A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind. I do not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Following my almighty good kiss with Edward, I waited for his promised phone call.

And waited.

And waited.

Okay, so in reality, it has only been forty-one hours and twelve minutes since that kiss but it was so good that I was counting the minutes until we could have a repeat performance.

Every time I left my cubicle at work I took my phone with me. Luckily, in my job, I could be legitimately using it for work. But today, I also left it off silent mode and had taken to staring at it frequently in attempts to encourage it to ring.

I knew I was turning into a crazy person but Edward had sounded so genuine when he told me he'd call me. Soon.

Perhaps I wasn't the best judge of character, or perhaps my version of soon was different than Edward's, either way, it was now lunchtime and I was about to lock my computer and head outside in an attempt to let the cool autumn air, or fucking freezing air as it was in reality, clear my mind.

Just before I left, my computer flashed up an email. I contemplated leaving it, assuming it was work but when I looked at my screen, I saw it was from Edward Cullen at the Clallum County Chronicle.

I may have squealed a little. Or a lot. Or a lottle.

I wanted to savor this moment of having an email from him to read but instead my excitement got the better of me and I double clicked it open immediately.

From: Edward Cullen
To: Isabella Swan
Date: 12:34 20th October 2016
Subject: Hi, from the county's best reporter!

Hey! So I had to visit our rival website to find your email. Don't tell my boss! It's the first and last time I'll boost your click count and web traffic stats!

Hmmm, how did Edward make surfing the internet sound dirty? Or maybe it was only me that thought of all the alternate ways he could boost my click count?

I read and re-read his email several times; probably a few too many times because before I could reply another email from Edward appeared in my inbox above his first.

From: Edward Cullen
To: Isabella Swan
Date: 12:36 20th October 2016
Subject: It's the county's best reporter again!

So, I've been thinking...computers really should get with the times and have a little emoji keyboard. I need to inject a sheepish smiley face right about now.

I hit reply instantly this time.

From: Isabella Swan
To: Edward Cullen
Date: 12:38 20th October 2016
Subject: Hi from the Fork's best reporter!

Even emojis don't have a sorry-I-didn't-call-you-when-I-said-I-would face.

His reply was immediate.

From: Edward Cullen
To: Isabella Swan
Date: 12:40 20th October 2016
Subject: Well...

I can explain…

From: Isabella Swan
To: Edward Cullen
Date: 12:41 20th October 2016
Subject: Go ahead

Really? Let me guess. You had a strep infection and lost your voice. No? You have such bad breath you can't speak, even on the phone? (Even though I know that's not true. Even after a garlic pizza your breath was more than passable). So maybe you dropped your phone in your toilet? (Don't laugh, that's a real thing. Apparently. Not that I'd know…). Am I close?

From: Edward Cullen
To: Isabella Swan
Date: 12:42 20th October 2016
Subject: Nope. You're not close.

I don't have your phone number.

From: Isabella Swan
To: Edward Cullen
Date: 12:44 20th October 2016
Subject: Oh.

Yeah. That's quite a good excuse for not calling. Now I know what you mean about needing the sheepish face emoji.

I finished the email including my phone number and one minute twenty three seconds later he called me.

We were both at work so couldn't talk too freely but we arranged another date. I gave him my address, and he said he'd pick me up at 7 pm in a couple of nights' time. Considering my only prior commitment was my dad's promise to fix my leaky kitchen tap one night this week, I was quite flexible. Then again, I'd always be flexible around Edward. There go those dirty thoughts again.

That's how I found myself pacing up and down my hallway while I waited for him to knock on the door a few nights later. I'd dressed casually, no more heels for me for a while. I'd fallen over a few too many times in front of Edward; I wanted to remain upright tonight. Although, on second thoughts I could be persuaded to lie down with him. Or next to him. Or on top of him. OMG! Isabella Marie, STOP IT!

While I was busy telling myself off for pondering the various ways in which I could get horizontal with Edward, I heard a knock at my door.

I breathed in a deep breath before opening it and taking in the sight of him. He was wearing worn work boots, dark denim jeans and a checked shirt, with the top few buttons undone. Oh, damn. He looked so good my stomach ached as I ran my eyes over his stubbled jaw and finally met his dark green eyes.

