A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long. It was surprisingly difficult to write and RL was getting in the way. Chapter 11 is almost finished, so it won't be a terribly long wait for it.
When we left these two crazy kids, they had smooched a little bit, and Edward convinced Bella to go out with him.
Let's see what happens…
Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of it's characters. We don't.
Thanks to Emmy415 for writing with me and being such a wonderful confidante and friend, and to Sweek539 for making us look good.
I'll stop rambling now…on with the chapter…
Chapter 10 (EPOV)
I walked into Masen's on Monday morning, whistling and grinning like the Cheshire cat. It had been that way since I left Bella's apartment on Saturday night. Jasper looked up at me from whatever he was reading and cocked an eyebrow, clearly confused by my demeanor.
"Get laid?" he asked dryly, running a hand through his blonde, shaggy hair.
"No, fucker," I said, punching him in the arm as I walked past him towards my office. I sat down in my leather office chair just as Jasper came through the door after me.
He plopped down in the chair across from me and leaned forward on my desk. "Come on, dude. What gives? I haven't seen you this happy since you shagged that Russian model. What was her name? Irina? She was hot. It's too bad she moved back to Russia because I would have-"
"Please, don't finish that sentence," I said, holding up my hands to stop him. "Irina was...a fling; nothing serious. And I've been plenty happy ever since Bella showed up."
"No, you've been slowly transforming into a girl ever since Bella showed up. All the mushy talk about her is almost too much to handle. I'm concerned about your masculinity, and I'm dangerously close to revoking your Man-Card. The way you showed up here this morning, all smiling and shit, that's the face of a man who recently got laid - or something close to it. Throw me a bone here."
"We just - had a good time on Saturday night, that's all. And I'm taking her out next weekend. Nobody got laid, trust me," I said, sheepishly glancing down at my lap and back up to Jasper's amused face.
"Well...good for you, I guess. Have you heard from your sister?" he asked, drumming his fingers on my desk.
I nodded, shuffling the papers on my desk. "Yeah, I talked to her last night actually. She's excited to get out of Washington and come to New York where she can 'really spread her wings'." I looked up at Jasper, who was trying to hold in a laugh. "Shut up. Her words, not mine. Anyway, she flies in on Sunday and will be staying with me for a while until she can get on her feet."
He smirked at me. "Oooo....won't having the little sister around cramp your style? You're not going to have any game with Alice hanging around."
"Don't worry about my game, Jazz. Might I suggest that you work on yours? It seems your constant parade of women has been lacking lately."
"Fuck off, dude," he said, giving me the one finger salute, and stormed out of my office. I chuckled quietly to myself and went back to reviewing the mountains of paperwork on my desk. He was definitely right about one thing, though. I WAS happy. After Bella had agreed to go out on a date with me, I became a giggly, 13-year-old boy that had just found his dad's Playboy stash. I was excited and intrigued to see where our blossoming relationship could go. We'd been great together as friends, and based on the kiss we shared, I had no doubt that we'd be great together as lovers, but Bella still seemed a little bit skittish about the idea of going from one to the other. It was my mission to make her 100 percent Team Edward.
I worked in my office for a few more hours, going over accounts and ordering supplies, and then spent a few more hours in the kitchen, doing prep work for the dinner service that night. Exhausted and starving by the time 3:00 rolled around, I decided to head out for some food.
As I walked through the dining room, I passed by Jasper who was furiously typing away on his BlackBerry. "I know you're talking to my sister right now, Whitlock. Just remember, I will be keeping a close eye on you when she moves out here."
His head shot up and he looked at me with wide eyes. "How did you...?"
"I just know," I said as I kept walking towards the front door. "I always know."
By the time Friday rolled around, I was exhausted. The restaurant had seen its busiest week since it had opened and that made me completely ecstatic. However, it also meant that I hadn't spoken to Bella at all that week. She had sent me several text messages, to which I replied as often as I could telling her I would call her, but by the time I made it home at nights, I would crash. As I walked into my apartment on Friday night, my cell phone chimed again with another message.
I think you're avoiding me, Mr. Cullen. -B
I laughed and hit the button on my phone to call her, pressing the phone against my ear. It rang twice before she picked up.
"Oh, look who finally decided to acknowledge my existence," she said semi-seriously before letting out an infectious laugh. I flopped down on my couch and smiled, happy that she wasn't angry at me.
