12.
Bella faced tough choices ever day.
For instance:
Style or comfort? (The decision could go either way)
Eat that last chocolate or save it for the morning? (Maybe just buy a new box tomorrow)
Walk the long way or take the shortcut through the dodgy alley? (The safe route, always the safe route!)
Pay the bills like a responsible adult or blow up all your savings on a wild, impromptu trip with strangers? (Oh wait, that wasn't her; that was her mother. The one whose debt she'd been working her ass off to repay)
And then, there were choices that felt a whole lot more important. Simple words that made her breath hitch and her heart pound.
"So, what happens next?" he asked, so casual, so cool, as though they hadn't just shared the hottest make-out session of her entire life… As though he wasn't offering her a carte blanche of sexual delights! At least, she hoped he was.
Taking a steadying breath, she considered the facts as she knew them.
One, she was pretty sure Edward would be more than willing to take her to bed and keep her there for an indeterminate amount of time, if she wanted.
Two, she really wanted to.
Three, she was craving cupcakes.
Cupcakes or Edward?
Cupcakes… and Edward?
She smiled, stepped closer, and hooked a finger in his belt loop. "Want a cupcake?"
He blinked. "What?" From the dazed look on his face, he had been hoping they were on their way to pretty epic first date sex, but… cupcakes? "Uh, sure."
She turned and walked towards the kitchen.
"Hey, Bella," he called. She looked back at him, cheeks flushed and hair a little disheveled. "That's not a euphemism for something else, right?"
She grinned and winked. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Laughing, she swung back into the kitchen.
Edward blinked, grinned and adjusted his inconvenient erection. This business of constant arousal around Bella would take some getting used to.
"I'll have you know, that's actually a thing," he declared, joining her at the counter.
"What's a thing?" she asked, distracted by the sight of the perfect mini cupcakes that she was now unveiling.
"Cupcake euphemisms," he said, casually walking his fingers closer to the platter.
She swatted his hand away. "You're making that up."
"What if I can prove I'm not?" He leaned closer, eyes locked on hers.
She leaned in as well. "Well, then I guess you can have anything you want."
His eyes traced her face in a slow, hungry perusal, dipping down to the hint of cleavage so beautifully framed by the deep neckline of her dress. She swallowed, suddenly breathless at the naked lust in his gaze.
"I'll hold you to that," he said, sitting back on the stool and tapping on his phone casually. Bella gaped at him in disbelief.
"Wha… you just… hey!"
He looked up all innocence, but his eyes betrayed just how much he was enjoying this game.
"So, cupcake euphemisms…"
"That isn't really a thing, Edward."
"Eating your muffin?" he read from his phone with a wicked grin. "Ooh, how about 'stuffin your muffin'? Oh here's a new one… cupcakes as another name for your sweet ass cheeks." He winked, laughing at her disgusted expression. "Oh, here they use it for breasts." He nodded approvingly.
"Hah! You like that one, I can see," Bella teased.
"Well it makes a lot more sense," he said. "Think about it… soft pink cupcakes with cherries on top."
She snapped her fingers in front of his face, making him blink and come back to earth. "I don't know whether to be glad or sad that I don't have any of those today," she sniggered.
The crease of his smile teased her. "You sure you aren't hiding a pair somewhere?"
"Edward!" she exclaimed, smacking his shoulder in admonishment. She couldn't quite hold in her giggles, though.
"What, it's true," he insisted cheekily. "Anyway, I won."
She sighed. "Alright. What do you want as a prize?"
"I'm sure I'll think of something," he promised. "But first, how about that cupcake?"
"Oh, I have a better idea."
…
She moaned, her eyes fluttering shut.
"I think you missed a spot," he said critically.
She paused, shrugged, and licked her lips. Then she leaned in again, her pink tongue peeking out to faithfully follow the ridges and contours of the head while her palm caressed the shaft. Groaning with want, she opened her mouth to take it all in.
"Careful," he cautioned, stroking her hair back from her face. "Don't choke on it."
"Mmmmmm" she hummed, eyes fluttering shut in sheer pleasure.
Edward groaned and shifted. His usually modest dick was most definitely making its presence felt. In fact, his arousal was now bordering on uncomfortable, and every little thing Bella did was just adding to the torture.
"Oh wow, that was the best cupcake ever!" Bella exclaimed, licking her fingers, eyes still glazed with pleasure. Edward didn't know if he'd survive another demonstration like that last one. "Alright, your turn. Strip or Dare?" she asked with a sultry smile.
