Here is the next installment, hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If there are any mistakes please let me know and I will fix it since I am posting as I go.

Since I am using my hubby's computer, I don't have as much time to proofread or write so please bear with me and let me know all the mistakes either in a private message or a review and I will fix them quickly.

Chapter 2

EdwardPOV

I groaned as I tossed myself across my hotel room bed staring at the ceiling above as I listened to my mother plead with me to come home for a visit soon.

"Okay Ma, I will try to make a point to come home as soon as some time opens up. If I'm going to come then I want to have more than just a few rushed hours or days to stay. I would actually like to go see my house too. I haven't seen the sight of it since Garrett was born." I told her as I ran my fingers through my tousled hair.

I was the lead singer of a band that had a great thing going on at the moment. Our latest single had just reached number one on the billboard charts and we all hoped that it stayed there for a while. By 'we' I mean myself and the band which I considered to be family. The band consisted of Hannah who played drums better than any man I had ever seen, Nick who played bass, Leo who play guitar, and Mitch who played keyboards. Those guys were like family to me but what could one person expect when you spent nine to ten months out of the year on a tour bus with them, playing with them on stage, recording with them, writing with them, and just generally having fun with them. Nick was the only one out of all of us that had met his amazing wife and created a family while on the road. He had married our band manager three years ago and together they had two year old Mia and four month old baby Garrett. We were all doting uncles to the kids. Well, besides Hannah, who we all considered to be our baby sister, she was a doting aunt. But I missed my real family. I havent been home in over six months and I missed everybody back there. Home. Home happened to be in the southern peninsula of Florida. Home was a nearly 50 acre equine farm in Delray Beach, Florida that my entire family lived on. My mom and dad lived in the main ranch house and ran it as a bed and breakfast now while my sister, my brother, and myself all had houses build with three acres a piece in separate corners of the property.

"Okay, sweetheart, we just miss you is all. How long are you in San Fran for?" My mom asked making idle conversation.

We had to do a few radio interviews, appear on the morning show, do a concert tonight, and go visit the children's hospital tomorrow for charity. Then we got a two day break to do whatever we wanted before we hit the road to finish our cross country tour. We had started in Maine working our way to California before going back across and ending our tour in North Carolina. "Four days, Ma. We actually got a hotel room for this little stay."

We continued the chitchat for about another thirty minutes before hanging up with her when there was a knock on the door forcing me to drag my tired body from the bed. "What's up?" I said as I opened the door to reveal Amber, Nick's wife and our band manager, with little Garrett attached to her stomach in one of those baby carrier thing.

"Just wanted to remind you about the journalist that is coming tonight before you guys go on stage." She said as she handed me Garrett.

I took him and went to sit in the chairs that were in front of my hotel room windows. "Hey buddy, how's life?" I asked the baby as I bounced him on my knees earning a giggle from him. "Don't I have a separate interview with her also?" I asked Amber as she sat in the other chair.

She nodded. "You do but I figured I would leave the details of when and where that takes places up to the two of you. Her name is Isabella Swan by the way."

I smiled and nodded as I continued playing with the baby. "Okay, thanks. What do you and Nick have planned for our two day vacation?"

She just laughed. "Sleep in a real bed and take the kids to the zoo."

"I bet Mia will love that since she is so obsessed with animals at the moment." Mia was their two year daughter who was hell on wheels. I guess she gets it from all of us but in all honesty having Amber and the kids around helps keep us all grounded and straight. We even babysit a few nights a month when we didn't have a gig so that Amber and Nick could go out on a date.

Amber and Garrett stayed for about another fifteen minutes or so before leaving me to a nap before having to go to the arena. We always had our individual dressing rooms but chose to hang out in the group room as we had begun dubbing the area where the snacks and shit were that Amber had been setting up for us since we started touring. We were all in there talking about Hannah's big debut that tonight when a knock on the door startled us. I hopped up since I was the closest to the other door to go answer the door of the snack room that was connected to our group room. I was absolutely floored at the beauty that stood beside 'Bear' our security guard. I smirked when I saw the scowl pass fleetingly across her face at Bear calling her a reporter instead of a journalist but she didn't say anything. I took her and introduced her to everybody, even baby Garrett, before leading her to my seat that I had just vacated. Instead of going to pull a chair from the snack room I just propped up on the arm of the chair she was 'curled up' in. That's the best way I can describe how she was sitting because she had her legs and cowboy boot clad feet curled under her.

