I'm so happy to see you all agreed with the idea of Edward's tattoo. ^_^
The rest of the day was spent trying to avoid the occupants of the cabin. Thankfully, Bella and Edward had missed lunch, which meant they only had to show up for dinner.
Edward wore a long sleeved shirt, keeping the hems drawn over his wrists. Bella had contemplated actually taking off the ring, but the damage was already done, besides, Edward had been clear about her not taking it off.
Jasper must have talked to the others, because no one commented on their engagement.
They had all made plans to explore the surroundings the following day. While their friends retreated to the sitting room with hot cocoa, Edward dragged Bella to their room. It wasn't like she was too eager to spend time with the others any time soon.
"I want to try something," Edward said cautiously. He locked the door behind them, meeting her eyes.
"Will it involve the gag ball?" Bella asked curiously.
"It's necessary. You won't be able to stay quiet."
"Oh, my!" She flushed, squirming so her jeans wouldn't get ruined by her wetness. She still hadn't put any panties on her.
"So?" Edward walked closer, touching her elbow.
"Yeah. Whatever you want…Sir," she whispered, looking at him through her lashes. "What do you have in mind?"
"Shhh. Go, sit on the bed. Naked," he added, before turning to the door.
Edward hoped Jasper had come better prepared than him, though, the chances were close to null. Edward could try using shoelaces for what he had in mind, but he doubted they could hold a squirming Bella.
He stopped in the sitting room's doorway.
"Oh, so you decided to join us?" Rosalie cheered. "Where's Bella?"
"She's tired after our trip. Jasper, can I have a word with you?" Edward jerked his head to the kitchen, away from prying ears.
"What's up?" Jasper frowned, shutting the kitchen door after him.
"Did you bring anything with you?"
Jasper chuckled. "Can't let her breathe for a few days?"
"Did you?" Edward pressed. "And, if you must know, I was all for spending a regular holiday with Bella. She packed a gag ball."
"No way! You rubbed off on her."
"Constantly, Jas." Edward grinned, aware how childish he sounded.
"I have some rope in the car. You know how we drove here…"
"It will do."
"It's not the kind of rope we use, Edward."
"I'm aware. I'll wait here." Edward leaned against the counter, not giving Jasper much room to argue.
It didn't take Jasper long to return with the folded gray rope. He handed it wordlessly to Edward.
"Make sure she's quiet."
"I know how thin the walls are, Jasper," Edward answered, amused. "I'll have nightmares about whore crackers or whatever Cynthia called them."
They walked into the hallway, stopping at the foot of the stairs. Edward was surprised to see Jacob Black leaning against the railing, glaring at him.
"I don't know what you plan on doing with that, but you better rethink it," Jacob warned him, nodding to the rope in Edward's hand.
Edward glanced at Jasper, seeing his worried expression, before he focused on Bella's friend. "We're wrapping some last minute Christmas presents we got in town," Edward lied.
"Do you think I'm stupid, Cullen?" Jacob folded his arms across his chest. "If you plan on using that on Bella, you're getting acquainted with my fist."
"Would you drop your voice?" Jasper spat, looking worried toward the sitting room.
"It's not what you think. I'm not going to hurt Bella," Edward told Jacob, seriously thinking of forgetting their plans.
"Of course, you won't! I'll be camped outside your door, listening for the first sound of distress."
"Christ!" Edward met Jasper's eyes, hoping his friend had a better idea.
When people found out about their lifestyle, they were never supportive. It had been sheer luck for Bella to accept it, albeit reticently.
"Come on, man! They're wrapping presents." Jasper threw an arm around Jacob's shoulders, trying to steer him away.
Jacob planted his feet on the floor, glaring at Edward. "I'm watching you, Cullen! I've told Bella from the beginning, there's something fishy about you."
"For the love of God, Jake!" Bella cried out from the top of the stairs. "Give it a rest. It's none of your business what our sex life is!"
Jacob paled, and Jasper seized the opportunity to drag him away.
"Go," Jasper mouthed to Edward.
