Notes: Hugs and smooches to Sunflower3759 for beta-ing and LisaDawn75 for validating!

Here it is, Bella and Edward finally have their first "official" date!

Chapter Six: Finally

EPOV

I barely managed to make it through my seven a.m. meeting on Friday. My boss, Jon Hewick, had to call my name three times to get my attention. I was usually very attentive but I couldn't stop thinking about Bella. He wasn't too hard on me when he pulled me into his office after the meeting, but I still felt terrible. I apologized and promised it wouldn't happen again, but he frowned at me.

"Edward, you're usually one of my best reporters, I just want to know what was going on with you today. It wasn't like you at all."

I sighed and decided to fess up. "Look, Jon, I'm really sorry. I met this girl last weekend, and we went out last night. I'm seeing her again tonight, and I was just distracted."

To my relief, he laughed and clapped me on the back. "Thank God, I thought you were thinking about quitting or something. I can live with you being distracted over a girl. Just try not to let it interfere with your work again, okay?"

"Thanks. I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask. And bring her by sometime. I'd like to meet her."

"Oh, right, like I'd ever bring her around here" I scoffed. "The sharks will go into a feeding frenzy."

Not that she couldn't hold her own, but the guys who worked here were a pain in the ass under the best of circumstances. Besides, I had the overwhelming urge to lock us both in my apartment and never leave.

Jon laughed and agreed, and sent me on my way. I did my best to focus, but as the day dragged on, and I finished my work for the week, I found myself thinking of her more. By three-thirty I was anxious to leave, and Jon sighed and shook his head when he walked by my desk.

"Go home, Cullen, you're not getting anything done anyway. Just try to get her out of your system and be a little more on task on Monday, all right?"

I agreed, but knew it was probably a worthless cause. I had a feeling that if anything; my feelings for Bella were only going to get more intense. I packed up my bag and logged out of my computer, glad to be done for the day. It would give me a little extra time to pick up my apartment and make sure it was ready for Bella to come over.

Once I was home, I stripped the bed and put on clean sheets, trying to push down the thoughts of Bella in my bed. As much as I did want to do things right, and date her before we hopped back into bed, I knew there was no way either of us would manage to keep our hands off each other tonight. As long as it didn't just become about sex, it didn't really matter anyway, I supposed. Or at least that's what I tried to convince myself of, anyway.

When my apartment was clean, I took a seat on my couch with a sigh. I had half an hour to kill before I had to get ready for our date, and I had no idea what to do with myself. I managed to kill the time mindlessly flipping through TV channels, but I bolted to the shower when the half hour was up.

I thought about her in the shower, the pale, soft skin of her breasts, the length of her legs, the feel of her body wrapped around me. I poured a little conditioner into my hand and stroked my cock, moaning at the slippery friction. I imagined Bella in the shower with me, coming around me, moaning my name. In no time at all, I came hard, gasping and shuddering. I sighed with relief and washed off, eager to finish getting ready so I could go see her.

At least I might be able to manage to last long enough to get her off now that I'd jerked off. I was eager to have the space tonight to explore her body, to find out what made her cry out with pleasure. I shaved in the shower, dried off and styled my hair. I spent a ridiculously long time picking out clothes, but finally settled on a black suit with a white dress shirt and no tie. I put on a pair of onyx cufflinks, shiny black shoes and a silver watch before eyeing myself in the mirror.

The restaurant I was taking her tonight was fairly formal, but nothing too over the top. I slipped my wallet into my jacket pocket, scooped up my keys and glanced around the apartment for a final time to make sure everything was in place before I left. I tried to drive as slowly as possible, but I was still early when I pulled up to her work. I sent her a quick text to let her know I was waiting for her outside.

I'm here and I know I'm early, so don't rush to leave, if you're still busy. E

I'll be out in 5! B

The door opened a few minutes later and I eagerly looked for her, but it was Bree. She smiled shyly at me, and I smiled back. The next time the door opened I was sure it would be Bella, but it was Victoria. She winked and fluttered her fingers at me and I waved back, amused by her. She was harmless, clearly enjoying playing a cougar, although I suspected she was less than ten years older than me. She was beautiful, with flame red hair and translucent white skin, but she didn't hold a candle to Bella.

When the door swung open for a third time, I scrambled out of my car and stood there staring at her. She stopped in the doorway and smiled at me. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress that hugged every inch of her curves without actually showing a lot of skin. Her eyes were darkly made up, her lips soft and glistening, and her hair was loose and curly. She had a silver wrap draped over her arm and heels that made her legs look a mile long. I'd seen my share of beautiful women in my life, but none of them had ever been as stunning as Bella.

