Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Thank you for the inspiration, SM. Everything else is original and belongs to me, Cosette Cullen.
A/N: Lots of virtual love and affection to my smart-as-hell betas: Pickwicksociety, JenKB, and GuitarGirl! Credit and thanks to Mel/mcc101180 over at Project Team Beta for polishing this chapter up even more!
Chapter 7 – Naked Perfection
Hovering in that magical space between sleep and consciousness, I turned onto my side, struggling to find a comfortable position. However, rolling over on a cot so narrow that only a skinny-ass like Kate Moss would comfortably fit took so much physical effort, I was unwillingly pulled from my restless slumber. And they call this a sleeper train? I think not.
I finished changing positions, getting as comfortable as I could and tried to go back to sleep. I pulled the threadbare blanket up to my neck and–what the hell is that? It sounded like a frackin' cat was in my sleeper compartment. It wasn't a classic cat meow but rather a high-pitched mewling coming from below. I hung my head down to find the source. Some chick sleeping below me was emitting little cat snores.
I glanced over at Alice. She was asleep in the top bunk across from me and appeared to be unaffected by Kitty Galore. I looked at my wristwatch, wondering if it was even worth it to try to get back to sleep. Squinting, I barely made out the numbers, but I determined that we were due to arrive in Florence in a little over an hour.
I pulled the cracker-thin pillow over my head, attempting to suffocate the kitty snores as well as my inner turmoil. Ever since Alice had returned to our hotel room after hanging out with Emmett at Hofbräuhaus, I'd been a living, breathing paradox of conflicting emotions. When she'd happily informed me that she had invited the guys to come to Florence with us, I simultaneously wanted to slap the shit out of her and kiss her after jumping up and down with glee. I didn't do either. Instead, I lashed out verbally.
"What the fuck were you thinking, Alice?" I chided, feeling panic take over my usually calm temperament.
Alice's eyes widened. Raising one eyebrow in bewilderment, she retorted, "I was fucking thinking that since we both had such a fucktastic time with them yesterday that we should continue the fucking fun in Florence."
We gaped at each other in silence. Alice continued staring at me, but the jumble of emotions inside left me unable to verbalize everything flitting around in my crazy brain. I let out a heavy sigh, attempting to release the anxiety in my chest, and dramatically plopped myself onto the bed. Resting my elbows on my knees, I leaned over and buried my face in my hands, murmuring to myself, "Ohh, god."
"Bella?" Alice was at my side, rubbing my back. "What's going on? You're kind of freaking me out here. Did something happen with Edward when he walked you to the hotel?"
Still leaning over, hiding, my hair falling over me protectively, I squeaked out a quiet, "Yes."
"Okay, Bella, let me repeat–you are freaking me the fuck out, so start talking."
Before I could formulate an answer, Alice left my side. With my gaze on the floor, I could see she had begun pacing in front of me.
"If Mr. GQ did anything to you, I fucking swear to the gods of genitalia I will find him right now and twist his fucking balls like a vice grip!"
Jumping to my feet, I grabbed her by the shoulders, halting her frenzied pacing. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, Alice. No, it was nothing like what you're thinking. Edward was a complete gentleman."
I retreated to the bed and fell onto my back, my arms spread like wings. "In fact, he was too much of a gentleman for my liking. But now, knowing I'm going to see him again, I'm glad that he was."
Alice crawled onto the bed, pulling her legs into a criss-cross and stared down at me. "Stop speaking goddamn Greek, and tell me why you are so upset."
I took in a deep breath and began relating to Alice how I'd invited Edward into my hotel room, only to have him turn me down. She began chastising me for violating Operation Nun, so I explained my rationale that one night of makey-outey with somebody I'd never see again did not violate Operation Nun. This appeased her, so I continued, describing how I'd felt embarrassed and rejected when Edward turned down my invitation, and how I thought I had misinterpreted the chemistry between us, only to have him then give me the single most amazing, feel-it-down-to-your-toes, life-changing kiss before he said good-bye.
