Hi Ladies,

Sorry this chapter is late. Sometimes I just need a break, but I'm back on track now. Some important information will be present in this chapter. Thanks for reading. Drop me a line and let me know what you think:)

Chapter 27

Bella-

A woody scent mixed with a tinge of citrus lured me awake. I inhaled deeply, pressing my nose against Edward's sleep-warmed skin, content to let his smell hold me captive. My hand rested on his pec while his muscular thighs cradled my knee. I never imagined I would feel so comfortable with a man that I would willingly snuggle against him, yet the longer I spent with Edward, I felt secure and protected enough to lower my guard. With each passing day, the wall I'd erected around myself fractured and crumbled.

His patience with me was endless and last night spoke volumes–louder than any words ever voiced. The memory of him grinding against me had my stomach fluttering and the throb between my legs intensifying.

After I helped Edward achieve bliss, he'd washed my hand with a warm rag before cleaning himself up. From there we'd lain on the couch for hours basking in one another's company while Hope slept contentedly on the cushion above our heads. I had never made out with a guy, but I couldn't seem to keep my hands off of him. When bedtime rolled around, I collected Hope and started for my room, unsure if I would be welcomed into his bed. He'd surprised me, however, catching my wrist, and with a sly smile, he'd asked where I was going. When I countered with 'to bed' he tugged gently, saying in a low husky voice, "You don't have to sleep alone, princess."

My heart rate had tripled in tempo, and of course, with a weakness, I was beginning to associate with Edward Cullen, I'd followed him like a smitten kitten.

I wasn't sure what all of this meant. I hadn't planned to get emotionally attached to Edward, because this had been a business proposition. With every passing day, it was getting harder and harder to distinguish between business and pleasure, the lines blurring until they were indistinguishable. If I didn't create distance soon I would lose myself completely to the man sound asleep next to me. However, there was a very real problem with the idea of separating myself from Edward.

I would have to crawl out of this fantasy that'd become my life. The fantasy was the warm fuzzies that made me want to burrow into Edward's arms and never leave. I wasn't particularly eager to leave the dream behind.

I burrowed closer into his warmth, absorbing the connection I'd never thought to share with anyone. My lashes lowered to rest against my cheek when my thoughts took an unexpected U-turn.

We had dinner today. Dinner with his parents. My stomach knotted. I'd held a knife against Carlisle Cullen's back upon our first initial meeting. How likely was it he'd forgotten our encounter? How could it have possibly slipped my mind until this precise moment?

Images of Carlisle entangled with Irene sprang to mind, and my fluttering butterflies abandoned my belly to be replaced with churning bile at the thought. That night I'd collected nearly five hundred bucks from his wallet and a set of Ivory cufflinks with the initials CC linked together like golden ribbons.

Subconsciously, I caressed Edward's chest, as I considered my options. I very likely still had those cufflinks tucked in my little jewelry box of trophies. I should go get them and show Edward. When the questions tumbled from his delicious lips, I could answer them, but would he turn his ire on me? Would he blame Irene and me for luring Carlisle away from his wife–his family–for an affair? The likelihood made me cringe. Of course, if I was remembering correctly, there hadn't been a whole lot of persuasion involved–Carlisle had been the one to approach Irene, and she'd sent me the details of their liaison.

Shit. This was a very real dilemma.

I would hate to shatter our fragile bond, but the longer I held onto this information could also annihilate the trust Edward and I shared. I was lost in my struggle, my fingers winding through the hair spattered across his abdomen when he shifted beneath me, his long leg tangling with mine as he rolled towards me. His wide palm slid up the back of the shirt I'd borrowed from him, his calloused palm massaging my lower back, letting me know he was coming awake. He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply. His gravelly voice filled my ear, he said, "You smell so fucking good, princess."

Edward's hand traveled the length of my spine to my shoulder blades, his strong fingers kneading the muscle, and the first strings of desire started in my belly. Before we could go any further, I pulled back, creating a few inches of distance. It was now or never. If I didn't tell him now, I would jeopardize our whole dynamic and that wasn't something I was willing to do. If he needed to be mad at me afterward, well, that was a chance I would just have to take.

