AN: Hello my dears! We are back and I'm so happy about it!

Thank you immensely to my incredible Beta, Sunflower Fran who doesn't get nearly enough credit for the phenomenal work she does, and to my awesome pre-readers, brierlynn03 and DaniDarlingxx.

Without further ado...

Chapter 7: Edward

I swore as I took a look at my email. As soon as I'd gotten back to the office, I'd hit the ground running, chasing down subs to make sure they were going to give me competitive numbers. Seth, one of our junior estimators, was helping me. He was a bright kid, but he didn't know enough yet.

I picked up my desk phone, punching in his extension. He answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"What do you mean Crowley isn't submitting a bid?" I asked, glaring at my email. I heard Seth hesitate.

"Oh, well, he's got a lot going on, I guess, and he said he couldn't take it …"

I frowned. "Did you talk to him?"

"I forwarded you his email."

I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. "You can't just email and be done," I growled. "Forget it. I'll get Crowley on board. How are we on electricians?"

Seth updated me, and I nodded, making a note to call one of the subs. "Good, keep me posted. Pick up the phone, man, give these guys a call. Don't be afraid to spend a minute talking with them."

I heard the anxiousness in Seth's voice. "Oh, okay."

I nodded, hanging up with him. I turned my attention to my email and shook my head, reading through Seth's email to Crowley. No wonder Crowley didn't want to bid.

I plugged my Air Pods in and called Tyler's office. "CSC, this is Amanda."

"Hi Amanda, this is Edward Cullen. Is Tyler Crowley in please," I made sure my voice was kind, almost verging on seductive as I asked. She stuttered a moment before transferring the call. It was usually pretty easy to get people what I needed them to do on the phone. It was easier in person, but over the years, I'd master just the right tone.

"Crowley," he said, picking up his extension. I smiled, sitting back.

"Tyler, it's Edward."

Tyler crowed, and I shook my head, smiling. "Ed, man. How are you?"

I settled into my desk, knowing Crowley liked to talk. "I'm good, man. Itching to get back out on the course." I fucking hated golf, but Crowley loved it, and it was something I could do to keep him interacting with me. It was all the opening he needed. He was off, bragging about his latest game, and I sat back, listening and laughing when appropriate. I didn't particularly like Crowley, though I didn't have anything against him either. He was a business relationship, but of the guys I had to chat up, he tended to be one of the easier going ones. I was more than happy to spend time with him on the phone.

I didn't bring up the bid for at least ten minutes, as we spent time catching up. Finally, once he'd told me about his newest car—some sporty thing that cost way too much, I was able to bring him around to the bid. "Hey, so I don't know if you got the invite to this bid out at the aquarium?"

Tyler hesitated. "Yeah, my team saw it. We're swamped, man."

I nodded. "Have you had a chance to look at it? As soon as I saw the plans, I thought of you." Flattery. Flattery always worked with Crowley.

"What is it?" he asked, piqued. I smiled.

"New lab going in at the aquarium. State of the art, green building. It'll be quite a feather," I said, shaking my head. Mom had really outdone herself with these plans. Crowley hummed, unable to resist the draw.

"Let me take a look at it."

I nodded. I knew if I could get him to look at the plans, he'd be in. No way was Crowley going to miss the opportunity to be a part of such a prestigious job. It had deep philanthropic ties, and I knew the publicity of the project would cast any company that worked on it in a golden light.

I told myself this was why I was working so hard to get this job and that it had nothing to do with the vixen who had shocked the hell out of me wearing that red dress today.

Holy fuck, that dress.

When had demure become so sexy? Bella looked elegant, professional, and unbearably attractive. It had been almost painful to watch how many heads she'd turned today.

I was grateful I'd brought Mike and Ben with me to the job walk. Ben had been on top of his shit and able to catch me up on what I'd missed during the walk while I'd been distracted by Bella. Mike, that fucker, had tuned out even more than I had, focusing instead on Bella. He made it incredibly clear how beautiful he found her, and it had taken all my self-control not to punch him in the mouth as we walked back to our trucks. I couldn't ruin a twenty-year business relationship with his family and mine over something like him making derogatory comments about Bella, but I sure fucking wanted to.

I finished my call with Crowley, getting a promise from him that he'd review the bid himself. I turned back to my laptop and spotted the time. It was nearly five, and though I worked late, the construction world largely wrapped shit up early. It was a miracle Crowley had even been there when I called his office.

Sighing, I finished up some paperwork before gathering my things. On my way out, I saw my mom heading out to her car.

