AN: This chapter is dedicated to devadasi7 -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!!
Also, check out the "Tieward" pic on my profile--that was much of the inspiration for this chapter.
And once again a reminder that this IS a NC-17/M rated story. . .thanks also to my betas: tamelaine & CallistoLexx
RPOV
I stepped out of the elevator, saw Emmett leaning against my office door and felt my heart drop into my stomach. I didn't think I would ever get used to seeing Emmett again. For six years I'd seen him in my dreams and in my thoughts, a lot more than I liked to admit, and now, suddenly, he was back in my life.
Sunday afternoon had been, I had to admit, a turning point for me. I hadn't forgiven him—I didn't think that was even possible at this point—but at least we could maybe be civil acquaintances, maybe even friends again someday, and with the relationships between Bella and Edward, and I suspected soon, Alice and Jasper, Emmett and I would be spending a lot of time around each other. Amazingly, that thought filled me with a buoyant happiness, not the bitter hate I was used to.
We'd agreed to meet early, except I'd expected to see him along with his two brothers. I had never thought we would be alone together, and I hadn't prepared myself for that eventuality. Being alone with him was the one situation that scared me, and not because I was afraid I'd kill him in a horrible, rankling anger leftover from six years ago. No, I was afraid that I'd lose myself in him all over again.
And he was in definite danger of making me do that right now. His leaning position definitely enhanced his muscular physique and I remembered, in the split second I could look at him before he realized I'd arrived, how beautiful he had been, even in high school. Of course, he looked fifty times better now, and I tried to tell myself that admiring him was understandable. Probably every woman who passed him on the street checked him out. I was simply one of the many, despite that I'd been lucky enough to see what the other women had only dreamed of.
Not the best time to start picturing Emmett naked because thinking about him naked is only going to lead to thinking about you naked with him.
Thankfully, before my thoughts become too X-rated, Emmett turned around and saw me standing there, staring at him.
"Rosalie," he said quietly, and I knew deep down in my heart that he'd been thinking about me. The tone of his voice was unmistakable.
I was dressed in my typical austere business black, hair up, minimal makeup. Yet he still took his time eyeing me up and down. I supposed that was only fair. I'd been doing it to him only thirty seconds earlier.
I wondered briefly if he liked what he saw, but I very firmly told myself that it didn't matter if he did or not—he was never going to be allowed to touch it again.
"Why do you wear your hair up?"
"It's work," I answered succinctly, unlocking the door to the main office. "Where are Edward and Jasper?" I was so determined to stay professional and on-topic; I had even rehearsed mentally how the morning would go. So far, I was improvising and not doing that good of a job. The plan definitely had not included ogling Emmett's muscles.
"They're getting coffee," Emmett replied, and I breathed a sigh of relief that my answer had laid the uncomfortable personal topic to rest.
But Emmett was unfailingly diligent and stubborn, and as he prowled around the office, examining the generic artwork on the walls, he asked mildly, "What does work have to do with your hair?"
"A lot of things," I snapped, losing patience with how off-track the morning was so far. "Why are Jasper and Edward not here?" I glared at Emmett's back, wishing suddenly that I had laser vision so I could burn a hole into him.
He, however, refused to get riled. "I told you," he said smoothly and way too calmly, "they're getting coffee. We're in no rush." Sorting impatiently through papers on my desk I didn't realize he walked right up behind me until he was nearly on top of me. Alarm bells went off in my head. What was he doing and why did I like it so much?
"Rosie," he said with ingratiating calm, "you really need to calm down before you get a hernia or an ulcer or something." Like it was the most natural thing in the world, he placed his hands on my shoulders and began to knead the tense muscles there.
His touch sent a wave of electric shock through me, even through several layers of clothing. Not good.
Emmett was being way too nice and well, way too damn sexy for my comfort level, but I didn't want him to know how strongly he affected me, so I didn't move. Of course, I wasn't sure if I really could. Like I remembered all too well, he had magic hands, and they seemed to know exactly where my trouble spots were. I started to relax in slow increments, though I was furiously telling myself the whole time that this was a terrible idea and that I should be more upset instead of less. Of course, as usual, my traitorous body won out over my mind.
"I'm calm," I half-moaned, before I could even stop myself. He chuckled, the vibrations rumbling through his chest and seeping into my back.
"So now are you going to tell me the many reasons you wear your hair up at work?"
