Characters belong to SM. Everything else belongs to me.
Chapter 9 – Slipping
Bella's POV
I knew this was wrong, but his hands and lips felt so damn good I was fooled into thinking it was right.
Edward picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, enjoying the friction it created.
He let out a groan and unzipped my dress, pushing it down and exposing my bare breasts.
"So these are the infamous Twin and Rocky." His eyes sparkled with mischief when he looked up
at me. I nodded and felt myself start to blush. Edward pressed his lips against mine and kissed
me hard, running his tongue along my bottom lip and biting it gently. I grabbed his hair in my
hands, pulling him to me and kissing him back hungrily. He carried me in the direction of what I
guessed was his bedroom, keeping his lips on mine the entire time.
"God Bella, you're so incredibly sexy." He leaned down and gently dropped me onto his bed. His
hands went to the buttons of his shirt, but I reached up and stopped him.
"I want to." I pulled him down so he was kneeling between my legs on the bed. I pulled at each
button slowly and carefully, teasing him more and more with every inch that came undone. I
tugged his shirt off and tossed it across the room, feeling no shame as I undid his pants and
pushed them down his legs. He stood up and kicked them and his shoes aside, crawling back on
the bed and settling between my legs in nothing but his boxer briefs.
"I want to taste you," he whispered, running his tongue along my jaw and down my neck. He
leaned back on his knees and pulled at my dress. I lifted my hips and he slid it off of me,
dropping it on the floor where his pants were. For a moment I felt self conscious, but when I
saw the look of lust and longing in his eyes as they roamed over my body, I knew Edward liked
what he saw.
He leaned forward and kissed me again, pressing his tongue against mine and familiarizing
himself with my mouth. His right hand found its way to my breasts, and he pinched one nipple
gently between his thumb and forefinger. I whimpered and thrust my chest upward, and I could
feel him smile against my mouth.
"Looks like someone is quite sensitive in this area." I attempted to spit out a witty retort, but
my words were a throaty sounding string of nonsense. He kissed my chin and the soft skin
between my breasts before taking the right one in his mouth and sucking hard on it. I gasped
and grabbed his hair, trying to pull his mouth down to cover more of me. After a few minutes he
did the same with my other breast while his free hand started to travel south.
"God Bella, you're so wet for me already." He pushed my thong aside and ran his fingers up and
down my folds, tracing a tight circle around my clit and pressing gently on it. I dug my fingers
into his arms and moaned loudly.
He kissed his way down my stomach, stopping when he reached the top of my flimsy panties.
His thumbs hooked in the sides and he pulled them off effortlessly. He grabbed my ankles and
pulled me to the end of the bed, pushing my legs apart and resting on his elbows between them.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Bella?" His gaze was intense but his eyes were filled with so
much sincerity I wanted to cry. I wondered if he gave every woman an out like he was giving
me now. Regardless, we'd gone this far already, and I knew what I wanted.
"Yes," I breathed, running the tips of my fingers across his cheek and down his jaw. He smiled a
smile that was quickly becoming one of my favorites and planted a trail of kisses up the inside
of my thigh. I dug my fingers into his hair and pulled him towards me, causing him to chuckle.
He looked me in the eye as he ran his tongue through my folds, dragging it slowly across my
clit before pulling away and blowing gently. I shivered and pushed my hips up to him. He put his
mouth over my clit and sucked on it, slipping a single finger into me and twisting it around.
"Ahhhh … Edward," I gasped, wrapping my fingers around his hair. I felt him smile against me
as he slid his tongue in circles around my clit. I could already feel my orgasm starting to build
when he slipped a second finger in me and curled them upwards. I arched up off the bed as he
stroked my sweet spot that no other men had ever managed to find.
