A/N: Hi y'all! Sorry for the delay but I wrote you a longer chapter as a bonus! Thanks to all the new readers and those of you who have added me to their favorites list and alerts! I really appreciate the following. If you'd like to follow me some more....you can follow me on Twitter - jewelsy64. I post links to my live journal page and drop teasers from time to time!

Special thanks to my beta TwiDi who makes me feel on top of the world everytime she returns a chapter to me! Thanks for the continued support and love! YOU ROCK!

In case you haven't been reading it... I highly recommend reading AngstGoddess' fic titled "Company Loves Misery". I really like the redemption of Edward in this story!

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I just want to go to London and look at rocks with Robert Pattinson.


Freeze Frame - Chapter 12

~ Edward~

I took Bella's hands in between mine and leaned over to kiss the tip of her nose.

"You can open your eyes, Bella. There is nothing to be afraid of!"

"No! I can't! Not yet! I like waiting until I get to the very top before I open my eyes! It's always so thrilling that way!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. The Ferris wheel slowly made its way around, pausing every once in a while to let riders both off and on. I leaned back and took advantage of being able to look at Bella while she had her eyes closed. Her face was tinged with a little pink color either from the sun or excitement… or maybe both. I could see the smattering of freckles that dusted her nose. Her long eyelashes lay on her cheek and she worked at her bottom lip with her teeth.

"You're adorable when you do that." I blurted out.

Bella's eyes flew open, "What?"

I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "You. You're adorable when you bite your lip. I like watching your teeth rake across your lip. I don't know why. I guess it just makes me long to do it instead."

She smiled shyly at me, "Thank you. I think that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"Look!" I pointed out to the horizon, "We've made it to the top."

"Wow! This is amazing! Thank you so much for today, Edward. It's exactly what I needed to get my mind off things." Bella practically bounced in the seat causing the cab to start to sway back and forth. Her enthusiasm was infectious. I couldn't help but smile at her.

"You know," I began, "I've never been kissed on a Ferris wheel."

Bella laughed, her eyes gleaming wickedly, "I'm betting you've never been kissed on a Ferris wheel by a girl who is not wearing any panties. I'm getting a little chafed by the way. Thanks for that."

I groaned at the thought, "That's not fair, Bella. I've been trying not to think about that all day. I'm trying to be a gentleman here."

Bella giggled, "Really? That didn't stop you when you sliced my panties off me with your letter opener! That, Sir… was not the work of a gentleman."

She was pushing me and she knew it.

"I didn't hear you complain." I retorted.

"I'm going to start complaining if you don't kiss me. Kiss me now, Edward. Make me forget how high we are. Make me forget everything for just one second." She demanded.

I liked her like this. I liked when she was confident, pushy and bold.

I raised my eyes to the heavens, "Oh, Dear God… I am about to give into to every fantasy I ever had about feeling up a pretty girl at the top of a Ferris wheel."

I immediately claimed her mouth with mine. She tasted sweet, like the cotton candy we had eaten earlier. My hand slid between her denim clad thighs and I applied pressure on the spot where the seam in her jeans met right between her legs.

I felt Bella's sudden intake of breath and I smiled against her mouth.

She placed her hand on mine and silently instructed me on a steady rhythm. I rubbed her through her jeans. I could start to feel the moisture leaking through the denim. Jesus.

She was hot and extremely wet.

The cab of the Ferris wheel continued to rock.

"Bella…" I gave a warning growl.

"Don't stop!" She whispered grabbing hold of my face and kissing me once again.

I continued to stroke her through her jeans. Her tongue kept stroking against mine. I was getting lost in the feel of the warmth of her mouth. Her breathing became faster and harsher. She was getting close.

The cab of the Ferris wheel continued to sway. I quickly unbuttoned her jeans and slid my hand down the front of them.

Oh fuck! She was seriously wet.

All I could do was slide my fingers back and forth because the fabric had more or less trapped my hand.

Bella leaned her head back against my arm that I had placed around her shoulders. Her eyes were closed and she was making these little mewling sounds that were driving me insane.

