A/N: A huge thanks to everyone who's been reading and/or reviewing. It makes writing worthwhile.

Chapter 4

Steering his car up Alice's drive, Edward could feel his body buzzing with a strange excitement. He could tell himself that it was tiredness from a busy first week in a new job. Or from spending the day unpacking his boxes in the house his mother had found for him to live in. He could tell himself these things, but they wouldn't be true.

Edward knew this excitement was because Bella would be here tonight. He would see her in a different setting. Would she be different? The same?

He knew that logically he didn't want to get involved with a colleague, but that logic was having a hard time making its presence felt.

Bella Swan was playing havoc with both his logic and emotions.

What was it about her that so attracted him? An image of Bella entered his head. Was it her large brown eyes, so expressive, that drew his attention? Or maybe it was her delicate pale skin. He'd touched her because he'd had a compulsion to find out if it was as soft as it looked. It was.

When he'd shaken hands with her the first time they'd met, he'd been amazed by the spark of electricity that had flowed between them. He'd put it down to static but when it happened every time they touched accidently, and not so accidently, he didn't know what to think.

Edward watched her work during the week and her dedication and professionalism had impressed him enormously. Bella genuinely loved what she did. It wasn't just a job for her. It was obvious in the way she treated the patients, going out of her way to make sure they got what they needed.

What about Bella? What did she need?

She had assisted him in Thursday's clinic, giving him valuable information on many patients that wasn't written in their files. Family histories, backgrounds, things like that. The expectant moms loved her. More than one had commented on Bella while he'd examined them. She'd helped deliver some of their children and they were hoping she'd be doing the same again.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he parked his car and went to greet his sister. He knocked on the door and heard her tinkling laugh as she walked to the front door.

"Edward. About time. I thought you might be late," said Alice, looking up at him from her diminutive height.

"Hi to you too, squirt," he replied, knowing she hated that nickname. She'd always been sensitive about her height, or lack of it. Despite missing out in the height department, she'd made up for it with her vibrant personality.

Alice smiled and hugged her brother. "Good to see you. Mum and Dad are here already. Rosalie and Emmett are on their way and Bella should be here soon."

Edward's ears perked up at the mention of Bella. Not that he'd let Alice know. She was an inveterate matchmaker. If Alice so much as got a whiff that he was attracted to Bella, she wouldn't let up until her brother was nursing his grandchildren.

Walking with her into the house he was greeted by Jasper, Alice's husband. "Hey, Edward," said Jasper, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Jasper. I'm glad to see Alice hasn't driven you nuts yet," teased Edward, smiling at his sister.

Jasper just chuckled and hugged his wife to him, kissing her temple. Jasper was the perfect foil for his wife. Where Alice was dark and tiny, Jasper was tall and blond. Alice was a livewire, an unceasing bundle of energy, seemingly too much for her body to contain whereas her husband's unceasingly calm demeanour seemed to settle her down. Edward hadn't been able to attend their wedding as he'd been volunteering in Africa and hadn't felt right about leaving when there was so much poverty and despair. Alice had understood. This meant he didn't really know Jasper well, but what he did know, he liked.

Alice had met Jasper, an author, in Chicago when he was there meeting with his publishers. Chicago was their hometown and Alice had gone to the Marriott hotel for drinks with a couple of friends. She'd seen him at the bar and claimed that it was love at first sight. Jasper hadn't stood a chance. She'd set out to capture him with a single minded determination that her family would have recognised immediately.

They'd married after only three months and Alice had moved to Jasper's home in Forks. They lived in a beautiful white clapboard home, with large lawns surrounding the house, all bordered by the forest of the Olympic Peninsula. It was due to Alice that their parents had come here, attracted by the thought of living a quieter life as part of a smaller community.

That Alice was supremely content was obvious by the happiness that shone from her eyes when she looked at her husband. Jasper also looked absolutely devoted to his beautiful wife, which pleased Edward enormously. He was happy his sister had found her perfect mate.

As they entered the lounge, Esme moved forward to hug her son. She was still a beautiful woman, even in her fifties. She was the epitome of charm and grace and she loved her family with a passion.

"Hi Mom," greeted Edward, hugging his mother tight.

