Fifteen

At three-thirty, Edward opened the front door of his flat, fully expecting to have a discussion with Bella about what had transpired in the restaurant earlier that afternoon. However, he found himself alone in a quiet apartment staring at a neon green post-it she had left on the mirror above the table in the foyer. "Went to dinner with Jake, may go dancing afterwards. See you when I see you, Bella." He crushed the note in his fist. As he walked to his bedroom he passed by the open door of the corner guest room, the bed had tell-tale signs of recent use; the cover was rumpled, the pillows moved and Jake's pork-pie hat lay on the floor next to the bed. Edward's heart started beating very fast; he felt a heat in his chest and a sour feeling in his gut, and a thudding pain began behind his eyes. When he called Bella the phone went directly to her voicemail. Edward slammed out of the apartment and went for a walk.

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Bella loved, loved, LOVED her new look, her hair was a sexy, tousled cloud that fell to the middle of her back. She was glad that she had resisted Jake's suggestion of an extreme make-over and had instead instructed his friend to cut off only eight inches of her hair. But she did consent to having it cut in layers that made the most of the natural wave in her hair. The result was a look that she was crazy about. Her hair was now parted on the side, and fell in softly curled tresses. The loose ringlets fell in staggered lengths around her shoulders and down her back. Although she had worried that she would miss her hair, she was thrilled that she had made the change.

The cosmetologist lined her eyes with an espresso eye-pencil to emphasize the cat-like shape, then he used bronze and plum colored shadow to create an exotic effect. The brick-red lipstick that he used was one that she would never have chosen for herself, but after he blotted it to a stain it made her look alluringly sexy. She changed into the black lace mini in the back office of the salon, the light beige under slip gave the impression of skin and she was astonished at how much of her cleavage was showing. She added some strappy high heels and she felt confident, knowing she looked amazing.

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Although Bella had never told Jake so, he had been her inspiration to move on from ballet and to take up different dance genres. If not for his influence she would never had moved on to ballroom, then modern and eventually belly dancing classes. When Bella was a kid she used to wait at the living room window, smiling as she watched him dancing down the sidewalk, lost in a world of his own, practicing new moves that he had just learned. She was his biggest fan, always urging him to perform for her and Alice. When he moved on to modern and jazz she had followed suit. She admired the way he moved and understood his desire to perform; she and Jake had that in common, they both loved the challenge that mastering a dance presented, they loved being able to conquer the moves and pushing their bodies to new heights; but more than anything they both loved sharing that experience with an audience. The energy of the audience was an entity in and of itself and it fed their creative spirit.

Jake at twelve was not very different from Jake at twenty-seven, he stilled love to dance and he still loved hamming it up for audiences. The night with Jake was full of activity and laughter, Bella had no time to sit, let alone think about a certain someone waiting at the flat. He and Bella salsa'd until they were exhausted. It was almost two o'clock before they called it a night, and only because he had an audition in the morning. They took a cab from the dance club in SoHo to Edward's apartment. When they pulled up Bella slipped him a hundred dollar bill and gave him another fifty for the cab ride to his place. "You need it more than I do." She whispered as she gave her good friend a long, loving hug. "Thanks my lovely Jakey, I'll see you when I see you."

He held on to her and wouldn't let her go. "Bella, do you want me to come up with you? I got bad vibes this afternoon, I don't think you should be alone with this guy." Jake said softly, his brown eyes concerned.

"Oh, his bark is worse than his bite. He's pretty even-tempered. He was ticked because I turned him down, that's all."

"He's very jealous, Bella. He warned me off, remember?"

"He was mad, not jealous." Bella thought about Edward's behavior toward Tyler, "Believe me he's not the jealous type, why should he be?"

"Well if he tries anything you call me. Just say the word and I'll punch him in the nose."

Bella laughed. "Jake, this is not West Side Story. You can't have a dance-off with him."

Jake laughed along with her. "I'll hit him and run. I'm pretty quick."

The image in her head made her laugh even louder, "Oh, Jake. He has some kind of black or red belt thingy in Tae Kwon Do. He'd flatten you. Not to mention he has a gun."

"A gun?" Jake was aghast. "Why the fuck does he have a gun?"

"He's an ex-cop." She shrugged. "Don't they all have one? I mean he said he has a licensed gun, I never saw it."

