Authors Notes:

Xrxdanixrx is my super-beta! Not only does she beta the story, but she validates it for Twilighted now, too! I think I should make her a cape to wear as she wields her magical red pen over my words.

Thanks to Holly1980 and BellaSunshine for letting me bounce ideas off of them and offering endless advice. Love you guys BIG!

SM owns it. I just let her characters loose to have a little more fun! ;-)

Now we're startin' to get somewhere! I hope that you guys enjoy this one. Don't forget to REVIEW when you get to the bottom! :D

Chapter 14 - A Turning Point

"What do you say? Will you come with me?" I asked.

I glanced over at her while sitting at the red light where we were stopped. She was biting her bottom lip like she always did when she was nervous. I didn't know if it was because she was afraid I was going to try something or if she hadn't wanted to be put in the awkward situation of having to say no. We were only a few blocks away from her place, so I needed to figure things out quickly.

"To talk?" she finally asked timidly.

"Yeah. Scouts honor," I assured her as the light turned green.

"You were never a boy scout, were you?" she asked, looking skeptical.

"No, but it sounded good." I grinned over at her and winked. "I only say my apartment because it's getting late and there really aren't many places to go and just talk. Plus, I'd love to show you my place. I haven't really had anyone over besides my parents, and I'd like you to see it."

She smiled at me, but she still looked unsure.

"It's okay. You don't want to. I understand, you aren't comfortable –"

"No! It's not that," she interrupted. I mean, it's not that I'm not comfortable around you. I just… I want to make sure we're on the same page is all."

"B, I know that I have to earn your trust back, but I would never try to do anything that you aren't sure about. I really just want to hang out."

"Okay. For a little while, but no funny business, mister!" she asserted, laughing and shaking her finger at me.

"Yes ma'am," I agreed, chuckling. She was so fucking cute when she was bossy.

We drove the rest of the way to my building and I parked. My apartment was on the ninth floor of The Whitney, so we took the elevator up from the parking garage. Standing within the confined space that was covered by mirrors set my dirty mind into overdrive. I had to push down those thoughts, doing my best to think of anything that would keep me from breaking my promise to her. Get your hormones in check, fucker, or she'll run.

When we reached the ninth floor and the doors opened, I practically jumped out, needing the head start to readjust the growing problem in the front of my jeans. Bella didn't seem to notice. She followed behind me as we made our way to my door.

"Number nine-thirteen?" she asked as I slipped the key in the lock.

I smiled. Of course she would notice that. "Yeah. I thought it might be good luck."

"Well, it hasn't been too much luck for me. I wish you all the best with that. I can't believe you remember my birthday, though."

"Bella, I told you; I remember everything about you. And don't say that you aren't lucky. I know that things haven't always been easy, but they could always be worse."

"Yeah, I suppose." She shrugged.

"Okay, well, this is my place," I said, stepping inside and flipping on the lights. "It's not big, but it's mine." I ushered her in, closing the door, and threw my keys down on the foyer table. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

"The living room and dining area are there to the left." I pointed, grabbing her hand to pull her along with me. "The kitchen is there, just ahead. Then, down the hall you have the bathroom on the right, and my bedroom is at the end."

I felt her stiffen at the mention of my bedroom. "Relax, Bella. We aren't going to hang out in there." Yes, I'd like to, but I know we're not ready for that…yet. "You're welcome to check it out if you want, but I wasn't even going to open the door," I assured her.

I could feel her relax. "Oh, right, of course." She laughed, and I could see the blush on her cheeks. My silly, beautiful girl.

"Come on. Now that you know where everything is, make yourself at home. I'll go get us some drinks. What would you like?"

"You said you had wine. That would be good," she replied.

"Red or white?" I asked.

"Red, please."

"Alright, red it is. I'll be right back."

As I went to the kitchen, Bella ventured into the living room. It was an open floor plan, so I was able to see her as I got out glasses and opened a bottle of La Crema. She was looking at the books and music that I had on the shelves.

"See anything you like?" I asked, stepping in with our filled glasses in hand.

She smiled. "You have books. I don't remember you ever being too fond of reading."

