DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creations of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. All are human.

Night Out

"So how often do you go dancing with everyone?" I asked Edward, as he followed Alice through the busy streets.

"Not very. It's one of the more boring activities she forces me to go along with. There's not much to do when you aren't dancing. It's too dark to read and too loud to think," Edward replied.

"You just watched?" I asked, staring at him.

"Yes. Why do you seem shocked?"

"It's just … you're so good at it! I just thought you would have been dancing."

"This type of dance requires a partner, Bella."

"I know that, but Alice told me about all the blind dates she used to make you go on. Not to mention all of the girls that must have thrown themselves at you, trying to get you to dance."

Edward chuckled. "From your statement, I know she didn't tell you what would happen when I arrived to discover it was a date."

I turned in my seat to see his face better. This sounded like it was going to be good. "What would you do? I know you wouldn't have been rude to the girl seeing as the gentleman in you would know it wasn't her fault."

"Bella," he chuckled. "You really are observant."

"You tell me that a lot."

"You prove it a lot."

"Back to the story!" I said, waving my hand at him.

"My personal favorite was excusing myself to the restroom and never returning. Sometimes, I would make my phone go off and pretend I had an emergency requiring me to leave immediately. Alice once tried to stop me, guessing my plan, so I accidentally, on purpose, knocked my drink onto my clothing. She was quite angry that time."

I laughed and clapped my hands. "Alice and you are so entertaining! It's like a battle of two steel wills. In this corner, the little pixie of pushiness and over here, the world's most stubborn man!"

"Why am I so stubborn?"

"You know you are!"

"When have I been stubborn with you?"

"Just because you haven't shown it to me, doesn't mean I haven't seen it." I pointed to myself. "Observant!"

"I'm not nearly as stubborn as you, love."

"I know!" I laughed. "I don't think anyone is!"

Alice turned into a parking garage and Edward followed right behind her. Rose was behind us. I waited patiently for Edward to come around and open my door. He held his hand out and I took it.

"You're really spoiling me with the doors and the chairs and everything," I whispered to him as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

Edward kissed the tip of my nose. "This is only the beginning, love. We have a lifetime ahead for me to spoil and pamper you even more."

"Are you excited, Bella?" Alice asked, as she bounced between me and Jasper.

"Sort of," I said, smiling at her.

"It'll be fine," Rose assured me. "You'll have a great time, Bella."

Emmett pushed his way between Alice and me. "I have just a few quick rules for you, Squirt. Don't go off on your own. Don't accept drinks from strangers. Don't let any drinks you order out of your sight. And if anyone messes with you, knee them, stomp their foot, and yell for me."

"Should I be worried?" I asked, looking up at Edward.

"Emmett's just making sure you're prepared," Edward said, hugging me tighter against his side. "Not everyone has noble intentions."

"Since you've already promised not to leave my side tonight, I'm pretty sure your intentions are the only ones I'll need to worry about," I whispered to him.

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "You might be safe then."

I laughed as I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

Rosalie and Emmett walked right up to the door, completely ignoring the long line. I saw the bouncer at the door smile and nod at them as he opened the door wide. The bouncer was really tall and was almost as muscled as Emmett. He had dark skin and long black hair that was neatly tied back. His eyes were black and seemed to see everything at once. He nodded again as Jasper and Alice walked in. When we got close, he smiled at me and held his hand out to Edward.

Edward grabbed it and shook it. "Good evening, Jacob."

"Been too long, Edward. I see you finally brought your own date for a change," Jacob joked.

"I was able to avoid Alice's matchmaking attempts long enough to meet this beautiful woman," Edward replied, moving me in front of him. "Bella, this is Jacob. Jacob, this is my lovely Bella."

I blushed both at the compliment and the way he had made it clear I was his.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," Jacob said, shaking my hand. "Edward's a pretty descent guy. You picked well."

"I'll have to come back later, Jacob," Edward said, staring into the dimness of the club. "Alice is not looking very happy with me at the moment," he chuckled.

"Say no more," Jacob laughed. "Bella, it was a pleasure to meet you. Edward, make sure you see me before you leave."

Edward nodded to Jacob as he pulled me into the club. Alice was tapping her foot and had her little arms crossed in front of her chest.

Jasper was trying to talk to her. "Alice, calm down."

"You are not spending all night talking to Jacob again!" Alice fumed.

"I only did that because you had tricked me with another date," Edward argued.

I stood between them and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Alice, relax. Edward was just introducing me."

"Sorry, Bella," Alice said, pulling me into a quick hug. "The last time we came, Edward spent all night outside with Jacob and the two of them very nearly got arrested."

I spun around to look at Edward. "You did something bad enough to get almost-arrested?"

Edward grinned wickedly. "There was a minor incident with a very drunk man who wanted to pick a fight with Jacob. I may have had my foot out a little too far and the unstable drunk may have fallen over it and met the sidewalk with his face."

