Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or High Spirits.
I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It's not my best work, but the baby is sucking my brain dry. I'm seriously stupid now. :) I hope you enjoy it anyway.
EPOV
I watched at a distance as everyone greeted the arriving guests. I smirked to myself as I saw the tell-tale signs of love at first sight between Jasper and the tiny little Alice. Emmett and Rosalie, however, seemed to be an entirely different story. You could tell there was an immediate attraction between the two, but Rosalie was going to prove to be quite difficult for Emmett in getting her to succumb to his advances. But there was no denying that something was forming between the two. Of that, a monkey could be sure.
As the four of them wandered off in search of rooms, Bella stayed behind with Esme and Carlisle, the remaining guests no doubt arriving momentarily. My suspicions were proven correct as an average looking man of average height entered the foyer with a crew in tow. His hair was a dirty shade of blonde, pulled back in a short ponytail. He introduced himself to the family as James Callahan, the leader of the Paranormal Investigative Team.
He put forth a stony exterior, as he tried to seem tough and foreboding. His expression did not falter from his supposed lack of interest as he surveyed his surroundings. He occasionally smirked or raised an eyebrow at this or that, but nothing more than a mild curiosity flashed through is eyes. The rest of his crew seemed friendly enough as they introduced themselves to the Carlisle and Esme. His perusal was short and curt as his grey eyes scanned the manor with mild interest, before finally landing on my Bella.
His gaze narrowed as if eying his prey, his lips pulling into a devious smile. He strode toward her with purpose. He stopped just in front of her, leaving a space of no more than a few inches. Bella instinctively stepped back, her eyes flinching slightly at the abrupt an unwanted attention she was suddenly receiving from this buffoon. I suppressed a rising growl at the sight of this ill-mannered man invading my angel's space so rudely. I knew with complete certainty that his intentions were completely dishonorable and I most definitely would be keeping on eye on him for as long as he was staying here.
The way his eyes raked over her body as she fidgeted under his gaze had me trembling in my spot with rage. How dare he look upon her with such disrespect? I wanted nothing more than to run to her side and protect her from this vile creature. Though I was not a violent man, ripping him limb from limb sounded very appealing to me at the moment.
I stayed close to Bella, even if she didn't know it, following quietly behind as James insisted that she show him to his room. Bella's body was tense and uneasy as she showed him the way, no doubt able to feel his repulsive eyes on her. Thankfully, his quarters were located in the opposite wing of the manor, far from Bella as possible. I don't know if this was her plan all along, or if these were the rooms intended for the investigators. But either way, I was more than a little relieved.
He followed behind her like a dog after a bone, his gaze locked on her backside as she led him to the room in which he would occupy during his stay. I felt my hands ball into fists at my sides, my blood boiling under my skin. I sensed immediately that this man was going to be trouble and it enraged me to no end that he now had his sights set on Bella.
My Bella.
As Bella rounded a corner, I knew now was my time to act. This James needed to learn some manners, and ogling a woman's body like a piece of meat was most definitely inappropriate. It was time to teach him a lesson.
As he picked up his pace to catch up to Bella, I flicked my wrist swiftly, causing the rug beneath his feet to pull from underneath him. He quickly fell backwards, his foot kicking up in the air, his suitcases falling to his sides. He landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor, his arms and legs splayed out to his sides, a loud grunt leaving him as the air left his body.
"Shit!" he yelled.
I heard Bella's footsteps as she came back to James' side, and I stepped out of sight down a side hall.
I heard Bella stifle a giggle before asking, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"No. I'm fine. Just slipped on this damn rug." He rubbed his lower back where he took the brunt of the fall. "It almost felt like it was pulled out from under me, though."
I chuckled in triumph, imagining the look on his face at this very moment. I was certain it was beat red, both from anger and embarrassment.
"What was that?" he asked.
"What was what?"
"That laughing," he demanded. "Where's that coming from?"
