HEAT

BELLA

From the moment his lips touched mine, I lost.

He kissed me with all the anger and aggression and fire in him, but for all that, his lips were gentle on mine and he took his time to taste me. His lips lingered, sucked, explored, enjoyed. His hand on my neck slid up into my hair, bringing me in closer as he nipped at my lower lip, running his tongue over it slowly, demanding entrance. Biting when he grew impatient, taking advantage of my involuntary gasp to invade my mouth and proceeding to ensure I'd never forget the feel of him deep inside my spirit.

He tasted like he smelled, of the forest and of wildness.

I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't push him away and I couldn't help myself. I kissed him back.

As his other arm came around my waist and brought me up against his body, it felt like I'd been waiting for this. It felt like I belonged there.

He didn't stop kissing me, alternating between deeper, longer, drugging kisses and teasing pecks that I could feel all the way down to my toes. With his body and mine moulded against each other, I could feel every inch of him, his firm chest, muscular thighs and his arousal, but he did nothing further, as if he wanted me to know but wasn't going to push further.

Finally, he lifted his mouth, slowly, continuing to hold me in his arms as his dark green eyes looked into mine.

"Deny that if you can." He whispered, leaning forward to kiss me softly, briefly and then resting his forehead against mine.

I tried to gain my breath back.

He should come with a warning, I thought bemused, do not open unless you plan to combust. My hands were shaking and my knees didn't feel too steady either.

He'd made his point.

There was something between us. This wasn't the mate bond. This was us. And that scared me almost as much.

I needed space, away from his scent and his eyes and those lips and that body. I moved my head back from his and his eyes opened. Gently, I tried to disengage myself from his embrace but his hands just tightened around me.

"Edward, let me go." I said, my voice sounding low and uneven to my ears.

"No." He said firmly, not budging. I tried again to push against him, this time more forcefully, but it was like pushing a rock. He was watching me, I realised, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"I like having you here in my arms. And just now? I think that means you like being in my arms." He said grip tightening and leaning towards me again, eyes fixed on my mouth. I turned my head away, glancing down before looking back up. His arousal was still pressed up against me and showed no signs of decreasing interest. He looked back at me steadily, not seeming at all embarrassed.

"Oh that's been a regular feature of my life since you walked into it." He said, voice low and husky.

I was silent.

"I've faced upto it. Time for you to." The hand that was around the nape of my neck started stroking in slow circles and I could feel my body reacting, certain parts very obviously. He felt it too and the smile he gave me was pure male seduction. This needed to stop before it got out of hand. I shoved both hands at his chest and the suddenness caused him to let go. I immediately put some distance between us, holding my hand out as he turned to face me.

He gazed at me intently for a moment and I could feel that look burn me.

"We'd be good together." He said quietly. "Think about it."

I stared at him for a moment and then nodded briefly, moving to let him go for the door.

He put one hand on the handle, his other hand reaching out, before I could react, to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, fingers lingering on my jaw. I shivered at the touch and his eyes darkened.

"It's time to stop pretending, Isabella." He leaned forward and planted a hard kiss on my lips. "Because I'm not going away."

OOOOOOOOOO

After he had left (and I had cooled off by standing in front of open windows until I started to shiver), I curled up in a corner of my bed and my mind - which had gone on holiday the moment his mouth touched mine - finally decided to weigh in.

Facts.

He could definitely kiss. I definitely liked his kisses. I definitely reacted and responded to his kisses. There was definitely some electricity between us. It definitely was unrelated to the mate bond because that was definitely impossible. And he would definitely have had me under him if I hadn't stopped.

No point in hiding from it any more.

Frankly, I couldn't believe that this had happened. I hadn't expected we would be attracted to each other, regardless of the mate bond. I always thought it would be the mate bond that needed the controlling - that I would be able to control myself once that was factored out.

It was common for Clan to keep company with each other outside of the mate bond, the understanding being that once one of the couple found their mate, the other party stepped away. It was painful and hard for the latter, but that's Clan life. No one expected Clan to remain celibate or wait for their mate, Clan were too randy for that. So it made sense to have bed partners or even companions while you waited for your mate.

I never liked things messy, so I never went that way. I just didn't see the point.

Clearly this is where Edward and I differed. Because he wanted me as a partner, despite thinking we weren't mates.

What would he do if he knew we were?

I didn't want to think about it.

Despite what had happened earlier, nothing could happen between us. I didn't care how much I liked him kissing me or how ready we both had been to get frisky, I couldn't risk it. What if it triggered something and he found out we were mates? Or what if things got more complicated and he got in the way of my leaving?

Because I still planned on leaving. Nothing had changed my mind. Edward and his mouth might have been addictive but I wasn't going to let a few moments of madness and raging hormones rule me.

I was clear about that.

I was quite sure he wouldn't be as accepting, though. Not when I'd kissed him back and not when he knew I had the same physical reaction to him. He was bound to think I was in denial again, that I was resisting the inevitable, he wouldn't understand why I was firmly stopping this. But I had to stop it.

"...Because I'm not going away."

His words echoed in my head.

He might not be going anywhere, but I was.