Chapter Thirteen
"So let me get this straight," Jake said, handing Edward the keys to a truck. It was a routine that, if one of Edward's buddies were unavailable to help extract him from a location, Jake would meet up with him with a vehicle that paps wouldn't recognize as one of his own. How he managed to get so many different cars or trucks at a moment's notice, Edward wasn't sure. Jake never had him use the same vehicle twice. "You have sexual chemistry leaking out of your fucking pores with Bella, but you're not going to try to get into her pants until after the first day at Comic Con?"
"That's the plan," Edward said gruffly, playing with the keyring. Leaning against the truck, he looked over at his personal bodyguard and now friend with a cautious smile. "Are you sure you're comfortable talking about my relationship with Bella?"
Jake's eyebrows shot up. "Relationship? I never thought I'd hear that word coming out of your mouth. This is serious." From the tone and easy smile, Edward knew Jake was teasing him.
Edward shrugged, wanting to play it off. However, like his closest friends and family members, Jake could tell when he was putting up an act. Bella was already one of the few people who realized when he was playing a role. It was sort of scary, since he probably would never get away with lying to her. Not that he had plans to, since something honest and real was what he wanted with her. He had too much respect for her and whatever was going on between them to ruin it with lies before it had the chance to be something truly remarkable and special.
Jake's smile grew. "I know things about Bella that I probably shouldn't. She gets grumpy if she hasn't had anything to eat, but yet tends to forget to feed herself if she's in one of her zones. I know about her first time, and the last time she was with a guy, both assholes I'd love to punch if I had the chance. I know in ten days, shark week begins, so I'd stay clear from her unless you bring her chocolate. A Mocha Frappuccino is her favorite."
Edward made a face—not disgusted, but more like 'what the fuck?' He hadn't realized they were that close. Still, it was nice to know Bella had someone to talk to, a true friend. He only had a handful of those and he wouldn't trade them for anything.
"Shark week?" Edward repeated, but shook his head when Jake tried to explain. As if he didn't know what it meant; he had a sister, he knew what she was like growing up.
"Shit, she's going to kill me," Jake groaned, realizing what he said was a bit on the TMI side. "You didn't hear it from me, because she'd hang me by the balls."
"Whatever you say, man." Edward opened truck's door and slipped inside. "I like her, Jake. I don't know what it is about Bella, but I want to know everything about her. I love how she's so dedicated to her work that she wouldn't let some big shot asshole like me to stand in the way of it."
"There's more to it."
Edward looked away, his eyes narrowing on a bush he swore was shaking a moment before. Had someone recognized him and was hiding? Thankfully, he had the forethought to exchange vehicles with Jake a few blocks away from Bella's house. He wanted to keep her to himself for as long as possible. In addition to that was the fact that he wouldn't be able to attend Comic Con if she was seen with him. Fans and media would know she created costumes and other movie replicas and could put two-and-two together.
"She knows I need something real and not just some meaningless fling. I have no problem with holding off, but anyone else would've succumbed by now." Jake rolled his eyes, but nodded, having seen the way fans threw themselves at him. "It's not only that. It's the fact that she has more respect for herself and me to not give in to her own desire until it's the right time."
"She can take care of herself, but I will say this…
Slightly amused, Edward nodded, already knowing what Jake would say. "You'll kick my ass if I hurt her?"
"Something like that," Jake said, tapping the top of the truck and walking toward Garrett's car that Edward borrowed to get to Bella's house earlier. "See you later." Jake would come by the house in the middle of the night or early morning to pick up the truck.
Edward waved as he passed Jake, taking a quick look behind the bush he'd seen shake earlier. Thankfully, only a dog appeared to be sniffing at something on the ground near it. Whistling, he headed home, constantly checking his mirrors, in case someone was following him. It wasn't until he drove into his garage that he realized he had made a mistake with his dinner invitation.
