I still own nothing. I just like to play with Stephenie Meyer's toys.

Chapter 3

After a quick lunch at the local diner, Edward drove us to his house, which lay just on the outskirts of town set back from the main road and surrounded by trees.

"Wow," I exclaimed as the house came into sight, "this is beautiful."

"It's all my mom's doing," he said with a laugh. "When we moved here, she picked everything from the location to the builder to the landscaping. She was almost impossible to live with until it was perfect."

As he parked the car, my nervousness grew exponentially. I was terrified about what this perfectionist woman would think of me. I was just a silly, run of the mill girl who'd become obsessed with her son at first sight. She wasn't going to like me, I just knew it. Looking around at this large beautiful house and the tall, perfect guy at my side, I just knew I was never going to be good enough. Not according to his mother, I was sure.

The interior of the Cullen house was even more beautiful that the exterior. The back wall was made entirely of glass, which bathed the home in soft natural light. Everything was white or very light wood with small accents of color interspersed throughout. It was immaculate and yet warm and inviting.

Edward gripped my hand and pulled me through the living room towards the back of the house calling out for his mom. We found her in the kitchen mixing up a batch of what appeared to be cookies. She was wearing an apron over a simple short sleeved button down blouse and a pair of jeans. Her light brown hair was pulled off her face in a messy bun and she was wearing little or no makeup. I was completely stunned. Judging by the house and what Edward had told me of her, I had expected a statuesque, perfectly coifed and manicured display of housewife perfection. This woman just looked like an average, down to earth mother.

She turned when we entered and her face broke into a warm, loving smile putting me instantly at ease. She flicked off her mixer and wiped her hands on her apron as she walked towards us. "You must be the girl who has completely bewitched my son here. He wouldn't stop talking about you this morning but I wasn't sure when he would let me meet you."

She pulled off her apron before pulling me into a huge hug. I was taken aback by the gesture but I couldn't help but hug her back. I was just too happy that she didn't seem to hate me yet.

"It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen," I said as she released me from her embrace.

"Call me Esme, dear. Mrs. Cullen was my mother-in-law and she didn't approve of me," she said with a laugh. "I wasn't good enough for her perfect son," she added in a conspiratorial whisper before giving me a sly wink. "Anyways, Edward tells me that you're new in town."

"Yeah sorta. I was actually born here but my mom and I moved away when my parents split up. Then they decided to get back together so now we're back."

Recognition immediately filled her face. "Oh, you're Chief Swan's daughter! Carlisle and I were actually invited to the wedding last week but we were out of town and couldn't make it."

"You know my parents?" I asked in surprise.

"Personally? No. I think I've met your father once or twice but through his work in the ER, Carlisle interacts with him quite a bit."

"Oh, that makes sense," I said trying to hide the relief in my voice. I'm not sure why but the idea of my parents being friends with Edward's parents weirded me out a bit.

"So, how are your parents enjoying marriage the second time around? I just think it's so sweet that they rekindled their love. It's like a cheesy movie and I mean that in a good way," she said with a laugh.

"Mom loves her cheesy romances," Edward said with a grin, earning him a little elbow jab from his mother.

"Oh, well I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I haven't seen them in almost a week. They went on a cruise for their honeymoon."

"Your parents are out of town?" Esme asked, her face turning suddenly serious as she turned to look at Edward. "You didn't mention that when you told me you hoped to spend most of the day over there. I'm not sure the police chief would appreciate you and his only teenage daughter cooped up in his house all day unsupervised."

Edward's gaze was focused on the floor, his face looking thoroughly abashed and I quickly jumped to his defense. "Nothing happened. Edward was a perfect gentleman."

"Mmhmm," she said, her eyes still narrowed at Edward but the ringing of the oven alarm saved us both from further lecture. "Alright, well I have more to do, so why don't you two go make yourself comfortable and I'll bring you in some cookies when they've cooled."

Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me down a few steps to their sunken family room. The room held a massive, plush sectional couch in the middle of the room with a large fireplace against the side wall. Opposite the wall of floor to ceiling windows was a big screen television framed by a light wood entertainment center.

Edward settled into the corner of the couch and pulled me down next to him, wrapping his arm around me as I laid my head against his shoulder. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious of our closeness when his mother was only feet away.

"Is this ok?" I whispered.

He let out a low chuckle and pulled me closer. "Of course. We're not doing anything inappropriate. Speaking of, I would hardly call my actions this morning that of a perfect gentleman."

"Well you did insist on protecting my virtue," I teased back.

