Chapter 29
When Alice and Bella finally come downstairs, I feel like all of my breath is knocked out of me. I always think Bella's beautiful, even when she was exhausted from caring for a newborn and recovering from surgery, but tonight she looks out of this world.
"Wow," I say quietly as I walk toward her in the foyer. My hand reaches out to brush through her shiny curls. "You look … Wow."
She blushes and ducks her head, mumbling her thanks.
With my hands on either side of her face, I lift it so she'll look at me. She's wearing makeup tonight, but it's still light and natural looking on her. Her lips are a rosy pink and I can't resist them. I lean down and touch mine to hers gently and slowly, enjoying the lingering connection between us as I breathe her in.
"How am I supposed to concentrate on the crowd tonight when all I'll be able to see is you?" I ask her rhetorically.
She moves in and deepens the kiss, reaching her tongue out to meet mine and wrapping her arms around my waist. Just as we begin to really get into it, Alice breaks us apart.
"Bella!" she shouts. "You're ruining your lipstick!"
"Don't care," Bella mumbles against my lips.
I chuckle as we continue to kiss for another moment, but then pull back reluctantly. Our foreheads connect as I take a deep breath to calm myself down. "We need to get going anyway," I tell her regretfully. "You're staying here tonight?"
"If that's okay?"
"Of course," I assure her. "I'm looking forward to having you and Charlie here in the morning."
We say goodbye to my mom and Charlie, and I drive everyone over to the Tacoma Dome for the show. When we get there, I introduce Alice and Jasper to Rosalie and Emmett. Bella hugs Rose immediately and they start chatting like old friends.
"They've been talking ever since Bella was on the road with us," Em tells me quietly. "I guess Rosie needed some pregnancy advice, and now they're thick as thieves."
"Yeah, Bella mentioned to me a few times that she'd spoken to Rose. I'm glad they get along."
I look over at our girls and watch as Bella rubs Rose's little belly, another spark of jealousy shooting through me for all I missed out on with Charlie.
Eventually, Bella, Alice and Jasper sit in the audience while we do our sound check. They cheer for us, even though we're not playing full songs. It's actually fun having them here. As a spur of the moment decision, I take a few minutes to play a special song for Bella before we leave the stage.
Once we finish sound check, we have Marcus order us some pizzas and we all hang out in the dressing room with a few beers until show time. Bella curls herself up on the couch next to me, and I feel more content than I ever have before. I run my hand up and down her arm as I sit back and watch our friends interact.
The show goes off without a hitch, though I can admit to being slightly distracted by having Bella just off stage. Every now and then, I sneak a peek at her and see her long legs encased in skin-tight black jeans and her hourglass figure hugged perfectly by a deep purple tank top, but what gets me every time is the smile that shines brightly all night long. It doesn't hurt that she insisted on wearing her black Chucks, much to Alice's dismay.
Not long after the show ends, we make our way back to my house. I invite Alice and Jasper to hang out for a little while, but they decline. Mom leaves shortly after they do, telling us that Charlie was an angel all night and she's been sleeping soundly for a few hours.
And finally, I have Bella all to myself.
"I'm just gonna change out of these sweaty clothes," I tell her.
"Mmm, but what if I like you in the sweaty clothes?" she asks, running her fingers up my chest and fisting my shirt.
I smile down at her before kissing her lightly. "You drive me crazy, woman," I say quietly. "You know that?"
"Sorry," she pouts. "I've just missed you."
I pull her close and hug her tightly, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I missed you, too."
We head in opposite directions to get changed, and although I enjoyed Bella in her hot outfit with her hair all done up tonight, I love her even more when she meets me in the media room in her pajamas. She's wearing shorts and a tank top with no bra and has her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her face is freshly washed so her natural beauty shines through.
I have the lights dimmed and some soft music playing when she joins me on the couch. It doesn't take long for chaste kisses to turn heated, and I have to continually remind myself to slow down. With one hand buried in her hair, my other hand wanders to her breast. She sighs into my mouth when I give it a gentle squeeze and moans when I run my thumb over her hardened nipple.
Bella's fingers dip down and find the edge of my undershirt, inching underneath it to touch the bare skin of my waist. I suck in a breath and move my kisses to her jaw and neck as I lean her back and hover above her. My mouth finds its way to her earlobe, teasing and nibbling on it, as my hand moves slightly under her top.
I drag my fingers over the soft skin of her stomach for a moment, feeling it quiver and giving her a chance to stop me. She moans when I apply more pressure, so I take that as an invitation and move up to cup her breast. It fits perfectly in my hand, not too big and not too small, and she arches up into me asking for more.
With one last suck on her earlobe, I pull back and reach for the edge of her tank top. I look into her eyes as I ask, "Can I?"
Her dark, hooded eyes answer me before she nods. She gives a little smile as she leans up so I can pull the shirt off of her.
When she lies back down, I take a moment to admire her—dark ponytail fanned out around her head, creamy skin, chest heaving and beautiful, rosy nipples just begging for attention.
"God, you're beautiful," I whisper as a blush spreads across her chest. It's calling to me and I can't resist any longer. I drop my head and begin kissing her collarbone while massaging one breast, rolling the tip between my fingers.
Bella's fingers thread through my hair and tug gently as she holds my head to her body. I move my kisses down, leaving a wet trail from neck to breast. She whimpers when my mouth closes around as much of her breast as I can manage, and arches into me again when my tongue fondles her nipple.
After a few minutes, I switch my attention to the other side, enjoying the scent of her skin as much as the feel of it in my mouth and hands. My free hand drifts down her side and I move our bodies so we're facing each other with me on the outside of the plush couch. She flinches when I rub over her hip bone but moans when my fingers drift to her belly button.
