The reviews for the last chapter had me laughing out loud! Edward giving a demo was voted for by an astounding majority of the readers, so here it is. Some of you cheekily announced that the demo was an important part of the story!
That said, your reviews mean a lot to me, whether they consist of a smiley, a short phrase or a detailed analysis. I am not yet very confident of my writing, so every review you send tells me I am not as bad as I think and encourages me to keep writing. Thank you, really!
Chapter-21
Edward leaves soon after, but not before my mother invites him to drop in whenever he wants to. Aunt Esme joins in with a more specific invitation.
"It is my—and the doctor's, of course-silver wedding anniversary in a fortnight," she informs Edward, who congratulates her politely. She thanks him and continues, "We will send you a formal invitation in a day or two, but since you are here I would like to invite you and Isabella personally as well. Do join us for dinner and share our happiness. There will be dancing as well; we are hiring a popular music band from London!" She smiles widely, perhaps already envisioning the scene and the guests enjoying themselves. My aunt really does love to entertain people.
Edward assures her that we will definitely attend the party, and then takes his leave of everyone. My father escapes to his study, reminding me to say goodbye to him before leaving.
I stay for an hour and endure Angela's teasing, while my mother and aunt talk about the party, Angela's wedding preparations and household matters. But when Aunt Esme joins Angela in the good-natured ribbing, saying there is a certain glow on my face, I know it is time to say goodbye.
My mother suddenly remembers that she has not met Edward's mother properly. They had exchanged only a few sentences on my wedding day, but she liked her.
"She was a lady if ever I saw one, even though she does not have a title," she remarks thoughtfully. "Her speech, her carriage, everything spoke of an innate refinement. Isabella, when you see her next, do ask her if she would like to visit us. Or, if she is more comfortable at the manor, I can come and meet her whenever she would like to."
Hmm, perhaps I should pay Elizabeth a visit myself first. I would not want to impose anything upon her.
I speak with Edward on this matter while we are having dinner. He looks surprised but very pleased that I wish to make acquaintance of his mother. He promises to take me to her house on the morrow, after sending a note to her, of course.
"Did Angela tease you after I left?" he asks then, and I huff at the memory.
"Yes, but what surprised me was my aunt joining in."
He raises an eyebrow. "She did? And what did she have to say on the topic?"
I shake my head. "She said that I had a glow on my face, and it was definitely a sign of marital bliss. Really, what a thing to say in front of Angela!"
Edward's smile proclaims his satisfaction. "I must thank her then, the next time I see her. After all, I have a hand in your bliss, don't I?"
His words remind me of his action this morning, and my snicker is audible even though I cover my mouth quickly. Edward looks at me inquisitively.
"What?"
I can't speak clearly while I am giggling uncontrollably. "Your hand…your hand…your bliss…"
Edward's face become as red as the apples in the fruit bowl. He half-hides it behind his hand as he dips his head, but I can see he is laughing. When he is more in control of himself, he looks at me with a playful glare.
"Oh, you really shouldn't have said that, Isabella."
I pretend to be scared. "Why my lord, what are you going to do? Punish me by not letting me have dessert?"
He gets up and goes to Mrs Stanley, who is standing near the sideboard and laughing quietly. He whispers something to her, and she nods and instructs the maid to serve the dessert. I watch, somewhat surprised to see only a single plate being served and placed where Edward has been sitting. Is he really going to withhold ice cream from me?
Both the maid and the housekeeper bow and leave the room. Edward takes his seat and gives me a teasing look.
"Isn't vanilla ice your favourite, Bella?" he asks as he takes a bite of the goodness in front of him. "And there is fruit salad under it! Delicious!"
I decide to play along. "It is indeed, my lord. Can I have some, please?"
He looks thoughtful. "You can, but you will have to come here for it. Will you?"
I raise my eyebrows. He curves a finger and beckons me.
Oh well, there is nobody here but the two of us. I go around the table and stand near him, expecting him to draw another chair for me and ask me to eat from the same plate. Instead he pats his lap and invites me to sit down.
"My lord!" Alone or not, this is scandalous behaviour for the dining room.
"Edward," he says, "call me Edward."
"I can't sit in your lap!" I whisper furiously. "There must be servants outside. What if one of them comes inside?"
In answer, he simply takes hold of my waist and pulls until I plop down on his lap, almost falling backward. However, his arms secure me so that I am seated sideways, my feet dangling at least a foot above the ground.
"Edward, we can't do this! If someone—"
He cuts off my words by sealing my lips with his. I would get up and run away, but he is holding me fast to himself. After struggling a bit, I give up because he clearly isn't going to. Also, his kisses make me forget my surroundings.
