8000 reviews. 8000. You could knock me over with a feather. I wanted to dedicate this chapter to the reviewer who left me #8000 but the review was anonymous. Thank you KP, whoever you are!
My thanks to Just4ALE, Mr. Just4ALE and mskathy for their gambling addictions; I mean vast knowledge of casinos. You should go read the stories both these fantastic authors have written. Go. Now. This will be here when you get back.
As always, thank you Kristi, DRS and LisaJ. Follow them on twitter at kristi_28, dsrubyslippers and lisamichele17.
Chapter 50 – Queen of Las Vegas
BPOV
Edward's words had given me much to think about. I kept turning what he said over in my head. "I have a lot I want to say. I hope you'll give me a chance and listen." The space around me kinda' melted away as I focused on my feelings. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to listen. I wanted him to convince me that his feelings for me were the same as my feelings for him.
In the past I would have stopped my feelings in their tracks, worried that I'd let my emotions ruin my tenuous existence, but I wasn't living paycheck to paycheck anymore. I could take a chance. And, I had to admit, my previous fear of a relationship with Edward had been a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was sure our association was doomed, so it was.
I was ready to hear him.
Dimly, I was aware that Edward was leading me to where Jasper and Alice stood waiting for us. I noticed that Alice was scrutinizing me before she pulled me into a hug. I smiled at her familiar warmth. She linked her arm through mine, and pulled me ahead of the guys.
"You look fantastic," she began. "Riley did good."
She seemed satisfied in a cat that got the cream kind of way.
"What?" I asked suspiciously. "Did you send Riley to me?"
Alice's eyes went wide as she clamped her mouth shut. She looked at me guiltily. Deciding that I did not have the energy in me to be mad, I let her off the hook.
"I know this was a setup."
Still wary, Alice laughed nervously. "A setup?" she repeated, with exaggerated innocence.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Alice, a setup. I know that Emmett and Rosalie asked me to babysit at Edward's request." I shrugged. "He and I are going to talk."
My need to talk to a friend was battling with the reservations I still had about the whole situation, but my need was greater.
"Talking is good?" she asked cautiously. Her expression conveyed volumes. She was curious, excited, hopeful, concerned….
"Yes," I told her simply, "talking is good."
A satisfied grin spread across her face. She squeezed my arm where it was looped through hers. She let out a completely unAlice-like squeal, and bounced one before regaining her typical composure.
They guys caught up with us just as we were entering The Improv, sliding their arms around us to tug us apart gently. Alice and Jasper preceded us into the audience, quickly finding our table. Edward held my chair for me before sitting down and pulling his seat close. A cocktail waitress arrived, and we placed our orders before settling back for the show.
It was awful.
I didn't realize until the end of the show that the emcee was actually one of the three performers we were supposed to see. He wasn't funny at all. The four of us seriously considered leaving after the featured comedian who spent his whole time on stage complaining about his mother-in-law. I thought mother-in-law jokes went out with 70s.
We decided to stay for the headliner, but shouldn't have bothered. When the show was finally over, we scrambled for the exit. Alice couldn't stop apologizing.
"I'm so, so sorry. That sucked. It was terrible. I just thought we couldn't go wrong with a comedy club. Ugh. I'm sorry you wasted your time and money on that. Jasper, give them their money back."
Jasper looked stunned at the suggestion, while I shook my head and Edward actually chuckled.
"Relax, Alice. We all sat through that. Jasper has suffered enough. Let's not add insult to injury by forcing him to foot the bill. You didn't force us to go, we tagged along."
"I am sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Edward assured her. "Next time we'll pick the entertainment."
This was Edward's second reference to us spending time together again in the future. A warm feeling shot through me at the implication.
"Okay," she finally conceded. "What are your plans for tomorrow night?"
"I'm going to check in with Emmett and Rose and see if Rose is up for an evening out if I watch EJ."
Alice didn't react to my pronouncement. Actually, none of them did. Weird.
"I'm going to the casino tomorrow night," Edward offered.
"Craps?" Jasper asked.
"You know it." The two men fist bumped while Alice and I just rolled our eyes and looked at each other.