"Open your eyes and look at me, Bella." I was feeling emboldened by our ever increasing sexual need for one another.

She slowly opened her eyes and I sunk into the deep warm brown depths of them. We barely blinked. Our gazes were locked on one another and I watched as her tongue darted out to wet her lips again. I wanted to kiss her but I was caught up in pleasuring her with my fingers. I was afraid that if I kissed her again, I would lose the rhythm that seemed to be pushing her towards a climax.

So, I waited. I waited as her breathing became harder, faster and she dug her short nails into my arm. She thrashed against my hand.

"Oh… God… Edward…" She finally moaned as she came against my fingers. I could feel almost a gush of wetness as she bucked and moved to ride out her orgasm.

It was my undoing.

"Holy Christ, Bella!" I crushed my mouth to hers finally glad to kiss her again.

"Get a room!" I heard Emmett yell from just below us.

"Fuck off!" I yelled back at him and flipped him the bird. Bella quickly buttoned her jeans.

She grabbed my face between her hands and quickly placed several kisses all over my nose, my eyes and my chin.

"That was kind of awesome, Mr. Cullen. What other experiences do we need to mark off your list of things to try?"

I smiled at her feeling pretty proud of myself.

"It's a long list, Miss Swan. I think we may need to review over the list later tonight back at my place."

"Are you asking me on a study date, Mr. Cullen?"

"Why, Miss Swan… I thought you liked Biology." I teased back.

Bella smiled and laughed as the Ferris wheel started to move on its downward descent.

"Biology… Oh, yes. I remember it well. But I may need a refresher or two."

***

We bid our goodbyes to Rose and Emmett noting with satisfaction that they actually left the pier together. Bella seemed genuinely pleased.

"She looks… I don't know… almost happy."

I chuckled slightly, "I don't know if I had ever seen Rose be truly happy. That will be something to look forward to. Are you ready to go?"

Bella stretched her arms over her head and revealed a slight sliver of alabaster skin of her stomach. She produced a big yawn and nodded.

"Definitely. All this fresh air and sunshine today has wiped me out." She admitted.

"Fine, I'll take you home then."

Bella looped her arm through mine, "Your home, please. I don't know when we will be able to spend some more time together. The next couple of days are crucial for me. I'm deciding on the final selections of the menu."

We walked towards the car and laughed as we tried to desperately to push the huge stuffed animal into the space behind Bella's seat.

"Um… we may have to drive with the top down. Is that okay?"

Before Bella was able to get seated in the car, her cell phone rang. I watched as her face visibly blanched as she saw the number on the screen.

"Um… can you excuse me for a minute?" Her voice was tentative.

"Sure," I watched as she turned away, noticing her shoulders tense as she started to speak with hurried hushed tones into the phone. She kept shaking her head 'no'. Finally she snapped the phone shut and turned to face me.

"Everything okay?" I enquired wondering what had upset her so much.

Bella pushed a strand of hair from her face, "I'm fine. It's nothing. Can we leave now?"

I shrugged my shoulders and acquiesced. Whatever was bothering her, I had hoped she would be able to tell me by the time we arrived back at my apartment. I walked around and opened the car door for her. I leaned down and kissed her forehead and heard her sigh.

"Let's go. I think we're both a little tired."

Bella smiled wanly at me and slid into the passenger seat of the car.

"Thank you." She murmured.

As we drove back to my apartment, each of preoccupied in our own silent thoughts, I wondered what the phone call had been about. I was also a bit angry that the bloom had been taken from Bella's cheeks.

***

I slid open my dresser drawer and revealed tee shirts and boxers for her to change into.

"I'm going to have a nightcap. Do you want one?" I asked her as she started to rifle through the drawer. Bella started to laugh.

I turned back around and faced her, "What's so funny?"

Bella pulled a shirt out from the dresser drawer and held it up against herself, "I can't believe you still have this. God, this brings back memories."

Bella was holding my old debate team tee shirt from high school. Emblazoned across the front of the shirt was the word "Master Debater".

I smiled at her, "I still think I liked that back of that shirt better. Turn it over."

