A/N: Copward has a few words to say to all the readers of Trust, Loyalty, Commitment.
Edward: "Hello, TLC readers. As a Tallahassee Police Officer, I have a lot of duties. As many of you know from reading TLC, I have not been stable for a very long time and I'm just now going back into therapy to try and get my shit together once and for all. However, since I am still technically not cured yet, I can say whatever the fuck I want. I want you readers who are lurking around reading this story to be responsible citizens and review every time you read. My writer, Bev, is a really great woman and she needs your validation or some shit through these reviews. This great story is worth that much, right? So, convince her she's a woman of worth, just like Bella is convincing me I'm a man of worth, and REVIEW THIS STORY! Thank you very much and have a nice day."
Thanks to my regular betas SSHG316, acireamos and Charmie77 and pinch hitter: JennDay. You are all beautiful and possess many talents. This story would not look half as good without you!
Trust, Loyalty, Commitment
Ain't Understanding Mellow
by Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager
Oh, I thank God for you
Because you were woman enough, girl, not to try to hide
Didn't try to hide your love
For this other guy, baby
No need to explain it.
Oh, I thank the angels for you
That you were woman enough to try to make it easier for me
Wherever you go
I want you to know, You have but to call on me
And I'll be right by your side
Oh, I thank God above
That we were able to see
Just how wrong we were
Ain't Understanding Mellow
To have this love of ours
"Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful does not endure."
Proverbs 13:15
Chapter 10 – TLC: Ain't Understanding Mellow
Bella couldn't quite decide if the date with James had been what she'd expected. On the scale of many of the dates she'd been on, it was rated in the top two, but there was something vaguely anticlimactic about it. She tried to keep herself in the moment with James, but her mind kept wandering to a pair of emerald green eyes and a brooding, kissable mouth belonging to the man who invaded her thoughts and dreams most of the time these days. It was early, she reasoned. The least she could do was give it a chance. Besides, even if he were free of Tanya now, Edward wasn't making any obvious moves, and she wasn't ready to go back to being the third wheel with Alice and Jasper, or Angela and Ben for that matter.
She pumped herself up for the end of the date and the obligatory kiss goodnight, which didn't disappoint. James was a really good kisser, and she was kind of turned on by his well-toned physique. She could tell by the hints he dropped at the end of the evening that he wasn't ready to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to invite him into her apartment just yet, so they said their goodbyes at her door. Alice had asked them to go out with her and Jasper on Friday night because they wanted to welcome James to Tallahassee properly, so Bella reminded him that they would be together again the next night.
She had gotten ready for bed and was about to put her unmuted cellphone on her nightstand when she saw she had a text message. She almost fell off the bed. It was Edward. They had exchanged cell phone numbers before she'd left the center at the end of the day because they were going to get together on Saturday morning to visit the rental stores. His text read:
Bella, Are you up?—E.
Despite having just come from a wonderful date with a great guy, her heart fluttered wildly from just a simple text from Edward Cullen. She responded with shaking fingers.
Yes, wide awake now.—B.
May I call you?—E.
Yeah, sure. –B.
Bella was at a loss. She couldn't imagine why he wanted to call her tonight when they would see one another at the center the next day. Even though she knew he was going to call, she jumped when the familiar refrain of Claire de Lune resounded in her ears.
"Edward," she said quietly. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," he replied in an equally soft tone. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"What would you be interrupting, besides my sleep?" She laughed nervously.
"Well, um, you did have a date tonight," he said apprehensively.
"Right, but I also have to work tomorrow, and James does, too." She hoped her tone didn't give away how anxious she was to find out exactly what he wanted to talk about at this hour.
"I'm sorry, maybe this was a bad idea…" he hedged.
"It's okay," she reassured him. "James is gone and I wasn't asleep, yet. What is it?"
"I wanted to finish the conversation we were having earlier, and I was afraid that I'd waited too late, as it is…."
"Too late for what?" she asked curiously.
"To take back what I said at Cafe Cabernet a couple of weeks ago. My reaction that night is probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life, Bella. Damn, I should be saying this to you in person..." He trailed off helplessly.
