A/N: As a great, big thank you to all of my awesome readers, here's a little something I've been working on. Altered Measure was nominated for All-Time Favorite Twilight Fanfic and Favorite Romance Fanfic in the Fanatic Fanfics Multifandom Awards. I love that you guys are still thinking about this story! You can go to fanaticfanficsawards dot blogspot dot com/ to vote for your favorites. There are tons of categories and lots of amazing nominees!

Outtake

"Let's hear it for Breaking Dawn!" the announcer shouts as the last notes of the song ring out in the stadium.

"Edward Cullen!" I step forward with my guitar still slung over my shoulder, salute the crowd and then toss my pick into the audience.

"Rosalie Hale!" Rose holds the neck of her bass in one hand and blows a kiss to the crowd with the other.

"And Emmett McCarty!" Standing from behind the drum kit, Emmett tosses his sticks one at a time to the eager fans.

We take a bow together before exiting the stage. Within moments, the sound of the next band fills the air.

"Ah, that felt great," Emmett says, thumping his meaty paw on my shoulder. "Ain't no high like the crowd cheering for you."

"Your wife may disagree with you on that one," I toss over my shoulder, winking at Rose. She rolls her eyes and scoffs at him as I slip into my dressing room, leaving them to their differences.

The music is still loud in the small room, but I don't mind. It comes through the speakers in addition to reverberating through the walls. I run a hand through my sweaty hair realizing I need a haircut. But since all the ladies seemed to like it this way, I guess it's a good thing I didn't get one yet. There were several marriage proposal signs tonight, and I smiled and winked like always but forgot them as soon as I saw them.

The set we played was perfect. Emmett didn't miss a beat, Rose strutted her stuff, and my voice was on. Being on the stage is always invigorating.

Now, all I want is a shower and a beer. Maybe not in that order.

I drop back onto the couch with a sigh and close my eyes momentarily. The soft click of the door opening a moment later makes them fly open. A timid brunette walks in and closes it behind her.

My eyes roam up and down her body, appreciating everything they see. I drink in her petite form. Her breasts look like a perfect handful while her waist is curvy and grabable. No, I won't turn this one down.

"How'd you get in here?" I ask.

Her shy voice belies her words. "I have my ways." She walks over without pretension. "I thought you might be looking for some company."

"Is that so?" I raise an eyebrow in challenge.

She nods as she steps between my parted legs, and my hands can't resist smoothing up her exposed thighs. Her skirt isn't short or revealing in any way, but the modesty seems to work for her. She hums and reaches a hand out, running it through the top of my sweaty head. If it bothers her, she doesn't let on.

"You're so fucking sexy when you're on stage."

I lock my eyes with hers, surprised by her forwardness. "You're not so bad yourself." I look back to her legs, up over her waist and end on her tits. My hands follow the same path, pleased when she moans as I massage them in my palms.

I stand up quickly, making her gasp, but I swallow the sound as my mouth collides with hers. Her lips are perfect pillows, molding with mine over and over as our tongues dart in and out. My hands find their way into her hair, grabbing it by the fistful and tugging her head just the way I want it. My dick is leading the show as I push her backwards until her body collides with the dressing table that vibrates with the bass coming through the wall.

Her hands grip my waist, and I can feel her fingers digging into my skin through the thin material of my sweaty T-shirt. We continue to suck on each other's lips and tongues while my hands continue to enjoy the weight of her breasts. I slip one hand down and under the hem of her shirt, my fingertips happily gliding over the warm, soft skin of her abdomen. I reach my ultimate goal and pull the silky cup down so I can feel the stiff peak of a nipple. She moans when I pinch it between my fingers.

My mouth moves across her jaw and over the sleek column of her neck until I reach her ear. "I want you," I whisper huskily. "Do you want me?"

"Yes," she breathes.

My other hand moves to the outside of her thigh, hitching it on my hip before moving under the hem of her skirt. I grasp a handful of the flesh of her ass as I pull her body into mine, creating some much needed friction on my aching cock.

It's not until I find her wet center that I pull my lips from her skin. "No underwear?" I ask with a smirk.

She shakes her head and bites her lip, the contrast between her shyness and boldness turning me on even further.

"Hmm, you do want me," I say as I drag my fingers through the slickness.

Removing both hands, I spin her around and gently push on the center of her back until she takes the hint and leans over the table. My hands roam her covered ass before I push the material up to expose it, enjoying the exquisite view. When I look up, her eyes meet mine in the mirror above the table.

With a smirk, I tease her a little more. "You're the type that likes to watch, aren't you?"

Her breath hitches and her eyes darken, proving my theory.

"It's always the quiet ones," I add. "Don't move."

When she hears the sound of my zipper, I watch her fingers tighten on the edge of the table near the wall. I push my jeans and boxers to my hips, sighing at the relief as my cock is exposed.

I lean forward and push her long hair over one shoulder, giving me access to her neck again. She hums as I kiss and nibble but groans when my hips move forward and my cock meets her wet flesh. I move up and down, teasing us both as her arousal spreads.

"This isn't going to be gentle," I warn lowly in her ear.

