This is an outtake from the last chapter 8 I wrote for Dirty Cheeky Monkeys (Thank you, chartwilightmom!). It's when Edward and Bella finally got together after the ten years they were apart.

Every Wednesday they post lemons from various authors for Squeeze My Lemon. You can find the fanfiction page here: http:/www . fanfiction . net/u/2258597/dirtycheekymonkeys and the blog here: www . dirtycheekymonkeys . blogspot . com So, if you want to read a variety of lemons or write one yourself, please check them out.

Thanks to askthemagic8ball, sncmom, and yoga00cat for beta'ing and prereading!

Bella,

Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized that life is just too short? When everything suddenly becomes crystal clear and that all of your insecurities and fears seem so utterly insignificant? I was recently given a push in that direction by a very unexpected source.

I love you. I love you with everything I am, and I don't want to wait for the start of us any more. Be with me. Tell your head to be quiet, and this time, listen to your heart. I love you. I'll tell you a million times over and for the rest of my life. We can do this, and deep down you know I'm right. We've both sacrificed and have paid for mistakes that were and were not the result of our faults. We agreed long ago to being apart and pretended these teases of letters and emails and phone calls would be enough. I don't want to be placated any longer. We deserve this; we deserve to be happy together, and I want to be able to actually see the smile on your face when you are. I'm not asking you to marry me again, at least not right now. But just know that if you wanted to fly to Vegas, I'm game. There's no reason for secrets any longer, and I will explain why another time, but for now, all I want is you. You're all I've ever wanted.

I'm tired of going to bed without you every night – you're supposed to be there next to me. I want to touch you and for you to touch me. I want to kiss you and argue with you and then spend the entire night making up. I can't promise you perfection, but I want to try. So, I'll ask again, be with me.

I love you, but don't write back so that I'll have to read that you love me, too. I already know; I've never doubted it. Instead, would you please open your door so I can see your beautiful face when you say it?

Love you always,

Edward

p.s. It's a little chilly out here; could you hurry up?

Edward's fingers were woven together as he hung onto the back of his neck; he paced small circles around her porch. He spun around, dropping his hands to his sides at the sound of her door opening. She held his letter in her hand; her expression hovered between shock and elation.

"How did you…"

"I waited for the mailman to show up, put the letter in your box as soon as he left, and waited for you to get home."

"Where?"

He pointed toward a dark blue, nondescript car parked across the street. "In the rental."

She nodded. "How long did you have to wait?"

"Too long."

She smiled, and then she laughed.

Edward walked forward and stepped up onto the threshold. He was so close he could feel her breath on his skin; she smelled like flowers and coffee. He wondered what she'd taste like, and if it would be familiar or new. "So?" he whispered.

"I love you."

He grinned. "And?"

"I want you to be with me."

Edward leaned in to kiss her, and it was both new and familiar. He couldn't wait to reacquaint himself with every inch of her all over again. They stood in the doorway wordlessly saying hello through kisses and touches, gentle strokes of tongues and light brushes of fingertips through hair and on skin. She felt the same to him: warm and soft, but she tasted so much better.

He walked her back, shutting the door behind him with one hand, still holding on to her with the other. "I missed these," he said, kissing the lids of her eyes. "And this." He kissed the tip of her nose. Edward continued his slow cadence of admittance and touching and tasting; he found he was blissful, simply enjoying the here and now with her – he had their lifetime for everything else.

Edward's eyes traveled over her hair and face; it was hard for him to believe he was standing here with her, touching and holding her, and his heart raced.

"This is so surreal," she said quietly, barely able to contain her grin. Still, Bella was a cacophony of nerves and glee and hope and trepidation. "Edward, I… how will we…"

"Shhh.'" He kissed her cheeks and her lips. "You and I are supposed to be together, Bella," he whispered. "We'll figure it out."

She smiled widely; Edward wiped away a damp trail from her cheek. From the corner of his eye, he saw a picture of the two of them in Paris sitting on her side table. He beamed like a little boy who'd just been given a handful of candy he'd always been denied.

Bella took his hand and led him to the couch. She couldn't stop looking at him, the subtle changes in his face, a couple of extra lines at the corners of his eyes, a few strands of gray hair just above his ears. He looked older, mature, but beautiful nonetheless. Bella had the urge to pinch him, or pinch herself; she still felt as though this was just a dream. She shook her head, and a small, nervous giggle erupted from her throat.

Edward, in turn, began to chuckle as well and cocked his head. "You're staring at me."

"I think I'm in shock," she admitted. "The letter, you on my front porch. You're sitting on my couch and holding my hand." She paused for a moment. "Everything's going to change."

Edward inched closer. "But that's a good thing, right?"

She answered by nodding her head emphatically. "Yes, it's a very good thing… Wait, how long are you here? You're not leaving tomorrow, are you?"

"No, no. I'm here for a week. The rest we can just figure out later."

"An entire week?" she repeated happily.

