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Chapter 5

Bella pounds the pavement and tries to think of how she will explain this to her father. She hopes he won't find out, and Edward will be gone before any interaction between them has to take place. Charlie's well aware of her attempts at artificial insemination. He's all for it, actually. Charlie's very much looking forward to becoming a grandfather. He, however, wouldn't be if he knew his daughter was shacking up with some tattoo-covered drifter in hopes of becoming pregnant while getting her home fixed up in the process.

Stopping, she pants with her hands on her hips. She paces back and forth as she cools down. That was a good run. Running clears her head and wakes up her body for the day. She has a load of paperwork to do when she finally gets in. Bella unlocks the door and thinks she'll have to give Edward her spare key to use while he's around. She rubs her forehead and moves into her kitchen, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Morning." His voice is gruff from sleep.

"Jesus!" Bella jumps as she's startled from her thoughts.

Edward smiles and walks into the kitchen, brushing by her with a smirk and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Morning."

He looks her over in her running gear. It's not at all revealing, very modest, but it's a bit sexy. He quirks his brow.

"What?" Bella wonders at the face.

"Nothing. So I thought I would get started on the yard out back."

"That wasn't in red," she argues. "Do you want me to get my binder out?"

"No, I don't need for you to get your binder out." He mocks in her slightly condescending tone. He likes it.

Bella glowers. "I am allowing you to stay here in exchange for your services."

Edward smiles wickedly at her. "And what services would those be, Just Bella?"

She steps back from his advances. She wants to have sex in order to make a baby, but this – just having sex to have sex - feels overwhelming. She wonders if people just do this.

"Yes, people just do it," he answers.

Bella frowns. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes," he smirks. His hands go on her hips, and he lifts her to the counter. "Sex is good, you know. This is right, and you're smart."

Bella licks her lips and stares at him, her hands on his shoulders.

"How many partners have you had?"

"I am pretty sure that falls under inappropriate."

Edward smiles. "We've been fucking for two days now. I'm pretty sure you are being evasive, counselor."

"None of your business. How's that for evasive?" She cocks an eyebrow at him.

"Your snotty attitude is pretty much a turn on. Keep it up. I may have to put the pretty lawyer in her place." His hands squeeze her middle, and he thrusts her forward. Her body is pressed to his.

Bella glides her hands and fingers up his neck into his thick, dark hair.

Edward carries foliage after foliage out of her yard. It's a pretty impressive yard. Well, it will be once everything is cleared away. He wipes his brow with his forearm and sighs. His white shirt is sticking to him. He pulls it over his head, throws it down, and continues his work.

Bella sits at her desk and smiles.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing," Bella answers.

"There's something… You look different. Are you…?" Angela, Bella's assistant, knows her struggles with trying to conceive a child.

"No," Bella answers quickly. "Soon… I hope," she adds with a small smile.

"You'll make a wonderful mother, Bella," Angela smiles.

"Thank you. I hope I get the chance."

"You will."

Bella mouths a 'thank you' before Angela heads back to her desk. She goes through the paperwork Angela left and continues on her day.

"How's it going?"

Bella pushes the door shut with her bottom as she holds her cell to her ear. "Good. Just got home" She grabs her bags from the back seat.

"Is he still there?"

"Yes, Alice," Bella says with a sigh. She's tired and wants to sleep.

"Just asking. I'm only looking out for you. This is totally insane."

"I'm aware of your feelings on the matter." Bella frowns upon hearing a sound coming from out back. She walks around and through the gate towards the back of her home. "But I have a plan, and I'm sticking to it."

"I'm aware of your plans. This one, however, is crazy!"

"Alice, please try to be happy for me, and if not, be happy I'm getting laid regularly. Be happy I might get‒" Bella stops in her tracks as she takes in the view. It's not dark yet, just dusk; it's the best time of the day, really. Twilight. Edward's standing in her backyard, which is completely cleared, and she now has a tree. Edward's standing on a stool, hanging lights from her new tree.

"Bella? Bella! Are you there? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Alice, I have to go."

"Bella, wait‒"

"I'll call you."

