I'M ALIVEEEE

And I bring you a chapter filled with so much sexual tension that it could be cut with a wooden spoon! So sorry for my absence and thanks to all my loyal and wonderful readers that left comments and even messaged me! Everything is alright now, thank you!


CHAPTER NINE:

INAPPROPRIATE


When Bell opened her eyes in the morning, it was dark and foggy outside her window. The sun was hidden behind a thick curtain of dark clouds, and the usual cold temperatures had replaced the brief warmth. She dressed herself in a soft and comfortable long sleeved shirt, given that her favorite jacket was in Jessica's custody. Bell made Charlie a sandwich along with a warm cup of coffee to go and a bowl of yogurt and fruit for herself. After finishing off her glass of cranberry juice, Bell picked up her things and went out the door. The cool morning air nipped at her cheeks and clung to every inch of exposed skin.

Since the icy fog was so thick, it took her a moment to finally spot the silver Volvo parked in the driveway. Its handsome driver was leaning against it, a crooked grin on his lips as he opened the passenger door for her. "Good morning. Would you like a ride?" Edward asked, an almost playful tone in his smooth voice.

A grin of her own crawled onto her face, and Bell welcomed the feeling of butterflies in her belly. "Yes, thank you." She told him, not bothering to hide the happiness from her own voice. A tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat, and the moment the door closed behind her, Edward was already starting the engine.

He turned the heater on, and turned to face her with that bashful smile that made her want to hug him and never let go. Edward's beautiful ochre eyes stared into hers, his hand lifting to run the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone. "May I kiss you?" He asked softly.

Bell smiled, and leaned close enough to nudge the tip of his nose with hers. "Well, I thought I made my feelings very clear last night." She murmured, and relished in the way he exhaled softly at the memory. "You can kiss me whenever you like."

With that, Edward leaned forwards, his long lashes brushing against her skin as his eyelids fell closed, and his soft lips pressed against hers. His hand moved to cradle her jaw like she was something precious, his kiss gentle and loving. She sighed softly at the feeling, and a shiver travelled down his spine. Edward pulled away slowly, like it was a chore, and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Good morning." He said gently as his eyes opened, peering into hers with such affection that made her smile.

"Good morning." Bell echoed, and pecked the tip of his nose. Edward's cheeks grew a pale pink, and he grinned.

"I brought you a jacket." Edward said as he leaned away, trailing his fingers down the curve of her jaw. "I didn't want you to get cold. You could get sick." He explained, and Bell knew he would be fretting over her the whole day if she didn't take it. Not that she would ever refuse him anyway.

"How thoughtful. Thank you." Bell said, pulling the jacket off the seat and sliding her arms through the sleeves. It was soft and swallowed her up, too big for her frame, the smell of him clinging to the clothing like an expensive cologne.

Edward was wearing a light gray cable knit sweater that clung to his perfectly muscled chest and complemented his pale skin. She looked at his face again after a moment of admiring him and found that he'd been doing the same, though there was a visible smugness in his expression that told her he also appreciated the view. Bell laughed quietly, sliding her hand into his and lacing their fingers together. He raised their conjoined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles before setting them on her lap.

They drove down the fog-shrouded street, always a bit too fast, both of them comfortable with staying silent as they listened to the quiet hum of classical music coming from the radio. She entertained herself by playing with his fingers, stroking his skin with featherlight touches while he eagerly basked in her warmth. His hands seemed so delicate, pale and soft to the touch with the slender fingers of a pianist tipped with healthy and well groomed nails. Though the memory of his hands leaving deep indentations on the metal of Tyler's van quickly dismissed any thought of Edward being considered delicate.

"Any questions for me today?" Edward's voice brought her back to the present.

She traced a pale blue vein with the tip of her index finger and shook her head. "Not for now, no." Bell replied, her mouth drawing up in a small smile. "I'm more concerned over your questions, actually."

