Training the Swan
Chapter Nine – The Silent Treatment
Edward
I headed upstairs from the gym. I had been working out non-stop to help release some of the pent up frustration. Bella was certainly not going to make things easy for me, though it hadn't seemed intentional. It was mainly my over active imagination and lustful thoughts.
It hadn't taken much to get me worked up again. Charlie and Jasper had left about ten minutes after Ellie's secret promise to Charlie. Bella and I had made a simple lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Shortly after eating, Ellie had fallen asleep on the couch and Bella had asked for me to take her to her room.
After putting Ellie down for her nap, I'd gone to check on Bella. Her bedroom door had been slightly open. I'd knocked on it so that I could offer her my computer again, when I'd heard a soft voice singing from beyond the door.
Curiosity got the best of me and I had peeked inside. There she'd been, standing near the shower. She had left the bathroom door wide open, hot steam billowing around her. Already, her unruly curls were slightly wet piled on top of her head, wearing only a pair of fucking panties.
In the nearby mirror, she saw my reflection and whipped around. She didn't glare or show any emotion of any kind, she simply waited for my next move. I fucking knew, if I wanted her right then and there, she'd let me have her.
Instead of doing what I craved, I had quickly reminded her which credit card to use and my password to get on the internet before hightailing out of the room.
After almost two hours spent in the gym, I found no one was in the living room, but heard Bella in the kitchen, so I went upstairs to take a quick shower. I passed by Ellie's room and checked on her. She was sitting on her bed, using colored pencils to draw in one of her sketch books.
"Hey, Ellie. What are you working on?" I asked, leaning on the door frame.
"You," she stated simply.
"Oh really." I was a bit surprised and touched by the thought of her wanting to draw me.
"Uh huh. Wanna see?" Ellie looked up, smiling. I nodded. She turned her sketch pad, and sure enough, there was a portrait of my profile, still unfinished. I could easily see it was done by memory and found it fucking amazing.
I heard of children like her and wondered if she'd raise too many eyebrows with her intelligence. Should she even be in kindergarten? It was something Bella and I would have to discuss. Was it fair of us to ask to Ellie to not be herself? Fuck. It sucked.
"So far so good," I said, closing the distance between us and sitting at the foot of the bed.
"Yeah, but I don't have colors for your eyes or hair," Ellie said sadly. "I need my stuff from home."
"Ellie, whatever you need, we can get you."
She shook her head. "I know. But, I miss…not having a home." My heart clenched at the words coming from such a young girl.
"Ellie, your mom is your home," I said softly, tucking a loose hair behind her ear.
"Momma is my house?" She looked at me in question.
Despite her smarts, she still had a child-like innocence to her. How did I explain what I wanted to say to her? "She's not a house. But whenever she's with you, she makes it feel like home wherever you are, right?"
Ellie smiled and nodded, hopefully understanding. She dropped her sketch book by her side and kneeled to wrap her arms around my neck. "You're smart, Edward," she said, burying her nose in my neck.
"So are you, Ellie," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her tiny body. She was so freaking small and fragile, making that protective instinct I always had kick up several notches.
"I see why Momma likes you."
I sighed, "I like her, too, Ellie." I can be honest with a five year old, just not myself. Idiot.
"She thinks you're cute."
I chuckled and playfully said, "I don't know, Ellie. I think she likes Jasper more."
She snorted, "I don't think so. Jasper's mine." There was some attitude behind that claim. Oh boy, she was going to be handful for her mother when she got older.
I laughed, causing Ellie to giggle along with me. "Where's your mom?" I swore I had heard her in the hallway right behind me. I was surprised that she hadn't walked in to interrupt my conversation with Ellie.
"She was going to finish in your office after she checked on dinner in kitchen," she said.
"Well, I'm going to check on her. Did you need anything?"
Ellie pulled away and shook her head. "Nope."
I rose from the bed and walked to the door. "Edward," Ellie said. I turned to look at her. She grinned. "Go get her." Confused and suddenly worried about her push toward Bella, I walked toward the office.
Does Ellie want me with her mother? I shook my head; she was only five. There was no way she was playing matchmaker. It was likely some twisted wishful thinking.
Bella was just exiting the office and said, "Oh, hello, Edward."
Thank God she was talking to me. I smiled. "Did you do some shopping? Ellie was asking for her art supplies earlier."
Bella frowned. "She had an antique easel that one of her teachers gave her. I managed to buy all her supplies online, but I wasn't able to find an easel that was even close to what she had."
