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Exactly 600 seconds later, I was at her door. The wait had seemed more like years, but I knew this would be our last separation for the rest of the night. It was a small price to pay.
Bella had barely opened the door when I rushed inside to gather her things in one arm and her in the other. She gasped in surprise as I lifted her up and raced her to my suite in a mere second. I had the door open and both of us inside before she could blink.
I set her down gently, closing the door behind us. As I turned to look, her dazed face was bathed in candlelight. I had feared she would have changed out of her striking gown, but she was still dressed; her hair still pulled back enticingly.
“Edward,” she murmured softly, looking from me to the dimly lit room in awe. Candles enveloped every flat surface of the suite, flickering in the tepid wind that swept in from the open balcony doors.
“Do you like it?” I asked timidly as I reached out to stroke her cheek. Her skin was so soft, like the petal of a freshly opened rose.
Her gaze slowly returned to me, jaw opened slightly and preparing to speak. But instead, she reached up to run her fingertips along my hand that touched her cheek.
“Very much so. What are we listening to?”
“Chopin’s Nocturne in D flat major,” I replied. Her hand had worked its way up my arm to my shoulder, then traced down my side. I inhaled deeply, pummeled by the ecstatic scent of her blood mingled with the fragrant candles peppering the room.
Bella took a small step forward, her gaze never faltering. “You owe me some answers,” she purred.
I swallowed stiffly, trying to focus on her words, but her touch and scent were thoroughly distracting at that moment.
“Why were you laughing at the elevator operator?” She took another step and was now mere inches from me. She glanced away briefly, watching both of her hands leading my arms down against my sides very delicately.
“His thoughts…” I paused, caught between wanting to tell her the truth and keeping her blissfully unaware of the vulgar images I had been forced to endure on both elevator rides.
Bella’s hands flitted back up to the lapel of my jacket. “His thoughts were what?”
I watched her watching her own actions as she began to guide my jacket up and off my shoulders. “Inappropriate.” It was all I could mutter as I realized what she was doing.
“Then why were you laughing?” She paused, her eyes penetrating mine.
“Because…” I began again, but was unable to finish.
She tilted her chin down, staring at me forcefully through her lashes. “Tell me.”
I sighed deeply, unable to reject her piercing gaze. “He had been thinking discourteous thoughts about you the entire ride down to the lobby earlier in the night. I had to retaliate on the return trip.”
Bella continued to slide my jacket down and off of me. “Did it work?”
“Not really. Except it gave me a more than reasonable excuse to kiss you.”
She smiled at my answer, pulling the jacket around and tossing it carelessly onto the floor by the bed.
“And why were you laughing at the man in the box next to us during the concert?” Bella’s hands were back on my shoulders briefly before they both slid down the length of my torso. I reached for her waist, closing the last few inches between us.
“He had a fleeting thought that I resembled a vampire about to bite you.” I grinned despite myself, chuckling again at his wildly perceptive intuition.
Bella leaned towards me as her hands wound around my shoulders. “Is that why you kissed me that way?”
I could no longer command my body. I leaned in as well, positioning my lips against her taunt neck, her carotid artery pulsing delectably. “Yes.” I traced my tongue against her tender skin, savoring the taste that fed the fires inside of me.
She gasped as a rumbling erupted outside of the balcony. Thunder - a storm was approaching. A second peal of thunder resonated in response to the first.
One of Bella’s hands slid up my back and was now tangled in my hair, pulling my hungry lips down on her throat.
“My dress,” she mumbled, her breath now growing increasingly shallow as my lips and tongue found her ear.
“What about it?” I muttered, not paying any attention to her words; I was much too preoccupied with kissing every inch of her jaw and neck.
She sucked in a deep breath before answering. “What were you laughing at before?” Her last word trailed off as she stumbled against me, her knees giving out.
I caught her fall with one hand, using it as an excuse to press her against me while the other hand drifted back towards the notorious zipper. “Oh yes, that.” I smiled despite myself. “I couldn’t help but think as I was zipping you up that you’d need help getting out of the dress as well.” My lips had finished their work on her neck and were now at the corner of her mouth. I paused, allowing my words to sink in. If things were going to continue down this path, she needed to be fully aware of our potential journey into uncharted waters.
