A/N... It's Thursday...and it's my day off, too! That's a big deal right there! I've been waiting for you guys to catch up to THIS POINT because I need you see the chemistry between E and B. I need you to see exactly what Bella is struggling with...on a ummmm...lust level... Teehee

So that being said, this first part is quite...lemony. As lemony as Bella can deal with...which, God bless her, makes her a STRONG woman... Yeah, so this is rated M. And for those that know my writing... You're welcome! LOL :)

On with it... I believe we left our fave couple with Edward zonked out on the sofa.

CHAPTER 10

EDWARD

I awoke with a start to the sound of the bathroom door opening. I sat up quickly, trying to remember reality and not the dark dream I was clambering up out of. I tried to remember actually going to bed – or the couch, really – and I couldn't. The day before had been so exhausting that I must have just passed the fuck out.

I looked up to see Bella walking into the room, and she looked like a ghost or the most perfect vision, or maybe she was just a sight for sore eyes because my dreams weren't as beautiful as she was.

She smiled sweetly when she saw me sit up. "Hey, I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered, walking to me.

I just shook my head, swallowing thickly because she had on a tank top and plaid pajama bottoms, all in a light blue that just made her skin so pretty. I reached out to her, unthinking, and pulled her between my legs, but it seemed that it was okay because she didn't panic.

"I promise not to be so loud from now on," she giggled softly. "I swear, I'm a pretty good roommate. I'm fairly organized, I'm clean, and I can make a bed that you can bounce a quarter on, sir."

I grinned, chuckling softly. "You didn't wake me, Bella," I told her, feeling relieved at the sight of her smile. Her outburst at Mickey the night before had worried me to no end, but she'd joined the table for dinner looking fresh, like she felt a little lighter. "Tell me you're okay..." I said, putting my hands on her waist, a place I knew was safe for her.

"I am. I feel better after getting that out of my system," she sighed, stepping closer and cupping my face. "I'm glad you got some sleep. I can let you..." She jerked her thumb behind her toward the bed, gesturing that she go back to bed.

"No," I said quickly, holding her to me. "Not yet. I just...I want..." I started but couldn't articulate what it was that I actually wanted.

My whole world now revolved around her, and I hadn't had a chance to really talk to her since she'd woken up when Esme's sedative had worn off. I just needed to make sure she was okay.

Starting at her shoulders, I slipped my hands down what skin was safe, what was okay for me to touch. I needed to feel her, but I never wanted to make her uncomfortable. I touched her sides, the outsides of her thighs, and trailed my fingers down her spine before finally coming to rest on her bottom. I looked up at her somewhat amused but darkening gaze.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I told her, hoping that she knew it.

Bella smiled, biting that bottom lip of hers. Her cheeks pinked with a slight blush, but she softly said, "Thank you. Tell me what you want, Edward."

"This," I breathed, slipping my hand along her neck and rubbing my thumb across her bottom lip. I locked gazes with her, surprised to see the same heat I was feeling gazing back at me.

"'Kay," she whispered with a nod and then leaned in.

I needed her touch, her kiss so badly. I needed to make sure the "breakthrough" she'd had earlier hadn't set us back, that she was still in this with me, because somewhere along the way, I needed her to want me. I needed her to chase away the desperate feelings I had when I woke up from bad dreams. My walls were crumbling, and the only one I wanted to pull the bricks away was standing between my legs, smelling like soap and fruit and all warm girl.

With both of her small, warm hands on either side of my face, she brought her mouth to mine. Immediately, those same hands slipped into my hair, and I moaned at the feeling of her pulling me closer. I wrapped an arm around her waist, sitting back in the sofa and bringing her with me, her legs straddling my lap. The sensations that came with that were instant. The feel of her weight on my groin as we lined up just perfectly, her heavy breaths against my cheek as she turned her head to deepen the kiss, and her heart beating against my chest felt so right, so perfect that it caused me to break away from her mouth, kissing down her cheek to her neck.

When I swirled my tongue along her skin just below her ear, her hips rolled over my now-hardening erection.

"Oh fuck," I growled, my head hitting her shoulder, but my hands stilled her hips.

Bella's hands didn't stop. They ran through my hair several times as she caught her breath against my temple before slipping down my shoulders to my sides. I pulled back to watch her touch me. Little fingers caressed my pecs, my abs, and then finally traced around the tattoo on my chest before I looked up at her.

"Touch me, Edward," she whispered, her brow furrowing.

"Show me how, baby," I panted, letting her grab my hands from her waist.

It was so early that the sun wasn't even out yet, but what we were doing felt so intimate, like we were only two people on the planet, because the house was completely silent, except for our whispers, our heavy breathing, and the occasional moan.

"Over the clothes," she said, placing one of my hands on her ribs, but the other one went to her breast.

She gasped, and my eyes immediately shot to her face, but when I felt her nipple harden under my palm, I knew we'd just crossed the next step with her. And God, if that didn't look like it made her happy.

"Yeah?" I asked her, unable to stop my mouth from quirking up at her as I relished the weight of her in my hand.

"Yeah," she answered, her hips rolling against my cock again.

She fit perfectly in my palm, warm and heavy but still perky. It was like she was made just for me. I hadn't been joking with her when I'd told her I was an everything man. I loved all things that made girls...feminine. But the more I learned about Bella, the more I touched her, I realized that no one before her had come anywhere near this perfect for me, the missing piece – my other half.

