Hello everyone,

So glad to have you back for another short story. I honestly don't know how long this will be. I am hoping for about 10-20 chapters.

Anyway, I am glad most of you all seemed to enjoy it. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

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God, it was so good to be home, Bella thought, dropping her luggage inside her bedroom. She'd spent mere months in this condo as a home just before leaving for college, but the familiarity was such a comfort after grueling months at school. Law was not an easy topic to study, especially considering the ever-changing legislation from state to state.

Bella didn't have to think about it any longer, or at least for the next two months. After spending three full years dedicated to her education, she would live it up before she had to step back into the swing of things. All she wanted at the moment, however, was a soak in a tub full of hot water, and just as the idea took root, she just couldn't shake it.

Rustling inside her bag, she grabbed her shower supplies and started for the bathroom. Hurriedly, she undressed as the bathroom filled with steam, and shaking out her waist-length brunette hair, she stuck one foot into the hot water. A relaxing breath slipped from her lips as she sat back against the fabulous garden tub, her lashes dropping on her cheeks.

She could sit here forever. Bella sprinkled lilac-scented bath salts into the water, lightly splashing it on her arms. The tension from the last several months started to ease, and her mind drifted away from her studies.

Edward sprang to mind. Every time she came home, her thoughts went straight to her stepbrother. The last encounter they shared wiggled to the forefront, and a delicious shiver skipped down her spine. She'd never been kissed like that before or since. There had been so much want, and passion in that one kiss, and Bella's body instantly reacted, her nipples puckering.

The problem was, Bella hadn't seen him since. Of course, they were step-siblings, and technically, it should be wrong to think of one's stepbrother in such a fashion. The last time Bella saw Edward, he'd been stomping away from her, and soon after, they'd both gone their separate ways.

She'd hoped to bump into him again when she came home to visit, but in the last three years, somehow, they had evaded one another. Either she went to her father's when he was home, or he went to his mother's, effectively missing one another.

Whatever.

Bella shook her head, determined to rid herself of thoughts regarding Edward Cullen. Easier said than done. Biting her lip, the memory of Edward biting that exact morsel came instantly to mind. A wave of euphoria gripped her so hard, and she remembered the countless conversations with her mother.

Bella replayed the convo she'd had with her mother on numerous occasions. Apparently, Edward was in a relationship with some chick named Tanya and had been since Christmas. Lucky bitch, Bella thought, gritting her teeth. Her mother said their relationship was pretty serious, and beyond aggravated by the information, Bella had created her own fictitious relationship.

She laughed at the thought of Demetri. The last thing Bella wanted was Edward believing she was single while he was all happy in some relationship. Releasing a heavy breath, Bella envisioned the linebacker. The guy was built like a fucking tree, and his thighs were enough to inspire an unhealthy wave of hormones.

Shit.

An ache started between her legs, and Bella squeezed her thighs, trying to eliminate the hungry throb. Swallowing her desire, Bella went through the motions of bathing before crawling from the cooling water.

Maybe she would meet someone interesting at the club tonight. Bella wasn't one to sleep around, but a quick-release was what the doctor was suggesting. Hell, in the last three years, she'd casually seen a few guys. No one she wanted to see again, however. Which had led to a very fake boyfriend.

Yes, it was definitely time to stop waiting around and enjoy herself. If some randy guy could help her live in a brief moment, then so be it.

Climbing from the tub, Bella wrapped a plush towel around her, tucking it between her breasts. She headed towards the bedroom, rifling through her bags. Where the hell was her purse? Rolling her eyes, she let out a frustrated breath when she remembered tossing it onto the counter when she'd come in.

Normally, Bella would've dressed before leaving her room, but her mom and Carlisle were in Florida for the next two weeks. That meant she was flying solo here. Even so, Bella glanced out into the hallway with hesitation. The silence filling the condo reinforced her solitude.

Holding the towel tight around her trim frame, Bella headed in the direction of the kitchen. Bella tucked the purse beneath her arm as she crossed the tan tile to the fridge. Yanking the door open, she dug inside for a Diet Coke; cracking the top, she was turning to head back to her room when a sound near the front door caught her attention.

It sounded like … like someone was coming in. As she swallowed the soda, the carbonated liquid slipped down the wrong pipe, and she coughed in rapid succession, trying to suck air back into her lungs. Her eyes watered as she sought a breath, Bella lost her grip on the towel, and the thick cotton landed in a soggy mess at her feet just as the door to the condo opened.

The worst part was, Bella still hadn't caught her breath, and dropping the pop, she coughed hard, trying to regain composure. She was fighting a lost cause, however, and to her utter horror, Edward Cullen, the essence of several naughty thoughts, came into the condo. To her further mortification, worry instantly etched his brow as he rushed towards her, landing a broad palm between her naked shoulders.

Hard, navy eyes connected with hers as he commanded, "Breathe, Bella."

As if she'd been waiting for his order, air finally filled her lungs, and now, she gasped several large mouthfuls. "Holy shit, Em. Damn." Another round of coughing commenced, her hand landing on his solid pec to maintain balance. Gradually, the coughing subsided, and the warm press of firm fingertips against her side alerted her to her predicament.

Suddenly, Bella went still and wide-eyed; she glanced down at her torso. Her puckered pink tips were visible to God and everyone present, which Bella just noticed happened to be a blonde bombshell in the doorway. Panic filled her, and she pushed away from the rigid body she'd been pressed against, stooping down to retrieve her towel. "Shit … fuck …"

Bella barely managed to throw the towel around her shoulders before she ran in the direction of her room. Slamming the door behind her, she rested against the solid oak, her head thudding into the hardwood. "Oh, fuck my life. How embarrassing could shit get?"

She threw a quick look at the ceiling as she cursed her life a thousand ways to Sunday. Of all the times she could possibly have faced Edward after all their time apart, it had to be at the most humiliating moment imaginable.

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