You're all lovely. Thank you for your reviews. I'm so happy you liked the proposal. I truly enjoyed writing it. If you've heard about any of my stories in any way other than just stumbling upon them, please let me know so I can thank someone! I'm so happy you're still hanging around.

Scorpio11, my dear beta, made this clearer, and get this…she allowed me to end a sentence with a preposition! It's like the principal turning his head when you tongue kiss your boyfriend in the hallway at school!

SMeyer owns. I don't infringe.

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36.

BELLA

Oh, God, my head hurts. I slapped my hand against my forehead and felt the sharp sting of metal against it, causing me to pull my hand back and admire the gorgeous engagement ring that had found a home on the third finger of my left hand. The whole thing had been surreal, and the mind-blowing, quasi-drunken sex we'd had when we got back to the apartment had me sore in all the right places.

I looked next to me and saw the man to whom I'd pledged my troth…whatever that meant…staring at me with a smile. "Mornin', sugar," he whispered.

I turned on my side and smiled at him, lifting my left hand to cup his gorgeous cheek. "Mornin', sugar," I repeated, causing him to laugh.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked with that sexy damn smile which definitely caused me to forget we'd had sex until the sun rose.

I squirmed a little, testing the waters, and smiled. "I'm a little sore, but right now, my head is pounding. How are you?" I whispered, not really ready to hear my voice at full volume.

"I'm better than I've ever been in my entire life. So, here's the list of casualties. Two lamps, the coffee table, my shirt, and your bra." The smug smile on his face would have caused me to laugh if my head wasn't fucking pounding.

My mind ran down the list he'd referenced, and I was reminded of the way in which the night had progressed once we'd arrived home.

Lamp One:

After he finally got the fucking key in the lock and we were inside, I attacked him. As we bounced off the door and walls of the short foyer of the apartment, we knocked the lamp off the side table. We always left it on when we went out, and it was actually beautiful. It was a Lenox bone china lamp his mother had given him as a housewarming gift, and I vaguely remembered saying I'd replace it.

"Fuck it. It's a lamp," he responded as he shoved the broken glass from the table to the floor and pulled my blouse from my jeans, quickly unbuttoning it and lavishing kisses along my chest as we ground against each other.

The Coffee Table:

After he got my shirt off me, he decided he needed more room to work, so he carried me to the living room and laid me on the coffee table where he proceeded to unbutton my jeans and pull them from my body. He vigorously began licking and nipped up my legs to my thighs, and when he bit my clit through my lace panties, I arched in such a way the coffee table, which unfortunately was an antique, gave way. I found myself amidst the rubble of wood as the legs buckled. We both laughed hysterically as he picked me up and placed me on the couch, pulling my panties off and sweeping his tongue along my weeping center. He didn't stop until I screamed his name.

His Shirt:

After I regained the ability to move from his assault on my sex, I wanted the man naked immediately. I placed both of my hands on the plackets of his shirt and tugged hard. The buttons scattered, causing drunken giggles from both of us. "Damn, woman, you're gonna be hard on the wardrobe," he joked as I removed the shirt from his shoulders and began kissing and nipping across his glorious chest. He was strong and cut, and God, I was fucking lucky.

Lamp Two:

After I had him naked, I led him back to the bedroom, sinking to my knees as he stood next to the bed to pull the blankets back. I slid my tongue up the length of his hard cock and swirled it around the head where I found he was doing a little weeping of his own. I sucked it inside my mouth and heard a crash behind me as I placed my right hand at the base and moved my mouth on him. Just as I was about to massage his balls and move my finger behind them to stroke, I was pulled away and picked up under my arms, finding myself tossed onto the bed.

Last, but not least, my bra:

"God, I really love when you do that, but I need to make love to ya, and this is in the way," he whispered as he ripped the thin piece of ribbon between the cups of my bra, pushing it aside and sucking my left nipple into his mouth. Without any fanfare, he stroked into me, and oh, brother, it was amazing. That was just the first time…

"I'll replace the lamp your mother gave you, and I'm really sorry about the coffee table. The rest of it…I could care less," I responded, causing him to laugh.

