Thanks to SusanQ, Nicffwhisperer, VampiresHaveLaws, Kikki7, Julie, Pam, KittyVuitton, Stephanie, Jaime, Nolebucgrl, and Sydney Alice for all of their help pre-reading/betaing/supporting me. I'm always tinkering until right before posting and any mistakes are mine.

The Babysitter

"Aren't you bored?"

He looked around the quad, his eyes always peeled for trouble. I would have rolled mine, but he took it all so seriously.

It had been two weeks of Alec being my constant shadow.

Two weeks of nothing new happening. No letters, no stalkers, no threats.

Two weeks of no sex.

When we had gotten home from Nantucket, Edward had given me two choices: have Alec by my side or drop out of classes. Although I knew it came from a place of concern, it pissed me off that he gave me such an ultimatum.

We had our first real fight...at least one where we were both angry and shouting at the other. I knew he was worried, but I didn't like him telling me what I was going to do.

Unless it was in the bedroom.

Bedroom.

Bed.

Sex.

I was losing my mind. I was the one denying him, but it felt like I was the one being punished. And it wasn't like I wanted to purposely use sex as a weapon. It wasn't that at all. Well, maybe a little. But I hated the thought of that. It was more my anger at his actions made me not want to be with him that way.

At first.

Now my anger, mixed with my hormones, made me want to straddle him every second of every day. I was just waiting on him to concede a little tiny bit that he was wrong in forcing my hand. It was frustrating that he couldn't understand my side of things. He thought he was right, and to him that meant the end of the discussion.

Thus I had every right to leave him cold in return.

Unfortunately, my subconscious didn't agree with me. We fell asleep every night, each of us on our own side of the bed, but woke up every morning tangled together in the middle.

With Smugs Jr. poking all different parts of my body.

That made it even more difficult for me to keep my hands off. Plus, with the pregnancy, I had never been so horny before. My body ached just from the thought of Edward inside me.

But I had to prove a point. It was the principle of the matter. I didn't want to be a doormat, and Edward needed to learn not to treat me like a child.

Even if I acted like one at times.

I wanted to protect our baby as much as he did, but I wanted my input to be heard in the decision making. He didn't have the right to control everything.

"No, I'm not bored," Alec answered, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I sighed and tilted my face up, enjoying the sunlight during my break between classes. Fall had arrived just in time for October. The air was crisp, but it was perfect sweater and jeans weather.

"How's the studying going?"

I turned back toward him and shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

Midterms were coming up, but I felt comfortable with all the material. Even if I no longer had anybody to study with.

The curious looks I had gotten at the beginning of the semester from other students were nothing compared to what I was going through now. All I received were stares and whispers. It wasn't surprising considering I was the only student with a bodyguard roaming around campus.

Even Leah and Heidi were ignoring me.

It hurt my feelings, but there wasn't much I could do about it. This wasn't really the college experience I had been hoping for, but I wouldn't have changed anything about my life outside of school. I loved Edward completely, even if I was mad at him.

"You shouldn't be angry with him, you know."

I narrowed my eyes. Was he reading my thoughts?

"Why not?"

"Because he's out of his mind worried about you. I guarantee he would be right here by your side, instead of me, if it wouldn't cause even more of a scene than I do."

I snorted. He was right about that. It would be quite the uproar if the Edward Cullen escorted me around.

"Besides," he added, "I'm not so bad to hang out with, am I?"

I smiled and sighed again. "No. I just wish I could have a normal experience."

"You are never going to be normal again. You stopped being normal the second you left Forks with me."

I knew that.

"It's not the fact that you're here with me, it's the fact that he didn't ask me. He never considered my feelings or how this arrangement would change my life."

Alec shook his head, looking down at his phone. "And did you consider it from his perspective? You're the most important thing in the world to him. Do you think he'd forgive himself if he didn't protect you, knowing there's someone out there following you, and something happened?"

His eyes darted in my direction and I shook my head. Damn him for making some sense and damn him again for smiling about it.

"He still could have asked. He gave me no choice."

"I don't think that's true either. All I've heard from you these past two weeks are your complaints about his ultimatum. But he did give you a choice. Granted, you might not have liked either option. It was still a choice."

