Hot Commodity: Chapter 5 - Can We Be Friends?

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Chapter 5 – Can We Be Friends?

Bella's POV

Monday morning came far too quickly. I couldn't stop thinking about Edward and our exchange at the bar on Saturday night. As always, my mouth got the best of me and I ended up looking like a bitch and a half. I'd known by his tone that he was just ribbing me when he first joined our group, but I couldn't stop the word vomit that came pouring out.

"I'm not one to back down easily, Cullen. Besides, you're a hot commodity. Representing you will open dozens of doors for me." I cringed when I thought about how bad that sounded. I made it seem like I was planning on riding his coat tails into New York high society fame when in reality that was not the case at all. Edward was my client now and I had vowed to treat him with the same amount of respect and professionalism I treated all my clients with.

Evidently that detail slipped my mind when I walked into the bar that night.

In the end I just couldn't blame Edward for saying the things he did. I wanted to go after him when he made a beeline for the bathroom, but Jasper was up and out of his chair before I could fully register what had just happened. When Jasper returned to the table alone, I knew I'd missed my chance. Sure enough, Edward was sitting at the bar absorbed in conversation with the woman he had referred to as a "very attractive creature" before he stormed off. I couldn't help but stare as he helped her put her coat on and walked her out the door. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was jealous, and judging from the look on his face he knew that. I wanted to appear unfazed, so I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Emmett's story. Inside, however, I was crushed.

I'd told him on Friday that I'd be in touch Monday to discuss what information I got from the contacts I'd spoken with. It was almost noon and I still hadn't mustered up the courage to pick up the phone. An apology was in order, and though I knew he'd accept it, I didn't know what to say to explain my behavior.

"You are deliciously attractive, you have an amazing body, and even though you've been nothing but a total dick so far, I've spent the past week fantasizing about you. Please excuse my bitchiness; it's all part of the wall I had to erect to keep myself from trying to jump your bones every time I see you." I didn't think that would go over too well.

I took a deep breath and picked up my phone. After three rings I thought I might be in the clear, but he picked up in the middle of the fourth.

"This is Cullen."

Shit. I really was unprepared. "H-hi, hello, this is Bella Swan." Really Bella? Could you sound any less suave?

"Ms. Swan, what a treat. I've been waiting all morning for your call." His tone was friendly enough. 

Maybe this would be easier than I thought.

"The purpose of my call is business, but first I feel that I need to apologize for my behavior on Saturday night. You did nothing to deserve what I said to you and I honestly have no good reasons for having said it." There - it was over.

He was silent for a moment and I was afraid he'd hung up on me. "Are you free for lunch today, Ms. Swan?"

"I could do lunch." I didn't think; I just spoke. This can't be good.

"Great. I'm only a few blocks from your office. I can have my driver swing by and pick you up. 

That is if you want to be in the same vehicle as me." He was teasing me again. I guessed that meant I was forgiven.

I bit my lip and pulled at my hair. The Snarky McSass part of me wanted to tell him I was perfectly capable of getting to wherever we were going on my own. The rational part of me, on the other hand, knew I'd been sassy enough already, and that was the part that won. "I'd love to ride with you. I'll head downstairs right now."

"We'll pick you up on 45th," he said, ending the call. I grabbed my purse and denim jacket and headed downstairs. The Lincoln was already parked on the curb when I walked outside.

"Good Morning, Mr. Cullen." I slid into the seat and shut the door behind me.

"Good Morning, Ms. Swan." His green eyes sparkled with humor. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Enough of the formalities, can we please go back to being Bella and Edward now?" I chewed on my fingernail nervously. "I meant what I said on the phone. I'm really sorry for my behavior on Saturday."

He chuckled and glanced out the window. "Apology accepted, Bella." His green eyes were filled with intensity when he looked back at me. "I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have reacted that way, regardless of what was said."

My stomach buzzed with an unfamiliar sensation. It was then that I realized his looks would be my downfall. I planned on resisting him for as long as possible, but even the strongest of the strong fell eventually.

"Where are we going for lunch?" I blurted out. I had to steer the conversation in a generic direction.

"There's a café in Soho that I like to frequent. I was hoping you'd be willing to try it out." The intense eyes were back.

"I've always enjoyed trying new things," I stammered. I pulled my phone out of my purse and busied myself with checking my emails. We rode the rest of the way in silence, save for the sounds of the busy NYC streets outside.