I abruptly stopped my laughter, not wanting to give my whereabouts away. I peeked around the corner, only to catch sight of Bella's beautiful brown eyes staring right back me. She smiled over at me as she lent a hand down to James.
"Maybe it was a ghost," she offered, throwing me a quick wink before James rose to his feet.
He dusted himself off and stepped closer to her with a smirk on his face. He looked her up and down. "You know," he breathed. "I could protect you if you're frightened of ghosts." I watched, completely and utterly enraged at his audacity.
Bella's face contorted in disgust as she cleared her throat nervously. I was ready to step out from my hiding spot and show this mongrel exactly what I thought of him, but Bella immediately placed a hand on his chest, shoving him lightly away from her.
"Ghosts don't frighten me; ill mannered men do." She then motioned toward the end of the hall with a wave of her hand. "Now if you'll follow me, I'll show to your room, Mr Callahan."
James snorted in amusement, clearly not stung by her words. If anything, they seemed to have only intrigued him. He picked up his bags and followed dutifully behind.
I tagged along, wanting to keep as close an eye as possible on this man that was so blatantly infatuated with Bella. There was no way in hell I was ever going to leave her alone with him.
I watched from the hallway, making sure James kept his hands to himself while alone in a room with my angel, and breathed a sigh of relief when she bid her goodbyes to him quickly.
As soon as Bella stepped out of his room, leaving the cretin to unpack his things, I grabbed her by the wrist and whisked her down the hall and out of sight. Caught off guard, she squealed with the sudden movement, but upon realizing it was me, she quieted and smiled as I pulled her along. Once we were alone, I pulled her into a dark hallway.
"I've missed you," I whispered in her ear as I pulled her into my arms. "A day is far too long to be without you." She shivered as my breath tickled the skin of her neck.
She wove her arms around my waist, her tiny arms around my body making me feel safe and secure. Her body so close to mine, did things to me that Victoria was never able to do. I felt alive, all my nerves suddenly on fire. I held her tightly to me as her warmth surrounded me. Her arms tightened their hold on me and I heard myself sigh in contentment as her chest pressed against mine. Her heart beat swiftly against my chest as she looked up at me with those innocent eyes, and it was all I could do to keep myself together.
"May I kiss you?" I breathed, my eyes searching her face for an answer.
I had imagined kissing Bella since the very moment I saw her, and the desire quickly grew into a demanding need the more time I spent in her presence. I wanted to claim her mouth with mine, searing her lips with a passionate kiss over and over again. I wanted to never let her go, spending eternity with her in my arms.
"God, yes," Bella gasped, her face hovering just below mine, her breathing picking up with the anticipation.
I felt my lips turn up in the corner at her response. I had no idea she was as eager as I was for this moment. If I had known, I would have attempted this a long time ago.
I slowly bent my head to her, my eyes never leaving hers as our lips came closer and closer to our desired destination. When our lips were no more than breath apart, her lids fell closed without hesitation. I brushed my lips lightly across hers, just the mere touch of her lips on mine sending a shiver through my body that shook me to my core. I felt her tremble in my arms, and I instinctively pulled her closer, her chest flush against mine, her toes barely touching the floor beneath us.
I deepened the kiss, something primal in me taking over as I swept my tongue out and across her lower lip. She gasped at the contact, opening up to me eagerly. My tongue hesitantly entered and immediately made contact with hers. We both moaned at the feeling, and a small unexpected growl escaped me as her fingers dove into my hair, kneading my scalp gently as she further pressed herself against me. I splayed my hands across her back, pressing her tightly against me, digging my fingertips into the exposed skin of her lower back.
This surely must be heaven, I thought to myself.
I gently pulled away, breaking the kiss I was quickly being consumed by. I was no stranger to kissing a woman. Having courted a few women before Victoria, and even stealing a few kisses from some of the younger girls when I was just a boy behind the schoolhouse, I had experienced my share of kisses. But never had any made me feel so alive, or so complete. The kiss seemed to drown out the world around us; everything fading into oblivion – the manor, the Cullens, that mutt James – leaving just Bella and I in our embrace. I felt as if we were one.
