I sigh and continue to stare at myself in the long mirror. I'm wearing a black flowy dress this evening, it hits mid thigh and has a subtle lace border. The neckline is just low enough to show a little cleavage. It wasn't my best look. Hell…It wasn't even my best dress.

I can't bring myself to care.

I care about what Marcus thinks of me….but I can't bring myself to put any more effort into it than…this. Maybe it's because I don't trust him. He was with another fucking sub! And had the gall to lecture me about not calling him back.

I shook my head and let out a long breath. I vowed to let that go. I won't bring it up again…that's what I told him. I had forgiven him already; therefore, I had no right to be angry about it anymore.

Like clockwork, the doorbell rang at exactly 8. Toeing into my heels, I quickly made my way and opened it, finding a very well dressed Marcus on the other side. He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, with a crisp red shirt and classic tie. Very handsome, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking that Edward would look better. I have to stop obsessing about Edward.

"Hello, Bella" he smiles, leaning forward and kissing my cheek.

"Hey Marcus" I managed to smile back.

"You look wonderful" he says softly, his eyes quickly scanning me from head to toe. His eyes shining with an unknown emotion.

I clear my throat as a blush takes over my cheeks "You look good too."

"You ready to go?" he asks.

"Sure. Let me get my purse." I grab my black leather clutch from the side table and follow him back out the door, pausing and taking a breath after the door is locked.

Show time.

"I hope you like the food here, Bella". He says as we are seated at a somewhat private round table. "Mona Lisa is one of my favorite restaurants".

"I love Italian food, I'm sure it will be great."

"Are you still terribly angry with me?" He asks, and I look up at him. His eyes genuinely show remorse.

"Of course not, Marcus" I whisper "I've forgiven you. I'm sorry if I'm not good company tonight. Truth is…I'm nervous" Oh god. Word vomit. I should have said Truth is….I don't really give two shits about tonight. I miss Edward. I would rather be having dinner with him.

Good thing Marcus didn't seem to notice. I've always been completely transparent… especially when lying.

"So, when does Edward come back?"

Shit. Maybe he had noticed. I didn't say that out loud did I? "Uhm" I stutter, picking up the chilled glass of water in front of me "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

He shrugs "Just curious. I know you two got to be good friends before he left".

"He said he'd be gone for a few weeks" I mutter back.

This is going to be a long dinner….

"So how often do you work, Bella" He asks just as our dinner comes out.

"Well, luckily I can do most of my work from home. Unless I need to meet with an editor or publisher, but I try and get some good reading done every day." I answer easily. The conversation has been so bland… so boring. I'm starting to feel sleepy already.

"The risotto looks incredible," I say, not knowing where else to steer the direction of the conversation "How is your work going, actually what exactly is your line of work?" I laugh, "I have no idea what you do".

"I'm an investment banker…just a plain old businessman." He answered with a chuckle "Nothing exciting."

"Nonsense," I waive off. "You must be pretty successful?"

"I suppose I am."

"So how did you get…started in all of this?" I mumble the last part out.

His lips turn up into an amused smile. "In all of what, Isabella?"

Is he smirking now? Damn, he really does get a kick out of seeing me embarrassed, "you know…" I groan "Marcus!"

He sits back in his chair and laughs "Actually…my uncle is a dom. I might have stumbled onto something when I was using his computer… at the age of 19," he explains. "I was intrigued…did some research on my own and joined a few clubs. It was a weird experience for me."

"Did your uncle ever find out?" I ask. How fucking weird. How weird that your uncle introduced you to this lifestyle.

"He knows I'm a Dom now. I told him a few years back." He shrugs "It didn't turn out to be a big a deal, as I expected; he didn't seem surprised".

"You've had an interesting introduction" I laugh softly.

"What about you, Bella. What made you join 'Edges'"?

"I don't know…I've just had fantasies," I say quietly, certain that I was blushing crimson; "And…I did my fair share of research online. I've been dabbling for years…and this year, I finally had the balls to pursue my interests."

"Are you sorry you did?" he asks.

"No" I answer firmly "No. absolutely not. I've learned so much these past few months. About myself… about life; It's been an eye-opening experience."

"I know what you mean. You discover a lot about who you are."

"Exactly."

"I had a wonderful evening, Bella" Marcus whispers as he presses his body against mine. My back pressed against my door, I could feel the heat coming off of his body with how close he was. Just a millimeter apart.

"Me too" I say softly. And the truth is…it wasn't that bad.

He slips a single finger under my chin and forces me to look up at him. His lips are turned up into a small smile. "Would you do it again?" he asks.

