Lyrics are from The First Taste – Fiona Apple and are bold and italicized.
Regular italics are thoughts.
LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER. BE FOREWARNED. GRAPHIC AND NOT FOR ANYONE UNDER 18.
June 20th
CHAPTER – 2 BPOV EPOV CONVERTING ANGER INTO LOVE
I lie in an early bed
Thinking late thoughts
Waiting for the black
To replace my blue
BPOV
I made it to the gym thirty minutes early which made me do a little happy dance at being on time. Emmett was all grins and smiles when he tossed me five gray shirts with 'The Ring' emblazoned on the backside. I couldn't help but smile back at him. He was just so infectious. I decided to leave out the incident I encountered this morning. If Edward wanted him to know he could tell him. It wasn't my business really.
But you want it to be.
My drive to the gym was internally eventful. I couldn't get Edward out of my head. He was…interesting.
Yes, interesting. That's the word. Don't you mean smoking hot?
I had to roll my eyes at myself on that one.
Smoking hot? Really? Literature major, and 'smoking hot' is what you come up with? What happened to all those adjectives from earlier?
My mind kept replaying the whole encounter from the time he woke up to the time I left. At the time he was hurt and I had failed to realize his physical appearance however after he was conscious I started to pick up on the things I had missed before. The way he stalked toward me with that look of mischief in his eyes. The way he looked at me when I came out into the living area. Of course he would be looking at me like that, he saw me ogling him in the kitchen. He probably saw the effect he had on me. Stupid, sexy beat up, jerk. I was reading too far into things. I knew that, during the entire thought process of Edward I knew I was reading much too far into it. I wanted to see something and that was dangerous. I couldn't afford to get into anything with anyone. He was grateful for my help. That's all. I have no way of interpreting his behavior because I don't know him. Again the last thought I had when leaving the apartment building came back to me.
He wants more than chit chat. What does he want? Sex? I wanted to scream by the time I reached the gym parking lot. Honestly, I knew I wasn't bad looking. I was just average. Not ugly but not pretty. I was just…me. Brown hair, brown eyes, deathly pale and just…average. Nothing remarkable about my appearance and honestly I preferred it that way. I hated being the center of attention. I liked blending it. And at the same time I felt like I wanted him to notice me for anything other than what I was. I wanted to be special to someone. Even if I couldn't afford it.
But attracting attention is what got you into this mess in the first place remember?
I sighed at myself and went to work on the tasks that Emmett had given me. By four I had swept the annex, vacuumed the offices and windexed all the windows. The gym was in full swing when I had arrived and the steady flow of patrons had not ceased quite yet. I was in the middle of collecting the trash in the locker rooms when I heard them come in.
"I wonder if Masen will show today."
"Nah, man we beat his ass good last night. I bet he's in the hospital. I know he had to have some internal bleeding going on after the punches I threw."
"No one said anything about finding him in here. His shit was gone when I was here this morning too."
"You came in this morning?"
"Yeah, I was getting kinda nervous about the whole thing. I made it in around eight. His shit was gone and I know if someone found him in here they would have been talking about it. The thing was his car was still in the lot."
"No shit. He probably walked home. I mean, I don't think he lives far."
"I don't know man, but seriously, what if he is up. What if he tells someone it was us?"
"Nah, he won't say shit. Masen's not a tattle tale. He's got too big of an ego to say anything about getting the shit beat out of him."
"But if he is okay, he'll want to get back at us…"
"And we beat his ass last night, he can't take us both."
"Oh, yeah, that makes me feel loads better, 'cause we're together all the time. Shit, this was a bad idea. He's going to get us back. Fuck, I shouldn't have let you talk me into this."
"Whatever Tyler, you know what King said. He needed it done. Stop being a pussy. Masen's not going to say shit and he's not going to be in any shape for the upcoming match. We did our job."
I heard a locker slam shut, snapping me out of my stupor, and by the time I could make my brain function again all I could see was red.
They had ganged up on him. They came after him on purpose.
I felt the bile rise up my throat and the urge to wretch was powerful. My knuckles were aching around the plastic bag in my hands. The trash. I was taking out the trash. But I couldn't just let it go. In my mind all I could process was that this was an injustice. It had hit closer to me because I had picked him up off the floor. I had cleaned his wounds. I had cared for him. I knew how badly it hurt.
In the back of my mind I scoffed at them. Internal bleeding? He was banged up sure, and that lack on his eye was pretty deep but he would have been fine on his own. They should have done a better job if they wanted him to be out of commission.
The 'better judgment' part of my brain was still MIA when I rounded the corner and made my presence known. I saw to men standing there. It was just us in the locker rooms. One was tall with dirty blonde hair. He was pretty scrawny compared to Edward and in my mind I at least had the decency to be rueful in the fact that I was now comparing other men to him. The other had dark brown hair and was just as gangly.
