Notes:

The song for this chapter is "Lover I Don't Have To Love" by Bright Eyes youtu*be/5PGVYUPVhng

This is a picture of the Café: i49*tinypic*com/mmq339*jpg

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

As always, karenec, LJ Summers, and jakeward, you ladies are fabulous. Thank you for all your hard work betaing this story.

Chapter Nine: Need

Edward took my hand in his and we walked in silence for a few minutes. I wanted to pull away but it felt good to have my fingers intertwined with his. After the emotional upheaval of the night, it centered me. Several blocks away from the museum, Edward stopped in front of a small café. It was a small place, with no more than a dozen tables, each seating two to four. He led me to a table in the corner away from the few patrons.

"This is one of my favorite places," he said, once we were settled. "It reminds me of cafés in Paris."

"You've been?"

"Yes, I traveled some after grad school. And I made several trips while we were putting together the Stein collection. Have you been to Europe?"

I nodded. "I took a few trips with my parents when I was younger."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Absolutely. I'd love to go again."

A waiter approached, dressed in black with a crisp white towel draped over one arm; the quintessential Parisian waiter.

"Good evening, Madame, Monsieur." He spoke in a strongly accented voice.

"Good evening," Edward replied. Turning to me, he asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"A cappuccino, please."

"Deux cappuccino, s'il vous plait," he instructed the waiter.

"Oui monsieur."

"Merci."

"Je veux en pris."

I tried not to let my jaw drop in surprise. "You speak French?" I asked when the waiter had left.

He shrugged. "Enough. I'm not fluent, but I know enough to get by."

"I'm impressed," I said. A well-educated man speaking a foreign language was always attractive. Realizing I probably was a bit of a mess from my breakdown earlier, I excused myself. "I think I'm going to go wash my face and hands, I'll be back in a moment."

"All right." Edward stood when I did, and I smiled at the sight. It was rare to see men with manners like Edward anymore.

I made my way to the restroom on shaky legs, and stood in front of the mirror to assess the damage. I looked better than I had any right to, considering my crying fit. Splashing some cool water on my face, I dabbed at it gently with a paper towel and used my thumb to wipe away the smudged eyeliner. I dug through my purse to find my lipstick, and put a little on. Still looking a little pale and worn, but at least I was no longer a mess, I felt refreshed. Returning to the table there was a new spring in my step.

Edward was waiting with two steaming cups of cappuccino and a plate of crepes.

"What is this?" I asked as I sat down.

"Crepes."

"I know; I've had them before." I laughed. "What kind? And why did you order them?"

"Nutella."

I bit my lip. "They do look good," I admitted.

"Have a bite. I got them to share." He pushed the plate toward me.

"Are you sure?"

He motioned to my fork. "Come on, try some."

I cut off a bite and lifted it to my mouth. The chocolate, hazelnut flavor was intense, even in such small bites. I nearly moaned aloud at the taste of it wrapped in a warm crepe.

"They're amazing."

"I thought you'd like them." I tried to ignore the warmth that spread through my chest at the sight of Edward smiling at me. He looked so happy that I liked his food suggestion.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "That was one of my favorite things about Paris, the little crepèries around every corner. Walking through the city on my way back to my hotel, a warm crepe in my hand, the lights starting to come on as the sun went down. Magic."

I was spellbound at the look in his eyes, my fork poised halfway to my lips. I set it down and reached for my cappuccino, slipping two lumps of sugar under the foam and stirring them gently until they dissolved, without breaking up the thick, silky layer of frothed milk on top. I took a sip and closed my eyes in appreciation.

"Thank you for bringing me here," I said. "I feel better."

"Good."

~LTOYL~

Full from the crepes and feeling energized by the coffee, I let Edward take my hand as we stepped out the door of the café.

"Are you ready to head home, or would you like to do something else?" he asked.

I turned to look at him, noticing the way the street lamp cast light onto his cheek, and the dark shadow beneath his cheekbone. Fog had begun to gather, rolling in across the bay, and he looked almost otherworldly in the strange light. The planes and angles of his face were sharp and defined except for the curve of his full lower lip.