"I'm so sorry, Bells. Masen's was ridiculously busy this week, and by the time I would get home so I could call you back, I would crash. Luckily, I've got tomorrow off, but Alice is moving here on Sunday, so I've gotta get my apartment ready for her."
"Edward, you do know your sister, right? I wouldn't do anything to your apartment, because you know the second she gets there, she's going to rearrange whatever you did. I would just leave it alone and let her deal with it."
I shifted and stretched out across the couch, propping a pillow behind my head. "You're right. I have no doubt that she will move all of my stuff to make room for hers. There will be hell to pay if she takes over my closet, though. I may need to start storing stuff at your place."
She snorted into the phone. "Yeah, right, okay. Keep dreaming there, big guy."
Suddenly, I heard water running in the background. "Do I hear water? What are you doing?"
"I'm getting ready to take a bath if you must know." Just by the sound of her voice, I could tell she was probably blushing.
I, however, had to clench my jaw to keep from groaning at the images that were suddenly assaulting my brain. Bella naked...in the tub...with her long legs sticking out of the water...GAH Edward, stop it!
"So...uh..." I started, my voice sounding strained and hoarse. "When can I take you out? Tomorrow?"
"Oh, um...yeah," she paused and then cleared her throat. "Tomorrow's, uh...tomorrow's good."
I smiled a little to myself because it sounded like she was having as hard of a time as I was. It took every ounce of willpower that I had not to go to her apartment and bust the door down. Because that wouldn't be weird AT ALL. I shook my head at my perverted subconscious.
"Can I pick you up at 7?" I asked her, my voice returning to its normal, smooth state. She quickly agreed, and we said good-bye to each other. I set my phone down on the coffee table and groaned out loud. The next 24 hours were going to drag, I was sure of it. I got up and did a little bit of research on places to take Bella, and then quickly fell into a deep slumber, completely exhausted from the week.
The following afternoon, I was on the phone with Alice, searching through my closet for clothes to wear.
"So, what time does your flight come in tomorrow?" I asked her, pulling a blue button down out and throwing it on the bed behind me.
"Edward!" she huffed. "I've told you three times before. I even e-mailed you my itinerary! But since you obviously weren't paying attention, my flight lands at JFK at 2:45."
"Okay, okay. I heard you. Sorry...I've been a bit distracted lately," I replied, throwing a pair of black pants on the bed with the shirt.
"Mmhmm. Jasper's told me all about it," she giggled.
That bastard.
"What?? That fucker! What has he been telling you? He's probably made me out to be some kind of pansy-ass girly-man, hasn't he?" After a second or two, what she actually said finally caught up to me. "Wait, what? You talk to Jasper? I mean, I know you talk to Jasper, but...frequently??"
She was quiet for a moment before continuing, her voice small and quiet. "Are you gonna be mad at me if I say yes?"
I sighed and sank down onto my bed. "No, not really. I just can't help but worry about you. Jasper's dating past is, well, less than savory. He's already been warned that if he screws up, he's in for a world of pain."
I heard her chuckle quietly on the other end of the phone. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I love that you're so worried about me, Edward, but I already know everything. Jasper told me about his past, but he also told me that he wants to be better. He wants to change for me. I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing. Plus, you work with him and see him all of the time. You're his best friend. You'll know if he's doing something wrong...but I honestly think that he's changed."
"You really like him, huh, Ali? Well...aside from the fact that he's a little funny looking, he's been a great friend to me, so I trust you both."
I could almost 'hear' her grin through the phone. "Yes, Edward...I really do like him. Well, I'll let you go get ready for your date," she teased.
"See you tomorrow. Love you," I replied, ending the call and throwing my cell phone down on the bed. I got up and jumped in the shower, the hot water doing wonders for my aching joints from my busy week. I took my time getting ready, shaving the couple days of growth off of my face and trying to tame my hair as much as possible. By 6:45, I was walking out of my apartment and down to my car, and by 7:00 I was standing in front of her door, knocking lightly on it.
I heard the sharp clatter of her heels clicking across the floor and the door swung open. Upon laying eyes on her, my brain and my stomach both plummeted straight to the floor. She was beyond beautiful, clad in a pair of form fitting dark jeans and a black top that showed off her creamy shoulders. Glancing down at her feet, I noted her stilettos that sent shockwaves straight to my groin. In a daze, I reached out blindly for her, grasping her hips and pulling her towards me. I placed a soft kiss on the side of her face and inhaled her perfume. All traces of stress from my busy week were instantly gone in that moment.
