This was my fun little entry for the 2023 edition of the Bodice Ripper's Contest. It won the Sexiest Guy award and eaddict3254's Judge's pick. It's short and fun and just a little bit dirty. ;) I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, thank you to the gals who pre-read this for me, 2brown-eyes, Bitter Harpy, DrivingEdward, and Fyrebyrd, and to my beta, jayhawkbb. You ladies rock. Seriously.


Summary: Nervous about introducing the new boyfriend to her parents, Bella needs a distraction. And Edward is just the one to give her one. It may be the Swans' dinner table, but Bella's the one on the menu.


Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.


Devour

"Let's go!" Edward shouted from the kitchen. "Traffic's going to be a bitch, and we're already late. And we still have to stop at the bakery to pick up our order."

"I'm almost ready." Bella stared at herself in the mirror, checking her makeup one more time. "I just need to grab some shoes." Rummaging through the closet, she found the pair that perfectly matched the blue of her dress. It was the pair Edward bought for her on their trip to Paris over the summer. The week he proposed. The week he showed her what life could be like if she stepped outside her comfort zone and trusted him.

After that week, she'd never looked back.

She hoped the shoes would give her the confidence she needed to face her parents. Charlie and Renée Swan were the traditional sort, with very specific ideas about what the perfect-for-their-daughter man should be. The mere thought of telling them she was head over heels in love with a man so far removed from that ideal—and that she had agreed to be his wife—was making Bella sweat.

After hopping on one foot as she struggled to slip on the stilettos, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "Okay, I'm ready."

...

"Want me to carry anything?" Edward took the last drag of his cigarette, eyeing Bella as she balanced the bakery boxes in her hands and the small cooler bag on her shoulder.

"No, I've got it." She glanced his way and offered him a quick smile. "Thanks."

Nodding once, he dropped the butt to the ground and snuffed it out with the toe of his shoe. He knew better than to jump in and rescue her from the precariously leaning tower of boxes. They might have been together for a relatively short time, but he knew Bella well enough to know she insisted on doing nearly everything herself. Taking things from her hands would only provoke a tantrum. He'd then be forced to remind her it wasn't the way a lady behaved … and now was not the time.

Some days he lived for those moments, though, because the resulting sex was mind-blowing. But it was probably a bad time to bend her over the hood of the car and spank her ass. He smirked at the thought.

He closed the car doors behind them and followed Bella up the lit pathway to the small, covered porch. The house was what Edward expected. A bungalow, with green shutters and greener hedges, it was ... quaint. They passed an older minivan and Charlie's police cruiser parked in the driveway, as well as a red, rusty, two-door death trap. He already knew Bella's small-town, blue-collar family would be a hard sell. Their daughter's choice of partner was nothing like anyone she'd been with before.

A well-traveled man ten years Bella's senior, Edward was somewhat of a free spirit. He'd been nearly everywhere he'd hoped to go and had done nearly everything he'd hoped to do with very few attachments up until this point in his life. His paintings hung in prestigious homes and high-end galleries, allowing him to live the life he'd worked so hard for.

It had been a long time since he'd met anyone's parents.

Pushing aside his reservations about what the evening might bring, he reached past her to ring the bell.

"What are you doing? I'm not ready," Bella hissed.

He narrowed his eyes at the sharp tone of her voice and, without thinking, pulled back and gave her right ass cheek a hard smack. "Watch it," he warned.

Bella took a deep breath and collected herself. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm just—"

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Nervous, I know."

She sighed. "You think you do, but my dad—"

"I don't care about your dad or what he thinks about me. You're my priority, Bella." A salacious grin curled his lips. "And if I have to drag you into a bathroom and fuck you against a wall to remind you of that, I will. I don't give a fuck, and you shouldn't either."

Stunned, Bella instantly forgot all the reasons she was anxious. She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could utter a word, the door opened.

