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Chapter 9

"What's got you all riled up?" Emmett asks as I chug my second beer.

It's not even two minutes into the first quarter of the Colts and Panthers game, and I honestly couldn't give two shits about who wins. Normally, I pace myself and drink a beer a quarter, unless the Cowboys are playing. Then it's a totally different ballgame. Emmett and I usually have to take Tuesdays off when the Cowboys play on Monday nights, especially if they lose.

I set my empty mug on the bar in front of me and glance back at the door. "I might've mentioned to Bella that we come here every Monday night," I say, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Did you invite her?" he asks, giving me a half-smile before taking a sip of his beer.

"Maybe." I don't want to commit to the fact that I invited her because then I'm going to look like the pathetic loser I am when she doesn't show.

"You either did, or you didn't."

"I told her she should come."

"And what did she say?"

"She blew me off, like she does every time I try to ask her out or try to get to know her better."

"The chick knows how to play hard to get. I'll give her that."

"I don't think it's just that," I tell him, letting out a deep sigh. "I think there's something else there. Her guard is always up."

"You said she has a kid," Emmett says, leaning on the bar. "Maybe she's just being protective?"

"Yeah, maybe." The walls she has up could be because of Luke, but I still feel like there's more to the story. In fact, I know there is. Like, where's Luke's dad? Who is Luke's dad? Does she still see him? Have feelings for him? There's so much I don't know about Bella Swan.

"Are you more nervous she's going to show up or that she's going to blow you off?"

"Don't mention blowing and Bella in the same sentence. My blue balls can't take it."

"You're avoiding the question."

I divert my gaze back to the large television and start picking at a plate of cheese fries sitting between us. "I don't know, dude. Both, I guess."

I want her to show up, but if she does, then what?

"Man, she's got you so twisted." Emmett snickers, shaking his head.

We sit and drink a couple more beers while watching the Panthers get the shit beat out of them. I continuously check the door, much to Emmett's amusement.

After our halftime dart game, we settle back in at our spot at the bar. I glance at my watch and see that it's after nine and wonder what Bella's doing, if she's working or at home. For the millionth time over the past month, I wish I had her number.

A catcall coming from the back of the bar makes me turn around just as Bella flips the guy the bird. I smirk, watching her walk past the table and then scan the bar. The fact that she's here makes my heart beat double-time. When her eyes meet mine, I swear a hint of a smile forms on her lips. She raises an eyebrow as if to say "I'm here", like she's not sure what she's doing or if she should be here… but she's here.

I slide off the barstool and meet her halfway.

"Hey," I say, walking up to her and slipping my hands in my pockets to keep myself from reaching out and pulling her to me.

"Hey," she says, looking around the bar. There's something different about her. Her hair is in the messy bun I've seen her wear at the hospital, and she's dressed in jeans and a sweater. Nothing out of the ordinary. I look down to see the combat boots firmly in place, like her armor, laced halfway up with the laces wrapped around her ankles. When I make my way back up to her face, that's when I see it—the slight hint of nervousness. She bites the corner of her mouth, and her eyes continue to dance around the room. I can see the internal battle of her wondering if she's making a mistake.

"Wanna drink?" I ask, hoping to ease her nerves.

"Yeah," she says with a hard laugh. "I could really use one."

I guide her to the bar, walking behind her and turning my head toward the guys she flipped off when she came in. My death glare lets them know in no uncertain terms to back off my girl.

Yeah, my girl. As far as they're concerned, or anyone else in this bar, she's mine.

"What can I get ya, honey?" Jimmy asks.

"A shot of 1800," Bella says, sliding onto the barstool I'd been occupying.

I lean against the bar beside her and watch as Emmett's smile grows wider. He's eating this shit up with a spoon. The look he gives me over the top of her head is one of shock and amusement.

"Bella, this is Emmett." I nod to the other side of her, gesturing to the beast.

Emmett turns in his seat and offers her his hand.

"Emmett, Bella."

"Ah, yes. I remember you from the ER. One of the nurses had to give you something for your nausea. Wasn't it bad sushi or something like that?" she asks, and his face pales.

He clears his throat and winces.

"Bad sushi?" I ask, not sure what she's talking about. We haven't had sushi for a couple of months. The place we usually go to closed down.

"Yeah," Emmett says nervously, and I can see the lie all over his face.

