I DON'T OWN THE RIGHTS TO TWILIGHT OR ANY RESEMBLANCE THERE OF.

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Chapter 25

Giggles

(Bella POV)

Ang and Jess were arriving in a few days and Edward and I were busy packing. It was a strange sort of existence. Half in one apartment, half in another, and half packed and half unpacked. It wouldn't be for much longer, although six or so weeks did seem like a long time when living in limbo. For some reason Edward insisted on renting out a storage space instead of using the first floor. His excuse was "it's damp down there," it seemed like an unnecessary luxury to me, but then again I wasn't the one who kept driving back and forth from the Queens storage location to drop off stuff, that was left to poor Bill.

It was Wednesday, and the girls were coming in on Thursday night. I was going to call a cab for them, but Edward insisted on sending Bill to get them which was of course, incredibly sweet. I wanted to meet them at the airport but honestly, with all the recent days off I had been taking (and would be taking in the future), my boss was getting annoyed with me. Although I had inklings about starting my own biz, I wasn't there yet. I still needed my job at the bakery. So I made sure that Jackie would be there Thursday night to let them into my apartment and get them settled. I'd meet the three of them at our first stop on the great wedding dress hunt on Friday morning.

When I got back to Edward's (didn't 100% feel like my place yet), I called Ang's cell. They were stuck in traffic and hadn't gotten to the apartment yet… typical. I told her to call me when they finally got there and started to whip something up for dinner. Zeus had other plans though and ran to the hook near the elevator to grab his leash in his mouth and sit in front of me whimpering – a subtle hint. Edward's neighborhood wasn't 'bad,' but it was notoriously empty, and I never liked walking around there alone. Zeus made walking the deserted streets easy and I think it eased Edward's always protective mind too.

When I got back upstairs the phone was ringing. I ran to get it.

"Hi angel."

"Hi," I said panting.

"You ok? You sound out of breath."

"Ya, just took Zeus for a walk."

"Ahh, ok. Just calling to say that I was leaving in a few minutes, and don't bother with making dinner, I made reservations."

"Reservations? Where?"

"Alice was raving about some place a friend of hers opened, she said it was wonderful."

"Oh ok. What time is our reservation?"

"8:30."

"I think I can make myself presentable by then."

"See you soon angel."

I hung up, fed Zeus, made a cup of tea, and went to the closet to figure out something to wear. Since Paris, Alice had become my personal fashion guru. She had outfits hanging in both apartments with pictures and directions attached. It felt a little silly sometimes, but she enjoyed it and I really loved not having to think about things like 'outfits.' I once confronted her about spending so much money on my clothing; shouldn't I at least contribute to the cause I said? She told me I was insane and that if she weren't buying clothes for me, she would have to move to a bigger apartment to make room, so in reality I was saving her money by keeping her rent down. I didn't quit see it that way, or really understand what she was talking about, but no matter what I said or did I couldn't stop her from buying me the outfits that magically appeared in the closets.

I finally decided on a cotton navy blue eyelet dress. It had a boatneck and a simple shape that flared at the waist and stopped just above the knee. Alice had it paired with a thin yellow shawl, and a pair of flat silver thong sandals. Perfect. That decided, I finished my tea, stripped and went to take a shower. I still had flour on my arms and some chocolate on my ankle, although I had no idea how I had managed that. I turned on the water, checked the temperature, and stepped in.

(Edward POV)

Zeus met me at the elevator tail wagging. After a moment of male bonding, I made my way to the bedroom. I heard the shower running and decided that I desperately needed a shower suddenly. I stripped quickly but silently, walked into the bathroom, and opened the shower stall to a very surprised Bella.

"Geez you scared me!" She had shampoo running down her forehead heading straight for her left eye. I took a washcloth and wiped it away. "Thanks," she said.

"Welcome," then I kissed her wet, warm lips.

I pushed her back so she was in the water stream and tilted her head back slightly to wash away the rest of the shampoo. With her head back, her chest pushed forward and her nipples pressed into my chest. I could feel myself getting hard. Every inch of her body was sparkling with water and the steam mixed her natural heat was incredibly intoxicating.

As she righted her head to look at me, I saw a familiar glint in her eyes. She turned me around and placed me under the showerhead. As the water enveloped me, her hand slipped down and grabbed my shaft. Pressed up against me, her hand moved slowly and evenly, up and down, making me harder with every stroke.

She stopped and reached for the body wash. She squeezed some into her hand and then started cleaning me - rubbing the gel into my body in firm circles. Starting with my chest, she didn't miss an inch. She kneeled down to my thighs and calves, then back up to my shoulders and neck. She turned me around and rubbed my back, shoulders, and reached down to grab my ass. It was a un-Bella move, but the feeling of her little hand grabbing me so forcefully made me growl deep in my chest.

