A/N Alright, first thanks to those who wished me a safe and fun business trip. I appreciate it and I'm happy to report I did return safely, but just as pale as when I left, despite being in Florida. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Chapter 7

"Bella!" Esme greeted me at the door. I was over for our weekly girl chats.

I followed her into her den to see that Rose was already here, happily sipping on a mimosa.

"Did you have breakfast dear?" Esme asked handing me my own flute.

"Yes. That's the one thing I can say I'm glad to have Gemma for. She always has breakfast ready when I come downstairs." I smiled, taking my usual seat by the fireplace.

"Oh that's right! I forgot that you hired a cook. I'm surprised Edward was able to convince you." My mother-in-law smiled. "But perhaps I shouldn't be. My son always was a sweet talker." She chuckled.

"Not to mention Bella is perhaps the most accommodating person on the planet." Rose added, smirking at me when I scowled.

I shrugged off the topic. Truthfully, I wasn't a fan of having a cook, not that she wasn't good, but I enjoyed cooking myself. Edward insisted that Gemma would take some pressure off me, but I knew that at least part of the reason was for the sake of his image. Everyone else had cooks, maids, pool boys, gardeners and the like, so our weekly housekeeper was simply unacceptable.

"So…" Rose started, obviously noting my lack of interest in the present discussion. "What's the news, Esme? I heard you got stuck in a foursome with Tanya and Margot."

I expected her to grimace at the reminder, since I knew she didn't care for either of those women, but instead she gasped, nearly choking on her bloody mary. Rose and I both leaned in, sensing something important was about to be said.

"I can't believe I almost forgot to mention it. In fact there is some news. It's about Alice." She paused glancing in my direction briefly before continuing. Rose also checked to see how I'd react, but I was merely eager to hear what happened.

"Apparently, Margot's husband, Daniel got home early from a business trip and discovered his wife and Alice in bed together!" Esme related the story energetically and it felt like I was listening to a soap opera. "She actually had the gall to say Alice was trying to take advantage of her!" My mother-in-law exclaimed fiercely, looking like a protective mother bear. "Naturally he didn't believe her. As if little Alice could force Margot to do anything!" This was true. Margot was a rather large woman at 5'11.

"What happened?" Rose asked anxiously, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"Well Daniel was furious and threw Alice out…" My eyes widened.

"WHAT? He touched her! Is she hurt?" I asked, seething in anger at the very idea of someone handling Alice roughly. Esme placed a gentle hand on my arm, easing me back into my seat.

"I already spoke with Alice and, short of a small bruise, she insists she is fine." Esme soothed me, but I was still upset. I had to hear that Alice okay for myself.

"I'll be right back." I said briskly standing and pulling out my phone as I left the room.

"She's in school right now Bella." My mother in law called to my retreating back, but I disregarded her reminder and opened a new text message anyway

I heard about what happened. Are you okay? About a minute passed before I finally got a response.

Fine. Don't worry, I'll still be there on Tuesday.

I stared at my phone. Is that why she thought I asked? That I only cared whether we could still have sex on Tuesday? I was speechless. She thinks that little of me?

Okay.

I didn't know what to say, but I did want to see her, to see with my own eyes that she was indeed fine as I had been told twice now. Plus…I just missed her.

Suddenly I wasn't in the mood for company. When I returned Esme and Rose were whispering conspiratorially, their heads close together. I entered warily, standing by my seat and glancing between the two women.

"Umm…I think I'm going to go home. I'm not feeling very well." I said quietly, now that Rose and Esme had stopped talking and were watching me carefully. I grabbed my bag, hoping to make a hasty retreat. I had my suspicions as to what they were talking about and didn't care to discuss the subject.

I was surprised to find that neither tried to stop me, but merely called out their goodbyes as I followed my tunnel vision to the door.

My ride home was slow, as a sudden rain shower pelting the car impeded my vision. When at last I arrived I ran for the cover of my house, wrestling momentarily with my keys before bursting through my door and sighing at the warm comfort my home offered.

Edward was away again and had been since the day I'd had my melt down with Rose and Jasper. He was in Japan and on a completely different schedule than me so we'd only talked briefly a couple of times late at night. Neither of us brought up the discussion concerning our sex life and I was happy to keep it that way. Secretly, I was hoping he'd forget I even mentioned anything, now that I realized I really didn't want him to watch Alice and I.

Dropping my purse by the door, I trudged over to the couch and let my body fall over the arm, with my feet dangling. What was I doing? The last few days the only thing I could think about was Alice and what I was going to do about her. Yes, I like her a lot, almost bordering on love, but that was hardly helpful. Now, not only did I have to worry about Alice's feelings, but also my own. I hadn't even gotten to worrying about Edward yet!

