"Mmm!"
I blushed profusely, embarrassed by the loud moan I'd just let out. Despite my best attempts at protesting my dislike for crème brulée, Edward had coerced me into letting him spoon-feed me some of his, and to say it tasted incredible would be an understatement.
"Oh, my God, that is good," I mumbled as I swallowed the delicious mouthful of dessert before looking up at Edward again. He was gazing at my lips intensely, and I swiped my tongue across my bottom lip self-consciously, wondering if I'd somehow managed to get some of the crème brulée there.
"Bella," Edward groaned softly. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" I wondered, frowning, but before I could ask anything more, Edward was feeding me another spoonful and watching my lips again.
I blushed, even more self-conscious all of a sudden, and swallowed hurriedly before murmuring, "What's…"
Edward leaned forwards suddenly and pressed his lips to mine as he reached for my hand and placed it in his lap. I stifled a moan at the feel of his erection straining against his zipper, but couldn't stop myself from whimpering softly when he pushed his hips towards my hand.
"Jesus, watching you do that's hot," he breathed against my lips, then kissed me chastely once more before straightening up and exhaling harshly. I felt him twitch against my hand as I let my fingers curve around him, then frowned when he swapped our desserts around.
"I thought you liked crème brulée."
"Oh, I do," he replied nonchalantly, then winked before tucking into the chocolate fondant cake that I'd ordered. I stared at him blankly for a moment, then smirked and tightened my fingers around him as I slowly ate another spoonful of the crème brulée.
"So, Edward. Will you and Isabella be joining us down in the den?"
I looked up at Aro in surprise, having been completely wrapped up in mine and Edward's little bubble until that moment, but quickly tried to cover it up, eating more of the crème brulée to distract myself.
Edward glanced at me briefly, and his jaw tensed slightly when he saw me eating, but then he flexed his hips again, silently telling me to continue. "I think we will, actually."
"Oh, good," Aro replied, beaming at us both. I smiled back at him, then reached forwards to grab my third cranberry juice and vodka before taking a sip. "The usuals are on tonight, but since I highly doubt you two will be watching the dancers much, would you like me to arrange a private booth for you both?"
"Dancers?" I asked curiously as I ran my fingers along the length of Edward's erection, barely able to hide my surprise at just how much of it there was.
"Yes, Isabella. We like to make sure our guests here are… entertained at all times. However, you don't have to watch them – our private booths will ensure that," Aro explained, then glanced at Edward, still waiting for him to answer.
"A private booth would be perfect," he managed to get out, and I smiled as he cleared his throat and reached for his glass of water, knowing how much I was affecting him.
"I'll let Jessica know," Aro replied, then nodded once before turning his attention to Afton and asking him the same question he'd asked Edward.
Instead of bothering to listen to Afton's reply, I turned slightly in my seat and leaned closer to Edward, whispering, "Let's see how good an actor you really are, shall we?" before gently squeezing his length.
"Shit, Bella," he breathed, but didn't protest as I slowly slid my hand up to the button of his slacks and undid it. He let out a shuddering breath, and as I undid his zipper, he turned to look at me, his gaze immediately fixing on my lips.
I resisted the urge to smirk at him, simply choosing to bite down on my bottom lip instead, and swallowed hard when I felt him grow even harder against my hand. I had to touch him.
Moving slowly to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from those around us, I carefully slid my hand through the slit in his newly exposed boxers and wrapped my hand around him, feeling him properly for the first time.
"Oh, God," I muttered, and had to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from moaning. He was ridiculously hard, but his skin was incredibly soft at the same time, and as I slowly slid my hand up his length and brushed my fingers across the tip, feeling the wetness that had gathered there, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have him inside me. Would he be a gentle lover? A rough one?
I gripped him a little tighter and began to slide my hand up and down the length of his shaft, awe-struck by how perfect he felt like this. I pressed my thighs together and tugged on my bottom lip with my teeth as I moved my hand a little faster, spurred on by the sound of my name coming from his lips. "Bella…"
My eyes fluttered closed briefly, but I quickly forced them open again and looked down at Edward's lap as I carefully pulled him through the slit in his boxers. Oh, my God.
