Hello again, dear readers. A few of my reviewers have asked in a roundabout way whether or not it's going to be smooth sailing from here on out or if the angst is going to return. It will return. for definite. But, I had to give them their bubble. They need it. The relationship is growing stronger every day, they are learning each other. A bond is forging, and they need this time together before facing the uncertainty of days to come. Now, let's catch up, huh?
Yummy House was pretty busy when we got there, but we ended up only having to wait about ten minutes to be seated. Bella made me laugh when she expressed her excitement for the dim sum carts that were being pushed around the dining room. Apparently she had a thing for the pineapple buns. I was more of a potsticker fan, myself.
We sat close together at the little square table, unable to stop touching each other. I wove her fingers through mine and our hands rested on her bare knee beneath the tablecloth as we tasted all the offerings that came our way on the first cart that approached us. There were my favorite potstickers, of course, but also steamed shrimp shumai dumplings, sticky sausage and rice balls, and barbecue pork buns. Another cart came by and brought us mini beef and ginger skewers, chicken and mushroom soup dumplings, and Bella's beloved pineapple buns. I had to admit, they were delicious; I was actually quite impressed that she ate three of them. After that, she claimed to be too full for anything else, but I ate another round of potstickers and some red bean sesame donuts.
Our waiter had just brought the check when I spied a familiar face coming towards us, and my eyes widened.
"What is it?" Bella asked with a frown, beginning to turn around, but I stopped her with a squeeze to her hand.
"Angel, I honestly had no idea-"
"Edward! How lovely to find you here!"
I smiled at the petite woman determinedly approaching our table, and wondered how on earth this had happened. I mean, I'd hoped it would happen soon, but just wasn't expecting it today.
Well, nothing to be done about it now.
"Hello, Mom. Imagine running into you today."
This time it was Bella's eyes that widened, but before she could say anything, my mother had pounced. She grabbed Bella's available hand and squeezed it in delight.
"And this must be your Bella! Oh, it's so nice to finally meet you! I can certainly see why Edward is so taken with you, you're just beautiful, isn't she just beautiful, Carlisle?" she asked my father, who had followed her at a more sedate pace.
"And if you hadn't guessed, Bella, this is my mother, Esme, and my father, Carlisle."
"Esme, my love, I think you're cutting the circulation off in her hand. Hello, son. And yes, it's wonderful to meet you, Bella."
My poor angel looked a bit shell shocked and I couldn't blame her. My mother could be a bit much to people who didn't know her and weren't used to her effusive personality. Still, Bella recovered quickly and gave them both a winning smile.
"It's so nice to meet both of you, as well. What a lovely coincidence that we all were in the mood for dim sum today."
"Yes, a coincidence indeed," I repeated dryly, lifting an eyebrow in my father's direction. Behind my mother's back, he shook his head and pointed at her as if to say 'don't blame me, it was all her idea!'.
"Darling, I don't know why you're surprised, you know I just adore the food here."
"Oh, I know you do," I said with barely concealed amusement. She could look innocent all she wanted, but I knew her. She was a woman on a mission.
Just then her phone rang, and she looked at the screen before letting out a groan.
"Oh, it's that insufferable Betty Sinclair, I bet she wants to change the color of her window treatments. Again. Unfortunately, I do need to take this," she said in apology, answering the phone as she walked away. "Betty! How lovely to hear from you!"
I chuckled and shook my head before turning my attention to my dad. I didn't have to say a thing.
"You know there's no stopping her, son! Not when she gets an idea in her head."
"How did she know we were here?"
"Apparently the Jefferies, you know Tyler and Gwen, were just leaving here when you arrived, and of course she called your mother because that woman is an incurable gossip. We were actually on our way to that lovely little Italian bistro in Seminole Heights," he said, a bit wistfully. "But of course Esme insisted on coming here instead, and I honestly didn't have the strength to fight her; I'm weak with hunger, I couldn't even try."
Bella giggled while I rolled my eyes. My parents, ladies and gentlemen.
"But, it really is lovely to meet you, Bella. I can't be too cross with my wife, her heart is in the right place. She just gets very. . . excited."
"She reminds me of my best friend Alice, I think they'd get along famously," Bella replied with a grin.
At that moment the hostess called to my dad that their table was ready, so we said our good-byes, waving to my mother, who was still on the phone with the 'insufferable' Betty Sinclair. She blew us kisses as she followed my father to a table in the next dining room over, thank God.
