Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, quotes, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners and are simply used under 'fair use'. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is for legally recognized adults.
Authors Note: Hey all, here's 3. Everything that needs to be known regarding the standing of this story here on FF is posted in the AN of chapter 1, please take a glimpse there before asking me anything, I repeat; I'm on the road so accessing the sites are very difficult, I haven't been able to reply to some of the messages/questions.
I should have more chapters done and posted tomorrow. The chapters aren't being fully beta'd, simply polished. Considering I was forced to repost this story anyway, I figured I may as well edit the stuff now so that I don't have to come back to it at a later stage (again I repeat, I'm not changing the story/plot, check the Authors Note on Ch1). I'm improving whatever I felt I did wrong the first time round, it's for my peace of mind mind and I hope you can respect that? It's also because I'm trying to cater for the people who requested that I remain here on FF because it's convenient for them. As I mentioned before, there's a promotion at work that I have a good shot at and I'm focused there right now, I can't change that. It's not the most convenient of times writing wise but if I get it it improves things life wise and I'm certain all of you can relate to that need. Take comfort in knowing 13 is done, translation, this story is being continued, it will be posted with 12, 12 will be posted once I find time, between meetings, presentations, targets and travelling, to read over and edit the chapter. I'm sorry, it just is. As mentioned on my profile on 4 June 2012, I've got a pdf of D&D's draft 12 chapters on my blog for whoever wanted to read them after I pulled the chapters.
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my stuff, it means a lot to me and I promise to keep bringing you more. To everyone who extends their love, I love you, you make writing for you an absolute pleasure *hugs*. A back up, of D&D is posted on TWCS, that is where I will be backing up all my stories, my name is KittyTylz. I'm keeping everyone updated on my Twitter because it's easiest while I'm travelling, follow (a t) KatieA_Tyler or go to my website blog and click on the Twitter widget to read the last tweet made. As always, love to JustJJ and awesomella, for being amazing. Lots of love till tomorrow, Kat.
Dash and Dine
*~*~* Chapter Three – Running in Circles *~*~*
'Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself,
And so shall starve with feeding.' (William Shakespeare)
By right, I shouldn't remember any of this.
I was too young when it happened. And yet, I remembered it all too well when I slept...
Almost every night the dream came, and when it did, it was a battle that I fought alone. Willing myself stop each and every time, to never make it a reality. To fight away the demons, and stay whole, so that I could win this battle… Stay alive. Every time, I would wake and come so close to losing...
It was the same dream.
I was running out my room in La Push. I'm not sure why the dream always started from there. I hadn't been at the Blacks house when it had happened.
I was at home, my home in Forks, cowering under the comforter in my bed.
Somehow though, my subconscious always threw me to La Push. Almost as if it, poetically wanted to torture me. Make me see myself leave the safety of where I am now and go back to be slaughtered by the demons of my past.
Everything blurred into a haze. With each step I took, I morphed back into the scared little girl of long-ago.
I could hear six-year-old Jake. He yelled after me, asking where I was going. But I couldn't stop to answer him. I had no time.
I had to keep moving.
Dad needed me.
In a subliminal way, I could feel the burn in my chest and the tightening in my lungs as I raced through the dark, dank, forest in the dead of night.
The moss covered earth seemed angry at me. It didn't sooth my aching feet as I ran, instead it pierced me through the soles of my shoes. Stabbing me for every stab Charlie was being dealt at the house.
My sides hurt, and my chest heaved, but I couldn't stop. Not when I was needed. I could imagine in my child like mind, that my happy, lovable father was waiting for me in that house.
Breaking through the tree's I saw it. The pale white wood of my home. The place where I was destined to die...
Then suddenly, I wasn't three anymore. I lay in bed, in place of the scared little three-year-old girl. It was me that heard the shouts and curses in the other room as clear as day. Like it was happening right there in that moment, instead of 13 years ago...
As my sixteen-year-old self, I heard as my mother spewed out her venom. Slandering every relationship that held her to Forks. Ominously cursing the birth of her child… my birth, my future, my father, his life… Ridiculing his every sacrifice ever made for us. I was lying in bed taking it all in, and this time, I wasn't cowering under the covers like I did when I was three. Here, at sixteen, I was serenely praying for the sweet escape that death would bring me. Staring at the blood spot on the crisp white comforter, as it grew fervently. More and more, scarlet blood pooled out the clean incision on my wrist. I watched the crimson nectar ardently. A numbness coming over me… drip for drip… blood for blood… watching as she leaked out of me...
Usually, that was where the dream would end.
I would shut my eyes forever in my dreams, and awake in a cold sweat in reality. Covered head to toe in issues that constantly fought against me. Not this time though.
As my subconscious awaited the moment that I would eternally shut my eyes to my dream life, I watched as a dark figure materialized out of nowhere. Leaning over and towering over my frail form on the bed, it shadowed me, and picked up my body.
My blood marred hands fell limply to my sides, while my body was held securely in its arms. The scarlet pool on the comforter began to shrink. Appearing to gravitate to the center. Disappearing into a blotch, before turning into absolute nothingness. Leaving only pure, crisp, white on the bed.
The blood trailed from the bed to my finger tips… then my bruised wrist… then up to my deep cut.
A river running backwards.
Blood leaking into a wound.
The last drop disappeared into reforming flesh, and in its wake it left nothing but pure, unbroken, pristine skin.
The little pulse visible under the translucent membrane of my wrist was unfathomable to me, but still it only grew stronger.
Hazy-eyed, I saw everything happening in slow motion. I turned to the figure.
"Edward?..."
"Bells? You okay?"
Sam's voice snapped me out of my reverie.
That was the dream haunting me from last night, and parked outside Edward's restaurant, knowing he was inside, I couldn't help recalling it.
I'd been sitting here staring at the place, filled with trepidation for probably over fifteen minutes now. Why the hell would he of all people show up in my dream? How could the dream change so much?
It made no sense.
"You don't have to do this, you know." Sam's voice was dead serious. By his eyes I could tell that he was hoping to God I'd just say yes, so that he could get me the fuck out of here.
But that wasn't really an option for me was it?
Shaking my head, I turned to him. "Sorry, Sam I just spaced out a bit, I'm fine though." Leaning forward and placing feather light kisses of reassurance on his and Paul's cheeks, I climbed out the Hurricane, bracing myself to leave.
Paul had been nothing if not a hero with regards to this whole mess. Keeping to his word, he had come with Sam to pick me up, and made sure that Seth and Jake were as a far away as possible from this whole thing.
Jared hadn't returned since last night, and right now, we didn't really have much time to worry about it.
Shutting the door I turned back one last time and placed my palms on the open window. Both their dark brown eyes were filled with angst, but Paul gave a simple nod, telling me it was okay.
"I'll be fine, I promise. If there's any hint, even a slight one, of trouble, I call you guys." I smiled reassuringly.
"Keep that phone on you at all times, understood." Paul spoke firmly, reminding me that there were no two ways about this.
Nodding in understanding I stepped away from the Hurricane.
"Be careful Bee," he says, and with those parting words riding hard in my belly I walked towards the restaurant.
They watched me disappear before they peeled out the street, getting out of the Shadow Fang territory.
