Chapter 10

Edward flies back to Seattle, and he is excited to see Bella and Chris. He shouldn't be, but he is.

Almost two weeks and she is just about fully settled into the apartment. She couldn't have asked for a better confidant than Alice.

But right now she doesn't feel settled, she had to go to the market, Chris needs SO many things. It is hot and Chris is cranky, can babies be this cranky? Bella tries to juggle three of her recyclable shopping bags, and the stroller with a fussing Chris. "Please don't cry now" She manages to force through the door of the complex.

"Ms. Swan do you need a hand?" Karl has come to know Ms. Swan is a very good friend of the Cullen's and any good friend of the Cullen's is a special resident.

"No no" Bella says fighting her way in and breathing a sigh of relief.

Watching her maneuver to the elevators which take residents to their apartment he stays behind the security desk.

Before she can push the button the doors open.

"Bella" He wanted to call her and go down to her place and see her but he got tied up as soon as he got in.

Her head shoots up from trying to calm Chris from wailing the building down and keeping all of the bags upright in her hands. "Hi" It is the only thing that she can form.

"You heading up?" Edward's eyes wander over her.

"Yes, yes we are" Bella smiles and then glances at the woman beside him. Stunning.

"Looks like you could use a hand"

"No no" Bella side steps them but not good enough because Edward grabs her bags and her hand was about to fall off so they slip right into his from hers.

"You don't mind do you Tanya?"

"No, not at all" She smiles.

Bella looks at them both join her and Chris back on the elevator. She can't fault Edward's choices in women, he certainly can pick them. The woman seemed friendly and smiled brightly at them.

Edward looks at Bella, whom looks slightly frazzled. "How have you been settling in?"

"Alice has been wonderful" Bella admits with a slight smile.

"He is lovely" Tanya coos over the now calmer baby.

Bella smiles a bit. "He has his moments" She comments watching the woman coo over Chris. Of course the baby is enamored with her, she looks like a model, her breasts are amazing and hair to die for. Speaking of hair, hers must look a state. She looks older than Edward, and Bella is certain that is the way he likes it.

Edward watches Bella blow a puff of air out shooing some strands from her forehead. He and Tanya are going out to dinner, they have known each other for a while, and a few things have gone on between them, nothing too serious, and nothing too casual either.

"So Alice has been treating you well huh?"

"She has been nothing short of amazing" When the door opens Bella feels bad for him even having to stay on to help her out. "I've got it"

"We'll walk you to your door" Edward insists.

Tanya forces a smiles now, it is a bit much. "Have you moved in recently?"

"About two weeks" Bella answers reaching to punch in her door pin number.

"You are lucky to live here, what does your husband do?"

Bella knows this tactic; it is a way to find out if she and Edward are sleeping together. "I don't have a husband"

Tanya's face drops.

"But" Bella shoves herself and the stroller through the door. "I have a boyfriend in LA, whom I will be going back to in about three months"

Edward's turn to frown, he doesn't like the sound of that simply because the boyfriend doesn't seem very worthy of Bella in his life, due to his lack of support at this time.

"Oh wonderful" Tanya lights up and watches Edward rest the bags down, and move right over to hold a wiggling baby. She smiles at the tender side of Edward is sees but this time in a completely different way.

Bella glances at Edward holding Chris. "He needs a bath, and food" Bella smiles.

"Poor little guy starving" Edward coos him.

Bella rolls her eyes a bit. "He is not starving do you see the size of him?" It is more of an exclamation.

"He has grown in the last two weeks"

"He has" Bella smiles proudly.

"Edward" It is soft and nervous. "Do you want to go?"

"Yes go, go" Bella takes Chris from him.

Edward looks. "What are you putting together?"

Turning around a bit she looks at the heap of mess she left in the middle of the living room floor. "I bought a crib with a changing table attach with Alice the other day, and Chris and I are putting it together, they charge you $100 extra to set up, but I figure it would be bonding time" Bella rambles on. "But as I went through the instructions I found, German, Japanese, French, and Russian, no English, I guess I know why they charge you $100 to set up" Bella stops and shrugs because she is rambling. "Have a good night"

Edward looks at the mess of parts and bits and frowns. His gaze travels to Bella who is holding Chris more comfortably than a few weeks ago in his office. He meets her eyes.

She can see his silent 'I'll be back' look and she doesn't want that. Shaking her head at him she looks to Tanya. "Have a good night, nice meeting you" Bella watches Edward say nothing and be pulled from her apartment by the arm.

Bella turns in the kitchen to the music which is hooked up from her IPod. She shakes the seasonings like maracas entertaining Chris in his carrier. Laughing she turns to finish the pasta sauce. "You can't eat this yet" She speaks to Chris before glancing at his wide eyes eyeing up the sweet smell of tomato sauce. "Greedy boy"

"Hello" Tanya says looking across the table at Edward.