"Bella, baby! You're home!" Renée swooped in and gathered her daughter in a hug, closing her eyes and ignoring the falling boxes full of confections. "I've missed you so much." When she finally leaned back and looked at Bella, she noticed the man behind them collecting what had fallen. "Oh, you didn't tell me you were bringing someone with you, honey." Renée looked between the two of them.

Bella sighed. "I did, Mom. We talked about it last week, remember?" She reached for the man beside her, looping her arm through his and turning back to her mother. "This is Edward." She swallowed hard. "My fiancé."

Edward smiled his most charming smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Swan."

"Oh my," Renée murmured, turning toward her daughter. "We might have a problem."


Bella stared across the table at the interloper. She'd spent the entirety of her high school years avoiding Jacob Black, and now he was being shoved in her face at her parents' dinner table. Combined with her anxiety about having shared her news with her parents, being so obviously set up with her old nemesis was nearly more than she could handle.

"So, Edwin," Charlie began.

Mortified, Bella stuttered out, "Dad, it's Edwa—"

"How much do you bring in from those pictures you sell?" he continued, ignoring his daughter. "It must be hard to make a living that way. Never knowing if you'll make any money."

Edward smirked as he reached for his wine glass. For a moment, he considered telling Charlie he made more money off the sale of one of his paintings than Charlie had made in the last ten years combined, but he didn't want to insult the man who would be his father-in-law. There was also no way Edward was going to spell out the eccentricities of the art world to this man. Not tonight, anyway. There was no point in explaining that he was so sought after that his works were in galleries all over the world—including London, Paris, New York, and right there in Seattle.

Instead of pleading his case as being more than capable of providing for Bella—as if the four-carat rock on her finger didn't prove it—he simply said, "I do all right."

Honestly, Edward wasn't offended. Not really. Charlie was worried about his daughter, as any rational man would be in his situation. To have a soon-to-be son-in-law thrust in his face so abruptly had to be upsetting.

They might have made it past the strained introductions, and telling Bella's father the news of their engagement, but the tension in the room was still high. Edward had nothing to prove to anyone, least of all Bella's disapproving parents. But he felt he owed it to her to at least try to win over her family.

But the irritating fifth wheel could go pound sand for all he cared.

Jacob chose that moment to sit up straight and puff out his chest. "Our garage is opening a second location next month."

"That's great, son," Charlie said, beaming like he had some hand in Jacob's accomplishment. He turned to his daughter. "You should take your car in sometime and have Jake service it."

"Jake won't be servicing anything of mine," she mumbled as she snatched up her Merlot and gulped it. Seeing through the bottom of her glass, Bella placed it on the table and reached for more.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Edward asked in a low voice.

She merely glanced at him out of the corner of her eye then turned her attention back to trying to pour without spilling. "No, I do not," she said with a little bite in her voice.

Noticing the upturned bottle in her daughter's hand, Renée got up from the table. "I think we could use another bottle"—the dregs drip drip dripped out of the bottle and into Bella's glass—"or two," she quietly finished.

As Renée left the room, Charlie and Jacob turned their attention to one another and began to discuss the benefits of conventional over synthetic oils.

Edward leaned over and whispered in Bella's ear, placing his warm palm on her bare knee. "You're tense."

She snorted with derision. "You think?"

His hand crept up her leg, shifting the hem of her dress higher. "I think I know what would help with that."

As Edward's fingers ran along Bella's inner thigh, she whipped her head around, her panic-filled eyes meeting his. "What are you—"

"Shh."

Instinctively, she parted her knees just enough for him to brush his fingertips against the damp heat between her legs. "Good girl," he whispered, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear.

Thankful for the long tablecloth and for their tablemates' heated debate, Edward slipped his fingers under the flimsy material covering Bella's pussy and slid one into her.

Her breath hitched and her eyes fell closed.

He wouldn't—

Oh, but he would. He was. Slowly, and with the agility of an artist who could create a masterpiece with the flick of his wrist and swirl of his fingers, he thrust his middle finger inside her while his thumb circled her now-throbbing clit.

