DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction for which we will receive no compensation, especially since all characters belong to a different Stephenie. But this story helped save the babies, which we are all for.

A/N: Thank you all for sticking with us during our real life shenanigans. We appreciate you all. We didn't get this chapter to Maplestyle but we love her and thank her.

BitterHarpy received a second place nod for Best Je'Taime Fic in The Golden Onion Awards for The American Princess.

There are two Halloween contests going on right now; The Trick or Treat Contest and A Picture Says A Thousand Words: Halloween Edition. I know they'd love to have your words! So go check it out.

That is all for now. Enjoy.

Chapter 28

The rest of the reunion passed without incident. Bella spent most of her time with Elizabeth and Edward's sisters while Edward went hiking and fishing with his brothers-in-law and nephews. Bella was glad to see Edward enjoying himself for once, and she got the sense that his family had missed him more than he knew.

Their nights in the cottage were pleasant as well, Edward abandoning the couch to sleep in her bed. They did more than sleep, of course, each night finding more freedom than the one before. And on their last night in Connecticut, Bella feared they might break the bed frame.

Or leave a permanent dent in the wall.

Edward rolled off her and laid on his back, both of them struggling to catch their breath. Though the temperature outside had plummeted, inside the room there was nothing but heat.

"Fuck... me..." Bella panted.

"I thought I did," he said dryly.

Bella smirked and tried to smack his arm but didn't have the energy to lift hers. As their breathing returned to normal, she propped herself up on one arm to face him. Even sweaty and exhausted, Edward was beautiful, and as his eyes were closed, Bella took advantage of the moment to stare at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"I'll get us some water in a minute," he said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"No rush."

He cracked an eye open and found her looking at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

He closed his eyes again, thinking a shower or a snack might be in order. But he couldn't shake knowing she was staring at him, so he popped his eyes open, hoping to startle her. But Bella didn't budge; she just kept looking.

As he turned to face her, he realized "looking" was the wrong word. She was more than looking—she had the same light in her eyes now that she had at his trailer as she gazed at the stars. An expression of wonder and appreciation.

And adoration.

That last word made him uncomfortable, and he sat up quickly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." He grabbed his clothes from the floor and headed toward the door.
"I just want to get us that..."

"Don't do that."

He stopped. "Do what?"

Bella sat up, the comforter falling away to expose her nakedness. The softness in her eyes had given away to something stronger that made Edward nervous.

"I was afraid this would happen," she said. "That the minute we had to go back to Seattle, you would start pulling away."

"I'm not pulling away. I'm putting away." He held up his pile of clothes with a sheepish smile. "See?"

Bella wasn't amused, and he set the clothes at the foot of the bed with a sigh. "What do you want from me?"

She shook her head. "This isn't about me. This is about you and what you're trying to do."

Edward looked down, hating how well she had him pegged. He couldn't deny that what they had was more than physical and not about convenience. He had feelings for her, real feelings that filled him with excitement and dread, and from moment to moment, he couldn't tell which was stronger. It would be so easy to fall into Bella Swan and never come out, and it would be the scariest thing Edward had ever done.

He watched her watching him, the patience in her eyes masking a vulnerable hope that left him breathless. He didn't deserve her or anything close to what she represented, and he could so easily fuck it up. Hell, he'd halfway done that already by getting out of the bed at the wrong time. How could doing the right thing not be just as hard for him?

Edward walked out without a word, and Bella's heart sank. She should have known they couldn't get through the week without Assholeward making an appearance, but she'd hoped to make it out of Connecticut before that happened. Thank God Elizabeth wasn't planning some grand finale to send them all off. Bella didn't think she could face the woman knowing her son had resurrected that old impenetrable wall between them.

Edward appeared in the doorway with two bottles of water, an armful of snacks, and a smile. Bella avoided his gaze as she peeled back the blankets to let him in the bed. He carefully joined her, placing the bottles on the night table and dumping the bags on the bed.