He was like a dog with a bone and his curiosity was making me nervous. Not to mention that I could feel his body flush against mine and his hands were burning holes into my skin.
"Um. . .no?" I ventured hesitantly, and in response felt his fingertips dig a little harder into a particularly tight muscle. "Ow!" I shrieked. "That hurt."
Laughing, Emmett stopped his ministrations for a second, and just rested his hands on my shoulders. "Shoulda told me," he teased.
"I shouldn't have to," I replied stubbornly, "it's pretty self-explanatory."
"You mean you wear it up for me?"
I snorted. "Hardly. Egotistical, are we?"
"You know it," he boasted cockily and my heart started hammering. Despite that I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't help but be invariably attracted to the super confident, full-of-himself Emmett.
"Fine," I nearly growled, as his hands started moving again but his motions were a lot nearer a caress than a massage. Was the man trying to seduce me?
I paused for a second, reveling in how good his hands felt on me and knowing that I'd have to enjoy this while it lasted because I was never going to allow it to happen again. It was far, fartoo dangerous.
"I'm waiting." Emmett's voice was playful and never had I ever wanted to forgive him more. But the resentment was nearly hard-wired into my brain and I didn't know how to change it. Closing my eyes at the strength of will it took to pull myself away from him, I took an unsteady step forward and turned to face him. His eyes were so dark I could barely see the rim of sapphire around his pupils.
I looked up at him and felt something strong and warm coalesce under my breastbone. I could feel the tears begin to form inside my throat but I forced them down with a hard swallow. I was not going to cry in front of Emmett Cullen, no matter how much he'd hurt me or how much I'd missed him.
"I dress like this, wear my hair up because I want to be taken seriously. I want to be seen as more than just a blond bimbo, more than just a model masquerading as a businesswoman. And it makes men and women feel more comfortable if I can downplay how I look. Thus the all black and the hair in a bun." I swallowed hard again, desperately trying to keep the wall up, to prevent him from seeing too deep into my soul.
But it was too late; he'd already seen it all. He knew me better than I knew myself.
"Rosalie," he murmured, and took a step closer to me, our faces nearly brushing, "you couldn't hide your beauty, even if you wore a garbage bag. It pisses me off that you have to do anything to prove how smart and capable you are. It only took me a minute after I first met you for me to realize that you were probably the most intelligent woman I'd ever met."
The hands that hung loosely at my sides clenched together at his words. I knew I was going to cry. There was no way out of it, no point in even a last ditch effort to prevent it. I could sense the tears forming in the corners of my eyes, and finally, at last, I felt one single tear drift down my cheek.
"Oh, Rosie," Emmett sighed, raising one hand and gently brushing away the tear, "don't cry. I know I'm no good, I know I'm a jerk. You have no idea how sorry I am. . ."
There was stark honesty in his eyes and pain etched on his face. I believed then, for the first time, that his regret over our failed relationship maybe equaled my own.
Before I could try to answer through the tears that were filling my throat, I heard the faint echo of footsteps down the hall. Emmett's brothers.
I sprang back from him and frantically wiped my eyes, hoping that they weren't red or too watery.
His eyes followed me, still solemn, but a little amusement had crept in at my reaction.
Edward and Jasper entered the office, and I breathed out an unsteady sigh of relief. The moment was over and I'd gotten through it without falling to pieces completely. Mostly, yes, but I could still salvage this. Somehow I had to get things back on track, back to the way I'd planned for this meeting to go.
"Edward, Jasper," I said, coming forward to greet both of them, and hoping that neither of them caught the remnants of sadness in my voice.
Jasper looked both tired and already bored, which was to be expected. He could do his job anywhere, as could Edward. Emmett was the one who needed the perfect space. Probably I shouldn't have insisted that all three of them accompany me on this search, but I'd wanted the protection of Edward and Jasper. Unfortunately, the last five minutes had made that even more necessary.
I couldn't let Emmett get that close again. I'd been five seconds away from pressing my lips to his, regardless of any bitter resentment I still held inside or how much I still tried to tell myself that I hated him.
Edward, however, looked interestedly from Emmett to myself, and smirked a little. Damn him for being so observant. He knew something had just happened between Emmett and I, and I was sure he had a good idea of exactly what it was.
