…'Meyer' made the mold…but we are all here to break it…lol…
Chapter 27
IF HE had to watch her suck on that cherry sour any longer, he was going to lose control and jump over the bar counter and attack her. It was like Pavlov's Dog.
Why did I make her that drink?
It's her fault entirely. His obsession with Bella's favorite red candy had inspired a new drink for their patrons at both Brazil and The Blue Sage.
The Cherrytini. Complete with one red cherry sour sitting pretty at the bottom of each martini glass.
Not completely original but fuck if he cared.
The ladies loved it.
And he loved seeing a jar of the candy set out each night as prep at each bar, too. Not all went into the drinks, either.
Yup.
Whipped.
If that didn't have love-sick-fool written all over it then nothing would. And that is exactly what Edward thought he was dealing with as he watched her swallow down the candy with the last of the Stoli Cherry Liqueur concoction.
Love-sick.
Loooooove-sick…like…in fucking love…sick in love.
For some reason that didn't scare him one bit, either. Again, Bella's fault entirely.
"Stare any harder at the girl and she's gonna light on fire, dude."
"Shut it, Jackson." His eyes didn't move from her form seated at the end of the bar when he replied. Bella saw their exchange and smiled shyly, turning a little pink in the cheeks when Edward gave her a quick wink.
Is he just going to stare at me and polish that damn glass forever?
She watched the way his hands and wrists moved around and around that glass, the muscles in his forearms working to continue the task.
Stupid fucking muscles…stupid glass…
She wiggled around in her seat and glanced away.
Jackson, knowing full well the history of Edward's female companions, could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the pair of them interact together. It was highly entertaining to say the least.
Pulling the plug at the bottom of the bar sink, Jackson looked across the room to where Nikki stood at the front door again, thanking their last patrons of the evening, a couple on their way out, and handing them one of Bella's flyers. They took it as Nikki motioned towards the bar where Bella sat, unaware of the interaction.
That's my girl…sexy fucking PR broad…
He would have to thank her later for doing her job so effortlessly and thorough.
Nikki glanced over to the bar then, having sent the couple on their way, and smiled a sexy smile at Jackson. She locked the front door, effectively shutting them down for the night.
He winked at her.
"I saw that you fucking bastard."
"What? Saw what?"
Edward watched his friend's eyes go wide, and gave a crooked knowing grin as he spoke, "You are so full of shit right now."
Jackson snorted, knowing he had been caught. "Well, then. Let's toast to the both of our dumb asses for being so full of shit." He spun around to peruse the lit up bottles displayed behind them and reached for the Glenfiddich and two double-rocks glasses, pouring each of them a healthy pour.
Turning back, Jackson reached out to hand a glass to Edward only to notice that the spot that was occupied a moment ago was now vacant. Looking down the bar, he saw just where his friend had gone.
Yup…whipped.
He mock-yelled in indignation, "What…you stand me up for that?"
Vanilla.
Edward removed his head from where it was currently buried in the crook of Bella's soft, warn neck to give Jackson a glare of sorts, but stayed pressed to her side at the end of the bar counter. His voice was gruff when he spoke, "Pretty sure what I've got here is way better than what you've got there in that glass, Jax."
"Edward!" Immediately embarrassed, Bella's face flamed, her jaw dropped open. Wide eyes flew to stare disbelievingly at green ones, and then they narrowed. Cocky bastard. Glancing surreptitiously down the bar's length to a grinning Jackson, Bella swatted at Edward's chest and half-heartedly tried to push him away from her.
God, what are we, twelve?
It was bad enough that she was pretty sure both Jackson and Nikki knew exactly what had been going on upstairs behind Edward's locked office door just an hour ago. Lord knows she couldn't forget it. She was horny as hell!
Edward's eyes crinkled while he laughed at her failed attempts to move him even an inch. Jesus, he loved that fucking blush. He also loved that she was most likely still feeling…uncomfortable.
Edward let his eyes move down the length of her coat-clad form, and then said quietly with a devilish grin, "What…can't a guy sniff his girl when he wants?" He dove back in growling into her neck, letting her feel the heat of his breath, and then he kissed her there, his tongue sneaking out to taste the curve of her neck. The stool she was perched on was just the right height for him to rub his semi against the outside of her right thigh.
I can't get enough of her…
She gasped and shoved him away, exasperated and highly turned on…still. She shrieked as she scolded him, "You are doing more than just sniffing and you know it!"
Oh my god, he is the devil…
Edward stilled and wrapped his arms around her then, not nearly done teasing her yet. Watching her eyes, he spoke low enough so Jackson couldn't hear from ten feet away, "Bella. You can't blame me, sweetheart. I know what you look like underneath that coat of yours and you have no idea what uncomfortable thoughts I have had to endure this last hour." He pressed his hips a little harder into her right thigh, letting her feel the effect she had on him, his right hand dropped down to the inside of her bared knee and gently rubbed in circles.
She shivered and stared at his mouth.
He noticed and smiled self-satisfied, continuing as he spoke so soft and low Bella could barely hear him, "Plus, you have been molesting me with those pretty brown eyes while I was working, and torturing me while you sat here sipping on that goddamn drink…and sucking…" his own eyes moved quickly down to her mouth, watching as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip and then bit it, "…I, um…needed to…return the favor." With that, he let his hand flatten on her knee and move up just a bit higher to gently squeeze the inside of her thigh under her coat.
Fuck.
Dizzy.
"Edward!"
He froze. His eyes darted up. Nikki…again.
"We may not be able to hear what you are saying, Eddie, but we still have eyes attached to our heads. And by the looks of things…down there…" she glanced meaningfully through the opaque thickness of the bar base as if she could see right where his hand was squeezing on Bella's soft, hot flesh, "…I think Jackson would agree with me when I say it's time for you to show Bella to your apartment."
Nikki walked forward to stop next to Jackson at the sink, and with raised brow she took hold of Edward's drink from the bar top and downed half the contents quickly, and then she wiped at the side of her mouth with the tip of her manicured pinky finger and smiled.
Jackson swallowed hard as he watched Nikki, knowing she was trying to drive him a little nuts with her smooth classy moves. He knew the moment the amber liquid hit her stomach to spread its warm burn, too. It was all in those beautiful blue eyes, now with lowered lids and suggestive coolness as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Oh yeah, she's gonna get a huge fucking thank you…sooner rather than later, too.
Raising his still-untouched glass and downing all of its contents in one large swallow, Jackson's own belly began to warm.
He spoke over his shoulder to Edward, concurring with Nikki's suggestion wholeheartedly, "Get the fuck out of here and get your girl home." He tossed the used bar rags into the hamper. "Nikki and I will finish close-up and do the books and we will see you tomorrow. I can't take any more of the pair of you's mooning at each other so...scram already."
Edward's stare moved back and forth between Nikki and Jackson, suspicious now. He warned them with an evil eye, "Oh, we will leave alright. You guys just make sure you do the books in one of your own offices, understand?" Fuckers. They better not fucking use his office.
Nikki scoffed, "Ha! Oh, Eddie. Who said anything about using an office?"
TMI, Nikki…TMI…
a/n …short and sweet…they are all a bunch of hornballs, right?...leave me some love…review review review…please please please…review…
xxx jess