"You're beautiful," I said huskily. She walked over to me slowly, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Thanks. You look great, too." She smiled up at me and I leaned down to gently kiss her. "Are you sure we can't just go back to your place now?" she asked.

I shook my head and grinned at her. "Believe me, I want to, but we have reservations." She gave me a cute pout, and I kissed her again before saying, "Come on, let me take you out to dinner. Please?"

She smiled at me. "Sorry. I'm impatient." Her tongue slipped out to wet her lower lip and I took a deep breath, reminding myself that she was too important to treat casually. It seemed like a small thing to make sure I took her out to dinner before we had sex again, but I didn't want her to doubt for a minute that I was serious about making things work between us. She moved toward her car and I stopped her.

"Don't be sorry, Bella. I'm not upset that we can't seem to keep our hands off of each other, but this is important to me. Not only because it's the nice thing to do, or because I feel like I should. But because I want to get to know you," I said honestly. "I hope that tonight you come back to my place and that you stay through the weekend. Believe me, I want you. But I also want to know who you are, what you want from life, what makes you happy."

She smiled at me again and reached up to gently brush her lips across mine. "Right now, you're doing an amazing job making me happy."

"Good," I said firmly. "Can we just leave your car here?"

"Sure. I just need to get my overnight bag."

Her car was just a few spots over from mine and I helped her get her bag before gently placing it in the backseat of my car. I opened the passenger door for her, helped her into the car, and shut the door before jogging over to my side. I slid in and turned on the car, before pulling out onto the street.

"So where are you taking me tonight?" she asked.

"Tango."

"The restaurant here in Seattle, I assume?" I glanced over at her questioningly and she clarified. "As opposed to taking me out to dance the tango."

I grinned. "The restaurant. No dancing involved. Although, I do kind of like the idea of dancing with you."

She grinned back at me. "I've never been to the restaurant."

"It's good," I said, hoping she'd like it. I felt like so much was riding on how things went tonight. We barely knew each other, but the attraction I felt for her was intense. "Have you had tapas before?"

"Yes," she said eagerly. "I enjoy tapas a lot. Is that what we're having tonight?"

"Tango has a great tapas selection, and really amazing paella. Does that sound good?"

"That sounds fantastic. I didn't have a very substantial lunch today, so I am starving."

"Perfect, me, too."

"Have you been there before?" she asked.

"Yes. It's really good. I think you'll like it."

"Did you go with a date?" she asked, sounding more curious than upset by the idea.

"Oh, no. With my agent one time. She likes to wine and dine me every so often to try to get me to do more modeling."

"Have you ever considered it?"

I shook my head. "Not with any degree of seriousness. The money is great, and occasionally it's kind of fun, but it's not at all the kind of life I want. I don't want to spend every moment of every day working out, watching what I eat, and wondering when I'm going to be too old for them to want me anymore. It's so ridiculous. It's much worse for female models, but even male models have a shelf life."

"Hmm, I never really thought about it."

"The biggest thing for me though, was that I'd have to move out of Seattle to really make it anywhere, and I don't have any desire to leave my family."

"I'd have a hard time leaving the state, too." She smiled at me. It's nice that you and your family are so close."

"They're very important to me."

She squeezed my fingers and a few moments later I pulled up in front of the Homewood Suites hotel. Bella raised an eyebrow at me.

"And here I thought we were going out to dinner."

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "We are, I swear. They have valet parking here for the restaurant. It's much easier than trying to find a spot on the street. The restaurant is just around the corner."

"All right." She laughed. "Although, you know how much I want you, I wouldn't have objected."

"You're really testing my will-power," I teased, and she immediately gave me a sheepish look.

"Sorry."

I kissed her quickly and got out of the car, going around the side to help her out. I handed the keys to valet and put my arm around her shoulder. I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'm not sorry; in fact, the idea of you in some huge bed, spread out naked in front of me definitely makes me wish I could take you up on it. We'll just have to wait until later."

She reached up and stroked the skin of my cheek, her eyes large and dark. "Okay."

I took her hand and we walked to the restaurant. "I don't think I asked you, how was your work today?"

She shrugged. "It was fine. Fridays actually tend to be pretty quiet. We don't usually have a lot of client meetings. I spent most of the day editing some shots Victoria did of a family."

"Family portraits?"

"Yes, they had a new baby about a month ago, and they wanted pictures with their other two kids. It was a nice outdoor shoot."

