Chapter SevenBella's POV

I was riding such an emotional high that I tried running to my room. It was a bad idea – I tripped on the stairs and banged my knee pretty hard. I was sure it was going to leave a bruise. I slowed down, almost limping the remainder of the way to my room. When I got there, Angela was on the phone.

I dropped my coin pouch atop the dresser and tossed her cardigan across the edge of her bed. She smiled at me, and then went back to picking at her bedspread. I changed out of her clothes and put my pajamas on before checking my email. Nothing caught my attention, so I closed the laptop and turned in my seat to glance at Angela.

"That's cool," she said. She looked up and gave me another distracted smile. I grabbed my iPod and placed the ear buds in my ears so I wouldn't be party to something she might not want me to hear, and I climbed into bed. My interrogation would have to wait until tomorrow.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Bella! Wake up!" I frowned and mumbled something, but the person shaking me would not be deterred. "Wake up! We're going to miss breakfast if you don't get out of bed!" I sat up slowly, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes as I did. Angela was smiling at me.

"Oh, ugh," I muttered. "Why did I agree to be your roommate again? You're too much of a morning person."

"Get dressed so we can go. And don't think I've forgotten about the shopping trip today."

"Oh, about that," I began, giving her a sheepish look. She frowned.

"What?"

"I sort of invited Edward's sister to come with us. I hope that's okay."

"She likes clothes, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. Maybe she can help me talk some sense into you about this stupid issue you have with buying them."

"And, um," I said, stretching a little bit. "Edward is coming to pick us up around noon, so we can all have lunch together."

"Well, we might as well skip breakfast, then," she said, sitting down on her bed. "It's eleven fifteen. They stop serving it in fifteen minutes anyway. And you look like you're going to need the whole forty five minutes to get ready."

"Why?" I asked, frowning. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

"Oh, sweetie," she sighed. "You never look bad, you just need some serious freshening up, is all." I untangled the comforter from around my legs and trudged over to the mirror. My hair was sticking out at several odd angles. "So, are you going to tell me about last night?"

"If you're going to tell me who you were on the phone with, yeah," I said, trying to be sly. She blushed and giggled. "Was it a guy?"

"Remember how I never got to tell you about my Friday night?"

"I do now that you've said something," I admitted. She smiled again.

"I did meet some nice guys, but only one asked for my number."

"You gave a guy your number and didn't tell me?" I asked, shocked. "You've been so busy grilling me about Edward that you neglected to mention it?"

"Well, in my defense, I didn't really think he'd call. He had about a hundred other girls around him, and he barely said anything to me."

"Then why did you give him your number?"

"He was really cute," she gushed, getting off of the bed and poking through her closet. "And there was just something about him… I can't explain it, but I just had a feeling about him."

"Even though you didn't think he'd call," I repeated. She nodded and withdrew a short-sleeved button down pale pink top. She held it up to me, and I shook my head. "Sorry, I'm going to go with my usual today – my own clothes. I have a feeling that I'll be trying on enough stuff, so I want to be comfortable while I can be." She sighed.

"Fine, I'll wear it, then." She shrugged.

"What's his name?" I asked, pulling on my comfortable jeans. This particular pair had a hole in one knee and they were very, very faded. Angela had tried to get me to throw them away during our junior year, but I had refused. She still glared at them whenever I wore them. I pulled a plain black t-shirt over my head.

"Ben."

"And that's it? He's just 'Ben,' like 'Prince'? No last name?" She giggled.

"I don't know his last name yet, but that's okay because he doesn't know mine, either."

"Did he ask you out yet?"

"Not everyone moves as quickly as you and Eddie do," she said, laughing.

"His name is Edward," I grumbled. Eddie didn't sound dignified enough for him. She shook her head.

"Boy, you've got it bad."

"What?"

"You've got it bad," she repeated, reaching for my brush and motioning for me to turn around. "Even saying his name makes your eyes light up. What did you guys wind up doing last night, anyway?"

"He took me to see his house, I met his sister, and we went out for sushi."

"His house?"

"He's a triplet," I explained, still amused by that fact. He and Alice didn't look anything alike, and I was willing to bet that his brother didn't look like him, either. "His brother and sister live with him in a house that their parents rent for them. He decided he wanted privacy, so he took the small apartment above the garage. Apparently his brother likes to throw parties."

"Wow. So… any more fun stuff happen?" she teased. I sighed.

"We had a pretty good talk in his car."

"Is talk a synonym for make-out session?"

"Um… no?" I asked weakly. She laughed, and I felt her tugging on my hair.

"You're finished." I looked in the mirror. She'd pulled my hair up in a ponytail.

"I could've done that myself, you know."

"I know. I just enjoy playing with your hair."

"Trust me, I know. I remember you forcing me to play beauty shop until we were fifteen."

"So you guys made out again. Big deal. I think it's all very romantic." I rolled my eyes at her, and she laughed. "Really. It all feels so Romeo and Juliet, don't you think?"

"God, I hope not," I said, shaking my head. "I don't want to die at the end of all this."

"You know I didn't mean that part," she scolded. I watched as she pulled her own hair back into a ponytail. "I just meant the love at first sight part. You know, the good part."

"Love is a pretty strong word, Ang. I think we both just really like each other."

"Give it time. It won't take much, though, the way you guys are going."

