Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, I just use their creations to have my wicked way with them. No copyright infringement is intended.
Once again my apologies for being a day late. I was out house hunting all day yesterday and got back late. The good thing is that it gave my beta the chance to work her magic on this chapter for which, as ever, I thank her from the bottom of my heart .
Little girls & ghosts
October/November 2009
"Professor Cullen?" A musical voice asked as I felt something soft press on my shoulder. "Professor Cullen? You have a meeting with Professor Bell and Professor Tepes in ten minutes……I think you might want to wake up."
"Huh?" I pushed one eye open, zoning in on the page of the book my head was resting on.
"You've got that meeting in ten minutes," Jenny repeated calmly. "I figured it would be best if I woke you up before they found you in here, drooling all over Thomas Hardy, or before you walked into Bell's office with parts of The Major of Casterbridge printed all over your right cheek."
"Thanks," I groaned, rubbing my neck. "How long have I been asleep?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, grabbing a few things that had been pushed off the desk at some point. "I just came in. I've gotta go now. I've got to deliver these copies to Professor Lewis and you know how she gets when she has to wait…."
"Yeah," I nodded, still trying to get my bearings back. "Thanks again for waking me up."
"It's my job," Jenny shrugged. "Well….not quite….but you know what I mean. If you want to talk…."
"I know where to find you," I nodded. "Now go before old Molly throws a book at your head."
"You know….she did that once," Jenny giggled before she gathered her things and left. "Not to me – thank God – but to some poor guy who was in my first year English Lit class. Poor bloke transferred to Cornel as soon as he got the paperwork done."
Over the weeks I had really started to like Jenny. She was a very laid back kind of person and even though some of the professors could get pretty ugly when they weren't waited on hand and foot, she never let them get to her.
After meeting her on my first day back we had become closer. She liked to drop by every now and then and enlighten me with the latest faculty gossip or ask some things about papers and classes. I had even offered her the other side of my desk for when she needed to find a quiet spot to study after finishing work, an offer she had gratefully taken me up on. Most of the time, though, she would go find me with tea and some cookies she had stolen somewhere whenever she thought I'd need a break or nudge me back to the land of the living when I was completely spaced out. Like I had been just now….
Ugh.
I couldn't believe I had fallen asleep above my books. That kind of thing hadn't happened since the first month I had started back at university after Libby as born and even then I don't think I had ever slept as deep as I had been.
Damn! I wish I hadn't. Now my whole body was sore from having been in a strange position for God knew how long and I had a meeting with my superiors about some changes I wanted to make to a seminar I was going to be teaching over the spring semester.
"Ugh," I groaned, looking in the mirror that hung on one of the walls. I looked like death warmed up. My hair, which had actually cooperated today, was all flat and looking like it had been slept on – how surprising – on one side and a tangled mess on the other and I found that Jenny hadn't been joking earlier. I actually had letters smeared all over my left cheek.
Great.
I sorted out the mess that was me as quickly and adequately as I could before heading over to Stefan's office with minutes to spare, looking no doubt like I had just been summoned up at a séance.
xXx
A couple of hours later I was back in my office, munching on a sandwich I had bought on my way back, while trying to focus on poor Elizabeth-Jane Newson getting her heart trampled on by Donald Farfrae when a sharp tap on the door demanded my attention.
"Professor Cullen?" a piercing voice asked, though perhaps 'calling' was the wrong word for what Jane did, demanding in a questioning voice would have been better.
"Yes, Jane?" I half spoke, half growled, swallowing my last bite of pastrami sandwich. "You know I only hold office on Tuesdays and Thursdays between one and three. Is there something important you need to discuss with me?"
"I'm not waiting until Tuesday," she huffed. "It's Friday now. Friday. That means it would take me five days to get my question answered."
"You could have sent me an e-mail," I shrugged.
"You gave me a C for my paper on Northanger Abbey," she huffed, ignoring my remark. "I want to know why and I'm not waiting until Tuesday."
"Too bad," I replied, trying to hide my amusement, "because I'm not discussing this with you at this moment, especially not if you just barge in and demand to be heard. If you want to discus the paper you can either sign up for next Tuesday or find a computer and send me an e-mail."
"I'm not putting up with this!" Jane hissed, the steam almost billowing from her ears. "Just wait until my father heard of this."
"Give him my best," I chuckled, waving her out. "And tell him the head of the department is most eager to hear of him."
"You……"
"Choose your words carefully Jane," I warned. "Now get out of my office. The sign up sheet for next Tuesday's office hours is on the bulletin board next to the door." My heart was pounding in my chest as I turned my attention back to the book I was reading, trying to make it look like her behavior wasn't affecting me at all.
