Hello everyone,

I would write a longer author's note, but I am in the middle of writing forbidden, lol. So I don't want to lose my train of thought.

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The lilac scent Bella wore must've crystallized because the aroma clung to his nostrils. His lips twitched as he fought the urge to grin, as Bella's narrowed gaze came to mind. On more than one occasion, Edward had felt her eyes on him, everywhere those murky green depths touched came alive with electricity.

His nerves crackled beneath taut skin, and if it weren't for the blonde he had on his arm, Edward would have crossed the dance floor and been all over his fucking stepsister. Even now, Edward looked through the hooded veil of his lashes in her direction.

She was sitting next to the bar, wearing a short black skirt and a loose tank. Every time she leaned forward to speak to the bartender, Edward was positive the asshole was looking straight at the tits he'd gotten a full view of earlier, causing him to seeth.

"You want to dance?" Tanya asked, pressing her form into his side. Her perky breasts were plastered against his bicep, and he could feel the pebbled tips digging into him.

Edward didn't want to dance. Well, correction, he did, just not with Tanya. The object of his affection was now whispering something into the ear of the dick behind the bar. What he wanted to do was rip the bastard's throat out with his teeth. Reluctantly, he focused on the petite chick desperately trying to get his attention. "Sure. Let's see what moves you have."

"You know what kind of moves I have," Tanya grinned, biting her bottom lip suggestively. Flirtatiously, she batted her lashes at Edward as she pulled him behind her. "I wore your favorite panties."

Edward knew exactly what panties she was talking about. They were little more than a strap of lace with a chain dangling between her ass cheeks. When she swirled her hips in suggestion, Edward's gaze went to her curves, his brow lifting. Why? Because he was a vigorous male and knew a nice ass when he saw one.

The problem? Not the ass he wanted to see.

Bella's pupils narrowed from her perch on the stool. Edward and Tanya were grinding on the dance floor, and Bella had the strongest desire to plant a knuckle sandwich to the bimbo's beautiful full smile.

Okay, so Tanya wasn't precisely a bimbo. She was just an obnoxious bitch. On the drive over to the club, Tanya had lectured Bella about running around the condo in nothing but her towel. Bella wanted to wring her pretty little neck.

Then there was something else compelling about the whole situation. If she didn't miss her guess, Edward kept looking in her direction, and the thought caused butterflies to flutter in her belly. And don't get her started with the flash of heat licking down her spine and settling in her core.

She had to do something. Bella refused to sit here like a pathetic fool while Edward got his rocks off. With great effort, Bella pulled her attention away from all that muscle to focus on the guy sitting to her right. Smiling provocatively, she crooked a finger in his direction until he leaned forward with a toothy grin. "Are you feeling the music?"

"I'd rather be feeling you," he grinned, his dark brows lifting with suggestion.

Bella chuckled as her fingers wound in his shirt and pulled him from the stool. "How about you just show me what you got first?"

"I'm more than willing to show you what I have, Princess." Jake flashed white teeth all over the brunette, starting to move against him on the dance floor. Her floral scent had his eyes rolling, and his head dipped closer. "What's your name, Beautiful?"

Bella cringed at the prospect of supplying this guy with her real name. He was a distraction and nothing more. Clearing the haze of alcohol from her throat, Bella blinked at him. "I'm Molly."

"Molly," Jake repeated, his nose skimming the shell of her ear. His hands ran down her bare arms as she wiggled her hips against him in time to the beat. "I'm Jake. It is so my pleasure to meet you."

Bella barely heard what he said. One, the thump of music filled her ears, and two, her angle put her in plain sight of Edward. She was fucking fine. Absolutely, positively fine. Until his hooded lashes lifted and dark blue eyes locked on hers.

A shiver coursed through her, and goosebumps raced down her arms. The connection never wavered as they danced with their own partners. Bella felt every move he made as if his large frame was grinding against her. When Edward held her stare and let his broad palms caress Tanya's waist, Bella's nipples puckered in response, and heat poured into her panties.

While every move he made was sexy as fuck, Bella was feeling the familiar pangs of jealousy well to staggering degrees. Following his example, Bella wound her arms around Jake's neck, her fingers spearing through his hair.

Edward wanted to pound the bastard. With every new curve the asshole discovered, a new degree of anger stabbed through Edward. Tanya dancing against him kept him grounded, however. As hard as he tried, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the woman several feet away.

Edward was starting to realize he wasn't the only one with an unnatural obsession with his step-sibling. If he wasn't missing his guess, he could swear those mossy green eyes were eating him alive. His lips lifted in a flirtatious smile as his hands slid down Tanya's waist, and Edward could tell Bella caught his meaning.