"What are you babbling about now?" I asked, laughing at her optimism. It was difficult to stay in a bad mood around her when she was so bubbly.

"You've seen each other every day this week," she pointed out, checking her reflection in the mirror. "You've kissed two of those days – probably would've kissed on the other days, too, if you'd had the chance."

"What are you saying, exactly?"

"Nothing, except that I think you guys are falling pretty hard, and fast. And I'm not saying that that's a bad thing, either, so don't take it that way - God knows I wish it'd happen to me."

"I've been so busy with him this weekend that I haven't gotten a bit of my reading done," I lamented, barely glancing at my messenger bag full of books.

"Well, you're not helping yourself by re-reading your Austen books, either," she retorted. I felt my cheeks warm. How had she known I'd been doing that? I'd only been reading it at the library, or in between classes – never when she was nearby. And here I thought I'd been sneaky! She just knew me too well.

"Yeah, I guess not."

"Are you ready to go? I don't want to keep Romeo waiting," she teased. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling. We walked down the stairs in silence, and my stomach began doing somersaults as we approached the front door of the building. When we got to the door, she turned to me. "Is he out there? What kind of car does he drive?"

"A silver Volvo," I answered, looking through the glass.

"Okay, that must be him over there, then, right?" She pushed the door open and began walking towards the corner of the lot, where Edward's car was sitting. He must have been watching the dorm, because as soon as we started towards the car, he got out. I felt a sigh escape me when our eyes met, and I was glad that I was far enough away that he couldn't hear it.

Today he was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans. It looked every bit as good on him as the sweaters and button-down shirts had. He looked edible in anything he wore. I guess it was just a testament to how attractive he was, period. Me, on the other hand - I was just starting to second-guess my outfit when Angela spoke to him. "Hi, Edward. Thanks for giving us a ride."

"It's my pleasure," he reassured her, smiling as he opened the door for her. She turned and angled her body so he wouldn't see her give me the thumbs-up sign, and then she got into the car. I laughed. "Besides, I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone with the likes of Alice – at least, not in the mall, anyway."

When I reached him, I expected him to move out of the way and just let me into the car. Instead, he snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me gently to him. I rested my hands against his chest and closed my eyes as he lowered his mouth to mine for a firm but gentle kiss. It didn't last long, but it had given me gooseflesh anyway.

"I missed you," he said quietly. I smiled at him.

"I missed you, too." He pulled away and I got into the car. As soon as the door closed, Angela giggled.

"I am so jealous – he is so chivalrous! He opened the door for you! And that kiss – oh, Bella!" Before I had a chance to respond, Edward got into the car. After he'd fastened his seatbelt, he reached across the console between us and held my hand. I heard Angela sigh from the back seat, and I bit back a laugh.

"I hope you don't mind my tagging along for a bit," he said, glancing in the rearview mirror at Angela.

"Not at all." She sounded so damned amused.

"You're not going to stay?" I asked, disappointment washing over me.

"I don't particularly relish being around my sister when she's in a shopping frenzy – she tends to try and revamp my entire wardrobe." I forced a smile, but he must have been able to tell it wasn't sincere, because he stroked my thumb with his. "But I'll stay if you want me to. There's a book store in the mall, and I have a list of new ones that I've been meaning to buy." I felt so selfish. What man in his right mind would want to spend the afternoon shopping with three women?

"No, it's all right," I said, trying to reassure him. "I'm glad you're having lunch with us, though."

"I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous. I haven't ever had lunch with so many beautiful women before – every other man in the mall is going to be consumed with jealousy." Angela giggled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Suck-up," I muttered. He chuckled and squeezed my hand gently.

"By the way," he said, glancing sideways at me. "I loved the CD."

"You did?"

"Have you listened to the one I made you?"

"All but the last two or three songs," I admitted, my cheeks burning. There was no way I was telling him that I'd fallen asleep listening to it last night. He grinned and shook his head.

"You put one of the exact same songs I used on yours on the one you gave me."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

"Morrissey."

"Crap," I sighed. "I should've listened to it all the way through. I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal," he said, looking highly amused. "I just think it's interesting that out of all the music between the two of us, the same song manages to make it onto the very first CDs we ever exchange."

"You guys should totally do that," Angela interjected.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Keep making CDs for each other. Trade a CD a week, or something. You could always do themes to make it more interesting."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked. He glanced back at her, his interest piqued.

"You know, like 'songs with a state name in them,' or 'songs about famous people,' or songs you listen to when you're mad – stuff like that." Edward looked impressed.

"It might be fun," I hedged. Mentally I was smacking Angela around – she knew I'd already started a playlist on my laptop of songs that made me happy. I'd started it the day before our first day of classes. It had been sort of a celebratory playlist; a 'we're college students now' celebration. It had several happy, fun-type songs on it.

"I think it sounds like a good idea. I'm game if you are," he said, shooting me a smile that made my knees feel weak. Good thing I was sitting down.

"Sure."

"You two can figure out the details later," Angela said happily. "We're here!" Edward tried to suppress his grimace, but I saw it and squeezed his hand. He pulled into a parking space and turned the car off. He looked like he was about to lean over and kiss me, but then Angela started bouncing impatiently in her seat, and he sighed. He gave me a wry smile before getting out of the car and circling to open the door for both of us. Once we were both out of the car and he'd locked it, Angela started walking ahead of us. He turned and put his hands on my cheeks, drawing my face to his, and he caught my lips up in a tender kiss. He repeated the motion three times before pulling away and stroking my cheekbones with his thumbs.

