Happy Saturday!
First of all, thank you for all the reviews and alerts! As of this morning, StN is 2 reviews away from 300, so double thank you, everyone, for following along on this journey.
Usual disclaimer applies - I still don't own any of it. I just like to play with the characters ;-)
Team Momo wouldn't exist without Midnight Cougar and Alice's White Rabbit with their red pens, or without AGoodWitch, Driving Edward, Mel, Maplestyle, and Eternally Addicted who pre-read and tell me if I'm off my rocker or not.
Reminder on chapters: unless indicated, odd-numbered chapters are in EPOV, even-numbered ones are in BPOV.
Today we hear from Bella. Second part of their axe-throwing date which is a real thing. The place our lovebirds go to in Atlanta is fictional, but I took inspiration from Rob going axe throwing in Nova Scotia while filming The Lighthouse there a few years ago.
On with the show!
Chapter 8 - BPOV
Without thinking, mesmerized by the sight of Edward's smile and the happiness dancing in his green eyes, I blurted out words I didn't expect.
"Stay with me tonight."
He stopped, frozen in time, with me still in his arms and my feet dangling in the air. Slowly, he slid me back to solid ground, then moved his hands from my hips to cradle my face. He let his eyes roam over me, still speechless, still smiling at me in wonderment. His touch, protective and tender at the same time, ignited something in me—I wanted him.
The desire I felt dissipated my other hang-ups about us—if we'd make it in the long run, how we'd reconcile busy careers and spending time together. Somehow, it always felt like Edward had a clear picture of our relationship in his head, and he knew exactly what he wanted and hoped for us. I wondered why he didn't share those thoughts with me.
"Are you … are you sure, darling? We're in no rush here," he murmured.
His voice washed over me like a caress as I admired this man who'd chosen me, cherished me at a distance, in silence, faithfully, for God knew how long.
"Yes. I'm sure."
Instead of answering with words, he landed a soft, sweet kiss to my forehead, then rained a trail of kisses all over my face until he reached my lips, and he toyed there for a while, teasing my top lip first, then the bottom lip. He nibbled on my jawline and down my neck, only to nuzzle my collarbone as he replied, his words muffled.
"Stay with me then. At my place. In my bed. Please."
Swimming in a haze of lust as I was, I nodded, incapable of any other reaction. Practicalities should have concerned me—I didn't even have a toothbrush on me.
The unmistakable sound of a throat clearing startled me out of my daze. I blinked at Edward, who reluctantly stood to his full height but refused to let go of me. When I turned to face the interloper and my hip grazed his front, I figured out why. It was only for a moment, but I did feel his length pressed against me, and moved in front of him to shield him.
"Sorry about that, folks. I have your drinks. Any food to go with that?" the server asked with a kind and upbeat smile.
I stole a glance at Edward, who seemed to have a tough time using his words right now. I couldn't decipher the frown he was sporting, but I spied the tips of his ears were a dark, intense pink.
"Maybe some mix of appetizers? Edward, are you okay with that?"
Still a bit dazed, Edward shook his head.
"No? What would you like then?"
"Sorry. I meant yes. That's fine with me. Appetizers are fine."
With a quick nod, the server left.
A second later, we looked at each other. Edward's eyes still twinkled with mischief even if his expression was bashful.
"Getting caught flat-footed is a new experience for you, isn't it?" I asked.
"I apologize," he whispered. "That was inappropriate."
"I was under the impression the evening was about to turn inappropriate," I prodded. This man needed to take life—and himself—less seriously.
He snickered. "Yeah, well. I was hoping we'd do that in a more private setting."
"Good idea. Now, how about you dispel some of that tension by throwing an axe or two? I want to see how good you are at this."
Edward scoffed, but took a step away from me toward the rack of axes by the wall. "Don't jinx me, Miss Swan. I've never done this before."
"Well, you must have someone you'd love to hurl an axe at."
He rolled his eyes. "Plenty."
"Show me what you got then, counselor."
I decided to toy with him a little, still in the interest of getting him to relax. "Your stance isn't quite right. Let me demonstrate."
"Isabella Swan, marketing manager and expert axe thrower. We should tell Alistair to update your business cards," he quipped. "Come here and show me the stance, or whatever it's called."
I stood behind him with my hands on his trim hips.
The man worked out, that much was clear. He wasn't built like Emmett, but I didn't want a refrigerator for a boyfriend. Edward's frame—well built, tall, and muscled—suited him and appealed to me just fine. At times, his mind intimidated me more than his appearance; trying to keep up with him and his steady stream of ideas in the office was a challenge, but I relished it. I loved working with him, and I wondered how that dynamic would change at the end of his term at Cornell.
I pushed his left foot forward with my own, then shook his left arm a little. "You're standing there like a salt statue. A little more fluid, please."
He snickered. "Now you're going to tell me I need to feel the energy flowing."
"Nope. That'd be Alice and her yoga lessons. But there, now you have the correct stance. You sure that axe is good for you? Does it feel right?"
"It's an axe. What's there to it? It's a wood handle with a piece of metal stuck on top of it. Not rocket science."
"Okay then. Have at it." I stepped to the side and let him do his throw.
With a frown on his brow, and his eyes narrowed to focus on the target, he swung his arm a couple times, then threw the axe at the wall. The weapon rotated mid-air a few times but landed on the floor.
"Well, I never …" Edward hissed, visibly displeased. "I want to try again."
Of course, a crap throw would tickle his competitive bone. He picked up the axe off the floor, walked back to the throwing spot, moved his feet this way and that, shook his arms, cracked his knuckles, then assumed the throwing stance again.
In perfect silence, with deep, focused breaths, he stared at the target on the opposite wall, balanced the axe in his right hand, and hurled it at the wall. This time, the axe hit the wall, but only a foot or so above the floor. It was nowhere near the target, which was etched on the rough wooden boards in black and red paint.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered.
As a rule, Edward didn't curse. At least, I could count the times I'd heard him curse on one hand through all the years I'd known him. I had no doubt he'd be more liberal with his verbiage in non-corporate settings, but I also knew Esme frowned on Emmett's more colorful language whenever she heard him.
I stood there, trying to figure out how to placate him, when the server came back with our appetizers. She deposited the platters on our high-top table, asked if we wanted fresh drinks, then left. I decided that maybe humor could help.
"Would you like to taste these nachos, or are you sticking with your helping of crow?"
He turned to me with a cloudy expression, all thunder and ready to erupt. I'd seen that face before—at a very contentious meeting in the office.
When he came to stand next to me and laid a hand on my shoulder, still silent, that became my cue to shake him out of it.
"Hey, it's just axe throwing. We're here to have fun."
He shook his head, then looked at me. "You're right. I'm being a huge baby about this, and I shouldn't. It's not like I need to prove my prowess in battle to you."
"No. This isn't the Discovery Channel. Relax, counselor. And be grateful we're not playing with your brother."
He laughed, finally letting go of the pall he'd cast on himself. "Oh, yeah. The little shit wouldn't let me live that down."
"Come on. Let's load up on some shitty carbs."
He nodded and hopped on the stool next to mine. "So, we can go and work them off later?"
"Something like that."
Third part of their date night next Saturday with Edward.
Thank you for sharing your axe-throwing lists last week. What are your favorite pub foods?