Chapter Twelve - Interruptions and Distractions

“It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.” ~Unknown

Chapter Twelve – Interruptions and Distractions

BPOV

I was saved from answering his question by the ringing of my phone. Cliché as it sounded, all I could think was, saved by the bell. I pulled it out of my pocket and breathed a sigh of relief. Alice.

“Hey Alice, what’s up?”

“Bella! I was so worried about you when you didn’t come home.”

I immediately felt guilty for not calling and telling her I would be late. I certainly hadn’t meant to make anyone worry about me.

“I’m so sorry Alice. I should have called you, but everything kind of happened so fast.”

“Oh my God!” she screamed into the phone. “What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you?” She was firing off questions in rapid succession, leaving me no chance to answer.

“Alice! Please calm down. Everything is fine.” I tried my best to sound soothing, the last thing I needed was for her to get hysterical on me.

“Are you sure?” She didn’t sound completely convinced, but at least she wasn’t screaming anymore.

“Of course. Edward showed up at the library just before my shift ended and asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee.” I couldn’t help but notice he was watching me intently, as if gauging my mood.

“Oooohhhh…” it was long and drawn out as she said it, like she was reading much more into it than was actually there. “Well, I’ll let you go then. See you later, and have fun!”

“But…” she hung up before I could even say anything else. All I could do was stare at my phone. When I heard someone chuckle, I glanced up to find Edward with that damn lopsided grin in his face. The same grin that made my knees weak and my heart misbehave.

“Trouble?”

“Um, no. Just my roommate Alice. She was worried about me when I didn’t come home.”

His eyes changed and he looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize Alice would be so concerned.”

“No, it’s okay. That’s just the way Alice is.” I wanted to change the subject and bring him out of whatever funk he had gotten into. “Um, where were we?”

The embarrassment vanished from his face and was replaced by a mischievous look that put me on edge. My heart started pounding again and I was suddenly very nervous. “I was asking you why you were blushing.”

I should have known he would get back to that question, but why did I have to lead him right back to it myself? “Oh, right. Um, no particular reason.”

He just kept smiling at me. “You don’t think I really buy that do you?”

“Yes?” I said hopefully. I really didn’t want to get into it. Actually, I was hoping a hole would open up in the floor and swallow me up.

He put his hand to his chin, like he was contemplating the mysteries of the universe before he grinned at me once again. “Sorry, no dice.”

“I blush easy. And you were staring at me.” Well, it was partially true anyway.

He cocked his head to the side and considered me for a moment. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a horrible liar? Try again.” I wanted to throttle him.

“Fine!” I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “It’s your eyes, okay? Your eyes are green, you big jerk!”

Humor lit his features as he considered my answer. “Now that, I believe.” My cheeks flamed again as he went on, “But I like it. Just like I like your eyes. They’re so warm and inviting.” The playfulness was gone, only to be replaced with a sincerity I couldn’t understand.

“Thank you.” I whispered breathlessly.

He took my hand in his again and started tracing patterns on the back and along my wrist. The current flowing between us was nearly unbearable. I wanted to jerk my hand away, but I was frozen in his gaze. “Do you feel that, Bella?”

I didn’t even pretend I didn’t understand him, I only nodded jerkily.

“I feel drawn to you, like a moth to flame. I wonder why that is. Do you?” His long fingers kept toying with my hand, causing tingles to race up and down my arm.

“I don’t know.” I didn’t really. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know.

His eyes narrowed as he stared into me. I could feel his gaze penetrating me, down to my soul. His hand wrapped around my wrist and held there firmly. “Your pulse is racing.” Then he took my hand and placed it against his chest so I could feel his heart thundering under his shirt. “So is mine. Can you feel it?”

I felt trapped. Caught up in him and what he was doing to me. Never before had I had this kind of reaction to someone. And you never will again. My mind was traitorous; my body was too. Both yearned for him, longed to be wrapped in his arms again. I started trembling without even knowing it. Shaking like a leaf because he was just too damn close. “Yes,” I whispered.

He leaned forward, over the small table between us and I was yanked out of my trance. I was afraid he would kiss me. Afraid if he did, my walls would come tumbling down and I would be irrevocably lost in him. My pulse was still racing and my breathing was shallow, but I managed to pull away and clear my throat.

“Do I frighten you?” My head snapped up and I stared at him in shock. How could he know?

“Maybe a little. More the situation frightens me.” I knew that wasn’t going to suffice. I would have to hash this out now.

