A/N: I have been waiting to post this one for soooo long

Chapter 19

The charity event Bella was playing at was in a large banquet hall on the North Side that overlooked the water.

Despite the pack of South Side Hoodlums that we were, we made it inside without a hitch.

Bella had gotten there a few hours earlier than the rest of us, but all we had to do was tell the bouncer at the door that we were on her guest list, and we were escorted in. I was still flustered at the thought of my Bella, who used to be too shy to play for anyone aside from me, had a fucking guest list at a fancy establishment like this.

Maybe Uncle Carlisle was right about the way life could be, but if this was it, I didn't really fucking like it at all. We were surrounded by stuck-up pricks and their trophy wives, and even though the night had just begun, many of them already seemed fucked up from booze and whatever designer drugs they had up their sleeves.

The rich weren't really too different from us poor folks, after all.

I had to admit, though, we looked the part. I was wearing the plain black dress shirt Alice picked out for me with its matching pants and a pair of dress shoes Carlisle lent to me the night before. It was early August and hot as fuck outside, so I had the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. The other boys followed suit in their more colorful attire. My sister wore a bright blue dress that left very little to the imagination, which pissed me off, and Rosalie had on some golden one-piece that reminded me of the romper Bella wore at her last show.

We walked in to a cocktail hour on the patio where the staff came around with hors d'oeuvres and little drinks in martini glasses. I felt really fucking out of place, looking around at the rich pricks near me, but it was obvious the rest of our crew were in awe. Emmett ate everything presented to him while Alice snapped pictures of everything she saw.

I played along, taking drinks from waiters off of serving trays and tossing them down my throat with everyone else. Eventually, we were escorted back inside where we were given our table number. The six of us sat around the round table, Alice next to Jazz and Emmett next to Rose, leaving me sitting next to my apparent new best friend Jacob.

"How's the tat healing up, dude?!" He asked way too fucking loudly, slurring his words as he was clearly already drunk.

"Excuse me?" My sister's high-pitched voice squeaked out. "What tat?"

Jake laughed, loud and obnoxious, and Emmett laughed along, though I could see some of the tension in his eyes. Fuck, this was going to be awkward if I didn't shut it down right away.

"Don't worry about it, Alice. Did you see Emmett's tattoo?" I grumbled, hoping to distract her.

"Of course I did, he's my best friend's boyfriend." She snarked. "And you're my brother, so why is this the first I'm hearing about it?"

"Yeah, dude, what is it, a secret or something? Only you, Em and Jake can know?" Jasper chimed in. I glared at him, but I don't think he noticed, his attention instead fixed on my sister.

Fucker.

Jake was still laughing as the rest of us spoke. "Oh, man. It was so funny, y'all." He finally spoke through his laughter. "Crazy Bella dared him to get the letter 'B' tatted, and this mother fucker really agreed to it."

Jacob Black is an idiot. I know this with absolute certainty. Still, I am forced to believe that if he wasn't already so fucked up from the excessive amount of booze he was still drinking, he would have noticed the immediate tension that rolled across the table from my friends.

"Are you serious?" Rosalie spat, glancing between her boyfriend and myself. "That's kind of fucked up, isn't it?"

I shrugged, not making eye contact with anyone, instead staring into the glass of whiskey beside my plate, courtesy of the nice waitress who just dropped it off.

"It's kind of sweet," Alice whispered as she reached her hand across the table towards me. I pulled back, not wanting to be fucking touched by anyone right then.

Thank god that our conversation was quickly interrupted by a tall man in an expensive looking suit walking out into the middle of the floor where a grand piano and microphone sat. He took the mic off the receiver and tapped on it a few times before introducing himself as Mr. Jay Jenks, cofounder of the charity that was hosting this Gala event.

I obviously knew that charities were supposed to be a good thing, but the way this clearly extraordinarily wealthy man spoke of the Poor and the Hungry Children of America set my teeth on edge.

As if he had any fucking idea.

Finally, his speech was finished, and right after he let us know the servers were coming around to take our dinner orders, he announced the evening's performer.

"So, without further ado, I introduce to you the aptly named beauty, Bella Swan."

