Wow, what a response after last chapter. You guys are definitely pleased with the direction things are headed. We heard from several new readers who've just started the story. Welcome to our crazy train.

The song for this chapter is "Take You Away" by Angus & Julia Stone youtu*be/kRSkirrYWUQ. If you consider it from Edward's perspective, it's pretty perfect. The pictease was taken by Georgina. i46*tinypic*com/20fx4l4*jpg Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Thank you to our betas: Karenec, LJ Summers, AshesAshes, and Jakeward.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Learning

Work passed quickly the following day. I was too busy to spend a lot of time thinking about anything but my caseload. Edward and I sent a few texts throughout the day, but for the most part, I was immersed in work. When the alarm I'd set on my phone chimed, I looked up, hardly believing it was already six o'clock. I hurried to finish what I was working on and straightened my desk before heading out of the office.

Edward was in front of my building when I arrived home. He was leaning against his SUV talking on his cell phone to what sounded like a colleague; I couldn't stop the sigh that left me at the sight of him. He really was a gorgeous man, and he was here just for me. I was a lucky woman.

He put his call on hold for a second and greeted me. I grabbed his tie to pull him closer to me so I could kiss him. His hands came to rest on my hips; his kiss thorough and deliberate. When I pulled back, he was smiling down at me, phone still in hand. He brushed a strand of hair away from my cheek and I shivered at the soft touch. He was dressed in a tan suit with a pale blue shirt and navy tie that made him look absolutely incredible and I had to fight back the urge to ask him to come upstairs with me.

"I'll run upstairs, change, and be right back down, okay?" I said,

"Sure. Take your time I'm going to finish this up," he said motioning to his phone. I came straight here from work so I'm a little early."

"Okay."

I hurried quickly into the building and through the lobby, calling out a friendly hello to Jacob. He responded in kind and in no time at all, I was up in my bedroom trying to pick out something to wear. I was annoyed at myself for not planning something earlier; I didn't want to keep Edward waiting.

A quick scan of my wardrobe was enough for me to grab a pair of jeans and a silky pink scoop neck top with just enough ruching along the sides to be flattering. I shook my hair loose from the bun it had been in, fluffing it a little and put on a dab of lip-gloss.

With one last quick glance in the mirror I headed down again, saying goodbye to Jacob who replied with a puzzled look. Edward was waiting where I'd left him, still immersed in something on his phone, but he looked up when I walked out the door. He gave me a slow grin and I felt my heart speed up in my chest.

Quickly ending the call, he said, "You look gorgeous. Ready to go?"

"Ready."

He slipped his phone into his pants pocket before shrugging out of his jacket. We both got in the car and Edward placed it on the seat behind him. It was almost obscene to watch his long fingers tug at his tie and undo the knot. My mouth went dry at the sight of both of his hands wrapped around each end of the tie before he yanked it off. The tie joined the jacket and he began to unbutton his cuffs. He paused halfway through the first one and gave me a questioning look. "What?"

"Nothing." I shook my head to clear the lustful thoughts from it.

He continued to work at the buttons, deftly folding it up his forearms. He moved to the other side but this time as he folded the cuff it bunched up. "Let me," I said, my voice coming out surprisingly husky. He dropped his hand and I leaned over, straightening the shirtsleeve before folding it up his forearm.

"Thank you."

When he leaned over to kiss me again, I didn't hesitate to deepen it. We both reluctantly pulled away after a few moments and Edward's chest rumbled under my hand where my palm was pressed flat against him.

"We should probably get going," he said, sounding just as reluctant as I felt.

"Okay," I agreed. "If we have to." He grinned at me and we headed towards Embarcadero.

~LTOYL~

The charged sexual tension from our earlier kiss slowly dissipated as we drove and was replaced with lighthearted conversation. He told me a funny story he'd overheard from one of the school tours of the museum earlier that day. I laughed until I had to wipe away tears and we were both still chuckling when he pulled into a parking spot on the top floor of the parking garage at Fisherman's Wharf.

When we got out of the SUV, he took my hand and intertwined his fingers through mine. He rubbed his thumb across my palm and I shivered.

"So, what do you have in mind for dinner? What would you like to make?"

I looked up at him apprehensively. "Wait, I thought you were doing the cooking. You know I don't really cook, right?"

He gave me a mischievous look. "But I do. I'll teach you how. What do you want to make?"

"I don't know," I said, feeling completely out of my element.

"Well, what's your favorite food?"

"Um, seafood probably."

"Sounds good."

We walked along the stalls of food, until we found one with fresh fish. He steered me over to it so we could inspect the rows of fresh catch on ice.

"Halibut sounds good to me." I really had no idea what I was looking for but I trusted Edward's judgment. He looked over the white filets laid out, closely and then stepped behind me to wrap his arms around my waist.

