Chapter Song: Start of Something Good by Daughtry
Characters belong to SM. Places across the USA belong to their respective owners. The plot any ensuing chaos belong to me. :)
Chapter 23 – Los Angeles
Bella's POV
I traditionally didn't pride myself on using my friends – or their connections – to gain access to events or places in the city. If I couldn't get a reservation somewhere or be added to a list
then I didn't go. It was simple, and despite the fact that both Rose and Alice had been to many places that I had not, it never bothered me.
When Mike called to tell me he was going to be in LA for the weekend, I reluctantly agreed to make an exception to my rule. A friend of a friend of a friend of his had somehow managed to
get him and Laurent on the list at Hyde, and with a little arm-twisting Edward and I were added to their party.
I took one final glance at my reflection and smiled. Black mini-dress, Loubitan heels, and just enough makeup to bring out my best features; as Rose would say, I looked like a fuckhot
bitch.
"Damn, woman." Edward's arms wrapped around me from behind and he pressed his lips against my bare shoulder. "I'm not sure anyone else in the club deserves to see you like this."
"Could that be jealousy I hear?" I teased, turning and wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands slid down my back until they were resting on my ass.
"It's all jealousy, and I'm not ashamed to admit it."
"Well, I can assure you there's nothing to be jealous of. I believe we already established that I belong to you and only you."
"Mmmm say that again." His teeth nipped at my neck and earlobe, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.
"Which part?"
"Whom do you belong to?" He slid his hands lower, cupping the back of my thighs and lifting me in the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist and giggled.
"Oh, I don't know, any number of people really. I mean, there's my clients, my family, my-" His lips slammed against mine, silencing me and sending a wave of arousal through me. I
twisted my fingers in his hair, tugging at it and groaning when he sucked my lower lip between his teeth and bit it gently.
"Let's try that again, shall we? Whom do you belong to?" He walked forward, dropping me on the bed and kneeing my legs apart. I watched as his long fingers undid the tie he had on and
tossed it to the floor.
"You." He pushed my dress up, hooking his thumbs in my panties and sliding them off.
"Do you have any idea how sexy it is to hear you say that?" I watched as he undid his zipper and freed himself, pumping his fist along his shaft two times and aligning our bodies. He slid
into me with one hard thrust.
"Edward," I moaned, digging my fingers into his back and arching my hips up to meet his. He dropped his head down and rested it against my shoulder, moving hard and fast inside me. His
fingers found my clit and he rubbed tight circles around it with his thumb.
"Fuck, you feel so good Bella," he mumbled. My body shuddered and my walls clenched around him as my orgasm took hold. I let out a wanton cry when he slammed his hips against mine
and spilled inside me.
"Bella," he whispered, collapsing on top of me and pressing his lips firmly against my cheek. I ran my fingers through his now sweaty hair and tried to control my erratic breathing.
"That was…" my words were lost as his lips found mine. I melted into his kiss, whimpering when I felt him slide out of me.
"Incredible," he said, finishing my sentence and pushing himself up onto his knees. He tucked himself back in his pants, zipping them shut and reaching for his tie. I sat up and grabbed his
hand.
"Skip the tie," I said. His brow furrowed in confusion, but he just shrugged and stood up.
"Whatever you say, beautiful. We should go or we're going to be late."
I stood and headed for the bathroom, freshening up and trying to tame my sex hair. After a few minutes I realized it was a lost cause and decided to let it be.
"Ready?" I asked, emerging from the bathroom and searching for my purse. Edward held it up and I smiled. We were like peanut butter and jelly lately, fitting together perfectly and jiving
with one another.
"Always," he said, opening the door and gesturing for me to go ahead of him. We headed outside where a car was waiting.
Traffic in LA was insane. It took almost forty-five minutes for us to get to the club. When the driver finally came to a stop in front of the building, I said silent thanks for New York City and
the subway system.
"Bell!" Mike rushed forward and engulfed me in a hug. Laurent wasn't far behind, and after they'd both said their greetings, Mike stepped back and looked me up and down.
