Chapter Eight

It's been over a week since I bumped into Edward. A week since I saw him with Charlotte. I've tried to put it out of my mind, to not think about it, and keep myself busy enough that I don't have time to wonder about them, but the thoughts still creep back in as soon as I'm alone.

He'd been laughing, really laughing and I'd forgotten what a beautiful sound it was until then. But then he'd seen me and he'd looked so...awkward, like I was the last person he wanted to see. It had hurt a little. Especially, as I thought we'd had such a nice evening at his place. I mean, I even thought he was going to kiss me at one point.

Charlotte was pretty too. She had a nice smile and she'd been polite and kind and that somehow made it worse. It made me like her which I didn't want to do. It was mean and petty but true nonetheless.

Edward had told me he didn't have a girlfriend and I don't see why he would lie about it but in that case, who was Charlotte? A friend? A colleague? It was what I stayed up late at night thinking about.

"Bella? You ready?" Jane asks.

"Yeah" I nod.

I stand from the make-up chair and head out of the room, following Jane through the sea of trailers and tents that made up our new movie set. I'd been here for two days and the movie was going well, I thought. It was exciting to start a new project and everyone I had met so far seemed nice.

"Hey Bella!" I hear my name being called and turn to see Marcus jogging toward me.

"Hey" I smile.

"You look good" He nods, taking in my costume, hair and make-up.

I look like I've stepped out of the thirties. My hair is crimped and twisted into a delicate style, my dress a pale yellow with a feminine floral print that hits mid-calf. The straw hat pinned to my head hides my eyes from the sun and in the scorching California heat, I'm grateful for whatever I can get.

"Thanks, do I look like the Kitty you imagined?" I ask, turning in front of him.

"Indeed you do" He smiles. "I just wanted to let you know some exciting news," He says.

He pulls me over to one side, out of earshot from everyone else.

"I've just had confirmation that Elizabeth Masen will be playing Lucinda Dreyfus." He tells me.

"Elizabeth Masen?!" I ask, my mouth hanging open in surprise.

He nods, looking pleased.

Elizabeth Masen is one of the biggest Hollywood starlets alive. She rose to fame during the Golden Era of Monroe and Hepburn and has played some iconic roles in the past. In recent years, her appearances have been few and far between and she's become incredibly selective over the parts and movies she'll accept.

"That's incredible!" I gush.

"Well, I want you to meet her obviously before she starts filming." He says.

"Yeah that...that would be amazing" I nod, grinning like a fool.

"Good" He nods. "Now you know about the filming break in a couple of weeks?" He asks.

"Yeah apparently some issue with food supply" I nod.

According to a round-robin email that everyone received, there's going to be a two-week hiatus in a week due to the catering company having booked a private event. There's no one else available so we have to shut up shop for a few days.

"Fucking idiots. How hard is it to organise a fucking sandwich?" He scoffs, making me giggle. "Anyway, I better let you get back or suffer the wrath of Demitri" He teases.

We say our goodbyes before I continue heading to set, finding Demitri and James waiting for me.

"Bella! There you are! Looking good I see" Demitri nods appreciatively.

I smile at him before heading onto set. He takes a couple of minutes to explain what he wants and the few shots he's going to do. Today we're shooting the scene where Kitty and Raymond bump into each other for the first time. It's kind of a pivotal moment and I really want to get it right so I focus on Demitri's instructions closely.

Once he's disappeared back behind the camera, we work through the scenes a couple of times but he doesn't seem happy with the result.

"James, you're seeing an old flame for the first time. Maybe try to look bothered?" He suggests.

James looks completely unaffected by the criticism.

"And Bella, you need to look a bit more surprised. You never expected to see him again, remember that" Demitri says gently.

I nod, giving a small smile before finding my mark once more. Surprised. I think back to when I bumped into Edward, how we'd both frozen and stared in shock, how I'd felt like the room stopped moving for a minute.

Demitri yells action before we run through the scene again. I try to bring in the emotions I felt seeing Edward for the first time and before too long, James fades away in front of me and he's replaced with green eyes and auburn hair. When Demitri yells cut, it makes me jump a little.

"Perfect!" He cries. "And Bella that was so...authentic. Exactly what we're looking for" He says.

I smile at him, feeling my cheeks warm a little and avoiding James's slightly too appreciative gaze.

We continue to work for a couple of hours before Demitri calls a coffee break and we head over to the refreshment tent. I grab a coffee before finding a seat at a table near the exit. I tuck my skirts up around my knees, making sure they don't get too dirty for the next scene before taking a sip of the creamy liquid.

