Chapter 16

A/N: Hello Everyone... I don't have a lot to say today. I do want to thank everyone for joining us, and continuing to read. I love hearing what everyone thinks, and I consider every word. Thanks for reading, commenting, favoriting and following this story.

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She was driving him fucking crazy. Every second of the night her soft, warm curves had been pressed against him. He'd started out holding her, his arm wound tightly around her waist, her ass nestled directly in his lap. Instantaneously, his body had been on high alert, a fire growing within him with the power to consume his very being. Throughout the night, he'd fought a throbbing erection, the overwhelming need to rock his hips into hers becoming more than he could bare.

Sometime in the night, she'd turned in his arms, her head now pillowed against his chest. Bella's knee was currently cocooned by his thighs, his massive arousal pressed against her softer flesh, and Edward gritted his teeth in an attempt to relieve the affect she was having on him. Then there was her hand burrowed under his shirt, her fingers petting his abdomen, her fingertips combing through the hair around his belly button.

Swallowing past the need choking him, Edward turned his head, his nose sinking into her thick tresses, the sweet smell of her hypnotizing him. Mesmerized by the weight of her resting so peacefully against him, his hands slid down her spine, his fingers kneading her muscles along the way. A groan lingered on his lips when her head tilted, her lips brushing the line of his jaw, her breath slowly fanning against his throat.

He was on the brink of insanity. Literally, like any second now, he'd jump from the bed like a mad man. They hadn't even shared a kiss, and she was wreaking havoc on his mind, body, and soul. His fingertips drifted over the skin revealed from her t-shirt, the material twisted and riding up the small of her back, allowing him access to her tender flesh.

He shouldn't be touching her. She was fucking sleeping for heaven sake. Yet even as he argued with himself, the tips of his fingers skimmed the curve of her spine, smiling to himself when she moaned in response. Edward's hand splayed wide against her back when she swayed into him, her pelvis pressing into the muscle of his thigh, her breath catching as she shifted her head, her nose nuzzling his jaw. "Holy, fuck."

Edward's eyes closed as sensation swamped him. Yet while his eyelids lifted, a daze laced with desire took hold of his senses, making controlling these erratic urges near impossible. All he wanted in that moment was to roll, Bella to her back, and move between her thighs. He wanted to plant his lips over hers and taste her very breath. He wanted to run his hands all over her body, discover her slopes and curves, knowing instinctively she'd fit him like a glove … Like a fucking glove …

Bella came awake with her own chaos running rampant throughout her, her blood humming, pulsing in time with the caress of Edward's fingertips. Currently, she was splayed against Edward, nearly lying directly on top of him. Her leg was raised over his hips, and his cock was pressed into her thigh, the hard spike grinding into her. Powerless to control her body's response to the man beneath her, she nuzzled closer, the scrap of his whiskers on her nose only making her want more. Growing breathless, Bella's hand floated over his abdomen, finding his peck, she circled his nipple with a fingertip.

When his nipple pebbled in response to her touch, he growled, "Are you trying to drive me crazy, woman?"

"Maybe … A little bit …" Bella giggled into the side of his throat as the admission fled her tongue. She was taken off guard when he rolled her swiftly, his body covering hers, his knee sinking between her thighs.

Their eyes locked, Edward's eyebrow rose with inquiry. "Oh really?"

There was daring in his gaze, and Bella felt the urge to tease him back. Her chin tipped with an air of confidence, her hand coming up to cup his cheek, Bella's thumb gliding over his stubble. "Mmhmm."

Her startled laugh filled the bedroom when Edward's weight immediately lifted, and he scrambled down her body in one fluid move. Lifting the material of her shirt, he softly bit the tender flesh of her belly, causing hysterical laughter to gurgle from her throat. Her hands shot out, her fingers wrapping in his hair, desperately attempting to pull his head from her stomach. Her fingers went lax when she felt the warm press of his tongue as he soothed the sting of his teeth away. "Oh my god, Edward."

Edward felt the second Bella relaxed. Her fingers simultaneously gripped his hair and caressed his scalp. Unfortunately, for him, one taste of her just wasn't enough, letting the flat of his tongue drag over her belly, the tip circling her bellybutton before darting inside. Sucking at the flesh above her waistband, he whispered against her skin, "My sentiments exactly."

