Chapter Three - Coffee and Cookies

Seven days ago Bella had placed her name and number into my hand before walking out of my door. She’d asked me to give her at least a week.

I hadn’t been convinced that I could wait that long, so I’d thrown the scrap of paper in my open and empty safe and slammed the door shut sealing it in and avoiding temptation. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the ability or the strength to give her a week. If I had any chance at winning her over I had to do as she asked.

So today, one painfully long week later I’d called a few clients, changed my schedule a little and arranged to leave work early. I’d made it back to my apartment by 3 p.m. I now sat on the edge of my bed. My eyes squeezed shut in frustration, eyebrows knotted together and my hands buried in my hair. Any more force and I’d be pulling handfuls out.

What the fuck was the code to my damn safe?

Over the last hour I’d tried every set of numbers I thought it could possibly be. I was about to give up and drink myself straight through Friday and into the weekend when it clicked.

08*02*08

That was the date I’d helpfully suggested to Rose that she would be better off leaving our apartment forever. With my expected level of distrust with her, I’d changed the combination that day.

Clicking through the combination and turning the knob as fast as I could, I pulled open the door grabbing the only thing occupying the cold space -- a small crumpled piece of paper. Smoothing the paper out across my thigh, I saw Bella’s untidy handwriting spelling out her full name and a phone number.

I flipped the paper over in my fingers deciding on my next step. I’d had a week to think about it, but I was as clueless in this moment as I had been the minute she’d stepped out of my front door.

As the paper turned in my hand, I noticed a familiar logo on the other side.

Little Brown Bookstore.

I knew that place, a cute little antiquated store across town. I’d spent many hours browsing the shelves for hidden gems. Thinking about it now, I realized I hadn’t been there in a while.

Looking closer I saw a work schedule of some kind under the image. It wasn’t just any work schedule – it was Bella’s work schedule. And according to this, she’s working right now.
This changed my options dramatically.

If I call her she can ignore my calls. If I see her face to face she has to at least listen to me. Doesn’t she?

With my mind made up I grabbed a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans from the closet and changed out of my work clothes. Checking my appearance in the bathroom mirror, I ran wet hands through my hair to restore a small amount of control back into it.

Grabbing my wallet and keys, I raced out of the apartment down to the parking garage below.
Slipping behind the wheel of my car, I threw the keys in the ignition and closed my eyes, willing the engine to start. I found a silent prayer often helped.

I didn’t use my old station wagon during the work week anymore, and I always forgot to start her and let her run for a little while, like I should. She was temperamental and I should treat her better. I’d bought her used with my savings when I was 16, and I couldn’t even think of parting with her… but owning a car while living in the city just frustrated me.

I preferred now to walk, to catch the train… I liked to people watch. People fascinated me, and people watching and driving don’t go hand in hand.

But today, I wanted to get to my destination as quickly as I could. Thankfully the engine roared to life on my first attempt. See, how could I part with her faithfulness?

I made my way out of the garage, ignoring the huge oil stain the car revealed as I left my designated spot, and headed in the direction of the bookstore and the woman of my dreams.

Eddie Jr. jumped at the mere thought. I had to remind him he likely wouldn’t get any action any time soon.

Twenty minutes and seventeen red lights later, I circled the block looking for a spot to park. I’d passed by the store front a few times now and each time stolen a glance through the window. The darkened interior didn’t allow me to see much past the display in the window.

My heart was beating faster and the death grip I had on the steering wheel at the thought of seeing Bella again soon was doing nothing for my sweaty palms.

After a further five minutes searching, I had no more patience left and abandoned the car in a 15 minute drop off only zone. I secretly hoped for a ticket – because a ticket would mean she’d let me stay longer than I could even hope for at this point.

Gathering every ounce of confidence that I could, which wasn’t much at this point, I turned towards the store front.

The fear of the unknown was killing me.

I stood outside and watched an elderly gentleman enter and moments later a harassed looking woman in her 30s with three children, all who looked to be under school age, leave.

The door seemed to be working just fine, so why wasn’t I using it?

A final nudge, and I took two long strides, pushed the door open and then I stopped dead in my tracks.

There she was.

She looked even more exquisite than I had dared to remember.

