AN: As promised here is the third instalment for today
Thanks to Jess for her extreme beta'ing!
Thanks to everyone for reading/reviewing/adding.
Lemon warning!
Disclaimer: Don't own Twlight
Ch 6 – Real
Real
adjective
existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.
As I rinse the last of the suds from my hair, I hear the bathroom door opening, I know it's him and that excites me. I am standing with my back to him and refuse to turn and look at him for fear of loosing my nerve. I want this even though I know how wrong it is, I think that is what actually makes me want it so badly. His footsteps pause and then I hear his belt hit the ground. My nipples harden as a shiver runs the length of my body.
With a click the shower door opens and a cool rush of air blows across my back. I can feel his body heat behind me, electricity in the air pulsating between us. My breathing increases slightly with the anticipation of what is to come. As he shuts the shower door behind him, I can feel him breathing on my neck, all my hairs stand on end and it takes all the strength I posses not to turn around and attack him.
His fingers send a shock wave through my body and they graze along my shoulders pushing my hair to the side. I want to lean back into him, the entire shower filled with his scent and his light touch on my bare skin is almost too much for me to handle. His fingers trace down the centre of my spine, as they travel lower and lower and reach the top of my butt, I shiver with anticipation, willing him to continue, my legs spreading slightly.
Instead however, they travel sideways and begin to move around my hips, at the same time he presses his lips into my neck. The sensation of his lips, hands and the water on my body has me soaking wet.
"You're fucking gorgeous." He growls into my neck, now I allow myself to tilt my head back, but still don't look at him. His fingers graze the hollow just below my hips and I shiver involuntarily. Suddenly his hand is gone, I can feel him smiling against my skin and then I hear him unclip the shower head, now it is my turn to smile.
He holds the head against my throat and then begins moving it down from one breast to the other and then down, down, down until it it's lingering on my pelvic done, some of the spray touching my clit, but not enough…nowhere near enough. With a flick of his thumb he switches the head to hard spray and then closes those last few centimetres. Instantly I cry out and slam my hand into the wall to brace myself.
He takes a step forward and is now pressed against me, his breathing heavy in my ear. I can feel him, rock hard, pressed against my ass, with his chest still pressed into my back he moves his hips back slightly and I can feel his hand in between us, then I feel his dick being moved so that it is now pressing against my opening. My knees shake slightly with the water pressure against my clit and the pressure of him at my entrance. He adjusts and the sensation makes me gasp, his head now pressing into me, awaiting entry. I nod against him, he uses his feet to spread mine a little wider and he uses his spare hand to tilt my hips back to give a better angle.
I gasp and thrust awake, my entire body covered in sweat and my breathing still heavy. I quickly look around my room…alone! And still in my clothes from last night. Thank god, I have never been so relieved yet disappointed at the same time. I throw myself back into my pillow, a huge grin plastered across my face.
BANG!
The blood in my body freezes as my heart ceases beating. There is someone in my house. My mind goes into panic mode, my heart continues beating but this time too fast, it's all I can hear and is preventing me from hearing the intruder downstairs. I get out of bed silently preying that my weight on the old floorboards doesn't make them creak and give away my location. I need Agent Smith's number. It's in my handbag.
I freeze again as I hear one of the stairs creak. Frantically, my heart pounding into my chest, death or worse approaching, I search for my handbag.
Crap! It's downstairs on the kitchen bench. I move to the window and look at the house across the street, no movement. I thought they were supposed to be watching me 24/7? I desperately look around the room for something to defend myself with.
Nothing, but a couple of books.
I quietly move to the wardrobe, it is the only place to hide but if I open the doors and they squeak then I am dead anyway. A loud, clear footstep outside my door makes my decision for me. I open the doors, silently thank Christ, and throw myself inside closing them gently behind me.
The tears that I have been suppressing, spill over. How have they found me so quickly? This place is supposed to be safe! I curl myself into a tiny ball, hoping that if I make myself small enough that I will be invisible.
I hear my bedroom door click open and the hinge groan. I hold my breath, the tears silently flowing down my checks and onto my chest. This is it, each footstep in my direction signifying my impending demise.
The courage and strength of my actions that have led me here have been in vain and have only prolonged my life for a week. However I will not regret the actions as it has been a week in which I have learnt more about myself and who I want to be in the future, a future which is about to snatched from me. The intruder stops in front of the wardrobe and I can hear him or her, wrap their hand around the handle.
As the doors are pulled open and the light invades my dark hiding spot a murderous scream escapes my lips, as the scream fills the house, I await my death, I pray that it will be swift and painless.
"Bella, Bella, Bella!" I can barely hear the voice through my scream but my brain begins to register that it is friendly and full of concern not venomous hatred. I snap my mouth shut to kill the scream and open my eyes. I can't see who it is because they lunge at me picking me up. Once I am removed from the closet, I see the unmistakable bronze hair.
He places me on the bed, grabbing my face between his hands and looking deep into my eyes, his own dark and panicked. He releases my face but pulls me against his chest; I allow the fear and terror to escape through my tears that I silently release into Edward's chest. The combination of his scent and his firm arms holding me allows me to calm.
