Chapter 1

My feet hurt like a bitch, a product of this morning's hard run on the treadmill. It also doesn't help that I have on heels a couple inches higher than they needed to be.

I check the silver watch on my wrist.

11:30...

When is this dentist going to be ready? I've already been waiting for over an hour. This is ridiculous. I look around. Waiting with me are mothers brining their children for checkups and teenagers lamenting the fact that they have to wear braces.

I run my tongue over the pearly whites inside of my mouth. I do that sometimes when I'm bored, and I'm so bored right now, I do it again.

This is unacceptable.

I stand, tucking the small clutch I'm carrying into the crook of my arm as I walk up to the reception area.

"Excuse me," I say. "I had an appointment at 10:30."

The receptionist was an older woman and clearly overwhelmed with the day's demanding schedule. Pieces of hair fall from her loose ponytail, "I'm so sorry. Dr. Cullen had emergency surgery this morning and all of his patients had to be pushed back. We can reschedule if you needed to leave."

She keeps apologizing to me while I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I'm usually not so hostile, but I have to meet my mother today for lunch, and it always puts me in a bad mood. Plus, my cat snuck out of the house, got hit by a car and died this morning, so I'm not at my best.

"Do you know how much longer he will be?" I ask, tempering my voice so that I don't scare the woman with my tone.

Before she can answer, a dental technician opens a door in the corner and yells my name, "Isabella Swan."

"I'm here!" I raise my hand like I'm in class and rush towards her, my heels clicking.

The entire office seems to be in an apologetic mood, and the technician says she's sorry for the wait. I wave her off like it's no big deal. But it is a big deal. I'm going to be late to lunch, and I can already hear my mother's voice in my head berating me for making her wait.

I walk down a pristine hallway, following the lady carrying my dental chart. Offices surround us on both sides. I can see dentists of all types working on teeth. Does anyone really enjoy going coming here? I don't.

She leads me to a room and opens the door. "The dentist will be with you in one second, honey. You're a new patient of ours so he'll ask you a few questions before he begins your exam."

"That's fine. Thank you." I sit in the plastic chair that leans back. It's hard to maneuver in my short, navy pencil skirt and crisp button down white shirt, but I manage well enough. I set my clutch on my lap and wait.

Birds are chirping outside. I wish I could hear them better, but the window is shut. I can only imagine how the warm April air must feel. Unfortunately, I have been stuck inside longer that I should have been.

I get mad all over again at the dentist for making me wait.

I cross my legs at the ankles to wait some more. Who does he think he is? I check my watch. So rude. I flip my brown hair over my left shoulder so that it flows down and begin to play with the ends. It's a bad habit, but I'm bored. As I've already said.

I wait some more.

The door opens and Dr. Cullen comes in. His name tag is proudly displayed on the front of his white lab coat. He's reading my chart in his hands and has yet to look up. I see that he's tall. Really tall.

My anger dissipates slightly.

He mutters to himself. It intrigues me. What is he saying?

I take him in more. He has a wild hairstyle that I have never seen before. A mixture between bed-head and perfectly gelled. It's also a strange color. Almost golden, but not at the same time. It doesn't make sense to me. What the hell color is that? I'll think of it later.

His face is porcelain and clean of any stray hairs. No five o'clock shadow. He has on glasses. Black-rimmed, but not thick. Probably just for reading.

Dr. Cullen looks up when he sits down. He sees me for the first time. He seems taken aback for some reason.

He clears his throat. "Isabella Swan, I presume?"

His voice is smooth and low. Masculine and forceful.

"Yes. That's me." I sit up straighter.

He stares at my chart again, pulling a pen from his pocket. "It says here that you just moved from Seattle? May I ask who referred you to us?"

"My old dentist, Dr. Gerandy. He said you were well respected on the east coast, so here I am." I smile, trying to flirt, but not at the same time. He seems older, not sure how much older than me, but older for sure. I don't want him to think I'm an immature child.

I have carefully crafted every aspect of myself to appear older; my wardrobe, my hair, my voice. I've always done that. I hate being considered young. Then I realize that he can read my age from the chart.

