Big love to everyone who read and reviewed! Did you notice? Got back in the swing of replying in between work and breaks ;)

Hope everyone is staying safe in these weird ass times!
Big thank you to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for the kickass beta work. Love ya, girl!

Love bites
Chapter 16.

Did we just have a moment? One that I ruined by making an absolute fool of myself?

Edward sat closer to me than he ever had, the cold sensation of his hands around mine soothing my angry muscles. This entire gesture felt so intimate, so serene, that I needed to remind myself this was not normal. Not one fiber in my body yelled at me to run far, far away from him as fast as I could. Instead, there was only the rush of blood to my cheeks, the anticipation killing me and the arousal soaring through me which kept my heart beating slightly faster than usual. He had to know. Edward had to hear my ragged heartbeat, and I was willing to bet my right arm that Edward Masen could sense my attraction, even my being turned on beyond my senses.

I bit my lip, slightly aggravated by the ways my body betrayed me, my cool and collected exterior. I could feel Edward's eyes on me, looking down at me. I tipped my head back a little, allowing myself to look at him once more.

He was absolutely gorgeous, there was no denying that. Seeing as he was turned in his late teens, Edward gave off an extremely youthful vibe, although there was something that seemed to taint his actual age. Maybe with all the hardships and worries that came with his gift of eternal life also came a mask that hid away his true appearance from back in the day. I was certain Edward could pull off any age between sixteen and thirty. He'd be that exceptionally mature teenager that maybe went through some trauma to make him appear this grown-up. Or that slightly baby-faced thirty-something who people made their own assumptions about, whether it was surgery or good genes making him age so gracefully. I could see how living among humans would work for him and his kind if there wasn't any bloodshed.

Something about this thrust me into panic mode instantly. How could I ever envision any relationship with Edward Masen? Yes, I was going there entirely prematurely, but no one had ever made me feel this way in my entire life.

Edward was a vampire who stopped aging over a century ago. I was a scrawny little human getting older every day, every second of every minute. Sure, I was only twenty-five, but I couldn't help but notice the obviously large age gap of seven years. In fact, in the real world, my world, they would even consider it illegal for me to date him. How long would it take for him to notice my wrinkles and graying hair and decide that my best years have passed? About a year, or five? And how long before he wanted a fresh body, with younger blood and stronger physique? Would he kill me, or let me live with the incredible memory of a sliver of my life with him?

"I can almost hear the wheels turning in that pretty head of yours," Edward said, his voice soft.

I smiled, but that fell off my face about two seconds later. I replaced the smile with a frown, unintentionally, but I couldn't hide it anyway since my thoughts were somewhere, conjuring up images that didn't even exist. Not yet, anyway.

"Why am I here, Edward? Do you need to make sure I won't rat you out? Or is there something else?" Part of me was scared for his reply, but I noticed him inhaling deeply and holding his breath after.

He looked as if he wanted to savor something, before pain took over his immaculate features. "Isabella," he sighed. Edward was the first in a line of many who could just use my full name without me correcting them. In fact, I loved hearing him use it. Even that was a first. "If my heart was capable of beating, it would probably beat even faster than yours does right now," he confessed.

Hearing him say that made me not know what to do next, what to say after something so sweet. "Do you… like me?" I felt so stupid using juvenile words to express such deep feelings. I felt like I was fourteen again, confessing to my crush that yes, he made me not want to hate boys anymore. But saying these words to the over-a-century-old mythical creature made me want to gouge my eyes out.

Good job, Bella.

A smile played at Edward's deliciously full lips. "You do not understand, love."

At this moment, everything felt perfect; normal, even. Right now, it didn't feel like I was Bella, the human, sitting ridiculously close to Edward, the vampire. We were merely two people gazing into each other's eyes with longing. I was aching for more, my insides trembling as I rested my gaze on his mouth.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" Edward sighed, desperation clearly present in his voice as he looked at me with a tender expression. This was not the face of a killer, this was the man I met a few nights ago. A man I started developing these strangely potent feelings for overnight.

Edward's hand left mine and touched a strand of my hair. His cool fingertips raked across my scalp. I closed my eyes and leaned in to his touch. When I opened my eyes, he sat even closer. His eyes were dark as night as his hand curved around my neck, his thumb stroking my jawline. "So soft," he muttered, his voice so low I could barely hear him.

I felt brave, closing the distance as I pressed my lips against his cheek. I seemed to have caught him off guard, and his eyes opened wide.

"You should really get yourself checked. I think you might be a little suicidal. Who else would surprise a vampire in such close proximity?" he joked.

"I'd rather die than never kiss you," I blurted. I sounded like a sappy romance novel, naïve and stupid, but I couldn't help myself. His scent, his lips, his body all surrounded me and caged me in.

Edward sported a smile that could've easily lit up the entire town, making my head spin and my heart almost exploded into a million tiny pieces. "Then how about I give you a proper kiss? Would you lay off the suicidal tendencies then?"

I simply nodded, because I could not form one cohesive sentence or thought. And just like that, his lips were on mine. The feelings took me by storm, as if I was watching two people kiss instead of living it. His kiss was sensual, soft, and even though his lips were hard, they seemed to mold against mine perfectly like we were destined to be kissing each other. I was definitely in too deep now. There was no going back from this. There was no going back to good after you've experienced great. That was the moment I realized I might be in love with a vampire. I might love Edward Masen.

So... Lara told me that she thinks everyone might be in love with him... Who's with her on that?

What I'm reading:

Solace - MissLiss15

Business Class Girl - LaMomo

Taste of Ink - hotteaforme

Fallen Angel - MeteorOnAMoonlessNight