Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The original plot and storyline of Never Enough, however, belong to me. Please be nice and don't copy or translate without permission. Thank you.

Love, spanks and dirty Rob pics to my betas Iadorepugs and Cullen_Crazy01, who hold my hand when I'm freaking out and slap me upside the head when I need it. And cuddles to Billi Cullen, who pre-reads and offers words of encouragement when I need it most. Love you all! As always, sorry for the delay. RL is...*sigh* Someday it will calm down, right? I have to believe that, because if I don't, the alternative is simply too heinous to believe.

Two weeks until the wedding. How is our happy couple doing on their abstinence pledge? Chapter 36 ended with Bella closing her eyes and sighing, thinking she had never been more content...

Chapter 36

~Five Weeks~

I closed my eyes and sighed. I had never felt more frustrated. I leaned over and pressed my forehead against the cool, smooth counter top, wanting to bang it there a few times, and wishing it would actually help.

I heard Edward growl behind me, then felt him press against me, his erection prominent against my bottom as he grasped my hips, grinding against me. "Bella sweetheart, you can't do this to me!"

I didn't even look up at him. "Edward, I'm not doing anything. I'm just trying to get a book from behind the counter."

"I call bullshit. You're trying to kill me, and it's working."

I rolled my eyes and looked at him over my shoulder, and then giggled despite myself. I was wearing a pair of old, comfortable jeans and one of Edward's flannel shirts over a tank top, which completely disguised any shape I had. My hair was in a ponytail and tucked into a baseball cap and I didn't have a drop of makeup on. But the way Edward was looking at me you'd think I was wearing the slinkiest of lingerie and jilling off in front of him while watching porn. I wiggled my ass for good measure and he groaned again, pulling away and not even hiding the fact that he had to adjust himself. "Edward, you are insane," I teased him.

"Yes, yes I am. And it's all your fault."

"No, you make yourself that way. Need I remind you that this was your idea, you lunatic? Suck it up."

"Don't say that word!"

"What word? Suuuuck?" I asked, dragging the word out and licking my lips in an exaggerated manner.

"Gah! You are going to be the death of me!" Edward said crossly, tugging at his hair as he turned on his heel and walked away.

I sighed again, regretting teasing him almost instantly. Things had been...intense...since we had awoken in Edward's bed two weeks ago. As Carlisle had predicted, Edward had a miserable hangover from the narcotics. I hadn't expected him to remember much from that evening, but he'd had perfect recall of the events. He remembered every move he had put on me, and he had remembered my deflections, which he was apologetically grateful for.

His back was doing much better. A couple of adjustments from his chiropractor, and he was practically a new man, which was very good news with our engagement party this evening and our wedding only two weeks away. He was still under orders to take things easy and had a lifting restriction, but he had his entire range of motion back and was pain free again. Seth was still issuing apologies every time he saw either one of us or the kids, and while we had all forgiven him, no one had forgotten as Seth would find out tonight.

I checked the front door once again and made sure the shades were drawn, then grabbed my bag. I found Edward in the back, pacing near the office. "Are you ready to go?" I asked him softly, hating when we were upset with one another.

"Yeah," he grunted, tugging on his hair. He looked at me, then sighed heavily. "Sorry, sweetheart," he apologized, reaching a hand out to me. I slipped my fingers into his, and let him pull me into his arms for a short embrace.

One very unfortunate side-effect of Edward being injured was the pedestal that Edward had placed me on following my care of him. He seemed to believe that I had some sort of super self-control when it came to being around him. That somehow it was easier for me to abstain than it was for him. And because he believed that I had the self-control to resist him and thus hold us both to our abstinence agreement, Edward 's new hobby was torturing me. He no longer held back when it came to our physical contact as he had during the first few weeks of our engagement. Unfortunately, his seductive behavior left us both frustrated and short with one another.

