Chapter Eleven

-The Paragon-

I enter the over crowded restaurant running a hand nervously through my hair. The place is decorated exceptionally and literally takes you back to old America but with a modern twist. Nice. The music is forcing me to keep my body from swaying to the rhythm. It's jazzy and bluesy and amazing. I find it hard to believe that this would be the kind of place someone like Miss Swan regularly frequents, the mere thought of her stiff posture in a place as loose and lazy as this seems almost ridiculous.

I smile crookedly at the hostess and ask for the Swan table. She escorts me with an exaggerated sway of her hips and advises me that the rest of my party hasn't arrived yet and then takes my drink order with batted lashes.

My ice cold Heineken arrives moments later as I survey my surroundings. The crowd seems relaxed and yet I can't shake the feeling that they are slightly pretentious, dressed in their designer gear and carefully sipping cocktails…even the guys. So gay. I sit back and take a long drag from the beer bottle, foregoing the glass and smile slightly as I come to the realization as to why Miss Swan likes this place. It's upper class, but with enough parade to appear almost regular. It's fake. Just like her. My eyes wonder to the entrance, and then I see Charlie and Renee stepping into the restaurant, Renee almost giddy with excitement as her eyes dance over her surroundings…Charlie more reserved, almost reluctant. Don't blame you buddy, I think to myself as I chuckle at his uncomfortable expression. Miss Swan may have won over one of them with her choice tonight, but the other one is going to be a lot harder to crack. It still boggles my mind that Miss Swan could be the offspring of these two people who don't seem to have a phony bone in their bodies. As I sit pondering this phenomenon, I spot her. A whirlwind of soft straightened bangs framing her face, her eyes made up dark and dramatically, her lips painted blood red. She's nervously following her parents towards the hostess counter, and my eyes wonder down her neck towards her body.

Fuck. Me. In. The. Beard.

She's wearing a black off the shoulder, long sleeved dress that looks as if it was painted on her. The snug fit hugs her slender body and modestly displays her amazing curves, from the soft mounds of her breasts to the feminine dip of her hips. My eyes follow the movement of her legs and notice that the dress stops dangerously high. As I lower my eyes even further in the hopes to see more leg than I've ever seen Miss Swan display, I note that only a sliver of her smooth milky skin is visible before a pair of black patented leather thigh high boots start their decent into six inch heels. Holy shit…the woman is wearing fuck me boots…and I want…I just want…that's all.

"Edward." I hear Charlie's version of a greeting and realize with a start that he's standing at our table and I'm ogling his daughter like a pervert with a boner. Well fuck it, right? I'm her boyfriend am I not? Surely I'm allowed to obviously enjoy her appearance more than any other fucker here?

"Good evening Sir." I answer politely as I stand stiffly, desperately attempting to hide the little…or large problem, if I may say so myself, in my pants. I shake his hand briskly and try to ignore the meaningful look he's giving me. The man misses nothing. Good chap.

"Evening Renee." I smile at the woman at his side and lean in to kiss her on the cheek. "May I say that you look lovely tonight?" And for an older woman, she surely does. No mistaking where Bella gets her good looks from.

"Of course you may." Renee laughs at my chivalry and gives my fingers a quick squeeze before settling in her seat next to Charlie. "A woman can never get enough of being complimented, right Honey?" She winks at the woman standing beside me, the woman I haven't dared to look at again. I smile in acknowledgment and turn my gaze to Bella cautiously, who is currently nibbling at her bottom lip. She's obviously nervous, but whether it is because of me or because of her parents I don't know. Her eyes rise to meet Renee's and she smiles at her in reply, before she turns the full effect of her smoldering gaze on me. I'm riveted to the spot I'm standing in; lead seemingly formed in my legs and making it impossible to move.

WTF?

We stare at each other for a weighty moment, our eyes seemingly caught in some deadlock, before I step towards her with much effort. Her eyebrows raises somewhat, in fear I presume, and then she reigns in her expression and steps closer to me as I reach for her. I carefully take her in my arms, afraid that she might detect the effect her appearance has on me and then dig my nose into her soft locks just as she wraps her slender arms around my shoulders. She smells absolutely delicious and I find my grip on her tightening. Her breasts are flush against my chest, and I swear I can feel her nipples hardening against me. Hello my lovelies. I moan softly, unable to hide my desire for her, I'm only a man after all, before I turn my head slightly in order to whisper in her ear.