Bella was no more than ten feet from me, working away behind the counter. Her hair falling in soft curls, obscuring my view of her face as she looked down at the project in front of her. My fingers itched to reach out and push her hair behind her ear.

I longed to touch her in reaction to that pull again.

The door closed behind me causing the bell to ring and her head popped up to greet her new customer.

Her mouth opened to speak then she stopped before a sound came out. A blush fanned across her neck and face. Deep in her eyes, even from this distance, I swear I saw a flicker of lust, happiness, relief?

“Bella.” I broke the silence.

“Edward, what… what are you doing here? How did you….” She hurried out the words, flustered and nervous all of a sudden. Her blush deepened.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t speak to me if I called. I don’t mean to corner you, but we need to talk.”

Bella looked back down, still holding the documents she’d been working on when I came in. She scrunched the pages in her hands, then smoothed them back out on the counter. Nervously fumbling, I strode over to her and gently laid my hands across hers, effectively stilling her movements.

A spark jolted between us, and we both jumped slightly at the contact.

“I’ll leave if you want me to, but I beg of you, please, please just give me a chance.”

As I spoke, she looked up to meet my gaze. “OK. Coffee? I have a break in 20 minutes. There’s a coffee shop around the corner. I’ll meet you there.”

My heart began to beat faster than I thought possible as the exhilaration and glee ran through my body. I nodded my acceptance as I was finding it hard to form an actual word, then I turned and almost skipped out of the store.

Twenty minutes. I had twenty minutes to pull my shit together, calm the fuck down and prepare for the conversation that had to win Bella over.

She was giving me a chance. That alone was more than I could have hoped.

I danced back to the car, noting the lack of ticket on the windshield, and climbed in to locate a more permanent parking spot. The old girl started up for me once more, and I made a mental note to treat her to an oil change in the very near future.

~

Nineteen minutes later I glanced at my watch for the 50th time and nervously mixed another packet of sugar into my coffee.

I’d questioned the barista to see if she knew ‘Bella from the bookstore’, and when she had, I’d asked her to prepare Bella’s usual as well as a drip coffee for myself. I now sat in one of four large brown leather armchairs placed neatly around a low wooden table at the back of the coffee shop.

The corner afforded some privacy away from the rest of the patrons, yet from my spot I still had a clear view of the door.

Right on time the door opened, and a stream of sunlight poured in splashing across the floor and counter. Through the light came the most pleasing sight known to mankind, or at least that was my take on the view unfolding in front of me.

I stood to gain her attention and waved her over to our table.

Watching her walk towards me with a hesitant smile on her face was like heaven. Eddie Jr.

thought it to be more like internet porn and sprang to attention to greet her.

I gave myself a mental pat on the back for remembering to wear underwear, at least it kept him under control somewhat.

Bella made her way over and with a quiet, but friendly ‘hello’, slid into the armchair opposite mine. I gestured towards the latte and the oatmeal raisin cookie placed in front of the chair next to me and pushed them towards her before sitting back down.

“How did you know what I order here?” she questioned, with a slight hint of concern in her voice.

“The girl behind the counter, I asked if she knew you. She did.”

“Oh, right, Jessica… of course.” She answered. “And how did you know where to find me?”

“The paper you left, with your number. You’d written it on your work schedule.”

“Ahh, right, that’s where that went.” She sounded relieved that I wasn’t stalking her.

A silence fell over the table, but unlike the silences of last week, this quickly became awkward. I combed my mind for the right words to start the conversation I so desperately needed to have with her, but she beat me to it.

“So, Edward, not that I’m upset to see you, but what are you doing here?”

Talk about diving right in on the questioning.

“I had to see you again Bella. You asked me to wait a week, I did, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye and instead looked down into my coffee while fiddling with a napkin, tearing the edges over and over.

“Wow, OK… Edward, I’m not just some booty call that you can come calling on when you feel the need.”

How could she think that? Did she really think I was here for a booty call?

“Bella, that’s not why I’m…” I began, but was cut off from saying more. I lifted my head in surprise and found myself looking into the deepest pools of chocolate brown.