The quick trip to my house was interrupted by a phone call from Will, who said he and Sarah had just been picked up by Jasper to help finish setting up for the party. I smiled and thanked them for being so willing to help. Inwardly I cringed that I was losing my buffer, knowing that no one else in the house while we were getting ready and I would be subjected to Edward's amorous attentions.

I mentally mocked myself for that. Who would have ever thought there would be a time I'd not welcome Edward's sexual advances? And it wasn't that I didn't welcome them now, it was just knowing that I was the only one putting the brakes on. Why the hell had I agreed to such a ridiculous agreement again? Especially when we were already sleeping together to begin with? What was the old saying—why close the barn door when the horses had already escaped? And I was sorely missing my stallion, so much so that I was making corny horse breeding jokes in my oversexed…or was it my undersexed?...brain.

"Bella? We're home, sweetheart," Edward said, startling me from my thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked with concern when he noticed my scowl.

I nodded absently, gathering my things and opening my door before he could get around to my side of the car as he usually did. I walked up to the front door and unlocked it, unceremoniously dumping my belongings on the first flat surface I could locate. Even though I was looking forward to the party tonight, I was suddenly grumpy and out of sorts. More than anything I just wanted a nap and some time to relax. We'd had such little time to just be ourselves and be together over the last five weeks.

Edward stepped up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me back against his body, but I shrugged out of his embrace. "We're running short on time, Edward. I'm going to go take my shower," I told him, rushing up the stairs before he could respond. I grabbed my clothes and practically ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me for good measure.

As I started the shower, I thought back over the last several weeks altogether, and realized it wasn't just the last two that had me so frustrated. If I was being completely honest with myself, I would have to admit that I selfishly wanted him to push me past my limits—our limits—and break our agreement and make love before our wedding. By taking this break and attempting to refocus our attention away from our sexual relationship, I felt like all that we were focusing on was our sexual relationship. Instead of noticing all the other things we did together, we were too stuck on the one thing we weren't doing together, the one thing that was slowly driving us both mad.

I took my time under the warm water, trying to clear my mind and relax. I knew I needed to apologize to Edward for my temper and moodiness. Edward didn't deserve my bitchiness. Just because I was irritable didn't give me the right to take it out on him…even if he was driving me to the edge of insanity just by being his sexy and irresistible self. It wasn't his fault that I was so horny that I could barely stand to be in the same room with him without wanting to jump all over him.

I finished my shower, feeling better and determined to enjoy this evening. I piled my hair loosely on top of my head and fixed my makeup, knowing that Alice would insist on a lot of pictures tonight. I slipped into my dress but no matter how I contorted myself, I was unable to reach the zipper, and I was going to have to ask Edward for help.

When I entered the bedroom, Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in his slacks and collared shirt, his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes downcast. His hair was even messier than usual, and it was obvious that he had been running his fingers through it a lot. He looked up when he heard the door open, and smiled hesitantly at me, his eyes filled with concern. "You look beautiful," he said softly, and I felt like the biggest jerk on earth for being upset with him earlier.

"You look pretty amazing yourself," I told him, stepping toward him. I reached out and touched his brow, smoothing the furrows there with my fingertips. "I'm sorry for my temper earlier. I'm a little on edge, and I've been taking it out on you. That's not very fair of me, and I'm sorry, Edward."

Edward stood up and cupped my face in his hands, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips. "It's okay, Bella. We're both a little tense, with the wedding only a couple of weeks away and all the last minute details that are popping up. Let's just forget about it and have a good time tonight, all right?"

"Yes, please," I agreed, smiling up at him as the warmth of his kiss and words sent a flood of love and reassurance through me. I stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, then turned around and presented my back to him. "Could you do me a favor and zip my dress for me? I can't seem to reach."

"Mmmmm, I could do that," Edward agreed in a low, sultry tone that my body recognized and responded to instantly. He slowly trailed his fingers down my neck and across my shoulder blades, the pads of his fingers soft on my spine as he raised goosebumps in his wake. He reached the point to which I was able to raise the zipper and grasped the tab. When his fingers slid the zipper down instead of up, I shuddered and inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and raising my face to the ceiling, praying for the strength to resist him. I felt his hands slip beneath the fabric around my ribcage, one going north to cup my breast and one traveling south to trace the lacy band of my underwear. When his fingers splayed across my hip, pressing my bottom back against his thick erection, my control snapped, and with it the gentleness I had felt just moments ago.