I was suddenly struck by the thought that these two men were able to beat Edward up. They looked strong sure, but Edward looked like he would surely have been able to take them. Then I remembered the cuts over Edwards back and his face. They must have used something else besides their fists. I'm sure I looked pissed. I could feel the heat rising to me face and for once it wasn't from embarrassment but from anger. Pure rage was flowing through me. I stalked over to them and rolled my shoulders back before I began my rant.
"You! It was you two who did that to him! You pathetic cowards! How could you? What the hell did he do to you?! Huh? You left him here bleeding! Oh, and by the way, he's fine! And I'm sure when he finds you later he'll be returning the favor! It's pretty fucking pathetic that you both had to gang up on him. You should be ashamed of yourselves!"
They looked stricken and I felt a surge of satisfaction lick at my nerves. Good. The dark haired one had the decency to look scared. The blonde just looked pissed and a little worried.
Cats out of the bag now, fucker. You're going down.
"And just what are you going to do about it sweetheart?"
The blonde one was really asking for it.
"I'm going to go inform my boss that there are two shit faced cowards in the locker rooms who just admitted to beating the hell out of another one of his customers. I'm going to tell him exactly what I heard and then I'm going to tell Edward exactly what I heard."
The dark haired fucker just started to back away towards the door. The blonde on the other hand began to advance on me. That's when my 'better judgment' kicked into overdrive from its sleeping state and told me to get the fuck out of there and fast.
I backed up and hit the trash can.
Shit, I'm cornered.
"Lock the door Tyler, I think we need to teach this little peach a lesson. I have just the thing too. I'm going to teach you exactly how to use that dirty little mouth of yours."
This was not good. Not good at all. He grabbed my arm and yanked me hard. I got a sick feeling in my stomach and immediately my mind when to Phil and the reasons why I had left my mother without an explanation of my departure.
I landed roughly against the bench and brought my left hand up to hit him but he was faster than I was. Honestly, I doubted it would have done much but it was worth a shot. He was gripping me tightly and I knew I should at least have the smarts to scream. But the sound was stuck in my throat. The pressure was caught just beneath my vocal box, refusing to come out. The malicious look in his eyes was a far cry from the look Edward had given me when I left his morning and again in the midst of all of this I was thinking of Edward. His eyes.
"Hold her arms Tyler."
The little shit was smart enough to hesitate before complying. I actually felt a little sorry for him. He really didn't seem like he wanted to do these things. He seemed genuinely remorseful. But he did participate and my pity was wiped away. I felt the tears start to build up and cursed myself for this show of weakness. This was not happening. This cannot be happening. They could not be doing this, not after hurting him.
"Mike, let's go. Let's just leave right now. This is getting out of hand. She's a girl, man!"
"Fuck that, she needs a lesson taught to her. Now you listen to me you little bitch. What happened last night is none of your fucking business and you aren't going to breathe a word of it to anyone. I'm going to show you how you should use that pretty little mouth and trust me when I say it has nothing to do with speaking and everything to do with sucking."
He reached into his shorts and pulled out his erection while grabbing a fistful of my hair. How sick do you have to be to get off on doing shit like this? My tears were coming harder now and I briefly thought of how stupid he was being.
Did he honestly think he could shove that thing in my mouth and not get it bitten off? Really?
Before I could find out if he was there was banging on the locker room door. That's when the scream finally made itself known. And I screamed, bloody fucking murder.
I saw the wood splinter around the dead bolt as Emmett came hurtling into the room with a blonde man right behind him. There were onlookers standing out around the door watching the show.
Tyler released my arms so fast I slid off the bench and hit the floor… hard. My hip was going to smart for that later. Mike couldn't get his pants up before Emmett punched him in the face. The blonde man snatched me up off the floor and held me to his chest. I was beyond the point of caring. He was safe and that was all I cared about. He was stopping the men who beat Edward, and from hurting me so I buried myself into him and shook. His lanky arms wrapped around my torso and pulled me back against the lockers shielding me from what was happening around me. I heard people shouting but for the life of me I couldn't make sense out of any of it. I realized in a split second that I was being childish. I had just stood up for someone else and now I was cowering away from it. Nothing even really happened to me.
Putting my 'brave face' back on I pushed myself off of my savior and furiously wiped my tears away. The man who was holding me tried to grab me again and usher me out of the room but I resisted his efforts and shook my head. I took in the scene around me and saw that Emmett had decked Mike into unconsciousness while Tyler was being held against the lockers by two other men I didn't know. Emmett stood over Mike, his shoulder heaving and a deadly look on his face. He turned to Tyler so fast my eyes crossed trying to follow the movement.
"What the fuck were you thinking?! In my fucking gym?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"
I suddenly felt the words bubbling up and out of me before I could sensor them. Traumatic experiences made verbal filters disappear apparently.
"They beat Edward. They ganged up on him last night and left him here. I over heard them saying that they beat him up last night and left him here."
Emmett turned his raging eyes at me and I flinched. His look softened and he was in front of me in two long strides.
"Are you okay? Jesus, your arms are bruising already." It was as if my words didn't even register with him.
