Chapter 12: It's Just Dinner
Much thanks to Irritable_Grizzzly, who puts up with my semicolons and constant quotation marks. Many thanks to BellaMadonna who use their awesome beta skills to make sense of my words and helped these two characters get somewhere. Also much thanks again to RoseArcadia for the great blinkie.
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns all characters associated with Twilight, however this story is mine.
See you at the bottom…
Edward Masen
After we got the car loaded, we drove in silence as we cruised down PCH. It wasn't an awkward silence like before. Before this afternoon, we weren't sure about what to say without tearing into each other, or my asinine assumptions making Bella highly defensive. Now we knew exactly where we stood. It was nice and it was comfortable, which was something I wasn't used to being with a woman.
Bella sat comfortably looking out the window, her left hand in my right, only letting go when I had to shift gears. When we reached the city limits, I gave her hand a squeeze to get her attention without breaking the silence. She turned her head towards me and smiled.
"So, what time should I pick you up?" I glanced at the clock and saw it was almost seven.
"Is eight-thirty okay? I need to shower and get out of these stuffy work clothes. Plus I have a feeling I'm going to get cornered by a spiky-haired sprite when I get home," she chuckled, then rolled her eyes and grinned at me. "I really did have fun today. It was not how I thought I was going to spend my day, but I'm glad it turned out this way."
"What were your plans for today?" I glanced over at her.
"I didn't have anything too pressing. I had a phone conference that I needed to take and there were some phone calls I had to return, but Alice did that for me. I know I need to call Tyler and let him know how everything went today. I do have a breakfast meeting I have to go to tomorrow morning though," she said as she pulled out her Blackberry.
"Are you already trying to get out of staying the night with me?" I teased.
She turned and looked at me with wide eyes. "No!" she practically shouted and slammed her hand over her mouth. "That's not what I meant. It's just that I have to get up early and… oh shit. This isn't coming out right is it?" She paused, then continued, "What I mean is that we all can't sleep in till noon and do whatever we want whenever we want. Some of us have real jobs–" She cut herself off before she dug herself in any deeper. Her face was turning a gorgeous shade of dark pink and it was taking everything I had not to just outright laugh at her.
She glanced over at me, saw my expression, and slapped me hard on my shoulder. "You ass! You could have just stopped me from making a fool of myself." She buried her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry, but that was just too funny." I couldn't suppress my chuckle any longer. "You really do have verbal diarrhea, don't you?"
She nodded. "It's only really bad when I'm nervous. It's ironic that it's my job to speak and interact with people and spin details on a daily basis," she said wryly. "When I'm in a casual setting, I'm far less anxious than when I'm working. In work mode it's usually not a problem, go figure. When I'm with you though, my mind seems to turn to mush."
"Are you trying to say you have trouble thinking around me?" I asked, and I couldn't help but feel flattered that I had that effect on her.
"With you or when I'm completely caught off-guard, which lately seems to be around you," she laughed, and then suddenly there's my random awkwardness and inability to shut the hell up..."
"Like what happened with Carlisle?" I prodded.
"Good lord your agent is an asshole!" she said loudly. "Does he really take himself that seriously? I mean come on Edward, the guy is good at what he does, there's no doubt about it, but does have to be such an arrogant prick at the same time?" she huffed.
"Did you ever consider that he's good at what he does because he's an arrogant prick? If I remember this afternoon correctly, you would have done well eating some humble pie," I pointed out.
"Okay, I can see your point, but does he really think his shit doesn't stink?"
"Yes," I answered simply, because I was pretty sure it was true. "By the way, watching you handle Carlisle and seeing you in a professional setting was fucking hot. You can boss me around any time." I glanced over and winked at her.
"I'll take note of that Mr. Masen," she said in a firm tone, which sent a warm, electric shock straight to my crotch.