"Jesus heaven on high, would you look at yourself? You're a fucking bombshell! That dress should be illegal and your skin is practically glowing!"
"That's what I told her back at the hotel," Edward said, nudging my shoulder playfully. "I don't think she's aware of the sexual prowess she has."
Mike tipped his head back and laughed. "She's plenty aware of it. She just chooses not to harness it. Well, until recently that is. From the looks of her right now, she's been harnessing it all
over the country!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough!" I swatted Mike on the back of the head and pointed to the door. "I believe we have a club to go to, no?"
"Yes, we do." Laurent grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the entrance. He leaned over and whispered in my ear," If we don't get him inside now, Mike won't stop. He's been on a roll
all day!"
I rolled my eyes and smiled. "God I've missed you guys."
Laurent led us to our table, which was bordered by a spacious brown leather half-moon booth. A bottle of Patron Silver and a bottle of Belvedere were chilling on ice, surrounded by a
variety of mixers and glasses.
"Think we can all fit in here?" Edward joked, sliding in next to me and placing a hand on my thigh. I eyed the tequila greedily, looking forward to the inhibition that always came when I
drank it.
"You should be eye fucking your boyfriend, Swan, not the Patron." Mike clicked his tongue and grabbed the bottle, opening it and pouring a generous amount into four glasses. "To get this
party started right, I propose a toast."
"A toast to…?" Edward inquired, picking up his glass and swirling the clear liquid around.
"Baby girls, hot dresses, and lasting friendship." We all smiled and clinked our glasses together before tipping them back and taking the shots.
"How is your sister?" I asked Laurent.
"She's doing wonderful, as is the baby." He grinned from ear to ear and grabbed his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen several times then turned it so I could see. A picture of an
adorable baby girl filled the screen, and I couldn't stop my own smile from spreading across my face.
"She's beautiful, Laurent! What's her name?"
"Amelia Nichole Santori."
"She's seven pounds six ounces of cuteness for Laurent and I to spoil," Mike pitched in, grabbing his partner's hand and squeezing it affectionately.
"Mike must be in heaven," I said, winking at Laurent. "If I recall correctly, his mantra since I've known him is kids are amazing as long as I can give them back."
Laurent laughed. "That sounds like good old Newton here."
"Oh, hush. At least I'm responsible enough to know I would be a terrible parent, and therefore chose not to be one."
"Responsible indeed," I agreed, enjoying more Patron and glancing around. The club was full of pretty faces, most of which I guessed were important in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps
I'd get a celebrity sighting on this trip after all.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to hit the men's room." Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek before sliding out of the booth and disappearing into the ever-expanding crowd.
"I've never seen you so happy, Bell!" Mike exclaimed, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. "Has it been like this throughout the trip?"
"I mean, it's been good the whole time, yeah, but ever since we said I love you-"
"You exchanged the big three words?" I thought Laurent was going to jump out of the booth. "When did it happen? Who said it first?"
"Hold up, hold up, hold up." I put my hands in the air and took a deep breath. "I've been away from the two of you for almost a month. I need to be eased back into this routine, please."
"When did it happen?" Mike asked, obviously eager for any piece of gossip he could get.
"When we were in Forks."
"Oh my god, did he say it in front of your parents?"
I shook my head. "No, we were alone at the bed and breakfast."
"So he said it first?" Laurent asked, more calmly this time.
"He said it first, I said it back, and now it's a regular part of our vocabulary."
Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I knew it! I knew you were smitten with him, and he with you! My god, I can't believe Alice and Rose aren't here for this. Have you told them
yet?"
I shook my head. "No, you two are the first to hear it. Rose has so much going on herself right now, and Alice needs to be there for her."
"Always so selfless," Mike said with a click of his tongue. "This excitement is something that you deserve to share with everyone! I mean, just think, four months ago this man was out
enjoying horizontal refreshments with half the women east of the Hudson! Now he's firmly attached to just one, and that one is you. I think that gives you some bragging rights."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop the smile from playing on my lips. "Renee raised a modest girl, Newton. Bragging rights aside, I am incredibly happy, and although this is all unexpected,
it just feels right."