As hard as I tried not to, I couldn't help but steal the occasional look at him. His eyes were glued to my face for the entire drive. This small fact triggered butterflies in my stomach.

Calm the hell down Bella. It's just lunch.

A growing part of me wished it was so much more.

---

Jasper's POV

To say I was nervous about this lunch date would be a grave understatement. Shitting my pants with terror was more like it.

Alice gave me her phone number at the bar on Saturday, and even though it was borderline stalkerish, I'd called her first thing Sunday morning and asked her to have dinner with me Monday night. She apologized and said she had plans, but asked me if I would be available for lunch instead.  

My first thought was I'd make time for her regardless of my own schedule, but the intelligent part of my lust-drunk brain refrained from sharing this piece of information. I had an interview in the early afternoon on the Upper West Side, so we arranged to meet at my friend Laurent's pizza parlor.

Engaging in conversation with Alice on Saturday was easy. Bella, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to deal with, especially after her and Edward's spat. After ten minutes of assuring her I was nothing like my sex-crazed buddy (which is no lie, it'd been over a year since I'd even seen a woman naked), she finally calmed down and started to act a little less icily towards me. By the end of the night she was pretty toasted, and that's when Bella told me she couldn't believe I was friends with "the green-eyed snake," and that as long as I left him at home I was welcome to come out with her group any time. She also gave Alice and me her blessing, which I saw as a sign that Alice must like me in some way.

"Jasper!" Alice's cheerful voice rang out from the entryway. She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek in greeting. I gave her a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek in return.

"You look lovely, Alice. That color suits you quite well." She wore a maroon colored dress that clung to her curves. Her shoulder length brown hair was combed down to frame her face and her bright blue eyes stood out against her pale skin. Her lipstick was the exact same shade as her dress, which I found to be incredibly arousing.

"Thank you!" She blushed and looked up at me nervously. "Is this place a la carte? I've heard such good things about their food! I can't believe you know the guy who owns it!"

I grabbed her hand and led her to our table. "They bring around different pizzas and appetizer dishes. You pick what you want to try. It's kind of like Italian style dim sum."

"That's so awesome!" I pushed her chair in as she sat down and took the seat opposite her. "Maybe I can talk you into introducing me to the chef someday?"

I glanced over her shoulder and saw Laurent approaching our table. "How about I introduce you to him right now?" Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands excitedly.

"Jasper, my friend!" Laurent leaned down and gave me an awkward, one-armed man hug. "It's been too long since I've seen you in here. Who is this beautiful young lady?" He gave Alice a friendly smile.

"This beautiful young lady is Alice Erickson. Alice, meet the brains behind dim sum pizza, Laurent Giuseppe." She broke out in an ear-to-ear grin and shook his hand eagerly.

"It's my first time coming here, but I've heard such wonderful things! I can't wait to try your creations."

Laurent laughed and shook his head at me. "I see Jasper here has been talking me up again. I can only hope your experience meets your expectations, Ms. Erickson."

"Please, call me Alice." She looked mischievously at me and then back up at Laurent. "And it wasn't Jasper who talked you up, it was a food critic I met at a gala." This time it was Laurent's turn to look giddy.

"I'm afraid if I stay out here much longer my head will get too big to fit through the kitchen door." 

He winked at me and gave Alice a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be sure to send over something special for the two of you for dessert."

"He seems like quite a nice man," Alice remarked after Laurent was out of earshot. "Is he straight?"

This woman wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. I liked that. It would be a nice change from the last few women I'd dated. "As a matter of fact he isn't. Where does this curiosity come from, if I may ask?"

"Mike Newton is on the market and I think that the two of them would hit it off perfectly!" Alice's blue eyes radiated excitement. I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a teenager right along with her. One of the waiters came by with a cart full of appetizers. We each grabbed two small plates of food and started eating.

"So, Newton is gay, huh?" This knowledge would be invaluable to Edward. I know he thought Mike might be a potential cock block in this bet of ours. Maybe I'll keep this secret to myself for a while and let him squirm a bit.

"Where does this curiosity come from, if I may ask?" Alice threw my words back at me playfully.

"Inquiring third party minds would like to know."

