Reminder: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, this version of all human events, however, is mine.

Thank you to all reviewing & MC for betaing.

Enjoy.

Chapter 13: Explanations and Gestures

As I had anticipated and dreaded, Rose had hit me with a barrage of questions and requests, for information, the moment I'd walked through our hotel room door.

"I can't believe you actually spend the night with him! How did you end up back at his place? What happened when Emmett and I left? Holy shit, Bella, you're glowing," Rose exclaimed, as I walked into the hotel room and over to my phone charger to plug in my dead phone. Her tone turned careful, studying me, "like, post-orgasmic glow, glowing, what happened between the two of you?"

I blushed deeply as I set the phone down on the nightstand, suddenly very aware that I was still in the dress I'd worn the night before—something I'd never before experienced. I felt like what I'd done was written all over the dress I still wore. While I was embarrassed to confess it outright, I felt no shame as was usually associated with "the walk of shame." In fact, I oddly felt kind of proud of it, even if I wasn't shouting it from the rooftops because that just wasn't me.

"Holy shit! It is a post-orgasm glow!" She exclaimed and I blushed deeper. "Well fuck me! A guy finally got you off," she grinned. "Congratulations Bell! Tell me, is it magic hands that Edward possesses?"

"Among other things," I mumbled and bit my lip, feeling my whole body flush with warmth with the admission, as I turned the phone on, now that it was plugged in.

Rose's eyes grew wide in shock. "What? No fucking way!"

I felt like I was blushing so hotly that I going to burst into flames at any moment.

"Bell, what happened last night?" she asked as if she needed me to actually say it to believe it.

I wasn't a woman who shared things like that. I figured that I'd just not been born with the sharing gene like my mother, sister and Rose seemed to possess. Much like I figured that before last night, I'd been born without a raging sex drive like everyone else. But now that I'd finally had an experience actually worth sharing, I found that I kind of wanted to talk about it with my best friend.

I, not being good at sharing, kept mumbling and blushing as I awkwardly confessed how we'd gone back to his place so I could hear him play—leaving out his secret of writing songs—and ended up having sex.

I swore Rosalie looked like her head was going to pop off out of shock, as she listened to my admission.

"Look at you! You're already dying to go back for more, it's written all over your face. I have to give it to him; Edward must have some major skills if he got you, of all people hooked on sex like this."

My eyes flashed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No offense Bell, but you're the least sexual person I've ever met. You've barely showed mediocre interest in anything physical, and this guy has you talking about how, with him, you completely understand nymphomania, for Christ's sake."

I'd confessed that part out loud? Well, shit.

It was true though. Sigh.

I'd thought or hoped that my overwhelming need to have more of Edward would wane when I'd finally sated my need for him, but instead it had somehow, impossibly intensified. Even after having him multiple times last night and even this morning, I was only just out of his presence and my entire being was already begging to go back for another round. It was almost unnerving how unlike me this overpowering craving of a need for sex and even simple physical touch, with him was. It completely consumed me.

Before Edward, it was just something I never craved, something I never wanted, something I'd done simply because I felt I should. I was in a relationship so a physical relationship was expected of me. I wasn't one to cuddle, a hand-holder, a hugger, someone who wanted to just make-out or stay in bed all day to make love. To me, the physical stuff was almost a chore, something like doing dishes or laundry; you didn't really want to do them, but you needed to do them so you did.

My phone, now on, sounded with messages.

"Those are just probably from me," Rose piped up, "looking for your little ass that was probably getting thoroughly fucked at that very moment." She gave a knowing smirk the almost looked proud. "God, I can hardly believe it," she marveled.

I tried ineffectively to not blush while I rolled my eyes at her and picked up the phone.

Rose laughed, "What? Is it really so bad that I'm down right ecstatic that my best friend finally got properly laid by a man who obviously knows what to do with his dick?"

