Bella's POV

"Hi, Welcome to Bella's..." I began as the chime over the door rang, my voice trailing off when I looked up to see Alice and Rose walk into the store, their arms loaded with bags. "Hey! What are you guys doing here?" I asked with a smile on my face.

They walked past the few customers I had left in the shop, straight into my office behind me.

"You are getting ready to close up, right?" Alice asked. I nodded, and she continued, "We brought everything we'll need for tonight."

I groaned. "Not Bella Barbie," I whined playfully.

"Oh, yeah." Rose chuckled, holding up some of the bags in her hands. "She even brought all the makeup and hair stuff she'll need to work on you."

Oh goody, I thought sarcastically as I finished checking out my last customer. Still, I knew it was with the best of intentions, and if it made me look sexier, then I supposed it would be worth it.

"Thank you! Have a nice evening, Mrs. Cooke, and please come back soon," I told her, smiling.

The woman, now a regular and familiar customer, smiled and waved before leaving the store. I followed behind her, locked the door, and turned the little sign to Closed. Just then, my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID.

Edward.

"Hi!" I answered cheerfully.

"Hey." I could hear the smile in his voice, and it made me smile in return. "Closing up shop?"

I nodded before I stupidly realized he couldn't see me. "Yes, just locked the doors. Alice and Rose are over. Save me from being Bella Barbie, please!" I said teasingly.

He chuckled. "I would if I could, but Emmett and Jasper are keeping me prisoner." He paused, and I heard yelling in the background. "Sorry, love, I need to go. I need to kick my brother's ass."

I laughed. "What'd he do?"

"The usual sh—"

"Hey, Bella bear!" I heard in the background. "Sorry, Eddie boy's gotta go! He'll see you later," Emmett yelled loudly.

I heard Edward sigh. "If I don't get off the phone, it'll get more and more ridiculous. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Call me if you really need rescuing, and I'll try to—"

Suddenly, I heard a click and then...nothing. I hung up my phone, laughing as I walked into my office after grabbing the drawer from the register.

"I think Emmett stole Edward's phone."

Rose rolled her eyes. "He's in a mood. Been a while since we went dancing, so I think he's just excited."

"Anyway, time to go upstairs," Alice chirped, picking up some of the bags and handing one to me. "Lead the way!"

I locked the office door and then led the way upstairs to my apartment.

~*~CIBD~*~

Almost three hours later, the three of us were primped to within an inch of our lives and ready to go out. The guys had gone and picked up Subway for dinner, and Jasper had brought it over a couple of hours ago. Alice had refused to let Edward do it because she didn't want him seeing me before the club. I'd argued that it wasn't our wedding day, to which there had been squeals that I'd even thought of that. Unfortunately, she'd still refused to budge. After delivering our dinner, the guys had gone over to Rose and Emmett's to get ready.

"Alice," I sighed as she took one more long look at my makeup and hair. "I'm as ready as I'm gonna get. Can we call the guys now, please?"

She laughed and nodded at Rose, who pulled her phone from the clutch strapped to her wrist. "I suppose. You look hot, Bella! My brother isn't gonna know what hit 'im."

I blushed at the attention, but secretly, I had high hopes that she was right.

"Okay, they'll meet us there," Rose said.

"Let's boogie," Alice called, making her way to the door. She held up a keyring with two keys danging from it. "Edward gave me his keys, and we're supposed to take his car."

We piled into Edward's Volvo, which was silver and a year or two older than my own. When Rose started to climb into the back seat, I offered to sit in the back, since I was shorter than she was by quite a bit.

Rose smiled. "Thanks. I've ridden back there before. It's all good." Then she slid into the back, smooth as she could possibly have done it.

After Alice backed away from the curb, I asked, "By the way, where are we going?"

"Eclipse," Rose answered. "It's a hot new club here in town; some friends of ours opened it a few months ago. We've only been once, but it's already quite popular. People come all the way from Seattle to dance and drink." She laughed, shaking her head. "The hotel business has really picked up too, since a lot of people drink and can't drive home."

"Did anyone call Alec and Jane to let them know we were coming tonight?" Alice asked.

Rose said, "Not me, but eh, it won't matter. Felix and Demetri know to let us in when we get there."

I turned in my seat to look at her. "Alec and Jane? Felix and Demetri?"

She chuckled. "Alec and Jane are the brother and sister who own the club. We went to school with them. Demetri is the head of security, and Felix is the head bouncer."