"Edward," she called as I headed over to her.

"Hey, Mom."

She reached out, pulling me into a quick hug. I shifted my things around to hug her with one arm. "I haven't seen you. How was your day?"

I pulled back and re-balanced the things in my arms. "It was good. I had the job walk at the aquarium this morning."

Mom beamed. "Oh, really?"

I smirked. "Yeah, you were right; it's a good job."

Mom looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Mhmm," she hummed. I ignored her mirth.

"I took Ben and Mike with me. Ben was on top of it. I think we're going to have a fairly good shot." Mom had this absurd smile on her face, and I shook my head at her. "Mom," I complained.

"What? I haven't said anything," she protested, her face falling into a perfectly innocent mask. I blew out a sharp breath.

"Well, don't," I murmured. Mom looked pleased as she cocked her head.

"Sweetheart, you're too tense." She reached out to me, squeezing my bicep. "Come over for dinner this weekend." The way she asked made it sound like I'd never been over to visit when Emmett and I were there nearly every weekend. Fuck, the whole family had been over last weekend for her birthday.

"I'm going to be a little busy this weekend," I said, motioning to the plans in my arms. Mom scowled.

"You can't work all weekend," she protested. "Come for dinner on Sunday night."

There was no arguing with her, and I sighed, nodding. "Yes, of course, I'll come by."

Mom grinned, reaching up to pat my cheek. "Good." She glanced down at the plans in my hands and shook her head. "Take the rest of the night off, sweetheart. You work yourself too hard."

I didn't respond, giving her a small smile instead. She reached up to kiss my cheek before she climbed into her car. I stood back as she pulled out of her spot, waited until she was gone before shaking my head and turning to head to my truck.

"Hey, Edward."

I glanced up at Chelsea, nodding to her. She was heading toward her sleek white BMW, her heels clicking on the asphalt of the parking lot. "Hey, Chels."

She tilted her head to the side, her long blond hair tipping over her shoulder. "Rough day?"

I smiled thinly. "Just a lot of work ahead of me."

She glanced at the plans in my arms and nodded. "Is that the aquarium job?" I nodded. "I got the girls started on the bid package this morning. We should be ready to go by Tuesday."

I smiled at her. Chelsea was fucking efficient, something I deeply appreciated about her. "Thanks, Chels, you are the best."

She offered me a bright smile. "It's my pleasure, Edward. It looks like a great job. The good press that is tied to this job alone is worth it. It's a marketing team's dream job."

I smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I've thought about that too. It would be great to branch us out into a new field."

Chelsea grinned up at me. She really was stunning; clean-cut, perfectly manicured, sharp as a fucking whip.

"Are you going to be working all weekend?" she asked, nodding to the plans in my arms. I glanced down at them and nodded.

"Likely."

She smiled, understanding. "Well, I'll be around. My plans were canceled, so if you need anything, just give me a call."

I paused, looking her over. It was about as close as she'd ever come to outright asking me out. She met my gaze, and I knew she was talking on a personal level, more than professional. I opened my mouth, my knee jerk reaction to flirt back. But I hesitated, my mind flashing to Bella, her sweet smile, her warm eyes, that fucking red dress. I wasn't tied down to Bella, we'd had lunch once, and it could hardly be called a date seeing as her daughter had been with us. I was completely unattached, free to take Chelsea up on her offer, and yet, something was holding me back.

"Thanks, Chels." I looked her over, her blue eyes watching me openly, waiting for me to take the bait. "I'll email you if I'm able to peg down a team, but I've got to talk to Marcus and Sam about availability first. I probably won't have anything for you this weekend."

I watched her face carefully, and I saw her brows draw together ever so slightly before she nodded, shaking off the look. "All right, sounds good." Her voice stayed even, and I silently let out a breath, hoping that she really was going to take it this well. "Take it easy, all right? And call me if anything comes up."

I nodded to her as she waved, turning to her car. She climbed into her BMW, and I turned to my truck, climbing in before anyone else could stop me. I tossed my laptop and plans on the passenger's seat, frowning.

There really was no reason I shouldn't take Chelsea up on her offer. We were both single, consenting adults, and I knew she was looking for something uncomplicated, exactly like me.

I sighed, letting out a long breath and shaking my head, deciding I didn't want to try to sort through this shit while sitting in the parking lot.

I started up my truck and pulled out of the lot, heading towards downtown.