Bella grasped the edge of the table with both hands and held on tight. She wanted to rock her hips and call out and beg him to move faster. She wanted to drag him to her childhood bedroom, tear his clothes from his body, and strip down to nothing so he could do even more naughty things to her.

Screw the roast beef on the table, she wanted him to devour her.

"Bella? Are you okay, sweetie?" her mother asked. Concern lit her eyes as she placed two freshly opened bottles of wine on the table before taking her seat.

"I'm fine," Bella managed to squeak out.

"Are you sure? Your cheeks are flushed."

Bella snatched a bottle off the table and refilled her glass nearly to the top, her hand trembling.

"Must be the Merlot," Edward chimed in. "She gets the most beautiful blush when she enjoys a glass of wine."

A nervous, awkward laugh bubbled out of Bella. "Yeah, it's the wine, Mom." The distraction afforded her a moment of clarity—as much as she wanted him to, she couldn't really let Edward continue his slow torture … even if it was sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body.

Bella jerked her hips back in her seat and snapped her legs closed, essentially cutting off his access. "Excuse me."

Fumbling, she scooted her chair back and rose, dashing from the room. Her hasty departure gained the attention of everyone in the room, including the unwelcome fifth wheel.

"Is she okay?" Jacob asked.

"She's fine." Edward pulled the dinner napkin from his lap and tossed it on the table before standing. "If you'll excuse me."

Before anyone could reply, he, too, disappeared from the room to search for his fiancée.

Meanwhile, Bella locked herself in the guest bath at the end of the hallway. Her heart raced and her cheeks flamed. Turning on the tap, she splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would calm her. And it might have worked, if not for Edward's knock on the door a moment later.

"Bella, let me in."

"Just a minute."

"Bella …" he said in warning.

Unable to refuse him, she twisted the flimsy lock and turned the knob, allowing him to slip into the small room and close the door behind him.

She took a step back, her heart once again thundering in her chest. "What are you—"

Locking her in his gaze, Edward advanced on her, placing his palms on the wall behind her, effectively trapping her where she stood. "You ran away."

"I just needed a break."

"I told you already, they don't matter. Their opinions of me—of us—don't matter, Bella."

Hearing him give voice to the thoughts tumbling around in her head made her eyes well with tears. "I just …"

"Fuck them," he murmured as he closed the distance between them, fusing his mouth with hers. He leaned into her, pressing her whole body against the wall. With a grunt and a gasp, Bella spread her legs wide as he hoisted her up. The searing heat of his touch scorched her where he grasped her thighs. He pushed her dress out of the way as she wrapped her parted legs around his waist. He pressed his throbbing erection against her center, and the heat radiating from her pussy made him groan.

"You're letting them get to you," he growled against her lips, pulling away to suck at the skin of her neck.

"I'm not," she insisted, closing her eyes as her head fell back against the wall.

"You are." He pulled back and waited until Bella opened her eyes and looked at him. "I won't allow them to make you question us."

"I'm not. I don't."

"Liar," he said, leaving no room for argument. "You drank an entire bottle of Merlot all by yourself before we finished the main course."

Irritated and a little embarrassed that he'd called her out, she narrowed her eyes. "Shut up."

His lips curved upward in a devilish grin. "You really shouldn't have said that."

In a move practiced many times before, Edward unfastened his belt and lowered his zipper before Bella could draw another breath. And before she knew what was happening, he pushed aside the scrap of silk between her legs and thrust into her.

Bella gasped. Whether she was in their bed, spread out on his studio floor, or bound in the knots he loved to tie, sex with Edward never failed to take her breath away. And this—a fast fuck against the wall of her parents' bathroom—was no different. Sparks lit inside her and her entire body trembled as he moved. Sucking in a breath and biting her lip, she closed her eyes and let the feel of his body claiming hers wash over her.

Over and over, he pushed and pulled, lifting and lowering her as he moved. "I told you," he said, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips, "I don't give a fuck what they think. It's you and me, baby. Nobody else matters."