"Edward," I started, gasping when his broad hand slid over my ribs to cup my breasts. Coherent thoughts fled as he tweaked my hardened nipple. My tongue twisted in my mouth, reveling when he scraped his whiskers over my jaw to the slope of my neck, his sharp teeth nipped at tender skin, leaving me searching for whatever the hell I was about to say.

"Hmm?" He mumbled sleepily, his wandering lips returning to press against the corner of my mouth, his fingers plucking the hard nub. His hand abruptly left my breast, shoving my shirt up, and his exploring lips latched on to the puckered tip.

Momentarily mesmerized by his expert tongue, my fingers wound into his hair, fisting, holding him to me. When he bit my nipple, I arched off the bed, my eyes rolling as his knee wedged a place between my thighs. "Fuck that feels incredible." Eagerly my hips lifted in response to the pressure he pressed against my pussy, and a flood swamped my panties. My gaze flashed toward the ceiling and connected with the mirror overhead, and I was happily mapping the lines of his back when reality–the insistent bitch that it was–came crashing in on me. With a frustrated huff, I kissed the side of his head, groaning regrettably. "Baby. Edward. We really need to talk."

He sucked hard on my nipple before releasing it with a loud pop. Eyes the color of the ocean locked with mine, desire blending with confusion. "I'm sorry, princess, am I scaring you?"

Ever the gentlemen, I thought with a half smile, shaking my head. I combed my fingers through his messy hair. Breathlessly, I wiggled, creating some space, yet Edward refused to relinquish his hold on my waist. "No … I just think I need to tell you something. It's important. I wouldn't have stopped you otherwise, but it came to mind, and I need to tell you before I lose my nerve."

That got his attention. A scowl stole the passion from his face and his sharp eyes narrowed. He studied me long and hard. Tension rippled through him as he considered me. "What's up, princess? This sounds kind of serious."

I cleared my throat, pushing my shirt down, I sat up completely dislodging myself from Edward's arms. "That's because it is. I feel like I should've told you a while ago, but things kind of happened and I forgot about it until now."

Effortlessly, Edward sat straight up, his arm linking around my waist. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his jaw setting with mild irritation. "Is this a conversation I need coffee for or …'

"That's not a bad idea at all," I stated, untangling myself from his sheets and blanket. His basketball shorts were waded around my thighs, and after straightening them, I scooted toward the edge of the bed. "Why don't you go make coffee, and I-I … Well, I have something I need to show you but I need to get it from my room."

"You know, you are the only person alive who can tell me what to do," Edward mumbled from under his breath. Even though he grumbled, he quickly shucked the layers of bedding to plant his feet on the floor. "You are starting to sound like a real wife. I don't know which is stranger, you sounding like my real wife or me liking it."

That gave me pause. He liked that I sounded like a real wife. Did that mean he wanted me to be his real wife? My heart jumped in my chest at the thought. I don't think there was a man alive that could ever take Edward Cullen's place in my life. I was about to throw caution, and quite possibly our entire relationship right out the window with my confession. Fuck.

I ran my hand through my hair. The entire plot of my life was thickening, and I had no idea what to do. Hope cried from the pillows at the head of Edward's bed distracting me. Obediently, I retrieved her small body and pressed her against my chest as Edward strutted from the room like a proud peacock. I ambled toward my room, my pace filled with dread at the mere idea of showing Edward that fucking box.

Hope was still meowing softly, and I knew her little belly was ready for breakfast, but I stared at that carved wood like it was a death trap. Finally, I plucked it from the dresser before I could change my mind, and headed toward the kitchen. I set the box on the dining room table and continued on to the kitchen to retrieve a small can of kitten food from the cabinet. Edward was just closing the Keurig when I set Hope on the floor. Knowing I had breakfast in my hand the kitten let out a shrill cry, scratching at my leg with impatience, making me dance out of reach of her razor-sharp claws. Pulling the top off, her cries intensified, and I hurriedly filled her dish.

