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Chapter 5

EPOV


"It's with great regret that I announce my retirement from the NFL."

That was the last of the speech I made during a press conference to announce my retirement. I loved the game, sometimes more than my own life.

There was something about being out on that field anticipating the next tackle or play. Or the way your blood pumped through your veins and strategies running through your mind. Football had been a huge part of my life.

My dream came crashing down with a set of shoulders that were covered in padding. I was hit right behind my left knee. I had never felt a more excruciating pain in my entire life.

After my surgery, the doctor informed me that I couldn't play anymore. If my knee took one more hit, I would be left permanently disabled. I already had a small limp that I tried to hide. I wanted to fight it and prove I could come back strong, but all the physical therapy in the world couldn't bring my playing capability back. I had no other option but to retire.

My choices were slim to none until the coach for U-Dub retired. I took my chance and applied. It didn't take any time at all for them to call me. I breezed through the interview and they loved me. I was now the new coach for the U-Dub Huskies football team.

My move back to Washington was fairly easy. I had all my stuff put in storage and I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle until I could purchase a place of my own. I had opted to stay with them instead of my parents because they were located closer to the college. My parents were just happy that I had finally moved home.

The Friday that I arrived, my cousin Jasper was picking me up from the airport. He and I basically grew up together, but when college time came around, I headed to UCLA and he stayed to attend U-Dub.

When I exited the plane, I knew the paparazzi would be waiting. Jasper let me know that the local news channels had been announcing my arrival, so I prepared myself. I answered a few questions but only with Yes or No. I wasn't ready to elaborate on my decision to work for U-Dub. That would be next week during yet another press conference. Hopefully after that, I would be left alone to do my job.

When I finally appeased the Papps and made it through the crowd, I spotted Jasper standing by the escalator. He was grinning from ear to ear. "What's up, cousin?" He reached his hand out for me to shake and pulled me into a one- armed hug.

"Tired man. These people are driving me fucking insane." Jasper laughed as he clapped me on the shoulder.

After I got my luggage, we finally made it to Jasper's truck. I couldn't wait to get to the house to shower, eat and go to bed.

My Aunt and Uncle were waiting in the living room when we arrived. "There's one of my favorite nephews," cooed my Aunt Joan.

"Auntie, you only have two nephews," I elaborated.

She hugged me and placed a kiss on my cheek. "I did say one of my favorites, didn't I? That means both you and Emmett are my favorites."

"It's good to have you home, son," said my Uncle John with a clap to my back.

"Thanks, Uncle John." I smiled, weakly. My face was too tired to give them my megawatt smile. I plopped down on the couch, exhausted from all the travel. "Auntie, did my parents tell you when they would be back in town?"

My parents were away on another vacation.

"Your mom said that London was their last stop, and then they'll be heading home. She didn't say a date. You should know your mother by now, Edward. Once she's traveling, she makes it count." I'm pretty sure my aunt knew her own sister better than she knows her own self.

I couldn't agree with her more. My mom was quite the traveler and my dad must have enjoyed it too, because we never hear him complain.

"How long have they been gone this time?" I usually talked to my parents a couple of times a week, but since they were gone on vacation, I think I've only spoken to them twice.

My Aunt chuckled at me like that was old news. "Honey, they've been gone for nearly a month. That's the luxury of owning your own multi-million dollar company and law firm. You can take off as long as you want and leave it for someone else to run, while you soak up all the sun you can get."

I smiled, knowing my Aunt and Uncle did the same thing that my parents do. They take a couple of long vacations during the year and then work their tails off all the time in between.

After all the greetings, I was finally able to make it to the kitchen and eat. My Aunt and Jasper followed me like they were two lost puppies. They were up to something; I could feel it especially after they lingered around and I couldn't take it anymore. They were watching me as I shoved bite after bite of my turkey sandwich in my mouth. "Would one of you please tell me what's so fascinating about me eating a sandwich?"

My Aunt giggled and Jasper cracked a huge ass smile. "We just wanted to give you a few minutes to get some food in your stomach."

"Okay, you two are up to something. What?" I wiped my face with my paper towel, sat back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.

They looked at each other and my Aunt walked over to the table where I was sitting and sat next to me. She placed her hand on my forearm. "We're having a dinner tomorrow night and I've invited a nice young lady that I'd like you to meet."

