Bella waltzed through the front door of the laundromat, her mesh laundry bag over one shoulder, a heart stopping smile spread across her face as she spoke animatedly into her phone. She dropped her bag into one of the metal baskets and wheeled it to a machine. I watched as her head tipped back, her long hair nearly touching the curve of her ass, the sound of her laughter captured me wholly.

This once a week meeting was going to have to change. I wasn't quite sure how to push it; Bella seemed happy with our Friday nights and seemed hesitant to take it anywhere else. Which had me wondering if she was hesitant in all things in her life or if it was just me.

Leaning against the washer she had just loaded and started, Bella laughed again into her phone. Her eyes met mine and her laugh turned into a sweet welcoming smile.

Without a second thought to the matter, I set my book aside, and took the few steps required to be face to face.

"Mom, I have to go." She chewed the corner of her upper lip, "Yeh, I'll call you tomorrow. Mmmmhm. Tell Dad I love him. Bye."

My mouth covered hers before she could blink, fingers dipped into the soft strands of her hair, twisting it in my fist. She tasted like coconut and strawberries and something else, something wild and exotic, something that tore apart my insides and nearly brought me to my knees. I'd never begged a woman for affection, for conversation, for their love, but I would for her. I'd grovel, beg and plead just to share a conversation with her and that scared me to the depths of my soul. Never had I ever felt such strong emotions for a single person. I wanted to protect her, to make her laugh, to own her the way she so thoroughly owned me.

Her breath panted heavy and warm against my mouth and chin as she attempted to gain back her composure.

"I'm sorry." My voice whispered so low I couldn't be sure I'd even said anything at all.

Bella shook her head once and lifted her chin, her eyes meeting my own.

"Don't be." Her tongue darted across her pink lips, "Because I'm not going to be."

She wrapped one hand around the back of my neck and pulled me into her mouth once again. A sweet appreciative purr rumbled in her throat. I needed to stop before we both got arrested for indecent exposure.

"We gotta stop, Bella." I was in a dire state of tent pitching and my jeans were killing me.

"Still not sorry." She smiled up at me and her lips pressed into the front of my throat. Bella breathed in deeply and sighed against my skin and I damn near got on my knees.

"How are you?"

"Much better now, Edward." She flashed that killer smile and I grinned back.

"Let's go out again."

"Out? To where?"

"I don't know. I don't care. Let's do something outside of the laundromat. I'll cook you dinner. Or we can go get street cart tacos and cheap beer and eat on a park bench." I couldn't believe the intensity of the desire I had for this woman. I wanted to know her outside of laundry.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Bella laughed softly, "Yeh, okay."

"Sweet. When are you free?"

"Um, tomorrow I'm not doing anything other than binging on Netflix and ordering pizza."

"I tell ya what, I'll come pick you up, we can binge on Netflix and I'll cook us dinner."

"I'd like that."

"How about three? I have to get some work done in the morning and I have a lunch meeting with Emmett, after that, I'll swing by your place."

...

Bella switched her laundry to the dryer and came to sit next to me again.

"Someone dropped a box of kittens off today. I might keep one."

"Oh yeh? You get a lot of those?"

Bella nodded, "Yeh, unfortunately we get a lot of babies, both kittens and puppies, though we stress to the person dropping off the babies to have their adult pet neutered or spayed. I've had a few come back in for the surgery, but not all."

"That seems like a common sense sort of situation though. If you don't intend to breed your pet, right?"

"You'd think."

"So what kind of kittens are they?"

"Oh, just your typical American Shorthair. There's a tan one in the litter though, he has little white feet and a white mask with a pink nose. He's so cute."

"How many others were there?"

"Six in total, why, you want one?"

"Well, Emmett was looking for a kitten a few weeks back. I thought maybe I'd give him a heads up if that is an option?"

"Yeh, totally. We love seeing these babies end up in good homes. Let me give you the information where he can come see the kittens. We will have to turn them over to an animal rescue, most likely on Monday or Tuesday, as soon as we know they are well enough, so he might want to pop over first thing Monday."

"Here then," I handed her my phone with a new memo page open, "You can put the information here and I'll share it with him tomorrow."

Smiling, her fingers traced over the screen.

"And, if you would, add your phone number, for personal reasons."

Bella blinked up at me, her fingers stalling for a moment.

"Of course." Her smile hitched higher to the right and my heart punched at my ribs.

...

"Once again, thank you for walking me home, Edward."

"And once again, it was my pleasure."

Bella shifted slightly on her feet and held a hand out toward me to take the bag of clean laundry.

"Ahh, yes." I grinned, handing over the mesh tote.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Her warm wide eyes met my own.

"You know it." I took her free hand in my own, raising it to my lips, "I'll text you tomorrow."

Bella's lips parted, her eyes focused on her hand where my lips had just been.

"Sweet dreams, Bella."

"Sweet dreams, Edward."

I waited for the door to close behind her before walking home.