Edward had been nothing but a gentleman all evening and I couldn't help but think back to the night we met. He wasn't like any of the other men I had taken home. The morning after with him, on the other hand, was something I'd wished I could forget. Edward was someone I'd wished I could forget. But running into him at the museum tonight and, his kindness after James' thoughtless behavior, made me think twice about dismissing him so easily. He easily could have ignored me during my breakdown outside the museum. But instead, he took it upon himself so see if I was okay. Few people would have bothered.

Rather than pry into why I was so upset about this evening, he'd taken it upon himself to bring me to the cafe. The entire evening had shown me there was more to Edward, and it wasn't as easy to dismiss. There was no doubt that he was handsome, well-educated, and articulate. Tonight I'd also seen a thoughtful, caring side and it made me want to give him another chance. It made me want him. I struggled to understand the quick, all-consuming need I suddenly had for him. The night had been a mess and my emotions were still volatile.

"Bella?" he said, breaking me from my thoughts. I glanced up at him again; mesmerized by the way he looked, the way he made me feel. Our gazes met and something crackled between us, some memory of the heated night we'd spent in bed together. The memory was so strong I could almost feel his touch against my skin.

Impulsively, I stretched up on my toes and kissed him. Edward responded immediately, his tongue meeting mine in an eager thrust that made me gasp. He pulled me against him and I tilted my head, allowing him to kiss me more deeply. He buried his hand in my hair and I bit lightly at his lip before pulling back.

"I want you, Edward," I said breathlessly.

"My place or yours?" His eyes were dark and he looked hungry.

"I don't even know where you live," I admitted.

"It's a ten minute walk from here."

"Yours, then."

He pulled me into a searing kiss that made my heart hammer and then released me. With my hand firmly in his, we walked quickly down Third Street.

As we walked along the damp streets, Edward's thumb caressed my palm in slow, even sweeps. Before I knew it, we were standing on the sidewalk in front of an old brick warehouse. Looking around, I realized where we were.

"You live in the Oriental Warehouse lofts?" I asked, my thoughts of how much I wanted him temporarily put aside.

"Yes."

"I've always wanted to see what they were like inside. I heard great things about the renovation."

"I love it here. I looked at several of the lofts that were for sale before I picked the one I'm in."

He punched in a code and large steel doors opened into the lobby. It was sleek and modern, a stark contrast to the rough brick that encased the building. He led me through a door at the far side of the lobby and to the left, then into a wide corridor lined with several stories of windows. There were a series of walled patios in front of every unit on the lower floor.

"Look up," Edward told me and I lifted my head to see the night sky open above me.

"It's incredible, but how did they do that?" I asked, baffled by the layout of the place.

"How much do you know about the history of the building?" Edward asked.

"Not a whole lot. Just that it was a warehouse for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in the late eighteen hundreds. And that the building was in really bad shape after it was abandoned."

"It was built in 1868 and used to house tea, coffee, and silk that were shipped in from what was then the Orient. About fifteen years ago, a company came in and remodeled it into lofts. It was in absolute ruin, but they were able to preserve the exterior brick shell and some of the original timbers. What they did was build a modern structure inside of the original brick shell. It's rectangular, and the street entrance we came in off is the narrower end. There are several corridors like this one and they each lead to a row of lofts."

He made his way to the end of the corridor and stopped in front of number 213. He unlocked the door that led into the patio, and then into the front door of his place. He reached around me to flip on the lights, and I stopped in the doorway to stare in wonder at the beautiful, twisting wooden spiral staircase that led up to the lofted area above.

"You love the staircase, don't you?" he asked. He put his hand on my hip and gently nudged me forward into the entryway, shutting the door behind us.

I nodded, stupefied by how incredible it was. Even at night, whole space seemed light and open. The staircase was the focal point of the room, and I tore my eyes away from it to look around more closely. There were gleaming wood floors throughout, and rough beams and pillars. One wall was made entirely from aged brick and there were large windows.

"Only the corner units have the brick walls with the arched windows," he explained. "And this unit was the only one with the staircase. The previous owners had it installed and it's probably the biggest reason I bought the place."

"You own this?" I asked, somewhat surprised. I had a fairly good idea of what a place like this would cost, and although his job at the museum was prestigious, the pay wasn't extravagant.

He nodded. "Family money. The Cullen Family has been in this area since the days of The Gold Rush."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "That was rude."

