Hedone Ranch

By: JenJadeEyes

Stressed out, Bella seizes an opportunity to get away. After being mistaken
for her movie-star boss at a "spa", she finds out her boss has been using her
name to keep big secrets. When is a spa not a spa? When it's a brothel. See
what Bella discovers about herself during her stay. AH

Status: complete

Published: 2011-05-31

Updated: 2014-01-20

Words: 86663

Chapters: 18

Rated: Fiction M - Language: English - Genre: Romance - Characters: Bella

- Reviews: 1,545 - Favs: 2,050 - Follows: 1,627

Original source: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7040173/1/Hedone-Ranch

Exported with the assistance of FicHub.net

Hedone Ranch
Introduction
Poetry
Lip Service
Viewing Pleasure
Exhibition
Swan Song
Banner Day
O My Goddess
Power Surge
Pack Mentality
Rough Rider
Primal
The Mouse that Roared
Oops, Did I Say That Out Loud?
Second Place
Awaken part 1
Awaken part 2
About Outtakes
THANKS and Help Needed
Poetry
A/N: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 1 - Poetry

"Yes, I understand Mr. Spielberg is an important man, but you're not

listening; his office called Ms. Brandon's office. As Ms. Brandon's
personal assistant, I'm simply returning the call."

Bella Swan thought - not for the first time - that she'd never be
comfortable here in Hollywood. She hated the hierarchies of contact,
the posturing, the false claims of help; that was just the assistants! It
got worse the higher up the chain you went: from the agents, to the
casting directors, to the directors and all the way through to stars like
her boss, Alice Brandon.

In all of her small, perky glory, Alice piped up from the desk facing
Bella's in their shared office while the woman on the other end of the
phone droned on. "Shelly Cope will tell me what's going on; see if
you can talk to her." Bella nodded as she continued twisting her long
brown hair around a pencil-her way of directing her anger anywhere
but through the phone. She didn't want to let her irritation show, but if
this lady wouldn't shut up about how she hadn't followed the proper
procedure for contacting Mr. Spielberg…

"Okay, look, Michelle, was it? If this isn't the correct circle of hell, you
just tell me which circle of hell I should be talking to so I can hash
this out with them. Better yet, walk around your office until you find
Shelly Cope and put her on the phone instead. I'll wait."

Alice's eyes bulged as she held in her laughter. She loved it when
Bella stopped playing the Hollywood game and just cut to the chase.
Little did Alice know what it cost Bella emotionally to have to fight for
every minor thing. Bella reflected that there must be way to make
things go more smoothly; she had seen other assistants have less
trouble navigating these same pathways. Bella had managed her
entire household from the age of 10 for her loveable yet flighty
mother, but couldn't seem to get an appointment with a director who
had already asked for a meeting!

"Shelly, hey, Bella Swan here. How's the most connected person in
Hollywood? Great! Look, I'm returning Mr. Spielberg's call. Ms.
Brandon is leaving town for vacation today and won't be available
until the 23rd. Her office will be closed until then. Did you want to get
something on the books now? She has a press junket immediately
on her return, and she starts a new film the first of May." After a
moment, she quickly typed into her calendaring program and replied,
"Yeah, that works."

Bella paused, and then asked, "Do you know which project he was
calling about so that Alice can be prepared going into the meeting?
You've got nothing? Hush-hush, huh? You didn't listen at the door
with a glass? " She faked a laugh at the response given. "I don't buy
it, Shelly. You know everything. Nothing? Okay. Talk to you soon."
Turning to the Alice, Bella raised her eyebrows and sighed. "Shelly
says she doesn't know."

"What a crock!" Alice beamed at her. "And I don't want to hear you
say ever again that you can't act! 'Michelle, if that's what your name
is' - brilliant!" Grinning as Bella rolled her eyes, Alice continued. "Are
you sure you don't wanna come with me?"

"God, no, Al. You've got six months of craziness following these two
weeks-go be with your parents and have some family time."

Alice Brandon started out as a normal college roommate, and to

Bella, coming from the relaxed sunny atmosphere of Phoenix,
Arizona, with her nearly-hippie friend-instead-of-mother and then the
relaxed, rainy atmosphere of Forks, Washington, with her no-
nonsense, taciturn father, Alice seemed especially typical of high-
energy L.A. She was pert, beautiful, skinny as a rail, had both
parents wrapped around her finger, and had chased her dreams and
caught them, playing bit parts in extremely low-budget indie films.
Bella found her high-octane personality and lack of guilt-ridden
responsibility to be overwhelming and entrancing, all at once.

During their first semester together, a small indie film Alice had made
a year previously was released and received massive critical
acclaim, which led to commercial success. As Alice's star rose, guys
on campus started to notice, which led to Alice finding herself in less
than comfortable situations. This caused Bella's 'momma bear'
instincts to rise to the fore. Once, a male co-ed didn't take Alice's
"no" for an answer and took less than five seconds to trap Alice
against a campus building with no way to move, much less fight
back. Bella, being the daughter of a cop, had police-grade pepper
spray with her, and after she utilized it, Alice and Bella's fledgling
friendship solidified into something more firm.

That was the day Bella started doing for Alice what she'd done for
her parents since they had divorced, putting the needs of others
above her desires. For her mother, she'd been the adult, doing
everything except earning the money that kept them housed, fed,
and clothed. For her father, she'd been the housekeeper and cook.
For Alice, she didn't have to do those things because Alice had an
accountant and a cleaning service, and she barely ate. But Bella
kept her calendar, made sure Alice was where she was supposed to
be when she was supposed to be there, and in general made Alice's
life smoother. It was an old, familiar pattern, and Bella recognized
pretty quickly that she'd fallen into her usual rut when she started
running interference for Alice. She just didn't seem to be able to stop
as Alice's career skyrocketed. Alice kept asking for Bella's help, and
Bella never felt comfortable saying no to her. In reality, Bella was a
bit afraid that if she ever said no, she'd lose Alice's friendship.

So that was how Bella became the personal assistant and

gatekeeper for Alice Brandon, the new inheritor of the 'America's
Sweetheart' crown. Alice was such a large star now that the Alice
Brandon Nebula was located somewhere in the pantheon of stars
just beneath the Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan Galaxies and
somewhere in the vicinity of the Sandra Bullock and Reese
Witherspoon Supernovas.

"Wonder if Sal would know what new project Dreamworks has in the
pipeline?"

"Al, you're leaving just as soon as the car gets here or you'll be late
for your plane - no excuses. Let it go." Answering her ringing cell
phone, Bella continued. "Alice Brandon's office. Lauren, hi!"

Alice blanched at the name of the publicist for her latest movie. Bella
held out her hand to Alice, calming her non-verbally. "You want to
add another few press dates on to the beginning of the tour? Look,
Lauren, I'm afraid Ms. Brandon is not taking any appointments of any
kind for the next two weeks. She's already cleared it with the studio."
Bella crossed her eyes as she waited for the whining to finish. "Yes, I
know you're doing your job, but that doesn't change the answer.
She's going on vacation so she can recharge and be ready for the
amazing junket you have scheduled. She wants to be camera-ready.
That takes time."

Hearing a click on the other end of the line, Bella muttered, "No need
to be bitchy," then turned off her phone and threw it into her small
suitcase-sized purse next to her. It carried two iPhones; one for
people to reach Alice, and another one for Alice to reach her. That
phone was filled to capacity with Alice's calendar and favorite music
and measurements and clothing inventory and clips of Alice's best
performances and her CV and her favorite timewasters. Bella's
purse always included two bottles of water, nasty meal replacement
powder packets, ridiculous weight control bars, an Hermes scarf in
case Alice dropped food on her clothes or she needed the perfect
accessory, a small sewing kit in case of emergencies, an extra set of
set of ballet flats just in case something were to happen to Alice's
shoes, lip gloss in three of Alice's favorite shades, blotting paper, an
aerosol mister for Alice's skin, sunscreen, a wallet with money for
unexpected tips and copies of Alice's credit cards and ID, copies of
all of Alice's keys (for her homes, cars, and storage units), and
everything else she needed to do her job as Personal Assistant to
her best friend, movie star Alice Brandon. Bella's purse weighed
more than Alice did, and Bella saw it more than she saw Alice these
days.

"Lauren may give you some grief the next time you see her."

"Let her. She's planned 10 cities in 14 days, including Sydney. I'll be

lucky not to look like death warmed over by the time we're done with
all that."

At the sound of Alice's gate buzzing, Bella perked up. Grabbing the
Alice-centric phone out of her purse and shoving it into Alice's
hands, Bella scooted Alice downstairs as she saw her off. "Okay,
that's it then, Alice. You're officially on vacation. Get out of here and
I'll see you in two weeks."

"God, Bell, what would I do without you?"

"Cry. Lots and lots of tears."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "You know that's not true. They cause
wrinkles."

Laughing, Bella pushed her out the door. "See you in two weeks."

As soon as the car door had closed on Alice's waving arm, Bella
allowed herself to collapse on the foyer stairs. She'd barely made it
through the draconian season of awards hell-five awards shows from
mid-January through late February, starting with Golden Globes and
ending with Oscars-on top of the seasonal holidays of Thanksgiving,
Christmas, and New Year, and now she desperately needed to wind
down. That much interaction with the media and agents and
directors caused her too much stress; they did not react to her the
way they reacted to Alice. Unlike Alice's sunny smile that melted the
hardest hearts, Bella had to be hard and cold to get something-
anything-done. She felt like she was aging before her time.
Bella and Alice had achieved a close friendship forged from shared
captivity, but Bella often wished they'd had more time in college to
just be friends. They'd both been ripped from the 'try anything' and
'discover yourself' mode of college and thrust into the 'trust no one'
world of moviemaking, which was powered by extreme wealth,
tabloid journalism, and paparazzi. It was fine for Alice, as she was
getting what she wanted out of her fame, but Bella was just… not.
She felt no sense of accomplishment, had no clear-cut career path,
and certainly had no prospects for male companionship on the
horizon. It was difficult to get a man to notice her when all the
beautiful people in Hollywood surrounded her. After all, what man
goes for the assistant when the movie star seemed just as
accessible? That was why Bella needed time to contemplate leaving
her job with Alice - Hollywood was Alice's dream, not hers. The
problem was, she wasn't sure what her dream was. She'd spent so
much time taking care of others that she'd never had the time to
dream for herself and decide what was uniquely 'her'.

That was why, after the Oscars were over, when Alice handed Bella
her presenter's swag bag and said, "Take anything you want out of
here and USE IT," Bella immediately snapped up the three-day
certificate to Peaceful Canyon Retreat and Spa. It was conveniently
located three hours northeast from Burbank/LA by car, but was only
a quick thirty-minute helicopter ride back, in case the famous needed
to return to being famous quickly. Just last week, the spa had
arranged to send a nurse practitioner to Alice's guesthouse for a
medical history and blood workup so they could tailor treatments to
Bella's body chemistry. Man, only in LA, Bella had laughed at the
time. Now she simply hoped the resort knew what it was doing; she
needed someplace peaceful more than she ever had before.

Bella forced her mind to quiet down as she reached the sign for the
resort. You deserve this break, Swan. Give yourself these three days
to recharge. Let all the crap go. She parked to the side of the
building, pulling a small purse and suitcase from the back seat of the
car and heading inside to the check-in desk. As she entered the
resort, the sound of waterfalls and the feel of gentle breezes began
the process she hoped would continue for the three days she'd
allowed herself to relax. Shuffling up to the desk, Bella was greeted
by a sun-kissed blonde woman. Bella felt self-conscious about her
own lack of sun as she took the woman in.

"Welcome to Peaceful Canyon Retreat and Spa. I'm Jessica. How

can I help you?"

Smiling, she gave her name. "Bella Swan checking in."

"Certainly, Miss Swan. One moment please." Bella watched as the

woman efficiently typed in her name, and then she tilted her head as
the woman's faced blanched. "Is there a problem with the
reservation? It may be listed under Isabella Swan."

The woman dragged her eyes from the screen and looked at Bella
with a sense of… panic? "Our apologies, Miss Swan, we didn't have
your arrival time on file or you would have been met at the door,"
Jessica quickly spoke. "Peaceful Canyon offers its sincerest
apologies, Miss Swan. If you'll follow me, please."

Bella nodded and followed the woman down a long hall and through
a doorway that led outside. Bella stumbled to a halt when she saw a
helicopter in front of her, blades whirling. When Jessica passed off
Bella's luggage, she realized her client was no longer beside her.

Walking back to Bella, the receptionist spoke loudly in order to be

heard over the helicopter's wash. "Your VIP reservation is for our
sister property; it's not far."

Nodding, Bella moved toward the helicopter, wondering how any

place could be more relaxing than this resort but willing to do the due
diligence to find out. After being belted in, Bella took in the beauty of
the surrounding mountains and forests, amazed at the beauty that
lay just outside the cesspool that was L.A. After being in the
helicopter for 30 minutes and watching the sun fade into the horizon,
she began to wonder just where the hell she was going. She asked
the pilot.

"Hay-don-ay Ranch. Another half hour or so."

Bella smiled at the man with few words and waited to arrive.

How did these people expect her to sit in a room full of books and
wait patiently? Bella decided there was no way they could expect
that of her, and so she decided to check out the shelves. She
ambled from shelf to shelf, touching some of her trusted friends on
one wall, having her curiosity sparked by other walls. The subjects
ran from non-fiction biographies to books on Zen, feminism, and
several books on the Oneida Colony, which Bella had never heard of
before.

Stepping behind a desk, Bella scanned the shelf of books and art
that the owner of the room kept closest to them. She blushed heavily
when she saw a copy of the Kama Sutra in the center of the shelf.
It'd been too long since she'd done anything remotely connected to
anything in that book. Turning to a framed quote, Bella read, "[She]
had strong sexual desires and… it was degrading and immoral to
pretend otherwise. - Mary Wollstonecraft." Trying to find something
not sexually charged, Bella turned to a nearby ceramic plaque, and
prayed she wouldn't upset the owner as she ran her hands over a
Chinese character with the word "Harmony" written underneath. Next
to it was a beautiful, red leather-bound book with gold-inlaid Asian
writing on what would normally be considered the back. Bella could
hardly help but lift it from its place on the shelf and run her fingers
over the pictograms, trying to decipher what they were originally
meant to depict.

"It's a beautiful book, isn't it?" a masculine voice spoke from the
doorway. Bella turned guiltily toward the sound.

Her mind gave a "holy crow!" as she took in the handsome man
standing in the doorway. He had ice-blond hair and deep blue eyes
with beautiful laugh lines. Now she knew she was outside of LA; if
she were there, he'd have had some work done to remove those
wrinkles. His lips were generous, and he licked them, making her
want to help him the next time. She took in his broad shoulders
under a deep blue dress shirt and his slim waist behind grey dress
pants, and then she snapped her eyes back to his. The picture he
gave was of a confident, successful man. She felt a twinge of lust,
but tamped it down immediately. He wouldn't be interested in a plain
worker bee like her. Shit, I took too long to check him out, didn't I?

"It's exquisite." She didn't have to tell him she meant him and not the
book. It would be her little secret.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Bella. I'm Carlisle. I own and manage
Hedone Ranch."

Shivering mentally from hearing her name fall from his lips, Bella
shook his well-manicured hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Well, Bella," Carlisle's dark chocolate voice intoned as he sauntered

to the side of his desk and leaned a hip on it. "You've caused quite a
bit of confusion around here."

Damn, Bella thought. He just radiates masculinity . Leaning against

the opposite side of the desk, she hung her head. "Nothing new,
then. What's happened this time?"

"Your name is flagged in our system as a VIP. You may not be

aware, but Ms. Brandon has been to our facility, and she used your
name for privacy reasons."

Realizing her holiday was probably over, Bella sighed. "I asked her
not to do that anymore. Sorry to cause so much extra work…"

"Oh, it's no extra work at all. Alice has been a guest here several
times. The first time was probably before you asked her to stop using
your name. I contacted her to see how she wanted to handle things.
She asked me to treat you as I would her. She also said to tell you to
enjoy your week."

Bella startled. "The gift certificate was only for three days… and it
was for Peaceful Canyon. I should head back there. Where am I,
anyway?"

"You're in Nevada, and you're quite welcome to stay here. There are
only two other guests here. We pay detailed attention to the special
needs of our guests and the desire each of them has for total
secrecy while they are here. Plus, it would be difficult to leave since
you don't have a car here."

"Just what 'special needs' do you cater to?"

"You caught that, did you? Well, because you didn't fill out our usual
questionnaire, I don't know quite how to answer you. You're a bit of
an enigma to me."

Bella bristled as a corner of his mouth turned up. "I'm pretty much an
open book. Not much surprise here."

"I would beg to differ," Carlisle countered. "Every woman is an

enigma." Bella heard the word 'beg' and lost her focus as she
envisioned this man on his knees. "How do I explain Hedone Ranch
to you?"

"Surely you've described your services before. Just give me the

basics."

"Well, that's the problem. This isn't a basic sort of place. That's why
it's so difficult to explain." His eyes widened, and Bella felt herself get
a bit lost in them. "I wonder if you would identify with a discussion of
energy fields and chakras?"

Bella's eyes turned to him and raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"That approach would be better saved for my mom. She's the New
Age aficionado."
Smiling, he continued. "Yes, you seem a bit too practical for that kind
of explanation. I could discuss our advocacy of the sacred
feminine…" At Bella's nearly-impolite snort, he continued. "No? Not
interested in religious symbolism, then?"

"Not really," Bella countered. "Try again."

"How about a straightforward approach?" Carlisle offered.

"I would prefer that, yes."

Bella watched as Carlisle pushed away from the desk and moved
toward her, changing from a mild-mannered gentleman welcoming
people to the ranch into a stalking, loose-hipped sexual predator,
gunning straight for her. Her breath caught, and her focus narrowed
from his movement to his eyes, trying to see if she could tell when he
would pounce. Bella flinched as he took the book from her hands,
and then relaxed as he turned his eyes to the book, flipping through
it as he continued.

"This, my dear Bella, is a place to explore your sexuality. It is a sex-

positive place; the attitude here is that all consensual sexual
activities are fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, and we
encourage sexual pleasure and experimentation by and between
adults."

As Carlisle's eyes crashed back into hers, Bella could feel her
breathing become shallow.

"There are some philosophical points of reference that you seem

unconcerned with, so I won't bore you with our dedication to the
sacred feminine, and the desire of the men who reside here to
commune with it."

His dropping the open book to the desk caused Bella's heart rate to
jump and her breathing to increase. His open hand rested on one
half of the book, holding it open to a specific page. Looking into his
eyes, she saw the fire and lust that had been barely visible before
now burning brightly in his eyes, and she wanted to feel the heat he
was radiating scorch her skin.

"Basically, to the outside world, this would be called a brothel; men

available in utmost secrecy and with the assurance that they are
absolutely disease free, purely for the sexual gratification of our
guests."

Bella gasped.

After being stunned into silence for what seemed like hours, she
recovered her wits enough to exclaim, "You're telling me Alice knows
this… this… debauchery goes on here?"

As he moved closer to her, Carlisle dragged the book along the

desk, the sound sending shivers through Bella's already
overwhelmed nervous system. She wondered just how hot his eyes
were going to get; they seemed to burn brighter each time she
looked at them. "Bella, dear, debauchery was originally defined
simply as 'indulgence in sensual pleasures.' And yes, Alice knows
this goes on here."

Carlisle gave a small chuckle, and Bella thought it must be at the

stunned expression she was sure to be displaying. "I'm sure you
know that utmost secrecy is so important in her line of work. Visiting
Hedone Ranch allows her a tabloid-clean love life for her Hollywood
career and a sexually satisfying private life away from public
judgment."

Bella's brain began to spin. That was how her friend never got
caught in some horrific tabloid scandal? She'd always thought it had
to do with airtight non-disclosure agreements shoved under the
noses of every man who ever asked her on a date. She couldn't
believe Alice had managed to keep this place a secret from her.

"You know, Alice isn't the only famous name that comes here, and
none of them are listed by their real names in case billing records
are compromised."
Bella crossed over to her purse and retrieved her phone. She quickly
tapped out a message to Alice. WTF is this place? How long have
you kept this from me? Stay a week? Are you serious?

She turned her attention back to Carlisle. "Why wouldn't Alice have
told me of this place? Is it some sort of STI breeding ground? Oh
God, did Alice catch a sexually transmitted disease from a male
prostitute?"

Carlisle's eyes went from predatory to irritated in seconds. "Of

course not. You allowed blood work to be taken for the Peaceful
Canyon tailored diet and treatments. Since your name was flagged
for Hedone Ranch, they also ran checks for STIs. Every worker at
the ranch is checked monthly for STIs as well. It's more than the
state of Nevada requires for brothels, in fact. We don't advertise as
one simply because the state requires sex workers to submit a pap
smear every six months; that would be complicated for us, to say the
least."

Bella looked down as her phone chimed an incoming text message.

Find out WTF. That's the idea. Don't worry about every little thing.
Oh, and HAVE FUN! Bella dropped the phone into her purse with a
heavy sigh.

The irritation faded from Carlisle's eyes. "Did Alice reassure you
about the ranch?"

"Not the way I wanted her to."

Carlisle nodded. "Let me see if I can do a better job. Hedone Ranch

is for fear- and worry-free hedonism. In its original definition,
hedonism was defined as the quest for pleasure that would only
have good consequences. Would you like a demonstration of what I
mean by 'good consequences'?"

Bella stood frozen. Did this sex god just offer to demonstrate his sex
skills to me? And if he did, am I going to LET him?
Although she didn't remember doing so, Bella must have nodded,
because Carlisle picked up the red leather book from the desk and
returned it to her hands, opened to pages that held short lines like a
poem, but that she couldn't decipher, much like Carlisle. As his
hands caressed the pages, Bella dragged her eyes down to them,
noting the hair on his arms and wanting to feel it against her skin.

"This is a poem by Ikkyu Sojun, a 15th century Zen priest. He

believed sex deepened the experience of enlightenment; that we're
all of sex, and we should embrace it, not avoid it." Carlisle moved to
stand behind her right shoulder, gently brushing her hair behind her
ear as he moved even closer. "Let me translate it for you."

Placing his left hand on her hip, Carlisle ran the fingers of his right
hand over the characters on the page, stroking them lovingly as he
began to whisper the poem into her ear.

"Return to the origin

Enter naked

Creator

Created

One sperm

One egg

One spirit

One sex"

Dazedly watching Carlisle's hand leave the book, then feeling both
his hands running from her thighs up the outside of her dress, Bella's
breath hitched.

"Revel in your body

Feel your surface"

I should stop him, she thought as she stared at the Asian characters
on the page before her. But I don't want to stop him. She felt his hard
body brush against her back as his hands brushed the side of her
breasts. His hot breath scorched the back of her neck.

"Touch each other freely

Live your love

Follow your lust to the source"

He pressed against her firmly, his hand making a smooth and certain
path down her chest and ending up between her legs. He caressed
her there as he moved his mouth back to her ear to continue his
whispered recitation. Bella closed her eyes and felt she really should
stop this. She decided she would just as soon as his hands stopped
transferring his heat to her, melting her from the inside out.

"Use your imagination

Wear what your lover likes

Play your favorite song

Go where the mood takes you

Show the mood in your eyes"

Carlisle removed the book from Bella's hands, placed it on the desk,
and turned her to him. She kept her eyes closed, knowing that if she
looked at him, she'd be immolated. He moved close enough to press
one of his thighs tightly between hers, ran his fingers into her hair,
and pulled gently to get her to open her eyes. When she did, she
was paralyzed by the raw carnality in his. I've never had a man look
at me this way before. There is no way in hell I'm going to stop him.
Her hands grasped his waist as she gave herself over to the
experience. Rubbing the soft material of the expensive shirt, her
hands took in the solidly muscled body beneath her fingers.

"Open the door

To your bedroom

To what lies beyond"

Bella felt warmth around her wrists, changing their position. After
resisting a moment before realizing it was Carlisle's hands, she
relaxed into the motion. He slowly moved her hands to his back from
his waist, down to his muscled ass, then down to the top of his thighs
as he moved both feet inside of hers and rocked his hard length into
her. Bella's mouth went dry. He'd just made her feel him up. She
wanted to do it again. Immediately.

"Invite your lover in

Let yourself be taken"

Oh shit, Bella thought as he began to thrust against her. Oh shit oh

shit oh shit. Carlisle's hands tangled once again into her long hair,
his thumbs stroking her neck and collarbones and into the hollow at
the base of her throat. He bent down, whispering the next few lines
into her neck.

"Relax in the tension

Put technique aside

Do not rush

Do not be afraid

Let love come"

Carlisle's hands moved slowly from her neck downward, and she
could hear his labored breathing as he dragged the backs of his
fingers over her rock-hard nipples. She grabbed for one of his arms,
half-heartedly trying to stop him. The hair on Carlisle's arms
distracted her and caused her to realize her previous sexual
experience had been with college boys. She was here with Carlisle,
and he definitely was a capital-M Man. He began rotating his hips,
causing her breathing to come in harsh gasps.

"Be as a perfect mirror

Reflecting the light from within

Under the moon

Under the sun

Make the first move

Gaze into your lover's eyes

See yourself

A cloud

Floating

Filled with rain"

His mouth moved to her jaw, his breath hot on her flesh; she felt the
heat coming from inside and out. She clenched his arms and could
feel every movement of his hands, one pulling her hair lightly and the
other on her breast, his thumb rubbing tight circles on her hardened
nipple. She moaned in pleasure, causing Carlisle to quicken his
movements. Bella knew she was burning, she just hoped she would
survive the coming conflagration. His voice rasped out the next lines.

"Make love

Here
Now

Anywhere

One time, one meeting"

Bella rocked in time with Carlisle. His eyes scorched her as the
intensity of his thrusts increased, and yet stayed in time with his
recitation.

"Do it again

And again

And again"

Bella ignited, quietly but powerfully. Carlisle wrapped her in his arms
as she burned, picking her up and moving her to the nearby couch
as he whispered the last lines in her ear.

"Fall together in blissful sleep

Dream the dream of the dreamer dreaming

Today is your birth day

Awaken"

As Bella's awareness returned to her, she was sprawled across

Carlisle's body, sensing him gently massaging her scalp, her back,
her sides. She felt drugged and hypersensitive at the same time.
She realized she was still fully clothed and Carlisle had never even
kissed her, and yet she'd just experienced the most powerful sexual
encounter she'd ever had. So that was the difference between boys
and men, then. I think I'd like to stick with men in the future.

She moaned in embarrassment and tried to push off of his body.

Carlisle held her fast and asked, "Would you like to stay with us for
the week?"

Her mind boggled at the possibilities. She was surprised to find

herself actually considering staying. "How many men are here?"

"There are ten currently medically approved for guest interaction."

"How does this work? Do I just place an order?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, you could do that, or I could help you plan
a course of exploration. I usually recommend that to all our new
guests. It ensures you get the most out of your time here."

She drew her eyebrows together. "I don't want to be pushed into
anything…"

"Nothing happens here without your approval, Bella. I would base

each new experience off of your comments regarding the previous
experience. That way your encounters become progressively more
adventurous. You only have to go as far as you wish. The attendants
understand that we encourage sexual pleasure and experimentation
by and between adults. Nothing is forced… unless you like that sort
of thing."

She rested against him, thinking. She wanted to stay. She could
think of this as a concentrated post-college experience, with men
who knew what they were doing, not fumbling boys. She had missed
out on most of the experimentation of college, and now she was at
an age where men would expect her to have experience sexually,
yet she had no other convenient avenue to discover the knowledge
she needed. She wondered if she could find some of her feminine
power and begin to use it, like Alice did, like lots of women do.

One thing she knew for sure. If this experience was any indication, it
would be great stress relief.

She wanted to do it, purely because she wanted to, not because she
felt guilted or badgered into doing it to keep someone's affection.
Although it felt self-centered, she imagined it would be liberating.
She made her decision.

"I think I'd like to stay."

Lip Service
Chapter 2 - Lip Service

Bella woke with the bright sun warming up the room Carlisle had
guided her to the night before. She'd been too exhausted to notice
her accommodations last night, so as she sat up, she took in her
surroundings. She decided if she had to write a review of the room,
she'd say 'luxurious but not ostentatious'.

As she became more alert, Bella felt like maybe she'd made a
mistake letting Carlisle touch her the way he had, even though it
would be her favorite mistake for the foreseeable future. She'd
always imagined herself as a person who needed to be in a
relationship to feel comfortable having someone touch her that way,
but Carlisle had brought to the fore a part of her that wanted to
simply experience her sexuality. She didn't know what to do with that
part of herself. Well, that was a lie; she knew what to do, she just
wasn't sure she could do it without feeling embarrassed and
uncomfortable in her own skin. And what kind of woman was she if
she let these men meet her desires without giving any consideration
to their wants? Even the thought of staying and enjoying the
experiences Alice had paid for left her jittery. If she left now, she
could save herself a heap of future anxiety and spend the rest of her
vacation trying to forget the best thing that had happened to her
since… well, since forever.

As she turned to get out of bed, she noticed a silver tray with a
domed food cover and a glass of orange juice sitting on her
nightstand. A piece of heavy cardstock with beautiful, masculine
handwriting leaned up against the dome. She picked it up to read it.

"Bella - I woke with a great feeling of contentment reflecting on the

pleasure we shared yesterday. Thank you."

Shit. Even his thank-you notes were sexy.

"Think of what you desire out of your time here. Please write down
your thoughts on the back of this page so that I can help you reach
your goals. I'd be honored if you would join me for a late lunch. I can
retrieve the card then.

Jasper will be dropping by to pick up your tray around 10 a.m. He is

also available to spend time with you, if you desire. If you've
changed your mind about staying, let him know and he'll help you
find your way to the front lobby and arrange transportation back to
your car.

Appreciate all, regret nothing.

Carlisle"

Bella's hand began to shake. The good girl inside her-the one that
took care of her parents, followed all the rules, and did what she was
supposed to do when she was supposed to do it-thought she really
should pack her bag and get the hell out of here. The one that left
college to help Alice, the one that could keep Alice on schedule and
at the same time outwit hordes of paparazzi-the Bella that knew
there was more inside her than she had ever really let out-really
wanted to stay. What would she want to get out of the week if she
stayed? Stress release? Lessons in advanced sex techniques? An
understanding of how men think? The ability to tap into her own
sexual power?

Bella began to pace, her mind whirling. She didn't like the nebulous
descriptions Carlisle seemed to be fond of. "Spend some time"
seemed too generic. Was Carlisle offering to set her up on a date?
Surely not. He must mean that this Jasper was to be her first
arranged sexual partner.

Are they called "johns"' if I'm receiving the service instead of giving
it?

Looking at the domed cover, Bella knew she wouldn't be able to eat.
What she needed to do was take a shower. Then she needed to
pack and get the hell out of this insanity and back home to the
insanity of Hollywood.

Hearing the fast knocks on her door caused Bella's heart to speed
up to match. Frantically throwing her mostly-closed toiletry bag into
her suitcase to join her wadded-up clothes, she called, "It's open."

Out of her peripheral vision, she watched the door opened slowly.
Eventually, an extremely tall, lanky cowboy was revealed; white hat,
pearl-snap shirt with the sleeves rolled up, well-worn jeans, boots
and all. Damn, he's gorgeous. And I can "spend time" with him right
now? Change your mind immediately, Swan. Seize this moment.
Without looking directly at him, she called out, "It's Jasper, right?"

Removing his hat as he nodded, Bella noticed that he smelled like

sunshine and fresh-cut grass. Turning to face him, she saw his eyes
were the blue of the sky on a clear, sunny day, and they seemed to
jump out from his sun-kissed skin. He had chin-length dark blond
hair pushed behind his ears, and she could see that when not forced
flat under the hat, it would be curly. Why did he have to be so good
looking? Didn't he know that made it harder for her to say no to this
whole idea?

Eyeing her full suitcase, he asked quietly, "Do I need to make

arrangements for you to return to Peaceful Canyon?"

"I think so. I don't think I can go through with this." Bella crossed her
arms.

"Why not? Don't you deserve to get what you want?"

"Deserving it and paying someone to give me what I want-and then

wondering if it's anything close to what they want-are two different
things." Bella zipped up her suitcase, tugged it off the bed, and
began rolling it toward the door.

"I see, so you don't go out to eat, then."

"What?" Bella stopped. "Of course I do."

"Do you pay to have them bring you what you want in a restaurant,
or do you just let them decide what to bring to you? It costs less to
get a set menu, but you might not like what you get."

"Are you really comparing this place to a restaurant?"

"Why not? They both involve using your senses. Your sense of sight,
smell, touch, taste… they create a desire and then fulfill the desire
they create. And there, just like here, you can choose exactly what it
is you'll… experience. "

Bella's eyebrows rose. "I think that's the biggest bunch of bullshit I've
ever heard."

Jasper smirked at her, then walked over to the couch and sat down.
"I like it here because there are no games. It's just two people getting
together for pleasure. The women who visit are usually quite honest
with me. They tell me what they want, and I do my best to give it to
them, because I like pleasing them. But something tells me you
honestly don't want to ask for what you want. Why is that?"

Bella simply stood where she was and stared at him, wondering if he
was some sort of psychology major in a former life.

"Do you go out on dates?" he continued.

"I do, of course I do." Not any time recently, but you don't need to
know that…

"What happens?"

"What do you mean? The normal stuff happens."

"Normal stuff, such as a guy takes you out, pays for a meal and
some sort of entertainment, engages in a possibly painful attempt at
conversation, then takes you home and tries to see just how far the
money he spent will get him before deciding whether or not to call
you again? "

"Well, that's not how I would describe…"

"Whether or not you would, that's what's going on. If you'd like to go
back to that, taking a shot in the dark and hoping to hit what you
want, I'll arrange for the helicopter to come pick you up."

Bella began to think that was the last thing she really wanted. So if
she didn't want to go, did that mean she wanted to stay? She
delayed thinking about it for a minute. "If you don't mind my asking,
how long have you been here?"

"Ask me anything you want," Jasper said, motioning her over to sit
beside him. "I've been here for five years. I've just taken over
managing the horse ranch on the property, so I'll be spending less
time with our guests, unfortunately."

Bella walked over to the couch and sat on the opposite end from
Jasper, facing him. "How did you find out about this place?"

"My dad is a local politician back home in Texas. I started cattin'

around in high school, and word got back to my dad that I was being
less than a gentleman. It ticked off my dad's constituents, which in
turn ticked off my dad. He complained to Carlisle, who was one of
his college buddies. Soon after that, Carlisle came to visit and pulled
me aside to offer me a job here on his ranch. He sweetened the offer
by telling me he had access to all the women I could ever dream of if
I was willing to listen to him about how to treat them. It seemed like a
good offer for a teenage boy with more testosterone than sense."

Jasper adjusted his seating on the couch so he could face her more
fully. "I was a mess when I got here. I was out to get mine, and while
I like to think I was pleasing the girls I was with back home, I'm not
sure now that I was. Carlisle requires all of us to take classes in all
sorts of things; psychology, non-verbal communication, human
sexuality, sexual methodology…."
Bella felt her breathing change, deepen.

Piercing her with his gaze, Jasper continued. "Basically, he turns us

into men who know how to listen to a woman - what she says and
what she doesn't say - so that we can bring her the highest pleasure
possible."

I think I may be ready to see what you learned from Carlisle, cowboy.

Scooting closer to her, Jasper stretched his arm along the back of
the couch and wrapped a piece of her hair around one of his fingers.
Keeping his eyes on her, he pulled the lock of hair gently toward him,
rubbed it across his lips, and then kissed it. "You're so beautiful."

"You're paid to say that," Bella snapped as she blushed. "Don't give
me compliments you don't mean."

"What on earth makes you think I'd say something I didn't mean?"
Jasper asked as he rubbed the finger wrapped in Bella's hair from
the corner of his mouth to his chin and back. "I could have said
anything; 'you have pretty hair', or 'I really like that pretty dress', or
any number of things if I didn't want to say anything about your
looks. But I felt compelled to say you're beautiful because you are."

"How many women have you done this with? What if they ask you to
do something you don't want to do? What if I don't know what I want,
but I really want you to start doing it right the fuck now?" After she
asked this last question, Bella's hand flew up to cover her mouth, as
if it had escaped without her permission.

Jasper grinned. "Your mind is just all over the place, isn't it? Why
don't you let me rub your feet and see if I can help you relax? Would
that be all right?"

Taking a deep breath, Bella nodded. Jasper untwisted her hair from
his finger and slid off the couch onto the floor, running his hands
from her knees to her feet. Oh lord, there was a man kneeling at her
feet!
"I'm so glad you wore a dress this morning. It makes things so much
easier."

As Bella watched, he picked up her left foot and placed it in his lap.
"You have pretty feet, too. Look at these beautiful high arches."
Pressing his thumbs into the bottom of her foot caused Bella to jump.
"You must be on your feet a lot to have them be so tender. Do you
stand a lot for work?"

Bella shook her head. "I do a lot of running around. They're sore a
lot."

Jasper hummed in response and then began massaging her foot in

earnest. After several minutes, Bella could feel the low-level pain in
her foot recede and closed her eyes to relax into the feeling.
Switching feet, Jasper began the same ministrations on her right
foot.

After another few minutes, Bella's tension was all but gone. She took
in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "That feels so much better."

Bella heard Jasper reply, "I'm so glad." Then she felt him raise her
foot. She didn't think anything of it until she felt something warm and
moist pressing against her arch. Her eyes flew open to see Jasper's
lips against her foot and his eyes trained on her to see her reaction.

Holy crow, what the hell is he doing? She tried to pull her foot away
from him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm kissing your foot."

Bella blushed furiously and asked, "Why in the world would you do
that?"

"Because I like kissing beautiful feet. Next I'm going to kiss your
ankle. You've been warned."
As he did what he warned her he'd do, Bella squirmed at the
sensation.

"Are you squirming because you're ticklish, or because you think you
should be embarrassed?" Bella didn't answer. "I'm not doing this out
of a sense of obligation, you know," Jasper said as he gave a small
lick to her ankle, his eyes still trained on hers. "Since you didn't know
what you wanted, I started doing what I like. I'm enjoying the hell out
of this, and I hope you are, too." When Bella still didn't respond, he
continued. "You're not complaining, and you've stopped squirming,
so I'm going to keep going."

With that, Jasper placed her heel on his shoulder, then moved one
hand up that leg to her knee and moved his mouth up the inside of
Bella's calf, while his other hand massaged her other ankle. She
grabbed the couch cushions next to her hips and tried to stop the
room from moving.

When his mouth reached her knee, Bella flinched when he kissed
the very prominent scar there. "Accident?" he asked.

"Bike. Ten stitches."

"Were you a daredevil?"

"No, just accident-prone. Still am, actually."

As Jasper's mouth moved to the inside of her knee and his tongue
darted out to lick the back of it, Bella felt the simmering heat in her
middle spread out all over her body. Her gasp caught Jasper's
attention, and he returned his eyes to her. Her eyes flitted away from
his. "You like that spot, hm? Do you like it on the other side just as
much?" Turning his head to sample her other knee, his hair brushed
the inside of her thigh. Bella's hips shifted involuntarily. If he keeps
that up, I'm going to grab onto his hair and…. She couldn't decide if
she wanted him to go higher or return in the direction he came from.
Skimming down her left leg, Jasper's mouth found its way to her foot.
Bella tried not to let her disappointment show on her face. Jasper
chuckled at her reaction. "Don't be sad. I'll be heading back that way
soon. I'm going to see if you like something else first though,
beautiful. Lay your head back and close your eyes for me."

Bella looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes, then leaned her head
back against the couch and closed them, unable to watch. She
heard rustling and a row of click-pops that signified snaps being
undone and figured out that he was removing his shirt. She could
barely get her thoughts together enough to wonder just what he was
going to…

Her mind fell completely silent as she felt Jasper's hot breath on the
bottom of her foot, right at the line where her toes joined her foot.
Just as she started to process the inappropriateness of that action,
she felt his mouth close around her small toes and his tongue run
across the undersides. Bella moaned loudly.

Jasper released her toes and nuzzled against the crease under her
big toe. "You make the sexiest sounds, darlin'. I'm glad you're
enjoying yourself." As he took her big toe into his mouth, making
flicking motions between her big and small toes with his tongue, her
back arched off the couch. As soon as she regained control of her
body, she dragged her head forward, wanting to watch what Jasper
was doing. The planes of his chest kept distracting her, and the
disconcerting newness of having his mouth caress her toes made it
difficult for her to look at him directly. When her eyes finally made
contact with his, she could tell by his expression just how turned on
he was getting. He really is enjoying this - almost as much as I am.

Jasper sat back. "Are you wanting to see what you do to me,
beautiful? I'd be happy to show you." With that, he lowered her foot
to the zipper of his jeans and groaned raggedly as he dragged her
foot across his rigid flesh. As he turned his attention to her other foot,
Bella's eyes stayed frozen to the sight of her foot resting on a man's
hard cock. Okay, maybe he's enjoying this just as much as I am.
"You have a lovely blush, Bella," Jasper teased as his mouth
returned to her ankle. "What dirty little thing were you thinking to
make you blush like that?"

I was thinking I didn't know my clit was connected to my feet,

cowboy. "N… nothing."

Jasper's eyes raked up her legs, watching his hands as he pushed

her skirt high up on her thighs. Bella noticed that her chest was
heaving as she gasped for air. She glanced up to see Jasper licking
his lips, moving his eyes from her plain cotton panties to her face.
"Well, now, isn't that the biggest bunch of bullshit I've ever heard?"

She huffed a laugh at his re-use of her words, and then lost all her
breath as he lowered his face to place a kiss right in the center of her
damp panties. She could feel his hot breath against her, causing her
hips to tilt forward. His hands moved under her knees and pulled her
hips closer to him, nearer to the edge of the couch. The sudden
movement caused her to yelp and grab onto the nearest objects for
balance. One hand landed on the couch. The other landed in his
hair.

"Oh, yeah, you grab right on. Hold tight, beautiful."

Bella blushed as Jasper's hands grabbed on to either side of her

underwear and began pulling them down her legs. The
embarrassment she expected to feel at being bared to him was
mitigated by the embarrassment she felt at being unable to figure out
how to move her legs to make the removal of her panties easier.
After a tiny struggle, causing her to let go of her grip on his hair and
steady herself against the couch, Jasper finally got her underwear
where he wanted them, off of her and on the floor. Moving back to
her, he ran his hands down her arms to her palms, picked up her
hands, and moved them to the sides of his head.

"When I said 'hold on', I meant it." He smirked, moving his mouth
back where it had been before the whole panty removal debacle
began.
It would probably be rude to say "Giddyup, cowboy" right now.

As his tongue touched her, her head fell back and her hands flexed,
gripping his hair and pulling him in. His deep moan in response
caused her body to shake in return, spreading her knees open
slightly. Feeling her movement, Jasper put his hands just under her
knees and pushed them up and back, causing her legs to spread
wide open and her feet to land on his arms and slide down to the
crook of his elbows. Eyes closed, she could feel his thumbs stroking
the inside of her thighs, moving closer to the crease of her legs, as
his tongue continued its exploration of her clit. She couldn't
distinguish any particular actions, she just felt wetness and warm
and texture and movement and… and…

Oh god, oh yes, oh right there, yes yes yes…

Just as Bella felt she might shake apart, he stopped. Her eyes flew
to his, and she grabbed his hair and tried to pull him back into action.
His responding chuckle irritated her. He looked up at her, eyes
dancing, and his chin rubbed against her as he spoke.

"Don't fret, Bella, I'm just making sure you absolutely enjoy our time
together."

With that, he placed her legs over his shoulders and wrapped his
fingers around the front of her thighs, bringing her calves into
intimate contact with his naked back, and returned his mouth to her.
Her hips began to buck, trying to get his mouth right where she
wanted it so that she could finish.

"Patience, sweet thing, settle down."

She growled in frustration, pulling his beautiful blond curls again, and
the resulting deep moan from the man between her legs caused her
to groan in response. When she felt his tongue press against her
entrance, her groan changed to a shout. His eyes locked on hers as
one of his hands drifted up under her sundress to rest on her naked
stomach and the other skimmed up over her arm to cup her clothed
breast. She watched, panting heavily, as his tongue continued to
transfer its heat into her. She could hear a higher-pitched sound,
somewhere between a moan and a shout. It took her a minute to
realize it was coming from her, as she'd never heard herself make
that sound before.

Maybe that's because I've never had a man's mouth on me there

before.

Bella realized she was extremely close when the shaking that started
in her legs began moving up to her stomach and arms and her
abdomen started to contract rhythmically. Unable to hold her head
up any longer, she flopped it back against the couch cushions and
just felt.

The silk of his hair.

The wet of his mouth.

The heat of his body.

His hands moved then, one thumb raking over her nipple and the
other stroking her clit. In seconds, he'd caused the earth to move,
shaking her apart. Her back arched as she screamed out in
pleasure.

Coming back to awareness, Bella realized that Jasper was still

between her thighs, stroking her gently with his tongue. Raising her
head to look at him, she unclenched her hands from his hair and
rubbed her thumbs over his temples. He opened his glittering sky-
blue eyes and looked up at her as he kissed her clit one last time
before kissing her thighs and then pulling her legs from his shoulders
and leaning back.

"God, darlin', that was amazing." Stroking her legs, he asked, "Can
you move?"
Bella couldn't even think of how to move her legs, much less actually
do it. She also couldn't hold her head upright or open her eyes all the
way. She felt drunk. She felt wired. Her clit knew his mouth was still
close and pulsed with want.

She stared at his mouth and groaned as he licked his lips. She knew
he could taste her on his skin. She wanted… god, would he… ?

"Do you want me to kiss you, Bella?"

Her eyes slowly dragged up to his. "God, yes," she panted.

Taking her hands in his and placing them against his stomach, he
ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders, then placed his hands
on the couch by her hips and leaned his naked torso over her.
Running her hands up his neck and into his hair, she grabbed tightly
and pulled his face forcefully to hers, trying to communicate her
pleasure and thankfulness to him through the intensity of her kiss.
She could smell the musky scent of her orgasm on him, even though
she couldn't discern any unusual flavor in his mouth. She moved her
mouth all over his, trying to see if she could find it, experience
something she never had before. When she didn't find anything, her
disappointment caused her exhaustion to hit her hard, and her head
and hands collapsed back to the couch.

"Oh, sweet thing, if I'd known you wanted to taste it, I would have
saved some for you," Jasper mumbled. "Maybe next time." Taking a
deep breath, he stood and pushed his hair back behind his ears.
"You're tired. I'll get you into bed so you can rest." Effortlessly picking
her up, he carried her to the bed and laid her gently on it. Curving a
corner of his mouth up, he asked, "Should I call the helicopter to
come pick you up? Let you go back to the land of the men who are
only out for what they want, and not what will please you?"

Bella indicated "no" as quickly as she could with a shake of her

head.
"That's good news, Bella. I'm glad you're staying." Lowering his
mouth to hers again, he gave her a long, wet kiss. "Remember
Carlisle wants to have lunch with you, beautiful. Just pick up the
phone when you wake up, and he'll arrange everything, okay?"

Bella nodded.

His fingers pushed her hair back from the side of her face, and he
placed a kiss on her cheek. Standing, he then returned to the couch,
threw on his shirt but didn't close it, and picked up his hat. She
barely noticed, as she was staring at the very large bulge straining
the front of his already-tight jeans.

How the hell was he walking with his cock that hard and bound up
that way? And why didn't I take the chance to see it when I had the
opportunity?

Bella's eyes followed him as he moved to the door. After opening it,
he stopped to look at her. "Rest well, Bella." He smiled, bowed
slightly, and placed his hat back on his head as he left the room.
Sleep followed soon after.

Sitting down at the table with Carlisle, Bella blushed and placed her
notes to the side of her plate.

"Bella, thank you so much for joining me. How was your morning?"

If it were possible, her blush would have gone from severe to

thermonuclear. As it was, she could barely squeak out a response.
"Amazing." She grabbed the water in front of her and began gulping
it down.

"I'm glad you were treated so well. Jasper informs me you'll be

staying with us for the week. Is that true?"

Bella put her glass back down and nodded. "Can I ask you
something?"
Leaning forward, he said, "Of course."

"Are you the only brothel in Nevada where people don't have sex?"

Carlisle leaned back in his chair and laughed for what seemed to
Bella like a full minute. "Of course not, Bella. This is, however, the
only place where we make sure you want what you've asked for. You
seemed… tentative… about staying, so I chose an experience that
would bring you pleasure, but still allow you a clear conscience
regarding paying for sex if you decided staying here was not for
you." Here he paused, thinking before he continued. "And
considering Jasper told me you wanted to leave first thing this
morning, it seems I read you correctly. May I ask what changed your
mind?"

Bella shrugged. "I decided it was time I experienced a five-star

restaurant."
Viewing Pleasure
Chapter 3 - Viewing Pleasure

"You know, I've never really liked that analogy of Jasper's." Carlisle
grinned. "But if it convinced you to stay, I may have to change my
mind about it."

Bella looked down at her place setting and blushed.

"Why don't you choose something for lunch while I look over what
you wrote for me? We can talk after you finish eating."

Bella cringed as she thought about her notes. "Now, huh?"

"Well, we do only have a week." His hand hovered over her notes.
"Do you mind?"

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. "No, I guess I don't." She
watched as Carlisle read her notes, one hand holding the piece of
cardstock and the other supporting his chin. Watching his eyes move
down the sheet, she saw when he reached the bottom and started to
read them again. When he finished for the second time, he looked
up at her.

"I can work with this, Bella. Maybe not everything all in one week,
but we can certainly work on several of these."

Bella nodded. "Good."

After a wonderful lunch, Carlisle went from scintillating

conversationalist to scandalous inquisitor. "So, did Jasper please
you this morning?"

Bella choked on her water. "Excuse me?"

"Would you like me to be more specific?"

"I don't think so. I liked him."

"That's not what I asked, Bella."

