~Bella~

I leaned over the railing, breathing in the scent of the rain-soaked forest around the cabin. A huge storm had rolled in last night, and the rain had only stopped a short time ago. It had been the perfect excuse to stay in the cabin all day—not that we'd left it very much. We'd taken one short walk along the lake, and had gone up to the main hotel for dinner the second night. The entrees had been wonderful, dessert equally so. I was surprised when Edward asked for his dessert to go and we brought it back to the cottage, but I had assumed he was too full to eat it right then. But once we arrived back to the cottage, I knew by the wicked gleam in his eye he was up to no good. Sure enough, he insisted on eating the sweet concoction off me, saying it tasted better when he licked the chocolate mousse right from my bare skin. The cold of the mousse and the heat of his tongue proved to be a heady combination, and I had cried out his name loudly as I came.

I regretted eating mine at the table, and when I said so, he was quick to offer me the other half of his. I had to agree; it tasted better on him, and judging from his low groans as I swirled my tongue around the rich concoction on his thick length, we both enjoyed his dessert. Afterward, the sticky mess was washed away in the shower, which only resulted in Edward taking me on the counter in the bathroom, the steam of the shower still hanging in the air around us. His only regret he said, was not getting an extra dessert for later.

Other than those two short excursions, we had stayed in the cabin enjoying each other. Edward arranged a later checkout time today, so we had until late afternoon to laze around, enjoy the tub and fireplace…and the big comfy bed one last time.

I never wanted to leave.

I loved being with Edward. It was the longest time we'd spent together since we met. We talked and laughed. Played cards, watched movies, and danced under the stars on the deck. I loved being in his arms as he swayed to the music, humming in my ear, holding me so close, I knew I wouldn't stumble. We drank wine and fed each other tidbits we ordered from the kitchen. Soaked in the deep tub as we listened to soft music.

Made love.

Often.

No one had ever touched me the way Edward did. Hard, passionate, and commanding at times. Soft, sweet, and so loving at others. The way he caressed me, looked at me, made me feel as if l was the most important person in the world to him. His low voice, roaring my name or whispering it with almost reverence as he came inside me, was like music to my ears.

Waking up with him the first morning, his arms holding me against his chest, had felt so right…so natural. His lips moving on my neck, his voice whispering how much he wanted me, and the way he had trailed his large hands over my skin in long, sweeping touches, had made me shudder with want. Lifting my leg, he'd pressed in gently from behind, rocking against me in short, shallow thrusts. There'd been nothing fast or hurried, no frenzied coupling like the night before. It had been us; warm and cocooned under the blankets in the dim light of dawn, as Edward had loved me, using his body to show me what he wasn't ready to say yet with his words. My orgasm had been like the storm that came later: slow gathering and explosive when it reached its pinnacle. My name had fallen from his lips like a prayer as he came, holding me tightly, his head buried in my shoulder.

I blinked at the moisture in my eyes, unsure how I was going to go back to waking up alone and only seeing him for short time spans again. I startled as he appeared behind me, pulling me against his chest.

"It's so beautiful here," he murmured.

I nodded, leaning back into him.

"Almost as beautiful as you."

I managed to choke out a small giggle, not wanting him to know I was crying. It had been a magical few days; I didn't want to end it with sadness.

"Riley will be here in about ten minutes, and he'll drive us to the gate. I checked us out while you were in the shower."

"Okay."

His arms tightened, his head dropping to my shoulder. "Are you okay, sweetheart? You're awfully quiet."

A tear dropped onto his arm. Promptly, I was spun around to face him. His hands cupped my cheeks, wiping away the tears. "Bella? Baby, what's wrong?" He looked around wildly. "Is something scaring you? Did you see a spider?"

I laughed-sobbed at his instant protectiveness. "No. I…I just don't want to leave. The thought of not seeing you much—"

His hands held my face harder. "Hey."

I looked up into his warm gaze. "Not happening, sweetheart. Do you think I could really stand for that to happen? After the past few days?"

He wrapped me in his arms, nuzzling the top of my head. "I can't go back to dinners and a few hours together now, Bella."

"What can we do?"

He drew back and reached into his pocket. Pressing an object into my hand, he smiled at me. "We make more time."

I opened my palm and held up a silver key, looking at him curiously.

"It's a key to my place. Our dates don't have to end at the door anymore. We don't have to be restricted to making plans."

I stared at him, panicked.

He snickered and kissed the end of my nose affectionately. "I'm not asking you to move in with me—yet." He folded my fingers over the key. "Use it. Anytime. Stay the night with me. Go to work the next day—my place is closer to the restaurant than yours is. Be there when I get home after a shift." Lifting my hand, he grazed the knuckles with his lips, then pressed a warm kiss to the inside of my wrist. "Whatever time you want to give me, I want."

