So, how do we like FighterWard? Isn't he swoon-worthy? Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story … What's up next?

We'll wrap up the date in this chapter. The gauntlet was thrown, hmmm? Just how adventurous is she? And, what about Edward?

What I own: Not enough hours in the day …

What I don't: Twilight

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"This thing came with my house," Bella said, holding an armful of towels. "It was in bad shape, but the ex helped me clean it out. Once the leaves were removed and it was thoroughly cleaned, it looked amazing."

Edward's lip snarled, but he quickly hid it.

"I saw that," she laughed, putting the towels on the table next to the tub. "Jacob was a douche. Will always be a douche, but he had moments …"

"Did you and he …?" Edward asked, trailing off. He thought of the two of them in this very hot tub, naked, doing things he wanted to do her.

"Oh, OH! Oh, God! No! Ewww!" Bella said, shaking her head. "Jacob and I … well … he was very …" Her face flamed. "Until I found him in bed with two other women, I thought he was a prude. I was the adventurous one."

Edward's brow quirked up. "Really?"

Her cheeks were still pink as she took off her tank top and jean shorts. She hopped onto the edge, sliding into the water. "Definitely adventurous," she said, moving to sit on the far side of the hot tub.

Fuck. Me. Sideways, Edward growled to himself.

"Are you joining me, Masen?" Bella asked, shooting him a sexy smile. "The water's perfect."

Edward smirked, removing his shirt, and slipping off his shoes. He slid into the hot tub, biting back a groan at the jets as they pummeled a tight spot on his back. "Oh, I'm so getting one of these when I find something more permanent."

"Your apartment doesn't have a hot tub?"

"It has an amazing workout area and a pool, but no hot tub," Edward sighed, inching deeper into the water.

"You're welcome to this any time," Bella smiled. "Is it helping your stiff muscles?"

"Definitely," he nodded. "Your leg?"

"The knot is loosening up, but Carlisle said it would take time to … settle down," she said. "Rose said I was capable of working full out, but I pushed it too hard."

"It'll be some time before we're sparring, beautiful," he chuckled lowly. "You're really good. You could go pro."

"Hmmmm, no. I don't want to be compared to my dad," Bella shook her head. "I like the amateur circuit. It's not as intense. I can train intermittently, keep my skills up and fight when I get the itch. I wanted to get back into the ring after Jacob, but there were no fights locally and I didn't want to hop onto a plane."

"Not a fan of flying?"

"Oh, I love flying. I just had too much to do at Bull Dog," she shrugged. She didn't want to say, but the stuff she had to do was related to Edward's arrival to the gym. She had to make sure he was added to the insurance policy, along with finalize everything transferring over from Volterra. Despite ghosting him, she wanted to make sure he was comfortable at the gym. "Not that it's happening any time soon, but what do you want to do after you hang up your gloves? Coach?"

"Probably not," Edward laughed. "I don't have the patience. Hell, I barely have the patience to train myself let alone teach someone the ropes, as it were." He moved closer. "To be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have a degree in business management."

"So do I, with a minor in finance," Bella replied, wrinkling her nose.

"Not your first choice?" he asked, shooting her an adoreably crooked grin.

"I love literature, reading, books, writing, getting lost in the prose," she whispered. Her cheeks, which were already flushed from being in the water, grew even pinker. "Don't laugh."

"Why would I laugh?" he retorted.

"To keep myself sane, I wrote fanfiction when I was a little girl and I still do it now," she whispered, hiding behind her hands.

"Fanfiction?" he asked. "What's that?"

"It's where you take the characters from already written book and create your own story," she explained, pulling her legs up. "I post it on this website and … yeah … it love the attention it gets from my readers. I feel validated that I don't suck as a writer."

"What's the book you use to write your fanfiction?" Edward questioned, seemingly intrigued by her hobby.

"A book about vampires," she answered. "You don't think it's stupid?"

"Not if it makes you happy, beautiful," Edward said. "I'd love to read what you've written."

"We're not at that point, Masen," she laughed, slapping some water toward him. "You know my deepest, darkest secret." She blinked at him, her gaze heating. "Not even Jacob knew. He would have laughed and teased me relentlessly."

"Well, he's an asshole," Edward spat, gently pulling on her hand. She moved without any sort of protestation, settling onto his lap. "Are you okay with this?"

"I am," she nodded. "Are you?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have dragged you onto my lap," he quipped. "I know that we stumbled at the beginning of our … friendship."

"You and I both know that we want more than friendship," she purred. "I mean … we are friends, but …"

"I do want more, but not if you're not ready, beautiful," he pressed.

She moved, pushing him back on the bench. She straddled his trim hips, sliding her hands up his shoulders. "I've been talking with Esme. She's a psychiatrist. Anyway, I talked to her about my feelings of abandonment and how I felt like I wasn't good enough. She got me started on my journey of healing, but I'm seeing a colleague of hers. Am I better? Yes. I don't feel like I'm worthless. Do I have more work to do? Again, yes. I also know what I want. I want to be happy. I want to be with someone who wants me. I want to open myself up to … I want you."

