Dirty Dancing Chapter Seven: Addicted, a twilight fanfic

A/N: So sorry for the delay. Unfortunately, writer's block hits. Ugh.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them =]

Chapter Seven: Addicted

You've got fashion and style
I'm lovin' your smile and
The way you get down
I can't see no one else
It's you by yourself, yea
In spite of the crowd
(Baby no one else matters)

It started off with a kiss (uh huh)
Never expectin' this (uh huh)
And now I'm here copin' with
My addiction (addiction)
It started off with a kiss (uh huh)
Never expectin' this (uh huh)
And now I'm here copin' with
My addiction

While all the girls say

I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction

When I'm lookin' in the mirror
Honey, you are all I see
And it could not be no clearer
That I need you here with me

I was hopin you'd notice
The way that I like to
Have you around
Listen and you will find that
Your heart beats for me
Girl, I hear the sound

(Baby no one else matters)

While all the girls say

I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction

When I'm lookin' in the mirror
Honey, you are all I see
And it could not be no clearer
That I need you here with me

I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction

I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
I'm addicted to you
You're my addiction

Addiction by Ryan Leslie feat. Cassie.

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BPOV

"Take a break," he muttered after placing me gently on my feet. I staggered to get my balance back. Shaking my head, I made my way over to the other side of the room where I had set down my water bottle earlier. He went over to the opposite side where Rosalie was standing.

It was stifling in the studio. We had been rehearsing for at least an hour and half. I never realized how much endurance it took to dance. I was perspiring profusely, to my intense mortification. I wanted to look beautiful and seductive, but now I probably looked like an overworked rat. And of course Edward and Rosalie weren't helping the situation any by standing there looking perfect as always, though Rosalie did look a bit under the weather.

Unthinkingly, I did something to relieve the intense heat I felt. I rolled up the bottom of my shirt and tucked it into the neckline of my shirt. This new…arrangement brought the neckline down considerably and exposed my stomach. I looked over at Edward. His gaze was on me, just staring confusedly for a while before it became a leer. I shifted uncomfortably before looking at his eyes again. His leer was sarcastic, like he was doing it on purpose just to make me squirm.

At that moment, I decided to have fun with this. If he was going to play like this, then I could too. I panicked a little when I realized that I had no idea what to do with this, but I decided to let him lead, then I'd follow. I was a fast learner. If he thought he could get away with being the only one to have an effect on me, this would be like a slap across the face. I'd slap the arrogance and cockiness right out of him, figuratively of course.

A few minutes later, he declared our break over. We met in the center of the room and reviewed the entire dance, or at least what I had learned so far. Up until then, I had been so convinced that my plan would work.

That was before he put his hands on me. This new, impromptu shirt left much room for skin-to-skin contact. And that sent tingles down my spine. His touch gave me an electric shock, and made me feel things in my core that I had never felt before. My breathing got heavier without my permission. I chanced a look at him, and I saw him smirking, satisfied.

Cocky bastard.

Remembering my decision through my Edward-induced haze, I began to play with him a bit. I moved closer after the turns, making sure to breathe on his neck. He seemed to like that, gasping and sighing when I did. When my back was to him, I'd nonchalantly rub my ass on his pelvis. He sputtered when I did that. I held my head up high in triumph. In one particular move, my hand caressed his chest. He caught the hand before it could move any lower than his stomach. He whipped me around, the next turn coming out faulty. He let go of me angrily and a little more than frustrated.

"I don't know what the FUCK is distracting you, but you need to stop thinking about it and focus on the damn steps. That turn should've been perfect, but, like always, you find a way to screw it up," he yelled at me. I narrowed my eyes at him before I smirked. I pranced up to him and wrapped my hand around his neck, jerking him down to my level.

"You know damn well what's distracting me. You brought this upon yourself, if you want it fixed, it's up to you," I said throatily in his ear. He shuddered then grabbed my hip forcefully, bringing me closer to his reemerging erection.

"I'm not the only one playing, Bella. This game takes two. I won't give up unless you do," he whispered into my ear. It was my turn to shiver. His entire being was dripping with sex. He wasn't making this any easier for me.

"Then let the games begin."

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I lay on my bed after lunch, recalling my rehearsal that morning. After that brief interruption, he continued teaching me the next few eight counts. We had hardly noticed Rosalie slipping from the room right after our break. She came back near the end, saying that her morning sickness had taken a turn for the worse that morning. I smiled at her, saying that it was fine. Edward was facing the other way, trying to conceal his arousal. I felt ridiculously proud that I could put in him that state. Serves him right.

