Chapter 4

Fairytales, Fantasies and Fights

BPOV

I was having the most amazing dream. I was standing in the middle of a perfectly round meadow. Trees were all around me. The wind was gently blowing my hair in different directions as the sun rose high above me and warmed my face and body. The ground was blanketed in an assortment of wildflowers and off to the side there was a beautiful white horse, tied to one of the trees. I laid down in the grass and flowers, closing my eyes and breathing in the beautiful fragrance they emitted. When I heard the rustling of the grass I smiled lazily to myself.

"You look so beautiful laying there." His rich voice practically sung to me. Without opening my eyes I reached for him. He gently laid down, leaning his weight against the side of my body. I felt his warm breath on my cheek as he softly whispered in my ear.

"Open your eyes for me, Isabella." I slowly obeyed.

He was propped up on his side on one arm leaning over me. There was that crooked smile on his handsome face and his hair in a perfect disarray as his arm draped carefully across my waste while his fingers were drawing small circles on my hip. I smiled up at him noting the spark of desire that flashed across his eyes.

He carefully leaned his face towards mine, staring at my lips as he got closer. My eyes automatically shut when I felt his warm, soft lips brush lovingly against mine. I reached up and threaded my hands into his hair, not wanting him to pull away and he didn't disappoint. When he felt my consent he pressed his lips more fully onto my own, deepening the kiss by running his thumb along my chin and gently pulling, asking for me to open my mouth. I obliged, and a flow of heat shot through my body as I felt his tongue massage against mine.

This was like no other kiss I had received. It was sweet, innocent, yet filled with so much passion that my heart melted. He pulled away asking with his eyes what his mouth could not say.

"Yes Edward, make love to me." I whispered, knowing that I had never wanted anything more than what I wanted right now.

"Your wish is my command, princess." I sighed as I felt his kiss move to my neck and down to my collarbone. His constant whispers of beauty and love caressed my skin as his lips moved over my body removing clothing as he went.

"Bella, open your eyes love." His hand stopped its ascent. "Bella, please wake up." I felt a gentle shake and then I was brought back to reality. Reality was looking just as good as my dream when I opened my eyes to find that same man in my dream staring down at me. The same look of longing on his face. His hand rubbed my hip and I felt a surge of desire race through my body.

His hand slowly moved up my body until he cupped my cheek and leaned down. This kiss was different than from my dream. It was scorching and full of unrestrained passion. I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer to me as he assaulted my mouth. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I should stop this before it led to far, but the taste of his lips pulled me in until he broke our kiss.

With a sigh, he pulled back and gazed into my eyes. I was in a state of euphoria and didn't quite hear his question the first time that he spoke.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"How much will this cost me?" he repeated.

What! My mind didn't comprehend what he was saying. I did not want to go in the direction that my mind was taking me. Please, don't be asking me what I think you are asking me.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bring this up now, because it really doesn't matter."

I stiffened at his words. They cut so deep. Flashes of the words that Mike yelled at me as he ripped my dress flooded my mind. You're nothing but a well paid whore! Nobody would ever want you as anything more!

Edward's eyes popped open at my quick intake of breath and his smile faltered. I could tell that he saw the hurt that was written across my face. He reached for me. Confusion mixed with desperation in his eyes

"Bella?" I pulled away, jumping out of the bed, pulling the robe tighter around me.

I ran to the bathroom, slammed and locked the door as the flood gates opened and hot tears coursed down my face. I fell to the floor clutching my legs to my chest, sobs racking my body. I'm nothing but a whore! He never saw me as anything else. I thought spitefully as I laid my head against the bathroom door.

"Bella, please open up." He pleaded as he tried to open the door. "I'm so sorry."

"Go away Edward!"

"Please, listen to me. I had no idea. I assumed with the way you were dressed—" He paused thinking over his words more closely. "I'm an ass. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I can do to make this better." Worry clearly defined in his tone.

I couldn't say anything. The tears were flowing uncontrolled now. He tried the door again. "Please, please, please. I'll do anything to make this better." I heard his head bang up against the door with each word he spoke.

"There's nothing you can do. You've told me exactly what you think of me, so please leave me alone." The words left my mouth like venom. I heard him sigh and push away from the door.

My sobs were replaced by anger the longer I sat on the floor. I listened quietly to the rooms outside my prison, looking for the opportune time to flee. My clothes were still in the bathroom so I moved to put them on. I looked into the mirror and finally saw what Edward saw last night. How could he come up with any other conclusion? I looked trashy. I fingered the fabric covering my breasts and realized that it dipped so low from the rip that my bra was covering more than the dress did.

I looked disgustingly at the ridiculous shoes I had worn. Mike liked them. That's the only reason I would have ever worn them. I picked up the offensive objects up and threw them against the door as hard as I could, letting out a frustrated scream.

I heard Edward press himself against the bathroom door. "Bella? Are you alright?" His voice broke with concern.