I nodded. "Did you get everything else you needed?"
"Yes, besides Ellie's art supplies, I bought clothes, a few toys, an iPod, laptop and, um, a few other personal items." She looked away for a second, toward the office and shrugged. "Yeah, I got everything I wanted." Her tone implied she was lying out of her ass, but I chose not call her on it since I was afraid to ask what she really wanted.
"Great," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "If you're finished, I'm, um, going to check my email."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. I think Ellie and I are going for a swim. If that's okay?"
"Of course," I replied. "Maybe I can join you two."
"Not sure that's a good idea, but whatever." She brushed past me, walking toward the stairs without another look back. It was obvious that she was still a little upset with me.
When I went into my office, I stared at the computer in front of me. I could've been nosy and checked what sites she visited and where she'd been shopping. I could even see some of the things she'd bought. But I'd be an asshole for doing it. Not to mention the fact that I might regret it.
I could do it. I couldn't do it. It was wrong. I'd be invading her privacy. That lasted about ten seconds before I checked the history. She visited sites like Macy's, Best Buy, Toys R Us, some art supply place, Old Navy, Gap. However, it was the most recent sites that caught my attention. They taunted me with their words, Agent Provocateur, Victoria Secret and Pure Romance.
Dear God, did she order things from those places?
The cursor hung over the last three on the list. I had a brief memory that Agent Provocateur was a place that sold very sexy lingerie, the same with Victoria Secret as any red-blood male would know about it. I clicked on the first link and a drop down menu came down with all the pages she'd visited.
I clicked on one. It was picture of red panties with matching garters. Oh please, not red. I was torturing myself by continuing, clicking on another; it was a black corset, and fuck if I wasn't already picturing Bella in it. The short silk robe with white edging, though it would cover a lot, was sexy as hell and would be the perfect way to send me into overdrive, just imagining what was underneath.
Why would she buy shit like that? Maybe she was simply looking, browsing. Yes, that had to be it.
I quickly went to the Victoria Secret link. Most of them were decent, just a little short, dresses and simple night gowns. The last three pages she visited were some barely there cheekies.
I groaned, with the ass she had, that type of underwear would look fucking amazing on her. I could picture those strips of fabric barely cupping that sublime backside.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why am I torturing myself?
I clicked on the Pure Romance link. There was only one page she visited on the site. I clicked on it. There on the screen was a T.O.M. That stood for: Triple. Orgasm. Machine.
Description: T.O.M.'s intense multiple-speed and function clitoral stimulator, multi-functional rotating and thrusting shaft, and water-proof design are sure to fly you to new orgasmic heights!
It could fucking thrust! I looked at the pink – yes, fucking pink – thing on the screen in disgust. It thrusts! Just the thought of hearing a buzz from her room would drive me insane. Fuck.
I closed the website, telling myself off because I'd just made the situation worse by snooping. I wouldn't be able to quit trying to guess which pair of panties she was wearing under her jeans or workout clothes. Or stop the images that would no doubt be in my mind if I heard her shower running since that fucking thing was waterproof, too!
Fuck.
There was a note pad beside the computer with a list of the websites Bella visited with the amounts she spent beside them.
Macy's (me) – perfume, clothes, shoes $1,878.89
Best Buy (me and Ellie) – DVD's, iPod, laptop- $3, 465.76
Toys R Us (Ellie) – toys and clothes-$1939.45
The list went on listing what she'd spent on each website.
Agent Provocateur (me) – lingerie and panties -$1678.90
Oh fucking hell.
Victoria Secret (me) – underwear and clothes $1785.44
Pure Romance (me) – T.O.M- $169.98
The look on Edward's face: priceless.
I sat there like a dumbass, staring at the notepad. She'd fucking known I would check the computer. I smirked. That was the Bella I wanted to come out more, the one I had only gotten glimpses of. She was a little snarky, a minx, and was quick to call me on my shit.
I didn't mind the tough Bella that had an impenetrable wall of mortar and brick, surrounded by barbed wire. No, I needed to train that part of her to fight and to protect. But the part of Bella that lit like fire under my touch, that was the one that had sat in my office, dared to order all that shit, enticing me with the sites and pictures and called me on invading her privacy.
"Edward," her voice called for my attention to the door. She leaned against the door frame with a cocked eyebrow and a sneer at her lips. "Next time, mind your business." She stalked into the room and dropped a stack of cash on my desk. "I can pay for my own shit," she growled, stomping out of the room.
