The Kindness of Semi-Strangers

By Freddie Stardust

Disclaimer: I own nothing – Stephenie Meyer is the genius behind the Twilight series. I make no money from writing this story.

Chapter Ten – Sir Edward the Tool

"And now move slowly into the downward facing dog position, breathing deeply…"

I attempted to stick my butt in the air like the woman in the DVD, but my feet slipped out from under me and I faceplanted on the floor.

"Son of a bitch," I grumbled, peeling myself off the thin carpet and wrinkling my nose to make sure it wasn't broken.

My vow to take up yoga to become more flexible for Carlisle was, so far, a bust. I was a little bit sore from last night's birthday romp in the sack, and I was just too damned clumsy for such a graceful sport.

I muttered indignantly as I violently jabbed at the "Eject" button and put Yoga for Dummies back in its case. "Unnaturally flexible… Little Miss Perfect and her stupid spandex… No normal person should be so stretchy…"

"Trouble, Bella?"

"Alice!" I squeaked, holding a hand to my heart. "How in the world…"

"Your bedroom window. Edward said you keep it unlocked." Alice smirked. "Of course, I already knew it would be."

I rolled my eyes and tossed the DVD unceremoniously onto the TV stand. "Of course you did."

Alice waggled her eyebrows at me. "So… How was last night?"

I blushed profusely and started mumbling nonsensical phrases, and Alice giggled in delight.

"I knew it would be great."

"Alice!" I shrieked.

"I really tried not to look at any of the details!" Alice insisted with a devilish grin. "Not on purpose."

"You're lucky Charlie's not home," I warned her. "I have no desire to tell him his little girl is all grown up and…"

"Getting down with a vampire?"

A fresh blush attacked my cheeks. "Something like that."

Alice followed me to the kitchen as I went in search of some hydration after my trying afternoon of yoga.

"So, you have any questions? Anything you want to talk about?" Alice asked, suddenly becoming serious. "I know the first time can really confuse your emotions."

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it was great, and I don't have any regrets, but I don't know where to go from here. Carlisle asked me out this weekend."

"That sounds like a good place to start," Alice said thoughtfully. "You seem pretty calm and collected. I was worried you'd be…"

"I thought so too," I admitted. "I figured I'd get clingy on Carlisle or I'd be a nervous wreck, but I'm actually okay. Living my life as usual, I guess; just with the added bonus of knowing how awesome sex is."

We giggled together for a moment, and I realized how comfortable I'd become with Alice. It was like she was my cool big sister now.

"Let's go shopping," I said spontaneously.

Alice's eyes lit up. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You can help me pick out something cute for my date this weekend."

Alice gave a whoop and looked like she wanted to fist-pump. "Super! And on the way, you can tell me why you want to go and build a motorcycle." She gave me a protective look.

I sighed as I marched upstairs to change out of my yoga pants. I was fond of that little vampire, but her prophetic talent was going to take some getting used to.

In the end, Alice had grudgingly accepted that I was going to build a bike with Jake, and she had pointed me in the direction of a couple junker bikes for sale on the cheap.

On Thursday, I drove my truck up to the reservation with the bikes safely loaded in the back, and I couldn't help but grin at the look of youthful exuberance on Jake's face when he saw them.

"They're perfect!" he exclaimed, pulling them out of the truck bed with unnatural ease.

I raised an eyebrow. "Perfect?" I asked, eyeing the scratches, dents, missing parts, and general disarray of the two bike skeletons.

"They'll be great," Jake insisted, rolling them toward the garage. "Come on, let's get to work."

I pulled out my phone to dial the pizza parlor, and within a half hour, we were munching away on a meat lovers pizza and making a list of all the parts and tools Jake would need.

"I've gotta tell you, Bells, you're probably the coolest girl I've ever met," Jake told me as he scribbled down the name of an obscure motorcycle part.

I smiled self-consciously and shook my head. "Come on…"

Jake looked up from his notepad. "I mean it. You like bikes, you're smart, you eat like a normal human being, and you're gorgeous." His eyes dropped and the faintest tinge of pink appeared on his tanned cheeks.

