I own nothing. Thanks again to the lovely Citikitti for the beta.

~*~

Chapter 2 - Alice in the Spa with the Hot Wax

Bella

I woke up in an unfamiliar room. It was posh and modern, decorated entirely in black and white with highly polished wooden floors. I was enfolded in a luxurious duvet and surrounded by dozens of fluffy white pillows of different shapes and sizes. The sheets felt like velvet against the bare skin of my legs; they weren't the paper-thin covers I had grown used to after all of my time spent travelling. This was certainly not my dingy little dwelling outside of Thebes.

I lay there in the gargantuan bed surrounded by all of the sumptuous fabrics and tried not to panic. Where the hell was I? My mouth was dry and my head was pounding a steady rhythm that I recognised as a consequence of drinking too much wine.

I glanced around the room once more and spied half a dozen framed photographs on a vanity against the far wall. I stumbled out of bed – the damn thing was a lot higher off the ground than I had suspected – and blundered over for a closer look.

The same three faces were repeated over and over in the gilded frames: a large, curly-haired, dimpled man with dark blue eyes; a tiny, spiky-haired girl with the very same eyes as the giant; and him – the green-eyed, auburn-haired, high-cheekboned hot fucking bitch with that please-lick-me jaw and that smooth, sexy voice. Edward.

Goddamn that Jasper. These were his future in-laws and he was trying to use them in a tactical manoeuvre to keep me here in Boston. Correction – he was trying to use him.

How many stories about the perfect Edward had he told me over the past year? How many pictures had he sent me of the beautiful Cullen family? How many times had he taunted me about Edward being single and "just my type"? How the hell did Jasper know what my type was anyway? I didn't even know myself!

I'd certainly had my fair share of dates, but I'd only had one truly serious relationship. To say that it hadn't turned out well would be the understatement of the century.

I picked up a framed photo of Edward wearing a perfectly fitted pinstriped suit. He was glancing at something to the right of the person holding the camera, smiling sheepishly and running a hand through his messy locks. The sun was hitting his hair just so, causing all of the red and golden strands to shine; it was so beautiful. He was so beautiful.

There was a brisk rapping on the bedroom door. I tried to place the picture back on the vanity but I fumbled, causing it to crash into the other frames; they all went down like dominoes.

I turned around quickly, strategically placing myself in front of the mess of pictures on the tabletop just as Alice poked her head around the door.

"Oh good, you're up," she said brightly, coming fully into the room. "I thought maybe we could hang out a bit before the dress fitting, just the two of us…" She trailed off, sounding unsure.

I realised I'd been standing there staring at her without saying a word. I was too worried about her noticing that I had been meddling with the pictures to even attempt a polite greeting.

I tried to smile. "That sounds great, Alice. I've been wanting to hang out with you for ages."

Alice's big, blue eyes shone with happiness at my statement. She seemed easy enough to please, something I would never have guessed by looking at her. Her clothing, makeup and perfectly coiffed 'do screamed "princess", but I knew Jasper had better taste than that.

Three hours later I found myself up to my neck in bubbling mud, my face coated in something sticky and cloyingly sweet smelling. The bonding time Alice had planned was just your average torture: dripped on by hot wax, encased in mud, smacked around by freakishly large-handed women, having every inch of your face squeezed until you could feel your heart beating in each individual pore. It was great. Though I may not have been enjoying her choice of activity, I had to admit – begrudgingly – that I did like Alice. She was spunky and intelligent and fun – I could certainly see how Jasper had fallen for her so definitively and so quickly.

"So… Jasper's been acting kind of strange," she said in a purposefully offhand tone.

"He does that," I replied noncommittally. If she had something to say, she was going to have to come right out and say it. I wasn't the beating around the bush kind of girl. Not anymore.

"Hmmm…." she mumbled, studying the side of the tub. "Do you think… well, that Jasper has any reason not to want you and I to be alone together?"

Well, that was not what I was expecting.

"No," I said, furrowing my brow in confusion. "Why do you think that?"

She looked away from the bubbling mud and into my eyes. She seemed upset; her eyes were glassy.

"Well, first the airport – he insisted Edward come with us. I was going to drive, but he made him come along, then Em and Rose decided they wanted to come too, so he was all 'let's take the Jeep'. And then there was this morning – he seemed kind of pissed that I invited you out with me. He said he wanted to take me out for brunch, but that would have left you alone all morning. Why would he want to do that?"

Oh Jasper. Tricksy little Jasper.