I exhaled loudly, frustrated with myself and turned my head towards our coffee table. On top sat a photo album of Edward's and my wedding. Stretching and groaning, I grabbed the leather book and pulled it towards me, nearly dropping it as its unexpected weight left the support of the table. I stared at the picture on the cover. Edward had scooped me up in his arms as we left the church and we were both grinning widely while our friends and family cheered around us. I couldn't help but smile at the memory.

We were both fresh out of school and still had stars in our eyes and dreams for the future. Edward had just gotten his MBA and I finished my bachelor's degree in Art History. Back then, working for Carlisle's company had never even entered Edward's realm of possibilities. He wanted to branch out on his own and build a venture capitalist firm. Unfortunately, the market wasn't exactly thriving and people weren't keen to invest with an unknown, so Edward was barely breaking even. I had been chosen from thousands of applicants for an unpaid internship at a local art gallery, consequently leaving the burden of sole provider to him. Though I'd been willing to find a new job with a monetary contribution to our household, Edward wouldn't hear of it. It's a little ironic now, since somehow after that job concluded and Edward had a steady pay check, he didn't want me to work anymore. In the end, Edward took a job with his father's company and quickly worked his way up the ladder, even bypassing Emmett, his older brother.

I was lost in these thoughts as I flipped through the album, so when the phone ring, I was nearly startled right onto the floor. With a grunt I forced myself to sit up and took the cordless from it's charger on the side table.

"Hello?"

"Hi baby!" Edward's voice was loud as it came through the speaker. He was yelling over some background noise and I pulled the phone away from my ear slightly. "Listen, I'm going to be gone for a few days longer than planned. The Hong Kong office has a big deal going through, so I'm going to stop in there for a while. I'm at the airport now, catching a late flight."

"Okay."

"How's everything going there? I heard the strangest thing the other day from Scott Pearson. He was talking to Dan at the club…Oh, hold on a second…" My palms suddenly felt sweaty as I waited silently on my end. Did Edward find out about Alice and Margot? "Sorry about that. What was I saying?"

"Uh…"

"OH! Right. I heard the most absurd thing. Apparently, Dan walked in on his wife and a woman!" Edward said, sounding amused and scandalized at the same time. "Actually, a girl would probably be more accurate. Dan didn't think she was even out of high school yet! Can you imagine? Talk about robbing the cradle! How old his wife? Must be close to forty by now!" Edward continued rambling on as I sunk lower and lower into the couch.

"Was he really mad?" I'm not sure why, but it was the first thing that came to mind and consequently I blurted it out.

"What? Oh, Dan? Uh, yeah, I think so. I mean wouldn't you be? Not only did his wife cheat on him, but she's also a criminal!"

"No she's not." I muttered, immediately clamping a hand over my mouth as I heard the other side go quiet.

"What?" Edward's voice was curious and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was over at your parent's today and Esme told me that the girl was eighteen. She played golf with Margot the other day and heard all about it." I quickly invented.

"Eighteen is still high school age. It doesn't seem much better to me." Edward argued and I bit my tongue from arguing further, instead choosing to change the topic.

"Hey, honey, I was thinking I might start looking for a job again."

"Huh? Why? I can assure you we don't need the money Bella." Edward chuckled through the phone, but I could sense his displeasure.

"I know, but I miss working and it'd give me something to do…" I tried to reason.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea Bella. Besides, you'd just have to quit again anyway to stay at home with the kids."

Kids? What kids? I thought incredulously.

"Do you know something I don't Edward? Because last I knew, I wasn't pregnant." In fact, I had religiously taken my birth control pill every day at noon. It's not that I didn't want kids, but I wasn't going to raise them on my own and a nanny was simply out of the question.

"It's only a matter of time Bella..." Edward's voice broke off and I heard a fuzzy announcement in the background. "This is me babe. We'll talk more about this when I get home alright. Love you."

"Love you…too." The line went dead before I could finish and I sighed, setting the phone back in its holder.

I lay back on the couch, pulling the blanket from the top over myself as I listened to the rain drumming softly on the roof and windows. My thoughts drifted to Alice again and our phone conversation. Did she really think I only cared about whether we could have sex. I could admit to myself that it had started that way, but somewhere along the line it became more about being with her than, well…being with her. In fact, one afternoon we only made love once and spent the rest of the time watching a movie, snuggled up on my bed, only exchanging a few soft kisses and caresses occasionally. It felt wonderful to have the small girl in my arms, her warm little body pressed up against mine. A small smile appeared on my face and I closed my eyes, remembering the feel of her skin, flush with my own in an embrace.

Suddenly, a weight settled comfortably atop me and I opened my eyes only to stare into sparkling blue orbs dancing with amusement. "Hello Bella." Her voice was a soft purr and caused me to shiver. Her gaze moved across my face lovingly, letting her hands sweep some rogue strands of hair out of my face. "Gorgeous."

She closed the space between us and pressed her lips softly against mine, before pulling away and sitting up, straddling my hips. "Alice." I breathed as I took in her naked form. Those lovely pink nipples that gave away her excitement were teasing me and she smiled down at me.

