Hi, hi, hi! This was my entry for the May to December Romance Contest, which unsurprisingly didn't win anything because I'm a rebel who doesn't follow rules. Therefore, I didn't really focus on the age gap between Edward and Bella since they had enough drama to deal with. It's all good, though, because lots of people liked it! I'm expanding it a bit now, too, so let's see how this works out.

A few things before you read: I wrote this story whilst listening to Sia's 1000 Forms of Fear, so, it's Angsty. Yeah, that's right; Angsty with a capital A. I love to write non-canon characters and plots, and twisting things simply because I can is my favorite pastime. But most importantly, my characters are flawed and they're going to do things you're not going to like.

You have been warned.

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One: Flame That Came From Me

Port Angeles – Autumn, 2010

"I'd like to buy you a drink," I say as I take a seat next to the gorgeous man that I spotted across the room almost an hour ago.

He must be in his mid or late thirties, although that has no bearing on his good looks. At least, I don't see how it would affect the appeal of his chiseled features nor his dark and messy hair. If anything, his age gives him an extra allure. Well, that and his groomed beard. Yet, I do wonder—if only just briefly—how he must've had girls flocking to him just for a chance to admire his piercing eyes and pouty lips as I have.

He's tall and lean, and with the way his physique is displayed by his tailored suit, fitter than most men I've been with. That has me intrigued, so I want to find out if it's true—by getting him out of his clothes and into my bed.

The handsome stranger shifts in seat, not facing me just yet, but simply leans his elbows on the bar. Smirking crookedly, he asks, "Is that so?"

"It is," I confirm. "It would be my pleasure, actually."

It's then when he finally faces me, gazing into my eyes. Surprisingly, though, he speaks in a sullen tone when he asks, "And why is that?"

"Well, I noticed you've been checking me out for awhile now, and I like you, so I thought: if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed, you know?"

He chuckles mirthlessly, shaking his head and breaking me out of my spell. "Are you always this straightforward?"

"When it comes to something I want? Yes." I nod. "All the time."

And now that I've seen him up close, that desire is greater. Because good Lord, if I'd thought he was good looking before, I was wrong. He's beautiful—more beautiful than any man has the right to be. His eyes aren't only piercing, they twinkle in the light, making me feel as if I'm swimming in the blue-green ocean they resemble. If we locked gazes again, I could definitely get lost in them, but that is not what this is about.

This is about getting physical and nothing else.

"Does that usually work in your favor?" he asks, after taking a sip of his drink.

"Most of the time," I tell him. "So, hopefully it'll work tonight, too."

"Good luck with that," he counters, shaking his head again.

"Are you going to play hard to get?" I tease, "Because the chase is just as fun as the catch."

"You're terrible," he snickers.

"I am," I agree. "And you're not married—well, at least not according to your left ring finger."

Wedding bands are something I always check for because I never get involved with married men. That's just asking for extra drama I don't need in my life.

He turns to look at me once more and sighs. "No, I'm not, but—"

"It doesn't matter," I interject. "Just forget about whoever is waiting for you at home, and have some fun with me tonight."

"I can't," he responds. "For as much as I'm flattered that someone like you is interested in me, that wouldn't be the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do," I echo, arching my brow. "There are very few men like you, I must say."

He smirks now, crinkling his eyes as he does so. "Thank you for the compliment."

Complimenting him wasn't my plan, but since he's not budging, I'm going to have to use another tactic.

Smiling, I take a sip of my own drink, which I brought with me when I moved to sit at the bar. Once I'm done, I lick my lips, and say, "You're welcome." I extend my hand to his in way of greeting before I tell him my name.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," he says, taking my hand in his. "I'm Edward."

Edward. What a fitting name for him: old-fashioned and proper.

"So, Edward," I begin. "What brings you to Port Angeles? Are you here for business or pleasure?"

"I wish it were for either of those reasons," he sighs and looks down at his drink. "But unfortunately, it's for neither."

Not wanting to delve into it further, wary that the motive of his travels might be something as terrible as a family member's passing, I decide to shift the conversation back to me.

"Same here," I tell him. "I'm in town to visit some family, but I'm really dreading it."

Edward takes a sip of his drink and then looks over to me. "Do you mind me asking why?"

