1Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn. I do not own Edward Cullen or Bella Swan or any other characters you may recognize from the series. I do however own the one-shot this is based on entitled 'White Carpet and Wall Sconces'
He led me off the boat, and made sure I didn't slip on the ice. I checked my watch.
"It ran a little late. Sometimes it takes longer in the winter."
I nodded up at him. "Do you make this trip a lot?"
"Enough" was his simple reply.
We continued walking. "What should we do?" He looked over at me and gave me a serious look. I shrugged. I knew what I wanted to do, but it was hardly appropriate, and as Good Bella said, it could ruin everything. I silently cursed my hormones. I silently cursed him for letting them out of their cage.
"What do you usually do when you come here?" We walked side by side, not quite touching. Every so often I would feel a gentle brush along my gloved finger tips, but every time I reached out it was gone. I had no idea what he was doing, or what he was thinking. He seemed to change his mind a lot. Perhaps there was a Good Edward and a Bad Edward as well. I secretly wished our bad halves could get in a room together and lock the good halves out. Oh the fun our bad halves could have.
"I um...well..." He looked uncomfortable again. I had no idea why. There didn't seem to be much pattern to what upset him, except questions. Always questions upset him, but not all questions. What did Edward Cullen have to hide?
"Sorry" I said meekly. I reached out tentatively and squeezed just the ends of his fingers in his gloves. Much to my surprise, he squeezed back.
"It's just sort of embarrassing" he said with a laugh."I come here, because I like the library." He blushed redder than I usually did, looked the other way, down the street, and he pulled his hand away, shoving it in his pocket.
The library? Edward Cullen? Really? I shook my head briefly. "I don't like the libraries around school either. The campus one's the best, how sad is that?"
He gave me a small smile but then went back to watching his feet stir up the snow beneath them.
"I hate to complain...but I am really cold." After being sprayed by the water while still on the boat, I was starting to freeze, the droplets creating tiny icicles on all of my clothing. We were walking past a café. I was hoping he'd suggest we go in. He merely nodded. We walked a bit further. It was becoming unbearable.
"Sorry. I'm sorry. Look, I don't know what I want to do here. I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. We can go somewhere and sit down. Where did you want to go?" He spoke quickly and quietly, his eyes never leaving his shoes.
I thought a moment. "How far is this library?"
Edward's Point of View
The library? What could she possibly have planned for the library. Ever since the boat, when I pulled her close and saved her from practically shoving us both over board, I just wanted her as close as possible. I wanted to feel every curve against me. I wanted to see her again. Naked, on my bed, on the floor, against a wall. But I couldn't tell her that. She would be disgusted. She was being so careful. I wondered what she was waiting for. A week ago she was happy to strip down to nothing in my bathroom and let me take her, but ever since, she'd been very reserved. I spoke to her and there was nothing suggesting she wanted to do it again. She'd said it was amazing. I remembered every minute of our romp. I'd replayed it over and over and over in my head, changing things, changing scenarios. It had kept me sane for the past week. I had turned down another girl because of her. I was going insane, and here she was just as reserved as ever. I was going to need to get some soon or I was going to go crazy.
But then, I didn't want to scare her away. Because there had to be a reason that she was holding back, yet still willing to see me. It wasn't as though I'd dragged her, tooth and nail, onto the ferry. She had agreed whole heartedly to accompany me today. So that means she at least, must not hate me. She must like spending time with me on some level.
"Not far. Just around the corner." I pointed. She nodded and smiled shyly up at me. I reached out tentatively and took her hand. "Hurry up, you're a Bella-sickle."
She laughed her quiet, sweet little laugh and followed me through the snowy streets and into the quaint, cozy library. I wanted to drag her to the back most corner and ravish her from head to toe, but I didn't think that would go over well. Instead we headed for the fiction section and browsed for a moment.
"What do you read?" Her voice snapped me out of my library fantasies.
"Oh, mostly biographies." She gave me a look that I couldn't quite identify. One where her eyes narrowed slightly and her mouth twisted, but not in disapproval like I'd seen before.
"You're in the wrong section then." She sidestepped me and headed for the non-fiction section, eyes scanning the titles as she watched. She plucked a small, hard cover from the shelf and flipped through it briefly before nodding. "We have a couple of hours, you may as well find something, Edward." She headed for a round table in one of the corners and I watched her go. Her head was bowed and she was walking with a slight swing to her hips. She turned back to me and crooked one finger, gesturing me to follow. She had a tiny smirk playing on her lips. Screw the book, I'd read her's.
I crossed the room in three big strides and sat down beside her on one of the hard, wooden chairs. Hardly comfortable, but perhaps it would side track my one track mind.
"Didn't you find anything?" She grinned at me impishly. I grinned back, running my fingers through my crazy hair. I shook my head.
"I'll read with you."
She snorted back a laugh but opened her book and laid it on the table, holding it open with one hand, her other hand twisting in and out of her curls lazily. I leaned closer to her, not actually reading the print, but watching her facial expressions as her features would relax, and then tense as she tried to comprehend something. Her nose would crinkle or her mouth would pout as her eyes scanned the words. She obviously knew I wasn't reading because she would turn the page without asking. Our shoulders were touching, and then I needed to be closer. I leaned in so that part of my chest was behind her back and I could smell her. It was a light strawberry scent. One that I couldn't get enough of. I inhaled deeply and sighed. I felt her body tense, but she didn't say anything, and then her head turned ever so slightly towards me.
