A/N: Readers, you really need to thank my betas profusely for getting you this chapter right on time, considering the cliffhanger I gifted you with last chapter. So, let's have a round of applause for Charmie77, acireamos, SSHG316 and Savage Woman because they really pulled out all the stops to get this out and worked their special magic to make this chapter much more interesting than the lackluster words I served up to them. I can always depend on them to have my back when my mojo goes on hiatus, which it does frequently. I consider my betas as my quartet of muses, because they push me to be better and challenge me when I think something is "good enough" to make it magnificent. Thank you all so very much.
"The really difficult moral issues arise, not from a confrontation of good and evil, but from a collision between two goods."
– Irving Kristol
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. -- Proverbs 16:9
TLC - Chapter 23 - Collision Course
Edward couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, his panic so acute he could hardly think. It felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach as he listened to Emmett's dazed voice telling him that Rosalie and Bella—his Bella—had been in a car accident. His jaw clenched with fury at hearing that some asshole had done a hit and run, leaving Bella so injured that she'd been sent by ambulance to the nearest hospital. Emmett had barely finished telling him which hospital before Edward was headed toward the door. He waited impatiently, vaguely hearing Emmett explain to Alice and Angela that Rosalie was fine, but that Bella was being treated for a head injury.
He didn't wait to hear Emmett's reassurances that Bella's injuries weren't considered life threatening; he threw open the door and ran to his car, his hands shaking as he pulled out his keys, trying in vain to make his trembling fingers cooperate long enough to unlock the doors. His heart was pounding in his chest, each beat roaring in his ears, blocking out all other sound. His mind played Emmett's words on an endless loop. Head injury. Concussion.
"Edward—"
He glanced up, his eyes barely focusing on his friend's uncharacteristically solemn face. Something warm grabbed his arm, and he looked down to see Emmett's large hands gently removing the Volvo's keys from his shaking fingers.
"I think maybe I should drive. Okay?"
Edward jerked his head in some semblance of a nod, aware enough to know there was no way he could drive in his current state.
The car was silent as Emmett drove the short distance to Miramar Beach. Guilt gnawed at his gut, warring with the panic that seemed to have taken residence there—he should have been there, shouldn't have let her go without him. Given the current situation with Laurent Beauvoir, he should have known better. And now Bella was paying the price for his ineptitude.
He was still mentally kicking himself for letting Bella out of his sight when they pulled up to the Sacred Heart Hospital Emergency Room and parked in the first available parking space. They sprinted toward the door, only to have an Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy stop them.
"Hey, are you Officers Cullen and McCarty?" the stocky deputy asked, stepping into their path.
Emmett stopped, but Edward only slowed, his feet still moving. He was anxious to get into the building—to get to Bella.
"Yeah," Emmett answered the deputy. "I'm McCarty, and this is Cullen. What you got for us?"
"I'm Officer Tom Patton of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department. Your fiancées are inside, gentlemen. Officer Hale is in a private waiting room giving a statement to my partner about the incident, as the altercation happened in Destin in our jurisdiction. Ms. Swan is back in the ER suite. I'll take you right to them."
"Thanks, Officer Patton," Edward said quickly, not bothering to correct his assumption that Bella was his fiancée, and they followed him inside the building. "Can you tell us what happened?" Forcing back the lingering panic, he focused his attention on Officer Patton.
"Officer Hale was driving east on 98 when she saw a gold sedan in her rear view mirror approaching them rapidly. She barely had a chance to comment about the reckless driving of the car's occupant before the driver bore down on them and attempted to run them off the road. Officer Hale's expert driving saved their lives. She exited the vehicle as the car sped away and tried to get off a round on a tire to stop the car, but there was too much pedestrian traffic. She was only able to get the first two letters of the license plate number and not very much in the way of a description of the perp. When she reentered her vehicle, she noticed that Ms. Swan was bleeding from her head and called 911. My partner and I, together with the Okaloosa County EMS, responded, and Ms. Swan was transported here to Sacred Heart via ambulance. Officer Hale rode in the ambulance with her."