She locked her gaze on mine, and I watched as a flurry of emotions crossed her face. “Last week that wasn’t me. I don’t do that. I’ve never done something like that before in my life. But I was needy, it had been way too long since I’d… well, since I’d… you know.”

I nodded but didn’t respond. Boy did I know.

A few moments passed, she took a sip of coffee. The red of her lips as she brought the cup up to her mouth sent waves of desire through my whole body and caused a dance party to start in my pants.

The mix of feelings was overpowering, the lust causing my physical reactions and the honesty spilling from Bella’s lips causing my brain to swim.

“I had made a, well I guess a kind of bet with Alice, the girl on the train with me. I told her that I’d have the next man that paid any form of attention to me.” she continued, “I know, that sounds awful. And honestly I never thought I’d go through with it. But then you were the next man… and well, I just acted out of character.”

If I thought I was confused with this whole situation for the past week, that confusion had nothing on what I felt now.

Was I a bet that was never meant to be?

As Bella continued, I wanted to reach over and capture her hands in mine. Let her know wordlessly that I knew she wasn’t that kind of girl, I’d felt it too, whatever it was.

“When I woke up with you I got scared, I wanted to run. But something was stopping me from cutting the cord altogether.”

“That’s why you left your number?” I asked, as the realization that she was as confused as I began to set in.

“I just needed to go, needed to figure out what had happened.”

“Bella, may I cut in?”

She nodded and moved further back into her chair, curling her legs up underneath her and wrapping both her tiny hands around the warm coffee as if to draw heat and comfort from it.
“I’m not that kind of guy either. I can promise you that. Everything that happened was purely from the draw we both felt, and I know you felt it too.”

Bella gave a small nod and looked back down into her coffee.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Bella, please give me a chance. Let me do this the right way. Don’t you think we should at least try?”

Bella surprised me again by answering my question softly but with passion. “Yes. Yes, I do think we should try. But Edward, I’m scared. I’ve been hurt before.”

My body moved of its own accord as I stood from my seat to move closer. I sank to my knees in front of her, taking her drink from her and placing it on the table, I took both her hands in mine. I looked up into her almond shaped eyes and relished in the surge of energy passing between us. The pull I felt to kiss her was immense, but I couldn’t abuse the trust she was giving me.

Keeping a hold of her tiny hand, I moved up to push her hair back from her face, using the back of my hand. I kept the contact longer than I should, but it was hard to pull back.

“Bella,” I began, “I’ve been hurt too. I’ve held back from allowing myself any kind of relationship since. Until I met you. Please give me a chance?”

Bella pulled my hand towards her lips and placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles. My skin broke out in goosebumps, the heat passing to the tip of every limb.

“I will give you - give us - a chance. Just don’t hurt me, that’s all I ask.”

“I won’t. I’ll do everything in my power not to.” I promised her.

I moved back into the chair next to her, and we kept the contact through our knees touching.
Finishing our coffees and sharing the cookie, we made small talk about the past week and secured plans for dinner the following night.

We didn’t bring up the events of last week again at all.

Twenty five minutes later, she had to leave to get back to the book store.

I wrestled between pulling her in for a passionate kiss goodbye and simply placing a small kiss on her cheek. With regret, I chose the latter.

As my lips touched her skin, I felt the heat wash over her and saw the blush rise from her chest and spread across her cheeks. The color looked so beautiful on her. It was the same color her skin turned when she came. And anything that reminded me of that was sublime.

Anything that reminded Eddie Jr. of that on the other hand was enough to make him attempt a jailbreak through my zipper.

If I was going to take this slowly, I was going to have to get him under control.

Bella broke our hold and started towards the door.

“Thanks for the coffee Edward, I’ll see you tomorrow at 7?”

“Yes, seven… I’ll be there.” I smiled and watched her leave. My smile growing larger by the second as the realization that she had said yes set in.

I drove home in a daze. I was actually surprised to find myself digging through my freezer looking for something to eat. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there.

Throwing a Hot Pocket in the microwave and grabbing a beer, I sat at the kitchen counter and went over the last few hours in my head. They’d gone better than I could have hoped.

Now I just had to get through the next 24 hours and I’d see her again.