"I'm fine. I knew I should have told you about this when I came in. I mean that I found Edward in here this morning, but I didn't think it was my place to say anything."
"Wait, you found Edward in here this morning?" There it is, now he's with me.
"Yeah, he was passed out right over there. He was bleeding and cut up pretty bad."
The blonde man was rifling through the duffel bags on the bench and in his impatience he flipped them over and emptied them out. I heard a metal clanking and it brought my attention to him immediately. On the ground was a large set of brass knuckles. Now that just pissed me off. Not only did they gang up on him they didn't fight fair. That's what made those cuts. It make sense, they were so consistent. Slimy, ass-faced mother fuckers. I turned my gaze onto Tyler. He looked so pale I thought he was going to just fade into the gray lockers behind him.
Emmett looked like he was going to shit a cow. Mike was regaining consciousness.
I would stay down if I were you.
Emmett's voice was controlled when he spoke but the malice that laced them made me shiver.
"Jasper, take her to the office and make sure she's okay. I'll be in, in a minute."
Suddenly I was being steered out of the locker room and down the hallway into the back offices by the man I know knew was Jasper. As the locker room door shut I heard Tyler begging.
"You said you found Edward in the locker rooms this morning. Where is he now?"
"He's at his apartment. I took him there when I found him. I cleaned him up and made sure he was okay before I left."
"What were his injuries, can you tell me?"
"Um, yeah. His left eye was swollen up pretty badly and he had a gash over the eyebrow. There were bruises over his ribs and in some spots he had cuts. They were all the same size and now that I know they were using those brass knuckles it makes sense. I can't believe I didn't think of that before. He didn't have trouble breathing. His nose didn't look like it had been hit at all. He had bruises around his shoulders and neck. Those were the worst."
Jasper's eyes were boring into my own and I felt uncomfortable under his gaze. He looked pissed and while I knew he wasn't angry at me it still made me feel like something was my fault. He was emitting rage and I could feel it rolling off him. I averted my gaze and stared intently at my shoes.
"Look, I know I should have said something to Emmett this morning about finding him, but I honestly thought it wasn't any of my business and I didn't know if Edward wanted anyone to know so I…"
"I understand why you didn't say anything. I'm not upset with you at all. Thank you for helping him. You didn't have to do that. Now, I want you to tell me what you heard them say in the locker rooms." His voice was kind so I looked up at him and he seemed to have softened down.
"Okay. Um, well I didn't know what they were talking about at first so I didn't pay much attention until I heard the blonde one, Mike, say that he beat someone in there last night so bad that he was probably in the hospital. I realized it was Edward. They said something about how he wasn't going to be able to fight in an upcoming match. He was bragging about him having internal bleeding. I know he didn't, I mean, he wasn't spitting up blood or anything and there wasn't any bad swelling on him that indicated otherwise. I got so pissed off I just went off on them. They didn't know I was there. Then Mike said he was going to teach me a lesson about talking shit. Oh! And they mentioned something about a king telling them to do that."
"Shit. Are you sure? You heard them say King?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Uh, nothing. Look I'm sure Emmett's going to give you the rest of the day off so why don't you just go home and gets some rest. I'm sure after all that shit that went down you're a little frazzled. Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm alright and honestly I need the hours so I would rather stay for the rest of the day."
"Like hell you're staying you're going home." Emmett had entered the room. His normally loud boisterous voice was low and threatening and Jasper gave him a reprimanding look. Emmett sighed and shook his head with what I'm sure was an attempt to shake himself of his anger.
"I'm sorry, Bella. Look I would rather you went home. I'll even pay you for the rest of the day. If you want you can have tomorrow off as well. I am so sorry about…"
"Emmett, really, I'm fine. Nothing happened in there. You arrived just in the nick of time. I don't need the day off and I will be here tomorrow."
"No, you're taking the rest of the day off. That's final. I'll concede to have you back tomorrow but for today you are going home. Despite the fact that they didn't get very far, they still hurt you. You need some time to sort through this. I need to know that you are going to be okay."
His voice was so sincere that for the second time today I thought I might cry. No one had ever spoken to me like that before. Suddenly I realized there was a lot more to Emmett than just his large muscles and little boy behavior. He was a sweet guy underneath everything. I launched myself at him quickly and he hugged me hard. Under normal circumstances I liked my space and don't really do the whole hugging thing but under the conditions I needed the hug and it seemed that Emmett did too. I heard Jasper clear his throat behind us and Emmett slowly placed me back down on the ground. I hadn't realized that he had lifted me up. I smiled at him, all watery and sniffling. He brushed the tears off my face and kissed my forehead.
"Go home, sleep, relax and come back tomorrow. If you have any problems, if anyone bothers you, call me right away, do you understand me? Don't try anything on your own."
I giggled at his mock stern tone and nodded my head. His face broke out into a smile and he stepped back to look at Jasper. I turned at hugged Jasper because I was obviously still feeling generous today with affection. He hugged me back gently but securely.
"Thank you for helping me back there. It means a lot to me." I whispered into his chest.