"That does sound nice. Hey, if you were interested, I bet Kate would love photos of her and Garrett and Lucy."

"Of course, I'd be happy to do that," she said, smiling up at me. "No charge of course."

"Are you kidding?" I said.

"No, I mean, it's great portfolio building for me, and there's no reason for me to charge."

I laughed. "You're very good, Bella, you should be paid for your work."

"But, now that we're together, I'd feel weird charging your family."

"Let me tell you what, you can offer to do it free of charge, but I guarantee Kate won't let you get away with it."

She looked like she was about to reply, but our conversation was interrupted when we arrived at the restaurant. I ushered her inside and checked in with the hostess. We were immediately taken to our table, and I changed the subject once we were seated and the waitress had left.

"So, I was thinking we could order a variety of tapas, and the paella to share. It takes a little longer to prepare, but I don't mind, it'll give us plenty of time to talk."

"That sounds good," Bella agreed.

"I'm not being too pushy?" I asked, and she shook her head no.

"This is great, Edward."

"So, last night you told me you like olives and blue cheese. Is there anything you dislike? I just want to make sure I order what you'll like."

"I hate Brussels Sprouts." She shuddered.

"Don't let my mother hear that. One of her favorite dishes is roasted Brussels Sprouts."

"Ugh."

"You should actually try them that way. Have you ever had them roasted?" I asked.

"No, just boiled or steamed."

"Well, try them roasted, I didn't like them either until I had them that way."

She gave me a dubious look. "We'll see. What about you? Anything you dislike?"

"Deviled eggs. Something about the texture just turns my stomach."

"Hmm. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that before."

"So, now that we've talked about what food grosses us out, what do you want for dinner?" I asked.

She laughed. "Just pick something. I'm not fussy. I like seafood, I eat meat, but I don't mind vegetarian dishes either. Surprise me. If you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

I ordered the Mixta Paella, which had seafood, pork, and mushrooms, as well as several tapas plates and salads. I asked the waiter for a wine recommendation and he brought us a bottle of Spanish Rosado which we sipped while we waited for the tapas to arrive. Bella loved the wine, and although it wasn't my absolute favorite, the look on her face as she closed her eyes to savor it made it completely worthwhile. We talked while we ate, covering music and movies and all of the other small talk couples usually made as they were getting to know each other. I was pleased at how forthright Bella was, she wasn't afraid to disagree with me about a subject. She wasn't a huge fan of martial arts movies which I absolutely loved. But it was refreshing to be with a girl who didn't hesitate to tell me why she disliked it. I had spent far too many dates with girls who were only interested in placating me. I wanted someone real, someone with an opinion and an intelligent argument behind it. I squeezed her hand halfway through her diatribe on the failings of Stephen Segall's acting, and she paused mid-sentence.

"What?" she said. She took a bite of her arugula, orange, and goat cheese salad and washed it down with a sip of wine.

"I am just completely blown away by you."

"Why? I mean, thank you, I appreciate it. But what made you say that?"

"You're so...refreshing. I can't tell you how many dates I've gone on with girls who have no opinion on anything, and if they do, they just blindly agree with whatever I say." I made a face, frustrated just remembering it.

She laughed. "Well, good. Because I have no intention of dumbing myself down for you. I like you a lot, but I'm not going to turn into some brainless nit-wit to attract you."

"Thank God," I groaned. "I've gone out on way too many first dates with those girls."

She shrugged. "I went out with their male counterpart. You just have to weed out the idiots." She laughed lightly and I squeezed her hand again.

"Hopefully I can make it through the rest of the date before you realize I am an idiot."

Bella shook her head and smiled at me. "I know we'll both find faults in each other eventually, but I don't see idiocy being one of them."

The waiter returned with our massive dish of paella and Bella's eyes widened. "There is no way we're going to finish that tonight."

"We'll need it for sustenance this weekend," I said when he'd left again. I dished up a plate for each of us and she smiled at me, her eyes hopeful.

"I certainly am looking forward to it," she said. "If nothing else, having to wait a whole week means that we're both going to be very eager when we get back to your place."

I sighed and shifted in my chair, my cock already hardening at her words and the look in her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how eager I am already?" I asked.

"About as eager as I am, I bet."

After we finished dinner, we ordered a dessert to split. The El Diablo dessert was legendary, and my own paper had written a review calling it "the best dessert in Seattle". It was a cube of rich dark chocolate cake with almonds, cacoa nibs, burnt meringue, and tequila caramel sauce. It was indulgent, and watching Bella licking her spoon as she ate it was almost too arousing for me. Her unabashed enjoyment of dessert and flirty conversation had me ready to race out the door the moment we finished it. I quickly paid the bill and escorted her out the door.

