"Hi Love"
Edward barely had a chance to register the curious greeting, before there was a set of wonderfully soft lips being pressed against his own, and the soft, slender body of a woman was wrapping around him in an entirely too familiar manner.
"Please pretend to know me, I am being followed and I am really scared right now." She whispered low, close to his ear as she hugged him.
His arms moved of their own accord, wrapping tightly around the complete stranger who was clinging to him. His hands finding purchase on her back and hip in a way that he hoped sold the image she wanted, without coming across too much like he was attempting to cop a feel.
He could see the three men over her shoulder, who had to be the ones responsible for his apparent new role as fake boyfriend. And he could find no fault in her action of approaching him, of that was what she had been facing.
They did not look friendly at all.
The way they were glaring at her and slinking back into the shadows to continue to watch them, made his blood run cold.
"Hey there Beautiful." He pulled back and grinned at her. "What took you so long?"
He stroked her back slowly, in a half assed attempt to appear somewhat affectionate, while also soothing her frayed nerves as best he could.
She was a pretty little thing.
She was also terrified.
Fear and indignation and shame at the situation that led her into his arms, warred for dominance in her eyes, but the way she shook told him which of the three was winning out.
"I've had the worst afternoon! I was distracted at the bus station, and somehow ended up on the wrong route entirely and I had to walk for blocks to make my way here. So now my feet hurt. Please tell me we haven't missed our reservation?" She delivered with just enough self deprecation and irritation coating her words to give off an uncanny amount of realism.
Edward smiled, feeling his face heat he hoped to God his cheeks didn't give them away, because he was not in the mood to fight off three thugs who were very likely armed with knives.
"We did, I'm afraid. But that's alright, I'll call and see if we can get our regular table at The Ivy, and we can try this place another night, hows that?" He offered.
"That sounds great." The young woman smiled and leaned into him a little. "I am sorry though baby, I know you looked forward to trying this place."
He couldn't have stopped the snort of laughter he let out if he tried, so he didn't bother. For some reason the idea of this very beautiful woman calling him 'Baby', when he was at least a good and likely more, older than her, was just that final step too far.
"And we will, just not tonight. Come on let's get out of here." He chuckled.
He pushed in and kissed her forehead, and shuffled her around to start walking with him, taking quick stock to notice that though the men who had followed her were not gone completely, they weren't watching them quite so directly anymore either.
"Thank you." She whispered the moment they reached his car, only a handful of steps down the street.
"You're welcome. Jump in." He waved to indicate the door he had just opened. "I promise I'm not some creep looking to take advantage of a young woman when she's vulnerable." He smiled slightly at her suspicious look. "But I feel honour bound to at least follow through on our charade for one thing, and for another, dinner is the least I can do to help settle the last of your fears. And lastly, I don't imagine walking further is appealing to you right now."
He smiled at her genuinely, and tipped his head to fully meet her eyes. "I'm just offering to feed you, then I'm happy to see you home safely. I promise."
Edward watched the woman across from him as she daintily ate her fill.
He genuinely had been hungry, and he genuinely did have a regular table at The Ivy that he knew he could call in and have reserved at a moments notice.
So he had taken advantage of that single part of the opportunity presented by a beautiful girl needing his help, and his friend having been running so late to meet him, to allow for his still being in the street when she walked up.
She was truly lovely. With her brown long curly hair, and her stylish pencil skirt and silk blouse combo. And much as he shouldn't be, he really was enjoying being in her company, however it had come about that he was.
He had taken a moment to text Emmett and advise him that he was ditching him for better company, and to ask him to enquire about getting copies of the footage from both the CCTV network and any external security cameras in the area, so that reports could be filed against the men who had chased her.
But he wasn't at all regretting insisting that she let him feed her at least.
"My name is Isabella Swan, Bella for short."
They had been driving for a good ten minutes when she had finally deigned him worthy of an actual introduction.
