Alice chuckled, "Is there an echo in here? Anyway, have fun tonight. Look gorgeous, be careful, and I want full details tomorrow night! Bye Bells!"

"You got it, Ali. Speak to you soon." I hung up and hopped out of bed, ran into the bathroom and hurried to have a quick shower to get ready for my date.

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Chapter 10

I had thrown a white cardigan sweater over my shoulders before I left, as it had gotten chillier once dusk approached. I couldn't decide whether or not to button it at the time, and ended up just leaving it unbuttoned. I noticed it was about ten minutes to six, so I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

Edward's condominium complex had underground parking, and he had given me the code to get in so I could park there. Some condos were allotted two parking spots, depending on their size, so I was the lucky recipient of the one next to his silver Volvo. I parked and walked over to the elevator, getting in and hitting the button for Edward's floor. I quickly checked over my appearance in the mirror at the back of the elevator, making sure no hairs were out of place, and giving my boobs a quick adjustment before the ding announced that I was now at the proper floor. I took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway.

I found Edward's door and steadied myself for a few seconds then knocked. I heard, "It's open," and turned the knob to let myself in. I stepped inside and right away noticed the lush carpet of the area I stepped into. I knew my shoes were probably clean, but I went ahead and took them off anyway and set them by the door, just in case. The carpet was incredibly soft under my bare feet, unlike the berber in my own house. I hung my purse on a coat rack just above where I set my shoes, and closed the door behind me. The aroma of something distinctly Italian hit me, and it smelled delicious.

"Edward?"

"In here, Bella," I heard from down the hall. I walked towards a well-lit room, which I discovered to be the kitchen, to find Edward placing a sizable dish into the oven. He closed the door and looked over at me, flashing that brilliant grin I was so fond of.

"Hi," he waved at me with his oven-mitt covered hand. The mitt was one of those designed to look like an animal, in this case it was a green frog.

"Hey Kermit," I said, smiling back at him. He looked confused for a minute, then looked at the mitt and chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed; I have one myself. I think it was a housewarming gift from my Dad, actually. Mine's a piggy."

"How fitting," he said, smirking.

Hey! "And just what do you mean by that?" I said, walking a few feet closer to him, hands on my hips.

"Whoa, whoa, not like that!" He said, putting up his hands in mock surrender. "I just meant I've seen you eat, well pizza at least, and you wolfed it down. That's all I was saying."

I crossed my arms and tried my best to look annoyed and pitiful all at once. He took off the oven mitt and sat it on the counter, then walked forward and reached out for me. I was ecstatic to have his arms around me again, and it took everything I had to not wrap my arms around him as well. But I stood firm and kept my arms crossed as I was pressed into his chest.

"Bella, you know I think you're stunning, don't you? I'm very sorry if I implied otherwise." He rested his cheek on my forehead, and I felt my resolve waning. I sighed heavily and undid my arms, reaching them around his waist.

"Well alright, I suppose I accept your apology. For now." I smiled and looked up at him. He was flashing that lopsided grin at me, and I felt my knees do that buckly thing again.

"Good," he said, kissing my forehead. "Now let me get a proper look at you." He let go and stepped back a bit and started to look me over. I walked back a few feet and spun around for him, causing him to laugh quietly. After my pirouette, I took the opportunity to check him out as well, and was not disappointed at the sight before me. He had on a dark green t-shirt that was untucked, faded blue jeans, and was also barefoot as I currently was.

"My shoes are by the door, by the way. I didn't come over here barefoot or anything."

He nodded while his eyes continued to scan me from head to toe. "You look lovely in that dress, Bella. That color really suits you."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself." He was dashing in his suit before, but was equally as handsome in jeans and a tee. The main difference this time was that I could see his well-formed arms. I looked down the length of his chest and to his waist. I noticed he was wearing a different belt this time, with a bigger buckle. And then my eyes went further south....

Oh sweet lord.

Edward's pants were significantly tighter, and the front of his shirt was doing nothing to hide that fact. I stared at that region a little longer than maybe I should've, and then pried my eyes away. I looked up at his face, and he looked as though he was trying to bore into my head with his eyes.

"Eh...Edward?" I managed to squeak out.

"Yes, Bella?" His voice took on a husky quality, and it was incredibly hot.

"I...uh...is that for me?" I said, pointing down towards the area I was just ogling moments before.

His brow wrinkled a little in confusion, and he looked down. He smiled and blushed slightly before looking back up at me. "Yes, I can safely say that it is."

I was slightly worked up before, but his blush and the gravely tone of his voice had me fighting hard to not jump him right there. I felt the familiar heat down between my thighs, and reflexively rubbed them together. He watched me with keen interest. We stood there motionless looking at each other for what felt like hours, but was probably more like ten seconds. He started to slowly step towards me. His eyes took on a greedy gleam, and I felt like he was hunting me or something. That served to turn me on even more, but I determinedly stayed put where I was.

"But, I didn't get you anything," I laughed uncomfortably. Yeah that was pretty lame, but all my blood is rushing to somewhere other than my brain right now.

