Chapter Eleven


Edward stretched his hands above his head, his fingers touching an unfamiliar headboard. It didn't take long for him to remember all that happened in the last eighteen hours or so.

There was frantic call from a new client, Jasper having given Alec the number to call when he recognized his troubles. He couldn't forget Jane's revelation at her brother's house and the near collision that could've killed a woman. There was no forgetting Bella and all that transpired since meeting her on that stretch of road.

He rolled onto his side, his hand in search of the inviting warmth of Bella. A small groan slipped from his lips the moment he contacted soft skin. She sighed in her sleep; it was a low, sexy sound from deep within her. His arm curled over her hip, pulling her toward his body. For someone so petite, she fit against him perfectly. Everything lined up in bed, well, what was important at least.

Lips to lips.

Heart to heart.

Hips to hips.

She came willingly into his arms, humming against his neck. He had forgotten that they were only in their underwear, having stripped down in the early morning hours. Suddenly he was completely fucking hard, there was no way to hide his arousal; space didn't exist between their bodies. The low, little sound she made earlier returned, vibrating through her when she felt his length against the warmest part of her. One of the only things keeping him from touching and tasting every inch of her was the secrets she kept from him.

"What time is it?" she asked, her still sleepy voice was sexy as hell. It wasn't making his situation any better. If she continued to talk and rub against him, he'd have her under him and screaming his name for another reason other than ghosts.

Thinking of ghosts, he hadn't heard a damn thing from James and the others. Not since they left Alec and Tanya's house shortly after Jane staged a crossing over for the sake of her brother. It wasn't unusual for them to give him space after a long day and night of investigating, for all he knew they could be close. It never lasted long though.

He opened his eyes just enough to see that Bella's markings were a dim gold, due to his presence. They'd be blue if the others were nearby. He had to get out of bed and find out where they were, but Bella hummed as she snuggled closer. Tucking her head under his chin and intertwining her legs with his, she almost made him forget that they could have three spirits suddenly appear and watch them sleep.

That shit was creepy, for whatever reason.

He pulled away enough to check for the time on one of their phones on the nightstand. She moved along with him, not allowing him the chance to gather a measure of control. "It's not even fucking dawn," he groaned, her lips sampling the sensitive skin over the pulse on his neck. "We might have an audience." She laughed, the sound making him moan again. His arms tightened around her, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're right," she said, her fingers tracing delicate patterns on his chest. "The spell I put up will wear off in a few more minutes."

"Spell?" he asked as he pulled back to look at her. She wouldn't meet his eyes, so he lifted her chin up with his thumb.

"It doesn't always work. If I'm feeling awful, or I'm too exhausted the spells won't last long." She shrugged. "Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing. The knowledge, I think comes from my past lives. Like when I said as I child I started talking in Latin, without even studying the language. It's sort of instinctual."

"You said last night that you can turn it off if you're drunk," he said, trying not to react outwardly by her confession. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be her situation. To not know what your capable of until the right moment.

"Yes, that still is true, for the most part. I told you that in case you needed some time to yourself. I'm not always going to be with you when you want a break—" He pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off.

The idea of her being away from him didn't sit well with him. Who had her back? Edward had his ghostly companions to make sure he would be okay, and everything Bella told him indicated that she was on her own. She had acquaintances, but not the kind of friends that would drop everything to be there for her.

"How long do we have?" he asked, his lips brushing over her warm cheek. She was blushing and it pleased him more than he thought possible. Her eyes closed, though he wasn't sure if it was to check whatever magic she weaved or because of what he was doing to her. The way her hips undulated against his, indicated the latter.

Fuck yeah.

"A few minutes," she whispered, her words broken by the hitch in her breath. He smiled against her cheek, because he had her right where he wanted her. There was nothing wrong with taking advantage of a few moments alone to make out. After though, he intended to get her to talk more. Before he had a chance to follow through with his plans, Bella turned the tables on him and had his body pinned beneath hers.

"What the fuck?" he asked stupidly, his hands stretched overhead. The lacy bra she wore was teasing him, and he tried to roll them again, but she was stronger than he realized. Her laughter was contagious, their kissing breathless and a little on the sloppy side. Every time she pulled away to breathe, he'd follow her up, keeping their bodies as close as possible. Her hips rolled over his, her fingers skimming down his arms and cradling his face. Her mouth was soft and tasted a little like mint. "When did you get out of bed?" She only gave him a small smile, pressing her incredible lips to his awaiting mouth. His next groan was deeper and he hated that their time was almost up. Their hands roamed over exposed skin, teasing the rest that they couldn't see.

