AN: Edward is on the scene.

Thanks as always to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight, Midnight Cougar and ghostreader24 for their help in making my words make sense.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight but Edward holds a special place in my heart

Deceit and Destiny Chapter 2

For a while, I felt a little self-conscious, not having had much chance to go dancing since my high school days. Another margarita soon wore away my insecurities, and my body reacted naturally to the beat of the music. We were surrounded by warm, hard bodies as men in the club gravitated toward the spot on the dancefloor that we'd claimed as our own.

I was so lost in the music that it took me a while to notice there was someone behind me. His intoxicating scent enveloped me and strong hands gripped my hips. I whirled around and faced jade-green eyes, wild bronze hair, and a sharp jaw covered in a layer of designer stubble.

Whatever I was about to say died on my lips and, instead, when a blinding smile from him crossed his face, it echoed on mine. Instead of telling him to get lost, I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His leg snaked between mine, both of us getting lost in the music.

"What's your name?"

His whisper close to my ear caused my nipples to harden and my skin to erupt in goosebumps. I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach, and while I felt slightly uncomfortable because I was married, it was gratifying to think that such a beautiful man found me attractive.

Leaning in close enough for him to hear me, I answered.

"Bella."

"I'm Edward. Can I buy you a drink?"

"Okay."

His palm slid down my bare arm, then grabbed my hand to tow me through the thick crowd, which parted in front of him like the sea in front of Moses, girls casting him blatant looks of lust and desire. I smirked at them all, boosted by the fact that, at that moment, he'd chosen me.

We reached the bar and he drew me inside the circle of his arm, resting his hand on my shoulder. I didn't feel uncomfortable but instead felt protected and cherished. Edward was much taller than my five-foot-six, and even though my heels added inches, he still had to bend at the waist and put his mouth close to my ear for me to hear him over the music. His hot breath made my body react the same way as when we were on the dance floor, only this time, his eyes flicked down as my nipples hardened.

"What would you like?" he asked.

A lifted eyebrow and a crooked smile told me he was interested in my reaction, but he didn't say anything more.

I stood on tiptoe and spoke close to his ear. "Hmm, I haven't had much opportunity to try anything different than the usual beer or margarita. Why don't you surprise me?"

I settled back on my heels, satisfied at seeing the lust that flickered in his eyes before he closed them for a few seconds.

He turned toward the bar and lifted his hand, bringing a barman within a minute, despite the patrons three-deep waiting to be served. Leaning over the bar, the barman listened for a second, then nodded and grabbed some bottles from the shelves behind him. I watched as he put on a show reminiscent of Tom Cruise in the film Cocktail, pouring the liquid into a frosted glass he took from the cold store under the bar, then poured a different drink into a short tumbler. Edward grabbed both glasses, handing one to me, and leaned on the bar facing me.

I took a sip, tasting crisp, sweet oranges. Closing my eyes, I let out a quiet moan as the flavors filled my mouth. It was my turn to smirk when I opened them to see Edward abruptly close his mouth, but not before I'd glimpsed his tongue sliding along his bottom lip.

"This is delicious; what is it?"

Edward smirked at me again. "It's called a Between the Sheets, and it's made with rum, cognac, and Cointreau, which gives it the orange zest. Do you like it?"

"I do. What are you drinking?"

"It's called an Old Fashioned. Its basic ingredient is bourbon."

Edward took a step closer to me, his arm brushing against mine every time he raised his glass to sip at his drink. His gaze caught mine, a slow, crooked smile forming on his face as he smiled at me over the rim of the glass. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed the liquid, my eyes flicking to that dip between his collarbones.

Remembering the feel of his leg between mine on the dance floor, and now the warmth of his body and the intoxicating smell of his cologne, I felt a flash of heat. His eyes roved over my face, settling on my lips as he leaned in to speak to me, and the touch of his fingers on my upper arm raised goosebumps on my skin, my nipples hardening again in response.

The muscles under his shirt flexed every time he moved, giving me the impression of coiled strength, and I wondered how his skin would feel under my fingertips. The lessening space between our bodies filled with heat, chemistry, and a tension I'd never felt before.