"Uh-huh," was all I could say. I shifted slightly in my seat, hoping she didn't notice my hard-on. If she did, she didn't say anything; I'd like to think she did. It'd be a pretty big blow to my ego if she didn't.
"So are you going to tell me where we're going for dinner?" she asked.
"Nope, it's a surprise." I didn't want to tell her I had no clue what we were going to do. It was the middle of the week, but I still couldn't think of a place where we wouldn't be bothered. Any place that would be good would be busy. It wouldn't matter if the place was slammed, we would get a table, and for once, I was not going to use my celebrity status to get what I wanted. It left me with limited options.
"Bullshit," she said with a laugh and shook her head. "You have no idea where we are going, do you?"
"I promise you'll be surprised and it'll be good," I assured her, mentally crossing my fingers at my little white lie.
"I trust you, Edward," she said softly. I knew she was talking about more than dinner.
"I know." I smiled at her and lightly kissed the back of her hand. I let go to shift down and slowed in front of her house. "I'll be back to pick you up at eight-thirty."
She leaned over the console and gave me what started to be a chaste kiss, but her lips lingered on mine. I lightly pressed back against her mouth and slid my hand into her hair, pulling her into me more. Thankfully the lights flicked on as Alice and Jasper stepped out onto the front porch. Bella growled in annoyance, but both of us knew that if she stayed in the car any longer, we would never make it to dinner.
"I'll see you soon," she said hoarsely.
I nodded and shifted in my seat again. She stepped out of the car and before the door could fully close I heard her yell, "Jesus Horatio Christ, Alice. Are you my fucking mom now?" I shook my head and pulled out of her driveway and headed home.
Bella Swan
"Calm down, B," Jasper laughed as I brushed past him into the house. "All right ladies, now that everyone's settled in, I'm outta here. There isn't a chance in hell that I want to be here for any squealing, hugging and hand flapping that might go down when you two start to gossip." He grabbed a set of keys off the coffee table and gave Alice a quick kiss on the cheek. She shut the door behind him and looked at me at me with determination; in all honesty, it scared me a little.
"Uhmm, before I say anything, where's Emmett?" I asked.
"You haven't spoken to him?" Her eyes were wide with shock.
"Not since last Saturday," I said with a shrug.
"He came back on Monday morning and packed a bag. I haven't heard from him since. My guess is that he's either staying at a hotel or with Rosalie." Alice finally moved from the door and sat across from me on the couch.
"Oh." My heart fell a little bit at the fact that he hadn't even called to apologize or at least see how I was doing. We were engaged, for God's sake.
"Don't get all depressed on me, Swan. You haven't called him either, have you?"
I sighed, "No, I haven't. You're right, I shouldn't be mad." But I was. I had offered the parting shot – maybe I should call him?
"I know what you're thinking, Bella. Don't you dare talk to him! What he said to you was cruel and it was only a matter of time before everything fell apart. I just didn't think it would be that bad," she admitted.
"I know, I know," I said as I paused for a moment. "Okay, I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Good, me neither." Alice bounced on her knees. "Tell me everything, especially what the hell was up with today? First, I get the call that you're flying in from New York a day early. Then I get the text to pick up your stuff from the airport, and then you tell me Edward-freaking-Masen has taken you to his beach house for the afternoon!" She spat out the list, one by one. "How the hell does this happen to you and why on earth does it never happen to me?" she cried. "Never mind the fact that he was a first-rate asshole the last time you saw him!" She threw up her hands in exasperation.
"Whoa, okay, slow down, Ali," I said with a laugh. "First, Tyler now has a fiancé and she had a baby. That's why I came back early." Alice nodded already knowing this. "Then, I realized I was going to be late because my flight had been delayed, so I didn't have time to get my checked bags, hence why you needed to go get them for me. Thanks for that, by the way." Alice again nodded.
I glanced at the clock to see the time was going by faster than I had thought. "Walk with me, Edward is picking me up at eight-thirty and I'll be damned if I'll give you an opportunity to be alone with him."