Officer Patton led them to the room where his partner was questioning Rosalie. Emmett went immediately to her and gathered her into his arms. The officer stood, too, as they entered.
"Babe, I'm so glad you're okay." Emmett's relief was almost palpable as he looked her over to make sure she was all right.
Rosalie found Edward's eyes as she embraced her fiancé. "I'm sorry, Edward. Everything happened so fast."
"It's not your fault, Rosalie. None of us expected anything like this to happen. Emmett or I would have insisted on going with you, had we known. How's Bella? Any word yet?" He didn't wait for Rosalie to respond before he turned to Officer Patton with a demand. "I need to see Bella."
"Sure, I'll take you around to the ER suites. Come on."
"Edward!" Rosalie called. "Whoever it was who hit us—they meant to. They're treating a cut on Bella's head. She hit the passenger side window pretty hard. She fainted once at the scene, but they need to rule out a concussion."
Edward then followed Officer Patton out without another word. Bile was rising in his throat, and he felt like he was about to explode. It seemed that whoever was after Bella was determined to get to her at all costs. He would seriously need to redouble his efforts to keep her safe.
Officer Patton left him at the door. "She's in here, Officer Cullen. Let me know if we can do anything else for you now, hear?"
"Will you send your report over to the Leon County Sheriff's Department, care of Officer Emmett McCarty? Thanks, Officer Patton," he said quickly and strode purposely into the room, his eyes only for Bella now.
She looked small and wan lying on the gurney. Her head was swathed in a pressure bandage, but she looked peaceful in slumber. He made a beeline for her. The nurse in the room addressed him. "Are you Officer Cullen? Bella told me you would be here soon."
"Yes. How is she?" Edward asked eagerly.
"She seems to be fine now. We haven't observed any more symptoms of concussion. She's really lucky Dr. Nielson, our plastic surgeon, happened to be here on call for another case. He took care of the laceration on her head. Scar will be almost undetectable once it heals. An x-ray and CT scan have been taken, and we're just waiting for Dr. Kelvin, the neurosurgeon, to analyze them."
"She is conscious, right?"
"Yeah, she's just napping. I was going to wake her in a few minutes anyway, just a precaution in case she does have a concussion."
The nurse stepped aside, making herself as inconspicuous as possible as Edward approached Bella on the bed. He ghosted his hand over her bandage and smoothed her hair back from her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open as he tucked her hair behind her ear, and she smiled at him.
"Hey, you," she croaked and then cleared her throat.
"Hey, baby," he said with a small smile, then took her hand in his. "How do you feel?"
"I think I'm gonna live," she teased.
The nurse nodded, then smiled and quietly left the room.
Edward briefly squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. I should have been with you..."
"Please don't beat yourself up about this, baby. You couldn't have known some clown would try to mow us down on the streets of Destin."
"We're just going to have to be more careful then."
"So, this wasn't a random thing?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"It doesn't look like it, but we'll take care of that. You just take care of getting better."
She reached over and placed her free hand on his. "Where's Rosalie?"
"She's in the waiting room giving a statement to the county sheriff."
"She was awesome in the handling of the car and everything. I'm glad I wasn't driving."
"I'm glad she was with you, too. Now I know that I need to get permission from Captain Black to have you ride in my cruiser with me to work."
"Edward—"
"At least until we catch this guy." With eyes that didn't blink or shift from hers, he took her hand in his. His voice was anxiously hoarse. "It would kill me if anything happened to you."
Bella didn't respond with words. She just held her arms open, and he willingly went into them. He felt her hands slide effortlessly into his hair to massage his scalp as she cradled his head close to her chest. His eyes closed as her selfless and unconditional love washed over him. Only Bella made him feel this way. Even though she was hurt, and rightfully he should be comforting her, she was calming him in a way that only she could.
Edward was exceedingly grateful that she wasn't badly hurt, and he shuddered to think what could have happened if the stalker had been successful. It was apparent that someone wanted to harm Bella, and just the idea of it ripped into him like claws. His throat tightened and his eyes stung—he couldn't live without her. She was his life now—she was his everything. Listening to her heart beating methodically beneath his cheek, he found himself doing something he hadn't done since he was fifteen—he was silently thanking God.
