Disclaimer: I don't own the characters - I've just borrowed them from SM to have fun with - enjoy xx

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – Fame, Fairy lights and Fantasies (coming true?)

After they heard Alice close the door to the apartment, they sat, un-moving, in stunned silence until Bella went to clamber off Edward's lap.

"Hey, where are you going? I was enjoying what we were doing."

Edward pulled a sulky face and Bella blushed when she saw the evidence of how much he had been 'enjoying himself'. There was a large bulge underneath his jeans, right where she had been straddled across him.

"I need the bathroom," she mumbled, and carried on wriggling off his lap until she was standing. Her legs were wobbly, partly due to the alcohol she had consumed earlier, but also due to the effect of Edward's sensual kisses affecting her equilibrium. She left the room, leaving Edward to deal with his outrageously obvious erection even if the only thing he could do was to rearrange himself in his jeans.

Alice had left his cell phone on the coffee table, so he flicked it on and found the app for his e-mails. The one he was expecting from Jasper had arrived and he opened it with trepidation.

Jasper went straight to the point:

Nothing on the Internet yet, thank God.

Best case scenario – photographs are not published.

Next best case scenario – some photos are published and it's impossible to see it's you two. My advice would be to do and say nothing. If you deny it and more photos surface, and it is definitely you two, then you're in the shit for lying.

Worst case scenario – they have more photos that Henri hasn't seen and they are published. My advice then would be to come clean, and the two of you say you're an item, but were trying to keep it under wraps until after Bella's opening night, as long as Bella's happy about that.

I've put feelers out and spoken to as many people as possible in the media. Basically I've told my contacts that you refuse to talk about your private life, even to me, and you won't confirm or deny it's you out of principle. But you're friends with Bella, and you're livid that her reputation could be sullied by a couple of amateur photographers trying to make a quick buck. I've been trying to convince them, without actually saying it, that this is an elaborate hoax, and they are in danger of falling for it. We'll just have to wait and see.

If I hear anything else I'll call you.

Alice is staying here tonight, so I suggest you stay put at the apartment. If word has got around, the paparazzi are probably camped out at Bella's hotel already. The Savoy doormen keep shooing photographers away, but they are persistent.

Have fun,

Jasper

BTW Just in case Alice forgot to tell you, the condoms are in the bathroom cupboard.

J

Edward switched his phone off and reflected on what Jasper had written. If he had his way he would have shouted from the rooftops that it was him with Bella. But it wasn't up to him, it was Bella's call.

He accepted that being a girl in show business was much tougher than being a guy, and Bella's career as a serious stage actress would suffer if photographs showing her with her legs wrapped around a movie star were splashed all over the tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines. Her credibility could take a nosedive, which would be totally unfair given that it was a brief moment in time and not a reflection of her character.

He could imagine the headlines tomorrow, two days before her opening night, if it was proved it was her. Words like 'Juliet shags her Romeo' or 'Edward Tames the Shrew' would be all over the tabloids. The ability to damage her career and make her a figure of ridicule was in the hands of journalists who were only interested in the next big story and a very large pay check.

Bella had been gone quite a while so he got up and went in search of her. This was not difficult as the apartment was tiny, having only one living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, all off a central hallway. He could hear noises coming from the furthest room and went to investigate and found Bella in the tiny kitchen going through the refrigerator to see if there was anything worth eating.

"Bella!" he said. She didn't turn around but carried on searching through the shelves.

"Are you okay?"

Bella nodded without looking at him.

"I'm just looking for something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, but not for food. Come back to the living room, please."

Bella whipped around to face him and Edward could see she had been crying again. He walked towards her but she backed away from him.

"Edward, we can't do this. I'm sorry if I led you on. I don't know what came over me."

Bella held her hands up as though she was trying to stop him touching her then dropped her arms down and shook her head in resignation.

"Damn it, that's a lie. Whenever I'm near you, Edward, I lose control. I'm not ready for what could happen. Now we're in Alice's apartment on our own, and I don't think I'll be able to stop myself."

Edward carried on walking towards her and put his arms around her.