I turned abruptly and poked him hard in the chest with two fingers, and Edward stumbled back a couple of steps. "You know what Edward? Despite what you may think, I don't have some super self-control when it comes to you. This sexbargo, that you came up with may I remind you, is just as difficult for me as is it for you. Either fuck me or just leave me alone already, will you?" I was breathing hard and I could feel my cheeks blazing with a blush of embarrassment at the word that I had let slip out in my anger and arousal.

Edward's eyes opened wide in surprise, then narrowed at he studied me. "Funny, it never seems that way. I'm the one walking around with the perpetual hard-on, while you're always as cool as a cucumber, deflecting my advances at every turn with nothing more than a patient, indulgent smile. Do I really affect you at all, Bella? Because sometimes I have to wonder."

I felt like I was gaping at him like a fish out of water, my eyes nearly bugging out of my head. His words simply didn't compute with me. He didn't know how crazy he made me, how much I wanted him, how much I missed him? "You want to know exactly how you affect me Edward, in graphic detail? Well, I don't have a hard-on to grind into your ass at every opportunity, but I can certainly share my words with you, can't I, Mr. Cullen?" I slowly advanced on him, smirking as he backed up a couple of steps, towards the bed. Right where I want him.

"You make me so wet when you touch me that I go through at least three pair of underwear a day," I breathed, reaching out and taking his hands with mine, and lifting them to cup my breasts. I dropped my hands, and Edward's stayed there as I arched my back, my nipples pebbling against his palms even beneath the fabric of my dress and bra. Edward swallowed loudly, and I watched a thin sheen of perspiration form on his upper lip. I wanted to lick it away. "All I have to do is look at you and I want you."

I put my hand on Edward's chest and gave him a gentle shove backwards towards the bed, breaking our contact. His hands fell to his sides, and he watched me, his eyes wide once again and his breathing ragged. I reached up and grasped the straps of my dress, drawing them down my arms. I shimmied the fabric down my torso and past my hips so that it could pool on the floor by my feet. I stepped forward in nothing but my filmy bra and panties. "I have had to pleasure myself more in the last five weeks than I did my entire adult life before meeting you, and even then, it's not enough to soothe the ache my body feels without you touching me, feeling me... inside me." I reached down and stroked the lace at the band of my panties, allowing one finger to dip underneath, and I watched as Edward's eyes followed my fingers. His gaze was hot with desire as he licked his lips, and I desperately wanted his mouth on my skin.

I slid my hands up my torso and cupped my breasts, pinching my nipples between my fingertips and moaning softly, wishing they were Edward's hands and fingers. "I am short with my kids, grumpy with my employees, and I have the attention span of a flea, all because I am completely dickmatized by your cock, your tongue, your hands, and all the wonderful and wanton things that they can do to me. I want to fuck you up, down, and sideways for hours on end. I want you to spank me again, and I want to spank you, and try a whole other host of naughty, dirty things with you." I placed both palms on his chest and shoved him back again. His knees caught the edge of the mattress and he sat down with an 'oof', his eyes wide with lust as he watched me.

"I'm tired of telling you no, Edward. And for the past five weeks, I've been the only one saying no. You've been teasing me, torturing me, playing with me. I'm dying to make love with you, wedding be damned. We've got time, and we've got privacy. I'm ready, willing, and I can see that you are more than able," I said with a seductive smile, my fingertips trailing over the impressive erection tenting his pants. "So what's it going to be, Edward? Yes or no?"