His unspoken pleas were interrupted by a rapping on the door, and a doctor entered.
"Excuse me. I'm Dr. Kelvin," he introduced himself cordially.
Edward pulled away from Bella's embrace and shook the doctor's hand. "Edward Cullen."
"Bella, although it's clear from the scene I just witnessed that you two are close, I still have to ask if you're okay with Mr. Cullen being here while I go over your test results."
"Absolutely," Bella said quickly. "Edward can hear whatever you have to say about my condition."
"So, the x-rays and CT scan don't reveal any intracranial hemorrhaging to speak of, which is good. Although the impact did cause some cerebral bruising that warrants us categorizing this as a level I concussion, which, in laymen's terms, is very mild. Even so, it was still a concern that you lost consciousness at the scene, albeit briefly."
"I think I fainted after seeing all the blood," Bella admitted. "I remember being nauseated when I looked down on my shirt and saw it dripping there."
"Not an uncommon reaction. One of your arteries was nicked, and though tiny, they can spew quite a bit of blood in a short period of time." He smiled at her in understanding. "Since you didn't have any other symptoms of severe concussion, we'll need to watch you closely over the next twenty-four hours. I can keep you here overnight, but if you have someone to look after you, we will release you tonight." He looked expectantly at Edward. "She needs to be awakened every hour or so."
"I'll make sure she's taken care of, Dr. Kelvin," Edward hastened to say.
"Well, Bella, the key is to get a lot of rest over the next few days, so the bruising can heal. This is important because were you to have another concussion, it could be fatal. If you have any of the symptoms we discussed before, it's important to get into the hospital right away. At any rate, I'd like you to follow up with your own physician at home in a few days. How's the pain?"
"Just a dull headache right now," she said.
"I'll prescribe some pain meds for you to take with you. Any other questions?" He looked from Bella to Edward.
"No, thank you, Dr. Kelvin," Bella said with a smile.
"Thanks, Doctor," Edward said, shaking his hand once again.
Emmett had taken Rosalie back to the scene to retrieve her car. Edward was grateful when she returned with a change of clothes for Bella. The shirt and shorts Bella had been wearing in the accident were ruined, and Edward wanted to make her as comfortable as possible to get her back to the condo. While they were waiting for the discharge orders, Edward left Bella with Rosalie so he could go out and talk to Emmett.
"Emmett, this was not just some random guy driving recklessly. My guess is, it's the same person who's been stalking Bella."
"Yeah, Rose said he was on them so quickly she didn't have much time to react. Whoever it was, he took great pains not to be recognized. In this stifling heat, the perp was wearing a baseball cap pulled low over the forehead, dark shades, non-descript clothing, gloves, and a hoodie. She's not even sure of ethnicity, given all the cover-up." Emmett had effectively given him all the information he didn't get from Officer Patton's account of the incident.
"The bastard just let us know he's serious, and I'm about to let him know I am, too," Edward pronounced grimly.
~888~
Leave it to Alice to somehow use a near death experience as an excuse for a party. Bella was adamant that they not curtail their fun on her account, and Alice was equally adamant that Bella wouldn't be left out of any of their fun. Having missed their dinner reservations, Alice and Angela ordered a feast of carry-out foods, something to satisfy every palate, while Jasper and Ben took care of replenishing drinks and renting a couple of movies from Blockbuster. The girls fixed Bella a makeshift bed on the loveseat, and she was lounging on it while Edward sat on the floor in front of her.
Rosalie brought Bella three magazines and some grape juice dressed up with a miniature umbrella.
"What's this?" Bella asked.
"Oh, just making your juice fancy. And people who are ordered to rest need reading material." Rosalie looked considerably uncomfortable with her exceedingly sweet gesture, so Bella put her at ease very quickly.
"Thanks, Rosalie."
Rosalie smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Alice sauntered in, strategically placing balloons around the room.
Edward snorted. "Alice what are you doing?"