I stumbled through the evening, watching TV, surfing the internet… anything to keep my mind off Bella. But nothing worked. By 9 p.m. I called it a night. The afternoon had been an exhausting roller coaster of emotions.

As my head hit the pillow, my last thought before I drifted to sleep was of Bella.

She was going to give me a chance.

Chapter Two - Pompoms and Trophies

EPOV

We had spent the rest of the afternoon wordlessly exploring each other’s bodies and working towards the goal I’d uttered in my post coital bliss. We’d christened almost every surface in my home and plowed our way through a whole box of condoms. The foil wrappers now strewn around the apartment like little shiny trophies.

I had been half serious when I suggested the need to go for it 572 times more. I had been completely serious with the thought of making sure this, whatever this was, continued with Bella.

With this beautiful woman now sleeping peacefully beside me.

I could feel her shallow breath on my neck, the rise and fall of her chest against my side. Her hair spread across my shoulder, falling haphazardly onto the pillow. A slice of afternoon sun streaming in through the blinds in the window and across her hair forced a thousand shades of brown to radiate.

Since when did I count the shades in a person’s hair?

She truly was beautiful.

The gentle slope of her hips as they disappeared under the dark sheets, the contrast of her pale skin against the bedding. Her tiny hand resting gently below my stomach where she’d been softly twirling the hair there in her fingertips before she’d fallen asleep. The indentations above her collar bones were only hours before I’d laid a million kisses and minute bites as I’d felt her hands wandering over my body.

Every inch of what lay beside me was undeniably striking.

There was certainly an immense physical attraction. We’re stating the obvious with that. We’d known each other for no more than eight hours and here she was sleeping so peacefully in my bed, and it felt so right.

Nothing had ever felt this right.

Even with this perfect scene playing out around me the ‘oh shit’ factor was settling into my stomach. The ‘what next’ question running laps in my head.

What do I say to her once she awakens? Would the awkward silences commence? Will Eddie Jr. still feel the need to perform? Will he get that chance?

We’d barely spoken except for a few short snippets but none had been awkward. I wanted anything but awkward, but knew deep down it was inevitable.

As I lay listening to her sleep I ran through a hundred scenarios of what could, or more to the point, what should happen once she awoke. Just as I began rehearsing lines in my head for scenario number one hundred and one I felt her stir at my side.

Bella slowly opened her eyes, raising her head a fraction from my chest to take in her surroundings. She quickly closed her eyes once more and rolled onto her back, her head slamming onto the pillow next to mine.

“Shit” she murmured, so quietly I barely heard her.

I immediately felt the loss of her skin against mine, but not wanting to freak her out any more than she obviously was, I stayed still, staring at her profile.

Without re-opening her eyes she spoke in a quiet whisper, “Hi, so… erm, is this gonna be weird? Should I just sneak out? Stay for coffee? Dinner? Oh, God, I can’t believe I’m in this predicament. You have to understand, this is not something I…”

“Bella, shhh. It’s OK. This doesn’t have to be weird. And I know, this is not something I do either. You can open your eyes though. Please?”

She turned her head slowly towards me and opened her right eye, cautiously peeping out at me through her long dark lashes. A small giggle left her as she opened her other eye and took in the sight before her.

“I’m sorry," she laughed, “but your hair, I mean, it’s…”

“You’re talking about my hair?”

“Um, yeah, I guess I am.” She replied, the amusement still in her voice.

“So, I guess if my hair breaks the awkwardness of the moment, that’s a good thing? What’s so funny about it anyway?”

“Oh, nothing it’s just stuck up every which way, it was so perfect a few hours ago. I would have almost described it as a bit bouffanty actually.” As she spoke she rolled onto her side and reached over, attempting to smooth the unruly mass residing on my head. A task I knew to be impossible without copious amounts of hair products.

This was not one of the one hundred and one scenarios I’d had circulating through my head, but I certainly liked this one so far.

My eyes were instantly drawn to her breasts as she rolled towards me, gently smushing them together giving her the illusion of being more endowed than she actually was. Add in to the equation the feeling of her hand in my hair and the lust was boiling back up to the surface. Fast.

Without realizing it my hand had moved to touch her breast, the soft mound fitting perfectly into my palm. I rolled towards her and softly pulled her in to meet my lips.