Pulling the covers over his legs, he looked at her, tucking a hair behind her ear. Holding her nervous gaze, he leaned in and kissed her soft and slow. Bella melted into the kiss and heard the unspoken words between their sighs.

"I'm in," his kiss seemed to whisper.

"Me too," her lips replied.

After another quick peck, Edward passed her a bottle of water which she sipped as she surveyed the snacks. A shiny bag of popcorn called her name, and Edward watched with amusement as she tore it open and dumped half of it into her mouth.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Sorry. Did you want any?"

"No, you go ahead." He chuckled. "I didn't know you liked popcorn that much."

"Depends on the flavor. The common ones like butter, caramel, and cheddar are only good when done right. Give me bacon-ranch or chocolate peanut butter any day." She realized Edward was staring at her, and she blushed. "Didn't mean to bore you."

"Believe me, Bella," he said. "I am anything but bored with you."

And they both hoped it would stay that way.

***STYB***

The mood in the cottage was playful the next morning as they packed to head back to Seattle. Edward was done in minutes, but Bella's process seemed to take twice as long. Maybe it had something to do with the handsy neurosurgeon who kept groping her and trying to inspect her lingerie as she put in the suitcase. Bella finally stuck her boob in his mouth to try to get him to behave. That led to other things being put in other places, and by the time they arrived at the main house for coffee, they were both satisfied.

Unfortunately, the delay gave his sisters the time to gather and wait for them.

"What took you so long?" Leah asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Bella huffed in annoyance. "Someone insisted on showing me how to pack my suitcase 'the right way' when my way was perfectly fine and..."

"Fine? You had your clean clothes right beside your dirty ones." Edward shuddered. "The horror."

"Oh," Leah said, disappointed. "Well, the coffee's fresh."

"Great, thanks," Bella said, winking at Edward when Leah turned her head. Some things needed to stay between them.

"And you said you didn't take Drama 101 in college," Edward whispered, pouring their coffee in the provided to-go cups.

She looked at him archly. "I can fake it when I have to."

He blinked then shook his head. "Smart ass."

"This was the best reunion to date!" Elizabeth cried as she entered the kitchen. "My heart is so full."

"You're not gonna cry, are you?" Rachel asked as she put away dishes with Charlotte. "Because I don't want you ruining my silk blouse."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Selfish. Just selfish."

Rachel kissed her cheek. "I love you too, Ma."

"Who's leaving first?" Kate asked as she came in. "They should get dibs on breakfast."

"They are," Leah nodded at Edward and me. "You know, since he lives clear across the country now."

Edward smiled. "Miss me already?"

"Not at all," she said, coming around the counter to hug him. "I'm just using you for warmth."

"What time is your flight, Bella?" Kate asked.

"We have to be at the airport by noon. He won't tell me what time the flight is."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't want me figuring out how much free time we have because he's afraid I'll try to cram in some cheesy tourist activity before we leave the state." Bella popped a grape in her mouth. "He's not wrong."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Men."

"Tell me about it," Bella said.

"I think I liked it better when you were a bitch," Edward said to Kate.

The room quieted as Kate blinked at him. But when she noticed the teasing look in his eyes, she flipped him off. "How's that?"

Leah laughed, and the tension was broken. Bella was glad things were ending on such a positive note. She didn't think she and Kate would ever be BFFs, but according to Kate, her friendship with Tanya was over.

"I didn't see the kind of her person she was," she'd told Bella during last night's movie marathon. "Now that I know the truth, I can't believe I ever thought she was my friend. Or how I acted because of that."

"We've all been duped by people we care about," Bella had said. "I'm just glad you see her for who she really is. Now you can start mending fences." And seeing Kate and Edward joking together in the kitchen was surely a good sign of that.

After a quick breakfast of French toast and fruit, Edward and Bella began their official goodbyes to Connecticut. As Edward hugged his nieces and nephews, Elizabeth asked to see Bella in the den, under the guise of giving her a shawl she thought she'd like.

