I.
"What is your favorite season?"
My brows furrowed. "Season?"
"Yes. Which do you prefer – spring, summer, autumn, winter?"
"I come from Phoenix. We only have one: hot." He smiled the crooked grin I loved so much. "So, I guess that means summer. Everything else is cold. And wet."
"Is spring cold?"
"Yes."
"It's spring now."
I was about to make a sarcastic comment when I met his gaze and the words melted away. My breath caught in my throat and for a moment I was so disoriented that I forgot that where I was. "Y…yes." He chuckled.
"Does that mean you're cold now?"
"I guess. Your porch is chilly." In a flash, he was on the other side of the yard. "What was that for?"
"You said you were cold. I didn't want to make you colder."
I scowled. "Come back and warm me up."
Before I could blink, he was beside me again, grinning that gorgeous crooked smile. "How am I supposed to do that?" he asked.
I leaned up and tangled my fingers in his hair. I pulled his face down to mine, kissing him recklessly. I was getting dizzy, but I knew that he would pull away soon, so I kissed him more passionately than before. He pulled his face away quickly.
"See?" I said breathlessly. "All warm now. I think you should keep me this way."
"You are impossible," he said before kissing me again.
II.
"Bella, I can hear your heart racing."
"Is this supposed to stop?"
"Yes. It's a Ferris Wheel. They stop."
"But…we're on top."
"Bella, that's the point."
"Have I ever mentioned that I hate heights?"
"Then what possessed you to jump off of a cliff?"
I scowled. My fingers were clenching the bar in front of me; my knuckles were white. "I thought we agreed not to talk about that anymore."
He chuckled. My frown deepened. "Relax. You will be fine. If anything happens, I promise you that you will be safe."
"What about you?"
"I thought that was understood."
I punched him playfully. The pain hit me immediately, and I made a note to myself: hitting vampires is as bad as hitting werewolves.
"Bella, what are you thinking about?"
"Falling. And, um, being stuck up here for hours. And…dying."
"I won't let that happen." He nuzzled into my neck.
"Falling. Stuck. Dead."
"You worry too much."
"Afraid of heights – " I gasped. He pulled away.
"Bella, look up."
Above us, the sky was peppered with bright, twinkling stars. It was one of the rare nights when the sky was clear, and the stars looked close enough to touch.
"Are you still afraid?"
I squeezed his hand. "Not with you here."
III.
"You look like a Gap ad."
He was dressed in jeans, a gray sweater, and a red scarf that made him look like the epitome of American casual clothing. Of course, he looked a million times better than any model that The Gap would ever hire, but the gist was there.
He grinned. "Is that a good thing?"
"Of course. You always look good, no matter what you're wearing. I bet you'd look great in nothing at all. And, of course, if you ever felt the need to prove me correct…"
"Nice try."
"Damn you and your vampire morals."
He laughed.
IV.
Edward was eyeing my hot chocolate warily.
"What?"
"Bella, promise me you are not going to burn your tongue off drinking that."
I glared at him, smirking. "You say that like I'm accident-prone."
"You are the definition of grace."
"Thank you." I made a show of testing my hot chocolate to satisfy him before taking a deep sip. I grinned at him. "I survived."
He looked at me and smiled his crooked grin. "The moustache is very becoming on you."
My hand covered my mouth in embarrassment.
"Let me take care of it for you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss the drink off of my lips. I smiled.
"I thought you hated human food. Or is chocolate just that good?"
He grinned, shaking his head. "You are still completely unaware of the effect you have on me. It's not the chocolate, or the heat. It's you. It's my beautiful, stunning, intoxicating Bella."
I blushed. "You think I'm beautiful," I mumbled.
He placed his marble hands on my cheeks. "On your worst day, you are a million times more than beautiful."
He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around me, binding me to him. My heart fluttered as the scent of him invaded my senses, and I clung to him, never wanting to let go.