Thank you all for the amazing feedback.
As always, big 'thank you' to CoppertopJ for all the help. Mwah! All mistakes are still mine, because I can't help and change/add stuff in the chapter before posting it.
It's been a LOOOONG week. I completely missed the promised Tuesday update because that was the worst day of my week. Sorry, guys.
Bella kept her head against Edward's warm shoulder as he carried her upstairs. He was holding her as if she was the thinnest soap bubble and he didn't want to break it. As he stepped into her room, Bella traced his jaw with her fingers.
"Bathroom is there," she said, pointing to the ajar door.
Once in the bathroom, Edward helped her to her feet, keeping a strong hold on her waist. His eyes shifted around, looking nervous.
She sat on the closed toilet seat, feeling unsteady still. That had been one of the most intense things she'd ever felt. She'd believed sex with him and his pierced dick had been intense, but then he'd come and ruined that idea for her by making her squirt.
"Run me a bath."
Edward hurried to get the water an appropriate temperature and while it filled her triangular jet tub, he added scented salts.
Bella stood slowly, walking to where he was testing the water with his pinkie. She turned her back to him. "Undo my corset."
His fingers deftly accomplished the task. He traced her spine with the back of his hand. "So soft, Mistress."
She was clearly not meant to hear that, but she turned to face him, smiling. His eyes dropped to his dick pushing against the cage, trying to fill it out. "Can't say the same about you."
He followed her gaze, and winced.
"Does it hurt?" Restraining his dick from growing was going to hurt, Bella hated putting him in pain. She knew her punishments for him would never be anywhere near as terrible as what he'd been through during his time with Jane and Aro, but she didn't want to make him compare the two types of pain in his head.
"Not really, Mistress. It's a slight discomfort."
"You know why you're being punished?"
"Yes, Mistress." Edward squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, before glaring at the blue tile at their feet.
"Get in." She pointed to the bathtub.
Edward's eyes shot to hers, showing his surprise.
"Consider it aftercare. Get in. Don't make me repeat it a third time. Or do you want my paddle on your ass that badly?"
Edward spun around to get in the tub so fast, Bella was surprised he didn't dive in head first. She followed him in, carefully. She shut off the faucet, sinking low in the hot water. Her muscles relaxed and she moaned at the blissful feeling. That moment was interrupted by Edward taking her feet in his hands.
"Don't," she squeaked, not proud of her voice. She drew her legs away from his lap. "I'm ticklish."
"Oh, really?" he asked, entertained.
"Paddle meets ass if you dare," she threatened.
He laughed heartily, but then sobered quickly. "Can I speak freely, Mistress?"
"Of course. It's what I wanted, actually." It had been an intense night for both of them.
Edward wet his lower lips, keeping his eyes on hers, momentarily dazzling her with his smoldering look.
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the club. I don't know what came over me." He scrubbed a hand over his cheek, his eyes narrowing. "I know, actually. I couldn't allow Lady Jane to hurt you."
"She wasn't going to hurt me, Edward."
"With all due respect, I know her better. I don't doubt your fighting skills, Mistress, but the idea of you getting hurt…on my behalf…it didn't sit well with me."
"I appreciate the honesty, Edward." She went to straddle his legs, sitting on his lap and stroking her hands over his chest. She traced his tattoo, her heart tugging at how much he'd been hurt. "I don't need you to play superhero. You don't have to be strong and brave when facing the one who hurt you so deeply." For a moment, Bella felt like she was no longer talking about Edward and his past, but about her own past. "I'm here to protect you. I promised you this – you'll always be safe with me."
His hands caressed her back, as he pressed his face into her breasts. "Thank you, Mistress."
Bella stroked his hair slowly. "But if you ever act like you did in the bar, you'll get stung."
He pulled himself away to meet her eyes. "Stingy Bee…" he said slowly. "That's what the bartender said when I told him about the cocktail being for Bee."
"I have quite the reputation," she snorted. "Especially with people who get on my nerves. Surprisingly, this reputation wasn't gained through my Subs, but through idiots who tried their luck with me in that bar."
Edward bit back a grin. "You're so hot when you're mad. It makes me want to upset you just to see that glint in your eyes, the way your upper lip pulls over your teeth, and the delicious sharp orders you bark."