I knew there was a giddy smile on my face. Edward tended to put it on my face in one way or another. I didn't like that so much. One guy shouldn't have such an effect on me, especially a guy I might never see again after this summer. He had been pretty tolerable until we took our break. Civil, even. Then he reverted back to arrogant asshole in five minutes. Was he bipolar?

The doorknob jingling interrupted my thoughts. I lazily turned my head to see who would come through the door.

Alice came dancing through the doorway, happy and perky as can be. She flashed me a brilliant smile before coming to lay down on her own bed. I sent her a large grin of my own to which she responded with an arched eyebrow.

"I know that look. Is there a guy in Bella Swan's life?" Alice asked cheekily and all-knowing and of course it made me blush.

"No," I whispered. She laughed her tinkling laugh and I blushed redder.

I laughed at her eagerness. I had never really had much to tell when it came to guys. She must've been excited that I finally seemed to be realizing that guys didn't have cooties.

"Relax, Alice. There really isn't a guy in my life. But what about you? How's…James?" I had to force his name out. It left a bitter taste on my tongue. I didn't want to hear Alice going on about how sweet he was, because I knew all he was doing was charming his way into her pants.

A few minutes went on, and still no sign of an answer from Alice. Concerned, I leaned over my bed to see if she was alright. She was still lying in her bed, a crease on her forehead. She was staring off into space thoughtfully, making me wonder what was going through her head. It was never good when Alice got to thinking. Had James already shown his true colors? Good. Better earlier than later, when she was already in too deep.

She still hadn't answered.

"Alice?"

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APOV

I relished in the fact that he was holding my hand. It made me squeal and giggle. I looked up to him with a smile, and he looked down at me with an identical smile on his handsome face. I couldn't help but notice how good we looked together. I had always had a thing for blonds. I loved the way their fair hair contrasted with my inky hair. James was great. He was sweet, a true hopeless romantic. He took me out to see the stars, to see them shining down on the lake. It was beautiful.

He was whispering sweet nothings in my ear as we took an afternoon walk after our picnic on a part of the golf course that was rarely visited. We were getting closer and closer to the main house, meaning he would have to go work for a bit while I would have to go back to my cabin. I didn't want our time to end. I wanted to stay with him just a little bit longer.

The house came into view, and I got a little sad. If only he was a guest here, we could spend all day together.

"Is something wrong?" he asked me tenderly. I grinned sadly up at him.

"I just wish that we could have more time together. I hate that you have to work," I said with a pout. He leaned down to kiss it away. I responded eagerly. He pulled away, but I brought the pout back full force. He groaned.

"Don't give me those eyes, Alice. They could get me fired," he joked, and I giggled. Our moment was interrupted by a yell.

"JAMES!"

I turned to glare angrily at the voice that had just shortened our time together, even if just by a little. Whatever we could get was precious. But my glare died once I got a good look at who had just yelled James's name. I gasped and felt my eyes widen.

The man who was currently jogging up to us was not just a man. He was quite possibly the most gorgeous man I had ever met in my life. He was tall, much taller than my four foot ten frame. He had to be at least six foot three. His shirt clung to his torso, showing off his strong chest, glorious abs, and his arms, dear God, his muscular, built arms. What would it be like to lay in them, to run my hands up and down his biceps?

I thought it couldn't get any better until I got to his eyes. Blue and calm like the ocean, luring me in and I didn't have a chance of resisting. We stared at each other for a while, and I prayed that James hadn't noticed. Who was this man?

"James, Ron needs your help with something in the dining room," the blond blue-eyed beauty informed James once he was close enough, and I almost fainted.

Good God, his voice…

James huffed in annoyance then turned to me. I turned to him too and gave him a sweet smile, which he returned.

"I'm sorry I have to end our time earlier than expected. Will you be alright to get back to your cabin?" he asked concernedly, tracing my jaw with his index finger. I sighed in content and leaned into his touch.

"I'll be fine. We'll see each other at dinner right?" I tried to stay optimistic. We would make do with whatever time we got.

"Of course. Until then," he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. I tried to deepen it, but he pulled away, smirking.

"Later," he gave me on last peck on my cheek before walking away. I watched him retreat for a few seconds before I realized that the other man was still there.