"Sorry about that," I said with a sheepish grin. "I really had no idea they'd be coming here today."
"Apparently neither did your dad," she replied with a laugh. "Don't be silly, Edward. I was looking forward to meeting them anyway, and this was good because I didn't have time to get nervous."
"What could you possible have to be nervous about?"
"Their opinion of me matters," she answered simply with a shrug. "You do look like your dad, except for the color of your eyes."
"Yeah, and my grandfather, too. Apparently the Cullen genes are strong on the male side," I said with a smile. "But for some reason, we all inherit our mother's eyes."
"I'm the opposite. I look like my mom, but with my father's eyes." She brought up a picture on her phone and showed it to me. They made a glamorous couple, do doubt about it. In the photo, Charles Swan stood tall in a tuxedo, his petite wife at his side in a golden evening gown. Renee was slightly exotic in her beauty, with dark brown hair and olive skin, her eyes so deep they were almost black. Bella had definitely inherited her father's lighter, caramel eyes, and the shape of his eyebrows, but the rest was definitely from her mother.
"This was at the company's Christmas party, just months before they died," Bella said with a sad smile as she looked at the photo. "I wish I had different pictures of them that weren't so formal. More casual ones, ya know? But, I don't, because Mom wouldn't dare to be seen without her full makeup and hair done. She never did 'casual' very well. Even in the hospital pictures I've seen from when Emmett and I were born, she was fully made up and wearing designer pajamas."
"She was stunning," I said truthfully, and Bella smiled.
"Yes, she was. We didn't have a typical mother/daughter relationship, but I do miss her. Both of them."
"I'm sorry, angel. It breaks my heart that you had to go through such tremendous loss, especially so young."
"Emmett was my rock. He was young, too, but he took care of me. I don't know what I would have done without him."
"I'm looking forward to getting to know him better."
"We should plan a dinner, or something! That would be fun. Alice and Jasper, Jacob and Seth, and Emmett and Rosalie, if something really is unfolding between the two of them. I know it might be tricky with everyone's schedules, but I'd love to have a get-together! We can do it at my place." Her eyes shined with infectious excitement and I smiled.
"That sounds great, if we can make it work."
"Alice is great at stuff like that, I'll get her to help me."
"Just let me know when and I'll be there." I pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand.
After paying the check, we climbed in the jeep and headed back to my house. As I drove, I noticed Bella was sorta subdued, here eyes not seeming to really take in the passing scenery. She was biting her lip, too.
"What's up, angel? You're very quiet over there."
She sighed.
"Just thinking about how wonderful this weekend has been with you. I've become spoiled so quickly. My blankets don't smell yummy like yours, and I'm gonna miss your bed." Her pout was adorable.
"Believe me, I'm gonna miss you in my bed," I admitted. "What do you have going on this week? Is it a busy one?"
For the rest of the drive home, we compared schedules. My shift was six to three again this week, but because of the recent developments with Deveraux, I knew I'd be working some longer hours in the coming days, and Bella had commitments as well. I was on call Wednesday and Thursday, so those had the potential to be even more unpredictable. We tentatively set Tuesday evening as the next likely time we'd be able to see each other again, barring anything unforeseen happening.
"Would you like to come for dinner at my place?" she asked as we pulled in the driveway. "I haven't had a chance to cook for you, yet."
"That sounds great, angel, I'd love to."
"Then it's a date," she confirmed with a smile, before her face fell once more. "The next two days are going to drag by, I know it."
"Hey," I said as we walked up the front steps to my house. "It's not even two o'clock yet, and I still have you for the rest of the day, right?"
"Indeed you do, Detective."
"What shall we do, then? We could go out somewhere? Stay in? Go see a movie? Take a drive? So many possibilities."
"How do you feel about the zoo?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
I grinned.
"You remembered, huh? I really was jealous that you got to go in New York."
"It was nice, but it's no Lowry Park. Today is a gorgeous day to be outside, don't you think?"
"Let's do it! I haven't been there in ages."
Bella switched out her heeled sandals for a pair of flipflops from her overnight bag and I grabbed a baseball cap and my sunglasses. She slipped hers on as well, then took my hand with a smile after I locked the house back up.
"I definitely wanna pet the stingrays! Oh, and feed the giraffes!"
I laughed at her obvious excitement. I loved her like this, so sweet and carefree.
