AN: A little time jump, which will happen throughout the next few chapters. Bella agrees to stay with Edward while they decorate her house ready for sale.
Thanks as always to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight, Midnight Cougar and ghostreader24. Without these three ladies, this wouldn't read nearly as smoothly as it does.
And thank you, too, to all of you who faithfully review every week. I value every word from you. Thank you to all those who favorite and follow and I hope to hear from you all one day,
Disclaimer: Thank you to Stephenie for creating these characters we all love to play with and read about.
Deceit and Destiny Chapter 60
Edward
Saturday 9th January
"Bella, you can't stay here while the house is being painted. The fumes aren't good for you or the baby, and it's too cold to leave the windows open," I pleaded. "I have plenty of room at my place."
"I know, but I feel like it's my responsibility, Edward. However, much as I don't like relying on you to do the painting, I'm grateful for your help. I realize it isn't safe, but you need your own space," Bella insisted. "I can't ask you to accept Connor and me invading your home and bringing chaos to your order. It won't be any problem for me to stay at Mom and Dad's."
Bella and I had been having this discussion since last night when I'd suggested she stay with me. I'd finished my night shift rotation and had the whole weekend off, so today I planned to paint Connor's room, then make a start on the main bedroom.
"You can still help with the prep, then let me do the painting, but please say you'll stay at my apartment."
She was under the mistaken impression that it would bother me to have them both share my space. Nothing was further from the truth. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted them to stay with me. While it was true there wasn't a backyard for Connor to play in, I felt that it wasn't an issue. If he wanted to go out and play, I was perfectly happy to go with him.
I continued, "Even with the low-fume paint, you should not be in the house for at least three days."
It could be longer, but we would have to discuss that later. I strode across the room to where Bella was taking the bedding from Connor's bed, pulling her back against me and resting my chin on her shoulder.
"Is it so hard to believe I want you there, sweetheart? I promise there's not one part of me that feels you would be invading my space. I welcome all of your 'chaos', not that I think of it like that. I want your clothes in my closet, your underwear in my drawers, your toiletries alongside mine in the bathroom. Connor's noise, his toys, his clothes—everything."
Spinning her around to face me, her eyes searched mine, and I hoped she could see how much I wanted this. The voice in the back of my head was urging me to ask her to move in permanently. I knew she'd balk at that, so this was a good option, and maybe I could persuade her to stay longer—until she was so tied up in my life she'd never want to leave.
She must have found what she was searching for because I saw the moment she capitulated.
"Okay, we'll stay. But only for a few days," she warned.
I leaned down and kissed her, winding my arms around her waist and pulling her as close as possible. Her sigh against my lips was intoxicating, and I would've loved nothing more than to deepen the kiss.
The doorbell rang from downstairs, and we could hear Connor run to the bottom of the stairs, calling out, "Momma, can I open the door? It's Auntie Jess."
Bella leaned back. "Later?" she said, kissing me lightly. "Yes, that's fine, Connor. Tell Jess I'll be down in a minute."
We made our way downstairs to find Jess and Connor in the living room where he was showing her his Christmas toys.
Bella stepped forward and hugged her. "Thanks for coming, Jess."
"Hi, Edward. How are you?" Jess said as she stepped back.
"I'm good, Jess. Thanks for offering to help."
"No problem, Edward. I'm ready and willing, so put me to work."
"Okay," I started. "Bella, since you're staying at my apartment for a few days, why don't you pack enough clothes for the two of you. Jess, if it's all right with you, can you give Bella a hand, and Connor, can you sort out which toys you'd like to take with you? You're welcome to come along with us if you want, Jess. How does that sound?"
Jess's eyebrows rose in surprise and she looked at me, nodding in agreement. I knew she'd have some questions later, but she had absolutely nothing to worry about. Bella might not be quite ready to move in with me permanently, but it was definitely what I wanted, and I would make sure Jess knew I was serious..
"Are we staying at your house, Mr. Edward?" Connor piped up, interrupting my thoughts.
"We are," Bella said, turning to him. "Is that okay? We can always stay with Nana and Pops while Edward does the painting."
"No, Momma," he said excitedly. "That's cool. I haven't been to Mr. Edward's house yet. Are we going now?"
Bella looked at me, tilting her head to one side in question, and leaving me to answer.