"Are you sure you'll be alright going back to your cabin? I could walk you back if you like," he offered with a stunning grin on his face. His teeth were pearly white and glimmered in the sun. I had to shake my head to come back to reality.

"If it's no trouble," I breathed. He nodded and held out his arm for me to take. A gentleman too.

"May I ask your name, miss?" he asked with a slight southern drawl. I almost swooned.

"I'm Alice. You are?"

"Jasper Hale, at your service," he said with a slight bow. I giggled. We kept walking, but definitely not silently. He let me prattle on about my vacation, and how I wanted to go shopping again. He even seemed to be listening attentively as I ranted about the latest fashion trend, the ones that I liked and the ones that I hated.

"Oh and gladiator heels, I adore them! I bought myself two pairs before coming here. I even tried to get my sister, Bella, into some but she fell down before she even took three steps. It was hilarious, the saleslady was trying so hard not to laugh, but she just couldn't hold it in. My mother and I were hysterical, and Bella was so red. She's way too clumsy for her own good, that's why she tries to avoid dancing here," I had to stop, I was laughing so hard at the memory. Jasper was chuckling himself, but it seemed almost…smug to me. Like he knew something I didn't.

"Bella…so you must be a Swan, am I correct?"

"Yeah, do you know her?"

"I've talked to her once or twice. She's very kind," he said sincerely in a tone that made me wonder if he had talked to her more than once or twice. Could he be the reason she was so smiley that other day at breakfast?

Go Bella.

"She is. She's actually kind of my role model. We're not very close, but she's one of the best people I know," I said fondly and adoringly. It was true. Bella and I were polar opposites. We fought just like all other siblings, but really, it was because we were just too different. Bella liked books and school. I liked shopping and parties. Sometimes it seemed like all that made all the difference in the world, but when it came down to it, I loved Bella unconditionally and I knew she would do anything for me. She was selfless like that, which was exactly why I admired her so much.

"I'm sure she's one of the best people I know as well. You both seem to be very different, but I'm sure you're every bit as amazing as she is," he said looking straight into my eyes. We had already stopped in front of my cabin. I stared right back into his trapping gaze. Eyes are the window to the soul? Pft. Whoever said that didn't know shit about Jasper. His eyes were windows to an entirely different world. I found myself wanting to explore every inch of that world, the world of Jasper.

I finally looked away, to the door that led to the room I shared with Bella.

"Well, this is me. I'll see you around?" the last bit ended up coming out uncertain, more like a question. For the second time that day, I was unwilling to part from a man. Two entirely different men, but I felt things with the both of them that I had never felt before. So…what?

"You will. But Alice," his voice brought me back to this world, "I must warn you. James…is dangerous. It would…upset me to see someone as beautiful and sweet as you to get hurt by a guy like him. He certainly would not deserve to have you suffer any pain because of him. Just…think about it," his warning turned soft with genuine concern at the end. He was staring intently at me again, and I couldn't speak. What had he said about James.

"Yeah, of course. Thank you," I said, a little breathlessly. He nodded, flashed me another grin, then turned on his foot and went the opposite direction. I slowly ascended the steps to the porch, trying to compose myself back to my regular upbeat mood. I opened the door to my room and entered.

Bella was there, surprisingly. I hadn't seen much of her these past couple days. She was lying on her bed, the picture of ease. I smiled at her, expecting a small, normal Bella grin back. What I wasn't expecting was a huge, brilliant smile back, easily matching my own. I arched an eyebrow, curious as to what had her in such a good mood. And it clicked.

"I know that look. Is there a guy in Bella Swan's life?" I asked cheekily. In a typical Bella response, she blushed a deep pink.

"No," she whispered, a little more than mortified. I laughed.

"Silly Bella, I know more than you about these things. Now spill. Who is he? Is he cute? Is he smart? He likes to read doesn't he? Do you guys have a lot in common? Talk, Bella, I'm getting impatient here!" I pried eagerly, dying to know about this guy. I was happy that Bella might have finally found someone.

"Relax, Alice. There really isn't a guy in my life. But what about you? How's…James?" I noticed that she hesitated before she said James's name. Almost like she didn't really want say his name. Really, what was wrong with him? He was so nice and caring…

Then I thought back to what Jasper said. I wasn't really paying attention at the time, damn him for being so gorgeous…

But then I remembered. He warned me to be careful with James. Did everyone know something I didn't? James seemed like an alright guy to me. I've always been able to feel when something was good, and I got really good vibes from James. So what was everyone so worried about? Why were Jasper and Bella opposed to me being with James?

