Notes: Huge thanks to my pre-readers: Deb Arrington, Mandi Niko, and Jules Twifanawesomesox; my beta: Alice's White Rabbit; and my Validation beta: Kherisma. They are the reason this story isn't a complete and utter mess.

So, opinions are divided. Some of you think Edward is already in love with Bella but hesitating to say anything. And some of you think he isn't in love with her yet, because he's too scared she won't return his feelings. Hmm.

Chapter 13: Bella's Living Room

Edward and I spent a wonderful, lazy Saturday drinking coffee, reading the paper, and relaxing. A part of me wanted to blurt out how I felt about him, but I couldn't help worrying that it was too soon. Instead, I focused on talking with him more, learning the little things that made him tick. Despite our rather unusual beginning, we seemed to mesh perfectly. He admitted that he tended to be a worrier—a planner—where I tended to take a somewhat more relaxed approach. I worked hard when I was at work, but in my down time, I liked to take things easy. I was happy to read or talk with Edward.

In some ways, it was like he was re-learning who he was. It didn't take long to figure out that Heidi had been the type of person who was always on the go, eager to get out to socialize and network in her free time. Edward had bowed to her wishes, but now, he seemed to relish the relaxation. There was never a shortage of things to discuss: politics, current events, or the business of running a hospital.

I found it fascinating. Edward seemed to come alive when we discussed topics like that. His eyes would sparkle and he would use his hands to make emphatic gestures to help make a point. He was animated in his element, and it only made me fall for him harder.

We were both disappointed as our time together dwindled on Sunday. The reluctance we both felt at saying goodbye seemed to grow every time we were together. We spent a long time standing by the door, his arms locked around my waist, talking and kissing. He had this habit of running his nose along my jaw and whispering sweetly in my ear. It made it very difficult to convince myself to leave.

It was just as well that I did have to leave. Spending all of our free time together would probably put a strain on our relationship. Still, as I kissed him goodbye one last time, it took every ounce of willpower I had to let go of Edward's body and walk to my car. He stood in the doorway as I backed out of the garage, watching me leave.

I drove home thinking of Edward. After our shower that morning, he had dressed in a button-down shirt and khakis but he'd left his hair mussed and casual. Underneath the neat and tidy executive that everyone saw on a daily basis, was a warm, caring man. I wondered how many people besides me had ever seen it. Did they have any inkling that he was fierce and passionate in bed, eager to please? Had they seen his vulnerability or the way he'd tamped down his own needs for so long to do what was right? Did they have any idea that the money, power, and prestige of his position at the hospital were only a small portion of what he wanted from life?

It astonished me to realize that I probably knew him better than almost anyone at this point. We had been together for such a short period of time, and yet, I already couldn't imagine my life without Edward in it.

Once I got home, I went up to my lonely apartment, missing Edward acutely. I had cleaning and laundry to do before I got to work on homework. I hoped that it would take my mind off how much I missed him.

I had just finished a load of laundry later that evening when my phone rang. It was Alice, and I answered eagerly, pleased that she'd called. "Hey, hun! How is it going?"

"I'm okay. How are you doing?" she asked.

"Great, actually. Really, really great." I threw myself down on the couch and got comfortable.

"Tell me you didn't decide to start seeing your boss," she said warily.

I chuckled. "Guilty as charged. I know it's crazy, but I am so happy, Alice."

"God, Bella, I can't believe how stupid you are. Is he really that good in bed? I never took you for the type to want to sleep your way to the top," she said acidly.

I blinked in shock at her harsh words. "What is with the sudden hostility, Alice? Couldn't you be a little supportive?" I launched into a detailed explanation of what had happened over the last few weeks, and how my relationship with Edward had nothing to do with his position furthering my career.

"How do you think this is going to end, Bella?" she asked, after a long pause. "I don't see the situation going in any direction other than down, leaving you heartbroken and without a career at the hospital. How are you going to feel then? What happens when he decides to date someone his own age or you get tired of fucking geriatrics?" The resentment and disapproval was clear in her voice but there was something else there, too.