"That was excellent Bella," James says, coming to sit with me.

"Thanks" I smile, "You too."

We fall into silence and I try to ignore how I feel slightly uncomfortable under his gaze.

"So are you enjoying the movie?" He asks.

"Yeah, are you?" I reply.

"Of course, I get to see you every day" He teases.

I laugh lightly, restraining an eye roll before he speaks again.

"I'm having a party at the weekend." He suddenly says, "You should come".

"A party?" I question.

"Yes, just friends, old colleagues etc." He nods. "Come on, you could let your hair down" He teases.

I look at him for a minute. If I say no it will make things awkward but if I say yes I've got to spend more time with him and I don't know how I feel about that.

"You can bring some people if you'd like?" He suggests.

"Sure" I nod. "That will be nice."

Maybe I can rope Rose and Alice into going.

"Perfect. Can't wait" He grins.


It's been just over a week since Bella left Forks and I can't shake the fucking guilty feeling in my stomach. I don't know why I even feel guilty, it's not like we're seeing each other or even doing anything remotely more than friends, but for some reason when Bella saw me with Charlotte, I wanted to immediately deny that there was anything going on between us. And that made me feel guilty for Charlotte too.

"Ow fuck!" I cry out, dropping the hammer and shaking my hand out, trying to get rid of the pain.

"You good?" Emmett asks, looking over at me from his ladder.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I grumble back.

I scrub a hand over my face and stand up, stretching my stiff back. We're working on the deck at the Swan's place again and it's making my mind go mad with thoughts of Bella. All I can think about is how she sat here a couple of weeks ago, her eyes moving over my body, making me feel things I shouldn't be.

I head over to the cool box at the corner of the yard, grab a water and sit down on the closed lid. I look over at Emmett and Jasper, working methodically on the decking and Ben threading cable for the recessed lights.

"Looks good," I say to them.

"Yeah, it does. It will look cool with the lighting too." Jasper nods.

"I need a break!" Emmett suddenly moans, stretching the muscles in his back and wincing a little. I know the feeling.

I throw them both a water before they all come and perch on the old wooden chairs, sipping their drinks. It's still hot for this time of year and I wipe the bottom of my t-shirt over my face, rubbing the sweat away.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes next to me and I look over to see Charlotte's name pop up on the screen. I immediately feel a little guilt in my stomach.

"Who's Charlotte?" Emmett asks, looking down at my phone.

I raise my eyes to see them all looking at me curiously. Fuck. I haven't mentioned Charlotte before, mainly because I didn't know what to say.

"Just a girl" I reply, grabbing the phone before they can.

"A girl?" Ben asks incredulously.

"Yeah, you know, a female person?" I reply sarcastically. He rolls his eyes at me.

"What girl?" Jasper asks.

I sigh a little, scrubbing a hand over my face. They're never going to let this go.

"Remember the girl from the bar at Ben's birthday?" I ask.

They all frown, trying to remember.

"I remember very little from that night." Ben admits.

"Oh yeah, dark hair, gave you her number?" Jasper nods.

"Fuck man! Her?! You called her?!" Emmett asks, looking shocked.

"No I didn't. We bumped into each other in the grocery store" I tell them.

"And you gave her your number by the looks of things," Emmett says.

"I apologised for never calling her because she looked embarrassed and then she asked me for a coffee at the diner." I shrug like it's no big deal.

"When was this?" Jasper asks.

"About a month ago" I reply.

"A month!" Emmett cries.

"So you've been seeing her?" Ben asks.

"Not really. Not like that anyway. We had coffee at the diner twice and went to Anderson's pub for drinks" I shrug.

They're all silent for a moment, staring at me, then Emmett grins and I'd know that look anywhere.

"Edward's got a girlfriend" He teases.

"She's not my girlfriend" I reply a bit too quickly and I notice Jasper's eyes flash to mine. "She's just a friend. She's nice and we've hung out a couple of times. Nothing's happened" I insist.

"Okay, keep your panties on" Emmett replies, rolling his eyes.

"So what's she like?" Ben asks.

"Nice. She's a teaching assistant at the kindergarten in town." I tell them. "She's funny too" I nod with a small smile, thinking about her impression of her brother. Then my smile fades when I remember bumping into Bella.

"So why aren't you jumping up and down?" Emmett asks.

I notice Jasper watching me carefully and I feel too exposed.

"I dunno. It's early days you know? I'm happy as I am and...I just want to keep things casual for now. I'm not really looking for a girlfriend" I shrug.

They all nod slowly.

"Well, I think it's good for you," Ben says. "You need to get out a bit more, Ed".

