Mask'charade Chapter 13, Bared Naked

Disclaimer: All Twilight related material is the sole property of the original author. Mask'charade's plotline and characterization belongs to Chynnadoll.

A/N: Thank you all for your comments and reviews on the last chapter. I've been a bit busy, so I wanted to make sure I thanked you all for those.

FoolforEdward edits.

BPOV

I sit on the edge of his sofa with my head buried in my hands, while he busies himself in the kitchen. I still can't seem to process what I'd witnessed between James and Siobhan tonight, and now Ned's confession has created new questions in my mind. He said that he'd wanted me from the very start, and that I'm his dream come true. I don't pretend to know how to even address that, or what it all means.

James told Siobhan that he knew 'Cullen' was attracted to me from the very beginning. Does that mean that he'd been inquiring about me all this time, even before I 'd met him at that club? I have so many questions, but don't know where to begin, and deep down, I'm afraid of the answers.

"Here, I made you some tea." He offers me a mug. "I thought about putting some brandy in it, but I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

I take a sip, letting the warmth soothe me. I smirk slightly at the brandy comment.

"What's funny?"

"You thought I'd accuse you of trying to get me drunk." I say.

"Well, at the very least, I thought you'd think it." He perches himself on the coffee table in front of me and urges me to finish my tea.

I still haven't told him about what happened with James. I know that I'll have to at some point, but I'm not sure where to begin. If my suspicions are correct, and if I tell him how James used us both, I'm not sure how he'll react.

"All better?" He asks, as I set the empty mug on the table.

"It was very good. Thank you."

He smiles, but then his expression turns serious.

"Bella, why after all the time we've spent together, would you think that my interest in you was purely business?"

"Other than discussing the restaurant, we spent the majority of our time together having sex." I say quietly.

"Wait, so first you think it was all business, and now you think it was only sex? Unbelievable." He runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

" I don't know what to think or believe after tonight. All I know is that my marriage is in the toilet, and my husband is the vilest human being on the planet, and at some point, I'll need to go home and deal with him."

"Not tonight." He stands and holds out his hand.

"Wha–what do you mean? I can't stay here, Ned."

"You can, and you will." He pulls me to my feet, and before I can protest any further, he's led me into the bedroom and starts to remove my blouse.

"Ned-"

"Shhh…let me take care of you tonight." He continues to remove my clothing, one piece at a time, until I'm left only in my bra and panties. I witness his eyes darken with lust as they languidly rake over my body. I'm so familiar with this expression of his; the way his brows furrow and his tongue sweeps his bottom lip. It's all so erotic and inviting. I have a hard time trying to focus on matters already playing on my mind.

"I could uh….start the shower for you. It'll help to relieve lot of tension; clear your mind." He murmurs huskily, as he moves behind me. His hands trail up my arms slowly, making me shiver involuntarily, before they come to rest in the crook of my neck. He begins to gently massage my shoulders. I'd be lying if said it didn't feel amazing, and a shower would feel perfect right now; but I know it's not the time for any of this.

He begins to knead vigorously, and my eyes flutter closed, as I moan from the sensation.

"Does that feel good?" He breathes close to my ear then softly kisses me there. My neck arches, reflexively, granting him more access.

"Yes."

"Good. Relax and let me take care of you, Bella. Just feel." His liquid tone mesmerizes me to obey his command. His lips brush against my skin, as he steps closer, and I feel his arousal subtly probing through the thin, silky material of my panties. I push back into him involuntarily, and he grinds against my ass softly. He moans deeply and trails hot, wet kisses along the side of my throat.

He uses every part of his hands to tease my now erect peaks; his fingertips to gently roll and his palms to glide in circular motions.. My head lolls back against his shoulder as I get lost in his ministrations.

"You like that?"

I simply nod and press my ass further into his erection, and he continues to rub against me in a smooth, maddening rhythm.

"Should I start the shower?" He asks, sliding the silky material of my panties down my legs.

"No…I don't want to take a shower…." I pant, as I hear his zipper being lowered and his pants hit the floor.