"Apparently our chaperones are going to be quite easily distracted today," he murmured, dropping his hands and giving me a shy-looking smile. He reached down and laced his fingers though mine, and started tugging me towards the mall. "Not that I mind. If I had my way, however, we'd just ditch them altogether."

"I wish we could," I said earnestly, smiling. I was still a little breathless from the kisses; he seemed different from the night before. Last night he'd been hesitant about touching me at all, and today he'd already kissed me twice, once in front of my roommate. It made my stomach flip pleasantly to wonder if he'd be stealing kisses the whole time we were together.

"You look lovely," he said. We'd almost caught up to Angela, who was waiting by the front door.

"And you're a bad liar," I said, laughing. "I am worse than scruffy today."

"Nonsense," he scoffed. "You're beautiful, same as always." My heart leapt and I could feel my cheeks start to burn. He grinned and leaned over slightly to whisper in my ear, "And just so you know, the blushing is right up there with the lip biting." I turned to him in surprise.

"What?"

"As long as we're being honest," he said, shrugging. Damn it, he was smiling! He'd known he was going to make my blushing worse when he'd said it, and he'd done it anyway. We'd reached Angela, so I couldn't say anything obvious. Edward released my hand long enough to open the door for both of us.

"That's something I really can't help," I protested quietly as I walked past him. I heard him chuckle.

"Bella!" This time I was ready for Alice's embrace. I laughed when she pulled away slightly to smile at me, and then turned to Angela. "This must be your roommate."

"I'm Angela." She held her hand out, and Alice took it, shaking it vigorously.

"Well, any friend of my brother's girlfriend is a friend of mine," Alice said, positively beaming. Edward covered his face with his hands, and I just bit my lip. I didn't know what to call us, either. "So, where do we want to sit? I'm starving." I laughed as Alice threaded her arm through Angela's and went off to find a decent table.

"We are in so much trouble," I said, laughing. "Together they're going to be a force to be reckoned with, aren't they?" I turned to Edward and caught him giving me a strange look. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. He pressed a hand to the small of my back as we walked to the table where our companions had chosen to sit. Angela gave me a knowing smile, and Alice arched an eyebrow at her brother.

"So, who's going where?" Angela asked. Edward pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down. I was aware of his every movement as he pulled a chair close to me and sat down.

"I feel like a giant cheeseburger," Alice said, examining her choices. "And fries with lots of ketchup."

"Ugh," Angela said, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. "I've eaten cheeseburgers all week for lunch. I need variety."

"That place has really good soup, and it comes in this awesome bread bowl," Alice said, pointing.

"Oh, that does sound good." Angela turned to me. "What do you want?"

"I think I'm going to go with Chinese." Angela rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Why did I even bother asking?"

Edward glanced between us, a smile playing at his lips. "Why do you say that?"

"Bella only ever got Chinese food in the mall back home. Every time we went out to eat together, she insisted on Chinese food. It's her favorite."

"Japanese is my favorite," I corrected her. "Chinese runs a close second." Edward laughed.

"What are you getting, Edward?" Alice asked, not looking at him. Her eyes were focused on something across the room.

"Actually, Chinese sounds good to me, too." He stood up. "I'll go get it. Angela, if you tell me what you want, I'll get yours while I'm up. Alice -"

"No, no," Alice said, jumping up so quickly that she practically knocked her chair over. "I'll get mine," she said hurriedly. The three of us at the table watched in surprise as she walked away.

"What got into her?" Angela asked, turning to Edward. He frowned.

"I'm not sure, exactly," he said. I looked in the direction Alice had been looking before she'd gotten up, and I laughed quietly. Angela and Edward both turned to look at me.

"Blonde guy, one o'clock."

"My one or your one?" Angela asked, her head whipping around to look. Edward's frown deepened.

"My one."

"Jeez," Angela sighed. "Yeah, I can see what the fuss is about."

"She's going after a guy?" Edward asked finally, his eyes moving in the direction I'd told Angela to look. Suddenly he looked very amused.

"Go, Alice," Angela said, cheering her on as we watched her approach the blonde guy. "Boy, she sure knows how to go after what she wants, doesn't she?"

"Yes," Edward sighed. "And it's quite possible that she'll be there for a bit, so if you ladies want to tell me what you-"

"We can get it, Edward," I said, shaking my head. "You don't have to wait on us, or anything."

"I know I don't, but if you want to eat before Alice drags you through the mall, you'd best go ahead and get started."

"I'll have the broccoli and cheese soup in a bread bowl, and a Diet Coke," Angela said, giving Edward her money. He nodded and stuck the money in his pocket before turning to me. "General Tso's Chicken with steamed rice instead of fried rice, and a Cherry Coke," Angela told him, rolling her eyes. He chuckled, and when he looked to me for confirmation, I nodded once. I handed him my money, which he shoved in the same pocket with Angela's, and then he was gone.

"Okay, spill," she demanded, when Edward was out of earshot.

"Spill what?"

"What happened when I left you alone at the car?"

"He kissed me."

"Guh! I knew it! Is he staying with us today? Because if he does, he will be sneaking you into dressing rooms to make out with you!"

