August 20, 2010

“Are you hungry, Jess?” I asked as Edward drove off in search of dog-food for the spawn of satan. Even now the little beast was growling at me, and I just knew he had plans to sink his fangs into my skin at the slightest provocation. Already I was considering where to put my old roommate up. There were five bedrooms in the house, after all, and the one farthest away from ours…

“No, thanks, I ate at this awful little diner in town. They knew you there, and were nice enough to give me directions, even if there wasn’t anything vegan on the menu. Did I tell you I’m vegan now? I thought I’d try it out, been doing it for two months, and its cool and all, but I’m so hungry. What I wouldn’t give to have a steak right now. Not that I could eat it, I’m too full of grease. You have steak, right? What am I saying? You live on a ranch, of course you have steak.” She continued rambling alongside me as she unloaded at least five pieces of luggage from her little car, handing them off to me to carry since her other arm was holding onto the demon.

My thoughts drifted from what she was saying to the man who wouldn’t be back for at least forty-five minutes, since he had to go into town. Of course, I thought with a smile, he might hurry considering what our evening plans had been. I hoped I had dusted the guest room across the house recently, since I knew I didn’t want her to hear our nocturnal activities.

It had probably been the longest day of my life, what with the accident just at noon, followed by the stress over finding out if Edward was hurt or not. Visiting hours had just been ending when we were kicked out from seeing Mike. Now the moon hung over the land, a glowing orb robbing everything of color while casting shadows blacker than the yorkie’s heart.

“Bella?” I heard my guest call, and realized I had been ignoring her. It was too easy to fall into old patterns, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Where am I going to sleep? You’re house is so big, and so is that husband of yours.” She had started in again and fell in step beside me, urged on by my slight nods and hums of agreement. “When he walked out of that truck I thought I’d just scream! Do you just die a little every day from looking at him? I swear I could see the definition of his thighs right through those close fitting jeans of his.”

Part of my brain was telling me to be jealous, but the rest of me just smiled. If she thought those jeans looked good…

“And that hat!” Even the fiend yelped at her high pitch, and I think the cattle started lowing in the distance. I’d need to calm her down before she started a stampede. “He looks like the perfect cowboy, the hat down low, shadowing his face, making him seem so mysterious and sexy, how do you keep from eating him up?” I had to cough to keep from telling her that was only prevented by uninvited guests.

By this time we had reached the guest room and I peeked in while interrupting her. “I’m afraid this doesn’t get used very often, you’re our first houseguest. Sorry if it’s dusty.”

“Oh, that’s fine, you know I don’t mind a little mess.” I had to bite my tongue at that, her definition of ‘a little mess’ was not having a single clean dish in the apartment. While she yawned I put down her luggage and headed to the linen closet to get some clean sheets. We only kept the comforter on the bed, and I thought for a minute that it might be a good idea to shake it out, but decided against it. It would be easier to just wash it once she was gone, especially since I wouldn’t be surprised if the beast would wet on it or not.

She did help me make the bed at least, yawning the entire time. She had made the drive straight from LA, but was a bit vague on why she was here, only stating that she was upset over missing my wedding, over a year ago. I figured I would get more out of her in the morning.

Little lucifer was really growling now, and I was afraid he might try to make a meal out of me if Edward didn’t get here soon. Jessica wouldn’t be pleased if I hit her dog. It was while putting down a bowl of water for him in the guest bathroom that I finally heard the truck out front, followed by the slamming of the door. It had been over an hour since he had taken off, and I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe his leg was bothering him more than he had let on.

Jessica also heard the truck and her eyes brightened. “Do you think he’ll still have the hat on?” she asked, making me laugh.

“Not if he knows what’s good for him,” I answered. I didn’t care if he was a cowboy and looked like a tall drink of water on a hot day in that hat, I loved his hair and it prevented me from running my fingers through it whenever I wanted.

My face split into a grin when I saw him, not only because he really was so handsome, or because I loved him, but because he had already opened a can of food and had it in one of the old bowls he used at the clinic. He tipped his hat a little at Jess, making her swoon, and placed the food down next to the water. The tiny imp jumped from its master’s arms and made a run for the meal while Jessica thanked us both profusely and claimed she was just going to go to bed.

Edward took my hand and led me back into the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” he asked. My stomach answered before I could, loudly. “I stopped by the diner and got some tapas since neither of us has eaten. They asked me if I was escaping my houseguest.” His warm chuckle was light, and I would have responded but my mouth was full already.

He must have eaten some on his way home, since it was obvious some were missing from the bag, and just leaned back in his chair watching me. The hat was off, resting on the table next to the bag of food, leaving his glorious mane unruly as he drug his fingers through it. Looking down his body I enjoyed the sight of his shirt, unbuttoned to reveal the undershirt that clung to his chest and abdomen and disappearing into his snug jeans, which seemed a touch snugger than normal. Those jeans continued down, revealing the muscular thighs built up from hours in the saddle, encasing legs crossed at the ankle and ending in stocking feet.