"Well then play your cards the way you want to, my dear." Laurent patted my knee and poured us another round of shots. We clinked our glasses once more and tipped the liquid back
eagerly. I closed my eyes and sighed loving the carefree feeling that accompanied the alcohol.
When twenty minutes and two more shots had passed, I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could spot Edward anywhere in the crowd. My stomach dropped to my feet when my eyes
found him. He was sitting on a stool at the bar engrossed in a conversation with a beautiful raven-haired woman. She had her hand on his knee and her head was tipped back in laughter. I
watched in silence, waiting for him to look over at us, but he never did. What was probably seconds felt like minutes, and before I realized what was happening he leaned forward and slung
his arm over her shoulders, whispering something in her ear and kissing her cheek.
"Bella, where-" Mike's words stopped when he realized what my gaze was settled on.
"Who is that?" Laurent asked, craning his neck so he could watch the surprising exchange taking place a mere twenty yards away.
"I have no idea," I mumbled. "I've never seen her before."
"They look so comfortable," Mike commented, dropping down on the seat between Laurent and I and resting his elbows on the back of the booth.
"He is an expert in making women feel comfortable with him," Laurent said.
"Seriously guys?"
"Sorry, sorry," Mike muttered. "Well, are you just going to sit here, or are you going to go do something about it?"
I peeled my eyes away from Edward and looked back and forth between my two friends. "I don't want to cause a scene…"
"Oh, please, Swan! You don't want to cause a scene? He's giving his number to another woman, for fucks sakes!"
My head shot up just in time for me to see him scribble something on a napkin and hand it to her. That was enough to make me want to create a scene.
I stood and adjusted my dress, marching off toward my boyfriend just as he stood up and headed back in our direction. He stopped when he saw my expression.
"Was there a long line at the bathroom?"
He shrugged. "You could say that. Then again, the club is busy, so it's expected."
"What the fuck Edward?" I grabbed his arm and yanked him toward an empty table. "Do you have anything you need to tell me?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he countered, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes. "What's with the third degree shit? I went to the bathroom, I stopped to
chat with someone at the bar, and now I'm trying to get back to my table to resume having a good time with my girlfriend and our friends. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"You stopped to chat with someone at the bar? Oh, that's rich Edward." I placed my hands on my hips and lowered my voice. "I saw you with your hands all over that woman. You gave her
your number. How does that equate to chatting?"
His eyes grew wide for a minute and then he laughed. "You're freaking out over nothing, Bella. Let me explain-"
"I'm freaking out over nothing? Really? Let's pretend I was the town bike of Manhattan before becoming your girlfriend. Would you think it was 'just nothing' if you saw me flirting it up with
some random guy at the bar?" I used my fingers to make air quotes. Edward took a few steps back, looking at me as if I'd just slapped him.
"Wow. So all that shit you said in Seattle about trusting me and believing I'd changed and being happy to be with me – all of it was a big, fat lie, was it?"
"What the hell are you talking about? Don't turn this around on me!"
"You obviously don't trust me, or you'd let me explain." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in frustration. "I'm not turning anything around on you. I think you've got me perfectly
pigeonholed here."
I bit my lip and tried to think of something witty to come back with, but instead I felt tears starting to build in my eyes. I really didn't want to have this discussion in the middle of a packed
club, and I certainly didn't want him to see me cry. "You'll have plenty of space – and freedom – for the rest of the night, because I'm leaving."
"Of course you are. God forbid you hear something you don't want to. You're so childish sometimes."
I turned and stomped off in the direction of our booth. The tears I felt threatened to spill over, but somehow I managed to keep them at bay with a few blinks. "I need to get out of here."
"What? We just got here!" Mike pouted and gestured to the still-full bottle of vodka in the center of our table.
"You two can stay, but I am not. Laurent, can you please hand me my coat?" I turned to see if Edward was following me, but he was nowhere in sight.
"What happened?" Mike stood and grabbed his own coat, shrugging it on and craning his neck to search the club for the fourth member of our party.
