Why, hello there!
So - I was in writing mood, and what do you know? The next chapter is available a little earlier than usual!
I could not have done it without my two wonderful Beta's: Adt216 and Pain Jane. I swear, these two ladies are the best there are!
To al the reviewers, thank you so very much for your wonderful thoughts and opinions! I wish I could reply to every review, but I think you guys would rather have me working on getting the chapters out sooner! I do read and appreciate every last one, so please don't stop! ; )
Hope you enjoy!
Just a reminder: I do not own any of the characters. I simply like to play with them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Progression – Part Two
It seems like the perfect morning for humming as I stir the cream cheese icing for the carrot cake lazily cooling down after baking in the oven. The air is crisp, and the morning light is bright as I allow my eyes to wonder over the expanse of the forest from the kitchen window. The sun is breaking through the treetops, tingeing the water drops dangling from low hanging branches with an almost diamond-like splendor.
I want to hum, but the tune fighting to break from my lips is muted by the knots twisting in my stomach. Knots of deceit.
Everything is out of control. I'm out of control – and the cause of it is still sleeping on the living room couch where everyone left us last night, and I left him this morning, carefully untangling myself from his firm grip.
How could I allow myself to get lost in the electric tingle? The mere thought of the insistent current makes my body shiver as I dip a finger into the mixture and suck the creamy delight into my mouth.
Edward has invaded my every thought, even stealing the peaceful moments I have when turning to the one thing that calms me. I have nothing, not even baking is providing its usual solace. I hate that about him. I hate that about myself.
I pull the cooled carrot cake closer and carefully start spreading the frosting over it.
Edward surprised me with the suggestion of the new game last night. I could hardly believe my ears when he offered to share his life, his past with me. It comes at a price, mind you. But let's be honest, it's a price I'm more than willing to pay for the brief glances into the heart and mind of the man that has learned to know almost every secret I have. I almost refused his suggestion, but I'm a proud woman; there is absolutely no way I will leave this arrangement being the only one exposed.
His cocky arrogance is frustrating and annoyingly sexy, and I find myself despising and wanting him all at once.
I admitted that I want him.
Shit, I still can't believe I did that. His admission that he chose me to edit his book, without me even having to deploy every strategy I had diligently conjured up, left me shocked and ashamed. There I sat, on his lap, silently pleading with him to make the best career decision for his book, when he completely blindsided me. He always seems to have one up on me. I had to give him something, anything to convey my appreciation. So I admitted what I promised myself I never would. What shocked me even more is the fact that it was the truth.
I admitted that I want him.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"Well good morning to you too." His voice startles me as I lean over the cake to ensure I've covered every part.
"Wha –" I choke and spin around from my precarious position, throwing my hands behind my back as if I've been caught doing something naughty. Edward is standing in the arch of the kitchen, hair deliciously disheveled, clothes wrinkled, crooked grin in place.
He chuckles. I blush.
"What has you swearing so early in the morning?"
"Oh…I…" I stammer. Shit, did I say that out loud? I'm instantly annoyed with the fact that he interrupted my moment of internal reflection. It feels like he's everywhere nowadays. In my apartment, in my head, in my face.
"Just having trouble frosting the cake," I lie and pull my hands back to my sides, the spatula heavily hanging from my hand.
A curious frown pulls his eyebrows together as his eyes drift to the spatula, then curiously to my face and then to the cake peaking out behind me. His eyebrows straighten and shoot up in surprise before he moves his eyes back to mine.
"Well, well, well…" Whatever he was planning to say next dies at his lips as his eyes lower from mine to my…breasts? What the hell?
His expression slowly changes from one of surprise to something else. Lust. I know that look by now. It makes my insides clench in trepidation and desire.
I lower my eyes with a frown, searching for whatever he seems to be looking at, and there it is. Cream cheese frosting stares accusingly at me from the top of my right breast. Shit. I'm only wearing a thin, blue, long sleeved shirt, the sun breaking through the clouds this morning making jackets and sweaters unnecessary.
"Looks like the frosting won." He startles me back to reality as my head whips up to stare at him dumbfounded.
I throw the spatula on the table in front of me with a clang and softly curse, raising my hands frantically to remove the mess I made.
"No." Edward's voice interrupts my moment of silent panic. My hands freeze as I stare at him in embarrassment. "Leave it." His voice is just above a whisper as he takes a step closer to me.