"You look beautiful," I whispered, squeezing her hip gently.
A blush spread from her neck up to her face and she nudged me with her shoulder. "You don't look so bad yourself." I smiled brightly and she looped her arm through mine, shutting the door behind us.
"So, where are we going?" she asked, as we walked down the hall towards the elevator.
"Well, I just heard of a new fondue restaurant opening, and thought we could try it out. Is that okay with you?" I asked, giving her a sideways glance as we entered the elevator.
She nodded and smiled. "Sounds good."
I led her to my car with my hand on the small of her back, opening the passenger door and ushering her inside. The car ride to the restaurant was mostly quiet, the only sounds being that of the city surrounding us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella staring out the window, a smile playing at her lips as she shook her head slightly.
"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked, reaching over the center console to take her hand in mine.
She chuckled. "I was just thinking about what it's going to be like to tell Rosalie she was right all along. She's never going to let me live it down."
"Right about what?"
There was a brief pause before she spoke again. "About you."
We pulled up to the restaurant, and I handed my car off to the valet, taking Bella's hand as she climbed out. She intertwined her small fingers with mine, and we walked inside together.
A tall blonde with fake boobs greeted us when we walked in. I could tell that Bella didn't like the way she was shamelessly undressing me with her eyes because she maneuvered me behind her and shot death glares in her direction. I gave her my name, and she escorted us to our table, shaking her hips a little too much for Bella's liking. I swore I heard her growl as we made our way through the maze of tables. We sat down, and I smirked at her as she looked over the wine list.
"What?" she asked, snapping her eyes up to mine.
"You're so cute when you're jealous," I said, trying not to laugh at her scowl that was etched across her face.
"I am not jealous," she scoffed. "I just think it was incredibly rude of her to look at you like that when it was obvious you were here with a date. It's as if she didn't know, or even care, that I was standing right there."
Our waiter approached our table, and Bella turned her attention to him, her scowl melting off of her face. I was appreciative to him for interrupting our conversation. I did not want our first date to be all about jealousy. I ordered a bottle of Merlot and our appetizer, and turned back to Bella, who was fiddling with her napkin in her lap.
"So" I started. "What were you talking about in the car when you said that Rosalie was right about me?"
Her bottom lip seemed to automatically make its way between her teeth before she spoke. "She just, I don't know...I guess she somehow knew right off the bat how you felt about me. I didn't believe her, though. I figured with us being so close as friends, that it would just be weird if it were anything more than that."
"Well, is it?" I asked, leaning forward.
Her eyes met mine and she leaned forward as well. "Is it what?"
I reached across the table and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is it weird? Being with me as more than just friends?"
"Not yet," she said, just barely above a whisper.
"Mmmm..." I said, moving just a little closer to her. "So it isn't weird when I do this?" I pressed my lips lightly to hers just as I heard someone clear their throat next to us.
Our waiter was next to us, looking mildly displeased, with our wine and appetizer in his hands. He set our wine down, and set the cheese fondue down on the burner in the middle of our table along with a plate full of bread and apple slices. After pouring us each a glass of wine, he took our dinner orders and scampered off again. I frowned at his retreating form, and Bella laughed.
"What?" I asked, picking up one of the long utensils and stabbing a piece of bread.
She giggled louder, putting her hand over her mouth. "You got cockblocked by the waiter. The look on your face was too funny."
I nearly choked on my bread as the word cockblocked left her mouth. Bella using any variation of the word 'cock' created very vivid images in my head. Images that were probably way too inappropriate for me to be having about her, especially during dinner in a very public place.
"Edward? Edward!"
Bella snapping her fingers in front of my face yanked me out of my lust-filled haze.
"Are you okay?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "For a second there you looked like you were about to leap across the table and attack me."
Oh, Bella, if you only knew.
I shook my head and cleared my throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. I, uh...just...I'm fine. Yep."
"Okaaayy," she dragged out and slowly reached for her wine glass to take a sip, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on me. As she pulled the glass away from her lips, she smiled.
"What's that for?" I asked, spearing a slice of apple.
Her smile grew bigger. "You're really weird."
I shrugged. "I know. All part of my charm." Her answering smile lit up her face, and I wanted nothing more than to see that look on her face all of the time.
Our entrees arrived, and we ate between talking and laughing together. Being in her company had always been easy and care-free, and I never felt like I had to 'pretend' with her. I could be my true and honest self and never have to worry about what she thought. Some women that I had dated in the past made me nervous. Sometimes I felt like they were analyzing me during the entire date...whether I had a good enough job, enough money, or whether or not I'd be good in bed. Not Bella.
