Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all characters. I'm just having fun and filling some gaps.
BPOV:
We were at the harbor, that much was clear, but I still had no idea what Edward had planned. He drove into a small garage, helped me out of the car, then shut and locked the garage door behind us as we exited.
"I like this car," he explained, answering my quizzical expression.
Edward tucked my arm in his and led me down the marina to a somewhat secluded dock where we were met at a podium by a sharply dressed male attendant.
"Good evening," the attendant greeted with a quick glance in our direction. "How may I help you tonight?" He looked up and swallowed convulsively as he looked us over. He looked me over again, more slowly this time, and I felt Edward tense.
"Cullen," Edward said simply, as if the name itself gave access to the world.
Apparently it did. The attendant's eyes widened and he began to stutter an apology. Edward's hand covered mine on his arm; the attendant must only be giving lip service to the apology and his thoughts were likely driving Edward mad. Given the incident at the jewelry store, I wasn't sure how much more Edward could take. I suppose it was partly my fault, though. I had insisted that Alice make me devastating.
We followed the attendant down the dock slowly, partly due to my insistence at human speed and partly due to my wobbly steps on the uneven surface. Add the sunset over Puget Sound and I was lucky to still be on my feet. Fortunately, I knew Edward would never let me fall.
I did not notice the ship until we stopped walking and only then because Edward drew my attention to it—a large yacht with two decks and a crisply dressed crew awaiting our arrival and inspection.
"Edward?" I turned to him, bewildered and dazzled.
He turned to me, grinning broadly, then frowned at my expression. It looked as if he'd forgotten an important detail.
"You don't get seasick, do you?" he asked, his tone laced with concern and worry.
"No," I replied quickly. I loved the water, just not the rain. "This…." I realized I was about to protest about the cost of the evening and quickly changed tactics. "This is… amazing."
Edward chuckled and gave me a look to indicate he knew what I was going to say before I changed my mind.
"Welcome to the S.S. Twilight, Miss Swan." He gestured toward the ship with a sweeping gesture. "She is ours for as long as we wish. Shall we?"
He led me up the small gangplank, one hand on the small of my back, the other on my arm. I gripped him tightly; my shoes were slippery.
"Please don't let me fall," I whispered a we walked up a set of stairs to the top deck. Edward nodded once and wordlessly wrapped an arm around my waist, releasing me as soon as we were off the stairs.
"Thank you," I whispered, blushing.
Edward turned to me slightly and winked before leading me to an elegantly set table for two in the middle of the deck. He seated me first, then sat next to me.
"Excuse me one moment?" he asked lightly. I nodded.
He pulled out his cell phone and turned away from me slightly.
"We're ready, Mr. Graves. Cast off at your leisure."
I didn't notice we were moving until the city lights started to glide by. My eyes were only on Edward, his on me. I took a few moments to appreciate his appearance. I had seen Edward in a tux before, but the sight of him in black with his features bathed in moonlight and ambient candlelight and his golden eyes simultaneously smoldering and sparking almost had me trying to snatch the phone away and telling the captain to just turn around and do whatever he had to do to stop the boat.
Edward smiled a slow, almost lazy, smile and reached out to take my left hand in his right hand.
"Are you hungry, Bella? Or shall we watch Seattle for awhile?"
"No, I'm not hungry." Not for food anyway. "Let's watch Seattle for awhile. Food can wait."
He nodded and half-smiled, then stood and helped me to stand.
"I have told you how amazing you look tonight, right?" he asked as he led me to the side railings so we could look over the water and mark the passing of the city lights.
"Not in those words, no," I quipped back, looking at him from underneath my lashes. Rosalie and Alice had taught me that trick. They actually made me practice!
Edward swallowed and licked his lips once before turning away for a moment to watch the lights slip by. I allowed myself an inward squeal of victory. He half turned back to me and smiled crookedly.
"You look amazing, Bella. More so than usual," he said in a low, silky smooth voice, treading a fine line between being himself and employing a vampire trick.
I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I flushed with pleasure at the compliment. And at the hunger in his eyes.
"Thank you, Edward. Alice helped."
"Only with the hair and clothes," he said simply, holding my gaze. He reached out and took my left hand in his and kissed it reverently.
My blush deepened and I looked away, then shivered against the night's chill and Edward's words.
"I thought Alice gave you a jacket," Edward said with a slight frown.
Oops.
"Um. It's in the car," I admitted.
