Best Laid Plans Heather Burkett
Chapter 31: Girl Talk
Dinner was amazing, both in quality and company, and I couldn't be more giddy at the way that Edward and I kept pawing at each other.
The more we kissed and touched one another, the easier it was to let my reservations go and just enjoy the moment.
We were walking back to the car, each a little tipsy, when Edward pressed me against the side of the building, kissing me intensely. My fingers dove into his hair as my other arm circled his shoulder, massaging his neck and pulling him to me tightly. Since our first kiss in Sapor, the tension had slowly been building between us, each kiss becoming more passionate and needy than the last.
He brought his hand up, caressing my breast as he dipped his body lower, pressing the growing bulge in his pants against my belly. "Edward..." I breathed, "we can't. Not here." The moisture pooled between my thighs, betraying me.
He dropped his hand, quickly, regaining his composure as he breathed heavily, his breath washing over my face. "Let's go." He said intensely, flexing his jaw. His eyes were as black as the night that surrounded us.
"Yes." I agreed, rushing over to the passenger side of the Volvo. He hit the unlock button on the key fob, foregoing manners to get us into the car as quickly as possible.
It was only a ten minute ride back to his place, but I couldn't seem to keep my hands off of him. I gripped his knee, massaging it as I slowly worked my way up his thigh. He focused intently on the road as his breathing grew labored. I kneaded and caressed his leg, ever higher, until he hissed as my fingertips grazed his length. "Bella-" he started.
"Shhh...just focus on the road." I advised, stroking him.
He continued to grow and harden beneath my ministrations until I could feel the rigid edge of his head beneath his slacks. I traced it with my fingertips, drawing lazy patterns over his length before pushing my hand downward, gripping him as tightly as I could through the material.
He hissed.
"You're doing good, baby. Just keep focusing on getting us there safely." I cooed, slowly picking up the pace of my stroking, pausing every once in a while to slow down and finger his hardness languidly, not wanting to get him so worked up that I missed out on all of the fun.
"Bella...fuck..." He mumbled, losing his self-control. Hearing him say my name with so much wanton desire made my nipples hard, aching to be touched.
Fortunately, we pulled into his apartment complex faster than expected – I hadn't noticed he must have been speeding – the car jolting to a stop as he put it into park. He removed his seatbelt and lunged across the divide between us, pinning me to the passenger door as he began kissing me in a frenzy. His hand dove between my thighs, seeking to provide me with friction to ease the building ache between my legs. Despite turning me on, it only served to make me ache that much more as there wasn't enough give in the fabric for me to actually feel his touch where I needed it.
"Let's go. Now." I seethed, popping open the passenger door and jumping out of the car, leaving him momentarily dazed. I paused a moment, waiting for him to get the cue, before running up the stairs to his second floor apartment. He was slow to respond, his brain clouded with lust, but he soon stepped out of the car and took the steps two at a time to get to me. He pinned me against the door, kissing me fervently as he struggled to blindly push the key into the lock, fidgeting forever before finally letting us in.
We crashed inside, the door banging loudly against the hallway wall before Edward kicked it shut behind him. We bounced back and forth between the walls, struggling to take our clothes off. Edward grew frustrated when my hands trembled so badly that I couldn't undo the buttons of his shirt, deciding in a moment of passion to tear the damn thing off; buttons flying and scattering all over the hardwood floor. He slipped off the tattered pieces, dropping them to the floor before reaching for the hem of my blouse and peeling it up over my head. Too anxious to wait, he pushed me against the wall, pulling the cup of my bra down to take one pert nipple between his lips, sucking generously. I threaded my fingers into his hair as he drank me in, his hand struggling to undo the tiny button of my pants. I smacked his hands away, anxious to get them off as I deftly undid the button and slid the zipper down.
Before I could step out of them, Edward quickly slipped his hand into the waistband of my pants, rubbing the wet material of my panties against my slit as I moaned out loud.
I pushed against his shoulders, pinning him against the opposite wall as I unbuttoned his pants and slid his zipper down. He reached between us, undoing his belt buckle and pulling it loose as I tugged the slacks down and off of his legs. As he began stepping out of them, I moved into the bedroom, slipping my slacks off and bending over to remove them from my feet as he sidled up behind me, pressing his boxer-clad erection against my ass. I moaned, shooting upright as he brought his hand around me from behind, one fondling my bare breast as the other assaulted my sweet center.
We walked forward together as he inundated my senses, slowly making our way to the bed.
I spun around, crashing backwards onto the mattress as he dug his thumbs into the waistband of my panties, pulling them off my body and down my legs. I wrapped my hands behind my back, undoing the clasp of my bra and sliding it off my arms, tossing it somewhere into the darkened recesses of the room.