I glared at him and folded my arms. "Shut up."

He snickered and went back to playing with his phone.

When mine beeped with a text, a small grin popped up on my face against my will.

I love you more than Baskin loves Robbins.

Damn that man.

I wanted to jump him.

Now.

He'd taken to sending me these silly messages at various times during the days. He was still the same perfect Edward he always was—infuriatingly sexy, caring, sweet, sexy, kind, generous...did I mention sexy?—except for his unwillingness to budge and admit he was wrong. But then again, maybe I was wrong too.

Or maybe my desire to chain him to the bed was beginning to drown out everything else.

I was so confused.

It was times like this where I missed my mom more than anything. I had nobody to really get advice from. Rose and Alice were great, but they weren't married. They weren't pregnant. They weren't going through what I was.

And Alec was a man. He didn't know anything.

"I wish you were a woman," I told him.

"Excuse me?" He lifted his eyebrow.

"If you were a woman, you'd understand. Instead, since you have a penis, you automatically take Edward's side."

His mouth opened for a minute, then snapped shut. Opened again. Shut. It was almost comical watching a flustered Alec. I didn't know that was possible.

"Just because I have a pe...er...just because I'm a man doesn't mean I don't know anything. And I'm not taking his side. I'm not taking any sides. I think you're both being childish. He's miserable. You're miserable. And you're making everyone else miserable too."

Maybe he was right. Maybe I should be the bigger person and bend first.

I dug in my bag for the cookies Hannah snuck in, offering one to Alec before eating my own.

"He's really miserable?"

I watched his face as he thought about my question. I didn't want Edward to be miserable. I knew he was grouchy and irritable, but I thought it was only because of his forced abstinence.

He nodded and swallowed his cookie. "Yeah. He knows you're mad, but he's just worried. He'd rather you be angry at him than be in danger. It's been interesting at CWI."

"Interesting? What does that mean?"

He chuckled. "I think he's fired half the office and Jasper's pulling his hair out."

Now I felt really bad.

"Tanya's still there," I muttered.

"Hey. Don't even say that like it's his fault. You told him to keep her there until we figured this mess out. He was going to get rid of her weeks ago."

I scowled at him. He was right again, but he didn't have to rub it in.

"How close are you to figuring it out?"

"You know we're only waiting on Ben to confirm Kate has been with Jenks."

I fiddled with my pen, doodling on my notebook. There were several things we knew now about the people who wanted to split my marriage.

Tanya and Kate had spoken several times by phone, if not meeting in person.

Tanya had relayed information to Kate that Jenks had drafted paperwork in regards to me.

Jake had a mole. Someone who was slipping him details about where I went and what I did. We also knew Jake had hired a slimy bastard who worked freelance for a gossip magazine to take the pictures.

What we still didn't know was the extent Kate had gone in her digging, whether Jenks had spilled secrets to her, and who it was that was helping Jake.

Edward had gone to the lengths of hiring a private investigator to find out if Jenks was helping Kate after Jenks denied even knowing her. We now had new legal representation.

It was up to me whether I wanted to officially file a restraining order against Jake, but I was reluctant to go to that extreme. It would mean more people meddling in our personal lives, and now that Jake was likely aware his scheme didn't work, he had backed off on his own.

He hadn't made a peep since Edward confronted him.

"But what happens then?" I asked, turning back to our conversation. "Let's say Jenks did tell Kate private information, what are we going to do?"

"That's up to you guys. First, Mr. Cullen will fire Tanya. Then I imagine he'll sue Jenks or squeeze him somehow. I also figure you can both shine a light on Ms. Forrester for the snake she is. At least to the Cullens and her family."

I nodded. "What about Jake? He seems to be getting off lightly after what he did."

He gave me a sly smile. "Mr. Cullen is a much more powerful man than Mr. Black. I think you can bet the farm the retribution won't be pretty."

"Just don't let him do anything crazy. You promise?"

He held up his fingers in a scout's honor sign and I shook my head. I couldn't wait until all this drama was over.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

I woke up the next morning in a cold bed alone, frowning at the alarm clock. I'd been perfectly willing to forgive and forget last night, and get things back to normal between me and Edward.