They were lost.

"Should we tell them we can see them now?" James asked in a stage whisper. Edward cursed, his hands squeezing Bella's ass one last time. She hid her face against his neck and shoulder, and he sought privacy in her hair. "Grab that booty, Edward!" Edward reached for the comforter and pulled it over them.

"For goodness sakes," Shelley hissed, pulling James away by the ear toward the bedroom door. "I can't watch this. I'll be downstairs." Edward closed his eyes and held Bella closer, keeping her covered as much as possible.

"You're such a fucking prude, Shel," Jane called out, her voice closer than the others did.

Edward opened one eye slightly, yelping when Jane was in his face. "What the hell, Jane?"

"Yeah, what he said. What the hell?" Bella sat up, pouting at the ghost. They glared each other for a bit, but her face softened after a few seconds. "I'll see what I can do." She jumped from bed and made her way toward the bathroom without another word to Edward. Dressed only in her underwear, he couldn't look away. It made him want to run after her and suggest they share a shower for water conservation.

"What was that about?" he asked Jane, sitting up and grabbing his shirt from the floor. He lost what modesty he had when it came to his nudity, since they were always around. That didn't mean he was comfortable with them watching him masturbate or have sex. The few times they caught him with his hand down his pants, they had left immediately, usually. He wasn't sure if they were there or not, and that thought usually killed his erection.

"I asked if she could check on my family," she said, shrugging. "Those cop friends of hers are already near where I'm buried. I'm sorry for barging in, but whatever she did was really fucking weird."

He rose from bed and slipped into his jeans. "What do you mean?"

"It was like a bubble was around the whole fucking house and driveway, not just you and her." Jane started to do the pace-glade she did when she was upset. He wasn't sure what to think about her staying when she had a chance to move on. "Right after you fell asleep she got up and conjured the spell. It was like you suddenly disappeared."

He rubbed his face, still tired. Though he slept for a few hours, he could use a few more. "She already said she put up a spell to give us a break." Jane said nothing as he walked over to the dresser that had a mirror. He looked like shit; the bags under his eyes were still dark. His hair was a mess and stuck up on one side. "I need to grab one of my bags and shower." He tested his breath, relieved that it didn't smell rank.

Bella exited the adjacent bathroom partially dressed and stared at them when they said nothing. "I don't have the answers you seek. Sometimes, and it will happen often, I act on instinct. My priority will always be to protect you and the others. I know it's a lot to ask, but for now you have to trust that I would never hurt you…intentionally."

"But you can hurt us?" Jane asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. She levitated in place in front of Bella, making sure she appeared taller. The young spirit was going for intimidation. The problem was that Bella had something about her that commanded attention and respect, tinged with healthy dose of fear. She was fucking glowing blue, too, which was going to take to get used to for him.

"Think about what I can do," Bella said, lifting her arm up for them to see. Before their eyes her hand appeared transparent, her fingers mere shadows as they waved to them. Edward felt the energy shift as she pushed outward with her ghostly hand. "Now imagine my hand turning corporeal, to flesh and bone, inside a human."

The words painted a horrific picture in his mind, her hand holding a bloody organ, still pumping out blood. It was a warning, one of many reasons to walk away. She left the room, leaving more questions than answers behind her. Edward believed she answered one of those questions with that demonstration. She had killed before.

Every instinct he had was to follow her, but instead he walked into the bathroom not surprised to find his bag with clothes inside the room. He needed a little time to himself, because he had to decide if he was going to walk away from Bella before it was too late, afraid it already was.


AN: I want to wish Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. To the others, I hope you have an awesome day! As for the most asked question I got for the last chapter, the thing about Bella chaining herself to a chair, you will find out why eventually. Just keep in mind that she would do something like that to protect herself and others.

The response to this has been amazing, thank you!

I'm working on the next chapter of Punch Me, its almost done and over 9k. Thinking of dividing into two chapters, but posting one after the other. Makes it easier to read on my phone when people do that. I hope you won't mind. Okay off to buy a few groceries for tomorrow in Hellmart. Its going to be a madhouse.