I placed a small kiss, then another and another on her inviting lips. The feeling of her whole body pressed against mine sent chills throughout me and welcomed goose bumps to spread rapidly across my skin.

Tentatively, I pushed the tip of my tongue against her mouth, requesting entry. My whole body celebrating when she once again allowed me in. Our tongues danced intimately together, swirling and exploring against each other.

My hands roamed the gentle curves of her body, almost forcefully pulling her closer to me. Her hands tangled in the hair at the nape of my neck and roamed feverishly over my back and shoulders.

Eddie Jr. stood to attention, anticipating our next move, pressing against her belly waiting anxiously for his turn.

Then as quickly as it had turned to the hottest of hot, it turned to ice. Her body tensed as she pushed away from my embrace.

Before I could even register what was happening I found myself staring at Bella’s back as she sat on the edge of the bed with the sheets wrapped tightly around her.

“I, um, I can’t do this” she whispered, almost too softly for me to hear.

“Do what, what can’t you do Bella?” my voice sounded desperate as I willed for this to not be happening right now.

“This Edward, I can’t do this.” She said as she waved her hand around the mess that was the sexed up room. “I can’t spend the day having meaningless sex with a guy I just met and just be okay with that. I can’t do it. I honestly don’t know why I came here.”

Meaningless sex?

“Where is this coming from, what’s this sudden change of heart?” I rambled, words just falling out of my mouth. “Stay, please stay, let’s talk about this.”

Bella stood silently, gathering her clothes that had been strewn around the bedroom in our haste earlier. She walked over to the bathroom, still wrapped in the sheet and gave me a sad smile as she closed the door behind her.

What the fuck just happened?

Eddie Jr. was not pleased. He’d been semi hard getting ready for another round before this turn of events.

But more than the disappointment now dangling between my legs, my whole being felt lost and devastated. She can’t leave. I cannot let her go.

But kidnapping… yeah, that doesn’t seem right. Does it? For a split second it seemed like the only way.

Damn it, of course it’s wrong. Jeez Cullen, are you seriously even contemplating that?

Jumping up I threw on some jeans and an old white t-shirt and left the bedroom to give Bella some privacy.

Flopping down on the couch I closed my eyes and lay my head back listening to her move around in the next room. Knowing that I couldn’t lose her as quickly as I’d found her I resolved to at least get her number, e-mail, last name, something. We can start again, start fresh. Do this the ‘right’ way if that’s what she needs. I had to try something. I’d find what the ‘right’ way needs to be.

This pleased Eddie Jr. Hope was not lost for him.

A few moments later she walked out towards me looking shy and regretful. I didn’t want her to regret anything.

What had happened today was pure physical attraction on both parts, but I felt the deeper connection too. And I know she did. I saw the look in her eyes when, cheesy at it sounds, sparks flew when we had first touched on the train. I know she felt it too.

I stood from the couch and walked slowly towards her.

“Bella” I started with confidence, “I don’t know what happened in there just now. I do know that I don’t want to…”

“Edward, please… don’t.”

“No, please. Let me finish. I do know that I don’t want you to walk out that door and then I never see you again. I do know that I’ll do whatever it takes, whatever you need, to give this, to give us a chance.” I finished with less confidence and sounded more like I was begging.

In all truth I was. If I needed to beg, then so be it.

I hung my head, my hair falling down across my eyes and waited for a response.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke. “Edward, I need to think this over. I need to figure this out. Give me a week or something, just let me have some time. Please?”

She took the final few steps towards me, pressed a scrap of paper into my hand and reached up on her toes to place a small feather light kiss on my chin. With that, she gathered her jacket and bag, and walked out my front door.

I instinctively reached up and placed my fingertips on my chin as I watched her leave. The buzz was still there, the last place she’d touched me.

The door closed and I turned the paper over in my hand.

The messiest handwriting I’d ever seen simply stated her full name and a number. It was better than nothing, I could accept that, but why did I feel so empty?

The next week was painful.

I quickly recovered from my ‘sickness’ and went back to work the next day. Unfortunately work did nothing to keep my mind off Bella. My mind being on Bella did nothing for the almost constant hard on I was now sporting.