I stood up and headed towards my bathroom. I waved my hand at her to follow me and I was sure as hell surprised when she vaulted over the couch and landed with a perfect dismount.
With a little shake of my head at her gymnastic abilities, I continued my story. "Then it turned out that the meeting Tyler needed me to cover was between Alec and Edward and his asshole agent, Carlisle Cullen." I rolled my eyes a bit at the memory. "The meeting went fine. Alec loved Edward and vice-versa. Then as Alec and I were at the valet stand, Edward pulled me aside and asked to speak to me privately." I paused a moment as I remembered what happened next. "He apologized for everything and then… he kissed me! In public, Alice! He fucking kissed me." I tried to pretend to be angry and I would never admit it to Edward, but that was one of the most passion-filled kisses I'd ever had.
"Please tell me they got it on film," she pretended to beg.
"Oh, I'm sure they did. I don't even want to think about it right now." I waved my hand dismissively. "Anyway, after that, Alec ditched me and Edward offered me a ride home, but instead of actually bringing me back here, he told me he was taking me to his other house so that we could have some privacy and really hash things out."
By this time I had stripped out of my pencil skirt and wiped the tiny sand granules to the floor. I started the water as Alice grabbed two towels for me and placed them on the toilet. She stepped out for a moment so I could jump in the shower. I admit I was purposely delaying all the details of my day because if she knew exactly what had happened and how I truly felt, she would hug and squeal and "hand-flap", as Jasper put it. If I was in the shower, she wouldn't have the chance to do it.
"Bella! Stop stalling and tell me what happened!" she yelled from the other side of the door. Uh-oh. I should have known she wouldn't fall for my tactics. She squealed as she continued her questioning. "Did you kiss? Did you guys have sex? Why do you have tan lines when I know you didn't have a suit with you? If anything, shouldn't you have zero zebra stripes?"
"Okay, I'm in!" I called from behind the shower curtain, and she was back in the bathroom in a flash. "If you'll settle down, I'll tell you what happened," I admonished her. "To answer your questions, we talked, Ali." I heard her humpf in disbelief. "I swear that's all we did. We talked… a lot. I promised him that we could try to be more than friends and he promised me that he would do whatever it took to earn my trust. He told me that he wants me and only me. Yes, we kissed, but no, we didn't have sex." I finished in a rush, leaving out the part about how badly I had wanted him to take me on the beach towel and do very dirty things with me regardless of where the sand would go.
Alice continued to squeal and I could hear her jumping around as she asked, "What about the tan lines?
"I didn't ask why he had suits there, but he did, so I threw on the only one that had tags on it. My guess is that it was Tanya's, but whatever," I said. Tanya and I were about the same size and it only made sense. I had always heard rumors that Edward was a bit of a man-whore so the thought that he would have taken a random conquest to a secluded house on the beach didn't make sense. I let myself float down the river of denial on the off-chance that it wasn't Tanya's bathing suit.
"So what's happening now? Oh, and it's almost eight by the way," she called from the other side of the curtain.
"Ugh, okay fine, he asked me if he could take me out on a date tonight and now we're going to dinner and a movie." I heard Alice snort derisively. "Don't laugh! It's cute and sweet and it shows he's trying."
"Whatever you say, Bella," she said, still laughing skeptically. "Do you want me to pick something out for you so you don't have to worry about picking out your clothes?" she asked. I noticed her change in demeanor; she had been trying very hard lately to curb her intruding ways. I appreciated it greatly and, to be frank, at the moment I really needed her help. It didn't matter that Edward and I had kissed a few times already or that we'd had a few private moments. I was going on a traditional date with an A-list movie star who I'd had had a crush on for years. Not to mention that I hadn't had a first date in over five years. I was terrified, but I didn't realize how nervous I was until I started shaving and saw how badly the razor was shaking in my hand.