"Do you want me?" She asked, letting her hands come up to squeeze the objects of my stare playfully.

"Yes." I exhaled slowly, mesmerized by the small hands pinching the little buds I longed to touch…to taste.

"Are you…excited?" She asked, punctuating the question with a thrust against me.

"God Yes!" I moaned, causing a beautiful smirk to cross her features.

My clothes were suddenly gone as Alice bent forward once more, placing kisses across my chest down to my breasts. She massaged them reverently, sucking my already pert nipples into her mouth and nuzzling her face between my mounds.

"I love these things." She murmured, teasing and kissing me into a small frenzy. My body arched wantonly as I breathed in short pants, barely containing my desire to grab angel on top of me and ravage her thoroughly.

Seeming to understand my needs, Alice took a quick peek at me before moving her head lower to drop open mouth kisses on my stomach, and causing it to spasm in pleasure. I could feel the nervousness creep over me as I remembered where we were. On the couch, out for anyone to see and Edward wouldn't be pleased if we got it dirty…

"We…should…go upstairs." I managed to get out, causing Alice to stop her movements and look up at me. The passion in her eyes was evident and I trembled again as she crawled back up my body, slowly, like a very turned on lioness.

"No." She whispered into my ear, taking the lobe into her hot mouth and sucking gently.

"But…" I didn't finish as she tensed above me. This time her whisper was raw and demanding.

"Fuck the couch, Bella. And fuck Edward too. I'm taking you right here." I gulped nervously at what her words promised, but she wasn't done yet. She moved so she was looking me directly in the eye. "I'm going to worship you Bella, treasure every part of your body until you explode." She didn't wait for a response, but kissed me. It wasn't a gentle kiss like our first, nor was it hard and aggressive like I expected. Rather it was somewhere in between, almost as if she were trying to convey both her desire and love for me in it. By the time we broke apart, the couch was the last thing on my mind and the persistent ache between my legs demanded immediate attention.

"Alice, baby, please." I begged desperately.

"You want to cum Bella?" She whispered against my lips, letting her hips gyrate against mine.

"YES!"

"You want ME to MAKE you cum?" She clarified teasingly and I whimpered, wriggling beneath her with need.

"YES!"

A moment later she was buried tongue deep inside me, arms wrapped around my thighs in an attempt to harness my bucking hips.

"ALICE!" I screamed as she nibbled on my bundle of nerves.

"You like this, Bella?" She asked, her words slightly muffled by my folds.

"Oh my GOD YES!" I moaned, clutching at the cushions. My end was near and we both knew it. My whole body was trembling on the edge of a massive orgasm. Alice's beautiful eyes stared at me as she traded two fingers for her tongue.

"Tell me you love me Bella." She whispered, looking vulnerable and scared, but also looking at me with so much affection I thought my heart would stop.

"I…I…" The words wouldn't come, my body too far gone to truly function properly.

"Tell me Bella…Please." Alice whimpered, taking her thumb to my clit to help me over. And I fell…hard.

"ALICE!" I screamed, my whole body spasming, as hot pleasure flowed over and through me.

She crawled back up my body until we were once more locked in a heated kiss. Eventually, she let me catch my breath and snuggled into me as she had so many times before after our times together. I didn't think about what I did next. It was purely instinctual as I pulled her tighter against me and whispered, "I do love you, Alice."

A door closing woke me from my impromptu nap and I looked up to see a sheepish looking Gemma walk into the room with a bag of groceries. My head was still slightly in my dream and despite being fully clothed I pulled the blanket up higher on my chest to cover me.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cullen. Did I wake you?" She asked nervously, as if expecting a harsh reproof. Clearly, she didn't know me very well yet.

"No, no, it's fine." My voice was a little hoarse as I stretched, forcing myself to sit up. Relief flooded Gemma's face and she made her way over to me, holding out some envelopes and a magazine.

"I grabbed your mail on my way in." She said, giving me a small smile before darting away into the kitchen. I felt a little bad, I guess I hadn't really paid much attention to our new employee and it seems she took my silence as displeasure with her. One more thing I'd have to fix.

I shook my head and sifted through our mail until I came upon a small leaflet. A grin broke across my face. I knew exactly how I was going to show Alice that I cared about more than sex with her.

With more energy than I knew I had, I jumped off the couch and dug through my purse for my phone.

Are you free Saturday evening? I typed out, pacing about the room anxiously as I waited for a response. Finally my phone buzzed and I nearly dropped it in my haste to read her response.

Couldn't wait till Tuesday, huh?

Nope.

Her second response was much faster.

I'm free. Time?

5:00. Tell your parents you're sleeping at a friends.

A/N I took some liberties in the dream sequence. For instance, Alice knowing Bella's concerns about the couch without them being voiced. That's how my dreams are, I never question how I know things or how someone else knows them, it just seems normal during the dream. That's how it was for Bella.