Charlie's thoughts were confused, and he was still not convinced she was not up to any good.
"'Night, Bella." he called back up to her.
I heard her jumping up the stairs. The bedroom door flung open, she turned quickly, and shut the door slowly behind her. She smiled at me and I returned her grin. I gazed at her appearance, her hair was still wet from the shower and she was wearing a holey t-shirt with grey sweat pants, and she was absolutely striking. Her smell was tremendously intoxicating, but now that she was here in the room, the monster who almost got free, didn't even scratch at my chest. I raised one eyebrow then, "Nice."
She frowned. She had gotten the wrong impression, "No, it looks good on you." I tried to explain.
"Thanks," she whispered.
She crossed the room and sat on the bed, crossing her legs beside me. She wasn't looking at me; she was staring at the floor.
"What was all of that for?" I asked about her running down the stairs and running back up.
"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out." She mused.
She is perceptive, "Oh," I said, trying to sound like I had no idea, "Why?"
"Apparently, I look a little over excited."
I reached over and lightly placed my finger under her chin to lift it up so I could see her face, and read her eyes. I took air in my lungs then, and the aroma coming off her body should be illegal.
"You look very warm, actually." I mused.
In the moment, I had to know what her skin felt like after being in that hot shower for so long. I slowly bent my face to meet her cheek. Bella didn't move. My mouth was to her ear, "Mmmmmm...," I breathed in her ear, she smelt absolutely delectable.
Her breathing picked up along with her pulse. I was instantly eager, like I had been when we first kissed.
"It seems to be...much easier for you, now, to be close to me," she thought.
"Does it seem that way to you?" I murmured.
It was true; it was getting easier for me to be around her. I'm afraid if I were to be away from her for any period of time that I would have to start all over, giving me yet another excuse to stay with her.
I moved my nose so it lightly caressed her jaw line. I reached up to move her hair away from her neck with the lightest of touches. She trembled under my touch. I moved my lips to the hollow under her ear and kissed lightly.
"Much, much easier," she breathed.
Her pulse was hammering.
"Hmm." I murmured in her ear.
"So I was wondering...," Bella began talking, but I hushed her immediately with my touch.
I started stroking her collarbone with my finger tip, but I was still curious, "Yes?" I breathed in her ear. She trembled again.
"Why is that, do you think?" her voice was trembling with pleasure.
I laughed lightly, breathing in her ear, realizing that it would cause her to tremble again. Her pulse picked up, "Mind over matter," I breathed.
She pulled away from me then. Instantly I was nervous I had done something perverse. I wanted to pull her back to me. I froze; worried I did something incredibly wrong. I clenched my jaw in worry. She stared fixedly at me, her eyes cautious. I slowly and deliberately unclenched my teeth. What was the matter?
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No - the opposite. You're driving me crazy," she exclaimed.
I was euphoric in that moment. She was enjoying this as much as I was.
"Really?" I asked, exultant.
A smile gradually spread across my previously worried face.
"Would you like a round of applause?" she asked, her voice acerbic.
My grin became wider, "I'm just pleasantly surprised," I explained, "In the last hundred years or so, I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with...in another way than my brothers and sisters. And then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it...at being with you..."
Belle interrupted, "You're good at everything."
The only thing I cared about being good at was being with her. I shrugged and we both silently laughed.
"But how can it be so easy now?" she asked, pure curiosity in her eyes, "This afternoon..."
"It's not easy," I sighed, "But this afternoon, I was still... undecided. I am sorry about that; it was unforgiveable for me to behave so." Before the self chastisement could commence she was quickly disagreeing, "Not unforgiveable."
She was ever so self sacrificing, "Thank you," I smiled, "You see," I continued, taking my eyes from her so she couldn't read the chagrin, "I wasn't sure if I was strong enough..."
I reached out and pulled her hand to my face, letting it warm my cheek, "And while there was still that possibility that I might be...overcome" I sucked in the air at her wrist, letting it envelope me, "I was...susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I would...that I ever could..." I couldn't say the words that would condemn me.
"So there's no possibility now?" she asked, hope in her voice.
"Mind over matter," I repeated, and smiled at her, even though it wasn't completely true.
"Wow, that was easy," she said, amused.
Unbelievable, I threw my head back and chuckled in whispers at the ceiling.
"Easy for you!" I told her as I lightly touched the tip of her nose with my finger.
The touch sent electricity through me, like it always does when we touch. She needed to understand though, that it wasn't easy for me at all, I had been fighting with so many desires when I was around her I was unsure if I could constantly keep them all caged.