Fighting Temptation

Chapter 21: Sealed with a Kiss

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This chapter has been edited by CherryBerry12.

Edward Cullen

It entertained me to no end that Bella was a blanket hog, even when she was alone in the bed. She was burrowed under the covers, only her mahogany hair visible as it spilled across her pillow. No part of the comforter was even remotely touching my side of the bed.

I gently shook her shoulder, giving her time to open her eyes and gather her bearings. I waited until her bleary eyes focused on me before I spoke. "Do you want to go on a date?"

"Of course," she mumbled.

"Dinner? Right now?"

She jolted into a sitting position, her eyes wide. "Right now?" She threw off the covers, nearly catching her foot in the linens as she rushed to her bag.

"You have time," I tried to calm her. "I made reservations for an hour."

She finally breathed, relaxing enough she was no longer a hazard to herself. "Reservations, huh? Knew I wouldn't turn down food?"

"Trying to be optimistic," I teased back.

She riffled through her duffle bag, her face tensing by the second.

"Jeans and a nice top will be fine," I promised, pulling out a shirt and jeans for myself.

"A blue top would look nice," Tyler called innocently from across the room.

Bella lifted a specific finger in response before her eyes caught my shirt. "You brought a button down?"

"Again, optimistic… plus you've met my mother. Do you really think I'd be allowed to leave the house without packing one?"

I let Bella take reign of the bathroom as she threw on some makeup and quickly straightened her hair. In all honestly, we could have just left for the restaurant as soon as she rolled out of bed and she would still look stunning. Nevertheless, I made a point to tell her she looked beautiful as we stepped onto the elevator.

I received a soft hip-bump in response. "You're not too bad yourself there, Cullen."

Her hand found mine, squeezing tight. I didn't let go as we walked the few blocks to the cozy Italian restaurant we walked by every day on the way to the gym. I held the door open, urging a pink-nosed Bella in before me. I gave her arms a quick rub on my way to the hostess podium.

"Reservation for two under Cullen," I told the hostess, pretending to ignore her quick once-over and the fact she was easily twice my age. I reached for Bella's hand as we were led to our table, cracking a grin at the tightness on her face. I gave the hostess a quick thanks as we took our seats.

I grinned as Bella's eyes quickly tracked her retreating form. "You're adorable."

Her attention snapped back to me, cringing as her shoulders hunched. "Sorry."

I reached for her hand, giving a light shake. "Hey, don't be sorry. Honestly, you're really cute when you're jealous."

She shook her head before finally smiling, beautifully and fully as she opened her menu with her free hand. I adjusted my grip, before doing the same. Our waiter made his way by moments later to take our drink order. He was a few years older than us, with blond hair and an athletic build. In all honesty, he could have passed as Mike's brother, all the way to his cocky smile as he assessed Bella. Her hand squeezed tight in mine, drawing my attention. She tilted her head towards our waiter, his pen poised over his notepad.

"Water, please."

He nodded, jotting it down. "I'll be right back with your drinks," he promised Bella with another flashy grin.

Bella slowly pulled her hand from mine, steepling her hands in front of her. "You're adorable."

I released the tension in my shoulders. "Sorry." I cringed.

Her laugh washed over me like a beautiful symphony. As we talked I watched her, drinking in every laugh, every smile, every crinkle of her nose.

Our waiter returned with our drinks, his attention far too fixed on Bella for my comfort.

"What can I get for you?" His leg was nearly pressed in her side as he stood next to her.

Bella slowly inched away, re-opening her menu. "Would you recommend the lasagna or the chicken parm?"

His smile grew. "Oh. The lasagna by far. Its meat to noodle ratio is just – " he made a kissing noise, shooting her a wink.

In all honest, I wasn't jealous. My irritation with him grew as Bella shrunk further away on her seat with every word. I cleared my throat, ready to interject when she snapped her menu shut.

"The chicken parmesan it is," Bella ordered firmly.

Our waiter fumbled his notepad. "Uh, soup or salad?"

"House salad. Please."

He glanced my way. Even in the dim lighting, the flush on his cheeks was unmistakable.

"Chicken Alfredo," I ordered. "French onion soup if you have it."

With a quick nod, he was off, still visibly shaken. Pride swelled in my chest as Bella reached across the table without a thought, lacing her fingers through mine. When he eventually returned to the table with our food, he didn't say a word. We ate in relative silence, grateful to just spend time with each other without all the chaos that usually surrounded us.

Our waiter cleared our plates with a polite and professional attitude. "Would anyone care for dessert?" To his credit his eyes only flickered to Bella as her face lit up, keeping his attention on me as he placed the dessert menu on the table.

Bella offered to split with me, but I didn't have the heart to steal any of it from her. The pure excitement over something so small … I shook my head, letting an easy grin form as I watched her intently looking over her options. She settled on some kind of triple chocolate brownie, and when our waiter stopped by, I added a second one to our order.

We destroyed them destroyed in minutes. The brownies were generous sizes, accompanied by a heaping mound of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Scattered bits of whipped cream were all that remained on the plates. As I paid the bill, I wondered if Bella was going to make it out of the restaurant. Though her face was content, both her hands rested on her full stomach.

"Are you going to make it?" I teased. "You good?"

The scrunch of her nose was adorable as she poked her tongue out. "I may have overestimated myself."

"Worth it?" I asked, helping her slip her coat back on.

Her smile was radiant. "Absolutely."

She gripped her hand and mine as we embarked in the December chill. We barely made it a block away when Bella stopped me in my tracks, wrapping her arms tight around my waist. "Thank you. Honestly, that was perfect."

I looped my arms around her, nestling her close in the cold. "Perfect, huh?"

Her smile grew as she stood on her toes. "Perfect," she whispered, pressing her lips to mine. I grinned, cupping her face and pulling her closer as our first date was officially sealed with a kiss.

:)