Edward didn't say a word. He simply reached up, slowly sliding his hands around my hips and pulling me to him. He laid his head against my chest directly over my heart and paused for a moment, seeming to listen to my heart beat, before pulling me down so that I was straddling his lap, my knees on either side of his hips. I couldn't stop my groan of desire any more than I could stop myself from pressing myself against his hard length. I wove my fingers into his hair and kissed him, deliberately teasing him with slow strokes of my tongue and light nibbles with my teeth.

Edward slid his hands down my back, cupping my ass and pulling my body even tighter against his, grinding his erection against my center and sending shockwaves through me. He took control of the kiss when I gasped, his tongue dominating mine as he flipped us over so I was pinned beneath his heavy body, my legs wrapped eagerly around his thighs and my hands fisting the material of his shirt to pull it from his slacks. I slipped my hands beneath the soft cotton of his pullover and teased my nails up and down his back, loving the feel of him shivering under my touch.

"Bella," he moaned, his lips tracing a path across my jaw and down my neck toward my breasts. He plucked at my already hard nipples that were straining against the lace of my bra and his lips followed suit, his tongue swirling around one stiffened peak as his fingers released the clasp and freed my breasts.

I arched my back and groaned loudly as he sucked on my needy flesh, moving from one nipple to the other and back again. I moved my hands between the two of us to free the button and zipper on his pants and then reached inside to grasp his erection, thick and throbbing. Edward groaned against my breast, using his teeth to scissor my nipple, followed by his tongue to soothe the exquisite sting. "So good, sweetheart," he growled. "God Bella, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Edward," I sighed, burying my fingers in his hair and urging his mouth back to mine. I missed these moments in his arms so much, times when we were so close that I couldn't tell where I ended and where he began. It felt so right to be here again, with his hands on me. I wanted to be even closer, and I reached down to grab the hem of his shirt, needing to feel his skin on mine.

Edward could sense what I was trying to do and he hunched his shoulders to allow me to pull his shirt off. I had it pulled up almost over his head when he hissed in pain and I froze, my hand caught both in his shirt and his hair. I tugged, trying to dislodge my hand, and he yelped a little this time.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! I think my hand's stuck in your shirt, and in your hair, too," I said with an embarrassed groan. "Can you sit up?"

Edward sat up awkwardly, his head half caught in his shirt. I sat up with him, one hand in his shirt as I tried to figure out what the hell had happened. "Can you bend just a little more?" I asked him, trying to see the top of his head.

Edward bent forward, and I felt his nose nuzzle my collarbone. "Mmmm, might as well take advantage of this position," he murmured, lowering his head just enough to take my nipple between his lips. I automatically tightened my fingers in his hair in response, and he groaned in discomfort. "Ouch, okay, let's figure out what the hell is going on."

I tugged the collar of his shirt aside and uncovered my fingers. A loose thread from his hem was wound around the diamond of my engagement ring, which was also caught in Edward's hair. I gently tugged to free the trapped strands and then carefully pulled the shirt off of his head.

Edward straightened up and rubbed his head, then looked at my hand and the engagement ring sparkling in the low light. He carefully unwound the loose string, freeing my ring from the shirt. He brought my hand up to his lips, kissing my finger as he had when he had placed the ring there the first time. His smile was just as beautiful now as it had been then.

Our earlier urgency had fled, replaced by a tranquility as we sat together in silence, smiling at one another over my engagement ring. "Are you okay, love?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. How about you?" I asked, feeling a little shy, sitting before him in only my panties. I clutched his shirt to my chest, trying to cover up some of my exposed skin.

"Much better than okay. I owe you a huge apology though, Bella. I had no idea what I have been putting you through the last couple of weeks. I'm so sorry for teasing you and leading you on, love," Edward said, running his fingers through his hair.

I reached up and grabbed his hand. "No need to apologize. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to let you know it was bothering me. And I'm sorry that...well, that you didn't realize that I still...that I still want you. And I do, more than anything."

Edward smiled, reaching up and caressing my cheek. "I think you demonstrated that rather well this evening, both with words and deeds. And your words, Bella? Jesus Christ, I haven't been so close to coming in my pants since I was fifteen years old," he confessed, shifting a little uncomfortably on the bed. I blushed, and he laughed, the sound carefree.