Edward looked over at her, arching an eyebrow. "Oh?" He sounded amused, and he gave her hand a soft squeeze. "You don't have to answer them if they make you uncomfortable. You can tell me whenever you're ready." He continued, an almost adoring look crossing his features as he smiled at her.

Bell said nothing, only brought his hand to her mouth and lay a soft peck against his cool fingertips. That cute flustered expression returned with a splash of pale pink across his cheekbones, and his smile widened. She was glad he was so understanding, but Edward deserved only the truth. As Edward pulled into the school's parking lot, Bell realized something.

"Where are your siblings?" She asked curiously.

"They took Rosalie's car." He said, shrugging innocently. Bell imagined their expressions when Edward refused to take them to school and was struck with amusement. Edward parked next to an expensive looking red convertible and gestured to it. "Ostentatious, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful." Bell complimented, noticing there wasn't a speck of dirt or a scratch on the glossy red paint. "Why does she ride with you if she has that?" She questioned.

"Like I said," Edward killed the engine, pocketing his keys with a crooked grin, "it's ostentatious. We try to blend in."

She gave him a look, raising her eyebrows, "You fail at that. Miserably, might I add." Bell pointed out as they got out of the car, and Edward chuckled. "So you made your siblings ride in that even though it's less conspicuous? How cruel of you, Mr. Cullen." She teased, shaking her head at him.

Edward grinned unashamedly and grabbed her hand, leaving little to no space between them as they walked onto campus. "Haven't you noticed, Miss Swan? I'm breaking all the rules now." He said, giving her hand a pointed squeeze.

"Why have cars at all? Why not ride in the bus with the other kids if you're looking for privacy?" She asked, running the pad of her thumb over his knuckles.

"An indulgence." He admitted, a mischievous gleam in his honey colored eyes. "We all like to drive fast."

"Ah, of course. How could I forget?" Bell laughed, and Edward smiled at the sound, leaning into her almost subconsciously. She spotted Jessica, who was waiting for her under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang. The girl had an amazed expression on her face, her eyes almost falling out of their sockets, and she held Bell's jacket in her arms. "Good morning, Jessica," Bell greeted, smiling at her. "Thank you for remembering."

Jessica handed her the jacket, speechless.

"Good morning, Jessica." Edward said politely, giving her a nod.

"Um, hi," Jessica said awkwardly, and Bell pursed her lips to hold back a laugh. Once she seemed to get her scrambled thoughts under control, Jessica gave Bell a meaningful look. "I'll see you in Trig."

"Yeah," Bell nodded, "I'll see you there." Jessica walked away, peeking over her shoulder twice as if to make sure her eyes had been working properly.

"She'll ambush you in class." Edward said, amused, and looked down at Bell. "What are you going to tell her?" He asked.

"Can you tell me what she wants to know?" Bell asked, folding her jacket to stuff it into her bag. She wasn't quite ready to give Edward his jacket back. It was ridiculously comfortable.

Edward pursed his lips and pretended to think for a moment. "Mmm, no." He answered, grinning wickedly. Bell let out an offended noise, pulling away from him as if upset. Edward laughed, a noise she would never tire of, and blocked her path so she wouldn't enter her classroom. "She wants to know if we're dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me." He revealed, cupping her face with his hands.

"Oh, are we?" Bell asked, reaching up to curl her fingers around his wrists. She smirked at him, watching as his eyes flicked down to her mouth.

"I'd hope so. Or else I'd say you were using me, Miss Swan." Edward said playfully, though his voice had lowered in something like desire. Warmth spread over her lower stomach, and Bell swallowed.

"How scandalous." She murmured and stood on her tiptoes to peck his nose. A smile bloomed on his face and she grinned back at him, unabashedly happy.

"I'll be listening." Edward reminded her and pressed his lips against her forehead, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs before pulling away. "I'll see you at lunch," He called out over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway, and Bell chuckled to herself as people stopped to stare.

She walked into class, taking her usual seat next to Mike, who'd been waiting for her. He had a wide smirk on his face. "Good morning, Bell." He greeted her and raised an eyebrow, "How was Port Angeles?" Mike asked knowingly, and Bell tried not to laugh.

