As always:Everything and anything related to the Twilightsaga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This is a work of fiction based on her writings. No harm is meant by it.
Special thanks and much adoration to my beta Kelly (freakyhazeleyes).
This letter was purchased and selected by HopeStreet.
** If you'd like to purchase the paints, you can purchase them here: http[:]/tinyurl[.]com/y88k5pk
The Missing Letters (FGB Outtakes)
"So you see! There's no end to the thing you might know, depending how far beyond zebra you go."
~Dr. Seuss
Chapter Two: Z is for Zebra Stripes
Their afternoon in the park was relaxing. They walked the few blocks to Central Park and picked a spot on the Great Lawn, seemingly secluded from the other hordes of people with the same idea.
The sky was a cloudless blue, the sun shined brightly, and a warm breeze rolled through every so often. The grass waved in protest and the trees swooned. It was a beautiful day in the city.
Once Bella had laid out the blanket, she and Edward spent most of their time just cuddling and talking. They talked about Bella's feelings about the city and Edward's colleagues, one of which he happened to be wary about. Apparently, Edward could already tell that he was going to cause deadline problems. He mentioned something about slacking and frequently finding him playing computer solitaire.
Much to Bella's amusement, Edward had fed her the fruit she had cut for their meal, and though she found it slightly cheesy, she also found it rather sweet. She did the same with Edward, teasing him at times by making him take the fruit from her mouth.
Neither complained.
Anyone watching would have either enjoyed the display or been revolted by the amount of love the two exuded. Their giggles constantly caught the attention of the people walking by. Though Bella and Edward didn't believe they were one of those sappy couples, that's exactly the path they were coasting on at the time. They stared at each other all wide-eyed with bright smiles. Even their touches were sweet and gentle like a new couple, and yet there was a familiarity to every single one.
They left the park shortly after the sunset. It had started to get chilly, and the cardigan Bella was wearing was too thin to stay warm for long. Edward held her against him, and they walked awkwardly back home, constantly bumping into each other because of it, which caused them to break into fits of laughter. However, when they reached the front door, Edward handed Bella the bag with the blanket and told her that he had to go somewhere.
"Where?" she asked. Edward smiled teasingly at her and shook his head.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"What are you up to, Edward Cullen? Is this another one of your crazy schemes?"
"Schemes? Whatever do you mean?"
"Don't play coy with me. Who knows what the hell you are about to do, but by all means, go already."
"Don't miss me too much."
He kissed her lightly and stepped eastward toward the train station. Bella watched him the entire way until he turned the corner. Once inside, she greeted Jimmy and spent a few moments speaking with him about how lovely the day had been. Ordinarily, Bella wasn't one for small talk – she hated it – but the building's doorman was easy to talk to.
Eventually, the conversation ended, and she was in the elevator on her way back to the apartment. She spent the short trip up trying to figure out where Edward had gone off to.
Bella spent the next hour attempting to pay attention to the television, but it was fruitless. Her mind was on Edward. More specifically, on what he was planning because she knew he was up to something. Edward was always planning something. It always got them into trouble as children, and as adults, it still got them into trouble.
Shortly after eight, Edward called Bella and told her to get ready for the night.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Be showered and on the bed in thirty minutes."
"What are you talking about?
"You heard me, Bella. I'm in a cab about twenty five minutes away. I want you naked and in bed when I get there."
"Are you really in a cab?" Bella was surprised, to say the least. It had been a while since Edward had been that commanding.
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"You just told me to get naked while sitting in a cab."
"Yes. Does that turn you on?"
Bella shook her head, exasperated by the deep tenor of Edward's voice. She knew that he'd be smirking just by Edward's voice. She tried not to let the fact that another man, the cab driver, was listening to this conversation, albeit only one half of it.
"And what if I'm not ready?"
"Well," Edward chuckled. "You won't get your surprise."
"Does this surprise have anything to do with the last letter of the alphabet?"
