Bella

Two weeks later, I've got it bad. I'm falling fast and hard, and part of me worries that it might be too fast. Too hard. We've spent a ridiculous amount of time together over the last fourteen days, going to dinner, watching movies, staying in with Alice and Jasper for a game night… I even went to see his band play again, which might have been a big mistake, because it made me want him. Like want want him. In a big, bad way.

Today, I've managed to pry myself from his presence long enough for a beach day with Rose, Angela, Jessica, and Alice. But I can't stop thinking about him. In particular, I can't stop thinking about something he said to me last weekend.

We were in the middle of a dance floor. In public. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I sort of…writhed against Edward with my back to him. At least I hope that was what it looked like I was doing—a sexy writhing and less of an awkward squirming. Like I said, dancing isn't my forte. He must've liked it, though, because he made a funny noise and pulled me backward, closer to his hard body, and whispered into my ear.

"Bella, you do things to me that I can't even explain." He brushed his lips very lightly across my ear, and I shuddered.

"I feel exactly the same. I don't understand it, but I like it."

"Hey, Bella, could you pass the sunblock?" Angela asks, breaking me from my daydream.

"Uh, yeah. Sure thing." I toss it to her over Jessica and Rose, who lie on towels in the sand in between us.

"Looks like you might be getting a little sunburn, B," Rose says, looking at me over her huge sunglasses. "Maybe you should use some, too." She flips over to her stomach and reaches for a magazine.

"Um…yeah," I reply as I go through the motions of applying it to my cheeks and nose. I'm not about to tell her that the heat and redness of my face are more likely from my thoughts of Edward. As much as I usually protest when dancing is involved, I have to admit that I loved that night with him. Only because it was socially acceptable to press myself against him and say things I might only say under the influence of alcohol and loud, thumping music.

"Things still going well with Edward?" Angela asks in a teasing tone.

I blush harder and worry that she can read my thoughts. "Yeah," I say, closing my eyes behind my sunglasses and sighing dreamily.

Alice giggles from Angela's other side. "See? I told you. You mention his name, and she completely blisses out."

I want to pinch her, but I know she's right.

"When do we get to meet him?" Angela asks.

"You guys were there when we met."

"Yeah, but we didn't get to grill him," Jessica points out.

"You'll get the chance soon enough. He's coming to Emmett's birthday dinner Sunday night." I give her a pointed look as I gather my hair into a damp, salty bun. "But I'm not sure I like the idea of you 'grilling' him."

"Oh, yay!" Jessica sits up and claps her hands, apparently ignoring my warning.

Rose snorts. "Jess, this is Bella's boyfriend we're speaking of. As in off limits."

I cringe at the word boyfriend. We haven't officially reached that status yet.

"I know that," Jessica huffs. "I'm just happy for Bella."

"No offense, but since when do you care?" Only Angela, who's known her since they were very young, could get away with saying something like this to her.

She smirks. "Since I fell head over heels and want everyone else to be as happy as me."

This is nothing new. Jess is in love with a new guy every week. Her last obsession was over a hot waiter whom she stalked for a week. When he finally spoke to her, she decided she didn't like his slight New England accent and walked away. To call Jessica fickle is an understatement.

"Who is it this week?" I tease her.

She examines her fingernails casually and sighs. "I guess you'll all find out Sunday anyway. We've been dating for about a month now, but we didn't want to make a big thing out of it in case it didn't work out."

"Who, Jess?" I prod.

She pauses for dramatic effect in typical Jessica fashion, and I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses. "It's Jake."

"You're dating Jake," Rose clarifies.

I tilt my head to the side. "Not as in Jacob Black."

Jessica nods, a huge smile lighting up her face.

Wow. How wrapped up in my own life have I been not to realize that one of my oldest friends is dating one of my newest? My brow furrows as I try to fathom my apparently lack of concern for any of them lately. I've been a bad friend.

"Bella," Jessica says off my bemused look, "we didn't tell anyone. We didn't want it to be weird if things didn't end up well."

"Huh." Alice nods slowly. "I can actually see you two together. It's a good match."

"I'm glad you're happy," I tell her earnestly.

"Thanks," is all she says.

"Well, ladies," Rose says as she rolls over, sits up, and stretches her perfect arms over her head. "It's been fun, but I've got to get going. Emmett and I have a hot date tonight."

We say our goodbyes to Rose with promises to be at Em's party at six sharp the next evening.

I lie back on my towel again and listen to the peaceful sounds around me. Seagulls squawk overhead. A baby laughs while she plays in the surf with her father. Waves break and lap at the shore.

A shadow falls over my face, and I swear to God, if it's Mike again this time… I open my eyes and look up to see a familiar face staring down at me, but it's not Mike.

"James," I say, surprised to find that I'd all but forgotten about him.

He stands there with his hands on his hips and a smug look on his face. "Bella," he breathes. "How are you?" he asks me as he squats down to my eye level.

"Oh, just fine and dandy."

"Care to take a walk with me?"

"She's not going anywhere with you," Alice declares.