He spoke in in my ear. "Hmm. It does sound good and it looks really fresh. How about halibut with ginger and scallions?"

"That sounds fantastic," I said, honestly.

"Do you like mushrooms?"

"Yes."

"I like to serve it with Shiitake mushrooms, brown rice, and maybe some stir fried pea pods on the side."

"That sounds delicious!"

Edward spoke with the fishmonger and had him wrap up two halibut steaks for us. We paid, then wandered until we found someone selling fresh vegetables. We bought what we needed, then turned around to head back to the parking garage. Wondering if he had a bottle of wine to go with dinner, I asked, "Should we see if we can find some—"

A woman's voice cut me off. "Funny seeing you two here."

We both turned toward it to see Leah and Sam standing behind us. Leah had her arms crossed and Sam was smiling broadly.

Edward grinned. "Same goes for you. What are you two up to?"

Sam spoke up, "I convinced Leah to take an evening off so we could go out and do something."

"Sam, I don't think you and Bella have ever officially met," Edward said, gesturing toward the blonde. "Bella, this is Leah's partner, Samantha Uley, but she usually goes by Sam. Sam, this is Bella Swan."

We shook hands and she gave me a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you. I was the one Edward blew off the night you two first met. He disappeared mid-conversation to go over and talk to you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." I chuckled. "I didn't realize Edward was in quite that much of a hurry to hit on me."

"I wasn't hitting on you," he protested. "I was saying hello."

I shook my head in disagreement, but Leah spoke up, "Actually, I think you insulted her drink." Her words came out in a clipped tone.

Sam chuckled and asked, "What are you two doing here, anyway?"

Edward rolled his eyes and held up the bag he was holding. "We're getting ingredients to cook dinner."

Leah's stern face softened marginally. "How are you doing, Bella?

"I'm good." She nodded, her expression still wary. I knew she was protective of Edward and things were still obviously tense between us, but there was no reason we couldn't be civil to one another.

"I haven't seen you at the bar lately, Edward," she commented. "Too busy?"

He shrugged. "I have some big shows coming up."

"I see," she said.

Edward shook his head. "We tried to go to the movies last night, but it didn't really happen."

Sam laughed. "Couldn't leave the bedroom?" She nudged Leah's side, leaning in to whisper in her ear. Leah chuckled, shaking her head.

"No, we were completely enthralled by the sculptures and paintings they had on display in the mezzanine, then we got lost in the theater," I explained." We just gave up eventually and walked around the complex."

"It was a lot of fun," Edward said and I nodded my agreement.

"Glad to hear it." Leah's wary expression relaxed. "Well, you're both welcome to stop in any time."

"I'd like that. We'll try to make it in sometime soon. Truthfully, I've been focusing so much on work and spending time with Edward, I haven't been to a bar or club lately," I said meaningfully. I didn't want her to think I was still going out and picking up other guys and I knew she'd understand what I was hinting at.

Edward squeezed my fingers; clearly, he hadn't missed the unspoken conversation Leah and I were having.

We spent a little while longer talking to Leah and Sam, but they had dinner reservations so they left with apologies and big hugs for Edward. We headed to the car a short while later.

~LTOYL~

"So, you really don't cook at all?" Edward asked, pulling up to the parking spot on the street outside his building and turning his vehicle off. He gathered up the bags from the market in one hand before I could protest. He got out of the SUV and I followed, laughing at his question. He seemed completely perplexed by the idea.

"Well, you saw my disastrous attempts at making a pie. I can make spaghetti though."

"From a jar?" he teased. He punched the access code to the building and I held the door for him.

"No," I protested, "from scratch. Tomatoes, herbs, red wine, and all that."

"You obviously don't eat spaghetti every day; do you usually get takeout?"

"Pretty often," I admitted. "Or I make salad or eggs or something. It's not that I can't assemble a meal or make scrambled eggs. I'm not quite that bad. I just mean I have no real idea how to make a meal from scratch. Spaghetti is all I ever got a chance to learn how to make."

"Who taught you?"

"Carmen, our housekeeper. She was going to teach me more but my mother threw a fit. Said it wasn't 'appropriate'."

Edward frowned. "That's too bad. I actually really enjoy it. I don't find cooking that much different than art, really."

"Are you an artist?" I asked, very curious to learn if he created art as well as curated it.

He shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I can sketch or paint and do a reasonably decent copy of something, but I don't have the creativity. There's no soul to my art. I do better helping other artists showcase their work. I considered opening an art gallery at one point." He unlocked the door to his apartment, depositing the bag from the market on the counter.

"Hmm, that's interesting."

"What about you?" he asked.