"First he tried to tell me that there was a long line at the bathroom. Then he tried to play it off like she was just some old friend he happened upon."
"Maybe she was?" Laurent winced when he saw my reaction to his words.
"Okay, Swan, let's get you out of here." Mike flung his arm over my shoulders and steered me toward the door.
"Now what are we going to do?" Laurent asked once we were outside. He held his hands up in annoyance when Mike turned and scowled at him. "I'm sorry, but I did not just give up my
table at a high-end LA club to come out here and stand in the middle of the fucking sidewalk like an idiot."
"I said you two didn't have to leave!"
Mike was uncharacteristically silent for a few minutes. His eyes lit up when he finally spoke. "I know exactly where we can go!" He stepped forward and flagged down a cab.
"This better be good," Laurent mumbled.
"Oh, it will be good, trust me." Mike turned to face me and smirked. "And don't you worry, Swan. You can get your drink on nice and good, because none of the men in this place will give a
damn about your goods."
We piled into the backseat of the cab and Mike instructed the driver to take us to Micky's.
"What the hell is Micky's?" I asked with annoyance. I was grateful for Mike's concern, but all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sulk at that point.
"A gay bar with some good eye candy and a wicked drag show."
"As much as I love ogling the other team's lineup, I just don't feel up to this right now."
"Isabella Marie Swan, stop that right this minute!" Mike leaned forward in the seat and glared at me. "I haven't seen you in almost a month, and I'll be damned if I'm letting you sit in the
hotel room eating a ridiculous amount of calories and mindfucking this situation while watching some stupid weepy pay-per-view movie. I don't care if you just have one cocktail, you're
coming out with us."
It was a gay club, after all. One drink with my boys couldn't be so bad.
Right?
-=- HC -=-
Confetti peppered my hair and a pair of dimming glow sticks hung from my neck. It was almost four in the morning when the cab dropped me off, and even though Mike and Laurent
practically had to pour me into it at the bar, I somehow managed to make my way up to the room with minimal trouble.
I slid my keycard into the lock, pushing the door open and staggering inside. I kicked my heels off immediately, wincing in pain when I banged my elbow against the wall.
"Fuck!"
The lights were off and I was greeted by silence. I felt along the wall until I found the light switch, flipping it on and bathing the room in a bright glow. My eyes stung and my head throbbed
immediately.
"What the…" Edward was sprawled out on the couch, hands folded behind his head and eyes glued to the ceiling.
"You're back," he observed, sitting up and looking at me. Guilt washed over me when I saw his expression. Sadness and frustration colored his features, but mostly he looked defeated.
"Why are you on the couch?" I dropped my purse on the floor and hiccupped.
"I wasn't sure if you'd want to share the bed with a lying, sleazy bastard like myself."
I stiffened when I heard the bitterness in his tone. "Very funny, Edward. I never called you sleazy or a bastard," I said, turning to face him.
"No, but you certainly insinuated it."
"I don't want to fight with you." I slid my dress off and pulled on what I thought were my pajamas. Guess I'll find out in the morning.
"You could have fooled me a few hours ago."
I sank down on the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands. "Look, I've had a lot to drink, and I don't want to sit here and fire off a bunch of nonsense that I'll regret tomorrow
morning."
Edward stared at me for a few minutes before lying back on the couch and flinging his arm over his eyes. "Well I certainly hope you enjoyed the rest of your night."
His words upset me, but I meant what I said about not wanting to drop any word vomit. "Goodnight, Edward," I mumbled, turning off the lights and crawling into bed.
"Goodnight, Bella."
Couples fought all the time, right?
So why did I get the feeling that this fight was only the tip of the iceberg for us?
Edward's POV
I opened my eyes slowly, squinting at the sun that streamed through the open curtains. I sat up and looked around, expecting to find Bella passed out in the bed. Instead I was greeted with
an empty room.
I stood and stretched my sore muscles. I hadn't slept on a couch in years, and I certainly didn't think I'd have to start again during my own book signing tour. Sure, I made the conscious
choice to leave the bed, but I just couldn't imagine trying to sleep next to Bella when there was so much anger and uneasiness hanging in the air between us.
