There's a pictease up for chapter 23 at the PicTease blog.

I posted this on the Twilighted thread yesterday, as well:

“I think I need a list,” Edward said against my lips, “because I certainly intend to repay this favor.”

The chapter will go up on FFN, Twilighted & the blog on Wednesday morning! :)

I'm participating in this great cause -- Fics for Nashville. The premise is much the same as with the Haiti Compilation -- donate $5 and receive a compilation from some of your favorite authors.

My piece is outlined and I'll be working on it once the next chapter of The Discovery of Bella Swan is completed and with my beta (hopefully this evening). I think it'll be a funny slightly dark comedy with a quirky Bella.

I hope you'll consider making a donation to help the people in TN, and get the bonus of receiving the hard work that authors like myself have poured into the compilation.

A/N: For those of you that have patiently waited for this story to begin again – thank you from the bottom of my heart. I anticipate updates to be at least weekly; they may be more frequent, but I am committing to "weekly" for now.

Thank you to TwilightMundi, who tolerates my insane quirks and need for affirmation. Thank you to philadelphic and kimpy0464, who did me the huge honor of giving this a quick read thru and offering their invaluable thoughts.

All copyright and trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. The remaining content is all mine. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.

"I never stop thinking about you."

BPOV

After we got to campus, Edward and I walked quietly, hand-in-hand before we went our separate ways. Watching him walk away, as I'd grown accustomed to doing, I felt excited. It was late October, Halloween was coming up the next week, and then November would bring Thanksgiving. December would be an important month – I'd be retesting and if all signs were still clear, Edward and I could finally drop the last barrier between us, literally.

Thus, my first class of the day was spent in a haze of thoughts about how we might celebrate. Over the couch. On the counter. In the shower. I almost started a second list in my Discovery notebook just for all the positions I wanted to experiment with, but thought better of it.

Jasper brought two coffees to class, and we smiled and spoke quietly as we sipped and soaked in our professor's words. Things were still going well with him and Alice, and I realized our dorm suite was probably sitting empty most of the time.

The highlight of my day, however, was lunch with Edward. I'd come to think of the cafe as our place, and every time I passed it, even the times I didn't stop in, I smiled wide and proud. Tyler was working and I grinned at him behind the counter once I was inside. Edward had beaten me there, and was sitting at a table, book open on his lap.

As quietly as I could, I walked up behind him and put my hands on his shoulders. Unintentionally startling him, his knees dropped and the book fell to the ground with a loud thud, causing us both to laugh.

"Hey," I said quietly when he stood to embrace me.

"Hi. I'm sorry, I had no idea what you'd want to eat," he said. "Let's grab something."

Waiting in line, we snuggled and I told him about my classes. He was quieter than usual, and I couldn't tell if he was simply being respectful and listening to me or if something else was going on. Once we sat down to eat, it seemed like he relaxed a bit, but he still wasn't the playful, open, flirty Edward I'd gotten to know over the last few weeks.

"You okay?" I asked, my hand on his knee.

"I'm tired today," he confessed. "I didn't sleep well last night, and my classes are already so brutal."

"I'm sorry, sweets. Early bedtime tonight?"

As I took a bite of my sandwich, I watched his face crinkle a little with emotion.

"Yeah," he said, yawning. "It's probably good you're going to spend some time with the girls tonight. I can get my homework done and go to bed ridiculously early."

Allowing that thought to process through my head, I furrowed my brow a little.

"You know, we can get to sleep earlier. I mean, we don't always have to stay up so late, you know..."

Edward laughed lightly, turning to face me.

"I happen to like staying up late, doing you know with you," he said, lips lightly grazing mine. "I hope you do, too, because I plan to you know with you as often as I can, and even though I'll be getting to sleep early tonight, that just means I'll be well rested for tomorrow."

"Yeah," I breathed against his mouth. "I always want to."

Before we went any further, Edward pulled back and gave me one last peck. "Come on, we need to finish lunch, then I have to run to class, unfortunately."

Once he put his book away, we spent the rest of our lunch focused on each other. I was grateful; if I had to be away from him that night, I wanted to get as much of him during the day as I could. We walked to his class together, then I made my way back to my suite to get my homework finished before Rose and Alice got back.

When my schoolwork was finished and there was no sign of Rose or Alice, I texted them each to prod them along. I knew their classes were over for the day. They each replied and let me know they'd be back soon. Apparently Alice was going to get movies and Rose was picking up snacks and drinks.

Nothing left to do, I paced the room and glanced at my cork board. I realized I hadn't put Alice and Rose's note from my suitcase over the weekend up yet, so I did. Before pinning the folded paper to the board, I opened and re-read it and giggled, suddenly realizing how much I missed Edward.

Lying on my bed, I replayed the weekend in my head, wishing for many more just like it. Well, right up until Sunday night. I'd agreed to spend the weekend with Edward at his apartment, cooking for us on Saturday, and I couldn't wait. I wasn't sure what I'd cook yet, but I knew whatever it was, whatever we did, as long as we were together it would be fun and flirty. Hopefully, Edward wouldn't have too much coursework over the weekend and would be able to relax a bit.

As I began to think about potential menus, my phone chirped in my bag. I hadn't yet set up a custom ringtone for Edward; there were just too many songs to choose from.

"Hello," I said, smiling.

Edward hummed before speaking, and the sound made me ache for him. "Hey, baby."

Giggling, I soaked in his relaxed-sounding voice before replying.

"You sound drunk, Edward," I chastised. "Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm just very slightly buzzed," he said quietly. "And missing you like crazy."

"I miss you, too," I said with a sigh. "Homework done?"

"Yeah, mostly." His voice turned breathy, then. "What are you doing?"

"Just waiting for Rose and Alice to come home. You getting ready for bed?"

Edward sighed again and I could hear his clothes rustle, the mouthpiece of his phone rubbing against his shirt, much like I wished I could be.

"Yeah," he said, that morose tone inflecting his speech again. "Why didn't I want you to come over?" He was sort of half-whining, and it made me laugh (on the inside).

"Because you're smart. We can't just stay in bed all the time, you have a stressful few years ahead of you. If we don't figure out how to balance all of this now, what will we do when you have to go through your residency?"

There I was again thinking about our future together, I realized, only that time I'd shot us several years ahead.

"I don't know, Bella. Maybe this isn't for me. It's like only a few weeks into the year, and I already feel overwhelmed and entirely too stressed," he said, speaking quietly. "Maybe I'm not meant to be a doctor."

When he was done speaking, I could hear the long pull he took from his beer bottle, then another loud sigh. I was in completely new territory; I'd never questioned or doubted what I'd do in life. I always knew. Always.

