All recognized characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.
This chapter has been beta'd by the ever amazing: Strae
I drove around confused as fuck for about an hour. In the house, Alice's fury had scared me shitless, I didn't have a chance to wonder. She may have been a full foot and a half shorter than me, at the very least a hundred pounds lighter, but she was lethal when she was angry. But now... Now I wondered. What the hell had Charlie done to her? Why the hell had Jasper never told me about it? Jesus, if he hurt Alice, if he hurt Bella… No. He wouldn't hurt them. Would he?
My phone rang. "Hello?"
"Edward Anthony, where the hell are you?" Jesus, Dad sounded like Mom.
"On my way home, Dad."
"You get your ass back here, pronto, you hear me?"
"Yes sir, I'll be there in a few."
The hardness in his voice was gone. "Okay, drive careful."
I didn't know whether to laugh or get pissed. Mom obviously had ridden his ass into yelling at me, but Carlisle never had been much of a yeller. I got my mean streak from Mom's side. That woman could scream for a full day straight and not lose her voice or momentum.
I prepared myself and pulled into the drive ten minutes later. Since I was going again soon anyway, I parked by the front door. No one met me with a lecture.
"Edward?"
"It's me, Mom."
"Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet."
"What would you like?"
"Oh, I'm going to go shower. I'll pour myself some cereal when I'm done."
"No, no sweetie. You shower and I'll cook you some eggs."
"Um, okay. Thanks. Thank you."
I peeked into the kitchen and my mom had a stupid grin plastered on her face. My dad clapped me on the shoulder. "I worked her over for you." He had the same stupid grin.
"Oh, God! That's disgusting."
He chuckled. "Only because it wasn't you. If you just got what I did, you'd be grinning too. Hey! Maybe you did… no. Not a chance." He chuckled and clapped my shoulder a few more times. "Not a chance."
My brain was doing the lah-lah-lah-lah thing trying to block out his words or erase them or something. It didn't work. Any plans for a shower jerk were shot to hell now. Thanks so much, Father Dearest.
Four hours to kill before my lunch date with the one and only. Four hours seemed so long.
"Hey Mom, have you started those eggs yet?"
"No, I'm just getting on that."
"Will you hold off for a few? I'm going to go in the basement for a good half hour or so. I'm not real hungry yet anyway. Sound okay?"
"Yep. Just let me know when you're hungry, dear."
"Okay, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too."
Dad peeked around a corner. "You're so lucky I made her go easy on you."
"Please don't start with the sex talk again." He chuckled and started with the stupid grin again. "Oh Dad, by the way, now that I have you here, I need to talk to you about something." He nodded for me to continue. "Um, I'm going on a small road trip this weekend."
"Where to?"
"Los Angeles. Just there and back. Real quick. Nothing special."
"With who?"
"Just me and Bella." The look on his face said, wrong answer.
"Your mother isn't going to like this."
I did the clapping on the shoulder thing. "Ah, but my good old Dad knows how to convince dear old Mom, right?"
"That would have worked, minus the old." Then stupid grin. "But I do know how to convince her."
"Yes, yes you do. And this means I'm free and clear?"
"With me, yes. Mom, yes. Charlie, no way in fucking hell."
"Charlie doesn't know she's leaving town, much less with me, but he knows Bella isn't going to be home this weekend. As far as I'm concerned, he knows all he has to know. And it's not like we're getting away to rendezvous or something, we actually have some important things to take care of in LA."
"Riiiight. So that means we're telling your mom there's a college seminar?"
"Sounds good."
"You're a lucky bastard, and you better know it."
"I do, dad, I really do."
"Now get out of my sight and pump your iron."
I chuckled and he joined in. "Heavy lifting. I may strain myself." He rolled his eyes at me.
After getting downstairs and starting my workout, a half hour went by way too fast. Even an hour seemed short, but I knew I was going to be sore, so I stopped. Before a shower, I asked mom to start my eggs, then I washed up. It was refreshing as hell, because somehow I forgot I was wearing my cum stained underwear 'til about fifteen minutes into my workout, and by then I just didn't feel like going to change. My jerk off wall frowned at me as I ignored it.
I shaved and put on some nice clothes. The hot eggs slid satisfyingly down my throat and into my empty stomach. After a cold glass of milk, I felt like a fucking king.
For about two hours, I dicked around with some studying, but I didn't really get anywhere. By that time, I figured I might as well go to town. I ended up at Newton's Olympic Outfitters about ten minutes to noon. Bella wasn't at the checkouts, and I sure as hell wasn't going to ask Mike where she was, so I started randomly scanning aisles.