I laugh and shake my head. "Fucking pussy," I say under my breath.

"What?" Bella asks, looking back and forth at the two of us.

"He gets sick at the sight of blood," I tell her.

Bella laughs and turns her attention back to Emmett. "So that whole bad fish thing was a big ol' fat lie, huh?"

Emmett's cheeks pink up a little. "Yes, okay?" He stares at me. "Happy now?"

"Extremely." I love to see him squirm.

When Jimmy returns with Bella's shot, she slams it back and slides the glass back to him. "I'll have one more. Then a coke, straight," she instructs.

"Bad night in the ER?" I ask, watching her.

"Yeah." She lets out a deep breath and rubs her eyes, and I start to ask more but refrain. She's here, and that's enough for now. I don't want to scare her off.

When Jimmy sets her second shot down in front of her with a grin, she looks over at Emmett. "Lots and lots of blood," she says teasingly, tossing the tequila back.

Emmett shakes his head and laughs, taking a drink of his beer.

We watch the rest of the game. Bella and Emmett exchange jabs, and I sit back and enjoy the free entertainment. When the game is over, Emmett asks for his tab, and I slap some money down on the bar to cover mine and Bella's. She gives me a glare but doesn't argue. Maybe I should've let her pay so she'd want to come back and hang out again, but I couldn't. I have all sorts of weird feelings when it comes to Bella, and one is the need to take care of her. I've never felt that way about anyone, but it hits me so strongly sometimes.

"Can I walk you to your car?" I ask, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"I'm gonna head out," Emmett says, slapping me on the back. "Bella, it was a pleasure to see you again. See you tomorrow, Ed." He waves as he walks out of the bar.

"I'm parked across the street," Bella says, standing up and walking backward toward the door. "You coming?"

It takes me a minute to get myself together. She's looking at me with a spark in her eyes, and the confidence she usually wears like a cloak is back in full force. When I finally get my feet to work, I have to jog to catch up to her.

"Thanks for coming tonight," I tell her as we start to cross the street. I look around for the black SUV she was driving on Sunday, but it's not there. The beat-up red Volkswagen is instead.

"Yeah, uh, thanks for inviting me," she says, but it sounds more like a question than a statement. She digs in her bag and pulls out keys, clicking a button twice, and the Volkswagen purrs to life. "It was a really bad day in the ER, and I needed… something."

I start to wonder if I hadn't invited her here, would she have gone to the club instead? Maybe that's what she usually does to blow off some steam.

"Do you want to come to my apartment?" I ask before I have a chance to stop myself.

Her head snaps around, and she gives me a pointed look, similar to the one she's given me at the club. Almost a "fuck off" or "in your fucking dreams". She presses the button on her key again, and the doors unlock. After she tosses her purse in, she turns and leans back against the car. "I don't do relationships."

The definitiveness in her voice lets me know she's not playing. It's not an excuse or an out. It's fact.

I nod and shove my hands into my front pockets, rocking back on my heels. "Okay," I tell her. I'll take whatever she'll give me. We don't have to do a relationship.

"Not at your apartment."

My mind races. Is she saying yes? To sex? With me? I look around and try to think fast.

"And not here," she laughs, shaking her head.

"Right. Of course not." I clear my throat and say the first thing that comes to mind. "What about the hotel down the street?"

"That works. I need to do something first, but I can meet you there in half an hour."

"I'll text you the room number."

She holds out her hand, and at first, I'm not sure what she wants. "Phone," she demands.

"Oh, right," I say, pulling it out of my pocket and handing it to her.

And that, my friends, is how you get Bella Swan's phone number. Taking the phone back from her, I look at her info on the screen and inwardly fist-pump myself. Outwardly, I play it cool and slip my phone back into my pocket, nodding my head.

She doesn't say anything else, just nods her head back at me and climbs in the driver's seat. Next thing I know, she's pulling away, and I'm left standing there… dumbfounded. Did that just happen? Are we really doing this?

Half an hour later, I'm nervously bouncing my leg as I sit on the edge of the bed at the Omni Hotel and watch my phone like a pot of water I'm waiting to boil. I texted her the room number, but she hasn't replied. It's only been a few minutes, but the thought that she could stand me up is consuming me.

Not being able to stand to wait any longer, I get up and head for the door. My nerves are raw, and I feel like a lion trapped in a cage. I need space. I need to step out of this room before I drive myself crazy. Hopefully, I'll catch Bella as she walks into the lobby.