I ignored her question and looked at my phone. Rosalie was right, there were several messages from her, but there were also a couple from Edward. My heart leaped into my throat as I pulled those up:

I can't wait to see you tonight. We can go anywhere you'd like, just tell me what you want to do and I'll make it happen. X

Mmm, I knew exactly what I wanted to do…

Wait. Was that "x" a kiss? Did he just send me a kiss?

My heart fluttered and I felt a smile creep across my face like an idiotically, over-excited thirteen year old girl, who was giddy and gushing about a boy who'd simply sent a suggestion of a kiss. But I didn't care. I'd take every last kiss he wanted to give me, real, or virtual.

I looked at the next one, still flying from the first text from him:

I wanted to warn you the pictures of us at the restaurant are all over the web. I am really sorry about that. But thankfully, at least they don't seem to have any clue who you are.

Thankfully they don't know who I was? My excitedly soaring heart dropped heavily from my throat, to the pit of my stomach.

He didn't want anyone to know who I was? Was he ashamed of me? Was he hoping no one would ever find out about me?

My eyes prickled painfully with threatening tears.

"Bell?" Rose said softly, interrupting my spiralling thoughts. "You went from looking like a kid on Christmas morning, to someone who was just told their dog died. What's wrong?"

"Oh," I said trying to shake off my disheartening line of thinking.

You don't know that's what he meant, Bella. You're reading too much into it. I heard a little voice chastise me.

I cleared my throat, chasing away the tears stuck there.

"Edward sent me a text asking what I wanted to do tonight, and then he sent another warning me that the pictures of us from last night were now all over the web."

"What pictures? Sex pictures?" Rosalie asked, wide-eyed, looking almost… hopeful. Apparently after the admission of what I'd done, she'd not thought anything was beyond me any longer.

"Ha ha, Rose. No," I said rolling my eyes at her, while covering up the strange feeling that swept over me at being intrigued with the idea.

My mind quickly jumped from just pictures to recording the entire act. I was shocked at finding I actually liked the idea. A reel of Edward that way, rolled through my head, replaying all our intimate scenes that I had etched in my memory. He was so beautiful anyway, but in bed, he was captivating and hotter than hell: the way his naked body moved, how his muscles bulged and contracted as he moved himself within me, his expressions, his sounds, the way he'd touch me…

Oh God.

Desire raced through me, consuming my entire body that was instantly ready and begging for him.

I already knew just how engrossingly sensual it was first-hand. Just the mental replay was enough to instantly turn me on, the thought of being able to watch him at his best over and over instead of relying on fuzzy or fading memories sounded very appealing.

"Bell? Where'd you go just now?" Rose queried with a speculating look on her beautiful face that made me think she had a pretty damn good idea where I just went.

"Oh, um, nowhere. Sorry," I lied, reluctantly shaking off the surprising erotic thoughts that shot through me to focus.

A playful smile crossed Rosalie's lips, not buying for one second that I'd gone "nowhere".

Damn me for being an emotional open book!

"Um," I stammered again, still affected by those fantastically libidinous images I'd just been treated with. I'd realized in my recall of the night to Rose I'd completely forgotten to mention the paparazzi. "After you and Emmet left, Edward called for another car to pick us up, but when we left, there was a crowd of paparazzi outside the restaurant. We had no choice but to walk through them to get to the car. Apparently the pictures they took of us leaving the restaurant are now on the internet."

"Holy shit Bell! You're in the tabloids?"

"Um, yeah, I guess so."

"Well, get your little ass changed, I need to see this," Rose insisted.

Rose filled me in on her exploits with Emmett, as I changed into jeans and a t-shirt and pulled my hair into a ponytail. Leaving my cell in the hotel room to charge, we grabbed our purses and headed out to find a computer do a bit of internet research, then, a last bit site-seeing.

We made our way to a nearby internet café that the concierge directed us to. We grabbed coffees and sat down at a computer. Rose started the search and the images readily came up.