"Was anyone else going to be hanging around the house this morning, Alice?"

She bit her lip and scrunched up her brow. "Um… probably just Edward. He's on vacation, so he's usually there. Why?"

Exactly what I suspected. Did he think a morning alone together and Edward and I would leap naked into each other's arms? I pondered that image for a moment… it wasn't exactly unpleasant…

"Bella?"

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled. She was staring at me expectantly. "Right, Jasper. Don't worry, Alice, it has nothing to do with you and me. I'm pretty sure I know what he's up to; just ignore him and go about your business as usual. He'll give up eventually."

She seemed somewhat placated, but there was still the vestiges of a question in her eyes as she let them fall closed, resting her head against the back of the tub.

Would Jasper give up? He was a persistent little a-hole when he really wanted something. Are you sure you want him to give up? asked a little voice in my head. Where had that come from? I was going back to Greece. I didn't belong here anymore, no matter how much I missed Jasper, no matter how welcoming everyone was, no matter how badly my sex-starved body wanted to jump Edward Cullen. Hell, if I really wanted to I could jump him and still go back to Greece; why did Jasper think he could convince me to stay? Did the guy have a magical, solid gold cock or something?

~*~

After the spa we drove into town to have my dress fitted. Alice had been right; it was the most lovely and surprising dress I had ever seen. It was long, black and fitted, but with an open area over the bust with inlaid silk in a gorgeous pattern of white and varying shades of grey which Alice informed me was an exact match to the vests that would be worn by the groomsmen. It needed to be taken out a bit at the bust, but otherwise fit me perfectly. Alice had looked at dozens of photos of me and watched all of the videos I had sent Jasper from abroad so she could approximate my size.

Her care and attention to detail was astounding. As I stood staring at my reflection I found myself choking back tears. Alice was so welcoming, going out of her way to make things perfect for me when it was her wedding. And I felt beautiful; it had been so long since I had any reason or inclination to make myself look so feminine.

"You like it?" she asked.

I nodded my head, afraid that if I opened my mouth to speak the tears would begin to flow. She must have seen them shining in my eyes anyway, because she flung herself on me, shedding a few of her own.

"I'm so glad you approve," she sniffed. I was pretty sure she wasn't talking about the dress.

~*~

When we got back to the house I was given a bikini and strict instructions to soften my tan lines. My t-shirt tan didn't go so well with the sleeveless dress. Alice and Jasper were headed back into town to have a meeting with the minister and finalise plans with the caterers, so I grabbed a book and went out to lounge by the pool.

I put my book down after just a few minutes – it was too hot to concentrate. Sweat was pooling between my breasts and in my lower back. I was about to adjust Alice's too-small top and surreptitiously wipe away my boob sweat at the same time, when I heard his voice.

"Well. Hello, Bella." Fucking hell. And now I wasn't only wet from the sweat. How was it possible to bring about such a reaction with three short words? It wasn't fair. Did he know how he affected us mere mortals?

"You look hot," he said.

What in the… "Wha-?"

He smirked. Oh he knew. Bastard.

"The sun is really hot today. You should go for a dip." He motioned towards the serene turquoise water of the pool; it did look inviting. A drop of boob sweat trickled down my cleavage and landed on the bottom of the bikini top.

I forced myself to answer instead of sitting gawping at him like an idiot. He already looked smug enough; he didn't need to know to what degree he was affecting me. "I'll take that into consideration."

He smiled and stood there for a moment, appearing to consider me. I suddenly felt rather exposed in Alice's too-small bathing suit. I picked my book back up and used it to conceal some of, er, me from view. My face was flaming – he made me blush like a 16 year-old dork talking to the Homecoming King. Hell, I had once been that dork, but I had thought I'd put her to rest years ago. I forced her back down.

Edward settled in the seat beside me before speaking again. "That outfit doesn't seem very you," he said.

"That's because it belongs to your sister. She told me I needed to soften my tan lines for the tuxedo dress." I stared down at my arms with a scowl. My gaze travelled from there to my traitorous, sweaty boobs. They were the cause of possibly many more dress fittings within the next week. "Which needs to be taken out, apparently," I muttered, "since 'my boobs in the pictures looked smaller than they actually are'." I looked up, embarrassed. "That's a direct quote, by the way."

Edward chuckled. "Sounds like her." He settled back into his lounger, stretching out his long legs in front of him. "Speaking of Alice, how did you fare today? Was she on her best behaviour?"

"Hmm… other than her insisting I have nearly every hair on my body ripped out via hot wax, we got along just fine. Why do you ask?"