"Sorry" He jumps back to the present at dinner this Tanya.

"Are you okay?" She looks at him concerned. He did just get in, must be tired. "You must be tired; we should have done this a different time"

"No, I'm fine" Edward looks at her, and tries to focus his attention.

Bella sits in the floor as Chris sits in his carrier watching her and falling asleep. "You poor thing, no bed" Pouting at him she smiles picking up her wine glass and taking a sip. "I can do this" She tells herself. She is a woman who can hold her own; she can certainly put together a crib. Certainly.

Edward went to his apartment after he dropped Tanya off and changed into something less suave and more comfortable.

Standing in front of the shut door he knocks two times.

Making a face Bella looks at Chris. "Who is it?" She calls, really knowing who it is, and it only could really be Edward or Alice.

"It's Edward, open up" He smiles because she is just such a difficult woman for some reason, and he likes it.

"I'm not dressed for company" She glances at the clock in the kitchen and if her eyes are reading correctly it is 9…kind of early for a date with Edward Cullen to be over…so she hears.

"Let me in anyway" He says his head pressed against the door waiting. When he hears the lock unhook he lifts his head and looks at her, more relaxed looking than ever.

Bella looks him up and down; he is out of the suit and in black jeans and a blue shirt which almost matches his eyes.

"Got that crib together yet?" It is the first thing he says to her.

"Still working on it" Bella admits her hand running up the smooth door standing in the way, blocking the doorway. "What's that?"

"Tools, can I come in?" He looks at her.

"Where is Tanya?"

"Probably at her place, that's where I left her" Edward answers.

"Already?"

"We had dinner, and I took her home" He can feel something between them and is certain she feels that something too. "Can I come in?"

Bella looks at him and hopes the words no come out but that is not the case and before she knows it he is walking in and setting down the bag which is clearly heavy. She can almost feel the weight of it on the floor of her place. It feels like the weight in her chest she gets just looking at him. The definitions in his back are outrageous and the ones in his chest are ridiculous.

"Hey Chris" Edward looks him over and sets his carrier to rock a bit causing the child to look and kick his legs out. "Something smells good" Edward stands from crouching.

Her eyes were shamefully glued to his ass as he bent down to coo at her nephew. "Um" Bringing her eyes to his. "I made some pasta and sauce earlier"

"I'm starving"

"You just had dinner" Bella frowns watching him look down at all of the pieces laid out for the crib.

"It was a fancy place" He turns to her and picks up the manual. "You know domino size piece of meat dressed with a quarter size worth of sauce…I'm starving" He smiles at her face, seemingly pleased he didn't have that great of a time.

"I'll heat up a plate" She offers.

"I'll look at this"

"I laid the pieces out" Bella says walking into the open kitchen. "Like the diagram says but with no English…"

Dropping the manual he places his hands on his middle. "No need for that, this is straight forward"

Her jaw drops along with the manual. "Do you see how many bits there are?"

"I see them" Edward says crouching down again and pulling his bag over. "We'll figure it out"

Watching him while the food is in the microwave she crosses her arms. Her eyes widens when he pulls out a power drill. "Do you know that 47 percent of hand injuries occur from using power tools at home?"

Smiling before he turns to look at her. Looking at her with a straight face now he speaks. "A lot, probably more that 47 percent, of people get hurt by doors, do we stop using them?"

Bella looks at him and says nothing. The beep of the microwave causes her to finally react. "If Chris starts crying it goes off" Bella tells him sternly.

"Doesn't Jacob use power tools?"

"Not usually, once when he went to help build homes, but he was miles away and I couldn't get to him"

"What's your problem with power tools anyway?" He thinks this is interesting and the fact that she knows things right down to the percent…scary actually.

"I don't know" She gets the plate in her hands and reaches for a fork and napkin. "No father growing up, not use to it I guess"

"Well you missed something, men and their tools, can't stand between them" Edward tells him. "Now you stay in the kitchen and let Chris and I do the men work, it will be good that way"

Rolling her eyes at him she places the plate down. "He is going to cry"

"No he won't, he'll love it" Edward looks at Chris and he smiles at the baby.

He didn't cry. Chris sat with his eyes glued to Edward as Edward drilled and pushed all of the pieces together. He didn't stop to eat the pasta already re-heated once.

Walking over Bella scoops a still wake awake and fascinated Chris up. "Come on Chris, let's go entertain Edward while he eats" Bella inhales Chris's scent before heading back into the kitchen. She hears the resting of tools behind her.