He laughed. "To make it fair I'll ask you the same question. Do you rent or own?"

"Own. It was a gift from my father when I passed the bar and joined the firm. I wasn't completely sold on the idea of him paying for it until he made me take a tour. I fell in love with it and couldn't turn him down."

"Would you like a tour of my place?"

"Absolutely."

He led me through the living room and dining room. Under the lofted area, there was a large, open kitchen to the right and through a sliding door in the back there was a bedroom.

I glanced around the bedroom in surprise. It was neat and beautifully decorated, but it didn't seem very lived in. There was a cream-colored headboard and champagne-colored duvet on the bed, but little else in the room.

"Is this your room?" I asked, puzzled.

"No, my bedroom is in the lofted area upstairs. Why?"

"It just didn't really look like you. I mean it's beautiful, but it has a different feel."

He laughed. "There's a reason for that. My mother decorated it. I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted for the rest of the place, but I didn't really have any ideas for the guest bedroom so I let her have fun. I don't have that many guests who stay over anyway."

I peered in the door to the en-suite guest bathroom and then made my way back out to the main living area of the loft. I glanced up the stairs, noticing the curved iron railing that ran along the left side and the matching railing that lined the entire length of the lofted area.

We climbed the stairs and stopped at the top when he pointed to the left. "This is my office. To be honest, I don't do that much work from home and most of it is on my laptop, so I don't absolutely need this area, but it's nice to have." He led me into the open space and pointed to the right. "My bathroom is through here."

I glanced in the door and my jaw dropped. "It's gorgeous."

"That was another major selling point."

I followed him past the stairway and into the bedroom; at the sight of the bed, I bit my lip. It was definitely a king size bed and had a large padded headboard covered in aged leather. The sheets were a soft-looking coffee bean color and the duvet cover was a rusty red-brown and looked silky. I wondered what it would feel like against my bare skin and I shivered at the thought.

The entire place was a blend of modern and old, with rough beams and aged brick that contrasted nicely with the stark black iron railing and pendant lights. It was warm and masculine looking without being stuffy or fussy.

I peered over the railing at the living room below. "What are the other units in the building like?"

"They vary. One of them I didn't look at for more than five minutes. It was decorated with floral prints everywhere. Which would have been fine, I could have changed that, but they renovated the kitchen and bathrooms making them look very country."

He shuddered and I laughed. "That is about as far from your aesthetic as you can get, I guess."

"Yes. And I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of major renovations."

"Yeah, I had my place redecorated last fall and even that was a pain."

"I didn't really like any of the central apartments," he added. "They didn't have the brick, and so many of them were really aggressively modern. I like clean lines and uncluttered simplicity but I hate the cold, sterile, white aesthetic you tend to see in so many modern designs."

I smirked, liking how passionate he was and the pride he seemed to take in his home. He grinned sheepishly back.

"Sorry, I get worked up about design. Guess I do bring some of my work home."

"No, I like that you're so passionate about it. I've met so many guys who are solely concerned with the way things function that they completely ignore the look. I mean, I don't want something pretty that doesn't work, but a blend is nice. I feel like your apartment is just right."

He nodded. "Yes, I like your place, too. It's a different look, but it's very serene. Feminine without being girlish. All cool, calm neutrals with just the barest hint of something fiery and secret lurking underneath."

My breath caught in my throat. "Is that really how you see it?"

"It's how I see you." Our eyes met for a long moment. His were hungry and I wondered what mine looked like to him. If they were equally needy.

"Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?" he asked.

Involuntarily, my eyes shifted to the bed.

He chuckled and the warm sound made my skin flush. "I meant, do you want to go somewhere more comfortable to talk?" He swallowed hard. "Downstairs in the living room."

My heart hammered in my chest but I stepped closer to him.

"I'm enjoying our conversation but I think I'd rather stay here." My voice sounded lower, and huskier than I'd ever heard it before. His hands moved to my lower back, gently pulling me towards him.

"I've wanted to touch you since I saw you in the museum earlier. You were studying the Cezanne and you had your lower lip between your teeth."

"I do that when I'm concentrating."

"I know, you did it the other night, right before you slipped over the edge and fell apart," he whispered the words against my throat and I felt the vibration all the way down my body.