"Bella, I'm not going to force myself on you, or make you do anything you don't want to do. I admit I want to make love to you, I think that's pretty obvious, but you're the one with the power here. It's your call."

"I'm sorry, Edward. It's just that if we...if we end up in bed, my feelings for you will change. I won't want you to go back to America and I need to be focused right now, which means I need to be alone. Do you understand where I'm coming from?

Edward kissed her on top of her head; his lips lingering while Bella relaxed in his arms. Edward held her until she was breathing steadily.

"Are you okay now?" he asked.

Bella nodded then sat down on a kitchen chair while Edward got her a glass of water.

He rummaged through the fridge and found some eggs, ham and vegetables and suggested making a Spanish omelette. Bella smiled up at him in affirmation and after she had composed herself, they prepared the meal together. Twenty minutes later they were sitting outside in Alice's tiny walled garden, on a patio only big enough to take two chairs and a small table, having an intimate dinner of omelette, slightly stale crusty bread, slightly flat lemonade and just out-of-date yoghurt.

After they finished eating they talked about their childhoods and growing up on either side of the United States; Edward in California and Bella in Boston. They discovered Bella had met some of Edward's stage school contemporaries; the ones who had chosen a career in theater rather than movies and consequently had moved to New York to try their luck on Broadway. Bella told Edward that she had inherited her love of acting and Shakespeare from her maternal grandmother.

Eleanor Swan had been a reasonably successful actress in the 40's and 50's before she got married, and she had encouraged Bella to think of acting as a career, which was against the wishes of her parents who were both lawyers. Her grandmother passed away in the autumn of last year, but she had seen Bella perform on stage as the lead in an off-Broadway production and died knowing her granddaughter was going to be a star and was effectively living her own dream.

Edward told Bella about the car chase through London and how Leon had managed to shake off the photographers. Bella thought the story was hilarious and would have loved to have been in the cab with him, even though she probably would have been terrified. Edward showed her the selfie he took with Leon, and Bella made him flick through some of the other photos stored on his phone, which were mainly of his dog and his house in LA.

When it started to get dark, Edward flicked on a switch next to the table, expecting a single light to illuminate the patio. But instead, the switch turned on hundreds of tiny white lights that were either fixed to the high stone walls surrounding the garden, or threaded through the shrubs and trees.

"Wow!" Bella exclaimed. "It's like being in fairy-land."

Edward picked up her hand that was on the table and kissed it.

"Alice has certainly worked her magic here, but the beauty of this garden is nothing compared to you, Bella."

Bella's blush was evident to Edward, even in the dim light, but he wasn't going to try to seduce her this evening; he wanted to enjoy his time with her and take her mind off what might happen tomorrow. Of course, if she changed her mind, he would be more than ready to 'rise to the challenge', but for the time being he was enjoying being in the company of this beautiful girl, in this magical garden, surrounded by twinkling fairy lights.

"Did you read Jasper's e-mail by the way?" she asked, which jolted him back to real time.

Edward nodded. "Yes. He says he's pretty sure the national newspapers haven't picked up the photographs, so it's a waiting game to see if they turn up on the Internet or anywhere else."

"Do you think they will?"

"Yes, they probably will, and most certainly they'll be in French magazines. But if they haven't got any pictures that show our faces, I doubt whether the public will be convinced it's us. The pictures will quickly be forgotten about and disappear without trace, hopefully."

"I hope so too," Bella replied ruefully. "I still haven't decided whether to warn the theater or not. What do you think I should do?"

"Wait and see what happens in the morning, but if they have been published I think you should tell them the truth, whether our faces are shown or not, just in case more pictures surface later on."

Bella thought about this and then nodded in agreement. "You're right. I need to be straight with them. Damn it and damn those photographers to hell. I don't know how you've put up with this type of shit all these years!"

"Don't worry about it tonight, Bella. Anyway, what you need is a good night's sleep. You can have Alice's room, and I'll sleep in the other bedroom. Is that okay?"

"Thanks, Edward. You really are a gentleman."

Edward laughed. "If you knew what thoughts were running through my head right now, you wouldn't think that for one moment."