I knew victory was mine the moment I heard her mutter some profanity under hear breath followed by the slamming of the door. I slumped down in my seat with a huge grin on my face. Apparently arrogance did help. In fact….it made me feel good.
Very good indeed. If only my head would stop pounding…..Well, at least some Tylenol would fix that last problem.
The rest of the afternoon passed without further incident. I managed to wrestle trough the rest of The Major of Casterbridge with my grin still in place and even went as far as to drop by Stefan's office on the way out to relay the good news to him.
"This is a call for celebration, my dear," he smiled, pointing to one of the sofa's standing in the corner of his large office. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I put the kettle on?"
"Well….actually," I started, thinking of my family back home.
"Relax," Stefan smiled, patting my arm as he went on search of water for his new electric kettle. "Your family isn't going to disown you if you're half an hour late…."
"I guess not," I sighed. Edward and Libby probably weren't even home yet and – if everything went according to schedule – Masen would still be napping for another hour or so. It might even be better to let him sleep instead of yanking him out of his crib and hauling him over to our home.
Edward was taking Libby with him to the hospital today. It would be the first time he went back there after he had been discharged a little under two weeks ago. Sending Libby with him had been one of my smartest decisions of late, if I may say so myself. It ensured me that Edward wouldn't go rushing into anything too fast, like he had done with dinner the other day. In the end he had taken quite a step backwards that night he had had to spend the next day in bed. Getting caught up in surgical talk and procedures would definitely not be a good thing for him right now.
Libby was actually very excited about getting to see Amy today. The little girl was doing much better since they had transferred her off the ICU and her parents were finally letting her have some peace and quiet. I felt for her. Not only were her legs mashed up pretty bad which meant that for the next period she would be in and out of hospital to get reconstructive surgery which meant walking, much less riding, would probably be out of the question. With her dad being the newly elected senator and her mom living the life of the 'ladies who lunch' and not really being interested in her own child apart from the media coverage she could get out of her, she would probably left at the mercy of some new nanny.
I growled to myself as I thought about the poor girl. People like her parents should be banned from ever having children! They just saw them as some kind of accessory that could be flaunted in front of their friends whenever it suited them and stashed away with some nanny for the rest of the year while they were living the life of the rich and famous.
At least that was one thing we were doing better. Sure, in an ideal world we'd be spending much more time with Libby and Masen than we were doing now, but at least we were there when they needed us and one of us would always be available to tuck them in at night.
With Edward being up and about again, though severely frustrated by the limitations his cast meant to his mobility, he tried to make things easier for me by taking the kids with him on trips to the park or somewhere else so that I cold have some peace and quiet to study or prepare for classes. He had even tried to cook dinner a few times, though after eating green tomato soup and lamb chops that were so rare you could almost hear to poor animal bleating if you listened closely, we had concluded that was probably not the best of ideas.
I loved having him around all the time. It made me realize just how much I had missed him in the weeks leading up to his accident. We had both been so busy with work and making sure our kids didn't suffer because of our careers that we hardly ever got to spend time together as a couple anymore.
Still….all of this time we had been spending together was bittersweet because I knew that, as much as Edward loved being with us, he was dying to get back to the hospital and back into the race for the fellowship. Standing by the sideline, listening to stories about difficult procedures Garrett and Kate told on their visits made him frustrated to the point that he'd snap at anyone near him for a couple of hours after they'd left.
I worried about him….a lot, even though some times he drove me up the wall.
I guess it really was true what they said about doctors making the worst patients in the world. Especially after Esme had left he had gotten more stubborn about his own abilities by the day, something that had only been heightened by the media appearances he had had to make over the last couple of days.
After he had successfully evaded Alice's plans to launch a counter offensive against Amy's parents, House had moved in with his own – unsuspected – plans, Apparently someone over at the Public Relations department had told him just how much free publicity and new donations the hospital could stand to gain off Edwards new found fame which had led to House rounding up just about every available photographer and journalist in the Tri-State area. My poor Edward had tried to explain time and time again that he had only been doing his job and that any half decent doctor would have done the same but he had been fighting a lost battle from the start. The people liked their heroes, especially if that hero was as good looking as my man was.
At least with the elections behind us – McGregor had won by a landslide – and Amy being released from hospital next week things would probably die down again soon. Or so I hoped….
"So how are things going for you?" Stefan asked, coming back into his office with a tray steaming cups of tea and some cookies. "How is Edward's recovery going?"
"He's doing well," I nodded. "His injuries are healing nicely and apart from the broken leg, you can't really tell what happened any more."
