AN: All the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No profit is made or intended.
Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a fantastic week. I am really excited about this chapter. There is a scene on a movie that I consider to be super hot, and for those of you old enough to have seen it, this will be a nice trip down memory lane. I will give you more details at the bottom of this chapter.
Thanks so much to all of you who reviews, I really appreciate your thoughts and comments!
Jagga-Love, have I told you lately that I love you?
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BPOV
The rest of the holidays went by in a blur. Time had ceased to be important the day I became his. He was now one hundred percent, irrevocably my Edward.
I thought I was in love with Mike when I decided to marry him, but in reality I had no idea what love was. Now I knew what it was, and I knew the power it had over everything.
The power to make you have a constant smile.
The power to make you believe in fairy tales and love at first sight.
The power to heal all wounds and to keep the monsters of your past away.
The power to make you forget about everything and everyone in the world, even those trying to hunt you down.
I had never felt this happy in my life before and I only had him to thank. The only thing missing was the approval from my mother, but I knew she was not ready to hear that I had moved on yet.
We had not spoken since after my failed wedding and I was pretty sure she was waiting for me to take the first step, so I was very surprised when she called my cell phone out of the blue. I was too caught up in my own little world to answer it. I knew I would have to face her at some point, but I wasn't ready.
I needed to give my relationship with Edward some more time to make sure it was solid. It wasn't that I was afraid it wasn't real, but my mother had the uncanny ability of poking nonexistent holes on things, and I wanted to be able to counter every possible scenario she may come up with in order to destroy my confidence and make me yield to her will.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Edward asked as he entered my bedroom, leaning casually on the door frame.
"Hey there, how did the research go?" I asked. He was still trying to figure out the finer details of the charity foundation his mother was going to be opening and had spent the last couple of hours working on the guest bedroom.
"It went well. I'm pretty sure we're going to end up covering more than one cause. My mom has been unable to choose just one, and I agree with her. There are so many children out there in need of help and support."
"I am so proud of you, baby. Witnessing firsthand the way your family gives themselves to those in need, has caused me to revaluate some things in life. I want to be able to give back to others as well, even if I don't have much to give. I want to help in any way I can," I told him.
He quickly closed the distance between the door and my bed and sat down on the edge of it while dragging me to him and wrapping his strong arms around me.
"Bella, I love you so much. You have no idea how happy you make me. You are so selfless, so caring. I never thought I could meet someone like you. I feel so very lucky to have you in my life," he whispered in my ear sending a current of electricity to run through my entire body making my toes curl.
"So what were you concentrating so much on?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.
"My mom has been calling me nonstop since last night," I sighed.
"Oh. Are you going to call her back?" he asked. It was impossible to miss the look of concern that took over his features.
"Not yet. I'm not ready to talk to her. Am I a terrible daughter for cringing at the idea of speaking with my own mother?"
"No Bella. It's understandable after what happened. However I think you need to give it some thought. I think you'll feel much better once you have patched things over with her," he told me as he caressed the side of my face.
"I know. I just need a little time. Are you hungry?" I asked.
"Are you trying to change the subject?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Hmm, maybe," I smiled.
"I was actually thinking that I haven't spoiled you enough today. So to rectify that, I was wondering if I could cook lunch for you. I absolutely love your cooking, but I really, really wanted to spoil you," he stated eagerly.
"You don't have to try too hard to convince me. I love your cooking."
"Great. So why don't you go ahead and take a shower while I cook?" he asked.
"Why do I have a feeling you're going to keep me out of the kitchen until lunch is ready?"
"Who said I was going to let you go in the kitchen at all," he asked with a smirk.
"Alright Cullen, I'll go and take a shower, but only because you are so cute," I told him as I pinched his cheek.
He playfully slapped me on my rear as I made my way to the bathroom. I had no idea what he had planned, but judging by that mischievous smirk on his face, I knew it would be something really good.
I turned on the shower as I thought about the time that we had spent together. It had been exactly nine and a half weeks since he started staying in my apartment. They had been the best nine and a half weeks of my life.
I stepped in the shower letting my thoughts take me to more unpleasant things. We had not heard anything else about the man (or at least I thought it was a man) that killed Gage. Next week I was to return to work and Edward was going to start working with his father and I was dreading it.