"Are you ready for dinner with my parents?" Edward wanted to know, turning to lean against the counter. I gave a hesitant nod. He must've read my response wrong because he waltzed forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Princess, don't worry. You will do great."

"I know," I mumbled, my whole body tensing. Fucking Carlisle. He put me in a bad position. Why did he have to be a low-down snake who stepped out on his wife? Of course, there was a very real possibility that Edward already knew and I was being ridiculous. I grabbed a spoon from the drawer to dig Hope's food from the can. "I'm not really worried about dinner. I-I have something else to show you."

Edward's chin lowered to rest on my shoulder. "Babe, there isn't anything you can't tell me. I think we've already established the worst of this relationship and we're working through that, right?"

He pulled my hair to the side exposing my neck, his hot breath coasting along my neck, making me shiver. I nodded again, holding silent. We'd encountered the worst of my life. We were working through my issues. But how would Edward feel when he learned we'd robbed his dad while he'd been fucking Irene?

I closed my eyes savoring the kisses Edward trailed down to my shoulder. He caressed my abdomen, his chest solid against my back, and for a moment, I absorbed his strength as I took a deep breath. Exhaling, I plucked Hope's food from the counter and wiggled away from Edward's hold. It was torturous to ignore my own desires but denying Edward hit me on a whole new level. Something in me didn't want to see that look of disappointment in his eyes, and my chest pinched. To alleviate some of my response, I placed Hope's food on the floor and directed her to the dish, reaching for his hand when I stood up.

He laced his fingers with mine and kissed my knuckles. I tugged, urging him forward, raising up on my tiptoes to press my lips against his. As soon as his mouth connected with mine, a growl rumbled from his chest, and he backed me to the counter. Smiling at him with regret, I traced his breastbone and danced to the side. "Not yet. I have to …"

"I know, I know," He mocked, throwing his hands up in surrender. "We have to talk."

Right on cue, the spout of the Keurig emptied the last of its water, the sound of gurgling filling the kitchen. Edward wasted no time filling the second cup. With two coffee mugs in hand, he followed me to the dining room and plopped down in his seat. When he reached for me, I only hesitated for a minute before sliding onto his lap. I sat motionless while he took a long sip of scalding hot coffee. "How in the world can you drink that so hot? I would burn the crap out of my mouth."

He took another drink, and set the mug aside with a shrug, his hand landing on my thigh as he rubbed the muscle there. "Apparently I'm going to need caffeine for this conversation, and I'm not going to prolong it by waiting for the shit to cool. The sooner we get this out in the open, the sooner I can drag you back to my bed."

The physical aspect of our relationship was all so new and a giddy rush filled me. Unfortunately, the little wooden box could be detrimental to everything. I laughed nervously, biting my lip as I reached across the table to retrieve the jewelry box. I set it in front of me, my hand landing firmly on the lid. I turned so I could see Edward's expression. His eyebrow raised as his forehead wrinkled with confusion. "What's this, princess?"

"You know what I used to do before all this facade stuff," I started, watching him slowly nod in agreement. "What I never told anyone is that I used to keep men's cufflinks as trophies. The first time I took a set, I fully intended to sell them with the rest of the loot, but when it came down to it, I-I just started collecting them. It became sort of a weird obsession. I hid them at the park under the bridge and when Alice asked for help about rent, I was going to give them to her, but then, my dad showed up and the whole day went to shit."

Edward sat silently listening to my explanation. When I stopped he squeezed my leg. "Why is this important? I mean, why would I need to hear this?"

A spark of what looked like jealousy flared to life in his gaze, and his blue eyes bounced back and forth from me to the box. My fingers turned white as I gripped the lid harder, dreading the rest of this conversation. My lips went dry and I took a fortifying breath and pushed the words from my tongue. "I think I already told you about my friend Irene. She was and is still a prostitute." Again, he slowly nodded. "Well, uh, ummm, one night she called and told me about a meet-up she had with this guy. I was never one to shy away from an opportunity so I went there, and while she had him distracted, I took his stuff."