Her lips curled up in a knowing smirk and she leaned forward, eager for gossip. "I knew it! Edward Cullen has the hots for Iz, doesn't he?"

I raised my hands in impartial surrender and smirked back. "I plead the fifth. I'm crossing into enemy territory here. My lips are sealed."

"Oh c'mon Jasper, it's so obvious!" Alice nibbled on a breadstick and gazed thoughtfully at me. 

"You can't tell me it was a coincidence he decided to go with our firm. Nor can you tell me it was sheer luck that the two of you just happened to be at the same bar we were at on Saturday. If anything I've heard about Edward is correct, he doesn't typically put in appearances at places in Chelsea."

I felt the need to defend my best friend, even though I knew a large part of his reputation was deserved. "He's not really as bad as everyone makes him out to be. Believe it or not there is a heart buried somewhere deep down in there. He just does a good job of making it seem otherwise."

"Well, heart or no heart, I'm pretty sure he's after Iz. I've never heard of him going to such great lengths just to be around a woman before. And I know Iz well enough to know that when she adamantly avoids someone, it means she's got a crush on them."

Yep, definitely withholding this information from Edward. All in the interest of winning this bet, right?

"As much as I'd love to spend my lunch break dissecting the romantic motivations of our good friends, I'd much rather get to know you." Alice blushed as I reached across the table and softly placed my hand on top of hers. "So, Alice, tell me about yourself. Are you a Manhattan native?"

"Rose and I grew up together on the Upper East Side. Our mothers have been friends since before we were even born." I listened intently as Alice entertained me with details about her childhood. She told me about how she and Rose had been going to FAO Schwarz every Christmas since they were five to have their photo taken with Santa, a tradition they continued to carry on to this day. She talked about going to all-girls schools her entire life, and how she'd stole her first kiss from a boy named Tyler outside Dunkin Donuts during her freshman year. She told me about meeting Bella at Harvard and getting her drunk on tequila poppers at a frat party.

"You've been through a lot with those two girls. You've very lucky to have them as friends," I said, referring to Rosalie and Bella. Alice nodded and a hint of nostalgia played on her face.

"You have no idea. I love them both like sisters. I can't imagine being apart from them for an extended period of time, ever." Alice looked at her watch and gasped. "I didn't realize what time it was! I have to meet with a client in twenty minutes."

I flagged a waiter down and handed him my credit card. "Time flies when you're having fun," I teased.

"You do realize you have an advantage over me now." She stood up and moved towards me as the waiter returned with our bill. I signed the credit slip absentmindedly, making sure to leave a generous tip, before standing up myself.

"What advantage is that exactly?"

She poked my chest playfully. "You know everything about me and I know nothing about you!"

I ran my hand down her arm, feeling Alice shiver beneath my touch. "That really isn't fair now is it? 

How do you feel about dancing?"

She looked confused. "Dancing? Well, I love to dance. Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to go out with me again on Friday? We could go to dinner and then go dancing. Do it up, very old style New York. And, if you're nice, I'll tell you everything you could possibly want to know about me when I walk you home at the end of the evening." All the words came out in a nervous rush. So much for sounding romantic.

Her eyes twinkled and she smiled shyly. "Jasper Whitlock, are you asking me out on an authentic Manhattan date?"

I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I am."

She pulled back from me and smiled. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were filled with anticipation. "I would love to go out with you on Friday."

I felt like I was floating as I followed her to the restaurant's entrance. Alice Erickson was letting me take her out on the town. I couldn't believe it. Feelings of excitement, happiness, and fear coursed through me, and for the whole thirty seconds it took for us to get outside, it felt like we were the only two people that existed in the world.

"Can I pick you up at seven?" I sounded overly excited, but at that moment I really didn't care.

Alice smiled again. "Seven is perfect. I'll text you my address later this week." She looked at her watch once more and looked up at me. "I really have to go. Thank you for lunch, it was wonderful. I'll be looking forward to Friday." She stood up on her toes and kissed my cheek softly.

"I'll be looking forward to Friday, too." I gave her a small wave, slid my hands in my pockets, and watched her walk off towards the subway.

Alice Erickson was the epitome of perfection. She had it all – she was charming, funny, beautiful, sincere, and she had her quirks, just like me. I couldn't believe she agreed to go out with me again. 

The whole experience was so surreal.