Without a word being said, he stands, cradling me into his chest and carries me downstairs, he places me on the couch and the moves to get me a glass of water.
A knock at the door startles me. I walk to the door opening it to find a man that I have never seen before in my life. He has long dread locked hair that almost touches his waist. He has dark flawless skin with bright eyes.
"Miss Swan, is everything ok here?" His eyes dart behind me to where Edward has just walked from the kitchen.
"Yes, I didn't mean to disturb you, my friend accidentally scared me, I didn't know that he was coming over." I answer. Lauren looks past me to Edward suspiciously; I smile and give a slight nod to assure him everything is ok.
"Hi, I'm Edward." He says introducing himself and standing behind me.
"I'm Laurent; I am Miss Swan's neighbour from across the street. I am terribly sorry to disturb you both. Miss Swan, I will pop around later so that you can show me that book you were mentioning the other day." Laurent doesn't wait for any response instead he turns and goes back across the street.
I close the door and turn to face Edward who hands me a glass of water, we moved back to the couch, I sit down first, Edward sitting beside me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder allowing me to lean into him. I close my eyes and just let his smell wash around me. It is strange and unsettling to think that a smell could have this effect on me.
"I'm sorry I frightened you." I say breaking the silence.
"You're sorry? Jesus Bella, I feel sick in my stomach for scaring you like that. Are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah, I'm ok now; I guess I just forgot that you were here? Did…did you stay here?" I couldn't remember anything after we left the bonfire, except of course the dream. As the images of Edward's lips on my naked skin flicker in my mind, a vivid blush spreads across my entire body.
"Yeah, do you not remember anything?" I just shake my head in response. "You invited me in for a coffee, and then we were talking on the couch and both feel asleep, I woke in the middle of the night, I put you back in your bed and then came back down here and went back to sleep."
I breathe a massive sigh of relief, which Edward obviously notices.
"Bella, I just want you to know that I am not that kind of guy. I would never take advantage of anyone."
"Oh no, I didn't think that you would, I didn't mean…I just…I hate not knowing what I did the night before. It has very rarely happened to me." I quickly try to make amends.
"If it is any consolation I don't think you don't remember because you were drunk, I think you were just really tired." I sit back and look up at Edward.
"How is it that you don't have a girlfriend or wife?" I ask, I am enjoying this new Bella, saying whatever I think at the time, its kind of liberating in way.
"I'm sorry?" Edward asks clearly baffled by my sudden line of questioning.
"You would have to be one of the sweetest people I have ever met. You're intelligent, kind, have a great job and you're incredibly good looking. So how is it that a man that posses all those traits is single?"
"You didn't like me initially." He says matter of factly.
"That's not true." I lie.
"Bella, Jake told me." He admits with a slight smirk on his face.
"Who says that I like you now?" I joke, considering joking is something that I have rarely done in that past it feels very natural to be playful with Edward.
"You know how to cut man right in the core." He feigns hurt grabbing at his chest.
"Well you weren't exactly the way you are now. I mean the Edward that I met at school and the Edward sitting before me now are two completely different people. Why is that? Which one is the real you?"
"This is me." He states point at himself.
"So who did meet at the start of the week then?"
"That was me too just a very nervous, very intimidated version."
"Why would you be nervous or intimidated by me?"
Edward pauses staring into my eyes, it is obvious that he is deciding whether or not he should actually tell me the truth. To expect him to tell the truth when I am doing nothing but lying would be completely hypocritical of me but at the same time, I would be hurt that he would lie to me.
"I guess I just take a while to warm to people." He answers, not a lie but not the entire truth either.
"Are you a tortured artistic recluse?"
"What?" He laughs a little at me; the sound causes a reaction deep within my body that I choose to ignore.
"You don't have a girlfriend, you don't socialise with the people you work with, you have a close group of friends that have known you for years, and you seem to be on your own a lot. You get nervous and anxious when you meet new people and you're a musician." Edward laughs again at my summation of him.
"So because I haven't met anyone that I want to be with and because I can't stand the school gossip or that bimbo Jess and I like to each lunch while I mark the kids papers, I am shy and play instruments all of that makes me a tortured recluse?"
"Kinda." I answer honestly.
"Ok so, my turn. You turn up out of the blue choosing to leave a life that we would all want. You claim to be unavailable but have no ring much less any pictures. You seem so lost and frightened a majority of the time and refuse to go into great detail about yourself. What does that make you?"
"Mysterious." I answer with my voice slightly shaky, I am getting to close to Edward, and he is going to work this out sooner rather than later. Perhaps I should just return home before anyone is hurt.
"Edward, I don't want to give you the wrong impression. Yes I may not be wearing a ring or have any photographs but I am unavailable. The only thing I can offer you I am afraid is friendship, so if you are indeed looking for something more than I am terribly sorry." My heart is racing and I am certain that Edward can hear it.
I wonder if the words sounded as much a lie to him as they do to me. As I sit on this couch with this extraordinary man I can't help but be attracted to him, be excited of the idea of his lips on my body. But as I told Jake last night that is irrelevant.
I half expect Edward to stand and leave, so I am shocked when he grabs the remote and flicks a movie on. I reach over the back of the couch and grab the throw, laying it across both Edward and I.