Bella was stunned. Had he just said what she thought he said? Edward was admitting that he regretted rejecting her. This turn of events, while thrilling, actually scared the bejeebus out of her. Edward was by far the closest to her physical ideal than any man she'd ever met, and their chemistry was off the charts. Could she survive a relationship with him with her virtue intact? Everything in her screamed to be with him, and in her heart she was hungry for his attention, his touch, his kiss. But where would this take her? Edward was a virile man who had enjoyed many physical relationships with women. Was he really willing to honor her commitment to chastity?
"I started telling you this today, but then James showed up and we didn't get a chance to talk alone again before you left. But I've been thinking about this—about us—all day, Bella, and I just couldn't go another minute without telling you how I feel."
"I-I don't I don't know what to say," she stammered. This was just too much. She was utterly astonished and completely overwhelmed.
"You don't have to say anything right now. I am in treatment again so I can deal once and for all with my issues. I don't know what will come of it...I think that's sorta the point, but for the first time in my life I want to complete what I began in the marines and abandoned in Terre Haute. I need to be whole for me, but I also want to be the kind of man you deserve."
"Maybe we could talk about this when we see each other again," Bella suggested. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, and she was having trouble forming coherent sentences. "James is such a sweet guy… I don't know if I can…"
"I know it's not really fair of me to spring this on you like this. But I also didn't want to wait any longer to tell you because I couldn't bear to see your heart stolen away from me right under my nose. Just so you know, I intend to fight for you, Bella. If you'll let me."
~888~
After getting off the phone with Edward, Bella had tossed and turned, her thoughts churning about how she felt about James versus how she felt about Edward. She was in turmoil for what seemed like hours, until she'd finally succumbed to a fitful, yet dreamless sleep. As soon as her eyes opened the next morning, she was on the phone calling Angela. She decided she needed an objective opinion, and since Alice was Edward's cousin and was convinced he was the one, she knew what her opinion would be.
"Hello, my sister from another mister," Angela said playfully. "I was beginning to think I wasn't going to talk to you again before I got back to the States."
"Ange, you know I can't go more than three days without talking to you. Man, I wish you were here." Bella sat listlessly on the side of her bed, clutching her phone like it was a lifeline.
"What's up, Bellaboo? Talk to your big sis," Angela encouraged.
"Ha, you're only three months older than me," Bella complained jokingly.
"I'm still older than you, girl. Spill it."
"Where do I start?"
"How about at the beginning," Angela offered.
Bella reminded Angela that she already knew about Edward and their ill-timed crazy date dump. She then recounted the story of when James had originally come to Tallahassee and they'd gone to the party at Alice's where Edward had gotten sloppy drunk and had to be escorted home. Then she told her about the week she'd had getting to know James and liking him a lot, but still seeing Edward every day and dreaming about him intermittently. Finally, she related the previous night's events.
"Damn, Bella, I think I just need to book a flight and haul my tight ass back to Tallahassee. You just can't seem to keep it together while I'm gone."
"I know, right?" Bella agreed. "I just don't know what to do. In my mind I know that James is the safe choice for me. He is so loyal and I don't want to hurt him. Edward is my ideal and our chemistry is amazing. It's like I have this magnetic pull towards Edward. I just know a relationship with him would be passionate and intense, but I'm afraid I'll end up being hurt."
"Who said you have to decide right now?" Angela asked. "I think you should date them both until you figure it out. Be upfront and tell them, and then just make that choice, girl."
"Oh, Angela, that would make me feel like I'm taping my very own episode of 'The Bachelorette' or some other cheesy reality show."
"Bella, guys do this all the time. What better way to make sure you're making the right choice? Anyway, men like a little healthy competition. They're freaks like that."
Bella laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. She didn't want to think about how difficult a task she had before her. "God must be toying with me, Ange. I whined and complained for months for Him to send me someone, but what does He do? He sends me two someones." Bella allowed herself to fall back, as if in surrender, to lie flat on the bed with her legs dangling off the edge.
"That means He really loves you, Bella. Now the test is for you to make the right decision," Angela challenged.