He removed his boxers, leaving him incredibly naked as I backed further onto the bed, spreading my legs wide for him. He crawled up onto the mattress, taking his place between my thighs, before kissing my lips, my jaw, my throat and working his way down to my breasts. He took my other nipple between his lips, tugging gently as I moaned with pleasure, his long, adept fingers dipping into my moistness, massaging me. The pressure built deliriously in the pit of my stomach before tightening and exploding, a million sparks falling down within me.
He worked his precious lips further down my body, hitching my right leg over his broad shoulder as he continued to work me with his fingers, nuzzling my soft hair with his nose before pressing his tongue against me. The pleasure was so quick and intense that I bucked against his mouth and he moaned, sending vibrations from my clit straight through the core of me. He lapped and sucked at me as his fingers continued to move in and out of my body. In my already heightened state, it didn't take long for me to find my release again.
He coaxed me to turn over onto my belly, lifting my hips upwards so that I was on my knees with my bare ass up in the air. He ran his hand from the base of my spine up to my neck, slipping over to grasp my shoulder before sliding inside of me. The slickness made for easy entry and soon, I was deliciously full of Edward Masen.
"Fu-uck." I cried out as he filled me.
With one hand gripping my shoulder and the other gripping my hip, Edward began to pulse in and out of me slowly, his shoulders, back and chest flexing and stretching with the exertion. He took his time enjoying it as he hit my pleasure spot again and again. As his thrusting began to build in tempo, he slipped his hand from my shoulder, down to grab both sides of my hips, my breasts swaying from the pounding. He brought his hand up and smacked my ass as I yelped.
"Yes!" I screamed as he brought his hand down again, a delicious smacking sound filling the air. His hand massaged my inflamed ass cheek before his fingers wandered further into the crevice to explore, toying with me as his thrusts quickened.
"Ung." I groaned as he slipped a wetted finger into my backside, making all points of entry that much tighter and fuller. He worked me as the pounding grew frenzied and frantic, his body stiffening behind me as he found his release, crying out my name.
In the aftermath of our lovemaking, he quietly slipped away, disappearing into the ensuite to retrieve a wet wash cloth. I timidly rolled over, careful to keep my hips off of the bed for fear of staining the covers. He politely washed over me with the warm wash cloth, before throwing it in the laundry hamper and returning to the bed, taking me in his arms, brushing the hair back from my face and kissing me sweetly on the temple.
"Hmm," I moaned, burying my face into his neck and drinking in the smell of him, "I've missed this."
"Me too." He agreed.
I lay my head on his chest, the familiar beat of his heart thumping against my ear as I smiled, nuzzling him tighter.
"If I ask you something, do you promise not to freak out?" He hedged.
Honestly, that question already had me on edge, but I tried to play it cool. "Sure. What's up?"
"My mom's birthday dinner is coming up in two weeks, and she's planning a little dinner party."
My heart started a quick pitter-patter beat as I knew where he was going with this.
"Would you go with me?"
If you do this thing with him, you have to be all in this time. You can't keep leading him on. My subconscious lectured.
"When exactly is it? I may have an event." I hedged.
"Saturday, November fourteenth. She wants us all there about six."
"Who all is going to be there?" I asked, trying to weigh how uncomfortable the situation might be.
"Mom and Dad. Liz and my Aunt Esme. And Uncle Carlisle, who you've already met."
I wasn't sure if I was more or less grateful that it was such an intimate affair.
"If you're really nervous about it," Edward started. I could see him frowning through the moonlight that lazily drifted in through his bedroom window.
"Sure. I'll be there." I answered swiftly, unable to risk hurting him again.
He kissed my forehead and squeezed his arms around me. "Thank you. I know this isn't easy for you."
I looked up into his eyes, missing their green depths in the shadows of his bedroom. "You're worth it."
Two weeks went by much faster than I had anticipated.
I did have an early brunch scheduled for the fourteenth, but luckily, it was a restaurant affair that required little set-up and clean-up on behalf of Charlotte and myself.
Edward and Elizabeth Masen resided in Little Oklahoma, about eighteen minutes southeast of Edward's apartment in downtown Port Angeles, so I met up with him at his place just after five.
He could tell I was a nervous wreck when I arrived, chuckling at me as I wore my anxiety on my sleeve. He pulled me into the apartment, embracing me tightly. "How about a glass of wine to take the edge off?" He asked.
I nodded exaggeratedly against his shoulder, thankful for the offer.
