Disclaimer: All things Twi belong to SM, and all things Whedon belong to Him (e.g. Darla, Dru, Connor, and Spike.)
As Darla settled into the corner of the sectional, right where I had imagined she was sitting when we arrived at her house just 30 minutes before, Edward pulled me down to join him at the other end of the couch.
I was having one of those moments when my brain was working overtime to compute the buttload of information that had been given to me. While I sat there attempting to look other than dumfounded, I considered what I had learned.
Darla and Dru had asked Edward to father their children. He had said no, but had stayed with them for six months, helping to run the house and oversee their renovation. All of this I learned, not during our six-hour car ride, but in an off-handed manner as if it was common or inconsequential knowledge.
I wasn't angry, because there was no malicious intent on anyone's behalf, but I was upset for some reason—scattered and a little bit warm around the edges (and not in the pleasant way I was usually scattered and warm when I was with Edward.) I couldn't put my finger on why I was upset, but I felt… like an interloper—out of place and foolish.
Then Edward's arm tightened around me and his fingers trailed over my skin, affectionately, yet I couldn't look him in the eye. I took a deep breath, which always seemed to calm me and help me see things clearly, and I listened to Darla talk about Dru and mention preeclampsia. I closed my eyes and lifted my glass to my lips for a sip of wine, feeling Edward toy with the short sleeve of my t-shirt.
I told myself that Edward wasn't Royce or James or any of those other boys. He had introduced me as his girlfriend and was taking me to meet his parents. He would never try to hurt me by lying or intentionally withholding important information.
"She just doesn't listen," Darla sighed. "You know how she is, Ed."
"She's independent and determined," Edward replied, continuing to touch me the way he always touched me, with reverence and tenderness, and in a way that was really helping me come back to focus.
"Always the diplomat." Darla rolled her eyes, then took another sip of her wine.
Edward quietly laughed the laugh I loved, the one that made me feel safe and comfy, and I finally got the guts to look him in the eye. What I found… he was looking at me with such adoration, I forgot all about feeling left out. With just one look, I felt like we were the only two people in the room.
"But she has to be careful," Darla argued, her voice like a Charlie Brown cartoon adult, invading my moment of clarity with Edward. "Her aunt had serious complications and was bedridden. Who's to say Dru will be any different?"
Edward didn't seem fazed as he responded, but I was a blur of emotion—delicate and hopeful, and tired from the drive. I just wanted him to take me to bed and hold me; tell me with words that I was crazy for feeling jealous of what he'd had with Darla and Dru.
"You can keep an eye on her, Darla, but that's all you can do," Edward said, slowly taking his eyes from mine to meet hers, but pulling me tighter into his side. "You can't tie her down."
I relaxed into him and rested my head on his shoulder, twirling my glass in my hand and watching the Cabernet cling to the sides. I didn't really want to drink anymore, I just wanted Edward, but the swirl of the liquid was soothing.
"You're right," Darla sighed. "I know it."
She pushed herself up off the couch and stretched her arms above her head then out to her sides before pausing and turning to retrieve her not quite empty glass from the side table. Edward watched with a small smile and sleepy eyes.
"Well, I'm going to leave you two alone and go up to bed," she said. "But you're welcome to more wine, grab something to eat, whatever..."
She approached the side of the couch where Edward and I sat and ruffled his hair. I giggled through a yawn at the maternal gesture.
"You know where your old room is," she said. "I put clean sheets on this morning and opened the windows, but feel free to close them. There's an extra blanket in the closet, too."
Edward slipped his arm from behind me and stood in front of her, towering over her tiny frame. "Thanks, Mom," he joked, hugging her goodnight.
She looked momentarily irritated and slightly inconvenienced. Darla seemed like the type of woman who didn't ever want to appear vulnerable or in need of comfort or kindness. I was sure she rarely allowed anyone to care for her the way I saw Edward and Dru caring for her in the short time we had been there. I could also tell that the extra effort from Edward and Dru secretly thrilled and delighted her.
Regardless of how she may have wanted to present herself, with her guard down, she slowly melted into his embrace, and I was sure I heard her hum quietly on her exhale.
