Author: ericastwilight

Title: Beauty Takes on The Beast

Summary: I was about to break a promise to watch out for my best friend's baby sister. I was the worst thing that could ever happen to her, but I wasn't about let that stop me from having my Beauty.

Pairing: Edward & Bella

Rating: M

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement intended.

Beauty Takes on The Beast

I looked around my best friend's childhood home, satisfied with the work I'd completed since taking on the job. Emmett Swan had asked me to renovate the home he and his sister had inherited. Em didn't want any memories of their painful past to ruin his baby sister's return, but having his deployment extended longer than expected, he wouldn't be there to welcome her home.

It was up to me, and some of our friends, Jasper, Eric, and Tyler, to do that for Emmett.

The four of us formed a construction and landscaping company named The Four Horseman Services, and it kept us very busy. The company was originally Cullen &Sons Construction; my fraternal grandfather left it and some money to me after he passed. It was the reason I moved from Seattle to Forks in the first place, where the business thrived. I had hired Emmett, Jasper, Eric, and Tyler during the summer before their senior year of high school, and they'd worked alongside me ever since. Emmett planned to rejoin us after he retired from the service, so he'd be close to his family.

Emmett always talked about his sister and how smart she was, graduating high school at fourteen when he was barely sixteen. I had moved to the area after college, and Emmett's sister had already left for some fancy school back east. From all the stories Emmett told me, along with some of our friends, she was like a little sister to me, too; even though, we'd never officially met.

We all planned to watch out for her while her brother was gone for possibly another three months.

My cell phone rang from the clip on my tool belt, answering it with a grunt. I wasn't the social sort.

"Morning to you, too." Emmett loved to give me shit for hating to talk on phones. I had no time for bullshit, talking via technology included.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm busy. What's up?" I groaned as I rose from my knees, cursing my dick for the

tenth time that morning. Installing hardwood floors on my knees and being well-endowed did not mix too well.

There was a considerable amount of adjusting involved, and I wasn't even hard or anything.

"Please tell me it's not your dick that's up, Edward." Emmett also loved to make fun of my big dick issues.

"One time I answered while I was fucking my ex, one time. Are you ever going to let me live it down?"

"Be honest, bro. You answered my call knowing she'd get pissed and break up with your ass."

It was true, but I wasn't about to admit it.

"What do you need?" I had work to do, and I wasn't going to get shit done if I was busy flapping my lips.

"How's everything going? You need any more money?"

"Everything is on schedule and should be done before she comes home in a couple weeks." I walked over to the kitchen island I installed last month after tearing down the wall between the living room and kitchen, allowing a more open feel to the space. My notes were a mess, but I saw nothing I couldn't handle. As a solid, I wasn't charging Emmett for my labor. Emmett had no clue and would probably bitch about it later. "I'm not over budget yet, so we're good on the money."

"I wish I could be there when she gets home."

It wasn't hard to miss the longing in Emmett's voice; the man loved and missed his little sister fiercely. He was protective of her, had been all his life. From what Emmett had shared of their childhood, I'd be protective, too.

"I'm sure she wishes the same thing, Emmett." I understood. My little sister Rosie was a pain in the ass, but I missed her since she moved away to pursue her dreams in New York.

"Just make sure Jake, Peter, and James keep their hands off her."

I snorted, agreeing with Emmett, though surprised I wasn't included in the list. I didn't exactly blame the guy; Jake, Peter, and James were grade-A assholes and had enough notches on their bedposts to make them collapse.

I was an asshole too, but more like a C+ —not too bad, but not so innocent either. It wasn't too long ago I learned to keep women at dick's length, because most didn't stick around. At least, not for the right reasons. They wanted all my time, my money, but complained non-stop about my work ethics and hours. Construction meant early days and late evenings, sometimes well past dinner to ensure everything was ready for an inspection the next day.

Emmett and I ended the call after I promised to take a few pictures of his sister in her new remodeled kitchen when she arrived. Apparently, the child prodigy loved to cook; the fancy shit

though, which was a shame.

I liked things simple, none of that froo-froo crap.

I headed out to the garage, passing the photos on the mantle above the fireplace I brought back to life the previous week, and stopped to examine them more closely. Emmett and Isabella's father, Charlie, died in the line of duty when they were young; after that, their mother seemed to forget they existed. The pictures of Emmett and Bella stopped shortly after their father died. Emmett had to have been ten, his sister only eight at the time; she was a tiny thing. There were more photos, but the rest were of their mother with friends, alone, or with various men.

It didn't paint such a nice childhood.

I was a lucky bastard when it came to family. My deadbeat biological father disappeared when I was five, but my mother met the best kind of man a couple years later. Carlisle didn't see Rose and me as burdens, and he became our father in every sense of the word.

If I were the one coming home for the first time in ten years, I wouldn't want to see pictures of the woman who pretended I didn't exist until the day she died. I found a box in the garage and removed all the photos of the late Renee Swan, after checking with Emmett, who agreed wholeheartedly.

I checked the time and decided to finish the hardwood floor before heading home. The only thing I was looking forward to later, was an empty house, some nuked hot pockets, and some soft-core porn. Or maybe I'd crash in the guest bedroom, so I wouldn't feel so alone.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension in them and a headache forming. I needed a massage and a visit to my chiropractor. A chuckle slipped through my lips, laughing at something Jasper said across the table, despite the fact I had no idea what it was about.

My friends somehow convinced me to come by the one bar in Forks for a couple drinks and hot wings. After a twelve-hour workday, my back and knees ached, and being surrounded by people wasn't my idea of a good time. Then again, any social activity was not on my list of favorite things to do.

That list only had three things on it: fucking, riding my Harley, and making something out of piles of wood.

"How're the renovations coming along?" Eric asked, taking a sip of his beer. "That place was a mess last time Emmett was here."

"It really fucking was." I shook my head. "I'm glad I never met Renee because she literally let the house fall apart."

Jasper nodded, a cold look coming over his usually vibrant, blue eyes. "She had plenty of insurance money and Charlie's pension. There was no reason for that bullshit. We had some good memories up in the tree house, in the back five acres, until she tore it down so Baby B's friends would stop coming over and bother her."

What a bitch, I thought.

"Can't believe B's moving back home." Eric chuckled, his smile reaching his light green eyes. "Do you remember that time she stood up to that bully Mike?"

Jasper cracked up, his eyes warming once more. "She put Newton in his place. He still hates M&M's."

"What did she do?" I asked, my eyes on a cute brunette at the bar. I'd seen her the moment she walked in, fucking gorgeous curves and a terrific smile. She'd laugh at something her friend said, throwing her long waves back, and pushing out her tits. I loved long hair, but hers made me salivate with the need to wrap it around my hand to pull, to feel it brush down my stomach. The ends skimmed the top of her ass, as she slipped onto the stool and ordered a drink.

"Bella filled his car with the candy, like every inch of the interior. He was still finding M&M's two years later." Jasper ran his hand through his shaggy, blond hair, still self-conscious about it.

Jasper's last girlfriend gave him so much shit about keeping his hair fashionable and his face freshly shaved. After the relationship ended, he let his hair grow out and grew a beard. He had nothing to worry about, though; with all the tattoos and beard, he had women hanging all over him. Not that Jasper was interested much. He took advantage on occasion, but not like Eric and Tyler.

My friends saw a lot more action than I did, only because I had to be choosy. I loved women of all shapes and sizes; the problem was only a select few could handle The Beast. The name was given to my dick in high school after some asshole pantsed me in the middle of the cafeteria in front of most of the students.

I still wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse that it happened. Braces, glasses, and a too lanky body didn't exactly get any of the girls' attention, before having my dick exposed. After that, I couldn't keep names, numbers, and faces straight.