Alice scrunched up her face, scratching her head as if in deep thought. "Call me a fuckwad, but I'm lost here. You got the best kiss of your life from the most beautiful man in the world–in your opinion, that is–and you are upset? Come again, please."
I pushed myself up onto my elbows in exasperation. "Alice, I wouldn't have kissed him had I known I was going to spend two days in Florence with him! I was already struggling to rein in my feelings for him, but now . . . damn it."
Turning to my side, I pulled my legs up to my chest, seeking comfort in the old standby fetal position. "Now, having those feelings validated with that kiss . . . oh, god," I groaned. "Alice, there was feeling in that kiss. It wasn't just lust. It was actually a fairly chaste kiss, but it set me on fire. I don't know how I'm going to control my feelings now. Being around him will be like throwing lighter fluid on the flame."
Alice affectionately twirled my long hair around her finger. "And you feel you have to smother the flame or Operation Nun will be in peril." It was a statement, not a question, so I didn't respond.
"Bella, I get that you don't want to break the promise you made to yourself. But you've gone eight fucking months living as a nun. Hell, you should be given a medal just for that! So what if you don't make it the whole twelve months. You said yourself that you believe you've healed during that time, which was the whole fucking point. So, mission accomplished."
I sat up, turning to face her. "I don't know, Alice. I just feel like I'd be giving in or giving up or failing or something horrible like that."
"Sweetie, that's your freakish need to control everything that is speaking."
I rolled my eyes at her disapprovingly before my gaze wandered to the moonlight shining through the hotel window.
She took my hands in hers, speaking kindly, yet matter-of-factly. "Listen, all I'm saying is maybe try not to be so rigid about how you think things should be and about Operation Nun. We are going to be with the guys for two days, so you might as well just let go, and enjoy your time with Edward."
Her advice echoed repeatedly in my mind as I pulled the pillow from my face and gazed at Alice still sleeping peacefully in our cramped sleeper compartment. The mewling coming from the cot below mingled with the low hum of the train was my soundtrack as I remembered seeing Edward on the train platform just a couple of hours after our goodbye kiss.
"Just go with the flow," Alice had urged as we approached the guys.
Edward had tried to dispel the uneasiness with humor. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Miss Swan. Are you stalking me again?" he teased.
"Ah, so that's how you're going to play it, huh?" I folded my arms, nodding my head. "The stalker accuses the stalkee of the crime so as to deflect attention from himself. Clever!"
Edward grinned, winking at me. The conversation between the four of us then turned to our itinerary for Florence. We'd hung out on the platform for about ten minutes before boarding the train. I had breathed a sigh of relief when I learned that Edward and Emmett would not be sharing a sleeping compartment with us. I knew I'd never be able to relax enough to sleep with Edward so close to me. The energy I always felt around him would be like constant volts of electricity keeping me alert and awake. As it was, even without Edward in my compartment, I'd had difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. My brain just wouldn't turn off, and now as morning approached, I was exhausted.
Glancing at my watch again, I was relieved to see we were due to arrive in Florence in thirty minutes. I quietly scurried out of the bunk, grabbing my toothbrush and hairbrush that I'd set out the night before. I slipped on my shoes and quietly squeezed through the door. Once I'd freshened up in the bathroom, I returned to find everybody in my compartment awake and gathering their luggage.
"You look like shit, Bella," Alice greeted me. I knew she was only being honest–I had just looked in the mirror in the bathroom–but that didn't mean I wanted to hear it.
"Tell me something I don't know, smartass. I'm tired and cranky. You've been warned."
"I'm sorry, Bells. You didn't sleep well?"
"How could I possibly sleep well on that tiny thing?" I whined, motioning to one of the beds.
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "I slept great. I was snug as a bug in a rug," she announced, way too cheerfully for my liking.
"Yeah, that bed is about the size of a bug's bed, all right," I grumbled.