I squatted down in front of Connor. "Yep, so why don't we sort your toys out and Jess can help Momma with the clothes?"
He flung his arms around my neck. "Thanks, Mr. Edward."
I stood with him on my hip.
"Do I have a bedroom at your house?" he asked.
"Yes, of course there's one for you, although it doesn't have any pictures on the wall, so it's a bit boring."
He laughed, and I walked up the stairs telling him about the apartment, Bella and Jess following behind. The two of them walked into the main bedroom to pack clothes and toiletries while Connor sat on the floor sorting out which toys he wanted to take. I decided to get a head start and move the furniture into the middle of his room, ready to cover, and Connor soon abandoned his task in favor of trying to help me.
It wasn't long before the girls had finished their task and joined me and Connor in the bedroom. Jess went downstairs to fetch a box from the mudroom, and between the three of them, it didn't take long for them to collect together what he wanted.
"You can always come back and get some more later, Connor," Bella said.
I grabbed the suitcase, and Jess the box, while Bella and Connor led the way downstairs. While they stopped to put on shoes and coats, I loaded their things into the trunk, slipping on my jacket when Bella brought it outside with her.
It was only a fifteen-minute drive to my apartment, and I drove into the parking lot a short time later, then took the elevator to the top floor.
"Oh, wow, Edward! This is beautiful," Bella exclaimed as she looked around.
Directly in front of the entrance hall, the room opened out into a huge living space. Putting down the suitcase, I led them into the living room that had full-length doors leading to an outside deck. The kitchen was separated from the living area by a long breakfast bar.
"Oh, God. This kitchen is fantastic." Bella walked around opening and closing cupboards and smoothing her hand over the granite counter tops. "I'd love to cook in here."
"You're a great cook, and I'll eat anything you want to make."
"What a fabulous view," Jess breathed as she looked out over the water toward Canada.
"It's a great place to sit at any time; it gets the sun all day, although it can be cold this time of the year since it gets the wind straight off the water."
"Hot chocolate and blankets will take care of that. It's wonderful."
I picked up the suitcase and walked across the living room, opening a door on the other side of the room.
"There are two bedrooms, the guest bathroom, and a small room I use as my office, down here," I said as Bella and Connor followed me. "This is going to be Connor's room," I said, opening the first door. Jess followed us in and put the toy box on the floor. "There's an en suite through that door."
"It's really big, Momma. I like it." Connor nodded his head in approval. "I don't mind if there's no pictures." He moved across to the window, climbing on the bedroom chair. "I can see the water from here, too," he said excitedly.
Bella looked at me. "Are the windows safe?"
"Don't worry, all the windows have locks, so he'll be safe," I said to reassure her, then took her hand to lead her into the main bedroom, leaving Connor and Jess in the guest room.
A short entrance hall led to the main bedroom and had the same full-length doors leading to the deck. A king-size bed faced the doors, and to one side an archway led to the closet and the en suite bathroom. One corner had a small table and two bedroom chairs, and the other a large dresser.
"This is really beautiful, Edward." She turned to me. "Are you sure you're okay with us staying here?"
Dropping the suitcase on the seat at the end of the bed, I pulled her into my arms. "Stop, please. Yes, I'm absolutely sure. I wouldn't have offered it if it wasn't something I wanted. You and Connor are so welcome here. In fact," I said, only half-joking, "I may never let you leave."
Winding her arms around my neck, she stood on tiptoe and kissed me. "Okay, I believe you, and I love you for caring about us."
I held onto her for a few moments before stepping back and taking her hand. "Come on, Jess and I need to get back to the house and get the painting started."
Bella frowned. "I really don't like it, Edward; even though I know it's not safe for me to do it, I feel like it's my job, not yours." I could see she was worried about it. "Anyway, what am I going to do all day?"
"I'm offering, Bella, so please put it out of your mind."
Bella was so used to being busy every day that an unexpected day off had thrown her a little.
"Why don't you go and see your mom for a few hours, or take Connor down to the beach?"
"Okay." She finally capitulated, smiling in agreement. "Thank you so much for doing this, Edward, and you, too, Jess."
"You know I'm happy to help in any way I can," Jess assured Bella. "Go and enjoy your day, and say hello to your mom and dad for me."
Before we left, I fished the spare set of keys out of the drawer in the hall table and handed them to Bella.
