The Letter

Part Eleven


Bella sat in the middle of the fantastic bed Edward had bought in a meditation pose, eyes closed as she tried to get her racing heart under control. A hard thing to do when Edward showered in the attached master bathroom.

Everyone had gone to bed hours earlier, Tanya and Alec went home to pack for their trip, leaving Edward and Bella alone, but they didn't want to stay downstairs.

They wanted privacy. Not that there was time for Bella to get a happy ending or two. His family was less than an hour away—nowhere near enough time to explore all the possibilities with Edward.

The suit and jeans he wore only hinted at his physique, but she had no doubt he could easily lift her up onto his shoulder and run up a flight of stairs if needed.

"This is not helping," she muttered under her breath. Shaking her head to dispel the memory of Edward's strong arms around her, she focused on her breathing again.

Until she caught a whiff of sandalwood and some kind of manly spice that hinted there was a warm, wet, half-naked man nearby. Her eyes snapped open, her lids lowering halfway when her gaze landed on Edward's naked back as he opened the chest of drawers across the room. A gray towel hung low on his hips, the dimples above of his ass mesmerizing her.

"Bella, have you seen my other bag? It's a blue duffel. I swore I left in the bathroom this morning."

It sounded like gibberish to Bella, who was too engrossed on the play of muscles along his back. Her racing heart had reached Formula 1 levels as he started to turn around.

Oh God, I hope I'm not drooling.

"You're really hot."

Edward cocked an eyebrow, but there was no missing the minute lift of one corner of his lips. "Is that right?"

"So right," she sighed. She glared when the slight smile turned into a smirk. "You're well aware of your nuclear status, aren't you?"

The smirk morphed into a full-blown smile, and Bella was glad she was sitting down. "I don't know about nuclear, but the word at the office was that I'm rated a 10+."

She rolled her eyes as she stood up and crooked her finger, asking him to come a little closer.

Edward didn't bother to second guess himself or hesitate despite his state of undress. Being close to Bella was addictive. Everything about her drew him in and made him crave more.

He hadn't expected to find love at the return address of a letter to Santa, but he was positive he had. Not just from the little boy who loved his sister like no other; one that would give up his chance to get what he wanted for Christmas to bring her happiness. He also found it amongst the group of friends and family.

He found it most of all in the gaze of an unforgettable woman. "What is it, Bella?" Concern took over, noticing for the first time how flushed she appeared, how wide her pupils were, and she seemed to be breathing hard. "Are you coming down with something?" The innocence in his expression and questions were lost when Bella's breath quickened as his lips kissed her cheek, near the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm coming down with something all right." She shook her head and laughed, pushing him away slightly. "As if you didn't know? I'm about to explode here." Her slim fingers slid down his torso, following the slight hair trail to where it disappeared under his towel. She only teased him for a moment, but it was all she needed to turn the tables on him.

Edward sighed and retreated back a few steps, needing the distance. "You are too irresistible for your own good, Ms. Swan."

She smiled and shrugged. "Your family will be here soon, so we'll have to explore this thing between us when we head to Seattle."

Edward stilled and realized they'd likely have to stay overnight the day of the party. Alone. Well, they'd be alone after the holiday party in his spacious apartment. He had a few calls to make to ensure there was food in the pantry and maybe some fresh florals to brighten the space. He wanted Bella to feel as welcome in his home as she made him feel in hers.

A tug on his towel brought him out of his head long enough to realize Bella stood in front of him, quite close in fact. "What has you thinking so hard?"

"We're going to need to stay the night in Seattle." He stated it as a fact but wondered if it should be a question. If she wasn't comfortable with the idea, he had the means to bring them back the same night, so he told her that.

"Hmmm, stay in a very nice Seattle apartment with panoramic views for a night or back to the chaos present in this house?"

Edward nodded. "It is a hard decision. Your family is incredible and mixed with mine, well, it would be something we wouldn't want to miss."

She sighed and laughed. "You're serious about this. I think we should stay in Seattle after the party, as I'm sure it'll be late when we leave it. Plus, it would give you some time to adjust to your family, namely your father, being here."