"I don't give a damn about any of it. I had a hell of a good time, sweetheart, and there's not one material thing that means more to me than the way ya reacted as I asked ya to marry me and then when we got home. I love ya so much, and I'm truly honored you agreed to share your life with me," he confirmed as he leaned forward and kissed me sweetly.

His soft tongue gently swept over my lips, and morning breath be damned, I opened my mouth to him because I truly loved the man. There was nothing about him that would ever be a turn off for me. I only prayed he felt the same.

"So, Mrs. Cullen, can I make ya breakfast?" he teased as he pulled away and tugged me into his side. Mrs. Cullen…who'd have ever thought it?

I laughed. "I'll make breakfast for you, Mr. Cullen. I'm going to use the bathroom first, and while you do your business, I'll cook. Any requests?" I asked as I pecked him on the lips.

"Hmmm. If ya weren't already sore, I know what I'd request, but I'll give ya a pass this time. I've got a question, though," he responded as I began climbing out of the bed.

I turned to look at him, seeing him look very nervous. "You've already proposed, so I can't imagine what would make you nervous now. Ask away," I told him.

He pulled me back into bed and turned to face me. "I know what ya went through when ya had the girls. Would ya ever consider havin' some of our own? Just so ya know, this isn't a deal breaker for me either way," he asked.

I knew what he was talking about, but the fact of the matter was the circumstances with regard to Rosalie's babies were far different than they'd be if we had our own. There was no hesitancy in my answer. "I assume if you're asking the question, you'd entertain the idea of children?" I responded. He nodded quickly. "Then, yeah, I'd like to have some of our own someday. I'd like to finish college and grad school, but I want children," I answered, seeing the crooked smile on his face.

"That sounds pretty damn perfect to me. Okay, hurry up and get food on the table, wench," he teased with a smack to my ass. I laughed as I walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Things were shaping up quite nicely in my little world.

##

I was humming in the kitchen as I flipped the French toast on the griddle. I was making peach syrup instead of cherry. My man was from Georgia, and he loved his peaches, so I was going to give them to him. Just as I was about to turn the bacon, the house phone rang.

I picked up the handset and answered, "You've reached the home of Edward and Bella. We can't come to the phone right now because we're celebrating our engagement. Please leave a message after the beep and when we come back from Cloud Nine, we'll see if it's worth our trouble to call you back. Beeeep," I teased, not having bothered to see who it was on the Caller ID.

"This is Peter Rhodes. I'm calling for Edward Cullen. Please return my call at…" the voice began.

"Oh, hang on. I was just kidding. Um, this is Bella. Edward's in the shower right now. Can I take a message?" I asked as I opened the drawer and pulled out a pad and pen.

"So, he's home?" the man asked.

"Well, he's not showering anywhere else," I teased, wondering who the fuck I was speaking to.

"Thank you," the man replied and then I heard the dial tone. I looked at the phone and hit the *69, finding it was a blocked number. I shrugged and hung up, turning back to breakfast.

Edward walked in a few minutes later, hair wet from the shower. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked over my shoulder. "Mmm…French toast. What's the syrup?" he asked, sticking his finger into the hot liquid. "Shit!" he yelled, bringing a laugh from me. It was honey and canned peach juice that I was reducing into a syrup, and hell, it was boiling. Why he shoved his finger into it was a mystery.

"Sweetie, it's boiling. It's peach, in honor of your birthplace. It needs to reduce. Pour the coffee, Cullen," I ordered, feeling a squeeze to my boobs. I was in a t-shirt and shorts because it was actually a warm, sunny morning, which was just perfect.

"So, any thoughts regarding when and where?" he asked as he poured each of us a cup of coffee. I pulled the bacon from the pan, moving it from the burner to cool.

I thought about his question, and I actually had no idea. "Hell, I don't know. It's your wedding, too. Shit, I'm getting married…never thought I'd hear those words from my mouth," I stated as I placed more French toast on the griddle, placing the plate into the microwave to stay warm.

"Why?" Edward asked as he sipped his coffee, perusing his phone and responding to texts which I was sure were from the day before because he'd taken off early to be able to pull off the proposal. I was still reeling from it.

