A/N: My sincerest apologies for taking so long to post this chapter. It was a long time in writing it, and then re-writing it, and then revising it yet again. I struggled with this one, and procrastinated, but all is not lost. While I was putting off this chapter, I was busy writing chapters further down the line (who knew I favoured writing the angst instead of the romance?!). Also, my wonderful beta has been busy as of late, and I just couldn't wait to post this chapter, so she hasn't reviewed it yet (aaaggghhh!). Hopefully there aren't any glaring errors!

This one is a bit shorter, but hopefully a hint of lemony goodness will make it worth the wait!!

As always, I own nothing of Twilight, but I will shortly own the DVD (squeeeee!!) I am definitely attending our local Twilight DVD release party! Can't pass up yet another opportunity to see Edward/Rob on the big screen! Sigh...

EPOV

Oh. My. God. Did she just suck on my earlobe? And tell me not to stop? I was coming undone, that much was certain. So much for my declarations to Emmett earlier in the day that I wasn't 'that kind of guy'. At this rate, if she kept doing what she was doing, just being Bella, I would be exactly that kind of guy in mere minutes.

I struggled to form a coherent thought, lost in the fog swirling madly through my senses, all Bella. I could still taste her on my tongue, the sweet mixture of Bella with hints of coffee and mint. Her perfume, freesia and lavender, and yet as my nose drifted in her hair, the essence of strawberries struck me. The heat of her body seared into mine, even through the layers of clothing between us, and I marveled at the soft, silken texture of her hair as I wound my fingers through it. I pulled back just enough to look at her face, to gaze into the depths of those beautiful, brown doe eyes that stared back at me with a mixture of desire and curiosity. A gentle, yet playful smile tugged at her lips, those perfectly plump and pink lips.

Dipping my head, I leaned in to capture those lips of hers with mine once again, and she met me half way, her lips parting, inviting my tongue into her mouth, resuming the dance we had previously started with our tongues. Instinctively, I tightened my grasp around her waist, pulling her closer to me, reveling in the feel of her body pressed up against mine. My fingers trailed up her sides, just grazing her breasts, and I was rewarded with a shudder from her, and I felt her lips pull into a smile. Breaking away to catch a breath, I trailed my lips along her jaw, nipping gently until I reached the juncture at her neck, licking and suckling, eliciting the most delicious moan from her, which only served to heighten my arousal. She arched her back, throwing her head back to allow me better access, and I continued my journey across her collar bone, alternately kissing and licking her delicate skin, savoring the salty-sweet taste of her, before she pulled me back up to her lips. Her hands traced a line from around my neck, down over my shoulders where they came to rest again on my chest as she drew my bottom lip gently between her teeth, grazing it ever so slightly as she pulled away.

"Wow," she said simply, shaking her head as if to clear it.

"Wow, indeed," was all I managed in reply, both of us breathing hard, lost in the overwhelming rush of emotion.

She smiled up at me, eyeing me through her lashes, and although her cheeks were already flushed a beautiful rose, they grew even darker as she ducked her head, and I felt her tense slightly in my arms.

"I'm sorry Edward. You must think I'm awfully forward." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

I swallowed hard, cursing myself inwardly for putting us in this position, and now Bella was trying to blame herself for what was clearly my fault. I don't know what had possessed me to invite her up to my apartment on our first date, only that I wanted so much to be alone with her, without any further interruptions, and the words were out of my mouth before I even realized I had said them. Not that I regretted the last few minutes in the slightest, and I certainly didn't want Bella to have any regrets either.

"Bella," I began, placing a finger gently under her chin, tilting her face towards mine so she would look at me. "You think you're forward! It's taking every ounce of self control I have for me not to throw you over my shoulder, head back to the bedroom and ravage you. It's me who should be apologizing. It wasn't very gentlemanly of me to just swoop in and kiss you like that, but I'm not sorry I did. I guess it would be fair to say we are both a little...overwhelmed? Would that be the right word?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood a little, and I was rewarded with her beautiful smile and the slight nod of her head.

