FGB Outtake: The Succubus Finally Speaks
Warning: some might find this somewhat offensive. If you are seriously offended when reading about various sexual activities and perhaps, perversions, ya might want to hit back on the browser. If you are not old enough to read or buy porn, stop here.
A/N: this was a BPOV outtake for Fandom Gives Back, commissioned by Haileywood.
Leaning against the frame of the open door, Bella's lips quirked up in unveiled amusement as she silently watched him repeatedly toss – yes, toss – Beth into the air, all to her giggling and squealing delight.
It hadn't been that long ago when he'd gone into near hysterics watching her and their daughter play the exact same game. When he'd walked in on them, Edward had said nothing, but she'd seen his entire body stiffen in alarm, and then wordlessly, he had paused whatever it was he had intended on doing so that he could loiter nearby. Every time Beth left her hands, she'd heard him groan in displeasure. Bella stifled a laugh because she knew, without even a second thought, that Edward had feared she would drop his child, as he so often called her. God forbid what would have happened if she had. Edward's concern over Beth was, while endearing, slightly obsessive. But then, Edward was obsessive over most things. Regardless, seeing him now was pleasantly surprising – borderline hilarious really.
It was startling to witness how far he'd come in nearly every aspect of their relationship, how much he'd grown in such a short period of time. Not that she hadn't either. Over the last two years, so much had changed in both of their lives. For her part, never in her wildest imaginings had Bella believed that she would be here now, watching her husband play with their baby. That, she'd always assumed to be out of her reach, something that had just not been written in her stars.
Of course, despite everything that had changed, some things would always remain constant. Her husband was still one of the most gifted – and neurotic – people she'd ever met. Edward's intellect was practically unparalleled, even amongst the throngs of brilliant scientists they called peers. He was a genius in every respect; as far as Bella was concerned, there was no subject matter off-limits to him. The way his mind whipped through complex problems and scenarios, for most, was intimidating, but for some, was wholly terrifying. Poor Emmett, she thought with a slight shake of her head. For her, however, it was… stimulating. Very early on, before he had even touched her, Bella had concluded that seeing his mind work and watching him sort through puzzles was most likely the singular most arousing thing she'd ever witnessed. Panty dousing really.
Add to that, Edward had a body that made her want to drop to her knees to worship – which she was more than happy to do… frequently. She wasn't quite certain which part of him she loved the most. For behind that geeky scientist exterior lay finely sculpted muscles, a model-worthy face, the most talented set of hands she'd ever had on her, and a cock that deserved to be preserved for all posterity. And he knew exactly what to do with said cock. Their worst sex ever was still far and beyond anything she'd had with Mike. Physically, it was like he could read her mind, although oddly enough, their minds were almost always on the same wavelength – albeit a less than traditional one.
Most importantly, beyond his genius brain and godlike libido, Edward possessed one of the most sincere and caring souls she'd ever encountered. He was unselfish in every sense, kind, thoughtful, and strangely enough, completely unaware of how ridiculously perfect he was, ticks and all. In fact, those little ticks of his, which he never made any attempt to hide – unlike most, he was confident enough to admit and own who he was – made him all the more appealing. They made him adorable. Or in Rose's slang, he was adorkable.
As such, all things combined, Dr. Edward Anthony Cullen was fucking sexy as hell, a total package she wanted for all eternity, and a virtual sex god who, in any even remotely opportune moment, she would happily take to bed, against a wall, in the car, or wherever he'd have her. Bella wasn't convinced that would ever change. It was almost embarrassing the way she responded to him.
"Dr. Cullen?" she finally called out.
At the sound of her voice, Edward's hands immediately latched around Beth's small waist and he protectively pulled her to his chest as he turned to face her. Behind his lenses, cocked ever so slightly to the left (as they always were), his eyes were bright and shining from play. Even obscured, they were a vibrant, almost electric emerald green. Just like the rest of him, his eyes were mesmerizing, especially when they were dark and churning with mischief, which was rather often, never mind his protestations to the contrary. And then, too, she recalled, there were also those times when he stared at her in sheer veneration, like she was some flawless idol. No matter how many times she argued, he refused to see her in any other light. It was absolutely absurd how he viewed her. Edward always had everything backward.
"Ah, um, Mrs. Cullen," Edward started, clearing his throat and blanching faintly, as he knew that he'd been caught. "Erm, right."
Bella couldn't help but grin at the way his nose crinkled and his jaw flexed. His cheeks tinted ever so slightly, an involuntary response he'd never been able to hide. Then, even without the telltale blush, Edward's facial expressions were always so transparent.
"Did I just see you tossing Beth in the air?" she taunted, clucking her tongue and placing a hand on her hip in mock disapproval.
"Da-da-da-da-da-da," Beth sang, excitedly pawing her hands across his cheeks, trying to push her fingers between his lips. They were, as always, drenched with spittle, and Bella almost lost it when she saw a flicker of panic sweep across Edward's face, only to be rapidly replaced with the broad grin that was reserved solely for his only child. The whole image was at once too comical and entirely charming. The way Edward loved their baby, somehow suppressing all of his innate verminophobic tendencies [20] to give her anything her heart desired, made her weak in the knees. He was more active, more attentive, more involved, and more loving as a father than she could have ever imagined. Watching him with Beth was… there were no words to express the flood of warmth in her chest.
"Ah, not really," he started, uncomfortably shuffling his feet. When he moved, his white oxford, now half untucked with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, stretched across his chest and shoulders. He was divine, even with his clothes on and uncharacteristically rumpled.
Edward's head cocked for a moment, as if remembering – or more likely, coming up with some clever excuse – and then his eyes brightened as he rushed in excitement, "We were celebrating! Erm… yes! You must see this, Bella. She's remarkable. Beth is so… so advanced for her age… trust me, I've read the texts. She's a solid month – maybe even two – ahead of most children her age. So very smart. Like you, you know. Ah, um, that's where she gets it, of course. Of course. She's so much like you." His grin widened across his face.
If any other man had said those words to her, Bella would have accused him of outright lies and sucking up. But not Edward. He actually meant it, every single rambling word. Absurd. Perfect.
"Come, Sunshine," he went on, playfully lowering the baby to the floor as she laughed. "Let's demonstrate your newest talent for your mother! She will be so impressed. Bella, ah, you must watch. So very talented."
Carefully grasping each small hand, Bella watched him begin to walk her across the floor toward her. His head was bent down, always watching the motion of her little bare feet for any sign of slip or sway, and again, momentarily, the near-perfect match of Beth's hair to his struck Bella. She was a tiny version of him with just a little of her mother thrown in. The wild tangles of dark coppery hair were his. Her pink dappled cheeks were his. Her pout was his. The furrow between her eyes when something irritated her was purely his.