I pushed away all thoughts of my life back in Port Angeles and, for once, I wanted to enjoy the attention of a man who obviously desired me. Reprehensible, yes, but with another drink, I was able to temporarily forget.

I'd never met someone as entrancing and exciting as Edward. The drinks had loosened me up considerably and I giggled as my mind picked up on the alliteration. Entrancing. Exciting. Edward. He smiled and shook his head at me, but I didn't enlighten him on my crazy thoughts.

Our drinks finished, we headed back to the dance floor, my back to his chest, his erection pressing into me. Across the room, I could see Jess and Alice raising a glass to me and, even though I couldn't hear a word they were saying, it was obvious they were cheering me on. Angela raised her glass, too, but that small wrinkle on her forehead told me she kind of disapproved.

The club had gotten noisier and more crowded, and I had no idea what the time was. Every sense was wrapped in Edward as we moved to the music. His scent, the heat from his body, the feel of his soft hair between my fingers, and the erection I could feel between our bodies; every part of him drew me in. I was just drunk enough to ignore the tiny voice in the back of my mind telling me that I shouldn't be dancing with this man—this almost stranger—but I was so caught up in the feelings he evoked within me that I ignored it.

I could feel my skin sticking to his as the heat built from the fifty or so bodies gyrating around us. Edward's shirt was almost transparent with perspiration, and I was pretty sure mine was much the same. Rather than putting me off, I found it intensified his scent, making it more intoxicating.

"Outside?" His voice by my ear loud as he nodded toward the exit.

Without a doubt, I felt as if I could trust him completely, so I nodded and allowed him to pull me off the dance floor.

I stretched up on tiptoes. "Give me a minute to get my purse. Wait for me?"

He nodded, and I headed toward the booth where the girls were sitting.

"Bella!" Jess grinned and nodded over at Edward. "You look like you're enjoying yourself."

I felt my face flush with pleasure. "I am, Jess. I'm going outside to cool off. I'll text you later, okay?"

"Are you sure, Bella?" Angela asked, looking a little worried. "He looks like he's nice, but you never can tell."

"He's great, Ang. I trust him."

I made my way back to Edward, who took my hand and pulled me through the crowd and out through the front doors. Outside, the night breeze coming from the ocean was welcome.

The sound of cars pulling away from the curb and the voices of people leaving the club echoed around us, and for the first time this evening, there was a slight awkwardness between us. Edward broke into it, asking, "How about we get a coffee, Bella? There's an all-night café two blocks down, and I think we could both do with a break from the heat in there."

I sighed lightly as the awkwardness dissipated immediately. "That sounds perfect, Edward. My ears are ringing now that I'm away from the music."

Edward linked his arm in mine as we started to walk in the direction he'd indicated for the café. "What about your friends? Are they okay with you deserting them?"

"They're fine with it," I assured him. "I told them I'd text them later. It'll be nice to be able to talk without having to shout all the time." I winced as we began the short walk. "I hope this café isn't far, Edward, my feet are killing me."

"In that case," he stated, "I'll just have to carry you."

With no further warning, he let go of my hand, slipped one arm around my waist, the other under my knees, and swept me into his arms.

"Edward!" I shrieked. "Put me down. I'm too heavy for you to carry too far."

Involuntarily, my arms slipped around his neck, my fingers lacing together in the soft hair at the nape. With no space between us, I could feel his heart beating against my side, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Nope," he said grinning. "You weigh practically nothing, and it isn't far."

I thought about protesting again, but I was enjoying being held against that hard chest I'd already noticed. Instead, I laid my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. I was almost sorry when the café came into sight, and Edward allowed my feet to slip to the ground. He steadied me for a few seconds, seeming as reluctant to take his off me, as I was to separate myself from him.

As it was still warm, we decided to sit outside at one of the small round tables set out on the sidewalk. Edward slipped inside the open doorway and ordered two iced coffees before taking a seat next to me. I'd sobered up a fair amount in the fresh air, but the attraction humming between us was still there.