"Yeah," I replied, sitting our glasses on the coffee table. "I guess I didn't know what I was missing." Those words had deeper meaning than she could ever imagine. "Come sit." I patted the couch cushion beside me.

She came over and sat down, picking up her glass and taking a sip. "Did your mom help you decorate?" she asked.

"No, not really. She's been dying to. She and Alice are two of a kind in that regard. They both love to shop. With Alice being so far away, Mom tries to drag me along on her shopping expeditions."

"That's kind of precious. You should go with her," she told me.

"I do… sometimes. I like spending time with my parents, believe it or not. I'd just rather do other things besides shopping." I laughed.

"Well, you've done a great job. Your apartment is nice. It's masculine, yet cozy," she said.

"Thanks, sweetness," I replied. "I like it." And I hope you'll like it enough to want to come over more often.

"How are your parents? I haven't seen them in forever. My dad says your dad is thinking about retiring soon."

"He's talked about it. I don't know if he'll actually do it. He loves working and being a doctor. I think he'd like to spend more time with Mom, maybe travel some, but I don't think he could do it for long. He'd miss it too much. They're good, though. They told me to tell you hello, actually."

"They did?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Does that shock you? My parents always liked you." I'm so glad, too, because you're important to me.

"I don't know. I guess I thought that they might blame me for some of the things that happened in the past." I couldn't tell her that I'd had the same ugly thought pop into my head before I talked to my parents. They didn't feel that way, so she didn't need to know.

"Well, rest assured that they don't." I reached out and squeezed her hand to comfort her. "What about your parents? How are they?" I asked, keeping hold of her hand in mine as I traced light circles on her soft palm.

"Oh, they're okay. They haven't really changed. They still live in the same house. My dad is still working. Nothing new really."

"It's good that they're well. Your dad always scared the shit out of me."

"Really?" she asked.

"Hell yeah. I mean, it was scary enough to meet my girlfriend's dad, but the fact that he was the police chief didn't make it any easier. The man has a gun on his person at all times."

She laughed. "Yeah, but he wouldn't actually shoot you. Not unless you were doing something really bad."

"The day I got in trouble, I was freaking out. I just knew that he was going to kick my ass. He was surprisingly calm, though. He didn't really say much to me. I think that may have been worse. I had no idea what he was thinking and I knew he would talk to you. I pretty much figured that you wouldn't be allowed to see me after that."

"He wasn't pleased, but he didn't pass any judgment against you. He has a lot of respect for your parents. I think that helped."

"Thank God for that," I told her. "What do you think he would say about us spending time together now?" I hope he'll be as cool about it as my parents are.

"I'm not sure. I haven't told my parents that you're back. I'm an adult now, though, Edward. It wouldn't really matter. My parents don't get to tell me who I can and can't be friends with anymore... Speaking of which, whatever became of Royce? Did you guys keep in touch?"

"Nah, not really. We talked on the phone a couple of times, but that was the extent of it. It's for the best. Everyone was right about him. He wasn't the person that I thought he was. Maybe if I hadn't been so stupid, I would have seen it. I can't blame him for all of the shit in the past, but he's definitely not going to be a part of my future."

"He's not my favorite person in the world," she admitted, "but if it weren't for him, we may never have started talking. Do you remember how we met?"

"Of course." I smiled at her. "It's one of my fondest memories. I remember that I first saw you in the guidance office at school. Royce and I had skipped class and came to get a note from Mrs. Cope."

"Why she caved in to you, I'll never know," she teased.

"That hurts, Bella," I said with mock suffering, grabbing at my chest over my heart.

"Whatever. You know how charming you can be. You have a way of beguiling people into getting what you want."

"Do I beguile you?" I asked, grinning.

"You used to," she answered, and smirked.

"But not now?" I questioned. Have I lost my touch? I really hope not. I need all the allure I can possibly muster.

Much to my fucking dismay, she changed the subject. It would not be forgotten, though. My affect on her was definitely something I needed to understand.

"What were you thinking when you saw me there in the office?" she asked.

"That you were hot." I grinned, watching her cheeks turn pink at my admission.

"Be serious," she said, nudging my arm.