I managed to finish my shower and made it out with only two nicks. I grabbed a towel and rushed to my bedroom, finally glancing at the clock and saw I only had fifteen minutes to get dressed and get my hair and make-up done. Luckily, Alice laid out the perfect first-date outfit with matching accessories. I quickly threw on the dark jeans and shiny black halter-top and slipped on the black ballet flats. I decided to not do anything with my hair other than a quick blow-dry and ran my fingers through it before I put it in a low ponytail. I had just put the finishing touches on my simple makeup when I heard the doorbell ring. I heard Alice answer the door and suddenly panic took over me.
What if he didn't like me after all? What if he decided that I wasn't worth the effort to get to know? All the self-confidence that I had been working so hard at building all these years went out the window as I forgot everything that had happened today. In a matter of minutes, I had reduced myself to the shy and awkward teenager I was in high school, but this time Jake wasn't there to hold me.
"Bella!" I heard Alice call from downstairs. "Edward's here!" I grabbed my clutch and slowly made my way downstairs, making sure I didn't trip or do something equally embarrassing.
When Edward came into view, his back was turned to me; he was looking at the photographs on my fireplace mantle. He looked stunning in a pair of dark wash jeans and cream-colored sweater with the sleeves pushed to his elbows. I cleared my throat to let him know I was behind him.
He spun around and his eyes widened a bit. "You look beautiful," he said as he pulled me into a hug. We had been apart for less than two hours and I already felt better in his presence. All my concerns and worries melted away in his arms. Fuck, he smelled delicious. "We'd better get out of here or I'm going to send Alice over to my place," he murmured, as his nose grazed the outer shell of my ear. I couldn't say anything, so I nodded.
I pulled back and saw his eyes had a glazed-over look. If he was feeling what I was, I knew exactly what this meant. Dinner was going to be a slow form of torture – sexual tension brought on by Edward Masen licking his lips. I turned to grab my keys and asked him as I glanced over my shoulder, "Where are we going anyway?"
"It's a little place off of Fairfax, you'll love it. It's quiet and small and I know the owners so we should have some privacy." He grabbed my hand and led me out the door and to his car. I called out to Alice to let her know I was leaving but didn't wait for a response. We needed to get out of that house.
In the car, the sexual tension was thick. What was once a calming and soothing feeling had escalated into a low but intense hum. I couldn't seem to stop my leg from bouncing. He reached over and placed his hand on my knee and told me to relax.
Oh, sure, like I could relax with his hand on my knee!
Edward Masen
Surely she couldn't be as nervous as I was. Maybe she wasn't nervous and just wanted to get the night over with. I sure as hell hoped not, but I wouldn't blame her. She had changed her mind about us in such a short amount of time that I was still shocked she wanted me.
She was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, even though I hadn't really done anything to deserve it. I refused to fuck this up and if it turned out that she didn't want me after all, then at least I went down knowing I put up a decent fight. I knew I shouldn't be thinking about rejection, but it was hard not to. Around Bella, my resolve seemed almost non-existent. The cocky actor who could get anyone, anytime, anywhere, was no longer present; instead, Bella Swan had me reduced to the boy who took his half-sister to the prom.
Ever since I had dropped her off to get ready, I had become a nervous wreck. When I got home I scrubbed myself clean and stood in front of my closet for ages trying to figure out what to wear. It had taken me nearly twenty minutes just to decide on a sweater and pants. Then, I made a few phone calls and was able to arrange for a somewhat private table at a new restaurant that just opened.
I pulled myself back to the present and looked at Bella. Her leg was bouncing up and down like a jackhammer. I put my hand on her knee to try and calm her down, but in reality it was more to soothe my nerves and to make sure that she was really in my car and this was all really happening.
The drive from her house to the restaurant was a relatively short one and we didn't really have a chance to talk. Instead, silence and a low sexual tension began to build. I rounded the corner and saw a few scumbag photographers staked out at the corner by the front entrance of Animal, our restaurant for the night.