"Alice, you don't know anything about Edward. Maybe if you actually took a moment to listen to what I'm saying instead of just judging him, you'd see him differently. I know you just broke up with James and that he was an ass for what he did, but don't you think you're being unfairly judgmental?"

I heard Alice gasp and then go silent. After a long pause I spoke up. "Alice?"

"I can't believe you just said that, Bella. James was an ass for what he did but at least he was my age and wasn't my boss! Are you really so blinded by this guy that you can't see the similarities? You have to protect yourself and your career or you're just being stupid. What happened to your goal of getting your marketing degree? Do you really think the hospital is going to keep you on staff once they find out you've been sleeping with your boss? You may not see that as an issue, but the rest of us sure do. I love you, but I can't support you. Not when I feel like you're making a monumental mistake. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't warn you. This is insane, Bella." I could hear the disapproval in her voice.

"Look, I'm not stupid. I know exactly what I want in life and despite what you might think, being with Edward has no affect on that whatsoever. I'm not pretending like it's going to be easy and that I'm not aware that we have to keep things professional at work, but can't you be happy that I found someone?"

"No," she said bluntly. "I don't care how hot he is, or how good of a lay. You're going to be sorely disappointed when you screw up your career over some guy because you're blinded by his dick. I think you should have found someone equally good in bed who isn't carrying around enough baggage to sink a ship. Someone who isn't going to fuck up your career."

"He's not some guy! He's … Jesus, Alice, I'm falling in love with him, all right? He's everything," I said, tears pricking my eyes. I loved Alice but her acidic words felt like a knife tearing into me.

"He's nearly forty! He's divorced with a kid, and, clearly, has never had a decent relationship. You've dated college kids who wouldn't know what commitment meant if it slapped them in the face. It's cute and all that you and Edward are playing house on the weekends, but you're both crazy if you think it's going to end up with you as his wife in the big family home and being Maggie's stepmother."

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself there," I said coldly. "I told you I'm falling for him, not that I'm planning to run off with Edward and get married. I know things are going to be hard; I'm not trying to delude myself on that count. We're both well aware of the difficulties we have to face.

"Look, I get that you're bitter right now, Alice, but you're being cruel. I appreciate the honesty, but the nastiness is uncalled for. Don't bother to talk to me unless you can be a little less bitchy."

I ended the call and tossed my phone on the coffee table, wincing as it skated across the wooden surface and landed on the floor. I covered my face in my hands and tried to stifle the sob that came out. It didn't work. The pent up stress from the last few weeks washed over me and I burst into tears, unbelievably hurt by what Alice had said. I cried until I was exhausted and my eyes were red and swollen.

After I went and splashed water on my face, I picked my phone up off the floor. I stared at the display for a long time, wanting to call Edward, but afraid that it would only make him feel worse about our relationship. Plus, I hated to interrupt his time with Maggie with my drama. I decided to wait to tell him until I was feeling a little less emotional about it. My next instinct was to call Tanya, but I knew I couldn't. I really needed to get some perspective on the conversation with Alice though, and I knew getting an outside opinion would help. Rose knew both Alice and I quite well and would be able to give me the feedback I needed. I scrolled through my contacts to her name and hit dial.

"Bella!" Rose answered excitedly. "How are you? I haven't heard from you in so long. I miss you, girl!"

"I've been better, Rose," I replied hoarsely.

"Oh, no! What's wrong?"

"I got in a fight with Alice. I'm seeing this guy, and it's … well, it's sort of a difficult situation. She just broke up with her boyfriend and I feel like she's taking her angst out on me. I just need your opinion on what happened with Alice. Actually, you and Em," I admitted. I knew it was a bit risky, telling more people about Edward's and my relationship, but I trusted Rose and Emmett. Plus, they were both from out of town, and not connected to the hospital in any way, so there was much less risk there. Hopefully, when I told Edward he would understand.

"Of course," Rosalie said, and I heard her cover the phone, her voice muffled. "Hey, Em, you up for driving to Portland to see Bella tonight?"

"Sure!" he shouted.

"You don't have to come here," I protested.