She caught him by surprise when she pushed the guy she was dancing with away and headed for the bar. Suddenly feeling like a complete dick, he too put a few inches between himself and Tanya. "Babe, I need a drink. Go sit at the table. I'll be back in a minute."

Bella threw back a shot of tequila, biting the lemon wedge; she shook her head as the tangy citrus rocked her taste buds. She was about to reach for the second one when she felt a light touch on her hip. Bella whirled around, intending to give the intruder a piece of her mind to find Edward standing directly behind her. His hand still lingered on her hip, and he dropped a few inches until his face was level with hers. "Did you have fun with your show?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand, her perfectly arched brow lifting as she licked the salt from her hand and grabbed the shot. Downing the tequila, she shook the buzz aside as she focused on his lips. "It was boring, but you seem to have your hands full. What are you doing over here? Tanya is over there."

Edward's head tilted. He wasn't sure what Bella meant. She sounded just a tad jealous, yet her second statement had him wondering if he were mistaken. Nonchalantly, he shrugged, "Tanya is a big girl. So, what were you hoping to find out here anyway?"

"Anything besides law books," Bella gave a slight laugh as she grabbed her beer and took a long slug. Her gaze blurred with the effects of alcohol, but Edward's dimpled smile made a brief appearance. The satin shirt he wore clung to tight muscle, and she had the urge to follow the wisps of hair peeking through the V. "So, is it serious?"

"What?" Edward asked, leaning forward until his chest bumped into her back.

Bella flicked her fingers in the direction of Tanya, or so she hoped. Honestly, her head was starting to spin, and currently, she wasn't sure where the woman was. "You and Tanya. Mom said you have been seeing each other for a while."

Edward couldn't resist the allure of her scent, his head dipping until his nose skimmed her cheek. "Probably as serious as you and whoever the fuck Demetri is. 'Mom' told me all about your stud at NYU."

"Who?" Bella faltered as the hum of tequila zipped through her veins. Of course, the warmth of Edward's massive chest hovering so close didn't help matters in the least.

"Don't play dumb," Edward growled, backing up so he could stare into her wide eyes. "Demetri. Your Italian beefcake. Where is lover boy this summer anyway?"

Fuck. Demetri. How the hell could she forget her made-up boyfriend? The lights overhead did a funny little loop as she thought of a witty comeback. Wit decided to go right through the window. A goofy liquor-induced smile twinged her lips. "He has a big dick. I'm gonna miss it."

Edward's gaze narrowed at the mention her fucking some guy. He needed to take his temper and go back across the club. He needed to remember that he was in a semi relationship with Tanya. What he didn't need to do was lean forward as he was currently doing. He also should keep his trap shut but instead said, "Is it ten inches long and two inches thick?"

Bella wavered on the stool. Was Edward really telling her how big he was? Holy fuck. Currently, large arms had her caged to the bar, and turning to face him proved to be complicated. Still, Bella did so, and unbidden, her wandering eye went straight to his pants.

Edward's cock throbbed to life beneath Bella's curious stare. He pounded the nail further into the coffin as he leaned closer. "How is Demetri in the sack? Anything to write home about?"

How was she sitting here talking to Edward about her sex life? If he only knew the truth. Refusing to tell him about her lacking sex life, she gave him a mocking grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I really would." Edward was on the brink of forgetting who she was to him. Already the crowd around them was fading, and Tanya was the furthest thing from his mind. What was on his mind was the woman in front of him with drooping eyelids. Before tonight, Edward had never realized how beautiful her eyes were. The eyeliner she wore, coupled with the effect of the mascara, made her jade irises pop.

Edward's voice dropped into a husky murmur. "You wanna tell me about it? Of course, afterward, I might need to take a trip to Italy and kill me an Italian."

The lull of alcohol strummed through Bella's blood, and Edward's handsome face wavered. Fighting to keep her eyes open, she felt her weight slipping from the stool as a delicious hum started low in her gut. Bella reached for Edward's shirt, unsure what she planned to do, but before anything could happen, Tanya appeared.

"Edward? Were you planning to come back? I've been sitting over there for twenty minutes." Tanya looked between Edward and Bella. Was it her imagination, or was something going on there? "Edward, we need to talk."

Tanya was head cheerleader for Notre Dame. One of the top colleges in the nation. She was not about to play second string to some nobody. As she considered her position, her blue eyes narrowed, "Aren't you two related?"

Bella stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the stool in her haste to put distance between her and Edward. The alcohol that had created a delicious warmth turned to acid, and Bella's tongue turned sour. "Fuck me." Somehow, Bella managed to right herself as she grabbed for her purse. Time to get an Uber and get the fuck out of dodge.

"Our parents are married. We're not fucking related," Edward glowered when Bella dove for her phone. She was far too drunk to be running off into the middle of the city unattended. "Tanya. Call an Uber. We'll talk when we get back to my place."

