A/N- Hello my favorite readers! How is everyone? Let's get this show on the road and hear what Edward has to say. Katydid2363, thank you for all that you do. Dinx, angstaddict09, and fngrcufs, y'all rock at providing the feedback that I need to make this all flow.
I don't own.
Chapter 10
She's there
How can I make this unhappen?
I'm there
You can not make this unhappen
Choose before your choices fade away
She's there
I could be home by tomorrow
If I could beg, steal, or borrow
I said
You're there you might as well stay
- Take Me Back to New Orleans, Cowboy Mouth
EPOV
I stirred awake recalling exactly where I was. It took only a moment for me to remember everything that had happened the previous night. I moved slightly, tightening my hold on Bella as she lay peacefully in my arms. I watched as her naked chest rose with each breath she took. She really was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and I had seen quite a few.
I watched her sleep for a while, doing my best not to disturb her. Her face looked so relaxed, like a million burdens had been lifted away from her soul. I hoped that they had. My admission to her the night before, I had hoped, would open up a new door for the both of us. One in which we could walk through together.
Her hair was a hot mess. From the downpour of rain she had walked through to get home and my hands constantly running through it, it was wild, strewn out across the pillows and my arm. I smiled to myself because I was partly to blame for it. Gently, I pushed aside a piece that had fallen across her face while she slept. This caused her to stir and I instantly felt bad for waking her. I was enjoying myself far too much as I stared at her.
I figured, since she was coming to, that I might help the process, maybe give her a little something to wake up to. The lovemaking we had experienced the night before was unlike any I had ever had with anyone. I could have chalked it up to being the heat of the moment but I knew better than that. The look in her eyes told me that this was more. I knew that look because I was projecting it to her myself. And it wasn't just in long lust-filled looks, either. I had kissed her in a way that conveyed just how different this was for me. I had fallen for Bella Swan and I had fallen hard.
I was pretty sure she could say the same. The way she looked at me when she asked me to stay with her spoke volumes. I had the feeling she had never asked another man to share her bed with her and a part of me wanted to run out on her balcony and shout to all of Bourbon Street that I was going where no man had gone before. I was going straight to her heart.
We crashed immediately after we settled ourselves in the bed, neither of us bothering to dress. I held her to my chest for the entire night and it was where she still resided when we woke. Thinking that maybe she would be up for another go, I wiggled her out of my grasp. She stirred again and sighed softly. I smiled to myself as I trailed feather light kisses along her shoulders, down to the peaks of her breasts. My hands softly skimmed her bare stomach and eventually my mouth took up residence there.
Following the same pattern back up her body, she moaned when I took one of her hard, pink nipples into my mouth. I alternated between sucking the peak and drawing circles around it with my tongue. She moaned and I smiled into her skin.
Pulling myself further up her body, my morning wood aligned itself perfectly with her center. I circled my hips just slightly, drawing friction between us and hoping to get a rise out of her. It worked because she threaded her hands through my hair and moaned as my tip barely grazed her clit with every pass.
"If this is how you intend to wake me up every morning then you might want to consider moving in," she said, smiling as her eyes remained shut.
"Was that an invitation, Swan? I'm pretty sure that could be arranged," I said, pushing my hips forward just enough for the head of my dick to enter her. She gasped and tugged my hair tighter.
She lifted her hips slightly to allow me to enter her fully. I pulled back, not sure if she was okay with this. "'Cher, I need to get a condom."
She shook her head no. "I'm on the pill. Besides, I've always used a condom before."
That was all the confirmation I needed to hear. "Look at me," I breathed, watching her eyes flutter open.
As soon as our eyes locked on to one another I pushed myself into her as deep as I could go. We both did a moan/grunt sort of sound once I was fully inside. Her hands left my hair and gripped my shoulders as I moved my hips slowly up and down. She arched her back to meet my strokes, stride for stride.
I took my time, feeling everything about her. Her skin was so soft and her body was so tight. I had never felt more at home than in the short time that was spent in Bella's arms. She grounded me. She made me want to move back home and forget New York, forget the Met. She made me want to recognize who I was, for once.