"Do you want to hang at the pool tomorrow afternoon?" Alice asked me.
"Yeah, that'll be fun."
"Hey, Edward. Pretty girls in bikinis. What do you say? Poolside during the day and the casino later?"
"Sounds good!"
Alice and Jasper decided to head back to the hotel. It wasn't even 10 o'clock, so I wasn't surprised when Edward asked if I'd like to take a walk.
"I'd like that."
We exited the hotel and started off along the Strip, taking in the sights and sounds. We talked a little about the ATV adventure yesterday; Emmett, Rose and EJ; and the terrible show we had just sat through. We stopped before the replica Eiffel tower. I stared, lost in the lights and long-ago dreams of visiting Paris.
"It's so pretty," I murmured.
"Not as pretty as you," Edward replied. I swiveled my head, a sarcastic retort about his cheese factor on my lips, but the look in his eyes stopped me. He was staring at me intensely. His eyes were dark. I suddenly felt like I couldn't get enough air and parted my lips slightly to assist with breathing.
"Bella…I…." A loud group of obviously drunk women trouped past us just then, calling out to one another, "wooting" and high fiving as they laughed. I glanced their way and smiled. Yeah, they had interrupted a possible "moment" but I could appreciate their carefree attitudes.
"You ready to go back?" Edward asked as the gaggle moved on.
I nodded and took a step back the way we came. Edward fell in step beside me. Deciding to take a chance, I slid my hand into his.
"Is this okay?" I asked, giving his hand a light squeeze.
"Yeah," he said with a quiet sort of satisfaction, "more than okay."
It took us twenty minutes to walk back to the hotel and another fifteen to drive back to Mandalay Bay. We were mostly quiet, but never let go of one another for more than a few seconds. The elevator was packed on our ride back to our room, but we just closed ranks. I rested my free hand on his chest while he wrapped his arm around my waist, his head bent close to mine.
I cleared my throat when we entered our room.
"I'm going to get changed," I told him. He nodded while I gathered my things and headed for the bathroom. I considered the two clean sets of pajamas I had and frowned, knowing that I hadn't planned on sharing a bed when I chose them. They were both cute tank and short sets, but not overly concealing. I comforted myself with the thought that Edward would see me in less at the pool tomorrow. I brushed out my hair and pulled it into a high ponytail before removing the makeup I'd worn for the night out. I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth before gathering up everything and stepping back into the bedroom.
Edward had hung up his sports coat and kicked off his shoes. He was still wearing his shirt, but had unbuttoned it. I caught a glimpse of his toned chest from where he stood staring out the window at the glittering city.
"It's pretty," I commented, since he seemed completely lost in thought. He nodded without turning to face me.
"I'm done," I told him, hoping to drag him out of his reverie before hanging up my dress and throwing the rest of my stuff in my bag.
When he turned to gather his things, he caught my eye. I watched as his gaze flitted over me, from ponytail to bare feet before coming back up to meet my eyes. He dropped his stuff back on the bed before reaching his hand out to me.
"Can we talk now?" he asked.
It was my turn to nod as I reached out to grasp his hand. He drew me to him and sat me at the end of the bed. He sat next to me and sighed heavily without meeting my gaze.
"I'm just going to say it, Bella. I'm tired of denying it." I nodded encouragingly though he probably didn't see since he still wasn't looking at me.
Suddenly, he lifted his head, his eyes meeting mine.
"I want to be with you. For real. I want to take you on dates and spend time with you outside of work. I want to call you and fall asleep watching stupid movies on the couch in your apartment. I want to walk in the fuckin' rain with you. I want to buy you flowers and chocolate and then stick around to help you eat it."
The words tumbled out of him so quickly I had to concentrate to catch them all. What I was hearing was making me giddy.
"I'm all in, Bella. I have nothing left to hide. This morning, when we met up for breakfast, it was like I hadn't seen you for a week instead of just a night. I don't want to feel like that anymore. I…."
I don't know what else he wanted, because I launched myself across the short distance between us and kissed him, cutting off the stream of words. I brought my hands to his face as his arms came around me and held me close. My forearms slid against his bare chest and his hands squeezed my hips.