The interview went smoothly and I think she was rather pleased with how open and honest we were all being to her. We were a country band so we didn't have much to hide. Everybody knew I was adopted by the Cullen's when I was 13 but the details are hazy at best because that was personal and nobody hat ever thought to delve that deep into my past. The usually focused on Hannah since she was the only girl in a band full of guys but Bella passed her questions and comments around fairly equally and I think we were all surprised by that. She didn't ask me many but I assumed that was because I got a solo private interview later.

I took a chance when I walked her to the door. "Are you staying for the concert?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah my brother is actually waiting out front for me. Why?" This was good because that meant I wouldn't have any jealous boyfriend interrupting our interview tonight. I knew meeting up with her could be tricky because of it being a concert night and fans from all over were going to be swarming the city.

"Good, can you just wait for me after the concert and we can go over to the hotel together?" I asked her quietly. Not like that was any less tricky because then we would be in a small room with a bed readily available for use if we decided to. I don't know what it was about this mysterious woman I had just met but she made my palms tingle in anticipation and my hear race with trepidation. Relationships while touring were never a good idea because of the schedule I had to maintain.

"Whatever is easiest for you, Edward. I'm up for anything." She said before blushing and quickly covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.

I took a step forward and stroked a finger over her bare shoulder that had been tempting me all night. I could tell just from the way she was dressed that she wasn't a materialistic woman because the only jewelry she had on were silver and black angel wing earrings and a simple silver watch. "Don't be embarrassed, Isabella. You are a beautiful girl." I whispered softly into her ear causing her to visibly shiver. "I will see you after the concert. My dressing room is three doors down from this door on the right. I will tell Bear that you are allowed in there."

She nodded in acquiescence without uncovering her beautiful face. "Okay." She croaked before turning to squeeze out the door I held opened.

I got several ribbings from the guys and a knowing smile from Hannah before we all split up to head to our dressing rooms to get dressed for the show we were about to put on. I paid special attention to Bella during the concert and even acknowledged her before giving the reigns over to Hannah for her vocal debut which was amazing and beautiful.

Once the concert was over and the introductions were made we all hurried off the stage taking our ear pieces out and handing them to Kenny, the stage manager, who was waiting just backstage for us. "Great show, guys." He said to each of us as he took our ear pieces and accompanying batter pack that we always tucked into our back pockets.

"Thanks Kenny! Have fun these next few days!" We all called to him as we raced off in our own separate directions. Nick usually found Amber so they could get the kids home, wherever home was for that night, get them their baths and into bed. Hannah usually headed straight for the closest local dance club, but she was the youngest out of all of us at just 22 years old. The rest of the guys either went to their hotel rooms or a local bar to just chill out after the adrenaline rush a concert gives you. I headed for my dressing room to pick up a stunning journalist so we could get her interview out of the way before I tried my luck at other activities with said journalist.

I opened my door and smiled at her sitting in my chair looking at the four picture frames I had sitting on my little table there. "Well hello, Isabella." I said closing the door behind me causing her to jump in alarm.

"You scared the shit out of me." She said as she grasped her notebook tight to her chest.

I just laughed at her honesty. "I'm sorry, not my intention. At all." I told her as I strolled over to her propping a hip up on the small table there. "Want to know who they are?" I asked pointing to the photos.

"Only if you are willing to share." She said with a smile as she got comfortable in my chair.

I laughed and nodded. "I'm willing to do a lot of things. This picture is of me, my mom, and my dad on my college graduation day." I told her handing her that picture so she could study it closer.

"Oh, what did you major in?" She asked as she handed back the frame.

"Accounting actually. I was quite the nerd in high school and well into college. I still have the brains of a nerd but thankfully I grew out of the looks and filled into my frame." He said with a shake of his head.

"I can't picture you as an accountant. How far into college did you go?" She asked as she jotted down a few things.

"I am actually still in college working on my doctorate's degree." I told her with a smile as I pointed to my laptop that sat on the corner of the table. "I do it all online and only have to appear at a college to take my tests. My professors are understanding and try to accommodate my touring schedule." He said with a shy smile.

