Bella's POV
I began the long trudge back to the main house with Lauren in tow. Every now and then I would glance back at her and find her glaring at me. She didn't seem to care for me very much and I knew it really annoyed her having to come 'fetch' me for my father. I didn't have time to worry over they petty jealousy of my chamber maid though, I had bigger fish to fry. Father was bound to be disappointed that I kept him waiting.
As I climbed the stairs to the veranda, I sighed with a heavy heart and opened the door and stepped through the entrance. Once in the foyer, I dismissed Lauren instructing her to draw me a hot bath. I reluctantly turned towards the parlor straightening my dressing gown and hair as best I could. I knew father wouldn't be pleased with my appearance but there was little I could do about that now, so I'll just have to grin and bear it.
"Father, you sent for me?" I asked as I entered the room.
"Well it's about time! Where have you been?" He scolded me. "And why on earth do you look like you've been rolling around in the stables?"
"I apologize for my less than decent appearance father." I blushed. "I was necessary to tend to Midnight since I didn't have the opportunity to do so earlier. While I was brushing out his coat, something startled him and he knocked me into the hay stack and knocked over his bucket of oats. I was just sweeping out his stall when Lauren found me," I lied.
"You're lucky that's all that happened to you being out this late unescorted and dressed in your night clothes," he reprimanded me.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," I apologized.
"You may not know this, but the ranch has been raided several times in the past two months by rustlers. I don't want you going anywhere on our property without a proper escort until I tell you differently. These men could be dangerous and your safety is my top priority Isabella," he explained.
"Oh my goodness, I didn't realize that we were having such problems," I replied, astonished. These cattle rustlers would soon have all the ranch owners up in arms. I wonder why my father hadn't mentioned it before, but then he never thought to include me in ranch business.
"Why else do you think it was necessary to hire Cullen to replace the foreman I had to fire?" He continued. "We might be hiring some temporary help to track down the thieves too, but I don't want you worrying your pretty little head. It's being dealt with and like I said you are to have an escort with you. Until this matter is resolved no riding Midnight on the western slope like I know you do, it's not safe right now. That's all I'm going to say about that, now… tell me about your evening with Jacob Black." He changed the subject.
The moment my father asked, my thoughts drifted back to the time that I had spent with Jacob. I had to admit that his company had been pleasant but there wasn't the spark I felt when I was with Edward. He had been courteous and charming; calling me Miss Swan or later in the night Isabella when he got the nerve. He talked to me about the weather and books, but I seriously doubted his taste when he admitted disliking Jane Austen. He told me a bit about his family without getting too personal; he has two sisters who were older and married to affluent men. The main thing we had in common was that his mother was deceased, and he lived with his father.
He didn't brag about his family's wealth which I found endearing, but he also seemed to want me to admire his maturity, which in itself was immature. He was a full two years younger than me which felt a bit uncomfortable for me. Most of my friends were being courted by older men; it was almost taboo to engage in a relationship with a younger man, at least in my eyes. I tended to crave maturity and in my eyes Edward was mature and handsome. I couldn't pinpoint what it was in inside of me but I craved Edward Cullen unlike Jacob Black. I desired everything about Edward, his touch, his voice, his gaze. With Jacob I didn't feel any of that connection whatsoever.
Realizing that I had become distracted recounting the time I spent with Jacob, I quickly gathered my thoughts and answered my father's question. "Well, I really had a lovely time. Jacob is such a nice boy, but he is two years younger than me, which makes things a little awkward…" I trailed off.
"Bells, age is just a number, he has a lot to offer. He is wealthy and comes from a good family," he bartered.
"Father, I am not interested in marrying for money and security, I wish to marry for love," I argued.
"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that. You must be tired; you've had a long night. We'll talk about this later, goodnight," he dismissed me.
"But father..." I interjected.
"I said goodnight, Isabella!" He said it sternly.
There was obviously no getting through to him tonight, so I surrendered and made my way back to my bedroom.
Once inside, I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes. I was full of mixed emotions. I was both frustrated at my father's pugnacious behavior and heartbroken that I had to leave Edward alone in the barn. The memory of our kiss made my heart clench in my chest, I could still taste him on my lips and feel his arms around me. I grabbed a clean night gown from my closet and strode slowly into the bathroom as my feet still ached from the night of dancing. Thankfully Lauren had followed my instructions and drawn me a bath. It was late to bathe, but I needed to freshen up because frankly I smelled like a sweaty horse.
While submerged in the warm lavender scented water, I began to reflect on Edward Cullen. Everything about him seemed to draw me to him… his ruggedly handsome appearance, his boyish crooked smile, his heady masculine scent and a foreboding sense of the unknown. In reality, I knew very little about him and his life before coming to work on the ranch.
I began to fantasize about what might have transpired between us tonight had we not been interrupted. It alarmed me that I allowed myself to give in so willingly to his advances. I supposed it shocked me in a sense that this perfect stranger had such control over my body, mind and soul.
Having never been touched so intimately by a man before I was amazed by how my instincts naturally kicked in. My desire for this man's touch overwhelmed me almost to the point of losing my virginity in a horse stable. There was no denying that I was willing; there was no doubt in my mind that he would have taken me then and there.
My heart skipped a beat as I envisioned him running his hands up and down my bare back. The thundering beat of his heart echoing my own; our breath labored as we explored each other's naked flesh. Although I may be inexperienced when it came to intimacy, I knew what I wanted. I continued daydreaming until I realized that the water had chilled. As I dried off and redressed for bed, I began to formulate a plan. I decided that I would do whatever I could to be with Edward Cullen and to know him in every way imaginable.