Desire rocketed through her as his breath tickled her abdomen. Nibbling at the skin above her bellybutton, he shot a glance up her torso, past her heaving breasts. Noting the desire in her heavy-lidded gaze, he whispered, "You should stay home with me today."

Oh, she wanted to. She really, really wanted to. She could stay just like this for the remainder of the day and be completely satisfied. Glancing at the silver covering on Edward's upturned face, she inwardly groaned.

Bella cursed herself for agreeing to give Jessica the afternoon off. Yet when the cheery brunette had adamantly begged to have the afternoon off to take her daughter to the zoo, she'd been unable to refuse. Biting her lip to suppress the moan on her tongue, her eyelids fluttered, trying to clear the haze of passion clashing through her body. "I can't… I promised to fill in for Jessica this afternoon…"

With a tortured sigh Edward dropped a kiss to her abdomen before moving back up her body. His mouth hovered over hers briefly before flopping back on the pillows, yet his hazel gaze never left hers. "You're killing me, woman."

Bella pushed up on her elbow, turning to face him, her focus on the sexy appeal of his lips. She'd been certain he'd kiss her at least once throughout the night, but alas, he'd been the perfect gentleman. Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip as she considered taking the matter into her own hands. She could simply lean forward and just plant one right on that full bottom lip. Somehow, however, with this allure present, taking this first kiss upon herself seemed premature. The very last thing she wanted to do was to ruin the magic that existed between them.

Taking a page from his book, she leaned forward and bit into his peck, cussing the t-shirt in her way. When his fingers curled in her hair with a hiss, pleasure thick and sweet speared through her, settling in the apex of her thighs. As his grip tightened, the bite of her hair against her scalp added to the fire burning hot in her veins. Her hand slipped up his shirt, liking the feel of his warm skin, coupled with the silky texture of the hair covering his abdomen.

When Edward's tortured groan filled the room, she glimpsed the length of his body, spotting the evidence of his desire. Grinning with a teasing air, her gaze never wavering from the tent in his sweats before rolling away. "Mission complete…"

"Evil, minx," he growled, making a grab for her just as she hopped from the bed, her t-shirt slipping through his fingertips. Leisurely, he propped his arms behind his head as he rested against the headboard, his steely gaze following every move she made. "Will you be late this evening?"

Bella's fingers ran through her hair, pulling the mass away from her face, as she wandered toward the foot of the bed. "Depends… If it's slow I might lock up early."

"Wouldn't that be awesome?" After the incredible night they'd shared, he was reluctant to let her go. Slipping off the bed, he tracked her moves, following her to his bedroom door. Taking her fingers, he stayed her, his head cocked as he watched her. "Where are you going?"

"I need to go take a shower. I smell like stale onions from work yesterday. I'm surprised you didn't kick me out of bed last night." Bella made a face as she smelled herself. "I should have taken a shower last night."

"Kick you out of my bed? Fucking never…" Pulling her to him, he dropped a quick kiss to the crown of her head. "You can use my shower. It's more comfortable than the tiny, cramped one downstairs. There are towels in the closet and my robe is behind the door."

"My toothbrush…"

Before Bella could even finish speaking, Edward continued, "There is a new toothbrush in the drawer."

One last time, Bella buried her face into Edward's chest, and breathed him in. His masculine scent consumed her, and it took every fiber of her being to pull away and enter the bathroom. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and headed to the magnificent shower, thrilled by the jets lining the walls.

Edward stared at the closed bathroom door. The woman in his bathroom was a true wonder. She accepted him without question, and the gnawing in his gut he carried around constantly began to waver. For the first time in forever he'd awakened with a smile on his face. Finally, he stepped out of the bedroom, and headed downstairs.

Passing the island, he moved to the fridge and opened the silver door, pulling the bag of bagels and cream cheese from the shelf and went to the toaster. Placing the bagel in the toaster, he pushed the lever and waited. Grabbing a knife from the drawer, he proceeded to spread the cheese over the toasted bagel as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard. Edward took the OJ from the refrigerator and poured a quick glass before putting everything away.

He took a quick sip of the OJ before gathering the contents of Bella's breakfast, and heading back upstairs. He was just sitting the breakfast on the dresser when the bathroom door opened, and Bella stepped into his bedroom.