I bit my lip. "Um, thanks Jake."

He shrugged, and then hastily jumped up to check his tool bench for a certain screwdriver.

I sat back and rested my head on my hands. Jake was the most honest person I'd met – if he thought all of those great things about me, then maybe it was time to stop questioning myself and start feeling a bit more self-confident. I made good grades, I dressed pretty well thanks to Alice, I knew I wasn't a total lost cause in the looks department… And I was fucking a vampire.

Hell, I must be special.

I smiled and gave a triumphant little sigh. It was one of those rare moments when I felt like I was really growing up. I knew I'd be walking around with a bit more self-assurance from then on.

By Friday, I was feeling a little less calm and collected about my date with Carlisle on Saturday night. Would things be weird now that we had seen each other naked? How on Earth would I be able to act normally around him when I had seen what was underneath those perfectly pressed trousers and experienced what his lips could do when they weren't making clever conversation?

I blushed at the memory and giggled. If I ever wanted to experience those lips again, I'd have to see him again, which meant getting over this mental roadblock. I was eighteen now and supposedly an adult. Adults have sex. Tons of people have sex and still hang out with clothes on. So could I.

Charlie was home for dinner, so I whipped us up a quick chicken and stuffing casserole.

"So," Charlie said between mouthfuls, "Got any big plans this weekend?"

I was completely unprepared for the question, so I took my time chewing the next mouthful to contemplate my answer. I hadn't thought about telling Charlie about my budding relationship with the Cullen patriarch.

Was it too soon to tell him? Should I wait a few dates? Would he react terribly to the age difference? If only he knew Carlisle's real age…

"Nothing big," I finally answered. "Probably going to hang out with Edward and Alice."

Charlie grunted noncommittally.

Well, that hadn't been too hard. And it wasn't a complete lie. Surely I would see the two Cullens at some point in the weekend. Hopefully, though, I'd be sandwiched between Carlisle and the mattress for most of it.

I suddenly felt very hungry for a sandwich.

"I'll be fishing with Harry this weekend," Charlie told me, snapping me out of my illicit reverie. I blushed when I realized I'd been daydreaming about Carlisle's naughty bits with my dad sitting right next to me.

"Sounds like fun," I said quickly, jumping up and clearing our plates to hide my reddened cheeks. "Camping out again?"

"Yep," Charlie replied, patting his full belly. "We found a great spot near the stream last month, so we're going back tomorrow. Great dinner, Bells."

"Thanks. . Lots of great recipes."

After I washed up the dishes, Charlie sat down to watch a ball game, and I headed upstairs to relax a bit and maybe try yoga again. I closed the door and shuffled over to my dresser, casting a glance over my shoulder toward the window.

"Hi Edward."

Edward was standing in the shadows by my curtains, trying his best to look dark, broody, and mysterious, and clearly he had hoped to scare the crap out of me, as per usual. He pouted and flopped down on my bed.

"Good evening, dear."

I pulled my yoga pants and a tank top out of a drawer and turned to face Edward. "You need to un-pop that collar before I slap you."

Edward smirked, but he obliged, smoothing the collar of his polo shirt underneath his jacket. "It's in style."

"It's douchey. Don't do it again."

He and I both knew that the most damage I could inflict was perhaps a chipped pinky nail, but he was kind enough to heed my warning. Or perhaps he just didn't want to hear me bitching about him looking like a tool again. Either way, I was grateful that he repaired the eyesore.

"Where have you been the last couple of days?" I asked, motioning for him to look away while I changed.

Edward suddenly became very interested in studying the "Shih Tzu Puppies" calendar that hung on the wall by my window. "We decided to head over to Montana. It's been a while since we hunted there."

It had been sunny since Wednesday morning, so I had been without my snarky biology lab partner and had instead been paired with Mike Newton. He was a good kid, but I interacted with him enough at work. I was on Mike Overload, and I'd probably been a bit short-tempered with him as a result. I made a mental note to try not to snap at him next week.

