Hello everyone,

I'm not gonna bore you with a long author's note today.

Things are about to get very interesting for our mulish couple.

Please review ...

Bella had explored nearly every crevice of the mansion besides the study. Now, she came to what she presumed was the door where she lingered, just staring at the wooden structure. Her fingers itched to touch the knob. The temptation caused her hands to curl as she resisted.

She wasn't sure why, but when someone said something was off-limits, it became a bone of deep necessity to do the forbidden. Her hand reached for the knob, and with a prickly sensation jogging down her spine, her fingers caressed the smooth brass. Even though she knew she shouldn't, Bella turned it and ever-so-slowly pushed the door open.

She just wanted a peek. That's it. Just one little look, and then she would mind her business. When no sound came from within the room, Bella stuck her head inside, glancing around. The office was the size of her whole house; she mused as a dim light drew her attention in the direction of a giant oak desk.

Edward sat in a swivel chair, his head tipped back, and his eyes appeared to be closed from this distance. Yet even while he looked to be sleeping, a glass dangled from his fingertips. With his eyes closed as they were, an expression of peace seemed to envelop his typically twisted features.

Her curious gaze slid down the bridge of his nose, coming to the curve of his lips. Bella watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he inhaled and exhaled in utter relaxation. Perhaps he was sleeping, Bella decided, yet … his chest suddenly went still, and his lashes flickered until he was staring right back at her.

Instead of turning hostile, however, he remained silent.

His usually lethal gaze warmed slightly by whatever he'd been drinking, Bella figured as she spied the glass in his hand once again before returning to his eyes. A wicked sensation skipped through her blood, and her entire form tingled with awareness. Every centimeter of skin he appraised with that liquid stare came alive, and her stomach fluttered with butterflies.

The air around them crackled as their eyes remained connected. Bella wasn't the only one experiencing this strange reaction to his presence; Edward, too, felt the space around them come alive, the atmosphere almost tangible. Edward's chest constricted, and his breath became lodged in his throat.

Maybe it was the lull of alcohol in his blood, and his perception was fuzzy. Hell, he wasn't sure what was actually going on, but he decided that Bella Swan was gorgeous, he decided, his intrigued stare coasting over her smooth features. The weirdest thing, however, was the leap in blood pressure he was currently feeling.

Instantly, he went warm from head to toe as he traced the gentle curve of her lips. Unexpectedly, Edward envisioned biting her full bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth, his tongue exploring the silken recesses, entwining around hers. As the idea took root, they refused to be dismissed, and his thoughts went one step further, causing his blood to quicken. Edward's lower body responded, his belly constricting as he felt lust spear straight to his balls.

Bella seemed to understand the direction of his thoughts, or perhaps it was her own unforeseen sliver of attraction she was currently experiencing. Whatever the case, she was mesmerized by the look darkening his eyes.

The way he lazily regarded her was hypnotic in a strange way, and Bella fought the urge to step further into the room. Her heart did a funny little jog, and suddenly, a burn ignited, and Bella's skin prickled. The odd sensation caused her nipples to pucker and an ache pulsed in her clit.

Holy hell. What was that about? Breathing became oddly harsher, and as these sensations persisted, Bella backed out of the room. Never had just a mere look caused this wealth of … of … what the hell was that?

What was even stranger than her body's reaction was this need for … for … hell, Bella didn't even know. She was stuck in limbo. Part of her had wanted to cross the room and understand that look in his eyes, yet another part—the part that had won out was her need to run. So here she now stood in the hallway staring at the closed door, her chest seeking breath as it rapidly moved with each inhale, her mouth and lips dry.

Bella would've stood there forever dumbly observing his door, yet a movement at the end of the hall drew her attention. A short brunette woman appeared, and an excited grin lifted her lips as she returned Bella's observation.

"Hi," the woman started, closing the distance between them. "You must be the forbidden guest we aren't allowed to talk to."

A wide grin pulled at Alice's lips as she caught sight of Edward's prisoner, hovering outside of his office. Had the woman dared to enter Edward's sanctuary? Something in Bella's expression told Alice that she had, and honestly, it tickled the shit out of her. No one—no one disobeyed Edward, and the fact this spunky woman had the audacity to defy her ill-mannered brother was utterly delightful.

Bella chuckled at the woman's description of her. While she was still perplexed by the odd pull to Edward, she welcomed the distraction with both hands and moved away from the temptation to finish whatever that look was about. "Yeah, I am, and who might you be?"

"Your new best friend." Alice wrapped her arm around Bella's as she pulled her along the hallway. "I'm Alice, and anyone brave enough to go toe to toe with Edward deserves a medal. He can be prickish on his best days, but you blatantly spent two days pissing him off. It was wonderful."

"Yes," Bella laughed, "I'm Isabella, Bella to my close friends, which I barely have, by the way," she enlightened her new friend as she found herself led into the kitchen. "Does everyone here want to thwart Edward for some reason? He specifically said I'm not to socialize with anyone in the household. And so far, every single family member has gone out of their way to be very accepting and polite. It's extraordinary considering I'm supposed to be the enemy here."

