A/N: Sorry for the delay! It's been a tough week! But a good one! I got a new job. Yay!

Bella hadn't given much thought to beards before. Sure, on occasion, she'd had a passing attraction to a bearded man—strangers she passed on the street or the odd celebrity staring back at her from the cover of a magazine. Some men wore beards well.

Edward was the kind of guy who looked distinguished with a beard. It was a neat thing that enhanced the ruggedness of his physique and his chosen career. The aesthetic did something for her—that couldn't be denied.

But she'd thought kissing a bearded guy would be annoying.

Annoying was definitely not the word.

It was a delicious sensation—the bristle of soft hair along her cheek and chin as his lips pressed to hers. But then, everything about this kiss was just that—delicious, pure pleasure, and delight. His lips moved on hers, gentle yet strong, insistent. She gave back to him readily, tilting her head and cupping her hand against the back of his neck. His fingers too were a new experience. He skimmed his fingertips along her cheek, into her hair. His skin was rough, but his touch so light she shivered.

Kissing him was an instant addiction. One kiss, two, three, weren't enough. The electricity that always existed like a physical entity in the air between them turned into a full-blown lightning storm. Her own heartbeat thundered between her ears.

Some distant part of her mind had debated the merits of letting him take her right there on the kitchen floor, before he stood, pulling her up with him. Then, they were on the couch. She straddled him, settling on his lap. His hands pushed under her shirt, his big hands sending whole new sensations along her side and back.

She hadn't really registered the sound of his phone ringing in the background. Not the first time. Edward must not have either, because he kept right on kissing her. Slow, deep, very thorough kisses while his fingers stroked along the base of her spine.

His phone pinged several times as his fingers stroked just a little higher, and he moaned into her mouth, a delightful little, "Mmm," that drove her straight out of her mind. His phone rang again as he released her mouth to press tiny kisses along her jaw. He used the tip of his nose to tilt up her chin, and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her throat. She whimpered.

There were several more pings. Edward's fingers teased along the line of her bra—just where she wanted him most. She rolled her hips, urging him on.

His phone rang again, and he raised his head. They were both breathing hard.

"Fuck," he hissed under his breath.

A split second later, Bella found herself seated on the couch. By herself. Edward was already across the room, headed straight for his tool bag. She blinked, her brain muddled, five steps behind.

Edward straightened up with his phone in his hand. "Fuck," he said again. He ran a hand over his face, shook his head, and started throwing his tools in his bag.

He looked as flushed and disheveled as she felt, babbling as he gathered his things. "Bella. Hell. I'm… I'm sorry. I'm…" He glanced at his phone and winced. "Shit. I'm very late. To pick up Emelia. I was supposed to pick up Emelia. Damn."

She was dumbstruck; pulled in too many directions at once. His words made sense, but she didn't know what was going on between them. It could be a brush off. He could be running from her as fast as he could.

He got as far as the door before he stopped short. He took a breath, pivoted, and strode to her. He wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her flush against him as she gasped. And then he kissed her.

Like a holy shit, whoa kind of kiss.

"I'll call you," he said seconds later when they were both gasping. "I promise."

And then, he was gone.

And it didn't occur to her until much later—when he hadn't called and it had been a whole day—that he didn't have her phone number.ֵ

A/N: I know. Short chap lol. But the next one will be fun. And hopefully up on Monday.

Much love.