However, he hadn't come home until almost midnight.

He had some dinner meeting that went long, and I eventually went to bed by myself. I hazily remembered the bed dipping behind me at some point during the night, and Edward snuggling close, but I fell back into deep sleep and didn't wake up again until after he'd already left.

I was going to take matters into my own hands today.

And while I was at it, I was going to kill two birds with one stone.

Tanya, the traitorous skank, was getting the boot, but not before she got to witness a show.

I got out of bed, taking a long shower, and spending more time than usual beautifying myself. I lathered my skin with cream, dried my hair into soft waves and curls, and even put on a bit of makeup.

The piece de resistance was the outfit I chose. Edward wasn't going to know what hit him.

I pawed through my lingerie drawers, picking out the black corset, matching lace panties, and sheer black thigh highs. I'd been reluctant to buy them initially, but was glad now that Rose had convinced me they'd be useful one day. It took some major maneuvering to get the ribbons laced up correctly, but the effects were spectacular.

Particularly in regards to my cleavage.

I chuckled to myself as I put on a simple black skirt and tight-fitting blue button-down blouse.

If I knew Edward at all—and I did—the blouse and skirt wouldn't be long for this world.

I finished with a pair of heels, adding at least four inches to my short stature. I was giddy with my plan, smiling and humming as I checked myself one last time in the mirror.

I couldn't wait to have my Edward back. Not only did I miss the sex, I missed the intimacy even more. These two weeks had hurt me just as much as him.

I was starting to regret my actions.

I sighed and pushed those thoughts away, grabbing my purse before eagerly making my way downstairs, where I knew Felix would already be waiting. Hannah shook her head, waving me off, knowing it would be futile to try and stop me to eat breakfast.

My phone rang on the way, and I was surprised to find Alec calling on one of his days off from babysitting.

"Alec?"

"I've got good news." He sounded almost chipper. Very un-Alec-like. "Well, disturbing news, but good for you."

Huh?

"Tell me."

"We nailed Jenks. Or, rather he nailed Kate first. But he's singing like a bird now."

"What do you mean he nailed Kate?"

He laughed and then cleared his throat. "I mean Kate slept with him, trying to get information about you."

Ugh.

Sick.

Gross.

I couldn't process being so desperate as to sleep with Jenks and his sweaty, bald self. It just didn't compute, and it very nearly annihilated my buzz from preparing for Mission Husband Seduction.

"What exactly did he tell her?"

"I don't have all the details yet, but I'll fill you in as soon as I do. I'm going to talk to Mr. Cullen as soon as he's out of his meeting."

Oh, hell no.

"I don't think so. I'm on my way to his office now. Give me a couple hours and then you can talk to him."

He fell silent for a minute. "Why are you going down there? Is something wrong? You need to give the guy a break, Bella."

"Don't you worry about that. I'm going to take very good care of him. And unless you want me to give you all the gory details about exactly what I'm going to do to his entire body—over and over—I suggest you trust me right now."

He groaned. "Dammit, Bella. Why do you have to tell me these things? I'm not one of your gossip girls, even if you seem to think so."

I giggled to myself at his grumbling. "You were the one telling me to make nice with him."

"Yeah, but I don't need to hear the details. Just make sure you're both dressed when I get there."

My laughter was out loud at that one. "I make no promises. You better knock hard. We can be pretty loud and we may not hear you. See you later, Alec."

He garbled some response and I grinned as I hung up.

Soon enough we arrived, and I rushed inside and onto the elevator. Once I reached his floor, I strutted through the lobby, anticipating the attempts by Tanya to stop me.

"Wait!" she squealed from her desk.

I just kept walking, holding my hand up as if to say shut the hell up. I heard her loud huff and rearranged my fingers to flip her the bird as I threw Edward's office door open with my other hand.

He was sitting behind his desk, his mouth falling open as he watched me walk in and slam the door behind me. I threw my purse on the couch, and leaned back against the door.

"Sex," I said loudly. "Now."

The room was completely still except for my racing heart. I stayed right where I was, wanting him to come to me.