“The situation? What does that mean?” He looked confused.

I sighed before taking a long drink of my coffee. I was trying desperately to gather my thoughts so I could tell him I didn’t want a relationship.

“My mother died,” I blurted out before I could think of a better way to start. His eyes softened and he started to say something before I cut him off. “No. Don’t say anything. It was a long time ago. What I meant to say was that my father never got over that. I don’t really remember my mother at all, but Charlie does and I watched it eat at him everyday of my life.”

“Okay, but I still don’t understand.”

“Look, I made a promise to myself a long time ago. I was never going to get into a relationship. Never going to allow someone the chance to hurt me the way Charlie hurts. Never going to fall in love.” I looked away briefly before looking back at him. “All it does is complicate your life. And you have complication written all over you.”

He seemed partially amused and a lot frustrated by my answer. “You act like I’m asking you to marry me and bear my children.”

I laughed at that because he was absolutely right. I was terrified of the way he made me feel. Terrified that starting something with him now could someday lead to wedding bells and carriages. “Maybe. But I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships. Actually, I don’t have any. I’ve never allowed myself to get involved. With anyone.”

I hoped he was able to understand the severity of what I was saying to him. I wasn’t about to let him get close, I couldn’t risk my heart that way.

I saw as realization dawned on him. “Never?”

“No, never. And like I said, you have complication written all over you.”

He ran his hands through his gorgeous hair and I had to bite the inside of my lip. Why did he have to be so damn sexy?

“How about this… can we be friends? Maybe hang out sometimes?” He had my hand again like he was frantically trying to hold on to me.

I sighed again because I had no willpower against him. How could I possibly tell him no? I glanced down at our entwined fingers before giving his a quick squeeze.

“I suppose.”

His face lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. Then he brought my hand to his lips once more and he winked.

“I promise to make it worth your time.”

And of course, my traitorous heart stuttered.


Edward was such a gentleman. It was really a shame that I wasn’t going to allow myself to fall in love, because really, he was just the kind of guy I could see myself falling for. Other than being a cocky bastard, he was also witty and smart, two things I found myself extremely drawn to.

I immediately felt nervous for agreeing to be friends with him. It could only lead to disaster. At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder what he found so intriguing about me. It was obvious he was telling the truth about being drawn to me. Every time his gaze caught mine I could see the emotions boiling under the surface. Either that or he was an extremely skilled liar.

Would that be so bad though? If he was lying to me only to get me in his bed, would I have been able to find a more attentive lover? Even without any experience, I knew the answer was no. No one had ever made me feel the way he did. No one would ever make my body yearn for theirs like he did. And most of all, in all of my almost 19 years, no one had weakened my resolve as absolutely and completely as he had.

The only problem was that for all the bravado I had shown earlier, I was suddenly frightened about losing my virginity. Of course, it wasn’t like I was giving it to him tonight, but I knew before long I would end up having sex with Edward. Whether that was his intent or not, I didn’t know, but I did know that it was inevitable.

Somewhere around 11:30 I felt the panic start creeping in. I was sure to fall short in comparison to him, in any and all aspects. There was no way I would ever please him. It was probably a better idea to cut my losses now so he could move on and find someone more suitable to him. As if he could hear my internal struggle, his arm came around me and he started guiding us back toward our dorm.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” His voice was directly in my ear and I couldn’t hold back the shudder that coursed through me. I felt his grin against the sensitive skin at my jugular.

“N..Nothing,” I stuttered, damning him to the pits of hell for having so much control over my body.

“Remember what I told you about you being a horrible liar?” His amusement was clear and I huffed in annoyance.

“Look, Edward.”

“Uh-oh. That sounds serious.”

Somehow, we were already standing in front of my door, although how he knew which was mine, I wasn’t sure. I tried my best to glare at him, but he just looked back at me with that same sparkle in his eye.

“Look,” I started again, daring him to interrupt me. “I’ve given this some thought, and I’m not sure,” he cut me off before I could go on.

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

I huffed again, annoyed because he was trying to charm me. I had to stand my ground.

“I don’t think,” he pulled me closer to him and released the full power of his gaze on me. His breath was whispering across my cheek and I could actually feel my eyes losing their focus. His hands skimmed down my sides until his fingers were entwined once again with mine. My heart was beating a rapid tattoo in my chest.

“Please, Bella? Please come out with me tomorrow. We can go somewhere with Alice and Jasper if it will make you feel better.” My determination was slowly slipping away, running with the wind.

