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Taking a Shot
Chapter 11
"Soo … here's my list," Bella said softly, pushing a piece of paper across the table.
Bella had managed to get off work on time, and I happily met her outside the doors of the hospital and took her out for breakfast as promised.
I read through the list of things that Bella wanted in our new house, and I was surprised to see that her list and mine weren't that different.
Fireplace, decent kitchen, three bedroom minimum, large master bath with two sinks, big closets, big dining room, and a good sized yard with a deck or room to build one.
"Large closets?" I asked, arching my brow at her.
"Alice said they're a 'must have'."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have extra storage."
Over breakfast, Bella and I talked about possible areas to house hunt. We chose to focus on Voorhees, New Jersey, because I had several teammates that lived there and they loved the area. I hoped that we would live there for several years, and it would be the house we lived in when we got married – because I knew without a doubt that I wanted to marry the woman sitting across the table from me. I wanted that more than anything.
"I wish I wasn't so tired, or I'd come to the game today," Bella said sadly.
"I know you would, baby. I understand why you can't be there. Relax and get some rest this afternoon so you're ready for your shift tonight and I'll see you when I get home from the game, okay?"
"You're not going to Franklin's?"
"Not today. Not when the only thing I want to see will be at home in our apartment waiting for me. But maybe I'll head over there after you go to work depending on the outcome of the game."
"Emmett would like that." Bella nodded.
"I know." I grinned.
A couple hours later, I was kissing Bella goodbye after tucking her in for a nap. I had to get to the arena for the game. I was anxious because there were only four games left in the regular season, and we were still hoping for home-ice advantage.
After a rough start in the first period, we came back to win the game four to three, giving us the much needed home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Since the game had gone into overtime, I never did make it home to spend time with Bella before her shift that night. It brought to mind once again how often our schedules didn't mesh.
I stopped by Franklin's and had a few drinks, catching up with Emmett. Even though our conversation was short since Emmett was busy serving customers it was better than going home to an empty apartment only to sulk because I had missed Bella.
The following morning I headed to the airport for my trip to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins that night. I sent Bella a text before boarding, letting her know I loved and missed her. Most likely, by the time I got home, Bella would be fast asleep and it would be another night I wouldn't get to spend with her.
Although we tried our hardest, a win just wasn't there for us. The Penguins outskated and out played us, fueling our hatred for our rival team. Fists flew wild as both teams tried to get possession of the puck, but in the end it cost us stupid penalties. In just a few short days we would be facing the Penguins one more time before the playoffs started. With the playoffs only ten days away and Pittsburgh not far behind us in the standings, beating them the next time was crucial, and we knew it wouldn't be the last time we saw them on the ice this season.
That night I shed all my clothes and crawled into bed close to three in the morning. I pulled Bella into my arms as a sigh escaped her lips. I kissed her head before I let sleep over take me.
Monday, Bella and I met with Rosalie's dad, and we were off to look at a few houses. The first house he showed us was nice on the outside, but when we saw the inside we realized why it had been on the market for so long. The kitchen was updated but the flooring wasn't and it didn't really match. I knew as soon as I saw Bella scrunch her nose up that it was out of the question.
The second house was a pretty colonial with a lot of curb appeal. Once we got inside, I thought Bella would run out screaming at the sight of the bold wallpaper that adorned every wall in the house.
"Edward … this is … I don't even know what this is, but just … no."
"At least she knows what she doesn't like," Rosalie's dad chuckled as we climbed back into the car to see the next house on our list.
Finally, we looked at a beautiful house nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac. The lawn was a lush deep green and it was inviting from the moment we laid eyes on it.
"It's so pretty on the outside," Bella whispered.
"This is a new build. It's never been lived in and if you choose to sign a contract on it, it has lots of amenities that you get to choose."
The floors were a warm honey color and the first thing we saw was a wide sweeping staircase. The formal living room was to our right and to our left was a powder room and the entrance to the mud room. There was a large family room with a gas fireplace. The kitchen was beautiful – rich dark cabinets and sunset granite countertops. Across the back of the house was a large morning room.
"This would make a beautiful dining room," Bella whispered.
"It would," I agreed. "What do you think so far?"
"So far, I like it a lot. I want to see what the upstairs looks like."
We walked up the stairs and into the spacious master bedroom. There was a huge walk in closet, which Bella loved, and the bathroom was everything she could have asked for – a large shower and a separate corner soaker tub. A double vanity was the icing on the cake. We took a look at the remaining three bedrooms and the guest bathroom, and we were pretty much sold. I knew Bella would scoff a bit at the price, but I didn't care. If it was a place that we liked and would feel comfortable in, it was completely worth it to me and again, the price didn't matter.
"So what do you think?" William asked.
"We like it." I smiled.
"Okay, well, let me show you something that will make you love it."