"Rosalie," he drawled, "it's great to see you again." I wanted to smack him. I could swear he was laughing at me behind that casual exterior and I wanted to take a folding chair to him for it, but I firmly held myself in and smiled back.
"You, too. Shall we go? I have several excellent locations for us to look at this morning," I replied, using exactly the phrase I'd practiced in front of the mirror this morning. Finally, we were back on track.
EPOV
I'd called Bella's office while Jasper was inside the Starbucks getting coffee, and let the receptionist know I'd be dropping by at lunchtime to see Bella. She'd been extremely cooperative, more than I'd expected, and had informed me that I was now blocked off as her lunch date. Just the word 'date' thrilled me and I couldn't help but think of how lame I'd become since meeting Bella. I just hoped she never figured it out.
The three hours I spent with Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper looking at locations was both exciting, because I was dying to finally get the business off the ground in a way we'd always dreamed, and also excruciating because I honestly didn't care where we settled. I just wanted to see Bella. The last two days had been the longest I cared to remember and I was done fighting the inevitable. I couldn't push her away again. If she threw herself at me the same way she'd done on Sunday afternoon, there was no way we were keeping our clothes on. At the very least hers were coming off because at the very thought of her undressed, a different, far more rabid, Edward emerged and I was ready to wave the white flag. I wanted her, and she wanted me.
Finally, I managed to escape before the last location by begging a lunch meeting, which in all fairness, was technically true. I did have a lunch meeting. I just wanted to stop by the little flower booth at the corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square before it and get Bella a nice bouquet so it didn't look like I was just dying to get into her pants—which I was.
I'd even made reservations at Bluehour, one of the nicer lunch spots downtown, in hopes that I could impress her enough to let me come back to her apartment for a little afternoon delight.
Naturally, I didn't expect the "main event" right away—this was Bella we were talking about and she was a beautiful, classy woman. I couldn't expect anything, but my hopes were definitely up for some more kissing and touching and. . .
Gah. I was getting hard again, and since I was wearing my lightweight summer suit in deference to the heat of the June day, it noticeably tented the material. Obviously I couldn't even think about what could possibly happen this afternoon after lunch. I knew Bella's schedule was free, since I'd charmingly told the receptionist that I didn't know how long our business lunch would last and she'd helpfully informed me that her whole afternoon was free. The sex-obsessed Edward inside of me had gleefully rubbed his hands together at the possibilities of a whole afternoon in bed with Bella, but I had tried to put a stop to that. There would be no thinking of her like a piece of meat I was dying to sample.
The cab stopped at the corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square, and I got out, paid the driver, and made my way to the flower stand that sat on one corner.
Examining the choices I wondered which would be the best possible selection considering the possible afternoon's agenda. Something sweet? Something straight-out romantic? Roses? Daisies? Tulips?
I'd picked out dozens of bouquets for my mother, Esme, but none for a girlfriend. My hand stalled on a grouping of chrysanthemums and I suddenly felt myself gasping for air.
A girlfriend.
The thought made my knees weak and my lungs spasm, but could I really deny that ultimately, that was what I wanted from her? Last night I had come to the conclusion that I wanted to share my life with Bella, yet I had purposefully refrained from putting any kind of label on that realization. Today, in the warm June sunshine, it seemed impossible to call it anything else.
Great, yet another thing not to tell Bella.
Of course, girls tended to react more favorably to those kinds of intentions than just, I want to screw your brains out. Bella was a reasonable woman. Theoretically she might be okay with a combination of the two, if I let her in to what I wanted from her slowly and carefully. Deliberately.
With that in mind, I selected a beautiful combination of lilies, daisies, and chrysanthemums. Really, it represented all the different ways I wanted to enjoy Bella in the future. Not that she would be informed of this fact when I presented the flowers, but, I told myself, it was the thought that counted.
Walking to her office building, I whistled lazily to myself, completely unable to contain my joy at nearly being able to see her after this insufferable nearly three day break. For sure, that was not going to happen again for a long damn time.
BPOV
I'd walked into work this morning nearly bereft and totally sleep-deprived.
He hadn't called last night or even texted me. I couldn't count how many times I'd nearly done it myself, but that pesky bit of self-doubt had stopped me every time I'd clicked on his phone number in my cell.
Today I was determined to at least text him once. I would be brave and strong, and not timid and scared of his rejection. Why would he reject me anyway? He was clearly interested—I just needed to get over this stupid self-consciousness around him.