"Hey, anyone would have done the same." His voice was just as soft and I heard the southern lilt of his accent wash over my razzed nerves. He really was a soothing person when he wanted to be.
"No, they wouldn't." I smiled up at him and backed away.
"Thank you both. Edward wanted me to check back with him when I got off work so I guess I'll go over there and see if he's alright."
They looked at each other for a moment before staring back at me blankly. Suddenly I felt the heat rise to my face.
Did I say something wrong?
"I mean, if you don't think that's a good idea then I won't bother him. I figure he's probably resting so maybe it isn't a good idea…"
"No, no if he asked you back you should go. He needs someone to take care of his sorry ass anyway. Just tell him to call us and let us know how he is. He should have done so already." Jasper reassured me.
"Okay, well I'll see you guys tomorrow I guess."
I exited the office and crossed the annex. Guys all around the room stopped to look at me and my blush betrayed me yet again. I made it to my truck in record time and hopped into the cab. It was hot out today and the muggy weather began to frizz my hair out quickly. Sighing I started the truck up and blasted the AC.
After a few moments of driving my insecurity decided to make an appearance and I doubted whether or not I should go back and check on Edward or not. It was this horrible feeling of supposed rejection that coursed through me.
What if he slams the door shut in my face? What if he regrets asking me back? What if he doesn't like me and he just feels obligated to take an interest in the person who helped him out?
I was dizzy with questions on my adequacy by the time I pulled up to his apartment. The words 'average' and 'plain' running through my head. While sitting in the cab and letting the cold air dissipate around me I checked my appearance in the rearview mirror and popped a piece of gum in my mouth. I sat in the truck for at least fifteen minutes before I mustered enough courage to get out and walk up to the building.
The worst that could happen is he could slam the door shut in your face. Seriously, it's not like you have anywhere else to go at this point. The highlight of your day is going to be sleeping in your truck. Just give it a chance.
Every step up to the second floor seemed to get heavier and heavier the higher I got and by the time I was in front of his door I started to panic again. Jesus, you're 21 not 12. This is not middle school. I knocked timidly and hoped that he wouldn't hear it. That way I could leave and pretend that this never happened. However my plan didn't work out quite like I had hoped because the door whipped open a few seconds later to reveal my current emotional tormentor. And he was geared to torment. At first I was shocked at how quickly the door opened. Then I was shocked at the half naked man standing in front of me in nothing but a towel.
SMOKIN' HOT!!!
Shut up and buy a thesaurus!
I gulped and stepped back. He seemed just as surprised to see me as I was him. He had a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, one hand on the doorknob and the other holding the towel around his waist.
We were just standing there, shocked at each other.
5 second.
Still just standing. Still shocked.
8 seconds.
His jaw closed. I looked down at the floor
10 seconds.
I felt his hand trace over my arm.
13 seconds.
I looked up into his eyes. He looked pissed.
15 seconds.
I was yanked into the apartment.
I do not struggle in your web
Because it was my aim to get caught
I heard the door kick shut behind me as I was ushered into the living room. He stomped into the kitchen and I heard the faucet run before he returned with the clean toothbrush still in his hand.
"What the hell happened to you, Bella?" His voice was harsh and accusatory.
I looked at him strangely for a second. How the hell did he know something happened? Then I saw him boring holes into my arms and looked down to see what had caught his attention. Jesus, Emmett was right, I was bruising already. There were red blotches all over my pail skin and my left forearm was darkening in the shape of a hand. Edward took three steps toward me and stopped just close enough to brush his fingers over my arm. He stared intently at the marks and I didn't know exactly what to say. My voice was lost again somewhere in my throat. It was afraid to come out and embarrass me. So I did the next best thing.
I shook my head.
He looked up at me for a moment and his eyes pierced into me. He really looked pissed off. Today was turning out to be a doozy. I was exhausted mentally and physically. As if by realizing that little tid-bit of information, my voice returned to me and my gaping mouth had a purpose.
"Nothing happened. I just had a little run in. I'm fine. I got off work early and thought I would come visit you for a minute like you asked. You know make sure you were keeping up your part of the bargain."
My attempt at humor failed and his frown seemed to deepen. Even in his sullen state he still looked damn good. He just put his hands on his hips and darted his eyes from my arms to my eyes as if trying to determine the truth of my words from the physical evidence.
"What kind of 'run in'?"
I was being childish when I refused to answer. So he prodded again…
"Bella?"
"It was nothing alright? It's over now, I'm here. So what exactly are you planning on doing with me?"
The verbal diarrhea poured out of my mouth before I could contain it and I blushed at the double entendre of my words. He just smirked at me and held up one finger in a gesture for me to give him a moment. I nodded and he walked past me into his bedroom. Abruptly, I had a dire fascination with the water drops that were littered on his back and glistening in the sunlight. Damn, his back looks good. A moment later he retuned wearing a pair of jeans and a black wife beater that accentuated his muscular arms. The hem pooled around his waist and I just knew underneath that shirt that those jeans were hanging low enough to show his lean hips and that happy trail to joy land.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened this morning but right now I want you to tell me what the hell happened to your arms. Don't give me anymore 'run in' bullshit either."