She looked absolutely lovely. She wore his oversized robe, the plush cotton wrapped tightly around her waist, and a snow-white towel was wound around her hair. Her nose glistened in the morning light streaming through the windows, her cheeks bright and rosy. "You look beautiful."

Never really one to receive to many compliments, Bella awkwardly danced in place, her tongue playing with her freshly brushed teeth. Trying to withhold the smile lingering on her lips, she murmured, "Thanks."

"I made you breakfast," he stated, pushing the plate holding the bagel in her direction. It took all of his effort to pull his gaze from her. He could spend the rest of his life staring at her, yet not wanting to appear a creep, he busied himself by gathering his clothes. "I'm going to head in and take a shower."

"Ummm… Edward?" Bella started, her hand going to her head. She lightly rubbed her temple as she turned to the food he'd prepared. "Would you happen to have a couple of Tylenols?"

Growing concern, his attention immediately went to her head, watching as she lightly massaged the area. "If your head is hurting, Bella, maybe you should stay home today."

"No… no… It's just a little ache," she reassured him. "I was just hoping to curb it before it gets out of hand."

Edward nodded before heading into the bathroom. Retrieving the aspirin, he opened the bottle and slipped two tablets free. He went straight to her when he entered bedroom, his finger slipping under her chin, tipping her face up to his. "If it gets any worse… I want you to come home."

He was back. Nervously, Bella shot a glance to the back of the restaurant where the corner booth sat. She might not have been so anxious about his presence if he wasn't watching her so intently. Her skin literally crawled as his black eyes monitored every step she took. If he didn't appear so menacing, he would have been an extremely attractive man. Currently, he looked like a black panther on the prowl. Adding to his deathly stare, was the feeling she was the prey, putting her on immediate offense.

Her skin prickled with warning as she skirted the counter with a wet towel in hand. It was almost eight o'clock, and with only an hour left, she needed to start cleaning up and shutting the place down. Going from table to table, she wiped the surfaces down, cleaning the seats before scooting them beneath the tabletops. Feeling his eyes upon her, she cursed herself for letting Paul go home early, leaving only herself and Angela in the diner.

Stiffly, she strode to a table too close for comfort. If he wanted to, he could reach out and grab her arm. Angela was in the back-gathering salt and pepper, and probably wouldn't even hear her yell if she needed someone. As her nerves crackled and popped, she noticed how dry her throat suddenly was, and she had this overwhelming urge to run. Ignoring her baser instincts, she went about clearing down the tables, his voice startling her when he spoke.

"Can I get a dash more coffee?"

Bella jumped when the tips of his fingers brushed her arm. Instantly, alarmed she whirled around to face him. His teeth were bared in what appeared to be a snarl. Surely, this was in her imagination, and he didn't look like he was about to rip out her jugular. Her nostrils flared and her jaw clenched, brushing his touch from her arm. "Yeah… I… I… need…"

She didn't even finish her statement before straightening and briskly heading to counter. Taking a deep breath, she fought this clawing desperation scratching up her throat, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. Grabbing the coffee pot from the burn, she turned back to the dining room and making her way back to him. The closer she walked to the table, the higher the alarm screamed in her head, causing her steps to falter.

Her fingers were trembling as she filled the cup before him, his attention drawn to her apparent weakness, which seemed to please him in a mysterious way. Her voice shook as she asked, "Will that be all?"

"I'm Laurent, mouse." Laurent's black eyes slowly traced the features of the girl named Bella, his gaze momentarily lingering on her name tag. She was a beauty in a subtle kind of way, and the fear he smelled radiating from her, enticed him even more. Softening his hard eyes, and attempting to appear less intimidating, he shrugged, "That's it. Unless, of course, you would agree to go out with me sometime."

His request threw Bella through a loop. Releasing the breath she held, she shook her head, forcing a smile. "I can't. I'm seeing someone. Aren't you dating the pretty redhead that comes in here with you? Victoria, I believe you said the other day."

"Nope, she belongs to another." Laurent shifted in his seat, lifting the coffee cup to his mouth he took a swallow of the hot brew. Sitting the cup back in the saucer, his piercing eyes returned to Bella. "He's a lucky guy."

Puzzled by his comments, Bella nodded her lips pressing as she said, "Thanks."