While Edward was focused on Tanya, Bella slipped from between him and the bar when she would've skirted him, a broad arm wrapped around her waist. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Home," Bella stated, her teeth grinding with annoyance. "Let me go, Edward."

"If you want an Uber, you can call them your-damn-self. I'm not your secretary." Tanya's focus went to Edward's arm, still holding onto Bella. "And as far as I can tell, marriage makes her your sister. You were not looking at her like a brother. I'm not an idiot."

Edward found himself in quite the predicament. Bella started to struggle to break his hold, and his semi-girlfriend, whatever the hell she was, was spitting proverbial nails from her silken tongue. "Tanya, this isn't the time or place to have this discussion. And Bella is not my sister."

Bella had the overwhelming urge to puke. What a damnable position to be in. She was so torn, and Tanya played right into her deepest fears when it came to Edward. The worst part, though, the dick wouldn't let her go. "Edward, let me go. I have already called an Uber to take me home. He'll be here in two minutes."

"Looks like we're all sharing an Uber then," Edward informed her, never relinquishing his hold on Bella. Tossing some bills onto the bar, Edward turned them toward the exit.

"I am not sharing a cab with her," Tanya stated, with a stomp of her foot. She tossed an angry look in Bella's direction. "That's a new type of low. Getting your rocks off with your stepbrother."

Now, instead of being ashamed, fire spit from Bella's twisted face. Her hand flew faster than either Tanya or Edward were prepared for, landing a resounding smack to her cheek. Satisfaction blazed in Bella's eyes when a red handprint bloomed on the girl's cheek. Throwing a fiery look at Edward, she growled, "If you want peace at that condo, you better take her to a hotel."

Startled by what transpired, Edward's hold loosened on Bella, and before he could stop her, she darted out the door. He would've chased her, but Tanya grabbed his hand.

"If you go after her. It's over between us."

Edward took one look at Tanya and headed for the door. He fully intended to go after Bella … and do what? He had no fucking clue at this point. Turmoil raged to life as he considered their options. He could ignore this wicked obsession and go home with Tanya. Or … or … what?

By the time he made it to the sidewalk, Bella was nowhere in sight. Edward assumed Bella found her Uber, which left him to deal with the shrew behind him. "Tanya. What do you want to do? It's a little late to be fighting on the sidewalk."

"I want to know what's going on between you and her?" Tanya didn't hesitate throwing out her qualms. "I saw the way you were looking at her. I'm not dumb."

"You are not dumb." Edward rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the tension. "Nothing is going on between Bella and me. As you said, Bella is … is …" Fuck. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Your stepsister…" Tanya folded her arms over her chest as her eyebrows rose.

Beyond annoyed, Edward shook his head. He'd been stupid about the whole situation. He'd thought bringing Tanya as a distraction had been a good idea, but with each passing minute, he grew more irritated. "How about I make you a reservation at the hotel, and you can go home in the morning?"

"So what, you're just kicking me out?" Tanya fumed, disbelief apparent in her expression.

"What do you want to do? Go back to the condo? I'm pretty sure Bella would hand you your ass on a platter. Just make this easy and go to a hotel." Edward shoved his hands through his hair. "I'll send your bags over."

Tanya's foot tapped the concrete impatiently. "So, does that mean it's over?"

Edward growled as his Uber came into view. Before the car could pull up to the curb, he faced Tanya. "I thought you said you weren't stupid? Don't play like it now."

"You are such an asshole. I should've listened to my friends when they said you were a dick."

"Yes, I am, and you probably should have listened to your friends." When Tanya stepped forward with intent in her eyes, Edward's jaw went tight. "Don't even think about hitting me. Just get in the damn car. It's not like there is any love lost between us."

Relief coursed through him when Tanya threw her nose in the air and wordlessly climbed in the backseat. Edward tapped the hood, saying, "Go ahead, and I will take another one."

Edward shrugged when she flipped him off. Honestly, this whole debacle had finished things for him with Tanya, wrapped inside a pretty bow. Now, what was he gonna do? Go home and sit for the next two months staring at a woman off-limits to him. Still preferable to dealing with a harpy.

An hour later, Edward let himself into the condo. Instead of heading straight for bed, he stopped in front of Bella's door. Knocking, he murmured, "Bells. Did you make it home okay?"

Something hitting the hardwood caused him to flinch away from the barrier. Apart from him, he wanted to go inside and make sure everything was cool between them. Pressing her when Bella was in a mood wasn't the best possible scenario, however. Sighing heavily, he said, "Alright. If you need anything …" Edward was wasting his breath. Shaking his head, he said, "but seriously. I'll be in my room, don't hesitate …"

Bella threw another book at the door. "Go away!"

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