She handed Bella the shawl and said, "I've told the girls not to pester Edward about his intentions with you or try to get your Facechat information." She took Bella's hands. "But I hope you know how much we enjoyed having you and really hope you'll be back."

Bella threw herself in Elizabeth's arms, a few tears slipping out as the woman wrapped her arms around her. Too many feelings coursed through Bella to name, and she was grateful for Elizabeth's silence as she held her.

"Thank you," Bella said, accepting the tissue Elizabeth offered. "I feel the same way."

Their eyes were dry as they returned to the kitchen, and Edward's heart felt strangely warm seeing Bella and his mother together. He never would have dreamed he'd say this, but he could see this happening again. In fact, he wanted it to.

"Ready?" Bella asked as she smiled at him.

He walked over and kissed her, ignoring the catcalls from Leah. "Ready."

***STYB***

The return trip to Seattle was much different than Bella or Edward had expected. When they first struck their bargain, Bella had assumed they'd be at each other's throats by now or that she'd want to take an early flight home to get away from him.

She would have bet money that she'd've called him an asshole at least five times.

Instead Edward took the scenic route to the airport. Bella was disappointed that Carvel's headquarters had moved to Atlanta, but Edward pulled into a local creamery and got her two scoops of rum raisin to cheer her up. They walked hand-in-hand into the airport, settling into their first-class seats with clear heads and open hearts. Bella laughingly rejected his repeated invitations to the mile-high club, but she was open to heavy petting under the blanket.

When they touched down in Seattle, Edward turned to her thoughtfully. "Hey..."

"I am not giving you a blow job in the lounge bathroom."

"Didn't know that was an option but okay. I was going to say that since we're not due at the hospital until tomorrow night, maybe we don't have to return to the real world yet."

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Well..." Edward looked out the window at the chain of hotels beside the airport. "I could stand some room service and a whirlpool tub."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He stepped closer to her. "And there's the matter of that lacy blue thing I saw when you were packing, the one with the little bows in the back."

She knew exactly which one he meant. "What about it?"

"I need to see you in it." He leaned in to nibble her earlobe. "Then quickly get you out of it."

She shuddered, her pulse racing. "And then what?"

"That's for me to know..." He pulled back to look at her. "And you to enjoy."

Bella held his gaze, scorched by the heat in his eyes. "Let's go."

They left the airport and half-ran into the closest hotel, Edward slapping down his black platinum card before Bella could offer to pay half. Edward wanted amenities and privacy, and the clerk offered a decked-out suite with as good a view as they could get.

"The view doesn't matter," Edward said, pocketing the key card. "We won't be spending much time looking out the window."

The young desk clerk blushed and stammered the rest of his spiel, and Bella shook her head, taking the other key card. "Please excuse him."

"No problem," the clerk said. "I'd say 'enjoy,' but I think that was already the plan."

"You catch on fast," Edward said, smoothly slipping a tip in the young man's hand.

"You're incorrigible," Bella said as they headed to the bank of elevators at the far end of the lobby.

"No, I'm insatiable. And you've been wearing far too much for far too long."

"Is that so?" She pressed the button for the elevator. "I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you."

"You should be." He caught the look on her face and raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to, Swan?"

"Interesting choice of words," she said as the elevator doors opened.

He pulled their bags into the empty elevator. "Why is that?"

"Because I'm not the one about to be 'up'."

Edward went to the very back of the elevator, standing their rolling suitcases beside him while Bella pressed the button for their floor. As the doors were closing, a hand shot in from the outside, opening them again.

"Sorry," a man in a sharp tuxedo said. "Forgot the tickets."

"No problem," Bella smiled as the man pressed the button for the fourth floor.

Something buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, answering immediately. "Hey... Yeah, I'm in the elevator... you left your what?" He pinched his nose. "Well, which one is the 'good one'?"

As he prattled on, Bella stepped back, bumping into Edward. "Excuse me, sir," she whispered.