"So what are we going to do about our agreement to abstain until the wedding?" I asked. It was obvious that nothing was going to happen now—the mood was broken and we definitely needed to get to the engagement party, and I would be bringing Sarah and Will home with me tonight.

Edward looked thoughtful. "Honestly, I'm not sure. You've got the kids all week and next weekend because Jake and Renesmee are on their honeymoon. And the weekend after that is our wedding." I loved the way his eyes got all soft when he said 'our wedding'. "It's not that far away, and our opportunities to spend time alone would be few and far between."

He suddenly reached out and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me forcefully. "Make no mistake that it's only for lack of opportunity, my beautiful girl. I want you so much I could very happily skip the engagement party tonight and spend all evening here making love with you, if I didn't think that Alice will be hunting us down very soon." We both shuddered at that thought. "Besides, I think our lovely daughter has some plans tonight for your brother?" Edward asked with a raised eyebrow.

God, my heart raced when he called Sarah ours, and I started giggling, thinking of Sarah's plot. "Won't you tell me Sarah's plans, please?" Edward asked, pressing persuasive kisses along my jaw and sucking my earlobe between his lips.

I shivered, moaning softly and shifting in his lap to straddle him again, and Edward groaned loudly. "Unless you want Alice to come looking for us, you'd better stop that Mr. Cullen, or I'm going to take your answer as a yes and fuck you right here, right now."

I felt Edward's cock twitch beneath me and smiled widely when he growled and nipped at my collarbone. "And as much as I want my answer to be yes, we really shouldn't miss our own engagement party." He reached around me, holding up my bra in front of us. "By the way, I approve of this one very much. Tonight's going to be very…hard…for me, knowing you've got this on under your dress. Promise you'll wear it for me again soon?"

"Of course. I'm glad you like it," I grinned, reaching for it.

"May I?" Edward asked.

"Sure, but I don't think it's your size or color," I answered cheekily.

Edward swatted my bottom playfully, and I had to bite my lip to stifle my moan. His eyes darkened briefly. "None of that, young lady," he admonished, his voice low and seductive. He slipped the straps up my arms, his fingertips caressing my flesh as he replaced the garment. I remembered him redressing me after our tryst in his office, finding it just as erotic as it had been before. We shared several lingering kisses and caresses as we helped one another get ready for the party, the tension we had both been feeling having vanished after our conversation and time spent together.

The drive to Alice and Jasper's was short, and although we were early, we still had to park some distance away from the house. "Do we know this many people?" Edward joked as we walked by car after car.

"Alice and I decided to invite the people who weren't going to be able to make it to the wedding," Rosalie said, appearing suddenly at my side and slipping her arm through mine. "Most of the bookstore and CWC staff are here. The kids invited some friends. And of course you guys have a friend or two amongst the crowd as well."

And a crowd it was. There were easily as many people as there had been at Alice's New Year's Eve party, the main difference being that I knew most of the people this time, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed and toned down. Edward and I spent the entire evening mingling with family, friends and colleagues. The food was wonderful, and I laughed hysterically when I saw Emmett manning the grill in an apron that read 'Dad is Grilling – Stand Back if You Want to Keep Your Eyebrows'. Charlie teased Edward good-naturedly about their weekend in Forks, until Will produced photographic evidence that Edward had actually caught a bigger walleye than Charlie their afternoon in the boat. Sarah and Will both loved Esme and Carlisle on sight, and spent the party splitting their time between their friends and all three sets of grandparents—the Swans, the Blacks, and the Cullens.

Twilight was starting to settle over the gathering when Sarah subtly caught my eye and winked, tilting her head in Seth's direction. I nodded and looped my arm through Edward's, squeezing lightly. He looked down at me with a warm smile, and I drummed my forefingers against him arm in our pre-arranged signal. It was time.