"I really hope that's your wife," a voice interrupted over the speakerphone.

Shit!

My cheeks burst into flames as I realized Edward was talking to someone. So much for my master seduction plan.

"Yeah...uh...Steven, can I call you back?"

The guy chuckled. "Sure thing. We can finish this later."

Edward's expression turned from surprise to intrigue as he ended the call and stood up. I willed my blush to go away and tried to be sexy when he started walking toward me.

He wasn't wearing a jacket, but his white shirt still looked fresh and unwrinkled under his snappy tie. It wasn't going to stay that way for long if I had anything to say about it.

Each step he took in my direction sent a thousand more butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I was glad I didn't stop and eat anything because I hadn't felt this nervous since the first time he and I had met.

He stopped right in front of me, and I tried to remember to breathe as I looked up at him. He placed his hands on either side of my head and lowered his face until we were eye level.

"What are you doing here, Bella?"

Be strong. You can do this.

I raised my hand, sliding it up his stomach until I heard his sharp intake of breath. I grabbed his tie, pulling him even closer.

"I want you. Right here. Right now."

His eyes bore into mine, hesitating as if he was debating it, and I started to second guess myself. Maybe he wasn't ready to let it all go.

No. Screw that. I was the one mad at him.

I narrowed my eyes before yanking on his tie and pressing my lips to his. That snapped him out of whatever was holding him back.

"Fuck."

He slammed me back into the door, one hand moving to cradle my head and the other sliding down to cup my ass. His kisses were demanding and exactly what I wanted.

I groaned when he suddenly pulled away, panting as he looked at me.

"Are we okay? God, I fucking want you, but I need us to be okay first."

Any anger I had left melted away as I placed my hand on his cheek.

"Yes. I wouldn't be here—in thigh highs—if we weren't."

His mouth dropped open again as his eyes darted down. He lifted my skirt up, staring at my legs like they were a bottle of water in the middle of a desert.

"Fucking hell. What are you doing to me?"

There was a loud thud when he plastered me to the door again. It only took him a second or two to have my skirt on the floor, followed quickly by my shirt.

As I guessed, neither were going to be making a reappearance in my wardrobe.

I think he growled when he noticed the corset, but I wasn't sure since his face was soon buried in my chest. The rest of his words were muffled, although I made out 'beautiful' and 'tits' in there somewhere.

I had to agree. One of the perks of pregnancy seemed to be an upgrade on my boobs. I did wonder if I would get to keep them after the baby was born, or if they would have to be returned.

Like leasing a car.

Whatever he was doing felt great though, and I tangled my fingers through his hair to keep him as close as possible. His lips eventually moved north, trailing across my chest, along my collarbone, and up my neck.

"Lose the panties."

He used that gravelly sex voice that went straight to my lady parts. My entire body was tingling so much at this point, I thought I was going to combust if I didn't have him soon. I quickly shimmied out of my panties while he cursed at the ribbons of my corset.

At least he was as impatient as I was.

My hands moved to rid him of his clothes next, unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his pants. He groaned against my neck when I tugged his pants and boxers down, finding Smugs Jr. ready to go.

"Now. Leave the rest on," I begged, not caring that we were both still half dressed.

"Mmmm," he moaned, sucking below my ear. "There are so many things I want to do to you right now."

Yes, please.

His hands slid down my body agonizingly slow, before he gripped my thighs and lifted me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, crying out when he pushed inside me.

My moans were muffled by his mouth as he drove me into the door over and over. It was fast, hard, animalistic. I kicked off my shoes before digging my heels into his backside.

I gasped for breath when his lips left mine, landing on my neck again as he grunted and moaned and cursed against my skin. He was hitting places in me I didn't know existed. I cried out again and he stilled momentarily.

"Please tell me I'm not hurting you."

I gripped his hair. "Don't you dare stop."

He chuckled, sliding his nose along my jawline. "I've missed you. This."

He then proceeded to pound us into the door so hard I was surprised we didn't knock it down.

Maybe it was my already amped up arousal from thinking about being with him all morning. Maybe it was being with him like this in a semi-public place. Maybe it was the two week drought.