"You don't need an excuse," he murmured.

"Good." She arched her back, pressing her ass right into him. He closed his eyes, groaning quietly as she subtly rocked her hips. The man on the phone kept talking, oblivious to what was happening behind him, and Bella smiled, clamping her lips shut to keep a moan from escaping.

Edward suddenly brought his hands to Bella's waist, stopping her movements. "I'm gonna make you pay for that," he whispered hoarsely.

"I'd like to see you try," she said as the elevator stopped.

The man on the cell phone sped off, and as the doors closed again, Edward pressed Bella against the elevator wall and kissed her hungrily, pressing himself against her.

"Is this what you wanted?" he asked roughly.

She grunted against his mouth. "Maybe."

He palmed her breast through her sweater, causing her head to loll back as he rocked against her more urgently. "How about this?"

"Getting warmer."

Edward buried his face in her neck, sucking her skin. Bella's hands slid down his back, gripping his ass. Her boldness shocked him, and he pulled back to stare at her.

"Fuck this," he said and pulled the red stop button.

Bella gasped. "You've got five minutes before someone overrides that."

"The way you've riled me up." He faced her with fire in his eyes. "I'll only need four."

***STYB***

Edward used his four minutes well. So well that when they got to the hotel room, they dropped their bags and passed out on the bed, barely remembering to take off their shoes.

They woke up a few hours later to their phones pinging with notifications. When Bella checked to see who they were from, she laughed, telling Edward to handle it while she took a shower. Edward sighed and called his mother, apologizing for not confirming their safe arrival. Elizabeth thanked him again for bringing Bella into their lives, and he turned toward the bathroom door, smiling at Bella's off-key singing.

"The pleasure is mine, Mother. Truly."

After Edward showered, they ordered room service, Bella eating her weight in sweet potato fries and cheesecake as Edward flipped channels. Blazing Saddles was on demand, and Edward insisted they watch. Bella had never heard of it before, but she was soon screaming with laughter at the classic comedy.

Edward set their room service tray in the hall while Bella brushed her teeth. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't believe how happy she looked, how truly happy she was. Edward had been a colossal pain in the ass when she met him, and now he'd become one of the most important people in her life.

"Will wonders never cease?" she mused, cutting out the light.

She emerged from the bathroom to find him lying shirtless on the bed, his green eyes soft as he looked at her. A ball of fear clenched in her belly, but she ignored it. No matter how it had begun, this real thing between them was also a good thing, and she was determined to enjoy it.

Edward held her gaze as she walked toward him, and she was a little disappointed by his muted reaction.

"I thought you liked this one," she said, gesturing toward the blue negligee she was wearing.

"I do, but it's just fabric." He held out his hand. "I'm far more interested in who's underneath it."

Her breath caught at his sincerity, and she leaned in to kiss him. This one was gentle and unhurried as if time were standing still. Edward cupped her cheek and tilted his head to tease her mouth open with his tongue, his other hand lightly caressing her bare arm. She ran her hands through his hair as their kiss deepened, her breasts tingling with sudden need.

As if reading her mind, he smoothly slid the thin straps off her shoulders to expose her bare skin. His mouth soon followed, and he laid her down gently as he kissed his way to her left breast. His lips went still, and he laid his head against her there, sighing softly.

Bella's eyes popped open, then she gasped as she realized he was listening to heartbeat. The sweetness of the gesture broke her open, and she pressed her hand to his head, holding him in place. They lay in sweet silence, breathing together as if nothing else in the world mattered. And as Edward turned to take her nipple into his mouth, Bella was convinced that as long as they were together, nothing else did.

They made it out of Connecticut alive and enamored. Who'd've thunk it?

Story rec: "Taste of Ink" by Hotteaforme. Sweet n' spicy E/B summer story with a snarky, supportive Rosalie. Needless to say, ladylibre is in love.

Thanks for taking this ride with us, peeps. See you in two weeks! XO