I'd expected the photographs of us coming out of the restaurant, but I hadn't expected the grainy ones, Rosalie had found, of us still inside the restaurant. My chest fluttered at one of them; with the way Edward was looking at me, like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. The reverent look on his beautiful face took my breath away.

Rose laughed hardily, "What are the chances that Jessica won't see these in her daily visits to the tabloid and Anthony Cullen websites?"

Oh no.

"Slim to none," I groaned, sounding deflated. "Maybe she won't recognize me, my hair is covering most of my face in the ones outside the restaurant and the couple inside are grainy and not very clear." I added with false hope.

"Fat chance," Rose sniffed, pointing to one of the relevant photos, "it's obvious who that is

"But you're looking at it knowing it's me already, of course you can tell," I defended.

"Really Bell?" Rosalie laughed and looked meaningfully at the grainy photograph that was up on the screen. "A random person on the street that saw these probably wouldn't be able to tell you for certain the same person, but there wouldn't be a doubt in my mind or anyone else's that knows you."

"Oh no. I'm so screwed," I moaned desolately.

"You really are," Rose laughed without solace.

Rose clicked through more search engines and websites. When the photographs began to become redundant she paused for a second contemplating something and then I saw a mischievous look flash in her eyes.

"I wonder…" she trailed off as she typed a new search. "Ha!" she laughed loudly drawing the attention of several people around us and I gave them an apologizing look before I turned to the screen.

"Jeez Rose!" I exclaimed seeing the poor quality photo of Rose and Emmett making out at the concert—practically screwing right there in front of the stage. It looked like another concert goer standing near the pair, recognized Emmett and snapped the picture of the amorous couple. "Did you see any of the concert at all?" I inquired flippantly.

"Mmm, nope not really," she admitted unabashedly, as a wicked grin spread across her face.

When we left the café, we headed to the very touristy Empire State Building, deciding it was one of the places we had to see before we left the city. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday afternoon in early June and the place was packed full of other tourists. Not wanting to spend the whole afternoon just waiting in line, we shelled out the exorbitant amount of money they wanted for the "express" passes that let you jump the line. It proved well worth the cost though and we got to go right up there and then got on our way.

After we left the Empire State Building, we decided that the one last thing we should do in the city that we had time for—because Rosalie was just as impatient to meet back up with Emmett as I was to see Edward again—was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Despite my distraction, it was a fantastic place that I wanted to visit again when I wasn't so anxious to get out of there because there were so many wonderful things on display. I knew under other circumstances, I would have loved to just spend a day there, just browsing.

But I had other things on my mind.

Thankfully though, the afternoon passed quickly and in no time we were back at the hotel room getting ready for the evening. Rose was currently trying to dissuade my decision to just stay in the jeans and t-shirt I'd worn all afternoon, when my phone rang, singing out my ringtone of my newest favorite song—that I loved even more because now I knew that Edward had probably written it.

I checked the display; it was Edward.

My face lit up.

"Hello?"

"Bella," he said sounding quite relieved. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well," Edward explained, "when you hadn't gotten back to me from earlier, asking you what you'd like to do tonight, I wondered if maybe your plans had changed and I wouldn't get to see you tonight. But then you didn't answer your phone when I called and I got worried that something had happened."

"Oh, no we're still on if you still want to get together," I said hoping more than anything he still wanted to see me. "I had just left my phone at the hotel to charge when Rose and I went out sightseeing. Dead battery, remember?"

"Right. Sorry," he apologized. "So, have you decided what you'd like to do?"

You.

"No, it really doesn't matter what we do, just nothing fancy, okay?" I requested, already feeling like he had spent too much money on me.

"Nothing fancy?" Edward asked dubiously.

"Yeah, nothing fancy, in fact, why don't I treat tonight? I'm afraid you might be getting the wrong impression of me with Rose having hand-picked my wardrobe for this vacation. I'm really a pizza and beer, and jeans and t-shirt kind of girl."

"Oh no! You need to wear that dress," Rose piped in then she stuck her mouth right up to the phone and added, "Edward, tell her you want her to wear the dress I picked out for her. I promise you that you won't regret it."