"Fuck," I mumbled as I moved my hand faster, letting my palm brush against the tip occasionally to collect the wetness that had gathered there before smoothing it back down his shaft again. I felt him harden even more after a moment, and upon hearing his sharp intake of breath, gazed up at his face again.
His expression was one of pure lust, and the mere sight of him watching my hand was enough to make me whimper softly. His breathing had quickened and become almost erratic now, his hands were clenched into fists against his thighs, and as his hips jerked towards my hand, he suddenly looked up at me, his gaze immediately fixing on my lips.
My tongue darted out to dampen my lips of its own accord, and I felt Edward twitch in my hand when he noticed the quick movement. "Bella-"
We both startled suddenly at the sound of a fork being dropped from somewhere too close by for comfort, and before I could fully register the movement, Edward had pulled my hand away from him and was in the process of redoing his slacks up.
"What-" I began, but before I could get anything else out, he pushed his chair back from the table, muttering, "Excuse me."
I watched, dumfounded, as he hurriedly left the table, adjusting himself discretely as he went, and, without glancing back even once, pushed through a set of double doors similar to the ones we'd entered through, disappearing from sight. It only took me a moment to recover from the shock of his sudden departure, and once I had, I turned to Aro and asked, "Where are the restrooms?"
"Through those double doors over there, my dear," he replied, pointing to the same set of doors Edward had just left through and confirming my suspicions. "Why? Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, Aro," I assured him as I pushed my chair back and carefully stood up. "Please excuse me for a moment."
"Certainly," he murmured, and I could tell by the look on his face that he knew exactly where I would be heading. I nodded, too aroused to feel embarrassed, then downed the rest of my drink before walking as fast as I could towards the doors, limping practically the entire time.
As I pushed through the doors, I stumbled slightly, still not used to walking in Edward's shoes, and would have fallen flat on my face if it weren't for Didyme, who caught me before I could hit the ground.
"Bella, are you alright?" she murmured worriedly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I assured her, then hurriedly asked, "Have you seen Edward recently?"
"Yes – I saw him a few seconds ago, why?" Thank fuck.
"Which way did he go? I, um… I need to talk to him about something. It's kinda important," I lied. My heart was pounding in my chest, and the ache between my thighs was beyond uncomfortable now. I needed to find him.
"He went into one of the restrooms I think. He looked kind of tense, though. I'm not sure if-"
"Thanks so much, Di." I kissed her cheek, then smiled briefly before hurrying down the hallway in search of the restrooms, not giving her the chance to say any more.
It took me about a minute or so to finally reach the end of the hallway, and once I had, my heart sunk with the realization that I had no idea which way to turn - left or right? Both had doors along them.
"Fuck it."
I went left.
The first three rooms I tired were empty. They were restrooms, alright – luxurious ones at that - so at least I knew I was on the right track. Feeling more reassured, I continued down to the next door, and grinned when I saw there was light coming out from underneath it. That had to be the one.
"Please be in here," I murmured as I reached out and gripped the handle before gently pushing down on it.
Bingo.
The door creaked open slightly, and as I stepped through the doorway, I couldn't help but gasp at the sight which greeted me. Edward, head bowed, one hand pressed against the wall, the other wrapped around his cock, and a startled expression on his face. I smirked, knowing exactly what he'd been doing just moments ago, then took another step deeper into the room before closing and locking the door behind me, keeping my eyes on his the entire time.
His cheeks were flushed - from arousal or embarrassment, I wasn't quite sure -and the hand which had been resting against the wall curved slightly to press harder against it, almost as though he were bracing himself for something.
I tugged on my bottom lip with my teeth as I slowly began to walk towards him, still gazing into his eyes. He swallowed nervously, looking a bit like a deer caught in the headlights, and I glanced pointedly down at his erection before raising my eyebrow at him.
"Bella, I-" he began, but I cut him off with my lips before he could say any more, kissing him with everything I had.
"Shhh," I whispered, shaking my head. "Don't talk, just…" I pressed my lips hard onto his again and slid my hands up underneath his shirt, feeling his muscles tighten beneath my touch. He coaxed my mouth open with his own, slipping his tongue through the part in my lips as I ran my hands down his stomach to toy with the waistband of his boxers.