Once I had pulled on my yoga clothes and unfurled my little blue yoga mat, I attempted a basic tree pose, much to Edward's amusement.

"Why the sudden interest in yoga?" he asked, smirking as I lost my balance repeatedly.

I glared at him. "A personal resolution to be more active."

He raised a perfect eyebrow. "Or more flexible?"

I blushed and ignored him, focusing on my breathing and balancing my chi or chakra or whatever the hell I was supposed to be doing.

"Everyone is supposed to fit physical fitness into their daily routine," I informed him matter-of-factly. "Thirty minutes a day, five days a week."

"Could've gone to the gym and run on a treadmill like everyone else," Edward suggested.

"I'm not like everyone else," I retorted, wobbling on my right foot.

"And I love that about you."

"Besides, I didn't feel like working out with the juiced-up jocks at the school gym. And it's a small enough town – I don't want to sweat on the guy that rings up my groceries."

There was only one public gym in Forks, and everyone was a member. Everyone except the Cullens and myself.

Edward grinned. "Yoga is actually quite enjoyable once you've learned basic motor skills."

"Bite me."

The vampire flashed me his shiny teeth before hopping gracefully off the bed to stand next to me, all in one graceful motion.

"I've got a book about the real ideas behind yoga. It's very old, so it's a lot more helpful and true to the art than Yoga for Dummies." He looked pointedly at me. "If you're going to be doing yoga, I insist that you learn the theory behind it. I won't let you be one of those trend-followers who only do it because it's the thing to do."

He fluidly stretched into the tree pose, and then did a bunch of other poses the lady on the DVD hadn't yet covered.

"It can be incredibly relaxing and centering."

I considered it. If a century-old vampire found it relaxing, then perhaps I ought to take it a bit more seriously. "All right. I'll take a look at that book."

This meditation stuff might actually be helpful – I was a basket of nerves in anticipation of the impending date with Carlisle.

Edward patted me on the back reassuringly. "Don't worry, Bella. He's not just trying to get in your pants. He actually really enjoys your company."

I rolled my eyes. "That might actually be more intimidating than him just trying to get in my pants."

For the next hour, Edward did his best to get my mind off my nerves by showing me some yoga techniques. But after he had vanished through the window and I was left alone in bed, I couldn't help but worry about the date.

I'd never really dated a guy before. Sure, I'd had crushes on guys, but I'd never acted on any of them, and clearly none had acted on their crushes on me, if anyone had had a crush on me. This was new territory, and I had to admit that it was scary.

I suddenly wished Alice would pop up again. I could have really used some girl talk.

Work on Saturday morning kept my mind off of the date that evening, but as soon as I walked out of the store and hopped into my truck, I was, once again, a complete train wreck.

Charlie was away fishing with Harry by the time I got home, so I allowed myself a little squeal to release some of my pent up frustration. I hopped up and down and wiggled my arms like spaghetti noodles. And then I squealed again.

"So…yeah." I giggled, not caring that talking to myself was probably not a good sign. I flopped down on the couch and flipped on the television to relax for a minute. I had been on my feet all day, stacking displays and taking inventory in the warehouse, so it felt amazing to sit and do absolutely nothing.

I indulged in a Disney movie (Oh Aladdin, why couldn't you just tell her the truth from the beginning?) before traipsing upstairs to get ready for my date. Carlisle had said he would pick me up at seven, so I figured an hour and a half was plenty of time to get ready.

Wrong again, Bella.

At ten till seven, I was running around the second floor with a hot curling iron in one hand and a toothbrush in the other. I swore loudly as I tripped over a shoe and burned my wrist with the iron, spraying foamy toothpaste everywhere in the meantime.

"Shun of a bootch!" I yelled through the toothpaste, hopping up and down and pressing my wrist firmly against my red satin top to cool the skin. An angry burn popped up, mocking me and my attempt to look pretty. I glared at it, and then dashed back to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste, barely avoiding that same shoe I had just tripped over.

