Fourteen Days Till Cheney/Webber Wedding
Twenty-One Days Till Hale/Cullen Wedding
Bella's POV

"Yeah, Ang," I said for the third time in ten minutes. "The caterers have been finalized, and the bridesmaids dresses will be ready in a week."

I sighed quietly when I felt Edward slide in behind me on the bed, and I relaxed back against his bare chest. I hadn't seen him come in, because I'd been so focused on the notebook in front of me. It was two weeks before Angela's wedding and three weeks before Alice's, and between the two of them, I was going insane. I got at least two phone calls a day from each of them, and between worrying about the caterers, the dresses, the flowers, and the guest lists, I felt like I was drowning in wedding stuff. Edward had been the only refuge I'd had from the craziness.

As Angela continued telling me about the latest problems—something about her Great-Uncle Stuart and the seating arrangements—Edward began rubbing my shoulders, easing the stress away. I'd only been up thirty minutes when Angela called, so I'd barely had time to get out of the shower to answer the phone. I was wrapped in only a towel, leaving my shoulders and arms bare for Edward's touch.

Edward had gotten in the shower after me, so he was as naked as I was, and I could feel his body hard against my back, making me sigh. His hands slipped down to my thighs, his thumbs caressing the skin right under the edge of the towel as his lips brushed soft kisses over the skin of my exposed back. I shivered as his tongue darted out to catch a drop of water I could feel trailing down my shoulder, and when he nipped at my skin, I squeaked into the phone.

"Bella?" Angela paused before asking, "Are you listening?"

I switched the phone to my other ear and said on a shaky breath, "Yeah, Ang. I'm here, sorry. Go on."

She started speaking again, at the same moment I felt Edward's hands slide farther up my thighs, his long fingers just barely ghosting along my drying skin. When his lips met my neck, I tilted my head to give him better access, using my free hand to pull my damp hair out of the way.

My breath caught when his hand moved up my stomach to cup one of my breasts, and I barely held in a moan when his other drifted across my pussy.

Moving the phone away from my mouth, I hissed, "Edward!"

His only response was a quick, soft pinch of my nipple, making it even harder than it had been.

Again, he brushed my folds with his fingers, only this time, he dipped one finger inside, gathering the wetness. Bringing his hand out of my towel, he ran his slick finger over my shoulder before laving at it with his tongue, humming quietly to himself. When his hand cupped me again, I jerked, and when he slid two fingers inside me, using his thumb to flick at my clit, I felt my inner muscles spasm around him and bit my lip to cry out.

"A-Ang," I breathed, "I need to go."

"What?" Her voice rose in pitch slightly as she said, "Bella, what about—"

Even as I was fumbling to get the phone down to where I could hang it up, I said, "I'll call you back."

Dropping it to the floor, I moaned out, "So bad, Edward!"

He rocked his hips against me, and I could feel his now fully erect cock pressing up against my lower back.

"Not bad," he mumbled against my shoulder, pressing a kiss to the skin. "Horny."

I choked out a laugh as his fingers glided in and out of me below. "You're always horny."

"Mmhmm," he confirmed. "Just like you, my Bella." He thumbed my clit harder, as if to prove his point.

I jerked my hips again at the press to my clit.

"I want you to come for me," he breathed as he kissed his way up my neck. "Come around my fingers, love, and then you can have my cock."

I whimpered, and when he flicked my clit, sucked on the skin under my ear, and pinched my nipple lightly, it was all too much. I stiffened, squeezing my thighs tight around his hand to keep it trapped as it pressed against me, and came, crying out his name.

Edward moved his hand from my breast to my hair, tugging until I was looking over my shoulder enough that he could lean forward and capture my lips with his. As we kissed, he pulled his hand free of the cage I'd made of my thighs and tugged the towel from around my body, dropping it to the floor with the phone. After one last kiss, he swept the notebooks from the bed and then propelled me forward until I was on my hands and knees, facing the end of the bed.

Without a word, he pressed again on my upper back, lowering me to my forearms with my ass in the air.

"Mmm, look at you," he murmured. "All on display for me."

When his fingers lightly traced my slit, I felt my legs part more for him, almost unconsciously.

