A/N: Here we go! I hope you have as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it. Also, several of you have mentioned that this story reminds you of a movie that was on TV. Actually, that was part of my inspiration for this story. The movie is Class, and it is on the Hallmark Channel. If you ever get a chance to watch it, I would highly recommend it. It's such a good movie!

A huge thanks goes out to my fantastic beta, Jenny Cullen, aka Jenrar. Thanks, girl, for catching everything I miss! And also much love to my fabulous prereader and ficwife, EternallyCullen.

See you at the bottom…

Bella watched the greenery as it sped by her window. Matt had been talking nonstop since she had picked him up from Charlie's, as he first told her about the three fish he had caught – "They were this big, Mom!" he exclaimed, while holding his small arms way apart – and she had told him of their upcoming Seattle plans.

He had not yet been to the zoo in his young life and was very excited about the opportunity to see the animals up close.

"Mom? Do you promise that I'll get to see a real, live polar bear?" he asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Bella turned in her seat and gave him a patient smile. "As long as they don't have them put up for any reason, you will get to see them."

"What about the penguins?"

She nodded. "Them, too. Matt, you'll get to see all kinds of animals tomorrow."

He sat back in the rear seat of the Volvo, a contented grin on his face. "Thanks, Edward, for taking me and my mom to the zoo."

Edward smiled at him in the rearview mirror. "My pleasure, buddy. I sure hope the elephants are out today. Have you ever seen a real elephant?"

Matt shook his head, his brown eyes wide in his small face. "No," he whispered. "Have you?"

"Sure have. I got to see quite a few of them when I went to the circus."

Matt's eyes grew even larger. "You got to go to the circus? Where?"

Edward smiled at him in the rearview mirror. "When I was ten, my mom and dad took me to Seattle to see the Ringling Brothers' circus. The elephants danced."

"Danced?" Matt asked, surprise in his voice. "Like, to music?"

Edward nodded, his grin stretching wider across his face and his green eyes sparkling. "Yep. They also climbed on top of each other."

Matt's mouth fell open. "Like in Dumbo?"

Edward looked confused. "Dumbo?"

At his perplexed tone, Bella turned in her seat slightly to look at him askance. "Don't tell me you've never seen Dumbo."

Edward shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, but no. Never have. I take it from your expressions that's a horrible thing."

Bella and Matt were looking at him as if his puppy had just been run over.

"It is a terrible thing," Bella said solemnly. "We have to show you Dumbo. No one should ever go through life without seeing it."

Matt was bouncing in his seat. "Yeah, Edward! It's about a baby elephant that can fly!"

"Elephants can't fly," Edward teased him.

"Oh, yes they can!" Matt retorted. "If they have ears big enough. They didn't fly at the circus you went to?"

"Nope, sure didn't. But it sure does sound like I'm missing out on something important by not watching Dumbo."

Bella laughed. "Yes, you are. We have it at home, so when we get back, you'll have to come over and watch it with us." She suddenly clamped her lips together. She was still unsure of exactly what they were to each other now, but inviting him over had seemed so natural. Easy.

Edward linked their fingers together on the console. "I'd like that… very much."

xXx

Bella stared around the hotel room, her jaw dropping. When Edward had mentioned staying at a hotel, she had been thinking of something like Motel 6, not the Hotel 1000. She had remained speechless as they had walked through the lobby after Edward's Volvo was whisked away by a valet. She had tried to swallow the cotton in her mouth after the desk clerk had told them they were all checked in to the Grand Luxe Parlor Suite. Bella had been unable to imagine what the room would look like, but now, she was staring around at the opulent furnishings and the breathtaking view of Puget Sound easily visible through the crystal clear glass windows.

Oh, yeah. She was impressed.

"So, what do you think?" Edward asked, slight nervousness audible in his voice. He set the luggage down on the floor beside him and locked the door.

Bella swallowed again and gripped Matt's hand. "I… it's beautiful, Edward. I had no idea you would reserve something this… luxurious." She turned to him and pulled her lips into a smile. "I've never stayed anywhere so… perfect."

He grinned in return. "There are two bedrooms. I thought that would be best; that's why I reserved this room."

She felt her breath leave her in a rush of relief. She had been worrying for nothing. "That's great."

"Where's the pool?" Matt asked, looking up at Edward. "And can I jump on the bed?" His brown eyes, so like his mother's, sparkled.

"Oh, no, Matt! You can't do that," Bella hurriedly responded.

Edward laughed. "Well, I guess that settles it, Matt. Sorry."

Matt stuck his lower lip out. "Fine, Mom. But can we go swimming now?"

"Yeah… can we go swimming now?" Edward mimicked, his lip stuck out like Matt's.

Bella giggled. "I figured you two would be hungry first."

"You can't swim on a full stomach, Bella. Trust me." Edward pulled out his best "doctor" face he could manage.

"All right, all right. I'm ready to go whenever you guys are."