Okay, while it's awfully sweet that he is worried about my well being, I really didn't like the tone of voice. So… I bristled.
"Look, I appreciate the concern but I'm fine and what is done is done so there is no reason for you to be concerned with it."
He glared at me and I could see the muscles in his shoulders and neck strain. I heard his breathing draw out as he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeeze his eyes shut. My anger began to bubble out as well. He was treating me like a child who got caught doing something wrong. And I was about to tell him so when he spoke first.
"You were at the gym today?"
"Yes, I told you earlier I work there now." This line of questioning was redundant but before I could ask him why the hell he was asking me something he already knew, it clicked in my head as he reached for the phone on his sofa table. He smiled a sweet smile at me and pushed the buttons without looking at them. I opened my mouth to speak, to object or maybe distract him but he was already speaking into the receiver.
"Emmett? Hey, it's Edward. Yeah, hey… Bella, the girl who…what? I'm fine. Did she now? Uh huh. Yea I knew it was them. She's here now. They what? Wait, slow down, what? Are you fucking kidding me?"
I cringed. Surely this was the part where Emmett told him about the confrontation in the locker rooms. Edward's eyes snapped up to my face and he glared at me hard. Then his eyes went to my arms and I had to admit he really was frightening when he was mad. I backed up until I hit the door frame to the kitchen. He uh huh'd and yeah'd a few more times before he bid Emmett a goodbye and when the beep of the phone informed me that he was disconnected I cringed again. Lightly, he tossed the phone onto the couch and advanced toward me.
"Is that was you consider a 'run in'? Jesus, Emmett said Mike was about to fucking rape you in there! What the hell is wrong with you?! 'Run in' my ass!"
"He wasn't going to rape me he was going to stick…" Okay so that clearly was going to make things worse. By judging the paling on his face it already did.
"Look, I'm sorry…that…that was uncalled for and I'm fine, really. I don't want to argue about this with you. I'm not a child and I'm certainly not your responsibility so please stop acting that way. I just came to see if you were okay… and you are …so I'm going to go now."
If at all possible he seemed to just get angrier. I couldn't move away from the door jamb if I wanted to. His gaze had pinned me into place and would not allow any movement whatsoever. This increased agitation only fueled my anger at the injustice of being treated like a baby. For once in my life I was not going to run away from this. I was not going to allow another man to make me feel like less than I really was. My chin jutted out and I glared right back at him.
But daddy longlegs,
I feel that I'm finally growing weary
Of waiting to be consumed by you
He seemed to take these actions as a gauntlet being thrown down because he started his advance on me. If he wanted to intimidate me into being quiet he was doing a damn good job of things. I wasn't intimidated per se, but the mixture of his demanding presence and his scent wafting over me did the job of shutting me the hell up. He smelled spicy.
Like cinnamon. His hair looks like cinnamon. He has such amazing hair. And his chest looks so yummy.
At the descriptive word 'yummy' my mind snapped back to attention and I resumed my glare. Now I was just pissed that he had that affect on me.
"Here, let me check out your cuts, I'm sure you can't see the ones on your back. And I should probably rinse out your eyebrow again with that peroxide." While the statement was made to be pacifying it came out a little harsher than I had intended.
"Uh, Uh. No, you are going to tell me what happened. Everything. Then you're going to let me look you over." His voice was demanding, controlling, deep and soft all at the same time. His shoulders caved forward and his hands clenched into fists as he stalked toward me slowly as if he were savoring my squirming.
"You already know what happened. I'm fine. No blood or open wounds on my body. Maybe you got hit harder on the head than you thought. I'm pretty sure I've reiterated that fact enough."
At this he bristled and I smirked at the small victory I was handed for getting under his skin for a change. He took his last step and towered over me. I felt his minty breath wash over my face and in my nervousness I swallowed my gum. Thankfully I didn't choke on it but I'm sure my eyes widened on the feel of it sliding down my throat.
He leaned his head down and bent his knees until he was eye level with me. He still looked angry with me but he seemed to be reining it in. I inhaled sharply because honestly his smell and presence was just befuddling the fuck out of me and I was struggling to understand why the hell he had this effect on me now of all times.
Why couldn't I realize I was physically attracted to him earlier? When I would have had time to devise some sort of plan against such attacks.
I again thought back to how his presence had invaded my thoughts earlier on in the day when I was confronted with Mike and Tyler in the gym and how his actions had stayed with me even then in those moments of distress. Never have I ever had anyone own this much power over my thoughts.
And with that realization the pissed off air around us changed and suddenly electricity was crackling around me. Around us. A thick emotion was being conveyed between the breadth of space linking our faces and as I discovered the change it seemed he did as well because suddenly the irritation and impatience in his eyes melted away and determination shone through. His arms rose up and one hand braced the molding around the door jamb while the other he placed palm flat against my head. It was so close to my head that if I turned to my right my nose would brush it. His eyes watched my face intently as he leaned forward and kissed me lightly.