"I am. You looked so fucking sexy sitting there on the couch, biting your pencil while you were reading. I don't think that you ever saw yourself clearly," I told her, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know about that. You might not remember things as well as you think."

"Take my word for it. I'm not the only guy that thought that way. Maybe if you'd have had to change in the guys' locker room, you would know better."

"I don't even want to know what that means," she said, shaking her head.

"Good, because I really don't want to explain it." Just thinking about those prick-offs made me want to find them and kick their asses.

We continued chatting and drinking, and before we knew it, we'd finished off two bottles of wine and it was after three in the morning.

We were still on my couch, sitting sideways and facing each other. She had her head leaning on the back of it and she was looking in my eyes. The wine had me feeling braver than I had when we'd first arrived. Our conversation was great and we were so caught up in remembering the good times we had together. It was so easy to fall back into the familiarity and comfort of just being with her, even though it had been almost six god damn years. I couldn't resist. I had to let her know.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked me.

"You," I replied, gently running the backs of my fingers down the side of her face.

"Me? What about me?" She smiled, gazing at me with hooded lids.

"How beautiful you are… how it's so easy to talk to you… how much I really want to kiss you right now," I replied, looking from her eyes to her lips.

Blushing, a beautiful rose color warmed her cheeks, and her eyes traveled down to my lips, as well. I slowly leaned in, and I thought I heard her breath hitch. Please don't let her back away, I thought.

As I got closer, I brought my hand up and cupped her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch. I lightly brushed my lips against hers. Home. They were smooth and soft and she didn't pull back.

Having the encouragement to continue, I pressed my lips to hers more firmly. The kiss was not rushed, but became increasingly stronger. I sucked her plump bottom lip between mine as I slid myself closer. She lifted her head and began kissing me back. Her lips and breath were heavenly and I could taste the sweetness from the wine. When I felt her tongue sweep across my top lip, I immediately granted her access.

With open mouths, our tongues slid together gracefully as my hand traveled down her neck, to her shoulder, and then down her back. While the kiss started out slow and soft, it quickly became heated and urgent. She scooted forward, placing her arms around my neck as my hands gripped on to her waist. I wanted to lay her back on the couch, but thought I would let her take the lead for a bit.

It had been a while since I'd made out with a girl. It's true that I never stopped thinking about Bella, but she wasn't the last girl I'd hooked up with. I was a fucking dude who was away at college. Of course there were girls. I didn't join the fucking priesthood. None of them meant anything like the girl who was sitting in front of me on my couch, though, and I wanted to show her.

Our tongues continued to dance together. She had her hands in my hair, gripping it tightly, and I'd pulled her into my lap. She was straddling me and my dick was really fucking happy about that. We were both panting and moaning and rubbing against each other. Fuck if I wanted it to stop, but I knew I had to make sure this wasn't just because of the alcohol.

"Bella?" I breathed between kisses.

"Hmm," she mumbled as she sucked on my bottom lip, her tongue seeking entrance to my mouth, once again.

Not wanting to pull away, but forcing myself to, I moved my hands from her ass up to cup her face. "Baby, wait," I told her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking confused.

"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart. Fuck, everything's perfect… for me. I just want to make sure that you're okay. We've had a lot to drink, and as much as I really want to keep kissing you, I don't want it to be because of the wine."

"Aww, you're worried that you're taking advantage of me." She beamed.

"Well, yeah a little." I snickered. "But I really don't want you regretting this tomorrow."

"I'm fine, Edward. I'm a big girl. I know where I am and I know what we're doing. I want to be here," she said, running her hand down my cheek adoringly. Her hand felt so goddamn good. I couldn't wait to feel it other places.

"You're sure?" I asked, once more, just to be safe.

"Yes, I'm positive. Now kiss me," she commanded, gripping the back of my neck and pulling me down to her.

Our lips crashed together, yet again. Where it was slow and soft to start the first time, it was frenzied and frantic this time. Licking, sucking, and biting – our lips, tongues, and mouths never breaking away from the other's. She had me completely consumed, and I was okay with that. Shit, I fucking welcomed it.