"Edward, baby, I wish I was there to hold you and stroke your hair. To help you decide. I think you're probably just tired from the weekend and everything. I'm sure I didn't help," I mumbled. "It'll be okay, Edward. If you really think it might not be the right thing, we can talk about it and I can try to help."

His voice was thick and heavy as he hummed again. "Thank you. I wish you were here, I think I'm just frustrated."

"Edward, it's been like twenty-four full hours," I said, teasing him with a laugh.

"I meant it when I said I never stop thinking about you," he said. "What are you wearing?"

I really wanted to resist him, but his voice was so fucking sexy right then. It had the same tone and inflection as it did when we'd been in bed, and I was a puddle of mush.

"Same thing I wore to school, my horny boy."

"You haven't undressed at all? Come on, baby," he practically whispered, "take something off for me."

"Edward, I don't know when the girls will be back," I said, attempting to be practical. "What are you wearing?"

"Just a second, and I'll be down to my boxers." As he spoke, I could hear the rustling of fabric again, and I had to admit, it was getting me a little hot. Readjusting my body, I got comfortable on my bed and waited for him.

"Okay," he said, a large gust of air coming across the line, "I just fell into bed. Mmm, I can smell you here still, all edible and delicious. Makes me so fucking hard."

I confess – I had no clue what to say or do. It just felt awkward. Everything I considered saying felt so silly in my head.

Settling on a hum, I closed my eyes and pictured him. That felt better, and my brain was able to calm down and relax a little.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

The speed and depth of his breathing increased and he let out a small moan before he answered me. "I'm touching myself. Are you?"

As he spoke, my hands wandered, and it felt slightly less awkward since it seemed like he wasn't going to pressure me to say anything.

"Yeah," I breathed.

Another long groan came across the phone line, and then I could feel my body responding to him. I could imagine him laying there, his hand wrapped around his dick, slowly stroking himself. Just as my hand slipped beneath the waistband of my jeans, I heard two loud, shouty girls come into the dorm.

"Where are you, baby?" I heard Alice shout.

"Fuck, Edward, the girls are home," I said quietly, then covered the mouthpiece of the phone to shout back at them. "I'm in my room. Be out in a minute."

This time, his groan wasn't sexy at all, just frustrated.

"Sorry," I said. "I was kind of getting into that. We'll have to revisit this another time."

"I miss you," he said quietly.

"I know you do. I miss you, too. I'll be thinking about that, and you, what I know you're about to do, all night, I hope you know. Guh."

Just then, there was pounding on my door, and I gasped, startled.

"Christ, those girls are impatient. Sorry, Edward. We'll talk in the morning?"

"Yeah," he said. "Just do me one last favor?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Say 'fuck' one more time? Please?"

If it had been anyone else, in any other circumstance, I might have laughed. But the way Edward nearly begged? I was incapable of saying no.

Mustering my inner vixen, I closed my eyes again and remembered back to the B&B, how Edward had made me feel in bed... how the corset I wore made me feel like the sexiest woman around... how his hands, and mouth, and lips all over me brought me to new heights. After all of that replayed through my brain, it was easy to give him the breathy, sexy-sounding dirty word he longed for.

"Thank you," he said, voice slightly strained. "Good night, Bella. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Edward."

Once I hung up, I took a few deep breaths and made my way to the main room. Alice and Rose had popcorn, Reese's Pieces, Red Vines and Twizzlers, Coke, a contraband bottle of rum, and what looked like a mountain of beauty products.

"Hey girls," I greeted, giving them each a hug. "Sorry, I was just saying goodnight to Edward."

"How is our dear cousin?" Rose asked.

"Eh, he sounds a little depressed and stressed out tonight, actually," I confessed.

"He's probably just tired," Alice said. "He gets grouchy when he's tired, and this is going to be a long year for him. Well, a long several years."

Alice's words got me thinking; dating Edward was more than dating just another guy. His time was going to be in short supply, not just during med school and then residency, but for a long, long time. I had no idea what he even wanted to specialize in, though, maybe he wanted to be a researcher? Maybe he wanted to be a podiatrist?

"Bella?" Rose said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Welcome back."

"Sorry," I laughed.

The three of us watched movies, put mud masques on our faces, painted each other's nails, ate far too much, and generally had a fabulous time chatting. Sometime after our second obligatory red SOLO cup of rum and Coke, Alice came up with a genius idea for my thanking Edward for all of his support lately.

We all went to bed much later than usual, knowing we'd pay for it the next day, but I could hardly find it in myself to care or regret it. It was the most fun I'd had with the girls in a while.

Thursday, I woke up late, ran out the door, and barely made my class with Tanya. Rushing into the room, I picked a seat close to the door and gathered the things I needed. Thankfully, class went by fairly quickly and I was happily on my way to get caffeine from the cafe afterward.

When I finally had my cup in hand and found a seat at a table, I checked my phone. I had several texts from Edward. If they were any indication of his mood, the tension and stress from the previous day was gone, and I was glad. I did, however, intend to ask him about it and hopefully get him to talk to me more. I didn't want him to just push aside his feelings and keep pressing forward if he wasn't sure.

Once I'd scrolled through the texts asking me how my morning was, the text asking me to meet after classes, and the text asking if I was going to coffee, I began to compose my reply. Letting Edward know I was indeed getting coffee (and lunch), and that I'd had a great morning, but wasn't sure about after classes, I pressed send and tucked in to my turkey sandwich.

Determined to get my classwork done before the day was over so I could have a relaxing night, I opened my book and sighed.

"Someone so beautiful should never look so sad," came the voice I'd longed to hear all morning.

Nearly knocking my chair over, I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck. He'd become a daily fixture in my life somehow, and I was happy for that.

"How's your day?" I asked as we sat down together.

"Brutal," he said. "Better now, though."

As he grabbed my sandwich and took a bite, I laughed, only too eager to share whatever he wanted.

"Gonna make me sleep alone again tonight?" he asked, giving me the most adorable set of puppy dog eyes ever.

"Yeah, I think so," I said with a sigh. "Sorry. I need to get this done and I have a paper coming up. If you want me to spend the weekend, I should focus. How are you doing? Did you get a lot done last night?"

He nodded, taking another giant bite of my sandwich.

"How are you feeling about what we talked about last night? Med school, all that?" I chanced.

"I'm fine, mostly. Sometimes I forget all the reasons why I wanted to be a doctor, but you'd be surprised what a good night of sleep and some deep thought can do."

"Oh, heavy thinking? Is that what you were doing when you called?" I asked, face buried in my book again to hide my smile.

Edward's laugh was light and free, back to the Edward I knew and already loved.