"You look fucking amazing tonight."

I feel her stiffen in my arms, but then, after a moment she seemingly relaxes and laughs breathily. My desire skyrockets at the sound and I swallow thickly, afraid that I might throw her over my shoulder and take her somewhere in the dark…against a wall…in a toilet stall…on this very fucking table…it doesn't matter. I want it…her…now. By some fucking miracle, because that is what it would take to sidetrack me from my less than honorable intentions, I restrain myself and plant a soft kiss on her cheek before taking a steady step back. Her body sways slightly and I take hold of her elbows, eyeing her suspiciously. Is it possible that she felt that too? That we may share some commonality with regards to this physical attraction that is coursing through every fiber of my being? I look into her eyes, and what I find there scares and thrills me at the same time. Her lashes are heavy, and if I wasn't so versed in the language of a woman's body, I may have mistaken the look she's giving me for shyness, but it's not. Oh no ladies and gentlemen, it most certainly is not shyness. Bella Swan is eye fucking me…and I like it…a lot, and because I'm a cocky bastard, I smirk at her knowingly. Her eyes immediately clears from is lusty haze and I see the apples of her cheeks change color to its well known flush. She gives me a tight lipped smile and extricates herself from my hold. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

I step to the side and pull out her chair, which she takes with a rigid nod. I'm extremely relieved at the cold shoulder she's giving me now. The last thing I need is to confuse this woman with anything I would ever want or desire. Yes, her body is like a magnet to me, but everything it conceals inside is tainted and ugly, and I most certainly want absolutely nothing more to do with that part of her than I already have to.

"Look at that Charlie." I hear Renee comment from across the table and realize that I almost forgot they were here. "Isn't Edward just the perfect gentlemen?"

"A gentlemen that only orders for himself." Charlie gripes as he longingly looks at my beer.

I laugh as I take my seat next to Bella and graciously apologize to Charlie for my lack of foresight.

"I'll tend to the inexcusable oversight immediately." I offer and signal the waiter to our table. "What will it be ladies?" I peek at Bella from the corner of my eye. She still hasn't lost her stiffness, and I decide to remedy the situation by draping my arm around the back of her chair. I lean into her and she jumps slightly before I whisper in her ear. "Relax, okay?"

I pull back as she turns her head towards mine, our noses almost touching. She's watching me skeptically, probably fearing that I might pull the same stunts as last night. But she would be wrong. I won't be causing any trouble tonight…Oh no…I'm saving that for much, much later. Now, I'm only planning on having a little fun, like Emmett initially suggested. Her reaction to me a few moments ago has given me some confidence, and I'll be damned if I don't get her to loose herself in it again.

She takes a deep breath and visibly relaxes.

"I'm having a white wine spritzer." Renee announces with much enthusiasm.

"White wine spritzer it is." I agree jovially without removing my gaze from Bella's. "And you baby?" I ask softly and gently rub her shoulder with the hand behind her chair.

"Cosmopolitan." She replies. No surprises there. A pretentious drink for a pretentious woman. "Thank you." She adds softly, and I know she's thanking me for more than just the drink. I nod and pull my hand back to once again lie on the back of her chair.

"Heineken, I presume sir?" I finally turn my head to address Bella's father, who is still eyeing my beer longingly.

He nods absentmindedly and receives a firm nudge in the ribs from Renee. "Yes." He answers gruffly and gives me a begrudging look. Poor man.

I swiftly place our order with a lanky and obviously gay waiter, including another beer for me, because it's rather obvious that I'll need some liquid courage tonight.

"So, what have you guys been up to today?" I address Renee, knowing that Charlie won't be chatty until he's received his drink.

"Oh, we've been all around town, haven't we Charles." Renee responds as I assumed and folds her hand together under her chin. "You live in a beautiful city." I nod and chuckle good naturedly at the wistful look on her face.

"Forks aren't that far. Why haven't you been to see Seattle yet?" I ask, genuinely intrigued and feel Bella twitch beside me.