I turned around and as much as I wanted to wash her, there was another need came first. My hand cupped her mound, and just as thought, it was hotter than usual. God that heat she radiated - it did terribly things to me. I traced her slit with my pointer finger and when I heard her moan, I slipped it in.

Bella was wet, but not with water. She wrapped her arms around me and propped her leg up, letting it lean against my waist. I pumped my finger in and out and as much as she was enjoying it, I desperately wanted to hear her come for me. I found her clit and rubbed gently, making her squirm against my body. She was losing balance but I didn't want to stop. I opened the shower door, picked her up around the waist and placed her on the counter by the sink. She winced when her ass touched the cool marble, but the second I found her clit again, she didn't care.

I leaned over and sucked on her nipple as I kept circled and playing with her clit. I was so hard and all I wanted to do was feel her heat around me, but I wanted her to come for me more.

"Edward, please, just fuck me."

I wanted to so badly, but not until she came. I didn't answer, I just kept at it, sucking and rubbing, sucking and rubbing. I could hear and feel her breathing get louder and heavier, her knees closed in around me - she was close.

I lifted my head and whispered into her ear "the sooner you come angel, the sooner I'll fuck you." I bit down on her ear lobe, she moaned something that sounded like my name, and I felt her release, my dick twitched for her as my hand became slick.

I took her off the counter, turned her around, and as she bent over lifting her ass in the air for me, I thrust into her wet, hot entrance and groaned in relief. I needed to feel this around me. I needed to feel her slick walls rubbing against my shaft. The mirrors were foggy, but I could just make out our shapes and see the movement of our bodies as I rocked in and out of her. I took her hips in my hands and pulled myself deeper into her with every move.

"Yes Edward, yes," she moaned.

The heat was so intense. Between her core and the steam, I was overwhelmed with it. Sweat was stinging my eyes, but nothing would make me stop - she felt too good to stop. She screamed out as her walls contracted around me and I could feel she had come again. I started thrusting faster, letting her moisture lubricate my motions. My body tensed. As I advance into her once more, I came and rested my head on her back.

I like that, resting on her until my legs weren't shaking anymore - then I slowly pulled away. Looking at my angel, wet and naked, leaning over the counter, her creamy white ass taunting me, I was reminded how lucky I was… and how badly I wanted her again.

She slowly stood up and turned around. She was so stunning – dripping wet, her hair covering her left breast, trickling water down her stomach, pooling at her belly button then trickling down between her legs. She had a sultry and satisfied look on her face. All I would need was one well placed kiss and I swear I could have taken her again and again. Instead she took my hand and led me back into the shower.

(Bella POV)

It was terribly unfair that he got me all hot and bothered and wanting more BEFORE dinner, but I realized that nothing was stopping me from continuing the activities AFTER dinner. After the second shower, we dried off and got dressed. Edward wore a pair of black linen trousers, black leather sandals, and a white button down shirt - he looked sexy as always. I put myself together, threw on some makeup and went out to meet him.

He smiled as I walked toward him and said "you look beautiful angel, as always." Just then I thought of something and ran back to the bedroom.

Going out to dinner like this reminded me of Paris, and Paris reminded me of the jewelry that I hadn't worn since then. Because of the constant cooking, I rarely wore my engagement ring either. So I put on the ring, found the matching bracelet and walked back out.

"Can you put this on?" I asked handing him the aquamarine and diamond bracelet.

He beamed when he saw I had put on my ring and after he fumbled with the clasp for bit, he kissed my wrist and led me to the car waiting outside.

The restaurant was lovely, just a small place in Greenwich Village. It was dimly lit, had hand written menus and a wonderful wine list. As we read at the bottom of the menu's, the food was all seasonal and came from local farms, therefore the menu changed from week to week. As soon as we were settled Alice's friend came to greet us. She told the waiters to take extra care of us, and that desert was on the house.

Instead of ordering ourselves, we just asked her to bring us whatever was good that day. The feast that followed was amazing! Savory tarts, amazing salads, fish so fresh it was practically wriggling, and the desserts were stellar. Homemade sorbets and cookies, and a killer chocolate mousse. I tried to pry the recipe out of her, but she told us that her husband, the chef, would never part with it.

Throughout dinner, Edward would look at my hand, touch it gingerly, kiss my ring finger, and kiss the back of my wrist where the clasp of my bracelet rested. I felt so special, so loved, and so beautiful. I felt… worshipped. Every kiss made me burn a little more. His copper-pot hair shimmered in the dim lighting and he looked at me like I was the most precious object on the planet, and that night I felt like it.