Sarah gave us a ten-minute head start, and Edward and I managed to get inside the house and hide in the alcove in the kitchen. I could hear footsteps approaching, recognizing Sarah's light footfalls and Seth's heavy clomps as they got nearer. I heard Sarah laughing at something Seth said, then the scraping of chairs as they made themselves comfortable at the table.

"So what's up peanut?" Seth asked Sarah affectionately.

"Well Uncle Seth, I kinda wanted to ask your advice about something," Sarah said, her voice a little shy and unsure.

"You know you can talk to me about anything Sarah," Seth said seriously, and I felt a rush of affection for him, knowing that he truly meant what he was telling her.

"Good. Normally I'd talk to Mom and Edward, or Dad and Ness, but everyone's been so busy with wedding plans I just haven't wanted to bother them."

"Oh Sarah, you're never a bother to any of them, you know that. Even if it was their wedding day, your mom and Edward would have time for you."

"Damn straight," Edward whispered in my ear, and I gave his hand a squeeze.

"Oh I know, and if it was really important I'd go to them, but it's no big deal, so I figured I'd just bounce my idea off you and see what you think," Sarah said. Knowing what was coming next, I almost couldn't contain my giggle.

"I'll help however I can. Hit me, baby girl!" Seth said.

"Okay. So you know that my boyfriend Daniel is graduating next week. I want to give him a graduation gift, something personal and special. I have an idea, but I wanted to get your opinion to see what you thought of it."

"Sure, Sarah—what are you thinking of giving him?" Seth asked.

"A hand job," Sarah said, matter-of-factly.

I heard Seth start to sputter and choke, and realized that he had been drinking something. I dug my fingers into Edward's arm as he moved to get up and storm into the kitchen. I realized in that moment perhaps I shouldn't have kept the details of the conversation Sarah planned to have with Seth from Edward.

"Sarah Marie Black, what the hell are you thinking?" Seth yelled, and I heard the sound of the chair scraping across and then crashing to the floor. I could imagine him towering over Sarah, trying to use his impressive size to intimidate her.

I also knew that such a tactic wouldn't work on my daughter, especially when she was hell-bent on revenge for Seth's practical joke on Edward. "Buying a traditional graduation gift just doesn't convey the depth of my feelings for Daniel. I'd make something for him, but we all know that I'm not very creative or crafty, so something homemade is out of the question. And I know I'm not ready for sex yet, so a hand job seems pretty logical. I've done some research and it seems like men seem to enjoy those quite a bit, so I'm sure that Daniel will as well. But I have some technical questions for you. I'm sure, as a guy, that you've had your share of hand jobs. The first thing I need to know is if you're circumcised, because you know Daniel is originally from England, and since circumcision is more of an American thing, he's got a foreskin, and from what I understand, it's a little different to work with..."

"La la la la la, I'm not listening to you," Seth said loudly, and I could picture him plugging his ears and turning away from her, acting like she wasn't even there in front of him.

"Uncle Seth, I thought you said you would help me however you could?" Sarah said, her voice earnest and beseeching.

"That girl does NOT play fair," Edward whispered, his eyes wide as he looked at me. "This is so much worse than putting my back out." He was looking a little pale, with a tinge of green to his skin, at the topic of conversation. I patted his arm reassuringly. If Sarah and I hadn't already had a very long discussion with one another about this very topic—including the fact that she and Daniel were not interested in furthering their physical relationship at this time—I'd probably look the same.

"Sarah, you cannot possibly…be considering…giving…doing…that thing…with that boy!" Seth shouted.

"Yes, Uncle Seth. I am considering giving my boyfriend Daniel a hand job, and I am trying to get your advice," Sarah said calmly. Edward plugged his ears, and I rolled my eyes. Didn't he realize that Sarah was just kidding around to mess with Seth? I heard Seth start to stutter and protest again, but Sarah cut him off. "You said I could come to you for anything. Are you telling me now that I can't?"

