Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.
This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"I think this is the last box," Alice declared, plopping said box on the floor beside the sofa. Bella grinned over at her friend before taking in her new home.
The week had flown by and Bella was amazed by the turn of events. The Sunday afternoon after the barbecue, Esme had hinted to Bella that Mrs. Cope might be looking for an apprentice at Sweet Bites. And that Mrs. Cope might have a secret addiction to chocolate filled croissants, but never had the time to make them herself.
Bella had spent Sunday evening baking, trying her hand at a number of different French pastries, finally filling a small box with her best chocolate filled croissants, Profiteroles, and Éclairs. Her new extended family had thoroughly enjoyed her baking skills, devouring the pastries that Bella had declared were not for Mrs. Cope.
Monday morning, Edward had dropped Bella off at Sweet Bites on his way to work and with a mess of butterflies in her stomach, she had walked into the little shop and presented the treats to a surprised and delighted baker.
Twenty minutes and an empty box later, Bella was the new assistant baker at Sweet Bites. After a quick call to Esme to let her know she would be back to the house later on, she tied on an apron and watched in awe as Shelley Cope worked her magic.
The older woman worked like a well oiled machine, dumping flour and sugar into mixing bowls without measuring, the recipes ingrained in her since childhood. Bella took notes on measurements, committing everything to memory and loving every second of it. She watched Shelley make apple butter and jams, breads and doughnuts and Danishes, cookies and cupcakes and Moon Pies. She was blown away that one little elderly woman made so many things by herself six days a week and vowed to make the baker's life easier by taking some of the tasks off of her hands.
When Bella had mentioned that she was looking to rent an apartment in town, Shelley had wiped off her floured hands on her apron and scuttled into the tiny closet office, returning with a key.
"There's an apartment upstairs, through that door," she said, nodding towards a door at the back of the kitchen. "Go on up and check it out. If you like it, you can move on in."
Shelley had owned the building her bakery was in for decades, but the upstairs apartment had been mainly used for storage. She had rented it out a few times, but the last renter had left a few years before.
Bella was stunned when she walked into the apartment. It was a studio and quite large for just herself. The floors were original hardwood, the walls were exposed brick and the ceiling consisted of beautiful pressed tin copper tiles. The front of the apartment boasted two huge bay windows while the back windows were newer sliders. There was a wrought iron queen sized bed and a wooden armoire in the front corner, partially blocked off from the rest of the room by an elaborate wood paneled screen; a vintage wood trimmed sofa upholstered in dark green and a round coffee table in the other front corner. The kitchen appliances looked straight out of the 1950's; a refrigerator/freezer with one door and a matching cream colored free standing stove. Two small counters, a farm sink below one of the slider windows, and three little white wooden cabinets on top. A little round kitchen table with a white top and chrome sides with two matching red vinyl chairs. A door against the far side wall led to a small bathroom with a claw foot tub with shower attachment, a pedestal sink and toilet.
Bella instantly fell in love with the charming little apartment and felt a burst of giddy excitement at the thought of living there and working in the bakery downstairs every day. She immediately ran downstairs and told Shelley that she absolutely loved it.
They haggled for a little bit at the rent; Shelley didn't want to charge her as a new employee but Bella insisted. They decided on three hundred a month to be taken out of Bella's paychecks, utilities included.
Her new family had been thrilled at the turn of events, although sad that she would be moving out of the Cullen's beautiful home.
Esme and Alice had volunteered to help her clean the apartment before moving in. A bit of dust had settled over everything since the last renter moved out and Bella gratefully accepted the help. Rosalie showed up when she got off work, bringing new freshly laundered sheets and blankets for the bed and towels for the bathroom. When the apartment was sparkling, Esme and Alice stood back, chattering amongst themselves about decorating ideas for the space.
By the time she was completely moved in, the Cullen women had added a few plants and colorful rugs to the room and afghans and pillows to the bay window seats. There were retro salt and pepper shakers and a napkin dispenser on her little kitchen table. Emmett and Edward had carried up a new television set that Alice declared was a housewarming gift for Bella. Anna had even presented her with a beautiful patchwork quilt for her bed.
Bella looked around her completed apartment and released a giddy sigh. Alice stood beside her, looking around the room proudly.
"It's really a beautiful space, Bella," the pixie said, grinning widely. "I can tell you're going to be so happy here."