By the time I got back to the suite and checked my email, I realized I'd forgotten to look for my song that morning. Eagerly clicking on the email from Edward, I saw the file first – 3 – and began to load it into my playlist. The body of the email was simple and to the point:

Bella,

Because sometimes you need a little meaningless pickup, and I have the feeling we'll both need a musical boost to our days.

Love, Edward

As I clicked play and heard the song begin, I recognized it as Energy by Apples in Stereo. Hearing it made me long for a good run, but the weather outside was awful. I decided to pack my running gear in my bag for the weekend and hope Edward had a gym at the fancy apartment complex of his.

The rest of the night was indeed relaxing; I read, had a cup of tea, ordered Edward's surprise, and went to bed early.

Friday morning was sunny, but cold, and I was in a great mood. Edward and I had agreed to meet after his last class, at my room. My homework was done, and I was packed and ready to go by the time he arrived.

Once we were at his place, it was dark and he still had homework left to do, so I watched a movie while he worked at his desk in his room. Even though we were apart, we were together, and it felt comfortable and easy. Edward spent so long on his homework that I fell asleep; he woke me sometime during the night and we walked to bed, then curled up into a warm ball together.

On Saturday, I woke up with Edward groping me, which is probably the best way to wake up ever. He was in front of me, facing me, and wide awake. Reaching out, I took him in my hand and slowly moved my mouth to his. Our hands frantically worked each other's bodies, and our mouths were soft and tender as they moved together.

Edward panicked when he must've realized he was close to release, and turned to grab a tissue from the box just in time. His hands continued to pleasure me and my grip on his body increased as my orgasm induced every muscle in my body to clench. It was delightful, and the perfect way to start our weekend.

After a quick run in his apartment's gym, and a not-so-quick shower, we went grocery shopping to restock Edward's apartment. It was amusing browsing the aisles with him and watching as he picked out food for himself. I grabbed what I needed to make our dinner as well, and we paid then went back to his place. He still had more homework, so as I cooked, he worked.

He finally took a break to eat, sitting at the table and bantering with me, playful and sweet, but was right back at it after he helped me clean up. I felt a little abandoned – it was Saturday night, after all. Sucking it up, I tried my best not to be a pouty brat about it, and sprawled on his couch again. In a repeat of the night before, he woke me at some point and we curled together.

Sunday morning, I woke up to Edward pressed against me from behind. He hadn't shaved in two days, and his scruff raked its way against my neck, side to side, as his hand ran down my arm.

"Well, there you are, Scone Boy. I almost thought I'd lost ya," I said with a smile.

Edward hummed and bit down, teasing me. "I'm here. I'm always here, I'm just sometimes busy getting things done so I can focus on you more."

"I can't complain about this plan," I said.

His fingertips brushed across my nipple and I arched back into him. We were slow and reverent with our teasing, finally able to take our time and be together. Once he had a condom on, I moved to turn onto my back, but he stopped me.

Instead, he pulled my top leg up and over his, then slipped inside me carefully. From this angle, everything felt so different, and I remembered how shallow my spectrum of sexual experiences was. Edward's hand moved lower and he was soon coaxing my body to orgasm. His other arm wound around me from beneath and pulled me tighter to him as he continued to push into me, his breath warm against my ear. Several moments later, his grip tightened and he let out a slow groan before relaxing against me.

Even as we laid together after, his hands continued to roam and touch, loving me quietly and reassuring me. Turning, I faced him and we kissed softly for several minutes, until we both needed to get up. We took a lazy shower together, washing each other and touching, laughing and kissing. Everyone was waiting when we got to the pre-agreed restaurant.

After we'd all ordered and began to talk about our weekends, the topic of Thanksgiving (a topic I'd been dreading) came up.

"Bella, you should come home with us," Alice implored.

"Yes!" Rose agreed.

Edward's hand squeezed mine beneath the table, his own silent show of support.

"I can't," I said. "I have plans."

Well, I was sure I'd have plans by then, anyway.

"Oh," Rose said, clearly disappointed. "You sure?"

Nodding, I squeezed Edward's hand back. Another little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone, right? I was vehemently opposed to them feeling sorry for me and inviting me to be with their families out of pity or obligation.

"What's everyone doing for Halloween?" Alice asked.

It seemed like each couple was pairing up to dress as something cute or funny – Alice and Jasper as a cowboy and cowgirl (which prompted many cowgirl-style jokes... which prompted me to mentally flag cowgirl for a quick Google check, since I had no idea), and Emmett and Rosalie as a football player and cheerleader.

"What do you guys want to go as?" Rose asked.

Turning to Edward, I ran through a few possible scenarios before I noticed his expression.

"I don't know if I can make it," he said. "My classwork isn't going to get any lighter, and Halloween is on a weekday this year... You could go, though?"

Did I want to do that? Go to the party without him? I wasn't sure. Shrugging, I decided I'd think about it later.

For most of the rest of brunch, I was stuck inside my head, thinking about everything. When it was time to go, Edward dropped me off at my room. He walked me inside and stayed for a bit, lying on my bed and talking about our plans for the upcoming week. Knowing how busy he'd be, we tried to plan ahead, making study dates and setting aside time for each other, but it made me nervous.

After he left, I spent the afternoon doing laundry and getting ready for the week, then took out my Discovery List. I added "take a photography class," then slipped it back into my bag and got ready for bed.

The next few days passed in a blur; Edward was, in fact, too busy to go to the Halloween party, so instead of going by myself, I camped out with him at his apartment and passed out candy to the few kids that were out. I was surprised when Edward came up behind me. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he kissed me lightly.

"Someday, you think we'll have one of those?" he asked quietly.

"One of which?"

I could have guessed at what he meant, but the selfish side of me wanted to hear him say it.

"One of those mini Snickers," he teased, reaching to grab and open one. As he took a bite, he kissed me and the chocolate on his lips melted between us. "A little Han Solo or Princess, I mean."

Setting the bowl of candy down, door closed for the moment, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. As strange as it was, that simple question, simple confirmation that he, too, was thinking about our future, turned me on immensely. Before we got too far, unfortunately, there was another trick-or-treater and we had to dial it back.

With each new kid that came to the door, I wondered what our kids might look like. If Edward thought about having babies with me, did he think about marrying me? What would it feel like to be Mrs. Edward Cullen, I wondered. The knock on the door or chime of the doorbell pulled me from my thoughts each time, but I caught myself smiling widely several times.

At eight o'clock, I turned the porch light off and walked back to Edward, who'd returned to studying. Still worked up from earlier, I was determined to help him unwind a bit. Turning his chair, I straddled his lap and did my best.