As I neared the life jackets, I spotted her. She was bent over a box, her perfect ass aimed right at me. I couldn't resist. Quietly as possible, I slid up behind her and shaped my hands around the curve of her hips. She jumped just as I expected, giving a gasping squeak, she rammed back into me before spinning so quickly she nearly fell. I had my hands placed just perfectly and her hips were secured to mine. She used her hands on my chest to steady herself. I couldn't wipe my smile away if my life depended on it and the look of shock on her face was laughable.
"You scared me!" she gasped.
I wanted to say something like, 'no kidding' or 'oops', but instead I went for, "I'm sorry."
She glared, but smiled. "No you're not."
I chuckled. "No, not really." I slid my hands around her hips and gave her ass a small squeeze. She turned redder than the life vest behind her.
Her head turned back, looking over her shoulder. "You're early," she said.
I nodded. "One kiss and I'll let you get back to work." I gave her hunter green smock a tug. She blushed again.
I leaned down most of the way, giving her the option to close the distance. She did, pressing her mouth firmly to mine and parting her lips. Tongue in public! My over-excitement led to hands with a mission. I slid them into her back pockets, trying to get her closer, only to encounter a piece of paper that made Bella tense up. Not good. I could have assumed it was for work, for anything unimportant, but as soon as she realized my hands were in that back pocket, she froze. So not good. Pulling my lips from hers, I pulled the paper out.
"I was going to throw it away, I just haven't had a chance." I opened it. A phone number. James.
The near tears horror on her face told me I was not doing a very good job of looking cool. I fixed my face into something resembling humor and handed her the paper back. "How many of these do you get a week?"
She looked at the note and refused to touch it. "None. I didn't want it."
I hated that I was so obviously not taking this well. She seemed afraid, and I hated that. I brought her into my arms and held her there. I crumpled up the paper and threw it into the next aisle. "There."
"Mike's going to have clean that up later," Bella muttered against my chest.
"Oh, poor Mike."
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Hey Bells, it's…" He trailed off as he saw her in my arms. "This is a place of business."
I rolled my eyes at the twit. "Well, like you were saying. It's noon, which means Bella's on break. And I'm here to pick her up for our lunch date, so…" Scram, you nitwit!
Bella slowly backed out of my embrace, and I let her, though I really felt like pinning her to me and growling at the twerp so obviously pining for her attention – him and so many others.
No one said anything, so I broke the silence. "You ready, love?"
"Yep. Um, see you, Mike. I'll be back in a half hour." Great. Enough with the pleasantries. I grasped her hand and away we went. Mike glared at me the entire time.
"Newton is really getting on my nerves," I said just as we were out of earshot. To be honest, I didn't give a flying fuck if he heard, but I knew Bella wouldn't take too kindly to it. She didn't address my comment, though I did get a dirty look.
The Volvo was about the only car in the lot. Bella hopped into the passenger seat, then proceeded to stare at the same spot. She was blushing and she seemed to be having one of those Just Stop Looking, Damn It! moments. I followed her gaze to the console in the center and started laughing hysterically. Wouldn't you know it, right there on the dark gray console was a glob of white.
"It's not… It's not… Oh God." I couldn't stop laughing. I scooped it up with my finger and held it towards her, which seemed to shock her. I was too busy snorting away to explain myself. "Ice… ice… icing. Taste it!"
She refused to do that, not that I blamed her and the heat from my finger caused it to melt some and slide off my finger onto her arm. I stopped laughing as I thought, oops. Then, yummy. I caught her wrist and raised her arm to suck the sweet icing off the inside of her elbow. She looked slightly shocked. I grinned and leaned towards her mouth. She pulled back from me. I wasn't having that. I lightly caught the back of her head and brought her lips to mine. I pushed my tongue against her lips, only to be refused again.
"Bella," I growled against her lips, "kiss me."
She took a shaky breath through her nose then hesitantly met my tongue with her own. She pulled back after our tongues brushed. "It's sweet," she muttered.
"Yeah, it's icing. My mommy baked cookies this morning."
"Oh. I thought you were being crude about the icing thing."
"Oh for chrissake!"
She laughed. "Sorry." She leaned to my side and kissed me. She pulled back after only a few short moments. "How did you manage to get icing on the console?"
I shrugged. "Who knows. Probably while I was changing the station or something. Let's get some food." Not that I was hungry, but if we didn't get out of there soon, my idea of lunch is going to be vastly different. The taste of Bella and icing lingered on my tongue and the thought of Bella's icing on my tongue was giving me a twitch… Guess where.