Even her words were his – while she could now say "ma-ma", amongst several other short words, "da-da" would always be her first. Yes, that burned just a touch. But after watching Edward literally jump in victory when he thought she wasn't looking – pumping fists and shaking ass included – she couldn't begrudge him. Beth's fascination with her father was more than justified. He was beguiling in every sense of the word.
Bella watched, enthralled and wide-eyed as they crept toward her. Beth was wobbly and weaving, pulling on Edward's fingers for balance, but she was… walking. Immediately – automatically – Bella knelt, clapping and cooing, urging Beth forward, all the while trying to ignore the pang of regret that she was growing too quickly. But her little pink lips were spread and tinkling giggles and squeals filled the room, so it was impossible to not be ecstatic with her.
Though one look at her husband's face told her that her joy had nothing on his. Edward was radiant, proud and beaming, grinning full-on like he'd just been granted the Nobel Prize, which, as an aside, according to the rumors circling in the field, could actually become reality sometime in the next few decades.
When Beth reached her, Bella grinned and swooped her up in the air. "Yes, yes, you are so talented, Ms. Beth. Just like your daddy."
Like always, Edward nervously ducked his head at the compliment, but his eyes were dancing. As he wrapped them both in his arms, kissing first Bella's temple and then their daughter's, Bella sighed and leaned into his chest, already hating that she would be losing tomorrow – Saturday, and as such their time – to work yet again.
"I don't deserve you," she heard him whisper in her ear, barely loud enough to hear. "So very lucky."
Bella just shook her head in disbelief and craned her neck to capture his lips with hers.
~O.o~
"Where are you going?" Edward mumbled, his voice still garbled with sleep. He rolled on his back, blindly reaching out for her to pull her back to bed. When he moved, the sheet fell below his waist, exposing pale, chiseled abdominals, decorated by just a smattering of autumn-colored hair, and the delicious, v-shaped obliques that she didn't think she'd ever tire of seeing. Or touching. Or in today's case, licking.
He was entirely too tempting
"Don't tempt me, Dr. Cullen," she laughed, batting his hand away. "Didn't you get enough last night?"
One eye opened and he smirked. "Are you really asking me that, Mrs. Cullen?" His voice was rough and gravelly and it held that special confidence, so unlike his usual broken rambles, that seemed to surface predominantly when he wanted to fuck. It was unfair really, because he knew precisely what that particular tone did to her.
So fast she barely had time to register his movements, he grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him, immediately targeting her shirt for removal. With nothing but a sheet to restrain him, Bella could already feel his cock hardening and pressing against the inside of her thigh. His thumbs snuck underneath her top, lightly grazing her nipples through the lace of her bra as he whispered in her ear, "I'll never get enough of you. I want to fuck you right now. With my mouth."
Fuck.
When he wanted to be, Edward was amazingly persuasive. Too persuasive. The tingles already coursing south and between her legs from his touch and tone of voice were more than enough proof of that.
Unfortunately, however, Dr. Caius could be persuasive as well, although his gift of persuasion had nothing to do with mind-numbing orgasms. More like mind-numbing lectures and busy work that did nothing but take away from her time and attention. Add to that his outrageous asshole tendencies, and she had little choice in the matter. Bella sighed and reluctantly pulled away, pecking Edward on the cheek. "You know I can't. Fucking Caius wants us there by eight and it's already seven-thirty."
Edward bolted upright, following her retreat. His brow furrowed sharply, and she knew what was coming. Squinting just slightly without his lenses, he looked up at her, muttering a long string of curses and insults, followed by his typical meandering venting for her to stay. "Goddamn him… motherfucking… cocksucking idiot manager! His head is… so far up his… ignorant ass. He, well… you know, Bella, he's just doing this to make up for his, ah, shit science. I still can't believe that… garbage… he tried to pass off at last month's research meeting. I told him it wouldn't work last year! Asshole. Never listens to anyone who… actually knows what they are doing. Fucking idiot… I hate him!
"I just don't… ah, well, it's not fair, Bella! Why are you having to go in? It's… erm, Saturday! Doesn't he know… it's our day! You need to, well, sleep! You didn't sleep enough last night… of course, I'm partly to blame, I know. And really, um, last night was simply… exhausting. For me at least. Well, you obviously, too. How many times did you come? I counted four, or was it five? I was admittedly, ah, a little delirious there at the end. Anyway, just…agh! I can call him for you? You could be sick?"
Bella laughed and kissed him on the mouth. When Edward was wound up, he could go on for hours if she let him. Seeing his face heat up and hearing his voice uncharacteristically rise was almost worth being late. "I'll be home around one. It's not an all-day meeting, thank God. We just have to finish up the performance reviews. And your boss will be there, too, by the way."
Edward's face scrunched up in obvious distaste, no doubt ready to launch into a tangential scathing tirade on the deficiencies of their review process, which at least in the confines of their home, she agreed with one hundred percent. His points were certainly valid. There was no way in hell Dr. Caius or even Aro could ever understand the intricacies of the work Edward performed, let alone actually rate him on it. Not that they really even bothered giving Edward performance reviews anymore anyway. From a managerial perspective, it was completely unnecessary as he was entirely self-motivated. No one was more productive than Edward. His patent files kept half the law department at work. And not to mention, the whole upper management team was scared shitless he'd leave. She'd been stunned when she'd learned just how many standing offers he'd collected over the last few years, some of which involved hefty pay increases. His alma mater, Hopkins, was begging for him to come back to academia.
She laughed again before he could start. "Taking your car, okay? You're good with Beth until I get back?" Bella knew the answer before his lips even parted to answer.
He grinned, seemingly appeased by the promise of time alone with his daughter. "Always."
Judging by his enthusiasm, Bella guessed that in her absence, his and Beth's usual trip to Target would be in order. Remarkably, ever since he'd discovered the baby section there, Edward had been a regular fixture, somehow overcoming his dread of crowds in order to enable his obsessive investigation into the world of toys and baby gear. There was absolutely nothing their baby lacked, including the ridiculous-looking – but, according to Edward, superiorly constructed and designed – baby carrier [21] that he wore when they went out. When she had teased him about the bright color, he'd argued that while the aesthetics were lacking, it was the safest way to carry their infant. Ever the worrier, safety was always high on his list.
Edward grabbed her hand as she turned to go. Slowly, he brought her fingers to his lips. She shivered as he sucked two fingers into his mouth, licking and suggestively rolling his tongue around and between them. The sensations almost tickled. Involuntarily, her eyes fluttered shut and a small groan escaped.
Abruptly, he stopped, and when she opened her eyes again, his were twinkling. "See, Mrs. Cullen, that's what I wanted to do to your pussy this morning. But only for a much, much longer period of time. At least until you'd orgasmed a few times."
Fuck me, please.
"You're the devil," she accused, wanting nothing more than to strip down and fuck him right now.