"Oh, Bella! You have to try Jane's famous drink, the Screaming Vampire. She tends bar sometimes when needed and loves to come up with new drinks for the club," Alice said.

"Screaming Vampire?" I gulped. I was kind of a lightweight when it came to hard alcohol, so the name alone kind of frightened me.

"Yeah, some Sparks malt, Skyy vodka, orange juice, and a drop of red food coloring." Alice laughed. "It's not great, but it looks cool."

I shook my head at the thought and then sat back to watch the scenery pass by.

Just five minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript, brick building. There was a small sign on the wall over the door, showing that we were indeed in the right place. A line of people stretched about halfway down the block, and the moment I stepped out of the car, I could hear the sounds of "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas.

Emmett pulled in beside us in Rose's BMW. Jasper got out of the front seat, and then Edward climbed out of the back.

When I stepped out of his Volvo, Edward stared openly. His eyes glazed over as his jaw dropped. I was sure mine mirrored his.

"You look..." I stammered, hardly able to form coherent words. "Wow," I breathed.

He looked amazing. He was gorgeous in his black slacks and black, button-up, long-sleeved dress shirt. There were three buttons undone at the top, and the sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up, revealing strong, muscular forearms. In fact, the overall effect was nearly mind-blowingly sexy.

Edward smirked as he watched me try to speak clearly, and then he smiled. "Trust me, love. The feeling's mutual. You look stunning in that blue."

He took my hand and spun me around slowly, taking in the complete outfit. Alice had decided I didn't have anything appropriate in my closet for going out tonight. She'd bought me a dress, shoes, and was loaning me a matching clutch to carry the essentials.

The black and dark blue patterned dress had an asymmetric hem, a fitted waist, and a flowing skirt. The top of the dress was made of two pieces of fabric that came up over my breasts and crisscrossed in front to tie at the back of my neck. It left a good amount of cleavage showing, and because my breasts were still nice and firm, I could go without a bra easily.

The blue suede pumps with open toe and back zip matched the dress perfectly. I was a bit leery of the three-inch heels, but she swore they were comfortable and the high sides and wide ankle strap would provide plenty of stability to dance. She'd been right about the comfort, but I was still wary of how easily I would be able to dance with them on.

A simple black clutch with silver glitter and wrist strap completed my outfit. My hair was styled simply, and Alice had done my makeup so most of the focus was on my eyes and lips. I knew she'd made me look pretty damn hot, but I was anxious to know what Edward thought.

"You like?" I asked shyly.

"Stunning, Bella," he finally said. "Absolutely, positively sexy. Right now, I'm glad I can't read minds, because I'd have to kill every man who dares to look at you tonight."

"C'mon, you guys," Alice called, taking Jasper's arm. "I wanna dance!"

I started walking toward the end of the line, but Edward took my hand and pulled me in the other direction.

He smiled. "Trust me."

We got to the front of the line and were immediately greeted by the large, dark-haired guy manning the door. The big grin he gave the others in our group seemed at odds with his size and posture, his arms folded across his chest.

"Hey, if it isn't one of my favorite groups of people! Welcome back. Who's this beautiful young lady?" he asked, looking at me.

Edward dropped my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me tightly against his side.

"This is my girlfriend, Bella Swan," he told the man. "Bella, this is Felix."

I smiled timidly. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, honey. You guys go right in. Jane's behind the bar tonight. Alec and Demetri are around someplace." He lifted the rope, and the six of us scooted past the front of the line, into the club.

The music got quite a bit louder as we walked through the door. The dance floor was crowded with people, and most of the tables around the floor were filled. The bar was busy, with a cute guy around our age on one end pouring drinks, and a tiny, almost child-like woman on the other.

"Yo, Jane," Emmett called, loud enough to be heard over the music and crush of people.

The woman looked up and smiled, looking surprised to see the Cullens standing there.

"Hi, guys! Want the usual? Oh, who's your friend?" she asked Edward.

"Jane, this is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is Jane. Yeah, Jane, the usual. Including six vampires, please. We'll find a table."

"Nice to meet you, Bella. What else would you like to drink?"

I thought for a moment. "I'll have a Fuzzy Navel, thanks. Good to meet you, too."

Edward spun us around, and we followed Alice to an empty booth in the back corner. Emmett slid in first, with Rose beside him. Jasper went next, and Alice climbed onto his lap. Finally, Edward sat down and pulled me onto his lap. We watched the crowds dance as we waited for our drinks.