"No, I am not artistic in the least."

Edward stepped closer to me and I set my purse down next to the market bags. He wrapped his fingers around my hips and drew me close, leaning back against the counter.

"Well, cooking I can teach you," he promised.

"I'm looking forward to it," I said honestly. He grinned at me and I noticed for the first time that although his teeth were otherwise straight and even, one was slightly crooked, just overlapped the one next to it a tiny bit. I liked it; it made his otherwise almost too perfect features more interesting. I leaned forward to kiss him. His mouth was warm and soft against mine; the kiss unhurried and undemanding. He didn't try to deepen it, or pull me tighter against him. He just kissed me, his thighs on either side of mine, as his thumbs gently circled the skin on my hips where his hands had slipped under my shirt.

I drew back and he beamed at me again. There was always something in Edward's eyes that made it nearly impossible for me not to smile back at him. He always looked so happy, so relaxed.

He kissed my fingertips and sighed. "I suppose I should change into something more comfortable before we start dinner," he said.

"Need any help with that?" I smirked at him, teasingly pulling at the collar of his shirt like I was going to strip him out of it right there and he chuckled.

"I think I can manage, but I'll let you know if I run into any difficulties."

I smiled and stepped away so he could go upstairs. I put the bottle of wine we'd bought into his refrigerator, then wandered across the room to stare out the large arched window set in the brick wall in the dining room. There was nothing but a blank red brick wall opposite it, but it didn't even really register in my vision. I was too busy thinking about the last few days with Edward, and how nice they had been. In a way, I felt like we had turned a corner. I had made a decision to let myself truly enjoy my time with him without holding back.

Edward's life seemed very appealing. Sure, he had stress from work, minor squabbles with co-workers; everyone had bad days. But he seemed so happy; I envied him that. From what I could tell he had a great relationship with his family, good friends, along with a job and a home he loved. I had never met anyone more content or at ease with his own life. I wanted that for myself. I was starting to realize that, although Riley was gone and I probably would never truly move on, I didn't have to live like I had been. My mother certainly was a challenge and no doubt always would be, but my father was wonderful. Yes, I had to tolerate Lauren and Alec at work, but I had a career I loved.

My apartment might occasionally be lonely, but it was a beautiful, comforting place. There were people who cared about me. Vanessa and I might not have shared an incredibly close bond, but she was a loyal friend; I had Jacob to look after me at home, and Edward to rely on when I needed someone. My life might not have been the one I'd envisioned, but it wasn't a bad one either.

Maybe I needed to start appreciating what I had instead of focusing on what was missing.

I turned when I heard Edward walking down the stairs. He'd changed into jeans and a soft blue pullover; his feet were bare and his hair was even more rumpled than usual—no doubt from putting the sweater on.

"Did you enjoy the show?" he asked. He tilted his head up toward the railing and I laughed. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts it hadn't even occurred to me that I would have been able to see him changing up there.

"I'm sorry I missed it. Will there be an encore?"

His lips twitched in a smirk as he came over and kissed my temple. "Possibly. If you're lucky," he teased.

I leaned against him, nodding toward the brick wall. "The windows with no curtains kind of make me uncomfortable," I admitted.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and turned to look outside. "It took some time for me to adjust, but I promise there is absolutely no way for anyone to see into the building," he said. "You see those buildings out there?" He gestured toward them.

"Yes."

"There aren't any windows on that side of the building. It's just a blank brick wall out there. No one can get in between the two buildings."

I walked right up to the window and peered out, looking out toward the ground. "Smart design."

He followed me and stepped behind me, his breath hot against my neck. "I could strip you bare and touch you, right here in front of this window. No one would ever see." I swallowed hard, pressing back against him, shocked at the way the conversation had gone from teasing to heated foreplay. "But, I should get started on dinner," he said as he pulled away from me, his eyes sparkling in amusement. I wanted to throttle him for being such a tease.

"Yes, teach me how to cook," I said, speaking once I'd managed to settle my heart rate to a more even keel.

~LTOYL~

I enjoyed cooking with Edward. He was light-hearted and gave me clear, simple directions. I found myself laughing a lot, and he stopped to kiss me every so often. He was patient when I fumbled with the knife, and showed me how to hold it properly. We prepped everything, then took a seat on the couch with a glass of wine, while the brown rice cooked. We wouldn't begin actually cooking dinner until it was ready. Apparently, brown rice took a great deal longer to cook than white rice. I wasn't complaining though; spending forty-five minutes drinking wine and talking to Edward before we had dinner was hardly a chore.

We discussed local news for a while, and Edward filled me in on the latest gossip in the art world that he was privy to. "It would probably be better if you didn't mention it to anyone," he said, referring to an art forgery scandal at the modern art museum in Chicago. Apparently, he had a friend who worked there who had told him some very hush, hush information that hadn't been released to the public yet.