I brushed my thumb lightly across her pebbled peak, reveling in the sounds it caused her to make, but even more, the prideful smile that crept over her face before diving for my mouth.

"More, Edward," she moaned against my lips.

The sound of my name filled with so much want, so much need, caused me to moan and my own hips to meet the rhythm she was setting. Watching her face carefully, I cupped both her breasts at the same time. I brushed both of her nipples, leaning in to kiss openly and slowly up her neck, whispering words of encouragement.

"That's it, baby, just feel me," I whispered against her skin, feeling her nod, her breath gush out against my cheek. "You're doing so well... When you're ready, Bella, there are so many ways I'm going to make you feel so fucking good."

She whimpered, arching up to me, her hips causing me to harden even further in my pants. I was so close, not because of what she was doing but how beautiful her face was when the next sentence ghosted across my cheek.

"Edward, you do feel good, and I'm so close," she panted, her fingers digging into my shoulder and bicep.

She arched again, and I tentatively lowered my mouth to her nipple, never taking my eyes from hers, especially when she nodded frantically. I held her back as her hips continued to roll over me, my tongue swirling over the fabric of her tank top around her nipple slowly. When I sucked it completely into my mouth, her whole body shattered in my arms.

"Oh, shit!" she gasped, her head falling back as she pressed her apex against me.

I could feel the heat, the moisture coming from her, even through our pajamas. I could feel her muscles twitch against my cock, and I was just about to die from the need to keep rubbing, keep the friction going.

As she calmed down, she folded back into me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. She blinked slowly, her eyes heavy-lidded, and I couldn't help but feel smug about being the one to put that sated look on her face.

She pressed her forehead to mine, her fingers playing with my hair, and a slow smile crept of over her beautiful face.

"Hey, baby," I chuckled at her because she just looked so very relaxed.

"Hey." She sighed contentedly. "You touched me," she giggled, rubbing her nose along mine.

"I did, and it seemed to turn out pretty good for you," I said, kissing her lips softly as she smiled.

She pulled back just enough to smash her lips into mine for another searing kiss. I couldn't help but just hold onto her perfect ass as she ravished my mouth. When we finally broke apart, I stared up at her, my mouth open, panting like I'd run a marathon and still tasting her on my tongue.

Her hand slipped between our stomachs slowly, carefully. Looking in my eyes, she said, "Your turn, Edward..."

~oOo~

BELLA

"Your turn, Edward."

"B-Bella, baby, you d-don't have t-to," Edward stuttered, and that alone caused me to kiss him to distraction.

I felt him shift a bit underneath me, but his hands shot to my hair, turning my head to deepen the kiss.

"You don't want me to?" I asked, knowing the answer because as soon as my hand covered his erection, my stomach clenched at the sound of his beautiful moan.

"God, yes," he panted, his head falling back to the sofa. "B-But o-only if you w-want to..."

I grinned but hid it quickly as I leaned in to kiss down his neck. I trailed my fingers down his toned stomach, over the little line of hair just below his bellybutton, to the edge of his waistband. My hand wrapped around him on the outside of his sweatpants, and I met the rhythm of his hips. They raised up under me, pressing his cock even more against my palm. Edward was rigid under my touch; he was big and twitching, and God if I didn't want more, but I wasn't sure I was ready just yet.

He must have sensed my hesitation because his head snapped up to look at me. "Bella?"

"I want to...do more for you, but..." My voice trailed off, and I swallowed thickly.

It seemed Edward knew the best thing to say because his lips brushed against my cheek as his hand covered my own to guide me over him. "You keep doing exactly what you're doing, baby," he breathed, kissing down my neck. "It's perfect...you're perfect."

One of his hands gripped the back of my tank top, while the other kept my own hand moving at a pace he wanted. The sounds he emitted in my ear told me he was getting close.

"Do you feel that, Bella?" he asked, his face buried in my neck, but he squeezed my hand over his cock as I nodded against his jaw. "That's all you, baby. You did that to me. And I'm about to come so fucking hard..."

We both sped up the rhythm, and I heard his breath catch in his throat, but it was the sound of my name from his lips that caused my next reaction.

"I want to get better, Edward," I whispered into his neck as he wrapped his arms around me.

He pulled his head back, and his eyes were lighter, more content as he studied my face. "You will, baby," he said, standing up with me in his arms.

He walked us to the bed, setting me down gently. "Don't you move," he ordered playfully, his sweet, crooked smile on his face as he pointed a finger at me. "This conversation isn't over. It's just on hold for a moment."

I nodded, watching him grab another pair of sweats from his drawer and walk into the bathroom. By the time he returned, I was chewing my bottom lip to death.

Edward crawled up onto the bed with me, pulling me into his arms so that I was cradled against his chest. "You are getting better, Bella. Look how far you've come."

"I know." I nodded against his bare chest. "I just...want to be normal."

I could feel his smile at the top of my head, but he was quiet for a moment. Suddenly, he rolled us to our sides so he could look me in the eyes.

"Tell me what's normal, Bella," he said firmly, that commanding tenor to his voice that sometimes never went away.

"I don't know..."