"Do you care if I include some of that in my article?" She asked shyly.

I shrugged as I picked up the next frame. "I don't care, it's not like it's some big secret. Nobody has ever bothered to ask and I'm not going to just give the information away." I told her as I handed her the picture from this past Christmas, taken just a little over four months ago. "This is from this past Christmas." I explained as she took the frame.

"Is this all of your family?"

I smiled and nodded. "All of my immediate family, yes. My mom and dad, my sister, her husband and their two kids, my brother, his wife, and their troublesome threesome."

"That's a beautiful family, Edward."

"Thanks." I placed the frame on top of the other one since I was taking them with me when we headed back to the hotel. "This is one of me and my golden retriever, Sammy."

Bella laughed when she looked at the picture. My mom had snapped it unbeknownst to either of us. We were floating in the middle of the pond that we had back home. Sammy was on her raft sunbathing while I was on mine. "This is awesome. Who keeps Sammy while you are gone on the road?" She asked handing the frame back.

"My mom and dad even though she more often than not stays in my house because I have a doggy door for her."

"Sammy short for Samantha?" She asked curiously.

I smiled and nodded. "It is." I said handing her the next frame. It was of all my nieces and nephews. "This is all the hellions that my brother and sister have added to the world. The three blonde angelic looking devils are Emmett and Rosalie's identical triplets. Lola, Lyla, and Layla." I explained as she looked at the picture lovingly. "The little boy is Alexander and the black haired little girl is Jasmine. They belong to Alice and Jasper."

"They look adorable. I can't imagine having one more less three at one time."

I just laughed. "I thought Rosalie was going to murder my brother when she found out she was pregnant with triplets. She cried while he laughed. She got her payback though the day they found out they were having all girls. He cried while she laughed." I told her as I stood up to grab my bag from under the table so I could take my normal clothes and my photos home with me.

"How are you getting to the hotel?" She asked as she stuffed her notebook and pen back into her gigantic purse.

"There's always a car around here to get all of us back and forth to wherever we want. Bear knows where it's at." I told her as I zipped up my backpack once my pictures were safely inside of it along with my clothes I had been wearing earlier.

"Mine is outside if you wouldn't mind riding to the hotel with me? That way I will have a way home when the interview is over." Bella suggested as she fidgeted with the strap of her purse.

I smiled at her as I shouldered my backpack. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way." I told her as I opened the door to my dressing room.

"Do you guys all stay in the same hotel when you are in town?" She asked as we walked towards the private parking lot at the back of the arena.

I shook my head. "No. We tend to scatter all over town to do our own thing when we have a few days like now. Nick and Amber tend to go to hotels that have more kid friendly settings while Hannah tends to go right into the middle of all the party scene." I explained as she led me to a dark red Ford Fusion that sparkled under the street lights.

"This is me." She said as she dug around in her huge purse for her car keys, I presumed. "If I can find my keys." She mumbled to herself as she continued to dig around causing me to chuckle. "Aha!" She said as the lights on her car blinked and the car beeped as she dismantled the alarm on the code.

Once we were in the car and out in the traffic I decided to turn the questioning around and ask her a few questions. "So...where are you from?"

She chuckled as she shook her head. "From a very small town in Washington."

"Do you miss it?" I asked her as I plucked a the hem of my t-shirt I was wearing.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes I do but at other times I don't. Seth, that's my brother, and I go back whenever he has a break from school to visit my dad and his mom."

"Your parents divorced?" I asked curiously because my parents had been married almost 30 years and still acted like newlyweds most of the time despite mine, my sisters, and my brothers constant complaints.

She looked at me. "You're enjoying this aren't you? Turning the questions around?"

I nodded because I honestly had nothing to hide. "I do, I don't get to do it very often. Are you avoiding the question?"

She nodded. "Trying to. My parents divorced when I was just a baby, less than a year old." She said as she chewed on her bottom lip.

I just looked at her without saying anything because I could tell this was a sticky subject to her and I didn't want to push her. I felt attracted to her more so than I ever had to anybody else and I didn't want to scare her off when I only had a few days left in town.

"My mom died when I was little but she lived in Arizona when she had passed away. My dad remarried when I was a teenager, after raising me alone most of my life." She said as she turned into the parking lot of the hotel.

