Incognito

Chapter Twenty-Four— Locky? Buoki?

Edward cursed as he rolled over, seeking the warmth that had been a constant by his side all night. When he failed to find it, he shuffled toward the middle of the oversized bed and hummed when he finally made contact with soft, warm skin. The shape of Bella's hip felt perfectly curved in the palm of his large hand. She fit well against his body, having tested it many times during the previous night.

He groaned, shifting to accommodate the thickening of his cock. One would think after having her on just about every flat surface—horizontal and vertical—in the house, he'd be exhausted and sated. Yet, he craved her with an intensity that he simply failed to convey in his work. At least from his perspective.

It explained why his last performance with his co-star didn't feel believable to his critics—he had never felt that way about anyone. Falling in love; he'd done it a couple of times in his lifetime, but never with the same passion, adoration, and deepening sense of happiness he felt with Bella. It was no wonder he hadn't been able to portray that in the characters he had played.

It wasn't the chemistry alone, either, although that was fucking explosive. No, he wanted to be wherever she was, listen to her talk about anything with enthusiasm, as she often did. Even sitting at home with her by his side sounded near perfect to him. Being naked would certainly help make it a hundred times better.

Edward's body responded further to his thoughts, his arm tightening around Bella's waist to pull her closer. His lips had explored every inch of her, tasting, nipping, and licking. She had a ticklish spot right where her waist dipped into her hip, one he had the pleasure to taste. That exploration led to a rather adventurous claiming on the back deck, that had started on a lounge chair and eventually ended on the ground, since it had collapsed under them.

He had no problem buying his friend new furniture, he thought, chuckling at the idea of trying to explain that one to him. Tucking his face into Bella's hair, he took a deep breath in the hopes to calm himself.

It had the reverse effect, since the woman always smelled damn good.

Edward needed her to wake up, and not only so they could continue where his dream left off—he wanted to talk to her. It felt off to keep their relationship a secret. He knew it would be tough either way, but he didn't want her to feel like she came second to his career. He'd give it all up for her.

That should've scared him and sent him running for the hills, but it didn't.

If they discussed coming out after Comic Con, it would mean they wouldn't be able to attend the following year. Well, at least not together. If anyone recognized her, fans would assume he would be standing beside her under masks or makeup.

"Next year," he whispered, realizing that he saw them together for over a year. Again, fear didn't claw at him as it had in previous relationships. It did send his heart racing, his mind equally intrigued by the idea.

He closed his eyes, picturing her with him six months from that moment, for Christmas. She'd be dressed in a naughty version of a Mrs. Santa Claus costume that he'd tear off her. Then he pictured them together at Comic Con the following year, keeping a low profile at a panel for one of his films. She'd be there to help him off the edge that usually came over him during those type of events. It wasn't hard to picture the following Christmas, that time with a ring on her finger and one on his, too.

"Oh fuck." He rubbed at his chest, wondering if he should be concerned that he wasn't having a panic attack yet. His last long-term relationship didn't even make it to the "I love yous" before he realized it had no future, and they'd been together for months.

"Mmm," Bella moaned softly in her sleep, slipping her hand over his on her hip. She moved it to her stomach and sighed, asleep once again.

The move triggered another vision of their future—Bella pregnant with his baby. The thought scared him, but not for the reasons it should. Raising a child in the limelight was hard, not only on the parents, but the children, too. He wasn't sure he could handle the paps without wanting to kill them with bare hands if they stepped too close or took an intrusive photo that frightened his child.

His hand tightened on Bella's stomach, making her stir. Anger coursed through him at the thought of those vultures near their children.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Don't go there, man. Not yet.

"I thought you were going to wake me up with your mouth…" Bella whispered, her voice still sleepy.

Edward didn't give her a chance to finish, rolling her beneath him, in desperate need to distract himself.

