Chapter 16

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Bella thought about that almost kiss well after she'd slipped into bed last night. Suddenly, her relationship with Edward took on a whole new meaning. There seemed to be this attraction between them that neither had the power or desire to ignore. She could just stop fighting the influence of those sexy silver eyes. There was no possibility of fixing things with James, and for the first time, Bella started to feel free.

She hated getting her hopes up, yet her dreams finally felt within reach. Bella had an amazing career, a new home, and James was thousands of miles away locked in a pen … just where he belonged by her estimation. With this new courage settling in her chest, she sat ramrod straight in Mike Rucker's office, the divorce attorney she'd randomly picked from the Google search she had done. She was here for a consultation, and hopefully, at the end of this discussion, she'd be one step closer to getting James out of her life for good.

"Mrs. Swan, Mister Rucker will see you now," the receptionist announced from her desk. Standing from her chair, she indicated the hall to Bella's right. "If you will follow me …"

Bella's gaze swept the elegant office as she stepped into the room. Obviously, she'd chosen the wrong lawyer. If she worked eighty hours a week, she still wouldn't be able to afford this man; she determined, scanning the thick cherrywood desk and matching shelves. Even though he was clearly out of her league, he rose from his highbacked chair and offered his hand.

"I'm Mike Rucker, and you must be, Bella Swan." His straight white teeth flashed as he indicated the chair behind her. "Please take a seat and tell me how I can help you."

A humorless laugh escaped her as she took in his perfect honey hair. "Evidently, I'm in the wrong place, Mr. Rucker … there's no way I'd ever be able to afford you. Pure stupidity, I know, but I Googled a name and went with the first one that popped up. I would hate to waste your time."

She was about to turn and beat a hasty path toward the door, yet his hand lifted, stilling her retreat. "How about we just talk and see what can be done? Just because you can't afford my services doesn't mean I can't recommend someone or file paperwork to help with your endeavor."

Expelling a shaking sigh, she took the chair with a nod. "Okay …"

"Now, tell me exactly what brought you in today, and don't leave anything out." Mike grabbed a toothpick from the small jar and stuck it between his teeth. Chewing on the stick, he pulled the notepad in front of him.

"Well, I-I am hoping to file for a divorce," Bella started, her foot bouncing nervously. "The sooner, the better …"

"Filing for divorce is only a few hundred dollars for the paperwork. If you came to me, I imagine it is more complex than that. Children? Assets? Property? What made you believe you would need an attorney? Like I said, start from the top …"

"I left my husband a couple of months ago. It was never a good marriage, but when he cheated on me … I finally called it quits. When I told him I was going to file for divorce, he threatened to take my son … our son. I can't lose, Luke." Just the thought, even if it was only bluster, caused the familiar pangs of dread to awaken. "Currently, James is incarcerated on drug charges."

Mike's brows flickered with interest. "What kind of drug charges? Was there any abuse? Witnesses of this affair?"

"It wasn't abuse per se, just a lot of mind games and manipulation. I witnessed the affair firsthand when I found him in bed with my then best friend. As for the charges …"

"Wait … wait …" Mike waved his hand cutting her off. "Let's get something straight, Bella. Emotional abuse is still abuse … It might not leave physical evidence, but I wouldn't discredit that manipulation."

Bella nodded with a shrug. If the lawyer thought it would work in her favor, then she was all for it. "Okay … then he was verbally and emotionally abusive. As for the charges, my dad, who is a Washington State Trooper, indicated the charges were incriminating enough to charge him with trafficking."

"Well, I'm putting this out there, but with charges like that, I don't foresee any judge granting him custody of a child. That's if a district attorney can make them stick. It all depends on what type of evidence they have." Mike sat back in his seat, crossing his legs at the ankle. "I doubt you would even need an attorney. Does he have any assets? Property to be divided? What kind of support were you hoping to get? Although, if you do get support, there would have to be some visitation arrangements. That might be tricky considering you reside here and he there."

Bella shook her head. "I don't want anything from him. I want to make a clean break and never see his sorry … I'm worried the creep won't sign the papers … That's one of my biggest concerns."

The room fell silent for a long moment; Mike's gaze darted around the office as his fingers drummed on his desk. Finally, he sat forward and pulled open the drawer next to him. Slapping a handful of papers down in front of him, he released a sigh. "All right, Mrs. Swan, considering your case and everything involved—I'm going to take this one as a pro bono …"

"Does that mean? Why?" Bella thought he was saying he was offering to take her case for free, but she had to be mistaken. There was no way she could get that lucky.