Give me the first taste,
let it begin heaven cannot wait
forever darling,
My eyes slipped shut of their own accord and I froze. Suddenly, as if a rubber band had snapped I pressed just as softly against him. Then the dam broke and his hands palmed my face while I felt him press his mouth against mine fully and roughly. My arms whipped up to grasp his neck softly. At least somewhere in my mind I realized that he was injured. Soon I felt his tongue licking at my upper lip and my body disregarded my mind's screaming protests because I fucking wanted this to happen more than I wanted to breathe. I opened my mouth to him and suddenly our anger was back and I wanted to dominate in this game of will. He seemed to want it just as much as I did. It was heated and needy and rough and soft all at once. His knee separated my legs while his hip ground into my center and I felt the delicious friction appeasing my desires.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself closer to him. My chest mashed into his and his left hand drifted down to press at the small of my back seeming to want me closer to him as well. His right hand threaded into my hair and pulled my head to the side where he began to leave hot kisses down my neck. The sucking and licking was driving me crazy.
Panting and moaning like a sex deprived teenager I gripped onto him harder. My hands slid down his chest and he hissed when I put pressure over some of his injured areas. When I reached the hem of his shirt I slipped them under and ran over his abs softly before running them back up, taking the shirt with them. He pulled away and yanked the shirt off himself and quickly resumed his attack on my mouth. I moaned and he slid his hands under my shirt to cup my breasts. While I was sure I still had some form of reason to be able to stop this before it got out of hand he squeezed firmly and his hip gyrated into my core once more, effectively eliminating anything inside me that wanted this to stop before I was completely satisfied. Because sweet Jesus I needed the release now and he was going to give it to me.
Just start the chase –
I'll let you win but you must
make the endeavor
I writhed against his thigh and he took it as a good sign because my shirt was deftly pulled over my head and suddenly his mouth had latched onto my nipple over the cloth cup of my bra. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I knew I should have been concerned with the fact that I was wearing a plain white bra and that was not at all sexy but I just couldn't make sense of that right now. I was just eternally grateful for the shower this morning where I was able to shave the stubble off my armpits and legs. I threw my head back only to have it thud against the wall. I couldn't even pretend to be embarrassed about it though because as if it were a indication to him he grabbed my thighs firmly in his hands and hoisted me up around his torso, never taking his mouth off my chest. As my body lifted against his I felt his arousal against me. My arms wrapped around his shoulders in an effort to stay pressed against him. He trailed up to my shoulder and grunted into the skin there as he turned and stalked toward the bedroom.
Oh, your love gives me a heart contusion
Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red
Your hungry flirt borders intrusion
When the bed came into my view it was as if I was slapped and the sudden realization of what we were about to do hit me full force. My voice was breathless as I spoke.
"Wait, are you sure this is good idea, you're hurt." He dropped me on the bed and pulled the straps of my bra down while settling himself between my legs. As his lips came into contact with my collar bone he murmured against my skin.
"Do you want to stop?" He was just as breathless as I was.
"No, but…"
"I don't either. I want you, right now."
And that was the queue for my rational mind to shut the fuck up and just let it go. I moaned when his mouth found my pulse point and sucked. And damn did he suck hard. His hands snaked around my back and found the clasp on my bra, neatly unhooking it and pulling the offending garment off me. My breath stuttered when the cool air hit my chest and my nipples puckered harder. He placed his hands on my ribs and leaned back to look down at what he had revealed. I sucked in a breath and watched his face for his reaction. His eyes were half lidded and just as lust filled as I'm sure mine own were.
"Jesus."
And that was all he said before descending upon my breasts and lavishing attention on the aching tips. My back arched and I pressed myself closer to him while gripping onto his sleek mop of hair. He ground into me and I was quickly gasping for more.
Christ, what the hell was happening to me?
I'm building memories
On things we have not said
Full is not heavy as empty,
not nearly my love,
not nearly my love,
not nearly.
EPOV
When I woke up this morning and saw her standing in front of my window I was confused. When I looked down at myself in only my boxers I was really confused. Then when she handed me a plate of food I thought I might actually go to the hospital to have my head checked. When I remember what had happened the night before I felt the anger licking my insides and quickly pushed it down. She helped me; there was no reason to show my anger in front of her. I ate the food and honestly it was fucking tasty. She explained to me how she had gotten me back into my apartment and tended to me when I was passed out and I felt like shit for questioning why she didn't take me to the hospital. I was glad she didn't but still it seemed like something a normal person would have done. I should have known even in a semi-conscious state I would have told her not to take me there.
Then when she said she had to leave I panicked. I wanted her to stay. Why? I had no idea, just that I needed her to stay. Honestly, I had never felt that way about anyone before so when she asked me to do her a favor and stay in bed today and take it easy I felt the ice around my heart melt at her concern and used the request in my favor at having her come back. It seemed that fate had picked today of all days for her to rescue me from my life. Today I was 26. And as the only gift to myself I was bold in asking her to come back when she was done with work.