"Knock it off, Rose," I said swatting Rosalie away from the phone.

Edward laughed. "How about we do the pizza and jeans another time? It can even be on you, if you insist." Edward promised making my heart leap excitedly at his mention of seeing me again. "But tonight is on me. And you should wear that dress" he said in a low, suggestive tone that shot straight to my core, "I need to see what your friend is talking about."

Edward's sex-infused voice melted away my readied defence, causing a lapse in judgment that had me conceding to wear another dress again tonight.

"What time should I come get you?" he asked, his voice still husky making me squirm.

"Um, we should be ready within an hour," I squeaked, trying to calm my breathing.

"We?" Edward asked, surprised. "Oh, of course, I should have realized. How rude of me, you're on vacation with your friend; of course you'll want to spend it with her. I'm sorry for assuming—" he broke off mid-sentence and started another. "I'll call Emmett and—"

"No!" I interrupted him, protesting a bit too strongly. I took a breath to calm my voice before I spoke again. "No. Just you and me."

"Bella," he protested, "it's perfectly fine—"

"No. I want to be with just you tonight," I whispered, afraid to speak the words any louder. It was as if I thought if I spoke the words softly enough, it would also make the admission I was making less blaringly obvious as to why I wanted to be with just him.

"If you're certain—" Edward began not quite believing me.

"I am," I promised firmly, my honesty obvious in my voice.

I could see Rose anytime I wanted to, I didn't know when or if I'd see Edward after tonight. I needed to be with just him, while I could.

He reluctantly conceded and then promised he'd see me in an hour.

When I went to hang up the phone I noticed that it was inundated with text messages and missed calls. One of the texts and one missed call was from Edward wondering what happened to me. But I had eight missed calls and about a dozen texts from Jessica, a missed call and a hand-full of texts from Jake, a couple of texts from my mother and even a text from my friend Angela.

What the hell?

My chest tightened, frightened that there was something wrong. I opened the texts from Jake:

I don't know what you did or how you pulled it off, but Jess has gone ape shit. She's hysterical. You don't know what we're suffering here at home.

It was a strange feeling, having one dread wash away while another one swept in at the same moment.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Jessica knows. I thought desolately as I went to read the next text from Jake:

You are so going to pay for this stunt when you get back.

You know, I don't think I'm going to pick you up from the airport tomorrow. I should let you find your own way home just for the misery you're causing me.

Seriously Bells, make it stop! She's lost her God damn mind, and it's worse than normal because of the added pregnancy insanity. Show a little mercy! She's off her damn rocker.

Oh no.

I sent him a reply:

I'll try to fix it. Sorry. See you tomorrow at baggage claim. We both know you'll be there regardless, Chief, so don't even bother to pretend otherwise.

Afraid to open the ones from Jess, I opened the one from Angela figuring it was safer. I was relieved that her text was only about getting together for lunch or something when I got back from New York to tell her all about it. Another text from Jessica arrived, but still avoiding those, I opened the ones from my mom instead:

Jess said something about an 'un-freaking-believable' hook-up you're having in NYC. I didn't understand much else she'd said, but, good for you honey! Can't wait to hear about it! :)

Oh and don't worry about Jess, I think she's just upset that she never had a fling of her own. Glad to see you finally living a little. Fun isn't it? Just remember, always use protection.

I didn't even bother replying to Renee. Great sex or not—and it definitely was great—I still didn't think that should be a casual conversation topic between mother and daughter, no matter how much she and Jess thought it was.

Unable to avoid it any longer, I took a deep breath and opened the texts from Jessica, reading through the string of them:

Liar! You little lying…urgh! Wax figures my $$! What I saw today is definitely my sister with what is definitely NOT a wax figure! LIAR!

I can't believe you! You didn't TELL me? Your own SISTER? I had to find out from the internet? You lying little $#*t, Bella! F*cking wax figures my $$.