"You seem to have this ideal in your mind of where you want to be," he whispered, running his fingers gently through my hair, "and I want to know what that is because I want to get you there. Get us there."

I gnawed at my bottom lip as I studied his serious face. I used to be the type of girl that knew what she wanted, both in and out of the bedroom. I loved touching and being touched. I loved kissing and groping. I loved making love slowly, with long, deep kisses, and sometimes roughly, with sweaty skin and crooked smiles. Sex had been fun once, and I wanted it that way again. And I wanted it so badly with Edward that I could barely see straight.

"I feel like I don't control my body anymore," I whispered, embarrassed with that admission. "I used to be very in control..."

He smiled a wicked, carnal smile as his brow furrowed dramatically. "Hmm... Well, there's a goal to look forward to..."

I giggled, smacking at his arm, but he just chuckled and held me closer. "What about you? This can't be any fun for you...constantly having to watch where you put your hands or make sure I don't freak out..."

"Were we in the same room a minute ago?" he teased, kissing my forehead as I tried not to laugh. "I was never this..." He gestured between us. "I wasn't a hold a girl afterwards type of guy, Bella. That sounds terrible to say, but it's the truth. I was demanding, and I took...and took roughly. Not that I didn't give, because that's...hmm, just as satisfying, but..." He shrugged, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair as he stared at some spot just behind me. "I haven't been with anyone in months."

"Me, either," I stated with a one shoulder shrug.

We were both quiet for a moment, and I realized that we were probably very similar people sexually, prior to my kidnapping. Although I was in a committed relationship – well, I was committed, Jake was an idiot – Edward wasn't, but I'd be willing to bet neither of us was shy in bed.

Edward's hands traced up and down my spine as he just let me be, but what I told him next caused his hand to still.

"I want that...that demanding thing," I whispered, knowing he was watching my face, but I was staring at his neck instead. "I want you to be able to just...fucking touch me when you want. Take when you want. If I'm wearing shorts or a skirt, I want you to be able to touch me, Edward. I need it, but I'm..." I paused for a moment to catch my breath because this was scary shit to admit. "There's something totally hot about someone just not able to control themselves, to just need you, want you so much that they just...fucking take it without fear that it's violating the other person."

He nodded, placing a kiss to the tip of my nose.

"We've known each other for three weeks, Bella. Is this normal?" He chuckled, but his eyes were dark.

"This whole thing isn't normal. It's not like we can date..." I grinned.

"Like I'd know what I was doing there," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"How hard is dinner and a movie?" I countered, cupping his face until he nodded. "But we can't. I'm not sure this would exist had we just met on the street...or at your dad's house..."

He smiled. "I can be...difficult, Bella. I know. But something changed in me when I met you."

Edward had always struggled when it came to expressing his feelings, but I noticed it was only when it was revealing about himself.

"I'm going to ask this again," I whispered, again unable to look him in the eye. "You want this?"

"More than I've ever wanted anything," he whispered back against my cheek. "I just don't know what I'm doing...what you need. Hell, I don't even know...normal."

I smiled, leaning in to kiss up his jaw to his lips. "If we don't know normal...then I guess it doesn't matter."

He smiled against my lips and kissed me back thoroughly.

"Tell me," I started, scooting closer. "If we were this elusive normal, what would you do to me, Edward?"

He grunted, but I felt his hands twitch at my back and the stirrings of something between us again. "Really? You want to hear that?"

"Oh yeah," I said, tangling my legs with his.

His hand slipped up my arm into my hair, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead, cheek, and then lips. "I'd kiss you everywhere, baby. And I do mean...everywhere," he rumbled in the sexiest voice I'd ever heard him use. It was low and filled with such sexual promise that I moaned in response. "I'd want to taste you. I'd want to feel every inch of you shatter when I make you come with only my mouth, Bella. I'd want to leave my mark on you – in places that only you know exist."

"Jesus," I breathed, squeezing my eyes closed, unable to keep from slipping closer to him. I was drawn to his voice, his body, his thigh that was now gliding between my legs.

"Then I'd roll you onto your stomach and start all over, baby," he whispered, kissing down my neck. "I'm nothing if not thorough." He suckled at my earlobe for just a moment before continuing. "I'd want to see every inch of you bare and underneath me. I want to watch your face when I slip inside of you, move inside of you for the first time. I'd wrap your legs around me so I can take you deep and slow. And I'd damn well make sure you were satisfied completely before I came, Bella..."

His voice – hell, his words alone – were making me press down against his thigh.

One of his hands cupped my ass, helping me find the right pressure, the right speed as I used his rock-hard thigh to shamelessly get off again.

"But I wouldn't stop there," he crooned against my ear. "Uh uh, no way. You're too beautiful not to keep up...all...night...long," he rumbled against my jaw. "I'd love to see you move on top of me, baby – your muscles tensing around me. I'd love to be able to kiss down your back as I move in you from behind. I have knowledge that will blow your mind, Bella. I want to make you come with just my hands. I'd take you against the wall so I could control every single second of your orgasm."

"Fuck," I groaned, my eyes rolling back into my head and my stomach tightening with my impending climax.

His grip on my ass tightened as he guided me over his thigh, and my breath caught.

"Come for me again, Bella," he commanded in a whisper against my lips. "I can see that you're close. Show me this is what you want..."