"Stop it!"

"Sorry, Bella, I'm just a guy; I can't help it. Anyway, I've already told you what I fantasize about before I go to sleep at night, and that won't change when I get in my cold, lonely bed, knowing you're in the room next door."

Bella giggled and started clearing the table. Edward picked up the plates and glasses, and when everything had been returned to the kitchen and washed up, he turned the outside lights off and the fairyland garden was plunged into darkness.

Bella went in the bathroom first and came out wearing one of Alice's nightshirts. She called out goodnight to Edward who was making sure all the windows and doors were locked. He appeared from the kitchen with a glass of water in his hand for Bella to take in the bedroom with her. He put one finger under her chin and lifted her face to his and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"You know where I am if you need anything, Bella."

"Thanks, Edward, and thanks for being so understanding. I don't deserve you."

Bella took the glass and said goodnight again, then closed the bedroom door leaving Edward out in the hall with his emotions in overdrive.

He wandered into the bathroom, stripped off his t-shirt and splashed water on his face and neck. As he dried himself with the only towel he could find, he looked at the reflection of himself in the mirror.

Who was this Edward looking back at him, he thought? When he left New York bound for London, 'that' Edward Cullen was an arrogant, shallow, misogynistic know-it-all, who didn't give a shit about anyone else's feelings. 'That Edward' looked after number-one, no-one else. He was a self-imposed exile from humanity.

He physically winced when he thought about all the shitty things he'd done in the past, and how he had treated people; using them for his own ends, and blanking people that were not worth talking to. He reflected on the reasons he had grown to be like that, but the last five days had made him see the world in a different light.

The Edward Cullen looking back at him in the mirror was a different man. He was kind, respectful, considerate and...happier.

He knew that if this situation had happened two weeks ago in Los Angeles, he wouldn't have cared about the girl's career or reputation, as long as he came out of the fiasco smelling of roses. But now, he was putting this girl, who he'd known for less than a week, first above everything. What had happened to him between then and now he thought? Was it Bella's influence? Was it the dreams? Had Alice done something to him to change his personality? Had he fallen in love?

He looked at himself in the mirror again and stared at his reflection as though he was searching for signs of a physical change as well, but it was the same face staring back at him as always. Maybe his hair wasn't as well-groomed as usual, but he could actually blame that on Bella, as she loved burying her fingers in it. With that thought he felt his cock twitch, which was not a good sign with Bella tucked up in bed only a few yards away.

He left the bathroom and went into the small but comfortable spare bedroom and took off the rest of his clothes except for his boxers. He put his watch and phone on the nightstand and climbed into the old-fashioned double bed that almost filled the room. The white cotton sheets were cold and he shivered when he pulled the thin duvet over his body, so he curled up in a ball to hug some warmth into himself. He was tired, but his mind was still active and he guessed that it was possible he could have another one of his dreams tonight.

He thought about what had happened today and who might invade his subconscious thoughts while he was asleep. He hoped it would be Bella, but he'd tried keeping her in his thoughts before he dropped off to sleep and that didn't work. Alice was all about Jasper, so he was sure she wouldn't be popping in and out of his subconscious. He was confident Leon wouldn't invade his dreams, unless of course he was fantasizing about being a secret agent, working for MI6, and the two of them were chasing KGB agents around the streets of London. Henri, of course, might want to get his own back for spoiling his chance of winning a Pulitzer Prize, but apart from those three, he couldn't think of anyone who might want to invade his night time thoughts.

He was warming up now and he stretched out in the comfortable bed and then his right hand found its way into his boxers. He had been thinking about Bella curled up alone in Alice's bed and was now as hard as a rock. He knew he couldn't do anything about relieving himself while he was in someone else's bed, so he started imagining having to kiss a woman with rotten teeth and bad breath to try and deflate the problem.

As he was lying there, he heard a noise outside in the hall and half-sat up in bed. Then he heard the bathroom door open and close. He heard running water and a cupboard door being opened and shut, then the bathroom door was opened again and the light was turned off.