My first time was a disaster; she was a virgin and cried for an hour afterward. Broke up with me soon after, indicating it was "just too big." After that, I didn't even try again until college. Too scared of hurting another girl like poor Becky Gonzales. It hardly helped that she told some of the other girls about The Beast.

I took my eyes off the dark-eyed beauty, turning back to my friends. "How did she fill a car with candy?"

"She stole Mike's car keys at one point, rigged a paint hopper to spit out the M&Ms while everyone was in a rally in the cafeteria."

"Newton is an asshole," I clearly stated.

I knew the fucking prick. Mike was a cheapskate, never wanting to pay for work done. Thought he was hot shit, when I knew Mike had a tiny prick. Well, that was according to his wife. She was one of the women who had made it their mission to fuck me. Jessica was easy enough to avoid, but I loathed Mike and refused to work for the couple ever again. The Horsemen being one of the only construction companies in the area, it was Mike's biggest mistake to mess with us; especially, with the money pit he recently purchased.

"What did he do to her to deserve that?" I had to know.

"Mike kept copying her homework or tests, bugging her during class." Eric's lips thinned, anger coating his words. "Someone said he slapped her ass the first time she wore tight jeans. She was barely fourteen. It took three of us to pry Emmett off Mike when he found out."

Jasper's glacial stare was back. "He made it worse by saying he was only messing with her because he liked her. Should've seen our little spitfire; though, she honestly looked like a demon that day."

The others all agreed. It was times like those, I wished I had moved to the area sooner and met Bella before she graduated early. She never returned home, having Emmett and her surrogate brothers come to her for visits. Having never met her, I didn't tag along. I was the new friend, and I hadn't felt like intruding then; hopefully, that would change.

"Last time I saw her was over three years ago for her twenty-first birthday. When is she coming home?" Jasper asked, taking the last drink of his beer. "Next month, right?"

I took a healthy drink of my beer, my eyes shifting away from the beauty again. "Sooner. Emmett thinks she's running away from something."

The guys all puffed out their chests, their eyes turning heated with anger. It appeared Bella really did have three overprotective brothers while Emmett was gone. I had a feeling she was going to love that shit.

My baby sister sure didn't like it when I went into big brother mode.

"Like boyfriend troubles?" Eric asked, concern taking over. "She's kind of small, but I know she took self-defensive classes on top of what we taught her."

"It better not be an ex." Jasper popped his knuckles, but something caught his eye at the bar. His eyes were directed at the same brunette I had my eyes on. I hadn't decided yet to approach her. Confusion furrowed Jasper's brow, but he said nothing. Did he know her? "Emmett would risk a court martial and go AWOL for her."

Tyler sat back, tapping his bottle on the table. "He has nothing to worry about. We'll take care of Baby B."

They all tipped up their beers, coming to an agreement of watching out for Bella Swan when she returned home.

"I'm heading out." I groaned as I stood; my knees were killing me. The guys bitched about me leaving since I was supposed to buy the next round. "Keep your panties on. I'll buy you all a round before I go."

"I'll buy three rounds the next time we get together if you take someone home tonight." Jasper had a gleam in his eye that I didn't trust for shit. The fucker was up to something. "You need to get laid, man. You've been an ornery sonuvabitch lately."

Tyler threw back his head and laughed, his dimples making an appearance in his dark skin. "Is that why he's been working so much?"

"Fuck you, assholes." I grabbed my leather jacket, taking up Jasper's challenge. I never backed away from one. "See you at six a.m. sharp on Monday."

My friends groaned, but they all knew it was best to roof first thing in the morning while it was still semi-cool.

I headed to the bar, seeing the brunette beauty alone made me steer toward the stool beside her. The women I'd seen talking to her were gone, which boded well for me. She smelled fucking amazing, all sex and sin. Jesus, I wanted to taste her.

She hadn't noticed me; even though, most women did the moment I stood in the room. Maybe she wasn't looking for company. I turned to talk to her, but before I had a chance to go in for the kill with one of my smiles, a cute blonde bumped into my bad shoulder, smiling up at me.

The brunette beauty was making it a point to ignore me, and I swore I saw her roll her eyes. Huh, she really wasn't interested.

Oh well, her loss.

"I'm sorry about that." The blonde looked me up and down, lingering on my left hand. Checking out if I was married? Was she one of those that hoped I was?

During my very short marriage to my college nightmare, I'd met women who preferred the company of a married man. They loved the idea of stealing someone's man or even making him cheat on his wife or girlfriend. One woman even admitted to me, men who cheated were better in bed because it was forbidden.

Sure, I was an asshole for sometimes using the act after the divorce, but I had only done it a few times. If I played my cards right, I wouldn't have to go home alone after all.

The blonde looked apologetic, trying for cute with a pouty-lipped smile. "I should buy you a drink for that."

"No harm was done." I shrugged indifferently; knowing my lack of interest would embolden her more. "No drink needed." I laughed a bit and caught the bartender's attention, ordering a round for the guys, turning away from her. Part of me was having second thoughts; she reminded me of my ex-wife.

My shoulder brushed against the brunette; she stilled but didn't pull away. Fuck, the warmth that emanated from her, combined with her hair and that elusive scent, made me hard.

"Aw, come on. One drink won't kill you." If only it were the beauty offering me a drink.

Just get it over with, I told myself. My hard-on wouldn't go away anytime soon because of the beauty.

I turned to look at her and shook my head, dipping my chin in an "aw, shucks" kind of way, playing the part the blonde seemed to be after. "It ain't a good idea. One more drink and I might do something I shouldn't. You're beautiful, baby..."

I took another look at her, she was beautiful, if I liked bubble gum pink everything—as in lips, strips of her hair, clothes, and pink body glitter. Which now that I thought about, I wasn't particularly interested in tasting. Some of that shit was nasty.

Maybe I should head out. "But my baby back home is expecting me soon."

The brunette I had eyes on since she walked into the bar, snorted, snickering under her breath beside me. She pressed her arm against mine harder. "Does that act really work?"

Oh, she does speak.

The candy pink woman laughed at the brunette's words, leaning around my back to smile at the woman. "He should've stopped at 'You're beautiful, baby,' right?"

My brain seized for several seconds, turning toward the other woman. "What?"

She rolled her eyes—the whiskey brown and gold in them would draw a man into a lifetime commitment of addiction if I allowed myself to succumb to their call.

Jesus fuck, she's a knockout.

And familiar. Although, I was positive I'd never met her. I wouldn't forget a mouth like hers, ever.

"You called her 'baby' and your supposed girl back home is also baby." She shrugged her slender shoulders, all on display in a dark blue off-the-shoulder blouse, sans fucking bra.

I tried to keep my eyes on her heart-shaped face, but her tits were as equally addicting as her eyes. It didn't help that her nipples were popping out and saying hello in a language my body was fluent in.

"That's one too many babies," the blonde said, laughing along with the smartass. Her attention returned to me. "If you had used her name, it would've been more believable. Now, I know I come on a little strong, honey, but I just wanted to buy you a drink. Maybe some conversation, then maybe a number. Totally saw through the act, too. See you slick." She walked around me and got cozy with the brunette. "Come on, beautiful." She batted her eyelashes in a mock-flirt and laughed. "How about you join me on the dancefloor? I know just the song, too."

The brunette beauty nodded and laughed along with the blonde, eyeballing me as if she expected me to tell her off or something.

I thought about it, for like two seconds, my nostrils flaring. Fuck, she smelled good.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to ruin your night." She shrugged. "I tend to stick my foot in my mouth a lot."

When I said nothing, too caught up watching her lips move, she followed the pink blondie. The brunette's peachy ass was on display in her pencil skirt, looking like too much class for the place that catered to mostly blue-collar workers.

I ignored the catcalls from my friends at the table as I ordered a shot of tequila. I needed it after that epic fucking fail. I ordered another shot, since walking my Harley to Emmett's old house sounded like a good idea. I'd crash there. There was no way I was staying at the bar; my ego couldn't handle another hit after blondie and the beauty sent me to the ground with just one swing.