As much as I was looking forward to leaving my apartment and spending time with other people, I hated the fact that I was going to be spending most of my time away from Edward. I had no idea how I was going to be able to handle that when already, my body started to ache for his the moment he stopped touching me.
I was also worried about him leaving. With the killer gone, there was no real need for him to stay over at my apartment. I knew the day would come when he would have to find his own place and move, but I was not ready for that either. In fact, I was pretty sure I would never be ready for that.
I felt a little pathetic for being so selfish, but I could not imagine a single hour of my life without Edward. Should I ask him to stay? Is it too early for us to officially live together? I was struggling with this decision. If it was up to me, we would stay here forever, but I knew that he must be tired of only being with me, and I was pretty sure he wanted to get back to his own life.
I decided at that moment that the best I could do was ask. Once I made that decision there was no backing out, even if I was terrified of his answer.
I realized that I had been in the shower for too long when the water turned cold. I quickly stepped out and dried myself before putting on my bathrobe. I decided that I was going to take a sneak peek at Chef Edward. He looked so sexy when he was concentrating on cooking something.
As quietly as I could, I tiptoed to the kitchen. I knew that there would be hell to pay if Edward caught me sneaking in, but I just couldn't help myself. I started to take a breath of relief as I stood on the door frame only to be startled by Edward giving me a serious look.
"Stop right there. Don't move," he warned as he approached me, a reproachful look on his face.
"I believe someone has been very naughty," he whispered in my ear as he reached me.
"I… I"
"Shh, please sit right there on the floor," he commanded, successfully interrupting what I was going to say.
"By the fridge? The door is open," I mumbled.
"Yes, right there. Now be very still," he instructed.
"Close your eyes, I'm going to cover them with a scarf."
"Okay," I whispered. I had no idea what had gotten into him, but I was enjoying this commanding, serious Edward very much.
Softly, he draped a silky fabric over my eyes, tying it firmly behind my head.
"There," he whispered in my ear as he proceeded to place small kisses all over my jaw and my neck, finally reaching my lips. He ran his tongue over them as if begging for entrance, but before I had a chance to allow him in, he pulled back.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"You are such a tease," I huffed.
"Please answer my question, Bella. Are you hungry?" he asked in a more authoritative voice.
"Yes," I mumbled.
"Would you like for me to feed you?"
"I would love that," I answered as a shiver ran down my spine.
"Do you trust me, Bella?" he asked in a husky voice.
"Yes Edward, with all my heart," I replied without hesitation.
I could feel him moving away from me and I was suddenly startled by all the noises coming from the kitchen. I had no idea what he had planned, but I was very excited, regardless.
Suddenly he was once again next to me as I heard him pull stuff out of the refrigerator. It seemed like he was placing items right next to me on the floor. The next thing I heard were cans being opened and utensils being taken out of one of the kitchen drawers.
Edward sat down right in front of me and hugged me, leaving a trail of kisses on the back of my neck. For what I could feel, he was only wearing his boxers and I couldn't help the surge of giddiness that filled me.
I could hear a spoon coming out of something metallic, and suddenly I could smell the maraschino cherries I had bought for a pie. He placed the food right in front of my mouth and I could feel the syrup running down towards my legs.
I opened my mouth and he fed me the cherries very carefully. I liked my lips in anticipation as I heard the same sound, and I eagerly opened my mouth when he once again approached me with the delicious fruit.
I giggled as he grabbed something else and softly caressed my lips with it. Then he softly forced it my mouth and I eagerly wrapped my lips around it, sucking it a little bit until I finally decided to take a bite. It was a cucumber.
Edward was chuckling next to me, surely because of my reaction, and I decided that I was going to have fun with it too.
"Open wide," he commanded.
I did as I was told only to have my mouth filled with something creamy. I realized it was whipped cream, and I took my tongue full of it out and I smeared it all over my lips. Edward gasped as I gave him a come hither signal with my fingers, and started to lick the cream from my face, ending it with a passionate kiss.
We repeated the same process a few times before he rubbed something different across my lips. I let him place it in my mouth as I bit hard on what seemed to be a vegetable. I was just about to swallow when I was hit with the intense heat that only a jalapeno could provide.
