I'd just like to thank each and everyone of my reviewer's, story subscribers, and favouriters (I think I made that word up, haha). You have no idea what this means to me! And, oh my Lord, thank you to my Beta, Annie (FancyJumper)!


I stepped out of the elevator and immediately saw Cullen. His hair and body build were unmistakable. I put on my best fake smile and strolled over to him. He seemed to be pondering an abstract sculpture, but for all I knew, he could be anticipating my every move, waiting to find my weakness.

I stood beside him and crossed my arms, scowling at the sculpture. It reminded me of what happened to sand when lightning struck it....

"It's very interesting, no?" an Italian man asked me from my left.

I smiled and nodded before turning my attention back to the piece of art.

"It's very abstract," Edward replied. "I'm not entirely sure what it's meant to represent, but I'm sure it means something."

"That's what happens to sand when it's struck by lightning," I murmured softly, still scowling at it. "You have to be quick to see it though."

Edward and the Italian man looked at me, both surprised.

"Very good," the Italian said, smiling at me. "Not many people have seen this before. May I ask where you're from?"

"Phoenix, Arizona," I said, returning the smile. "But I saw it happen on Sweet Home Alabama."

Edward chuckled and the Italian man looked confused.

"It's a movie," I said in an apologetic tone.

The Italian man nodded and dejectedly walked away. I couldn't help but to crack a grin at his disappointment.

"Very well played," Cullen complimented while smiling. "Shall we?" He gestured towards the main door.

I nodded and linked my arm with his, clutching my purse tightly. I needed to calm down.

We walked out into the cool evening and had a car waiting for us. Apparently he knew where to go, and that made me nervous. What if I had been set up? Maybe they were taking me to the American embassy. And I didn't even have a God damn weapon....

"You're awfully quiet," Cullen observed with another crooked smile.

I smiled as best I could. "Surprises tend to have that effect on me. Can you tell me where we're going?"

"Agata e Romeo," Cullen stated, still smirking.

I couldn't help the scowl that slipped over my smile. The restaurant was well-known and there was bound to be a lot of witnesses. Maybe I was over-analyzing Mister Edward Cullen.

"Don't like that restaurant?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, assessing my frown.

"No, no, it's not that," I assured him, smiling again. "It's just that...well; I thought maybe we'd be going somewhere...quieter." The old blush that I could usually control crept back into my cheeks like an old friend and I looked at him through my eyelashes.

Cullen looked like a blind man seeing that sun for the first time. His jaw was slack and his emerald eyes were fixed on my brown eyes. He regained his brain, which I'm sure fell out his ass, and looked away, running his left hand through his tousled bronze locks.

"Well this isn't just a dinner date," he said, his voice huskier than usual. "We can have champagne back at my room, if you don't mind."

"Why not my room?" I asked, leaning closer to him. "You get dinner, I'll get the drinks."

Cullen gulped. "O-okay."

I smiled and pulled away. "Sounds perfect."

"It sure does," Cullen muttered as he ran his hand through his hair again.

The car stopped in front of a busy building. I gulped. This was the nerve-wracking part for me. If I could make it through dinner, the rest would be easy as pie.

I didn't know if I could lie to Cullen. He might see right through me. Hell, he might already know who I am. I sighed. Luck of the draw now. I said a quick prayer to the Big Guy upstairs, not that He cared about me anymore, and stepped out into the crowd with Edward.

He put his arm around my waist and held me close while we made our way to the door. This is easy enough, I thought happily. And he's easy to talk to talk to. I just can't slipup.

I took a deep breath before we left the chaos behind. Edward kept his arm around my waist as we walked behind the host, who was leading us to our table. He pulled out my chair for me and I sat down.

It was a very romantic setting. Candlelight, formal, isolations, the works. I even had a rose on my plate.

"This is...romantic," I said slowly, smiling.

"That was the vibe I was going for," Cullen admitted with a smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," I stammered, letting the blush loose again. "So, what brings you to Roma?"

Cullen smiled a sly smile, like he knew something I didn't. How very wrong he was.

"Business trip," he answered. "I'm off to the Alps in two days. You?"

"Business as well," I confessed, copying his smile. "I'm here until the end of the week."

"What business are you in?" Edward asked.

I panicked. What kind of business was I in? I couldn't very well say assassination.

"Flight attendant," I barely choked out.

"Oh," Edward mused, his brow furrowing. "This is going to sound odd, but I swore I saw you on my flight here as a passenger."

God damn him and his observations!

"You must have been mistaken," I smiled convincingly.

Edward considered this while my mind raced and my heart beat wildly in my chest. Jesus was this ever a bad idea. Why couldn't we just skip to the part where I kill him? Honest to God, killing someone right now would be easier on my nerves than this.

"Maybe," Edward finally decided. He smiled. "What kind of wine do you like?"

"Red, please," I murmured, still nervous beyond comprehension. Red calmed me down, oddly enough. It was familiar, almost soothing. Red was the colour of blood, which I was overly friendly with.

Edward ordered some red wine and our meals. I hadn't even looked at the menu.

"Trust me," Edward tempted with a smile.

I nodded and smiled. I could change the subject now that the waiter had disappeared.

