I stared at the phone for a few seconds and swallowed loudly. I had to answer it but was struck by such intense emotion at the idea of Edward calling me that my fingers were trembling lightly as I lifted the phone and flipped it open.“Hello?” I answered, my voice lifting at the end of the word as though I was either completely clueless regarding who was calling or had been expecting him to call all along.
“Bella.” He said my name like a statement, with relief, and I had to admit…I liked it.
“Edward?” I looked across the room and into a mirror at myself and scowled. The upward inflection was getting annoying, and that shit wasn’t me.
“Bella…” He breathed my name quietly, and then continued, “It’s so good to hear your voice.”
I licked my lips and shifted my weight back and forth on my heels before replying. “Yours as well, Edward. Is there something…?”
“Bella, I’m sorry to cut you off, but I just…wanted to apologize. We shouldn’t have left you alone like we did. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me; I should have handled it like a real man would have and explained what was going on with me. I know we hurt you…”
Suddenly, anger flew to the top of my awareness. It was all I could see, all I could feel, and I exclaimed, “You know you hurt me? How could you? You ran out of here like a bat out of hell and then didn’t call for an entire fucking week.”
The line was silent for a minute. “Bella, I can explain.”
I cut him off. “You can? Because I really don’t see what other information I need aside from the fact that you freaked the fuck out and left without a thought to anyone else in the room.”
“I can understand if you hate us…” he began. “Hate me…”
I listened to him take a ragged breath and crossed my arm over my stomach. It felt tight, as though I was about to be sick, and my anger was flooding the room, drowning me as he considered his next words. I focused on the pressure of my hand over my hip, measuring my breathing in an attempt to calm down. I realized then, in spite of all of my anger, I could never – would never – hate Edward, and that realization helped my anger begin to dissipate when nothing else worked. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.
“Bella…Bella, I just…It’s…”
Edward didn’t stutter. Edward was confident, poised, self-assured. Sexy. Smart.
Fuck.
I couldn’t handle him losing himself in his words, so I finally asked softly, “What is it you want, Edward?”
I was exhausted suddenly. It was as though every emotion I’d felt in the last week – joy in Emmett’s presence, frustration at work, sadness and confusion over the demise of my threesome relationship, anger over Edward’s simple words – had come crashing down on me ,and suddenly, my body was heavy. I couldn’t bear my own weight; I needed a reprieve in whatever way was possible, so I walked slowly to the couch and sat in the corner, curling my legs beneath me and letting my head loll back against the sofa.
Silence reigned once again on the line, and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, waiting for him to speak in response to my question.
When he did, I was floored.
“You,” he finally answered, and then continued in a softer voice. “I just couldn’t do it, Bella. I couldn’t watch you with someone else…even Rose. I just…I just want to get to know you. I was…am…calling because I was wondering if you might agree to have lunch with me…just to talk. I n-…I want to see you again.”
I heard my intake of breath. Could Fate really be giving me my Edward back, and so quickly after it had Rosalie call me? It seemed too good to be true and I felt a bit like everything would change if I blinked, so out of girly ridiculousness, I did.
Nothing changed.
I could hear Edward’s breathing on the other end of the line, and I didn’t have to think twice. “Of course I’ll have lunch with you, Edward. I’d like to get to know you, too.”
I heard him sigh in relief, and then when he spoke, I could hear his smile. “I’m so glad, Isabella.”
His deep voice seemed to trail down my spine as he said my full first name, the ghost of his fingertips playing on my sensory memory, and I shivered involuntarily as he continued to speak.
“Oh, you know what? I have a better idea,” he began, his voice bold and more confident, more like my Edward. “Would you like to come with me to my favorite bar? There’s a live jazz band every weekend, and one of my favorites is playing on Saturday.”
“That sounds like fun, Edward,” I answered, and then asked, “Would I know the place?”
He cleared his throat and then the line was quiet for a second. “Sorry,” he finally said. “I needed a sip of water. But yeah, you’ve likely heard of it. Speakeasy.”
My eyebrows lifted of their own freewill. Speakeasy was a Chicago institution…but it was also a list-only bar. I never dreamed I’d be able to set foot inside such an exclusive place, and now not only would I do just that, but I’d be with Edward Cullen? In public?