The elevator door opened and I tried to walk confidently into the office, hoping that an all-over confident outlook on life would help me gather together enough guts to send the text to Edward.
I headed down the hall to my office, but right before I reached the door I heard Lucy call out my name from behind me.
I turned and saw she was breathless, either from running or excitement I couldn't tell because her eyes sparkled.
"I have some great news for you!" she exclaimed, barely managing to keep herself grounded on the floor. Sometimes Lucy reminded me so much of Alice it seemed impossible that they weren't related.
"Hmmmm?" I asked, barely able to pay attention to her, since I was so busy composing the all-important text message in my head. It needed to be casual yet personal. . .a very important combination that communicated how I felt while at the same time not communicating too much.
"Earth to Bella!" she responded with irritation. "You're going to want to pay attention to this."
"I am? What is it?"
"Edward Cullen called this morning."
At her first word she had my immediate attention.
"He did WHAT?" I nearly lost my balance on my heels I was so shocked at Lucy's revelation.
"He called," she replied, with a bit of a self-satisfied smirk.
"And?" I replied, so eager that I almost couldn't wait to see what she would say.
"He made sure you didn't already have a lunch meeting, and then said he'd be by for you around noon."
"He's coming here?" I squealed.
"Here. At noon. To take you to lunch, presumably." This time the self-satisfaction was impossible to miss.
If I hadn't been at work I would have broken out into a white girl on heels dance. But I didn't. So I merely beamed at Lucy and hugged her quickly.
"Thank you," I raved, "this has just made everything better. No text message is necessary!"
"You were going to text message him? Girl, you two are obviously way beyond that."
I couldn't help but smile giddily at her pronouncement. "You are so right."
"And lucky you, you look amazing today, if I may say so, perfect for a lunch date."
"Thank goodness. I'd have had to go buy something else if I hadn't dressed up today." I smoothed down my black pencil skirt and knew I'd have to thank Alice when I got home for doing an amazing job through the years from converting this tomboy into someone who at least knew how to dress. Seven years ago I would have thought that jeans and a sweatshirt were appropriate for a date.
Now, I was thankful that I'd dressed a little sexy today, even though I hadn't thought I'd see Edward. The black pencil skirt made the most of my curves, and was topped off with a clingy, silky midnight blue blouse that undeniably did great things for my skin.
"Well, good luck, and I'll make sure to get a peek at him when he comes around. He sounds positively yummy on the phone."
"Oh he is," I reassured Lucy, as I opened the door to my office. "Beyond yummy."
"Fantastic," she said, "well, I'll let you get to work."
"Great, thanks," I said, walking into my office as Lucy disappeared back down the hallway.
Work. How was I ever supposed to concentrate on my job when I knew that he was going to be here in three hours? My stomach fluttered nervously in response.
I sat down at my desk chair, crossed my legs, and tried to force myself to go through the motions that I typically did first thing in the morning, but I had to admit that my heart definitely wasn't in them this morning. I definitely didn't feel like checking my voicemail or my email or making any calls. All I wanted was for it to be noon already for Edward to be here, smile on that incredible chiseled face, laughter in his green eyes.
Who was I fooling? I was so far gone.
What I really wanted, I finally let myself admit, was for us to continue where we'd left off on Sunday afternoon. During the last three mostly sleepless nights, I'd had plenty of time to imagine just what I wished had happened between us.
I wished that he'd stopped being a gentleman and responsible altogether and had pushed me back towards the bed during our "goodbye" kiss. I wished that he'd let his hands drift over my abdomen and up towards my breasts, barely brushing them as his tongue explored my mouth. I wished I'd had more time to let my hands play in his incredible hair and more time to explore his undeniably hot body.
Time, Bella, I ordered myself, you just need time to get to know each other better.
Oh, I want to get to know him better, Naughty Bella cooed, a looooot better. Preferably naked better.
Whoops. I was in a bad way when Naughty Bella started taking over. As long as it was just in my thoughts, everything should be fine. The moment she started taking over me, there would be real trouble.
The next three hours were possibly the slowest three hours I've ever spent.
I spent most of it dreaming up scenarios for Edward and I, and most of them were heavily promoted by Naughty Bella, who was a lot closer to taking over than I wanted to think.
I squirmed in my desk chair, trying not to think that my panties were definitely wet and I was definitely horny.