"These are yours now." I kissed her goodbye and hugged Connor. "Have a good day, you two. I'll see you later."
~ oOo ~
By six o'clock, we'd finished Connor's room. Jess had done the baseboard cutting in, then painted those and the doorframe, while I painted the walls. When my phone rang, I climbed down the ladder and walked into the main bedroom to answer it, seeing Bella's name flash across the screen.
"Hey." Bella's warm voice came on the line. "I'm just about to leave here, so I'll be back at the apartment in around half an hour. How are you doing? What do you want to do about dinner?"
"Well, Jess and I have finished Connor's room, and it looks pretty good. We've got a few more things to do, then I'll leave for home. I know we've had pizza a few times lately, but once more won't hurt, will it?"
"That's a good idea," she said. "Pizza sounds perfect, and I know Connor will enjoy it. And if I order before I leave, I can pick it up on the way home."
"Okay, sounds good. It should be about another hour. I'm going to move and cover the furniture in the bedroom and the living room before I leave, so it's ready for tomorrow."
"All right; I'll see you at the apartment. I might even try out your bath for myself. Don't be too long, will you?"
As I ended the call, Jess stopped in the doorway, rubbing her hands with a cloth. "I can stay a bit longer and give you a hand, Edward. Mike's out with his buddies tonight, so I don't have to fix dinner," she offered.
"That's really great, Jess, thanks."
"Okay," she answered. "What's next?"
"Okay, main bedroom. We need to clear anything from the top of the chest of drawers and other surfaces, into the closet, then move the bed away from the wall and cover it, the dresser and the chair."
Jess immediately began to collect the remaining items together while I stripped the sheets from the bed.
"You get along great with Connor," she observed. "He likes you."
"I love him. He's a great kid, and I hope I can do as good a job at parenting as Bella has when our daughter comes. She's a wonderful mom."
"You can tell me to butt out if you think I'm overstepping, but Bella is like a sister to me. All I ever wanted for her was to be happy. She thought Jake was the one back in high school, but she couldn't see beyond his looks. He was always selfish, never thought of her, and as for Connor . . . Pfft! Well, the best I can say is he never raised a hand to him until he found out about the baby."
She stopped what she was doing for a moment and faced me.
"When we were in L.A., I admit I wanted her to have a good time, you know, whatever that entailed." She shrugged. "The two of you hit it off from the first moment, and she was having a great time; she was happy. I thought that would be the end of it—just a harmless vacation friendship. I didn't encourage her to cheat, if that's what you were thinking, though I did say she should divorce his ass. But after that night, when she didn't take your calls or return your texts, she was devastated. I think she fell in love with you the day of the bike ride, and that's why she let things get out of control."
"I appreciate where you're coming from, Jess, and I'm glad she's had a friend like you to support her and to rely on," I started. "I can't say I wasn't hurt when she ghosted me, but now I know the circumstances, I completely understand. It must have been a horrible situation for her, and knowing the kind of person she is—sweet natured, kind, loving, loyal—I'm in awe of how she coped with such a dilemma. She moved on with her life. I didn't do anywhere near as well; in fact, I can admit to wallowing. But, I fell in love with her that same day, and fall more in love with her—and Connor—every day. Moving here, to Port Angeles, was fate pushing us back into each other's path again." I looked her square in the eye. "I can't say we'll never disagree, or fight, but I promise I'll never hurt her. I'm here for as long as she wants me."
"You're good people, Edward." She hugged me briefly. "I'm glad she met you, and if you ever need anything, Mike and I are here for you both."
"Thanks, Jess. You'll both have to come over to dinner."
"That'll be great, but come on, let's finish in here and attempt to do the living room. There's a hot bath and a bottle of wine waiting for me back home."
She was right, the living room took a lot longer as we had more things to move, but eventually, we were done, even if it took an hour longer than expected. I thanked Jess for her help, and she confirmed she would be there in the morning, then I locked up and headed back to my apartment.
"Hi, honey, I'm home," I called as I let myself in the front door, dropping my keys on the hall table, hanging up my jacket, and toeing off my paint splattered sneakers on my way into the living room.
There was a single lamp burning, and the curtains were drawn across the windows, leaving the room warm and inviting. The smell of pizza drew me to the kitchen, and I grabbed a slice, eating it on the way to the bedroom, stopping to peek in and see Connor asleep.
