Chapter 3

Bella

I sat on the end of my new bed, my hands shaking and sweaty. I palmed them along the duvet, trying to take a deep breath and clear my thoughts.

I couldn't believe I was living with Edward Cullen.

I almost let out a giggle at the absurdity of the situation. When I'd found out I had to move out of my tiny one bedroom shoe box apartment that was the only thing I could afford whilst I studied, my heart had almost cut right through my chest. When Alice told me Edward needed help with rent and had a spare room my heart jumped right to my throat and started choking me.

I knew he didn't need help with rent. He knew that I knew he didn't need help with rent.

He had obviously been asked by Alice; or possibly Esme and Carlisle to do the favour.

The last time I had seen Edward Cullen was about a year ago, one evening when I stopped at a coffee shop on Massachusetts Avenue on my way back from my journalism evening class. I had been sat by the window and seen him walking down the street with a tall leggy blonde, his hand held firmly in hers. She was smiling, looking like it had taken her two hours to get dressed, but also looking like a million dollars. She was the closest to me, so she blocked him from my view slightly, but I could still tell it was him.

I would be able to spot Edward Cullen in a crowd of a million people.

He looked tired that night, but still had a slight crooked smile on his face. It was dark, so I couldn't make him out as perfectly as I wanted to, but his dark hair still sat dishevelled on his head, his jaw could still cut ice and his entire face and body was still to die for. I could guarantee his eyes were still emerald green too.

Before that night, the last time I'd seen him was when I was fifteen years old and he was going off to college. I was invited to his leaving meal, and the next day I stood beside Alice as she cried and held on to him tightly. I wished I could hold on to him too. He was my first crush, the first boy I wished would kiss me, hold me and make love to me. I had been crazy for him.

The day he left, he smiled at me in goodbye and told me, "I'll let you know what Harvard is like. And I'll see you there someday."

His words had been like a promise of meeting again, but every time he came home I never got to see him. When I started at Harvard he had already graduated. I knew he still lived close by, Alice had told me so, but he had always seen me as a child, so I didn't try and call him up.

It was odd that in the near four years I'd lived here, we had never ran in to each other, and that I'd only ever laid eyes on him once.

But now, everything seemed to be changing. He had broken up with his girlfriend, the leggy blonde I'd guessed, and I was moving in with him.

He'd just offered to order Chinese food, and after I'd given him my choices, he left me alone in my new room again.

My heart, which had never looked at a man and reacted so violently before, still hadn't calmed down after laying eyes on Edward Cullen at twenty-five years old.

He was a God.

He was gorgeous, beautiful and fucking damn sexy.

When he opened the door to me, my heart momentarily stopped, before picking up double time. I could tell his eyes were raking over me, obviously acquainting himself with me after seven years of never seeing me. But all I could do was stare at him and try to breathe.

He was perfect. So perfect that my heart hurt.

His tousled hair sat messily on his head, looking like he'd had a long day at the office. I longed to give him a head massage and pepper his face with kisses before getting on top of him and...

I'd stopped my thoughts in their tracks, instead moving my eyes over his strong jaw line that had the tiniest bit of stubble, the same and yet so different from when he was eighteen. His lips were parted slightly as he stared at me, and I longed to place a kiss on them, just like I always had. And his eyes... His eyes stared right at me like he could read my very thoughts.

As I'd gasped for a breath, I could feel my chest rising and falling as oxygen just wouldn't come quick enough. My eyes tore down his body, through the shirt and trousers he was wearing, just knowing that his chest, arms, legs... Everything... Was strong and muscular.

And then, as if God wanted to torture me a little bit more, he spoke my name softly and carefully.

Fuck.

I wanted to offer myself to him right then and there. And I'd never offered my body to anyone before, my degree and my future were the only things that had concerned me since he left.

I'd been trying not to think about him as we made our way up to his apartment. I kept my hands busy by carrying one of the suitcases, looking around his lovely apartment and then unpacking my belongings in my new room.

But now I was done, and I had to have dinner with him.

The only thing I could tell myself was to forget all thoughts about him and see him as what he was – my best friend's brother.

Edward

I'd ordered the Chinese food before getting a quick shower and changing into more comfortable clothes. I didn't hear much noise from Bella's room so I wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep.

I went back to the sofa, leaving the remote on the space next to me. I wanted to show Bella that this was now her home too, at least for a few months, so she should feel comfortable being here.

That meant she could choose the TV shows if she wanted.

I put my head back on the cushion, resting my eyes for a moment before I heard the door to Bella's room open quietly.

Every nerve in my body tightened as I waited for the space next to me to move slightly with her weight. I wanted her to come and sit beside me, touch my face and kiss me before straddling my waist.

Instead, I heard the shower in the main bathroom start, and although I was slightly disappointed she hadn't come to join me, my mind filled with new images.

I could picture her naked, in my apartment, so close to me that I could barely breathe. I pictured myself getting up and going to her, opening the door slowly.

Without a word, I'd go to her, pulling the shower curtain open and letting my eyes feast on her body. The soft curve of her hips, the slim line of her stomach, how the water would drip down between her pert breasts on one side, and roll down past her ass on the other. I'd grab her, and neither of us would say a word but our eyes would say everything.

They would say we wanted each other, that we would do nothing to stop what was happening between us because it felt so right.

I'd let the water hit me, even though I'd be fully clothed. I'd press my mouth to hers and capture every sweet moment that this girl could give. I'd let my hands roam along her body, down her neck, across her breasts, further down her sides before they rested on her ass. She'd moan as I pushed her against me, letting her entire body feel just how ready I was for her, letting her hands do even more. Then slowly, just to tease her, I'd let one hand rove around to her clit, just touching once... Twice... Before-

"Hey, Edward? I think the buzzer is going."

Bella's voice awoke me from my dream, and I was suddenly eternally grateful that I'd put a pillow on my lap when I'd sat down.

I looked up at her, swallowing at her thin vest top and pyjama shorts that definitely had no bra or panties underneath. She had definitely changed from the High School Musical days.

"Uh yeah." I shook my head, waking myself up, "Yes, that must be the food."

"I'll get it." She smiled, moving towards the door.

All I could picture was her bouncing downstairs, opening the front door and showing her delicious body to the delivery guy.

Protective jealousy raged over me.

"No!" I almost shouted, "I'll do it."

I got up, thankful that my sweatpants were baggy. She stopped at the door, and I had to keep my eyes off her ass as I passed by her and grabbed my wallet.

Going downstairs for the food allowed me to clear my head. I tried to picture Bella at fifteen, singing and dancing with Alice in her room. The thought did its job in repulsing me enough that I didn't have any sexual thoughts about Bella for the rest of the night.

I hope you all enjoyed the first insight into Bella?

As always, reviews and feedback is appreciated. They make the connections with the characters a lot stronger and give me a lot more motivation to continue.