I stopped mid-chew of the last bite of my sandwich and looked at both of them like they were crazy. They were playing match makers...again.

"You're kidding me, right?" I sat up straighter in my chair, leaning my arms on the table.

"No honey. I think she would be perfect for you. She's single and she's one of my Senior Editors." I knew all too well how much my Aunt tried to set people up. She's only been successful less than a handful of times.

I looked over at Jasper because he seemed to be just as guilty. "What do you have to do with this?"

"She's my best-friend and mom's right, I think she would be perfect for you," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

After tossing my paper towel on my plate I rubbed my face with the palms of my hands. I squeezed my eyes shut and asked through gritted teeth. "What's this girl's name? And what does she look like?"

"You won't be disappointed. Her name is Isabella but she goes by Bella. She has long mahogany brown hair, brown eyes. She's about 5'5'', barley a hundred pounds soaking wet." Jasper sounded almost too excited to tell me about her.

"She sounds like a plain Jane. What's wrong with her that has you wanting to set her up with me?" I rubbed my hands across my face again and sighed.

Jasper guffawed out loudly. That made me look up at him, seething. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. There isn't anything wrong with her; far from it," expressed Jasper. I kept my eyes on him for a minute to see if I could see the tiniest glimmer of a lie, but there wasn't any.

"She's actually really beautiful. She has a mind of her own and doesn't take crap from anyone." I knew my aunt wouldn't exaggerate about the beauty of a woman. That wasn't exactly her style.

"Why don't you date her then, Jazz?"

He laughed out loud. "I don't think so. I don't see her that way. That's just gross, but I do think she's hot."

"Fine," I grumbled. If Jasper thought she was hot, then what was the harm in meeting her?

After I was done with my chips, Jasper called it a night and left. He and my Aunt seemed like two teenage girls talking gossip. I couldn't help but wonder if there really was something wrong with this woman.

I was finally able to shower and I knew it was still early, but I climbed into bed, anyway. I didn't even remember the last thing I thought of before I passed out.

My Aunt let me sleep in and I still felt completely exhausted from all of my on-the-go activities the day before. I bypassed doing any kind of workout because of it. I didn't do much all day, but my body felt like I ran a marathon.

Jasper showed up around five o'clock dressed casually and comfortable. I suppose I'd dress the same way for dinner. I wasn't going to go all out and wear a suit or a tux. I didn't want this girl to think I was trying to make an impression or anything.

A little after six, the doorbell rang. Jasper went to get the door and I could hear him talking to someone in the foyer. The sound of her voice made my ears perk up. It sounded beautiful. I just hoped the rest of her was just as attractive.

When Jasper re-entered the living room my mind completely shut off and my heart started hammering into the wall of my chest. The girl with Jasper was definitely more than merely beautiful; she was exquisite, stunning, sexy, and angelic. I'd never seen a woman as gorgeous as her before and I've seen a lot of women.

I couldn't help but smile as she warmly greeted my uncle John.

"Ah, Bella, it's so good to see you again. It's always a pleasure, sweetheart." uncle John hugged her and placed a kiss on her temple.

"John, I was just here last weekend and I usually see you at the office." She rolled her eyes and I chuckled. I braced myself when they turned toward me. I didn't want to seem like the over-active teen being set up on a date with his biggest crush.

"Well, your company is always welcomed. Come, I want you to meet Edward, my nephew." He placed his hand on the small of her back then guided her over to me. My heart started hammering harder against my chest when they approached me.

After introductions, I reached my hand out and wrapped it around hers. When our hands connected, I noticed how delicate her hands were, as if she were made of porcelain glass. She was so perfect.

All I could do was smile at her as I shook her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Bella."

"Same here," she said, blushing.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Conversation went smoothly while we listened to my Uncle tell stories of his business trips. Dinner was the same, other than the fact that I couldn't tear my eyes away from Bella. All I wanted to do was touch her and run my fingers through her thick, beautiful hair. If I didn't know any better, I was becoming her stalker.

After dinner, everyone decided to leave Bella and me in the living room. They weren't very subtle about it, either. I was pretty sure Bella caught on.

We talked about college and her job with my Aunt and Uncle. We actually had a few things in common. My curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to ask her out on a date, but I wanted to make sure she wasn't with someone already. I didn't want too seem too forward, as well. So, hopefully, my Aunt or Jasper wouldn't try to set me up with someone who was already taken.