We followed William down the stairs and he opened a door just before we got to the kitchen and led us down another set of stairs into the basement. Without any furniture in it, it looked huge, but it was a finished space. There was a full finished bathroom, a large bar area complete with bar, and at the far end was a large media room that was fully wired for surround sound.
"The only thing you'd have to add to this house is a deck." William smiled.
"Edward, this house is huge. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, but it's a lot …"
"I love it. It's got plenty of room, there's definitely room for storage. I could put a pool table down here. You have to admit baby, it would be a great house for entertaining. There's room for guests …"
"Edward," Bella cut me off. "My parents live in Philly, it's not that far away, and Em and Rose will have a house in Philly too so who would be coming to visit us?"
"My parents?" I asked, sheepishly.
"They're not going to take up three guest rooms are they?"
"No, but baby … we could have a family in this house. It's perfect and I love the area. The neighborhood is nice and everything is close by."
"A family, Edward? We're not even married, let alone engaged, and you're talking about a family? Don't you think we're putting the cart before the horse?"
"No, Bella, I don't. Does this house really bother you?"
"No. I love it, it's beautiful and you're right, it would be a great house to entertain in. We could have guests over and one day … have kids in it. But, honestly, Edward … it's too much. The cost is too much."
"Bella, this house is only a few thousand more than I paid for my apartment. Once we sell that the mortgage on this won't be much."
"Can I think about it?"
Bella's eyes were wide and pleading. Her hesitation was plain on her face and this was something she really wanted to think about.
"Sure."
Bella nodded.
"Can we go home now?"
Later that night, as we lay in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, Bella whispered.
"I really love that house."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I can see us living in that house. We'd be happy there."
"I think so too, baby."
"Did you mean what you said earlier, Edward?" Bella whispered.
"About what, baby?"
"The house, kids … a family."
I sat up as I hovered over Bella looking deep into her eyes. How this woman didn't know the extent of my feelings I'll never know. But I intended to rectify that.
"Make no mistake about it, I will put a ring on your finger and love you forever. If I had my way I'd do that right now, but when I do get on one knee it will be special and you will have no doubts about how much I love you. And there will be no hesitation in your answer."
"Edward, I know you love me and I hope you know I love you. Sometimes I just feel like this is all a dream and I never want to wake up."
"I know how you feel, love."
"Do you think we're moving too fast?"
"There's no timeline in this relationship, Bella. When you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you just know. You're it for me. There's no one else I want to spend forever with than you. Who cares if it's tomorrow or a year from now?"
Bella nodded. "Okay."
I leaned down to kiss Bella's lips sweetly. "If I have to show you for the rest of our lives just how much I love you I will," I kissed her lips once again. "Mmm … I think I'll start showing you right now."
My lips descended on hers as my tongue pushed forward to tangle with hers. Her taste was intoxicating and I couldn't get enough. I nipped along her lower lip before swiping my tongue along it. Bella held my face in her hands as I kissed a trail down her jaw and neck to the juncture of her shoulder.
I pushed the strap of her tank off her shoulders, her arms trapped at her sides. A shiver ran down her spine as I kissed the swell of her breasts. Pushing the tank further down her arms, I took a pert nipple in my mouth. Bella held my head close trying to get more friction while her soft moans only fueled the fire in my veins.
My tongue swirled around her nipple till it was wet and hard before paying the same attention to the other one. Her body was responsive as I licked and caressed her breasts. Her pleasure was mine.
Bella pouted as I pulled back, her nipple falling from my mouth. I sat up to lift her tank over her head and continued to move down her body. I slid her pajama pants and panties down her slender legs, kissing a path back up her body. My eyes took in every inch of her body from head to toe. It was a beautiful sight with the slight curves of her hips, flat stomach and perfect breasts.
"Edward … please."
"Please what, baby? Tell me what you want."
"Your mouth … on me."
Bella had never been that vocal and it was sexy as hell. Blood was pumping straight to my dick, turning me on with just her words. I wanted to bury myself in her warm heat but I wanted to see to her pleasure first.
Her clit was swollen and her lower lips glistened with her arousal. I pulled her clit into my mouth, and her hips catapulted off the mattress. I held her down as I took to her pleasure. Her moans and whispers spurred me on.
"Oh, God. Yes ... right there."
I sucked and teased her clit with my mouth as I inserted a finger. Her warm heat wrapped around my finger, pulled it deeper. Her breathing became choppy and soon she was exploding in my mouth. I lapped up every last drop and before she came down from her high I crawled up the bed and thrust deep in her.
"Jesus, baby. You feel so good."
I moved in and out of her body in languid thrusts trying to make it last. I was on the edge, ready to explode, but I wanted Bella to come again. I picked up the pace, the only sound was our heavy breathing and slick bodies colliding.