"I'm glad to hear that," he nodded. "And how about the lovely Miss Darcy Elizabeth?"
"Still making her poor teacher's life a living hell," I chuckled, remembering how her teacher had complained that, though she was a very bright and good natured little girl her tendency to always question everything was becoming a bit problematic. "I have a feeling she's going to be one of the best lawyers this country has even had when she grows up."
"With parents like hers, it's not that surprising that she has a good set of brains in her head," Stefan chuckled. "And – of course - she has to live up to the names of the characters she was named after."
"I don't care, as long as she will be happy," I smiled. "I'm just happy I opted for my two favorite characters and not for the name of the author. That name is now forever tainted by association!"
"It is a shame that people all over New York will be forever discarding a good, traditional name like Jane just because of Aro Volturi's nasty offspring," Stefan laughed along. "And what about the young lad?"
"He's growing faster than Alice can buy clothes for him," I replied. "I swear he looks bigger every time I come back from work."
"I remember how fast they grow at that age……," Stefan said. "My Viola seemed to change from a baby into a young girl in only a matter of seconds."
"That might have had something to do with the fact that you were hiding out in your office, though!" I laughed.
"I had work to do….Shakespeare to unravel," he defended. "That's not something you can do on a whim. The true art of the master's words can only be appreciated through long studies and careful contemplation."
"Oh, the hardships of being a scholar!" I teased, rolling my eyes at him.
"Yes…..." he mused. "I called at your office earlier today to see if you could help me print out some e-mail a colleague from Harvard had sent me but I found you quite…..engrossed in your work."
"You saw that?" I squeaked, my face heating up with embarrassment. "I didn't…..I mean……I had a rough night lat night. Masen kept waking up and….."
"It's alright, Bella my dear," he chuckled. "I was only going to suggest that if you need your rest you might want to try the sofa in Vladimir's room. He's hardly ever there anyway and I have a spare key….."
"That won't be necessary," I interrupted him, hoping he was just teasing me. "I'm just….tired. As I said….Masen had a bad night, nothing that won't be helped with a good night's sleep."
"I won't insult you by saying I know how you feel," he replied, patting my arm. "I lack the ability to bring a child into this world and even though I have four children of my own, I have to admit that I have been severely lacking in my parenting skills. I was fortunate enough, however, to have found the sweetest of wives who was able and willing to fill in the gaps my hiding out in my office left at home……" he grinned mischievously over the edge of his cup as I shot him a reproofing look. Poor Mrs. Bell! "I know how difficult it is to be starting out in the academic field and trying to secure a spot among the university faculty,' he added. "Therefore I can only begin to imagine how hard this must be for you."
"I'll manage," I sighed. "I was just starting to get into some sort of routine when the accident happened. I'm sure that with everything slowly going back to normal again it will all work out in another week or so. I'm running behind on my thesis as it is, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up in during winter recess."
"Don't overexert yourself," he stated, his eyes letting me know that he would be watching me closely. "Be sure to get plenty of rest and relaxation. I would tell you to take a step backward and take some more time to complete your thesis, but I know that for now you want to remain stubborn. Just know that we are all behind you."
"Thanks," I croaked, fighting back the tears as I placed the delicate China back on the table. "I need to head home now. My sister in law will be wondering where I went."
"Have a nice weekend Bella," Stefan smiled, helping me back into my coat and handing me my bag before escorting me out of his office. Always the gentleman.
"You too," I smiled.
I knew everyone was just being kind with their worries about how I was coping but, truth be told, it was really starting to annoy me. Sure, I was tired, more than tired even, but I did manage. I was sure that if the accident hadn't happened I would have found my rhythm by now. As it was I would just have to wait a few more weeks to get everything settled to a somewhat normal kind of state, but I had no doubt that I would be able to do it. By the time December would come around everything would be normal again.
I picked up Masen from Rose's before heading back home. The moment I opened the door Libby came bounding towards me, her eyes huge with excitement and untold stories as her curls bounced around her.
"I take it you had a nice day?" I grinned, letting her hold Masen while I peeled off my coat and hung it in the closet.
"I did, mommy," she nodded, with more self control than I would have held her capable off. It must have been because she had Masen in her arms and was afraid she'd drop him if she got too carried away. "Daddy showed me all around the hospital and everyone was so nice to me….well, except for the scary doctor with the blue eyes. I didn't like him very much."
"Did he say something?" I asked, my anger stirring in my chest at the thought that bastard House would have hurt my little girl's feelings.