"Tell me what you want, and you can have it." He adds, and I see him toss his shirt aside and step out of his briefs. He removes my bra, and now we stand flesh-to-flesh. Our eyes meet, as I stare at our reflection in the mirror.

"Tell me." He repeats.

"I-I don't know." I respond weakly.

"You don't? I think maybe you do, Bella. I think you know exactly what you want, but you're too afraid to say it. Your marriage is over. It has been since the moment you met me; since the moment you let me inside of you."

I drop my gaze, and I shake my head as I go to pick up my clothing. "It's just been about sex."

He removes them from my hand and tosses them across the room, before he spins me around.

"I don't only mean being inside of you sexually. I'm talking about here and here." He points to my head and chest. "You let me into every part of yourself, Bella. You don't do something like that unless you feel something for a person.

You don't need to confirm it, but I bet I know more about you sexually, intellectually and emotionally in this short time, than your husband does. And now you're faced with a choice; to give in to something real, or to let it just disappear from your life." He snaps.

I grab the sheet from the bed and wrap myself in it. "It's not as simple as you make it out to be. I-I have a history with James. We shared good times in the past. It's not that easy-"

"Past…shared…it's done. What you have with me; what we could have together is now, Bella. It's a future. Grab hold of it. Let me make you happy."

He pulls me into a passionate kiss, and the sheet floats to the floor. I gasp in surprise when in one swift move he lifts and enters me, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist. His eyes lock with mine, as he turns and lowers us onto the bed.

"Stay with me tonight, and I'll show you everything we could have, Bella. You always leave. Give me one night to prove to you that it's so much more than physical." He implores, as he flexes his hips and starts to move in and out slowly. He drives deep and stretches me completely. My body molds to his, as if we were meant to be one.

"H-how can I be sure about you, Ned, when I'm not sure about anything?" I pant breathlessly, as he hits a spot so deep, it takes my breath away.

"You're sure about this; when I make you feel this; pleasure; when I show you how good it can be." He rises and braces himself over me and rocks into me slowly, rubbing against my clit with each downward stroke. I feel like I might burst into flames.

I claw at his back as his pace intensifies. He grunts quietly, and his face contorts beautifully, when I push him deeper inside.

"Fuck….shit, I love when you do that….we're so good together, Bella….we're perfect…mmm, don't you feel that…God!"

I can feel my stomach tightening, as he continues to move in slow, sensual circles. It's the first time that we haven't kissed while having sex, we normally would, but tonight his eyes won't leave mine. He wants me to see every emotion in his face, and he wants to see my reaction each time he plunges into me. I know because the closer I get to falling off the edge into ecstasy, the more he smiles.

"Oh….oh…I-I'm…." My breath hitches as my orgasm threatens to rip through my body.

"Yes, Bella, don't you feel me deep inside of you? That's not just sexual….that's everything."

"Wha…what's…everything?"

"Desire….my fight for you….love….passion. Feel me, Bella." He reaches down between us and strokes my clit with his thumb. I instantly come apart.

"Ned…oh, god!"

"That's right, come apart for me, baby. Show me that it's only me….Fuck…mmm… I'm gonna….fuck!"

He raises my legs and drives into me forcefully. His body jerks involuntarily as he reaches his climax. "Shit!" He spits out in a hushed tone and buries his head in my neck. His damp skin feels cool and soothing against mine. We lie panting heavily, holding each other close, while our bodies tremble in sweet unison.

.

.

.

He combs his fingers through my hair lazily, while I rest across his firm chest. We've been silent since I'd told him about what happened with James.

"How did you two meet?" He finally breaks the silence.

I'm a little surprised by his question, mostly because I'd thought James would've mentioned it to him in one of their meetings, especially as he was trying to throw us together as Siobhan put it.

"We met in college. He was in his junior year, majoring in business, and I was an indecisive sophomore with no major. He's so smart. To this day, I still don't understand what made him choose to be with me."