My hands grasped at his strong shoulders as my eyes rolled back. And for a split second, I thought if Edward could do this to me fully clothed, I would not survive it completely naked. To actually feel him inside of me just might send me over the edge, never to come back.

"Fuck, Edward," I cried out softly, and his mouth captured mine in an all-consuming, searing kiss.

My whole body shook with the force of that orgasm, and Edward held me close, running his fingers through my hair and down my back.

"Hmm, it seems we have our list of goals, baby," he said, grinning at me. "And Bella...I'm not going anywhere. I've never...felt like this..."

I nodded, still panting, my sweaty brow pressed to his. "Me, either," I panted, feeling his very hard arousal between us.

"Don't even think about it," he chuckled. "This was all about you, sweetness."

I giggled at the term he'd used in the law office, making fun of Liam's cheesy flirtations. Edward pulled me back down to his chest, and I curled around him. As my eyes drifted closed, I realized I hadn't felt safer since my kidnapping, and I'd never felt as connected to one person as I did to Edward at that moment. Because as sleep overtook my heavy lids, despite our strong wills and his demanding demeanor, despite my aversion to touching and his willingness to help, I was falling hard for the man in my arms.

~oOo~

I awoke the next morning alone in bed, and as I stretched, my hand brushed against something on Edward's pillow. I looked up to one single flower – a daisy. One single white daisy, so perfect that it didn't even look real. The center was as yellow as the sun, the petals white and looked like they'd just opened.

I smiled, picking up the flower and holding to my nose. It was such a simple, sweet gesture that I couldn't help but sigh in contentment. I knew he woke up earlier than I did, but this morning must have been different. To leave the flower was a huge thing for Edward. There was no note, but I got the message.

"And he says he doesn't know what he's doing..." I scoffed to myself with an eye roll. I snickered, set the flower down on the nightstand, and got up to get ready for the day.

From the sun beaming in the window, it looked like it was going to be a rare sunny day, so I dressed in denim shorts and a small white T-shirt, pulling on sneakers, and finally, I tucked the flower into my hair.

The house was quiet inside, but I could hear voices out on the deck. All the girls were sitting around the table, smiling and laughing, and they looked to be just finishing their breakfast.

"Bells!" they all sang, including Mickey, who set her fork down to pass me the waffles.

"Thanks," I said, taking the plate.

"You look better," Rose stated, giving me the once-over with a small smile. "You're getting sleep."

I nodded, swallowed what I was chewing, and said, "Yeah. I kinda slept in, didn't I?"

"No harm, Bella," Esme told me, waving it off. "You need to catch up anyway. And the girls haven't exactly been productive, except to make the decision to go swimming..."

I chuckled, looking around at all of them.

"You should come with us," Alice chirped, practically bouncing in her chair. "It's supposed to be sunny all day."

I looked down at my lap, seeing the long scar on my thigh, and shook my head. "No, but thank you," I whispered, frowning and avoiding their silence, but Rose was not to be deterred.

"I got you a one-piece, Bella," she soothed, touching my hand. "No one will see anything..."

Esme saw me eye the scar on my leg and decided to put her therapist hat on. "What happened there?"

I bit my lip, looked up at her and then around to my friends. I was wondering why she was asking in front of the girls, but in reality, I'd spilled everything to them two days ago so there was no harm in continuing. If I was going to make an effort with Edward, then I damn well could do it with my girls – hell, Mickey, too, for that matter.

"Um..." I started, running my finger down its length. It was about four inches long and not too dark, considering Esme had stitched it up nicely. "I think when Carlisle and Edward showed up, they set off an alarm of some sort," I whispered, closing my eyes and trying to remember. "He had picked up a knife and was running it down my face and stomach. He cut my underwear. He said he was ready for me...that it was...time."

"Time for what?" Makenna whispered, her face pale when I looked up at her.

"Mack!" Alice and Rose hissed at her.

"He kept telling me once he was finished with me, he was going to...have his way..." I said, my throat suddenly dry. "But the alarm...caused him to jump, and when he spun around, the tip of the knife caught my leg."

I looked up at Esme, who was smiling sadly but proudly. "Good girl," she whispered.

"And when did Edward get in there?" Mickey asked, her face dark and serious.

"Right after that," I told her with a nod. "Miller blamed the alarm on a deer crossing a sensor or something, but once he realized it wasn't an animal, he flipped the fuck out. He came downstairs one more time to ask me who'd found me." I sighed, looking at my scar one more time. "I could only think that Alice must've gotten my GPS thing working... But I lied, said I didn't know, and he ran back upstairs. There were a few explosions...I don't know what they were."

"Um, one was the barn," Alice stated with a shrug. "Carlisle took out the power supply and all that guy's satellite equipment."

"The other was the front door," I heard behind me, that same soft voice I remembered pulling me from the darkness.

I spun to look at Edward, who was wearing an unreadable expression. He was wearing black cargo shorts and a tight white T-shirt, carrying an ax, of all things.

"The door was high tech. Plastic explosives work every time," he said with a shrug. "Once my dad blew the barn, we needed to move because we weren't sure where Miller was."

"Oh, okay." I nodded, turning back to Mickey. "He came in after that. I don't remember much after he took me upstairs..."

"That's because you fell asleep," he chuckled, kneeling beside me.

