Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 21: San Diego

Edward

I had been running around all morning finalizing the details of my upcoming trip to San Diego. I was only going for a few days to find a place to live before I officially moved the following month, but it seemed like there was a ton of stuff to do in preparation.

I walked into the small café and looked around for Bella. Things between us had been amazing since we reconciled last week. I was late for our lunch date due to an abnormally long delay on the phone with the airline. I hated being late, especially since Bella was on her lunch break and would have limited time.

I finally saw her sitting at a table by the side window and rushed over to her. She smiled brightly when she saw me and stood up to kiss me when I got close.

She looked absolutely stunning. She had on a fitted, sleeveless, navy blue dress that stopped right above her knees. It hugged her curves and accentuated her gorgeous body. Her hair was pulled back in the front but hung loosely in the back.

"Hi babe," I said as I leaned in for a kiss. "Sorry I'm late. It's been a hectic morning."

"It's okay. I just got here anyway. So, what's had you so busy this morning?"

She reached across the table and grabbed my hands, her thumbs rubbing circles in my palms.

"I decided to go to San Diego this weekend to look for a place to live." I was excited about my plans, but it was bittersweet.

Her face fell slightly, hinting at her disappointment.

I pulled my hands away and reached into my pocket, grabbing a folded piece of paper. I laid it on the table and slid it across to her.

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

"Open it." I nodded toward the paper on the table.

She took it and unfolded it, taking care to inspect it as she went.

"An itinerary?" she asked.

"Yes. Yours. I want you come with me," I said, smiling as I waited for her response.

"Are you serious?" She looked shocked.

"Absolutely, I'd love it if you'd help me find a place to live. I want you to be a part of it. Plus, the weather is great so it'll be like a mini vacation."

I hoped she'd be willing to come with me. Not only would I miss her if she didn't, but I wanted the place I lived to feel like a second home for her. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I wanted Bella in my new life, and this was the first step.

"That sounds like fun, but are you sure?"

I couldn't read her facial expression, which worried me. "Of course I'm sure. I want you there."

She smiled, putting me at ease."Okay, then I'd love to go. We could use a little time away again."

I smirked at her. "Yeah, we do tend to make the most of vacations."

"Yes, we do." This time she smirked back at me.

As we were landing in San Diego, I looked out the window at what would become my new home, and it looked foreign – nothing was familiar. I wondered if I would enjoy the city and my new job. It all seemed incomprehensible.

Bella was a huge comfort, and I was really glad she came. I needed her here. I hadn't let myself think about actually moving until this point, and it suddenly seemed to real, making me anxious. We landed mid-morning on Friday, so the sun was hot as it danced across the water. I quickly gathered our stuff, got the rental car situated, and, after a few wrong turns, we were on our way to the hotel.

It was warm and sunny, something we weren't used to in Seattle, so we put the top down on our convertible, fully taking in the scenery. I loved watching Bella as the wind whipped the tendrils of her hair that had escaped her ponytail. She smiled into the warm breeze and closed her eyes as if she didn't have a care in the world. I loved seeing her so carefree. I really hoping she liked San Diego. Hell, I hoped I did, too.

I found a great hotel, located right on the bay, with sweeping views of the bay. The view from our room was no exception. The bay was calm, and boats sailed peacefully along the water. The sun glistened and reflected off the water, looking like crystals. There were no waves, and the water lapped gently along the shore. Behind the hotel along the shoreline, there was a boardwalk that stretched the entire length of the bay and people were jogging and biking by. It was exactly how I pictured it to be.

"This place is beautiful," Bella said as she took in the sights from the balcony of our room.

"You're beautiful." I slipped my arms around her as I stood behind her.

She hummed and leaned back against me. It was really peaceful.

"I'm so glad you're here with me, Bella," I said as I kissed the top of her head.

Her hair smelled sweet, and I buried my face in it to take it all in. She shimmied closer to me, rubbing against my body. The caveman in me wanted to throw Bella down on the bed and take her right then, but I knew I should wait.