"You want to know if Jasper gave me an orgasm." Although Bella

was sure her face was bright red, she decided to plow ahead. "And
yes, he did. You talked to him this morning; don't you already know
that?"

"Yes, I do. But I thought you and I could talk about it."

Snippets of scenes from that morning flashed through Bella's mind

as she tried to figure out what to tell Carlisle: the warmth of Jasper's
hands massaging her feet, the light Texas twang in his voice, the feel
of his hair in her hands as she raised her head to see his face
between her thighs…

Okay, don't wanna tell Carlisle about that necessarily…

She needed more water. Immediately.

"Bella, you do realize I'm asking so that I can make sure your next
experience is what you want?"

She nodded; however, knowing that didn't help her lose her
embarrassment over discussing what happened with Jasper. She
managed to look everywhere but at Carlisle.

"Let's try this. What do you wish had happened differently?"

After a pause, she replied. "I wish I'd been comfortable enough to
watch what he was doing to me the whole time instead of just once
in a while. I would have liked to see more of his reactions. I think it
would have added to the experience, somehow."

Carlisle nodded, thinking. "Anything else?"

"I wish I'd touched him more. I think I pulled out great big clumps of
his hair, but I wish I could remember his skin under my fingertips and
I can't."

Carlisle made an indistinct sound and squinted at her.

"Going back to Jasper's imperfect analogy, are you done with the
appetizers? Are you ready to experience the first course?"

Bella felt her face flush again, but she was determined to discuss
this subject in an adult manner. Looking straight at him, she asked,
"Why, Carlisle, are you asking me if I want to have sex in your
brothel?" At his questioning eyebrow, she continued. "If I'm going to
spend the week here, I'm sure as hell going to commit to the whole
experience."

"Good. May I introduce you to someone?"

"Is he who you have planned for the first course?"

Carlisle nodded. Taking a deep breath, Bella nodded back.

He stood. "Let me introduce you to Emmett, then."

Carlisle walked Bella to a different wing of the ranch from where she
was staying. At the end of a hall, he opened a door into a new
hallway that had a bank of windows on one side. Inside the room,
Bella could see something more elaborate than a home gym or hotel
exercise center. Complicated machines that she was sure she would
injure herself on should she ever try them cluttered the room. Over in
the corner were a couple of punching bags - one small teardrop-
shaped bag, hanging at about head height, and another one, about
the size of a man. A blur of motion was hitting the second bag. All
she processed about the guy was that he had short, dark hair, and
she suddenly had the desire to lick every single drop of sweat off of
every single very prominent muscle grouping on his back, for
starters.
"What do you think of Emmett, Bella?"

"Th… that's Emmett?"

"Yes. You may recognize him from his underwear modeling

campaigns. He's plastered all over buses, sports magazines,
newspapers…"

She stared at Emmett as he continued his workout. "And he works

here?"

"It's not quite like that. He comes here to concentrate on maintaining

his modeling physique while still being able to spend time with
women who are interested in what he's interested in."

As she turned her face-but not her eyes-to Carlisle, she asked,
"What's he interested in?"

"Sex. Showing off. Being watched. You did notice the walls to his
workout room are made of glass on one side and mirrors on the
other?"

Bella nodded.

"Emmett will show you anything you want to see, with absolutely no
embarrassment on his side; simply ask him. He's also a very good at
explanations - it's a talent of his."

Bella nodded again, still not taking her eyes off the man inside as he
removed his boxing gloves and started toweling off. "So when will
you arrange for us to meet?"

Carlisle opened the door to the workout room. "Now."

Bella's eyes flew to Carlisle's. "But I didn't… I'm not… I should go…"

Waving his hand in the direction of the room, he prompted, "No time
like the present, Bella."
Nodding tightly, she entered the room and was hit with a scent that
made her mouth water. It was some combination of sweat and
powder and spice.

Carlisle followed her into the room and crossed over to shake
Emmett's hand. "I hope we're not disturbing you, Em. I wanted to
introduce you to Bella."

With both men facing her, she felt more than a bit uncomfortable.
Watching Emmett wipe the sweat off his chest and neck wasn't doing
anything to help her feel less so. She crossed her arms over her
stomach to keep her hands from fidgeting.

Emmett licked some sweat off his top lip. "Where did you find this
sexy thing, Carlisle?" His voice was clear and cheerful, with a hint of
an accent that Bella couldn't place.

"The helicopter brought her."

"You're gonna have to give that guy a raise, then."

"You're right, as usual." Carlisle turned to Emmett and said, "I've got
a conference call to get to. You'll see to Bella's needs from here?"

Letting his eyes roam all over her figure, Emmett replied, "Just what
are Bella's needs, Carlisle?"

Bella unclenched her arms and wiped her hands on the sides of her
sundress in an attempt to dry them.

Grinning, he replied, "Bella would like to discuss the entrees with

you."

Emmett shook his head at Carlisle. "Jasper's restaurant analogy,

huh?" Winking at Bella, he smiled. "I'm going to get cleaned up. Why
don't you come with me, gorgeous?" Emmett strode through a door
on the back wall, and Carlisle headed toward the door they had
entered from. Bella stood still, in the middle of the two doors, looking
between them. After a moment's thought, she turned and followed
Emmett.

Slinking through the door Emmett had strolled through, Bella entered
what appeared to be a suite, with an open floor plan for the
kitchen/great room area and a hallway off to the right seeming to
lead to more rooms. Modern, clean-lined, masculine furniture was
functionally placed around the room. She couldn't believe this was
hiding right behind the workout room.

Wondering where Emmett had disappeared to, she fidgeted her way
to the center of the large main room. Once there, she could hear
water running and figured Emmett was showering after his workout.

Part of her wanted to go in there and immerse herself in the

perfection of his body while dreaming about all it could do. She had a
couple of long-held fantasies; maybe she could pull one of those out
and dust it off. And it would be dusty - it had been at least two years
since she'd seen an entirely naked man. She didn't count the
disastrous date last year; that was a mistake the likes of which she
never wanted to revisit again.

Suddenly, the room went quiet as the shower shut off in the other
room. Half a minute later, Emmett sauntered into the living room,
rubbing a towel over his wet hair and wearing only white boxer briefs
with a red waistband. Unable to tear her eyes away from the white
garment, she followed his stride to the refrigerator, where he pulled
out some fluorescent drink. Bella watched it all: his Adam's apple
bobbing as he slammed the drink, his chest where the towel's ends
draped over his pectoral muscles, and his backside as he walked
into the main room and leaned against the heavy-looking hall table
with a narrow mirror above it.

Bella stared, amazed at just how comfortable Emmett was at

showing himself off, walking around in his underwear with no crisis of
confidence.
If there were pictures of me in my underwear floating around in
public, I'd probably commit ritual suicide.

Turning to fully face him, she took in his abs, the v above his hips,
the line down the middle of his chest, all leading her eyes to his
semi-erect cock. While she stared at it, it jumped to attention,
causing her to mouth to water.

"You need to catch up, sexy."

Swallowing, she replied, "Excuse me?"

"Well, here I am in my underwear, and you're still dressed." With one

hand, he removed the towel from his shoulders, and then braced
himself on the dresser; the other stroked his hardness through his
briefs.

"You're an underwear model. Surely you're more used to walking

around like that than I am." Bella stared at his hand as it
reacquainted itself with his cock. "And, unlike you, I didn't get a
chance to put on my most attractive set."

Grinning, he replied, "Bella, I don't give a shit about your underwear.

It's just a way to get you closer to being naked. That's what I'm really
interested in."

While the rest of him is quite nice, I. Must. See. His. Cock. C'mon,
Swan, you can do this. It's the same old game - fake it 'til you make
it. Screwing up her courage, she stared pointedly at his erection and
challenged, "Why don't you take that out and show it off?"

Teasing, he replied, "I can show it off fine while keeping it warm."

Bella continued her inappropriate staring. "Do you always touch it

like that, with your hand open?"

"No. Usually I take off the underwear, use a little something to slick it
up, and really get into it."
Bella had fumbled under the sheets with college boys but never
really been given the freedom to just sit and watch a man jack off.
She wanted to have that experience. And who better to take the
opportunity with than a man who didn't mind putting himself on
display? Looking him straight in the eyes, she replied, "Don't let me
stop you."

"Wasn't sure what you had planned later."

No plans yet, hot bod - you've short-circuited my brain….

Pausing to take a deep breath, Bella asked, "How long would it take
you to recover after…?"

Emmett stopped his gentle grazing as he contemplated his answer.

"That depends." Relaxing again, he smiled. "If you're willing to give
me some inspiration, I could be ready to go again in five minutes…
less, probably."

She walked right up to him, stepping under the arm holding on to the
table and leaned her hip against the wood so she could get a good
view of his at-attention cock. She started sweating, and she stroked
one hand from the middle of his back all the way down to where he
leaned against the table. Her other hand drifted down the ripples of
his abs. Lifting her mouth to his ear, she purred, "I want to see you
jack off. I want to see how you handle your cock, and I want you to
talk me through it so I know how to do it right."

Emmett gave a little growl and a small one-armed squeeze in

response to her idea.

"But first, I want to take off your underwear."

"Oh, I want you to do that, too, sexy thing."

Bella stood, stepping in front of him and rubbing her stomach against
his cock as her hands infiltrated the back of his underwear. Slowly,
she moved her hands down, bunching the material under his well-
shaped glutes. Sliding her hands around his sides, she headed for
the front, eager to see what God gave Emmett.

With an anticipatory wince, Emmett cautioned, "Careful, babe. Pull

out the band before you push them down."

Aw hell, almost broke it! Bad Bella!

Bella looked up at him. "Good to know. Thanks." Looking back down,

she pulled the distracting red waistband out, freeing his erection to
jerk and bounce, eager to get started. When she shoved the briefs
down his legs to his knees, her eyes stayed locked on his cock and
her cheek skimmed down the defined lines of his stomach.

Damn, woman, you're nearly face-to-cock! Hello, Cock!

Bella looked back up at Emmett's eyes before shakily backing away

and reaching out to find the leather chair she knew was behind her.
Sitting on the arm of the chair, she weakly demanded, "Show me. I
want to see you do it."

Keeping his head down but tilting his eyes up to look at her, Emmett
nodded. Kicking off his underwear, he pulled open the top drawer of
the dresser and blindly searched inside. With a grunt of discovery, he
pulled out a bottle of baby oil and flicked it open. Pouring some into
his hand, he smoothed the oil over his hardness, then planted his
feet, took himself in hand, and began stroking.

Not looking away from his hand's movements, she asked, "How tight
are you holding it?"

"Tight enough to really feel it. I'd wince or take a sharp breath if I got
grabbed too tightly."

"What's too soft?"

"As long as I know there's a solid stroke coming, I can handle a

lighter one. If it's a minute or so of light ones, I'd ask for something
harder."

Bella nodded in understanding. "How fast do you go?"

"I like starting slow-other guys might get frustrated, but I like the
build-up."

"Are the veins sensitive?"

"To fingers? Not as… much as a… hot… wet… tongue. Wouldn't

ask… after… putting on… baby oil… would be nasty." Bella
continued to watch him pump his shiny cock and took note as his
knees bent and his feet rotated out about 45 degrees. His
concentration increased and he muttered, "Less talking now."

Bella heard Emmett's breathing change into slower gasps for air.
She watched as his strokes changed, from light and slow to stronger
and faster. She also noticed his hand turning as he neared the top of
his stroke, and that he occasionally rounded his whole palm across
the top of his cock. This seemed to cause him to moan every time,
and each time he moaned, Bella could feel another wave of lust
crash into her.

The next time it happened, she breathily asked, "Is that what feels
best? Across the top like that?"

Emmett nodded. Bella then noted he returned to stroking almost

immediately.

Well, that was a mixed message…

She shook at the sound of slick skin slapping. She watched

everything; his bent head, his chest rising and falling with deep
breaths, his legs starting to shake, his toes curling into the hardwood
floor…

"Getting close… what do… you want? Me to… stop?" Emmett's

deep breaths punctuated his question.
Licking her lips, Bella glanced at the floor, then back at his cock. "No.
Keep going."

Breathing heavily, he lost some of his rhythm. Bella leaned forward,

intently moving her eyes between his face and his moving hand. She
could feel the heat of her arousal flooding out to her limbs from her
center.

"Soon, babe… you wanna…?

"I want to see you come all over the floor."

Groaning in response, his hand sped up once again, and within five
strokes he had done just as she requested. As he began to
ejaculate, her eyes flew to his face to see how his orgasm washed
over his features. Immediately afterward, his legs collapsed and he
fell to his knees. After stroking a few more times to finish, he put both
hands on the floor in order to catch his breath.

Bella absorbed the visual of Emmett's flushed body heaving for

breath and the monochromatic Pollack painting on the dark wood
floor.

Wow, there's a lot less of it than I thought there would be…

With one final deep breath, Emmett rose up to his knees and
retrieved the towel off the top of the dresser. After he finished wiping
his hands and his cock clean of the slick oil, he threw the towel over
the artwork on the floor. Motioning with his hand, he encouraged her
to come to him. "Your turn, babe. Come here, take that dress off."

Bella stood up and walked to him on shaky legs. Another man

kneeling in front of me - go me! When she got close enough, she
leaned down slightly and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He grabbed
behind her calves, pulling her forward and moved her feet to either
side of his knees. He deepened the kiss and floated his hands up
her body, pushing her dress upward. Anchoring one hand to a
breast, he broke from her mouth long enough to pull her dress off
with the other hand.

Nuzzling his face into her breasts, Emmett quickly removed her bra.
"Did you like watching?"

"Yes, very much."

As he made quick work of her panties, he asked, "Did you want to

watch some more?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go to bed?"

"I've done that before." Bella felt her face return to its fiery red
configuration as she said, "What I really want is to watch your cock
going in and out of me."

Turning her to face the mirror, he grinned. "I can't tell you how much I
love that idea."

Taking in her nakedness from the top of her head all the way down to
the top of her legs, Bella sighed. She trembled as she looked at
Emmett kneeling to her right. His head was at her breast and he had
one arm wrapped around her back and taking hold of her left hip.
Wanting to touch him, she put her right arm behind him and allowed
her hand to skim his shoulder, his back, his neck, his hair. Emmett
continued his attention to her body, taking the closest breast into his
mouth while his other hand reached across her to alternate between
caressing her free breast and rubbing her stomach. There was so
much for her to feel, and even more for her to look at; she began to
experience a drowning sensation. Needing an anchor, Bella grabbed
onto Emmett's arm, which allowed her to feel the movement and
power as his hands roved over her skin.

As Bella watched the hand stroking her front, she felt Emmett's other
hand move to rub her legs and backside. So focused on the hand
she could see, Bella jumped when the hand behind her rotated,
allowing Emmett's fingers to slip between her legs and into her.

"Hmmm, you are so turned on. You liked my little show a lot, didn't
you, Bella?"

She whimpered in response. I gave it a perfect score, hot stuff.

"That's okay, you don't have to answer. You've already told me."

Bella moaned repeatedly as she and Emmett gazed into the mirror,
watching the juncture of her legs as Emmett's fingers disappeared
into her. He used the fingers of his other hand to pull back her flesh
so they could watch him touch her clitoris at the same time. Bella
pulled his hair to bring his mouth back in range of hers, plunging her
tongue deep into his mouth.

His hands fell away as he stood, causing her to cry out.

"I'm not going anywhere, sexy thing." Moving behind her, he took
both her hands in his and pulled her forward over the dresser,
placing her hands on either side of the mirror mounted to the wall.
Running his hands down her arms, he kissed her shoulder and the
back of her neck. When his hands reached her shoulders, he
brought them down and forward to her breasts as he placed wet
kisses down her spine. As his mouth reached the two small indents
on her lower back, his hands roamed down her stomach to her
knees. Bella felt him rock behind her, and then he stood, his left
hand lifting her leg up to the table. Feeling him between her legs,
she searched in the mirror until she saw his cock standing proudly.
Taking one arm off the wall, she reached down to stroke him. After
one pass, Emmett grabbed her hand and placed it back on the wall.

"Damn, woman, do you want this to be over before it starts?"

Ooohhh, will you paint the mirror next?

Shaking her head no quickly, Bella moaned as Emmett gripped both
her hip and his cock. Catching her eyes in the mirror, he asked,
"Ready? 'Cause I'm dying."

Bella nodded her agreement. Feeling the burn of her body stretching
as he entered her slowly, Bella slammed her eyes shut and panted
as Emmett cursed.

"Shit… sweet Jesus… holy… fucking… hell…"

Suddenly, Bella felt him stop and lean over her back, his hands
slamming into the wall next to hers. Sweat poured off of him, soaking
her back. "Good god, woman, just how long has it been?"

Way too fucking long . Between ragged breaths, she replied, "Two
years."

Feeling his head fall to her shoulder, Bella gasped, "You aren't
stopping, are you?"

"Fuck, no."

She could feel the burn return as Emmett began to push forward and
pull back. She opened her eyes to watch where they were joined, but
realized his cock was in the shadows.

"I can't… can't see you. Want to see you."

Emmett's head rose from her shoulder to check the mirror. Realizing
the truth of Bella's statement, he leaned back to see if it improved
her view. When he saw that it didn't, she could see him glance to
either side of them, looking for a solution.

"We've got to move," he announced, withdrawing from her quickly

and causing her to nearly collapse to the floor. Grabbing her wrist, he
grunted, "Bedroom."

Yanking her behind him down the hall, Bella ran to keep up. Entering
his bedroom, he pointed to the side of his bed closest to his mirrored
closet doors. "Get on the bed," he commanded as he jerked the
lamp off the side table, flicked it on, and placed it on the floor near
the head of the bed. Then he prowled around the bed, grabbed the
other lamp, and strode back to the other side of the room, plugging it
in by the closet doors and placing it near the foot of the bed.

Bella sat precariously on the edge of his bed as he arranged the

lights. When he finished, he stalked his way to her, slamming his
mouth down on hers and pressing her back onto the mattress.
Positioning himself between her legs, he looked over at the mirrored
closet doors. "Shit, that won't work."

Bella joined him in looking at the mirrors. Her leg closest to the
mirrors was blocking any view she might have had. She lowered it
off the bed and onto the floor, but Emmett shook his head and
moved downward to kiss the center of her chest.

"No, babe, you want to see it, it has to be on your hands and knees,"
he declared. "Up and over."

Helping her turn over, he lifted her hips as she scrambled to get her
arms set under her. Without any warning, he plunged into her in one
smooth stroke.

Yes, holy hell, this is what I've been missing!

"God, yes, woman. You feel so good."

Bella tried to flip her hair over so that she could get an unobstructed
view of the mirrors, but her long hair refused to cooperate. She
balanced on one hand and used the other to rake her hair out of the
way but had to put it down immediately so that she could keep her
balance. She could see the movement of Emmett's glutes as he
completely flexed and pressed into her. Moaning her delight, she
dropped her head.

Emmett's pulling back and pressing into her again caused her to
raise her head and scream in delight. Feeling his hand catch her
hair, she grunted. Pulling her hair, he turned her to face the mirrors.
He flexed again. She screamed again.

"Watch me go inside you, Bella. It's so beautiful." And with that, he

pushed again. She could see everything: his flexed muscles, his wet
cock, and the sweat rolling down his face and chest and dripping
onto her back. She could feel herself rushing to an orgasm.

"Yessss," she hissed. After a few more strokes, she moaned,

"Harder, please, God, harder."

His hand released her hair and joined his other hand on the curve of
her waist. Tightening his grip, he pulled back as far as he could
without leaving her, and then slammed her body back onto his cock
in long, slow strokes. Within seconds, she came, her arms collapsing
and causing her to scream her pleasure into the bedcovers.

"Fucking hell. So beautiful. Just a little more, babe. Watch now." As

she turned her face to the mirrors, his hips continued to pump slowly
as his hands rubbed up her sweat-soaked back and wrapped around
her shoulders.

"Can you see, Bella?"

I can't MOVE, much less SEE, Mr. Sex-With-A-Stick!

She grunted, her hair covering half her face. Seeing that, Emmett
brushed her hair back and then asked, "Better?"

She grunted again. He lifted her upper body and placed her hands
back on the bed. Then he wrapped his hands around her shoulders
again.

"Almost there, sexy. Keep looking." She nodded, and then felt his
hips snap into her quickly. She let little yelps escape as Emmett
raced to his finish. He let out an extremely low groan as he came,
and she watched the pleasure on his face as she felt him pulse and
release into her. Exhausted and breathing hard, she flopped to the
bed, and he followed, landing half on and half off of her.

What could have been minutes or hours later, she heard him huff,
"Hottest… sex… ever. "

With a barely-there laugh, she replied, "Surface… of the… sun!"

"Need another shower. You want to join me?"

"Can't… move. Behemoth… on… me."

Pushing up off the mattress, he lightly slapped her backside as he

stood. "C'mon, sexy, move it!"

They showered together, gentle kisses and caresses passing

between them. As she washed her hair, Emmett left the shower,
dressed, and retrieved her clothes and some over-the-counter pain
medication. He held out the medicine and a cold glass of water as
she left the shower wrapped in towels.

"Two years is a long time. Don't want you to be sore tomorrow."

She thanked him, popping he pills into her mouth and gulping some
water to wash them down.

"Although it's a shame to cover up that smokin' body of yours, I know

you'll be starving in a little while. Let me help you into your dress and
walk you back to your room."

Blinking as she struggled to comprehend Emmett's words, Bella

swayed slightly. Emmett grabbed her shoulders and steadied her,
then finished drying her off with the towel around her torso. He
slipped her dress on over her head and smoothed it into place,
putting her bra and panties in the side pockets and retrieving her
key. Letting him lead her to the door, Bella watched as he hit a
button next to his light switch, then shut off the lights as he opened
the door to the hallway.
Wrapping an arm around her, he took them back to her room at a
leisurely stroll. As he arrived at her door, he opened it with her key,
placed the key on the table just inside the door, and turned to her.

"Thank you for letting me spend time with you this afternoon, Bella. I
won't ever forget it."

Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted her head to kiss
his chin. "Thank you for letting me watch. I learned a lot."

"My pleasure, sexy thing." Opening her door even wider, he

continued. "Try to get a good night's sleep tonight. Your body will
need it."

Nodding, she walked through the door. Once inside, she turned to
face him.

"I'll do that. Thanks, Emmett."

Smiling, he closed the door.

Bella received another short note from Carlisle with her room service
dinner tray, asking for her thoughts on her experience.

There are so many thoughts. Where should I begin?

Finally, turning the card over, Bella wrote down that while she had a
difficult time watching Jasper please her, she liked watching Emmett
please himself and also liked watching him work for their orgasms.
Emmett's confidence, his strength, his openness - all of it turned her
on. She also noted that she liked the fact that he listened to what she
said she wanted. He delivered on her request, even if it didn't
happen the way she expected. Finishing her note, she placed it in
the included envelope and returned it to the tray.

After setting the tray in the hallway, she slipped under the covers and
into a deep and restful sleep.
A/N: "Fake it 'til you make it" is an Americanism that encourages
someone to pretend they have (whatever) until they get (whatever) -
for example, pretend to have money until you get rich. In Bella's
case, it's "pretend to have confidence until you are confident."
Exhibition
Chapter 4 - Exhibition

The next morning, Bella took her sore but satisfied body down to the
dining room for breakfast. She wondered if all three women at the
ranch ate here or if there were separate dining rooms for each of
them. She figured it must be the latter, as she hadn't even passed
another woman in the halls the entire time she'd been here. Maybe
she'd ask Carlisle the next time she saw him.

Speak of the devil and he shows up with a sexy little strut…

"Bella!" Carlisle greeted as he entered the room. "Do you mind if I

join you?"

Bella leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. "Not one bit,
Carlisle. Have a seat."

After they had made their selections from the limited breakfast menu,
Carlisle continued, "I can't stay long; I just wanted to check in with
you. How are you doing?"

Bella blushed lightly. "I'm doing well."

"How was your visit with Emmett?"

As she had the last time he questioned her at the table, she grabbed
her water glass and began gulping down the contents. When it was
half empty, she placed it back down on the table. "Educational."

"And hopefully pleasurable?"

"You know it was. Why do you ask questions you know the answers
to?"
Carlisle gave an enigmatic grin. "To see if you know the answers to
them as well."

As the server brought out their meals, Bella looked over the plate
appreciatively. As she began to enjoy her food, Carlisle,
unsurprisingly, turned the conversation to things normal people don't
discuss around the breakfast table.

"Bella, would you consider yourself a voyeur or an exhibitionist?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand?"

"Was your enjoyment of your encounter with Emmett a product of

watching your physical interaction, or was it a product of having
Emmett watch you?"

She quickly replied, "Not the second one."

"Now, Bella, even shy people want to be center stage occasionally.

Since you watched during your last interaction, I'd like you to let
yourself be seen for this one. Do you think you might enjoy that
challenge?"

Bella took a deep breath and shrugged. "Since I have no frame of

reference, I really don't know."

"Are you feeling adventurous?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "I'm here, aren't I?"

Bella was surprised when Carlisle suddenly leaned to one side and
retrieved his phone, even though she hadn't heard it sound.
Checking the screen, he asked, "Would you please excuse me? I
need to reply to this text."

Bella nodded as she ate more of her breakfast. Carlisle quickly typed
into the phone, closed it, and then returned to his own meal.
Bella decided to turn Carlisle's penchant for asking difficult questions
during mealtimes around. "So, do you have a separate wing for each
of your… guests?"

Wiping his mouth, he answered reluctantly, "We do. We also stagger

arrival and departure times and limit sightlines between the wings, so
that your experience is just that - yours."

"How do you manage to provide the… personal… level of service

that you do for three guests at a time? That was what you said,
right? Three?"

Carlisle shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Well, Bella, I hand
off the daily management of most repeat visitors to the two other
guest interaction specialists. You're our only first-timer at the
moment."

Coloring softly, she said, "Well, aren't I lucky?"

With a small smile that caused her insides to melt, he replied, "I
believe I'm the one who should be saying that."

A tall man with short, spiky hair somewhere between blond and
brown strolled confidently into the dining room from what Bella
guessed was the kitchen, dressed in a deep blue shirt with a
scooped neckline, white linen pants, and leather sandals. His very
presence screamed European sophistication. Carlisle waved him
over. "Bella, I'd like you to meet Demetri. Demetri, it's my pleasure to
introduce you to Bella."

"Hello, beautiful Bella." Demetri took her hand and brought it to his
mouth, placing a light kiss just above her knuckles. Keeping her
hand in his, he pulled out the chair next to her and sat down facing
her, wrapping his free arm around the back of her chair.

Shocked at his behavior, she gasped out a quick reply. "Hi."

As the server brought Demetri's plate out, Carlisle stood from his
empty one. "I'm afraid I'm due in my office for a conference call."
Looking at Bella, he continued, "If you'll excuse me, Bella, Demetri."

"Have a good day, Carlisle," Demetri answered. When Carlisle had

cleared the room, Demetri turned to Bella and asked, "Did you get a
chance to try the locally-grown fruit this morning? It's delicious."

Bella pondered where his slight accent might be from as she shook
her head. "No, I didn't. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry, sweet one. Let me get some for you." With
that, he turned to his plate, picked up his fork, and speared some of
the peach in his dish. He then brought the bite to her mouth, waiting
for her to partake of his offering.

Bella began to contemplate the sensuality inherent in the act of

eating, and even more, being fed, as she closed her lips around
Demetri's fork. She chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. His smoky
blue eyes glittered as they focused on her mouth. When she had
finished, he leaned forward and kissed her, his tongue swiping lightly
over her lips.

"Mmmmm, it's even more delicious when you're added to the mix."

Taking another piece onto his fork, Demetri put it into his own mouth,
then put down his fork and shifted his chair so that he was straddling
the side of hers. Turning to face him, she could see his jaw working,
chewing the cool, sweet, ripe fruit. His left hand brushed her hair
behind her shoulder, leaving the side of her neck exposed to him.
She took a deep breath as he leaned in, brushing his mouth just
behind her ear. She jumped when she felt a long, slow lick take the
light sheen of sweat off her skin.

Demetri hummed and breathed hotly into her ear, "The perfect
amount of salt to go with the sweet."
Swaying slightly, drunk on the desire racing through her, Bella
wondered how she could feel so aroused when he had barely
touched her. She decided it didn't matter how it had happened - she
just wanted it to continue. Shifting her hips a bit so that she could
turn to face him, she grabbed onto his shirt and leaned into him,
wanting to feel the juicy kiss she knew was waiting in his mouth. As
their lips met, her brain rushed.

I didn't know a man's lips could be so soft! Is that normal? Oh, God,
his mouth is perfect!

Bella didn't even notice Demetri's right hand massaging her knee
until it stopped kneading and began stroking up and down her leg,
sliding under her skirt. Her light moaning turned into a full groan as
his tongue slipped into her mouth at the same time that his knuckles
teased along the center of her panties. Bella's knees opened slightly
as she slid down in her chair.

"So sweet, Bella. Are you as juicy as the peach? I bet you are." His
fingers pressed against her as his teeth snagged her bottom lip.

You keep that up, I will be!

Bella found herself distracted from the incredible kiss when an older
gentleman, formally dressed in a suit and pocket square, entered the
room slowly. Bella saw him wince as he walked, using a cane for
balance as if he had some sort of hip damage. She watched him
enter the room, and with the few brain cells she could tear away from
Demetri's right hand, she thought the man could be related to
Carlisle, as they had the same distinguished, polished air about
them. He seemed to her like a man who may have looked a bit
awkward when he was younger, due to his strong features, but was
just now at an age where they made him look handsome and gave
him a sense of dignity and gravitas. Despite his difficulty walking and
the flecks of silver in his hair, he radiated a confidence and power
that drew her interest even as Demetri's caresses continued to
arouse her.
Demetri called out, "Good morning, Marcus! You're getting a late
start this morning."

Bella braced as the man turned to face their table . Oh hell, he's
going to see everything. He's going to know what's going on.

"Demetri, good to see you."

Oh god, his voice was like… Italian sex. Personified.

"How was breakfast this morning?"

Bella felt exposed, like she did the one time her dad caught her
leaving the bathroom in a towel after a shower.

Maybe if I hold still he won't know exactly where Demetri's hand is

right this second.

"Well, as you can see, Marcus, Bella and I are still enjoying our
meal." Demetri's hand moved from stroking the center of her panties
to dip inside the material, his knuckles stroking her clit as he breezily
carried on his conversation.

Bella bit back a moan. She didn't want to reprimand Demetri and
draw Marcus's attention to the fact that Demetri was pleasuring her
at the same time he was talking to him. Trying to keep a semblance
of normalcy to their interaction, she followed the conversation with
her eyes.

Nothing going on here. Just paying attention to a conversation

between friends…

"Why don't you join us while we finish our meal, Marcus?" Demetri
offered.

Marcus raised his dark eyebrows and turned to Bella. As Demetri's

hand began to move again, Marcus asked, "Would you mind terribly
if I joined you?"
Bella knew she couldn't answer without possibly seeming crazed, as
the seated man's fingers continued their dance between satin and
skin. Her face blazed and she was having trouble breathing normally.

"I apologize if I'm embarrassing you, Bella. Without going into detail,
I am unable to participate in… amorous activities without a great
deal of pain. I've not seen the face of a woman in the throes of
passion for… well, too long." Bella noticed Marcus wince before he
continued. "We all know what Demetri is doing to you right now; you
would honor me greatly if you allowed me to once again watch a
beautiful young woman being pleasured."

Bella tried to think as Demetri moved one of his hands from resting
along the back of her chair to running up her back and into her hair,
massaging her scalp. He huskily begged her, "Please don't make me
stop…."

Oh God, am I going to go through with this? Let one man WATCH

while another pleases me?

Bella felt lethargic warmth sliding along her skin. In addition to the
pleasure Demetri was working to give her, she could be the sole
focus of this handsome, sophisticated older man. He wanted to
watch her. Bella Swan. Having an orgasm. She could let him watch.
She would let him watch.

Locking her eyes on Marcus's nearly black ones, she replied,

"Please sit."

As Marcus struggled with the chair, Bella lifted her face and allowed
her eyes to close to preserve Marcus' inherent dignity. He had
already bared enough of himself to her. Demetri took the opportunity
to scrape up and down the side of her neck with his teeth, lighting
her on fire. As his fingers continued to move and tempt her into
abandon, Bella's breath started to hitch.

"May I ask you a question, dear girl?" Marcus requested. Bella

moaned an incoherent response. "Does our friend have talented
fingers? I must confess I was quite proud of the passion I was able
to evoke with mine."

Bella opened her eyes and lowered her face, meeting Marcus's gaze
in confusion. She took a moment to steady herself, then replied, "I
suppose so, yes."

Demetri growled, "You suppose so?" Removing his fingers from her
and taking her hand, he pulled her up from her chair, which made a
horrible sound as it scraped on the wood floor. He quickly ran his
hands up her skirt, grabbed the sides of her panties, and dragged
them quickly down her legs, leaving them to form infinity around her
ankles as he pulled her back down into her chair. Arranging her
knees farther apart than they had been previously, he returned his
dexterous digits to their delightful task. It only took him seconds to
progress from skimming along the surface as he had been to
introducing his fingers inside of her.

Bella's shocked gaze turned from Demetri's intense stare back to

Marcus' eyes to see if he noticed that things had changed, that
Demetri's fingers were now inside her body. For lack of a better
location to put them, Bella's hands gripped the sides of her chair so
hard her knuckles were white.

"Demetri," Marcus scolded, his elbow resting on the table as he

leaned forward, "you have completely neglected the amazing
décolletage I see before me. Please remedy that."

Demetri took direction well, scooting his chair as close as possible

and moving his mouth from its feast at her neck to a location directly
between her breasts. She could feel teeth scrape the buttons of her
shirt.

Oh, Lord in heaven, is he undressing me with his MOUTH?

Needing to touch him, Bella brought her right hand from the side of
the chair up to Demetri's outside shoulder and gripped it tightly. She
could feel his breath brush against her breasts as his fingers started
to pump in earnest. As his mouth travelled up her neck and back to
her ear, her hand moved up from his shoulder to wrap around the
nape of his neck. She could hear the intensity in his voice as he said,
"You feel so good on my fingers."

Oh, holy shit. His hands were just FULL of magic. And his mouth
was spectacular!

Bella thought she would be able to hold on to Demetri's neck and her
skyrocketing arousal for a while longer. Then Marcus decided to
engage her in what seemed to be the ranch's standard not-quite-
appropriate-for-the-breakfast-table discussion.

"Does it excite you that someone might come in from the kitchen and
smell how aroused you are? Or hear the symphony Demetri is
playing on your body?"

Only then did Bella notice that Demetri's fingers were making a
rather loud sound as they pushed and pulled. "Not… not really."

Bella could feel herself sliding down in her chair even more to give
Demetri better access. He quietly groaned, "I love licking your neck;
you taste like sex and sin." His heat burned her side as he continued
to stroke her, driving her even higher. She shivered as his tongue
laved down her neck to the top of her shoulder. She had to remove
her hand from his neck and return it to the chair to support her
sinking body.

"Your breathing, it's changed," Marcus noted. "Did-" Clearing his

throat, he continued, "Did Demetri find a pleasing spot?"

Keeping hold of Marcus' eyes, Bella haltingly answered. "Yes,

Marcus, he found an amazing spot."

"Well, do that again, man, quickly," Marcus bit out. Bella gloried in
the power in Marcus's voice, his sense that his every command
would be followed without question.
Demetri again followed directions, repeating the pleasurable licking
and hand movements. Turning his face away from Marcus and
placing his cheek against hers, he whispered, "How sweet you are,
dear Bella, for letting Marcus fantasize that he's pleasing you."

Fucking hell. Marcus is fantasizing about me. He's fantasizing about

pleasing me!

Marcus immediately noticed her breathing deepen and her skin turn
to fire. "Sweet Bella, do you realize how beautiful that blush is? How
far down does it go?"

Speechless with her heightened arousal, she shrugged in response.

Marcus slowly extracted a phone from his hip coat pocket, and gave
the command, "Call Jasper." Bella semi-coherently listened to
Marcus's part of the conversation. "Jasper. I'm in the dining room
with the beautiful Bella. Yes. How far down does this blush go? You
don't know?" Marcus closed his eyes and licked his lips. "Ahh, yes,
otherwise occupied. Well, would you like to see it now?"

Bella's eyes bulged. We're having a call-your-friends party? 'Cause I

might just have to call Carlisle… and Emmett….

"Five minutes? Sooner. Good." Marcus pocketed the phone, and

moved his eyes off Bella to address Demetri. "Delay."

"What?" Bella gasped and glared at Marcus as Demetri slowed his

hand movements. "No. No. What are you… you can't say things like
that. No 'delay'!" Turning to face Demetri for the first time since
Marcus arrived, Bella pleaded, "You can't… you can't stop, okay?"
Closing her eyes, she continued, "Please don't stop."

Demetri shushed her gently. While his fingers continued to stroke

inside of her, he moved his thumb to her clit and began circling it
slowly. "Oh, sweet, sweet girl, don't worry. I promise I will take care
of you," Demetri said soothingly. "It's going to be so beautiful, and we
will all get to see it."
Bella opened her eyes at his words and realized that Jasper was
now seated next to Marcus. Marcus began a grand inquisition.
"Jasper, you've pleased this beautiful woman?"

Jasper ducked his head. "I made every attempt to."

Marcus scoffed. "Don't be coy. Did she enjoy you?"

"Yes."

"Did she become even more beautiful?"

"I couldn't see at the exact moment, Marcus, but afterward?

Absolutely." At this, Bella had to close her eyes against Jasper's
intense gaze.

"What did you notice, then?"

"Her legs began to shake, just like you see her arms doing now. I
would say she's very close."

Marcus turned his questions back to her. "Bellissima Bella. So

beautiful. Are you close?"

Bella, unable to hold her head upright, leaned heavily against

Demetri and dug her head into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
The symphony he was conducting on her body increased in tempo.
Her breath came in a near-groan. "God, yesssssss…."

Bella's eyes opened, and she realized that the two men across the
table could not tear their eyes from her. As she felt her shaking
increase, their eyes zeroed in on hers in order to drink in the sight of
her impending orgasm. "Wondrous," Marcus croaked. Bella realized
she had both men across the table from her hanging on her every
reaction, just waiting for her to be pushed over the edge.

Demetri pulled his face away from her cheek and moved his mouth
back to her ear. "Dear Bella. You realize this is the hardest my cock
has ever been, don't you?"
Unable to wrap her head around all the testosterone enveloping her,
Bella tore her eyes from Marcus and flitted them down to see if
Demetri was telling the truth. It seemed he was. She could feel her
hand closest to the bulging mass flex, as if having a mind to go
exploring with or without her permission.

Thinking of touching him caused the fire that had been building in
her belly to flash and consume her. As Demetri changed his hand
movement yet again, Bella clutched at his leg and tried to maintain
eye contact with Marcus as she shook with the force of her orgasm.

"There it is, Marcus." Jasper whispered in awe.

"Yes, I see. Outstanding."

Satiated, Bella slumped back in her chair. She took in Marcus and
Jasper, both looking at her with fiery eyes. Then she felt Demetri
remove his hand from her, and moaned in appreciation as she
watched him bring his fingers to his mouth and lick her pleasure off
them, his eyes locked onto hers.

"If I may, Demetri?" Marcus shook the square of cloth from his breast
pocket in their peripheral vision. "To assist the lady, please."

Demetri nodded, took the cloth from Marcus, and used it to soak up
the moisture she'd released during his ministrations. Afterward, he
folded the cloth neatly and passed it back across the table. Marcus
replaced it in his breast pocket, stroking the cloth as if it were her
skin. "My absolute thanks, Bella. I have so rarely been blessed to
receive such a beautiful gift."

With that, Marcus began to extract himself from his seat at the table.
Jasper hurriedly stood to assist him. As Marcus retrieved his cane
and took Jasper's arm to leave, Jasper caught Bella's eyes. Looking
to Demetri, he advised, "Kiss her. She wants to taste it."

The thought of tasting herself in Demetri's perfect mouth nearly

caused Bella to come again. Nodding to Jasper, she turned to
Demetri and tasted his soft, sweet mouth mixed with her own
orgasm. She could feel Demetri shift, and she pushed him away just
enough to swing her legs around so that she could face him full on.
As she took large handfuls of his shirt, his hands smoothed along
her neck and into her hair as he pulled her to him for another deep,
wet kiss.

"Bella, I don't think I'll be able to look at breakfast the same way ever
again."

Bella huffed her agreement.

Lots better than Eggs Benedict, if I do say so myself.

Noticing Demetri shift and wince, her eyes flew to the apex of his
thighs. She let loose of his shirt with one hand and ran her fingers
down his stomach to his belt. "I'd like to return the favor." Then with
both hands, she began undoing his buckle.

Demetri leaned back in his seat, resting one hand on the table and
the other on the back of her chair. Breathing heavily, he replied, "I
couldn't fight you off if I wanted to, and I don't want to."

Bella looked up at him and gave a half-smile, then returned her focus
to his pants as she undid the leather belt and unfastened the
closure. As his cock leaped free, she was surprised to discover he
wore nothing underneath.

White linen pants, no underwear. Someone likes to show off!

Looking at his cock, however, Bella had to admit he had something

worth displaying. She pushed his shirt up so that she could get a
better look, and he assisted her by removing it altogether and
placing it next to his plate on the table. Thinking on her lesson with
Emmett, she closed her hand around Demetri's cock and made a
slow, light stroke. Then she frantically looked around the table, trying
to assess which items left on it could work for this situation.
"Damn it, need something slick…"

Demetri made a sound halfway between a chuckle and a groan.

"Give me your hand, dear girl."

Holding her hand, he used the other to reach into his pocket,
extracting a small foil package. Opening it with his teeth, he spit the
small torn piece out and squirted the remaining fluid in the tube onto
her palm.

"Individually packaged lubrication. Useful things."

Bella raised her eyebrows and nodded her understanding, gently

using her slickened hand to grasp him tightly. His hands returned to
their previous locations, grabbing the corner of the table and chair,
respectively. Deciding she couldn't grip tightly enough with one hand,
she brought her other hand to make a full circle around him. Demetri
immediately went from humming softly in appreciation to groaning
loudly in pleasure.

Bella changed her grip so that her fingers interlaced and her thumbs
ran up the underside of his cock, sliding her hands around so that
she could stroke up each pulsing, protruding vein. As she had
watched Emmett do, she occasionally ran the palm of one hand over
the top of Demetri's cock, causing his hips to buck up into the
sensation.

Holy shit, I think I'm giving a fucking awesome hand job!

After a few minutes of her attentions, Demetri began to speak

emphatically in a language she didn't understand. He didn't seem
upset, so she kept on, until she was able to make out the phrase,
"Oh, God, now now now…."

Freeing one hand, Bella grabbed his unused table napkin from
beside his plate, shook it out, and dropped it over his cock just as his
body clenched down in release. Bella reveled in the pleasure that
flashed across his face, causing his eyes to half-close and his mouth
to half-open. Making a few more light strokes with her hands, she
beamed as his groans increased in volume.

"God, woman, enough! Are you trying to drown me in satisfaction?"

Chuckling, she used the napkin to block his release from getting onto
her hands. After cleaning him as well as she could with the one in
her hands, she stood to retrieve an unused napkin from the other
side of the table and wiped the lubricant off her hands as best she
could.

She strolled around the table and returned to Demetri as he lifted his
hips and hitched his pants back into place. Before he could refasten
them, Bella put her hands under his chin and lifted his face to hers
for a small round of light kisses. Standing again, Bella said,
"Demetri, dear man, I absolutely KNOW I'll never look at breakfast
the same way again."

Bella leaned down to retrieve the underwear that had fallen off her
legs at some point in the encounter, wadded them up, and tucked
them into one of his front pockets. "You remember me, now." And
with that, she stood up, turned and sauntered out of the room.
Swan Song
Chapter 5 - Swan Song

As she left the dining room, Bella strode down the long hallway and
decided to find Carlisle immediately so that she could discuss what
had happened with Demetri… and Marcus… and Jasper.

What the hell just happened? Oh yeah, three men just watched me
get off!

Rounding the corner into the library, Bella saw Carlisle sitting at the
desk he'd pressed her against when she first arrived. While he
finished up a phone call, her eyes flicked across the shelves, taking
in all of the sexually-laden material currently within arm's reach.
Unable to stand still, she moved from one side of desk to the other
and back, wound up on the adrenaline of her encounter.

Carlisle brought his call to a close. "Thomas, I'm going to have to call
you back." Smiling, he said, "Yes, of course. Talk to you soon."
Snapping his cell phone closed, he turned to Bella. "How can I help
you, Bella?"

"You know, I get it now, why you all do this." The words flew from her
as she buzzed about the room. "It's powerful; it's a sort of power,
knowing - I mean, really knowing - you've pleased someone. I
wanted to react more, let more out, so they could enjoy it! Is that
weird? It's not, is it? Oh, you don't think anything is weird, I'm sure,
but it's new to me! I'm so wound up I feel like I could go for days!"

"Did you have a pleasant experience with Demetri?"

Her hands threaded through her hair, and flung about seemingly on
their own. "You know damn well it wasn't just Demetri." Turning to
face Carlisle directly, she continued. "Why didn't I know it was like
this before? I mean, I've had sex before, and the guys must've
thought I looked okay, but I never wanted to let them look at me the
way Marcus did… just look! And it was SO intense! Do you think it
was because he was older, that I could feel the hold I had on a man,
and not a boy?"

Surprise flitted across Carlisle's face. "Marcus joined you in the

dining room?"

Bella started to pace again, her feet keeping up with the speed of her
brain. "Yes, you know that he did, and Jasper too. Is Marcus related
to you? 'Cause he's got that same sexy vibe you're rocking. He
doesn't look much like you features-wise, but you've both got the
same… gosh, I don't know what it is? What's that French phrase? Je
ne sais quoi ?" Nodding to herself, she continued. "Why do you think
was I more interested in his reaction than Demetri's? Demetri was
the one who was touching me, making me come - I feel like I may
have been a bit disrespectful of him. But I think I made up for it with
the really good handjob."

Carlisle's eyebrows shot up. "A really good one?"

Bella continued as if he hadn't responded. "Do you know, I've done

that before, handjobs - blowjobs, too - and the guys kinda moaned
like they liked it, but I always got the feeling that they were just
putting up with it until they could get to the main event." She stopped
to be sure that she had Carlisle's attention as she said, "Demetri was
so appreciative; it wasn't like he was just waiting until he could get to
the 'real' sex, but made it seem like what I did for him was what he
wanted; he didn't seem pissed at all…"

Bella returned to pacing, but at a much slower clip. After crossing the
room a few times, she settled with her hands along the back of a
leather chair.

"You know, I don't even know if I could have had sex with him in that
chair. I've only ever done it in two different positions. I get the feeling
I'm missing out on stuff now! I mean, I could have straddled him on
that chair, I guess… I just wouldn't have known what to do from
there. I should know something like that, right? I mean, I'm twenty-
six years old, for God's sake; shouldn't I have had more interesting
sex than that?"

Carlisle decided to hold his own counsel for the moment.

"Well, don't you think so?" she challenged.

"Bella, perhaps you weren't ready to explore that part of yourself

before now. There's nothing to be ashamed of. This is the place to
take the opportunity to expand your horizons in any direction you
wish. There are several things you've just mentioned that we could
help you address.

She flushed slightly. "Sorry about just rambling on there."

"I'm a believer in not having regrets, Bella. I think everything you said
was important for you to bring out into the open so that you could
take a good look at it." Leaning back in his chair, he steepled his
fingers and tapped them lightly against his lips. "I think you should
focus on experiencing some new positions next. What do you think?"

Bella's eyebrows rose. "I guess that would be okay."

"I have someone at the ranch with a very spiritual connection to his
sexuality. I believe the two of you could be of great benefit to one
another."

"He's a religious guy?"

"Not in the way you're thinking, Bella. It's more that he wants to feel
a deep connection to the women he's with. I think you would truly
enjoy him. You would certainly benefit from his breadth of interest."

Taking a deep breath, Bella nodded. "Okay, then."

"He went into town this morning, but if you would like, I could
arrange something this afternoon - maybe after you enjoy some time
at the spa? It's available now, if you like."
"That actually sounds really nice."

"Wonderful. I'll get things arranged and see you after lunch."

Bella's hand shielded her eyes from the late afternoon sun as she
found herself riding with Carlisle in what she thought had to be a
terrible attempt at creating something between a car and a golf cart.
They were headed away from the ranch, toward the base of the
mountains to the north.

"Why is this guy so far away from everyone else?"

"He values a great deal of solitude so that he has a significant

amount of time to focus on his spirituality."

"Are you sure this guy's not a monk?"

Carlisle smirked. "I'm pretty sure." They pulled up to a single-story

building with more windows than she'd ever seen in a building that
small.

After helping her out of the car, Carlisle approached the door,
knocked softly, and entered the room quietly, motioning for her to
follow. A set of life-sized photos hung directly in front of her and
acted as a screen, blocking the rest of the room from her view. The
photos were of ancient-looking statues in a variety of extremely
complicated sexual poses. As Carlisle moved out of sight around the
screens, she stopped and studied one of a man standing, holding a
woman around her hips in an upside-down position, his mouth
pleasing her and hers pleasing him.

Standing 69. Impressive. Impossible, but impressive.

Bella heard a shuffle behind the screen then. Taking in a deep breath
of warm air, she slowly moved to peer around the corner. Sunlight
streamed through the windows that spanned the entire south wall of
the small house.
A giant of a man with short dark hair and an obvious affinity for the
sun sat along the far wall, placing incense and garlands of flowers
before a statue situated on a raised dais. After he finished placing
the items, he fully prostrated himself on a rug on the floor and
repeated several times a phrase that Bella didn't understand.

Sure, this guy acts NOTHING like a monk.

