All Things Twilight belong to the Awesome Stephenie Meyer. The Pictures belong to their respective owners, and the songs and lyrics belong to the artists and the their respective record labels. The rest came from mah brain . . . Thanks to Miztrezboo for the challenge ;)

Bonding

I lay there in the dark and I close my eyes
You saved me the day that you came alive
The reason you left me to survive
You saved me the day you came alive
Come Alive by The Foo Fighters


Emmett . . .

Bella was quiet, too quiet. She had been since my asshole friends had been firing questions at her. I knew the moment they heard her voice they'd make assumptions, shit for a second I had. I could see it in Edward's eyes . . . the–not another piece of ass that's screwing you to get famous–look. What I couldn't seem to communicate to them was Bella didn't know. She had no idea what I did for a living, and I didn't see her piecing it together either.

If I'd learned anything about Bella in our day together, it was that she was honest. Honest to the point of being blunt, in fact. I also knew she couldn't understand where the questions had come from. Why they were being fired at her like the fucking Spanish Inquisition.

I unlocked the door and let Bella and Baxter inside. Baxter immediately went to his huge bed and rolled in it happily. He'd missed home as much as I had, and he seemed happy that he was here. Bella walked deeper inside, her eyes wide as they scanned the place.

There wasn't must showing because of the dust sheets that covered everything to stop the painters getting flecks of paint on my shit. She moved around lithely as I leaned against the arch that led from the entry to the large living room and watched her walk as her curiosity blossomed.

Her thin fragile fingers ghosted over a sheet that was covering my stereo and pulled it back a little to peek inside. Her eyes lit up, I had an inkling they would; she seemed to have a love for music, one that probably matched my own, and I had bought the best system I could find. Anyone who liked listening to music would appreciate it.

"Nice," she muttered, fiddling with it before digging into the cavernous purse she been carrying around all day. When I say digging, I mean she could have climbed into the damn thing. "There you are."

She pulled out an iPod and gave me a grin and I nodded in response. Neither of us had spoken since the beach but we seemed to share this silent language. Whatever was on her mind would eventually come out. I had no doubt she had questions about my friends reaction to her singing, but for now she seemed content to explore.

I felt like an asshole, but I had the overwhelming desire to kiss her as she scrolled through her music. My mind moved to show images of my hands on her curves, traveling lightly over the gentle roundness of her ass. Unfortunately, with the visions came a half chub that I couldn't seem to control around her.

Charlie Swan's melodic voice filled the emptiness of the house, and I didn't miss her whimsical smile as she turned up the volume so it sounded like a concert in my living room.

With the soundtrack, she moved deeper into the room, pulling out dust sheets to see what was hidden behind them. She lingered on the books and disappeared under the sheet briefly leaving only a small gap in which I saw her fingers moving over the spines in reverence.

We had so much in common, yet knew so little about one another. Both of us seemed to avoid the difficult questions that would lead us into getting to know one another better.

Bella squealed under the sheet and I could see the reason why, the fuzzy golden tail peeking out from the other end of the sheet was a dead giveaway.

"Bax," I chuckled, patting my hand against my leg which he instinctively heeled to. "Always trying to get a lady alone."

"He's smooth," Bella retorted, the smile in her voice evident. "You must be a chick magnet with that guy."

"He's my back up plan, to be used in emotion blackmail."

"Oh I see how it is," Bella laughed, stepping out from behind the sheet. "Now I know why you invited me to the beach . . . meet the irresistible Baxter, schmooze me into your amazing home. Are you going to schmooze your way into my pants now?"

"Tempting," I answered with nonchalance. "But you look too good in them to rip them off. I was thinking of taking my time. Maybe making dinner first. Drinking a beer."

"You sure know how pamper a girl," she grinned. Her eyes moved to another arch that led into the kitchen. "Is the beer through here?"

"Well, it's normally called a kitchen, but yes, there's a contraption called a refrigerator that contains frosty brews."

Bella grinned and bent her knees in almost a curtsy before springing into the kitchen. Baxter, curious about her sudden excitement followed her with his tail swaying. Within minutes Bella was back with two beers and a dog heeling to her side.

"Did you train him?" she asked handing me the bottle and leaning down to ruffle the fur on the side of his neck.

"I did, but I used a book and a class to help me, he was boisterous as a puppy."

"I bet. Did he have the huge feet and round belly when he was a baby?"

We were avoiding other topics again, but I was willing to go along with it to make her comfortable. I moved to the covered table that had been pushed to one side and lifted it so I could get to the drawer. I pulled out a box of photos that I kept and handed it to her.