My heart beat faster in my chest. He wanted me. After all these hours together, he felt the way I did. He wanted more time with me. "What if I wanted to sleep there when you're on night shift?"

His eyes darkened as he leaned closer. "Nothing would make me happier than to come home and find you in my bed waiting for me."

"Will you let me give you a key to my place?"

He ducked down with a hard, fast kiss. "Yes."

"Will you use it too?"

"So much, you'll want rid of me."

I shook my head. "That isn't possible."

"I love hearing you say that."

A knock sounded, and after another warm kiss, Edward smiled at me. "Time to head back to reality."

I held up my key. "Reality just got a whole lot better."

His smile was huge. "Yeah, it did." Then he paused. "Bella…"

"Yeah?"

"One day, we'll both have the same key. When we're ready. Okay?"

I sucked in a deep breath. "Okay."

"And the next time we have time off together, I want to take you to meet my parents. Are you okay with that?"

"What if they don't like me?"

"They will. I have no doubt. I talk about you so much when I call home that they're anxious to meet you. I promised them I would bring you soon."

I nodded. "Okay."

*()*

~Edward~

I shut my locker door, my head falling forward. It had been a long, hard day. Some punkhead arsonist had been going around setting fires to garages in his neighborhood, so we'd been busy, and I had a huge headache. Luckily, they caught the kid and no one had been injured, but it made for an unending, stressful day. To top it off, we had some visiting firemen from out of town who had arrived while we were out on the last call. One of them was from my old firehouse, and although Laurent and I had never been close, I'd agreed to stay and have dinner with them when Carlisle had told us of their upcoming visit. Bella was working, and I always enjoyed talking to other people in my profession.

Emmett had arranged for food from Rose's restaurant, and it would arrive soon. I would eat, have a couple of beers, and chill for a while before Bella came to pick me up so we could go home. All I wanted was to take her back to my place and get her naked and in my bed. Sex wasn't even the agenda; just having her close and wrapped around me was what I wanted. I knew she'd run her fingers through my hair and massage the tight muscles in my neck to soothe me. No one could soothe me the way she could. No one made me feel the way she did. I'd suspected I'd fall for her fast, but had to admit I was already past fallen. She had become the center of my world; everything I did, every decision I made, now revolved around the tiny brunette I'd carried off the ladder weeks ago. We'd grown closer in the weeks since our little trip, and we both hated being apart. I loved spending my free time with her and missed her when she wasn't close.

A heavy hand settled on my shoulder, and I glanced up at Emmett. "Hey, is the food here?"

"It's coming."

I stood up. "Good." I yanked a clean shirt over my head, frowning at Em's serious expression. "What?"

"One of the visiting guys brought his girlfriend."

That wasn't an unusual occurrence. "Okay?" I asked as I pulled on my sneakers, wondering if I had time to call Bella before I went downstairs.

"She's a paramedic." He drew in a deep breath. "Carlisle said he never met her, so he isn't sure…but, Edward, I think it might be your ex."

I gaped at him. "Irina?"

He nodded. "I don't know a lot of your history, but it's an unusual name, and I think I heard her say she was from the twenty-seventh. That was your house, right?"

I sat down heavily. Irina was here with her poison. With her boyfriend. In my new house.

"What's his name?"

"James Calder. He's from Twenty-one."

I groaned. I knew James, and I didn't like him. He was a cold-hearted bastard, known for his stand-offish tendencies. Perfect for Irina.

"Carlisle said to tell you if you want out, it's fine. He understands, so there isn't a problem. You can slip out the back. If she asks, we'll say you had something come up."

I looked up at my friend, who was watching me with concerned eyes.

I stood up. "No. This is my house. My crew. I'm not slinking away because she's here. She's isn't my problem anymore."

Emmett grinned. "Good. We got your back." He winked at me. "And I got a surprise for you."

"What?"

"You'll see. It's a good one, though."

He turned and left. I took a deep breath for courage, blowing it out slowly. It would be fine. This was my house, and I had grown close to all the guys. They were a great crew; Carlisle was an amazing leader, and I knew Emmett meant it: they had my back. I wasn't going to let her breeze in and make me leave; she had chased me away once and it wasn't happening again. I wasn't the outsider here; she was.

I picked up my phone, needing to hear Bella's voice, disappointed when it went to voicemail. I hung up after leaving a quick message saying I couldn't wait to see her tonight and then glanced at my watch. Two hours. I only had to put up with Irina for two hours, and given there were six other people plus our crew, I shouldn't have to deal with her much at all. Bella would be here by nine, and I would be waiting outside for her. I didn't want to subject her to any unpleasantness.