Our movements were slow and steady, neither of us in any kind of hurry. We made love silently for the most part. Our eyes remained locked on each other's the entire time. I told her with my eyes what my head couldn't get out. I had fallen in love with her. I wanted to move back to New Orleans. I wanted to move in with her. I wanted to be with her forever.
Of course, I would never have said these things out loud so soon. Instead, I poured my heart and soul out to her with my intense gaze. The thing I found so ironic was that I could tell she was telling me the exact same thing.
Her breathing had become labored and her legs wrapped themselves tightly around my waist, drawing me in deeper. I moaned into her mouth, kissing her and breaking eye contact. She returned the moan, gently dragging her nails down my back.
I pulled my mouth away from hers to be able to see her face again. I wanted to watch her cum. It appeared she had the same idea. Her walls clamped down around my shaft and it was the final straw to end our lovemaking. We both came fiercely, moaning our pleasure and saying things like, I love you, with our eyes.
~xxx~
We lay in bed, tangled in the sheets. We had only gotten out of bed to relieve our bladders and bring juice and fruit bars back to bed with us. Bella laid her head against my chest and sighed as I ran my hands absentmindedly through her hair.
"Edward," she said, breaking the silence. "I know this is something that we should have talked about last night, or even this morning but with everything that has taken place," she looked up at me and smiled devilishly, "we've been a little distracted."
I knew where this was headed and she had every right to know. We needed to get it all out there if we were going to be together. At least, I had hoped she wanted to be with me.
"Okay, I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise to do the same for me. Deal?" I asked kissing the top of her forehead.
She nodded her head into my chest. "You first, I need to know what happened. Why did you come after me in the rain?"
"Don't waste any time, do you?" I teased. "I assumed you'd want to start with what you overhead at the club."
"Oh, I plan on getting there, too, but I need to know what happened with Lauren and Tyler first."
I took a deep breath and recalled the entire events from the night before. Starting with how Lauren had to practically drag me to the car.
I sat in the car, stone cold like a statue. I could hear Tyler talking as he drove down the streets of the French Quarter, but I didn't register the words at all.
"Edward, don't worry about your dad. We'll get him to agree to the album. I'm sure we can. Besides, money talks and bullshit walks, right? I don't care how rich you are, no man can pass up a few hundred g's."
"And just imagine, once we get back to New York, we can starting packing up for Paris. I'm so happy, Edward. This is going to be amazing."
I heard what they were saying. Album, money, Paris. None of it mattered. I had just let the only thing that did, slip away.
"I bet if you call her when you're in Paris, and explain why you did what you did, she'll understand. Hell, maybe we can get her to work on the album, too. She was pretty killer on stage. I've never seen a hot girl like that play the clarinet."
"Seriously, Tyler? She's far from hot. Maybe in a back woods kind of way, but she'd never make it in New York. She's too homely for that."
My head snapped up as they talked about Bella. I finally took in everything they were rambling about. I couldn't do this. I couldn't go back to New York. I couldn't leave her. I might have fucked things up beyond repair with Bella, but I had to find out. I'd die trying.
"Stop the car," I said, speaking for the first time.
Tyler kept driving. It was like he and Lauren were ignoring me.
"Stop the God damn car!" I shouted.
Tyler slammed on the breaks, looking at me through the rear view mirror. Lauren turned abruptly from the front seat.
I looked at her and I saw nothing. I could safely say that I didn't care about her any more. I didn't care about the album or Paris. For that matter, I didn't care if this whole charade ruined my career.
I flung the back door open, trying to recall exactly where we were. Lauren rolled the window down and Tyler was leaned over the console so that he could speak to me.
"Edward, what the hell are you doing?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah man, c'mon. We've got a plane to catch," Tyler said.
I shook my head no and turned in circles looking for street signs. I instantly realized where we were, only a block or so from the club, conveniently headed in the direction of Bella's apartment.
"Edward, get back in the car!" Lauren shouted. "We're going home!"
I stopped my movements and looked at her with disgust. "I am home, Lauren. This is my home. These are my people. I'm not going back to New York, I'm not going to Paris. This is where I belong."
"You can't be serious. Just, c'mon, Edward," she said, her voice lowering a bit. "You're going to catch a cold out there in the rain. We can talk about this on the plane."