"Hi." He leaned forward and brushed his lips over my cheek while I tried to gather myself.

"Hi. Hello. Um...come in…" I offered, holding the door wider open.

The last time I'd seen him I was still finding it hard to believe that I was even on a date with Edward Cullen. Given our past it was hard for me to comprehend that he was actually interested in me. However, after our first kiss, I was starting to understand that he was genuine and there was a chance he really liked me. I needed to get over my insecurities and trust that he was choosing to spend his time with me because he wanted to. Because he liked me.

While I was studying him and giving myself a little pep talk, multitasking like a pro, he stepped into my hallway and closed the door behind himself.

It was then that I noticed the toolbox Edward was carrying. For once this wasn't a metaphor; he was actually carrying a slightly rusty, heavy looking toolbox. In his other hand was a brown paper bag which held something that smelled amazing.

"I might be crazy and you might be expecting some grand date but I brought food," Edward held up the bag as evidence before continuing. "And I thought we could stay in. I could fix your tap and we could chat. It would be nice to get to know each other better."

I gazed at him for a second before smiling widely. "That sounds perfect." Because it really did.

Edward shucked his boots, settled his real, not metaphorical, toolbox down and held up the take-out bag. "Thai, I hope you like it?"

I'd eaten Bolognese on top of a pizza for this man, I'm sure he could persuade me to eat anything.

Anything.

Oh, God, Bella. You just can't help yourself from letting your thoughts go straight to the gutter, can you?

I nodded and took the bag from him, turning and heading for the kitchen.

"So, you're serious about the screwing?" I joked. When he didn't reply, I turned around and caught him staring at my ass. Sweet!

"Huh? Sorry." He knew he'd been caught and grinned at me, giving me a preview of how that sheepish emoji would look. We reached my tiny kitchen about three steps later, my apartment wasn't much bigger than a shoebox, and I fetched the plates, cutlery and drinks while Edward started to serve the food.

"Screwing? Yeah, I'm serious about that." He finished off his innuendo with a heart-melting wink. He did NOT just go there! "I know you said you can fix the shelf yourself…" he continued while I picked myself up from the melted puddle I'd formed on the floor.

"I can, but I haven't," I interjected. "I'm a busy girl." I finished with a shrug while Edward licked a little sauce off his fingers. The glint in his eye told me he knew exactly what he was doing. Jesus, he was trying to kill me and the evening had barely started.

After regaining my composure we set the food and cutlery down on my tiny dining room table, our knees almost knocking together underneath the table when we sat down. I briefly wished other parts of us could knock together above the table but that thought was wiped from my mind when he spoke again.

"Busy with other dates?"

I gawked at him, my fork pausing halfway to my mouth, and my eyes wide as I looked straight at him to see how serious he was.

"Sorry. That was my rather indiscreet way of asking if...you know if you're...if we're…"

"You're asking if I have a line of men out the door? Did you see any on your way in?"

"No," he laughed, "but I'm surprised there isn't."

I shook my head at his words but, due to my previous pep talk, decided to take them as the compliment he intended. "I'm not interested in anyone else, Edward."

"Me either," he stated calmly as I grinned and nodded at him.

"Good."

"Good."

When I finally took my first taste of the food he'd brought with him, I moaned, a bit too loudly judging by Edward's amused look.

"Sorry, but this is so good." I pointed my fork at the food before taking a sip of my drink.

"I know, right? A few weeks back I wrote an article about this new restaurant in town. The owners were so pleased with the piece they promised me the best takeout I'd ever had. I waited long enough that their offer couldn't be considered a bribe then, tonight; I finally took them up on their offer."

I nodded. I was pleased Edward had chosen to share this food with me, but I was even more pleased that he'd kept his integrity intact.

He went on to ask me about my latest article, the proposed airport expansion, and then he entertained me with the many email reactions he'd received from his article about the Fall Festival. Apparently, many regular readers were demanding an update on his love life since he so publicly asked me on a date.

"Oh, jeez. Have fun with that!" I joked.

