Nine

Bella got into her car and finished crying as she sat there. Only one week apart and he had already screwed someone else. Her imagination ran wild with images of him and Kay, she felt sick to her stomach, she couldn't bear the thought of him making love to anyone but her . Given what he had said about obsessing over her; never, not even once in the past few days, did it occur to her that he would move on so quickly. Honestly, she had been smug, imagining him waiting for her, thinking about her, and obsessing over her. The thought had given her immense pleasure.

Seeing him with that woman, having breakfast after a long night of sex, tore her to shreds, but it also made her furious. As she sat there in the parked car her rage built up and she pounded the steering wheel, she wished he was here so she could slap him again; she wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt her. Did he do it with her in his bed? By the light of the moon? Did they sleep on the same sheets? Did he feed her strawberries after? Did he whisper the same passionate words? Each question was a bitter pill she had to swallow. Did he even mean the things that he'd said to her? To Katie? To either one of them? Probably not.

"I must be stupid and crazy. Why should I even care?" But she did care and she was jealous of every imagined touch he had given Kay. She wanted him and she wanted him all to herself, making love to only her, again and again. Bella turned the key and started her car. It may be the biggest mistake she would ever make but there was just no going back to nights without him. This wasn't about common sense, and good judgement; this was about wanting and needing and being on fire in his arms. It was only a two minute drive from the diner to the marina and when she got there she hesitated; she sat in the car and fixed her face. When she got out of the car she gazed at the Sophia, thinking back to that first night with Edward. That day in the park was the last time she'd really had a choice. Ever since she slept with him that night she'd been on the path to where she found herself now, and where she will be in the future, when he'd finished with her. It was all about him, what he wanted; he was the puppet master and she was the marionette. And there was nothing she could do about it, because now she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, maybe even more; because while Edward wasn't willing to give in to her, she had just shown her willingness to give in to him.

The sun shone brightly on the water of the bay, the gulls cried overhead, and though she was going to meet her lover, her footsteps were heavy on the wooden planks of the pier as she approached the boat. Edward opened the door before she could knock and he pulled her inside and folded her into his arms. He wrapped his strong arms around her back as Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. He lifted her off the ground, held her up when her legs felt as though they would give and folded her ever more tighter in his embrace, he held her for the longest time. Bella burrowed into his neck, finding the scent she had been missing for too long. He moved her gently back and forth, she felt cherished, cradled, cared for.

Finally his grip loosened and he pulled away a little and pressed his mouth to hers, lips touching, breaths mingling. Slowly the desire bloomed and he pried open her lips with his and she tasted his sweet breath. His searching tongue was gentle and sensuous as he moved it around hers to take a taste, and give her a taste of his mouth. Then he pulled his lips away and kissed the skin of her neck and her shoulders. "Bella, my Bella, I missed you." He said, and she wanted to believe. His mouth returned to hers and her passion surged and the wave of want and need washed over her, she wanted all of him right then and there. She wanted to erase that other woman from his body, so she pressed herself up against him.

Edward picked her up and carried her to the sectional and lay her down, he climbed next to her, pressing his body into hers and sandwiching her between himself and the cushions. Kissing her deeply with a pressure close to pain, he reached his hand between her thighs where the slit of the skirt ended, his long fingers reached under the skirt and between her thighs and over the fabric of her lace panties and touched her where she yearned for him most of all. "Oh Bella, I missed this so much. I want to make love to you right now baby, I don't want to wait another second."

"Me too. I want you now, now."

"Mmm, yes."

He stood up and reached out his hand to pull her to her feet. She hesitated, she couldn't go to his bed where he'd been with that woman, not yet. She swallowed and said, "No, let's stay here." She stood up next to him and with one smooth movement she peeled the tie-dyed shirt from her body, she wasn't wearing a bra and her full breasts felt heavy , aching to be touched and squeezed and pinched and sucked. Edward's eyes were drawn to the pink nipples that tightened when he reached out to capture one, but Bella moved back a little and catching him unawares she placed both her hands lightly on his chest and pushed him back onto to the couch. He landed with a surprised grunt and she smiled teasingly, "Let me please you." Her voice was husky with emotion, she suddenly felt the need to take charge, wanting to make him go wild for her, and for her alone.

Her hips swayed sinuously to music only she heard and she started to move seductively, employing all the skill the years of dance had taught her. First holding his grey eyes with her amber gaze, and then looking down to her breasts, Edwards eyes moved downwards as she tweaked her nipples, rolling them between her thumb and finger, "I like when you touch me here," she then flicked her thumb over the peak, loving how his lashes lowered as his eyes narrowed with lust. She slowly ran her hands down along her rib cage, past her waist and stopped at her hips as they undulated in a suggestive curve. "I love it when you hold me tight here, and I love it even more when you're in me and you move me, hard and fast." His eyes followed the movement of her hands as they moved across her abdomen and down to her thighs until they reached the copper buttons on her denim skirt. Ever so slowly, she started undoing the little discs, working her way from the bottom up

With a suddenness that startled her, Edward reached out and tore her skirt open, sending the buttons flying. The ripped skirt fell in a puddle and she stood in front of him clad in only her lacy black panties. Eagerly, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap, moving her legs so she straddled him. His bulging erection was right where she wanted it and she sucked in a breath and hissed, "This is what I miss. I missed this, I missed you." Bella ground herself into his lap, into his aching hardness. She pulled his t-shirt off and rubbed her breasts against his chest. Pulling his hair back, she bit his lips and kissed him as forcefully as she could, giving into the need to hurt him just little. Edward groaned and moved his hands around to her back and down into her panties to squeeze her cheeks. He pushed her up and down harder and harder onto his cock as his mouth latched on to and sucked her nipples.