"Hello darling. Have you unpacked everything yet?"

Esme had been the one to find Edward's house. Being a small town, there really weren't that many apartments available, but she'd managed to find a small, charming house not far from the hospital. It was small, but had plenty of room for a single person. Esme was now planning on decorating it. Edward was letting her do what she liked, he didn't have the time or inclination really. His apartment in New York had been fairly utilitarian, so anything would be an improvement. Besides, Esme had superb taste.

"Nearly. Only a few boxes left."

Nodding, she moved back to her husband. "I've got some great ideas for it," she declared.

"Do whatever you want to it, Mom. I trust your taste."

Esme beamed as Edward greeted his father. "Make sure you come around for dinner often, or your mom will fret," warned Carlisle jokingly.

"Don't worry Mom. I'll need some proper food every other night," joked Edward.

"How did you manage in New York for so long?" lamented Esme, looking at her strapping son.

"Lots of takeaway."

Esme just shook her head and tutted. The doorbell rang and Alice rushed to let her sister-in-law in. There were voices and laughter coming from the front foyer, a man's booming voice the loudest.

Alice walked back in the room, followed by one the most attractive couples Edward had ever seen. The man was over six feet and built like a linebacker while his wife was one of the most beautiful women he'd seen. She was also tall and blond, with a body the Paris catwalks would have drooled over.

Funnily enough though, she left him cold. Despite her supermodel looks, Edward had been much more affected by Bella's girl-next-door looks.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie is Jasper's sister," said Alice, making the introductions.

"Nice to meet you both," said Edward, shaking each of their hands.

"Good to see you," boomed Emmett, a wide smile on his friendly, open face. "We missed you at the wedding."

"Yeah, I was in Africa at the time and couldn't get back," Edward explained.

"Africa? Were you doing volunteer work or something?" asked Rosalie curiously.

"Yeah, I was working in a hospital there, looking after the mothers and babies."

"And how are you finding working in Forks?" continued Rosalie.

"It's been great. Everyone has been really welcoming and the staff there are terrific."

Rosalie nodded her head in approval. She was naturally protective of things that were important to her and she'd worried that a doctor from the big city would think he's too good for the small town of Forks.

"So you're another Doc?" asked Emmett. Edward nodded.

"Edward is an OB/GYN, Emmett," explained Rosalie.

"An OB WTF?" laughed Emmett. When Edward opened his mouth to explain, Emmett put his hand out. "I know what it is doc. I'm just messing around."

Rosalie just rolled her eyes, obviously used to her husband's ways. She moved to greet Esme and Carlisle. "Don't mind him, Edward. His brain stopped growing when he was twelve."

"Ouch," grimaced Emmett. "That's cold, baby. I thought at least fourteen," he said with a big grin on his face.

Everyone laughed, any ice broken by Emmett's silliness.

The talk became general for a few moments more until the doorbell rang again. Edward felt his pulse pick up speed in anticipation of seeing Bella. He felt foolish, but he couldn't help it.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The butterflies in her stomach were doing somersaults as Bella drove to Alice's house. She loved Alice but she so wished she'd been rostered to work tonight. If the hospital had rung and asked her to cover for another midwife, she would have agreed in an instant. There had been no phone call so here she was, preparing to see Edward outside of the hospital.

How bad could it possibly be? He was the same man she saw at work and she managed to hide any attraction she felt there. It would be the same tonight. She would be friendly and cordial and that would be the end of it. No problem.

Despite telling herself this, Bella had taken extra care with her appearance tonight. She wasn't trying to impress Edward Cullen, she told herself as she applied the makeup she seldom wore. It didn't matter in the slightest what he thought of what she was wearing. Her figure-hugging deep red sweater dress, with the low neckline had been one of Alice's creations. That's why she wore it, to please Alice.

Alice. She smiled when she thought about her crazy friend. They met when she walked into Alice's clothes store in Port Angeles to buy an outfit to attend a christening. Being quite conservative in her choice of clothes, jeans and t-shirts were Bella's 'uniform' outside of work, Bella had let herself be talked into buying a floaty dress by Alice, who was working there that day. Indeed, it was hard to say no to Alice in most situations. Even if the little pixie was always right.