"Hey, you need us, we'll come. I've been dying to see you anyway," she said cheerfully.

"Are you sure?" I asked doubtfully.

"I'm sure. We'll be there in about an hour."

"Thanks, Rose," I said gratefully, "I owe you guys."

"We love you, hun."

Feeling very lucky to have friends like her, my heart swelled with gratitude. "Love you guys, too."

I hung up, pulled myself together, and settled down on the couch with my laptop and a paper I needed to write. I knew if I gave myself time to think I'd be a mess by the time Rose and Emmett arrived. So instead, I lost myself in the tedium of typing up an outline. I worked straight through the hour without realizing it, and was actually startled by the knock on the door.

The minute I opened it, I was engulfed in the arms of both Rose and Emmett. They squeezed me tight, and I gratefully squeezed back. "Missed you guys," I said, my voice muffled by Rose's silky blonde hair.

"We've missed you, too. Now come on, tell me what's going on," Rose said.

Emmett stepped back, following us as Rose linked arms with me. I gasped when I glanced over at her.

"Oh, I can see your belly! You look fabulous," I gushed, reaching a hand out to touch the soft swell of her stomach. "How are you feeling?"

"So much better now that the morning sickness is gone."

"Good." We got settled onto the couch while Emmett took a seat in a chair across the room from us, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"So, what's going on?" Rose asked.

I sighed and took a deep breath before I began. "I'm seeing this guy. He's actually, technically, my boss."

There was no concealing the surprise on both Rose and Emmett's faces, but they let me continue. "I've been attracted to him for several years, but it wasn't until a while after he got divorced that anything happened between us."

I launched into a depiction of how Edward and I got together, without going into too much detail. Still, Emmett made a face when he realized the man I was dating was the one he had made fun of for being so much older than me when we'd gone out to lunch a few months back.

He spoke first when I was done, and I braced myself for his overprotective brother act. But he surprised me. "Well, you know I think he's too old for you, but if you're happy, I'm happy. I gave you shit before, but just hearing you talk about him, I can see how much you care about him. I might not like it, but you're a smart girl, Bella. I'm sure you've thought this through."

I nodded at him gratefully and turned to Rosalie. "What do you think?"

"Of course I support you. You seem pretty realistic about the things you're dealing with. You know that there are huge risks pursuing this relationship because of your jobs. You're aware of the potential ramifications if you are caught, and of what's at stake for Edward because he has a daughter to consider as well. I can't say I'm not concerned, but like Emmett said, you're smart and we trust your judgment."

"The fact that he's your boss . . ." Emmett leaned forward. "I really don't love that. That's sexual harassment, Bella. That's major, major issues for both of you."

"I know that's the way it would look to anyone else," I admitted, "but I swear, I was the one pushing things. Not him."

"Right, but no one else knows that," he said flatly. "You may have been the instigator, but he could still get in trouble for reciprocating and you could have a lawsuit against you because of it. You know I love you, babe, but be careful. I'm not telling you to break it off with Edward. I'm just telling you to keep your hands to yourself at work and watch out. I don't want you to end up in a legal battle or lose your job."

I nodded. "I know."

"I am kinda surprised by Alice's reaction," Rose mused. "I knew she and James were over, and that he was a jackass who completely dicked her over and tried to use her talent to further his career, but she shouldn't be taking that out on you. Edward sounds like a good guy."

"He is," I said earnestly.

"How are you doing with the kid thing?" Rose asked curiously.

I shrugged and relaxed back against the arm of the couch. "She's sixteen, not really a kid, but it's … I don't know. We met once and it didn't go so well, so I'm kinda nervous when it comes to Maggie. But I want to be with Edward, so I'm trying to get more comfortable with it."

"So you haven't spent any time with her?"

"No, not yet. We've been together a little over a month now, but we didn't want to force anything when it came to Maggie."

"That's good." Rose nodded thoughtfully. "I really hope it works out."

"Me, too."

"Let me call Alice and see if I can talk a little sense into her," Rosalie offered.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to get in the middle of this," I protested.