Then I recognized the country song that came on.

"So nah nah, honey I'm good

I could have another but I probably shouldn't

I've got somebody at home, and if I stay I might not leave alone."

Was that where I got the "act" from? Damn Jasper and the country music he played when we worked. I was never going to live it down now.

I glanced at my so-called friends.

"You are queens!" Eric cried out at the table. They were all up on their feet, bowing down. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy."

Beauty and blondie noticed and waved at my employees, blowing the assholes kisses.

The rest of the place had a good laugh on my account, but I was a good enough sport to concede defeat. I grabbed a white napkin off the bar and waved it in the air. After paying for a few drinks for the women and delivering the round I promised to the guys, I headed out into the cool Forks night.

A part of me hoped never to see the whiskey-eyed beauty ever again, but my dick had other ideas.

I tossed the keys to Emmett's house on the counter, locked up tight, turned off every light, and

armed the security system. A headache I had earlier had diminished to a dull ache after a few beers and the shots of tequila, but I still needed relief.

Just a different kind of relief.

It'd been too long since I felt the heat of a woman's pussy or mouth around my cock, settling for my hands, but there were a lot less complications keeping it that way.

Good thing I didn't hook up with my Beauty; she had complications written all over her.

I headed into the spare bedroom where I kept an air mattress on the floor to sleep on if I worked late, stripped off all my clothes, testing the mattress for firmness.

I grabbed the lotion on the floor beside the bed and a towel; then lying back, I gripped my thick cock. Though I tried to pull up the memory of some naked porn star, my mind chose to focus on the brunette from the bar. She had a smart mouth, with plump, soft pink lips I would love to fuck.

I didn't know her name, but she'd star in my fantasies for a while.

The speed of my hand quickened as I pictured her sitting between my thighs, her hands brushing up my legs, making every muscle in my body tighten in anticipation. Her dark, whiskey eyes were on fire, igniting when she bent forward to kiss the tip of my dick with her lush lips.

"Fuck!" I wasted no time taking the image further, my hand fucking my throbbing cock. My sweet Beauty held nothing back, as her short fingernails ran over my aching balls.

The fantasy continued, and though my Beauty couldn't take my length all the way in, I hit the back of her throat with almost each stroke of her tongue until I came, hard.

"Fucking hell, Beauty." If the real thing came even close to my imagination, I might be willing to break a couple of my rules.

I rose from the airbed to clean up in the bathroom across the hall. After washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and ran a hand over my auburn hair. The undercut was easier for me to handle, but it was getting a little long on top. The trimmer I kept there had tempted me to trim my jawline. There was no one to impress, so I decided to leave the scruff for a couple more days.

Maybe I should try a beard.

I made my way across the hall to my room, still naked, when I heard a noise downstairs. Pausing outside the room, I listened to make sure I wasn't hearing things.

There it was again, a tap and a muttered curse.

My phone was downstairs, of course. Shit.

Going on pure instinct and a touch of adrenaline, I quietly creeped my way down the hall, grabbing the bat I kept close since a raccoon incident several weeks back. I slowly took the stairs, thankful I had fixed the creek on the third stair.

The noise came from the kitchen. Someone had broken in, but I wasn't about to let some fucker destroy the home I was helping Emmett create for his baby sister. The figure was slight and appeared to be unarmed.

"What the hell?" The muffled curse continued, as the figure moved toward the wall, possibly searching for a light switch, which I had moved. "Where is it?"

I wasn't sure if the intruder was dangerous, but ditched the bat anyway. My size at six-three and muscled strength would be my weapon. I bent slightly and ran full tilt toward the figure, wrapping my arms around the asshole's back and taking him down in one move.

The intruder struggled under me, bucking and thrashing, the body completely covered in some sort of camo jacket.

I grabbed the hands trying to scratch out my eyes, slipping them over her head.

From the high pitch of her screams and the intruder's size, I figured out immediately it was a woman who'd broken in, and it wouldn't be the first time. When I first started working on the house, I found a drugged out squatter named Angie living in the attic.

"Angie? What the hell are you doing back?" I asked, pissed and breathless. The woman wiggled under me, and I realized her body was not stick thin like the squatter.

"I'm not fucking Angie! What the hell are you doing in my house?"

I could barely understand her; her dark hair covered her entire face, and I could smell the alcohol all over her. "Your house? Nice try, lady. I've been staying here for weeks. It belongs to my buddy. Want to try again before I call the police?"

The figure stopped moving beneath me, which was a goddam crying shame. It was the most action I'd had in months. My C+ asshole status just went up to a B-.

"Edward?"

My eyes widened, my alcohol-drenched mind putting things together too slow, blame the fucking orgasm, too. The alarm hadn't gone off, and I had set it before going to bed. There was no indication of the intruder breaking in the back door or one of the windows; I would've heard it. This person either picked the lock or had a key.

The fact she knew my named cemented it. Oh fuck, I just tackled Emmett's baby sister. Talk about a warm welcome. Actually, she felt like a flame under me.

"Bella?"

"Yup, that would be me."

My eyes narrowed, recognizing the voice of the woman I'd seen at the bar. The same one who recently starred in an amazingly hot fantasy; the tip of my cock was still sticky from coming. The thought of said fantasy alone had me rising to the occasion.

She was also the same woman my so-called friends saw I had eyes on and said nothing. Fuckers. I was going to kill them; put them through the hell the following workday for that stunt.

"Oh boy." Bella started to giggle, twisting her hands in mine, her tits pressing harder against my chest. "You're happy to see me." Her laughter had her body responding in interesting and equally sexy ways. Her tits shook against my chest, her thighs parting farther, accommodating my hips.

It took considerable strength and will power not to thrust against her. Fuck, she was so damn warm.

"Are you drunk, Beauty?" It hadn't been that long since I left the bar, had it?

She stilled, her features turning serious. "No." It sounded more like a question than fact. Her act didn't last long, as she broke into another fit of giggles. "I'm quite capable of taking advantage of our current position and making a sound decision. If that's what you're worried about."

I rolled my eyes, trying not to do the same with my hips. "Wrong. If you knew me at all, you wouldn't want to fuck with me."

"Fuck with you? I'd rather fuck you."

"No, you don't."

She made a face of distaste. "Ah, you're the broody type."

"Shit." I rose to my knees, my cock bobbing against my stomach, the tip hitting above my belly button. "Stop looking at my dick, Baby Bella."

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?" She hissed as she sat up on the floor, waving her hand toward my crotch. "How can I not look at it? It's right in front of my face, and it's like a fucking train wreck!" She huffed, watching my dick twitch. "Jeez, Edward."

I rubbed my face, turning away as I got to my feet. Her gasp of surprise made me smirk, not that she could see it. "Yeah, Swan, I have a nice ass, too."

Keep calling her Swan or Baby Bella; they were the perfect reminders to keep my hands off her.

"Broody and cocky; that should help turn me off so I can sleep better." She was on her feet, dusting herself off. "What the hell are you doing in my house anyway?"

I searched a drawer and found a kitchen towel, holding it over my still hard cock, turning on the lights. "I stay here whenever I have a few drinks at the bar, work late, or plan to start work here early." I gestured around the kitchen. "I rode my Harley to the bar, but walked it back here."

"Well, that's good at least." She whistled at the newly remodeled kitchen, but then pouted. "I'm going to kill my brother."

"Excuse me? That's what you say about what he's done for you?" I heard she was a bit of a brat, but I swore Emmett and the others were merely joking around when they said it. "You're being a bit of an ungrateful bitch."

She grunted, tugging on her hair. "I know that sounds horrible, but I told him I was coming home to fix the house as a project to get my head past the bullshit back east." She threw her hands in the air, clearly upset. "Now it looks like he took care of all that, leaving me with nothing to do. He always does this."

