Chapter Fourteen—Dressed to the 9's

The limo pulled into Bella's driveway, flooding light through the front windows of her house. One last adjustment of my time and I exited the vehicle, traversing the fronts steps with ease. The door swung open before I had a chance to ring the doorbell.

In the spirit of learning together, and as Bella stated was "plain damn manners," I was to pick her up at home. She had left my apartment hours earlier, needing the time and space to get ready for the night's event. It seemed whenever the slightest bit of her skin touched mine I had to have her. It was unproductive when one needed to dress up for the evening.

In my previous relationships, either we had met at our destination or she would be at the curb of her building where a car would pick her up. Looking back, it was rather rude of me, yet none of them had complained. It wasn't surprising that Bella thought differently about it, which turned into a heated discussion, and eventually a rather passionate encounter on my kitchen floor.

Despite that, I thought it was rather ridiculous that she had to leave my apartment to get ready, but she was adamant. I was unable to deny her.

A bright, hazel-eyed woman that barely reached the middle of my chest greeted me. She couldn't have been more than eighteen, with short-cropped black and purple hair. A series of earrings and a thin chain adorned her right ear.

"Hello," she said equally bright. Her eyes widened as if she recognized me, her mouth falling open.

It was a typical reaction when I met someone new that heard of me. Why hadn't Bella reacted that way to me when we first met? Was she immune to my charms?

"Oh my God," she squealed at a pitch not meant for human ears. "When Bella called and said she had a hot date and needed some help, she never said it was with you." She was breathless by the time she finished talking, when her hand thrust out as she introduced herself. "Alice Cullen, make-up and hair artist extraordinaire, Bella's cousin, and usual babysitter."

Amused, I lifted her small hand to my lips, pressing a kiss there. She swayed. It was good to know I haven't lost my touch.

"Edward Masen, genius, software and hardware computer mogul and Bella's new boyfriend."

Her answering smile was genuine, and I saw a family resemblance. "That's a mouth full." She leaned toward me to whisper. "She's going to be a handful." She cocked an eyebrow. "I hope you're up for the challenge."

"I endeavor to be."

She watched me shrewdly for a moment, but opened the door fully to allow me to enter. From behind my back, I pulled out a bouquet of tiger lilies.

"Oh nice," Alice said, shaking her head and trying not to laugh. "Are you trying to say something about Bella's bedroom tendencies with your choice of flowers?" With a coy smile, she didn't bother to wait for my reply, but instead turned toward the stairs to scream out Bella's name.

"Two minutes," Bella's voice came from the floor above, as loud as her cousin. I bit back a smile.

"Let me take those," Alice stated as she closed the door behind me. I offered her the flowers and a thank you. "It was nice of you to humor her. She hasn't had a real date in a long time."

That would explain her insistence on picking her up from home. If she had explained that, I wouldn't have thought it was unproductive and ridiculous. I wanted to ask how long it had been, but thought it would be best to hear it from Bella instead.

"I find it hard to tell her no," I confessed as I followed her into the kitchen.

"Then you're in trouble already," Alice teased, sending me a smile over her shoulder. "Trust me when I tell you this. She puts up a fuss when it comes to someone bossing her around, but she really doesn't mind when a man takes over the reins now and then."

I had already known that from our bedroom activities that often extended to various other rooms. I cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little young for this conversation?"

There was another coy smile. "I look it, but I'm only a year younger than Bella." That was surprising.

"Your mother is Esme or Kate?" Esme was Renee's sister. Which meant Kate was her father's sibling.

"Esme is my mother."

The background check I had run on Bella had little information about her family. I wasn't at the time, looking for information on them, only her. Bella was an only child, so I wasn't aware she had a cousin so close to her age. From what I remembered from her file, there wasn't much on Carlisle and Esme Cullen.

Alice continued on the same thread of conversation as she arranged the flowers. "Look, all I'm saying is don't let her walk all over you, or she'll lose interest fast." She grimaced for a moment. "I do think the bossy thing she does is a way for her to send a guy packing. It's like she doesn't want them getting any closer so she'll do it so she can to push them away. I don't even think she knows that she does it. It's probably a subconscious thing because of that asshole, which I'm sure you know all about. Anyway, that doesn't mean you should go out of the way to be a controlling asshole. She won't like that, at all."