I heard our friends hooting and hollering around me. I sensed the dainty little claps coming from the remainder of the night's attendees, but it was as if there was no one else in that room, or the planet Earth for that matter, when Bella walked out to her piano.

Her shoulder length hair was wavy and pinned back at the sides, leaving only little strands touching her face. She was wearing more makeup than I had ever seen her in, and I know I'm not a fucking expert on the stuff, but it still wasn't too much. Her lipstick only increased the natural pout of her lips, the color on her eyes only enhancing their almond shape.

She wore the dress she had shown to me at the thrift store, and if I thought I had been smitten then, I was sorely mistaken. The lights shining from above hit her skin in such a way that she almost shimmered. The thin straps swept over her shoulders, calling attention to her collarbones, her neck, down to her chest…

None of it mattered, though. Not when she sat down at that big, black piano, so different from the electric keyboard she took with her to play bars. This was just like the one she had at home, and seeing her sitting there, imagining her fingers sweeping across its keys and feeling the vibration of her voice as she sang, leaning against me on the piano bench…

I barely paid any mind to the waitress who took my dinner order. I didn't even know what I picked. I didn't notice when she returned with the food and another glass of whisky. The obnoxious rumble of Jake's laughter as he blatantly ignored his girlfriend on the stag barely phased me. I was stricken; my eyes on Bella and Bella only.

She was so fucking beautiful. The songs she chose to sing were soft and perfectly appropriate for this boring ass event for the wealthy who pretend they care about the poor. My chest ached with longing and desire for her, but for once, it didn't hurt. It simply burned with a fucking intensity I'd never felt before, never been able to fathom, but it was okay, because she was there. She was right up there, singing for me again like she used to in her Dad's living room. Like she did from inside the music classroom, when I would sneak out of class and spy on her as she slaved over her piano, creating these perfect fucking songs for these pieces of shit who didn't deserve to hear them.

By the time the wait staff came around with coffee and desserts, Bella's fingers pressed down softly on the keys, letting a note ring out for a long time before eventually, she spoke.

"Thank you all for letting me play for you this evening. It's really been an honor." Her voice was quiet and raw from singing for hours, and she spoke with manners I wasn't really used to from her, but she was still just my Bella up there. "I have a few more for you, and then it's time for us all to go home."

For the first time all night, and I know this because I hadn't taken my eyes off of her, she looked towards our table. I watched her eyes as she took us in, a look of shy pride gracing her perfect features as she took us all in.

At least until she landed on Jake, who was obliterated. I wasn't paying any attention before, but I noticed it, now; he was nearly falling out of his fucking chair.

I felt my nostrils flare, and Bella's eyes shot to mine. Don't fucking do anything, they warned me, a look I'd become so familiar with in the few weeks since she'd been back.

I rolled my eyes at her, intentionally playfully, and her painted lips turned up into a smirk. Too quickly, the moment was over, but for a brief second her eyes burned into mine and they were telling me something that I couldn't quite understand, but it really felt like it was something I really wanted to know.

-.-.-.-

A few minutes after finishing up her last song of the night, Bella appeared at our table, clearly disgruntled.

"Jesus Christ, Jacob. You really look like an asshole right now, you know that?" She spat at him through clenched teeth.

Jake stood up and clung to her in what was supposed to be a hug, but it looked more like he was just grabbing at her so he wouldn't fall down.

Dude was fucking hammered.

"Good job, baby!" He shouted, and I watched as the spit flew from his lips and into Bella's face.

She made a disgusted sound before pushing her boyfriend off of her. He stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, but he was still laughing.

"Can you guys take this fucker home before I strangle him?" Bella asked with thickness in her voice, obviously holding back some type of emotion. "I have shit I have to do before I can leave here, and-"

"Yeah, Bells, no problem." Emmett interrupted her. She exhaled, relieved. "We got him. You did great tonight, by the way."

Everyone agreed, praising her quietly while gathering their things, preparing to get Jake home. Except for me, because I was sure that if I moved a muscle, it would only be to swing my fist into Jake's fucking face.

"Do you need help with anything, Bella?" Rosalie asked as she leaned in to give Bella a hug.

Bella's eyes flicked to mine, and it was so brief, but it was all I needed.

"I can stay and help."