An abrupt flash of lightning illuminated the room, followed shortly by a very loud clap of thunder. I could feel Bella’s chest heaving against me as she fought to catch her breath, though I still hadn’t graced her lips with mine. I tilted her still-unsteady body back so that I could see her face in the flickering light. Her eyes were wide and vulnerable again. My frozen heart threatened to plummet out of my chest as a sweeping wave of emotion overtook me.
I waited for her to say something, but words failed to arrive. I tried to speak, but I found myself in the same predicament – utterly speechless by her perfect beauty. The spell between us held until the slightest trace of a smile crossed her heavenly features, inviting me into her.
She broke the rapture by reaching for me again, pulling my face towards her eagerly and determinedly as she kissed me like I had never allowed her to kissed me before.
I almost stumbled backwards at the power of her embrace; the irony of a mere mortal pushing me back in such a way proving yet again that she was the sole reason I was put on the planet.
This time there was no controlling myself. My hands were instantly at the zipper, working feverishly to release her from the constraints of Alice’s well-purposed outfit. Bella pulled her mouth away from mine, but only to gasp for breath as her own hands began to tug at my shirt.
“As much as I love this dress,” I began, panting against her neck. I finally had the zipper down, allowing my hands to relish the feathery sensation of her bare back. “It’s served its purpose.” My hands traced up her spine before I spun her around so I could allow myself to act on my earlier desires. My lips started at the base of her neck as I pushed her hair up and over her shoulder, giving me full access to her delicate spine.
The heavens outside continued their own unabashed fury as an accompaniment to my actions. I was nearing the base of Bella’s back, my mouth greedily caressing her flawless skin when I suddenly felt her breath hitch.
“Edward,” she whispered. Something about her tone instantly distracted me. The confidence and bravado that had dripped from every word she had spoken since arriving was suddenly gone, replaced by hesitation and meekness.
“Just give me a minute…” her voice trailed off as she turned towards me. Her arms were crossed in front of her, holding the dress up. My eyes instantly found hers, searching for a clue as to what she was thinking. I paused in confusion before reaching out to stroke her flushed face.
Immediately she smiled at me, radiating the room. “It’s okay, just give me one moment. Please?” I was completely incapacitated; unsure of her motives and baffled by the contradiction between her words and body language.
Bella took a small step backwards, still holding the dress up with one arm. “One minute. I’ll meet you out on the balcony.” The smile still played on her face, belying her actions yet again. But I had no choice but to obey her requests.
Bella had barely opened the door when I rushed inside to gather her things in one arm and her in the other. She gasped in surprise as I lifted her up and raced her to my suite in a mere second. I had the door open and both of us inside before she could blink.
I set her down gently, closing the door behind us. As I turned to look, her dazed face was bathed in candlelight. I had feared she would have changed out of her striking gown, but she was still dressed; her hair still pulled back enticingly.
“Edward,” she murmured softly, looking from me to the dimly lit room in awe. Candles enveloped every flat surface of the suite, flickering in the tepid wind that swept in from the open balcony doors.
“Do you like it?” I asked timidly as I reached out to stroke her cheek. Her skin was so soft, like the petal of a freshly opened rose.
Her gaze slowly returned to me, jaw opened slightly and preparing to speak. But instead, she reached up to run her fingertips along my hand that touched her cheek.
“Very much so. What are we listening to?”
“Chopin’s Nocturne in D flat major,” I replied. Her hand had worked its way up my arm to my shoulder, then traced down my side. I inhaled deeply, pummeled by the ecstatic scent of her blood mingled with the fragrant candles peppering the room.
Bella took a small step forward, her gaze never faltering. “You owe me some answers,” she purred.
I swallowed stiffly, trying to focus on her words, but her touch and scent were thoroughly distracting at that moment.
“Why were you laughing at the elevator operator?” She took another step and was now mere inches from me. She glanced away briefly, watching both of her hands leading my arms down against my sides very delicately.
“His thoughts…” I paused, caught between wanting to tell her the truth and keeping her blissfully unaware of the vulgar images I had been forced to endure on both elevator rides.
Bella’s hands flitted back up to the lapel of my jacket. “His thoughts were what?”
I watched her watching her own actions as she began to guide my jacket up and off my shoulders. “Inappropriate.” It was all I could mutter as I realized what she was doing.
“Then why were you laughing?” She paused, her eyes penetrating mine.
“Because…” I began again, but was unable to finish.
She tilted her chin down, staring at me forcefully through her lashes. “Tell me.”
I sighed deeply, unable to reject her piercing gaze. “He had been thinking discourteous thoughts about you the entire ride down to the lobby earlier in the night. I had to retaliate on the return trip.”