Alice laughed, excusing herself to the bathroom. I pulled my luggage out of the compartment into the narrow hallway, tossing my coat on top, and took my iPod out of my backpack. Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes, immediately relaxing as Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" wafted through my earbuds.
"Pure bliss," I mumbled to myself. Sighing, I felt a smile turning the corners of my lips upward. Forget the Beatles–Beethoven was a freakin' genius. I relaxed so much that as the song neared its end, it occurred to me that I should open my eyes, or I just might fall asleep standing up.
"Oh, shit!" I gasped, pulling out my earbuds. "Edward, you scared the hell out of me."
I had opened my eyes to see Edward standing right the freak in front of me, in my personal space, and staring at me.
He bent over, slapping his leg, and let out the biggest belly laugh I'd yet to hear from him.
"You punk!" I punched him in the arm, trying to suppress my smile but failing. "It's not flipping funny."
But I discovered very quickly that it was impossible not to laugh when Edward was laughing. His hearty guffaws, along with the light in his eyes, were infectious, utterly contagious, and I found myself giggling along with him.
"Well, at least I'm awake now." I smirked, rolling my eyes at him. "Screw the coffee I was jonesing for–I don't need it now."
Edward let out one final snicker, followed by a big sigh. "Whew! I'd say I'm sorry, but actually, that was quite refreshing, not to mention amusing."
"Well, Mr. Cullen, I'm so happy I could entertain you." My voice dripped sarcasm. "Please let me know if I can suffer heart failure in the future to accommodate your sick ideas of amusement."
Edward chuckled again but then his tone turned serious. "Bella, please . . . don't tease me."
Before I could contemplate the meaning of his comment, Alice and Emmett approached with curious expressions.
"What the hell is so funny, you two?" Emmett grinned.
Edward was only too happy to relate everything, down to describing how high I'd jumped when I opened my eyes to find him inches from my face.
I was saved from too much teasing by Emmett when the train began slowing as we approached the station in Florence. Within a few minutes, we made our way off the train and through the station.
As we exited the building, a cool, refreshing breeze caressed my face. The sun was shining, the sky clear, and the air was warmer than Munich, thanks to being further south. As we began the short walk to our hotel, I instantly fell in love with Florence.
It seemed as though the train station we'd just walked through was some kind of time machine, transporting us to a few hundred years ago. The buildings appeared to be ancient, many of them brown stucco or stone, but every so often a burst of gold shone from a building façade. The streets were completely foreign to me, looking nothing like roads in Phoenix. They were paved with cobblestones and were extremely narrow, which accounted for the hundreds of mopeds and little munchkin cars buzzing through the streets. The juxtaposition of the old buildings and cobblestone streets with the modern mopeds and cars made me smile.
"Are you sure you don't need that coffee you mentioned, Bella?" Edward snickered, pointing to a bakery across the street.
"Well, since my heart palpitations seem to have come down to normal levels and considering I barely slept, I would kill for a cup of coffee."
Emmett agreed. "A cup of fucking joe is just what I need. I slept like shit, too."
Crossing the street, he glanced back at me as we followed behind. "Bella, I'm beginning to question your itinerary planning skills. I will never take a night train ever again!" He grinned to soften the complaint.
"Hey, I can admit when I make a mistake, and that sleeper train was a big one."
We approached the counter to order, but Edward stepped in front of us. "My treat, guys. Go ahead and order, and I'll take care of it."
Alice protested. "Edward, thank you, but you don't–"
"C'mon, Alice, let me get this. It will make me feel better for scaring the shit out of Bella earlier." He glanced over at me and winked.
My stomach flip-flopped, reminiscent of the tummy tickle that roller coasters always give me. I thought his crooked smile was panty melting, but his winking prowess might just give his smirk a run for its money. I wondered if he had any idea of the power of an Edward Cullen wink.