What a bitch.

I scratched at my cheek, wondering how we got from eye fucking each other, rolling around on the floor, to this shit.

"Are you subtly flipping me off?" Baby Bella raised a sexy, slim eyebrow.

I want her to do that while I was inside her.

I shrugged. She was being overdramatic; Emmett did her a favor at his expense.

"I told him I needed to do the renos to the house. Now, I'll be left with nothing but my thoughts." She shuddered, shaking her head.

Okay, I could see her point. Working on the house in my spare time was my project for pretty much the same reason.

"Fuck, my buzz is gone now."

"What happened back east?" That sounded defensive and slightly detached, even to me.

I didn't want to care, but I had to make an effort for Emmett's sake.

She rolled her eyes. "Will you please do something about your lack of clothing?"

There was a kind of thrill about pissing her off that made me want to do it more. Asshole move, I knew it, but it couldn't be helped. Assholerly was ingrained in my personality, according to my ex-wife.

At least remembering Heidi made my cock deflate a little. Forget about that hideous bitch.

I had better things to do: back to pissing off my brown-eyed Beauty. I cockily grinned, folding my arms over my chest, purposely dropping the towel. "You have a problem with my lack of clothing, Baby Bella?"

Emmett was going to kill me.

Her eyes narrowed down to slits. "Quit calling me that."

My chin tipped up, challenging her, calling her bluff. "What are you going to about it…?" I leaned closer, my ass pressing against the counter, pissing her off more.

Her fists settled on her hips, a hint of the demon the guys mentioned earlier in her eyes. Other than that, she hardly posed a threat.

My little Beauty was a fucking kitten, nothing more. She reeked of alcohol, as if she spilled some on her, but there was an undercurrent of something sinful and sweet. I wanted to find the source

of the scent and lap it up. She's a Swan; remember that. Best friend's baby sister.

Time to piss her off more. "What are you going to do, Baby Bella?"

She stood on the tips of her toes, getting in my face. The temptress was tempting me to take a bite of that bottom lip of hers.

"You're only calling me that because of the 'bro code,' and everyone knows I hate that nickname."

She was right about the code. I would do whatever I could to piss her off and keep her at a distance. Not only did I worry about fucking my best friend's baby sister, but I could never give her more.

She had relationship and commitment written all over her; two things I had no interest in anytime soon, if at all.

"You didn't answer my question, BB." I tried to keep from smirking when she stomped her small foot. Her calf-length, leather boots would definitely star in my next fantasy of her, because that was all I would ever have of her.

She sighed suddenly, looking defeated, and nothing like the spitfire I met earlier. "Why would you even care?" Maybe the alcohol had her all over the map. She headed out of the kitchen. "I'm going to bed, wipe the counter your ass is leaning on and burn that fucking towel. You already got your pre-cum all over it."

Let her leave, just let her walk away.

Did she seriously give me orders? I ignored the way my neck and ears heated up, glaring at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You can't stand toe-to-toe with me, Baby Bella."

She spun around, stomping toward me until we were stomach to dick. So fucking warm. "You want to know what I'd do if you called me that again? Fine, Edward. I'd get on my knees to suck on your generously long, thick cock, just to piss you off, and you'd love every second of it. Then I'd consider using it against you. You know, because of the bro code."

She was gone before my brain rebooted, not that I had a clever retort in mind. There simply wasn't one when I wanted her to do exactly what she threatened. Even the blackmail sounded hot.

I was fucked.

So, I decided to take the couch. The thought of sleeping in a room beside hers fucked with both my throbbing heads.

I was barely awake when I heard Bella tiptoe past me on her way into the kitchen. After a minute, I peeked to see what she was doing, or what she was wearing. The curse on my tongue nearly slipped out when I saw her first thing in the morning.

She wasn't wearing shorts, but a pair of underwear meant to tempt the godliest of men. They were pink with ruffles, see-through, and made up of all things naughty, adding more to my already overworked imagination. The top didn't help either; it barely remained on, some off the shoulder temptation that would haunt me. She had incredible shoulders and a gorgeous neck.

"Stop staring at me, you creep."

It took a moment of clearing the lusty fog in my brain, to realize Bella said that and not the voice in my head.

"I'm not." Can you sound any less convincing, asshole?

"Sure, sure." She whistled for a few seconds from the kitchen, then moaned in pain. "I need to cut back on the tequila. Jesus."

"There's Advil in the junk drawer."

"Fuck yeah, there is a god." I heard her say, then watched her do a mini dance in the middle of the kitchen as I sat up. There was a whole lot of bouncy tits and ass. My morning semi, which was a substantial size to begin with, turned into a titanium rod in record time.

"Thanks. Need any, Edward?"

I nodded, trying not to look at her in the hopes to will my lust away. "Uh, yeah."

Where was the bitch from last night?

Before I had a chance to slip into my boxers, Emmett's little sister stood in front of me with three Advil and a glass of water.

"Here you go, Edward."

I thanked her, gratefully taking the water and pills she offered.

She shuffled on her feet, as if she expected me to say something, but I wouldn't. I wasn't exactly a nice guy in the morning before coffee—or any other time of the day.

"We kind of got off on the wrong foot last night. I wanted to apologize." She looked up at me expectantly.

I didn't say a word. Maybe if I came off as an asshole, she'd stay away from me.

She fidgeted under my gaze; my Beauty used one foot to rub the top of the other, her hands running through her hair. "From the look on your face, I must have been a royal pain in the ass last night."

I shrugged. "You remember anything?"

Bella looked softer in the morning light, sweeter. Perhaps my hangover was fucking with my head. The mess of curls looked adorable instead of sexy. I hated adorable. If she turned out to be some peppy, always happy woman, then I'd have no trouble keeping the hell away from her.

A smile spread over her slightly imperfect lips. I wanted to bite the fuller bottom one, taste it until I was satisfied, then take the top one between my teeth, and trace it with my tongue.

This isn't helping with the morning tree trunk in your pants, asshole.

Bella waved her hands in the air. Her top was short, and I caught a glimpse of the bottom curve of her tits.

Swan, she's a Swan. Not going to happen.

She said something I missed, her hands still moving along with her mouth. "Bits and pieces, but it usually comes back to me after breakfast."

The mention of food made my stomach protest.

Bella smiled, doing a head tilt thing that made my cock twitch. Apparently, my body liked cute. She needed to get out of there fast, or else my asshole side would come out and demand she got on her knees for me and do exactly what she'd teased last night.

"Someone is hungry." She smirked.

I was a starving man, and not for what she had in mind.

"Why don't you take a shower and get dressed, while I make us something to eat," she suggested.

I grunted, getting to my feet, because the woman was not moving. Hopefully, she'd get the hint.

She didn't. She was still standing in the same spot less than two feet away from my dick.

"Do you mind?" I held the sheet against my cock, trying to keep myself decent, which wasn't easy when my monster was at full mast.

Her eyes were on my crotch, and it wasn't helping the situation. When things were out of my control, I lashed out. The asshole level going up several notches, and usually, I didn't give a fuck. I did now. Bella was Emmett's sister; she wasn't just some woman coming onto me or fucking with my head. I had to remember that.

Too bad the asshole won out.

"You go into the kitchen and cook now, like a good little girl." I sounded like a sexist fucking pig. If I heard some asshole say that to my baby sister, I'd kill him.

The change in Bella was instant, and I watched as her body went from soft and inviting to defensive. She even widened her stance as if she were about to fight someone.

"I'm starting to remember what an asshole you are now." She rolled her eyes and turned away from me. "I'm making breakfast for me; not sure I'll leave some for you. Go take your shower or don't, but burn the sheet along with the towel from last night."

I cursed under my breath as she stalked toward the kitchen with her chin tipped high and a sexy as fuck sway to those magical looking hips.