Edward was going to be dismayed at how forward I was likely to be when he showed up. I told Naughty Bella to stuff it one last time, and took a quick trip to the bathroom to check my appearance ten minutes before he was due to arrive, then I settled down at my desk to wait out the last few minutes of my torture sentence.
My heart was thrumming madly, and a whole cloud of butterflies had taken up residence in my tummy. Not to mention how my lower regions felt. . .Jesus Christ. Naughty Bella was at it again.
But before I could issue another warning to Naughty Bella, there was a knock on the door.
Shooting to my feet, I smoothed out my skirt one last time, said a prayer that he wouldn't suddenly hate me or have sudden feeling of disgust. Sexual disgust, that is.
God I wished there was more time to put Naughty Bella back in the hole she popped out of but this was it.
I walked to the door, took one last deep breath, having a good idea it was the last one I was going to be able to take in awhile, and turned the handle.
Edward was standing on the other side of the door, just as I'd expected, but the way he looked was so completely unexpected, I felt Naughty Bella immediately start to croon in victory.
His suit was a lightweight and beautiful tan fabric that looked expensive and just plain indulgent. Even better, he'd removed his jacket, probably in deference to the heat, and it was slung casually over his shoulder. The white button-down shirt was a bit wrinkled and mussy, like he'd been doing a bit of sitting and standing already today, and the tie was loosened, as if he couldn't take its constriction a moment longer. The tie itself was like a piece of art, all jewel green tones that nearly matched his eyes. I wanted to grab it and haul him towards me, office rules be damned.
Naughty Bella did a self-indulgent victory lap, and before I even knew what was happening, the silk of Edward's tie was curling around my fist and I was dragging him, nearly by the tie around his neck, into the office with me. I threw myself into him, and he staggered back briefly, throwing something down on the floor in the process before our mouths fused together.
Clearly, Naughty Bella had taken matters into her own hands.
I couldn't even think as his hands traced the lines of my hips, made surprisingly curvaceous by the fit of the skirt, and I heard him hiss in delight as he made contact with the bare skin of my leg. I angled my head, trying to get deeper into his mouth, one hand lost in the glory of hair, the other, fingertips extended, biting into the muscles of his back.
"Bella," Edward panted, briefly pulling his lips from mine, "I. . ."
But Naughty Bella allowed no distractions when she was in pursuit of pleasure, so she tugged his head closer to mine. Clearly, he didn't mind so much either, as his level of eagerness seemed to only increase, and I could plainly feel his erection against my leg.
We stumbled back towards my desk, and with one sweep of his arm, he brutally cleared it off all the papers and pens that were on it. Like I was weightless, he lifted me up, his lips never once leaving mine, and set me down on the desk. I groaned my approval into his mouth.
His hands coasted up my legs, his long fingers setting off the most delicious electrical pulses against my bare skin. I didn't think about his destination until I felt my skirt slowly being peeled upwards. Normal Bella would have shrieked and fallen over in surprise. Naughty Bella, however, took it all in stride, and even rejoiced at the thought of what such actions might mean.
Having deemed the skirt high enough for the time being, his fingers traveled up my torso and closed over my breasts. I moaned into his mouth, happy that at least a little progress had been made. However, Naughty Bella didn't think was nearly sufficient, and I wound my legs around his waist, pulling him in closer, until his wonderfully prominent erection was right in line with my panty-covered core.
"God, Bella," he hissed, lips barely leaving mine before he ran a trail of kisses down the side of my neck to my ear, "you're going to kill me, I don't have that much self-control left."
Normal Bella would have been afraid of him losing the last of his self-control, but Naughty Bella welcomed it and even encouraged it.
I pulled him even closer and my head fell back at the wave of pleasure that rolled through me at the feel of his hard cock grinding against me.
"Please," Naughty Bella moaned, and apparently Edward was just as bad as her, because he didn't even blink. He simply lifted his hands from my breasts, and his mouth from my neck. I opened my dazed eyes and couldn't believe what I saw and then, what I felt.
He'd dropped to his knees and was now kneeling in front of me, eyeing my lace panties like he'd just found the Holy Grail.
Normal Bella would have died in shame and embarrassment to see Edward so lustfully staring at her crotch. Luckily for everyone involved, Naughty Bella had no such qualms. She knew what she wanted, and she demanded it.