I turned on my phone, wondering if she had called or texted to tell me where she was. When I had no alerts, I headed for the shower, preparing to get ready for what would surely be a
long day.
After I was cleaned up and dressed, I noticed the piece of paper that sat on the edge of the bed.
Down at the beach with Mike and Laurent. – B.
I dropped the note in the nearby trash and slid my feet into a pair of sneakers. It didn't take long to spot Bella. She was sitting alone in the sand, legs hugged against her chest and chin
resting on her knees. I dropped down next to her, crossing my legs Indian-style beneath me.
"Morning," I said, glancing over at her. She cocked her head to the side, meeting my eyes and giving me a half-smile.
"Morning."
I picked up a handful of rough sand, letting the granules run through my fingers until only a few remained. I didn't know what to say, who should be the one to apologize, or where our
conversation might lead. After enough time passed to make it feel sufficiently awkward, I finally decided to break the silence. "Her name is Angela Cheney and she went to college with
me."
"I'm sorry I was so quick to jump to conclu-" I pressed my finger against her lips, silencing her so I could continue.
"She was my lab partner freshman year, and her boyfriend – now her husband – Ben used to come over to our dorm and play video games with Jasper and me. I haven't seen her since we
graduated, so you can imagine my surprise when the one place I run into her at is a nightclub across the country.
"I gave her my number to give to Ben so he could look me up when he's visiting his parents in New York. I was coming over to grab you for an introduction when things went south."
Tears brimmed her eyes, but she brushed them away with the back of her hand. "I wish you would have told me this last night."
"I was trying to tell you, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise," I reminded her. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, letting the sun's rays warm her skin.
"I'm sorry I was such an ass," she finally said, opening her eyes and looking in mine. "I know it's not fair for me to make assumptions, especially after all of the conversations we've had
since leaving the city. I guess I just know how hard old habits die sometimes, and that was the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw you at the bar."
"I'm sure Newton and Laurent weren't of any help either." I could only imagine the theories the two of them would dream up if given the chance. "I never claimed to be perfect, Bella. I
have a fair share of flaws, but I've been up front and shared them with you. I can't make you trust me, but I also can't be in a relationship with someone and feel like I have to walk on
eggshells every time we go out in public."
A mixture of emotions filtered through her warm brown eyes. I half expected her to tell me to shove it and wondered if my honesty was too much. When her features relaxed, however, I
knew that everything would be okay.
"You don't have to walk on eggshells, Edward. I really am sorry. You've given me no reason not to trust you, and that's something that I'll remember going forward." She reached her hand
out and covered mine with it, squeezing my fingers and smiling shyly.
"We're okay, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, we're okay."
"Edward! Why are you in clothes?" Mike jogged up and plopped down in the sand next to us.
"I wasn't aware this was a nude beach," I joked.
"It may not be nude, but you could at least wear some trunks! I'm sure there's plenty of ladies – and two gentlemen – who would love to get a good look at those abs!"
I stood and kicked off my shoes, dropping my jeans and peeling off my t-shirt. "You're lucky I come prepared."
"The trunks were only a suggestion, you know."
"What time is the big, bad book signing?" Laurent asked, joining our beach pow wow and passing out some bottles of water.
"Six o'clock at some place called The Grove." I took a swig of water and stretched my legs out in front of me.
"We should do dinner at Geisha House after," Bella piped in. "I hear they have a pretty amazing sushi spread."
"I'm sold," I said. "Who wants to make the reservation?"
"I've got it," Laurent answered, fishing his cell phone out of a vibrant purple colored beach bag.
"What time is it now?" I asked.
"One-thirty," Mike told us. Bella glanced over at me and winked, and I hoped like hell we were on the same wavelength.
"I think I want to take a nap before the signing," she said, standing and brushing the sand from the back of her thighs.
Mike looked thoroughly flabbergasted. "A nap? What are you, sixty five?"
"No, I'm hungover and I would prefer to be fully functional this evening."
"I think a nap sounds like a perfect idea." I stood and slid my arm around Bella's waist. "Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all." Bella winked and pinched my ass playfully.
