Worth the Fight Teaser

 While Charlie and Bella reconnected over spaghetti and meatballs, Alice demanded that Edward drive them back to his apartment so he could change. Apparently, his dark wash jeans and t-shirt were not appropriate for the steakhouse Alice wanted to take him to. Despite spending the day at Bella’s, helping her out, Alice was still dressed to the nines. She told him to put on a suit without a tie.

Wrinkling his nose, Edward went to change and put on a pair of black dress pants with a black dress shirt. He topped it off with a black leather sport coat. He also packed a small overnight bag and tossed his dirty workout clothes into his hamper. Spraying on some cologne, he walked out to his living room.

“Your place is very interesting,” Alice said, giving him a wry grin and gesturing to the rustic décor. Her eyes lit up when she took him in. “Very nice attire, Masen. Most of the guys need to have their clothes labeled.”

“This place was decorated when I rented it. I didn’t want to buy something if this wasn’t a good fit,” Edward explained. “I sold my condo in Chicago with all the furniture. Fresh start and all that.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Alice laughed, looking at his apartment. “This is all sorts of tacky.”

“It’s growing on me, but I prefer … not this,” he laughed. “I’m not into this.” He vaguely gestured to his apartment. “Cow horns? Nope. I like the wooden accents, but the rest? Meh.” He went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “Do want anything?”

“Nope,” she said. “We’ve got a reservation at El Gaucho at six. The steak is to die for!”

Nodding his head, he picked up his bags and keys, opening the door for Alice. They got back into his car and drove to El Gaucho in downtown Seattle. Alice told him to use the valet, plucking the ticket from the attendant. Walking inside, the host led them to a private dining room. “Alice, this is too much.”

“I’m expensing this, Edward,” Alice smirked. “Besides, I’m a month too late. I wanted to take you out once you arrived, but my dad said that to hold off until you got some more solid news on the head injury. Since you’ve started training, I think it’s a good idea to talk about your public relations plan. But first, we need wine.”

“Alice, I’m training,” Edward argued.

“One glass will not hurt you,” Alice chided. “I’ll drink most of the bottle.” She waved down their server. “Do you prefer red or white, Edward?”

“White. Less possibility of having a hangover,” Edward said.

Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom Update

MOTM:FFF Chapter 26 on FFn

MOTM:FFF Chapter 26 on AO3

MOTM:FFF Chapter 26 on Stars

MOTM:FFF Chapter 26 on Wattpad

I put Bella down onto the bed and stared at her. “I didn’t think this through,” I chuckled.

“You’re not … Edward?” she frowned.

“Give me five minutes to put out the fire pit, start the dishwasher and check on our offspring,” I said, shrugging sheepishly. “This was so much easier when we were not encumbered with the necessities of adulthood.”

“True,” Bella smirked. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to freshen up. Go, deal with the realities of being an adult.”

I kissed her deeply, sliding my tongue between her lips and tasting her essence, her sweetness. She moaned, gripping my shirt and trying to keep me in our bedroom. I pulled back, panting heavily. “Five minutes. I promise, cara,” I growled. She nodded, watching me as I turned to deal with the cleanup from the evening.

I reluctantly left our bedroom and dealt with the firepit. When I was done with that, I armed security system and started the dishwasher, putting our wine glasses inside. My last stop was to check on Charlie. He asleep in his crib, his little butt sticking up. I snorted, pushing his bottom down and settling him on the mattress. Covering him with a blanket, I left the nursery and walked to my bedroom.

Inside, the lights were dimmed, with candles lit all around our room, bathing the room in soft, incandescent light. Bella was seated on our bed, wearing a simple navy blue nightie. I could see the outline of her bare breasts and I salivated at being able to touch her once again. Her hair tumbled down over shoulders in loose curls. “Everything’s taken care of,” I said. Bella looked up at me and her eyes were glazed over, with a touch a fear lingering behind her espresso eyes. “Bella?”

“I’m ugly,” she sniffled, covering the scars on her right arm. They were fading on her pale skin, but they did mar her skin, a cruel reminder of the torture she’d endured. “I was proud of how I looked, but now? I’m covered in …”

“Stop it,” I said. “You are gorgeous, inside and out, Bella.” I held out my hand. She looked at it blandly. “Take my hand, cara. Come with me, please?”

She sighed, placing her left hand into mine. I helped her off the bed and stood her in front of the full-sized mirror in our bedroom. I stood behind her, my hands on her hips. She was looking at her toes, not at her reflection. “Bella, look at yourself. Please?” She blinked up, wrinkling her nose as she tried to hide her arms. I stopped her hands, threading my fingers with hers and holding her in my arms. “What do you see?”

“A hot mess,” she grumbled, frowning deeply.

“Bella,” I frowned. “You are not a hot mess. You’re healing. When we found you, that was a hot mess. The whole situation was a clusterfuck of epic proportions thanks to Renee and her connection to Ricardo. Now? I don’t see that. I never did and I never will, cara.”

“I still do,” she shrugged. “I still see these scars. I still feel his hands. I want to try. I need to try. I want to forget … I need you, but when I changed into this nightie … it all came crashing down.”