"No," she shrugged, handing Masen back to me, "but he looked at me in a strange way, almost like he was scared of me, or like I had just vomited all over the hospital or something….He really is strange mommy."
"He is," I chuckled, making a mental note to ask Edward what that had all been about. "So did you get to meet Amy?"
"She's so nice," Libby squealed, "we had to wait at first because there was a man who wanted to take pictures of her and then Amy's mom wanted daddy to be in the pictures as well and daddy almost got into a fight with her when he refused but when Amy's mom walked the photographer out we got to talk and she told me all about the horses at the riding school in Central Park and how she wanted to teach me how to ride because she promised daddy she would but she didn't think it would work because she still can't use her legs and her parents are thinking about moving to Washington and….."
"Sweetheart, please, take a breath for mommy," I chuckled as I watched her face almost turn blue with the spew of words that was flying out of her mouth. "Let's just head into the living room so we can sit down and you can tell me all about your talk with Amy in a calm quiet way."
"Okay," she nodded, taking my free hand and dragging Masen and me into the living room with a force I didn't know her thin little arms possessed. I was starting to wonder if my big brother had been sneaking her into the gym.
"Where's daddy?" I asked as we entered an empty living room, the TV blaring the well known sounds of Finding Nemo through the room.
"In the study," Libby explained, pointing towards the closed sliding doors. "He had to read something for work and he told me I could watch Finding Nemo again when I was finished with my homework."
"He did, huh?" I replied, annoyed that apparently spending quality time with his daughter meant he could plant her in front of the television so that he could lock himself away in the other room with one of his medical journals.
"…..and he has been acting a bit funny ever since we got back," she added, her frown deepening as she glanced at the closed sliding doors to the study.
"What did he do, sweetie?" I asked.
"Well, he made us lemonade and cookies and helped me get started on my homework but when I was trying to solve a very difficult math problem I heard all this noise coming from the foyer and when I went in to take a look daddy was trying to hop up and down the stairs with a very funny look on his face."
"What did he tell you?" I said, trying to hold back the laughter. I had a very good idea of what it was that Edward had been trying to do and why.
"He said that since he couldn't go to uncle Emmett's gym to work out he had to do it at home," Libby replied.
"Hmm," I grinned. "Let me just say a quick hello to daddy and grab a few bits of that chocolate Aunt Alice brought us yesterday and you can tell me all about your day, okay?"
"I thought I couldn't have candy before dinner?" Libby grinned.
"Snooty behavior doesn't suit a little lady like you," I playfully scolded as I slid the doors to the study open. "And don't get used to it."
"Don't get used to what?" Edward asked, lifting his head up from the books and papers spread out in front of him.
"Dumping your child in front of the television for example," I scolded. "What kind of quality time do you call that?"
"Sorry," he mumbled, his nose almost touching the pages of the medical journal in front of him. "It's just that…Garrett cleared me to start working half shifts again next week and though I know I won't be seeing the inside of an OR until I can get this damn cast of my leg…I just want to be prepared…catch up…know what I mean?"
"I do know what you mean," I said, walking up behind him and placing my hands on his shoulders. "But I would have preferred it if you waited with the research until I got back. Libby's been watching too much television as it is…"
"I know," he sighed, his upside down pout affecting me just as much as any other. "I just couldn't stop myself. You know how hard it has been for me to sit by and watch Kate and Garrett get ahead of me."
"Did House say anything about the fellowship?" I asked.
"Not a thing," he said, turning around in his seat and pulling me into his lap. "But then again…I only saw him for a few seconds. There had been a pile up on the 87 and they were all busy taking care of the casualties. I didn't speak to anyone apart from Garrett. And that was only because he had to do my check up."
"It must have been hard to see that," I sighed, leaning my forehead against his. "Did Libby…"
"No, she didn't see a thing," he replied. "And yes….it was pretty hard. Not just because I want that fellowship. God no! I became a doctor because I wanted to cure the ill. Knowing that you got what it takes to heal people but being powerless to do anything is just about the hardest thing I ever had to do."
"But you did have some fun?" I weaved my fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp, as I placed kisses all over his face. As he sighed and leaned into my touch I could feel the tension and frustration starting to slip from his body.
"I did," he admitted. "Watching Libby and Amy together was fun. The girl has had a pretty devilish time lately; she deserved to have some laughs with a girl her own age. It's something she's been severely lacking for God knows how long."
"Libby told me about the altercation with her mother…."
"Don't talk to me of that bitch," he growled. "She isn't even interested in Amy. All she sees is media coverage and attention. She uses her daughter's injuries as a means to an end…."
"Shh," I soothed, keeping my own anger locked down as I saw how the anger and frustration was affecting my husband. "I know you're doing what you can to help her…."