Bella took Edward's hand when he reached the top of the stairs. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, and only that.
"You broke your stance," he said, upset.
"It sounded like you needed rescuing. I'll deal with Jake tomorrow."
"No. Like you said, it's none of his business."
"That's some study rope," Bella commented, amused. "You'll have to be careful with my tattoo."
"Shit. Go, sit on the bed. Naked, please." Edward locked the door once again, before unfolding the long rope string.
He threw one end over one of the beams traversing the low ceiling of the room. He secured it there, leaving it dangling long enough for Bella's arms to be stretched upwards.
"Come." She walked to him cautiously. "Grab this end and don't let go." Edward had tied the dangling end into a small circle. "You can wrap your right hand through it. I don't care how you hold on to it, but don't let go."
"Yes, Sir."
"Where's the gag ball?"
"In the top pocket of my suitcase."
Edward extracted the contraption. Bella had picked the solid silicon one, with the ball larger than what she'd tried the last time. Edward was sure that she had no clue they came in sizes.
On his way to where she was hanging beautifully, he stopped by his suitcase and picked a belt.
Bella whimpered, her eyes wide in fright.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes, Sir." Her voice shook, like every time she was scared of a new toy.
"Good girl. I'm going to place the gag on you. Remember, breathe through your nose. I'm here."
Bella nodded jerkily, her wide eyes on his.
Before Edward placed the gag ball in her mouth, he kissed her slowly. "Color?"
"Green, Sir."
Edward smiled, and fastened the straps of the toy at the back of her head. He tapped her nose, reminding her how to breathe. There was already saliva at the corner of her mouth, and Edward had to take a step back and admire Bella. He hadn't had the pleasure of seeing her so helpless before.
They hadn't played around with suspension, and for the first time, Edward was considering adding a pulley in his closet.
"Feel free to kick me if it's too much," he said, picking up his belt from his feet.
Bella shied away from it, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Once. If it hurts, I won't continue," Edward promised.
Bella squeezed her eyes shut, tensing up. She whimpered loudly when the belt lashed at her thigh.
"Did it hurt?" Edward checked.
She nodded wildly, trying to say something.
Edward chucked the belt away, pulling the ball away from her mouth. "What, baby?"
"The belt is a hard limit, Sir," she choked out.
"Okay." They were going to talk about that, but not at the moment. Edward had to be inventive without one of his whips at hand.
"Color?"
"Green. I want to continue, Sir." Her eyes were shining in a familiar way – excited and scared.
Edward secured the ball back between her lips, before moving to stand behind her. He didn't touch her for the longest time, and he was impressed of her impeccable self-control. Bella didn't break stance, hanging motionlessly from the rope, waiting.
Slowly, trying not to startle her at his sudden touch, he ran a hand down her spine. She jerked for only a fraction.
"I'm so proud of you," he whispered. "I had my doubts about this part of our relationship," he continued, using both hands to trails his fingers over her ribs and up to her stretched arms, then down to her hips.
Bella didn't try to answer in any way, but he felt her tensing up.
"Thank you," Edward whispered into her ear, bringing his clothed body flush against her back. "Forever mine, baby."
Bella shuddered, whimpering loudly, the sound masked by the gag.
Edward continued his teasing over her body with his fingers, bringing them to her nipples. He looked up to see Bella's knuckles turning white at how hard she was gripping the rope. She shifted on her toes, broken sounds escaping her throat, as Edward continued tugging and rubbing her nipples. Then, he dropped one hand to her wet sex.
Bella's body seized up, her head thrown back. What should have been a loud moan escaped her throat, the sound blocked by the gag.
"Shhh. You don't want your friend to come to your rescue," Edward teased.
Edward pumped two fingers between her folds, using his open palm to touch between her breasts, resting his hand over her heart. It was beating rapidly, seeming to stutter, with each new twist of his fingers inside her.
Bella's head thrashed against his shoulder, as her legs shook.
"No. Don't come." Edward was impressed, she hadn't allowed herself that pleasure yet. Her body had learned how to react to his touches when they played.