"It means you sit back and wait for him to sign the papers, Mrs. Swan. Hopefully, I can get these papers pushed through tonight and sent to Washington. What facility is he being kept in? And, by the way, if he refuses to sign … we will take the case before the judge, and he will grant the freedom you are looking for. With that said, give me all the information you have, and I will file the motion as soon as possible."

Bella felt ten feet tall, walking out of Mr. Rucker's office. Hopefully, she would be free by the end of the year—what an excellent way to start the new year … holy crap.

As elated as she was, she drove across town without seeing anything. Pulling up in front of the house, she discovered Charlie's car was gone. Calling him, she was told he and Luke would be at the park for most of the day, which would give her several free hours. With this thought in mind, she hurriedly dressed in her yoga pants and tank, intent on going jogging. Grabbing her phone and earbuds, she slipped out the door and climbed into her truck.

Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot at the Morningside Nature Preserve. Lost in thought, she headed toward the shaded trail, slipping her long hair into a tight ponytail. She was bending over to tighten her shoelaces when a shadow fell across the path.

"Must be my lucky day … all of this gorgeous scenery."

Bella's head snapped up to find Edward staring down at her. A half-smile played across her lips as her lashes dropped to regard him. "Are you following me, Mr. Cullen?"

His arms folded across his chest as he chuckled. "I would follow you … but to ease your mind—no. Happen to be working on a bike that broke down over there when I saw you pull up. But what are the chances of us winding up in the same place at the same time with absolutely no orchestration?"

"Oh, well, how disappointing," Bella returned with a pout. She didn't know where the boldness to flirt back with Edward came from since normally, she wouldn't speak so frankly with anyone. Perhaps it was the great news of being free of James that gave her the courage, or maybe, it was how Edward always looked at her. Whatever the case—a thrill filled her as a flash of awareness zipped across his penetrating stare.

He shuffled closer, licking dry lips; he murmured, "I do believe you are flirting with me …"

"Oh, really? What gave you that impression?" Meeting his gaze head-on, she shifted nervously on her feet, and this sudden restlessness overtook her. Beneath the tank she wore, her body became hypersensitive to those molten eyes, and her nipples puckered in response to his wandering stare. A stupid question she knew—considering her body was giving him that impression, she thought with a subconscious roll of her eyes.

Edward grinned, spying his effect as the material of her shirt protruded. Even if she tried to deny this attraction between them, her body spoke for her. Not wanting to let her go quite yet, he threw a thumb in the direction of the bike he was working on. "Wanna come hand me some tools? Be my assistant—as a friend, get a little greasy …"

A coyness overtook the flirtation that'd moments ago gripped her. Shaking her head, she said, "Not particularly; I think I'll just go for a jog … if I don't appear in the next hour, might come searching just in case I get snatched up or something."

Amused, Edward watched her back away from the trail, never breaking eye contact until her feet encountered pavement. Abruptly, she turned, and with one last look over her shoulder, she jetted up the trail.

This overpowering urge filled him as he watched her. That look in her eyes seemed to say, 'catch me if you can.' Challenge a-fucking-ccepted. Backing away from the grass, Edward hurried toward Sam's truck. Ripping his shirt over his head, he grabbed a set of basketball shorts from the back. With a quick observation of the park, he hurriedly stripped his pants and pulled up the shorts. Retying his shoes, he sped off in the direction Bella had disappeared, his feet eating up the distance separating them in seconds.

The Georgia sun, coupled with the exercise, coated Bella in a film of sweat. She felt a tingle skate down her spine, and with a huff, she threw a look over her shoulder. Discovering Edward five feet behind her caused exhilaration to flood her. On an impulse, she sped up and threw another glance in his direction, only to find his pace had increased. Before she knew it, they were both recklessly running up the trail.

Bella had the distinct feeling of being a mouse with a predatory cat chasing her. While the feeling should've caused a tremor of fear, the effect Edward was having on her was the complete opposite. She was elated by the thought of Edward—that sexy man pursuing her.

Growing breathless from the wearisome run, Bella's pace slowed, and she veered off the path, her back coming up to rest against a tree trunk. When Edward came to stand in front of her, he gave no pretense in trying to maintain any space, his arms landing on the trunk at her sides. His gaze bore into hers as he drew in deep breaths, his slick chest rising and falling in rapid succession as his head dropped closer to hers. "Thought I should protect the goods in person …"

"Protect? Is that what you're doing?" Bella's attention skated down his naked chest, and hunger overwhelmed her. All she wanted to do was touch every visible inch of him and then proceed to the parts that weren't on full display.

"U-huh," he agreed, his nose coming down to brush the side of her cheek as the temptation to taste her became too strong to ignore. The fruity scent wafting from her sweat-coated pours was his undoing as he breathed her in. "Can't let anyone steal ya, now, can I?"