I hate you. I really hate you. Why won't you pick up your damn phone? Is it because you know you can only lie through text? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I can't believe you lied to me. Anthony freaking Cullen! Anthony FREAKING Cullen! OMG! This is so unreal! Pick up the freaking phone!

You should have taken me to NYC with you. Then it would be me with him in that picture. Me! It should be me with Anthony Cullen, not you! Urgh! So not fair!

I was surprised to find my thoughts turn dark and almost violent with possessiveness of Edward with reading that text from Jessica. The feeling that swept over me was almost like a child with a beloved security blanket that was being taken away; No! Mine!

No Bella, he is not yours either. I had to remind myself.

Wait. What? Hold on. He should have been with her? What the hell? Jess, you're married with a kid and twins on the way, what do you mean it should be you with him?

I was starting to understand Mike's unadulterated hate toward Anthony Cullen, if Jess got this nuts about him all the time.

Okay. Fine. Tell me everything! You can make up lying to me by telling me everything. Every last detail. I need to know. Let me live vicariously through you!

OMG! I still can't believe it. MY sister is sleeping with Anthony FREAKING Cullen! I think I might be hyperventilating. Definitely hyperventilating. Where's a paper bag?

I let out a small laugh. I could picture my sister, texting me, pacing around her house, picking up her phone only to see I still hadn't replied, huffing angrily and texting me or calling me again.

Freak out. Anger. Text. Repeat.

My family was seriously unhinged. I didn't know who was worse, my mother or my sister.

He's good, isn't he? He's un-freaking-believable in bed, right? What am I saying? Of course he is, just look at him! Oh you lucky $#*t! I hate you.

No, I changed my mind. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. What am I saying? Yes I do want to know! I REALLY want to know! How amazing is he?

I smiled. Oh God, he's more amazing than you could ever believe. But I'm not going to tell you.

OMG, I'm freaking out here! Call me back you little liar! Don't bother denying it! I have proof! You've been found out!

Hold on! Can I meet him? OMG! Please? I'll be good! I'll be on my best behavior. Promise. Please? OMG! I can't believe it! Anthony Cullen! Anthony FREAKING Cullen! Please?

Urgh! How the hell did YOU get so lucky? Un-freaking-believable! This is so unfair! Seriously, answer your freaking phone!

I had no idea how I'd gotten so lucky. I knew that I didn't deserve any of the time I'd spent with Edward, even if it did only last this weekend. But however I'd managed the luck, I was definitely thanking the gods for this one.

I smiled at my sister, the freak-out queen, shook my head and figured I'd better send her a reply before she riled herself up into early labor or something.

Not sure what you're going crazy about today, Jess, but I didn't lie about the pics the other day. Those were pics of us with wax figures. Calm down.

Oh and could you not tell the whole world everything you assume to know as correct? That's how rumors start & I don't need more of those. Jake & Mom are texting about your rant. We'll talk when I get home.

I had made sure I'd mostly stuck to the truth; the original pictures were actually wax figures and I didn't tell her she was wrong with her assumptions, I just didn't tell her she was right either. That way I hoped she'd assume that she'd had it wrong and it wasn't me in the pictures with Edward. If and when I confessed to her that I did spend a good portion of my vacation in New York City with Edw—"Anthony" Cullen, I'd have to be there, so she could freak out to me, and not to the rest of the world. She was telling anyone and everyone about this because she couldn't get it out of her system by talking to me. I wasn't there to bear the brunt of the fall-out of it, so everyone else felt it. But I wasn't ready to confess it today, much less ready to sit and listen to Jess flipping out about it so that answer would have to do for now. Maybe someday I'd tell her that I had actually spent time with Edward, but right now, she didn't need to know even that because I had no idea whether I'd even ever see him again after tonight.

"Hey, what's up?" Rosalie broke my musings.

"Oh, just all hell breaking loose at home," I laughed without humor.

"Oh no. Jess saw the pictures, didn't she?" Rose ascertained immediately.