She took it willingly and fell into the dust cover shaped like a couch, putting the beer bottle between her thighs so she had both hands free to look through the box. I'd never been more jealous of a beer bottle in my life. It was exactly where I wanted to be.

The music was the only sound in the room as she went through the photos smiling at them. She held up a picture of me and the ball of fluff sat in the jeep I'd had before the money started rolling in.

"That was the day I got him. I pulled up at the house and my mom decided that it would be cute to get a snapshot of his first homecoming."

"It's cute. You look really happy."

"I was," I said, taking a swig of beer. "My sister was allergic to dogs so I could never have one growing up, she'd just moved away to go to college on the east coast. I was planning on moving out myself and my mom had a friend with a golden retriever they'd just bred, so she called me and told me to go pick one out. Of course he was the runt of the litter, tiny compared to the rest of them, but he was the only one brave enough to come sniff at me. The rest is history."

"That's amazing. Sunny was the runt too. One of old man Cooper's dogs got out of his yard while Mr. Banner's dog was in heat. They were both Collies, so they just went with it and registered them. When Mr. Banner's horse Monroe got sick, my step-mom, Sue, who's also the best equestrian vet in the state, got the mare back into shape, and asked for a puppy rather than payment. She gave the puppy to me. I think it was a bribe because she was just dating my dad at the time."

"Did you train her?"

"Yeah she herds everything she can. She's also good with agility courses." Bella put the pictures back in the box and set it beside her, pulling the bottle from its place between her legs and putting it to her lips. She was driving me crazy. The rose colored swell of her lips around the top of the bottle was like slow, exquisite torture to watch. Before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning down and pressing my lips to hers before all of the blood in my body rushed to my dick.

Her lips parted easily as my tongue dusted along them, she accepted me tilting her head back so I had easier access. My hand cupped her neck supporting her as I deepened the kiss between us. She tasted amazing, the faint taste of beer was nothing compared to her, she was sugar and spice and I couldn't get enough of her. My knee came down on the couch between her legs as I hungrily took more. Her bottom lip was in my teeth, and her hands were on my sides gripping the shirt as we pushed further and deeper.

I nudged her back gently until she was leaning against the couch, her heat rubbing against my thigh as we kissed deeper and battled for domination. My dick was so fucking hard I could have held up a damn building with it. I wanted her. I wanted to taste her, to feel her surrounding me as I slid inside her. I wanted to hear her screaming my name. More than that, I wanted the closeness, the holding and kissing, the smell of her hair on my pillow.

Fuck me I was being a girl again.

Bella pulled back slowly and gulped in air much the same way I did. I pushed my forehead against hers and waited for something to happen. Whether it was rejection or more of this I was ready for it.

"Maybe we should change the music," Bella whispered, her lips touching the tip of my nose.

"Really? I would have thought this would be . . ."

"Awkward," she finished for me with a grin. "I'll explain later, I just don't want to ruin the mood."

"Ex?"

"Not even close," she smirked. "So stop making assumptions."

I stood up and pulled her up with me, my arms tight around her waist. I wasn't willing to give up the moment just yet. Thankfully, she seemed to feel the same way, her arms going around as much of me as they could as her head leaned against my shoulder.

She fit perfectly against my body. It was like an extension of myself I didn't want to let go of. She was warm and smelled like flowers and fruit. All girly shit but it felt right. Knowing this was the only time I would have like this with her actually hurt a little. I was playing with fire.

The room went silent as the song changed and it was interrupted by the sound of her growling stomach.

"Are you hungry?"

"Famished," she answered, pulling back to grin up sheepishly at me.

Bella stood in the kitchen and watched as I cooked pre-made pasta before dumping it in the red sauce. It was easy, and cheating, but I didn't have anything else to offer. I'd planned on going grocery shopping before I moved back in, and this little detour was anything but planned. She dipped her fingers in the sauce and stole pasta every time I turned my back, and I would have never known unless I saw the red sauce on her bottom lip when I turned around with the bowls.

"Are you sneaking food?"

"No," she lied, her brow puckering in a cute frown. She would be utter shit at poker. "Why would you say that?"

I put the bowls on the counter and stepped toward her, my hands grasping the counter either side of her body as I leaned in. "You really wanna know?"

She nodded, hiding a smile behind those wide, chocolate eyes. I leaned in, her breath fanning across my cheek as she wondered what I was going to do next. I pushed out my tongue and licked the sauce off her lip, watching as her eyes widened even more and then rolled with delight.