When he has made me sufficiently breathless, he lets me go. I rest my head against his shoulder, sure that my knees would buckle if I tried to stand.
We feed ice cream to each other, and then he promises to see me in my room. Soon.
-ATW-
While Alice helps me with my clothes, I keep on tittering, thinking of what we did in the dining room. It still seems terribly wicked to me, but also…fun, so much fun.
Alice smiles too. "My lady, you must have had a good visit with your family. You are in a rare mood tonight."
"I did have a good visit," I agree with her. "But I am this happy because of my lord. He…teased me at dinner, and I would never have imagined so Alice, but I…enjoyed it."
She heaves a sigh as she picks up my clothes to be laundered. "Such happiness in married life is indeed a blessing, my lady. You are fortunate."
I feel a stab of guilt. I have been so enveloped in Edward that I have forgotten how Alice might be pining after Jasper. My happiness has made me blind to other's sadness.
"Would you like to be married, Alice?" I ask, startling her as she places her hand on the brass handle of the door. I don't want to make her conscious, so I try an indirect approach. "Is there anybody you like enough to take as your husband? I can ask Edward to speak with them on your behalf."
She presses her lips together, and her voice has a quiver when she speaks. "I think marriage is not meant for me, my lady. Thank you for asking." A brave smile, and she continues. "I am quite content serving you, and hope to spend the rest of my life under your protection."
Edward's footstep sounds at the door. Alice opens it, wishes both of us a very good night, and leaves.
I stare after her, trying to figure what is wrong with her. Or did she simply not wish to discuss her personal life with me?
The next second Edward's arms are around me and he is dropping kisses everywhere on my face, my neck, and my shoulders. It makes me laugh and gasp and squirm all at once.
"What deep thoughts were you thinking when I entered your room, sweetheart?" he asks finally when his lips leave my skin, though his hands keep on roaming on my back. It is very distracting.
I see no reason to discuss Alice's sadness with him. It is not like he can do anything about it.
"I was wondering what the servants must be thinking of our antics this evening, my—Edward. I doubt if there is a single soul in the mansion who has not heard of you dismissing the maid and Mrs Stanley so we could be alone in the room."
It is not a lie. I have been thinking about it, even though I am not particularly worried.
"I don't care," he says while his hands move to my behind and presses it so that our lower parts are as close as possible. "I want everybody to know that I am in love with you. It doesn't bother me that they might think it is weak or foolish. I have waited years for this, Bella, to be able to openly call you mine."
His declaration makes me swallow hard. "I don't think it is weak or foolish, Edward. And—I know I haven't said it back yet, but I think I am beginning to fall for you. Your love is changing me in ways I had not imagined possible. Please don't be impatient with me?"
"Never, my darling. You can't imagine how happy your words make me." He smiles, adoration written on his face. "I wish I could take off your gown and make love to you right now, show you how I want to worship you with my body."
His words melt me like ice cream in the sun, but I can also feel him becoming hard, so I decide to tease him.
"Hmm, I think you can show me something right now," I say as I move my hips against his body, making him groan. "In fact, I believe you had promised me. Are you going to keep your word?"
"You vixen," he mutters as he hastens to take off his shirt and places my hand on his pyjamas. It feels as if there is a pole inside, making a tent on the top. "As you can see, I am quite ready. Are you sure it won't shock you?"
The question he asks in a low, concerned tone has me smiling at his thoughtfulness. He is giving me a chance to back out.
But I don't want to.
"Quite sure," I answer, giving the pole a quick squeeze. He half-laughs, half-gasps. "So it does come back on its own? You don't have to do anything?"
"Nothing except look at you, or sometimes just think about you," he answers.
Well, that is interesting.
"Does that happen only when you are in a bedroom?" I ask, remembering where we were in my parents' house.
He snickers. "Not at all. It can happen in any place, and at any time. When I was in France…"
My eyes widen. "What?"
He shrugs. "I thought of you a lot. Since you were not with me, I had to take matters in my own hands."
"So…" I say slowly, trying to put two and two together. "Whenever you thought of me, that happened, and…You must have used your hands a lot then, isn't that so?"
Edward winces. "When you put it like that, it makes me seem so degenerate. But what else could I do?"
I don't want to make him uncomfortable. So I take his hand and lead him to the bed.
"Show me?"
He unties his drawstring and lets his pyjamas drop. Even though I have seen his staff before, its size makes me gasp with astonishment.