"No, he won't." We both looked up in surprise at Alice, who placed her tray on the table before sitting down. "He'll just yank her into a hallway when no one's looking, or something. He's not creative enough to take her into a dressing room."

My cheeks felt like they were on fire. "I'm sitting right here, guys."

"We know," Angela said, rolling her eyes. Alice giggled. "Oh, God – we totally have to take her into Victoria's Secret while he's here. I would love to see his reaction to that!"

"Angela!" I hissed, scandalized. "That is so not going to happen!"

"Why not? It'd be good for him to see you walking around all the lacy under things." I turned and looked to make sure that he wasn't coming, and saw him waiting in line for Angela's food.

"It'd only be good for him if he actually gets to see her in them," Alice told her. "We need to lock them in a closet together, or something. You know, let them purge themselves of the deed." I was glad I wasn't eating – I would've choked on my food.

"You're his sister! You're not supposed to be encouraging his date to have sex with him!" I said. My face was going to be permanently red if they kept this up. Angela nearly choked on the French fry she'd stolen from Alice, and it made me feel a little bit vindicated. "Why are you trying to get me to sleep with your brother? You don't even know me. I could be some kind of psycho!"

"Are you some kind of psycho?" Alice asked calmly.

"Well, no, but you-"

"I may not know you very well, but I know my brother. I haven't ever seen him like this over a woman before. I mean, sure, he's had crushes, and he's had girlfriends, but I have never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you – especially when he thinks no one can see him looking, like right now." I blinked at her and turned, catching Edward's gaze. He gave me an apologetic look, and then turned back to the counter. I turned back to Alice.

"This scares me," I admitted softly.

"What does?" Angela asked curiously.

"How fast we're moving. It's not to say that I don't like it all – it's just kind of scary, to have these kinds of feelings after three days."

"A week," Angela corrected me. I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, do you like my brother?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Very much."

"More than any other man you've ever had feelings for?"

"Yes. That's why it's scary. I'm not sure how to process all of this."

"It's just scary because it's so perfect," Angela breathed.

"Yeah, that too," I agreed.

"What are we talking about?" Edward asked, passing Angela her food as he sat down. "You ladies look so serious." I took the drink he handed me and took a long pull of it.

"We're talking about the lingerie that Bella's planning on buying when we go to Victoria's Secret," Alice said offhandedly. Edward's mouth fell open slightly, and I started to choke on my drink. Angela smothered a laugh. "What? Lingerie is serious stuff."

"She's joking," I gasped, grabbing a napkin and wiping the soda off of my chin.

"Edward knows me well enough to know that I never joke about any article of clothing, no matter how small it is." I stared at her. She was evil incarnate, mercilessly teasing me like this. She had to be.

"Alice, I have a feeling that if you keep discussing this, she might just decide not to let you help her shop," Edward said calmly. I shot him a silent look of thanks, and even though he didn't answer, his lips curled up.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you, Bella?" Alice looked immediately repentant. It didn't sway me – my face was still far too warm.

"Yes."

"Fine," she sighed, unwrapping her burger. Under the table, Edward squeezed my knee. Before he could pull away, I grabbed his hand and squeezed back. I don't think he stopped smiling for the rest of the time we were eating.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Alice, I have to go to the bathroom," I said, feeling panicked. We were only inside our second store, and she already had me in the dressing room, throwing things over the top of the door for me to try on.

"You're not getting out of this," she answered.

"You're going to be okay, Bella," Angela called. "Just don't forget to breathe."

"Would it make you feel better if we brought Edward in here?" Alice asked. I frowned.

"I don't want you to call him and bother him."

"I don't think it'd bother him much – he's been lurking out in the hallway for the last fifteen minutes."

"I thought he went home," I said, pulling on a pair of skintight jeans that Alice had bullied me into trying on.

"Right," she snorted. "Are you ready to show me your next outfit or not?" I looked at myself in the mirror. The jeans were like a second skin – exactly like the ones Angela had loaned me, though these had a much lower waist. The shirt was a red sequined tank top, and I felt completely stupid in it. Apparently Alice thought that red was a good color on me – half of the pile I had yet to try on was red.

"Fine, I'm coming out." I pushed the door open and stepped out, still looking down and trying to adjust the top so that it didn't look like I was falling out of it. When I looked up, I was staring into a pair of very shocked green eyes. He stared at me, his mouth hanging open.

"I think that means we'll take it," Alice said smugly. "Angela, where did you find that top? Let's go get one in every color." She and Angela disappeared without a backwards glance, and I could feel my cheeks heating up as he stared at me.

His eyes seemed to be growing darker the longer we stood there, and I watched as his eyes dropped to my feet and moving upward agonizingly slowly. I couldn't help but notice when his eyes lingered on the small bare patch of skin on my stomach, and the uncomfortable amount of cleavage that the shirt created.

"Alice forced me to," I said in explanation. Well, to be perfectly honest, I hadn't put too much of a fight up over the jeans, because I'd been planning on getting a pair, anyway. It was the shirt I had protested vehemently to. Looked like I'd be keeping the shirt – I could wear it just for him, if it came to that. He took a hesitant step towards me, and then another, and then he was so close I could feel his breath on my lips.

"Remind me to thank her later." He looked down, and I did the same, and we both watched as he tentatively touched his fingertips to the exposed flesh of my hip. He lightly traced the outline of my hipbone, and I shivered. "You look incredible."