I was thrilled and nervous and almost doing a dance in my seat when I acknowledged that I did indeed know of Speakeasy.
“So, Bella, will you come with me?”
I felt a faint blush cross my cheeks at the double entendre of his words.
“Of course, Edward. Should I meet you at your place?”
“Surely you jest, Bella. This is a date,” he replied, emphasizing the last word. “I’ll pick you up, and we’ll make a night of it, if that’s alright with you.”
One corner of my lips curved up, and I said, “Well, I thought that much was obvious, Edward.” I paused for emphasis. When I spoke again, my voice was lower, more raspy than normal. “We can do whatever you want.”
He chuckled lowly, and the sound was so seductive, I could almost feel his breath on my skin, his fingers on the small of my back. I closed my eyes, and my lips parted as I exhaled sharply, the sheer desire coursing through my body almost debilitating.
“I’ve missed you, Bella. I’ll call you later this week, and we’ll arrange for Saturday, okay?” I could see his crooked grin and the crazy bronze hair that sat atop his head. It didn’t help me gain any control over how badly I wanted him right then and there, but somehow, I managed not to ask him to come over.
“Definitely. We’ll talk soon,” I murmured.
“Yes. Good night, Bella,” he said.
I sighed quietly and opened my eyes as I said good night in response. I was moving my thumb to disconnect the call when he spoke once more.
“Oh, and Bella? Think of me tonight.”
When the line disconnected, I stood up in silence and walked to my room. I required immediate attention. Edward has made that certain, and my clothes were tossed haphazardly around the floor of my room as I made my way to my bed. I stretched out, enjoying the soft cotton sheets on my sensitive skin, and with every gentle touch of my fingers, I saw his green eyes boring into mine, felt his hands on me, his body inside mine.
Saturday was too far away.
*~*~*
Work on Monday was an amazing thing.
I enjoyed the entire day.
I was extremely productive, the project was underway, and Bitchface Mallory and I actually seemed to get along all day. Riley stopped stalking around after me like some lovesick pup, and even Mike Newton couldn’t derail my genuinely good mood.
I would see my Edward and Rosalie soon. Edward’s apology and our impending date brought such a ridiculous smile to my face it could hardly be described. And, although I had no real idea what Rosalie would want to talk about when we actually got together, I had a feeling that it would go well.
Around 10:00, I was handed the first stack of the one-hundred articles I needed to parse out to my fellow editors. As I handed four to the girl who sat near me – Tanya – she grinned. “You’re lucky. I wish they trusted me to lead up something like this.”
I smiled back at her. “It’s taken a while for me to get here. You will, too,” I replied.
That night, I headed home, happy to have an evening to myself, and made a stellar dinner: an ice cream sundae. It was absolutely delicious, and after I ate, I pulled up my original fiction on my laptop and began to outline a bit. Finally, after one A.M., I made my way to bed, completely content.
The next morning, I showed up at work and jumped right into the thick of things. A few of the interns had had some issues sorting the remaining articles to be edited, and they were in a complete shambles when I arrived. I sat down, my cell phone by my side, and began to assist them in sorting the documents. I was about to complain aloud about how silly I thought it was that we still did so much via hard copy when my phone vibrated on the table.
I looked at the caller ID and grinned. It was a bit early in the day and week, but who was I kidding? I’d been waiting hear from him.
I lowered my voice as I flipped my cell phone open.
“Hello,” I nearly purred.
“Bella, hey,” Edward said, and I could tell he was grinning. “Busy?”
I snickered into the line as I stood up and began to make my way back to my desk. “Well, I am at work, Edward.”
“I know that, love. Was wondering if you could take a long lunch and come to my place. I have a whole spread.”
I giggled like an idiot, and he caught why and began to laugh with me. “Seriously, Bella, that’s not what I meant. I ordered in assuming you’d say yes. You won’t make me waste all the food that’s going to be here in approximately an hour, will you?”
I put on a straight face and said, as seriously as possible, “No, of course not. I’ll come over, but only for the sake of the food.”
He laughed, and this time it was a full-on belly laugh, and I wondered if I’d heard a happier sound. “So, I’ll see you in an hour? You’re sure you can take an extended lunch? I know my condo is a bit of a drive from the magazine…”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” I answered. “See you soon.”