With the knowledge that they would only go as far as they needed to, I took a deep breath, tamping down my nerves as I took a tentative step into my self-imposed hell.
"Gee," I hear a sarcastic voice say and nearly jump out of my skin, "we were wondering when you were going to get out and grace us with your presence."
Spinning around to find the source, I find James and gulp because he's not alone. He may be the only one speaking but he's lounging at the bar counter with Jasper, Emmett and a few others.
They're all looking directly at me, but what worries me is that right beside them is Edward Cocky Cullen himself and he doesn't bother to even glance in my direction.
They looked a bit banged up, but not as bad as the Wolves are. Just bruises, and little cuts, here and there.
Seemingly disinterested, Edward leaned casually against the liquor stand. His stance nonchalant, but even in this leisurely state, you could see he was fully alert. The ultimate predator, as he flicked a switchblade, skillfully and easily, in his nimble long fingers.
As if sensing my stare, he chuckled but still kept his dark eyes down, focused on the spinning blade.
With a condescending smirk on his face, he continued fiddling with it, as his rich emerald orbs finally raised to acknowledge me. His penetrating gaze devouring me.
Now, his stare refused to break from mine. Holding me, locking me, to the spot.
The flickering light that bounced off the blade as it span, hit his piercing eyes, causing them to flash quite literally.
"Yeah, I was just about to come and get you." He quipped, adding to James earlier statement. Edward's words, however, despite their lowness were dead serious.
He voice caused a hot flush to hit my body, as I involuntarily gulped. Fighting back a shudder, I stepped further into the restaurant, refusing to let him know he intimidated me.
"Come and get me?" My mouth gets the better of me. "It's a thirty second walk. I think I can manage it myself!"
Edward raised a brow and his faithful sidekicks sniggered.
"Thirty seconds?" he quips, furrowing his brows, just below his bronze mess of hair, in a condescending fashion. "Then, what?" He tilts his head to the side and smirks tauntingly, "It took twenty minutes to build up enough nerve to walk into the big bad Shadow Fang territory?"
"No." I snap, annoyed, before I can think it through.
He watches with amusement as I rein it in, and drop my voice to a more 'polite' level.
"Can we get to business?" I ask, deciding to move ahead and get this over with as quickly as possible.
"Sure anima gemella." He grins crooked, giving me a daring look as he kicks himself off the alcohol stand and saunters forward, bracing his elbows on the black counter top of the bar waiting for me.
Having no choice, I take tentative steps forward, and stop just short of where the Shadow Fangs are.
Though they still lounge in their slouched nonchalant positions, I can feel their eyes on me, enjoying the fact that I'm squirming.
Edward cleared his throat and my head flew up. Thrown by his close proximity, I stuttered and gaped, transfixed at him. He chuckled, clearly loving the reaction my disloyal body seemed to have to him, and to the side of us, I could just almost hear the below the breath sniggers of his gang.
"Now Bella, you really need to get used to me." His deep velvet voice was sultry and ever so promising. "We're going to be working very closely together."
His eyes sparkled with amusement as I, ironically, took a step back upon hearing his words, causing throaty chuckles to erupt from the Fangs.
"Takes orders exceptionally well, this one," came the slightly southern accent of Jasper. His words were sarcastic, his light chuckle continuing even when he spoke.
"I don't take orders from anyone!" I bit out, looking up and narrowing my eyes at him. My words had no effect on them whatsoever. A slight shiver ran down my spine as I stared at them. Even when amused everything about them screamed danger and I was right in the lion's den.
"But that's where you're wrong, love," Edward said cynically. "You do take orders." He placed his palm flat against the counter top and smoothly leapt over. Landing lithely on his feet, a hairsbreadth before me. So close that when I gasped, I could taste him on my tongue.
Electricity was crackling in the air as he leaned closer to me.
"From me," he hissed with a satisfied smirk, looking me dead in the eye. "For the next month, I'm your boss."
Dropping my gaze, I kept my eyes trained on the dark sneakers adorning his feet. My pulse was hammering in my ears, but somehow, I still managed to hear his next words and it travelled all the way to my core.
"You should've just taken the date anima gemella."
My eyes snapped up to his. They were a torrent of emotions; fire and rage, burning bright in the undertones, but right now, he wasn't looking at me. No, just off the top of my head, something held his hard gaze.
"This place open for business, yet?"
I turned towards the new voice and caught sight of a stumpy man standing at the entrance. He was dressed to the nines but had a funny look in his eyes as he smiled crudely at me.
"Nice service…" My hairs bristled as he brazenly pointed at me, "Which is her section?"
I shivered as a low, feral, growl reverberated from behind me.
"Get the fuck out." Edward hissed. He didn't raise his voice, he didn't do anything… but speak. Low, dangerous, calmness… It was all he needed to do.
His returned to me attention to me. I was staring ahead, wondering what the hell just happened, but apparently, he couldn't care less about retaliation from the man. He seemed to already know what would happen next. And turns out he was right.
The man didn't have to be told twice. With one look at the thug beside me, he bolted straight out the door.
I gawked at the vacant doorway, my jaw slack.
What the hell?
Turning to face Edward, he seemed unaffected by any of it.
"She's going to be behind the bar." Edward spoke out to his guys.
"But they're short a waitress?" one of them inquired.
"It doesn't matter." Edward snapped. "She works the bar." He completed with such finality, no one seemed to dare go against it.
Me, included!
Lowering the harshness in his voice, he turned away from them back to me, and continued speaking, his words were calculatedly calm. "Behind the counter. In my sight at all times, okay love?" his eyes smirked, teasingly daring me to say, no.
Considering he was my boss, I fought against everything in me that told me to run to the police station and write out the bloody permanent record out myself, and simply nodded...
Note to self, Edward Cullen may be sexy as death, but he is with a dangerous temper.
He chuckled at my muted state. "Scared anima gemella?" he asked, cocking his head to the side, his eyes still magnificently lethal.
The new cut just above his left brow, courtesy of last night's fight, only heightened the effect it had on me. Leaning forward he blew out a breath against my face, sweet warm and sultry as he spoke leaving me hot and flustered.
"I thought I told you not to be." His voice was intentionally lower than usual… an effortless sexy breath to my ears, and my body quivered as he ran a finger along the contours of my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Curving his fingers around my right wrist, they danced on my pulse point, and I blushed furiously when he smirked at me, feeling the erratic rhythm of it.
What was wrong with me?
For God's sakes Bella, you're here to avoid a permanent record! Not get a permanent resting place! And that's where your headed if you don't focus!
He's a Shadow Fang, the Wolves will have a heart attack, and then come back and kick your ass, right before the Chief does!
Fiercely pulling my hand away, I glowered at him. "Look, I don't want to be here," I hissed with my eyes narrowed at him, "and I'm sure you have better things to do, like terrorize the damn town. So let's get to the specifics so I can go on enjoying the tortures of the next month."
I'm not sure where the verbal vomit came from, but it was out there now, and I couldn't take it back.
"Bit of a masochist, aren't you?" Edward's eyes danced with mirth when I instinctively took a step away from him, trying to create a gap between us, as he stared down towering over me. "No need to run anima gemella, you won't get far." He chuckled, guaranteeing it easily.
I halted mid-step.