He turns his chiseled features toward her. "Oh, come on. I only want to talk to her. Be a good sport."

"Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of my friends," I tell him.

"I just wanted to apologize for how Victoria acted the last time we saw each other."

"Who's Victoria? Is she the redhead you were with that night at Ruby's?"

He nods, not even having the decency to look sheepish.

"You want to apologize for Victoria's actions," I repeat.

He nods again and flashes me what I guess is supposed to be his most dazzling smile, but it doesn't measure up to Edward's Not by a long shot.

"What if Victoria doesn't want you apologizing for her actions?"

His eyebrows draw together, and his head jerks back a bit. "Are you mad at me?"

I stare at him for a moment. "Definitely not. In fact, I'm grateful."

"That guy you left the club with that night…" He trails off.

"Yes."

"Whatever," James says as he stands up. "He'll lose interest when he finds that you won't put out." He looks me in the eye meaningfully and then turns and stalks away.

I can only laugh. Am I supposed to be offended by that?

"What the hell was that about? Have you even heard from him since that night?" Angela asks.

I shake my head and start to brush the sand from my body. "Nope. I couldn't care less. And on that note, I think I've had enough sun for today. I'm gonna get going."

"You okay?" asks Jessica. "I mean…not just that, but with me keeping the Jake thing from you?"

"Couldn't be better," I tell her, and I really mean it.

Edward

"Excuse me, do you have the new Britney Spears?"

The girl standing in front of me seems to be about sixteen. She looks up at me through heavily made-up eyelashes, the fingers of one hand twirling a strand of bleached hair. Her other hand tugs at the waist of her denim miniskirt, her thumb pushing through a belt loop. It's disarming, but not in the way I'm sure she intends.

"Uh, yeah. It's over here." I lead her to the appropriate section, flip back the divider quite clearly labeled S and hold the copy of the newly released CD by its corner.

"Oh," the girl breathes, holding the cd to her chest. "Thank you. Britney is my idol."

No kidding. I lift a corner of my mouth in a half-hearted grin. "You're welcome." Before she can say anything else, I turn and walk back to the guy I'd been helping out in the guitar section.

Truth be told, I'm surprised to see a girl like her in my shop. Not all that many people her age tend to come here anymore unless it's for music lessons. Part of me has been afraid lately that digital options will put me out of business, but it's been the complete opposite. Masen's Music has made it through a lot of hard times, and it continues to thrive.

I love this place. I can't be happier with it. When my grandfather died, I was devastated. His leaving me the music store meant the world to me. Each day when I walk in the door, I'm flooded with memories of him. Because the shop has been around so long, it's sort of a local icon. Granddad had an immense collection that I try to keep alive now: blues, jazz, classical, folk, rock, musicals, trendy stuff, and of course, local artists. I'm particularly proud of that section. Being a local performer myself, my shop has the most extensive collection of regional music in the state. I'm always happy to put out CDs for my fellow small-time musicians without taking a cut.

Edward Anthony Masen, for whom I was named, opened Masen's Music in 1959, two years after my mother Esme was born. The merchandise then was all vinyl, of course. My granddad, unlike a lot of other parents of that generation, was a firm believer that music was essential to life. He insisted that everyone should be educated about music, and he wanted to sell instruments at affordable prices so parents could afford to buy them for their children. He offered free lessons with a purchase. People from all walks of life loved him for his generous heart and accepting nature. Now I try my best to keep the shop up to Granddad's expectations and keep his dream alive. I'm pretty proud of myself for the job I've done so far.

As I explain the finer points of the Taylor Baby guitar a customer is contemplating, the bell on the door jingles. Out of habit, I glance up to smile at whoever has walked in. Upon realizing exactly who has walked in, my smile takes on a different nature. I pause, my hands hovering over the polished guitar, and feel my heart flutter as I take in her radiant, smiling face. As I wave, I gesture for her to give me a minute and hand the guitar over to the older man I've been helping, who takes it gratefully and starts to play a chord progression.

"Let me know if you have any questions," I tell him before I abandon ship.

I stroll over to the folk section, where Bella stands flipping through CDs and waiting for me to finish up. I sneak up behind her and whisper in her ear, "Hey there, gorgeous." She smells like sunscreen and the ocean.

She whirls around and flashes me her beautiful smile. "Hi."

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not thrilled to see you."

"Just thought I'd stop by and surprise you."

"I'm glad you did." I glance around the store and grab her by the hand. "Hey, Tyler," I call to my employee and occasional bandmate as we pass him. "Would you mind handling things for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing, boss," he says with a wink at Bella.

I pull her into my office and close the door behind us. She starts examining pictures and posters on the walls. Even all mussed and in her beach coverup she's adorable. I approach her from behind again and put my arms around her, swaying with her to the song playing over the PA system.

Bella

It's the first time I've seen Edward's office, and it's really cool. Framed black and white photos hang on every wall, mostly pictures of his grandpa with various musicians. There's even a guitar signed by Johnny Cash hanging on the wall. Johnny Cash. I can't even imagine.

