Bella engages in a steamy and unforgettable encounter with a mysterious stranger at a private sex club she attends every weekend. To her surprise, he appears again in an unexpected way. What was supposed to be a one night fling may turn into somethi...
I walked beside Sue down the hallway to the waiting room. Edward and Seth were deep in conversation, talking about nothing other than cars. Edward paused mid sentence, almost as if he sensed my presence, before his eyes found me. He smiled at me and drew his attention to Sue, who stood next to me. She quietly assessed us, gazing back and forth between us I she murmured to me so only I could hear, "He has eyes only for you, Bella. He's your perfect match." I was speechless; it was evident that Sue saw a deep connection between Edward and I. Nonetheless, I was still surprised by her sibylline confession. At that moment, Edward stood before us and introduced himself to Sue.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Swan. I'm Bella's boyfriend, Edward Cullen." He was calm, well-mannered, and confident—everything that made him who he was. "I wish we had met under more formal circumstances. I'm really sorry to hear about Chief Swan," he said regretfully.
Sue nodded glumly in response. "Thank you Edward. My husband is strong and I know that he will pull through this. I feel deep down in my spirit." She took one of Edward's hands into her own and smiled sorrowfully at him. "It was a pleasure to meet you, young man. Please keep an eye on her for me; she needs you." I was transfixed on their exchange, silently watching the interaction between them.
"I will, I promise," Edward said. His words rang true and Sue seemed to be pleased with his declaration. She patted his hand and focused her attention on me. She never spoke a word but there was no need; I was fully aware that she understood the allure Edward had over and saw something inside him that made him the right one for me. She let go of his hand and excused herself, giving me a wink and walked over to Leah. They talked briefly before they took off for the house so Sue could unwind. I was pleased that she agreed to go home for a little while, although she was still hesitant.
"I'm going to grab some food from the diner. Do you guys want anything?" Seth asked. I wasn't really hungry and Edward politely declined as well. "Alright, I'll be back in a little while." Seth grabbed his jacket, leaving us in the waiting room.
"I like your family, Bella. I can see that you're all very close," Edward said as he enveloped me into his side. Flushed against his body, my right hand rested on his chest as I felt the steady pulse of his heart.
"We are," I admitted fondly, "this whole thing is really taking a toll on us, but we won't let it break us apart." Edward kissed the top of my head, gently caressing my arm in a soothing way. I felt calm; something that I lacked for the past two days that I've been here. It felt really nice. I looked up at him and and asked him if he would come into the room with me. I didn't want him to feel obligated, nor did I want him to feel uncomfortable.
"Do you want me to go in with you?"
"Yes, but only if you actually wanted to."
He cocked his head to the side, never withdrawing his eyes from my face. "I'm here, aren't I?" He asked with a smirk on his face, teasing me.
"I suppose," I teased back. I took his hand and led the way down the hall to the room. Inside the room, I sat in the chair Sue had occupied and Edward grabbed one of the chairs from the corner and sat down beside me. We sat in comfortable silence, the only sound was the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the oxygen machine my father needed to breathe because he had some trouble breathing on his own. Edward held my hand the entire time, brushing his thumb against my skin. Dr. Harlowe came and spoke briefly to me about the slow progress Charlie made. He said the swelling of his brain had gone down significantly and he had hope that Charlie would wake within the next few days. The bit of news had me feeling a little better and I had faith that everything would come into fruition.
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Later that night, Sue finally returned looking refreshed. She no longer looked tired, the darkness under her eyes depleted. We chatted for a while before I decided to call it a night. She gave me a hug and even pulled Edward in for one. Seth and Leah also retired for the night and said their goodbyes. Edward called Garrett a hour before Sue showed up so when we exited the hospital, the SUV awaited us. It was a little cool outside but it felt good.
"Are you hungry?" Edward asked when he climbed in after me, settling in the seat. At the moment, my stomach growled furiously and he chuckled. "I take that as a yes."
"I'm starving. Could we go to my favorite Italian restaurant? I could really go for mushroom ravioli and chicken parm right now."
"Whatever you want, love," Edward said. He smiled and kissed me softly on the lips. I smiled when we broke apart and told Garrett the directions to Bella Italia. It was located in Port Angeles, which was roughly an hour away but with the way Garrett drove, we were there in about forty-five minutes. When Garrett pulled into the parking lot, both Edward and I extended the invitation for him to join us for dinner.
He grinned and graciously declined our offer. "My wife already has dinner waiting for me at home and I don't want to spoil my appetite. Thank you for asking though."
When we walked toward the restaurant, I told Edward I wanted to get our food to go. I felt bad for holding Garrett up from spending time with his wife and Edward agreed. Half an hour and two bags of delicious takeout, we got back on the road. The moon was full tonight, illuminating the night sky. I stared out the window as Garrett carefully drove on the winding roads and a forgotten thought popped into my head.
"Where are you staying?" I asked looking at Edward. I couldn't really see his face in the dark vehicle, the only light coming from the console up front and the occasional street lamp.
"I rented this cottage located on the outskirts of Forks. It's secluded and private; something I will thoroughly enjoy." His voice was husky and it sent a delicious thrill coursing throughout my body. I was helpless to how my body reacted to him, it was permanently wired that way. I had no type of sexual interest for anyone but him and I was content with that. I wanted him tonight, I needed to feel that special connection every time we were together. I knew he wanted me, too.
Garrett navigated the truck down a dirt path in the forest, which was lined with small lamp lights lighting the way, until a lavender gray stone cottage came into view in the small clearing. Soft glowing lamplights illuminated a pathway made of flattened stones that led up to the archway of the wooden door of the home and a garden of rosebushes sat underneath the windows. It was beautiful and looked like it was carved into the forest itself. I was in awe and I couldn't wait to see the inside of the home. Garrett pulled over and we stepped out, the sounds of the forest all around us. Crickets chirped and the sound of subtle water flowing somewhere assaulted my ears in a pleasant way. I always found peace while I hiked in the forest when I lived in Forks and I felt comfortable in the seclusion of the property.
Bags in hand, we said goodbye to our chauffeur and Edward gave him a very generous tip before he drove away, leaving us alone. We held hands as we walked up the pathway to the front door. Edward reached under the welcome mat and procured a key. He placed it in the keyhole, clasping onto the small latch as he turned the key until the door cracked open. We stepped inside and I heard him flick a switch before the room was bathed in light. I look around the living room and was impressed. The décor was modern with a rustic edge, from the furniture and the mahogany wooden floors to the deep stone hearth fireplace. It was tastefully done and I was in love with it.
"How did you find this place? It's magnificent," I asked in awe. Whoever owed this little piece of magical bliss were truly lucky.
"Garrett actually knows the people who owns it-mutual friends of him and his wife, Kate. He called them in for a favor, asking if they could rent it out to me. I gave them a reasonable price and they took the offer. They rarely use it because they live in Alaska, so it was no problem. They send someone to keep maintenance every month." He carried the bags of food into the kitchen, which was state of the art. I sat at the island as he reached into the bag and took out the various containers of goodies. He went through the cabinets and drawers until he found plates and utensils. We filled our plates with ravioli, chicken parm, garlic bread and gorged on the rich food. We even topped off a marvelous bottle of red to compliment our meal. I was fully sated and had a slight buzz from the wine but I was happy. Afterwards, draped in a quilt that was over the back of the couch, Edward and I snuggled in front of fireplace. My head was nestled under his chin as his ran his fingers absentmindedly throughout the chocolate waves of my hair, lulling me into a deep sleep; not a nightmare in sight.