“I’m starting to think this isn’t such a good idea,” I mumbled into his chest. I could have sworn I felt his heart skip a beat before it kicked back into high gear, pounding against mine as he held me close.

“Well then, if that’s the case, I might as well get this out of the way.”

I looked up at him, ready to ask him what he meant when he leaned down and captured my lips with his. In that moment, time stood still, worlds collided, and my heart was lost. Slowly and gently his mouth moved over mine, tasting me, savoring me, fulfilling me. It took all the strength I had to stay upright as he skillfully shattered every ounce of control I had.

When his tongue brushed across my lips, I opened my mouth without thinking and was suddenly assaulted with the flavor of him. His scent was swirling around me, orange blossoms, sunshine, and honey. He probed the recesses of my mouth like a starving man, caressing my tongue with his, and gently pulling mine into his mouth.

His hands skimmed back up my sides and cupped my face gently, like I was something fragile to be cherished. That was all it took before my brain caught up and my hands shot out on their own accord to lock themselves in his hair. He groaned into my mouth and I plastered my body to his, pulling him as close to me as I could get him.

He backed me up so I was against the wall and my legs hitched up to wrap around his waist. The kiss was no longer gentle and slow, but had turned into a raging inferno. My body was burning and my skin was on fire. Everywhere his roaming hands touched me I felt singed. I was whimpering in his mouth without knowing it and my chest was heaving, searing with the need for air.

I threw my head back and his mouth attached to my throat, licking me and nipping at me. I was moaning wildly and my head was thrashing back and forth, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. Something in me had snapped and I was too deliriously aroused to care. His teeth attached to my neck; I yelped in surprise before clawing at his back, trying urgently to shed him of whatever clothing was barring his body from me.

I could distinctly feel his erection pressing into my center and ground myself down on him. That apparently triggered something in him and he groaned once more before breathlessly saying, “Stop.”

He pressed his forehead to mine and we were both violently gasping for air like madmen. I was both pleased and ashamed of myself for reacting so vividly to his touch. I couldn’t for the life of me, figure out what had come over me. He raised his head to look at me before cupping my face in his hands again.

“Bella, we need to stop.” Then he muttered under his breath, “Never thought I would say that.”

For some reason or another, that struck me as funny and I broke into hysterical giggles. I should have been scared, or even mildly shocked at myself but all I could do was laugh. His eyes narrowed at me before he brushed his nose along my jaw line, effectively shutting me up.

“Please see me tomorrow.” The sight of this glorious man begging me crushed my resolve and I went limp against him.

“Okay,” I said, utterly defeated.

His lips skimmed over my face, across my eyes, and stopped to give me one more peck, right on my swollen lips. “Thank you,” he said, before unwrapping my legs from around him, gently placing me back on the ground, and releasing me.

He took a couple steps away, in the direction of his own room before he said one last thing, “Jesus woman. You’re going to be the death of me.”

It shocked me to my core that he’d had the same thoughts that I had a few short days before. Then I heard him whistling his way down the hall while I stood there with my heart hammering in my ears. Cocky bastard.


EPOV

Before she had a chance to answer me, her phone started ringing. I was determined at that point that we would get back to the question at hand. That damn blush looked so stunning on her face. It made her look innocent and delectable all at once.

Her soothing voice broke me from my thoughts. She was trying to convince Alice that she was okay. Must be the Alice Jasper had been talking about for days. Then she was talking about me and my name from her lips sounded so heavenly. I was desperate to know what she was thinking when she said it.

I continued to watch as she sputtered then stared at her phone with such a cute and annoyed expression on her face. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her dismay. It seemed Alice must approve of Bella being with me if she was so quick to let us get back to our date. No Cullen. A date is when you pick her up at her home at a prearranged time. This was an ambush. Ambush or not, she was sitting across from me and I was going to make the most of it.

“Trouble?” I asked, assuming Alice just wanted to chat.

“Um, no. Just my roommate Alice. She was worried about me when I didn’t come home.”

Suddenly, I felt guilty for not allowing her time to check in with her friends, or stop by her room first. I had just been so eager to have her with me that I hadn’t considered anyone or anything else. I was rather embarrassing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize Alice would be so concerned.”

More like you didn’t care. She interrupted my thoughts before I could continue to berate myself for my selfishness.