"Mmmm," he moaned against me, sending a ripple of vibrations across my sensitive skin. He
pumped his fingers into me faster, pressing against that magical little bundle of nerves each
time. He flicked my clit several times with his tongue and then took it in his mouth, sucking
hard and nipping on it. A minute later I was seeing stars, crying out, and having the most
intense orgasm of my entire life. Edward slid his fingers out and dipped his tongue in me,
running it up and down along my folds while I rode out my orgasm. He pinched my clit gently
and I yelped at the sensation. He laughed and began to kiss his way back up to my face, circling
each nipple with his tongue before pressing his lips against mine and kissing me hungrily. I
could taste myself on him and it was incredibly erotic.
"Fuck me," I whispered. He leaned back and gave me a playful smirk.
"Do you mean it this time?" he teased. I giggled, thinking back to how nervous I was when I ran
into him last weekend after we'd kissed. If someone had told me then that I'd be in this position
now, I would have laughed in their face and probably called them names. Now here I was, on
the verge of screwing the most amazing looking man in all of Manhattan, who without a doubt
had the most amazing tongue of all the men I'd ever known.
I ran my hand down his chest and dipped my fingertips into the waistband of his boxer briefs.
"Absolutely."
He stood up and walked across the room and into the bathroom. He returned a moment later
with a handful of condoms, tossing them on the bed next to me. He pushed his boxer briefs
down and kicked them to the side before kneeling between my legs on the bed once more.
"Jesus Christ Edward, I don't have that kind of energy." I gestured towards the condoms and
widened my eyes in exaggerated shock. He laughed, tearing open one of the foil packets and
rolling the latex down his shaft. He had a picture perfect dick – long, thick and curved slightly
upward. He settled between my legs, pushing the tip of his cock against my entrance teasingly.
I leaned up until my forehead was resting against his and wrapped my fingers around his neck.
"I'll go easy on you to start." His mouth was on mine as he slid into me slowly. My eyes rolled
back in my head and a cry fell from my lips when I felt him start to fill me inch by perfect inch.
When he was all the way in, I dropped back on the bed and closed my eyes. His chest heaved
with heavy breaths and he stared into my eyes, staying perfectly still while we appreciated the
feel of one another. When he started to move again, he pulled almost all the way out and thrust
back into me slowly, but with more force.
"More, Edward," I groaned, arching my back as he took a nipple in his mouth and increased his
speed. His breath was coming out in ragged grunts and tiny beads of sweat started to form
along his hairline. I reached up and pulled his mouth to mine, slipping my tongue between his
lips and kissing him hungrily.
"God, Bella, this feels so amazing. You feel so amazing." He pulled himself up on his knees and
gripped my hips in his hands, thrusting into me with fast, hard motions. His eyes were fixed on
the apex where our bodies joined, and the look on his face was enough to make me want to
come right then and there.
"Edward … please … ahhh." His thumb found my clit and he began to rub tight circles around it. I
wrapped my legs around him and dug my heels into the back of his thighs, pushing us closer
together. Each thrust grazed my g-spot, and before long I was withering beneath him once
again.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I yelled, losing myself in the depths of another intense orgasm. Edward
began to pump himself into me frantically before calling out my name when he reached his own
release.
He pulled out of me and flopped down on his back, slinging one arm over his eyes and letting
out a sigh. I bit my lip and tried to catch my breath, soaring along on my post-coital high. Our
bodies were covered in sweat, the sheets were half off the bed, and I was pretty sure a window
must be fogged up somewhere in the house. I felt him scoot closer to me before wrapping his
arm around me.
"That was incredible." He kissed my shoulder and buried his face in the side of my neck. I
nodded in agreement and rested my chin against the top of his head.
"My thoughts exactly." I closed my eyes and smiled, loving the way his bare skin felt against
mine. Truth be told, I'd never felt quite this comfortable with a man after what would inevitably
end up being a one night stand. I didn't feel like I had to get dressed and leave immediately, or
like I had to have that awkward "I'll call you – no I'll call you" conversation with him. It actually
felt kind of … nice?
