Author's Note: So Bella survived Emmett and Rosalie...and enjoyed every minute. What lies next on her plate?
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So this is what insanity feels like. The scene before him was remarkably intense, blatantly erotic...and he couldn't stand it. Spinning on his heel he darted out of the house and onto the porch, trying to clear his mind of the image of his beloved cavorting with both of his sisters in the indoor swimming pool Esme had commissioned when they first moved here. He was failing miserably.
"Hey, Ed. We were heading out to Port Angeles get some parts for the truck. Wanna come along?" Emmett's face was devoid of trickery, as was his mind, but Edward knew it was no accident that, whenever Bella was...indulging herself...whoever she wasn't with at the moment would offer a convenient distraction. On one hand, he hated the subterfuge. He knew she loved only him, though he couldn't fathom why, and that in a very real way her extracurricular activities with the other Cullen siblings were what was keeping her sane while she waited for him. On the other hand...just then, he caught a snippet of thought from inside the pool room. Leaping over the railing he joined Emmett and Jasper.
"Sure, I'll join you. Let's get going."
He stalked away across the yard, leaving his brothers to share a knowing glance and follow.
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"Mmmm...this is the most luxuriant pool I have ever been in." Bella was floating lazily, holding onto the ladder at the side while enjoying the feeling of near-weightlessness only water could bring. The artifical sunlight from the recessed lighting gave the entire pool room a late summer glow regardless of what time of day it was. The lights, she'd found out earlier, could also be dimmed or even off, and there was a secondary set of colored bulbs that could be turned on one by one or in conjunction, setting the room ablaze with every hue of the rainbow if so desired. Besides her husband, this was Esme's one vice - she loved swimming. According to Alice, before Esme had been turned she had never so much as waded in water above her knees, but once there was no fear of drowning she begged Carlisle to teach her. Now she made it a point to enjoy her aquatic freedom whenever possible. And since money was no concern, she'd designed the room and the pool herself and had it built to her rather exacting specifications. One item she had demanded specifically were the bulbs used - high-end, reliable, and able to duplicate the illusion of sun so well that their immortal skin sparkled like it was dusted in diamonds. The result, thought Bella contentedly, was nothing short of spectacular.
Rosalie was draped over a bamboo lounge like a sleek cat, eyes half-closed in an expression of total relaxation. Even continually energetic Alice was resting, floating in the center of the enormous pool on a comfortable air matress. Without opening her eyes, she spoke.
"There isn't a week that goes by that I don't appreciate Esme's taste," she murmured. "This falls easily into my list of top ten favorite places to be." Rose nodded her agreement, glancing slyly under her lashes at Bella.
"Besides, it's an excellent excuse to get you into a bikini, Isabella. Or out of one." Bella blushed furiously. No matter that she had spent a good portion of her free time lately engaged in sensual experiences with one - or more - of the Cullens, she still did not know how to take compliments gracefully. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, blocking out the visual to better enjoy the rest of the sensations. It wasn't long before she was dozing off, completely relaxed and at home.
"Now there is a beautiful picture," came a soft voice. Bella instantly sat up. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten she was floating, and one cannot sit properly when one is floating. The end result was a noseful of water and forty-five seconds of choking, and three concerned vampires gathered around her. Esme reached out and brushed a lock of wet hair from where it was plastered to Bella's forehead.
"You do know it feels better if you don't inhale it?" She chuckled, the sound musical and carefree. "Mind if I join you three? Carlisle is researching something, and I seem to have some...spare time on my hands." At everyone's nod she stood gracefully and reached for the nearby remote, changing the lighting from lazy sunlight to the blue-white of a full moon. In one motion she had discarded her sarong wrap, leaving herself clad only in a slender-lined translucent one-piece suit that shimmered a muted blue-green shade. She turned without pausing and dove into the water, cutting through the surface like a blade. Bella watched in awe as the female vampire swam back and forth, sometimes underwater, sometimes with almost her entire body above the surface. Esme looked like she had lost herself in the rhythmic strokes as she completed lap after lap. Bella stared. No matter how often I see them, they are so beautiful. When Esme finished her swimming and made a clean leap out of the pool, however, Bella got to truly see the official Cullen matriarch for the first time.
Her skin, creamy and flawless as usual, glowed softly in the artificial moonlight. The almost-see-through suit clung like molten aquamarine to the curves that were usually only hinted at in the clothes Esme typically wore. Bella's breath caught in her throat. She didn't think she had made any audible sound, but a moment later Esme was walking towards her, her gait so controlled as to seem careful. She dropped down beside Bella, pulling her slender legs underneath her.
"This may be overstepping boundaries, but I was wondering if you would object...if I kissed you?" Bella was stunned. The other woman continued. "You see, the girls have been mentioning how you taste even better than you smell, and I would love the chance to find out for myself." She was leaning closer, very slightly, but Bella couldn't gather the words to respond. She settled for nodding, then convincing herself that breathing was necessary as Esme smiled at her. A quick motion had Esme sliding into the pool to float directly in front of Bella, reaching one hand out to trace her neck. Not another word was spoken as their lips met, unless one counted Bella's small whimper of protest when Esme pulled away, lips parted.
"They were right. You do taste amazing." She leaned in for another kiss, this one a bit more lingering, the separation this time bringing a second moan from Bella's throat. Esme's eyes were all but glowing. She slid closer to Bella, gazing at her as she spoke.
"Would you mind terribly if the girls and I showed you exactly how beautiful you are to us?" It was only then the Bella realized the other two had joined them in the water. Sexual need skittering through her veins like a drug, all she could do was nod.