Bella's body started to tingle as she took in how extremely tall and
extremely muscular the man was. Bella figured he must be done with
whatever he was doing when he lifted himself from the floor and
returned to a seated position. After closing his eyes and taking a
deep breath, the man used his arms to raise himself up and turn his
entire body to face them.

"Carlisle." His rich, deep voice wrapped around her, playing havoc
with her senses.

"Felix. It's good to see you."

"You, too. And this must be Bella. Please, take your shoes off and
then come, sit with me."

Bella looked at Carlisle, who nodded his encouragement and turned

to leave. Bella tentatively approached the giant, and as she did, he
rotated his body so that it faced his shrine again. As she reached his
edge of the rug, he patted the space next to him. She joined him on
the floor, crossing her legs in an approximation of his lotus pose.

Without looking at her, he began to speak.

"I've never felt bad about sex. Never. Never understood why the
Christian ministers I was exposed to when I was young said I should
feel guilty or wrong for having it. I always enjoyed sex, always felt so
energized afterward, like I could see more clearly, understand more
of myself and of the universe. So I sought a different spiritual path
than the one I was raised with."
Bella turned to look at Felix. She could see his intensity reflected all
over his face.

"I found a teacher who stated that each one of us is a union of all
universal energy. Everything that we need in order to be complete is
within us right at this very moment. It is simply a matter of being able
to recognize it. I really connected to that idea."

Indicating his altar with a nod of his head, he continued. "That's

when I discovered there were other religions which understood the
beauty of sexuality the way that I did - that rejection of it separated
you from godliness, and acceptance brought you closer to it."

"I found a text that stated sex had three distinct and separate
purposes-procreation, pleasure, and liberation. It said that my
enjoyment of sex was not wrong, or bad, it just was. I found other
texts that taught that a woman was like the earth - the earth creates
and woman creates, and that both were worthy of a man's gratitude
and worship." Felix took another deep breath and then plowed
ahead.

"Are you willing to let me worship you, Bella?"

Bella looked at him and blanched. "Worship seems like the

extremely wrong word…"

"It's not, Bella." Felix turned to her then, allowing his eyes to pierce
into her. "I want to worship your body, your soul. I want to join my
body to yours and use our combined energies to seek the divine. Will
you let me share that with you?"

Closing her eyes so she could focus, Bella could feel the electricity,
the desire pouring from Felix and humming all around her, sending
heat racing through her body. Gulping, she agreed. "O… okay."

Felix turned his body to fully face her, scooting forward and pressing
into her side. She could feel every inch of his leg where it contacted
hers. Rubbing her back with one hand, the other began drawing
small patterns on her bent knee. "Carlisle said you've only been in
two positions. Is that true?"

Furiously blushing, Bella nodded. As Felix continued to tease her

skin, flickers of desire joined her embarrassment.

"I would guess you've experienced what is commonly known as

missionary position and the atrociously-named doggie style."

Feeling her face heat even more as desire started to flood her entire
body, she nodded again. "Yes, those two."

"Do you have an idea of other positions you'd like to try?"

"No," Bella answered quickly, shaking her head. "No."

Stumped by her lack of answer, Felix thought for a moment. "Let me

ask you this. If you could only touch one part of me, what would you
want to explore?"

Mouth dry, Bella took a moment to lick her lips before answering,
"Your thighs."

"For me, it would be your hair. May I take it out of that thing you have
it all bound up in, so that I can take in its beauty? And while I'm
doing that, you can let your hands roam wherever they'd like."

Giving a tight nod, Bella agreed to his proposition. Felix moved away
just enough to untangle his legs. As he moved closer again, he
wrapped one behind her back, and bent the other leg over her lap.
As he took her hair out of its high ponytail, Bella ran her slightly
damp hands lightly over the top of his thighs, stroking from his knee
up to where the broadest muscles stretched across his leg. As he
ran his fingers all through her hair, massaging her scalp, Bella let her
hands find the edges of that large muscle where it joined to the rest
of his leg, and was just starting to move higher when he bent to
whisper in her ear, "Do you know what 'namaste' means, Bella?"
She shook her head.

" Namas is a Sanskrit word indicating obeisance, reverential

greeting, adoration. Modern interpretations use the phrasing 'the
divinity in me bows to the divinity in you,' but I prefer to think of it as,
'All that is within in me greets you in adoration.' Namaste, Bella."

Bella tilted in toward Felix, stretching upward to place a light kiss on

his jaw. She then took a minute to look into in his eyes, to take him
in, also to fully take in the moment and what she was about to say.
"Namaste, Felix."

Hugging her tightly against him, Felix leaned down to kiss her slowly
and deeply. Groaning, he threaded his hands through her hair. Bella
felt it swishing all around her as his hands tilted her head so that he
could have better access to her mouth. Felix then ran his fingers
through the length of her tresses, draping them across her breasts
and brushing the backs of his fingers across her nipples. Each
contact sent shockwaves through her, and she could feel her
breathing begin to change and deepen.

"You have such beautiful hair, Bella."

"Thanks. There's so much of it, I just don't know what to do with it

half the time."

"You should leave it down - let others see the beauty you possess."

As one of his hands left her hair, Bella caught it in both of hers and
brought it in front of her so that she could inspect it. She measured
her hands against his - both of hers nearly equaled one of his.
Threading her fingers through his, she tried to squeeze his hands,
but only ended up making her own hands ache from the effort.

"It's hard for me to believe how big your hands are. How tall are
you?"

"I'm six foot seven."

"Do you hate it?"

"No. I don't hate anything about me. I hate that everything I find is
made for smaller men."

Bella wrapped her hands around his fingers and kissed his wrist.

"Poor Felix. Caught in a small man's world."

Looking into his eyes, she brought his thumb into her mouth and
sucked it, then ran her tongue along the pad of it. Bella silently
cheered as she heard him grunt and felt his cock jump against her
side in response to her surprise actions.

Groaning, Felix stroked his hands up under her shirt and undid the
hooks on her bra. Then he swept his hands up, and both pieces of
clothing slid off her and onto the floor. With his hands cradling her
head, he gently lowered her to the thick rug.

Stroking his hands down her arms as he kneeled over her waist,
Felix complimented, "Your skin is so soft." Reaching the bottom of
her arms, he reversed course and brushed his hands up to her
collarbone, down the center of her chest, across her belly, and down
to the button on her pants. After opening the closure, he moved to
her side and whispered, "Lift," then slid the rest of her clothes off her
body. Lying naked before him, she watched as his eyes roamed over
her.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she declared, "Your turn. Lie down."

After Felix complied, she returned the favor he had paid her, running
her hands over his skin as she began divesting him of his clothes.
After Bella had removed his shirt, Felix passively lay on the floor as
she let her hands explore the corded muscles of his upper arms, the
smooth planes of his chest, the knotted ropes of his stomach. He
began to react when Bella pulled the drawstring on his cotton pants
and pulled down the two sides as far she could while leaving his
cock covered, taking quite a bit of time to really investigate his
hipbones and the sharply defined muscles there. After a minute or
so, Felix shoved his pants down far enough so that his cock could
have more room to move in response to her teasing. She grinned up
at Felix as she appeared to completely ignore the part of him that
wanted the most attention. Slyly, she moved in such a manner that
her hair teased along his cock as she explored him. His responding
deep groans filled her with a sense of power.

Bet you REALLY like my hair now, big guy!

Pulling his pants off his legs gave her access to the muscles of his
thighs, which she kneaded in fascination at the power contained
within them. Running her hands down his legs to his ankles, she
grinned as he flinched away from her tickling hands.

Felix responded by sitting up, wrapping his hands around her waist,
and pulling her into his lap with his legs crossed under her. Her legs
and arms wrapped around him, holding on to him for balance.
Moving his giant hands to cradle her face, his lips drank from hers
again. Her fingers lightly stroked his arms from wrist to elbow. She
moaned as she felt the heat of his cock against her stomach,
wetness dragging across it as his body primed itself. She felt a
similar response in her own body.

Bella explored the parts of Felix in reach of her mouth, placing little
kisses up and down his chin, his throat, his Adam's apple, the hollow
at the base of his throat, the top of his chest. His hands worked their
way down her body, from her back to her the underside of her thighs,
then his thumbs drew little patterns on the inside of her thighs as his
hands moved higher up her legs. One thumb continued higher, going
to her clit, while the other hand moved under her leg, his fingers
stroking through the moisture there, and dipping inside her. She
pulled at his shoulders and bucked against him, trapping his thumb
between her clit and the base of his cock.

"Oh, God, please Felix, please!"

She could feel the change in intent in his hands as he gripped

around her thighs, lifting her up to his mouth for another kiss.
Keeping her eyes locked with his, she panted as he slowly dragged
her away from his mouth, down his chest, and onto his cock. She
groaned and threw her head back as every inch of him slid into her.
Clinging to him, her arms and legs gripped him tightly; she was
continuously shuddering by the time her hips landed flush with his.

"So inspiring, Bella." Felix's hands wrapped around her back and
over her shoulders. "Can you feel our energies merging together?"

I can feel something else that's merged together…

Bella gasped as Felix began rocking his hips backward and forward -
not much movement, just enough to electrify every nerve ending in
her body. She felt as if she could feel every bump on his tongue as
he ran it along her shoulder, up her neck, and focused his attention
on the soft vulnerable spot just behind her jaw and below her ear.
Leaning her back a bit in his arms, his hips quickened, and Bella
yelled in ecstasy as she felt an unexpected lightning bolt of pleasure
shoot through her.

Pulling her back into the haven of his arms, Felix stroked her hair,
soothing her and helping her work through the aftershocks of her
sudden orgasm. Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, "So
beautiful, Bella. Perfect."

After her wits returned to her, Bella felt him still hard as a rock inside
her, and in a daze asked, "Didn't you get there?"

Felix laughed softly, sending delicious zings of pleasure through her.

"In what universe does thirty minutes equal a worship service? Every
church I've been to lasts for at least an hour, Bella, maybe even two
or three."

Holy shit, he's built like that and can last for hours? He's the perfect
man!

Into his chest, she mumbled, "I really like your idea of church."
Felix laughed again. "I think I could have quite the following. But
now, it's your turn, Bella."

She lifted eyes to look at him blearily.

"Sit back." Taking her arms from around his waist, he placed them
behind her on his thighs. Then, he unwound her feet from around his
waist and placed them to the side of his hips. "Now, keep your arms
that way and push up through your feet."

As she lifted up, Bella sucked in a deep breath of pleasure.

"Again."

When she moved this time, Felix groaned deeply, reclining back until
he was lying on the floor and looking up at her as she maneuvered
herself on him. His hands moved under her thighs to help her lift on
and off of him slowly. Just as Bella felt another orgasm building, Felix
stopped her, moving one of her feet to the other side of his body, so
that both feet rested by his left hip.

"Do you know why I like this position, Bella?" Felix asked as he
smoothed the skin at her waist.

She shook her head.

"It allows me to take in all of your beauty at once. I can see your hair
falling over your shoulders, the curve of your mouth, your breasts,
your waist, your hips; all without being distracted by seeing where
we are connected. It shows you as you should be - sexually charged
and full of grace."

She looked down at her body. "I don't think anyone has ever called
me graceful before."

Ignoring her comment, Felix asked, "Do you know what this position
is called?"

"I can't say that I do."

As his hands gripped her tightly and began moving her on him, he
replied, "It's called 'The Swan,' Bella. It was made for you." With that,
he began to really move, lifting his hips so that he could press
himself farther into her. At the same time, one of his hands moved
behind her knees and began pulling her more forcefully onto him as
he flexed. It was this small but powerful movement, combined with
Felix's intense stare, that sent her screaming to the edge again.

"Oh, it's so… I can't… so good…"

As her arms collapsed from the strength of her orgasm, Felix sat up
and drew her into his arms. "It's all right, Bella, I've got you." As she
melted into the warmth of his body, he continued. "Let's relax a
minute."

Felix moved her to the rug so skillfully that he was able to stay
connected to her, her back pressed to his chest and her head resting
on the arm underneath it. He kept her warm by running his free hand
up and down her skin, dissipating the light sheen of sweat that had
gathered there. Bella felt like a kitten warmed in the sun, and soon
she stretched, causing both of them to gasp in delight.

"Bella… so good…"

Bella grinned at hearing Felix's moans of pleasure. She felt powerful,

womanly.

He lifted off the floor a little so that he could look into her eyes. "I
want to feel your beautiful hair making feather-light brushes on my
chest as you ride me, Bella. Could I interest you in something like
that?"

Bella felt her entire body light up at his request. Wondering at the
power her hair seemed to wield over him, she returned his fiery
gaze. "Show me," she replied.

Leaning down to press hot kisses along her neck, he replied,

"Gladly." Then he scooped his arm under her body, pressing her
tightly to him and rotating them both to a seated position. Leaning
back on his arms, he said, "put your feet on my thighs." She placed
her hands under her and on his hips for balance, then she followed
Felix's directions and put her feet on his thighs, taking time to try out
several locations, feeling the powerful cording of his muscles
underneath her feet. When she felt secure, she nodded.

"Now we'll try 'Swan Sport'. Push with your feet. Move your hips."

As she tried to move on him, Bella realized she needed to move her
hands for more support, so she walked her hands backward, ending
up using his ribs to brace her arms as she moved her hips side to
side. Her head fell back as she absorbed the pleasure each
miniscule movement of her body on his brought her. "That's…
wow… deep…"

She could feel Felix fall away from her back, and she realized he
was now fully reclined on the floor. Knowing what he wanted, she let
her head fall back as far as it could go, flicking her head side to side,
and letting her hair sweep over him.

"Can you feel the energy we're creating, Bella? You set me on fire."

Bella's unfamiliarity with the movements she needed to use made

her lift too high, causing his cock to leave her body and stand
proudly on display, wet with her pleasure. Bella turned and lifted
herself up and straddled Felix's stomach so that she could kiss him,
letting her hair enclose them. His hands went to her sides, his
thumbs rubbing circles on her breasts. She could feel herself move
against him, her body telling both of them she wanted more from
him.

"You've been so gentle, Felix." She said through heavy breaths. "But
now I really want to feel your power."

Humming at the thought, he replied, "Anything you want, my

goddess."
Felix turned her then, laying her on the floor, and let her feel the full
weight of his body settle over her. Then he knelt up, using one hand
to brace himself on the floor and one hand to lift her hips so that he
could enter her easily. Her hands roamed up his sides and found
themselves locked behind his neck as she watched him work himself
into her.

"Yes, like that… more power, Felix… let me really feel you…"

"If you want more, you have to hold tight," Felix ground out. She felt
his breaths wash over her, felt the effort he was expending to please
her. As her fingers interlaced behind his head, he cautioned, "Don't
let go." Bella nodded in response.

Bella watched as Felix shifted upward and felt him manipulate his
arms under her knees, his hands holding her from the bottom of her
backside to halfway up her back. His kneeling up caused Bella's
knees to fall over his elbows. Yelping in surprise as Felix's hips
began to move slowly, Bella looked down and realized she could see
every movement he made - every stroke, every rotation.

"Oh, shit… yeah…"

Wanting him to go faster, Bella pulled on his neck and bucked into
him. "More, Felix, need more…" she pleaded.

Growling, he rocked backward sharply, and Bella felt herself being

lifted higher into the air as he stood up. The new position caused
Bella to re-adjust her grip on Felix's neck, and she had difficulty
regaining it due to the sweat pouring off of him.

Drawing deep gulps of air, Felix began working her body up and
down his cock quickly. Bella could feel the energy crackling between
them, could see that Felix was near the end of his endurance. As his
hips frantically snapped into hers, she moaned, "Won't… last…
long…."
Bella chased her orgasm, knowing it was coming to her. She relaxed
her tight hold around Felix's neck, tilted her hips so that his cock
rubbed her right there, and yelled out, her body twisting in pleasure
as she fell over the edge.

She felt more than heard Felix roar in response as he came, felt his
warmth spread inside her. She felt his massive body quake from the
power of his orgasm, causing him to overbalance and drop back to
his knees.

Catching himself with one arm, he lowered her to the floor gently,
removed himself from inside her body, and lay down between her
legs, his head resting on her chest. While she gasped for air, she felt
his heart pounding in his chest through the soft, thin skin of her inner
thigh. Running her hands through his sweat-soaked hair, Bella
hummed her pleasure as aftershocks ripped through them both.

After what could have been minutes or hours, Bella heard Felix
whisper, "Namaste, Bella," but couldn't focus enough to form
complete thoughts, much less words.

Still unaware of how much time was passing, Bella noticed when
stickiness began to betray her comfort. Pushing at Felix's shoulder,
she mumbled, "Need up…"

With another deep breath, Felix rose, lifting her to his chest and
walking her over to a door she hadn't noticed before. Setting her
down, he bent over, threaded his hands through her hair and kissed
her deeply. "Take your time; take a shower if you want. I'll make us
something to eat," he said softly and turned away from her. She
enjoyed watching him walk away from her until he disappeared
through another doorway, then turned to go inside.

Leaving Felix's bathroom half an hour later, feeling clean and shiny
in a fluffy cotton robe, Bella padded around until she found Felix
sprawled along a couch, staring out at the darkening sky through a
large skylight. To Bella, it seemed as if he was contemplating his
oneness with the universe as he surveyed it. An antipasto tray rested
on a low table near where he relaxed, and she made her way over to
it, sinking into the remaining chair in the room and piling a small
plate with food. She sat back, taking in Felix as he rested, naked and
calm, and allowed herself to quietly contemplate him as she ate.

When she sat her empty plate on the table, he looked over at her.
"My mind is racing; I feel like I can follow all these different trains of
thought at the same time. How do you feel?"

Bella tilted her head to the side. "Changed."

That made him smile. "Good." After a pause and a deep breath, he
said, "Carlisle left the car; I should drive you back to the ranch."

"I can find it - just head down the hill toward the only lights around,
I'm guessing. I just need my clothes."

"I folded them for you; let me go get them."

Bella followed him to a shelf near the front door with a canvas bag
on it. He handed it to her, saying, "I thought you'd rather stay in the
clean robe than put your clothes back on."

"That's true. Thanks." As she bent to put her shoes back on, Felix
migrated to the front door. Standing, she walked over to him and
reached one arm up to his neck, pulling him down for another kiss.

"Thank you, Felix. I truly do feel worshipped."

"Then I've done what I set out to do, dear Bella. I'm glad you came to
visit me."

"So am I. Have a good night."

"It will be full of revelations, I'm sure." Opening the door, he sent her
off with "Be at peace, Bella. Sleep well."
She nodded, carefully walking from the door to the car so as not to
trip on the uneven ground. Opening the car door, she looked back at
Felix, standing naked in the doorway. With a smile, she swung into
the car and closed the door. Finding the key in the ignition, she
started the car and followed the obvious path down the mountain.

Halfway back to the ranch, she stopped the car. Getting out, she
took a deep breath, feeling the open space all around her. Climbing
on the hood of the car, she leaned back against the front window and
stared at the stars above her.

END NOTE:

English/American Units to Metric: 6 foot 7 inches = 2 meters.

Banner Day
Chapter 6 - Banner Day

At breakfast the following morning, Bella stared at the blank notecard

that had been delivered with her room service. How could she begin
to explain to Carlisle what had happened last night? As she finished
her meal, it came to her. She quickly scrawled out, "Felix challenged
me mentally, physically, and spiritually," then placed the card in the
envelope for Carlisle and put her tray in the hall to be collected.

Bella walked down the hallway, looking again at the note that had
been slipped under her door after breakfast. She re-read the words
written in the masculine handwriting she'd become so familiar with
over the past two days.

Please meet me in my office at 10 a.m.

As she walked along, nearly giddy with pleasure, she took in the
soreness of her body, the charge of femininity she felt she was
radiating as she walked. She could feel the sway of her hips, thought
about how a man might react to them, listened to the brush of her
clothing and reveled in her hair swishing across her back. Felix had
given her a lot to think about.

Knocking on the frame of the open library door, Bella saw Carlisle
leaning over his desk, shuffling papers. While Bella's mouth watered
at the particularly nice view of his backside, she wondered at the out-
of-character clothing he sported. Instead of his usual expensive-
looking suits with barely unbuttoned collared shirts, Carlisle was
wearing khakis, a button-down shirt with a tie, and a cardigan. Bella
was sorry not to see the crisp suits he'd worn in the past but found
him much more approachable in what he had on now.
Shaking her head to clear it, she spoke, "You wanted me to come
see you?"

"Ah, yes, Ms. Swan, please come in. Thank you for being prompt."
Carlisle motioned her to a half-circle of chairs in front of his desk. As
she sat where directed, she looked around, noticing the freestanding
chalkboards located around the room. Directly in front of her were
three boards: the one directly in front of her was blank, the left one
was titled "The Science of Fellatio," and the right one was titled "The
Art of Fellatio." Bella attempted to wet her mouth, which had
suddenly gone dry.

"I'm glad you were able to attend this make-up lecture, Ms. Swan. I
was disappointed when you weren't in class for the original lecture.
You missed a lively group discussion, I'm afraid."

Bella was definitely confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Make-up lecture, Ms. Swan? For the Human Sexuality 340 class
you missed last week?" Carlisle's eyebrows rose, as if challenging
her to remember something she knew nothing about. Taking in the
entire room again, the chalkboards, the chairs arranged in a semi-
circle, and Carlisle's marked sartorial difference, looking like he
stepped from a J. Crew catalogue, she suddenly caught on. Now,
how to play along?

"Um… I'm really sorry, Professor…." Here Bella paused, hoping

Carlisle would clue her in to the name she should use. He took her
hint and slightly shifted a nameplate on his desk. Reading it, she
continued, "… Banner." Shifting, she continued, "I do appreciate your
offering an alternative lecture."

Before he started the lecture, Bella asked, "Will there be any other
students joining us, Professor Banner?"

"No, Ms. Swan, all of my other students were able to make their
regularly assigned class time without any trouble. It will just be you
and me today."
This ABSOLUTELY has possibilities….

"Shall we begin?"

Bella nodded.

"In this class, I will be lecturing on 'The Science and Art of Fellatio.'"

Looking to the chalkboard directly behind him labeled 'The Science

of Fellatio,' Carlisle turned the board over, beginning his lecture.

"Let's start with a quick overview of some historical and biological

information."

Not the part of the lecture I'm looking forward to, Professor Carlisle.

"We can find references to oral sex - and other kinds of sex - in
ancient India, China, Japan, Greece, Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia
and other areas. In some areas or periods of human history, oral sex
is documented as something taboo or disdainful, in others as
something revered and pleasurable, and in others still, without much
of a value judgment at all."

Bella's mind began to wander as the lecture continued. In an effort to

cool her aroused body down, she unfastened the top two buttons of
her shirt. Okay, I didn't realize I had a thing for professors before, but
I definitely have a thing for this one! I know there are DILFs; are
there also PILFs? He's not really a professor, though, so maybe he's
a Fake Professor I'd Like to Fuck?

As her attention returned to the room, Bella noticed that Carlisle had
moved to the next board to her left and was using chalk to underline
certain words on the board. "Latin erotic terminology actually
distinguishes two acts of oral sex: fellation and irrumation. In the
current vernacular, fellatio is referred to as a blowjob. Generally, the
fellator is the active member of the pair. Irrumation differs…"

Oh, say 'fellator' again, Professor. You made my mouth water…

Bella swallowed in an attempt to control her body's response to him
but then slumped down in her chair so that she could get a better
sightline on Carlisle's backside. As her thoughts continued to ramble,
her breathing deepened. And could you turn and face the board so I
can get another look at your ass while you're lecturing me? Frankly, I
wouldn't mind a front view, either… I can fantasize about you either
way…

"How frequent is oral sex? In the 1960's, Albert Kinsey found that at
least of 60% of married, college-educated couples reported
experiencing oral-genital contact. These rates greatly decreased in
less-educated couples."

I would really like for you to educate me, Professor Banner…

Moving back to the center of the room, Carlisle continued, "… let's
look at human biological response."

Okay, now we're getting closer to my areas of interest… why don't

we just look at your biological response?

Moving to another chalkboard, 'Professor Banner' flipped it. The

board was titled "Masters and Johnson Four-Phase Sexual
Response Cycle."

"Let's talk about what you would see from a person receiving oral
sex. We've discussed the Masters and Johnson four-phase model of
sexual response in this class previously, but let's review the model
briefly: Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, and Resolution."

"Excitement is quite obvious; it is when the body begins to show

signs of arousal. In men, this is demonstrated by an erection,
increased muscle tension, and even by exhibiting what is called a
"sex flush" - a red, rosy coloration of the skin that may appear in the
chest area."

"Plateau is a higher level of excitement, with a more maintained

sexual arousal response. During this time, the testes pull up toward
the body, and pre-ejaculation may occur.

"Orgasm, or climax, is a buildup of tension that triggers pleasurable

sexual release. It is usually brief, lasting a few seconds to less than a
minute, but there is a rush of pleasurable physical sensations, in
addition to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.

"And, finally, Resolution follows almost immediately after the

orgasm/climax stage; the body then begins to relax and return to an
unexcited state. Men experience a refractory period, which is a time
following orgasm during which men are physically incapable of
experiencing another orgasm or ejaculation.

"I know I'm going through this information rather quickly, Ms. Swan.
Are you following along all right?"

Oh, I'm following you just fine, Professor. Could you speak a little
slower, anyway? Clearing her throat, Bella responded, "Yes, sir."

"Okay, then, let's continue our discussion with Psychology and

Methodology."

All right - the good stuff!

"Fellatio, or oral sex in general, can be seen as a full expression of a

woman's power - or a man's, for that matter. If you are able to cause
another person to lose control of their own body for even the
smallest amount of time - seconds, in the case of an orgasm, you
have a certain power over them. Of course, in further lectures we'll
discuss power exchange; how sexual partners allow themselves to
be vulnerable to each other, and therefore hold their own power…"

Ooooh, I've GOT it - let's go with the theme of the day and say he's a
Professor I'd Like to SUCK - that's PILS, which puts me half way to a
really nice beer… maybe I could get him to drink a beer and I could
lick the foam off his lips… Damn, I want to do naughty, naughty
things to him…
"Okay, let's see what you already know. May I have your
assignment, please?"

I'm sorry, what? Bella stared at him in a panic. "Assignment?"

"The journal page you were supposed to write describing your

psychological and physical experiences in regards to administering
oral sex? Have you completed it?"

Bella felt the redness creep up her neck. She'd never skipped an
assignment in her life!

"No, sir, I'm afraid I didn't."

Carlisle sighed deeply, and then continued, "Ms. Swan, you were
informed at the beginning of the school year that taking part in
Human Sexuality 340 called for you to fill out a journal that required
you to be extremely forthcoming about your sexual experiences. You
personally requested that I sign you into the class even though you
had not taken all the prerequisites and assured me you would be
able to keep up with the work. You had some brilliant insights on
sexual power on your last assignment. I was looking forward to your
insights on this one."

Bella sat, goggle-eyed. Oh, no, I pissed off the PILS…

"I'm really sorry, Professor. I simply don't have much experience at

giving oral sex, and I'm sure I haven't made my best attempt at doing
so just yet."

"Miss Swan, if you had any questions about the assignment, you
should have contacted any one of my TAs. They've been keeping me
up to date on your progress in this class, and I'm sure any one of
them would have been more than willing to… assist you." Again,
Carlisle sighed. "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to suffer the entire
lecture, then, Ms. Swan."
I'm thinking that's not such a hardship, Professor. Bella shifted in her
seat and crossed her legs in the opposite direction . Let me listen to
you tell me all about giving blowjobs; I'm all ears.

With an internal grin, she muttered, "Well, I suppose I'll just have to
endure it."

"Well, then, let's start with the Kama Sutra. The Kama Sutra is the
earliest well-known text dealing with oral sex. What might be
surprising to most people is that it does not contain a description of
the oral sex acts that women performed on men, but instead it
contains the oral sex acts that eunuchs performed on men. While it
might pass a bit of a value judgment on the practice, it does describe
in detail the variety of actions the eunuchs performed."

As Carlisle flipped the board that was labeled "The Art of Fellatio,"
Bella froze. Before her were several photographs of a woman
thoroughly enjoying the feeling of having her mouth on a man's cock.
Bella took in the woman: caramel-colored hair, dark eyes that
gleamed with feminine power, ruby red lips wrapped around a
beautiful, powerful cock. It was what she noticed next that sent her
straight up out of her seat.

"Is there a problem, Ms. Swan?"

Bella swallowed. "No, sir. May I have a minute?"

"Take your time, Ms. Swan. I realize the photos can be… exciting."

Bella wobbled over to the library door, going over what she'd seen in
her mind. No, she was positive she'd made the correct analysis. Now
she simply had to figure out how to get what she wanted.

As she got to the door, she looked around for the lock. Seeing the
button next to the handle, she pressed it, and then checked the door
to be sure that the mechanism had taken hold. Assured that there
would be no disturbance from the outside, she turned to face
Carlisle.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Swan?"

I don't know that I'd call it a problem , Professor. "How do you expect
me to just sit there and look at that, Professor Banner?"

"Why, Ms. Swan, I believe I've already explained in my lecture that

it's a perfectly natural act…"

She strode slowly back to where he stood, feeling her confidence

grow as she did. "Not the act, Professor. The fact that you're
displaying photos of your own cock to me and expecting me to just
calmly sit there and take it. Quite unprofessional."

Carlisle blinked heavily, lowered his eyebrows, and stammered, "I…

I'm sure I don't know what…"

"Oh, you know; and so do I. I'm clumsy, so I tend to notice other

people's little scars. It makes me feel like I'm not the only person
who's stumbled into something." Pointing to one of the photos where
a man's hand cradled the woman's head, thumb clearly on display
above her ear, Bella continued. "You have a two-hole puncture scar
at the base of your thumb. I wondered about it the first day we met."

Carlisle nodded, rubbing the spot on his hand. "A friend's pet snake
bit me when I was younger. Non-venomous, fortunately…"

Bella turned back to the photographs, quickly noting the content of

the photos and their labels: Nominal Congress, Biting the Sides,
Outside Pressing, Inside Pressing, Kissing, Rubbing, Sucking a
Mango Fruit (sucking a mango fruit?), and Swallowing Up. "What
would the administration say about you putting your cock on display
for the student body, Professor Banner? And what about this
woman?"

Joining her in looking at the photographs, he answered, "What about

her?"

Oh, no, mister, I'm the one doing the questioning here…
Bella placed her finger on one of the photographs, stroking both
woman's face and Carlisle's cock. "Was she aware she was being
photographed?"

"We used her camera," Carlisle croaked, sweating as he watched

her fingers play with a representation of his cock. "And her lights."

Bella's eyebrows rose. "And who took the photographs?"

Turning his face to hers, he hoarsely replied, "Does it matter?"

"No," Bella shook her head. "Not really." After a moment's pause,
she continued, eyes burning. "We still have a small problem,
Professor Banner."

"And what problem is that, Ms. Swan?"

"You don't want me telling the administration about your little foray
into exhibitionism," she challenged.

Carlisle played along. "I would prefer that you not, that's true."

"Well, I believe I'm done with lectures on this subject. I would prefer
to learn about this subject matter in more of a practicum setting."

Thinking a moment, Carlisle countered, "You want me to hold a

practicum on fellatio?"

"Yes. Now, if you don't mind." Bella reached forward and began
loosening his tie, slipping the knot loose and letting the edges fall to
his chest.

"Let me see if I understand; in exchange for not telling the

administration that I used pictures of my own cock in a class lecture,
you want me to use my cock to instruct you on how to perform
fellatio properly?"

Yes, please! Bella looked up at him earnestly as she unfastened the

buttons on his cardigan. "The fact that it's twisted is part of its charm,
don't you think?"

Carlisle huffed in response as Bella stepped closer to him, her

breasts brushing against his chest as she pushed the sweater off his
shoulders and let it fall to their feet. Grabbing one end of his tie, she
stepped away from him, pulling it off his neck as she went. Walking
over to his desk, she sat the tie down, and then moved the chair,
rolling it directly behind where he was standing. Carlisle sat gingerly,
seemingly still in a bit of a daze. Bella circled back around to the
front of the chair, and she could see the moment his mind switched
from possibilities to probabilities, his eyes reflecting a laser-like focus
and certainty. He leaned back in the chair, throwing one elbow over
the top, and slid his hips down in the chair; one leg bent, one
extended. Bella thought he looked a bit like a lion sunning himself as
he stated, "I accept your offer, Ms. Swan. You may begin at any
time."

Taking a deep breath, Bella allowed herself a moment to do an

internal fist-pump at her success. I get to see - hell, I get to SUCK -
his beautiful cock! Go me!

Bella moved to stand between Carlisle's spread legs and reached for
his belt.

"Are you going to kiss me before you suck me?"

Unused to such crassness coming from his mouth, Bella's eyes

flashed to Carlisle's. "I thought guys liked to get right to the main
event?"

"Boys might like the direct approach; men enjoy a bit of foreplay."

"Then how about this reason - I thought your cock might like some
room?"

Carlisle laughed. "Did you just make that reason up?"

Bella leaned in to place a soft, wet kiss on Carlisle's mouth. Pulling
back slightly, she whispered, "Can I help it if I'm anxious to get a look
at your beautiful cock?"

Carlisle hummed in response. Brushing the backs of his fingers over

her cheek, he replied, "Don't be anxious, beautiful Bella."

Bella gathered her hair to one side of her neck, then placed her
hands on either side of Carlisle's chair, and leaned into his body,
pressing her chest to his as she kissed him deeply. Carlisle's hands
roamed her body, pulling her hips into his. Moving to wrap his hands
around her waist, his thumbs stroked the undersides of her breasts.

As she moved to kiss his chin and up his jaw, she shifted her weight
back to her legs so that she could unbutton Carlisle's shirt. He
leaned his head back in the chair to give her better access, and Bella
took heed of this action, kissing down his neck, hitting places on his
that she knew to be sensitive on hers. Bella found it was easy to
know when she hit a spot he liked, as his breathing hitched and she
could see the muscles in his upper legs flex.

Opening his shirt, Bella knelt and began to focus her attentions on
his chest. When she got to his well-defined abdominal muscles, she
began to think of what she would do next and frantically looked for
guidance from the photographs again. Realizing that she was unable
to see them from her current position, she shuffled slightly so that
she could see better. When she discovered she still couldn't see
them, she blew out a breath and stood, jerking Carlisle's chair
around until she felt she would be able to see his cock both on the
board above them and in person.

As she started to kneel again, Carlisle piped up, "You should put the
sweater under your knees, or they'll start to hurt pretty quickly."

Bella grabbed the sweater from its place on the floor and shoved it
under her knees. She then asked, "Will you bark at me again if I
undo your belt now?"
Lifting his head to look at her, he moaned, "Sweet Bella, if you don't
undo it soon, I'm going to beg you to."

Bella turned her attention to his cock and saw it straining against his
pants. She ran her hands up Carlisle's calves and along the tops of
his thighs, watching his muscles contract in reaction to her touch.
When she reached the top of his thighs, she used her hands to push
herself up so that she could kiss Carlisle again. As her tongue
entered his mouth, she dragged the thumb of one hand up the ridge
of his cock.

Carlisle groaned, encouraging her to do it again. His hands flew from

their resting place on the chair to thread through her hair, massaging
her scalp. As she broke the kiss, he muttered, "So good, Bella. Keep
going."

Emboldened, Bella ran her entire palm up the line of his cock.

"That feels so good, Bella."

"Do you think I could make you come this way?" she teased.

"It would be difficult for me to finish the fellatio practicum if you did,"
he responded breathily.

You know, I really want to hear you tell me just how to blow you.
Bella knelt back down on the sweater. Taking a breath to steady
herself, she began undoing Carlisle's belt. Her hands were shaking
from excitement and adrenaline, and she fumbled with the buckle.
Placing his hands over hers, he guided her in unfastening both the
buckle and his pants. Carlisle then lifted his hips, allowing them both
to push down his khaki pants and his dark silk boxers. As his cock
sprang free, Bella gazed at what had been bared. Her fingernails
dug into Carlisle's thighs as she groaned in appreciation.

"In order to comfort a man's insecurities, you should tell him your
positive impressions of his cock, Bella."
Her eyes lifting briefly from his cock, she asked, "How can you be
insecure about your fucking gorgeous cock, Carlisle?"

"Generalities, Bella - you wanted a practicum, so I'm telling you. All

men have insecurities about their cock. Thus, compliment the man's
cock."

"You have a fucking gorgeous cock, Carlisle."

"Thank you. Now express your interest in putting your mouth on it."

Licking her lips, she said, "I can't wait to get my mouth on your
fucking gorgeous cock, Carlisle."

He gave a short, sharp laugh. "You are a true joy, Bella."

"What next, Professor?"

"The Kama Sutra would suggest the 'nominal congress.' While

holding the cock at the base, the tip is moved about the mouth. The
objective would be to use your saliva to lubricate the man's cock."

Well, it is… mouthwatering…

Nodding, Bella moved her left hand to hold the base of Carlisle's
cock. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling as her mouth moved closer to
him.

"Aren't you going to watch, Professor?"

"Not if you want to be instructed, Ms. Swan." As she kissed the tip of
his smooth, hot, silky skin, Carlisle took in a deep breath. When she
used her mouth to encircle him, he let the breath out loudly and
slowly. "At this point, most men are smart enough to compliment how
wonderful your mouth feels on them." Humming in pleasure, he said,
"Your mouth is heavenly."

Now just teach me how to make you see God, Professor.

"The Kama Sutra would suggest 'biting the sides' next. First, rub the
side of the man's cock with your lips." Bella moved to follow his
instruction. After a few strokes on each side, he continued. "Next
would come the 'biting' - this is a mistranslation; it is more of a
scraping of the skin with the teeth. It's very important to pay attention
to the reactions of your partner, and encourage feedback."

As she attempted this instruction, Carlisle gasped sharply.

Oh, shit, mayday, mayday! She drew away quickly. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, but it's quite intense for me. I'd prefer we move on."

We can move on, but don't think I won't come back to that later!

"Next would be 'outside pressing,' pressing your lips around the

outside - meaning the outermost - part of the cock - and drawing it
out."

Bella paused in confusion. Sensing it, he clarified, "The crass

translation would be 'suck the tip lightly, then pull your mouth off.'
Using your lips to cover your teeth is important in this step, as the tip
of a man's cock is extremely sensitive."

Taking heed of his warning, Bella followed his directions. She could
tell he was enjoying her ministrations, as his hips began to flex in
time with her actions. She also noted the white-knuckled grip he had
on the office chair. Amazed at the feeling of power that surged
through her, she took her mouth off Carlisle's cock.

Without prompting, Carlisle continued. "Next is 'inside pressing.'

Move further down my… the man's cock."

Bella had a more difficult time with this component, as she was
unable to move more than halfway down his cock without feeling her
throat close.

"Don't force yourself, Bella. Enjoy it, too."

I'll enjoy it when I make you come. I have a goal!

After a few more strokes, he brought his head up to look at her.

"Next would be kissing. Think of slow, wet kisses you place on
someone's mouth. Then do the same to the tip of the man's cock.
Eye contact is very important in this step. Men long to see a woman
look them in the eyes as she enjoys their cock. It's a… powerful…
male fantasy."

Bella leaned back a bit, breathing deeply. Wrapping both hands

around the base of his cock, Bella made eye contact with Carlisle,
keeping their eyes locked as she slowly bent her head down to him.

"Tease," he whispered.

Watch me kiss your cock, Carlisle. I've wanted to do this from the
moment I saw you.

Bella brought her mouth to within a hair's breadth of the liquid

seeping from the bright red tip of his cock, and pursed her lips,
blowing a light stream of air over his highly sensitized skin. The
sensation caused him to jump in response.

Did you like that, Professor? You'll love this!

She slowly placed her lips to his skin, her top lip collecting the beads
of fluid gathered at the tip. She took in every little movement and
sound and flutter of breath Carlisle made in response to her actions.
The flash of heat she felt was all-encompassing. As she placed more
kisses on the tip of his cock, she let her thumbs stroke the bulging
veins from base to tip.

Gasping, Carlisle scolded, "You're going… a bit… off book, Ms.

Swan."

You don't really seem to mind, Carlisle…

Looking up at the photographs, Bella noticed the next one on the list
was 'rubbing', which seemed to her like licking. Since Carlisle
seemed to be reacting so well to her thumbs, she decided to let her
tongue follow the same path. As she got to the base of his cock,
Bella was overcome by maleness - the heat of his cock, the scent of
his skin. She continued to explore, gently sucking and tugging on the
skin underneath his cock.

Panting, Carlisle bit out, "Excellent… creativity… Bella." He groaned

in response to her pleased hum and breathed heavily, "During
'sucking… a mango fruit'… do not let a man… force you… to take…
more of his cock… than you can." His head fell back as he finished
talking, but his eyes remained open, trained on the ceiling. His hands
unclenched from the arms of the chair and laced into her hair.
"Caress, yes… guide, possibly. Force, never."

As she knelt up to get a better angle, Bella heard Carlisle say,

"Decide now… if you want this to end… in your mouth… or with your
hand, Bella. Either is… acceptable… but decide now. "

Oh, I want it all, Professor.

Gathering a bit of his control back, he stated, "If you want to

swallow… when the time comes… you should move down… onto
the man's cock… as far as you can… and swallow immediately. It
prevents… most of the… unpleasant taste."

"Good to know," Bella replied. Then she encompassed his cock with
her mouth again, sucking as she moved her head up and down. She
quickly found where her limit was, and stayed just short of it. As she
did so, Bella thought Carlisle must have some sort of voodoo at his
disposal, for while his torso tensed and turned due to his sexual
tension, his hips stayed still. Hearing his breath hitch burned Bella's
blood - she radiated the heat of her arousal.

"Harder… more suction," Carlisle begged, shifting his legs farther

apart.
You better fucking believe I will - just tell me what will please you,
and I'll do it!

"Yes… yes… yes," he moaned as he lifted his head to watch her

progress. She lifted her eyes to meet his as she continued, holding
the base of his cock with one hand and using the other hand to
stroke the tensed muscles of his stomach. After a few minutes, she
saw his eyes flutter closed, and she knew he was close.

I'm doing it! I'm going to make him come!

She sped up her motions, and soon she heard him growl, "Coming,"
lifting his head and gritting his teeth so hard the muscles bulged in
his neck. Bella immediately sank down as far as she could, and felt
warm, thick fluid collect in the back of her throat. She swallowed, and
detected a sour, salty taste, but so little of the substance remained
that the unpleasantness was brief.

Fuck, yeah! I'm fucking Queen of the Blowjobs!

Bella carefully extracted Carlisle's cock from her mouth and gently
placed it to rest against his body. Then, she scooted forward enough
to wrap her arms around his thighs, kissing his stomach and then
resting her head on his chest as he took deep, gulping breaths. After
a few minutes, he lifted her head up, kissing the top of her head and
both cheeks before softly kissing her mouth. "Thank you, Bella."

Eyes sparkling, Bella replied, "I hope I earned a good grade,

Professor."

Carlisle snorted. Raising his eyebrows, he responded, "I do believe

that was A+ work, Ms. Swan."
O My Goddess
Chapter 7: O My Goddess

"Harder, suck harder!" she commanded him, grabbing a large fistful

of his too-styled hair and forcing his smooth cheek to press further
down on her breast. His fingers sped up their motion inside of her,
causing her back to arch again, her body clenching in response to
her orgasm.

Oh God, how many is that? Did he say only three? What the hell am
I doing, agreeing to this?

" I do believe that was A+ work, Ms. Swan."

Bella laid her head back down on Carlisle's chest, luxuriating in

the feel of his skin under her. She wished she'd taken off her
own clothing, so she could feel more of her skin pressed
against his.

Now, just how the hell am I supposed to write a note about THIS
experience?

After a comfortable silence, Carlisle spoke. "You surprised me,

Bella. I wasn't really expecting you to take over the session. I
had a full lecture, handouts… the works."

Bella felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Sorry about messing up
your plan."

" Regret nothing, Bella. What happened was just as educational

as what was planned. Did you enjoy it?"

Bella felt her face color more. "I really don't think I can talk with
you about this, Carlisle"
" Bella, in your first note, you said you wanted to be able to
speak confidently about sex. If you can't be confident when
talking to a man you just gave a fantastic orgasm to, then who?
Besides, I'm the one sitting here like a half-shucked ear of
corn."

Bella took in his dishabille: a strip of naked skin from neck to

feet, his shirt wide open and barely hanging on to his
shoulders, his pants lying crumpled around his ankles. She
then absorbed the fact that she was completely dressed. Yes,
she could see how this might be uncomfortable for him, yet he
seemed completely unaffected by it. Leaning up, she said, "I
should let you get dressed."

Carlisle put his hands on the arms of the chair and pulled
himself up into a sitting position. As he tugged his pants over
his hips, he noticed Bella's extreme concentration on his nudity.
"While I don't mind you watching me, Bella, you still need to tell
me what you thought. This encounter was in response to your
statement that you weren't sure how to please a man orally.
Obviously, that's changed. "

It took some effort, but as Bella stood, she switched her focus
from Carlisle's cock to his words. "Yes, with coaching! I don't
know if I could do it without you telling me what to do next."

He paused to think about her argument. "First things first. How

do you feel about what happened?"

She looked into his eyes as she said, "I feel… powerful."

As her body relaxed from her pleasure, he teased her mouth with
his. Bella could feel the looseness in every muscle of her body.

"Water," she croaked. Almost immediately, she felt herself being

lifted into a sitting position, a bottle touching her lips, and the cool
liquid soothing her dry mouth. She knew she was leaning back on
someone… who was it again? There was talking going on; was she
supposed to be paying attention? What was that deep buzzing
sound?

Oh, God, was it…?

Bella violently shook as the powerful vibrator brushed across the tips
of her breasts and slowly moved down the middle of her stomach.
She wanted it to move faster, so she undulated her hips to try and
make it arrive at its destination sooner.

"Patience, goddess."

After a side trip to her hipbones and behind her knees, the vibrator
began a slow traverse up the inside of her thighs.

"Do you see how the anticipation is just as arousing as the act?" she
heard one of them say. She was panting, moaning; what could she
do to convince him to touch her pussy with the damn vibrator?

"Oh, God, please…" she panted.

"Please, goddess? What would please you?"

"Make me come again," she begged.

"Of course, dear Bella." And with that, he touched the machine to her
clit, and she bucked and writhed under its movement.

"… and you can see how number nine differed from the others…"

Nine! I've made it to nine! How many more?

"Use your safeword if you need to, Bella. Do you remember it? Use
it, and I'll stop," she heard him say. "Otherwise, it's happening again.
The young man wants another chance at pleasing you. Say
something now, Bella."

I'll be damned if I'm saying anything. Keep going!

" Wait, I wasn't supposed to figure out the man in the photos
was you?"

Carlisle blushed. "I can honestly say that has never happened
to me before when giving this lecture."

Bella smiled her pleasure. "Well, then, what was the plan for
today?"

After tucking his shirt into his pants, Carlisle moved his chair
back behind his desk. Bella watched Carlisle, the manager of
Hedone Ranch, reappear from the remnants of Professor
Banner. "Well, I have a young man who's new to the Ranch. He
needs… seasoning, to use Jasper's analogy again. He actually
reminds me quite a bit of Jasper when he got here: both so
pretty that the girls let them do whatever they wanted, and the
girls said they were satisfied - whether they actually were or not
- just to try and keep them. The man I have in mind needs to
learn to follow, not always lead."

As Carlisle looked at her expectantly, she asked, "What were

you wanting me to do?"

He grinned. "I was going to give you the lecture handouts, then
let you experiment with him. No coaching. Consider it more
like… freestyling. Or, to borrow our teaching terminology, in-
service training."

Eyes bright and slightly unfocused, Bella blushed again. "Oh,

well, that could still happen, couldn't it?"

"Don'… d… d…"

She could feel the sweat cooling on her body, and she shivered.
Then she noticed a towel being gently drawn over her skin. God, she
could feel every single solitary strand of cotton as it dragged along.
A voice appeared next to her head, but she had no energy to turn in
its direction. "Can you speak, dear? It seems as if you've lost the
ability… have I rendered you speechless, Bella? How delightful!"

The voice moved away from her. "Get her a buzzer. Show her how it
works."

His breath skimmed over her skin again, the sensation causing her
to groan in response.

"Use the buzzer, Bella, and all of this will stop. You can rest."

I'm not stopping now; you can't make me!

"No, no, dear, you can't drop the buzzer. You have to hold it." Again
his voice left her side. "Tape it to her hand."

Bella could hear the tape rip and felt it press against her skin. "Now,
just try to push the button, Bella. Prove to me you can do it if you
want to. "

Both her mind and her body seemed to be operating in molasses. It

took entirely too long for her hand to respond to the command from
her brain. As the high-pitched buzz sounded out, she heard the man
say, "Perfect."

His breath tickled her ear again. "Now, goddess, it's time for another
one if you don't push the button. You need to do it now, or we start
again."

I don't want to stop! I want to know how many I can take!

Everything started again; the hands on her body, the kissing, licking,
rubbing of her breasts, the stroking of her clit, the penetration…

Shit, yes, yes, yes… oh God, don't stop, right… there… don't…
stah… ah…

"… so beautiful, Bella… fourteen…"

More. I can take more…

Hearing the knock on her door, Bella took a deep breath and
stood.

Showtime!

Opening the door, she took in the… man?… on the other side.
He had dark hair and darker eyes and seemed a bit more sleek
than the other men she'd seen here, but it was his face that
shocked her. It looked as if it had never been introduced to a
razor; skin perfect and smooth, features pretty and placid.

" Hi, I'm Alec," the young man said, his cocky smirk at odds
with his baby face, "at your service. I just need a place to set up
the massage table."

What the hell? Carlisle is trying to make me a cougar or a

pedophile. Neither one is acceptable!

Bella motioned him inside her room, and then turned for the
phone on the bedside table, muttering, "Excuse me." Picking up
the cordless handset, she headed straight for the bathroom and
shut the door, then dialed "0".