His fingers began to drum on my thigh with his growing impatience. I was prolonging the inevitable. With that realization, I opened the top of the box and dumped the cufflinks on the tabletop. I fingered through the trinkets until I spotted the ones I was looking for, and hurriedly plucked them from the bounty. Edward tensed beneath me, his fingers digging into the muscle he had been rubbing. "The other day when I met Carlisle, I thought he looked very familiar, but I couldn't place him. By the time he left … I-I remembered."

My hand shook but I offered the cufflinks to Edward. "I didn't know if I should tell you or not, or maybe you already knew …"

Daggers shot from his gaze to mine, and he immediately held his hand out, his teeth grinding. He didn't say anything, but he never looked away. Fear stabbed my chest and my throat threatened to close. Leave it to me to ruin the magic between us. Fuck. What else could I have done?

In slow motion, he lifted his palm and inspected the cufflinks. His voice was lethal as he hissed, "He hired a fucking prostitute? He's married to my mother, and he stepped out on her."

I hated the tone of his voice, my stomach rolling at his response. There was nothing like watching your future die. I gnawed the inside of my cheek because I had no idea how to make this better. His entire body radiated anger, and he felt like a ticking time bomb beneath my lap. Finally, his gaze returned to mine, the vein in his neck pulsing and his face twisted with rage. "How many times? How many times did he hire her?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "As far as I know, once, but the only way to know would be to ask Irene. After being robbed while he was there, I can't see him hiring her again, but he could've been messed up or on something."

"Why would you think he was on something?" Edward ground out. I started to ease off his lap, but his arm anchored around my waist, refusing to release me.

"Because he was doing her from behind when I went into the room," I told him, closing my eyes to block out his expression. Murder glittered in his eyes, and he transformed into the man who'd handled John without remorse. I wasn't entirely sure all that anger was solely directed on Carlisle either. "He watched me take the shit and never once tried to stop me. His eyes were pretty glazed over." Edward's skin twitched when I caressed his jaw, and my hand fell away to rest in my lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you, but I didn't want to keep things from you either."

His temple pulsed, and his chest puffed up with pent-up anger. "That bastard has hounded me for months about playing around, not taking shit seriously, and not doing my duty by this family. The whole time he was running around on my mother." His lips curled and his teeth bared as if he wanted to rip something apart. "What a fucking hypocrite," he fumed. "He's got the surprise of his life coming at dinner."

"Has he ever appeared unhappy?" I cringed when Edward's darkened eyes collided with mine. "It doesn't make it better … I don't know why I asked that."

Edward dropped the cufflinks to the table and shifted me on his lap. He studied me and some of his anger melted away. His jaw worked and his head jerked in the negative. "Nope. He's always been the stand-up family man. He's such a fucking liar." Edward's hand caressed my thigh. "Don't be sorry for telling me. At first, I thought it was going to be Emmett stepping out on Rose. I wasn't expecting it to be my fucking father. I have half a mind to take him to the country and beat the ever-loving fuck out of him. Where the fuck is his loyalty, his dedication, or his morals?"

After the way he'd beaten John the other night, I didn't doubt his ability, but I placed a hand on his shoulder, kneading the muscle. If he beat up his dad, he might live to regret that. "Babe, maybe you can talk to him and …"

"No," he growled, "He's always preaching about family and the business being the most important thing. If he's been hiding this–what the fuck else is he hiding?" He was quiet as he stared at the cufflinks on the table, and then, he rambled, "I knew I should've had him investigated. I just have to find someone who's not loyal to my father."

I was joking when I said, "You should just hire Alice. She is a whizz at following people and getting all the dirt."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea. He'd never be expecting her, or know she's following him. Do you think she'd be capable of pulling something like that off?" I noted the curiosity in his tone and shifted uncomfortably. The last thing I wanted was to put Alice in harm's way.

"Edward, I was joking." Spying the interest in his eyes, I thought it over carefully. "I don't want her in harm's way, Edward, and your father is dangerous. What would happen if he found her following him? Maybe if Jasper went with her … it might work."

"Get Alice on the phone and I will make arrangements with Jasper. I need to talk to her about a business proposition, one she won't want to refuse."

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