"Dinner was wonderful." She looked up at me and I held out my arm so hers slid through the crook of it. I tucked her up against my side and we went out to the car.

"Where to next?" I asked.

"Take me to your place, Edward."

I breathed a sigh of relief, wanting her too badly to think straight about anything else, but trying to keep from being too pushy.

"Okay." We were quiet on the ride there, but it wasn't uncomfortable, or awkward at all. Music played quietly in the background and I listened to the wet sounds of my tires on the pavement and her slow, easy breathing. At a stoplight I turned to look at her and moved my hand to her knee. She immediately reached for me and wound her fingers through mine. She looked relaxed and happy, and I tried to relax, too.

She stared out the window at the city and I couldn't resist asking, "What are you thinking, Bella?"

She turned and smiled at me. "A lot of things. That the city is so beautiful at night, I want my camera to capture it, and that I had a great time tonight."

"I did, too," I said and then added, "We're not far from my place."

She glanced around with some surprise. "What made you choose the International District?" I lived in the center of Seattle's Asian district, and it was a vibrant, unique community.

"Well, I looked at a lot of different areas, but it was the best price to get me near work. And I liked the apartment a lot. Seattle Real Estate is pretty expensive, so downtown condos were out of the question, but this place fit my budget and it's a really short commute."

"That makes sense."

"Honestly, I just liked the area, too. The location is great, the people are really friendly, and there's always something interesting going on."

Bella looked around. "I like it."

"Besides, if I ever get sick of cooking there is great take-out nearby," I joked.

"Do you cook a lot?"

"Just enough to make simple meals. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either."

"That's about what I do. Alice cooks more than I do. I'm so spoiled having her for a roommate"

I swung into the parking ramp located behind my building and parked. Bella got out of the car before I could help her, so I grabbed her bag from the back seat and guided her toward the entrance to the building. I usually went in through the back stairwell, not bothering to go around the front to the main lobby. My condo was on the second floor, and it didn't take us long to get there. I ushered her inside and gently set her bag on the couch. I turned to her, wanting so badly just to kiss her senseless, but I was trying to keep myself in check.

"Would you like a glass of wine, or something else to drink?" I asked her but she shook her head.

"No thanks."

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want you to kiss me," she said softly. I walked toward her and gently pulled her into my arms. I kissed her softly, tasting the chocolate that still lingered on her tongue, and she moaned and pressed closer to me. I tangled my hands in her long hair, feeling the silky strands wrap around my fingers. It felt good to have her in my arms again.

We undressed each other slowly, her fingers working to loosen each button on my shirt as well as my cufflinks, before sliding it down my arms to help me slip it off. It fell to the living room floor and I unzipped and removed her dress. She kicked off her shoes and I stared at her for a moment, memorizing the lithe curves of her body. I hadn't really been able to look at her before, and I reveled in the opportunity to notice her small waist and long legs. The way her breasts looked in the black lace bra and the juncture of her thighs covered in a matching pair of lace underwear.

"You're so beautiful," I said reverently, and she smiled at me.

"Thank you," she whispered before reaching for my belt. The clank of the metal buckle and the quiet whisper of the leather as she slid it from the belt loops made my cock throb. Her warm fingers trailed across my abdomen as she unbuttoned my pants. I heard the rasp of the zipper and the soft whoosh as they fell to the floor. She stepped even closer and hooked her thumbs at the back of the waistband of my boxer briefs and pushed them to the floor. She reached for my cock but I held out my hand and she took it instead.

"Come here," I whispered, and led her toward my bedroom. She followed willingly, her skin soft where it brushed against my arm. In the bedroom, I gently walked her toward the bed. She went to sit down but I stopped her, reaching to unhook her bra and slowly slide her panties down to the floor. She lay back on the bed and I crawled over her until my body covered hers. I wanted her, desperately, but the frantic hunger had been replaced with a need to savor her. I kissed her and her mouth opened to me, her arms coming around my neck to pull me close. I ran a hand across her shoulder and down to her breast. My hand covered it and her nipple tightened against my palm. She sighed and arched into my touch, deepening the kiss. My thumb toyed with it, making the stiff peak tighten even more so. Her hips shifted restlessly against the bed and my thigh fell between hers.