~DL~
Edward and I were more tired than I realized as we climbed the stairs, making our way to the guest room. We didn't speak much because of said tiredness, and because we didn't want to disturb Darla and Dru.
He had foisted our bags over one shoulder and was guiding me toward a partially open door from which warm light poured into the hall. From behind me, Edward tapped the door all the way open and encouraged me to go inside.
It was a well-appointed room, as they say, with its own bathroom, a fluffy king sized bed, and a sitting area.
"Oh, my God, I'm gonna sleep so hard tonight," I whispered, watching Edward set our bags on the floor and close the door behind him.
Masen wandered around sniffing everything in the room before finally finding just the right spot, circling a few times, then curling up on the fuzzy rug at the foot of the bed to rest.
"For such an enormous dog, he sure can make himself small," I joked, still whispering.
Edward crossed the room and pulled me into his arms without hesitation.
"So, you're tired?" Edward quietly asked, rubbing small circles on my back and arms, making me tingle and shiver all over. "I just got my hands on you again, and now you're gonna sleep?"
I was suddenly wide-awake.
"Well… yeah," I replied, pulling away enough to look him in the face. "Eventually."
I grinned, and he grinned back then dipped his head to kiss my lips.
"I hope it doesn't bother you that I introduced you as my girlfriend," he murmured around my lips. "I suppose we should have had a conversation about it first, but it just came out."
I shook my head. "It doesn't bother me. Let's call it," I whispered and licked his lips.
"You're the boss," Edward replied, slipping his fingers up under the hem of my top.
It wasn't long before I started thinking about the teacher/student fantasy that had been bouncing around my brain ever since I caught Edward looking down my shirt in the car and Darla caught us kissing. But because neither of us are total assholes, Edward and I opted to just make out like teenagers after brushing our teeth and changing into pajamas. I fell asleep in his arms.
The next morning when I woke up, Edward was MIA. The bedroom door was closed, but I was tempted by the smell of bacon cooking and the cheerful hum of voices, floating from downstairs.
I rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom to do the things people do after getting out of bed in the morning. After I was done, I dug through my bag for a hoodie and a pair of flip-flops and descended the gorgeously refurbished staircase that I was unable to admire in the dark the night before.
The kitchen was a flurry of activity. Darla was talking animatedly on her cell phone, pacing in front of the open French doors that led to a patio just off the breakfast area, Dru was lounging on the patio with her iPad, and Edward was simultaneously feigning hand-to-hand combat with a small boy I assumed was Connor, while flipping bacon and pancakes with his free hand.
"Good morning," I said.
"Morning," Edward answered, turning down the heat on the bacon and slipping the pancakes into the warmer. "I hope you're hungry."
"Yes," Darla chimed in, dropping her phone to the counter after having disconnected her call. "Since Edward's fried enough bacon to feed an army."
Darla raised an eyebrow at Edward, who stuck his tongue out at her. She stopped in front of him and looked down at Connor.
"Connor," she said before bending down to scoop the tiny boy into her arms. "We need to get you washed up so you can have your breakfast, but first I want you to say hi to Uncle Edward's special friend, Rose."
"Hi," Connor said, staring at my hair and my arms, where I had pushed the sleeves of my hoodie up enough to expose ink. "You have pictures like Uncle Edward and Mama Dru."
"Tattoos, baby boy," Darla gently corrected him, messing with his hair and looking like the proudest, prettiest mommy ever. "Remember how different they are than Crayon and marker drawings?"
"They're permanent, and you have to think about them for a long time," Connor said, sounding like he was repeating something he'd been told more than once.
He looked his mother in the face with the kind of seriousness that only a four-year-old can possess. I imagined Connor using markers to draw pictures on himself and being disappointed that they washed off, and Darla explaining the differences to him.
"Exactly," Darla said, hefting Connor onto her other hip. "Now, let's hurry so we don't let Uncle Edward's yummy breakfast get cold."
Darla excused herself and Connor with a singsong voice as she danced their way around the kitchen. I watched them disappear around the corner to the little half bathroom with a sleepy smile on my face.