Jake was even more worried now. "Was he threatening you when he said he had it?"

Bella shook her head and glanced up at the bedroom window, it was dark. "No, he was threatening someone else. Don't ask, it's a long story."

"Oh God, my Bella, I don't trust this guy." He held her hand tight.

"Jake, get a grip. It'll be fine, you worry too much." Bella pulled her hand from his, gave Jake a quick peck and got out of the cab.

"Wait," he told the cabbie and he got out to hug her one last time. "Bella, you can count on me. Call me if you need me, promise?" She nodded and he hugged her tightly and kissed her on both cheeks.

Although Bella had reassured Jake effectively, she could not reassure herself. She was nervous as she snuck quietly into the apartment, her heart racing; she felt pretty guilty for standing Edward up, knowing he had planned to take her out. She hoped that he was asleep, or at the very least that he wouldn't be too upset with her; she paused just inside the door to listen; the apartment was dark, and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, there was not a sound and she breathed a sigh of relief . She gingerly took off her shoes and tiptoed to the bedroom, and dropped the shoes and her bag onto the rocking chair in the corner. Making her way into the bathroom she used it then looked in the mirror, fluffing her locks again, looking this way and that. She still couldn't get over the difference it made to her appearance; she loved her new look.

The flat was as quiet as the grave, and she tiptoed into the kitchen for a glass of water. Figuring that Edward must be asleep, Bella started to relax; she hummed as she walked back down the hallway, shimmying her hips as she danced to the salsa music still echoing in her brain. When she passed by the French doors to the living room, she came to a stop, she saw a faint movement and let out a little scream. But she swallowed it almost immediately, her eyes had adjusted to the shadowed room, it was Edward sitting in the armchair. "Oh my gosh, Edward, you scared me." She said. The room was lit only by the ambient light coming through the windows. Bella walked further into the room. "Hey, how come you're still up?" She was surprised to see him here, he must have heard her when she came in the front door earlier, but he hadn't said anything.

"Just making sure you got back safe and sound." He said softly.

"I'm fine, just tired." Bella wondered why he was sitting here in the dark. She couldn't see his face too well, but the moonlight slanting in showed that he was shirtless and without shoes, he was just wearing jeans. She loved to look at his body and asked, "Why don't you turn on the light?"

"I'm okay, just relaxing in the dark." His voice seemed pretty relaxed all right, almost slurred. Was he drinking?

"Oh." Bella sat down on the couch and waited. "So, how was your evening?" A little pang of guilt hit her again.

"Pretty quiet. There was no food, so I went for pizza."

Suddenly Bella felt horribly guilty. "I got rid of the food. Since we're leaving Friday night, I didn't want the food to go to waste, so I took it all and made a care package for Jake. I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything and they sat silently. She was at a loss for words.

"Did you have a good time?" He finally asked.

She smoothed her dress over her thighs. "Yeah, I loved dancing with Jakey, he's like the perfect partner. We haven't done that in a long time." She laughed as she remembered the fun they had.

Edward was quiet for a long time. Yep, he was drinking, she saw his silhouette raise a glass to his lips and she heard tinkling ice. She thought that she smelled scotch but she couldn't be sure. She swiveled and turned on the lamp. The warm glow lit his big body, it was a thing of beauty; just looking at him made her heart race. Her heart raced altogether differently when she glanced up to his face, she almost flinched when she saw how he looked at her from under his brow, his chin tucked into his chest.

"So he's the best friend and the perfect partner, huh?" The tone of his voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Is that all he is?"

Bella's heart skipped a beat, and jumped straight up into her throat. "Yes. I already told you that." She whispered.

There was a long uncomfortable silence. She got up and said, "Goodnight, Edward."

His voice stopped her, "Bella, I left some money on the table on Monday. Have you seen it?" he asked softly.

"Ummm. Yes." Her heart fell down to her stomach and started to thud.

"Do you have it?" His voice was flat, and his face expressionless as he stared at her coldly.

"No." She said truthfully. Her mind started to whirr. There was a note with the money, she tried her best to recall the exact wording but she couldn't. However, she was sure that the note implied the money was a gift for her to entertain herself.

"Where is it?" He asked her, his voice was still low but it was getting hard.

"I…..I... spent it." This was a nightmare.

