A/N: I do not own Twilight, SM does and I am very happy for her. I am just having fun with my own ideas for these characters. Thanks to my lovely, generous Beta Gooseonline. Mistakes are my own and I am still Australian, mate. Thank you for the follows, favourites and most especially for the lovely reviews. *mwhah*
Chapter 10 - scallops and crab puffs
"Edward?" She tilted her head and looked a little worried. "Are you okay? You've gone a little pale."
Was I okay? She's a virgin! A fucking virgin… wait, you can't be a fucking virgin, it's an oxymoron…. and that is not the important issue right now is it, Edward? You're the moron.
Why was she looking at me like that? I realised I was standing there with my mouth open just staring at her. Speak to her you idiot.
Finally I managed to speak outside of my own head, "Um…," brilliant start moron, "Isabella," better, now keep going. "I'm okay, sweet one, you just look so beautiful, you took my breath away." Nice save… maybe. She was still looking at me with a concerned expression.
"C'mon beautiful, let's get in the car so we can go to the club, okay?" I took her hand and helped her into the back of the car.
I turned in my seat to face her, I cupped her cheek with my hand and I leaned in to kiss her. Kissing her just felt so good, I wanted to kiss her all night, that would be perfect.
She leaned away after the kiss and giggled.
"That's a lovely sound. I want to hear you giggle more and more."
"I'd like that Edward," she told me simply.
"Edward?" She turned as best she could to face me with a serious look on her face.
So fucking adorable.
"Isabella," I replied in a slightly teasing tone.
"Was I right to tell you that I am a virgin?" she asked. I wished she'd stop saying virgin because it messed with my head.
She was on a roll.
"I have never been on a date before and this is our second date. When you mentioned 'stealing my virginity'" she used air quotes, which was very cute, "Well I know you were joking but then I realised you probably do want sex."
Oh god, my pants got very tight to hear this innocent girl talking so frankly about sex and she kept talking. "I thought you should probably know that I am a …." I leapt forward and kissed her passionately. I had to stop her saying virgin or sex again because honestly I think I would jizz in my pants if she said either of those words again.
It wasn't a brilliant tactic, I realise that but I really needed to think about this for a moment.
My dick was rock hard and pushing against my zipper, sorry boy down you go because I want to just kiss. We are going to do this right if it kills us. Kissing. That's what I want to do right now, just kissing. I slowed our kiss and looked into her beautiful face, her eyes were glazed over and she licked her luscious lips. Good she's too dazed to talk for a while.
I leaned back on the chair and dropped my head back.
"Sex is very, very nice, but right now I just want to kiss you… a lot." I smiled at her and she laughed sitting back on her chair, leaning her head back but turning her happy face towards me.
"Don't get me wrong, love. I definitely want sex in our future but I want to take it slow. I want to be completely honest with you, is that okay?"
She simply nodded.
"I am so attracted to you. I think about you all the time and I will admit that many of those thoughts are not exactly innocent thoughts.
"Although I have had more relationship and sexual experience than you…. a lot more experience than you apparently … most of it has not been good. The sex has been good but the relationships have not.
"Without wanting to sound too melodramatic I've been hurt and it has left me with some serious trust issues. While I am owning up to stuff I should tell you that I can be a little jealous and possessive at times." I looked at her a little coyly. I wasn't sure if she'd noticed that about me yet.
"Is that the growling thing?" she asked. Yes, of course she'd noticed.
"Well yeah. But I'm trying to control that as much as I can. It's just that I like you a lot and that makes me a little over-protective. I want to keep you all to myself.
"What I am trying to say is that, I want to get to know you and for you to get to know me. I want us to take this relationship one step at a time and I do want a relationship with you."
"I want that too Edward. I like you very much and I want to get to know you. There is a lot about me that you don't know but I want you to know me." She looked a little sad as she spoke.
I reached forward again and kissed her softly. "I like kissing you Miss Swan."
She giggled and shook her head. "I like kissing you too Mr Cullen. Kissing is new to me but I really like it." She blushed a delightful pink as she spoke.
"So, enough with the heavy," I declared slapping my hands down on my thighs.
