Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Twilight character names belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Oh God! I just know I'm going to hear it after this chapter. Please love me! I'll do my happy dance for you. *wiggle*wiggle*bounce*bounce*

Chapter 3 – After Party

My scream didn't make much of a difference with the blaring commotion just outside the limo. Nobody heard, and nobody cared. Life was one big celebration as guests of the premiere prepared to hit the after party, leaving me to deal with the mess I'd made. The limo pulled away moments after I'd screamed, so escape was not an option.

Edward was seething, and I was scared shitless. His right hand grasped my hair tightly and he pulled my head back. Leaning forward, his body pressed against mine, bending me back against the seat in an awkward position making it difficult to breathe. I took shallow breaths and focused on the two green orbs that were swallowing me in anger.

"I'm…sorry…" I gasped.

"Why?" he groaned. "Why did you kiss me?"

Sandwiched between his body and the seat, I couldn't speak. I sucked in as much air as I could. "I…" I gasped again.

When he realized I couldn't breathe, he pulled his body back a fraction.

"I'm s…sorry," I sucked in two quick breaths.

His eyes softened and he let go of my hair, running his fingers down the side of my face. "Did you want to kiss me?"

"What?" My question came out breathy and barely discernable.

His eyes moved to my mouth where his fingers trailed across my lips. "I said…"

"I know what you said."

He looked back into my eyes. "Did you?"

I couldn't lie. Though I'd thought he was an ass and, at that moment, feared him, I couldn't lie. I'd wanted to kiss his lips the second I laid my eyes on him.

"Yes," I breathed.

He gasped. Something akin to pain passed through him as he grabbed my face between his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. Our noses touched and he whispered. "Trust me, please."

"Yes," I whimpered, feeling a bit apprehensive.

Before I could take my next breath his lips covered mine and I was lost, falling into the unknown. My lips parted and his tongue slid between them, roughly invading my mouth. Though he was not gentle, I felt complete ease in the way our mouths and tongues danced in a wild symphony. Edward tugged on my bottom lip and I on his top, making him groan. The sound made me tremble.

It was a wild, needy kiss, our lips devouring one another in desperation. I couldn't understand why it was so intense. I'd known him for less than twenty four hours, yet somehow it seemed as if my heart had been longing for him for so much longer.

He grabbed my hands sliding his fingers between mine as he pulled them over my head. My mouth slowed as his eased into a soft, sensual caress. Our lips made sweet love, moving in synchronization as if they were destined to be together, becoming one entity. I'd never been kissed before, and it was one hell of a first kiss. If it could have been compared to the best kisses in history, I'm sure it would have surpassed them all.

Without breaking our connection, Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me over so he was sitting and I was straddling him. Oh, but when I eased down, my dress nearly up to my waist, I could feel his hardness pressing against me. I shifted my hips away, because being another one of his quick fucks was not on my list of To-Do's, but he pulled me back, thrusting himself against me with a moan.

The kissing continued, and I would have been content to kiss him non-stop until the day I died had he been just as content, but no…Edward Masen wanted more. His right hand ran up the inside of my thigh, making its way to my pleasure spot. He brushed against it lightly igniting a burning sensation deep in my belly, and I whimpered against his lips. His fingers shifted, sliding between material and skin, and he ran them up my slit.

"You're so wet," he groaned against my lips, and his soft kiss took a turn for fierce.

Just as his fingers began to penetrate, Alice's words flashed in my mind.

Watch yourself, Miss Swan, or you are going to be another statistic.

I ran my fingers into his hair and pulled his head back, away from my face, and he grimaced.

"I'm not going to be another fucking notch on your belt," I growled.

His eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

I pulled myself up and slid over to sit next to him on the seat. Wrapping my dress around my legs I looked out the window at the passing street lights. Anger ripped through me at how close I'd come to becoming another one of his easy fucks.

"Bella?"

I didn't respond, our rough breathing was the only sound in the vehicle.

"Bella, please." His voice was strained, and it concerned me a bit, so I turned to him.

"What?" The petulance in my voice was hard to disguise, and he would see it as a negative reaction toward him and not me.

"I guess I deserve that," he muttered, and I could see his self-loathing, so I decided to let him off the hook.

"Look, I'm disappointed with myself, not you. Okay?"

"But you've done nothing wrong."

I looked down at my hands, feeling very self-conscious. "I thought you didn't kiss," I murmured.

"I don't."

My hands were shaking slightly, so I focused on keeping them still by rubbing my fingers together.

He cleared his throat and I looked up at him. "Look, the last woman I kissed was…well, it happened many years ago."

"Tanya?" I asked.

"No. I've never kissed her."

"Who was it then?"

He looked down at his hands. "Someone I lost. She um…died. I…" He took a deep breath. "She was my first love, you know? My whole world. I vowed I'd never kiss another."

"I'm so sorry." I'd lost my parents, which was hard enough, but losing the one you love as well? The thought made my heart twist. "That seems nearly impossible though. What if you met someone you wanted to marry? Would you never kiss her?"

