The ride was everything I had hoped it would be. The car was an extension of my body as I sped down the streets of Phoenix. I took a few detours just to have longer behind the wheel but Edward didn't seem to mind.
We rode with the windows open and the radio on. The wind whipped through Edward's hair like a caress and his Aviators reflected the sunshine back at the outside world. The sun was just starting to set in the west and I felt happier than I thought I would considering I was home for my sister and ex's wedding. Edward seemed to have that effect on my life, turning bad into good.
I was singing along with Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal rather terribly when I felt Edward's hand on my knee. The gentle happiness of the day evaporated immediately and transformed into heat. One of us needed to give in soon or I would spontaneously combust.
Edward cursed and removed his hand just as suddenly. I could see that he was ready again from the corner of my eye and I felt my mouth water at the prospect.
"This is ridiculous. You would think we were hormonal teenagers that we can't even go two days without having sex," Edward muttered under his breath. His fingers pulled into a fist as if he couldn't trust himself not to touch me again.
"If you're having such a hard time, why don't you just end this and give in." My voice was husky with need but I refused to be the one to yield. He was silent. His response came in the movement of his hand as it slid up my inner thigh of my jeans. My teeth caught my bottom lip as I forced myself to concentrate on the road.
His breath fanned over my cheek as his mouth moved closer to my ear.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to ask me something Bella?" His hand stopped at the crease of my pants and trailed along the seam. My arms started to shake slightly as I forced my hips not to move closer to his probing fingers.
"There are lots of things I want to ask you but none pertaining to the placement of your fingers." I felt delicious energy slide up my limbs to the very tips of my fingers and toes.
"Are you sure?" He moved his thumb in a circle over my clit and my hips involuntarily jerked forward. How he knew exactly where it was was surprising, another miracle lay at the feet of a sex god.
"Positive. Why do you stay with me for instance?" My hips jumped again when he stopped his ministrations silently begging for more friction. There was a deep crease in his brow over his sunglasses leading to my mirror image reflected back at me. Biting my bottom lip again I looked back at the road so we wouldn't crash.
"Why wouldn't I stay with you?" Edward seemed honestly baffled by my question since it came out of the blue. I worried my lip back in forth until I faintly tasted blood. If I won this bet that was the question I wanted him to answer truthfully.
"Never mind," I muttered as I pulled up in front of the house. Phil and Renee were bustling back and forth trying to get ready for the dinner.
"Bella hurry up! You'll be late for dinner!" Renee exclaimed as she hopped across the foray on one foot pulling on her shoe. I huffed and climbed the stairs with Edward close behind. I unpacked my outfit for the dinner and moved to the bathroom to do my make-up while Edward dressed in a suit in my room.
Swinging my hair up into a twist to keep it off my neck didn't take long so Edward and I were both ready in no time at all. We waited patiently next to Phil in the front hall as Renee ran around the first floor like a chicken with its head cut off trying to think of anything she had forgotten. Phil sighed and glanced at his watch again.
"Sweetheart, we need to leave. I think you got everything and if not I'm sure it is not the end of the world." Renee set her purse down on the entryway table and began to rummage through it looking for God knows what. I pictured Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins super imposed over the image as half of her body disappeared into the bag.
"Phil, this night needs to be perfect just like this weekend needs to be perfect. I don't want to be the reason that it isn't perfect ruining my baby girls wedding. So you can hold your horses and wait for me to check everything at least one more time," she snapped with her head practically inside the leather sack. I tried to suppress a small cringe and giggle since Renee was always so free spirited and calm in the past but she shot me a look that shut me up. I turned the hurt at Sarah marrying first into a soft smile and put my hand on Renee's shoulder trying to emanate calm.
"Mom, take a deep breath. It is going to be ok. You have done a wonderful job so far so stop worrying. We need to leave for dinner now or the only thing that won't be perfect is our punctuality." My quiet tone seemed to suck the urgency right out of her and a few tears popped out.
"My baby's getting married," her lower lip trembled as she sagged against me in defeat. My arm was around her shoulders keeping her from sinking to the floor. Phil stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands. He smiled gently as well with love in his gaze.
"Isn't this a good thing love? She's happy so we're happy right? That's all that matters. But we need to go to the restaurant now or we will be late." Renee nodded dumbly and I handed her off to Phil. He guided her to their black Land Rover while Edward and I climbed in back together.