"It was great." She said, giving him an OK sign and he snorted in amusement.

"So," He began innocently, drumming his fingers on his desk. "Did Jessica say anything about Monday night?"

"She said she had a really good time." Bell answered, watching the nervousness melt from his body.

"She did?" Mike asked eagerly, his face lighting up happily.

"She did." She echoed, amused.

Their conversation ended when Mr. Mason called the class to order, asking them to turn in their papers. By the second hour, the fog had almost completely dissolved, the skies still covered in dark clouds. Her classes passed in a blur, and Bell found herself missing Edward. It was almost ridiculous, given that they'd seen each other in the morning, but she missed holding his hand. Hers felt empty without him.

Like he'd told her, Jessica was waiting for her in Trigonometry. She was almost bouncing in her seat as she waited in the back row. "Tell me everything!" Jessica said eagerly before Bell was even seated.

Bell laughed and fiddled with the long sleeves of Edward's jacket. "What do you want to know?" She asked.

"What happened last night?"

"He bought me dinner and gave me a ride home." Bell answered innocently. "Edward drives like he's in a car chase. It was like a Fast and Furious movie."

Jessica slapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Was it like a date? Did you text him to meet you there?" She asked once she'd calmed herself down.

"No, he just happened to be there." Bell said, and Jessica seemed to deflate in disappointment.

"But, like, he picked you up for school today and gave you his jacket?"

"Mhm."

"When are you going out again?"

"He offered to take me to Seattle on Saturday. He doesn't trust my truck."

"Understandable." Jessica said in all seriousness, and Bell put a hand on her chest in mock offense. "Come on! That thing's like a century old!" She laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement.

So is Edward, Bell wanted to say.

"Hold on, hold on!" Jessica said suddenly, putting her hands up. "Have you kissed yet?"

"I kissed him." Bell said, grinning widely when Jessica gasped.

The shorter girl grabbed Bell's arm as if to ground herself. "You made out in his car?!" Jessica hissed, giving her a shake.

Bell snickered, "We didn't make out, exactly. We were in the driveway."

"Do you think Saturday…?" Jessica trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows with a devious expression.

Remembering Edward was listening in, Bell gave her a similar expression, "Hopefully yes." Oh what she would have paid to be able to see his face.

"Details, gimme details, Bells." Jessica insisted. "Was it good? Was it hot?"

"It was amazing." She admitted, probably smiling like a fool. "Like something from a dream." Jessica gave a muffled squeal and Bell laughed again. "And there was this poor waitress at dinner. She kept flirting with him, but he barely looked at her."

"Oh nooo," Jessica covered her mouth with a sympathetic cringe, most likely feeling the second hand embarrassment. "He's so handsome it's scary. I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him." She said in awe, "I can barely speak to him."

Bell lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Conversation just flows naturally. It feels good, talking to him." She lifted a hand to push some of her hair away from her face and the divine smell of him that clung to the sleeves of the jacket nearly sent her into a daze. "I don't have enough words to explain," She chuckled, smiling down at her hands as warmth gathered on her cheeks.

"You really like him, huh?" Jessica giggled.

"I do." She murmured. "I like him a lot."

The conversation died down as Mr. Varner called Jessica's name. After class ended, they talked about what Mike had said to Bell during first period, and Jessica demanded a very detailed description of his facial expression. They spent most of Spanish on it, trying to predict what Mike's next move would be, until the bell rang for lunch. Bell smiled at the sound, and Jessica gave her a knowing look.

"You're sitting with Edward today, right?" She guessed.

"Yeah," Bell grinned. Lo and behold, Edward was waiting for her outside, looking like a Greek god as he leaned against the wall.

"See you later, Bell." Jessica said almost eagerly and gave her what she thought was a discreet thumbs up before hurrying down the hall.

Bell shared an amused look with Edward. "Hello." He greeted her, offering his hand.