Several minutes later, Jane walked up with a tray full of drinks. She set the tray on the edge of the table and began handing out shot glasses full of the red shots.

"Okay, six shots. Pass 'em around." She waited until all six were in front of us and then grabbed the beer. "Beer for the men. Alice, here's your Spoiled Wench, a Sex on the Beach for Rose, and Bella, your Fuzzy Navel."

"Wow, your drinks sound much more interesting than mine," I mumbled, looking around the table.

"That's okay, Bella..." Alice winked. "We'll get you a Piece of Ass later."

I blushed as Edward chuckled behind me. He leaned forward and whispered into my ear. "If you need a piece of ass, Bella, I'll definitely volunteer."

His quiet words, breathed across the shell of my ear, sent shivers down my spine, and I felt my face grow even warmer.

"Let me know if you need anything," Jane said and then grinned before picking up the empty tray and moving back across the floor towards the bar.

"Okay, on the count of three, everyone down the shot," Alice trilled.

Edward scooted mine closer to me, and we both picked up our shots. As soon as Alice counted to three, I tilted the little glass all the way back and drained the drink quickly.

"Oh, shit, that's nasty," I cried softly.

The rest of the group laughed.

"I told you, it's not great, but it looked cool!" Alice smirked.

We sat for a few minutes, listening to the music and drinking, until Rose finally said, "Come on, babe, let's dance." She shoved at Emmett's shoulder to move him out of her way.

Emmett drained the rest of his beer and slid out of the booth, holding his hand out for Rose, who took it and stood, following behind him out on to the floor. Alice and Jasper quickly followed them, leaving only Edward and me at the table.

"Dance with me?" he asked softly in my ear.

I nodded and moved from his lap to stand beside the table. Edward flipped up the Reserved sign Jane had brought with the drinks so no one would grab our table and then stood up beside me. He held my hand and led me out to the dance floor. I was already nervous because of my teetering blue heels and my natural lack of coordination. Making matters worse, the music was a thumping club beat I knew I'd never danced to before. I sat in my car and sang along with that kind of music, but I didn't have a clue on how to dance to it.

"Are you sure you wanna dance to this?" I asked, hoping maybe he would want to sit this one out.

I looked over at the other couples with longing. They were dancing, draped on each other, looking so fluid and effortless. I truly wished I could do that, but I didn't see me succeeding, much less staying on my feet.

Edward turned and tugged me forward. I stumbled, landing against his chest and looking up at him. His eyes were twinkling with merriment. He'd planned that very move, I could tell.

"See, sweetheart? The farthest you're gonna fall is here," he murmured with a gentle smirk and a quirk of his eyebrow. "That's not too bad, is it?"

I smiled back at him. "I know. I'm just not a very good dancer."

"No, that's not true," he said, moving his hands to my shoulders. "You just haven't had the best partners. Poor leaders, poor dancing. It's all in the leading, remember?"

I smiled at him, feeling more graceful simply hearing what he said. He had that effect on me.

"Now, I have two extra things going for me. I happen to be a good leader," he said, smiling again, "and I really wanna dance with you. So step closer and hold my hands."

I held his hands and began the same gentle step-touch rhythm he was doing. I felt I had the rhythm of the song down—I could feel the thrumming beat in my body. Edward moved his hands closer up the length of my forearms, stepping closer in intervals. Soon, my hands were resting on his shoulders, his were on my low back, and I was swaying with him.

He took a step even closer, his thigh coming to rest in between mine. Never losing the beat, I widened my stance, allowing him to come closer. I couldn't get close enough to him.

He leaned forward, his forehead nearly brushing against mine. I could feel his warm breath against my face, his strong hands holding my ass, his hard thigh pressed against my softness. The music pulsed, echoing the pulsing in my heart, my veins, my core.

At that moment, he closed the gap between us and caught my lips with his. The kiss was soft, but strong...and breathtakingly beautiful. I couldn't concentrate; I could only move to the crescendo of the music and be swept away by the heat of his kiss. The tips of my breasts rose, aching against the soft fabric of my dress. I wanted so much more from him.

He lifted his mouth from mine, and I whimpered from the loss. When he looked down at me, his were dark, hooded, and hot. He cupped my ass harder, moving me up higher onto his thigh. I was nearly lifted off the floor, resting, swaying against the hard muscle of his thigh.