I laughed, but there was nothing remotely funny. "You don't understand, do you? I'm not going back with either of you, and you're not staying here. I have to find her," I said to myself.
"Find who? Bella? Please, Edward, you could do better than that. I am better than that."
"No, doll, you're not. Tyler," I said and he moved his head up and over to get a better view of me standing on the street. "I'll call you when I know something. Don't expect much, though. Also, do me a favor and write a resignation letter to the Met. I'm not going back."
Lauren huffed but Tyler simply nodded. He knew there was no talking me out of this.
"Lauren, it's been real. Enjoy Paris," I said, about to take off down the street in a full on sprint.
"Are you breaking up with me?" she asked incredulously.
I looked at her and smiled a true smile. "Yeah, I am."
With those final words I started running towards the only thing that mattered to me in that very moment.
"She called me homely?" Bella asked, looking up at me through her long dark eyelashes, a tiny smile on her lips. "Well, I'll be. It's a good thing that bitch left town."
I laughed and pulled her closer to my chest. We sat in silence for a few moments, thinking over everything I had just confessed to her. Finally, she spoke up again.
"You really mean that, Edward? Are you really home now?"
I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet mine. "Yes I meant that. Bella, you are my home. I know I'm probably saying too much and you'll most likely end up running for the hills but it's the truth. I don't want to keep anything from you. You deserve to know the truth."
"And what's that, Edward?"
I took a deep breath. This was it. There was no going back now. "I've never felt this way about a person before. You know that feeling when you see them and your stomach flutters like there are a million butterflies flying around? Like you know they are near you without even laying eyes on them? When you touch it's like a Fourth of July fireworks display goes off?"
She nodded at all three examples. "Well, that's how I feel about you. I can't explain it and I sure as hell don't want to try. I just know that I wasn't about to let something like that get away from me."
Bella buried her head into my chest and I heard her sniffle. "Bella, are you crying?" I asked, smoothing down the back of her hair.
"No, well… okay, yes," She looked up and smiled, tears running down her face. "You just said everything I've been feeling, too. To be honest with you, Edward, because that's what we're doing, right? Being honest with one another?" I nodded so she continued. "I'm scared shitless."
I erased the tears that had streaked down her beautiful face with the pads of my fingers and kissed both of her cheeks, then her nose, finally resting on her lips.
"I'm scared, too," I admitted. "But I want this, Bella. I want you. I want you to want me, too."
"I do want you, Edward. I want you as more than just some fling. I want to wake up with you every morning, preferably like how we woke up this morning," she said with a laugh. I joined along with her, pleased that she had enjoyed herself. "I want to come home to you every night, or morning, seeing as how I work weird hours. I want to love you, Edward. I want to try to, at least," she added in a whisper.
I gently pulled her face towards mine and kissed her ever so lightly on the lips. I smiled pulling back and looking at her. Her beauty radiated in the room. She was infectious and I had a feeling she had no idea.
"So, you're not freaked out, then? I mean, it's kind of sudden, right?" I asked, fearing that we were moving too soon.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't expect you to start forwarding your mail here any time soon, but the idea of having you here quite often is appealing. But I mean what I said, Cullen. So help me God, if you are fucking with me and I get my heart broken, I will kick your ass, and not just me, you've got Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie to worry about."
I flinched when she mentioned Rosalie. She had only cornered me in Charlie's office with harsh words. I could only imagine what she could do when she backed those words up with actions.
I brushed the hair away from her face, cupping my hands around her cheeks. "I promise you, Bella. I'm in it for the long haul. I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded and leaned forward to kiss me, sealing the deal. Of course, she had the answer to her first question, now it was my turn.
"Bella, I have a question for you."
She pulled away, sitting herself up right. "Fire away."
I said one word. "Jasper."
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "It was a while back."
"How long ago?" I asked, not letting any sort of anger rise in my tone.
She thought for a second before she answered. "Well, things ended a few months before the storm. We had an altercation, I guess you could say."
I raised my eye for her to elaborate but she merely shook her head. "I'm not going there. That's Jasper's business. Let's just say he was in a compromising position with a stripper."