Cocking his head to the side like a hunter, he watched as my gaze darted to the door then back to him. He was light on his feet, I wouldn't make it two steps in the direction of the exit before he was on me.
He seemed to know that too and moved back towards the counter, hopping over it as easily as he had the first time. Landing on his feet with the grace of a panther, he walked to the far end of the bar. "Isabella," he said my name as he stopped at the corner of the bar, there was a door there that I hadn't noticed before. A sinister grin spread across the perfection that was his face, and he crooked his index finger at me, beckoning me forward, in a come-hither fashion.
I gulped thickly, due to both, his gaze and the knowledge that I had to walk around the counter and past his 'friends' in order to get to the door.
Unless, of course, I wanted to hop the counter too?
Yeah right!
My inner voice scoffed at me. Shuffling one foot in front of the other, my legs propelled me forward.
Walking past the Fangs proved to be harder than I thought it would've been. They did nothing to ease the tension, remaining as they were, they never bothered to remove their stare from me. Their amused wicked eyes followed me. That was all they had to do. Danger alarms went off, and peril rolled off them in waves, merely by the air that they exuded.
Finally, coming to a stop around the counter to face Edward, the feeling of dread only seemed to amplify by a thousand fold as I stood in front of him.
I didn't know how I was going to survive being around them for a month. What scared me above all else was the pull I seemed to feel towards Edward, despite the extreme fear of him.
It was utterly ridiculous. But there it was. Palpable in the air, the sexual tension that seemed to churn with the dark, dangerous, undertones of this male, set every fiber of my being alight.
"This way, Bella." I could catch hints of laughter in his voice as he directed me to the room through the door.
My eyes snapped up to meet his amused gaze. "Huh?" I asked intelligently, looking up at him.
Tipping his head toward the door he was holding open, apparently for a while, whilst I zoned out, he motioned for me to step through.
"Right." I mumbled and bee-lined into the room, making sure that I made no physical contact with him whatsoever.
I heard his chuckle reverberate from deep within his chest as he shut the door behind us with a click. Feeling his gaze on me the entire time, I kept my eyes fixed on my denim converse, when he came to stand in front of me. Leaning against the sleek granite desk, he crossed his long legs in front of him and waited for me to stop that.
Unable to take the tension anymore, I gave in and looked up.
There he stood, casual as ever, studying me and biding his time, waiting until I spoke to him.
"What?" I asked. It came out too breathy to be a demand, even though that had been what I was aiming for. But I couldn't help it. It was because of the way he was looking at me. He was dangerous and I knew that. I'd have to be blind to not know it! Yet those eyes set me ablaze, he set me ablaze. He was the most intricate puzzle I'd ever come across. Constantly shrouded in mystery, a threatening air never leaving him, yet there was a magnetic pull I felt towards him. It kept pulling me back even when I knew I should be running as fast as I could in the opposite direction.
He knew exactly what he was doing to me, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was doing it to me intentionally.
"You're going to be working 5 days a week, 12 till 7." He said in a business manner, but his voice was the only thing that seemed 'business like' at all, as he leaned slightly closer into me. "Weekends are compulsory," he went on, ignoring me when I huffed trying to argue with him, "Once you get started back at school, your hours will drop and we'll rework your schedule to fit around your school one. You'll be behind the bar." He repeated, this time looking behind me.
Involuntarily I followed his gaze, and caught what he meant earlier. 'Behind the counter. In my sight at all times, okay love?', the words rang in my head, making more sense now than it had then. The expanse of the wall I was looking at from his office was covered in two way glass, allowing a visual of entire the bar area and most of the restaurant.
Jesus, could this place get anymore chic?
I was so engrossed in staring at the fanciful wall, that I didn't notice him step up right behind me.
"You'll get the same rate as the others—" His breath danced down, from my head to my neck, as he spoke and my body jolted in reaction.
Spinning around in shock, I turned to face him.
He was the picture of innocence as he continued speaking, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was enjoying himself on the inside. "— $10 an hour, excluding tips." he completed.
My eyes must've bugged out with glee.
Holy shit! Now I could do some serious damage with that!
The corner of his lips twitched into a crooked amused smirk, as he caught my piranha grin and probably the 'Ka Ching' dollar signs that were spinning in my eyeballs Vegas style. But I couldn't care less! $70 a day? Not bad! Not bad, at all! It was ringing like a song in my head.
"Any questions?" he asked, cocking a brow and biting back his smirk with raw determination to not laugh, burning in his eyes.
"They said you're short a waitress. Why am I bartending?" I asked genuinely interested.
He smirked, looking directly at me and then darting his eyes to the two way mirror. His gaze landing on the exact spot that the stumpy man had been standing on, moments ago. "I've already got a lot of deaths on my belt anima gemella. Let's try not to add on anymore, 'k?" He spoke teasingly, though I knew better than to think he was joking.
Chuckling at my shocked face that was paling drastically as his words sank in, he watched as I hurriedly tried to exit his office.
"Where are you going?" he asked cutting me off in a split second.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him, frozen to the spot. The smirk on his face was condescending and his eyes intense as he held my wide eyed stare, towering over me in every way imaginable. His close proximity completely threw me, sending chills up and down my spine, thrilling me more than just mere fear could.
I was speechless, my head a mess of unintelligible thoughts. To work, I wanted to say but I knew it would come out as more of question than a statement. I didn't know how this man managed to do these things to me, but sweet Jesus, he was going to be the death of me!
He took in my gaping, frozen stance, and his smirk turned into an earth shattering crooked grin. His eyes danced with mischief as he took a slow, deliberate, predatory, step towards me. I was still staring, I knew I was, but my eyes refused to tear away from him. He was glorious, even if he was shrouded in darkness. His green orbs flashed with amusement but they were so intense… he looked like he wanted to devour me.
Taking an instinctive step back, I gulped and he raised his brow as if in challenge. I could practically hear his voice in my head asking, 'What's the matter, Bella? Nervous?'
His footsteps were light against the wooden floor as he slowly advanced on me. A gentle thump with every step, but it amplified and reverberated in my blood stream, pounding loudly in my ears as I kept backing away from him.
"Stay still Bella," he demanded in a low whisper.
My back came into contact with his desk, halting my escape and jerking me slightly in his direction.
His arms encircled me, not making contact with my skin but instead going to brace himself, by his strong iron arms, on the desk top. The tension was thick as I looked at him. So close, yet so far. Everything in me was screaming for contact. Just one touch. It was like he knew what was going on in my head. Like he wanted to torture me, make me yearn for his touch.
"Kiss me." He spoke, low and even, looking at me with dark jade eyes, only a rim of light green now left visible.
"Wh— What?" I stuttered, unable to back away as I was caged against his desk.
"Kiss. Me." He repeated slowly, keeping me locked in his gaze. "I want your lips on mine, now."
My body shocked me as wetness pooled between my legs, a fire burning in my belly down to my core. I'd never experienced feelings like this before. My head told me I should stop this, but my body refused to react in accordance.
"I told you not to be scared." He continued his slow burn torture on me. His broad, tense, shoulders moving forward ever so slightly to claim the expanse of space between us, but still he made no physical contact with me.
My eyes ghosted away from his intense emerald orbs to the light red flesh of his soft lips, watching in fascination as he pronounced each word.
"This is sexual harassment you know?" I said, still looking at his lips.