"So open, so wet...almost dripping." His voice was low, growly. "Are you ready for me, Bella?" he asked, dipping a fingertip in—just enough to make me want more.

When I tried to push back against him, he gave me a swat on my backside. "Not yet, pretty girl," he crooned. "Answer me first."

"Yes, dammit," I whined. "Fuck me, Edward!"

He chuckled, and then his finger left me. I was almost ready to complain, but I felt his cock running up and down my slit where his finger had just been. For several long minutes, he just teased—pressing against me, barely touching, dipping in just far enough for me to feel—until I finally looked back over my shoulder and growled at him.

"Enough teasing," I told him, biting my lip. "Fu—"

My demand was cut off when he pulled out and then thrust inside me in one long, hard stroke.

"Hold on, love," he said, gripping my hips tightly.

I fisted the comforter in my hands, trying to keep myself in place as he continued the pace he'd set. With every thrust, my breasts brushed against the bed, rubbing my nipples and keeping them at hard peaks. Even with holding on to the blanket, we were moving forward, the momentum propelling us toward the end of the bed.

Apparently, Edward knew that too, as he pulled out just as quickly as he'd entered me. I started to protest, until I felt him behind me, moving to lie down.

"Come here, love." His tone was soft, yet firm.

Fuck, that commanding tone would be the death of me!

I turned and saw that he was, indeed, lying back against the pillows, his cock standing straight at attention. It was practically begging for attention. Who am I to deny?

I crawled up between his legs, wrapping my fingers around the base of his cock and lowering my head over him. He jerked in surprise, thrusting into my mouth. He tasted musky and slightly tangy. My juices mixed with his pre-cum were strong on my tongue as I began to lap at him, swirling my tongue around the head. He groaned, and when he reached down to pull me off him, a string of his pre-cum followed my tongue.

I laughed softly, licking my lips, as he continued to pull me up his body. I kissed him as I moved to straddle him, and when I lowered myself on him, I broke away, gasping. Wanting to ride him, I sat up, using my hands on his stomach for balance.

For long minutes, I moved up and down his cock, rocking my hips and biting my lip at the feelings coursing through my body. When his hand snaked between our bodies and his fingers pressed against my clit, I started to shake, and I knew my second orgasm wasn't far behind.

"Come with me," I groaned out, feeling myself starting to clench around him.

I reached up and began plucking at my nipples with my fingers, causing Edward to hiss out and began pumping his hips up while flicking my clit harder. That was all it took, and I cried out, slamming my eyes closed as my vision went black, white dots appearing as I flew over the edge. My orgasm drew Edward's out of him, and I felt him thrust hard one last time before he spilled himself inside me, his moan mixing with mine.

After a moment, I collapsed beside him on the bed, laughing as I tried to regulate my breathing.

We were lying there, spent, when the phone rang. I ignored it, and the ringing eventually stopped. Two minutes later, it started ringing again, and I groaned, leaning down over the edge of the bed and fumbling around until I found it.

Looking at the caller ID, I sighed and flopped back down to the mattress as I hit Talk.

"Hello, Alice."

~*~CIBD~*~

Five Days Till Cheney/Webber Wedding
Twelve Days Till Hale/Cullen Wedding

"Shelly, can you handle things out here while I go back to the storeroom and do inventory?" I picked up the notebook and my cell phone, looking over at my assistant. It was still hard to call Mrs. Cope by her first name, but she'd insisted.

"Sure, sweetheart," she said, smiling over at me. She was wiping down shelves and straightening books in between customers.

"Thanks." I smiled and headed into the back room.

Thirty minutes later, I was up to my neck in books, having moved back and forth from the storeroom to the main room multiple times. When my phone rang, I reached for it and flipped it open, putting it to my ear as I made another notation on the notebook in front of me.

"'Lo?"

"Bella?" Alice cried.

I dropped my pencil and rubbed my forehead. This was the first of what I was sure would be eight or ten phone calls from one of the two upcoming brides in my life. Still, this was the first time one of them had called in tears.

"What's wrong, Alice?" I asked soothingly. "Why are you crying?"

She sobbed out something, and even though it wasn't clear, my best guess was, "The caterer quit. We have no food!"

It was either that, or something about a skater and her foot.

"The caterer quit, honey?"