We broke apart and I was sure he could hear my pounding heart. I was glad he had spoken. I was glad I had listened. The words he said were exactly what I needed to hear.
"What I wouldn't give to be able to read your mind, just this once," he murmured.
I sighed, it was a happy sound.
"Edward, I…I admit I was hoping I wasn't reading you wrong. You're not exactly an open book."
He smiled sheepishly. I was sure he'd been playing his cards close to his chest for some time.
I made my decision. "Okay," I said, hoping he'd understand.
"Okay?"
"Yeah." I decided to elaborate. "I…I want that, too. The rain walks and the dates and chocolate."
He grinned. "You do?"
"I do."
"Good." He grinned.
"Yeah." I returned his smile. He leaned in and kissed me again. His lips moved against mine as he kissed first my top lip then my bottom. I shifted my head, trying to initiate a more satisfying kiss, but he stood quickly, leaving me bereft.
"But…."
Edward froze, looking at me with a wary face.
"Can we take it slow? Go back to the beginning? I don't want to just pick up where we left off. Let's face it; we left off in a pretty intense place. I'd like to start over."
He stepped back towards me, leaned down and brought his eyes to mine. "I'd like that, too." He grinned. "I give good woo."
I giggled at his silly statement.
"I'm gonna' change."
"Okay." I watched Edward walk off to the bathroom, sorry that he had untucked his shirt since it now covered the view of his amazing ass.
I went to the honor bar and grabbed a bottle of water, placing it on the nightstand before pulling back the covers and folding down the comforter. I slid between the cool sheets and skootched around to get comfortable. I grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, clicking through the channels until I found a repeat of a mindless sitcom.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Edward was taking his sweet time. I dozed off to the antics of Tim the Toolman Taylor. Edward sliding into bed woke me. The television was off and the room was dark. I could still see his face thanks to the pale moonlight suffused through the sheers.
"What took you so long?" I asked, my mind still fuzzy from the few minutes of sleep.
"I wanted to shower so we both wouldn't need the bathroom in the morning."
"'Kay," I murmured, sleep trying to reclaim me.
Edward lifted the covers between us and said, "C'mere." His offer woke me fully.
I cocked my eyebrow at him. "Um, slow, remember? Sleeping over there would hardly be slow."
He smirked. I felt a thrill at the cocky expression, but didn't give in. He dropped the covers.
"Fine," he said, shrugging and feigning disinterest. "I'll just be patient. We've slept together before, Bella." He paused, "You're a cuddler."
I was glad for the darkness as heat rose to my face. I'm sure I was bright red. When I didn't respond, Edward chuckled.
"I don't know what you're talking about." But I did. I remembered the time we shared a bed during the reunion. I'd woken up with my head on his stomach and my arm thrown over his hips, though I'd fallen asleep on my own side of the bed. Edward never mentioned it, but he must have woken up at some point and realized I was there.
"On the couch in my house, at the Hotel Monaco during the reunion, hell, even when you passed out at the Four Seasons." Edward ticked off the different times on his fingers, while laying back and staring at the ceiling. "Face it, you like to sleep all curled up on me."
Embarrassed and aggravated, I let out a discontented sound, flipped on my side, and turned my back on him. "Goodnight, Edward," I said shortly.
Suddenly, his strong arms were around me. He pulled me across the bed and tucked me into his body, like I was the little spoon. Before I could protest, he brought his mouth to my ear. "I like to sleep curled around you, too." He pulled out my ponytail holder and ran his fingers lightly through my hair before burying his nose in the back of my head. He inhaled deeply.
"Did you just smell me?" I asked him.
"Yes, I did," he answered, with no embarrassment or hesitation. He pushed my hair aside with his chin and kissed the side of my neck. Goosebumps erupted along my neck, shoulder, arm and chest.
"Goodnight, Bella."
"Goodnight."
Edward and I were efficient in the morning. Breakfast was much like the day before, except that Edward managed to get in a kiss over the table. After eating we went back to our room and got ready for the planned day poolside. I had called Emmett before changing into my bathing suit and he told me that although Rose and EJ were feeling better, they were still tired and I should just enjoy myself.
