All of you are just great! The reviews I'm getting are wonderful.
I've been hiding in the corner waiting to see what everyone has to say!
Now we'll see how things work out.
Thanks again to Caz, Shiloh Wallace and Jasper's Destiny. Oh and check out my profile for links to the songs.
RTR CHAPTER 8
PREY
DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. I'm just taking them for a ride!
Edward watched as Bella made her way confidently to the DJ booth. He took the time to closely observe her attire. The top she wore was a dark emerald green with contrasting black swirls that made a subtle pattern on the flimsy fabric. The scooped neckline afforded Edward a tantalizing glimpse of her décolletage.. Edward swallowed as he saw the way the material hugged her breasts then sloped down over her ribcage and her stomach like a second skin, accentuating her slim curves.
As his gaze continued downward, he saw that she wore a narrow black band around her midriff and a short dark green chiffon skirt below that—and what appeared to be a very short black skirt underneath that, the length of which was possibly no more than four inches from the top of her thighs. Holy shit, if she bends over her ass is going to be on display! As he continued to watch her, she stepped to the side a little, allowing him a clearer view, and he realized that the tiny black skirt was actually a pair of tight fitting shorts. Hmm…interesting outfit.
His gaze swept down her long, shapely, bare legs and ended on the most fucking incredibly sexy pair of black stilettos he had ever seen. The delicate, black straps wrapped around her slim ankles, and the heels were at least four inches tall. Visions of those gorgeous legs wrapped around his head, with the heels hanging over his shoulders and pressing into his back, suddenly assaulted him, making his cock harden and throb against his zipper.
"Edward." The sound of Alice's voice pulled him abruptly from his lusty daydream. "Do you need a napkin? You're drooling all over the table."
"Very funny, Alice," he replied.
"Oh, wow! Did you see those shoes Bella has on? They're Christian Louboutins, Burlina style," she all but squealed as she grabbed Edward's arm tightly.
"You do realize I have no clue what you're talking about, right?" He looked at her like she had flipped her mind.
"Funny, Edward. You just don't have any idea about style. Louboutins are some of the most well-known shoes out there, right along with Jimmy Choos."
Edward shook his head, again having no clue what she was talking about. He decided to let her ramble on while he continued to watch Bella by the DJ booth. One thing I know for sure: Whoever this Christian guy is, I'd love to send him a thank you note.
After the first performer had finished their song, Bella climbed onto the small stage and took the microphone. She gave a slight nod to the DJ, and the beginning chords of Bon Jovi's It's My Life blared from the speakers. With a newfound respect for karaoke, Edward watched as Bella closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and belted out the words to a song that he both knew and loved well. He continued to watch as she poured her heart into her performance. She seemed completely lost in the song, totally unaware that there were approximately two hundred people watching her sing. She moved fluidly around the stage while performing the song, her eyes barely open. She turned her back to the audience just as she sang the lyrics:
Better stand tall when they're calling you out.
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down.
Then pumping her fist in the air in time with the beats, she quickly turned back to the front of the room and finished with the chorus, seeming to stare straight into Edward's eyes as she sang with purpose.
It's my life,
And it's now or never,
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever,
I just want to live while I'm alive,
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway,
Like Frankie said,
I did it my way,
I just want to live while I'm alive,
'Cause. It's. My. Life!
Edward inhaled sharply. For some reason, the way she sang the lyrics, "I just want to live while I'm alive," disturbed him. Even though he didn't know her, he couldn't imagine a world where she wasn't alive. He continued to stare at her, unable to pull his gaze from her face. He wanted her, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life.
Suddenly, as the song ended, she opened her eyes wide, looked around the room, and then locked gazes with Edward. He watched as she broke out of whatever spell she seemed to have been under and bolted from the stage.
"Edward," Paul said from beside him. "Are you going to sing? It's really fun."
Edward looked back at the now vacant spot on stage and made a decision he would probably regret later. He rose from his seat and chose a song, debating whether to sing Rockstar by Nickleback or Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. He'd never been a fan of his singing voice, but he'd been told that he could sing either with no problem. He chose Bon Jovi. Thankfully, there were three other people ahead of him, so he was able to partake of some liquid courage before it was his turn to sing.
Bella had still not returned to her table when he made his way onto the small stage. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to be in the room when he started to sing or not. The music started, and he put his entire soul into the performance. When he finished, he made his way back to his table, wanting nothing more than to get drunk. I can't believe I just did that. He was too nervous to even look around to see if Bella had returned and seen him perform.
After a few moments, he built up the courage to glance around. Just as his eyes fell on the table where Bella sat, he watched as the guy that she had been with at The Depot last Friday pull her into a tight hug and kiss her on the mouth. Well, hell. Guess she was too busy with him to even notice my humiliation.
Edward looked down at his glass. "Alice, it's late," he said, interrupting her conversation with Paul. "We have to get up early and get on the road. Let's go." He stood up, said his goodbyes to Paul and Sam, and turned to leave.
At the last minute, he turned to look over at Bella's table just as she and her guy took to the dance floor. He watched as he effortlessly lifted Bella off the floor and flipped her over in midair during their dance. Now he understood why she was wearing shorts. The way he kept lifting her up, and the way she was putting her legs around him then kicking back out, would have been impossible in just a skirt
"Edward, come on. You were in such a hurry not five minutes ago. I want to be sure to get my time out of you tomorrow. If you're hung over, you won't be any help." With that, Alice turned to leave, stepping out onto the dance floor just as Bella and her partner passed by them, accidentally knocking into her. Edward immediately went into defensive mode.
"Hey, watch it, man!" he practically yelled. "Who do you think you are? Fred Astaire?"
The guy looked at Edward with a shocked expression on his face before turning toward Alice. "My apologies, ma'am," he said as he took her delicate hand in his and raised it to his lips before turning to whisk Bella away.
"Fucking asshole," Edward remarked as the two of them turned back to the dance floor.
Jasper turned back toward Edward with a scowl on his face. "Excuse me? Just who the fuck are you? I apologized, and she's not injured." He looked over at Alice for confirmation.
"Edward, it's okay." Alice put a calming hand on his forearm. "Let's just go, okay?" She really didn't want any confrontation between them. She pictured the four of them as friends in the near future, and she didn't want to jeopardize that possibility. With that thought in mind, she took Edward by the elbow and led him out of The Falcon.
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