I followed him into the kitchen, watching as he peeled the wrapper off a fresh bottle and popped the cork. "There's really no need to get worked up, Bella. They're already looking forward to meeting you." He spoke as he poured the wine into the glass before handing it to me. "They're going to love you."
"Um-hm." I moaned, downing the contents in one drink and handing him back the glass.
"Well, that is, if you're not sloshed before we even get there." He frowned.
"No, I'm good." I said, my neck and shoulders still feeling tight. He arched an eyebrow in challenge and I smiled, trying to reassure him. "No, really. I'm okay." I said, focusing on calming my demeanor.
We spoke about those who would be in attendance, Edward giving me a quick run-down on their personalities and relationships to one another, even suggesting how they might respond to me.
About forty minutes later, we bundled into Edward's Volvo for the short drive to his parent's house.
Fall had fully settled into the air; there was a crispness in the atmosphere as it crackled and popped around us; a brisk breeze blowing the autumnal leaves off the nearly vacant trees.
Edward took my hand, squeezing as we pulled up in front of a toffee colored, ranch style home with white trim. "We're here. You ready?"
I took in a deep breath, steeling my resolve. "Ready as I'll ever be."
He kissed my knuckles sweetly before releasing my hand and stepping out into the blustery autumn evening. I took one last breath before opening the door to join him, feeling the two glasses of wine I'd had at his place working their way to soothe the aching muscles in my neck and shoulders.
There were three other vehicles parked in front of the house so, from the looks of it, we weren't the first to arrive. We walked around the garage, down a short path to the front door, Edward opening it casually and striding in with me in tow.
"Hello?" He called out to no one in particular.
When we were answered with nothing but silence, he turned to me with a reassuring smile. "They're probably out in the side yard. C'mon."
He took me through the living room and kitchen, into the garage and out a side door that led to a quaint little seating area between the main home and the secondary, larger garage.
"Hey!" A gentleman with Edward's strong jaw acknowledged us.
"Edward, you're here!" The woman at his side greeted, standing up and rushing over to hug and kiss him. She shared his copper hair and green eyes.
"Hey mom. Happy Birthday." He gave her a tight hug as the other two guests stood up to greet us.
"You must be Bella." His mother welcomed me, taking my hand in hers and giving me a one-armed hug. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you." She took a step back from the embrace.
Edward laughed at his mother's enthusiasm. "Bella, you already know Carlisle from his office." Carlisle stepped forward, extending his hand.
"It's good to see you again." Carlisle smiled warmly.
"My mom's sister Esme." Edward continued the introductions.
"Hi Bella. Welcome to the family." Esme grinned, stepping forward to hug me.
"My father, Edward Senior."
His father stepped around Esme, taking my hand. "Please, just call me Ed. Edward Senior makes me feel old." He chuckled as he shook my hand.
"And, of course, you've already met my mom, Elizabeth."
"Hi, it's so nice to meet all of you. Thank you for having me." I blushed fiercely with all their eyes on me.
"So, where's Liz? D'she get a late start?" Edward asked, wrapping his arm around my waist, making me blush that much more fervently.
Ed was the one to respond. "Yeah, she missed the ferry by about five minutes so she had to wait for the next one. She should be here soon."
"Bella, I was just about to refresh my drink. Why don't you come into the kitchen with me to help me fix something for you and Edward?"
"Watch out, Bella. It's a trap!" Esme joked, patting Carlisle's leg as she giggled
"Oh, you behave." Elizabeth chuckled. "You don't mind giving me a hand, do you?" She asked me.
"No, not at all. Edward, what do you want to drink?" I asked, trying to keep the utter terror from reaching my eyes.
"I'll just have one of Dad's beers, thanks." He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. "Don't be nervous, she's harmless." He whispered under the veil of my hair as I nodded.
"Anyone need refills?" Elizabeth asked the others.
"I'm still sipping my chardonnay." Esme advised, bringing the glass to her lips as if we'd just reminded her to drink.
"I'll have another beer myself." Ed requested.
"Two beers, coming right up." Elizabeth advised, opening the garage side door and stepping in, holding it open for me to follow.
"So, Bella. Edward tells me you're the one who planned Emmet's wedding." She started, sliding open the barn doors that divided the garage from the kitchen and walking up the three steps.
"Yes. They were such a lovely couple. They really allowed me space to be creative for their big day." I answered as I followed her up the steps.
"What did you think of Emmet? He's a teddy bear of a guy, isn't he?" She smiled.
I giggled. "My thoughts exactly. And Rosalie is lovely – you can tell how much they love each other."
"Well, you did an amazing job for them – really, you did. Everything was absolutely exquisite." Elizabeth pulled open the refrigerator, pulling out two beers and a chilled bottle of white zinfandel before filling her glass. "Would you care for some wine?" She offered.