Edward's arms snake around my waist, and he sways us back and forth as his nose lightly skims the back of my neck. I turn and put my arms around his neck.

"Hi there," I say, grinning at him.

"How are you?" he asks. "I feel like I haven't seen you in days."

It's only been one day, but who am I to criticize? I feel the same way much of the time. "Wonderful now that I'm here."

My favorite crooked smile lights up his face, and he leans his forehead against mine. "I'm so glad you are."

I close my eyes and rub my nose against his lightly.

"How was the beach?" he asks, swaying us to the music again.

"It was great. Relaxing. The girls asked about you, of course."

"Oh, really?"

"Mm-hmm. They're excited to meet you at Emmett's birthday dinner tomorrow night." James's angry face pops into my mind then, but I opt not to bring that up. His ego is only bruised because I haven't shown interest in him.

"I'm excited to officially meet them, too," Edward says, "but I'm glad I have you all to myself right now."

A thrill works its way up my spine. "Me too."

He brushes his lips softly against mine a few times, and I stand on my toes to deepen the kiss, opening my mouth to feel his tongue slip in and slide against mine. My hands move up his neck into his thick hair as his rub slowly up and down my back.

He picks me up by the backs of my thighs, effectively wrapping my legs around him, and drops down onto the couch that stands against one wall of the office. An embarrassing sound issues from my throat, and his lips turn up into a smile against mine. His kisses trail across my jaw and down the side of my neck. Pressed this close to him, I can feel his heart racing almost as fast as mine.

"Edward," I whisper.

He brings his lips back to mine, and I nip at his bottom lip before he begins once again to ravage my mouth. I could feel him getting hard. His hands slide from my back, down my sides, stopping at my hips. I move slightly against his hard body, and he groans.

"Bella," he growls between kisses. "I— Christ, you're amazing."

I sigh against his cheek and let my hands explore his upper body as his lips move down my neck. His back muscles flex as he leans forward, leaving trails of kisses over my shoulders.

I shiver from the tingles his hands leave in their wake. They glide up my back and into my hair, which he tugs effortlessly from its messy bun. He pulls back to look at me as his hands make their way through my tangles. I lean into him, searching for his lips again, blushing as I feel his hardness press against me where I'm straddling him. For some reason, and I wish I knew why, the fact that we're in Edward's office with at least fifteen people on the other side of the door chooses that moment to nag at the back of my mind.

"Edward." I pull back just a bit, and he looks up at me clouded eyes and a sheepish expression.

I bite my lip and put my hands on either side of his face. "I think we should cool down a little."

He leans into my hair, inhales, and sighs. "I know. I'm sorry. I just got carried away."

"It wasn't just you getting carried away."

He kisses my smirk away, then places one more chaste kiss against my lips, then my nose, then my cheeks, and presses his forehead to mine again, his eyes closed. "I don't want to take advantage of you in any way. You're the best thing that—"

"You're not taking advantage of me," I interrupt him before he can continue. "Believe me, I'm just as eager as you." I put a hand on either side of his face and kiss him again.

He takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his hair as I reach back to tighten my bikini strings. I'm not sure when they came loose, but I'm half embarrassed and half turned-on by it.

"Why don't you let me cook for you tonight?" he suggests. "We can hang out at my place. Jasper won't be home tonight, so it'll just be you and me, some good food, maybe a movie or two."

"That sounds so good. Can I bring anything? Wine maybe? Beer?"

He shakes his head. "I don't want you to do a single thing. You've been working so hard lately. I want to pamper you."

I've worked double shifts at the restaurant almost every night this week. The new waitress didn't work out after all, so I'm back to being one of three. The search is on for a replacement, but things are tense in the meantime. At least the tips are awesome.

I shake my head slightly. "How on earth did I get lucky enough to find you?"

"I believe I'm the lucky one here." He grasps my hips, keeping his hold on me as he stands, and buries his face in my neck, tickling me with his teeth.

I squeal and wriggle out of his grasp, slide down his body, and back away. "I have a hot date later on. I'd better get home and clean up."

He closes the gap between us and grabs me around the waist again. "I love the way you look now."

I giggle again and untangle myself from his arms. "I'll see you in an hour?"

"I'll pick you up."

"I can drive myself."

"I told you, I want to do everything tonight."

I can't help the flutter in my chest at the double entendre that may or may not have been intentional. "Okay." The more time I got to spend with Edward, the better.

He opens the office door and walks me out to my car. "I'll pick you up at five-thirty," he says, leaning in to give me a peck on the lips.

"Can't wait."

There's a good chance that my perma-grin looks crazy to other drivers as I make my way home. But I haven't felt this way in so long, and it makes me giddy. I have a feeling that tonight holds good things for our relationship. I'm anxious to get back to Edward, but not even a little bit nervous for whatever comes next.

I don't know why it shocks me when the realization hits me at first. Edward makes me want to be a girlfriend again. The surprise only lasts for a second before an amazing calm and excitement break over me at once. And that's the first time the thought crosses my mind.

I'm falling for Edward Cullen.

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you like it, I'd love to hear from you. :)