Bella continued to slide my jacket down and off of me. “Did it work?”
“Not really. Except it gave me a more than reasonable excuse to kiss you.”
She smiled at my answer, pulling the jacket around and tossing it carelessly onto the floor by the bed.
“And why were you laughing at the man in the box next to us during the concert?” Bella’s hands were back on my shoulders briefly before they both slid down the length of my torso. I reached for her waist, closing the last few inches between us.
“He had a fleeting thought that I resembled a vampire about to bite you.” I grinned despite myself, chuckling again at his wildly perceptive intuition.
Bella leaned towards me as her hands wound around my shoulders. “Is that why you kissed me that way?”
I could no longer command my body. I leaned in as well, positioning my lips against her taunt neck, her carotid artery pulsing delectably. “Yes.” I traced my tongue against her tender skin, savoring the taste that fed the fires inside of me.
She gasped as a rumbling erupted outside of the balcony. Thunder - a storm was approaching. A second peal of thunder resonated in response to the first.
One of Bella’s hands slid up my back and was now tangled in my hair, pulling my hungry lips down on her throat.
“My dress,” she mumbled, her breath now growing increasingly shallow as my lips and tongue found her ear.
“What about it?” I muttered, not paying any attention to her words; I was much too preoccupied with kissing every inch of her jaw and neck.
She sucked in a deep breath before answering. “What were you laughing at before?” Her last word trailed off as she stumbled against me, her knees giving out.
I caught her fall with one hand, using it as an excuse to press her against me while the other hand drifted back towards the notorious zipper. “Oh yes, that.” I smiled despite myself. “I couldn’t help but think as I was zipping you up that you’d need help getting out of the dress as well.” My lips had finished their work on her neck and were now at the corner of her mouth. I paused, allowing my words to sink in. If things were going to continue down this path, she needed to be fully aware of our potential journey into uncharted waters.
An abrupt flash of lightning illuminated the room, followed shortly by a very loud clap of thunder. I could feel Bella’s chest heaving against me as she fought to catch her breath, though I still hadn’t graced her lips with mine. I tilted her still-unsteady body back so that I could see her face in the flickering light. Her eyes were wide and vulnerable again. My frozen heart threatened to plummet out of my chest as a sweeping wave of emotion overtook me.
I waited for her to say something, but words failed to arrive. I tried to speak, but I found myself in the same predicament – utterly speechless by her perfect beauty. The spell between us held until the slightest trace of a smile crossed her heavenly features, inviting me into her.
She broke the rapture by reaching for me again, pulling my face towards her eagerly and determinedly as she kissed me like I had never allowed her to kissed me before.
I almost stumbled backwards at the power of her embrace; the irony of a mere mortal pushing me back in such a way proving yet again that she was the sole reason I was put on the planet.
This time there was no controlling myself. My hands were instantly at the zipper, working feverishly to release her from the constraints of Alice’s well-purposed outfit. Bella pulled her mouth away from mine, but only to gasp for breath as her own hands began to tug at my shirt.
“As much as I love this dress,” I began, panting against her neck. I finally had the zipper down, allowing my hands to relish the feathery sensation of her bare back. “It’s served its purpose.” My hands traced up her spine before I spun her around so I could allow myself to act on my earlier desires. My lips started at the base of her neck as I pushed her hair up and over her shoulder, giving me full access to her delicate spine.
The heavens outside continued their own unabashed fury as an accompaniment to my actions. I was nearing the base of Bella’s back, my mouth greedily caressing her flawless skin when I suddenly felt her breath hitch.
“Edward,” she whispered. Something about her tone instantly distracted me. The confidence and bravado that had dripped from every word she had spoken since arriving was suddenly gone, replaced by hesitation and meekness.
“Just give me a minute…” her voice trailed off as she turned towards me. Her arms were crossed in front of her, holding the dress up. My eyes instantly found hers, searching for a clue as to what she was thinking. I paused in confusion before reaching out to stroke her flushed face.
Immediately she smiled at me, radiating the room. “It’s okay, just give me one moment. Please?” I was completely incapacitated; unsure of her motives and baffled by the contradiction between her words and body language.
Bella took a small step backwards, still holding the dress up with one arm. “One minute. I’ll meet you out on the balcony.” The smile still played on her face, belying her actions yet again. But I had no choice but to obey her requests.