My breath hitched and I wound my fingers through his thick, silky hair. "Take me there again, Edward."

"Fuck, Bella." He gently pushed me down on the bed and his body immediately covered mine. "You drive me absolutely crazy. I don't understand it."

"I don't understand it either, but you drive me crazy, too," I admitted. I wound my leg around his, and felt his cock, hard against my hip.

Our mouths met in a frantic clash of lips and tongue and I struggled to undo his shirt as he fumbled for the zipper on my dress. I was eager, almost desperate to feel his skin against mine. His mouth moved to nip and lick at my heated flesh, causing me to moan and writhe under him. Pushing my dress down to my hips, Edward reached to remove my bra and took my nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue before sucking on the bud. My eyes rolled back in my head from the pleasure and I rocked my hips against his, needing the friction. I threaded my hands through his hair and cried out when his teeth scraped across the sensitive tip of my breast. My head tilted back and I panted, my breath loud and strained. His hips began a slow steady rocking motion that made me ache with desire.

"Too many clothes," I said, pushing weakly at his chest.

He sat back and stripped my dress completely off me. When I was bare to him, he fell on his knees at the foot of the bed and yanked me forward, burying his head between my thighs. He devoured me like a starving man, fingers and tongue working together to bring me to a rapid climax that made me cry out. When it finally subsided, I weakly pulled him to me.

He didn't even take his pants off, just unfastened them and pulled his cock out. A quick fumble in the drawer of the bedside table produced a condom, and then he was inside of me. I felt his hands on my body as I moved under him and my own made their way to his back, grasping the muscled flesh to anchor myself.

It was nothing like the slow, measured way he had touched me the time before. This was wild, frantic, and full of need. His desperation for me fueled my own desire and I tightened my thighs around his hips. I pushed back, needing to make him fuck me harder. Not because I wanted it to be impersonal, but because I was so desperate to feel more of him.

"Yes," I called out. "Oh, Edward, yes." His mouth moved from my neck to my shoulder, his teeth biting, licking, and sucking. I was wet for him and as he moved within me, I felt my body begin to clench around him.

"I can't wait to feel you come around me," he said, his teeth nipping at my earlobe. "I need to feel you. It drove me crazy when you clamped down on my cock."

My body arched and I felt his fingers dig in to my thigh as he lifted it higher on his hip to push deeper into me. With barely any coaxing on his part, my body responded. "How was it so easy with him?" I wondered. I closed my eyes and focused, reminding myself of the way I had fallen apart for him before.

"You're going to come so hard for me, Bella," he promised and with one final thrust that made my body explode with pleasure, I came, crying out his name. Just a moment later, he stiffened over me. His eyes met mine before he collapsed, pulling me with him so we were both on our sides.

He pulled out and removed the condom immediately. He kicked off the rest of his clothing and tugged me close; kissing me with a desperate hunger that was surprising considering he just had come only moments before.

"You make me feel so good." He kissed me again before I could respond. Truthfully, I had no idea how to respond. My mind was deliciously blank and my body was relaxed and content. He ran a hand over my hip and his head fell onto the pillow beside mine. "I've been thinking about having you in my bed since the last time we were together."

"I might have thought about you once or twice since," I admitted. I stretched, wondering if I should go home. The night had gone unexpectedly well with Edward, but I didn't want a repeat of what happened before. I was trying to come up with a way to excuse myself gracefully, when suddenly, I heard a beep from downstairs.

"Is that my phone or yours?" I asked.

"As far as I know mine is on vibrate," he said. He threw an arm up over his head, released a breath, and sat up.

"All right, I should go check then. I have no idea who would be calling me this late."

He frowned, and I wondered why, but I stood up, grabbed a throw from the chair nearby, and wrapped it around me. I walked carefully down the stairs, afraid of tripping over the hem of the blanket draped around me. I dug my phone out of my bag and walked upstairs again before checking it. I sat on the edge of the bed and saw that I had a text message from James.

Sorry, something came up tonight and I had to leave. Forgive me?

I laughed out loud and Edward gave me a puzzled look. I showed him the message and he laughed, too.

"You have to be shitting me. He left in the middle of your date to fuck someone else, ditched you without a word, then lies, and he has the gall to ask you for forgiveness?"