My apartment was located in the First Hill neighborhood, right next to downtown. I'd been living there a few years now, and though it wasn't the place I wanted to live the rest of my life, it had so far been a great place. The commute could be a nightmare sometimes, but my apartment was close to a handful of great bars and restaurants, which generally made up for that.

I navigated through the frankly nightmarish traffic, pulling into my private garage with relief. I grabbed all my shit before climbing out of the truck and locking it up.

I headed toward the elevator, punching in my floor number as soon as it arrived.

The doors started to slide close, but a hand shot out, shoving them back open. "Oh, hi, Edward."

I internally groaned. "Jessica."

She was gazing at me with wide eyes, her lust for me obvious across her face. Jessica had moved in about four months ago, right across the hall, and she hadn't exactly been subtle in her pursuit of me. We either had similar work schedules, or she was now stalking me, waiting for me to come home because she always seemed to be there when I got in the elevator.

"How's it going?" she asked, her voice breathy, her chest practically heaving out of her low-cut top. I barely glanced at her.

"Fine."

Her perfume smelled cheap, and it was overwhelming in the confines of the elevator. I tried to hold my breath and ignore her, but she made it difficult, shifting so she was again in my line of sight.

"Any plans for tonight?" she asked, licking her glossed lips. The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped past her, practically sprinting down the hall as I yelled over my shoulder.

"Yup!"

I got into my apartment and locked the door behind me before she could say anything else. Fucking hell. Even if I didn't have my thoughts preoccupied with Bella, or the much classier proposition from Chelsea, my head would never be turned by Jessica. She was too desperate, too demanding. There was something frankly frightening in her eyes, a possessiveness that bordered on insane. I wanted nothing to do with that woman.

I moved away from my front door, dropping my keys on the hook before I dumped my crap in the spare bedroom that doubled as my office.

Next, I went to my room, kicking my shoes off and quickly changing out of my slacks and button-down into some comfortable sweats and a T-shirt from college. Despite what I'd told Jessica, my plans for tonight consisted of eating pizza, drinking a beer, and spacing out in front of the TV.

…

I pulled up to my parents' house and bit back a groan. Emmett's truck was already there, as was Alice's Lexis. Fuck me.

I parked, climbing out and heading up toward the house. I pushed open the front door and bit back a sigh when I heard Alice's loud voice shouting at Emmett about something or another. My little sister might be tiny, but she was louder than fucking anyone I knew.

I hesitated at the door, wondering if it was really worth it to come over. No one had seen me yet; I could still sneak out.

Brutus, Emmett's large bulldog, let out a booming bark at the sight of me near the front door, and I sighed.

"Thanks, buddy," I grumped, reaching down to scratch the top of his head. He barked again, head butting my hand happily, and I heard Alice come around the corner.

"Edward's here!" she shouted; her face bright with her excitement. I watched her warily.

"Alice, why are you screaming?"

She rolled her eyes and ignored me, grabbing my arm and yanking me to the front room. Her grip was fierce, and I actually wanted to wince out of it. Holy hell, was she strong.

"Edward, I want you to meet my friend, Heidi. Heidi, this is the good brother I was telling you about," Alice said, shoving me in front of a stunning blond. She smiled at me, her eyes traveling over me as she took me in, and I barely bit back my frustration.

"Nice to meet you," I said politely as Emmett protested across the family room about me being the good brother.

"Alice has told me so much about you," Heidi purred, reaching out to shake my hand. I shifted, uncomfortable.

"I'm sure most of it is inaccurate," I said, glancing at my sister. She dutifully ignored me.

"She said you're quite successful?" Heidi asked, and I shifted away, dropping her hand.

"No more than Emmett," I said, desperately wanting to throw him at her. He perked up from where he was sulking across the room, and her eyes cut to him, curious. "Excuse me," I said, stepping away from her. If she wanted to be pampered by someone, she could look to Emmett. I knew he didn't mind dating women who were looking for a sugar daddy, a term that skeeved me out beyond belief.

I glared at Alice as I slipped into the kitchen, finding Mom at the stove. "Hey, Mom," I said, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Edward, you made it," she said, lighting up. I nodded.

"Said I would," I reminded her. She nodded. "Did you know Alice was bringing a friend?" I asked, dropping my voice. Mom glared past my shoulder, scowling at the living room.

"No, I did not." Fuck, her tone was almost glacial. I was glad it wasn't me she was mad at. Mom glanced up, scrutinizing me. "You're not interested in her, are you?"