Somehow, they had just clicked and they began regularly meeting for coffee which progressed to girl's nights out and now they were firm friends. She'd known Jasper since school but he had been only an acquaintance back then as he was older than her. Through Alice, she'd also become friends with Rosalie and Emmett, who taught at PE at Forks High and was the school football coach. Rosalie had worked as a mechanic but was now a stay at home mom since their son Riley had been born eighteen months ago. Rosalie had been in competition, of sorts, with Jacob as a mechanic.

Jacob. Bella frowned as she thought of her friend. She knew he was struggling to accept his father's fate, angry that Billy wasn't doing anything to fight the cancer. Bella also knew that eventually Jacob would find acceptance but he had a lot of heartache on the way.

Charlie had been another matter. Maybe because of his profession, Charlie had taken the news stoically, although Bella knew her father was hurting too. It's just that Charlie wouldn't show it. Emotion scared Charlie. It was just the way he was.

When she'd seen her father, he'd been sitting on the lounge, staring at the TV, seemingly lost in the game that was playing.

"Hey Dad," said Bella, sitting down next to him.

"Hey Bels."

"Um...I...ah...Jacob told me about Billy. I'm really sorry."

Charlie nodded in acknowledgement of her words. "Yeah. It's too bad."

"Are you ok, Dad?"

Charlie just sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm ok. Feel bad for Jacob, though."

"I know. He's pretty cut up about the news."

"Can't do nothing," said Charlie. "Just gotta accept it. Like the rest of us."

Bella nodded. Neither of them said anything else for a long time, just sat in companiable silence, both lost in their thoughts.

Shaking off the sad memories, Bella drove up Alice's drive and parked her car. She saw a number cars there already and guessed she was probably one of the last to arrive. She didn't know what kind of car Edward drove so she didn't know if he was here or not.

Taking a deep breath, Bella got out of the car, carrying the bottle of wine she'd brought for Alice. She was wearing heels so she walked carefully, not used to the extra height. Flats and sneakers were her usual mode of footwear. Unfortunately neither seemed appropriate for this dress.

"Bella! Wow, you look great!" said Alice, a wide smile on her face.

"Thanks. It's one of yours, you know."

"I know. I'm just really glad you dressed up." Alice pulled her inside, taking the bottle from her. "You don't usually make this much effort," she pointed out slyly.

"Are you calling me a slob?"

"No," laughed Alice. "You just look glammed up. I'm not used to it."

"Well it seemed appropriate."

"Because Edward's here?" she asked, looking at Bella's face.

Keeping her expression neutral, Bella replied. "And your parents and your in-laws."

"Oh. I thought maybe you wanted to impress Edward."

"Alice! Stop it. What are you trying to do? Embarrass me?" asked Bella. "Because if you are, I'll go now."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I think you'd make a good couple," replied Alice.

"I hardly know him so just lay off, ok?" warned Bella. Lord, if Alice got any idea how attracted I was to her brother, she would be impossible.

Steeling herself, Bella followed Alice into the lounge where the others were waiting, determined not to show any sort of reaction to Edward's presence, knowing that Alice would be watching them like a hawk.

She knew it would be harder than she imagined the instant her eyes fell on him. Despite the others in the room, her eyes seemed to seek him out automatically. It took all her willpower not to give herself away as their eyes met.

Even across the room his eyes seemed to burn into hers, making her knees feel weak. How clichéd, she thought. Yet it was true. Her legs felt like jelly as he moved towards her, her pulse racing.

He was so damn sexy, she wanted to grab him and kiss him senseless. He was wearing jeans with an open-necked button down shirt, topped with a casual blazer. He looked like he'd stepped out of the pages of GQ magazine, his bronze hair casually ruffled.

She watched as his eyes travelled over her, taking in her appearance. His eyes wandered over her stocking clad legs, on display in this dress which only came to just above her knees before moving up, noting the womanly figure underneath. Bella thought she imagined that his eyes lingered briefly over her full breasts, clearly outlined with a tantalising hint of cleavage showing.

When his eyes finally moved over her face, he smiled. Captivated by that smile, it took Bella a few seconds to realise that someone was speaking to her. Dragging her eyes from his, Bella turned to see who had spoken to her.