I took a sip of my whiskey hoping it would give me a little more courage. I wasn't really good at this at all. I turned and took a seat on the chaise lounge and looked up at her. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, ask away." Her eyes were locked on me as she waited for my question.

"I'm just gonna come right out and ask without beating around the bush. Are you dating anyone?" I didn't want to seem like I was too eager, but I hoped she'd agree to at least one date.

After I finally convinced her that I didn't feel obligated to ask her out, she finally agreed to dinner and that's the moment my aunt decided to walk back into the room.

Bella left shortly after our time alone and I felt like I wanted to follow her home. She filled my dreams that night and believe it or not, they weren't even sexual.

We had run into each other at the Apple store on Monday and had dinner together at her place. That was the first time I kissed her. I couldn't help it; her lips kept calling to me and now, I was addicted.

I sent her flowers the next day to let her know that I was thinking of her. I couldn't get the girl out of my mind; I craved her. I had never felt this way before. Not even with my ex-fiance. Yes, I loved her, but she never made me feel a rush of exuberance.

Wednesday was the press conference to officially announce that I was working for the U-Dub Huskies. Thank goodness it didn't take all day because I was having lunch with Bella. I was starting to get irritated with everyone the closer it got time to leave. I just wanted to see my girl. Better yet, I hoped she'd be my girl.

When I entered her office, it took me by surprise that she came to me and kissed me. My heart was spastic in my chest and I knew we needed to leave her office before I started feeling her up.

On our way out, I thought I was having a nightmare. Some girl by the name of Jessica approached us and I wanted so badly to make it known that Bella and I were together. I pulled our joined hands in front of us hoping to get my point across. It was when Jessica said that I promised to take her out on a date, that my heart dropped to my feet.

That didn't go over too well with Bella. She staked her claim on me and got called a bitch for it. She just laughed and didn't think anymore about it. I was relieved that the girl finally left us alone, and all through lunch, I couldn't keep my hands off of Bella. I kept caressing her face, holding her hand and placing small kisses all over her neck and cheeks. Kissing her was definitely my addiction and it was becoming harder and harder to control myself around her. I needed to follow her lead, though. She seemed really innocent and I didn't want to let her think that I was pushing her, and I wouldn't. I would let her be the boss when it came to intimacy.

Our lunch time was limited and I couldn't wait for our date on Friday night. I was hoping it would be special enough for her although she didn't seem too much like the materialistic type of girl. I've dated enough of those to last me a lifetime. Katherine was the worst of them all.

Thursday came and all I wanted to do was be with Bella. My longing for her had me feeling like a love sick fool. She was constantly on my mind. My day was so full with training and meetings, that I was surprised that I even found time to take a piss and eat lunch. Exchanging text messages with Bella throughout the day, kept a smile on my face, and my day go a whole lot easier.

That night, I was so anxious to see her. I was on the verge of doing anything just to get five minutes with her, so I called her. "Hello, handsome."

I chuckled at her. "There you go again answering the phone like that."

"What's wrong with me answering the phone like that? I knew it was you. That's what it said on my caller ID," she said defensively.

"Oh, really?" I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Yes, really. What does it say on your caller ID when I call you?" I loved her carefree demeanor.

"You sure you wanna know?" My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much.

"Of course I wanna know. If you don't tell me, I'll just steal your phone tomorrow and check for myself." Her little threats were more welcoming than she knew.

I sighed, smiling as I thought about what her facial expression would look like once I told her what I put her in my phone as. "It says, BB."

"BB?" She sounded confused.

"Yes, Beautiful Bella," I replied sheepishly.

"You're so cheesy, Edward, but it's cute." I loved being cheesy with her.

"What have I told you about that cute shit? Guy's don't do cute, Bella." I knew what she was about to say and I braced myself for it.

"And I've told you to deal with it because you're cute to me."And she laughed, so I laughed with her.

"Okay, Okay; enough cute crap. What are you doing right now?"

"Just reading." Shit, I didn't want to interrupt her while she was working. If that was what she was doing. She could be reading just to read.

"Why?" I loved her curiosity.

"I want to see you. I'm going crazy not seeing you. I can't stop thinking about you. I feel like I'm…" I knew my declaration to her seemed a little overboard; I hoped she didn't think I was turning into some kind of possessive asshole.