She waved my statement away. "I'm not going to get in the middle. I was planning to call Alice and ask her if she'd be interested in painting a mural for the baby's room anyway. When I do, I'll ask how she's doing and see if it comes up."

"Okay," I agreed reluctantly.

"It'll be okay," Rose reassured me. "I promise; it'll all work out."

"I hope so." I sighed. "I've never felt like this about anybody."

Rose smiled faintly. "I assumed as much. You wouldn't even be trying if he weren't worth it."

"Exactly," I agreed, relieved that although they were being cautious, they supported my choice to be with Edward. It felt good to have someone on our side.

The three of us spent a little more time catching up before they headed back home. I begged Rosalie and Emmett to tell me all the details about the baby. She was due in the spring, and I was eager to be Aunt Bella.

"Can I throw you a shower?" I asked excitedly.

"I'd love that." Rose grinned. "The bachelorette party and bridal shower you threw for me were awesome."

"I am so excited."

By the time they left, I was in a much better mood. Alice and I would work things out. Maybe if she met him at some point, she'd see how good we were together. I sighed when I realized how long that would be. I couldn't wait until I graduated. I texted Edward goodnight before I fell asleep for the night.

~BtBR~

I waited until the following weekend to tell Edward about my argument with Alice. We were in bed late Friday night and his body was curled against mine. I dragged my fingers across the soft hair on his forearm which was draped over my mid-section. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course." Edward kissed my shoulder. "You can tell me anything."

"Well, I . . . got in a disagreement with my friend, Alice, last week."

"Okay," he said warily. "What about?"

"About my relationship with you."

He gently tugged me so I was lying on my back. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "I know you said she didn't seem very supportive when you first told her about us; did something else happen?"

"Yeah, this was worse, a lot worse."

He gave me a concerned look. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Edward. She's dealing with a breakup and took it out on me."

"When did it happen?"

"Sunday night."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Well, I knew Maggie was here and I didn't want to interrupt your time with her. Besides, you worry enough about our relationship. I didn't want to dump it on you and make you worry more."

He frowned. "Bella, do you feel like you can't talk to me about things?"

"No. Not at all. I just figured I'd wait until I could talk to you in person, and I wasn't feeling so emotional about our argument."

"What did she say, exactly?"

"Well, she called to say hi, and we started talking about my relationship with you. She—" I hesitated. "She refused to even hear my side of things. It was like she had made up her mind about what kind of person you were, and how our relationship would end."

He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "She thinks it's inevitable that it will end?"

"Yes, and she's convinced I'll ruin my career because of it." I sighed. "I know she thought she was doing the right thing by being so blunt with me. She wants to make sure I'm not going into our relationship blindly, but she didn't seem willing to hear what I had to say about it. She went through a really terrible breakup, and what her ex did could have potentially jeopardized her career. I think our situation just hit a little too close to home. I understand that. It was just incredible hurtful."

"I'm sorry," Edward said softly, a worried expression crossing his face. "I don't like to see you so upset about this."

"I appreciate it. It's just difficult because Alice is the one friend I have who knew about our relationship; and with her so vehemently against it …" my voice trailed off.

"That doesn't really leave you with anyone else to turn to, does it? Jesus, I'm sorry, Bella."

"It's okay, Edward," I reassured him. "Alice and I will work it out eventually."

"I hope so." I hesitated for a moment before I spoke again. "And actually, she's not the only person who knows. I called Rose. Do you remember the guy I went out to lunch with?"

He frowned again. "Yes."

"Well Emmett and I have been friends since we were kids and I'm also good friends with his wife, Rose." I winced. "I hope you don't mind that I told them."

"Well, we did agree to keep things between us, but I trust your judgment on that, Bella. I made the call to tell Pat the truth when she told me her suspicions. If you trust your friends, then that's enough for me. I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do."

"I know. I just worry about the entire situation. We did okay this week, but we need to stay vigilant about how we act at work."

Edward sighed and nodded. "You're right. I just miss you during the week, and it drives me crazy that I can't even look at you the way I want to."

"It drives me crazy, too," I admitted. "It's really frustrating. But what else can we do?"