That thought sobered me up fast. Days ago I was freaking out about something as simple as a
kiss. Now I was mulling over how nice it felt to be in Edward's bed. Jesus, people probably think
you're a bi-polar wreck, I thought amusedly. Yes, that would be my excuse for tonight – an
elevated mood coupled with lots of alcohol and months upon months of sexual deprivation.
Nobody else needed to know just how much I enjoyed the feeling of Edward's fingertips grazing
the skin just beneath my belly button.
I pushed his arm off and sat up, covering myself with the nearest sheet. "I need to use the
bathroom."
"Take your time," he said, standing up and peeling the condom off. He chucked it in the garbage
next to his nightstand and headed for the bedroom door. "I'm going to grab a water. Would you
like one?"
"Yes, please." I closed the bathroom door and sank down on the edge of the toilet. I dropped my
head in my hands and blew out a long sigh. I didn't really have to use the bathroom, and I was
almost sure Edward knew that. What I needed was a moment alone to clear my thoughts and
decide which course of action I would take here. I could stick around for a while, sober up a bit
more, and then excuse myself to take the cab ride of shame back to my apartment. I could get
dressed as fast as possible and bolt out the door before Edward had a chance to say anything,
but I doubted that would have the best impact on our working relationship. Or I could splash
some cold water on my face, get comfortable in Edward's bed, and wait until tomorrow morning
to deal with the ramifications of our little tryst.
Surprising myself, I chose option three, which turned out to be a good thing because Edward
was already back in bed by the time I came out of the bathroom. I gripped the sheet tightly
around myself and made my way back across the room, taking the bottle of water he held out
to me.
" I think you're going to be alright," he said, gesturing to the sheet. "It's nothing I haven't seen
before."
"Thanks for making that observation, Captain Obvious." I settled down next to him and took a
sip of water. The cold liquid felt good against the back of my dry throat.
He smirked and reached out, tucking his finger in the edge of the sheet and tugging on it. The
fabric came apart, exposing my chest and abdomen.
"That's more like it," he whispered, taking the water from me and setting it on the nightstand.
He leaned forward, brushing his fingertips over my nipple and nibbling gently on my earlobe.
"You weren't planning on sleeping tonight, were you?"
I giggled and shook my head "no" as he rolled me on top of him. His lips met mine and all my
previous worries seemed to vanish.
It looked like Edward was offering me an option four – and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to
take it.
Edward's POV
I struggled to keep my eyes closed, but the sunshine beating through my window made it
impossible. Bella and I had stayed up late – very late – and I hadn't planned on waking up so
early. Mother Nature had other things in store for me though.
Bella, I thought with a smile. I reached towards where she'd fallen asleep in my arms last night,
but my hand fell onto the empty mattress with a soft thud. I opened my eyes all the way and
sat up. My room had looked like a hurricane when we finally fell asleep. Now, everything was
back in order; the sheets were mostly on the bed, my clothing was in a neat pile on top of my
dresser, and the empty water bottles and condom wrappers that littered the floor were gone. If
I didn't have the fingernail marks on my arms to prove her presence, I'd probably think I
imagined her here.
I stood up and stretched before making my way towards the kitchen. My thighs and forearms
felt like they were on fire. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept with a woman that many
times in one night. I also couldn't remember the last time I'd had that good of sex. My dick
started to get hard just thinking about it.
"Bella?" I called out, wondering if she was still somewhere in my apartment. My inquiry was
met with silence. I blew out a breath of disappointment and leaned up against the kitchen
counter. I frowned, confused as to why her absence upset me. We were just friends, after all.
Well, friends with a few added benefits after last night. In the last eight years, I'd shared my
bed with a ridiculous number of women, most of whom I never saw again. One-night stands
were comfortable for me, and I especially liked the parts where emotions weren't involved and
commitment wasn't an issue.
A small part of me was happy Bella wasn't there, because that meant I didn't have to explain
myself and my desire to stay as far away from relationships as possible. The larger part of me,
however, was bummed out from the moment I realized she wasn't in bed.