"Hi." She said back, linking her fingers with his. He led her through the crowded lunchtime rush, a certain smugness in his expression as everyone gawked at them. Edward picked up a tray and began filling it with food, adding a bottle of lemon iced tea the second he spotted it. "I hope that's not all for me." Bell commented.

"Half is for me, of course." Edward told her, stepping forward to pay for it. He guided her to the same spot as before, disregarding the amazed stares that a group of seniors were sending them from the other end of the long table. Once they were seated, Edward nudged the tray over.

Bell popped a green grape into her mouth and tilted her head at him. "Can you eat human food?" She asked curiously. Edward mimicked her, plucking a grape from the tray and eating it. He chewed quickly and swallowed, probably to avoid tasting it for longer than necessary. Bell ate another grape in a vague attempt of quelling her amusement. "Was that good?"

Edward gave her a look. "No." Then he glanced over her shoulder for a moment. "Jessica's analyzing everything I do. She'll break it down for you later." He said, and opened the bottle of iced tea for her. "Should I try feeding you?"

She chuckled, "Maybe later." Bell replied, only half joking, and tried not to notice the sudden eagerness in his eyes at her words. "She might have a heart attack if you do that." She continued and took a small sip of tea.

"On Saturday, then?" He asked casually, not meeting her gaze.

"Got big plans for Saturday?" Bell asked in the same tone.

Edward looked at her from under his lashes, his honey colored irises nearly swallowed by his pupils, "I could ask you the same." His voice was rougher than before, husky. It made her feel a bit warm under the collar if she was being honest. She wanted nothing more than to thread her fingers into those messy locks of his and drag him down for a kiss.

But they were in a public setting.

Such a thing couldn't be done with so many eyes watching. It didn't mean she couldn't fantasize about it though. Something must have shown on her face, or maybe he even smelled it, because Edward gave a shaky exhale and swallowed roughly, fingers curling into his palms. She leaned forward, a hand cupped around her neck, and looked up at him with a small smile. "Maybe." Her voice was low, matching his own desire.

He let out a small laugh, both flustered and aroused, and he looked down at the table. "That's not fair." Edward complained without anger. "Every time I try to fluster you, you turn it on me."

Bell smiled a bit smugly and leaned back on her seat, taking another sip from her bottle. "You like it, though."

Edward looked at her again, lower lip caught between his teeth, "...I do."

If Jessica was still watching, Bell was going to get an earful for this. Though she wanted to keep teasing him, she chose to keep eating instead, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep her hands to herself if they continued. Edward watched her with a sort of dazzled look, leaning his cheek on his fist.

"I have a question for you." Edward said after a moment, and Bell hummed. "Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that an excuse to get out of rejecting all of your admirers?" He asked.

"A bit of both, actually." Bell said, then pointed a finger at him. "I still haven't forgiven you for the Tyler thing yet. He's told everyone I'm supposedly going to prom with him."

A wide smirk stretched over his lips, "He would have found a chance to ask you without my help, trust me. I just really wanted to watch your face." He chuckled, wickedly amused. "Would you have turned me down if I'd asked you?"

"No." Bell answered honestly. "Slow dancing with you would have been worth being in a gym packed with sweaty teenagers." Edward laughed at that, his shoulders shaking, and Bell grinned.

"Do you really have to go to Seattle or do you mind if we do something different?" Edward offered.

"I'm open to suggestions," She replied, screwing the cap onto the empty bottle. "Though I'll need to drive."

He tilted his head, "Why?"

"I told my dad I was going to Seattle alone. Leaving my truck at home would bring up some questions." She explained and laced her hands together under her chin. "I still need a bit of time to figure out how to tell him about you without having him bring out a gun."

Edward hummed in understanding, an amused gleam in his eye. "You should tell someone you'll be spending the day with me, though."

"And why's that?"

There was something fierce in his eyes when he looked at her again. "It'll give me some small incentive to bring you back." He said lowly, and Bell stared back at him. There it was again, that hot desire stirring down below.