My first reaction is to step back, my heart hammering in my chest as the countertop digs into my lower back.
"Edward," I say in warning as he prowls towards me.
"Shh…" He raises a finger his lips, his eyes flitting up to the ceiling, indicating that we're not alone.
He's almost standing right in front of me, and for the life of me I can't decide whether to fight or flee.
I frown in disapproval as his heated stare burns into mine.
"Really?" I ask in exasperation. "It's hardly seven in the morning. Can't we give the games a break for just a moment?"
He smiles with a cocky wink. Arrogant asshole.
"You know, Miss Swan," he says with a gravely voice as he comes to stand right in front of me, careful to keep his chest from pressing against the mess I made on mine. "You make it really hard for me to keep my hands off you."
"You're so crass." I sigh in annoyance at his suggestive words and the reaction my body has to them.
"And you're so beautiful." He sighs as his eyes lower from mine, back to my chest. I start to cover my breasts, but my wrists are quickly caught by his hands and pinned to my sides.
"What's wrong, Miss Swan?" He lifts his eyes that now remind me of the forest outside the window, to look into mine. "I thought you wanted to know more about me?"
I gape at him in confusion. What the hell is he going on about now?
"You should know the nipple is the most obvious erogenous zone on a woman's body." It's not spoken as a question, but he arches an eyebrow in any case.
"Of course I know that," I bite back in mortification.
"Most people think hard-tweaking and biting of the nipple is how you turn a woman's body on," he continues without pause as he eyes my right breast. "Though it has its advantages in the throws…" He lifts his eyes to mine as if to ensure that I'm following. I roll my eyes in return, earning a chuckle. "Foreplay requires a far softer touch." His words are spoken in a reverent whisper.
His gaze falls back to my breast, and I feel my left arm being released. Before I have the chance to move my hand in protest, his thumb ever so gently wipes at the frosting on my breast, heating my pebbled nipple in the process.
I sigh and close my eyes tightly. I'm in so much trouble. Shit.
I hear him sucking his thumb into his mouth before he expels a low groan.
"So enticing." I shiver at the double meaning of his words and pry my eyes open again.
I want to stop him when I notice what he plans to do next, but I can't. If there is one thing this man knows how to do, it's make me forget my inhibitions and resolve. I feel like the freaking rooster on top of the church roof, first spinning in one direction and then in the next, unable to avoid the strong force of the changing winds. Edward is the wind, and I'm always left confused. I think he may have been on to something when he called me bipolar.
I watch him as he lowers his head and then, licks the frosting off my shirt. A single soft lick and I'm squirming. He pulls away slightly and then goes back in without giving me a second to compose myself. He licks again, but this time he rolls his tongue over the spot right above my nipple where there could hardly be any icing left. He closes his mouth around my nipple over the cover of my shirt and bra, and we both hum at the same time.
Guess I will be able to hum this morning, just not the tune that's been stuck in my head since I woke-up, but rather the song nestled deep in my bones. It's a song every woman has in her. It's the song that reaches out to the man that makes her…
"Ugh…" I utter as Edward moves both his hands to the front of my shirt, unfastening and pushing my bra aside beneath the shirt in a steady movement.
His fingers run over my breasts and stop to make slow turns over my nipples.
"It must be a man that designed the front-clasp bra," he mumbles to himself as he keeps his eyes intently focused on his hands.
I squeal when I feel him dropping his hands to my thighs, and before I have a chance to protest, he pops me right onto the edge of the counter as if I weigh nothing.
The nerves between my thighs are tingling so furiously that I crave to close my legs, but Edward wedges himself between them, refusing me the much desired friction. Through the cloud of want smothering me, I contemplate rubbing against him, but I'm stubborn. Besides I want to see what he has in mind. Knowing Edward's wicked mind, I'm sure whatever he has planned will far surpass any ideas of pleasure I might have.
"What do you call these pants?" Edward surprises me with a question that forces me to clear my crazed mind for a moment.
"Yoga pants." I frown down at his head that is bent, curiously inspecting the black pants I pulled on earlier this morning.