She was bare and smooth, a fact I'd hardly registered the first time we were together. My left hand was buried in her hair, cradling the back of her head in my palm and I gently tilted our heads so my tongue could further explore her mouth. My cock was pinned between my body and her hip, and as she began to rock against my thigh I groaned at the pressure. I was hard and aching, and I moved my hand to her hip to pull her tighter against me. She gasped and I felt the wetness of her arousal begin to coat my thigh. I slowly ended the kiss and moved down over her chin to her throat. She tipped her head back and I wetly kissed the soft skin from her neck to her right nipple. I took it in my mouth and she cried out, her fingers tightening in my hair.

"Edward," she gasped and the sound of my name on her lips made me suck harder. She moved restlessly beneath me and I moved further down to her stomach. When I shifted and she could no longer press herself against my leg, she sighed in frustration.

As I moved lower, I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of her arousal. My cock throbbed where it was pressed between my stomach and the bed, her scent making me eager to taste her. I flicked my tongue out and she sighed and tilted her hips to my face. Her arousal coated her lips and the crease of her thigh. I lapped it up before gently running my tongue between her lips. I slid my hands under her to cradle her to my face, my thumbs gently tugging her lips apart so I could move deeper. She gasped and squirmed against me, whispering my name in a throaty, eager voice that made me need her even more. At the same time my tongue hit her clit, I slipped a finger inside her; she gasped and dug her fingers into the sheets below us.

"Oh, Edward," she cried out, and I began to lick her as I slid my finger in and out of her, a second quickly joining the first. Her head thrashed on the bed and her hips rose and fell in an erratic, needy rhythm. When a third finger slid into her, her walls clenched down on them and I sucked her clit between my lips, applying a gentle suction that made her cry out. Her back bowed up off the bed and her hands reached for the headboard, trying to find something to anchor her.

When the last soft shudder stopped, I gently pulled my fingers from her and moved up her body. She lay limp against my pillows, her hair spread out over them, her cheeks pink and her eyes closed. I wiped her arousal from my mouth and chin and just looked at her for a moment. She sighed and stretched, her eyes opening to meet mine.

"Hi," she said softly and I smiled at her.

"Hi."

"Thank you. That was amazing." She reached up to touch my cheek, her fingers soft against my skin.

"I enjoyed it every bit as much."

My hand came to rest on her thigh and she shifted on the bed, reaching out for my cock. I groaned when her soft hand wrapped around it. I leaned across her to the nightstand and pulled a condom from the drawer. She took it from me and ripped the package open before gently rolling it down over me, her lower lip between her teeth as she concentrated.

When she finished, I shifted so I was hovering over her. She parted her thighs and slid a hand between our bodies to guide me inside of her. I hissed involuntarily at the first feeling of her warmth engulfing the head of my cock.

She was wet and aroused but it still took her body a moment to adjust. I kissed her slowly, and as she relaxed around me I slid deeper. When I was buried as deep as I could go I stopped and my eyes met hers. The moment was tender and full of promise. I had no idea what was happening between us. This beautiful girl meant something to me that I couldn't even begin to understand.

Helpless against the soft, wet grip of her body, I began to move. Her eyes closed and her lips parted as she moved with me. The rhythm was easy and gentle and we rocked together for a long time. Her long legs wrapped around my calves and she tugged me down so more of my weight rested on her. Every move I made, she echoed, and although I wanted to go on like that forever, I began to feel the familiar tension in my body. She moved more restlessly under me and her fingers gripped my bicep.

"Are you close, Bella?" I whispered, and she nodded. My stomach tightened and I felt my climax approaching. I slid my arm between our bodies and reached down to gently press two fingers to her clit. With a suddenness that surprised me, she cried out, her fingernails digging into my arm, her head thrown back as she clenched down on me. It was enough to send me over the edge and I braced one arm against the headboard and shuddered against her. It overwhelmed me, sending my head spinning and making me groan deeply. I rested my forehead against hers as the final aftershocks rippled through my body. I gently pulled out of her, removed the condom, and disposed of it before I collapsed on the bed.

I turned back to her and she moved into my arms, warm and relaxed. We were on our sides, our bodies tangled together. My right arm under her pillow, her knee between my thighs, my left arm draped over her waist.

"How do you feel?" I asked her, and she gave me a slow, sweet smile.

"Incredible. How you do feel?"

"Pretty incredible, too," I agreed. Her hand came to rest against my chest and she softly rubbed the skin there.

"Good."

I kissed her forehead, my lips lingering for a long moment as I closed my eyes and held her close.

Notes: What do you think? Worth the wait? What do you think will happen next?