"Ugh, it's spicy!" I screamed in surprise.
Edward brought something else to my mouth and I soon realized that he was still teasing me with the jalapeno, so I shook my head violently trying to get him to stop.
The next thing I heard was something being poured on a glass. He handed me the glass and I started drinking greedily, realizing that it was milk. I could feel the milk spilling out of my mouth as I drank as fast as I could, trying to mitigate the burning fire that was consuming my mouth.
Edward chuckled as he removed the now empty glass from my hands and gave me a kiss on the lips. Then he started feeding me noodles, olives, grapes, and finally strawberries. I would twirl each new item in my tongue in a teasing manner before consuming the food. Then, as he held a strawberry in front of my mouth, I pulled it in completely in a swift movement, earning another round of chuckles.
"Stick your tongue out," he commanded.
I did, and he started pouring honey on my tongue, not giving me enough time to swallow. The honey started spilling out of my mouth as he started to pour the honey all over my legs, bringing the sticky substance closer to my core with each squirt.
I groaned as he opened my legs and started to massage the honey along my thighs, rubbing his hands back and forward, getting close to my core, but never touching me where I wanted him the most.
I quickly ripped the blindfold from my eyes and I stared at Edward. He had a hungry expression in his eyes as he moved to lick the honey from my legs.
"Fuck, you taste so good Bella," he groaned as I grabbed him by his silky hair and moved his head so that he was right in front of my center.
"I need you Edward, right now," I ordered, no longer caring if I sounded desperate.
He quickly obeyed, and parted my sleek and sticky folds, now covered in honey, as he started to lick my knob, giving it gentle bites every now and then. I moaned his name over and over as he placed two fingers inside of me, while he continued his ministrations with his tongue.
I could feel the familiar tightening of my stomach muscles as I approached my orgasm, and I led out a yelp as I lost control, my body trembling in ecstasy.
"My turn," I whispered as I pushed him on the grown, having him lay on his back. I grabbed the honey bottle and I dumped the remnants on his throbbing erection. I had never done anything like this to him, but I was desperate to take him in my mouth, to taste him.
I swirled my tongue along his erection until there was no honey left to lick. Then I wrapped my lips around the tip as I moved my mouth down his length.
"God Bella, that feels fucking amazing," he moaned as I bobbled my head up and down his member, my left hand stroking the part that I couldn't fit in my mouth. The more he moaned the faster I moved and I could feel his erection thicken in my mouth and throb as he approached his release. With one last movement I felt him explode inside me as I swallowed every ounce of what he had to offer.
I looked up at him while I licked my lips in satisfaction.
"That was amazing," I panted.
"You have no idea how fucking awesome that was," he moaned as I giggled at his dirty talking.
He sat up, and pulled me upright as he stood up; placing a hand behind my knees as he cradled me and moved us to my bedroom.
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EPOV
My lunch plans had turned out better than I had imagined. In fact I ended up not cooking anything at all as I teased Bella with all the stuff she had in her refrigerator and her pantry. I loved seeing her reaction to each food item I placed in her mouth, but what I loved the most was the way she would tease me back, making us both grunt in desire.
The best part however, was when she went down on me. She had never done something like that before, and to say that I was shocked was a huge understatement. My desire for her grew by tenfold at that moment and I couldn't resist the urge to go all caveman on her and fuck her senseless.
I quickly got up from my position on the floor and I lifted Bella in my hands, I needed to take her to our bedroom now. She giggled as I hurried across the hallway and pushed her door open in a swift movement.
At that moment I realized that we were both covered in food, so going at it on our bed would have been a bad idea.
"Someone has a very dirty pussy," I whispered in her ear. I could tell that she loved it when I talked dirty to her.
"And what are you going to do about that?" she asked in defiance, teasing me back.
"I think I need to give you a proper bath," I told her while I continued to walk us towards our bathroom.
I quickly placed Bella on top of the marble counter tops before directing my attention to her Jacuzzi tub. I checked the water temperature, making sure it was very warm so that we could take our time bathing each other. Then I looked through her bath oil collection, settling on the freesia scented one, and adding it to the water along with her strawberry bubble soap.
I went back to Bella as the tub filled with the water and I wrapped my arms around her waist.