Jasper and Bella…

Jasper and Bella? I knew it could be a coincidence, but…I did get the sense that Jasper knew Bella better than he let on. Could she be trying to hide something with Jasper? I knew why she would. Daddy definitely wouldn't approve. Everyone knew that there were two types of help at Newton's; the college waiters and those that weren't. Jasper, unfortunately, didn't make the college waiters list, as beautiful as he was. No wonder Bella would hide something like that! I could just imagine the look on daddy's face if he knew!

I took a deep breath. I didn't even know if he and Bella were an item; he could've been telling the truth when he said 'once or twice', but his tone said otherwise. And if so, I couldn't help it. I was jealous. But of what? I had James, shouldn't I be happy? James was great, really, everyone else just didn't know him. He treated me amazingly, never pushing me to go further than I really wanted.

Well…maybe not so much, I thought with a grimace as I recalled early this morning. We were in a secluded spot overlooking the lake, just watching other families have a good time and occasionally kissing. Once, we had gotten a bit far. Our tongues were twisted together, massaging and rubbing. It felt really nice, and before I knew it, a small moan slipped out. He must have taken it the wrong way, because he began to push me onto my back. I let him, thinking it wouldn't hurt to try going just a teensy bit further than we normally do. We stayed lying down, making out for a while before he tried anything. He began to push my shirt up, inching his way to my chest. I abruptly stopped our kiss and sat up. He followed me, a little angry, and demanded why I had stopped him. I told him that I wasn't ready to that quite yet, and he fumed silently for a few seconds. We sat there in an awkward silence before he apologized and explained to me that my moan had done something to him. I forgave him, he seemed sincere. Is this what Bella and Jasper were talking about? Would he push me to do things I wasn't yet ready for?

I stopped those thoughts immediately. I would not let other people's opinions of him affect me. I would form my own.

"Alice?"

I snapped my head to the side, looking at Bella as if I had just seen her for the first time. Was I really that distracted?

"Oh, sorry. I spaced for a moment. What did you ask?" She narrowed her eyes at me and tilted her head, regarding me. I let my face become one of innocence, and it seemed to work. She shrugged and leaned back into her pillows.

"I asked how you and James were doing," she said finally. I sighed.

"We're great. I like him a lot, and I know he likes me too," I answered happily. It was pretty much the truth. I did like James a lot, no matter what everyone else warned me of, which I still wasn't quite sure of. I had only met Jasper today, I couldn't know if I liked him. I knew I liked how he looked, and he was good company when he walked me back here…but James was good company as well. He was exactly what I wanted. He came from a good family, was studying law, a profession which could definitely support the lifestyle I was accustomed to. Daddy obviously approved. So then what did I see in Jasper, if anything besides his looks?

Jasper had a certain je ne sais quoi about him. A calm aura surrounded him, and everything about him was relaxed and at ease. He could make me de-perk just by looking at me. He was charming, a true southern gentleman, if this afternoon was any clue. He would actually listen to me without getting bored of my slight obsession with shopping and fashion. And his eyes. Those blue, smooth pools just waiting for me to dive in…wow. Just talking to him once made me want to know him more and more.

But that would probably never happen. We were from two different worlds, and realistically, he was the employee and I was the guest. Relationships between us other than professional were forbidden.

Hm…so Bella was into the whole forbidden fruit thing? Who knew?

"I'm glad to hear that," she said tightly. I snapped back to our room. Jeeze, I was way too spacey today.

"Mhm," I murmured. We spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, me reading the latest Cosmo and Bella with her copy of the Count of Monte Cristo. After I had read the magazine cover to cover, I dozed off for a bit, figuring I had nothing better to do.

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BPOV

After Alice and I had our slightly one-sided conversation, in which I was surprisingly the one-side, she and I both got quiet and just spent the rest of the afternoon reading in each other's company. Since when was Alice this quiet? Normally she was the one gabbing away about her day and how perfect she and James looked together.

"Girls, it's time for dinner," Renée announced when she poked her head in a few hours later. I looked over to the clock on my bedside table. She was right, I had been reading for a good three and a half hours. I shook my head and sat up on my bed. Alice was already up and sitting in front of her vanity, primping herself for dinner. My mother smiled at her and walked into the room. She sat down on Alice's bed opposite mine.