How the hell was Bella supposed to come over for dinner at his place, considering his empty fridge and a cobweb-filled pantry? There was also the fact that one of the asshole paps could check on who she was if she wasn't one of the recognizable homeowners in the community. He had to call her and make arrangements of some kind. He hated how much trouble it was for her to see him, but he hoped she thought he was worth it.
She certainly was to him.
.
.
.
Edward was losing his fucking mind the next day. Bella had sent him a text warning him she'd be unavailable for most of the day, going as far as turning off all distractions to work. She hadn't answered his calls or texts after a set of pictures were released a few hours later on a tabloid website. Had she seen them? The photos of him and his former co-star were over six months old, and set up by her and the studio after he made it clear he wouldn't participate in a fauxmance to promote the film, something he hadn't done since his early years in the business.
"Jake." He raked his fingers through his hair, trying not to stress the fuck out. "She's not fucking answering. What if she saw the pictures and thinks the worst?"
It wouldn't be the first time; his mother and baby sister used to be notorious for taking tabloids at face value. No matter how much he assured them that, most of the time, tabloids were way off.
"She's a smart woman," Jake said, and Edward could hear him typing furiously, no doubt looking for the stupid photos online. "It looks like you're just meeting her out for coffee or something."
"But the one of us hugging doesn't look so innocent." Edward loathed Victoria Bailey, but she was an amazing actress and had played her role perfectly; too bad her personality had killed any chance of an attraction from the moment they met. Something Vic refused to understand. She had "bumped" into him at his usual go-to coffee shop months earlier and acted like they hadn't seen each other in years. Lunging to hug him when the first pap had popped out of hiding. "She grabbed my fucking ass, Jake. Bella is going to see it and think I can't even hold out for three fucking weeks!"
And after she suggested she'd understand if he had to take care of his needs, and his admission that he would never consider it.
"She's not answering my call, either." Jake groaned. "I don't know what to tell you. Wish I could go see her, but DarkMonster followed me earlier and is sitting outside of my house."
"What?" The last thing Edward needed was the over friendly fan to figure out who he was going to see in Bella's area. James, aka DarkMonster, ran several fan accounts and websites who had the uncanny ability to find him and wore the same creepy smile in every picture they had together. He put the CIA to shame with how fast he figured out where Edward was going, the reason, and with whom. "Since when did he follow you?"
"You have nothing to worry about," Jake assured him. "He was at the deli we used to go to all the time when you have meetings in the area. He was probably hoping to find you there while you're on a break. But all he got was me."
Edward cursed. "Sorry about all the trouble, but what am I supposed to do now?" Bella was supposed to come by at six and it was rapidly reaching the time.
"If she doesn't show up, let me know and I'll go check on her. I can ditch DarkMonster at night."
After ending the call, Edward couldn't help but worry about what Bella would think about the pictures and the paps. If she was truly angry with him because of old photos, what would it mean for the future? He busied himself with straightening up and cooking, constantly watching the clock and driving himself crazy.
Berating himself for looking at the time every few minutes, he focused on what he was doing. It wasn't long before he heard the buzz from the main gate. He glanced at the time and realized it was probably Bella. He hoped it was, but wasn't sure what to expect when he saw her. He spoke with security to allow Izzy Crane to drive up.
His doorbell chimed a few minutes later, after taking a deep breath, he answered the door. His jaw fell to his chest in complete shock and arousal. Bella was dressed in head-to-toe show stopping red, including a fiery wig with curls that fell to the middle of her back. The dress showed off curves and lightly muscled biceps, a black cardigan hanging over an arm. His tongue was stuck to the roof his mouth the second his gaze landed on the tantalizing length of her legs.
"Hello, Cullen." The smile she wore wasn't one of anger or even disappointment; she appeared to be happy to see him.
"Oh thank God," he whispered, pulling her inside quickly and wrapping one hand along the back of her head. The second the door closed behind her, he pushed her gently against it, brushing his lips along her cheek. She was there with him, happy to see him, and smelling like sin and looking so fucking good in a dress, he had a hard time stepping away from her.