"Mmm, me too." she mumbled as she rested her head back against my shoulder.

"Since it's early, I thought we could grab some lunch, and then I have a surprise for you." I was excited to visit the places I'd researched and heard about.

"A surprise? Oh no." She looked concerned as she turned around to face me, still locked in my arms.

"Trust me. It's a fun surprise," I said, kissing her nose. "You'll need to change clothes, though. You're gonna be hot."

She acquiesced, which I knew she hated to do given her feelings about surprises, and changed into a sundress and sandals. I put on some shorts and a t-shirt, and we headed out.

There was a restaurant across the street from the hotel that the concierge had recommended. Instead of being on the bay, it was on the ocean, and the waves crashed into the shore, giving it just as spectacular a view as we had from the hotel. The beach was filled with people, all bronzed and relaxed. There was a boardwalk on the ocean side, too, and we watched the eclectic mix of people pass by as we ate.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" I asked, smirking at Bella across the table.

"This isn't it?" she asked, confused.

"Nope. I have something else."

She laughed nervously. "Okay, I have faith in you."

"I found out about a bar right on the bay where they have live music in the afternoons. It's all outside, so we can enjoy the weather. The band today is a reggae band called Common Sense. I looked them up online, and they look pretty good, and since I know you're all about reggae, I thought you'd love it. Plus, we can also take a boat there from the dock behind our hotel." I waited to see her response. It wasn't a big deal, but I thought she'd like it.

"Are you kidding? How fun! You really went to a lot of trouble for this trip. Thanks for doing that," she said enthusiastically. "But, what about house hunting? Wasn't that the point of this trip?"

"We'll do that tomorrow. I want us to relax today. It's important to me that you like San Diego. If I'm going to be here, I want you here, too." I took her hands across the table, and she gave me a warm smile.

I had several condos lined up for us to check out the following day. Normally I hated doing stuff like this, but I looked forward to going out with Bella as a couple and getting her opinion on the living arrangements. I was hoping it would help me make my case for her joining me frequently, if not permanently.

We hadn't talked about what would happen when I moved other than a few casual mentions. It was the elephant in the room, but I didn't really know how to handle it. I wanted desperately to have her move to San Diego with me, but I didn't know if I had a right to ask that. I didn't know how to bring it up considering we hadn't been together that long. It was either she moved or we had a long distance relationship, which would be less than ideal. The timing couldn't have been worse. I felt like I had finally gotten what I wanted, and it was going to be taken away from me.

She looked down at our joined hands and sighed lightly.

"Edward…I can't…" her brow creased "…I want this weekend to be fun. Can we just have fun?"

We couldn't put that conversation off forever, but I could let it go for the time being. I wanted her to enjoy this day, so I dropped it. Still, her reluctance worried me.

We passed through the lobby of the hotel and out onto the docks where the boat that would take us to the bar would be pulling in any minute. The water taxi arrived, and we had to laugh. It was an old paddle-wheel boat like you'd see on the Mississippi River and seemed hopelessly out of place in San Diego. It had two levels, and we climbed to the top deck.

We held onto the railing, with me hugging her from behind as the boat crept across the bay, making a few stops along the way. San Diego was a nice enough city, but it didn't matter much to me as I was quickly realizing my home was with Bella.

We finally arrived at the dock across the bay, and the sound of reggae music permeated the air. Bella was like a child in line at Disneyland, bouncing up and down with the music as we made our way up the dock to the entrance. It felt good to accomplish my mission of seeing her relaxed and happy, and her enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

The bar was all outside and had thatch roof umbrellas located all around to provide shade from the intense heat. Sand covered the floor, and we had to take off our shoes to walk comfortably. It looked like it could have been located somewhere in the Caribbean.

We grabbed some drinks and made our way to a table by the dance floor.

The afternoon was spent lounging and dancing in the sun, while listening to the live music. The band was really good, and even when we weren't dancing, we thoroughly enjoyed the music. The bay was right behind the stage and provided the ideal backdrop as the sun sank in the sky.

