Reaching for Love

Chapter 9: Sweet Cake, Tender Moment

BELLA

The room Edward guided me to wasn't a standard hotel room, it was huge and had rooms inside. I had stayed in a hotel for Jessica's sixteenth birthday. There were two other girls, Lauren and Mallory. The hotel stay was a gift from Jessica parents. It was only for one night, but it was the first and only time I'd stayed at one. The hotel room only had two queen beds, tv, and bathroom.

This room, no suite, blew the other out of the water. There was a dining room, three bedrooms, a wet bar, and there was so much it was hard to take in. I spun in a slow circle taking in all the details of ornately decorated room in burgundy and gold. When I stopped, Edward was leaning back against the wall, legs kicked out in front of him, and his hands buried in his pockets a smiled planted on his face. He was watching me and it wasn't creepy. He was content to just watch as I explored the suite. Much like on the plane, he was in no rush, allowing me all the time I wanted.

"This is amazing."

He chuckled. "You being here with me makes it even more amazing for me." He pushed off the wall and took a step toward me. "Let's see which room Alice delivered what she bought for you to."

I followed as Edward led the way further into the suite.

"Have you stayed in this suite before?"

"I have, many times. Any of the suites here is okay. This by far is my favorite."

He opened on of the doors. A king size bed greeted us.

"Each room has it's own bath. And there are two additional bathrooms for if parties are thrown."

My eyes were still on the bed. It look so comfortable, and I wanted to crawl and see if I was right.

A low whistle caused me to turn. Not finding Edward, I went in search of him and located in the most luxurious bathroom I had ever seen. It wasn't the room holding his attention, but something in the closet.

"Hmmm, what is it?" I asked.

"Alice. She is a miracle," he answered, stepping to the side and motioning me over.

My jaw dropped when I saw all the outfits, dresses, and shoes. There was enough for a two weeks or more. My eyes moved up and two suitcases were on the shelf along with a couple garment bags.

"Why don't you shower? Everything you need should be in the shower stall or on the counter. The armoire should hold undergarments."

I nodded before saying, "Thank you for everything. I won't be long."

~~~ Reaching for Love ~~~

The clerk's office was busy, however Edward and I were ensured we would be in and out within a hour. I couldn't believe how many couples were applying for marriage licenses. Edward was holding both clipboards and our number.

"Alice sent me a list of places for us to consider," Edward said, passing me his phone and wrapping an arm around me.

The package that caught my eye was where the ceremony would take place on top of the Eiffel Tower. I hadn't imagine the list would include such places. I was expecting places with Elvis impersonators, but to get married on the tower would be a dream come true.

"Any place interest you?" I asked.

His arm tightened around me, I took it to mean there was. "The top you had on earlier. The location would be perfect," he whispered in my ear.

I shallowed. Knowing he was drawn to the same as me… it was strange, yet nice. "Perfect," I whispered back.

EDWARD

With marriage license in hand, Bella and I headed to meet my friends at Fogo de Chao. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but appearances had to be maintained. They knew I was in town since I asked them to stand with us. It wasn't that I didn't want to spend time with them, it was more that I wanted to get to know Bella more.

First, I had to do something, to confess something to Bella. The problem was I wasn't sure how she would react.

"Bella, I'm afraid I bought you something while you were getting ready."

She shifted in her seat to face me. "You don't sound so sure I will like whatever it is."

She didn't know how right she was. Pulling the small box out of my interior jacket pocket, I opened it revealing the diamond ring. It was styled after the Renaissance and had that classic, yet vintage feel to it.

Her hands flew up and covered her mouth as an "Oh" escaped.

I smiled, still not sure if she liked my surprise. I could have taken her with me when I looked at rings, but felt it was my job to find her the perfect one.

With a shaky hand, she reached out and touched the ring. "It's beautiful."

"May I?" I asked, indicating her left hand.

She nodded, offering her hand as I took the ring out. With a calming breath, I steadied her hand and slipped the ring on her fourth finger before bringing it up to my lips.

Bella held her hand out in front of us. The ring's beauty was nothing compared to the woman wearing it.

"Well, I guess ring can be crossed off the list."

"Rings, most definitely. You'll get the other one when we wed."

Her eyes went wide.

"Have you never been to a wedding?"

She shook her head. "I'll be the first of my friends to marry."

Drawing in a breath, I thought how best to explain. "It is customary to exchange rings during the ceremony. This," I took hold of left hand again, lifting it up, "is considered an engagement ring."

"Oh," she remarked. "So, we do have to go shopping for the others."

I felt like laughing, but it would be a bad idea. "No, Bella. The engagement ring is just one of three. I picked a complete set. My ring will compliment your rings."

Bella was silent for a full two minutes. "Okay. Sounds like you know what you're doing. Will you be with me when I find a dress?""

I lowered by head until my chin was touching my chest and shook my head. "As much as I would like to help you find a dress, it's considered bad luck for me to see you in it prior to our wedding day. I'm sure Alice and Rosalie, whom you're about to meet, will assist you with the task."

A smile slowly formed on her face. "After seeing the clothes Alice purchased for me, I can tell she will a great help with this one dress."

The hired town car stopped out the restaurant.

"You ready to meet her and my other friends?"

She blew out a long breath. "Yes."

~~~ Reaching for Love ~~~

Laughter filled the table as the night progressed. Sitting back, thought how differently the night would had been if Bella wasn't by my side. It still amazed me how my friends accepted Bella readily when we arrived.

When the girls got up to get some deserts, I leaned forward and put my elbows on the table. "Emmett, do you have you laptop with you?"

"I do. Why do you ask?"

I passed him the Bella's phone she'd given me hours ago. "I would like you to check it for any and all spyware," I said before quickly explaining the reason, all the while keeping an eye out for the girls return.

"You really think he would track Bella?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know. It's just odd he would show up in where he has."

"But you do realized, Edward, that if I find anything we can't tie it to him. She could have got it be connecting to any WIFI network."

I swiped a hand down my face. "I know. Whether or not spyware is found, I plan on adding Bella to my plan, getting her a new number, and a new phone." I sighed. "Jazz, is there anything legally we can do now?"

Jasper scrunched up his face, like he did when he was deep in thought. "No. Until she confirms the pregnancy, we can't petition the courts for a DNA sample. Without that, a paternity test can't be done."

I nodded and changed the subject. "While the ladies are shopping tomorrow, would you two join me at the YMCA for a pickup game?"

Bella sat done next to me with some yummy looking cake. She moaned after sampling it. Seeing me eying it, she asked if I wanted a bite.

Everyone's eyes were on me as Bella lifted her fork up and toward me. I wasn't adverse to sharing or to her feeding me. My reaction shocked me. I accepted the morsel all the while looking into her eyes. The sweetness of the cake overwhelmed me, causing me to moan much like she had.

Taking the fork from her, I returned the favor. It didn't occur to me that some might concern the act intimate, but in the moment, I didn't care who saw. All I did care about was the woman I irrevocably fell in love with hours ago.

Author's note: If you would like to see the rings Edward purchased: .