It wasn't a long drive to the restaurant so we actually ended up getting there on time. It seemed the majority of our party was loitering outside waiting for us to arrive. Renee kissed Charlotte's cheek all smiles once she emerged from the car and the valet drove it off to some undisclosed location. Mark smiled at Edward and flashed a Seahawks hat he seemed to have smuggled under his suit coat when no one was looking. The rest of our party was wandering around waiting for Sarah and James to arrive. Of course they seemed to be fashionable late as usual.
"Where are those kids? I even told them our reservation was a half hour earlier than the actual time so they would show up on time," Phil's brow was furrowed glancing at his watch for the millionth time as we stood there for another ten minutes.
"Sir, if the majority of your party is present may I suggest that you sit so the food can be prepared? We do have other customers and it is getting a bit crowded out here not to mention we don't want to overwhelm the kitchen staff." The maitre d' gestured for us to follow a waitress to a large table in the back corner.
"Bella, here, take my cell phone and please go outside to call your sister. I'm starting to get worried." Renee handed me her phone but plastered on a fake smile when a family member came up to us. Edward cocked a brow and I gestured for him to come with me as everyone else moved farther inside. Smiling politely he ducked away from Mark and we exited the restaurant together.
"What's going on?" He asked once we were in the relative quiet of the parking lot.
"Renee wants me to call Sarah to make sure everything is ok." He nodded and leaned against the side of the building. The over head light cast a golden sheen to his hair and I stared at him openly with the phone limp in my hand. I thought about licking every available inch of skin and letting him do the same to me. He peeked at me while inspecting his perfectly polished shoe.
"Bella are you going to call your sister or stare at me all night?" His tone was light but I could tell he was still thinking about our previous conversation without added heat that had dogged us all day. I flipped the phone open and scrolled for Sarah's name after shaking the thought of parking lot sex from my mind. She answered right before it went to voice mail.
"Hello? Mom?"
"Hey Sarah it's Bella. I'm calling from Mom's phone to figure out where you and James are. Everyone's here at the restaurant except you guys." There was some white noise and a swear heard from the background.
"Bella, sorry about that. James and I are on our way. We just had a few… complications… we should arrive in about ten minutes. Ok?"
"Alright. Is everything ok with you?"
"Yeah, bye Bella see you soon." I pursed my lips but clicked the phone shut at her dismissal.
"Was anything wrong?" Edward stood straight and brought my knuckles to his lips absentmindedly as we made our way back inside.
"I couldn't tell." Renee was searching the crowd for my face as we walked through the front doors so I smoothed my features out so as not to alarm her.
"Is she coming?" Phil asked once Edward and I squished into chairs around the crowded table.
"Yeah, they are on the way. She said they just had a few complications but would be here in ten minutes or so." Relief washed over Renee's face and her smile became genuine.
"Thank you Bella." I handed her back her phone as she was sucked into the conversation next to her. Edward and I had to share a menu since there were so many of us at the table and a shortage of the laminated gold but I didn't mind.
"What do you think you want?" I whispered out the side of my mouth as if it was a secret.
"I was thinking the lemon zest salmon. You?" He gave me a bemused look.
"Chicken Marsala." The restaurant seemed rather hushed around us except for our party but I didn't dwell on the thought long as my stomach growled. It had been a long time since our picnic in the garden.
"So Bella, what do you like most about being a journalist?" Charlotte inquired after folding her menu and her hands atop it.
"Well I like getting answers to questions most people wouldn't think to ask I guess. It has always been a hobby." I shrugged awkwardly.
"So is that how you met Edward then?" She shifted so her slightly pudgy face was leaning into her manicured hand.
"Yes actually it is. I was doing a piece on the whole Seahawks team, but I didn't meet Edward until his family introduced me to him at a Sports Benefit that night." I shrugged again feeling slightly flushed that so many eyes had turned to listen to me talk. That was when Sarah and James finally entered.
"Hello everyone sorry we're late." Sarah smiled sheepishly but James just smirked at the upturned faces of concern. It was sad to say but the only available seats were to my right so that is where they ended up sitting. I was hoping Sarah would choose to sit next to me but James pulled out the farther chair for her.
"Is everything alright dear? Did something happen?" Renee asked as she sipped her water, her wide child-like eyes looking for some type of damage. Sarah daintily lowered herself into the chair and James slid in next to me. I had to re-swallow bile that rose in my throat at his close proximity. The smell of sex clung to him but I doubt anyone else could smell it. I wrinkled my nose in distaste.
"We were just having some car trouble is all," James smiled at Renee and she blushed slightly from his charm. I guess that's where I get it from.
"But everything is alright now?" Phil asked handing Sarah his menu since he was finished with it.