I turned to look at him as I sipped my own coffee. "Seriously?" I asked as he looked at me, tossing his phone to the side with a smile. That was yet another thing I loved about the man. He worked hard, but he didn't hesitate to toss it aside to spend time with me.

"For the very last fuckin' time in our relationship, you're gonna hear me and understand this. I don't like repeatin' myself, so listen to me," he demanded as he pulled me from the stove and onto his lap.

"But breakfast," I protested.

"Can wait. You, my love, are perfect for me. I've finally got my ass back, and if it ever goes away again, we'll be fightin' like the Hatfield's and McCoy's. You're the most important person in the world to me, so just get used to it. Start plannin' a weddin' because I don't want a long engagement," he commanded which turned me on so fucking much I could barely breathe.

I turned to straddle the gorgeous man who would become my husband, and I pulled myself closer to his body, feeling my nipples brush against his t-shirt covered chest. I kissed him hard, winding my hands into his damp hair and feeling his hands on my ass…or his ass as he liked to refer to it. The moaning and groaning we were both doing was probably embarrassing, but I didn't give a shit. The. Man. Could. Kiss.

I smelled smoke, which caused me to pull away. "Hell," I called as I hurried off his lap and pulled the burnt toast from the griddle.

"I'll open the deck doors. I'd bet this won't be the last burnt meal we eat when I'm in the kitchen with my hot wife while she cooks," he teased as he walked out of the kitchen. I'd bet he was right.

##

"You have to tell me where you want to get married," I giggled as I sat between Edward's legs on the couch with my back to his front. We were watching "Wedding Crashers," and he was tickling me. He'd suggested the movie as inspiration, but really? It was anything but inspirational. I'd been engaged for exactly twenty-four hours, and I wasn't ready to hammer out details, but he was pushing me.

"Well, the bride is from here, and her family is here, so my family will just have to travel. It's just Tanya, the Redneck, Momma, and Daddy. Mark and Didi and their ignorant spawn won't travel. My mom's sister, Liz, wouldn't walk onto her front porch if we were gettin' married in her damn yard, so I'd say we do it here. We can have it in Seattle, or if you wanna have it in Forks, that's fine, too," he answered.

"How big do you want it?" I asked. I didn't have very many people to invite, and I assume he didn't have many either since he wasn't from the Seattle area, so I was guessing we were looking at less than fifty guests.

"How big do you want it?" he taunted as he moved behind me giving me a very nice rub with the glorious hard cock I could look forward to having for the rest of my life. Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it.

"Oh, I'll take the solid eight you give me. Now, back to the wedding. If we're going to get married here, there's a place I'd like us to look at. It's not easy to get a date, but maybe if we got married on a weekday, we could have it. It's a mansion outside of Port Angeles, and it's incredible. I have no idea how much it would cost, but if we could get a break for a weekday, maybe?" I asked.

I knew I'd have to plan it on the cheap because my family wasn't wealthy, but I wanted to have it as elegant as I could afford. I couldn't ask Mom and Dad to pay for it because they didn't pay for Rosalie's, but maybe I could take out a loan? Yeah, I'm sure bankers are lining up down the street to offer me money for a wedding.

I suddenly felt ill. I couldn't pull off a wedding of the caliber I was sure the Cullens would expect. Maybe the justice of the peace in Port Angeles was better?

"What's the place?" Edward asked as he kissed my neck.

"It's…hell, Edward, my family can't put on a wedding that would satisfy Esme and Carlisle. Maybe we could just go to the Justice of the Peace in PA? I'm…shit. You're marrying a woman beneath your station," I spouted as I got emotional.

"Goddammit, stop. We're not askin' anybody to pay for this but us. Babe, tell me where this place is," he insisted as he turned me to face him, brushing my tears aside with a kiss of his soft lips.

I took a deep breath. "The place I was thinking about is Platte House. It's this grand old mansion where there are gardens and fountains. It's beautiful, but I don't think we can afford it," I answered. The Justice of the Peace idea was growing on me as I thought about it. Hell, maybe one of the guys from the Rez could get ordained on the internet and we could do it at First Beach?

His hysterical barking laughter wasn't exactly expected. My eyes widened at his thrown back head and when he hugged me closer to him, I had no idea what was so fucking funny.

