A/N: Happy 2013 to all my readers! Hope you all had a wonderful time this holiday season.

I'm sorry this chapter took a while DEC/JAN time is always very busy so my updating will suck for a while.

So from reading your reviews there are many of you who feel Bella is being weak ang forgiving Edward easily so i've written to chapters to deal with that and try to redeem Edward because I want all my readers to enjoy the story.

Please continue to review, it honestly makes my day.

Five days later, Edward was waiting impatiently for his beautiful Bella to appear at Tanya's party. The past week had almost been the happiest days of his life. He'd re-explored New York City with Bella and Reneesme. During the day, they'd had spent hours working to get the Swan out and save Carlisle's legacy. And during the nights he devoted all his time into making his wife and daughter happy.

His impatience to see her again was tempered with wry amusement at how this was going to be Bella's first public appearance as a Cullen. The women in his family had hijacked earlier this night to get her ready. And they were running late. The party had commenced at seven o'clock.

Finally, at a quarter past seven, a lot of camera flash lights at the upper landing of the grand ballroom caught his attention. He looked in that direction and his heart stopped dead in his chest.

A woman stood at the top of the curved staircase wearing a floor length gown of made of a deep red silk. After a split second of shock, he recognized her. He hardly noticed his mother or sisters. It was Bella, his Bella. The dress clung to her curvaceous body and had a slightly low neckline exposing a bit of her round mounds. She was breath-taking. As the crowd became aware of her low murmurs became audible and at that moment Edward felt like the luckiest man on the planet. He walked to the bottom of the stairs to await her descent.

When he saw the uncertainty on her face, though, his heart kicked into gear. Bounding up the steps, he met her halfway. With Bella still one step above him, they stared at each other, eye to eye.

"You look beautiful," he said gruffly, wishing he had thought to offer her jewellery to wear. But then again, with that skin and those eyes, the family jewels would have been cast in the shade.

Bella blushed, an adorable pink that tinted her cheeks alluringly. "Thank you," she said softly, smiling. "I feel like a little girl playing dress-up."

"It's the Cullen lifestyle." Rosalie announced as she walked past and down the stairs to meet her husband.

His gaze drifted without volition to the mouth-watering curves of Bella's cleavage. God in heaven, give me strength. "Definitely all grown up," he croaked. Heedless of any eyes or cameras that might be watching, he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his. Small hands settled on his shoulders. He cupped her narrow waist in his palms. She tasted of sweet cream and strawberries.

Their lips clung, parted on exhaled breaths and came together again. "I don't want to mess up your lipstick," he said, his pulse racketing away like a steam engine.

"It's supposed to last for eight hours," she deadpanned, humor dancing in her eyes.

"Good…that gives us plenty of time to experiment."

Bella thought she must be dreaming. And it was such a lovely, fantastical, whimsical, imaginary delight, she really didn't want to wake up.

She was dancing…waltzing to be exact. With Edward Cullen, who pretty much was New York royalty. He held her in his arms, his long legs leading them across a polished marble floor.

The enormous room, decorated in gold-and-silver tulle with gambolling cherubs, was filled with men in formal eveningwear and women garbed in a rainbow of expensive gowns. But Bella had eyes only for Edward. In a tuxedo and tails, he looked perfect.

He held her more closely than was strictly necessary for a waltz. And the warmth of his hand on her back reminded her that he was a flesh-and-blood man, not a fantasy. Everything about him was real. Solid.

His lips brushed her cheek. "Are you having fun, Bella?"

She tilted her head, smiling wryly. "Except for the part where Tanya stabbed me with her eyes, yes. I half expected her to tack a scarlet C to my chest for commoner."

He chuckled. "Don't take it too seriously."

Bella fell silent, content to float on air in Edward's embrace. Envious gazes all around them tracked their progress, and obviously, Tanya's more so than anyone's. The slim, gorgeous socialite had been introduced to Bella early in the evening and had greeted her with hostility and a rascally smile.

During the course of the evening, Edward led all sorts of women out onto the floor—his "courtesy dances," he called them. But Bella was no wallflower. A line of handsome, amiable young men claimed her hand time and again. Fortunately, she was a quick learner and her partners steered her well. She did know the basics of dancing, but the formality of the occasion was a bit overwhelming.

She found herself alone at one point watching Edward dance with Esme.

"You're in way over your head." A voice said from behind her.

Bella turned around to see Tanya standing there with her hands on her hips. "I beg your pardon."

"You heard me. And you know I'm right," she said laughingly. "There is no way a girl like you can keep a man like Edward satisfied, he'll eventually tire of you."

"I think my husband is plenty satisfied."

"Sexually?"

Bella felt the urge to slap her. But then she'd only give Tanya the satisfaction of knowing she was right so she just simply walked away.

Once the party had come to an end Bella and Edward returned to their home. The babysitter informed them Reneesme was already asleep but Bella still went to check on her and kiss her goodnight. Then walked over to the bedroom she now shared with Edward. He'd already started undressing and Bella kicked off her heels and sat on the big bed, contemplating what Tanya had said about sex. She didn't want to lose Edward, not again, he made her happier than nothing else did, so maybe sex was a necessary sacrifice.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked coming to stand over her.

She nodded. "Help me unzip." She stood and tuned around so he could free her from the dress and it dropped to the floor. Still facing away from Edward she fumbled and undid her bra strap and it followed the dress on to the floor. She closed her eyes and started to take of her panties.

Edward turned Bella around suddenly. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting…naked. Is it not obvious?" she mumbled into his chest.

"But why?"

"So we can, you know, consummate or marriage." She blushed. Forcing her face deeper into his chest.

His arms encircled her waist. "Is that what you want? He enquired softly.

"Well Tanya said it's what you wanted." She said unable to keep the truth from him.

"Firstly, never start a sentence with 'Tanya thinks', secondly, Bella, baby, I want you to be happy. I'd never ask of you something you're not ready to give. So please women put you underwear back on and climb into bed so we can sleep."

Hopefully Edward is starting to look a bit better in your eyes. There will be a lot of mush in the next chapter :D

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