"We're going to have a delicious dinner." I started listed off our agenda "We're going to talk and get to know one another a little better.' I looked over to her and she nodded, so I continued. "Then we're going to go dancing downstairs in the club, so I can hold your delectable body close to me making myself crazy, all the while knowing we are not going to have sex tonight but we're both okay with that. Yes?" I turned to face her and gauge her reaction.
She laughed and held my cheek. "You forgot the kissing!"
"Oh, yes, and I am going to kiss you …. a lot."
"Better." She touched my thigh as she leaned over to touch her lips to mine.
"This will be perfect Edward, there is so much I want to tell you and so much I want to know about you."
I kissed her again, I couldn't help it and she ran her fingers through my hair which made me moan into her mouth. I leaned away and dropped my head back against my chair and looked at her.
"So beautiful," I whispered to her.
She smiled.
After Tyler pulled up at the front entrance at Twilight, the Valet attendant opened Bella's door and I guided Bella past the line for the Club to the door for the restaurant entry where the doorman held the door open for us greeting me by name. Bella gave me a quizzical look but said nothing.
We entered the glass lift and I pressed the button for the restaurant level. When the doors closed and we started to rise slowly, she turned to enjoy the view down into the Club.
"Been here before Edward?" she asked, probably wondering how the doorman knew me.
"Mmm," I spoke softly. I didn't want to make a big deal and appear boastful but I wanted to be honest with her. "I am one of the owners of this place."
She seemed relieved at that, which I found curious. "How many owners are there?"
"Two. I own half of Twilight. The other owner, Garrett, brought the venture to me. He had an excellent business plan, beautiful layout designs and great enthusiasm but he needed a financial backer. So rather than loaning him the whole amount, I loaned him half for him to pay back which he already has and I bought half of the business to keep. It looked like a good investment." Again I tried to sound matter of fact.
I actually am part owner of a lot of businesses and she will need to get her head around that as I plan for us to be together for a while. A very long while.
"A good investment by the look of it," she said looking down through the glass walls of the elevator to the crowded dance club below us.
"Yes it is." I didn't want to say more. "We're here," I announced unnecessarily as the elevator doors opened to the restaurant.
"Welcome to Twilight," the hostess said warmly. Her eyes popped a little when she realised who I was but she didn't let it throw her, which was good as I don't like to be fussed.
"Mr Cullen, we have your table ready sir." she kept her tone professional but warm. I was pleased when she smiled at Isabella. "Won't you please follow me."
When I booked I had requested a more secluded table and as the hostess walked us through the busy restaurant to get to our quiet little nook I was appalled at how many men were ogling my Isabella.
She looked amazing so I shouldn't have been surprised by other men and some of the women admiring her but I was fighting the urge to grab her and cover her with my jacket. I was determined not to act like a possessive pig tonight and resisted the urge to growl at them, like I had done with poor Tyler earlier. But I did pull her closer to me and kissed her shoulder to let them all know she was mine and to back the fuck off.
She looked up at me and grinned. I think she knew what I was doing. But hey, I was trying. I gave her an apologetic look and then leaned down to steal a kiss from her lips. I just couldn't help it she's so deliciously sweet.
Once we were seated I ordered sparking water for us and we were left to peruse our menus. When the waitress returned we each ordered our food and then we were finally alone.
"I know," she enthused, "to get through the simple questions about each other we'll take turns asking questions which we both have to answer. Does that sound okay?"
So adorable.
"Yes sweet one, that sounds like a great way to get started. I want us to know all of each other's secrets."
"I'll go first, since the game was my idea. We'll start off easy, okay?" she asked. I nodded and waved my hand for her to start.
"Your favourite colour?" she asked.
"Brown, like your eyes", I smirked. "What about you?"
"Green, same reason."
"Age and birthday?" I asked.
"Nineteen but I turn twenty on September 13." I smiled at her. Good, that's not far off.
"I turned twenty-seven on June 20." She looked a little pensive, obviously thinking about the seven to eight year gap. She smiled. I think she's okay with it too.
Our entrees arrived and we paused to thank the server and to enjoy our food. Bella had ordered scallops and I had ordered crab puffs. I was relieved that she seemed to enjoy her food. I certainly enjoyed mine.
"You have a beautiful body Isabella," I stated. Her eyes widened with shock at me blurting out such a bold statement, seemingly out of the blue.