He shrugged. "It's not all bad. Mrs. Banner's offered to bake our wedding cake."

I spluttered over my food, gawking at the casual way Edward had delivered that information.

"Umm...seriously?"

His face split into an amazing smile. "Yeah, and I don't think she was joking either."

I swallowed the last of my food around the lump in my throat. "Good to know!"

That seemed to be our cue to set about clearing up as by now we'd both finished eating. I cleared away our plates, Edward fetched his toolbox and in no time he'd fixed the wobbly shelf, thankfully removing the threat of death by a falling saucepan from my kitchen.

I turned away from him as I loaded the dishwasher, well aware I was giving him a good view of my ass but while my back was turned, he must have reached for the faulty tap.

"Edward, don't!" I shouted when I realized what he was doing.

It was too late.

Cold water gushed out in a vicious stream, hitting him square in the chest and making him stumble backwards to get his footing.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he fumbled through the unrelenting jet of water, managing to shut the tap off before I could reach him.

His hands wiped at his shirt as we stood in near silence. The only noise that could be heard was the water dripping off his shirt and hitting the wooden floor of my kitchen.

I tried not to laugh, but he looked so adorable. He was clearly shocked and unsure what to do as he wiped further at his shirt. I probably should have helped him but I was enjoying the view too much. The water was causing his shirt to stick to his body and his now damp hair looked more chaotic than ever, sticking up in all directions as he ran his hands through it.

"Sorry…" I ventured rather unhelpfully. I grabbed a tea towel and started patting at his shirt before realizing that was perhaps a little too intimate for our situation. "Sorry. . ." I apologized again as Edward stilled my hands and started to laugh.

"It's fine, stop apologizing." He pulled the wet material off his chest as he spoke.

"I can stick that in the dryer if you like? You know, to dry it. Obviously. But, I mean, that would involve you not wearing it. Which I don't have a problem with, by the way." Oh God, I was babbling again. I deliberately shut up and avoided eye contact with Edward as I busied myself with folding and unfolding the tea towel I was still holding.

"You're asking me to take my shirt off?" His voice was now serious and the deep, rumbling tone went straight to my stomach where it gave me butterflies once again.

"Kind of. I guess? I'm mean; I might have a hoodie you can wear?" I offered lamely.

"Oh? Does my body offend you?" Edward's following eyebrow wiggle told me he knew the answer to that question.

"Err, nope. No. Definitely not. Not at all. I just thought you might be cold," I muttered, my face turning redder with every word I spoke. I knew Edward was enjoying winding me up but I still couldn't help the flush on my face.

"Bella, you're about five foot nothing. I'm six foot three. I don't think even the baggiest of your sweaters would fit me."

"Five foot one inch, actually." I corrected him.

"Oh!" His eyebrows rose in humor at me. "That one inch makes a big difference, does it?"

"It sure does," I assured him with a wide grin.

"Good to know," he replied, as he slowly unbuttoned his soaking wet shirt.

I didn't know where to look. I should have looked away, but he was standing right in front of me in my tiny kitchen so I decided to stay close at hand, ready to grab his shirt like the hero that I am and rush it to the dryer as quickly as possible.

I didn't dare look at his chest though. If I started that I might never look away. Instead, I grabbed his shirt from him and stuffed it in the dryer, setting it going before I took a deep breath and turned back to him.

Whoa!

Where had he gone? I was only joking, Edward. Come back! I definitely wanted to look at his chest. Well, I wanted to do more than look at his chest but that would be a good place to start.

Then I saw him. He was lying down, head in the sink cupboard, torso and body sticking out, taking up the whole rest of my kitchen.

Well, it looked like one of us was already horizontal tonight, as I'd hoped, this was a good start. Now all I had to do was join him!

However, despite how appealing the thought was (and believe me it was very appealing), I decided against mounting him on my kitchen floor.

"I see the problem," he muttered. "Your washer's completely worn away."

He then wriggled out from the cupboard and stood up. "I think I have a spare in my toolbox. Where's your stopcock?"