Seth groaned. "Well hell, when you were asking about gifts, I figured you wanted to buy him a pen and pencil set, or maybe a watch or something. Sarah, this is kind of a big deal."

"No, it's just fooling around, having fun," Sarah argued.

"Don't say that!"

"It doesn't mean anything, it's just a hand job!"

"Bullshit! I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. You said yourself it was something special. And it is a big deal. For Christ's sake, you're only fifteen years old!"

"Almost sixteen," she countered quickly. "And how old were you when some girl popped your hand job cherry?"

"Look, how old I was doesn't matter Sarah. We're talking about you, not me. Besides, I'm a guy, and that's totally different."

"Uh oh," Edward muttered, and I nodded in agreement. Seth had really just put his foot—or more like his entire leg—in his mouth where Sarah was concerned. If there was one thing my daughter couldn't tolerate, it was a double standard.

"Oh really. So it's okay for a guy to have a hand job from some random girl at sixteen or fifteen, or even say fourteen?" she asked in a scathing tone, and I gulped. I happened to know Seth had been fourteen when he actually lost his virginity—but I didn't realize Sarah knew that as well. "But a girl who is madly in love with a boyfriend who loves her back isn't allowed to demonstrate that love. You know Uncle Seth? I really thought I'd get a more honest answer out of you than some of the others. Don't worry about it, I guess I'll just figure it all out on my own. Thanks for nothing," she spat, and I could hear Sarah starting to sniffle. Again I had to hold Edward back, this time from going to comfort her.

"Awww peanut, don't cry. I just…I can't…don't you see that…you know, that's boy's just not good enough for you, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna let him mess with my family."

"Mess with your family?" I heard Sarah ask, her voice sounding muffled like Seth had drawn her into a hug, but I could still hear a triumphant note in her tone. "Like, oh I don't know, the way you messed with Edward a couple of weeks ago in Forks?"

There was a moment of stunned silence. "Wait, what?" Seth demanded, sounding incredulous. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't like people messing with your family? Well, I don't like people messing with mine either," Sarah said. "You can come out now!" she called in a louder voice, and Edward and I entered the kitchen with wide smiles.

"You little shit!" Seth yelled, his eyes narrowed at Sarah. "You about gave me a freaking heart attack."

"I figured you deserved it, Old Man Clearwater," Sarah taunted him, and I watched a rare blush climb Seth's cheeks.

"Maybe I did, but if I ever hear you mention hand jobs or sex again, it will be too soon," Seth vowed.

"A-freaking-men," Edward said, and he and Seth shared a horror-stricken look.

I pulled Sarah into my arms and hugged her, the both of us giggling. "You were brilliant, Sarah. I had to stop Edward from coming out here and hauling you off to the convent when you started up the conversation. I'm not entirely sure I can trust him or Seth around Daniel now to be honest."

"Why do you say that, Mrs. Black? What have I done to earn anyone's mistrust?" A soft voice from behind made us all turn. Daniel was standing in the doorway, nervously pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I apologize for interrupting what looks like a family talk, but I was looking for Sarah. She has been missing for quite a while, and I wanted to talk with her about my graduation celebration."

Daniel looked at us as if we were all lunatics when the four of us burst into such raucous laughter that we were crying. I could barely breathe between the laughter and the feel of Edward's arms wrapped tight around me.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel," I choked out, noticing his deep blush and the way he averted his eyes from us. "It's a bit of a private joke, nothing to concern yourself with. Please, we're done with our conversation. Sarah, go ahead and go with Daniel, sweetheart. We'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"Sure, Mom. Hope that was okay," she whispered in my ear, giving me a hug.

"Perfect, but only because I know it was all fake," I said sternly.

"Of course. I'll come to you with the questions when the time is right," she whispered teasingly, and it was my turn to sputter and choke. "See ya later everyone!"

"Do I even want to know what she said?" Edward asked, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

"No. I'd like to erase it myself," I admitted. "But I could use another glass of wine. Or maybe the whole bottle."