I smile ruefully, shaking my head. "Not at all; and there really isn't much to it, you know? We're just not as close as we once were." I shrug. "We all changed and there's no going back."

I don't tell him which was the catalyst for the change, but I guess he must imagine just how painful it was because there's a sorrowful tone in his next words.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he tells me. "One's family should be an unconditional support system, but it's not always like that. I get it."

Getting back on track, I change the subject one more time. "Yeah, well, enough about me," I say. "Tell me more about yourself. What do you do for a living?"

Edward's face lights up while he tells me that he's an investment banker who travels around the world as part of his job. When he begins sharing stories of places he's visited, I play my part by nodding and smiling when appropriate while also sharing anecdotes from trips I've made.

Seeking any opportunity for our bodies to be in contact, I sit closer to Edward and place my hand on his forearm while my leg rubs against his when we shift. I can tell how much I affect him by the way he looks at me, and even though he tries to be subtle about it, I can feel the weight and heat of his gaze all over my body. It's rather amusing seeing as I'm not wearing anything provocative tonight—unless you count a white pantsuit as being sinful, of course.

My grin shifts into a predatory smirk when I realize that I have him just where I want him: wound tightly and ready to snap when I go in for the kill.

Wanting to prolong his misery, I order another drink from the bartender for myself and also order one for him as I'd offered to do before. Edward protests, but I insist that it's only fair since he's put up with my unsolicited company.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying that," Edward protests. "Your company is great, actually—"

"But you disapprove of my intentions," I interject, chuckling darkly.

"Exactly," he agrees. "If things were different, Bella, I would have taken you up on your offer the minute you made it."

"It truly is a shame, but you can't always get what you want." I shrug. "Such is life."

"Imagine if we all got what we wanted." Edward exhales deeply, slightly annoyed, before speaking again. "The world would be in chaos."

I nod. "Definitely, but let's not talk about that subject any longer, okay? Instead, tell me where you're from."

"I'm from Chicago," he begins, "but I'm hardly at home to consider it that. What about you?"

"New York is currently my permanent home, but before that, I really didn't have anywhere that felt as such," I reply, frowning.

"And what do you do for a living?" Edward asks, slightly switching our conversation before he takes a sip of his drink.

"I…" I exhale. "I don't really do much." Shrugging, I frown once more. "I kinda do my own thing? Travel here—there, anywhere."

He smirks crookedly. "So, you travel the world and pick up guys at bars?"

Raising my brow, I reply. "I only pick up guys that are worth my time—guys that I know will be worth the chase. If they come to me, it's actually kind of a turn off. Most men always approach me with the same, lame pickup lines."

"I bet that happens a lot since you truly are beautiful."

Edward actually makes me blush with his words, as if I'd never heard them before. Feeling childish, I mentally roll my eyes at myself and thank him for the compliment.

"Coming from you, that means a lot," I say. "It's fairly obvious that you have exceptional taste."

Edward laughs. "How can you deduce that from simply looking at me?"

"By doing just that," I tell him. "It's written all over you, but especially by the way you dress."

"So, my custom-fit suits are a hit?" he asks, playfully.

"Definitely." I nod and take a final sip to my drink. "I'd say that your tailor deserves a big, fat bonus for Christmas. He or she makes you look sinfully sexy."

"I'll keep that in mind," he snickers.

"Well, I have to get going, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Edward," I say as I grab my clutch.

Tipping his drink at me, he smiles. "It was a pleasure to meet you, too. Thank you for the drink, by the way."

"It was my pleasure," I say, as I stand to leave and turn into him. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I lean down and give him a lingering peck on his lips. Before he can recover from my sudden kiss, I put my room key in his hand. "This is for you," I tell him. "Keep it in case you feel adventurous enough to have a rendezvous with me this weekend. I promise I won't tell anyone if you do."

Edward locks gazes with me, yet remains silent as I step away from him. I turn and head in the direction of the elevators by the bar's exit. When I finally reach them and step into one, the last thing I see is Edward clutching my key card in his hand with a bewildered look on his face.

I smirk, knowing that when he finally catches up to my game, he'll be mad that he didn't simply just give in to his desires.

-O-

When I return to my suite, I pop a Xanax into my mouth and down it with some water, hoping that its soothing effect has taken over by the time I take a much-needed shower. Maybe it's the fact that I have to visit my family tomorrow, or maybe I'm coming down from the adrenaline rush that chasing Edward at the bar gave me, but I feel on edge.

