6. Lucas

Bernadette looked as if she was about to cry, but for what reason? I couldn't place my finger on at all. Had I done something wrong? Said something wrong?

"Bernadette, you know there is more than enough room, right? Besides, you're going to need someplace to stay once you have the baby, and I'm more than happy to support both of you."

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, for Bernadette immediately looked even more like she was about to cry.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked, leaning forward and grabbing her hand. I saw a multitude of emotions cross her face and then, finally, an expression of acceptance.

"See, Lucas, this is hard to say," she said, withdrawing her hand and looking away from me. "I can't stay with you right now because there's something I haven't told you, and I worry that telling you will rip our friendship apart."

That was certainly interesting, and something I hadn't been expecting. But I doubted that anything that she could say could tear our friendship apart. I loved her, after all, in more ways than just one.

"Bella, you know you can tell me anything. Look at me." She did. "Whatever you have to say, I promise that I won't let it come between us, no matter what. Now, feel like telling me what is going on?"

She sighed and took a deep breath. "The truth is, Lucas, I have feelings for you. I've had them for a while now, but I've usually been able to control them. With the pregnancy, everything just feels that much stronger. I don't know if I would be able to survive living with you knowing that you didn't feel the same way."

My heart leapt in my chest. So, she felt that way too? That was the best-case scenario, really. I thought she was prepared to tell me she was a convicted murderer or something along those lines instead.

But an attraction to me? Attraction that I also felt? That I could definitely deal with.

I smiled at her, reaching across to grab and squeeze her hand and she looked confused for a second.

"You don't have to worry about that being a problem, Bella. I'm so glad that you were brave enough to tell me, because the fact is that I feel the same way, and I've been hiding it from you for a while too."

I would have given everything to capture the look on her face in that moment. It was pure joy, pure bliss, everything that I wanted her to feel for as long as the two of us lasted.

Because I had no doubt now in my mind that the two of us would be together, at last, and it would be joyous and wonderful and everything that I had ever dreamed it to be.

"Are you for real?" she asked, but the expression in her face said she already believed me.

"Of course. Would I joke with you about something like this?"

She laughed. "I don't know. You've joked about some pretty stupid things before."

I shrugged. "While that may be true, I'd rather you didn't hold that against me."

"Is that so?" she giggled. "All right, I guess I can do that."

"Then let me ask you this, will you stay over tonight? Think of it as a test run in the eventuality that you decide to come live with me, or if unfortunate circumstances come to pass."

She nodded, and I wished then that there wasn't a table between us so that I might lean over and kiss her, full on the lips, show her exactly what she meant to me in that moment.

I had no doubt from the expression on her face that she was thinking the same thing or would at least readily accept my kisses if I were to bestow them upon her. I made a mental note to give her lots of extra kisses this evening to make up for the ones that I couldn't give her now.

"I can promise you that tonight will be wonderful," I said instead. "We can watch a movie if you want, or just go straight to bed."

"Straight to bed?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you know what I mean. I suppose it isn't exactly straight to bed, but definitely straight to the bedroom." I winked and she responded by blushing and ducking her head.

"Lucas," she whispered, "we're in a restaurant right now!"

"I know that. But the only things these suckers are going to do is be jealous that they don't have someone as beautiful as you sitting across from them, discussing what you're going to do for the night."

She ducked her head in that cute little fashion she had, and I knew that the blush must be spreading all across her face by now, probably even down her neck. Bernadette had never been someone who was good at hiding her feelings. I was surprised that she had managed to hide her attraction from me for that long. But maybe I had also been extremely oblivious to all the tells.

Now that I thought about it, she had acted a little flustered whenever I touched her or was too near to her, but I had thought that was just the way that she was. How long had she been hiding the fact that she liked me, too?

Maybe for as long as I had. Maybe for longer.

That wasn't what mattered, though. What mattered now was the fact that the two of us were together, and we knew what the other person felt. Oh, and of course the all-important fact that she was spending the night over, and I would be able to show her that other side of me.

I had always dreamed of having Bernadette in my bed, doing unspeakable things to her, making her call out my name into the night. And now it looked like it was finally about to become a reality.

A reality that I would savor for as long as it lasted.

* * *

The day couldn't have gone on for any longer. I think if it had, I would have gone over to Bernadette's desk, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the office right then and there so that the two of us could have the time together that I wanted.