" How can I help you, Bella?" Carlisle's soothing voice

answered.

" I don't think I can do this, Carlisle; he's so damn young, and
he's prettier than I am!"

" That is pointedly untrue, Bella," he purred into the phone.

Bella's brain fritzed a bit as she tried to keep her wits in the
wave of sexiness Carlisle sent over the wire. "His looks have
carried him far, and they'll be quite an asset if he decides to join
us here at the Ranch. Right now, though, he needs to be…
shaken up a bit. I'd appreciate it if you could challenge his
assumptions a little. I want you to be the boss. Do you think you
can do that, Bella?"

" I thought you just wanted me to give him a blowjob!"

" Bella - it's all part of a sexual power dynamic. Use your new
skills. Show him what you've learned. Pardon the pun; I want
you to blow his mind."

Is his mind in his dick? 'Cause I think I can do it if it is…

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Okay, Carlisle."

" Thank you, Bella."

Switching the phone off, she took a steadying breath and re-
opened the bathroom door. She could see the young man's
façade slip a bit as he fidgeted with the items he'd set on a table
in preparation for her massage. Strolling back over to the
bedside table, she replaced the phone in its cradle and
sauntered over to where he stood. She could see his mask of
confidence slip back over his features as she approached.

So here we go… game on!

" I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Bella." Moving
closer to where he stood, she started questioning him. "How
old are you, Alec? I'm not looking to have a news team show up
at my house…"

" I'm old enough to have a degree in Massage Therapy."

" You have a teenage boy's haircut, Alec! How… old… are…
you?"

Face falling, he replied, "Twenty. I'm twenty."

" You can't even legally drink?" Bella squawked.

" I'm old enough to be drafted, Bella. I'm a man in the eyes of
the law!"

Bella thought about his answers and had to agree he had a

point. She decided she could play a small part in turning this
cocky young thing into a man.

As she moved to unbutton her blouse, Bella moved into his

personal space. Although his features didn't change at all, she
could see sweat starting to bead up on his forehead. He ran his
fingers through his hair, using his palm to try and discreetly
wipe away the moisture before she noticed.

Oh no, sweet thing, I already saw your weakness… and mister, I

am so going to school you.

She was floating. Could you die from too much pleasure?

Oh, God, she was going to die! What the hell would they charge
these guys with? Would her obituary read, "Bella Swan: Fucked to
Death"?

"… seventeen…"

There he is, the pretty boy. I'm going to call him 'The Angel of
Orgasms." That's what he has to be. My pretty Orgasm Angel…

You know, every time I orgasm from now on, I'm going to think about
this ungrateful pretty boy learning how amazing it is to give a woman
what she wants…

"… twenty…"

Bella giggled. She couldn't seem to stop. She felt soooooo good.
Had she known before that laughing felt like an orgasm? She didn't
think she'd known that.
She needed to laugh more - pronto…

Shit, they're talking again - say how many!

"… twenty-three…"

Fuck, yeah, now I'm the Queen of Orgasms, too…

Alec slumped over, his knees shaking, his hands clawing the
table to hold himself upright. Kneeling in front of him, Bella felt
the cold bite of his pants zipper digging into her thigh, felt the
sparse hair on his legs brush the outside of her breasts, felt the
heat of his cock in her mouth as he roared and released.

You, my young friend, just matriculated from the School of

Bella. Did you like your graduation present?

Bella kissed up his body, from thighs to hips to abs to chest to

neck, taking in Alec's labored breathing as he desperately tried
to force oxygen into his lungs. She lifted her chin to place a
kiss on his lips and was stunned to see him turn his lips from
hers. She was even more stunned when his head jerked right
back.

Bella noticed a hand wrapped around Alec's neck, forcing his

head back in her direction. Then she saw a man's face directly
behind Alec, hissing in his ear. "You'd damn well better kiss the
goddess after she has honored you with her mouth, you
ingrate."

Fuck, where did this guy come from? Well, she was otherwise
occupied…

Bella closed in on Alec's mouth again. As the man held Alec by

the scruff of his neck, Bella pressed herself to his chest and
gently dragged her tongue over Alec's lips, seeking entrance to
his mouth.
Don't want to press your lips to mine after I blow you, huh? You
really won't like what I'm going to do now!

Alec's head jerked again. "Open your damn mouth before I open
it for you," the newest addition to the room commanded
harshly.

I think I'm going to like this new guy…

Bella kissed Alec deeply, allowing her tongue to play in his

mouth for several seconds before pulling away.

" Is your neck sore, goddess? Why don't you lie down on the
table and let me work out the kinks for you?

Okay, I'm positive I like the new guy.

As Alec hung his head, Bella could see the new man behind
him. He was about the same height as Alec, but older than
Bella, and had dark hair pulled back away from his face and
secured in some manner. He moved around Alec, making a
token gesture to protect her modesty by holding a sheet
extended in his hands at chest height. Bella wondered at this,
as he must have seen some of the blowjob she'd given, but she
didn't question him as she held her head up high and lifted
herself as gracefully as possible onto the table.

" Face down, please, goddess."

Nodding, Bella prostrated herself on the table, allowing the

warmth from the heating blanket underneath her to seep into
her skin. As the new man's hands began to work on the tight
muscles of her upper back, she groaned.

" Alec, as your mentor, I'd like our discussion tonight to focus
on The Female Orgasm."
Bella could hear the capitals in her head as he spoke. She could
tell this man was serious about the subject.

" According to Masters and Johnson, all women are capable of

multiple orgasms…"

Masters and Johnson again? I'm really going to have to read

some of their work…

" They found many women who didn't think they could have
multiple orgasms find that they are able to once they become
more sexually experienced or more sexually adventurous."
Bella could hear the older man's voice change in strength as he
turned to face her. "Have you become more experienced or
more adventurous lately?"

Bella hummed. "You could say that…"

The older man's hands skimmed down her back and then
moved to her mid-thigh. "They also discovered many of the
women who had multiple orgasms regularly seemed to share
certain proclivities. Primarily, they all grew up masturbating,
and thus had a lot of experience having orgasms…"

Bella flushed furiously. Aw, what the frickin' hell…

" One of the most interesting aspects of their study, however,

was the discovery that the human female is capable of having
twenty to fifty consecutive orgasms, stopping only when they
reach total exhaustion."

Bella heard herself gasp as she took in this information. Surely

that can't be right… until I got here I was lucky to even have one
during sex!

She could feel the older man lean down over her back and felt
his breath tickle her ear. "May I tell you a secret, Bella?"
Bella swallowed heavily as she felt his hand move up the inside
of her thigh, getting oh-so-close to where she needed it to be.
Blood pounded in her veins and the arousal that had taken a
back seat surged back to full force. She nodded.

" I'm a simple man. One of my most favorite sounds in the world
is hearing a woman moan, scream, cry in pleasure." With that,
his fingers brushed right where she wanted them.

Bella whimpered.

" Mmmmm, yes. That's exactly what I mean," he breathed in her

ear as his fingers continued to work. "I'm not a sadist, nor do I
get off on bondage. All I want to do is rip orgasms from you
until you are speechless."

Bella could feel her brain melting. Surely he was joking…

Holy shit, please let him NOT be joking!

" What would please me the most," he growled into her ear as
he plunged some of his fingers into her and pumped them while
one continued to stroke her clit, "is if I could rip so many
orgasms from your precious little body that you simply pass
out."

Bella felt her body clamp down at his words, and as he

continued his movements her body hurtled toward a
surprisingly strong and totally unexpected orgasm.

" One, dear Bella. Such a goddess. Would you like to share this
experience with me and see how many you can have?"

Bella felt aftershocks rip through her body as she contemplated

his offer… for all of two seconds.

" Fuck, yes."

Bella heard the older man telling Alec just how to stroke her G-
spot…"if you can feel it, press up with your fingers and stroke lightly,
using your other hand… yes, but softer on her clit…"

Bella flew again… she heard them talking, but not the number… she
needed to know the number!

"H… how….how…"

"How many, dear Bella? Twenty-seven."

Bella tried to push away the hair plastered to her face, but she was
barely able to lift her hand off the table. She felt his strong hands
gently brush her hair back.

"What an amazing gift you've shared with us, my goddess. I'm truly
honored to be a part of this, I hope you understand."

Bella keened. No, don't stop, I can take more! I NEED more!

"All right, dear Bella, now we get to what I think will send you over
the edge; I hope you're ready. Alec, you get the honor of worshipping
this goddess orally. On your knees, boy."

Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh sh…

"Start gently, Alec, she's near the breaking point. State how honored
you are, how pleased you are to be where you are. Give her a
chance to warm up gently to your presence there."

Oh, I'm plenty warm…

"Now, compliment her. Tell her how beautiful her pussy is, so pink
and wet, so eager to be tasted. Speak, boy…"

She knew Alec was talking, but had no ability to process what he
was saying. How was she able to hear the older man, but not…
Alec's mouth touched her pussy. She jolted like she'd been hit with a
live wire and immediately flew into another orgasm.

"Bella, can you open your eyes for us? Good. So good. Thirty,
goddess. I've never seen thirty. Can you take one more? I know
you're near the end, dear one. Thank you for sharing this with me,
Bella."

She moaned. Could she really take another one? She couldn't even
keep her eyes open.

"Now, Alec, you see the full body flush, the sweat, the inability to
respond to questions: all indicators of total satiation. I don't even
know if she'll be able to mentally process the next orgasm, but you
see her body still responds to your touch."

"… now, boy, I want you to think of slow, wet kisses you would place
on someone's mouth. Then do the same to her clit. I would normally
instruct you to keep eye contact, but seeing as how our goddess is
unable to open her own, I'll let it slide this time…"

Bella could feel the water dripping down her skin, felt hands washing
her, but she couldn't tell if she was standing in the shower or sitting
in the bathtub. She could feel her head lolling on her neck… she
needed to look up…

She could feel herself being lowered into bed. She immediately
rolled to her side, her over-stimulated body desperately trying to shut
down.

The older man's voice drifted into her brain once more. "Thirty-two,
my goddess. There has never been another like you. Rest now. My
name is Aro; I'll stay to see to your needs through the night. Sleep,
goddess."

Bella slept.
Power Surge
Chapter 8 - Power Surge

Bella felt heavy, as if every part of her were made of bronze instead
of blood and bone. Shifting, she felt the heat of a warmed blanket
under her stomach and layers of bedding on top of her back.

She heard a man reciting poetry - was that Rainer Maria Rilke? -
quietly in the corner.

Opening her eyes and trying to focus past the mass of hair covering
them caused her to moan aloud. The man shifted from the chair in
the corner of the room and moved to sit on the side of the bed.

"Are you hungry, goddess? Would you like a bath?"

Bella wasn't sure she was hungry, but a bath sounded heavenly. She
searched her brain for actual words to respond with but found
nothing useful. Bella grunted in response.

"Shall I help you sit up?"

She grunted again and attempted to move her arms under herself to
push herself up but only succeeded in trapping one arm in the
covers and the other underneath her. She felt the covers being lifted
from her body, and the man - what was his name again? - wrapped
an arm underneath shoulders and lifted her up. Brushing the hair
from her face, he said, "There you are, beautiful Bella." Unable to
stop gravity, she unwittingly tilted her body into his. She was
stretched out uncomfortably, and her head slid down his shoulder
into the hollow of his neck.

Damn, he smells really good…

He scooted closer to her so that she was in more of an upright

position. At this point she noticed that he was fully dressed and she
was fully undressed.

I ' m naked. I don ' t sleep naked. Soooo sore. What the hell?

Flipping up the covers from the end of the bed, the man pulled a
robe out from under them and said, "All right, then. Let's put on this
warm robe, and then I'll carry you to the bathroom." Bella sighed with
pleasure as the extremely soft, heated material wrapped around her.
Picking her up, the man gently carried her into the spa-like
bathroom.

"Wh… Who…?"

"I'm Aro, Bella, remember? Let's get you cleaned up a bit."

Aro sat her down at the vanity table next to the sink. Concentrating
so that she could keep her balance, she took in the items on the
table in front of her: two bottles of water in an ice bucket, a bottle of
pain relievers, a small bouquet of fresh flowers, a toothbrush and
toothpaste, a hairbrush and holders, fruit, muffins, and juice.

Aro whispered in her ear, "You'll need lots of water and some pain
medicine today. Let me get a couple of pills for you." After retrieving
and opening a bottle of water as well, he handed both items to her.
"Take the medicine. I'll go start your bath while you freshen up here."

With concerted effort, Bella got the medicine in her mouth and took a
large swig of the bottled water. Eyeing the food suspiciously, Bella
turned her attention to the brushes in front of her. After a couple of
tries, she got the toothbrush into her hand and made a half-hearted
attempt to brush her teeth before returning the toothbrush to the
counter.

The person in the mirror caught her attention; her eyes bloodshot
from the force of her orgasms, her hair mussed beyond recognition,
her skin flushed from the heated bed. Her attention danced over the
faint red marks scattered around her body - a scrape on her breast,
a small hickey on her neck, an imprint of fingers on her upper arms,
among others. They didn't bother her as much as she thought they
would. Instead, she felt they showed off her desirability for all to see.
She was sexy enough for a man (two men?) to mark her. This made
her smile.

Aro returned to her side, running his fingers over the marks on her
arm. Bella slowly and jerkily turned her head so that she could face
him. She felt like her body was a radio getting bad reception. When
she finally faced him, he brought a hand to her cheek.

"Even with the medicine, your body will be sore today, goddess.
You're going to need plenty of rest. We'll get you back into bed as
soon as you're done in here."

Ah, but will anyone be joining me, handsome?

"Are you ready to get into the bath now?"

Sighing, she nodded.

"Well, then, let's get your beautiful hair up and out of the way."
Taking the hairbrush and clips from the counter, Aro quickly and
easily gathered her hair, twisted it, and clipped it up off her neck. He
then put the brush down and lifted her into his arms. "To the bath
with you. The heat will help with the muscle tension and soreness."

Placing her down on the side of the tub, Aro deftly untied the robe
Bella was wearing and smoothed it down her shoulders, then helped
her lift her feet in and turn so that she faced the tub.

"Easy now," he spoke, helping her the rest of the way into the
steaming hot water. Bella closed her eyes and hummed in delight as
the water's heat enveloped her. "Good. Relax. I'll be back soon."

Some time later, Bella opened her eyes and saw Aro fussing with a
couple of towels, setting one on the floor and hanging the other on a
nearby hook. "Are you finished, Bella?"
Bella blinked. I don ' t think I actually started, God of Orgasms. I
think I passed out in the tub.

"Did you fall back to sleep?"

Bella once again grunted her response. Aro sighed. "Well, then, I'll
have to get you clean myself."

Bella watched distractedly as Aro retrieved the soap from the dish
and lathered his hands. When he started applying the lather to her
body, she moaned in response.

Looking at him blearily, she leaned forward until her shoulder

touched his and her head once again rested in the crook of his neck.
"Tell me again, ummm…"

"Aro."

"… Aro, just how many…?" She began placing wet kisses where her
mouth fell on his neck, too weak to rotate her head to reach more of
him.

"Thirty-two, goddess - an amazing experience. I'll remember our

evening together for a very long time."

Bella moved her kisses from his neck to his face, along his jaw, and
back to his ear. She breathed heavily, nipping his earlobe with her
teeth.

"Oh, goddess, what I wouldn't give to get you all worked up again,
but I have to consider your body. It needs a day off, dear Bella. I'm
not going to lie and say I wouldn't enjoy playing with you some more,
but today my focus is on care instead of arousal." Bella slumped
back into the tub, her eyes showing him her disappointment. After a
few moments, he offered, "How would you like it if after you're done
here, I give you another massage. Then you can lie back down and
rest some more."
Basking in the warmth of Aro's conscientious affection, Bella tried to
show her appreciation by smiling, but she wasn't sure she
succeeded in transferring the emotion to her face.

Bella roused from the depths of sleep at a light knock on the door.

"Carlisle! This is unexpected."

"I thought I'd relieve you."

"You know how seriously I take aftercare. You're welcome to join me

if you like."

Bella heard a chair scrape, as if being repositioned.

"What happened to the floor?"

"Didn't you see?"

"I didn't watch the feed last night. I did skim over the report,
though…"

Wait, there was a feed? Does that mean there's a video? And a
report? Well, isn't that an interesting piece of information?

"Thirty-two? Is that a record for you?"

"While training, yes. Alec is going to be quite an addition to the

ranch."

Bella heard pages turn. "The floor, Aro?"

"Ah - that was a young man thinking that if he just snapped his hips
harder the woman he was with would come apart for him. Pushed
the table halfway across the room testing out that theory."

Bella grinned internally as the men shared quiet laughter. I really

liked that orgasm. He was trying so hard! And the sound of the table
scraping the floor turned me the fuck on!

"God, to be young again! He came six times?"

"Yes, the whelp. Refraction time is wasted on the young."

"He had trouble later on."

"I don't think he'd come more than three times in one night before.
He didn't realize it would take more time the more it happened. He
got frustrated for a while until I explained it to him."

After a bit of silence, the conversation continued. "From the report,

she was amazing."

"Stunning, truly. You know, we often deal with trophy wives and
female executives, women who have perfected the art of masking
their emotions. She was nothing like that. It was so… stimulating."

"Yes. According to the report, you were quite… stimulated. Quite a

bit more hands-on training than you usually give."

"Jealousy, Carlisle, really?"

Bella stopped breathing so that she could hear the answer.

"Just a touch, yes."

"Why? You have more experience than anyone here. You're her
coordinator. She could have been yours the entire week!"

Is he fucking kidding me right now? How the hell didn't I know about
THAT option?

"I could have, yes. But that wouldn't provide her the opportunity to
have the widest range of experiences. Instead, she'd be in some sort
of pseudo-relationship with me. Not exactly what we're trying to
encourage here."
All right - he may have a point there.

"Point made."

See, even the God of Orgasms thinks so.

Sunlight flooded the room as Bella stretched herself awake. The

scent of fresh coffee filled her senses as she sat up. Aro sat in a
chair next to the head of her bed. Carlisle sat farther back, at a table
against the wall, and was reading through a sheaf of papers. A large
tray with covered dishes sat next to him. The sun was so bright she
figured it must be lunchtime. Her stomach growled.

Aro suavely took her hand and raised it to his mouth, brushing the
back of her hand with his lips. "I'm glad to see you so well rested,
dear Bella. I would love to stay and have lunch with you, but I'm
required elsewhere."

Bella frowned, and Aro kissed the back of her hand in supplication.

"Let me thank you once again, goddess, for letting me see the depth
of the beauty you possess. The heat of your passion will be forever
burned on my brain." Aro stood and bowed to her, then nodded to
Carlisle, and left the room without another word.

After a few moments of silence, Carlisle said, "Lunch is ready when

you are, Bella. There's a robe at the foot of the bed."

Bella stretched upwards, then bent at the waist and grabbed the
robe. Slinging it around her shoulders, she turned and lifted herself
out of the bed and groaned. She could feel her muscles protest, but
not nearly as much as they had when she had woken up earlier.
Gingerly, she walked over to join Carlisle at the table.

As she lifted the protective covers off the plates on the table, Carlisle
asked, "How are you feeling? Sore?"
Shoving a piece of bacon in her mouth, she carefully replied, "Hardly
sore at all. I feel… proud. Feminine. Sexy."

"Coffee?" Carlisle asked, and poured her a cup after her affirmative
response.

"I understand better what Felix was trying to say when I was with
him. My mind is running down all these different paths… it's difficult
to keep track of all my thoughts. I feel like my mind is really clear, but
I'm not altogether connected to my body - do you know what I
mean?"

"I have an idea, yes. It's one of the reasons I started the ranch - I
love that feeling."

Bella nodded and shoved half a small banana into her mouth.

"So, how do you feel about what happened yesterday?"

"I feel good, wonderful. I can't seem to work up any guilt or

embarrassment at my behavior."

"Why should you?"

"It's amazing - I'm so glad Aro didn't take it easy on me. I love
knowing what my body can do. I feel powerful. Did you know I had
thirty-two orgasms? How many women have done that? Not many,
I'm guessing! That's something I don't think a lot of women know
about themselves."

Carlisle smiled in response. "I would be wiling to bet most women

don't know that about themselves." He took a sip of coffee. "So, what
would you do differently?"

Bella paused in her demolition of the food in front of her. "I wouldn't
have made the angel kiss me after I'd had his come in my mouth. He
didn't want to kiss me; Aro held him still, and I forced myself on him."
"That isn't what happened. Shame should have nothing to do with
what happens here. I won't accept you spouting off this guilt-ridden
lament about force."

"How do you think I should feel, then?"

"You should be recognizing that you were finally assertive about your
sexual power!"

"I forced him to kiss me, Carlisle!"

"Force comes from lack of consent, Bella. Why do you think I waited
until you said you wanted what we offered here? It's because
consent is what separates men from sexual predators."

"That's just it - he didn't consent to that, not really… He wanted a

blowjob. He didn't WANT to kiss me after he came in my mouth."

"He certainly wasn't fussing about the pleasure he derived from your
mouth. A bit of quid pro quo was in order, Bella! He was being a
petulant little boy. Aro helped you make sure he knew that."

Bella sat quietly.

Carlisle said, "It wasn't force, Bella. It was persuasion, enticement,

maybe even seduction. Alec could have fought with his hands,
collapsed to the floor to escape. He didn't. He was less than
cooperative, but he wasn't forced."

"But he didn't CONSENT, either!"

"Of course he did. He consented the minute he entered our training

program. He's here to learn to do what will please women. Did you
force him into our program? No. At that moment, he was there to do
what would please you. Was that force? Or was it power? Maybe it
was just demanding your actions be recognized. There are so many
ways to look at it," Carlisle challenged.

Bella fidgeted as she thought about what Carlisle said.

"Do you remember what you wrote on your first notecard? You said
you wanted to ask for what you want, and get it, and enjoy it. You
asked, you got it, but you aren't enjoying it."

"What happened to the woman who confidently blackmailed me

during a role-playing scenario just yesterday? You were playful,
brazen, vibrantly powerful… where did that go? Why are you
ashamed for asserting your power? Men don't feel shame about it."

"I'm not a man."

Running his eyes over her barely covered body, he replied, "I've
noticed."

Bella stared at him stonily. They were at an impasse.

Carlisle decided to take a different tack. "You also said you wanted
to be a femme fatale, a vixen. You know, the thing about vixens is
they don't always please men - sometimes vixens challenge men."

"That was a wish list! I don't know if I can be that kind of woman,"
Bella replied.

"I'd like for you to explore that a bit; maybe challenge someone
mentally or physically? I'd really like for you to experience having
total control over giving someone pleasure."

She drew her eyebrows down. "I don't know. I don't think I'd like
that."

"I have a friend who enjoys it very much. Let me arrange a meeting
between the two of you - say after dinner? I think it could be very
educational for you."

Bella took a deep breath and nodded. "All right, then. After dinner."
Bella smoothed her hands down the non-existent wrinkles in her
darkest, dressiest sundress as she stood outside Carlisle's office.
They were the most formal clothes she'd brought to the spa, and she
wondered if they'd be dressy enough to meet Carlisle's unusual
request to dress up after dinner.

Checking the time on her phone, she saw that it was 8 p.m. exactly.
She muted the phone, put it in the side pocket of her dress, and
knocked on the office door as directed.

Carlisle opened the door and eyed her legs appreciatively. She
returned the favor by taking in his crisp white dress shirt and light
grey suit pants. She licked her lips to disguise her mouth watering.
"Come in, Bella."

A diminutive woman stood by the fireplace, the light flickering off her
black leather pants and her shimmery, tight, black turtleneck. "This is
totally unacceptable. How is she going to command anything in that
outfit?"

Sheesh, someone takes after-dinner attire a bit too seriously…

Carlisle smiled, but didn't turn his eyes from Bella. "Oh, I don't know,
Jane, a veneer of innocence might really add something to the
experience. Please come in, Bella. Meet my friend Jane."

Bella stepped far enough into the room for Carlisle to shut the door,
but no further. Carlisle chuckled. "C'mon, she won't bite," he teased,
placing a hand behind her back and gently guiding her to where the
blonde gamine stood. "Jane, this is Bella."

"According to Aro, her name is 'Goddess'," the woman replied sourly.

Carlisle glared pointedly in Jane's direction. "Bella, I asked Jane to

come here and discuss feminine power and control in sexual
situations. She has some experience in that area, and she prides
herself on her expertise."
Carlisle moved to stand on the far side of the room. Bella then
noticed a short-haired blond man with a very youthful face and a
heavy dog chain around his neck, dressed in only a pair of black
knee-length spandex shorts, kneeling by the small bar and holding
an empty tray. "This is her submissive. You are not to address him
directly. It would be an insult to Jane's authority. Do you
understand?"

"Sure," Bella agreed quickly.

"This is really the only rule of the evening: respect Jane's authority
as a dominant. Do you agree to follow it?"

Eyes wide at his serious tone, Bella nodded.

Jane turned to her. "Would you like a drink?"

Bella smiled. "I'd love a glass of red wine."

Still facing Bella, Jane's voice remained deceptively quiet and calm
as she commanded, "Bring Bella a glass of wine, pet. Do not stand."

Bella watched uncomfortably as the man shuffled over to the bar on

his knees and poured her a drink. "Oh, I can just…"

Jane's steely voice stopped Bella. "I have given a command; my sub
will follow it whether you want him to or not. If you go to him to pick
up that wine glass, he will pour you another, and he'll bring it to you
on his knees as I have commanded."

"Why do you want to command him? Why not approach him as an

equal?"

"Don't you manage people at your job?"

"No. I manage situations to fit someone else's life."

"You serve your boss by commanding others. I serve my sub by

commanding him." The man handed Bella a full wineglass, then
looked to Jane. She made a hand motion, and the sub returned to
Jane's left side with his head down and his arms behind his back.

"I'm not buying that. You serve by commanding? It sounds as if

you're making excuses to do what you want to do anyway. What's
his name?"

"His name is of no matter to you, or to me. He is my pet."

Bella sat up straighter. "What is your pet's name?"

Jane raised an eyebrow and looked at Carlisle as if to say, "who the

hell does this woman think she is?" He shrugged, as if to say, "I told
you she was a handful."

Jane's tone changed from frosty to arctic. "Tell the woman your
name."

The man's face reddened and he whispered, "Pet."

Jane snapped, "Your real name."

The man blanched and quickly coughed, "Mike."

"Do you really think Mike is really getting anything from the inequality
in your relationship?"

Jane laughed. "He absolutely does. It's symbiotic. My pet has given
me a gift. He wants to leave the decision-making behind when he's
with me. He's the leader of his company - forced to take over his
father's business. He didn't want the job. Doesn't like the weight of
responsibility for all those people and their livelihoods. Being a sub is
perfect for him. When he's with me, his only responsibility is to
please me, and he gets the reward of knowing that I'm pleased with
him."

Bella paused to think over what Jane had said. "Okay, if it's
symbiotic, what do YOU get out of it?"
Jane rubbed Mike's hair. "I get respect, love, adoration, and
complete control of another person. I'm worshipped like a god. It's
quite the feeling - it's addictive, Bella. Like nothing you've ever felt,
knowing that as long as you don't push past what they've agreed to,
not only will someone allow you to do ANYTHING to them, it will
bring them unimaginable pleasure. Controlling his pain and his
pleasure is what gives me my pleasure. Do you understand?"

"No. It sounds abusive. I don't see how Mike would get any pleasure
from it at all."

Bella could tell Jane was through talking nicely with her. "It is in no
way abusive. In fact, I'll show you how pleasurable it is." Grabbing
the man's hair, she pulled his head back to look her in the eyes.
"Would you like that, my dear pet? To show Bella how well you serve
me?"

Mike nearly vibrated with eagerness. "How am I to show this woman

that, while I can give you pain, I also give you so much pleasure?"
Jane stood to her full height, which was not more than a few inches
taller than the kneeling man. Still facing Bella, she said, "My pet
loves to be looked at, to be praised. I heard you liked watching,
Bella, so watch my beautiful golden boy." Turning to face Michael,
she commanded, "Without standing up, strip and get into
presentation stance - now."

Bella squirmed in her seat as the young man writhed on the floor as
he removed the remainder of his clothes, his hard cock bouncing as
he rushed to follow Jane's whim. After that, he rose back up on his
knees and linked his hands behind his head, elbows out and eyes to
the ceiling.

"Get those knees farther apart. I know you can do better."

Bella watched as Mike's knees spread farther than she thought

possible, and his cock bounced in excitement.

I ' m not interested in having that boy ' s cock at all . I wonder why?
"Better," Jane purred. "Do you see, Bella? I don't just command, I
praise. I know just how handsome my pet looks like this. See how he
keeps my cock hard for me?"

Bella tilted her head. "Your cock?"

"Absolutely. While my pet is with me, I own that cock. I say when it is
and isn't pleasured. My pet is not allowed to touch it unless I say. It is
mine ."

"And you don't think you're brainwashing him?"

"Brainwashing him into getting hard?" Jane smirked. "That'd be an

interesting trick. But I can prove to you that my pet likes what I do."
She turned and walked purposefully to a closet door on the far side
of Carlisle's desk. She opened the door and easily located the item
she wanted, returning almost instantly. Bella was shocked to find a
large paddle in her hands.

She's gone for that paddle before.

Jane swung the paddle through the air with both hands, the
displaced air whipping and whistling. "My pet loves being spanked -
comes every time. That should convince you I don't have him
brainwashed." Bella turned her focus to Mike as his eyes lit with
excitement.

Wait, why was that paddle in Carlisle's office closet? And how did
Jane know where it was?

Jane moved behind the man, but addressed Bella. "Watch my pet's
cock. I'll bet it's leaking all over the place, isn't it? Naughty pet. How
many does 'the goddess' need to see in order to understand how
much he enjoys it? I'll bet my pet can finish in ten strokes. Count
them, pet. Be sure to thank me."

Bella flinched as the paddle snapped against Michael's skin. "One,

Mistress Jane. Thank you."
Bella didn't see the appeal in the scenario as Jane applied the
paddle repeatedly to the submissive man's backside. She did,
however, note the look of utter devotion on Michael's face and the
copious clear fluid dripping from the head of his cock onto the floor.

"S..s… seven, Mis… tress Jane. Th..thank you."

"Are you about finished, pet?" Jane jerked on the dog chain around
his neck. "I can tell you're almost there. Such a good pet. Quick
count."

Mike took a deep breath as Jane reared back, swinging with all her
might at his ass. "Eight." Without stopping her motion, she swung
again.

"Nine." Mike bit out through gritted teeth.

Jane seemed to place all of her strength into the final swing, using
enough force to make the smack sound twice as loud as any
previous one. Semen spurted repeatedly from his cock as he
grunted in between releases, "Ten… thank you… Mistress… Jane."

"Take a moment, pet. When you're ready, clean off my cock and the
floor." Jane commanded. "Use the clothes to do it. They won't be
needed the rest of the night. Then collect everything and wait in the
hallway facing the wall."

As Jane's pet cleaned the floor, Bella stared at his bright pink ass,
and it didn't do anything for her. She wondered what it was about this
particular young man that didn't turn her on. She didn't seem to have
a problem with the men that were here at the ranch…

Bella's eyes drifted to Carlisle, sitting off to her right in a high-backed

upholstered chair. His eyes were heavy-lidded with pleasure, and
Bella could see his cock straining against the material of his
expensive pants. Carlisle evidently liked Jane's display a lot.

Oh my God, does Carlisle want to be spanked?

She noticed that Carlisle was breathing deeply, staring at the paddle
that was still in Jane's hands, not moving a muscle. Bella saw where
his attention was focused, and turned to Jane, saying, "So, how long
has it been since you warmed Carlisle's ass?"

A barking laugh escaped from Jane. "Months. He's way overdue."

Bella looked to see Carlisle's bright red face and addressed Jane
again. "You know why Mike wanted it - do you know why he does?"

"He spends all his time worshipping others, worrying over details,
fretting over every guest's pleasure, making sure the men who stay
here are sated so that they stay on. He doesn't take enough time to
rejuvenate his soul, relish in his own quite powerful sexuality." Jane
clarified. "Giving up control for an hour or two lets him focus on his
own desires, his own emotions. Recharge his batteries, so to speak."

Bella could feel the electricity in the room racing over her skin. She
took a deep breath and stood, circling the chair Carlisle was panting
in. "Do you usually allow him to sit in the chair like that?" she asked
Jane, frowning.

"I most certainly do not," Jane replied. "And you shouldn't allow it
either."

Bella stopped behind Carlisle and leaned down to his ear. "Do you
want to let go, Carlisle? Let someone else control you?"

Closing his eyes, he breathily replied, "Yes."

"Do you want to let innocent little me in my sundress boss you

around, Carlisle?"

"God, yes…" he replied, somewhere between a growl and a moan.

Carlisle eyed her warily as she came into view again, his face stuck
somewhere between desire and fear. Bella demanded, "The only
rule of the evening is to respect the dominant. Show me my respect,
Carlisle." As her eyes blazed in triumph, he slid his body from the
chair and onto his knees before her. Bella's eyes danced with
possibilities as he lowered his face to her feet and kissed them.

Well, look at that! A MAN on his knees works for me. That ' s it - n o
more boys. Ever.

"Present your list, Carlisle," Jane interjected. "He should have a list
of limits - what he will do without any question, what he's tentative
about, and what he refuses to do." Carlisle removed an electronic
device from his pocket, touched the screen a few times, and held it
up in his hands in supplication.

"How modern, Carlisle," Jane taunted. Turning to Bella, she

continued. "Since you're new to doing scenes, you should read the
list carefully before you start. If at any point during the evening he
says "yellow," you check to see how he's doing. If he says "red," you
just stop, no questions. Do you understand?"

Bella nodded as she took the device from Carlisle and scrolled
through the list. Then she fretted, "I just don't know what he wants to
do now…"

"He wants to do something to make you proud of him," Jane replied.

"It has to be slightly challenging - you won't feel proud and he won't
get a sense of accomplishment if it's too easy."

Bella snapped, "Obviously he got hard watching your pet get his ass
toasted - can't I just do that?"

Jane snorted. "If it were me, I'd fuck his ass since it's been so long
for him."

Okay, that ' s a bit out of my comfort zone. S oooo not strapping on
a dick …

Jane continued her train of thought. "You don't have enough

knowledge for that, though, so yes, I would recommend sticking to a
good spanking." Jane held the paddle out to her. "He can take quite
a few hits. His ass gets soooo nice and red."

Bella took the paddle from Jane's outstretched hand and handed
over the electronic device. She tested the heft, tapping it into her free
hand. Noticing Carlisle's ragged breathing, Bella began circling his
body, trying to figure out just how to do what Jane had done.

"Do you golf?" Jane asked, seemingly apropos of nothing.

"Ummm, no."

"Play tennis?"

"No."

"Baseball?"

"Not at all."

"How am I supposed to tell you how to swing the paddle, then,

woman?" Jane snarled. Jane moved behind Carlisle and motioned
Bella to join her. "You're tall enough, you should have him stand."
Jane wrapped her slender arms around Bella and showed her how
to grip the paddle. Then she put a hand on one of Bella's hips and
pushed. "To add some force to the blow, twist your hips into the
swing. Not to start. After a few warm-ups." Bella nodded. "I'll be right
here if you have questions," Jane assured her, then stepped back
and took a seat in the chair Bella had occupied earlier.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, Bella said, "Stand up,

Carlisle."

Carlisle stood quickly, eyes cast downward, hands by his side.

Bella sighed. "This will never do." Seeing Carlisle's shoulders slump,
she purred, "You have on entirely too many clothes. Take them off."
Thus began the sexiest striptease Bella had ever had the good
fortune to witness. Her brain drank in every line of his muscles as he
bent, twisted, and flexed himself bare.

I think I could get very used to making men strip for me….

Bella looked at Jane, who sat in the chair with a blissed-out look on
her face.

"He's got a gorgeous cock, doesn't he, Jane?"

Licking her lips, Jane nodded.

"I'm assuming you've done this a lot before, Jane. How many swings
will I be able to do before my arms get too tired?"

"I can do twenty-five, but I lift weights every day. I'd go for between
five and ten, if I were you."

"Is he like your pet? Does he come from being spanked?"

Jane shook her head. "Not for me, he hasn't."

That ' s okay; I can make him come some other way. What to do,
what to do?

Bella grazed the paddle over his ass, then ran it down one of his
legs. She could hear Carlisle's breath hitch.

"Five paddles, five minutes tops. That's not enough time with you.
What can I do before then?" She moved the paddle up the inside of
his leg, gently nudging his balls. She smiled as his body tensed.
"Because you are going to come for us tonight, aren't you, Carlisle?"

Carlisle stood stock still and silent.

"Answer me when I ask you a question, Carlisle."

"Yes, I will come for you."

Bella resumed her pacing, circling Carlisle as she spoke. "You
wanted me to learn how to challenge a man mentally and physically.
I get how to challenge you physically, but what would mess with your
mind?"

Jane smiled. "Good girl. You do that by looking at his soft limits list."
She scrolled through the list, and then held it out for Bella.

Bella walked over to her and took the list, looking at the line Jane
had highlighted. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

"I imagine it would be very difficult for such a sexual being. He

probably couldn't do it too often."

Bella's eyes scanned the room. She flipped through the list again,
sighing with pleasure when she found the entry she was looking for.
Handing the device back to Jane, she went to stand in front of
Carlisle, drawing herself up to her full height. "Go stand by the short
side of your desk."

When Carlisle had moved away, Bella went to his discarded pants
and removed the belt. Folding it with one hand and slapping the
leather into the other, paddle under her arm, she slowly walked to
where he stood, anxiously watching her approach. His eyes glinted
as Bella set first the belt, then the paddle onto the chair in front of his
desk. He tensed as she walked around him and relaxed his muscles
in confusion as she ignored him, pulling the large red leather rolling
chair from behind his desk to the short side opposite him. She
continued her stroll, ending up behind him again, and placing her
hand in the middle of his shoulder blades, she pushed him over his
desk.

"Hands above your head."

He rushed to comply. She walked back to the long side of the desk
and contemplated the view in front of her. Picking up the belt, she
moved to his side. "Jane, I need help."
Jane appeared at her side immediately. "You want his arms bound
safely?"

Bella nodded. Jane smiled and took the belt from Bella's hands,
making quick work of tying Carlisle's wrists together. She checked
and tugged the bindings, nodding in approval when she was
finished. "It'll hold," she announced, returning to her previous seat.

Bella bent over Carlisle's prone form. "Do you know I noticed your
beautiful desk when I waited in here the first day? It's a beautiful
antique; gorgeous inlaid leather. How does it feel against your cock,
Carlisle?"

He groaned, then answered, "Smooth. Cool."

"I'm sure you'll heat it right up, won't you?" Picking up the paddle,
she placed it on his back, dragging it from his shoulders down to his
ass. "You're going to come all over your beautiful desk, Carlisle.
Then you're going to rub it all over the leather top of your desk, so
that every time you sit at it, you'll think about how I made you come."

Carlisle's hips flexed, and he groaned.

"That's right; rub your cock all over your desk. Keep your cock good
and hard for me. Just don't come until I say."

Carlisle closed his eyes as Bella positioned herself at that end of the
desk. "You have such a pretty ass, Carlisle. It's almost as nice as
your cock." Lifting the paddle, Bella searched out Jane, her
eyebrows lifted.

Jane nodded. "Brace, Carlisle."

Bella watched as Carlisle widened his feet to shoulder-width and

bent his knees to put his feet in better contact with the floor. Catching
Jane's eyes again, she waited for Jane to nod her approval, and
then swung the paddle into Carlisle. She jumped at the smack that
sounded and dropped the paddle when Carlisle hissed.
Oh fuck, I can't do this, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck…

Jane was at her side immediately, stroking her hair. "Thank the
goddess, Carlisle."

"Thank you, goddess," he moaned in reply.

Jane returned the paddle to her hands and tightened her grip around
the handle. "Two more, Carlisle. Show your appreciation." Then Jane
stepped back, willing Bella to do it again. After a deep breath, she
brought the paddle to his ass again.

"Thank you, goddess." This time, Bella could hear the strain in his
voice.

Jane drew Bella's attention to Carlisle's hips, which were shimmying

against the desk. Bella met Jane's eyes and lifted her eyebrows.
Jane smiled and said, "If you want to dance, Carlisle, get on your
toes for this last one."

Bella could see how fast his chest rose and fell, watched as his legs
stretched and strained to follow Jane's commands. She licked her
lips at the pinkness of his skin. Unable to help herself, Bella took her
right hand off the paddle and reached out to stroke Carlisle's ass
with her hand. He jumped in surprise as his mind took a moment to
process the nature of her touch, then relaxed into her caress. Bella
relished the heat his skin gave off.

Stepping back, Bella said, "One more." Getting into position, she
tried to duplicate Jane's last swing into her pet, and closed her eyes
in pleasure as Carlisle moaned, "Thank you, goddess."

Bella dropped the paddle to the floor and ran her hands from
Carlisle's red ass up to his shoulders, pressing herself against the
heated, tender skin of his backside as she pressed kisses up and
down his spine. She could feel Carlisle twist and turn against the
desktop and was pleased that he was doing as she asked.
Bella straightened, summoned her most feminine walk, and strutted
to the other end of the desk, stopping in front of the red leather chair.
"Look at me, Carlisle."

He drew his elbows in to his body and used them to lift up. When his
attention was focused where she wanted it, she rested her hands on
the sides of her thighs and slowly raised the hem of her sundress.
"You like my innocent little dress, don't you, Carlisle?"

"Yes," he hissed.

When the hem had been raised high enough, Bella slid her hands
under her skirt, pushed her underwear down her legs, stepped out of
them, and leaned over carefully to pick them up off the floor. Then
she dangled them off her fingers so that Carlisle could see that they
were black lace.

"Has your cock leaked all over your desk, Carlisle?"

"Yes."

"Do you want my panties in your mouth, Carlisle?"

"Fuck, yes."

Bella sat them just in front of her on the desk. "Come get them, then.
No hands - and keep your cock on the desk."

Bella's eyes glazed with lust as Carlisle scraped and scooted over
his desk. She could see the sweat rise on his back from his effort. As
his mouth closed in on her panties, she leaned down to him. "You
stay spread out on your desk, just like that. Keep your cock hard for
me."

Bella lifted the sides of her skirt again. "My pussy is a still a little sore
from last night, Carlisle. I'm hoping that your cool leather chair will
help ease the ache."
Carlisle groaned loudly as she lifted the back of her skirt, draping it in
a manner that her naked backside sat on his chair, and yet her pussy
remained completely covered. Bella lifted her feet over the arms of
Carlisle's chair and sighed in pleasure.

"The leather feels so good against my naked pussy, Carlisle. How

does the leather feel against your cock?"

Unable to respond due to her panties in his mouth, he groaned

loudly in response.

"You know, I had so many orgasms last night, I feel like I can actually
sense the air hitting my pussy. I wonder how sensitive it is to the
touch?"

Bella watched as Carlisle's hips rocked against the desk, his eyes
trained on the material covering her pussy. She slid her hand
underneath her skirt, and made a point of rubbing her hands down
the front of her thighs. "Ummm… feels good." Allowing her fingers to
pop out from underneath her dress and wrap around her knees, she
then moved her hands to her inner thighs and slowly dragged them
up her legs. "Oooh, yeah, that's a bit sore, but it's nothing a bit of a
massage won't cure." She made large movements with her hands,
causing the material of her skirt to shift.

Carlisle's movements changed from lightly rocking to sharply

snapping his hips, grunting around her panties as he watched her
caress herself. She withdrew one hand to help her keep her balance,
and she moved the other hand to the spot where Carlisle's entire
attention was focused.

Bella hissed at the touch of her own hand. "Oh, sooo sensitive." Her
hips shifted in reaction to the gentle swipe of her hand. "Your face
and chest are red. Is that what you would call a 'sex flush,'
Professor?"

With his deep ocean blue eyes glued to her cloth-covered hand, he
nodded.
"Are you close, Carlisle?"

He nodded again. Bella looked over to see Jane completely engaged

in what she and Carlisle were doing, and felt confident Jane would
play along with her next statement.

"You have to hold out for sixty seconds. Then you can come. Jane
will count for you." Looking to Jane, she saw the diminutive woman
fiddle with Carlisle's device, and then nod at her. "Your time starts
now."

As Jane began to count down in the background, Bella made quite a

show of lifting her skirt until her pussy was nearly exposed, then
inserted two fingers into her pussy, causing her to whimper at the
tenderness she found there. She then extracted her wet fingers and
held them out for Carlisle to see. Dropping her feet to the floor so
she could lean forward, she grabbed the hair at the back of his head
with her other hand, and leaned forward to hiss quietly, "Do you see
what you do to me, Carlisle? You're so damn sexy, and I'm so wet for
you. Drop my panties on the desk, Professor."

He dropped them immediately, licking his lips as he stared at her

moist fingers. Jane's countdown hit forty seconds as Bella brought
her fingers to Carlisle's face. "Lick them, Carlisle."

He lurched for her fingers, wrapping his lips and tongue around them
and sucking greedily. She removed her fingers from his mouth and
put them back under her skirt.

"Why don't you come for me now, Carlisle? Let me watch you come
all over your desk. Your face is so beautiful when you come,
Professor. "

Carlisle's breathing increased dramatically, and on each exhale, she

could hear him mumble "wait, wait wait". He wanted her to challenge
men? She would challenge the shit out of him. Jane reached twenty-
five seconds on her countdown.
"If you come now, Carlisle, you can have my fingers back in your
mouth. Just come now. Come on, baby, come for me. Now, Carlisle."

Carlisle slammed his eyes closed, hips jerking in a broken rhythm,

his chant getting more strident as the count got closer to zero. At ten
seconds, Bella pulled out her last card, leaning in to growl in his ear,
"I'm dying for you to fuck me, Carlisle. Fuck me fuck me fuck me…."

Jane counted the last five seconds loudly enough to be heard over
Carlisle wailing "no no no" with abandon. As she hit zero, Carlisle
changed his "no" to "yes" and, with a loud whimper, came all over his
desk, arms and legs shaking with the effort to hold himself upright on
the desk. His breaths sounded almost like sobs.

Placing her forehead on his, Bella ran her fingers through his hair.
"Good job, Carlisle, Well done, Professor." Unbuckling the belt that
held his wrists together, she cooed, "I'm so proud of you. But you're
not done. Use my panties and wipe that come all over the leather on
your desk. Work it in well."

Shaking from exhaustion, Carlisle climbed down off his desk and
tested his wobbly legs. Bella could see the moment he steadied, and
he quickly reached for Bella's black lace panties and proceeded to
follow her orders, rubbing his ejaculate into the leather inlay on his
desk. She felt a smile settle on her lips.

Bella felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to find Jane holding out
a tube of liquid. "Aftercare is the dominant's responsibility. Rub this
into his wrists and ass to help with the bruising. Check to be sure his
skin is unbroken. I'll check to be sure his joints are okay. Then it will
be your responsibility to see him to his room safely."

Bella nodded. "Thank you, Jane."

"You surprised me, goddess. That wasn't at all how I expected this
evening to go."
Bella lowered her eyes, blushing slightly. "I surprised myself, to be
honest."

"I don't think you have it in you to do this full time - you had to work
too hard at it. But I'm glad I could give you a taste of it. Carlisle will
give you my contact information when you leave if you'd like more
lessons."

Bella's eyes lifted to catch Jane's. "I don't think I'll use it."

"You may change your mind." Jane smiled. "Now, I really should be
getting my pet home for the night. Has Carlisle finished your scene?"

Bella looked to him, diligently wiping her panties over the leather of
the desk, even though she could see no more liquid available to be
absorbed. "Carlisle, you're done with the desk. Jane will check your
joints for damage before she leaves."

As Jane moved to Carlisle, Bella turned and walked to the chair

where Carlisle had removed his clothing, picking up his dress pants
and slinging them over her arm. Walking back to the desk, she
listened as Jane asked Carlisle questions as she moved his
shoulders and pressed on his hips.

When she finished, she looked to Bella and said, "He's fine. No
damage done. I'll see myself out."

Bella nodded in response. As Jane left the room, Bella put Carlisle's
pants on his desk. Leaning against it, she said, "Show me your
wrists." He presented them to her, turning them so that she could
see all the way around them. She popped open the gel and applied it
to his wrists gently as he stood quietly. "Now turn around. Hands on
the desk." Bella took another dab of gel and rubbed her hands over
the hot skin of his perfectly shaped ass.

Do not moan. DO NOT MOAN.

When she'd finished, she clicked the tube closed and said, "Put on
your pants. I can't take you back to your room naked. Pick up your
other clothes; then I'll escort you back to your room. You'll have to
lead, as I have no idea where it is."

Carlisle smiled slightly, then put on his pants and collected his other
clothing and returned to her side. "Ready to go?" Bella asked
brightly. Carlisle nodded, and headed out of his room and down the
hall. Bella followed him through two right turns and a door with a
keypad that he had to readjust the clothing in his hands to operate.
Just inside the locked door, he stopped at a beautifully carved dark
wood door.

Turning to face her, Carlisle spoke directly to her for the first time
since the scene in his office ended. "Thank you for a most…
unexpected… evening."

"Do I need to come in and care for you the way Aro took care of
me?" Bella asked nervously.

"There's no need. This challenge was physically rather easy for me.
I'll be just fine. Can you find your way back to your room?"

Bella nodded. "I can backtrack to your office. Then I'll know where I
am. So… I guess this is goodnight?"

Carlisle managed to eke out a smile through his exhaustion as he

opened his door slightly. "Goodnight, Bella."

Rising up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, she whispered, "Sleep well,

Professor," and waited for the door to close before she headed back
to her room.

After all, she had a thank you note or two to write.

Pack Mentality
Chapter 9 - Pack Mentality

Bella sat in the dining room, enjoying the last of her coffee and the
sunshine that streamed in from the windows. She smiled as Carlisle
entered the room.