A few days later, his embroidered lab coat showed up, and I got great pleasure from wrapping and giving it to him. I attached a note about how much I appreciated his care and concern for me since we'd met, and that I hoped he knew how much I cared for him. He showed me just how much he loved me that night.

October turned to November, and as the weather grew colder, Edward and I continued to heat up. We'd settled into a routine together, spending some nights together at his apartment, some nights apart so we could focus on school. He continued to have exponentially more work than I did, so I enjoyed spoiling him in various ways and spending time cooking for both of us.

The Tuesday of Thanksgiving break came, and I watched everyone pack up, then took them to the airport. Saying goodbye was difficult, knowing they were going away to be with their families. Rose, Alice, and Edward were going to Chicago and Emmett was flying back home to Tennessee. Jasper was going to head home to Texas, but decided to save himself the trip since it was such a short break, once he found out neither of his siblings would be there.

Edward and I had texted through the time they were gone, and on Thanksgiving, I was surprised when I heard a knock at the door.

A/N2: As always, thank you for your love, support, and reviews. They mean the world to me.

A/N: Endless thanks to FloridaChickie, who purchased me during Fandom Gives Back, gave me a great prompt, and then let me run all sorts of crazy directions with it. These two would likely not exist without her, but I'm really in love with them, so I'm all kinds of thankful.

Thank you to my beta, TwilightMundi, and TSM & Nameless, who always help me more than they know. Many thanks to Melooza, who allowed me to pick her brain more than once about the most insanely boring and mundane topics. Thank you!!

Here is the link to most of the recipes and other random things from this one-shot.

---

Bella Mother Fucking Swan had been my arch nemesis in the kitchen for years.

In culinary school, we competed for the top spot constantly. I would say it was split fifty-fifty for who won, but I'd be totally lying – she kicked my ass almost every time. It only made me want to beat her more.

When we graduated, she opened her restaurant first. She got a better write-up in the local newspaper. When we'd been opened long enough to be Zagat rated, I was thrilled at our scores. Until I saw hers.

Then she stole my Head Chef a month after I opened.

Did I mention said Head Chef is my best friend?

Was. Was my best friend.

Such a pussy, Jasper. Begged me to forgive him, said he needed to go. I knew he was chasing some pussy at Bella's, but he was forgetting all the rules. We never chased chicks for more than one night.

We'd fucked our way through culinary school together, sometimes literally together, and I wasn't ready to give up that life. I didn't think Jasper was, either, so I had no idea what his grand plan was.

Finally, when I was approached to be an Iron Chef America and Bella wasn't? I felt like I'd won. My awards, appearances on television, professional accolades – it had all paled in comparison to this moment.

The last step was beating her on national TV.

After my first few successful battles, I approached the booking person and dropped Bella's name. Imagine my elation when she accepted the invitation. Jasper came over for beers that weekend since I was home in Vegas, not in New York taping, and I told him all about it. He just laughed at me, the fucker. Then told me all about how he was in love. Ugh.

The next few weeks, all I could focus on was my upcoming competition with Bella. I obsessed over ingredients, supplies, and potential menus. After I submitted my different supply lists for each of the potential secret ingredients, I demanded new knives for Kitchen Stadium. I became impossible to be around, according to my friends.

I had to win.

The morning of our taping, things went smoothly. Swan was just as gorgeous as the last time I'd seen her, and it pissed me off even more.

Routine was my best friend as I set up and got ready, discussing things with my two sous chefs. When the Chairman declared the secret ingredient was lemons, I almost exploded with frustration. Bella was a way better pastry chef than I, and would assuredly kick my ass in dessert.

Finally, the show began and we got to work. The filmed version of the ingredient reveal was done, and the cooking began.

"Allez Cuisine!"

Minutes later, I overheard Alton Brown commenting on the fact that I was already sweating and looking nervous. Of course, I laughed it off and smiled for the camera.

Fucking AB.

My team and I got to work, strategizing and making plans. We decided to make lemon truffle biscotti with goat cheese, roasted potatoes with olives and lemon, lemon tuna steaks with roasted vegetables, and Meyer lemon pudding cake with flash-frozen lemon foam for dessert. When I saw Bella making a beverage, I decided to shake up a lemon drop martini as my fifth course.

Bella and her team made rose lemonade, lemon pepper cashews, lemon garlic tilapia, lemon risotto with asparagus, and deconstructed lemon meringue pie.

When I tried to make the frozen lemon foam, I didn't have my ratios correct and ruined it several times before I just gave up. I decided to whip some cream and hit it with a hint of lemon zest, hoping for the best. The cake itself was fucking delicious, so I'd just be a little less dazzling with it than I wanted, I hoped.

My other dishes were awesome, and I was pleased to win the coin toss, deciding to present my food to the judges second so that it was the last thing in their minds. Unfortunately, I knew I was fucked when Bella presented her dishes. The judges were so complimentary about the composition and flavor of her foods, I didn't think I even had a chance.

I had to hold the rage in as she was declared the winner. Shaking her hand was … demeaning in the worst way possible. Once the crew was gone, she came over to sample some of my food and gave me a few compliments. That just pissed me off more, and I didn't have to hold back in front of the cameras anymore.

"You don't really need to rub it in, you know," I said.

"I just wanted to try the potatoes. They sounded good, and sure enough, they're delicious," she said.

"Fuck you," I muttered as I walked away.

"You'd like that too much," she snarked and huffed a gust of air.

As I walked out, I flipped her the bird. Hopeful my walk to the hotel would help calm me down, I thought about all the dirty things I wanted do to her as my own way of taking out my frustration. Oh, it would be consensual, make no mistake. I'd make her beg, then scream my name in pleasure. The walk became an almost-run when I realized I was sporting wood in my whites walking down the crowded streets. I hadn't even made my usual post-show stop at Fat Witch for a treat; I was too pissed to be polite.

After a long, hot, fantasy-filled shower, I went down to the hotel bar to wind down. Naturally, there she was, all sexy looking. I couldn't fucking escape this woman, no matter where I went. Sitting at the end of the bar, as far away from her as I could, I downed my vodka tonic and ordered another.

"Rough day?" she said, clearly holding in a fucking laugh.

I might have growled. Which might have made her laugh even harder.

"God, Cullen, you're so serious all the time. What did I ever do to make you hate me, anyway?"

Oh, where to begin.

"Nothing, Bella, just drop it."

I signed my bar tab, charging the balance to my room, and walked away before she could engage me in conversation further. The last thing I needed was to lose a verbal sparring match to her, on top of my loss in the kitchen.

That was the first night I dreamed of Bella. She had the same dress on in my dream, as in the bar; a turquoise thing with lots of tits and leg showing. The same heels were on her feet, and the same fucking smirk was on her face, only in my dream, she was begging me to take her upstairs with me. And I did.