Bella smiled back, wrapping Alice up in a hug. "I feel it too. I can't believe it's mine."
They admired the space for a few more minutes before the door opened and the rest of the Cullen's, McCarty's and Jasper came in, loaded down with food and packages.
"We come bearing housewarming food," Edward teased, leaning down to kiss Bella's cheek before walking by with a huge pan of macaroni and cheese.
"And cookware!" Esme spoke up, carrying a good sized box in her arms. "You can't cook without the best!"
Bella shook her head in amazement at the boxes being deposited in her kitchen. Was there no end to their generosity? Her eyes bugged out when she saw the picture on the box that Carlisle had in his arms.
"This is too much!" she gasped, looking around at them. It was a 10 piece copper cookware set easily setting them back a thousand dollars.
"Nonsense, dear," Jackson passed her with a smacking kiss to her forehead, his own arms full. "You're going to need the best once you start your culinary classes."
Once she had gotten the job and apartment, Bella had decided that she wanted to take the culinary courses at UT. Classes started in about a month and she was praying that she could get behind the wheel of a car without having a panic attack by then. She refused Edward's offer of driving her to and from class, telling him that she wasn't going to have him go out of his way five days a week for twelve weeks like that. She would suck it up and work on her fear and drive herself to Knoxville each day.
Besides the cookware set, they had given her a beautiful professional knife set in a hard case that she could take to classes with her; a professional mixer, a blender and a Keurig with a ridiculously big box of assorted K-Cups. Rosalie brought in a 16 piece dinnerware set in a pretty slate gray and Emmett followed carrying a box of flatware and a huge Tupperware of fried chicken.
When everything was unpacked and everybody had full plates of food, Bella took in her family and felt her heart fill to capacity. The joy she felt at being part of this group was nearly overwhelming, something she never thought she would feel after losing her parents.
"I can't thank you guys enough," she spoke up suddenly, not wanting another minute to go by without them knowing how much they meant to her. "You saved my life, took me in and made me a part of your family without a second thought. I never thought I would be a part of a family like this and I just wanted you to know how much I love all of you."
Esme and Anna blinked back tears and abandoned their plates, rushing forward to hug and kiss Bella.
"Oh sweetheart, thank you for coming into our lives and staying," Esme sniffled, brushing Bella's hair back from her eyes. "We love you so much and we're so grateful for you."
It was a few minutes before everybody returned to their food and they stuffed themselves silly. Even with Emmett the human vacuum going back for fourths, there were plenty of leftovers for Bella to last a couple days.
It was late when everybody started to head out. Edward was the last one left once Alice and Jasper left and Bella wasn't quite ready for him to leave.
"Would you like to try out the new Keurig with me?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit bashful in his presence. Edward just grinned and nodded, following her into the kitchen. They joked around as they dug in the assortment of K Cups, both of them deciding on an Italian blend.
With full cups, they sat down on the sofa, facing each other. Edward smiled softly at her as she took a small sip of her coffee.
"I love seeing you so happy," he said quietly.
"I haven't been this happy in a long time," she admitted, setting her mug on the coffee table. "It's been almost effortless since I got here; everything seems to have fallen into place without really trying." Bella chuckled, shaking her head. "It's almost scary."
At his eyebrow quirk, she continued. "I'm almost waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't want to be that way, but for so long, things weren't very good. This is pretty foreign to me."
"We'll have to work on that then," Edward said simply, stretching his arm along the back of the sofa, his fingers playing absently with the ends of her hair. "Eventually, happy and content will be normal and any other feelings will be foreign."
The silence that followed was comfortable as they stared at each other and Bella felt her heart start to thump as she took in Edward's beautiful face. She wanted so badly for him to kiss her.
Why wait for him to kiss you?
Woman up and kiss him, you wimp!
Bella could see the look of longing in Edward's eyes and she threw out a mental "fuck it" and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.
She had planned on a quick peck to feel out the situation, but the moment their lips met, she was a goner. She melted when she felt his hand cup the back of her head as he took charge of the kiss. Whisper soft brushes of the lips slowly morphed into a more heated embrace and Bella moaned when his tongue slid against her own. She could taste the coffee on him, along with a slight hint of the chocolate from the Moon Pie's she had made for dessert. One moment, they were side by side and then she was straddling him, her hands running through his hair while his moved up her back to pull her closer.
