Chapter 9:
I would have happily spent the rest of the day lying on my bed with Edward twined around me, but unfortunately, after about half an hour had passed , we both decided reluctantly that it might be a good idea to show Charlie that we could live up to his trust in us. Edward said that not emerging from my room all day would only stress Charlie unduly – besides, we would have all night together.
Going downstairs, we found Charlie watching what I think was a soccer game on the television. He didn't acknowledge our entry into the room until I went over to him. Squatting down next to his chair, I placed my hands on his arm.
Charlie turned his gaze from the television screen to rest on me. "Thank you so much for... y'know," I said. "It... it means a lot. Thanks, Dad."
Charlie nodded gruffly. "No need, Bells... it's fine."
I did not need to look to know that Edward was rolling his eyes at our chronic inability to express ourselves.
Charlie cast his gaze downwards and noticed the brace on my right hand, seemingly for the first time all morning. "Bells, what have you done to yourself this time?" he asked with a sigh, concern clearly visible in his brown eyes.
Best to keep it vague. I shrugged. "You know me, Dad. An accident magnet, and all that..."
Charlie's eyes narrowed and I knew that my answer was not enough to satisfy him. "Last time you came home with one of those on, Bells, it was because you hit Jacob. Don't tell me you've done it again?"
"I haven't!" I said defensively.
"Not to Jacob Black, anyway," Edward said suddenly, stepping forward to stand beside me.
Charlie looked at Edward. "Then who?"
"Me," Edward said matter-of-factly.
I coloured. Once again, I had hit someone and the only damage I had caused was to myself.
"Bella!" Charlie said reproachfully. He looked back at Edward. "Did you deserve it?"
"Undoubtedly," Edward replied.
Charlie shook his head slowly. "Ah, Bella..." He smirked. "But, if you deserved it, Edward..."
"Dad, stop it!" I groaned. I was so embarrassed. Edward chuckled at my cringing expression.
"All has been forgiven, sir," Edward said. "I don't anticipate Bella having the need to hit me again in the future."
"Well, good," Charlie replied.
I had to smile. Then, a thought came to me that wiped the smile from my face. I had asked Edward to spend the night with me, but I had forgotten that the agreement with Charlie entailed me asking his permission first. This would be awkward, but I figured that I might as well just get it over with...
"Dad?" I asked softly. "I was wondering, is it, um, okay with you if Edward stays here tonight?"
Charlie gulped. I hope he isn't going to change his mind now!
I glanced at Edward. His eyes were firmly fixed on my father. I made a mental note to ask him what Charlie was thinking later on, but then again, maybe some things were better left a mystery!
"Sure, Bella. I think that will be... fine," Charlie replied, staring fixedly at the moving figures on the television screen. I could see that the idea of having Edward under his roof made him uncomfortable, but it seemed that Charlie was resolved to stick to his promise. I had to respect that.
"Thank you, Dad," I murmured.
"Yes, thank you, Charlie," Edward echoed. "I will, of course need to check with my parents though. Would you mind if I stepped outside to call them?"
Charlie waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the door. "Sure, go ahead..."
Edward disappeared out into the hall. I stood up, then moved to sit on the couch. Charlie's attention seemed to be fixed firmly on the television screen, but when I noticed that Charlie's expression didn't even flicker in response to an unexpected goal, I realised that he wasn't anywhere near as focused as he was pretending to be. I could imagine what he was thinking about.
"Char...Dad?" I ventured nervously. "Thanks for being so understanding about all this."
Charlie flashed me a brief sad smile. "It's okay, Bells. Believe it or not, I remember what it was like to be young and in love."
I nodded. It had become clear to me since I moved to Forks that the breakup of my parents' marriage hadn't been quite as mutual as my mom had always made it out to be. I could see that Charlie had loved Renée deeply and passionately. It was understandable that he saw echoes of his own first love in my relationship with Edward, and I was starting to think that Charlie was only so critical out of a desire to keep me from being hurt the way he had been.
"It means a lot though, so thanks," I said awkwardly. "I guess you don't particularly like the idea of Edward and me spending the night together though?"
