A/N: I have so much love for my readers, you have no idea! Special thanks to Kassiah and Sunfeathers for the awesome rec on The Fictionators. I really appreciate all the support!

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This is a transitional chapter and is pretty short. I'll try and get the next one up a little early for you.

Chapter 10:

June 2003- London

BPOV

Reeling from Edward's kisses, I meandered through the halls of my hotel to my room, completely oblivious to my surroundings. I immediately fell onto the bed, with a heavy thump, and recounted the entire day.

Edward and I had flirted all day and when he finally kissed me, I almost fainted. It had been the longest lead up to a kiss I'd ever had, but it was so worth the wait. He was perfect. His kisses were perfect. Everything about him pulled me in. He knew just how to move his lips to render me helpless against his touch. He held me so close to him and was so passionate that I never wanted to leave. I had never been kissed like that before.

Since the moment I saw Edward in that pub, I had wondered what kissing him would be like. Then, when we started spending time together I couldn't stop thinking about him. I fantasized about him everywhere we went. I'd never been the type of girl to meet a guy and then sleep with him right away. But when we arrived back at the hotel, I knew that if I invited him up, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. I'd sleep with him. He was just too sexy to resist. If we were in Seattle and this gorgeous guy wanted me, that wouldn't be a problem at all. But given where we were and the depths of my feelings for him already, I knew that if we slept together I'd be completely gone. I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to stave him off, but for the time being I was successful.

Edward was not like any of the men I had dated. He was jaw dropping, mouth watering, deliciously gorgeous. He didn't even look real, he was that good-looking. Sure, I had known gorgeous men before, but honestly, men that attractive usually didn't have much more to offer than their appearance. That's where Edward was so different. He was the first gorgeous man I had met that was as attractive on the inside as he was on the outside. He was so kind, caring and thoughtful. He was intellectual, but not nerdy and always listened to what I had to say.

I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anyone else in my life. There were times when I felt I was going to self combust from sexual frustration. The man embodied sex and my resolve crumbled under his touch. Based on the intensity in his kisses, I knew that sex between us would be unbelievable and I longed for it. My body ached for it. But, I had to do what I could to protect my heart. I didn't want to be going home at the end of all this with a broken heart and that level of intimacy would draw me closer to him and that scared me to death.

I pulled myself up off the bed and out of my fantasies to begin the task of packing. I didn't have much stuff, so it wouldn't take me long, but the anticipation of the unknown made it exciting. I still couldn't believe that he'd gone to such trouble to set everything up for us. Edward hadn't been that bold before and I rather liked that side of him. It was fun seeing him be the aggressor and take charge. I typically hated surprises, but it was cute coming from him. I had no idea where we were going, but I couldn't wait to find out.

After I was done packing, I slipped into bed, free to dream about Edward and how he felt embracing me and kissing me. My fantasies took hold of me as I imagined him in my bed, loving me with his body. Between the memory of his kisses and my fantasies of our future love-making, if I had died in my sleep, I'd have died extremely happy. It didn't take long for me to doze off after our long day.

The blaring alarm clock woke me up with a startle and I hopped out of bed, still sleepy but excited to get ready for the day. I was dying to find out more about my surprise and to see Edward. My naughty dreams from the night before made his absence even more excruciating. After gathering my stuff and checking out, I eagerly walked to meet him.

He arrived, looking perfectly put together as though he had his own stylist on hand. I felt dumpy in comparison since I'd just thrown on comfortable, if not all that attractive, travel clothes.

He smiled when he saw me and I melted at his perfection.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said as he snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.

"Mmm, I could get seriously used to that," I sighed, as I leaned my head to his chest, inhaling to capture his scent.

He lifted my chin and kissed me gently. "Did you miss me?"

You have no idea, Edward.

"You know, I was just so busy packing that I didn't have time to think about anything else," I joked, shrugging my shoulders.

"Liar." He smirked and kissed me again. He tasted and smelled delicious.

I know, I'm such a liar.

"So, Mr. Mysterious, where are we headed?" I inquired.

"Let's go." He grabbed my hand and led me to the tube station. We hopped on the next available train and left our familiar surroundings.

