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Chapter 8
The stage lay directly in front of us, providing an extravagant view of the orchestra as they began to seat themselves.
I lifted her hand up so she could slide past me towards the edge of the box to peer over the side, then I stepped up behind her, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist and resting my chin on the top of her head.
“What do you think?” My lips wanted to bend down and kiss her, but I forced my chin to stay put. She leaned back against me.
“Incredible. I only wish…” she paused.
“What?”
“There are four seats up here. Obviously we’ll have company.” She sounded extremely disappointed.
I chucked and spun her around to face me. “No, we won’t.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You bought all four seats, didn’t you?”
“I thought it’d be more enjoyable if we had a box to ourselves.” I inhaled deeply, letting her succulent scent burn my throat. Then I closed my eyes and lifted my face up, letting the lambent tongues of flame run their course as I listened to the orchestra begin its tuning process. I could feel the vibrations of the instruments below resonating off the walls of the hall. It was a very pleasant feeling. Underneath the sound of the multitude of string instruments, I could hear Bella’s heart rate start to increase as she placed one of her warm palms on my cheek.
“Is it bad?” she asked softly. I assumed she was referring to my reaction to the scent of her blood.
I opened my eyes slowly, still relishing the pleasing auditory sensations that filled my ears. As I looked down at Bella’s concerned face, the burning in my throat subsided, replaced by that other hunger I’d been struggling desperately against since arriving at the hotel.
I couldn’t help but grin at her. “No, it’s fine. Just enjoying the environment.” I reached up to take the hand she had on my face and guided it over her eyes. “Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear?”
“Well, the music of course. And the crowd below…is there something else?”
“Focus on the orchestra. Can you feel the music?” I didn’t know how else to explain the sensation, and maybe it wasn’t possible for her to feel it the way I did. I waited anxiously for her answer.
A slow smile spread across her face as the horns and woodwinds began to tune from the first chair violin’s enduring A note.
“Yes, I can!” She opened her eyes and gazed at me. A wave of excitement swept over me after witnessing her reaction, and I spontaneously pulled her tightly against me, spinning her around and gently lowering her into an awaiting seat. I leaned down, just an inch from her face.
“They’ll be starting soon. Shall we make ourselves comfortable?”
I laughed at the dazed look on her face as I took the seat next to her. “Sorry, just anxious for the show to start.” I continued to stare at her breathtaking features as she attempted to compose herself before leaning seductively towards me. Her lips softly brushed my cheek.
“Me too.” Bella placed her hand on my knee and slowly began tracing patterns with her finger as the conductor walked out on stage and the hall filled with applause. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on not losing control as the sensation from her light touch drove jolts of electricity through my entire body.
The music began, drifting up off the stage and filling the auditorium. It wasn’t helping my control; if anything, it was undermining it in the most unspeakable way.
“What are they playing?” Bella breathed into my ear. Her breath sent shivers down my back, only to be eclipsed by the shivers coming up from my knee. I opened my eyes and swallowed the venom, trying to speak as evenly as possible.
“Carnival of the Animals. See the pianists sitting towards the back?” I pointed to the two baby grand pianos nestled back by the woodwinds, trying to distract myself by turning our attention to the stage.
She hadn’t moved from her position; her body still firmly pressed against mine as her head turned slightly towards the stage. The music began softly, and I watched her angelic face watching the orchestra. Her hand slowly quit moving on my knee, leaving me restlessly yearning for more physical contact.
I casually stretched my arm across the back of her seat, brushing my fingertips against her bare shoulder. Bella twitched slightly, a small smile breaking across her face as her fingers began stroking my knee again. I started to lean in towards her neck, desperately wanting just one small taste of her skin. It was so terribly tempting.
Behave, I reminded myself. I had to at least try and let her enjoy the show. What kind of monster would bring her all of this way just to despoil her five minutes into the first piece?
I continued to watch her closely while random thoughts of self-indulgence danced through my head. My hand that had been caressing her shoulder was now working its way up to her hair, playing with the soft curls. I tried to clench the armrest with the other, fighting the urge to pull her head towards me so I could kiss her. At first I thought she was oblivious to my wandering fingers, but as Carnival of the Animals ended and Mendelssohn’s haunting Violin Concerto began, Bella scooted closer and rested her head on my shoulder.
I gave up on the armrest and reached around to stroke her chin, burying my face against her hair. Her hold on my knee tightened in response. Again, my body shuddered involuntarily.
“Did you ever want to play the violin?” Her question seemed to come out of nowhere. I sat in bafflement for a second, trying to remember what we were listening to. In this state any number of threats could come at us and I’d be too preoccupied to respond. I pushed that thought out of my mind, refocusing my attention on her.
I turned her head ever so slightly, allowing me access to her ear. “I prefer my beloved piano.” As my lips traced along her ear, I felt her start to smile against my neck. “But not quite as much as I prefer you.” Her free arm snaked up and around to permit her fingers to brush through my hair.
“I feel like I’m in another world right now.” She brushed a gentle kiss against my jaw and pressed herself even harder against me.