Charlie rolled his eyes. "What father likes the idea of his daughter being grown-up enough to spend the night with anyone?" he asked. He kept his tone light, but in his dark eyes, I could see how the idea was tormenting him.
I really did appreciate how open-minded Charlie was being about the issue of Edward and I spending the night together, so I decided to try to overcome my embarrassment and attempt to alleviate at least some of Charlie's anxiety. "Dad, I just want you to know – Edward and I might be spending the night together, but that doesn't mean we are having..."
Charlie shook his head vehemently. "I don't want to hear it, Bella!" he said firmly. "There are some things I just do not want to have to think about! What you and Edward do is your business. Once you're, well, being safe, that's all I care about."
"Dad!" I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks flush again. "It's not like that, really! Edward and I, we're not... I mean, I... I'm a virgin, Dad. I have no plans of changing that until after the wedding. Seriously."
Charlie raised his eyebrows in surprise. I didn't want to think about what he thought Edward and I had been getting up to. "Well, that's good, I guess," he muttered. "Shows how Edward respects you."
"He does, Dad," I said softly, trying not to think of the other activities Edward and I had so recently engaged in.
There came a soft knock on the door, followed by Edward's entry into the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" he asked courteously. "I just wanted to let you know that Carlisle and Esme have given me their permission to stay here tonight. Carlisle said to tell you to feel free to contact him to discuss matters if you wish, sir."
Charlie nodded curtly. "I might, yeah. Well," he looked at me again, "since the rain seems to be holding off, I figure I may as well head down to La Push and see if Billy fancies a couple of hours fishing. You'll be okay, Bells, right?" His eyes flashed to Edward before fixing on my face again.
"Of course, Dad," I said. "You go and enjoy the day. Would you like me to fix you up some food to take with you?"
Charlie got to his feet and shook his head. "No, thanks, we'll probably just cook up whatever we catch. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Sure," I replied, smiling slightly. It was obvious to me that Charlie was torn between his fatherly instinct to stay and protect my virtue and the urge to run screaming before Edward and I kissed or held hands or something. "Have fun."
"You too," Charlie replied automatically, before a haunted look flashed across his features. I could only imagine what he was thinking my fun would entail!
Charlie was out the door in a flash, scarcely taking the time to grab his waders, rod and tackle box from the closet under the stairs. The sound of his car zooming away told us that we were alone again, with the house to ourselves.
I moved over towards Edward, placing my arms lightly around his neck. "What's so funny?" I asked him, prompted by the soft smile curving one side of his full lips.
"Your father's thoughts," Edward replied, pulling me closer against him. "They're in such a muddle..."
"And what's so amusing about that?" I asked, resting my cheek against Edward's strong chest.
"Well, firstly, there's the fact that half of him wants to tear me limb from limb for merely looking at you," Edward explained, running his hands over my back. "And there's the other part of him that wants to run for the hills for fear he might see us, well, express our feelings for one another."
"I got all that without being able to hear Charlie's thoughts," I replied. "It's not that entertaining, Edward."
Edward chuckled. "No, I suppose it isn't. However, there is more."
I drew back to look up at him. "What's that?" I asked.
"It's something for me to know, and you to wonder about," Edward said smugly.
"Edward!" I grumbled. "Not fair!" Then an idea occurred to me. Stretching up on my toes, I placed a firm kiss on Edward's lips.
With a groan, Edward wrapped his arms tighter around me and swept me up into a passionate embrace. He held me securely in his steady grip, one arm encircling my back, the other supporting my legs. Edward's cold lips moved from my mouth down to my jaw line, and I could not help but moan as he dipped his head lower to suck, ever so gently, on the soft skin at the base of my neck.
I felt my heart beating ever more rapidly and became aware of a not-unpleasant damp sensation in my underwear. I could hear Edward breathing loudly, and the sound served to increase my desire still further. I would never get tired of having this effect on him.
"Bella Swan, you are utterly desirable," Edward whispered low into my ear, and I couldn't help but quaver at both his words and his sultry, seductive tone of voice.
"Tell me," I insisted, trying to keep my tone firm, but finding it to be quite a challenge as Edward's lips returned to press against mine.