I snorted. "I just met the woman, and I can tell you it's a hard pass for me," I whispered. Mom nodded, satisfied. "I can't say the same for Emmett," I warned.

Mom sighed. "Your brother…" she muttered darkly. "Don't worry, dear. I won't let her sink her claws into either of my boys."

She sounded positively threatening, and I blinked at her, stunned. She flashed me a bright smile before turning back to the stove.

"Will you go fetch your father? I think he's in his study on the phone, and dinner will be ready any moment."

I eyed the sauce she was stirring. It looked like some kind of gravy, and I could see thickly crusted pot roast resting on the counter. Fuck, I was hungry.

I nodded, ducking out of the kitchen and heading up to my dad's office. He was hunched over his keyboard when I knocked on the door, and he looked up at me, blinking past his glasses when I entered. "Oh, hello, son," he said, offering me a delayed smile. I nodded to him.

"Hey, Dad. Dinner's about ready."

He nodded, glancing back at his computer. He clicked the screen into sleep mode and stood. "How have you been?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Busy."

Dad nodded and clapped a hand on my back in greeting as we both left his office. "It smells good," he murmured. I nodded in agreement. It smelled really fucking good.

We made it downstairs to the dining room, where Mom was directing us to sit. Normally, she had Emmett sit on his own on one side of the table while Alice and I sat next to each other across from him. It was a habit from when we were kids, and Emmett would rile up fights with anyone close enough to him. It was easier to keep him in his own space, especially when he got mischievous at the dinner table.

Tonight, however, it looked like I was going to sit next to him while Heidi was between Alice and my mom. I glanced at Mom, who was studiously ignoring me, feigning innocence.

I took a seat next to Emmett, who flashed me an impish smile.

Shit.

We hadn't gotten into a food fight in years. We were grown-ass men, and we managed somehow to work together quite well. It was something about being home at our parents' dinner table that brought out the teenager in both of us.

"No," I hissed at him. His grin grew wider.

Mom passed around a bottle of wine, which I passed, opting instead to get a beer out of the fridge.

"Grab me one!" Em called to me when I was in the kitchen, and I considered ignoring him, but it was childish, and I knew it would only lead to trouble between us. I came back to the table and handed him the bottle as I sat. He grinned up at me, his dimples winking.

"So, Heidi," Mom said, starting to hand around the side dishes. Em grabbed the mashed potatoes and heaved nearly half the bowl onto his plate. I glared at him. "How do you know Alice?"

I glanced up at Heidi, who was licking her lips as she watched me, despite my mom's direct question. "We work together," she said, finally tearing her gaze from me and looking at Mom.

Mom looked unimpressed. "Oh? In what way?"

Alice bristled down the table. "Heidi is one of the team leaders," Alice said, leaning forward to shoot Mom a look. "She and I practically run the entire department between the two of us."

Mom looked unconvinced, and I glanced down at Dad to see he looked slightly amused.

"Sounds like a lot of hard work," Mom mused. Heidi glanced at her.

"I delegate well," she said stiffly. Mom nodded, her face polite and courteous.

"I imagine you'd have to, having such a workload." I couldn't quite figure out how Mom was managing to sound so condescending while sounding so completely genuine at the same time.

"Mom," Alice hissed. Mom looked at her innocently.

"What? If you two are truly carrying the weight of the department, I imagine it's a lot of work. It would be important to know how to delegate in that position, Alice." Mom's tone was verging on scolding, and Alice rolled her eyes, serving herself some salad. Heidi looked confused, and for a brief moment, I felt bad for her. The problem was, Heidi wasn't the first gold-digging friend Alice had brought around. We weren't even that rich-at least, I certainly wasn't. I had a shit load of student debt I was still paying off, and while I had a nice truck, I kept most of the costs in my life fairly minimized. Emmett didn't go the college route as I had, and he liked to live a flashier life, which meant most women saw him and saw a large amount of disposable income for the taking. I had no idea why my sister hung out with women like that when she was so far from that type of person.

I glanced at Emmett, who was taking his sweet fucking time spooning green beans onto his plate. He was taking them practically one at a time, and I felt myself growing more and more impatient with him. He smirked at me, and I realized he was doing it on purpose.

Fucker.

"Edward," Mom said, grabbing my attention. I looked at her. "How is the bid for the aquarium coming?"

I nodded once, happy to talk about it. "It's coming along. I have a handful of RFIs I'm sending in first thing Monday morning."

"RFI?" Heidi asked, batting her lashes when I looked at her.