He inhaled sharply in surprise, then groaned softly when I palmed his length over his boxers, wrapping his arms around me tightly and deepening our kiss. I smiled against his lips, pressing my chest against his as I finally slid my hand into his boxers and wrapped my fingers around him. His hips jerked towards my hand, and I felt more than heard him groan again as I slowly started building up to the same rhythm I'd used back when we were at the table.
"Bella… Fuck…"
I trailed kisses down to his chest, then lowered myself to my knees as I used both hands to carefully pull his boxers down to the ground before gripping him tightly once again.
"God, you're incredible," I murmured as I leaned forwards slightly, gripping his hip with my free hand before running my nose along the underside of his shaft and placing an open-mouthed kiss on the tip of it. He exhaled a shuddering breath, then groaned, his hands reaching down to hover beside my head.
"Edward," I breathed, gazing up at him through my lashes. "I've wanted to do this since the moment I first saw you."
I swirled my tongue around him, then licked my lips before lowering my mouth over him and sucking gently. He groaned loudly, tipping his head back as his hips shifted beneath my hand, and I hummed happily before pulling back and licking the underside again.
"B-Bella…"
I giggled, then blew across his tip, and smiled when he twitched slightly in my hand.
"So hot," I muttered, swirling my tongue around the head again before taking him back in my mouth. I tried to relax as much as I could, then splayed both hands against his hips as I lowered myself as far down as I could go, but it still wasn't enough. I brought my hand back down to grip his base, moving it in tandem with my mouth, then groaned in disapproval when I saw his hands flexing and tensing beside my head.
He let out a soft moan as I pulled back again, then gazed down at me through lust-filled eyes as I gently squeezed his hip.
"Touch me, Edward," I pleaded, and couldn't stop myself from sighing as he tentatively pushed my hair back from my face, his expression softening slightly, then slid his fingers into my hair – something he appeared to have wanted to do all along.
"Better," I told him, then lowered my mouth over him again, happier now that he was actually engaging with me again. Instead of pulling on my hair and using it to set the rhythm he wanted like I expected him to though, he simply let his fingers stay where they were, seemingly content with that simple contact. And fuck, if that didn't make me want him even more.
As I continued to work him over with my mouth and hand, his hips began moving too and his hands started to tighten their hold on my hair. His head was still tipped back and his eyes were tightly shut, but I could tell by the sounds he was making that that wasn't a bad thing. Maybe he was trying to hold back or something.
The thought of that made me all the more determined to tip him over the edge, so I gently grazed him with my teeth, and moaned when I got the reaction I wanted. His hands pulled at my hair, and his hips jerked forwards, almost causing me to gag as he groaned loudly.
"Fuck, Bella." He opened his eyes and I gazed up at him happily, only to have him pull me to my feet with a horrified expression on his face. "Oh, God."
"What?" I asked breathlessly, frowning. He shook his head, then held me tightly as he began placing hard, desperate kisses on my lips.
"Not on your knees, baby," he breathed. "Never on your knees." He pulled back and cupped my cheeks with his hands. "I want you up here, with me."
I nodded in understanding, still not sure exactly what was so horrifyingly bad about me being on my knees for him, but didn't protest; I simply kissed him and reached down to continue pleasuring him with my hand instead.
"That feels so fucking good," he murmured, sliding one of his hands up my side to cup my breast. "You feel so fucking good."
"Edward," I moaned as he began kissing my neck. "This is about you."
"No," he breathed, shaking his head.
"Yes," I countered, then nodded as our lips found the other's again. I sped up my hand's movements, sliding my free one up into his hair and tugging gently, the way he seemed to like it. Sure enough, he moaned at my touch, his kisses becoming more urgent as his breathing turned almost erratic again.
"Shit, I can't…" he panted, then groaned before pushing my dress up to my thigh and sliding his hand underneath it. I shook my head, gripping his wrist tightly, then pulled his hand away and held it still with my own. I didn't want the distraction right now.
"Bella, I'm…" He pressed his forehead against mine, entwining our fingers, and just seconds later, his eyes rolled upwards and he released a guttural groan as he spilled all over my hand, his hips jerking forwards erratically.
"God, Edward," I murmured, then kissed him softly and slowed my hand's movements, knowing he'd be sensitive now.
At the sound of his name, Edward groaned again, and before I had the chance to protest, he pushed me back onto the counter and stepped between my legs, forcing me to keep them open.