Naturally, I woke up with a huge problem.

After dealing with my issue in the shower (again), I got dressed and hit the Chelsea Market for some food. I had one more day in the city before I went back to Vegas to deal with my restaurant. It was mostly at the phase where it ran on its own, under my Head Chef's direction, but sometimes I popped in just to check on things. I missed the excitement and stress of running a live kitchen now that I was just doing Iron Chef and some select cable TV programs.

Thankfully I didn't run into Bella again during my time in New York, but I knew it was almost unavoidable for much longer. Jasper had been asking me to get together with his new girlfriend, Bella's BFF or some shit, and I couldn't put it off much longer. My first night back, he came over to barbeque and I noticed an envelope in his hands.

"What's this?"

"From Bella," he said with a shrug.

In a formal script, the front of the envelope was labeled "Iron Chef Cullen."

As I opened the letter and looked inside, a slip of handwritten paper fell out, along with an invitation. The note said:

Edward,

If you're still a sore loser, here's your second chance.

The invitation was to a mock Iron Chef party at some address I didn't recognize.

"She's been holding them forever," Jasper explained.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Iron Chef parties. A group of us get together and make different courses, then we all eat and judge. She has a badass kitchen, man. You'd love to play in it."

I furrowed my brow and thought about it. Did I really want to do this?

"I dunno," I said with a sigh.

"Come on, it'll be fun. Besides, you can finally meet Alice. We'll just do it there, since she works for Bella, too. She fucking loves these things."

"Maybe," I said.

We ate on my patio after we'd cooked together, and downed a few beers. A few hours later, much sports watching and some cooking technique discussion had passed, and Jasper was plenty sober enough to drive.

"Give it some thought," he said. "I get the feeling she kind of likes you, unlike you, you asshole."

Clapping my shoulder as he spoke, Jasper walked out the door and turned to look at me.

"I like her," I said, defensively. "I just also want to kick her ass."

It was true; if he knew how much I really liked her, he'd mock me endlessly.

"Drive safe. Text me when you're home."

"Okay, Mom."

Flipping him off, I closed the door and flopped back on my couch. The invitation balanced in my fingers, and I contemplated what I'd do. I mean, I knew I'd accept, I just wasn't sure what would happen, and that made me nervous.

After I RSVPed via email two days later, I got a text. The invitation had asked that I include my contact details, in case anything changed.

I'm glad you're coming, Edward.

Did she do this shit to me on purpose?

It was another long shower that night. I didn't bother to reply to her text; we'd all be together during the upcoming weekend.

Soon enough, it was Saturday. I think I slept about five minutes the night before, my nerves getting the better of me. I packed up the few tools I insisted on taking with me, and made my way over to the address on the card.

Pulling up to the enormous home, I gasped. It was a mansion; giant, sprawling. There had to be more room in this house than she could ever need or use, and I was eager to get inside and let the judging begin. I'd been wise and bought a pricey but nice condo, something I could easily rent out or sell if I ever wanted to live elsewhere.

As I crossed the entry patio, I could hear the raucous laughter from inside. I was envious; I suspected I was walking into a situation where everyone would be comfortable with everyone else, aside from me. Always the odd man out, I'd never quite fit in with a social group in school. Sighing, I knocked lightly, almost hoping I could use "you didn't hear me" as my excuse to leave.

Unfortunately, Jasper answered the door almost immediately after, pulling me into a man hug.

"I never thought you'd get here, you pussy," he said. "Come on, let's go meet everyone. We're ready to get started."

"Bella, you remember Edward," Jasper said. I nodded at her, giving a half-smile. "Alice, this is Edward, my oldest and dearest friend."

"Who you dropped at the first sign of a lasting skirt," I muttered.

To my surprise, everyone laughed, and Alice walked over to embrace me.

"Edward, this is Kate and Garrett. They're two of the line cooks at Bella's."

As I shook each of their hands, it sank in that I was on my own. Everyone else worked for Bella. Anxious, I shifted from foot to foot.

"So here's how it works, Edward," Bella began. "We work in teams. Usually I'm with James, but he's … not here. Alice and Jasper are a team, and Kate and Garrett are a team, so that leaves you and me. Think you can handle it?"

She was back with that mile-wide grin, and I had no fucking clue why. Weren't we sworn mortal enemies? Wasn't this supposed to be a rematch?

"Sure," I said lamely.

"Each team brings an ingredient for the other teams to work with. I picked ours, since you aren't used to the drill. I hope you don't mind." As she spoke, she walked around me and I caught a hint of her scent, light and clean, not overpowering like the other chicks I was used to being around.

Jasper began to tie an apron around Alice's waist, and she turned to do the same, then I noticed Kate and Garrett gearing up as well. I hadn't thought to bring my whites, so I just resolved that I'd be working in my t-shirt and jeans. Bella walked up with an apron around her neck, turning her back to me, and asked me to tie the waist. In that moment, she was so fucking close; I could smell her again, and feel the heat from her body.

After she was properly in uniform, she held an apron up for me, silently asking me to bend down so she could put it over my neck. That's when I saw hers; it said "May the forks be with you". I laughed and then panicked when I realized mine probably said something lame like hers. Then I made the horrid mistake of looking down, after she'd already tied me up in it. It was worse than I'd thought: "Some things are better rich … Coffee, chocolate, men."

"What the fuck?" Moving to take the apron off, I wrapped my hands backward around my waist and began pulling at the strings Bella had just tied.

"Oh, Edward, loosen up. Everyone has cutesy aprons. You were just last to show up, so you got stuck with this."

It seemed to be a challenge, her eyes daring me to be a spoilsport and take it off. I growled quietly and left the fucking thing in place. It would be better than ruining my designer jeans, that was for sure.

"What are the ingredients, Chef?" I asked, putting on my best happy face. I knew I needed to be polite for Jasper's sake, and it wasn't that I wanted to be such an asshole all the time, it just somehow ended up coming out that way.

As I stood back and looked at the ingredients, I took in Bella's kitchen. To say it was huge would be downplaying. It was modern, all black and silver, and she had small touches, like a pot-filling sink in one of the islands, and a giant professional range. Even with six of us working in the small space, we'd have plenty of room.

"Alice and Jasper have mangoes for their appetizer, which is what I selected. Kate and Garrett brought chicken breasts for Jasper and Alice as the main course, and we have peaches from Jasper and Alice for dessert."

"Peaches?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Mmhmm. Do you like peaches?"

Her question was thick with innuendo, and I almost laughed. Instead, I decided to one up her.