But he could forgive her her tardiness in doing so rather easily. She had been through quite a bit, and she had not been completely comfortable with trusting him, even after what he thought was quite the performance on his part.
He hadn't bothered to introduce himself yet either, because he had been waiting for her to calm down enough to take the lead.
Edward reached over the centre console with his right hand. "A handshake seems like an unnecessary formality at this point, being that I know the flavour of your chapstick, but please indulge my proper upbringing a moment. - It's nice to meet you Bella, I'm Edward Cullen."
She laughed softly and took his hand, relaxing visibly in the seat beside him.
"Swan huh? Your accent, where are you from?" He smiled widely in question, hoping to relax her further.
"I am from America obviously, yes... I'm from Forks." She stated with a soft voice and turned to look at him more fully. "What about you? I mean yeah... You're Edward Cullen uhmm I'm sorry i didn't recognize you at first sight"
Edward laughed heartily at her sass as he manoeuvred his car into a spot along the block just past the entrance to the walking mall where they would find his favourite restaurant.
"As you can see I'm from here, thank you very much! The thing is, I was about to push you earlier. Good thing is you spoke and I think you're aware that many people would do what you did at the sight of me." He stated with no small amount of smug arrogance. He leaned in close with a conspiratorial grin. "If you've heard bad things, don't hold it against me!"
His companion laughed sweetly and rolled her eyes, a lovely pink tinge sneaking its way across her porcelain cheeks.
"I don't read much about you , to justifying holding something against you." She teased. "Plus you are my hero, so it would be poor form to find fault with you after you saved me."
"Hero huh? I like that! - Just don't say that too loudly others might hear ya, alright? My fans have got enough reasons to fall inlove with me, they shouldn't know how I'm trying my hand at playing Prince Charming, for distressed damsels in the streets."
Bella let out a startled laugh and slammed her hand over her mouth quickly in a failed attempt to rein it in, and Edward couldn't help but smile at her for it.
He was utterly charmed by her.
"Oh laugh it up!" He feigned affront and narrowed his eyes playfully. "I can't help it if I am the very image of animated handsomeness. And you can't tease me for that! Not when you-" he pointed at her nose with a taunting grin. "Could be any disney princess with brown hair, Oh!" He clicked his fingers. "The one with the seven dwarfs and the apple, what's her name?"
"You're talking about Snow white, right? not the dwarves! That could have been really insulting otherwise!" She laughed right back at him.
"But I… I guess my hair might make me look like one of those storybook heroines," Bella murmured, running a hand through her long brown hair. "But they're always so brave, so strong, even when everything around them is falling apart. They'd stand their ground, fight back. That's not really me." She paused, her gaze drifting down to her hands as she thought. "I'm more like the one who seeks shelter, who tries to find safety in the middle of the storm. Maybe that's not such a terrible thing, though."
She had deflated before his very eyes, and it actually hurt to see it happen. He had been thoroughly enjoying their little moment, and he hated that it was just... gone. Especially over something so silly.
"I don't think you can compare the bravery of taking on three men who were potentially armed, to the bravery of waltzing up and kissing a random stranger in a bid to find safety." He smiled as her eyes peaked up at him curiously. "But you can compare the intelligence of seeking safety and protection, over knowingly putting yourself in further dangers. Plus you somehow knew that I was trustworthy, so you shouldn't sell yourself so short Bella."
Bella shrugged and prepared to disembark his car, giving her a moment to process his praise. "Now come on, I'm hungry!"
Her laughter followed him out of the car and all the around it, as he moved to help her out also.
Bella actually couldn't believe her luck.
It had been completely insane to accost Edward freaking Cullen on the street as she had, she couldn't even fully comprehend what had come over her in that moment. Only that she had been so, so scared, and he had been there before that restaurant, looking like a safe haven.
He had smiled at a couple in greeting as they exited the restaurant, but he hadn't leered at the beautiful woman at all. He had simply turned back to his phone and gone back to his own business. And it spoke volumes to her in that moment.