I slipped on the tiny white bikini Riley had chosen for me. Thankfully, he also packed a sheer orange cover up that covered more of me than the scandalous blue dress I would probably end up wearing tonight. Before putting it on I slathered on the sunscreen. A third degree burn would totally ruin the rest of the weekend.
Edward and I made our way downstairs. I was surprised to already find Alice outside.
"Wow, you made it out here early," I commented.
"Three days in Vegas and nothing to show for it," he complained, pulling aside the strap of her bathing suit. "Today's the day. Edward, Jasper went to the gift shop to buy some snacks, if you're looking for him." She gave him a pointed look.
"Uh, okay. Thanks?" He knew that he was being sent away and decided to go along with Alice's transparent attempt to get me alone. No sooner was he out of earshot then Alice slid up her lounger and pointed to end, encouraging me to sit down.
"Okay, Bella spill. You said that talking was good, but you two didn't just talk did you?"
I was a little surprised at her assumption.
"No, Alice, nothing like…that happened."
She made a chuffing sound and shook her head.
"I'm not saying you had sex, though no one would blame you if you did. I mean, c'mon, look at him. And for all I know you've regrown your hymen it's been so long since you've…."
"Enough!" I held up my hand like a crossing guard to stop the torrent of words spilling from my filter-lacking friend.
"So, tell me!"
"Fine. Edward and I did talk last night. Just talk. He said he wants us to be together: dates, presents, phone calls; the whole high school romance thing. I told him I wanted those things, too, but that I want to take it slow. We were pretty hot and heavy towards the end there and I didn't want to pick up where we left off."
Alice nodded thoughtfully, her oversized sunglasses bobbing slightly.
"And how is that working out for you? The whole slow start?"
"So far, so good."
"I know you slept in the same bed last night."
"Yeah, we…cuddled."
"Cuddled?" Her tone was flat.
"Yeah, he spent such a long time in the bathroom getting changed into his pajamas that I fell asleep. He woke me getting into bed. We spooned."
Alice stared at me a beat before bursting out into completely inappropriate laughter. Tears actually leaked from behind her bug eye lenses.
"What's so funny?" I didn't try to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
"Oh Bella…." She brought her hand to her chest like she was having trouble breathing. "Is that…is that what you think he was doing in the bathroom? Changing? How long does it take to change into pajamas? You may have been spooning, but he was cuddling after sex. He just had it with himself!"
The Vegas sun had its work to do if it wanted to pinken my skin more than flush currently overtaking my face.
"I…I'm sure you're mistaken," I told her, though the idea did have my mind whirling.
"You said you were spooning, right?" The amusement in Alice's voice was still evident.
"Yeah…."
"So your ass was rubbed up against his dick?"
"It wasn't like I could feel it, but I guess so."
"So you were laying in bed, in the pajamas Riley provided you, your ass in Edward's crotch and you couldn't feel his dick? Bella, there's no way he didn't help himself, unless his dick is really, really small."
Distracted by the image Alice has put in my head, I didn't think when I answered, "Well, I know his dick isn't small."
"What? How do you…?"
Realizing I had probably said too much, I tried to deflect.
"How do I what?" I said, figuring if Alice wouldn't be willing to repeat it, then I wouldn't have to answer it. I should have known better.
"How do you know he's not small?"
I sighed. "You know we've slept together before. I've seen in him in the…morning." I shrugged.
I could see Alice's eyes widen behind the glasses.
"How big?"
"Alice! That's hardly appropriate. I never asked you about Jasper." Saying that was another mistake.
Alice said, "Oh!" and slid next to me, holding her palms out about seven inches apart.
"Alice!" I covered my eyes, as if blocking the sight would erase the image from my mind.
"Well, you asked."
"No! No, I didn't. I said I never asked."
"Same thing."
"It's really not."
"Well, now you know. So, tell me."
"No! I…I can't. It's not like I measured it. I've never even touched him or held…." I trailed off as I could see Edward and Jasper returning, walking across the bright white sidewalks. Bolting to my feet, I scurried over to Edward.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, just save me from Alice, please."