I giggled again, this time under my breath, and “checked my email” for the next half hour.
The minutes eked by, but finally, I stood, pulled on my jacket, grabbed my bag, and walked to Lauren’s office. Our new rapport made my work life much easier, so I expected no flack when I asked her for an extra lunch hour.
“Sure, Swan. The project’s looking good; they can file documents without your help, I’m sure.” She shot me a smile. “I hope, at least.”
I grinned in response and waved as I walked quickly, the distance from my office to my car suddenly inexplicably far.
After my day with Em, I’d burned a copy of the Reality Bites soundtrack and was shimmying around in my driver’s seat to the beat of The Knack, once again, when I pulled into Edward’s parking lot. I decided to let the song finish, and as it played out, I let my memory take me back to the first night with Edward and Rosalie. I remembered how intensely sexy I’d felt, how Edward – and Rose – made me feel the very definition of wanted, feminine, and beautiful. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly as I thought of the rest of our nights, and before I knew it, the song was over, and I was staring out of my windshield with a quiet smile on my face.
I left my jacket in the car and walked briskly to the door of his building. I smiled at the doorman, who nodded in response, and I found myself wondering if he’d learn to recognize me the way Damien had on Friday nights. As I stepped into the elevator, I realized I was excited to be able to have some true one-on-one time with Edward – I wanted to ask him so many silly questions that we’d never been able to broach in our time together. What was his favorite color? How old was he when he kissed a girl for the first time? Who was his hero?
I fingered the edge of my purse as I walked down the hall toward his door, my heels clicking with each step.
Yes, I was excited to get to know Edward Cullen.
I knocked twice, and he answered, and it was as though my memory hadn’t done him justice. He stood before me dashing, charming, and almost cavalier in his pose: one hand pressed against the frame of the door and the other on the handle, his hair in its natural state of chaos, and on his lips, a smirk that couldn’t be rivaled, ever, it was so sexy.
And his eyes.
His eyes were dark emerald, glittering with hints of jade. They were focused on me, and his gaze felt like heat running over my skin.
I managed a smile up at him, and he finally leaned down, wrapping his arms around me in a hug. “Bella, I’m really glad you could make it on such short notice.”
“I am, too,” I answered honestly. His arms were still encasing me, and I angled my face upward to look at him. His cologne surrounded me and smelled fucking fantastic, but I somehow asked, “So, what did you order?”
“Café Orchid. I hope you like their food,” he answered, and slowly unwound his arms from me. “I realized I didn’t check when we spoke earlier, and that’s not really the kind of thing I know about you.”
I nodded, and he turned, leading the way into his kitchen. As he stepped away from me, I could have sworn I heard him murmur, “Yet,” under his breath, and I felt my smile grow.
When we arrived there, the counters were covered with containers of various sizes, all opened and allowing their scents to waft around the room, creating a delicious aroma. It seemed that Edward had ordered for ten instead of two, and, I saw dolmas, hummus, falafal, a tray of vegetables with dipping sauce, baked eggplant, rice, and three types of kebabs.
“This is quite a bit of food, Edward,” I said. He turned to me and ran a hand through his hair.
As he nodded, he said, “I realized I had no idea what your favorites were.” He frowned slightly, a hint of frustration visible in the tightening of his eyes.
“I like it all, for future reference. Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean food are quite possibly tied for my number three favorite cuisine.”
He smiled and reached forward, taking a small pita chip and dipping it into the hummus near him. “What are numbers one and two?”
“Indian and Italian,” I answered with a smile. “So, what else would you like to know about me?” I asked, picking up a pita chip myself and walking over to him.
He looked at me, his eyes open and somehow wild at the same time, and he said, “Everything, Bella.”
“Everything?” I asked, popping the small chip into my mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly.
He nodded. “Everything.” He paused and picked up another pita chip, dipped it into hummus, and turned to me. “I want to know what made you move to Chicago from Washington. I want to know what your favorite day of the week is. I want to know,” he paused and lifted the chip to my lips, “where you got that scar on your inner thigh from, because it’s shaped like the letter y, which just seems strange.” I parted my lips for him and allowed him to feed me. I took a bite of the chip and began to chew as he continued to speak. “I want to know your greatest regret. I want to know your greatest fear. I want to know where you most want to visit in the world, so I can take you there.”