But, she cut me off mid-sentence, "Do you want to come over?"

If you could die from smiling so much, I would surely be dead. "Sure. I'll be there in thirty minutes."

I didn't give her time to say good-bye when I hung up the phone and hopped in the shower.

Twenty-seven and a half minutes later, I was knocking on her door. I just washed off real quick in the shower to get all the sweat and dirt off of me.

When she opened the door, I didn't waste my time pulling her to me and kissing her like I hadn't seen her in months. She tasted so good and I couldn't get enough of her. We were both moaning into each other's mouths and getting carried away right there in her foyer. Our tongues lashed together as we sucked and nipped at each other's lips for what seemed hours before she pulled away and directed me inside.

"Miss me?" she asked as she guided me over to the sofa to sit down.

I held up my hand and used my thumb and forefinger to indicate a small amount. "Just a little."

She giggled and patted my chest. "I'd say that was more than a little."

"Sorry; I got carried away." She reached up and palmed my face and gently pressed her lips to mine. It was a sensual, sending small warm waves across my body.

She pulled back and looked at me in the eyes and said, "Don't be sorry. I've missed you, too."

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my lap. She hugged me in return and we simply sat there quietly for a little bit. I was became really relaxed as she ran her fingers through the hair at the base of my neck. It felt so good that I was close to falling asleep, but I wanted to make the most of our time together.

She raised her head from my chest and looked at me. "Have you had dinner? I can cook you something if you'd like; I don't mind."

"No, I'm good. I ate." I should have lied so she would cook for me. "We had some kind of chicken casserole."

We sat quietly for a little bit longer. She continued running her fingers through my hair and I rubbed small circles with my thumb on her leg. I didn't want to move. I was so relaxed that sleep would consume me if I let it.

After a bit, Bella turned and straddled my lap. I looked up at her quizzically to see what she was up to. "It would be more comfortable to kiss you sitting like this, than the other way."

In that moment, Bella grabbed my face with both of her hands and brought her lips to mine. It was a searing kiss and it nearly took my breath away. I opened my mouth, following her lead and touched her lips with my tongue. She didn't protest and opened her mouth, too. I had to taste her and she definitely knew how to kiss.

She started grinding herself against me, sending wave after wave of desire through me. I had been with my fair share of women, but never like her. I couldn't put a name on it, but she was making me feel things that I had never felt before.

We were breathing as if we were running miles but neither of us were backing down. I wanted more, but I wouldn't push her. She was my leader and the way she was moving over me, I knew she wanted more.

I moved my hands from where they were on her hips and slowly moved them up her back. Her body felt so good under my fingers. If she felt this good with clothes on... I had to shake that thought from my head. As much as I wanted to see her naked, that had to wait.

I continued moving my hands up and massaging her back as I went. I wanted her to be relaxed under my touch. We pulled each other closer and elicited moans which cause my desire for her to grow exponentially.

I pumped my hips up towards her center and she reacted by grinding back. It felt amazing to be having this much contact with her. I could feel the heat coming from the apex of her thighs, and it aroused me even more. I could feel myself growing harder by the second.

I slowly brought my hands back down to her hips and moved her back and forth over my hardened cock. It felt so fucking good. She moaned as I continued to move her, my eyes rolling to the back of my head when I felt my orgasm approaching quickly. I was dry humping her and about to cum in my pants. Every second is definitely going to be worth it.

She moved away from my mouth and whispered in my ear. "Don't stop. That feels so good."

I couldn't help it and smirked up at her, so I brought her down a little harder on my cock. I grunted. "I'm about to cum in my pants."

I thrust up into her a few more times. She grabbed my face and forcefully pressed her mouth to mine. She really started riding me, then. Her moans grew louder into my mouth and I knew she was close. Who knew dry humping would be so erotic?

"Oh, God, Edward, that feels so good. I can feel you." And that was it, her moans drove me over the edge and I exploded. I pushed down on her hips as we both came. The euphoria hit me like a ton of bricks. This was the first time that I'd ever came by dry humping, and in my pants, no less.

She dropped her head down to my shoulder. We were both out of breath from our activity…an activity I would love nothing better than to do over and over with her.

I hadn't heard her cuss before but she let me know exactly what she was feeling. "That felt so fucking good. I've never had that feeling before… ever."