"How are you, dear?" asked Esme, a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm great. It's lovely to see you," said Bella, returning Esme's hug. Behind her was Carlisle.

"Hello Bella. You look lovely tonight," said Carlisle, taking her hand and giving her a fatherly kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Carlisle. It's one of Alice's designs."

"It looks great on you," said Rosalie moving forward to greet Bella. "You've got the colouring to wear that colour. I love it."

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, Bella laughed. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a great compliment." Rosalie would look good in sack.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. You look hot!" said Emmett, giving her a bear hug. "Why hasn't some lucky guy snapped you up yet?"

Bella blushed at his words, hoping that Edward didn't think Emmett was hinting. "Well, obviously all the good ones are already taken," she joked, trying to distract them from any thoughts of matchmaking.

"Too true," agreed Jasper, earning himself a punch on the arm from his wife. "Hi Bella."

She greeted Jasper then turned to the only person she hadn't said hello to yet. "Hi Edward."

Bella held out her hand only for Edward to take it in his and raise it to his lips. Bella practically stopped breathing as she felt his soft lips on her skin, her cheeks burning. She didn't notice Alice's barely concealed glee as she watched the two of them.

Letting her hand go, Edward smiled his crooked smile, which did nothing for her tortured breathing. Her hand felt like it was on fire and she had to stop herself from rubbing it with her other hand to see if she could feel the imprint of his lips.

"Hello Bella. Dad's right. You do look lovely tonight."

Bella nervously pushed her hair off her shoulder and saw his green eyes darken as he looked at it. He'd never seen her hair out of its bun. "Ah...thanks," she stammered. "You just haven't seen me out of uniform."

His lips curled in a half smile. "No, that's not it," he murmured cryptically, turning to talk to his father.

Released from the invisible force of attraction she felt, Bella also turned to chat to Rosalie and Esme. Annoyed at herself, she nonetheless was constantly aware of Edward's presence. Moving around the room, she chatted with everyone, trying not to make it look like she was avoiding Edward. Inevitably though, she found herself virtually alone with him, everyone else in their own conversations.

Gripping the glass of sparkling wine Alice had given her, Bella looked at Edward and said the first thing she thought of. "It's nice of Alice to throw you a 'welcome' dinner."

Edward chuckled. "Alice doesn't need an excuse, but I'm glad to give her one anyway."

Bella nodded and took a nervous sip of her drink. Act normally. Pretend you're at work.

"How long have you known my sister? And is that dress really one of hers?" he asked, his eyes lingering on her.

Standing so close to him, she saw when his eyes lingered on her breasts for a moment and immediately felt her nipples tighten in response. Mortified, she was eternally grateful that the material was heavy enough to disguise her body's reaction to his gaze. Say something before the others notice your reaction to Edward.

"Um...yeah, it's one of hers. Alice is very talented."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, she's always loved clothes. I always saw her as a top designer in New York or some fashion capital but obviously love changed her plans."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Bella, frowning. "She's very happy and Jasper adores her."

"No, don't get me wrong. I'm very happy for her and this is what she wants. I just hope she doesn't waste her talent."

"I wouldn't call running her own boutique as 'wasting' her talents. She's got quite a good internet business going, you know. Alice is not the type of person to do anything she doesn't want to, so obviously she's happy with her life."

He looked at his sister, who was curled into her husband's side, his arm protectively around her.

"Yeah, she does look happy. So how did you two meet?"

"Clothes," she grinned. "I walked into her shop and we just clicked. She just knows what suits people. She gave me this for my birthday. She keeps trying to get me to dress better. I'm more a jeans and sneakers girl."

"Well I have to applaud her taste tonight. Although I am quite fond of jeans on a girl." He smiled that sexy smile of his.

Is he flirting with me? Luckily Bella was saved from having to answer by Alice who asked everyone to head into the dining room.

Her relief was short lived as she found herself seated opposite Edward. Every time she looked up she would be looking directly at him. She was wound up so tight already and this wouldn't help. Trying to pretend that she wasn't attracted to Edward Cullen was torturing her.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward was eternally grateful that he was wearing jeans. The heavy material, as well as his blazer was successfully hiding the evidence of what Bella was doing to his body.

