Thank you to staceleo for making me an awesome banner for A Family Affair!
Chapter 12
The truck with Bella's belongings arrives right on time. Within an hour and a half, we have a dining room table and chairs, a desk in the corner of the living room, and Bella has a bedroom. I make quick work of the boxes of kitchen and bathroom supplies while she unpacks the rest of her belongings.
After a light lunch, we both decide to relax on the couch for a little while before going food shopping. It's amazing how quickly all this unpacking can wear you out, and I have a feeling Bella hasn't been sleeping too well with everything she's had on her mind lately. Without planning to, we end up asleep on the too-comfortable-for-our-own-good couch.
Two hours later, I wake up with a sleeping Bella in my arms. The TV is still humming quietly in the background, casting a soft glow over her face, and I take some time to really look at her while she's completely at ease. Her face looks so peaceful, with no signs of the stress I know she's carrying. I can only hope that as time goes on, some of that outward stress will begin to disappear from her waking moments as well.
I run my fingers through her long hair, enjoying the silky texture while she continues to doze. Ten minutes later, she stirs and shifts her body to face me, burrowing her face into my chest. She hums before fully waking, wrapping her arm around my waist.
"How long was I asleep?" she questions groggily, looking up at me.
"Not sure," I tell her, while my fingers continue to play in her locks. "I was out for a while, too."
"So comfy," she mumbles with her head back on my chest, and I wonder if she's talking about me or the couch. Either way, I agree with her. I could stay here all day.
After a few more minutes of snuggling, she asks if I still want to go food shopping. We both take quick trips to the bathroom and then head out.
We make a stop at a liquor store first, where I pick up another bottle of champagne and some scotch. Bella chooses a few bottles of wine. I remind her we still have beer left, too.
The grocery store takes longer, since we're not only getting dinner for tonight but also stocking up on food in general. We make our way through the aisles, both picking things up along the way. Once Bella double checks to make sure she has everything for tonight's dinner, we finally get out of there and head home.
Home. I like that.
She starts working on dinner as soon as everything is put away. About fifteen minutes later, I join her in the kitchen and make good on my promise, washing dishes as she uses them. Once again, we work seamlessly together, even stepping around each other in the small space as if we're constantly aware of each others' needs. And, I guess we are.
I'm leaning against the counter when Bella closes the oven door after placing the tray of enchiladas inside. She throws a kitchen towel over her shoulder and smirks at me, reaching her hands out to my belt loops and hooking her fingers inside. She pulls my hips off the counter and my body willingly follows, meeting her in the middle. Tilting her head back to look at me—god, she's tiny—I lean down and capture her offered lips in a chaste kiss.
"Thanks for helping," she says with a sexy smile.
"Any time," I answer with a smirk of my own. "I was thinking we could watch a bunch of movies tonight, if you want."
"That sounds good. We've got time before dinner will be ready if you want to start something now."
"Definitely. Go pick something out, woman," I say, smacking her ass and turning her around. "Whatever you want."
"You don't mind a chick flick, do you?" she calls out as I grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. She picks out a stack of movies, enough to take us until well after midnight if we watch them all.
"Not at all," I say, figuring all of the movies were mine anyway. None of them can be that bad. Settling down on the couch, I pour the wine while she puts the first movie into the Blu-Ray player.
She plops herself next to me and picks up her wine glass. "Thanks," she says, gesturing with the glass. "I think this couch might be too comfortable."
I laugh with her. "Yeah, we picked a good one." I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side, getting comfortable as the movie starts.
We watch until the oven timer goes off, and then take a break for dinner. Once we finish eating, I grab an empty beer can to use as a makeshift ashtray and go out onto the balcony for a smoke.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," I tell her, handing her a smoke and lighting it for her.
We chill outside for a little bit, and all I can think about is how comfortable everything feels. It's like there's no effort at all when I'm around Bella. I wonder idly if she feels the same.
The movie plays on when we return to the couch. We watch a few more after that, taking breaks now and then but always returning to cuddle on the couch. The evening flies by, and before I know it, it's ten minutes until midnight.
"Should we take a break and watch the countdown?" I ask, running my hand up and down Bella's arm.
"Yeah, sure. Do you want some champagne?"
I nod, so she goes into the kitchen to retrieve the open bottle and some fresh glasses.
With the movie turned off, I switch to that ridiculous Ryan Seacrest show. I will never understand all the hype about this guy, but I will always love watching the ball drop in New York City so I suffer through him.
"Perfect," Bella says when she walks back into the room. She hands me a glass and sits down next to me. "I love to watch the ball drop."
I chuckle and pull her closer, amazed at how we're always on the same wave length. I kiss the top of her head as we settle in and watch the crowds gathered a few hours previous on the other side of the country.