He listened for Bella's bedroom door but didn't hear any other sounds, so he lay there wondering whether she had gone into the kitchen to re-fill her glass. For some reason he was sweating and he ran his hand over his forehead to wipe off the perspiration then rubbed his hand on the duvet cover, feeling guilty afterwards about doing that to Alice's bedding.

He heard a squeaking sound and noticed the door handle was slowly turning and he held his breath.

"Please, please, please, let it be Bella" he prayed as the door opened.

As the natural light from the hall filtered through into the room, he saw her standing there, silhouetted in the doorway.

"Are you awake, Edward?" she whispered.

"Yes. Are you okay, Bella? Do you need anything?"

"I need you, Edward. I really need you, now."

Edward sat up quickly and switched the bedside light on which only dimly illuminated the room. He swung his legs out of bed and walked cautiously towards her. He took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, then took her in his arms and held her. As her hands started sliding up his naked back, he was praying.

"Please, God, don't let this be a dream; please, please let this be real."

He walked backwards towards the bed and Bella followed him without breaking their embrace. He stopped when he felt the bed behind him and sat down, pulling Bella between his open legs. His hands slipped under her nightshirt and he ran his fingers up the outside of her thighs towards her waist, and discovered she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Bella started unbuttoning the front of the shirt, but Edward quickly removed his hands from her waist and whispered, "I'll do that."

He slowly undid the buttons one by one, while Bella's fingers played with his hair. He loved that sensation and he bent his head down so that she could run her fingers over his whole scalp. By the time he had finished unbuttoning the shirt, he was moaning in ecstasy.

Before he went any further, he looked up at Bella who was staring down at him and said in a soft voice, "If you want me to stop, just say so."

Bella shook her head and slipped the shirt from her shoulders so she was standing naked in front of him. Edward couldn't help it but he let out a sob of contentment.

"You're beautiful," he whispered and he meant it. Her body was soft and natural, not surgically enhanced like most of the women he had slept with. Her breasts were small but in his eyes, perfect. The rest of her body was slim but not thin. On her right hip he noticed she had a dainty tattoo of a yellow rose, so he bent down and kissed it.

He placed his hands gently around her waist and pulled her towards him, then nuzzled his face between her breasts. Bella cradled his head in her arms as Edward's hands started exploring her body.

"Your skin is so soft," he murmured then his mouth moved to her breasts, and his tongue lapped each nipple. His mouth covered each breast, kissing and sucking them in turn, while his hands moved down her back and over her buttocks.

Edward shuffled backwards on the bed and gently pulled Bella on top of him. His hands were moving over her body in a more frenzied fashion now and he was desperate to be inside her. But he was determined that Bella would know that he was making love to her on their first night together, not just having sex.

He rolled Bella onto her side and for the first time since she entered the room, he kissed her mouth, deeply and passionately. Bella responded to him, clinging to his body so every part of her was touching him. He ran his hand over her breasts and down across her soft belly, then he carefully slid his hand between her legs and gently moved his fingers around her most intimate area. Bella moaned wantonly, and lifted her free leg upwards, allowing Edward more access, then she hooked her knee over Edward's hip opening herself up to him.

Bella's hands fluttered across his back and slid inside his boxers; her fingers digging into his taut muscles as she pulled him closer towards her. His arousal was pressing into her stomach now, and she could feel his cock twitching underneath the soft cotton fabric.

Edward was desperate to get his boxers off, but he wanted to make Bella feel good first. He carried on kissing her as his fingers explored the sensitive area between her legs, then he gently pushed one finger inside her and Bella cried out with pleasure. He rubbed slow circles on the walls of her vagina, looking for the magic spot, then he pulled his finger out and carefully inserted two fingers inside as Bella gasped and her body shuddered. His expert fingers moved in and out as his thumb massaged her clit, and Bella clung onto him with her face buried in his neck, crying out and whimpering as he moved her to the point of elation.

He felt Bella's body tense up and he noticed she was holding her breath.

"Relax and let it come, Bella," he whispered, and she collapsed in his arms as her orgasm took over her body. Edward watched her face contort with pleasure as she touched the edge of heaven, and he knew that as long as he lived, he would never forget this moment, witnessing her come apart in his arms because of what he had done for her.