"Snap out of it," I muttered to myself, shaking my head a few times and running my hands
through my messy hair. Sleeping with Bella was a mistake. I desperately wanted to win this bet,
if for no other reason than to prove Jasper wrong. Most of the women I slept with spent their
time shopping and frequenting bars and nightclubs. They didn't care much who they fucked as
long as he was good-looking and had a large bank account. They fell in and out of love about as
often as any normal person changed his or her underwear. If Bella were any other member of
my "harem," she'd have muttered the words a week ago and I would be on my way to the
Hamptons right now.
But Bella made it clear she wasn't the type of woman who fell for expensive dates and hot sex.
She was intelligent, driven, and independent as hell, expecting a man to woo her with
conversation, chivalry, and culture. Yes, I was a smooth talker. Yes, I knew how to open the
door and pull out a chair for a lady. Yes, I even liked to visit museums, see shows, and attend
the occasional lecture or seminar. Bella needed more than that though – deserved more than
that. She deserved someone who would remember her favorite flavor of ice cream and show up
on at her door on the hottest day of the summer with a cup of it just because he was thinking
about her. She deserved someone who would take her home to meet his parents and light up
when he saw her bonding with his mother over old baby photos. She deserved someone who
would never forget her birthday, an anniversary date, or what she wanted for Christmas. Bella
deserved somebody who would love her completely, inside out, for better or for worse.
I couldn't be that for her. I didn't even know if I would ever love again.
Taking Bella to bed only proved just how right she was about me, and about my personality.
I had to call the bet off. I was foolish to believe Bella could ever love somebody like me. I
wandered back to my room and found my phone sitting on the nightstand. I was about to dial
Jasper's number when the phone started ringing.
Bella Swan Mobile flashed across the screen. I almost hit the "ignore" button but thought
better. I didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already probably was.
"Hello?" I hoped I sounded normal.
"Edward, hey, it's Bella." She was talking fast and her voice was high pitched, the way she
always did when she got nervous.
"Well if it isn't the illusive Bella Swan. I was beginning to think I'd dreamed you into existence
last night." I hit my palm against my forehead immediately. I couldn't believe how stupid I
sounded. "To what do I owe this call?"
"We need to talk. Can you meet me at Starbucks?"
I swallowed the lump of guilt that was quickly forming in my throat. "Uh, sure. What Starbucks
did you have in mind?"
"The one we always seem to bump into one another at. You know, in Midtown." If I knew Bella
at all, she was fidgeting with something on the other end of the line. She always kept her hands
busy when she was anxious.
"I can do that. What time?"
"Can you be there in a half hour?" she blurted out. I was a man, but I needed to get ready none-
the-less.
"Can you give me an hour? I still have to shower and page my driver." Now my voice sounded a
bit squeaky.
She sighed loudly. "That's fine. I'll see you then." The call ended before I had a chance to
respond. I tossed my cell on the bed and went straight for the bathroom. A half hour later I was
showered, shaved, dressed, and headed downstairs to meet my driver.
"Good Morning, Mr. Cullen." I smiled at the salt and pepper haired man waiting with the car door
open. Sam had started working for me several years ago. He was a widower from northern New
Jersey, with no kids and no desire to stay on that side of the Hudson anymore. He rented an
apartment several blocks away from mine, which meant I never had to wait very long for him to
arrive.
"Good Morning, Sam." I settled into the seat and raked a hand through my hair nervously. I was
worried sick that Bella planned on telling me she could no longer represent me, or even worse,
that she could no longer be associated with me. As much as I hated to admit it, I had grown
rather fond of her in the last month, and the thought of not having her in my life stung.
"Where are we headed this morning?" Sam was staring at me in the rearview mirror with his
eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I took a deep breath and composed myself.
"The Starbucks on Broadway and 60th," I told him. Traffic was unusually light, which was both a
good and a bad thing; good because I didn't have much time to mull over my concerns about
Bella, and bad because it meant our inevitable "talk" would happen that much sooner.
Sam glanced at me in the rearview mirror again. "Something on your mind today, Mr. Cullen?"