As I closed the bedroom door behind me, I could hear the sound of water through the open door of the bathroom and stepped inside. Bella was leaning back and half submerged in the foam on top of the water, just her shoulders and the tops of her breasts bare. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head, and she looked beautiful in the candlelight.
Her eyes followed me as I walked across the room and sat on the side of the bathtub.
"Hmm," I murmured, trailing my finger back and forth across the wet, bare skin on show. "You look good in my bathtub." I leaned down and kissed her.
"This bathroom is absolutely decadent, and there's definitely enough room for two in here, so I was hoping you'd join me."
She smiled and sat up, and my eyes dropped, focusing on the way the soap bubbles streamed down over her breasts. Gripping the bottom edge of my T-shirt, she pulled it up. "Get naked, Cullen," she said, smirking.
Standing, I whipped off the T-shirt and dropped the rest of my clothes quickly to the floor, my cock already at half-mast.
"You have paint in your hair," she said.
Shuffling forward, she made room for me to climb in behind her and sink into the warm water. I sighed and relaxed, reclining against the end of the bath. With her back against my front, I reached around and cupped her breasts, brushing my thumbs over her nipples, which pebbled under my touch.
My cock hardened fully and twitched at her moan of pleasure as she arched her back, pushing her breasts into my hands. I slid one hand down her body and beneath the water, finding her clit and circling it lightly with the pad of my finger.
Tilting her hips up, she breathed out the words, "Oh, please. More."
I replaced my finger with my thumb, sliding one digit inside her, followed by another, loving how responsive she was to me.
"Do you want to take this into the bedroom?" I whispered in her ear.
"No, no . . . I want you here."
She whined in protest when I removed my fingers from inside her, then slid them underneath her thighs, lifting her body. With her legs spread wide, her hand dipped between them and found my shaft, gripping and placing my cock beneath her before sliding down onto me.
"Oh, fuck," I cursed as her heat surrounded me.
"Oh, God." Bella shuddered as my hands lifted her, allowing me to slowly thrust upward, my cock rubbing against her G-spot. "That feels so good . . . do it again."
I raised my knees, and while I supported her body in my lap and on my hands, I rocked into her over and over. She slid her hand between her legs, her fingers surrounding my cock as it slid in and out.
"Touch yourself, Bella," I urged.
She shivered as her fingers found her clit, and I could feel her inner muscles clench around me. I rotated my hips, my cock hitting her G-spot until her skin flushed pink and her orgasm hit, her muscles contracting around my cock, squeezing me in their grip. She continued to undulate against me, prolonging her pleasure until she finally stopped moving.
"Fuck, so good."
With my cock still hard, I stayed inside her until she recovered. Opening her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at me. "You're still hard?"
I nodded. "Don't worry about it. I need to wash the paint out of my hair. Can you stand?" I smirked at her.
It was her turn to nod at me, and she held onto my hands, lifting herself off my cock. I stood and stepped out of the bath, grabbing a towel from the warming rail and holding it out for her. She climbed out of the bath, and I wrapped her in the towel.
"You go and get ready for bed, and I'll take a quick shower," I suggested.
She yawned and nodded, then walked across to the dresser, taking out one of my T-shirts and a clean pair of panties, her gaze catching mine in the full-length mirror as she dropped the towel to finish drying off.
I shook my head, grinning. "Tease," I said under my breath.
Less than ten minutes later, I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out of the bathroom just as Bella came back into the room.
"It's a place he doesn't know, so I just checked on Connor," she explained. "He's out for the count."
"That's good," I answered. "I want him, and you, to feel comfortable here."
Dropping the towel, I grinned as her eyes drifted down to my cock before reaching for a pair of boxers, easing them over my hips.
"I'm just going to turn off the lights." I leaned in and kissed her. "Do you want anything?"
"Just some water, please."
Eating another couple of slices of pizza, I took two bottles of water from the refrigerator and made my way back to the bedroom, expecting Bella to be asleep.
She was sitting up and leaning against the headboard with my side of the bed turned down. "Come here." She patted the mattress.
Putting the water on the nightstand, I crawled across the bed, lying down. "Here?" I smirked.
Bella pulled back her covers and kneeled beside me, placing her hand on my cock over my boxers.