"Yeah, she definitely did," I said glumly sighing. "Well, hopefully the texts I sent will calm her down a bit, but regardless, I'll deal with that tomorrow when we go home and face reality because I'm not dealing with it tonight." I said putting down my phone on the nightstand.

I hopped into the shower so I could re-shave. When I got out, I quickly realized that my hair was not going to behave itself on its own. I was going to have to force it into submission by either curling or straightening it because Rose insisted that throwing it up into a ponytail was not an option with the dress.

"Hmm," Rose contemplated, holding the dress up to me. "Let's see. Either would work. If you straighten your hair, do up your eyes really dark and dramatic for an edgy look. If you curl it, leave your eye makeup natural and lighter, for a soft look that, like you don't need to try—because really, you don't."

I snorted at her compliment, but plugged in the curling iron. Both last night and the concert, I'd worn far more makeup than I normally ever wore, going out again, with dark, dramatic, smoky eyes again with Edward made me feel like I was giving him an impression of me that wasn't real. True, I was going to be wearing another dress, and that wasn't me either, but at least this way, I'd make sure he saw part of who I really was.

I zipped up the periwinkle ruched halter dress Rose had me buy and bring with me that had originally been meant for the previous night, when we went to see Chicago. I slid on the shoes that I'd bought for it, and grabbed my handbag I'd used the night before.

"Are you sure this goes?" I called to Rose who was in the bathroom finishing up getting ready. I looked down at my periwinkle dress with the black handbag and black shoes thinking it just didn't go at all. Shouldn't I have found a matching blue bag and shoes?

"Yes, I'm sure," Rose called from the bathroom. "You'll look amazing. If you don't believe me, look at the bow on the shoes, there's a stripe of the same color as your dress in it—and even if it didn't it'd still look great. It all ties together. Trust me."

Rosalie stepped out of the bathroom wearing a form-fitting, red dress that played up her already perfectly statuesque figure. Her lips were painted the same deep crimson, her eyes were done up dramatically dark and smoky and her flaxen hair spilled thickly in waves down her shoulders with a decorative comb neatly in her hair on one side. She reminded me of a beautifully dressed vixen from an old movie—if they had dresses that short and sassy back then, that is.

"Holy crap Rose!" I said wide-eyed, shocked that she'd impossibly looked more stunning than usual.

"That reaction is about right," she said with a grin. "Not bad yourself, Bell. That man is not going to be able to keep his hands off you looking like that. I actually think I might even like this dress more than the one you wore last night—something about that color with your skin tone just sets it off."

I blushed and mumbled a thank-you.

My phone sounded with a new text. It was Edward letting me know that he'd be here to pick me up in about ten minutes.

Rosalie and I started packing our bags. Neither of us knew how much time we'd have before the flight out the next day, so Rose suggested we just pack everything up and leave them on the bed so we didn't have to worry about it, we could just come grab them tomorrow and head off to the airport.

It was only a few minutes later and Emmett called Rose. She left and I was alone in the small, poorly lit hotel room staring at the made beds with packed suitcases on them that would very likely remain un-slept in until we left tomorrow.

I was wondering if I should just wait for Edward in the lobby, so I could see him that much faster, when I heard a knock at the door.

"Forget something, Rose?" I asked, swinging the door open without checking the peephole, certain she'd just knocked while she searched for her card key in case I was still in the room.

Instead of Rose, my eyes fell upon a gorgeous and very on-edge, Edward wearing a sharp black suite—sans tie. He looked so marvellous it should have been a sin that he wasn't editable because I wanted to devour him. I watched him stand before me as his bright green eyes flicked nervously down the hallway, his one hand shoved into his pocket and the other alternately clutching at and running through his bronze-brown hair. He looked about as nervous as a mouse staring down a serpent, realizing it was doomed.

I sucked in a sharp breath overwhelmed by a strong mix of delighted surprise, uninhibited desire and overwhelming confusion.