"I just hope you never feel like it isn't worth it."

"It's worth it. I'm happy, Edward."

"I'm happy, too." He slowly brushed his thumb across my cheek, and his smile was content. "For the first time in a very long time, I'm happy."

~BtBR~

Over the next few weeks, Edward and I fell into a routine. We managed to keep our hands off each other at work, and there were no more visits to his office. My feelings for him grew, and I was sure I could see the answering affection in his eyes when we made love or talked quietly in bed. I felt it in the way his arms reluctantly let go of me on Sunday nights when I left, and in his hungry kisses when we were reunited on Friday evenings.

Though things were going well, it wasn't easy. Some mid-week nights when I crawled into my cold, empty bed by myself, I resented the fact that I couldn't just call Edward to come over, or show up at his place. I hated that at work I had to pretend like he meant nothing to me when all I wanted to do was throw myself in his arms and tell everyone how much I loved him. But the weekends together were wonderful, and I loved every moment of them. They solidified my feelings for him, and the foundation of the relationship we were building.

One night, he set up a hammock on the terrace behind the house and there was a fire in the brand-new, shiny copper fire pit. We shared a relaxed dinner and bottle of wine at the table by the fire, and then climbed into the massive hammock. As I slid alongside Edward and rested my head on his chest, I let out a sigh of contentment. I fit perfectly into his arms. I carefully draped my leg over his and he tightened his arm around me, brushing a kiss over the top of my head. Neither of us spoke, not really needing words to convey how happy we both were in that moment. We threaded our fingers together and watched the crackling fire. There was a warm blanket over us, and the cool, fall breeze made the hammock slowly sway. It was the kind of night I'd remember for the rest of my life, and I couldn't help but wonder where Edward and I would end up. I loved him so much, but did we really have a future together? I hoped so, but I really had no idea if we'd realistically be able to make things work.

Edward seemed to love setting up these little evenings for us, dates that we didn't have to leave the house for. Occasionally, I felt guilty, wondering how much he spent on the preparation and felt bad that I couldn't contribute. But, he seemed to really enjoy doing it. His eyes always lit up when I expressed my appreciation and I could tell he liked spoiling me a little.

I liked baking, so I got in the habit of making him something on Thursday nights to bring with me to his place for the weekend. I decided to make my mother's favorite brownie recipe one week, so I called her. I found myself struggling not to tell her about Edward.

"Hey, baby girl." My mom answered the phone.

"Hey, Mom."

"How are you? You never call," she jokingly scolded me.

I winced. "I know. I'm sorry. I've just been busy. It's my last semester of school and they're really piling on the projects." That wasn't really a lie; I was feeling overwhelmed with school, although, I wouldn't have had a problem with it if it hadn't been for the fact that my weekends were taken up by spending time with Edward.

"Just think, you're almost done, though," she said excitedly. "We're so proud of you for how hard you've worked, Bella."

"Thanks, Mom."

"So, what else is new with you? Any boys?"

"Boys? No. No boys right now," I said, knowing I was splitting hairs. No boys, but there was definitely a man in my life. I wasn't ready to tell my mother that yet though.

"Aww, too bad! Well, maybe once school is over."

"You never know," I agreed, giggling.

"Are you sure there isn't anyone?" she said suspiciously. "You sound almost giddy right now."

"There isn't anyone to tell you about," I promised. I dug my fingers into my palm, hating the familiar lies.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of a call from my only daughter?" she asked teasingly.

"Oh, I wanted your brownie recipe."

"Sure, baby, I'll email it to you now. The basic one or the one I do with the cream cheese and cherry swirl?"

"Both would be great."

"What are you making them for?"

"Oh, someone at work," I hedged.

"Is it their birthday? Because I have a really good chocolate cake recipe you can have, too," she offered.

"Nope, just thought it would be a nice surprise."

"Okay. Hey, how is Alice doing? Have you guys seen each other lately?"

"Uh, I saw her in August, so it's been a few months. She's been crazy busy and her ex-boyfriend is an ass, so she's been kinda down."

"That's too bad. Send her my love, won't you?"