"Uh-huh!" she sobbed. "What am I gonna do? There's less than two weeks till the wedding!"

"Okay, tell me what happened, Alice," I said gently as I stood. I gathered my stuff and walked to my office, smiling and rolling my eyes at Mrs. Cope, who laughed quietly as the checked out an older woman, whose arms were full of books.

Through her tears, Alice was able to say, "The caterer called first thing this morning. She said she'd just found out who was doing the flowers for my wedding, and she was unable to work with them. Apparently, there was an...altercation a few months ago at a wedding, and she refused to do a wedding with them. She actually apologized—as if that's supposed to make me feel better?" By the time she finished her explanation, she was sobbing again.

I sat down in front of my computer and opened the file I'd been keeping of vendor options for Alice's wedding. "Okay, I'm looking at the list of caterers now. We'll find something else. Can you come down to the store so we can go through them?"

There was a knock on my open door, and I looked up into Alice's tear-streaked face.

"I took the chance that you'd be able to h-help me," she said on a hiccup.

I chuckled and motioned her in. "Come on," I said, pointing to the chair across from my desk. "Pull that around, and we'll figure something out."

By the time Alice had the chair pulled around, I was dialing the first number on the list.

"Red Radish Catering Company," the woman's voice answered. "How may I help you?"

I plastered a smile on my face, even though she couldn't see me, and said sweetly, "Yes, hi. I'm looking into caterers for my friend's wedding."

"What date?" she asked briskly.

I gave her the date of Alice's wedding, and the woman barked a short laugh.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we require at least three months in advance."

I thanked her and hung up, frowning at Alice. "They needed three months." Seeing her eyes fill again, I brightened. "That's okay. We have a few more options."

The next three phone calls were the same. One actually just laughed, and I took that as the answer.

Alice was getting more and more disheartened, and by the time I hung up from the last call, she was crying again.

In desperation, I pulled out the physical copy of the contract we had with Tie the Bread Knot, her original caterer, and began reading.

Twenty minutes later, I slammed my palm down on the desk. "I've got it!"

Alice looked up, eyes alight. "What?"

I grinned. "According to your contract, neither party can back out of the contract without due cause within fourteen days of the event, without paying three times the original contract price." I looked at the calendar. "There are twelve days until your wedding."

I picked up the phone again and dialed the number for the caterer, putting it on speakerphone.

"Hello, thank you for calling Tie the Bread Knot Caterers. How may I help you?"

"Hi. This is Bella Swan. I'm calling about the Cullen-Hale wedding on the twentieth of March."

"Yes, Ms. Swan. As I told Ms. Cullen this morning, it's unfortunate, but we can—"

"Yes, I know what you told Ms. Cullen," I said, interrupting. "But if you will pull out the original Cullen-Hale contract, you will see the clause your company included." I read off the page and paragraph, giving her a moment to find it. "As you can see, it would cost you thousands and thousands of dollars if you cancel now, twelve days before their wedding. I'm sure that's not something you want to—"

"No, of course not," she said, interrupting me this time. "We'll be there as scheduled. And please tell Ms. Cullen we'll be including an extra case of champagne, on the house, at the reception for her worries."

"Thank you," I said sweetly.

We hung up, and I grinned at Alice. "Crisis averted."

Alice jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around me, bouncing excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, tears—albeit happy ones now—rolling down her cheeks.

"That's my job, honey," I said, patting her back. "Now, you need to get back to work, and so do I. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, straightening up and wiping her face with a tissue from the box on my desk. "I'll call you."

I smiled, mentally rolling my eyes. Yes, I'm sure you will, I laughed to myself.

~*~CIBD~*~

Day of Cheney/Webber Wedding
Seven Days Till Hale/Cullen Wedding

"There," Tina said to Angela. "Your hair's done."

Angela had hired her regular hair dresser from Seattle to come to the church in Forks. Tina had made her look absolutely stunning. Angela's long hair fell in beautiful, soft waves, curling around and framing her face perfectly.

We'd done her makeup already, but she was waiting until the last minute to put on her dress. Until then, she was hanging out in a comfortable robe and her pantyhose and heels.

There was a knock on the door, and Edward called out, "Is everyone decent?"

