Fire In The Water Chapter Fifteen

Ward

It would have been really easy to freak out, but I didn’t. Instead, I got up and pulled on my clothes, leaving as quietly as possible so I didn’t disturb Bella’s sleep. Though she had drifted right off, I was accustomed to being awake extremely early. Downstairs, I found Jasper in the bakery’s kitchen, creating whatever magic made the entire place smell like fresh-baked heaven. 

"Um, hey." 

Looking over his shoulder at my greeting, Jasper's eyes widened, and his hands froze. 

"I wanted to bring breakfast upstairs. What's Bella's favorite?"

He had to wipe his flour-covered hands on his apron, but then he held one out for me to shake while he spoke. "Blueberry muffins."

"Really? Okay, enough for two, please, plus coffee. How much is that?"

Shaking his head, Jasper resumed transferring scones from the butcher block counter to a Silpat-covered baking sheet. "Nah, man, I never make Bella pay. Just give me a second, and I'll have a bag ready to go."

"I appreciate it. And also that you're not asking me a thousand questions."

“Oh, Alice will have all the details by the end of the day.” With the scones lined up in neat rows, he opened the oven and slid in the tray. “That way, I don't have to be an asshole, but I still get the info."

My face flamed. "I'm with Bella now, and that's all anybody needs to know."

Jasper's laugh was loud and hearty enough that he had to brace his hands on the counter to keep from falling over. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, man."

Scowling, I walked into the dark interior of the dining area. It wasn't a shock to hear I was now the subject of a year's worth of gossip. But I didn't have to like it. Pacing back and forth, I picked up on a softly playing song and tried to place it. I knew it was something I’d heard once upon a time, but I couldn't conjure up the singer or the title. It sounded as though it might have been country from the 80s or 90s, though.

The full-bodied aroma of truly fantastic coffee reminded me of how desperate I was for that first incredible sip. Inching my way down the hall, I tried to see what Jasper was adding to it, but I was too late. 

"This one is Bella's," he said, pointing to the insulated cup with a B on it. "You like yours black?"

"Yes, thanks." My palms itched, but I bit the bullet. "What's the secret?"

"The secret is," he said with a grin, "Alice is a Tasmanian devil if you piss her off, and that's the reason I can't tell you."

"Fair enough," I mumbled, accepting the paper sack still holding a hint of warmth. 

After thanking him, I headed back upstairs. Hopefully, Bella hadn’t yet woken up so I could do it myself. The latch on the front door snicked quietly, and I locked it out of habit before continuing to the bedroom. Sunlight would stream through the part in the curtains at any moment, but for now, the room was bathed in the yellow glow of half-dawn. Soon, the bakery would be bustling, and the streets filled with people. For now, this was our chance to cloister ourselves without interference from the real world.

There were so many books stacked on her nightstand, I had to balance everything carefully so I could move them aside. With the coffee and muffins safely set down, I leaned over Bella's slumbering body.

She woke on the third kiss, blinking up at me and smiling sweetly. "You stayed."

Sitting beside her, I handed over her coffee. "Why wouldn't I?"

Her expression turned sheepish. "I was afraid you'd run once you got so close to me."

Those whispered words speared deeper than I could admit to her, but worse was the knowledge that I'd given her every reason to believe it of me. "Now that I've found everything I've been looking for, I have no reason to run anymore."

Sitting up swiftly, she reached behind me to put the coffee back down. The lavender sheet fell to her waist, and she threw her arms around me. 

"You never have to give me anything but those words."

Pushing her down to the mattress, I hovered over her. "How about these words?" Swirling my tongue behind her ear, I murmured, "I love you."

Bella wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to meet her. It hadn't been long since we’d had sex, but I realized now that I would never get used to the need for her coursing through me. It ran in endless currents through my veins, embedded in my heart and soul, and I craved the feeling as much as I craved her body.

Together, we rolled over the bed until Bella rose over me, her naked body calling to me. Reaching out to touch, to take what was now mine, I moaned as she rocked her hips. Leaning down, she kissed along my collarbones as shivers ran through me.

“Ward,” she mumbled in my ear.

My clothes were too constricting, but she had me trapped beneath her. Lightly scratching her fingernails over my abdomen, she wrestled with the button and zipper on my jeans. Without hesitation, I rolled her onto her back so I could yank off my shirt and toss it, then had to stand to take my pants off. Joining her on the bed once more, I smiled when she reached for me.

“God,” I groaned as we aligned. Her skin on mine was warm, soft, and nearly my undoing. 

Kicking the sheets to the bottom of the bed, Bella straddled me again, gazing down at me as she sat on my stomach. Though I tried to encourage her to take me inside her, she lifted her heavy hair off her neck instead. Fanning it out behind her, she let it drop before her eyes slipped closed. Finding her hip bones, her navel, and her breasts too hypnotizing to resist, I stroked over her body and watched her rock forward. It brought her breasts within reach, and I pinched her nipples between my fingers—because I wanted to, and because I loved the sounds it brought out of her.

Bracing her hands on my chest, Bella shifted even more, finally grabbing my aching cock and slipping down over it. The sensation of her pussy gripping me so tightly nearly made me forget what I was doing. Freezing for a few seconds, I breathed harshly while she took her time riding me. As I finally collected myself, I went back to squeezing and molding her breasts in my hands. A million ways to fuck Bella flipped through my mind like a slideshow, and the tightening in my balls warned me I was close.

Pushing up into her, urging her faster, I found a rhythm we both enjoyed and chased it. Finally, the sounds coming from Bella’s mouth told me she was about to come, and I resisted the urge to flip her. I wanted to pound into her, to force her to forget her own name as I fucked her senseless, but I refrained.