"Yeah, you need to get laid too" Emmett chuckles.

I roll my eyes and ignore them although they're not wrong. I can't remember the last time I slept with anyone.

"So what did she want?" Jasper asks, speaking for the first time in a while.

I look down opening the message.

Hey. Just wondered if you were around to look at that loose stair? Takeout is still on me! - C

"She wants me to look at a loose stair tread in her building." I shrug.

"Sounds like a ruse to me" Emmett chuckles.

"It's not like that," I say quietly.

There's a beat of silence before Jasper says he's going to get back to work. Emmett follows him and Ben disappears to get more cable from the van, leaving me alone. I sigh a little, reading the message again. I did say I would look at her stairs and she did promise me takeout.

Why am I agonising over this? There's nothing going on between me and Bella. There's nothing going on between me and Charlotte other than maybe some harmless flirting on her part. Bella's a million miles away so why do I fucking care if she thinks Charlotte and I are seeing each other?

I bite my lip before replying to her message.

Hey. Friday night work for you? - E


As the car pulls up to the house, I see throngs of people inside. The white building is right on the beach and looks out across the ocean. It's beautiful, if not very LA.

"Wow, nice house" Rose says next to me.

"Yeah. Look at the pool!" Alice cries.

We climb out of the car before heading toward the building. I've not been looking forward to this party since the second I agreed to it. There's just something about James that rubs me up the wrong way. I don't mind working with him and I agree he's right for the part of Raymond, but as himself, he's not for me. I only came in the end because Alice and Rose agreed to come with me.

We head into the house and see a large crowd of beautiful people, all tanned and bleached and clad in one designer or another. I scan the room looking for James but can't see him anywhere. That's quite often the way with these kinds of parties, you never see the host that invited you.

"Let's get a drink!" Rose says over the music.

We push our way through the crowds finding the bar in the corner. There's even a bartender for this shindig.

"What can I get you, ladies?" He asks.

We all order margaritas before sipping from our crystal glasses.

I look around the house. It's big, well designed but cold and very like every other house, I've been in before. There's a huge white couch in the centre of the room with a TV to rival a movie theatre on the wall. A pristine kitchen is off to the side, filled with the best appliances and probably no food, while a wall of glass looks out over the Californian coastline.

"So, he's your co-star?" Alice asks.

"Yeah. Leading man" I nod.

"What's he like?" Rose asks.

"He's alright. A bit flirty but...fine" I shrug.

They nod and roll their eyes. They know the type I mean.

"Have you heard from Edward recently?" Rose asks a while later.

"No" I shake my head and try to ignore the stab of disappointment.

"Did something happen?" Alice asks, taking in my expression.

"Not really" I shrug.

They both stare at me, waiting for me to spill the details.

"I bumped into him with a girl," I tell them.

"A girl?" Alice asks. "I thought he was single."

"That's what he told me" I nod.

"What were they doing?" Rose asks.

"Walking back from the diner in town. They'd been having a beer." I tell her. "They looked like they were having a blast." I add grumpily.

"Why?" Alice wonders.

"He was laughing. Really laughing. And then went all serious when he saw me" I explain.

"Maybe he was worried you'd think things were more than they are" Rose shrugs. "Maybe she's a friend or a colleague even".

"Yeah. Maybe" I nod.

"Bella!" I hear behind me.

I turn to see James clad in a white linen shirt, unbuttoned to mid-chest, smiling at me.

"James" I smile. "You have a beautiful home" I compliment.

"Thank you" He says, his eyes moving to Rose and Alice.

"These are my friends. Rosalie Hale and Alice Brandon" I tell him.

"A pleasure indeed" He says, his eyes moving appreciatively over them both. "Come with me, I want to show you something," He says before taking my arm.

I glance at Alice and Rose and they signal that they'll stay there. I nod a little before following James further into the house. We walk down a short corridor before he opens a door and ushers me inside.

"You'll like this" He whispers as I walk into the room.

Inside is a room full of movie memorabilia, from posters to costumes to signed photographs. It's incredible, like a museum. I look around at some of the things on display, taking in artefacts from movies I've loved over the years.

"Wow, this is amazing" I murmur.

"I thought you'd like it" James says behind me.

He begins to tell me about a few of the things in the display cabinets, pointing out little details and even letting me hold a few props from various movies. He's interesting and I begin to wonder if I've misjudged him a little. But then he stands too close to me, his groin almost pressing into my ass and the spell is broken.

"It's incredible James. It must have taken you years to collect everything" I say as we head towards the door.