"Of course it does. Be ready in twenty."
"You said thirty!"
"Yes, well, you've wasted ten minutes chit chatting."
"It wasn't that long."
"It hasn't, but traffic is moving quickly."
"Fine," she whined.
"Quit complaining and do what I say," Edward ordered and stifled a chuckle when he heard Bella huff in annoyance.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
"The love of your life, but if it makes you feel better, please be ready for when I get home in twenty minutes, Bella."
"Jackass," Bella murmured. "See you in twenty."
She hung up the phone and hurriedly undressed as she made her way to the bathroom. She showered quickly, soaping and scrubbing. She avoided wetting her hair and even managed to shave any little bit of stubble that had grown in since she shaved her legs the day before.
Bella was waiting for Edward with two minutes to spare when he walked in the door.
Edward was silent as he walked around the apartment. He smiled to himself when he saw the scattered clothing leading to the bathroom door. He peaked into his shopping bag and smirked; he couldn't help it. He had been looking for ideas to do with the letter Z, since the game began months before.
When they started, he tried to create a list of activities to do with the harder letters like Q, X, and Z. He came to find out that things with the letter Z were not all that abundant. However, a few quick searches on some adult websites led him to his discovery.
"Bella?" he called out from the living room.
"I'm in bed, Edward."
"Good. Give me ten minutes. Stay there, please."
Edward undressed and headed to the bathroom. He only took a few moments to lather some soap on his body and rinse it off. He was back in the living room, clad in a towel, in under two minutes. As soon as he dropped his clothes into the hamper, he set off to the kitchen, taking the shopping bag with him.
In his bag were several little glass containers with dark and white chocolate Kama Sutra Body Paint and two special brushes to use with them.
Z was a difficult letter to select an activity for, but Edward figured he could bend the rules for it. Tonight, Edward was planning to make Bella his prey. She would be the zebra to his lion in the jungle that was their bedroom. It was corny when he thought about it, but damn, if the mental image wasn't spectacular.
He took a few of the dark chocolate containers, emptied them out into a small glass bowl, and placed it in the microwave for a minute before switching it out with the white chocolate. With both bowls of chocolate warmed, he placed a brush in each and headed toward the bedroom.
"Good evening, Bella."
Bella smiled and sat up on the bed, crossing her ankles.
"Welcome back."
Edward grinned, placed the bowls on his nightstand, and sat on the bed beside Bella. He let his eyes roam her naked, alabaster skin on the dark bed sheets.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you naked."
"We'll see if you still say that after I pop out a few kids," she jested.
"Always," he declared, swooping down to kiss her. With his hand palming her face, he kissed her gently and briefly, but still he managed to make Bella swoon. Edward had such a way of evoking so much out of her with just a simple kiss.
"So, what do you have planned?" she breathlessly asked.
Edward didn't answer. He preferred to show Bella what he wanted to do. He dipped a finger into the dark chocolate and ran it straight down Bella's lips. Before he could lean down to lick the chocolate off, Bella swiped her tongue across the warm, rich chocolate.
"That's fantastic."
"I wouldn't know. I haven't tasted it yet," he protested. Bella giggled and ran her tongue across her bottom lip to clean off any remaining chocolate.
So, what does Z stand for?"
"There isn't much either of us could have done with the letter Z, seeing as there aren't many words beginning with the letter in relation to this game. Unless, you wanted to explore your exhibitionist side and have sex at the Central Park Zoo."
"How romantic," Bella chided making Edward smile.
"Exactly, but the idea of animals stuck with me."
Bella skeptically raised an eyebrow, egging Edward to explain his idea further.
"I'm going to draw white and dark chocolate lines on you like zebra stripes."
"Always finding loopholes, huh, Edward Cullen?"
"You know me, number one rule breaker."
The two laughed before Edward stood up and retrieved some towels from the dresser by the door.
"Bella, could you move over for a second? I want you to lie on the towels, so we don't get the sheets dirty."