Bella held it up and looked at it, "Hmmm… 'Our assets are in our briefs'. Nice."

"I'd like to think so." I started towards the kitchen, "Do you want a drink?"

"Yes, please." Her muffled reply made me realize she was changing her clothes and for a brief moment I thought about turning right back around catching more than just the glimpses of skin she had showed today.

I restrained myself and knew that acting like a complete caveman right now was not going to be the way to get Bella to open up to me. I wanted her relaxed and feeling safe.

"EDWARD CULLEN!!" I heard Bella yell out from the bedroom. I ran back and turned to corner wondering what had caused her to yell out like that.

Bella was standing there with a look of surprise on her face.

"Do you mind explaining these to me?" She asked. I looked down. Dangling from her fingers were the pair of panties I had stolen from her bedroom back in high school.

"Um… yeah. Those are yours."

Bella rolled her eyes at me, "I know they're mine. Why? Why did you take them? And ewww… that's just a little pervy."

I walked over towards her and she took a step back. Damn it. She was mad.

"Bella… I know that taking the panties was the act of an incredibly juvenile boy, but I only wanted to have something to remind me of you. What would the odds be that we would ever meet up again?"

"So, you kept my panties as a trophy?"

I tugged my fingers through my hair and peered up at her, "Yeah. It was something to remind of where I came from. Always strive for the unattainable. That was you, Bella. For me, you were always the unattainable."

"You didn't do anything skeevy with these, did you?"

I could understand her wanting to know. I mean, it did look pretty bad.

"No. Of course, not." I tried to reassure her. Jesus. I felt like that kid back in high school all over again.

"Good. Because now that I think about it… it is kind of sweet." She flung the underwear back at me like a slingshot. I caught them with surprise.

"You really thought I was unattainable? Jesus. I must be a terrible flirt. I sent you signals all the time." Bella smiled at me and took a step towards me. The hem of my shirt fell just below the curve of her ass. I was dying to run my hand up underneath that shirt to find out if she was bare.

"Well, I was kind of a dense 17 year old when it came to girls. Not that I didn't think about sex. Hell, linoleum could make me think about sex at that age." I sheepishly admitted.

Bella took another step towards me and gripped the hem of my shirt with both of her hands.

"How's this for a signal, Edward? Loud and clear enough?" She swiftly pulled the shirt up and over her head and dropped it on the floor. She was standing there completely naked.

I cleared my throat, "I'd say that's a pretty crystal clear signal." I scrubbed my hand over my face and watched as she walked towards me. She finally stood in front of me and laid her hands on my chest.

"Edward? I think you may be severely overdressed right now."

"I think you may be right, Bella. Let's remedy the situation right now." I leaned in and kissed her. As I pushed her back towards my bed and she started undoing the buttons on my shirt and I began to wonder when I was ever going to get enough of this woman.

***

We lay there on our sides staring at each other. I brushed a strand of hair back from her face. I smiled gently at her. I was pleasantly tired, sated and happy with our recent exertions.

"This blows my mind." I closed my eyes, rolled over onto my back and opened my eyes to look at the ceiling above the bed.

"What?" Bella sat up and leaned on her elbow. I could feel her fingers tracing the muscles on my stomach.

"This is surreal to me, Bella. When I used to look at you in high school, it was like everything would come to a stop. Like a freeze frame in a movie. You would smile, or laugh or brush your hair back from your shoulder and everything just came to a screaming halt for me. There was nothing more important than that moment in time."

"Oh, Edward." Bella immediately sat up and turned away from me. She pulled the sheet tightly around her as if to hide something shameful.

"I'm coming on too strong, aren't I? I apologize. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

She turned around to face me and I could see the tears coursing down her face.

"Don't you understand, Edward? That is the problem. This is very comfortable. It's like discovering home all over again and it's wonderful."

"Honey, come here." I pulled her into the circle of my arms and held her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just scared. Scared about everything."

"Look, the restaurant is going to be a success. I'm sure of it." I tried to reassure her.

She sniffled against my chest, "How would you know? You haven't even tasted any of the food that I'm working on for the menu. This is Chicago we're talking about. It's a foodie's paradise."