I was still feeling a nice buzz from the two glasses at Edward's place, but didn't want to appear rude. "Sure, that would be lovely. Thanks."
"Sure thing." She said, pulling a second glass from the cupboard and filling it halfway.
"Edward says you have a daughter?" She inquired, making me a bit nervous.
"Yes. Sarah's thirteen." I answered quietly.
"Oh, so you've just started dealing with puberty and all that has to offer. Fun times." She joked.
I giggled. "Yes, she just had her first kiss at the end of summer. I have to admit, I wasn't ready for that."
"Us parents never are." She replied as the conversation grew silent. I sipped my wine, not really knowing what else to say or do. "Would you grant me permission to acknowledge the elephant in the room?"
I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Yes, please do."
"Bella - Ed and I aren't worried about your age difference. What we're worried about is that – you are." She began.
I furrowed my eyebrows, clearly not understanding the point she was trying to make.
"Edward's told us how uncomfortable you are with the fact that he's younger than you. Your age doesn't bother us in the least, as long as you make him happy and treat him well. What we're concerned about, as I'm sure you understand, is that you'll end up breaking his heart all over again if you come to realize in a month or so that you can't come to terms with it.
"When Edward puts his mind to something, he does it with every ounce of his body and soul. If he's chosen to be with you, he'll give you everything he has. We don't care how old you are; we just don't want to see him get hurt. Put yourself in our shoes – if your daughter found someone she wanted to give her all to, wouldn't you want that person to give their all back to her in return?"
I bit my lip, nodding, though I'm not so sure I'd be as gracious about the age difference, I could see her point.
She patted my shoulder as I dropped my head. What a doozy of a conversation, and I'd been here all of ten minutes. "I think I've stolen you away long enough. Shall we?" She asked, grabbing her drink in one hand and a beer with the other, motioning for me to take my drink and Edward's beer. As she stepped past me, I huffed silently before picking up the remaining two drinks and following her out.
Part of me wanted to speak up or defend myself, but another part acknowledged she was right. If it was my Sarah, there would be nothing a young man could say or do to appease me in the moment.
It would just take a matter of time.
"There's our lovely ladies." Ed smiled as we exited the garage. He reached up, taking the beer bottle from his wife. I handed Edward his beer before sidling up beside him on the outdoor sofa.
"So, Bella. How has your back been doing?" Carlisle asked me.
"Oh, I've never properly thanked you, but you worked miracles in my last appointment! I'm so sorry I never went back, but my back still feels wonderful." I beamed.
"I'm so glad to hear it." He smiled.
"Oh, that's right. You two met at Carlisle's practice one day, isn't that right?" Esme inquired.
"Yep. I took one look at her and stalked her till she finally said yes." Edward teased, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer to kiss me on the cheek.
"So, I'm dying to hear your stories about Edward." I began, trying to act casual. "Surely he wasn't always this perfect."
"Pfft! Perfect?! Boy have you got her fooled." Ed answered, laughing.
Edward looked at me wide-eyed, caught off guard. "Shh, Dad. No spoilers." He joked once he finally got his wits about him.
"Oh, tell her the Vaseline story!" Esme cheered as they all started laughed.
"No! For the love of God, Mom." Edward must have turned fifty shades of red.
"Edward, I've never seen you turn that color before! Now I have to know." I clapped, delighted to have the attention off of me. Seeing how adorable Edward looked when he blushed crimson was just a side perk.
Elizabeth laughed for a minute before she was able to calm herself. "So, when Edward was little, I used to put Vaseline on his little tushy when he had a diaper rash." Elizabeth began.
Edward buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. "Don't say tushy, Mom."
"So one day, when he was about two, he's being awfully quiet in his bedroom. I go in – he had this wallpaper border that had cowboys and horses on it - and I see him smearing all the cowboy and horse tushies with Vaseline!" She starts giggling again. "He said they had boo-boos and he was making it better!"
"Aw, Babe...that's so sweet." I said, rubbing his back and kissing his shoulder.
He gave me a look and I realized – it was the first time I'd called him "Babe" instead of Edward.
I smiled timidly, peeking over at Esme as Edward kissed me on the temple.
She seemed pleased.
"Where's the birthday girl?!" A young woman hollered as she made her way out from the garage. I recognized her from the wedding; she was his sister, Liz.
Just as Edward took after his mother's coloring, Liz was the spitting image of her father in female form. She had Ed's brown eyes and black hair, though it fell in wavy lengths just like her mother's hair did.
Everyone stood up, taking turns embracing the college student as if they hadn't just seen her two weeks ago.