"Bella, how are you baby?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Fine I guess. Hungrier than I realized," I joked when my stomach growled. My mom chuckled.

"That's great. I feel like we haven't talked in a while, honey, you've been fairly distant this whole summer. Is something wrong?" she asked, worry etched onto her face, an older, prettier version of mine. I looked more like my mother, but had a lot of Charlie in me. Alice was purely Grandma Swan. Spirited and beautiful.

"I'm sorry, I've just…I've been distracted. College, you know?" I said sheepishly, knowing that I could've talked to my mother a bit more this summer. This was strange for us. We were usually very close. I was closer to my parents than I was to my friends at school.

"It's normal to be a little nervous, but I'll bet that you will have the best time at Georgetown. Your father and I had a lot of fun at Johns Hopkins," she assured me with a wink. I smiled, and got out of bed.

"Alice, come on, you look lovely already. Let's go, we don't want to be late," my mother said before gliding out the door. I shook my head; I had gotten over my envy of her and Alice's grace a while ago. Alice huffed, muttering something about beauty taking time. I laughed and pulled her up from her seat. She was tiny and had no chance of resisting. I nearly dragged her out, but she was giggling the whole time. We finally made it out of the cabin and jogged to catch up to our mother and father. The four of us walked to dinner, side by side, chatting away about trivialities. If only life were this easy for everyone.

My mind immediately went to Jasper, Rosalie, and Edward when I thought that. I didn't know their full history, but something told me that their life thus far couldn't have been too easy. They were three young adults on their own, obviously not doing too great. They were all they had; so what happened to the rest of their families? I believe Jasper mentioned once that Edward was the reason they left home. So they once had a home…why did they leave? What happened that made Edward want to leave?

I filed those questions away for later. I wasn't sure if Jasper or Rosalie would be too keen on answering, but I hoped that maybe they would give me a clue as to what exactly happened. Edward definitely wouldn't tell me; he hardly liked to say hi to me, let alone answer such a personal question. But I was friends with Jasper and Rosalie; friends shared secrets. Maybe they would tell me.

Before I knew it, we were in front of the main house. We quickly made our way up to the dining room, only to find that dinner was already in full swing. I blushed when everyone turned to see who had arrived late. I didn't like so many eyes on me. My family and I rushed over to our table and sat down. James was over in seconds.

"Hello, Swan family," he greeted smoothly, his eyes lingering on Alice. She smiled and looked directly at him the entire time he took our drink orders. He came back with our drinks quickly, hardly giving us any time to decide on our food. We hastily made decisions, which he went to fill, again very fast, then came back to sit down with Alice. I had to stop myself from gagging.

The rest of dinner passed much like the last few, with my mother, daddy and I engaged in a conversation while James and Alice sat together in their own world. Except tonight, every time I would glance over at them, I would notice that when she wasn't giggling or blushing, she would give James a strange look, as if she were contemplating him.

After dinner, I decided to go to the ballroom tonight. I wasn't really tired, and I wanted to keep an eye on Alice and James. They led the way onto the dance floor, and someone up there must have taken mercy on me because Mike was nowhere in sight. I stood on the sidelines, watching couples dancing and laughing. I spotted my mother and father a few times. They were swirling around the dance floor, Renée more than Charlie, but they seemed to be having a good time all the same. Still completely in love. I smiled before I went back to looking for Alice and James. Once I found them, I saw that Alice looked blissful while in his arms and James…he was staring down her shirt. My breathing quickened in anger. I mean, seriously, here in front of her parents?

I looked away before I marched over there and pulled Alice away. I wanted Alice to get hurt as little as possible when I finally did knock some sense into her, and I also wanted her anger at me to be minimal. The last thing I wanted was for my baby sister to hold a grudge against me right before I left for college.

After a few seconds, my eyes found another familiar blue pair. I looked at the whole face and saw Jasper's smile. I grinned back at him, mouthing 'Hey'. He mouthed it back and winked, before turning away to get back to work. I blushed, and searched for Alice again, praying that James had stopped checking her out. I found them again, and Alice caught my gaze. She smiled wistfully at me, and I sent her a questioning look back. She jerked her head in Jasper's general direction. I glanced at him and saw him talking to the band conductor while he got ready for another song. So it was time for the dance people to come. I looked back at Alice and shook my head, telling her 'No.' I guess she had mistaken the wink Jasper sent me.