"I wish I could do more."
"Use the time you're not spending cooped up in an OR to go visit her," I suggested. "At least that way she will have someone to talk to other than her ghastly mother and the photographers that woman brings in."
"Good idea," he mused, his lips finding mine for a quick kiss.
"I have to get back to Libby," I sighed. "She's dying to tell me all about her afternoon."
"I'll finish up in here and order some Chinese when I'm done," he nodded, squeezing me tight before letting me go. "You look tired."
"I would have been able to cook," I countered, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Believe me," he grinned, his green eyes blazing into mine as he flashed me his crooked grin. "You're going to need your energy later on…."
"Ah, right," I chuckled, leaning my head over my shoulder to shoot him a knowing look as I exited the room. "Libby told me all about your sudden fascination for stairs…."
xXx
He had been playing the seduction game all afternoon, his eyes raking over my body when he knew I was watching him, his smoldering eyes meeting mine when I looked at him…….By the time dessert came by I was ready to strip off and beg for him to take me on the countertop, kids or no kids.
"So what do you want to do tonight?" he purred as I collected the dirty plates and dishes from the table.
Damn bastard knew pretty well that there was only one thing – or better said: one person – I wanted to do tonight but I couldn't very well say that in front of Libby.
"How about you help Libby with her reading while I clean up the kitchen and take care of Masen and when I'm done we'll go play a game of Scrabble."
"Can we use the grownup side?" Libby squealed, her enthusiasm drowning out the exasperated groan Edward emitted at the mention of the word Scrabble.
I had gotten the game for Libby when she was starting to learn how to form letters into words. The children's version of it had a beginners stage with the stones consisting of words that had to be matched up to the pictures of those words on the game board, the advanced version looked much more like the 'grownup' game. The competitive element of the game had really gotten to her, to the point where she almost wanted to play it every night.
We had to be stern with her, though, since she had a habit of behaving really ugly when she wasn't winning, and she wasn't the only one……Between Edward and Libby playing board games always ended up in World War III with me getting stuck in the middle like a UN peacekeeper.
Why did I suggest Scrabble again?
Oh yes, right. To keep my mind off Edward and his maddening stares.
I let my mind wander while loading the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. I must have been somewhere far, far away because I didn't even notice another person coming into the kitchen until I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist while I stood bend over the machine.
"Hmmm," he purred, his hands ghosting over my thighs. "What do you say we try this exact same position without clothes in a couple of hours?"
"And have you crash on top of me half way through because your poor leg can't take it?" I quipped, trying not to show how much his touch affected me. "I guess not…..If we're going to do this tonight – and that's still a big if – you're going to have to bend to my will, mister."
His hands snaked up from my thighs, locked around my chest and pulled me up so that my back was pressed into his chest. "Bella…." he hummed, his voice reverberating through my skin as his lips ghosted over the skin left uncovered by my sweater. "You know how much I love it when you boss me around."
"Then you are going to love what I have in store for you," I purred, brushing my nose along his jaw.
"What do you say we skip Scrabble, tuck the kids in for an early night and you can show me just what it is that you have in store for us…." He whispered, his lips marking the skin of my neck as I felt his arousal pushing against my rear through our clothes.
For a moment I felt like giving in. It had been long – way too long – since we had had sex and my body was screaming for release. The kind of release only Edward could deliver. I knew it had been hard for him as well. We had had a few close calls over the last week, when he was starting to feel better again but between his body having taken the hit it had, Garrett's strict order of rest and the memory of what Edward had looked like that night I had had to carry him up the stairs, I had always managed to listen to the voice of reason in my head, telling me to pull away at the right moment.
"Nice try mister," I chuckled, trying to escape his iron grasp. "But I doubt even you can convince Libby to bail out on Scrabble. And anyway….good things come to those who wait."
"You know I'm not a patient man, Bella," he growled, tightening his grip as I tried to pry his arms away. "I will have my revenge….."
"Bring it," I quipped, swallowing hard in a vain attempt to hide my true feelings. "And you might want to take a few minutes before you head back out there," I added, pointing at his still very obvious hard on. "That is…unless you want to give Libby the sex talk right now."
"You're never going to let me forget that, will you?" he groaned, adjusting his pants and taking deep breaths to get rid of his 'situation.'
"Nope," I giggled, closing the dishwasher door and pushing a few buttons to get the thing started. "Just be glad I never told Emmett."
"Evil woman,' he grumbled, swatting my ass as I walked past him into the study where Libby was setting up the board game, the lights twinkling in her eyes.
