AN: this chapter is a little lemony...So please skip it if you're not into that sort of reading. Also,let me warn you that I suck at this and that I'll probably never write anything of the sort again, unless you can convince me otherwise

Thank you Elbereth49 for your help.

Chapter 27

So many things had happened in less than a month.

I was remembering my confrontation with Eric a couple of weeks before as I fastened my seatbelt while the airplane approached London. He had quieted down quite a bit, even though that only happened mostly because he avoided me like the plague.

I looked at Greta who was sitting by my side, quietly scowling outside through her window. She seemed lost in thought. Professor Walker and Martha were talking animatedly behind us about a theatre play they'd be attending the following day.

"Please, Dr. Swan, if you'd be so kind as to turn off your laptop." Ashlee, our flight attendant, requested politely.

"Oh, sure. I was distracted."

Another major event was my meeting in Miami with my mom a week earlier. She had calmed down considerably since I offered an even better settlement. She got her five million dollars plus the assurance that I'd always pay for her house's expenses separately. She was extremely surprised when I met her personally, but after being pressured by my father to handle things better for our family's sake, I realized I should take a step back.

"Miss Higginbotham, do you understand what you're signing?" Dr. Green asked.

"I never thought my own daughter could be so petty…" she sniffed.

Her lawyer, whose fees were also being paid by me, shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, mom, we are all fully aware that I'm a monster." I paused so that my voice would come out steady. "If you breech this contract there'll be tough penalties and I won't spare you any charity then…" I warned.

"Bella, I just gave that interview because you forced me to act somewhat recklessly… you were ignoring me on purpose! Besides, it's not like that interview was published or something, so no harm done there," she screeched. "I just want what I'm entitled to," she added forcefully.

"I should subtract from your five million the expense I incurred because of your little stunt. It wasn't cheap to prevent that interview from ever being published," I told her, refusing to be sidetracked into an empty discussion.

"And how much was that?"

"More than you'd like to lose." I stated simply. "Mom, I'm washing my hands now. You're comfortably set up, with more money than you ever dreamed you could have. I remember suggesting you to go back to work… You know how I feel about idleness, but I'm aware that it was probably the deal breaker for you in our initial agreement. I didn't put any clause on this contract over that matter because I know you hate to be pressured into doing something…"

"It's good to see you got some of your senses back," she commented contemptuously.

"But everything else stands. If you need anything from me, you should contact my lawyer. You won't discuss money at any family event… and that's the only time we'll see each other, and only if Emmett specifically requests it."

"I don't agree with the clause that I'll get one million dollars yearly. You told me I'd have five…"

"It's sort of a guarantee." I said cutting her off. "You'll receive a million dollars every year, for five consecutive years. You'll get an extra million if you sign this today, it'll be deposited tomorrow on your bank account."

"It says here that I cannot ask for money from your brother too… Don't you think you're being a little overbearing?"

"I know who you'll turn after this source goes dry…"

"If you disrespect any line of this contract, you'll have to return the full amount of money plus interests, under the penalty of going to jail if you fail to do so…" Dr. Green added with an unmistakable tone of disapproval.

She took the pen he extended to her and signed the contract vigorously, nearly piercing the paper in the process.

"Thank you," I told her simply.

"Did it really have to come to this?" She asked eventually as I stood to walk away from her life forever, or so I thought.

"You've proven yourself over and over again unworthy of my trust, so I have to protect myself and those I love." I paused to regain my breath before adding. "Do you have any plans for Easter?"

"Yes, I'll be travelling with some friends."

"If you change your mind, there's a plane ticket in your name reserved and I'll have someone fetch you at the airport. Emmett and dad are going to England, and it might do you some good to spend time with them. Our vacation in Sydney was a fiasco and I believe you could use some time bonding as a family."

"I think I'll pass," She snorted but I continued anyway.

"It's your choice," I told her evenly. "I really didn't want things to come to this. Please, at least believe that. You're my mother, and even though you can't see this now, I actually love you. I have always loved you, and I pray that one day you'll get that inside your head. For now, after everything that happened, I think we should give ourselves a break and time to heal. I know I could use that because right now I'm as bitter as I could ever get and I can assure you that in my current state of mind, and heart, there'll be no way to compel me to do any more for you."

"Don't patronize me, missy. You've always done that."

"I'm not arguing anymore. Maybe I was the worst possible kind of daughter, but even if that was the case, I'm still your daughter and your love should be unconditional. Just take care of yourself and try to be safe."

"You resent me," she stated. "You'll always resent me." And somehow I think the feeling of abandonment crashed upon her.

