She Rocks My World

80's Rocker, Edward Cullen, is the frontman for the enormously popular band, Cullen.

He's every woman's dream; handsome, wealthy, and talented, but the elusive rocker has something to hide until an overwhelmingly gifted, doe-eyed beauty steals his heart at first sight and sound.

This is Beta'd by my queen, Fran. And should I do some tweaking after the fact … mistakes are ALL mine.

A/N: A reminder.

My story, 'Rescue Ink,' has been nominated for 'Your Best Top Ten Completed Fics ~ October 2017'. So, if you like the story and want to support me (as the writer) and Fran (as the beta), please vote once a day until November 30. The site is: TwiFanfictionRecs.

Thank you, everyone.

Chapter Five: The Search

EPOV

I awake with a jolt, feeling I'm not alone. Rays of moonbeams sneak past through the blinds as my only source of light, and the dim numbers on my clock tell me it's 2 A.M. I glance around and see a small figure curled up on the chair next to my bed. Inching closer, I smile. Bella leans her head over her hand on the armrest of the chair, her knees are up to her chest, and there's a soulful glimmer to her lips

I grab one of the blankets and carefully cover her. She moves her head upward, and her hair falls over her face. Gently, I stroke her strands, maneuvering them out of her slumbering eyes and quickly shifting my hand as she swats at the air.

This girl does something to me.

I huff.

Then, I crawl out of my bed and make my way to the ensuite.

Lifting the toilet seat, I grab for my cock. I feel its length and realize I'm hard. "Jesus," I whisper and examine my stiffy. "It's been a while, my friend."

Getting caught up in my erection, I smooth my palm over my tingling head, paying close attention to the rim. I suck in air through my teeth, wince, and close my eyes, enjoying a successful sleight of hand.

I hold onto the back of the seat for support, and leaning forward, I continue to stroke myself building for a release. Quickening my movements, I feel the crescendo of my ministrations stream from my concentrative care. Ha, a release! I welcome with relief. I almost applaud the reappearance of my hard-on.

After cleaning up, I make my way back to bed. I sit across from Bella and watch her sleep. With limited light, I tilt my head, memorizing every freckle and the upturned sides of her mouth. Her eyes rapidly move under her lids.

I whisper to myself, "What are you dreaming about, Bella?"

She quietly answers, "We're performing on stage, Edward." She laughs still in her dream. "You challenged me to play against all the band members. The crowd is cheering me on."

I smile. "It's a good idea," I mumble. "And do you win, Miss Bella?"

"I think we all win, Edward." She turns over and covers her head with the blanket.

I nod, crawling under the covers … and that's the end of that.

~SRMW~

Hours later, the sun peeks through the blinds, and I squint my eyes open, rubbing the sleep from my lids.

The chair is no longer near the bed, and Bella is nowhere in sight. A little dizzy, I lean my head into the pillows and moan placing my arms over my eyes.

There's a slight knock on the door. I sit up and answer, "C'mon in."

Bella enters holding a tray in her hands. "Good morning."

I smile. "What do you have there?"

"Well, the man with an enormous refrigerator needs to fill it," she reprimands me.

"Yeah, it's usually full, but we just got back."

"I figured. So, I did a quick run to the store."

She places the tray on my lap.

"Hmm, steak and eggs," I moan, and they look good. "Sit."

She sits on the edge of the bed. "I find when I'm overtired, and I need a pick-me-up, I eat protein," she offers.

"Really?"

"Well, it's considered essential to help fatigue in the long-term."

"How do you know this?"

"I've had many long nights at school, then work a full-time job and return home to study. Sure, I could eat a candy bar or drink coffee, but then the coming down from the caffeine was torture, I hated it."

"So, you ate meat?"

"I did some research and spoke to dieticians. Some people get bogged down by heavy proteins. But if cooked a certain way, it can be very advantageous to the system." She frowns and orders, "Eat."

I cut into the steak, examine the piece before I pop it into my mouth. It's lean and juicy with its pink center. "This is good."

She points. "Try the eggs."

I cut another piece of the meat and dip it into the yolk. I smile through my chewing. I swallow and grab the cup. "What's this?"