He shook his head and chuckled while Jasper shot his wife a look. She smiled back and waved enthusiastically, while settling innocently back down on the chaise.
The four of us sunned and swam for a few hours. We had a poolside lunch of grilled shrimp, salad and sweet tea. Edward touched me frequently. He helped me reapply sunscreen, rested his hand on my leg when he sat next to me on my chaise, and kissed the pool water off my lips. I caught Alice's satisfied smile more than once.
Midafternoon, we all decided to head back to our rooms. Like yesterday, Edward and I took turns showering. Despite myself, I noticed that it took Edward a lot less time to shower then it took him to "put on his pajamas" last night.
"You're blushing," Edward commented when I realized the path my thoughts had taken.
"Residual sun," I said vaguely, hoping to deflect his interest.
"Ah-hah," he replied, not believing a word. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
I couldn't help it. His reference to my "pretty little head" made me giggle and blush harder.
"Bella," he said in a whiney tone.
"It's nothing."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Nothing my ass."
Close. His comeback finally threw me over the edge and a loud laugh escaped me before I slapped my hand over my mouth. Giving up trying to convince me with his words, Edward tackled me onto the couch, pushing me down and pressing his whole body down on mine.
"Tell me."
"It's nothing."
"Tell me," he growled.
"No!"
"So there is something…?"
"Edward, this is uncomfortable. Let me up." I struggled weakly against his superior weight, grip on my forearms, and advantageous position.
"Not 'til you tell me."
"Then you may as well just squish me and be done with it because I have nothing to say."
"Well, if my arguments won't sway you…." Without warning, Edward lowered his head and captured my lips in a wholehearted kiss. I continued to struggle weakly, while he worked at kissing the contrary out of me.
It didn't take long.
His warm weight, the fresh smell of his skin and recently brushed teeth, and the taste of his sweet lips overwhelmed my senses. Inhaling, I let out a breathy moan. At the sound, Edward released my arms, and settled his hands on my waist instead. Taking advantage of my insane wantonness, he easily parted my lips with his tongue. I moved my hands from where they had been weakly pressing against his chest and slid them up to his shoulders and then into his damp hair.
He groaned and ran his tongue back and forth along the inside of my upper lip. The soft, tickling sensation drove me wild. I tilted my head before pressing the tip of my tongue to his. He pressed his tongue more fully into my mouth at the contact. I stroked his tongue with mine and he groaned deeply.
As we kissed, his hands moved up and down my sides, brushing the sides of my breasts with each upward stroke. I pulled my hands out of his hair and settled them on his back, stroking the broad expanse in time with the movement of his hands.
We continued like this for a few minutes, enjoying our renewed familiarity with one another. Thankfully, Edward took seriously my request that we take things slow. He pulled away slightly, kissing me sweetly a few times before burying his head in my shoulder and squeezing me tightly.
"We should get ready for dinner," he said, huskily, rising to let me up. I sat up. He stared down at me intensely for a moment before smiling. "You up for a few hours in the casino?"
"I don't know how to play any of the games," I told him.
"We'll play craps. There are plenty of simple bets you can make."
"I didn't plan on spending any time in the casino," I told him. "I didn't bring money to gamble."
He pressed his lips together in thought. "Well, I agreed to let you pay me back for the purchases you made on my card. What if we just added a couple hundred to the total?"
"A couple hundred?" I squeaked.
Edward shrugged. "I'm probably just going to lose it anyway, Bella. What difference does it make if it's you or me placing the bets?"
"You're less likely to lose it than me."
Edward snorted. "Believe me, these places are set up to siphon cash off the unsuspecting. I only gamble what I'm willing to lose. We'll share what I've set aside."
Unsure, but not willing to ruin Edward's one night in the casino, I agreed.
"But I am paying you back."
"Fine, Bella," he replied with an exasperated eye roll.
A half hour later we were both ready to head out. I stepped out of the bathroom. Figuring I was going to hell anyway for wearing the dress I had on, I had pulled up my hair. Edward smiled at me when I entered the bedroom.
"I love when you wear blue," he said. The front of my outfit was deceptive. Thin silver chains held the front of the simple blue halter dress around my neck. The length wasn't bad…about midthigh.