"Should I be worried that it's Friday the thirteenth or something?" I snickered, pointing to the ax in his hand. "Do you know Jason...big guy...hockey mask...likes to chop up campers in the woods?" I teased, gesturing around us at the fact that we were in the middle of no-damn-where.

He grinned, shaking his head. "No, there's a big rain storm coming in from the west tomorrow, so we'll need firewood, silly," he answered with a chuckle. "Emmett's coming to help me. Nice flower, by the way," he said with his smirk, pointing to my hair before standing up.

"I thought so, too," I sighed dramatically, not giving anything up to our audience. "That's why I'm wearing it," I teased him.

"Let's go, Eddie!" Emmett boomed, coming out the sliding glass doors. "Let's go play lumberjacks!"

He was wearing long khaki shorts and no shirt, and I thought Rose would fall out of her chair.

Edward snorted, rolling his eyes, and gave me one last serious look before walking away with Emmett.

"Come on," Rose ordered, tugging my hand. "You don't have to swim, but you can at least hang out with us, Bells."

I nodded, shoving my plate away, and followed Rose, Alice, and Mack to their room.

"I'm gonna give you a choice, Bells," Rose stated, walking to the pile of bags in the corner of the room. "I thought this would be an issue, so I bought you two suits. A one-piece...or a tankini..."

She held them both up, and I frowned at them. Neither would cover everything, but at least the tankini didn't look too bad, and it had boy shorts. The boy shorts were solid dark blue, while the top had multicolored stripes. The one-piece was simple solid red.

"That's a bit Baywatch, don't you think?" I asked, pointing to the red one.

Alice exploded into giggles. "Come on, Bells...you can run in slow motion along the beach..." My tiny pixie starting running in exaggerated slow motion around the room, pretending that her non-existent boobs were bouncing with each step, which only led to Makenna joining her while singing the theme to that hideous TV show.

I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't think so," I snorted, snatching the tankini out of a laughing Rose's hand. "But I reserve the right to cover up at my discretion."

Once we were dressed, I had to admit that the bathing suit covered up more than I'd been expecting. The main portion of my scars were on my torso. Along with the burns on my stomach, there were two on the underside of each of my breasts. There were multiple small scrapes and cuts that were already fading away, but those were everywhere. If I counted my blessings – Edward coming inside that basement when he had was the number one blessing – then I should be grateful that I wasn't scarred worse than I was. And it wasn't even the scars that bothered me the most; it was the actions that had come when I'd received them. It was the punches and Miller's laugh and all the things he'd said while doing them.

By the time we all were dressed, had grabbed a bunch of towels, and filled a cooler with beers and sodas, I was actually looking forward to hanging out with just my girls while the boys did whatever they were doing.

Mickey passed us in the hallway, stating she'd been up all night and was going to bed. "Don't let the Paul Bunyans ruin your fun, ladies..." She chuckled, closing the door to her room.

"Is Jasper sleeping, too?" Makenna asked Alice as we walked through the back sliding glass doors.

"No, he can go days without sleep," Alice stated with a shrug. "Something about being a sniper. He can sit or lie for days without moving. He can't change it..." She shrugged again, but we all ran into the back of Makenna when she came to an abrupt stop.

"What the...?" I started, holding onto her to keep from falling out of the house.

Makenna's mouth was hanging open, her face blushing a deep red. "Holy shit," she breathed, her eyes locked on something toward the edge of the lake.

I followed her gaze, hearing Rose groan beside me.

"Oh, hot damn," Alice and Rose muttered at the same time.

It seemed all the boys were in on the firewood chore because all three were down by the lake. All three were sweaty, stripped bare to the waist, using their strength to get the job done. Emmett was lifting the full logs, setting them on their end so Edward could swing the ax down over it, slicing it in half, only to do it again to create four logs. Jasper was carrying the finished pieces to the pile at the side of the cabin.

"That should be a fucking screensaver," Makenna muttered, holding up her phone to take the video.

"Um...text that to me..." Rose whispered.

"No texting!" Alice hissed. "Just...give me the fucking phone later. I'll burn a DVD."

I laughed, but it died in my throat as I watched Edward run a hand through his sweaty hair. He was so fucking hot, it was almost painful to look at. His shorts had dropped low on his hips, his muscles were sharp and defined from the workout he was getting in, and every inch of him was glistening with sweat. Add in the light touch of stubble on his face, the smile at whatever Emmett was saying, and his hair sticking up everywhere, and I couldn't help but moan at the sight. Because despite how limited we were in what Edward and I could do, I still wanted him. Badly. It was like being hungry but the piece of chocolate cake was locked under glass. And Edward was cake and sex and all things yummy all rolled into the one thing that I couldn't quite touch the way I wanted.

"Jesus Christ, he'll be the death of me," I mumbled, shoving Makenna to get her attention.

"Why, Bellsy?" Mack sang with the silliest of grins.

"Shut it. Just...go," I snorted, shoving at her again.

We walked out to the dock, laying out our towels, but Rose deliberately took her time bending down to straightening hers.

"You are so shameless," I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

"Not everyone got their hero to save them, Bells," she huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

I frowned, shaking my head. "It's not like that," I sighed, sitting down on the dock's edge and dipping my feet into the cool water. I leaned against one of the docking posts, staring back toward where the boys were still working, only now a tad bit distracted by our presence. "I don't know what it is, but it's not the whole hero worship...thing..." I mumbled, watching as the girls sat beside me, all of them sticking their feet into the water.