"Alright, my angel. Destination, zoo."
And we were off.
BPOV
I'd always loved the zoo, but had never gone on an actual 'date' there. Now, I was seeing it through new eyes as I explored everything with Edward. He grabbed a map after entering and we plotted out which way to go first, ultimately deciding to start our journey in the Asia section. The tigers were sunning themselves lazily, so regal and powerful, even at rest.
As we wandered hand-in hand-from one exhibit to the next, I couldn't remember a day I'd enjoyed more.
Running into Edward's parents had been quite surprising, to say the least. Though completely unexpected, I was thrilled to meet the parents of the man who had came to mean so very much to me. And they had been just as lovely as I'd hoped. Esme really did remind me of Alice; I had a feeling between the two of them they could plot world domination, all while looking effortlessly flawless. Her green eyes were so similar to Edward's in color, and just as stunning. Carlisle's eyes were light blue, but his facial structure, and his expressions were almost identical to his son's. They even had the same walk, which made me smile when I'd first noticed. I was very much looking forward to spending more time in their company.
I was thrilled when Edward had agreed on an outing to the zoo; it was one of my very favorite places and it had been too long since I'd last been. Plus, the weather was just perfect, warm and breezy, with enough cloud cover that we didn't feel like we were melting.
We ate popcorn and ice cream bars, caught some of the animal shows, fed the giraffes, and petted the stingrays, just like I'd wanted to. I giggled at Edward trying to get the huge parrots to talk to him, and he gave me a triumphant grin when one of them finally said 'hello'. We brushed and fed the goats at the petting zoo, and laughed at the antics of the emus. We even took a ride on the animal-themed carousel and Edward snapped a picture of us with all the bright colors in the background, he on his zebra and me on my kangaroo. It was a silly picture, but I loved it.
He cornered me in the cool shadows of the jungle-esque primate exhibit a little while later, where we had been watching the chimpanzees. There was nobody around us for the moment, and he slid his lips up the side of my neck.
"You always smell so good," he whispered against my jaw. "Peachy and sweet."
"I can't imagine I smell very sweet at the moment," I sighed, tilting my head back to allow his mouth to travel over my collarbone. "After walking around outside for the past couple of hours, not to mention the fact that I haven't even showered today."
"I disagree. You smell fucking delicious, and I happen to like the fact that you haven't showered today. I like knowing that underneath the sweetness, you smell like sex and me and us. You smell like you've been in my bed."
There was something very primal about his declaration, and I shivered.
"My mouth has been everywhere on this gorgeous body," he continued in a low voice, his lips barely brushing my skin as they wandered to my ear. "I've claimed you with my tongue, stamped you my sweat. I'm in your pores and you're in mine."
"Mmm, I love that," I moaned, grasping his face and pulling his lips to mine. His words made me impossibly hot and I kissed him hungrily, deep and steamy. Our mouths tasted each other for long moments before Edward pulled back with a groan. I opened my eyes dazedly and registered the fact that there were people approaching the exhibit and we were no longer alone.
"Soon," he promised, pressing one more kiss to my lips before stepping back and lacing our hands together. "Now, let's go see the penguins, huh?"
We walked around for a while longer before Edward declared, unsurprisingly, that he needed real food for dinner. In particular, he had a craving for steak, and claimed he knew the perfect place. The drive to Temple Terrace didn't take long at all, and soon we were pulling up in front of a brick building that had a sign out front, proclaiming they had 'The Best T-Bones In Town!'. It was set at the end of a nondescript strip mall filled with nail salons and wireless providers, but there were a lot of cars parked in front, a testament to its popularity.
"The Grove?" I asked. "I've never been here before."
"You're in for a treat! They have the best steaks ever, and they grill them over orange wood, hence the name. Just amazing." he rubbed his belly as we walked towards the front door and I laughed.
"You always get so excited over food, it's hilarious."
"I love food! Well, good food, anyway."
Edward opened the front door and the truly mouthwatering scent of grilled meat hung heavy in the air. It was busy, but not packed, and we were seated right away in another cozy corner booth. It seemed Edward was well-known at this place, as well, and had a 'usual table' here, too. Given his love of food, I was sure there were dozens of places around town that welcomed him on a regular basis. He was a man of great appetites, in more ways than one.
The next hour passed in a lovely blur of great wine and delicious food. The conversation flowed between us like it always did, and somehow we got on the subject of me needing a new car.