"Next Saturday can't come fast enough. I need my sister here to hold my hand. Hey, I want you and Ben to come to the concert Saturday night at the Center. Edward is playing Debussy," she said in a rush.
"Wow, a cop who plays Debussy. How sexy is that?" Angela asked good-naturedly.
"You don't know the half of it. James and Edward both have exceptional musical talent. I love that about them both." Bella sighed.
"Two hot men, both musicians, you'd better hold on, 'cause you're in for a bumpy ride, little sister," Angela warned.
~888~
Edward spent the early morning on the firing range practicing body and head shots from various distances. The sniper rifle had an extremely long sight range and made it easy to get a bead on targets up to a mile away. He was only able to lose himself in the mechanics of shooting only for a brief while that morning, because he had a lot on his mind. He had been so afraid that his confession to Bella the night before was going to go horribly wrong; however, considering the way he had done it and her reaction, he felt like he had come away with hope that he had a solid chance with her.
She would have been justified in sending his ass packing, but when he'd voiced his intention to fight for her and told her that he'd felt a strong connection to her at Café, she reluctantly admitted that she'd felt something, too. Now his mission was evolving, and he was going to have to pull out some heavy artillery to defeat James Hall and win Bella's heart.
He was still staying at his mother's and would probably be there until the Greater Church of the Son was taken down. Besides, he didn't trust that Aro wouldn't try something, especially since he'd shown up at the house on Wednesday night under the guise of missing his mother at the midweek service, so Edward would remain there until Aro and his lackeys were behind bars. In the mean time, this posed a bit of a dilemma for him to get out and spend quality time with Bella after hours.
He wanted to trust that the Feds were looking out for his mother; hell, it was already hard enough for him to concentrate while he was away from her during the day when he was on duty. He would just have to work that shit out. Matter of fact, he would stop dancing around those FBI guys and talk to them whenever he needed to go out. They would probably be pissed, but he needed to know what kind of men were looking out for his mother when he was away.
He stopped at Starbucks and got a coffee for himself and a latte for Bella on the way in to the Center, then as an afterthought, got Alice one too. He noticed that Bella inhaled those damned things like they were liquid cocaine or some shit, and there was nothing he wanted to do more than to give her one of her favorite things this morning. He was halfway to the door to her office before he realized he was damn near hyperventilating. There was something about the knowledge that Bella had touched something in him that no woman had ever even ventured close to that paralyzed him. It was mind-blowing. He stopped and took a couple of deep breaths.
Calm the fuck down, Cullen, he chastised himself. It's the same Bella in there you've known for two weeks.
He tapped on her window, and she waved him in with an absolutely breathtaking smile. She was on the phone, so he sauntered in and took a seat, setting one latte in front of her and nursing his coffee waiting for her to get off the phone. She was talking to her dad it seemed, updating him on the upcoming events. Edward didn't want to seem like a perv, but he studied her face while she was talking. Her brown eyes were sparkling this morning, and her dusky rose lips were moist, glossy and begging to be kissed. She flipped back the tab on her latte and took a sip, licking her lips and giving Edward a thumbs up and a grateful smile. He immediately had to begin playing "Taps" in his head, but continued to peruse her beautiful face. Clearly she and her dad were close and shared easy banter between them.
Alice skipped in when she saw Edward.
"Hey, Edward," she greeted him happily and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Edward chuckled. "What was that for?"
"I don't know." She grinned, then whispered, "Just glad you've finally come to your senses." She slanted her eyes pointedly toward Bella, and Edward understood why she was rewarding him.
"I should probably be kissing you, then," he teased. "Instead, I bought you a latte." He handed her the beverage.
"Thanks, cuz." Alice slumped in the chair next to him and popped the tab on her latte.
Bella was finishing up her conversation with the reverend. Edward got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about the fact that her father was a pastor. Damn he'd almost forgotten that bit of information. Then he pushed that shit out of his head again because Bella wasn't a teenager that he had to seek her father's permission to date. She was a grown woman who made her own decisions, and she had decided that they would explore the idea of getting to know one another. Bella clicked her cell phone shut and looked across the desk at him and Alice.