"Have you kissed him again?" Alice asked with a smirk.

"Wait, what? What do you mean...again?" Makenna gasped, her mouth hanging open as she stared at me, then at Edward, and then at me again. "Oh, girl, if you don't spill, I'm totally knocking you into this lake!"

I chuckled, shaking my head, but I glanced up to look at Edward briefly before telling them a little bit of the things we'd tried, leaving out the things they didn't need to know – like details. However, it was enough information to make Makenna swoon.

"This whole thing I'm dealing with...I can't be myself anymore," I told them, splashing my feet in the water.

Rose lay back onto her back, her feet still in the water, but her eyes never left me. "You're still...you. You just had the shit kicked out of you."

"I guess," I said with a shrug. "I feel so off, like I'm battling inside with the fear that freezes me and the person that I used to be."

"But you're not scared of anything but being touched...and only in certain places," Alice noted, and it wasn't accusatory, just her way of thinking out loud. "What does Edward say?" she asked, her face serious.

"He's surprisingly...encouraging," I said with a smile I couldn't stop. I turned to look at her, and she was beaming. "He's always so...that..." I pointed across the lake to Edward ordering Jasper and Emmett to "stop fucking around so that they could finish what the hell they were doing."

We all laughed, falling over onto the deck in heaps of giggles because that's how we saw Edward just about on a daily basis.

"But he's not that way with me," I finally finished, wiping away tears.

"You know," Rose said, still chuckling from the perfect timing of that earlier statement, "the Bella I used to know...she would have already walked a beer over, just to watch him drink it."

"Ten bucks if you do it." Makenna smirked, reaching into her bag and pulling out a ten dollar bill.

"That's my change from WalMart, Mack," I laughed, and Alice and Rose joined me.

"Well, you can have it back...if you take Edward this beer," she chirped, pulling out a bottle from the cooler and holding it out to me.

"Hmm," Alice mused, tapping her chin and staring longingly across the water at Jasper. "The Bella I knew would make him come to her."

"I'll do us all a favor, then," I said with a chuckle, standing up and grabbing the bottle from Makenna. "Hey, boys!" I yelled across the lake.

Three sweaty heads spun instantly, the argument they were having just to piss Edward off ending immediately. In fact, I was pretty sure he was about to grab poor laughing Emmett by the throat.

"Beer?" I asked, taking the bottle and drawing a long gulp from it.

"That's my girl," Rose chortled, sitting up just to watch the three of them strut our way. "Mm-mm-mm," she groaned, shaking her head. "Oh, Bellsy, I owe you one."

"I'll remember that," I giggled softly, sitting back down in my spot.

Heavy footsteps hit the wooden dock, rumbling all the way up to where we were sitting on the end. If I thought watching Edward work from across the backyard was hot, then nothing could have prepared me for what he looked like all sweaty and flushed and hair in disarray up close. He seemed to be pissed off at his boys, but that just added to the sexiness that he was exuding at that very moment.

"Here," I said with a smirk, holding out another beer from the cooler and passing out three.

"Hey, that's the last of the fucking beer!" Emmett growled.

"And?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Esme's gone to the store now, and I'm pretty sure that she'll pick up more beer."

Emmett's mouth snapped shut, much to Jasper's amusement, but my attention shifted to Edward, who was taking long draws on his bottle, his throat working with every swallow, and I suddenly had the urge to lick it. Lick his neck, his jaw, his sweaty chest, his tattoo, his abs...

I shook my head, taking my own drink before finally finding my voice. "You looked like you could use it," I told him, fighting my smile.

"Thanks." He sighed, kneeling next to me. "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over there," he snorted, jerking a thumb behind him toward Jasper and Emmett, "thought it would be funny to take their sweet-ass fucking time..." He glared their way, but neither of the boys looked chastised.

I chuckled at Jasper's and Emmett's goofy smiles, looking back to Edward's grumpy face. "Did you guys get it done?" I asked innocently, trying not to watch the boys' nodding heads and focus on Edward's oh-so-serious expression.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Good," I chirped, patting his sweaty shoulder and fighting the urge to lick my lips. "Then you can hang out here."

I watched his expression change from cranky, to surprised, to amused. "I still have to make another perimeter check."

"Later," Emmett grumped from behind him.

"Later," I mimicked, "and I'll run it with you. Emmett can have the night off."

He snorted, looked back at Jasper and Emmett, who were looking everywhere but at their boss, and then looked back to me.

I caught my girls' eyes, and they were all waiting with bated breath for him to say yes. They wanted so badly just to hang out with everyone. It had been a rough few weeks, and I knew my girls just wanted to have a little fun, or they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of buying my bathing suit, laying out all the towels, and bringing out beer to coax the boys over.

"It's a five-mile perimeter, Bella," he said with a smirk, but I could see a slight glint in his eye. He was totally giving in.

"That's fine," I chuckled. "But it's a Sunday, Edward. A weekend. Try to find some sort of time to relax..."