'Yoga pants?' he asks, running his hands up my legs and causing my body to shiver. His thumbs dig into my inner thighs just inches away from the very spot craving his touch. "I guess my ongoing theory about your bendiness will be answered finally," he breathes, and then, ever so gently, hooks his left hand under my right knee and props my foot up against the counter. The new position has me sprawled open in front of him like that little frog in my biology lab back in high school.
"Very nice." His eyes are dark, and I practically see the devils playing inside the depths of the green and gold. He runs his hand up my calf to my bent knee, keeping his gaze fixed on mine as his hand descends down the outside of my thigh and hip ever so slowly. We're sharing oxygen as our labored breaths leave our mouths in harsh pants.
My right hand, clamped around the edge of the counter, is quickly pried loose by his nimble fingers. I allow him to raise my hand and swallow deeply when I realize its destination, encased in his firm yet delicate grasp. I know what's happening, but I still shake in shock when he places my hand between my legs.
He waits with baited breath, his hand still covering mine, covering my most sensitive part. I desperately want to press down to alleviate the slowly building tension, but I'm frozen in shock. Shock at what we're doing, shock at how much I want to do it, shock at the fact that it's this man causing me to want to do this.
Edward lifts his hand from mine and pulls the waistband of my pants away from my body. I immediately look down, curious to watch his movements, but he stops, his and keeping the pants pulled away from my hips as an invite. An invite for me to…
My eyes fly back up to his when I realize what he's expecting me to do. The look in his eyes confirms my suspicions. I bite my bottom lip nervously, considering my next move anxiously. He raises his right hand, which has been holding on to my hip without me even noticing, and places it gently over my breast, applying the sweetest pressure to my sensitive nipple.
I groan with my eyes closed, and as if the sound confirms the ultimate shattering of my resolve, I lift my hand from between my legs and push it into my pants and beneath panties. My fingers lay lifeless on my bare lips, unsure and unwilling.
Edward releases the waistband of my pants and places his hand over mine, outside of my clothing, gently rubbing up and down with his palm, urging me to set the pace.
I moan louder when my fingers twitch below his.
"Shh," Edward purrs softly, causing my eyes to open and recognize the fact that there are other people in the house. "You have to be quiet, sugar." His voice is deep and soft, almost unrecognizable in its lust.
I nod, biting the side of my cheek when he once again urges my hand to move with his. I dip my middle finger between my lips and stifle my moans when I discover my swollen clit.
Edward releases a long, rumbling groan when my breath hitches as the much needed friction causes all the blood in my veins to pool at the nerve endings between my legs.
"Sorry," he chuckles softly, realizing that he will have to keep the noises he makes down too.
I mumble something incoherently and feel my thighs tremble under the slow pace we've set between my legs.
"Don't stop," he murmurs as his hand lifts from mine and trails its way towards my right breast, taking it firmly into his palm. I can't stop, even if I want to, even when my brain silently scolds me for being so freaking easy. His gaze is unwavering, focused on mine like I'm some kind of reality show that fascinates him to no end.
I expel a heavy breath when both his hands slowly start rubbing my breasts, the heels of his palms gently rubbing against my nipples, causing an unrelenting friction. My toes curl as my finger turns its soft stroking into small, tight circles around my clit.
"Put your finger in your pussy," Edward whispers scratchily. He licks his lips and applies more pressure to my nipples. "Keep the heel of you palm against your clit."
I find myself nodding with closed eyes as I lower my middle finger and slowly push it into me, keeping the friction against my clit going with the heel of my hand as instructed.
I whimper and shake at the new sensation.
"Fuck, Bella," Edward chokes. I open my eyes and find his head bent, his eyes watching the movement of my hand beneath my pants. I follow his gaze and nearly come when I see what he's watching.
"That's the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen," he says in an almost growl. I feel him shaking his head as his hair softly brushes my cheek.
His one hand leaves my breast and settles between my legs again. We both watch in rapt fascination as his hand moves against mine. He pushes the palm of his hand against the heel of mine, increasing the pressure against my clit and causing me to thrust my hips.
He lifts his head slightly and blocks my view by sucking my nipple into his mouth, softly humming against my chest as our hands work at a frenzied pace.
My whole body is tingling, and I can feel myself steadily approaching the crest of my release.
"What do you feel?" Edward asks against my breast.
My breathing matches his, coming out in desperate spurts, driving me to the edge.
"Everything," I manage to utter, closing my eyes tightly as I allow the familiar sensations to engulf my body.