One of Bella's hands traveled up his chest and wrapped around his throat. "You don't want to be on my bad side, Stud. Trust me."
His hands danced over her back and his lips parted, as he looked at her through hooded eyes. This was turning him on.
"When I feel adventurous, I'll push your buttons," he gasped, arching his back.
"Don't," she said softly, dropping her hands.
He washed her body, touching her gently and paying extra attention to her breasts and her pussy. Then Bella returned the favor, making sure to wash his ass carefully after their activities.
When they stepped out of the tub, Bella gave Edward one of her big yellow towels to dry himself, but he used it on her, patting her skin softly, stroking the cotton between her wet locks while kissing her shoulders.
"What are you doing?" she asked, taken aback.
"I'm worshipping you, Mistress," he whispered, wrapping the towel around her shoulders and turning her to face him. Goosebumps erupted on the skin on Bella's arms at his words. His lips descended on hers, plush and wet.
Bella had the insane urge to unlock him and pull him toward her bed. She shoved that thought away, horrified at herself. Edward was fucking up with her grip on her control.
She stepped away from his embrace, knotting the towel above her breasts. She handed him a medium sized towel to dry himself, while she took her brush and started running it through her wet locks.
"I'm hungry." She met his eyes in a patch she'd cleaned on the foggy mirror.
Edward licked his lips, and Bella had to fight with her body so she wouldn't bend over the sink and tell him to fuck her until she forgot her name.
"I want donuts."
Edward's eyes widened at that confession. "Isn't it a little too late to make donuts?"
"Who said anything about making them? There's a place open twenty-four/seven that makes the best donuts. You'll find the address in my GPS under the name 'donuts'." She watched satisfied as he stared at her in disbelief. "Are you back already with them?"
Edward finished drying himself, letting the towel fall at his feet, before he walked backwards out of the bathroom. He probably hoped for her to tell him she was joking. But she wasn't.
Bella stayed a while longer in the bathroom, finishing her routine after bath time, keeping an ear on Edward. Not too long later, she heard the front door slamming shut, and she laughed. She should have been mad at him for acting childish and almost disregarding her orders, but she found his behavior hilarious.
Bella wrapped herself in a silk bathrobe, tying it loosely around her waist.
She went to collect the used toys from the Playroom. The sink in the downstairs bathroom was filled with all of them in no time, and she scrubbed them meticulously, before she placed them on the shelf to dry. Then, she returned to the Playroom to grab the soiled bed sheet and put it in the washing machine.
By the time Edward returned, the Playroom looked pristine once again, with fresh satin sheets on the bed.
Edward stood in the entry hallway, staring at her. Bella was leaning against the wall near the kitchen door. She toyed with the end of her tie, bending one of her knees to press her foot against the wall.
Edward put the paper bag holding the donuts on the small table by the front door. It landed on the very edge, miraculously not spilling all over the floor, as he crossed the distance between them.
Bella stopped him before he could get his hands on her. She pressed her forefinger to his sternum. "No touching."
His fingers twitched at his sides.
"Do you want a donut?" she asked, going to retrieve the bag.
"No, thank you." His voice was rough.
"Then, go to bed. Good night," she said over her shoulder, heading into the kitchen.
Bella paid attention to the silence from behind her as she pulled out one donut. She chewed slowly, enjoying its soft texture and the gooey chocolate from inside. It was still warm, which earned Edward golden stars. She'd never managed to bring home warm donuts from across the city.
When Bella grew impatient with Edward not obeying, she spun around to kick his ass. To her surprise, she found his shoes next to her boots and he was gone. What grabbed her attention was something on the accent table by the front door. It hadn't been there earlier.
A single stem of orchid. The flowers were a deep purple, so beautiful and rare. They looked velvety soft.
A tinge of regret made her nearly choke on her bite. Edward had wanted to offer her the flower, but her hormones had run rampant and it terrified her to feel out of control. His unprecedented effect on her body and mind was worrisome.
She placed the orchid in a long and slim vase, stowing away the rest of the donuts, before going upstairs. She stopped at the bottom of the narrow staircase leading to the attic, but silently berated herself for entertaining the thought of apologizing to her Sub. She'd thank him in the morning for how thoughtful he'd been.