Of course, he knew that, too. "So says the succubus," he laughed.
~O.o~
From across the table, Bella watched a mop of familiar jet-black hair and a pair of dangling gold hoops bob up and down in mock concentration as if she was actually taking notes. From the looks of it, however, Alice was alternating between doodles of wedding dresses and answering text messages, most likely from Jasper.
Never in a hundred years would she have ever put those two together. In fact, Bella had been more surprised by that pairing than she had been when she'd caught Rose blowing Emmett in the janitor's closet. While she constantly defended Alice to Edward, he was right about one thing – Alice Brandon was a control freak. She'd been that way for as long as they'd been friends. But then, from everything Bella could see, Edward's best friend was a space cadet extraordinaire – a Theoretical Astrophysicist! Really? – and very much in need of some controlling. Maybe that was why they clicked, she wondered.
Just over fifteen minutes had passed since they sat down and Caius hadn't shut up for more than thirty seconds at any given time. They were currently working the Modeling section's reviews, and if she knew her supervisor, he would predictably proceed in the same order he always followed, which meant her section would be dead last. As always. Most days, it made her want to scream because inevitably, she was the one waiting and half the time, she was the one stuck speeding through talks to make up for others' time overruns. Today would, no doubt, be no different. The only good thing about Caius's predictability, as well as his inability to sit in a meeting and not monopolize it, was that she was pretty much free to tune him out for a solid three to four hours.
Bella glanced up at the clock again, crossing and uncrossing her legs in annoyance, thankful that at least on Saturdays, she could get by with jeans. After all, there was no point in hosiery and high-slitted skirts if Edward wasn't there to ogle. When he'd asked long ago if her wardrobe was for him, he'd been more right than he could have ever known.
Like it was yesterday, she could remember the very first day she met him, which just so happened to coincide with her first day running the Pharmacokinetics department.
~O.o~
"Dr. Swan?" a cool, feminine voice called. A tall, voluptuous woman with 'assets' Bella could only dream about held out a hand in greeting. "I'm Rosalie Hale. I'm the administrative assistant assigned to this section.
"Coffee's almost ready. Your mail is laid out. And I've left a few items on your desk for review. Also, I took the liberty of printing out an org chart, as well as the CVs of your staff. If you have any questions, I've pretty much been dealing with them all for years now. I'll be glad to fill you in." There was a curious smirk on her lips, like she was laughing at a joke only she heard.
Bella smiled and shook Ms. Hale's hand, hoping that the nerves currently assaulting her stomach didn't show in her face or in the grip of her palm. Admittedly, those nerves were warranted. She was, after all, after this latest promotion, the youngest line supervisor in the entire Research Division. Her performance vector was steep, and they were already grooming her for much higher positions long term. Everyone knew that, but unlike in her last role, now she was dealing with the sensitive egos she knew all too well, so that knowledge would do nothing but make her job that much harder.
To make matters worse, the last supervisor of the Pharmacokinetics department had already warned her of one member of her new staff in particular. During his tenure, Sam had been at his wit's end, completely incapable of dealing with Dr. Edward Cullen. Apparently, despite his brilliance, teams were not Dr. Cullen's strongpoint. Nor was dealing with management.
Settling behind her new desk, grateful that Ms. Hale had thought of the org chart – she was clearly very good at her job – Bella pulled her hair back, tying it up in a loose bun to get it out of the way so that she could get a first look at her section. She chuckled when she saw the small hand-written post-it squares by each face and name, each containing 'additional' information that Ms. Hale thought she should know.
Gianna Rossi
Junior Staff Scientist, Specialist, Pharmacology
BS, MS, Biology and Microbiology, Columbia University
PhD, Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania
(Relatively new. Prissy and more than a little ditzy. Flirts outrageously with anyone with a d*&^)
Emmett McCarty
Staff Scientist, Specialist, Endocrinology
BS, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
MS, PhD, Biochemistry, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
(Comedian of the group, but a lot smarter than he acts. Complete push-over. Don't schedule early morning meetings with him.)
Aleksandr Rukhov (Alec)
Staff Scientist, Specialist, Cytology
MS, Biochemistry, Moscow State University
PhD, Biochemistry, University of California – San Francisco
(Giant pain in the a$$. Cooks nasty-smelling fish in the communal microwave. Outrageous accent – I hope you can understand him. I can't.)
The list went on in order of seniority. She skimmed, rapidly glancing at the photos to memorize the faces that went with the names. Until she came to the very last name, that is.
Edward Cullen
Senior Scientist, Specialist, Hematology and Pathology
BS, MS, Chemistry and Biophysics, Duke University
MD / PhD, Johns Hopkins University
(A handful. Loner, workaholic, supposedly a genius. Nervous and somewhat anti-social, but the most respected scientist in the building—next in line for promotion to 'Distinguished Research Scientist')
She sped down a mile long list of publications and patents. He was certainly impressive on paper, there was no disputing that, but what stunned her and nearly stopped her breathing was the picture taped next to his name. Bella didn't know whether to laugh, cry, throw up, or masturbate on the spot. In addition to being a certifiable, card-carrying scientific mastermind, Dr. Edward Anthony Cullen was one of the sexiest men she'd ever seen.
It was clear from the expression on his face that he didn't enjoy having his picture taken. From what she surmised from his CV, he likely viewed it and other such administrative nonsense as a waste of time. But bright, animated green eyes, a strong, angled jaw littered with a day's worth of stubble, and messy, copper-hued sex hair said otherwise. By Bella's estimation, the man was born to be photographed.
"Rose?" she called out through the open door, momentarily forgetting office formality.
"Dr. Swan?"
"Who is this?" she asked, still staring, floored.
"Huh?"
"This guy."
Bella glanced up to see that hint of a smirk she'd seen before now fully pronounced. "Not bad, is he?"
"Are you kidding me? Is this guy for real? How old is he?"
Rosalie threw her head back, laughing in earnest. "Early thirties. I think he graduated pretty early though. Been here ever since.
"Oh, and he's single, too."
Bella eyes widened in disbelief and then narrowed in suspicion when she caught the suggestion in her assistant's comment. "Don't even go there. I'm his supervisor. No way. No how."
"You're married?"
Bella snorted. "Ah, no."
"Well, then I don't see the problem. Twenty bucks says he would fall at your feet if you gave him the hint."
"No, Rose. Not happening. But I appreciate the concern over my romantic life."
No, no, no, she chanted silently. She was not allowed to fuck a co-worker, much less a subordinate. It just wasn't done, or maybe it was, but it was also a good way to get fired. Of course… that certainly wouldn't stop her from imagining his face – and hopefully the rest of him once she actually met him – between her legs when she performed her nightly ritual. It'd been months she'd last had sex and her body knew it. The man was ideal spank bank material, and there was no sense in wasting what God put in front of her.