"That's putting it mildly," she added, and we both laughed, easing the momentary tension that had invaded the space between us.

Reluctantly letting my hands drop from her waist, I turned and reached for our coffees, motioning for her to join me on the sofa as I handed her drink to her. She sat carefully beside me, but didn't protest when I traced the fingers of one hand slowly down her forearm and took her hand gently in my own, lacing our fingers together. Although I wanted to put a little distance between us in order to maintain some sort of control over the desire I still felt, I didn't want to lose the feel of her touch completely.

Our conversation continued as we sipped our drinks, the music softly playing in the background. She told me more about her friendship with Alice and Emmett, and that she was spending the upcoming Christmas holidays with them. We laughed at some of the tales of Emmett and my co-workers at the fire hall, many of whom Bella knew from the bar. By the end of the conversation, she had talked me into having a housewarming party at my place, to which I only agreed if she would help me with food preparations that evening so I would know what to serve. She eagerly agreed, telling me how much she loved to cook, and already had ideas for appetizers we could make together. It was apparent to both of us the surprising sense of comfort we felt with one another, given that we had just met. Already we were sharing personal stories with one another usually reserved for much more intimate, well-acquainted friends, and my heart swelled with emotion.

Bella leaned her head on the back of the couch as I traced lazy circles on the back of her hand with my thumb before bringing our joined hands up to my mouth and kissing her hand. I sighed as I glanced at my watch noticing the late hour.

"As much as I hate to, I'm going to have to take you home. I have to work in the morning," I stated, a note of sadness in my voice. Bella tugged my hand closer to check my watch herself and gasped.

"Oh! I didn't realize how late it was! I have an early class too." We both stood, and walked slowly to the door, still hand in hand. I brought her hand around the back, pulling her to me, wrapping my arms around her. She responded, placing her head on my chest, and we stood there silently for a moment together before I pulled back and leaned my head down, brushing my lips lightly across hers.

"Can I see you again? Would tomorrow night be too soon?" I asked, searching her eyes for any sign. Her brow furrowed and a slight frown appeared. I tensed momentarily, fearing that I'd crossed a line again, rushing her.

"I work tomorrow night, and then midterms are next week. I really should spend the weekend studying." She nibbled on her bottom lip, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll call or text, maybe grab a coffee when you need a study break or something."

"I like the sounds of that. I don't know if I could go that long without seeing you again," she replied, nuzzling her face to my chest and I hugged her close to me, dropping a kiss lightly on the top of her head before letting her go to retrieve our coats.

The drive back to Bella's house was short, and all too soon we were standing at Bella's door, neither one of us wanting to say goodnight. I pulled her in to my arms yet again, noticing just how perfectly we fit together in each others embrace, her head tucked against my chest, my chin resting lightly on the top of her head. I ran my hands slowly up and down her back, and she pulled away slightly, tilting her head up to look at me.

"Thank you for tonight, Edward. For dinner, for...afterwards..." She blushed again, and I brought a hand up to cup her cheek as she continued, tracing the line of her cheekbone with my thumb. "For everything. This really was wonderful."

"The pleasure has been all mine, Bella. You are what was wonderful about tonight," I replied, kissing her cheek where my thumb had grazed. "I will see you soon." The definite determination in my voice was echoed in her brilliant smile as she nodded her head in agreement. I stood on the porch until she had retrieved her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. She turned back to me, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my lips once more, and I couldn't help smiling.

"Very soon, I hope," she whispered, before darting into the house with a small wave back to me as I descended the stairs and practically skipped back to my car with delight. This was only the beginning of what I hoped would be an amazing relationship with Bella, my Bella.

A/N: So? Please let me know what you think. Lots of readers, and some great reviewers (and my many thanks to all of you who are taking the time to review...it does spur me on to write!!) A hint for an upcoming chapter...tickets went on sale today for our Firefighers Calendar Contest...let the drooling begin!!