"It has. But I'm a patient man" He smiles at me.

I smile back, feeling uneasy, as we make our way down the corridor.

"I have to say Bella" James suddenly says, grabbing my hand and stopping me before I can rejoin the party, "You look lovely this evening".

"Thank you" I reply quietly, noticing his eyes move down my body. It doesn't have the same effect as when Edward did it.

"I hear Demitri has added a new scene to the movie." He says, leaning against the wall and looking at me.

"Yeah, apparently it's a last-minute change. Best learn my lines" I try to joke.

"Perhaps we could rehearse here" He suggests. "Together. I could get us dinner or something?"

He looks at me for a long moment and I hesitate, feeling a bit exposed under his gaze.

"Why do I feel like that's code for something else?" I ask.

James laughs, really laughs, his eyes closing for a moment before he looks at me with a flirty grin.

"Because it is. I'm going to be honest with you Bella, I like you and I would like to get to know you." He says, moving closer, one hand going to my bare shoulder and trailing down my arm slowly.

"James. I'm flattered" I say, removing myself from his grasp. "But we have to work together and I think it would be best if we kept things professional".

He looks at me for a moment, surprise in his eyes before he grins at me again.

"Nothing wrong with mixing a little business and pleasure" He pushes, moving closer to me.

"Still." I say, placing my hand on his chest and holding him away from me. There's a pause and I see a flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

"Understood. Anyway, I said I was a patient man." He says. "You might find you change your mind".

I hold his gaze before eventually having to look away.

"I best get back to my friends" I tell him with a small smile.

"Of course. Enjoy the party Bella" He replies before I almost run through the house.

I find Alice and Rose where I left them, both sipping margaritas and looking a little boredc.

"There you are. We nearly sent out a search party" Alice jokes.

"What happened?" Rose asks, taking in my expression.

"James showed me his memorabilia room. Then asked if I'd like to rehearse with him here." I tell them.

They both exchange a look before I shake my head.

"I turned him down obviously. Said we had to work together and it was best to keep things professional" I shrug.

We stand there for a while longer, sipping out drinks, me trying to swallow the bile in my throat before I hear a faint melody coming from the speakers in the living room. I listen harder and realise it's Beggin by Madcon.

God I haven't heard this song in years...


"Are you sure it's okay for me to be here without your parents?" I ask Edward.

"Yes Bella" He chuckles. "They knew you were coming over and they're fine with it".

I nod a little, following him into the kitchen. I haven't been to his house before. It's fairly large and nicely decorated with lots of family photos on the walls. I've already giggled at some of Edward's baby photos.

"Drink?" He asks.

"A water would be great" I nod.

He grabs two bottles of water before handing one to me. I pop the cap and take a small sip.

"Do you wanna go upstairs?" He asks.

I stare at him with wide eyes.

"Before you ask, it's fine" He chuckles.

"Okay" I nod.

I won't lie, I'm really curious about what Edward's bedroom is like. He grins at me before we head up the stairs and into the first room on the right. Edward opens the door before turning to face me.

"Welcome to my room" He says.

I look around. It's painted a pale grey with a large double bed on one wall, covered in dark blue covers. There's a desk over by the window, a large bookcase to the side filled with books, CDs, video games and other stuff. There's a dresser on the other side, a selection of aftershave spread along the top. There are a couple of posters on the walls of various musicians and bands. They seem to have been there a while if the curled corners are anything to go by.

"So, what do you think? Everything you imagined it would be?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Kinda" I chuckle.

"Shall I put some music on?" He asks.

"Sure" I nod.

He walks over to a speaker on his desk and fiddles with his phone for a second before a song I don't know floats through the speakers.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Beggin by Madcon" He answers.

I nod a little before placing my water bottle down on his nightstand. I stand a little awkwardly before Edward chuckles and sits down on the end of his bed, patting the mattress beside him. I gingerly perch on the edge.

"Relax" He says, burrowing his face into my hair and making me giggle.

"I've just...never been in a guy's room before" I admit quietly.

"Is it any different from being in a girl's room?" He asks, his eyes meeting mine.

"Yeah. You're in it" I reply, making him chuckle.

"I can be girly if that helps," He says, fluttering his eyelashes at me and making me roll my eyes. "It's only me Bella" He whispers.

"I know but...I dunno" I giggle breathlessly.

"Tell me" He whispers in my ear before dropping little kisses down my neck.

My eyes flutter closed and I tilt my head slightly to give him more room to work.

"You make my head spin" I admit and I hear him chuckle deeply against my skin.