Matt did a brief happy dance, causing Bella and Edward to smile at each other.

She couldn't remember when she had felt so light and carefree.

Three hours later, Bella was tucking a sleeping Matthew into the King sized bed in one of the suite's bedrooms. He had completely worn himself out in the pool, showing off his cannonball and splashing skills for them. Bella had worried at first that this was the type of hotel would not be accommodating to a small child, but they had basically had the pool area to themselves.

Edward had ordered a plate of chicken strips and French fries to be delivered to the pool area, and Matt had sat at a patio table and eaten his dinner before they had trudged back upstairs. Bella had given him a quick bath and put clean pajamas on him; he had been asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked her. "I thought we could order room service and eat dinner out on the balcony."

Bella's gaze slid over to the terrace that lay beyond the French doors of the living area. She could see the last rays of the sun setting and flashing brilliantly over the water. "That would be nice."

He grinned at her and headed to his room to shower and change. Bella stood in the empty living area for a few minutes, before heading into the bedroom she was sharing with Matthew to do the same.

When she reappeared into the living area, Edward was lounging casually on the overstuffed couch, flipping through television channels.

"Anything good on?" Bella asked casually.

He turned to look at her and smiled. "Nah. But there's a good scary movie on later, if you're interested."

She grinned at him. "Oh, I love scary movies. What is it?"

He looked at her appreciatively. "The Others. Have you seen it?"

Bella shivered slightly. "I tried to watch it once, but I was alone at home and started scaring myself, so I turned it off. But I'd love to actually be able to watch the whole movie."

"We don't have to."

She shook her head. "Oh, I want to! And since I'm not alone, I'll be fine." She blushed slightly.

Edward stood up at the knock at the door. "Sounds like dinner's here." He opened the door, and the waiter pushed a silver cart laden with shiny, dome covered plates.

Edward showed him out to the balcony, and the server transferred the food to the small table. He wished them a good night and nodded at Edward when he pushed a tip into his hand. Bella sat down in one of the chairs and took a deep breath while she stared out over the Seattle skyline and the lights from the boats floating in the Sound.

"Penny for your thoughts," he said softly, while removing the covers, revealing steaming plates of freshly grilled fish, vegetables, and bread. He pulled a bottle of wine out of the bucket of ice and popped the cork.

She smiled up at him. "I was just admiring the view and thinking of how perfect this is. You certainly are good at planning things like this," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I gotta give some of the credit to my dad, though. He's helped me come up with them."

He poured the sparkling white wine into her glass and sat down opposite her. "The view is pretty incredible, isn't it?"

She nodded, while cutting off a piece of the delicate white fish. "Yes, it is."

"So, how is Matt doing? He seems to be feeling much better," Edward said, making conversation. He could not pull his eyes away from how Bella's soft lips would open, and then slide along her fork. He shook himself mentally to pay attention to what she was saying.

"Yes, he is. His sugars have been running pretty good, and I can see a huge difference in his energy levels." She took a sip of her wine, trying to calm her racing pulse. It seemed that Edward had this effect on her every time she was close to him.

Edward watched the wine in her glass as it sparkled from the lights behind them in the room; he watched as she swallowed the mouthful, the liquid sliding down her throat. He wondered if her skin was as soft and silky as it looked. "That's good," he replied lamely, his voice slightly cracking.

The only sound for a few minutes was the clinking of their utensils on the china plates.

"So, how's school going?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "How much longer do you have to go?"

Edward set his glass down and wiped his mouth. "It's going well. I have two more years of school, and then I'll have to do my residency."

"How long will that take?"

He shrugged. "Well, my residency will take around four years, since I want to specialize in surgery, like my dad. Overall, I have about six more years to go."

Bella felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. "Wow. I'm sure that seems like forever."

"Yeah, sometimes it does, but I've only got two more years of actual school, and then I'll have about four years of training."

She smiled in response. "That's a very worthy goal, Edward. I'm sure you'll make a fantastic surgeon."

"Thanks," he mumbled shyly. He suddenly straightened up. "Are you finished? Did you get enough?"

Bella carefully wiped her lips with the linen napkin and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Edward. This was really fantastic."

He grinned at her. "You're welcome. Now, how about that movie?"

"I'm ready," she replied, standing up from the table and taking a deep breath of the salty sea air. "I just can't get over this view."

Edward walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We'll have to come back here sometime," he said, his voice low.

Bella nodded. "That would be nice," she whispered, leaning back against Edward's chest. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and soaking into her skin through her clothing. It felt so nice, yet odd, to be held in such an intimate way.

They stood there, Edward's arms wrapped around Bella, while her hands rested on his forearms.

"So, how about that movie?" Bella asked, her voice shaking from nerves.

He grinned and dropped a light kiss on the top of her head. "Let's go. We don't want to be up too late."

She laughed. "No, or else you might have to carry me through the zoo tomorrow."