"We're simultaneously celebrating your birthday and our thankfulness that Bella and Rosalie came through today's ordeal with their lives," she explained as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
"Dr. Kelvin really wants Bella to rest. Mild though it may be, she did suffer a concussion."
Bella decided she'd better intervene, or they would be arguing like adolescents.
"I feel fine right now, and when I begin to feel tired, I'll go to bed." Edward looked searchingly into her eyes. "I promise," she assured him.
"Okay, all the food is set out on the countertop in the kitchen. I think Angela's making a plate for you, Bella," Alice said as she placed the final balloon bouquet on the cocktail table near Bella's head.
"I could have done that," Edward said, getting up. "I'll be right back with some food for you, baby." He joined the others in the kitchen picking over the food.
Alice smirked. "Who is he, and what have you done with my cousin?"
Bella giggled. "Oh, that guy? He's Edward In Love 1.0."
Alice's jaw dropped. "I knew there was something. You've got to tell me these things as they happen."
"Sorry, Al. I've just been basking in the glory of it all. I really love him, too."
"Bet you won't doubt my prophetic gifts again anytime soon, now, will you?"
"Not in a million years."
The phone in the condo rang, and Alice picked it up.
"Hello, Mrs. Swan," she said, looking at Bella with widening eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Swan. She's right here, Mrs. Swan." Alice held her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone briefly before she handed it to Bella. "It's your mother, and she's not happy with us right now."
Bella reluctantly reached for the phone so she could take the brunt of her mother's ire. She had not thought to call them in the midst of everything happening, but apparently someone had.
"Hi, Mom," she said brightly. "I was going to call you—"
"When, lovely?" her mom inquired sweetly. "After you got back to Tallahassee?"
"I'm sorry, Mom." When in trouble with Renee Swan, apologize profusely. "The accident wasn't very serious, so I thought I would wait and tell you about it tomorrow."
"Sweetie, you bled and you have a concussion. If that's not serious, I don't know what is."
"But I was treated, and now I'm resting. We'll drive back home tomorrow evening as planned. We do have jobs to come back to Monday morning."
"Not so fast, missy. You have a job to come back to, but not on Monday morning. Your doctor said for you to rest, and that's what you'll be doing. Let me speak to that boyfriend of yours, right now."
Bella cringed. "Edward!"
Edward came tearing out of the kitchen like there was a fire. "What, baby? Are you in pain? Can I get you something?"
Bella held the phone out to him with a stiff arm. "My mother wants to talk to you."
His brow creased, but he took the phone and brought it to his ear.
"Renee?" He propped one fist on his side with his free hand, as he held the phone to his ear. "Yes, ma'am.... Of course, I understand." He paused, clearly in listening mode as Renee continued. "That might not be a bad idea until I clear it with Captain Black for Bella to ride to the Center with me in my cruiser, and it will give me peace of mind to work on finding out who was in that car.... Yes, give Reverend Swan my regards, as well, and please tell him that we have three law enforcement officers here, myself included. We won't let Bella out of our sight.... Thanks. Goodbye now."
"What did you just agree to?" Bella asked, eyes narrowed.
"Your mother wants you to come home for a couple of days to rest when we get back tomorrow."
"Oh, nooo!" Bella was not happy with this turn of events. She was hoping to stay at her place, or Edward's. Since the accident had put a serious dent in their fun, she wanted to be with Edward alone to give him his birthday present.
Edward sat on the edge of the loveseat next to her with an arm on either side of her. He was trying to dazzle her, and while it was awesome to behold, she was doing everything in her power to ignore it, so she could get her point across.
"I don't want to stay with my parents, Edward."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he kissed her softly on the lips.
"We still haven't celebrated your birthday, just the two of us," she reasoned.
He kissed her softly again.
"And I think I'll be fine to go to work on Monday."
This kiss was deeper and began to melt her defenses. In fact, it sent her nether parts throbbing for him in a staccato rhythm with the pounding in her head.
When he let her come up for air, she sighed. "You don't play fair at all, baby."