"Carlisle, why don't you join me?"

Pleased, he crossed the room and moved into the chair across from
her.

"How are you feeling this morning, Professor? Sore?"

Your ass can't be that red, Carlisle; you have no trouble sitting -
perhaps I should have spanked you more? I'm sure Jane's pet can't
sit down today…

"Not at all. I want to thank you for your lovely note." Here he paused,
concern flitting across his handsome features. "I'm uncertain how it
ended up underneath my door, however. I didn't give you the code
for the keypad, did I?"

Bella shook her head. "Your kitchen staff was very helpful," she
answered. "I simply told them I owed you a card, and I didn't want to
be late with it. They were very nice to help me out."

Carlisle hummed in reply. A pleasant silence fell over them as the

server brought Carlisle a cup of coffee and asked if he wanted
anything else. Carlisle responded negatively, and they were left
alone again.

Bella took a deep breath. "So, what new experience do you have
planned for me today?"
"Honestly, I'm having a difficult time deciding what to offer you," he
replied cagily, fidgeting with his coffee cup. "I think you have two
equally good options."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Well, maybe I could be of some help.

Why don't you tell me what the options are, and maybe I'll like the
sound of one more than the other?"

Carlisle sat quietly for a moment, and then nodded. "All right. First, I
thought you might be interested in exploring the possibility of being
with another woman."

Bella sat, stunned. "Um - no." After a moment's thought, she

continued. "Well, maybe if you'd said something earlier in the week,
but my time here has strengthened my commitment to the Church of
Cock."

Choking on his coffee at her crass honesty, Carlisle set his cup down
and grabbed his napkin, eyes twinkling at her as he wiped stray
drops off his chin.

"Besides, Alice and I did the whole drunken 'kiss your best friend to
see if you could be more than best friends,' and it was a no-go. And
if I won't turn lesbian for Alice Brandon, I don't think anyone else has
a shot."

After clearing his throat several times, Carlisle continued. "Okay,

then, the other option you could explore would be multiple men."

Oh, you're all about the multiples, aren't you? Multiple orgasms,
multiple men…

Bella frowned, "Didn't I already do that with Aro and Alec?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No - Aro and Alec didn't… interact with you
at the same time. One was watching the other the entire time, but
they weren't… simultaneously engaged."
"And you're talking about having… simultaneous engagement?"

He nodded.

Just where does he think all these "simultaneously engaged" dicks

will be going?

Bella sat for a moment, taking in this new possibility.

"What does the woman look like? Maybe I can change my mind…"

"She's a beautiful woman. A bit older than you - more my age…"

"Oh, because you're so old," Bella flirted.

Giving her a "now stop that" look, Carlisle pulled out his phone and
pulled up his photos. She watched him flip through quite a few
pictures before he turned the screen to her. "This is Esme. She runs
a similar facility to this one; it's a bit closer to Las Vegas."

Bella smiled. "She's beautiful. Is there a third choice?"

"I do have an expert in pain play. I'm sure my friend Caius would
be…"

"No, no, no, let's not go there. No other options, then?"

"Multiple men would be a natural progression in your exploration,

based on your interest in close contact."

"Why do you say that?"

"From the beginning, you wanted to feel the skin of the men you
were with. You were very attentive to your sense of touch the last
two times we interacted. I'm simply suggesting you up the ratio of
skin available for you to touch."

Bella sat quietly for a moment. "How many men are included in the
term 'multiple'?"
Carlisle gave a half-smile. "You would negotiate everything from this
point forward. I'm going to step back from this encounter."

Bella startled. "What? Why?"

"Bella, there are so many factors involved. There's a fluidity, a

flexibility to multiple encounters that are better negotiated by the
participants." Carlisle shifted focus. "Plus, in your very first card for
me you stated as a goal the desire to be able to talk confidently
about sex and about your desires. This gives you the opportunity to
meet that goal."

I knew that card would come back to bite me on the ass…

"How can I be sure my wishes will be followed?"

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't set you up with people I
didn't trust, Bella. I take my responsibilities very seriously."

"You trust these men?"

He nodded. "I do. I trained the leader myself."

"Okay." Bella replied. After a pause, she repeated, "Okay. When?"

"It's a nice day for a picnic. How about lunch?"

Bella released a deep breath. "Lunch it is, then."

Bella smiled as Carlisle drove her past Felix's place near the bottom
of the mountain. She wasn't sure the light vehicle was going to be
able to handle the terrain as they continued upward, but she was
surprised to find that the path was smooth and level. This was
obviously a well-maintained road. As they reached the top, she took
in the amazing view of the valley below.

Picking at the new hiking clothes that Carlisle had provided for her -
in addition to the layers of shirts she was fidgeting with, she also had
on new lightweight long pants, thick socks, and hiking boots - Bella
turned to Carlisle as he parked the car.

"All right. This is where you start." Turning to face her, he pointed to
a cleared path leading into the tree line. "You're going to walk down
this trail - it's an easy walk - for about a half a mile. You'll come
across a very large, flat rock. It's the perfect place for a picnic. The
men will find you."

Bella nodded tightly.

"If you find them to your liking, you can invite them to join you. At any
point, if you get up and return on the path you walked in on, they will
continue on their hike, and you will return to this car and drive back
to the ranch. End of encounter."

Orgius Interruptus. "Has that happened?"

"Once or twice. It can be overwhelming to face something

considered taboo."

Bella nodded again. Carlisle exited the car, opened her door, and
then headed for the trunk of the car. As he lifted the hatchback, he
turned to face her and said somberly, "I would encourage you not to
run from them."

"Why?"

His eyes bored into hers. "Running is a prearranged signal that you
want to be chased down," he explained, keeping his eyes on hers to
be sure his meaning was clear.

Bella's eyebrows rose. Hell, that might be… stimulating, but I'd
probably fall and break my leg. "Got it. No running."

"Good." Opening the trunk, he continued. "Now, your backpack

carries only a few things - lunch, canteen, change of clothes, basic
toiletry items. The men have everything else you might need if you
decide to stay for a while." Carlisle pulled a folded up bike out of the
small car. "The car will be right here whenever you're ready to head
back to the ranch. The keys are in the center console."

Bella took a deep breath. "I still don't have any details about…
anything."

"The men have a leader; their spokesperson, if you will. He'll help
you have the experience you want."

Is he hot like you, Professor? 'Cause I'm looking for a "hot as

Carlisle" experience…

Exasperated, Bella huffed. "That's not much information to go on."

"You'll be fine, Bella." Unfolding his bike and pointing it down the
mountain, he said, "I'll see you back at the ranch."

With another deep breath, she nodded. Hitching the backpack into
place, she turned to face the trail. Looking over her shoulder, she
teased, "Aren't you going to tell me to have a good time?"

Carlisle smiled. "I'm sure it will be a pleasant experience for you."

Bella smiled in return, and then headed into the trees.

Noticing the trail was well-marked, flat, and even, Bella turned her
attention to her surroundings; the light dappling through the leaves,
the cool-but-not-cold breeze, and the whisper of the wind as it stirred
the trees. It didn't take long for Bella to find the flat rock Carlisle had
mentioned - it was as large as a car, bathed in sunlight, and had an
amazing view of the valley. She happily climbed up on the rock, sat
her backpack down to her right, and retrieved a collapsible case
carrying her lunch. Noticing the warmth she felt from both the sun
and the rock itself, she removed a couple of layers of shirts she'd put
on in the morning and used them to provide padding as she sat on
the rock. She leaned back in her camisole top, greedily taking in the
sunshine, letting it bathe her in light and warmth and comfort.

After a while - she hadn't worn a watch or brought a phone, so she

had no idea how much time has passed - she heard the rustling
sound of people moving through the trees. As her breathing began to
deepen, time seemed to bend. What felt like seconds and hours
passed, and then she heard what seemed to be several men talking
in short bursts back and forth. Her heart began to pound as she
contemplated what was about to happen.

Fuck, I want this. How many are there? It sounds like more than two.
Three? Oh, God, are there more than three?

Bella could feel the arms she was using for support start to shake as
the men began appearing in the clearing. The first man was quite
thin, and younger than she expected; she hoped he was the
youngest. Three more follow behind closely, two a bit older than the
first; one tall and wiry, the other even taller, with a pronounced
musculature and long black hair. When she saw the final man, Bella
decided he had a more mature feel about him. He stood tallest of all
the men, and his muscles bulged as he wrestled the large backpack
he was carrying off his shoulders. She also noticed that each of the
men was handsome, seemed to share an affinity for khakis and t-
shirts, and appeared very tan; some of them even looked to be
Native American to her eyes.

"Well, what do we have here?" one of them asked. Bella had her
eyes focused on the man she'd pegged as the leader. All she knew
was that he hadn't asked the question.

Bella leaned back and lifted her face to the sun - she might as well
transmit her intention not to run from them immediately.

No running today, guys - I'm ready and willing - let's find out if I'm
able!
"We don't normally see beautiful women out on the trail this time of
year…" There were no smiles - they were patiently waiting to see
how she wanted this encounter to go.

Bella smiled. "The sun was just too beautiful to pass up." Her eyes
roamed over the men. She viscerally felt every twitch, every shift of
weight. Their arousal was palpable.

Desire flooded her. She could have all of these gloriously sexy men,
just as she wanted them. Not only that, they'd been trained to please
her. She could have an encounter the likes of which very few other
women had ever experienced. All she had to do was take what was
being offered to her. Did she want it?

She could almost feel the blood speeding through her veins. Hell,
yes, I want it! Send up the bat-signal!

Turning her face back up to the sun, she took a deep breath and
said, "It's so beautiful today. Why don't you guys stop for a while and
join me?"

The older man, the one Bella had already guessed to be the leader
of the group, began moving toward her, carrying something that
looked to be a cross between a sleeping bag and a yoga mat. She
mentally salivated at his tight black t-shirt and loose khaki cargo
pants.

Oh, yeah, come to Momma, sexy thing…

He walked right up to the edge of the rock Bella was sunning herself
on. When he stopped, she turned to face him. "Are you sure you
don't mind us joining you?" he asked, seeking confirmation of her
desire to continue.

"I'm sure." Holding out a hand, she continued, "I'm Bella."

"Sam," he replied. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Smiling, Bella shook her head. "Not at all."

Bella breathed deeply as the man stepped up onto the rock. His
easy smile eased the spike of adrenaline that had her ready to flee
at a moment's notice. He moved to her left side, just behind her
shoulder, and made quick work of putting down his thick mat and
settling in behind her.

Bella could feel the tension ratchet up a notch as his deep voice
sounded in her left ear. "Have you done this before, Bella?"

"Had a picnic?" she teased, trying to ease her own anxiety.

His tone remained steady. "Had more than one man at a time?"

She turned to look him in the eye. "No."

"We won't hurt you," he soothed. "I understand you met Felix. We
share a similar philosophy; it's about spiritual communion for us -
more people provide more spirituality to commune with."

Well, any friend of Felix's is a friend of mine…

After a few moments, he continued. "How would you like this to go,
Bella?"

She lowered her head. "I have no clue how I want this to go."

"Well, do you feel physically attracted to anyone?"

Bella turned her eyes to the other men in the clearing. The first one
she came upon was the younger man, who seemed to be randomly
pulling things out of his backpack and shoving them back in just as
randomly.

"That's Seth. He's the youngest, has the eagerness of youth. He's a
very gentle soul and is easily led. He very much enjoys being part of
something bigger than himself."
Her eyes flitted to the next man over, who had also removed his
backpack and was now removing what looked to Bella to be trail mix
from an outside pocket.

Sam continued his introductions. "Paul is a bit of a hot head. He's

very confident, very creative sexually, and has no trouble doing
anything you ask - the kinkier, the better, as far as he's concerned.
He's the guy you want if you want to let things happen, if you just
want to go along for the ride. He likes the attention the group
provides him."

Bella finally turned her eyes to the tallest man, who had removed his
shirt and was now throwing water bottles to the other men in the
group. His long black hair shone in the sunlight, and Bella had a
sudden urge to tangle her fingers in it and never let go. She
swallowed reflexively as he guzzled an entire bottle of water at once.

"And that's Jake. He's very passionate and has a very big heart. He's
a very considerate lover and lives to bring pleasure to anyone who
wants to share it with him."

Bella turned her head to Sam. "What about you?"

"I went through the training first, organized the group. I balance all
the others. The others defer to me, so I guess I'm seen at the leader.
I try to be fair to everyone so that everyone is happy." He turned to
face her. "That's important for us, that everyone leaves happy."

Bella acknowledged his comment with a nod, and then looked back
at the men scattered about. Her gaze roamed over the displayed
muscles of the tall man with long hair. "I like the guy with the long
hair - you said his name was Jake?"

Sam hummed in agreement then called out, "Jake, why don't you
join us?"

As Jake moved toward the two of them, Sam brushed Bella's hair off
her left shoulder and placed a kiss on the warmed skin he'd
uncovered. "All you have to do is say what you want, Bella, and I'll
make sure it happens. Okay?"

Speechless, Bella nodded. As Jake sauntered over to her, she

sucked in air, trying to calm her shaking body, trying to approach her
desires with a level of maturity; but she was failing.

I want him, I want to suck him, I want to fuck him…

Jake hopped up onto the rock easily, quickly made his way to her
right side, and smoothly folded himself into a seated position, leaning
on the arm closest to her. "Hi, Bella, I'm Jake."

Bella felt as if she had a magnet inside her, pulling her to the man in
front of her. She could feel herself swaying closer to him, lifting her
chin to encourage his advances. "Hi, Jake," she breathed, "I'm Be…"

Before she'd even finished her name, his mouth dropped to hers,
claiming it. Her hands gripped his shoulders, and then slid up the
sides of his neck, fingers dancing in his long, silky hair. Moaning, she
pulled him to her, wanting to feel the heat of his body pressed to
hers.

Bella felt her thin top being lifted from the back. She'd put on so
many layers this morning, she'd decided to forego a bra, and at this
exact moment she was delighted with that decision, as both the man
in front of her and the man behind groaned in appreciation. She felt
Sam moving his legs, placing one on either side of her, pressing his
bare torso to her back, kissing along the left side of her neck. She
leaned back into Sam and tilted her head away so that he could
reach more of her neck as Jake moved forward, letting his hair tease
her nipples. Her breath hitched as her body sparked with arousal.

Heat started rushing through her body as Jake's mouth returned to

hers, his hair brushing along the skin of her belly and arm. She
wrapped her right arm around him to keep him in place, and let her
left hand drift to cover Sam's hand, fondling her left breast. As his
thumb flicked over the tip, Bella's back arched, and her mouth left
Jake's so that she could gasp in pleasure. When she turned to her
left to look at Sam, she noticed a shirtless, eager young Seth
kneeling to the left of her feet, his eyes glued to her breasts.

As Jake began methodically covering the right side of her neck in

kisses, she held her left hand out for the youngest of the men. "It's
Seth, right?"

He nodded.

"Why don't you join us?" Bella asked.

Seth quickly gathered himself to her left side, pressing a quick kiss to
her mouth before paying homage to her left breast. As she wrapped
an arm around Seth's shoulders and began stroking his warm skin,
Bella could feel Sam behind her, his breaths blowing hotly into her
ear. His still-clothed hardness pressed into the base of her spine as
he unfastened her pants, pushing them down as far as he could
before Jake took over, pulling them the rest of the way off her feet.
As he returned to her side, she noticed the bulge in Jake's pants.

Holy hell! What in the world is he hiding in there? A baseball bat?

Bella's attention was drawn from the men attending to her by a

motion at the edge of the clearing. The remaining man stood there,
quietly pacing back and forth. Bella had a difficult time looking away
from his intense stare.

"Why the hell is he just standing there watching?" she grumbled to

no one in particular.

Sam growled into her neck as he answered, "He won't be standing

there long." Bella felt the men on either side of her shuffle so that
they mirrored each other; leaning on one arm, pressed up against
her side, bottom legs underneath hers, top legs entwined and
hooked around her ankles. Jake and Seth allowed their hands and
mouths to wander along her torso at will. Bella leaned her head back
against Sam's shoulder and asked, "What is he waiting for?"
Bella could feel Sam's cheek lift into a smile. "Paul's waiting for me
to give him a signal, Bella. Are you ready?"

Fuck, YES! "Can you really be ready for this the first time?"

"Probably not," Sam agreed. "I'm going to give him the signal to
begin, okay?"

Bella moaned in response to Seth's gentle kitten-like licks of her

nipple and pressed her forehead to Sam's neck. With her eyes on
the one man that wasn't touching her, she shakily responded,
"Okay."

Bella didn't see the signal Sam sent Paul, but she did see Paul's
response. He stopped pacing and began stalking toward her, power
radiating from his taut muscles. The pure lust shining in his eyes
caused Bella's hips to flex, and she felt the legs entwined with hers
wrap a bit tighter. As Paul approached the rock, he balanced his
weight on his hands and knees, dragging his mouth up the interior of
her left leg as he crawled up her body. Paul looked directly into
Bella's eyes as his mouth closed on her clit, causing her hips to
involuntarily snap back to avoid the intense sensation. As her ass
ground into Sam's cock, Bella groaned, flexed her hips side to side,
and began to understand just how overwhelming this experience
was going to be for her.

Just deliver my ashes back to the ranch, would you, guys?

Paul lifted his head and stared into her eyes. "You have such a pretty
pink pussy. I'm going to enjoy making you come." And with that
proclamation, he lowered his face and began pleasing her in
earnest. With four men touching her, skin sliding on skin, their heat
rolling into her, Bella felt herself climbing higher.

Bella watched Paul please her, and then realized she wanted eye
contact. Pulling sharply on Jake's long hair, she commanded, "Look
at me."
Lifting his head, he followed her direction, even as his hand
continued to roam her body. "Do you like Paul's mouth, Bella? He
gets lots of compliments on it…"

At that exact moment, Paul changed his motion, causing a lightning

bolt of energy to zip through her. "A… maz… ing…"

She couldn't keep track of all the stroking and nipping and sucking
and licking that was going on and was soon right at the edge, ready
to fall over. But it wasn't until Seth and Jake angled back slightly,
brought their hands under her legs, and slid their fingers into her that
she was thrown right off the cliff, screaming the whole way down.
When she finally landed on the ground below and was able to
breathe again, Paul kissed his way up her body and pressed his
Bella-scented mouth to hers. She licked at his mouth greedily,
wanting to capture as much of her own taste as possible.

Bella noticed some shifting on her left side as Paul moved to her
right side, taking Jake's place. The very instant she noticed that Sam
was on her left side instead of behind her, she also noticed that Seth
was now naked and kneeling between her legs. He bent slightly to
get an arm underneath her hips, and then lifted her so that she was
more in line with his cock. As he slowly glided into her, her back
bowed, and she could feel two hands cupping the back of her head
so that she didn't slam it into the rock below her.

"Oh, yes, yes… so good, don't stop…"

Grabbing Sam's hair, she pressed her mouth to his, tilting her head
to find the most amount of access for her tongue. He stroked her
belly as Paul lavished her breasts with attention from his hands and
mouth. She went from stroking to scratching the hell out of Paul's
back in reaction to the intense pleasure he provided her. Bella's first
orgasm had left her so aroused that it took no time at all for Seth to
bring her back to that fine edge between "almost" and "already."

Bella knew she was close, and she could tell Seth was just as close
as she was because his thrusts lost rhythm. She realized she'd lost
all track of Jake until just that moment as she watched him lean over
to kiss Seth deeply. As Jake kissed his way down Seth's chest, his
long hair caused fire to lick across the skin it brushed. Bella gasped
as Jake's mouth lowered to where she was joined with Seth. She
lifted her head so she could see his tongue laving both Seth's cock
and her clit. When Jake turned his full attention to her clit and sucked
it, humming, she could feel her entire body go rigid as her orgasm
slammed into her, causing her to do a backbend the likes of which
she hadn't done since she was in tumbling class as a child.

Oh, holy mother of fornication…

When she came to, gasping for air, she could feel hands massaging
her temples, other hands making soothing strokes down her back,
and still more hands rubbing circles into the large muscles of her
thighs. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find she was
straddling Jake's naked body, her legs wrapped around his back and
his cock cutting a wet path across her belly. He kissed her deeply,
wetly, and she began to squirm against him. She felt him position
himself to enter her and groaned as he helped her slide smoothly
down his body and onto his cock until he was situated deep within
her.

"Fuck… good…" she gasped. It seemed to be as much as she was

able to string together verbally.

"Gonna get so much better," Jake replied, then lifted his ass off his
feet and pushed his hips up into Bella, impaling her on his cock. Her
body clenched in response to his movement, and Bella threw her
head back as she felt the coil of arousal tighten again quickly. Hands
quickly provided assistance to help her not lean too far backward,
keeping her in place for the deep fucking Jake was providing. She
could feel the electricity running from the men into her, through her.
She felt a part of something much bigger than herself, and she
understood why someone would want to participate in something like
this even if others said it was wrong.

It sure as hell doesn't FEEL wrong…

Suddenly, Jake stopped his movements, and in addition to all the
other sensations the men were evoking, Bella felt a hand smooth
down her back, over her ass, and forward. Bella assumed that the
fingers were joining Jake's cock inside her, so she was stunned
when the hand stopped just behind that area, and began tracing
circles around a place she didn't even allow her waxer to go. Sam
breathed hotly, "Have you been taken here?" Her hand flew from
around Jake's shoulders to grab at the offending hand. Calmly, she
moved the hand away from its exploration and stated emphatically,
"No."

Bella could hardly concentrate as hands continued to stroke,

massage and fondle other parts of her body while Jake rolled his
hips, sending sparks throughout her system. Sam continued, "It's a
very intense feeling, beautiful. Since you haven't, I'd only use one
finger… and you'd find out just how amazing it is…"

Fear of this unknown caused her limbs to shake. "What if it… hurts?"

"Say the word and it's over, Bella." Sam vowed. "I know how to make
it feel good, I promise…"

With a shuddering breath, she nodded. Jake adjusted his hold on her
legs and lifted his hips again, and as he reached his highest point,
he fastened his mouth to hers. As his tongue danced into her mouth,
she felt him pulsing his hips back and forth, turning the sparks that
had been fanned earlier into a widespread conflagration. Bella felt as
if the moans she emitted were originating right where Jake's cock
was hitting inside of her. She could feel sweat beading up on her
skin, making her sensitive to the slightest breeze, the deepest breath
that fell across it. She felt a warm, slick, wet pressure from Sam's
finger as Jake pressed upward again, and within seconds, she felt
the breach. The resulting explosion of sensation caused her to
scream in incoherent pleasure.

"Fuck, yes, beautiful, let us know how much you like that…" Sam
hissed in her ear.
Burning inside and out, Bella tried to escape, but neither forward nor
backward movement offered her any relief. The fire licked at her,
made it difficult for her to breathe…

In just a few synchronized pumps of Jake's hips and Sam's finger,

Bella was devoured by the flames. A few more, and she could feel
Jake release into her, his face a picture of peace and pleasure.

Jake continued his warm assault on her mouth as she shook through
the aftermath of their joining. Sam kissed droplets of moisture from
her neck and licked his way across her shoulder blades. Bella felt
drunk and alert and present and disconnected - they all met and
melded within her, just as the men had. As Jake left her body, she
could feel him move her legs, repositioning her onto her knees in
front of him, with her legs on either side of Sam's, who was kneeling
directly behind her. Jake pressed his forehead to hers, saying,
"Thank you for sharing yourself with me," and with a final peck, he
moved to the side, leaving the space in front of Bella bare. She
shivered as the air caressed her bare chest and wet pussy.

Sam's arms wrapped around her, his chest pressed tightly to her
back. "One more, Bella. I know you can handle it, so I'm not going to
make it too sweet. You understand?"

Bella nodded.

With his right arm moving to her hip and pulling her against his stiff
cock, his left arm moved from around her waist and caught the hair
from her right shoulder and pulled it so that all of it hung over her left
breast. His hand took a side trip to her breast, plucking and soothing;
it then danced across her skin, landing in between her shoulder
blades and pushing her slowly forward into a bow. She caught
herself on her hands.

"Does this position bother you, beautiful?" Sam asked.

"N… no." She breathed heavily. "Not bothered." Her breath fluttered
as Sam's hand slowly dragged down her spine. She felt his cock
brush between her legs then steadily press into her. Toes and fingers
clenched in response. She could feel every point of contact they
shared as if a pure live wire was touching her body.

Then he began to slowly pull, push, pull. She felt her arms and
calves tighten even further. A pair of lips began dragging up and
down her spine, as two warm hands tried to soothe the thick tension
in her leg muscles.

"Easy, now, Bella, let us help you relax…" Seth's voice begged hotly
in her ear. "We only want to please you. Let us do that for you."

Plenty pleased, young one. May combust if there's much more

pleasing…

Hips slammed into hers, causing her to yelp in surprise. She could
feel Sam's hands on her hips pulling her back onto his cock, his
thumbs pressing into the middle of her back causing her to angle her
hips downward. With his next thrust, Bella threw her head back, eyes
scrunched closed, a silent scream on her lips.

Fuck, yes, fuck fuck fuck…

"Tell us how you feel, Bella… Do you like what Sam's doing to you?"
Seth spoke again.

"Fuck, yes, fuck… fuck… fuck…" Bella chanted. Hearing Sam's

moan and the wet slap of their joining revved up Bella's desire.
"Har… harder… God… harder!"

Sam's growl sent shivers through her. The grip on her hips tightened,
and the force of his thrusts increased until Bella could hardly hold
herself upright.

A hand landed on her clit, rubbing the nerves into overdrive. As she
came, Bella's entire body jerked forward, and her arms gave out.
Only an arm thrown under her torso at the last minute prevented her
from landing on the rock face first. As something soft was quickly
shoved under her before she collapsed completely, she felt
movement behind her, noticed that arms appeared in her line of sight
from behind her. Some small part of her brain recognized them as
Sam's. He leaned over her, his sweat-slicked skin sliding against
hers, his thrusts slowing greatly, his breath bellowing into her ear.

After what seemed like hours, Sam finally moaned deeply and
released into her; she was gratified by his instant collapse onto her
back.

Are you worn out, Sam? Me, too. Feels good, doesn't it?

Bella could feel lips descend all over her body: ears, neck,
shoulders, hands, calves, the bottoms of her feet. With Sam's weight
on her, she couldn't lift her head to acknowledge it, so she simply let
them press their reverence into her skin without comment.

Bella noted while she dressed that they'd obviously had experience
with outdoor sex, as things were provided to her before she even
thought to ask for them - water, wet wipes, an antibiotic cream for the
small scrape on her knee when it fell off the padding, a substantial
something to eat, a six-pack of ale. The men dressed faster than she
had and were quickly cleaning up the site, which left Bella with the
impression that the next person that came along the path would
have no idea anything had happened here.

Bella noticed the endorphin let-down begin and sighed. "I'd best be
headed back. That was an amazing experience, but it made me
pretty sleepy. I don't want to be too tired to make it back down the
mountain."

Paul spoke up from across the clearing, where he was repacking.

"Why don't you let me give you a piggy-back ride back to the car," he
said. "Don't want you going off alone."

Bella zipped up her own pack. "Sounds good. Thanks." Standing,

she stretched, pleased at the soreness she could already feel
settling in. Looking around, Bella noticed that all of the men were
avoiding looking at her eyes, as if letting her decide if she wanted
more contact. "Hey, now, I want a kiss from all of you before I go,"
she scolded. Seth was the first to look up at her and bounce to her
side, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving her a short but
powerfully hard kiss. Jake sidled up next, wrapping Bella in a full-
body hug and placing warm wet kisses along her jaw, followed by a
small peck on her lips. As he released her and moved away, Sam
stepped forward. His hands smoothed up her arms to either side of
her neck as his tongue explored her mouth. Bella lost her equilibrium
and clung to him for balance. As he finished his deep kiss, he held
onto her arms until she stopped swaying.

Since he was the farthest from her, Paul came up to get his kiss last.
Dropping his backpack to the side, he pulled her in close, pressing
his chest to hers, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her while
he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling and scraping it with
his teeth. As he sat her down, Bella reveled in the fact that Paul's
cock was hard and pressing into her belly, and then realized he
hadn't been inside her like the others. He'd pleased her, but she
hadn't pleased him. Sam's earlier words flew into her mind as she
broke the kiss with Paul.

Putting her mouth to his ear, she whispered, "Sam said you liked
being watched - is that true?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Paul nodded.

Bella lowered a hand to his tented pants. "This week I learned lots of
things about myself. In addition to liking being watched, I learned the
proper way to suck a cock. Would you like me to show you?"

Paul swallowed deeply. "I would love for you to show me," he
rasped.
Bella stepped back just enough so that she could unfasten his pants
and shove them down his hips. "I want the rest of them to watch us,"
she said loudly enough for her voice to carry. Then she peeled off his
shirt and threw it somewhere behind her.

His eyes darted around the clearing to be sure Bella had been
heard. "I don't think they'll be able to look away, beautiful."

Kissing her way down his chest, she removed her shirt, bunched it
up, and threw it under her knees as she knelt in front of him.
Dragging his pants down as far as they would go, she sighed.

"You have such a beautiful cock, Paul." Bella looked up at him. "I'm
going to enjoy this very much." She noted that Paul's eyes flickered
around to verify the other men were watching before returning to her
face.

Oh, I'm going to put on quite a show for you, baby, don't worry…

"Not as much as I will…" he groaned as her mouth closed over him.

She pressed her breasts into the front of his thighs and ran her
fingers up the back of his legs, finishing by digging into his gluteus
muscles. His hands threaded into her hair, lifting it up off her neck,
although he made no attempt to direct her movements.

As she slid her mouth down the right side of Paul's cock, she heard
a voice to her left whisper, "Damn…" Bella looked over to see Seth
watching her intently. "So beautiful…"

"Looks… good?" Paul asked. Bella licked the other side of his cock
so she could show off to Sam and Jake, both to her right.

"You should see how beautiful her mouth looks on your dick, Paul,"
Sam enthused.

"Feel… it…" Paul bit out.

Bella noticed that when she scraped her teeth lightly up Paul's cock,
his hands tightened and his head fell back, his face turned up to the
sky. He needed to reset his feet in order not to fall backward.

"Yessss…" he hissed.

She stopped momentarily. "Did you like that?" she asked.

He pulled her mouth back to his cock. "Don't stop, God, please…"

Smiling, she continued her ministrations, reveling in every moan and

hiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jake stand and move
behind Paul, wrapping his arms around his chest, helping Paul keep
upright as she pushed him higher into the stratosphere. When she
felt Paul gently push and pull her head to the rhythm he wanted, she
knew he was close.

"Gonna… come…" he warned her. "So… fucking… good."

Bella looked up into his eyes and increased the power of her suck,
humming in pleasure at the thought that she was going to make him
come. His pleased grunts turned into one long groan as he let go,
her mouth flooding with his warmth. He sagged into Jake's hold for a
moment, and then gently pushed Jake's arms aside so he could
kneel. Paul kissed Bella deeply, arms encircling her and tongue
probing and swirling his appreciation.

"Thank you, beautiful."

"You're welcome," she replied, rubbing his back. "I'm glad you're
happy."

"Let me get cleaned up, and I'll get you back to the car," Paul
offered.

"I'm sure someone else cou-"

"I want to do it. Please."

Bella nodded. He turned and sat, pulling his pants up to the tops of
his thighs, then standing and finishing the job. Bella stood and threw
on her way-beyond-wrinkled shirt as Paul fastened his belt, then
half-knelt in front of her.

"Hop on," he encouraged. Bella nodded, threading her arms through

the small backpack Carlisle had sent with her, and then she settled
herself on his back for the not-too-short hike back to the car. Paul
said not one word about the effort it took to carry her, and she was
too blissed out to ask about his comfort.

As they reached the car, Paul opened up the passenger's side door
and let Bella slide down his back. Turning to brace her from collapse,
he eased her onto the seat. Retrieving her backpack, he pushed it
into the back seat and returned to her door to help her move her
leaden legs into the car, pressing a kiss to her lips before shutting
the door, rounding the front of the car, and sitting in the driver's seat.
He silently drove her down the mountain, returning her to her section
of the ranch without incident.

After a long soak in the whirlpool bath, Bella wrapped herself in a

robe and sat down at the desk with the room service order she'd
placed and the cards Carlisle wanted her to fill out on her
experience. She couldn't seem to get anything written down. Looking
at the four cards with four different pictures of four different men,
Bella realized she didn't see the experience as four different
encounters. It was one large encounter for her; she couldn't pull it
out into separate events.

Once she realized why she'd been having difficulty, it was easy to fix.
She took several pages of full-sized stationery out of the desk, and
wrote all of her thoughts and feelings on her afternoon; on the
energy, and the heat, and the closeness - how she better understood
the connectedness to the universe Felix tried to describe to her,
better understood that her desires were powerful, and she didn't feel
wrong when following them, even if they were unconventional. Once
she was finished, she gathered the pages in her hands, tapped the
edges on the desk to straighten them, folded them neatly and placed
them in an envelope with the blank cards Carlisle had sent.

Releasing that obligation with a deep sigh of pleasure, she padded

over to the bed and crawled in for a good night's sleep.
Rough Rider
Chapter 10 - Rough Rider

Bella entered the sun-lit dining room and stopped short.

Well, this is a harsh reality.

She'd walked into the small, private dining room to find Carlisle, just
as she'd expected. She wanted to tell him about the power she'd felt
yesterday with all of those men focused solely on her. How much
she'd liked knowing they were all aroused by her, that all shared
satisfaction with her - she was starting to like the sense of power her
sexuality provided her. But she couldn't.

Carlisle was at their usual table, and the table next to him was also
full.

Four women sat, quietly sipping coffee.

What the HELL does he think I'm going to be doing today?

Carlisle looked up then and saw her.

"Bella! You're here… good. Now we can get started."

"Just what the hell do you have on the agenda for today, Professor?"
she challenged, ready to object to his plans for the day.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Carlisle smiled pleasantly. "You're

spending your last full day here having a spa day."

Bella stared at him. "Is that code or something?"

"No, Bella, it means you're having a spa day." He picked up the note
card sitting next to him, and Bella recognized her own handwriting.
"When I asked you what you wanted out of your time here, Bella,
you said you wanted to 'turn heads,' be 'alluring,' be a 'vixen'; these
women are here to help you do that. Think of it as scrubbing away
the old, shy, weak, less confident Bella, the one who waits around for
things and wonders why they don't come to her."

Bella thought on what he said then eyed the women suspiciously as

they chatted quietly over coffee. "I suppose they'll do," she huffed.

He chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry you're displeased. These women take

care of Alice when she stays here. They're the best."

Bella sighed deeply. "So that's how this ends? Four women and a
spa day?"

I'd rather have four men and a hot tub. Are the guys from yesterday
available?

Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "That's the last of your planned

interactions, yes. You don't leave until tomorrow morning. After the
women are done, your time is your own. I'm at your disposal to
arrange any sort of encounter you'd like or to arrange an evening
with any of the men you'd like. Simply ask, and it's yours."

Bella's eyebrows shot up. "Anything?"

Carlisle nodded.

Bella sat back. "Well, let's get this spa day started, then."

Seven hours. The four women had plucked, prodded, buffed,

polished, massaged, and tortured her for seven hours. She couldn't
believe that women voluntarily paid good money to have this happen
to them on a regular basis. She barely put up with the waxing
appointment Alice always dragged her along to, much less seven
HOURS of this… enforced beautification.
But looking in the mirror back in her room, she did have to admit she
looked good. They'd cut her hair into long layers and piled it on top
of her head. They'd made her eyes look even bigger than they
already were. They painted her finger and toenails a fire engine red.
And her skin seemed to glow from within.

But it was what was in her eyes that really stunned Bella. She
remembered phrases from her first card, the one Carlisle had shown
her at breakfast, thinking of the words she'd written nearly a week
ago.

… I want to know what turns me on…

… I want to know what turns men on…

… I want to be less nervous and find the confident woman inside of

me…

… I want men to see me. I want to turn heads, be a tease…

… I want to be alluring. I want to be a vixen…

They'd fixed the outside of her - she did look alluring, like a vixen.
But it was the confidence in her eyes that stunned her. She knew
enough now - about her own likes, her own desires, and she was
convinced that she could please a man. The power that knowledge
gave her coursed through her.

Taking off the robe she'd been shoved into while the women worked
on her, Bella stood in her plain white panties and flipped through her
laundered clothes until she came upon her white lace eyelet
sundress. It screamed innocence. Before, it just made her look
young. Now, it would make a nice contrast to the mature look she
was sporting. After she put on her flats, she laughed at the picture
she made - sophisticated hair and makeup, little girl clothes.

I'm gonna blow someone's stack in this outfit, for sure.

Strolling from her room, she headed to the dining room, eagerly
looking for Carlisle to show him her new, improved look. When she
didn't find him there, she sauntered down the hall to his office.

Knocking on the open door, she peeked inside. While it looked as if

he'd had been there recently, he wasn't there now. Her eyes flashed
over to the chair Carlisle sat in during Jane's demonstration, and his
red leather desk chair brought a flush to her cheeks.

Running a hand along the top edge of his antique desk as she
circled it, she smiled at the emptiness of it. There was evidence that
he was using his credenza as his desktop for the time being.

How much did you enjoy my challenge, Carlisle? What do you feel
when you look at this desk now?

Too hyped up to wait for him to return, Bella checked the few other
rooms available to her. Nothing. Frustrated, she decided to head
back to her room and see if she could reach him by phone. Her
decision made, she turned and headed for her room, only to stop
after a few strides.

The car. Surely it was still outside? She walked briskly for the entry
door and saw the car parked under the carport, just as it had been
left the night before when Paul had driven her back from her very
strenuous… hike. After finding the keys in the center console, she
adjusted the seat and the mirrors and drove away from the ranch as
quickly as the car would go.

She was halfway to nowhere when she realized she didn't know the
way off the property, much less where to go after she found her way
to the main road. Foiled, she took in her surroundings. Seeing a
corral with horses off in the distance to her left, she made a quick
decision and wrenched the car in that direction.

As she got closer, she noticed the barn off to one side, men and cars
and horses moving about it in a knowledgeable dance. She pulled
the car up to the least-busy side of the barn and took in all of the
men moving past her windshield.

Fuckin' hell, it's like a movie of maleness.

She noticed strong shoulders, long legs, powerful thighs, flat

stomachs, muscled arms… she'd never seen men quite this way, as
individual pieces and parts to be admired. Was it wrong to objectify
the men walking by her? Was this how she'd see men from now on,
as components that fired her libido? She wasn't sure she liked that.

She needed to stop ogling the men walking by and get out of the car.
After extricating herself from the little car without too much difficulty,
she headed for the large open doors in the middle.

A man leaving the barn was headed away from her but turned her
way the second he caught her out of the corner of his eye. He looked
like he belonged there: dark hat, worn jeans, dusty t-shirt, even
dustier boots. Bella didn't like the cool, appraising look he gave her,
his dark eyes running hotly from her head to her toes, stopping to
take in the way her dress exposed the tops of her breasts.

"Now, how can I help you, honey?" he offered.

"Can you tell me where Jasper is?" Bella asked.

"I don't know that I know him, sugar. Surely I could help you? Maybe
give you a… personal tour of the barn?"

You know, I don't like your tone, asshole. Maybe I should send you
Jane's way… bet she could beat it out of you…

"Is there another horse ranch on the property?" she asked as

sweetly as she could manage.

"No, honey, this is the Big H Ranch. Only horse ranch around for
miles and miles."
Bella's irritation got the best of her. "Well, then, why don't you take
me to the boss? You know, the guy named Jasper?"

An older man walking by her and into the barn stopped and turned
her way. "I'm heading that way; I'll be happy to take you to him."

"Thanks," Bella replied. Staring daggers at the first man, Bella

followed the second into the barn.

"Don't mind James, ma'am. He never has known how to talk to a

pretty lady. Had a stick up his as-… back ever since I met him." The
man took off his hat and ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked
grey hair. Pointing to an open door, he offered, "Boss should be in
through here."

Bella turned to face the older man and smiled. "Thanks."

Dropping his eyes to the floor, he replied, "It's nothing, ma'am. Have
a good day, now."

Bella walked into what looked to be a very large storage room. Lining
the walls that she could see were photos of men standing next to
horses, little bits of metal and strips of leather, shelves holding
blankets, and what looked to be oddly-shaped triangular sawhorses
that held saddles. Men that were walking in and out of the room,
either taking or replacing items on the walls and shelves, all seemed
to slow down and stop what they were doing as they noticed her.

Don't get a lot of womenfolk around the horse barn, I'm guessing.

Bent over analyzing one of the saddles on the wall opposite her, a
tall man captured her attention. She took in his red plaid shirt with
the sleeves rolled up, jeans, cowboy boots and dark cowboy hat with
gusto. It took her a few seconds to realize it was Jasper.

Damn. I'd forgotten just how sexy that man is. How did I do that?
His hands pulled at the leather, lifting and turning it to examine
something. When he was finished, he picked up a clipboard and
wrote down his results. Dropping the clipboard afterward, she could
see his back tense and pull through his thin shirt as he lifted the
saddle and returned it to the empty slot along the wall.

Damn, look at those shoulders. Wonder what they'd look like as he

flexed himself into…

"Why the hell is everyone just standing around?" Jasper asked

suddenly. "Get back to work!" Then he turned around and saw her.
"Bella?" he called. "Well, aren't you all fancied up?" Walking over to
her, his eyes flashed in appreciation. "Oh, wow, it must have been
spa day, huh?"

"Do I look that overdone?" Bella teased.

Jasper laughed. "Hardly, beautiful." Taking one of the curls artfully

framing her face between his fingers, he continued, "You look like
innocence and experience combined." Jasper tucked the curl behind
her ear, leaning in to growl, "Fancy makeup with the cute little
sundress… you're like a walking contradiction. Makes a man want to
know which one is true."

"I'm not even sure I know which one is true," she countered, hooking
her fingers in the belt loops of his jeans.

"Don't you?" he snorted. "I do."

Well, don't keep it a secret, cowboy; tell me, for God's sake…

Realizing she wasn't going to answer, he stated, "It's all true."

Reaching out to wrap a hand around her hip, he pulled her closer to
him. "You're a bit innocent, a bit eager, and your eyes say you know
a hell of a lot more than that dress says you know." Licking his lips,
he continued, "It's very… enticing."
Bella felt her body swaying toward him, full of desire. "Have you
missed working for Carlisle yet?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Wish I'd delayed taking the job for a week. But
how was I to know you'd show up?"

Bella dropped her head but kept her eyes on him. "Have you thought
about bringing a woman out here to the barn?"

Swallowing loudly, Jasper shifted his hips a bit. "It's crossed my

mind. But there are other people around, men working with the
horses."

Seize the moment, Swan! Show him what you've learned this week!

Moving one hand to his neck, she pulled his head down to hers and
purred, "I guess I'd better be nice and loud, then, so they can know
what a stud you are, huh?"

Jasper groaned and then bit out, "Why are you here, Bella?"

Because I want you to fuck me, cowboy.

"I would think that's obvious. I want to fuck you."

His head reared up at the unexpected answer. Glancing around to

be sure they weren't being overheard, he continued, "Why me?
There are lots of men back at the house."

Head held high even through her blush, she said, "I think I like it
rough, and I want you to help me find out."

Eyebrows lowered, he asked, "Again, why me?"

Leaning in to whisper in his ear, her voice laced with desire, she
said, "I trust you to do it because I know you can be gentle. You left
me without getting off, so you have some control. You're the only
cock I didn't get this whole week. What reason would work best for
you?"
Jasper cleared his throat. "One of those reasons is fine. Rough,
huh?"

Making eye contact, she nodded. "Rough. Raw. Primal. Can you do
that for me?"

Taking a deep breath, he responded, "I think I can handle that."

Glancing to the door, he instructed, "Follow me," his work-roughened
hand grabbing her wrist and stalking to a side room she hadn't
noticed before. Bella barely processed him giving directions to some
men as he scrounged around in a beat-up old desk.

She fidgeted and wondered if she'd made the right decision in

coming here. It was what she wanted, she assured herself, and
Jasper would make the experience good for her. She steeled her
nerves and waited.

With a shout of satisfaction, he lifted a shiny silver rectangle from the

drawer, slammed it closed, and pulled her to the back of the room,
down a darkened hallway, and into another part of the barn. Finally
letting go of her wrist, he stood on a bale of hay, flipped open the
rectangle, and placed it up in a high corner of the room.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked.

"All sexual interactions at the ranch are filmed, Bella - it's a rule.
Surely you knew about it?"

"Well, I heard Aro and Carlisle talking about… wait, all interactions?"

"It was on the release forms you signed when they took your blood
work. Didn't you see it?"

Oh, back when I thought this was REALLY a spa? "Must have
missed that. But I haven't seen cameras before…?"

He hopped down, landing right in front of her. "In the house, they're
all hidden. Every room. Lots of angles."
Bella gasped in surprise. "What about outside?"

"You mean at the flat rock? Yeah, lots of cameras trained on that
rock." Jasper moved her to a small space surrounded on three sides
by horizontal slats across from the corner where he set up the
camera. "Stand right here while I check it, okay?" he commanded
and then hurried back up on the hay bale to check that she was in
frame.

Well, I guess this is where the magic is going to be happening…

In her moment of inattentiveness, Jasper had reappeared by her

side. He turned her to face him and pushed her back against the
wood rails, stepping back to take her in. Licking his lips, he took a
deep breath. Bella felt the heat of lust radiating off of him.

"Say again for the camera what you want, Bella."

Gulping, she replied, "I want you to fuck me."

"How?" he encouraged.

Eyes locked to his, she said, "I told you I wanted it rough… raw…
primal."

"I want something in return," he advised.

This is taking for-fucking-ever. I'm moving things along.

"Oh, really?" Raising her eyebrows, she moved her hands to the
back of her sundress, unzipping it as he continued.

"I want you to use those amazing red nails to scratch the hell out of
my back. I want to feel the marks for days. Deal?" he growled.

Eyes wide at the request, Bella replied, "Deal," as she dropped her
dress to the floor. "Get undressed, Jasper. This all works better if
you're naked."
He toed off his boots as he raised his arms to the back of his collar
and roughly pulled his shirt from his body. His socks soon followed
the boots, and then he unbuckled his belt.

Bella stood in her white panties, aching for him to continue. When he
paused, she egged him on by saying, "C'mon, Jasper, let me see
your cock. I didn't get to last time, and I've been thinking about it all
week…"

Jasper slowly unhooked the five buttons holding his jeans together,
and then folded the sides down, pulling them slowly off his body.
Bella was pleased to see he wore nothing underneath them, allowing
his cock to bounce free as soon as his pants cleared his hips.

What the hell is it with the men around here not wearing underwear?

Bella moaned in pleasure at the sight before her, and then lifted her
eyes to his. "So good, Jasper."

"Get up on the slats, Bella," he rasped.

She looked at him in confusion. He stalked over to her, his cock

bouncing. He turned her around to look at the wooden fencing
behind her and instructed, "Put those cute little shoes of yours on the
lowest slat."

She took in the five horizontal slats running the length of the stall.
Turning back around, she bit her lip and asked coyly, "Do you want
me to face you or the wall?"

Threading his fingers into the base of her hair, he growled, "How the
hell are you going to scratch up my back if you're facing the wall,
woman?"

Nodding her agreement, she backed up to the wall. Lifting her feet
high enough to catch on the first slat, she hooked the very small heel
over the wood. Her position threw her completely off balance. Her
breathing accelerated as she realized that any movement would
leave her falling face-first onto the floor. "I'm gonna fall…"

"I won't let you fall, sweet thing. Put your arms up around this rail,"
he instructed, moving her hands to the slat now situated at her
shoulder level. Her breath caught as his heat bled into her and his
cock left a wet trail across her stomach, right above where her
panties sat on her hips.

Stepping back after she'd gripped the slats, he analyzed the

situation. "Perfect," he muttered.

"You want to know if you like it rough, Bella? Let's find out." Grabbing
her breasts, he squeezed them forcefully, flicking his thumbs over
her nipples. "Do you like that?"

Shifting her hips, Bella drew in a sharp breath. As Jasper's nails

scraped at her breasts, he insisted on an answer. "Do… you… like…
it?"

"Yessss…" she hissed. "Oh, God, y…"

Before she'd finished her answer, Jasper's mouth landed on hers

forcefully, his tongue pushing into her mouth and his body pressing
her into the wood behind her. He bent his knees, dragging his body
down the front of hers, and she could feel his cock as it slipped
between her legs. Then she felt his hands grip the rail behind her
hips, and he leaned his torso back slightly as he pressed upward,
causing his cock to strain against her panties.

"Fuck, Bella, can you feel how good that's going to be?" he moaned
raggedly. He dipped his mouth down to caress hers then moved his
hands to her hips as he stepped away. "Stay right there, sweet
thing." His hands fumbled for his pants, which had fallen halfway
down his thighs. Pulling them back up so that he could reach the
pockets, he extracted a small object that Bella didn't recognize until
the blade clicked open.
Whimpering, Bella stared at the knife. Her breath heaved as he
moved closer.

Wait a minute, just what the hell are you going to do with a KNIFE?
Wait wait wait stop stop stop… what the hell was the safe word
again? Why isn't my mouth working?

"Don't move," Jasper commanded. He threaded a finger through the

legholes of her panties, pulled them away from her body, and slipped
the knife between the panties and her skin. With a quick jerk, he
made them a useless piece of material, left dangling from her waist.

Okay, that was a LOT hotter than I thought it was going to be…

Jasper replaced the knife in his pocket and pushed his pants down
his legs again. Pressing his hard body to hers, he demanded, "How
rough, Bella?" One hand reached between her legs, testing her
readiness for him.

No questions there, cowboy, I'm all KINDS of ready for you.

He pushed his fingers into her. She couldn't clear her head enough
to formulate an answer.