"Thank you," I whispered. His feather-light touch was making my head spin. I bit down gently on my bottom lip, and he raised his free hand to cup my cheek.

"Allow me," he said. I didn't have a chance to process his words before he caught my lower lip between his, sucking lightly. I grabbed the front of his shirt, feeling so light-headed by this time that I really thought I was going to pass out. When his teeth scraped gently over my lip, I sagged against his chest. He caught me, and I heard his chuckle as he helped to steady me.

I glanced around to make sure that no one was watching, and I took a deep breath. When I felt halfway normal again, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his face down to mine for another kiss. He groaned softly, and then I felt his hands on the small of my back, his fingertips caressing the exposed skin there. The thought of his long fingers touching any part of me caused my whole body to feel like it was being engulfed in flames. I kissed him harder, reveling in the fact that he returned my kisses with just as much intensity. When our tongues touched, he reacted almost violently, pushing me back into the dressing room. I felt his hands leave me, and I vaguely heard him close the door before his hands were on me again, this time on my hips.

He pressed me up against the wall as he kissed me. I plunged my hands into his hair, savoring the feel of the soft strands sifting through my fingers as I moved them. He gasped and pressed himself against me, and the movement caused me to whimper. He pulled his mouth away from mine and moved it straight to my neck, touching his tongue to the sensitive spot just below my ear. I arched against him, trying to get closer, and his breathing hitched.

I thought I might have gone too far, until I felt his teeth scrape gently all the way down to my collarbone, which he sucked on. At the same time I bucked against him again, I felt his hands move around to cup me through the jeans. I gasped and fisted my hands in his hair. When he squeezed gently, I couldn't help it, and I moaned. Someone giggled just beyond the door, and the sound caused us both to freeze.

Damn it. I'd forgotten Angela's earlier comment about him pulling me into a dressing room to make out. I'd told both her and Alice that it wouldn't happen, and here we were, doing exactly that. He raised his eyes to mine, and gave me a crooked smile.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice was low enough that I didn't think our eavesdroppers would hear.

"Don't be," I replied, loosening my grip on his hair. I licked my lips, and his eyes were immediately focused on them. I couldn't help but be aware of his hands still holding on to my rear. "I'm not."

"How much longer do you think I'd be able to keep you in here before they bust the door down?" I felt his fingers squeeze me gently, and I gasped.

"Not much longer," I said. "So we'd better make the most of it, right?" He groaned softly and rested his forehead against mine.

"You really are trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"We can't keep doing this," I pointed out, caressing the back of his neck with my fingers. "We're going to spontaneously combust if we do."

"You've said that before," he said, sounding amused. He gave me a quick kiss before pulling away, and even though he'd removed his hands, my body was still tingling everywhere he'd touched. I smoothed out the front of his shirt, and then looked down to make sure my clothes weren't too rumpled, either.

"Maybe that should be our first CD theme," I said, pressing my palms to my face. "Music to spontaneously combust to." He stared at me, his grin blossoming slowly.

"You mean music that you'd listen to while kissing?"

"Or while doing… other things," I suggested, trying to sound nonchalant. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"It definitely sounds like a challenge," he said, running his fingers through the hair that I'd ruffled. I bit back the smirk I felt coming on. I'd messed up that lovely bronze hair. Me. Oh, the sight of it made me feel cocky and proud. "How long do we have to come up with it?"

"Two weeks?" I offered, watching as he pushed the dressing room door open. Alice and Angela were standing there, whispering. When they saw us emerging, their faces fell.

"You don't look rumpled at all," Alice accused, glaring at Edward. He gave her a look that was much too innocent.

"And why would we look rumpled?" he asked politely. She scowled. I took the clothes from Angela's hands and went back into the dressing room, hiding my smile as I went.

Edward's POV

I leaned forward and quietly told Alice, "That outfit is on me," as I shoved money into her hand. Before she had a chance to gloat, I turned and went out into the hallway. As much as I would have liked to stay and see Bella in every new garment she tried on, there was no way I was going to manage that without some serious molesting of her person. Not that I minded that, I thought, smirking to myself.

I turned the corner and walked down the hallway towards the cookie stand, intent on getting a drink. I needed something to help me cool down – odds were that Bella needed something, too. I stood in line for a few minutes, and all I could think about were those damned painted-on jeans she'd been wearing. To say that I felt like a massive pervert would be an understatement. I'd thought about sex plenty before I'd met Bella. I'd even participated in the act once or twice, though it had only been casual.

I knew that I wanted to be with Bella in that capacity. I would've been lying to myself if I tried to deny it – but I also knew I wanted it to mean something if it ever happened. She was special, and I wanted her to know it. Bella wasn't the kind of girl you just brought to your bed for a casual tumble in the sheets. Plus it was still only the first week of us being together, and it was probably too early for her to feel comfortable enough with me to share my bed… even though I was more than enjoying our kissing sessions.

That train of thinking led me to consider the CD exchange we were planning, and I could feel my face warm as I ordered the sodas. Music to spontaneously combust to, she'd said. Well, I had plenty of that. The question was, was I brave enough – or bold enough – to give her a whole CD of music that got me excited in that way? I paid for the drinks and thanked the woman before walking back towards the store the girls had been in. If Bella was brave enough to give me an arsenal to use against her sometime, I would do the same.