"Clearly, he's an ego-maniacal jerk. I won't be going out with him again, that's for sure." I cleared my phone and set it aside before turning back to Edward.

"I would hope not," Edward said.

"Definitely not," I assured him.

"Well, I'm sorry it upset you earlier, but I can't say I'm sorry about the way the night turned out," Edward said, sitting up just long enough to pull me down onto the bed beside him. I laughed.

"You know, I did promise you that you'd be calling out my name tonight," he purred against my ear. "I think I did pretty well with that, too."

I laughed again and rolled over to face him, pushing him onto his back. I straddled him and trailed my fingers down his chest. His lips parted and I watched the dazed expression return to his eyes.

"You would have called out my name, too," I said huskily. "If I'd gone home with James you would have come back here and lay in your lonely bed and thought of me." I scooted back until I was straddling his thighs. "You would have taken your cock in your hand and stroked it, and imagined I was here with you."

I grasped his cock and made a long, slow stroke up and down. "You would have fantasized about me. You would have imagined me doing this. Licking you, taking you in my mouth, making you come."

"Fuck, Bella." Edward's hand gently came to rest on my head as I leaned forward.

"Do you want to feel my mouth on you?"

He didn't respond out loud, but the way his cock twitched and his hand tightened on my hair was answer enough. Moving so I was kneeling between his legs and bent over, I opened my mouth and took him in, realizing how long it had been since I had wanted to give a guy head. The gasps and moans that Edward made spurred me on and I began a steady pace, sliding him in and out of my mouth. I looked up at him, watching the way his eyes closed, and his mouth fell open with pleasure. His stomach muscles clenched as he shuddered under me.

"I'm going to come," he warned me a short while later. "You don't have to..." His voice trailed off when I wrapped my hand around the base of his cock.

Just before he came, I gently moved off him to sit back on his thighs. He came in long, hard spurts onto his torso as I watched. He opened his eyes lazily and grinned at me. He looked so relaxed and pleased that I couldn't help the genuine smile that crossed my face in response.

"Fuck, Bella, your mouth..."He glanced down at his chest and laughed softly. "We made quite a mess."

"Sorry. Let me go get you something to clean up with," I offered, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. Though he warned me and told me I didn't have to swallow, I wondered if he was disappointed that I hadn't. I hadn't gone down on a guy and swallowed since Riley; I just couldn't bear the thought of sharing that with anyone else.

"Hey, don't apologize." He caught my hand as I stood up. "You were amazing."

I nodded and he released me, but I could feel his eyes on me as I made my way into the bathroom for a damp cloth. When I came back, he cleaned himself up, and pulled me back down onto the bed with him.

He rolled onto his side and secured me in his arms, his fingers moving to the base of my neck, up under my hair. His fingers gently tangled in my hair and he kissed me. It was a kiss without demand or pressure, merely a simple meeting of lips. I closed my eyes and relaxed into it. He was an exceptional kisser. Kisses with the guys I met in clubs had always been a precursor to something else. I had never kissed them just because I wanted to. But kissing Edward was enjoyable. We kissed for a long time, and although he was hard against my thigh, he didn't make a move to take things any further. A while later, I pulled back and half-turned away to yawn.

"Am I boring you?" he asked, his voice amused rather than offended.

"Just worn out. Sorry." Another big yawn took me by surprise and he laughed softly.

"I guess we better get some sleep. You had a long day."

I nodded sleepily and he laughed again before kissing my shoulder. My eyes closed almost immediately as I stretched. A small part of me wanted to go home, to stick to my usual routine, but with Edward's warm body wrapped around mine, it took away the lonely ache that crawled across my body.

I fell asleep on my side, Edward's arm draped across my waist, his hand resting on my stomach. I sighed and relaxed back against him, feeling one last kiss on my shoulder before I fell into sleep.

~LTOYL~

Something roused me from my sleep and I blinked in confusion at the vibration of my phone on the nightstand. I picked it up and squinted, my eyes momentarily blinded by the light. I silenced it immediately, not wanting to disturb Edward, and peered at the screen. My breath caught in my throat.

One missed call: Riley Biers.

Notes:

Eck! Sorry for the cliffy. Let us know what you think and what could Riley possibly be calling for?

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