This man – this amazingly attractive, sweet, thoughtful man – wanted to know me inside and out, and when he pressed his thumb to the corner of my mouth to wipe away a bit of stray hummus, I couldn’t help myself.
I turned my face and took his thumb between my lips, running my tongue over it as I met his gaze with my own.
“Bella,” he said softly. His eyes were downcast, and before he looked at me, I took note of the length of his dark lashes against the light tone of his skin. “I promise that’s…this isn’t…I really did just want to talk.”
I sucked lightly on his thumb and then gingerly wrapped my fingers around his wrist as I pulled his hand downward and away from my lips. “And now?”
The ivy of his eyes moved quickly from bright and alive to dark with desire, and before I could blink, his lips were on mine. I moaned softly, pressing closer against him, but before I could deepen our kiss, he turned me around in his arms. As his mouth sucked at the place where my shoulder met my neck, he slid his hands down my sides, finally pressing them inward, toward my navel.
I threw my head back against his shoulder, and he moved his lips up my throat, finally taking my earlobe between his teeth. As he bit down gently, I moaned and clamped my eyes firmly shut. I shifted to my right so that I could put my hands on the kitchen island, if only to give myself something to hold onto as he yanked my shirt from the waist of my pants. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the island, and as I moved, I pressed my ass back into his legs.
I felt his erection pressing against my thigh, feeling the heat even through the fabric between us, and suddenly, I was so ravenous for him – every part of him – that I yanked my shirt up and over my head, throwing it to the floor with abandon.
“Bella.” He growled my name, and I felt heat pulsating between my legs. I had to have him. I needed him.
I looked over my shoulder at him and watched as he yanked his own shirt off and shoved his pants down, letting them pool at his feet. Edward stepped out of them, and as he began to move my panties downward, I turned my face to his, our lips meeting. My tongue tasted him, and though my eyes were closed, I could feel him moving, his hands abandoning my underwear and going to his instead. I felt his body shifting as he stepped out of his boxers, and I quickly hooked my thumbs in the waist of my panties and slid them down my legs until they could fall on their own.
His hands roved my body roughly, stopping to unclasp my bra and let it drop to the floor before he placed his left hand over my left breast and slid his right hand around my hip. He pulled me back against him, letting me feel his hard body covered in soft, smooth skin as his hand trailed over the flat of my stomach. I inhaled lightly, my body tensing in anticipation before his middle finger slipped between my legs, and I sighed with longing as my hips moved, my ass pressing against his thighs.
I realized the only thing I was wearing was a pair of sassy heels I’d picked out this morning. They were black stilettos. I wondered idly if he liked that kind of thing, but my thoughts quickly scattered as Edward’s voice murmured, “So beautiful…I want you.”
As his index finger caressed me, moving back and forth, I mumbled incoherently. It had been too long. I missed his touch, his lips, the heat of his body. I wanted him inside of me, and I was breathless as he moved the fingers of his left hand from teasing my nipple to the middle of my back before he whispered gruffly into my ear as he slid his right hand away.
“Lean forward, Bella. I’m taking you here and now.”
I whimpered in response. Fucking whimpered. And then, I did as he requested, pressing my elbows onto the top of the island. I was at once thankful that it sat at such an ideal height, and as I leaned forward, my hips were positioned perfectly as Edward bent his knees slightly and, without warning, pressed himself into me in one smooth stroke.
“Oh, fuck,” I murmured, my eyes rolling in sheer pleasure as he stretched and filled me.
“God,” he whispered at the same time. His hands grasped my hips, and I loved how strong they felt, how sure.
He began to move his hips back and forth, slowly at first so that I could feel every inch of him. His hands steadied me as he found his rhythm, hard and fast, and then he leaned forward, putting as little of his weight as possible on me, and slipped his finger back between my legs.
The sensation of his cock pressed into me and his fingers manipulating my clit was so overwhelming that all I could do was gasp for breath. It had been weeks since I’d had him this way, since I’d let him take me, and fuck if it didn’t feel better than I remembered.
“Oh, Jesus, Edward, you feel so fucking good,” I managed, and then pressed my forehead into my forearm as I attempted to stave off my orgasm. I didn’t want this to be over. He felt too good; this felt too perfect. To have his bare skin against mine, and his dick pressing into me with nothing between us was something I had not anticipated, could not have expected. But I was quickly falling apart; I could feel my body beginning to quiver, and beads of perspiration were forming at my hairline.