“No, it’s okay. That’s just the way Alice is,” she said, as if that explained everything. Which, I guess from everything I had already learned about her from Jasper, it was. “Um, where were we?” she continued, giving me the perfect opportunity to get back to my previous question. She looked nervous as to what I would say, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me. Nothing could at this point.

“I was asking you why you were blushing,” I said, and sure enough, the flush stained her cheeks once more.

“Oh, right,” she stuttered, endearing her to me even further. “Um, no particular reason.”

Yeah, like I believed that. I just continued to smile at her, amused that she thought she could fool me.

“You don’t think I really buy that do you?” I certainly hoped she didn’t. She didn’t look stupid.

“Yes?” she sounding so cute questioning herself that way that I had to swallow back a chuckle. Instead, I put my hand to my chin and pretended to consider it. Yeah, right.

“Sorry, no dice.” I had to know why she was embarrassed.

“I blush easy. And you were staring at me.”

The second part she seemed to add as an afterthought. I cocked my head as I considered that. It may or may not have been true, but it definitely wasn’t the whole story.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a horrible liar? Try again.”

If I had to, I would annoy the answer out of her. If I knew one thing about myself, it was that I was persistent. Or hardheaded. Either one worked for me. She didn’t look amused. She looked like she wanted to pummel me. Success!

“Fine!” she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis. “It’s your eyes, okay? Your eyes are green, you big jerk!” For a moment I was stunned. She was breath-taking when she was angry. Then her words sank in and I was pleased as hell. She likes my eyes.

I couldn’t help but smile at the revelation. Maybe, just maybe, she thought of me as I thought of her if she liked my eyes so much. “Now that, I believe.” Her blush nearly broke my concentration, but I was a man on a mission now. “But I like it. Just like I like your eyes.” More like love your eyes. “They’re so warm and inviting.” Begging for me to fall into their depths.

She looked shocked, like she wasn’t sure whether to believe me or not. Then she whispered, “Thank you.” Her voice was breathless.

I grabbed her hand from the table and started running my finger from the back of it around her wrist. She stared at me like she was caught in a daze. I couldn’t help but revel in the feeling of her hand in mine. There was a humming on my skin whenever we touched. “Do you feel that Bella?” Please say yes, please tell me I’m not crazy.

She jerked her head up and down, like it was almost detached from her body. Or like she was a puppet on a string. The words started pouring from my mouth before I could stop them.

“I feel drawn to you, like a moth to a flame.” And this is probably just as dangerous. “I wonder why that is.” Because I’m afraid I might be falling in love with you. “Do you?” Please tell me you feel the same.

“I don’t know,” she said, but she looked worried. Or scared.

I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes. I couldn’t stand if she was afraid of me. I needed to show her she dazzled me just as much as I hopefully dazzled her. I grabbed her wrist, just needing to touch her, feel her soft skin against mine, hold her closer. Her pulse was racing, throbbing through her veins. “Your pulse is racing.” I put her hand on my chest, reveling in the warmth that spread through me. “So is mine. Can you feel it?”

She was trembling, but her eyes were steadily fastened to mine. Emotions were swirling there and I could feel their kin tangling around in mine. She opened her mouth and whispered, “Yes.”

I wanted to feel her lips against mine. I couldn’t get them out of my head, or the desire to kiss her. I just wanted to feel if they were as soft as they looked. I wanted to know how they tasted. Would they be tart? Would they be sweet? She looked terrified. She cleared her throat and backed away.

“Do I frighten you?” I had to cut to the chase. I wanted to make her enjoy her time with me so she would get used to it. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible and that wouldn’t be very easy if she was petrified of me. Her head snapped up and her eyes locked on mine.

“Maybe a little. More, the situation frightens me.”

“The situation? What does that mean?” I didn’t understand what she meant. What exactly was wrong with the situation?

She took a drink of her coffee after letting out a soft sigh. She looked uncomfortable, like she didn’t really want to talk about it, but she had me so intrigued.

“My mother died,” she said in a rush. I felt a pang for her, sorry that she had to go through something like losing her mother. I’d never really had mine, but that didn’t mean I never wished I did. Before I could tell her so, she continued, “No. Don’t say anything. It was a long time ago.” What was she about? “What I meant to say was that my father never got over that. I don’t really remember my mother at all, but Charlie does and I watched it eat at him everyday of my life.”

Now we were getting somewhere, but I still didn’t understand what that had to do with me. I asked her to clarify, just so we were on the same page.