Edward cupped her face, tracing her features. "I want you, too," he breathed. "You're in charge, though. I may not have the patience to train a fighter, but I do have the wherewithal to know that good things come to those who wait."

"You're using those fancy words, Masen," Bella giggled breathily.

"Let me put it simply – if I kiss you right now – you won't pull away like you did before?" he practically growled. His green eyes were almost luminous in the incandescent twinkle lights. "I don't know if I have the strength to stay away."

"Me neither," she panted, twisting her fingers into his soft hair. Brushing her nose along his, he pulled her closer. She could feel his excitement growing in his swim trunks. Rocking her hips, she barely caressed her lips with his.

That's all it took for him to plunder her mouth.

His fingers tangled into her hair as he claimed her lips. Her perfect, pouty, and delectable lips that had taunted him for months. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he groaned as he tasted her.

Bella whimpered, trailing her fingers down his muscular shoulders. She nipped at his lower lip, which made him growl.

"Fuck, Bella," he said, trailing his lips along her jaw, sucking behind her ear. "Kissing you is … I never imagined it could be this good."

She couldn't form words. She was lost in him. His muscular arms banded around her body, clutching her to him. His fingers twisted in her hair and his lips … fuck, his lips, they owned her. She felt his kisses everywhere. She needed to feel him, tasting every inch of her skin. "Touch me," she pleaded. "Please, Edward. Touch me."

He nipped at her earlobe, sucking on it. He moved his lips back to her mouth as his fingers tangled into her hair. He was keeping his hands away from what she was begging him to touch … her heaving breasts, her perfect ass or her searing hot pussy that was grinding against his own aching arousal. As much as he wanted to touch every inch of her delectable body, he knew that it was important to take his time with Bella. Pulling back, he trailed his fingers down her face.

"Edward?" she whispered.

"I want to do this right, beautiful," he panted. "Kissing you is a dream. Holding you in my arms? Feeling your body next to mine? It's better than I'd ever hoped for." He stared into her eyes. "You're important to me, Bella. Far more important than I'd ever imagined. Tell me you can feel it?" More important than Victoria … and I was with her for four years.

"I feel it. I've felt it from the moment I met you and that's part of the reason why I panicked and ghosted you," she frowned, going to move off his lap. His hands moved to her tiny waist to keep her within his arms. "You can't be comfortable."

"I'm not, but I don't want you to move, Bella," he pressed, nipping at her jaw. "Holding you in my arms is worth it."

She stared into his dark gaze. His features were sincere and the lust within his eyes was unmistakable, but it was tempered something more. She couldn't put a finger on it, but it made the butterflies dance in her belly. "Everything about you is worth it," she smiled, kissing his lips tenderly.

They stayed in the hot tub for another hour, making out like horny teenagers. When the air grew chilly, they got out of the hot tub. Bella bounced back and forth on her feet, waiting for Edward to get out. "It's so cold. Hurry up, Masen!"

"I'm building up my body heat," he laughed, jumping out of the hot tub, and picked Bella up, flinging her over his shoulder. She squealed, laughing as he carried her inside, walking back to her bedroom. He playfully dumped her on her bed. He stood up, trying to will his cock to calm down and his underused libido to stop telling his brain to jump the pretty girl.

Leaning up on her elbows, she smiled at him. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"I have an early training session with your dad before he heads off to Portland," Edward said, blowing out a calming breath. "I'm also dripping all over …"

"You can use my bathroom," Bella purred, shooting him a sexy grin.

"You're waving a red flag in front of a very horny bull," Edward sighed, taking a deliberate step back. "I don't want to rush into something physical." His gaze swept over her curvy, but athletic body that was slick with the residual water, highlighting her … "I'm going to go. Because, if I don't go, the little head will take control."

Bella gave him a saucy grin. "Good things come to those who wait. I'm sorry about teasing you."

"Good things come to those who wait and pay back's a bitch," he snickered, moving to hover over her. He pressed a searing kiss to her lips. She tried to pull him back to her body, but he sauntered out of the bedroom. "Sleep well, beautiful. I'll be thinking about you when I'm jacking off, baby."

"Ditto, baby," she sang, flopping back onto her bed as he laughed evilly before leaving her home. "Where the hell is my vibrator?"

A/N: Things are going to be slow-going for these two. Part of it is Edward wanting to do right by Bella. She'd been shattered by Jacob. She's leery of fighters and Edward wants to prove to her that not all fighters are assholes like her ex.

Up next will be … some more flirty banter between Bella and Edward, along with some time spent with Alice, Jasper and Rosalie, watching Emmett's fight in Portland. Will things move forward physically for our two favorite love birds?

Anyhow, you can find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I'm also on twitter, Hive and Spoutible, too: tufano79. Leave me your thoughts! Thanks for reading!