When dinner was finished, and after many thanks and promises to return, we left and got in the car. The electricity between us was palpable, all we needed was a spark and we'd combust. I placed my hand on his thigh and stroked it gently. SIZZLE! He kissed my neck and trailed his hand to my breast, which he squeezed through my dress. I threw my head back and let him kiss and squeeze all the way home.

When the car stopped in front of Edward's building, we shot out. While we were waiting for the elevator, I could have sworn I heard someone shouting in Spanish from the ground floor of the building, I even thought I saw a glimmer of light from under the gate, but Edward's kiss distracted me as he twirled me into the elevator. As soon as the door opened Zeus was waiting, leash in mouth, wanting to be taken out. He would have to wait…

I unbuttoned Edward's shirt as we stepped out of our shoes. My shawl fell to the floor, and while Edward was fiddling with his pants button, we started moving to the bedroom, in an odd and clumsy dance. Once we reached our destination, all remaining clothes were taken off and we collapsed onto the bed, a tangled partnership of bare flesh.

"I couldn't wait to get home," he said breathlessly. "You looked so amazing tonight," he continued. "I love seeing the ring on your finger, it makes me…"

Not that I didn't love hearing him speak, his voice always turned me on, but I wanted more than a turn-on just then, "less talking Edward."

He took the hint. He placed my legs over his shoulders and in one swift move, entered me. He felt so good. In that position he could go deep, all the way into me, and I loved it. I loved feeling his pelvis pressed against mine. I loved the way he would grind into me, smashing our bodies as close as possible - making sure no space was left. I loved the way he towered over me, letting me take in every long lean muscle of his body - the way he kissed my leg… the way he looked at me.

He was gently rocking back and forth inside me and the friction was making me groan. It was driving me mad. I wanted more. I wanted him to thrust into me madly - to make me scream, but he kept at his pace. As he slowly started moving faster and faster I could feel myself tightening.

I didn't want it to stop though, I wanted him inside me for hours and days, but then he said "come with me angel," in that smooth quiet voice, we reached the edge together and fell as one.

*****

The next morning Alice wanted us all at breakfast early. It had something to do with letting food settle so that I wasn't bloated while trying on dresses… she really did think of everything. We were meeting at Balthazar at 7:30am and since I had Bill go pick up the girls and Jackie, I decided to walk. It was a beautiful morning and wasn't terribly far away. I got up at 6:30, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and remembering that Alice said I should wear something easy to get in and out of, I slipped on a cotton skirt, a t-shirt and my good ol' converse. I threw a few things in my bag, put my hair in a ponytail, slapped on some lip gloss and was ready to go. Edward was asleep and I didn't want to wake him, so I kissed his hand and left him a quick note:

Thanks for the extra 'boost' I needed to make it through today,

Love, Bella.

I got to Balthazar just a few minutes late and everyone was there except for Renee of course – I couldn't remember the last time she was actually on time for something. We were seated and drank coffee and tea while we waited, and when Renee showed up at 7:55, we ordered greedily. Breakfast was amazing, and I was supremely glad Alice had scheduled some time before our first dress appointment, because I was stuffed.

Our first appointment was at 10am, and we had about forty-five minutes to waste, so we walked aimlessly until we got to the first stop, some designer's studio. The designer had some Nordic name that I couldn't even pronounce and although Alice swore up and down that she was the newest and hottest name in wedding designers, I couldn't imagine myself in a single dress I saw or tried on.

All the dresses were admirable feats of construction, I could say that much. They were… architectural dresses – odd angles, bits of fabric shaped by wires that jutted out, cutouts in odd places, some were even hand painted, which was a lovely idea, but when the word 'wife' is stamped across your ass in black lettering, it takes away from the romance somehow. We very obviously left with nothing.

Our next appointment wasn't until 2pm, so we had a light Sushi lunch and made our way to the second shop. It was a nice enough place, but the dresses were of the huge and over-the-top variety. Everything had beads, miles of tulle, huge hoop skirts, piles of satin, and every other trick in the book. I felt like Scarlett O'Hara in every single dress and not in a good way. They were all awful and luckily everyone else agreed.

The final place of the day was huge, and the place where Alice had found her dress. We were all hopeful. We saw lots of lovely wonderful dresses and one of them even came close to being a favorite. It was a cream antique lace dress - it was simple and pretty. It was also dull though. It had no sizzle, it didn't sing to me.