"It's difficult for Charlie to get off work, him being the Chief of Police and all." Renee explains. "And with Bella working as hard as she does, we just haven't been able to find a time that suits all. But, now that I've seen this place and how happy Bella is here, it'll be hard to keep me away."

Charlie mumbles something incoherent, and Bella coughs slightly. It would seem like the only person excited at the prospect, is Renee, and that makes me almost sad for the older woman sitting across from me. I smile at her encouragingly.

"Your drinks." A female voice announces at the head of our table, successfully relieving the ensuing silence.

The waitress makes work of repeating the drinks order and placing it in front of each person. When she gets to my beer she makes a show of lowering her chest in front of my face, obnoxiously stretching over Bella in order to give me a peepshow of her breasts. I clear my throat uncomfortably and avert my eyes to the overly starched table cloth. Without warning I feel a soft hand on my thigh and nails lightly digging into my grey dress pants. I lower my gaze and am shocked to find Bella's hand there. I immediately look up and see Bella's gaze icily fixed on our waitress. They are communicating wordlessly like only woman can do, and it is clear that Bella is winning the argument. The waitress almost shrinks into her shell but not without a fight. The whole scene is hilarious and surprisingly flattering. I'm tempted to let it play out a little, shocked that Miss Swan would even take part in such an obvious pissing contest. I mean honestly, we have an agreement and she has absolutely no reason to fear that I would do anything as stupid as flirt with the waitress in front of her parents, knowing how much is at stake. Instead I lower my left hand to Bella's hand on my thigh and reassuringly run my fingers over the delicate bone structure of her fingers. The heat of her hand is burning into my skin and I can't resist the urge to press down on the back of her hand with my palm. I successfully convince myself that I'm only doing this for show, but the little voice inside my head taunts me with the knowledge that I actually enjoy her touch. That for some ridiculous reason, I need to feel this physical connection we seem to have even if it's only to convince myself that Bella needs it too. I'm rewarded with a tight squeeze of her hand as I firmly rub the heel of my hand up and down the skin of hers. My dick immediately stirs in my pants and I fight the urge to move Bella's hand to the apex of my thighs, to have her feel my need. The waitress spots our hands in my lap as she places Charlie's beer in front of him, and quickly averts her eyes to mine. I smile at her brightly and give her a small shrug. Yep, I'm a claimed man, and the woman beside me never plays fair. The waitress had no chance to being with.

"Oh, to be young and in love." Renee coos over the rim of her wine glass once the waitress scampers off. "Look at that Charles, there's hardly any breathing space between the two of them."

My eyes catch Bella's reaction to Renee's words and I immediately strengthen my grip on her hand still lying in my lap. "Just go with it." I encourage her softly, turning my head in order to speak behind hers. Her hand relaxes once again and I reward her by turning her hand upside down and slowly start running circles with the tips of my fingers in her palm. "Just do whatever feels natural, okay?" My head is still turned away from Charlie and Renee and my chin is practically leaning against Bella's shoulder.

She turns her head towards mine and before I know what's happening, I feel her lips sweep over mine softly. The movement is so quick and soft that I'm hardly sure whether it happened at all, but the blush on Bella's cheeks and the obvious surprise at her own actions displayed in her eyes reassures me that the tingling sensation on my lips are not just a result of my own imagination.

"Was that okay?" She whispers sweetly, and my stunned expression must be the answer she's looking for, because Bella starts to giggle…like a girl…and the sound is similar to wind chimes and I'm enamored by it. "You seem to have the attention of every woman and wannabe woman in this place. Unacceptable." Bella playfully scolds and offers me a cocky grin of her own. The smile stretching my lips is unintentional and I can't help the boisterous chuckle escaping from my chest. We look at each other, laughing like fools, and for some inexplicable reason I want her to kiss me again, and mean it. The mere thought startles me, but not as much as Renee's laughter across the table. My head spins around at the same time as Bella's and we both stare at her mother dumbfounded, our private bubble effectively popped.

"Well, if that isn't one of the sweetest things I've ever seen." Renee says in a high pitched voice, her face alight with joy. "You two make a stunning couple."