I was imagining the million and one things that I wanted to do to her, with her, say to her as the afternoon went on and it was making it hard to concentrate. I could only imagine that she was feeling something similar though, and so I tried to not complain too much inside my head. Even if she had been the one to confess, I had been the one to put her in the situation to do that.

So it was my fault? The blame was too confusing to try to place, so instead, I tried to focus on actually concentrating on my work, not that I got much done.

As soon as it was time to leave, I packed as quickly as I could, feeling like a giddy little schoolboy as I went over to Bernadette's desk.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Just give me a second," she said. "I'm not as fast at packing up as you are."

In a few more minutes she was packed, and then I threaded my arm through hers and walked her out to the parking lot.

"I can drive you to grab your car tomorrow, if you'd like to take mine back to my place."

She considered my offer for a moment but then shook her head. "I'll just drive to yours. That way if my mom calls and freaks, I can leave."

"I hope she doesn't, but I understand," I said, giving her hand a squeeze and then letting her walk off to her car. I got into mine and drove the short drive out of the parking lot and back to my house.

The drive seemed way too long. And because I got back to my house before Bernadette did, the wait for her was also way too long. I just wanted her in my arms again so that I could give her a first kiss for us to remember forever.

I had no doubt that was also what she wanted. I wanted to fill her beautiful little brain with memories of me so that she could forget everything that had happened with that stupid frat boy at that stupid party that her ridiculous "friends" had dragged her to.

I wished that I could have saved her that night. Swooped in and been her first instead of that jerk, who definitely didn't even care except for the fact that he was getting some action. So now I would make it my mission to replace all those memories, to give her something to fondly remember instead.

Finally, she arrived. Her car pulled up to the front of the house and she stepped out in all her beautiful glory.

I ran outside to meet her, sweeping her into my arms and placing a kiss on her brow.

"I really do wish you had come with me," I said. "It felt like forever waiting for you to get here, and that long car ride back all by myself…"

"Oh come on," she giggled. "You're just being a big baby about it, it wasn't even that long!"

I kissed her forehead again, then peppered her cheeks with even more kisses. "Maybe for you, but I just wanted to have you in my arms the entire time. You don't understand how much I've missed you."

"Missed me? It's been ten minutes at most." But she laughed again. "All right, we really should get inside before you make a fool of yourself out here."

"I don't mind making a fool of myself as long as it's with you."

"Oh look, you're already doing it. Really, has that much changed? It's only been a couple of hours since I told you that I liked you."

"You see, what you don't know is that this has been inside of me all along. You're just the one who happened to let it out into the open."

She shook her head, but didn't suppress her little laugh, and guided me inside the house where she immediately plopped down on the couch and looked up at me expectantly. "You said something about the possibility of a movie?"

"That I did. Is that what you want to do right now?"

She nodded, a grin filling her face. "Yes, I was thinking a movie and some popcorn would be the perfect way to start the evening off right."

I raised my eyebrows. "How romantic."

She nodded. "Only the most romantic. Now come on, you should really be getting that popcorn in the microwave and I'll pick us out a movie."

I sighed, but I was grinning as well. Leave it to Bernadette to pick something that fit so well the position that the two of us were now in. Still friends. Maybe lovers, but not quite yet.

"A movie and popcorn it is, then." I headed into the kitchen, grabbing a large bowl and putting the first bag of popcorn into the microwave to start popping. Then I got down the extras that I knew she liked: butter and sea salt. I started melting some butter on top of the stove so it would be ready to drizzle over the popcorn.

Only the most decadent for the girl that I was so very happy to be with.

I finished popping the two bags of popcorn, filled the bowl, and then added the extra butter and salt.

In the living room, Bernadette had already picked out an old, animated classic for the two of us to watch.

"How does this sound?" she asked, holding up the case.

I nodded in approval. "That sounds absolutely lovely. How does this look?" I showed her the bowl full of buttery popcorn.

"Amazing," she said with a smile, then patted the place next to her on the couch. "Come sit. We have popcorn to eat and a movie to watch."

"Then I suppose this popcorn will be our dinner?" I asked with a grin.

She nodded. "Oh, of course. What else is it supposed to be?"

"I suppose anything other than dinner would be an inappropriate answer?"

"You know it."

She stood up and put the DVD into the player, giving me a minute to appreciate her glorious ass. Then she came and sat back down next to me, hand immediately going for the popcorn. I settled my arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into my side, a look of utter contentment on her face.