Or maybe this was what make-up sex was all about.

I wasn't sure the reason why, but it didn't take long at all before I was seeing stars and Edward was groaning his release. He kissed me hard, moaning into my mouth, his thrusts slowing as he came down.

His kisses softened as he stilled, but he kept me pinned to the door.

"Are you tired of holding me up?"

He pulled his face back, his eyes heavy-lidded as he smiled smugly. "No. I'm nowhere close to being done with you yet. Just give me a few minutes to recharge."

I laughed, brushing my fingers through his hair. That didn't sound bad to me at all. I had a lot of pent up feelings to get out.

"Who was that on the phone when I walked in?"

"You mean when you stormed in?" he asked, grinning at me. "That was Steven Spielberg."

"Oh."

Fuck my life.

He laughed again, nuzzling my neck. "God, I love you."

After a couple more minutes of kissing, he tightened his grip on my wiggling hips. "Why are you squirming around?"

I buried my face in the crook of his neck so he couldn't see my blush. It was his fault I couldn't keep still.

"It tickles," I mumbled.

"What tickles?"

He was going to make me say it.

"Your stuff."

One of his hands moved to tilt my head until he could see my face. "What are you talking about?"

I bit my lip, trying to squash my embarrassment. I should be able to say these things to him.

I couldn't look at him while I did it though. I shook off his hand, placing my lips next to his ear.

"You are dripping down my thigh and it tickles."

I gasped when he growled, spun us around, and carried me over to his desk. Several items clattered to the floor from his sweeping hand before he placed me down on top. He eased me back until I was resting flat, and he bent over me, kissing me hard.

"Damn that's fucking hot."

Men were so weird.

How was that hot? Was this like a marking your territory kind of thing? Did I have to worry about him peeing on my leg next?

Whatever it meant, it immediately ended Edward's time-out period. He and Smugs Jr. were both ready to go again. In fact, he was like the energizer bunny.

On the desk. Next to the desk. Against the window. Eventually winding up with us on the couch.

We were both sweaty messes as he had me on my knees, holding onto the armrest. I was exhausted, but it felt so good.

"Give me one more, baby," he said in my ear, his hand pulling my hair to the side roughly as his other arm wrapped around my body.

He was behind me, on top of me, his chest pressing against my back when he plunged deep. Both of us were breathing heavily while he held me fast, pushing and pulling until I came again. I didn't even know how many times it had been, the last couple hours meshing together in one long wave of pleasure.

My arms finally gave out, and I fell limp against the cushions as he finished. He had turned me into jello.

But the good kind of jello. Blissful jello with bright orange and red colors. Not the nasty green jello with marshmallows floating around.

What?

My mind went to absurd places when I was in the midst of a Smugs sexathon.

"Did I wear you out, baby?"

He was back to lovey dovey post-orgasmic Edward, giving me soft kisses on my shoulders and back. I didn't even mind his satisfied tone.

I mumbled something and he chuckled.

"Hold tight. I'll be right back."

I missed his weight as soon as he stood up, but I couldn't move. It was possible the last orgasm had given me partial paralysis. The sound of water running in his bathroom was followed quickly by his return.

His arms came around me, turning me over, before he used a towel to clean me up a little. I opened my eyes, finding his lips curved up in a smile as he watched me.

"I'm glad you came down here today."

I nodded and returned his smile. "Me too."

He removed the towel, his fingers sliding up to rest on my stomach. "I bet you two are hungry. Why don't you relax and I'll have something brought up?"

My stomach rumbled as if on cue. I was too tired to even be embarrassed by it.

"Yes."

He glanced around at the clothes strewn all over the floor, shaking his head at my torn garments before picking up the shirt he had been wearing.

"I don't think you'll be able to wear what you came in. Why don't you put this on for now?"

I looked down at myself and it was a pitiful sight. I was naked except for one thigh high that remained partially on, its war wounds present in several holes and runs. Giggles bubbled up in my throat as I took it the rest of the way off and slipped on the shirt Edward handed me.

After buttoning it up, I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes. I just needed a small rest to get my strength back.