When she returned to Earth and her body had stopped shuddering, Edward kissed her on the lips and went to roll off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Bella whispered.

"Condom," Edward replied as he headed towards the door.

"There's one in the pocket of my nightshirt, Edward."

Edward rolled back on the bed beside her and brushed her hair from her face and kissed away a few tears that were on her cheeks.

"You are exquisite, Bella. I'm going to make you feel so good tonight."

"You already have, Edward, and I want you to feel good so badly, it hurts," she replied, and kissed him back forcefully on his lips.

Edward reached over the edge of the bed and found Bella's nightshirt on the floor and took the condom from the pocket. He rolled on his back and pulled his boxers off then got onto his knees between her legs and stroked his rock hard penis as he looked at Bella lying on the bed in front of him. Her beautiful mahogany curls were spread out over the white cotton pillows and her open hands were resting beside her head. Her body was writhing gently on the pristine white sheets as she anticipated what Edward was going to do to her, and her legs were open wide ready to receive him.

He looked down at the vision before him, and suddenly realized she had recreated his fantasy for him; the one he had confessed to having each night while they were talking in the cafe. But this was no dream or fantasy; this was real. Bella was the best he'd ever had, and he hadn't even had her yet. This girl was a keeper, and he was determined to transport her to paradise right now, and nothing was going to spoil this moment.

He rolled the condom on his length and bent over and kissed Bella gently on the mouth.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked. Bella nodded and moved her hands up so she was caressing his face.

"Love me, Edward; I need you so much."

Edward pulled away from her and watched the expression on her face as he slowly slid inside of her. His ego expanded by a thousand times as he saw the look of carnal lust spread over Bella's countenance as he filled her. He took into account that she was tiny, so was careful to move very gently at first to allow her time to get used to him. He wanted to cry out as she felt so amazing and this incredible feeling increased as his movements slowly gathered pace.

Bella opened her eyes and realised he was holding back. The strained look on his face told the tale, so she reached up and ran her hands over his chest.

"Don't hold back, Edward. I'm not made of porcelain; just love me how you want to."

Edward whimpered with relief and his thrusts gradually accelerated in pace and force. He dropped down onto his elbows, and his hands gripped the back of Bella's head as his mouth crashed down on hers, and he kissed her like it was the last time.

"God help me, you're so beautiful," he said between thrusts, and Bella pulled her legs off the bed and wrapped them tightly around his hips as he pounded into her. A feeling of total abandonment washed over him as Bella clung to him, as if he were her protector, and she moaned and cried out in ecstasy as he plunged inside her soft and welcoming body.

Edward could feel his orgasm building and he fixed his gaze on Bella's face as his climax approached. He slowed his pace and thrust forcefully into her as he worked towards his release, and as he felt his body tighten in anticipation, Bella's walls rippled over his penis as she experienced her second orgasm. The look of pure ecstasy on her face tipped him over the edge and he exploded inside her, crying out in blissful agony at the exquisite release he had just experienced, tempered by the anguish that he would never experience another 'first time' with Bella again. He collapsed on top of her body, burying his face in her hair and felt Bella relax underneath him. Her hands moved up to his head and she ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp, while Edward purred with pleasure.

They lay like this for several minutes and waited for the world to start spinning again. Edward carefully pulled out of her and rested on his elbows so he could see her face. He could tell that she had been crying, and Edward brushed a tear away with his thumb.

"Are you okay, Bella; did I hurt you at all?"

"They're tears of happiness," Bella replied in a slightly croaky voice. "I've never been loved like that before, you were wonderful and caring."

"So were you, Bella. I've never had that sort of connection with a woman before in my life. You were made for me, Bella; I don't ever want to let you go."

They lay there touching each other's faces with kisses, until Edward rolled onto his side and pulled the condom off then tied a knot in it and placed it on the floor.

"You need to sleep, Bella," Edward said, as he pulled the duvet over their bodies. "I'll hold you until you drop off and I promise I'll be a good boy for the rest of the night."