I noticed the dance floor clearing up, the guests knowing what to do by now. I watched as Rosalie and Edward made their way into the middle. Edward nodded at the conductor, who began the music. Their routine was amazing as always, of course. After they finished, they did what they always did and began dancing with the other guests, giving them impromptu lessons on how to mambo. Rosalie caught my eye and smiled at me; Edward didn't seem to notice that I existed. I huffed at that; I wanted him to notice me. I wanted him to see me as the girl who finally deflated his head a little bit. Most of all, I wanted him to see me and immediately have to relieve himself. I wanted him to have dreams about me, and I wanted to know that he thought about me. A lot.

Deciding that I didn't really want to be in the ballroom anymore, I weaved my way through the crowd and walked out the door. I knew my way in the dark now, saving me the panic attack. Within ten minutes, I was back in my cabin. I hurriedly changed out of my sundress and put my pajamas on, brushed my teeth, and laid down on my bed. My rehearsal this morning caught up to me, putting me to sleep within minutes.

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I was stumbling my way up to the hidden dance studio for my third rehearsal. I was already ten minutes late and struggling to get up there. I prayed that Rosalie would be able to calm Edward down once I got there; I didn't think he'd be happy about my late arrival. I stopped to catch my breath when I finally did get to the door. Running up this steep, rocky hill warmed me up for the work out I was sure Edward would put me through. With one last deep breath, I turned the doorknob and walked into the room.

Edward was on the other side of the room, and he whipped around when he heard the door open. He scowled at me, then hurried to where the old boom box was. He turned it on, but it wasn't the song we were dancing to. He motioned for me to come to the center of the room. I obeyed, albeit reluctantly. This deadly silence was worse than him yelling at me.

"Don't say anything. Stretch quickly, then we'll get to work. We'll learn the rest of the dance today, excluding the lifts," he told me as I began the stretches he had taught me.

"Tomorrow we'll try to run through the entire dance for the first half of our rehearsal. Then we'll try to get you to practice in heels," he arched an eyebrow, daring me to actually say the protest that was about to come out of my mouth.

"You'll be doing the dance in heels, you need to get used to it. I'll teach you the lifts during the last two rehearsals. Sometime after today, you're going to have to get your dress fitted. Rosalie'll take care of that. It should be done by Thursday," he continued. I nodded as best I could with my elbow up over my head.

"Right, I think that's enough stretching. Come on, let's get to work," he went over to the boom box, changed the music, and so our rehearsal began.

We went over what I had already learned, to the music and on the right tempo. It was a little faster than I had expected, and I stumbled over myself the first few times we did it. Every time I would mess up, he would start the music and the dance over. I got frustrated. Why couldn't we just go on?

After my umpteenth stumble, he stopped the music, but he didn't restart it. He walked over to me and grabbed me by the arms.

"You. Are. Going. To. Stop. Being. So. Fucking. Clumsy," he growled every word out. I glared at him before pushing myself away.

"That's the way I am, asshole, I can't change it overnight. I was doing fine," I defended myself. He rolled his eyes.

"No. You're awkward and you don't feel the music. Dancing is more than just steps, it's about feeling the rhythm and portraying it in the way you move. You don't seem to have a problem with that when you're dancing with Jasper," he spat his name out. It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"That's a totally different type of dancing. And where the hell is Rosalie?" I had noticed earlier that she wasn't there, but he didn't leave much time for asking.

"She had lessons," he answered tersely. I sighed and shifted my weight to one leg.

"Alright. Fine. Teach me how to 'feel the music'," I said with air quotes. He walked back to the boom box and pressed play. A different song came on. I didn't recognize it, but it made me anxious. I wasn't sure what he would want to do with this song. The beat was slower than the tango, and impossibly more sensual. He walked over to me then turned me around, pulling me into his body.

"The tango," he began grinding my body into his, "is a very close, intimate dance. There has to be passion radiating off of the performers, or else the room won't feel it. Close your eyes and listen to the music. Don't think. Your body will know what to do," he instructed in my ear. I did as he said.