"I hadn't even considered that it could be overwhelming for me, maybe going into the office tomorrow is a good thing." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for considering my feelings."

"Well, I'm also being selfish, since I really need to be alone with you." She pressed a kiss to the center of his naked chest. "That is if you have a spare bed at your place."

He groaned. "As if I'd pass the opportunity to have you in mine." His lips covered hers with the intent to be chaste but unable to hold back. She moaned into the kiss, heating his blood, as he lifted his hands to cradle her face, wanting more. Her taste was indescribable and addicting all at once. Panting, she pulled back and stared up at him.

He wanted her so much. Going back for more, she wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing their bodies much closer, her curves against the hard planes of his chest.

An annoying alarm startled them apart. They both cursed at the timer, notifying them that his family would be there any minute. Funny how much time they spent kissing and hadn't even realized it.

"You undo me," Edward murmured, pressing one last kiss to her reddened lips. "I better find clothes and get my body under control."

Bella being curious by nature looked down between their bodies, her eyes widening and made a little sound, a half moan, and whimper.

"Bella," he said with a bit of bite. "Perhaps it's best if you leave for a few minutes."

She looked up at him with those luminous eyes and blinked. "Sorry, its been a while and I'm…wow. Happy endings, indeed."

She giggled when he growled, blowing a kiss over her shoulder, leaving him hard and wanting.

He hoped that would never change.

.

.

.


"Stop pacing, Edward." Bella sat back and watched him run a hand through his already unruly hair. Did he have any idea that his father did the same thing when he was under stress? They were so similar.

It had been years since Edward and his father had seen each other; she didn't expect everything to go well. She'd be a fool to think it would all go smoothly. Each had the ability to hold a grudge and be stubborn as hell.

Between her, Alice, and Esme, they could out stubborn them; of that, she had no doubt. They were going to talk, even if they had to be locked into a room together. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, as any tension would only increase.

"What are you so worried about?" She had to ask, concerned he'd put up walls a mile high. All his guards were down since the day they met, but she knew from Alice that he normally functioned with fortified ones on a day to day basis at the office.

Would he become the hard, cold man his sister said he was at the office party? Would Bella be able to reach him if he did? There were questions she'd have to face later, but for the moment, his family worried him most.

"I've been around them. They visited me often, and we'd meet somewhere for a nice holiday together over the years, but never all of us. Though I invited him, he wouldn't join us. Now, the only reason he's coming is because you asked him to. I don't know how to feel about that"

Bella grimaced but understood where he was coming from. "Are you mad at me?"

He whirled around, alarm on his handsome face. "No, Bella, of course not! How could I be? However, the issue remains the same. He's not coming because of me."

"You couldn't be more wrong, son."

Bella's astonished gaze over his shoulder warned Edward that they were no longer alone. He immediately stood tall and fortified his emotions, ready to face the one man who had hurt him beyond measure. Until he saw the look of disappointment on Bella's sweet face.

Disappointment in him. She quickly masked it, giving him a smile that didn't meet her eyes. He realized the reason she felt disappointed; she hadn't ever come face to face with the mask he often wore for the sake of business and to keep his personal life private.

He softened his look, allowed his shoulders to relax, and let his emotions surface, but just a little. Letting it all go completely wasn't quite right, either.

Bella stood up and walked toward him, sliding her hands up and down his arms. "You ready?" Her whispered words only heard by him. He nodded and tried to smile, loving that she returned it with a genuine one.

With her by his side, he felt he could endure just about anything. Taking in a deep breath, he turned to face his father and the rest of his family.


AN: Finally right? Thanks to my bb Kyla713 for helping with the chapter, any mistakes are mine since I like to never leave it alone. How are two very alike individuals going to handle this? Its five days (in the fic) until the office party, the question is, can they hold out for that long? I'm slowly working through my WIPs, getting back into the groove, it better stick around. I miss writing! Missed you all, hope everyone is doing okay. See you in the next update.