I chuckled softly. Jessica had always told me I was transparent when it came to my emotions. I
guess I hadn't changed much since then. "Just thinking about the ladies, Sam. Nothing out of the
ordinary."
Sam smiled and shook his head. "Kids these days…" He pulled the car to a stop in front of
Starbucks and came around to open my door. I stepped out and looked through the shop
window. Bella was already seated at a table towards the back.
"I'm not sure how long I'll be and I don't want you to have to wait around all day. Just head
home and I'll grab a taxi." I started to turn around but Sam's hand on my shoulder stopped me.
"Edward." My eyes widened in surprise. Sam had never used my first name before. "It's not my
business, so please stop me if you feel I'm out of line, but I've never seen you look at anyone
the way you look at her." He looked over my shoulder and back at me with a smile.
My gaze fell to the sidewalk. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.
"You just don't see it yet, son." Sam released his grip on me and patted my back. "Bella is a
keeper. She reminds me a lot of my Kate. Be gentle with her, Edward. She's not like the rest of
them." With that, he got back in the Town car. I stared at the car as it disappeared into the
Times Square traffic. I took a deep breath and headed into Starbucks, ordering my usual
caramel macchiato and making my way to the table Bella sat at.
"Hey," I said, sitting down across from her. She looked up at me and smiled nervously.
"You're early," she remarked, taking a sip of her drink. I nodded and wrung my hands together
under the table.
"Traffic was abnormally agreeable for a Saturday." Green eyes met brown eyes and I could see
apprehension mirrored in them. She took a deep breath and looked over my shoulder and out
the window. I waited until the silence became uncomfortable to say anything. "So, you wanted
to talk about something?"
I couldn't quite read her expression. She stared out the window for a bit longer before fixing her
eyes on me. "Last night was … incredible, to say the least." My eyes widened in surprise and
she immediately started to blush. "I know, Cullen, I never anticipated sitting here and telling
you how fantastic you are in bed either."
I wasn't quite sure how to respond. "Thank you?"
She put her hand up to stop me from speaking further. "Don't thank me, Edward. Please don't
thank me. This arrangement-" she gestured between us with her hand, "is wrong on so many
levels. I'm supposed to be representing you, not getting down and dirty with you." She winced
as she said the last few words.
"Look, I won't say anything to anyone, okay? We can forget anything ever happened and resume
our usual roles come Monday." Everything she said pissed me off. I knew I wasn't the purest
guy in the city, but I didn't appreciate being made to feel like a scumbag.
"I don't want to forget," Her whisper was so soft I barely heard it. My eyes popped open in
shock, again, and I choked a bit on my drink. "That's the problem, Edward. I don't want to forget
what happened … and I don't want it to be the only time it happens either."
"So what does that mean? You want to be colleagues with benefits?" I joked.
She shook her head again and looked down at her hands. "I don't do these kinds of things. I
don't just go out and sleep with men I've only known for a few weeks."
"It's been a month," I offered up, hoping to make her feel a bit better. Her lips curved upwards
in a tiny smile before she got back on the soapbox.
"I don't think I could proceed with you as 'just my client'" she held her fingers up, making air
quotes, "now that I've slept with you. I probably sound like a cliché girl, but I'd feel so cheap
doing that. And I don't think I could pull off your whole colleagues with benefits idea either,
because then I'd feel like you were only sticking with me as a publicist cause I was giving you a
piece of ass, and that –" I reached across the table and covered her mouth with my hand,
effectively silencing her. She furrowed her brows in frustration and reached up to pull my hand
away, but I held a finger up, signaling for her to give me a minute.
"You're overanalyzing this way too much," I said gently. "I can't keep up with you. Let's go back
to base one – you don't want to keep working with me if we've slept together, but you don't
want to be colleagues with benefits either? What do you want exactly? Do you have something
in mind, is that why you asked me to meet you here?" She nodded and furrowed her brow
again. I withdrew my hand and she took a deep breath.
I wasn't at all prepared for the words that left her mouth.