"So my question is," showing her that my comment was part of our Q&A game, "how do stay so gorgeous when you cook such delicious food?"
She laughed. "Oh, okay. Well I love to run. I try to run about five miles a day. I used to travel around a lot with my Mother so I found running was something I could do anywhere we lived.
"I had a small running machine so that when we were somewhere I didn't feel comfortable running around or if the weather was bad, I could still run. I find it helps me to think more clearly about problems and sometimes to just not think at all."
Interesting that she travelled a lot with her mother. I wonder why?
I smiled as she spoke about running because we had this in common.
"I like to run too. Actually we have a gym in our building, so I work out every work day which always includes some distance of running. I try to run at least once on the weekend too. I ran five miles today in fact."
The server came and took our empty plates. Bella made a point of telling her how much she'd enjoyed her scallops. I liked that she always seemed to take the time to say something to people doing things for her. So unlike Tanya and the society harpy set.
I looked at her for a moment, I wanted to ask more serious questions but was nervous. I really wanted to know more about her, she was such a mystery to me. Suck it up Cullen and just ask her.
"Isabella, I want to ask bigger questions now. The sort that need bigger answers. Is that okay?" If she didn't want this she'd just say no, right?
"Okay."
"Where did you grow up?"
"Forks. A small town about four hours drive from Seattle. My father, Charlie, was Chief of Police and my mother, Renee, was a kindergarten teacher. We lived there until I was a bit over thirteen years old."
She took a sip of her water and I wondered if she would go on or if she would ask me a question but I was pleased that she chose to continue her story.
"Charlie was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was about eleven I think. He battled for about two years but in the need it beat him." Her eyes were wet as she spoke of her father, so I reached across the table to hold her hand.
"After he died my mom couldn't bear to stay in that small wet town as she called it." She chuckled lightly as she said this. "She rented out our house and bought a large sort of camper. She arranged for me to be home-schooled and we took off to tour the states.
"It was fun and I loved travelling with my mom. The battle with cancer was hard on Dad of course, but it was hard on us too and we were both deeply sad. Hitting the road and leaving behind those sad memories to wander from place to place was perfect.
"Renee would pick a spot on the map and we'd drive there. Some places we stayed for months, some places weeks and a few places just a couple of days."
Bella laughed at that and I smiled. I could well imagine there would be some places that would look great on a map and be pretty horrible when you got there.
"We stayed in caravan parks and the like," she continued. "Renee would get any kind of work to cover our expenses until she wanted to move on. We saw a large part of the country. Renee even made me a quilt with all the t-shirts we'd collected from the more touristy spots."
She took a deep shaky breath. I didn't want her to get more upset so I thought I would jump in and answer for myself.
"I grew up here in Seattle. I was an only child until I was almost thirteen." She looked at me a little quizzically trying to understand that and I realised that of course she had met Alice. So she knew there was less than thirteen years between us.
"My parents died in a car accident," I explained and her eyes filled with sympathy as she squeezed my hand.
"Anyway, I went to live with my godparents Esme and Carlisle. I had two Uncles who also wanted me to live with them Aro and Marcus Volturi."
"Volturi Inc, the investment company?" she asked. I wondered how she knew that but just nodded to confirm.
"Anyway, my parents had stipulated in their Wills that if anything should happen to them that I should live with Esme and not with my Uncles. There was a bit of legal haggling but in the end I was adopted by Esme and Carlisle. I spent holidays and lots of weekends with each of my Uncles and their families."
"A few months after I came to live with the Cullens, Emmett joined us." I smiled as I mentioned Emmett. "He and I are very close. Actually he works with me at Cullen & Masen. A little while after Emmett joined the family Alice came to live with us too."
"So lovely that your Uncles wanted you but also that the Cullens wanted you too."
"Yes, I have been blessed." It was true I was rich with loving family, except perhaps for Caius and James, but I didn't want to talk about my fucked up cousins tonight.
"You are a Cullen," she said, not really asking anything, so I just nodded. "So who is Masen?"
"Oh, well that's me too. My birth parents were Elizabeth nee Volturi and Edward Masen. When I became a Cullen I kept Masen as a middle name so I am Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."
"My father, Edward Senior, was in investments and ventures just as I wanted to be so when I started the company I thought it was a fitting tribute to name my company after the two strongest influences of my life." I smiled shyly at her a little embarrassed by my sentimentality.