Alice and I accepted Edward's kind gesture, and we quickly found our way to the hotel with coffee in hand. We couldn't check in until later in the day, but thankfully, they allowed us to leave our luggage with the bellhop. Everybody left coats behind, opting for lighter jackets.
The first stop on our itinerary was arguably the most famous tourist attraction in Florence–the Duomo. As we walked, I explained that the actual name of the cathedral was Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, but mostly it was referred to as the Duomo, a generic Italian term for cathedral.
Edward, ever the history buff, wanted to know when the cathedral was built. I read to them from my guidebook explaining that construction began in 1296 and was completed in 1436 in the Gothic style. The exterior of the basilica was faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.
"Did you say green and pink, Bella? Seriously?" Emmett grimaced.
"This I've gotta see," Alice interjected. "We have some pink, green, and even purple houses in Phoenix, but I can't imagine a cathedral like that."
Edward chuckled. "I can't say that I have ever seen a purple structure of any kind, thank god."
"Who in the hell would paint their house purple or pink?" Emmett questioned Alice.
"Oh, well, ya know, it's part of the prevalent Mexican culture in Phoenix, to paint houses in very happy, bright colors. It's not my thing, but whatever makes you happy, I guess."
"Holy hell, guys!" I stopped in my tracks, causing Alice to slam into my back, but I didn't care, my entire focus on the sight up ahead. "That's it. That's the Duomo."
Everybody halted, following my gaze to the end of the street where just a portion of the Duomo peeked out. The red dome, sitting atop the Duomo, was like a beckoning flare, guiding us to its gothic beauty.
"Ya can't miss that sucker, can you?" Emmett asked rhetorically.
We picked up our pace, eager to see the Duomo in its entirety. Within minutes, we entered Piazza del Duomo–which sounds really fancy but just means plaza–where the cathedral stood in all its ancient pink and green splendor. The first one to break the silence as we gaped at the structure was Edward.
"Huh. I take it back. I never thought I'd say this, but pink and green on a building definitely works here."
"Yeah, the colors aren't gaudy like I imagined. They're soft and subtle." I looked at Edward. He nodded in agreement without taking his eyes off of the vast structure.
Alice mumbled behind her camera, snapping picture after picture. "It almost doesn't even look real. It's so detailed–the paintings, the carvings."
Announcing she wanted a group picture, Alice commandeered a nearby tourist to take our picture in front of the Duomo. Alice and I stood in the middle, with Emmett next to Alice, and Edward on the other end beside me. As we posed, I wrapped my arm around Edward's waist, and he did the same. Even through his hoodie, I felt the muscles of his back and his body heat burning into my hand. Feeling his hand touch my waist, not cautiously, but with purpose, brought a flash image of him kissing me.
This was the first time that Edward and I had touched since then, and I didn't want to let him go. I wanted to walk around Florence all day with my arm super-glued around his waist. The group picture was taken much too quickly, and I reluctantly pulled myself away from Edward's warmth.
I had anticipated that I might feel awkward around him after our kiss, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was as comfortable with him as I'd always been. Being in his presence was like being enveloped in a fluffy down comforter with subtle electrical currents running through it, creating warmth, comfort, tension, and tingles. I wondered what Edward thought about me and our kiss, but I no longer doubted that he felt the connection between us. As we entered the Duomo, I reasoned that this knowledge was enough for me to put aside my concerns, vowing to enjoy the next two days, wrapped in the fluffy comforter that was Edward.
I quickly gulped down the last of my coffee, tossing it in a nearby trash receptacle before entering the building. The interior of the Duomo was stunning like all the cathedrals I'd seen so far, but I never tired of beauty, so the repetition was welcome.
There were stained glass windows, elegant arches, ancient paintings, and, in this cathedral, a floor of marble tiles in an intricate mosaic, but the crowning jewel of the Duomo was the interior of the dome. We stood beneath it, craning our necks upward, scanning the fresco paintings of biblical scenes, which covered the octagonal dome. The sunlight shone through the small circular opening at the top, giving the masterful artwork its own natural spotlight.