More muffled shouts followed, as he brought her to the peak, only to stop. Over and over.
Sweat was rolling down Bella's neck, down her chest, covering her whole body, making her a beautiful mess.
Edward couldn't wait much longer, so he undid his pants. The sound of that, extracted a loud muffled grunt from Bella.
He stepped in front of her to notice her eyes were closed. Drool covered her chin and neck. A few strands of her hair were stuck to her cheek and forehead.
Edward lifted her legs, wrapping them around his body. Her eyes flew open.
"You're gorgeous."
Her pupils dilated, instead of narrowing at him, like he'd expected.
"Not yet," he warned, as he started moving slowly inside her.
Her sounds were by now screams, not easily masked by the gag ball. To Edward, it sounded as if her broken shouts echoed in the small room. He hoped their friends had the movie loud enough downstairs to cover Bella's sounds. Or, they'd have to give them some explanation in the morning.
When her walls fluttered around him, Edward knew he wouldn't be able to hold his release. Especially, watching Bella wearing the gag ball and hanging by the beam. It had been one of his fantasies to gag her and have her arms restrained, stretched above her head.
"Come." He kissed that spot behind her ear, the one he knew that drove her wild.
Bella didn't disappoint. She shook in his arms, her scream, locked inside her throat was louder than any other sound she'd made so far.
Edward held her body close, as his own release washed over him. It wasn't often when he fucked her with his clothes still on, but there had been no time to think about undressing.
As Bella returned to reality, Edward unclenched her fingers from the rope noose, bringing them down and kissing them. The ring felt cold against his lips, compared to her heated skin. Then, he unfastened the gag ball, throwing it toward her open suitcase.
Bella leaned into his chest, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Do you want a bath?" he asked, stroking her hair.
"Just the bed, please."
Edward scooped her up, carrying her to the bed, and lying next to her.
"That was different," Bella said, after a while.
"Good different?" Edward swiped his thumb over her chin, cleaning it off from the excess of drool. "Bad different?"
Bella turned her head to meet his eyes. Her jaw worked a little, probably sore. He dropped his hand to stroke the spot where her jaw met her neck. "Just different."
"We have to talk about the belt," he said quietly.
"Can we talk about it later? I have to understand myself why it scared me so badly."
Edward frowned. "I have a theory, if you're willing to listen." He'd had one Sub once who hadn't told him about the belt being a hard limit, and she'd nearly broken into hysterics during the scene. It had turned out that she'd been whipped with the belt as a child when she'd misbehaved.
Bella snuggled into his chest, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Tell me."
"How were you punished as a child when you misbehaved?"
Bella gasped, tilting her head so fast that she knocked into his chin with the top of her head. "Shit." Her eyes were wide in awareness.
Edward stroked a hand through her hair. "That's what I thought."
"But it was only a couple of times. He mostly used his hand. And, I don't particularly mind when you spank me…unless it's unjust." A smile played on her lips.
Edward pressed his lips to her forehead, leaving them resting there for a moment. "Belt whips can hurt like nothing else if used as punishment."
Bella kissed his throat, hugging him tightly. "How loud was I toward the end?"
Edward chuckled. "I expect to stumble over Black's body in the morning, camped in front of our room, ready to kill me."
"He can't know. No one can know."
"We don't have to tell anyone. They have no business knowing what we do behind closed doors."
She drew lazy patterns on Edward's arm. "It's like…coming out."
"In a way," Edward agreed. "I'm as much in the closet, as you, then. Only Jasper and Alice know."
"The others can think we have a kinky sex life. They don't have to know the extent of it," Bella said, determined, meeting his eyes.
"Anything that makes you feel better. I hate seeing you distressed."
"And, if Jake has anything else to say…feel free to shut him up." She kissed him slowly, dragging her fingers through his hair. "I love you – all of you."
Edward hugged her tightly, returning the kiss and the words.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Jake's reaction.
PS: In case you didn't know, I started posting a new story. It's called 'Illicit Affair' where Bella is older and a teacher, and Edward is her student. I'll le you read to figure out what's going on there. ;)