A small rest turned into several hours. I awoke to Edward's soft voice, finding him crouching down next to my head and his suit jacket draped over my body like a blanket.

"There you are. I was starting to get worried I wouldn't be able to wake you up."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. "What time is it?"

"Around five." He handed me a glass of juice and a plate with a sandwich and crackers. "It's almost dinner time, but I know you must be starving. Why don't you eat a little to tide you over until we get home?"

I munched away while my mind cleared the sleepiness away. Edward was dressed in another suit, walking back to his desk to rummage through some papers, and the room was back to normal as I looked around.

"Hey, did Alec ever show up? He had some news for us."

He smiled at me from across the room. "Yeah, he was here. I didn't want to interrupt your sleep though."

He sounded so proud of himself for tiring me out with his stamina. I would have rolled my eyes, but I was too busy eating.

"Well, what did he say?"

"He told you that Kate tried to screw Jenks for information?" He waited until I nodded. "According to Jenks, he did tell her we had a signed agreement before marrying, but he swears Kate never saw the document. He claims there are no longer any copies either on paper or saved on any drive."

"That's good news. So, you think Kate was just taking a stab in the dark when she talked to your father and sent me the letter?"

He nodded. "It appears so. Jenks let some details slip when she offered herself up." He shuddered a little, probably sickened that he had ever been with her in the first place so many years ago. "But as far as he was concerned, it was simply a pre-nup, even if it may have contained clauses that would have been considered out of the ordinary."

"What now? Anything more with Jake?"

He sneered and shook his head. "No. But he'll get what's coming to him." He paced around for a minute before turning back toward me. "As for now, I'm going to take you home, put you in a long bath, and we're going to have a nice dinner."

I set my plate aside and stood up. "What's with the smirk?" I asked, watching his face.

"Nothing. I like seeing you with sex hair and wearing only my shirt. I imagine the tongues will be wagging when we walk out to the car."

I shrugged and popped another cracker in my mouth. "I guess this is one of the perks of being Mrs. Cullen."

"Damn straight."

We were soon on our way, my outfit consisting of Edward's shirt and jacket with the sleeves rolled up, along with my heels. He draped his arm around me as we walked out toward the elevator.

I spied Tanya sitting behind her desk glaring at us, and I halted.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I was saving this for you."

Did it make me a bad person to be so gleeful from those words?

I turned toward Tanya, giving her a glare in return. "You're fired. Get your things and be out in five minutes, or security is going to throw you out."

Edward laughed, holding me tucked to his side as we continued on toward the elevator.

Sometimes revenge was sweet.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

The next day, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Yeah, I still had Alec the Babysitter on my wing, but Edward and I were back on the same page. He had joined me in the bathtub the night before, and we managed to talk out our differences while we soaked. He admitted he should have been more understanding from the start. And I had agreed having Alec with me was the smart choice.

Edward and I were back in our nook, and all was right in the world.

I love you more than Tony Montana loves his Little Friend

I giggled at Edward's latest text while Alec and I walked back towards campus after having lunch at a cafe.

"You two are ridiculous." Alec shook his head again.

"Oh, whatever. You're just jealous." I grinned over at him and punched his arm. "We need to find you a girl."

"I do just fine on my own, thank you very much."

Very interesting.

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Who? Anybody I know?"

He looked away, pretending he didn't hear me. Yeah, that wasn't going to work.

"Come on," I whined. "You know every single thing about me. Give me some deets."

"Deets?" He chuckled. "I forget how young you are sometimes."

"Shut up. Tell me."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "There is someone I've been seeing for awhile now, but we agreed to keep it to ourselves."

Now my curiosity was really piqued. "You have to tell me now. You can't just leave it there."

It was obviously someone I did know or he wouldn't be so hesitant. My mind whirled with images of women around CWI who could be possibilities.

I grimaced as one face entered my head. "Please tell me it's not that skank, Tanya."

He shook his head and laughed. "Hell no." He sighed and glanced over again. "Just don't make a big deal out of it. Okay?"

I nodded.

"It's Jane."

I grinned and wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "That's great! You two are perfect together!"

"Jesus, you said you wouldn't make a big deal."