"So, what's on the agenda today, people?" she asked, taking another sip of her latte. Edward smiled when he saw her eyes roll back slightly as she swallowed, her long black eyelashes fluttering like butterflies. He so wanted to make her eyes do that someday.
"I'm sanding and refinishing that monstrosity out there," Alice said, referring to the piano. "The tuner is coming early next week. Edward, you should be able to test it by Wednesday."
Edward nodded his approval to Alice and then turned back to Bella. "I called Seth Clearwater last night, and he's agreed to cover for me next Saturday night. He'll come in an hour or so today to talk to the three volunteers about security and safety measures," he reported.
"Oh, I forgot," Alice said. "Edward, you need to go by and get your tux fitted tomorrow. Bella, don't let him forget. Drag him there if you have to after you guys visit the rental places, okay?"
Edward entertained a visual of that. He had to admit that he wouldn't argue at all if she commenced to dragging his ass anywhere.
"Okay," Bella agreed sheepishly. "I'm sure Edward will be on his best behavior tomorrow." Their eyes met, and Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat, praying that his "Taps" trick wasn't about to desert him.
"Is Tapas good for tonight, Bella?" Alice asked, then turned to Edward. "Jasper wanted us to go out together tonight to welcome James to Tallahassee," she explained.
"Tapas is good," Bella agreed. "What time?"
"7:30-ish," Alice replied. "Edward, you should come by when you get off later." Bella almost choked on her latte, but she recovered quickly, grabbing a napkin and covering her mouth. It was clear that she didn't want to be in a social situation with two men clamoring for her attention.
"Alice," Edward said calmly. "I think I'll pass. I'm actually taking my mother to dinner tonight. She's been cooking for me for days, and I think she deserves a break from the kitchen."
"Mom and Dad told me about, you know…" Alice trailed off.
Edward saw Bella looking quizzically at them, and he explained, "I've been staying in Crawfordville at my mom's since Sunday. She approached the FBI about Church of the Greater Son and some apparent long-time illegal activities. They have been indicted and a bust is imminent. I didn't want her to be there alone, just in case Bishop Aro Volturi tries anything."
"My god," Bella exclaimed. "Edward, I am so sorry. It pisses me off when charlatans masquerading as Christians lure people into situations where they are clearly more interested in control, manipulation, or money than they are in really ministering to people."
"It should be resolved within the next week or so," he said. "Please don't mention it to anyone until this thing goes public."
Bella was sensitive to his request. "Of course I won't," she said. "You really didn't have to tell me…."
"Yes, I did," he disagreed. "I want to tell you everything, Bella."
"I think I'll go and get started on my sanding," Alice mumbled and bolted quickly from the room.
Edward leaned forward, regarding her intensely across the desk. "Bella, there is nothing about me that is secret. I want… no, I need you to know everything there is to know about me, because I want you to make an informed decision about the prospect of being with me. This is new territory for both of us, and it would be in both our best interests to have a clear understanding of what we're getting into. As for me, I already know what I want." Edward searched her warm brown eyes as if his life depended on it, unable to look away.
"I was thinking about that last night. There are so many things that might become a problem if we don't come to an understanding. We should talk about it, when the time is right," she said honestly. "In the meantime, I hope you won't hate me for not choosing right away between you and James. I don't mean to string either of you along, but it's... complicated, and I need some time to figure things out."
"I guess I'm partly to blame for that," he admitted honestly. "Not too long ago, I was the one who was confused and needed time." He reached for her hands across the desk and held them firmly in his own. This simple contact with her skin had him struggling to control his excitement; his arousal was only kept at bay with a trusty "Taps" chorus ringing in his head.
Damn, her hands were soft.
"I think it was just horrible timing and bad communication," she said. "I really wish we could somehow skip over all this and into the future, but that would be a copout."
"Bella, I get that the preacher would be the sane choice for you, but I'm selfish enough to believe that this thing between us is too powerful to ignore. I now know that I can't stay away from you, I don't think I ever could. I guess the question is whether you can?" Edward questioned. "I feel like we might have something that will eclipse anything either of us could ever imagine. Damn, I sound like Alice." He chuckled.