"Read, Edward" she mock scolded and turned back to her book, small smile playing on her gorgeous lips.
"I'm bored" I whispered back, one hand playing gently with the hand that was playing with her hair. This was too close. I couldn't help myself. I needed to know she was at least in the same book as I was, if not on the same page. No pun intended.
"Read" she whispered back with a tiny giggle.
I leaned forward so my mouth was right by her ear. "Your book is boring."
"I know" she whispered back. I had noticed she was turning the pages much more quickly than I would have thought it possible to read them.
I took a deep breath. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to do something. I leaned in, cautiously, so slowly that I thought I might be moving back wards, and I kissed her cheek. Her skin was so soft, so smooth under my lips. It was even better than I remembered. And the way I remembered it was pretty damn amazing. She smiled a tiny smile and turned her face toward me. And then, she kissed me, lightly, softly, chastely, on the corner of my mouth. And then she pulled away, looking at me with a look I prayed was need. I stood up slowly and closed her book. My large hand wrapped around her small one and I led her carefully through the shelves to the very back of the building, all the while, neither of us saying anything. I gently spun her around and pressed her back to the shelves, taking both of her hands in mine.
I wasn't sure. What was she thinking? Why couldn't she just jump me like every other girl? I leaned in cautiously and placed my lips on her forehead. Her body seemed to react. Her hands tightened in mine and her head fell back ever so slightly. I kissed down her cheek and over her jaw, soft, fluttering kisses. She turned her head slightly, opened her eyes and glared at me. I pulled back. Shit. This isn't what she wanted. What did she want?
And then she roughly grabbed my face in her tiny, soft hands, and kissed me, full on the mouth, her lips devouring mine with fervour. And then she pulled back, both of us panting slightly. "Sorry" she whispered, looking past me. I growled quietly and took her in my arms, capturing her lips once more, moving against her's like it was the last thing I was going to ever do. And if it was, I didn't care in the least. Kissing Bella Swan was almost heavenly. I felt complete, for the first time since before...well for the first time in a very long time, I felt complete, and as much as that completion scared me, I didn't want to give it up. Kissing Bella Swan was like finding water in the desert. It was like seeing shore after being at sea. It was the number one, most incredible feeling I'd ever felt. I'd thought sex with Bella Swan was incredible before I knew Bella Swan, but if kissing her now was this incredible, I found the prospect of sex almost intimidating. How could anything be more delectable than this?
I ran my tongue along her bottom lips and she moaned quietly, opening up to me and letting me taste her. She softly caressed my tongue with her's and I was in heaven. She tasted better than she smelled. Sweet and smooth. How did I not remember this from before? She pressed her body against mine and her hands tangled in my hair. She pulled me closer and then broke her lips from mine, moving instead to my ear, kissing and gently licking the hollow beneath it, and then along my jaw line while I let my head loll back, enjoying the sensation. Her fingers played with the collar of my shirt and she kissed the tiny piece of chest that was exposed through the open buttons. My breathing caught, and I felt that familiar tightness. She smirked against my skin and kissed back up, mouth on mine again, tongues fighting a little harder now, for dominance. Her hands were everywhere, and so were mine. I felt the curve of her hips, and ran them back up, settling them on the small of her back, pulling her towards me, feeling her body against my arousal. She sighed quietly and pressed herself harder to me, kissing me more fiercely. Her hands drifted downwards, over my chest and then back up to my shoulders.
"Edward" she gasped, pulling herself back so she could look me in the eyes. Her brown ones were glazed and heavy lidded. Her lips were plumped and red, and she was breathing heavily. "I...not here...not in the library." Damn.
"Okay" I whispered back, pulling her head to my chest and stroking her hair softly, savouring the silkiness between my fingers.
The clock on the wall said it was shortly after noon. We decided to head back to the ferry so we wouldn't miss our boat. I kept a protective arm around her waist. I had her this close, I didn't want to lose her, and I couldn't stand the idea of her apart from me at that precise moment. Every so often I would kiss her head and she would sigh, leaning into me.
The boat ride back was tense and seemed to go on forever. We decided a drink inside would be better than being sprayed by frigid water again, and we sat, talking about nothing. I spent more time watching her face, watching the way the expressions on her face changed as she spoke. I could watch her all day. I could kiss her all day. I wasn't sure how I felt about the feelings coursing through my veins. I wanted her, but I didn't want to lose her either. And I knew there was a possibility those two things could go hand in hand.
"Should we go straight to my place? We could order dinner before the party." I couldn't believe I was suggesting such a thing. I'd already spent all day with her.
She looked unsure. "Do you still want me to come to the party?"
I stared at her. How could she possibly think I wouldn't. I nodded. "Alice will be so happy to see you."
A/N: Review? Please. Action from Edward's point of view is hard...I've never experienced anything as a guy. Haha. Hope you enjoyed.