"Hi." Edward's voice was soft and warm and close to my ear. "Want some coffee, sleepyhead?"
"Hi," I replied, turning to face him and walking straight into a good morning kiss and hug. "Yes, please."
We had a giant breakfast that was better than any breakfast I'd ever had in my life. Darla and Dru chattered and bickered and coddled and cooed at each other. They were ridiculously adorable.
I watched Edward help Connor with his food, listened to them talk about Masen and Connor's dead goldfish, Spike, and loved how natural and content Edward was with him. He was as comfortable with a small child as he was with the kids at the shelter. Edward was a born caretaker—teaching and nurturing and loving what he learned from that exchange.
I was starting to identify with that, as well, on a level that used to scare me. I used to think it made me weak to want to take care of the stray cats and the dying plants and to fuss over babies; I certainly caught enough shit for it from ex-boyfriends. Royce always made fun of me for being "such a chick" whenever I'd get excited over seeing a baby.
Yet, there was Edward—total fucking badass, grown man, successful and smart—helping a four-year-old pour syrup on his pancakes and use his fork the safe way.
~DL~
"What're you thinking about?" Edward asked after we'd been driving for about an hour with barely a word.
Connor had drawn a picture of me, Edward, and Masen, sitting in the Cayenne, which was now taped to the dashboard, and Darla and Dru had packed us a bag with fruit and bottled water for the road. I was at ease with my own thoughts, nibbling on an apple, but I didn't want Edward to think I was upset about anything.
"You," I answered honestly. "You're just so comfortable with yourself. It's an inspiration."
Even through his aviators, I could see that Edward looked amused and confused and a little bit awkward. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and shifted in his seat.
"Thanks," he muttered and bit his lip. "That's a big compliment."
I wished I hadn't made Edward uncomfortable. I remembered the last time he gripped the steering wheel and shifted in his seat like that; it was when he wasn't so confident about kissing me and asking me out.
"I didn't mean to make this conversation awkward," I said, laying my hand on his knee. "I just appreciate your approach to things. You've taught me a lot."
"Well…" Edward glanced over at me then back at the road with a soft smile. "You've taught me a lot, too."
The little pep talk I'd given myself before Edward had picked me up for our trip popped back into my head. I had decided then that I would enjoy this and trust him; and it was a good trip so far, no matter what I'd learned about fathering children and house renovations. Edward had told me as much about Darla and Dru as he could without creating a giant drama out of all the facts. Bottom line, Edward had been a lot of things to a lot of people, but now he was with me. And every moment we were together meant more and more.
We held hands most of the rest of the way, except for gas stops and bathroom breaks. When we finally got to the Chicago area, Edward stopped at a liquor store and picked up a bottle of wine. He said it was his mom's favorite.
"I'm sure she has plenty in stock," he said. "But it never hurts to bring a gift."
The last part he uttered in a falsetto, which I assumed he was using to mock advice that was once (or several times) given by his mother.
"Good advice," I assured him, patting his hand, and we both laughed.
Ten minutes later, we were pulling into the half-circle drive in front of the Cullens' home. Ours was the only car in the drive, so I looked around for a garage.
"They aren't here," Edward announced with a sigh. "Big surprise…"
"Again with the sarcasm," I said, as he unbuckled his seatbelt to get out of the car. "And that isn't me reprimanding you; that's me recognizing that you're upset. It's okay, ya know?"
"Thanks," Edward let out another, heavier sigh. "They just…" He shook his head. "I just wish they'd have been here to greet you, that's all."
"Yeah," I said, running my hand up over his arm and shoulder and into his hair, watching his jaw clench and unclench. "But we'll have brunch tomorrow, right?"
Edward had explained to me that Sunday brunch was a big deal in their family, but since we weren't due to get into town until late afternoon, and his parents had dinner plans, Caroline, his mother, had postponed the family brunch until Monday morning.
"With Bloody Marys and Mimosas!" Edward mocked enthusiasm,then leaned his head into my hand and closed his eyes, seeking comfort.