Bella giggled. "Yeah, you kinda do." Then the laughter disappeared from her eyes, and she was serious, as was he. "When I do decide, my decision won't be about sanity, or safety, or any other cerebral thing. It will be based purely on my heart."
He kept contact with her hands as he stood and walked around to her side of the desk. Gently pulling her up from her chair and into his arms, he felt her shiver involuntarily as he looked down into her beautiful brown eyes. He wrapped his arms securely around her, and her arms snaked around his back to embrace him, as well. He'd wanted to do this since the first day he'd met her, and this time, damn it, he would finally get a chance to taste as well as feel how wonderful she was. Their dancing at Café had been the appetizer, but now he was about to experience the main course.
~888~
The moment their bodies molded together, Bella began to tremble with anticipation. The mere closeness of his body to hers had all her senses heightened, coiled like a spring ready to break free from its entrapment. Edward cupped her face with his hands as his green eyes bore insistently into hers. It was almost as if he were savoring every second and every nuance of this moment and there was no rush, because once it happened they would both be lost. His hands went from her cheeks to the back of her neck, his slender fingers interlacing briefly through her hair, sending infinitesimal shocks through her nerve endings. He eased his hands from her neck to her shoulders, slowly down both arms, pulling her closer still if it were possible. His hands left a trail of goose bumps that felt like they were the size of pearls rising on her skin.
Her breath hitched, and she immediately and greedily sucked in air through her teeth. Something told her she would need air reserves with this kiss. Her heart was tumbling in her chest like it was doing a gymnastics floor exercise. Just his proximity alone was wreaking havoc on her major bodily systems, and she really couldn't figure out how to level everything out again. She decided that she would just have to ride it out and let the chips fall where they may. He lowered his head then and claimed her mouth. Bella felt like Edward's kiss had taken her from zero to sixty in about five seconds flat. There was no teasing preamble once their lips were locked. Like heat-seeking missiles, their tongues immediately found one another and tangled, their hot mouths tasting together of cinnamon and latte and all Edward and Bella.
This kiss was not sweet like a typical first kiss; it was a declaration. It said, "This is what I have wanted from you since I first laid eyes on you." This kiss was of the knee-weakening and toe-curling variety. All her womanly essence stood up and paid attention, and she wasn't sure, but she was almost certain his manly parts were doing the same. Maybe some of the items in his service belt were gouging into her skin, but she didn't care. His hands were caressing her back and drawing her closer at the same time, and her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they explored the muscles rippling on his back. Then they found his beautiful, wild, sexy hair and fisted in it as they plundered each other's mouths like there would be no future kisses.
A loud, exaggerated throat-clearing made them reluctantly pull only their lips apart to see who was interrupting this exquisite moment.
Alice stood leaning against the door jamb with her tiny arms folded across her chest and one leg crossed over the other as if she had been watching them for a few seconds.
"I think you two better cool it unless you want Sean and Mrs. Williams to see you sucking face like teenagers up in here," she said with a smirk.
Alice shook her head and walked back over to the piano in the common room.
Bella hastily finger combed the mess she'd made of Edward's hair, while he tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear on the right side of her face. She didn't dare move just yet, because her legs were wobbly, at best. They were both reluctant to do so, but they backed a couple of feet away from one another when they heard the volunteers enter the common room and Alice rushing over to greet them. Their eyes seemed unable to disengage. Edward was the first to recover enough to form a meaningful sentence.
"That was better than my most vivid fantasy... my wildest dream," he murmured. A satisfied crooked smile was playing on his lips.
"Amen to that," she concurred through the haze of an answering smile.
"See you at dismissal?" he inquired while moving to the door.
Bella sank slowly into her desk chair. "Oh, yeah," she replied.
~888~
Dinner at Tapas with Alice and Jasper was fabulous. James and Jasper got along like old friends, and Bella couldn't have asked for a better welcome party for him. They lounged in comfortable black leather chairs around a sleek black table, eating off small, square and rectangular white plates. They started with cheese and fruit, with a complimentary order of fresh ground hummus served with warm pita bread, and then dined on sea scallop paella and blue crab cakes, rounded out with a delicious white wine. The couples each shared crème brulee for dessert. After dinner, they hung out at Alice and Jasper's where they talked, laughed, and danced on the patio by the screened-in pool.