I watched hypnotized as they pulled into a grin, chuckling. His scent hit me like an aphrodisiac of the Gods. His pink tongue ghosted out, quickly swiping at his plump lip, wetting it and causing it to glisten deliciously. I gasped in fascination as he almost licked mine, we were standing so close.
"Who's harassing you?" he asked rhetorically, his eyes devilishly condescending, before crashing his lips to mine.
I squealed as the heat of his flesh connected with my own in a searing kiss. It was rough and consuming, causing my brain to shut off and my instincts to take over.
My lips off their own accord moved against his, allowing him to dominate them. My breaths were coming in gulps as my lips danced with his, leaving my mouth involuntarily opened to him. His tongue snaked out, running along the rims of my bruised lips, toying with me, and building up my anticipation, before inching forward as if to capture my tongue, but stopping short. A feral dance. His tongue snuck into the confides of my mouth, getting in deep as possible, he erotically drew a line with the tip across my own, from the back to the front before pulling out completely and smirking at me when my eyes snapped open.
"Don't want to harass you, now do I?" He grinned condescendingly, drinking me in flustered and incoherent in front of him.
My hazy eyes zoned in on the bruised flesh of his lips, as they pulled into his crooked grin. The skin stretching across the cut he'd sustained last night, almost reopening after my attack on him mere seconds ago. His dark green calculating eyes watched my movements closely and I could feel the electricity crackle as he observed me stare at his cut up lip and suck on my own unblemished one. Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I sucked hard on the flesh, my eyes still refusing to look away from his injured lower one as the unnatural need to suck on his wound consumed me.
A rap at the door caught our attention before I could break the trance and retort. Without him answering, the door swung open and I jumped away from him as reality sank in.
"What?" he yelled over his shoulder, not bothering to see who it was.
A tall, slim, girl, with dark shoulder length hair, stopped abruptly at the doorway, noticing the scene in the office.
"Sorry Boss, didn't know you were busy? Emmett, said to ask you if I should order more beer. I'll... just... go..." she said, eyeing me curiously before quickly turning to leave.
Ignoring her ramble, he grinned at me and spoke in a business manner, without turning to face her. "Stephenie, say hello to, Isabella." Not breaking eye contact, he continued, somehow fully aware that she had stopped and turned back to us, at his voice.
Self assured bastard.
"She's working the bar with you." He spoke precisely, all the while holding me to the spot with his unwavering stare.
Despite the smirk tainting his stance with an arrogant air, his eyes held mystery, watching me like a hawk and unraveling layers of things I wanted and needed to keep hidden. Like the urge I felt to kiss him again. I had to get out of there. And I had to get out of there now.
"Show her the ropes." He ordered and that was my out.
Not looking at him once, I maneuvered around his body knowing he wouldn't follow, but feeling his irritation roll off him in waves the entire time as he watched me running away from him without him asking me to leave yet. I felt his questioning gaze on me up until I reached the front of the office.
"Sure thing." The girl said over my shoulder to him, before turning her attention to me and smiling. "I'm Stephenie," she restated in a puzzled but pleasant tone.
I returned her smile, hastily walking towards the door, making an effort to ignore Edward's presence behind me that I could feel burning a hole into my back.
I had no idea why he was simply letting me walk out of there, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to question it. The larger the distance between me and him, the better! My brain refused to work rationally when he was around. My mind screamed at me the entire time. Even as Stephenie and I exited, I could feel him watching me but I refused to turn around.
I'm here to avoid a permanent record. I chastised myself. And for fucks sakes, I'm with the Wolves! From here on out its business! I ordered myself, even though no part of my being seemed to swear to it in response.
"So, Isabella is it?" Stephenie asked me as we made our way around the counter.
"Yup." I answered, popping the 'p', still a bit hazy after the scene in Edward's office. Shaking my head, I made a bigger effort to snap out of it. "But I prefer, Bella." I said, sounding vaguely more lucid to myself.
"Bella, it is then." She agreed friendlily. "But you've gotta call me Stef in return. Sooo, I've gotta restock the place," she gestured to the alcohol. "You can clean up the counter for me till then." She grinned and handed me a cloth, which I barely even registered. "Okay, so as you can see, this is the bar counter." She teasingly pointed out the obvious, chuckling as she finally caught my attention.
"Sorry, I'm usually way more in touch with the world." I apologized, realizing she had picked up on my lack of presence in the wonderful realm called 'Reality'.
"It's okay, we've all been there." She shrugged and turned towards the cabinets of liquor behind us.
"Really?" I asked, finally, getting my footing. "Everyone here got caught dine and dashing the place, which resulted in their employment to pay off the offense?" I joked dryly as I wiped down the counter top.
She stopped short and bit back a laugh. Her expression, though, was unfathomable, like she hadn't been expecting me to mention that. "So that's what happened?"
"Like all of you don't know?" I couldn't hide the bitterness in my voice, knowing that I was 1: stuck working here and 2: everyone was going to be talking behind my back about how I ended up working here.
"We had some sort of idea, but we've been sorta warn— er… advised not to bring it up."
My brows furrowed in confusion as she glanced rapidly to the two way glass for some reason, before turning away quickly and walking toward the counter by me. She smiled taking the rag away from me and handing me some six-packs. "Open these up, will ya?" she asked as she ran over to clean the taps behind me.
"Sure." I mumbled, stabbing my fingernail through, I ripped free the bottles. "You've been advised?" I asked, still confused about that part.
"Um yeah..." she said vaguely, glancing at the glass again. "But I'd avoid Aro, if I were you." She joked changing the topic.
"Who's, Aro?" I inquired curiously.
She laughed quietly and grabbed some of the freed beers out my hand, turning to place them in the cooler. "Your waiter."
Unable to help myself, I snorted. Shit. "Duly noted." I laughed.
How exactly did I manage to forget that I'd now be working with the waiter I'd dined and almost dashed just yesterday?
"Isabella." Deep, dark, velvet called my attention.
Oh yeah, that's how!
I slowly raised my eyes to him. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, one foot flat against the wood, while the other one stood steady on the ground. Even from the distance he was standing at, his gaze still managed to unnerve me.
"Yes, Edward." I asked slightly quieter than I wanted to.
"There's no cellphones allowed on you during working hours." He smirked at me, the cocky amusement in his eyes growing infinitely as he stared me down.
My mouth went dry. There was no possible way he could know about the Wolves plan with me? No, that would be insane! There was no way in hell he could know what they told me! And there was no way in hell I that could let go of my phone!
"Wh— What?" I stammered as my heart rate picked up.
Raising a brow to his beautiful unruly mess of hair, he kicked himself off the wall and sauntered around the counter towards the tables. His steps still panther like, his eyes flickered dangerously outside to the spot where Sam had parked this morning, it lingered for far longer than necessary before he looked back to me.
"None of the staff are allowed cash or phones while on duty."
I swallowed involuntarily, unable to shake the feeling that he knew something that he shouldn't, and more importantly, something that was rationally impossible for him to know.
"Stephenie, will bring you up to speed." He ordered her casually, as he made his way to the back of the restaurant, seemingly satisfied with my reaction, he grinned and left me to my devices.