"I love juicy, ripe peaches. Sometimes the fuzz can feel a little odd on my tongue, but then I get into the slick, slippery flesh and it's divine."

By the time I finished, I noticed Bella was blushing. Mission accomplished. I wanted to make her squirm as much as she had tortured me in the last few weeks, even if most of it was unknowingly.

"Well, let's get started, then, shall we?" she said quietly.

Bella looked around at the other teams, prompting me to do so also. Everyone had clearly overheard our conversation. Alice was giving Bella the strangest wide smile, and Jasper was looking at me like I'd just won some sort of medal.

Whatever.

Setting a timer for ninety minutes, a little longer than the real Iron Chef time, we all got to work. I wasn't sure how things would go teaming up with Bella, but they got off to an okay start. We discussed what we'd make, and Bella practically rolled her eyes at my suggestions of a pie or cobbler, dismissing them as too boring.

"How about a rustic tart with homemade ice cream?" she suggested.

"Why is that any better than pie?" I challenged.

That time, Bella did roll her eyes at me.

"Come on, Eddie, you're about to get a crash course in just how much better and different I can make this tart. Can you remember what it was like to be a sous chef? Think you can peel those peaches for me?"

We worked together surprisingly well. I peeled the peaches after a quick dip in boiling water and watched as Bella worked the pastry ingredients together. She was quick and confident, something I almost never felt, even in the kitchen.

"Done?" she asked. When I nodded, she continued. "Sprinkle some sugar over them, a little lemon juice, some fresh nutmeg, cornstarch, a little cinnamon, and then my secret ingredient."

At the end of her sentence, she winked. At me.

Certain the smile on my face was as goofy as it felt, I looked back at the sliced fruit and finished up. Just after Bella rolled out the crust, she leaned over the bowl I was working with and dropped in some minced crystallized ginger. I was lucky that I'd somehow been able to pay attention with her that close; I could smell her again, feel her body against mine again, and my desire for her pulsed again.

Thankfully, she took over assembling the dessert and gave me the rest of the directions for the custard ice cream base on the stove. When it was done, we had to plunge it in an ice bath so we could freeze it faster in the ice cream machine she had.

It seemed like only ten minutes had passed since we began, but the timer went off just as Bella passed me a cold beer. We'd helped each other out of our aprons, our tart was cooling, and our ice cream was finished. Cursing the timer, I decided it was probably better this way; Bella had taken the spot next to me on the long island, watching our friends work frantically. I wasn't sure how long I could stand there next to her and not get myself into trouble, either with my words or actions.

Everything was transferred to serving platters, and Jasper and Alice led the way outside. I carried the tart and Bella brought beverages and other things, our ice cream left in the freezer due to the heat.

The weather had just begun to taper slightly; instead of the sweltering heat, it was comfortable and tolerable. I stood for a moment, taking in the surroundings. I'd been so wrapped up in cooking, and her, that I hadn't noticed anyone coming out back, but clearly someone had – there were lanterns with candles hanging from huge weeping willows, canopying the table. There was a crisp, white tablecloth on the table, and soft music played from, well, somewhere.

"Wow," I whispered.

"You like my backyard, Cullen?" Bella teased, bumping her hip into mine as she walked by me.

"Yeah."

I marveled at the landscaping another minute before joining everyone else at the table. Each team introduced their dish. Kate and Garrett had made a spicy habanero, mango, and avocado salsa with fresh tortilla chips. I moaned as I took my first bite, the bite of the spicy pepper playing nicely with the sweetness of the mango and the smooth, creamy texture of the avocados. The chips were nothing short of miraculous, deep fried to perfection and not at all greasy. Bella leaned against me briefly, talking to me animatedly about the salsa, and I was surprised at the gesture. We'd somehow grown comfortable with being close to each other in the last few hours, and I liked that.

A sly smirk crossed her face, and I wondered if she'd known about my attraction to her. She wasn't attracted to me, though, was she? This was just friendly banter between chefs at her house. Right?

Jasper and Alice presented their dish next; they'd stuffed the chicken breasts with a pine nut, ricotta, and herb stuffing, then wrapped the meat in prosciutto to keep it from drying out as it baked. It wasn't the most complex or complicated dish, but then neither was ours. When Bella lifted her fork to my mouth, insisting I had to try all of the flavors together (which I'd done several times by that point), I knew something more was up. Needing a moment to think, I excused myself from the table to go to the restroom. Just as I was finished and walking back through the kitchen, I noticed Jasper blocking my path.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I should ask you the same. Bella is sending you all the signals, dude. What's wrong with you?"

Shaking my head, I replied. "What?"

"Come on. She's been excited about this all week. You really think she just teamed up with you because of James? She could have paired with Alice and stuck me with your sorry ass, but she likes you. She wanted to be on your team. She feeding you food for Christ's sake. Are you really this blind?"

Maybe he was right; maybe I'd gotten so used to women throwing themselves at me that I forgot what it was like to actually work for it, and flirt.

Cocking my head to the side, I looked at him. "Maybe I am?"

"Well, get your fucking head in the game, man. She's hot for you, and she's a great catch. Don't fuck this up."

We fist bumped and Jasper walked in the direction of the bathroom as I walked outside. Feeling as though he'd given me the missing piece of the puzzle, I walked with an air of confidence. Taking my seat next to Bella again, I gave her what I hoped was a warm, sincere smile.

I didn't want just one night with her; I wanted more. One night would only be the beginning of my exploration. I couldn't allow myself to think about it too much, as my cock was already five steps ahead of the rest of me. Instead, I focused on Bella. She was looking back at me with a funny expression, but smiling.

"I'm gonna go get the ice cream. I'll be right back."

As she stood, her entire body brushed against my hand, which had been resting on the back of my chair since I was turned to face her. The second she was out of earshot, Alice began to grill me about my intentions. Laughing, I shrugged and took a long pull of my beer. I could tell Jasper was trying to calm her down, but I just didn't care. I didn't know what I wanted, how was I going to explain it to her?

Bella came back shortly after, ice cream in hand. Her lean body swayed next to me, cutting and then plating the tart. Turning to me, she smiled and had a sweet tone to her voice. "Can you do the ice cream?"

Nodding, I stood next to her and worked by her side. Again, we were brushing against each other, arms crossing as we worked to get things ready and then passed the dishes. Everyone began to eat and the table was a symphony of humming and moaning. Bella got a piece of the tart and a small bit of ice cream onto her fork, again lifting it to my mouth.

That time, as I slid the food from the utensil, I made sure to give more resistance. My tongue licked out to the edge of my lips and caught imaginary crumbs. Hers, consciously or subconsciously, did the same.