She smiled up at him, rich brown eyes staring at him like he meant everything to her. The way her lips stretched wider meant she saw the same reflected in his eyes. "Well?" she said, her brow tightening in confusion. Her fingers traced his jaw, her thumb rubbing along his bottom lip. "Are you all right?"

Edward leaned closer, his lips learning the shape of her cheek. "Never better. Now, I have a promise to keep."

Bella moaned as Edward's mouth and tongue explored every curve and dip until he reached between her thighs. Her fingers curled into his hair as he kissed and sucked, humming every time she gasped or whimpered. He didn't let her come until he was good and ready, when she was writhing under the languid swipes of his tongue. Her fingers tugged as he finally let her dive off the edge, his name on her lips.

Gasping and barely coherent, she whispered, "Best wake up call ever."

Edward laughed, his worries disappearing for the moment in the fiery desire between them. She pulled him in for a kiss, not at all bothered with the taste on his tongue; she only moaned into his mouth. Soon, they rolled under she sat astride him, her lips leaving him groaning and cursing until she took his length between her lips and reminding him that he liked when she took control.

For now.

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"Edward!" Bella called from the bathroom as he put their breakfast sandwiches together. "I'm done, come take a look."

"Be right there." Edward grinned, grabbing the face cover for his Winter Solider costume and his phone. He intended to take some photos of them together to share with the few people he trusted, including Jake and Seth.

They thought it was best for her to get dressed on her own since he kept trying to take the clothes off her. It wasn't his fault; Bella looked sexy as hell in dark green and black leather. He shivered at the thought of taking every article of clothing off her once they returned from Comic Con.

In all honesty, he was fine with remaining at the beach house for the day since the big panels they wanted to attend weren't until the following day. However, Bella was trying her hand at drawing manga and different types of graphic novel content. For the moment, it was only a hobby, but she did enjoy it and was interested in attending a few graphic illustrators' panels.

He wasn't an asshole, contrary to some obsessive fans wanted to believe.

"Why are you shaking your head?" Bella asked, leaning against a wood column.

"I never understood why some 'fans'," he used the hand gesture for quotations, "want to believe I'm a complete asshole and manwhore." He shrugged, placing her food at the end of the kitchen island. "But who gives a fuck about stupid shit when you're in the room." He pulled her closer, humming when her arms came around him. "You look incredible."

The faux gold chest plate she wore over the green and black tunic molded to her body to perfection, hinting at the curves underneath. Curves he had already explored and wanted to do again.

Bella started to giggle, not that he blamed her, since his hands were on her ass. He playfully hung his head in shame and pouted, but winked as he helped her take a seat on a barstool to eat. They discussed the game plan, since they still had booths to check out, the two panels Bella wanted to attend, and they set up a time to stay just outside of the main room to take photos. A group already contacted Bella about taking photos with other Marvel characters. She did tell them that they were attending today as a gender flipped Loki and the Winter Soldier, and they were eager to see her creations.

"I like the hair," Edward murmured, running his fingers along the bottom edge of it across her shoulders.

She smirked. "I didn't cut it, relax. It's just styled in a way to look shorter."

Sheepishly, Edward drew an imaginary halo around his head. "Sorry, you know I like to pull your hair."

She moaned, then sent him a withering glare. "Why did you have to put that in my head? We don't have time to explore that right now!"

Edward chuckled periodically as Bella continued to stew over her frayed nerves and push him away whenever he tried to touch her. "I never said I play fair."

Bella cocked an eyebrow, and something in her eyes had Edward leaning away. "Is that what you want to play? How much we can handle before one of us gives in and begs?"

"These pants are pretty snug and the material is tough. I'll be just fine."

Famous last words.

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"Did you see how many people turned when we walked in?" Bella shook her head, holding up her chin high. Her hand ran over the etched detail she added to her chest plate, grateful that Seth had finished it while she added the finishing touches to Edward's Winter Soldier costume.