The more we fought, the more I wanted her.

I held the sheet over my dick as I turned toward the stairs. I heard her squeak from behind, my ass was on full display for her. Had she returned to give me more shit?

"Oh, uh, never mind, Edward."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You got something to say, Baby Bella?"

She scowled at the use of the nickname. "Go fuck yourself."

She's going to hate me after this.

I rubbed the sheet over my stiff cock a bit harder. "I plan to."

I wasn't sure what I'd find downstairs after I finished my shower. A part of me wanted to walk out the door and pretend Bella Swan didn't exist for the foreseeable future. It made me feel like someone was holding my balls hostage. I wasn't about to let some little girl fuck with my head.

Period.

I heard Bella slamming cabinet doors, as I gathered my belongings to shower. There wasn't much food in the house. Despite that, she had bacon piled on a plate, along with some scrambled eggs, and homemade waffles, when I finally got the nerve to face her.

It wasn't because I feared her; my cock was the problem. It wouldn't behave; despite the barrage of gag-worthy, usually dick deflating images in my head.

My mouth watered the moment I saw Bella bent over as she grabbed food from the crisper in the fridge. I thought her tits were nice; her ass was nothing short of spectacular. How the fuck was I supposed to resist her when she looked like that?

"Can you go put on some fucking clothes?" Yup, the asshole was back.

She startled, yelping in surprise. Her eyes were fire and brimstone when she leveled me with a glare. "I would if my clothes from last night didn't smell like I swam in a keg of cheap beer."

"Quit giving me excuses, Bella, and find something else."

"What the fuck do my clothes have to do with anything?"

I tried to speak, but she stopped me before I had a chance.

"I swear to God if you say something like I'm gagging for it or something equally demeaning because of what I'm wearing, I will stick a fork in you." She threw her hands up when I glared at her, walking past me, right outside the front door.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled.

She wasn't the only one to reach a breaking point. I grabbed Bella by the arm, yanking her back inside. I slammed the door closed.

"Do you want your neighbors to see you like that?" I waved my hand in front of her.

"I have nothing to wear in the house, nothing, and my shit is in my car." Her hands went into her hair, giving me a glimpse of glorious skin and a fucking tattoo on her hip. I'm fucking salivating now, thanks. "God, can this day get any worse?"

"Don't start crying because then I'm leaving." I would, too. Women in tears were my kryptonite. It didn't matter how much a woman hurt me, if she started crying, I usually gave in to whatever she wanted—which they often used to their advantage against me in the past.

"I'm not crying." She yanked her arm out of my hand, slapping a set of keys in it instead. "If I can't go out there, then you go get my bag, or let me borrow a shirt."

If tears were my kryptonite, seeing this woman in my clothes would kill me. "I'll go get it." I snatched my hand back, or else the touch of her skin would continue to make me burn and my erection even more painful.

I needed to fucking leave, but I couldn't yet.

I took a few minutes outside to gather control and assess some damage to Bella's car. There was a dent on the driver's side, silver paint transferred to the dark blue of her car. Had she been in a fender bender recently? Wasn't she drunk last night? Had she driven? If she had, it was an unforgivable offense in my eyes. My grandparents died in a car accident because of a drunk driver.

I'm not going to yell at her, just raise my voice a little.

From the porch of the house, Bella called out to me as if she knew what I was thinking. She didn't because she would've slapped me already.

"Lauren, the blonde woman from last night, had her little brother Riley drop it off this morning for me. He drove us home last night; my extra keys should be under a tire well."

My shoulders relaxed as I found the keys. "There's damage on the side panel."

"It's not new." Bella shrugged when I looked at her. "My ex hasn't been taking the 'it's over' hint very well."

Emmett was right: she was running away from something. The fact she arrived earlier than anticipated indicated the situation had escalated.

"Should we expect any issues while you stay here?" Perhaps it would be a good idea for the guys and me to take turns checking in on her.

She visibly shuddered. "I don't think so."

"But it's possible."

She nodded, gesturing for me to come inside. "Breakfast is getting cold."

"I think you need to start at the beginning." I needed some answers; despite wanting to bend Bella over the nearest flat surface and fuck her like an animal. I would protect her—for Emmett's sake.

We each piled up our plates with food, filling our coffee mugs to the top.

I stared at her, remaining silent until she gave in and started the conversation we needed to have.

"Any chance you can keep this from Emmett? At least, until he gets back. If he finds out, he'll go AWOL."

I didn't like the idea, but if agreeing got her talking, I'd agree. "I'll agree to it, for now, but if the guys need to know so they can keep an eye on you, then I'll tell them."

Bella groaned, gently hitting her forehead on the kitchen table. "Fine, but the last thing I needed was another brother."

I wasn't touching that comment. There was nothing brotherly about my thoughts and feelings. I stuffed my mouth with bacon, asking her to get on with it.

"Paul was persistent in trying to get under my skirt." Bella shook her head. "I think he pursued me for almost a year before I gave in and went out on a date. Should've known then he was only after one thing."

I winced, because if I gave into my lust, I'd only be after one thing.

"After he popped my cherry, he was gone." She said it so robotically and flat that I wanted to find the asshole and kill him, but not before torturing him for a few hours. It was the least I could do for Emmett.

"Give me his full name and social, and me and the guys will take care of it."

"I'll keep that in mind." She sipped on her coffee, seemingly thinking about something. It took her a minute to start up again. "After a while, I let it go, pretty much forgot about him, but I was careful with boys. Went out a couple times, and eventually, entered another relationship, which turned out just as bad. Anyway, I bumped into Paul at a medical conference two years ago, where I had a presentation and lecture. We got to talking. I fell for his bullshit lie that he had changed."

"People rarely change, maybe for a period of time, but personally, I think it takes more than a

few years to grow the fuck up."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but kept whatever comment or retort she had to herself. "I thought we were on the same page after a year, but apparently, we weren't. After he explained his reasons, I ended the relationship. I deserve better."

There was more to her story, and though I wanted to know, I knew better than to ask. Sympathizing with her would only lead to my wanting to comfort her, and I wasn't there for that.

"So what? He didn't take the break up well?" I kept stuffing my face, wondering what Bella's secret was. My eggs never came out this good. Maybe she'd feed me breakfast in bed one day. The wayward thought had the bite of food settling like a rock in my stomach.

What the fuck?

"He was fine with it, even agreed that we simply wanted different things."

Did that mean Bella wanted a ring on her finger and her ex didn't?

I looked at her, and the softness I'd seen earlier was still there. I couldn't even explain it, as if she had a soft glow around her. The look screamed, "I want to get married and have babies."

I edged the chair away from her, just in case the look was contagious.

"This story is getting a little long now," I teased, keeping a small smile on my face.

"Then why did you ask?" She bumped her shoulder against mine, playfully scowling.

Damn she was cute.

Bella waved her hand as she continued. "As I was saying, the breakup was amicable, until he suddenly returned a couple months ago wanting to get back together. I wasn't even remotely interested, but he was insistent. One time, he came over to my apartment unannounced, drunk off his ass. After a horrible confrontation, my neighbors escorted him off my property. He kept coming around until I had a friend help me get a restraining order against him."

"When did he hit your car?" I always thought I was an asshole, but Bella's ex sounded like a douche. It sounded as though he figured out what he was missing, once it was over. Thankfully, Bella was smart enough to send him packing.

"He cornered me in a restaurant parking lot. It was just before the restraining order."

There was more she wasn't telling me, but I had the information I needed.

"Well, I still say you should give me his name, number, last known address, so me and the guys can drop by and say hello."

"Just so I can bail you all out?" Again, she used her hands as she talked. "No thanks. Besides, the last time he almost violated the restraining order, cops had to go talk to him. Since then, there hasn't been a peep from him."

"Which explains why you came home early."

