I groaned quietly into my hands and looked up at Alice through my spread fingers, mortification burning my cheeks fuchsia. "Then what happened?"

Alice patted my shoulder in sympathy, her glossy nails scraped my t-shirt softly. "He came to you of course."

I swallowed as I imagined the scene that followed his entering my room, knowing full well Alice was withholding details to make the story even juicier. At my lack of response she continued.

"I listened for movement and at first he entered the room in a hurry, once inside he clearly must have realized you were still unconscious. I heard him walk over to the bed and move your hair away from your face. I think he… I think he kissed your forehead and then walked back toward the door."

I listened enraptured, feeling like I was hearing a tale from someone else's story. I could clearly imagine the scene before my eyes, feel the warmth upon my forehead where his lips had lain even before Alice had mentioned it.

"But then you mumbled something indecipherable… Aaand then you said his name again." I pulled a plush pillow to my face and tried to suffocate myself with it halfheartedly, asking myself why aloud repeatedly. Apparently enjoying my suffering; Alice continued with a childish glee in her voice. "He clearly took his name being called twice as invitation enough and stayed there-" a long finger extended to the leather chair by her bedside. "For the rest of the night, he only left when business called him away."

I looked over at the chair, not sure if it had been there before I had collapsed into the bed the night before. I had been so exhausted that sleep had been my only thought. I should have realized there would be a chance of this happening, I had always been vocal in my sleep, as a child I would have fully formed conversations with Charlie whilst asleep and not remember it the next morning. Clearly Aro being the last person I saw before I slept combined with the inordinate amount of time he spent in my head and my company had resulted in his presence in my dreams too. Was nothing sacred from him anymore?

"So he didn't do anything… you know?" I cringed at myself as I asked the question and Alice sent me a withering look.

"Of course not. He just sat next to you, all night. It escapes me how watching you sleep could be so interesting, but apparently it is to him. He was furious when he was dragged away for meetings."

"And everyone knows?" I clarified to myself even as Alice nodded to confirm my fears. "Well, then that does it, I'm staying in this room forever."

"Don't be so ridiculous." Alice stood and whipped the duvet away from me bringing a rush of cool air to my exposed legs. "You're going to get up, get dressed and look so stunning everyone thinks you purposely lured him into your room so you could further ensnare the leader of our kind into your web of seduction."

I blinked at her once before sniggering into the pillow I still clutched to my chest, which soon turned to full blown guffaws.

"Yes, I know how ridiculous that scenario is to you. You don't have to believe it, you just have to make them believe it. That is if you don't want to be ridiculed about your little night time fantasies for the rest of your life, giving that it's going to be spent in Volterra?" Alice had a point, I realized quickly as my laughter soon quietened and I followed her lead to stand and stretched my arms out wide in invitation.

"Do your worst then, I hereby submit to being your own personal Barbie doll." Alice squealed with delight as she sped toward the wardrobe and began withdrawing articles of clothing, none of which looked at all similar to what I'd wear back at home.

-o-

Aro had been gone for the entire day and so Alice and I had been left to amuse ourselves within the confines of the sprawling apartment. She had dressed me in a midnight blue sundress, it ruched straps repeatedly slid down my shoulders to my upper arms but Alice insisted it looked good, seductive in its innocence apparently. The skirt of the dress was knee length and swished prettily around my knees whilst the bodice clung to my torso, as usual I couldn't fault Alice's taste though it certainly felt like she was trying to encourage Aro's interest in me.

The other Volturi had kept their distance, clearly fearful of talking to me without Aro's express permission. I could see what he had meant about the fear they had of him and how that alone would keep me safe within his castles walls, I felt protected by him even now, when he was nowhere to be found.

Midnight was fast approaching and after a day of trying to keep me amused I could see Alice's interest was waining as her thirst intensified. She had been putting feeding off for days but I knew to ask her to continue doing so was unfair, I approached her as she reclined in an armchair and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Go Alice, really. It's clear he isn't coming back this evening, i'm just going to go to sleep. Go and feed and I'll see you in the morning." Alice turned to look at me, her eyes a pool of black and I watched as the tension around her mouth melted away at my words.

