HEY EVERYBODY!! THIS IS TH FIRST CHAPTER TO THE STORY AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. QUICK WARNING, THIS STORY IS RATED M FOR A REASON! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ LEMONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THEM, RAPE OR ABUSE, DON'T READ THIS STORY. BUT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL STICK WITH ME BECAUSE IT IS STILL THE CHARACTERS WITH THE SAME LOVE.

A SHOUTOUT GOES TO MY WONDERFULLY AWESOME BETA SHAPS!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! I HAVE READ AND ABSORBED ALL THE KNOWLEDGE FROM READING THE WORKS OF LADY MEYER AND LADY WOODIWIESS. I ONLY OWN BECK, THE SERVING MAN.

READ ON!!

Bella stepped out into the street and headed towards the local inn. The sun was rising behind the building, casting a foreboding shadow upon the street below. On the contrary, Bella knew that it was one of the only places she was safe.

She had to check if her father was still there, otherwise the punishment would be unbearable. She still held the bruises from the last beating and was not keen to nurse more. If she did not find him then this would be the second offence and the thrashing would be crueller. She sauntered through the inn doorway and headed straight for the barmaid, Jessica.

"Have you seen my father? He didn't come home last night and I don't know where to look," Bella asked quietly.

"'E is asleep upstairs, 'e stayed last night as 'e didn't want to go home," she told Bella. "'E mumbled somethin' about it bein' too late to trek the countryside."

Following the pattern of a well-established habit, Bella went upstairs to the room he had taken on previous occasions. She reached the door and knocked, in hopes that he was alone. If he were not, however, she would not have to witness him in the middle of anything. She raised her fist and rapped her knuckles sharply on the door.

It definitely wasn't her father who opened the door.

Bella felt her jaw drop as she looked upon the man who yielded perfection. Standing in front of her was a Greek God brought down from the heavens. He stood at six or more feet and possessed a sculpted frame. His hair was a bronze colour, floppy in its length; and lacked any order. His eyes were definitely green, but appeared almost golden at the same time. There was no more than a towel wrapped around his waist. Bella's eyes fell to his chest and noticed the muscles in his torso were well defined; as were the ones in his arms. His skin was pale; almost an iridescent shade of white.

She was so absorbed in his body that she did not notice his hand moving towards her until he had cupped her chin and turned her head. His face was right by hers, and in that moment, she saw him fit into every aspect of her life. Embarrassed at the closeness, Bella started to turn away but he pulled her back to him and held her still.

"Don't run away, love," he whispered in her ear. "I wish they had sent you to me last night." He pulled her into the room and closed the door. As it swung shut, he pushed her gently back to the wall and started to kiss her neck. She tried to pull away from him but had no way to escape his hold.

"Stop, sir, I need to find–" she was cut off as his lips took hers savagely. Bella tried to be passive but she could not help but respond to his touch. His lips became urgent and his hands roamed her back, unrestrained. His cold skin sent shivers down her spine. His tongue caressed her bottom lip and she opened to him, allowing his tongue to roam the space. She could taste him; he had a sweet, irresistible flavour.

Clearly confident within himself, he pulled her along his length and cupped her backside. Bella could feel his arousal along her thigh. He pulled her towards the bed and as he laid her down, she noticed that the towel was no longer in place. She could see from a lustful downward glance that his manhood was the perfect specimen. His muscles rippled as her eyes gazed over his masculine frame. He quickly pulled himself over her and started to kiss any skin that was bare as he slowly began to undress her.

There was a knock at the door and a shrill voice sounded. "Edward, come answer the door and I'll give ye some company! I'll make sure ye'll have a good time!"

Edward pulled off Bella and released a groan. "Leave, Lauren; I have no need for your company! Neither now, nor ever. I am busy and intend to depart shortly." His voice was husky, and heavy, and Bella could hear the aggravation seeping into his tone. Footsteps could be heard as this 'Lauren' retreated down the stairs. Edward walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Now, where were we?" He moved toward her, but Bella turned to her side and slid from the bed. "What's wrong love? Did she ruin the moment? Maybe we should start again." He stood and advanced seductively, slipping a hand behind her head to tilt her lips to his.

"There is a very big misunderstanding," Bella spoke breathlessly as she pushed against his chest. "I didn't know you were in this room. Would you kindly put on some clothes, and I will explain; or should I just leave now?" Bella was becoming aggravated towards his arrogant behaviour. No matter how hard she tried to push him away, his body would not budge from hers.

He turned his face to hers, and chuckled lightly. "I think that your story will, at the very least, entertain me for a spell. Stay where you are and I'll throw on some clothes." Edward continued to talk as he moved behind her to grab his breeches. "If you didn't expect to find me in this room," he began to ask with a smug expression, "then why did you knock?" A harmless question; but an intriguing one at the least.

"I expected to find my father; he is always in this room," Bella answered. "I knocked out of consideration for my own well being, but that obviously did nothing for me in the end."