"You're trembling. Are you cold?" I asked as I rubbed my hands vigorously all over her back in an attempt to warm her up.
"I'm trembling for you, baby," she whispered in a sexy voice, causing me to once again stand in attention.
I crashed my lips against hers and we continued to kiss on perfect sync as I waited for the bath water to fill the tub. Once I was satisfied with the water level, I lifted Bella from the marble top and carried her over to the tub, carefully placing her inside of it.
She scooped forward to allow me to slip in right behind her, and I moaned as I felt her moved back, grinding her back side against my erection. I lifted her by the waist and I carefully placed her over me, allowing me to enter her hot and wet core.
"Oh my God, Edward," she moaned as I filled her with my length.
I attacked her right ear as I started to nibble around her lobe, moving to her neck and her shoulder. She moved her head to the side so that we could kiss, while she held to the sides of the tub and started to lift herself so that she was moving in sync with my movements inside her.
Once again, I grabbed her waist and I stopped her from moving, swiftly turning her around so that she was now straddling me as I continued to go in and out of her core.
Bella continued to mumble my name and other incoherencies as I pumped her harder and harder, the bath water splashing out of the tub. I moved my head so that I could put her breast in my mouth, my tongue twirling around her nipple as she placed her hands in my hair, her fingers pulling my strands, hard.
"I could stay like this … with you … forever," I whispered in her ear before I leaned over to kiss her.
"I never want … to be anywhere… but here," she responded between moans.
We continued loving each other until neither of us could hold off any longer. I encouraged her to come for me as I let my release take over, both of us riding the same wave of pleasure.
After that, we actually took turns bathing each other, not leaving the tub until our skin looked like dried plums and the water was ice cold.
I got out of the tub first and gently lifted Bella out of it, placing her once again on the marble top of her sink vanity. I dried her before drying myself and I carried her to our bedroom before handing her one of my button down shirts.
"You look so sexy in my clothes," I told her as she stared at me, an unreadable expression on her face.
"Is everything alright?" I asked. I was now worried about her expression, and I hoped that I hadn't pushed her too far.
"Yes, everything is perfect, and that's the problem," she replied.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't even know how to start," she mumbled as she casted her eyes downward.
"Baby, you know you can tell me anything, right? Was this too much? Are we going too fast? You know that I would be willing to wait for you until you're ready. I'm sorry…" but she interrupted me before I had a chance to finish.
"No, Edward. You're misunderstanding me," she told me, her hand grabbing my chin so that I could face her, my eyes meeting hers.
"I love you, and what we share is so special, and it feels so natural that I am terrified of losing it. I know that you need to find a place of your own, but the idea of you not being here with me terrifies me… I feel pathetic," she told me, as she once again looked to the floor.
Now it was my turn to lift her chin up so that her gaze could meet mine.
"Bella, what exactly are you asking me here?" I asked.
"Would you stay here? Now that the killer seems to be gone and my life is no longer in danger, I realize that there is nothing to hold you here, and I would like for us to live together," she said sheepishly.
"Bella, love, of course I will stay here. There is no other place in the world I'd rather be. I really mean that. I have been thinking about this for a while, and I even consider this place my home. To me this is our apartment, and I love sharing everything with you," I told her with determination. I needed her to see that I truly wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her, my angel.
"But what about your things? Don't you miss your piano? Your office? I am pretty sure I am suffocating you here."
"Well, I was looking at the paper yesterday, and I saw an advertisement for the penthouse of this building. I was going to suggest moving in there with you. It has four bedrooms and a large den area that could easily fit my piano. I was hoping we could check it out later today, or tomorrow," I told her.
"The penthouse?" she gasped. "I don't think I can afford that," she continued.
"Don't be so absurd Bella, I would be paying for it, and I can definitely afford it," I told her while I stroked her cheek.
"I don't want you to pay for everything Edward. If we move in together, I want both of us to share the expenses," she said adamantly.
"Alright, that's fine with me. So is that a yes?" I asked eagerly.
"Of course silly, I would move to the moon if that meant I would be living with you," she answered with a smile.
"Then it's settled. Why don't I call the real estate agent before someone else grabs the place?" I asked. Washington DC had a very competitive housing market and we were in a very sought after location.