After walking all those blocks with those men getting closer only to pull back again when she also sped up, and the way they laughed and yet still somehow appeared unthreatening whenever there was anyone in the street who might notice? Coming across someone on their own, who obviously had no interest in looking at women like they were a juicy steak, who also looked capable of scaring other men off, had been like a Godsend.
She just couldn't quite understand where the desire to kiss him first had come from.
She had noticed the lack of wedding ring in the last split second before nearing him, and had followed her instincts.
Which was ridiculous! No ring didn't mean no significant other who could have been inadvertently hurt by her behaviour! She could have just as easily pretended he was a friend, or an older brother or uncle or any number of other things. But she hadn't. For some unknown reason, she had gone for the 'fake boyfriend' routine, and she was very bloody lucky that it hadn't back fired.
And now somehow she was seated across from the almost insulting famous handsome man, on what felt very much, like a real date.
"So, tell me about you Bella. What happened tonight, and how did you come to be in Ithaca with no one to call under such circumstances?" He asked.
Bella sipped at her wine and thought over his words slowly and admiring the way her name sounds on his lips as he lazed back into his seat, looking entirely at ease and even at home in the tiny intimate restaurant he had brought her to.
She supposed he likely was, being that the staff all seemed to know him by name, and so well in fact that they hadn't even bothered to ask what he wanted to drink, they had just served him some Sour wine, and smiled at her curiously.
She shrugged, a little embarrassed by the entire situation, and fingered at her napkin nervously as she met his eye.
"I really did get on the wrong bus." She shrugged again. "I've only been here for a month, and I was distracted at the bus stop. But the time I realised I wasn't on the right one, I was already at least a half dozen stops into the route, and utterly lost. One of those men was on the bus with me, and I guess he noticed I was not where I was supposed to be? I don't know. When I got off he did too, and I didn't think anything of it, until I realised that he had friends who had caught him up somewhere along the way, and they were following me. I even turned down a couple of well lit streets thinking that I was just being paranoid and they'd go away."
Bella paused and took a sip of her wine, trying to steady her racing heart, and calm the prickling sensation crawling all over her skin.
She could swear that she could still feel there eyes like a filthy, unwanted touch.
Edward sat forward and reach for her hand, interlocking her fingers with his and squeezing gently. And it anchored her almost immediately.
"When I saw you, I had just... Reached my limit I think. And I didn't think about how I was approaching you, you just seemed safer than taking another single step with them behind me could have possibly been." She finished lamely. Feeling entirely too exposed by admitting it all.
Edward hummed softly in understanding and even stroked his thumb over her own as if he was trying to soothe her again, as he had when she had cuddled into him earlier.
And she was struck again by the overwhelming feeling of luck at finding someone who appeared so genuine and kind, to help her.
"You didn't have anyone here you could call did you?" It was more a sad statement than a question, and it was obvious that he knew the answer already.
Edward smiled sheepishly and shook her head.
"I realise that it puts me in an even more vulnerable position to speak to it, but I've only made friends with a few women I work with, and we aren't necessarily close enough yet for such things. And if I had tried to call, and told claim I was in danger, it may have tipped those men into acting sooner too... If they were going to that is... Plus I wouldn't have even known where to tell them I was or known if they would have been able to come and get me, so it didn't seem worth the risk." She explained quietly.
Edward smiled tightly and squeezed her hand again. "Well, now you have a friend you can be sure will come when you call Hmm? You'll have my number before we part ways and I will have your word that you'll call me if you ever get turned around again, or find yourself in a precarious position again. Deal?"
She blinked at him in surprise, and he shot her that thousand watt smile of his again. The one that sent buzzards flapping around like mad in her belly, and reminded her a little of how it felt to press her lips against his.
"Don't look so surprised Honey!" He snarked. "I'd prefer you not take the risk on kissing strange men every time you find yourself in a spot of bother. I pride myself on being different to all other men in the world, so I can't promise that such tactics would work on another without dire consequences."