He sighed and shook his head and removed his jacket. He draped it around my shoulders. I inhaled deeply of his scent and smiled to myself; it was almost as good as an embrace. Edward's hands stayed on my shoulders—under the guise of keeping me steady, he said—and we watched Seattle for awhile in silence.
"So why did you choose this?" I asked, indicating the yacht and night cruise.
"Dinner on the Sound?" Edward asked, leaning back against the rails to face me.
"Yes. You could have whisked me off anywhere in the world, but we stayed in Seattle."
He smiled. "I know you Bella," he said quietly. "Your 'go all out' condition did give me almost unlimited options and I considered them. Truly. But,I knew I could only go so far under that condition. Besides, it's just as much my hunt as it is yours. If I make you too uncomfortable, you win by default because I'd have to console you."
Yes. You do have a spectacular way of consoling a girl.
I laughed. He chuckled and turned to watch me while I watched the lights slip by.
"What are you thinking, love?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"How perfect you are and how absurdly lucky I am," I said quietly, blushing.
"Hmm. My thoughts exactly," he smiled.
I met his gaze—always a big mistake—and stepped closer to him without realizing it. The yacht hit a particularly rough patch of the Sound and I stumbled forward into Edward's arms. He caught me easily, expertly, and set me back on my feet. He bent down to my level, his one hand on the small of my back, another on my shoulder.
"Are you all right, Bella?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you," I said, meeting his eyes. I was surprised by his proximity and his breath blew across my face, scrambling my thoughts.
"Bella…."
Fortunately, my stomach growled before he could say anything else or before I could close the distance between us and lose the game only a few hours in.
"Shall we go down to dinner, Miss Swan?" Edward asked, a smile playing on his lips. He did not change his position. "You look a bit hungry."
You bet I'm hungry.
His smirk snapped me out of my reverie and I backed away slightly. I shook my head and nodded.
"Down, Mr. Cullen? There is a table set up here."
"It's warmer downstairs, Miss Swan." He half-smiled. "We can come back up later. I will see if someone has a warmer coat for you."
"Sure, sure," I smiled. "Let's go eat."
Edward helped me down the stairs and seated me at another small table in the main cabin of the ship. He removed his jacket from my shoulders and put it back on before sitting down. I caught him smelling his lapel and grinned at him.
"You have no idea what this is doing to me, Bella," he said quietly. "Your scent wrapped in mine." He groaned softly. "Intoxicating."
I grinned triumphantly. I didn't even blush.
Before I could reply, another uniformed attendant—female this time—approached.
"Good evening, Miss Swan, Mr. Cullen. Welcome aboard the Twilight."
She went on to give us dinner options. I idly wondered if Edward would actually eat with me.
"Bella?"
Edward's velvet voice broke my thoughts and I realized that I had entirely missed what the waitress had said.
"Salmon, chicken, or steak, sweetheart?" he asked quietly, a smile sparking in his eyes.
"Um… Salmon, please."
Edward winked at me and turned back to the attendant.
"Salmon for Miss Swan. I will have the steak. Rare, with extra au jus on the side, please."
I watched with interest as some silent communication passed between Edward and the waitress. Her features were well-defined, angular and her skin was pale. My eyes flicked up to hers as she turned to me slightly; they were a deep emerald green with a tinge of gold beneath them.
She left before I could say anything. I turned to Edward with wide eyes.
"What?" he asked, his smile fading slightly as he took in my shocked expression.
"She's… like you?" I asked quietly, hoping he would understand my question.
He cocked his head to the side for a moment. Then his eyes widened in realization.
"Oh. Um. Yes. I called in a favor from an old friend. I hope that didn't make you too uncomfortable," he murmured.
"No. I'm just surprised."
"Sorry. I know how you hate surprises."
"Don't worry, Edward, I'm fine." I smiled, then realized that he had ordered human food.
I bit my lip. Edward frowned.
"What now?"
"You're going to… eat? Human food?" I whispered.
"Don't worry about me. I can handle it."
"You don't have to do that," I protested.
"Relax Bella. Please."
I frowned, then met his golden gaze. As usual, I lost myself in those eyes—no vampire trick necessary.
"Breathe, Bella." He chuckled.
I shook my head and looked away, feeling my earrings hit my neck.
"This was a very good idea. We should do it again," I mused, desperate for a subject change.
"Hunting or this particular outing?" Edward asked, the amusement clear in his eyes.
"The Sound at night. The city lights are beautiful."
"I wouldn't call them beautiful. Not compared to what I'm seeing right now," Edward replied, staring at me.