"Good?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Fucking amazing."

I don't think she even cared what anyone else at the table thought, we were sort of lost in our own little world. Eventually, someone cleared their throat and our spell was broken. Mentally rejoining the party, we chatted and bantered with everyone else. Naturally, we all thought we deserved to win, and soon enough, Bella revealed that there was never a real voting competition. She'd considered changing the rules and how the game was set up, but she just couldn't ever settle on a better system – everyone wanted to be involved in the cooking, no one wanted to be an impartial judge or ingredient supplier.

When all of the food was gone, we lingered. We talked, we teased, we theorized. It was one of the best nights I'd had in years, probably. Since culinary school, I decided.

Kate and Garrett excused themselves first, leaving hand-in-hand with a flimsy excuse. Jasper and Alice stayed a bit longer, but not much. Jasper waggled his eyebrows at me on his way out, and I swear Alice gave me a menacing glare.

Bella began to bring the dishes and platters inside, so I picked up some to help. When I got inside, she waved me off.

"Edward, you don't have to stay and help me clean up. Alice used to, but now..."

"She's too busy fucking Jasper?"

We laughed together and she nodded, then looked up at me. Her hands were at her sides, almost behind her, gripping the edge of the sink. The way she looked in that moment was so innocent, so uncertain, so fucking sexy.

"Want some help with the dishes?" I asked, nodding with my head at the pile of china in the sink.

"Yeah, sure," she said quietly. She seemed disappointed, but I just needed a few more minutes to steel my nerves.

"Do you want to wash or dry?" I asked, trying to restart the conversation between us.

"Wash. You can dry and set them on the counter."

The water ran, filling the sink, and it felt like the distance between us was growing. I had to fix things, had to get them back to where they'd been before. My eyes focused on her hands dipping in the soapy water, and I decided to be bold. Walking up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her, then dipped my hands into the hot water. When my fingertips found her hands, I threaded them together.

"Or I could help you wash?"

Pressing my body against hers, I paused to run my nose along the column of her neck. Her head tilted back against my chest and her fingers tightened with mine, curling and releasing in some unspoken rhythm.

Small kisses beneath her ear turned into nips at her shoulders, and I pressed against her more, harder. Bella sighed and pushed back against me, spurring me on. Giving me permission.

Deciding I didn't care about my now wet hands, I pulled them from the water and began to touch her body, everywhere. It didn't matter the location, everything felt so good and so right. Turning in my arms, she kissed me on the lips, and it was worth every minute I'd waited.

Apparently Bella was tired of waiting, too, and I felt her wet fingertips at the waistband of my jeans. My body hummed in anticipation when her hand slipped between the fabric and my skin, running back and forth along the waistband of my boxers. Moving my mouth faster against hers, I stopped to take her lower lip between my teeth, tugging slightly.

Bella's nails scratched lightly across my skin and the movement made my stomach muscles clench. Pulling back a little, I tried to hold in the laugh as she continued trailing her fingers on my skin, around to my hips. Looking up, I saw her shaking her head.

"Uh uh, you can't escape this time," she said with a laugh. Pulling me back between her legs, she hopped up onto the counter. "C'mere," she muttered against my lips.

As I pressed closer to her, she slid forward toward me until our bodies were pressed against one another. Her lips were eager and insistent against mine, as her fingers slid just inside the waistband of my pants again. My hands went to the hem of her shirt, mimicking her actions. Our mouths parted and she moaned softly in my ear as her chin rested on my shoulder.

Sliding my hands up her back, I undid her bra, then moved around to the front. Lifting her t-shirt, I began to lick, suck, and bite her nipples. Her hands in my hair comforted me first, then as I felt her tug harder, it began to hurt. What the fuck.

"Jesus, Edward," she said, when I finally looked up to see what her deal was. "How long are you going to make me wait? It's been too long, come on."

She wasn't whining, just needy and demanding, which was kind of hot, and kind of annoying. This was my territory. I was a master at this domain, and I'd do what the fuck I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted.

Well, I thought that, right until she undid my pants and managed to shimmy them down my legs without so much as the blink of an eye. How did she do that? Devil woman.

Getting lost in my thoughts wasn't an option though, as she wrapped her small hand around me and pulled. Stroking me gently, she was already bringing me to the edge, which in this case, was not a good thing.

"Lean back," I ordered.

Complying, she rested on the palms of her hands. Her t-shirt was tented in a funny way from the unclasped bra, and I really wanted to explore her body, find ways to make her scream and beg. She must've sensed my hesitation, as she lifted her hips and cleared her throat again, eyes imploring.

"Impatient girl," I said, words a contradiction to the soft, playful tone of my voice. "You think you're ready?"

Her mood shifted again, the shy side coming to the forefront, and she simply nodded. Picking her up, I moved us a few feet to the side of the sink, then pressed against the middle of her chest in a request for her to lay back. As she rolled her body down onto the cold metal, her breath escaped along with a loud noise.

Pulling her pants and panties down, I took my time with this last act, kissing and nibbling my way down to her bright red painted toenails. Once I could see her again, I decided something was wrong.

"Lift up, shirt off. I want to see all of you."

An eager smile crossed her face and she removed the last few pieces of clothing from her body. She was perfect, and ready, and I was wasting time.

Grabbing her legs, I pulled her down slightly so that she was closer to me. She wrapped her legs around me and pulled. Complying with her request, I used one hand to guide me closer to her, to give her what I knew she wanted. As I ran the tip of my cock along her slit, I used my fingertips to play with her as well. I wanted her wet and writhing, beyond ready, beyond begging. Her body shifted from side-to-side, trying to get the friction and attention it needed, and fuck if it wasn't one of the hottest things I'd ever seen.

When I'd had as much teasing as I could take, I slid into her slowly. Her feet dug into my ass as she whimpered, clearly wanting more still. Pulling back out, I pushed in faster, harder, more. Then I needed more, and took it, my hands exploring her body. Pinching her nipple with one hand, I used the other to tease and stroke her clit. My pace increased, and the look on Bella's face was angelic and wicked at the same time. Her hair was spread out, her breasts were bouncing, her pussy was tightening around me.

"Har-der," she demanded, the word punctuated and split from my actions with her body.

Thrusting harder, I laid my fingers flat on her mound, touching her faster and hoping to bring her to orgasm before I came like an inexperienced teenager.

Bella's fist hit the counter, momentarily startling me, and she grited out another request for me to fuck her harder. God damn, this woman was demanding in the kitchen and the bedroom?

Looking around, I spotted a couch and an idea struck. Scooping Bella into my arms, I carried her to the edge of the couch, then set her down.

"Harder?" I asked, looking in her eyes.