Bella squeaked an embarrassed and an embarrassing noise in her throat and closed her eyes tight in utter humiliation at her own behaviour.
The worst part was that she had actually quite enjoyed kissing him. And that was completely unacceptable because when she had done so, she hadn't even asked him if she could, nor had she been in a frame of mind to really focus on the kiss itself, yet she had.
"I still can't believe I did that, I'm so sorry." She bit her lip and blinked at him apologetically. "I'm so very lucky that you didn't react poorly and I can't thank you enough for helping me anyway."
Edward huffed a breathy laugh and waved the waiter forward with his free hand, nodding to both of their glasses to have them refilled.
Bella took a moment to calm herself again, and take in the comfortable ambiance of the small dining room. And the curious comfort of Edward still having hold of her hand also.
"Don't be sorry for kissing me." He exhaled quietly as the waiter stepped off and he sipped at his wine once more. "You are well aware that I am familiar with Fairytales, per our chat in my car. - My niece Lily has an unhealthy obsession with Disney movies and as her best friend, I am regularly exposed to them." She smiled in confusion at his nonchalant tale. "I know it all starts with a magical kiss!" He waggled his brows stupidly, making her laugh.
"Of course in the tales it is always the much older prince inappropriately kissing the often unaware younger princess without permission." He smirked at her pointedly, making her blush. "In most of them the princess isn't even of legal age to give consent, even if she has advanced warning - and I can complain about that to you, because you aren't a seven year old, who's childhood is going to be ruined by my doing so. But that's not the point-"
"Oh God! I kissed you without your consent! I am the offender - the sexual predator here aren't I?" She asked, her horror growing by the second, over the parallel he was drawing.
Edward snorted a startled laugh and shook his head. - But it did not help the sick feeling building in her stomach at what she had actually done.
"Yes, because you are terrifying, and I absolutely couldn't have gotten away from you if I had wanted to." His voice dripped with amused sarcasm. "Bella, I kissed you back, which is consent enough." He looked at her pointedly, making her flush by reminding her of the return pressure she had felt from him. "I was just taking advantage of being able to complain about a dark little thing in fairytales that's too often overlooked. - What I meant by bringing it up in context to you and I, is that I kind of like the idea us meeting like that." He shrugged and looked at her with a curious almost shy look. "It makes for an interesting story. When people ask how we came to be friends, I can tell them that it all started with a magic kiss - and I won't be bullshitting them!"
Bella laughed heartily at how pleased he was at the prospect of telling people they were friends because she had kissed him and it was magical.
She didn't want to draw attention to the things he was implying. But the more he spoke and the more they shared, the more it felt like a real date, rather than him just inviting her to dinner to help her calm down after a fright.
It wasn't exactly normal or conventional, and she really wasn't in the right frame of mind to be on a date, if that was how he was looking at it. But it was nice to talk to him, and even think that they maybe could become friends too.
He was nice, and funny, and extremely handsome. He's really famous and girls would probably throw themselves at him, and he likely wasn't actually interested in her in that regard. And that was alright too. She was actually enjoying herself in his company and it had worked to calm her down too.
The least she could do after assaulting him and forcing him to come to her rescue, was honestly consider his offer of friendship.
He was kissing her again.
And it was intoxicating.
It had been awhile since he had been on a date, and even longer since he kissed someone, besides kissing her earlier in the night.
And much as he knew he shouldn't and couldn't justifiably consider sharing dinner with Bella as a date, he kind of wanted to, and it kind of was. He just had to remain vigilant about not taking too much advantage.
He pulled away slightly and rested his forehead against hers, but kept her in his arms and close all the same, as their eyes met silently.
"I need to know.-" He paused and cleared his throat of its huskiness. "That you aren't kissing me right now, because of some skewed notion of repayment."
She blinked at him a few times in obvious confusion and licked her pretty, kiss swollen lips.
"I do owe you quite a debt." She nodded against him. "But I wouldn't give myself in such a manner... As repayment for anything."