I hesitated. "Request for information." I didn't really want to explain the process of bidding to her, mostly because I had a feeling she didn't really care.

"And when will you be seeing that lovely Bella again?" Mom asked. There was a thick pause in the room, and I felt myself flounder for a moment. Mom, bless her, had just stabbed me with the same lifeline she was trying to throw me.

Emmett's gaze was burning into the back of my head as I looked at my mom. "I suppose I'll see her when we present the bid," I said slowly. Mom rolled her eyes.

"And when are you going to ask her out again?"

Fucking hell, Mom. All eyes were on me as I scrambled for something to say. Heidi was watching me with narrowed eyes, as was Alice. Dad looked surprised, though perhaps, a little unsure about what exactly we were talking about, and Emmett looked suspicious. Fuck, I did love my brother, but if he went behind my back and started to spread this shit around our company, I'd kill him.

"I, uh," I choked, looking back at Mom. She smiled at me and turned to Heidi and Alice.

"Bella is this extraordinary young woman I've been working with for some time now. You should really see them together," she gushed.

"Mom," I hissed. She glanced at me in amusement, but her tactic had worked. Heidi was pouting down at her plate, looking irritated. It was far more preferable than her lusting after me at the table.

"Dude, are you seriously boinking an owner?" Emmett asked, with all the tact of a teenager. I elbowed him, and Mom hissed out his name. He blinked, looking at her. "What? You brought her up!" He protested. "I knew you guys were making some serious eyes at each other, but I didn't think…"

I cut him off. "Enough. I'm not going to talk about it." I snapped. Emmett's eyes were still trained on me, but I ignored him, attacking the food on my plate. The gravy still hadn't made it down to me, but right now, I didn't care. I just wanted to eat and get the hell out.

Eventually, the conversation transitioned to safer topics, and not even halfway through dinner, Heidi was excusing herself, claiming she had an early meeting the next day. She'd hardly eaten anything, and fleetingly, I felt bad for her again. Alice walked her out, and as soon as she was gone, there was a massive energy shift in the house.

Alice came storming back into the dining room, furious. "What the hell was that?" she demanded.

Mom glared at her. "Don't shout at us, Mary Alice."

Emmett and I froze. Mom never called Alice by her full name; she hadn't done that shit since we were teens. Alice was hardly phased by it. "You were all so barbaric to her! Why the hell couldn't you just be nice?"

"When you bring women into this house that are looking to use your brothers, I will treat them however I damn well please," Mom hissed. Alice gaped at her, and Emmett and I exchanged nervous glances. Mom and Alice used to go at it when we were teens, but I hadn't seen them fight all that much since Alice was in college. "You are better than that woman's scheming Alice."

Alice glared at Mom. "And what if I'm not? What if I'm just like Heidi or Lauren or Sarah? What if I don't live up to the standards set out by my perfect older brothers!" Alice snapped. I blinked. What the hell? I glanced at Emmett, who looked equally confused.

Mom stood from the table, but Alice stormed off, furious. What the hell just happened?

"Esme," Dad said, stopping Mom from going after Alice. He shook his head at her, and she scowled. Emmett glanced at me, his blue eyes anxious.

"I think that's my queue," he said, wiping at his face. "Ma, everything was awesome, but I have a job walk at six tomorrow morning in Tacoma," he said, taking his plate to the kitchen. Mom nodded, looking drained. He reached down to kiss her on the cheek before nodding to us and dipping out, barely remembering his own dog. Fucking coward.

I looked between my parents, perplexed. "Please excuse me," Mom said tiredly, standing from the table and taking her dish to the sink. She left it on the counter before heading toward the stairs. I looked at Dad, stunned.

"What just happened?"

He let out a long sigh. "Alice and Mom are not seeing eye to eye right now," he said softly. "They are both so stubborn. It's been difficult to bridge the gap."

I frowned. I had no idea all this drama was going on at home. I thought back to Mom's birthday last weekend and frowned. Alice had been nice, but now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen her directly engage Mom all weekend.

I looked up at the living room. I hadn't heard the door after Alice stormed off, so I assumed she was still in the house. "I'm going to go talk to her," I said, pushing my plate back. Dad nodded.

"Leave the dishes. I'll take care of it."

I nodded to him and made my way to the living room. Alice was nowhere to be found, and I frowned, spying her keys still sitting on the coffee table. I walked around the downstairs, looking for her when the small red tip of a cigarette outside caught my attention. I slipped outside, joining Alice on the patio.