Wordlessly, Edward and I walked on, leaving Emmett and Alice beneath the dome. Edward followed as I made a beeline toward a painting I recognized.
"Have you read The Divine Comedy, Edward?"
He smirked, pulling the beanie from his head and running his fingers through his beautifully messy hair. "Uh, what do you think, Bella?"
I didn't miss the sarcasm, so I gave it right back to him. "What? You're not into 14th century religious poetry?" I looked at him incredulously. "Huh . . . I guess I don't know you at all." I smiled teasingly.
"Ha-ha! C'mon, I'm not a complete literary buffoon. At least I've heard of it, and I know it was written by Dante."
"Ah, but did you know that Dante was born here in Florence, and that here in Italy he is referred to as 'The Supreme Poet'?" I countered.
Shaking his head amusedly, he stepped closer to read the description of the painting in front of us. "And this, apparently, is a painting of the man himself."
"Yep. He's holding a copy of The Divine Comedy and standing next to the entrance to Hell, and those are the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory . . . um, that's stuff that is in The Divine Comedy." I tucked an errant lock of hair behind my ear. "The city of Florence is behind him. There's the Duomo," I explained, pointing at the painting.
"Yeah, you can't miss that red dome."
Emmett and Alice rejoined us, and after Alice gave Emmett a brief explanation of the painting of Dante, we found our way out to the plaza.
The Baptistery was our next stop; it was just across from the Duomo in the same plaza. Edward secured his black beanie in place, covering my favorite head of hair in the world. I felt his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the famous bronze doors of the baptistery. There were just a handful of people gathered around, so we were able to walk right up to the doors, getting a good view of the artwork.
This is the advantage of touring Europe in the winter instead of the summer. The majority of people choose to not freeze their asses off while on vacation, so that meant relatively small crowds everywhere we went. Impatience being one of my faults, I preferred to teeth-chatter my way through short lines, rather than sweat through long ones. The only downside of exploring Europe in March was that all of nature was dead. Someday I'd return to brave the crowds in the spring or summer just to see the famous parks and gardens, alive and blooming.
"Those doors are amazing," Emmett bellowed. He leaned in closer, examining the detail. "Is that fucking bronze?" He aimed the question at me since I was the bestower of all knowledge with my handy dandy guidebook.
"Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner. Well done, Emmett," I said, giggling. "Yes, those are indeed bronze doors."
Everyone snapped pictures, taking a few minutes to analyze the intricate biblical scenes engraved on the bronze panels.
After entering the baptistery, a quick review in my guidebook told us that the octagonal baptistery was even older than the Duomo, having been built between the 11th and 13th centuries. Making physical contact with something that was from the freakin' Middle Ages boggled my little brain. Dante himself was baptized here. I imagined people who lived almost 900 years ago, standing in the very spot in which I now stood. I loved the feeling of somehow making contact with the past.
Like the Duomo, the Baptistery had a dome in which the interior was painted with biblical scenes. The octagonal structure was supported with marble pillars all the way around, and every wall was a piece of art made up of mosaic patterns. We walked around the small baptistery mostly in silence, with the random "wow" or "beautiful, huh?" occasionally uttered amongst our group of four.
"Where to now, Bella?" Emmett asked as we left.
I grinned in excitement. "Now we are going to see one of the most famous artistic masterpieces in the world." I couldn't help but pull an Alice, bouncing on my toes in excitement. "Michelangelo's statue of David!"
"Ah, man, you're killing me, Bella." Emmett rubbed his hands over his face, grimacing. "I'm not really into naked men."
Everybody laughed at Emmett as we walked toward the Accademia Gallery where David was housed. Alice couldn't resist the opening Emmett had given her with his comment.
"What's the matter, Emmett? Does David's naked perfection intimidate you? Would you suffer in comparison?" She smiled coyly.
"Wouldn't you like to know, honey," Emmett shot back at Alice, eyebrows dancing up and down suggestively.