"You mean aside from these amazing eyes, warm smile and your passionate outlook on life? That same passion ignites in the bedroom…at least when you're with me. Why wouldn't he choose you….why wouldn't any man?"

"You see me differently." I smile shyly, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I see you the way you're meant to be seen. Maybe everyone else, including you, aren't able to see you as clearly as I do."

"Maybe you're right…." My voice trails off, as I struggle to find something to say in response. He always seems to confound me into silence.

"So….you met in college, he was certain about his future and you, not so much. How did you end up working in an ad agency, when you're clearly meant to be a chef?"

"I um…I never thought I'd be a good chef. It was more like something I carried through my childhood and just loved doing as I got older. It was something personal to me that I shared with my mom and Nonna. I never felt confident enough to put it on display, even though I'd promised her that I would someday pursue opening a restaurant.

James and I were dating exclusively by the time he was set to graduate, and somehow, with his encouragement, I'd chosen to double major in business/marketing and communications. He said I had the perfect head for it, and I could always do the chef thing on the side and approach it seriously later. He said it would be better to get into the business aspects first."

"Well, I think he was right to encourage you to approach the business side of it, but it would've been good for you to go to culinary school first then deal with the business aspect. Do you think he may have had an ulterior motive for not encouraging you to do so? I mean if he's intelligent, he would've done that."

"I don't know. I'm not sure about anything concerning James anymore. I've been such a fool." I sigh and rest my head on his chest.

"It would be nothing for me to go over there right now and put my fist through his face for hurting you. Just say the word."

"I would never ask you to do that. Violence never solves anything. Besides, how much of a hypocrite would I be if I allowed you to do that? Never mind the fact that it would just be flat out wrong."

"Don't protect him after what he did to you, Bella." He yawns.

"I'm not protecting him. I'm protecting you." I say honestly and look up to see his reaction. He outlines my face tenderly with the tip of his finger.

"You're going to be my protector?" He smirks, as his eyes droop sleepily. "Who's going to protect you from me?"

I stare at him as he drifts off, his words still hanging in the air, plaguing my mind like an unsolved puzzle. Why would I need protection from him? Or was it just an empty statement? And what about the things he'd said earlier when we'd made love? He said "love." Did it mean that he loved me?

So much mystery surrounds this man, and now that mystery is somehow tangled up with James, and the only answers I have were gained by eavesdropping on a conversation between my husband and his mistress.

I study his features as he sleeps soundly and wonder about his family. I know his parents died tragically, but is there anyone else in his life, like siblings, aunts or uncles; a wife and child maybe?

I know we aren't close enough for me to have met anyone from his family or have him even discuss them with me, but he just seems so alone. There aren't any pictures decorating his apartment, and he never talks about anyone. He'd only just recently revealed what happened to his parents, and I could tell he wasn't comfortable speaking about it. God, who would be? But it all seems a bit strange, now that I think about everything.

He mumbles something unintelligibly and stirs in his sleep.

He's such a beautiful man, but looks almost like a lost little boy when asleep. I imagine that he's the perfect combination of both his parents. I visualize him with hair and eyes that resemble his mother's and a strong jawline and smile like his father's.

"No…don't!" He tosses as a painful sounding moan escapes him.

I don't want to wake him. I scoot up next to him, instead, and gently stroke his hair. He instantly melts into my touch, as if he's familiar with this calming technique and falls back into peaceful slumber. I continue soothing him a while longer, until I'm satisfied that he's alright then climb out of bed quietly and make my way to the bathroom.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror before starting the water for a bath. I look around to see if there's any bubble bath or shower gel I can add to the water. There's nothing in sight, so I check in the medicine cabinet. I find some liquid soap hidden in the back and decide it's probably the best he has since a regular bar of soap most likely suffices for him. I return the bottle and accidentally knock over a couple of other bottles in the process. They crash into the sink and rattle around noisily.

"Shit!" I whisper and hurriedly try to get them back into the cabinet. I stop when I notice the prescription bottle with his name written across the label. This is wrong on so many levels. I know that I'm invading his privacy, but I read anyway.