She glanced up at me as I came to sit next to her on the porch swing. I could feel the tension in her, practically daring me to say anything.

"I didn't know you smoked," I said finally.

"Don't fucking start with me," she growled. I smiled.

"Do you do it just to piss off Mom?"

Alice huffed, but I knew I'd hit the nail on the head. She blew out another puff, and after a moment, shook her head. "It's so fucking gross," she complained. I smirked and reached over, picking up a small potted plant beside the swing and taking the water dish out from under it. I handed the small ceramic plate to Alice, who extinguished the cigarette. "Thanks," she muttered.

I nodded. "So," I said after a long moment. "You think I'm perfect?"

Alice snorted and leaned her head against my shoulder. "No. I just know mom thinks so."

It was my turn to snort. "Alice, I'm so far from perfect, and Mom knows. Fuck, I work with her. She sees me and my issues every fucking day."

Alice was quiet for a moment, and I glanced down at her. "What's this really about?"

Her eyes flickered up to mine. Alice's eyes were exactly between my green and Emmett's blue, and even in the dark, they glittered brilliantly. "You and Em are just a lot to live up to," she sighed. "And lately, I feel like nothing I can do will impress Mom. She's always looking down on me, my friends, our choices in life. Nothing I do is good enough for her."

"Ali, you know that's not true, right?" Alice huffed humorlessly against my shoulder. "I mean it," I pressed. "Mom raves about you at work all the fucking time. Anyone who gets stuck in her office has to hear Mom bragging about you and how you've gone into advertising without anyone giving you a leg up." I paused, shaking my head. "Nepotism got Emmett and me our jobs, and yeah, we've had to work hard to keep them, but you did this shit all on your own. And you're good, Ali. We all know that."

For perhaps the first time in our whole fucking lives, she was quiet as she processed my words.

"Mom's never said anything to me," she said after a moment. I nodded.

"Maybe she doesn't realize you need to hear it."

Alice sat up, eyeing me in surprise, and I had to admit, even I was surprised at the words coming out of me. Who knew I could sound so mature?

Alice sighed, her gaze falling on her shoes. We sat in silence for a moment, both of us lost in thought. "Who is Bella?"

I groaned, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Dammit, Mom."

Alice giggled.

"She's a woman I'm bidding a job for. She works at the aquarium, and we met by chance one night when her daughter came up to me and asked if I was a prince." Alice howled a little too hard, and if I thought about it, I'd probably be insulted. "Yeah. Anyway, we parted ways, and literally, three days later, I ran into her at the office. She was working with Mom, and I had no idea." I shook my head, amused at the memory.

"So, you asked her out?"

I glanced at Alice. "Sort of? We went to lunch with her daughter."

Alice frowned. "How old is her kid?"

I frowned. "Four."

Alice's eyebrows rose. "You're dating a single mom with a young kid?"

I shifted, shaking my head. "We had lunch once. I haven't even gotten her personal number."

Alice eyed me. "But you like her," she said, smiling a little. I glanced at her.

"Yeah," I admitted after a moment. "I like her."

Alice grinned. "Who would have thought … you dating a woman with a kid?"

I shook my head. "Certainly not me."

Alice nodded, thinking it over. "Well, I guess this sort of solidifies it then, doesn't it?"

I glanced at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're without a doubt going to be Mom's favorite, now that you've got a step-grandchild in the works for her."

I choked on my laugh, and Alice keeled over, laughing at my expense. Fucking hell, there was no way on this earth I was ready to think about something like that.

"For now," I said, shaking my head. "Maybe I should just concentrate on asking Bella on a real date."

Alice grinned and leaned her head against my shoulder again. "Whatever you say, big brother."

So much going on in this chapter, but let's take a minute to focus on Alice, because this Alice came in like a wrecking ball for me and I have loved it ever since. She's got an awesome journey ahead of her, and I can't wait to work with all the Cullen kids!

This week my rec is little on the shorter side, but honestly, it needed to be or we all would have burst into flames reading it! Teasing Mr. Cullen by the phenomenally talented creaatingmadness. It's 8 chapters of delicious filth, AND she's about to come out with a companion piece, Resisting Miss Swan. Absolutely cannot wait!

Also, if you missed it, I'm helping out in a new contest; Bodice Rippers Contest. Find the group on facebook, or our FF page for rules to enter. We have a couple submissions up already and oh boy, it's getting steamy over there!

All right, my dears. Thank you so much for joining me today, or whatever day you happen to be reading this. so much love to you!

See you next week!