She moaned, "I want you now, Edward. I want to feel you in me again." and reached between them to unzip his jeans but he put his hand over hers and stopped her.

"No, let's go down to bed." He tried to to move her off his lap get up off the couch, but she shook her head.

"No, I want to do it here. Now." She was insistent.

"But, Bella the condoms are downstairs." Edward groaned.

Bella slid from his lap and walked to the kitchen, dug into her handbag, and returned with a condom and threw it at him.

He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. "Bella, before we go any further, I want you to know that nothing happened with Kate. I did not sleep with her nor have sex with her. Not in my bed, nor here on the boat, nor anywhere."

Bella almost collapsed with relief, her head fell to his shoulders. He moved her hair out of the way so he could look into her eyes, "Do you believe me?"

"Yes." She nodded. She believed him because she wanted to believe, she needed to believe, or else she would cry. She was not even going to ask him why he and Kate had been having breakfast together.

Edward pushed Bella gently to lie back on the couch and he skimmed his mouth down her body to reach her sweet center to pleasure her with his tongue, lapping and sucking until she was floating away, in ecstasy. Her body trembled and she cried out his name, pulling his head up, to thrust her tongue into his mouth and breathe the air as it left his body, sharing life.

He pulled away to take a breath, "Oh Bella, you make me so hard baby, feel it." Holding her hand in his he dragged it to his crotch, moving her hand up and down over his hard cock. "Do you want this, baby? Do you want this in you, hmm?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Please, do it."

Fumbling with his buttons, she pulled his jeans down and held his big hard cock in her hands. She wanted it, in her mouth, in her pussy, so badly. She looked up at him as he stared at her hands touching him. His breathing was harsh as he urged, "Stroke it, baby, make it harder." And she tentatively, circled his shaft and moved her hand from base to its luscious red tip.

"Like this? Do you like this?" she whispered

His eyed flashed up to lock with hers, "I like everything you do, Bella." She moved her hand again but he moaned, "I need to be inside you, now baby."

His hands skimmed down the line of her inner thighs and spread her wide, he rubbed the tip over her glistening nub and the tingle started again, "Please, please Edward, do it."

He pushed in a little and pulled out. And then he held still for a second and thrust in hard, all the way. She thrilled as he grunted with satisfaction, "Fuck, yes. Nothing feels better than this warm, wet pussy." His thrusts were powerful, fast and deep and in less than a minute she felt the uncontrollable shudder begin. "Stay with me, Bella baby." She stared up at the most beautiful man in the world, who was smiling down at her, as they moved to the rhythm they created together; and all the pent up longing and sadness of the past few days was released and when she came her panting sounded like soft sobs.

#

They moved downstairs to the bed, and made love again, then they fell asleep, their arms and legs intertwined. The surf sloshed around the Sophia, the gulls called, the clouds drifted overhead and the hours went by leaving the newly reunited lovers undisturbed. They slept all day and into the evening. Bella woke up and stretched luxuriously and looked at her cell it was almost eight o'clock. She felt saturated with Edward, he was in every pore of her body. She touched his shoulder and shoved.

"Edward I'm hungry." He smiled sleepily and reached for her, and she quickly clarified. " I meant that I'm hungry for food. I need something in me."

His mouth twitched, "How about a sandwich?"

"What kind do you have?" Bella had no idea why she asked, because she would have eaten hay she was so hungry.

Edward pulled her close and kissed her ."Let's go see. I knew I'd be stranded here so I bought a lot of groceries." He explained that because of the Fourth of July fireworks in the bay tomorrow night, while they were sleeping the city closed off the marina to everything but foot traffic. Edward's smile stretched from ear to ear and he bit her chin. "You've been kidnapped. We're stuck here until Saturday morning."

Bella's belly growled and he pulled her off the bed and handed her his t-shirt. He pulled on his jeans. She started off with a banana and moved on to a peach. She inspected the fridge, Edward had lots of food all right, everything for a Fourth of July barbecue; hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, chicken, cold cuts.

"Are you expecting company?" She asked as she toasted rye bread for the roast beef and gorgonzola sandwiches she was about to make.

"Yeeaah." he grudgingly answered.

"Who?" Just by the way he answered she had a feeling that she wouldn't like what he had to say.