The group went quiet once again, the silence only broken by the sound of Bella's voice when she said "okay."

-.-.-.-

I helped Bella carry her microphone and shit backstage when I realized I hadn't pissed since we'd arrived hours before. And I'd been drinking all night.

Bella showed me to the bathroom in her dressing room, which was really more of a closet with a table and a mini bar. I splashed my face with cold water when I was done relieving myself, trying to wash away the haze a night of watching my beautiful Bella sing had brought on.

She was sitting on the small wooden table with her legs dangling off of the edge and a glass of red wine in her hand. She'd taken the clips out of her hair, too, so now it fell around her face and brushed against her shoulders and she sipped her drink. She looked like a woman from another time in her satin black dress, intimidating and inviting me in, all at once.

I unconsciously stepped closer to her.

"Jacob is a fucking asshole." She grumbled, tilting her glass of wine back and taking a big swig, much more reminiscent of the Bella I was used to.

I took another step closer.

"I know, right?" I joked, my eyes following the trail of her jaw, down to the hollow of her throat. "Men suck."

Bella snorted, and I watched the muscles in her neck move. "My Dad is alright. The rest of you, though…"

I looked back up into her eyes. They were playful and light, and they sent my stomach into knots.

I took another step towards her.

"How's the tattoo?" She asked. This time, I snorted.

"It's great. I think of you every time I take a piss now."

"And you didn't before?"

"Touché."

Bella smirked, biting her lower lip into her mouth as she gazed into me. Straight through me.

Another step. I could nearly feel her warmth against me, now. One more, and I could reach out and touch her.

"Can I see it?" She asked.

"The tattoo?"

"Not your piss."

I laughed, obediently taking my belt buckle into my hands and unfastening it. My eyes stayed on Bella's. Her eyes followed my hands.

"I won't flash you, I promise."

"You better not." She replied, but it came out in a whisper. I pulled my pants down just enough to expose the tattooed letter 'B.'

"What do you think?" I asked, my voice gravelly.

Bella swallowed before she spoke. "It's hot, Masen. The letter 'B' looks good on you."

I pulled my pants back up, refastening my belt. "I agree."

The soft but sharp intake of breath that came from Bella pulled me to her once more, and now I was standing right in front of her, her knees nearly touching my thighs.

Bella's arm came between us, her hand brushing against my chest as she lifted the glass of wine to her lips. I watched, my eyes transfixed on her lips as the dark red liquid poured down them.

She swallowed, then spoke. "You want a taste?"

As it always was when I was in her presence, my dick was hard all night, but now it fucking throbbed against the zipper of my pants, desperate for her. I lost all control of my words when I replied.

"More than anything."

Another soft gasp came from Bella's lips. "Edward…" Her voice came out in a whimper, pleading. I groaned, the sound a very fucking welcome invitation, and I finally let my hands reach out, landing on her thighs.

"Edward," She choked out again, a new desperation in her voice. "Edward, I can't."

"You don't have to do anything, baby, I can just…" I trailed off, my voice weakening as my face inched closer to her skin. "I just need to fucking taste you, Bella."

Her breathing hitched again, and she turned her head to expose her neck, and it was all the invitation I needed. I leaned in fully, and her legs parted to allow me to get closer, and I finally, finally pressed my lips against her skin.

I felt the rumble in her throat as she moaned, the sound sending wild sparks through my body. The taste of her neck, salty and sweet and just Bella awakened something in me I had not felt since the last time we had been together.

As I worked my lips against her skin, opening them up to let my tongue sweep across the artery in her neck, she so-carefully placed her glass of wine down on the table next to her. Her hands gripped at the edges of it, not touching me at all, but I didn't give a fuck. There was nothing else I needed but this. Nothing in the world.

"Fuck, Bella," I groaned against her flesh, kissing downward and across her collarbones. My hands slid up to her shoulders, carefully sliding the thin pieces of fabric down just enough to expose them fully.

The rest of her I would keep covered. For now.

She arched into me as I made my way across to her left shoulder, kissing her there for a while before trailing my lips back up her neck, behind her ear. She trembled against me when my breath tickled her there, another soft moan escaping her lips.