"I've never considered marriage. I guess I gave up on the whole idea the instant she left me."

"So…why did you kiss me?"

A faint glow rose into his eyes as they met mine. "When you kissed me in front of Tanya, it threw me. My reaction was horrid and for that I apologize. Here in the limo, I realized something." He glanced over my shoulder at the darkness beyond the window before answering. "I kissed you, Bella, for reasons I cannot explain. You're not like other women, and I would never treat you wrong. I'm sorry. What I did was inexcusable."

He reached for my hand which I moved to my lap, cupping it with the other. I wanted his hand in mine, but I was afraid the force I felt between us when he touched me would affect my judgment. I didn't want to give in.

His head dropped, and he spoke so low I could barely hear him. "I'll understand if you want me to take you home now."

I thought about that, and what would happen if I didn't go to the after party. He'd run into Tanya, I was sure. Did I want that to happen? Why did I even care? For some reason, the thought of Edward and Tanya together made me fume inside.

"Will you go home?" I asked.

He turned to me. "What do you mean?"

I looked up at him. "If you take me home, will you go home as well or are you planning on going to the party alone?"

"Bella," he sighed heavily. "People are expecting me. I have to go."

I nodded my head. "Okay."

He stared at me, expectant, and I should have asked to go home but I just couldn't. "I'll go with you."

He nodded and looked away. We sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

As I stared out my window, I thought about Alice's warning. She'd known Edward since childhood, and though I barely knew her I was sure she was being honest, trying to protect me from the dangerous web he spun to catch and devour his prey. I couldn't fathom why she would care about me, but having witnessed so many heartbroken women, I'm sure she just cared in general, not specifically for me.

I could feel affection taking root in the pit of my stomach, a growing desire to please Edward, and it frightened me. There was a big chance I would become another miserable statistic. I needed to watch my actions and think only of myself.

When we pulled up to a beautiful mansion, I recognized various celebrities relinquishing their vehicles to valet. When I saw Tanya standing at the entrance, my throat tightened and my eyes burned. Edward may have felt the tension, because he turned to me and reached out his hand.

"May I?" he asked.

"Yes," I breathed.

He took my hand in his and kissed my palm. "Don't be nervous."

I nodded and grinned. "Sure…that's easy for you to say."

The atmosphere in the limo changed as we pulled up to the valet. His eyes became hard…cold…and they burned into mine. "This is extremely important," he growled, and his tone scared me. "You told Tanya I am your boyfriend. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of your words?"

I nodded.

He huffed loudly. "You have no idea what you've done." The tone in his voice became harsher with each syllable. "If you intend to follow through with your lie, then you'd better damn well play it off flawlessly. Embarrass me, and you'll wish you'd never met me. Do I make myself clear?"

His change in mood startled me but wasn't a surprise. I nodded my head once again and a devilish grin spread across his face. Just then a valet opened his door and greeted him.

"Good evening, Mr. Masen."

"Good evening," he replied, pulling me out of the limo with him.

Walking up the path was nerve-racking. Not only were we surrounded by many celebrities I recognized, but we were headed toward the one person I didn't want to see.

I leaned into Edward's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Will she stay the whole night?"

He snickered. "She should. This is her house."

"What?"

He grinned. "Don't worry. She won't do anything embarrassing in her own home." He followed with a low, "I hope," though I'm sure he didn't mean for me to hear it.

The expression on Tanya's face was priceless. When she looked at me, I could literally feel the stab in my chest. Those daggers were flying hard and fast. Her eyes flickered between Edward's and mine as we approached the entrance.

"Hello again, Tanya," Edward greeted her while pulling me tightly into his side.

She leaned over and kissed him on his cheek, completely ignoring my presence.

"Hello, Edward, so nice to see you again." Her icy tone made me nervous. All of my previous courage locked itself away in my chest. This was her home, and I felt like I was walking into the lion's den.

"Likewise," Edward muttered, and it didn't sound sincere.

"Make yourselves at home." She motioned with her hand that we should proceed to enter.

I didn't pay much attention to the details of her home, though I did notice the exquisite art on one wall of the foyer adjacent to a double-wide staircase that ran up the center and split at the top of the stairs.

Most of my concentration was on the people Edward spoke with. Women and men alike seemed to crave his attention, seeking him out and bringing up topics ranging from no importance to highly significant publishing deals and upcoming movies based on books published by his company. As I watched him speak animatedly, I realized he was in his element. The attention brought out a side of him I quite enjoyed. His smile, his laughter, when surrounded by friends seemed genuine, and I liked the warm feeling it created in me.

Though some of the women were authentic in their kind greeting toward me when I was introduced as his girlfriend, over a period of time I began to realize many of them seemed a bit put off. As the number of glares and stares through the crowd grew, I started to feel very uncomfortable and somewhat insignificant.

As a rule, I don't drink in the company of strangers, and Edward was still very much a stranger to me, so I only drank water. The problem is I tend to drink a lot when I'm nervous, so after four glasses of water I really needed to relieve my poor bladder.