It was as if they noticed me at the same time I noticed them. I don't know how they could possibly have known it was Bella and me when we were half a block away. Someone had to have tipped them off, but nobody knew where we were headed. I parked the car on the side lot and turned off the engine.
Within seconds it felt like we were surrounded. I could see Bella hunched muttering something under her breath.
"Hey," I said softly, "it's okay. It's just you and me. Ignore everyone else, okay?"
"Edward, they're everywhere!" She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"So what?" I shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"I'm just warning you now that I don't deal well with pressure. I usually say something stupid when I get irritated," she warned.
"You mean like the sex tape scandal or what you said when you left The Ivy?" I laughed at her panicked expression.
"You heard about that, huh?" she looked at me, embarrassed.
"It was hard not to. In these situations, you just go with it. You do this stuff in your sleep; you can handle a few photographers asking stupid questions, can't you?" I didn't wait for her answer as I got out of the car and walked around to her side to open the door. The door swung open and I held out my hand to her. I watched as she took a deep breath and then nodded before she slowly stepped out of the car.
"I can't promise I won't say anything stupid," she said, giving me a mischievous little smile.
We started down the sidewalk, trying to ignore the stares, flashes and yelled questions. I was constantly amazed at how these jerks knew where I was going to be all the damn time.
"As long as you don't yell out something about a baby, I think we'll be alright," I joked with her.
"Please if I was going to say something like that, it wouldn't be a baby, it'd be more like 'twins!'" she laughed and then realized that she said that a little too loud. She looked at me wide-eyed and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh shit! We should get out of here. You might as well just take me home." She sounded dejected.
"Not a fucking chance. I promised you dinner and goddammit, I'm hungry. You're eating for three now and it wouldn't make any sense for you to skip a meal." This tongue-in-cheek humor made me giggle, and we pressed our way to the entrance.
We entered the restaurant and escaped the madness. The owners met us by the hostess stand and they repeatedly apologized for the paparazzi being tipped off. They assured me the hostess, who had inadvertently seen the reservation and had alerted the press, was currently in the back office being fired.
We were quickly seated in a private corner booth and were told the staff had explicit instructions to leave us alone. I could tell that Bella was still uncomfortable with all the whispers. I found myself wondering where the confident woman from "The Ivy" had gone, and who this shy girl was sitting next to me was.
"Bella, you can relax – in fact, I encourage it." I reached across the table and placed my hand on top of hers.
"I know, it's just weird. It's one thing to have the press follow me in New York; but here, they're absolutely rabid!" she said with a note of disgust. "In New York they at least have the decency to let you walk into a building, but here they try to block your entrance." She shook her head a little as she finally met my eyes. "But I guess it's only to be expected. You're way hotter than Em –" she stopped, catching herself, "– my other dates, so it's only natural that there are more cameras trained on you." The pink was rising up her neck to stain her cheeks.
I gave her an encouraging smile. "Well, I'm just wondering why you're so shy all of a sudden. We've been around each other enough that I would hope you could let your guard down around me by now." I wanted to assure her that she would be fine, but I remembered her saying she needed to take it slow and that probably didn't apply to just sex.
She swallowed a little and her eyes dropped to the table. "You're right, Edward. I'm sorry."
I moved my fingers to her chin and tilted her face up so her eyes met mine once more. She took a deep breath and continued, "You know…I just realized that I don't really know anything about you. You're familiar with my sexual history and my distaste of high society. You've seen me working and you've seen my temper," she stated with a little smirk. I let my hand drop as she took a sip of her drink and I mirrored her actions.
"So tell me, how many people have you slept with, Edward?" she said nonchalantly over the top of her wine glass.
I nearly choked on my drink and almost spit it back into the glass. "What?" I gasped.
She giggled, and persisted. "How many people have you had sex with? You seem to know about all of mine, I think it's only fair I know about yours." She shrugged and looked at me as she waited.