"Edward, baby…" She muttered, and though I didn't take my face from her neck, I felt her arms tighten as she increased her grip on the table. "Please, baby, I-I…" She sputtered out. I groaned against her.

"Let me make you feel good, Bella. Please." I begged, my hands sliding back down to her thighs and working her dress up. "You don't have to do anything, baby. You don't have to touch me." Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was aware that I was prattling on, but I felt like I was begging for my life. "I need to make you feel good, baby." I grunted, my hands gliding to the inside of her thighs. They parted. "Please," I pleaded into her neck once more, desperate.

She nodded, and I felt her heartbeat race from the pulse point in her neck. It matched the way my heart beat, pounding so hard and quick I wasn't sure I wouldn't drop dead before the end of this ordeal.

It would be the best fucking way to go.

I released my lips from her skin and dropped to my knees in front of her, keeping my eyes on hers, watching for any sign she didn't want this.

It wasn't there.

I groaned again as she stared at me, my cock growing impossibly harder at the look in her eyes. My hands slid under her dress, finding the thin piece of fabric keeping her from me. I kept my eyes on her face- the way she panted through her big open lips, the way her cheeks were flushed- as I slowly slid her panties down her legs.

When they'd reached her feet, Bella took a trembling breath, and I finally tore my eyes away from her face and looked at what I had unclothes.

"You're fucking perfect, Bella," I sputtered out, my hands beginning to shake with desperate need as I ran them back up her thighs. "Jesus, you're perfect."

I felt out of control, but when I glanced back up at Bella's face, I knew her expression mirrored my own. Of all the times, hundreds and hundreds of times, we'd been together, I had never seen this fucking look.

She needed it just as much as I did.

Unable to form any more coherent words, I leaned in, pressing my lips against her inner thigh. The loud whimper she made was the most erotic thing I'd ever heard in my life, and whatever little control I had slipped.

My mouth moved up and down her thighs with aggression, nipping and biting at her, desperate to get every single inch of her flesh against my tongue. She moaned and squirmed above me, grazing my hair with her hand a few times before she'd return it to the edge of the table, gripping on for dear life.

But when I finally, fucking finally, pressed my mouth against her soaking wet pussy, both of her hands shot to my head, her fingers pulling at my hair as her arms pressed my head even further between her legs.

There is nothing more heavenly in this earth.

As I worked my tongue against Bella, I slid my first two fingers inside of her, needing more, needing to be impossibly closer. I was a mad man, driven crazy by her taste and the sounds she made above me, the way she ground herself against my mouth. I was only somewhat aware of the sounds coming from me, the way I grunted and groaned and gasped against her.

"Oh, fuck, Edward, Baby," She whined above me as her thighs started to tremble. My dick throbbed in my pants, but I didn't fucking care, it didn't matter because it wasn't about that. It was about her, it was always all about her, and-

"Baby, I'm gonna fucking come." She gasped, interrupting my train of thought and tightening her grip in my hair.

She did. Bella's back arched up high, her breathing stopped momentarily before she let out the most sensual moan I'd ever heard as her walls clamped around my fingers.

I could swear I died in that moment, feeling her unravel above me, tasting her as she came. Listening to her call out my name. Not his.

Mine.

I slowed myself as she lowered herself down on the table, little trembles racking her body. I begrudgingly took my mouth of of her, but kept my fingers inside for just a few moments more, terrified to leave the comfort that came from within her.

I stared up at her, beautiful and flush with her eyes closed as she caught her breath. Eventually, they parted, and her deep brown gaze bore into mine as I continued to work my fingers inside her.

"Edward…" She panted, soft and still pleading, but it was different this time.

"I should probably go, huh?" I managed, my voice thick and gritty with so many different feelings.

She nodded, though her breathing increased once more as I pushed further into her. Her eyes fluttered closed, and I wasn't fucking done yet, was not reading to let go of this moment, so I kept moving my fingers inside of her until she was coming undone around me all over again.

That time, I didn't even have to ask.

When I stood up, she barely looked at me. I kept my gaze on her face, desperate for at least some kind of sign that she was okay, that what just happened was okay, but she wouldn't give it to me.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I simply walked out of her dressing room, back through the hall where the piano sat and out into the hot, Chicago air.