A Single Step

Chapter Eighteen

She held it up to her body and smiled. Taking the dress, she showered and took special care to shave her legs since the dress was short. She curled her hair and put on some makeup, focusing her attention on her eyes. Slipping her feet into a pair of flats, she made her way to the living room. The dining room was set with candles, flowers and the best china. Edward stepped into the dining room, wearing a grey suit. "Wow!" she breathed. "What about our reservations?"

"They're here," Edward said. "Your mom said that you don't like your birthday."

"I don't like to make it a big deal," Bella shrugged. Edward took her hand and helped her sit. "A quiet dinner with my favorite people is all I want."

"I can get the boys here," Edward said.

"No, I want this. I want us," Bella grinned. "With the boys' therapy appointments, the start of school and dealing with the Riley bullshit, our relationship kind of fell by the wayside. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Bella. This is real life," he breathed. "But, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I do miss you. I know things have been hectic. That's why I made arrangements for the boys to spend the night with your parents after the football game."

"The race," Bella gasped.

"They'll be here in the morning, I promise," Edward vowed, holding up his hands. "Now, I didn't cook. I ordered. Marcus dropped it off while you were in the shower."

"So, being your second command also makes him your bitch?" Bella laughed.

"Oh, yes," Edward snickered. "We're carb loading."

"So, pasta?" Bella grinned.

"Your favorites from Il Terrazzo Carmine," Edward nodded. "Do you want some wine?"

"Maybe tomorrow. Tonight, water," she said.

He got up, ducking into the kitchen. He returned with a few appetizers. While they ate, Bella told Edward about her boss's desire to finally publish Bella's diary while she recovered. Diane would act as editor and agent while Bella worked on finishing writing the diary, using the race as the ending.

As they ate dessert, Bella bit her lip. "I have a question for you, Edward," she breathed. "Well, a couple questions."

"What is it, love?" Edward asked.

"First, can I use your name in the book? You're a huge part of my diary," Bella said. Edward nodded, kissing her gently. She knew she had to edit her ex-husband's name. He said that he didn't mind being in the book, but didn't want his name out there. "Second question ... can I use this as the title?" She traced her fingers along his forearm, tracing the Chinese tattoo.

"That's a long title, Bella," Edward snickered.

"I'll make it shorter. A Single Step," she shrugged. "Just something I'm considering."

"I think it would be a great title, Bella," Edward murmured, kissing her wrist and moving his lips to her neck. Bella melted against him, temporarily losing her focus. His tongue swirled above her pulse point.

"One more question," she breathed.

"You said you a couple," he snickered, his hands moving around her waist.

"Smart ass," Bella deadpanned, moving to sit on his lap and feeling his arousal. She slid her hands up his shoulders. She leaned forward, kissing him tenderly. "Can you make love to me? It's all I want for my birthday, Edward. We've explored each other's bodies and I want to take that next step."

"Are you done with dessert?" Edward asked. Bella nodded, untying his tie and tossing it off his body. "Good, so am I." He picked her up and carried her out of the dining room. Edward kicked the door closed to their bedroom and he placed her on her feet. "I wanted to do this for a while, but the timing never seemed right."