"Ah, so I get to finally, officially meet the Bella." She smiled mischievously, opening her arms wide to embrace me. "I've heard so much about you that I feel like we're already friends."
"Liz..." Edward shook his head in disbelief.
"What? Would you rather I hated her?" She asked, pulling away from me and slugging him on the arm.
He laughed boyishly, which made me laugh in turn.
"Alright, now that the gang's all here, let's get our barbecue on!" Ed bellowed, clapping Edward on the back as the men wandered off to start the grill.
"C'mon, Sis. We've got tons of catching up to do." Liz said, bumping me with her hip before leading me back into the house.
"Alright, it's the lovebirds' turn." Liz announced, passing the card holder to me. She sidled up beside me, looking over my shoulder with the timer. "Remember, Bella, you have to get him to guess the word on the top of the card without using any of the words on the bottom. Are you ready?" She asked, holding the hourglass-shaped timer in hand, waiting to flip it over.
"Ready."
"You got this, Babe." Edward chimed in, relishing our new term of endearment.
"And go!" Liz shouted, turning over the timer.
"What you set up at the end of the aisle at Carmen and Eleazar's house." I said excitedly.
"Flowers. Arch. Archway." He yelled out rapidly.
"Arch." I repeated, flipping to the next card.
"What we did in the car on the way home that night." I rambled off quickly.
"Sing. Singalong"
"Music without words." I corrected.
"Karaoke!" He shouted.
"Yes!" I flipped to the next card. "We did this at Rosalie and Emmet's wedding."
His eyes went wide as his face turned a crimson color.
Shit! Wrong clue!
"Last call!" I yelled out.
"We danced!" He shouted, his mind getting back on track.
"Shorter." I quipped.
"Dance."
"Dance! Yes!" I flipped to the next card. "Karma, karma, karma, karma." I said in rhythm.
"Karma Chameleon." He answered.
"Chameleon. Yes. Next!" I flipped over the card.
It was a name of someone I was unfamiliar with, so I skipped it, turning to the card after that. "My favorite coffee flavor." I shouted, sensing we were almost out of time.
"French Vanilla!" he screamed.
"Time!" Liz shouted, so pumped up from the exchange that she hit the buzzer manically.
"Wow, you two are so in tune to one another, it's incredible." Esme acknowledged.
"I smiled as Edward stood up, coming over to massage my shoulders and kiss me sweetly on top of the head.
"Alright, enough of getting our asses kicked by Bella and Edward." Liz announced. "What's next?"
"Actually, we should get going." Esme said, receiving her cue from Carlisle, who was yawning widely.
"Oh, are you sure? We were just getting ready to roast marshmallows over the fire pit." Elizabeth offered.
"Yeah, we'll take a rain check. Happy Birthday, Elizabeth." Esme replied, hugging her sister tightly.
We all said our goodbyes.
"Come back and see me sometime at the office, Bella. We've gotta keep that back of yours in shape." Carlisle smiled as Elizabeth and Ed walked them out to their car.
"I'm gonna excuse myself for a minute." Edward pulled me close, kissing me on the temple before making his way to the restroom.
"Wanna help me carry this stuff outside?" Liz asked with a basket full of skewers, chocolate bars, graham crackers and jumbo marshmallows in her arms.
"Oh, sure. Let me get the door." I offered, racing ahead of her to open the backdoors wide.
She carried the basket to the edge of the fire pit, placing it down and picking up some logs to throw inside. I watched as she lit a match stick, tossing it into the logs and waiting for the flame to catch.
"I'm glad to finally get to know you a little bit. Edward's been smitten with you since the very first time you met." Liz said, sliding a marshmallow over the tip of a long-handled skewer and handing it to me.
I thanked her, dipping the tip of the skewer into the building flames.
"When we talked about your first date, I knew he was really serious about you." She added.
Holy shit. Did she know he lost his virginity to me that night?
She read my thoughts. "Don't worry, he didn't flat out tell me – I just know him well enough to put two-and-two together." She smiled at me conspiratorially. "He's always been old fashioned that way. He wanted to wait till it was with someone that meant something to him. But I can see it. You two are good together."
"What makes you think so?" I was too curious to temper my question.
"Eddie's always been an old soul. Aside from me, he's never really seen eye-to-eye with people his own age. He was smarter, wiser and generally had little patience for their BS. He's found a kindred spirit in you. But, you have a lovely, youthful energy about you that's very complimentary to his own. I think you two could be really good for each other." She smiled affectionately.
"What are you two gabbing about?" Edward asked as he joined us on the back patio.
"Oh, just girl talk." Liz answered, smiling at me.