We watched the movie for a few hours, consuming the entire bowl of popcorn between us, and then as the credits rolled it was time to decide what the two of us wanted to do with the rest of our evening.

I leaned in to plop a kiss on Bernadette's cheek and whisper in her ear. "So, what shall it be, my fair lady?"

She giggled and squirmed in my arms, probably still trying to get used to the idea that the two of us were together now. I know that I was, but I also wanted to have her, all of her, in that moment.

"I suppose not straight to bed?"

"If that's what you want, then that's certainly something that we can do. But I was thinking that I might be able to replace some of those memories of yours with better ones."

"Which ones?" She looked up at me with wide and innocent eyes, and I leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"You know which ones."

I pulled back then to look down at her, and she looked up at me, and then she leaned forward and placed her lips against mine, drawing me into a long and soft kiss.

"I think I do know which ones," she said, her voice almost a sigh. "And I would love to have you make better ones."

"Good." I kissed her again. "Because I don't want you thinking of that fool anymore. All I want is for you to think of me, to know that I am here and that I will cherish you always."

"That sounds lovely."

"It will be. All I ask is that you let me be there for you, in whatever capacity I am able to. I don't want you to feel like you have to go through anything alone."

"I don't think I could feel like that when you are always there for me, acting so concerned on my behalf."

I laughed. "Well, of course. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there for you?" My gaze drifted down to her lips and I was overcome with a sudden urge to kiss her. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

She smiled. "Of course. What is it?"

"Can I kiss you again?"

"You don't have to ask," she said, leaning forward so her lips brushed against mine.

My eyes fluttered shut at the sensation. "I know. It just felt right." Then I kissed her, my arms going around her body, drawing her into my lap so that I could get a better angle. She seemed to melt against me, allowing me to bring her even closer to my body until it felt like there was no barrier between us, just me and her and our lips touching.

With my tongue, I asked for entrance to her mouth and with her lips parted she granted in. Then with my tongue, I gave her a taste of the things that were to come when the two of us were naked and in each other's embrace.

"Lucas," she groaned against me.

"What is it?"

"I want you. I don't think I've ever wanted you as badly as I want you right now."

"Good. That means I'm doing my job."

I flipped her over so that her back was against the couch and I was hovering over. Tugging at her dress, I asked, "Do you mind if I remove this?"

"No, please do," she gasped, helping me take the dress off of her so that I could admire her little bra and panty set. It was white and lacy, the exact kind of thing that I imagined she would wear whenever I dreamt of her.

"You're absolutely beautiful," I breathed, taking a moment to just take it all in. I still couldn't believe that my best friend was stretched out almost naked beneath me, her body a temple of curves, her skin so smooth and dark.

"You're pretty handsome yourself," she said, reaching up a hand to trace my cheek. "I didn't think this day would ever come."

"Neither did I," I admitted. "But I certainly imagined it. There have been so many times where I have woken up and your name has been the one on my lips, and I have ached upon seeing that you were not in my bed beside me."

"Well, now we have a chance to fix that."

"That we certainly do." I kissed her again, my hands grasping at her hips and bringing them up to meet mine, showing her how hard I was for her already.

"I want you; can you feel it?"

"Yes," she whispered against me. "I can."

"Good. I promise I'll be gentle if you'll let me have you."

"I will. I want you so badly I don't think I can take it anymore."

"Will you remove your little set for me, then?" I asked with a sly smile, tugging at the waistband of her panties. "You could even do a little dance for me if that's something you want."

"I don't know if I'd be very good at it."

I peppered kisses down her neck, stopping short at her breastbone then rising to look at her with another sly smile. "I believe in you. Besides, anything you do I'd see as sexy at this point. You're just so damn beautiful."

She smiled, a blush filling her cheeks and nodded. "Okay, I'll try that then."

I got up from on top of her, letting her stand and then sat back down. My cock was throbbing, desperate to be inside of her, but I knew it would be that much better if I waited and let things pan out how I saw them now.

With an intriguing expression on her face, Bernadette stood in front of me. She looked a little shy and unsure of herself as she swayed her hips, but it just made it all the more endearing to me. I didn't know if there would ever be a time where I didn't see my best friend as incredibly sexy.

"Like this?" she asked.