"What are you- Fuuuck…" He pushed my dress up my thighs, then slowly pulled my panties down my legs, dragging his fingers across my skin as he did so. He smiled as he guided my panties over the shoes I was wearing, but then his eyes were back on mine and he was stepping between my legs again, slipping his hands up to the insides of my thighs before moving even higher.
"E-E-Ed-" I began, but then it was his turn to cut me off with his lips, and I couldn't hold back the groan that escaped me as he slipped his fingers through my embarrassingly wet folds. He exhaled a shaky breath, then kissed me harder, teasing my entrance with the tip of his finger before bringing it back up to circle my clit.
I whimpered against him, clutching the edge of the counter for support, then bit down hard on my bottom lip as he began trailing kisses down my neck and his free hand moved to undo the clasp at the back of my neck. The halterneck strap slipped down, bringing the front of my dress with it, and I gasped softly as Edward's lips trailed down to my sternum before kissing the swell of my breast.
"God, I love your body," he murmured, then pulled down one of the bra cups covering me before sucking my nipple into his mouth.
"Edward…" I let my eyes roll upwards at the feel of his tongue flicking against my nipple, then groaned with disappointment when his mouth suddenly moved away again. "N-No…"
I reached out for him, forcing my eyes to open again, then moaned embarrassingly loudly as I watched him get down on his knees and push my dress up to my waist before gazing up at me again. He wasn't going to… Was he?
He was.
Wordlessly, he guided my legs over his shoulders, keeping his eyes on mine the entire time, then gently pulled me closer to the edge of the counter by my hips before swiping his tongue over his bottom lip.
"Y-you don't have t-" I began, but cut myself off with a moan as he leaned forwards and kissed me. Right there. My hands immediately reached for whatever part of him they could, sliding through his hair and holding his head against me as his tongue flicked out against my clit before circling it.
"Fuuuck," I breathed, then let my eyes tip shut and my head fall back as Edward continued to work me over with his tongue, sending jolts of pure pleasure straight through me. It'd never been this intense before, never felt so good…
"Bella," Edward moaned, squeezing my hips tightly as he tugged me even closer. "You taste so fucking good."
I let out an embarrassingly loud whimper, then tilted my head down and forced my eyes to open and gaze into his. He glanced up at me briefly, then brought his finger up to tease my entrance again, almost as if asking for permission.
"Please," I whispered. "Please… please, just… I'm so…"
He groaned softly and closed his eyes again, then gently sucked on my clit as he slowly slid one finger inside me. Just like that, I was gone.
"Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, oh, fuck," I half-hissed, half-whined, gripping his hair tightly as my legs trembled and my eyes rolled shut, my climax rushing through me without warning and engulfing me entirely.
"Bella…" His hands gripped my hips even harder, his tongue still working against me as I came, and my free hand shot down to clutch his wrist of its own accord, needing the extra contact to ground me.
"You… you…" I choked out between heavy breaths, then whimpered when I started getting too sensitive. "S-s-stop."
He did so immediately, and as he gently lowered my legs from his shoulders, I forced myself to open my eyes and look at him. He smiled up at me, then carefully rose to stand between my legs again, bringing his finger up to his lips and sliding it into his mouth. I groaned softly, knowing exactly what he was doing, then weakly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in to me, kissing him passionately.
"That was… I've never… You're so… I don't… How did you…" I babbled between kisses, shaking my head as I tried to gather my thoughts.
"Shhh, Bella," Edward murmured softly, slowing down our lips' movements as he gently pulled my bra back into place before gripping each half of my halterneck strap and carefully securing it at the back.
"B-But I-"
"Shhhh," he breathed as he slid his arms around me, holding me tightly to him and running his hands up and down my back. I leaned into his chest, pressing my forehead against his neck as I tried to calm myself down again. He sighed softly, then kissed my hair before resting his cheek against it as we sat/stood there in silence – me trying to calm down, him simply holding me as I did so.
Eventually, after my breathing had returned to normal and I didn't feel quite so overwhelmed anymore, Edward brought me back to reality.
"We need to go."
My eyes, which had been closed until that moment, snapped open, and I jerked back away from him, feeling my mouth fall open in shock. "Wh-what?"
"The party. We need to go back," he said softly, his expression guarded.