"And you got jealous?"
"Not exactly, I mean, we never were tied down to one another. You have to understand, Jasper was my first and he's been one of my best friends since I was a kid. We're like family, so the situation I saw him in upset me to a point where I wanted nothing of that nature to do with him any longer."
I could tell she wasn't going to reveal what had led to their sexual demise. I wasn't sure if she was just being a friend and not telling his sorry ass story, or if she was covering his sorry ass because he was now involved with my sister.
"But he still has a key to your apartment?" I asked, trying to fish for information on the subject of him having access to her house.
"Well, yeah. I mean, he always has, I guess. Listen, Edward, I'm going to be straight with you. Last night, when I asked you to stay, you're the first man that's ever stayed overnight with me." I smiled smugly because I couldn't help it. I felt good knowing that I was the only one that she had ever woken up to.
She playfully slapped me across the chest, laughing. "Don't look so happy, jeez. I'm serious though. I've never been one for guys staying the night. What's the point ya know? I mean, obviously I see the benefits now." She smiled seductively at me and it was hard not to throw her back down on the bed and go for round three.
"Really though, Edward, I've never been in a relationship before. All I've ever had was the convenient fling, nothing of substance, ya know?"
I sat up enough to be able to prop my body weight on my elbow. I tucked a piece of hair behind Bella's ear and smiled. "'Cher, I think you've proven this morning that you are more than capable of having an honest conversation with someone. We could have very well dominated the morning with more amazing sex, but we didn't. You and I have both opened up about our feelings. As scary as it may be, we've told each other what we want out of this," I said, motioning back and forth between our bodies. "I'm just tickled shitless that we both want the same thing."
A small laugh escaped her beautiful mouth. I couldn't hold back any longer so I leaned forward and kissed her gently, lovingly.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked, looking up through her long, dark eyelashes.
"'Cher, you can tell me anything. I want to know it all."
She blushed, which was something I had never seen Bella do. Here was this strong, fierce, independent woman, who didn't take shit from anyone, yet I was able to make her turn a stunning shade of crimson.
She took a deep breath before she continued. "I love that you call me 'Cher."
"You do? Why is that?"
"It's so endearing. No one's ever called me that before. As contradictory as this may seem, I've always wanted a man, someone who held real potential to be mine, to call me that. So when you said that to me last night, it was either a sign, or a line of bullshit. I'm hoping for it being a sign," she added with a nervous chuckle.
"Ah 'Cher," I said noticing that the blush had reappeared. I smiled and pulled her face toward mine, her body landing on top of me in the process. I brushed back the hair that had fallen and held her face in my hands. Instead of rushing to connect our lips, I studied her face. The dotting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, the deep brown color of her eyes, the creamy flawless complexion of her skin and her lips, those plump luscious lips that I had to feel against my own.
"I have real potential?"
Bella rolled her eyes but kept a smile on her face. "That much is obvious, wouldn't you say? I don't think I would have asked you to stay, or forgiven you so easily, if I didn't think otherwise."
"You don't know what you do to me, do you?" I said after several long seconds of getting lost in her eyes. "From the moment I heard your voice on the phone, you captivated my attention. I didn't even need to see this beautiful face of yours to know that you would bring me to my knees. I'm sorry for the route it's taken for us to get here, 'Cher, but I'm not at all sorry to be here now."
"Me either," she replied in a whisper.
I took my time loving her. Kissing every inch of her face, letting my hands feel every curve of her incredible body. I wanted to worship her and I had every intention of doing just that every time she and I were to be close.
"Edward," she moaned into my mouth. "As much as I would love to continue doing this all day, we do have practice tonight."
I groaned and pulled her body closer to mine.
"Don't even start, mister. The benefit is only a couple of weeks away and you and I haven't even begun to really work on our songs. Seems like every time we try, something fucks it up. I think tonight we need to really work on that."
"You're right, besides, we have tonight," I said and kissed her exposed neck. "And tomorrow night." My kisses traveled further down her neck until I was met with her chest. "And the night after that."
She said my name in what was supposed to be a scolding tone but it was anything but. I relented because I knew I was right. I had as many nights as she would have me to love and worship her. I planned on those lasting all the days of my life.