"How does it feel?" he asks and then licks against my shirt again.
"So good," I moan. That's probably the biggest understatement of my life, but I'm unable to form a coherent sentence as my orgasm slowly starts building from my spine, slowly pushing forward.
He moans against my breast, just as a loud thump from upstairs startles us both.
"Shit," I gasp, trying to pull my hand from my pants. Someone is awake and could be heading downstairs any moment.
"Don't," Edward demands, pushing his hand firmly against mine and trapping my hand in my pants. He lifts his eyes to mine, warning me hotly.
"They could be coming downstairs any moment," I squeak in terror, my eyes probably resembling a teenager's on ecstasy, wide, frightened and out of control.
"They won't." He shakes his head steadily. "Listen to me," he demands, tipping his head to the side, his eyes imploring. "Do you trust me?"
I gape at him, blinking my eyes furiously, trying to gain any form of control.
"In theory," I finally mutter.
"Then don't stop," he says with a slight grin, pushing his hand against mine in emphasis.
We stare at each other for a moment, my ears straining to hear any movement from upstairs, but whoever it was is silent now.
I nod, surprised at how easily I allow myself to be convinced by him.
He winks and then lowers his head to my chest again. Once his mouth touches my other nipple, I'm done, completely forgetting the imminent danger lurking upstairs.
Our hands go back to work between my legs, and before long, I'm back to my previous state of desire.
"Do you have any idea how hard I am right now?" he asks against my collarbone, running his nose against the curve of my neck.
I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut. Talk like that will have me coming in seconds.
"Are you close?" Edward asks as if he can read my mind.
I nod.
My response sends him back to my breast, softly nudging my nipple with his nose.
I'm a panting, quivering mess. My ears are buzzing from the blood coursing through my veins, and if I'm making noises, I can't hear them.
"This is when a little rough nipple play has its benefits," Edward remarks before closing his lips over my one nipple and gently biting down.
I almost cry out as my body jolts at the pleasurable sting.
He licks it all better, and then moves to the other nipple, sucking it roughly into his mouth. I can't imagine that the material of my shirt tastes good, but if it doesn't, Edward shows no signs of reluctance.
My hand between my legs is moving at a desperate pace, and just when I think I can't stand anymore, Edward shoves his hand into my pants. I want to shout out in pleasure when his middle finger pushes beneath my hand roughly, coating it in my excitement as he passes over my clit and then pushes into me. Both our fingers are now moving in and out, and I bite down on my lip to stop from crying out my rapture.
"Fuck, I'm sorry," he pants against my chest, sporadically licking at my nipples. "I'm breaking the rules."
"I don't care." My reply comes out in a moan as he pushes against my clit. I want to be shocked at the fact that Edward has a part of his body inside of mine, but the pressure is so overwhelmingly wonderful that I forget about anything else.
"Then show me," he grumbles as his finger curls upwards and his mouth clamps down on my nipple.
It's there, and it's everywhere. The light, the tingling, the big O. My body convulses aggressively as my orgasm shatters each cell in my body.
My lips part in a silent scream as it crests, and, just as the sound threatens to explode from me, I drop my head to Edward's shoulder and bite down.
"Fuck, fuck," Edward moans as I rock and shake against our hands, biting into the flesh where his shoulder and neck meets. "I want to fuck you so –" he pushes his finger deeper, "fucking –" he pulls out and pushes in again, "hard."
I bite down even harder on his shoulder, the sensations of his words and his finger turning me inside out.
He rubs and strokes softly until every last tingling sensation slowly leaves my body, my legs twitching at his sides.
"Shit," I breathe against his neck once the euphoria slowly subsides, leaving my body limp and spent against his. I drop my leg as Edward slowly extricates our hands from my pants.
"That was intense," he breathes next to my ear, slowly rubbing both his hands up and down my thighs, relieving the aches in my muscles gently.
I nod, unable to speak, still spent. I lick the spot where my teeth marks taint his skin. I lick it better just like he did.
His body shudders against mine before he gently pulls away, raising his hands to my arms, rubbing them just as painstakingly thoroughly.
We stare at each other for unspoken seconds. His eyes are trying to convey something to me that I don't understand. I find myself frowning, unable to decipher the meaning behind it.