"Right," I muttered, then pushed him back away from me before sliding off the counter and straightening my dress out again, not bothering to try and find my panties in my haste to move away from him.
"Hey," he called softly, reaching out and grabbing my wrist before I could get very far. "Stop."
I clenched my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry, then gritted my teeth as he slowly turned me round to face him.
"Bella, look at me," he murmured, sounding sad. I shook my head, weakly trying to pull my wrist from his grip, and he sighed sadly before stepping closer and cupping my cheeks in his hands, forcing me to look up at him.
"I'm not rejecting you," he told me firmly, gazing straight into my eyes. "I don't want to go back up there any more than you do, but we don't have a choice. They'll get suspicious otherwise."
I nodded, knowing he was right, then reached up and gripped his wrists, ready to pull them down from my face – staring at him like this was getting uncomfortable. Before I even got the chance to, though, Edward's lips were on mine, and he was kissing me with more passion and urgency than ever before. My grip on his wrists slackened, my resolve going straight out the window along with the disappointment I felt at having our moment broken.
"I'm sorry, baby," he murmured as he pulled away, gazing at me with that sad look in his eyes I'd seen earlier in the elevator.
"It's okay," I assured him, smiling weakly. "I understand."
"Do you?" he sighed, but before I got the chance to reply, he kissed me softly once again then bent down slightly and started to lift me from the ground.
"Edward, I haven't got any panties on," I protested, shaking my head.
"I know," he replied. "They're in my pocket."
"Can I have them back?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.
"Nope." With that, he lifted me fully from the ground and guided my legs around his waist, then started walking towards the door.
"Edward!" I gaped at him in shock, flushing bright red. "I can't just go out like this."
"Yes, you can," he replied, smirking. I growled in frustration, smacking his upper arm, then huffed before leaning into him and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
"I hate you," I grumbled, giving up.
"I love you too, B," he said softly, then bounced me up higher against him before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.
By the time we made it back to the main double doors, I'd begun to feel slightly sick, though why, I wasn't entirely sure. Edward had stopped a few times out of genuine concern, but I'd assured him I was fine, just wanting to get back to the party so we could get this over with as quickly as possible.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked again, pausing as he placed his hand flat against the door.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, then had to hold back a groan as a wave of dizziness washed over me. "I'm fine, Edward, honestly," I lied. "Can we just go back to the party now?"
He eyed me dubiously for a moment, but nodded reluctantly anyway, seemingly appeased, then pushed through the doors and carried me into the main hall.
"Oh," I mumbled. Amazingly, the tables had all been cleared and everyone was gathered around the doors we'd first come to, some of them clearly leaving whilst others seemed to just be milling around, trying to pass time.
"What's going on?" I asked as Edward slowed to a stop and carefully lowered me back to the floor.
"I'm not sure," Edward replied, frowning. "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's time to go down to the den."
"The den?" I wondered, feeling my brow furrow with confusion. "What's the den?"
"Where Aro asked if we wanted to go after the meal?" Edward looked worried. "With the private booths and dancers? Bella, do you not-"
"Oh, the den!" I gasped, then laughed a little too loudly. "Sorry, I'm kinda not with it after… well, after that." I blushed at the memory of what we'd just done in the bathroom, internally cursing myself for forgetting about the den. Intense orgasm or not, completely forgetting something like that just wasn't me.
"I'm thirsty," I realized suddenly. When had I last had a drink?
"You're thirsty?" Edward asked disbelievingly, his eyes widening slightly. "Bella, you drank loads at dinner…"
"So?" I shrugged. "I'm still thirsty."
"I'll get you some water if you want?" he offered, but I shook my head, declining.
"I'll just wait until we get to the den and order another one of those cranberry and vodkas, I think," I told him, smiling.
"Bella, is that a good-"
"Oh, chill out, Edward!" I placed my hands on his chest and gazed up at him. "It's just one more drink."
"One more drink, my ass."
I rolled my eyes at Edward's comment and murmured a thank you to one of the dancers – Lucy, I think her name was – as she handed me my second (or was it third?) cranberry and vodka since we'd arrived down at the den.
"I'm fine, Edward," I sighed, then leaned against his chest as I took a long sip of my drink. "There's barely any vodka in this anyway, I swear. I can't even taste it."