"Whatever," Rosalie commented, waving her hand as if Bella's concerns were irrelevant. "Suit yourself, but if someone doesn't snap him up soon, I'm afraid that little slut, Gianna, will stop wearing clothes altogether. Though to be honest, I've never seen a man so completely oblivious to a woman practically throwing herself at him. The technicians aren't much better. God, some of them are shameless in the way they eye fuck that poor man."
"Why is he single?" she mumbled, unable to resist.
At that, Rosalie really laughed. Hard. "You'll see, but you will probably have to hunt him down though. Our Dr. Cullen isn't what you'd call social… Since it's your first meeting with the group, maybe he'll show up to the staff meeting this afternoon."
Rosalie turned to leave, hips swaying and heels clicking. Even though she was firmly heterosexual, Bella couldn't help but appreciate the woman's ability to claim a room. Rosalie Hale made walking look dirty. She made mental note to try her hand at that hip-sway move some time.
Abruptly, Ms. Hale turned at the door and winked. "Oh, and Dr. Swan, just a word for the wise. Dr. Uley was an idiot and had no idea how to deal with Dr. Cullen. I think you will find that if you just leave him alone and let him work the way he wants, you will get a lot more out of him. He'll understand that and appreciate it. [22]
"Uley was a typical wannabe alpha and was constantly trying to force him to do things his way… Let's just say that while Dr. Cullen is more than a little shy and quite non-confrontational when it comes to people and social settings, he doesn't have a problem ripping someone to shreds in the science arena. Uley learned that the hard way at last quarter's R&D meeting… hence why you are here, in case you didn't know."
Bella's brows climbed, but not from the fact this information was coming from Rosalie – admins always knew more than anyone else. "Really? Sam didn't tell me where he was going or what happened exactly."
Rosalie winked again. "Just keep what I said in mind. By the way, I'm betting Cullen shows up this afternoon. I'm guessing he will be curious. I doubt he even realizes that essentially he's the one who sent Uley packing. He's pretty ignorant of office politics."
Five hours and forty-three minutes later proved Rosalie Hale correct. Precisely on time, after everyone else had already found their seats around the long conference room table, he walked in.
Knee length white lab coat still on – pressed and starched from the looks of it – and doing nothing but accentuating a long, lean physique, Edward Cullen was sex on legs. The picture had done him no justice whatsoever.
Walking apparently by rote memory, his focus was wholly trained on the lab notebook in his hand, entirely unaware of the noise around him. His nose was scrunched and his left hand anxiously worried the back of his neck as if he were solving some riddle right there on the spot.
Nervously, Bella straightened the hem of her pencil skirt. Personally, she deemed it too tight, but Alice, her former co-worker, who was now heading up a group in Manufacturing, had called it a 'power skirt' and essential to dealing with the old boys club in Research. In fact, Alice had been the one to pick out her whole outfit, sky-high heels and all. Uncomfortable with displaying so much, Bella had disagreed initially, but after Alice's incessant suggestions and eye rolls, she'd given in, trusting her friend's understanding of effective workplace attire more than her own. She did have to admit that the stretch of the skirt made her ass look amazing. But it also made her glad she'd run that extra mile the night before.
Apparently, from the looks she was receiving around the table, some of her colleagues were, too.
"Alright, let's get going," Bella started, purposefully looking away from the man three spots to her left, who was still buried in his notebook. "My name is Isabella Swan. As most of you are aware, I'm taking over for Dr. Uley.
"I've read all of your CVs and I'm looking forward to our one on ones. But before we jump into updates, just a little background on me. Originally, I'm from Washington State – you know, the rainiest place on the planet. Received my undergraduate at Chapel Hill in biology and biostatistics, and then my graduate at Stanford. Also, before coming here, I did a post-doc at Lawrence Berkeley, and like you, Dr. Cullen," she turned slightly, risking a quick look for the first time, "I worked in hematology."
Granted, no one needed to know exactly how much personal research she'd also done in the area. That was one of her most closely guarded secrets. It wouldn't do at all for her peers to discover her irrational and more than slightly sexual interest in vampirism and vampire erotica. The humiliation she'd suffered the one and only time she'd asked Mike to bite her still stung.
"Don't worry though," she continued, speaking mostly to the beautiful, brilliant, and enigmatic man Rose had warned her about. "I understand my place. You guys are the ones doing the science. I'm just here to help you get it done and make sure you don't break the bank. I'll interfere in your actual work as little as possible." She paused and smiled. "As long as you keep delivering."
Dr. Alec Rukhov was already pursing his lips. Gianna, the slut – Rosalie was correct as the woman's shirt was almost transparent – was scowling, likely unhappy that her new boss was female and as such, competition. Dr. McCarty was staring at her tits with a loopy grin.
And Dr. Cullen was… gaping.
For the first time since she'd seen him walk in, his attention was no longer centered on his notes. No, his attention was purely on her. When she addressed him during her introduction, she'd watched as his perfect, cherry lips – ones that looked like they were made to suck and clamp down on skin – dropped in shock.
Internally, she argued that it was likely a result of her age. She hoped it wasn't due to her gender. As unprofessional as it was, really she just hoped that maybe he found her attractive, never mind that he was off-limits.
"So, now that's over and done, why don't we move on to the updates?" Bella quirked a brow up, trying to project an air of confidence she didn't feel. "Dr. Cullen? Why don't you start us off? I've read a little of your work – the last report you put together for the Steering Team. What's new since then?"
Bella prayed he didn't hear the spark of excitement in her voice every time she spoke his name.
"Ah, what was that?" he sputtered. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.
He looked like he was just as nervous as she was. And for a long minute, he just sat there as if he didn't understand the words she'd spoken. She wondered if it was something she'd said. Rosalie had warned that he was anti-social, but Bella hadn't met a scientist yet who wouldn't gladly talk about his work. Usually to the point of annoyance.
"Your project? How's it going?"
She nearly laughed when he blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. Frantically almost, he glanced down to his notebook, his lower lip firmly mashed between his teeth. His fingers flexed and anxiously drummed on the edge of the table. It was like he was trying to resist bolting. But after a moment, when he looked back up, his brow was set, and behind a pair of thin wire-framed glasses, his eyes flashed in enthusiasm. What just went through his mind, she would have loved to have known.