Bella complied and scooted over and watched Edward spread the towels onto the bed, covering most of the center portion of it. He smiled down at Bella who was staring at him. The sight of her and the way her eyes focused solely on him was overwhelming. He loved her more than he thought was possible to love anyone.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Bella asked bashfully. Her cheeks flushed, and the same shade of pink spread across her chest. Edward sighed dotingly.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Edward bent down and gently picked Bella up and centered her on the towels, keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time. He kissed her again before moving to retrieve the bowl of dark chocolate body paint. He placed it gently beside Bella's arm before moving to hover over her. He removed his towel and placed it under the bowl, just in case their movements jostled it and some of the chocolate spilled.
"I love you," he repeated and kissed her softly. He moved his kisses from her lips down along her chin and to the nape of her neck. Delicately, he nipped along the soft skin moving up to nibble on his favorite spot, Bella's ear lobe. The moment he licked the soft cartilage, Bella gasped and pulled at the hair along the back of his neck.
He spent a few seconds adoring the small spot before moving his kisses back down her neck and down to her chest. He kissed just where her heart was beating furiously. He continued peppering kisses down her chest, savoring the way Bella tried to move her stomach away from the ticklish sensation.
Eventually, Edward grabbed the brush in the dark chocolate. He started from the edge of her collarbone, and dragged the brush down her torso. He followed the curve of her breast and stopped the stripe just above her thigh. He dipped the brush back in the chocolate and starting from the edge of her breast, he brought the brush back down the same stripe, filling in the ending of the line where it streaked. He repeated it once more, until he had a solid, dark chocolate stripe against Bella's pale skin.
Bella remained entirely still as she basked in the warmth of the chocolate. She breathed in the rich aroma and sighed. She watched Edward from her peripheral as he dipped the brush back in the chocolate and brought the brush back to her body. A few inches from the other stripe, he began a new one.
For the next half hour, Edward tortured Bella with gentle brush strokes that tickled and aroused her. Once Edward drew all the dark chocolate stripes on her torso, he moved the bowl back onto the nightstand and grabbed the bowl with white chocolate.
Again, Bella gasped and shivered under the gentle strokes of the brush against her skin. Along with the warm chocolate, Edward blew warm air onto her body causing her to moan.
An hour passed before Edward rose from the bed. He was fully erect just from listening to Bella's heavy breathing and moans. He stepped back and looked at the stripes that decorated Bella's torso. It almost looked as if she was wearing a striped, sleeveless shirt.
"You look mouthwatering."
Bella giggled and shimmied her hips at him. Edward smirked and moved the bowl with white chocolate back to the nightstand. Immediately after, he resumed his place between Bella's legs.
"It smells delicious," Bella remarked as she took a deep breath in.
"You do."
Edward looked up from his spot between Bella's legs. For a brief moment, Bella stared at Edward mesmerized by the hunger in his eyes. His stare was almost uncomfortably intense that it made her throat dry and caused her breathing to stagger.
Her arousal was getting the best of her, and because of where Edward was, she couldn't rub her legs together to lessen the throbbing heat between them. Noticing the way her arousal was getting to her gave Edward another idea. Bella noticed the smirk that spread across his face.
"What?" she asked and watched Edward reach into the bottom drawer of his nightstand. He pulled out two long, red ribbons. Quickly, he grabbed her hands and tied each one to the headboard.
"Reciprocation," he teased, and Bella's breath stuttered. She moaned at the memory and watched as Edward slithered back down her body, avoiding the chocolate.
Edward grinned coyly and blew cool air along the chocolate stripes. He reveled in the way Bella's body shook at the chilling sensation.
"I can't wait to taste this on you," he groaned. Temptation bested him, and before the chocolate perfectly flattened out, he ran a finger down the center of Bella's stomach, right down a dark chocolate stripe. It left a piece of Bella's skin bare.