I nodded, hand drifting down to massage my cock through the fabric of my pants. "Yes, very good. You're doing fantastically."

She continued to sway, unclasping her bra and letting it drop down to the floor. Then she bent over as she removed first her panties and then her socks. Finally, she was standing in front of me completely naked.

I didn't know how much longer I would be able to hold myself back. She was just so lovely, so effortless, and that expression on her face said that she didn't even know what she was doing to me. It was almost too much to bear.

Almost.

But I had handled not being able to have her for this long, and now that she was finally mine, I intended to savor it. I wanted her to know just how good I could make her feel.

"Come here," I said, reaching out my arms for her.

She obeyed, and I positioned her so that she was straddling me.

"Can you feel that?" I asked, and she nodded. "That's all you darling, nothing else. You make me absolutely crazy Bella, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

She suppressed a little giggle and squirmed, making more blood rush to my cock.

"Fuck, you're so damn sexy. I just want you right now," I said.

She opened her arms wide. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes you are, but I also want to savor this moment. I want to show you just how good this can feel. And more than that, I don't want to scare you away."

"I don't think you could scare me away."

I laughed. "Oh, you'd be surprised. I can be somewhat of a beast in bed. That's something I want to ease into with you." I kissed her gently, feeling her relax against me as I left a trail down her jawline and focused on the sensitive areas of her neck.

I bit down gently, and she gasped, her hands clutching at my shirt.

"Does that feel good?" I asked, looking up at her with a sly smile.

"Oh yes, please don't stop," she said, gripping even tighter.

I continued my ministrations to her neck, her gasps and sighs a symphony to my ears. After a good few minute of this, I moved my way down to her breasts, taking one of her nipples in between my lips and sucking on it. Her back arched up into me at the sensation, and I smiled.

"You like that too?" I asked, my hand moving to work on her other breast.

"Oh god yes."

"Good."

I continued to suck and bite on her nipple, massaging her other breast with one of my hands as she whimpered beneath me. Then I switched, paying some attention to her other perfect rosy nipple.

Her breasts were red and peaked from arousal and the cold air of the living room, and they fit so perfectly in the palms of my hands, as if they had been made to do so.

I knew there was only so much longer that I could take being there with her but not inside of her, so I stood, which earned me a whimper as my heat left her body.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm stripping, if that's all right with you."

Her eyes went dark with arousal and she nodded. "Of course, it's all right with me."

She watched as I stripped out of my clothing, revealing my long and erect cock. Her lips parted slightly, and she looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Don't worry baby, I'll be very gentle," I promised.

"I'm sure you will, it's just…so big," she said, her eyes still trained on it.

"You can handle it. I promise. And if you don't want to, all you have to do is tell me to stop and I will. I'll stop right then and there, no questions asked, okay?"

She nodded. "That sounds good. Thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course. I don't know what kind of man I would be if I wasn't. I want you to understand that you never have to feel pressured with me. This should be as much about your own enjoyment as it is about mine. So remember that you can always tell me no, or to stop."

"Thank you," she said again, her smile lighting up her whole face. "It really means a lot."

"Well then, I'm going to ask you this once, is this something that you want?"

She nodded.

"Bella, I'm going to need more than a nod. Tell me exactly what it is that you want."

"I want…" she hesitated. "I want your cock inside of me."

I let out a low and possessive growl.

"That's good baby, very good. Because that's exactly what I want too."

She grinned as I stalked towards her and positioned myself above her, my cock teasing the entrance to her pussy.

"You ready?" I asked, leaning down to kiss her face.

She nodded.

Taking that as a yes, I thrust myself into her as gently as I could. She threw her head back, her hips coming up to meet mine, gasping for air as I filled her.

I gave her a few seconds to adjust, then began the cycle of withdrawing a bit and pounding back into her again, making sure to hit her g-spot to give her the maximum amount of pleasure possible in that moment.

Beneath me she moaned, hands gripping the fabric of the couch, and I suppressed a low laugh.

"You're beautiful," I murmured, kissing her forehead.

"God, Lucas!" she cried as she reached climax.

I came a few seconds after her, having held myself back so that she could come first. Then I eased myself out of her before collapsing on top of her with a laugh.

"You're incredible," I said, kissing her face.

She smiled against my lips. "So are you. I never thought that this moment would come."

"Well, now it has, and I don't intend to let it get away from me."

"Good, because you're not going anywhere."