“Pay attention to the music, Bella.” I tried to sound serious, but I almost choked on my own words. I was actually becoming a little dizzy from the continual assault of euphoric sensations. The music. Bella’s heated body. Her eager lips.
It was as if she knew exactly what was happening to me. “I am paying attention,” she murmured between kisses. She had worked her way up to my earlobe.
“You are a very dangerous creature,” I whispered as I involuntarily reached one hand around her waist to pull her up and towards my lap. The armrest between our seats was not helping my ploy.
“Edward,” she mumbled almost incoherently as her lips finally found mine.
We were both utterly incapable of restraint like earlier in the evening. I kissed her as forcibly as I dared, lost to the ardent feeling of her mouth working eagerly against mine.
I was tantalizingly close to forgetting where we were at that moment, but a muffled cough in the box next to ours snapped me out of the luscious haze of rapture that we were both caught up in. I realized how we must look; Bella halfway in my lap, stretched out across the armrest as she reached up to embrace me in a rather passionate kiss. Not exactly the right decorum in such a place. And I would really hate for us to be thrown out of the concert for indecent behavior, though it would get us back to our awaiting hotel suite that much sooner.
Extremely reluctantly, I pulled away from Bella and moved to slide her back off of my lap and into her seat. I answered her puzzled look immediately.
“We were distracting our fellow patrons in the next box. I think we’ll need to stay in our own seats.”
Bella turned to look over at the next box where an older gentleman continued to stare at us. His thoughts were an unusual mixture of disapproval and unabashed nosiness, though his face simply looked stunned. Then one last thought flittered through his mind.
He almost looks like a vampire attacking that poor girl!
The man quickly looked away; ashamed when Bella and I both met his eyes. I chuckled to myself and planted a very intentional ravenous kiss on Bella’s neck, hoping he’d turn back in time to see that I was acting out his fears.
“What was that for?” Bella breathed in surprise.
“I’ll tell you later,” I whispered, releasing her from my hold so that we could both attempt to properly behave the rest of the concert.
Bella rolled her eyes at me. “More secrets. You better not make any plans other then to confess the growing list of promises and secrets after the show.”
I couldn’t help but snicker in her ear. “Is that all you want to do after the show? I will confess anything you desire, dear Bella.”
Her face inadvertently began to flush, the heat from her cheeks distracting me thoroughly. She reached out and gripped my hand, squeezing it as hard as she could. “I think it’s my turn to tell you to behave,” she mumbled.
I conceded, sitting back in my own chair and watching her carefully from the corner of my eye. The Mendelssohn concerto was winding to a close. Just one more piece to get through, I thought incredulously. Never in my life had I wanted a show such as this to end sooner rather then later.
The stage lay directly in front of us, providing an extravagant view of the orchestra as they began to seat themselves.
I lifted her hand up so she could slide past me towards the edge of the box to peer over the side, then I stepped up behind her, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist and resting my chin on the top of her head.
“What do you think?” My lips wanted to bend down and kiss her, but I forced my chin to stay put. She leaned back against me.
“Incredible. I only wish…” she paused.
“What?”
“There are four seats up here. Obviously we’ll have company.” She sounded extremely disappointed.
I chucked and spun her around to face me. “No, we won’t.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You bought all four seats, didn’t you?”
“I thought it’d be more enjoyable if we had a box to ourselves.” I inhaled deeply, letting her succulent scent burn my throat. Then I closed my eyes and lifted my face up, letting the lambent tongues of flame run their course as I listened to the orchestra begin its tuning process. I could feel the vibrations of the instruments below resonating off the walls of the hall. It was a very pleasant feeling. Underneath the sound of the multitude of string instruments, I could hear Bella’s heart rate start to increase as she placed one of her warm palms on my cheek.
“Is it bad?” she asked softly. I assumed she was referring to my reaction to the scent of her blood.
I opened my eyes slowly, still relishing the pleasing auditory sensations that filled my ears. As I looked down at Bella’s concerned face, the burning in my throat subsided, replaced by that other hunger I’d been struggling desperately against since arriving at the hotel.
I couldn’t help but grin at her. “No, it’s fine. Just enjoying the environment.” I reached up to take the hand she had on my face and guided it over her eyes. “Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear?”
“Well, the music of course. And the crowd below…is there something else?”
“Focus on the orchestra. Can you feel the music?” I didn’t know how else to explain the sensation, and maybe it wasn’t possible for her to feel it the way I did. I waited anxiously for her answer.
A slow smile spread across her face as the horns and woodwinds began to tune from the first chair violin’s enduring A note.
“Yes, I can!” She opened her eyes and gazed at me. A wave of excitement swept over me after witnessing her reaction, and I spontaneously pulled her tightly against me, spinning her around and gently lowering her into an awaiting seat. I leaned down, just an inch from her face.
“They’ll be starting soon. Shall we make ourselves comfortable?”
I laughed at the dazed look on her face as I took the seat next to her. “Sorry, just anxious for the show to start.” I continued to stare at her breathtaking features as she attempted to compose herself before leaning seductively towards me. Her lips softly brushed my cheek.
“Me too.” Bella placed her hand on my knee and slowly began tracing patterns with her finger as the conductor walked out on stage and the hall filled with applause. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on not losing control as the sensation from her light touch drove jolts of electricity through my entire body.