Bella sighed in relief and nodded gratefully before plucking another sucking kiss from her sweet mouth. "So you are kissing me because you want to, that's far more agreeable. Where were we?" He joked and nipped at her playfully, earning himself a husky chuckle.
"You were asking for my number, so you can ask me out again, I believe?" She sassed him coyly.
"Silly! We already exchanged numbers, and we already agreed to go back to that restaurant another time because we missed our reservation, remember?" He parried back.
Of course, they had been play acting when they had agreed to go back to that restaurant, and he suspected that she assumed their number exchange before they left the restaurant, was purely a friendly gesture also. But in his mind that was just semantics too.
He hoped that she was actually as interested as he was.
Given that she had allowed him to kiss her again when he had to walk her to the door of her building after driving her home safely, he had reason to believe his hopes weren't fruitless.
"Well then maybe we were in the middle of you actually asking me out on a date, Prince Charming?"
He laughed quietly and leaned in to steal another press of her lips, groaning softly at how readily she yielded to him, and even lightly licked back at his impudent tongue slipping into her mouth without his conscious permission.
"I will, when I call to check on you tomorrow." His hands stroked up and down her back gently, warming her against the chilled breeze that he had only now noticed picking up as they stood in the street before her building. "But I should go. If I want you to actually agree to see me again, and I do want you to Bella." He smiled at her shy look. "I can't be that guy who takes advantage of you when you are vulnerable."
He pulled back on a sigh and let his hands slip from her body, to gently take her hands at her sides instead.
"I like you, strange and even fast as that may seem, given the nature of our very recent meeting. - I do." He laughed softly, embarrassed by just how vulnerable he was feeling at admitting such a thing, with her pretty blue eyes blinking at him in astonishment and bashful confusion. "Blame it on that magic kiss if you want, but I'm serious. I need to go, so that hopefully when I call tomorrow and ask you to really come to that restaurant with me next week, you'll think kindly on me for not taking advantage of you in any way, and will want to see me again too."
He wasn't kidding. He really had enjoyed her company, he really did find her to be both beautiful and engaging, and he really did want to see if there was something between them that could be special.
And he really did need to go, before he give in to both of their obvious desires, and followed her up to her apartment.
He had walked her only as far as the entry to the building, rather than up to her door, so that he wasn't tempted to lift her against it and wrap her legs around his hips while his mouth found her perky little tits.
He honestly didn't believe she would stop him at this point, so he had to stop himself.
He didn't want a one nightstand with the girl who had sought refuge from her stalkers and potential attackers, in his kiss.
He wanted to see if said kiss was as magical as it felt.
"You're really going to call? You actually want to see me again?" she asked timidly, her cheeks flushing pink as she nervously tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear.
"Absolutely." He lifted both of her hands and pressed kisses to her knuckles making her squeak adorably. "You've quite bewitched me with your magical kisses, you sneaky little witch."
"I'm the Princess, not the Witch!" She scoffed indignantly.
They laughed together at their own ridiculousness and Edward bent low to bow for her, carrying it just a bit further.
"Answer my call tomorrow My Princess, and we shall see where this goes hmm?"
"Very well My Prince Charming, I shall await your call."
He laughed heartily at her equally dramatic delivery and oddly perfect curtsy, and pushed his hands into his pockets as she twirled away from him with a laugh and a cute little wave.
He was ridiculous and he knew it. He just didn't care.
He waited until she disappeared inside and turned on his heel to return to his car, with just a bit of pep in his step. Not at all sorry that he had ditched his brother for being late, and taken up with prettier company for the night.
Bella Swan was adorable and he really did want to know where it might go.
I was inspired again watching Kristen Stewart play Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman—she was so beautiful. I bet the producers saw the last scene in *Breaking Dawn: Part I* and knew right then and there that she would be perfect for the role.
This will probably have weekly updates, but it will be a short story.
Thank you for reading. Please leave a review.