I straightened my shoulders and hit the stairs.

I could do this.

*()*

Irina looked the same: tall and well groomed, confidence oozing from her as she gazed dispassionately at me across the room. I nodded at her and James, turning away to shake Laurent's hand as I inquired about some of the other people at my old station. Grabbing a beer, I made the rounds, and finally, having no more excuses, I found myself in front of James and Irina. Close up, I saw that there were indeed changes. Her hair wasn't pulled back as I thought it was, but cut short, hugging her scalp; her face was hard, her expression even colder than I remembered. Between James's and her icy manner, I was pretty sure water could freeze. Knowing all eyes were on me, I shook his hand politely and tilted my head toward her. "Irina. You're looking well."

A nasty smirk curled her mouth. "I am well." She ran her hand up James's arm, with a low laugh. "Very well."

I swallowed back the bile that threatened to choke me. She was still trying to get under my skin. My hand curled around the phone in my pocket, thinking of the text message Bella had sent only moments ago.

Sorry I missed your call. But hearing your voice makes me smile. See you soon. ~B xx

I thought of the sweetness of Bella's smile. Her sexy smirk when she would tease me. Her warm gaze every time she looked at me.

Bella. She was all that mattered.

What Irina did, or didn't do, was no longer of any significance. I swallowed as a little of my tension eased and I managed a smile. "Glad to hear that."

Her smirk disappeared, leaving her face void of expression. Movement caught my eye as I looked past her, and the most welcome sight appeared.

Bella.

Seth was with her, their arms filled with trays. Without another glance at Irina, I moved past her and hurried over to my girl, who was smiling at me. Her smile—the one she had only for me. I pulled the heavy tray from her hands and bent down, capturing her lips with mine. Her hand curled around the back of my neck, holding me close as I kissed her. It was a kiss of hello, of thank you and utter relief. My entire body relaxed the minute she was close. I buried my head in her neck. "Sweetheart."

"I know," she whispered, her breath hot on my ear.

I drew back, but stayed close enough she could hear me. "Are you my surprise?"

"Yes."

I looked over at Emmett, who grinned as he raised his beer. "Best one—ever," I assured her, dropping a kiss on her head. "Are you staying?"

"Yes. I'm on rescue detail tonight."

"Perfect." I pressed another kiss on her inviting mouth. There was no one else I'd rather be rescued by than her.

"Let's get you a drink." I rolled my eyes. "You might need it."

She laughed lowly. "Bring it on."

*()*

Dinner was loud and boisterous with lots of laughter and kidding. Stories were told, experiences shared, as we sat, eating the great meal Rose had sent over. Even the fact that Irina was a few seats away across the table no longer mattered, because Bella was beside me. A few times, I looked up to see Irina scowling in our direction, but I ignored her.

I stabbed another piece of chicken off the closest platter. "Did you make this?" I asked my girl, who nodded as I took a huge bite, savoring the taste. I loved her cooking, and I knew she helped Seth at times. I recognized the flavor as one of her dishes she made at home.

"I did. And I made the cookies for dessert."

The whole crew at the table let out a loud whoop. They all loved Bella's cookies.

Irina spoke up. "Is that what you do, um, Betty, was it? You work in a kitchen?"

I stiffened beside Bella, but before I could say anything, she shook her head, ignoring Irina's obvious jab. "No. I love to cook, and the chef at the restaurant lets me help out for fun, Arlene." She smiled. "Edward loves my cooking, so I thought I'd make him one of his favorites."

"Irina."

"Oh, sorry." Bella smirked. "It's an unusual name. I don't think I've ever heard it before."

"I'm sure Edward has mentioned me."

Bella's eyebrows rose, and she pursed her lips. "No. No, I don't think so."

"Really," Irina scoffed. "We dated. Surely he told you that."

Bella leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Hmm." She turned her head and leaned up toward me. I bent down so I could hear what she was saying as she spoke into my ear. "Nod your head, Edward. Just look at me and nod your head."

I sat up and did what she asked, nodding silently. I tried not to laugh when Bella raised her eyebrows again and looked at me as if she was surprised.

She glanced over at Irina and then down at the table with a small grin. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize. He did mention you." She shrugged. "That wasn't the name he used, though." Then calmly, she picked up her fork and started eating again. I had to duck my head and shove another piece of chicken in my mouth to stop laughing.

Irina had just been put in her place.

*()*

"How did you meet?"

I groaned quietly. No matter what we did, Irina kept pushing, asking questions—even James was starting to look angry. She'd managed to keep her mouth shut for about ten minutes this time before she piped up.