"Right," Edward muttered, but smiled anyway and kissed the side of my head. "They'll be getting the dancers out soon."
"Oh?" I was intrigued. "So we'll be able to go into the, um…" I gestured towards the curtained-off half of the den, where I assumed the booths were.
"Yep," Edward replied, sounding happy. "And they'll be playing louder music, too."
I smiled. "Nobody will be able to hear us if we…?"
"Nope," he assured me, smirking. I grinned happily, leaning up to kiss him softly, then startled at the sound of Aro's voice booming over the speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the entertainment are almost ready, so if you'd like to take your seats, we'll begin shortly."
Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd, but I didn't even bother trying to pretend I shared their enthusiasm. So far, I'd seen two of the supposed dancers, and neither of them were even remotely close to being halfway 'decent'. One of them, Nettie, had several bruises on her inner thighs and red marks on her neck, but instead of trying to hide them, she seemed almost proud of them, and I saw her flirting unabashedly with several of the men in the den, even though some of them had female partners with them. I knew it shouldn't have, but the sight of her made me feel almost disgusted. How any self-respecting woman could whore herself out to low-lives like these was beyond me.
"Edward?" I asked, frowning at my thoughts. "You know how you said Aro works in 'human relations'?"
"Yes?" he replied, his voice low.
"Does he, like, use the dancers as prostitutes?" Edward's eyes widened so much, I couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, come on, Edward! I'm not blind!"
"I'm beginning to see that," he muttered, then sighed, "He does offer the girls' services, yes. But not out in the open, so to speak. He sends them out on jobs occasionally, if the price is right. To politicians and the like. It's all very hush-hush, though."
"So he's a pimp as well as a drug trafficking, murdering, son of a bitch?"
"Bella!" Edward hissed, his eyes turning angry as he yanked me forcefully by the arm towards the curtain separating us from the booths. "You can't say shit like that here!"
I put my hands up in front of me in mock surrender. "Calm down, E, I'm just callin' it as I see it."
"That's it." Edward reached for my drink, glaring at me. "No more drinks for you."
"Hey!" I cried, glaring right back as I scrambled to keep hold of my drink. "That's not fair!"
"Bella, don't push me," he growled, his gaze hard. "You've had enough for one night."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I quickly downed the rest of my drink, then handed the empty glass back to him before raising my eyebrows in silent challenge.
"You're so childish," he muttered angrily, signaling for Nettie to come over before handing her the empty glass to take. She nodded, then quickly walked off towards the bar again, hips swaying irritatingly.
"Stop fucking staring at her," I snapped, noticing where Edward's eyes were fixed. "Jesus, Edward, don't you have standards?"
"Standards?" Edward's eyebrows shot up.
"Yes, standards," I hissed. "You deserve better than… than… You just deserve better than that, okay?"
"Yeah, cause being with someone who's completely intoxicated instead is just so much better, right?"
I glared at him, feeling my eyes well up with tears at his words. "I'm not a fucking drunk, Edward. So what if I've had just a little bit more to drink than usual to cope with this motherfucking hell hole? You don't suddenly have the right to go throwing accusations around like you're so much better than me. We're in this together, remember? Jeez, you're the worst boyfriend ever."
I blinked back the tears in my eyes and stumbled away from him, pushing through a gap in the curtains before he had a chance to stop me.
"Hey," he called softly, and I could feel him come through after me, reaching for my arm. "Don't be like that, Bella."
"Get off me, Edward," I snapped as the tears spilled over, running down my cheeks without mercy. He turned me roughly by my upper arm, and the shock of the sudden movement caused me to lose my balance, my feet slipping out from underneath me as a sharp cry slipped from between my lips.
"Shit!" Edward lunged forwards to catch me, and I groaned loudly when he pushed down too hard on my ribs in his attempt at saving me.
"Edward, you're hurting me!"
"Bella, stop fighting me," he groaned as he straightened us back up again and steadied me by my forearms. "You're crying."
"No shit, dumbass," I snapped, angrily swiping the traitorous tears away. "You practically just told me I'm worse than a whore."
"What?!" His eyes went wide with shock, then filled with sudden understanding. "Shit, I didn't mean it like that! Bella, I… You're not… Fuck."