"Me too, but I think I'm going to need something a little stronger. Like whiskey. Or bleach to erase those mental images," Seth said with a horrified shudder. He turned to Edward and held his hand out. "I promise never to fuck with you again, brother. That kind of payback just ain't worth it. Truce?"

"Truce," Edward agreed, shaking Seth's hand. He slipped his arm around my waist again and pulled me to his side. "Come on, my beautiful fiancée, let's get back to our guests."

The party lasted late into the night. I didn't see how Alice was going to be able to top this with the wedding, but somehow I knew she'd pull it off. It was almost one in the morning when we ushered a sleepy Sarah and Will into the back of the Volvo. Will was snoring before we even pulled into the driveway.

"Will, wake up, man," Edward said, opening his door and poking him in the shoulder.

Will rolled a sleepy eye at Edward, and I saw him flash a dimpled grin. "Carry me, Daddy?" he teased, holding his arms up.

"Dream on, little man," Edward teased, grabbing his hand and helping him out of the car.

"Little man?" Will asked, straightening up to his full height, which was only a couple of inches shorter than Edward. "At least I can still get taller, instead of just wider," he teased.

"Not if you keep eating an entire cow like you did tonight," Sarah said in a bored voice.

"Better a cow than Daniel Arthur's face!" Will shot back and Sarah blushed a brilliant red.

"William Charles Black!" both Edward and I said in the same stern tone of voice. Sarah and Will turned to look at us and started laughing, which diffused the tension.

Once we were all inside, I gathered both of the kids close for a hug. "Thank you for all your help today. Alice and Jasper said they couldn't have done it without you."

"Family hug, c'mon Edward," Sarah said, making space between the two of us. Edward smiled widely and joined in the embrace, pressing a kiss to my forehead and then Sarah's.

"Don't even think about it!" Will joked, and Edward reached over and tousled his hair, which resulted in the two of them mock wrestling.

"All right, off to bed you two," I said, watching the kids both smother yawns.

"Okay. Love you Mom. You too, Edward," Sarah said, moving toward the staircase and blowing a kiss to us over her shoulder.

"Love you too sweetheart," I said, looking over at Edward, who looked absolutely stunned.

Sarah noticed and turned around, coming back to wrap Edward in a hug. "You look surprised. Of course I love you."

Edward hugged her back, closing his eyes as he laid his cheek on her hair. "I love you too, Sarah," he said in voice tight with emotion.

Will came over and patted Edward on the back. "Yeah, don't get all mushy and crap, but I kinda like you too."

Sarah looked up at me and we both rolled our eyes. "Boys," she sighed. "Good night everyone. C'mon Will, let's let Mom and Edward say goodnight."

I walked Edward to the front door, where he took him in his arms for several slow, intoxicating kisses. "Are you sure we have to say goodnight?" I asked breathlessly.

"We've only got two more weeks," he replied, his lips moving along my jawline and down my throat to tease along my collarbone.

"Actually it's only one week, six days..." I tilted my head to the side as he slipped the strap off my shoulder.

"...Twelve hours..." his tongue traced the lacy pattern of my bra as his hand slid up to cup my breast.

"...And twenty minutes until I become Mrs. Edward Cullen," I whispered, running my fingers through his hair.

Edward lifted his face to press his lips to mine once again. "Mmmm, Mrs. Edward Cullen. Isabella Cullen. Best name ever."

"And in one week, six days, twelve hours and nineteen minutes, it's mine," I said, losing myself in his kiss once again.

Soon we will be joining together

all the hopes for the future

as we are joining our lives.

Share with us this new beginning

the first day of our life together

on the Sixth day of June

at Two O'Clock in the Afternoon

Isabella Marie Swan Black

Edward Anthony Cullen

That's right, we've got a WEDDING next chapter!

As always, if there was anything in this chapter that made you smile, laugh, sigh, or even growl in frustration, I would love to hear about it. I am still slowly making my way through my backlog of reviews, and I promise if you send me a review, you WILL get a response back from me!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! ~ GM