Chapter 1:
"Bella, no," Edward said firmly.
"Hear me out," I pleaded. "Compromises work well for us, remember?" I fiddled with the lace on my nightgown. It was one of the riskier pieces that Alice had packed for me. It was nearly see-through and covered in lace and corset boning, but Edward was determinedly looking everywhere but my body.
"Not this time."
I could hear a growl at the back of his throat and I sighed in frustration. Why was he making this so difficult?
"Do you know what Alice packed in my suitcase?" I demanded.
Edward didn't respond but his eyes met mine with a faint glimmer of curiosity.
"Carbon steel handcuffs," I replied confidently, though I couldn't help the blush that crept to my cheeks.
"What are you proposing?" he asked carefully.
I took a deep breath. "I know you could crush them in a second. But if I handcuffed you to the bed frame, surely it would help to remind you that you had to stay still, right? All you have to do is lay there and enjoy. You won't be able to hurt me. I get what I want. Everyone wins."
He raised his eyebrows and my favorite crooked smile made an appearance.
"Compromise," he murmured. "You're right. It does seem to always work for us."
In an instant he had picked me up and raced me to the blue room. In another instant he had disappeared and reappeared holding a pair of matte black, heavy-duty looking handcuffs.
"Bring on the shackles - I'm your prisoner," he teased in a seductive tone.
The familiar line made me smile, and I pushed him backwards onto the bed. He fell willingly and lightly, stretching his arms above his head. I quickly latched the cuffs around the headboard and his smooth, marble wrists before he could change his mind. Then, I pulled a blindfold from the bedside table that I had deviously hid in advance and pulled it down over his eyes.
"You've got that right," I whispered.
A soft breath of air gasped from his lips. He had no idea what I had in store.