I couldn't tear my eyes away as he reached behind the counter and retrieved his hoodie. Slipping on the black colored piece of clothing, his hair frantically scattered further in its sexy disarray as his head poked out the neckline. His piano fingers released the material after it had stretched over his red t-shirt, that was so dark it was actually bordering on black, allowing the hoodie to do its own thing as it fell on his well toned waist, clad in loose fitting dark jeans that set perfectly over the gold, red and black trimmed sneakers adorning his agile feet, he straightened up. The sinister colors seemed to pay homage to the dark enigma that was Edward Cullen. He was, in truth, the heart of Shadow Fang, and it was a point clearly portrayed in that moment as I watched him. I felt the bile rise in my throat, knowing the Fangs were unprecedentedly dangerous, and he was more than just a Fang, he was the Fang. He was lethal, deadly lethal, more so than the others, yet, I still stood here, unable to tear my gaze away from him. He turned back around, catching my stare with a crooked smirk that set my body on fire, before he winked at me and left. Stealthily disappearing out the doors of Nell' Ombra towards his gang that was hoarded outside. At his arrival, they all hopped into various vehicles. The roaring of engines sounded thunderously outside as they revved and sped out the lot, burning rubber and leaving nothing but dust and smoke in their wake.
"Okay, may as well start up, hey?" Stephenie spoke, unwittingly bringing my attention away from the large windows facing the lot.
I nodded at her. The way I saw it, considering I was finally thinking again, now was probably the best time to begin.
"'Kay, so basically, there isn't much to do. Most of the people that'll come in are here to eat, so they're seated at the tables and are the waiter's baby. The waiters will come through with any orders for alcohol, and all we've gotta do is hand it to them. For the most part, it's just the basic stuff; beers, ciders, cocktails, whiskeys, blah, blah, blah. But on some occasions, usually on weekends and 'pay day', the bar's packed." She chuckled at my confusion, and elaborated, "This place is pricey. When the checks roll in at the end of the month, it's a more affordable time for most people to spend here." I nodded in understanding, and she continued. "Right, so on those days, we've really gotta be on our toes. I'll teach you some of the more intricate stuff when we've really got to tonight, but for right now, as long as you can read the label of the bottles, you're good to go." She smiled at me encouragingly and tapped her open palm to the counter.
I laughed, "Reading, I can do."
"Whew. That was the hard part." She joked, her hazel eyes encouraging.
"Now, the waiters cover the pricing for all alcoholic beverages going to the floor," Stef gestured to the flashy lit tables with the fish in them where the customers dined at. "The only time we," she waved a hand between us, signifying the bar peeps, "come into play, is when we have customers seated at the bar." Motioning her hand to the black glass counter I'd just wiped down, she went on. "When they're drinking here, it's our baby to charge the buggers."
With those LAPD words she sauntered across the counter, towards the cash register, and showed what appeared to be a touch sensitive screen. I watched in fascination as she showed me how to work it.
"A customer walks in and asks for a beer." She demonstrates. "Firstly we hit beer," she tapped the icon on the screen and it provided a listing of all the different brands they stocked, "Then, we select which one." She randomly selected Heineken and the price popped up on the screen automatically. "Enter the amount of cash paid by the customer here, and the drawer will pop open for you to slip it in. Alternatively, if they're paying with plastic, you just check the card discreetly to make sure it's legit, then you swipe it here, enter the price amount and… voila!"
She made it look so easy, I grinned and nodded in understanding.
I moved forward when she gestured towards the screen, she watched as I ran through the process she'd just demonstrated, and seemingly satisfied by my display, she gave my shoulders a cheering squeeze.
"Great, timing!" she smiled wide, "we're about to open."
My face fell at her words in alarm.
"Relax." Stef reassured, "Things will be pretty slow for now so you'll get the hang of it in no time, and if you need any help, I'm right here."
"Ri—ght." I said, sounding more sure than I felt. "Thank you." I meant it with my all. Regardless of the circumstances, this was technically my first real job ever, and I was nervous as hell! Her reassuring words were therefore much appreciated.
"Any time," she answered. "Now, first things first, we really aren't allowed phones so you got a place to stash yours?"
"Yeah." I reply reluctantly, motioning to my bag.
"Super. Pop it in there, and you can borrow my locker," she threw me a key off her chain, nodding her head towards a set of small, uniform, marble doors, that were hidden under the far end of the counter. "It's number 7."
I honestly couldn't begin to explain how grateful I was to this chick.
"You're a lifesaver." I breathed in relief.
She chuckled, as I dashed past her. Crouching down, I scanned for 7 quickly, and opened up the locker. Unzipping my bag, I retrieved my phone from my jeans pocket, but just as I was about to drop it in, I heard Paul's voice ring in my head, 'Keep that phone on you at all times, understood.'
I stopped short.
Regardless of Edward's rules, I'd given my word to the guys. Paul was putting his neck out for me and me being the idiot that I am, went and kissed Edward! Guilt hit me like a wave. I owed my guys this much, and besides, the Fangs were dangerous. Fuck Edward Cullen, and his rules, I said determinedly in my head. With that thought firmly planted in my mind, I discreetly slid my phone into my bra.
Shoving my bag into the locker, I shut it and strode back to Stef's side. She'd laid out a tray with shots on it. One of the waitresses picked up the order and scurried towards a table outside. It was probably best that I was at the bar, I'm not too clumsy or anything but doubt I could pull of walking around with that much liquid on a tray.
~.~.~
I am the shit!
The mantra was blaring in my head like the Beetles did in Billy's house after a good fishing trip.
So far, I'd managed to get all of my orders right. Worked the till like it was my best ho, and got tips, like I was a classier version of a lost Pammy Anderson in her prime years.
Turns out Stef is great. She and I were doing pretty good. She took most of the bigger, more intricate or troublesome, orders for most of the day, so that I could get up to speed in my own time.
And I, in turn, tried my hardest not to mess up.
She'd been hit on numerous times and breezed through it with ease. A heated, disregarding, remark and the males were on their way.
I had to fight hard against laughing outright on several occasions. She seemed to recognize the douche-bags upon entry, and told me to stock something, when they worked their way over to the bar so that I was far away from their crudeness at the bar.
For that I was highly appreciative.
Things were, however, getting livelier here, and I had orders streaming in that were leaving my head spinning, along with the other staff members.
There were numerous floor staff, whose names I honestly couldn't recall, and three other people at the bar with us now.
A black haired girl, around about the same age as Stef, named Bree. And two guys, both older than me, named Peter and Randall. Pete's dark haired, with a surfer physique and Randall's blonde with sandy-brown highlights at the tip of his hair and the same beach built. Apparently, there was supposed to be another girl working the bar with us tonight but she called in sick at the last minute.
Stef gave me a small smile as both an apology and encouragement, as it slowly became difficult to keep me out the madness on my first day.
It was close to 5:45 now, and I couldn't help but notice that Edward hadn't come back yet. I didn't have much time to dwell on it however, because with everyone else busy on their own orders, the next guys to walk up to the bar were my baby.
"Hey there, what can I getcha?" I asked, shoving the rag for wiping away the condensation from the bottles with, into the back loop of my jeans, and letting it hang there like Stef did.
"The only thing I want off the list, is you shorty. And if you're not on it then I think the lists gotta change." said Douche #1, a well built, late twenties redhead, wagging his brows at me.