I knew I was getting overly romantic about the whole dress thing, but at least I wasn't alone. Everyone felt the same way I did. At the end of day one, we were tired and I for one had had it with dresses. I was ready to have Jackie throw together another Greek Goddess dress and he would have been thrilled to oblige. Of course, there were two more places to see, and more torture to endure.

The next day we weren't getting together until after lunch - so Ang, Jess and I hung out in Brooklyn. We watched TV, ate cookies, gossiped and acted like we were in High School again. It was wonderful. Jackie joined us and we all did each other's nails, terribly I might add, and regretfully got ourselves together when it was time to meet in the city. We jumped on R train and made our way into Manhattan.

The fourth stop on the wedding dress express was yet another designer's studio: Vera Wang. I must have been the only woman in the world who wasn't thrilled to be walking in there. Every dress we saw was stunning, truly stunning, but nothing stood out for me. There were a few dresses that everyone gasped at when I walked out of the fitting room, and while I agreed they were wonderful, I didn't hear that signing, not one single dress screamed 'pick me!' Alice was sure that I was the only woman on the planet who couldn't find a dress I wanted at Vera Wang and I was pretty sure she was right.

By then we were all beat. We had seen thousands of dresses, and I had tried on at least forty of them. The last place was small and unassuming. It was a new Bridal Salon, in a second floor walk-up in the fashion district. It did not look promising. The building was rundown and the staircase was decrepit. There was a big heavy steel door with a hand written sign that said:

Peach

A Wedding Salon

We rang the bell and could hear someone running to the door. A very nice Russian woman with a heavy accent answered and let us in. Whatever we were expecting, it wasn't what we saw. The place was charming - it looked more like your crazy Aunt Annie's living room than a wedding dress salon. There were old velvet couches, Persian rugs, and a silver tea service waiting for us. The dresses were everywhere - on antique mannequins, hanging from elaborate satin hangers against the walls, in old glass book cases… it was like stepping into another world, I felt like Alice through the looking glass and I loved it – so did everyone else.

The Russian woman, Natalya, turned out to be the owner and quite a character herself. She was straight out of central casting and if you had told me she was a palm reader from a long line of Gypsies, I would have believed you too. In reality, she was just a woman with a really good eye for unique and charming dresses, and decided that what the city needed was something different, and different is what we got. Every dress we saw had something special about it. Either it was an interesting color, had some lovely detail, was hand painted, or made with some stunning fabric. This was more like it!

Since the store was new and she didn't have any other customers that day we took our time. We looked at every dress and ooo'd at everything I tried on. The dresses were fit for Jane Austen characters, Russian princesses, and Victorian ladies - I loved them all.

There was one dress though that stood out from the rest. I had noticed it the second I walked in. It was being housed in a glass front cabinet and it framed the dress perfectly. It was sleeveless and the dress floated away from the bust down. The skirt was white, but the top was cream lace. Right in the center was a large peach colored flower with a white satin ribbon coming from it. It said 'I'm getting married at sunset in Provence, and aren't I perfect.'

I had Natalya bring me the dress and what I hadn't seen from the front was how whimsical it was from the back. There was an even larger peach flower in the back, and falling from it was the train, just slightly longer then the dress. I never would have thought that something that girly and pretty would have appealed to me, but it was perfect.

When I tried it on, it sang to me! I knew we had found the dress. If I had any doubts, they were all erased when I saw the tears in my Mother's eyes and the expression on all my loved ones faces. I made an appointment for the first fitting, Alice put down the deposit (her wedding gift to me of course), and we left high on wedding dress cheer.

The next day Alice had made mani-pedi's appointments for us all followed by lunch. The weekend had been exhausting but in the end worth all of it. After lunch I took the car with Jess and Ang to the airport. We said our tearful goodbye's, there was a good chance that we wouldn't be seeing each other until the wedding and that was a long ways away.

I got back to Edward's a little sad, but excited too – never one to gush over clothes, I found I was having daydreams about my dress and even about the wedding. I had never been the little girl who dreamed about her wedding day. I was certainly making up for it though. I even let myself giggle with abandon from time to time.

*****

Lemony goodness for one and all right?

Here is the pic of the dress:

http://www(dot)clairepettibone(dot)com/bridal/?cp=gowns/sil-empire (it's the "Larissa" gown)

If that doesn't work, check out Claire Pettibone's website, and look up the "Larissa" wedding dress, all of her stuff is gorgeous and dreamy. The dress shop is not real unfortunately, but it should be!

I thought I would be doing the cake studio in this chapter, but between the sexy sexy times and the dress shopping, I thought I'd leave it for the next chapter, can you handle the antici…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pation?