"You have lipstick on your face." Charlie points out matter-of-factly and I laugh in embarrassment as I reach a hand to wipe the remnants of Bella's kiss from my lips. Bella's hand however halts my movements and I turn to look at her again. There are devils playing in her eyes and I just know she's up to no good. She lets go of my hand, slowly moves her hand towards her mouth, and then…licks her fucking thumb. Holy shit, what the fuck is she doing to me? I have no more control over this situation, and it seems like the tables have turned and the player is now being played. Her eyes are hooded as she seductively removes her thumb from her lips and then sweeps it over the corner of mine, where I presume the traces of lipstick are. I know I shouldn't. I know I'll be crossing some kind of line, but the temptation is too big, and if Miss Swan didn't want to play, she shouldn't have started this game. My tongue peeks out slightly before she can remove her hand, and I softly sweep it over the pad of her thumb. My eyes bore into hers as her hand freezes mid air. The soft gasp emanating from her mouth is not missed, and I wink at her in reply.

"Are you guys ready to order?" The waitress is back, but she could have been a traveling circus of midgets and I would not have noticed her presence. Bella and I are once again at a stand off, redefining our terms as we silently speak with our eyes. My hand in hers on my lap has stopped its ministrations and my fingers are now simply entwined with hers.

Come on girl, don't back out on me now.

"I'll have the grilled vegetable lasagna." Bella replies without blinking an eye, and then turns her head away from mine. I follow the movement of her hand with the thumb I recently licked and watch her raise her cosmopolitan to her lips to take a long sip. I smile wickedly and turn my attention to Renee's. Bella's reaction is not exactly what I wanted, but she hasn't removed her hand from mine so I guess the game is still on.

We all place our orders, and I finally lift my hand from the back of Bella's chair in order to take a drink from my beer. This result in my arms being slightly crossed and it's not exactly comfortable, but I refuse to let go of Bella's hand just yet, and apparently she doesn't seem to mind.

Conversation is flowing smoothly as we enjoy our dinner, and I must say, pretentious or not, this place makes a killer steak. Charlie appears to approve, having forced down two helpings of the beef short ribs.

"So Edward, tell us about your parents." Renee enquires once our plates are cleared. "Bella hasn't told us much."

"Not much to tell, I guess." I reply with a shrug. It's not that I mind talking about my parents. I mean, I love them, I am their son after all, but there are some differences between my father and I that still feel like a slight stab to the heart. Nevertheless, I regale Renee with the less than interesting information seeing as she is the mother of my girlfriend and has a right to know what kind of man her daughter is dating. "My parents live in Chicago. My father is the Chief of Surgery at Chicago General Hospital, and my mother is a housewife who dabbles a bit with interior decorating."

Charlie seems surprisingly impressed and Renee seems absolutely delighted. I guess I pass the test then.

"Oh Honey, Edward's father is a Chief as well." She exclaims and I nearly choke on the sip of beer I took.

"Mother." Bella complains in mortification. "It's not exactly the same."

"Well, both your father and Edward's save lives don't they?" I fight the hysterical laughter fighting its way out and turn to Bella with a composed shrug.

"Valid point."

She stares at me irreverently, and then slowly shakes her head with an exasperated sigh but says nothing further.

"Bella tells us that you studied at the University of Washington. Why so far from home?" Charlie asks suspiciously.

"Well sir, UW has a great program for upcoming writers, and I guess I just wanted the opportunity to get out on my own, without constantly living in my father's shadow." I explain tensely. I hate retelling this story, but it's not Charlie's fault, so I try to keep the annoyance from my voice. I feel Bella's fingers stir in mine as she starts to make slow circles with her thumb. I'm taken aback by her attempt to reassure me, and squeeze her hand in appreciation.

"I can imagine that it would be difficult to be your own man when your father is such a respected figure in the community." Renee agrees ardently. "What you did is very commendable, Edward. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you."

"They are thank you Renee." I smile at the Bella's mother and can't resist the warm feeling caused by her words to spread through my bones. There is more warmth and acceptance in Renee's simple acknowledgment than I ever received from my father and the emotions spilling over me is rather overwhelming.

"Well, that being said, it's getting late." Bella announces beside me and removes her hand from mine. I look at her, nonplussed by the sudden distance of her body. "Maybe we should be going?" She looks at her parents pleadingly, deliberately refusing to make eye contact with me.