He reached his right hand across the table, palm up, asking for my hand. I gave him my left hand; he lifted it to his lips, kissing my fingertips and then my ring.
We held hands and sat in comfortable silence until dinner arrived. Edward kissed my hand again and released it so we could eat.
I ate as ravenously as courtesy allowed while watching Edward as surreptitiously as possible. He cut his steak into small pieces and ate slowly. He dipped each piece into a dish of warm red liquid, seeming to savor each bite as much as possible. He took almost infinitesimal bites of his vegetables.
Something occurred to me as I watched him, but I couldn't bring myself to ask.
"You look curious, Bella. What are you thinking?" he asked, taking another bite of steak.
I swallowed and shook my head, scooping another bite of salmon, vegetables, and baked potato into my mouth.
"You can ask me anything. You know that, right?" he encouraged, dipping a spoon into the dish of liquid. He poured the spoonful over the meat and smiled.
"Rare steak with extra au jus. Extra… blood?" I whispered as softly as possible. I knew he would be able to hear me.
"Yes," he admitted softly with a grimace. "Too repulsive?" He frowned.
"No. I'm just... surprised that you would… eat… while… eating," I finished lamely.
He chuckled.
"It makes human food a little more palatable. I'm sorry if it disturbed you."
"I'm not disturbed, Edward," I said softly. I was impressed that he had found a way to eat with me and not be... repulsive... actually, and told him so.
He smiled crookedly. "Are you finished?" he asked after a moment.
"Yes."
He stood up and knelt beside me.
"Have some dessert. I will be back in a few minutes."
Right. Off to choke up the bits of human food. I grimaced, then frowned at the thought of him in pain.
"Don't fret, love. It's well worth it and it's not so bad," he said quietly. He stood as an attendant came into view and earshot.
"I hear the carrot cake is excellent," he said more loudly before kissing my hand and walking away.
He was back before I was finished with my carrot cake.
"You were right," I said over my last mouthful. "This was excellent."
He smiled as he took his seat.
"Good. I'm fine," he said before I could ask.
I savored my last forkful of carrot cake, then sighed contentedly.
"Delicious."
"I could say the same about you," Edward said with a broad grin. He winked as I blushed.
I had no reply.
"Would you like to go back up and watch Seattle some more?"
"I'd love to." It seemed like Edward and I never got enough time alone together. "May I have a human moment?"
"Of course."
He stood as I left the table and smiled at me as I stumbled to the nearest cabin to prepare for the next stage of my attack.
EPOV:
I waited for Bella to return, grateful for the moment to myself. I was having a harder time resisting her than I thought I would. All of the contact I had taken for granted--touching her face, her neck, tracing her collarbones, kissing her whenever I had the urge--was denied me now, even with the fiance card firmly in my hand. She, however, was inordinately controlled, almost unnaturally contained. If I didn't know better, I would have suspected Jasper was lurking in the background strengthening her resolve.
"All right, I'm ready. Sorry to keep you waiting."
I turned to Bella's voice with a smile on my face, then felt my jaw drop.
I almost called for the captain to dock immediately. I didn't care where we were or what it would cost.
Bella had rearranged her dress slightly to create an off-the-shoulder look, which increased the V in the neckline. This in turn accented her throat and thus the choker. She had also unpinned her hair. It fell in tantalizing ringlets down her back. She turned slightly and I followed the trail of ringlets down the rest of her body, drinking in the sight of the skin of her back. The reshaping of the top of the dress made the bottom of the dress cling more tightly to Bella's exquisite form before flowing away from her just below her knees. Her feet were bare and she held the shoes in her hand, dangling them from one finger. Her lips were curved up in the ghost of a sly smile.
I swallowed convulsively. There were no words.
She was going to win....
A/N: Wow. This is going to have to suffice for awhile. I worked extra hard and fast to get this chapter out, given the response I had to chapter 9. Holy crow! Over 1000 hits just in April and over 1500 since publication. Thanks so much! Now I can definitively say that I know you're out there, and by that I mean a general "you." :-) The hunt will wrap up soon and I made this chapter extra long just to pique your interest. I know who wins. At least, I think I do.
As usual, reviews are lovely and encouraged, but not necessary. I will write this one until it runs its course, though I don't know how long that will be. If any of you have also read Say It Out Loud, thank you so much for your support. I've had over 200 hits in the 2 days since it's been published. Wowza. I still like it as a one-shot, but there is potential to that story. Anyway. Thanks for reading, as always. It's my pleasure to write! --ocfm