"You make mine spin too" He teases before sucking on the skin behind my ear and making me moan quietly.

"You make me feel like I might do something stupid" I breathe before his mouth finds mine and my hands go into his hair.

His lips move against mine before his tongue swipes against my bottom lip asking for entrance. I open my mouth, tangling my tongue with his.

"Scoot up" He mumbles against my lips.

I do as he says, shuffling up his bed until my head rests on his pillows. I kick off my shoes, him doing the same before he crawls up toward me, lying his body next to mine, his chest pressing against mine as he rests his arms on either side of my head.

"What stupid things might you do?" He whispers, kissing down the other side of my neck.

"Um..." I breathe, my eyes closing and my head tilting back for him, "Like touch you or something..." I murmur, feeling my cheeks warm.

"That doesn't sound stupid to me" He grunts, moving over me more so that he can kiss along my shoulder. "Touch me where?" He asks and I hear his breathing turn heavy.

"Here..." I breathe, bravely brushing my hand against his groin. He groans quietly, thrusting his groin into my hips slightly. For some reason, having him on top of me makes this even hotter.

"You can touch me there" He whispers, his voice deeper than before. "But I want to touch you too..."

He kisses across my collarbone and down my chest. His hands push up my t-shirt a little, exposing my stomach to him before he kisses a fiery line down to the top of my shorts. My breathing turns heavy and I feel him pop the button of my pants before dragging the zipper down. His eyes glance up at me and I suddenly feel far too warm.

"Can I taste you?" He whispers.

"Um...I-I don't know" I stutter, feeling him pulling my shorts down my legs.

"I'll keep my eyes closed if that's what you're worried about" He chuckles darkly.

I let out a breathy laugh. It is what I'm worried about. I'm also worried he won't like it and then I'll be embarrassed.

"Do you want to?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I really want to." He nods, dragging his tongue along the top of my panties.

I let out a shuddering breath before giving a small nod. He grins at me before slipping his fingers under the fabric of my panties. As he pulls them down my legs, his eyes fixed on mine, I feel like my heart might pound out of my chest.

"Can I look?" He whispers, his thumbs rubbing small circles on my hips.

It's so sweet that he's asking and still hasn't looked, making sure I'm comfortable that I can't help but give him a little nod. Even though my cheeks are burning and I think I might break the skin on my lip, I'm biting it so hard.

I see his breathing become heavy before his eyes drop to between my legs. I momentarily panic that there's something wrong with me but then he lets out a tight groan and drops his head, kissing right above where I want him.

He tries to part my legs but I hold them tightly together before he lets out a small, breathy chuckle and looks up at me.

"Baby, I can't do it unless you spread your legs." He tells me.

"What if-"

"You're perfect" He blurts out. "And I want you so...please...let me" He says, his face looking a little pained.

I swallow thickly before loosening my legs and letting him push them apart. He slides between my legs before moaning at the sight in front of him. I personally don't know why he would find that attractive but when he licks between my folds I don't care.

He licks me in long swipes of his tongue making me gasp and moan and grip his bed sheets before he flicks his tongue over my clit and I groan, my back arching. After a couple of minutes, I can tell I'm getting close already and I'm panting into the air.

"I'm gonna cum" I whimper and he groans in response before sucking hard on my clit, throwing me over the edge.

"Fuck" I moan, my back arching and my legs slamming into his shoulders as I try to close them under the pressure.

Edward continues to move his tongue over me until I have to push his head away because it's too sensitive. I breathe heavily as he crawls back up the bed, grinning at me.

"You're so hot" He tells me.

I chuckle breathlessly before he kisses me softly. He tastes different but not unpleasant.

"So did you like it?" He asks me.

"I'd have thought that was obvious" I giggle and he chuckles with me.

"Thank you for letting me see it" He says sweetly and his words make me laugh.

"You're welcome" I tell him.

He chuckles before his eyes drop to my mouth and I suddenly feel consumed with the desire to touch him too, to taste him too. I lean up on my elbows and fuse my mouth to his. I kiss him hard before shoving on his shoulders and rolling him onto his back. He grunts a little before I kiss down his neck, sucking on the skin behind his ear, just like he did to me.

"Mmm" Edward moans, tilting his head to give me more room.

I kiss down to his chest before pushing his t-shirt up so that I can kiss a trail down his stomach. When I reach the light trail of hair leading under his pants I swallow hard, suddenly feeling nervous. I've never done this before and I really don't want to be bad at it.

I glance up at Edward and he's watching me with the darkest eyes, his chest heaving under his heavy breaths.

"Can I do this?" I ask, more myself than him.