“Let me tell you what I see,” I said, gently moving her hair over her shoulders. “I see a strong, beautiful woman with alabaster skin, that is creamy and so soft to the touch; rose-petal lips I can’t stop kissing and hair the color of mahogany, flowing down in soft chocolate waves. She’s been hurt, but she’s healing.” I slid my hands down her arms, directly over her scars. Bella shivered. I moved my hand under hers and weaved my fingers with hers. I gently moved her arms so they were raised up as I glided my hands down her waist. “She’s slender, but sexy with the perfect amount of curves.”

“Edward …” she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut.

“Keep watching, Bella,” I commanded gently moving my hands up her ribcage to her the curve of her breasts.

Shaky Ground Teaser

Weeks passed and Bella’s pain eventually subsided. There was always a dull ache, but the throbbing agony she’d experienced that first night hadn’t reappeared. She eventually stopped taking her heavy-duty pain killers after a week in order to sleep and within two weeks, she was able to move without limping. Part of it was to prove to Oliver and Audrey that she could handle a full schedule. The other part was to be able to give Edward his birthday present. They’d made love, but he was always doing the ‘work.’ Bella wanted to make love to him.

By the grace of the scheduling gods, Bella and Edward were both off for his birthday in mid-June. They wanted to explore their new city and decided to wander about the award-winning rose gardens and Japanese gardens. After that, they went out to eat and went back to Edward’s apartment where Bella gave him his gift … herself. They made love, or rather, Bella made love to Edward, rolling her body over his, all night. In addition to the lovemaking, she’d also purchased a new watch for him and Keurig. His apartment was lacking a coffee maker. He didn’t mind going down to the local coffee shop, but Bella was not fully awake until she had her morning cup of joe. And she was not about to get dressed to get her daily jolt of caffeine.

So, the Keurig was a selfish present, but one he happily accepted.

Weeks turned into months and in late August, while Bella and Edward were sharing a meal in the cafeteria, his cell phone rang. “Masen,” he barked tersely. “Oh, Jane … hello!” Bella arched a brow. Edward mouthed it was his realtor. “There’s an offer on my house? Do you think it’s a fair offer?”

Bella scribbled down a question onto a napkin. How much?

$25K below asking price, he wrote back. “Counter back, splitting the difference. Let me know if they accept. Thanks, Jane,” he nodded. Hanging up the phone, he looked up at Bella. “They’re really interested.”

“If they really want your place, they should take your counter offer,” Bella smiled. “With the house being sold, are you going to look for something more permanent?”

He looked down and reached across, taking Bella’s slender hand in his. “I’m going to stay where I am because the next step I want to take is to move in with you, love. I know that you’re not ready for that. Adult sleepovers have their benefits, but having our own places is also nice, too. But, when you’re ready, I am. I want to find a house for the two of us and make it a home.”

Bella blushed and nodded, leaning over the table to quickly peck him on the lips. “I want that, too, but I have seven months left on my lease.”

“And I just extended my lease for another six,” he said. “Do you think you’ll be ready …?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “By then, yes. And, I want to go with you, back to Seattle, when you sign over the paperwork for your house. I want to see … I want to see where Harborview was.”

“Okay, Bella,” he said, kissing her pulse point.

Shaky Ground Update

Shaky Ground Chapter 38 on FicPad

Shaky Ground Chapter 38 on Stars

Shaky Ground Chapter 38 on AO3

Shaky Ground Chapter 38 on FFn

Shaky Ground Chapter 38 on Wattpad

The next morning, Edward and Bella slept in late. They’d made love several more times during the night, desperate to feel each other and reconnect as a couple. When the alarm went off, they both grumbled, but were thrilled when just a few moments later that the delivery guys, scheduled to deliver Bella’s bedroom set and mattress, were delayed by some traffic accident and wouldn’t make it to Bella’s apartment by early afternoon. So, Edward reset his alarm and they fell back asleep, snuggled in each other’s arms.

After they woke up, Edward took Bella out to breakfast and they went grocery shopping. She had some groceries, mainly snacks for her friends who had helped her, but not everything. When that was done, they unloaded the groceries and Edward helped organizing Bella’s bedroom and bathroom. While they were working, Rose sent a text saying that she was called back to Olympia to fill in for a sick coworker. Alice and Jasper left with Rose and Emmett, driving back up toward Seattle. The bedroom set arrived a couple hours later and they made the bed together. “I can’t wait to mess up these sheets with you, Dr. Swan,” Edward growled.

“Me neither, Dr. Masen,” she said. “But, dinner isn’t going to make itself.”

“I’d rather feast on you,” he said, tossing the pillow onto the bed and pulling her onto the bed. She shrieked, giggling as he kissed her neck. “I’m sorry, baby. I had my taste of you and now I can’t get enough. Making love and seeing your naked body … it’s fucking tempting.”

“As tempting as you are, Edward, my body is sore. You and your super cock,” she said, brushing his hair back. “I’ve used muscles I haven’t used in almost six months, baby. I want to mess up these sheets with you. I really do, but my hips, legs and pussy are killing me.”

“I’m sorry, gorgeous,” he frowned. “How about a massage after dinner?”

“That sounds absolutely heavenly,” she smiled. “Now, come use your surgical skills to help me cut up the veggies for the salad. Let’s dissect a cucumber.”

“I’d rather show you my cucumber,” he laughed, shooting her a wry look.

“You can show me your cucumber after you massage my legs. I promise you a hell of a blowjob, baby,” Bella sang. She slinked out of the bed and hid a grimace as she left him in the bedroom.