I scoffed lightly, "And L.A. isn't? Bella, you already have established yourself. Just do the same thing here as you did there."

I could see her worrying her lip again with her teeth. A couple minutes of silence passed before Bella spoke again.

"Come to the restaurant for lunch tomorrow. I want you to try some of the dishes."

"Let me have Jessica review my calendar and see if I can't switch some things around tomorrow. I'd love to be your guinea pig."

"Thank you. It will help knowing that I'm cooking for someone else besides Paul, Rosalie and the staff. Promise me you'll be honest?"

"Bella, if I want your business to succeed here, I will be honest with you. Seems I have personal vested interest in it now."

"That makes me feel a lot better. I'm tired. Can we turn out the light and go to sleep?"

"Sure." I reached over and turned the bedside table lamp off. Bella curled into the crook of my arm and let me slowly stroke her back. Her breathing slowed, became regulated and I knew she was asleep.

I lay there realizing I never got my answer about the phone call today. Whatever had been said during that conversation had spooked Bella. I didn't like it one bit and I was determined to find out what it was.

***

Jessica had done a superb job of clearing my schedule on such short notice. I knew I shouldn't be goofing off like I was, but the truth was I couldn't fight the constant need to be close to Bella. Sometimes I wondered if I was going to wake up from some sort of really long perverted dream and find myself back in my own bed in Forks.

I walked through the double glass doors that led into the restaurant and found Rosalie and Bella arguing over a particular wine choice to go be paired with a dish.

Bella was frustrated, "Rose, why don't we turn the mock service into a wine tasting? It gives us a chance to show them not only one of the best wine lists in Chicago, but it will showcase the food at the same time."

"Absolutely not! Our servers need to get their timing down. A wine tasting is a controlled environment. We need to make sure our servers and kitchen staff are prepared for absolute pandemonium." Rose argued back.

I cleared my throat to let them know I was standing there, "Um… Bella? I think Rose has a very valid point."

Bella turned; shot me a death glare and then her face softened, "You're right. You're right, the both of you are right. I don't know where my head is today."

Rose put both her hands on Bella's shoulders, turned her around and pushed her towards the kitchen, "You… cook. It's the only place where you get your head back in the game."

Bella wiped her hands on her apron and mumbled as she walked into the kitchen, "I hate it when she's right…"

I chuckled slightly and quit grinning the minute Rose turned back around.

"What's so funny, four eyes? You're screwing up my girl's mojo."

"I could say the same thing to you. What have you done with the real Emmett, Rose? Stepford Emmett is giving me the willies."

Rose slapped her hand on her knee loudly, "Bwhaha! Ten thousand comedians out of work and you pick right now to join their ranks."

I just stood there and stared at her.

"What?" She said as she straightened up and realized that I was quiet and steadily watching her.

"You." I began, "You act tough but it's such a front to cover who you really are."

"Look, don't get any ideas, Cullen. Just because you saw me in a weak moment once doesn't make us buddies… okay?"

I shook my head. Rosalie Hale was the most stubborn, pig-headed woman I have ever met. I silently wished Emmett all the good luck in the world.

"Fine, Rose. Got it. Loud and clear. Now if you can put your damn pitchfork down for a moment, there is something I need to ask you about Bella."

Rose crossed her arms and sat down on a barstool, "Why don't you ask her yourself, Edward?"

"Because I don't think she'd tell me. She got this phone call last night as we were leaving the pier and it seemed to shake her up a bit. She tried to pass it off as nothing, but I knew that something was bothering her last night."

"Huh… that's weird. She got a phone call earlier and she's been kind of jumpy ever since. Thanks for letting me know. If I find out anything I'll be sure to have her tell you what's going on. I don't want to get stuck in the middle of anything."

"Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it. I know she's got a lot going on right now and if there is anything I can do to help her, I'd like to be able to do so."

Rose shook her head, "You didn't turn out too bad for being such a geek in high school."

"Rose, I wasn't a geek. You were just a stuck up bitch."