Wrapping my arms around Bella I turned so she was astride me. She looked beautiful with lust filled eyes as she looked through my soul. I grabbed her hips guiding her up and down on my cock. Her breasts bounced as she pushed for leverage riding me.
She was getting close as her moans became louder and her movement became faster. Bella's muscles squeezed my cock as she let go, letting her orgasm take her to new heights. I pumped my hips upward once, twice before I was falling over the edge with her.
Bella collapsed on me as we both tried to catch our breath. I rubbed my hand along her naked spine, caressing her till I heard her breathing even out and I knew she had fallen asleep. Her soft snores were like a lullaby in my ears and soon I let sleep overtake me.
The next morning, William Hale called to let me know that all our paperwork on the house had been submitted and once it was accepted, we'd have to meet with him again to sign even more paperwork.
"I guess now that we've found a place, we need to think about packing up our apartments, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess we do, baby. It'll be easy since we're so close to the end of the season. I'll be home more and when we're off together, we can pack."
Bella nodded.
"Maybe I should see if I can take some time off – for the move, I mean. I have some vacation time saved up, it would make sense to use it when we move so we can settle in together."
"Really? You don't want to save it for a vacation? I was hoping that maybe we could take a little trip somewhere – just the two of us, and relax for a few days."
Bella turned to look at me.
"We're buying a house and you want to spend more money and go on a vacation?"
"You say that like a vacation is a bad idea." I chuckled.
"It's not a bad idea, but it's expensive."
"I wish you wouldn't worry about money so much, baby. The house will be taken care of and I have a little play money saved up. Let's worry about getting into the house first. If you want to take a few days off to move – go for it, but please don't waste all your vacation time on it."
''Kay." Bella sighed. "I wish I hadn't switched shifts tonight or I could go to the game."
"I know, baby. It's okay. You'll be there tomorrow night right?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Bella's smile in that moment made my entire day a little bit brighter and it eased my irritation that she had changed shifts and wouldn't make the game that night. As the season came to an end, I wanted her there at every fucking game if only to be my good luck charm and the calm in the middle of my storm.
Our week passed by in a flurry of activity – Bella working and me practicing and heading to our last regular season games. Saturday night was our last regular season game and we were playing against Pittsburgh. I kissed Bella goodbye before meeting the rest of the team to get on a bus and head to the airport for Pittsburgh. I wanted her to come with me, but she had worked all night the night before and I didn't want her driving. Alice was out of town and unavailable to come with Bella, so to be on the safe side, I asked her to stay home and I promised her that I'd see her on Sunday.
We were already locked into our playoff position, but having only played the Penguins six days before – anxiety and emotions were at an all-time high. We lost to them the week before, unable to get the upper hand out on the ice. We played like we were in an exhibition instead of a serious game. In four days, we'd be playing the Penguins again in the playoffs and we'd have to play our hearts out if we wanted to pull off a chance at the Finals.
Everyone was quiet and trying to get by. Even Coach was reserved after the brawl at the end of our last match up with Pittsburgh. Our coach and the Penguins coach got in a shouting match and it turned into a media frenzy, bringing in the attention of several other teams – accusing Pittsburgh of being one of the dirtiest playing teams in the League.
For a meaningless game, it was filled with drama and we ended up losing, 4-2.
As soon as I got to my hotel room, I called Bella, needing to hear her voice. I knew the minute she picked up that I had woken her.
"Hey, baby."
"Hey," She yawned. "Some game huh?"
"Yeah, some game." I huffed.
"Shake it off, baby. Focus on Wednesday and everything will be okay."
"How can you be so sure? We were so shitty tonight."
"Edward, you're a fantastic hockey player. When your heart and your mind are in the game – there's no stopping you. If the rest of your team did the same thing then Philly could clench the title."
"Why do you have so much faith in me?"
"Because I love you."
Bella's simple answer was all I needed. In that moment, I'd never loved her more and I found myself wanting to be the fantastic hockey player she loved. The better I played, the sooner the season would be over. As much as I wanted to win and be the one holding the cup at the end, I wanted to be down on one knee even more, holding out a little box and asking Bella the most important question in my world. I couldn't ask her in the middle of the playoffs or even the finals … it would have to wait for the end of the season.
"I love you too, Bella. I can't wait to come home to you."
"Good. We have a lot of packing to do. I got an email from William today … we got the house!"
I could picture the smile on her beautifully sleepy face and I closed my eyes to savor the thought of it.
"That's great, baby. Did he say when he thought it would close escrow?"
"He said maybe thirty days. He needs us to come sign a few more papers as soon as we can."
"Okay. You know my schedule, so go ahead and make the arrangements."
Bella promised that she'd email him back and set something up for either the following afternoon or Monday morning. Everything was coming together and I couldn't wait to begin my life with Bella.
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