"Of course," I reassured him. "I won't say a thing."

"Thank you. I'd hate to get a friend in trouble; I just knew you'd find it interesting."

"Very," I said. "I'm pretty good at keeping a secret though."

"Thanks." He squeezed my thigh.

"You know, if the museum curator thing doesn't work out, you'd make a great personal chef," I teased him.

"You seem to want to have me around to wait on you hand and foot," he teased back.

"I wasn't suggesting that you be my personal chef, although, that does have appeal now that you mention it."

"Greedy, Miss Swan," he shook his head at me.

"Mmm, just when it comes to you it seems."

"So what do I get in return for all of this personal attention? Or is it just the privilege of pleasing you?"

"I don't know, what would you want?"

He regarded me speculatively and I wondered what it was he was going to say when he gave me a slow grin. "Hmm, I thought of something."

"Something good, I think. You look awfully smug."

"Very good."

"Well, tell me," I encouraged him; enjoying the teasing little game we were playing.

"I'd love to get you in my shower."

I looked at him in surprise. "I was expecting something a lot more diabolical than that. An elaborate scenario that you'd planned out, maybe."

He shook his head. "Really, I'm quite easy to please."

"I'd be happy to. Honestly, I was eyeing your shower the last time I was here."

The timer on the stove beeped and he sighed. "Apparently, that will have to be shelved until later. Let's make dinner."

We read through the recipe together and he pointed out a few things I needed to be sure to pay attention to. With Edward guiding me, I did most of the work and I was inordinately pleased with myself when it was done.

When we were sitting at the table with beautifully cooked fish, vegetables, rice, and an amazing glass of an off-dry Riesling, I beamed at him. "I'm glad we did this. This is wonderful."

"Me, too. You did a great job."

"With your help, thanks. Hopefully it tastes good."

"It will." He took a bite, praising me after, which made me feel incredibly proud of myself.

For some reason Edward's compliments really meant a lot, and the glow of his praise lasted well through dinner as we talked and ate.

Dessert was fresh, ripe peaches sliced in half and baked with honey. We topped it with whipped mascarpone cream and a fresh raspberry. It was decadent but not heavy and surprisingly easy to make. This time, I let Edward have the last bite and when he kissed me after, his mouth tasted like fruit and honey.

After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen. Most things went into the dishwasher but he washed a few of the pans and knives by hand. I dried them with a soft towel and inspected the pan for a moment. I knew almost nothing about kitchen equipment, but everything seemed very nice. Edward struck me as someone who appreciated quality and I had a feeling everything he owned was made to last; more about function than show. I'd met far too many men who seemed to think that expensive brands and flashy items were all that mattered. I really respected that Edward was nothing like that.

When we finished the dishes, he topped off our glasses of wine.

"Would you like to watch something?" He gestured toward the television in the living room.

"Sure, what were you thinking?"

"There's a documentary on Renaissance art I've been dying to watch," he offered and I eagerly agreed.

"I'd like that."

As we settled onto the couch to watch it, I felt the stress of the past few weeks melt away. It was a fascinating analysis of Renaissance sculpture, but with a couple of glasses of wine in me, and the warm, comforting feel of Edward's arms around me, I began to drift off to sleep.

"Mmm, I'm tired." I yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open. "I should probably head home."

"You could take a nap with me," he coaxed. I wasn't usually a napping sort of person, but I didn't protest when he shifted onto his back pulling a warm, soft blanket over us both. My head was on his chest and I could hear his steady heartbeat under my ear. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and he kissed the top of my head softly. I was warm and comfortable; it didn't take long at all for my eyes to close and for me to fall asleep completely. The last thing I was aware of was the sound of his breathing and his thumb gently rubbing circles on my upper arm.

Sometime later, I woke up. Disoriented and still half-asleep I lifted my head to look around. In the dim light filtering in through the windows, I could see the railing from the loft and the top of the arched window. I realized I must be in Edward's place, in his bed. But where was he? I sleepily patted around beside me, but the sheets were cold and still pulled up on the other side of the bed.

The apartment was silent and dark, yet I still felt comfortable and safe. Edward must have carried me up here, but where was he sleeping?

I rose up on my elbows, calling out softly, "Edward? Are you there?"

A moment later, I heard a whispered reply from the other room.

"Always."

Reassured, I laid back down and fell asleep for the rest of the night.

Don't ask me why but I can hear "Strangers in the Night" playing in the background right now. Aww, such a sap. Discordia and I both just want to thank you all for the support and encouragement. We have had so much fun writing this story. Just so you know, this is the official halfway marker.

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