I dipped my face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent deeply. Her fingers scratched lightly - soothingly - against the back of my neck, and I hummed against her skin. I felt at peace in her arms.
"I love you, Bella," I said softly, reverently.
Her body stiffened briefly, and her fingers stilled in their task. Fear consumed me instantly. Had I ruined everything? I wasn't thinking clearly as I let the words slip out, letting my heart take over where I shouldn't have let it. But I was glad to note that her body soon relaxed against mine and her fingers resumed what they were doing.
She sighed and snuggled into my body. "Please understand that I can't say the words until I'm certain I mean them."
I pulled away, rubbing circles into the small of her back with my hand. I looked upon her worried face and smiled reassuringly. "Take all the time you need."
BPOV
I walked through the halls in a daze. I couldn't believe Edward had just kissed me. I touched my fingers to my lips and smiled to myself. I had come to the conclusion that he was never going to do it - being the gentleman that he was - and that I would eventually have to make the move. If I was being completely honest with myself, I had wanted to feel his lips against mine from the first moment I saw him, an even more so after our following encounters.
He was always so appropriate around me, and it frustrated me to no end that he wouldn't just take me in his arms and kiss me senseless, but knowing that he kept his distance out of respect for me made me want to swoon. Yet, it only made me want him more.
I had never been with a man that was so gentle and caring, seeming to put me before anything else. It was a nice change of pace form the pompous, egotistical jerks that I had the unfortunate privilege of being set up with. But at times, I just wanted the gentleman exterior to crack, if only for a moment, and today it had.
The kiss swirled around in my head as I descended the stairs to the main floor. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. In that one kiss I could actually feel how much he cared about me, how much he longed to be with me.
His touch was gentle and soothing, his lips just a whisper against my own at first, but soon turning into something so much more. I was beside myself when I realized that Edward was actually letting go with me. He held me, not because I asked him to or encouraged him that it was alright, but because he needed to be close to me. And he kissed me. After so long waiting, he had finally done it. And my imagination had not even come close to doing the real thing justice.
As I meandered through the bottom floor, letting the kiss consume my every thought, I began to hear the faint sounds of a piano being played. I followed the notes until I came upon the grand hall. I had wandered in here once while getting a lay of the land, but I hadn't been able to spend much time. I had promised myself I would come back and get a better feel for the room, but my time had been so preoccupied with Edward that I never got the chance.
As I came upon it now I noticed it was occupied by two men; Edward, and an older gentleman. The two were playing the piano in tandem, each swiping at the keys swiftly and with excitement. I found myself inching my way into the room, the music drawing me in to the large space. I stood listening in the middle of the room until the song winded down and the two stopped their playing. Edward turned to the man and smiled brightly.
"One more?" he asked, placing his fingers on the ivory keys, ready to begin again.
The man shook his head and chuckled. "Not a chance, Edward. I want to hear more about this Bella girl. You've been somewhat vague since she entered your life, only giving your Nanna and I the basic details."
Edward shrugged and turned his attention to the keys. "I just don't want to spoil it by talking about it out loud. Besides," he said with a hint of a smile. "You raised me never to kiss and tell."
The man raised his brow and smiled. "Kiss, eh?"
I began to back out of the room, realizing that I was unintentionally imposing on a personal discussion. Though this conversation was about me, it felt wrong imposing like this. And as much as I would have loved to find out how Edward spoke of me when I wasn't around, it was not my place.
"Yes, Grandfather, you know, the thing you and Nanna do every chance you're alone? Or think you're alone," he mumbled under his breath.
As I took a silent step backward, I bumped into a nearby chair, the leg dragging loudly against the marble floor, alerting them to my presence. I cringed, knowing I was caught. Edward's head whipped around at the sound and he smiled when he caught sight of me. The older gentleman - who I now knew as Edward's grandfather - taking in Edward's exuberant expression, beamed at me.
"This must be Bella."
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