By some small miracle, my hair and makeup were finished by the time the doorbell rang exactly at seven o'clock. I smoothed down the top over my black miniskirt, checked to make sure my black stilettos were strapped firmly onto my feet, rechecked the diamond earrings Carlisle had given me to make sure the backs were on securely, and grabbed my black leather jacket and white clutch.

I clung desperately to the handrail with my one free hand as I stepped gingerly down the stairs. I gave a triumphant "Haha!" as I conquered the stairs without a single mishap, and then I realized that Carlisle had probably heard my nerdy little outburst with his superhuman hearing.

If Carlisle had heard me, he tactfully chose not to acknowledge it when I opened the door. He looked, as usual, ravishing, clad in a pair of black slacks, deep green shirt, shiny black shoes, and a leather jacket that (thank God) matched mine. Difference was, my leather jacket wasn't even real leather, and I'd gotten it on sale. His was definitely real leather, had probably been made in Italy by some master artisan, and probably cost more than my truck.

He smiled, and I couldn't help but blush.

I've seen you naked. You've seen me naked. We were naked together. NAKED.

"Good evening, Bella."

I managed a shaky smile. "Hi Carlisle."

His eyes skimmed over my frame, and I couldn't suppress a breathless shudder.

"You look incredible tonight."

I bit my lip as I turned to shut and lock the door behind me. "Thanks," I managed to say. "So do you. But you always do."

Carlisle grinned and placed a hand on the small of my back to steer me toward his Mercedes. That small touch was enough to send shivers all up and down my spine.

I folded myself as gracefully as I could into the car and breathed deeply as Carlisle walked around to the driver's side. Relax!

"Ready?"

I nodded and smiled. "Absolutely."

We headed south on 101, and before we were even ten minutes out of Forks, conversation had become incredibly easy. Carlisle kept me laughing with stories about the patients and nurses at the hospital. I realized that I was completely at ease, the exact opposite of what I had feared. It was like we could shift from a primal, sexual mode into a casual, friendly, adult conversation mode as easily as Carlisle shifted the gears of his sleek car.

We were just two friends who happened to have slept together – friends who were exploring something more than friendship. Was this how it felt to be in a healthy, adult relationship? If it was, I could definitely get used to it.

After about an hour of driving, Carlisle brought the car to a halt at the Lake Quinault Lodge.

"Ever heard of the Roosevelt Room?" Carlisle asked as he helped me to my feet.

I shook my head. "I don't think I've even heard of this town. But it's absolutely beautiful!"

The lodge was at the very edge of Lake Quinault, and the autumnal trees lent an air of mystery and romance to the dark, shimmering water. It was the perfect setting for a romantic evening.

Carlisle extended his arm, and I took it gratefully. There was no telling how long I'd last on my own in these heels.

The lodge was decorated as you might expect in a lodge – wood paneling, heavy rustic furniture, softly flickering lamps hanging from the ceiling, the occasional stuffed animal. It was all just too perfect.

"Reservation for two under 'Cullen,'" Carlisle said authoritatively to the hostess, who was clearly taken by Carlisle's good looks.

"Yes sir, we've got the best seat in the house saved for you," she said brightly. A little too brightly.

I suppressed the urge to make a face at the girl as she led us to our table. I had to admit that she was right – it really was the best table in the restaurant.

Carlisle took my coat and pulled my chair out for me. We sat right in front of a wall of large windows that overlooked the lake, with the mountains looming on the farthest shore. A huge fireplace with a deer's head mounted over it was at our back, lending its warmth to my bare arms. A baby deer and its mother, no doubt relatives of the animal hanging behind me, frolicked on the perfectly manicured lawn outside. It was practically a Disney movie.

The suave vampire ordered us a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and thank God the waitress didn't card me. I would've died.

Carlisle quickly realized his faux pas. "Oops," he murmured with a sly grin. "I've been alive for so long, I keep forgetting the legal drinking age in this country. And in this century."

