~SIN 7~
Bella pulls open the door and tries to contain her smile. How is she supposed to stay fierce when the guy brings her a goddamn bouquet of Gerbera daisies in every imaginable color?
"Edward, you shouldn't have."
He steps in awkwardly over her threshold. Suddenly, this whole thing feels far more personal than it ever has before, more than Bella had bargained for, and she can't decide if that's good or bad.
"Emmett told me he was an ass." Edward's expression turns to disgust, and Bella has to stifle a giggle.
"He kind of was, but we worked it out."
"Well, consider these flowers from him then, by way of me."
"Okay, fine." She relieves him of the flowers. "Thanks for sending him. I feel much safer now." Her eyes drift to the new set of deadbolts and chains he'd installed after he finished debugging her house.
"I'm glad." Edward shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, and his eyes dart around the house.
Meanwhile, Bella is checking out Edward's khaki dress pants and button-down shirt and striped tie with tiny scales of justice motif repeated between the lines. It looks like the kind of gift a lawyer might receive for Christmas. He's come straight from work, and clearly he didn't want to waste precious time on his limited lunch hour changing his clothes first.
"Follow me," she tells him, adopting a more commanding tone that allows them both the bit of distance they need. "Ready?" she teases, showing him the key before she unlocks the playroom.
"Mmhmm," he answers, his pupils dilating with anticipation. Bella wonders briefly if Emmett told Edward anything about the dungeon.
"Come, pet. I'll give you a tour." She reaches for his hand, and he gives it willingly. She walks him around the room slowly, explaining each piece of equipment and what she will do to him with it. He's quiet, taking it all in while exhibiting all the outward signs of deepening arousal. By the time they reach her arm chair, Edward is visibly straining against his pants.
She removes her robe—revealing a midnight blue corset with matching g-string and a pair of latex over-the-knee boots with a five-inch wedge heel—and sinks into the chair, allowing her knees to fall open.
"I believe you have something you wanted to show me?" she prompts.
"Yes, ma'am." Pleased to have the chance to score points, he immediately removes his belt and tosses it to the floor.
"I'll take that," she says, pulling it into a loop and snapping it crisply between them. His eyes pop at the sound, and she wonders how his ass will look with her marks on it. No doubt, amazing, she concludes.
He quickly works the button and zipper and folds his pants down over one hip far enough to prove he's not wearing underwear.
"That's lovely, pet, but I'd like to see the whole thing."
His tongue swipes across his lower lip as he gets ready to drop his pants. She leans forward in her chair to get a closer look, and he turns a pretty shade of embarrassed as he pushes his pants down over his thighs and his thick cock bounces free.
"Oh! Is that for me...or did you have another divorcee in your courtroom this morning who got you all hot and bothered?" The question was meant to be teasing, but as soon as she says it, Bella has a burning need to know.
"No, ma'am. Only you."
"In that case," she reaches out and wraps her fist around his cock, giving him a couple firm tugs, "thank you."
"You're more than welcome, ma'am," he says, eyes rolling back in his head as she plays with him.
Bella directs him to take off the rest of his clothes while she continues to play and tease. "Just for going commando, I have a special treat for you, pet." No doubt he guesses it will be more of the same, but she stops abruptly and orders him to his hands and knees. "I'm going to let you take me for a ride around the playroom."
She throws a leg across his back and mounts up, settling herself comfortably on his back. He sags for one awful second and she snaps the belt across his ass.
"Ah!" he winces and shrinks from the strap.
Bella digs her hands into his hair and roughly grabs two handfuls. "Go." Edward moves forward tentatively with one knee, dipping the opposite shoulder enough that it jostles her and draws another blow with the belt.
Sliding her hands to his neck, she massages him lightly, giving him a moment to pull himself together and get ahead of the task. "Breathe. Square up your shoulders, and tighten this beautiful back for me. When you're ready to give me a smooth ride, you may begin again."
His chest expands with a cleansing swoosh of air, then releases shakily. "Easy, pet. This is a treat for you, remember?"
"Yes, ma'am," he answers with great effort.
"Look at me."
Edward twists his neck as far as he can, and Bella runs her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Maybe you'd like me to get my saddle? Or the harness?" He pinks up and shies away, forgetting himself. Bella catches his chin with her fingertips and holds his gaze. "I have a lovely tail we can attach if you lack the proper motivation."
Edward clenches his teeth and forces out, "Whatever pleases you, ma'am," but she can easily see the idea is not a turn-on for him.
"Hmm, I think we'll stick to bareback until you get it right."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'll try harder."
Her heart lurches, and she finds herself hoping he'll manage well enough that she doesn't need to strike him again. The realization hits her like a sudden thunderstorm on an otherwise sunny day—she has no desire to hit him again.
"I know," she urges, gently releasing his chin and leaving him to his task. He propels them around the rubberized floor efficiently; his shoulders and hips roll subtly beneath her thighs while Bella puzzles on her unfamiliar feelings. Just as he completes the first circuit, the harsh trill of Bella's landline breaks into the silence of the soundproof room.
"I'm so sorry," she says, hopping off his back and rushing to the wall-mounted phone near the door. "I have to take this."
Her eyes drift over to Edward, waiting obediently on hands and knees, while the school nurse recounts the details of Angela's morning—fever, stomach ache, sore throat. "Yes, of course, I'll be right there," she answers. Hearing this, Edward sits back on his haunches and crosses his wrists protectively over his lap. A rough, abrupt ending to an uncomfortable scene. Bella hangs up the phone and with a loud sigh, drops to her knees in front of him.
"I'm so, so sorry about this. My daughter's sick, and I need to go pick her up."
"Of course."
He's as understanding as can be, but still, a complicated disappointment settles over the two of them. He arrived with such enthusiasm and high hopes, and she muddled it and now won't have a chance to make things right.
"You did really well," she tries, but her gut twists when he looks down, embarrassed. "Tell you what," she starts brightly, "why don't you stay here and take care of yourself…" She glances down to where his hands do a fairly good job of hiding his erection, "and just lock up and let yourself out when you're done?"
He looks up, and she immediately realizes she's just made everything worse. "With all due respect, Bella, no thank you. I'll be dressed and out of here before you need to leave."
He stands and helps her to her feet. "I owe you," she tells him, feeling like the expression is woefully inadequate. "Will you call me after work today so we can arrange our next…time?" "Session" feels far too cold for their time together.
"Sure." He leans forward and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Go. I get it."
She is struck by an overwhelming desire to be held, but he's already turned and headed for his clothes. With a resigned nod of her head, she drapes his belt over the door knob as she pulls the door of the playroom closed behind her.
A/N: THAT was no fun to write! YIKES! I hope they can work through this mess!
In the meantime, my potatollaborators at ThreeHotPotatoes have just put the finishing touches on Pledge Week, so if you've been looking for a slashy piece of crackfic, it's now completed. Stay tuned for the newest HET hot potato story coming soon to a computer screen near you (that was a hint!).
Okay, lemme have it! XXX ~BOH