"You're really making it hard not to," I murmured.

I heard her sob, but didn't turn around to face her.

"You can unfasten your seatbelts now," Ashlee said.

"Good to be home," Martha said truthfully. "I can´t believe I'm spending Easter with my family. It'll be the first time in years!"

"I still have no idea how I ever agreed to do this," Professor Walker stated frowning. He'd been complaining nonstop over the last couple of days. He was kind of a persona non grata at Martha's parents, who were Henry's distant relatives and had that More attitude engraved in them.

"I'm glad I'm here too." Surprisingly More Park was becoming as close to a home as I'd ever had before.

"Your family is arriving in the morning, as scheduled," Greta said brusquely.

"It's going to be great. I miss them!"

I felt dog-tired as we stepped out of the plane into the cold night. It was nearly five a.m. when we landed so we all hurried to our respective cars. I was so distracted that I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a soft voice behind me.

"Good evening, Isabella. It was so nice to be informed of your flight schedule through Professor Walker," Edward's voice chided me.

"Edward?!" I asked dumbfounded. "What are you doing here? It's late!"

"It's early," he corrected as he embraced me. "I missed you too," he teased as he kissed me softly. "I wanted to surprise you."

"That you did," I mumbled against his chest where he secured me for a few seconds with his arms closed tightly around me.

"Bella, I hope you don't mind giving me a lift to my cottage," Greta said breaking the moment.

"Actually, Miss Masterson, she's staying at my place," he said over my shoulder. "It's closer, you need to rest and I haven't seen you in a while," Edward said hoarsely next to my ear.

"Mathew can drive with you and John might accompany us," he said in his I-have-everything-figured-out-so-don't-bother-to-argue tone of voice.

I really felt sorry for my security team. They've been working around the clock to make sure I was safe. I now employed twelve security officers in my personal team. Three teams of four members. John was the leader, so I doubt that he ever rested. He relaxed visibly, though when I was with Edward. They shared sort of an understanding and were clearly fond of each other.

"Come on. Alice is expecting you to have breakfast with her."

I followed him into the car and was surprised to see that he actually brought his chauffeur with him. Usually he preferred to drive himself.

"I figured we could use this time to make out," he teased as he took a seat next to me in the back of the car.

"I'm really tired, Edward."

"I never figured you to be an 'I have a headache kind of girl'."

"I'm not." I stated flatly.

"I wouldn't know…" he bit back.

At first, he was the perfect British gentleman, and agreed with me that it was probably for the best if we didn't have sex again at least until we could fix some of our points of discordance. But, only a month later, he was backpedalling, seriously cranky, and actually had the nerve to tell me over the phone, just a couple of days before, that he hadn't been deprived of sex for so long since he was fifteen.

"You really got up this early just so you could nag me personally as soon as possible?"

"No… But I was hoping being the attentive boyfriend would help you change your mind," he said seductively, his mouth hovering behind my ear, kissing me softly.

"Well you might be more successful if you didn't disclose your plan beforehand…" I said a little miffed.

"On the other hand, you were the one who insisted that we should give the honesty thing a try," he teased.

"Is sex really that important to you?"

"No…" he groaned. "Well, I mean yes… to an extent." He added grimly.

"Which is it?"

"Don't misinterpret me. I'm actually trying really hard not to pressure you…"

I arched my brow at this, and he quickly argued back.

"I just think," he said after a little hesitation, "it's the most natural thing in the world for a man to be having a healthy sexual desire towards the woman he fancies."

"You were really short-fused the other day…" I stated remembering a Skype conference we held about some issues on MorePharm.

"Because you make me mad all the time! And this frustration just adds to everything else I believe you're doing wrong."

"I'm really doing my best!"

"It's not enough!" His voice was quiet and grave.

"Professor Walker said that we actually managed to make some breakthroughs these last few weeks."

"Because we've been doing most of your work for you while you're playing doctor," he laughed bitterly.

I wanted to tell him that wasn't the truth but had to bite my tongue. Even if it pained me to admit it, he was probably right. When he gathered I wasn't going to fight back, he apologized.

"It's all the excess of testosterone in my body… I'll just go running for a few miles in the morning and I'll be fine. Let's just enjoy a quiet Easter."

I took a long shower and dressed in his pajamas before dragging myself to his empty bed. I made such an effort to keep him at arm's length, mostly to protect my already deeply injured heart, but also because a tiny part of me wasn't ready for the sort of commitment being with Edward entailed. He was growing impatient, sensing my lack of trust and ultimately, my lack of love. But for me, there couldn't be one without the other.