His boots were in the breezeway where they belonged. I had told him that as long as he wore them in the house he could do the vacuuming and mopping. They had found their home the next day.

When my eyes made it back up to his face it was to see an eyebrow arched in amusement. Suddenly I wasn’t hungry anymore, at least not for food, and launched myself at him. Wrapping my legs around him he simply stood straight up, his lips on mine as he carried me up the stairs and into our bedroom.

Within seconds his shirts were off and my hands were trailing down his stomach to the button of his jeans. “Still hungry, Mrs. Cullen?” he asked huskily and I just laughed, my lips following my hand and right where I wanted them when that zipper went down.

He was simultaneously the most annoying and the most beautiful boy on the planet. Each day I came to lunch period with a nutritious lunch, lovingly made by my kooky mother, and each day he somehow managed to slam his fist into it. Each day I ended up eating an obliterated sandwich which tasted wonderful but had no recognizable shape.

He cackled merrily every single time he ruthlessly destroyed my lunch.

It was getting old trying to lick the chocolate off of the plastic surrounding my HoHos. The sandwich I could handle, but when I had an apple or some sort of soft cake for dessert, his giant fist would make it into mush.

I was getting mad. I was tempted to put a brick in my lunch bag one day to see how funny it would be for him to maim himself on the expected softness of a PB&J.

I laughed to myself at the thought and he immediately said, “What’s so funny?”

“None of your damn business,” I said icily.

I was so pissed about his antics that I even wrote a poem about my poor destroyed lunch in creative writing class:

Tiny particles
Where once there was sustenance
His knowing smirk
Should be wiped away
With a brick

I got an A on it. My writing teacher ascribed all kinds of symbolism to the short verse and I just pretended I was that deep. An A was an A and it would help my otherwise decidedly unspectacular grade.

Edward Cullen was the beautiful boy in question. Beautiful because he was effortlessly graceful; beautiful because he had grown six whole inches over the summer and he towered over me now; beautiful because even when he was smirking and gloating, his green eyes were fringed with dark thick lashes and his mouth looked oh so…..

“Swan!” hollered the boy in question.

“What!” I hollered back without turning to look. I knew he was loping in my direction to ask for a ride. He hated tumbling into the car with his brother Emmett and Emmett’s hot but bitchy girlfriend Rosalie.

“Can I have a ride?” he asked.

“Seriously?” I asked, continually amazed at the audacity of the boy.

“Natch,” he said. “Maybe we can have a snack at your house? Your mom still make those awesome Jell-O parfaits?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. Edward was from the neighborhood until his dad changed careers and became some sort of software engineer. Another reason to hate him: instant wealth just when it mattered most.

We drove and Edward fiddled with my radio, giving up in favor of my iPod.

“Some of these songs are actually good!” he marveled.

“Gee – don’t be too complimentary,” I said sarcastically.

We got to my house and walked up to the door. I grabbed the key from its hiding place and went in.

“Has anybody ever come in using your key? I think the whole town knows that you have it up there,” he said.

“Nobody’s tried yet. I guess they know that the homeowner is trained in handling deadly weapons so….” I trailed off. “Mom!?” I hollered. No answer. I knew Charlie was still at work.

There was a note on the table saying Mom had gone shopping but she’d be home about seven. Edward was already looking in the refrigerator.

“She makes pudding ones now too?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I admitted. He was annoying me. There was one chocolate parfait left and I’d be damned if Edward “Hammer Hand” Cullen was getting it.

I pushed under his arm and grabbed it before he could and ducked back over to the silverware drawer. I drew out two long-handled spoons and dug into the confection.

“Dude – not cool. Shouldn’t your guest have first choice?” he admonished.

“Not today Cullen. You should never come between a woman and her chocolate,” I warned.

“Can I at least have a bite?” he asked.

“Nope, it’s mine all mine,” I said spitefully.

“Please?” He moved in close, getting his face in front of mine, making his eyes all Cocker Spaniel-like.

“Hells no,” I reiterated. To punctuate the sentiment, I languidly licked the spoon clean of the chocolate.

“You’re such a tease,” he said petulantly, starting to eat his green Jell-O parfait. He leaned in again. “Just a spoonful…” he said.

I let out an exasperated sigh and rolled my eyes. I scooped up a lovely looking bite of the dessert and Edward leaned forward licking his lips. If I had ever considered flirting with Edward, I might think it was kind of hot how his tongue looked just then.

But I never flirted. I didn’t know how. And just as Edward was about to put his lips around the lovely bit of parfait, I turned it into my own mouth and moaned with delight.

“Oh! So good,” I said, pretending it was orgasmic. “Yes! Yes! So fucking good!”