I knew she was upset by my choice to stay away from her, I hadn't known how much. I hadn't been prepared for it.
~oOo~
The rest of the day passed by slowly and I spent the afternoon completely avoiding the woman that called to me like no one had before her.
An hour after the incident in the office, she knocked on the door, letting me know that dinner was ready. When I had made my way to it, she'd already gone. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration through most of the remainder of the day.
Dinner was mostly in silence. Bella only spoke when someone asked her a question, though was more lively when talking to Ellie. Me, however, she answered in one or two words. I fucking hated it, but knew that it was for the best.
How many times would I have to tell myself that before I fucking believed it?
Ellie kept looking between Bella and me sighing, no doubt sensing the tension. After dinner, Bella and I sat down with her daughter. We discussed all the rules and things she could tell her any friends she made while at school. We had her repeat everything back to us until she got the story straight, which didn't take too long.
We were heading to the school the following morning to sign her up. We hoped she'd be able to start by Monday. Though Bella had made it clear she wanted to learn to fight and protect herself, she didn't think we should do so in Ellie's presence.
That I understood. How would Ellie see me seemingly attacking her mother repeatedly to help Bella learn as a good thing? No matter how smart Ellie was, she likely wouldn't understand.
Once our discussion was over, Bella took Ellie and went to bed. I returned downstairs and ran on the treadmill until I couldn't any longer. I collapsed in my bed three hours later. The silence in the house had never bothered me before, and though I was exhausted, I could hear Bella in the room next door move around.
The soft cries and whimpers from a nightmare were the fucking worst and I couldn't go to her. I knew if I had, where it would lead and I wouldn't take advantage of her while she was vulnerable.
The following morning was just as bad. Bella had come in and worked on the elliptical in complete fucking silence. After stretching, she went to swim several laps before going up to taking a shower.
Breakfast, though delicious, was another unbearable time of long and awkward silences. It was obvious that Ellie was getting upset by the whole thing, but there was little that could be done about it. We talked mostly in acknowledgement and instructions.
I drove around town, deciding it would be a good idea if Bella knew where everything was and the types of stores there were for her shopping needs. Though she would never leave the house without my protection, she needed to be aware of what was available right away. She asked a few questions but mostly kept to herself.
We drove in silence to Ellie's new school that was tucked away toward the east end of town. When we all climbed out of the car, Ellie took my pinky and her mother's hand as we walked to the classroom the secretary directed us to, to drop her off while paperwork was filled out. The school was very small. It was quaint and cozy.
The teacher introduced herself as Ms. Gomez; she had long dark hair, tanned skin and a smile that seemed to put Ellie at ease.
While I remained with Ellie, Bella was escorted to the office to sign paperwork. I watched her walk beside some slick principal that looked her over appreciatively and made my skin itch to be with her.
"Mr. Cullen," Ms. Gomez said, smiling when I turned toward her. "You can join your wife. Ellie will be just fine here." She looked down at Ellie, who smiled shyly. The situation brought something to my attention. Ellie could not remain unprotected while she attended school. I would have to call Charlie immediately and set something up.
"Thank you," I said. "I'll be right back, Ellie."
"Okay," she said softly, nodding. She looked overwhelmed as she took in her surroundings, but the tip of her chin rose, reminding me of Bella, as she turned toward the classroom and away from me.
I made my way to the office after a quick perimeter sweep of the area. I joined Bella once the secretary showed me the way. She didn't seem surprised to see me, but there was a look of concern. I ran my hand down her back to soothe her, and hoped to convey without a word that Ellie was safe.
Thank God I had thought of panic buttons with tracking devices on their necklaces I had gotten them. With a simple press, my cell phone would chime and I would be able to act if the need be. Of course, a lot could happen between the alert and when I could get to either of them, but until I could get someone to help with watching Ellie while she was in school, it was the only way.
Bella relaxed, but only slightly as the principal introduced himself as Scott Reiner. I shook his hand in a powerful grip that caused his brow to break out in a sweat. I laid my claim to Bella with a simple gesture and he acknowledged it with a cocked eyebrow.
Bella chose that moment to smash my foot and from the corner of my eye I could see she knew exactly what I'd done to the principal.
What? It was rather rude of the asshole to look at her in such a way when she was "married" and I was with her. Plus, it would let him know not to fuck with me or her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," Scott said, releasing my hand and eyeing Ellie's file on his desk. "Since we're a private school, and usually do not allow students to enter so late in the school year, I found that it was best to meet with you personally."
