37
The Hermit
Joking aside, Rose decides to take a more conventional route when it comes to decorating the nursery for Kat. Nothing too frilly or overly girly. Her one stipulation is that they keep the pink to a bare minimum.
"My daughter isn't going to be a pretty, pretty princess. She's going to be a strong, independent woman," she insists despite Esme's pleas via webcam.
While everyone is at work, Bella, who has finally worked up the courage, is next door painting the walls a soft buttery yellow that matches The Bakery decor. Bella loves a good project and immerses herself in perfecting the trim and paint strokes. She doesn't worry about the stress or the strained conversation she had with her sister the night before. Bella doesn't obsess over her next session with Zafrina or the homework assignment that her psychiatrist will most likely give her in an effort to help with the progress she's slowly making. Instead, she focuses on the job at hand and plans out where the cute bakery-themed paintings will hang when they arrive.
The only furniture that's been decided on for the room is the crib that Esme sent a couple of weeks ago. Bella thinks it's sweet that both Rose and Edward used the cradle when they were babies. There are dings in the mahogany and bite marks on the bars from years of memories. The Cullen family is very sentimental in that achingly sweet kind of way.
"You missed a spot."
Bella, having thought she was alone in the house, screams in terror and attacks the intruder with the only weapon at hand—the wet end of her paintbrush before she realizes who it is.
"Oh, no." She laughs.
Edward looks down at his paint-covered shirt and wipes at his face with a playful scowl. "Is that any way to greet your one and only, Sugar?"
Bella snorts and hands him a rag. "This is all your fault. You should know better than to sneak up on me like that. What are you doing home so early?"
Edward reaches out and places a yellow handprint right over her breast before stepping back to admire his work. "There's a major power outage in town. We waited an hour and decided to call it an early night."
"You didn't think to call and let me know?"
He chuckles darkly. "Where would the fun be in that?" Edward smirks and reaches out to give her other breast the same paint job, but Bella swats him away.
"Psh. Go away. I'm busy."
"No. Are you almost finished?"
Bella points to the two bare walls. "Far from it actually."
"I think you should wrap it up for the night," Edward insists.
"Honey, your sister has been staying at Irina's for days. I should get this done so she can come back home."
Bella knows that while Edward can't argue that, Rose is having a rough time living with a house full of college students even if it is kind of her fault. Pregnant women and partiers don't have much in common. Irina's roommates are driving the poor girl up the wall. Bella offered the guest room up but Rose declined hence Edward's belief that his sister asked for it.
"I need to finish so that everything will dry, the fumes will dissipate, and she can come back."
"One more day won't kill her. Let's finish this wall and have a date night."
"A date night?"
Edward gives her a goofy grin. "I haven't properly wooed my girlfriend in ages. Let me knock your socks off." He looks down at her bare feet. "Or at least your pants."
Bella laughs. "More romantic words have never been spoken. Seriously, I'm swooning so hard right now." She rolls her eyes and goes back to painting.
"Come on, Sugar. Let's have a romantic night. Just the two of us," Edward pleads. "I picked up a vat of hummus just for the occasion."
"Don't make me pull the vegetarian cookbook back out."
Edward snatches the paintbrush out of her hands. "I destroyed that thing ages ago, so good luck with that."
"There's always Pinterest," Bella sings.
"I ordered Chinese and got you pot stickers."
Bella throws her arms around his neck. "You had me at Chinese. Let's blow this popsicle stand."
Edward throws his head back and laughs. "I'm in love with a nerd."
o.O. .o.O.o
"You have paint all over your face." Bella laughs.
"You ruined my handy work"—Edward wiggles his fingers—"when you hugged me. I expect a do-over."
She rolls her eyes and bites into an egg roll.
"You know what would be fun?"
"Watching you peel the paint out of your beard in the shower?"
"No. If we did one of those erotic paintings where we cover ourselves in paint and go at it on a blank canvas."
"No."
Edward whines. "No?"
"What would you say to your mom if she asked about the new art hanging above the TV? I don't want my ass print on display."
"We could hang it in the bedroom, for our eyes only."
Bella shakes her head and pushes her plate away. "I'd imagine having sex covered in paint would be as uncomfortable as doing it on a sandy beach. Paint would get in areas that paint has no business being in."
Edward agrees and promises to drop the subject. For now.
After the dishes are done, and they've danced their way through a couple of songs, Edward drags Bella up the stairs for a thorough shower and then back downstairs to watch a movie.
Bella huffs and crosses her arms. "I thought you were supposed to be knocking my pants off. "The Incredibles" is not at all sensual."
Edward shakes his head. "You're no Elastigirl, but you are rather bendy."
Bella reaches for the remote and turns the TV off as she stands. "I'm going upstairs. You've got five minutes before I start without you."
She doesn't make it halfway before Edward tackles her on the steps.
"You caught me." She giggles.
He peels her shirt off and bites the soft skin of her shoulder before whispering in her ear. His voice is rough—a dark chuckle hidden behind lust-filled words. "As if you could outrun me."
