Chapter 35
"You've all been busy this week," I commented over dinner. "The house looks great...different."
Bella rolled her eyes and grunted. "Like I have any say in it."
"What do you mean? Of course you do. If you don't like something, speak up. That's something I worked on this week," I winked across the table.
"Great. I don't think Rosalie would ever require a leadership course...maybe she'd LEAD one."
I frowned. I guess Jasper wasn't entirely joking. "You're not getting along, I take it."
"Edward, you have no idea! She's a total control freak and territorial and domineering!"
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension start in. "Yeah, she's a pistol."
"She's a bitch!"
"Or that," I chuckled. "Look, she's not always like that. She's adjusting as well and I know she has her bitchy moments...believe me, I know...but she can be an incredibly sweet girl as well. And a good friend."
"I don't know about that." Bella sat with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her legs crossed and her foot swinging madly. "You fight with her too?"
"Hahaahaaa! Ask Jaz sometime. We've had some major blow-outs. And I'm like, the least confrontational person ever! She has a tendency to be controlling at times and sometimes it's just easier to let her win but Bella, this is your home too. Don't let her walk on you. You don't have to agree to everything she wants."
"She's completely taking over - the whole house! Did you see the stupid poodle toilet paper thingy in our bathroom?"
Laughing, I nodded. "Whew! I didn't want to say anything, but it's really gotta go!"
"I know! Her and Jasper had a HUGE fight over the common area."
I raised a brow in interest. "Yeah? How'd that turn out?"
"Jaz won."
"And then..." I smirked already knowing their routine after an argument. Bella blushed and started clearing dishes quickly. "Loud huh?"
"No kidding! Oh my god Cullen, you could've warned me!"
I stood to help with the clearing. "Now you know why I said last summer was unbearable and couldn't be repeated. Think of THAT, with me in the same room."
Her mouth hung open, then she clamped her hand over it while she began laughing. "They did it with you there? Shit! What did you do?"
Shrugging, I leaned on the counter. "Curled up in the fetal position. Headphones. iPOD. Wished I was dead... or at least deaf. Rose is kinda verbose when they're..."
"No shit! How could you face her after that?"
"Ah, it's good ammo. When she gets a good crack off on me, I've got something to hit back with. She's not a shy girl. She enjoys sex and doesn't care who knows it. It's kinda fun to get her going about that when she's mad at me."
"I don't know how you do it. I wanted to die."
"Sorry." I pulled her close. "I hate that you were left alone right away. And I'm sorry Rose is giving you a hard time. Jasper's been good to you though?"
"Yeah yeah. Jaz is great. Oh! You haven't been downstairs yet, have you?" She grabbed my hand as I gave her a confused look. "Come. You have to see something."
Bella guided me down the stairs, one hand covering my eyes. "Don't peek!"
"Don't toss me down the stairs!" I laughed, stumbling as I reached the bottom. She continued leading me and then held me in place.
"Ready?" she whispered in my ear as she let go.
"What the...where did this come from?" Before my eyes, in my house, was the piano I'd had my eye on for over a year.
"Your parents. It's an early birthday present. They wanted to surprise you." She wore a huge grin, so pleased to be in on it. "Surprised?"
"Stunned! Fuck! This is... wow... I don't even know what to say..." I ran my fingers over the cover. "How did this come about?"
"They called Jaz, you know, to see if there was room and to know if he knew which piano you'd want most. He asked me and I told him about the one you play everytime we're in the music store. This is the one isn't it?"
"Exactly the one. Bella! How did you remember that?"
She bit her lip as she smiled shyly. "Because if I close my eyes, I can picture you playing it. You look so beautiful when you play. You love it so much."
"Bella..." I hugged her tight, kissing her head.
"Your mom came and got me to show her which one."
"Yeah?" I grinned. "When was this? Sneaky ladies..."
"Um, Tuesday? Yeah. It was delivered yesterday. We had lunch too. It was... it was really nice. I like your mom a lot."
"I can't believe this..."
"Play!"
"Now?"
She nodded, giving me a shove towards the bench. "Please?" She watched as I started to play, just messing around. And then she came and sat beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. "So beautiful..." she whispered.
I took my fingers off the keys and turned to her. "Do you have any idea how happy I am right at this moment?"
She beamed. "It's a really cool surprise huh? It's a great piano. "
"It's more than that Bella. It's all of you working on the surprise together. It's the special dinner you made. It's being here, with you. I'll remember this day forever. The perfect homecoming. Thank you." I held her chin as I kissed her with all the emotion I felt inside. Her arms wrapped around me as she returned the kiss, full of passion. It was the most passionate we'd been since reuniting. Since my 'start over' kick. God, it was good...and getting better as her hands got into it as well. And suddenly, she was slipping off the bench. I caught her with a laugh before she hit the ground. "Maybe we should move to a better place for this."