Before I could find my voice, Edward—still anxiously darting his gaze down the hall—spoke.

"This was a very poorly thought out idea," Edward said, his words rushed and his voice sounding on edge as he appeared.

I heard a noise down the hall that made Edward's eyes pop wide with wild fright.

"Can I come in?" he pleaded tersely.

I felt his apprehension seep into my body, making me as uneasy as he appeared, despite still not knowing the reason for his tense behavior.

I nodded mutely as I quickly opened the door wider and moved aside to allow him entry. Without a second's delay, he flashed into my room and hastily closed the door behind him, leaving our bodies practically pressed up against one another in the small area behind the door.

"What—?" I started to ask as I looked up at him, but the question was forgotten before it had even been fully formed. As soon as my brown eyes met his green one's that bore back into mine—no longer nervously darting away from me—my ability for coherent thought was lost. His apprehension was gone; in its place was the look that made me forget to breathe. The look that made me feel as though I was the only person in the world, the only one that mattered to him, the look that sent an electric current through my entire being.

I could feel my body instantly stand at attention and ready itself for him; the feeling only growing stronger with the passing seconds, as I watched his eyes grow darker as they filled more and more thickly with raw desire. He pulled his hand up to my face, my cheek sending shivers of heat blossoming out from his touch, while wearing that familiar torn look, I found him wearing so often.

A loud noise from outside the room startled me, pulling me from the hypnotic spell he held over me. My head snapped to look at the door as if I could see through the object to know what was happening on the other side of it. The loud noise was instantly followed by heavy, determined footsteps quickly heading down the hallway accompanied by a chorus if breathless giggles that went swiftly by the room.

"Where did he go?" a girl's voice screeched out of breath, the voices drawing closer again with hurried strides, but not at a run this time.

Accompanying breathy giggles from a couple girls answered her.

"It was the tenth floor, right?" another girl asked desperately. Their voices so clear, it sounded as if they stopped directly outside my room.

"I think so! Crud! I don't know! I thought it was!" the first girl said in a desperate shout.

"I don't get it!" said a third girl. "Why would he be here? Like, don't big stars like him stay at like fancy, super expensive places or something?"

"I'm sure this place has those big, fancy rooms too," argued the first.

"Maybe it wasn't him," interjected another.

"It was him," insisted the first girl. "I would be able to spot Anthony Cullen anywhere. Besides, who else in the entire planet has that color hair? No one, that's who. It was definitely him."

"Well, I don't see him here. Let's check other floors in case we were wrong about what floor it was," the third girl said with hopeful excitement.

Another round of squeals and giggles sounded off as they charged down the hallway away from my room, the way a gunshot started a track race.

Then they were gone.

I could feel the tension withdraw from the air surrounding Edward when the girls left for another floor and he began to relax.

"Frightened by a few girls?" I smiled dubiously, teasing Edward.

"You laugh," he retorted defensively, completely serious, "but they're completely crazy! I seriously think it should be considered for teenage girls to be determined as legally insane."

"I didn't laugh," I pointed out with a playful grin, barely holding back a laugh now.

"Maybe not, but you wanted to," Edward said with a smirk and rolled his eyes in humor. Then he sighed heavily, sagged back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why did you come up here instead of having me come down to car?" I asked still unable to understand why he had risked being seen to come up here in the first place.

"I didn't like that I wasn't doing things properly. I felt like an ass for not going to your door to pick you up for a date like I should. So, I'd gotten the 'brilliant' idea, that instead of calling you to come down, I'd come up to your door." I blushed with pleasure at his mention of treating me properly, loving how special it made me feel. I couldn't remember such a sincere gesture being attempted to be made for me before like that.