"Please," she said, her voice quiet and vibrating with need.

"Turn over."

She didn't even hesitate, my naughty girl just turned and gripped the arm of the couch, lowering her upper half. I wasted no more time and slipped back into her quickly. Now that I had leverage, I could thrust into her harder, so I did.

"Touch yourself," I practically growled.

My hands went up and over her body to grip her tits. They were perfect and fit right into my hand as I fucked her. She was making so many noises, I couldn't even distinguish between them; grunts, groans, moans, begging, and thanking, a unique language forming between us. Watching her hand move, knowing what it was doing beneath us, almost sent me flying, but I held on until I felt (and heard) her orgasm begin. The moment she began to come, I let go, moving harder and faster. I was halfway worried I was being too aggressive, but hadn't she been the one begging me for more? I pushed the worry away and let go as I came inside her.

Nearly collapsing onto her, I could feel her breathing through my own chest, the rise and fall of her body beneath mine somehow sensual and full of trust. Reality hit as I began to feel things moving, and I carefully pulled out of her.

"Stay here," I said.

As quickly as I could, I walked the few feet back to the counter and grabbed a towel. Walking back, I watched her, head turned to one side, eyes closed, body limp with satisfaction. Placing my hand on her lower back, I quickly cleaned up what I could, then pulled her onto the couch with me. Tossing the towel to the ground, I wrapped her up in my arms, this confusing contradiction of a woman. How could she be so shy one minute, so demanding the next?

When I woke up a few hours later, she had turned in my arms and was facing me. Her fingers were tracing my face, and I couldn't stop the muscles as they contracted into a smile beneath her touch.

"Hi," she said softly.

Not needing words, I leaned and kissed her. This one was a slow, sensual kiss, not the quick and dirty claiming from before. Her leg hitched up over my hip and she pulled herself closer to me.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," she confessed. "Since culinary school."

"Really?"

As we spoke, we laid there wrapped up in each other. It was so warm and comfortable, I never wanted to move. I watched her face dance and move as we spoke to each other, and she seemed to be doing the same with me.

"Yeah. God, I had such a crush on you; how could you not know?" she asked.

"I was too busy trying to beat you, I think."

"You are such a competitive fuck, Cullen. Can't you just enjoy the process of cooking? It's always about beating me, or beating someone. I wonder what your menu would look like if you weren't so busy trying to win a non-existent game. What do you really love to cook?"

Thinking about her words, I wondered if she was right. Had I chosen the menu based on things I loved, or things I knew I could do well? Had I sold out my desire and passion for cooking for my need to be successful?

"I have no idea," I confessed.

"Sad, baby. That's sad," she said, before giving me a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be right back."

Hopping up from the couch, Bella walked … somewhere else in her house. When I heard the toilet flush, I figured it out. The room was dark and I pouted that I hadn't been able to watch her lithe, naked body walk away from me. Just as I'd stretched out and closed my eyes again, I felt her hand in mine, tugging me off the couch.

"Come on, let's go to bed," she said, but I knew from the tone that sleep wasn't going to happen soon.

Walking slightly faster, I pressed against her body and put my hands on her hips, letting her guide me.

"If you keep doing that, we're not gonna make it to the bed," she teased. Her hands moved to cover mine and we slowed down, enjoying each other on our way.

Once we got to her room, she turned us so that I laid on the bed first, then she climbed on top of me. We made love slowly, the moonlight sweeping across her body from the open window, giving me quick peeks of different parts of her body, depending on how she was moving. It was exquisite and erotic.

Mostly quiet, our second time was something more for sure, and not in the way she'd demanded earlier. It wasn't hard fucking, it was soft and sweet. Vulnerable. For both of us. We again slept wrapped together, our need for one another sudden, but so comfortable.

There was no awkward morning; Bella woke up before me and I could smell something heavenly coming from the direction of where I thought I remembered the kitchen to be. There was a glorious looking French press of coffee on the counter, just waiting to be poured. When I walked further into the kitchen, I discovered she'd also made cream cheese stuffed French toast with an orange sauce... mostly nude. She was wearing another silly apron when I found her plating, but was deliciously naked from my vantage point behind her.

"Hungry?" she asked, a little bit teasingly.

"You have no idea," I said.

It was the truth. Before the previous night, I'd have said my life was good, happy. After, I felt awake, and hungry for everything in life. We sat in bed and fed each other drippy bites, licking up spilled syrup and then eventually abandoning the food altogether to indulge in each other once again.

When we could ignore our cell phones no longer, reality pressing in on the confines of our time, we took a shower and went on our way. It was Sunday, so there was nothing too pressing for either of us, but Jasper wasn't relenting on wanting to talk to me, and I knew Bella needed alone time as well. We made plans to spend the evening together, though.

Driving home, I talked to Jasper the entire way. I didn't give him explicit details, but he said he could tell just from the tone of my voice how changed I was. Who was I to argue?

Bella and I spent that night together, and the next several hundred. She altered my world, changed and irrevocably skewed my view of everything.

When we decided to open a restaurant together, the name came to me almost immediately. Not only was it our initials combined, it was what she had taught me: to just be. Kate, Garrett, Jasper, Alice, and all of our friends for that matter, were on hand for the opening of our bistro: be. No capital letters, no fancy names, no gimmicks. Just us, together, making food we loved.

As we made love that night, hot and sweaty, the middle of summer making us sticky and a little irritable with each other throughout the day, I realized that my life had led to that moment. I was still enjoying my Iron Chef America gig, but I knew my time there was coming to an end. After all, I'd proposed to the love of my life, and she had said yes. What more did I have to prove?

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A/N2: I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this one-shot. Thank you!

Links and fun stuff for my last Fandom Gives Back piece, Just Be. I'm sure you can figure out what the topic is from the pic teaser and these links... :) They flow along the path of the story, so their order is only important in that sense. I should warn you -- I've never tried making any of these recipes, so I can't say if they are as delightful as they sound.

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Team Bella ICA Recipes - rose lemonade, lemon pepper cashews, lemon garlic tilapia, lemon risotto with asparagus, and deconstructed lemon meringue pie.

Team Edward ICA Recipes - lemon truffle biscotti with goat cheese, roasted potatoes with olives and lemon, lemon tuna steaks with roasted vegetables, and Meyer lemon pudding cake with flash-frozen lemon foam for dessert.

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Team Kate/Garrett avocado, mango salsa (I swapped habañero for the jalapeño in the story, to make it more spicy/fruity), Team Jasper/Alice stuffed chicken, Team Bella/Edward ginger peach tart (I tweaked this too, since it's a tart and not a pandowdy) and ice cream.

Cream cheese stuffed French toast