"Yeah, I reserved a hotel room just in case you were reluctant or needed time to think about my letter and my being here."

"So, you'd still stay even if I didn't want you to? Which, by the way, would never have happened in a million years."

He grinned. "I had a back-up plan." She raised her eyebrows, urging him to continue. He smirked. "I'm not above stalking – I'd show up at your job, send you gifts, sit on your front porch. Hell, I'd sleep there if I had to."

"Would you?"

"Oh, yeah. I have a blanket and pillow packed in the car," he said, then bit his lower lip.

Bella continued to play along, but it was hard – the back and forth – because all she wanted to do was grab him and kiss him again and again.

"So, why make reservations at a hotel? I mean, if you'd planned to sleep outside my door, why waste the money?"

"For the shower. I'm not a dirty stalker, and if I asked to use yours then you might think I was a little creepy."

"You're insane."

"No," he said. "Insanity was staying away from you all this time."

She flushed. "Will you still say things like that to me when I'm ninety?"

"Until you're a hundred and ninety."

"Then you're going to get lucky an awful lot for a very long time… What's the name of the hotel?"

"The Hilton. Why?"

"Because I'm calling them to cancel your reservation. Go get your things."

Their nerves calmed somewhat as the hours passed, and even though they'd exchanged letters and emails and telephone calls over the years - never truly being strangers to each other - Bella and Edward still regarded one another cautiously. She wanted to skip this part and jump right into the comfort that came from being with someone for a long time. Yet, admittedly, she enjoyed the butterflies she felt in her belly and the tingles that crept along her skin when his hand inadvertently brushed against hers.

Later that evening, they ate dinner together. She cooked the last two chicken breasts she'd had in her freezer and boiled some pasta for a side. Clearly, she hadn't expected company and made do; Edward didn't mind. After dinner, Bella showed Edward the gray and white box where she'd kept his letters. Some were more worn than others, and Edward asked how many times she'd read those in particular. She simply answered, "A lot."

Misty rain began to fall which soon turned into a steady downpour. Edward opened the back door; smells of earth and honeysuckle and April wafted in. He inhaled deeply and commented how easy it was to breathe here compared to the city. Rain splattered against the cement and pinged against the gutters. Edward held his hand out to wet it then tasted the tip of his finger. He thought it even tasted cleaner, or perhaps that was only because he was with Bella and everything was just better.

They sat next to each other, sinking lazily into her couch. Their fingers and legs were intertwined, and Bella rested her head on Edward's shoulder. They made small talk, but it was much more than filling time with simple chatter; they were getting to know each other again.

Edward yawned audibly. It was close to midnight.

"It's late," she said. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

He considered the word "sleep" for a moment. He quickly rid his mind of that thought not wanting to push her. "Can I take a shower first?"

"Of course," she said and showed him where the linen closet was located, pulling out an oversized, beige towel.

He didn't ask for her to join him, but he wondered, well, hoped she would. Too soon, he chided.

Bella paced her bedroom, gnawing at her thumbnail. She opened and closed the same two drawers three times, deliberating between silk and cotton. She guessed she had ten, maybe fifteen minutes to decide how she should dress for bed. Her debate between obvious effort or casual comfort was cut short by the sudden cease of the shower. Moments later, Edward emerged from her bathroom wearing plain blue pajama bottoms and a white tee shirt, scrubbing his wet hair with a towel.

Casual comfort it is, she thought.

Edward smiled, the towel hanging from his neck, and approached Bella. "I like your soap," he said and leaned down to kiss her.

She laughed. "I'm glad… I think I'm going to hop in the shower now," she said and nodded toward the bed. "The remote is on the nightstand if you want to watch TV, but I won't be long."

He tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Take your time."

In the shower, she shaved her legs twice and dropped her razor as many times. She laughed at herself for being so anxious, and she reminded herself they hadn't been together in years. In fact, she hadn't been with anyone but Edward in over a decade. However, it was so very different now. Breathe, Bella. The water began to cool, and she quickly turned it off.

Bella had taken another fifteen minutes or so brushing her teeth, combing and drying her hair, and moisturizing her skin before finally leaving the bathroom. The butterflies multiplied in her belly as she looked at Edward sitting on the edge of her bed, flipping through a book.

He looked up at her and set the book on her nightstand. Edward reached out his hand. "C'mere you."

She walked toward him, forcing her shaky legs steady. Her heart was in her throat; Bella couldn't understand why she was so anxious to be with him. She was head over heels in love with him - she'd been with him countless times – so why the fear?

Bella stood between his legs, her hands on his shoulders. Edward dragged the tips of his fingers up the outside of her bare legs, scarcely raising the hem of her boxer shorts up higher on her thigh. He laid one hand on her hip and with the other he lifted at her tee shirt, exposing an inch of her skin. Edward pressed his mouth to her stomach, kissing her just above her navel.