"If you're sure?" She asked one more time and I rolled my eyes at her and nodded. She needed no further prompting and was gone from the room before I could blink.

I sighed and looked once more around the empty apartment, I knew the guard were close by but it still felt incredibly still as the rain pounded against the window. Even though I had said my intention was to sleep I felt far from tired and so made my way to my designated room and decided to read until I felt drowsy.

The rain and a good book were an irresistible combination to me.

Luck had it that my room had large windows with sills big enough to curl up on. I smiled, feeling like a kid building a fort as I pulled the heavy, luxurious covers over to make the area more comfortable. Once all pillows and blankets had been positioned I practically skipped over to my suitcase and with extreme care, pulled Jane Eyre out from within its protective casing of jumpers and t-shirts.

With my book in hand I settled down before the window, the lights from the city were enough to illuminate the words within my book as the rain trickled down the window, painting moving shadows upon its pages. To me, this was as close to heaven as I could possibly get.

With a small smile I leant my head against the cool glass of the window and got lost within the world of my favorite heroine.

Sometime later as the pounding of the rain lessened against the glass I took a moment to stretch my neck, which had been angled downward for quite awhile. As I did so a shape caught my eye, a familiar shape which I was sure hadn't been there when I had begun reading. I was painfully aware of the way the skirt of my dress had ridden up and exposed my legs to mid thigh in their currently bent position.

"Good evening Isabella." His melodious baritone sent a shiver down my spine as I looked up at him unflinchingly, his body was just a black shadow sat in the armchair he had occupied the previous night. "Please do not stop because of my presence, It is my pleasure to watch you whilst you read, you react to the words before you as readily as if you were watching the story play out before your own eyes."

I felt heat suffuse my cheeks as so often happened around this man. I was fully aware of how expressive my face was whilst I was reading, I tended to get so lost within the book that I forgot it was considered odd by most people to smile, laugh or even cry at a piece of literature.

"You needn't feel embarrassed Isabella. I could never have hoped I would get the honor of watching you immerse yourself in my gift, let alone twice and now in such a tempting tableau."

His voice made my toes curl, quite literally as the soft blanket scrunched up between them and I tilted my head forward to continue reading as he had asked. I had nothing to say in reply, clearly not as brave or bold now our exchanges were no longer in the written form; I took the easy way out and resumed my place in the book.

I didn't get far however and merely stared at the same spot on the page as I caught the movement of his standing in my peripheral vision. I tried to focus on the words before me, I really did, but as he approached I found myself reading the same line over and over again in my distraction. I fought with the impulse to reach down and pull my skirt over my knees, or to straighten my legs so the backs of my thighs weren't so readily visible but I didn't want to. I would have felt weak if I had done so and would have shown myself to be, though I could imagine what a picture I painted, reclined against the window sill with my legs exposed and what was meant to be the shoulder of my dress instead hanging around my elbow.

I could feel his eyes burning a trail into my skin as they caressed the length and breadth of my body, my own eyes remained fixated on the page I had opened before me. I vaguely noted I should be turning a page around now and did so, tilting my head to face him slightly as I pretended to read the words that swam before my vision. Though having done so afforded me a slightly clearer view of him as he stood only a few steps away from me, his fingers twitched slightly as though he longed to touch me.

I felt my heart pound within my chest and the hair I had tucked over my shoulder fell forward at the rapid movement of my shoulders.

"Isabella" He whispered breathlessly. "I would be easily fooled into believing Aphrodite herself arranged you so that I may fall before you on my knees, begging to be worthy of such beauty. To be allowed to touch such an angel without tarnishing her with my darkness."

I looked up at him beneath my eyelashes, hoping my gaze came across as innocently coy as I intended it to. I felt my heart ache as something in my core pulsed at his words, if seduction were an art form he had perfected it using only his words.

"You are allowed." The words had left my mouth before I had even realized I'd thought them and I held my breath in anticipation for what he would do next, this fallen angel who seemed to desire me with such ferocity.

AN: My thanks go to those of you who messaged me continually requesting updates, I received one today that kickstarted my muse and this is the resulting chapter. Please leave a review, I apologize profusely for the wait for this chapter.