"You can do whatever the fuck you want" He murmurs, his voice deep and gritty.

I swallow before popping the button of his pants and pulling the zipper down. He lifts his ass for me as I pull his shorts off, leaving him in his boxers. This is the first time I've seen him in daylight and he suddenly looks huge under the dark grey cotton.

I can tell I'm breathing heavily before I slide my fingers under the elastic of his boxers and pull them down his legs, watching his cock slap against his stomach. Despite the situation I can't help but giggle at the sound and then I hear Edward chuckle too.

I look up at him and he's watching me curiously. I bite my bottom lip before glancing back down at his cock.

"I've never done this before" I admit quietly.

"I know" He whispers. "You don't have to though if you don't want to. I'm happy with whatever" He reassures me.

"I want to" I tell him. "But...I don't know how" He says.

"Okay" He nods. "Just do what feels right" He says.

"Tell me if I do something wrong?" I ask him.

He nods before I take him in my hand and hear him let out a quiet groan before I lean forward and take one long tentative lick. Edward lets out a shuddering breath and I glance up at him, wondering if I did something wrong but he's looking at me, almost pained.

I do it again, watching as he tilts his head back and moans. I feel powerful, making him react like that so I do it again, then again before I try licking just the tip and he jolts slightly, grunting into the air. I can't see his face from this angle but he doesn't tell me to stop so I gently suck on just the tip.

Suddenly his head snaps up, looking down at me and he groans. I swirl my tongue around a bit, getting used to the feel of him in my mouth before his hands move to my hair, moving it out of my face. I feel him bunch my hair into one of his hands, his eyes focused on my mouth.

I try to dip my mouth a little lower but stop before he hits the back of my throat, not wanting to gag on him. Not sexy. I bob my head slowly watching his eyes flutter slightly before he moans again, his teeth biting his bottom lip.

"Fuck" He breathes. "That's so good" He murmurs and I feel a small surge of pride move through me.

I continue to bob my head over him before increasing the speed a little. Edward seems to like that because he lets out a low rumble from his chest, dropping onto his back again.

I find that it's easy to bob my head up and down if I hold the base of his cock with my other hand. I try to switch things up a bit, wanting to hear him make more noises, so I swirl my tongue around the tip before dropping back down.

"Urgh...fuck...yeah" He groans.

I can feel wetness against my hand from my saliva and move my hand up and down the base of his cock, rubbing is away.

"Mm...yeah...move your hand at the same time" He breathes.

I do as he says, moving my hand over the part that won't fit into my mouth as I continue to bob my head. Suddenly he raises his head to look at me again and his eyes have never looked so dark.

"Suck harder" He tells me and it's really hot that he's telling me that.

Before I realise what I'm doing, I let out a moan and suck harder, making Edward groan lowly, his teeth biting down on his bottom lip.

"Urgh...just like that...fuck..." He mumbles, his breathing coming out in harsh pants.

On the next upstroke, I almost remove my mouth completely, brushing my lips against the tip, feeling the slit under my skin. Edward lets out a harsh breath so I flick my tongue into the slit and watch his eyes roll into the back of his head and a small noise leaves the back of his throat. I can't help but smile a little at the fact that I'm affecting him this much.

I drop my mouth back down onto him, moving my head a little faster than before. I watch as his eyes flutter and his legs begin to twitch and his abs contract under my ministrations.

"Fuck...you're gonna make me cum..." He groans.

I suddenly realise I really don't want to swallow and should have said something sooner so I remove my mouth from him.

"I don't want-"

"I won't I promise" He blurts out before pushing my head back down and my mouth back onto him.

I take him at his word, sucking harder and moving my head quickly before I taste something a little salty on my tongue. Edward's groans get louder and more guttural before he suddenly wrenches my mouth off of him.

"Fuck!" He grunts, before his back arches and he starts to cum.

He reaches down with one hand, covering mine and pumping his cock as he moans and groans, emptying onto his stomach. His eyes are squeezed closed, his chest heaving under his panting breaths, his cheeks flushed. It's hands down the hottest thing I've ever seen.

After a minute, his eyes flutter open and his gaze meets mine and then he chuckles breathlessly.

"Fuck" He laughs.

"Was it okay?" I ask.

He laughs again, harder this time.

"It was fucking amazing" He nods.

"Really?" I mumble.

"Yeah. I think it's cause it was you" He admits.

I know he's been with people before me but hearing him say that makes me suddenly not care and all I can do is smile...


I suddenly feel the need to get out of here. I've had enough of schmoozing for one night and I don't like the way my chest feels right now.