"Right. Yes, well, ah, I'm not sure how much you really got out of that particular report. It wasn't… well, it was designed for Dr. Caius… he's… not really… ah, informed on the subject. So, it's a… fairly superficial analysis… I typically write two reports – a management digest and… the real report. I-, I just learned it's better that way, you see…
"But you said you were a hematologist? Yes, right, of course... As you are aware, my primary project is looking for new treatment for broad-class porphyria. Hematin and heme arginate, the current primary treatments, are for attacks only. They offer no long-term curative effects, nor are they preventative. But that's common knowledge, of course. [23] Yes, well, my beta formulations, 01-54A7P through 01-63A7P, look fairly promising. The latest trials varied C/N ratios as well as chain position on the primary backbone. The molar mass ranged between 720 and 840, with carbon numbers on the order of 37 to 47…"
Edward went on, explaining in detail the advances his team – meaning him – had made. His voice was like pure silk, and every time he met her gaze, it was all she could do to not jump across the table. When he shot up from his seat to excitedly draw structures on the whiteboard, she'd nearly salivated and fallen out of her chair. He was so sure of himself, confident and clearly at ease while talking about something he obviously knew better than anyone else in the room. He was animated and eager, his messy hair flopping with every shake and nod of his head, seemingly spurred on by her questions.
The apparent boredom of his peers made no sense whatsoever. She wondered if they were, in reality, idiots not to see the perfection that stood in front of the room. In the same breath, Bella was impressed, overwhelmed, and incredibly – and quite inappropriately – turned on.
It didn't take much to realize that Edward Cullen would be the death of her.
~O.o~
She'd managed to resist him for exactly two months.
At least at work. Yes, at work she was a complete professional, never mind the fact that she went out and purchased more skin-tight pencil skirts, as well as a pile of sheer stockings and entirely too-expensive bras and panties to wear underneath. They were for her, Bella argued. Nothing bolstered one's self-confidence like sexy lingerie. Granted, it didn't hurt that every time she crossed her legs, she watched his eyes widen and his breathing hike. After one meeting, the moment she dismissed her group, she'd watched him leap up from his chair, racing in the direction of the men's room. He didn't look sick either.
But the lab was where professionalism ended. For nearly every night, in nearly every possible imaginary scenario, and in nearly every conceivable position, she came to the image of his face and to the sound of his voice. In her head, Bella had fucked him on her bed, on her desk, on the conference room table, against the whiteboard, and once even across the checkout counter at the grocery store. She'd kissed him, licked him, sucked him, and had his mouth clamped to her pussy for hours on end. She'd fucked him quick, long, slow, fast, and… well, mostly hard. And nothing could top the fantasies of being spanked and bound while he took her from behind, bending her over and pounding into her until all she could see were stars.
Ever since her undergrad days at UNC, she'd always liked her sex a little on the vigorous side, but the images she conjured of Edward were on some other plane. With startling intensity, she wanted to fuck him. Really fuck him. No holds barred, scratching, biting, bruising, can't-hardly-walk-the-next-day fuck him. She wanted him to bite her, to bring blood.
And every day, he made it that much more difficult to contain, especially since the day Emmett McCarty, in all his goofball idiocy, accidentally left one of Edward's novels in the break room. Fortunately for Edward, she was the only one in the building who could possibly recognize the nature of that particular novel, but now knowing that they shared a certain affection for fanged erotic literature was… mind-bending. That was what broke her and that was why she'd showed up at Emmett McCarty's Halloween party dressed like a whore looking get laid.
Because she was.
She slugged a shot of candy-like liqueur, steeling her trembling nerves. Bella didn't care about propriety anymore. She wanted him. And those goddamned leather pants. Seeing him standing there, leaning against the wall in tight black leather was like a scene out of her favorite porn.
"So glad you could make it," she breathed, standing far too close for polite conversation. She hoped her attempt at Rose's hip-sway worked. "Maybe this little soiree won't be so boring after all.
"Nice pants, by the way," she added, winking suggestively.
Edward, being the shy, unaware soul he was, fumbled and turned beet red. His reaction just made her want him all the more. After a few minutes of carefully delivered flirting, which he seemed reluctant to accept or acknowledge, as if he didn't believe what she was saying, she finally huffed in exasperation, throwing down the gauntlet. "Edward, look, you are a smart fellow. That, I know. I'd expected that you would be able to pick up on my not-so-subtle hints. Maybe you need a better hint."
Nerves on high alert, scared senseless that he'd rebuff her but determined to try, she slid her hand down the front of his pants, nearly passing out when she felt the hard line of a straining cock. A not-small straining cock. "I want you to fuck me... Lestat."
His eyes boggled in disbelief. Yet three minutes later, hidden somewhere in the confines of Emmett's loud and bustling house, she groaned when his tongue enthusiastically swirled around her nipple. Edward's eager fingers slid underneath her skirt and breached her slit, and she wasn't sure who moaned louder.
Somewhere between tugging on her nipple rings and fingering her pussy, something inside of him snapped. She saw it and felt it in the way their mouths recklessly clacked together. His typical, panicky demeanor vanished. It was like some sex demon suddenly possessed him, and she abruptly realized that her imaginings had done nothing to prepare her for this.
His fingers were pure magic, immediately targeting and finding the spot inside of her that no one except her vibrator had ever found, and his tongue… Fuck. His mouth was doing sinful things to her nipples, licking and tasting, nipping, flicking her nipple rings – a holdover from her days at UNC – exploring every inch of her with wild abandon.
"Fuck me, please!" she begged, utterly trapped in his thrall, unable and unwilling to escape. Heat rushed through her limbs, throbbing in want, paralyzing her to anything beyond his hands and mouth on her. She'd never wanted a dick in her so badly in all of her life. Delirious, his fingers still pumping her pussy, she scrabbled for his zipper, whipping him out in one quick, fluid motion.
Like the rest of him, his cock was porn perfect – long, thick, and standing at soldier attention. For me, she cried. Impatient, she gripped him at the base, stroking him once, then twice, twisting slightly when her palm reached his head. When she tightened her hold, his eyes rolled back as he grunted his approval.
Wild and embarrassingly needy, she stopped and begged again. Edward grinned at her enthusiasm and paused his own movements, pulling his fingers out of her – hopefully, she thought, so that he could replace them with his cock. Instead, he just had to lick his fingers. The sight was surreal, him tasting her, and it was impossible for her to hold back her moan.
Of course, that was nothing compared to the cat-like wail that came out of her when he finally pushed his cock into her. She gasped, feeling her walls stretching to accommodate his size. She could feel everything – the length of him hitting her deep inside, the hard ridge of his head popping each time he withdrew, the pad of his thumb roughly circling her clit in time to his thrusts. Somewhere, something hit the floor with a loud, shattering crash, but she was too drunk on lust to care. All she could do was lie back and hold on to the edge of the desk, pushing back against his thrusts until her hips burned.
More, God, more!
Just like in her fantasies, Edward Cullen did not fuck her gently. Absent was the meek man who barely met her gaze in the halls. No, he was sure and he was relentless, pounding his body into hers like it was his to own and claim. Each time their skin met, wet and slick from sweat and arousal, shockwaves sped up her spine, and she knew that in this way, she was his. No one had ever fucked her like this.
"Tell me what you want, Bella. Tell me how you want my cock," he ground out, never ceasing the motion of his hips.