"Yes" I murmur and watch as he leans down. I close my eyes when his lips brush mine in a soft kiss.

"Goodnight, Bella" he grins, pulling back "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

I nod "Thank you for a great evening Marcus."

He picks up my right hand and kisses the top, never taking his eyes off of me "Anytime".

Another week has gone by. Marcus and I are taking things slow. A few dates here and there, lunch…dinner. It hasn't been that bad.

Edward comes back tomorrow.

Would he still want to do dinner? Would Marcus be upset? He was so bent out of shape when I had mentioned that Edward gave me insight on our situation. I wonder how he will feel about me having dinner with another Dom?

"Bella!" An exasperated voice penetrated my thoughts

I shook my head and snapped out of it, turning my attention back to Rose who was waving a hand in front of my face, an annoyed frown on her lips "What has gotten into you!" She exclaims "You've been somewhere else all night, I thought we agreed to have a drink and catch up!"

"I'm sorry Rose" I groan apologetically "I just have a lot on my mind. What were you saying now?"

"I have a new client, I'm meeting with her on Friday" She says, her eyes hold worry. That's new…Rose is never worried "This is a big one, Bella. This one needs to be perfect."

"You're worried?" I ask in amusement "Rose…you're the best interior designer…seriously the best. This 'big' client wouldn't hire you if that weren't true…I mean they had to have liked your earlier work. Don't be nervous."

"Thanks Bella" She says softly "I'm redesigning a fucking mansion though; 16 bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, a library, 4 studies, 2 formal living rooms, a family room, a game room, and 2 dining rooms. And probably some other random shit I can't remember!"

"Holy shit" I exclaim. "16 bedrooms?"

"I know" she huffs.

"You can do it. This will keep your mind off of fuck-face for a while" I grin.

"I love you, Bella." She laughs happily "Come on. Let's shop".

"I hate shopping, Rose" I groan because I really do.

"Jesus Bella. Not everything is about you" she says in amusement while pulling me up from my chair, "I meant house shopping. You love shopping for everyone but yourself. It's like a dream come true for you."

"Hello"

"Hey Bella" No way. No fucking way.

I squeal loudly before I realize I'm doing it, "Uhm" I clear my throat as I hear his chuckle "Sorry. Hey Edward!"

"How are you?" He asks.

"I'm good" I say in soft sincerity "How are you! How was your trip!" Edward is back. Edward is back and calling me. I feel giddy…excited…bubbly. Happy!

"Everything went as planned" he responded, "I'm sorry if I'm calling too late. I didn't realize what time it was. Damn jetlag."

"Oh no" I shake my head. You can call me anytime…seriously. Anytime. "I was just reading a few things."

"How's my staff, have you been keeping them sane for me?" I can hear the smile in his voice. God I missed his voice…

"Just the important ones" I laugh back "I believe I still owe you a sanity dinner, Mr. Cullen".

He scoffs "I've always been sane, Ms. Swan. I believe it was a Welcome Home dinner".

"Call it what you want. When is it happening?" I can't even believe the words that are coming out of my mouth right now. How did he do this to me?

"Well, I'm free for the next 3 days. Whenever is good for you."

"Tomorrow night?" I ask, hoping I don't sound too desperate.

"Tomorrow night sounds great. It's good to be back, Bella." What is that in his tone?

"It's good to have you back, Edward. Really" I say sincerely "I look forward to tomorrow."

"Me too. Goodnight" he says softly and hangs up.

"Night" I whisper to no one in particular and drop my head, a smile taking over my lips.

Edward is back.

"Hey Marcus" Ugh. I have to get it over with. He'll be angry…but does it matter? Am I not allowed to have a simple dinner with my friend?

"Bella!" He says happily, making me feel even more guilty "How are you, beautiful?"

"I'm good" I answer, cringing "Do you have a minute?"

"Always for you."

"Edward is back, I'm not sure if you knew that already or not. But I kind of promised him a welcome home dinner before he left. I've invited him over for that tonight" I sound like a bumbling idiot. "Don't read anything into it, Marcus. Edward is a good friend…and I'd like to catch up with him. It's purely platonic".

There's a long pause on the other end, and I close my eyes. Preparing myself for the fight that I thought was coming "Okay" he says finally "I hope you two have a good dinner" weird. He doesn't sound angry… maybe a little irritated or impatient. But I was prepared for a lot more… resistance.

"Thank you Marcus. Honestly…we're just friends" I placated.

"I trust you" He says "I have to get back to work. Call me later?"