Bella was able to keep herself soundly rooted in the moment with the exception of one minor slip. When they were dancing to a slow tune and she was in James' arms, the song playing was Evanescence's "My Immortal," and she couldn't help but think of Edward and when they'd danced together at Café, which inevitably led her thoughts to earlier in the day when they'd shared their first kiss. That kiss had somehow imprinted her in a way that she would never be able to match or forget. She pushed it out of her mind and breathed in the soft, woodsy fragrance that she had quickly come to associate with James. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, and she looked up into his blue eyes.
"Tallahassee feeling like home, yet?" she asked.
"I've got one of its most beautiful natives here in my arms to welcome me," he replied. "I am not complaining."
"We've been so busy at the Center, I've been remiss in asking if you need any help unpacking."
"I don't need any help, but I won't turn you away if you want to come over and watch me organize all my stuff." He grinned.
"Oh, I forgot. Edward and I are going to run some errands for the events tomorrow."
James frowned. "A fact that he was all to willing to share with me yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Bella's brows furrowed slightly. "When you two were talking in the parking lot?"
"Yeah," he said, expelling a huge sigh. "I was afraid he might realize his mistake and make a play for you, Bella. I just didn't expect it to be so soon." His annoyance was clear when he continued tightly, "I was looking forward to taking advantage of his stupidity for at least another few weeks."
"I really didn't mean for this to become some kind of three-ring circus," Bella said apologetically. "I just want to be sure that I'm making the right decision."
"You don't have to explain anything to me, Bella. You told me there was someone else, and I respect that you don't want to make a hasty decision," he said. "Cullen was just flexing his territorial muscles." The song ended, and they headed back to the patio chairs they'd been occupying previously. Alice and Jasper had disappeared into the house, and Bella didn't want to think about what they were up to.
"Exactly what did you two talk about yesterday?"
James was embarassed. "Nothing that bears repeating," he hedged.
Bella was annoyed at that point. "Edward didn't threaten you or anything, did he?" She sat down and picked up her drink.
"Even if he did, no need to worry. I can take care of myself," he assured her.
Bella wouldn't let it go. "I'm not doubting that at all. Just tell me what happened, James."
"He just gave me a friendly warning not to hurt you. He doesn't understand, Bella. I would be the last guy to hurt you in any way, but I really can't say the same for him." James sat in his chair and angled it toward her.
"Why is that?" Bella asked.
"He has no faith center, no moral compass, so he can't be trusted," James said simply. "He strikes me as a womanizer, Bella. A guy who would toy with you until he's had his fill and then move on."
Bella didn't agree with James' assertion that Edward couldn't be trusted. However, she wondered if his statement about Edward's womanizing ways was him voicing what she was afraid to even think about. As much as she was drawn to Edward, there were things that made her wary of him. He was like forbidden fruit, appealing to the eye and the senses, but once tasted, could bring about swift destruction. However, he could also be extremely gentle and tender with her. He was at once beautiful yet paradoxical.
"Edward may be excessively passionate about protecting people he cares about and hot-headed, but he is a very trustworthy person," she replied evenly. "I also believe that when he decides to make a commitment to someone, he will have no problem honoring it."
James rushed to reassure her. "You know the man better than I do. I just don't want you to be hurt, either, Bella. You know as well as I do that it's incredibly difficult to be in a relationship where you don't share the same faith....what happens when you hit a rough patch? But, I don't pretend to know the will of God in this situation. I just want to do everything I can to convince you that I'm the better choice."
~888~
Bella had spent the night in Alice and Jasper's guest room and got back to her apartment Saturday morning just in time to get ready for her outing with Edward. Getting dressed, which was usually an easy decision for her, became a nerve-wracking task, and it was even worse because it was Saturday morning and it really didn't need to be that serious. She finally decided to go with a modest floral halter from Express and a pair of pink linen mid-thigh shorts. She was pulling her hair into a high ponytail when she heard her doorbell ring. She dropped her brush on the vanity and scuttled to the door, flinging it wide before asking who it was or checking the peephole.