"Someone is happy to see me," she murmured, her hips pressing closer to his hardened cock. He couldn't help it; she felt so damn good against him.
"He's not the only one," he said, going in for the kill. Their lips met tentatively, nothing more than a gentle brush of lips, a getting to know you kiss. Until she pulled him closer, her lips parting under his, allowing his tongue to explore and to taste. Only then did he pull away, desperation making him crave more. "Did you see the pictures?"
He wanted honesty, so he wouldn't keep anything from her. She pulled away to look up at him and he watched as she rolled her eyes. "Is that what this greeting is about?" All he could do was nod. "The pictures claimed to have been taken yesterday morning. If I remember correctly, at the time, I had you wrapped around me." There was a touch of pride in her tone. "I mean, we were watching movies, and you know, getting to know each other."
"You didn't think for one moment I had gone to see her after I left you yesterday?" He had to know if she could handle the bullshit that came with being with him.
"Not for one second," she said, shrugging. "First, you weren't wearing the same clothes, and second, your scuff and hair is longer than in those photos. Also, I know Vicky, and let me just say, she has no fucking qualms in doing whatever it takes to get more publicity and money. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one that had them release the photos."
"The DVD release is next week for our film, so if not her, it's the damn studio. Another possibility was the fact that I haven't been seen often since I started my break." He kissed her once more, happy to have her there with him. "Thank you for not jumping to conclusions and your willingness to look at the whole picture without instantly thinking the worst."
"I know what it means to be with someone like you." She wrapped her arms around his waist, settling her head on his shoulder. "I'll always talk to you first when something like this happens in the future."
She knew it wasn't an "if" but a "when". He held her close for a few minutes, feeling content for the first time in years.
"Let me give you a very short tour, since dinner will be ready soon." Taking her hand, he showed her his home, his sanctuary, loving the ooos and ahhs as she took it all in, from the hand carved mantels to the vintage door knobs. He led her to his bathroom so she could remove the wig, after expressing that he loved her real hair much more.
She joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later, and helped put a salad together as he removed the baked potatoes from the oven and unveiling a pair of thick steaks on the stove.
"Oh no," Bella gasped, holding up a hand over her mouth. "I should've told you I don't eat meat."
He froze. "You're kidding?" Then he noticed her shoulders shaking slightly, and increasing as a giggle slipped through her fingers.
"You should see your face." She laughed out loud, unable to hold it in any longer.
"You little devil." He placed the pan on the stove and chased after her, capturing her in the living room and throwing her over his shoulder.
"You really shouldn't have said that," he said, his voice deep and a tad on the rough side. One of his hands ran down her bare thigh as he walked toward the kitchen. He kept it there, but the desire to explore more was powerful. "Just for that, I'm not going to show you what I had planned to."
Meaning, she'd have to come see him again, so it worked in his favor.
"Aww, come on! I was only joking."
"Nope," he insisted, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table. Before he put her down, he felt her hand settle on his ass, surprising him. The touch was light enough to make him wonder if it was real. He swore he heard her say something that sounded like his ass was hers. "What was that?"
"Uh, nothing," she said sweetly, refusing to tell him despite his threat to keep her hanging.
He settled her on the chair, loving how bright her eyes were when she looked up at him, her grin equally beautiful. There was no helping the need to kiss her again, tasting the wine she sipped on while helping him with dinner. "Your ass," he whispered, earning a playful push and an even bigger smile.
AN: Thanks to everyone wishing me a good time on vacation, I had a great time camping and then a week with Kyla713 was perfect. I wrote this while I was visiting, while I played with her Bucky and Edward POPS, you can see that on my Twitter account, lol. Next we'll find it's time for a fitting ;)
I'm almost done with a chapter of The Haunting of Bella Swan and finally hit a roll on Punch Me, so yay. I'll be posting this on TWCS when I can find time to make a banner for it. Hopefully soon. Thanks xoxo