I giggled, trying my best not to be fazed by the fount of knowledge sitting next to me. The things he must have seen in his lifetime…

Dinner was, in a word, amazing. The wine was fantastic, the beef wellington was perfectly cooked, and the rice pudding was second only to the Cuban rice pudding I'd had one time in Miami. Most importantly, Carlisle and I were really, truly connecting.

There hadn't been a single lull in the conversation since we sat down. I told Carlisle about my Arizona upbringing, my quirky mom, my sporty stepdad, and my worries about adjusting to life in a small town in Washington. Carlisle told me about some of his adventures in Italy, how he met all of his "kids," and how difficult it had been for him to become a doctor with his lust for blood always lurking at the back of his mind. He didn't eat anything as we talked, but the constant conversation kept me from feeling like a pig as I devoured my meal.

By the time we walked back out to the car, I was completely, unquestionably, totally hot for the man, physically and emotionally. But I decided that the physical aspect was a bit more important at the moment. I'd had a taste of the flesh, and now that I'd also had a taste of some wine, I wanted more. Flesh, that is. Wine was great, but I was horny.

Carlisle drove back toward 101, but turned onto a pull-off in the woods where we could see the glistening lake. As soon as the car was parked, I made my move.

I leaned over the center console and kissed Carlisle hungrily. Thankfully he seemed to have the same thing on his mind. He wrapped an arm around my back to pull me closer, using his other hand to find the switch that moved my seat back.

I felt a bit silly as I tried to keep my lips on Carlisle's while my seat was drifting farther and farther away, but then it stopped and Carlisle was kneeling on the floor in front of my seat in the blink of an eye.

God bless whoever created miniskirts and cute underwear – one was currently being pushed up and the other pulled down, and then that tongue… That tongue! It had only been a few days, but I didn't realize just how much I had missed it until it was back on me.

I moaned and writhed, clawing at the window, the center console, anything to keep from just rocketing through the roof. I propped my right stiletto on the dashboard, and suddenly the pressure was just right. In a few moments I was doing my best to wake up everyone that lived on the shore with my shouts of pleasure. Carlisle growled as I came, continuing to lap at me until every last shudder had subsided.

I looked down at the unbelievably sexy vampire propped between my legs. "My turn," I whispered, and he let me pull him up to switch places with me. It was a miracle that neither of us bumped our heads or pulled a muscle in the limited space.

This was new territory for me, but I charged ahead with an enthusiasm and determination I barely recognized. I unzipped Carlisle's slacks and slowly, (hopefully) seductively pulled them down to his shoes, and then I did the same with his black boxer briefs. I ran my hands over his smooth, hard abs and then down his inner thighs, reveling in the shaky breath he drew and the shiver that went through his perfect body.

"Bella…" he sighed, his eyelids fluttering in anticipation.

I studied the very large member in front of me and grasped it at the base, using my other hand to stroke Carlisle's side under his shirt. After a moment of indecision, I flicked my tongue out to touch the very tip.

Carlisle bucked very slightly, his right hand grasping the door handle and his left holding onto the driver's seat. I decided the reaction was a good one and continued to experiment, alternating between feather-light touches and strong, broad licks. I eventually felt bold enough to take him into my mouth as far as I could, and Carlisle cried out.

Well, that was a powerful feeling. I couldn't suppress a feeling of pride as I moved up and down on the vampire, relishing each shiver and groan. I was a bit disappointed when Carlisle suddenly pulled me up to straddle his lap, but the disappointment vanished as Carlisle guided me down onto his stiff member.

"Fuck!" I moaned, enjoying this new development immensely. Carlisle put his hands on my hips and guided me up and down, and I grabbed the passenger roof handle and braced my other arm on the top of the driver's seat to give me more leverage as I increased my speed.

Carlisle licked my nipples as I moved up and down, and he moved one hand off my hip to rub my clit. A few moments later, I was going stiff with sheer pleasure, crying out as I temporarily saw purple stars. With a groan, Carlisle came inside me.

I collapsed on top of the vampire, barely noticing that the windows had completely steamed up. I just wasn't quite capable of coherent thought yet.