With a sigh, Edward drops his gaze from mine and then chuckles. I look at my chest, where he's once again staring, and see the wet circles caused by his mouth on my shirt.
"Better cover that up," he says with a final chuckle, before stepping away from me. I stare after him in confusion, my mind still slow to grasp simple sentences. I've never had an orgasm shake me into stupidity. I push myself off the counter and struggle to balance on my shaking legs. Jeez.
Edward returns moments later with an apron in his hands. I take it from him, laughing softly at his ingenious plan. I pull it over my head, keeping my eyes lowered to his feet, feigning concentration as I tie it behind my back.
I feel rather than see Edward leaning past me. When he returns to his spot, I finally muster the courage to look up at him. I gasp when I see his finger that was inside of me moments ago, now covered in cream cheese frosting, disappear into his mouth.
He closes his eyes and moans around the finger.
"Delicious," he mutters as he pulls the finger from his mouth with a resounding pop, waggling his eyebrows at me suggestively.
"That's disgusting." I cringe.
"I beg to differ," he replies with a wink and his trademark cocky smirk. "Seems like the frosting didn't win after all." I feel my lips pull into a disapproving line at his reference to his earlier comment.
"Are you suggesting you won?" I laugh sarcastically.
He shrugs, the smirk still firmly planted on his lips.
He is so infuriating.
"I beg to differ." I throw his words back at him and pointedly lower my eyes to the crotch of his pants, where his penis seems to be fighting a losing battle against the confines of his jeans.
I chuckle when Edward's ears tinge red. Now he chooses to be embarrassed?
I turn and lift some of the frosting from the cake with the same finger that did naughty things earlier.
I pop the finger in my mouth, hearing Edward's breath hitch. I want to gag from the disgusting taste of the delicious frosting mingled with – me – but I keep my face neutral and moan around my finger. I will never understand how men can like that. I release my finger with a victorious pop and turn to find Edward staring at me, his mouth slightly agape, his breathing heavy.
"Fuck," he mumbles and unceremoniously strokes his hand over his hard-on. The movement is erotic, but I keep my cool. Two can play this game, sucker.
"Morning lovebirds." Emmett's voice bellows from behind Edward, catching us both off guard. Edward pulls his hand from his crotch at the speed of light and spins around in surprise.
"Morning, Emmett," I say with a giggle, delighted at the interruption. "Rose." I nod at the blond beauty as she steps out from behind Emmett's imposing form, receiving a nod from her in reply.
"Something smells like –" Don't say sex, don't say sex. I chant anxiously, shifting my eyes to Edward, who still seems to be lodged in the same position in shock. "Cake."
"Carrot cake," Alice chants as she skips into the kitchen with Jasper in tow. I smile tightly, trying to hide my relief. My eyes fall on Rosalie who's watching Edward and me suspiciously. She knows. I know she knows. A woman's intuition is a dangerous gift. Her eyes narrow when they fall on mine. What can I do? I'm certainly not going to have her stare me down, so I arch and eyebrow and shrug.
Alice pulls me away from the silent interaction by throwing her arms around my neck in a hug.
"I love you," she cheerfully declares.
"You love my carrot cake," I point out with a laugh as she untangles herself from me.
"I don't like carrot cake." I hear Rosalie comment coldly.
"Why not?" Emmett asks in horror, causing me to snicker.
"It's carrots in a cake." She shrugs. "I don't like things pretending to be something they're not."
In the meantime, Edward has slowly moved from his position, sneakily trying to escape the room unseen. He's standing behind Rosalie when she makes her final statement. He frowns at the back of her head, catching on to the double meaning of her words which has left everyone in awkward silence.
"I like carrot cake," he declares and raises his eyes to mine with a wink.
"You would," Rosalie mumbles, but I can't take my eyes from Edward as he rolls his dramatically.
He indicates with a nod of his head that he's heading upstairs, probably to take a shower. I nod and almost burst out laughing when Edward runs full on into my father as he rounds the corner.
"Shit, sorry, Chief Swan," he mumbles as he jumps back. My father eyes him skeptically. Edward runs his hand through his hair anxiously, expelling a nervous laugh. "I'm just – I'll be – never mind," he says with another nervous laugh, stepping around Charlie and disappearing around the corner.
Charlie stares after him for a second, shakes his head in confusion and then steps into the kitchen.