I pull the door open, revealing a very quiet, very unsure Bella. Her eyes are wide and nervous, and she's fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. With her standing before me, my body finally relaxes. I don't like seeing her so apprehensive, though. I calmly reach for her hand and guide her into the room.

Once we're inside, and the door is closed, Bella lets out a deep breath. She seems more comfortable now, like getting to the hotel was the hardest part of the evening. I'm not sure what to think about that. I'm just relieved she's here.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" I ask.

"No, thanks. I'm fine. Sorry it took me so long. I went home to say goodnight to Luke, and then when I got here, I had to stop myself from running away."

Ouch.

She must realize how her words sounded because she quickly tries to take them back.

"Oh, shit. I didn't mean for it to sound like that, I swear. See? This is why I like going to the club. I don't have to talk if I don't want to. I get what I want; then I leave. Easy peasy. This—" She moves her hand back and forth between us. "This is new to me."

"What do you want this to be? You said you don't do relationships, so... Do you want to be fuck buddies?"

She chews on her bottom lip while she thinks. Finally, she looks up at me with a small smile on her face. "Yeah, that'd be great, actually. But only if you're okay with it. I know we don't know each other very well, but in case you haven't noticed, I have a hard time letting people into my life."

I can't stop the laughter that shoots out of my mouth. I worry about pissing her off, but when I see her roll her eyes at me before giggling, I know she's fine.

"That's a fucking understatement, Bella, but it's cool. I get that you want to protect yourself, as well as your son."

"Thanks," she says. She takes a step closer to me, and the energy in the room starts to spark. "I don't want you to get your hopes up that this will evolve into something more, Edward. This does not mean we're dating or that you have some claim on me. Got it?"

I move to where we're face to face and nothing's between us. "Got it." I lower my head to hers, preparing to seal the deal with a kiss when she puts her hand between our mouths.

"No kissing. It's too personal."

What is this, Pretty Woman? Fuck that.

"Bella, if you remember, we've already kissed. And it was damn good. In fact, I've been dying to kiss you again ever since you stormed out of the club that night." Our lips are so close we're sharing breaths. "Don't tell me you really want to deny us that kind of pleasure now that we're finally together again."

I lick my lips, and she attacks me.

Her mouth and tongue claim me until her teeth and fingernails get in on the action, leaving trails of the most beautiful kind of destruction on my skin. She's ravenous and wild, and I fucking love that she wants me as much as I want her.

I must have blacked out at some point because I have no recollection of my shirt being taken off. Maybe I was just mesmerized by the feel of Bella in my arms again. When her hands grab for my belt buckle, I stop her.

"Slow down. Let me undress you," I tell her. My voice is deep, raspy even, but she complies with my request.

I carefully remove her sweater and toss it on the nearby chair. Her breasts are practically spilling out of her bra, especially since she's breathing so heavily, but I force my attention to the fucking combat boots. As soon as they're unlaced, she helps me by kicking them off. Next, I go for the waistband of her jeans, undoing the fly and pulling them down her legs. I squat down to finish removing the denim from her body and place soft kisses on her thighs and stomach before standing back up.

Bella watches every step, and the lust darkening her eyes is impossible to miss. I lean down and kiss her again. This kiss has more control but just as much intensity as the one before, and I swear I could kiss this woman forever.

My hands travel to her back, and I swiftly unhook her bra. Bella wastes no time pulling the straps off and letting the material fall to the floor.

In all my life, I've never seen a pair of tits more perfect than these. I've daydreamed about Bella's breasts so much over the last few weeks, wondering what they look and taste like, I almost want to pinch myself to make sure this moment is really happening. Instead, I pinch her. Rolling her nipples firmly with my fingers, I tug them a bit before I let my mouth envelop her puckered flesh.

Bella's nails scratch at my scalp while holding my head in place. "Edward," she moans. "Fuck me. Now. Please."

I want to so bad. I've had tunnel vision since that night at the club, only focusing on how to get Bella back into my bed… any bed. Now that's it's finally happening, I want to savor every minute.

"Not yet," I tell her, meeting her eyes and the opposition that is strong in them.

Before she can argue, I explain. "I didn't get to see you the night we met. Granted, being blindfolded made the sex very intense, but I wish I could've seen you… your body move against mine… your face as you came. I want that now."