"Yeah, he gave us the same cock and bull speech at dinner," Alice smirked, releasing Bella long enough to pull a cheesecake from the fridge. "The thing is, Edward thinks he owns everything in this city, including the people living in it. We all go out of our way to remind him that's not exactly true. He doesn't own me, my mother, or my brother. Unfortunately for Emmett, he happens to be a man, and under Edward's thumb more so than the rest of us."

Alice looked over Bella's shoulder as Emmett walked wearily into the room. With an annoyed huff, she flicked her fingers in his direction as she pointed toward the door. "She doesn't need a shadow Emmett, get out."

Emmett ignored Alice as he wandered to the drawer in the corner and retrieved the pie cutter. "Bullshit, I'm not going anywhere. There is cheesecake, my favorite, and I think the maid bought fresh strawberries."

Alice rolled her eyes. Emmett wasn't fooling anyone. She knew firsthand his presence was a result of the direct instructions from Edward. Deciding not to cause the problem over the obvious, Alice gave him a flutter of her lashes as an annoyance came to life. "Fine since there are fresh strawberries. You might as well get the whipped cream too."

Bella watched an array of desserts being placed on the island. Feeling like she needed to contribute, she started opening cabinets in search of plates. After the fifth attempt in the enormous kitchen, Bella located her bounty. With a handful of plates, she wandered into the party. "I can't even remember the last time I had cheesecake. Not a delicacy my father finds important."

"No offense, but your father is an asshole," Emmett clarified, digging into the dessert in question. Effortlessly, he shoveled a slice onto a plate and passed it to Bella. When she would've backed away with her cheesecake in tow, he grabbed a handful of strawberries and sat them next to it. "Don't forget the good part."

"Never," Bella agreed, picking one up off the plate and nibbling it as she studied the brute. Emmett might be a large man and very intimidating, but he was far less scary than he had been a couple of days ago. "And one cannot be offended by the truth. My dad is a first-class dick and a different kind than your brother."

"Oh, don't let Edward fool you; he is very much an asshole, " Alice explained as she followed Bella to the dinette. "He can be very stuffy and dangerous. I don't know why he brought you here, but trust me, you are lucky. He doesn't adapt well to people, as you have seen."

Bella had already determined she was fortunate in her dealings with Edward thus far. Alice was correct; Edward didn't conform to new people--hell, even his own family very well--from what she'd seen. "So, what happened to him? I mean, he wasn't always like that. I remember him coming to pick you up from school, and he seemed happier then."

Alice darted a look in Emmett's direction as she forked a mouthful of cheesecake into her mouth. Swallowing, she blinked once or twice as she spoke. "His wife died during childbirth. It was a complete nightmare. Irene just started hemorrhaging, and they couldn't get her to stop bleeding… It was a sad day."

Apparently, a sadness Edward had never gotten over, Bella thought. She was biting into a strawberry when Alice gasped unexpectedly.

"We went to high school together? Why didn't I ever know that?" Alice studied Bella long and hard, trying to place her. Slowly, she shook her head. "I don't remember you."

"Trust me; I was not worth remembering back then. Plus, Charlie didn't encourage friendships, " Bella shrugged, remembering all those lonely days when no one ever spoke to her. "I spent most of high school hidden in a corner. I thought I'd be able to escape once I went to college, but here I sit."

"I can't believe the prick really expects you to marry that prig. What the fuck is he thinking?" Emmett wanted to know, going still at the speculation.

"I don't think he gives a shit," Bella acknowledged, with a nonchalant shrug. "It's whatever because I'm not marrying that nasty pig."

They fell into silence as they ate. Bella's thoughts turned to Edward. His disposition made more sense, and his disconnect with Lily as well. Obviously, he had cared a great deal for his wife if her death had affected him this way. Suddenly, Bella was angered by the rumors floating around town about him killing her.

As she swallowed her last bite of cake, her gaze landed on the cheesecake in the center. Bella wasn't sure what prompted her, but as she took her plate to the sink, she turned to the dessert. Without hesitation, she dished out a piece and placed several berries next to it. Lopping a spoonful of cream over the top, she turned with the plate in hand.

"Where are you taking that?" Emmett asked, his eyebrow lifting.

"To Edward," Bella said simply as she exited the kitchen. She heard Emmett's scoff of disbelief, followed by "he won't want it." She didn't let the speculation stop her, however, retracing her steps back to the forbidden study. This time as she took hold of the doorknob, there was no hesitation as she swung the door open.

Edward's eyes went wide as he watched, with a clenched jaw, as she walked inside the study. The woman had the balls of Lucifer. Suspiciously, he followed her progress toward his desk; the same awareness sparked between them as she came to stand before him. His lips pursed as he watched her set the plate on his desk. "What are you doing in my study?"

"I brought you a slice of cake. Figured you could do with a little sweetness in your life." Bella didn't step away once she placed the cake on his desk, merely returning his regard.

Edward's lip curled as he said, "I don't want it."

Bella used two fingertips to push it closer until it was directly in front of Edward. Shrugging, she smirked as her chin lifted stubbornly. "I didn't ask if you wanted it. I brought you a treat. The proper response would be thank you. Now eat the cake, grump."

Please review ... THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY INTERESTING. Stay tuned lol.