"Is there a problem?" Bella asked.
The man eyed Bella, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. "According to this, your child's school records do not indicate any previous tutoring or schooling. For her to attend this school, she must be tested and scores have to be remarkably high."
The brief glance in my direction was clear enough to make me sit up a little higher in my chair. He saw me as all brawn and no fucking brains. Asshole.
Bella visibly tensed, her teeth gritted together for a few seconds. "Our daughter will test high enough for admittance." She leaned forward, giving the prick a severe look. "Let's be honest with each other. We're looking for a good school for our daughter. You're looking for…?"
"New computers for the library, they're dreadfully outdated."
How the fuck had been Bella read that so damn easily? Even I hadn't seen that shit coming. What and who the fuck had she dealt with in the past?
"Done," I hissed, rising to our feet and taking Bella's hand. "She'll be starting on Monday, I assume?"
A few minutes later, the asshole simply nodded as I passed him a check for fifteen grand and another for the semester tuition. He had us wait in the lobby while they had Ellie tested. Once alone, Bella fidgeted with her fingers and the hem of her blouse.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
She bit her lip, shaking her head. "She'll test too high. What if James monitors things like that?"
I pulled her into my arms, though she was stiff at first, she eventually decompressed enough to rest her head on my chest. She was warm and fit perfectly in my arms, I desperately wanted to kiss the top her fragrant smelling, silky hair. I didn't. "Even if he did, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack."
She nodded, but pulled away to sit in a chair nearby. It seemed she remembered that we were supposed to be staying away from each other. Too bad I couldn't do the same, every single moment of a day.
When Ellie finished testing, she looked happy as Ms. Gomez led her toward us. "She's a delightful child," the teacher said. "I can't wait to get to know her."
"Thank you," Bella said, shaking Ms. Gomez's hand. "We'll see you Monday."
After saying good-bye, Ellie's bright smile had disappeared. She made it real clear she knew something wasn't right, sighing often during the quiet ride home. I hated that the tension between Bella and I seemed to have affected her, but there was little we could do about it. The rest of the day passed much like the one before with tension-filled stretches of silence.
In an attempt to lift the mood, I suggested a movie night with Ellie and Bella. After a few bags of popcorn, two movies concerning talking dogs, my girls seemed to have forgotten their worries. They sat together at the other end of the couch, laughing and tossing popcorn into each other mouths.
I had no idea what the fuck the movies were about since I spent most of my time watching them instead. I was terrified at the longing I felt deep down in my gut. Not only for Bella but the family they represented.
Ellie had fallen asleep in her mother's arm halfway through the third movie when Bella asked for me to take her upstairs. I knew if she wanted to, she could've carried her, but the constant shifting of her body suggested she had some back pain again.
I cursed the bastard that hurt her internally, slipping Ellie under her covers. Bella had remained downstairs to clean up our movie night mess and would come up to tuck her daughter in when she was done. As I turned on Ellie's night light, I found her wide awake, watching me closely.
Her bottom lip trembled as her long lashes captured the tears in her eyes. "What is it, Ellie?"
"It's starting again," she whispered.
"What is?"
"You and Momma act like her and daddy used to." That had me shaking my head and I knelt beside her bed.
"No, Ellie," I said hoarsely. A lump caught in my throat. "No way. It's not like that all. I will never hurt your mother. Ever."
"But you're not talking to her."
I sighed and brushed a wayward curl from her face. There was no simple way to explain to her why things were the way they were. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better. Just know that I will keep her safe."
She nodded, closing her eyes while my thumb wiped away at her tears. I felt Bella before she even entered the room. How long she'd been listening, I wasn't sure. I didn't dare kiss Ellie's forehead or cheek like I wanted to, choosing instead to brush a finger down her cheek. I rose to my feet and whispered her a good night before facing her mother.
Her eyes were wary, but her defenses were as strong as ever. "Goodnight, Bella," I said, passing her by the door. Unable to resist, my fingers brushed hers, the soft gasp did nothing to dispel the need I had for her.
"I'll lock up."
She nodded and closed Ellie's door behind her. The wariness in her eyes was explained by the click of it. Did she really think I'd hurt Ellie? Or maybe it was the fact that becoming close to the little girl would hurt her later when they had to leave.
Either way, I understood.