I looked at Ang, and she nodded. "Yeah, we're good. Come in," I told him.

Edward opened the door only wide enough for him to slip inside, closing it gently behind him. "Ben sent me to get the marriage license from Angela so he could give it to the pastor."

Angela shot me a look. "Was I supposed to have that? I thought Ben had it!" She rushed over to the table where her bag was resting and began sorting through everything.

"I don't remember seeing it, honey," her mother said, looking at me.

"I haven't seen it," I murmured to Edward. "Ben was sure he didn't have it?"

He nodded, watching Angela and her mother frantically checking the table.

"Does he remember where he last saw it?"

"He said something about putting it on the table for Angela to grab on her way to the church," Edward said, running a hand through his already wild hair.

"Da—Uh, darnit," I sighed. "I bet it's still there. Angela had her nails done this morning, and while packing her suitcase for the honeymoon, she broke one and had to go back and get it fixed. I went with her, and we came straight to the church from there."

"Want me to run and check?" he asked quietly.

Nodding, I said, "Ang, let Edward borrow your keys. Ben left it on the kitchen table for you, but we missed it when we went to get your nail fixed, I think."

Angela sighed, rolling her eyes. "Why he didn't just take it himself, I have no idea." She handed Edward a key. "Here. Thank you," she told him, smiling wearily.

"Not a problem," he assured her. "I'll be back shortly." He gave me a quick kiss and then left the room.

"What else can go wrong?" Angela asked pitifully, sighing as she began to pace.

Ten minutes later, she was still pacing back and forth in the small room. There was only thirty minutes until the ceremony was set to start, and her butterflies were out in full force.

"Ow!" she suddenly cried.

I looked up and noticed her holding her shin. "What happened?"

"I ran into the corner of the couch," she said, rubbing up and down her leg from ankle to knee. She growled suddenly. "I snagged my hose!"

I knew she shouldn't have tempted fate.

"Okay, where's your backup pair, sweetie?" I asked calmly.

"In my bag," she said, pointing, before beginning to tug off the ruined pair of hose.

Her mother handed me the new package, and I carefully unwrapped them, kneeling down as best I could in my dress to help Angela pull them up over her feet. When I got to her knees, I backed away and let Ang take over.

About midway up her thighs, she cursed, immediately looking ashamed, and burst into tears.

"What happened?" I bit my lip, knowing the answer before she even said it.

"My fingernail snagged it," she cried. "That was my only backup pair."

"Okay, hold still. I'll help you finish pulling it up, and then we'll take care of the hole," I assured her.

Her mother and I worked together to pull the pantyhose up over Angela's hips, tugging it gently into place. The rip was right about mid-inner thigh and only about an inch and a half long. If we could get some nail polish on it, she'd be fine.

"Did anyone think to bring some nail polish?" I asked, thinking about what I had in my purse and wondering if I happened to have some.

Angela hiccuped out a no, and Sherry, Angela's mother, shook her head.

"Okay, let me call Edward," I said, smiling calmly.

I took out my phone and called Edward, asking where he was at that moment.

"Just pulling out onto the street leading to the church," he answered. "Why?"

Whew.

"Stop at the corner mart and get a bottle of nail polish, please. Clear, if they have it, but any light color will do if they don't."

"Uh, okay," he said. "Why?"

"Runs in stockings," I explained. "And hurry. We're running out of time."

He sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," I murmured before clicking the phone shut.

"He's going to stop for nail polish?" Sherry asked.

I nodded. "He'll be here shortly," I promised.

~*~CIBD~*~

Four hours later, the newlyweds were on their way to Canada for a short honeymoon, my duties as Maid of Honor were done, and Edward and I were in the car on the way home. Until I sat down in the front seat and closed the door, I hadn't had a chance to breathe in seven hours. My feet were aching, so I slipped off my shoes and sighed.

"Feet hurt?" Edward asked softly, taking my hand in his and squeezing it gently.

I nodded. "Bad," I sighed. "It was a beautiful ceremony, though, wasn't it?"

"It was," he agreed. "Angela's dad did a nice job, and Ben's cousin has a beautiful voice."

"Mmhmm," I said sleepily.