"Well, I for one could use a shower," I said, gently massaging his temple and jaw. "Especially if we're meeting some of your other family members tonight."
Edward had decided to take me to The Oven, a neighborhood bar and grill that was owned by his Uncle Eleazar and Aunt Carmen. He said he'd practically grown up there. I was looking forward to seeing it.
We showered and fed Masen, then left him outside in the backyard to chase squirrels and lounge on the patio furniture. Then hopped in a cab to The Oven, where everyone knew each other's vital statistics, and every woman in the joint about lost her shit when Edward walked through the door.
"Edward Cullen, you little brat!" A woman with the absolute wrong color of lipstick, but the biggest, warmest smile flew across the room toward us. "I didn't even know you had decided to move until Tanya told me."
Edward tried to play guilty and apologetic, but couldn't suppress his grin as he grabbed the woman and hugged her tight.
"Aww, Aunt Carmen, don't be mad," he said. "You know I can't stay away from you."
"You flirt," she responded with a smack to his chest. "Who's the lucky lady?"
"This is Rosalie, Carmen," Edward answered with a proud smile. "My girlfriend."
"Rosalie," Carmen said, unwinding herself from Edward's embrace. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Carmen looked me up and down appraisingly, and I wondered what she was seeing. Not that it mattered much, but it suddenly occurred to me that we were in a place where many of the people were sure to have known, or currently knew and loved, Siobhan. I braced myself for scrutiny and judgment and reminded myself that I was with Edward, he wanted me there, and no matter what, I would never be Siobhan.
"Eddie." A male voice entered the mix. "Good to see ya, kid."
"Zar." Edward greeted him with a hug. "Good to see you, too. This is Rosalie."
Edward's uncle smiled and welcomed me into his bar, looping an arm around Carmen's shoulder and kissing her cheek.
"The girls are in the back," Eleazar told us. "They'll be happy to see you."
I spotted the beautiful, intimidating cousins across the room before Edward was able to introduce us. He nodded to Eleazar and Carmen, then turned to walk us through the restaurant.
We were bombarded about nine times by women, ranging in age and intention, and men who Edward seemed to know very well. He introduced me to everyone and no one made a secret of openly checking me out. It was like my worst nightmare, except I didn't freak.
Six weeks ago, my heart rate would have spiked and my ears would have buzzed with anxiety. I would already be feeling them judging me, deciding I wasn't good enough for their friend/cousin/nephew and shutting me out with sweet smiles and coquettish voices.
Funny how trust and getting real with yourself changes the way you see things.
We came to a stop in front of the booth and the women squealed and wiggled their way out of to greet him. Once the chaos had settled, Edward spoke.
"Róisín," Edward said with a lilt in his voice and that small, mischievous grin I loved so much, as he eyed the three women. "These are my cousins: Tanya, Kate, and Irina. Ladies, this is Rosalie."
I waved and smiled. His cousins smiled politely in returning, each verbalizing greetings in varying degrees of enthusiasm.
"She got me the job at the youth shelter, where I've been teaching self-defense classes?" Edward placed a hand on the small of my back, propelling me toward them.
All three women spoke at once, grabbing and pulling me into the half-moon shaped booth and into their little group.
"Rosalie, I'm Tanya," said the glamazon closest to me, patting the seat beside her as she slid into place. "Have a seat right here and let's get you a drink."
"Ohmygod," the woman on the other side of Tanya said, lurching forward conspiratorially. "Have Daniel and Caroline totally driven you to the edge yet?"
I shook my head at her question and laughed. "They were out when we got here, so I haven't met them yet."
"I'm Kate, by the way," Kate said, extending her hand. "Since Edward didn't bother to indicate which of us was which."
Kate teasingly glared at Edward as he shoved his hands in his pockets and pursed his lips. He looked down at his shoes then back up at us all; shy little boy, being taunted by his older cousins. I could tell by the pink on his cheeks and twinkle in his eyes that he was used to it and was capable of playing right back.
"You can run along now, little Prince, your girl's in good hands," Kate continued to tease. "We'll get her good and hammered so she'll wake up with the appropriate level of need for the Queen's signature Bloody Mary brunch in the morning."