He clicked on the TV and we settled in to watch a movie that had just started. After a few minutes, Esme brought in a plate of fresh baked cookies and two glasses of lemonade just as she'd promised. I was in awe. I had no idea that mothers actually did that sort of thing outside of old TV shows. My own mother couldn't even be trusted to put store bought cookies on a plate let alone bake them. Mom's only talent in the kitchen was ruining that which should be foolproof.

Ever aware of his mother's proximity, Edward and I kept our touching strictly PG. Every once in awhile, he would tilt my face up to his to plant a perfectly chaste kiss on my lips but neither of us pushed it any further.

Just as our movie was ending, Esme announced that she was stepping out to pick up Edward's sister from a friend's house. As soon as she was out the door, his lips were on mine greedily. I didn't realize how much I had been craving his touch until I lay back on the couch, pulling him down on top of me. I hitched a leg around his and pulled him even closer, clinging to him. I didn't understand what is was about him but I was consumed with him. I couldn't get seem to get close enough to him.

We lay intertwined, grinding against each other and kissing furiously until the sound of a throat clearing pulled us apart. Edward immediately jumped off of me and settled back into his corner of the couch as I took notice of a tiny dark haired girl standing in the doorway.

"Bro, you're ridiculously lucky that mom has a trunk full of groceries and sent me in to ask for your help," she said looking at Edward and grinning mischievously, "but now the question is do I tell mom that you and your new friend were going at it like rabbits on her new couch? Or will I keep my mouth shut?"

"What do you want, Alice?" he asked, glaring at her. My gaze bounced from one to the other as though I were watching a tennis match.

"Hmm, I think I'm feeling nice today. I only want the same consideration should you encounter me in a similar situation," she said with a glint her eye that told me she planned to make this situation a reality in the near future.

"You're only fourteen, Alice!" he roared, the protective older brother instinct rising to the surface.

Alice merely smiled. "How old were you when…"

"Fine," he snapped cutting her off, "but my silence only covers kissing. I catch you groping, grinding or anything worse and all bets are off."

"Deal. Now go help mom before she gets pissed and comes looking for you."

Edward jumped off the couch and headed out to what I guessed was the garage, grumbling something about annoying sisters. I expected Alice would head out to her room or anywhere else but she surprised me by plopping herself right down on the couch just a few feet from myself.

"I don't know you," she stated rather bluntly.

"I don't know you either," I replied a little too tartly but I was now completely sexually frustrated and just not in the mood to deal with snotty teenage girls.

"I'm Alice."

"I figured that much out."

She laughed loudly and smiled. "Wow, then you're already smarter than ninety-nine percent of the girls Edward usually hangs out with."

The idea that Edward usually preferred airheads struck a nerve. Did he think that way of me? It was true that we'd done more kissing than talking but I hoped we'd spoken enough to convey the fact that I actually had a brain and liked to use it.

"I'm Bella," I finally replied, hoping to get off the subject of Edward and other girls.

"So, I guess you're new in town," she asked.

I nodded. "Moved here at the beginning of summer."

"How'd you meet my brother?"

"I work at Newton's and he came in to the store."

Another smile crossed her face. "That was last night! I wondered why it took him hours to look for hiking boots. Especially when he came home all goofy happy and empty handed. You sure move quick."

It was obvious she believed I was some kind of a slut. Based on what she knew about me I couldn't' be surprised but I didn't want anyone to think that way of me. "What? No! I mean, I, uh, we…"

"Relax," she said with a light laugh, "it's cool. I get it. I mean, I don't see it but according to my friends my brother is hot and our dad is a doctor. Why wouldn't you jump at the opportunity?"

"It's not like that," I insisted, trying not to let this tiny girl's inquisition get under my skin. "I mean, yeah he's hot, but there is something else about him and that's more important than his looks and he's not an opportunity. He's just a guy I was drawn to and that I'd like to get to know more. I don't know what kind of girls he usually dates but I'm not an airhead or a slut and I don't really give a damn what your dad does for a living. I just like spending time with Edward."

She eyed me for a moment until the door to the garage opened and Edward appeared, his hands loaded down with grocery sacks. He paused in the doorway, looking from Alice to me and then back to Alice, his eyes narrowing.

"Alice?" he asked with a mixture of questioning and suspicion.

"Seriously, calm down big bro. I was just getting to know your friend, Bella. I think I actually like this one," she said with a smile before hoping off the couch. She gave me a small smile and a wave before she flitted out of the room.