He sucked on his finger and moaned as the sweet substance hit his taste buds.
"Wow, this actually tastes good. It's going to taste so much better off you."
Bella whimpered involuntarily as she watched Edward suck sensually on his finger. He smiled up at her before lowering his face to just below her belly button.
"Edward," Bella whined, causing Edward to chuckle. She pulled at the ribbons wrapped around her wrists. Her restraints were quickly becoming a nuisance. All she wanted to do was rest her hands in his hair.
Edward blew warm air against Bella's belly button before licking away a circle of chocolate from the area. Bella's body shook at the feeling.
It tickled and yet felt incredible.
Once more, a smug smile spread across Edward's face as he watched Bella's eyes roll back into her head for a moment.
Before she could say anything else, Edward licked a straight line of white chocolate clean off her stomach. Bella trembled the entire time as he followed the chocolate straight up to the dip of her collarbone. He sucked on the chocolate there before moving onto another stripe.
He started from the bottom and slowly brought his tongue to her collarbone, suckling at it to clean it of the rich chocolate and repeated the motion—stripe after stripe. By the time he finished licking the last stripe off Bella, she was a panting, shuddering mess. She was moaning through heavy breaths. It sounded like she had just been sprinting.
"Mhmm, Bella. Simply delicious."
"Edward," she cried. "Untie me, please."
Edward leaned down and kissed Bella, letting her taste the sweetness once again. Bella groaned against his lips and tried to raise her hips to meet his, but he taunted her and moved away.
"Not fun, is it?" he teased.
"What is this revenge?"
"No," he answered and untied the ribbons. Bella latched her hands into Edward's hair, brought his face down to hers, and kissed him fiercely. This kiss was fiery, passionate, and frantic. Their teeth knocked into each other's a few times. Edward's hips pressed against Bella's, and the two grinded against each other as if their lives depended on the friction.
Edward felt the stickiness of Bella's torso against his, but at that moment, nothing fazed him. He panted against Bella's mouth as she pulled at the roots of his hair in just the way he loved.
"Edward," Bella pleaded. It was desperate, and Edward's response was just as severe.
"God yes," he moaned against her mouth as he lined himself against Bella. There was no gentleness in his entrance. He slid into Bella and quickly began rocking into her. His thrusts were deep and quick at times, slow and deliberate at others. It was the perfect combination.
The sounds of their bodies connecting and their heavy breathing were the only sounds in the room. The two couldn't form words, just jumbled sounds and moans.
Edward knew what he needed to do make Bella unravel beneath him. When her moans became pitchier, he knew she was getting close. His hand slipped between them and found her clit, swollen and aching to be touched.
Bella screamed his name as he began to rub. Before she knew it, she was seeing stars behind her eyes. Her toes curled as that electric current ran up and down her body and she came, moaning Edward's name proudly.
Edward continued to thrust into Bella's body, loving the way she held him. He came a few moments after, panting Bella's name against her neck. He breathed hot air against her, but she didn't care. Bella held him against her neck as he came down from his orgasm.
The two groaned as Edward pulled himself out of Bella. He huffed tiredly when he moved to lie beside Bella. Edward moaned contently when Bella curled up against him.
"My thoughts exactly," she chuckled and reached across him to the bowl of dark chocolate. She dipped her finger in and wrote something across Edward's stomach.
"What did you write?"
"Look."
Edward slowly lifted his head, looked down his chest to his stomach, and made out the words, I LOVE YOU.
"So much, even if it doesn't always look that way," Bella added and kissed his chest.
"So much," Edward repeated, carding his hands gently in Bella's hair.
"So any idea of what letter you might want?" he asked.
"No. I'll let you know in a few days."
Edward leaned down and brought Bella's face toward him to kiss her.
"Shower?"
"Oh god yes," Bella cheered. "I learned my lesson last time."
Edward laughed, and Bella swatted at his arm. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm as they stood up. He held her hand as they walked toward the bathroom.