"How does that even fit inside me?" I wonder, gaping at its length and thickness.
"Um, because the part of you that sheathes it stretches?"
Evidently I had asked the question aloud. I felt heat stealing up my cheeks and up to my ears.
Before Edward can laugh his head off, I divert his attention.
"What is the wetness for?" I point at the tip of his staff, glistening in the candle light.
"It's…lubrication, see?" Edward makes a loose fist of his hand and moves it so that the wetness spreads to the base, then continues to pump it up and down. "It makes the movement easier."
I am fascinated by his action as well as expression. It seems almost as if he is in pain, but his groans indicate that he is not. How wonderful it must be to be able to please oneself!
Men really have it good. If they are inside a woman, they experience pleasure. If no woman is available, they can please themselves easily.
If only it was true for women too! Though Edward has taught me that women can experience pleasure as well, so maybe there is some way I can please myself?
I will have to ask him when he is not so…lost in pleasure.
His pace increases, and so do his noises. Finally, with a grunt, he lies back on the bed as something whitish comes out of his member and drops on to his stomach.
His eyes are closed, his features completely relaxed, a lazy smile on his lips. There is sweat on his forehead. He does look in a state of bliss.
Then he opens his eyes, and his smile widens. An eyebrow is raised at me in question.
"Well, what do you think Bella?"
I shake my head to break the hypnotised state I was in while watching him.
"I think it's wonderful, Edward. It is so easy for men to achieve pleasure, isn't it?"
He tilts his head towards me. "Hmm, I suppose it is. But it can be a problem too, especially while one is in mixed company."
His statement makes me curious. "Why would that be a problem?"
He looks incredulous. "What do you think? Suppose I am at a party or picnic or a ball, and I have an erection—how do I manage it? It can be painful!"
His words make my forehead wrinkle in thought. Before I can ask my question, he mutters an apology and goes off to clean himself, taking his pyjamas with him.
I sit back against the headboard and wrap my arms around my knees. He mimics my position when he comes back and puts his arm around my shoulders.
"What are you thinking?"
I swallow. "I—I was thinking that…this erection—that's what you call it?"
He pulls me closer. "Yes, because it causes my cock to become erect, or…sometimes we call it becoming rigid or hard…What?" he asks, probably I am shaking with laughter.
"Cock?" I chortle.
"Yes, why?" His lips twitch as he looks at me.
"If that is a cock, does that make my…thing…a hen?"
His laughter joins me then. "I had never thought about it, Love. But now I see it is a funny term. Would you prefer steed, weapon or truncheon instead?"
I purse my lips, thinking. "Steed is good, but I don't like the others. They sound so negative. So, as you were saying, this erection can happen anywhere?" He nods, and I continue. "But can it happen when you look at any woman, or just at me?"
Edward looks like a deer that has been confronted by a lion. He opens his mouth and then closes it without saying anything. Finally he stammers that it can happen for other women, but assures me that it doesn't, not now.
"But it happened earlier?"
"Well, yes, it is a physical reaction Bella. It can't be controlled. But believe me, I don't want any other woman, I haven't in a long time. Only you."
He looks so earnest, I raise my hand and stroke his cheek. He sighs in relief, turns more towards me and kisses me on the lips. It is sweet and slow, but when his tongue slips into my mouth, I begin to feel warm all over.
Somehow we slip down on the bed, our arms around each other and our legs entangled. For long minutes, I enjoy the closeness, the warmth, the tingling sensations coursing through my body that our kisses and caresses bring about.
When we finally let go, our eyes are droopy with satiation. But before falling asleep, I want to clarify one more thing.
"Edward, can a woman please herself the way a man does?"
His lips rise on one side. "Yes, she can? But why are you asking?"
I shrug. "Will you teach me how to do that? I wish to learn."
His eyes darken as he looks into mine. "I will, but know this Bella, as long as I am around you won't need to do that. I will give you all the orgasms you want."
"Orgasm?"
He huffs. "The feeling of intense pleasure at the end of lovemaking, also known as sweet death or sting of pleasure. You felt that when we made love, did you not?"
"I did," I assure him. "Ugh, I wish I did not have to wait three more nights."
He chuckles. "I wish the same, sweetheart. But I promise, I will make up for the lost nights."
A.N. : So that's it! We will have more serious matters at hand ( ha, hand!) next time.
Story Rec's: A May to December Romance by Positively 4th street. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.
Edroar the Angry Lion by Tropical Sorbet. This story owns my heart!
Curve Ball by Stace Leo. Laugh-riot from start to finish! I read the whole trilogy last week.