"Great, let me put some clothes on, and we can be ready. Hopefully we will get to see it today," she exclaimed.
"Aren't we eager?" I asked sarcastically as she spanked my rear.
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After looking at the penthouse we had decided to fill out the paperwork right then and there and we would be moving to our new place in a week. I was relieved to see that Bella was as excited as I was.
I had been considering a way to ask her for us to officially move together, but I was worried that I was outstaying my welcome.
Once we got back to our apartment I went into my temporary office as Bella liked to call her spare bedroom and I called Detective Black.
"This is Black," he answered on the first ring.
"Hello Detective, this is Edward Cullen."
"Hello Dr. Cullen. How is Bella?" he asked, his voice sounding concerned.
"Bella is doing great. I was actually calling you to see if there had been any new developments on the case," I asked.
"No, it seems as if the earth swallowed that piece of scum alive," he replied.
"I am actually going back to Washington State later next week. There have been absolutely no developments that would justify me and Detective Clearwater staying in this area any longer. We are going to continue the investigation from there, hoping to uncover new clues by revisiting the first case," he explained.
"So, do you think it's alright for Bella to return to work next Monday?" I asked. I knew that there would be no force on this earth that could change Bella's mind, but I wanted to make sure it was safe.
"I suppose so. We don't think the killer is in the DC area any longer. I do however want to stress the importance of someone knowing where she is at all times, and of notifying us, or Agent Ford at the FBI if anything out of the ordinary happens," he stated.
"Absolutely! I will continue to protect her the best way I can," I told him.
"I know this is none of my business, but do you love her?" he asked. I was a little taken aback by his question, but then I remembered that he used to have a crush on Bella when she was in high school.
"With all my heart," I finally responded.
"Good. I want her to be happy, Cullen. You screw up, and I will be the first one to make you pay. Do we understand each other?" he asked.
"Yes we do, and trust me, if I ever did anything to hurt Bella, I would waste no time asking you to take care of me," I replied.
"Tell her I say hello, and to be safe."
"I will Detective Black. Thank you!"
"Please just call me Jacob," he replied.
"Ok Jacob, no problem."
I sighed as I hung up the phone. I was terrified of the thought of not being there for Bella should she ever face the killer, but I knew I had to let go. The killer was no longer in the area and there was no reason for me to hold her back from getting back to work.
I was planning to start out with a small case load of patients, that way I could be home by the time Bella got home, and I could spend most of the weekends with her.
"Hello handsome," Bella purred from the door.
"Hi love, did you miss me?" I asked with a chuckle. That was when I noticed she was not wearing anything. I gasped in surprise.
"I did! Care to join me in our bed?" she asked in a sexy voice. "We need to celebrate today's developments," she added.
I groaned as I closed the gap between us, wrapping my arms underneath her knees, and lifting her so that she was hanging off my back. Bella squealed as I practically ran to our bedroom.
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After making love a few more times that night, we fell into a deep slumber. We both worked ourselves beyond exhaustion. I loved sleeping with my arms wrapped around naked Bella. It felt like home, sleeping with her.
She was my home.
There were so many emotions running through my mind, making me almost dizzy. I loved this woman in a way that I never thought possible. I felt this strong urge to protect her, to care for her. To me she was made out of the most delicate china and I would do anything in my power for her to never be broken again.
I also loved the fact that my parents considered her another daughter. They had never accepted anyone that I had dated so fully, with wide open arms. My siblings treated her as another sibling and the six of us got along amazingly. She was the little something-something that was missing that made us cohesive.
I was having a really good dream involving Bella, blindfolds, and feathers when the doorbell rang. I quickly glanced at the clock on the nightstand, realizing that it was only six in the morning.
"Damn it, Emmett," I mumbled to myself as I put on my boxers and headed to the door.
"What the hell do you want at this hour?" I yelled as I opened the door, gasping when I realized it was not Emmett.
"Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me in such a way? Why are you almost naked? Where is Bella?"
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AN: So, who do you think is at the door? What did you think of the lemons?
As the title of this chapter implies, I took inspiration on a movie called 9 ½ weeks. If you get a chance, please go to You Tube and check out the scene, it's so much better in video.