Kate cackled and Tanya laughed lightly, while the third cousin, Irina, simply rolled her eyes once and swirled her drink in its glass.
"T?" Edward looked to Tanya, pleading.
"We won't get you too drunk, don't worry," she told me, laying a hand on my forearm then looking back at Edward. "But, seriously, Edward, let her have some girl time. We'll keep her in one piece."
He gave her the I-don't-trust-any-of-you smirk and she winked back at him. Then he stood up straight and said, "Behave."
Tanya was the big sister and pulled me under her wing, Kate was snarky and sassy, and Irina was quiet and serious. Each of them was open and welcoming, though, in her own way. Their dynamic was definitely family, no doubt, but also community; I felt at home with them.
During a round of drinks and breaking the ice, Kate filled me in on the neighborhood gossip.
"You probably figured out Carmen and Eleazar are our parents," Kate stated, eyeing me and sipping her martini.
I nodded. "Edward told me before we got here."
"Okay, what else can we tell you?" Kate's gaze darted around the room then landed at the bar where Edward was talking with a few guys. "Ohhh…"
Tanya and Irina turned their gaze in the same direction, and all three sisters were visibly aghast with what they saw. They seemed to all stare at one reasonably good-looking man in the group. He had red hair, blue eyes that I could see from 10 yards away, and he was somewhat imposing in stature and poise. The guys' conversation seemed to be relaxed, but Kate expressed concern.
"What that fuck is Edward thinking?" she hissed.
"Chill, Kate," Tanya said, her concern clear as she glanced around the room as casually as possible. "They're just talking."
"The last thing anyone wants-"
"She isn't here," Irina cut Kate off with three words and a glare.
"Who?" I asked.
I had that feeling. You know the one that you get when you know exactly what everyone's talking about, even though they aren't saying it, yet there's no way you could possibly know, but you do? I just needed one of them to confirm it.
"Siobhan," Tanya said then looked at me, examining my facial expression, gauging whether or not I knew about Siobhan.
"Is that Siobhan's brother or something?" I asked.
"Uhh, no," Kate said. "He's her dealer turned boyfriend… or whatthefuckever. I cannot believe Edward isn't pummeling his ass into the ground."
"Siobhan's history, Kate," Tanya said, terse and quiet. "Drop it."
Then Tanya smiled at me, apologetic and nervous, trying to keep things smooth. I watched as that unmistakable family dynamic I recognized when I sat down did its thing.
"She's a fucking disaster, Tanya," Kate said, flagging down our server for another round of drinks. "And Edward busted his ass and practically went bankrupt for her! She ruined his life. And that asshole-"
"Calm the fuck down," Irina muttered, interrupting Kate once again. "Nothing's that simple."
Kate shot her a dirty look.
Irina didn't say much, but what she said was heard loud and clear.
I felt tension, but I also felt history and details lingering that I was sure I'd never know. It didn't matter, though. I knew this kind of showdown. I'd had it with Alice and Emmett over Royce. I could almost see it play out; Edward defending the woman he loved, breaking the hearts of his family and friends, extricating himself from the people he loved.
Kate took a deep breath and a quick look over her shoulder again, then shook her head and looked down at her hands.
"Sorry, Rose," Kate said, looking back up at me. "I don't need to pull you into the town drama. Tanya's right; Siobhan's history."
"S'ok," I shrugged. "Edward told me about Siobhan. We've all got baggage."
Tanya laid an arm around my shoulder and gently squeezed. "Edward kinda clued me in; I hope you don't mind."
I was surprised, but it didn't bother me. I knew Edward and Tanya must have been close if he were to tell her about Royce. I trusted that Edward would treat any descriptions of me with dignity. I was actually pretty flattered that he had talked so much about me to so many people he cared about, and that Tanya was as accepting as she was.
The redhead didn't stick around long after we spotted him and Kate had her mini freak-out. Edward sauntered over to our table with a full pint of Guinness in one hand and a bowl of peanuts in the other.