The man I was afraid to love really didn't have that much going for him - at least, not on my prerequisites list. Well, he was very handsome - probably Hollywood material handsome, charming, extremely intelligent, educated; and he had that sexy, rich voice coming out of him in a British accent that was accentuated when he was angry about something. But he was also arrogant, conceited, deceitful and implacable - one of those people to whom the goals always justified the means to obtain them. Those characteristics made him excel in the business world but, personally, sometimes I found him just terrifying.

And, being the girl that I am, the Tanya incident still made me shudder, no matter the technicalities. Mike, who is plain old Mike, also managed to cheat on me and I had never even realized it… so you see, like most female population I owned a huge inferiority complex which I struggled with daily to suppress.

So, there I was trying to sleep in Edward's oversized bed, alone, trying to come to terms with the fact I didn't want to anymore.

"Hey, good morning sleepy head," Edward said gently. I looked at the clock in his bedside table…

"I only slept for 30 minutes…" I groaned.

"Your brother's plane lands in a couple of hours. Scoot over so I can embrace you properly for a while." He ordered, as his grip around me tightened and he pulled me against him. "You know that my shower gel isn't unisex…" he accused.

"I like the smell…"

"I'm growing particularly fond of it now…" he whispered as his nose brushed against my ear giving me goose bumps. His hands mapped my belly and his thumbs traced my breasts without actually touching them. The innuendo wasn't lost on me as I arched my neck to allow his kisses.

He was a master at creating the right amount of anticipation. Every other intimate encounter we've had has been the same - he would end up kissing me mercilessly, riling me up to the point of frustration.

"You're a teaser." I accused.

He turned me on my back and adjusted himself over me, grinding himself languorously. The fabric between us wasn't nearly enough to dissipate the heat coming out of that tortuous friction.

"Between the two of us, I'm pretty sure I'm the more offended party," he managed to say raggedly, as he continued with his motion.

That actually served him right, but the words were lost to me as I found myself deepening the kiss. My response to him actually set him off, so the gentle banter was replaced by knowing caresses. Very deliberately, his hands found their way beneath my clothes, and without any conscious thought they were scattered around us.

He took his time kissing and licking every part of me, seemingly particularly fascinated with my breasts, sizing them appreciatively with his hands.

I still blush when I think of how shamelessly I offered myself after so many arguments that I had raised in my head against it. Those didn't even cross my mind however, as I offered my body to him, enticing him to continue.

He pushed the bed covers away from us and began his descent nibbling his way down my stomach, my outer leg. Then, raising my right knee with his left arm as his hand clutched my thigh, he made his way up, ascending the length of my leg to my inner thigh so gently, kissing while breathing deeply, and exhaling softly a warm and tantalizing breath. The softest of touches were hotwired to the center of my desire and I found myself writhing, desperate and wanton.

His index finger skimmed the lace of my panties and before I knew it he was holding them to the side. His right arm found a way beneath my left leg and his mouth was at my center. He didn't give me the chance to bolt, instead he held me tight as the tip of his tongue traced my clitoris without actually touching, blowing his flaming breath. As I began to protest, he flattened his tongue against my entrance, first tentatively but soon after wildly, licking, sucking and even biting gently.

I moaned incoherently, when he focused his attention on my clitoris again, first passing his tongue from side to side and then suckling it.

"Baby, look at me," he begged hoarsely.

I propped myself up on my elbows and tried to focus on his eyes which were glancing up at me filled with undeniable lust.

As soon as his fingers traced my entrance, I lost my balance and fell heavily against the bed moving my pelvis in synchrony with him, completely lost.

"What do you want, baby?" he asked softly between his ministrations.

I wanted to feel him inside me, but was too shy to even consider saying so.

"If you don't tell me, how can I know?" He coaxed, his fingers were still trailing their path up and down. His voice was so husky and sensual which only exacerbated my state of arousal.

"That's tor… torturing information out of me…"

He laughed playfully, but continued without mercy.

"Come on, baby. Just tell me…" he murmured raggedly.

"You," was all that I could say in the state of mush he had turned me into.

With a very proficient move, he eased his fingers inside me, testing at first, but then moving relentlessly in and out, adding to the pressure inside me.

His mouth left the spot he was working on, and was replaced by his thumb, so he could move up to my breasts; his hand never missed a stroke, but kept going and going. He tried to divide his attention between both of them, his tongue flicking each nipple even more awake in turn. His erection was pressing against my leg, as his hips pushed up for some friction. I had no idea why, but he was still wearing his t-shirt and boxers. At that point, I just wanted to feel his skin.