She whimpers. "Please." It's only a whisper, but it's all the permission I need.

Shifting down, I slam into her in one thrust, the force pushing her body into the table as she gasps. My hands slide down her sides and back up under her shirt. I move the cups of her bra away, grabbing onto those amazing tits and using them as leverage.

Slowly, I pull nearly all the way out and slam back in, moaning as her walls grip me tightly. "You like that, don't you?" I ask as my movements continue.

She moans again, but her eyes are squeezed shut so I decide to tease her a little more.

I pull out so just the tip is inside her and stop. When she realizes I'm not pushing back in, her eyes meet mine in the mirror. "You want more?" I taunt, and she nods. "Answer me."

"Yes," she breathes. "Please." The desperation in her voice makes me twitch.

"Then keep your eyes on mine. Watch how good I fuck you."

When she gasps again, I'm not sure if it's from my words or from slamming into her. This time, I set a fast pace, enjoying the tight feel of her pussy wrapped around me and the sound of our bodies colliding echoing through the room. My fingers toy with her nipples, and I can see her fighting to keep her eyes open.

Her moans become louder, and I can feel her on the brink of an orgasm. I move one hand to her hip and bring the other to my mouth, keeping my gaze locked on hers in the mirror as I lick two fingers and press them against her clit.

"Fuck," she yells as she tightens around me again.

I smirk at her. "You like that?"

"Yes … more … harder."

I rub circles in time with my thrusts as the tingling begins in my spine, traveling down to my balls. "You gonna come on my cock?"

Her answer is another moan, and I can tell she's fighting to keep her eyes open again.

"Don't close those eyes. I wanna see everything when you come."

I move faster and shift slightly, a wicked smile crossing my face as she shouts, "Motherfuck!" when I hit just the right spot. In a flash, I feel her repeated spasms signaling her release. The extra tightness is all it takes for me to lose what little control I had, and I begin emptying into her with spastic movements.

I still deep inside her after a few shallow thrusts and collapse over her back. After taking a few moments to catch my breath, I kiss the exposed side of her neck before rubbing my scruffy jaw over the sensitive skin.

She hums in contentment and turns her head toward me, allowing me to kiss her properly with a softness that's in drastic contrast to how we just fucked. Her fingers finally loosen from the edge of the table, coming up to scratch gently through my hair.

I nearly purr at the feeling she knows I love, and she lets out a sigh. My hands roam her ass and hips, which reminds me of my earlier shock. "Isabella Cullen, do you mind telling me what you're doing walking around without underwear?" I nip at her shoulder playfully.

She giggles and I groan. "It's in my purse. I took it off right before I came in here."

I hum and kiss her again. "Well I certainly enjoyed that trip down memory lane."

"Me too." She smiles then sighs. "I need to go clean up and get back out there."

"No," I whine, still kissing her cheek, jaw and neck. "You work too hard."

"It's my job."

I stand up and pout at her when she turns around and straightens out her skirt. She hops up on the counter and opens her legs so I can step between them. My forearms rest on her shoulders as my fingers play with her silky hair.

"Maybe it's time for you to step back a bit. You know Maggie could run things just fine without you."

"Yeah, but it's my foundation, and the benefit concert was my idea."

"That doesn't mean the foundation will collapse if you're not running the day to day operations." My wife has always been an overachiever, and when she started The Swan Foundation for Fallen Heroes several years back, she was determined to put her own blood, sweat and tears into it to honor her father. She successfully made it into a thriving organization that provides support for the families of those killed in the line of duty in any type of service.

But she's forty-five now, and our kids are practically grown. We could both be stepping back and enjoying more time together. Our oldest, Charlie, is in her first year of college. She didn't go far from home but lives on campus where I'm sure she's breaking a few hearts. Anthony is fifteen and rather quiet, preferring to read or play video games instead of partying like some of the other kids his age. We could do some traveling or just take time to be together if she'd cut down her hours.

Not that our marriage has suffered over the last seventeen years; if anything, we're stronger than ever. Sure, we've had our share of arguments and ups and downs, but we always seem to come out the other side better than we were before.

"I'll think about it, babe." With her fingers on my jaw, she gives me one last kiss. "But I really need to get back before Maggie comes looking for me."

"Okay." I pout again, even though I know it won't get me anywhere. My wife has become immune to that look over the years. "I love you."

"I love you too." With one last peck to my lips, she hops off the counter and saunters into the private bathroom.

I smile as I remember the first time we met and how she had disappeared before I came out of the bathroom. As much as I missed with her pregnancy and the birth of our daughter because of that, in the end it was just as well. I wasn't ready to accept that I could be a good father or a boyfriend at the time.

But now, I wouldn't change it for the world.

A/N: Thank you, once again, for your dedication to Daddyward!

I'm not sure of the timing yet, but I will have something new for you soon. It's a little different than anything I've written before. Keep me on alert or follow me on Twitter or Facebook to find out when it starts posting. For now, here's the summary.

Abandoned Heart

Summary: I don't date. He doesn't date. It was the perfect arrangement … until I was abandoned once again.