"Yup, everything is right as rain." James' eyes peeked at me from beneath his lashes. I tried to scoot my chair closer to Edward but there was no room to move. Edward finally glanced up from the menu to see who had sat next to me when I bumped him. His chest rumbled a bit but he didn't speak his displeasure at James position.
Dinner continued with small conversations and I noticed the quiet around us again. I looked over my shoulder at the other patrons and was caught by a camera flash. I had to blink away the spots in front of my eyes before I saw a teenage girl stowing a digital camera. There was a lit cake across the way from her so my nerves calmed quickly. She was probably just taking a picture of her family to commemorate a celebration. I really need to stop reading spy novels; I was too paranoid for my own good.
James elbow kept grazing my arm as he ate causing me to jump a little at each contact. Edward would glance at me each time but he continued his conversation with Mark since I didn't seem to be in major distress. He and Mark seemed to be getting along well with the love of sports in common. I rolled my eyes at the irony. This had always been my problem with family gatherings. Even among family I did not fit in a conversation niche so I sat quietly while I ate. Even when I bring someone with me they fit in better than I do with my own family.
"So Bella," James turned towards me slightly. I cringed and wished to take back my earlier thought. I would rather sit in silence than talk to James. "Tell me about what's been happening in your life these last few years in Seattle." His hazel eyes sparkled at me and I tried to remember the boy I had fallen in love with. I hadn't given him my virginity since that went to a boy in high school, but he was the first boy I gave my heart to. It was before I knew better than to become completely emotionally invested with anyone. That thought clanged in my subconscious when I thought about Edward. They were not even remotely the same but I couldn't help comparing them.
"Well a lot of things James. Although nothing that you would be to interested in," I replied when I realized I was quiet for too long. "My memories don't have pictures for you to look at." I smiled sweetly and batted my lashes for his benefit. James' smile tightened a bit at my remark. So he still had a temper.
"Oh I doubt that. You know, I was in Seattle a few months ago and I think I remember reading something about you." A vindictive glint complimented the cruel slant of his lips as my hands became clammy and caused my fork to jump on my plate like a telegraph to abort a mission.
"Are you sure it wasn't an article written by me? Surely that is much more likely," my voice sounded breathy to my own ears. I never was a good liar.
"Nonsense. It was about you getting it on with some millionaire Russian guy," his volume increased that Renee glanced over curiously. And again attention seemed to be solely on James and my conversation.
"That was a miss print." There wasn't enough force behind my denial to convince him to stop talking spiking my anxiety further. Surely my own family wouldn't believe that I was a gold digger just going through celebrities? Or that I was a whore just looking for a paycheck?
"Well the accompanying pictures seemed to say otherwise. You seemed to be quite familiar with him and his tonsils at the time." He chuckled at his own joke but other people were shifting uncomfortably at the crude subject matter. I glanced face to face looking for someone who was not swayed by the mental picture James was drawing and found it in an unlikely place.
"Oh shut it James. Obviously they aren't together now so I don't see what that has to do with anything," Sarah said loudly breaking the spell. I struggled to swallow but felt relieved none the less.
"I second that motion," Edward said looking directly at James. He seemed to shrink back in his chair slightly under Edward's gaze and did drop the subject.
Despite Sarah putting a stop to the conversation I heard people whispering about me as we all moved to the exit once we were finished eating. There were a few more camera flashes but I didn't think anything of it until Edward grabbed my hand a little too hard.
Pandemonium seemed to cause everyone to start jostling and shoving each other as we all tried to leave at once. A shove from behind ripped my hand from Edward's and I sprawled on the floor under stomping feet. I was dazed and confused. Was there a fire? A robber? Why was this mob of people freaking out?
My fingers kept getting stepped on as I tried to get up. A kick to the ribs had me giving up and scooting to hide next to the hostess stand instead of fighting in the open. Camera flashes continued blinding me as I looked for any familiar faces. It seemed as if as soon as Edward and I were out of the eating area the entire restaurant had swarmed us. Shit. That must be it. The only thing that could cause a horde like this was paparazzi showing up.
I reached up and gripped the top of the stand for support as I levered myself off the ground. My dress was slightly torn up my thigh when I went sprawling and my hair was down around my face since my clip had gone missing. I stretched onto my tippy toes looking for Edward and I thought I saw a flash of bronze hair outside. Keeping my feet slightly apart for stability I worked my way through the crowd. Most of my family was standing along the curb posing for pictures and answering questions but I still didn't see Edward.
Sarah shot me a bitter look as James smiled for the cameras.
"And how do you know Bella Swan?" a reporter shouted at him even though they were mere inches apart.