I sat and watched her as she observed the goings on around us. She sat forward with her elbow propped up on the table and her chin resting in her hand as the fingers of her other hand mindlessly traced the rim of her wine glass. The dim lighting of the dining room made her soft features even more beautiful.
She let out a content sigh, and I nudged her knee with mine.
"Hmmm?" she hummed, nudging my knee back.
"You ready to go?"
She sat up straighter, taking the last sip of her wine, and pushing her hair behind her ears. "Yeah, I'm ready."
I took care of the bill and stood up, offering her my hand. Instead, she slipped her arm around my waist and snuggled into my side. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her into my body, and smiled down at her. We navigated ourselves out of the restaurant and out into the slightly chilly night air. When we got out to the sidewalk, I grabbed onto her arm and swung her around in front of me, wrapping my arms around her waist. Even with her heels, she only came up to my chin. She looked up at me, running one of her hands up my arm, and settled it around my neck.
I bent my head down slightly, brushing my lips across her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, until finally she grew impatient and captured my bottom lip between hers. I groaned softly and pressed my lips firmly to hers, snaking my tongue into her mouth. Her hand gripped the hair on the back of my head as she returned the kiss with more fervor. I tugged on her hips until they were right up against mine, my growing erection pressing firmly into her stomach. Too soon, I broke away, both of us gasping for breath. I didn't want to get too carried away on the sidewalk. People and cars were passing us by, but it seemed as if both of us forgot about the world around us, too consumed in each other to care.
Bella kept her body pressed close to mine as we waited for the valet to bring my car back around. She slipped her hands into my back pockets and placed a kiss on my neck. My arms instinctively pulled her closer, and I hummed in appreciation.
"I could get used to this," I said quietly, kissing the top of her head.
"Used to what?" she laughed. "Going out on dates? Out to eat? Really, Edward, it's not like we've never done this before."
"Not that," I chuckled, tilting her head back to look at her. "This," I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. "Kissing you. All the time."
She pulled back from me a bit and scrunched up her nose, her eyes full of mischief and happiness. "Have you always been such a sweet talker?"
"Naturally," I said, reaching for her hands just as the car pulled up. "It's all part of the Cullen DNA."
She laughed as I opened her door, and she slid into the leather seat gracefully. I got in, and revved the engine, speeding away from the restaurant, and back to Bella's apartment.
We parked in front of her building and I shut the car off, turning to Bella just as she was reaching for the door handle.
"Stay," I commanded, jumping out of the car and running around to the other side. I opened her door, and offered her my hand, helping her out of the car.
"Well, well, Mr. Cullen. Chivalry is certainly not dead, I see. Although, I bet this won't last. I give it 6 months before I'm opening my own car door." She smirked at me, tucking her purse under her arm.
Inside, I was beaming. Bella alluded to the fact that she potentially saw us dating 6 months down the road. In reality, 6 months was not that far away, but I was just happy that she saw us going past the first date.
"So, do you want to come up for a little bit?" she asked quietly, looking somewhat unsure of herself. I mentally did a happy dance, and nodded, hopefully not coming off as too eager. I didn't want her to think I was only coming up to make-out with her, even though the horny 16-year-old inside of me was hoping and praying for it. Okay, so the horny 26-year-old was praying for it too.
Don't judge me. It's been a long time.
She grinned and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the lobby towards the elevator. While I trailed behind her, I watched as her ass swayed back and forth in her jeans. Something in me also thought perhaps she was doing it on purpose. Actually, if I were to be completely honest, that something was in my pants.
We stepped into the elevator, and I leaned up against the wall, pulling her up against me. Her back was up against my chest, and I leaned down to inhale the scent of her hair, before moving it off of her neck. Bending down slightly, I fluttered soft kisses up and down the side of her neck and behind her earlobe. Placing my lips over her ear, I whispered the only thought I had in my mind at that moment.
"You're beautiful."
The doors opened, and we walked out with me still attached to her, my arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
"Edward, I can't walk with you hanging on me like a monkey." She glanced back at me over her shoulder, and I grinned at her, placing a loud, resounding kiss on her cheek. She unlocked her door and we stumbled into the dark apartment. The city lights were streaming through the windows, illuminating the room just enough that we could see where we were going. Bella reached over to flip the light switch, but I grabbed her hand instead.