Edward washes his hands in the kitchen sink before taking a seat to eat the now warm food.

Frowning she watches him eat like he is starving. Must have been a tiny dinner with Tanya.

"This is great" He looks up resting his fork down and wiping his mouth. "What else can you make?"

"Just the basics, stew, casserole, baked and roasted chicken" Bella tells him with a shrug as she has a bottle to Chris's mouth.

"Can you make meat loaf?" He loves that she is such a good cook, and mainly they are meat dishes but her boyfriend doesn't eat meat or her until recently.

"Yup"

"Marry me Bella" says in a tone as though he is about to faint.

Laughing Bella says "Sure"

A bottle of wine was between them, Bella sat on the floor next to Chris while Edward got back on his hands and knees putting together the crib for them. He is strong and confident; he had a certain 'I know' aura about him. Maybe that is why women mature women enjoyed his company. He is aged; not his body but almost like a wine age. No not that either. Everything about him is mature; his mentality could pass for a well lived 60 year old.

Bella hands him some screws and smiles when he curses at slipping bolts.

He notices the music. "I like your musical selections" He likes the blues, loves how it makes people feel.

Smiling Bella looks at the stereo. "Love Etta James" Bella says in a dreamy voice.

Edward looks at her. "Chris likes it also"

"Well of course, I am a bit surprised you like Etta"

"Oh I love the blues" Edward tells her.

"Really?"

"Really, dancing to a Blues song is like pooping rainbows"

Bella laughs. "I don't know about that"

"You know what I mean"

"Yeah"

"Has Bella danced for your entertainment yet Chris?"

"I told you" Bella sips her wine. "That is between Chris and me"

Edward smiles and goes back to work.

"Wow, thank you" Bella holds Chris and looks at the crib Edward single handedly put together. "Wow"

"Wow is right, this thing is nice" Edward admires it.

"Do you think it should go in the bedroom or out here?"

"Here"

"You don't think it is weird to have a crib in the front room?"

"No, not at all, it is Chris's apartment too, and the bedroom, should be yours" Edward tells her. There is no suggestion involved in that, she is doing so much, and she should have a baby free area.

"You're right" Bella holds the baby. "Shall we see if he likes it?"

"Put him on in" Edward smiles watching her lower Chris, he is just completely ready to sleep, he can see it.

"He has had it" Bella smiles down at the baby. She never thought she would feel like this, even in all that is going on, Jessica, Jacob, being here in Seattle, feel this peace.

"I'll take that out for you" Edward speaks of the crib material.

"Thank you" Bella turns to him. "Thank you Edward…for everything" She tells him softly, it can't be expressed how much she is grateful to him and Alice for helping her when she thought she was alone in all of this.

Edward smiles. "You're welcome"

"I really mean it" She says grabbing him and hugging him tightly. "Thank you" She says when his arms embrace her she feels like she shouldn't have done this. It is too much; her body is suddenly completely pressed against his. Pulling back she looks up at him. "I didn't mean to make it seem" She can barely get the words out. "Like I was making a pass at you"

Edward smiles. "It's not your fault I am taking it that way" He lifts his hand to touch her cheek.

"Edward, don't"

He takes her face in the palms of his hands and he stares at her. "Hold still Bella" He mutters before his lips slowly brush over hers. He is attracted to her; she is a beautiful woman, more beautiful because he is witnessing her being completely selfless in helping her sister and this helpless baby.

She doesn't stop the kiss, she accepts it, her mouth moving over his, enjoying it her knees give out but she presses herself against him, he is holding her anyway so she doesn't drop completely.

He holds her securely around her middle down, and as the kiss progresses he can feel her start to pull away.

Each time she tries or starts to pull back and end it, he finds a way to deepen it and keep it going.

She finds herself smoothing a hand up his chest over the soft blue material of his shirt and around his neck. Her finger tips dip into the base of his hairline at the nape of his neck and she pushes up a bit.

Edward moans softly into her lips, they are nice lips. Full, soft, warm and completely delicious.

She can feel herself falling into that place, the place where she doesn't want to go, a place she has barely gone with Jacob even after 8 years. She knows it is that place, a place she doesn't even know about, but only can tell because it feels completely different than anything she has felt before. Going there with him, with anyone would cause her to lose control, would make all the defenses she has built up due to her childhood, her experience shatter. She would most likely shatter along with it all.

"No, I can't" Bella simply turns her head to gasps. "That's enough" She licks her lips quickly, her body still presses against his as he hasn't let her go yet. "That's enough" It is said much more softly this time.

Edward's chest heaves against hers, and she is very soft. It's nice.

"That shouldn't have happened" She mutters not able to look at him. Her eyes are fixed on a small part of his upper arm.