"Do you want to go?" I ask. "I'm kind of over it."

"Sure" Rose smiles. Alice nods too.

As we make our way to the exit of the party, Rose leans down to my ear.

"Just be careful Bella. Don't get pulled into anything you don't want to do" She says.

I smile and nod at her before walking out into the evening air. As I slide into the car, I glance back at the house and see James standing on the balcony, his eyes trained on me.

Just be careful...


"How's it going?" Charlotte asks me, standing in the doorway to her apartment.

I've been here for about an hour, fixing the tread on her stairs.

"I think we're about there" I nod, standing and brushing my hands on my jeans.

I carefully step on the tread, feeling that it's solid under my feet. Charlotte raises her eyebrows at me and I bounce a little.

"Safe as houses" I smile.

"Perfect." She smiles "Thank you."

"No worries" I reply, gathering up my tools and putting them in my bag.

"Can I get you a beer?" She asks as I walk into her apartment.

It's the first time I've been in here and it's kind of what I imagined. It's an open plan with two doors heading into what I assume is the bedroom and bathroom. It's decorated in a neutral magnolia colour but Charlotte's furniture is warm and adds colour where needed. It's nice. I like it.

"Please" I nod.

She grabs two beers from the fridge before handing me one. I pop the cap and take a long drag.

"So, I ordered the Chinese and it should be here in about twenty minutes," She says.

"Perfect" I nod.

"Shall we sit?" She asks.

"Sure" I agree, following her over to the couch.

I can hear soft music playing and I groan a little as I sit down on the soft cushions.

"You're in pain?" She asks, sitting next to me and turning to face me.

"Just my back" I chuckle.

"You must get pretty stiff doing what you do all day" She nods.

"Yeah, sometimes it's worse than others. My back hurts because of the deck we've been working on. It's a lot of bending over" I shrug.

"I have some cream in the bathroom if you want?" She asks.

"No, I'm good. Thanks though" I tell her, sipping my beer.

She nods a little.

"So, how's the deck going?" She asks.

"It's good. Should be done in the next few days." I nod.

"That's good." She smiles.

"How about you? How was your week?" I ask her.

"Not bad. No slip and slides this time" She laughs.

I chuckle with her, sipping my beer. I notice her glance at me out of the corner of her eye.

"So...can I ask you something?" She asks.

"Sure" I shrug, turning to face her a little.

"You can tell me to fuck off or whatever" She reassures me.

"I doubt it will come to that" I chuckle.

She laughs breathlessly before her eyes meet mine and she bites her lip.

"Who exactly is Bella?" She asks.

I'm taken aback by the question and the surprise must show on my face.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, you said she was a friend from high school but it seemed like...maybe she was more than that?" She asks quietly.

I hesitate for a moment and Charlotte must take that as a sign of overstepping.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business..." She says quickly.

"No, it's er...it's fine. Bella and I used to date in high school" I explain.

There it is. It's out there.

Charlotte nods a little, sipping her beer.

"I kind of got that vibe" She admits.

"You did?" I ask.

"Yeah, I mean...it seemed like there was more history, and awkwardness" She laughs, "than just two people who had been friends years ago."

"Oh right. Yeah well...she left town and I hadn't seen her for years so..." I shrug, deciding to leave it at that.

"That must be weird" She nods.

"Yeah" I laugh, "Yeah it was weird."

What's weirder is that I still feel the same way as I did around her...

"Is she as you remember?" She asks.

I look over at her and shrug a little.

"In some ways, but in other ways, we've both changed," I tell her quietly.

She nods and sips her beer.

"So there's nothing going on there?" She asks.

I look up at her and feel exposed under her gaze. Is there anything going on there? No. Do I have feelings I can't name around her? Yes.

"It ended a long time ago" I reply, avoiding the question.

She stares at me for a long minute before smiling.

"I bet she regrets it now" She says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, frowning a little.

"Well look at you, you're kind of hot" She laughs.

I chuckle awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

"I don't know about that" I murmur, looking down at my work boots.

"Oh come on!" Charlotte laughs. "Don't be so modest".

I laugh at her again, feeling my stomach do that weird flip-flop movement.

"I've never really considered myself hot" I insist.

"Well I do," She says quietly.

"You consider yourself hot?" I joke.

"No" She laughs. "I consider you hot".

There's a beat of silence and I suddenly feel too warm, too enclosed.

"Well...thank you" I mumble. "You're not bad looking yourself" I admit.

She giggles and her cheeks turn red.

"Thanks," She says. "Want another beer?" She asks.

"Sure" I smile, needing a minute anyway.