"Noted," I said firmly, amused at the speed in which she talked. "I assure you I haven't allowed her to use me as a doormat." We seemed to be on equal footing most of the time, except when it came to her work and attempting to buy things for her. In the bedroom, I had the most control and even when I handed the reins to her, I was able to switch back when the mood suited me. She didn't seem to mind, she loved it.

"Good." Alice stepped back from an elegant, yet simple vase and arrangement she created with the flowers. "These are gorgeous."

Alice led the way back into the foyer, placing the vase on a small table nearby. Before I could ask her a question that somehow Bella always managed to avoid answering, I heard a curse from the direction of the stairs. I turned to catch Bella balancing on one foot as she adjusted her heel.

My reaction to her was akin to Alice's upon my arrival. Perhaps even a little more extreme since all the air from my lungs left me in a sharp exhale. My body tightening with the usual carnal need I had in her presence.

We wouldn't make it through dinner.

Her dress was black, made of a lace overlay with almost sheer lining. The skirt was of the same material with layers of ruffled hems and slits that displayed her beautiful legs.

Breathtaking seemed like an adequate description as she descended the stairs, her hair up in a playful but messy hairstyle. Dark curls framed her face, her mouth painted in a blood red, her eyes emphasized with a dark color and long lashes.

"My work here is done," Alice announced from somewhere behind me. Bella provided her with a verbal acknowledgement, but it was lost the second she stepped in front of me. Surrounded by her scent I was overwhelmed and a bolt of desire flashed through me—sharp and fast.

"Judging by your silence, I'm guessing you approve?" Bella asked with a cheeky smile. I saw the need for acknowledgement from me. She didn't attend these types of events often, and I knew she was a little nervous.

Taking her hand in mine, I kissed it but lingered for a moment longer than necessary. I pressed another kiss to the sensitive skin along the inside of her wrist, earning a small gasp.

"You look beautiful, but as accurate as that description is, I feel it's not enough for the way you look tonight."

She smiled at my words—at me—and stepped closer, sliding her hands up my chest. I barely managed to suppress the shiver of anticipation from her touch. Unable to resist, my hand automatically moved to the small of her back, to find mostly bare skin. The dress was backless and dangerous.

"This dress was not among the others when you showed them to me."

There was that coy smile of hers. "We never made it that far," she said with a small laugh. "Instead you ripped the dress I was wearing, sat me on your cock, and fucked me." My fingers tightened on her back.

It wasn't often that she talked in such a manner, and when she did, it was always a shock, arousing, too.

After an all too brief brush of her lips against mine, she stepped back and appraised me. I had requested a new tuxedo, wanting to look my usual best.

How could a look from her hold so much power over me? I wanted her at that moment. Right there on the floor. I realized that we were alone. My blood simmered to a boil as I closed in on Bella. There was no longer an audience and I wanted to slip my hand through the slit of her dress and touch between her thighs.

Bella started to shake her head. "I know that look," she stated, taking a step back. It only served to make her prey. "And as much as I would love to explore it, we'll be late."

I smirked, rubbing my lower lip where her taste still lingered. She stared at my mouth. "Yes, we will be, fashionably so." She tried to put on a stern look, but as I learned through the last couple of weeks, she was as insatiable as I was.

"You're not being fair," she reasoned, pointing to her hair. "Do you know how long it takes to tame this? You know I can't resist you." Her words became fact when she came willingly into my arms. "Edward," she gasped as my hands roamed over her back and hips. "You're so unfair." My lips trekked down her neck and along the curve of her bare shoulder.

"I want you to come undone right now," I breathed against her ear, nipping gently. "I want to know that when we walk into that ballroom you will be thinking about how I had my fingers inside you. I want you to anticipate the moment I lay you on the bed later tonight, and spread your thighs apart to claim my dessert."

"Edward," she moaned.

I loved her sounds when I touched her. She clutched my arms tight, her breathing harsh as my palm skimmed her inner thigh. The warm invitation was too perfect to deny myself. My fingers lingered over silk, teasing her as she held on to me for support. Her knees shook as I pushed aside her underwear, luxuriating in the feel of her breath along my neck, the softness of her breasts against my chest, and the slick skin beneath my fingertips. I groaned as one of her hands pressed against my cock, unable to resist thrusting my hips.

