32
The Hunk
"You're absolutely sure about this?" Edward asks as he buttons the chef's jacket he helped Bella shrug into.
His hands might be shaking more than hers are at the moment.
"We have Angela on call just in case it doesn't work out, but I don't want you to feel rushed into this. We don't have to try this today."
Bella straightens her jacket and fixes the collar.
"It's Valentine's Day, Honey. Rose already said that specialty cookies are in high demand. I truly think I'm ready. I'll be so busy I won't have time to obsess about what's happening on the other side of the door. Besides, I have you."
Edward kisses her forehead. He knows that there are times when he isn't enough. He really hopes that today isn't one of them. Just to be safe, he pocketed a bottle of her anxiety medication when she wasn't looking before they left the house. "Promise me you'll say something if it gets to be too much for you. Angela can be here in ten minutes, and I have Zafrina's emergency number on speed dial."
"You're worrying yourself to death. I promise that you'll be the first to know if I start feeling off. I have a good feeling about today though. Let's show 'em what we got, yeah?"
He smiles and lets her go, watching her make herself at home in his, well now it's their kitchen. At least, it will be after today.
If she can pull it off.
Bella deserves this.
That's why he and Rosalie spent hours last night rearranging the kitchen to accommodate the new, larger prep table for Bella with an oven and mixer dedicated just to her work close by. He bought just about every appliance and tool he thought looked remotely useful. He wants to make this transition as smooth as possible for her.
Edward reminds himself that he's also here for a reason and sets up for a day of baking.
"You don't listen to music or anything?"
"I usually just pop my earbuds in, but we have a small speaker by the back door. Have at it." He points in that direction.
Edward's work halts when the beginning of Bella's Smexy Songs playlist starts.
"Sugar," he warns.
"Honey." She smiles and goes back to work, swinging her hips back and forth to a sensual beat.
Edward is bound and determined not to embarrass himself in front of Bella, seeing as it's their first time working together. He will not burn anything in her presence. He won't.
While Edward focuses on his work and not on his girlfriend's delectable ass, she's busy perfecting hundreds of heart-shaped, lovey-dovey cookies perfect for the romantic holiday.
Bella is Edward's first serious relationship, but she isn't his first Valentine. He's had a few commonplace girlfriends in his past, but his presents were always the cliche roses and romantic dinner. He'd get laid, or he'd leave them at their front door with a simple kiss.
Edward was even dumped once for his lack of enthusiasm for the Hallmark holiday.
But with Bella, he finds himself striving for perfection. He wants to give her the world, and what with it being their first, it has to be special. Bella mentioned that she just wants a home-cooked meal and a couple hours in bed doing anything but sleeping.
He's created a monster, and he has zero regrets.
"Edward, your timer is going off," she yells over the loud beeping.
He notices that she's already plating cookies and boxing some for quick sale. She's made a majority of the pre-boxed ones look like conversation hearts. She's too adorable for her own good.
He's pretty behind schedule. Rosalie is going to give him so much shit when she gets here.
Bella finishes and sets the remaining dough in the walk-in before she offers to help Edward catch up.
They're working side by side when Rosalie pops her head into the kitchen. "Sup, bitches?"
Bella rolls her eyes.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Kat's first word is 'fucktastic' at this point."
Edward chuckles and hip checks her.
"It's a good thing she'll have you as a good example."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm going to give birth to a hellraiser. Bella, I was wondering if I could get your help for a second, out front, before we open."
Bella gives Edward an apprehensive look, and he tells her that he can manage on his own until she returns.
All he can hear is laughter from the front of the house, followed by a gasp, the sound of skin slapping skin, and more laughter. He's about to check and see what they're doing when Bella bursts through the door, red-faced, and her mouth is covered in red lipstick.
It's the same shade his sister is wearing.
"Honey, I just hit a pregnant woman." Bella giggles as she walks to the sink.
"Wait, what?"