"Oh, God. Oh, oh, fuuuck meeee!" she groaned, pleading him for more.
Ever the pleaser, he answered her with a hard buck of his hips and an even faster rhythm. The feel of his hands wrapped around her thighs, pulling her body against his was too much. She could feel her orgasm mounting already.
When he lifted her up, Bella clamped her mouth to his and her nails dug into the tops of his shoulders. The new angle made them both groan, and between sloppy, intoxicated kisses, he goaded her, somehow instinctively knowing her innermost wants for play. "What do you want, you little slut? You want it harder? Is that what that pussy wants?"
Her mind spun out in overdrive and unthinking, she responded with a wild series of incomprehensible curses and slurs.
Bite me. Fuck me. Bite me. Please, God, bite me! she prayed, knowing he'd never do it.
When his eyes widened, she realized that she'd said her words out loud. She'd sworn that she would never ask for that again, knowing that if she did, her secret, kinky fantasies would be revealed. But before she could even think to panic, his head dove down, and she felt the luscious, even decadent sensation of sharp teeth latching to the meat of her lower neck.
"Oh, yes… God, please, yes. Do it… harder, Edward. Harder!" she whined. "More… just a little more!"
She was so close. Spiked pain mingled with pleasure, creating sheer, unbridled ecstasy. Her legs shook and her muscles began to quiver. "Goddamnit, bite me, Edward!" she screamed.
"You want this?" he grunted against her skin.
She screamed again, urging him, craving more – more pain, more pleasure, just more. When his teeth finally broke flesh, the tremors coursing through her lower half exploded and she came so hard she could barely see. But the sensations wouldn't stop; for what felt like hours – though surely, it was only seconds – her legs continued to shake and seize as her pussy clenched and spasmed around his cock. Vaguely, somewhere in the background, she heard him whimpering against her skin as he erratically thrust a handful of times more before finding his own release.
~O.o~
"Bella!" Alice hissed across the table. "What the hell are you thinking about?"
She immediately sat up, startled. "Wha- what?"
"I knew it! You were thinking about sex!" Alice winked and shook her finger.
"Shh!"
"Whatever, they aren't listening," she whispered, waving at empty air. "They've just now made it to the Stats division. Although you missed a nasty fight between Caius and Dr. M. Never seen Marcus so mad. Usually, he just lets Caius have his way, right?
"But anyway, you so were thinking about sex. You had that dazed just-been-fucked expression. I take it last night was good, eh?"
"Alice! You are going to get me fired!" Bella made a show of pulling out a notebook as if to review data.
"And yes, for your information, last night was good. Very, very good. But no, I wasn't thinking about that." Absently, she massaged her neck, feeling the slightly raised mark beneath her shirt. Bella glanced up, unable to hide the smirk on her face. "I was thinking of another night altogether, thank you very much."
"Told you! You perv," Alice snorted.
Bella grinned and laughed, "So? Your point, Ms. Bella-please-help-me-pick-out-the-right-buttplug?"
"Whatever! That was totally for Jasper."
"Right."
~O.o~
She meant for it to all end there, to fuck him once and get it out of her system. Relationships with co-workers were dangerous, and if it ever came out that they had essentially desecrated Emmett's rather expensive walnut desk, her career would be over before she could blink.
'Meant for it' was the operative phrase.
Because after having experienced what she could only describe as the Rapture here on earth, staying away from Edward Cullen was a difficult proposition. But she meant to.
For two weeks, she avoided the halls and even cancelled their staff meeting. She didn't ask for reports, nor did she send him any emails. It was a bitch move on her part, because she knew that he felt the same draw she did, and for her part, it felt like she was fighting gravity itself. Because he was everywhere – in her dreams, in her thoughts, and unfortunately, judging by the lights on in his office each night, in the building.
After a particularly irritating phone call with her ex, Mike – a very well-respected professor back at Stanford, but a man who also didn't know what to do with a pussy even if it was staring him in the face – she gave in. And she fucked him again.
And again.
And again.
What started out as a casual, purely physical agreement quickly turned into something far more. Their fucking, while rough and hard and filled with more than a fair share of kink, also turned serious and tender. Those were the times she loved the most. Those were the times when she wanted to weep from joy, because being with Edward was so far and beyond anything she'd ever dreamed. After the disastrous failure with Mike, she – as well as her mother and father – had concluded that she simply wasn't cut out for real romance.
As such, in a sense, despite the surprise, she was actually relieved the night in New Orleans when Edward accidentally divulged their secret to that room full of people. He was insanely hot when he was jealous, but more importantly, that was the night the words were exchanged.
He loved her.
Of course, she was in love with him. She had been for what felt like forever. In Bella's opinion, any woman with at least a modicum of intelligence would have loved Edward, and his lack of marital status never ceased to amaze her. He was smart and sweet, incredible in bed.
But being the daughter of a fruitcake and the product of years' worth of school-age taunts, telling him hadn't been easy. The fear of rejection was too strong, even though she had thought that he might love her, too. After all, he'd been branding her with jewelry as well as with his teeth for months, and certainly, the way he looked at her and venerated her body was proof that whatever they had was more than casual. He made her feel loved and wanted, but it took Jacob fucking Black and his ridiculous gelled hair and fluorescent smile to push them both over the edge.
From there it had been easy. She'd already researched the matter, and the moment they returned, Bella had him transferred. Unknown to Edward, late one afternoon, Bella struck a deal with Aro, basically agreeing to stay in Research for at least another three years instead of moving on to her next assignment as it had been planned. In exchange, Edward's work wouldn't be altered – she couldn't stand being the cause of that – and only his place in the org chart changed. She'd left Aro's office, laughing all the way home, because despite Aro's supposed coup of owning another high-flying corporate star, she was the one who'd actually won. She hadn't wanted to leave anyway.
It was the best deal she'd ever brokered.
~O.o~
She rocked back on her heels, silently taking in the sight in front of her.
It was ten minutes after one, and she was exhausted from arguing and compromising with a man Bella considered to be the densest on the planet. Her shoulders ached from sitting all day and her head felt like it'd been hit with a Mack truck, but all of that made no difference when she saw the two people who mattered to her the most.
Laid out across their bed, Edward was fast asleep, his glasses knocked askew by the tilt of his head against the pillow. Unmarred by age or stress, his skin was flawless and smooth, dotted with stubble along his jaw and chin. His lips were slightly parted and his favorite worn grey t-shirt was bunched up around his mid-section. Next to him was what looked like an old organic synthesis textbook from college, flipped open to pages littered with black, familiar scrawl and bright yellow highlighter marks.
She could hear his breathing, regular and deep, lifting both his chest and the ball of pink sleeping on top of it. Like her father, Beth was out cold, her fist balled up and between her lips in an image of perfect repose. Edward's palm rested gently on her back, and the image left her breathless. Even in sleep, he couldn't let go of her.