Edward turns around and spots her. "Hey."

"Hey." She walks over, tucking her phone away as she holds her bags.

Stepping down when she's close, he smiles at her. "Like it?"

"This is really…" Bella turns. She has hedges surrounding the garden area and a huge tree full of white lights. Looking around, she looks for the power source.

"LED lights. It has a power box you can shut off, take the batteries out, and so on," he explains.

"Did I have these lights somewhere?"

"With all the labels and order in your cupboards, you think you had lights you didn't know about?"

Things dawn on her. "You went snooping around my home?" Her face goes white.

Edward shakes his head. "I didn't snoop."

"But you went into‒"

"I checked your Christmas stuff. You had nothing I could use, so I went and got some things. End of story."

"Where's your shirt?" She loses her train of thought because of his bare chest.

"It was hot today," he says simply.

Bella licks her lips, watching him. His question about how many partners she's had? Clearly not as many as him. She can tell that much. They're complete opposites. Tattoos scare her. She has her ear pierced, and that's it. His tongue is pierced. She saw it at the bar when they met Saturday night. She felt it when they kissed and when he did more. His nipples are also pierced. Her body responds just by looking at him. It responds in such a primitive way that she can't control her breath any longer. Her head feels light and they haven't even touched. She only talking to him.

"It's passion," he explains.

"Did I say something out loud again?" Bella looks up at him with wide, embarrassed eyes.

"No, but that mind of yours is going like a machine." He can tell she rarely, if ever, shuts it off.

"Oh." Bella runs her hands through her hair. "I'm really ready to crash." She rubs her scalp. "It looks amazing out here, Edward. Really."

"I'm glad you like it. You can sit out here with a glass of wine and good book. Get a nice lounging chair, and put it under the tree." He paints the picture, looking in the direction, his hands moving.

Bella looks at his profile. Perfect. She wonders how someone can look so perfect, like Adonis, but be covered in tattoos.

Edward stops and smirks at her.

"What?" She hopes she didn't say anything out loud. He's what happens to smart girls, why they become dumb.

"Nothing. So… I didn't do the important red section, but the world is still spinning. Happy with it so far?"

Bella nods. "It really is wonderful. Thank you. I'll pay you for the lights."

"No need," he shakes his head.

"Don't be silly. It's my house, and I'll pay for any supplies you need." He lives on his bike and in random beds. He doesn't have much money, if any, she deduces. He can't go around buying things for her home.

Edward says nothing.

"Did you eat?" She turns and walks toward the back door, which leads to her to the kitchen.

Close behind her, he answers. "Lunch? Yes. Dinner? No."

Bella places her bags down and looks at his wicked smile. "What?" she frowns.

"Dessert? Yes. That was this morning."

Her face reddens at what happened in her kitchen after her run this morning. She's not sure she's ever had sex before work. No wonder she's tired; her routine was thrown. Her brain was overworked before she even got to her desk. It's overworked from thinking about him. And the sex in her kitchen and the sex in the shower. She touches her head, wondering what's happening to her. She needs to slow down.

"I've always had a sweet tooth. I could use dessert again."

"We need to slow down," Bella blurts out.

He leans on the counter.

"I just…" She runs her hands through her hair. "I just need to think for a second."

"I think you're doing fine by not thinking. Sometimes it's okay to just feel and enjoy."

She drops her hands and lifts her head to look at him. "I've known you for three days. Three."

"And?"

She shakes her head. Her goal is a baby. Maybe Alice is right. She knows Alice is right. She's insane. People don't do things like this. At least normal people don't. "And‒ Well, and…" She doesn't know.

"We aren't getting married. We're having sex ‒ good sex." He makes a face. "I'm here doing some work on your house until I hit the road again. It's not rocket science, and it's not years at law school. It just is what it is," Edward shrugs. "Enjoy it." He doesn't care either way. He has nothing invested. He can hit the road any time. That is what's brilliant about his life. Nothing's holding him down or back. But Bella looks like she needs a break from her own head, so he's making an effort to get her to let her hair down.

Licking her lips, she lets out a breath. "Okay," she nods, looking at him. "Okay."