I'd been up since four o'clock that morning, waking to a frantic call from Angela, who'd been worried that she wouldn't remember her vows. I closed my eyes and laid my head back against the seat, planning to nap the entire trip home.

And then the phone rang.

Alice.

~*~CIBD~*~

Day of Hale/Cullen Wedding

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. Gather round!" the DJ called out over the microphone. "The bride and groom have decided to switch things up a bit, and rather than throw the bouquet and garter right before they leave, they're doing it now so the lucky receivers get to dance one time in the spotlight."

Alice and Jasper stood at the front of the room, beaming so hard, they seemed to be glowing.

"I need all you single ladies to join the new Mrs. Hale at the front of the room," the DJ continued. "Come on, don't be shy!" His voice was teasing and playful.

I didn't move, not wanting to join the small crowd gathering, for fear of falling on my face and being the center of attention.

"Go on," Rose said, pushing me forward gently. When I shook my head, she shoved a bit harder. "Alice wants you out there," she told me, pointing to where Alice was looking at me, almost begging me to participate.

With a sigh and a laugh, I made my way to the edge of the group, staying near the back. I felt a shove, and when I found myself at the front of the group, I looked up to see Alice grinning. Looking back, I saw Rose walking back to Emmett, who was laughing.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled, turning back to Alice, who winked at me before turning her back to the group.

The rest of the crowd counted down from five, and on one, Alice peeked over her shoulder and tossed her bouquet—made of peach roses, light pink and white peonies, white hydrangea, and a few other beautiful flowers—straight at me. I had no choice but to reach up and catch it, lest I get smacked in the face with the flowery missile.

The crowd cheered as I blushed and held the bouquet up, shaking my head at my sneaky friend.

She rushed over to me and gave me a hug, murmuring, "You're next, Bella-boo."

I laughed and squeezed her gently, not wanting to mess up her dress and hair. "Thanks, Ali," I said, unable to be anything but happy for her. She'd been a royal pain in my ass the last five weeks, but when it was all said and done, she was my sister and my friend, and if I'd made it easier for her, I'd do it all over again.

"All right! Now for all the single men," the DJ called.

I moved back to stand by Rose, giving her shoulder a gentle thump, even as she grinned, while Edward rolled his eyes and went to stand up by some of the cousins, friends, and little boys who'd gathered at the front.

The DJ began to play "Let's Get It On," by Marvin Gaye, as Jasper held a chair for Alice before moving around to kneel in front of her. For a moment, I thought he was going to stick his head under her dress, but instead, he simply slid his hands up her leg slowly, a huge grin on his face. Alice was beet red, shaking her head, when Jasper finally drew the dark pink garter out from under the dress. He turned so his back was to the men and boys on the dance floor and, while looking back over his shoulder, shot the flimsy material straight at Edward.

Edward tried to catch it, but failed miserably, as the garter smacked him in the face, much to his embarrassment. I laughed when he turned around and was as red as I'd ever seen him. Jasper moved to him and clapped him on the back, whispering something in his ear. Edward shook his head and chuckled, making his way back to me and offering me his hand.

"I believe the next dance is ours," he huffed, laughing.

As Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" began playing, Edward pulled me to the dance floor, tossing Jasper the garter. I gave Alice the bouquet and then wrapped my arms around his neck, swaying to the music.

"What did Jasper say to you?" I asked after a moment.

He pulled back and grinned. "He said we were next."

I shook my head and laughed quietly. "Alice said the same thing to me."

We continued to dance, and Edward said, "It was a long month, wasn't it?"

"I never want to go through that again!" I said seriously. Edward looked worried, and I hastened to explain, "No, no, I mean, I want to marry you! I just...I can't do all"—I waved around at the crowd—"this again." I looked down and frowned. "Does that make sense?"

"You mean the Bridezilla, lose your head, craziness?" he asked with a smirk.

I nodded. "I want the marriage, without all the stress."

"What about—" he started, before stopping, shaking his head. "Never mind."

"What?" I asked, tilting my head in question.

"Well, we could do that. Get married without the stress, I mean."

I looked at him as he stared down at me, and I finally got it. "Vegas?" I asked quietly.

"Vegas," he confirmed.

We were both quiet for a moment, lost in the music, before grinning.

"Vegas!"