Bella shook her head as she crossed the room and crawled up on the bed to curl up beside them. She tossed the book aside, and when she laid down, pressing against his side, Edward's arm immediately wound around her waist. She thought she heard him mumble something, but he was out again before he finished. Content, she snuggled against him, staring at a tiny pouting smile.
The day she'd told him she was pregnant was simultaneously the worst and best day of her life. It was the worst in that she'd never been so scared of loss, yet it was the best in its outcome.
While they had never discussed the matter, Bella knew that Edward had never intended on having children. She'd assumed that that was just something she would give up – albeit, willingly – to be with him. They were both career-oriented and they had a more than satisfying love life. And she'd never really been what she considered to be the maternal type herself. She'd long since understood and accepted that having children, while an interesting concept to consider, was not essential to her happiness.
Her feelings on the matter changed, however, the moment that little white wand said differently. Initially she'd been stunned, though objectively, she shouldn't have been. Bella had been on birth control for as long as she could remember. She knew as well as the next woman that it was not infallible, that there was always a chance it'd fail, even if taken flawlessly. It should have been no surprise that Edward's sperm would find a way to circumvent their protection; they certainly tested it often enough.
While it was always an option, Bella understood immediately that there was no way she could stomach not keeping the baby. With a passion and warmth she'd never dreamed, she loved it instantly, if anything because she knew that whatever was growing inside of her was half his. How can I ever harm or give up something that was borne from him? she'd argued.
Her day had been utter misery. She was sick, having twice thrown up, and she'd been an emotional wreck, already decided that she had to tell him, regardless of his reaction. He'd know soon enough anyway. Edward knew her body better than she did.
She arrived at his apartment, nauseated by the sinking feeling of pending rejection, fearing that her admission would destroy everything they'd built. So in a moment of weakness, she begged him to fuck her one last time, thinking that it could very well be their last if he didn't want her and their child.
The sex was… otherworldly. He was in full-on dominant mode, teasing her and not allowing her to respond, forcing her to control her orgasm. When he finally allowed her to come, before she even had a second to come down from her high, his dick was already inside of her, coaxing her back up the mountain again. It'd been a while since he'd fucked her that hard. Against the wall to boot. And reminiscent of their first coupling, drunk and high on his touch and command, she egged him on until she felt the delicious weight of his teeth piercing her skin, marking her as his all over again.
It had been so good that she couldn't hold it in any longer. She hated crying and it wasn't something she did often. The moment he saw her tears, Edward bolted upright from the bed, pulling her up and into his arms. Really, he was hysterical, not understanding and thinking her to be hurt or ill. In typical nervous fashion, he alternated between palming his chin and adjusting his glasses. The fear apparent in his wide green eyes made her cry that much more.
"Why-why, why are you crying? Agh, fuck. You don't cry. Why are you crying?" he stammered, gripping her hand like she was readying herself to run. His reaction was almost comical. If the situation had been different, if she hadn't been scared shitless, she would have laughed.
"Oh, wha-what do I do?" he cried, she thought mostly to himself. He groaned and wrung his hands, "I do not know how to do this!"
What followed was truly a marvel. She'd never seen him speak so quickly and so loudly, fumbling over the words like he was a man possessed. In truth, between her hiccupping tears and his frenetic rambling, she was lucky to make out half of what he said.
"Is it Dr. Caius? Is it work? Is it me? Are you sick? Oh, God, please tell me that's not it… I can fix anything… I'll beat the shit out of them... well, okay, probably not. You can quit… Yes, my lab is perfect... never mind the funding issue… gladly leave it and start somewhere new… I promise… we can fix it! That's what I DO, Bella! I-... I solve problems! Tell me what to do!"
He was so distraught and it hurt seeing him so. Gently, she interrupted, heart fully in the pit of her stomach, "Edward, stop. Calm down. I have news. I was planning to tell you earlier, but you did too good of a job distracting me."
Edward stopped, his face freezing into an expression of absolute terror, staring at her as if she'd grown two heads. His fingers clawed at the sheets, and she could see the gleam of wetness in his eyes. He spoke, each word sharply articulated in fear, "I. do. not. understand."
Bella took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." The words came out like a punch of air, and as soon as they were out, she wanted to take them back, because she might as well have just physically punched him. That was precisely what he looked like – like he'd been sucker-punched. His mouth was now wide and hanging open, floored and speechless. His throat bobbed up and down and he blinked mutely.
After what felt like hours, he finally whispered, barely audible above the sound of her thundering heartbeat, "Mine?"
She answered, and there was another moment in which she wondered if he was still in the present. His entire body was trembling and she realized that he was in the middle of a full-scale panic attack, complete with hyperventilation and wheezing whimpers. Carefully, she pulled his hands away from the sheets, holding them in her own.
"It's okay. Calm down. Breathe. Really, it's okay. I don't expect anything. I know this isn't what you wanted." Saying the words, granting him that freedom, felt like she was knifing herself.
But something she said brought him out of his stupor. It was like a switch had been thrown, and he suddenly came to life, shocking her with his stammering proposal. "Marry me," he asked, and when she tried to give him a way out again, refusing to tie him down if he didn't want it, he raced to the door, yelling something to her about staying. In less than thirty seconds, he was back, presenting her with a ring he'd apparently purchased long before. When she asked one last time if he could possibly want a baby, his swift reply would forever be branded into her memory.
"I want our baby," he whispered, his eyes bright, shining, and earnest.
~O.o~
"Oh, oh, oh, fu-"
"Dr. Swan?" he purred. "If you can't keep your moans down, we won't be able to do this."
She nodded, sweat dripping down her temples, soaking the tendrils of hair that had escaped her ponytail. They'd learned long ago that during evenings like this one, it was really best if they kept her hair tied back. One, it was just safer. Two, it was more convenient. And three, ponytails were excellent handles for providing silent direction… and for pulling.
He trailed a finger down her bare back, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "And I've so been looking forward to this. I wanted to last night, but you were so tired after having to work. On my day. I think I've been patient enough, don't you?"
"Yes," she panted, arching into his touch. His hand left her skin and she braced herself.
Thwack!
Her eyes rolled back as she felt the sharp sting of leather braids across the back of her thighs. Like everything else he pursued, Edward had become a master at… toys, knowing precisely how hard and where to apply them for maximum effect.
Leather crossed her skin again, perfectly mirroring the last strike. Now he was playing. He'd already fucked her with his tongue, taking her to the brink of orgasm, only to stop and leave her over-stimulated and wet.
Thwack!
"What do you need, Dr. Swan?" His breath tickled her damp skin.
Thwack!
"Oh, fuck," she gasped. The sting turned into a low burn, creeping up her thighs and between her legs.
Reprimanding, he replaced leather with his hand, smacking her across the ass. "Dr. Swan?"
