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Your words of encouragement and love for this story is motivating. Thanks for telling me all about it, lol. I hope you enjoy this next chapter because the story is heading in new direction.

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Chapter 13

Edward-

Was I ready for the first day of the rest of my life? I stood at the altar with Bella staring up at me like a doe stuck in the headlights. I'd asked her that question when we stopped at the BMV for her identification earlier that afternoon, but the truth was, her life wasn't the only one changing.

I was vaguely aware of the judge reciting words that would bind me to Bella, to this vital stranger. As sympathetic to her case as I was, she was still very much a stranger to me. Hell, for all I knew she could be weaving one helluva story. There was an honesty in her eyes I couldn't dispute, however, leading me to believe every word she spoke. My fingers tightened around hers, my nerves rattled and frayed.

Yeah, her life may be changing, but mine was as well. After the judge finished speaking the words to make her my wife, I would always have a wife. Even when Bella went on her way at the end of this charade, I would have hopefully found what I was searching for, and then, I would commit my life to another.

A droplet of sweat skidded down my spine, and several beads of perspiration popped out on my forehead. I wanted to brush them away, and be the poised man I was used to being, but there was no ignoring the jitters swirling in my gut. Searching for a calm I didn't feel, I clenched my teeth, and my nostrils flared as Bella's unique scent teased my senses.

As I stared down at her, the judge and the office around me faded until it was just her. Her recently cut hair curved perfectly around her jaw, cupping the ivory skin of her cheeks, and I wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked. Would it feel like expensive Chinese silk or warm velvet? As I mulled over that question, my gaze slipped down, and my entire body went taut.

After we'd finished up at the BMV, we'd stopped at Saks Fifth Avenue, and found a cute little white dress, hugging Bella's soft curves. I might be a dick on my best days, but I believed in tradition. Whether this marriage was the biggest scam of the year or not, my wife would wear white on her special day, not those tattered jeans and simple white shirt. Plus, once the judge drove the final nail into my coffin, I needed pictures and my family wouldn't buy my marriage if anything appeared out of the ordinary.

I might have done all this for appearances, yet I couldn't dispute the sight standing before me. While Bella looked petrified, she was absolutely stunning. A silken white strap slipped off her thin shoulder, the dip in the bodice giving me an ample view of her chest, the valley between her small breasts drawing my attention. A spark of sensation splintered throughout my body, my balls drawing tight. I ground my teeth, trying to stifle the unexpected jolt of lust heading straight to my dick.

I shifted uneasily. There would be none of that. It didn't matter that Bella was seconds away from becoming my wife. This wasn't a relationship for pleasure. Hell, my bride might just stab me straight through the heart if I even dared suggest it. My body would do well to get on the same page as my brain on the matter.

"Do you, Edward Cullen, take Isabella Swan to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Silence fell over the office when the judge finished his question. Licking my lips nervously, I watched Bella's cheeks go pink, and I dipped my head in a nod, the words sounding hoarse when I said, "I do."

The magistrate turned his attention on Bella, his wiry eyebrows lifting to his hairline. "Do you, Isabella Swan, take Edward Cullen to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Her grip on my fingers tightened, cutting off my circulation, my hand going numb. Who would've thought this tiny woman had an iron grip? She might seem fragile and delicate but her strength put most men to shame. When her wide eyes darted toward the door, I shook her hand, trying to remind her why we were there. Finally, her gaze returned to mine, and after a long hard look, she whispered, "yes."

Her voice was so low the judge leaned closer. "Excuse me. I didn't hear you."

Her eyes jerked in his direction, and she swallowed nervously, her head bobbing in agreement. Bella snapped in response, "I said yes, I will."

"Wonderful," Judge Aro grinned, seeming not to notice my bride's reluctance or the fear shining in her eyes. "By the power vested in me by the state of Illinois, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

Daggers shot from her pupils, and her nails bit into my palms as she stared at me. Staying calm, I urged her to take a step forward. It was a simple press of the lips for the judge's benefit, nothing more. With this thought in mind, my lips hovered over Bella's, her puffs of breath skidding across my mouth. Each caress of her breath caused needle pricks of awareness to zap to life, the sensation catching me off guard.

My nerves were doing a jig, and encouraging Bella was a fucking challenge, but somehow, I squeezed her fingers, hoping to offer some solace. After the simple brush of lips, we wouldn't have to kiss again. Well, perhaps once or twice for my family, but besides that …

Inhaling sharply, I forced myself into action, pulling her against my chest and sweeping my mouth over hers. Her gasp of surprise mimicked my sentiments exactly. While the kiss was a necessary evil, I didn't expect to want to linger, yet a part of me found it difficult to withdraw.

Even though Bella seemed shocked, she didn't appear to have the same problem as me, her hands pushing against my chest, eager to put space between us. Luckily, the judge was clueless, and I threw him a quick smile. "Thanks. You just made me the happiest man alive."

Bella grunted in disbelief. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Hell, it would require all the acting we could muster, but if she displayed her obvious distaste in front of my family, I was up shit creek, and my father would plague me to no end. We obviously needed to work on the kissing aspect of this relationship before encountering the very people we needed to fool.