Bella ducked her head, looking away. "Yeah, I guess."

Sensing again there was more, but that she was uncomfortable, I chose to let it go for now. "Come on, I'll do the dishes, then we can go over all the changes Emmett had me work on. If there's anything else you'd like, we can discuss it."

"Funny I thought this was my house, since Emmett signed the deed to me. We'll take a look and I'll decide what needs to be changed or discussed."

She had me there. It was her house, not Emmett's.

"Emmett is technically footing the bill."

Bella smirked. "Not anymore, I am."

I crossed my arms over my chest, watching her carefully. Why was she so determined to take on such a large task? "I wasn't going to charge your brother for my labor. I was doing that as a favor to him."

"Are you extending that favor to me?

Was I? I could delegate the rest of the work to others. It wasn't as if I couldn't afford it. If I continued working for her, it would mean I'd spend more time with her. Was that a good thing? I simply nodded.

She smiled, and fuck, if it didn't make my cock twitch.

Several hours later, we had a plan, and I hoped to have all the renovations done prior to summer. Bella added a few more projects, and since I usually supervised and delegated the workload with my business, I'd be able to continue helping her for the next month or two.

I spread blueprints for the house across the coffee table in the living room, starting to sketch in a backyard deck Bella wanted.

She hovered, keeping that incredible heat and scent close and my dick uncomfortably hard. Occasionally, she'd point at something, make a comment or suggestion, and I helped determine what could be done and how. She had a good eye for architecture and engineering.

It wasn't long before the doorbell rang.

Bella's eyes widened as she rose from the couch. "Shit, I forgot the guys were coming over to barbeque!"

The minute Jasper, Eric, and Tyler took one look at us all cozy on the couch, they'd know I

wanted Bella in my bed. "This can wait until later. Why don't you go get the door while I start up Emmett's old grill?"

She relaxed a bit, nodding as she headed to the front door.

I wanted to have a conversation with guys later, since they didn't tell me Bella was at the bar or she was staying at her house. It was also obvious they didn't tell her I sometimes stayed at the house, too.

My friends hadn't said a word about me being there already, and I decided to confront them after we ate.

It was strange to see how such big, tough guys all acted so sweet and caring around Bella. Tyler was six-four and built like a linebacker, much like Emmett. Eric was the shortest, at six feet, but still towered over Bella, who stood at five-seven. Jasper seemed to stay back, observant, but still much in the moment with the reunion. She buzzed around them, providing them with the snacks they brought, stories, and plenty of laughs.

"I'm going to make some rice inside." Bella patted Jasper's shoulder when he expressed how much he loved her Spanish rice. The moment she stepped inside, they all turned to look at me, where I sat at the head of the patio table, looking rather cozy.

"What?" I knew what, but I wasn't the type to kiss and tell, even if nothing happened.

"Looks like nothing happened." Jasper sat back, looking a little relieved.

The look and his comment pissed me off, but I matched Jasper's relaxed posture. "I thought you said you wanted me to get laid. What is it? Bella too good for me?"

Probably, but I was curious what was going through their heads.

Eric, the diplomat of the group, spoke up first. "First, we were fucking with you last night about that. That's none of our business, but the truth of the matter is, we don't want to see Bella hurt anymore."

I only got more defensive. "You're automatically assuming I'm going to hurt her?" I looked at the other guys and saw the answer.

"It's just in your nature, man." Tyler shrugged. "You do it before they can hurt you. I get it. Your exes were royal bitches. The crap she pulled would make anybody nervous to start up something again. But fuck, Edward, it's been like years since your divorce, and that shit with Irina was over a year ago."

Had it really been that long?

"You all think I'm incapable of being with her?" Didn't I think the same thing all day?

"A part of you probably would love to explore something else with her, but the other part, the one that has your dick pointing right at her is currently in control."

"It's not pointing at her." I stood when Bella popped out to ask a question about allergies. She waited for me to answer, but my eyes were on the tiny heart tattoo on her left shoulder. How had I missed that? I felt my dick hardening. Fuckers were right, it did point at her.

"Edward?" She waved a hand in front of me, whistling when I had yet to respond.

"I'm not allergic to anything."

Someone muttered, "Just commitment."

Bella scowled at Jasper. "What did you say?"

Jasper shrugged, refusing to answer.

She whispered a soft "thank you" and left to finish inside the house.

I sat back down, after checking on the burgers and corn. I sent Jasper a glare. "Thanks a lot, Jazz."

Jasper grimaced at his ex's nickname for him. "I know we're coming off as assholes."

"You think?" I looked away. "You can all stow the big brother act with me. I'm not going to touch her."

"You don't have to stay to help me clean up, Edward." Bella pulled her hair up in a bun, leaving loose curls hanging. Her tits were all perky under some romper thing she wore. The hem of the shorts portion barely covered her ass when she bent over.

"I don't mind." I'd been quiet for the last hour or so, watching my friends with this beautiful woman and wondering where I fit in. I felt protective of her, as much as they seemed to be, but I fantasized about her. There was nothing innocent about those fantasies, and I knew that wouldn't change anytime soon. "I noticed something."

"I'm sure you notice a lot of things." She giggled; though, I wasn't sure what she was referring to. "I know it's weird how protective they are of me. It was a pain in the ass growing up—no boyfriends at all while I lived here."

"Considering how young you were when you started college, I'm guessing it was a while until you could date."

Bella nodded. "I'm sure they told you about our childhood, about our mother?"

I nodded.

"If Daddy hadn't set aside a separate school fund for me that she didn't have access to, I probably would've graduated at the normal age. Emmett made sure I got the right tutors growing up, because Mom didn't care. Once she figured out she couldn't make money off me, she refused to lift a finger to help."

"I will never understand how a mother can do that to a child." I set up the dishwasher, taking a rinsed plate from Bella. "Why did she even bother keeping you and Em around?"

Bella frowned, and I realized my question sounded rude, but she stopped me before I could apologize. "To clean the house, mow the lawn, and as long as we lived in this house, the utilities were paid by Dad's lawyers." She shrugged. "I want to believe she loved us, but I think we reminded her too much of Dad. We have his eyes."

They did, but Emmett's were darker.

"Sorry if the guys were giving us so much shit because I spent the night."

She stopped rinsing. "Why are you sorry? They were the ones being assholes about it. Plus, hello, it would've meant I slept with someone I just met and while drunk. They don't give me enough credit." She muttered more curse words, her cheeks flushed with color. The cup in her hand was going to break if she kept squeezing it so hard.

I took the glass from her, easing her away, taking over. "Relax, let me do this, and tell me what they said about your ex when you told them." I had to take a call from a client earlier while she explained to the guys about her asshole ex-boyfriend.

"There's nothing much to tell. They reacted the way I thought they would, and honestly, Paul would run if he saw any of you guys coming his way."

My mind whirled with ideas about how to obtain the information I needed. If I cozied up to one of the ladies at the police station, maybe I could get Paul's information. Then the guys and I could suddenly have the need for a short road trip.

"You had to tell them, Bella, just in case he came around."

A bit defeated, she huffed, but nodded in agreement. "I know, but like I said, it should be okay."

I started the dishwasher and turned to face her, leaning back against the counter. "As I said, I noticed something earlier."

"Besides my spectacular ass?" She winked, and I worked hard to keep my face neutral. She had a mouth on her; not only a smart one, but she also cursed a lot.

"You and Tyler." There was no need for clarification; I knew that. She was closer to Tyler than to the others. During their visit, I had noticed how he was never too far from her, hovering, always first to help her.

"Ah, yeah Tyler." She looked away, blinking several times as if to avoid tearing up. Had there

been something between them? "Let's just say we helped each other through a very dark period in our lives."

"You were just a kid." I tried to keep the disgust from my voice, but she hadn't been home for years. How had they had any relationship if she'd been a child?