Just when I thought I couldn't want to get to know this woman anymore than I already did she went ahead and made another crack at my walls when she told me she helped me because I needed her. Normally I would have scoffed at any statement that said I was weak but the way she said it…the softness of her voice when she let it slip, and she did let it slip because her face flamed and she scurried off to the kitchen with my empty plate, the softness told me she didn't think I was weak. That her motivation to help me was because she was genuinely a caring person. She would have helped anyone in that situation.
I offered her my bathroom and she gratefully accepted. I was thankful for that because honestly the fact that she had cleaned my fucking nasty ass kitchen was astounding.
Who the hell is this girl? Why the hell am I lucky enough to be in her presence?
While she was getting cleaned up I flipped on the TV and thought back on what the hell happened the night before and quickly dismissed the thoughts because I didn't want to get worked up before she left and scare her. She was nervous when it came time to leave and she seemed to want a certain distance between us at all times and that's when I realized that I had the same effect on her that she had on me. I couldn't stop my laughter when she was so damn adorable and raced down the hall as if to get away from the big bad wolf.
My shower smelled like strawberries. It felt good to smell her in there; it was soothing. It made it like I wasn't alone under the pounding spray. The heat of the water loosened my sore muscles and made the bruises feel a lot better. I hadn't expected her so early and I opened the door to find her standing there awkwardly while my eyes honed in onto the bruises on her arms. I was so focused on them and the fact that I knew they hadn't been there this morning; I left the poor girl standing outside my door for some time before pulling her into the apartment. Her denial at telling me what happened to her pissed me off. She could help me but not the other way around? And who the hell leaves bruises on a girl like that? She was too small and fragile to hurt; intentionally or not.
As she continued to deflect my questions I studied the bruises and noticed the familiar shape of a hand surfacing. Its presence was fueling my fire. It dawned on me that if she got into something at the gym Emmett would know.
She gawked at me while I dialed the gym's number so I smiled at her because I was winning this little fight and once I assured Emmett that I wasn't going to die anytime soon he filled me in on what happened to Bella. The powerful urge to hit something overcame me and I had to grit my teeth in order to assuage the feeling to chuck the phone at the wall. After I hung up I advanced on her. She was hiding things from me already and the kicker is that if I were her I would have done the same exact damn thing because I really didn't like people thinking I couldn't handle myself. But frankly she couldn't handle herself and if Emmett and Jasper had not stepped in when they did she might not be here now. And that pissed me off.
So as we verbally sparred and glared each other down; I found myself closing the distance between us because while she was infuriating she was so damn beautiful when she was pissed off. I knew exactly why she was pissed. I was treating her like a child and truthfully she was acting like one. But once I had her pinned against the wall I wasn't angry anymore. I wanted her. I needed to have her. To own that fire in her eyes and possess it because it was possessing me.
And these thoughts all bring me to the present where I am lying between her legs and grasping the heavenly weight of her breasts in my hands as I give them the attention they rightfully deserve. The urge to own her, every inch, to mark her, taste her, have her was overwhelming. It narrowed down my world into basic instincts. My skin was tingling with arousal and I was harder than I had ever been. The need for her was something so foreign and wonderful because I had never had the want to own anyone like I wanted to own her. She was pulling me into her slowly, inch by inch and I willing went into it with my eyes wide open because it felt so fucking good to just want this.
Was this happening much too fast? Yes. Was I sure about everything concerning this decision to couple myself with her? No. But did it matter so much as long as she wanted it too? Did it matter if it felt so right?
Her moans were spurring me on so I reached my hand down between us to palm her sex and I moaned in response when I felt the heat just fucking radiating. I plunged my tongue into her mouth and again felt the need to dominate her soft flesh. My fingers found the button on her jeans and yanked roughly until it came undone. The zipper seemed to undo itself from my forceful actions and I slipped my hand under her panties to feel the hot wetness there.
Jesus, she's ready for me.
I ground my cock against her thigh and shuddered at her moan of approval. I needed her now. Right now. Nothing was going to abate this feeling except her.
Leaned back and tugged her jeans down along with the purple panties while she kicked off her shoes and just about died at the sight of her naked on my bed. She was flawless. And while I was enjoying my view of her flushed and panting on my comforter she reached forward and hooked her fingers into my jeans and kissed down my battered abdomen. Her fingers nimbly undoing the button and I hissed when she slowly dragged the zipper down. It was a glaring contrast to how quickly she yanked the clothing off me and I had to smile at the look on her face when she saw my dick.
Now I'm not conceited but after years of changing in the presence of other men in locker rooms I have learned that I have nothing to worry about in the comparison department. Before I could do anything else her hot mouth descended around me and my head dropped back while my hands found purchase in her hair. Her tongue was swirling and licking while her hand pumped what she couldn't fit.
Fucking Christ she was going to kill me.