I dropped my arm across her shoulders and drew her stiff form closer to mine as we turned toward the double wooden doors. When I simply held her tighter, brushing a kiss over her temple, she looked like she was chewing nails, her protest sputtering on her lips, she growled, "Do you have to be so close?"

In answer to her question, I shifted until my chest pressed into her arm. "You better get used to the closeness, princess, because people will see right through the bullshit. Plus, we need a picture so I can post it on social media. And you can't be staring at me with murder in your eyes."

As soon as the double doors clicked closed behind us, Bella ripped out from under my arm. The short one-inch heels she wore clicked on the tiled floor, and she shoved her hands through her hair. "I can't do this. I thought I could but I can't. I will make a terrible wife, even if it's just a fake one. I don't know the first thing about any of this."

She looked up and down the thankfully vacant hallway. It was nearing four in the afternoon so the business in the courthouse was winding down, and so there wasn't anyone there to notice Bella was searching for an escape route. Before my beautiful viper of a wife could run headlong in the opposite direction, I cautiously approached her.

"Princess, it's far too late to change your mind." She stiffened when my hands closed around her shoulders to keep her from fleeing. "Look at me, babe." She huffed, stomping her tiny foot in frustration, but finally, she managed to meet my gaze. "Just ten or fifteen more minutes, okay? Everything will be alright. One simple picture and we will go home, and you can see your new room, okay?"

She shook her head, her hands coming up to push against my chest. Instead of shoving me away, her fingers curled into the fabric of the button-up I'd chosen for this occasion. Her cheeks were ashen and she was panicking, her eyes wild and her breathing turning sporadic as she gulped air. "Edward, I can't do this. I don't know shit about being an adoring wife. Do you understand? I am so out of my element. Fuck, I can't breathe." She sucked in a lungful of air yet her chest heaved as if she lacked oxygen. "I can't. I can't. What the fuck was I thinking?"

She was on the verge of a complete meltdown. I glanced around ensuring the hallway was devoid of anyone to witness her break with sanity. My hold on her shoulders tightened, forcing her to look at me, to see me. "Bella, baby, listen to me." Her entire body trembled and a sheen of perspiration dotted her forehead and neck. She swallowed, convulsing with the effort to comprehend what I was saying, "Listen. It's all done. We just need one picture to make it look like we're a happy couple and all the play-acting is done today, okay? You can do this. You're probably the strongest woman I've ever met. Are you listening to me?"

Finally, she nodded, wetting her lips yet her fingers still clutched my shirt like a lifeline. "How am I supposed to look like I adore you, huh? I don't even know what that means. I've never felt that way before, and I don't think it's something I can fake."

Brushing her a burgundy lock off her cheek, I tucked the strand behind her ear. "Let's try something else. What's one thing you've always wanted and couldn't have?"

I knew it was a ridiculous question. Bella had spent two years wanting the simple things in life, things that should've been simple, anyway. To clarify, I leaned down until I stared into her eyes. "I'm not talking about food or clothing or a warm place to sleep. I'm talking about something you adored that you could never have."

Some of the panic in her gaze melted away, and I watched her expression transform as she contemplated my question. She had something very specific on her mind yet her lips remained thin as if she were trying to keep the information to herself. "Tell me, babe, what's the one thing you wanted to have above anything else?"

"A kitten," she whispered, fidgeting nervously. "I always wanted a kitten but I never had one."

"A kitten?" Of all the things she could've said that wasn't what I had been expecting. "You want a kitten."

She bit her lip and she nodded, her shoulders relaxing a fraction. "When I was staying at the Goodwill donation box there was this stray. At first, he wouldn't let me touch him and would run every time I said anything to him." A soft smile curved her lips and while she was looking at me, she was a million memories away. "After a few weeks he kept coming closer and closer until finally, he let me pet him. He was my best friend after that." She shook the memory away as she came back to the present. "I don't know what happened to him when they locked that box."

Her confession struck a chord with me. She'd been alone in a donation box with a damn stray, and the simple pleasure had been stripped callously away. My heart pinched, and I didn't know what the fuck was happening to me. I ran my hand through her hair, cupping the side of her head.

I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop, even though her body went rigid against mine.

I hugged her. I hugged her tighter than I'd ever embraced another person. Gradually, the stiffness eased from her muscles, and it felt as if she leaned into me, yet her arms remained at her sides. My lips moved in her hair when I said, "Okay. We have one stop to make before we head home. We'll take a wedding picture when we get there."

Her nose was pressed against my shoulder and her eyelashes fluttered open when I withdrew. "Okay. I think I'm alright now. You can let me go."

I chuckled, releasing her. I winked, shrugging helplessly, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You looked like you needed a hug, and I couldn't let you walk away without one, princess."