I cursed inwardly. This is not his fault. I'm going to have to come out eventually. I walked over to the door, took a deep breath and slowly opened it. Edward stood on the other side, his head resting on his arm against the door jam. He looked up at me and I noticed that his hair was even more untidy than it was moments before, like he had run his hands through it frantically.

He looked at me with hopefulness in his eyes. When he realized I wasn't going to speak his face fell and he looked down at his feet. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I don't know why I jumped to the conclusion that I did."

"Look at me! Of course you came to the conclusion you did." I said waving my hands in front of myself.

"I look like a prostitute!" Tears slipped out even as I tried to suck them up.

"I've been used and abused! It shows in everything I do!"

My sobs shook my body. I saw an angry glint in his eye and his jaw clenched as he reached for me. He grabbed both of my arms, giving me a small shake.

"Stop it! I didn't look past the clothing. If I had I would have seen the amazing woman behind it." His features softened and he looked pleadingly into my eyes. "Why are you so broken?" he whispered as he stroked my hair.

My body sank into his chest giving in to the desire to be closer to him. I shook my head letting him know that I didn't want to talk about that now. With my tears still flowing, he carefully wrapped his arms around me as I continued to cry. He led me over to the bed and laid me down. Crawling in beside me, he pulled me close and continued to stroke my hair while he whispered encouraging words into my ear. Eventually my body could take no more and I drifted off to sleep. I awoke a few hours later to Edward talking on his phone.

"Alice, no. Please give me another hour." He sighed in frustration. "I don't care, change it! I'll call you when I've talked to her." He flipped his phone closed, abruptly ending the conversation that he was having, and ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a long breath.

"Hello, beautiful."

I smiled shyly at him, not really sure where we stood at this moment. He quickly closed the distance between us and sat on the bed, reaching up to brush the hair that had fallen into my eyes away. Then he leaned down and gave me a chaste kiss on my lips.

"We need to talk." He said as he pulled away. I nodded knowing that there was no way around it.

"I know that there are things going on in your pretty little head that you're not willing to share with me now, and I want you to know that is okay." He smiled softly. "I'm here when you're ready."

"Now…I want you to stay."

He looked at me with the same look he had last night, the one that said 'no arguments'. Did I want to stay? Did I have a choice? I don't have anywhere else to go, I thought bitterly. I don't have a job, or a home, family or friends. He waited for the argument, when he didn't get one he continued.

"I have a proposition for you." He looked a little nervous. "I have several events that I will be attending over the next few weeks where I need to bring a date. I was hoping that you would be my date." He looked like a teenage boy asking a girl out for the first time. I couldn't help but smile.

"What would my duties entail?"

"Well, first, you would have to go shopping because most of the events are formal." My face fell. "Since these are my events I can't expect you to pay for anything. Everything you want or need, I will supply for you."

"I can't possibly accept—"

"And I can't possibly leave you in this room while I go out and fulfill my duties." He sternly looked at me. "You are going with me." His tone left no room for argument. I nodded my head letting him know that he had won this one. His face relaxed and he reached out to me, rubbing the back of his hand up and down my arm.

"I'm not going to demand anything of you. You are only to let me pamper you and treat you like the Queen you are." I understood immediately what he was getting at. He wasn't going to ask for sex. He didn't want me to feel like I felt earlier. Do men like him really exist?

"I want to stay here with you Edward." I lowered my head, still ashamed at the things I had said to him earlier. "Thank you for taking me in. I really don't have anywhere else to go." His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me close to his chest, rubbing my back tenderly.

"I'm glad you stumbled into my life Bella." I smiled at his choice of words. He pulled away and filled me in on the rest of the day.

"My sister will be here in less than an hour. That was the longest I could hold her off." I grimaced at the thought of meeting one of his family members. What would she think of me?

"She's made an appointment at the spa downstairs for you. I'm really not sure what she has planned, but I apologize in advance for her…uh…enthusiasm." I nodded, trying to remember that I had already agreed to his terms.

"She's going to have her personal shopper pick up some things for you until you can go shopping with her. I can tell you now that shopping is an Olympic sport for Alice."

I definitely wasn't looking forward to that. I didn't mind shopping when I knew what I was shopping for, but I detested trying to figure out if something new would look good on my body.

"Tonight I have a dinner meeting with the founder of a company we are trying to attain. I would love the honor of having you as my date." He smiled as he took my hand. I felt like a giddy girl. How can my emotions run from one side of the hemisphere to the other in such a short amount of time?

"Of course," I replied. He squeezed my hand gently and then released it.

"Knowing Alice you only have a few minutes before she arrives. I should warn you that she is a ball of energy."

"I should get in the shower then." I turned to walk towards the bathroom when his arm was on my shoulder and he gently turned me towards him.

"Bella, I meant every word that I said. You are an amazing woman." I melted under his gaze. I don't think I can fight the attraction I had towards this man. I'm not sure that I wanted to. I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the side of his mouth.

"All's forgiven." I turned and hurried to the bathroom.