Exhausted from being in the sun all day, we returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner.

"Care to join me in the shower?" I asked Bella playfully. I could definitely get a second wind if she joined me.

"Absolutely. Do you think I'd pass up an opportunity to see you naked?" She walked past me toward the bathroom, pulling her dress over her head as she walked. I followed her like a puppy, gawking at how beautiful and confident she was.

We finished stripping and showered, caressing each other gently. It wasn't about the sex, but more about the touching. I felt loved and wanted to shower her with love as well. What should have been a ten-minute shower was stretched out to almost thirty minutes as we kissed and held each other under the guise of getting clean.

Bella locked herself in the bathroom to get ready for dinner, and after spending an ungodly amount of time, she emerged. The end result made the wait completely worthwhile. She looked stunning, and it took my breath away.

She was wearing an emerald green, sleeveless dress that set off her sun-kissed skin beautifully. Her cheeks and shoulders had a slightly red tint from the sun – just enough to make her look healthy and flushed. The dress was short and showed off her toned legs.

We took a cab to a restaurant I found online, not wanting to drive and deal with parking in a strange place. The pictures didn't do it justice. It sat right along the water's edge on the bay downtown with a view of the city skyline and the ships on Coronado Island. The lights of the buildings and the aircraft carriers reflected in the water.

We were seated at a table by the window and ordered a bottle of wine.

I looked into her eyes. "This is going to sound really corny, but I'm really happy. It's still hard for me to accept. I mean, I spent all this time as just your friend, and I wish I'd made a move sooner. I honestly never knew I could be this happy."

She raised her glass to mine in a toast.

"I'm happy, too. I've done a lot of thinking about things with us. Probably more than you realize. And I'm just so thankful you opened my eyes to what is possible and that you persevered through all my doubts."

"You were worth it. I love you, Bella. More than I ever thought I could love anyone. I didn't ever think I could feel this way." I fidgeted with my wine glass, unused to spilling my emotions so openly.

"I love you, too." She was looking down as well. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

I wanted to ask her once again to move to San Diego with me, but I didn't feel like the timing was right and, honestly, I was scared she'd say no.

"I don't want to be without you." It was the one thing that scared me about this move. It pained me to think of leaving her. Part of me was worried I'd lose her, but the thought was so upsetting I wouldn't allow myself to think about it. I had to hold onto hope.

"Hey," she said softly, her gaze sincere and encouraging. "I don't want to spend the time we have left together being sad. We'll figure it all , you've worked so hard for this, and I'm so proud of you. Let's focus on why we're here. I want to celebrate your accomplishment, not worry about everything."

I was struck at how selfless she was by thinking about me in all of this, and all I wanted in that moment was to see her happy. "Okay, let's just enjoy this night."

We spent the rest of dinner talking effortlessly about everything except what we really needed to discuss. We joked and laughed like we always did. Everything had been so natural and easy between us since we had given in to our feelings. It was surprising to me because I'd never experienced anything like it, but being a couple had only enhanced what we had. It was perfect.

As we walked into the hotel room after dinner, I dropped the rental car keys on table, making a loud crashing sound. Bella walked past me and fell onto the bed, kicking off her shoes and lying back onto the plush comforter, exhausted.

"I'm so tired." She sighed and stretched her arms above her head.

"Me, too. It was a long day." I unbuttoned and removed my shirt as I crossed the room toward her.

I sat down on the bed, kicked off my shoes and pulled off my pants, leaving only my boxers. I lay down next to her and kissed her gently.

"You give the best kisses," she whispered as her hands came up into my hair.

"Let me help you with that dress," I said, lifting her up so I could reach the zipper in the back.

I slowly pulled the zipper down, revealing her creamy back to me. I slid the dress off her shoulders, kissing as I went. Once she was out of the dress, she walked over to my suitcase and fumbled through it, wearing only a lacy bra and g-string underwear. I suddenly didn't feel as exhausted as I felt a minute ago.