Smooth.
Mentally rolling my eyes, I bite back a smart retort and fake politeness. "Not on the menu," I answer, "and it's not changing anytime soon. Now care for anything value?"
"Well, what time's it changing then?" Douche #2, the brown haired accountant type in his grey suit said suggestively.
"Not even if hell freezes over retard. Now, you guys drinking or what, cause wasting our time's not on the menu either."
The voice isn't mine. But I've never been so happy to hear someone who's not me speak before.
My head, along with the two guys, whipped in the direction of Bree. She looked mean and firm.
They growled, pissed at being shot down and the interruption but like good little darlings, ordered a beer each and shut the fuck up. She rounded up the order, slammed it on the counter top with a fake smile and pointedly disregarded them afterwards.
"No place for politeness." She said turning to face me. "If you're gonna make the cut, don't hold back. If they don't play nice, then neither do we. Besides," she advises seriously, "they'll be too drunk to remember it tomorrow anyways." She sauntered off to fill out more orders before I could thank her.
"Hey," someone yelled, "How 'bout some help here?"
I turned towards the customer and handed him his double Jack Daniels, before filling out a few more orders.
The place was a nut house by now.
"I thought you said it's slow?" I pant to Stef as we both rush to get more beers from the coolers out back.
"Yeah, that's during the daytime. The nights are pretty fast paced." She chuckled, nodding her head towards the craziness around us. "Tell you what, take a breather for 5, 'kay?"
Grateful, I nodded, as she dashed back with both our orders.
Now, that I had some time I could fully get a read on my surroundings. This place was in all honesty, pretty awesome. The fact that it was packed to the max with bodies stood testament to that.
The lighting was brilliant, automatically changing according to the time of day. Right now, random strobe lights lit the place up, as the tempo of the music picked up. The music too had drastically changed as the evening came in. Upbeat, present day, chart toppers were blasting. The vacant area, that I'd earlier assumed was for shows or meetings, was actually a space set aside for bands and anyone who wanted to dance. It was the complete package; smoke screen, flashing lights, grinding people.
The dark red floors throughout the joint were covered in a thin layer of smoke, giving you the illusion of, literally, being in 'shadow' land.
Stef had informed me earlier on, that the fish that where in the tables, were Siamese fighting fish. There was a single red one in each black rimmed table, with tinted lights illuminating the water. The crockery and cutlery were gold and looked completely chic, while still representing the colors.
The walls were dark red— scratch that— the walls were crimson to the point that it looked like people had bled to death on them! About a meter off the top and bottom, was painted black, with far spaced, gold impressions of a shirtless dark angel boy. He was shown from the waist up; his wings were spread proudly, commanding authority and showing he was dangerous, while his head remained lowered, as if bowing in prayer. The perfect contradiction… it was beautiful, poetic even. I could sit for hours just trying to figure out what was going on in his head, but of course I had work to do.
Sighing, I glanced at my watch, and kicked off the counter that I'd been leaning against. Putting on my happy face, I approached the bar again.
"Nell' Ombra," I greeted the first customer I saw, a guy that was trying to flag down Peter, "what can I get you?"
"Whatever you like, sexy." He smiled at me.
"Water?" I asked, bored.
My sarcasm caused Randall to snigger. "I got this," he said, pushing me to his area and covering my side.
His side I noted, was crowded with females that I doubted where as interested in the alcohol as they were in him, because most of them followed him to my area, like a moth to a flame… And of course, those who couldn't make it in time looked deflated at me while making their orders.
"Gin and tonic."
"Soco and lime."
"Bourbon neat."
The orders kept coming and I was feeling pretty bloody proud as I managed to keep up.
"What'll it be guys?" I asked the three new dudes that had appeared on my end of the bar. If I was going solely on looks, I'd say they were college frat brothers.
And if not, they sure as hell dressed and acted like it.
The center guy is the first to speak. He licks his lips and smirks disgustingly, "You face down, ass up."
I gawked at him in shock. "What?" I growled, quickly regaining my footing. "Sorry, my usual specialty is Castration," I glowered, "want to order one?"
Middle guy sneered, and ordered a Soco along with the guy on the left.
However, his friend on the right looked me head to toe and lewdly placed his order, "Blowjob," he sniggers at his little joke. "That pretty mouth looks like it needs something to shut it up."
I gripped the rag in my hand tightly, trying hard not to deck the crude prick.
"In case you haven't noticed already, I have a pretty big mouth, it's going to take something a whole lot bigger than you to fill it up." I sneered and turned to fetch the drinks for the three dickheads.
I didn't make far though.
Righty grabbed onto my jeans, pulling me back, and trying to reach for my hand. When I resisted him, he tugged painfully hard and I spun around like top. On instinct I shut my eyes expecting impact with the counter but nothing came. I snapped my eyes open, and much to my surprise who I saw was Edward.
His face looked murderous. Holding the Righty's wrist in a death grip at an odd angle, he flung him away from the counter. Grabbing the bar-top for support, I abruptly managed to stop myself from flying backwards as Righty's hand pried off.
Fear ran down my spine as I watched Edward… he looked lethal.
I don't think it would possible for me to be more afraid of anyone else. The anger rolling off him was practically tangible in the air. If I stuck out my tongue I'd be able to taste it.
Jasper and James, were right in the two other guys' faces, shoving them away from me and blocking them from Righty's aid. Making sure, Edward, wasn't interrupted.
Muscleman callously flung at the crowd, getting whoever was in the way flying in any other direction. It was synchronized chaos.
Righty, half fell to the floor and half hovered above it as Edward grasped the hand that had grabbed me like a vice. He cringed in pain, scrambling desperately to find his footing. At the angle Edward clasped his arm, a fall would snap his wrist.
"Ever fucking plan on looking at her again?" he asked, unnervingly calm as he looked down impassively at the man writhing and cowering below him.
"N— No!" Righty's answering cry was strained, filled with profound pain.
"Good," Edward spoke menacingly, his gleaming teeth spreading into a sinister smirk, "cause if you do, I'm gonna to carve off your fucking fingers nice and good, then plant a bullet between these eyes."
I bristled. He said it so easily, he could've been talking about the weather.
Righty's beady eyes grew wide and he screamed through his teeth as the Shadow Fang flung him away like a trash bag, by the same hand. I swear I heard something crack in Righty's wrist.
I gasped and shook my head at Edward, trying to get him to stop or something. I'm not sure why I did it. Instinct took over and I took a step forward, needing him to stop. Automatically, Edward glanced at me, breathing deep and then back to the guy at his feet.
"Get out of here." he growled low.
The guy would've probably gotten away too, if only he didn't glance in my direction again. One fleeting look that didn't even reach me, and aside from the screams of some of the ladies in the room, all that could be heard was the sound of Edwards foot slamming hard into Righty's gut.
"Which part didn't you get Jojo." he seethed, livid. His knee pressed into the guy's neck, planting him face first into the ground and keeping him there. "Can't hear you, man?"
Glancing behind him, his sharp eyes found his cousin and James. He nodded once at them once in some code, a silent message and released Righty. Edward's tall body stood statuesque still. His dark aura prominent in his predatory stance, blocking sight of me from Righty and his boys, as they scrambled to get out of there.