He shook his head as if he did not understand. "But Bella, that was my money, not yours. Are you saying you stole it from me?" Now his voice had a nasty edge to it.

She slowly sunk back down into the couch. "Of course not." Was he drunk? Would she have to explain her actions. She spoke slowly, "Edward, you gave it to me, your note said so." She was nervous. Something was terribly wrong.

His leaned his head back and he looked down his nose at her. She had a sense that he was playing cat and mouse with her. "Maybe you're right. Let's see the note." His voice had gone soft and flat again.

"I don't have it. I think I threw it away." She reluctantly admitted.

"Oh." He spread his palms open. "Well, now there's no proof that what you say is true, is there?" God, he was being a prick.

Bella felt put the pulse in her throat throb. What on earth was going on? Was he drunk? Was he accusing her? Or was he toying with her and trying to intimidate her? Bella went with the latter explanation. She jumped up and stood in front of him. "You know what? You're being a real asshole. Tomorrow I'll write you a check. Then I never want to see or hear from you again, you jerk." She wanted to cry, she had never imagined he could be this horrible. She turned to go to bed.

"SIT DOWN!" He barked. Blind instinct made her sit back down. He got up and came to stand over her, threateningly. She looked up at him, unnerved by his behavior, as he stooped over her. He brought his face inches away from hers and she could smell the scotch on his breath. "You're looking very sexy in that dress. Did you buy that with my money?"

Bella nodded, she couldn't tear her eyes from his. "Yes." she whispered.

"I like it. It shows off your considerable assets." He said as he reached out and flicked her left nipple.

"Don't." She slapped his hand away. He was frightening her.

"Don't what? Touch you? Why should I stop when everyone gets to touch, hmm?" He said quietly as she looked up at him. "I remember now. I did give that money to you, Bella, and you know why?"

She didn't move.

"Because you're my whore." She reached up and slapped him hard. He grabbed her shoulders and picked her up out of the chair, he held her in a punishing grip. "Are you my whore? Or are you any man's whore?"

"I'm not a whore, you bastard. You'd like to make me one though, wouldn't you? Well I'm worth more than a measly thousand bucks. "

"You're right. I underpaid you. You're such an excellent little fuck, I've been thinking that maybe you're a lot more experienced than you indicated. Maybe you've done this before, taken money for not-so-exclusive-sex."

His words were like daggers that wounded her; she could feel the darts of pain in her chest. Tears were near, but miraculously she kept them in. It was all her fault. She would have never touched the money if she hadn't been so mad at him. She shook her head from side to side, and pleaded with him in a sad voice. "Edward, stop now. Don't do this." She became aware that her shoulders were aching from his grip on them.

"Don't do what Bella?" He taunted. She could see that his face was contorting with fury.

"Don't mess this up and ruin everything. You're drunk, you're not thinking clearly."

"Drunk on what, Bella? I'm very clearheaded; two little glasses of scotch doesn't do a thing to me. And we have nothing to ruin. This. is. nothing." His gaze was steady and his eyes were hard and cruel.

"Edward," the unshed tears were smarting her eyes, "I'm scared. Please let me go. I want to go to bed." Her eyes were luminous like liquid honey, her skin was flushed and her lips were full and red.

Up until that moment he had every intention of telling her to pack her bags, calling a cab and sending her to a hotel for the night, and arranging a flight for her the next day. He had every intention of telling her that this is not the type of relationship he desired. He didn't want to be pushed and pulled and yelled at and lied to. She was too sulky, too demanding, too manipulative, too emotional, always wanting more and more of him. Wanting something he didn't have to give. He had every intention of telling her that she was useless to him. He wanted a woman, who knew the game, not a girl who constantly needed attention from any man who would give it to her. He had every intention of telling her how angry he was that he had ever wasted his time with her. But something snapped.

And... her eyes were liquid honey, and her skin was warm and flushed and her lips were so red. Despite his intentions to let her go, Edward felt the sharp pull in his groin, he wanted her. Just then it all changed. He wanted to, intended to, feel her naked body and have her feel his, every inch of his.

"Edward, please let me go. I want to go to bed." she pleaded again.

"If that's what you want." He picked her up and carried her wriggling body down the hall to his bed. He threw her down into the middle of the bed and stooped over her, trapping her with his hands beside her shoulders and his knees pressing her thighs tightly together.