"Leave them off," I said, turning her around in my arms to face me.
She looked up at me quizzically. "Why?"
I took her face between my hands as I leaned in, just barely brushing my lips across hers before capturing her mouth completely. What started out as a slow, sweet kiss grew increasingly intense with each passing moment. I cupped the back of her head with one hand as the other slid down her back to rest on her backside. Her tiny hands fisted handfuls of my hair, which only made me pull her closer, if that were even possible. When I finally couldn't breathe anymore, I reluctantly pulled away from her.
"Oh," she breathed out and I couldn't help but smile.
"Come," I said quietly, taking her hand and leading her towards the couch. Since it was dark, I adjusted myself in my pants, wincing from the intensity. My erection was straining against my zipper and was practically screaming at me to be let out.
Dude, I know. I'm sorry. Later, I promise.
I sat down and pulled Bella into my lap so that she was straddling me. Her hair fell over her shoulders and the lights from the city illuminated her face just enough so that I could see the deep, red flush that I had come to love so much. When I saw her reach to take off her shoes, my hand flew out to stop her.
"No!" I said much louder than I had intended. "I mean, uh...well, I'd really kind of like it if you kept them on."
Her face twisted into a knowing smirk and she ran her fingers through my hair. "Well, well, well, Mr. Cullen, do we have a little bit of a shoe fetish?"
"Mmmmm...maybe...I don't think it's the shoes alone though. I think it's you in the shoes that drives me crazy." She drug her lips up my neck and took my earlobe between her teeth.
"You should see my closet then. There's more where these came from. I've got shelves upon shelves of high heels specifically made to torture you."
"Evil," I groaned out, winding my fingers into her hair and tugging her lips back to mine. Our mouths parted again, and our tongues collided. My hands drifted down her back and settled on her hips. She gasped when I pulled her down firmly against my lap, and broke away from my lips only to reconnect her mouth with my neck, my jaw, anything she could get her lips on.
"God, Bella," I breathed, shifting my hips restlessly, and pressed up against her. Her breathing turned into panting, and she looked at me with hooded eyes filled with desire and want. I dove down, nipping at her shoulders and collarbone as she gripped her fingers in my hair once again, tugging with so much force that it almost hurt. But I didn't care. I wanted her to keep going. I wanted everything from her.
Her head fell backwards as my name fell from her lips in a quiet moan. One of my hands trailed up and down her side, brushing the side of her breast with every pass. She made no protest to my action, so I moved it around to her front, gently cupping her in my hand. She arched into my hand, and I tightened my grip slightly, softly massaging her through the fabric of her shirt. My other hand stayed firmly planted on her hips, pressing her down into my groin again. The movement made both of our breaths hitch in our throat, and our mouths collided again. Each kiss was drawn out, and our tongues circled and fought for dominance. After a minute or two, Bella cupped my jaw and pulled my face away from hers.
"Edward, wait," she panted, as my lips attached themselves to her throat again. "Oh god, that feels good," she moaned, before yanking on my hair to raise my eyes to hers. "Edward, we have to slow down a bit. Doesn't this seem fast?"
Fuck.
I wanted to slap myself for pushing her too far. Part of me was ashamed for making out with her on the couch like a bunch of teenagers, but the other part of me was patting myself on the back for making her breathe as hard as she was.
I scrubbed my hands over my face. "God, Bella. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to push. I guess I just got carried away." Her hand shot out to cover my mouth.
"Oh no you don't. There were two people participating here. I'm just as much to blame as you. Don't get all emo on me now, Cullen. I mean it."
Her eyes were filled with concern. "You okay?" She leaned forward to drop a quick kiss on my lips.
I smiled at her dazedly. "I'm better than okay," I admitted, stroking my thumb lightly over her cheekbone. "But in order to calm myself down, you've got to move. I can't properly decompress with you straddling me."
Smirking, Bella climbed off my lap. She started to stand, but I lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" She let out a little yelp as I pulled her down onto the couch next to me, snuggling her against my side.
"Just because I can't have you in my lap doesn't mean I don't want you as close as you can get."
She turned her head towards me and giggled, kissing me lightly on the nose.
"So, is this weird yet?" I asked, stroking her hair and pulling her head to rest on my shoulder.
"No. Not at all," she replied, and sighed contentedly, melting further into my side.
A/N: Well? They're making progress!
Next time, we'll see some more of Alice and Rosalie. Bella needs to get some girl time.
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