Completely wild, I fisted his hair, crashed my mouth against his, and rolled over him so that I was on top. I stopped kissing him just long enough to pull his shirt off and toss it away to the floor like it was some offensive object before claiming his mouth once again. I laid over him again, his hands grasping my buttocks almost too forcefully, guiding my movements over him.

"Oh God," he rasped as I moved my attention to the hollow of his neck, "I can feel how wet you are for me," he whimpered, his grip growing even tighter, forcing me to move faster. In truth, his boxers had to be soaked.

A little self-conscious at the fact, I actually tugged down the hem of his underwear, and moved my panties back to the side. The sensation of skin touching skin was too much. His penis was throbbing just at the place where I was aching to feel it. I was at the brink of an orgasm so I tried to adjust and take him inside me but Edward stopped me.

"Can you come for me this way?" he rasped and then kissed me profoundly, muffling my moans with his lips.

I didn't know if I could, but I did soon after. I jerked against him crying out his name, trembling in the most shattering and unexpected orgasm I had ever had. I felt like a teenager with the excitement of experiencing things for the first time.

I was a bit of a dead weight afterwards, kissing his neck randomly.

"You're the most comfortable mattress, Your Grace," I said shifting a little, which made him wince. He was still aroused but trying nevertheless to be a gentleman about it. "What are you going to do about it?" I asked him suggestively, barely recognizing my own voice...

"I think I'll be taking a shower in a minute…" he said tugging my ear with his teeth.

"A cold one?"

"I can think of better ways to make this type of discomfort go away," he chuckled. "I think I prefer a warm bath and the image I now have in my mind of the woman I love coming loudly over me."

"That's… interesting… I could use a bath myself." I said cheekily.

"What? You want me to see me masturbating?" He asked adjusting beneath me. He was serious… I gulped and my mouth went dry. I actually did…

"I have no problems with that. You're the shy one… I consider myself quite adventurous," he joked.

"You're quite the exhibitionist!"

"No, I'm self-assured. And pleasantly surprised by that kinky side of yours. I'm going to do my best to explore it."

He stood up, gloriously naked and fully erect glancing down at me. The scene before him had to be decadent, the sheets were all tousled around me as were our clothes, scattered in the bed and on the floor except for the scrap of lace I called panties which were still in their original place.

He leaned over, pushing his black boxers down and, parting a little his legs for leverage I believe, started to slowly stroke himself in front of me. I blushed but was completely transfixed by the image.

I took the time to admire the man before me. I still found a walking contradiction and maybe that was the attraction. He was very tall and fit, his muscles were defined, but not too bulky, and his abdomen was shaped into a subtle six-pack. His… come on Bella you're really going to continue to call it penis? Well, for now.. yes… His penis was… well big. Not porno big, but nicely built in proportion to his body. A bit bigger than average I would say, even though I believe he might prefer I'd call it hugely massive. But thankfully it wasn't…

I smiled a little at my silly ramblings. His best feature was without a doubt his eyes, which were looking at me with mischief.

I love his eyes.

"Come," he said as he headed to the en suite bathroom, soon after I heard the running water and managed to get up out of bed to join him.

He kissed me passionately as I entered the shower booth. I held onto him, molding my body against his, beginning to build up again, but he pushed me back, forcing me to sit on the marble bench behind me.

"I thought you wanted to watch…" he said hoarsely. It was clearly the sexiest thing I've ever seen. His hand started moving along his length, spending more care with his tip… his wrist flowed naturally, clearly acquainted with the job at hand, pun intended. I tried to memorize the movement, as it was a little different from what I used to do.

He was looking intently at me, almost without blinking, and his sounds grew louder and more frantic as his hand moved faster. All of a sudden his hips surged forward, and he came loudly, calling out my name, as he ejaculated aimlessly. I saw some of it actually hitting my leg and being washed away.

He was still breathing hard as he sat on the floor and pulled me into his lap. All of a sudden, it was December again and I remembered the only other time we took a shower together. That day he not only saved me from drowning, but he also prevented me from dying of hypothermia. I was so scared and confused… but he was there and saved me.

Jesus, just a few minutes before I offered myself to him, tried to have sex with him in the most traditional sense, but he managed to keep my wishes without making me feel rejected, when I clearly forgot about everything else. He also hadn't made love to me that night in the cottage when I was particularly fragile and he clearly wanted to. He actually practiced a lot of self-restraint.

The thought that came afterwards baffled me… Edward Cullen respected me and I loved his eyes.