~oOo~
The rest of the weekend passed in the same way, still presented with the silent treatment by Bella. There was no reason to complain, she was simply doing what she thought she had to. But it still fucking sucked.
Monday morning arrived and I got my first glimpse of a cranky-not-a-morning-person Ellie. Bella hadn't been lying about that. After our silent workout, Bella showered and asked for me to hurry and get Ellie out of bed since I added another thirty minutes to her cardio and we were running late.
It was no easy task Bella set on me. The little girl had a grip of damn steel and slept through anything. First, I attempted to call her awake, and when that hadn't worked, I lightly shook her shoulder. When that too failed, I gently slipped the blanket off her, hoping that the cooler temperature would coax her up. No such luck.
After calling her name a little more loudly, she leveled me with a sleepy-eyed glare almost lost in a riot of wild curls. She groaned and stuffed her face back in her pillow, telling me to go away.
"Ellie," I said. "It's time for school. We're going to be late if you don't get up."
"Go away!" she hissed, holding onto the wooden slats of her headboard as I tried to lift her up.
"What the heck is going on in here?" Bella asked from the doorway, her hair wet and dripping. She was dressed in a robe that was way too fucking short for her.
"Ellie doesn't want to get up," I said, shrugging. "I tried."
Bella rolled her eyes, amusement within them. "Ellie, don't you want to go to school?"
"No! I want to stay with you and Edward." The babyish quality to her voice was a first.
"Ellie, if you're not dressed and downstairs in ten minutes, I will take your paints away."
"No!"
"Ellie!"
"It's stupid Eleanor now, remember?" she muttered with a mouthful of pillow. "What if he finds me, Momma?"
Bella's mommy defenses seemed to break down at that moment. "Do you want me or Edward to stay with you, sweetie?" She sat beside her daughter on the bed, smoothing Ellie's hair from her face.
"No," she whispered. "But I'm scared."
"Right now, your dad doesn't know where we are," Bella said in a soothing, soft tone. "You're safe. We can probably have someone watch you from outside of the school." She turned toward me, looking for confirmation. I nodded.
The night after we visited the school, Charlie said he'd have one of his usual contacts for security purposes watch over Ellie when she started school until we could establish something more permanent.
"Like a bodyguard?" Ellie asked as she sat up, sniffling.
"Yes," Bella said softly and tapped her daughter's nose. "While in you're in school, this bodyguard will watch over you. But you can't tell anyone about him."
"And if he's watching me, Edward can still protect you?"
Bella nodded and kissed Ellie's forehead. "I need to start breakfast. You now have eight and a half minutes."
Ellie pouted. "I thought you forgot about that."
Bella laughed and shook her head, rising to her feet and ruffling her daughter's hair. "Not a chance." She turned toward me and rolled her eyes. "This will likely be an every morning occurrence. Now, you both better be down there in eight minutes and three seconds."
"And what will you take away from me if I don't make it on time?" I knew I shouldn't be fucking flirting with her, but it was the first time in a while that I was treated to one of her smiles.
Bella tapped her chin, looking thoughtful. "No more late nights in the gym for a week."
Fuck. I'd die. It was the only way for me to work out my frustrations besides my morning showers. She didn't wait for my response and went downstairs to start breakfast.
Once she was gone, Ellie hopped out of bed, humming as she looked for clothes. Gone was the crabby Ellie, and in her place, a little girl that appeared to be happy. I wondered if it was a mask, an act, much like the one Bella wore often.
"Are you all right, Ellie?"
She shrugged, posing in front of the mirror and holding up a simple blue dress. "I feel bad for smiling when Momma doesn't. But I like it here." That little declaration warmed me, but also made me feel bad.
I had no clue how to respond and reminded her that she had to hurry. I ran to my bedroom and showered quickly and met Ellie in the hallway. We descended the stairs fast and made it to the kitchen just in time.
~oOo~
Bella and I stood side-by-side watching Ms. Gomez take Ellie's hand to lead her inside the classroom.
"Bye Mommy, Daddy." I was both shocked and overwhelmed when I heard her call me that. Though I knew I shouldn't have been.
We waved. I looked at Bella, who had a tear coming down her cheek. "Bella," I whispered, taking her face in my hands. She didn't pull away, only looked as if her heart was breaking. "Sweetheart, she'll be safe." With the pads of my thumbs, I wiped her tears. My hands slid from her face, down her arms, taking her hand and walked toward the car.
I looked toward a dark sedan where I knew Ellie's bodyguard sat, watching. He acknowledged me with a nod.