"What was that about?" Edward asked.

It seemed I'd gotten on his terror of a little sister's good side and I wasn't going to screw it up by spilling all the details of our conversation to her brother, even if she was a bit of a terror. "She just introduced herself and asked how we met. Perfectly harmless."

"First thing you need to learn is that Alice is never harmless," he laughed and headed into the kitchen to set down the bags.

I chuckled and rose off the couch to follow him. Esme entered with the last of the bags. "What's so funny?"

"Bella met Alice," Edward said and a knowing smiled crept across Esme's face.

"Ah, did she give you the Alice interrogation?" she asked.

"The what?"

"Did she ask you a bunch of questions and then twist your answers to make her own assumptions?" Esme asked as Edward chuckled to himself as he began putting groceries away.

"No, well, maybe a little but I think I set her straight."

"Good for you dear," she said with a smile, handing a box of cereal to Edward. "Alice is at that age where she thinks she knows everything and she can be a real pain in the ass."

I could stop the laugh that bubbled from my lips though I was grateful that the two of them laughed along with me. Our laughter subsided and Edward quickly helped his mother put the groceries as I sat in a barstool at the counter. Esme wasted no time in insisting that I stay for dinner. She was worried that I was not eating well with both parents out of town and was quite surprised when I informed her that I'd been in charge of cooking dinner for my mother and I since I'd been able to safely work the stove, as my mother was completely hopeless in the kitchen.

"Well, it's nice to know that some young people still know their way around a kitchen. It'll just be the four of us, Carlisle is working late at the hospital again today so it won't be anything fancy but I can't in good conscience send you home to eat alone," she said offering me a motherly smile.

When Edward was finished helping his mother in the kitchen, he took me by the hand and offered to show me the rest of the house. His tour was short and, of course, ended in his bedroom. I barely had the chance to look around when Edward pulled me into his arms.

"I love that my mother loves you already," he whispered into my ear, "and Alice seems to approve which is huge, I'll have you know. They never like anyone I bring home."

I pulled back and gave him a serious look. "Just how many girls have you brought home?" I asked, trying not to sound as jealous as I felt but failed miserably.

"A handful, but I already told you there were some girls in my past, none of them very serious. Honestly, they were just a good time."

"And I am…?

"Definitely more than just a good time," he said, nestling back against my neck and cradling me against him.

"Am I? What are we? What are we doing?" I blurted without thinking. He was silent for a minute and I immediately went into damage control mode. "I'm sorry. I know it seems way too soon to ask that question and yet…"

"It feels like we known each other longer than just one day?" he finished for me and I nodded in agreement. "Well, as soon as it may be, I'd like to consider you my girlfriend, if that's alright with you, of course. It's just that one day or one hundred days, I'm not interested in seeing anyone else anymore and I'll just come out and say that I'm very much against the idea of you dating anyone else. Not that I can stop you if that's what you want. I'm just letting you know that I'm against it."

He flashed me a perfect crooked smile and my heart nearly exploded. "No, I'm definitely against it. I don't want to see anyone and I'm not a fan of sharing you with anyone either. It's just so fast."

He pulled me back against his chest, securing me in his arms as he placed a sweet kiss on the top of my head. "It's like I said last night, baby, let's just move at a pace that feels right for us. Fuck what everyone else thinks or what is supposedly normal and we'll just do what's right for you and me."

I lifted my eyes to his, finding a peace in his gaze that I'd never known before and which put me instantly at ease yet again. "Well," I teased, "I think it feels right for you to kiss me."

"How funny," he laughed, "I feel the same."

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine chastely. However, our innocent embrace didn't last for long. In no time, our kiss deepened and I felt myself backed against the bedroom door with Edward's body pressed firmly against mine. His hands slid to my hips and then slipped under the thin material of my tank top.

My flesh tingled at his touch but he'd just reached the bottom of my rib cage when a loud pounding on the other side of the door made us leap apart.

"Mom said to remind you of the open door rule." Alice's muffled voice gloated from the hallway.

"I hate you so much," he called loudly as we heard her footsteps move away from the door.

"You love me," she replied with a laugh.

I moved away from the door so Edward could open it and comply with his mother's rules and began a circuit of the room, inspecting the pictures, books and knickknacks that occupied Edward's personal space. I noticed immediately that we held similar tastes in books and that he listened to a wide variety of musical genres. There were pictures of him with his mother, sister and a very handsome older man, who I presumed to be his father, during holidays and on vacations. There were also many photos of him with a handful of teenage guys who I could only assume were his group of friends. It was a fascinating look into his life but also served to remind me once again how little about him I knew.