"Oh, Bella," he breathed, capturing my mouth again.

He brought one hand up to my waist before slowly trailing up my ribcage to cup my breast. I didn't care that we were on a crowded dance floor; I needed to feel him squeeze me more than I needed breath.

His thumb brushed over my nipple, causing me to moan against his mouth. When he pinched the tip between his thumb and forefinger, I started to throb with an intensity I'd never felt before. I knew I was about to come; I was shaking, my breath coming in shuddering gasps.

Edward moved both hands to my bottom again and pushed me rhythmically against his thigh, never breaking the beat of the music, and I came, my head falling back with the intensity of the spasms overtaking me. I stood there, trembling in his arms. I could barely keep my eyes open.

Edward moved his thigh out from between mine and held me close to him, supporting me against his chest. "The music's stopped," he murmured against my hair.

I looked up, and he smiled down at me. He pretended to be nonchalant, but I could feel the heat and hardness of his cock pressing against my belly as he held me. I wasn't the only one who was turned on by our dancing.

Just then, I felt two hands grab my arms and tug me gently away from Edward. Alice's normally loud voice was as quiet as it could be and still be heard above the new song coming from the speakers.

"Bella, bathroom, now," she hissed.

Rose just chuckled from beside her as they led me away.

The girls pulled me into the bathroom. After making sure no one else was in there with us, Rose stood with her back against the door. She was going to prevent anyone else from coming inside, apparently.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. If I had to pick a word to describe the way I looked at the moment, it would be satisfied: my cheeks were flushed from the orgasm I'd had against Edward's thigh, my lips slightly swollen from his kisses, and my eyes were hooded with sexual satisfaction.

"Bella!" Alice laughed. "You do realize you just came against my brother's thigh in the middle of a crowded dance floor, right?"

Nodding mutely, I looked at Alice and Rose in the mirror before turning to face them. "Did, uh...did everyone see?" I felt my face heat.

Rose laughed. "Don't worry about it, Bella. We've all done that before. There were only a few people who noticed. Trust me, those that did see it happen couldn't care less."

"Promise?" I squeaked.

"I promise," Rose assured me. "Now come on. Let's go dance some more! We need to show the boys how it's done."

Alice squealed and grabbed my hand, leading me to the door when I hesitated. "We'll show you some of our favorite moves, Bella, don't worry!"

~*~CIBD~*~

An hour and a half later, my feet were beginning to hurt, but I was having the time of my life. The girls had indeed shown me their moves, and I'd danced and laughed with them before Edward had pulled me away to dance with him again. I'd ended up dancing with both Jasper and Emmett, and the lot of us had danced in a big group several times, too.

I was just about to tell Edward I needed a break, when Alice and Rose pulled their men over to us.

Alice shouted, "Shots! Jasper, come with me!"

We made our way back to our booth and slid in, much like we'd all been sitting before. I could still feel Edward's hard cock trapped between us as I sat on his lap. He groaned softly when I gave my hips a little extra wiggle to get comfortable.

"Bella, I will not be held responsible for my actions if you keep doing that. Be still," he whispered, his breath warm against my neck.

Several minutes later, Alice and Jasper slid into the booth across from us, with Alice on his lap. Alec followed not far behind with a tray full of little shot glasses. After introducing himself to me and saying hello to the rest of the group, he left the tray on the table and went back to help Jane behind the bar.

"Jesus, Alice," Emmett said loudly, snorting into a laugh. "How much are you planning on us drinking? There must be fifteen shots there!"

"There are three for each of us, except for you and Edward, since you're driving," Alice explained patiently. "You guys only get one."

Emmett shook his head. "So I was off by one. What'd you get?"

Alice smirked and looked directly at me before beginning to hand out the shots. "This is a Blow Job, Bella. It's got Bailey's Irish Cream and amaretto. It's one of Jasper's favorite shots."

We all laughed as Jasper nodded and winked at her. "Hell yeah, babe, you know I love a good Blow Job."

When I tossed back my own shot, I swallowed and thought for a moment. "Well, that was definitely better than the one earlier." A warm feeling was beginning to build low in my belly, and my head was getting a little fuzzy. I was feeling good. "Next, please!"

Everyone grinned as Alice gave out the next shot.

"This is a Slow Comfortable Screw," she explained. "Sloe gin, Southern Comfort, and orange juice."