While we waited for our drinks, I sent a text to the girls telling them I was with Edward and would see them later. Just for the sake of safety, although I didn't get any type of bad vibe from him, I told them where I was. A waitress approached and placed our drinks on the table, all the while fluttering her eyelashes at him. To his credit, he didn't even look up at her and just murmured a quiet, "Thanks" and waited for me to finish texting the girls.

"I promise I'll deliver you back safe and sound whenever you want, Bella."

I nodded, somehow knowing that he was a good man. "What about you, Edward, do you live here in L.A.?"

"No, I live in San Francisco. I'm here on a week's vacation with a few friends. It's sort of a birthday bash, graduation, and new job celebration all rolled into one."

"Whose birthday are you celebrating? What were you studying?" I wondered if he was one of those just graduating because he seemed older than that would suggest.

"It's mine though it's not until tomorrow. I've just completed my residency, two of the others have just graduated med school, and the other two are colleagues who're tagging along for the booze and the women."

That made him a little older than I'd thought but, if anything, it also made him even more attractive. "Well, happy birthday for tomorrow, Edward."

I leaned into him and kissed his cheek, even though I really wanted to feel his lips on mine. I felt guilty for that thought and a sudden quiet fell over us as thoughts of Jacob intervened.

"Bella, where did you just go?" Edward reached out and placed his hand over mine, the already familiar tingle radiating up my arm. "Are you okay? If this is making you uncomfortable, I can take you back to your hotel."

"No, it's fine, Edward, thank you. I just have some things going on back at home, but I'd rather not think about them right now. I want to be here with you." I realized that it was the truth, and for a split second, I wondered what it would be like to have a man like Edward be mine. I shook it off and smiled at him, silently asking him to drop it. He nodded slightly but left his hand where it was. On impulse, I flipped mine over underneath his and linked our fingers. "I want to get to know you."

A blinding smile lit up his face, making him even more handsome. "Well, in that case, how about I get us another iced coffee, then we can talk some more." He squeezed my hand, then headed inside to the counter and ordered.

I watched him walk inside and grinned when he caught me ogling his ass and how well his dress pants fit him. The view when he walked back toward me was just as rewarding. Placing a plate with two pastries on the table, he pulled his seat closer to mine and took my hand again, bringing his lips to the back of it and planting a kiss on my skin.

This man would likely be the death of me; he was more than good-looking, and underneath, he was easy to talk to and kind of romantic. The same waitress as before brought over another two iced coffees, simpering and trying to get Edward's attention. I didn't blame her; he was gorgeous.

For the next couple of hours, we talked almost non-stop. I discovered he'd completed his residency and was about to embark on the next stage of his career in Obstetrics and Gynecology, though he wasn't yet sure if he wanted to head down the surgical route into neonatal and seek a fellowship. I worked out that he was probably around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, which made him at least six years older than me at only twenty-two, even if some days I felt middle-aged.

Despite the coffee, when I'd yawned for the tenth time in a row, Edward drew me to my feet. "It's very late, or very early depending on how you look at it, and you're tired. Let's get you back to your hotel."

I protested, even though I knew he was right. I just didn't want to let him go. When I stood, I suddenly noticed that the cool breeze from the ocean had lowered the temperature considerably and I shivered. Immediately, Edward wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side, where the radiating heat of his body warmed me thoroughly, both inside and out.

"You're cold. Do you want to get a ride?"

Shaking my head, I snuck my arm around his waist and hooked my fingers in his belt loop. "I'm fine, and I'm sure it's not too far to walk."

I pulled out my phone as we started back to the hotel, noticing that it was after three and I'd missed quite a few text messages from a couple of hours ago. Angela's message sounded quite worried, though I put that down to the fact that she was not only the daughter of the pastor but also a kindergarten teacher—it was in her nature. Both Alice's and Jess's messages had an entirely different tone and were virtually encouraging me to let go. Nevertheless, I sent a text to all three, telling them I was fine and on my way back to the hotel.

~ oOo ~