His hot breath teased her forehead as his hand moved and shifted
against her, fingers coaxing more wetness from her. "How… rough…
Bella?"

"Fuck me, oh God, just fuck me, Jasper!"

Fingers quickly moved out of her, and she moaned as they were
swiftly replaced with the tip of his cock. "Last chance to back out,
Bella," he warned. "After this, I'm gonna fuck you until you can't walk
straight."

Promises, promises. Bella giggled as her mind travelled back to their

first encounter. "Giddyup, cowboy!"
Her giggle turned into a high-pitched squeak as he impaled her on
his cock. She loosened her grip on the upper rail so that she could
lower herself, spreading her legs farther out and letting him deeper
into her body. His thrusts started off punishing, and by using the
wood behind her as leverage, they quickly rose to brutal. He kept his
torso angled away from her, so that his eyes could stay glued to her
breasts.

Hell, they're bouncing so hard they might just leave my body entirely.
Boobs fucked right off.

"So… fuckin'… perfect," Jasper bit out between heavy breaths.

"Knew… you… would be."

Bella unwound one arm from the slats and wrapped her hand around
Jasper's neck. "Can't… reach…" she got out.

Getting her message, he pressed his chest tightly against hers and
moved his arms under her knees, latching his hands to the top of the
rail behind her hips and pulling her feet right off the one she'd been
standing on. Afraid of falling, she wrapped her arms around his
waist, her hands clinging onto his shoulders and holding him tightly
to her. Pressed all the way into her, he rotated his hips, causing them
both to groan in response. Bella lightly ran her nails down his back
as she reveled in the warmth of his skin pressed to hers.

"Harder," he asked, leaving his chest pressed to hers, but pulling his
hips back. "This hard," he commanded, slamming them flush with
hers in demonstration.

She curled her fingers and ran them down his back again.

"Better!" he encouraged. "Again!"

She brought her hands back up to his shoulders and waited for his
next plunge. She worked deep scratches into his sweaty back while
yelling his name in pleasure at each new thrust from his body. Soon
after she started, she felt herself becoming unhinged, and the
scratches went from coordinated to frantic, reaching and scraping
randomly as she neared orgasm.

"Fuck… fuck… Jas… per…"

"So… good… come… on…" he implored. "Come… come… come…"

Bella threw her head back, slamming it into the wood behind her as
her body tensed. Her orgasm arched her back, throwing her chest
out as her nails marked Jasper's back, sides, and ass. He roared in
pleasure, slamming his entire body into hers several more times until
his release hit, flooding her with his warmth. He collapsed against
her, body shaking and lungs gasping for air.

Bella struggled for her own air as she took inventory of her body.
Jasper's body was keeping her upright; his arms under her knees,
his chest pressed to hers, his cock in her pussy. She hummed,
running her fingernails lightly across the heat coming from his back.

Holy shit, his back is on fire! What the hell did I do to it?

"Too… much?" she asked quietly, indicating her meaning with light
scratches.

"Fuck… no," he replied. "Too… much… for… you?" he asked, lightly

flexing his hips.

The harsh gasp of pleasure gave away her answer before she shook
her head. She protested with a groan as he removed himself from
her body and then lowered her legs, rubbing her hips with his large
warm hands to help get the circulation going again. "Hurt?" he
wondered, trying to look in her eyes.

"No," she shook her head again. Lifting her eyes to his, she said,
"Feel fine."

He pressed his mouth to her temple, her cheek, under her jaw, and
finally to her mouth, his tongue reacquainting itself with hers. His
hands stroked her body, helping to dry the sweat accumulated on
her skin. After a few minutes of rest, he pulled away from her and
moved her out of the stall to a small storage box just outside the
gate.

"Sit down," he directed.

As she sat, he pushed her shoulders back so that her back rested
against the wall behind her. Using her knees to pull her forward, he
knelt in front of her.

"Wait, what… ," she protested, "I got…"

"Shhhh," he chided. "I'm not letting you leave her with just one
orgasm, Bella." He smiled up at her, lifting a leg over his shoulder.
"Since I'm sure some of the gossips on my crew are listening in
instead of doing their work, I have a reputation to make."

Bella chuckled. "And you want me to help you make it, huh?"

Eyes twinkling, he replied, "All you have to do is yell my name a few

more times. I'll make it worth your while…"

Heat zinged along her body, and she replied, "Well, since you put it
that way…"

An hour later, Jasper escorted Bella out of the back room, through
his office and to the large barn doors leading outside, her dress back
in place, hair finger-combed into as much order as she could
manage, with a mysterious smile on her face and her head held
high. Several men watched, eyebrows raised, as she sauntered
happily toward the main door.

As she reached the glorified golf cart, Jasper pressed Bella against
the side of the car and whispered, "I'm so glad you came to see me
before you left, Bella," before leaning down to give her a steamy
kiss. She had enough presence of mind to realize that men all
around them were stopped in their tracks, staring at the two of them.

You wanna see what a little hellcat your boss just handled? Let me
show you!

Bella fisted the back of his shirt in her hands and lifted it up to the
middle of his back, letting anyone watching see the deep red marks
she'd left on him.

Jasper moved to her ear and teased, "Showing off your handiwork?"

"You wanted respect, didn't you? I left some major marks on your
back. Might as well show them off for you."

"Thank you for that, Bella. I'm so glad I get to feel you for days after
you go."

She grinned. "Me, too."

Pulling away from her, he sighed. "Be well, Bella, and only accept
five stars, okay?"

She nodded. "After being with you, how could I accept anything
less?"
Primal
Chapter 11 - Primal

Bella spent the night thinking.

Thinking could turn into a good thing, such as when she was able to
figure out new ways for her best friend to get out and about without
the paparazzi catching wind of it, or it could be a bad thing, such as
when a two-page college writing assignment turned into War and
Peace .

Bella thought about how this week had changed her. She wasn't the
same person she had been when she got here - she could definitely
tell that trying to fit herself back into the very specific mold she'd
created in order to be Alice's assistant would be extremely tough.
She'd have to learn how to do her job with this new confidence
radiating from her. She wondered if it would be that noticeable to
others that she'd changed.

Sometime during the night, she'd packed up her room, readying

herself to leave. She napped in fits and starts, realizing that Carlisle
hadn't told her exactly what time she would be leaving, just that this
morning was her last. She played around with the thought of staying;
perhaps she could work in the kitchens or the barn and have access
to amazing, five-star sex all the time. But thinking on it, Bella realized
that the fact that five-star sex was so rare was part of what made it
so special, and she just knew that if she were to find a man that
engaged her heart as well as her mind and body, the experiences
here at the ranch would seem… tame… by comparison.

So, Bella thought, time to get back to real life. She turned on her
phone and waded through the myriad of messages that had been left
for Alice from everyone, as well as the numerous messages to her
from Alice. Just as she'd finished triaging the messages into stacks
of importance so she could begin dealing with them, a text message
came through that stopped her in her tracks.

ABStar: Code Shitstorm!

What the hell is Code Shitstorm? I remember Code Asshole and

Code STFU, but what the hell was… oh, NO…

Bella frantically dialed Alice's number. She picked up on the first ring.

"Just what shit has hit what fan, Alice?" Bella demanded.

"Now, Bella, let's not get all worked up over -"

"You're the one who texted 'Code Shitstorm,' Alice - start talking right
now!"

"I'm stuck in a blizzard. And even if I could get to the airport, all
flights are grounded for the next few days."

Bella paused a moment in shock at the news. "Only you, Alice. You
didn't think to leave when you saw there was a blizzard headed your
way?"

"Well, in my defense, I hadn't been keeping up with the Weather

Channel while on vacation…"

"Are you shitting me, Alice? It's winter, and you're in Vermont !"

"I know I messed up, okay? I know your vacation doesn't end for a
few more days, but I just need you to get me out of here as soon as
possible."

Bella sighed. "How much leeway are you giving me?"

"It's Saturday, and I absolutely need to be at the studio Tuesday for

the press junket. I'll do whatever you need me to… a couple of pics
with the local fire department, an appearance at a future fundraiser; I
mean whatever, Bella."
A loud knock sounded at Bella's door. She guessed it was time to
go.

"Okay, I've got to run. Let me work on something and get back to
you…"

"Thanks, Bella," Alice sighed from the other side of the country.
"You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah, be packed and be ready to go, okay? I'll call soon."
Bella hung up the phone as she opened the door to her room. A man
she hadn't seen before handed her a notecard and offered to take
her bag downstairs. She rummaged around in her handbag to find a
gratuity for him, but by the time she found it, he and her bag were
gone.

Ah, yes, this feeling of inadequacy is a familiar one. Don't let it get to
you, Swan, you're not the same woman who arrived seven days ago.

She looked at the notecard in her hand. She could tell by the familiar
handwriting that it was from Carlisle. The message was short.

Please come see me in my office before you leave.

Sighing, she picked up her purse, took one last look around her
room, and headed out.

Head buried in her phone, Bella entered Carlisle's office in a tizzy.

"You don't happen to know anyone in New England, do you? I have
to perform a superstar extraction…"

She stopped as she took in the scene before her. Carlisle was
standing next to the roaring fireplace in his office, one of his hands
gripping the mantle tightly, his attention focused on the French doors
that opened out on to the helipad. A shiny blue and white
monstrosity waited to take Bella back to her old life. She sighed in
disappointment, and he turned to face her then, his eyes full of the
predatory gleam they'd held the first time she'd met him in this very
room, and a bit of… what was that? Irritation? Anger? Frustration?

"You asked me to come see you," Bella restarted her conversation.

"Is there something wrong?"

"You couldn't have waited here five more minutes yesterday? I only
left the room twice, for five minutes each time," he bit out. "Instead
you head out to the horse barn, and Jasper didn't give you what you
asked for."

"What?" she asked, feeling her body respond to the promise in his
tensed form. "I don't understand. I got what I asked for."

Eyebrows raised, he answered, "You told Jasper you wanted

something primal; I have enough experience to know what a woman
means when she says it." Lust laced his tone, turning her into a lit
fuse. "But it's too late now, Bella. It's time for you to go. The pilot's
waiting."

Bella moved into the room, setting her purse down on a table next to
the chair she'd sat in for Jane's demonstration. "You're paying him -
he'll wait."

"You need to leave, sweet Bella," he huffed. Closing his eyes,

Carlisle took a deep breath. "You know, I pride myself on my control,
but I'll be damned if I don't keep hearing your voice in my head."

Bella was familiar with hearing other people's voices inside her head.
"What does my voice say?"

Clearing his throat, he huskily replied, "It says, 'I'm dying for you to
fuck me, Carlisle….fuck me fuck me fuck me,' just like you did two
nights ago. And I'll be damned if I don't want to do exactly that."

Her mouth suddenly dry, Bella asked, "Is that such a bad thing,
Professor?"
He opened his eyes, staring out the window at the helicopter waiting
to take her away, continuing as if he hadn't heard her. "I don't usually
allow myself to be that intimate with first-time guests. I mean, I have
to keep some mystery, give women a reason to come back to the
ranch." Here Carlisle turned to face her, eyes burning with desire.
"But you, dear Bella, if you don't leave, I will fuck you."

I am sooo not opposed to that… now how to encourage it? Appeal to

his pride? His ego?

Heat flashed through her, totally unconnected to the fire roaring

halfway across the room. Bella gulped and moved to the empty
antique desk where she'd taunted Carlisle a little more than thirty-six
hours ago. "You're right. I should go."

She could see him nearly vibrating with energy as he answered her.
"Yes. Go. Now."

Bella ran her fingers over the leather inlay of Carlisle's desk, eyes
seeing into the past. "Yes. I will. After all, you've had your hands all
over me, and I've sucked you off and spanked your ass. There
doesn't need to be any more between us. I certainly don't need to
fuck you." Bella licked her lips, hoping her next comment would send
him over the edge. "And come on? You? Primal? I just don't see it."

Carlisle stalked across the room, arriving at her side by the time she
was finished speaking.

Note to self; in the future, keep an eye on the man you're taunting.

He wrapped an arm around her and used the other to bend her body
over his spotlessly clean desk. She lit on fire as his heat and weight
pressed against her back from thigh to shoulder. A hand threaded
through her hair, lifting her head so that his breath was hot in her ear.
"Why not me? I'm a good fuck. Hell, I'm the BEST fuck. You've seen
my cock - it's amazing! And I know just how the fuck to use it."
Bella shivered in anticipation. Feeling his already-hard cock through
the thin skirt covering her backside, Bella groaned and writhed in
pleasure.

Okay, why the hell does Carlisle losing control turn me on so fucking
much?

Jerking lightly on her hair, he continued, "Tell me yes, Bella. Tell me

you want me to fuck you. Say it just like you did the other night….
Fuck me fuck me fuck me… ," Pulling her hair again, he demanded,
"Say it!"

Does it really matter why? No, it does NOT. Now to get my brain to
work right…

"Fu… fuck me, Carlisle… fuck me fuck me…."

She heard him mutter, "Damn right, I will," as one hand ran up the
back of her right leg, dragging her skirt up with it. Suddenly, his hand
left her leg and darted to the space between them.

"Ohhhh, tempting little Bella, why are you not wearing panties to
come see me?" Carlisle growled, flipping up the skirt of her sundress
as he leaned back to take in her naked lower half. His free hand
fondled her, stroking, pinching, and piercing her body as she wiggled
in pleasure. Bella felt the hand gripping her hair loosen and take up a
new position between her shoulder blades, pushing her body down
toward the desk.

He covered her body with his again, and she had a hard time
distinguishing her heavy breaths from his. Even with his mouth
pressed to her ear, she could barely hear Carlisle's snarl over the
blood pounding in her veins. "I want you to lick my come off the
desk, Bella. I've been waiting two days for you to lick it up…."

Yes, sir, Professor, sir. Anything else I can do to push you over the
edge right now so you just get to the 'fucking me' part?
Bella began making kitten licks to the desk, humming in pleasure.
She whimpered as his fingers left her body, but then heard loud
sucking noises as he licked her arousal off his fingers. She heard a
popping sound, and immediately afterward his wet fingers traced the
highest line of skin exposed on her back.

"Taste so good, so sweet, my sweet Bella…"

His hands shifted, pushing her sundress higher up her torso as he

ran his hands up underneath her to fondle her unclad breasts. "So
soft, Bella. Can I tell you a secret?"

Bella whined her agreement, wiggling her hips back into his.

"Part of my job is to train men how to please women. But I never

teach them everything I know." Her body began to shake at the dark
promise in his voice.

His hands left her to rip his shirt buttons and cuffs open. Not even
bothering to remove the ruined shirt, he quickly returned to her,
urging her right knee up. "Climb up on the desk, Bella. Up on all
fours."

Her body complied before her brain could form an objection, and
Carlisle quickly dipped the fingers of his right hand back into her
body. The angle was different, however, and Bella could instantly tell
that the pressure was greater, his fingers scraping inside her in an
unexpectedly pleasure-laden way. His left hand dragged her dress
up over her head, leaving it in a heap around her wrists, before he
laced his arm over her shoulder, his hand skimming the soft skin of
her belly.

"What… there's a… I don't….wait…" she begged, trying to make

sense of the electricity running through her.

"No waiting, Bella," he barked, his fingers pulling and pushing her
straight into the stratosphere. "You're going to come all over my desk
just like I did. We're going to be together forever on the leather of my
desk."

Bella's arms shook with the lustful passion radiating from him. Her
head felt too heavy to hold up anymore, and she dropped it, able to
see shadows of his movements play out on the desk beneath her.
Her breath started to hitch, and he laid his head down on the middle
of her back, groaning, "That's it, beautiful Bella. Be primal. Put your
mark all over my desk." His left hand stretched from her belly to her
clit as the fingers inside her circled and pressed her right over the
edge. She could hear her scream echoing and feel her body contract
as her orgasm crashed through her, her wetness splashing her legs
and dripping onto the leather inlay.

Indistinct murmuring filled her ears. Her arms hung uselessly from
her shoulders, her weight settled on the masculine arm underneath
her torso.

If you're trying to tell me to do something, wait until I can understand

English again, okay?

Extracting his fingers once again, she could feel his wet hand wrap
around her thigh and drag the bottom half of her body off the desk,
her legs shakily holding up her body as Carlisle's legs stepped
between hers, his hips pressed into hers again, pinning her to the
desk.

Tugging the dress from her arms, he threw it aside, and then threw
his own ruined shirt to join it. Bella groaned as she heard the clink of
a belt buckle being loosened and the rasp of his pants as gravity
worked on them. Then she felt the heat of his cock as it rested in the
cleft of her ass. With his slight motions, she noticed that she could
feel the hairs on his legs as they tickled the back of her knees.

A hand threaded into her hair again, and Bella's arms flew out to
brace against the desktop as her head was snapped back to
Carlisle's mouth. His hot breath seemed to send a spark straight to
the center of her arousal. "In my experience, when a woman says
she wants something primal, she wants to be taken." Tilting her head
away from him, he scraped her neck with his teeth, fanning her fire.
She could feel his free hand move to take himself in hand, and he
grasped his cock and moved his knuckles and the tip of his cock
over her pussy, emphasizing his point. Returning his mouth to her
ear, he hissed, "Is that what you want? To be taken?"

Bella's chest was heaving with the desire for more oxygen. She
couldn't remember the last time she'd breathed, much less how to
form words. She tried to nod against the grip he had on her hair.

"Of course you do," he responded, pushing into her slickness in one
long stroke. With his hips flush with hers, Bella's toes scrabbled for
purchase on the floor. Her hands slid on the wet surface of the desk
as Carlisle pulled her hair sharply.

"You want rough, raw, primal? I'll give it to you," he rasped, once
again covering her body with his. His hands wrapped under her body
and around her shoulders, pulling her back into him repeatedly as
his hips rotated and flexed. Bella matched his grunting with her own
as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.

Bella had barely enough presence of mind to try and take in what
was happening to her - just what it was about this moment that had
her racing to an orgasm. She was being fucked by a confident,
powerful, sexual being. He was overcome with lust for her. She was
in a bit of discomfort; she felt the handle of his desk as it bit into her
thigh muscle, experienced the edge of his desk grinding against the
crease of her legs and torso, suffered the too-tight grip of his fingers
into her shoulders. She was also aroused: she felt his sweat-soaked
chest sliding along her back, heard the sounds of pleasure he was
making, reveled in the knowledge that she'd shaken this man from
his tightly-held control.

Carlisle forced her torso down, and she had to use her elbows to
keep her face from grinding into the desk. With every thrust he
made, her elbows slipped farther and farther apart until she could
feel the tips of her breasts scrape along the black leather, dragging
through the wetness she'd left there. The resulting shocks of
pleasure from the added stimulation forced harsh cries of pleasure
from her.

Whatever gods exist in the universe, I would like this moment to go

on forever and ever, amen.

But she knew it couldn't last and felt her orgasm approaching quickly.
Her cries turned to pleas as she chased the tingling pleasure.

He released her shoulders and stood, one hand wrapped around her
hip, still pulling her onto his cock. His other hand rested at the top of
her ass, his thumb tracing circles around one opening as he
pounded into the other, setting off the conflagration that consumed
her. Her toes curled so much that she couldn't reach the floor
anymore, and her body fell to the desk, sliding along the desktop as
he continued to pump into her. Her stomach muscles shook as her
body clenched around him repeatedly. She kept waiting for him to
follow her into the fire, but he seemed immune.

A hand stroked down her back, over her ass, down her thigh, and
back up repeatedly, soothing her overloaded body. Again, she heard
words being formed, but was unable to process what was being said.

What… hell… happened?

The talking began to clear into words. "So sweet… beautiful…

Bella… feel so good. But I'm not done with you yet."

She could hear metal clanking behind her, but had no energy to lift
her head and see what caused the sound. Suddenly, her hair was
brushed over one shoulder, and one of Carlisle's arms wrapped
around her hips, holding her tightly to him as his feet moved outside
hers, and then she was pulled backward into his lap as he sat in the
red leather chair. Her body was draped over his like a blanket, her
forehead pressed into the crook of his neck as she struggled for
breath.
"I've been dying to fuck you in this chair for two days, Bella," he
growled, his hands running down her thighs to the inside of her
knees, "ever since you teased me by not letting me see that pretty
pussy of yours." He turned the chair to face the credenza behind
them, and Bella could see his computer set up and his webcam on.

He gripped around her knees, separating her legs and placing them
over the arms of the chairs - the same position she'd teased him with
two days ago. She looked at the recording of him on the screen as
his eyes feasted on what he'd revealed, his hands slowly drifting to
her center, where his cock still rested inside her.

"Such a pretty pussy, Bella," he breathed, stroking the outside lips.

"Look at how you turn from deep coral to such a beautiful, deep red."
His fingers ran over her clit. "And look at how your clit begs to be
touched…"

Bella moaned at Carlisle's filthy commentary, oversensitivity causing

her to flinch away from each new caress. His hand drifted higher, to
her breasts, and he plucked and flicked the tips of them as he
whispered, "Your body is made for pleasure, Bella. Never forget it."

With that, he stroked his hands down her body again, ending up
behind her knees. Lifting her legs, he placed them back between his,
her feet together on the floor. He leaned her forward slightly, gently
guiding her hands to the edge of the credenza. "Hold tight, now,
Bella," he warned, as he shifted his hips down in the seat and she
felt his feet hook behind the wheels of the chair.

What the hell is he warning me about now? I mean, what else

could…

Carlisle's hands gripped her hips tightly, and he pushed her up off his
cock, using her knees as a pivot point.

Oh shit oh shit, ohmyGod is he going to…

With no warning, he pulled her roughly down onto his cock, causing
her to scream out in pleasure. She could feel her legs burn from the
strain almost immediately as he continued to push and pull her off of
him, his speed increasing and her cries raising in pitch and volume.

Her head lolled on her neck as her screams turned to whimpers and
her back arched inward, trying to seek some sort of relief from the
physical overload. A hand tangled in her hair again, bowing her
shoulders back and causing her chest to jut out. She could see her
breasts bouncing on the computer screen, and one part of her brain
registered that Carlisle would have video of her tits forever.

"Oh… God… I'm… Fuck…" she panted, trying to warn him.

"That's… it… that's… it…" he replied, flexing his hips higher, urging
her toward completion.

Screaming, she came. Carlisle cursed and flexed into her a few
more times before following after her. She immediately collapsed on
top of him, gasping for breath and trying to process what had just
happened. His hands roamed over her, stroking and soothing her
shaking body. All too soon, realities forced his body to leave hers.

Carlisle turned the chair back around to face the desk and opened
his top left drawer. He tossed her black panties from two nights ago
onto his desk, then reached in the drawer and extracted two cloth
handkerchiefs, using one to clean Bella, and the other to clean
himself.

Lifting Bella up, he turned her around on her shaky legs and propped
her ass against the right side of his desk, then adjusted his pants
and buckled his belt before bending to retrieve his shirt. After
throwing it on his shoulders, he quickly fastened it and then retrieved
her dress. After pressing his clothed body to her naked one, he
kissed her wetly.

I don't… wait… let's do that… did he want to do that aga… no, don't
put my dress ON…
"Lift your arms so I can put on your dress," he told her.

If I don't say anything, maybe he'll get the message I don't want to do
that…

Putting her dress down, he lifted her arms up and shook them a little
to get her to lock them. Then he slid the dress back down her body,
running his hands down the wrinkles to smooth them out. Her hands
gripped the front of his shirt, trying to center her balance.

Well, hell, that 'being silent' thing didn't work at ALL…

Then he turned his attention to his desk. Standing next to her,

Carlisle tossed Bella's panties from their previous encounter back in
his drawer before running the handkerchiefs over the surface of his
desk, their moisture darkening the leather momentarily. When he'd
finished, he hummed in pleasure.

He leaned into her side and whispered hotly, "I may have to buy a
new office desk. I think this one needs to move into my private
apartment immediately." Kissing her temple, he turned to his
credenza, made a few clicks, and the computer began to whir in
response. Opening a new window, he huffed, "The pilot is worried
about the delay in your departure." With a smirk, he looked over his
shoulder at her. "I wonder what he'd say if he knew what caused it."

She stood on her newborn-colt legs and fumbled over to him,

threading her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek to the
center of his back. Why the hell are we talking about the pilot? She
hummed in pleasure. "That was perfect, Carlisle. Thank you."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Bella." Gently extracting himself from her
arms, he turned back to his desk and opened the next drawer down
on the left side of the desk. Taking out a leather-covered box, he sat
it on his desk, glancing at her before lifting the lid and removing a
leather-bound journal. Looking into her eyes, he held it on his
flattened palms and offered it to her.
"We don't often do this for our guests, but I wanted you to have this.
It's a bound copy of all of your notecards, so that you can remember
the progress you've made here this week."

Stunned, Bella opened the book and looked at the first page. In
Carlisle's inimitable handwriting, she saw "Bella's Journey" at the top
of the page and his mantra, "Appreciate All, Regret Nothing," at the
bottom. Flipping through, she spied photos of all the men she'd been
with at the ranch, along with her notes on her experiences with each
of them. She clutched the book to her chest and looked up into
Carlisle's eyes.

"Thank you so much, Carlisle… I'll always treasure this, you know."
She thought about hugging him again, pressing her body to his, but
felt it might be inappropriate now, as he seemed to be distancing
himself from her.

"I hope so", he said, brushing his knuckles across her cheek.
"There's also a memory stick with video of every encounter,
professionally edited." He turned around and pulled a memory stick
out of the computer on his credenza and held it up. "All except for
this last one. I'm afraid this is only the raw footage. If you want, I can
send you a nicely edited copy, or as per our policy, I can destroy all
recordings immediately upon your departure."

Bella inhaled sharply and grabbed the stick out of his hands. "I want
every angle of this encounter. You can't take any of it away from me."

Carlisle wrapped his hand around her neck. "While there are
extensive notes on your preferences, they are only in paper format,
and are not easily connected to your name." Kissing her softly, he
continued, "So that we remember what you like, just in case you are
able to come back."

Bella snorted softly. "I can't even imagine what Alice paid for this
week… but I know it's out of my price range. I think I'll have to be
content with what I've learned this time. It's been quite the journey of
discovery for me, but it's time for me to go home."
As Carlisle nodded, his cell phone buzzed. After taking it from his
pocket, he answered it.

"Yes? Yes, she's here… we had a few things to finish up with the
paperwork. We'll be right down. Okay, thanks." Finishing the call, he
replaced his phone in his pocket, and picked up the box from the
desk. Bella gently laid her book back inside, and added her memory
stick to the one already in the box. Standing, she took a deep breath,
and then took the box from his hands.

"I can't thank you enough, Carlisle. I learned so much…"

"It was all inside you, Bella. We just gave you the opportunity to find
it."

Bella nodded. Retrieving her purse, she placed the narrow box
inside, and then hooked the long straps over her shoulder. "I'm ready
to go."

He offered her his arm and escorted her out of his office.

Carlisle walked her out of the building and up to the helicopter

passenger door, opening it and offering her his hand for balance.
She stepped up, settling into the seat and buckling in, her purse
gripped tightly in her hands, as if she couldn't bear to let it go. Taking
her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and pressed them to the
back of her hand gently before saying, "Safe travels, sweet Bella. I'll
miss you."

Backing away, he closed and locked the door. Bella watched him as
he walked backward out of the prop wash of the helicopter blades.
His hand rose to cover his eyes from the strong winds as it lifted.
She watched him as the helicopter rose into the sky, wondering if it
was a trick of the light or if he really was that sad to see her go.

Bella felt a small tug on her heart, and wondered what it would have
been like to stay at the ranch, to spend more time learning about her
desires with Carlisle, who seemed to know her so well. But she knew
she couldn't live in a fantasy world forever. She had to get back to
her real life and get Alice back to Hollywood as soon as possible.
The Mouse that Roared
Chapter 12 - The Mouse That Roared

Bella sat back on her couch in her most comfortable clothes with a
celebratory glass of wine and patted herself on the back for
managing to free Alice from the clutches of blizzard-bound New
England.

Superstar extraction is my superpower, after all. Who knew?

Luckily, her police chief father had contacts who had friends of
friends who were willing to help her accomplish Alice's escape. All it
took was sending Alice on the trip of a lifetime - riding with a retired
former small-town police chief on the back of a snowmobile (sans all
but one small piece of luggage, which almost caused a mutiny),
traveling with two different off-duty members of the National Guard
Reserve in SUVs with supposedly snow-worthy tires (one of which
slid off the road), and trembling through a dangerous 15-hour drive
on treacherous but relatively empty roads to the closest open airport
- in New York City.

After all that, getting Alice on this evening's red-eye to LAX and
having her met by a limo with a hair and makeup crew stashed
inside ready to transform her into Alice Brandon, Superstar, in time
for her press junket tomorrow morning was simple in comparison.

As she allowed herself to unwind, her eyes flicked to the book she'd
received from Carlisle, sitting on her side table where she'd left it the
last time she'd looked at it. Before she could stop herself, her hand
caressed the leather cover and then opened the book. Flipping open
the pages filled with pictures and her handwriting, Bella recounted
last week.

She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought of Jasper's slight
Texas accent saying, "… I felt compelled to say you're beautiful
because you are… ," and hummed at the thought of his talented
tongue.

Her heart sped up as she looked at Emmett's picture - one of his

underwear ads, of course - and thought of his unabashed
appreciation of sex. "Hmmm, you are so turned on. You liked my
little show a lot, didn't you, Bella?" Remembering his appreciation of
her breasts, she allowed the hand not holding the book open to
burrow under her shirt so that she could caress her breast the way
he had.

Turning the page brought Demetri's hot, wet kisses to mind. She
licked her lips as her memory recalled him saying, "So sweet, Bella.
Are you as juicy as the peach? I bet you are…" Her hand drifted
from her breast, down her stomach, and under the waistband of her
pants. She tried to replicate Demetri's movements as she thought of
Marcus's rapt attention. "Bellissima Bella. So beautiful. Are you
close?…"

" Can you feel the energy we're creating, Bella? You set me on
fire…" Thinking of Felix - his tree-trunk thighs, his powerful hands -
caused Bella to moan in delight. She slid down the couch so that she
could have better access to her body and allowed herself to wonder
what he would have been able to do if they'd had access to furniture.

As she turned to the next page, Bella's skin flushed. She'd disturbed
the unflappable Carlisle, blackmailing him into teaching her how to
please a man with her mouth. She felt her pleasure increase as she
thought of his praise. "I do believe that was A+ work, Ms. Swan…"

And Aro. She almost couldn't get her mind around how much
sensuality he radiated. "Let me thank you once again, goddess, for
letting me see the depth of the beauty you possess…." Bella found
herself thinking of his selflessness; his willingness to pass on his
sexual knowledge to the next generation as a clear sign of a man
confident in his abilities.
Turning to the next page, all her mind could picture was Carlisle on
all fours on his desk, cock brushing and leaking on the leather, his
eyes focused on her, attuned to her. As the hand on her clit picked
up speed, she began to whimper in time with her memories of him.

The group: Seth, Jake, Sam, and Paul. She had a picture for each of
them, and her long missive about her experience with them had
been cut and pasted onto the back of all four pictures in the order
she'd taken them into her body. As she used her hand to mimic their
penetration, Sam's words floated back to her. "All you have to do is
say what you want, Bella, and I'll make sure it happens. Okay?"

Jasper again. His unabashed staring in the barn, shocked at the

image he beheld. "You look like innocence and experience
combined… you're like a walking contradiction. Makes a man want
to know which one is true…." Her hand flew back to her clit, her body
reacting to the memory of his mouth in the same location.

Carlisle. Her body rushed to finish as she thought of his eyes drilling
into her soul. She clenched at the thought of his feral power barely
caged. "Your body is made for pleasure, Bella. Never forget it," he'd
growled at her. As she began to fall into her orgasm, his voice came
to her again. " It was all inside you, Bella. We just gave you the
opportunity to find it…"

Melting into the couch in the wake of her orgasm, her hand clutched
tightly around her sexual journal, Bella gasped for breath. As her
heart stilled, she turned to the final page, her fingers running over
the text of the Ikkyu poem Carlisle had quoted to her the first day of
her stay. One line kept leaping out at her like a beacon to lead her
into a new life.

Today is your birth day

Awaken
Facing the contents of her closet, getting ready to go back to being
Alice's personal assistant, Bella acutely felt her feminine power and
realized none of her standby work "uniforms" would work for her any
more. She'd always worn something dark and unflattering that would
not in any way draw attention away from Alice, and she'd pulled up
her hair because she thought it made her look older, more worthy of
respect. Looking at herself in one of those "uniforms" in the long
mirror and thinking about it now, she realized that it may have just
made her look tired and unhappy. If she dressed up like that today,
she'd be portraying some sort of shadow Bella. Her inside was so
much more vibrant; she just needed to figure out how to translate
that vibrancy to her outside, to the part she showed the rest of the
world. She took off the offending clothes and frantically pulled all of
her old standbys out of the closet, flinging them into a pile to be
given away later.

The poem said "wear what your lover likes"… what would a lover like
to see me in?

Leaving her hair down in thick waves, Bella shook her head,
watching it swing and move around her. She noticed it was long
enough to brush against her nipples, and she smiled at the memory
of Felix's fascination with it. She knew what one lover liked, at least.
She'd start there.

… Revel in your body… Feel your surface… what would feel good
on my surface?

Smiling at the picture she made in her one expensive bra and panty
set, she decided to wear an ice blue silky shirt thin enough that she
could feel the movement of her hair, even though she would need to
wear a sweater or jacket over it to make it look professional. She put
on a short, flippy black skirt, purchased on a tipsy shopping spree
with Alice years ago when the fame was new, before Alice was on
every tabloid and being out in public made her a target of fans and
creeps alike. Then she applied a minimal amount of makeup - just
enough to emphasize her eyes and highlight her lips.
Taking in the picture in the long mirror now, she looked much more
approachable and relaxed. This was the Bella she wanted to be -
well, maybe with the addition of power shoes. Alice swore by power
shoes - ones that you put on and felt powerful in. Bella focused on
comfort in the past but thought maybe she should try power on for
size. She went to the "goody closet" - it was really more of a room -
where Alice stashed all the freebies designers sent to her until the
room was full, then donated the entire contents to various charities.

Thank god Alice and I wear the same size shoes, if nothing else!

After a short search, Bella pulled out a pair of black shoes with such
a high heel she was sure she'd fall immediately. She decided they
couldn't be power shoes if she was frozen in place, so she kept
looking. Finding a pair of heels with a buckle across the ankle, Bella
thought they were the perfect example of what Alice meant when
she said "power shoes." Grabbing the shoes and a random very
large shoulder bag in bright blue, Bella went back to her room,
slipped the shoes on in front of the mirror, shouldered the bag, and
looked at her new uniform, loving her new look.

Well, here it is, folks, the birth of New Bella! Hollywood beware!

After moving the tools of her trade from her old messenger bag to
her new stylish purse, Bella grabbed a grey tailored jacket and
scooted out the door ready to face her day.

As she headed into the studio's Media Center, Bella was,

surprisingly, greeted at the door.

"Hello, and welcome to the Media Center. Television, print, or

electronic?"

Bella stared at Leah, a woman who, during each of Alice's pictures

with the studio, had simply waved her through the Media Center
reception area and on into the back rooms. Did she really look that
different?
"I'm not press. I'm Alice Brandon's assistant."

"We still have Bella Swan listed as Ms. Brandon's assistant, so I'll
need to see your ID and give Ms. Brandon a call."

Bella tilted her head and stared at Leah for a few seconds. Realizing
that awareness was not going to suddenly bestow itself on the
gatekeeper, Bella fished in her purse for her driver's license.

"I don't know what it is with everyone around here," Bella muttered,
handing her ID to Leah. "A woman gets a simple makeover, and
everyone heads right off the deep end…"

Gratified at Leah's shock in seeing the name "Isabella Swan" on her

ID, Bella snapped the card from Leah's hands when she extended it.

"Wow, Bella… you look… amazing. Different. Shockingly different.

Did you… I don't know, did you color your hair?"

Bella felt no need to assist the woman in digging her own grave. She
simply stood there and watched it happen. "No."

Leah blanched. "There's definitely something different about you…"

First the guard shack, now this… I just changed my hair and put on
makeup, and everyone acts as if they've never seen me before…

Bella, done with this avenue of conversation, stated, "I really should
start setting up Alice's interview room. Can you give me her room
number?"

Flipping through the pages in front of her, Leah nodded. "Let me

verify, but I'm pretty sure it's Room 4. Yes, Room 4. You know where
it is?"

Bella barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "Sure. It's right
after Rooms 2 and 3. Thanks." She turned toward the side entrance
used by the studio staff.
She'd almost made it to the door when Leah called out, "Whatever
you did, Bella, you look fantastic."

Opening the door, Bella looked back, mumbled a "thanks," and

headed through the door and away from Leah.

Still shaking her head in confusion over her welcome, Bella entered
Alice's interview room and flinched. Someone at the studio was
simply an idiot or panicking unnecessarily - the interview room they'd
assigned to Alice was filled with potted palm trees.

Firstly, they'd filmed the desert scenes at Joshua Tree National Park
- not a palm tree in sight. Secondly, why would you want a palm tree
sticking out from behind your movie star's head?

Sighing, Bella sat her bag down and went to work re-organizing the
room. Knowing that the studio professionally adjusted the locations
of the chairs and lights, she began fixing the rest of the room. First,
she took two waters out of the mini-fridge and placed them on a
small table next to Alice's interview chair. Then she sat in the seat
and looked for anything behind the interviewer's chair that might
distract Alice - this was a lesson they'd learned early on. People
made all sorts of assumptions when Alice was distracted during an
interview.

Once Bella was assured there was nothing wrong with the view from
Alice's chair, she took off her jacket and began pulling the three
potted palm trees out of the room. The smallest one was easily
dragged to and hidden in the connecting bathroom. The second, a
bit larger, took some time to drag to a corner that wouldn't be in
Alice's sight line and would also be invisible to the interviewer's
camera. It was while she was dragging the very large third plant out
of the way that she felt someone's eyes on her… specifically, on her
backside.

Well, that must be quite the show.

Glancing over her shoulder to see a masculine set to the shoulders,
she huffed, "I'm sure there's something more interesting to look at
than my ass."

"Oh, I don't know about that," a deep, honeyed voice teased in reply.
"I think it's very interesting."

Bella closed her eyes and prayed to a variety of deities that it wasn't
the director of the picture standing behind her, blanketing the room in
that velvety sweet voice that stunned her senses. She'd had such a
difficult time thinking around him during the entire length of the film
shoot and felt like she'd left him with the impression that she was
mute.

You know that's who it is, Swan, so stand up and talk to the man.
He's just a man - like any other man. Now you know what to do with
all kinds of men. You can handle this hotness…

Furrowing her brow at her mental monologue, Bella stood up and

turned to face him, her long hair fluttering around her shoulders. She
immediately realized her memory hadn't done him justice. She'd
always noticed him - tall, trim, sexy, hazel green eyes lit from within,
with a lopsided grin and hair of an indescribable color that wouldn't
be tamed - but this time she was shockingly aware of his long fingers
and stubbly jaw and wondered what both of them would feel like on
her skin. Thank goodness she was already flushed from moving the
plant - it would cover up the flush of her arousal.

His eyes widened as he took her in. "Oh, wow," he said, smiling, "I'm
going to have to do more pictures here if they're going to put a
beautiful woman in my interview room."

Bella took a steadying breath. "Well, we should go check and see

what she looks like, then, since this is Alice Brandon's room," she
teased.

His grin lit up the room. "That can't be right. Alice doesn't have a
need to look at a beautiful woman. This has to be my room." He
moved to the other side of the palm tree, wrapping his preternaturally
long fingers around the trunk. "And why are you redecorating it?" He
looked around, trying to see where Bella intended to place the tree.

Bella pointed him to the closest free corner and replied, "The palm
trees are unnecessary and inaccurate. The desert scenes were shot
at Joshua Tree. There are only a couple of locations where you can
see palm trees in the park, and you avoided those during the shoot."

Placing the palm tree down in the corner she'd specified, he turned
to face her, taking her in from head to toe. "Do I know you? Were
you on the shoot?"

Bella sucked in a breath. Of course he hadn't noticed Old Bella. She

had gone around trying to be unnoticed. But New Bella had his
attention. So she avoided part of the question and answered the
rest.

"I'm Alice Brandon's assistant."

He laughed, bracing a hand on the wall by her head as he leaned in

to speak to her. "Is that right?" he asked, reaching out to tuck a piece
of hair behind her ear, running down the strand until the ends
popped from his fingers.

Do you like my hair, Mr. Masen? Do you think you'd like to see me
drag it all over your cock? 'Cause I'm totally willing to do that…

Bella was caught up in a haze of lust, wondering if she could

convince him to let her see his cock any time soon, when he ruined it
all by continuing to speak. "Well, you must be a new one - her old
assistant was a mousy thing; not like you at all."

Bella felt the sting of the comment and lowered her eyes, trying to
keep him from noticing her wince. "No, not like me at all," she
agreed, smiling enigmatically.
Just then a flurry of activity appeared at the entryway. Two men
carried in what looked to Bella to be new suitcases, placing them in a
stack by the door. Bella grinned. It didn't surprise her at all that Alice
had bought out half of the shops in JFK to replenish her wardrobe.

While the director was blocking the door from view, she knew that
the commotion just outside the door signaled that Alice had arrived.
A man who sounded like a mid-level manager was apologizing for
not understanding the importance of having Alice's bags delivered to
the interview room. Bella heard Alice accept his apology, and then
she entered the room in a flourish.

"Edward, it's so good to see you!" Bella heard Alice move across the
room and drop her bag near her interviewing chair. Bella frowned.

She knows better than to try and put that bag there. Gonna have to
pick that up when I remember how to move.

Edward kept his eyes and his half-smile on Bella as he answered

Alice. "Good to see you, too, Alice. How was Vermont?"

"Harrowing. You won't believe the story I have for you…" Alice
enthused. Looking around, she said, "Wait, am I in the wrong room?"

"Your beautiful assistant says it's your room. I'm just heading out," he
corrected, finally turning to face Alice. Bella stayed where she was
and took in the view of his backside.

"You've seen Bella? Where is she?" Alice demanded, heading over

to grab something out of one of her new pieces of luggage.

Edward lowered his eyebrows and turned back to Bella. "Don't feel
bad that you're so new she doesn't remember you," he stage-
whispered to her.

Bella let out a huge laugh. Oh, if he only knew…

"I won't feel bad," Bella giggled, smiling at his slightly confused
expression. "Promise."

Alice interrupted the moment. "What the hell are you going on about,
Edward? I don't have a new assistant - Bella's been with me from the
beginning. Hell, the only reason I'm here right now is that Bella
managed to call out the Vermont National Guard and break me out
of a raging blizzard…"

"To be fair," Bella piped in, stepping around Edward so that Alice
could see her clearly, "it was a couple of off-duty members of the
National Guard Reserve."

Edward's muttered curse was drowned out by Alice's squeal of

delight at seeing her best friend. She ran for Bella, wrapping her up
in a hug usually reserved for a long-lost relative. "Holy shit, woman,
you look great! I'm sending you to that spa more often!"

Bella laughed. "I don't know, Alice." Pulling away for air, she
continued, "They made me sit through seven hours of forced
beautification yesterday. That's just uncalled for, in my book."

"It may have been uncalled for, but it certainly isn't unwelcome! You
look amazing."

Bella looked her best friend in the eyes and softly replied, "Thanks."

A studio assistant charged into the room. "Is Mr. Masen in here?"

Bella looked over at Edward's face, surprised at the blank look it

held. "Uh-oh," she teased. "They found you."

Clearing his throat, he replied, "I'd better get to my own room."

Bella grinned. "Say 'hi' to the beautiful woman over there for me,
okay?"

With a pained look and a tilt of his head, he left the room.
Alice watched him leave and then turned to Bella. "What was all
THAT about?"

Oh, Lord, get her off this topic as quickly as possible! Divert, divert!

"Is your lipstick fading?" Bella asked.

Alice scanned the room frantically. "How much time do I have left?"

Bella looked at her watch. "Five minutes. Why don't you go fix it
really quickly before you take a seat?"

Alice smiled at her, hands gripping her arms tight enough to leave
red marks. Eyebrows raised, she announced, "We will be talking
about this later."

Sighing, Bella nodded slowly. "I guessed that we would be."

With a small squeal, Alice ran for her purse and then dashed into the
bathroom to make her final preparations.

Bella was impressed that Alice sat through four interviews before
cracking. During the change in interviewers, Bella brought Alice a
small compact and lipstick for touch-ups, and Alice attacked.

"So, who was there, Bella? C'mon, you can tell me… Riley? Liam?
Garrett? Oh, oh - did you get to spend time with Aro?" Alice's awed
tone of voice let Bella know she held him in high regard.

Bella's blush gave the answer away.

"Oh my God, you did!" Alice squealed. Lowering her voice, she
begged, "You have to tell me your number!"

"No, I don't!" Bella hissed. "That's personal!"

"I'll tell you my number first," Alice offered, powdering the shine off
her nose.
Bella softened a bit. As the next interviewer settled in, Alice pled her
case with her eyes. Bella fidgeted in place, unsure if she wanted to
share with Alice.

"Are we ready, Ms. Brandon?" the woman asked, obviously wanting

Bella out of her shot.

As Bella retrieved the makeup, Alice leaned in and whispered a

number in her ear. Vibrating with eagerness, she watched Bella as
she collected the makeup from her and returned to her seat in the
corner of the room. When it looked as if Bella wouldn't answer, Alice
lifted her eyebrows.

Oh, she REALLY wants to know - she just risked wrinkles to find out!

Bella relented, holding up three fingers on one hand and two on the
others.

Alice slumped, disappointed. Holding up all the fingers on one hand,

she mouthed, "Five?"

Eyebrows down, Bella shook her head. Moving the hand with three
fingers to one side, she mouthed back "thirty," moving the hand with
two fingers to the other side, she whispered, "two."

Alice sat in the interview chair, stunned.

Being a consummate professional, Alice was able to complete the

interview without too much difficulty. However, when all of the
interviews were released a few days later, some of her fans focused
on her stunned and spacey behavior in this one interview as
evidence that Alice Brandon was, in fact, a lesbian as they had
suspected all along and was completely enamored with the hot
female interviewer from The New Press .

Bella hated going to the studio cafeteria for lunch. First of all, the
food was terrible, which was generally accepted because none of the
movie stars actually ate their food anyway. Second, the "high-school-
on-steroids" atmosphere - awarding status determined by the gross
from your last picture, modified positively or negatively by awards
won and honors given, and always adjusted positively if you were a
director - was at once exasperating and mildly frightening. Those
farther down the Hollywood food chain were required to pay a sort of
homage to those farther up before even trying to get the food they
wouldn't eat. It was a strict Hollywood rule, like "don't turn your back
on the Queen," and you ignored it at your own peril.

Alice had mastered the game ages ago, and Bella floated along in
her wake as she deigned to visit only two tables - Harrison Ford's
first, and then director David Cronenberg's - before hitting the lunch
line. After Alice had directed them to a table off to the side, she
basked in the attention of several "lesser" stars as they entered and
left the cafeteria. Bella always saw it as a form of paying tribute to a
liege so that they would look on you favorably in the future.

Bella took it all in as she usually did, starting in on the lunch items
she felt were the least able to be damaged by the food service
workers - soup and salad. As Alice joined her, picking through the
salad to avoid the items she didn't want to eat, she turned to Bella
and said, "Thanks for getting me back on time, Bella. I don't know
how you did it, but it is a story for the ages."

Grinning, Bella replied, "I got the idea that it would be when you
called me asking if I knew that the crazy old man trying to get you
out of the resort said you could only take one bag. I thought you
were going to blow a gasket!"

Alice laughed. "Well, the interstate slide-off was nearly as much fun
as that one time we…" With a gasp, she quickly changed from
gregarious storytelling to panic. "Oh, what the holy hell is this?"

Bella turned in the direction Alice was facing to see Edward Masen
staring hotly right at the two of them. If Alice were not already
seated, she would have had to go to his table to say "hello," but by
no means should Edward Masen, director wunderkind of studio films,
be strutting toward Alice's table like he was right now.

"Oh no, no, no, no," Alice chanted.

Keeping her eyes on Edward while leaning in Alice's direction, Bella

whispered, "He shouldn't be coming to your table, should he?"

"He really should not be," Alice hissed in reply. "People are going to
think I'm a bitch and hard to work with if he doesn't back his shit up
right… this… second…"

Edward was still heading straight for their table. Alice gave a small
squeak and put a hand in front of her eyes.

Bella tried to be comforting. "I don't think he's going to stop here,
Al…"

Edward stopped at the far edge of their table and shoved his hands
into his pockets, looking as if he'd be willing to stand there forever
until he was acknowledged. Bella noticed the room grow quiet as the
other patrons noticed this extreme breach of Hollywood protocol.

"Okay," Bella whispered, turning her head slightly to her best friend.
"I was wrong. He did stop here." Upon seeing Alice playing "If-I-
don't-see-it-it-isn't-really-happening," Bella leaned over and
whispered hotly, "Are you five, Alice? He's not going to disappear, so
you might as well say something to him."

Alice snapped a dirty look at Bella and then looked forward,

managing to squeak out, "Edward - how nice of you to stop by. What
can I do for you?"

"Alice." He nodded in response. "I was hoping to be able to speak to

Bella."

Alice looked to Bella, an entire conversation passing between their

eyes, before turning back to Edward, who was still standing warily
with his hands dug into his pockets.

"So talk to her," Alice encouraged.

Facing Bella, he took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Bella, I

wanted to apologize for my rude comments earlier. I hope you'll
allow me to make it up to you. Would you do me the honor of joining
me for dinner?"

Bella could feel all the remaining air in the room leave in a "whoosh"
- not only had director Edward Masen approached actress Alice
Brandon's table, an utterly unusual thing to have happened in the
first place, now he was talking to her assistant? Old Bella would
have collapsed under the weight of the attention focused on her right
now. New Bella suddenly understood what Carlisle had said to her
last week - there was a lot of power in being a woman. She'd never
felt it before, and she reveled in it a bit, delaying her answer and
letting him sweat.