Damn.

His lips pull up a little. He doesn't look at me fully, but I can see him peeking. "He said I'm well respected? I'm honored."

"He's been doing my teeth for years, so I was a little hesitant to leave." I feel like I can speak freely around Dr. Cullen. There's no awkward patient/doctor lulls.

"And what exactly made you leave fair Seattle, too much rain?" He gets up from his seat and walks over to the small sink on the wall to wash his hands.

"My father died a couple of months ago and left me a large amount of money. I decided to move out here, closer to my mother."

He stills for a second, taking in what I just said.

I want to smack myself.

I'm a very blunt person and always have been. It doesn't bother me, but it makes meeting people very strange. They don't know how they should react to me. Sentences like, "My father died a couple of months ago..." should be handled with care. From my mouth, the words just flow.

"I shouldn't have said that." I sigh.

"Well, I'm sorry about your father." He snaps on a pair of chalky white gloves and puts on a mask that covers up his beautiful pink lips.

"We weren't that close," I say truthfully, and lean back in the chair as it reclines.

"Sorry about that as well. A father's relationship with his children is important."

Dr. Cullen stares down at me. He doesn't ask me to open my mouth so I don't. I just look up.

The mask cuts off half his face, but the best half is left for me to ogle. His eyes. God, his eyes. So vibrant and green. I have a dress that color. I don't think I've unpacked it yet, but I suddenly want to find it.

His gaze is intense. Does he look at all his patients this way? If so, some might consider it a little inappropriate. Not me, but some.

"Do you have any kids?" I ask, breathing for the first time.

"Yes," he answers.

"Oh." I nod.

"Open," he mutters harshly.

"Excuse me?" I ask, as if I didn't hear him. I just want to hear Dr. Cullen command me to 'open' again.

He repeats it, his voice softer this time. He blinks his eyes and exhales.

I open my mouth and wait. Seems like that's all I do here. Wait.

Dr. Cullen picks up some tools on the side of chair and holds them in front of my face, at the ready. I see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows.

"You have a very nice mouth," he says, his words muffled by his face mask.

Was that sexual? Maybe a little too sexual? I don't know. I don't usually feel awkward, but this is bordering on it a little. It makes no sense to me.

I laugh. A soft laugh that I wasn't expecting.

"Your gums are spectacular. Healthy teeth and you floss. That's a rarity in these times. Most young people just brush or use mouthwash," he continues.

So his comment wasn't sexual? Just medical.

His tools pick inside of my mouth. I have very good teeth, so I'm proud of them. Dentists love me.

He works, speaking to himself about bicuspids and molars. It's very sexy. I look at his eyes the entire time. They're wild with wonder and move quickly. It's obvious that he's passionate. About his work.

He retracts his tools, and the chair begins to lift up. He removes his mask, and I can see his lips again. They're very nice for a man. Full, but not too plump.

"So, you're looking quite good," Dr. Cullen says. He writes in my chart.

I check the clock on the wall. I'm late, but I don't care anymore.

"I need a teeth whitening treatment," I say, speaking out of turn.

"Yes, I see you're scheduled for it. I can have one of the technicians do it."

"No, I want you to." I sound like a child and nearly smack myself again, but the words tumbled out. No shame.

Dr. Cullen looks at me strangely, but nods after a second. "I haven't done one of these in years. Not since school."

He chuckles and it's beautiful. So deep and throaty.

I smile. "Sorry. I'm just very particular with my teeth. I don't let anyone mess with them."

"I can see that." He quirks an eyebrow. Does he wax them? They're perfectly arched. I'm a little jealous.

Come to think of it, I'm jealous of a lot about him. His lashes are dark and long. His cheek bones and nose are perfect. His complexion is clear.

It took years of buffing for me to look like that. I guess my teenage years were hasher than his.

"Alright, well, let's get to this." He claps his glove-covered hands together. He's excited to have me open my mouth again. I can tell.

The chair reclines. He replaces his mask and gathers his tools. He places one of those itchy, clip on bibs around my neck.

"Wouldn't want you to get wet," he explains, as if I don't know what it's for.

