Malicious Compliance Chapter Thirteen

A large part of Edward—a very large, throbbing part—wanted to give in to his urges. Being domestic with Bella brought back those good memories he'd long since buried. What he once thought could only be a physical relationship, full of quickies and no substance, had grown into much more. Edward had missed her, there was no denying that. If he put thoughts of Bella to the back of his mind, he could live his life without her. Perhaps it would be difficult. Maybe he would only be lying to himself that he was fully happy, but he could have a complete life without Bella Swan. He'd done it once and he could do it again.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Twelve

Feeling numb for the remainder of the dinner rush, Bella tried her best to block out the sound of their grating voices. Tanya and Vicky's reputations for being ruthless gossips had made them a large circle of fake friends, and Bella was more than happy to be excluded. No one needed friends who were prepared to stab them in the back at the slightest provocation just because it meant getting ahead by a tiny inch. Bella had a job to do, and she was damn good at it. Still, by the time the dinner crowd left, she had to sit in the break room and lower her head between her knees.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Eleven

Between Bella and Austin, they’d rescheduled the meeting with Seth for the evening so Edward could be there. Bella wasn't sure how she felt about his revelation from the night before. Not that he was better off financially, or even that he’d kept it from her.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Ten

Alice was . . . an entity of her own. She was cute, knowledgeable, and not afraid to make fun of herself. Bella thought Alice and Jasper would make a great couple, but that would require Jasper to stop putting his dick in every woman who glanced his way.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Nine

Edward couldn't help loving the way it felt when Bella wrapped her arms around him as they settled on his motorcycle. From long rides into the countryside to naughtier nights when they got a little frisky—maybe a little dangerous—he missed it all. They used to have fun when she wasn't free falling into despair over money; granted, they were young and stupid. Since his thoughts and feelings were on the surface lately, it was only expected that he would look back on all they’d had and done. With all that in mind, he purposely picked a small cafe they’d enjoyed plenty of times in the past.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Eight

Setting her mug down on the countertop with a snap, Bella sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She'd spent the morning crunching numbers, and no matter which way she added everything up, it was obvious she would need about half the start-up costs from Austin to supplement her savings. The night before, he'd left her with the promise of drawing up contracts to ensure his generous investment in her dessert shop was fair. He would take a small percentage of her earnings until the loan was paid off, unless she somehow came up with enough to pay him back outright. 

Devil Incarnate Epilogue

Turning a full circle, his gaze washed over the muted green walls of Bella’s childhood bedroom. The passing years hadn't been very kind to the Swan house, as evidenced by the peeling paint and sagging floorboards. 

Devil Incarnate Chapter Thirty

The air was sultry with light summer rain, causing damp tendrils of hair to stick to the back of her neck. In irritation, she flagged down the server—of course he'd been checking her out the entire time she sat there—to pay her bill. Once she'd paid, she left the covered flagstone patio to meander through the crowd on the sidewalk, breathing deeply of the briny air coming off Elliott Bay.

Devil Incarnate Chapter Twenty-nine

Once the dust settled, Quinn realized he was more than a little pissed at his parents. At first, he'd blamed his father. Edward told them the plan was to kill Bella; just dropped it like a bomb in their laps on the way to the lab.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Seven

Something told him to turn back around instead of leaving; some deep part of him long thought dead. Turn around, walk back to the table, and don't let her suffer alone. Edward knew part of the reason he left each time they interacted was to punish her for everything she'd done to him when they were together. He'd also suffered, to the point where his self esteem took a huge hit, but it wasn't the same as what she'd gone through to make her act that way. And he knew it. 

Devil Incarnate Chapter Twenty-eight

Bella thought maybe she was dreaming. Soon, she would awaken in a world where Zion had never targeted them and no one had died. If that happened, then she couldn't be standing in a room full of dead bodies, the President of the United States, her only son . . . and her mother.