He cupped my cheeks in his hands, shaking his head. "I'm sorry it came across like that. I'm just…" He struggled to find the words. "I'm sorry."
I nodded, suddenly embarrassed by my irrational reactions. "I think I've had a bit too much to drink," I finally admitted, blushing. "I didn't know, I swear. I just… they tasted so good. I don't normally, you know… cry like that."
Edward nodded in understanding, his expression one of sympathy.
"Can we… go?" I asked, moving my hands to his chest. "Please? I don't… I don't wanna be here anymore."
"Of course," he replied softly, then leaned in to gently press his lips to mine before taking my hand in his and entwining our fingers. "Let's go."
As he moved to walk away, I tugged on his hand, pulling him back in to me.
"Bella?" he asked worriedly. I bit down on my bottom lip, not entirely sure why I'd pulled him back in the first place, then sighed and nodded, taking a step closer to him so we'd be side by side as we walked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I breathed, sliding my arm around his waist and leaning into him. "Can you just… Hold me close, okay?"
"Whatever you need, Bella," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around me, supporting some of my weight as I leaned more into him, turning my head so my cheek rested against his chest. "I've got you."
"We can go now," I mumbled, sliding my other arm around his waist as well and letting my hand slip beneath the hem of his t-shirt. His skin was so warm, so comforting…
We began to walk. Well, really it was Edward doing the walking – I kind of just stumbled along beside him with my eyes half closed, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I just wanted to go to bed. With Edward.
I registered my name being mentioned briefly through the haze, but didn't think much of it; I recognized it as coming from Edward, so knew it wouldn't be a bad thing. Soon, we were moving again, only to come to a stop soon after.
"Bella?" His hands smoothed my hair back from my face, and I lazily opened my eyes, having not even realized they'd been closed before now.
"Yeah?" I murmured, gazing up at him.
"Come here, baby," he sighed, then gently guided me to stand in front of him before bending slightly to pick me up. I wrapped my arms around him tightly then did the same with my legs, immediately burying my face in his neck and curling up as small as I could against him.
"Oh, Bella," he breathed, kissing the side of my head. I hummed in contentment, snuggling even closer to him if that were possible, then squeaked with surprise when he began to walk up the same flight of stairs we'd come down to enter the den in the first place. We were leaving.
"Thank you," I mumbled.
"For what, Bella?" Edward wondered, sounding slightly breathless.
"For saving me," I muttered, then let my eyes fall shut again as he turned and backed through the doors leading out into the hallway the shuttle (Edward had set me straight on that over dinner) was in.
"Baby, I haven't done anything but put you in harm's way," he sighed sadly as we slowed to a stop in front of the shuttle doors.
"Not true," I protested. "You're a good person, Edward."
"Yep, you've definitely had too much to drink," Edward teased as the shuttle doors open and he stepped inside, pressing a random button on the console as he did so.
"Edward, I'm not that drunk," I told him, frowning. "I know a good person when I see one."
He sighed softly, then bounced me up higher against him and moved his arms down beneath my ass to support me better. Loving the new position, I curled myself up even tighter around him, adjusting my arms slightly to give myself access to his shoulders as well as his neck.
"You smell good," I muttered. Unable to resist the urge to kiss him, I gently pressed my lips against his shoulder. Then his neck. Then that spot behind his ear… the scar near his hairline that I'd never noticed before…
"Bella…"
"Shhh, Edward," I breathed as I sat back a little and gazed into his eyes. "You're beautiful."
He laughed softly, shaking his head, but didn't stop me from leaning in to kiss him, our lips moving against the others languidly, a stark contrast to the urgency before in the bathroom.
The bathroom…
God, that was amazing.
"What was?"
"What was what?" I asked, frowning as Edward's lips pulled away from mine.
"You said something was amazing…" He eyed me curiously.
"Oh, I was just… thinking," I replied lamely, blushing.
"About?" he probed.
"Whathappenedintherestroom," I blurted. He blinked, taking a few seconds to process what I'd just said.
"Oh." Understanding dawned on his face. "What about it?"
"Just how… good it felt. To finally… you know… touch you. Like that, I mean. I haven't… Nobody's, you know… done that to me in a long time, and…" God, where was my filter? "I just… wanted you to know that."