"Edward Cullen…take two to four tablets daily with water or food…Depakote…" I fall silent and shake my head, berating myself for going through his personal items.

"God, Bella." I set the bottle back where I'd found it and shut the door.

Steam rises in the bathroom, and I turn off the water once the tub is full. I gingerly step into the hot water and slowly sink down into the tub. The water is near scorching, but I welcome how it instantly removes the tension from my body. I lean back, letting my head rest against the marble rim.

Damn, this feels good.

The steam floats up around my shoulders and across my face, and my eyes drift closed. I let all of the drama of the day leave my mind and just relish this moment. I slink down a little more and sigh contentedly. I feel a draft and open my eyes, suddenly sensing that I'm no longer alone.

"Oh….you scared me. I thought I'd take a bath. I didn't want to wake you."

He simply stands there, frozen, with a distant look in his eyes.

"Ned?"

He shakes his head vigorously and screws his eyes shut. His chest heaves, as he sinks to his knees.

"I-I can't…" He breathes heavily, as if he's having some sort of meltdown.

I sit up and look on worriedly. "Ned, are you alright….Ned?"

I call his name over and over, but it's as if he can't hear me. I focus on where his eyes are fixated, and I notice that he's staring at the water in the tub.

"Ned?"

"I-I can't….I can't breathe!"

He reaches out as if he's trying to grab hold of something and begins to mouth words, but no sound comes out. All of sudden, his voice breaks through the silence in an agonizing cry.

"Help me! Mom….Dad….please! No, don't!"

I shoot out of the tub and make my way to him, terrified, when I realize he's having a panic attack. He's remembering what happened to his parents.

"Ned, look at me. Look at me! It's Bella." I gently shake him, trying to get him to focus on my face, but he doesn't turn his eyes away from the water. They grow larger as he continues grabbing at air.

I cradle his face, but I can't seem to bring him out of the state he's in. I wrap my arms around him, praying that he snaps out of this soon, because I'm not sure of what to do except hold him.

"Mommy….mommy, no." he whispers hoarsely, as his body falls limp against mine.

"Shhhh….it's okay….it's okay. Please, look at me. It's Bella." I rock him gently, as I try desperately to once again turn his face to mine; this time he blinks at me with tears streaming down his face.

"Bella?" He croaks, looking at me as if for the first time tonight.

"Hey." I smile warmly and gently brush his tears away. "It's okay."

He looks confused and glances over to the tub.

"I-I can't be in here….I can't….please, I…" he stammers and tries to get to his feet. I help him up and quickly grab a towel from the rack and wrap it around myself, before I lead him into the bedroom.

He sits on the edge of the bed, and I kneel in front of him. He buries his head in his hands, and I assume that he's trying to regulate his escalated breathing. I remain silent and wait for him to show signs that he's alright. He scrubs his face roughly and rises from the bed, avoiding my gaze altogether. He walks out into the living room, and I follow.

I watch as he steps behind the bar to pour himself a drink and quickly swallows the contents. He finally looks at me.

"I'm fine." He says nonchalantly.

"You….didn't seem fine." I say calmly.

"I had a moment. I don't like the water. I'm fine." He says more forcefully.

I advance slowly, and he watches me carefully. I try and choose my next words wisely, as I don't want to upset him.

"You don't like the water because it reminds you of when you lost your parents."

He doesn't confirm my assumption, he only stares at me, pours another drink and downs it.

"I don't like the fucking water." He repeats angrily. "And I don't want to talk about my parents."

I'm not surprised by his reaction right now, but I wish he didn't feel angry or embarrassed by what just happened. It's natural for him to think about his parents, to miss them, especially since he lost them so tragically and at an early age, but I worry that he hasn't coped with their deaths. Honestly, I don't think anyone could, let alone a child.

I don't press the issue, and I don't pry, but I want him to know that I'm here for him whenever he needs or wants to talk, or just needs me to be with him when he feels like he can't deal.

"Okay." I simply respond and step behind the bar and remove the glass from his hand. "But no more of this tonight. Come back to bed."