" I'd called Emmett," he continued, "and lucked out that he'd already picked up Rosalie and got the room number from her. I'd managed to slip into a lift undetected with the help of my driver and was marveling at my slyness until I got to this floor. Someone had just stepped onto the lift across from the one I was exiting and their doors were closing. Those girls noticed me, but thankfully they realized too late and the doors closed before they could stop it. I knew they had definitely recognized me because I could hear their screeches as they moved to a different floor—I feel bad for whoever had gotten onto that lift with them. So I all but ran to your room, hoping against all hope that I didn't have the wrong one or you hadn't left it for some reason."

I smiled with the way he used the term "lift" over "elevator" and how if I really listened to his voice, I could pick up the slightest hint of an English accent with certain words.

I stood there looking at the beautiful man in front of me, talking about wanting to pick me up for a date properly, and listening to his buttery, lightly accented voice; it took everything I could muster to not rip that incredibly sexy suit off his even sexier body.

I dragged my tongue across my lip and bit it.

"What?"

"Nothing," I blushed.

"You're a terrible liar," he called me out, flashing my favorite crooked smile.

I rolled my eyes but didn't reply, unwilling to confess the path my mind was entertaining.

Edward smiled indulgently at me and then, as if only just taking me in, his eyes raked my body; head to toe and back again. I swore I could feel the heat of his eyes caress every last curve he looked at, sending a fresh wave of burning want racing through me. It was all I could do to not moan.

Infuriatingly, Edward didn't move from the wall. Instead he stayed standing there, looking like Adonis, and watched me with those eyes that cut right through me in the most delicious ways imaginable.

"Bella, you look… breathtaking," he murmured. "Rosalie was right; I definitely don't regret seeing you in that."

I couldn't hold back any longer, I closed the small distance between us, pulling the palm of my hand to cradle his glorious stubble-covered jaw line and hungrily pressed my lips to his.

His response was instant and heated. I thought I could almost feel relief emanating from him the moment my lips touched his; like it was just as painful for him to not touch me as it was for me to not touch him.

Or maybe the feeling of relief was just mine, because my whole body was sighed with the return of the electrifying touch Edward gave off.

Edward groaned and stepped forward until I was pressed firmly against the opposite wall in the little space. He deepened the kiss, holding my face with one hand and the dip of my back in the other, gripping me hard against him, letting me fully feel his erection pressing against my stomach.

Oh God. Please, Edward. Take me. Please. I pleaded in my head as I kissed him back greedily.

Breathing heavily, Edward broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to the wall beside my neck.

I could feel his intensity begin to fade away like a phantom I couldn't grasp.

No! Controlled Edward was not invited to this party! I thought angrily, wishing I knew why he showed up and how to keep him away. Damn it!

"It's more than this," Edward mumbled into the crook of my neck. "I need you to know, it's more than just this."

I need to know what is more than what? Had I heard him right? He was still breathing hard and his voice was muffled from speaking against my neck. Either that or the Controlled Edward personality wasn't making any sense—as usual.

I stood there dumbfounded, unable to even figure out what question would make sense to ask him.

He snapped his head back and looked intensely into my eyes, as if willing me to understand something that was on his mind. His eyes heady—making me realize Controlled Edward hadn't completely taken over control—but they were also pleading, trying to communicate something that was the upmost importance I was unable to understand.

He looked so vulnerable. I wanted to fix it; I wanted to take away the sadness that riddled his eyes, but not knowing what tormented him, I didn't know how or where to begin. He saved me from trying to figure it out by speaking again.

"Stay with me?" he breathed. "Don't leave me tonight, stay with me until you have to go tomorrow. No expectations, I just want you with me for as long as possible. Will you stay, please?"

I nodded fervently, still unable to find my voice, wanting nothing more than to have as much time with him as possible.

Edward let out a breath of relief and gave an exalted smile before he kissed me with earnest passion. Our kiss was wrought with raw emotion; twisted with the knowledge that after tonight, it was all unknown.

My heart ached painfully with knowledge that tonight might be all I have left with him. The thought horrified me and unhindered my shyness, making me kiss him that much harder and led the way to my bed, my thoughts becoming singular. I needed him and he was there with his arms securely around me. Right now, that was all that mattered.

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