I gave myself a mental pat on the back and paged my driver. Oh a whim I made a call to my mother's favorite florist and arranged for a bouquet of calla lilies to get delivered to Alice's office on Thursday. The message on the card was cheesy – "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. Looking forward to tomorrow night." – but I didn't care. I was pulling out all the stops here. I wasn't sure why, but I knew she was worth it.

I slid into the backseat of the Lincoln and rested my head against the cushy leather seat.

Here's to the beginning of something amazing.

---

Edward's POV

I dropped my fork onto the plate in front of me and rubbed my stomach appreciatively. I'd never been disappointed with the food in this place, and as such I always ate a little more than I should. I gave Bella a sheepish grin and let out a soft groan.

"I think I may need someone to roll me out of here." She laughed and shook her head at me.

"You probably should've skipped the cheesecake. I think that might have triggered the onset of a food coma." She sipped her water and eyed me amusedly. Lunch had turned out better than I expected. I thought Bella would be all business, but I was wrong. After our exchange when she first got in the car, her mood lightened immensely and she'd even laughed a few times during the course of our meal. I tried apologizing once more for my behavior on Saturday, but she waved her hand dismissively and told me it was water under the bridge.

Who the hell was I kidding anyway? I wasn't sorry for leaving with another woman. It's who I was and I'd be damned if I apologized for that.

"The cheesecake is my main motivation for coming here." I tossed my napkin on the table, as the waiter appeared to clear our dishes.

"It was quite delicious," she admitted. "Thank you for bringing me here. I'm going to have to come with Alice and Rose sometime. I'm sure they'd both love it."

"You three might as well be joined at the hip," I joked. She smiled and sipped her iced tea.

"I could say the same about you and Jasper. I don't think I've ever seen you out without him."

I grinned at her and ran a hand through my already disheveled hair. "Every guy needs a wingman, Bella. That's rule number one of the dating game."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "The dating game? Do you even date?"

I shrugged. "Rule number two is no dating."

"How can you have a dating game without any dating?" She smirked. "Perhaps a better term for your activities would be 'the fucking game'?"

"Perhaps." I laughed and looked out the café window. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Bella."

"Wonder about me? What's there to wonder about?"

"Your mood swings are reminiscent of someone with bi-polar disorder." She narrowed her eyes and kicked me beneath the table. "I certainly hope you don't regard your contacts like this."

"Oh no, my bi-polar tendencies are reserved specifically for you, Cullen." She reached in her bag and pulled out a manila folder. "Speaking of contacts, I have a couple of things I need to go over with you. That is, if you're finished soap boxing about your fucking game."

I chuckled and steepled my hands beneath my chin. "Consider this the end of my soap boxing – at least for today. I was wondering when you were going to get down to business. I'm all ears."

"The editor-in-chief of GQ called me this morning, which is a huge thing considering I haven't even sent out press releases yet." I felt my throat tighten at the mention of GQ. Bella continued. "They want to put you on the cover of their December issue and do a full feature about your book and your 'rise to success' in Manhattan. He said they've been trying to get you on a cover for a few years but you've always refused in the past."

I drummed my fingers against the table nervously. I couldn't step foot in the GQ office. She was one of the art directors for the magazine and I couldn't risk seeing her. There would be terrible repercussions for the both of us.

"I can't do GQ." My words came out harsher than I intended. Bella winced and locked eyes with me.

"You can't or you won't? There's a big difference."

"Both, Bella." I sighed. "I have a rather … difficult history with someone who works there and it wouldn't be a good idea to put me in a position where I might have direct contact with her." I looked down at the table, pretending to be concerned with the large crack in the Formica top.

A small smile spread slowly across Bella's face. "Edward Cullen, are you actually concerned with the well-being of another person?" She waved her hand in the air and looked around the room. 

"Quick, someone bring me a calendar, we need to mark this day!"

"It's not funny…" my voice trailed off and I felt a familiar pang in my chest. The wounds – and the guilt – still felt fresh even after all these years. "No GQ. Next topic."

She flipped to the next piece of paper in her stack, her eyes never leaving my face "Okay, no GQ. Forbes wants to do a feature, but they wouldn't agree to a cover story until after the book has been on shelves for two to three months. Good Morning America wants to book you as a guest and The Journal agreed to run an interview and an editorial, plus a book review when the finished product is out."