When Bella woke up, she found her coffee waiting in her favorite mug, still steaming. Edward and Freddie were both gone, even though it was raining heavily. Bella was glad to have Edward there, because he'd be the one wrestling her dog for bath time. He'd return looking like a pig.
Bella heated the donuts, and was enjoying one of them with her coffee when the front door opened. She looked up from her phone, where she was telling Rose she didn't want her nail done tomorrow.
"Fucking asshole," Edward spat. "Sit."
Bella cupped her mouth, laughing quietly. Freddie was known to go crazy when it rained.
"Don't. Move," Edward hissed. "Not one inch."
Bella doubled over in laughter, trying to imagine the scene in the hallway. Freddie was covered in mud from his head to the tip of his tail, while Edward was an angry mess. She'd been in his shoes countless times.
It was hot to hear him shout orders, which were big red flags in her head.
"Shit. No!" he cried out suddenly.
Then Bella heard Freddie's dirty paws slapping against the whetstone. He waddled into the kitchen, but instead of going to his corner for a drink or food, he came to Bella. She wasn't fast enough to pull her legs up and he covered her calf in cold, wet mud.
"Frederick!"
He lifted on his back legs, pawing at her, dirtying her bathrobe and her thighs.
"You piece of shit," she hissed, pushing him down. "What's wrong with you?"
"Sorry!" Edward dove into the kitchen. He was drenched, his hair plastered to his forehead, and his jeans dirty up to his knees, especially the left one where he'd kept Freddie during their walk.
"You're welcome to use the shower cabin downstairs. Make sure he doesn't break anything. It will be a struggle," she warned him.
"Oh, believe me, he's about to see who's the boss. Nothing from his behavior up until now pointed out what a demon he actually was."
Bella laughed. "When it rains, he's possessed. Beats me why."
Edward didn't seem to care about his already ruined clothes, because he picked the dog up, who writhed around, making drops of mud fly everywhere, as Edward carried him out of the kitchen.
While Bella scrubbed the table and counter doors where the mud had landed, she could hear the wrestling match from the bathroom, interrupted by Edward's loud cursing.
She jumped out of her skin, when he called for her. "Mistress, we need towels!"
She hurried to bring the towels she used only on Freddie. Edward took them through the cracked door, before he shut it back, snapping at her dog to stop shaking. She didn't want to know how the bathroom looked, because the last time she'd washed Freddie after a muddy walk, she'd scrubbed at the walls for days.
She waited outside the door until it opened and Freddie barreled out, shaking vigorously. He licked at her still dirty leg, before going to eat his breakfast.
Bella stepped into the war zone to see Edward only in a pair of briefs. She was surprised to see him wearing underwear. He was patting at the pool of water on the floor.
"Hand me that towel," she said, pointing to the one hanging from the rack. She wet it in the sink, before she scrubbed at her calf and thigh. "Leave it. Come and eat," she said when Edward looked around at the mess. Droplets of mud were everywhere – the walls, the mirror, the sink, the toilet. "All yours, but later."
He winced, standing and going to wash his hands.
"It happens all the time, after every walk when it rains," Bella explained.
"How are you still sane?" he asked seriously.
"Who says I'm sane?"
He chuckled, cupping her cheek and stroking it with his thumb. "I apologize for my behavior last night."
"Forgiven," she promised. "I love the orchid."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Anything for my Mistress."
Her eyes narrowed at him. "Is this sweet behavior a way to make me forget your punishment? You're still going to get ten smacks of my paddle on this ass." She grabbed a handful of one of his ass cheeks.
"No, Mistress," he gasped. "That's the farthest thought from my mind. The flower was my way of saying, 'I'm sorry' for not believing you were sending me for donuts in the middle of the night."
"Women have cravings at all hours of the day and night." She hooked a finger under the elastic band of his briefs, pulling him out of the bathroom. "What's with the briefs?"
"The cage was chafing against my jeans," he mumbled.
"Oh. Good thing I chose the plastic one again, or it was going to rust against your dick with all the water."
Edward glanced at his see-through white briefs, then smiled shyly at her. Bella had to step away from him, before she allowed the insane part of her brain to dictate her actions again.
After they were done with breakfast, Bella sent Edward to take a warm shower, and then they'd meet in the Playroom for his paddling.
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