"What's up with that boy?" he grumbles as he greets everyone standing around. He plants a kiss on my forehead and gives me a pat on my shoulder. "Morning, Bells."
"Something is definitely up." Jasper snickers as Charlie starts to scavenge for coffee before I can reply. The double meaning is not lost on me. I give Jasper a warning glance as I feel my cheeks heat. Did everyone notice Edward's boner? Everyone except Emmett of course.
I turn my attention back to Rosalie, ready to give her the stink eye for her earlier comment, and find my mother standing behind her, her eyes moving from Jasper to me suspiciously. Now she knows too. Freaking great. Like I said earlier, a woman's intuition is a dangerous gift.
She smiles at me knowingly, and I blush – hard.
"Who's helping me with breakfast?" she announces as she steps into the kitchen. I sigh in relief.
Everyone starts to hustle and bustle as Renee shouts out orders. I turn my back to them and stare out the kitchen window. It's overcast again, the sun having retreated back into its hiding place, like it never intended to make its presence known. It just disappeared, like it was all a ruse or a ploy, getting your hopes up for nothing.
The guilt about the ever-looming lie I'm living resurfaces. It's always there, clouding my sunny day, forcing me to remind myself that none of this is real.
xoxo
It's night-time, and everyone is heading to bed after the long day. I sit on the edge of the double bed in the room Edward and I share. He's in the shower, only a door away from me. My mind wanders to the last time I found myself in this position, and then in various other positions against the shower wall. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
Today was a long day. The men spent most of their time at the river, not too far from the cabin. Charlie wanted to fish, and the boys wanted to learn. I spent most of my day reading and avoiding Alice's questions. How do I explain to her that my plan has worked out perfectly with only one snag? I want to screw the target.
Dinner was grilled fish, not surprisingly. Emmett couldn't stop boasting about the fact that he caught two, whereas Charlie, Jasper and Edward caught none. Charlie's only response was a shrug of the shoulders and a grumble attributing Emmett's catch as beginner's luck. Emmett didn't mind though, nothing could damper that boy's spirits. I like that about him. I resent him for it too.
I was left pondering everything that happened in the kitchen this morning. Things are progressing a lot faster than I ever imagined they would. Shit, I hardly expected them to progress at all. The very last thing on my mind when I entered this arrangement was that Edward and I would be unable to keep our hands to ourselves. I've always been proud of the fact that I could remain level headed no matter what the situation. I was so, so very wrong. And now? Now I have everything I wanted when I first approached Edward, and so much more. And it's the so-much-more part that has me reeling. I can't allow this to go any further when all of it is based on a one-sided lie.
I know I'll lose the opportunity to edit the book if I tell Edward the truth, but the thought of allowing this physical attraction to continue with a lie of such magnitude is something I can't find peace with.
I hear the water turn off from inside the bathroom and the distinct sound of a shower door being opened. I take a deep breath, knowing that I'll have to face him. Knowing that I'll have to come clean sooner rather than later.
My thoughts are interrupted when Edward opens the bathroom door, entering the dimly lit room with only a towel around his waist.
He certainly isn't going to make this easier on me looking like that.
Beads of water run down his perfectly defined pecks from where it's dripping from his wet hair. I allow my eyes to journey down his sculpted abs to where his happy-trail, nestled between that perfect V, disappears into the towel hanging low on his hips. He's so beautiful.
"Yeah, I know you want a piece of this," Edward purrs, causing me to lift my eyes to his. His mouth is pulled into a cocky grin, his eyes alight with mirth. Asshole.
I shrug, feigning indifference. He chuckles. He knows it's a lie.
"Your dad is really serious about fishing." He changes the subject and walks over to the closet where I unpacked his suitcase earlier today. I follow the movement of his butt wrapped in the towel. He gave me a sneak peak of its magnificence a couple of days ago. It's a really, really nice butt. "Thanks for this." He nods at the folded shirts and pants. I nod, trying to hide the blush caused by the memory of sniffing his shirts before I delicately unpacked them.
"Charlie thinks fishing is a real sport," I comment as I follow the lines of his toned back. I'm practically salivating at the mouth as my eyes focus on the two small dents on his lower back. That towel is really hanging on for dear life, I note.
"After today," Edward says with a chuckle, pulling his drawstring pants from a neatly stacked pile and turning towards me, "I tend to agree."