"Strip," he declared, jumping up and standing with arms outstretched. He was feeling rather overheated. "Okay, so what do you want me to take off?"
Bella tapped her finger on her lips, mentally patting herself on the back for her ingenious idea of introducing Edward to the best game ever. Strip or Dare was the fun version of Truth or Dare that she and Alice had come up with during one of their many, many nights of drunken revelry. The rules were simple. If you chose 'strip', you had to take off whatever piece of clothing the other person asked you to. If you chose 'dare', well, that was kind of self explanatory.
Since Alice and Bella were both smart girls, they usually made it into a drinking game… Strip-Drink-Dare-Drink…
The drink today was cupcakes.
"I think you should take off… your jeans," she declared.
Edward didn't waste a moment, tugging them off and nearly falling to the floor, but finding his balance at the last moment.
Bella laughed at his eagerness, and felt a little shimmy of pleasure go up her spine at the sight of his very obvious erection. She tried not to be too blatant with the ogling, but the truth was, she was kind of fascinated by his dick. A while back, it was nowhere in the picture, and then… bam! There it was, just like a fucking superhero with a cape.
Or a super happy dick in boxers. She wondered if it'd look weird if she tried to cape it. It was a magic dick anyway, so it would probably just shrink and escape the costume if it didn't like it. Like Houdini.
Houdini-dick.
Houdicki.
She hid her chuckle with great effort. She'd have to remember that one for Alice.
Edward sat back on the couch with a sigh of relief and reached for his prize. "Wow, you were right," he moaned, swallowing a bite. "These are so good!"
"As good as having your jeans off?" she asked, her eyes still stuck on his lap.
"Almost," Edward smirked. "I gotta admit, this isn't something I'm bothered by a whole lot, but anytime I'm around you…"
"What?" Bella demanded, her attention now torn between his handsome face and the inviting bulge between his legs. "What happens when I'm around you?"
"Every time I'm around you, I just can't help but notice how pervy you act," he said, laughing at the look on her face. "Not that I mind, you know, but my eyes are up here."
"Yeah, yeah," she huffed. "I know, Houdicki only has one eye."
"Hou.. what?"
"Uh… hey, want a cupcake?"
"Bellllaaaa…."
She hid her face in her hands. "Can't I just lose some clothes instead?" she asked hopefully.
He quirked a brow and pretended to think about it. "Sure, lose the bra."
"Without removing my dress first?" She grinned. "Like Rachel in that episode of Friends?"
"But hotter," he said decisively.
"Oh yeah," she agreed, sticking her chest out and reaching back to unsnap the catch of her strapless bra from over her dress. A slight wiggle, then she reached down the front and tugged it out, swinging it briefly on a finger before tossing it away.
"So much hotter," he said in a hushed, almost reverent tone.
"God, that feels good!" she exclaimed, stroking over her breasts. Edward quickly wiped away the drool that had escaped his open mouth.
"It's only fair," he said, trying to think of words beyond 'boobs, boobs, tits, nipples, and cherry cupcakes'. A little effort, and he managed to add 'sweet, soft, lick, and squeeze' to the list. "You helped me out of a tight situation, as well." He gestured vaguely towards his lap.
"I'm just glad you didn't ask me to take off my panties," she confided, leaning in closer and distracting him completely with the suggestive sway of her tits. "Cause I'm not wearing any."
He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, clamping a hand down on his erection. Spontaneous eruption once in her presence was bad enough… twice would be mortifying. A little pre-cum had leaked out, but he breathed easier once he knew he wasn't at the cusp of coming anymore.
"Hey Edward," she said, not having missed a moment of his admittedly hot struggle. "Your turn now. Strip or Dare?"
They weren't touching, weren't even really in each other's space, but the air between them fairly vibrated with the tension of staying apart.
"Dare," he whispered.
Her slow smile was all the dare he needed.
He could have sworn sparks flew when their lips met this time.
A/N: It's been so long! But lots of things have happened, so that's always good.
Let's see... I contributed 4 chapters of a new fic to the Babies at the Border compilation. It's a fantastic collection, for such a good cause, and I hope a lot of you are enjoying the stories! For those who haven't heard of it, or couldn't get to it, the authors are free to post sometime in December. So, yeah... new story coming up then.
I'll be wrapping up TMD before that, so enjoy the ride!