“Look, I made a promise to myself a long time ago. I was never going to get into a relationship. Never going to allow someone the chance to hurt me the way Charlie hurts. Never going to fall in love.” That was pretty crystal clear. She was trying to shut off the chances of us developing something. I wasn’t about to let that happen. She went on. “All it does is complicate your life. And you have complication written all over you.”

I felt a little put-out. Was she serious? Maybe I wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, but all I was asking for was some of her time, for now. At the same time, I was amused that she was bold enough to tell me to my face. “You act like I’m asking you to marry me and bear my children.” The idea might have had some merit, but that was all in the distant future, when I was ready for something like that.

She laughed, “Maybe. But I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships. Actually, I don’t have any. I’ve never allowed myself to get involved. With anyone.”

Each sentence was added with purpose. She stared at me to make sure I understood her meaning. Then it dawned on me. She’d never had a boyfriend. Or a lover. I felt my eyes widen a small bit. “Never?”

“No, never. And like I said, you have complication written all over you.”

Okay. Now I see why she was terrified. I must have come off pretty strong, and she had zero experience. It was obvious we were going to have to slow things way down so I didn’t scare her away. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. Of course I would get the virgin I had wished for on the first day here, but now that I had her, I wanted more than just a quick tumble in the sheets. She was right, this was complicated.

“How about this…” I started, “can we be friends? Maybe hang out sometimes?” I was willing to do spend time with her in any capacity just so she could get used to me. I took her hand anyway, trying to let her know I wanted more.

She sighed, louder than the last time and looked down at our fingers tangled together. She squeezed my hand and I felt my heart lift. “I suppose.” And then I was soaring. I had never felt happier than I had since I’d first run into her.

I brought her hand to my lips again, wanting to stake my claim early. “I promise to make it worth your while.” I figured she deserved a warning to let her know I was ready to woo her.


Bella and I walked all over the campus just chatting. I told her that I was teaching piano lessons over at the Hopkins Center. She told me she was an English major. There were long moments of comfortable silence while I walked next to her. She was such a breath of fresh air.

Over the years, I had dated clingy girls who plastered themselves all over you at every waking moment and chatty girls who wanted to do nothing other than talk about themselves. Bella didn’t seem to fit into either category. She was laid back and she was innocent. Both of those qualities drew me closer and made me want to know more.

She had a far off look on her face and I was dying to know what she was thinking about. Her browed was furrowed in concentration, but she didn’t look angry. If anything, she looked very confused and worried. I walked along for a bit longer, slowly making our way back toward our dorm. It was getting late and I didn’t want her friends to worry anymore. We finally made it back to the dorms, but she was still in a daze.

Finally, when I could take no more I put my arm around her and leaned in close to her ear. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” She trembled in my arms and I grinned into her neck. I wanted so badly to feel her come apart in my arms.

“N…Nothing,” she sputtered out. Her cheeks were blushing a furious shade of red nearly making me groan.

“Remember what I told you about being a horrible liar?” If her blush hadn’t given her away, her fidgeting would have. She huffed at me causing my grin to widen.

“Look, Edward.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. I didn’t want to give her a chance to pull away. “Uh-oh. That sounds serious.” I hoped a little levity would calm her down. I stopped in front of her door and leaned against the frame.

“Look,” she said again, glaring at me. “I’ve given this some thought, and I’m not sure,” but I wasn’t about to let her finish. There was no way she was going to give me the brush off.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” She looked perplexed before she huffed at me again. Clearly she was getting annoyed, but I had broken her train of thought.

“I don’t think,” I still didn’t want to hear it. I had to do something to keep her from walking away just yet. I had to know she’d see me again. I pulled her into me and stared into her eyes before grazing my nose along her skin. I ran my hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and twisted my fingers through hers. Her chest was pressed against me and I could feel her heart pulsing.

“Please, Bella? Please come out with me tomorrow. We can go somewhere with Alice and Jasper if it will make you feel better,” I whispered softly in her ear. She was weakening. I could feel it in her posture. She was trying to pull away from me but she was only fighting herself.

She buried her face into my chest and murmured, “I’m starting to think this isn’t such a good idea.” My heart faltered. She couldn’t be turning me away already. Was this some sick joke? I set my jaw and decided I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Well then, if that’s the case, I might as well get this out of the way.” She looked towards me and I made my move.