"We should order somethin' to eat," he said as he wedged his way inside the booth with the girls and me, slopping a bit of stout on the table in the process. "This is my third beer and I don't know if I even wanna know how many beers you've had…"
He pursed his lips and eyed me playfully. I glared at him just as playfully and set the record straight.
"This is only my second," I answered, lifting my almost full pint glass to show him. "But I'd love some of that pizza you raved about last week."
We ordered three medium pizzas and devoured them, while Kate continued her commentary on the bar patrons. I had such a great time with his cousins and met a few other friends and neighbors as Edward slowly got closer and cozier and handsier.
"You guys need to get a room," Kate laughed finally. "It was lovely to meet you Rose, but I kinda don't need to see more of you, if you know what I'm sayin'."
We finished our beers and paid the tiny bit of tab that Zar and Carmen would allow us to pay, and Sasha, the bartender, called us a cab. We giggled and groped and kissed the whole way home.
~DL~
Edward's parents were already sleeping and it was dark when we got back to the Cullen's house. The light from the moon was spilling in through his bedroom window, casting everything in blue. We were both flushed and warm from the cab ride, so the cool light had a welcome effect. I felt simultaneously invigorated by it and bathed in calm.
The last few days had given me a new kind of focus. While I always knew I was good in bed and desirable, I had come to accept that Edward wanted me. Me. All of me-my voice, my breath, my body. He didn't just want to fuck me, and of that I was sure and grateful.
So I wanted to show him what I was made of on all levels. We had spent time talking and sharing stories. We had made love. Tonight, I wanted to show him my passion and what lie in my inner depths to go after what I wanted. Tonight I was going to do something I'd never done before.
I pushed him back against the wall and lay my hand on the closing door to ensure that it was shut and latched. I didn't want any interruptions, no matter how much Edward protested that his parents wouldn't dare intrude on his privacy.
My fingers were cool as they left the wood of the door and sought out his bare skin. I hooked my hand over the front of his jeans and his belly almost burned my fingers, he was so hot. Edward hissed at the contrast, and I dragged my other hand across the plaster of the wall and into his hair as we kissed.
"Mmm…" he moaned around my tongue as he let me invade his mouth.
I could feel how hard he was through the denim of his pants and my skirt. I wanted to harness him and make him mine, ride him like a bucking bronco.
I yanked at the waist of his jeans to pull him away from the wall, then spun us so I was walking him backward into the room. I stopped and scanned the space for something…
"There," I said, letting go of him completely and pointing to a chair near a desk against the wall.
I imagined Edward sitting at that desk as a precocious and sinfully beautiful 18 year-old boy, filling out applications for college. I was the young tutor, or the nanny, who would help him become a man.
"Pull that chair in the center of the room," I said.
Edward hesitated, but when I looked into his face, I saw heat glimmering in the moonlight. He grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes before taking two long steps to the desk and dragging the chair around to face me.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered in barely more than a whisper.
One of his hands ran over the top rail of the straight back chair and the other ran over his mouth and jaw. He never took his eyes off me as I laid out the whole scene in my head and my breath rushed in and out of my chest at a rate I didn't recognize for just standing still.
"Take your shirt off," I said as I stepped back away from the chair, so I could get a better look at everything I wanted to see. "Then unbutton your pants and sit on the chair, facing me."
Edward moved unhurriedly, but didn't hesitate. Our eyes were glued to one another and our breathing was matched. He tossed his shirt to the side and unbuttoned his pants just like I'd asked as he rounded the side of the chair to sit.
"And the zipper," I added. "Unzip them, but don't pull them down."
He licked his lips and unzipped his jeans at an agonizing pace of leisure before finally sitting down on the wooden chair.
"Spread your legs," I whispered and watched.
He was so fucking beautiful, perfectly decorated and perfectly male. His closely cropped hair was a disaster of my doing. His face told the story of our lust-filled ride home and his anticipation of what would come next. His shoulders were broad and sculpted, and adorned with pictures and stories that spread over his arms, all the way down to his hands that hung loosely at his sides. His hard chest and belly rose and fell with his rapid breaths, and I trailed my eyes over the light dusting of hair that led to what I wanted, what I had asked him to expose to me.