"You smell nice," he murmured against her; Bella's body reacted on its own, her hips moving forward and her fingers weaving into his hair.

"So do you," she answered.

Edward tilted his head back, and she smiled down at him as she lightly scratched his scalp. Her legs had stopped shaking, and her heart had found its place back in her chest, but it still thumped wildly.

He continued to stare up at her. "What?" she asked, grinning.

"I'm…" He hesitated and moved his hands to the backs of her thighs; Edward huffed a laugh then took a deep breath. "Here's the thing… I'm going to ask you to leave your home and come back with me, and I'm going to ask you to quit your job and start all over again… with me. I can't leave my life right now, and I'm asking you to leave yours. I know I said we'd figure this out later. You said everything was going to change for the better, but Bella, I'm asking for a lot."

"It's what I want."

"You're sure?"

"Mmhm." She nodded.

"Good," he said. "Because I can't leave here again like I did five years ago - not now that I've had a taste of you. Before the plane, on the plane, even when I first walked into your house, the idea of you and I finally being together was so much easier; it was infallible in my mind… The reality is I just can't live without you any more."

Bella stepped back, and Edward rose from her bed. "That's not going to happen, promise. You're risking a lot by asking me to give up everything," she said. "But you've got it backward; I'm not giving up anything because I get you." She led him to the bed and pulled down the white duvet. "I've been thinking all day about what I would make you for breakfast tomorrow morning… and every day after."

He smiled, and they climbed into bed together. Her back to his chest, they molded together completely. "I love you, Bella," he said, kissing the back of her shoulder.

"I love you, too," she said and kissed the tips of his fingers.

She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but neither had the desire to rush things. He worried, just for a second, if he'd be able to satisfy her. It was silly, he thought, but he couldn't get rid of the underlying pressure he felt to be perfect for her. Coincidentally, she wondered if she'd be able to satisfy him.

Bella felt his erection pressing against her lower back; she bit her lip to keep from smiling and glided her nails lightly along his forearm. As Edward traced invisible patterns of curved lines over her ear and hairline, Bella relaxed further into her pillow. Their breathing eventually slowed, and Edward soon fell asleep with his nose and mouth against her hair. She fell asleep as well, lightly gripping his arm.

A few hours of dreamless and sound sleep had passed before Bella stirred. She awoke feeling too warm, almost hot, until she realized it was because Edward was in her bed. She rolled over so that she was face to face with him. His cheeks and chin were covered with early morning stubble which tickled her hand. Bella rubbed her thumb along his bottom lip as she watched him sleep. He was peaceful and beautiful, and she swore she'd do this more often.

Bella moved closer and kissed him softly on his mouth. He didn't move; she couldn't help herself and kissed him again. Edward's eyes fluttered open, and Bella stilled. They stared at each other for moments, and she touched his lips again. Edward rolled her to her back, positioning himself between her legs.

They were silent; they didn't need to speak, they just felt.

He kissed her slowly, wanting and needing without urgency, savoring every touch and every breath. Bella wrapped her ankles around his calves, and he pressed his hips against her. She broke their kiss to remove her shirt; he helped slide it off her arms, and then she helped him with his.

Edward moved lower, kissing her neck, along her collarbone, down her chest and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Bella arched her back and held his hand under hers as he circled his fingers over her other nipple. They moved their bodies together naturally, instinctively, as if they'd never been apart at all.

He slipped down further, trailing wet kisses on her stomach. Edward hooked his fingers into the waistband of her boxers and panties, pulling them down her thighs, over her knees, sliding them off her feet. He tossed them on the floor and then undressed himself completely.

As he lay back on top of her, she molded her body to his, wrapping her thighs around his waist. She gripped his back with one hand, tangling her fingers in his hair with the other. His skin smelled faintly of her soap, but it was him, his scent of really nothing in particular, it was just Edward who made her feel like she was finally whole.

Edward slid into her and circled and ground his hips slowly. She felt the muscles in his back constrict and flex, and she raised her hips to meet his.

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you," she said. She missed this, the intimacy and passion, and until now, she hadn't realized just how much.

"I love you, too," he said.

Edward pushed himself into her as deep as he could, once then twice, and Bella dug her nails into his back almost painfully. He touched his lips to hers, tasting her tongue, and losing himself completely. He'd waited for her for so long, too long, and he was certain that this time he'd never lose her again.

Bella's every muscle tightened, and she squeezed herself around his cock. Her body quaked and trembled, she came hard as she rasped out his name.

The sounds of her moans and the sweet sensation of her climax nearly sent Edward over the edge. He plunged himself into her again, but faster and harder until he, too, came. He kissed her again, pulsating inside her. "I want this… I want you… every day," he said between kisses.

"Me too."

For the remainder of the week, they made up for lost time in her bed, her shower, her couch… any flat or even not-so-flat surface. A month later a "Sold" sign was hammered into Bella's front yard, and she moved back to be with Edward, to where she was always supposed to be.

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