"I invited a few friends over for a Fourth of July barbecue. So tomorrow they're coming over at about one and spending the afternoon and evening. Then we'll watch the fireworks from the deck."

"Which friends?"

"People I've gotten to know. Some who live here in the marina and some who will drive and park on the other side and walk over."

"Who? Name some names."

"Let's see. Sonia, Lexa, Laura, Didi, Molly, Becca, Anya, Barb, Gretchen and Kate."

"Gee, Edward, sounds like you have invited a whole lot of women. Aren't you the least bit worried that a cat fight might break out?" Bella laughed.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "No, because you'll be here to protect me."

"Kate, huh? Is that Kate-this-morning-at-the-diner Kate?" When he nodded she asked, "And did you have plans for bedroom fireworks with her?" Bella looked into his face and saw the almost imperceptible flicker of his eyelids. Aha, she knew it! So, he'd planned on sleeping with Kate. She shoved at his bare chest and pulled out of his arms.

Edward tried to grab hold of her again but she went to sit on a stool at the other side of the counter. "Bella, if I had known you'd be here, I wouldn't have invited anyone over. I would much prefer to spend the day alone with you. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer to spend every day alone with you. But I can't uninvite these people."

"What? I never said that you should. I'm sure it'll be fun." Her tone of voice suggested that she thought it would be anything but fun. She ate her roast beef sandwich and watched Edward as he ate his.

The silence was thick with unsaid things.

Finally Edward caved, "Okay, tell me what you're thinking." he asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Bella answered.

Suddenly he blurted out, "Okay, I was going to sleep with her. Bella, I'm a man. I like sex, hell, I need sex. You didn't think that I was going to pine over you and become celibate, did you? But I have you back now. And you're the only one I want. I told you that already. Even when I'm with someone else, I'm with you."

"Hah! What a nice guy you are." Bella's voice was deeply sarcastic. "So Kate would have been a substitute, a convenient body. Don't you ever feel ashamed of yourself? You're such a user. Don't you feel dishonest?"

Edward did not look even the least bit ashamed. He shrugged "I don't know what to tell you, Bella. My brain and body want you, only you. I just can't be satisfied unless I think about you. And now that I've slept with you, I don't even know if I can have sex with anyone else anymore." He reached out and held her hand and confessed. "Look, last night I went to Kate's apartment, and I just couldn't make love to her. I tried, I really tried. I don't know if it was because of the booze or if it was because I was tired, but I just couldn't. Finally, I told her that I was too drunk and tired and I fell asleep in my clothes on her couch. I took her to breakfast and asked her to the barbecue. I was going to try again just to see if I could."

She gasped at his admission. He was going to have sex, just to see if he could get it up? "You know what? Sometimes you can be such a creep." And with a huff Bella got up and went out on the deck. Edward cleaned up the kitchen and went downstairs, presumably to his office. Bella stewed and wondered if once his obsession with her was over, if he would obsess over someone else. And then maybe he wouldn't be able to get it up then either; then he would superimpose that person's face on hers. Just the thought of it made her feel incredibly sad and hollow.

As she watched the sunset she became calmer. Its orange glow lit up the sky and the rosy pink clouds elevated her mood. She looked behind her at the hills in the east and noted the beautiful lavender sky; she sighed with happiness, sunset was just such a glorious time of day. Bella felt sure that if everyone stopped for a moment each day to take in and appreciate the beautiful canvas of a sunset, they would see the great creator's hand in their everyday lives. Her soul was soothed and she went to get Edward, she felt the need to share this with him. She called down the stairs for him to come meet her on the deck.

In a minute he met her out there and she pushed him down into the Adirondack chair and sat on his lap. "This is my favorite time of the day." she said softly into his ear. "I feel like twilight is romantic and made for lovers. Doesn't it feel as though the night is coming to wrap us up in her arms?" Bella reached up and kissed Edward.

"Do you really think that I'm a creep?" he asked her, his eyes were sad.

"I'm sorry I called you that." She nuzzled him and whispered into his neck. "You're just a man, with human failings just like everyone else, just like me. After all," her voice became even more hushed as her lips moved against his ear, " I fantasize about other men when I'm having sex with you."

"What?" He quickly pushed her head away from his chest and grabbed her chin to look into her eyes. He relaxed when he saw that she was laughing. She laughed and laughed.

"Shut up." he muttered and kissed her hard.

They held each other and watched the blue night sweep over the sky. Bella cleared her throat and said, "Edward, I'm not going to be your mistress. I'll be your lover for as long as it works for both of us, but I'm not going to quit my jobs and I'm not going to live with you and let you take care of me. Okay?"

He looked disappointed, but he nodded, "I want more than that from you, you know, but that will do for now. I'll spend everyday trying to convince you that you want more from me too."

He bent his head and kissed her tenderly. Bella opened her lips and initiated a deeper more passionate kiss. Her blood was singing and she felt that familiar aching tug, she wanted him so badly. He pulled his mouth from hers and whispered against her lips, "Let's go back to bed."