Bella smiled as she looked my way. "Edward helped me out of a difficult situation." She laid her hand on my cheek. "My hero," she said softly.

Irina's eyes narrowed, and I could feel her gearing up. "He loves doing that. Such a good fireman he is," she said sarcastically. "Always ready to save the day."

Bella threw her hands up, a huge grin on her face. "I know, right! How awesome to have someone care about you so much, they want to look after you! There are so few men like Edward around anymore; I don't know how I got so lucky! He's got it all, am I right? Handsome, sexy, caring…God! What girl in her right mind wouldn't love that? And his French toast. I love waking up to that." She giggled and pressed a warm kiss to my cheek. "Especially when you serve it to me in bed," she murmured to me, but loud enough that Irina heard.

A strange noise came from Irina's throat. I glanced across the table. She looked furious, her hands clenched, two high spots of color on her cheeks. It was strange. I used to think it was odd the way color collected on those two spots. But, when Bella blushed, I found it adorable. Sexy, even.

Speaking of sexy, I could feel Bella's hand stroking my thigh. I decided I'd had enough of Irina's company for now, and I stood, wrapping my hand around Bella's. "I need a little air. Excuse us."

I pulled Bella along, ignoring Emmett's thumbs up. We went out the kitchen door, into the cool night air. I had Bella in my arms and pressed against the wall in an instant. My lips were hard on hers as I kissed her, all the emotions of the night hitting me. My tension drained away, leaving only relief at having her close. I felt amusement, pride, and gratitude at how she handled the entire situation, not once stooping to Irina's level of being nasty, but instead turning all her remarks into praise. Praise for me. I groaned into her mouth, our tongues twisting and stroking, the kiss becoming deeper and more heated. I slipped my hands under her shirt, pressing them into the warmth of her skin, grinding my hardening cock into her soft warmth. She tugged on my hair as I drew back, dropping my head to her neck.

"You amaze me," I whispered against her throat. "You fucking amaze me."

"She's awful."

"You were brilliant, sweetheart. I don't know what she's playing at, but you took her down."

She shook her head at me. "Don't you get it, Edward?"

"No."

"She was trying to prove a point, stake her claim. She came before me."

I shook my head, bewildered. "She has no claim. She threw me away. Why would she care?"

"Because that's the kind of person she is. She's moved on, but she doesn't want you to do the same thing. She wants to think you still want her. She came here to remind you of what you left behind."

I laughed in disbelief. "Well then, I hope she likes disappointment. I've moved so far past her, it's a different area code all together. How I felt about her doesn't even hold a candle to you. I want nothing to do with her. Ever. The only person I want is you."

Bella leaned up, her mouth right there, so close, our breath was shared, but not touching. "Have me, then."

A wicked grin spread across my face, my cock twitching at her words. "Here? Against a rough brick wall?"

Her shirt was pulled over her head. "Here. Now." Her chest heaved. "I want you."

"Bella…"

"Fast."

I stopped asking, and I took her.

Hard and fast, exactly how she wanted me. I shoved both our shirts behind her, protecting her skin from the rough brick. I thrust into her powerfully, my chest melded against hers. My mouth covered hers to muffle her groans and cries. She gripped my shoulders, her nails sinking into my skin, causing a ripple of pained pleasure to run down my spine. Her legs were wrapped around my hips, her heels digging into my ass as I fucked her. There was no other word for it. It was a needed release for both of us, and as I came, spilling into her deeply, she shook and shuddered around me, her muscles gripping me, squeezing everything I had to give her.

Until we were both spent.

Slowly, her legs slipped from me, and I lowered her to the ground, making sure she was steady, before I pulled away. I helped her smooth her skirt down, and she grinned as she tucked me away, fastening my belt back up. I tried to calm her hair, shrugging when my efforts failed. She slipped a hairband from her wrist and tied it up, then tugged her shirt back on.

We slipped inside, stopping at the washroom for more clean up, and then, as nonchalantly as possible, went to join the group inside. We grabbed some coffee and I took a handful of Bella's cookies.

We sat down, and Irina's eyebrows rose as she looked at us, her face like thunder. I glanced over at Bella and lowered my lips to her ear.

"Um, Bella? Your shirt is on inside out, sweetheart. You might want to go and fix it."

She turned to me with a grin. "No need. I know it is."

"You know that?"

She kissed my cheek. "Now I've staked my claim. Bitch can back off."

I wrapped my arm around her, adoring her even more in that instant.

The look on Irina's face was priceless.

My laughter couldn't be stopped.

I sort of loved Bella in this chapter. I think she make her point.

Thank you for reading. Many thanks to JenRar for betaing for me. I tweaked, so mistakes are mine.