I laugh softly, knowing how tiring it can be when you fish with Charlie. He's a perfectionist.
In a surprising move, Edward flicks his wrist, causing the towel to fall to the floor. He's facing me, completely naked. I swallow thickly as I fight to keep my eyes on his. I remember what Edward looks like down there. If I want to keep my legs closed around this man and my mind clear, I dare not take a peak.
He arches an eyebrow at me in challenge. I deliberately lift a hand to my mouth and fake a yawn, which causes Edward to throw his head back and laugh.
"You really are something else, Miss Swan," he says with a shake of his head, making no move to cover himself.
"You're really nothing out of the ordinary, Mr. Cullen." I know this game. He should know by now that I always win this game. Remember when I told you that I was getting good at lying. Well, I really wasn't lying when I said that – ironic, I know.
"Who are you trying to convince?" He smirks and bends to pull on his pants, keeping his eyes on mine.
"You'll never know, will you?" I reply saucily. If I thought Edward would be less of a threat with his pants on, I was wrong. He looks just as sinfully gorgeous.
"I have my ways to find out." His voice has taken on the same deep rumbling of earlier this morning.
"Are you referring to this morning?" He nods. "All you were able to pull from me this morning was an orgasm, Edward. No deep, underlying secrets."
"Is that a challenge, Bella?" Edward smiles darkly, slowly moving closer to me.
"No, Edward. It's only the truth." I shake my head.
"You're just impossible to please, aren't you?" He sighs in exasperation and stops a safe distance away from me.
"Do you want to please me?" I ask with an arched eyebrow.
He shrugs.
"Then answer my question," I respond.
"I didn't know you asked one," he replies without blinking, his voice sounding slightly annoyed.
"I didn't." I shake my head. "But I do believe you owe me one."
Edward's features light up with realization.
"After this morning, I probably owe you two," he drawls confidently and falls down on the bed beside me, lying on his back, his face covered with his arms.
I have to turn to face him and take the opportunity to enjoy the taut muscles of his arms as he wipes his eyes. Edward is tired. But there will be no sleeping until I have my answer.
"What is the worst thing anyone has ever done to you?" Edward's hands stops mid-wipe, and his body tenses. I need to know the answer to this question before I decide on whether I'm going to tell Edward the truth. It all depends on his response.
He finally drops his hands from his face and stares up at the ceiling pensively.
"My dad lied to me about something for a big part of my life," he answers softly, the humor and arrogance for once absent from his voice. It's replaced by an emotion I never thought I'd hear from him. Bitterness. It's a sound so familiar to me, because I've mastered the emotion. I'm surprised to find how much I hate hearing it in his voice. It doesn't suit him at all, and for a split second, I regret asking.
"About what?" I ask warily, afraid of his response.
He shakes his head and then drops his eyes to mine. "No offense, but hardly anyone knows this about me, and it's not something I feel like sharing with you." His words sting, but I can't blame him. It's obviously still a sore point, and just because of the rules of our little game, it does not grant me full access to his heart's deepest secrets.
I nod.
"Have you forgiven him?" I ask softly, keeping my eyes on his.
"Is this your second question?" he asks wearily.
I nod again.
"Yes. But our relationship has suffered. I don't trust him anymore." His voice is now vacant of any emotion. I don't know what his father lied about, but it must have been something really big to affect Edward this profoundly. It's written all over the lines in his face that I never noticed before now.
I swallow hard.
"Are we done?" I hope not, I respond silently to his question.
I nod.
"Then come here." He beckons me closer with a curl of his finger. I react instantly and move towards his body. Edward reaches for me and pulls me to his side, forcing me to snuggle against his chest.
We are silent as we lay there, each one lost in our own thoughts. Edward probably in thoughts of his father. Me, in thoughts of the lie I've told, and the truth that will reveal itself soon.
Edward's arms release me, and as I'm about to protest, I feel the covers being pulled over us, cocooning us in warmth.
I remain awake even as his breathing turns shallow.
One thing is certain after what he told me tonight. I will have to tell him the truth, and nothing will ever be the same after that.
xoxo
Naughty little chapter, isn't it?
What did you think? Are things progressing as much as you would like them to?
Let me know your thoughts!
With love...
Your Mistress
xoxo