I laughed and released him from my clutches. Jane was terrific and it made me happy that they liked each other.

I nudged him with my shoulder. "An older woman, huh? Sexy."

"Fucking A." He looked up at the sky. "Why did I tell you this?"

"I'm just teasing you. Calm down."

Besides, she wasn't too much older. They made a cute couple. Just as I was about to delve deeper into his cougar attraction, we stumbled on the sweetest sight ever.

Puppies.

An older lady had a small area set up across the street with a sign.

Free to good home.

I grabbed Alec's arm, dragging him with me to take a closer look. The lady gave me a smile as I bent down to coo at the babies. They were some kind of German Shepherd mix and the most adorable things I'd ever seen.

"They've had their shots already," the lady said, obviously seeing me as a potential taker.

I picked one up, laughing when he licked my nose. "Why are you giving them away?"

"They came kind of unexpectedly. My husband and I really don't have the ability to take care of them all."

I nodded, already completely in love. Alec backed up a few steps when I held the puppy up to him.

"Bella, I don't know about this," he said warily. "You should talk to Mr. Cullen first."

I frowned, holding my puppy close. Edward would love him just as much as I did. I knew it. I hadn't had a dog since I was a little kid and I wanted him.

"I can give you the paperwork from the vet," the lady offered, turning her attention solely towards me.

My puppy licked my nose again and yipped when I squealed.

I was going to name him Max.

"He could have rabies. Or fleas," Alec added. "What if Mr. Cullen is allergic?"

Hmm. Good point.

I pulled out my phone, dialing him up.

"Hey, baby." He always sounded so sexy.

"Hi. Are you busy?"

"I have a few minutes. What's up? Alec's there with you, right?"

"Yes, yes. Everything is fine. He's right here." I took a breath, thinking of how to go about this. I decided it was best to keep details to a minimum at this point. And maybe lure Smugs Jr. to my side first. "I have a surprise for you tonight."

Well, two surprises.

He hummed. "Really?"

I smiled, knowing he was thinking naughty things. "Yes. There may even be another special outfit involved."

I would find something in my monster of a closet.

"I think I like this surprise."

"You'll love it. I promise. Oh, I do have a question though."

"What's that?"

"Do you have any allergies?"

He paused for a minute, and I hoped he wouldn't think too much of my question.

"No. Not that I know of."

I grinned triumphantly at Alec. He just shook his head.

"Great. I'll see you tonight. Don't stop at the gym. You'll get plenty of working out later."

"Fuck."

Yeah, I had him right where I wanted him.

"There's something wrong with you," Alec said after I ended the call, proceeding to mutter under his breath about using sex as a distraction.

I ignored him, turning toward the lady and nuzzling Max. "So I can just take him with me?"

She nodded. "Absolutely. You'll take good care of him, right?"

"Yes. He'll be the most spoiled dog in Manhattan."

We returned to campus soon after, Alec harping in my ear while I devoted my attention to Max.

"Didn't you just get over an argument with Mr. Cullen because he didn't discuss decisions with you before making them?"

I scowled over at him as we neared my building. He plopped down on his normal bench to wait for me while I was in class.

"That's beside the point." I held Max out for him to take. "Here. You have to hold him while I'm in there."

He sighed and took the puppy reluctantly. I tried not to let his insinuations get to me.

This was totally different. Not the same thing at all.

Edward was going to love our newest Cullen.

Right?

AN: Although Bella is normally mature beyond her years, she occasionally will act her age. What did you think of Alec? What's Edward going to say about the newest family member?

Find me on facebook at Twilover Seven-six – I try to put up pictures and a teaser for coming chapters in the NOP group.

Find me on twitter at twilover76

Fic Recs:

Happy Birthday to one of the sweetest and most talented authors around: Jaime Arkin! Please go read her stories and leave her some love under the author name jarkin33 or under her collab name aftrnoondlight. Outbound is one of my favorite fics and has an Edward who will leave you begging for more!

The Babysitter by Plummy

Night with the Royal Staff by MrsK81

Prey for the Wicked by Aleeab4u

The Give Away Girl by MrsSpaceCowboy