The air was silent between us for a moment. Rose burst out laughing, "That I am, Cullen. That I am."

The doors to the kitchen swung open and Bella was followed out by two of her servers carrying large trays laden with dishes. The servers placed the trays down serving jacks and my stomach immediately started growling.

"Alright, Rose. Do your thing. I'm going to describe the dish and then I want you to go ahead and make a wine pairing suggestion. You can record your notes in here." Bella tossed Rose a small notebook and Rose immediately opened it.

Bella placed a seafood dish in front me. The presentation was stunning.

"Okay, Edward, this is Grilled Panama Shrimp with a Ragout of jumbo lump crabmeat placed on top off a shrimp and grit cake with a chili spiked lime sauce and a roasted green Chile cilantro coulis."

"A crisp, clean chardonnay… perhaps Meridian would be good." Rose spoke up.

"I like it." Bella agreed.

"Can I eat now? I'm starving and this is making my mouth water." I asked.

Bella laughed softly, "Of course, but just a couple of bites. I have more dishes I want you to try."

"Can I call Emmett to join us? I don't think I could eat all this by myself?"

Bella looked over at Rose and raised her eyebrows in a silent question.

"Oh, all right. Call the big oaf." Rose looked down at the notebook and both Bella and I saw a tiny ghost of smile cross over her face.

I pulled out my phone and quickly texted Emmett telling him to join me for lunch. Five minutes later he was sitting at the table with me.

I leaned over and whispered, "Don't you ever listen to your own advice? Like taking your time, moving slowly?"

Emmett shrugged his shoulders, "Edward, you texted me about food. You know how I feel about food."

The girls came back from the bar with a large pitcher of water and glasses and joined us at the table.

"Emmett," Rose's tone was simple, polite.

"Rosalie. You look lovely today."

A slight hint of color bloomed on Rose's cheeks, "Thank you."

"Oh, for crying out loud, this is making me nauseous." I interrupted.

"Shut up, four eyes. When I want your opinion, I'll squeeze your head." Rose snapped back.

"That's more like it." I said grinning widely at her. We all started laughing together and comfortable conversation started to flow around the table.

I took my first taste of the shrimp and immediately knew that if the rest of Bella's menu was going to be this delicious, she was going to have a bona fide hit on her hands.

"Bella, this is amazing. The different tastes compliment each other very well. The lime sauce has just enough snap to it."

"He ain't lying, CinderBella. This is really good shit." Emmett commented with a full mouth.

"God, Emmett, you are such a pig!" Rose laughed.

"Some things a man just doesn't outgrow, Rosie. Good food… a beautiful woman."

Bella had gotten up from the table to retrieve another dish. She slapped Emmett on the back of the head as she walked past him, "That was smooth, Romeo."

"What? What did I say?"

"Okay, fellas. Next dish: Prime Sirloin of Beef and Chicken Fried Bacon with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, slow-roasted peppers with aged Balsamic Vinegar and a Porcini sauce." Bella announced as she produced the next dish with a flourish.

"Edward. I swear to God that if you let this amazing woman slip from your fingers, I'm kidnapping her and making her cook for me."

"A Coudoulet de Beaucastel?" Rose asked Bella.

"French? Are you sure? What about Chilean or even Australian?"

"I'm sure of it, Bella. I think it will pair well with the flavors of the balsamic and porcini."

"This is why I pay you the big bucks, Rose. We'll go with the Coudoulet."

Emmett sat back and studied Rose, "Shit, Rosie. You, sure, know your stuff. Did you learn all that in France?"

"Not really. I toured throughout all the wine regions in Europe. It was the only way to fully train my palate. I even got to participate in a harvesting of the grapes… the old fashioned way. I actually stepped into a huge vat and got to stomp the grapes we picked with my feet. It was utterly bacchanalian."

"I would have liked to have seen that." Emmett remarked.

"Play your cards right and maybe someday I'll take you there. We should all go. It's this great little vineyard in Italy. They do a harvesting festival every year. It's such a wonderful time. They say it's the beauty of the women who stomp the grapes that make the wine so good."