Leaning forward slightly, I grabbed his tie and pulled his head up a little so I look straight in his gorgeous eyes that were glazed over with such lust that I felt the world tilt a little beneath me.
"It's lunchtime, don't you think you need something to eat?" I couldn't believe that was my voice, saying those dirty, incredibly outrageous things, but I couldn't seem to stop myself.
Apparently, though, Edward must have liked it because, though I didn't think it was even possible, his eyes morphed into an even darker, smokier green, and he murmured, "I really think I'm hungry, now that you mention it. . ."
I dropped the tie in shock and my head fell back as he ran his tongue on the lace of my panties, making me sob a little. "God, Edward, don't tease me now," I mumbled, hardly even hearing my own voice through the roar of pleasure.
"Don't worry," he said with relish, as his fingers reached up to pull my underwear off, "I don't intend to."
His mouth immediately descended into my wetness, licking upwards as if he was drowning and I was the rope saving him. His tongue flicked my clit and I moaned involuntarily.
"You like this, Bella?" he murmured wickedly, sending the vibrations through me, intensifying the pleasure even more.
"God," I could only whimper in response, "God, Edward."
"You've been such a bad girl; I want you to come for me." His hands snaked up my leg again, the teasing patterns sending me into sensory overload and I felt one finger begin to trace outside of my entrance before slowly circling its way inside.
"I want you to come for me now," he growled, doubling his licking efforts on my clit and I nearly screamed when he added a second finger to the first.
"Edward," I panted, unable to even take more than the shallowest of breaths, "YES."
"Good, Bella, come for me now," he demanded, wringing yet another level of incredible pleasure from me.
I did exactly as he said, and the room went black then neon as I climaxed.
I came to gradually, only half-realizing at first that he'd just eaten me on my desk at work.
At my desk at work.
Holy fucking shit.
"Edward," I exhaled, barely able to open my eyes. When I finally lifted my lids, he was smiling like he'd just won the lottery. Then his lips were on mine and he was kissing me with such incomparable joy I felt floored. I could still even taste me on his tongue.
"Edward," I said again, letting my hand drift downwards towards his straining erection, "let me. . ."
He snapped upright, his arm still half cradling me on the desk.
"Absolutely not."
My jaw dropped. "You don't want me to return the favor?"
"Oh, I do," he smirked, "but I want to do it when we have more time, and a bed or a floor even, or maybe a door, and I want to bury myself in you right afterwards."
"You do?" I gaped, really unable to process anything mentally after what had been possibly the best orgasm of my life.
"Oh hell yes I do. Don't you?" His green eyes gleamed with mischief.
What else could I do but tell the truth, even though Naughty Bella had apparently left right after being satisfied. "Of course," I answered, "you know I want to. Let's go right now."
Edward took a deep breath and leaned over to pick something up off the floor. Apparently the thing he'd dropped right after I'd attacked him.
He reappeared with a bit bruised but still beautiful bouquet of flowers, and that finished me. I felt the beginnings of tears threaten the corners of my eyes and I tried to push them away. He was so . . . something. Perfect? No, not quite. I didn't think I'd like him so much if he was perfect. Not perfect. But perfect for me? Maybe. The jury was still a bit out, but they were rapidly coming to a decision, a lot faster than I really felt comfortable with.
"I actually made a reservation for us at Bluehour and I wanted to take you to lunch, maybe seduce you," he grinned boyishly at me, a bit giddily, and it filled me with the most overwhelming sense of being at exactly the right place at the right time, "but we got a little. . .distracted." He leaned over and picked up my discarded underwear, handing it to me. I gingerly slid them back on and moved off the desk, pulling my skirt down. I tried to rearrange my hair and I straighten my clothes.
"We could go grab a quick bite somewhere?" I asked hopefully, never wanting this to end.
"That sounds wonderful," he agreed, and I made one last final check of my clothes.
He extended the hand with the flowers. "Do you have a vase somewhere?"
"Oh yes, I do actually." I walked over to the bookcase and pulled a rather dusty vase off the bottom shelf.
I tried brushing the dust off but all I succeeded in doing was getting it all over my hands and face. Laughing, Edward took it from me and proceeded to do a far better job.
"This vase is going to see a lot more use, I predict," he smiled at me and I felt my heart jerk in response to what I thought he just said.
"Really?" I let myself ask, a little too hopefully.
"Definitely," he said, wrapping a hand around my waist and pulling me close.