She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you think men and women can't be friends?"

"I didn't say that, but it seems like you two had a thing going on." I shrugged indifferently, but she saw right through it.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You sound kind of jealous, but that can't be."

"Not even close." Was that what I felt when I saw them interact earlier? Possibly.

"It's never been like that with any of the guys." Her brow tightened. "No, that's not true. I had a crush on Jasper for years."

Jasper was loading the roof on Monday by himself.

"I see."

She propped her elbow on the counter, leaning into her palm. "So, do you believe men and women can't be friends?"

"I don't have any female friends, Bella." Most women I met over the years, at one point or another, tried to get into my pants—a few succeeded, others did not. Either way, it always ended badly.

"That doesn't bode well for us; unless the 'bro code' helps our situation."

I shook my head, chuckling. "You do remember last night?"

"I remember you attacked me." She batted her lashes playfully, her eyes sweeping down my body, lingering on my cock. If she kept doing that, she would see it rise to the heat in her gaze. As it was, there was no mistaking she could see my well-defined bulge; it was impossible to mask.

"To be fair, I thought you were the local druggie."

She frowned. "Yeah, Emmett told me about Angie. We went to school together." She sat thoughtful for a minute, then sighed. "I remember a few things from last night, but I know we didn't do anything."

From the playfulness in her voice, I wanted to know what she was thinking. "What makes you say that, Bella?"

"If I had let that monster inside me, I'd still be feeling it right now, and I don't." She stood away from the kitchen island, walking toward me. "That is if you know how to use it properly."

That sounded like a dare.

My eyes narrowed and nostrils flared with her thinly veiled insult covered with a compliment. "You would feel it."

She shrugged. "Right, so we didn't do anything, meaning, your ass is safe."

I rolled my eyes, stupid bro code. All day I had been back and forth with my desire for her. I went from hot to cold; just to turn around and heat up our interaction with some innuendo that only made her do the same. She had to have noticed how many times I adjusted my dick every time she slid her hand over new granite, or inspected the molding by climbing a ladder, putting her ass in my face as I had held the ladder.

Fuck the consequences; I didn't care anymore. I leaned toward her, lifting my hand to tip up her chin, meeting her gaze head-on. "What if I don't want to be safe?"

She licked her lips, pressing herself a little closer. The heat off her body onto my own felt incredible and so damn inviting, and if she took one more step—game fucking over.

"I think in this case, safety sucks." She stood on the tips of her toes, meeting me halfway. At the touch of her soft lips, I sprang into action. My arms wrapped around her small waist, tying her to me, as I took her mouth forcefully, close to desperation.

I had imagined her in various positions around the house while we went over plans, walking around with a hard dick for hours. The brutal pain eased for a moment, lost in the softness of her lips, and the taste of sweet tea on her tongue. My teeth nipped at her bottom lip as I imagined a thousand times since I first saw her.

"Jesus." She gasped, her lip still trapped between my bite. "Take me to bed, Edward." She captured my groan, cupping my face, deepening the kiss. My hands dove beneath the hem of her romper, finally getting them on her backside.

"Fuck," I hissed, cupping and squeezing her ass.

The tip of her tongue explored the shape of my mouth, every part of it open for her to taste. She rubbed her stomach against my cock, making my eyes roll.

It was torture. It was heaven.

The fabric of her romper didn't stand a chance. It tore like paper, coming apart in my too rough hands. I tried to keep my touch lighter, my skin probably felt like sandpaper to her. I just could not stop touching her, grabbing her, holding her too tight.

I got harder at the thought of leaving marks of our fucking all over her.

We stumbled out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Touch me, please." Her words brushed against my ear, enticing me further. Her fingers tugged on my hair, and the little brat cupped my dick, threatening to shred my control.

"It's going to take a lot more than your hand to cover me."

She smiled up at me, biting her lush bottom lip I was already addicted to. "Oh, I'm well aware of that, Edward."

"Yeah, you are, and you're going to feel it for days." I dipped in for another taste, but Bella shook her head and stepped out of my arms. Come back, I'm not done.

The romper I'd ruined started to slide down miles of long fucking legs after she loosened the top portion. My mouth watered and my cock twitched in my jeans. I couldn't take much more; there was a need to kiss, lick, and bite every inch of her. She wore a fancy white lacy bra thing, and I had no idea of the name, but I wanted to buy her another dozen, in every fucking color, so I could see her in it all the damn time.

The desire to stalk toward her and claim her was potent, but I wanted her to come to me. All soft and sexy, willing to do anything I asked of her. If she expected me to go easy on her, she had another thing coming. After spending a day with her—her scent teasing me, stirring my cock with her smooth peaches and cream skin—it wasn't possible to be gentle.

I worked hard, but when I played, it was harder. She'd soon learn that.

"Come here, beautiful." I crooked a finger, biting back a groan as she stalked toward me, looking like every bit the predator, making me the prey. Unable to handle the distance between us any longer, I closed it with a tug of her hand. Her body collided with mine, each of us groaning. Instantly, our hands worked to pull and yank clothes off or out of the way. My shirt ended up in a plant, and her panties were another casualty to my hands. In the process, a lamp fell to the ground, the remote lay smashed by the couch, a frame barely hung on the wall as I pushed her against it.

"Yes," she breathed out, her hands gripping my shoulders. I slid my cock between her thighs, teasing her, threatening my control. She was wet and warm, so fucking ready for me. My palms slid down the back of her thighs, my pants around my ankles, not inclined to spend the time to take everything else off. Our eyes met, and silently, we had the "protection" discussion without a word. She nodded, ending my misery with a moan of my name and a demand for more. I thrust inside her without restraint, groaning at the feel of her clenching all around me. She was so fucking tight.

"Oh fuck!" she screamed, gasping against my shoulder and neck.

I held on, loving the feel of her pussy tightening and coming around me. I couldn't believe she could take my entire length inside her. I could count the number of times that happened using only a finger.

"You okay?" I realized I should've been more careful. Instead, my control unraveled, making me lose my mind for a second.

"Yes."

I nibbled on the tiny red heart tattoo on her shoulder, right where it met her neck. Sexiest fucking thing. "More?

Her soft breath teased my ear, her voice rougher. "Yes, more."

I savored her for a moment longer, allowing her to take deep breaths, before pulling out and thrusting as hard as the first time. I cursed, unable to keep my mouth from biting into her shoulder.

"Fuck, you feel good." I groaned, as Bella tightened her pussy around my dick. "Do that again and I'll fuck you like I want, Beauty."

Her head fell back against the wall, her breasts pushing out for me. She laughed, doing it again.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I pulled out slowly to watch my cock slip out of her.

Bella tipped my head up and tugged on my hair. "Fuck me, Edward."

I dropped my mouth to her tits, fucking her as she asked. She moaned and groaned, whispering dirty things in my ear.

"I'm so full."

"Fuck, Edward."

"So good."

"God, your cock." Thrust for thrust, her hips met mine. Her nails bit into my shoulders and back, and I loved the bite of pain as much as she seemed to love it, too. Every time I bit and nipped at her tits or neck, she'd squeeze my dick as no woman had ever done.

"My Beauty," I whispered, kissing her as my pace quickened. I knew she was about to come, felt it in the way her body braced for it. As if she were about to jump headlong off a cliff, and she was going to take me with her. "Come for me, Bella."

She slipped her hand between us, causing me to harden farther inside her, which she noticed, smiling at me wickedly. Her fingers rubbed between her thighs, the tips pushed into my cock every time I pulled out, adding to the pleasure.

"Fuck." I moaned, taking her faster, harder.

Her scream was silent, the kind that stole your voice but still made your throat hurt afterward. Her body tensed against mine, her arms trembling around me. I fucked her against the wall, wishing I could keep from coming, to make it last longer. It was impossible. She felt too good with every inch of my cock wrapped in her warmth.