"I will the next time I talk to her," I said, and wondered when the hell I had gotten so good at skirting the edges of lying. That was certainly one thing I wouldn't miss when Edward and I could be out in the open. I was going to have to apologize to everyone I know for being dishonest.

"Hey, unfortunately, I need to get going. I'm meeting Sue for dinner tonight. Your father has to work, and she and I are going out for a girl's night."

"Oh, that'll be fun," I said. "Tell her I said hi."

Sue and Harry Clearwater were good friends of my parents and I'd known them most of my life.

"I will. Love you, baby. And please, call again soon. We miss you."

"I miss you, too. I love you, Mom."

"And you are coming home for Thanksgiving weekend, right?" she asked.

"I don't know, it's only mid-October; I haven't even thought about the holidays yet."

"Well, let me know."

"I probably will come home, I just hadn't thought about it. Let me get through a few more weeks of school and I'll tell you, okay?"

"Okay. Gotta run. I sent the brownie recipes, check your inbox. Love you, Bella."

I laughed and returned the sentiment again before hanging up the phone. Sure enough, the recipe was in my inbox.

I carried my laptop into my kitchen and poked around, looking for all of the ingredients. Miraculously, I had all of them to make the cherry, cream cheese brownies, and I got to work baking. I had just finished mixing up the batter and was swirling the cherries and cream cheese into the pan, when my phone rang.

I quickly licked the finger I'd been using to scrape the cream cheese off the knife and answered it.

"Are you on a break?" I asked, recognizing Edward's number. He had gone to an all-day conference in Portland, and I hadn't expected to hear from him until much later that night.

"No, we got out early. The afternoon speaker's flight got delayed in Atlanta and he wasn't able to make his connecting flight."

"Oh, good! How was the rest of it?" I asked, slipping the pan of brownies into the oven and setting the timer.

"It was fine. Most of it was boring, but there were a few good lectures."

"Could have been worse then," I said.

"Absolutely. How was your day?"

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me, and leaned against the counter. "Boring. There weren't any hot executives to stare at today. They were all at some stupid conference."

He chuckled. "Is any particular one your favorite?"

"Oh, there's this one," I teased. "He's really hot. I've heard he's great in bed, and that he does really sweet things for his girlfriend. She sounds pretty lucky."

I could hear the smile in his voice as he responded. "Well, I know for a fact that she's a really incredible woman and he feels lucky to have found her."

I swallowed hard, really wanting to tell him right then and there that I loved him. But over the phone wasn't the right way to do it. "It sounds like it's mutual."

"It really is," he agreed and paused a moment before he spoke again. "I just had a thought. I'm not far from your side of town. Maggie isn't expecting me home for another hour and a half or so, do you want me to swing by your place. It's a little risky, but I'd really love to see you tonight."

"Uhh, sure," I said hesitantly. I wanted to see him, but I was dressed in nothing but panties and a T-shirt, my hair was wadded up on the top of my head, and my apartment was kind of a mess. Still, I couldn't turn down seeing Edward on a Thursday night. I rattled off my address and apartment number and hung up the phone. I scrambled to clean up the scattered papers from school on the coffee table and pick up the dirty laundry on the floor of my bedroom. I was home so little, and so busy when I was there that I'd let things slide lately. I'd just pulled the brownies out of the oven and I was smoothing down my hair into a neater bun when the knock came at the door.

I rose on my tiptoes, peered through the peephole, before eagerly letting Edward in. He looked a little tired, but happy, and I closed the door behind him. "Hey," I said nervously, wondering what he thought about my place, but he didn't take his eyes off me.

"Missed you." He brushed his lips against mine and the kiss immediately deepened. His hands ran down my back to slide under the shirt I was wearing, cupping my ass and crushing me against him. His mouth was hungry and eager, and I felt the same rush of arousal I always felt when he touched me.

"Missed you, too," I said breathlessly as he backed me up against the counter. He lifted me up onto it and slid his hands up my thighs, pausing halfway.

"I feel like a pervert finding you so sexy like this. You look even younger."