But then I had one thought very suddenly that scared me – a thought summoned by years of Sex Ed classes in the public school system.

"Oh God. Condom," was all I could manage between heavy pants.

Carlisle gently moved me off of him to sit farther back on his legs. He held up a flimsy piece of rubber that looked like it had recently taken a real beating. "You mean this?"

I frowned. "How did you…?"

"I move quickly, and I was in a hurry. Don't worry, we used one last time, too."

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I collapsed forward on Carlisle's chest, glad that he was kind of sweaty, too. Otherwise I'd feel disgusting.

Carlisle stroked my back tenderly. "Wow."

"Yup."

We just sat there for a few minutes, trying to collect ourselves after the mind-blowing sex. Eventually we peeled ourselves apart and pulled our clothes back on.

"I know you won't believe me, but I really didn't intend to pounce on you like that tonight," Carlisle said with a sheepish laugh.

I shrugged, trying to do something with my uncooperative hair. "You won't believe me, but I completely intended to pounce on you like that tonight."

Carlisle laughed heartily, buckling his seatbelt. He turned to me with a smile in his eyes.

"Does this mean we can keep seeing each other?"

I nodded without a second thought. "Absolutely. I'm having a great time with you."

Carlisle leaned over the console and kissed me again. He looked at me very seriously. "I haven't felt this alive in a long, long time."

I didn't know what to say, so I just kissed him. Honestly, I felt exactly the same way. And I had never even died.

A/N: I nearly wrote "suave campfire" instead of "suave vampire." Just thought I'd admit that I'm sometimes a complete idiot. Like when I don't update for a long, long, long, long, long…

You get the idea. It took me forever to update, I feel like an ass, and I'm very sorry. Life got in the way, but it still shouldn't have taken that long. But now that the weather is colder and nearly all the rooms in my new house are painted and my puppy is completely housetrained, I should be cranking out the chapters a lot faster. I love nothing more than writing by the fireplace in a fuzzy robe and warm slippers. My special thanks go to seza3175, who gave me the kick I needed to get this chapter out.

Next order of business: I've always been very cautious about putting "adult" material on . I had an account that got canceled because someone reported my story for having a bit of smut, so I've been super-sensitive about it since then. However, I've decided that posting in two different places is just too confusing and too hard. So, I replaced the chapter 9, which was originally censored, with the uncensored chapter 9 I posted on my LiveJournal. If you're too young or offended, DON'T READ IT. This story is rated M or R or whatever the mature rating is, so if you're not prepared for mature content, again: DON'T READ IT. So there.

And now, haikus for your reviews (yay rhyming!):

Lust is in the air
Could love be next for these two?
Review to find out!

Bella and Carlisle
Are like two bunnies in heat;
Can't keep their clothes on!

Thank you to all the rock stars who favorited/alerted me last time around – you guys are better than rice pudding. And, as usual, an ENORMOUS bear hug and plate of warm, fudgy brownies to my reviewers:

aerobee82 (formatting breaks is such a pain! I'm just going to start posting uncensored on from now on to avoid anymore confusion – posting in two places is just too much trouble :] ), hnwhitlock2000, notashamedtobe (LOL!), JJ, maruxf, victoria79, Anonymous, -Cullen, whitegurl2013, seza3175, RubyDragonJewel, BranowynIvy, midtwilight, BellasGirlfriend, Jasper'sBaltimoreBabe (I LOVE jazz hands), 4MeJasper, and prattster666.

Thank you all so, so, SO much for your encouragement and advice! I couldn't do this without you.

On tap for the next chapter: Bella and Jake unleash their inner Hell's Angels. Bella hangs with the Cullens and delves deeper into her relationship with Carlisle. Plus, we have a visitor who seems to know more about Bella's newfound relationship than she'd like them to. But WHO? *cue the dramatic music*

P.S. I'm attempting to learn yoga along with Bella. In real life, I'm about as coordinated as she is. So we'll see how this goes. :)