A moment past. My heart pounded. He didn't move.
His shoulders vibrated and staring at the doors, he shook his head. "Can you really be placed no where?" he chuckled, turning to look at me.
My jaw dropped at the blatant humor sprawled across his features now. He leapt over the counter, seemingly oblivious to the scene that had just transpired.
But as it happens, turns out that I was the only one without the memo.
Jasper, James and Emmett were pretty much fucking back to normal too. All easily sliding into their condescending, dark humored, ways…
Even the crowd continued as if they hadn't seen what just went down. They were either too scared shitless or used to it, to even attempt acknowledging that something had transpired mere seconds ago, right before their very bloody eyes.
I was gaping around the room. Truly a fish out of water.
"What the hell am I gonna do with you?" Edward's laugh brought me back. It was husky, and his gaze was mischievous, as he hovered over me. "C'mon," he said, as he flittered past me, placing his large, firm hand, warmly on the small of my back and taking me with him.
"What? Why?" I asked, stumbling to keep up in my still out-of-it state.
Edward didn't answer. He just got us in his office and shut the door.
"You're not working the bar anymore, Bella." He said simply.
"Why not!" I yelled, breaking away from him. I turned on my foot, peeved because what the fuck! I'd just finally got the hang of things there!
"Because," he smirked at me in amusement, crooking his finger under my chin and shutting my jaw. "I said so." His eyes turned serious.
I wanted to deck him. It was physically impossible for me to do it, and I'd probably end up in hospital, while he laughed his ass off cause I tickled him, but I sure as hell still wanted to try.
I was about to give him a mouthful. Blinded by rage, I forgot he was my boss, and how very lethal he was just moments ago. But my rant was cut off by a vibrating that made me look down… fast.
I was followed by Edward.
I looked back up to him worriedly, and then my panic kicked in, fast and furious.
This could not be happening.
Not bothering to explain myself, I raced out his office like a bat out of hell. I got out the door just in time before the tone followed. Making a mad dash into the staff's lady's room, I slammed the door closed behind me and reached into my top but the blasted thing had stopped by now.
Panting, I leaned against one of the stalls and thumped my head against it.
And that's when my boob rang.
Again.
Starting with the short vibrating, and followed closely by the caller tune.
"Screw me." I whispered to no one in particular as I fished it out my bra. I snapped it open, bringing it to my ear. "Hello."
"Your tits ringing."
Dark, sultry, velvet licked my ear through the phone, and my jaw dropped.
"I was just— " I stammered unintelligibly, unable to believe this, "It was— I mean— How'd you—"
"I know everything anima gemella." He answers easily.
I could practically see the smirk on his face. I was stunned to silence.
How'd he get my number? How'd he know where my phone was? Holy hell, how'd it get so hot in here?
"Now, wanna get your cute ass back in my office or should I come there?" his sexy voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I'm coming." I squeaked stupidly, and I heard him chuckle, before the line went dead.
Edward Cullen was officially in a league of his own. My heart pounded.
My feet moved robotically to his office, where he leaned casually against the desk with a shit-eating grin on his ridiculously beautiful face.
"Come here." He crooked his finger at me, as is smile sinfully turned lopsided.
I spoke hastily instead of moving. Already knowing what I'd done and scared to know what would follow. "Look, I can't not have my phone on me." I stated simply, though it was out of desperation, I managed to mask it.
"You can't?" he asked, but judging by the look on his face, it wasn't really a question.
"And I can't explain either," I threw my hands out in defeat, "but, yeah, I've got to keep my phone on me."
"Oh, but you don't have a choice."
I glared at his majesty through narrowed slits. "Look, Edward, I'm not going to use it or anything, I just want to keep it with me." Thankfully I managed to stop my rant before implying that the Wolves had anything to do with it. "It balances my rack." I deadpan, rolling my eyes in a snarky response to his arched brow.
He tilts his head to the side, giving me an earth-shatteringly cocky look. His head lowered, dark eyes on me, with strands of his copper spikes falling into them, saying without words, they look fine to me.
I swallow thickly. My body on fire.
He says something so contrary. Smug, fuckable, bastard.
"Yeah?" He says, smirking, "Show me."
My pulse skyrockets and I have the overwhelming need to rub my thighs together. I say nothing and take a step back when I know, deep down, I want to go forward.
He shakes his head and chuckles low, at what, I don't know, but I'm grateful when he gets back on topic.
"Why?" he asked matter-of-factly, raising his brows and looking through me as if he already knew the answer. "I told you, you've got nothing to be afraid of."
My eyes bugged out as he stared me down. The storm was back in his eyes.
"Well besides me." He smirked, his eyes darkening, and causing my brain to freeze over.
"I'm not afraid of you." I challenged without thinking and mentally smacked myself when he laughed thoroughly amused.
All at once, his face grew serious, and he stood up, his stance so predatory that I flinched.
"But anima gemella, your actions speak otherwise." He mocked tauntingly. Lowering his head and cocking it to the side, a condescending air surrounding him as he looked me over slowly before straightening up and taking calculated steps towards me. "I'm a Shadow Fang," he hissed as if he wanted me to understand the full magnitude of what he was saying, "I am dangerous," he reiterated, his voice still steady and low, causing me to gulp and retreat in time with him. "I won't stop fighting because you ask me to," his cold eyes flickered to the glass behind me, the incident that took place outside instantly ran through my mind.
I tried to call him off Righty, he paused, before things got out of hand and he beat him to a pulp.
He grinned, knowing what I was thinking about. Knowing that I was recalling exactly what he wanted me to.
"I'm not one of your 'puppies'," he went on, his voice turning sinister when he spoke of the Wolves, "that will back down when things get rough."
His voice was icy enough to chill my bones. The ferocity of the indicators of danger that he was expelling in that moment was palpable in the space between us. I forced back a cringe.
"I fight. I hurt people. I've got a temper that's fucking toxic," he seethed. "People are afraid of me... Because. They. Should. Be."
He backed me up fully, there was nowhere for me to run.
My shoulders collided with the cold wall of two way glass that served as his peephole to the buzzing activity out in Nell' Ombra.
"You're gonna have to deal with that, amore mio (my love)."
My breathing hiked, as he braced his hands on either side of my head. Palms flat on the glass at my back, his arms were a steel cage that I knew better than to dare try and break out off.
Dropping his head to look me dead in the eye, he remained the predator having caught his prey, but I could see the turmoil churning along with his darkness. His body language was menacing, but facial expression was mystifying as he spoke again… more forcefully, in a low, husky, tone.
"But I'll never hurt you," his voice remained even, but something about him, in that second, was trying to tell me that I should believe him. "Your phone stays off." he broke the moment, speaking with hard, immaculate authority.
"But..." My voice failed me. Too soft… Still lost…
He smirked as my brain refused to function beyond that point. Leaning closer, his smoky breath danced off my face causing an inferno to shoot through my veins straight to my pulsing core. His eyes remained trained on me as all traces of logic seemed to exit my body. He was standing so close, his body heat crawled across my body.
"I..." I tried and failed to speak, again.
My eyes darting to his lips, as he playfully cocked his head to the side, knowing exactly why I couldn't complete a lucid sentence.