I waited for him to calm down, and when he wiped his eyes from tearing up, he grabbed his cell from the side table and hit a button on it without a word to me. "Hey, Momma. How's it goin'? Yeah, Rose can be really sweet when she tries. We'll be over in a while. So, do you think you could get Daddy? I need to talk to him. No, nothin's wrong. Thanks.

"Daddy, I was wonderin' if you could do us a favor. Bella wants to tour Platte House and maybe get married there. What do ya think? I did not. She came up with it all on her own. Yeah. Okay. We'll see y'all in a little bit," he finished, ending the call.

"Daddy'll make a call. We can go tour it tomorrow evenin'. If ya like it, then that's where we'll do it," he remarked calmly.

"Edward, honey, I don't doubt Carlisle has connections, but that place is booked up for years. Every bride in the Pacific Northwest wants to get married there. I was only dreaming that maybe if we got married on a Tuesday we'd have a shot at a date. Plus, it's really fucking fancy," I explained.

He laughed again as he picked up my left hand and kissed the engagement ring he'd put on it the day before. "This ring belonged to my Grandma Cullen. I kept the band and stones that surround the center stone, but I replaced the diamond. I wanted a bigger one. It's only fittin' if you're wearin' her engagement ring, you should get married at her family home," he told me.

I was a bit stunned, but I needed clarification. "What the fuck are you talking about? I thought your dad was from Chicago," I asked as I sat up and stared at the man. He was speaking in riddles, and I wasn't having any of it.

"My grandmother was Ruth Cullen. Ruth Platte Cullen. Platte House is the place where she was born and raised. She met my grandfather when he was stationed at Kitsap during the Korean War. She lived at Platte House while he was overseas. After he got out of the Navy, they moved to Chicago where Granddad was raised. Daddy met Momma when she went to Northwestern for college, and he followed her to Atlanta.

"Daddy owns the house now, so I'm pretty sure you can have any damn date ya want, and it won't cost a dime," he answered. I know the look on my face was one of surprise. What…the…fuck?

##

I was finishing up a large batch of potato salad to take to Em and Rose's for the family barbecue. I was still trying to wrap my head around the news that Carlisle owned Platte House, but hell, it was my dream to get married there, and if I had any pull, I was going to use it.

It was the most perfect place for a wedding, and when Edward called his father back and told him we wanted to get married in the middle of August before my classes started, Carlisle told him he'd see to it. I was still stunned.

Edward had gone to get gas in the car, and through some mishap, he'd ended up with it all over him when he came home. "The fuckin' hose leaked. Aren't they supposed to undergo inspections? I'm goin' to shower. I'll be right back," he complained as he strolled through the apartment naked. He'd thrown his clothes into the washer because he was worried about them lying around, and I was nearly swallowing my tongue as I watched his gorgeous, pissed-off, ass stroll down the hallway.

I was humming along to the song playing over the radio when there was a knock at the door. I turned it down and pulled plastic wrap across the bowl of potato salad, placing it in the fridge. I went to the door and looked through the peep hole, seeing a man standing there in a suit.

I opened the door with a smile. "Hi, can I help you?" I asked pleasantly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. "Agent Rhodes. We spoke on the phone earlier, if you're Bella. Is Edward Cullen here?" he asked commandingly.

I was immediately nervous, bordering on nauseous. Another man was standing behind him, staring at me like I was a fucking criminal. "He is, but he's in the shower. What's this about?" I asked. It made no fucking sense to me. If Edward was in any trouble, I was prepared to call my dad.

"Ma'am, this is my partner, Felix. We're here to arrest Mr. Cullen, so please let us in. We have a warrant. By the way, how many showers does he take a day because when I spoke with you earlier, you mentioned he was in the shower," he stated as he held up a piece of paper. I took a deep breath because there was nothing I knew about Edward that gave me any indication he'd been involved in any criminal activity.

"What are the charges?"

"Insider trading and embezzlement," the man announced. I began hyperventilating, and then…

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I'm a bad, bad girl…Say it with me… "I won't panic. SK always has a method to the madness." Take a cleansing breath. Feel better?

Thank you for reading.

Till next time…xoxo