He groaned in my ear, and his breath was hot on my neck as he said, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you like this? Just you and me? I…fuck!” His voice cut off as I felt his cock twitch inside me, and I reached down and moved our fingers in the rhythm I needed to finally allow myself to let go.
Coupled with his cock, his fingers, and his orgasm, my release was so intense, my entire body shivered. I was vaguely aware that this was the first time Edward had given me such an amazing experience on his own with no help from Rosalie, but as he began to pull his fingers away from my skin, a final surge of pleasure coursed through me, and the thought fled as I felt myself relax.
Edward was still sheathed within me, so he slowly pulled back. When he was completely removed, I pressed my body upward, and he softly said, “I’ll be right back.”
My legs were trembling, and I wasn’t sure they would support me, so I stayed pressed against the island, my forehead moving to the cool countertop as I worked to catch my breath. When I felt a little more stable, I stood up, brushing back my hair before I looked around the floor of the kitchen and began to pick up my clothing. I’d managed to snag my panties and bra and stand up again when I realized I was completely spent.
Fucking Edward apparently takes a lot out of me, I thought to myself just as he returned to the kitchen.
“Here,” he said softly, all traces of the frenetic man I’d just had sex with gone. Edward handed me a robe – his robe – and as I wrapped it around myself, he picked up his boxers and pulled them back on.
The kitchen was silent for a minute as he gathered the rest of our clothes and handed me my things. I watched as he pulled his shirt back on, appreciating his toned torso as I decided that I really didn’t want to go that long without seeing it – seeing him - again. I raised my eyes, surprised when I realized he’d been watching my face the whole time. I looked into his eyes as he stepped close to me and lifted his hand to my cheek. “That really wasn’t expected,” he whispered.
“I know,” I replied, and he lifted his free hand to my other cheek and kissed me again. This time it was slow, sensual, and I felt myself sigh happily as he pulled away. He smiled at me tenderly and ran his thumb along my cheekbone before his lips turned ever-so-slightly downward.
“Time flies, I guess,” he said, his eyes flitting to the clock behind me.
He dropped his hands to my shoulders, and I turned just to my right, so that I could see the clock. I had forty-five minutes until I had to get back to work. When I looked back at Edward, I shot him a petulant look without even intending to, and he smiled. “I know…” he whispered, “but we’ll see each other Saturday, Bella.”
“I don’t want to go back to work,” I whined, crossing my arms over my chest.
“And I don’t want you to,” he responded immediately.
I stared into his green eyes and smiled. “So, you’re picking me up, yes?”
“Yes. I’ll be driving my favorite car, too, and I have a feeling you’ll like it. I only use it on very special occasions, but I think a date with you fits that bill perfectly.” He smiled down at me and placed his right hand on the island near my hip.
“I’m excited. Is that really freaking nerdy?” I asked.
He shook his head and laughed. “Not in the least. I am, too.”
“Alright then,” I replied. “I better get dressed.”
“Of course.”
I let go of the sides of the robe and pulled on my underwear, giving Edward a full-frontal view, but really, there was no reason for me to be nervous in front of him. We’d done this plenty of times before.
I turned away from him, grabbing my shirt from the counter and, after I’d pulled it over my head and was fastening my skirt at the small of my back, I said, “I moved here because Emmett came here for college, and I missed him too much to stay so far away.” I walked toward him and smiled as I reached him, kissing him lightly. “We can get into the rest of your questions on Saturday.”
I was rewarded with one of his crooked smiles and after a moment, he walked me to the door. “Goodbye, Bella. See you this weekend,” he said.
“Bye, Edward!” I replied, and quickly made my way down the hall and to the elevator.
I made it back to work with a few minutes to spare and the rest of the day flew by. It seemed that my lunch hour quickie had inspired me to kick it into high gear, and by the time I looked at the clock again, it was already seven PM and I was an hour into overtime I hadn’t planned to work. The magazine was coming together nicely, and we were in our final round of editing. I deposited the first set of articles to our design department to determine the layout of the pages on my way out the door.
That night, I dreamed of Edward, and it was good.
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