Of course, after I'd had that thought, I was plagued with images of her writhing on my bed in various states of undress. Crap. I should've gone home when I'd told her I was going to; being here and knowing that she was getting undressed over and over was a bad idea. I walked into the store and looked around. They were nowhere to be seen. I frowned and approached the salesgirl, who shot me a brilliant smile.

"Excuse me, I was in here a little while ago with-"

"Yeah, she told me to tell you they're just going down the hall," she interrupted. "She said two stores down."

"Thank you." I left the store and went down the hallway, freezing when I realized what my options were. On my left was a Radio Shack, and on my right was Victoria's Secret. Of course I knew exactly where they must be – and I was going to strangle Alice. I hadn't thought she'd actually take Bella in there, even though she'd mentioned it at lunch. Apparently I'd grossly underestimated my sister and her scheming.

Now I had a dilemma. Did I stay out in the hallway and wait for them to emerge (which might take forever, knowing Alice), or did I venture in with the excuse of giving Bella the soda I'd purchased for her? I frowned. If I didn't give her the soda, the ice would melt and water the whole thing down. Besides, this was a giant game of chicken to Alice, I was sure. She was testing my limits – the same thing I was doing every time Bella and I were alone. Maybe it would be safest to look in the window and see if they were in the front of the store, where I could easily run the drink in and run back out.

I went up to the window and peered in. Immediately I felt like someone had turned the thermostat up about fifty degrees – a very red-faced Bella was holding something lacy and green in her hands. I realized after I saw Alice hold up a lacy bra in the same color and gestured to what was in Bella's hands what it must be. That made my mind up for me – there was no way I was going to brave going into that store. I went to the middle of the hallway and sat in one of the plush chairs I found, and gulped down both my soda and the one I'd brought for Bella.

I sat there for what felt like a terribly long time before the girls emerged from the store. All three of them had very large pink and white striped bags, which worried me. Hopefully they didn't all belong to Bella, or else I'd never make the ride home with her. When she saw me, she looked relieved and embarrassed at the same time. She quickened her steps and got to me before the other two did.

"Help me!" she whispered, looking panicked. I couldn't help myself; I laughed.

"Edward!" Alice pealed, delighted. I narrowed my eyes at her. She was trying to look innocent, which was a very bad sign for me. "Bella got the cutest new-"

"Alice!" Bella hissed, her face turning blood red. "Shut up!"

"You're not going to let me have any fun today, are you, Bella?" Alice pouted. "It's very rare for me to have something to tease my brother with – you'd think you'd let me have a little bit of fun with him."

"Not at my expense," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry."

"Well," Alice said, shrugging. "You won't be around us all day. I'll get to him sooner or later." I didn't like the sound of that. When Bella turned to look to Angela for help, Alice waved her cell phone at me and mouthed the word pictures. I jumped out of the chair as though it had burned me, and Alice giggled. Bella turned to look at me with concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. You look thirsty – do you want me to go and get you a Coke?" I blurted, anxious to get away from my sister, who was apparently trying to kill me.

"I can come with you," she offered, glancing hurriedly between her shopping partners. I nodded and grabbed her arm, and started walking before the girls could protest.

"I'll bring her back in just a minute. I'll bring you sodas too," I said over my shoulder. When we were out of earshot, she sighed with relief.

"Thank you," she said earnestly. "You have no idea what they're trying to do to me." Oh, I had ideas, all right – that was the problem. I had too many ideas.

"I can imagine," I said, trying to sound sympathetic, instead of like the horny asshole I apparently was.

"I never dreamed in a million years that Angela would be this bad, either," she continued. "I mean, I've been shopping with her before, but now she has someone to help her bully me into buying whatever she wants me to wear."

"Why did you even agree to come if you don't like to shop?" I wondered aloud, steering her towards the food court. I was confused when her face turned red again. How had that been embarrassing?

"I did actually sort of want to come – but only for a few little things – not the massive wardrobe overhaul that's commencing. They're probably still picking things out for me even though I'm not there!" she cried, shaking her head.

"Tell them you've spent all of your money," I suggested, stepping up to the counter to order.

"I can't," she said. "I haven't paid for a single thing today."

"What?" I asked, surprised. I handed her the cup the cashier had just handed me, and we started back in the direction we'd come, very slowly.

"Alice has paid for everything," she explained, taking a sip of the soda. I stared at her.

"Everything?" I echoed. I'd only given her enough money for one outfit, I was sure of it.

"Everything" she confirmed. "Even this," she said, holding up the Victoria's Secret bag she'd been carrying. Her cheeks were flushed. "I told her that if I wanted something, I could buy it myself, but she said she knew I'd never buy this stuff, so she did it for me. I think that after today, I'm just going to take it back and have them return the money to her credit card!"

"Don't do that," I said quickly. She gave me a startled look.

"Why not? I can't keep all of this stuff. Do you know how much it cost? And this isn't even all of it."

I swallowed convulsively. "It isn't?" She shook her head mutely, and I coughed. "You know, if you return it, not only will she be mad at you, she'll also find a way to get you back. And it will probably be very public and highly embarrassing. It's best just to take it and say thank you."

"I need to pay her back if I'm going to keep it," she said darkly, sounding just a little bit miserable. "And then I'm just going to shove the bags into the back of my closet." Crap. How did I approach this delicately? Was there even a way to do that?