"I think so," she agreed with a giggle. We tripped over ourselves as we grabbed at each other on the way to the couch. I collapsed on it, pulling her down with me. She shifted to sit across my lap as she kissed me. "I'm so glad you're back."
"I'm so glad our roommates aren't." My hands moved inside her shirt, feeling every inch of skin I could get at. She followed my lead and I shuddered as her tongue trailed down to circle my nipple. "And I'm so glad you had that rebellion against your dad and boyfriend with that piercing."
"Yeah?" Her head popped up. "Seriously? 'Cause I was thinking of taking it out. I'm kinda done rebelling."
"No! You can't!" I pleaded in a whine worthy of a five year old.
"Really Cullen? You seriously like it?"
"I seriously fucking love it Bella." I pulled her into a deep kiss, sucking on it to show how much I loved it. "It's like, you're this sweet, beautiful girl to the world but there's this hidden naughty bit that only you and I know about. It's so fucking hot."
She was giggling and blushing, but she understood my fondness now. And she used it to drive me nuts, swirling the tiny steel ball around my earlobe and down my neck. Her hands still inside my shirt, gliding up and down, fingers lingering around my waistband and then back up to pinch a nipple.
"Bella, you're gonna have to excuse me in a moment," I panted against her cheek, one hand holding her ass in place while the other fondled a breast through her thin bra.
"Uh-uh. Those days are over." She didn't let up on me.
"What, I can't relieve myself anymore? That's unfair and quite impossible."
"Not like this Cullen. It's your turn. If you're there, just let it go."
I held back a snicker. She was trying to be generous, trying to seduce me but she couldn't bring herself to be blunt. "So we're clear, I can jack off, but you don't want me to leave to do it, is that right?" She was about to chew her own lip off so I intervened by sucking on it myself, making both of us moan. "Is that right Apple Blossom?
She smiled at the name and stroked my chest before sliding her hands lower.
"Tell me, Apple Blossom. Do you want me to do it here? With you?"
"I want you to show me how you get off, so I can do it for you."
"Oh fuck!" Here I was, trying to be all sexy against her innocent little girl act and I was completely turned on just by that one statement.
"Can I try?" She changed positions so she had a leg on either side of me and wrapped her hands behind my neck. "Let me try Cullen?"
I mumbled a few words not in any human language before kissing her again. So much for my command of confidence I thought I'd mastered throughout my course. I was a lump of gelatin sitting here with a girl on top. I was aware of her hands undoing my button and trying to ease my zipper down around my erection but I felt like I was suddenly weighted, unable to move myself.
"Um, some help?" Bella whispered. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh, right... Uh, okay..." I managed to make one arm move and shifted everything to one side so it would be clear of the zipper.
She smiled as she took hold of the tab and slid it down gently. "You're doing really well with the shyness thing Cullen. I thought I'd have to fight you." She was now completely in control, as before and I suddenly felt very self-conscious.
More babbling escaped my lips as she reached in and made flesh to flesh contact for the very first time in that region. "Fuck!" I moaned as my dick twitched like mad against her touch. "Uh, I should... aaaahhh... I should warn you... oh god... um, this won't take long... ooohhh christ!" I shot my load as soon as her hand wrapped around my very eager dick for the first time. "Shit! I'm sorry! It's all over you...here...let me get it. Sorry." I wiped her hand and arm clean with the bottom of my t-shirt. "Sorry," I mumbled again.
Bella held my wrists, making me drop my sticky, gooey shirt against my stomach. "Next time will be even better," she said in a low voice in my ear before sucking on my lobe again.
I giggled. Great! Premature ejaculation and then giggling. You're a winner Cullen! A total stud. Bella either didn't care if I was a sexual loser or felt sorry for me because she curled up on my lap and snuggled in as she placed baby kisses all along my jawline.
"Are you sticky?" I asked softly as I held her, my voice raspy.
She held her hand up, examining it before rubbing my chest. "Not too bad."
"Good. I'm a mess. My belly hair's gonna be all matted together." I zipped back up, letting her go for a minute.
She giggled as she checked it out. "Your shirt's got the worst of it."
"Mmm. I'll have to remember not to wear this again before washing. Speaking of washing...let me up? I've got dishes waiting for me."
"Leave them. I'll clean up tomorrow when you're at work."
"Absolutely not. There's no way you're cleaning up after all that cooking you did. I'll take care of it." I pulled her to her feet to give her a tender kiss. "Thank you Bella. For...everything," I grinned.