As if he could read my mind, Edward immediately came to stand behind me, placing his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder as he explained when and where each photo had been taken. He filled me in on the details of his closest friends Liam and Garrett. Liam was going to be a senior like the two of us and was away on vacation with his family but Garrett was a year older and had already graduated. He'd just gone off to the University of Washington a few weeks ago so it was unlikely I'd have the chance to meet him until Christmas break.

During the course of our discussion, we had migrated to his bed where he sat with his back against the headboard and I sat between his legs, laying my head back against his chest. As he recounted endless stories of his and his friend's mischief, he would stroke my hair softly as I ran my fingers lazily along his leg.

For such a seemingly innocent situation, it seemed more intimate than anything we'd done so far. I was taken aback at just how comfortable we both were in each other's presence. For the first time with anyone outside of my parents, I wasn't worried about what I said or accidentally making a fool of myself. I could just be myself with him and that meant more to me than his face, his body or the way his kisses lit me on fire.

It wasn't until his mother sent Alice up to call us down for dinner that we realized how long we'd been lost in conversation. We pulled ourselves off the bed and followed a delicious smell back down to the kitchen.

"It's just spaghetti," Esme offered apologetically though I didn't understand why. At my house spaghetti was a jar of sauce and overcooked noodles. Esme's spaghetti was perfectly cooked and covered with homemade tomato sauce, served with a freshly tossed green salad and warm breadsticks.

"Esme, this looks amazing and it smells even better! Thank you for having me over. I'm sure this is much better than the canned soup I would have made myself." I gushed, taking a seat at the table next to Edward.

"Well, anyone who makes my son smile like you do can come for dinner anytime."

She took a seat next to Alice opposite Edward and I rather than at the head of the table as I'd expected and we settled in to eat one of the best plates of spaghetti I'd ever had. Alice remained quiet but she seemed to have less hostility towards me and I could only hope she'd actually been sincere when she'd told Edward she liked me. It's not that I necessarily needed the approval of my new boyfriend's moody younger sister, but it would make our relationship that much easier if his entire family liked me at least. Of course, there was still his dad to worry about but from what Edward had told me, his dad pretty much liked any and everyone so I wasn't as nervous about him as I had been about meeting his mother.

Now, introducing Edward to my parents was another story completely. I had no doubt my mother would adore Edward. He was handsome and charming and mom would eat it up. Dad, however, would feel compelled to pull the intimidating, protective, father and police chief card. I'd already warned Edward that his bark would be far worse than his bite but I still wasn't looking forward to their introduction.

After dinner, the four of us settled on the couch and watched a movie. Being the only male present, Edward was sadly outvoted and forced to watch the newest romantic comedy which he did with surprisingly little objection. He and I cuddled in the corner of the couch under a large afghan and throughout the movie, Edward traced his fingers along my leg or my arm keeping me permanently ramped up until I felt I might combust.

Once the movie had finished, I said my good-byes to Esme and even received a kind word from Alice before she ascended the stairs to her room. Edward informed me was that was basically unheard of as we headed out to his car and I smiled in triumph.

The drive home was thankfully short because every nerve I owned was on edge from Edward's teasing throughout the movie. I was all but tingling as he walked me to my door, his hand in mine. I just managed to unlock the door before launching myself at him.

"Do you. Have any idea. What you've been doing to me?" I asked in frantic gasps between kisses.

"No," he replied with a laugh, "but I'll make sure to do it more often."

"Only if you're willing to make good on it."

"Bella," he moaned against my neck. "I know you think you're ready but you deserve better than this."

"Better than you?" I asked.

He sighed and pulled me closer. "Definitely, but I'm not strong enough to say no forever. However, if we do this, it's going to be better than a hormonal impulse. I want it to mean something."

He cradled my face and kissed me sweetly before pulling back and moving towards the still open door. "I'll call you when I get home, ok? I want your voice to be the last thing I hear before I fall asleep."

"Same here."

He moved in for one last kiss before quickly heading to his car. My heart clenched as I watched him back out of the driveway and I realized that in less than twenty four hours, Edward Cullen had stolen my heart and taken it with him.

A/N: Just a little side note. Most of this story is already written. I think I'm just a handful of chapters from the end and it's all pretty mapped out. So, barring any major RL complications, posting should be fairly regular and consistent.

Thank you all for stopping by. Much Love!