I chastised her and captured her wandering hand, holding it over her head. She twisted once, twice before I allowed her arm to fall back along her side, her fingers tightening around my hip. I sought her mouth as I pressed my fingers inside her.

I had a promise to fulfill.

Careful not to touch her more than was needed, I had her screaming my name within a few minutes. I accomplished it with nothing more than my mouth claiming hers, my body less than an inch away, and my fingers deep inside her.

"That was…" she was unable to continue as I kissed her again, earning a sweet moan. I wanted to take her offer of returning the favor, but we were already running late so I led her outside. In the back of the limo where she tried again, I denied her. She was silent for several minutes before finally saying, "You are something else."

Was she upset? "Why is that? Is it because I chose not to fuck you in the back of a rented limo?" I rolled my eyes.

Her nose scrunched in mild disgust. "When you put it that way," she said as I squeezed her hand in mine.

"Besides, anticipation for what's to come when we return to the apartment will make it all the more intense once I am inside you." A tasty little moan emerged before she coughed to cover it up. I looked out the window to hide my smile.

"I never thought you were patient enough for delayed gratification."

I looked at her again, my eyes lingering on the long stretch of her leg through the enticing part in her dress. Perhaps, I had denied her too soon. I skimmed my hand down that enticing thigh. "I admit that I am not the most patient man." She cocked a "no shit" eyebrow, but I ignored it. "But I have learned that good things come to those who wait."

"Very good things," she whispered. The fire in her eyes had banked since I made her scream for me, but something else stood in its place. It was as powerful as her desire for me. It wasn't the time to analyze what it could be. I had to tell her something before we reached the gala.

"Your father will be there," I simply stated. I hoped she understood that our conversation was about to turn serious.

"I know." The softness of her voice indicated she did. "The only thing he told me about his visit with you was that you asked about what James was referring to the first time we met. About why I reacted so aggressively when you grabbed my wrist."

"Instinct was his partial answer," I said, taking her hand in mine. "Your father doesn't seem the type to lie to you, even for your protection, so I thought you should know we discussed it." She nodded. "He also said that it was your story to tell, if you choose to."

She looked out the window, the passing lights a blur as we sped into the heart of Seattle. "That kind of answer had you asking questions from other sources, didn't it?" She knew me well enough that her father's words would make me investigate further. "What do you know so far?"

"Not much," I stated. "I was curious because you did overreact when I grabbed you." Her eyes snapped to mine, narrowing. "All right, I was rather rough, but your reaction was severe. James indicated that you had your reasons, and now your father said there's a story behind those reasons. I wanted to know." She offered nothing, so I continued. "I had Banner look more closely. You teach self-defense classes to women twice a month. You're proficient in three-types of martial arts including Krav Maga, and you have extensive training with hand guns and over two hundred hours logged in at various gun ranges throughout the state in the last two years alone."

She tried to keep her composure, but it was slipping. It was in the way she wouldn't look at me, and how her fingers of her free hand tapped against her thigh. "I wanted to know that I could protect myself."

"It wasn't until the sudden meeting with your father that I realized that the reason you needed to build your ability for hand to hand combat was caused when you were a child." My investigator would have found it otherwise.

Nothing on her face gave her away, but she waited as if she knew I had more information.

"I know from age fourteen to almost sixteen you stayed with a relative in Italy and shortly after your return, your parents divorced, and your father transferred to the missing persons unit."

Her fingers tightened in mine. I knew then that I would not like what I was about to learn.

"I was kidnapped when I fourteen in retaliation against my family." She said nothing for a minute, and I took the time to tell the driver to circle around until further notice.

"For three days, I was tortured." My teeth ground at her words, remembering some scars along her ribs. "He didn't rape me, though he was escalating toward that. He did use that threat to scare me and I knew I had to get out of there." Her dark, blank eyes met mine for the first time since she started her story.

"I stabbed him three times with a piece of a broken chair leg before I escaped."

Fuck.

"I killed him."