He starts spraying water and using his tools to pick at my teeth again. Then the whitening begins. I do this about four times a year, so I know the drill. It's more than just a cleaning. I wanted bright teeth. Healthy and nice to look at.

"So since you're new, I'm going to ask you a few questions, if that's alright with you?" he asks.

I nod.

"They'll be 'yes' or 'no' so you don't have to strain to speak." He begins to apply the gel to my teeth, brushing them gently.

I nod.

"So you said you moved to the east coast after your father died. Do you like Boston so far?"

I nod and smile a little.

"I was born and raised around here. I can't even think about living anywhere else."

He's so beautiful. Leaning over me and speaking with his eloquent voice. It's almost too much for me. It usually takes a long time for me to feel like this around a man.

I cross my legs again subtly. I don't want Dr. Cullen knowing that I'm hot over him.

"Are you in school?" he asks, continuing to work on my teeth.

I shake my head 'no'.

He doesn't reply or ask any other questions until he's through. My mouth tingles all over, and it feels a lot cleaner.

His foot presses on the pedal that raises the chair. "You're all done."

He hands me a mirror, and I smile brightly. He did a good job. "Wow. Thank you so much."

I hate that when I talk to him, I sound so immature. I really am trying to speak wisely, but he's making me nervous, which I'm not used to.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. You can infer with the receptionist about making another appointment." Dr. Cullen gets up abruptly and is gone from the room.

I'm thrown for a loop. It was so quick. What happened to good bedside manner?

I collect myself quickly, grabbing my purse and standing up on wobbly legs, racing out of the door.

I look to my left and right. I see him walking down the hall, his head bowed. I bet he was muttering to himself again.

I chase after him like a madwoman. "Dr. Cullen."

He stops, but doesn't turn. I quickly race in front of him. He doesn't seem mad or annoyed, but his face is certainly taxed. Why? Did I say something? Me and my stupid mouth.

He has taken his glasses off. I'm almost not prepared for the brightness of his eyes. It's too much.

"It was nice meeting you." I hold my hand out to shake his.

He looks me up and down, his eyes trained on each of my limbs. I can see his face heat in a blush. What is he thinking? I shift on my pumps, my body slightly moving.

He snaps back, "Yes, yes. Of course. You as well. I hope you like your new home and please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

He takes my hand. I notice that his palm is huge. Not surprising considering how tall he is. Even in my heels, he towers above me. His hand is smooth, and his fingers are long. He engulfs me.

"You have a loose molar on your right upper quadrant." His words are short, as if he didn't mean to say them. He exuded such grace and poise in the exam room, but now he was unsure of himself.

"Is it something serious?" I say, hearing this news for the first time. No one has ever complained about my teeth.

"No. I just noticed it. Shouldn't be anything to worry about." He still has my hand in his.

"Okay, well again, thank you."

"I just thought you should know." He smiles, but not fully. He's cute like this. He was sexy before, really intense, but now he's sweet. I can handle Dr. Cullen this way.

As I slip away from his grasp, I can't help but feel the cold piece of metal that's wrapped around the fourth finger on his left hand. I look at it quickly while he's not paying attention.

A wedding band.

It's solid gold and shiny. I can see an etching on it, but can't make out the words. It's been resized. I can tell by the small soldering outline. He's had it for a long time. Long enough for him to need it enlarged as the years went on.

Well, this might present a little problem.

A/N: Hello, all! Welcome back to my crazy mind. I hope you've all been doing well. I know I've been MIA for the past couple of months, but with school finishing up and starting work, I haven't had a lot of time to devot to FanFiction.

But here I am with a story. Just to warn everyone, the subject matter is shady, obviously.

Hope you all enjoy. As always, much thanks is given to my beta Jeny0719. She's been there through thick and thin, correcting me all the way. She has lots of stories on the site that are fairly popular. Check them out if you're looking for something to read.

Any new readers, you can certainly follow me on twitter johnnyboy1029.

Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you guys. And for those reading TWBF, the last epi will post later today.

As always, everything Twilight related belongs to SM.