The Volvo purred to life with an easy flick of my wrist and with an even easier drop of my foot, we were speeding towards our destination. Forks only had one dinky little diner to offer, so of course that was where we were headed. And just like everything else in Podunk, it was right off the main stretch through town.
It would have made my day to do the gentleman thing again, you know like opening doors, etc., but Bella just couldn't hold her horses. Hell, she opened the door to the diner, and held it for me. I really hope she caught the glare.
"Ah! Well, well, looky here." No. Just fucking no! You have got to be kidding me. "Hi Bella!" What a crock of shit. "Edward!" Get that damn ringing tone out of your voice, bitch!
"Jessica."
"Table for two?"
Oh! Oh! The blond can count! Nobel Prize time. "Yes, please." Followed by a fake smile that made my cheeks hurt. Bella seemed just as thrilled as I did.
Since when does Jessica work, let alone as a waitress? Her hair flip announced her impending stop and turn. Yep, here's our table.
"Here's your table." You're on a roll, darling, true scholar material! "I'll be right back with menus and water." She sauntered away, scanning other tables as she went. I was dumbfounded. Jessica was actually good at this job. And she was filling her life calling, serving.
I kicked back in my chair and Bella sat somewhat uncomfortably in hers, her hands folded on her lap. I leaned forward and grazed her cheek with my thumb. It burned to life and her lips twitched.
"Here you are," said Jessica as she placed down two menus, two rolled up napkins and silverware, and two glasses of ice water. I flipped my menu open and picked up my water, taking a long drag even though it tasted like metal. "I'll give you a minute."
I hope she didn't expect an "Oh great, thank you," because I wasn't giving one.
"Thanks Jess," Bella muttered. Of course she did. And I only wanted her more. Just splendid, now manners are a turn-on.
I studied my menu front to back, back to front, and all over again and didn't find a damn thing that sounded good. Comparatively, nothing looked good against Bella. The only thing I was wanted sat across from me. Damn it.
"All set?"
"Yeah. I'll have the Caesar salad, no croutons, light on the dressing. And a coke."
"M'kay." Pause. "And what can I get you, Edward?" Jesus, not this again. Oh wait, she was suppose to ask that. Shit, everyone was staring at me. Was "I want pussy" flashing from my forehead, because it sure felt like it might have been, or should have been?
"Um. Just a cheeseburger. Coke."
"Alright. I'll get those cokes right out and your food shouldn't take too long."
We sat in silence waiting for our drinks. They were set in front of us. More silence.
"Are you alright?" Bella asked me.
I blinked, hoped that might answer the question but knew it wouldn't. "Yeah. Fine."
"You seem… distracted."
"You could say that."
"Oh," she said. Her hands clasped over mine on the table. "Edward, I don't want to make you feel like you have to do something. If you really don't want to go, then we don't have to. I just… I think it will help you feel more right about it."
Well, thanks, now I have two distractions. And I'll never feel right about it. "We're going. That's not what I'm distracted about. But since we're on the topic, do we have plans of some sort? I mean, how is this going to work?"
"I don't know. I guess I thought you'd know. I assumed we'd drive down, um, talk, and come back. It's a long drive, I know, so we'll have to stop somewhere."
Ah. Stopping somewhere. Jesus, to actually have her alone. I was definitely bringing the big guns for this trip. No cheap, dirty, fleabag motel would be housing my woman, not even for a night. Oh sweet Jesus, there was not going to be a damn thing that was going to keep me away from her.
I didn't realize we were both sitting so long in silence until our meals showed up. The clink of the plates hitting the table brought me back to reality.
I grabbed Bella's hand on the table, with my right hand so she was free to her right. Eating left handed was slightly distracting, but so was the way her small hand fit in mine. The way her fingers twined with mine, curling around—
Cough.
"You okay?"
Another cough. "Yep. Fine."
I got the eye for a few long moments, probably so she knew for sure I wasn't going to go blue and die from asphyxiation.
This was so bad. I couldn't go twenty seconds around Bella anymore without getting a raging hard on and thinking about how every surface would work as a mounting block, so to speak. And if the mounting block had promise, how many positions it could handle.
I grabbed my cheeseburger and took a monstrous bite, then another. Fries came into play somewhere in the game. Without even tasting a single bite, my plate was empty.
How in the hell was I going to handle spending the next few days alone with her? Only one thing came to mind.
0 comments:
Post a Comment