The words toolbox and stopcock coming from Edward's mouth in the same sentence produced so many juvenile jokes in my overactive mind that I was thankfully too overwhelmed to voice any of them. Probably also because I was now face-to-face with him or face-to-chest because with our height difference I was getting an awesome view of said chest. I tried not to stare, but he was so perfect I couldn't pull my eyes away.

Sparse chest hairs highlighted his reassuringly normal but oh-so-appealing torso. His pecs were defined and his biceps were also on show, leaving my eyes flitting all over his body, not knowing where to look first. Now that he was closer, I could smell his aftershave, the same scent he'd worn on our date, the same scent that would forever remind me of cool night air and hot, electric kisses.

While my head spun from sensory overload, Edward stood in front of me, wiping his damp hands on his jeans as he raised his eyebrows in question.

"Erm…" I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts. Now I wasn't staring at half naked Edward I could think a little clearer. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, cocks...I mean stopcocks. Not Edward's cock! Hmmm...Edward's cock...

I shook my head and opened my eyes slowly, trying to find his eyes, not his chest, so I could continue to attempt to think straight. "I've not had much need for the stopcock before…"

"I see," he grinned, no doubt holding back a few innuendos of his own, before looking around. "There are not many places it can be," he reasoned.

I then watched rather dumbly as he fiddled around in his toolbox, the real one, and opened and closed a few more cupboards, apparently finding what he needed before he disappeared under the sink again and muttered to himself.

After a lot of noise and a few more grumbles, he shouted up to me.

"Try the tap now...slowly! Don't turn it on too hard."

"Sure. Okay," I coughed, sure that he'd chosen his words specifically to trip me up.

I then noticed that, rather unfortunately, in order to reach the tap I had a stand with my legs on either side of Edward's horizontal body, straddling him so I could reach forward. I hastily assumed this very necessary position and gingerly turned the tap, grinning when the water flowed into the basin and not shooting into my face.

"Perfect! It's perfect!" I shouted.

"Great. I'll just tighten things up under here."

I reluctantly moved, allowing him to stand up a few minutes later, and passed him a dishcloth to wipe his hands as he grinned at his handyman success. He was looking quite smug but this time I didn't mind his smug face, it was kinda cute. In a ruggedly handsome way, of course!

While I was busy admiring his cute manliness, he spotted his half-full drink still on the table and reached for it, downing it in one go, looking very much like the Diet Coke man on TV. Lord help me!

Once he'd finished re-enacting a famous 90's advertising campaign, I cleared my throat.

"Thanks, Edward. How can I ever repay you?" I asked coyly.

He growled a throaty, masculine sound before he tossed the dishcloth over his shoulder and walked forward, closing the small gap between us in two strides. His large hands held my waist and immediately his thumbs stroked just above the waistline of my jeans, under my top, on my bare skin.

"I can think of a few ways." As he spoke his hands rose and held my face softly, his large palms resting on my jaw. He then paused and looked me in the eyes, seeking permission, which I willingly gave, before his lips descended on mine.

He was right. The next time he kissed me we were alone, and this definitely felt like the start of something. His large hands held my face firmly as his tongue greeted mine and another low growl escaped from his mouth.

My hands finally found his bare chest, eliciting a moan of my own as I stroked the warm, soft skin of his torso. It felt so good to be touching him, to know that I was making his breath hitch and his kiss become even more frantic.

My hands traveled down to the top of his jeans, rubbing along the skin that led down there. Down to mini Mr. Smug Pants. Who, judging the bulge against my leg, wasn't mini at all.

Edward held my body even closer to his and started walking, guiding me to the nearby sofa and falling on it, pulling me down with him so I was lying on him the way I'd fantasized about only hours (let's be honest, minutes) ago.

Now we were shamelessly making out on my sofa like two teenagers. Our hands were frantic, breaths were hot and heavy, and moans and groans were the only sound in the room. The butterflies in my tummy had spread to my whole body, making me rock slowly up and down on top of him, causing him to groan even louder, telling me not-so-mini Smug Pants was enjoying this position as much as I was.

Next Edward's hands rose slowly, dancing on my back, under my top.

I froze.

He was about to hit bra territory.