He looks at me and nods his head as we walk back to the bedroom.

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Morning arrives, and Ned has slept peacefully through the night. I, on the other hand, haven't. His episode of last night and what happened with James is still fresh on my mind.

I get up and dress while he's still sleeping soundly. I quickly jot him a note and leave it on the pillow next to him. I softly stroke his hair, watching him carefully for minutes, before I quietly leave the house.

I drive home and check my phone for messages once I've parked in the garage. There are several missed calls and texts from James. I run a hand through my hair and stare at myself in the rearview mirror, before I finally get out and enter the house.

His pacing stops immediately when he lays eyes on me. He approaches, but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"Don't."

"Don't? What the hell do you mean? I've been worried sick about you. Where the hell have you been, Bella? Or do I already know the answer to that question?"

"How about this, I'll answer your questions, if you answer mine."

He frowns then scoffs.

"Are you serious? First you tell me you're having an affair, and then you stay out all night; and you have the nerve to want to trade questions?"

God! Even knowing what he did, he still has the gall to be a smug bastard.

I shake my head at him ruefully.

"Let's cut the bullshit, James. I know what you did. I heard your little confession. I know all of it."

"What the hell are you talking about, Bella? I think you have things confused. You're the one who confessed to sleeping around on me."

I sit on the edge of the sofa and tent my fingers, tapping them impatiently. "I visited you at the office. I overheard you and Siobhan talking. I know about the affair, and how you set it up to push me and Ned together."

"Ned? Who the fuck is Ned?"

"Edward…I'm talking about Edward, James. I know all of it, so don't bother denying it. You concocted this sick plan to push us together, just so you could get him to sign with Devex."

"What?" He feigns ignorance as he glares at me.

"Look, don't bother acting innocent, I heard everything! You had me followed. You set it up so we would bond over the restaurant space, but what you didn't count on was me actually developing feelings for him."

He turns his back on me, pinching the bridge of his nose and chuckles sardonically.

"You know…I might have set up some innocent meetings for the sake of landing a client and forgive me if I thought that my wife would support me in any way, but what I did not count on was her turning into a glorified slut! Developed feelings? Bullshit!"

I gape in shock at his careless statement. I can't believe it.

"You didn't have to give in to anything, Bella. You wanted Cullen from the start! He's a man. I expected no less from him, but you…"

"You son of a bitch! Who are you?" I yell. "You're actually saying this like you did nothing wrong!"

"I didn't! You did!" He snaps.

"God, you are such a hypocrite! What about your secretary? You've been having her pose as me just to sneak her into a hotel to carry on your affair. What about that, James?"

"You have no proof of that, so don't try and put this off on me, Bella. You've been sleeping with this guy for weeks, and you were with him last night, admit it!"

This is pointless, and I'm getting angrier by the second. I can honestly say that I didn't know what to expect once we began to hash this out, but this isn't it.

"I think one of us should go. This isn't working."

"What? I'm not leaving my house. We need to discuss things."

"There's nothing left to discuss, and fine, if you won't leave, then I will." I head upstairs, and he follows, protesting.

I grab a suitcase from the closet and begin stuffing it with clothing.

"What the fuck are you doing? You can't leave. You're my wife!"

I continue packing without a reply, and he spins me around to face him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, not to him?"

"Let go of me, James. I'm going to stay with Alice." I wrench away from him. Shocked by my fury, he softens his attitude slightly.

"For how long?"

"I don't know, but I can't stay here. I can't stand to look at you." I close the suitcase roughly and storm back downstairs with him on my heels.

"Bella, please wait. You can't leave things like this. We need to talk."

"I have nothing more to say to you right now. I'm exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night. Make sure you feed Cookie and change her water dish daily."

"Daily? How long do you plan on being gone!"

"Goodbye, James." I say finally and slam the door, leaving him standing there devastated.

If anyone is interested the latest chapter for Falling for Acacia has been posted to the Writesisters website. Thank you for reading. See you next chapter.