Bella tried to stay quiet, she really did, but she couldn't stop the soft whines that escaped each time he pounded against her, especially when he yanked down the neckline of her dress and cup of her bra, baring her breast. His tongue danced along her exposed nipple, sending fresh waves of desire through her body.

"You like that?" he murmured against her skin as he moved, every muscle in his body coiling as he chased his own orgasm. "Are you gonna walk out there with my come dripping down your leg? To let that dog know you're mine?"

"Oh!"

"You are mine, Bella. Mine!"

Feeling the sharp pinch of his teeth on her nipple sent Bella flying over the edge. Her pulsating walls and cry of pleasure were enough to make Edward follow right behind her.

The thudding of their racing hearts nearly drowned out their panted breaths.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he brushed a damp tendril of hair from her forehead.

She nodded as a small smile graced her lips. "I am now."

"No more doubts, okay? I meant what I said. Their opinions don't matter to me, and they shouldn't to you."

"I know."

"I might sound like a broken record, but I won't allow them to make you question yourself … or us." He cupped her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you, Bella. More than you can imagine."

It had taken her a long time to accept that such an enigmatic man could feel for her a fraction of what she felt for him, but seeing the love in his eyes as he said the words, she couldn't deny it. "I love you, too."

Carefully, he slipped out of her and lowered her feet to the floor. She was a little unsteady, but there wasn't an ounce of tension left in her body. As far as Edward was concerned, he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do when he followed her into the bathroom.

"We should probably get back out there," he said, tucking his cock back into his pants. "They've probably moved on to dessert by now. And you know how much I love those pies you get."

She playfully shoved him away. "Go. I need to clean myself up."

With a smirk, he tugged her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. "I said I wanted my come dripping down your legs when we went back out there. Did you think I was kidding?"

"Edward!" She might have been appalled, but she couldn't deny the fresh rush of desire flowing through her veins at his suggestion. The feeling made her giggle.

"I'm serious." He gripped her hips and met her soft gaze. "I want that little grease monkey shit to know you're mine."

She draped her arms over his shoulders and smiled against his mouth. "Everyone knows I'm yours."

Once again, their lips met and their tongues tangled. The overwhelming urge to go another round swelled inside both of them. But they knew they couldn't hide out in the bathroom all night.

Bella sighed as Edward stepped away.

"I know," he said. "But we really need to get back out there."

"Yeah, yeah." She pulled away and looked in the mirror to make sure her clothes were straight and she wouldn't flash anyone when they got back to the table. Her reflection showed her dress was only mildly rumpled, but her hair and makeup were another story altogether.

"You look beautiful."

A sound akin to a snort escaped her. "And you're biased."

"Maybe. But you're still beautiful."

Again, she giggled, nudging him toward the door. "Go and tell them I'll be out in a minute."

With a smirk on his face and a pep in his step, Edward returned to the dining room. What he saw when he walked in made him stifle a laugh.

One of the bottles of wine Renée had placed on the table was completely empty, and the second was hovering over the older woman's glass. Charlie was red-faced and incredibly interested in the cherry pie on his plate. Jacob—the poor soul who actually thought he had a chance of garnering Bella's attention—wore a scowl so deep it would take an act of God to remove it.

Edward, though, sat in his seat with a broad smile on his face. "Looks like I'm back just in time for dessert."

Charlie harrumphed while Renée busied herself with cutting a slice of cherry pie for Edward. "Is Bella okay?" she asked.

"She's fine, Mrs. Swan." He spared a glance at Charlie. "She drank a little too much wine a little too quickly, that's all."

"That's all, huh?" Charlie grumbled.

"She just needed a few minutes to collect herself. I'm sure she'll be out shortly." Edward accepted the dessert plate Renée passed him. "Thank you. This looks delicious."

Renée smiled at her husband before looking Edward's way. "It's Charlie's favorite. We just don't make it out to Demetri's often enough. I think he has the best pastries in the city. It was so sweet of Bella to stop and pick up dessert for us."

