Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own these characters. This story is not meant to violate the rights held by Stephenie Meyer.

An extra big thank you to Mid-Night Cougar for her review on Rob Attack xxx

Break in the Clouds

When Bella had gotten home after work, she'd talked herself out of driving out to that Dwyer bar, but then she'd received another private message from Edward on Grove Online. He had requested she wear the same outfit she did when they first spoke – at that sports bar. And it had made Bella change her mind again. Because if he wanted her to wear something as revealing as that little black dress, didn't that mean he actually appreciated her body?

She hoped that was the case, anyway, and so she took her time getting ready. Butterflies flew around in her belly as she scrubbed down, shaved in . . . more than a couple places, put on lotion, laid out her dress, did her hair, and put on makeup.

There was a spark of something inside of her, slowly igniting and growing.

It caused her pulse to kick up a notch.

A few scenarios almost made her nauseous: What if Carlisle or anyone else has put Edward up to this to test me? What if it's all a sick joke to humiliate me? To expose me? What if Edward's doing it because he hates Carlisle? But Bella was too desperate for this – something, anything – to be real, so she managed to push those fears to the side.

#

Bella drove away from her quiet street without a backward glance. The only thing she had at her house now was a note from Carlisle stating he'd be late. He had evidently gone home during lunch earlier and left the note then.

Following the instructions from Google, she relatively quickly made her way to the bar, and she was relieved when the town turned into something more rural.

Plenty of rural in Kansas.

And when she arrived at Dwyer's Dive, she first noticed that it was a bar for truckers. There was also a diner, a small motel, a picnic area, and shower facilities. Then she saw Edward, and Bella's heart drummed a little faster when she parked next to his red pickup truck, which he was pacing in front of.

Pulling her dark green cardigan a little closer to her body, she stepped out of her Prius and took a deep breath. He wasn't in fancy clothes, she acknowledged. He still looked sexy in jeans, a ball cap, a white t-shirt, and a flannel shirt, but she wondered again why he'd requested she wear the dress. It was more restaurant-appropriate than diner-worthy.

His head snapped up when she shut her car door.

Two beats of silence passed where tension crackled between them.

Then Edward jerked his chin at the bar behind him, silently telling her to follow. Which she did without the slightest pause.

No words were exchanged until they'd ordered drinks and found a small table in the corner. She sat down first and took a small sip of her questionable whiskey sour – she concluded they were only used to beer and Jim, Jack, and José at this place – and Edward sat down next with his beer and scooted his chair closer to Bella's.

He set his cap on the table and ran a hand through his hair, side-eyeing her.

"You'll get these back later," he said quietly and reached for her left hand, and Bella stared dumbly as he slipped off her engagement ring and wedding band. Pocketed them. Took a swig of his beer.

She saw the white tan line on Edward's finger.

No question where this is heading.

"Where does your husband think you are?" He leaned back casually and rested his arm on the back of Bella's chair. "When you're really here with me." The left corner of his mouth slanted up.

In the dimly lit bar, Bella saw a predatory gleam in his forest green eyes.

She shivered as he tugged on a strand of her hair.

"He wasn't home." She cleared her throat, her voice quiet from disuse. "I just left a note saying I was going out with a friend." She gripped her glass a little tighter. "What about you? Where did you tell your wife you were going?"

"Out with my buddies." He shrugged. Leaning closer to her, he slid his hand down her back and then around her waist, resting it right below her breast. Bella bit down on her lip. "You wore a sweater like this at the other bar, too. Why?"

Bella almost forgot to answer, because it had been a long time since a man's hands were on her with this . . . this meaningful purpose. It left her slightly dazed in her seat, and she found herself leaning into Edward's touch.

"The dress is too revealing without a cardigan," she parroted the words she'd heard from her husband. They were words she agreed with.

"Now, that's a load of shit," was Edward's gruff reply. He let go of his beer, and then both his hands were on her. The left one remained around her, on her ribcage, almost grazing the underside of her breast, and his right hand fingered the top button on the cardigan. He hummed and popped the button. Then the second, and her cleavage was revealed. He went with the third, too. "Much better."

Bella could barely breathe. Feeling dizzy, she scrambled for something to say, but it was obvious that Edward wasn't here to chit-chat. Admittedly, neither was Bella, but this was foreign to her. She didn't know the protocol – she hadn't taken Infidelity 101.

Maybe this isn't the first time Edward has cheated?

"You seem very sure of yourself," she blurted out.

He hummed again, eyes still focused on her curves. Almost wrapped around her body, he placed his hand on her thigh and stroked upward, slowly but confidently, and didn't halt until he was a good few inches underneath her dress.

"I know what I want, if that's what you're wondering. Or who."

She swallowed her nerves and felt stupid for asking, "And who is that?"

His smirk was a little lazy. "I'd say that's pretty obvious considering who I'm here with." Once again, he leaned close. And slowly ran his nose along her neck. Bella shuddered violently, feeling certain urges resurface. The fantasies she'd had before Carlisle's behavior had killed them . . . God, she wanted to live them. Make them real. With Edward. Who for some unknown reason wanted her. "My first plan was to come here and just talk – so we could feel each other out." He boldly sucked on her earlobe before continuing. "But now . . ." His hand had crept so far up her thigh that he'd reached her panties. Teasingly, he fingered the edges, setting Bella on fire. He groaned lustfully as she spread her legs, and he swiped a finger over the damp fabric.

She blinked and rushed out the first words that came to mind. "Your truck!"

Not that she really minded disgusting bathroom stalls – she was that turned on – but his truck was big and roomy. And more hygienic.

"My truck?" Edward backed away enough to look her in the eye. He seemed contemplative and surprised. "You mean the truck that's parked right outside this bar? When it's still light out?" He lifted a brow, staring at her as if he couldn't believe she could want something so deviant.

But she did. God, did she ever.

Fanfiction written by AnotherPen, beta'd by InFlight75, pre-read by LAchick85 – we usually go by other names in the fandom.