"Ever?" I asked, raising my brows at her.

"Ever. You're the first to um... you know. To um...give me an orgasm." She whispered. "I've never um..." She tapped her finger to her lips, looking completely embarrassed as her face turned a light pink. I was smiling internally from her revelation.

I tilted her face towards mine and pushed the hair from her face. "You can tell me anything. There's no reason for you to be embarrassed around me." I didn't want her to think she couldn't be honest with me.

"I'm still a virgin, Edward. I've never had another man make me feel this way before." She could barely look me in the eyes. "I'm so damn embarrassed." She went to move off of my lap, but I grabbed her around her hips to keep her where she was. I didn't want her to be embarrassed around me. I wanted her to be able to tell me anything.

I grabbed her face and made her look at me. "Hey, look at me. There is no need for you to be embarrassed; not around me. This just makes you even more special. You've saved yourself and that says a lot about you."

"No it doesn't. It says I'm a prude." Her eyes dropped from my line of sight and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Stop it. You're not a prude. First of all, a prude wouldn't have done what we just did." I used my thumbs to wipe away the few tears that had escaped from her eyes.

She looked back up at me and a small smirk appeared on her beautiful face which caused me to smile. "I guess you're right. That felt so good, though."

"It did. And there's always a first for everything. That was the first time I've ever came in my pants; not even as an over hormonal teenager." She brought her hand up to her mouth and giggled. "And when you're ready to do more, we can, but you have to be ready. I don't want you to feel pressured at all, okay?"

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said, wiping at the few other tears that rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't be. I'm sure you have a mess in your pants, too," I stated.

We laughed together before she grabbed my face and kissed me forcefully.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"You only say that because I gave you an orgasm," I clarified.

She giggled and poked me in the chest with her finger. "That may be so, but still, I think you're amazing." She scooted off my lap. "I'm sure you're nice and sticky inside your pants. We should clean up. I'll go change and you can clean up in the hall bathroom, unless you want to shower; I don't mind."

"If I shower, I'll want to stay, so I'll just head out." I stood up from the couch and hovered over her, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "We have a date to look forward to tomorrow night."

"That we do and I can't wait." She smiled, reaching up, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Thanks for letting me come over. I had to see you." I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. I gave her a little squeeze, lifting her off the floor and hoping I let my feelings of endearment known. She squeezed me back and I felt my heart flutter. I was falling for her fast. This week felt like a lifetime to me.

We said good night and I made my way home. I walked through the door and up the stairs towards my room, not stopping to see if anyone was still awake. More than likely not, considering it was well past midnight.

After my quick shower, I fell onto my bed with a huge smile on my face that was still in place when I woke up the next morning.

Tonight was the night. I had a bounce to my step when I entered the kitchen. It was going to be a good day.

"Good morning, Edward," my Aunt said from where she sat at the breakfast bar.

"Good morning, Auntie."

She looked at me and smiled. She knew why I was so happy lately and I was sure she was taking credit for it. "You're looking quite chipper this morning."

"Yes, yes, I am." I said, opening the fridge to pull the juice out.

"Does it have anything to do with a certain someone?" I could see the smile creeping up on her face. She knew damn good and well why I was as happy as I had been lately.

I smiled like the Cheshire cat. "Go ahead. Tell me I told you so. I'm not going to deny a word you say."

"Good because Bella is a great girl and I know you'll treat her right. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if I thought otherwise," she explained. She took a sip of her coffee and got up from her stool. "Tonight's your first date, right?"

"Yeah, I'm taking her to the SkyCity restaurant."

"Lovely place. John and I have been a few times. A little on the pricey side but the food is good; you'll like it." If it weren't for my aunt and uncle eating out a few times a week, I was sure she'd let me know if I was making a horrible choice in restaurants.

I walked over and placed a kiss on my Aunts cheek. "I need to go," I said. "We have scrimmage this morning. I'm kicking their asses today. They'll be groaning before the day is over with."

"Good, they're not in the top ten for nothing. Keep them on their toes." My aunt knows that I won't go lightly with our practices.

Keeping them on their toes was exactly what I did. I worked them until they started dropping from exhaustion. When they started whining, and a couple of them puking, I called it a day and told them to have a nice relaxed weekend, just like the one I was planning to have.