"Herbal tea with a touch of natural honey. I stopped at home for the tea."

"This was very nice of you, Bella. Thank you. Can I offer you some?"

"No, no, you eat. I already had breakfast."

"So, you play every instrument, cook a sensational steak and understand the strengths of protein. What don't you do?"

She smiles. "Swim?"

We laugh.

She nudges my leg. "I never learned."

"Well, I guess I'll have to be your lifeguard or teach you."

She clears her throat and sits on the edge of the bed. "I like your choice of a tray."

I chuckle. "This ole thing? I loved E.T. Ali bought it for me a few years ago as a gag gift for Christmas."

"She must have bought a few. I got one, too."

"That's Ali. But you like E.T." I smirk.

"Love E.T."

"You're my kind of girl." I cut another piece of steak and pop it into my mouth.

She blushes.

"Look, I want you to know I'm committed to you and what you want with your music. But I'm not going to lie. There are a ton of sharks in this business; I will teach you to swim, but I'll also be your lifeguard."

"I get the feeling you're not talking about the water."

I shake my head. "No. I need you to trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you." I continue to eat.

"I do. And it's not because you're Ali's brother."

"I'm going to set you up later. Do you have any plans?"

"No, just work."

"Okay, when you're done for the day, come on back here."

~SRMW~

I make a dozen calls to Seattle studios and arrange for open auditions for eight PM tonight. By word of mouth, this is invitation enough. I expect fifty-three musicians, but you never know, there could be more. I'm glad my house is on the outskirts of town, secluded and surrounded by a twelve-foot security gate. All guests need to call in for access.

Bella's store closes at five, and by the time she finishes up and drives out to the house, it will be around six. There will be plenty of time to discuss what she wants as a backup band.

Ben arrives at four and we test the equipment and sound. I want to move the piano to the studio, but Ben advises against it and calls Bella for a keyboard.

Ali and Jazz decide to pick her up. To be honest, I believe Jasper wants to check out the store. He's a guitar whore; always wants more.

Emmett calls to tell me there's a rumor already running rampant that Cullen is looking for a new guitarist. He laughs so hard I don't understand him. Garrett takes the phone and explains that all of my studio calls aroused many questions.

I laugh. "Yeah, I never mentioned Bella. I want all of this under wraps."

Garrett jumps in, "But Edward, won't these musicians talk?"

"Under control, my friend, Ali's bringing non-disclosure contracts. No one enters without signing."

"You are one sly dog, Edward."

"No, man, the lion is protecting the lamb."

"Okay, Emmett and I should be at the house around sixty-thirty, before the wolves descend."

~SRMW~

One hour later, they come in packs.

Garrett rings the gate in utter amazement.

I answer, "Yeah, G."

"Edward, you wouldn't believe the line of cars down the road. I had to cut my way in with Emmett leading on foot."

"Bro, it's crazy out here," Emmett shouts.

"Ben's coming down with the list of fifty-three musicians who were contacted. The rest we'll have to get on a first come, first serve basis. Any signs of Ali? She's bringing Bella with Jasper."

"Not yet. We'll stay out here with Ben."

Leave it to Garrett and Emmett to organize the caravan of cars. All fifty-three musicians are present. Emmett sorts them into groups of ten. With clipboard in hand, he assigns numbers and takes names and license numbers checking each picture.

Ben calls in our security team and all is ready for a peaceful avalanche of anxious guitarists. Before Garrett and Emmett send people through the gates, they pose for pictures and sign autographs.

Luckily, Ali drives in honking her horn and pushing through. Garrett and Emmett follow Ali through the gates.

When I reach the front door, I expect a frazzled Bella. But to my surprise, she's all smiles and ready to go. She carries her guitar case and a grocery bag.

As everyone heads toward the studio, Bella leads me into the kitchen.

"Did you eat anything?" she asks.

"Ben and I ate a few burgers and fries," I proudly inform.

"Fast food burgers?"

"Well, yeah," I say.

She sighs. "If you're going to protect me, I'm going to protect you."

I smile. "My little lamb is a tigress."

She opens the grocery bag and reveals a pot covered in a towel. "This is an herb brisket. Eat some."