"Well, what kind do you like?" Edward asked, re-filling my wine glass from the bottle on the table. He only had one glass, so I guess it was up to me to finish it off. I was definitely feeling the effects, but it was nice. So nice to just relax and be mellow.
"Something sexy," I told him, sipping from my glass. "Nothing nerdy! Something zippy and cool. Ya know, I really fucking loved my little Audi." I frowned, aware that the alcohol was loosening my tongue, but unbothered by it. "I never even got the chance to take you for a drive in it, it was the sweetest ride ever. I had a dream about sucking you off in that car, did I ever tell you?'
His eyes widened a bit, and I wondered if I'd said that too loud.
"No, you definitely never told me that," he said, turning to face me more fully and leaning closer. "A dream, huh?"
"Mm hmm. Remember I told you that I dream about you?"
"Yes, and I loved finding that out. So, tell me about this particular one." His lips pressed against the corner of my mouth, then the spot below my ear, before pulling back to gaze at me.
"Well, we were driving somewhere and we pulled over." I took another slow gulp of wine, remembering. "You were driving, and I don't know why we stopped, but I reached over and slowly slid your zipper down." My hand dropped below the table and rested on his thigh. The muscle clenched beneath my touch and I trailed my fingers higher until they brushed against the crotch of his shorts. He jumped a little bit, and then his hand settled over mine, pressing more firmly.
I wasn't really worried about anyone seeing; the restaurant was dim, the booth was in a corner, and the tablecloths were long. I was buzzed, no question about it, but it had been ages since I'd felt this carefree and happy. One thing would make me happier, though, and that would be another up close and personal encounter with Edward's amazing body. I rubbed over his growing erection with my fingertips.
"And then?" he urged softly, groaning when I increased pressure.
"Then, I got up on my knees in the passenger seat, bent over, and took you all the way down my throat. Although," I paused, affecting a thoughtful look. "I feel like the dream didn't actually do you justice. At that point in time I didn't know just how sexy your cock was, or how much I'd love the taste of it, or how good it would feel as it filled my mouth, all hot and hard and delicious." I leaned up and nipped his earlobe with my teeth, my pussy growing warm and flushed. "Now that I know all of that, I really can't wait to have it again. You did say 'soon', didn't you, Detective?"
"Jesus, Bella," he whispered. "Yes, fucking soon."
"Oh, good," I said softly. His dick thumped against my palm as I rubbed it, and then I trailed the fingers of my other hand down over my collarbone and between my breasts, toying with the V neckline of my romper. Edward's body blocked me from the rest of the dining room as we sat next to each other, and I took full advantage of that.
"I remember how much you said you wanted to get re-acquainted with these," I murmured, hooking a finger under the material, and the bra beneath, so that I could slowly edge both of them to the side. I watched him, my heartbeat thumping in my ears as I bared my breast for his eyes only in that noisy steakhouse. The look of lust on his face was the ultimate reward for my wine-fueled boldness, and the pulsing ache building between my thighs grew in intensity.
"Got a bit of an exhibitionist streak in you, my angel?" he questioned softly, his eyes lifting from my chest to my face.
"I never did before, it's probably the wine," I told him with a wink. It was true, though. The thrill of 'possibly getting caught' had never appealed to me, or been any sort of kink I'd wanted to explore. "However, at the moment, I enjoy the fact that only you can look at me like this, in this crowded restaurant, and only you know how good it makes me feel when you suck on this." I stroked my nipple and rubbed it gently. "No one else eating their dinner right now will ever have any idea. Just you."
"Fuck, you're amazing," he breathed. "I'll never get enough of you." He pushed his dick harder against our hands and I smiled, squeezing him.
Edward's knee bumped the underside of the table, and I giggled and tucked myself back into my clothing, then drained the rest of the wine in my glass while he signaled our waitress a bit frantically.
Our check was placed on the table and I snatched it up before Edward could touch it.
"My treat, baby. You've been so good to me all weekend. I got this." I pressed a kiss to his lips before he could argue, then slid some bills into the leather folder before standing up and reaching for his hand. "Let's get out of here, Detective."
So, yeah. A lovely day spent together, I think. Yummy House is real and in my opinion does absolutely has the best dim sum around. Lowry Park Zoo is also real and it's a wonderful place. The Grove? A figment of my imagination, alas. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. I apologize for not answering reviews presently but I promise I love and adore each and every one. You all make me smile so much.