As soon as I made it home from work, I showered and lingered in my room. I was so anxious about my date with Bella that I could hardly contain myself. I knew I saw her the night before but my feelings for her were growing by the minute.

When I took that last step from upstairs, my Aunt and Uncle were there to greet me. They had smiles a mile wide. "You look very handsome."

"Thank you. It isn't too much is it?" I didn't want to be over dressed.

"No, you look perfect." My aunt reached up and pushed my hair away from my forehead and patted my cheek. "You're so handsome."

My Uncle stepped forward and patted me on the shoulder. "You're treating our girl right? You wouldn't want her dad coming after you, now do ya?"

"Um...no. She's told me about her dad, so I'll make sure to follow protocol." I chuckled and walked over to where my Aunt stood and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

My Aunt threw in her two cents. "That would be the gentleman protocol, right? Opening doors, and keeping your hands to yourself unless she says it's okay?"

"Yes, Auntie. You act like I'm some seventeen year-old- hyper-horny-teenager or something," I stated. I chose to leave out exactly how I acted when I was around Bella.

She let out a little giggle and hugged me. "I know. Your parents raised you boy's right. My sister did a great job teaching you how to treat a woman. I'm sure your dad helped some."

"Yeah, we got the sex talk from him. She taught us proper etiquette," I replied, giving credit where credit was due when it came to my parents.

"Well, you two have a wonderful time tonight. We'll see you tomorrow." My uncle John smiled and clapped my shoulder one more time before turning and going towards the living room.

I made my way to the front door to leave. "Good night, you two."

I couldn't get to Bella's fast enough. Our dinner reservation wasn't until seven-thirty but I wanted a few minutes alone with her before we had to leave.

When she opened her door, my breath hitched. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her dress was a deep purple that made her skin glow. She showed just enough of her legs and it was short sleeved. She had a wrap around her shoulders and it left just enough of her skin for me to touch.

"You look beautiful," I said, gliding my eyes from her head to her feet.

She smiled and waved me in. I followed her into the kitchen where she was putting dishes away. "Thank you and sorry, I wanted to get this done before you got here. You look very handsome, by the way."

"Thank you. I think I clean up pretty well," I claimed, pulling on the lapels of my dinner jacket.

"You do. A lot of women are going to envy me tonight; I just know it," she stated, dropping her silverware into their proper place, making me wonder how much she let her dishes pile up before she did them. I didn't care, though. Her home was immaculately clean, otherwise.

I walked up to her and pulled her to me by her waist. "I know for a fact that the men are going to be falling all over themselves when they see you."

"Stop it," she said playfully, lightly smacking me on the chest.

"It's true." I leaned my head down and captured her lips with mine. Moments like these were the ones I wanted to savor for the rest of my life.

Our make out session didn't last long. We needed to leave because the restaurant was about twenty minutes from where Bella lived. She finished up what she was doing and then we left.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I whispered I told you so to her because the valet guy nearly tripped over his own two feet when Bella stepped out of my car. She then repeated my words when the waitress nearly spilled Bella's drink on her because she couldn't keep her eyes off me.

Dinner was delicious, and much like lunch for us this past Wednesday when I couldn't keep my hands to myself. I was constantly touching her, even while we ate. I would completely understand if she got tired of me, and quickly.

All too soon, dinner was over and we sat and enjoyed each other's presence. We talked about her life growing up in Forks and her time in Florida. My heart ached when she told me about her life before she moved to Forks, and all she had to go through to live a normal life. Years of therapy helped her get to where she is now. I wanted to kill her father and he was already dead.

She told me about the many times she had to be a make shift doctor for her mother and why she chose literature as a major in college. Reading was something that drew her in and helped her escape to different places when times got really bad.

I could thank her neighbor who would bring her new books every now and then. I hated how she would have to hide them so her father wouldn't be able to take them from her.

When I checked my watch, it was nearly nine-thirty and the restaurant was starting their clean up. We completely lost track of time.

When we left, we decided to take a drive over to Kerry Park so we could take a walk and talk some more. We could enjoy the view of the city lights of Seattle without all the noise of the traffic.

Once we arrived, we walked hand in hand. It was starting to get chilly outside, so I didn't want to stay too long. Bella had her wrap around her and she seemed to be faring well with it.

We found a bench and took a seat. We sat close to one another and I placed my arm around her and pulled her to me. I was comfortable the way we were and Bella seemed perfectly content with our closeness. It all seemed...right.