Faster than she'd meant to, Bella returned to the counter, glancing at the man from beneath her lashes. Yep. He was still watching her. Taking her phone from her back pocket, she located Edward's profile and pressed the call button. Maybe if she were talking to someone else, the guy would be discouraged and move on.

"Hey, how's work going?"

The sound of Edward's voice was enough to calm her frayed nerves. "Good. Almost finished up here. How's your day going?"

"Would be better if you were here."

"Oh yeah, what are you wearing?" Bella chuckled at her own statement. His throaty laughter floated through the reciever, rejuvenating her spirit. Pushing into the kitchen, she said, "I'm just kidding. Can you stay on the line with me for a bit?"

"Well hell, I thought you wanted to hear about my sexy underpants." After his laughter subsided, he paused as her question resonated. "Is something wrong, Bella?"

Bella swiped at her lashes as her own laughter died away. "Um… I'm not sure. I'm just feeling a bit uncomfortable at the moment."

"Why what's going on, Bella?"

"This customer I've been having some trouble with." At the risk of sounding paranoid, she continued, "He keeps coming in… At first, him and this woman were causing trouble… I don't know… the way he was looking at me a few minutes ago, gave me the willies."

She chanced a look through the small rectangular window. From this angle she saw the man stand, and head in her direction. When he merely wandered to the cash register, some of her apprehension faded. "Just stay on the line for a second while I wait on this customer, please."

Bella didn't wait on Edward's response, merely pushing through the double doors, laying the phone on the countertop next to the register. Laurent's watchful gaze darted to her phone before returning to her. Trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, she forced a smile, "I hope everything was to your liking, sir."

With no regard for the person on her phone, he merely said, "When you get tired of that cat, mouse… I'll be here to pick up the pieces."

With that he tossed a handful of bills onto the countertop before turning away and pushing outside. Bella waited until he rounded the corner to the parking lot before retrieving her phone. Blinking the remaining panic away, she said, "I'm back. He's gone now… I was probably just being paranoid."

"You can never be too careful, Bella. Did he just refer to you as a mouse?"

"Yeah, he keeps doing that. It's weird, right?" Bella tucked the money into the register. On second thought, she rounded the counter and locked the door, switching the sign to closed over the glass window. Returning to the cash register, she collected the money, and entered the kitchen. Spotting Angela coming from the backroom, she said, "I think we are going to close up early tonight. When you are finished filling the salt and pepper, you can go Angela. Edward, I think everything's cool here. I'll just finish up and get out of here."

"Alright, be careful. Give me a call back when you are leaving."

"Okay… Talk to you in a few minutes."

Bella sat heavily in her chair, placing the money before her, she laid her head in her hands. She needed to get it together. There was no reason why a customer should cause this sort of tension. Even as she told herself this, her hands came away shaking all the same, and she fought to concentrate as she counted the money and slipped it into a deposit bag. Tossing the bag into the safe, she spun the dial, and moved away.

She'd take it to the bank tomorrow, she determined, grabbing her phone, and switching the light off to the office. Closing and locking the door, she glanced around the kitchen before heading toward the dining room. Everything looked to be in order. Pleased with her first night flying sole in the closing, she grabbed her jacket, and headed toward the front door.

Taking the phone from her pocket, she hit the profile for Edward, her thumb pressing the call button. Using her shoulder to hold the phone in place, she locked up the diner, and turned toward the parking lot. She could kick herself for parking so far from the walkway. When Edward's voice sounded on the other end of the line, she lectured her nerves to stop their foolish scattering. "Hey."

Stepping off the sidewalk, her movements were stiff as she briskly walked toward her car, her gaze darting toward the road when she heard a vehicle approaching. Something in her stomach clenched as the black van slowed as it came to the entrance of the parking lot. She could hear Edward talking, but she couldn't make out his words, fear claiming all of her senses. She was ten feet from her car when Laurent stepped out from behind the dumpster and real fright set in.

Like a doe caught in the headlights her gaze shot around the parking lot taking in all of her surroundings. That's when she noticed Victoria coming up behind her, and the van screeching to a halt on her other side. With terror ripping through her, she broke into a run, with nowhere left to turn, Bella shot straight forward. Yelling into the receiver, "Edward!"

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