"That's beautiful Edward," she reassured me. "You've been very successful, with Cullen & Masen being in the top three investment firms in Washington."
I frowned a little wondering how she knew this.
"I read about you in the business section … and I googled you," she explained.
Of course she did. So adorable.
Our mains arrived. We'd both ordered the Porterhouse Steak in mushroom sauce. It was tender and tasty. Our server topped up our water and once she had left I went straight back to finding out more about this gorgeous woman sitting across from me.
"So when did you and your mother move to Seattle?" I asked, hoping to pick up her story where she'd left off earlier.
"When I was fourteen we were living in Chicago. Renee was waitressing in some sports bar where she met Phil Dwyer. He was on the coaching staff for the Chicago White Sox. Even though Phil was a little younger than my mom they fell in love. They got married within a few months of meeting each other.
"Anyway, less than a year after they were married Phil was offered a position with the Seattle Mariners coaching staff. I had received an offer to study at UW as I'd finished my high school certificate already.
"But you were only fourteen?" I interrupted.
"I was fifteen when we moved here. I'd been on an accelerated learning program since I was eight. So even with home-schooling and travelling all the time I finished my high school certificate when I was fourteen." She seemed almost embarrassed.
"Wow, Bella that's amazing. Did you go to UW?" I asked.
"Yes and No," she said cryptically.
Her voice got a little husky, she'd stopped eating and moved her cutlery together to show she'd had enough though she hadn't had much at all. I was about to check and see if the food was alright when she started talking again.
"Not long after we'd all moved to Seattle. Mom wanted to take Phil to see Forks and to check on our house. It was raining, of course, and the road was slippery. We were hit by a semi trailer carting huge freshly cut trees. I remember the huge logs and the smell of the wood and then the blood." Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she spoke.
"Both Phil and Renee were killed. I was quite badly injured and spent a long time in hospital," she was almost whispering.
"Sweet one… love… I am so sorry." I moved my chair to be closer to her and block her from anyone's view. I wanted to give her some privacy as she was softly crying.
I kissed the top of her head. She wiped her cheeks, looked up at me and gave a sad little smile.
"Whoa!" She blew out a huge breath trying to get control of herself as a tear fell down her cheek.
"There is more to tell Edward but I really can't talk about that any more tonight. Can we talk about something else?"
"Of course Bella, of course." I squeezed her hand then leaned over to kiss her cheek.
"Why don't you ask me two questions since you've been so open and giving to me, huh?" I smiled to her.
"Okay, but I think we'll go lighter again now if that's okay?" she looked at me pleadingly.
I gave her a sad smile and nodded. Poor sweet one had lost everyone and was alone. I had lost my parents but I not only had Esme and Carlisle but Emmett and Alice as well, not to mention my Volturi uncles fighting to look after me. Poor Isabella. I just wanted to hug her but she was right about it being time to move on to lighter subjects.
I smiled as best I could. "Do your worst? Ask me anything?"
She took a cleansing breath and winked at me. "You already know that I've never had a boyfriend or been kissed before and that I've never had sex. So I think I need something personal from you to even things up. Who was your first girlfriend? and When did you lose your virginity?"
I laughed, of course she would ask me that. "Okay well I lost my virginity when I was fifteen and it was with my first girlfriend Irina who was a horrible girl. But I will tell you about her another time because you are right we have had too much heavy tonight."
She looked shocked. "Fifteen? That's very young isn't it?"
I just shrugged. Honestly I didn't know the answer to that question. By the time we were fifteen, most of my friends at school said they'd had sex but I later found out most of them hadn't. Liars.
"Was Irina very horrible to you?" Bella asked.
"Yes. But in truth she wasn't even the worst girlfriend I've ever had," I told her honestly.
The server came to remove our plates. She offered us the dessert menus but Bella declined so we just ordered coffee instead.
Bella took the opportunity to glance around the restaurant quietly. She was thinking about something, I could see that, so I thought I'd leave her be and just enjoy watching her. It was becoming one of my favourite things to do.
When our coffee arrived, she turned to face me and after a little while she spoke again though quietly.
"Edward, there is actually a lot more I need to tell you about myself and my life. That's if you meant what you said in the car about wanting a relationship with me."