Edward and I just about split our sides laughing, while Emmett grinned mischievously, and Alice, dare I say it, blushed in silence. I could count on one hand the number of times I'd ever seen Alice speechless or embarrassed. There was definitely some connection between those two for Alice to be affected that way.
I tried to deflect the attention from her, being the fantabulous friend that I am. "Nakedness aside, you can't come to Florence, Emmett, and not see Michelangelo's David. It is arguably the most famous statue in the world."
But, apparently, the teenage boys hiding in grown men's bodies couldn't let the naked conversation pass. Edward spoke without a hint of humor.
"That's true, Bella, but still . . . you were practically bouncing up and down back there at the idea of seeing David. You haven't been this excited about anything else we've seen. I think it might be David's 'naked perfection' that has you so worked up." He put his hands up, making air quotes when he said "naked perfection" while flashing me the orneriest grin.
It was my turn to blush, but I tried to distract him from that fact with a healthy dose of flirting.
"Yeah, you would think that since most men would get rock hard by just ogling a naked female statue, but inanimate objects don't really do it for me." I twirled my hair around my finger and smiled coyly. Edward's grin evaporated, replaced with a gaping mouth.
Oh, yeah, I'm in control now.
"But put a living, breathing body like David's in front of me with blood pulsing through him . . . yep, then I would be all over that 'naked perfection.'"
I made sure to include the air quotes as he'd done. Edward's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his face expressionless, before one side of his mouth turned up, producing that fuckhawt smirk that I had already grown to love.
Emmett bellowed, "Fuck, Bella! Don't hold back, honey. Tell us how you really feel."
"I'd say that point goes to Bella, no question." Alice snickered, giving me a high-five.
Edward smiled while shaking his head back and forth, obviously at a loss for words. The awkwardly hilarious moment ended when we passed an outdoor market, and Alice insisted that we take a look.
"Just for a few minutes," she begged. The guys were good sports about it, so we spent about thirty minutes shopping, mostly stopping to browse at whatever caught Alice's eye.
There were knick-knacks, purses, jewelry, and genuine Italian leather jackets, which I coveted, but I knew I could never afford. Alice coerced me into trying on a few of them, even though she knows I hate to shop when I can't buy anything. Along the way, we picked up some bottled water at a newsstand, and I bought some breath mints, too. I had no idea if Edward would ever kiss me again, but I would be prepared this time with minty fresh breath.
I'd pretended to be in control with our banter about the naked statue, but in reality, I knew that Edward held all the power. If he wanted to kiss me again, I could no sooner deny myself that kiss than I could deny myself food or sleep. As I popped a breath mint in my mouth, I recalled the feeling of Edward's lips on mine, which was a bad idea because now my girly bits were tingly.
We arrived at the Accademia Gallery, and I was happy to see that the line to get inside was a short one. After a brief wait, we entered the rather small museum. There were a few other works of art housed there, but the main attraction was all I cared about, and David did not disappoint.
Michelangelo's brilliance overwhelmed me as I considered the feat of unburying the ultimate specimen of masculinity from within a chunk of marble. Michelangelo captured the minutest detail, down to the manly veins on the back of David's hand.
Though I had never seen Edward naked, he was always generous enough to wear snug jeans and form-fitting shirts. I could easily fill in the rest of the details with my horny imagination, and I was quite certain that David's magnificent body had nothing on Edward.
What the frack? I was staring at the world-famous statue of David and thinking about a naked Edward? Get a grip, Bella.
We stood quietly, processing the brilliant artistry in front of us. That only lasted about twenty seconds when Emmett cleared his throat.
"Um, Alice, to answer your earlier question–having now seen the dude, I am quite certain I would not suffer in comparison."
Smiling smugly at Alice, Emmett folded his arms across his chest, his biceps bulging against his tight, long-sleeved t-shirt. I wondered if he'd taken his hoodie off purposefully, allowing us more visual access to his muscular physique. That little shit. He was seriously working Alice. The boy was smitten–there was no doubt about it. And my little spitfire BFF was apparently all out of fire because she simply stared at Emmett, a goofy smirk on her face.