"You having a good time?" I had to make sure she wasn't ready to get rid of me.

"Yeah, I'm with you." She glanced up at me. "Are you?" She moved closer to me and raised my arm to wrap around her shoulders.

I kissed her temple and sighed. "I've never had a better night. I think it's because of you."

She turned her face up towards me and puckered her lips for a kiss and I didn't deny her. I placed my lips on hers and held them there for a long moment. This whole evening felt right and being with her felt right. She was doing something completely unfamiliar to me.

I wanted to be with her and only her. It had only been a week and I wanted to plan a future. I knew stuff like this only happened in story books, but I was being proven wrong with the feelings I was starting to strongly have for Bella.

She pulled back from our kiss, but not too far. "Is it too soon to say I want to be with you and only you?" She whispered against my lips, reading my mind. "I've never made a commitment to anything, other than my job. But right now, my heart's telling me it's you."

"I want that, too." I replied. "And no, it isn't too soon. We can go at your pace." I said, moving her around so I could place my hands on each side of her face. "Whatever you want." I smiled, leaning down and kissing her again. This time, we couldn't keep our tongues apart. I pulled my hands from her face and placed one around her neck and the other one eased around her waist, pulling her as close as I could.

I had forgotten all about the dropping temperature until she shivered. "Let's go. You're getting cold; I don't want you getting sick because I can't keep my hands off of you," I said. She nodded and we made our way back to my car.

"We can go back to my place. I'm not ready for the night to be over," she said, and reached across the console to grab my hand.

"I agree. We can watch a movie and cuddle," I smiled, giving her hand a little squeeze and rubbed my thumb over her skin.

When we got back to her place, she went to her room and changed into her pajamas. I had taken off my jacket and tie. I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and unbuttoned a few buttons. I was feeling way too constricted.

We got ourselves comfortable on the couch. She snuggled up against me and switched on her stereo with the remote. Soothing classical music wafted through the speakers and I draped my arm across her shoulders. With my thumb, I rubbed her shoulder with light circular motions. I could have sworn I heard her purring at the contact.

It was quiet for a while and I was starting to fall asleep. I reluctantly sighed because I knew I had to leave. "I need to go. I'm about to fall asleep and that's not fair to you."

"Stay," she said, quietly.

"Huh?" I wasn't sure I was hearing her correctly.

"I said stay. Stay with me, please. You're tired and if you're already falling asleep, I don't want you risking falling asleep behind the wheel. You can stay; I trust you," she said pleadingly.

I felt overwhelmed for a minute. "I am pretty tired. If you'll get me a pillow and blanket, I could sleep on the couch."

"You don't have to. I trust you to keep your hands to yourself, plus, this couch really isn't all that comfortable. You can sleep with me so we could cuddle." She tossed me a hopeful smile.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind sleeping on the couch." I said the words, but I really didn't mean them.

"I'm positive. Do you honestly think that you'll be able to fall asleep knowing I'm in the next room?" I felt defeated because it was true. I would lay there and stare at the ceiling longing to be in the bed with her.

"Okay, fine. Twist my arm a little more, why don't you?" We chuckled and stood up from the couch. She grabbed my hand and led me to her bedroom.

She started throwing the extra throw pillows off of her bed. I honestly never saw a purpose for those things but hey, I'm not complaining right now about anything, especially since I'd be sleeping in the same bed with my girl.

"I have a couple of my dad's old t-shirts if you want one to sleep in, so you don't have to sleep in that shirt. And you can lose the pants too as long as you keep that thing contained," she said while she pointed at my semi-hard erection.

"You just had to point that out, didn't you?" I asked playfully. "I was trying to ignore it. You may have just woken it up more because of your attention." I said, pointing down to my dick. I made it jump when she looked at it.

She laughed at me. I mean she literally full out laughed at me. What am I gonna do with her?

She got a t-shirt of her dads for me, and I stripped down to my boxers. When we climbed into bed, I pulled her into me. I was spooning her and trying really hard not to press my dick into her ass. She never said anything, but I knew she could feel it and after a few minutes of quietness, I knew she had fallen asleep. Thankfully, I shortly followed right behind her.


Um...Momma Whitlock and Jasper are a little too pushy for my liking and I wrote this.

Thanks, y'all,

Reason