She stands from the couch and disappears into the kitchen before returning a moment later with two new bottles. She hands me one and I smile my thanks, popping the cap and sipping the amber liquid.

Suddenly, Charlotte lets out a small giggle.

"What?" I chuckle.

"I wasn't expecting you to be shy" She admits.

"Shy?" I reply.

I'd never really considered myself shy before.

"Yeah. I guess I expected you to be the flirty type when I saw you in the bar. It kind of surprised me when you were a little more...modest" She says.

I chuckle slightly.

"I wouldn't say I'm shy, just not very good at the whole getting coffee thing," I admit.

"You weren't bad when you went with me." She insists, her eyes meeting mine and dropping to my mouth briefly. I feel my eyes do the same before immediately wishing they hadn't.

"I haven't gone for a drink with anyone for a very long time," I say quietly.

"Well, maybe you should practice," She says, her voice sounding flirty.

My eyes flash up to hers and she's looking at me in a way that makes me think she wants me. Her eyes drop to my mouth again and I feel my heart begin to pound. On the small couch, we're closer than we should be, our bodies turned to face each other so that we can talk.

I see Charlotte lean in slightly, her face coming closer to mine. Her eyes meet mine for a brief second before suddenly, her lips press against my own. It's a foreign feeling but not unpleasant. Her mouth moves against mine and I kiss her back for a second before I see Bella behind my closed eyes and I rip my mouth away.

Charlotte opens her eyes looking a little surprised before her cheeks flush.

"Sorry" She says quickly.

"No, no it's er... it's fine. I'm sorry" I tell her, pinching the bridge of my nose and running a hand through my hair.

"I just thought-"

"I know. I know" I nod. "It's really not you. It's me." I tell her.

She laughs a little but there's no humour in it.

"That's not just a line. I'm serious." I tell her. "I just...I'm not really looking for a relationship right now. I've got too much going on at work and with-"

"Personal shit" She finishes.

I nod a little before she smiles and we both laugh.

"I'm really sorry. I just kind of need something a bit...casual...a friend you know?" I tell her.

She nods, playing with the label on her beer bottle.

"I can do casual and I can certainly do friends," She says sweetly.

"Thank you" I breathe.

"At least I know it wasn't my kissing" She laughs.

"You're kissing is very good" I reply making her laugh harder.

I chuckle, feeling more relaxed now that we've come to an understanding.

"Well...if you ever do want more than friends...let me know yeah?" She says quietly.

"You'll be the first" I nod.

She smiles at me before her buzzer sounds and we both jump a little in surprise before laughing slightly.

"Still up for takeout? Or are things now too awkward?" She asks.

"No, not awkward at all and takeout sounds great" I reply sincerely.

She smiles before standing to answer the door. While she collects our food, I lean back against the couch and sigh, my eyes closing for a minute. Just like always, all I see is brunette hair and hazel fucking eyes.


By the end of the following week, the deck is finished and looks great. Charlie and Renee are happy with it too which makes all the hard work worthwhile.

"I love it" Renee says, smiling up at me.

"Good" I grin.

"You must let me know how much we owe you" Charlie adds.

"I'll bring the invoice round next week" I nod.

I've done him a mates rates deal but he doesn't need to know that. I just don't feel comfortable charging Bella's parents full price.

"So, we have a request," Renee says with a grin.

"Oh yeah?" I chuckle. "What's that then?"

"We would like you, Emmett, Jasper, Ben and of course, Angela to come over for dinner one night on our new deck. As a thank you" She says.

"Oh, you don't have to do that" I shake my head.

"We want to. You all worked so hard in that blazing sun it's the least we could do" She smiles.

"Well thank you. That would be great. I'll let the others know too" I reply.

She looks happy and that makes me happy.

"So, have you got much else on over the next few weeks?" Charlie asks.

"Starting a new house on Monday" I nod.

"Always busy eh?" He chuckles.

"Gotta be" I shrug. "How about you guys? Anything fun planned?" I ask.

"Well, I now have a dinner to plan, which will be fun," Renee says making me chuckle "And Bella's coming so I need to clean the house" She adds.

I feel my heart stutter at that piece of information.

"Bella's coming?" I ask.

"Yes. I assumed you knew?" Renee replies with a small frown.

"No I er..no, I didn't" I reply.

"Oh well, apparently there's some logistical issue with the movie so she's coming for a week. It's one of the reasons I thought dinner would be nice. Show her the new deck and let you all catch up" She smiles.

"Yeah...can't wait" I reply, forcing a grin onto my face.

Here we go again.