"Isabella, the more I learn about you the more I want to know. And yes I most definitely meant what I said in the car about wanting a relationship with you." I held her hand as I spoke and brought it to my lips to kiss the tips of her fingers.
"Well then I think we are going to need another date because there are some things you definitely need to know before we go much further, okay?"
Without waiting for an answer she went on, "How about we get together in the afternoon on Monday? You could meet me at the bakery around 4.00, can you get away then?"
"The good thing about being the boss is setting your own hours. Monday at 4.00 it is." I smiled at her. I was really glad that she was taking the initiative and inviting me.
"Now, if you are finished your coffee," I said giving her a playful expression, "It is time to go dancing so I can get my hands all over you because I've been dying to hold you close since we arrived." I winked at her. "Okay, so I am going to thank the staff in the kitchen for our meal, so why don't you visit the ladies room and I'll meet you in the foyer in a few minutes."
She nodded and I lead her to the ladies room and then made my way to the kitchen.
I thanked the chef, then went out to the hostess thanking her for running such a tight ship and left a sizeable tip for the staff.
I was looking out the huge glass windows when I felt two lovely arms circle my waist. I turned and ran my fingers up her arms.
"You have such lovely toned arms Bella."
"Baker," she said simply. Yes, I suppose working dough and running a busy bakery kitchen would be very good exercise. I took her hand and led her to the elevator. "Ready for some fun and frivolity, Miss Swan?"
"More than ready Mr Cullen," she smiled at me. Things did get very serious over dinner, I wanted her to relax and live up to my promise of giving her a fun evening.
We stepped into the lift and I pressed the button for the club level. Isabella moved to the back of the slow moving glass lift to face out and down so she could watch the club as it came into view.
I stood behind her admiring the view of her long legs going all the way up to her plump round bottom, she had a small waist but what I liked most from this angle was her shape, she was deliciously curvy. I reached out to run my hands across her shoulders and she leaned back into me.
I let my hands glide down her shoulders, gently smoothing my fingers down to her waist. I stepped forward so that I was pressed a little closer to her and snaked my arms around her waist.
She ran her hands along my arms and hugged me to her. Her head lay back against me and I nudged her head to one side gently by gliding my cheek along the top of her shoulder to her neck. I placed a wet kiss just below her ear, she moaned slightly and shifted the weight on her feet to lean into me more.
Oh god, she was delicious and so responsive. Her smell was just heaven.
I placed soft kisses up her neck until I reached her ear. I nibbled on her earlobe and then moved my lips to whisper into her ear. "I think you are the sexiest woman I've ever seen. I am going to struggle keeping my hands to myself."
She grinned and rolled her head back against me.
I chuckled at how she was responding to my words, so I continued to tease her.
"Dancing is a lot like sex you know my sweet one." I started to sway gently. "Our bodies moving together. Our touch exciting one another as we find our own rhythm."
She gasped softly.
"We're going to be so good together, love. Your body and my body." I continued to coo softly in her ear as I pulled her back against me just a little firmer and slid my hands down her dress until I reached her hemline. I tickled my fingers around her thighs where the soft fabric touched her beautiful skin. "Touching together. Mmmm, yes, we're going to be so good love."
The lift was almost down to the Club level. So I turned her quickly in my arms. I reached up behind her neck, wound my fingers into her hair and pulled gently to turn her face up to me. I leaned my face down to her and I took her lips in a passionate kiss.
Our mouths opened to each other and she moaned lightly as our tongues danced together. With my other hand placed on her lower back I pulled her body closer to mine as we kissed.
She was right there with me in that kiss, just as needy as I was. Her hands reached up into my hair as she tugged gently to bring my face closer to hers and to hold me to her.
Just then the lift doors opened so we slowed our kiss, parted from each other a little and looked at each other. She smiled up at me and licked her lips lightly. I took a deep breath.
"C'mon sweet one. Let's go have some fun." I took her hand and we stepped out of the lift into the dark, thumping atmosphere of the club.
A/N: So i think he recovered really well on the virgin status news, don't you? And we know a little more about them now. Our darlings even had a little sexy time in the elevator … anyhoo.
Next chapter should be posted later tonight - our date continues and we are on to the Club for some schmexy dancing: Chap 11 Virgin Margarita.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.