"I am her ex-boyfriend," he replied with a wink.
"And you are?" the reporter continued when Sarah didn't move away from them.
"I'm her step sister." She flashed an insincere smile at the camera before trying to pull James away.
"And my fiancé." James interjected smiling again for the cameras stopping any forward motion.
"Her ex-boyfriend is marrying her sister? Jeez this shit writes itself." I heard the man mutter and snap a few more shots of the 'happy couple'. They noticed me over their shoulder and became a feeding frenzy once more.
"Bella! Bella! Where's Edward? How do you feel about your sister stealing the love of your life? Bella!" They all shouted at once bombarding me with sensory overload. I couldn't keep my face neutral and I saw no escape from the mob.
"What are you talking about?" I stuttered and stumbled dizzy from the flashes. I felt a strong arm come around my shoulder and I grabbed the jacket attached for stability as I was slapped in the face with vertigo.
"Back off I said! We are trying to go home." Phil yelled at the people in our way as he guided me to the car much like what he did for Renee earlier. I smiled up at him thankfully and sighed in relief when the tinted door swung shut behind me.
"Bella! What is going on? Why are all those people chasing after you?" Renee swiveled around in her seat.
"That would be my fault actually." Edward sat to my left and stared out the window as if it held the secrets of the world and only he could see them. Renee didn't seem to know how to ask him questions so she turned back and had a hushed conversation with Phil as he drove. We left the yelling reporters behind and eventually the car was dead silent with just the sound of road between us.
Edward and I said a rushed goodnight to Renee and Phil before retiring upstairs. I didn't think I could handle any more curious glances or pregnant sighs from Renee. Phil had succeeded in keeping her at bay but I knew I would get an earful tomorrow.
Edward had been silent since the car ride but I still didn't want to try and defuse the situation and fail miserably. We entered my room and I immediately sat to take off my shoes. Edward did the same along with his jacket, shirt, and pants. When he had finish he just stood and looked out my window in his boxers.
We had neglected to turn on any lights in the room when we entered so he stood in shadow. I could only see his silhouette from the street lights behind him. He looked like a Greek god carved in onyx the way the light accented his muscles. The steady rise and fall of his chest was all that moved showing he was in fact flesh. A car drove by lighting up his face momentarily but his emotion was lost to me.
"I'm going to take a shower." He walked out of the room. I watched the muscles bunch and release in his back as he left but didn't reply. Where had he gone when I needed him tonight? I wasn't angry but I seemed to be in a confused bubble. Edward had left me in the mess as he escaped. Of course that is what I would have expected him to do and told him to do if possible, but he actually did it.
I stood and pulled off my ruined dress. The tear had traveled so now everyone could see London, France, and my black lace under pants. I glanced down at my matching panty set that would have put a chink in Edward's armor but I was not in the mood to seduce him any longer. I removed the bra and panties but did not clothe myself immediately. I stared out the same window Edward seemed enthralled with and sighed. I pulled a pair of shorts and a tank top on before crawling on top of my bed when the sound of water rushed through the pipes in my wall.
Should I wait up for him to come out of the shower to talk, or should I just go to sleep? He had put some much time, effort, and money into our tour of the Grand Canyon today I didn't want to end the night on such a sour note. I decided to wait for him. I snuggled a little deeper into the covers and watched the clock tick the minutes away.
I woke up when I felt the bed move. Over and hour had passed and Edward was just coming to bed. His hair was not longer wet and I watched him pull off a pair of sweat pants he hadn't been wearing before.
"Edward?" my voice sounded small even to my own ears and I yawned. He knelt next to me and kissed my forehead.
"Go back to sleep Bella." I started to drift off immediately as he hummed our song in my ear.
I woke again when I reached for him in my sleep to find the bed next to me empty. My eyes felt gritty with exhaustion but I forced them open anyway. Edward was standing looking out the window again. Instead of speaking I quietly slipped from the bed and crossed to him. I let my hands slid up his back and ended up wrapped them around his tight stomach. I rested my cheek against his right shoulder blade and just took a deep breath.
"Where did you go?"
"I went for a walk to clear my head. Nothing to worry about. Go back to bed." His hand said a different story by closing over my clasped fingers. I couldn't let go if I had wanted to.
"That's not what I meant." I shifted my face so my nose rested along his spine. His skin smelled like heaven. I planted a kiss on the soft skin and waited. His breath was ragged for a few breaths but it evened out when he saw I wouldn't rush him. My thumb unconsciously twitched back and forth over his belly button and I felt the muscles quiver.
