Caught in the Flames

Chapter Eighteen

Okay, so I'm starting something new. I'm one of those writers that I have to have a ton on my plate or I get bored. I doplan on finishing all of my WIPs, but I wanted to try something different. Anyhow, this will be a drabble-ish fic. My chapters will be a thousand words or less, unless the chapters lend themselves to something longer (i.e., a lemon...). We're also going to be switching back and forth, every five chapters between our two favorite characters, Edward and Bella...

As always, none of this is mine. I'm just the perv who want to make our beloved Twilight characters swear, drink, and go at it like horny rabbits. This story will be a combination of love, suspense, some violence and steamy, sweaty sex.

On with it!

Chapter Eighteen

EPOV

"What did you bring?" I asked, sitting down on the stool nearest to Bella.

"Oh, I brought some French Apple Pie. It's got a cheese cake on the bottom," she said, pointing to the pie tin. "I also brought some Greek Lemon Cake and Greek Butter Cookies."

"When did you sleep, Bella?" Alice asked, looking at the display of baking prowess. "Some of these recipes are quite difficult!"

"I had a bout of insomnia," she shrugged. "My lack of sleep is your gain."

Jasper reached for a cookie, but Alice smacked his arm away. "After dinner, Tex," she admonished lightly. "Help me put this on the dining room table, Jas." She picked up the salad and nodded to the dining room opposite of the living room.

"She's subtle," Bella said, arranging the onions and tomatoes onto a plate. "She kept bringing up your name when she came to visit me after my fall on Monday."

"Subtly is not Alice's strong suits," I snorted. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Hmmm, wine would be nice," she answered.

"White or red?"

"White, please. Red gives me a hangover as I drink it," Bella chuckled. I grabbed a bottle of white wine, Chardonnay, from Alice's refrigerator. I opened it up, pouring both Bella and me a glass. "Thank you."

"How's your leg?" I questioned.

"Better. I think because I wore heels for the first time in forever on Friday when I was out with your sister, I got that stitch. I found these at a thrift shop down the street and they are quite comfy," she said, holding out her leg. She had on some red oxford shoes with white stitching and laces. "Anyhow, I went to a massage parlor and got my legs worked on, like you suggested. My masseuse was a former athletic trainer and she gave me some stretches to do if it happened again."

"That's great," I smiled, clinking my glass with hers. "Now, I want to apologize for Alice. She's got some convoluted notion that we'd be cute together."

"She hinted to that as well," Bella giggled. "Edward, you're a nice guy and handsome and smart and..." She huffed out abreath. "As I said on Monday, I'm hesitant to trust people, especially men. It's a long story. Something that I'm not comfortable sharing. Not yet. No one besides my mother knows what happened, but I don't think that I can..." She trailed off, blushing slightly.

"It's okay, Bella," I said, giving her a warm smile.

"Friends. I can offer my friendship. I'm just not sure if my heart is willing to give out more," she whispered.

I put my hand over hers, feeling a zing of something when our skin touched. I shuddered briefly but stared into her eyes. "Bella, I'd like it, very much, if I was your friend. You seem like an amazing woman and us smart asses, we need to stick together," I smirked.

"That's for sure. My Grams was the one who told me the smart ass versus dumb ass statement. And it's so true," Bella smiled, her entire face lighting up. I squeezed her hand, not wanting to let it go because her tiny hand in mine felt right. God, Edward, you just said you'd be friends with this girl...She pulled her had back. "Um, I made you something as a thank you for carrying my fat ass from the running path."

"You are not fat," I admonished. She blushed, shrugging slightly before she dipped into her bag of goodies.

"Well, not all of us can be made of muscle, Lieutenant Cullen," she said, placing a Tupperware of cookies in front of me. "Theseare gold, Edward. My grandmother's secret recipe. Only to be given to the most worthy of friends. They're her Rocky Road Death by Chocolate Cookies. She left it to me in her safety deposit box along with her jewelry and some old coins. Not everyone is worthy of these. However, you helped me when needed it and well, you are getting my first batch that were edible."

"Can I try one?" I asked, reaching for the plastic container. "I'm a sucker for chocolate. Seriously, I'd eat it all day, every day if I could. But, I'd be a fat firefighter."

"I'm not going to take them away. They're yours, Edward," Bella said, smiling gently.

I tugged open the lid and inhaled the baked goodness of these cookies. I moaned...eh, who am I kidding, I whimpered.Swiping a cookie from the top, I took a bite, my eyes rolling back in my head as I tasted a cookie that was honestly better than sex. "Fuck me," I groaned.

"That good?" Bella laughed.

"Better than good. Great! Phenomenal! Fantastic! Orgasmic!" I said, grabbing two more cookies. "I think that you should hand these out to people as a prescription for awesomeness."

"I'm glad you liked them. I'll make sure that I keep you fully stocked with these," Bella said, reaching into the container.

"Mine," I growled. She giggled, grabbing one and playfully nibbling on the cookie before she walked away.

"I'll leave you to your cookies. I think you need a moment alone," she snickered in my ear, patting my back. She slid away, her hand running along my shoulders. The heat of her palm scorching my back. I closed my eyes and wanted a moment alone with her, not her cookies.

A/N: Edward, oh Edward...you've got it bad for our Bella, hmmmmmmmmmmm? Up next, some drama...and the recipe for TWO different Rocky Road cookies are on my tumblr and blog. I'm a giver...gotta feed the addiction for sugar! Leave me some!

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