"Uh," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "You don't ever plan on wearing any of it?" She turned to me, her mouth opened to say something, and then she abruptly shut it. She eyed me silently for a moment, and then looked away as the color on her cheeks went from pink to red.

"Are you trying to ask me something else, Edward?" she asked softly.

"No," I said too quickly. She laughed.

"Since we're being honest, and all." Oh, hell.

"I think," I said slowly, "that it would be very disappointing to Alice if you never wore anything she'd purchased for you."

"And how would Alice know, unless she plans on seeing me in this stuff?" she asked, giving me a shrewd look. I sighed.

"She's going to ask me if I've seen you wear any of this, you know," I said bluntly.

"Are you the type to kiss and tell?" Her voice was so soft that I could barely hear it.

"Are you trying to ask me something else, Bella?" I asked, grinning at her. She laughed and rolled her eyes. "You know, since we're being honest, and all."

"Brutal honesty," she said, stopping in the middle of the hallway to look me dead in the eyes. I took a deep breath as I nodded.

"Fine."

"Are you asking me if you'll ever see me in this stuff?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Are you asking me if I would tell people about it if we were ever intimate?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just so we understand each other."

"Are we going to answer each other?" She wondered, her eyes roaming over my face. I'm sure I was as red as she was. I wasn't used to discussing this sort of thing straight out with a woman like this. As unnerving as it was, it was also a major turn-on.

"I don't know. Are we?" She started to open her mouth, but she was interrupted by my sister.

"Bella! There you are! We were starting to wonder if my brother had dragged you off like a Neanderthal." Angela giggled, and Alice smiled at her. "Are you ready for the next store? There's a huge sale going on in-"

"I was thinking about going to the music store," I interrupted, pointing down the hallway. "I thought maybe she'd want to come with me instead."

"But we've only been to two stores, and she hardly has anything." Bella stared at Alice, her mouth hanging open.

"Alice, this is the most new clothing I've had in probably three years," she replied finally.

"But it's all underwear," Alice insisted, frowning.

"Look," I interjected, trying to ignore what she'd just said. "Bella isn't a professional shopper yet. She's a beginner, so she needs frequent breaks. I'm sure that after a few minutes in the music store, she'll be back and ready to shop again – right, Bella?" I hadn't even finished speaking before she was nodding vigorously.

"I promise."

Alice looked skeptical, but Angela smiled, glancing between us. "I think we'll be fine for a few minutes alone, don't you, Alice?"

"But-"

"Hey," Angela interrupted, pointing towards a men's clothing store. "Isn't that the guy you were talking to at lunch?" Alice's head whipped around, and she grabbed Angela's arm. They started walking away, and Bella gave me a highly amused smile.

"All right, you have thirty minutes, and then I want her back!" Alice called over her shoulder.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," I told her, pressing my hand to the small of her back as we walked. "Do you want me to carry that bag for you?"

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I'm okay."

"Is it really that embarrassing?" I teased, raising my eyebrows at her. She laughed.

"You have no idea. Thank you for getting me out of it for a while. I really could use a break, and if Alice isn't going to let me use my money to pay for clothes, it might as well go to a good cause."

It was my turn to laugh. "Music is as good a cause as any, I suppose. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"Actually…" She stopped to throw away her soda cup, and then reached into her back pocket, extracting a folded piece of paper. She waved it at me. "I keep a list of CDs I'd like to have."

"Really? Can I see it?"

"Um," she began, biting her lip. I leaned over and pressed my lips gently to hers, then pulled away to look at her. "What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.

"You bit your lip again. I told you how I felt about that."

"Are you going to kiss me every time I do it?"

"Maybe." She blushed and looked down as she smiled. "Careful," I warned her. "Remember what I said about the blushing, too."

"If you were going to kiss me every time I blushed or bit my lip, we'd be permanently joined at the mouth," she joked.

"I don't think I'd complain too much." She laughed and rolled her eyes. "So are you going to let me see your list, or not?"

"You can't make fun of me," she said, hesitating. I shook my head and made an x motion across my chest.

"Cross my heart, I won't." She handed me the paper, and we started walking again. I unfolded it and was instantly surprised – the list was longer than I'd thought it would be. I handed it back to her, trying to hide my smile. I already owned half of the albums she'd written down. Maybe when I got home tonight, I could burn some for her.

"I'm going to go look at the soundtracks," she told me, edging towards that side of the store. I nodded.

"I'll be over there in a minute – there's something I need." I watched as she walked away from me, and then I hurried to pick up a package of blank CDs and a large black book that would hold them. After I'd made my purchase, I approached her. She only had one CD in her hand, and she was frowning at it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head and smiling at me. She noticed my bag and gestured toward it. "You must've known exactly what you were looking for, too."

"Yes," I said, smiling broadly at her. "I did."

"How much longer do we have before Alice hunts me down?" she asked. I glanced at my watch.

"About fifteen minutes."

"Okay," she sighed, nodding. "Then I'd better work fast." I watched as she searched out four CDs from her list and took them to the register to pay for them. The whole process took maybe five minutes. She dropped the CD bag into the larger Victoria's Secret bag, and I took her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. As we exited the store, I got the distinct impression that she would have been happy to spend the entire duration of her shopping trip in that one store.