"I told Bella since it was obvious I wasn't going to have a Valentine this year that you could share, and I laid one on her." Rosalie shrugs, reaching for some paper towels to wipe her smeared lipstick off. "Thought I'd break the ice and get her started on a good note before I unlock the doors, but she slapped me."
When Bella's face is clean, she stands straight and looks Rosalie square in the eye. "These lips." She points to her mouth. "They have been all over every inch of that." She points to Edward. "Think about that the next time you decide to stick your tongue down my throat."
Now Rosalie is gagging and rushing for the exit, and Edward is pissed.
"You shoved your tongue down my girlfriend's throat?" He growls before she can escape.
"Yeah, just this morning I was deep throating him in the shower." Bella turns to him. "Was that before or after I brushed my teeth."
Rosalie barely makes it to the trash can by the swinging doors.
Bella's laughing so hard she's holding onto Edward for support, and he can't help but join her.
"You guys suck," Rosalie croaks. "It was a small joke, and you turned it into something weird and disgusting. Ugh, I think I'm going to die."
"You're not going to die. Well, you might if you keep kissing my girlfriend. Pregnant or not," Edward threatens jokingly.
His sister rinses her mouth out and tells them they'll be opening in five, so they plate everything up and pass the trays through the door.
Bella makes it through most of the day without incident.
Suddenly, out of nowhere she found herself overwhelmed, and Edward made her sit down in the office until her medication could take effect. He thought she would be mad that he brought them, but instead, she was grateful.
She took her break and returned to the kitchen ready for more.
Rosalie is scarce after her joke gone wrong, and besides that one hiccup, the day went better than he thought it would.
Bella's cookies flew off the shelves, and they got several special orders for the coming week.
They offer to clean up so the pregnant one can go home and relax. She leaves with parting words that having sex in the bakery is strictly forbidden, given that it would commit many health code violations.
Edward works quickly so they can start their own celebration.
First stop, home, where he forces Bella into the shower and loves her until she's in a boneless state of relaxation.
While she naps, he prepares a fancy dinner complete with tiramisu for dessert.
Yeah, he's pulling out all the stops with this one.
Bella's groggy and resists his attempts to wake her when everything is finished, so Edward takes drastic measures and dives under the covers. He doesn't stop until she's screaming and begging for it.
"Hmm." She attempts to flatten her messy bed hair. "Can every day be Valentine's Day?"
He chuckles and climbs up her body, pulling his sweats down and entering her with one quick thrust. "We haven't even started. This is just your reward for making it through the day."
Bella cries out, wrapping her legs and arms around him. "Give it to me, Honey," she whispers, licking his top lip and moaning at the taste of herself that's left there.
"You don't want it soft and sweet?" he asks, pounding into her a few times, knowing she wouldn't ask for something she didn't want.
Bella shakes her head. "No. Watching you in the kitchen today was the worst form of foreplay ever because I couldn't do anything about it." She meets his thrusts, gasping each time his body becomes flush with hers. "We can do soft and sweet later. Right now, I want feral Edward to come out and play. Please."
"How many times do I have to tell you, Sugar? You never have to beg for my love."
Before she can reply, he grabs her left leg, throwing it over his shoulder, and starts a fast pace until Bella's gripping the headboard to keep herself from being pushed through it.
She tells him how much she loves it. The pain and the pleasure mixed together.
Edward bites her neck and sucks until he knows there will be dark marks for days. He loves the taste of her skin almost as much as he loves seeing her marked. And now he can leave as many as he wants with the excuse that the collar of her chef's jacket will keep them concealed.
"Fuck. Honey." Bella cries.
"I'm trying," he jokes, grabbing one of her hands and placing it on her clit. "Help me out, Sugar."
Bella's fingers work quickly until she lets go and runs her nails down his back with one, long drawn-out moan.
Edward rocks into her body a few times before he stills and empties deep inside her.
They catch their breath, forehead to forehead, and maintain eye contact.
"I love you, Sugar."