Half naked women with beautiful bodies would pass me at the gym and nothing, just like those 572 days. A one half second thought of Bella and the pressure in my pants was excruciating. It seemed Eddie Jr. had a one track mind… Bella.

So the week was painful in my pants, but it was also painful in the gaping loss I felt.

How was this normal? Is this what love was? Or was this lust? I know I had loved Rosalie once, but I don’t remember feelings and emotions like this being involved. Not even close. Had I ever really loved Rosalie? I began to question that.

But more so I questioned over and over again what was happening to me in regards to Bella. I had never felt so alone. Even in the days following my surprise entertainment courtesy of Emmett and Rosalie I’d felt better – and that event had dissolved my marriage.

The one thing I knew for certain was that I was going to do everything in my power to make Bella mine. To make her see what I saw. To make her feel what I felt. Something had thrown us together, and I had to make sure it stuck.



BPOV

It had been a week since my blissful day with Edward. I hadn’t seen him, spoken with him, or made any contact with him in those seven days.

But I was saving myself from the inevitable heartache. Love at first sight… pffft… it’s what fairytales are made of and I’m not fortunate enough to live that kind of life.

But I felt lost, alone and completely confused.

After I’d left his apartment, I’d caught the train home to the small house on the outskirts of town I shared with Alice. She had bounced around uncontrollably when she’d heard be come in the door and wrapping her arms around me she’d congratulated me on the end of my dry spell. Apparently I had an aura of sex flowing around me. I hadn’t showered before I left so I took that as a polite way of saying “You smell like sex Bella”… nice!

That’s what friends are for!

Once I’d showered, changed into comfies and dragged myself back down stairs Alice was ready for every ounce of information from the hours before. Like old times we’d loaded up with ice cream and wine and curled ourselves on the couch while I gave her the details. Or at least I tried to give her the details.

But I couldn’t, I didn’t know what I was describing. It wasn’t merely a fun filled day of hot sex with a random stranger. But what exactly was it?

I’d gone to bed that night more puzzled than before and I hadn’t slept a wink. Just thinking about how it had felt when I touched him sent tingles through every part of my body to my fingertips.

My week had continued as it normally would except for the fact that I kind of plodded through my shifts at the small bookstore I worked at. My mind clearly elsewhere. I had thought back to that day a million times trying to figure out what it all meant.

***

I had woken to an unfamiliar, but not unpleasant smell. Soap, sex, a little bit if spice and man. My mind had been running on overtime reminding me where I was and what that delicious smell was. I had kept my eyes closed while I took it all in and I thought about the hours leading up to my afternoon nap.

I had remembered the hot, intimate, crazy sex we’d had in every corner of his huge apartment. I had remembered the pleasure, the intensity and willingness to be with a man who’d I’d known for only a few hours. I’d remembered the ease of being with him, the overwhelming feeling to nurture him when the damn cat had pounced and clawed his skin, then the immense urge to feel him inside me only a split second later.

I had known then that the whole thing was strange, it wasn’t a predicament I’d normally find myself in, but I had really wanted it to be OK. I had really wanted to figure out what the crazy attraction was all about. Feelings like those were not normal.

As I had lain there against his body, pretending to still be sleeping, I had given myself a pep talk. The pompoms had been brought out in full force. I, Bella Swan, could do this had been chanted a few times in my head.

I’d stretched a little, pressing my body against his long lean torso before opening my eyes to see what waited for me.

As soon as I’d laid my eyes on him I had pushed myself away, the lack of contact had registered immediately.

“Shit.” The word had spilled out before I could stop it. Maybe I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t ‘that’ kind of girl.

OK, pompoms back out and the pep talk had continued… you CAN do this Bella. It’s OK. Nothing to be ashamed of. Just talk to him.

That’s when I’d started rambling, going on about the whole thing being awkward and staying for dinner and all kinds of shit. I’d had no idea what I was doing. I’d just needed to desperately relax.

I’d slowly turned my head back towards him and peered through one eye, then two and that was it, the church giggles had started, effectively hiding my nervousness. It had really not been the appropriate time to laugh, but once I’d gotten a good look at that man's hair! When I’d seen him on the train I’d been quite perplexed by the ultra neat way his hair was perfectly styled into some overgrown bouffant. But it had suited him. It worked.