I flushed self-consciously. "You took me by surprise; I didn't really have time to get ready. My apartment isn't usually such a mess."

Edward's gaze swept across the room and returned to me. "I wasn't finding fault. Just trying to reconcile how young you actually are with how mature you act. And I couldn't care less about your apartment. I care about you."

"I care about you, too," I said emphatically.

Once again, we kissed heatedly, lips and tongues meeting in frantic need. He leaned forward, his hand sliding up under my shirt to push my panties aside and I was reminded of the time we had done this in the break room.

"This is so much better this time," he said roughly, his mouth moving down my neck to take little nips with his teeth. He was clearly thinking the same thing I was. "We can be as loud as we want."

I threaded my hands through his hair and moaned loudly as two fingers slid through my wetness and pushed into me. He slowly fucked me with them and my hand slid through his hair, tightening as the pleasure built and built. "I need you inside of me," I pleaded.

He withdrew his hand and I leaned back to rest on my hands as he licked his fingers clean. It killed me when he did that. I whimpered and his eyes locked on mine as he stripped out of his suit jacket and tossed it on the stool by the counter. His jaw clenched and I groaned at the sight of his eyes burning with desire as he unbuttoned his shirt. I shifted on the counter; so, so ready for him. I lifted my shirt a little and touched my pussy while his button-down joined the suit jacket. He kicked off his shoes and socks, his eyes never leaving my body. He watched as I slipped two of my fingers inside of me, as he unfastened and dropped his pants and boxer briefs to the floor. He was so hard for me and I wet my lips at the sight of him naked.

"You're beautiful like that," he whispered hoarsely. I swallowed hard, my hand stilling as he stalked toward me. I sat up, and with a quick movement, my shirt was sailing to the floor. His hands grasped my underwear and helped me shimmy out of them. He parted my thighs and sank into me, his face a mask of agonized pleasure. "So good."

My eyes fluttered shut for a moment as I lay back on the counter. The cool surface chilled my back, even as his heated length retreated and then pushed back into me. He leaned forward, his hands coming to rest on the counter on either side of my waist, his head dropping forward as he thrust within me.

"I missed you," he said hoarsely. "I missed this."

I ran my hands through his hair and he turned, kissing my palm. "I missed you, too," I whispered.

He thrust into me with slow, deep strokes, our bodies moving together sinuously. Every nerve ending in me tingled, feeling alive and sensitized. The pace slowly picked up and heat began to build, our skin becoming slick with sweat.

"Christ," he muttered. "You feel so good."

He pulled back until the tip of his cock rested just inside my entrance. One hand moved to where we were joined, his fingers skillfully stimulating my clit. I threw my head back as my orgasm washed over me so quick I was caught off guard. I gasped in surprise, my hand grabbing his as my body shook and shuddered against him. He groaned and plunged back into me, trapping our hands between our bodies, his fingers never stopping. We were both eager and desperate and we sped up, his hips moving faster and faster against mine. I slipped from one orgasm into the next with only the briefest pause between.

"Edward," I called out as the second one hit and I heard him groan in response. I tightened around him and he braced his arm against the countertop. His hips snapped forward as he shuddered against me. My head swam as we both panted harshly. Edward's head dropped forward, his soft hair brushing my chest as I threaded my fingers through the chaotic strands. It wasn't until we had both calmed that he lifted his head. He slipped his arm between my back and the counter, our lower halves still connected as he lifted me to his lips. He kissed me deeply and we took a while to softly touch each other, coming down from the incredible, frantic sex. He nuzzled along my jaw with his nose and whispered sweetly in my ear how glad he was to see me and how good I felt. I reciprocated, telling him I'd missed him, thanking him for the way he made me feel.

I knew we were both dancing around an unspoken I love you, but I didn't push it. When it felt right, I'd know. For now, this was enough. Whatever we had to face in the future, I could hold this feeling close and know that we were in this together.

Notes: Mixed opinions on Alice's reaction from the pre-readers and betas. What do you guys think? Was Alice out of line? Or did she have some valid points about how risky Bella's relationship with Edward is?

And how did you like Edward's surprise visit?

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