I shook my head in disbelief. People weren't exaggerating when they said Bella was good at what she did. I had no doubt in my mind that she was the best in the industry, at least here in Manhattan.

"You got all of this lined up in the course of one weekend?"

"Friday afternoon, actually." She shrugged like it was no big accomplishment. "I know some people at Forbes and Good Morning America, so those were easy to book. You've been featured in The Journal a zillion times, which made them a pretty easy target for my persuasion. This is just the tip of the iceberg though. You're going to have a very busy schedule for the next six weeks."

Bella reached for the tab, but I grabbed it off the table before she could. "My treat."

"You know, it's usually the publicists who schmooze their clients with meals, not the other way around." She eyed me disapprovingly. "I'm not sure what your plans for Wednesday are, but I have my interview coach scheduled to meet with you and I at my office at three. It might cut into your evening a bit, but I'm sure you can understand the importance of these things."

"Interview coach?"

"He preps clients for television and magazine interviews. Usually a publicist can coach his or her clients fairly well, but seeing as this is a last-minute arrangement and I don't know what your off-limit topics of discussion are, I feel more comfortable using Jenks." She blushed a bit and picked nervously at her fingernails. "Besides, you and I have somewhat of a turbulent history. We haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot, and I'm not sure how comfortable you are with sharing details of your life or career with me. Truthfully, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with hearing said details either."

I leaned down and cocked my head to the side so my eyes met hers. "I will share whatever is necessary for things to go smoothly." She looked away and chewed her lip nervously. I took a deep breath and decided it was time to take a step I'd never taken before – not with a woman, at least. "I have an idea."

"What's that?" She looked up and her expression seemed … hopeful?

"Can we be friends?" My words hung in the air between us. I could tell she was struggling over how to answer. I held my breath, wondering if this was a completely stupid idea. It wasn't that I didn't have friends, because I did, a whole slew of them as a matter of fact. I just didn't have any women in my life that I considered friends. This was new territory for me. The corners of her mouth twitched and she tried to hide her smile.

"Friends, huh? I suppose we could give that a try." She leaned forward and stuck her index finger in my face. "Don't get any ideas though, Cullen. We can be friends and that's it. None of that 'friends-with-benefits' business or whatever you wanna call it." She held her fingers up like quotation marks.

"Don't worry, I have enough of those to keep me busy." I winked and she groaned and rolled her eyes. Why do you keep bringing that up? I asked myself. She clearly thought my behavior was disgusting, and I knew if I wanted any hope of winning this bet I'd need to cut that shit out. Or at least keep it on the DL when you're with her. Out of sight, out of mind man.

Yeah, right. I was too well known in this town to try and hide anything – especially from someone as smart as Bella. That meant I would have to try and change my behavior, at least until I could get her to say those three simple words, and I could claim the keys to my new house in the Hamptons. 

Then I could go back to being the old Edward Cullen and pretend that Bella Swan never even existed.

You idiot, nothing is that simple.

"I think we need to set some ground rules here."

"Ground rules? Do you set rules with all your friends?" I teased.

"No, but none of my other friends are shameless manwhores who have tried to get into my pants on multiple occasions." I smirked and chuckled. Her wit just might be what it took for this friendship to work.

"Point taken. However, in my defense, it was just one time; as in an isolated incident."

She arched an eyebrow and stared at me. "Are you saying you wouldn't try it again, Cullen? Am I no longer worthy of your pants dropping efforts?

"On the contrary, Swan, I couldn't think of anyone more worthy of those efforts. I have a sneaking suspicion it would violate one of the proposed rules, however, and I don't want to break them before you've even made them." She balked and pretended to ignore me.

"Rule number one – no physical contact aside from handshakes. Rule number two – no discussing your bedroom adventures with me. That's what you have Jasper for." She stopped and thought for a few minutes, ticking the rules off on her fingers. "Rule number three – no manwhoring if you come out with us. Friends don't let friends have harems, Cullen, and I'm certainly not going to condone or aid in your raunchy behavior."

"Should I be writing these down?" She reached over and swatted my arm. "I believe you just violated rule number one. Slapping is not a form of handshake, or at least it wasn't when I got up this morning."

She rolled her eyes and continued. "Rule number four – when we're working on publicity for your book, we aren't friends. We're colleagues and I expect you to behave as such. And finally, rule number five…" Her voice trailed off and her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Rule number five…" I encouraged her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and the words 

came tumbling out.