"I think we should go on a date."
Bella's POV
I wanted to cover my face and hide or run away. The mortification I felt at having slept with
Edward last night was bad enough. Now, I had to go and make things all messy by proposing we
do something that might actually help us get to know each other better.
This was precisely why I avoided one-night stands. Part of my heart was hard wired to my
vagina, and it always ended up complicating things.
The surprise I could tell Edward felt was probably comparable to the humiliation coursing
through my veins. You shouldn't have said anything, my subconscious said smugly. I thought
back to the photos I'd seen this morning on one of the many socialite blogs that existed. They
consisted of Edward and I stumbling out of the club last night, hands all over one another and
falling into the backseat of a taxi. The accompanying post pointed out the obvious - that we'd
crossed the line between business and pleasure. I was already afraid of how this might impact
my career, since up until now I hadn't been romantically linked with any of my clients. Now I
also had to worry about my parents, mainly my dad, catching wind of the situation. My mother's
guilty pleasure was trolling gossip websites, and she was too much of a space cadet to realize
she probably shouldn't let Charlie see any of the content. Yes, I was almost thirty, and yes, I
was more than capable of making my own decisions, but my dad still had his police officer
instincts and loved to dig up ammunition to use against me, especially when it came to my
dating life. I didn't even want to think about his reaction if he discovered his "baby girl" was
canoodling with one of the many manwhores in Manhattan.
That left me with a few routes to take. I could talk to Alice on Monday, explain the situation to
her, and have her or one of the interns represent Edward. She wouldn't be happy, but I knew
she'd do it for me given the circumstances. Of course, that also opened up the possibility of
Edward seeking alternate representation, and I knew Alice would be less than thrilled if that
happened. I could continue working with him like nothing had ever happened and try my best to
minimize the amount of time we spent together in public, but that would be virtually impossible
now since his best friend was dating my best friend. I was also positive I couldn't look him in
the eye in a purely professional manner again after the things we'd done with each other. I
could keep sleeping with him. I was sure he wouldn't object, and I knew if I asked him he'd
agree to keep it on the down low, but I wasn't exactly sure how long he usually stayed with one
woman and I didn't want to create an even bigger mess before his book released. Plus my heart
was already starting to get involved, and I didn't want to end up emotionally attached to
someone who saw me as nothing more than a good time all along.
That left me with the final option that came to mind, right before I'd phoned him this morning. I
could be honest with Edward and tell him how much I enjoyed last night and tell him that I didn't
want things to end there. I could hope that I was right in thinking he felt something for me too,
because if he didn't, why would he spend so much time and effort trying to get to know me and
get me to go places with him. And why would he apologize when he knew he hurt me if he didn't
care somewhat?
So, here I was, waiting in embarrassed silence for the answer to the question I probably never
should have ventured to ask.
"You want to go on a date?" his voice was colored with disbelief. "Like, an actual date? Where
I'm allowed to pick you up and buy you flowers and perhaps even hold your hand in public?"
I snorted back an impending burst of laughter and grinned at him. Edward Cullen actually looked
flustered. I wondered how many women managed to bring him to that point.
"Yes, an actual date." I debated whether to share my logic in asking with him, but decided not
to.
"You're asking me out on a date?" I felt my heart start to drop when I saw the smirk dance on
his lips. "You never fail to surprise me, Ms. Swan. You're nothing if not unconventional."
"You mean to tell me you've never had a woman ask you out?"
He shook his head and his smirk turned into a grin. "Not since about the seventh grade. I am,
however, honored that you were the first in so many years to do so. And I would love to go out
on a date."
I resisted the urge to jump up and squeal. "It might be necessary to implement some ground
rules beforehand."
Edward chuckled. "You and your ground rules. Exactly what rules did you have in mind?"
"Well, I already broke my no sex until after five dates rule, so that one is out the door." I
shivered involuntarily as thoughts of last night passed through my mind. "Really, all I ask is that
you don't mention anything about said date, and any possible future dates, when you're
interviewed. I don't think flaunting it would benefit you at this point. Or, well, really, ever
because I'm not exactly of the social caliber of Rosalie or Emmett-" He held his hand up again,
silencing me.