"Do you know where I was ten minutes ago?" The tears were streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head. He brought his face inches from hers and bit out, "I was standing by this window, witnessing your fond farewell. Did you fulfill your fantasy? Hmm? Did you fuck him in the back of the cab, Bella?"

Her heart leapt with fear. How could he think that she would do that with Jake? "No." she gasped. "I told you. Jake is just a good friend. He's like a big brother to me. He dated Alice when they were teenagers." She was talking fast trying to get all the information through to him.

"Bella, Bella. I'm not stupid. I saw how your "Jakey" looked at you, today. And the way you looked at him. I saw you holding hands and sharing food and laughing your secrets. I saw the messy bed you screwed in. And I saw you kissing and hugging outside the cab, too."

"You're wrong." She whispered.

"Hmm. Should I believe you, you little liar, or my own eyes?" He looked like he wanted to kill her. He got off the bed and reached for the button on his jeans.

Thoughts raced through her head. One scary scene after another until it became clear what was about to happen. "Oh my God,no! He's going to hurt me." She jack-knifed and bolted for the door, but he was quicker and his arms snaked around her waist from behind while she arched and kicked. He flung her back onto the bed as if she weighed nothing and leaned over and grabbed her hair in his two hands. "So, you cut your hair for him. Did he like it? Did he tell you how beautiful you look? Did his words make you hot and wet for him?"

Bella shook her head, "No, no." She knew now that he was out of his mind. She had worried that he could go over the edge and he did.

"Yeah, I think it did. You look like you've been fucked. Let's check." He held both wrists in one hand as he reached under her dress and tried to pull down her panties. She squeezed her thighs together tightly so he couldn't. Her legs were hanging off the side of the bed.

Although she was terribly afraid, she was angry as well. She gritted her words out between her teeth. "I swear, Edward, if you touch me, I will scream until this whole block wakes up!"

He clamped his big hand over her mouth. "Go ahead scream, Bella. Let me hear you scream."

Her eyes grew big with fright. She screamed with all her might, but his big hand prevented anything but a muffled sound from escaping. He let go her wrists and shoved her thighs apart, pushing his thighs between hers. She screamed again but no one could hear her. She pressed her heels into the floor and bucked and writhed to get out from under him, but he was almost a foot taller and almost a hundred pounds heavier and she couldn't budge him. She clawed at the hand that was clamped over her mouth to no avail. She pulled at his hair and punched and slapped him, but she couldn't faze him.

With his free hand he tore her underwear off and spread her thighs further apart by spreading his. He reached between her thighs and circled her clit with his finger, putting enough pressure to elicit a tremor in her groin. To her shame she started to get wet and he smiled cruelly. "So wet, already Bella?" She closed her eyes unwilling to meet his gaze, unwilling to let him see her weakness.

"Oh my God no!" Bella was thinking, "This can't be happening."

As he continued to rub her nub with his thumb, he slipped his finger inside and she groaned. She opened her eyes again, and looked up at his face and saw his eyes staring into hers, waiting for the reaction he wanted. She shook her head from side to side to try to dislodge his hand from her mouth; her tears were rolling down the side of her face and onto the bed.

Her short nails began to tear at the skin of his back and shoulders; but still he held her mouth under one hand and continued to arouse her with the other. She heard the slurping sound of her wetness as he moved his fingers in and out. She closed her eyes again, mortified that she was so excited; she could feel her breasts swelling and tightening and her nipples were hard as pebbles. Edward was an expert at this, she tried not to give him the reaction he wanted, tried not get lost in what he was doing but she couldn't help it, her body responded like it always did.

Within minutes she had stopped struggling under the hand he held at her mouth, instead she had started to moan and beg incoherently for more. She placed her left hand over the hand he had in her, opened her thighs wider and pushed his fingers further into her and she gyrated her hips as she rode his hand wildly. Her other hand wound itself into his silky hair, pulling his head closer and closer; she locked dazed eyes with his and his were deep grey pools of excitement. "Come for me. Show me that you love it."