Everything disappeared. All I could feel was Edward. His hands rubbing circles on my hips to the beat of the music. His breath tickled my neck, making me shiver occasionally. He was right. My body did know what to do. I pushed my body into his, feeling a response. Finally having the courage to do something I'd wanted to do for a while, I brought my hand up to his bronze hair and weaved my fingers through it. It was better than I imagined. Softer than silk, wavy in that I-just-got-out-of-bed way. My breathing soon became quick gasps, but I knew I wasn't the only one being affected. His hands were way too tight on my hips and he was thrusting back as hard as I was. His arousal was prominent by then.

And then I knew.

This wasn't just some lesson in how to feel the music. This was a continuation of the game we had started the previous lesson. Currently, we were tied. I had a feeling we were just as aroused as the other. I turned my head to this, tugging on his silky strands just a bit. His groan was muffled by my neck. He nuzzled the sensitive area there with his nose a bit and I whimpered.

Just as the song ended I opened my eyes. I was met by forest green, heavy lidded eyes.

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EPOV

Fuck.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. FUCK.

As in, fuck me. Hard. Over and over again. Just after we teased each other with quite possibly the most erotic dance of my life, she has to open her eyes and stare at me with her big, doe eyes. Begging me to kiss those pouty lips until they were bruised. I could just barely resist, thinking 'She's a guest, she's a guest, she's a guest,' the entire time. Good God, I wanted to kiss her…and do much more to be honest, but I just couldn't. Not only could I get fired, but Bella Swan was turning out to be an angel, and she most certainly deserved far better than me.

Not wanting her to get any ideas, I gently pried my hands from her hips and stepped away from her.

"Yeah so, uh…good. That was good," I said lamely. What the fuck do you say after she just gave you the best dance of your life?

"Thanks…should we continue rehearsing?" she asked timidly. I nodded then went over to play the song for our routine.

"Alright. From the top," I came to meet her in the center and we began the dance again. Obviously that small interlude had done her good, because she actually moved to the goddamn beat this time. Finally. We reviewed everything she had learned so far, then I proceeded to teach her the last four eight counts. She was loosening up, and she learned the steps easily. I refused to show her any lifts, arguing that she should learn them separately. The second to last rehearsal would be spent teaching her lifts, the last one rehearsing the dance fully, lifts included, to perfection. We wouldn't rehearse the day of the performance, simply because I needed her and myself to be well rested.

It took about an hour to teach her the last bit of the dance. She did fine, still a bit clumsy, but not as bad as the first two rehearsals. At least she wasn't falling down anymore. I cringed to think of the damage she could do to herself in heels, but they were necessary. Hopefully she could learn to dance in them in three days. If not, I was screwed.

By the time I had finished teaching her the rest of the dance, half of our time was up. I let her take a break, I had really worked her for the past hour. She smiled gratefully and went to get a drink of water. As I watched her gulp down the water greedily, my thoughts reverted back to where they were last night. Her, of course. As Rosalie put it, I finally 'got my head out of my ass' and realized that Bella was indeed doing us a huge favor. She was funding Rosalie's abortion and she was giving up time in her vacation to learn this dance. She was also lying to her family. That took guts.

So, I decided it was now or never.

"Bella?" I called. She looked at me questioningly, still downing her water. I walked over to her and gestured for her to sit down. We sat Indian-style on the hardwood floor and she waited for me to speak.

"I'd like to apologize. You have been nothing but kind to my cousin, and you really are saving us here. I want to say sorry for my behavior. I have been a real jerk to you and you don't deserve that. So, I'm sorry and I hope you can find it in you to forgive me," I said in a voice that I only used to make others feel calm around me. She looked to be having a hard time breathing.

"Bella?" I waved my hand in front of her face to make sure she was okay. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"I, uh…yeah, your behavior with me confused the living hell out of me. I mean I was trying to be nice…and you weren't," she finished uncertainly. I noticed that she didn't forgive me. That was fine. I would try to work for that.

"Yes, well…could we start over?" She nodded enthusiastically. I held my hand out for her to shake.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen," she took my hand, and I tried to ignore the electric current that ran through my body at her touch.

"Hello Edward Cullen, I'm Bella Swan. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said sweetly. I grinned at her, and she once again looked breathless.

"So, Bella…what do you like to do in your spare time?" I began with a very basic question. She giggled before her answer, and I won't lie. That shit went straight to my cock. I could make her giggle in a very different situation.

"Um…I just like to read, really. I can't play sports, I'm too clumsy, but you're already aware of that. I did tech for the drama club in high school, and that's really it," she ended with a blush. I found myself wanting to see that blush again and again.