I smile, feeling a lot happier about this now "Of course. Bye Marcus, I hope the rest of your day is good".

"Ah!" I involuntarily screech at the sound of my doorbell. Jesus. I need to calm it down.

Turning down the stove, I do one more quick glance in the mirror before opening the door. And what's on the other side makes my mouth go dry.

Edward.

Edward is leaning against my door frame holding a bottle of wine, his trademark smirk planted on his lips. He looks so at ease…so carefree. He looks beautiful. Hot as fuck in his black trousers and black sweater. His copper hair mussed to perfection.

"Are you going to invite me in, or is this as far as I go?" He grins in amusement, breaking me from my trance.

I'm certain that I blush fiercely "Sorry" I whisper and pull him into a hug "Welcome back, Edward".

His arms come around me and squeeze me tight for a second. I relish the feeling of being in his arms. So warm…caring. "Thanks, Bella" he says, pulling back and handing me the bottle of wine.

"Oh you shouldn't have."

"I did" he shrugs "You look well" he says, appraising me up and down.

I opted for simple today; my black skinnies and a gray tank top. "Thanks".

"Do you need any help in the kitchen?" he asks as I close the door and lock it.

"Sure" I smile. "You open this, and I'll finish dinner. It's just about ready anyway".

Everything was so simple and comfortable with him.

"This all looks amazing, Bella. How long did it take you!" he exclaims just as I put down the last plate on the table.

I take a seat and he sits across from me "Not too long. It's Braised Beef tortellini with roasted potatoes. I hope you like it".

He cocks an eyebrow at me "Braised beef didn't take too long to make?" He counters skeptically "I find that hard to believe."

"I enjoy cooking, Edward." I roll my eyes. Couldn't he just say thank you and get on with it? "Especially when I'm not just making it for myself".

"Oh my god" he groans, and I have to hold one back. The sound goes straight to my core as I watch him. "This is incredible."

Fuck why is he so hot.

"Thanks, but forget about the food; tell me about Syria" I ask in excitement.

"It was a great experience. Though…I think I'll stay out of missionary work for a couple years" he laughs softly "Syria…was a humbling experience. The devastation and poverty you see there…nothing compares."

Shit. I've made him sad. I see a glazed expressed take over his eyes and he looks so deep in thought…like he's remembering something unpleasant. "Edward" I bring him back; "The work you did there…that must have been so worth it. So gratifying, no?"

"It really was." He smiles. And I have him back. "I felt fulfilled. I haven't felt that way in a long time."

"What was it like? Did they set you up in a hospital or … "

"No hospital. We were out in the desert. Helping anyone who was wounded in crossfire. Our supplies were less than limited, and I think the coolest it got was around 98 degrees? Usually it was about 105" he said making me choke on my tortellini.

"105?" I gasp out.

"Yeah I know" he lets out a long breath; "basically hell on earth."

"They set up tents for us. With about 10 cots, some supplies, that sort of thing."

"Sounds intense."

"It was intense" his eyes shine back at me. "It was also too fucking hot to sleep. So, your manuscript came in quite handy."

"Oh god" I groan with a short laugh; "Don't tell me you have it with you?"

"I have to give it back?" He grins "I don't think so, Ms. Swan. I believe it will be worth millions when you're published."

I scoff. What a joke. "You're probably holding onto nothing."

"I meant what I said. I think you write beautifully." He says sincerely, making me look down at my plate "don't give up on it just yet".

"I'm not" I sigh "I'm just stuck. I've read it over and over so many times that I can't stand to look at it anymore. I think I just need a break…some time." I say with a small groan. "Which is also why I wanted you to read it. Give me some unbiased insight…don't be nice, Edward. What did you really think of it?"

"I've told you what I really think of it." He says easily "It needs work. But it has a solid foundation. Whether it comes out next month or 12 years from now…I know it's going to be good. Because I know you well enough to know that you'd never put anything out there without making sure it's 100 percent".

"Really?" I whisper. Jesus. No one has ever- well, I've never let anyone read my work before. Except Rose, but…never the entire thing; just snippets here and there. Besides, Rose is my best friend; she had to be nice. "Thank you, Edward."

His head tilts to one side and he smiles while taking a sip of the wine "It was my pleasure, Bella. I hope to read more one day."

"You'll be the first to know when I start working again" I grin.

Just then, my phone starts buzzing in my pocket. "Excuse me" I mutter to Edward and fish it out.

Marcus was flashing on the screen and I hit ignore before turning my attention back to Edward again. "Sorry where were-"

Really? Is he REALLY calling the house phone now? I groan and apologize to the gorgeous man sitting across from me.