"I lost you." His voice sounded surprised that he was speaking aloud. I thought he wasn't going to continue but he did eventually. "I was holding onto you but your hand slipped through my fingers," a labored breath. "I tried to find you but everyone kept rushing towards me, touching me, pushing me, until I was outside. Phil found me in the mayhem and stuffed me into the car before going back for you." His hand released mine to pound a fist against the wall. "It should have been me looking for you, but all I kept thinking was that I didn't want to do it again." He leaned his face against the cool glass bending his back towards me.
"Edward, I understand. It would have been worse if you were the one pushing everyone aside. The paparazzi would dub you some aggressive stereotype that you would never live down." I kissed him again. "I don't blame you at all, you did the right thing."
"I didn't want you to be another Tanya." He whispered and his breath fogged the window pane.
"How could you think that?" My nails bit into his skin when my fist clenched.
"She loved the cameras. I was worried I would see you posing or actually answering their preposterous questions for once and you wouldn't be as perfect as I thought you were."
"Edward," I begin as I lifted my face from his back and released his stomach. He didn't turn right away so I gently touched his shoulder until I could see his face. His eyes looked ashamed. "I'm not Tanya, but I'm not perfect either. You need to stop putting me on a pedestal." As I said it something snapped in my chest. Isn't that exactly what I had been doing with Edward? In my mind he was too good to be true, the perfect man for any girl. But he was not perfect and I am no longer a girl. "You need to accept my flaws just like I need to accept yours. This won't work if we pretend nothing is wrong." I was mostly talking to myself but he was listening with rapt attention.
"Bella you have never given me reason to think that you have flaws." He looked almost worshipful and I felt my face flush.
"Don't be stupid Edward. I am horribly unorganized, I'm a procrastinator, and I know I talk in my sleep practically every night. Not to mention I'm a coward and don't even fit in with my own family. Just like you are a neat freak, need to be in control, and have a problem with authority figures." My revelation was like a cool breeze on a hot summer's night. "We aren't perfect, we're human." I smiled brightly at him before jumping into his arms and kissing him soundly as the pressure that had been building released.
"Bella what are you doing?" He tried to hold me back so he could talk but I wouldn't stop squirming. "Aren't you angry with me?"
"No, I'm not angry; I'm in love with you." He froze long enough for me to knock him onto my bed. He looked bewildered enough that I stopped once I straddled his waist and actually looked at his face. Blood rushed to my cheeks when I realized what I had said and my eyes widened. "Edward, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that. Shit! I'm sorry." I went to climb off of him but his hands planted themselves on my hips holding me in place. I covered my face with my hands so I wouldn't see his rejection.
"Say it again."
"What?" My fingers spread so I could peek through and his eyes flashed open and bore into my very soul.
"Say it again. Please." He sat up so I was just sitting in his lap but we were face to face. I worried my lip for a second with my teeth trying to decide if he was kidding.
"I love you." I tentatively cupped his face with my hands and combed my fingers through his hair when he didn't waver. His chest rumbled my favorite sound as I wrapped strands in my grasp.
"Again." I saw his teeth flash in the dark for the instant before they latched onto my throat in a painful yet exhilarating bite/kiss.
"I love you." I moaned as he moved down my throat to the nape of my neck where he bit me again a little harder. No doubt it would bruise.
"Again." His hands pulled my tank top over my head displacing my hands and splayed his own across my back.
"I love you." I scratched my nails along his neck to capture his face. "Edward Cullen I love you." I spoke to him with our eyes locked together. His hands ripped off my shorts and his pants seem to disintegrate. With all the teasing we had done today neither of us was up for anymore foreplay. He thrust into me to the hilt with his first stroke and gasped. My head fell back with a moan as I felt him touch my very soul.
He took this as invitation to bite my neck again, but softer. His thumb circled my clit throwing me into orgasm within the first three strokes. His other hand guided my hips as they lifted and took him faster and faster. He stood with an arm around my waist so we never came apart and switched our positions. He laid me on the bed and took me deep, hard and fast. I couldn't stop the moans emanating from my vocal chords since they no longer seemed to be attached to my body.
He hit my g spot once, twice, and I came for the fifth time and brought him with me. He collapsed over me, muscles quivering with fatigue.
"I love you Bella Swan." He whispered in my ear and kissed the spot where he bit me. I smiled and drifted back into blissful sleep.
We both woke in the wee hours and made love again, but this time soft, slow, and blissfully beautiful with the sun peeking through my window.
A/N It's been a long time, but I guess it's safe to say, I'm back.