It was too much and I needed to be inside of her. If I wasn't soon I was going to put doubts on my endurance and that was not acceptable. So I gently pulled her head back and she dropped her hands off my ass. She looked hurt that I had stopped her.
Growling, I grabbed her hips and pushed her back on the bed, kissing her roughly. She needed to know that I wanted her. She moaned as my cock rubbed against her wet folds and I pushed against her heated flesh rubbing the length of it harshly into her. Then reality set in and I abruptly stopped my movements and cursed.
"Fuck I don't have any condoms."
"I got a shot."
"What?"
"Birth control shot. I got one."
"Oh."
Alrighty then.
Her small hand reached between us and grasped onto me trying to guide me into her and I snatched her wrist gently pulling it up beside her head as I lifted my hips and aligned the tip against her entrance. I looked into her eyes.
Last chance to back out sweetheart.
With the approval in her eyes I pushed forward slowly and with each inch of my cock sliding forward to fill her, my head dropped lower onto her shoulder because fuck she was tight. Once I was in I really didn't want to move despite the fact that my body was begging for the friction. Her whimper was enough to urge me on and I started out at a slow pace, pumping into the sweet bit of heaven I had managed to find. My lips were inches from her rosy nipple and I took it into my mouth, biting on it only to sooth it with my tongue which eliciting a sweet sound from her. Each thrust granted me a new moan or gasp. Each time I ground our hips together granting that precious roughness against her clit. Each lick and bite bought me a squeeze of her slick walls or tiny hands gripping on my back. Her grunts and whimpers grew louder as I sped up my pace.
"Please, more. Harder. Please."
She was begging me to love her harder and God be damned if I was going to deny her. Because, truthfully I was really falling hard for her. So I slid my hands down to her knees and gripped her tightly before just fucking plowing into her. The cries coming from her were causing my resolve to slip and I felt my muscles tightening in wait of release but I had to hold out I had to feel her coming around me. I needed it. It was part of the possessing process. I kissed her hard and swallowed her moans into my body. There were too many sensations at once. Her hands scratching at my back; her thighs gripping my hips and her lips at my throat, the feeling of her softness around me; so pliable against my hardness. She was so soft everywhere. Her breasts bouncing with every thrust. I was going to come soon and I needed her to come from this. I needed to have that power.
"Come for me baby. I need to feel you come." I begged her right back.
She gasped and then it happened. She fucking moaned my name and it was all over and I prayed to whatever deity might have been listening that as I shot my load she was coming too.
"Oh Edward."
And I felt it. Glaringly through my own orgasm she clamped down on me and her walls began milking for everything I had. She chanted my name softly next to my ear. If it was possibly I came harder. My name, coming from her lips, as she came on my cock. I shoved my face into her neck and shuddered as the last few strokes of my orgasm filtered through me.
We lay there panting and despite the protesting my muscles were doing, I couldn't stop touching her even as my sexual need was fulfilled I still felt like I needed to have her. To just tuck her into me as far as I could get her and not let go. These urges were consuming me to a point of ridiculousness. My hands rubbed up and down her thighs then up her hips and skimmed the sides of her breasts. I wasn't quite ready to pull out of her but since I was going soft I did. I rolled us over and pulled the comforter up over our damp bodies. She felt so small lying against me. Suddenly I felt like a brute. Jesus, I really did just fucking plow into her.
"Are you okay?"
"Mmm, more than okay. Are you alright? How is your stomach and shoulders?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Are you sure you're alright? I was really fucking rough with you."
She snorted and nuzzled her head into my shoulder. I turned toward her and wrapped my arms around her. After a few moments she was asleep and I wasn't far behind her.
Give me the first taste,
let it begin
Heaven cannot wait
forever darling,
Just start the chase –
I'll let you win,
But you must make the endeavor
A/N: Yeah, so they have known each other for like 24 hours and they hop into bed with each other. I know tons of you are probably going 'WFT mate?' well it has a purpose I promise. I have this whole thing planned out. Really it just shows the compulsiveness of this relationship. There will be backlash from all of this and that was the point. And honestly...if you had only known Edward for 24 hours and you had already seen him practically naked wouldn't you jump his bones? As well in my opinion, people end up having sex with each other much quicker these days in real life than in these stories. Seriously, one night stands happen in a matter of hours. At least they have a whole day under their belt. I'm just being realistic. While people preach about waiting, they never really want to. Or do.
Yeah, so I've got this whole story planned out down the last chapter. Which is MIA to me. I have no idea how to end this bitch. Hope the lemon was good enough. First one and all.
Just a few things here so I don't end up disappointing anyone.
Edward will not cheat on Bella. (No cheating at all. Jealousy yes, cheating no.)
Important things for future reference.
The day Bella found Edward at the gym was his birthday
Bella is homeless. Yeah, she is broke and got no home and very little money.
Some character traits/flaws that are important
Bella is stubborn, detached from affection, and sexually repressed.
Edward is controlling, introverted, lonely, and very very angry at the world.
If you don't see these traits glaringly it's because they're different when they are around each other however they will start to come out in the story.
Let me know if you liked it.