I smiled at Edward compliment before walking past him to drop my cosmetics bag in my suitcase.
"Holy…! Bella! Does that dress have a jacket or something?" His voice went from shocked to strained in just those few words.
"No," I said, understanding his concern.
My simple blue halter dress was anything but from the back.
"Where's the rest of it? You …you can't go out looking like that."
"What's wrong with the way I look?" I asked, now a little annoyed at his father-knows-best attitude.
"Nothing!" His eyes were a little wild. Suddenly, I felt…powerful. Hmm, maybe Riley did know what he was doing when he packed this dress.
"What's the matter, Edward?" I asked, advancing on him slowly. Looking frightened, he started to back up.
"Ah…ah…uh…you…," he spluttered.
"You don't like my dress?" I asked him with exaggerated innocence.
"I…I like it." Edward bumped into the wall, unable to go any farther. I continued my advance.
"So do I."
He swallowed so hard I could see his Adam's apple bob in his neck.
I reached out a finger, to run along the collar of his sports coat. As soon as I touched him, however, he grabbed my wrist, pulled me to him and kissed me…hard.
I gasped at his sudden attack, opening my mouth and allowing him to invade with his tongue. I felt a brief moment of outrage at his feigned fear before succumbing to his insistent advance. He toyed with the chains that hung down my bare back, before running his hands from my shoulders to the top of my ass, where the dress barely covered me.
"You look hot," he growled at me, before moving his mouth to the side of my neck.
I tipped my head back as a low moan escaped me.
"How will I even have a chance at winning tonight with you standing next to me dressed like that?" he asked, between opened mouth kisses and light nips at the skin under my ear.
"Maybe we should play poker," he continued. At first I was taken aback because I thought he was making a crude joke but then he continued. "Looking like that you'll be such a distraction that I'll clean up."
I shook my head to negate his words, clear my thoughts and break free from him. Clearing my throat, I said, "We should go."
Edward ran his hand down my arm and grasped my hand, raising it to his lips. He kissed my palm once before indicating I should lead the way. When he fell in step behind me, I could feel his eyes roaming over my naked shoulder and back. A quiet, exasperated sound escaped him.
"I might have to kill someone tonight. You are just too tempting."
When we got on the elevator, Edward immediately pulled me to the back. He leaned back against the wall and pulled me in front of him, pressing my back to his chest.
"You're not going to be able to cover me all night," I told him.
"I can damn well try, though," he muttered.
When we got down to the lobby, he relented enough to walk beside me, though his hand constantly ghosted over my exposed lower back.
"What's for dinner tonight?" I asked.
"The Tasting Menu at fleur looked interesting, but it's up to you."
"No, that's fine."
We enjoyed our meal before heading onto the casino floor. I was fascinated by the energy and constant motion around us.
"Anything you'd like to try?" Edward asked as we passed a bank of Blackjack tables?
"It's a little overwhelming. Wait!" Edward looked at me with interest. "Does that sign say the minimum bet is $100?"
"Uh, yeah, but that's a higher minimum table. They start lower…here's one that starts at $10." He indicated a more crowded table on the other side of the aisle.
"There are no seats there, though."
"No, it's harder to get a seat at a low minimum table."
I twisted my mouth while I decided if I really wanted to try this at all.
"Jasper said you liked to play craps."
"Yeah, it's the game where the house has the worst odds. They're still in the house's favor, but only slightly."
"I've never played."
"Want to go watch for a few minutes?"
"Sure."
Edward and I walked through the casino. I noticed that the closer we got to the craps tables the louder it got.
"It's noisy over here."
"Craps tends to be loud when someone is having a good run. The players get caught up in the excitement when everyone starts winning. C'mon, let's watch."
Edward and I watched a game in progress while he filled me in on what was happening.
"That's it?" I asked about twenty minutes later. "If the player rolls a seven or eleven on the first roll he wins? If he rolls any other number he has to rolls that number again before rolling a seven to win?"
"Not any other number, if he rolls at two, three or twelve on his come out roll he automatically loses."
"Okay."
"Want to watch me play?"
