Chapter 32

After yet another long shower Edward directed me to make myself comfortable in the living room. I curled up in the recliner again with Harry.

"Now don't you go falling asleep," Edward teased as he stuck his head in the room.

I poked my tongue out at him as he retreated. For the next half hour, I heard cupboards opening and closing, then a fantastic smell started wafting through the house. I got up and walked into the kitchen, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and pressing myself into his back.

"Something smells good – what are we having?" I asked.

He turned and leaned against the bench, pulling me tighter against his body. "Fettuccine carbonara – it's one of my favourites," he answered.

"Mine too – I'm a big bacon fan," I said, snuggling against him and breathing in his scent.

"Are you sniffing me?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Just trying to commit the way you smell to memory," I told him. "And it's not a bad smell," I hurriedly added. "It's just a warm, nice, Edward smell."

He ran his hands up and down my back gently while I continued to breathe him in. "You do realise that it's only tomorrow night that we'll be apart? That I'll be in Seattle on Thursday?"

"I know," I whispered. "But I'll miss you anyway."

Edward dropped a small kiss on the top of my head. "I'll miss you too. Wanna pick me up from the airport?"

"It depends what time your flight gets in – I'm on eight till six so if you fly in late I can…" I was hoping he had a late flight.

"Well, isn't in convenient that I don't fly in till eight your time then?" he said with a smile. "Can you pour us some wine while I serve up?"

He released me and I walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of white and filling two glasses.

The meal was delicious. "If you're going to keep cooking like this, you're going to have a lot of company once you move," I said around a mouthful of pasta.

Edward laid his fork down and reached for my hand. "Bella, if the company is you then I'm all for it," he said softly, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

I blushed and dropped my eyes while mumbling something about him finding someone better once he was settled in Seattle. He let my hand go and came around the table, turning my chair so it was facing him. He dropped onto both knees and took both of my hands in his.

"Bella, look at me," he said, ducking his head so he could look into my down-turned eyes.

I slowly raised my head to look at him. He was looking at me like I was the first girl he'd ever seen, so sweet and loving.

"Bella, I am not going to find 'someone better' once I move. There is no-one better for me than you. I love you and I want to be with you. Why can't you understand that?" he asked.

"I just…" I stopped for a second and gathered my thoughts. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. Then you opened your mouth and I also thought you were the most arrogant, obnoxious person I'd ever met. When you came to stay with Alice and me, you were different – it was like you'd grown up or something. And now I'm back to thinking you're gorgeous, but now you're wonderful as well…"

He leaned in and kissed me softly. "How about we both agree that we both think the other is too good for us?" he suggested.

"Deal," I smiled. "Now finish your dinner – we've got Hershey's cupcakes for dessert!"

We finished dinner and ate our cupcakes with coffee. We had our domestic time together washing up and then curled up on the couch again.

"What time does your flight leave tomorrow?" he asked while he twirled a lock of my hair around his finger.

"It goes at six, so I actually get home just before nine Seattle time which isn't too bad," I said. "But I don't want to talk about that now."

I slowly climbed onto his lap and started running my fingers through his glorious hair.

"You are insatiable woman," he growled against my lips.

"And it's all your fault," I replied, nipping gently at his bottom lip while moving my body closer.

"Shall we move this to the bedroom?" he suggested, standing and lifting me with him.

I wrapped my legs firmly around his waist as he carried me into his bedroom and laid me gently on the bed.

Our love making was slow and deliberate. We took time to explore each other more intimately than we had before. After we both climaxed together, we took a quick shower and curled up naked in each other's arms.

"I love you Bella. You are my life now," Edward whispered.

I kissed his chest gently then laid my cheek back against his warm skin. "I love you too honey," I whispered back, intertwining my fingers with his before I drifted off to sleep.

EPOV

When the alarm went off Wednesday morning I wanted nothing more than to pick up the clock and throw it against the wall. I reached over and slapped it until it stopped, then wrapped my arm back around the beautiful woman sleeping on my chest.

"I don't wanna get up," she mumbled sleepily.