"God, Bella," he whispered harshly, pulling back slightly to look at her face. She was breathing heavily, her own stare lost in deep green. At the same time, they grinned at each other and their mouths fused together once more.
Effortless. Like everything else with Edward, kissing him was effortless. She had never expected kissing to feel so good, but kissing him felt damn good. And addicting. Bella felt as if she could kiss him until the world came to an end and it still would not be enough.
She giggled when he playfully bit her bottom lip and he grinned against her mouth before his tongue was back, sliding against hers and her giggle morphed into a moan of pleasure. She tightened her hands in his hair, delighting in the feel of the silky soft strands against her fingers, and his arms tightened around her in response, his large hands almost covering her back.
Time lost all meaning and Bella forgot all about the need for oxygen until Edward's lips moved away from hers, only to brush sensually along her jaw and down her neck. She shivered in his arms, moaning at the new sensations assaulting her body.
"Go on a date with me," he murmured, lightly nipping her pulse point before moving his lips up to her ear.
"Absolutely," she moaned back as he bit gently on her earlobe, causing an involuntary clenching of her hands in his hair.
"Tomorrow after the bakery closes," his mouth moved back down her jaw to her lips again. "I'll pick you up at three."
"Make it four," she managed to mumble between kisses. "I'll need to shower."
"I don't mind if you smell like cake," he argued playfully and Bella's giggle escaped from between their lips. They pulled apart slightly and stared at each other, both flushed in the cheeks and wearing matching grins.
"God, I've wanted to kiss you since you opened your eyes in my parent's guest room," he admitted, reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear. Bella blushed, feeling her heart do a joyful flip in her chest.
"Funny, that's about how long I've wanted to kiss you, too," she teased, leaning her forehead against his. "Even before I saw your butt in those jeans."
Edward laughed, pulling her into a crushing hug. "God, I love that smart mouth of yours. You're a breath of fresh air, Bella."
Bella hugged him back just as tightly, burying her face in his neck to breathe him in.
Effortless.
*.*.*
Saturday afternoon found Bella behind the register at Sweet Bites while Shelley finished washing the last load of pans in the kitchen. They had been steady since about eight thirty that morning and most of what they baked that morning had been purchased and devoured. Bella had set a few loaves of bread aside to make bread pudding for Sunday dinner at the Cullen's house but the rest of the left over baked goods would be packed up and donated to the homeless shelters in Sevierville. It was something that Shelley did with the remaining goods every day after closing and Bella admired the older woman very much for her kindness.
Bella was wiping off the counter around the coffee pot when the bell over the door announced another customer. She looked up to see Lauren Mallory's friend Chelsea walk in with a tall dark haired man behind her. Both were dressed impeccably, Chelsea in a flattering light pink skirt and cream camisole and the man in an expensive looking charcoal suit and tie. Their dark hair and eyes were similar enough for Bella to realize that he must be Chelsea's brother.
"Hello again, Bella is it?" Chelsea asked politely as she perused the remaining goods in the cases. "I heard you were working here now."
"Yes, I am. It's nice to see you again, Chelsea." Bella could be polite too, even though by the other woman's tone, it was only a formality. The man gave her a charming smile and leaned against the counter.
"Bella, what a lovely name," he drawled, eyeing her from head to countertop. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I'm Demetri Volturi, Attorney at Law."
Bella felt her eyebrow arch in amusement at the title he felt the need to tack onto the end of his introduction. She knew his type; rich and arrogant and looking for a trophy to hang on his arm. Politeness kicked in, though, and she wiped her hands off on her apron before reaching out to shake his outstretched hand.
"Bella Swan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Volturi."
"Demetri, please," he covered their clasped hands with his free one and squeezed. "We rarely see a new face in Chapel Crossing. How long have you been in town?"
"A few weeks," Bella replied, pulling her hand back from his grip. "What can I get you two today?"
"There should be an order for Jane Volturi in the back," Chelsea said, looking a little bored. "I believe a cake and a loaf of chive bread."
"Absolutely. I'll have that ready for you in just a moment," Bella walked through the door to the kitchen, glad to get away from the Socially Polite Chelsea and her ego centric brother. Shelley looked up from a bread pan she was scouring and smiled sweetly.
"What do you need, sweetie?"