But there it was, sticking up in every direction possible. It was 50% hilarious and 50% pure hot sex.

While explaining the meaning behind my laughter I hadn’t been able to stop myself from reaching out and touching him, attempting to smooth the unruly hair back into some sort of order. I had felt all the nervous tension and awkwardness leave my body as I had once again made contact with him.

He’d immediately responded to my touch, his hand had found my breast once again and he had rolled towards me planting a chaste kiss on my lips. My skin had felt on fire with the contact, yet with the burn came the chills. One kiss had led to another and as his lips and hands had become frantic, he’d pulled me towards him holding me tight.

That’s when I felt it.

Felt his arousal pressing against my belly.

That’s when I’d realized what I was doing and made the drastic switch to “I can’t do this”.

I’d rambled off some excuse, he’d begged me to stay and talk about it. I’d rambled off more excuses, slipped into his bathroom to dress then geared myself up to leave.

But there was a tiny part of me that couldn’t just give in and forget it all. Staring at myself in the mirror I had come to the conclusion that giving myself some time to think about it would answer all the questions swimming in my head.

Jotting my number down on a scrap of paper from my purse, I’d made my way out into the living room. He’d begged me to stay once again, his voice getting more anxious as he spoke, but I’d stuck to my plan. Pushing the paper into his hand I’d reached up to place what I knew was the last kiss we’d ever share on his chin then I’d turned and left.

And didn't look back.

***

Now as I stood behind the counter busying myself with the stock order, I found myself thinking it over once again. I was no closer to knowing what I wanted.

I’d left it in his hands though. I no longer felt like it was my choice to make. It was his choice now and I would accept the outcome.

He’d done as I’d asked and hadn’t contacted me that week, but I’m sure by now he’d forgotten about that day. Or at least placed it in his ‘Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt’ folder.

I’d file it away there, too. That was my resolve.

As I typed the book order into the antiquated computer I heard the bells tied to the door handle ring and looked up to find myself staring straight into the same green eyes that had captivated me a week ago.

“Bella.” Edward acknowledged with a slight nod of his head.

After hearing the gravelly sex of his voice, the resolve I’d had left and the feelings of lust came flooding back.

I was toast.

572 - The Orginal One Shot posted for the Twific Indie - First Time Writers Challenge

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It was day 572 without any kind of action in my nether regions.

572 days without sex.

That’s 572 days without lack of trying.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t normally get some if I wanted to, it was just a certain part of me didn’t feel the need to perform. I wanted it so desperately, I was ready for it. Eddie Jr… not so much.

572 days ago I walked in on my wife riding, for lack of a better term, my best friend in our bed.

My cock then went into a deep depression.

How Limpward came about...

So... after a Facebook wall-to-wall joke about the different Edward's we read about in the fanfic world, my friend Lindi and I started a list of funny/odd/gross Edward's we'd like (or possibly not like, but the thought is funny) to see.

Siamesewards, Paedoward, Transgenderward, Dwarfward and Leprosward were a few that came to mind... and crazy as it is, I think a few have been written! Yikes! So wrong on so many levels. Anywho....

Limpward was another suggestion. I thought that was the WORST thing we could bestow on Edward The Fan-Freaking-Tastic so I started to write a little ditty about him. This was WAY back in April '09.

I needed to get my butt into gear and finish the story as I had some funny ideas in my head, then the Twific Indie Awards went ahead and threw a "First Time Writers Challenge". That was the kick I needed and I completed my one shot in time to enter the contest.

After a drunken day out in York on a trip home to the motherland, I received a text telling me I'd won the runner-up spot on the popular vote! Wahoo... *big old pat on the back*...

Many of the wonderful peeps that reviewed asked me if I'd continue the story. I think I will. In fact, I know I will. My one stipulation... I want to get three or four chapters under my belt before I post so that I won't ever feel like I'm leaving anyone (including myself and Limpward) hanging - pun intended, I think.

So... watch this space and in the New Year, Limpward will be back for more.

The original one shot is posted in the post below (or I guess above)... enjoy!