As Bella crawled out of bed a knock sounded at her door. She looked up confused and then to me with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Are you expecting company?" I asked.
"No, but I'm sure it's Rosalie or Jasper coming by to check on me. I did run out of the club last night without saying anything to anyone," she said with a pointed look in my direction like it was my fault. Okay, it was my fault.
I watched her turn in circles while she tried to find something to wear. Bending down and giving me a spectacular view of her ass, which I couldn't keep my hands off of, she picked up my dress shirt that I had worn the night before.
After several attempts to coax her back to bed and forget the insistent knocking at her door, she fought me off, laughing at my naked body resting in her bed. She slipped on a pair of white boy short panties to finish off the look.
"You look sexy in my shirt," I told her. It was the truth. She could forgo the fuck me pumps and tanks any day if she'd walk around forever in my clothes.
I noticed the middle three buttons were the only ones fastened as she leaned over me to plant a kiss on my lips. In the process, I got a stellar view of her rack. My girl didn't disappoint in any aspect of her body.
The knocking continued and we both huffed at the annoyance.
"Get rid of them quick," I stated. "I'm not done with you yet. We still have plenty of time before we have to be at rehearsal."
"What happened to having tonight, tomorrow night, and the next night?"
"I'd like to get a head start on that which begins as soon as you tell who ever that is behind to door to go away."
"Alright," she said, standing up and making her way out of the room toward the door.
A part of me was a little put off that she was about to answer the door in a men's dress shirt and panties but then when I considered who she said it probably was on the other side, I let it go. If it was Rose, then I had no reason to be jealous of her attire. I was sure that, given how close they seemed, they had seen each other in less.
I had to take a few reassuring deep breaths at the thought of it being Jasper on the other side. I had to get over my jealous tendencies toward their past relationship. He was happily involved with my sister now and Bella was mine. Besides, if it was him at the door, he was going to be surprised to see her in a man's shirt. Hopefully he'd recognize it as mine.
Then the thought occurred to me. What if it was neither of them? What if on the other side of the door was the handy man Bella had once mentioned? He might not think twice about the way she was dressed. If anything, he might find it as hot as I did.
Jumping out of bed, I grabbed my jeans, not bothering to put underwear on. They would just be coming right back off as soon as she was back in my arms. I pulled the jeans over my hips and fastened them. I slowly walked out of Bella's room toward the living room. I could hear muffled voices but I couldn't make out who she was talking to.
When I had a clear shot of the door, I saw Bella, standing between the open door and the wall. It wasn't opened all the way so I still had no idea who she was talking to. She shook her head no but her voice remained light, almost sincere. Deciding not to prolong my stare down with the back of the door, and to find out who was on the other side, I called out to her.
"'Cher? Is everything alright?"
When she turned around to face me, she opened the door wider in the process. She gave me a half smile that I returned; until I saw the man she had been talking to. Sandy blonde hair, a face that looked like it hadn't seen a razor in a few days, and a workman's belt around his hips. My face dropped. This could only be one person, Bella's handy man.
~xxx~
A/N- So did everything get explained? Lauren and Tyler are now out of the picture. Well, Lauren is, Tyler is Edward's manager so he's going to be around. Do y'all expect James to start trouble or be the better man and walk away? You'll get that and more in the next installment.
My Carlisle/Bella question got some very colorful answers. It seems that most of you are divided on that pairing. It's okay, I understand. For the record though, my next story will be that pairing. I hope that those of you who are not prone to reading that pairing will give it a try. What if I told you there was no Edward to get in the way? Would that help any?
I have a rec for y'all this week. If you love the New Orleans setting in Keeping the Faith, then I urge you to read Enchante by rpgirl27. She takes you back to the 1800's and what New Orleans was like during that time. It's so good! Imagine Edward in period costume? Yeah, it's hot. Here is the link, http:/www (dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5676810/1/ Also, you can find both of us on twitter. She goes by the same name, I go by Hollister_1980. Occasionally she and I will have youtube duels. This last one was old school dirty rap songs. It gets quite interesting.
Until next time…
Holly