I smiled and nodded, still not sure I had any interest in playing myself, while Edward slipped into a spot at the table recently vacated by one of the other players.
I was fascinated by the money and chip exchange happening at the tables. Edward was holding about $500 in chips. I watched as he made a few bets, winning some, losing some. He passed a chip back to me at one point. I was surprised by its weight. This was nothing like the cheap poker chips I'd seen in college.
"This is a hundred dollars?" I asked him.
"Yeah, I'm up a hundred right now, so you can have that to play and you won't have to pay me back."
Players moved around the table and I watched when it was Edward's turn to throw the dice.
"Seven!" the dealer called and people around the table were happy, raking in their winnings. I watched as Edward threw an eight. He managed to make his point before rolling a seven and people around the table were happy again. On his next come out roll, Edward rolled a three.
"Craps," the dealer said. People at the table groaned.
"Does someone else get a turn now?"
"I don't have to give up the dice unless I 'seven out.'"
Suddenly there was a commotion. The dealer Edward called the stick man, held the dice while an obviously angry woman approached the table, yelling. The dark haired guy to Edward's right dropped his head and groaned.
"There you are!" the woman shouted. "You promised you'd take me out tonight!"
"But baby, this guy is hot." The stranger indicated Edward with a vague wave of his hand.
"I don't care! You said we could go out! You've been at this table all week!" The woman was getting louder and louder.
"Excuse me, miss…." A well-dressed man with an official air about him had approached the screaming woman, and spoke to her politely.
"What?" she yelled, turning on the stranger.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to lower your voice."
"Fuck you!" the woman yelled. The man, who I assumed was security, frowned.
"I'm sorry, miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The woman turned to the man who was still seated at the table.
"Now look what happened. C'mon! We have to go." The player, however, didn't move. Incensed, the woman raised her hand and took a swing at the guy. At this, security swarmed all over, pulling the woman away from the table. I stepped closer to Edward as his arms came around me.
"Get your hands off my wife!" The man, who had shown no interest in leaving, was suddenly on his feet, wading into the melee that had erupted around his wife. It didn't take long for security to pull both of them away from the table and out of the casino. The faces of the people at the table ran the gamut from stunned to amused to aggravated.
"Excuse me, miss?" a younger blond man said to me. I felt Edward's arms tighten around my waist.
"Yes?"
"Will you be playing?" he asked, indicating the now empty spot where the man had been standing before being removed by security.
I hesitated for a second before looking at Edward. He nodded encouragingly at me.
"Yes," I said. "I'll play."
I had an epic AN here, seriously, like 500 words. I posted it on my message board and blog instead. Check it out. There's some important stuff in there about the future of THTF, my other fics and The Bargain! I think you'll be pleased.
I keep forgetting to tell you that I have a blog. It's ironictwistisntitironic. blogspot. com. The only reason you need to go there is to read the epic A/N and see the gorgeous outfits! Bella's dresses, jewelry, costumes, the cars, Alice's wedding dress and etc. are all there. This chapter has pictures of Bella's jammies, the white bikini, and the scandalous blue dress. Also, when the teasers go live on my message board and twitter, I put an additional photo teaser on the blog.
Oh, I also posted a teaser for my FFTF one shot. Check it out!
Recs
So, I had three recs here, but have pushed them off until next chapter because I want to tell you about a story I read this week called Dirty Little Secrets. My thoughts on this fic are a little complex for a complete run down here, but I talked with Southern Fanfiction Review and got the okie-dokie to write a complete review for that site. What I will tell you here is to go read it, if you can handle a noncanon pairing between Carlisle and Bella. It's got Edward and Bella, too, so you can see why I need more space to get my thoughts out there. It's a collab written by lazykate & brits23. The story posts on both their profiles.
The Tangled fic I've rec'ed before is complete. Check out What You Don't Know by Airplane. You'll be glad you did!
PSA: If you were waiting for Edward Wallbanger to be complete before reading it, get over there now. It's complete. Feathers_mmm gave one month's notice that she's pulling it. Also, TallulahBelle's story, Elemental, is complete. She tweeted that it isn't coming down anytime soon, but people who like to read only completed fics probably want to give this one a read sooner rather than later!