He grinned and nodded, finally sitting completely down beside me. He unlaced his shoes, removing his socks as his boys took the opportunity to follow suit. Soon, the radio was on, the beer and sodas were passed around, and we all started trading stories. After about two hours, even Mickey joined us, stating that we were making too much noise, having too much fun to resist for her to fall asleep.

Rose and I traded stories about high school. Makenna and Alice told stories about going out – all of us girls – and the bombed dates, hideous pick up lines, and terrible dancers we'd encountered over the years. Emmett and Jasper told hilarious stories about training camps and practical jokes on each other and Edward, but the best were stories of Edward's piloting skills.

"So, yeah," Emmett chuckled. "We were supposed to fly into Mexico, grab this guy's kidnapped daughter, and bring her back to the States. The mother was from San Juan and decided to take her there without telling him anything. She was heavy into the drug trade, so you can understand how he didn't want his kid down there...right?"

We all nodded, excited to hear the story, but Edward just sighed.

"Anyway, we had this all planned out," Jasper continued the story. "Carlisle was walking in there with Emmett, who looked like a damn bodyguard. Mick was dressed as his assistant or some shit, but in reality, she was there to find the kid, pick whatever lock she was behind."

"She wasn't in the house," Edward muttered. "The kid...she was outside."

"How old was she?" Alice asked, her little brows furrowed.

"Twelve," Edward chuckled. "Smart as shit...wanted to go home, so as soon as she heard shit go bad inside the house, she bolted. Headed straight toward me and Jasper."

"Oh, damn, what happened?" Makenna gasped, turning to Mickey.

"One of the drug cartel's gunmen got...touchy," she growled, rolling her eyes at the boys' laughter.

"God, I thought she'd shoot the bastard right there," Emmett guffawed. "Grabbed her ass without shame. But the second that Eddie and Jazz said they had the girl, we let her pound the guy once before bolting out the back door. We were supposed to leave after the fake drug deal because we were only there to catch sight of the kid and to make a plan for pick up later, but that didn't happen..."

"Ed comes flying over the back fence, practically landing his chopper right on the back porch." Mickey snorted. "Scared the shit out of the mother because Jazz started picking off guards left and right. They had to cover us 'til we could get from the house to the chopper."

Edward chuckled softly, but his gaze was on his feet in the water, not really on anything else.

"The fuckers that were supposed to be watching the kid came from the other side of the yard, and soon...we were surrounded and split up." Mickey snorted. "You took a huge chance, pretty boy..."

Edward grinned down at the water and shrugged. "You're alive, right?" he countered, still not looking up, and I could now see his demeanor as embarrassment. He didn't like the praise.

"Barely," Jasper huffed, rolling his eyes. He turned to Alice to finish off the story. "Ed tells me to start firing with the AK-47 and not to stop until he tells me to. Fucker takes that copter, spins it in a circle for me to take out the guys behind us. Then, he hovers over just close enough to grab Emmett, who was on the far side of the house because he'd had to dive behind a car. Edward set that copter on top of the fucking car, making sure to crush the roof so they couldn't drive the bitch!"

I laughed, looking over at Edward, but he still wouldn't look up. He just took a long drink from his beer.

"But more fuckers arrived, so Edward tells me and Carlisle to run upstairs to the top window. And damned if he didn't put that thing right the fuck there so that we could step from the house to the chopper without even having to jump," Mickey chuckled. "Came this close," she said, holding up her finger and thumb barely an inch apart, "to snagging the power lines with his blades."

"So you got the kid home to her father?" Rose asked, looking over at Emmett with her mouth hanging open.

"Yeah, but the drug leader shot her mom in the head as we pulled out," Edward mumbled, his brow furrowed and his mouth in a thin line, before he downed the rest of his beer. "Kid saw the whole thing."

"Aw damn," I sighed, shaking my head.

And there was the real Edward...right there. There was the reason that he thought he was a monster – why he didn't think what they did was good or heroic or even beneficial. Despite the good that came out of that whole situation – the saving of a child from a terrible life – he saw a child lose their mother right in front of their eyes. He saw the backlash of what poor decisions had on one little girl. It wasn't just the mother making a choice to delve her child into the dark drug world, or the fact that the plan could've gone better, or even that he'd ordered to kill. It was all of it. Every decision Edward made stayed with him, including the repercussions afterwards.

And I suddenly wanted to kiss him, to tell him he'd saved his whole crew – and a little girl that was innocent in the whole thing. He'd saved her to let her grow up to become something, to have a life, not to be a part of her mother's fucked-up world.

But instead of that, I asked, "You have your own helicopter?"

His head shot up, and he turned to me. "Hmm? Yeah, yeah...it's at my house..."

He had a house? And his own fucking helicopter? My eyebrows shot up because that was the sexiest thing I'd ever heard. I needed to see him fly it. He abso-fucking-lutely had to fly me somewhere. And at the moment, I didn't care if he flew me into hell or Disneyland.

"I want a ride," I giggled, tilting my head at him when all my girls joined in.

"Fuck yeah!" Rose cheered. "That would so rock."

"Yeah, we could like buzz the Twilight Tech tower, flipping off Billy," Makenna laughed, her head falling back.

Edward grinned, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Fine, ladies. When shit cools down, I'll take you out..."

"Sweet!" Alice growled, giving Rose and Mack a fist bump.

I chuckled at them all.