"You're rambling again." His green eyes sparkled in amusement. "My lips are sealed if that's
what you'd like. And I could care less about anyone's social status. That's one of what I like to
refer to as 'the many misconceptions of Edward Cullen.'"
"Whew. Well, then, I guess we're in business."
"We've been in business for a while," he said, eyes still twinkling. "I think now we're in …
courting?"
I laughed and held my cup in the air. "To courtship," I said with the faintest hint of sarcasm in
my voice. He smiled and tapped his cup against mine.
"To courtship."
I pushed my cup away and picked at my nails nervously. "Does next Friday work for you?
He gazed up at me through his eyelashes. The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly and he leaned forward. "Pick you up at seven?"
Emmett's POV
It didn't take a genius to know that something strange was going on with Edward.
Having known him since college, I was pretty familiar with his ways. Granted we didn't maintain
constant contact in the years after we graduated, I saw him around town enough and talked to
Jasper enough to know how he was, especially with women. I hadn't seen him show an ounce of
emotion since Jessica, and up until a month ago I was convinced I'd probably never see him
show any again.
Then Bella Swan came along.
It wasn't an overnight change, but he was definitely acting different. He didn't seem quite so
cocky, he wasn't going out as much, and he was always present whenever I went out with Rose
and her friends. Friends of mine who ran in the same circles as him said he wasn't "chasing as
much tail" as he used to either, which left us all perplexed.
I always was a nosey bastard. Meeting Jasper for a beer on Saturday afternoon seemed like a
good way to get some answers.
"How did you get Rose to let you out?" Jasper joked, taking a pull of his beer and popping a
piece of popcorn into his mouth. Years ago we used to frequent this bar every weekend. The
staff had changed with time, but the décor and the crowd remained the same.
"She's not like that, my friend. Besides, I've only been seeing her for what, a month? No girl
owns me after a month."
"Bullshit." Jasper smirked. "That's right, I call bullshit. I've seen the way you look at her. You
practically orbit around her when you're together. Don't tell me you wouldn't bend over
backwards for that girl if she asked you to."
I smiled sheepishly. He was right, of course. I was completely smitten with Rosalie. I still had
my pride, however, and I didn't want everyone to know how whipped I was quite yet.
"Speaking of orbiting," I saw this as a good time to change the topic. "What's up with Cullen?
Bella Swan's pussy must be made of gold."
Jasper choked on a peanut. "What are you talking about?"
"C'mon Whitlock, don't be like that." I tipped my beer back and drained it, sliding the empty
glass across the bar and signaling the bartender for another one. "You know Edward better than
anyone. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the change in his behavior."
"Could you be more specific?" Jasper fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt. Gotcha, I thought
triumphantly. He knew something and I was determined to pull it out of him.
"Well, for starters, he's not drilling any new notches in his bedpost. That fact alone is enough to
cause alarm." I ticked my reasons off on my fingers. "He seems humbled. He's always around
whenever Bella is there. They're photographed together every time I turn around. And he was
rather quick to come to her rescue Friday night after the whole red carpet debacle." I watched
Jasper carefully, waiting for his reaction.
"I…" he sighed and fisted a hand in his hair. "I don't know what's going through Bella's mind, but
Edward is just playing along. At least he was at first. I'm not sure that's the case anymore."
"What do you mean 'playing along?'" This didn't sound good.
Jasper pushed his beer away and turned his body to face me. He looked gravely serious. "If I
tell you this, you have to swear on all that's holy that you won't flap your gums to Rosalie. We'll
all be hosed if you do."
"It can't be that bad," I started, but stopped when Jasper fixed me with a glare. I swallowed and
held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright, I swear I won't say anything to
Rose."
"Edward is putting on a façade," he began to explain. "You see, it all started last month with this bet…"
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