"Chelsea is here for her mother's order. Just came back to get it for her."
The Hummingbird cake with cream cheese icing was already boxed up and ready to go, along with a large loaf of chive bread in a paper bag beside it on the stainless steel counter. Bella had never heard of hummingbird cake in her life, and watching Shelley make one special order was pretty amazing. It was a banana pineapple spice cake, flavored with vanilla and cinnamon and filled with toasted pecans and was apparently a 'Southern thing'. Bella couldn't wait to try her hand at baking one herself.
She carefully carried the cake box and bread bag out into the shop, setting them on the counter by the register. Chelsea was messing with her cell phone by one of the cases and Demetri was going for a casual look as he leaned against the counter where she left him.
"Can I get you anything else today?" Bella asked, ringing up their purchases.
"How about your number?" Demetri gave her what she thought was meant to be a sexy smirk, but it only made her want to roll her eyes. She shook her head, giving him a tight smile.
"Sorry, no can do. I don't give my number out to strangers. That'll be fourteen dollars even, please."
Demetri was still, a look of confusion on his face. Chelsea looked up at him, sighing impatiently as she pulled a credit card out of her purse, thrusting it at Bella. Bella had run the payment through and given Chelsea the slip to sign before he blinked again. He put on the charm once more.
"Well how about you join me for dinner tomorrow evening and we can work on this 'stranger' issue?" He smiled at her confidently. "I'm friends with the chef at a very expensive French restaurant in Knoxville and I can get us the best seat in the house."
"I'm flattered, but no thank you," Bella took the signed slip from Chelsea and stuck it under the cash drawer in the register.
The confusion came back to his face. "Oh, you're not a fan of French cuisine? How about Italian?"
Bella sighed and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry Demetri, I'm not trying to play hard to get. I'm not interested. I already have a date with someone."
She noticed that Chelsea looked up from her phone at that comment, but didn't say a word. In fact, the pretty woman looked like she just sucked on a lemon. Demetri tried to act nonchalant as he reached for the cake box.
"Oh really? With whom?"
"With me."
Bella looked past Demetri and smiled widely at the sight of Edward looking very fine in cargo shorts and a white button down shirt. Edward caught her look of appreciation and gave her his sexy grin before turning his attention back to the Volturi's. Demetri's eyes immediately darkened.
"Cullen," he managed to say.
"Demetri." Edward deadpanned, walking towards them before moving around the counter to plant a kiss on Bella's cheek. "Hi honey. I know I'm early but I couldn't wait to see you."
Bella grinned, squeezing his arm. "I'm always happy to see you."
Demetri grabbed the bread bag, thrusting it at a sullen looking Chelsea. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. I look forward to seeing you around town."
Bella glanced over at the man before returning her attention to Edward. "Have a nice day. Thanks for stopping in."
Edward grinned at her response as the brother and sister stalked out of the bakery. Bella chuckled.
"Stellar timing, Cullen. I can't thank you enough for the interruption."
"Demetri was always pretty dense when it came to women. He doesn't quite understand the concept of 'not interested'."
Bella shuddered at the thought. "I wonder if that 'friends with the chef at the expensive restaurant' line works with the other ladies. Seems right up Lauren Mallory's alley."
Edward groaned. "Right up Lauren's alley is offering her a wine cooler before taking her behind the dumpsters for a quickie. Dinner at a fancy restaurant equals engagement and marriage to her."
Bella snorted, giving him a quick squeeze around the waist before pulling back. "So you want something to eat or drink? We've got a half hour before closing time."
"I wouldn't say no to a Moon Pie."
"Of course you wouldn't," she teased, nodding towards one of the tables. "I'll bring it to you. Would you like coffee or tea with that?"
"A bottle of water would be good," Edward tugged on one of her curls before heading towards a chair.
She grabbed his order and took it to him, taking a seat at the table across from him. "So what should I wear tonight?"
Edward smiled, taking a huge bite of his treat, holding up a finger while he chewed and swallowed. "Comfy casual. Some of the time we'll be outside, so dress for the weather."
The weather was currently about ninety degrees and sunny, so Bella figured shorts and a tank would be okay. "Where are we going?"
He smirked, opening his bottle of water and taking a long swallow. "That, Miss Swan, would be a surprise. You'll just have to work on your patience."
Bella sighed, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "So how was your day?"