"I see. What about your family? Do you have siblings?"

"Yes. I have a sister, Alice. She's a year younger than me, she'll be starting her senior year. My mom and dad, well they're mom and dad. Dr. Charlie Swan and Mrs. Renée Swan. There's not much else…I'm sorry, I must be incredibly boring," she muttered, looking down.

"No," I tucked my finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at me, "on the contrary. I find you very interesting. People nowadays always have ulterior motives for doing things. Not you. You genuinely wanted to help Rosalie. I want to try to understand…what is it that makes you that way? How you become so selfless?" I really was curious. Bella Swan was a complete mystery to me. My thirst to unravel said mystery was becoming insatiable. She blushed redder and bit her lip at my praise, of course.

"Um…it's just that my father has always told me that…that everyone counts. That everyone deserves a chance. The world would be a much better place if everyone just helped everyone out. Daddy wants me to make the world better," she told me, insecurity laced in those last words. Did she think she couldn't do it? That was laughable. Someone as brave and kind as her could do anything. I was sure of it.

"I see. We should probably get back to rehearsing. We have a little over an hour left," I said, standing up and pulling her up with me. She was so light; a plus. That would make it easy to lift her. She willingly followed me out onto the middle of the studio. I started the music again. I came up behind her and we began the routine.

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Things just got more complicated.

Because once we had finished rehearsing, I offered to walk her to lunch. And she agreed. We took our time walking back to the main house, neither of us in a hurry. We talked more on our way there. I found out what her favorite books were, what kind of movies she liked, what kind of music she liked, her favorite color, favorite food, and a whole lot of other random shit. Like how she would always scare the monsters away for her sister when they were younger, and how she let her sister doll her up sometimes just because it made Alice happy.

And then how Bella would sacrifice swimming to sit with her sister at the edge of the pool because she was deathly afraid of water. And of course, how Bella's best friend happened to be her mother. That was probably the most cliché thing about Bella, because the rest was just completely unique to her. She was different, that was for sure. And her parents wanted her to change the world; that she could do. I had no doubt in my mind that she could do that. But could she get married to a doctor, like her dad, or a lawyer, or a rocket scientist, and just become a kept wife? Could she conform like that? The more I found out about Bella, the more I found out that conformity shouldn't even be in her vocabulary. She wouldn't settle for a life like that, and I wondered if her parents would let that affect their relationship with her at all.

I wouldn't expect her to be a kept wife. If her job made her happy, I'd let her do it. Anything to see her smile. And I don't mean jewelry or a new car; those kinds of things wouldn't make Bella flash me her dazzling grin. I meant letting her do what made her happy. I could see it. I would come home from work, and she'd probably pull up to the house at the same time. We'd step out of our cars at the same time, then rush to greet each other. I'd lift her up and spin her around; she'd laugh and squeal for me to put her down. When I finally did, she'd stand on her tiptoes and I'd wrap my arms around her waist. We'd kiss sweetly, then finally go into our modest, picture perfect house. She'd hurry off to make dinner, something else I had learned about her: she loved to cook. I'd sit on a stool, watching her cook and listening to her talk about her day.

I shook my head to rid myself of the mental image. Getting more involved would only make it that much more painful when we did have to say goodbye at the end of her stay. I'd never see her again, and that was that. Just the thought already made my heart twinge.

Because Bella Swan was a drug, and I was hopelessly addicted.

A/N: GAHHH. That was quite possibly the hardest chapter to write so far. To LLAMAS WILL RULE THE WORLD, I lied. That was not just a baby case of writer's block. That was like...friggin adult. I waited quite a while before updating, and I apologize for that. Furthermore, the chapter is shorter than the last, which is really inexcusable seeing as how I waited this long to post. You'd think I would have been spending that time writing something longer, wouldn't you? Not really. I'm not sure what it was about this chapter, it was just hard. Egh. Right, well, exams are continuing this week, but I'm hoping to update sooner...no, really. I think my block is finally starting to go away. You can expect Mattie back in the next chapter, for those of you who are wondering where he might be =]. Ahh and the Alice&Jasper, well I wasn't going to have them go straight into a relationship! Be patient, we still have to unmask James before we really begin with Alice&Jasper. And I have to develop Rose&Emmett a little more, I think I'd like their relationship to form faster than Alice&Jasper, but not faster than Edward&Bella.

Review if you want something steamy next chapter ;D