"I'm..." I licked my lips as my mouth began to dry, and involuntarily, my eyes darted back to his that had pulled into a beautifully, seductive, lopsided grin.
He intentionally leaned closer still, taunting me by not making any contact. He was baiting me into doing something. I knew it, but for the life of me, I was incapable of doing anything to the contrary.
"You?" he prompted, his voice low, his eyes dancing with mirth as I darted my brown ones back to his lips to watch in enthrallment as the soft flesh wrapped around the words.
My gaze zeroed in on the cut on his lip, a strange fascination of mine since I'd seen it this morning. I could not locate the squeamishness that I'd suffered from since childhood. No, right now, all I knew was the urge to suck on his wound and the thought consumed me.
I could feel his emerald orbs still locked on my face, detailing everything he saw, burning it to his memory. Studying my reaction, his tongue snaked out and ran along the perfection of his lips. Wetting it, running a line from one end to the other… his tongue finally reached the wound, and I lost it.
With brazenness that I didn't know I possessed, my head flew forward capturing his lips between mine in a bruising kiss. I could feel his smirk along my mouth as he returned the kiss with equal fervor but nothing mattered right in that moment, my brain was officially on vacation… completely burned out!
He was like a drug, and I couldn't get enough.
His hands slid off the glass behind me and clutched my waist, pulling me flush against the rock hardness of his body. His torso was a haven of warm, rippling muscle. My tinier, softer body molding to him. He locked me against him.
Hot, salty moisture licked at my senses, and some part of my brain registered that his cut had bruised open during my attack. My hands, of their own accord, slid from his shoulders, releasing his hoodie from my tight grip, and snaking its way to his neck, pulling him closer to me. My fingernails scraped at his scalp. I clutched onto fistfuls of his hair while I sucked his open lip into my mouth, pulling at the wound, drawing out more life elixir, reveling in the minuscule amount of salty crimson that escaped, as opposed to being repulsed, like I usually would've been.
He growled hot and heavy, almost a moan. Something snapping in him, his hot tongue parted my lips forcefully, demanding and forcing its way into my mouth.
My tongue met his shyly but he didn't seem to mind, completely taking control of my mouth, but not pushing for anymore than he was getting. What I was giving was enough, and to be completely honest, he picked up my slack like he was born a maestro and my mouth, my body, was his instrument.
His tongue wrapped around mine, hot and slick, pulling it into the confines of his mouth. I unwillingly groaned at the erotic feeling. He swirled his tongue around my own, pulling and sucking, tasting and feeling. His teeth nibbled on my bottom lip.
It felt as if flood gates had been opened in my panties. My heart felt like it was about to burst right out my chest at the intensity of everything that I was feeling and the rate at which it was beating. My mind was on complete overload.
He scraped his teeth along my tongue, from the back to the tip, teasing it. Pointing his own and flicking at the tip of mine.
I moaned despite myself and fisted his hair tighter, trying to keep him with me. I crushed my lower body to him finally, and my eyes flew open at the large, protruding, hardness that stabbed at my stomach from within the confines of his jeans. Shocked, I backed up fast, blushing bright, and trying hard not to look down to his fly, that from the feel of it, hid behind it a monster befitting the notorious title that came with the infamous name, Edward Cullen.
"You know, you really should finish what you start." he said knowingly.
My jaw dropped and my gaze embarrassingly lowered to his jeans.
He couldn't be serious… I blushed harder, as I stared at it, so prominent even through denim.
He laughed huskily, thoroughly amused. I gawked up at him, to only then realize he was teasing.
He wiped the slightly bloodied corner of his lip with the back of his wrist and smirked at me like he knew in that moment, he had me.
His leather band, adorning that wrist brought me crashing back to reality. The shining crest caught my attention, and the full magnitude of what I'd done dawned on me, further amplified as I acknowledged the colors he wore… what they represented…
"This is insane! You hate the Wolves! I'm a Wolf!" I yelled to him and me simultaneously. My thoughts were running at a mile a minute, everything was incoherent right now.
How could I do this! I was so, so, fucking stupid! They trusted me! Paul trusted me, put himself on the line for me! The Wolves trusted me! Oh, fuck me!
The words repeated themselves in my head, over and over, in a rebuking mantra.
"You're a fucking Wolf?" Edward taunted, his voice lethal. The words were wrapped in piercing iciness, cold enough to freeze hell over, twice.
My eyes snapped up to his flashing jade orbs and the mantra stopped. Like friggin' magic, poof, it was gone.
"What?" I asked, unsure if I'd heard right in my dazed state. My eyes still locked hypnotically on his.
He looked positively furious… so, so beautiful in his untamed fury…
"Your fucking dogs are here to get you."
I was shocked. Sure, it was probably 7 already, but how the hell would he know if they were here? I then remembered that on the other side of the glass his gang members were still in Nell' Ombra.
I glanced out the corner of my eye and there was the olive skinned guy with the dreads, and he was staring at the mirror, a silent message conveyed in his eyes, knowing that Edward would see it.
"If you don't want them served on the menu here tomorrow, I suggest you get out there before they fucking step up to my joint," he seethed, his body language a strained calm.
Somehow I knew that my words had set him off more than the guys showing to pick me up.
He backs away from me, his muscles tense like a lion about to pounce. "You're working in the kitchen from tomorrow," he says evenly.
"But I like working in the bar." I automatically reply.
His eyes flashed dangerously, looking briefly to the bar outside where the three idiot college guys had been sitting. "And I like you in one piece," he retorts condescendingly, his words biting.
"Look, please… I like working with Stef and I've never worked before. Being there is more fun than I expected this to be." My ramblings were rolling out by themselves. "And I'm actually good at something on my own for once..." I finished desperately, so lost in that moment that I didn't filter out the hopelessness in my voice.
He watched me intently for a while, the storm that I couldn't decipher still raging in his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze but he refused to release me from his scrutiny, continuing to watch me.
Unable to take the tension, I clutched my folded arms tightly to me and turned hastily to leave. A wise choice, considering that if I took too long to get out Sam and Paul would assume I was in trouble and come in here guns blazing.
"Bella."
My steps instantly halted at his deep dark voice, my hand still on the handle of the door I'd swung open… my feet reluctant to leave.
"You're working the kitchen." He reaffirmed his decision and I shut my eyes, knowing it was set in stone. There was a pause, and I could feel his eyes on my back without having turn to him. "You work the bar when I'm around."
My pulse picked up. I nodded in understanding as something close to gratitude choked my throat. Not daring to look back, I walked out the office, knowing that he'd given me something simply because I'd asked for it.
He, Edward Cullen, had done this for me...
I stepped out Nell' Ombra just in time to see Paul and Sam with heated steps jump out the Hurricane. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief when they saw me walking towards them, they stopped. I hugged them lightly to reassure them I was all good, before I jumped in. They followed suit, wanting to get me away from here as fast as possible but happy that I wasn't in any kind of trouble. The engine roared to life and my head turned back towards Nell' Ombra as Sam pulled us out the lot. Watching the bar area, my eyes caught a flicker of bronze hair re-emerge through the office door and my heart constricted, missing a beat.
I was in trouble alright, just not the kind that they thought...
~.~.~ Thank you for reading. Love and God bless: Kat;) ~.~.~
Prompt Status CH3: Full chapter posted here.