Most of the car ride back home was quiet, as it usually was lately. "She called you that because she knows we have to pretend." I nodded. I knew that Ellie would, after we explained how she had to pretend to be someone else. I was only surprised because it seemed so easy for her to call me that, and because I hadn't expected it to affect me.
"She'll be fine there, right?" Bella asked, her hands fidgeting on her lap.
I nodded. "I'm sure she will be, Bella. Is this the first time she's gone to school?"
Bella shook her head. "She had tutors after we realized she could draw really well and had a remarkable memory."
"She's really talented. Is this something that maybe runs in the family?"
I looked at Bella, who sobbed lightly. "I used to paint. It was something I loved. But I can't anymore."
"Why?"
"About two years ago, James messed up my right hand. It's too hard to hold a brush now." She held up her hand, noticing for the first time the way her thumb twitched. "I can paint, but it would take so much more time than it used to. And it's painful." Bella sighed and wiped some tears off her face. "I gave it up."
I clenched the wheel, my knuckles white from the strain. Bella noticed the tension and looked at me. She laid her hand on my arm. "It's in the past. I've moved on. There is nothing you or I can do right now."
That didn't make me feel any better. "Do you need more surgery?"
"I need maybe one more that would give me more mobility, maybe some therapy. I left before I could finish."
I wanted to do anything I could to take the pain away. "I have an uncle who's a doctor. He may be able to help you."
She shook her head. "No, it may be a way for James to track me."
The conversation ended there and the silence was deafening. We arrived and there was a brown delivery truck parked near my porch. Bella and I met up at the door as he unloaded box after box.
Bella seemed excited, looking at some of the labels as I signed. "I didn't know everything would arrive this early, I was expecting most of it tomorrow."
There were boxes with a giraffe on it, some had red stairs and others were plainly labeled. The delivery man handed me one last box. It was about thirteen inches tall by about seven inches wide with no markings of any kind. The label only said PR, based in California. I shook it. It didn't make a sound.
Instantly, I recalled Bella's fucking shopping list. PR stood for Pure Romance. It was her fucking toy! I thought that perhaps some of the list was not real, only to meant to tease, but apparently not.
Bella took the box that I was quite literally crushing in my hands. I grumbled, helping her with the rest of the deliveries. I put everything in the hallway that led to our bedrooms. I left Bella to her own devices and headed for the gym.
I needed to use my only method of relief, working out. The punching bag's chained rattled and protested with creaks as I pounded the stuffing out of it. I was dripping with sweat, and yet, the raw fucking need I had for Bella didn't diminish.
I showered in the tiny stall in the gym and made my way upstairs to eat. Bella was there making a chicken salad. She plated some for me in silence, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
After ten minutes of the silence, I couldn't take it any longer. "Bella, please, I can't stand the fucking silent treatment."
She shrugged as she took a bite of her salad, chewing slowly. Her tiny pink tongue licked the corner of her lips. I closed my eyes at the desire that one little gesture enticed.
"It's not the silent treatment. I'm just making this easier for the both of us. The less we interact personally, the easier it will be to get over this…this tension between us."
"It's not working," I said firmly. "It's making it fucking worse."
She shrugged again and rose to her feet quickly, washing her plate before turning to leave the kitchen. "We have to pick up Ellie at three, so we can leave about fifteen minutes before." I only nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go lie down for a bit."
I wanted to protest, tell her to get her ass down in the gym and work out. But the easily readable sleepless night she had in her eyes prevented me to do so. I had to give her a day or two more before we tried anything more strenuous than cardio.
I nodded. Bella's gaze lingered on my lips and then moved back to my eyes, closing hers for a moment and continuing to the stairs. I remained in the kitchen for three minutes and forty-five seconds before I ascended those stairs. I paused by Bella's door, listening.
What the hell are you thinking, Cullen? Turn around and give her privacy before you do something stupid.
For at least a full minute, there was nothing but the sound of her opening and closing drawers. She was likely still putting away all the things she'd bought. I was about to turn away and head back downstairs when I heard it, a light humming sound.
I just fucking reacted. I threw the door open, glaring at Bella dressed in ribbed tank top that left little to my vivid imagination and a pair of yellow lace fucking ass hugging underwear. She stood beside her bed, the pink thing buzzing in her hand, eyes wide with alarm.
She wanted me. I could see the desire flare in her eyes. There was only so much a man could fucking take. Who the fuck wouldn't break when faced with that image, that heat?