“Fuck, Ward!” Faltering in her movements, Bella moved one hand to her clit, rubbing it in furious circles as she cried out repeatedly. 

Mindlessly, I thrust up inside her, practically begging her to squeeze my cock with her orgasm. I needed to feel her lose control the way I needed to take my next breath.

Finally, I couldn't hold back the words in my head. “Come for me, Bella, please.”

“I’m so close.”

With my eyes open, I watched her muscles tense, shuddering around me as I came too. Gulping for breath, she fell over me, her weight a gentle blanket over my body. Stroking my hands down her back, I curved them around her ass and fit her more snuggly against me.

“What a way to wake up.”

I laughed. “Agreed.”

Picking up her head, she pushed her long hair behind her shoulder and stared at me. After half a minute or so, I became self-conscious.

“What?”

“I can’t believe how much I love you.”

Her words gave me delicious tingles across my nape. “I love you, too. You’re more than I thought I’d ever find in my life.”

“Same here, you know.” Moving off me, Bella sat cross-legged on the bed. “I haven’t had boyfriends since high school. I’ve dated, and I’ve even gone around a few bases. But I wanted more than what I found.”

“I’m thankful you didn't settle for a local man.” I sat up as she handed me the coffee waiting for us on the nightstand.

“Nobody was good enough. I guess I learned what to expect, and I didn’t like the men who put me last.”

“And how do you know I won’t?” Peeling off the lid, I checked the temperature of the coffee.

“Other than Heidi, who would you put before me?”

“Myself.” Shrugging, I sipped lukewarm coffee. Even cooled down, it was better than anything I’d ever had. Kind of like Bella.

“You’re not the type. Maybe you were before, but you’ve obviously changed.”

Indicating the bag, I said, “There's breakfast, too.”

“See, that’s what I mean.” Opening the bag, she said, “How did you know?”

“I asked, and Jasper surprised me by saying blueberry muffins are your favorite. I would've guessed cinnamon rolls.”

Grinning, she dug one out of the bag and handed it over. “You've never tasted the cinnamon streusel on the muffins he makes.”

“He’s clearly a genius.”

“That’s what I always say.”

She was right; they were fantastic. After making a trip to the bathroom, she took her cup to the other room. I heard the beep on the microwave and grimaced.

“Do you want yours reheated?” she asked, coming back into the room.

“Gross.”

“You’d be surprised.” Plopping down beside me again, she finally got a muffin for herself. “Even cold, their coffee is the best.”

“I tried to get Jasper to tell me the secret, but he wouldn't.”

A small giggle escaped her mouth, and she brushed crumbs from her lips. “The effort is appreciated.”

“Speaking of Jasper . . . how much gossip can I expect?”

“All of it.”

Finishing off my food, I reached around her to put the paper liner in the bag. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“And yet, you went down there for me.”

“Yeah.” Watching her eat, I found that I wanted to lick the sugar from her lips, to kiss her until she couldn't breathe. I wanted to stay in bed all day and fuck her over and over. 

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll be walking funny by the end of the day.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked, the tenor of my voice dropping low.

“No,” she whispered, dropping her breakfast on the table and pouncing.

Catching her, I rolled her beneath me and dropped my head to the crook of her neck. Her pulse hammered against my tongue, and her nipples hardened when I tweaked them. Legs shifting, hands seeking, Bella brought me to the brink of insanity.

“Is this a bad idea?” I asked.

“I can’t decide.”

She moaned, so apparently not. But I didn't want to hurt her, so I kept my touch light as I explored her back, her ass, and her thighs. The muscles of her belly quivered when I ran my fingertips softly over them, her moans and breathless sighs ratcheting up what I thought we’d sated.

“Now I feel selfish,” I whispered into her skin.

“Not at all,” she replied.

As if to prove her point, Bella inched down the mattress, cupping my balls in her palm as I parted my legs. Gripping the sheets, I sputtered out a curse as she enclosed her mouth over me.

“Fucking christ.”

Sucking the head into her mouth, Bella swirled her tongue and pulled back off. I had to keep my eyes open, to witness her swallowing me over and over. Her pretty mouth full of my cock was a sight to behold, and I didn't know if I would embarrass myself by coming in the next thirty seconds or not. With a delicate touch, she went back to fondling my balls, and I knew I was done.

“God—fuck. Bella,” I groaned, feeling the most intense orgasm I’d ever had drag up from somewhere I didn't know existed. There was practically nothing left, but she didn't back off, only releasing me when I ran a hand down her hair.

Wordlessly, she came up to lay next to me, and I circled my arms around her as my heartbeat slowed. She buried her face in my neck, and I hugged her tighter.

“That’s got to be a record for me.”

She exhaled against my throat. “I’m happy to hear that.”

A minute passed where we simply rested in silence. Eventually, I had to say something that weighed on my mind. “I want you to know, it wasn't like I was doing lines of coke off strippers' asses or anything.”

She snorted, her shoulders shaking as she laughed.

“There were women who wanted what I had access to, but I didn't use it or deal it directly. So they’d move on to the bigger fish.”

“I didn’t expect you to be a virgin, Ward.”

“Really, I just wanted you to know I wasn’t a manwhore. Not a knight in shining armor, maybe, but not fucking faceless girls in a constant rotation either.”

Lifting up on her elbows, she kissed my cheek. “Thank you for telling me. I did kind of wonder.”

“Well, you’re it for me now.” Tilting my head to look at her, I repeated, “I only want you, for as long as you’ll have me.”

“You know I’m a package deal, right?”

An uneasiness churned in my gut because I knew where she was going with this. “I know.”

“And it’s Sunday, and we’re both off work.”

“No, please.” I covered my face with my hands. “Don't say it.”

“We need to go to Mama’s.”