Roughly two and a half hours, one extremely frustrated Libby and a completely flustered self later I was locked up in the bathroom, changing into something less comfortable but infinitely more sexy than my sweats while my horny husband was waiting for me on the bed a couple of feet away. I knew I had been in for some teasing after the incident in the kitchen. However nothing had prepared me for one hour of double entendres and piercing stares.
He had looked so bloody innocent when he had laid out the letters to 'coming', adding a double word value to his score as he shot me a smoldering look from across the table. I knew better, though, especially when he followed it by 'multiple', 'bang', 'screw' and 'ride'. All perfectly innocent words, none of which would alarm our seven year old little girl sitting in between us, but all of them, combined with the looks he gave me, enough to bring me to critical combustion level.
At least I could pay him back in kind. Starting right now.
For once I was glad of Alice's habit of leaving little 'presents' in my lingerie drawer. It gave me something else to wear instead of my usual comfortable yet completely sexless panties and bra's. The item I had selected for tonight was a red and black jacquard corset with lacey frills on the edges and matching panties. The fact that my stomach, still, not quite back to its pre-baby flatness, was hidden made me feel a little more confident than usual, a fact I could use given what I planned to do tonight.
I knew Edward loved it when I took control in the bedroom though between his much more knowledgeable status when it came to sex and my shyness it wasn't a very common occurrence.
I shot one last look in the mirror, checked to see if everything was still in place, before opening the door to find the room dark, a soft light shimmering from the candles Edward had lit around the room.
"Like what you see?' I purred, trying to make my voice low and seductive as I entered his view.
"God," he gasped, his eyes going wide as saucers. "Very much so….Come here."
"Na-uh," I teased. "Tonight I'm in control, remember? Just sit back, relax and try not to stroke out on me."
"Funny, Bella," he smirked, his eyes never leaving my cleavage. "Funny."
"What's funny about my boobs, Edward?" I quipped. "I mean…….we could easily do this some other time if you're not up to it…."
"Believe me, Bella," he crooned, his eyes scorning into mine, making me unsteady on my feet as he sat up a little straighter and started unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm very much up to it. If you'd bother to come a little closer I could show you how much so…"
"All talk," I purred, taking a few steps closer and letting my hand trail up the fabric covering his good leg.
"All tease," he snickered, guiding my hand upwards to the erection that was straining in his pants.
"Did I tell you to move?" I scolded, swatting his hands away as my hands got busy unbuttoning his pants. "I will have to think of a punishment for you…"
I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed as he no doubt tried to think of the kind of punishment I had in story for him while I lowered his pants and boxers down his legs, Edward now lying in front of me in full naked glory.
"Do you want to be punished, Edward?' I purred, trailing my hand back up over his bare legs. "Do you like it when I'm being rough with you?"
"I….uhm," he groaned, his breathing shallow and eyes diluted as he kept them fixed on my hands which were nearing his groin.
"Answer me," I pressed, trying to make my voice sound strict and slightly annoyed when all I felt was giddiness and an overall sense of empowerment.
"Y-yes," he stuttered, moving his hands underneath his body to keep himself from touching me as I trailed my finger along his shaft, his member twitching as my hand made contact with it. "Yes, Bella," he groaned. "I fucking love it when you're rough with me."
"Dirty boy," I scolded, placing a quick kiss on his tip before climbing onto the bed and straddling his waist, my clothed center making contact with his erection.
"Bella," he whined, his hands moving upwards as if to wrap around my hips but thinking better of it at the last moment. "Please…."
"Well," I grinned, turning around and leaning forward so that I could wrap my lips around his erection. "If you ask me that nicely…how can I refuse?"
I set a slow pace, looking over my shoulder every now and then to find him completely entranced with the sight in front of him. Looking, but not touching.
"Don't just stand there watching," I scolded, trailing my tongue along the veins of his shaft. "Get to it, action man."
"Like you fucking need to ask," he growled, ribbing the fabric of my panties from my body and throwing it across the room. My lament for the loss of a pair of nice underwear and the waste of money quickly forgotten as his tongue made contact with my center, darting in and out of my core as his thumb rubbed circles along my clit.
"God," I moaned around him as he replaced his mouth with his fingers, his lips tugging on my bundle of nerves. I was close, already, but I wanted him to come along with me. I was fighting a lost cause however. A determined Edward was never beaten and it seemed this night he was determined to get me off before him.
"Edward," I moaned, as I felt myself clench around his fingers, the vibrations my moans caused setting off his own release.
"Fuck, Bella," he hissed as I swallowed around him, rolling on to my side next to him as we both came down from our highs.