"That sounds more like something Emmett would do," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around Edward.

"Come on!" Alice said, tugging on Edward's arm. "I'll show you where we are sitting and then we can go dance."

Alice led us up a set of stairs and into a darkened area with a long black leather couch. The entire dance floor could be seen from here. I easily spotted Emmett and Rosalie dancing together. Edward sat on the couch and pulled me down next to him.

"No sitting!" Alice ordered. "It's time to dance."

"We will join you in a moment," Edward said firmly. "I want to talk to Bella about something. We'll be right down, I promise."

Alice smiled and walked off with Jasper.

"Well, that was easy," I remarked.

"It was rather odd of her. There's no telling what devious scheme is running through her brain," Edward chuckled. "But at least you are getting the chance to sit as you requested."

"Thank you, Edward," I said, leaning against his chest. "So how did you meet, Jacob?"

"Jacob and I know each other in passing through Alice and Rosalie. Once they find a club they like, they make a point of befriending all of the bouncers. It gives them free bodyguards and they never have to wait in line. I was bored one night and went out for some fresh air, and Jacob was at the door. We struck up a conversation about the music pouring out of the club. After that, I made it a point to always go out and chat with him."

"He seems like an interesting person. We'll have to sneak away from Alice and go talk to him later." I looked around us, noticing just how dark it was up here. It was hard to see anything beyond the ends of the sofa. "You were right about this place," I said, looking up at Edward. "Definitely too dark to see and too loud to think. I can feel the music in my feet!"

I wiggled my boots as I looked down at them. They were the most comfortable pair of shoes I owned, even with the heel on them. Rose and Alice had given them to me tonight, along with the jeans I was wearing and the shirt. They said it was my first true adult outfit. The jeans were dark blue and hung low on my hips. The shirt was black and tight, with the word 'sexy' barely visible. The gap between the shirt and jeans showed off just a little of my flat stomach when I stood. It really did look nice on me.

Edward placed his finger under my chin and titled my face up to his. He softly kissed each of my cheeks.

"What are you doing?" I asked, chuckling. His kisses had tickled.

"Nothing," he whispered before kissing my lips. "I'm just kissing my beautiful girlfriend," he added, kissing along my neck.

"Aren't you supposed to be afraid of Emmett coming up here and catching you?" I chuckled. "There's no bedroom door to protect you now."

I assumed the fiery kiss he planted on my lips was his answer. I really didn't see how he could possibly make his intentions any clearer, but then he slid his tongue into my mouth and it was crystal. I chuckled in my head at my random thoughts. Even if Edward could read minds, I bet he still wouldn't be able to read mine. I hardly knew what was going on up there half the time.

I was barely breathing by the time Edward released me from the kiss. "Guess you're not worried anymore," I panted.

Edward gave me a wicked grin before pressing his lips to mine once again. His hands found their way under my shirt as they roamed across my back, pulling me even closer to him. His tongue worked its magic against mine as I fought hard to keep breathing. My own hands found their way into his hair, which seemed to be their favorite destination. No complaints from my end!

"Are you ready to try dancing with me, love?" he whispered against my ear, his own breathing ragged.

I nodded my head. I didn't have enough breath in my lungs to speak. Edward led me down the stairs and out onto the floor.

"Can you dance to this music?" he asked.

"I know a little, but you'll have to help me."

He smiled as he put his hands against my hips, right between my jeans and my shirt. I jumped from the contact. He chuckled at my reaction.

"You're too far away," he said as he pulled me closer, until there was no gap between our bodies.

He gently pushed on my hips, helping me to find the correct rhythm for the music. I rested my hands on his shoulders and stared up at him, watching all of his emotions run through his beautiful, green eyes. The one emotion that was constant was his love for me. It made me feel like my own heart would burst from happiness. Edward loved me. That was more than I could have ever asked for.

Those hands of his never stopped roaming across my bare skin! If he wasn't holding my hips, he was rubbing my lower back. When he wasn't doing those things, he was trailing his fingers just below my belly button, knowing full well how sensitive my skin was right there.

I tried glaring at him, but each time, I was met with a kiss that made me forget why I was upset in the first place. My mind kept trying to tell me there was something I needed to be concerned about, but I couldn't focus long enough to figure it out. There was only Edward, his hands and his lips. Not to mention his dazzling, green eyes! They flickered with desire every time his lips came close to mine, which ended up being fairly often throughout the night!

By the time I finally convinced Edward I needed a break, I was close to passing out. I was no longer sure if my dizzy state was from his kisses, our closeness, or just the exhaustion of dancing for hours. He led me back up to the private area. I sighed happily as I sat down and took the weight off my feet.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Too much," I sighed, leaning into him.

Edward chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of my head. "I love you, Bella."

"You've been making that perfectly clear. And I love you, too."