I leaned into Edward and whispered, "Where is the restroom?"

He pointed toward the staircase. "Up the stairs, to the right, third door on the left." He turned to me. "Would you like me to show you?"

He was having a conversation with a man about a publishing deal, and I didn't think I'd be gone too long, so I didn't want to pull him from his discussion just to walk me up the stairs.

"Oh, no. I can find my way. I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone." I grinned widely and his lips pulled up on one side into a sexy-ass grin. I nearly gasped aloud.

He leaned down and kissed me lightly on my lips, making my head spin. Play it cool, I had to remind myself. We were only pretending to be a couple.

I turned and headed toward the staircase, instantly feeling the distance between us and regretting not asking him to come with me. The glares and stares turned to whispers as I headed up the stairs. Some were loud and clear.

Why the hell her?

What the fuck does he see?

I hope she burns.

Did he actually kiss her?

The last comment I heard created the beaming smile I surrendered to as I made my way into the restroom.

It didn't take me long to actually use the restroom, but when I saw my reflection in the mirror, I stopped to take a long look at myself. The image before me was foreign. My hair was still in place even after Edward's hands had invaded it. Only one pin was out of place, so I quickly fixed it. My face was not my own and just as immaculate as when Alice first revealed me as her masterpiece. I reminded myself to thank her later.

I had a goofy grin on my face when I opened the door, but it was wiped away when I was met by the furious eyes of Tanya.

"Hello again, Isabella," she sneered.

"Hello." There was no volume in my voice, and I could feel the panic set in as I glanced down the hall and realized we were alone.

She stepped forward, and I shifted, backing into the wall next to the door. "Um…Edward is waiting for me. I need to get to him."

"He can wait," she growled. "We have some unfinished business."

"What?"

She held out her hand and opened it, palm up, revealing a wad of cash. "I believe I owe you this."

My confused expression irritated her.

"He kissed you, so I owe you," she spat.

"You can keep it. I don't want your money."

"Oh, you may not want it," her eyes traced me from head to foot, "but you sure do need it." A sly smile spread across her face. "Unless you don't want the money my fucking, filthy ass hands were on. Guess the man they were on is a much better trade off."

"Fuck you," I growled.

"There she is," she laughed. "I've been waiting for you." She grabbed my hand roughly and shoved the wad into my palm.

I glanced at it, noticing they were all thousand dollar bills. My brow furrowed, and heat spread from the tips of my fingers and toes to the center of my being. I wanted to scream, but knew I shouldn't. Squeezing the money in my firm grip for a fraction of a second, I sent the thick wad across the short distance between us, hitting her right between the eyes.

She gasped and reached up to touch her forehead. "Oh, you want to play dirty do you?" She reached back and swung, but little did she know I'd taken self-defense classes.

My left hand met hers, blocking the blow, and my right fist jumped up making contact with that annoyingly beautiful face of hers. She screamed and grabbed her jaw.

"You fucking bitch!" she yelled.

Before I could make my escape, she jumped on me, dragging me to the floor, pulling at my hair. I used my nails to scratch her arms, digging into her skin. She screamed once more and slapped me. I rolled over, flinging her off me and suddenly I was being restrained by someone much bigger than me.

Two large arms wrapped around my waist, pinning my arms to my sides.

Tanya sighed. "Thank you, Felix."

"What shall I do with her, Miss Kovac?"

She grinned and her eyes narrowed. "Take her out back. I don't want her to make a scene in front of my guests. Have Demitri deal with her."

"Yes, ma'am."

I screamed and called out, "Edw…" Felix's hand was over my mouth before I could get more out. I kicked and struggled but his grip was too firm. My smothered screams were faint mumbles against the ruckus of the party below. He dragged me down the hall, through a dark room, and to an elevator.

I continued to struggle and Felix whispered in my ear. "Don't struggle, please. I don't want to hurt you."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice and decided to play it cool, ceasing my attempts to escape. Maybe I could've avoided this if I'd just taken Tanya's fucking money and walked away. I kicked myself internally for being such an idiot.

Felix spoke to Demetri using his Bluetooth and we met him in a garage at the back of her house. Demetri was a fierce man but he was half the size of Felix. They shoved me into the car where Felix resumed his position as human hand cuffs, using only one hand to restrain mine. He reached under the seat and pulled out a box. I didn't pay much attention to what he was doing, because Demetri drove up the drive and around the house, quickly approaching a group of people standing outside. I thought I could get someone's attention but worried it would be fruitless through the deep tinted windows.

As we pulled to the front of the house I looked over at the door and saw Edward run out and down the walk, glancing frantically in every direction. Tanya followed, wrapping herself around him, stroking his face as if to comfort him. Heat burned in my eyes as I realized what she was up to.

I opened my mouth to scream when Felix placed a cloth over it. A stinging sensation shot up my nose, burning its way through my nostrils and down my throat. The last image I can recall was Edward's arms wrapping around Tanya as she kissed his neck.