I had no problem with that, I'd worn my favorite bra, the lacy one that was as uncomfortable as hell and dug into my skin, poking me in places I never usually noticed, but it also made my boobs look about two sizes bigger. Those beauties weren't the problem. My Spanx were.

Was he headed there next?

I'd figured sucking and tucking was more important than lace and grace tonight so the minuscule panties matching the super bra were safely tucked in my underwear drawer as my Spanx safely tucked my stomach in from view.

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me as I pictured Edward discovering my big granny pants. This whole situation, me dry humping him on my sofa, was so surreal I couldn't stop the laughter once it started.

Edward drew his head back and looked at me with amusement.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, sorry. It's just this is right up there on my list of things I never thought would happen. Right next to alien abduction and Britney and JT getting back together."

"Who?" His eyebrows knitted together in confusion as his hands stilled.

"Never mind." I shook my head. "Continue," I encouraged.

"Okay. If I must." He grinned, shrugged and resumed his movements. His hands gripped my bra again and his soft lips made contact with my neck.

That was until he stopped.

"I'm sorry I said anything, really…" I stated as he cocked his head and smiled.

"Didn't you hear that?"

Oh, God. What internal thought had I voiced without realizing it? Was it one of the many ones about his amazing body? Or was it the one where I told myself not to moan out loud because I didn't want to sound like an injured cat? Or was it the one where I wondered if the stopcock had been found next to my leg or did he just have something in his jeans pocket?

"No, really...why did you stop? It's so good!"

"I know, baby, but I think someone's trying to hammer your door down."

"Really?"

As I spoke he shushed me and then I heard a knock at the door.

"See."

Damn. "Do you think they'll go away? Don't they know how busy I am?"

Edward chuckled. "Considering that's at least the third time they've knocked, I doubt it," he reasoned.

"Jeez. No one ever visits and then the minute I get busy…" I reluctantly clambered off his lap, muttering some more to myself about inconsiderate people as I raced down the hallway, eager to get rid of whoever was wearing away the paint on my door. Didn't they know I had business to tend to here? Big business.

"Umm...you might want to fix your hair…" Edward's voice drifted down the hallway to me but it was too late. I was already pulling the front door open to see my dad standing on the doorstep.

Oh shit balls!

"Hey, Bells. I knew you must be in, I saw your car. I was passing by and thought I'd look at your tap…" his voice trailed off as I stared dumbly at him, not moving aside to let him in as I usually would. I was too concerned about the possibility that he was about the meet the half-naked guy in my living room. The one that he'd previously arrested.

When I gained my composure, I tried to joke and distract my dad. "Well, you weren't passing by because you're here. In my apartment. Not passing by my apartment."

"Yeah." My dad looked confused as I frantically finger combed my hair and straightened my top. "Well, I'm here now, so, shall I?"

"Sure." I reluctantly stood aside and saw my dad's eyes widen as he took in the work boots in the entrance way.

He looked up at me, at my hair, and then stumbled. "Sorry. Do you have company?" Before I could answer he looked down the tiny hallway to where Edward was now standing, still topless.

"Oh. I see."

Oh dear God. Can the ground just swallow me up whole, please? Well both me and Edward, then we could continue making out.

"Hello, Mr Swan." Edward extended a hand as Charlie looked from his bare chest to his outstretched hand, back to his bare chest, and then finally looked him in the eyes.

"Chief Swan."

"Dad!" I groaned at his abruptness.

"Yes. Of course. Chief Swan." Edward didn't flinch at Charlie's correction as his hand still hung in the air.

"Edward." Charlie finally, reluctantly, shook Edward's outstretched hand. "I haven't seen much of you lately, which is a good thing in my line of work. How have you been?"

"I'm doing well thanks, Chief." Nice one, Edward. It never hurt to repeat that word around my dad.

"Yes. Well, you do seem to be having fun." His eyes drifted to Edward's state of undress yet again before he turned back to me.

"Ummm...your tap."

"Edward's fixed it," I announced gleefully. That should endear him to my dad, right? A guy with handyman skills, that's what every man wants for his daughter, isn't it? It would certainly save him a few odd jobs.