"No falling in love with me, Cullen. That is not a friendly thing to do, and it would only end badly."

I stifled a grin and did my best to maintain a straight face. "Why, Ms. Swan, I do believe it's you who should be worried about falling in love with me. I don't fall in love. Never have and never will." My brain was shouting, "IT'S A LIE! IT'S A LIE!"

An awkward silence hung over us. She chewed her lip nervously and resumed picking at her fingers.

"Is that all?" My voice was gentle. She looked up and nodded. I signed the tab and slid my credit card back into my wallet. I had no idea what else to say. "Shall we go?"

"Sure." She grabbed her purse and quickly walked towards the entrance.

"Wait up, I need to page my driver." She turned and looked at me. Her eyes were sad but her mouth lifted in a small smile.

"I think I'm going to take the subway back. I have a few errands to run before I return to the office and it's such a beautiful day out."

"I could come with you," I volunteered. What the hell are you doing Cullen? Now was not the time to start getting soft. It's for the bet though, I argued with myself.

"That's okay, really. I'm sure you have a million things you need to get done and really, I don't want to waste your afternoon dragging you around SoHo." She reached her hand out. I took it in mine and she gave it a stiff shake. "I'll contact the periodicals and the show and let them know what you've decided. I should have the final details for those three by the time I see you on Wednesday, if not sooner."

She dropped my hand and crossed her arms across her chest. It was always this way with her. 

Everything was fine for a while, it seemed like she was having a genuinely good time, and then 

BAM! – She closed herself off and the melancholy exterior returned. I didn't know what to make of it.

"Great, that sounds good." The Town Car pulled up and my driver got out. "I'll see you on Wednesday."

"See you on Wednesday." She turned and walked away.

I smiled at my driver, who held the door for me, and got in the car. I wasn't sure what was bothering me more at the moment - the fact that I just couldn't figure her out or the fact that I actually cared enough about her to want to.

---

Bella's POV

Edward's hands slid up my shirt, removing it effortlessly. His thumbs rubbed my nipples, making them harder than they already were. I moaned softly and pressed my body against his. I could feel his arousal straining against my stomach, taunting me, daring me to make the next move. His lips found my left nipple and I gasped as he swirled his tongue around it before biting it gently.

"Is this what you want, Bella? Are you sure you can handle this?" His lips were on mine again and I pushed my tongue into his mouth hungrily. I sucked on his bottom lip and tugged it between my teeth. His hands cupped my ass and he lifted me in the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist and grabbed his hair in my fists. He carried me to the bedroom, gently dropping me on his expansive, plush bed.

"You should really answer me, sweet sweet Bella." He unzipped my jeans and slid them down my legs slowly. He left a trail of blazing hot kisses from my breasts to my belly button. "How will I ever know what you want if you don't tell me?"

He moved lower, pushing my thighs apart and positioning himself between them. His green eyes were hazy with desire, and he looked up at me expectantly, waiting for me to answer his question. I hated how he knew exactly what to do to my body, exactly what words to say to tease me, to make me beg for this.

"I want you to make me cum, Edward." This ballsy routine was new and unfamiliar to me. I was so close to the edge, however, that I was more than willing to pacify him with some dirty talk if that got me there. "I want you to lick my pussy and make me cum all over that perfect face of yours."

He smiled devilishly and slid my panties to the side, pressing his mouth against my clit in a soft kiss. 

His lips parted and he flicked his tongue across my sensitive skin. My back arched involuntarily and 

I cried out. He ran his tongue in circles around the little nub before taking it into his mouth and sucking hard.

"Oh god, Edward!" I screamed, sandwiching his head between my thighs…

"Mmmm, Edward, please don't stop…" My eyes fluttered open and I blinked several times. My lady parts were practically dancing with delight and my insides were twisted in desire. Disappointment settled in when I realized I was alone in my bed, in the midst of yet another erotic Edward Cullen dream.

I lay back down and closed my eyes. I knew I wouldn't fall back to sleep without relieving myself. 

My nether region certainly wasn't going to argue.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax, sliding my hand into my pajama shorts, prepared to finish the job that my oh-so-realistic Dreamward had started.

Too bad Edward and I couldn't have such an easy happy ending.