oOo
It was hard to say goodbye to the cottage. They'd had a wonderful time there – even if they spent the majority of their stay inside the bedroom. They had, however, taken a couple of walks by the sea. It had been liberating and relaxing for both of them to get out of the city.
"Imagine living here," Bella murmured dreamily as they drove away. It had started to rain, a slow, grey drizzle that beat a soothing tattoo on the car's roof.
"Could you?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "See yourself here?"
"I don't know. It'd be rather lonely, don't you think?"
"But so quiet."
"Do you think you could work here?"
She reached over and placed her hand on his thigh. As always, her touch made his heart beat faster.
"Didn't you see me work the other day?"
He smiled as he thought back to sketching her half-naked, stretched out on the bed…
"Oh yes, I did, Mr. Cullen."
She gave his thigh a small squeeze.
"Will you sit for me again?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling.
"Maybe…" she replied, but he knew she was teasing him. "You do have a bit of work to do until the exhibition, don't you?"
Edward nodded his head. As much as he would have loved to lock himself in with his beautiful girlfriend, he knew that real life was calling them back. He had more than enough material for the exhibition, but he had begun to work on a few paintings that were a little different from his usual style. All of them had been started since Bella stepped into his life. He wanted to add something that stated very clearly the new phase in his work. He couldn't name it yet, but he knew that something was changing.
"Yeah," he sighed.
The rain was getting harder, pelting against the roof of the Volvo.
"I'm meeting Mike the day after tomorrow to discuss the details. I'm afraid he wants to make a big event of the vernissage." He rubbed his eyebrow.
"Don't you?"
"You know I'm a party pooper."
That made her laugh.
"Then I'll have to come and make sure you have a nice time."
"I think I like that idea."
Luckily, he had to stop at a traffic light, which gave him a chance to kiss her.
.
None of them could bear the thought of spending the night apart, and they stopped at Bella's so she could collect a few items of fresh clothing and a couple of books she needed to read.
"I don't want to go back to school yet," she sighed that night, snuggling into the crook of Edward's arm.
He was trying to find something decent to watch on the telly. He dropped the remote and kissed her hair.
"You love what you do," he murmured.
"I do." Turning on her side, she hooked one leg over his. "But I feel so lazy right now. I want to stay here with you for ever."
With one decided move, Edward pulled her on top of him.
"Then do," he whispered between kisses.
The double meaning of his words was not lost on him.
oOo