I pointed to the underground garage entrance. "Pull down there, there is a parking spot reserved for my suite." I told her quietly. We didn't speak another word all the way up to my hotel suite.

"Is there anything that you don't want written in the article?" She asked as she dug out her notebook and recorder.

I shrugged. "Not that I can think of at the moment."I told her as we settled into the two chairs in front of the hotel room windows.

"Okay, well lets get on with it then." She said as she pushed the record button. "Are you romantically entangled..."

The interview went smoothly because it was more like we were having an actual conversation instead of a standard interview. About halfway through the interview she had kicked off her boots to get more comfortable and I had laughed out loud at her socks. "Where in the hell did you get those socks?" I asked as I tried to contain my laughter. She was wearing dark blue socks with yellow ducks and bubbles on them.

She wiggled her toes as she held her leg out, showing off her socks. "Aren't they awesome? I love ducks so Seth got them for me for Christmas." She explained before tucking her feet back under her with a smile firmly in place.

"Ducks, huh?" I teased her as I sat back in my own chair. I had kicked my shoes off almost as soon as we entered the room but I had on plain white socks, nothing out of the ordinary there.

She nodded. "Absolutely. It started when I was just a baby, or so I'm told. I used to have a big stuffed duck that I would drag around everywhere I went until it's head literally fell off from the body. I cried for days but my daddy being the man that he is duck taped it back together but it was never the same. I still have it, it sits in the corner of my bedroom still to this very day."

I just smiled in her direction because she seemed like she wasn't finished telling her story. "Once I started school, my dad would send me either stuffed or rubber ducks to school on my birthday. I would get however old I was that year. I ended up with over 150 ducks by the time I graduated high school" She chuckled as she shook her head in amazement.

"Wow, that's a lot of ducks. What did you do with all of them or do you still have them?" I asked curiously.

She laughed. "I donated most of the rubber ducks, not the specialty ones though, to the children's hospital when my friends little girl was there a few years ago. I am saving all of the little stuffed ducks for when I have my own children. Do you have any wierd collections that most people don't know about?" She asked effectively turning the conversation back to myself.

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure it would surprise most that I collect coffee mugs and shot glasses from every city we stop at while on the road. It's sort of a road map of my life so to speak."

"That's not so strange, Edward." She said and we continued with the interview.

She smiled as she twisted in her chair until she could face me straight on. "You are known as the clean, straight laced, down to earth, country boy but I am curious about something." She said as she pulled her lip in between her teeth in nervousness.

"What's got you both curious and nervous?" I asked pointing to her lip biting. "You are going to chew that lip off in your nervousness, just ask your question." I told her with a smile. "I'm an open book." I told her spreading my arms wide in invitation.

She chuckled and released her lip. "Do you have any tattoos or piercings?" She whispered quietly.

I smiled and nodded. "I do." I told her without giving any details as I scooted to the edge of my chair ready to reveal both but not without something in return from her. These things were privileged information and came at a steep price.

She smiled as she pulled her lip back between her teeth. I took a deep breath and a huge chance by reaching over and tugging it gently from between her teeth. "Stop that." I chastised softly.

"What do you have and where are they?" She asked quietly as she blushed bright red.

I shook my head as I slid onto my knees on the carpet, kneeling in front of her chair on my knees. "You have to give me something in return. Are you game?" I asked her as I placed a hand on her bend knee, stroking my thumb along the seam of her jeans gently.

She laid her notebook and pen on the table between as she also clicked the stop button on the recorder before unfolding her legs on either side of me. "Depends on what you request, bribery is not part of this deal, Edward. It's against the rules." She whispered quietly as she ran nervous hands through her gentle curls that were getting less and less prominent as the night wore on which led me to believe that her hair was naturally straight.

I smirked at her. "A kiss for a location and view. I have four so that's four kisses total." I whispered huskily as I gazed at her pensively placing my hands on both of her legs, stroking gently. I hoped and prayed to the good Lord above that I hadn't been misreading her signals all evening long.

She smiled as she scooted forward in her chair until we were about four inches apart. She shocked the hell out of me as she suddenly leaned forward placing her lips on mine, running her tongue across the seam of my lips.