"Oh. Okay, well then...I'll be off. I can see I've interrupted something here."

"Dad, no. I, we, the tap, it soaked Edward's top…it's in the dryer..."

My dad raised his eyebrows to silence me before he interrupted.

"Bella, walk me out to my car, yeah?" Oh dear. He'd used his police chief voice for that request.

"Okay." I gave Edward an apologetic glance.

His response was sympathetic. "I'll just check to see if my shirt's dry." He turned to the dryer as I followed my dad outside to his car.

"I'm assuming you know that boy's history?" Wow! Dad jump right in there with the inquiries why don't you?! I thought I was the reporter in the family?

"He's not a boy," I objected, avoiding the question

"Bella?" He wasn't fooled.

"We've talked but I don't know the full sorry, not yet." I pulled the sleeves of my top down to cover my hands; it was cold out here with no coat on.

"I see. Well, maybe you should find out before things go any further." He unlocked his car as I nodded.

"Dad...please give him a chance."

Charlie must have heard the sincerity in my voice because he sighed and before he got in his car, he pulled me into a hug, dropping a kiss on top of my head.

"I'll see you on Thursday, you're bringing the pie, right?"

"Sure." I nodded. Thanksgiving plans were always the same. Me, mom, dad, a turkey and a pie.

"Go inside, it's cold out here. And, Bella, take care, please." He turned from me and sat in his car, waiting for me to acknowledge his words before he started the engine.

"Okay, Dad."

I knew he wouldn't drive off until I was safely back inside so I turned and waved before closing my front door and banging my head against the inside of it a few times.

Double shitballs. That didn't go well.

I heard Edward approach me and felt it when he ran his hands up and down my arms from behind in a comforting gesture.

I turned around in his arms, pouting slightly when I saw his shirt was firmly on his body again, right where I wanted to be.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"He's said worse to me," Edward announced as I groaned. Oh, God, this could get awkward.

"He just worries about me. He knows all the bad boys in town and his worst nightmare was always me dating one of them." I wasn't sure I should be defending my dad to Edward, but he'd looked so genuine when he'd questioned me and told me to take care.

Thankfully Edward didn't balk at the reference to us dating.

Instead he looked amused. "Yeah? How does his daughter feel about dating a bad boy?"

I grinned; pleased Edward didn't seem too hurt by this evening's turn of events.

"She doesn't mind." I shrugged. "She quite likes a bad boy, actually." I tried to flutter my eyelashes at him in that flirty way the celebs do it but I knew I was in danger of looking like I was having a fit. "She quite likes one bad boy in particular, actually," I finished.

Edward smiled and responded with a soft kiss. "Interesting. He must be a lucky guy."

I smoothed over his now dry shirt, sad that the evening was coming to a close.

"Thanks for a great evening, and the DIY. It'll be great to have a working tap again!"

"Your dad doesn't think so. I'm guessing he's not too pleased about finding me here?"

"I don't take dating advice from my dad," I replied, not directly answering his question.

"Even so, if you have any questions about my past…I wouldn't want you hearing your dad's version of events rather than mine."

He made a fair point. "I'm not judging you on your past," I reassured Edward.

"Even so...just make sure you ask me rather than believe town gossip or outdated opinions, please." He looked so sincere as he spoke, his eyes almost pleading.

"Of course."

"Okay. Good. Well, I'm guessing you're with your family for Thanksgiving but maybe on the weekend we could do something?"

"I'd really like that."

"Me too." He then collected his toolbox and stepped into his boots. "I'll call you." He dropped a quick kiss on my lips. "Sooner than last time!" He added with a grin before he exited into the darkening night.

As I climbed into bed that night I tried to forget my dad's interruption and concentrate on the amazing evening I'd had. I also breathed a sigh of relief that my Spanx secret was safe for another day. Who knows, I might be better off with the good underwear for the next date...you know...just in case!

A/N: Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.

Thanks to my Beta EdwardsFirstKiss and my PreReaders Sarcastic Bimbo and RebAdams who are always at the end of an email to help. Any mistakes are my own. Also thanks to M-Sparkle who has made some awesome banners for this fic!