"What set that off?" he chuckled. "I don't think I've ever seen you this forceful before? Not that I mind of course?"
"What makes you think I'm already done?' I chuckled, kissing my way back up to his lips, both of us battling for dominance as our kiss grew more heated before I pulled away, gasping for air. "That was only round one…"
"And what, my lovely wife, do you still have in store for me?" he asked.
"Round two?" I suggested coyly, my hands starting to open the front clasps of the corset.
"No," he groaned, his hands swatting mine away. "Keep it on."
My self-consciousness struck hard for the teeniest hint of a moment, telling me he wanted me to keep the corset on because he couldn't stand to watch my naked form, then the more grounded side of my brain countered that it might also be because I looked sexy in this corset.
"Just be a good boy, lie back and let me take care of that," I chuckled, dispelling my somber thoughts as I pointed at his rehardened shaft as I straddled him again and positioned him at my entrance, both of us groaning as I slid down on him.
"God, Bella," he panted as I set the pace. "You look fucking hot."
I guess that solved my questions.
His hands reached up to massage my breast through the fabric of the corset, the friction the soft silk caused to my overheated skin driving me almost insane.
"So…..close," I panted, increasing the speed of my hips. "Don't stop….."
"Never," he growled, one hand snaking down my stomach to the place where we were joined and making contact with my throbbing clit. "Fuck Bella….come……now."
"Jesus!" I shrieked, throwing my head back as I came hard, my whole body shaking with the force of my climax.
"Fuck!" I heard Edward hiss somewhere in the distance as I felt him empty himself inside me.
"I love you,' I muttered against his chest, kissing every bit of skin I could reach as I felt my body doze off while Edward arranged the blankets around us.
"I love you too, my angel," he whispered, kissing the top of my head before settling back against the pillows, his arms wrapping around me in a comforting embrace. "My Bella."
xXx
Edward Cullen
I was getting better every day. I could feel my body going back to normal again.
Finally.
Just a few more weeks until I could get this damn cast off my leg and I would be doing what I did best again. Difficult surgeries, heart surgery, God, how I missed it.
Over the last two weeks – since I had started working again – they had let me ease back into work, starting out with prepping, aftercare and patient monitoring and going on to minor procedures later on. I could have cried that first time I was allowed back into an OR, even if it was just to assist and only for an hour. My leg was hurting like a hell by the time Wilson kicked me out but that didn't matter. The only thing that did was that I was finally getting back into the saddle.
Back into the game.
I had been so impatient to go back to work. Sitting at home all day, hearing stories about patients and procedures and just the general goings on at the hospital when Kate and Garrett called or dropped by, had made me cranky and whiny like a little bitch. The fact that Bella was suffering because of it had made me feel even worse. She had suffered so much already with me almost killing myself on duty and needing constant care in the week that followed and here I was, making life even harder for her……
At least things appeared to be going better for her again. The dark lines underneath her eyes were still there, but with Masen generally being a sound sleeper and her first semester as a college professor well underway I could see she was starting to get into some kind of routine. She still had me worried though….
I could see her struggling, even though she was too stubborn to admit it. It wasn't just that she was tired all the time, on some days it was almost as if the spark had left her body. As if she was just dragging herself from one obligation to the next. At least we hadn't been having too much of those kind of days lately. I didn't know if I could stand having more of those, to be honest.
It made me feel even guiltier for not spending as much time with her as I should have. For focusing on my job when my wife was suffering at home.
I sighed. At least I knew I had her full support in this. She would kick my ass if she ever found out I was having second thoughts. If anything she had been pushing me to work more over the last couple of weeks. She knew it would take me a lot of work and dedication to make up for my absent attitude over the months when Bella was in the final stages of her pregnancy and Masen had just been born. Even more, if I wanted to be a contender for the fellowship.
She knew how much I wanted it and would do everything in her power to help me achieve my dream. Even if it meant hurting herself. Giving up now would be a worse blow to her than if I never came back home until the fellowship was granted. I was doing this for her. For us.
Liar.
I was doing this for me.
Selfish bastard that I was.
"Edward! Katie and I are going to grab some coffee downstairs. Are you coming with us?" Garrett hollered from across the corridor, startling me from my thoughts.
"Give me a minute," I yelled back. "I just need to check on a patient."
"We'll be downstairs," he nodded, pressing the elevator button.
I slipped into the room for a quick check of Mr. Banner's vitals before heading back out to join Kate and Garrett downstairs. Mr. Banner had been doing much better since his operation about a month ago. The LVAD had taken over where his battered heart had been severely lacking and he had bounced back from the surgery much stronger than he was before. Now all he needed was a new heart and he could go back to his life. That last thing was easier said than done though. Since he had a very unusual blood type.