Alice was nearly dumbstruck at the event unfolding in front of her.

She did, however, realize that the rarity of the situation required an
immediate response. Closing her mouth, which had been hanging
open, she looked to Bella, who was gazing at Edward in a totally
unfocused manner. Frantically, Alice searched for her iPhone,
opened the calendar app, and answered for her silent friend. "We're
booked most of the week - a couple of photo shoots, fittings, the
usual. Bella might be free on Friday night, if she doesn't already
have a date."

Edward responded, still looking at Bella warily. "Friday would be

wonderful. That is, if you're available."

Bella smiled. "Alice doesn't have the latest updates. Let me check."
Bella pulled out her iPad, checked her calendar, and saw that Alice
had just made up the activities she'd told Edward about - in fact,
Bella noticed that Alice was in a script read-through for a new project
all week after today's press junket and before leaving on a worldwide
press tour, so she would not need Bella's presence at all the rest of
this week. Trying to keep her smug grin under wraps, Bella played
along with Alice's lead, knowing she knew more about this game.
"We are very busy this week…"

"C'mon, you can see I'm making a rather large gesture here…"

Bella sat up straighter, giving him a withering look. "Well, you were
rather rude, so that's only fair." She waited again, not to watch him
sweat this time, but to feel the power flowing through her. She looked
at her best friend and employer. "Alice, before I forget to mention it,
the Friday afternoon appointment got moved to next Tuesday." She
turned back to Edward. "That means, Mr. Masen, my time has just
freed up on Friday evening. "

"Is that a yes?" he asked hopefully.

Bella nodded. "Yes."

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, he replied, "Great. Can I
get your phone number so I can call you with the details?"

"Sure."

Edward pulled his phone out of his pocket and set it up with the
name Bella Beautiful, and then he handed it over to her. With a
smirk, she adjusted the name to Bella Mouse, and entered her
number.

Looking at the screen when she handed him back the phone, he
winced. "I'm going to have to do a lot of groveling, huh?"

Bella looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I think you may have
that right."

Standing to his full height, he replied, "I'm up to the challenge."

Giving her a slight bow, he continued, "I look forward to seeing you
Friday, Bella. Sorry for interrupting your lunch, Alice."
Alice, attempting to salvage public perception of this extremely
unlikely encounter, stood and offered her hand to Edward. "I'm sure
we'll be seeing each other again soon."

Suddenly noticing the extreme interest in the goings on at Alice's

table, Edward flushed and took Alice's hand. "It would be my
pleasure."

As Edward turned and headed for the cafeteria line, Alice whipped
around, sat down, and hissed at Bella, "Are you dickmatized? What
the hell has gotten into you?"

Bella shook out of her dream-state and answered her friend. "Lots of
things." Bella gave Alice a pointed look. "You're familiar with the
ranch."

Alice got starry-eyed. "It's like a little slice of heaven, isn't it?"

"It was a very educational place, that's for sure."

"Do you want to know what I've always wondered?"

"Whether Edward Masen knows how to use his long, thick fingers,
and whether or not they are in any way an indicator of what's he's
got behind his belt?"

"NO! Well, yes…" Alice sputtered, "but that's not what I… damn,
woman, that's what I'm thinking about NOW!" Muttering, she
continued, "If you do start dating him, that's going to be awkward…"

Bella turned in her chair and threw her arms around Alice. "Have I
thanked you yet for my week away?"

Alice sighed. "No. I was hoping you wouldn't hate me."

Nodding, Bella replied, "I could see how you might think that. It's a
very unusual gift. But I have a feeling it's a gift that will keep on
giving."
Alice laughed as she pulled away. "More like a gift that will keep you
coming."

Bella grinned and looked in Edward's direction. "I certainly hope so."
Oops, Did I Say That Out Loud?
Chapter 13 - "Oops, Did I Say That Out Loud?"

Arriving home after having dinner with her best friend, Bella
drunkenly stumbled up her stairway.

Behind her, Alice snickered. "Are you ever graceful?"

"No," Bella replied morosely, trying and failing to get her key into the
lock on her door. Alice sighed, took the keys from her hand, and
easily opened the door.

Bella noticed that, while not quite obliterated, she was well on her
way to plastered. She wondered at how alert Alice seemed.
Suspiciously, she asked, "Why aren't you as drunk as I am?"

Alice snorted. "'Cause you're a lightweight! You only had two drinks
and you're toasted!"

"Well, yeah, that's probably true." After a pause to kick her shoes in
the general direction of her coat closet, Bella turned to face Alice.
"Do you think that bartender was hitting on me?"

"Do I think so?" Alice headed for Bella's kitchen and began opening
cabinets. "Uh, yeah! Barely gave me the time of day - and you know
that's rare."

Bella thought about this new development in her life. "He's not as
pretty as Ed-ward Ma-sen…" she sing-songed.

Alice laughed from the other room. "Well, sweetie, few men are that
pretty. Are you excited?"

Confused, Bella asked, "About what?"

Exasperated, Alice replied, "Going out on a date with him Friday!"

Bella thought about it a minute. "When I stop to think about it later, I
think I'll be nervous. Intimidated. I mean, I couldn't even talk to him
during filming, he was so… so… pretty ." Bella sighed. "You know, I'll
probably feel like you sounded when you saw him heading toward us
in the lunchroom today." Bella lurched for the kitchen so she could
see Alice's face as she teased her. "Oh my God, Ali, the look on your
face when he was heading for us was priceless! You looked like you
just found out someone replaced your soy milk with really fattening
oh-my-God-how-many-calories-IS-that regular old milk!"

Reviewing the line-up of Italian fruit sodas and the bottle of amaretto
liqueur she'd placed on the breakfast bar, Alice looked up long
enough to give Bella a piercing stare in an attempt to head her
teasing off at the pass. Then she poured the contents of several
bottles into a glass and handed it to Bella.

Bella frowned. "If I drink much more, I'm going to start getting
handsy. I'm giving you fair warning."

Grabbing a bottle of water for herself, Alice chuckled. "What makes

you think that's not what I'm aiming for?" After taking a sip of the
alarmingly bright drink, Bella followed Alice into the living room and
joined her on the couch, both women turned to face the middle.

"Okay, I'm done avoiding the elephant in the room." Alice began the
"inappropriate comment" portion of the evening. "Holy shit, Bella.
You had 32 orgasms at once!"

"Not at once," Bella corrected primly. "One after another."

"You're a Sex Goddess! Who knew? Shit - I had 19 and I can't

remember half of them!"

"Well, I don't really remember all…"

"How long did it take? Do you even know? Aro must have quite the
stamina!"
"The details are pretty fuzzy. And it wasn't just Aro."

Eyes wide, Alice stared at her. "What?"

Shrugging, Bella continued, "He was training a new guy. Young."

Alice vibrated with excitement. "How young?"

Bella fished in her side table as she answered. "Creepy young.

Bieber young." Hoisting the book aloft, she cried, "Ha!" and turned to
the correct page. Then she held up the book so Alice could see.
"There - that's Alec."

Alice giggled. "Are you sure he was legal? And what the hell is this
book?"

"Claimed to be twenty. And you know, listening to Aro tell Alec just
what to do really ramped things up for me." Pointing at the book she
was holding up, she continued, "And this is my sex journal - all the
guys I had encounters with."

Snapping the book from Bella's hands, Alice flipped through it. "What
the hell did you do to get a journal?"

"Everything." Bella answered happily, sinking back into the cushions.

"God, it feels like I did everything." Sitting up suddenly, Bella cringed.
"Can you forget I just said that? Pretend it never happened?"

Alice's canary-eating grin lit up her face. "You know that's unlikely."
Flipping to the beginning of the book, Alice whistled and held up the
open book. "Who is this cowboy, and why haven't I met him before?"

Bella blushed furiously. "That's Jasper. I was thinking of leaving early

on, but he convinced me to stay."

Giggling, Alice asked, "Did he wave his magic wand?"

Earnestly, Bella replied, "No. He likes to use his mouth.

Everywhere." Catching Alice's eyes, Bella stepped up to the
"inappropriate comment" plate and knocked one out of the park. "Did
you know if a guy sucks on your toes just right it makes your pussy
throb?"

Shock coloring her face, Alice answered, "No." Alice's eyes dropped
to Bella's journal as she flipped to the next page.

Bella nodded. "It really does." Humming at remembered pleasure,

Bella continued, "And he was sweet, too. He called me beau…"

"Oh my God, is that Emmett McCarty?"

Sighing, Bella nodded. "How am I ever going to be satisfied with fast

food now that I've had gourmet meals?"

"What the hell are you babbling about?"

"It's a mefa..mef…" Bella stopped and collected her thoughts, then

started over. "Me… ta… phor. Food as sex."

"That's kinda out there, B," Alice stated seriously.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Bella asked, "How do you go on
normal dates after having been at the ranch?"

Alice sighed and answered in a serious tone, "I can't have normal
dates anyway, so I don't really have any advice to give you on that."

Bella looked over to her best friend teetering on the cusp of

moroseness and launched herself across the couch to pull her into a
hug. "We'll find a way for you to have normal dates, Ali, promise…"

"Doesn't matter." Eyeing the picture at hand, she perked up again.

"Was Emmett any good? Did he have any special talents?"

"Like what? Flower arranging?"

Alice snorted. "What did you do with him, B?"

Bella brightened. "Oh! I watched him jack off. Nice show! Then he
broke a two-year drought for me, and I got to watch the whole thing
in lots of different mirrors. It was awesome!"

Alice looked as if she'd swallowed her tongue for a minute. "Wow.

Okay."

"I mean, the man has no shame - at all. Why?"

"I'm thinking maybe I should arrange a relationship with him," Alice

declared.

"What the hell are you talking about, 'arrange' a relationship?"

"Just what I said. It's a win-win situation," Alice said excitedly. "I get a
hot guy to show off in public, awesome sex more often than the few
weeks a year I can get out to the ranch, and he gets great media
exposure as my boyfriend. Everyone wins!"

"What if you don't like him?" Bella asked quizzically.

"I'm an actress. I'll pretend to like him if he'll do a good job scratching
my itch."

"I don't know - I'd want to be able to talk to a guy, like I did with
Carlisle. He was soooo easy to talk to…"

Chuckling, Alice asked, "Did you do a lot of talking?"

"Sure!" Bella replied. "He was my coordinator-guy, so we talked

about how each encounter went, what I might want to try next…"

Alice looked confused. "You talked about all that stuff?"

"Don't you talk about that stuff?"

"Not really. It would get in the way of all the fucking."

"Well, then, how do you know what you want to do next?" Bella
quizzed her.

"I send a list ahead of stuff I want to do. They need prep time since I
like to role-play. You know, star quarterback and head cheerleader,
librarian and student…"

Bella turned a bit green. "I don't know if I want to know this much
about…"

"Oh, OH!" Alice shouted. "I have the greatest naughty secretary
outfit… that one was great! Liam ripped my panties right off during
that one!"

Bella cocked her head to the side. "Wouldn't that hurt?"

"I didn't care," Alice replied. Turning to the next page in Bella's
journal, Alice immediately identified the man in the photo. "Demetri!"

Bella groaned. "His mouth was so wet-perfect-soft. I need to think of

a word for that, because that's what his mouth was."

Alice nodded in agreement. "He is a world-class kisser, I agree."

Bella giggled tipsily. "His hands aren't bad either. And he was really
good with the dirty talk. He had lots of filthy, dirty words. I liked him a
lot."

Grinning, Alice responded, "I can tell."

"Do you know what else I like a lot? I like being watched. A lot. A
LOT, a lot."

Whoops, slipped into overshare right there. I really need to stop

drinking now.

"Wait, you mean like having sex in public?" Alice asked, sounding
scandalized.
"Not on the front lawn or anything," Bella replied as she sipped her
drink, "but I liked being watched by other… interested parties. And
knowing that I'm being filmed does it for me, too."

Nodding, Alice directed her attention back to the book in her hands.
"I'm glad you learned that about yourself, B, truly." Turning the page
again, Alice whispered in awe, "You had an encounter with the Zen-
Fucking-Master?"

Bella realized her confusion must have been plain on her face when
Alice held up the book so she could see it more clearly.

"Oh - Felix. Yeah. He was so nice!"

"Nice? Bella, Felix is known for injuring more women than anyone
else on the ranch with his crazy sex-in-advanced-yoga-positions self.
How did a klutz like you survive him?"

"Alice!" Bella protested. "Felix is a great guy!"

Alice just rolled her eyes in response.

"He asked if he could worship me. That was the most amazingly
sweet thing anyone has ever asked me, you know - 'Would you let
me worship you?'"

Smiling, Alice replied, "I'm glad, B. You deserve nice moments like
that."

"Oh! And he definitely had a thing for my hair!"

Alice laughed heartily. "Did he?"

Bella nodded her head vigorously to back up her previous statement.

Alice lowered her eyes to Bella's book again, and said, "I don't know
this guy. Who is he?"

Bella felt the flush crawl up her cheeks. "That's Carlisle.'

"Carlisle? Carlisle, Carlisle?"

"Yeah," Bella sighed happily.

"I thought he just ran the place?"

"He said he was the owner and manager…"

Alice nodded. "You know, I've never met him. Is he as smoking hot in
person as he sounds on the phone?"

"Hotter." Bella's blush deepened as she leaned in to whisper, "I

sucked his cock."

Alice sat, stunned. "Well, yeah, I would hope so."

"He showed me how to do it right. So I can make a guy enjoy it now."

Anger flittered across Alice's face. "For the last time, Bella, I'm telling
you, that Tyler guy was a weirdo. What guy doesn't like a blowjob,
even if it's an unskilled one? And then to say you were bad at it was
just poor form. You need to forget that loser ever happened. That's
all I'm saying."

Bella nodded into her glass, having heard the argument before. "He
was dressed up like a professor, you know. Carlisle. He gave a
detailed lecture on fellatio. It was kind of cool, kind of creepy…"

"Well, it sounds kind of… dull," Alice replied, her nose scrunched in
distaste.

"Well, it was more exciting when he bent me over his desk and
fucked me before I got on the helicopter to come home." Oh, again
with the oversharing.

Choking on her drink, Alice replied, "Really, now?"

"Fuck, yeah," Bella replied. "I'm still feeling that one days later."
"Good, then?"

"Hottest thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know how a regular
guy could compare."

Agreeing, Alice said, "Yeah, I've run into that problem myself."

Turning to face Alice again, Bella asked, "How come you kept this
place a secret from me?"

Alice snorted. "What should I have said? Hey, I went to this spa
Angelina recommended, and damn if it wasn't a brothel that I plan to
go back to over and over again! Wanna come?" She rolled her eyes
at herself. "You would have run screaming for the hills, B."

"You may have a point," Bella agreed. "I'm really happy I got to go,
though."

"I'm so glad it worked, B."

"Yeah, I never would have tried half the stuff I did at the ranch if
Carlisle hadn't encouraged me to explore…"

"So he had to encourage you to try things? Did he push you? I'll kill
him if he pushed you…"

"God, no, Alice. He just… drew pieces of me out that I had pretty
well hidden from myself." Giggling, she continued. "And if he pushed
me too far, I could have just asked Jane for another lesson to help
keep him in line."

"Wait… Mistress Jane? You met Mistress Jane? You got a lesson
from Mistress Jane?"

"Yeah. She had a screw loose, though. If she weren't so into bossing
people around, I think I could have liked her."

"Oh, really?"
"Sure. Once she got over the fact that I wasn't wearing the right
clothes and didn't know how to spank a guy, she was very helpful."

Alice clutched her side as she laughed. "Wait! You spanked a guy?
Really?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah. I didn't like it too much. But I did like screwing
with Carlisle's mind. THAT was awesome!"

"Hold on, hold on - how many times did you have encounters with
Carlisle? You said the beej lesson, the desk fucking, and now there
was a spanking demo?"

"Yeah. And the dry humping when I got there. That was the sexiest!
He read me poetry and felt me up until I came. It was perfect!"

"Well, weren't you just the owner's pet…"

Bella frowned. "No, actually, he was mine." Grinning, she continued.

"Well, at least for an hour or so…"

"Only an hour, huh?"

"Yeah, it takes a lot of energy to fuck with a guy's head. Who knew?"

Alice's grin seemed permanently affixed to her face. "Was that

everything? I can't imagine what else you'd have been able to fit into
a week."

"Well, there was the group sex in the woods, and then getting fucked
in the barn - yeah, I think that's all of them."

Alice's eyebrows were nearly as high as her hairline.

She'd better quit it or she's gonna have to make a botox

appointment!

After a few moments of silence, Bella said, "I'm really glad I stayed,
Alice."
"I'm glad you did, too."

Bella sighed, thinking about her whirlwind week and the amazing gift
of self-knowledge her friend had inadvertently given her by offering
to pay when she accidentally found herself…

"Wait a minute," Bella spoke up. "You're so glad what worked?"

Stirring herself out of her contemplative state, Alice asked, "What are
you talking about, Bella?"

"Earlier you said, "I'm so glad it worked.' Did you plan something,
Alice?" Bella sat up straight on the couch. "What did you do?"

Alice gave an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Standing up, she picked up Bella's empty glass and announced,
"You need more alcohol!"

"I know you're a great actress, but I can always tell when you're
lying." Bella thought over the past month. "I knew you were acting
weird! First you tell me not to come along on this press junket, which
you never do, then you gave away a perfectly good Oscar goodie
basket - that just happens to have a gift certificate for a spa?" Bella
frowned. "That should have raised a red flag - what spa could afford
to give away that many free visits?"

"Spas give away gift certificates in goodie baskets all the time!" Alice
protested.

"They give away discounts, not whole visits." Tumblers clicked into
place in Bella's mind. 'You arranged the whole thing? The time off,
the gift certificate in the goodie basket, going to the ranch, everything
?"

A bit of panic crossed Alice's face. "What if I did? Would you be

mad?"
"What the hell, Alice? Did you sit around thinking, 'Poor Bella, always
dates my asshole cast-offs, never been well-fucked, I'll send her to
get schooled in sex so she's not such a loser?'"

"It wasn't like that at all!" Alice disagreed. "I was thinking of you."

"Oh, you were, were you? How do you figure that one?"

"I wanted you to be happy! You haven't been happy in so long, B! I'm
just trying to do the right things to make you happy again!"

Bella blinked in surprise. "What the hell are you talking about, Alice
Brandon?"

"You think I don't know, Bella?" Alice replied. "You honestly think that
I don't know you hate calling all the pretentious little gatekeepers
trying to set up appointments, that you hate rearranging my schedule
over and over again so that it won't overwhelm me, that you hate
having to call security firms just so I can go Christmas shopping?
You're trying to allow me to have as much of a normal life as
possible, and you think I don't know that it means your life is just as
fucked up as mine?"

"But I want to help you. I'm supposed to help you."

"Help, B, yes. Raise, no. I'm a big girl - I can do it myself, you know."

Bella lifted her eyebrows and remained silent.

"Okay, I should do it by myself," Alice corrected. "And I think it's time

for you to stop being my assistant and go back to being just my
friend. I want you to finish your degree. Do something you want to
do, for a change. Not just babysit me."

"But you're my friend. I want to protect you. And maybe I don't want
to go back to school."

"Give me a break, B. I know better, and so do you," Alice answered.

"We have been focused on my life for long enough. And anyway, I'm
almost 30. It's time for me to start handling some of my own shit."

Bella exhaled. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Alice nodded. "It is. I promise. And it's not like I'm not going to hire
another assistant. You can train them way you want so they do the
job just like you would."

Bella sighed. "Okay." Wringing her hands together nervously, she

repeated, "Okay."

Alice smiled. "This will be good. You'll see. You won't have to deal
with all this shit for me anymore. It'll be so much better! You can
enjoy school, and we can be best friends again! Then maybe we can
talk about stuff without having it always turn into a discussion about
some part of my stupid life."

"Okay," Bella replied tentatively, still unsure. Trying to convince

herself, she repeated the phrase like a mantra. "Okay. Okay…
okay… okay."

"I'm so happy for you, B!" Alice enthused. "I've already put money
aside for you to go - all you have to do is tell me which school you
want to go to, and you're all set."

"All set?" Bella asked quietly. Looking up at Alice, she asked, "You're
paying for me to go back to school?"

"Of course I am!" Alice smiled. "And you're thrilled with the idea, too!"

Bella tilted her head. "I don't know if I am or not."

"You are, sweetie, I promise."

"It's been a long time since we were in school, Alice. What if I don't
remember how to do it?"

"You'll be fine. And you'll have me as a cheerleader - won't that be

great?" Alice laughed. "And I'm really good at cheerleading - I have
references!" she added with a wink.

A small smile broke over Bella's face. "I'm going back to school."

"And you're dating Edward Masen!"

"It's a date, Alice," Bella replied. "Not dating . Just one date. And it
will probably end in disaster, so let's not anticipate any more, okay?"

"Why would you say that? You've got all these new skills…"

"Alice, I'm still me, even after a week at the ranch. I'll still be nervous
as hell, probably say something completely inappropriate like how
much I want to just hump the man, and he'll run screaming from me
like every other guy I've ever dated."

"But you were flirting with him today! You were great! Smart-assed,
lots of confidence - why couldn't you be just like that?"

"I think I'm running off a ranch-induced high. It can't last." Bella's face
fell. "And what the hell would we even talk about? The only thing we
have in common is… you!"

Alice groaned. "If you sit around and talk that man's ear off, I'm going
to smack you! You flirt, you feed his ego, and you drag his ass
somewhere and rock his socks off!"

"Rock his socks off?" Bella replied, dryly.

"Would you rather I say fuck his brains out?"

"NO!" Giggling, Bella continued, "Aren't you supposed to be

encouraging me not to have sex on the first date?"

Alice scoffed. "No. Especially if you don't think you have much in
common with him. Get the sex while you can, woman. Word is he's
competent, if not creative."

"Okay, it's disturbing that you know this."

"It's Hollywood. Gossip abounds. Plus I know the right people."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "And you found this info out about
Edward Masen when? Today? I don't think so." Bella thought about
it, and the answer came to her. "You were thinking about sexing him
up during the shoot!"

Alice blushed and ducked her head. "Okay, yeah, I was thinking
about it. Let's say I was open to the possibility if he happened to
approach me, did my due diligence, but he didn't make a move. So
that's the end of that story." She laughed. "I'll just have to get all the
good dirt from you!"

Bella groaned. "I'm going to need more to drink before I even think
about that. Are you going to join me, finally? Or do you need to
sneak something else past me?"

Alice smiled. "No, I'm all done with scheming for today."

Smirking, Bella replied, "Good, then get a drink and join me, best
friend."

"Okay!" The grin on Alice's face could have lit all of Hollywood as
she sped off to the kitchen.
Second Place
Chapter 14 - Second Place

It was a fact: Edward Masen was the hottest man she'd even seen
up close and in person.

It was a good thing she got all hot and bothered just looking at him,
because he seemed unable to keep his attention on her. It was like
going out to a club with Alice, only Edward didn't feel bad about
interrupting their date at all. Every time a fellow director or other
Hollywood type sidled up to them as they waited for their table in the
bar, Edward willingly talked shop and didn't even introduce her or
beg her pardon before ignoring her existence. After being
abandoned at their table so that he could greet another potential
collaborator, Bella decided she didn't like coming in last, and she
was going to stab him with her one of her forks when he returned -
she'd pick the one with the most tines, so it would hurt more.

After appreciating his backside for an unknown amount of time, Bella

sent Alice a text asking if it was rude to leave an empty dinner table
and ditch a date. Alice wrote back, assuring her it was poor form, but
she agreed it was about all she could do after being abandoned for
fifteen minutes. However, Alice warned her she needed to wait the
full fifteen minutes - no cheating allowed. Since Bella didn't really
know how long she'd been waiting, she huffed and smacked the
phone face down on the table a bit too forcefully before taking a swig
of her wine.

"It won't do any good to get upset," a voice stated from Bella's left
side, causing her to jump. "I hope you know enough about
Hollywood to realize that this situation you're in is really pretty
standard."

Bella turned her head and gaped in shock at finding Rosalie Hale,
wife of famous director Royce King, standing at her table. Bella
decided Rosalie was even more beautiful in person than she was in
photographs, and she was plenty attractive in those. Looking around
her to be sure she was the intended recipient of Ms. Hale's
comments, Bella noted there was no one else in the vicinity that she
could be speaking to.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand…?"

"Do you mind if I sit?" Rosalie asked.

Bella waved her into the empty chair across the table from her. Ms.
Hale slipped neatly into it and continued. "You've started off all
wrong. My guess is you're doing dinner and the DGA Movie of the
Month, am I right?"

Blanching slightly, Bella nodded. Seeing the Director's Guild's

monthly offering was what Edward had outlined for their date tonight
while they were in the limo.

"It's a first or second date, or I would have heard your name by now.
Hollywood is really quite a small town."

Bella nodded her acknowledgment of this statement. "First date. If

this is normal, it just might be the last date." Confused, she asked,
"What did I do wrong?"

Rosalie took a drink of Edward's wine, made a face, and replied, "It's
really tough to see this when you're in the moment, and I'm speaking
from years of watching directors and producers operate in this town.
There's nothing you could have done. You couldn't have known he'd
use your date as a networking opportunity. By coming along with him
and not making a fuss, you've indicated to him that you're willing to
take a back seat to his career. So he's run off to chat with other
directors… he's been talking with the Coppolas, at least. It's really
annoying when you're being ditched for someone like Brett Ratner -
he's an overgrown frat boy if I've ever seen one."
Bella raised her eyebrows in a silent show of support for Rosalie's
assessment of Ratner. "I think if the frat boys had heard you say
that, their feelings would be hurt."

Rosalie laughed and held out her hand. "I'm Rosalie Hale."

Bella took the proffered hand and shook it. "Bella Swan."

"Are you in the industry, Bella?"

"I'm Alice Brandon's PA for a couple more months then I'm headed
back to school."

Smiling, Rosalie continued, "Good. Get out while you can. And don't
try for a Hollywood relationship if you're getting out, either. Otherwise
it's fifteen years of being left at the dinner table while your man talks
business, and you're sitting around wondering which new surgical
procedure you should try so you can prevent a younger model from
talking your place and if your prenup is as airtight as it seemed to be
when you first had your lawyer look it over."

"Oh," Bella said, stunned at the revelations Rosalie was letting loose
tonight. Looking over at Edward, she sighed, "That's a shame."

"It really is, especially since Masen is amazing eye candy," Rosalie
replied. Seeing that Edward had broken off his socializing and was
headed for the table, she turned to Bella and cheerfully declared,
"Time's up!" Leaning in as she stood, she whispered, "Make him pay
for making you wait, okay?"

"Rosalie," Edward called as he approached the table, "were you

wanting to join us for dinner?" Bella was surprised at the offer - and
more shocked that he actually seemed to mean it.

Rosalie looked down at Bella, lifted an eyebrow, and said, "I think
your date would object. And Royce is talking to some mattress
calling herself an actress in the bar. I'd better go retrieve him if I want
any dinner before being exposed to another Kurasawa."
Edward smiled. "It's a modern era film tonight. No samurais in sight."

Rosalie kept eye contact with Bella. "Small mercies, then. I suppose
we'll see you later."

"Looking forward to it. Tell Royce I'd love to discuss his new project
with him later."

"Of course." Rosalie turned to Edward and leaned in to kiss his

cheek. "But don't ignore your lovely date anymore, okay?"

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Edward replied. "See you soon."

As more than one man in the room watched, Rosalie Hale sauntered
away. Edward sat in the chair she vacated.

"I'm sorry I took so long, but you can't say no when a Coppola wants
to speaks to you."

Bella's eyebrows lowered. She knew there were a lot of Coppolas in

directing, but she'd recognized the actor Edward had been speaking
to. "But you were talking to Nicolas Cage," she replied quizzically.

Edward looked at her as if she'd just given him bad numbers on an

opening weekend. "You really don't follow Hollywood, do you?"

Bella's head slowly moved side to side. "I really don't."

Irritated with having to explain, he answered, "Nicolas Cage was

born Nicolas Coppola." After taking a drink of his wine and
proclaiming it pretty good, he asked, "If you're not a Hollywood
junkie, how did you end up working for Alice, then? Seems like an
odd choice for a person uninterested in Hollywood."

"Alice was my college roommate. When things started to get scary

for her, around the time 'Love Spelled Backwards is Love' started
making waves, I started to fear for her safety and kind of nominated
myself to take care of her. I've been with her ever since."
Nodding, Edward smiled. "What were you majoring in? I'm guessing
it wasn't film studies?"

"No," she agreed.

"So something physical? Criminal justice? Phys ed?"

Grinning, Bella replied, "English."

Edward's face registered his surprise. "So, you're a writer, then?"

"No, I enjoy analyzing, pulling out meanings, synthesizing

information…"

"That sounds like directing." Edward offered.

"Maybe. But without all the pesky people with their own opinions…"

"That's true. But there are still opinions to be dealt with."

"Yes, but writers have differences in journals, at a physical distance.

Easier to ignore."

"I prefer to challenge my actors and to have them challenge me. In

my opinion, integration of the best ideas produces the best results."

Bella nodded. "I could see that about you on set. You're pretty non-
hierarchical, for a director."

"Wow, you made that sound like 'you're pretty thoughtful, for an
egomaniac,'" he laughed.

Bella winced. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that," she protested.

Edward defended himself. "You have to have some ego as a

director, or no one will invest money in your vision. You have to be
totally committed to an idea… and it looks like megalomania to other
people. But it's part of the game."
Bella felt her face heat. "That's the part that makes me scream…
having to play the Hollywood game."

"Hollywood is just the world writ large," he proclaimed expansively.

"There's gamesmanship everywhere - in every job. But it happens on
a much larger scale here. You have to be on top of your game to
play in these waters, and I've done a pretty good job of riding the
waves."

Bella kept her mouth shut at his display of braggadocio. Thankfully

the waiter approached them at that point, and the conversation
turned to other topics.

Bella decided it was a good thing Edward Masen kissed her the way
he did after he brought her home from their first date, or she never
would have had sex with him.

After they'd hit on the topic of filmmaking, the rest of their brutally
uncomfortable conversation touched on the Kurasawa film they were
seeing later that evening, and current movies' opening weekends,
and bankable actors, and so on, until Bella decided that Edward
couldn't have hit any more topics she was less interested in unless
he started talking about sports.

When he took her home to Alice's estate north of Malibu, he walked

her to the door of her apartment above the garage. As she climbed
the steps, she tried to come up with a way to tell him that she didn't
think they should go out again.

Lemme see, even though you're the most fuckhot man I've ever
seen, this evening was a bust. But if you'd like to come in and have
no-strings-attached sex, I could be persuaded…

She opened her mouth to speak, and he unexpectedly closed the

two feet between them in a single stride. He wrapped one of his
hands around her back, pressing her chest up and into his, while the
other hand sat low on her hip, his thumb stroking her hipbone as his
long fingers cupped her backside and pulled her hips flush with his.
He kissed her, and his tongue worked some sort of magical spell,
each stroke and thrust erasing the worst of the awfulness from
earlier in the evening.

So totally up for this! Do you fuck as good as you kiss, boss-man?

After a few minutes, Edward pulled away from her, placing his
forehead to hers. When he caught his breath a bit, he said, "I know
this evening was a disaster, Bella. Felt like I was tied to the train
tracks all night, watching the train barreling down on me. Part of my
brain saw every place things went wrong, and I was unable to do a
damn thing about it. You're just so fucking sexy I couldn't even think
straight and…"

She heard Edward talking but was distracted from the meaning of his
words by the feel of him: his back under her fingers, their foreheads
touching and the two of them sharing breaths, his leg between hers,
and his firmness pressed way too far north of where it needed to be
to be useful to her. She moved, pressing herself harder against him,
causing him to groan in response.

Okay, that's it. No more talking. I'm going to get this show started.

Bella jerked the collar of his shirt down and pressed her lips to his,
right in the middle of his dissertation on how awful their date was.
When he had re-focused on her mouth after his initial surprise, she
pulled back and asked, "You passed your physical for your next
shoot, right?"

Edward's brow furrowed in confusion at the change in topic. "Yeah, I

always do. Why?"

"Because now that I know that, I can do this," she replied, moving his
hands from her body to rest on either side of her head against the
wall of her apartment. With his hands out of the way, she began
unbuckling his belt and unfastening his pants. "The moon's pretty
full, so you can't move around too much, or you'll draw the attention
of people on the beach."

As she slid down the wall, he asked, "What the… what are you
doing, Bella?"

"Be as quiet as you can," she instructed him as she pulled his pants
down just far enough to free his cock.

"Just how quiet do you think I can be if you're going to do what I'm
honestly praying to God you're going to do, Bella?" he hissed at the
top of her head.

"We're about to find out. Look at your gorgeous cock!" she exclaimed
quietly, untucking and unbuttoning the bottom of his dress shirt so
that it could provide her a bit more cover from the beach walkers.
Wrapping a hand around him, she looked him right in the eyes,
seeing his disbelief, fear, and excitement as she touched his cock to
her lips.

"Holy fucking shit," he groaned, shuffling his feet a bit farther apart to
steady himself.

Wrapping both hands around his thighs, she could feel how his body
snapped to attention as she took him into her mouth. She reveled in
the moan Edward gave, and the naughty feeling she got from the
possibility of being seen. She heard the rustle of his clothing as he
turned his head to either side of her balcony, checking to see if
anyone was watching.

Bella took it as a personal affront that he was able to think of

anything else while his cock was in her mouth and headed right into
the next step she'd learned. As she skimmed her teeth up and down
the sides of his cock, she moved her hands up under his shirt to his
ass, so she could feel him flex and buck in response. When she
looked up at him again, she could see that he'd gritted his teeth to
help keep himself quiet, the muscles in his neck straining from his
effort.
Well, that will never do. I can make you break, boss-man. Watch me.

Moving her hands to the front of his thighs, Bella drew his cock into
her mouth for several short strokes before moving as far down it as
she dared. Edward's hips pushed forward in response, causing her
to hit her head on the wall behind her. Panicked, she shoved his
thighs to move him backward.

"Shit, sorry, sorry, sorry," he panted, "please don't stop."

After a quick warning glance up at him, Bella returned to shallow

pulls on his cock. She was surprised when he brought one of his
hands down to caress her face and then trace the line of her lips as
they wrapped around him.

You like my lips, do you? That's valuable information, Mr. Masen…

After a quick, deep suck, she moved her head back and pumped him
a few times with her hand. When enough fluid had gathered on the
tip of his cock, she regained his eyes and brushed the tip of his cock
over her lips as if she were putting on lipstick.

"Fuck," Edward rasped, wrapping a hand around hers and helping to

paint her mouth. "God, yes, put it right on those pretty lips. So good."

Bella plunged her mouth down onto him several times, applying
suction after she was sure to go far enough down to capture his
index finger between her lips. The deep, guttural sounds that left his
body lit a fire in her own.

As she plunged back down on him again, his hand left his cock and
tangled in the hair at the side of her head. He gave a few gentle tugs
to demonstrate his desire, and as she took his direction, his grip
eased.

After a few more passes of her mouth, Bella felt his knees begin to
shake. "Damn… so… good," he grunted, "gonna… come…"
Knowing he was so close, Bella redoubled her efforts, applying more
suction and speeding up her movements. Ragged gasps sounded
from above her, and Bella turned her eyes up to his face to see his
reaction. Edward's head was thrown back, leaving her unable to see
his face, but she was able to see his arms straining and feel his legs
shaking from the pleasure she was giving him. She hummed in
excitement, and his head snapped forward, eyes on her as he
moaned, "I'm… I…"

Remembering her lesson and previous experience, she took him in

as far as she could and swallowed as he came. It required her full
concentration, and she'd broken eye contact with Edward to focus on
not making a mistake and choking. That was how, even though her
hands were once again on his ass, she missed the fact that he was
collapsing from the force of his orgasm until he was already on the
way down. Once she realized what was happening, she didn't try to
break his fall; she simply shuffled to one side, hitting one of his
knees and turning him sideways as he fell.

When his tumble was complete, she looked over to see him sitting
on his ankles on her deck, his side pressed up against the wall of the
house, his eyes screwed shut, and his breathing harsh and deep.
Bella thought his painfully beautiful features flushed with satisfaction
and his clothing askew made him look like a portrait of a fallen angel,
and she drank in the sight.

Sighing, she brought a hand to his face. When his eyes barely
cracked open, she smiled. Giggling softly, she said, "Don't go
anywhere," and stood up, picking up her purse and retrieving her
keys. After opening her door, she threw her purse on the table in the
entryway, kicked off her shoes, grabbed a bottle of water from the
refrigerator and quickly drained half of it, and then tucked another
one under her arm. She went back to her balcony through the
nearby sliding glass door.

Edward had moved to lean back against the wall of the apartment;
his clothes were mostly back in order. Bella grabbed a lounge chair
and hauled it over to his side. When she sat down on the chair and
placed a bottle of water down beside him, his eyes followed her
movements.

"You… that was… so…" His hand jerked up and made a movement
as if to wipe all his previous mumblings away. Looking in her eyes,
he simply said, "Thank you."

With a smile and a bit of a blush, she replied, "You're welcome," and
then leaned back in her chair and sat by his side, both of them
contemplating the view of the ocean before them.

Just when she began to worry that she might have broken him, she
heard Edward pick up the bottle of water and take several large
swigs. Rolling to her side, she watched as he finished the drink, set it
down, and then knelt by her chair. Leaning over, he rested his head
in her lap, eyes facing her feet, and used one of his hands to
uncross her legs. Making slow passes over the top of the thigh
closest to him, he raised her skirt up until the hem was tucked under
his cheek.

Changing his pattern, he brought his fingers to the inside of her

thigh. Her legs immediately opened a bit, and his hand moved from
stroking her leg to putting pressure on the center of her panties.
When she groaned, he lifted his head and fumbled over the arm of
the chair in an effort to kiss her. With a growl of frustration, he
levered himself up onto the chair with her, settling between her legs,
and then kissed from her mouth to her jaw to her neck.

As he shuffled up to sit on his knees, he yanked his dress shirt off

over his head, and then he reached for her hips and started to
remove the scrap of lace she was wearing. When Bella had
struggled with this same activity with Jasper, she'd thought through
how she'd handle it the next time and was glad to have a plan in
place. She brought her feet to Edward's chest and used them for
leverage to lift her hips so that he could easily remove her
underwear. After the lace had disappeared, Edward took her feet in
his hands, brought them to his mouth, kissed each ankle, and put
her feet down on either side of his thighs. His hands smoothed over
her calves, around her knees, up her thighs, and stopped right
before reaching where they joined the rest of her.

With his thumbs brushing over the very highest point possible on her
inner thighs without actually touching anything too overtly
stimulating, he leaned in to kiss her lips and then her breasts through
her dress. Scooting down until his legs left the chair, he lifted her
dress to kiss her bare stomach before using his hands to push her
legs farther apart and placing his mouth right where Bella was
aching for it to be, causing her to shout in delight.

Dear God, thank you for answering my prayer… okay, dirty fantasy…
of having Edward Masen's mouth on my pussy… the sight is just as
amazing as I thought it would be…

Without direction from her brain, her hands wove into his hair, and
when his tongue found her clit, her fingers clenched in response. Her
grip tightened with each long, velvet stroke, until finally he had to
turn his attention to removing her hands from his over-sensitized
scalp. Afterward, he returned to his spot between her legs, but this
time he kept eye contact with her, watching each of her twisting
movements and panting reactions to his mouth and fingers as they
worked her into a frenzy.

Needing to do something with her hands to keep them from returning

to the exact spot he'd removed them from, Bella threaded them
through the hair on the top of her own head, pulling and twisting as
she yelped in pleasure with Edward's continued attentions to her clit.
He would lick and then pause, waiting for her reaction, and then
stroke his fingers into her, seeing if that caused a different response.
Bella felt her frustration rise.

Are you pleasing or teasing, jackass?

When she'd had enough, she growled, "Damn it, no more! I need to
come!"
Edward pulled away from her, causing her to whimper. She heard his
clothes rustling, followed by a foil wrapper being opened and a
condom being rolled on. She felt him crawling up the lounge chair,
kissing random points on her body as he climbed. When he got to
her mouth, he reached up to the top of the lounger and pulled
sharply, causing it to release from its inclined position and to fall
back flat. As she squeaked in surprise at the unexpected movement,
Edward guided himself into her. His first push caused her to clench
with pleasure, and he wrapped his hand around her knee to lift it up
and open her body to his. After a couple more strokes, his body was
tightly pressed against hers, her arms wrapped around his back.

"God, you feel so good," he moaned before asking, "you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, wrapping her other leg around his hip as well.
Putting both of his hands by her shoulders, he began to push and
pull, their bodies sliding and rubbing in just the right way to draw
Bella to the edge of the abyss. Grabbing Edward's ass, she cried,
"Don't… stop… God, I'm gonna…."

She felt Edward's thrusts strengthen as her back arched, and in what
seemed like forever but was actually less than a minute, she flew
into an orgasm. As she howled and scratched at his back, he hissed
and pushed and groaned his release soon after, collapsing on top of
her.

Bella felt the blood racing through her veins as she reveled in the
feeling of Edward's body pressed to hers. She ran her hands over
his back, soothing and calming him after his exertions on their
behalf. It was in this afterglow that Bella was surprised to hear a
static-filled voice impede on their evening.

"Base, I am attempting to locate the disturbance reported," a voice

floated up to her. She tensed in response as she heard her address
being rattled off.

Oh, Holy Mother of Fuckery, wouldn't this be a tabloid sensation?

"What's wrong?" Edward asked sleepily.

"Beach patrol. We need to get inside - hurry!"

Groaning, Edward lifted himself up off of her and grabbed on to his

pants, pulling them up as he stood. She scooted off the lounge chair
and fussed with her dress for a second before scooping up Edward's
shirt and shoes with one hand, taking his hand with the other, and
scrambling to open the sliding glass door. Once she had, she threw
the clothes inside, pushing him in after and saying "bathroom's in the
hallway on the left." Then she turned back to the balcony and
frantically searched for her panties as she heard footsteps climbing
her stairs. Unable to find them, she ducked into the house and drew
the curtains just before the security guard came into view.

Adrenaline raced through her as a knock sounded on her front door.

"Security! Ms. Brandon? Is everything okay in there?"

Bella froze. Edward opened the door to the bathroom, still shirtless,
flicking off the light and moving into the living room. Bella held a
finger in front of her mouth, indicating she wanted him to stay quiet.
He nodded and motioned for her to come to him on the other side of
the room. Knees shaking, she headed over to him, jumping when
another knock sounded.

Finally, she reached Edward, and he pulled her into his arms,
rubbing her back to help calm her. "Holy shit, we almost got caught!"
he whispered eagerly in her ear. "Did you get off on that as much as
I did?"

Bella huffed out a laugh. "I don't know. How much did you get off on
it?"

Pulling her hips to his, Edward pressed his hard cock into her as he
kissed her, and all attempts at calm were lost. His mouth plundered
hers, sucking and biting and soothing, and she shook from the force
of the desire that sparked between them.
Suddenly, a light appeared at her kitchen window. Edward shuffled
the two of them over to the couch and pulled her on top of him as he
sat down. When the light disappeared, he pulled her dress off over
her head and ravished her breasts with his mouth. When the light
reappeared at her sliding glass door, Edward moaned and moved
her hands to his naked cock. She looked down to see him opening
another condom. She helped him roll it on and quickly settled down
onto him while the light continued to flash through the curtains over
her glass doors.

Edward flexed his hips upward, causing Bella to grunt in pleasure

and Edward to shush her. His hands urged her to move on him, and
she complied, bracing her hands on the back of the couch as she
lifted herself up and down. His eyes were glued to her breasts as he
muttered a quiet litany of encouragement, "Yeah, baby, so good, ride
me, that's it, baby, yessss…" until the light danced away from Bella's
window. Then Edward braced his feet on the floor and pushed his
hips up into her hard, and she lost the leverage to move at all. She
rode out his thrusts as he raced along, one hand pulling her against
him as he heaved upward, the other hand manipulating her clit.

She opened her mouth to tell him she was coming, but all that came
out was a couple of "ah" sounds and then a silent scream as she
curled in on herself and fell over the edge. Edward grunted through
five or six more thrusts before joining her, collapsing on the couch,
sweat pouring off his chest. She landed on him, tucking herself into
him and humming in pleasure.

"Damn, that was so fucking hot!" he declared. "This has been the
best date ever!" Leaning back to capture her eyes, he asked, "What
are you doing next Saturday?"

And that was how Bella agreed to go out with Edward Masen again.

Four weeks later, Bella attended another DGA Movie of the Month
with Edward, and Alice brought her new fake boyfriend, Emmett
McCarty. Within minutes, both Alice and Edward had been dragged
into conversations with peers, leaving Bella and Emmett alone at the
table.

"I've been told this is normal," Bella said, addressing Emmett as she
took a sip of her drink.

"What is?" he replied.

"Being abandoned while they mingle. This is the second time it's
happened to me."

Emmett smiled. "That's okay; it gives me a chance to thank you."

"For what?"

"For saying whatever you said to Alice. This has been amazing
exposure for me. I'm getting calls from labels that turned me down
three months ago."

Bella smiled. "I'm glad it's working out for you."

Grinning evilly, he waited until she took another drink and then
continued, "And Alice is really, really bendy. Thank God for yoga."

Doing her best not to spit her drink all over caused Bella to choke.
As Emmett laughed and patted her back, Bella's eyes watered, and
she coughed until she could breathe again. Giving him the evil eye,
she declared, "You owe me another drink."

"So worth it," he replied, heading for the bar to replace her
Cosmopolitan. Not a minute later, Rosalie Hale joined her at the
table.

"Bella! I didn't think I'd see you at another Movie of the Month. The
sex must have been really good."

Stunned at her sudden appearance, it took Bella a minute to

formulate a reply. Glancing around to see if anyone was nearby, she
leaned in and said, "Surprisingly good."
Rosalie nodded. "So I guess I'll be seeing you around more often."

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. We don't have much in common,

really. I don't know how much longer we'll be together."

Rosalie smiled knowingly. "I bet I'll being seeing you next month. It's
the 70th anniversary of The Magnificent Ambersons. Story's
depressing as hell."

Bella looked confused - she didn't recognize the name of the film.

"Directed by Orson Welles. He had an amazing eye, and he also had

more affairs than I have shoes." Rosalie stood to leave. "And deep
down, all directors want to be him - for lots of different reasons. See
you next month."

Bella watched the gorgeous, bitter woman head back to her

husband, standing by his side as he ignored her and continued his
conversation with, of all people, Steven Spielberg. Scanning the
room, she found Edward talking with a well-known producer. Looking
back at Rosalie, Bella realized that she would never be more
important to Edward than his movies, and that thought made her
sad.

Bella decided right then that she definitely wouldn't be at next

month's event.
Awaken part 1
Chapter 15 - Awaken (part 1)

The end of summer was just as busy as the beginning of it for Bella.
Alice finished promotional work for Edward Masen's film, started
principal shooting for another movie in May, and attended Cannes in
June - all without 24/7 support from Bella. Instead, Alice's agent sent
an assistant along with her. Alice felt it was progress. Bella felt it was
disaster in the making. While there were some mishaps, they were
well short of the total screw-up Bella had been expecting, and
nothing that couldn't be explained away by Alice's PR machine.

Bella spent that time taking an intensive summer class at UCLA,

signing up for her fall classes, and interviewing a multitude of people
to replace her as Alice's personal assistant. The process caused
Bella to nearly rip out her hair as the agency she'd contracted with
sent her people whom Bella felt were one missed dose of medication
away from being criminally insane.

The group she'd interviewed this morning raised her stress levels to
such heights that Bella felt she really had no recourse but to escape
across the yard to her house for an extended lunch break. After a
plate of veggies, cheese and fruit and a glass of wine, Bella would
normally have unwound enough to be able to face the rest of her
afternoon, sure to be filled with returning calls and confirming Alice's
schedule. Today, though, she had no such luck.

Glancing at the clock, Bella decided that what she needed to relieve
her stress was some private time with her favorite ranch video.
Forcing herself to walk calmly to her bedroom closet and retrieve the
memory sticks from their hiding place, she moved on unsteady feet
to her computer and melted into her chair.

As the files loaded, Bella's mind clicked through the men in her
recordings: Jasper, Felix, Demetri, and the others. But none of those
men was the one she'd been thinking about - who caused her to
overheat just at the thought of him - and she quickly pulled up a
specific file, forwarding it to the exact section she wanted, and
clicked play.

Onscreen, she circled Carlisle in the high-backed, upholstered chair

he sat in while Mistress Jane provided Bella a demonstration of her
relationship with her sub. The look on his face was pure pained
longing as she bent down over his shoulder and whispered in his
ear. Bella sat back in her chair and waited for the show to begin.

Video Carlisle knelt. Bella sighed as she recalled the heat of his lips
on the tops of her feet. Planting her feet on the floor, she shifted her
hips wider, causing her skirt to rise. Her hands skimmed the exposed
skin of her thighs, slowly lifting the sundress with each pass, while
on the video Bella and Mistress Jane discussed Carlisle's limits and
how to challenge him.

Bella watched herself take the paddle from the Domme and circle
the still-kneeling man, noting how the desire rolling off him caused
his chest to rise and fall in a hitched pattern. Her own labored
breathing increased as she slid her fingers under her panties. On the
screen, Carlisle stood.

Hell, yes, now it's time for the show to begin. Take off the clothes,
Professor. Nice and slow…

Bella adjusted herself in her office chair, one leg draped over the
arm, the other thrown wide so that she could tease her clit with both
hands as Carlisle ever-so-slowly revealed new expanses of skin to
her eyes. She thought, not for the first time, that whoever edited the
video for the ranch must be either a woman or a gay man, judging by
the ample shots highlighting Carlisle's amazing ass and his stunning
cock.