I couldn't resist the chance to knock Emmett down a peg. "Well, that's not really saying much, Emmett. I mean, yeah, David's body is nearly masculine perfection with the biceps, the pecs, and the abs. But, I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with his junk."
Alice suddenly came back to life. "I completely agree, Bella. It's rather average, isn't it? I mean, I know it's in a flaccid state, but even so, you can tell that even at full mast it would be just ordinary."
We giggled together, high on the power of having rendered the two men at our sides completely stunned and speechless. Edward ran his hand through his hair, before covering his smirk with his hand while rubbing the stubble on his cheeks. Is he embarrassed? How adorable is that!
Emmett's muteness didn't last long. "Well, ladies, isn't the most important thing that a man knows how to use it, rather than the size."
Alice looked at me, grinning mischievously, and I knew exactly what she was going to say. "Emmett, Emmett, Emmett." She sighed dramatically. "That's what men say to cover up for the fact that they're lacking in size."
Emmett's eyes grew about three sizes larger, and his mouth flopped open in shock. He stepped closer to us, dropping his voice down to a low growl. "Where the fuck did you get that idea? You want me to whip it out right here to prove you wrong? Because I will."
Alice burst into a fit of nervous giggles, but I was having too much fun to let this stimulating conversation die. "What about you, Edward? You've been awfully quiet. Are you going to get in on this size comparison with Emmett and David?"
I don't know how I managed to hold in my laughter, but I said it without even a playful smile. I was certain he wouldn't know what to do with that question. I eagerly awaited his smirk and the embarrassed shake of his head again.
Edward took a step so that he was right next to me. Towering over me, he leaned down, brushing his lips against my ear. "There's no need," he whispered throatily. "There . . . Is . . . No . . . Comparison." He pronounced each word, slowly and distinctly. His warm breath caressed my ear, sending a burning flame straight down to my now aching girly bits.
Holy fuckarooni! Did he just make me wet with nothing but words?
Edward stepped away, returning his attention to the statue without meeting my "deer in headlights" stare. Emmett and Alice were as curious as George, asking Edward what he had said to me. He just smiled, shaking his head. Getting nothing out of him, they turned their attention to me.
"Sorry, but if I told you, I'd have to kill you," I deadpanned.
Alice leaned into me, muttering under her breath, "You're seven shades of red, so it must have been good."
Good was the understatement of the century. Just four little words–there is no comparison–held so much meaning. First, those words insinuated that he might be packing more heat in his jeans than the average man. How could that possibly be? It seemed wrong that God would hand out all the perfect parts to just one person: the piercing emerald eyes; the long-as-fuck eyelashes; the pouty, red lips; chiseled cheekbones and an angular jaw line that definitely put David's to shame; a muscular body on a tall frame, and apparently, a monster cock on top of all that? Okay, I take it back–all that perfection on one body is not wrong. Honestly, when I looked at Edward, I felt the need to get down and pray and thank the Lord for his goodness . . . and while down on my knees, I'd need to properly express my gratitude to Edward as well.
Those four flirtatious words he'd whispered conveyed more than just the possibility that he was walking around with an extra leg. More importantly than that, his bold statement told me something about Edward as a person. He wasn't loud and boastful, but rather quiet and confident, and that was the sexiest thing ever. My mind was a scrambled mess of thoughts and desire as we left the museum and walked in search of a restaurant for lunch, but one thought alone seemed to be on repeat–You are so fucked, Bella Marie.
A/N: This chapter was a lot of fun to write.
To see pictures that accompany each chapter, including this one, visit one of the following:
Story blog: tiwbg dot wordpress dot com.
For photos and general chat, come join the TIWBG Facebook group. Just insert the following after the Facebook URL -
/groups/281151482005898/
Then request to be added to the group.