Her eyes glazed over and her neck arched as she started thrusting her hips up faster and faster into his hand. Her body had a will of its own and it reached and reached until she felt her heart trip and she careened into a mind blowing orgasm. It seemed to come from the deepest part of her body, her spine was electric as her body twisted and bowed; the pleasure folded on itself and it went on and on, and she heard him coo softly, "Yes, baby. You love what I do to you."

She wrapped her legs around him, wanting more, more; wanting his body in hers thick and hard and relentless. The hands that had been tearing at the skin of his shoulders and back, moved to tear at her dress, to pull the bodice down, and once exposed she reached up to bring his head to her aching breasts. He grazed her nipple with his teeth, before licking and sucking hard. Edward took his hand from her mouth, and whispered into her ear, "Bella? You want me, don't you?"

She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Then tell me. Tell me you want me to fuck you."

"I want you." She whispered through swollen lips. "Please, Edward."

"Say you want me to fuck you." He insisted in her ear.

She shook her head, "I can't." She was already humiliated, what more did he want from her?

Strong fingers gripped her chin, "Don't tell me no. If you want me to fuck you, ask for it." He insisted.

Bella swallowed the last of her pride. "Edward, please fuck me." Bella was yearning for him to satisfy her, to take her to that place where only the two of them existed. She burned for it.

She reached between them and unzipped his jeans and started to push it off his hips. Edward got up off the bed and quickly shed his jeans, then he reached for her and pulled her off the bed, unzipping her dress so it fell in a puddle on the floor. He splayed his legs wide and clasped her to him hungrily, matching his parts to hers, his hard to her warm soft. He ran his hands down the length of her back all the way to her hips, kneading her round ass and pulling her closer and closer into his body, until his cock speared her at her most sensitive spot. His frenzied mouth covered hers, easily dominating her, moving, tasting and sucking as if he couldn't get enough of her lips and tongue and breath.

He lay her back onto the bed, and Bella wantonly spread herself open and moaned eagerly. "Now, please." He knelt between her thighs, and rolled on the condom, he grasped his hard cock and then rubbed the tip against her aching nub, and she panted "yes, yes". He moved lower and just brushed himself against the moist folds of her opening. "Please." she begged again. He brushed against her again and again and she moaned with need and yearning anticipation. "Now, Edward. Please."

He looked into her eyes and whispered, "Bella, take what you want." She reached for him and guided his hard flesh into her. Edward groaned as her warmth surrounded him and he ached with an overwhelming need to possess her completely; until she thought of him and only him. His hands cupped the back of her knees and pushed her thighs up to her shoulder, and then he thrust hard and fast. And she held his hips in her two hands and helped him to push deeper and deeper still. Bella almost screamed as her body was rocked with another powerful wave of pleasure. Her back arched and then her stomach clenched as she shot towards fulfillment. Edward felt her flesh tightly pulsing on his shaft and he started to come. She gripped Edward's shoulders and pressed her lips to his to keep the scream inside as he continued his relentless, pounding ride. He pressed hard lips into hers and opened her mouth with his, pushing his tongue greedily inside. Her screams and his moans were swallowed up behind his devouring lips.

Finally he tore his mouth away and asked, "Who? Who makes you feel so good?"

"You do, Edward." she panted into his mouth, her tongue lapping against the tip of his, their breath melding together in sensual warmth. "You, Edward, you", she said over and over again in all consuming ecstasy. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. She was his, all his. He could do with her whatever he wished, she didn't care as long as he made her come again and again.

"Me." Edward reached the pinnacle of sensation and went tumbling over with a groan and a shudder. He rolled onto his back to keep them from falling off the bed, taking her with him. Sweat, there was so much sweat, sticking them together like two halves of a whole. Lying limply on top of him, her breasts heaving against his chest, her cheek hot against his muscled shoulder, she registered the hot earthy smell of sex and sweat and him and her, enveloping them in a cocoon of sinful pleasure. The sheets were drenched, her face was tucked into his neck and she smelled him, his essence; breathing him into her lungs, his molecules a part of her now.

She could feel Edward breathing harshly, hear his heart thundering in his chest, feel his cock still inside her. "Don't move. Not yet." He pleaded, his voice raspy.

As their breathing slowed and their pulses calmed, the flower of regret blossomed. Bella could not look at him, not even if her life depended on it. She was too ashamed.

As soon as her legs would allow it, Bella slid off his lap; his wet cock slipping out of her, and went to take a long hot shower.