I stick my fingers into the chunks of soft meat and thick gravy and pinch a piece, slowly chewing the succulent beef. I hum, "This is good." I eat another chunk.

She opens another container of asparagus. "Try these."

I'm not a great vegetable lover, but these are drenched in some kind of oil and herbs. "Not bad."

"You can't go without eating."

"I didn't. I told you I had a burger."

"Those are empty calories, Edward, fillers that do nothing for you."

"Yes, Ma'am." I salute.

She frowns. "Don't patronize me."

I smile. "I like your feistiness. "

"Well, don't." She grins. "I have a horrible temper."

I humor her. "Ah, I guess I had better behave."

She squints. "Are you flirting with me?"

I shrug. "Maybe I am."

She smirks. "Well, maybe I like that."

"We'll have to ponder those thoughts after we finish the auditions."

She nods, "Yeah, ponder."

Once I take another bite of the meat, I put the pot into the refrigerator with the asparagus, and Bella and I make our way to the studio.

I stop her at the entrance. "Bella, all kidding aside, I want you to select about ten to twenty people. We can work them down to about four or five. But I don't want anyone to know about you yet. The rumor is Cullen is looking for another guitarist."

"I don't understand."

"Ali's preparing a big introduction for your first concert. Once we go on tour, you'll be hyped up. We want to knock them flat"

"Okay."

"I want people hungry for you."

She nods.

"So, stay close to me, and we'll work through all of this tonight."

We enter the engineering room. Bella sits with Ali, as Jazz, Emmett, and Garrett go into the studio. There are three women and seven men sitting on stools in front of the glass.

Flipping the switch for communications to the room, I speak through the mic. "Hey, and welcome. Thank you for coming out to our audition. Let me begin by saying we are looking for four to five backup musicians. If you would, from left to right, state your name and age, we can begin."

One-hundred and seventy-five people later, we continue the process. We have a recording of Bella singing one of our songs and test their abilities to harmonize with her and play along. Bella listens to their vocal tones, range, and strength. She doesn't let on a yay or a nay. She just jots down notes on each person.

I look over her shoulder and see distinct comments on minor issues. She remarks on their demeanor, their facial structure and attitude. She writes a few lines of her first impressions before and after they answer her questions. Ben brings Bella a ream of paper for her to use when he realizes she needs more. She has a symbol at the corner of each page; a star, with a plus or minus sign.

When I ask her what it means, she explains, "The star means they have been seen and the plus or minus is self-explanatory." She smiles.

Out of the two-hundred-plus musicians, there are twelve to consider. The hour is late, and I have a raging headache. I reach into the small fridge and grab one of my bottles. As I guzzle down my 'juice,' I view Bella from the corner of my eyes. She watches on with great curiosity. I will have to explain everything to her. Since I demand trust, I have to give her a reason for it.

She seems to feel my pain and asks if we can continue the following evening. All twelve agree to come back, and we schedule three at a time in one-hour intervals.

Ali informs me that she has a file with all the NDAs and heads up to my office.

Jasper plays around with his new acquisitions. Yeah, he now owns three new guitars. He, Emmett and Garrett sit in the lounge area strumming away.

I slowly follow Bella to the kitchen as she begins to brew some nighttime tea. The nausea takes over, and I run to the half-bath off the kitchen. I don't have time to bend and hurl into the sink tightly holding on to the edge. A small hand massages gentle circles up and down my back.

I wash my mouth out and scrub my face. Bella hands me the towel as I wipe my chin and huff, "Certainly not attractive." I'm out of breath.

"Edward, just sit down for a second."

I sit on the john as Bella stands between my legs and wraps her arms around my shoulders. I rest my head between her luscious boobs. She smells so good.

I hold her tighter, closing my eyes and feeling her breaths. Her arms go around my neck and her fingers scratch at my nape. It feels so good, I moan. She rubs up the back of my head, around to the sides and softly massages my temples. I can barely feel her touch but sense her energy.

She whispers into my ear, "Just feel as though you are floating, Edward. I have you. I won't let you fall."

And I do.

And she does.

A/N: It seems as though Bella has an understanding of Edward's issues. What do you think?

A/N: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.
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