"What did I miss?" Bella asked as she walked back into the room. "Oh, dessert!" She took her seat beside Edward and accepted the plate her mother handed over. "Did you get the amaretto cream out of the cooler? That's the best part."

"Oh, I forgot!" Renée jumped from her seat and scurried into the kitchen.

Charlie, meanwhile, had finally gathered the nerve to look up from his plate and directly at the man he'd heard only minutes ago defiling his daughter in his bathroom. If Charlie's expression was anything to go by, Edward was sure the older man would rather dump the bowl of cream over his head than allow it to be served it to him.

"Here we are," Renée said as she returned to the room, placing the bowl of whipped cream on the table. She scooped out a portion for herself and her husband before handing it to Edward.

He accepted the bowl with a smile, not missing the fact that it had been handed to him and not Jacob. It hadn't escaped Jacob's notice, either.

Edward, not missing a chance to antagonize the younger man, dipped his finger into the cream and brought it to his lips. "Mmm, delicious." He turned to Bella with a twinkle in his jade green eyes. "You've got to taste this."

Bella opened her mouth to tell him she'd had the amaretto cream more times than she could count, but before she could speak, Edward scooped up another dollop with his finger and swiped it across her tongue.

Caught in Edward's stare, it took a moment for what Bella was tasting to register.

It was more than just the decadent sweet of the cream … it was her on his finger.

The thought made Bella's skin heat and her heart race.

Slowly, Edward withdrew his finger, enjoying the way Bella's lips and tongue curled around it as he pulled his digit from her mouth.

"Good, right?" he asked, his voice husky.

"So good."

Jacob chose that moment to clear his throat. "You could pass the stuff this way, you know. You're not the only ones who want dessert."

Edward licked his lips and smirked. "My apologies." He picked up the bowl and handed it over. "You definitely want to taste that."

By the time dessert was done, Charlie was speaking once again—even if only in monosyllabic words—Renée had finished off the second bottle of wine, and Jacob finally decided to keep his eyes to himself.

"Thank you for having us," Edward said, kissing Renée's cheek.

"Oh, of course," she replied. Her cheeks were rosy red and her eyes were glassy. It was easy to see where Bella inherited her tolerance for wine. Renée hugged her daughter. "And you call me and we can talk wedding plans."

Another grunt escaped Charlie at the mention of the impending nuptials, but he stayed quiet.

"I will," Bella promised.

They all said their goodbyes, and Edward and Bella made their escape.

"That went better than I thought it would," she said as she buckled her seatbelt.

Edward chuckled, amused by her sudden optimism. "I'm sure that's the wine talking."

"Or the orgasm you gave me," she said with a cheeky grin.

He raised a brow as he started the engine. "Oh?"

She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over the console, running her hand across his chest and into the hair at his nape. "Oh yeah. You worked your magic on me, and I couldn't remember why I was so anxious."

Unable to resist her being so close, he covered her mouth with his and placed his palm on her thigh, his fingers inching their way under her hem. The heat built, along with the condensation on the glass, but before they could get carried away in the Swans' driveway, Edward eased his grip on her ass and backed away.

"Damn," he muttered, adjusting himself.

Bella buckled herself back in and flipped down the visor to check herself in the mirror. "Do you think we could stop at Demetri's again on the way home?"

Edward glanced her way before shifting into reverse. "Did you not get enough dessert?"

"Oh, I did." Mischief lit her brown eyes as she turned toward him. "I thought we could pick up some more of that whipped cream."

A dozen images of what he could do with the confection in the privacy of their home flitted through his mind. He grew hard at the picture his imagination painted.

He cleared his throat and shifted into drive, a sly smile creeping over his lips. "That's my girl."


I can see the beginning and the rest of their story in my mind's eye, so who knows, maybe this tale has more to it. But words have been stubborn lately. Thanks for reading, and I hope to "see" you soon!

~Sunshine