"Bella, that's not the type of getting-to-know-you conversation I was planning on having," I told her, a little unnerved by her question.
"So you don't know? Or do you need time to count?" I could see the corners of her lips turning upwards.
"If you must know, I never kept count and that's not something I'm entirely comfortable talking about in a public place." I glanced around, almost expecting a tabloid journalist to crawl out of the woodwork. "Is there something else you'd like to know about me?" I offered.
I would be willing to answer that question in a more private setting. My sexual history was not one I was ashamed of, but I wasn't about to go shouting about it from the rooftops, or confessing in a restaurant, that I am, no strike that - I was - a manwhore. I was hoping to change that with Bella; for her, I would try to be monogamous. I wouldn't give her a reason to doubt me and I refused to be like my father.
I saw the full-blown smile on her face and realized that she had been teasing me. "Okay then, why don't you tell me about where you grew up?" She was trying to relax and her little joke had seemed to do the trick.
I was also able to relax a little then and I told her about being born in Chicago and then moving out here when I was a little kid. I told her about my mom and her unwavering loyalty and our weekly pancake breakfasts. Every Sunday morning, Liz and I would get up and go eat pancakes then head to the zoo. I told her about how Jasper and I became best friends and when Tanya became part of the family.
Bella had told me about the pressure that her mother had put on her and the expectations that Charlie always put on her to take over his company. I told her how my father was always disappointed that I didn't follow in his footsteps. He didn't recognize my passion for acting until I had earned myself an audition for the Tisch, and even then he was hesitant. It didn't matter that acting was my dream. Being an actor wasn't a respectable profession in his eyes.
Every now and again Bella would interject with a question or a small story on her own, but I did most of the talking. It felt oddly comfortable to be sharing so much about myself. Normally on dates, the girls talked about themselves and didn't really care what I had to say. They only cared where the photographers were because they wanted to be seen with me. On the off-chance that they did care, I still had to be careful that the girl wasn't trying to get something out of me. It was comforting to know that Bella had her own means of supporting herself, not to mention that she was smart, witty, funny and beautiful in the classical sense. She didn't need a lot, nor did she want a lot. She was just Bella, and almost every time we had to separate I felt a part of me go with her.
Throughout the entire time we were at dinner, there were subtle touches under and over the table, glances that lasted a little too long, and I could have sworn she might have thrown out a sexual innuendo or two… or three. We were having an easy flowing conversation, but there was a steady undercurrent of sexual tension humming between us and it was quickly escalating. I had to stop myself at two glasses of wine, not only because I was driving, but also because the alcohol was having a direct effect on my libido. I already had to shift and readjust myself several times in the car on the way over and when Bella licked the drop of wine from the corner of her bottom lip, I nearly combusted on the spot!
After I settled the bill and we were ready to leave, one of the owners came by our table to let us know the press was still out front. They had called the police, but because they weren't technically trespassing, there was nothing they could do. Emboldened by liquid courage, Bella grabbed my hand and led me out the front door.
Once we made it outside, I moved my hand to the small of her back to help guide her. We were immediately accosted from all sides, but we kept our heads down and focused on making it to my Volvo. Every now and again I would take a quick glance at Bella and I was pleased to see the small smile she wore when we had left the restaurant had grown. It was huge, and I would've given anything to know what she was thinking at this point.
Bella Swan
I could barely contain the giddiness that had been building inside me all through the night. I was having a fantastic first date with an amazing man who was interested in me. He was interested in what I had to say about everything, and wanted to know what I was thinking He had even taken my little attempt at teasing with good humor. This was unlike anything I had ever really experienced before.
Dinner had been absolutely amazing. The food was great, the wine was delicious and I probably had one too many glasses, but I couldn't find myself caring. I was having a great time on a date and I didn't have to wonder – or care – who would pay attention. Tonight, we were just Edward and Bella.