After removing my shoes, I head into the bathroom and get the hot water running. Next, I undress and step into the shower, relaxing almost instantly when the water sprays reach my body. I take my time washing my hair and body, finding extreme pleasure in such a mundane task. Once I'm done, I dry myself and apply lotion all over my body before slipping on my nightgown.

Watching TV seems like a good idea to pass time until I fall asleep, given that it seems unlikely that Edward will be joining me tonight. I head to my suite's living room and take a seat on the couch before I turn on the TV, flipping channels back and forth until I settle on MTV. I watch a few music videos between their normal programming, which ironically isn't much about music anymore.

A ridiculous reality show morphs into another one rather quickly, and as I'm heading to bed, there's a knock on my door. Behaving like the twenty-one-year-old girl that I am, I fist pump the air and do a little shimmy.

My plan fucking worked!

I compose myself before I walk toward my door, taking time to consider that it might not be Edward. What if my friend Riley finally decided to join me in my misery this weekend? I sigh, realizing that maybe I got my hopes up too high.

All that worry dissolves, though, when I open my door to find a disheveled looking Edward. His tie hangs loose on his neck now and his hair seems to have been tugged on out of frustration. More excitement courses through me as I revel in being the cause for his distress.

I know that the war within him to come up to my room was immense given that it's been almost two hours since I left him at the bar. Smiling, I simply ask, "Did you change your mind?"

Edward steps forward wordlessly, captivating me in a searing kiss as he grips my head with one hand and pulls me to him with the other. Having wanted this more than anything since I first saw him, I reply in kind, snaking my hands around his neck to tug on his hair. He moans in approval and pulls me even closer into him. His hold tightens around my hip before he shifts his hand higher until it's splayed across my back.

Breaking away from our kiss, Edward leans his forehead against mine as he closes his eyes. "I'm going to Hell for this, Bella, but, fuck, if that's my punishment, I might as well enjoy this thoroughly," he pants.

I kiss him deeply again and pull him into my suite before locking the door. Pushing him against the door, I grab the lapels of his suit jacket and pull him closer to me.

"I promise to make this good for you," I murmur, sliding my hands up to his neck before reversing my path until I begin to unbutton his shirt.

An impious smile overtakes his features as he gazes down at me. "You better believe that I'll hold you to that." Edward kisses me once. "In fact, I demand that you make good on your word."

My hands cease their descent at the same time that I raise my brow at him. "You demand that?" I scoff. "Who the Hell are you to demand anything from me?"

"You're such a fucking tease, Bella," Edward chuckles, clutching me to him. "You rile me up and then tell me I can't do what I want?" He clicks his tongue, shaking his head. "I'm in charge now, baby, and what I say goes."

I bite my lip in anticipation, observing how Edward's eyes darken with desire. This is definitely not what I was expecting, but it's clearly better.

"Are you going to punish me if I misbehave?" I taunt, resuming my task of removing his shirt.

Edward pushes a lock of hair behind my ear as he leans down. "You have no idea," he huskily whispers in my ear before giving the side of my neck a quick nip with his teeth.

I melt into him, surrendering any defiance I had left in me, and tilt my head to the side, silently asking him to do it again and again.

He takes the clue, nipping my skin until he reaches my shoulder. There, Edward slips the strap of my nightgown down, whispering how much he loves what I'm wearing.

"Blue looks great against your creamy skin," he begins. "And this silk and lace? It makes you sinfully sexy."

I snicker, realizing that he's teasing me by using my own words against me.

"You know what?" I ask, raising my brow. "Maybe I should punish you for taunting me."

"I'd like to see you try," he defies.

Nodding, I smile mischievously. "Alright."

Taking him by the hand, I guide him into the bedroom until we reach the bed. Edward and I then begin to undress each other between passionate kisses until we're finally naked.

He lays me on the bed, hovering above me as he kisses his way from my neck to my chest. Once there, Edward licks and bites my breasts from bottom to top, sucking my nipples hard. Other men have done this before, but I had never enjoyed it so much, especially with his scruff intensifying the sensation tenfold.