Bella giggled as she shuffled under the duvet, then sidled up to Edward so she was tucked into his side with her left arm across his torso.

"Goodnight, Edward. If you're going to dream, dream of me tonight, please."

"Not when I have the real thing lying next to me. I'm going to stay awake all night just staring at you, if that's okay?"

Bella snuggled into Edward's chest and kissed it and within a few minutes he could hear her breathing steadily, but sleep was a long way away from Edward's mind as he lay there with Bella wrapped in his arms.

"So this is what contentment feels like," he thought to himself. "I'm truly happy for probably the first time in my life, but I'm flying away from this girl the day after tomorrow. Just my fucking luck!"

He lay there thinking about all the obligations that were waiting for him back in LA, and was trying to work out how to get around them and stay in England, but he knew that's not what Bella wanted. He had to respect her wishes and leave her to get on with her career, but he was determined to come back several times while she was in London and Stratford so he could keep this relationship going, even if it had to be flying visits for one night only.

He looked down at the sleeping girl beside him and resolved to be there for her whatever it took, and then he realized he was already thinking of her as a long term proposition and it shocked him that it just felt right to him.

"Am I in love?" he said to himself.

"How the hell would I know?" his alter-ego said, philosophically.

He thought about his harem waiting for him in LA, but the thought of sleeping with any of them horrified him now. Not because he had found someone better, or felt less of the girls who would be waiting for his call as soon as he landed, but because of how he had treated them in the past. He had used them as sex objects, nothing more, and his behavior he now accepted was contemptible. He resolved to sort this out as soon as he got back to the States, but how, he didn't know.

He took a last look at Bella snuggling into his chest and closed his eyes. Recollections of their love making invaded his mind as he drifted into sleep and his last memory was of Bella's fingers massaging his head then sliding over his back as he lay on top of her sated body.

He woke several hours later and saw the sun peeping through the blinds, meaning a bright new day had dawned in London town. He reached over to pull Bella towards him but the bed was empty. He lifted himself up on his elbows and looked at the floor, but her nightshirt and the condom were gone. He listened for sounds of movement in the apartment, but apart from low level noise from traffic that was filtering through the windows, the apartment was silent.

He wandered out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, then went to look for Bella. The kitchen was empty so he looked on the patio to see if she was in the garden. No luck there, so he peered into the living room which was as they left it last night. He guessed she was in Alice's bedroom getting dressed. He knocked gently on the door and called her name but there was no response. He knocked again, then slowly opened the door to reveal an empty room, but the bed had been made up and there was no sign of Bella's clothes or other belongings.

He stood in the hallway scratching his head, before realizing Bella probably would have had to get up early to go to rehearsals and had let him sleep. He was disappointed that he had missed out on some morning-after loving, or just being able to talk to her about last night.

He wandered towards the kitchen as he needed some coffee to wake himself up properly before phoning Jasper to see what had happened overnight. As he walked down the hallway he noticed a piece of paper with his name on it propped up on a small shelf by the kitchen door. He opened it up and read the following message to him from Bella.

Hi, Edward – hope you slept well.

Alice has messaged me to say there's nothing much in the papers or on the internet, so looks like we've got away with it.

I won't see you again before you go back to the States, so have a great trip home. Hopefully we'll meet up again soon.

Bella x

Edward read the note again and again. This wasn't a note left by a lover after a night of passion; this was a friend to a friend note, or one between a sister and brother, so what the hell happened to her between last night and this morning?

Then the awful truth hit him like an express train.

There had been no night of passion,

she hadn't invited herself into his bed,

he hadn't made love to her,

last night had been a dream all along.

It was all in his imagination, and his blissful memory of Bella giving herself to him and coming apart in his arms became a grotesque nightmare.

Edward let go of the note which fluttered to floor and he bent double as though he was going to be sick, then he collapsed to the floor on his knees.

As a tsunami of despair crashed over him, he curled up in a ball and cried and cried as though his heart was breaking.

A/N

Poor Edward (dabs eyes)! His emotions are taking a real battering. Can he take much more of this?

Joan xx