Edward looked seriously ticked.

“I was really looking forward to that bite Swan,” he said. There was a tinge of menace to his voice and I felt the thrill of the chase.

“Awwww, little Eddie didn’t get what he wanted?” I teased. “Poor baby!”

I spooned up another bite of parfait and watched his face as I slowly brought it to my mouth.

“So yummy Edward,” I mocked. “Too bad you weren’t fast enough to grab it for yourself.”

As the bite was almost at my lips, Edward’s hand closed around my wrist. As I leaned forward to claim the yummy goodness, he was pulling my hand away and turning it toward his mouth. He leaned forward, his eyes holding mine, his hand holding mine, and he wrapped his mouth around my spoon. After thoroughly licking off the spoon, he released my hand.

“Too bad you’re not strong enough to feed yourself,” he said smugly.

“Asshole,” I hissed, giving him my bitch-face.

I took another bite of the parfait and when I put the spoon in my mouth I realized Edward’s mouth had just been on it a second ago. Two bites later and I was licking the spoon clean in the same fashion he had.

“Second hand French Swan,” he said.

“What?” I asked. I was thoroughly confused.

“You tongue is touching mine by way of spoon,” he said with a smirk.

“Interesting…” I drawled. I wasn’t quite sure what he was getting at. I was a little alarmed to think that perhaps he’d been watching my tongue the way I had watched his.

I felt a little thrill at the thought, but I was keeping that to myself. No way would anything work out with Edward that way. I just could not kid myself that way.

But then again…

“Can I have a bite of yours?” I asked.

“Tit for tat?” he asked with a crooked smile.

“God Edward! Grow up!” I moaned.

“What?” he asked innocently. A second later he said, “Bella, you need to get your mind out of the gutter.”

I knew he was wallowing down in the filth with me but I decided to let it go.

“So do I get a bite or what?” I asked.

“Yeah, but I get to give it to you since you gave mine to me,” he bargained.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I gave it to you,” I argued.

“All the same…” he said. He scooped up a spoonful of green Jell-O.

“Don’t skimp on the whipped cream,” I said.

“Fine, fine – so demanding!” he chided.

He added some whipped cream and held the spoon out toward me. I grabbed his wrist and felt a total rush at touching him. His wrist was hairy and I could barely wrap my hand around it. I distinctly remembered arm-wrestling with him at a younger age and annihilating him.

I bet it would be a slam-dunk now. I would be helpless.

I couldn’t figure out why my brain kept going in this direction.

“My arm’s getting tired,” he teased. “Are you going to lick my spoon or what?”

I closed my mouth around the spoon and while I was tempted to lick it clean, I simply pulled it back out of my mouth and he took it back in his direction. He licked it clean.

“You’re awfully interested in my tongue today Swan,” he said.

“Shut up Cullen,” I said, burning red with embarrassment.

“You want a taste?” he teased.

“Shut it,” I repeated.

“Truth hurts, eh?” he pestered.

“Get over yourself Cullen,” I said. I was frustrated that I was so easy to read and I definitely didn’t want him to know he was right by any stretch of the imagination.

“You mean to tell me that if I kissed you, you wouldn’t like it?” He was relentless.

“I have no idea,” I said, trying to make it sound like there wasn’t a chance in hell that I’d like it.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he continued. “Wanna try?”

I hated being pushed so I quickly flashed back, “Do you? Do you want to kiss me Edward? Is that why you keep talking about it?”

He looked a little taken aback and I advanced on him, getting up out of my seat and leaning into him. He leaned away in response.

“You talk a good game but when push comes to shove it’s all talk, no action isn’t it?” I snorted derisively.

He grabbed my upper arms, one in each hand and stilled me. He looked at me very carefully, like he was barely under control and said, “Action?”

I stared back for a second, a little nervous now that my fake show of bravado might’ve gone too far. I didn’t know if I should keep up the bluff or if I should back the hell off.

Edward leaned in and said, “I’ll give you action Swan.”

I gulped. I actually gulped and he looked down at my mouth before meeting my eyes again. I decided not to wait. I leaned toward him and pressed my lips to his.

I was pretty surprised to find that when I was that close he smelled just as good as he looked. His mouth felt nice.

I leaned back and we looked at each other again.

“You smell like chocolate,” he said, a slow smile appearing.
“You smell….good,” I stammered.

He looked down at my mouth, back up to my eyes, back and forth as he leaned close to me again. He kissed me this time and we stayed that way for a few seconds, getting used to the idea and getting used to how our lips and faces felt this close together.

I kind of liked it and then with horror I realized that I kind of liked the guy who smashed my lunch every day. I kind of liked the guy who teased me and bummed rides and wanted to abscond with my chocolate parfait.

I liked Edward and I realized suddenly that I liked that I liked him.