I gasp and moan while he makes his descent to my sex, nipping my skin in the process. As he does so, his hardness is pressed between us, letting me know just how badly he wants me. Edward then spreads my thighs and wraps his hands around them, pulling me closer to him.

Trembling in anticipation, I wait for him to make his next move, but it's not for long. Edward slips his tongue between my folds, running it along my sex until he makes his way upward. Once in direct contact with my clit, Edward begins flicking it with the tip of his tongue, causing me to cry out. A mixture of a moan and groan escapes Edward's throat, probably in appreciation of my reaction to his actions.

I thrash and whimper, pushing his head closer to my sex, making him scrape my thighs with his beard. I am so consumed by what he's doing that I fail to notice he's slipped one of his hands from my thighs to my entrance. He then sucks my heated flesh into his mouth and pumps his fingers into me.

That's all it takes to make me come undone.

My body melts into the mattress as I clutch the sheets in my hands. I'm a panting and trembling mess, lost to the world as I drown in complete pleasure. Every nerve in my body is alive like an electric wire, and even though it's irrational, I want to experience it all over again almost immediately.

Through my frenzied daze, I see Edward head to the side of the bed where his pants were discarded. He reaches into one of its pockets, retrieving a box of condoms before taking one out; his movements are quick as he tears the foil wrapper and sheaths himself with the contraceptive.

Edward makes his way back to me and kisses me languidly as he lies between my legs, hovering above me once more. He aligns himself at my entrance and finally thrusts into me deeply and without warning. His hands make their way to mine, threading our fingers together before pinning them above me.

Soft moans fall from my lips while his hips come into contact with mine. As Edward gauges my reactions, he gazes intently at me. A look of bewilderment takes over his face, causing him to still his movements momentarily.

It's as if he can't believe that he's experiencing this moment, but as soon as he recovers, he begins pounding into me over and over. He slides his hands down my wrists to my arms, and finally, to my hips. Gripping them, Edward pulls me a bit higher for leverage.

Like this, I can feel him deeper inside of me, reaching places that no one has before. It's as if my body were an instrument and only he knows how to play it correctly, which dumbfounds me for a second. Before I can get too overwhelmed with what that may mean, Edward is already pulling one of my legs to the side.

"Let me know if this is too much," he pants.

I just nod, too lost in the sensations coursing through me to speak. As if that weren't enough, Edward places my leg on his shoulder and grinds his hips against mine. Moaning loudly, I throw my head back in pleasure and clutch my sheets once again, trying to find something that will tether me to this world.

Edward grunts as he grinds and thrusts into me over and over, but soon switches our position again by placing my other leg on his shoulder as well. Grasping my hips, he pulls me to him as he thrusts forward, creating the most delicious friction between us. I can tell that his body's now covered by a sheen of sweat given that I can feel it under my ankles and calves as they slide against him.

It doesn't take much for me to come again, but this time my orgasm isn't as intense as before. Still, it must be enough for it to trigger Edward's own, because suddenly, he groans loudly and begins pumping into me with reckless abandon.

"Is this what you wanted?" Edward grunts. "Is this what you were looking for when you approached me at the bar?"

"Yes," I gasp.

"Did you imagine it could be this great?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Good," he says in a cocky tone. "That's what you get for underestimating me."

I'm about to argue that he's wrong, but at that moment, Edward grips me tighter and increases the vigor of his movements before ceasing altogether as he comes.

"Fuck," he exhales, removing my legs from his shoulders while pulling out of me as he does so. Edward then takes a minute to gather his wits before standing to discard his used condom.

Meanwhile, I lay on the bed with my eyes closed, trying to catch my breath. I am nothing more than a smiling fool whose limbs have been turned into mush. As I think of that, a chuckle escapes me.

"Are you laughing at me?" Edward asks as he returns to the bed and lies next to me. "Was I that lousy in the sack?"

I shake my head and open my eyes. "Nope, not at all. And just so you know, I didn't underestimate you before," I say. "I knew you'd be great in bed, but you probably exceed anyone's expectations."

He laughs, turning to look at me."Oh, Bella, you truly know how to boost a man's ego."

"Thank you," I tease. "I do aim to please."

"Really?" He raises a brow at me. "Show me."

And I do just that for the next hour or so, proving to Edward that I can give just as good as I get.

Thank you so much for reading!