Kate and Garrett were already waiting in line when I got there.
"If it isn't doctor McDogood gracing us with his presence," Kate smirked, her hostility not being lost on me.
"What's with the passive aggressive attitude McBoobs?" I retorted. "I thought we had agreed not to do this?"
"That was until you did the hero thing and got famous," she huffed. "Nowadays I'm even wondering why I fucking bother to do Caius' bidding when the fellowship has already been given."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I snarled, looking at Garrett for an explanation. He just rolled his eyes and shrugged, putting his hand on Kate's shoulder to calm her down.
"Do you really think they are going to give this fellowship to me or Garrett with you gracing the cover of every fucking magazine or newspaper on the East Coast?" she snarled. "The publicity has raked in more money than every charity campaign they've come up with over the last ten years. They are not going to let you go Eddie. They'd be stupid to do so."
"Do you really think I did it all on purpose?" I yelled, dragging my hand through my hair. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Do you think I pushed that fucking truck off the bridge and almost got myself killed just so that I could get the fellowship?"
"You sure didn't exactly dodge publicity afterwards," she spat back, her eyes tightening to tiny slits as she pushed Garrett's warning hand off her shoulder.
"You think I planned it?" I growled. "For crying out loud, Kate! You know as well as I do that it was House all the way. He wanted the publicity for the hospital so he let that vile McGregor woman come in with all of her photographers and journalists. Do you really think I wanted my face in print? That I wanted to have people camping out in front of my home, scaring my kids and making life for Bella even harder? God…I'm beginning to think those ER nurses were right when they called you McBitchy!"
"Calm down Katie," Garrett warned, pulling Kate backwards when for a moment it seemed like she was going to slap me. "Relax, take a breather. That's your friend you're talking to."
"Fuck you, Garrett!" she growled, slapping his hand away for the second time before turning back to me. "And fuck you too!" With that she stormed out, leaving a trail of gawking bystanders behind.
"I'm sorry about that," Garrett sighed. "She's been working all hours over the last couple of weeks, picking up most of the extra shifts your sick leave has left open, only to have House raving on and on about the accident and how much money it earned the hospital."
"I get that," I nodded. "But why does she have to take it out on me?"
"She can't take it out on House….."
"True," I sighed.
"Look," he replied, ordering large espresso's for both of us. "I'm not asking you to simply forget about what happened. Hell, if she weren't my girl and, well, a girl, I would have probably kicked the ever lovin' crap out of her for saying the stuff she did, but I am asking you to go a little easy on her cause she's my girl and all and I love her like shit even though she can be a bit bitchy sometimes."
"A bit?"
"Okay, a whole fucking lot."
"I'll try,' I nodded, taking a large gulp of the scalding hot liquid. "But all bets are off if she starts going for round two."
"Understood," he nodded, patting my back before heading back out into the lobby.
I guess this meant that the clean fight had officially ended.
The rest of the day went by much more relaxed than it had started. Garrett had persuaded Kate to go home after her outburst at the coffee bar and with House stuck in meetings all day everyone was acting much more relaxed than usual.
"Doctor Cullen," I let out a very girly type of squeal when Nurse Farley appeared behind me from out of nowhere. "There's someone waiting for you at the front desk."
"Really?" I wondered if maybe Bella had come to visit me. It was about dinner time and she did sometimes drop off something healthy for me to eat instead of having to submit me to hospital cafeteria food. "Who is it?"
"Do I look like your personal assistant?" nurse Farley huffed. "If you want to know I suggest you drag your lazy ass down to the front desk to see for yourself. She said she was an old friend."
Now I was really starting to wonder who it might be. An old friend? A woman? Could it be Carmen? I hadn't seen or heard from her in years but maybe with my face being plastered all over the news for a couple of days she would have remembered me and wanted to get in touch.
"I'm not going to get her for you, if that's what you were going to ask me next," Nurse Farley warned, giving me another depreciative glare before she turned and left.
She turned around the moment I entered the reception area, her large, steel blue eyes dancing with mischief as she walked up to me and placed a kiss on my cheek before I could stop her, her fingers wiping away the stain her lipstick had left as she stepped back to take a look at me.
When she spoke, that same familiar hint of a Russian accent lent that danger to her voice that had once served to make me go completely crazy. "Well, hello there Edward," she purred. "How long has it been? Ten years? More?"
"You should know," I growled, back away from her until I felt the hardwood of the counter press against my back. "You left me, remember?"
Insert evil grin.