"But you can see me. I don't understand what more you want," she argues.

"Yes, I can see you, and you're the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on. But I also want to watch you."

She quirks her eyebrow at me. "Watch me?"

"Yeah, I want to watch you touch yourself. I want to watch you make yourself come, and then I'm going to make you come."

Her breathing starts to pick up, and she bites her bottom lip before sliding her lace panties to the floor. "Okay."

Holy shit.

I didn't know if she'd agree or not. And I don't know how I'm going to manage to watch her and not touch her, but I'll do my damnedest to keep my hands to myself.

Bella crawls onto the bed and immediately starts caressing her tits. She licks her fingertips before pulling and twisting her nipples just like I was doing earlier.

I knew she'd like that.

I carefully sit at the end of the bed, mindful not to cause too much friction between my jeans and my dick. The last thing I want right now is to blow my load before getting inside Bella.

Her eyes never leave mine as she lies back, propping herself up on a stack of pillows.

"You're so fucking beautiful."

Her smile is genuine but is soon covered as she again wets her fingers before trailing them down her body. She spreads her legs, and I'm pretty sure I've died and gone to heaven.

I cuss under my breath and hop off the bed quickly to take my pants off. I truly will die if I ignore my cock any longer.

Bella giggles at me, then rubs a single finger from her slit to her clit, letting out a sigh of relief from finally being touched.

"You're so wet, Bella. Fuck, you're driving me crazy."

I'm mesmerized at the sight of Bella giving herself pleasure. She's not shy, and she knows exactly how and where to touch to make herself feel good. I want to know her body that well and maybe, just maybe, teach her a few new tricks.

She inserts two of her fingers inside her pussy, and my hand automatically goes to my cock and squeezes.

Her back is arched, and her moans keep getting louder and louder.

"That's it, Bella. Make yourself come."

"You too," she gasps. "Come on my tits and stomach. Hurry."

No way am I turning down that request.

My boxer briefs are discarded within seconds, and I'm on my knees next to her, dick in hand. She fucks herself with her left hand and rubs her clit with her right while I pump my cock in short, firm strokes.

Even after everything I've experienced sexually, this is the most erotic thing I've ever done. It's raw yet intimate, and I feel like we're becoming bonded beyond our bodies right now.

"I'm coming, Edward. Oh, god!"

Watching her body tense and pulse and spasm as she groans so loud I'm sure our neighbors two doors down can hear causes my orgasm to rip through me, painting white ribbons over her chest and stomach.

She lies there, satiated for a moment, sighing as the last of her orgasm fades. I fall onto the bed next to her and let the blood flow back to other parts of my body, wondering what the fuck just happened.

Damn, that was fast.

When I glance over and see Bella rubbing my cum into her skin, I feel my dick twitch. He knows that's fucking hot. Seeing myself on her and her liking it is just the catalyst I need to be ready for more.

"That was…" Bella drifts off and rolls onto her side, her soft bare leg tangling with mine.

"Yeah," I agree, pulling her closer.

Last time, she bolted. But not this time. This time, I'm gonna get my round two.


A/Ns:

Jenny Kate: *waggles eyebrows* Well, well, well. What do we have here?

Jiff: Yasss, I needed some lemony goodness in my sweet tea and that hit the spot!

Jenny Kate: Just what the doctor ordered...or Edward. I doubt he expected to see Bella at the bar, let alone get her to agree to meet up with him.

Jiff: I think she surprised everyone (including herself) with how the evening turned out.

Jenny Kate: Well, no complaints from me. In fact, I want round two just as much as Edward. *winks* Should we tell them that we almost left them on a lemon cliffie?

Jiff: No, let's keep that just between us two. We don't want to be accused of cockblocking… lemon blocking?

Jenny Kate: True. We'd rather be known as lemon dealers. And, who knows? There *might* be more where this came from.

Jiff: *crosses fingers*

Jenny Kate: In case you're wondering (and didn't see our message in the group), we're only posting on Fridays for now. This self-publishing business is hard work and very time-consuming, but hopefully, we'll be caught up soon and can go back to our Tues/Fri schedule.

Jiff: Thanks for being patient with us! Thank you, also, to Team Jiffy Kate: GeekChic12, beta-extraordinaire, and Rachel and Pamela, our super pre-readers!