Edward complied with my request, spreading his legs as he squirmed in his seat. I pulled my gaze from the fantastic sight before me and scanned the room once more for the one thing that would make this scene complete.
Private school… I thought, as my eyes halted on his closet and the uniforms within.
I looked at Edward and said, "Stay."
He shuddered and swallowed, briefly closing his eyes before nodding in agreement.
I walked swiftly to the closet and pulled a tie from a hanger, and before I knew it, I was kneeling behind Edward's chair, tying his wrists together. An unwelcome flash of a drunken night with Royce tried to sully the moment, but I shook it away, because Edward was there with me.
Edward, who trusted me and wanted me, who was letting me have my way.
"My two best friends in my childhood neighborhood were Boy Scouts," I explained as I stood and walked around the chair to face him again. "They taught me how to tie knots… Does it feel okay?"
I lay my hand on his shoulder and traced one of the patterns there, then came to a stop with my knees on either side of one of his. Edward looked up at me with eyes on fire, jaw clenched, nostrils flared.
"Okay?" I asked again, wanting reassurance that what I was seeing was him turned on and not pissed off.
He nodded tight and quick and licked his lips again and squirmed some more. I looked down into his lap and had my full answer. His cock was bulging through his boxer briefs, peeking from the open fly of his jeans.
It would have been so easy to kick my panties off and straddle his lap, ride him until I came as many times as I wanted. But that was just my fantasy running away from me, and I wanted something more than an orgasm.
I was standing close to him, my hands on his shoulders and my belly in his face. I wanted him to use his mouth on me, so I got rid of my shirt and tossed it away to join his. I stood closer then and guided his head to where I wanted it.
"Use your tongue and your lips." My voice came out of nowhere, as bold as my actions.
As much as I knew I gave good head and could please a man, I had never asked for what I wanted quite like this. Edward gave me this. Or, maybe, he inspired it, and then got the hell out of my way so I could express it. Whatever the case, I was thankful and I was going to fucking show him just how thankful I was.
His mouth was on me, warm and wet. He kissed and licked, scraped his teeth over the low curve of my belly, just above where my jean skirt sat. That curve usually looked like a roll of fat to me, but Edward's lips made it feel like sex and power.
His shoulders shifted and he groaned when he bit my hipbone. I kept my hands in his hair, guiding his head like a planchette on a Ouija board, looking for answers or hidden messages. I watched him twist and turn as he made my skin glisten in the blue light.
"You wanna touch me, don't you?" I asked, pulling his head back by his hair.
He was breathless and droopy-eyed when he nodded.
"Yes," he hissed and hiccupped air into his lungs. "You're so beautiful, Róisín."
I smoothed his hair away from his brow and cradled his face in my hands. He was sweating and shivering, shirtless and hard. He wanted to touch me.
"Not yet," I said, stepping away from him to lose my skirt.
I kept my boots on because they made me feel safe—not that I needed protection from Edward, but I needed training wheels or something, because I'd never been the one in control. I loved how I felt right then, though. I wasn't thinking about how I looked or what Edward thought about my thighs, I was just feeling everything.
Like Edward's eyes raking me from head to toe as I swaggered toward him again. I touched myself where he'd been kissing and licking and biting me. My skin was still a little bit damp and cool.
"You made me all wet, Edward," I said.
It was clichéd, at best, but he groaned again and I loved that sound.
I finished my journey back to his lap, widened my stance, and swiveled my hips until he was snug between my thighs where I stood. The roughened cotton of his jeans brushed the insides of my thighs as I began to dance for him. I balanced myself with my fingers on his shoulders and sporadically grazed his upper body with my hips.
Edward had dropped his head back. He was watching me through slanted eyes and breathing so heavy. My hands left his shoulders and went to my own to pull the straps of my bra down. My fingers pulled the cups down, too, to show him what was underneath. He'd seen it all before, but I think he liked the way I was showing him. I know I liked it.