"I know," he agreed. "And I never will when it comes to your safety." He adjusted her pillow and stood up. "Angela and I almost had a plate fixed for you; I'll go back and get it." Angela came out of the kitchen at that moment with the plate on a tray for Bella so she could eat without moving from the loveseat.
Edward reached for it, but Angela held it tight. "I've got it Edward," Angela insisted. She made sure the tray was stable and fussed with assembling Bella's food.
Bella looked at the tray with some of everything they'd ordered on it, including a piled-high plate, a bread plate, and bowl full of this and that. "Um, I probably used to eat like a linebacker when I was doing gymnastics, Ange. But this is overkill."
"Well, just eat what you want and leave the rest," Angela said, returning to the kitchen to join Alice and Rosalie in finally fixing their own plates. Edward sat back on the floor next to the loveseat so he was facing her.
Emmett, Jasper, and Ben emerged from the kitchen and found places at the dining room table with plates piled twice as high as Bella's and dug in.
Bella was overwhelmed and didn't know where to start, but she picked up her fork and tasted the shrimp alfredo as Edward looked on. "Mmm, this is really good. Why don't you get a fork and just eat some of this? I'll never eat it all."
Between the two of them, they polished off all the food, and Edward took the tray back into the kitchen before joining her on the loveseat. He actually made himself her cushion as he deposited her on his lap, her back against his chest, her head tucked firmly under his chin.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, reveling in feeling his every muscle and sinew that came in contact with her body. "Very."
~888~
From the loveseat, Edward and Bella were able to see and hear everything that transpired as their friends played dominoes and board games, and then settled down later to watch a movie. Bella was only able to make it halfway through the movie. Her head lolled on Edward's chest, and he felt her breathing even out and knew it was time to put her to bed properly. She was already dressed for bed, courtesy of Alice and Angela, despite her earlier protestations. He just had to slip her arms out of her robe.
He was laying her on the bed to do just that when she briefly opened her eyes. "Will you stay with me?"
"Where else am I gonna go?" He removed her robe and tucked her in. "How's your head? It's been at least four hours since your last pain pill."
"I'm okay for now," she said, her eyes drooping a bit. He quickly removed his clothes, her eyes becoming more alert when she got her first look at his bare chest. Despite her earlier ordeal and the exhaustion, Bella fought sleep as she surveyed Edward clad in only his boxers. She held her arms out for him as she had done earlier, and he joined her in the bed and gently pulled her close.
"Baby, you really need to get some sleep," he said, his lips against her hair, peppering light kisses there.
"I will, but you have to kiss me first." She craned her neck in search of his lips and found his chin instead. Bella loved to kiss that dimple in his chin, and it was the most erotic thing to him. She assaulted it with her tongue, and he grew stiff in about two seconds flat. He began humming Taps. Bella didn't need to feel like she needed to fool around with his amorous ass tonight. She needed her rest. He would take matters into his own hands later in the shower, if need be. There was no way he was going to encourage any making out with her in so fragile a state.
"Okay, one kiss, but you really need to rest. Doctor's orders, remember?"
She pouted. "I know, but we're lying down and in a bed. That is technically rest, right?" She wriggled closer to him, and he felt himself become rigid in arousal despite the melancholy Taps song playing in his head.
"Bel—la," he warned in a guttural groan.
"O—kay," she said, stifling a yawn. "I'll be a good girl—tonight. But there's always morning."
~888~
Edward set his alarm on his watch and woke Bella every couple of hours to make sure she was fully awake and lucid. Then he'd hold her until she fell asleep again. She needed more pain meds in the middle of the night. After the final alarm at seven a.m., they each took turns freshening up in the bathroom. Bella was awake, alert, and completely wired.
They were lying in the bed facing each other. Bella was lightly tracing over his tattoo with her fingers and chattering about the houses Gina had shown them the week before. He'd liked a couple of the ones they'd seen, but now that her safety was even more of an issue, none of them was right in his mind.
"So, you're not going to make an offer on either of them?" she asked.
"No, probably not. I think we need to look for something closer to you and the Center, and it needs to be a secure place. I'm going to ask Gina to show us some of those condos downtown."