"I suppose you're right." Renee sighs disappointedly. "It's been a lovely day and a wonderful dinner Honey, Edward, but I'm afraid Charlie and I are not today's children and should be heading to bed shortly if we're ever going to survive another busy day like today has been."

"We've had a great time, Edward." Charlie finally speaks and I'm rather surprised by the genuine tone in his voice. "Thank you, Honey." He smiles at Bella and then reaches for his wallet.

"No please, sir." I interrupt his movements. "It will be my pleasure to cover the bill."

"No need son." He shakes his head determinedly.

"I insist. Please, let me." I attempt once again and pull my wallet from my pants pocket.

"You don't have to do this." Bella whispers vehemently in my ear.

"Hush." I scold her through tight lips which cause her to move back in her seat abruptly.

"In that case, I'll make sure there's enough good beer at home for the next time we see you." Charlie shrugs in defeat.

"Deal." I nod and smile victoriously.

"I hope you'll be able to come over tomorrow, Edward." Renee chimes in as I wave the waitress over and indicate that we want the bill. "I've offered to cook dinner, and you just have to join us, won't you?"

"I – Uh." I stammer, not sure whether I'm allowed to accept an invitation without Bella's consent. I look at Bella from the corner of my eye and receive a vague shrug.

Renee is watching me expectantly and I finally smile at her brightly. "I would love to." I agree and hand my Amex card to the waitress.

"Wonderful!" Renee exclaims animatedly. I'm growing used to her flamboyant responses and find that I'm rather fond of it. It's a wonderful change to the overwrought silences one tends to receive from Charlie and Bella at times. "And please Edward." Renee starts as we stand to leave our table once the waitress hands me back my card, a shy smile pulling at her lips. Little girl still hasn't caught on to the danger standing beside me. "Charles and I may be from a different time, but we are not blind to the ways of the world you kids grew up in."

I walk beside Bella, my hand placed on the small of her back, as Renee rambles on about something I cannot comprehend. My confusion may be caused by the fact that I'm not focused on a word she's saying, seemingly entranced by the sway of Bella's hips beside me, the floral and honey fragrance that follows her and the heat of her skin scorching through the thin fabric of her dress.

"You two don't have to pretend like you don't practically live together." At that I stop abruptly blinking in bewilderment at Renee's statement.

"Mom, honestly." Bella crossly reprimands her mother, her body turned in my direction in order to face Renee. We're standing outside, Charlie already in the process of hailing a cab.

"Oh come on Honey." Renee laughs exasperatedly. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you guys sleep in your own beds every night, even after two years of dating each other. Honestly?"

Bella is fumbling to find words to respond to her mother's observations and I'm find myself entertained at that fact that for once, Bella Swan has nothing to say.

"You're right, Renee." I chuckle lightheartedly. "It would be ridiculous of us to expect you to believe that."

"Very well then." Renee smiles triumphantly. "When you come for dinner tomorrow night, bring your stuff along."

"Right." I agree and inhale sharply as I feel Bella pinching my side. "What?" I hiss as the sting of her scolding burns my skin.

"Edward, I'm not sure my father would be comfortable with that." Bella growls through taut lips.

"He won't mind." Renee disagrees fiercely. "Leave him to me."

"Mom…"

"No arguments." Renee declares firmly. "There is no need for you guys to disrupt your routine simply because your father and I came to visit. When in Rome, right?"

I watch Bella warily, afraid that I might have overstepped my bounds with this one. "Fine." Is her one worded reply. Renee claps her hands in victory and reaches up to kiss my cheek.

"See you tomorrow Edward." Are her parting words before she jumps into the cab Charlie successfully summonsed.

"Good night Edward." Charlie walks up to me and shakes my hand in greeting. "Are you coming Bells?"

"Be there in a second, Dad." Bella replies as he nods and gets into the cab beside Renee.

I turn my body fully towards Bella and smile at her sheepishly. "Sorry?" I say as a peace offering.

"You will be." Bella sneers and then shakes her head at me in disappointment before she follows suit and closes the cab door behind her.

I stare at the departing taxi until its red lights fade into the distance and then finally disappear around a corner.

Oh shit.