We both have champagne in hand as the countdown begins. I keep one eye on the TV and the other on Bella, seeing the excitement grow in her eyes and her face glow as the ball nears the bottom. When the shouts of "Happy New Year" come from the TV, she turns to me and taps her glass against mine. We each take a sip of the delicious liquid with our eyes locked on each other.
"Happy New Year, Bella," I say quietly with my hand on her cheek.
She absentmindedly puts her glass on the coffee table and I follow suit. A blush creeps up her cheeks and I can't resist running my finger over it.
"Happy New Year." Her words are almost a whisper, but she's close enough for me to hear it.
Her tongue brushes out across her lips before she leans in and kisses me sweetly. My hands anchor her face to mine as the kiss deepens, our tongues sweeping against each other gently, exploring and cherishing. She tastes like the sweet champagne, but I can still taste her underneath it.
Our touches remain gentle and unassuming as we continue to kiss on the couch for several minutes, until Bella pulls away and meets my eyes.
"Do you want to come in my room with me?" she asks shyly.
"Yeah," I whisper. I smile at her and give one more kiss before we stand. "I'll be there in a minute. Let me make sure everything's locked up."
She nods and I follow the sway of her hips until she disappears into her room. Shaking my head to clear it, I carry our mess into the kitchen, leaving the dishes in the sink until morning. I double check the sliding glass door of the balcony and the front door, making sure they are bolted, and then turn off all of the lights.
Bella's door is partially closed when I reach it, so I knock just in case.
"Come in," she calls out quietly.
I push the door open and suck in a lungful of air as I take in the sight before me. Instead of being in her usual sleeping attire, Bella is laying on top of the covers in a very revealing midnight blue negligee. Her long tresses flow over her shoulders as she leans back on her elbows.
"God, you're beautiful," I tell her, running my hand up the length of her leg as I approach, hearing her breath hitch from my touch. "You know you don't have to do stuff like this for me, right?" I sit on the bed next to her lithe body, my fingers now running leisurely circles over her stomach.
"I mean, don't get me wrong …" I chuckle. "I love it. But I love your tank top and shorts just as much, or even your jeans and T-shirts. You don't have to try to impress me," I tell her seriously.
She nods and sighs. "I know. I guess I just wanted to feel sexy and wanted," she laments.
"Believe me, you are extremely sexy and very wanted," I tell her seriously. "And I'm very much looking forward to tearing this off of you." I smirk at her, and her eyes light up.
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to be anybody but yourself," I say, shifting the mood back momentarily. "You're absolutely perfect just the way you are."
"Thank you." She catches my hand and brings it to her lips, kissing first my knuckles and then my palm softly.
"Just be yourself," I whisper, closing the distance between us and kissing her neck lightly. "And, if being you means wearing sexy lingerie around the apartment," I start, returning to joking mode. "Then, by all means, feel free to do so."
My fingers move to her shoulder and slip the strap down slightly, with my lips and tongue following. "But right now … this needs to come off," I growl against her skin. My hands grasp the hem of the material and lift, while Bella lifts her hips to help me.
We kiss and touch lazily, finally able to enjoy each other without fear of interruption. The mood between us is unhurried, and when Bella removes the last article of my clothing, I pull her body to mine and spoon her, savoring the feel of her skin against mine.
While kissing the back of her neck and shoulder, my hand runs over the curves of her body feeling the perfection next to me. She lets out a soft moan when I lift her leg and enter her from behind, then she takes my hand and pulls it over her heart. Our hands remain there, clasped together, while I thrust with slow, deep movements.
Being completely connected like this is an amazingly sensual feeling. When we climax together, it feels like nothing I've ever felt before.
We remain wrapped around each other for a long time and my mind whirls with thoughts of this wonderful, broken woman. I realize that my heart and soul are hers for the taking, and that I will never willingly walk away from her.
After some time, I think that Bella must have fallen asleep, though her grip on my hand hasn't lessened. Quietly, she asks, "Will you stay with me tonight?"
I take a deep breath and soak in the scent of her skin before answering her. "Yeah," I whisper, kissing where her neck and shoulder meet.
We break apart only to get under the covers, then our bodies twine back together face to face on one pillow.
"Can I ask you something?" I question in a hushed tone, running my fingers through her hair. Something's been on my mind since that first night we were together.
"Of course," she answers just as softly.
I continue playing with her hair while I try to word my question. Her eyes never leave mine while she waits. "The first night we were together, you said you had wanted me for a long time, too. Was that the truth?"
She bites her lip and gives me a small smile. "Yeah, it was." And then she proceeds to tell me her story.
A/N: So, do we want to hear Bella's story or what?!
Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites and alerts. You guys are the best! I also have another WIP called Bass Instinct if you'd like to check it out.
Come find me on Facebook (Kitchmill Fanfic) or Twitter (at kitchmillfanfic).