"A condo, really? I thought you wanted space and a yard and the whole nine." She gazed up into his eyes with concern.
"We can always do that later. A condo with security—both human and electronic—is what I'm looking for now."
"I hate for you to have to change your dreams and plans, because of me. This is going to be your first home, not a fortress."
"Don't you know that without you I have no dreams or plans? Everything I hope for is tied to you. There is no happiness for me without you, Bella."
Her eyes were moist, and he could see the love in them. "I feel the same way. I can't fathom a future without you in it, either." She caressed his face tenderly.
"And now that we agree on those important points," he said, cupping the back of her head in his hand and leaning in to brush his lips against hers. "Please say you will stay with me, not only because I'll make it as safe for you as humanly possible, but because you want to be with me, too."
She locked eyes with him. "It's scary how much I want to be with you. And as much as I want to say 'yes' to that arrangement, I have to think about my dad, his position in the community, and much more importantly, the children at the Center. I know in the grand scheme of things it might seem hypocritical to place so much stock in appearances, or pale in comparison to dodging a stalker, but I am probably the only role model some of the girls there have."
"Your safety eighty-sixes propriety, in my opinion. Do I need to go talk to the reverend again?"
"His solution will be for me to come home."
"Is he ready for me to move in, too, then?"
Bella giggled. "That would be kind of hilarious. But you know, they did have Angela live with us for several years."
"Angela didn't have designs on your virtue," he said wryly. "Things might have turned out differently if she had been big, tall and definitely not female."
"Hey, give me some credit," she teased. "I wouldn't have fallen for just any testosterone cocktail on two legs. Besides, he would also have had to have a full head of messy bronze hair and gorgeous green panty-wetting eyes."
Her words alone sent a shock to his libido that had him standing at half-mast again. Fuck! The Taps trick is dead in the water.
"Aww, baby, you make it so hard on me," he moaned, sliding his hands over the silk pajama shorts covering her hips and pulling her flush against him, allowing her to feel what her words were doing to him.
"Mmm. Why Officer Cullen, is that your service revolver here in bed with us, or are you just happy to see me?" Her Jessica Rabbit-esque remark was his undoing.
He grasped her so quickly, she squealed with delight as he thrust his tongue into her eager warm mouth and had it sparring with hers in seconds. His hands rode smoothly over her silken clad body that drove him wild no matter what she wore. The silk was sleek and sensual, allowing his caresses to glide effortlessly over her, as if her body was oiled and primed for his touch. His arms snaked around her waist, his hands going to her bottom, pulling her closer than ever. He moaned as he felt her softness meld to his hard muscle. Her bottom was firm, yet soft, and he relished cupping it in his palms and squeezing it gently in his hands. Not breaking the kiss, he slid his hands up her sides, and his thumbs found the peaks of her breasts, already taut and begging for his attention. He caressed them in a circular rhythm that caused her to moan, but he still did not release her mouth from their soul-stirring kiss.
Bella's hands were simultaneously exploring the ripples and planes of his musculature, her femininity the perfect contrast to his masculinity. It made that part of his anatomy so stiff that it was almost to the breaking point as it begged to plunge into her warm depths. So hard and wanting, he was sure she could feel his erection pulsating where it made contact with her stomach. Almost as if she could read his mind, she slid her hand purposely between them, into his boxers, and encircled his shaft. Oh, fuck the world! His body stiffened in surprise, and she sought out his eyes.
"Baby, show me what to do to help you," she pleaded.
He was so shell-shocked, he couldn't speak, so he covered her hand with his own and showed her the motion that would bring him blessed release. She caught on quickly and commenced giving him the most satisfying hand-job he had ever experienced.
The effect was mind-blowing, and he quickly grew frustrated with his inability to form intelligent words. He quieted himself by kissing her deeply, allowing his tongue to thrust in and out of her mouth, mimicking what he so desperately wanted to do, but could not do with her right now. Realizing that he wouldn't last long and would make a mess of his boxers or her, he flung his arm out to the bedside table, and after a couple of passes, found the box of Kleenex and pulled out a few. Without opening his eyes, breaking the kiss, or disturbing her rhythm, he pressed tissues into her free hand, covered it with his own, and positioned them to catch what he knew was going to be an impressive load of—he could not finish the thought.