He smiled this huge crocodile grin that fit quite well with his already predatory stance towards me, and I stepped backwards until I felt the kitchen wall behind me. I pressed up against it, with my hands to my sides. He got to me and leaned one hand against the wall beside my head. He waited a few seconds, as though to gauge my reaction, and then placed the other hand on the wall at the other side, effectively trapping me. He leaned in slightly, and I did the same and met him halfway until our lips met.

I tried to convey all the desire that I was feeling for him right at that second in that kiss, and he was definitely responding. He sucked lightly on my top lip, sending chills up my spine. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip, and he moaned softly. His lips moved to kiss my chin, and then slowly down my neck. I felt both of his hands on my waist, clutching at me gently but just enough so that I couldn't have got away.

As if I would even want to.

"What about dinner?" I said, trying to form coherent thoughts as he kissed down my neck.

"Still has to bake for 45 minutes," he breathed into my neck. "Can you think of anything we could do in the meantime?"

I put my hands on his cheeks and lifted his face to mine, "Well...you could give me that present now."

He smirked at me. "As you wish."

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist while my hands ran through his hair. He started to walk backwards and out the archway through which I had entered. He kissed me while simultaneously trying to see around me where he was going, and I attacked his neck with my tongue. He growled and I felt his chest shake beneath me.

"Make that noise again," I said softly, as we walked into what appeared to be the living room.

"You have to earn that noise if you want to hear it again," he said gruffly, crashing his lips into mine.

"Alright, release me."

He pulled away from me with a quizzical look on his face. "You want to stop?"

"No, but I can't wait for us to find our way to the bedroom. Now let me go." He made no move to drop me and his expression looked puzzled. "Just for a minute, Edward. It'll be worth it, promise."

He still looked confused, but did as I asked.

"Now go sit over there," I pointed in the direction of his leather, I knew it, couch.

He walked backwards to the couch, never taking his eyes off of me. Once he was seated, I walked over to him and laid my hands on his shoulders and sat in his lap, facing him. The skirt of my dress wasn't tight, and as I sat it flowed out around me, covering both of our laps. I initially leaned up a bit so that I wasn't actually sitting, but as his eyes got bigger I wriggled my hips until I was positioned directly over his hardness. I laid my forehead against his and pressed myself into him, and I heard that growl again. "Yes, that noise. Love that noise."

He chuckled softly and resumed lavishing kisses on my neck. I moaned softly. "Well, I love that noise. And I plan on having you make it another fifty times or so before the night is over."

"Fifty, huh? Really?"

"Is that a challenge?" He tried his best to look serious, but I still found it adorable.

"Let's see what you got," I said and leaned in to kiss him some more.

Without another word he turned and laid me down beneath him on the couch, still kissing me. I was helped out of my dress, and I reciprocated in liberating him from his clothes. He worked his magic, and I could confidently say that he rose to the challenge.

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A little while later, after we had got untangled from each other and dressed again, Edward offered me the grand tour of his condo. He took my hand and started to walk us down the hallway.

"You already know the kitchen, and the living room."

I blushed. "Yes, I surely do."

"Down here is the guest bathroom and my office on the left."

"What's in here?" I said, gesturing to a closed door on the right.

"It's just a guest bedroom. You can have a look if you like."

I turned the handle and was quite impressed. I would've thought surely it was his bedroom as well furnished as it was, but it looked too neat and tidy to be in everyday use. His condo was already fairly neat, but this room didn't look lived in at all. There was a lovely lightwood four-poster bed, with a matching dresser and armoire. There was a smaller half bath inside with a toilet, vanity and sink. "This is nice."

I walked out of the room and shut the door behind me, and looked in on his office. It was full of file cabinets and had a stack of paperwork on the desk, but was also nice and orderly.

"And my room is just back here."

I walked to the last room in the hall and poked my head in. The room practically screamed Edward, if I was completely honest. The bedroom furniture was made of dark oak wood. The bed was king-sized, though the room was ample enough to hold it with plenty of room to spare. The pillowcases and sheets were navy blue, and the bedspread was a warm beige. He had two large dressers and an entertainment chest at the end of the bed with a good-sized flatscreen television inside with a large stereo receiver on a shelf above it. His closet had two doors, and he also had a bathroom off of his room, though it was much larger than the one in the guest room. I stood looking at everything and let out a whistle.

"What?" He seemed a little uneasy.

"So THIS is the Lion's Den."

He smirked. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Oh come on, you know exactly what I mean. This is where you bring back all your prey after you've stalked and rendered them helpless."

He laughed enthusiastically. "Is that what you think you are? Prey?"

"That's right! I am but a defenseless little lamb."

"Hmm." He seemed to be thinking hard about what I had just said. "So then that would make me, if I remember this correctly, the lion?"

I nodded.

"Helpless lamb?" He pointed at me.

"Baaa," I bleated.

Then he did the most unexpected thing....

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A/N: How are you all liking the date so far? Let me know!