"Caught you red handed."

Her cheeks flared as her teeth worried her bottom lip, and I could think of nothing better to do in reaction than press my lips to hers again. It was, as always, exquisite torture. My pants got tighter the more our tongues wrestled for dominance. I pushed against her and she gasped gently into my mouth as her hands tangled in my hair. I could taste the marinara on her lips as I sucked the bottom one gently. I lifted her gently onto the counter and stepped between her legs, tilting her head backward to kiss her deeper.

Without thought my hips rocked against her, eliciting a groan that spilled into my mouth like a boost of adrenaline.

"Emmett," she mumbled, pulling back her breath stroked my neck. "The pasta is boiling over."

I blinked a couple times before coming back to earth and hearing what had inevitably tipped her off. The sizzling spit of the starchy water on the flame pulled me from her body. Her heavily hooded eyes almost made me step back between her legs with the hunger that encompassed me, but instead I moved to the range and pushed the water to another burner and turned off the flame.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you," she giggled, sliding from the counter and stepping up next to me. "Do we have soggy pasta?"

"No, I don't think so," I added dropping in a scoop and pulling out a piece of pasta. Before I could even reach for it, her fingers snapped the pasta from the spoon. She brought it to her lips and blew on it gently before popping it into her mouth with a grin and a groan.

"Perfect," she uttered, her tongue running over her lips. The girl was killing me. Even something as ordinary and mundane as blowing on pasta was keeping my permanently hard. "Let's eat."

I couldn't have agreed more, but I doubted we meant the same thing. The taste of her was still on my lips driving me crazy. I tried to push down my need to kiss her again and served the pasta; handing her a bowl as I served my own.

We talked through dinner and had a water fight while doing the dishes. I was comfortable with Bella, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. I liked her, more than I probably should after two dates with her. That being said, I was fucked because she was leaving soon.

"Emmett!"

"Sorry," I chuckled, giving her my full attention.

"Hand it over, it's time for the ultimate test."

"It's attached to my body, Bella . . . I . . ." She shut me up by slapping my arm, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Nice try, but I wasn't referring to your dick," she added, blushing wildly. "I'm talking iPod."

"Fine," I groaned, digging in my pockets. "But you break it, you buy it." I slapped her ass, earning a squeal as she passed to get to the radio.

She went quiet as she turned the dial going through the list and disappearing into the living room.

"Hey Emmett," she called, and like Baxter, I walked to the door to peer in at her. I leaned against the edge of the arch as she grinned at the screen. "I think I found your dirty little secret."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Bella pressed play and grinned at me, the song started playing and she danced around the room, her arms making the frame.

"You're kidding right?"

She shook her head and motioned for me to join her, but as my arms reached out for her she pushed me to the ground before dancing out of reach.

"Bella you . . ."

"Play along, Emmett. This is one of my favorite movies."

The song played as she danced around me and to the edge of the room.

"Alice and I used to do this all the time, except we never made out," Bella mused, still doing the cha cha cha. "Maybe you'll get lucky, Emmett."

"Sylvia!" I mouthed, rolling my eyes and feeling like a complete flake.

"Yes Mickey?" Bella mouthed in response along with the song, her smile lighting the room.

"How do you call your lover boy?"

"Come here, lover boy!" Bella replied, dancing behind the sheets as I rolled to my knees.

"And if he doesn't answer?"

"Oh lover boy..." she responded, her body moving seductively which was a contrast with the gentleness of the words.

"And if he still doesn't answer?"

Bella lowered herself to her hands and knees seductively, I could see right down the front of her shirt, making my dick spring to life again. She crawled toward me, her eyes moving over me.

"I simply say: Baby," she reached me, her body slowly moving up mine. "Oh baby!" her hands ghosted on either side of my face as her hips rolled. "My sweet baby, you're the one!" Her lips were against mine and I pulled her toward me, thinking about nothing but her and the feel of her body against mine.

A/N: Thanks to Miztrezboo for the challenge. it came about due to me finishing Privileged and having to wait for NaNoWriMo to come around. All of the Pictures and information can be found on the blog, just remove the spaces: challengedme. blogspot. com

Thank you to both Hev99 and Cravingtwilight. I somehow managed to accumulate two amazing beta's. You guys have made this better so thank you :)

Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed. I was blown away by your response to the little ditty! You're all awesome! Love you guys!

Hope you enjoy! Much love & Huge Hugs ~Weezy~