A low chuckle was Edward's only response. I opened my mouth to protest, and was deliciously surprised when Edward took advantage of the opportunity to delicately slide his tongue into my mouth. I whimpered at the sensation of his icy tongue moving gently, yet insistently against mine. Edward rarely did this, so I intended to make the most of it. Pressing myself as closely as was possible against Edward, I allowed my own tongue to press back against Edward's, entering his mouth. I had but a few short seconds to enjoy the sensation however, before Edward pulled out of the intense kiss.
"Bella, my love," he groaned, his eyes shut tight.
"What did I do?" I asked desperately. I was tingling all over with unspent passion, and I couldn't seem to gather my thoughts enough to figure out what was wrong.
Edward opened his eyes again and placed a gentle kiss right at the corner of my mouth. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just, my teeth... your tongue... I..."
"Oh, of course" I sighed as realisation dawned. What with Edward being so eager to further our relationship recently, it was growing easy to forget that there still had to be some boundaries for us. It was not a pleasant thought. When I was with Edward, sometimes I wanted to get carried away, entirely caught up in the moment.
"I'm sorry, love," Edward apologised again, moving with me still in his arms to sit on the sofa. "You know that I was enjoying that just as much as you were, but..."
I placed a finger over his lips. "Forget it. We are still here, alone together for a few hours at least. Let's not spoil it by getting caught up over what we can't do."
Edward pulled me closer, and placed a loving kiss against my hair. "I don't deserve you, Isabella Swan," he said, his voice heavy with sincerity. "But perhaps we should take things down a notch, for a while at least. As you said, we have several hours."
I agreed somewhat reluctantly. We passed the remainder of the afternoon perfectly innocently, watching movies, talking and simply being close to one another.
It was different spending time with him downstairs in this house. I was used to Edward spending time with me in my room at night, but this was something quite new. Normally if Edward was here during the day, we would be in Charlie's company, his sharp eyes noticing every touch and every lingering glance that passed between us. It was nice just being together, relaxing on the battered but comfortable sofa. It made me look forward even more to a day when Edward and I would have a home of our own.
All too soon, the world outside the window grew dark, and I knew that Charlie would soon be returning home. I felt myself grow nervous at the thought of the night to come, though for the life of me, I did not know why! Edward had stayed here with me countless times before, yet tonight suddenly seemed like a very big deal to me. Edward, of course, seemed as unruffled as ever. At least he was polite enough to pretend he had not noticed my growing unease.
At about 9 o'clock I heard a car approach the house, and steeled myself for Charlie's return, but to my surprise – and relief – the car drove on by. By 10 o'clock, I had started to get a little bit worried for Charlie; it was unlike him to stay out for so long without contacting me first. I was a few minutes away from calling him when the phone rang.
Rushing to answer it, I stumbled and banged my already bruised knee against the doorframe. Stifling a curse, I picked up the telephone to hear Charlie on the other end.
"Dad, I was wondering what happened to you!" I said. My relief was evident in my voice. "What's up?"
Edward had followed me from the sitting room and was standing beside me. His cell phone beeped and glancing at it, he mouthed the words 'text message'. I nodded as Edward indicated that he was just getting something from his car.
"Everything okay, Bells?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," I replied. "Are you?"
"I'm just great, Bells. Listen, is Edward still there with you?"
"Yes, he is," I said, wondering where this conversation might be going precisely.
"That's, uh, good," Charlie continued. "Listen, Bella, Billy's having a bit of a cards night here, and I was half-thinking of staying for it. I'll be home in the morning. Would you mind?"
Would I mind spending the night alone with Edward, completely alone?!? Absolutely not!
"Um, no, Dad, I guess I should be okay," I replied, keeping my tone as casual as possible, for fear Charlie might change his mind.
"Well, great," Charlie replied. "I'm sure Edward will... take care of you." He didn't sound too pleased at the prospect.
"Sure, Dad," I replied. "Well, I suppose I'll see you in the morning then?"
"You will. Night, honey."
"Goodnight, Dad, and thanks again."
As I hung up the phone, Edward came back into the house carrying a small backpack. "Charlie, I assume?" he said. It wasn't really a question.
I nodded. "Yes. It seems he's decided to spend the night at Billy Black's tonight."
"Oh, I see. That's nice," Edward said, a bit too innocently.