Alice and Rose came up a few minutes later. "Bella," Alice said. "Why don't you come with us to the restroom?"

I wanted to protest for the sake of my feet, but I didn't get a chance to respond. They had my arms locked in theirs as they pulled me away from Edward.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to look at both of them. I felt like I was in the middle of some crazy tennis match.

"We need to talk," Alice said.

"Do we ever!" Rose added.

I waited until we were in the bathroom before saying anything more. I had a feeling I knew what this was going to be about, but I was really hoping I was wrong. This was that thing I was supposed to be concerned about.

As soon as we were through the door, Alice was closing it and locking it. "Isabella Marie Swan!" she scolded.

I cringed at the use of my full name. "Yes, Alice?"

"Is there something my brother and you may have forgotten to mention?" Alice asked, stalking towards me.

"Nope!" I replied. "Nothing that I know of. Why?"

"She's being coy," Rose chuckled. "How cute! Bella, honey, we aren't blind."

"Or stupid!" Alice chirped.

"I really don't know what you two are talking about," I said, hoping they would believe me.

"You're a horrible liar," Alice chuckled.

"Spill it, Bella!" Rose demanded, folding her arms over her chest. Her grin was rather wicked.

"How do you even know?" I whined, as I admitted my defeat.

"There is no way my brother would be dancing that way with you if things haven't changed in your relationship," Alice replied.

I looked down at the floor.

Alice moved next to me, lifting my chin up. "Bella, we aren't upset. I'm sorry if we gave you that impression. Rose and I just want to make sure you're okay. Do you have any questions or need anything?"

I looked at them both and I could see they were telling the truth. "I'm fine. I swear."

"When?" Rose asked.

I debated on whether or not I should draw this out and decided against it. The sooner I confessed, the sooner I could get back to Edward. "The other night … after he gave me my ring."

"How did we not see this?" Alice chuckled as she hugged me.

"You guys were slightly busy tending to an enraged Emmett," I replied. "Speaking of which …"

"Bella, this is strictly between us. Emmett does not want or need to know," Rose said.

"So you're completely okay?" Alice asked.

I nodded my head.

"Did you have protection? Are you going to tell Edward that we know?"

I blushed. I knew she was only asking out of her concern, but I still felt a little weird talking about these things with anyone, besides Edward. "Yes and yes. I wouldn't want to take the chance of him hearing while I'm dreaming. I'm sure my current level of embarrassment will bring me at least a couple of dreams."

"You are setting a new shade of red," Rose chuckled.

"Well, have fun and be careful," Alice said, hugging me once again. "None of us are ready to become aunts and uncles and Carlisle would have a massive coronary!"

"Believe me!" I laughed. "I am not becoming someone's mother anytime soon! I want to finish college way too much. Not to mention Emmett would kill Edward and me. I'd like to keep Edward around a while longer before I leave him at the mercy of my brother."

"Let's get you back to Edward," Rose said, pulling me toward the door.

"Just between us, right?" I asked, as Alice unlocked the door and opened it.

"Absolutely," Rose and Alice said together.

As we walked back toward our table, I wondered just how much Emmett would find out on his own. I really did not want to deal with him knowing right now. I knew he would figure it out eventually, but as long as he wanted to think I was innocent, I would let him. No need to change his world view anymore than I already had.

Edward got up from the sofa and pulled me into a hug as soon as he saw me. "Are you okay? Do you need to get some air?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Bella, you're completely red."

"Oh, well it is hot in here. I think some air would be nice."

Edward turned to Alice. "I'm going to step outside with Bella. We'll be back shortly."

"Give my regards to Jacob," Alice said as she waved at us.

As we got closer to the door and the cool air outside, Edward leaned down to me and whispered into my ear. "They know, don't they?"

I nodded my head. Edward hugged me tighter.

"There you are!" Jacob laughed as we stepped outside. "I was wondering if you left while I was on break. You don't usually stay inside so long."

"I've never had the pleasure of Bella's company before. How is your night going, Jacob?" Edward asked, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Pretty good so far," Jacob said, scanning the long line of people. "No drunks yet."

"I hear you're a bad influence on Edward," I said as I put my hand against Edward's cheek.

Jacob smiled, flashing his very white teeth. "What's life without a little danger and a chance of arrest?"

I smiled while Edward chuckled low in my ear.

Jacob looked up at Edward and smiled even wider. "Look at that!" His arm shot out and my hand was suddenly in his. He was staring at my ring. "It's got you written all over it, Edward. You two are pretty serious then?"

Edward took my hand from Jacob and kissed my finger, just below the ring. He stared at me as he answered his friend. "I'm going to make her my wife one day."

The conviction and honesty in his eyes nearly knocked me over. I was amazed all over again at my luck at having Edward in my life, loving me this way. I only hoped I made him feel a fraction of how he made me feel.