My erection is straining against the material of my underwear and pajama pants, but I put all thoughts of my own pleasure aside and concentrate on Bella. When the tips of my fingers slip under the waistband of her shorts, I look to her again for permission. Her eyes are closed and her cheeks are pink. I slide my hand a little further and she gasps lightly but doesn't stop me.
Her hand moves from my shoulder, down my back and around to my stomach. When she reaches down further and touches me outside of my clothes, I moan but pull my hand from her shorts and stop her.
"Just let me make you feel good tonight," I say softly, kissing her lips again. I want everything with her to be different, and for once in my life I'm putting my own needs aside. She's my priority. I want her to know how special she is to me, and at the moment, this is the only way I can show her.
We continue kissing languidly while I return my hand to its former position. I push down further and notice that something is different almost immediately.
"Fuck, Bella," I say, placing my forehead against hers and closing my eyes. "Are you bare?" Not that I had time to look, but I definitely remember there being hair the last time I touched her.
She nods and giggles lightly, but moans when I devour her with a kiss and slip my fingers into her wet folds. I run them up and down a few times before focusing attention on her clit, circling around and applying more pressure with each pass. Her hips buck into my hand as we continue kissing. I move my attention lower again and push one finger just barely inside of her.
We both groan—me at the abundance of arousal and Bella at the feel of my finger circling her entrance. Slowly, I push further inside, pumping gently while I nibble on her lip. Her hands are back in my hair, moving down my back, over my shoulders, anywhere they can reach as her pelvis continues to move against me.
I add another finger, pushing deeper and finding the spongy patch of skin that makes her jump. I curl my fingers and rub while I let my thumb press on her clit.
Bella's moans turn into pants as she stops kissing me. I continue to place kisses on her cheeks, jaw, neck and behind her ear while allowing her to focus on my fingers. Her body moves in time with my hand, and when I feel the flutters start, I pull my head back and watch her explode.
I've never seen anything more beautiful. She tosses her head back, face and chest flushed, teeth digging into her bottom lip as she holds back a scream, letting only small whimpers escape.
I slow down the movements of my hand before reluctantly pulling my fingers from her body and her shorts. I lean in and kiss her swollen lips again while she comes down from her high.
She lets out a breathy little sigh as her eyes flutter open. "Wow," she says, smiling at me.
I smile back at her, but I know I'm testing the limits of my control. "We should …" I blow out a breath through puffed cheeks. "We should probably get some sleep."
"Are you sure?" she asks as her hand drifts around my waist again.
"I'm sure," I confirm, pulling her close and hugging her, enjoying the last few minutes that I have her body next to mine.
Her fingers run through my hair, scraping my scalp gently. "Hmm, this is nice," she says and I hum into her neck in agreement. "Can we …" she starts, but doesn't finish.
I look down at her as my hands roam her bare back, tracing the line of her spine. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she says, shaking her head. "Forget it."
"Bella, don't you know by now that I'd give you anything you ask for?" I cup her cheek and kiss her chastely.
"It's stupid," she says with her eyes still closed from our kiss.
"Tell me," I insist, teasing her with another light kiss. I think the floodgates have opened because I can't stop kissing her now that I have her here.
She looks at me shyly. "I was just thinking about how nice it is when you're holding me and …"
"And?" I prompt.
"And I thought maybe we could sleep like this," she rushes out as her cheeks pink up.
I feel a smirk growing on my face. "Isabella Swan, are you asking me to sleep with you?"
She smacks my bicep and laughs. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," I admit more seriously. "You have to put your shirt on, though." I look around and find it on the floor beside the couch.
She gasps. "Edward Cullen, are you telling me to put clothes on?"
I sit her up and pull the shirt over her head, pulling her ponytail out of the back and running my fingers through the silky strands. "Look, smartass, I promised you we were going to take this relationship slow, and this is me keeping that promise."
She smiles at me as I take her hand and pull her up to stand. I quickly turn off the stereo and the lights while Bella grabs the baby monitor. I pick up her hand again and lead her out of the room, up the stairs and to my bedroom.
"Is this okay?" I ask nervously as we step inside.
"Perfect," she says, setting the monitor on the nightstand.
I pull back the covers and watch her climb into my bed—she's got a nice ass so of course I'm going to look—before I crawl in behind her. Immediately, I pull her body close to mine where she fits perfectly against me.
With her back to my chest, her arm drapes over mine and her fingers run lightly up and down, tickling the hair on my forearm. I take a deep inhale of her vanilla scent, placing a small kiss in the crook of her neck.
"Comfy bed," she comments quietly.
"It's even better now," I respond, tightening my grip on her.
She turns her head as much as she can so she can see me behind her. "Are you gonna try to tell me you haven't done this before?"
Leaning up, I peck her lips with my own. "Never done this before," I admit. "You're the first woman I've had in my bed, Bella … Ever."
And to my surprise, I'm actually content with the idea that we're just going to sleep.
A/N: I don't know what's up with Twilight FicZone, but they didn't post the teaser again on Saturday. So from now on, I'll just post the teaser for Monday's chapters on my Facebook page sometime over the weekend. The link is in my profile.
There is a good chance that I will not get to all review replies for today's chapter. You all know how much I love chatting with you, but real life obligations will be taking up my time today and tomorrow. My apologies in advance if I don't get to yours.
The next teaser will be posted tomorrow on FicTease, and the chapter will post on Wednesday.
Voting for the Lyrics to Life contest is open now through November 17th! Search for author LyricsToLifeContest. Click on the "Vote Now" link at the top of the page. There are 28 entries!
Many thanks to beachcomberlc, but all mistakes are mine.