I drank that one quickly and nodded. "That's good," I said, licking my lips. "It's good for you, too! It's got orange juice!"

~*~*~CIBD~*~*~

Edward's POV

Bella's next words sent a flash of lust from my ears to my cock, making me even harder than I already was.

"I love a slow, comfortable screw, Edward," she said as she turned toward me. She obviously meant to whisper the words, but the alcohol was beginning to have an effect.

My family hid their laughter behind their hands, barely concealing their amusement.

I nuzzled the spot beneath her ear and whispered, "I'll remember that, love."

We talked for a few minutes, letting the first two shots settle, and then Alice handed out the last shot.

"Bella, I chose this last one just for you," Alice teased. "A Screaming Orgasm."

I could tell Bella thought she should be embarrassed, but her inhibitions were definitely lowered by all the shots and the peach drink she'd had.

She grinned. "Damn straight. I like a screaming orgasm."

As soon as Bella downed her last shot, she collapsed back against me, relaxed and boneless. She was still awake, but clearly feeling no pain. Alice wasn't much better as she leaned against Jasper. Emmett and I were able to hold our liquor much better than Bella, who was a newbie to drinking, and Alice, who was just a tiny little thing. We hadn't had quite the amount they'd had, either.

I looked around the table and laughed. "I think it's time to go home. C'mon, Bella. Time to get the princess to bed."

She stayed slumped against me as I slid from the booth with her in my arms. We waved goodbye to Jane and Alec, and then I helped her walk, a little unsteadily, to the car.

The others piled into Rose's BMW, with Emmett behind the wheel, as I helped Bella into the passenger seat of my car. She waved when Emmett honked as he pulled away.

"I had fun," Bella mumbled, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes.

I smiled, reaching over to take her hand. "I did, too."

When I parked in front of the store, I climbed out and then went around to get Bella out. She was so relaxed and sleepy that she barely yelped when I scooped her into my arms to carry her up the stairs. With my help, she got her keys out of her little purse. Once I'd unlocked the door, I carried her into the bedroom, making a stop in the kitchen first. When I set her down, she was unsteady on her feet, so I gently pushed at her shoulder until she sat back on the bed.

"Stay there, love. I'm gonna find something for you to wear to sleep in," I said as I moved away.

I walked to the dresser and pulled out a T-shirt, which would work as pajamas.

"Edward," Bella whispered loudly. "I feel funny. My head is fuzzy."

Moving back to her quickly, I asked, "Do you feel sick, Bella?"

She shook her head. "Nope," she said, to my relief. "Just fuzzy. I'm all warm and fuzzy."

I chuckled. "That's good." I shook out two of the Tylenol and handed them and a glass of water to her. "Take these, and drink all the water. Hopefully, you shouldn't have a headache in the morning."

Bella swallowed the medicine, along with a big gulp of the water. Once she finished the entire cup, she handed it back to me. "Mmm, you take such good care of me, Edward. I love you," she said, her words slurring a bit.

Although I was stunned at her admission, I knew now was not the time to react to it. I simply smiled, kissed her cheek, and then said, "Let's get you changed now so you can get some sleep."

I carefully undressed her, enjoying the view as I removed her dress and bra. She raised her hands playfully as I slid the T-shirt on. Once she was re-dressed, I pulled off her shoes, moved her up on the bed, and tucked her into the covers.

By the time I brushed her hair away from her forehead, she was sound asleep, snoring softly.

Quietly, I wrote a quick note to tell Bella to call me when she woke up. I kissed her forehead and then left the apartment and stumbled home.

Bed was sounding pretty damn good at the moment. After kicking off my shoes, I sat heavily on the edge of the mattress.

Thoughts were swimming through my head. My Bella had said she loved me. Sure, she was floating in a sea of alcohol, but I believed she was clearheaded enough to know what she was saying. If she'd been completely sober, I doubt she'd have told me when or how she had, but just because her inhibitions were lowered, it didn't mean she wasn't telling the truth.

I ran my hand through my hair as I marveled at the thought of Bella really loving me as much as I loved her. The more I learned of her past, the more I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and shield her from all the hurt and pain this cruel world could cause. She was an incredibly strong, smart, and beautiful woman, and any man would be lucky to be the recipient of her love.

I only had one thought left in my head as I slid under the covers, my body and mind finally weary enough to sleep.

Was I good enough to deserve her love?