Her breathy gasp of my name as she came down, the satisfaction in her voice nearly brought me to my knees. Four more thrusts and my body enclosed around her body as I spilled inside her. I cursed and pleaded, for what, I wasn't sure. It seemed to last forever, but the moment I returned to fucking Earth, it didn't seem to have lasted long enough.

She giggled, her fingers playing with my hair.

"I still have my cock inside you, if you keep laughing, it will start to get hard again." It was true,

her tits jiggled when she laughed or giggled.

"Oh, I wouldn't want that." She winked, laughing some more. "I can't believe I tamed The Beast."

My eyes narrowed as I pulled out, helping her to her feet. Immediately, I wanted to get back inside her. "How do you know that name?"

"The guys said my nickname I had for you was the same one you had." She grinned, bending low enough to help me lift my jeans up to cover myself, my boots still on.

Seeing her mouth that close to my dick had it twitching—fuck.

"How did my dick come up?"

"I was at the bar, asking how I could tell if a guy has big dick or not."

I led her to the couch, pulling her into my lap. She was still naked, but didn't seem to mind. I wasn't stupid enough to complain. It wasn't like me to stick around once the deed was done. Yet, I needed to have her again, and the day was still young.

"Why would you ask that?" Was she looking to pick up someone last night?

"Paul was average; some of the other guys I've been with were, too." She shrugged, shifting until her head rested on my lap.

I slid my hand down her cheek, neck, and settled on her stomach. Noticing scars there, but I didn't ask about them. Emmett had mentioned she'd been a bad accident when she was younger; though, he closed up after that, not giving a lot of details. It seemed to be a tough subject to discuss.

"I was a little drunk, so I asked how a woman was supposed to tell. Tyler was the one who said you can tell by how a man sits."

I laughed, agreeing somewhat. "Let me guess, if a man crosses his legs above the knee…"

"Below average." She grinned, giggling.

It surprised me she didn't even try to cover up; she was more confident in herself than I first thought.

"Below the knee, average at the very least," she continued, humming a bar of a song I didn't recognize. "At the ankles and knees spread means above average, but that he wasn't hard."

"I see."

She looked at me, her hand lifting to dance her fingers up my happy trail. "I noticed you sat with your knees spread and your ankles not crossed." The tips of her fingers circled my nipple. "Which meant, you're a big boy."

I bent down and bit her bottom lip. "I'm no boy, Baby Bella."

A corner of her mouth lifted in a sly smile. "I know, and so I came up with the name The Beast, but only because last night you called me Beauty." She laughed a little. "You know, Beauty and the Beast."

I rubbed my hands over my face, trying not to laugh. "You have the beast part right, Bella. Your brother is going to kill me. It doesn't matter if I'm older, and his boss when he comes home, he's still my friend."

"We have a while before Emmett is scheduled to return from deployment. If it doesn't work out…"

I stopped her right there, hands up defensively. "What? Work out? As in you think this thing between us would be anything more than fucking?"

Her eyes closed, her hands clenching into fists. "I see." She sat up, covered her chest with her hands, and walked over to my shirt, pulling it on. "I'm good enough to work for, hang out with, and even fuck, but not enough to date, is that it?"

I stood, shaking my head. I was an idiot for not making things clear before I fucked her. "I'm not looking for anything serious." I waved my hand toward the wall I had fucked her against. "We had fun. It was fucking amazing, actually. Why does it have to be anything other than that?"

"I guess it doesn't, and now it won't be." She left the room, and I argued with myself about going after her. She returned, not bothering to meet my eyes, dressed in running shorts and Spandex top, dropping my t-shirt on my dick. "I'd like you to be gone before I get back, and Edward," she said, and looked at me with a fixed blank expression on her face, "I don't want you working for me now."

She was firing me? Worse, she was making it clear my cock wasn't going anywhere near her again. Anger was quick to thicken my blood, to make my tongue sharper. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Her eyes darkened, narrowing, for only a moment, then it was as though all the fire and light within them was sucked out.

Fuck, I did that.

"I'm going jogging." She looked bored and buffed her nails against her top. "I guess you didn't give me much of a work out." She cocked an eyebrow and shrugged indifferently, doing a few stretches that made my mouth water. "I can't even feel it. Now that I think about it, you didn't live up to the nickname."

Then she was gone.

The rest of the weekend went downhill fast. The trusses for the Moore house would be delayed two weeks, forcing a change up to schedules and rearranging jobs to keep my guys working. The radiator in my truck leaked, burning my hand in the process of checking what was wrong.

Worse yet, my cock refused to stand down any time I thought of Bella. If I saw someone with long brown hair on TV, bam, my dick was hard, and I would have to take care of it. If I smelled a similar scent of her perfume, same shit. I couldn't even look at blueprints without thinking about her hovering over my shoulder, her breath brushing my ear, as she loved my sketches.

What the fuck was I supposed to do now? Once was nowhere near enough; I should've known it. I also should've guessed she'd be looking for more than I could give her.

We had a great time after our initial meeting—she was funny, sweet, a little wicked, too, and a hell of a good fuck.

Why did she have to ruin everything?

Monday morning, I called Jasper to take care of things for a few days, claimed I wasn't feeling well. I was determined to talk to Bella, to apologize for not being able to give her more. We needed to clear the air to make sure that when Emmett returned, we could stand to be around each other.

Nothing else; though, my cock had other ideas. I swore it was like a divining rod, pointing toward her pussy.

I had earned grade-A asshole status, but at least I owned up to it.

A couple minutes after nine in the morning, I pulled up outside the house. I shouldn't be there; it was too soon. I contemplated leaving, but Bella stepped out onto the porch, tipping up her chin and not looking happy to see me.

I jump out of my truck, walking toward her, but she held up a hand when I got too close.

"Okay, I won't come any closer, but I thought we should talk about the work on the house." I played off dumb with that excuse even though, I knew Bella would've likely called one of the guys to help with anything she didn't know how to do.

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to say a word.

"Bella," I said, hoping to talk to her. Not that I had any clue what to say.

She finally opened her lush lips. Too bad, it was to tell me off and not for my dick. "I'm not ready to talk to you yet, Edward. It will happen, but give me time."

I tried to interrupt. "But, you—"

"I swear to God, if one of the guys told you my sad story, and that's part of the real reason you're here, I will kick you in that giant dick of yours."

I hadn't taken any calls over the weekend. "I've no idea what the fuck you're talking about,

Bella."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Then fucking leave, before I really do hurt you."

The problem was, when she gave me attitude, my baser instinct was to do the same. "You'd have to get closer to touch me, Baby Bella. We both know you're too chicken to do that."

"If anyone is too chicken around here, it's you. Your Beast is saying hello, asshole." She smirked, eyes on my groin. "I bet you hate that."

She then stormed off, leaving me outside alone and the door wide fucking open. Considering she had a crazy ex, that shit was stupid.

"You need to lock the door, BB!"

"What?" she screamed from inside the house. "Go away, asshole!"

"Not before we talk." I was tired of yelling already, and the neighbors were coming out to check what was going on.

She came back out, looking like a fucking Avenger, angry and ready to rip off my balls. I gestured toward Mrs. Cope's house, and Bella instantly softened.

"Well, come inside then," she said through clenched teeth, gesturing for me to follow her. Dressed in small denim cutoffs, her ass all plump and smackable, I'd follow her about anywhere.

Some of my inner asshole decided it was the perfect opportunity to test the waters. "I'll gladly come inside you."

She stilled just inside the door as I stepped over the threshold, her ass pressing against my dick. My very hard,big dick. I felt her shiver, but she silently continued toward the kitchen.

As for me, I wondered how long before a guy died from blue balls. I had a few months to convince her we could be friends, or at least, be friendly around each other.

There was another pressing matter, though: I didn't want to be just friends.

I was fucked.