The music began, drifting up off the stage and filling the auditorium. It wasn’t helping my control; if anything, it was undermining it in the most unspeakable way.
“What are they playing?” Bella breathed into my ear. Her breath sent shivers down my back, only to be eclipsed by the shivers coming up from my knee. I opened my eyes and swallowed the venom, trying to speak as evenly as possible.
“Carnival of the Animals. See the pianists sitting towards the back?” I pointed to the two baby grand pianos nestled back by the woodwinds, trying to distract myself by turning our attention to the stage.
She hadn’t moved from her position; her body still firmly pressed against mine as her head turned slightly towards the stage. The music began softly, and I watched her angelic face watching the orchestra. Her hand slowly quit moving on my knee, leaving me restlessly yearning for more physical contact.
I casually stretched my arm across the back of her seat, brushing my fingertips against her bare shoulder. Bella twitched slightly, a small smile breaking across her face as her fingers began stroking my knee again. I started to lean in towards her neck, desperately wanting just one small taste of her skin. It was so terribly tempting.
Behave, I reminded myself. I had to at least try and let her enjoy the show. What kind of monster would bring her all of this way just to despoil her five minutes into the first piece?
I continued to watch her closely while random thoughts of self-indulgence danced through my head. My hand that had been caressing her shoulder was now working its way up to her hair, playing with the soft curls. I tried to clench the armrest with the other, fighting the urge to pull her head towards me so I could kiss her. At first I thought she was oblivious to my wandering fingers, but as Carnival of the Animals ended and Mendelssohn’s haunting Violin Concerto began, Bella scooted closer and rested her head on my shoulder.
I gave up on the armrest and reached around to stroke her chin, burying my face against her hair. Her hold on my knee tightened in response. Again, my body shuddered involuntarily.
“Did you ever want to play the violin?” Her question seemed to come out of nowhere. I sat in bafflement for a second, trying to remember what we were listening to. In this state any number of threats could come at us and I’d be too preoccupied to respond. I pushed that thought out of my mind, refocusing my attention on her.
I turned her head ever so slightly, allowing me access to her ear. “I prefer my beloved piano.” As my lips traced along her ear, I felt her start to smile against my neck. “But not quite as much as I prefer you.” Her free arm snaked up and around to permit her fingers to brush through my hair.
“I feel like I’m in another world right now.” She brushed a gentle kiss against my jaw and pressed herself even harder against me.
“Pay attention to the music, Bella.” I tried to sound serious, but I almost choked on my own words. I was actually becoming a little dizzy from the continual assault of euphoric sensations. The music. Bella’s heated body. Her eager lips.
It was as if she knew exactly what was happening to me. “I am paying attention,” she murmured between kisses. She had worked her way up to my earlobe.
“You are a very dangerous creature,” I whispered as I involuntarily reached one hand around her waist to pull her up and towards my lap. The armrest between our seats was not helping my ploy.
“Edward,” she mumbled almost incoherently as her lips finally found mine.
We were both utterly incapable of restraint like earlier in the evening. I kissed her as forcibly as I dared, lost to the ardent feeling of her mouth working eagerly against mine.
I was tantalizingly close to forgetting where we were at that moment, but a muffled cough in the box next to ours snapped me out of the luscious haze of rapture that we were both caught up in. I realized how we must look; Bella halfway in my lap, stretched out across the armrest as she reached up to embrace me in a rather passionate kiss. Not exactly the right decorum in such a place. And I would really hate for us to be thrown out of the concert for indecent behavior, though it would get us back to our awaiting hotel suite that much sooner.
Extremely reluctantly, I pulled away from Bella and moved to slide her back off of my lap and into her seat. I answered her puzzled look immediately.
“We were distracting our fellow patrons in the next box. I think we’ll need to stay in our own seats.”
Bella turned to look over at the next box where an older gentleman continued to stare at us. His thoughts were an unusual mixture of disapproval and unabashed nosiness, though his face simply looked stunned. Then one last thought flittered through his mind.
He almost looks like a vampire attacking that poor girl!
The man quickly looked away; ashamed when Bella and I both met his eyes. I chuckled to myself and planted a very intentional ravenous kiss on Bella’s neck, hoping he’d turn back in time to see that I was acting out his fears.
“What was that for?” Bella breathed in surprise.
“I’ll tell you later,” I whispered, releasing her from my hold so that we could both attempt to properly behave the rest of the concert.
Bella rolled her eyes at me. “More secrets. You better not make any plans other then to confess the growing list of promises and secrets after the show.”
I couldn’t help but snicker in her ear. “Is that all you want to do after the show? I will confess anything you desire, dear Bella.”
Her face inadvertently began to flush, the heat from her cheeks distracting me thoroughly. She reached out and gripped my hand, squeezing it as hard as she could. “I think it’s my turn to tell you to behave,” she mumbled.
I conceded, sitting back in my own chair and watching her carefully from the corner of my eye. The Mendelssohn concerto was winding to a close. Just one more piece to get through, I thought incredulously. Never in my life had I wanted a show such as this to end sooner rather then later.