"I love you too, Honey." She stretches like a milk-happy cat. "I feel like my body is made of Jello. Hmmm. I need another nap."
Edward contemplates giving her what she wants, but he has plans that don't involve sleeping the rest of the day away.
"I made dinner and your favorite dessert."
"You're my favorite dessert." She squeezes her tits together and gives a residual moan.
Edward grabs her sweater dress and pulls it over her head, kissing both nipples, her belly button, and right above her sex before covering everything up.
"You can wear just this, and if you behave, I'll give you your gift after dinner." He smooths the fabric down her backside, giving her ass a few hearty squeezes.
Bella bites back a moan.
"Gifts? I thought we'd just go at it like bunnies. I didn't get you anything." She pouts.
"I think this gift will benefit both of us. I bought them when Em and I were out Christmas shopping. When I stepped into the changing room, I got so much shit when I came out, but I think it'll be worth it."
Bella's eyes widen.
"You've been hiding a present for two months?"
He nods.
"You never go in the guest room, so it was easy to find a hiding spot." He kisses her nose and pulls her out the door. "Let's go eat."
She follows him willingly, her stomach growling as they make their way down the stairs.
Edward prepared her favorite meal. Pesto chicken pasta, homemade garlic bread, and an Italian salad. He's pulled out her fancy and folded linen napkins, and her best stemware and filled them with chilled cola.
"It looks great," Bella says without taking her eyes off the gift-wrapped box. "Why can't I open my present now?"
"Because the food will get cold, and I spent a lot of time on it while you slept. Have a little patience, Sugar."
She sticks her tongue out at him, and he fights the urge to suck it into his mouth. Instead, he holds her chair out for her and lays her napkin in her lap, running his hand across the bare skin of her thighs as he moves.
"Honey," Bella warns, her legs opening of their own accord.
"Just making sure you're comfortable."
She shakes her head and waits for him to take his seat.
Edward makes a cheesy toast filled with promises that they'll spend the next hundred Valentine's Days just like this. "At least, until we have kids. Then things might get a little tricky."
Bella chokes on a piece of chicken, reaching for her drink and swallowing hard.
"You want that? With me?" she asks in disbelief. "I mean, with everything?"
"Bella, how many times am I going to have to tell you that you're it for me? Seriously, I'm not going anywhere, and you're already working down at The Bakery. Yes, I want that. I want everything with you. Marriage, kids, and a pet or two. In time, you know. We're in no rush. Do you think that might be something you'd like?"
Why are they talking about such heavy topics right now? Edward will never know. He just hopes that speaking his thoughts won't cause Bella to recoil. He wants her to know how he feels.
Bella ponders his words for a bit, stirring her chicken around the plate and adjusting her glass until the place setting in front of her is perfect. "I would love to have that life with you, Edward. It sounds perfect." She gives him a hesitant smile. "But I'd like to hold off on the kid talk until I can safely walk into a hospital on my own. I mean, that would make all kinds of things difficult if I got pregnant right now, you know?"
Edward nods, his goofy grin out in full force.
She wants to marry him in the future. Bella Swan wants to have babies with him at some point.
His day, week, his month maybe even year has been made.
He presents their dessert, and Bella eats a small piece, stating that it's really rich, but she's also eyeing the shirt box with determined curiosity.
"So what's my present."
Edward's ears start to warm.
He bought the gift on a whim and chickened out giving it to her as a Christmas gift. Thinking back, he knows she probably wasn't ready for something like this anyways. She has confidence issues but also turns into a spitfire in the bedroom so this could go one way or another.
"Honey?"
"Oh. You can open it if you want. Upstairs. In the bathroom. What you choose to do with it is totally up to you." He begins cleaning the table up. "I'll take care of everything down here."
Bella nods, snatches the box up, and rushes up the stairs.
Edward focuses on the sounds coming from upstairs while he loads the dishwasher, but it's radio silence.
He checks the windows and doors before climbing the stairs to find Bella.