The instant he saw her walk in, his head lost total control over his body, much to his dismay. He felt like a horny teenager faced with the object of his lust. And with just as much control.

He didn't think he'd ever seen anything as sexy and desirable as Bella. Having only seen her in a hospital uniform that concealed most of her figure, she was a revelation. A siren. He was having trouble tearing his gaze away from her.

Who would have thought that she'd have the most desirable hourglass figure? It almost seemed a crime to conceal it. Her small waist, full hips and long, luscious legs were beautifully enhanced by the figure hugging dress. And those breasts. Edward felt himself get hard every time his eyes wandered to her magnificent breasts. His hands itched to fill themselves with her softness, to squeeze and caress them. Groaning inwardly, Edward forced himself to think of something else less he disgrace himself. He was aching so bad, straining painfully against the denim material.

Bella flicked her hair and Edward nearly groaned aloud. She always wore it in a bun at work so he'd never seen it loose. Soft and wavy, falling in a mahogany curtain down her back, Edward had visions of it trailing over his skin, it's feathery softness tickling as she went down on him.

He'd never been more glad when Alice had asked them to go to the dining table. He didn't think his parents would be too happy with him if he picked Bella up and carried her away so he could have his wicked way with her. Although Alice probably wouldn't mind.

Would Bella mind? She seemed nervous around him but he didn't know why. Was she attracted to him or did she realise the affect she has on him and was uncomfortable? God, I hope she didn't notice the bulge in my jeans.

Sitting in front of her was just as much torture, if not worse, as before except that now he had the table to hide his response.

Every time she moved, or leaned forward he was able to see more cleavage and he thought he even got a glimpse of black lace. By now, his erection was positively painful and he was seriously considering going to Alice's bathroom and relieving himself, just so he could get through the night.

What the hell is this girl doing to me? I'm not seventeen, I'm thirty, so I shouldn't be reacting like this. Deliberately thinking about the contents of his medical texts, he'd manage to get himself under control until Bella would move or laugh or flick her hair and he'd be back where he started.

Throughout all this, he still somehow managed to contribute to the conversation going on around him. He noticed that Bella wouldn't directly ask him anything and seemed to be avoiding looking at him.

Damn, she's probably noticed my reaction to her and doesn't want any part of it. The thought was depressing. Going quiet, he listened half-heartedly to the conversation until the topic turned to Bella herself. His interest was instantly piqued.

"So Bella, no boyfriend yet?" asked Emmett, with no tact whatsoever.

Edward saw Bella blush and was captivated. He didn't know any other woman her age that blushed and found it wildly sexy. He wondered how far down that blush went, and groaned silently as he got hard again.

"No Emmett, I'm still happily single," said Bella, shaking her head. She suddenly looked up and their eyes met. Edward felt his pulse race as the thought of her without a man in her life made him absurdly pleased.

"Well the guys around here must be blind, nuts or gay if no-one's snapped you up yet," said Emmett, making everyone, including Bella, laugh.

"Thank you Emmett, but I'm quite happy as I am," stated Bella, frowning.

Edward had to agree with Emmett. That someone like her was single was almost a crime. But the thought made him happy.

"So Edward, no future Mrs Cullen waiting in the wings?" asked Rosalie this time.

What was it with these two? Thought Edward. Did they interrogate anyone who was over 18 and still single?

He shook his head. "No. Nothing happening."

"So you're both single. Hmm," mused Rosalie, letting the implication of her comment settle on them all. To Edward's bemusement, all eyes seemed trained on Bella and himself. He quickly glanced at Bella and saw her scowling into her plate, obviously hating this conversation.

Wanting to change the conversation, he said the first thing that came into his mind. "So, do you and Emmett have any children?"

Thankfully it was the perfect thing to ask Rosalie as she launched into a discussion about her little boy, all attention diverted from Bella and himself. He noticed that Bella didn't contribute to the conversation and glanced up at her, the relief at not being the centre of attention anymore, almost palpable.

When their gazes met, Edward couldn't help smiling conspiratorially at her, knowing what she was thinking. It seemed that she thought the same thing because she smiled back at him, the first real smile she'd given him all night.