"It was good. I washed the truck and made a few calls about the ground breaking on Monday. Everything's good to go."
Bella grinned at him, loving the look of excitement on his face. "I can't wait to see the library finished. I'm so proud of you."
Edward blushed at her praise, but looked pleased. "I'm a little nervous but confident everything will go well. Hopefully we won't have any major weather related delays."
"I'm sure it will all run smoothly with you in charge."
"Thank you." He held out the remainder of his Moon Pie and offered her a bite. She grinned, leaning forward in her chair to take a big chunk out of it. "So how was your day?"
Bella chewed and swallowed before responding. "Pretty great, actually. I learned how to make a Hummingbird cake watching Shelley. I'm going to try making it myself sometime next week. I've never had one before."
"Aunt Anna makes them on occasion, usually for Emmett's birthday, that's one of his favorites. They're pretty good."
"It smelled good. I never knew such a thing existed," she grinned. "It's fun learning the local cuisine."
Edward smiled back. "Well I'll be your willing guinea pig for any taste testing."
"I'll keep you in mind."
The kitchen door opened and Shelley walked out, removing her apron in the process. "Almost closing time, sweetie. Hello, Edward! I thought I heard you come in!"
Edward stood up immediately to meet her half way and give her a hug. "I had to rescue our fair Bella from the evil clutches of Demetri Volturi."
Shelley chuckled, patting his cheeks affectionately. "You two boys have never gotten along." She turned to Bella. "When this one here was ten, he got in trouble for fighting with Demetri over some toys. When he was in high school, they got into a fight over a girl and they both walked around with black eyes for two weeks! Neither one of them had any sense!"
"It wasn't just a 'toy', it was my Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt collection!" Edward argued playfully. "The jerk tried to say it was his. My fist told him otherwise."
Shelley clucked her tongue in displeasure and Bella laughed. "Not the Treasure Hunt collection!"
"No joke, that collection will fund my future kids' college fund someday," Edward grinned. "Play your cards right, Miss Swan, and you could end up a very wealthy woman."
Bella burst out laughing. "You're crazy, Cullen."
He shrugged. "All part of my charm."
Shelley shook her head, patting his arm before going to lock the door. "And now we're closed for the day you two. Edward will stay down here with me and help me pack the leftovers for the shelter while you run upstairs and get ready for your date, young lady."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella stood up, grabbing Edward's napkin and empty plate to drop off in the kitchen. "Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be back down."
"Take your time," Edward said, flipping the chairs to lay them on the tables. "Just know that for each minute after twenty you take, I will be tacking it onto the end of our date in triplicate."
She winked at him saucily. "So I'll see you in an hour then?"
He laughed. "My girl!"
*.*.*
Bella had never been on a date before, but from high school gossip and television shows, she'd been under the impression that dates were generally dinner and a movie type thing. She hadn't really been sure what to expect from Edward when it came to a first date, but part of her was hoping that it was nothing like what Demetri Volturi was trying to peddle to her. Considering the comfy casual attire that Edward had suggested, she could guess that she wasn't in for dinner in some stuffy, expensive restaurant and she was grateful for that. She thought something outdoorsy, maybe hiking in the mountains but their destination was better than she ever expected and funny enough, it was so Edward.
Edward had taken her to Pigeon Forge. To a Family Fun Center with an arcade, go kart track and bungee jumping. It was perfect.
Bella's heart melted at Edward's nervous expression when she realized where he had taken her, but she quickly put a smile on his face when she squealed in excitement and threw her arms around him.
"Oh my God, this has to be the coolest first date ever!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in glee.
He made an exaggerated sigh of relief and mimed wiping sweat off of his forehead. Bella laughed as he opened the door of the truck for her and hopped down to the ground before bouncing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
"I was worried for a second that you might think this was lame," he admitted, taking her hand and squeezing it.
"Are you kidding?" Bella grinned. "This is awesome! I was worried that you would take me to a stuffy restaurant where I would have to remember which fork to use. This just proves your brilliance, Cullen."
In her excitement, she gripped his hand tighter and ran towards the entrance pulling him along. They walked into a huge building with arcade rooms on both sides, a counter to buy passes for the rides and play cards for the games, a huge section with prizes and a few small snack bars.
"What's your favorite kind of game?" Bella asked as Edward led them to buy their play cards.