I learned a lot about Edward tonight and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was relieved to find out he was the complete opposite of Emmett in almost every way. That was the only time I had even thought of Emmett during the evening. I hadn't been on a first date in over half a decade, but Edward had a soothing manner about him and I fully embraced the electricity and sexual tension that was building between us.
Walking back to the car, I couldn't help but smile. I didn't even realize it at first, but now that I was aware of it, I didn't really care.
I was happy. Happy and giddy and I didn't fucking care.
I had always told clients that if they were surrounded by paparazzi, they were to look disinterested and never show emotion. If they smiled, then it would appear they loved the attention, and if they made a scene, then it just gave the papps more fuel to try and provoke their target, i.e., my client. Yet here I was, smiling like a fucking Cheshire cat!
We were halfway to the car and the photographers were unrelenting. I grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it tightly. I felt relief when he tightened his grip as well, but neither of us said anything. We finally made it back to the car and were halfway back my place when I finally said something.
"I know you said dinner and a movie, but I'm really tired. It's been a long day. Would you mind if we just watched a movie at my place instead?" I silently prayed that he would say yes, because I really wanted to be alone with him.
"Absolutely. After all that, I don't think I really want to deal with being in public anymore tonight."
He took my hand in his and lightly kissed each of my knuckles before lacing our fingers together. The remainder of the car ride was spent in silence. We pulled up in my driveway only to see Jasper's car parked haphazardly near the door. We looked at each other in confusion and got out.
I unlocked the front door and we were instantly assaulted with the pungent aroma of vanilla candles, Journey's classic hit "Loving, Touching, Squeezing" and very high-pitched giggles from Alice. I turned and looked at Edward and he had his lips mashed together as his shoulders shook in silent laughter. I mouthed "your place?" and he nodded. I quietly shut the door and we ran back to the car.
Once we were back in his Volvo, Edward and I busted out into full-blown laughter.
"Oh my God, Bella! That has to be one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed," he gasped out as he struggled for air.
"Tell me about it." I was having trouble breathing myself. "What I think is even better is the fact that he left right after you dropped me off. Those two can't stay away from each other." I continued to laugh. "I don't think I'll need this for the rest of the night." I turned off my Blackberry.
"It's not a bad thing that they're spending their free time with each other," he stated as he laced his fingers with mine again. "You and I spent the day together and I don't think our day turned out so bad, do you?" he asked, the laughter in his eyes now replaced by a smoldering gaze.
"Not at all," I said, as I felt the heat rise to my face at the look in his eyes. "I've had a lot of fun today. Thank you again," I smiled at him slowly, feeling the heat from my face move to other parts of my body. He seemed to visibly relax at my words.
We made our way back to his house in record time. It felt a little weird to be standing in front of his couch. The last time I had been here was when I told him everything about my relationship with Emmett and he asked me to leave.
I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. Suddenly, I felt his presence behind me and felt his arms snake around my waist. He brushed my hair to the side and placed light kisses from my ear down to the curve of my shoulder.
"Do you really want to watch a movie, Bella?" his voice had taken on a low husky quality.
"Uhmm, no?" I chirped, my body tingling from the touch of his lips.
He chuckled softly. "It's okay," he whispered, nuzzling my neck before pulling back. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?" he asked as he turned away. I settled onto the couch and nestled myself between two very fluffy pillows. I closed my eyes for just a second and before I knew what it, I fell asleep.
Edward Masen
She smelled amazing. Being that close to Bella, I could only hope she couldn't feel the effect she was having on my body. It was one thing to be aroused by a woman; it was something else to have a constant erection and let her be aware of it. I forced myself to walk away from her and go into the kitchen. I peered around the corner to see her sit down and get settled into the couch.
I ducked back into the kitchen and gave myself a pep talk. I rolled my shoulders and shook off the jitters. I could do this; I had no reason to be nervous. This certainly wasn't my first rodeo, as Jasper would say. I realized I hadn't even asked Bella what she wanted to drink, so I grabbed two bottles of water and headed back to the family room.