Edward stood there with his arms folded, looking slightly upset. "You didn't ask who was at the door, Bella," he reprimanded.
"Because I knew it was you, Edward," she shot right back. She stepped aside to let him in. "Come in, I'm almost ready."
He walked in, but then turned unexpectedly as she closed the door, purposely invading her personal space. "I could have been a serial killer on the other side of that door," he warned. He moved closer to her and she stepped back involuntarily, her back becoming flush with the door. He pinned her in, his arms braced on either side of her shoulders.
"But you weren't," she replied simply. "And I'm not afraid of you." Well, she wasn't literally afraid in the normal sense of the word, but he was so sexy he had her hormones firing like pistons all over the place. She took several deep breaths to try and steady her heart rate.
Edward studied her face for a moment and then caressed her left cheek with his right hand. "I guess I'll just have to punish you whenever you breach your personal safety protocol," he teased, his lips curving into a smirk. "Every time you do I'll have to kiss you until you're breathless."
His mouth was on hers before she could respond or react to his words; then all she could do was react to his kiss. She moved into his arms without thought or provocation, her body yielding to his like muscle memory, the hardness of him and her softness complimenting one another like yin and yang. Her core became immediately inflamed, and their tongues wrestled gently, neither actually achieving domination, but each giving as good as it was getting. Her dreams had been vivid, but they were nothing compared to reality. Bella moaned, but it was swallowed by his kiss. Although she didn't think it was possible, he deepened the kiss when he heard her response.
Bella panicked and pushed him away. "Down boy," she joked, darting away from him on unstable legs. "It is much too early in the day to get so carried away. I'll be right back."
She left him standing in the middle of her living room and closed her bedroom door, then leaned against it.
I. Am So. Screwed! He smirks and my heart does gymnastics, he touches me and my body is on fire, he gathers me in for a hug and I never want to let go, and when he kisses me my knees get weak and I melt away. How will I ever survive Edward Cullen?
Bella quickly finished up applying her meager make-up, grabbed her purse, and went out to join him. She hadn't had time to check him out thoroughly when she'd answered the door, but now she was able to take him in at her leisure. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a turquoise sleeveless t-shirt. Bella had never seen him quite so dressed down before and she couldn't help but ogle all the flesh that was usually covered up by his uniform. His arms and legs were fantastic sculptures that weren't over the top, but substantially toned. The same bronze hair that adorned his beautiful head gently sprinkled his forearms and legs. She willed herself not to blush when she saw him giving her a visual once-over, as well.
He smiled widely. "You look great, today. Not that you don't look great everyday. It's just good to be able to say it without worrying about people thinking I'm sexually harassing you or something."
Bella smiled in return. "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." She noticed for the first time a tattoo on his upper right arm. "Hey, is that a souvenir from your marine corps days?" She approached him to get a better look.
He glanced down at the tattoo. "Um… yeah. It's, uh… a tribute to my friend, Paul, who died in Afghanistan." He seemed a bit melancholy while explaining.
Bella tried to be sensitive to the memory of his friend. "May I?" she asked, gesturing toward the beautiful tattoo.
"Sure," he said quickly and offered his arm for her to view.
Bella ran her fingers over it, while reading the words. It was a picture of a helmet being held up by a rifle, encircled with stars. On the helmet the name "Featherstone" was emblazoned. At the base of the rifle were the words, "R.I.P. Brother Paul." At the bottom, below the circle of stars, were the letters "U.S.M.C."
It was so beautiful and such a touching tribute to his friend. She realized that this was the only visible tattoo on his body, and to possess this one, the guy for whom it was dedicated must have been very important to him. There was so much more to Edward Cullen, ladies man, than met the eye. She didn't know what came over her, but she got the overwhelming urge to softly kiss that tattoo, and so she did.
He seemed surprised at first, and then he pulled her into his arms and held her as if he would never let her go.
~888~
A/N: TLC September 2009 Stats: There was a total of 4,790 Hits and 2,033 Visitors to the story. And we're currently registering only 141 Reviews. Readers, please take a few minutes of your time to review, because Copward says so!