"I like the driving simulators," he said easily, pulling out his wallet. "And I'm not too bad at the basketball games. Emmett and I get pretty competitive when we play those. What about you?"
"I like Skee-Ball and the claw machines," she admitted, looking around the crowded room. "But I kick ass at the shooting games."
"Ah yes, Sharpshooter Bella," he grinned at her, handing her a play card and a pass. "Is it bad that I'm thinking about how sexy you'd look shooting the shit out of ducks on a screen?"
Bella chuckled. "Just as bad as me looking forward to watching you straddle a motorcycle simulator, I suppose."
Edward's smile widened at her comment. "My girl."
They spent about an hour going from game to game, trying out the different types. Bella slayed him at the different shooting games but he beat her at the Whack-A-Mole. She lost to him miserably at the basketball games and he had to make a trip out to the truck to store her claw machine winnings behind the seats so they wouldn't have to carry them.
Bella had a blast on the go-karts, shrieking and laughing as she tried to pass him on the tracks, but he managed to win by a kart length each time. They both got soaked on the bumper boats, she beat him at mini golf, and they let themselves be harnessed in side by side on the Skyflyer. He laughed and she screamed as they dropped towards the ground and then soared up like a plane taking flight. Edward proudly paid for two copies of their Skyflyer picture, looking forward to posting it on Bella's Facebook page before hanging it up in his office.
It was almost eight thirty when they took their final bungee jump each before heading off for dinner. They spent the next hour laughing over messy plates of ribs and burnt ends, playfully swiping at each other's saucy faces with wet naps. She ate everything on her plate and debated the merits of unbuttoning her shorts and taking a food coma nap in the booth.
Bella watched Edward across the table as he carefully wiped off the sauce from his hands. She had just had one of the best days of her life and she didn't want to see it end yet. She debated the idea of inviting him up to her apartment when they got back, not ready to sleep with him yet, but wondering if he would be up for sleep sleeping beside her in the same bed.
"You okay, honey?"
Bella blinked, catching his look of concern and grinned at him. "I think I'm in a food coma. I can barely function."
He chuckled. "You did tackle that plate of burnt ends like a pro. You did good, Miss Swan."
"Why thank you, Cullen,"
They drove back to Chapel Crossing in comfortable silence, their hands clasped on the seat between them and the classic rock station playing softly on the radio. Bella sighed in contentment, smiling to herself as she remembered certain parts of their date.
"This was the best date I could ever imagine," she said quietly, squeezing his hand. "Thank you for asking me."
Edward squeezed back. "Thank you for saying 'yes'. I had a great time with you."
She was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Would it be too forward of me to ask you to stay the night with me?" Silence met her and she rushed forward to explain. "Not for that, of course, but maybe we could watch a movie or something on TV and sleep? You know, in the same bed…or I could sleep on the sofa…or whatever…" Bella drifted into silence, feeling her face heat up. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She almost choked on her tongue when Edward brought her hand to his lips. "Are you asking me to a sleepover, Miss Swan?"
Bella cleared her throat. "Maybe," she whispered.
Edward's eyes met hers for a split second before returning to the road, his smile widening. "I would be honored to spend the night watching movies and sleeping, Bella. But over my dead body will you sleep on a sofa when there's a bed available. If you're sure, we can both sleep in the bed."
Bella let out a huge sigh of relief, not feeling like such an idiot at her rambling. "I'm sure. I think you'd have fantastic human pillow potential."
"Do tell, what are these qualities?"
Bella leaned her head back, listing them off on her fingers. "Well number one, you're like a personal space heater. You give off great body heat."
"I can see that."
"Number two, you smell fantastic. Really quite comforting. So you're like an aromatherapy candle, in a way."
"Makes sense."
She chuckled. "And third, the space between your arms and your chest is really cozy. Seriously, who needs a fluffy pillow when you have well muscled arms around you and a solid chest to lay your head on? And that heartbeat? Gah, so relaxing!"
"Sounds like I should be charging for these human pillow services," he teased. She smiled to herself when she heard the amusement and affection in his voice. "But for you, it's free of charge."
"I appreciate that."
They made a pit stop at the Cullen's house so Edward could grab something to sleep in and clothes for the next day. Bella sat in the kitchen sipping tea with Esme and blushing at the wide grin on the other woman's face. That grin had appeared the moment she found out that Edward was staying the night at Bella's and Bella felt somehow inappropriate, like she was going to do naughty things to corrupt Esme's son.