My heart fell a little when I saw her curled up, fast asleep. I thought back through the day and realized she must be exhausted. In one day she had flown across the country, attended a work meeting, spent the rest of the day at the beach and went on a date. It was amazing she hadn't fallen asleep sooner.
Knowing what Jasper and Alice were up to at her house, I wasn't going to take her back home. I scooped her up in my arms and felt great when she nuzzled herself into my chest. Without thinking, I carried her to my bedroom and laid her down gently on my bed. I ran off to my bathroom and quickly stripped down and changed into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt.
After removing her shoes, I briefly wondered what I was to do next. Should I undress her? Would she be all right sleeping in her clothes? I made a quick decision and stripped her out of her jeans. There was no way she would have been comfortable trying to sleep in those tight clothes. My heart nearly stopped as I saw the scrap of black lace hidden underneath.
Maybe I should I sleep on the floor? Would she like it if I slept next to her or would she be pissed? My questions were answered for me when Bella unexpectedly revealed something about herself.
She talked in her sleep.
"Mmmmm….Edward…." She rolled over to her back and moved her arms around a little "Edward….cold…." I sure as hell hoped that she was referring to the fact the sheets were cold without me. I lay down next to her and pulled her back to my chest. She fucking ground her ass right into my crotch. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and it took every ounce of proper upbringing Liz drilled into me not to wake her up. I closed my eyes and in spite of the direction of my thoughts, sleep found me quickly as well. It was the best sleep I'd had in as long as I could remember.
Bella Swan
"Bella…psssst…Bella….you need to wake up," I heard a voice whisper. I cracked my eye open to see Jasper staring at me, inches from my face.
"Jasper! What the hell are you doing?" I whispered harshly. I heard Edward groan behind me and pull me tighter to his chest. I glanced at the alarm clock on the side-table and saw it was only three in the morning.
"Bella, Alice has been trying to get in touch with you for the past couple of hours. You have your phone shut off," he pointed out.
"Yeah, I know. You woke me up to tell me my phone was shut off? Go the hell away." I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting.
"Darlin', this is an emergency. I swear I would not be interrupting if it wasn't. You need to go home, now. Alice is downstairs and will explain everything," he said a little louder.
"Okay, okay," I said. "I'm up, I'm up."
Jasper nodded and quietly left the room. I gently removed myself from Edward's arms and quickly took in my surroundings. I'm not sure how it happened, but I had ended up in his bedroom. I would have to ask him about that later. Clearly nothing happened because, even though my shoes and jeans were on the floor by the bed, I was still wearing my underwear and top, and I honestly didn't think Edward would have taken advantage of a sleeping woman.
I grabbed my jeans and shoes and quickly put them on. I saw a piece of paper and quickly found a pen and scribbled a note to Edward telling him that I had an amazing night and I would call him later. I also mentioned that Jasper would tell him everything and that I was sorry I had to leave. I placed the note on the pillow next to him. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. I should have woken him, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead I gave him a light kiss on the forehead and quickly ran my fingers through his hair.
"Bella!" I heard Alice call. With one last look at Edward, I sighed and shut the door behind me.
I made my way down the stairs and saw a very upset, frenzied and pale-looking Alice. "Jesus, Alice! What the hell is going on?"
"Bella, we need to go. You have to get back to New York immediately." She rushed her words out so fast I barely understood her.
"Why? I just got back. What's happening?" I could feel myself starting to panic. Alice was always pulled together, even at her worst.
I could hear the fear and dread in her voice as she said, "It's Charlie."
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for being so patient in getting this chapter up. I initially had chapter 12 and 13 together and it would have been almost 30 pages at this point and I couldn't do that to my beta's. They've never done anything mean to me.
Fic rec's:
Autumn in New York by Sweetishbubble. It's a sequel so you might want to read Home first. It's angsty but there is a great story underneath.
Master Race by Babette12
Caravaggio by meimei42.