"Nah. I'll just rent you one of those electric cart things," he said, smirking.

Bella shook her head. "Yeah, that would be really attractive. Plus, I can see the headlines now: Forks Woman Crashes Motorized Scooter at Zoo Then Eaten by Tiger."

Edward laughed in return. He was not accustomed to seeing Bella so lighthearted that she was cracking jokes. "I'd try to save you before the tiger got you."

"My knight in shining armor," she said, batting her eyes at him.

They both wandered into the living area, shaking with laughter. But within a few minutes, Edward had the movie turned on, the lights turned off, and Bella wrapped securely in his arms while they lounged on the sofa.

The movie started, and Bella shivered involuntarily when the scenes with the dreary house encased in fog came on the screen.

"This movie scared the crap out of me," she said. "I hope I don't scream and wake Matt up."

"I'll be right here to protect you," he said, his voice husky.

Bella shivered again, but for a far different reason this time.

The two of them watched the flashing images on the screen in front of them, but both were lost in their own thoughts. Edward couldn't focus on the movie, as he was too distracted by the girl beside him. Before he knew what he was doing, he found his fingers entangled in her silky hair. He used his light grip to maneuver her face around so that he was looking down into her brown eyes, the television reflecting back.

But he saw something else, too. And that caused him to make his next move.

Ever so slowly, he brought his face down to hers, his eyes never straying from her gaze. When his lips brushed lightly against her mouth, he let his eyes slowly close, so he could focus on using his sense of touch. He felt the warm softness of her lips, opening slightly and moving slowly against his own. With his hand buried in her hair, he felt the lustrous tendrils slipping through his fingers, and with his other hand, he stroked her bare arm, reveling in the satiny feel of her soft skin against his own. His chest was brushing up against hers, and he felt the acceleration of her breathing, along with an electric jolt every time her soft breasts pressed against him as she would inhale.

He was on sensory overload.

Bella was also unable to pull herself away from Edward and his intoxicating presence. His mouth was like heaven… and his hands weren't too far behind. She wanted to be closer to him – needed to be as close as she could get.

Before she realized what she was doing, she had hiked one of her legs over his lap so that she was straddling his thighs, her hands coming up to run through his chaotic hair. She wound the bronze strands through her fingers, tugging gently.

Edward immediately dropped his hands so that he could caress her bottom, gently squeezing and pulling her tightly against him. He groaned involuntarily at the blazing fire that erupted in his lower abdomen. She was inadvertently pressing and grinding against him in her desire to get closer to him, and he felt as if he would spontaneously combust at any moment.

It had been a long time since… Very long.

He just prayed that he would be able to constrain himself; he did not wish to scare her off. He knew how distrusting she was toward most men and how nervous she had been about letting him get close to her.

When he heard a soft moan in her throat, he just prayed that he wouldn't completely lose control and end up trying to dry hump her right there on the damn sofa.

Grip… get a grip… Bella… Get a grip on Bella…

He shook his head to dispel the crazy thoughts running through his mind. He was twenty-three years old, for God's sake. He wasn't a blushing virgin.

But oh, how she made him feel that way!

Part of Bella's mind knew what she was doing, but she was unable to stop it. Ever since Edward had kissed her the night before, all she had been able to think about was getting him to do it again. It had been so long since she had felt any type of arousal, and even with James, she had never felt this intensity – especially from kissing. What was he doing to her?

She knew that she needed to pull back – to gain control of herself and move to the opposite end of the couch until her heartbeat slowed down. But when she opened her eyes and saw Edward's emerald eyes boring into hers – his lips slightly parted and his hair practically standing on end – she lost her resolve and attacked his mouth once more, while pressing her hips down.

She hadn't felt that in a while!

"Bella… Bella, wait," he breathed, while his fingers traced patterns on her back under her shirt.

Bella forced herself to open her eyes and pull back. She sat straight up on his lap, and his hands fell to her thighs that were resting on either side of his. "I know," she panted. "We need to stop."

Edward swallowed hard, his mouth completely dry. He gazed up at the beautiful creature before him, and she looked as if she'd just been thoroughly kissed. Her hair was mussed, her eyes hooded, her cheeks flushed, and her lips slightly swollen. He was pleased that he could invoke that type of reaction in her.

He wanted to ravish her again, but he held himself in check. "I-I just don't want to push you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. And I don't want to go too fast, and then you regret it later."

Push me! her lower regions cried.

She ran her hands through her hair, trying to control the mass of curls. "I know, and I appreciate that," she said softly, while she disentangled herself from his arms. "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."

Edward tipped her face up to his. "Don't say you're sorry. Ever. I want you to be completely comfortable with me."

Bella smiled shyly, her face still burning with embarrassment and passion. She wasn't sure exactly what kind of hold Edward had over her, but she did know one thing.

She didn't want him to release her from it. Ever.

End Notes: Well, what did you think? Your thoughts and ideas are always appreciated, so leave me some love!