She stifled another moan and managed, "I need to be fucked."
"How do you want it?" When she looked up, Edward's brow was arched and his lips were settled into an amused smirk. But she saw through him as though he were glass. Behind that cool, sexy, put-on façade was excitement and an insatiable eagerness to please. He knew her kinks and made it his mission in life to satisfy her.
"Any way. Any way you'll have me." She meant that in more ways than one.
Edward's smirk cracked and the emerald in his eyes gleamed bright.
"You can do better than that, Dr. Swan."
He smacked her ass again, but then his hands ran up and down her back, following her shape, from her shoulders to her ribcage, to her waist, to hips, and then down the outsides of her legs. "Do you have any concept at all of how perfect you are?" he murmured, his mouth peppering hot kisses along the trail his hands had just burned.
She breathed in, smelling sweet, masculine cologne. "Please, Edward."
His teeth nipped at her skin and his hand slid down her ass and between her legs. "Did I make you this wet, Mrs. Cullen?" She didn't miss the change in his tone, nor the shift in his address.
"Yes. God, yes."
When the pad of his finger grazed her clit, her body twitched, jumping off the mattress. Shamelessly, she writhed against his hand, searching for friction and contact. But he pulled away, standing to the side of the bed, and began slowly unbuttoning his shirt as if to taunt her. He knew it drove her crazy when he touched her like this, completely clothed while she was bare and desperate and exposed.
"You want me?" he asked, staring at her naked body in ways that should have been declared illegal.
"Always… Please, don't tease me again. I can't stand it, Edward. I need it. I want your cock inside me now!"
His shirt fell to the floor in a puddle of white, rapidly followed by a pair of faded weekend jeans and navy blue boxers. She stared at his uncovered body, thanking his mother and father and God and whoever else had had any part in creating his physique. Hard and long, he was ready, no doubt having been that way for some time.
As he approached the edge of the bed, Bella rose up on her knees, nearly launching herself at him the moment he was close enough. Her mouth attacked his in a flurry of lips and tongues. Edward grabbed her by the waist, pulling her against his chest, his fingers pressed against her ribs. She slanted her mouth, opening her lips wider, moaning around his tongue as her hands wrapped around his neck.
Demanding and impatient, she leaned back, pulling him down on top of her. With a surprised huff of air, he wasted no time in grinding his cock against her. "Hard or sweet?" he whispered, licking her neck and along the shell of her ear.
Her breathing stuttered. "You know the answer to that."
He lined his head to her opening, rubbing himself against her clit. "Tell me, Mrs. Cullen. Tell me how to fuck my wife. Anything you want and it's yours."
When he pushed in slightly, stopping at his head, she twisted, lifting her hips up beneath him. He groaned, fighting the urge to thrust. She hissed and groaned, "Hard, Dr. Cullen. Fuck me like I know you want to."
Before she even finished her response, his hips shot forward, impaling her, not stopping until his head hit her back wall. Nonsensical curses rolled off her tongue as he immediately pulled back and thrust again. His hands tightened around her hips, pressing her down and into the mattress as he set a hard, unforgiving rhythm.
"Like… that… Is that… what… you wanted?" he grunted in time to the movement of his hips.
Everything was sharp and over-saturated. Her limbs quivered beneath his onslaught, instantly returning to the precipice he'd taken her to with his tongue. The skin of her thighs was red and hot from the flogger, tingling and prickling each time he pulled out and pushed in. In perfect, practiced tandem, her body responded, her hips lifting up to meet his, her muscles locking down to hold him in.
"Yes, God… Edward!"
She wasn't sure how long they moved like that, but when she looked up again, his face was strained, sweat dotting his forehead, matting his hair to his skin. His lip was drawn between his teeth and his eyes, fervent and blazing, were trained to her face. He was beautiful, an angel and devil all at once.
When his hips rocked back again, he grabbed her leg, throwing it up on his shoulder. Her tendons and muscles ached, but the depth was incredible. She could feel him slamming against the walls of her pussy, sending shattering waves up and down her back and chest. Her thighs felt rubbery, shaking from the ecstasy his cock created. He pulled her second leg up to his other shoulder and he wrapped his arms around the tops of her thighs, standing up on his knees at the same time.
"Good?"
She could barely see, let alone respond. When she started to scream, somehow her mouth found a pillow, muffling the volume.
"God, Bella… pussy is… so… tight… Fuck… do this… all night. That's right… baby, come. God, yes, let me… feel… it. Come hard, Bella… Please!"
It was like his voice had a direct line to her lower half. The trembles in her thighs built to hard, wracking shakes, and the pleasure radiating from her center turned knife-like, a feeling so acute and consuming, it was close to pain. His hips swiveled in response to her constricting muscles, bucking hard and fast, pumping her like his bliss was entirely dependent on hers.
Bella's eyes clenched shut and her face screwed up as the building pressure suddenly exploded in a burst of nerves and sensation, sending ripples and uncontrollable spasms throughout her body. Edward's voice echoed her, calling her name out as he thrust his hips once more, burying himself as he came inside her.
Exhausted, he collapsed to the bed beside her. She opened her eyes to see him rolling onto his side, facing her and smiling. Eyes shut and breathing hard, his arms reached out, automatically finding her and pulling her against him. Caged in damp, hot Edward, she sighed in pure contentment.
"I love you," she whispered, her voice panting from their coupling.
She felt her hair being released from its band and then his fingers winding through until his palm cupped her head. He pulled her tighter against his chest and buried his face in her wet hair.
"No idea," she heard him say. "You have no idea. One small tree..."
To a forest, she finished without speaking aloud.
He was the one who had it all backward, never mind how many hundreds of times she told him so, never mind that she'd done nothing but obsess over him since the day she saw his picture, never mind that she was the one who had been unable to resist him and all his idiosyncrasies. Never mind that she craved him in every way possible, that she'd altered a career, that their wedding vows were the most important words she'd ever spoken, and that she happily bore a child simply because it was his.
And never mind that there was not a doubt in her mind that she'd do it all over again. Teeth and all.
[20] Verminophobia is not the fear of vermin, but the fear of germs.
[21] The baby carrier image was a fabu suggestion by Ms. Haileywood. For a visual, take a look at: wize baby-carriers/p221337-euro-baby-red-castle-sport#t=33310
[22] Recall that bit of mystery back a few chapters ago? Chap17 to be precise. Several of you commented, asking me what the hale I meant…
Rosalie: … But seeing as how you two always had a special understanding, I can see where you might not see that."
Edward:…"Erm, would you mind elaborating? Please?"… "A, yes, well, that part about a special understanding. I didn't quite, um, catch that."
Rosalie: "You really don't know, do you?"… ""Let's just say that you aren't the only one who has been head over heels since… like… day one."
[23] These are real treatments for porphyria. Wiki that shit if you don't believe me.