"So, what business do you have in Rome, Mister Cullen?" I asked, smiling and leaning closer.

"I'm the CEO of a gondola company," he replied smoothly. He had practiced this a few times apparently. "Lots of clientele in the Alps." He grinned.

I smirked. "I suppose there would be."

"I'm assuming there's no one special waiting for you in Phoenix," Edward questioned lowly, avoiding my gaze.

I smiled gently. "No, there isn't. Too much travelling, too little time. I'm assuming the same for you, Mister Cullen?"

"Please," he beseeched, touching my hand that was resting on the table. "Call me Edward. And no, there's no one. Too much...travelling." He smiled that same sly grin.

"Oh, don't tell me there isn't a lucky girl back in Chicago, Edward," I teased. "That would be a tragedy in itself, a handsome man like yourself all alone."

"No, no girl in Chicago," he confessed hesitantly, pulling his hand away. "I would like to settle down eventually, but I've never found the right woman."

I smiled knowingly. I had been like that once. Now, the chances of me ever marrying are none.

"Don't you want to settle down one day, Raina?" he asked, his emerald eyes smouldering.

"Well – uh, no," I stammered, engulfed by the intensity of his stare. "Never have been the kind of girl willing to leave single life behind me."

I couldn't help but to notice his face fall slightly, but he picked it back up again quickly with a rueful smile.

"Little miss independent, huh?" he asked. "We could use girls like you in my line of work."

"The gondola line of work?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He really had dropped the ball. He was obviously talking about being an agent.

"Well, y-yes, of course," he stuttered, realizing his mistake. "Women are much more persuasive and trustworthy than men."

The wine came, thankfully. It was almost painful to watch Edward drown in his lie. The waiter poured us each a glass and then set the bottle in its ice bucket.

"Your meal shall be here in a few moments, signor," he informed in a heavily accented voice.

"Grazie," Edward thanked.

I took a sip from my goblet of a wine glass. It had a rich, dry taste, just how I liked it.

"Ah, this is wonderful," I sighed contentedly, holding my glass to my lips again.

"Red wine is my preference too," Edward agreed. "It's just so soothing."

Wow, could this guy read minds or what?

I set my glass down and proclaimed, "Excuse me, I need to freshen up."

"Oh, of course," Edward exclaimed, jumping up.

He pulled my chair out for me and grabbed my hand while I stood up.

"Maybe the food will come faster this way," I predicted with a wink.

He grinned back before I took off to hyperventilate.

I hung my head over a sink, breathing heavily. God damn Edward Cullen in all his godly ways. He was witty, charming, drop dead gorgeous, and on top of all that, he probably had as many kills as I did. I couldn't kill the guy. I was already getting attached to him, even though no Project R agent was supposed to become emotionally attached to someone.

But then again, I wasn't an agent for Project R anymore.

I applied some more mascara and red lipstick before heading out. I would just play it all by ear. I would have to get Edward out of the way somehow.

I sat down and the food showed up simultaneously.

"You were right," Edward declared with a smile.

"Always am," I replied, returning a weak smile. I looked at my plate. It was pasta of some sort. "What is this?"

"Buckwheat pasta primavera," Edward quoted. "It's good, trust me."

I stared at my plate, still wary.

Edward chuckled before poking his fork into one of the noodles and eating it himself.

"See, it's not poisoned," he teased with a grin. "Try some."

I was still wary. My stomach didn't fare well with new food. Edward rolled his eyes before picking up another noodle with his fork. He slowly pushed the fork towards my face.

"C'mon, you know you want to try some," he said.

I smiled but kept my lips tight.

"Hmm," Edward said, still smiling. "You'll take some persuading...."

"Wait," I interceded.

Edward shoved the noodle into my mouth. God was he ever right. The pasta was amazing. I chewed and swallowed.

"Wow," I exclaimed. "That was wonderful."

Edward chuckled. "See? What did I tell you?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Do you want a trophy?"

Edward grinned. "I had something else in mind."

My heart skipped a beat. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Edward got a mock thoughtful look on his face as we both leaned closer. "I don't know, something that I've wanted since I saw you storm onto the balcony."

"To cover me up in decent clothes?" I asked teasingly.

"No, definitely not that," Edward murmured. We were an inch apart now. "This."

And our lips met.


Okay, so here's the romantic part of the story. Don't be counting on a lot of romance for a long time after this though. Honestly, the next chapter is...smutty, to say the least, and then after that, this is the house of abstinence until later chapters. Sorry if anyone thought there would be mad sex chapters.

Now, to talk about the chapter:

Bella has become emotionally attached to someone for the first time in a long time. She hadn't been really emotionally attached to anyone since James, although she could feign affection quite well. Also, the motif of Bella's blushing was ultimately removed for this story, just because it's a dead give-away of her emotions. She can pretty much turn it on and off now. Just so that's cleared up... And, what else? Oh, of course, Edward cannot see through Bella's disguise, just like in the books where he can't read her mind. I did my homework :).

And for everyone that likes it when Bella turns into psycho killer, don't not worry, she'll be using many more knives and guns in future chapters.

Keep reviewing!