I narrowed my eyes. "I don't suppose that was what you were refusing to share with me earlier by any chance, Edward?"
He smiled. "Perhaps. Either way, I for one think that it is an excellent idea, don't you, Bella?"
I nodded. "Of course." I pointed to the backpack. "What's all that?"
"Alice," Edward said by means of an explanation. I rolled my eyes. God only knows what Alice had decided Edward would need for his first official sleepover with me. She knew that Edward had spent dozens of nights in my bed before, do what was all the fuss about now?
At the mere thought of bed, I found myself struggling to suppress a yawn. Unsurprisingly, Edward noticed and insisted on us having an early night. Upon reaching my room, I grabbed a pair of pyjamas from a drawer and headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I couldn't help feeling nervous, even though it seemed silly to me at the same time. I told myself in vain that tonight was no different to any other night Edward and I had spent together, but it was.
Finally screwing up my courage, I went back into my room. Edward was sitting on the end of the narrow bed. He stood up as I entered the room, and I noticed he was no longer wearing the jeans and sweater he had been earlier. Instead, Edward was clad in a pair of baggy pyjama bottoms that he was wearing slung low on his narrow hips, and since he was also shirtless, this afforded a mouth-wateringly wonderful view of his strong chest, the softly rippled muscles of his stomach and his defined hipbones. Thank you, Alice!
Trying not to drool, I raised my gaze from Edward's torso to his gorgeous face. I expected him to be wearing a teasing expression in response to my blatant ogling of his body, but he wasn't. For once, Edward looked nearly as dazzled as I felt. His gaze raked over me, lingering on my bare legs and the skin that was left exposed by my flimsy camisole top.
Our eyes locked, and instantly I felt all my nerves evaporate. This was me and Edward and all the stars in the universe seemed to have aligned together this way tonight for a reason. Neither of us said anything. Like magnets, we moved in perfect synchrony towards one another. Edward wrapped his bare arms around me and pulled me tight up against his cool torso. The combination of his icy chest and the thin fabric of my top meant that my nipples were instantly standing at attention, but for once, all my modesty was forgotten. Tonight, I was beyond caring.
Edward's lips met mine forcefully, kissing me hard as his hands roamed lower down my back, even lightly skimming over the swell of my ass. I moaned into his mouth, letting my hands trace the contours of his chest and stomach as his tongue plundered my mouth. I felt my knees growing shaky, but before I could even stumble, Edward had pulled me up off my feet and laid me down upon the bed.
I lay on my back, my hands by my face, my chest rising and falling rapidly in time with my excited breathing. Edward stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at me. His eyes were now a dark shade of onyx, signalling to me that his desire mirrored my own.
I arched my back slightly. It was all the invitation Edward needed. In an instant, he was above me, his hands roaming over the curves of my breasts, and then moving lower over the smooth skin of my stomach and hips. Through the thin fabric of our nightwear, I could feel Edward's excitement, and was positive that he could feel how wet I was for him. Our lips continued to melt together, our tongues duelling in a frenzied dance. Gone was the reserved Edward I once saw so frequently; instead, it was if last night's explorations had released a floodgate of his desire for me.
As I raised my hips against Edward's, feeling the sensation of him pressing back against me insistently, I could feel my emotions skyrocketing out of control. Knowing that we were completely alone in the house meant that we could discard our inhibitions about making noise, and I had no hesitation in being vocal in letting Edward know which of his touches pleased me most.
As he lowered his lips to nuzzle the sensitive skin between my breasts, Edward finally found the will to speak. "Bella, let me see you, please," he implored me.
I was in no position to deny him anything at that moment. I raised my arms immediately, helping Edward pull off my camisole, leaving me wearing nothing more than a rather skimpy pair of silk sleep shorts. Edward pressed my breasts together gently as he continued to worship my cleavage with his talented mouth. By this stage, I was unable to do anything other than emit incoherent gasps in response to Edward's actions.
I let my hand drift from Edward's back, down his side, before bringing it between us to gently cup his hardness. Edward growled low in his throat in response, and thrust his hips forward slightly.
I grabbed the fabric of Edward's pyjamas bottoms in my hand and gave them a firm tug. "I need to see you – really see you!" I moaned, kissing Edward's collarbone.
