I don't even care about the moans and grunts that are coming out of my mouth, I just want him to keep licking me and touching me. He can't ever, ever stop.
I feel the tingle in my toes, the knotting in my stomach, and it's as though he knows it because suddenly, he stops and leans back. He's got his open wallet in one hand and a foil square in the other, and soon, I'm watching him smooth the condom down over his erect cock. His eyes are planted firmly on me, racing between my tits, my pussy, and my eyes, like there's a pattern he's desperately trying to memorize. I haven't been this bare in front of a man in almost five years. Probably not since Edward was still in high school. Oh shit, how in the hell is this gonna work? He's gonna leave me a mess of want and need when he's done with me. But no matter what, at least, I'll have this night to keep in my memory. And if it's the last time I ever have sex, then at least, I went out with a bang.
"Come here," he says, reaching up to grab my hips and guide me over him. With a knee on either side of his thighs, I lean forward to kiss him then feel as he grabs his dick and positions me over him. I only need the slightest bit of encouragement, and soon, I'm sinking down, letting him fill me. Once he's inside, I stop and watch him—the way his eyes are closed, his head is laying back, his fingers are digging into the skin on my hips, and he's breathing almost as heavy and fast as I am. He feels so good, and he looks even better.
Then I start to move. At first, it's slow and steady, but once he starts to kiss me again and to touch me again, all my patience goes flying out the window. And it's also around that point I realized my living room window is covered only with a sheer curtain and the light from the kitchen is behind us. I'm pretty sure if any of my neighbors are awake at this hour, they're getting a good show. Maybe it's just shadows, but still, they're seeing it all.
I lean forward and put my hands on the back of the sofa, letting my tits hang in front of Edward's waiting mouth as I push myself up and down, going faster and harder with each stroke. He's sucking, cursing, and biting at me, and my head falls back as I take it all in. Up and down, up and down, I can feel him growing harder inside of me. I didn't think that was possible, but the way it feels is heavenly.
"You gonna come for me?" he asks, making my head spin and my heartbeat race.
"Ugh, yeah," I hear myself moaning as I go faster, and he starts to lift up, meeting me thrust for thrust.
"That's it, Bella. Fuck me. Come on. Ride my cock."
His voice is breathy and hungry, and I think I could come from just that alone. But I keep moving, keep moaning, and keep feeling. And then I'm exploding, and he's right there with me.
"Fuuuuck," he groans loudly, his head leaning back on the sofa as he watches me and wills me to look at him. The intensity in his eyes nearly cripples me, and I'm shaking around him as I fall forward, my chest on his and his arms around my waist. We're hot and sweaty and spent, and for several seconds, we both simply cling to each other, breathing heavy and letting the feelings we're having consume us. It's quiet and I wonder what's next. I hadn't really thought this far ahead.
"You okay?" he asks, his hand softly rubbing up and down my back.
"Yeah. Are you?"
A low, quiet laugh shakes his chest. "Baby, I'm amazing right now. Thank you. You're so incredible."
I lay my head on his shoulder, my face against his neck, and take in the closeness I feel with him. It's been so long, and I was really starting to think I'd never have this again. It's the one thing I miss from my life before.
"I should probably take care of this before too much longer," he says. "Sorry to kill the mood, but ... you know."
"I know," I whisper then lean away.
"Bella?" he says, stopping me when I start to pull off him.
"Yeah?"
His hands wrap around my neck, his thumbs sliding along my jawbone as he holds me, then leans forward. "Thank you," he whispers, and then he kisses me. It's intense. It's passionate. It's sweet. Most of all, it's sincere and honest, and I let myself get lost in it. I let myself—for just one moment—think of how life could be if I got kissed like this every day from the man underneath me. I let myself believe it can work, that he really does want more than just one night. I let myself have the fantasy because, in reality, I know it's not possible and that tomorrow I'll wake up alone. Because of that, I let myself live in tonight, and I kiss him back as I've never kissed anyone else before.
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Song quoted - "Get Me Some of That" by Thomas Rhett
A/N: That song's good. Check it out. :) It's on YouTube. :)