"How long do you think Alice will keep me detained?" she asked.

"In the mall, you mean?" She nodded. "Honestly, there's no telling, knowing Alice. It's quite possible that after she's cleaned out all the stores here, she'll want to take you somewhere else to finish shopping." Bella grimaced.

"Oh. Does she do this a lot? Spend whole days shopping, I mean."

"She used to do it every week, but our dad limited her to once every two weeks. As much as it's killed her, she's been saving up her shopping trips so she can spend more at a time."

"So basically your father is footing the bill for my new stuff?" she asked, frowning. I squeezed her hand.

"Don't think too much about it," I said. "Alice is allotted a certain amount of money each month to spend, and if she chooses to spend it on you, then that's her prerogative. Besides, she already has so many clothes, and she can only wear so much – I'm sure my father would be delighted to know that she's spending the money on someone other than herself for once." She was still frowning, but she nodded.

"You know," I began, glancing around. We were almost back to the spot where we'd left the girls, and I wasn't quite ready to give Bella up yet. "I think that I'm going to take off for a bit while you finish up. I'm going to come back and drive you home, but I was wondering – would you like to have dinner with me after-"

"Yes," she said quickly. "I'd love to." I laughed.

"You're so anxious to get away from them," I teased. "Don't you like my sister?"

"Actually, I love her," she admitted. "I mean, we haven't spoken a whole lot, but she is pretty amazing – when she's not using me as a dress-up doll, I mean." She gave me a tentative smile, and I grinned in response.

"Where do you want to go for dinner?"

"I don't mind. I told you, I'm easy." She'd meant nothing by it, but of course just like the first time she'd said it, my mind was instantly flooded with sexual images. I shook my head quickly to try and clear it of the vivid images that had formed. It didn't exactly work, and I blamed those images for the words that just popped out of my mouth.

"Why don't we get some take-out and go back to my apartment with it? We could watch a movie, or something." When she nodded enthusiastically, I groaned silently. What had I just done? Of course I'd wanted to be alone with her all day, but now I was going to be alone with her in my apartment after she'd gotten new lingerie (not that she would necessarily be wearing it) – and we were going to be in the dark, watching a movie. And that would probably happen on my all-too-comfortable sofa, which wouldn't help things.

"That sounds nice," she said. "I could really use some down time after this. Thank you so much, Edward." Save your thanks; the night isn't over yet. I bit back another groan. I needed to touch her so badly that my fingers were twitching. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then I led her down the hallway where the restrooms were. When I didn't see anyone approaching, I pushed her gently back against the wall, dropping my bag on the floor and pinning her there with my arms.

"You told me you wouldn't mind if I acted on my urges sometimes, right?" I asked. She nodded, her lips parting. I could see the erratic rising and falling of her chest. "I don't have much time before they come looking for you, but I couldn't resist." I heard the noise that indicated she'd dropped her shopping bag on the ground, and I shivered when I felt her warm hands curl around my neck.

I watched as her eyes closed, and then I touched my lips to hers. She sighed, and I caught her lower lip between mine, sucking lightly on it. She returned the favor by touching her tongue to my mouth. I opened my mouth to her and forced myself to remain gentle as she stroked my tongue with hers. It was a different kind of kissing than we'd done earlier; it was every bit as intense, but it was sweet at the same time. We weren't groping each other, and I was keeping my hands off of her on purpose. If I touched her, it would all be over for me.

I was thoroughly enjoying kissing her when I heard someone cough. Annoyed, I pulled away from her just enough to turn and see Alice and Angela standing at the end of the hallway, waiting for her. I sighed and turned back to her to give her a rueful smile, which she returned. I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her to me, closing my eyes and breathing deeply to calm myself a bit. I pressed several quick, open-mouthed kisses to the side of her neck, and heard her breath hitch. Smirking to myself, I released her.

"I'll tell Alice to call me when you're done," I said, looking forward to dinner more than I probably should. "I'll come and get you, and she can take Angela home." She nodded.

"Okay." She pressed a hand to her face, took a deep breath, and straightened her shoulders. I smiled and picked her bag up off the floor, holding it out to her.

"Do you want me to take it for you?"

"No," she said, taking it from my outstretched hand. "But thank you. And thank you for the few minutes of peace."

"Anytime," I said, chuckling. I followed her as she walked over to the girls, and I turned to Alice.

"I'm going to be taking Bella to dinner tonight, so if you would, please call me when you're finished."

"I guess it'll just be me and Angela, then," Alice complained. Bella looked surprised.

"You two are going to have dinner together?"

"I was going to invite you, too, of course," Alice said, shrugging. "But since you and Edward have plans, it'll just be us." I looked over at Bella uncertainly. I wanted her to myself, but if she'd rather have girl time…

"You can go with them, if you'd rather," I offered.

"No, I want to have dinner with you," she said quickly, turning to me. "Unless you don't want-"

"Alice, call me when you're done with her," I said, cutting her off. I was surprised that she didn't already see how greedy I was for time with her – it was making me feel like the world's biggest heel, but that didn't change my wanting it. Angela sighed and she gave Bella what I supposed was meant to be a secret smile. Alice rolled her eyes.

"All right, Edward. I get the point. You want her back asap." I nodded, and then pressed a quick kiss to Bella's cheek.

"I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye, Edward."

I waved at her as I began backing away. "Goodbye, Bella."