He leaned into me as the train moved and swayed on the tracks. "We're going to Paris. I've arranged for us to take the high speed train so we'll be there in less than 4 hours."

Of course I had always wanted to see Paris, but for some reason, it seemed like it would be too much for this trip. I had been expecting us to go to the English countryside or something similar. It never occurred to me that we'd go to Paris. I was thrilled and eager to see the beautiful and romantic city.

I couldn't believe that Edward had arranged the whole thing without me knowing. We'd been together so much that I marveled at how he pulled it off. I was terrible at keeping secrets and he had managed to go the whole day without saying anything. I was curious about the sleeping arrangements, but I'd worry about that later. For now, I was just going to enjoy my gorgeous travel companion and the ride.

We boarded the high-speed train and got situated as the train pulled out from the station. Edward grabbed his book as I stared out the window enjoying the view. The train went impossibly fast and with each turn, we leaned into each other with the pull of inertia. We approached the tunnel that would take us under the English Channel and I felt a rush of nervousness. In addition to my crippling fear of heights, I also suffered from claustrophobia and the tunnel felt small and confined. Inside the tunnel was dark and it stayed dark as we made our way under the water.

Edward reached for my hand and I squeezed it tightly on instinct. He gently wrapped his warm fingers around mine and held it, offering me comfort. I briefly wondered what other wonderful things he could do with those hands. I looked over and saw him looking at me with that crocked grin that I loved so much.

Busted.

We sat there holding hands, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. We didn't talk much, but it didn't seem necessary. I was perfectly content. Edward continued reading his book, letting go of my hand every once in a while to turn the page, but he always returned his hand to mine.

After what seemed like forever, we emerged into the beautiful French countryside and I breathed a sigh of relief as we sped on our way toward our destination. France had a completely different look and feel than London did. It was green and hilly and seemed like it was from another time, almost provincial.

I didn't speak any French though, so this trip would definitely be interesting. Of course, I knew the rumors that the French- or more specifically the Parisians- didn't like Americans, or anyone who couldn't speak French, so that only made me more nervous.

"Do you speak any French, Edward?" I asked, my practical nature rearing its head.

"Sure, I can say voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" He smiled.

"That sounds pretty, but what does it mean? Will it help us find our hotel?" I asked.

He started laughing, "Well, I guess it could help us find a hotel if I asked the right person, but I don't think that's a good idea." He continued laughing.

"Edward, what did you say?" I asked sternly, which only made him laugh harder.

After he stopped laughing he managed to get out, "Never mind, Bella. It's just a saying. I honestly don't speak French." He smiled deviously at me. I had no idea what he said, but I made a mental note to Google it later.

"Well, I only speak Spanish and that's not going to get us very far."

"Don't worry, we'll get by," he laughed as he kissed my cheek and began reading again. "No te preocupas."

I smiled and chuckled softly. He was so cute.

I couldn't stop staring at him as he sat next to me and read. His face looked pensive as his brows furrowed in concentration, his long lashes still visible even with his head lowered. He had short stubble across his strong, angular jaw, which slightly masked the perfection of his complexion. I wanted to feel it against my skin and I quivered slightly at the thought. How had this gorgeous man decided that he wanted to go to Paris with me? I wasn't going to question it, only enjoy it.

I wonder what that stubble would feel like on my thighs? What the hell? Where did that come from?

"You're staring, Bella," he said smiling, not looking up from his book.

Busted again.

I blushed furiously. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's just…you look really good."

He set the book down in his lap and reached over to me, putting his hand around my neck. "You can look all you want, provided I get the chance to reciprocate." He kissed me and I felt his tongue graze my lips. I opened my mouth and allowed him entrance. He responded with fervor and although I'd never been one for PDA, I was completely lost in him.

We arrived in Paris, and found the nearest bench so we could plan our course of action.

"So, what's next?" I asked.

"Well, we're going to play it by ear. Let's find an internet café so we can find a place to stay tonight," Edward said, scooping up my hand in his.

What? We have no place to stay?

"I can see the distress on your face, Bella," he said, laughing. "Don't be such a worrier. I'll take care of you." Edward consoled me, placing a feather light kiss across my knuckles. It quickly calmed my nerves and I forgot my aversion to flying by the seat of my pants. Mostly because I couldn't stop about thinking about getting into Edward's.