I smoothed her hair and kissed her softly on the forehead. "You don't have to honey. I'm not working today so I can spend the day with you, and if you want to sleep in then that's what we'll do."

"Mmm kay," she breathed, curling in tighter to my side.

I slowly reached out and flicked the alarm off altogether, then rearranged the covers over us and drifted back off to sleep.

I woke again just after 10 to find Bella still curled against my side. Her left leg was thrown over my body and her arm was wrapped right around me, her hand curling around my side and under my back. I squeezed her gently and couldn't help the way my body reacted as she rubbed against me.

"Bella? Are you awake?" I asked her, praying that she would say yes.

"That depends. Is there something worth waking up for?" I felt her smile against my body as she rubbed against me again.

"You'd better believe there is," I growled, flipping her and laying my full weight on top of her body.

"And good morning to you too," she murmured in my ear, biting and sucking on the lobe as she thrust her hips up into mine.

I responded instinctively and drove myself into her, moaning loudly at the sensation.

"Oh fuck," Bella moaned, digging her short nails in to my shoulders. "More!"

I took control of myself for a brief minute and whispered, "Bella, I'm not wearing a condom."

She looked at me with heavy eyes and a smile that made me that much harder. "I trust you Edward. I'm on the pill so we don't have to worry about that." She tilted her hips to mine again. "Now give me more!"

"I don't want to hurt you Bella," I said to her, kissing her softly.

"You won't hurt me," she said, grinding into me again.

I couldn't help it – I let myself go and drove into her hard. She moaned and her back arched off the bed, so I took the opportunity to grab her legs and hold her up, kneeling on the bed so I could go even deeper.

Bella stretched her arms towards me, grabbing at any part of my body she managed to make contact with. I eventually laid her back down and continued driving into her as she wrapped her legs firmly around my waist.

"I can't hold it any more Edward," she panted.

"So don't," I growled, gently biting her neck just below her ear.

Her whole body tensed as she came apart in my arms and I followed soon after. We lay there, tangled up in each other with our foreheads resting against each other. As we settled, Bella stretched up and kissed me.

I smiled and kissed her back. "Shower?" I suggested.

"I can't go again," she replied.

"Not like that," I said, kissing her on the nose as I finally rolled off her.

We shared another long shower that morning, washing each other gently. I dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt with my Docs and Bella pulled on her jeans and a camisole that matched the dress she'd worn on our date with a lightweight jacket.

"How much stuff did Alice actually make for you?" I asked with a smile as I helped her pack her suitcase.

"You've seen it all now," she replied.

"Remind me to thank her tomorrow," I joked.

Bella carefully folded the bag of goodies she'd bought at the Hershey's store and placed it between two layers of clothing. "I don't want it to get broken!" she said indignantly when I laughed at her.

"Did you want your cupcakes to take home?" I offered.

"Only if you have something more stable than a cardboard bakery box to pack them in!" she replied. As I was walking out the door, she called out, "Save three – two for today and one for you for tomorrow!"

I did as I was told and packed the remaining 7 cakes into a container for Bella, which she expertly packed into her suitcase. We closed the locks and I carried it out to the hallway, ready for when she had to leave.

"Will you come to the airport with me?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Of course I will," I said, rushing to wrap my arms around her. "I'll follow you out and wait until you're in the sky before I leave."

"Okay," she said against my chest.

It was then that I realised she was crying. "Don't cry honey – we'll be together again tomorrow!"

"I know," she sniffled. "But what about after that?"

I led her over to the couch and pulled her into my lap. "After that, we'll be apart for a few weeks but then I'll be in Seattle and we can see each other every day. And every night if you want to as well."

"Edward, I'm not ready to move in with you," she said quietly.

"I'm not asking you to, Bella. But I want you to know that you will always be welcome. You don't need an invitation, I don't even need to be there – if you want to be in my house, you can be." I lifted her chin to look in her eyes and smiled when I saw how happy she was.

She opened her mouth to reply but stalled when her stomach gurgled loudly. She blushed and clapped a hand over her still-open mouth. "I'm sorry! Talk about ruining the moment!"

I pulled her hand away and kissed her palm. "It's not ruined. Let's go make lunch together?"