She finally found a t-shirt of mine and slid it on over her head. It fell loosely to her thighs. I liked seeing her in it almost as much as the bra and panties that preceded it. Almost.

Obviously noticing my reaction, she asked, "Do you mind if I wear this?" Then she pulled that magic trick that all girls know how to do - getting her bra off without taking off her shirt. I really loved that trick. There was something undeniably sexy about knowing she had nothing on underneath.

"Do I mind? Hell no! You look hot in my shirt. You can wear it anytime," I replied, lying on the bed with my hands behind my head, staring at her.

"It's just so hot, and everything I have is so restrictive." She walked into the bathroom, grabbed a clip and threw her hair up loosely.

"Like I said, it's more than fine with me." I propped myself up on my elbows. "Come over here. You're too far away."

I patted the bed next to me, and she crawled up on her hands and knees, looking sexy as hell.

My legs were outstretched on the bed as she straddled me. Her arms came to rest on my shoulders as her hands clasped behind my neck, resting her forehead against mine. I was certain she could feel my obvious arousal as I noted how quickly my body responded to her.

"You've got to be the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. Do you know that?" she asked, smiling, as she ran her hands through my hair.

"I'm glad you think so." I felt elated that my girl thought I was so attractive.

"I do. All those other girls can eat their hearts out." She rubbed against me in the most delicious way.

"Baby, I'm all yours." I sighed, not able to resist kissing her neck and softly rubbing her back.

"Yes, you are, and don't you forget it."

She slowly moved her hips, grinding into me in response to my kisses. My cock was throbbing in my boxers. She was so tantalizing, and my body ached for her.

"Let me make love to you," I whispered, my breaths shallow.

"I'd love nothing better than for you to make me yours," she replied, continuing her hip movements.

I reached down for the hem of her shirt and lifted it off her, revealing her beautiful breasts.

Moving her off to my side, I hitched my thumb under the waistband of her panties and lowered them, her knees bending to help me. She pulled my boxers off, and we were both completely naked.

I rolled over her so she was beneath me, my weight resting on my elbows. Using my knee, I pushed her legs apart and positioned myself between them.

She wrapped her arms and legs around my back and pulled me close for a deep kiss.

"I want you inside of me," she whispered into my ear.

Needing the same thing, I slowly pushed into her, reveling in the feeling of being completely enveloped by her heat. Her body, slick with arousal, grasped my cock tightly, taking any semblance of self-control that I had left.

"So good," she murmured, lost in the moment.

Our bodies moved in a steady rhythm with each other, pushing and pulling, demanding release. I felt her walls tighten around my cock, and I knew she was close. Continuing to slide in and out of her, I watched as she exploded from the force of her orgasm. The sight of her sent me spiraling over the edge, and I exploded into her.

"Jesus Christ! That was so intense." I could barely speak through my gritted teeth.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?" she asked, still flush from her orgasm.

"Not enough, baby. I love hearing you say it."

She put her hand up to my cheek and turned my face to look directly into her eyes. Her eyes were burning into mine.

"I love you, Edward."

I'd never get tired of hearing that.

"I love you too, Bella."

I kissed her softly as she got up to go to the bathroom, grabbing my t-shirt on the way.

When she returned, she snuggled up close to me and rubbed my chest gently as I closed my eyes.

"I wish I could stay like this all night, but I'm exhausted. Plus, we have a busy day tomorrow."

"I know. It's just so nice to lay with you. You make me really happy."

I could quickly feel her breathing slow. She lay asleep on my chest as I caressed her hair and gently rubbed her back.

She belonged here in my arms.

A/N: So, we're getting somewhere. I hope you enjoyed this one!

Thanks to my peeps this week – Viola Cornuta, my beta, and ellierk, Dana1779 and Sunfeathers, my pre-readers. You guys make this worth it.

Please leave me some love. I love reading all your reviews! It's the only way I know you're reading!

Next up, house hunting…