"I want your mouth on me again," I said, pinching my hard nipples and cupping my breasts. "You're so good with your mouth."
I braced my hands on the back of the chair, behind his shoulders, and leaned forward, letting him take one of my nipples into his warm mouth. I almost cried out. I brought a knee up and placed it between his legs.
"God," I whispered, leaving one hand gripping the chair tight and using the other to tightly clutch the back of his head.
His lips and teeth worked my breast as I lowered my body to grind on his hip. The waist of his jeans bunched between my legs, against the thin silk of my panties, and his warm body leant me just enough friction.
"Yes…" I gasped, scraping my fingers over his scalp.
I was rubbing up on him like a bitch in heat and I didn't fucking care because his lips were sucking me just right and my pussy was throbbing and I was coming hard against him.
My body buzzed from my eyebrows to my fingertips and toes as Edward hummed against my chest and I sat fully in his lap. He was obviously ready for more, but he didn't rush me; he let me bask in the afterglow.
"Good?" he whispered, kissing my collarbone and my neck.
"So," I replied, turning my face to catch his lips with mine. "I can't even…"
We kissed, and I felt so much. I felt him smile and I felt his heartbeat. I loved his heart; so big and open. I wanted his arms around me.
"I suppose I should untie you now," I said, giggling, a tiny bit of embarrassment creeping into my voice.
"Only if you want to," Edward said. "Because I will not ever complain if this is what I get when my hands are tied."
I grinned as I climbed off his lap and discarded my bra, then went around the chair to untie him. He immediately extended his arms in front of him, stretching his muscles and circling his wrists to bring the circulation back. I dropped the tie to the floor and bent at the waist beside his chair to take my boots off.
"Do I get to touch you now?" he asked.
I stood and kicked my boots to the side before walking around in front of him and dropping to my knees between his legs. I was ramping up again and now I wanted to see him come.
"Yes," I answered, pulling his boxer briefs out of the way. "Touch me any way and anywhere you want."
I sat back with his bare cock in my hands. Before he could touch me, I swirled my tongue around his head then took him in my mouth. With one hand I held him, lightly thrusting between my lips and my other hand entwined with one of his, settling on the edge of the chair, giving us both more leverage, letting me fuck him with my mouth that much better.
"Fuck." His voice was hoarse and his free hand slipped up under my hair and gripped the back of my head.
I felt him bump the back of my throat and I relaxed, letting him all the way in, letting go of his cock and grabbing the other side of the chair, opposite where our hands were. That gave me even more leverage, and with his hand in my hair…
"Fuck," he whispered again, desperate and harsh. "I'm gonna come…"
I appreciated the warning—so many guys just come or pull out so they can come on my tits—because I loved that I could choose what to do for him. I knew he had issues with the blowjob situation, so I wanted to reassure him that I liked it. A lot.
I let go of the chair as I pulled my mouth off of him and gripped him firmly, coming up to a full kneeling position in front of him. We kept holding hands, while I stroked him with my other hand and he gripped my hair tight.
He threw his head back and his mouth open, his eyes were closed, but I could see his eyelids flutter like butterflies. He was panting hard and loud as he came on my throat and collarbone and breasts with that sexy motherfucking groan. I'd never enjoyed that act nearly as much as I did right then, watching him come with utter abandon.
Edward's grip loosened on my hair and he dropped his chin to his chest, rolled his head to the side and looked at me with a lopsided grip, cradling my jaw in his hand. His chest was heaving and covered with a light sheen of sweat. I watched him lick his lips and bite them—God, it made me so wet when he did that.
"I think I learned my lesson," he murmured. "Now it's your turn."
He was out of the chair and I was on my back in the center of the bed in a flash. I pushed myself up on my elbows and watched Edward through my bent knees, watching me and shucking his shoes and socks and pants. He stalked toward me naked and perfect.
I lay back and spread my arms and waited for him to teach me something new.
End notes: Thank you, Wime09 for reading the sex scene without crying bc it's Roseward. Thank you OneLilHopeful, TheHeartofLife, and Einfach_mich for the votes of confidence. And thank you MsKathy for the red pen.