Bell cleared her throat and resisted the urge to cross her legs. "Jessica knows. If I don't show up by Monday, she'll tell everyone we eloped or something." She added. For a moment, Edward looked like he was actually considering it, staring at her with a peculiar expression. "Let's, uh, talk about something else, please." She nearly begged, because if he kept it up she was going to do something very inappropriate.

"What would you like to talk about?" Edward asked, blinking innocently at her.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and dragged her eyes away from him. Bell looked around the room in search of a topic that didn't make her want to jump his bones in the middle of the cafeteria. She locked eyes with Alice, who wiggled her fingers at her with a wide grin. The rest of the Cullens were watching Edward. Jasper and Emmett were whispering to each other with broad grins while Rosalie looked torn between amusement and disapproval.

The sight of them together reminded Bell of something. "You go to Goat Rocks to hunt, right? Charlie says it's not a good place to hike because of the bears." She mentioned, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears.

"Yes." Was all he said, smirking.

She stared at him for a moment, amazed. "Bears?"

"Mhm."

"They're not in season." Bell said teasingly, still shocked.

"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons." He informed her, before adding, "Grizzly is Emmett's favorite." Under the amusement, he seemed relieved, like he'd been afraid she would leave him after finding out more about what he was.

"What's your favorite?" She asked, curious.

"Mountain lion." Edward said and, for some reason, she found it to be an obvious answer. "Of course we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators— ranging as far away as we need." He explained, "There's always plenty of deer and elk here, and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?"

"Where indeed." She smiled back at him.

"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season— they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable." Edward smiled like he'd just remembered a joke. "If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."

Bell glanced at Emmett, who was laughing at something Jasper had said, and the thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso made it easy to imagine such a scenario. "Are you like a bear, too?" She asked, looking back at Edward.

"More like a lion, or so they tell me." Edward said lightly. "Perhaps our preferences are indicative."

Her eyes strayed to the way his sweater clung to his figure, and she wet her lips with the swipe of her tongue as that heat of desire returned at the thought of watching him hunt. "Perhaps." She said lowly.

He looked at her intensely, eyebrows furrowing slightly, "What are you thinking about?" Edward's voice was rough, like before.

Bell let out a breath and drummed her fingers on the table. "Something inappropriate that definitely shouldn't be said out loud." She admitted.

Realization seemed to dawn on him, and Edward gaped at her.

"Would you look at that," Bell quickly said upon noticing how empty the cafeteria was and gave him a charming smile. "We should get going or we'll be late." She got up from her seat and grabbed her bag, taking the tray in her hands to throw away their trash.


Edward was caught off guard by the smell of her arousal at the topic of him hunting. It threatened to throw him in a daze, igniting a flame of desire that stirred low in his stomach, so strong that it made his teeth ache. He swallowed a mouthful of venom, trying to stop the nearly violent shivers that wracked his spine and resisting the urge to just pick her up and leave. To take her somewhere far, far away where no one would find them.

It was in his shock that he saw it, through the eye of Alice's mind. It was Bell, but different. The sunlight made colors dance across her skin, her lips drawn up in one of those breathtaking smiles of hers, but it was the color of her eyes that caught him off guard. They were the deep crimson of a newborn vampire's. Through the vision, Edward saw himself, his chin smeared with the blood of his kill, and Bell reached out in an attempt to clean his face. She said something he couldn't hear, but he saw himself laugh and give her a kiss.

Even though it should mortify him, the vision did nothing for his arousal.

See? He heard Alice think smugly. Edward swallowed another mouthful of venom and pushed her thoughts from his mind. He dragged a hand through his hair in an attempt to ground himself, that odd flutter in his chest returning with vengeance. He was sure he was also pink in the face, the blood of his last meal adding some color to his cheeks.

"Are you coming?"

God, he wished.

Edward looked up to see Bell staring at him expectantly, ready to go to their next class. He got up, thankful for the coverage his sweater provided, and followed her.


Eddie boy has a little problem downstairs, huh?

Thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the nice reviews!

Believe it or not, your kind words got me through a rough patch! I hope to have another chapter up soon!