Edward felt the breath leave him as he saw that smile. She was beautiful and he felt his resolve of not becoming involved with a colleague wavering. He couldn't remember wanting a woman this badly before. Maybe he never had.

Suddenly he thought of Tanya. Tanya. The reason he was anxious to get away from New York, despite enjoying his work there.

Tanya had been a nurse in the hospital where he worked. One night on his way to his car, he saw her leaning against her car, crying into her hands. He didn't know her name but felt compelled to check if she was ok. She said that she'd just found out her grandmother had died and was devastated. She was a mess and Edward's chivalrous instincts kicked into gear. He suggested he take her to get a coffee to help calm herself down. On the short drive, he introduced himself and found out she was called Tanya.

Tanya was quite attractive but she did nothing for him. Edward had always preferred brunettes. As they drank their coffees, Tanya talked and Edward let her get it all out of her system. Afterwards, he drove her back to the hospital, glad that she seemed much more cheerful than before.

That was the end of it. Or so he'd thought. Unfortunately, Tanya had mistaken his kindness for something totally different. She began haunting the Maternity Unit, asking for him, ringing him all the time, even waiting for him at his car. She had convinced herself he was in love with her. When she declared her love, Edward had been horrified. He'd tried to let her down gently, explaining that he didn't feel the same, that he only wanted to be her friend. It didn't work, and her behaviour got worse.

Fed up with her, Edward had resorted to telling her the brutal truth that he'd only been showing kindness to her that night and that he felt nothing for her but pity. He'd watched as she left, breathing a sigh of relief that she'd finally gotten the message. He thought that was the end of it until a few days later when he was asked to see his boss in his office.

To Edward's shock and dismay, Tanya had put in a complaint that he had been sexually harassing her and that he'd tried to rape her when she refused his advances.

"You surely don't believe that, do you?" he'd cried, stunned at the accusation against him.

"No, but a complaint has been made and it has to be investigated," his boss had answered.

The next few weeks were awful, as rumours and innuendo spread like wildfire. His staff was adamant that Edward would never do the things he'd been accused of and gave evidence of Tanya's many trips in Maternity looking for him. They knew him and steadfastly defended him to anyone who suggested that the lies were truth. Edward would always be grateful for their support.

As the investigations continued, Edward's anger towards Tanya grew and when he saw her alone in the car park, he couldn't stop himself from confronting her.

"Why the hell did you tell those lies about me?" he'd demanded.

Tanya had just laughed in his face. "You didn't want me so you were going to pay," she sneered.

His temper exploded at the knowledge that she could be so vindictive. "You bitch! All I did was try to help you feel better. I never, ever gave you any indication that I wanted any sort of relationship. I didn't even know you. It was all in your head. Once I'm cleared, you'd better watch out because I'm going to sue you for defamation."

Tanya's face had blanched at the threat. Edward had the money and the status to carry out his threat.

The next day, Edward was told by his boss that Tanya had withdrawn her complaint and that Edward was cleared of any wrong doing. He'd been relieved and angry. Angry that he'd had to defend himself against such blatant lies.

It was during this difficult period that Carlisle had told him about the vacant position in Forks Hospital. Fed up with New York, Edward told him he was interested but couldn't do anything while the investigations were going on.

As soon as his name was cleared he'd tendered his resignation with the aim of moving to Forks. Not wanting to lose one of his best doctors, his boss had refused to accept it on the grounds that he still had a year to run on his contract. Edward had bluntly told him that he'd better clear it with the Board or he would leave anyway and if they tried to sue him for breach of contract, he would counter-sue for defamation of character.

The threat worked and he'd been released from the final year of his contract.

If he hadn't been wary of romances between colleagues before, he was positively averse to them now. The scrutiny, whispering and gossip had been ghastly. No way was he going to get involved with a colleague.

Now here he sat, in front of the biggest temptation he'd ever had. His resolve was wavering by the second and if Bella was to suggest that she wanted him to make love to her, he'd probably jump up and take her on the table right now.

His wandering mind was brought back to the present when Alice called for their attention. Dragging his eyes from Bella's, Edward turned to look at his sister.

"Jasper and I want to give you all some wonderful news." Alice walked around to the other end of the table where her husband sat. He smiled up at her and pulled her down on to his lap. Kissing him swiftly but tenderly, Alice turned to her guest's expectant faces.