Really Bella? When did you become such a skank?

After consulting Edward's travel book, we found a nearby Internet café and sat down to find a hotel.

"Now before we get too far down the road here, I have to tell you that this is my treat. I want this to be nice and I don't want you to argue with me, okay?" Edward rested his hands on the keyboard and looked seriously over at me.

"Edward, you know I can't let you do that," I rebutted.

"I'm serious, Bella. I want to do this. Please let me."

I acquiesced reluctantly. I was not used to having people spend money on me and it made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't resist Edward's puppy dog eyes and lopsided grin. I thought it was endearing that he wanted to make this trip special.

The new understanding between us made Edward ecstatic. His eyes sparkled with delight as he combed the Internet looking for the perfect hotel for us. He found a quaint boutique hotel near the Champs-Elysees that looked absolutely beautiful online, albeit expensive. Edward wouldn't let me argue with him about how much it would cost though, so I just stopped trying.

We walked through the city to get to our hotel and it was everything that I'd imagined it to be, with its elegant sidewalk cafes and chic people. The storefronts looked like something out of a painting. I could have spent days just walking around, admiring the architecture and style, but we still had all of our stuff so we needed to keep a quick pace.

The hotel was nicer than anything I had ever stayed in. The front of it had a formal awning and double glass entry doors, etched with a rich design. The lobby was regal and decorated in traditional, sumptuous French decor. I immediately felt under-dressed and shabby. I would definitely have to do some shopping while I was here, not that it would be a great hardship.

I waited while Edward checked in, admiring the grand lobby. He finally made his way over to me, with a packet of information in his hand. We gathered our stuff and headed toward the elevator.

"Our room is on the seventh floor," he explained casually.

Our room?

He obviously noticed the surprised look on my face because he smiled widely and chuckled to himself.

"Yes, Bella. I got us one room," he said confidently. "You aren't scared of me, are you? I don't bite. Unless you're into that sort of thing."

I am so fucked.

"No, that's not my particular concern." I couldn't help but laugh. "And what if I say no?"

"You won't."

Jesus Christ, he's so fucking sexy and confident.

"You're right, I won't," I admitted, then pointed my finger at his chest and said, "but, you have to behave yourself. I'm not some floozy."

He looked at me and his expression turned serious as he rubbed his hands up and down the sides of my arms, "I didn't mean to insinuate that you are. I just want to spend as much time together as we can while we're here. I promise I'll behave, no matter how much it kills me."

Gah! I'm so done.

The elevator door chimed and opened slowly. We walked down the hallway until we found our room. Edward fumbled for the keys and opened the door to the most beautiful room I had ever seen.

The room was decorated in colors of rich blue and dark wood. By far the most stunning aspect of the room was the huge bed. The blue and white toile bedding was backed by a large upholstered headboard, which was covered in deep blue velvet. There were lush pillows and a big, fluffy comforter. The rest of the room was very impressive with deep mahogany furnishings and plush chairs.

My eyes found a set of double doors and I walked over and pulled them open, revealing the most stunning balcony with a view of the Eiffel Tower over the rooftops of the adjacent buildings. I gasped when I saw it.

"Edward," I called breathlessly, "you have to come see this." I was blown away by the sheer beauty.

I turned my head to see that Edward had sidled up behind me to share in my excitement. He slipped his hands around my waist and kissed me lightly. I leaned back into his strong arms and chest. He steadied me as I felt my knees get a little weak.

"Do you like the room?" he asked sweetly.

"Are you kidding me? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I resounded. "Next to you, of course," I added with a laugh.

"I'm so glad you like it," he replied, kissing the top of my head again and resting his chin on me. "I'm happy to be here with you, Bella."

"Me too."

That was the world's biggest understatement. He was absolutely gorgeous. He was sweet and thoughtful. He made me feel interesting and beautiful. I felt like I was living in a dream, a really, really good dream.

He brought me to Paris. It would just be me and Edward in the most romantic city in the world.

How is this happening to me- Bella Swan? I must be the luckiest woman alive.