"God, I've missed this, missed you," I panted, pushing my dick up against her, feeling the heat and wetness of her pussy and wishing we weren't wearing our clothes.

"Me, too. So much," she moaned back.

We kept at it for a good while, neither of us wanting to break the connection. It had been so long since I'd been with her like this. If I were to be honest, I never wanted it to stop. She had me completely wrapped around her finger, and we were just kissing. I knew I would never get tired of her. She was the one.

When the sun finally started to peek through the blinds, our kisses had become slower and sweeter. We were really taking our time, and I wasn't ready for it to end.

"Baby, it's really late. Why don't we go to my room?" I asked her.

She shot up, leaning away from me. "Why?" She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

I had to chuckle. "It's okay. I'm not suggesting we do any more than we have, I just think that there's more room on my bed and it's a lot more comfortable than the couch." Where's that charm, E? You better find it if you want her to relax.

Her eyes shifted toward the door. "Maybe I should go."

No, damnit, you should be here, with me. "I can take you if you want," I offered reluctantly, "but I don't want you to leave. I'd really like to go to bed, wrap my arms around you, and fall asleep, so that the first things I see when I wake up are your gorgeous brown eyes. Stay with me, Bella. Please?" Please let the soft voice and sweet sentiment win her over.

She smiled. "Stop trying to dazzle me, Mr. Cullen," she said playfully.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Ms. Swan?" I asked, playing along.

"You know exactly what I mean. You're very sweet, though, and I am pretty tired. You say your bed is comfy, huh?"

"The comfiest. You have to sleep in it to really feel it," I told her in my most persuasive voice.

"It's probably against my better judgment," she replied, biting her lip, "but lead the way."

Fuck yeah! We got to my room and I pulled down the covers on the bed. "Do you want something to change into? I can get out a t-shirt and some sweats or something," I offered.

"Umm, do you think they'll fit me?" she asked.

"No, but it should be more comfortable than jeans." It will definitely feel a lot better when our bodies rub against each other.

"Alright," she replied.

I got some things out for her and she went to change in the bathroom. Holy shit! She wants to stay – in my bed. This has surprisingly turned into one of the best fucking nights ever.

I quickly changed into some pajama pants and a t-shirt, and when she came out, I was under the covers and waiting for her. She looked adorable in my clothes. It was definitely a sight I could get used to, if she had to wear clothes, that is. She placed her stuff on the floor by the door and then crawled into bed.

"Come here, beautiful," I said, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to me. She turned on her side, throwing an arm and a leg over me as she cuddled in. Her mouth found my neck and she began leaving delicious open-mouthed kisses, licking her way up to my earlobe and biting.

Fuck me! "Mmmm, baby, I thought you were tired," I half moaned as her leg shifted between mine and she started rubbing against my cock.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked between nibbles and kisses.

I grabbed on to her waist and pulled her on top of me. "Do you feel what you're fucking doing to me, baby?" I asked, grinding into her. "No, I most definitely don't want to stop, but I'm afraid if we don't, I won't be able to hold back. Are you ready for that?"

She stopped. "No, I guess not," she whispered, biting her lip and looking down. "I'm sorry."

"Hey," I said, lifting her chin so she'd look at me. "It's okay. I want to take things slow; do things right. We've already done way more than I thought we would do. I'm happy just having you here."

"You aren't pissed that you're… you know – ready to go – and that I'm not."

"Sweetheart, just because my dick is ready doesn't mean that I think it's the best idea. I think we should take our time. I'm not going anywhere." I brushed her hair back so that I could see her beautiful face.

I rolled her over so that she was on her side, facing me. One arm stayed around her while the other ran up her side and cupped her face. "You're worth the wait, sweet girl. You always have been," I told her, rubbing the pad of my thumb over her cheek. "Let's get some sleep."

She smiled before pulling me down for one last goodnight kiss and then snuggled into my chest. I closed my eyes and heard her let out a contented sigh as I played with her hair. It was the best sound in the world. She was peaceful, comfortable, in my arms, and I never planned to let her go.

Chapter End Notes:

Reviewers get to make out with Edward. Oh, and they get teasers! ;) *Smooches*