My lips closed firmly over hers, immediately clouding her brain. She was leaning into me now, grasping the front of my shirt with white knuckles. Her eyes were glassy and she looked stunned. I moved my mouth over hers slowly, taking in the scent and feel that was Bella. It was so much better than I ever could have imagined.

Her lips were soft and smooth and they fit perfectly under mine. The way her body was molded into mine, I couldn’t help but think she was made for me. I could smell her all around me and it was driving me mad. Strawberries and Freesia overwhelmed my senses and I licked her lips, begging for access. I had to have more. A craving was building in me, pushing me forward.

She opened her mouth and I slowly explored her mouth, licking all around. Her tongue brushed mine and I massaged it with my own. Our breath was mixing into ambrosia, permeating the air between us. I pulled her tongue into my mouth and ran my hands back up her sides and took her face in my hands. I didn’t want to push her much further.

As I was about to let her go, her hands shot out and grabbed two hands full of my hair, pulling me into her. I groaned deeply, relishing the pleasure it brought me. I felt my control slip and had her backed into the wall in an instant. Any shred of sanity I had maintained thus far fled far and away. Bella lost in passion was an amazing delight.

She bounced slightly and jumped, wrapping her legs around my waist. I grabbed hold of her hips and pinned her there so she wouldn’t fall. All rationale gone, I ravished Bella. My hands roamed all over her body, taking in her curves and her angles. Her long legs were fascinating. The way the muscles pulled and stretched had my erection springing to life. I could clearly imagine the same position without the barriers of clothing.

Her head was thrown back and she was panting, her chest heaving. A primal growl tore through me as I latched onto her neck, licking and nibbling every sensitive area I could find. She was thrashing around me, driving me insane. The need to touch her and possess her was growing. I bit her neck, just at her jugular, right below her ear. She gasped in surprise, then began pulling at my clothes and shredding my willpower.

Her hips were still lined up with mine and she was slithering around when she suddenly ground herself down into my cock. My thoughts shut off as the pleasure coursed through me. Then I remembered her innocence and my bubble burst. I couldn’t take her right here in the hallway. She hardly knew me and I was ready to steal her purity like some thief in the night.

No. Bella was special. She wasn’t going to be some toss in the sheets for me. I was determined to do this right. I had to slow down and show her that I was sincere before we went any further. The thought of it nearly brought me to me knees. Now that I’d had a taste of her zeal it was going to be hard to resist. I groaned in frustration. I was definitely going to need a cold shower tonight.

Before she could try to spur me onward, I murmured against her mouth. “Stop.” I was shaking with the effort to regain some semblance of control.

I pressed my forehead into hers while we gasped for air. We were both staring at each other with a near crazed excitement. When my breathing started to calm, I cupped her face in my palms once again. I had to take this slow.

“Bella, we need to stop.” I still couldn’t believe what I was giving up, but I was hoping it would pay off in the long run. Even that, though, didn’t make me feel any better at the moment. “Never thought I would say that,” I muttered darkly, already hating myself for the tortures I would endure tonight.

Her lips were red and swollen and she stared at me with dark, hooded eyes. Her chest was still heaving slightly and I had to look away before I buried my face there. A small giggle slipped through her lips and she looked shocked. Then a flood of laughter burst forth from her and she was laughing uncontrollably. For the life of me, I couldn’t be mad at her. I tried to glare but that wasn’t working, so I ran my nose along her jaw line again, savoring the essence of Bella. Her laughs stilled instantly.

I wasn’t going to let her go. Now, more than ever, I was resolute about winning her heart. Bella would be mine. She had to give me a chance. So I did the one thing I had never done for a woman in my life. I begged. I pleaded with Bella to see me the next day. I would go crazy if she cut me off now. I was already shamelessly addicted to her.

“Okay,” she muttered and I let out of breath of relief.

I kissed over her cheeks, across her eyes, and down her nose reverently taking her in and showing her my gratitude for her acceptance. “Thank you,” I whispered against her lips before giving her one last peck.

Her legs were still wrapped around me and as much as I was enjoying it, I had to get her into her room. My resolve was weak and my body was straining towards her. I carefully peeled her off of me and gently placed her on the ground in front of me.

I had to get away, had to clear my head, or else I would follow her. I took a few steps before looking back at her. She looked so desirable standing there with ruffled hair, flushed cheeks, and her hand over her hammering heart. I almost gave in to the pull and stepped back into her, but snapped my knees tight and gave her another once over. “Jesus woman. You’re going to be the death of me.”

Since that somehow amused me, I walked off to my room, whistling.