"We're just going to watch movies and sleep, I swear," Bella had spluttered and Esme just chuckled, patting her hand.
"Bella, sweetie, you're both two consenting adults. You don't have to explain anything to me or Carlisle."
Bella's blush grew even hotter. "I just don't want you to think that anything is going to happen. Except for watching movies. And sleeping. That's it."
Esme's eyes twinkled as she sipped her tea. "I believe you, dear."
"Okay then," Bella turned her attention to her cup. "So I was thinking of bringing bread pudding to dinner tomorrow."
"That sounds delicious. I can't wait to try it."
Yeah, that was amusement in Esme's voice.
Where the hell was Edward?
She was about to ask if anybody was allergic to raisins when the man in question finally appeared with a small duffel bag in hand. Bella jumped to her feet, kissing Esme's cheek quickly and thanking her for the tea before booking it to the door. She swore she heard quiet chuckles behind her.
Edward appeared from the kitchen a minute later, his eyes twinkling in amusement as he opened the door for Bella. "You ready?"
"Yes, please."
She was quiet on the drive back to the bakery and by the time they made it into her apartment, she was feeling pretty silly.
"So Esme must think I'm a nut," she sighed, meeting his amused grin. He burst out laughing, pulling her into a hug.
"Not a nut, just shy about certain things." Edward kissed her forehead. "And even if you were a nut, she'd still love you."
"Ass," Bella muttered, swatting his arm. He just laughed. "There are times my inexperience makes me feel like a dumb child."
"There's no reason to feel like that," he assured her, leading her towards the sofa. He sat down, pulling her into his lap. "Nobody expects you act any certain way. And your inexperience doesn't make you dumb, honey. You weren't born knowing what to feel in different scenarios. We all learned at some point."
Bella sighed, laying her head against his chest. "I just don't want everybody to see me as some silly teenager. I don't like feeling younger than everybody else."
She felt his lips against her hair and breathed him in. "You are younger than all of us, but there's nothing wrong with that. And so what if you haven't experienced everything we have? You can experience those things with us in your own time."
They were silent for a moment before Bella bit her lip and looked up at him. "Today was my first date."
Edward smiled softly, running his fingers through her hair. "I thought it might be. Was your first date everything you thought it would be?"
"So much better than I ever expected, actually," she admitted. "I always heard from classmates that their first dates were for pizza and a movie and while that's fine, I had so much more fun with what we did today. I wasn't nervous, I had so much fun. It was perfect."
"I'm glad. I thought it was perfect, too." His lips moved down to her cheek, down her jaw and to her mouth. Bella moaned in pleasure, just letting herself drown in his kiss. She clutched his shirt in her fists, savoring the feel of his tongue sliding against hers, the gentle nips of his teeth against her bottom lip and the tingling pressure of his fingers against her scalp and spine. A few more gentle nips and Edward pulled back, moving his hand up her arm to cup her cheek.
"As much as I love kissing you, Sweet Girl, we'd better stop. Neither one of us is ready for anything more yet and it would be too easy to just give in."
Bella nodded in agreement and slowly stood up. He was right, she could easily see herself getting caught up in the intensity and just letting go.
"So I'm going to change into my pajamas," she decided. "Would you mind rolling the TV stand closer to the bed so we can see it?
"Whatever the lady wants," he stood up, dropping one more kiss on her lips before turning her towards the bed. "Go get ready. I'll change when you're done."
Bella quickly dug through her armoire, pulling out a pair of purple pajama bottoms and a matching camisole top. She changed in the bathroom and when she emerged, Edward had the TV moved and the bedcovers turned down. He went into the bathroom to change and she dug through a box of DVD's that Rosalie had given her. When Edward appeared, she held two up. "The Usual Suspects or From Dusk Till Dawn?"
Edward nodded approvingly at her choices. "Gotta go with Tarantino, honey."
She agreed. Who in their right mind would turn down Salma Hayek dancing?
Bella quickly put in the movie, turning off all the lights before climbing into the bed beside Edward. He immediately reached out to pull her against him and she sighed in pleasure as she rested her head against his chest.
It was the perfect ending to her first date.
*.*.*
A/N: What did you do on your first date?