I kept my arm around her waist, guiding her through the halls until we came to the front entrance. I held the glass door wide and she stepped out into the afternoon sun, her curious gaze never wavering from my face. "How can you be who you are and be so soft? When Alice told me who you were, I thought I was dead. Like hands down dead. You're not living up to the big bad …"

I pulled her into the shade of the courthouse with a tug on her thin wrist. "Bella, don't mistake me for a sucker. I will put a person straight in their place quicker than you can say mercy. I have no problem doing my job." I couldn't explain the effect she had on me because I'd never experienced anything like it. Staring at her intently, I ignored the shuffling of movement behind me, saying, "There are people who deserve exactly what is coming, and then, there are people who just need a fucking break in life. I wouldn't be very good at my job if I couldn't decipher between the two." I released a heavy sigh, watching her nibble at her lips. My pulse quickened, my blood turning thick and hot. "You just needed a break, princess."

Her lips curved and her lashes dropped into a glare. "How do you know I won't rob you blind? We barely know each other."

The question was serious but there was a playful light in her eyes. Her attempt at lightening the mood worked, and I gave her a pointed look. "Don't make me bend you over my knee, princess."

She sucked her lip into her mouth as she digested my statement. "Why would you do that?"

My focus settled on her bottom lip, and a thrill shot through my abdomen to wander to my balls. I wanted to kiss her. Really kiss her. I wanted to taste the flesh she was sucking on, and explore this odd tingle at the base of my spine. I grunted, staring at her mouth. "Don't do that."

Her bottom lip popped free, swollen and cherry red, her brow furrowing. "Don't do what?"

Bella Swan was one of the wittiest people I had ever met. She was smart and cunning, but damn was she innocent. A man might have hurt her in the past, but she knew nothing about desire. Stifling the frustration building unexpectedly inside me, I groaned, "Don't suck on your lip like that."

"Why?" She looked perplexed, and she studied me closely.

Boldly, I shifted closer, staring at her mouth. "Do you want me to kiss you? Cause the way you're sucking on that lip is driving me crazy and I'm about at my breaking point, princess."

She stuttered on her next breath, and instinctively took a step back. Disappointment was a very real thing I realized when she shook her head. "Oh. I-I don't think so."

"I didn't think so," I muttered, turning toward the steps leading down into the parking garage. "Let's get the hell out of here. I want to get one more errand out of the way and relax at home. How does that sound?"

She pulled the strap of her dress in place as she followed me. "These fucking shoes are killing my feet. I should've just worn my sneakers."

"Baby, you would've looked awfully silly wearing that dress and sneakers." Despite my frustration over her reaction to my mentioning kissing her, I laughed as the image sprang to mind. I gestured to the staircase we came to. "Want me to carry you to the car?"

Her lips parted yet the words died on her tongue, her eyes the size of saucers as her gaze fixated on a spot near the parking garage. Fear and panic filled her face and once again I was watching her skin turn gray. Instinctively, my arm went around her waist when her steps faltered, and I drew her closer to me. "What's going on, princess?"

I spotted the source of her fear, and my whole body went frigid. If it was possible to turn into a block of ice in the middle of June, I did at that moment. There standing at the end of the staircase was a police officer. If I wasn't missing my guess, the man with the thick mustache leaning against the railing talking to a civilian, was Bella's father.

If there weren't witnesses all over the fucking place I would have pounded the information I wanted out of him. One glance at Bella confirmed her resilience, her pointed chin lifting, and her lips thinned, turning almost white.

The police chief must've felt the hot stare of his daughter because his head lifted and his gaze clashed with the woman at my side. I willed him to look at me, yet he was utterly fixated on Bella.

He put up a hand to stop the civilian from talking but he didn't say anything.

With gentle pressure of my fingers on Bella's side, I urged her to continue, leaning close. "Come on, princess, don't let him see your fear."

Her nostrils flared and she held her head high. Haltingly, I managed to keep her moving until the prick was a foot away. Finally, his dark brown eyes met mine, and I knew he saw the promise there.

One day. One day very soon, Charlie and I would be meeting face to face without a dozen witnesses. He flinched, knowing exactly who he was facing, his wary eyes darted back to Bella.

We moved in slow motion as we crossed in front of him, time standing still as we passed into the entrance of the parking garage putting him behind us. Turning left toward the rental car I had, I whispered next to Bella's ear. "Good girl. You did so good. I'm very proud of her."

When we were out of sight of Charlie, Bella crumbled into my side, and I guided her to the passenger seat. "Look at me, Bella."

She shuddered on a breath as she glanced up at me. "He will pay. He will pay for whatever he did to you. You can take that to the bank, babe. Understand me?"

Her head jerked as she nodded. She suddenly looked defeated as she dropped into the seat. She shoved at the dress that worked its way up her thighs, and she pulled her legs into the car.

Once her seatbelt was locked in place, I shut the door and hurried around to the driver's seat. I started the car and reversed out of the spot, speeding through the dimly lit garage until I came to the entrance.

I slipped the ticket into the slot, staring at the yellow lever that lifted. The last thing we needed was to encounter that asshole on our wedding day. I chanced a look over at Bella and she appeared positively stricken.

My bride definitely needed a pick-me-up after that. Whatever progress we'd made was shot to shit. With that thought in mind, I turned toward the animal shelter.

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