"I've wanted this since I met you" He tells her. He has wanted something from her since he found out what she is doing, since she came into his office, her brains and all. Confusing him with her knowledge which is very sexy. Edward's hands move up her back with care, deliberate care, pressing her more into his chest and body. He leans in causing her to lean back, almost a dipping position now as she tries to keep her distance in the hold. "You did too" He nips at her ear.

Bella shivers. "I didn't, I don't" Her hands move to press against his chest now trying to keep some space between them.

Edward smiles at her failed effort. "You need some fun Bella"

"No" Bella laughs a hearty laugh at the mere thought of 'having fun' with him. She might not come out alive. "I don't need your kind of fun" She widens her eyes at him when he yanks her hips against his.

Smiling at her reaction he nuzzles her cheek with his nose. "You should take me on Bella, I'd be good for you"

"You are SO full of yourself" Bella gets out of his hold by a clever wiggle, stepping back she almost hits into Chris's crib. "You would not be good for me, with you…your" She steps over and away, her hand flies up. "Your steaks and power tools" Stopping she notices his smirk. It infuriates her to think he is laughing at her. "I bet you are a card-carrying member of the NRA…admit it, you are"

Edward looks at her. He steps over and takes her very willingly back into his arms; it is like she doesn't even notice. He continues to nuzzle that same place on her cheek, moving up slightly to go behind her ear. "What does that matter?"

"Oh god" She moans. "You are, that's a yes…stop that" She says but doesn't mean it, will she means it but the tone suggests she doesn't. "It matters because I would only go to bed with a man that respects my views" Not that she wants to go to bed with him.

"I respect your views" Edward mutters, his teeth tugging lightly at her ear lobe before licking the shell of her ear. "And you, I think of you as an equal and respect your brain" He pulls back and looks her dead in the eyes. "The big words you use. But I also want to rip your clothes off and have sex with you until you scream, cry and see God"

Her eyes widen. She feels his lips on her throat again.

Pulling up to look back at her, her eyes open slowly. "I'm going to show you a good time Bella, starting with no prisoner's sex" Edward cocks an eyebrow up. "You know the kind where you can't remember your name after"

She doesn't know that kind but her eyes widen again with a sort of fear, and excitement. "I've been with Jacob for 8 years, he understands me in a way you never could" She wants to push him away again but she can't seem to find the strength. It is his damn kisses making her weak. She blames him entirely for this. Her judgment is being compromised.

"I could learn you" He tells her ready to kiss her senseless again.

"When you offered the apartment I was under the impression there would be no other motives…this puts me in a difficult position" Bella whispers looking at him.

"What position would you prefer?"

With that she gathers strength. Shoving him away she steps back avoiding the crib. "Out"

"You're kicking me out?" He can't believe it but he sort of can…it is Bella after all.

She runs her eyes over him. "Yes" He looks sexy and her lower lip goes into her mouth. This is merely an effort to hang on to the small shreds of whatever she has left.

"We have more to talk about"

"If you stay I don't think any talking will get done" She says with a smile, unable to help herself.

"What if I promise not to touch you?"

"I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth" Bella tells him her hands on her hips.

Smirking he knows it is true.

"Please go"

"When can I see you again?"

"I don't know" She doesn't want to continue this, she loves Jacob, she is going back to Jacob…but they have an open relationship. God she wants to scream.

Edward frowns because she is looking as though she is having a conversation and intense conversation inside her head. "Tomorrow?"

"I have to work" She has neglected work, and needs o get her head back in it before she gets an email saying she is fired.

"The next day"

"I have a lot of things to do, I don't know"

"Damn it Bella" He stops in the open doorway of her apartment. He has to go and take George out so he does have to go. "You can't avoid this forever"

"I am a huge believer in putting things off" Bella smiles ready to shut the door in his face to get rid of that sex smirk that continues to reach his lips.

Edward moves back into the apartment to her shock and grabs the crib box.

"In fact" She can't stop herself talking again. "I put off procrastinating"

Edward laughs holding everything as he watches her get the little bits and place inside the box he is holding. "I'll be in touch" He tells her going to the door.

"I'm really going to be…" Before she can get the rest out he is down the hall. Licking her lips she shuts the door and locks it. Resting against it she sighs. She wants to call Jacob but she is not sure if she should tell him about what she just happened. They don't have secrets. Hopefully he calls her and she will just know what to do.

Checking on Chris she climbs into bed. She wants to talk to Jessica but she isn't answering her phone. Rolling over she looks at her cell. Jacob doesn't call. She doesn't have to tell him because what happened…happened, nothing more will take place so there is nothing to tell.

Shutting her eyes she feels alone and confused.