Edward worked hard to stifle his laughter, and in an instant wished he had not uttered a word against her. He realized that, by her speech and presence, she was a woman of good standing and deserved respect whether he wished to give it to her or not.

"I am sorry to have made such a grave mistake," he began his apology; "but what was I to think when you responded the way you did?"

His words hit Bella like ice cold daggers and she wished that it would all be over. However, he plundered on, "And you are not dressed in any reflection of status."

Bella looked down at her clothes and noticed that they were indeed, threadbare and tattered. She realized that she had only three dresses and had happened to pick the worst of them to wear. In an attempt to damage his obviously inflated ego, she responded with force and a sarcastic tongue to be proud of.

"Oh, do forgive me for not showing up in my very best ball gown!" She saw regret fill his face, so she continued, "I don't have the opportunity to lavish in the luxury of beautiful clothes while keeping up the house. Unless you would prefer me to lounge around; and have my father cease work as sheriff and take over my duties? What did you think me? A common wench? A harlot? I shall take leave of your company at once!"

Edward stepped to her, and she yelled in defiance once more before turning to leave the room.

"Do you treat all women like you treated me? Are we a bounty to be won and hoarded? You didn't even have the decency to ask for my name, you just set yourself upon me as a mutt would!"

"Edward," he responded quickly. Bella stopped dead in her tracks and turned to stare. "My name; I am Edward," he corrected. "And you?" Bella's mouth dropped open at his sudden chivalry. "Not that I need ask. You gave me enough information to know that you are whom the sheriff complained of last night."

He regretted his cutting words at once when he saw Bella's lip quiver and tears start to pool in her eyes. When he recognized the fear and pain forming in the eyes that, moments before, had been filled with determination and life; he inwardly cursed himself.

Bella felt each word like a slap across her face. She spotted a cringe when he looked at her tired young face. She turned to leave, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Should I accompany you home? It is the least I can do."

Bella would have appreciated the company, but her pride got the better of her.

"I don't need your charity and I never will! If you think you can clear your conscience by such regretful words, then you are dearly mistaken, sir." She turned on her heel and proceeded to storm from the room and down the stairs. Her pace did not wane as she rushed to her house, hoping that her father had yet to return.

Bella ran and proceeded to trip a few times along the way. Damn that man! That caddish knave! Who does he think he is? Her head spoke only of the things to hate about him but her heart was singing a different tune; a tune filled with compassion and admiration. She had no desire to admit aloud what feeling she truly held for Edward; a man who pulled her, even for a moment, from the hell she lived in. Bella shed all thoughts of the man as soon as her house was in view, hoping to avoid her father's wrath.

Much to her dismay, she stepped through the door and was welcomed with a blow to the face that sent her sprawling. She started to pick herself up when she was gifted a swift kick to the stomach where a searing pain instantly coursed through her torso.

"You little whore!" her father screamed at her, "I saw you at the inn. You weren't even sneaking; you just strolled into that Cullen bastard's room! How will any man take you now? Go near that bastard again and I will kill him, and then you will beg for your own life to end!" Charlie grabbed her by the throat and threw her forcefully against the stairs. Her body made contact with the stairway, and a new pain coursed through her. She lost consciousness.

Edward followed Bella out of the inn and towards her home. As he approached, he noticed that the house was small and far from any neighbours. He watched her walk into the house and seconds later heard a crash from inside. He was at the open door in an instant and saw as the sheriff, her own father, kick her in the stomach he heard the resounding crack and knew that some of her ribs were broken. It took all of his control not to run into the house and break his neck.

Only a second later, he understood why no one lived near the sheriff. There was no chance for people to hear him yell or to hear Bella scream.

"You little whore! I saw you at the inn," Edward now felt worse than ever about what had happened, "You weren't even sneaking; you just stalked into that Cullen bastard's room!"

He saw everything! All because of him, this beautiful woman was being beaten by her father; a man who was supposed to love her unconditionally.

"How will any man take you now?" he screamed at her. "Go near that bastard again and I will kill him, and then you will beg for your own life to end!"

Edward quickly moved away from the open door to the window; in hopes that he would not be seen and cause her more harm. Regardless of his action, Bella was picked up and thrown against the stairs.

Edward waited out the day, hidden in the bushes until twilight when Sheriff Swan left the house. As soon as he knew it was safe, he straightened himself and walked in through the still open door.

Bella was still by the stairs; her insentient form twisted awkwardly on the floor. Edward ran over and checked her breathing. Noticing a cut on her head, he gently lifted her and wiped the dry blood with his handkerchief. Even with the lightest touch, she whimpered in unconscious pain.

Edward had never looked at a woman to see nothing but her beauty; no person had ever caught his attention as effortlessly as she did. He picked her carefully up and ascended the stairs; searching for her bedroom. He spotted through an open doorway a room that had a nightgown on the floor, and so assumed it to be hers. With care reminiscent of a doctor, he placed her on the bed and sat in a chair at her side – but held her hand all the while.

So what did you think? review and let me know! for all thse people who actually stuck with me till the end of the chapter, thanks a million! now please review!!