"Bella, it's Marcus. You must still be at dinner. I hope you're having a good time, call me when you're back. Bye".

Shit. Why didn't I just pick up?

I slowly sit back down again, avoiding eye contact with Edward. Damn this is awkward.

"So, you and Marcus are doing well, I presume?" he asks quietly.

I take a deep breath and look up at him. His face is blank; he's not giving anything away. "We're…taking things slow." I say hesitantly. Should I tell him about the incident? Heidi will anyways… "There was kind of an incident last week".

And just like that, he sits up straighter. His interest is piqued "Oh?"

"I went over to the club to have lunch with Zafrina, and bumped into Marcus. He had just been in one of the rooms…with a girl." I cringe at my inability to say 'submissive' "The problem was…Heidi was never informed. No one knew that he was even at the club."

Edward's mouth was set in a hard line at this point. Shit. Is he mad? "How did you find out?"

"Chris told me when I was on the phone with Zafrina… I was calling her to get some advice on the paperwork and all that. I didn't know he had been with someone else."

"So you two haven't done a scene yet?" he says.

"No" I shake my head "I told him we needed to slow it down after that. I couldn't trust him. Especially after he was so bent out of shape about my sleep schedule earlier that week" I muttered in annoyance "Who the hell does he think he is…He was lecturing me on getting more sleep while he was fucking another girl."

"You're a feisty one, aren't you" Edward grinned, making me let go of my anger with a laugh.

"Sorry" I huff "Anyways. I told him we could try and date."

"You realize I'll need to take care of this once I get back to the club" he says in question "Don't you?"

"Of course I do. I figured you'd hear about it from Heidi anyways. Would you rather I didn't tell you?"

"I'm glad you told me, Bella" he smiles gently "Thank you."

Dinner was wonderful. It went perfectly. After I told Edward about Marcus, he was a little off but who could blame him. I'd be pissed too.

After Edward left, I called Marcus back. He was pleasant…just listened as I talked about my day and work… So when he asked me to come to his house for a movie night in, I couldn't say no. Besides, it was just a movie.

I laughed, looking down at myself. Black sweatpants and a black hoodie adorned my body…he said casual. This is about as casual as I get. I slipped my cell phone into the pocket of my sweats and zipped it shut. I loved these pants…they were so perfect for running.

Finally the door clicks open "Hey beautiful" he smiles, pecking me on the lips "Sorry to keep you waiting; come in".

I step into the grand house and look around in awe. I'm standing in a rather large foyer, expensive art adorns the walls and a crystal chandelier is poised above us. It's all very over the top if you ask me…but that didn't mean it wasn't beautiful.

"You have a beautiful house, Marcus" I smile.

"Thank you, I'll show you more of it later. Shall we?"

I take his offered hand and follow as he leads me through the house. We enter into a large living room; two brown leather couches sit on top of a large afghan rug, which I'm sure cost a fortune. On the other end of the room was a huge wall mounted flat screen. Hell yes. These movies were going to be awesome.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll just go get the wine" he says.

I take off my shoes and sit down on one end of the couch that's directly in front of the TV, setting my purse down on the floor.

Marcus appears minutes later and hands me a crystal glass filled with red wine "Red okay?"

"Preferred" I smile as he sits next to me.

This might just be the best date we've had.

No forced conversation.

I have to say. This is the funniest movie I've seen in a long time. I haven't stopped laughing since it started.

My head is clouded, foggy even… hmm, must be the wine. I steal a glance at Marcus who has his arm around my shoulders, he's staring down at me with a small smile "tired?" he asks as I yawn.

"Mmm" I hum with a grin "Yeah but this movie is hilarious". Why do I sound so drunk?

"More wine?" he asks, leaning forward and picking up the bottle.

"I need to drive home tonight" I shake my head, but…more does sound good.

"I'll have someone drive you home" he offers "Come on, we're having such a good time".

"Alright fine" I groan as he fills up my glass again. I take a sip and hold it to my chest while resting my head on his shoulder. He isn't so bad…I'm starting to really- holy shit.

A realization hits me. Marcus isn't drinking his wine. And there's no way I'm feeling this good off of one glass. My head feels fuzzy….my vision starts to blur. Nothing makes sense.

"Marcus" I slur as angrily as I can, trying to lift my body away from him.

"Hmm" I can hear the smile in his voice as his arms tighten around me.

"You drugged me?"

And that's the last thing I remember.

A/N: Thoughts? Let me know! Review please

P.S. Thanks Aabcarr! Bomb beta 3