His eyes locked on mine, and appeared nervous for a moment. I feared that I had gone too far. Then, Edward smiled a crooked smile. "Only if I get to really see you too, Bella," he said.
I swallowed hard. Edward had never seen me naked before, but I knew I had to do this – I wanted to do this! I slid out from under Edward and stood beside the bed, looking down at him. Edward turned to lie with his back on the bed, propped up on his elbows.
"You first," he murmured, his dark eyes raking over me through a few stands of his hair that had fallen forward over his eyes.
I shook my head. "Together?" I suggested.
Edward nodded. "That sounds like a very good idea." Gracefully, he got to his feet and stood before me. He reached out and pulled me close for a slow, tender kiss before stepping back again. His hands slid down to my hips and his fingers began to trace along the waistband of my shorts.
I mimicked his actions, sliding my hands over his flat stomach then lower to where his pyjamas began. I gazed deeply into his eyes, my heart thumping so hard it was almost painful. I allowed my hands to rest where they were, hesitant to do anything more until I was sure that Edward was in control and comfortable with the situation.
"Together, Bella?" he murmured, his eyes boring into mine intensely.
I nodded, and in unison, we each slid down the garments covering the other's lower body.
As Edward's pyjamas fell to the floor, I couldn't help but take a step back to admire him better. Of course, in the heat of the moment I forgot that my own nightwear was still entangling my ankles, and I stumbled backwards. Edward's strong arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me flush against him again, and placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "Careful, my love," he cautioned, releasing me to stand on my own two feet again.
Kicking off the offending garment, I allowed my eyes to sweep over Edward's body. He was beautiful, every inch of him and I took it all in hungrily. I saw he was looking at me too, while a small self-conscious part of my brain was screaming for me to cover my nakedness, a far larger part of me exulted in finally being her like this with Edward. We had certainly come a long way!
Within seconds, merely looking at one another was no longer enough. I stepped towards Edward, reaching out to run my hands over his arms, chest and stomach. He placed his hands lightly on my hips as he permitted me my exploration, emitting a low hiss when my hand closed around his hard shaft.
I gasped as I felt Edward's hand slide from my hip, down across the skin on my upper thigh. As he lightly ran his fingers over me, beginning to touch my most sensitive area, my eyes closed in ecstasy. The sensation of Edward touching me was exquisite, and I couldn't help but moan as I felt my excitement building.
I began to slowly slide my hand over Edward's hardness, causing him to let out a low growl and move his hand more rapidly against me. Upping the tempo of my own movements in response, I kissed Edward as deeply as I could without coming into contact with his sharp teeth.
Within minutes, I was quivering with the need for a release, scarcely able to remain standing. Edward didn't seem to be in a much better state, his eyes dark with passion and a look of frantic desperation on his face.
"Bella!" he groaned, dipping his fingers into my wetness with ever-increasing fervour.
I moved my kisses to Edward's neck, and even felt brave enough to nip him lightly while my hand continued to stroke his hard cock. With a primal moan, Edward kissed me hard, and I felt him throb in my hand, the ice-cold fluid of his release spilling over my hand. I smiled in triumph. I simply adored being able to do that for Edward.
Edward didn't cease lavishing attention on me. Impulsively, he dropped to his knees and pulled me close against him, placing searing kisses on the hot skin of my abdomen. I gasped, closing my eyes as I felt Edward begin to place soft kisses just above where I wanted his touch most. My knees grew weak, and sensing this, Edward rose to his feet and laid me down on the bed again. Before I could say or do anything, I found myself looking down at Edward's dishevelled head of hair as his mouth worked wonders on me. I writhed and moaned as my orgasm overtook me; the combination of the feel of Edward tasting me there and the visual of him nestled between my thighs proving too much for me to handle.
I couldn't help but scream as I experienced a rush of renewed wetness seeping from me and felt the indescribable sensation of Edward's frigidly cold tongue moving against my core. .. I scarcely had time to regain my breath before Edward deftly slid two of his talented fingers into me. Between his tongue and his fingers, I was unable to do anything but shudder and cry out with pleasure as orgasms came upon me in waves... It was incredible... It was almost too much... It...