He chuckled again. "I was worried she was going to corner you and submit you to a questioning so thorough it would put the Spanish Inquisition to shame, actually."

"Ah," I laughed. "She wants some good dirt on Jasper. Well, she'll have to wait until my speech for that." I gave him a flirtatious wink and he grinned. What had gotten into me?

"No, not exactly dirt on Jasper. More like dirt on Jasper and you. I'm afraid my sister is envisioning My Best Friend's Wedding scenarios."

Oh crap. That's why she had looked that way after I told her to ignore Jasper's shenanigans. I shouldn't have been surprised – every girl he had ever dated had looked upon me as a rival. But this was Alice. Jasper adored her beyond all reason; surely she realised that! "But that's just silly. The thought of Jasper like that…" I pulled a face and Edward laughed. "I'll have a talk with her."

"Just don't tell her I said anything. She's vicious, and a lot stronger than she looks. She's taken Emmett down before." I broke up laughing at the mental picture that conjured – Edward was nearly twice her size, let alone Emmett. "I can't say I blame her for being a tad worried, though," he continued, "you are unbelievably beautiful."

I snorted and he raised his eyebrows as if daring me to challenge his claim. Was he flirting with me? It sure seemed that way. I wondered if I could successfully flirt back – it had been an embarrassingly long time.

"Well, then," I told him with a smile, "you and I will just have to make out to set her mind at ease." Did I sound ridiculous? I felt a little ridiculous, as well as a little bit naughty and a lot turned on. Oh well, if it all went to hell I could blame my odd behaviour on sunstroke.

A low, sensual laugh escaped his lips. "But she isn't even here to see us," he answered with a teasing grin.

Oh yes, he was playing along. "Noticed that did you? Damn." I smirked at him and placed my sunglasses on my face. I focused my eyes on the book in my hands, but I was paying absolutely no attention to the words on the page. I felt energised, alive, powerful; I didn't remember this being so fun.

After a moment of silence I closed my eyes and settled further into the lounger. They flew open again at the feel of Edward's hand against the side of my neck.

"You know," he said quietly, "you're only creating more tan lines with these little straps here." He tugged on the strings holding up my barely-there top. "I don't know the cut of the dress, but it's better to be safe than to invoke the wrath of Alice, isn't it?"

He grinned at me for a moment, and when I made no objection, he slid his hand around behind my neck and pulled the string, causing the straps to fall down into my cleavage.

"Oops, can't be having any tan lines there, either." His hand stretched out, his long, lithe fingers pulling the strips of fabric out from between my breasts.

"Edward!" Esme's voice scolded from the patio. "Be respectful!"

His eyes met mine, round as saucers, and his hand paused mid boob skim. Esme set a tray down loudly on the table beside me, but I didn't look over to see what it contained. I didn't look away from Edward's wide eyes, nor he mine. It seemed safer that way.

"Really," she continued to mutter, "I never thought I would have to say that to you. You're behaving like your brother." She clucked her tongue reprovingly once more before venturing back inside the house.

Edward snapped his hand away from my chest as if he'd been burned. "I…er…I didn't mean to…" He ran his traitor hand through his messy locks and looked towards the pool, red-faced.

And me? I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself, I had been holding it in since Esme had initially said his name, and now it came pouring out of my mouth unbidden.

"I'm glad that amused you," he said petulantly, but he was grinning too.

"Is that the same tone she used with you when you were a kid and she caught you with your hand in the cookie jar?"

"The very same."

"Scary."

He nodded and widened his eyes in agreement. "Indeed."

As I was rearranging my straps so as not to cause any more unwanted lines, Edward removed his shirt and sat back down next to me. I tried my damnedest not to look, but fuck, he was beautiful. I lay back and forced my eyes closed, cursing Jasper under my breath. That bastard certainly thought he had an ace in the hole with Edward, but I knew what he was planning.

I opened my eyes and snuck another look-see. Edward's eyes had drifted closed and he looked in complete contentment. The sun was glinting off his hair like in the photo in my room; I had never seen that shade on anyone before. I let my eyes travel over his flawless face, down his neck and over his chest to his belly, where the beginning of a fine trail of hair was peeking out between his hipbones, just above the waistband of his trunks. I noticed that it was the exact shade as the hair on his head. Interesting. I knew from that moment until I boarded the plane back to Athens, there was no way I was going to be able to look at Edward without imagining where that trail led.

I was in so much trouble.

~*~

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