Bella nodded and got to her feet, offering me her hand. We made sandwiches together and ate them at the breakfast bar. We washed up together and I was hanging the tea towel back on the rack when Bella asked me a surprising question.

"Do you have any photos of you as a baby?"

"Where did that come from?" I asked, confused.

"Well, Alice has photos of the three of you as little kids, but I've never seen baby photos of you and Emmett as babies," she clarified.

"Well, I've got an album somewhere…it might be packed though." It was a lie – I knew exactly where it was.

"Can you have a look? Please?" she wheedled, pulling out the puppy dog eyes.

I melted. "You know, I think it might still be on the bookshelf…come with me."

I sat her on the lounge and retrieved the baby blue album from the top shelf. The next hour was possibly the longest of my life as I sat and listened to Bella talk about how cute I was. The most mortifying moment came when she turned the page to find six-month old me smiling up at her without a stitch of clothing on.

She finally had enough and laid the album on the coffee table, scooting back on the couch and leaning her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and we sat there, not saying anything until I heard my cell phone ringing from the bedroom.

"I'm sorry, it's work, I should take it," I said, standing up and walking quickly to answer my phone. It was Embry, about one of the few cases I was still handling. "Can it wait till tomorrow? I'm in all day," I told him.

"Well, it could, except Tanya has arranged a meeting with the client for you at nine tomorrow…" he trailed off.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to the airport with Bella this afternoon, I'll drop by the office on my way home and get the paperwork. Can you lock it in the combination filing cabinet for me so Tanya can't stuff it up any further?"

"Done. See you tomorrow boss," Embry said as I hung up.

I walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch next to Bella. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Just a certain incompetent member of my staff," I told her. "Nothing for you to worry about."

All too soon it was time to go to the airport. I loaded Bella's bag into her rental car and shut the lid of the trunk. "Bugger! I think I left a couple of things in the bathroom…can you let me back in?" she asked.

I unlocked the door and Bella raced down toward my bedroom. I leaned in the doorway to wait for her and she was back a few seconds later with her hair brush and a pair of earrings in her hand. "Found 'em!" she said, walking past me and out the door.

We hit a bit of traffic on the way to the airport but still made good time. Bella returned her car and I carried her bag to the check-in counter for her. She collected her ticket and we sat to wait for her flight to be called.

"Promise you'll call me when you get home?" I asked. "Which reminds me, how are you getting home from the airport?"

"I told Alice I'd call her when I get in. It takes forever for your bags to come around so if I call her as soon as I'm in the terminal she should be there about the same time I get my bag." She had it all worked out.

The loudspeaker came to life, announcing Bella's flight. We stood together and I saw her lip quiver. "No tears honey – I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" I reminded her gently.

She nodded and I saw her swallow before she threw herself into my arms. "I'll miss you," she said, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"I'll miss you too. I packed you one of my t-shirts to sleep in tonight," I told her with a smile.

"Really?" She grinned up at me. "Because I left one of mine under your pillow."

We both laughed and then the final call came over the PA. "I guess it's time to go," she said, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok? Have a safe flight, and call me when you get in," I reminded her.

"I will. I love you," she said, stretching up and kissing me fiercely.

"Love you too," I replied, kissing her one last time before letting her go to walk through the gate.

I stood near a window and watched as her plane taxied to the end of the runway and took off.

As I walked back to my car, I called Alice and asked her to be waiting at the airport for Bella, instead of waiting for her to call. Alice just laughed at me and informed me that was her plan all along. I thanked her and hung up and I slid into the Volvo and headed for the office.

It was blissfully quiet as I got the papers from the filing cabinet and locked my office behind me. 20 minutes later I was home again and walked into my bedroom to get rid of my boots.

In the middle of the bed was a bag of Hershey's kisses. I picked them up and pulled off the note. I smiled as I read it;

Dear Edward,

I know it's only one day this time but soon we'll be apart for a few weeks. These are so you can have a kiss from me every day until we're together again.

I love you.

Bella.

A/N: All together now…awww. These two are just too cute.

The next chapter will hopefully be ready over the weekend.