His intoxicating presence was spellbinding. Bella couldn't even consider pushing him away as his nose nuzzled its way along her jaw, his hot breath bathing her skin. Damn—she was so fucking hungry. The sensations Edward created within her were all too new and exciting to ignore. Her fingers itched to reach for him, explore all that tight muscle, provoking this desperation to scorch her blood.

Her eyes rolled as his masculine scent added to his already dominating allure. When his nose nudged her jaw, and his lips skimmed the corner of her mouth, she gasped. "Wouldn't want that …"

"Uh-uh," he murmured, his tongue darting out, flicking the tip across the skin his mouth coasted against. Once again, his tongue swept across her cheek, groaning as the saltiness of her skin absorbed on his taste buds. "You taste so fucking good … how am I supposed to just be friends with you?"

With a loss as to what to do with her hands, Bella threw caution to the wind, her arms coming up to drape over his shoulders, her fingertips feathering Edward's nape. "Don't think the just friend's thing is working out very well."

Edward gave up. He gave the fuck up. As her breathless statement washed through him, he pecked kisses next to her tempting mouth, want becoming desperation as he tried to resist the demands of his starved body. As her arms came up to encircle his neck, and her fingers combed through his hair, he gave the fuck up.

Electric energy popped through his neurons, every single nerve coming to life as he settled his mouth over hers. His hands left the harsh bark beneath his fingertips, one cupping her cheek while the other wrapped her long ponytail around his fist. Without much effort, he urged her head back as his lips played over hers, her flavor eliciting a growl of approval as he sampled her. With each pass of his hungry mouth, Edward's appetite increased, driving him insane.

Bella returned his kiss, her fingers tightening in his hair; she held him to her. Swamped—she was utterly swamped with sensations. This craving to have more stole through her, and Bella's fingernails gripped the flesh of his nape, scraping over his shoulders. When his tongue probed for entrance, she eagerly complied, sucking the appendage deep into her hot mouth.

The kiss started as a discovery—an exploration, yet as she sucked hard on his tongue, Edward became crazed. A growl rumbled through his chest as he pressed his length into hers, his hand leaving her cheek to glide down her side until bruising fingers burrowed into her hip, yanking her closer. In answer to her body pressed into his, Edward ground his pelvis into Bella's as his groin grew heavy with arousal. Breathlessly, his mouth broke away from hers. "Holy shit … feel so good … need fucking more … so much more."

Bella was utterly entranced by his possession. Unable to deny this yearning burning her veins, her lips and teeth grazed his jaw, her tongue sweeping over his throat. Unabashed, she sucked the sweat from his skin, basking in the irresistible taste of Edward. No longer could she resist all that muscle, her hands sliding down his pecs to graze the flesh of his solid abs. Bella would've licked every square inch of his delicious body if he afforded her the opportunity, yet before she could follow her brain's demand, he tipped her head back as his mouth settled over hers.

While his tongue played over hers, his hands began a journey of their own, sliding up her ribcage. He nibbled her bottom lip as his thumb caressed the underside of her breast. His cock was heavy beneath the jersey shorts, and considering the thin material of her yoga pants, he was sure she could feel the swell of flesh begging to be released. Edward didn't even try to hide his body's reaction from her, thrusting his hips forward as his tongue pushed deeper into her mouth. Licking across her lips, he groaned, tormented by the years of deprivation.

Perhaps if he hadn't been devoid of human contact for the last ten years, he'd be able to control this raging desire consuming every morsel of his being. Or maybe, that simple fact is what made this moment so fucking sweet and memorable. Because as long as he lived, he would never forget Bella's kiss. Unable or unwilling to deny his desire for her any longer, Edward let his hand glide over the swell of her breast.

Bella moaned into his mouth as his breath shuddered down her throat. This intense vibration started in her abdomen, floating down to settle in her core. This overwhelming urge to climb the man in front of her devoured the last string of self-restraint she possessed. At least the desperation wasn't solely her cross to bear she decided, as he pinched at one pebbled tip, grinding his hips against hers. Bella's nails were digging into the hard muscle of his back, crying out as his lips broke away from hers.

She would've redirected him back to kissing her, but his warm, open mouth slid down the slope of her neck. Her leg slipped up one of his, Edward's firm fingers closing around the limb to hold her in place. With her new position, his length was seated against her tender flesh, moaning as he rubbed against her. Sharp teeth bit into the pulse pounding in her neck, just as a voice penetrated the fog clouding their better judgment.

"You do happen to know this is a public park, right? There are children present."

"Son of a fucking bitch," Edward growled, letting go of the woman trapped against the tree.

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