Wonder if it would be rude to write a thank you note…"Dear video

editor, thank you for the amazing close-up of Carlisle's eminently
suckable cock"…
Bella locked her eyes to Carlisle's face on the screen as her film self
ran the paddle over his body. She hadn't noticed at the time, but his
entire face shone with the force of his desire. What the video didn't
capture, but Bella remembered clearly, was the slight shaking of his
limbs, the scent of his arousal, the sheen of sweat on his skin.

Video Bella took the iPod from the Mistress and looked at the
screen. Bella remembered being confused at first by the listing
"orgasm delay/denial," but she'd quickly figured out how to use it to
her advantage. And finding "leather restraints" under the "no limits"
list allowed her to explore something she'd been eager to try for a
while. Watching the video as she picked up Carlisle's belt caused her
to groan in response; when Mistress Jane bound him with it, Bella
moved her hands lower to tease her entrance.

Bella watched as she whispered in Carlisle's ear, and she was able
to see the shake in his body at her words, exhorting him to grind but
not come as she paddled him. As she watched herself bring the
paddle to his ass, she finally plunged her fingers into her body. She
stroked herself in time with the flexing of his ass, knowing that each
movement stroked his cock against the cool leather top of his desk.

Even as she'd sat in his red leather office chair and teased him, he
kept flexing, moving, and rotating, and the sight of his athletic body
moving in such a manner was almost more than Bella could handle.
When she watched her hand lift to his mouth, Bella sucked on her
own fingers to recreate the feeling. Knowing that she had less than a
minute until Carlisle came caused her to return her hand to her
pussy and increase the intensity of her movements, wanting to come
at the same time Carlisle would on the screen.

When she heard him begin to yell "no," her back arched and her legs
began to shake. Eyes firmly closed, she forced her hands to keep
moving until his relieved "yes" rang in her ears, and then she
slammed her fingers into her body once more as her other hand
frantically stroked her clit, sending her over the edge into an orgasm,
causing her legs to jerk out of position and her body to roll sideways
in her chair. Through her clenched legs, she stroked herself into and
through a few aftershocks as she watched Carlisle intently wiping his
ejaculate into his leather desktop with her panties.

Watching the people on-screen leave Carlisle's office made her

smile in remembrance. She'd escorted Carlisle back to his private
rooms and returned to her own to do much the same as she'd just
done - stroke herself to the memory of the event.

As she sat hunched over in her office chair collecting her energy,
Bella laughed at the thought that of all the experiences she'd had at
the ranch, the ones that were at the top of her masturbatory
fantasies three months later rarely involved her coming - and usually
involved Carlisle.

Loud knocking sounded at the front door, causing Bella to jerk in

surprise and fall out of her chair and onto the floor. Breathing heavily
and frantically rearranging her clothes, she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, silly!" Alice yelled as she fumbled with the knob. Bella knew
Alice would be using her own key to enter the apartment, eager to
uncover the results of the latest round of interviews. Bella heard the
door open and Alice call out, "Did you find me a new lackey?"

Bella gave one final check to her clothing as she quickly stood.
"Huh?" Looking over at her laptop screen displaying a screen shot of
Carlisle's office - which Bella thought Alice might be able to identify -
caused her to scamper over and slam the lid closed, hopefully before
Alice caught sight of it.

Alice walked straight from the entry hallway to Bella's kitchen with a
grocery bag in hand. Glancing in her direction, she asked, "Why is
your face so red? Were you watching porn?"

Oh, if you only knew….

Stunned, Bella stood in front of her computer and tried to formulate a

negative response that wouldn't sound ridiculous. She couldn't come
up with one. Knowing that she was busted and there was nothing to
be done about it, Bella joined Alice in the kitchen.

Alice laughed as she entered the room. "You were watching porn,
you dirty girl! Good for you! Was it hot?"

Bella shrugged. The hottest, if I do say so myself…

"You should send me the link!"

Never gonna happen, bestie…

"Well, did you at least hire me an assistant before engaging in a

round of self-pleasure?"

Watching Alice assemble the ingredients for margaritas, Bella

replied, "Unless you want to fail every single drug test due to the
contact high from option number one, worry about having no secrets
ever again due to the extreme volume of option number two, or
honestly want a sycophant, I've got nothing for you again today. I'm
firing the agency, and I'm going to start looking for alternate sourcing
opportunities."

Alice gave a thoughtful nod or two while she crushed a blender-full of

ice. When she'd finished, she played along with Bella's business-
speak. "Have you decided to go with crowd sourcing? Maybe
Craigslist?"

Bella giggled. "I was thinking more of poaching someone else's PA.
Or shopping around a reality show - you know, "Assisting Alice," or
something awful like that - but I think that would take too long."

Handing an assembled margarita to Bella and taking a huge gulp of

her own drink, Alice sighed. "Maybe I should just call my cousin
Angela - see if she knows anybody. Of course, since my uncle's a
minister, whoever she recommends might be a little more religious
than is absolutely necessary." Alice made a face as she shivered in
mock horror.
"That would work out so well!" Bella teased. "Imagine the look of
pious outrage when whoever it is walks in on you and Emmett
fucking in another brand-new, unexpected location in your house!"

Honestly, I would have stuck around to watch if you hadn't been a

part of it… that was just too much information about my best friend's
sexual preferences…

"It was only twice, Bella, and I had both the exercise room and
butler's pantry professionally cleaned afterward!" Alice protested.

"You mean I had them cleaned afterward." At Bella's statement, Alice

rolled her eyes in tacit agreement. "Is Emmett going to the DGA
Gala with you this evening?"

"He's going, but not with us. We broke up," she announced.

"Really? Why?"

"Well, after talking with Claire…"

"Why would you talk to your publicist about… oh, who am I kidding?
You talk to her before you sneeze." Bella rolled her eyes.

Alice glared at her, then continued. "As I was saying, Claire and I
decided I'd gotten as much of a bump from having Emmett as my
fake boyfriend as I could, especially since he's not interested in
being more involved in the networking that I do." Alice sighed. "I
know it bothers you, but I would kill for a guy as dedicated to making
connections as Edward Masen is."

"Wait a minute, us? Since when was I going tonight? You know I
hate Director's Guild events, and I'll have to deal with Edward…"

"What is it with the two of you?"

"He wants me to be his girlfriend. I'm not interested in coming in

second to his job for the rest of my life. End of story."
"It's obviously not the end of the story since he was here a couple of
days ago," Alice replied. "I thought you were seeing what's-his-
name, so I was surprised to see Edward's car in the driveway."

Bella blushed. "Oh, well, that was a last-minute thing."

And a mistake, I think…

"What's-his-name was no good, huh? Is Edward good enough to be

the guy you make a booty call to?"

Bella laughed. "Well, I thought you were with the best guy to call
locally."

Alice preened. "That's true." After a pause, Alice asked, "Other than
Masen being a workaholic, what's wrong with him?"

"We just can't seem to talk for any length of time without it turning
into some sort of discussion about the movie business. I'd rather
have deep, meaningful discussions over meals, finding out what the
other person thinks about the news of the day, or the last book they
read, or…"

"So you want to date a woman? 'Cause I can't think of any man
who'd do that sort of thing."

"I had conversations like that with Carlisle," Bella promptly replied.
Then her face fell. "Of course, he was being paid."

Alice sighed. "True, Carlisle seems a bit out of reach, but if that's
what you want, and Masen isn't doing it for you, you should make a
clean break." Patting her shoulder, Alice caught Bella's eyes and
tried to offer her comfort. "You never know who'll make an
appearance - you just have to be available when they show up."

Bella took a deep breath. "Okay, your attempt to cheer me up isn't

working. Let's move on."
Alice finished up her margarita and teased, "Who knows, you might
find a smokin' hot guy at college!"

Eyes wide, Bella laughed. "'Cause all the college guys love cougars!"

Alice grinned. "Don't think of yourself as a cougar - think of yourself

as an educator!"

Bella astonished reaction caused Alice to laugh heartily. "C'mon,"

Alice encouraged, "we have to grab lunch and then start getting
ready for tonight. The limo is coming at five."

"Do you think we can get ready in the four and a half hours you've
left us?"

Alice replied seriously, "It'll be close, but we'll do our best."

Bella stood on the sidelines of the gala, taking in what she guessed
would be her last formal event as Alice's assistant. She watched her
best friend as she worked the room - saying hello to all the right
people, laughing at the right times, totally in her element. It occurred
to Bella that Alice and Edward were two peas in a pod - totally
dedicated to their Hollywood careers. Bella decided it would be
better for them to have company as they dedicated themselves to
the entertainment industry, and she wondered if all they needed was
a little push to get their orbits aligned…

After half an hour of watching a procession of prime man-flesh

parade past her eyes, Bella decided that it was a too bit much for her
to handle when none of them was going home with her. She decided
to make a strategic retreat to the restroom. A gaggle of women were
dissecting an unknown man the way only Hollywood types could. As
she went about her business, she listened in on the conversation.

"….don't know who is talking to Emmett McCarty, but he's the sexiest
fucker I've seen…"
"Did you recognize him?"

"No."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, athletic, blond hair, starting to show some age but wears it
well…"

"Who'd he talk to besides McCarty?"

"… wearing a custom-tailored black Gucci and Ferragamos…"

"No one. He's just sitting at the bar…."

"… and a top of the line Patek Phillipe, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Then he's probably not in the business."

"… and absolutely fuckable." At this declaration from one of the

women, the others sighed and gave silent nods of agreement.

"Which in this town, probably means he's gay," one of the women
intoned morosely. The conversation broke up at that thought, and the
women returned to the party, leaving Bella curious as to who had
made such a stir at a party with everyone from George Clooney to
Harrison Ford attending.

Leaving the restroom, Bella decided another drink was in order. As

she made her way around the room, she saw Emmett looking at one
of the evening's displays and headed his direction. Seeing her
approach, he smiled.

"Emmett, who have you been talking to tonight? You've got women
chatting about you and your friend in the powder room."

"Really? You don't say?" Emmett replied, giving her a curiously

happy look. "A buddy of mine is in town. Alice was gracious enough
to arrange for me to get an extra ticket so I could bring a date
tonight, but since I couldn't find one interested in coming here, I gave
it to my friend and decided to try and find a hookup once I got here."
Leaning in to Bella, he turned to face the bar. "I've been eyeing the
hot blonde chick at the bar. Do you know her?

Bella turned to face the same direction. "Rosalie Hale? We've

spoken."

"Is she single?" he asked quickly.

"No," Bella replied, "but she might not let that stop her. I don't think
it's stopped her husband."

Emmett nodded his understanding. "Excellent." Snapping his fingers,

he turned back to her. "Oh, by the way, Edward's been looking for
you. I thought you broke up with him."

"I did; he doesn't really believe me."

Of course, the fact I called him when I had an itch that needed
scratching probably didn't send the right message…

"I think he's headed this way," Emmett warned.

"Damn. I'm going to go hide. If you see him, tell him I'm with Alice,
will you?"

"Your secrets are safe with me, Bella."

Bella smiled. Even though they'd had quite a bit of contact while he
was Alice's pretend boyfriend, he'd never once mentioned Bella's
time at the ranch. "I know that for a fact, Emmett."

Five minutes later, Bella was able to catch Alice between

schmoozes. "When people start giving speeches and throwing
money around, I'm leaving," she announced.

Alice almost frowned. "You can't leave! They're getting ready to

auction off stuff!"
"I can, Alice. I really can." Putting her quickly-schemed plan into
place, she continued, "I just need you to keep Edward from
cornering me before it's time to go."

"And just how am I supposed to do that?" she demanded.

Bella shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, he's a big Kurasawa fan, I bet

he'd enjoy your thoughts on Kurasawa's use of rain to affect and
indicate mood. I know you wrote that big paper on it in school."

Alice sighed. "He's a big Kurasawa fan? Or he says he's a big

Kurasawa fan? 'Cause there are a lot of posers, B."

Rolling her eyes, Bella replied, "I don't really know, Ali. I kinda tuned
him out when he started in on that stuff. You'll have to figure out if
he's genuine yourself."

Looking over at Edward as he talked with two high-level studio

hacks, she replied, "Well, maybe I should."

Bella leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "He loves blowjobs.
Loves them. He doesn't mind reciprocating; I've had better, but he
takes suggestions well. And almost getting caught having sex
pushed every last one of his buttons."

Alice backed away from Bella, her eyes shining and searching,
making sure she understood what Bella was offering. Seeing Bella's
acceptance, Alice squeezed her like a boa constrictor and then
immediately headed in Edward's last known direction.

I've passed my booty call on to my best friend. My good deed is

done for the day.

Moving to the seating area farthest away from the dance floor, Bella
decided to sit and enjoy her last chance to watch some of the most
famous people in the world. She could hear a buzz over by the bar,
and she wondered who was able to garner that much attention in a
room full of egos as large as these.
Emptying her drink, Bella looked over to the bar to see if she could
get there without running into Edward. She spotted Emmett talking to
someone while sitting right next to Rosalie Hale.

Is he going to make his move right at the bar? He's got some brass
balls, that's for sure.

Fascinated, she watched as Emmett turned to Rosalie and started a

conversation with the bombshell. Smiling at his gumption, she stood
so that she could head to the bar herself. That was when she noticed
the man that Emmett had been talking to.

In her head, the entire room ground to a screeching halt.

It was Carlisle.
Awaken part 2
Chapter 16 - Awaken (part 2)

Oh shit, oh fuck, oh holy fucking shitting fuck! What the hell is he

doing here? And why is he heading straight for me? And where was
he every other time that I masturbated to video of him?

Feeling her legs giving out on her, Bella slid back into the chair she'd
just vacated. Her first thought was that he looked sexier than she
remembered. Her next thought was that the women in the bathroom
were right - he looked decidedly fuckable. The thought after that was
that she should probably breathe.

"Hello, beautiful," he said loudly enough to be heard over the band. "I
couldn't help but see you sitting here alone. Would you honor me
with a dance?"

Bella hoped he couldn't hear the wheezing as she breathed in. "I
don't usually dance with strangers."

Well, if he can't hear that I'm not breathing, I'm sure the shakiness in
my voice sounded REALLY confident…

Setting his drink down on the table, he replied, "Where are my

manners? I'm Carlisle Cullen." He held his hand out in greeting.

With a deep gulp, she took his hand and replied, "Bella Swan."

Carlisle brought her hand to his lips, pressing his lips just above her
knuckles. She felt the heat from his mouth radiate all the way
through her.

"Now that we're acquainted, will you join me?" he asked, motioning
to the dance floor.
Bella looked at him warily. "Dancing? Not such a good idea for me. I
mean, I've taken classes with Alice, but I'm not really any good…"

"It'll be nice, Bella. Trust me."

With a shaky breath, she took his hand and stood. He placed a hand
on her back, and his touch burned all the way to the dance floor.

Turning, Bella arranged herself the proper distance away for

dancing. Placing her trembling hand against Carlisle's shoulder, she
waited for him to present his hand for her to grasp.

He leaned in to her. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you look this

evening, Bella? Simply stunning." He leaned back and put his arm
out, and Bella readied herself to follow him. As their hands made
contact, Bella could feel her entire body sway toward him, longing to
be pressed against him as he led them into the dance.

Of course he's skilled at this, too; why wouldn't he be?

After a few moments of sheer panic at the thought of impaling his

foot with her shoe, she felt confident enough of Carlisle's lead to
speak. "Why are you here?"

Turning his head to look her in the eyes, he answered, "I had
someone I couldn't get off my mind, and I wanted to see if I could
have something special with her."

Bella was lost in the sensations flooding through her at having him
so close; the masculine smell of his cologne, the movement of his
shoulder under her arm, the feel of his body brushing hers. Then his
comment hit her suddenly, and she felt as if she'd been dealt a blow.
Aw, fucking hell. He's taken? That's… that's… that's a shame, is
what it is. A crying shame.

"Lucky girl," Bella intoned somberly. "Was it awkward for you to

approach her outside the ranch?"
Carlisle led her into a spin, gently moving her away from and back
into his embrace, grazing his cheek against hers as she melted back
into his arms. "So far it isn't turning out too badly."

Bella pondered for several seconds. Then the meaning of what

Carlisle had said finally sunk into her brain. She leaned back in his
embrace. "Me? Seriously?" Her eyes bulged in surprise. "You could
have any woman in this building! Several of them. At the same time.
Hell, you probably have had several women in this building…"

"I don't want them." Whispering in her ear, he said, "I want more of
you. I want to take you out on a date, talk with you, find out
everything about you." As the song ended, he asked, "Another
dance?"

Removing her hands from his, she clenched them together and
furrowed her eyebrows as she fretted, her brain tumbling through her
options. "I don't really know what… I mean, I can't even… I'm not
really sure…"

He leaned in to her. "Would you like to get out of here? Maybe go

have a drink?"

Dazed, Bella replied, "They have drinks here."

Carlisle smiled. "Yes, but I think we could talk to each other better in
a quieter place - I'm sure the hotel has a nice, quiet bar."

Standing inches away from him made it tough for Bella to think.
Looking anywhere but at him, she replied, "I guess that would be
okay."

"Wonderful," he declared. "Do you have anything in the coat check?"

Shaking her head, she said, "My purse is at the table. It's silver.
Small."

Carlisle nodded. "I saw it. I'll be right back. Don't move."
Bella watched as he briskly walked to her table, retrieved her purse,
and returned to her, never seeming to notice the attention he was
garnering from every woman in the room, and half the men. But
Bella did notice.

"Shall we go?" he asked as he returned to her side, holding his

elbow out for her.

Wrapping her hand around his arm, she nodded.

Carlisle found the bar easily, escorted her to a seat, and after asking
her for her preference, fetched drinks for them both.

As he returned to the table, he slid one of the drinks he'd brought

over to her and asked, "So… how have you been, Bella?"

"How have I been?" she asked, incredulous at the thought of small

talk with the object of her recent fantasies. "I've been fine."

Thrown off by her response, Carlisle paused for a sip of his drink.
"Okay, let's try again. What have you been doing since I saw you
last?"

"I'm finishing up my job as a personal assistant. Then I'm going back

to school to get my English degree at UCLA." Bella raised her
eyebrows. "How's the ranch?"

"I'm sure it's fine, although I wouldn't know any details. I stopped
day-to-day management of the facility a couple of months ago."

"Why?"

"I lost my focus. I couldn't work. All I could think about was how
you…"

Unable to listen to more of his polite conversation, she interrupted

him. "Why are you talking to me, Carlisle? I don't have any more
money to give you."
He moved back as if she'd taken a swing at him and frowned.
Recovering, he answered, "I don't want your money."

"Then why are you here?" she asked harshly.

He seemed taken aback by her hostility. Undaunted, he pressed on.

"Part of my job was being able to focus on the woman I was with. I
wasn't supposed to think of anyone else but her." After taking a large
pull of his drink, he continued, "But not long after you left, I was
asked by another coordinator to give Professor Banner's lecture
again, and all I could think about was how you reacted, how you
responded, how you felt. I couldn't say yes."

He paused to take another drink, the rattling ice showing an atypical

hint of nerves. Setting it down, he looked in her eyes. "For the first
time in my life, I long for someone - for you." Shaking his head, he
continued, "It's been very disconcerting for me."

"I don't understand what you want from me."

"Haven't I made myself clear?" he asked. "I want to be in a

relationship with you."

Bella sat in silence while she tried to process this piece of

information. Finally, she said, "Define 'relationship.'"

"I want to be your best friend, your lover… the person you share
every dream and desire with… the person you wake up with in the
morning and go to sleep with at night."

Stunned, she replied, "Yeah, that's a relationship, all right."

"I notice that you haven't responded to what I said," he said

tentatively. "I'd love to know what you're thinking."

She bristled. She hadn't let Edward force her into being a girlfriend,
and she certainly wasn't going to let this man.
"I feel blindsided," she hissed. "Three months after I saw you last,
which, by the way, was in a brothel where I was your client, you
suddenly show up at a Hollywood event and declare you want to be
my boyfriend?" Taking a large swallow of her drink, she pressed a
hand over her eyes and continued, "I don't know what to think." Her
hand moved to the side of her face to cradle her head. "So, what
took you so long?"

Smirking, he replied, "Believe it or not, I wasn't sure you would be

receptive to the idea."

"What changed your mind?"

Carlisle sat silently, unwilling to part with this information. After a

moment's thought, the answer came to her. "Emmett," she growled.

"He's been a good friend."

"So much for him keeping my secrets."

"In all fairness, he didn't tell me anything personal about you. He

simply encouraged me to contact you."

Bella let the disbelief wash over her. "Why are you saying all of this
to me now?"

Carlisle grimaced. "That's a fair question. I always knew I wouldn't

want to be part of the ranch forever; I just never found someone who
made the idea of leaving attractive - until now."

Seeing her struggle with everything he'd said, Carlisle touched his
hand to hers and said, "Would you like some space to think about
what I've said? Maybe you could think about it overnight and allow
me to call you tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"So we could go on a date. Something simple - maybe meet up for

coffee?"
Still unbelieving of the turn her life had taken, Bella shrugged.
"Maybe. You can call me. It's the same number I used when I was at
the ranch."

"Wonderful. Can I offer you a ride home?"

Bella shook her head. "I ordered two rides home. Alice is charged
whether we use them or not, and I hate to waste her money."

"I understand." Carlisle stood, refastened the button on his suit coat,
and leaned over to speak directly into her ear. "I'm committed to the
idea of something more with you, and I'm willing to wait if you want
me to." Placing a kiss on her cheek, he said, "Think about that
tonight, okay?"

Bella looked up at him and nodded. Carlisle turned, smiling, and

confidently walked out of the bar. Bella kept her eyes on him as he
sauntered through the lobby and out the main doors of the hotel.

Bella spent a sleepless night thinking about Carlisle's declaration of

intent. Tossing and turning for hours put her no closer to an answer.
There were still way too many unanswered questions, and her
doubts warred with her desires.

The next day, Bella entered the office at the break of noon. Alice was
already in the office, ready to start the interrogation the minute she
showed up.

"So, who was that piece of hotness I saw you talking with last night?
'Cause to me, it looked like Carlisle."

Bleary-eyed, Bella replied, "It was Carlisle."

"What happened?" Alice demanded. "Was he there with someone

else? If so, it was kind of poor form for him to…"

"He came with Emmett. He wants me to go out on a date with him."

Surprised at this bit of news, Alice replied, "What did you say?"

"I told him I needed to think about it. He's going to call me today."

"What are you going to say?"

"Hell if I know. Did you have a nice talk with Edward?"

"I did." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I think we could have
something."

Bella's raised eyebrow did the talking for her.

Alice fretted, "Will you be okay if something works out between us?"

After a sip of coffee, Bella replied, "I think so. As long as there won't
be any weirdness between us."

Smiling, Alice said, "I guarantee there will be zero weirdness

between us."

Bella smiled at the dreamy look on her best friend's face. "Okay,
then." Picking up her ringing cell phone, she answered, "Alice
Brandon's office."

"Bella?"

"Carlisle," she replied, frantically looking at Alice. "Hi!"

"I was calling about our coffee date. Would you be available this
afternoon, say around two?"

"Today?" Bella asked, flipping through the papers on her desk to

locate her iPad. "I'm a bit snowed under today…"

Alice waved her hands to get Bella's attention, and then mouthed the
words, "You're going. Today."
Carlisle's voice poured over the line at the same time, "I'm willing to
wait until you're ready, Bella. When would you like to meet?"

"When?" Bella's eyes grew wide at the glare Alice leveled at her.
"Well, it seems I've been given the rest of the day off, so today would
be fine."

"Wonderful! Since you're a local, do you have a place you'd like to

introduce to me?"

"There's a Champagne French Bakery in Santa Monica, over by the

airport - they used to have one here in Malibu but it closed. I could
meet you there."

"That would be wonderful, Bella. Thank you for agreeing to see me

today."

"Okay, then, two?"

"I look forward to it."

An hour and a half later, Bella was sitting at a table at the bakery,
nervously fidgeting with the sugar packets on her table as she waited
for Carlisle to arrive. After ten minutes, the server approached her.

"Did you want to go ahead and order while you wait?"

Bella startled. "Oh, no! I want some coffee, but I'm really early. He's
not due for another twenty minutes."

Just then, the bells hanging on the door indicated another person
entering the café. Bella gulped as she took in Carlisle, hair tousled
from the wind, dressed in chinos, a white dress shirt with the sleeves
rolled up, and wearing a classic pair of aviators. As he pulled the
sunglasses from his face, he looked at her and waved.

Sighing, Bella said, "There he is."

Under her breath, the waitress replied, "I see why you waited."

Carlisle strode her way easily, stopped at the bench seat across from
her, and said, "Sorry I'm early; I couldn't wait to see you. May I join
you?" His eyes roamed her face, trying to read her mood.

"Please," she answered. "Did you want coffee?"

"Yes," he replied, finally turning to the server. "Coffee, please."

Bella smiled. "The desserts are pretty good, if you're interested."

"Are you interested?"

Bella shrugged. "It's hard to pass up dessert," she replied, wondering

if she meant more than she said.

Carlisle nodded. "Are you going to order one?"

"Yes." Turning to the waitress, she said, "Plain cheesecake, please."

"Could you also bring me your most popular dessert with chocolate
in it?" he added, handing the server the menu. "Thanks."

After the woman had regained her senses, she walked away to place
their order. When the server was out of hearing distance, Bella
turned to Carlisle and asked, "Did you really quit the ranch?"

"Straight to the questions, then - okay. Yes. I still own the ranch, but
I've turned over day-to-day management to my replacement."

"What are you doing for work?"

"Not that I need the money, but I've just accepted a adjunct teaching
position at Santa Monica College."

So, wait, you really ARE a professor?

"Really? What are you teaching?"

"Psychology," he replied, taking a drink from his glass, "and Human
Sexuality."

Bella noticed the humor in his eyes. "That sounds like it would be
quite a challenge."

"More so for my TA. She's such a quiet girl." With an overly dramatic
sigh, he added, "Poor thing nearly choked on her tongue during my
fellatio lecture."

"It would have been more fun for her if she'd choked on something
else," Bella grinned in reply. Carlisle laughed heartily.

Bella took a deep breath before getting to the questions that plagued
her the most. "Carlise, I have to ask - have you ever even been in a
relationship?" she quizzed him.

With a deep breath, he answered, "Not romantic relationships, no. I

have had mutually agreed-upon physical relationships of limited
duration."

The cup and saucer that the suddenly appearing waitress was
holding clattered down noisily on the table at the turn their
conversation had taken. She quickly set down the other cup and
filled both of them before slowly heading off, shaking her head.

Bella's shoulders raised and her head shook slightly, her frustration
pouring off of her. "Can you even do monogamy? I mean, come on,
have you ever said 'no' to a woman who wants you?"

"I set up my life so I didn't have to say 'no,' Bella. It doesn't mean
that I can't."

"That's… that's… I don't know what that is, Carlisle," she replied in a
shaky voice. "I don't know what to do with that." Sighing, she
continued, "How do you know this is really what you want? Maybe
you just like the idea of being in a relationship?"
Carlisle studied her thoughtfully. "You want some sort of guarantee,
and I can't give you one." Spinning his cup, he continued. "All I can
do is tell you that I can't stop thinking about you: your intelligence,
your curiosity, courage. Your spirit. My God, you were so open - once
you decided what you were going to do, you never looked back. It
was your willingness to explore that surprised me. You are aware
that you're a highly sexual person, right?"

The blush on Bella's face went from heated to nuclear when the
server startled so much at Carlisle's statement that she nearly
dropped their tray of desserts. Setting down the plates at the edge of
the table, the woman opened her mouth to say something, thought
the better of it, and stalked off silently.

"I don't know why you would say something like that…" Bella hissed.

"Because it's obvious, Bella. You went further in one week at the
ranch than most women do in ten visits. And you felt no guilt once
you made the decision to stay." Taking a bite of his dessert, he
hummed in pleasure. "You're right. This is delicious."

Don't whimper, don't whimper… keep cool, woman….

Putting down his fork, he looked her directly in the eyes. "You want
to explore, Bella, and I want to be the one to go on the adventure
with you."

"What if I don't want more from you? What if I just want sex?"

Leaning back with a knowing smirk on his face, Ranch Carlisle -

supremely confident, powerfully sexual - finally made an
appearance. "Well, that wouldn't be my first choice, but I'd love to
help out."

"What if I said I wasn't interested in being in a relationship with

anyone right now? What if I'm interested in exploring my options with
other people?"
He let out a deep breath slowly. "I've never had reason to be jealous
before." Shrugging, he continued, "I don't think I'd like it, but I really
can't say much if you want to be with other people."

Swallowing, she asked, "What if I was interested in more? With

you?"

Hope flickered in his eyes. "I'd put everything I am into being yours."

"But how would I know it was really you, Carlisle, and not Ranch
Carlisle?" she pondered. "How do I know you'd be honest with me
emotionally?"

After taking another drink of his coffee, he cleared his throat.

Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands in both of his,
looked her in the eyes, and said, "Bella, I can honestly say this is the
most vulnerable I've ever been in my entire life."

Stunned, Bella heard the blood rushing in her ears. "How am I

supposed to walk away from you?" she asked.

With a half-smile, he replied, "I'm hoping that I'm irresistible."

"You are," she growled. "You know you are."

Carlisle leaned back at her confession. Bella watched as he took a

bite of his dessert, especially the fork as his mouth caressed it, and
her body responded to the memory of what his mouth could do to
her.

Do not moan, do not moan… okay, that's really tough to do when

he's looking so sexy…

She could feel the atmosphere between them change and crackle.
The hairs on her arms rose from the electricity between them. She
tried to play it off. "You know, we always have the most inappropriate
discussions while we're eating."
With a heated look, he replied, "I want to leap across this table and
kiss you right now."

Eyebrows raised in surprise, she answered, "It would be easier if you

just joined me on this side."

Quickly, he rose from his bench seat and scooted onto hers.
Running a hand through her hair to push it away from her face, he
left it cupped against her head and used it to gently position her
where he wanted her. Leaning in, he tapped her lips with his gently
once, twice, three times, and then pressed his mouth and his body
firmly to hers.

Do not whimper… do not moan… do NOT jump the man here in the
restaurant. Do… not… do… it. Shit, I really want to do it…

"You two are going to have to take that outside." A voice cut into their
moment. Backing away from Carlisle, Bella noticed that the waitress
was standing at the end of their table, breathing heavily and holding
an order ticket. Glancing at Carlisle, Bella fumbled for her purse.

"I've got it," he stated, pulling a money clip from his pocket and
paying entirely too much for their order. Standing up, he held out his
hand to her. "Shall we?"

Bella nodded, balancing with his hand as she stood. She left the café
with him, walking the short distance down the sidewalk to the strip
mall's small parking lot. She followed Carlisle to his car parked
nearby - a sexy little white convertible, of course.

"Where did you park?" he asked.

"I parked on the other side of the lot," she answered, "in the shade."

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't walk you to your car," he replied,

snapping his head to the side to encourage her to take the lead. She
took the hint, leading him to the place she'd parked Alice's Lexus
SUV, in the secluded, shaded back corner of the lot. Fishing the keys
out of her purse, she'd barely turned to face Carlisle before his
mouth found hers again, tempting and teasing her, lighting her
senses on fire.

All the whimpers and moans she'd held in while inside the bakery
came pouring out of her now. She wrapped her arms around his
neck, keys rattling, pulling him to her, trying to get as close as
humanly possible to the man who made her feel… everything.

Pulling away from her lips, he asked, "What do you want, Bella?"

"Oh, God, you," she answered frantically. "I want you."

"You can have me," he assured her, smoothing his hands along her
sides in a futile attempt to calm her. "Just tell me."

Fumbling behind his head with the key fob, she finally found the
button to unlock the doors. "I want you," she answered, opening the
back door. With a jerk of her head, she demanded, "Get in the car."

Bella gave a maniacal little giggle at the speed with which Carlisle
vaulted himself into Alice's vehicular monstrosity. She followed close
on his heels, throwing her keys and purse into the front seat and
then pulling the lever to lower half of the back seat. He copied her
movements, laying down the other side.

He ran his hands up her arms to her shoulders and threaded them
into her hair, using his thumbs to stroke her cheeks, his heavy breath
mingling with hers. With a tentative look, he asked, "I hate to ask…
but have you been safe since you left the ranch?"

"Yes, every time," she replied. "Can you say the same thing?"

He shook his head slowly. "I took calculated risks at the ranch - you
know that." With a deep breath, he offered, "We don't have to do this
now. It's your call."
Inspiration struck Bella. "Wait!" she yelled, pulling his arms down and
launching herself up and over the center console to reach her purse.
The maneuver left her backside within easy reach, and Carlisle
pressed his advantage, running his hands up her legs and under the
hem of her cotton skirt while his mouth found the exposed, sweat-
dampened skin right above her waistband.

Unable to calmly search while he teased her, she dumped the

contents of her purse onto the seat and flipped unwanted items onto
the floor until she cried, "Found 'em!" Flopping back into the seat
with Carlisle, she proudly held up two condoms. Lifting one of his
hands, she slapped the packages into them. She kissed him then,
unfastening the buttons on his shirt as she did so. Once she'd
undone four buttons, he simply lifted the shirt over his head.

When his mouth landed back on her own, she felt a tug at her leg,
and she fell backwards as Carlisle climbed up and over her body,
straddling her legs with his own. Bella took him in: his deep breaths,
his reddened lips, the look of adoration in his eyes. The dust motes
floating in the air added a dreamlike quality to their afternoon tryst.

The reality of him being here with me is so much better than the
memories…

He kissed her deeply, mouth sipping and playing with hers, igniting
fires deep within her. They were fed by the feel of his chest brushing
against hers, the weight of him pressed into her. As his mouth
moved to her neck, her hands found his head, her fingernails lightly
scraping his scalp. His resulting moans pleased her more than she
felt they had any right to.

As he reached the neckline of her shirt, he shifted his weight back to

his knees and ran his hands up her body, lifting her shirt up and off
her in the process. As he ran his hands back down, he unfastened
and lowered her skirt and panties in one pass. Next, he made a
quick movement behind her back, unfastened her bra, and laid her
bare to his grateful eyes.
She felt wanton, womanly, desired. This was what she'd been aching
to feel.

"You are a goddess," he whispered as his hands roamed lightly over

her skin. Her shiver of delight caused him to smile softly. Unbuckling
and lowering his pants, he grabbed one of the condoms from where
he had stashed them and sheathed himself. He then returned the
heat of his body to hers.

"I can't wait to be with you, Bella," he whispered in her ear. "Forgive
me for being impatient?" he begged.

As his mouth covered the familiar territory of her neck and his hands
explored her readiness for the next step, she nodded jerkily. "I… I'll
forgive… you…"

Removing his hand from inside her, he guided himself into position,
bracing his arms on either side of her shoulders as he pressed
himself into her. Keeping his eyes on hers, he flexed and retreated
until he was fully inside her, then he held still as he kissed her again.
The energy thrumming through her forced her to move in response,
breaking something loose inside Carlisle. He began slowly, but as he
continued to move inside her, his thrusts very quickly changed,
becoming deeper and faster.

Misjudging the space he had available, Carlisle leaned back to get

more leverage to push into her and smacked his head on the roof of
the car. The surprise froze him, the shock on his face sending Bella
into a fit of giggles she frantically tried to control.

Rubbing the spot on his head that had made contact with the roof,
he pleaded, "Don't laugh!" which of course sent Bella into full-fledged
laughter.

"I… I can't… oh, God… that's not funny… but your face… !" she got
out through bouts of laughter.
"If you don't stop, I'll have to make you stop," he warned, the teasing
look on his face belying the seriousness of his words.

"I'm… trying… aw, hell… can't…"

He kissed her heartily and then quickly moved down her body. She
gasped as he suddenly withdrew himself from her, her arms reaching
for him and finding nothing. Leaning up, she found him hovering over
her clit, licking his lips as he looked at her, open and ready for him.

Oh, Professor, if you reward me for being a bad girl, I'll never learn
my lesson!

Chuckling at her internal monologue, she was caught by surprise

when he lowered his mouth to her and began a no-licks-barred
exploration of her pussy. Laughter soon turned to flailing ecstasy as
he nipped and sucked at her. She desperately reached out to find
something to brace her as she approached completion, only to
discover she was unable to find any purchase. Suddenly, Carlisle
reached up to her and grasped one of her hands in his. Grounded,
she felt secure enough to let go and come.

As she floated back down to her body, she heard the second
condom wrapper being opened, and then Carlisle lifted himself up
over her again and smoothly found his way back into her. As she
wrapped her arms around him, her sigh of pleasure at his return
echoed his.

"So close… beautiful… so sweet…" he whispered, pressing himself

into her again and again. He came with a gentle jolt, his eyes closing
for only a moment before he forced them open to see her reaction.
She'd watched his face closely, and she saw powerful emotions
clearly transmitted. His surprise at their intensity was palpable.

Pulling him down to her, she pressed a kiss to his lips, his cheek,
and his forehead as he settled his head down onto her breasts to
catch his breath. She ran one of her hands down his arm to tangle
her fingers with his, and the other she used to brush the larger
droplets of sweat from his skin.

You know, I think he's right… I really am a highly sexual person - I

didn't even think about someone seeing us fucking in the restaurant
parking lot. Maybe it's just Carlisle who brings it out in me… and
maybe I bring out something in him, too.

"You really want a relationship with me," she stated, as if the thought
had just now finally registered.

Carlisle shifted to her side and propped his head up on one hand so
he could look into her eyes. "More than anything."

"If we do this, you have to go all in. No emergencies at the ranch, no

visiting Jane."

"Agreed."

"What about all your little co-eds?"

"What do you mean?"

"I remember college. Lots of girls tried to get grades on their back.
And you're a lot sexier than… fuck, any other professor in the history
of professors."

He smiled. "You think I'm sexy?"

"Answer the question, Carlisle."

"I can't even believe there is one!" His smile faded as he continued.
"Listen, I'm going to tell you a deep, dark secret. Before I got hired, I
had to give a lecture at the college. The head of the psychology
department looked over my syllabus and asked for the fellatio
lecture."

"Well, it is a very informative lecture," Bella teased. "What little I can

remember of it. I was busy thinking of how to get you out of your
clothes."

"Do you know I had to stand behind the podium the entire time?
Never happened to me before, I can tell you that. All I could think
about was your eyes, your sass, your mouth. God, it was all I could
do to finish the lecture before I ran to the bathroom and jacked off."
His face, already serious, took on a sense of earnestness. "There
were at least fifty women in the room, Bella, and I didn't see any of
them."

Bella absorbed this new information for a bit. "I'm not ready for what
you're asking for right now, Carlisle. I think I could be at some point.
But I know I'm not there now."

He nodded. "I understand." With a heavy sigh, he asked, "Can I still

ask you out on a date?"

"Well, that's the way it's usually done," she replied. Looking down at
their naked bodies draped across the reclined back seats of the
SUV, she added, "but there's not much about us that's usual, is
there?"

Kissing her soundly, he asked, "Would you like to go to dinner with

me tonight, Bella Swan?"

Smiling, she replied, "I'd love to, Carlisle Cullen."

Taking a cleansing breath, Carlisle lifted himself into a sitting

position, collected his trash and put it into the small bag attached to
the center console. Bella watched as he flexed and stretched back
into his clothes and then used a handkerchief from his pocket to
wipe his face. When he'd finished, she gathered the remaining
clothes and went through her own set of stretches to get redressed.
She felt the heat of his gaze as he watched her with the same
intensity she'd watched him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his eyes showing a bit of disappointment

now that her clothing was back in order.
"Almost," she replied. "I'll need my comb, which is somewhere on the
floor up front."

Indicating the small bag of trash, he said, "I'll throw this out while you
do a scavenger hunt up front."

Bella nodded, leaned forward to plant a small kiss on his lips, and
then opened the door next to her and jumped out of the car. Opening
the driver's door, she groaned at what she'd done in her impatience
to find the condoms in her purse. Deciding she had no patience left
for picking things up neatly, she scooped everything into a pile but
her comb, shoveled it up in her hands, and dumped the detritus back
into her bag. Then she tried to comb her hair but gave up quickly,
deciding she'd just go with the tousled look.

Turning to search for Carlisle, she saw him heading back to her with
the sexy strut she remembered from the ranch.

Lord, it's a sin that he's that sexy without even really trying. I blame
you.

Striding up to her, he gave her a quick kiss and asked, "Did you
need to go home before dinner?"

Shaking off her fascination with the slight bit of stubble on his jaw,
she replied, "No, I'm good."

"Then can we take my car? I know this great seafood place in

Topanga Canyon, and the roadster is lots of fun on the curves."

"Sure," she agreed, smiling as he grabbed her hand and strode off to
his convertible.

Not having to drive allowed Bella to spend her time sideways in the
passenger's seat, looking at Carlisle's profile as they wound up the
Pacific Coast Highway toward Topanga Canyon. It also gave her
time to think. A lot had happened to her since she'd committed to the
experience the ranch offered her. Naturally, she felt that she'd grown
sexually, but she'd also experienced enough growth in her
confidence that she hadn't accepted second place just because a
handsome man had offered it to her. She'd held her own.

Carlisle had done more than hold his own; he'd taken a leap of faith.
He had changed his life around simply at the idea of her with no
guarantees that she would accept him after he'd adjusted everything.
Sure, he had a past, but every adult entering into a relationship
came with history - his was just more colorful than hers.

Taking a deep breath, Bella concluded that - if it was with Carlisle -

perhaps the time had come for her to commit to a whole new
experience.

She reached out to the hand he had on the gearshift and stroked his
wrist, causing him to glance over at her, the joy obvious on his face.
As he refocused on the road and turned into the canyon, she sighed,
realizing that she didn't have to be afraid of what Carlisle was
offering her if she didn't want to be.

At that moment, she knew what she'd decided.

She wanted to be with him. She would be with him.

And eventually, when the time was right, she would give him her
heart.

Final A/N:

I have a favor to ask all of you. If you rec Hedone Ranch to others in
the future, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell the reader the end of the
story. I really feel it's about Bella's journey. Thanks in advance!

I do have some outtakes, which I will be posting under a different

title. Probably something insightful like 'Hedone Ranch Outtakes'. It
will include a chapter from EPOV that I cut completely (because this
was Bella's story, not his), and may in the future include stuff I'll write
for compilations. I have an idea for a one-shot of Alice at the ranch
that I'm not sure I can write, as it's super-intense. I also owe
Jadsmama a Demetri POV. All of those, and any others I may write,
would be posted under the HR Outtakes heading, so put me on
author alert if you want to know when that happens.

I love my betas SqueakyZorro and HollettLA so much that if

Hedone Ranch really existed, I'd give up my reservations so that
they could go in my place. That's love, people! They've both been
with me since chapter 2 or 3, have pimped this story like crazy, and I
don't think this story would have been half as good as it ended up
being without them.

Other people/groups/entities I need to thank :

Project Team Beta, for letting me help others and finding me the
help I needed when I decided to write this story. Although, after
seeing everything I miss, maybe I won't be betaing any more.
Thanks also to ChloeCougar, JointGifts, and FuriousKitten, who
worked on the early chapters of this story.

SexyLexiCullen, for her very early rec of this fic, and also her
suggestion of HR as a TwiMuses readalong. Thanks to everyone
who threw this little story at the bottom of a chapter to pass along the
smuttasticness!

Team Anything Goes at The Perv Pack Smut Shack, for the first
big review of HR. A special thanks goes to einfach_mich, who
clearly delineated what I was doing with my story in her review,
which took place at chapter 3. That was a humbling and powerful
experience, let me tell you. PPSS also made recs on chapter after
chapter of this fic… I heart you guys!

All the other blogs that rec'd HR, including ChloeCougar's blog,
Inspired by Lemons . Also, DandieGoose for TwiGirlsNextDoor,
Ms. Kathy for The Fictionators, and NauticalMass for Wordy
Bitches . HR was also in competition for Fic of the Week at The
Lemonade Stand a long time ago…
Ms. Ambrosia, for making a banner that was almost exactly what
was in my head.

People who allowed me to bounce ideas off of them: Femme

Malheureuse, sad tomato, TheSnowyHedwig, and Missus_T,
who, when I told her (around chapter 11 or so) that Carlisle had
taken over my fic, said that every event that happened at the ranch
was scheduled, planned, and orchestrated by Carlisle, so in fact
everyone was acting as Carlisle-by-proxy. That was an eye-opener I
never recovered from! ^grin^

HeatherRiddle and HotFiremanNate . They know why. ^waves^ HI

NATE!

Nina162 for her deep, insightful reviews that I re-read like heroin.

All the IndyTFMU chicks - it was a blast! Looking forward to more!

I also want to give thanks to everyone who nominated and voted for
Hedone Ranch in various contests, including The Sunflower Awards,
The Tomato Soup Awards (even if that went sideways, it was still an
honor), and The Emerging Swan Awards.

Also, I wanted to let all of you know I'll miss this story and all of you
who reviewed it! I hope to be back with another story soon!

Sincerely,

JenJadeEyes
About Outtakes
I'm going to be posting some outtakes for Hedone Ranch under
a different story header - Hedone Ranch Cutting Room Floor &
Alt POVs. There are about 1000 of you that read HR but didn't
put me on author alert, and I didn't want you to miss the
outtakes if you wanted to read them. See a portion of the first
outtake below. I'm writing a second one now, and I'm thinking of
a third.

By the way, if you're in the US Midwest and are free the first
weekend of November and want to meet up with some fellow
Twi-fans in Indianapolis, contact me by PM or at JenJadeEyes
at gmail dot com. I'm also on Twitter using the same name, so
you can reach me there, too!

This chapter originally went after chapter 12. Chapter 13 was going
to be from Edward's POV, and chapter 14 from Carlisle's POV, as he
went to the party, put himself on the line, and asked Bella out - and
that would be the end - you could choose whatever ending you
wanted to see. Someone berated me for chickening out on an
ending. They were right - I was.

The original intent of this chapter (In place of the current Chapter 13)
was to show that Bella's sexuality was just too much of a good thing
for Edward - he couldn't keep up with her sexual voraciousness, and
therefore wasn't sure if he wanted to continue dating her.

Why this chapter didn't make it: 1) it added an unnecessary new

character (Will, Edward's assistant) and assumes that he and
Edward were somehow buddies; 2) The story was about Bella, but
this chapter made her seem slutty instead of reveling in her newly
released sexuality; 3) The only way I could make Edward chatty
enough to share this much personal information was to get him
drunk. I did re-use this idea, but instead made Bella over-share with
Alice - a much more natural idea than Edward over-sharing with his
assistant.

Note - I know I ran this chapter by the betas for comments on the
content, but I don't remember if they fixed any of my commas… so
consider it unbetaed, would you? You can also see it starts out of
nowhere, there's an unfinished sex scene, and the chapter has no
ending - that was because I was fighting the chapter the entire time I
wrote it. When I switched it to Bella and Alice, things went much
smoother - that's how I knew this wasn't the right way to go. It was
tough to let go of Over-sharing Edward, though - he had some great
lines…

Leaning around the door to Edward's office, the impeccably dressed

man called out, "Hey, Boss, I finished up the stuff for tomorrow's
meeting, and shut down the editing suite. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Will!" Edward called out a little too boisterously and sitting up

abruptly. "Will, my good man. Don't go yet! Come have a seat!"

Tilting his head as he entered the room and noticing the empty glass
and the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the desk, Will asked, "Are
you drunk?"

Offended, Edward answered, "No, I'm not drunk. I'm oblisher…

oblimer…" He blinked his eyes. "I'm really drunk."

With a secret glee, Will sat down in the chair opposite his straight-
laced boss. "Why are you really drunk, Boss?"

"She's wearing me out, man." Edward rubbed his hands over his
face. "I can't do it any more. Can't take it."

"Who's wearing you out?"

"Beauuuuutiful Bella."
"I thought you were taking Bella out to dinner tonight?"

Edward dropped his hands to the desk and moped, "I don't think I
can. Do you know that she's a mymfo… a nump…" He licked his lips
and tried again. "She's addicted to my cock."
THANKS and Help Needed
RULE-BREAKING AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I don't think I can fully express my shock at Hedone Ranch winning

two 2014 Fandom Choice Awards ; Best Non-Canon and Best
Non-Traditional. Although I must admit Hedone Ranch is absolutely
both of those things! I am truly stunned at the love all of you have
shown my little old fic that hasn't been updated in a year and a half…
I see new hits all the time, and I appreciate every single one.

As a thank you from me, I dug out a Demetri outtake I promised to

jadsmama and that I never posted anywhere. I think the reason I
didn't post it any earlier was that I was disappointed that Demetri
didn't want to talk dirty to ME… he was more worried about what
Carlisle was up to! You can find it on Hedone Ranch Cutting Room
Floor & Alt POVs.

SINCE I've been terrible at following the "M" rating rules for this
story, let's break some more and have a little vote, shall we?

There are 3 Hedone Ranch futuretake ideas running around in my

brain. Trying to decide which one to commit to and finish. I could use
some input, so review and tell me which one you would like to see
made into a chapter!

1. Carlisle has the ranch listed as a members-only health and

wellness spa for tax purposes - and is getting audited. Also has
woman listed as head of business. Needs Bella to "roleplay" she's
the boss.

2. Carlisle providing "enrichment" lecture for his 400 level Human

Sexuality class - Aro and a guest to demonstrate Aro's skill set
(review his chapter if you forgot). Aro's guest falls sick. Will Bella fill
in? Will Carlisle be jealous?
3. Carlisle infiltrates Social Media. Wants to be a cross between Dr.
Ruth and James Deen. Wants Bella to join him online as he
demonstrates (quite vividly - think Deen with more talking) his
knowledge.

Leave me a review on this chapter and let me know if one of these

futuretakes speaks to you, okay? And THANKS AGAIN for the votes
in the Fandom Choice Awards!

JenJadeEyes