"I think I need to take care of something for you."
My heart skipped a beat, and I raised my eyebrows, my cock already hardening. "You do?"
Bella nodded and tucked her fingers in the sides of my boxers, and I lifted my body up so she could pull them down and off. She traced a finger down my rapidly swelling shaft, and my breath caught in my throat.
"You don't—"
"I want to."
I nodded and took a deep breath, blowing it out, anticipation running through my veins. Straddling my hips, she rested her hands on either side of my upper body. Her belly hung between us, brushing the skin of my stomach as she leaned down and licked my right nipple, blowing on the damp skin. Her mouth surrounded it, her teeth scraping over the pebbled bud.
"Ah . . ."
An involuntary sound forced its way out of my mouth, my body jerking at the sensation. She repeated the action on my left nipple before returning to my mouth, nipping at my lips and tangling her tongue with mine.
She licked and sucked her way down my body, dipping her tongue into my navel, making me squirm.
Moving back more, she pushed her knees between my legs, making room for her body, then settled between them. She breathed over my rock-hard cock, then wrapped her hands around it, her mouth taking the tip between her lips and sucking.
"Oh, Christ!" My head hit the pillow, and a groan escaped my throat.
"Keep watching me, Edward."
I lifted my head as her tongue dipped into the slit, tasting the precum already beading at the tip. I exhaled harshly, watching her lick the head of my cock like an ice cream.
The tip hit the back of her throat, as she suddenly engulfed me in her hot, wet mouth, and every nerve ending in my body came alive at the same time. My breath left my lungs in a rush.
"Bellaaaa . . . fuck. So fucking good."
My hips lurched up as she hollowed out her cheeks, sucking, my cock appearing out of her mouth, her tongue lapping at the head before letting go. She licked her lips and took me back inside, her hands twisting around the base, every inch of my shaft covered by her hands or mouth. Heat and fire burned through me, every muscle tensing as she sucked hard on the way up, swirling her tongue around the head before engulfing me again and again.
Warm hands surrounded my balls, fingers stroking the skin behind them, and my body bowed off the bed.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."
I grunted every time my cock disappeared into her mouth, the tip touching the back of her throat. She swallowed around me, then drew back, letting it go with a pop.
It was exquisite torture, the telltale tingle beginning at the base of my spine, my muscles clenching and unclenching, my balls tightening. I could hear and feel my heartbeat increase as the pressure inside me built.
"I'm gonna come, Bella," I warned breathlessly. "I'm gonna come."
She increased her suction, never letting up, my hips bucking upward, a white-hot feeling of release bursting over me. My cock pulsed and throbbed in her mouth as she swallowed, then licked and sucked until I jerked it free of her mouth, feeling too sensitive.
"Holy fucking shit." Crossing my arms over my face, I waited for my breathing to slow enough for me to speak more coherently, eventually dropping them to my sides and opening my eyes. "That was . . ."
"Awesome, fantastic, excellent, fabulous, impressive," she suggested, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.
"I was going to say heavenly, since you had me seeing stars." I leaned up on my elbows and kissed her."
"Cheesy." She laughed. "I'm glad I didn't disappoint."
I pulled myself up and leaned back against the headboard, sliding my hand under her hair and cupping the back of her head.
"You could never disappoint me, sweetheart."
She gripped my wrist and leaned in toward me, our lips meeting in a languid kiss, before gathering her into my arms, never wanting to let her go. Eventually, with Bella almost asleep, I slipped out of bed, pulled my boxers on and used the toilet, then brushed my teeth before taking a peek into Connor's room.
He was fast asleep, the cover thrown back. I straightened it out, laying it gently over him, then kissed the top of his head before quietly closing his door, returning to what I hoped would become our bedroom.
I settled under the covers, pulling Bella's warm body back against my chest, and kissing her shoulder as she murmured "love you" in her sleep. The idea taking shape in my mind was for Bella to stay with me, here in the apartment until her house sold, then for the two of us to buy a property together.
It was likely she would be resistant, since in real terms we'd been together for only a short time—less than three months—but I knew I'd been in love with her for a lot longer than that, and I hoped she felt the same. We were having a baby together, and loving Connor was easy.
With the first step decided—asking her to stay a little longer—I slid into an untroubled sleep, full of dreams of the future.
~ oOo ~.