Midway through the movie I am so enthralled by it that I momentarily forget where and who I am with and I get the cushion and lay on it on Edwards lap. We watched the rest of the movie like that it was perfect…friendly and perfect.
Edward left just before dinner; we spent the afternoon watching movies and falling in and out of sleep. We barely talked and for that I am thankful, I am really beginning to despise lying to him and don't know how much longer I can maintain it.
Edward's car had barely left the street before Laurent was knocking in the door as promised. I open the front door and he pushes past me, frantically searching the house for something.
"Umm…can I help you?" I ask as he begins pulling the sofa cushions off.
"I just need to make sure that area hasn't been contaminated."
"Contaminated?"
"I am sorry Ma'am, but this is a very, very serious situation you are in." The patronising tone he uses begins to annoy me.
"Mr. Laurent, I know exactly how serious this is, I had to give up my life for it!"
"I can appreciate that, but I need to do my job so while you are entertaining your new life, I am the one that is ensuring that you are safe."
"I resent that, Edward is just a friend, and who are you to judge me anyway. I wouldn't go getting all high and mighty, if Edward had really been an intruded this morning I would have been well and truly dead before you got over here." I am furious now and my comments have made Laurent angry as well. He stops his search and turns to face me.
"With all due respect Ma'am, we have been watching your house 24/7, out surveillance didn't pick up your friend because he was already inside. It wasn't until we heard that scream that we were alerted." I flushed red knowing that Laurent was completely right, of course they wouldn't have seen Edward; I let him in last night.
"If you know that Edward is just my friend then what are you looking for now?" I ask, my tone sweeter then before.
"We are concerned that your friend has been commissioned, and that they arranged for you to be sent here on purpose."
"What, that's impossible?"
"Ma'am, need I remind you about who we are dealing with here? I don't mean to alarm you but it happens more than you think. Everyone has a price." A shudder runs through my entire body.
"Do you really think that Edward is working for them?" I ask in a whisper, ashamed to be even saying the words out loud.
"No we don't know anything for certain and he has done nothing to make us believe so but you can never be too careful." I have decided to change my tune about Laurent while he may be a little abrasive; he definitely has my best interests at heart.
"Laurent, is my house bugged? I mean can you hear me?" Again he stops his searching and looks up at me from under the kitchen table.
"No Ma'am, we can't hear you, we initially discussed putting a few devices in the house but someone higher up squashed it. I'm not entirely sure why, would it make you feel more comfortable if we did?"
"No, no, no, I'm ok, thank you though." The last thing I would want is to have my conversations recorded, I mean if any of it leaked, it might have the potential to damage a lot of people.
"Ma'am, this may take a while so please feel free to continue your evening as planned."
"Thank you Laurent." I need to go get some groceries so I decide to take him up on his offer. "Oh Laurent, now that Edward thinks we know each other, when we are out and about should I say hello to you?"
"Great question, I am going to have to speak with my supervisor but, as yet I haven't really ventured out of the house, but as you said, now that Edward knows of my existence, and to be honest, I don't exactly blend in all that well in this town, I guess I will have to get a job somewhere, the school would most likely be the smartest option. That way I can keep an eye on you and still appear to be maintaining a normal existence."
"Ok, great. Well thanks again Laurent and it was nice actually meeting you. Tell your partner over there that I say hi and thanks too." I waved and left to head to the store.
By the time I finish shopping it is too late to cook anything for myself so I decided to pop into one of the diners in town. As soon as I walk in I hear my name being called. I turn to find Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett and Edward sitting at one of the tables.
"Bella, come join us!" Emmett yells across the room. Naturally I oblige, even though my stomach is twisting into knots. I wonder if they know that Edward stayed with me last night.
"Hi Guys!" I greet as I take the vacant seat opposite Edward.
"Bella, I swear I know you from somewhere, it has been bugging me since Friday night." Alice says, my stomach falls to the floor and I instantly feel ill. I need to think clearly.
"People actually tell me that all the time, I think I just have one of those faces." I say expecting my nose to start growing and hit Alice on the forehead.
"Nup, I have definitely seen you somewhere before. I will figure it out. Anyway how was the bbq last night?" Thank Christ!
"It was really great, the food was amazing and it was really great meeting everyone." I was going to say Leah but now that I know about Rosalie and Leah, I decide to play it safe. If I am going to be here for a while, I want to be Switzerland too.
"Yeah, Edward said he had a great time too!" Emmett teased, however I am still unsure if they know or he is just playing around. I dart my eyes at Edward, who very, very subtly shakes his head. I find it difficult to remove my eyes from his and back to the conversation.
The rest of dinner went much that way, I would lose myself staring at Edward, even though I knew it was sending mixed signals, I just couldn't stop. I feel myself gravitating towards him. This is bad, bad news.
AN: Ok sorry for the blue balls but I like to be dramatic – leave them wanting more I say!
So any idea's on who Bella really is? And why she is in Forks – you have a few more details now but not many! (insert evil laugh)
Please review.
I have to get back to work so I am going to have to love you and leave you.
Cheers
Court
xox