"Speaking of Billy," Alice said, getting up from her perch at Jasper's side. "I need to check and see if Carlisle has emailed any updates. And I'm starving..."

The rest of them got up, saying they'd make a bunch of sandwiches, but I stayed put, looking out over the lake.

"Can you swim?" Edward asked suddenly, following my gaze.

"Um, yeah," I told him with a nod. "Why?"

"See that floating dock in the middle?" he asked, pointing to the center of the lake.

"Is that what that is?"

"Uh huh," he said, standing up and offering me a hand. "Race you to it." He chuckled, and his eyes were bright green – whether from the adolescent challenge or the story we'd just heard, I wasn't sure.

He tugged me up to my feet, dropping his phone, keys, and wallet onto the deck next to my towel. He stood next to me at the end of the dock.

"My dad and I would race all the time when we'd stay here," he said, turning to me with a smile. "Ready?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. "On three, okay?"

"One..." he laughed, leaning over.

"Two..."

"Three!" we both yelled, diving in.

Despite the fact that I was in pretty decent shape, Edward had me beat by his strength and height. My hand slapped down onto the floating dock a mere second after his did.

"Still champ!" he laughed, but I put my hands on top of his head, pushing him under the water.

Strong, firm arms wrapped around me underwater as he came up in front of me. A wet Edward was a fucking gorgeous Edward, as he leaned forward, his hair slicked away from his face.

I couldn't help but wrap my legs around him when he pulled me close. It was a new but sensational feeling. It wasn't uncomfortable or scary; it wasn't even giving me a panicky feeling. In fact, it felt good to be that close to him.

"Is that okay?" he asked, his voice a husky whisper and still a little out of breath from our race.

"Yeah," I said, my own voice sounding surprised.

He smiled a sweet, wide smile. "I wanted to stay this morning..."

"But thank you for the flower," I countered, leaning in closer when his hands flattened on the bare skin of my back.

"Mmhm," he hummed, pressing his forehead to mine.

Something in me snapped. Maybe it was watching his activities earlier, or maybe it was hearing about his helicopter or his excellent piloting skills, or maybe it was just the leftovers from being in his arms the night before. But the kiss I laid on him caused us both to groan, to turn our heads, to drag teeth across bottom lips. It caused me to pull him closer, digging my fingers into his back.

Edward wrapped his arms around me, his hands caressing my neck, my shoulders, my ass.

"Edward! Bella!" we both heard from the shore.

We broke apart with gasps, staring at each other as Jasper called us again from shore.

"Come in, 'cause Carlisle sent a message, guys!"

"Can't it wait?" Edward growled back, finally breaking our gazes to look at him.

"No, he's got info. Guys...it's not good..." He stopped, like he was debating on saying anything else. "Um...they may know where we are..."

"Oh, fuck me," Edward growled, turning back to me.

"Come on, Edward," I sighed, wiping water from his face. "Let's go see what he says."

He nodded and took a deep breath, but stopped me before I could swim away. "No matter what, Bella. I will protect you... I'll keep you with me..."

I smiled, but it was a nervous smile because I wasn't sure about anything when it came to our lives. "I know. Let's go..."

A/N... Yeah, I know...a cliffie. You better get used to them in this story. LOL. Just sayin'.

So our couple had a little fun...relieved a little stress, so to speak. They also tested a few of Bella's boundaries. And like Edward said, they now have their list of goals. Mmmhmm... whew. Yes, Edward was a little cranky the next day. And you will find out why because the next chapter is in his POV.

However, a shirtless, sweaty, intense, wood-chopping, PILOT Edward is just damn hot, not to mention Emmett and Jasper. And I'm with Mack...that needs to be a screen saver. LOL

Like I said in the first A/N...I wanted you guys to catch a glimpse of their chemistry because Bella was not a shy person when it came to sex before, and she's feeling out of sorts with the way that her mind is controlling her. Just keep that in mind. Edward on the other hand...is willing to help her because... well, he's just as outgoing sexually. And they are drawn to each other. I imagine if she hadn't been kidnapped, they'd have been at it like bunnies already... LOL But our girl, Bella, is falling hard already.

Anyway, I'm gonna pimp a story... I don't normally pimp stories, but this one I will. I just started The Greatest Gift by my girl, les16. When I say I just started, I mean that I'm only on chapter 10, but so far, this story has me sad, nervous, scared, amused, and turned on all at the same time. You guys that have been with me for a while know my tastes...so when I tell you that I'm hoping, praying, and begging for a HEA, then you'll know that I've put my faith in this author...and this is fantastically written. It's AH...and definitely different. Apparently, Edward is a jerk that needs to have his head yanked from his ass, and there's a guardian angel that is just the guy to do it. Give it a go, and if you do, then leave my girl some love.

Next, I wanna thank JenRar for betaing this... I love her with a sickness. Seriously. I don't know what I'd do without her. I know that these chapters wouldn't be as good...I know that for sure! :)

Okay, reviews are better than a shirtless, wet Edward kissing you in the lake on a hot summer day... Ummm yeah...no, they aren't. LMAO BUT...they are awesome for me, so please send me some love or hate, or "they're moving too fast," or "she just needs to kiss the shit out of him," or even "take what you can get, Bells"... LOL But I will be posting again on Sunday or Monday, so you can yell for that to hurry up. Okay...until then... Later! :)