"I'm going to have a baby!" cried Alice, jumping up from Jasper's lap.

Pandemonium broke out as the women all seemed to begin squealing in delight at the same time. Alice's tiny figure was engulfed by three sets of arms as they all hugged her before hugging Jasper as well.

"Darling, I'm so happy for you and Jasper. Oh my gosh, Carlisle. We're going to be grandparents!" cried Esme, her voice breathless from excitement.

Carlisle hugged his daughter, then in a show of happiness, hugged his son-in-law. Everyone laughed at Jasper's look of surprise at this show of spontaneous affection.

Edward shook Jasper's hand before hugging him briefly. "Congratulations Jasper. I'm sure you'll make a great dad."

"Thanks Edward. I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that we're expecting," admitted Jasper with an awed look on his face.

Everyone laughed at Jasper's use of the phrase 'we're expecting'.

Edward hugged Alice tightly. "I'm really, really happy for you Sis. I can't wait to see you with a great big belly."

Alice giggled. "Can you imagine? I'll look like a penguin." She looked around and called out. "Bella."

Edward stepped back as Bella came forward to hug Alice. His eyes involuntarily moved down to her bottom, shown to its best advantage in her dress. He had to stop his hands from reaching out and caressing those tempting mounds.

He didn't realise that Alice had chosen that moment to look up and saw where his eyes were trained. Or the devilish grin that briefly crossed her face.

"You and Edward are going to deliver my baby, aren't you Bella?" insisted Alice.

"I suppose we won't have a choice. You'll probably refuse to go into labour if I don't," laughed Bella.

"Damn straight. I want the best and you and Edward are the best."

Bella just shook her head. "Have you booked in for your first check up?"

Alice shook her head. "My pregnancy was only confirmed yesterday."

"I'll make sure you're booked in for an ultrasound," said Edward. "We want to know how far along you are."

"I think about two months. I haven't had period in that time and I usually never miss one."

"Well, the ultrasound will tell us for sure," said Bella. "I'm going to enjoy watching you get bigger." The two of them giggled and were joined by Rosalie.

After that the talk was dominated by babies, until Rosalie announced that she and Emmett needed to leave to let the babysitter get home.

When Bella announced that she would be going as well, Alice asked if Edward would see her out as she needed to speak to Carlisle.

Edward looked at his sister with suspicion. He knew what the minx was up to, yet a part of him wanted nothing more than to be alone with Bella, even for a few moments.

"Oh, that's okay, Al. I'll see myself out," insisted Bella.

Before he could think about it, Edward found himself piping up. "No, it's no problem. I insist." He watched as she said goodnight to everyone, impatient to get her alone. And what do you think you're going to do? You don't even know if she's attracted to you?

Heart beating rapidly, he followed Bella out, shutting the front door behind him. They walked silently to her car, the atmosphere thick. When she got to her car, Bella stopped and turned around. He heard her small gasp; she obviously hadn't realised just how close behind her he was. There were only a few inches between them and with her car behind her, Bella wasn't able to step back.

Edward looked at her face, and saw her eyes darken with an unnamed emotion. Was she as affected as him by their proximity? He felt, rather than saw her chest rise and fall quickly, as if she was having trouble inhaling.

Pulse racing, he was about to step back when her lips fell open and her watched her lick her bottom lip nervously. Only the tightest control stopped him from leaning forward and ravishing her mouth. He was strung so tight that he knew it wouldn't take much for his control to snap.

Harnessing all his restraint, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The feel of her satiny skin under his lips was almost his undoing. He closed his eyes as her delicate fragrance enveloped him like a lover's arms. Lingering for the briefest moment, Edward drew back and saw the stunned look in her face. With a thrill of triumph, he watched as her hand reached up and touched where his lips had been.

Without a word, he reached around for her door handle, careful not to touch her, and opened it. "Goodnight Bella," he said, his voice slightly husky with desire.

"Goodnight Edward," she replied in a whisper.

Edward stood in Alice's driveway and watched Bella drive away long after her car had disappeared out of sight, thinking about her reaction to his seemingly innocent kiss. What did it mean?