"You're an even cuter drunk than I remember," he murmured softly, smiling. I buried my bright red face back in his neck, embarrassed, only to have Edward continue, "Uninhibited is a shade which suits you, you know?"
"It suits you, too," I told him, smiling against his neck and pushing my hips into his.
"We're almost here," he said after a few seconds had passed, adjusting his hold on me again before walking out the shuttle the moment the doors opened.
"We're in your hallway," I realized, frowning.
"Yeah," he replied softly as he made his way towards his door.
"But… we had to walk down lots of steps to get to the shuttle in the first place," I pointed out. "I don't understand."
"I was buying you time to prepare yourself, baby," he admitted, shifting me to one side as he reached into his pocket for his key card.
"You didn't have to do that," I mumbled, then startled slightly when the door beeped before clicking open. Weird.
"Yes, I did," Edward replied as he carried me through into his – or was it ours now? – suite before gently lowering me down to the floor.
"The lights," I muttered, looking up into darkness. "They didn't come on."
"That's what the beep was," Edward explained, and I felt his hands grip my hips as I swayed on the spot.
"So we're… alone?" I wondered, smiling.
"Completely," he assured me, squeezing my hips again.
"Thank God," I breathed, then stepped forwards and slid my hands up his chest to cup his shoulders. "Finally, some privacy."
"W-what?" Edward's voice trembled as I pressed my chest against his, making my smile grow more pronounced.
"I said…" I raised myself up on my toes, grateful I couldn't really feel them much anymore, then pressed my lips to his. "We finally have some privacy."
"Bella, I don't…" he trailed off, pushing my hips back from his. My heart plummeted.
"You don't… want me?"
"No, Bella, that's not…" He swallowed audibly, and I felt him exhale against my lips. "I do… want you. Very much. I just-"
"Then what's the problem?" I breathed, pressing my lips to his as I slid my hands down to undo the top button of his shirt. "I want you…" I undid the next few buttons, letting my fingers linger against his newly exposed skin as I went. "… you want me…" I undid the last one, then glided my hands back up his chest and pushed the shirt over his shoulders and onto the floor. "… and when two people want each other like this?" I reached behind me and undid the halterneck strap of my dress, letting the fabric fall to the floor and pool at my feet. Edward gasped in shock. I smiled, letting my lips brush against his as I then reached for the front of his slacks. "It's simply… magic."
"Bella, you're drunk," Edward protested half-heartedly, but still groaned all the same when I undid his slacks and pushed them past his hips and down to the ground.
"Not drunk enough to not know what I want," I pointed out, reaching behind me again to undo my bra as I quickly toed my shoes off as best I could. Edward's hands shot out and covered mine, then gently guided them back down to my sides.
"Edward-" I began, then gasped when he reached round and undid the clasp himself before letting that fall to join the rest of our clothes on the floor too.
"You have the most perfect breasts, Bella," he murmured as he cupped them in his hands, his thumbs brushing over my nipples and making them harden instantly. "So responsive."
"For you," I breathed, pressing myself into his hands. Through the murky darkness, I could just about make out some of his features, and as I glanced down to where I could feel him hard against my hip, I had to fight back a moan, unable to stop myself from touching him over his boxers.
"For me?" I wondered, glancing up at him for reassurance.
"Always," he replied without hesitation, then, without warning, picked me up and carried me over to the bed before pushing me down onto it, his hips settling between mine as he held himself above me.
"I need you," I whispered urgently, grinding myself against him as best I could in my position. He nodded, then helped me work his boxers down over his hips before kicking them in the general direction of the floor along with his shoes.
"Edward," I urged, pulling him back down to me and gasping when I felt him slip through my folds, his tip nudging against my clit.
"Bella," he choked out, and it was like some switch had suddenly been turned on inside of me. With strength I didn't even know I possessed, I rolled us over so that he was on his back and I was straddling him, bracing myself with my hands on his chest.
"You want me?" I asked, leaning down so that my lips were just a hair's breadth away from his.
"Yes," he whispered, his hands moving to steady my hips as he pushed his head up off the pillows and kissed me softly. "Yes, I want you."
I whimpered with relief, then reached down with one hand and gripped him gently, guiding him to where we both needed him to be.
"Bella…"
With a soft, long moan, I lowered myself onto him.
And, just like that… everything I had was his.
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