"You can count me in." I liked the idea of getting away to Italy. It had been a long time since I had been there. The idea of going there with Bella appealed to me even more.

Bella had the servers bring more dishes and by the time we were done sampling most of her menu we were absolutely stuffed. I groaned as I leaned back into my chair.

"I don't want to go back to work. I'm miserable." I remarked.

"Shit, Edward. You should have said something like that earlier." Emmett pulled out his phone and held his finger up to his lips in the shush motion.

"Jessica? Hey, this is Emmett. Edward and I got a call from Ennix Logistics and we're headed to their offices. Clear Edward's schedule for the afternoon. I'm afraid he and I need to do some hands on problem solving. Okay? Thanks."

Emmett snapped his phone shut, "What good is it being the boss if you can't play hooky every once in a while?"

"Emmett? Who the hell are Ennix Logistics?" I demanded.

"I dunno. I just made it up. You know me, Wardo. You love me for my spontaneous ability to solve a problem."

"And how often do you do this, Emmett?" Rose asked.

"There's a first time for everything, Rose." Emmett grinned at her, "So are you, ladies, in? Or do Edward and I have to spend an uncomfortable afternoon of male bonding?"

Bella started to object, "I don't know. I have so much to do with the mock service being just a week away. Plus, I'm going to miss some time having to fly back out to L.A. for a couple of days. I just…"

"Bella Swan! You are going to take off that apron, change your clothes and you are going to have a little bit of fun before all the madness starts once you open. As your manager, I demand it. Can't have my chef all burned out." Rosalie argued.

"You're going back to Los Angeles this week?" I asked. Maybe that's what the phone calls had been about.

"Yeah. I have a magazine obligation to fulfill. I told Hef the timing wasn't good for me, but I owe him so much I figured I better go."

"Would you like me to go with you?" I asked.

"Seriously? You would do that?" Bella seemed shocked that I had even asked.

"Of course. I'd be happy to go with you. Besides, it will give us a chance to see Jasper and Alice."

Bella seemed genuinely pleased by the idea, "Can you fly out on Thursday?"

"Perfect. It fits our schedule too. We have our big client meeting tomorrow and then I am pretty much yours. I'll have Jessica make the travel arrangements for us if you like?"

Bella came over and put her arms around me, "Thank you, Edward. That would be lovely."

"It's solved then. I'll call Jasper and let him know that we are coming back out to L.A."

Emmett clapped his hands together, "Alright-y then! Let's get this afternoon started! Rosie… I say we crack open a bottle of wine and have a toast to the success of Chow Bella!"

"I'm on it already." Rose held up a bottle of Roederer Cristal champagne, "Bella… grab some glasses."

Bella dashed behind the bar and came out with 5 glasses.

"Why five?" I asked.

Bella rushed past me, opened the door to the kitchen and yelled, "Paul! Get your ass out here! It's champagne, darling, and we are toasting Chow Bella!"

Paul came out of the kitchen and I was suddenly aware of his intense gaze towards me and then his perusal of Emmett.

"Bella! Guuuuurl! This just gets better and better. I swear if you keep bringing in the eye candy like these two… Honey hush! We are going to rock Chicago!"

Bella introduced Paul to Emmett and I laughed softly when I realized that Paul was not planning on letting go of Emmett's hand anytime soon.

"Um… down girl. Emmett needs his hand back." Rosalie teased Paul.

"So soft. What's your secret?" Paul asked Emmett.

Emmett flushed beet red and I had to laugh at his expense.

A loud pop resounded from the bottle and we all held our glasses out. Rose quickly poured the bubbly elixir into our glasses.

We all held our glasses high.

"To Chow Bella!" The resounding chorus was punctuated by the tinkling of crystal as we brought our glasses together in the toast.

As I sipped my champagne, I felt Bella's hand slip into mine. I looked down at her and was astounded by how beautiful she looked. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. I was rewarded with a quick kiss and a breathy 'thank you'.

As we finished the bottle of champagne and made our plans for the rest of day, I realized that for the first time in my life I felt genuinely happy. I had good friends, a great business partner and the one woman I wanted the most by my side.


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