"Get used to it." Edward kept her tucked by his side without actually touching her, remaining in character. Bella looked at him questionably, and he realized they hadn't had time to discuss their future. "Later." He tipped his head up as James aka DarkMonster stalked toward him in a Star Lord costume. It wasn't movie quality, but did look well made.

"Why can't we catch a break?" Bella rolled her eyes and plastered a smile for the little shit.

Edward knew he should feel grateful, and at first, he had been, since DarkMonster's social media outreach helped put his face out there. His fanbase grew by leaps and bounds in the first few months after the show started, but now, James spent most of his time being as intrusive and creepy as paparazzi.

"James," Bella said dismissively, looking bored, much like Loki's lovable character. She turned toward Edward, making sure his face mask that covered his chin and jaw were firmly in place. Her lips pursed, her eyes hardening as she said in perfect Russian, "Come, we must depart and leave this wretched human here."

Edward responded without words, not quite ready to talk in front of James. He once played a character that spoke Russian, and there was a chance his "biggest fan" would recognize his speech patterns or tone. He wasn't taking any chances. He simply jerked a small nod and stood at attention.

"See you later, James." Bella sent a wave over her shoulder, not looking back. Still looking straight ahead, she pulled out a compact mirror and they watched as James took a photo of their retreating figures. "Fuck. Let's hope your ass isn't that recognizable in those pants."

Edward groaned and fell out of character to glare at her. "I'm never going to live down the fact that my ass has a mold somewhere out there, am I?" It was for a film, but he had found out that someone on the set had stolen the mold.

"Not in this decade." She bumped his shoulder, smiling at him. "You didn't talk?"

"I've been practicing the phrases we discussed earlier, but James could've recognized my voice since I did play a character who spoke Russian before."

"That's right, in Worse Ways to Die." She shuddered then shivered. "He was an awful man, but damn, did you play him well."

It was one of the few roles he'd earned several accolades for, but hearing praise from her made him feel taller. "Let's drop it before someone overhears us or my head gets too big for the room."

Bella giggled. "As opposed to the other head growing bigger." She walked ahead of him, enough to give him one hell of a view of her perfect ass in black suede.

"Why did I agree to play this game?" Edward asked himself, making sure he wasn't giving someone an eyeful of his bigger head. He'd been right, the material of his pants kept him contained, for the moment.

Bella looked at him over his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow and smirking. "Coming?"

"Not yet," he hissed in her ear when he reached her, turning her to face him. He leaned a little closer, his fingers swirling patterns on the small of her back, and gave her a look that seemed to daze her. Anything to help level the playing field, and besides, she never said touching was off the table. "You're beautiful when you tease me." She didn't have to say a word for him to realize she knew what she was doing to him, and she'd use it to her advantage. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "You're killing me, Bella." The soft moan on her lips shredded what little control he had left. Not giving a fuck, he tossed the chin cover and slanted his mouth over hers.

She gave as good as she got, tugging on his hair and sliding her tongue along his lips when he had to take a deep breath.

"What the fuck?" Someone yelled nearby.

Bella and Edward startled and turned to find a man dressed as Captain America glaring at them. "Loki and Bucky!" He waved his shield around, shaking his head. "That's just so wrong!"

One of the women he was with laughed. "Would that be Locky or Buoki?"

Edward held Bella close, chuckling against her hair as a few people took photos. Not too far away was someone dressed as Darth Vader with a stormtrooper at his side, they saluted, Jacob and Seth.

If trouble arose, they would help, but hopefully, it wouldn't come to that as the day progressed. He wanted to enjoy his day with Bella, even if he had to endure blue balls from hell.

AN: The blending of names is hard for me, Locky? lol. I hope you all enjoyed it. I have my doubts that I'll be able to update anything over the next week since the holidays are almost upon us and between me being busy, so are my betas. Once Christmas is over, I'll have a little more time. So just in case, I wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays, I hope you and yours a wonderful time. Thank you for your amazing support and another incredible year, and I'm looking forward to another.