"Oh, baby, I'm going to—" He couldn't finish his words either as he emptied himself in the tissues. When his muscles relaxed and he came down from the orgasmic euphoria induced by his virginal vamp, she had already cleaned him and disposed of the tissues. Bella settled in the crook of his arm, looking supremely satisfied with herself.
"Happy birthday, baby," she said. "I had some sexy lingerie and an Xbox 360 to go with that, but I'll give you the rest of your gifts later."
~888~
The morning regimen of pain meds and getting her horny boyfriend off must have taken its toll, because Bella fell asleep almost immediately afterward. He wanted to reciprocate, but she wouldn't have it. So, he just held her and thought about how lucky he was to have her.
This woman meant so much to him; he would take on the world to keep her safe. It was driving him insane just knowing that someone was after her and had been bold enough to attempt to hurt her while she was with Rosalie Hale—one of the best-damned drivers in the TPD, male or female. He would have to find out quickly who the hell it was, so he could end this reign of terror that was complicating their lives when all they should have to worry about now was how to keep their molten hot chemistry at bay while falling even deeper in love.
He hoped that he hadn't offended her by practically asking her to move in with him. As much as he wanted to honor her commitment to purity, it was becoming increasingly more difficult not to think about making love to her completely. He rolled his eyes in exasperation when he realized that despite the release she had just given him, he was growing hard again just thinking about the mere prospect of claiming her virginity. Her boldness was adorable, and she was meting out intimacies at a pace that probably seemed accelerated to her. But his sexual appetite was leaps and bounds beyond anything she could dream about, let alone experience.
It frightened him to some degree, but he refused to allow it to cripple the love that was growing between them. He could do irreparable damage if he pushed her further with his actions or his words than she was willing to go. That was why he was letting her set the pace, and that was just going to have be the way it was until they were both ready to take the final step toward the only circumstance in which she would freely and willingly give herself to him: matrimony.
Did he still get cold sweats even thinking about the possibility of forever? If he was completely honest with himself—yes. That commitment was the mother lode of them all, and the example he'd had growing up was not a stellar one. He was certain that he would overcome that final hurdle, soon. However, Dr. Levy believed that his inability to reconcile with his estranged father might somehow affect his relationship with Bella, and that might just be serious enough to prevent him from taking the final leap of commitment. Forcing it might yield disastrous results, were he to disregard the advice he had been given by a therapist he had grown to respect and trust immensely.
His thoughts had done much to tamp down his hyperactive libido, and he was determined not to tax Bella any further that day. She shifted in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head.
"I love you," he whispered, surprised when she softly answered him back.
"I love you, too." Then she stretched and snuggled closer to his side.
"Tell me. How is your head? Any pain?"
"No, I feel great."
"Are you hungry? Do you want me to go out and get a latte for you this morning?"
She clutched at his shoulders and inched closer to him. "I'd rather have you than food or a latte any day." She licked her bottom lip and smiled.
"Same here," he said as he began brushing kisses along the exposed skin where the neckline of her silk pajama top had come undone. He lathed her clavicle until she whimpered with pleasure; then he made his way to her neck. How quickly his resolve to abstain from making out with her again had disintegrated. When his lips moved from her neck to her rosy mouth, he knew he was lost. Her kiss burned every ounce of good intentions he had out of both his mind and his body.
~888~
E/N: I also want to thank you, readers and reviewers, for hanging in here with me for 23 chapters thus far. We have crested the ridge and now we're a quarter of the way down on the other side. For those of you wondering, TLC will not be more than 35 chapters, if I can help it. And, if that changes, I promise to let you know ASAP.
Reviewers, I especially thank you, because your thoughtful, insightful, critical and sometimes confrontational reviews are what gives me the impetus to examine the story and change it so it reflects what I believe is the reality you all seek in good fiction. And if that is ever not the case, I can always rest assured that a brave few of you will never hesitate to let me know it.
So, hit me with your best shot!