"O-OH!" Mike's eyes widened in realization and he shooed us with a flick of his wrist. "Get out of here and have your make-up sex! Laurent will text you dinner deets."
"Thanks, Mikey." Bella blew him a kiss and grabbed my hand, pulling me impatiently toward the hotel.
"Great minds think alike," I murmured when we were safe in the privacy of our room. Bella giggled and pulled off my trunks, dropping to her knees and taking me in her mouth.
My head tipped back and hit the door with a thud, and I was pretty sure my heart skipped a beat.
With this as the end result, I couldn't wait for the two of us to fight again.
Bella's POV
Two weeks later we were on the closing leg of the book tour. Edward's final signing was the following night, then we had one more day in D.C. before returning to the city.
I slid back on the bed and grabbed the TV remote. Edward had business contacts up and down the coast, and fortunately a few of them from Virginia were all too eager to take him out to
lunch before his talk at Georgetown.
The phone on the nightstand began to ring, causing me to jump. I assumed it was the front desk, but quickly discovered I was wrong. "Hello?"
"What's wrong with your cell phone?" Alice sounded like she was in a wind tunnel, and for a second I wondered if she was with Rose and had me on speakerphone.
"Did you call it? Cause it didn't ring." I stood and rummaged through my purse. When I couldn't find the phone, I dumped the contents out on the bed and sifted through them. "Oh my god."
"What?"
I slapped my palm against my forehead. "I must have left my phone at the restaurant last night! I can't believe I didn't notice it until now."
"Rose said she tried calling you twice and got no answer, so I decided to call you. And guess what? No answer!"
"Well I'm glad to know you're both thinking of me." I sat back down on the bed and propped a pillow up behind my head. "So what's got Rose blowing my phone up?"
"Oh, who knows? Pregnancy hormones have her acting a bit on the crazy side. But, I can tell you we're both excited to have you back in a few days!"
"I'm excited to come back," I admitted. I loved spending time with Edward, but I missed my friends and sleeping in my own bed.
"I told Jasper about the whole 'I love you' thing."
"Oh really? And what was his response?"
"Well, he's happy for the both of you of course, but there was something behind his expression that I just couldn't place."
"What do you mean there was something behind his expression?"
"It just seemed like he had something to say, but chose not to." The crazy noise in the background resumed, and I guessed Alice was out on one of her many shopping sprees. "I could be
imagining things for all we know, so don't get your panties in a twist over it. I guess I just thought it was weird because guys don't usually have an opinion about that shit. Well, unless
we're talking Newton."
"Maybe Edward and Jasper have a secret bromance and my presence has rocked the boat?" I joked. Alice giggled.
"If that's the case, rock that boat all the way into the harbor. Something must be going right because for the first time in a long time we're all equally happy."
Jinx.
"Will you be in the office on Monday?"
"Of course," Alice chirped. "When does your flight get in?"
"A little after noon I think. Shall I stop by and visit on the way to my apartment?"
"Do you even need to ask? Although I am surprised you're going back to your apartment. I figured you'd want a few more nights of shacking up with Edward."
"Edward can come shack up with me if he wants. I fully intend on submerging myself in my bed and not coming out until Tuesday morning!"
Alice laughed. "Alright sweet pea, enjoy the rest of your time in D.C. and text me when you get your phone back!"
"I'll see you on Monday!"
"Muah!" Alice made a sloppy kissing sound before hanging up.
I settled back into my cocoon, turning my attention to the television program in front of me.
As hard as I tried to avoid it, my thoughts kept turning back to Alice's comment about Jasper. I didn't know why, but for some reason I got a queasy feeling in my stomach when I thought
about any reservations Edward's friends might have about my being with him.
It's nothing, Bella. Chill the fuck out and enjoy yourself.
My heart was busy singing Edward's praises.
My mind, on the other hand, was wondering what it would mean if Jasper's reservations turned out to be something?
More specifically, my mind was now wondering how my heart would handle it if being with Edward turned out to be a mistake?
No comments:
Post a Comment