AN: First, the characters and such belong to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer, not myself. Second, this is my first published story. Please be nice, but be honest. Let me know what you think and help me to become a better writer! Thanks for stopping by!
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I looked over at the man lying next to me, and still couldn't believe he was mine. How could a creature of this magnificence want me? And yet, as much sense as it doesn't make, he loves me. I never thought it possible to feel as strongly for someone as I do for him. Edward, my Edward. The thought still blows my mind. I ran my fingers over his hand, relishing in the chill of his skin. His eyes opened though he wasn't sleeping (of course) and met mine, warm and happy. My fingers trailed down to the gold band around the fourth finger on his left hand, and I intertwined my fingers with his. He raised his hand, and thus my hand, to his lips, kissing the ring on my hand that showed the world I was his.
"Good morning my love," he whispered softly, a slight smile playing across his face.
"Good morning," was my simple response. He pulled me from my position of lying on my side to lying on top of him.
"How are you today, Mrs. Cullen?" I could not help but smile at the mention of my name linked to his, and felt my heart begin to speed. The velvet quality of his voice definitely did not help matters.
"Much better." The quizzical look on his face caused me to giggle, and I clarified, "As a general rule, I enjoy being as close to you as possible. So, I am doing much better than I was about 30 seconds ago." He smiled my favorite crooked smile and brushed his fingers through my hair, stopping at the base of my head as he brought my face closer to his. His velvety lips met mine ever so softly. I would never tire of how this simplest of gestures made my head spin in the most pleasurable of ways. I eagerly returned his kiss, running my fingers through his soft bronze hair, pulling him closer to me. His sweet scent filled my nose, making me only want him more. My body pressed into his, as his arms wrapped around my waist pulling me into him.
I pulled away, surprising him. It tended to be him pulling away because I got too carried away. Edward stroked my cheek, our eyes lost in each other. My arms encircled him as I buried my face in his stone chest. He kissed the top of my head while he massaged my back. I sighed happily.
"Is everything alright darling?" Edward asked.
"No," I paused looking at him, smiling at the panic that crossed his flawless face, "Alright doesn't even begin to describe it. Perfect is a little closer." Edward laughed.
"Mmm…as much as I don't want to leave you here alone, I need some human moments." I would be perfectly content to stay here like this for the rest of eternity, but I also realized that I needed a shower and toothbrush.
"I suppose I can let you do that. Wait here for one moment." He kissed me, laid me gently on the bed, and kissed me again. His eyes sparkled, and he disappeared to the bathroom. I stretched out lazily on the bed, letting my mind drift over the past days. They had been nothing short of bliss, pure and simple bliss. I heard water running, and turned my head to the bathroom. Edward returned, and scooped me from the bed.
The ornate bathroom was misty with steam. I saw that he had started filling the Jacuzzi tub with water, of course the perfect temperature. He set me on the counter, and let me choose the scent of bubble bath. I chose a floral, lavender scent in an expensive-looking bottle. He poured the liquid in, and it immediately formed luxurious bubbles. The scent filled the room, and I noticed a fluffy robe in the towel warmer with the towels.
"Do we have plans for today?" I asked, hoping the answer would be no.
"In a way…" Edward trailed off. My head cocked to the side, and I noticed how dark his eyes had become. "I've arranged a few things to keep you occupied while I hunt. I'll be back before the sun sets, and then…" a mischievous smile spread across his face.
I pouted a little, but understood. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too Bella." He tucked my hair behind my ears, and tilted my chin up to meet my eyes. He brushed his lips across mine, "I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too," came my response as I pulled his face to mine. I crushed my lips to his, kissing him passionately. He leaned into me, his hand pressing on the small of my back. I pulled away, realizing that the sooner he left, the sooner he'd come home to me. "Come home fast."
He winked at me, and said, "I will, mi tua cantata." I smiled, and bid him farewell. In a flash, he was out the door. My heart ached for him immediately, and I hopped off the counter. I slid my tank top and pajama pants off, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Testing the water, I dipped my foot in. Perfect, of course. Careful not to fall, I stepped into the tub and slid into the warm water. There was a group of buttons next to my head. Curious, I pushed one. Instantly, the jets in the tub turned on. After fiddling with the buttons, I found the most relaxing combination and leaned back into the tub, allowing myself to relax.
Looking around the bathroom, I noticed a basket perched on the edge of the tub across from me. In it was a bottle of my new favorite wine, a wine glass, CD, and a card with my name written on it in a very familiar script. I reached over and first put the CD in the player, smiling as the familiar chords of the first song he wrote for me, my lullaby, filled the room. After drying my hands off, I carefully opened the card. Just the sight of his elegant writing was enough to make my heart beat a little quicker.
My beautiful wife, he began. My aversion to this word was quickly fading. I know your dislike of being away from me is almost as strong as my dislike of being away from you. To make the day pass more quickly for you, I have arranged for some special things. Enjoy your Jacuzzi, and when you are ready there will be someone there to take care of you until I return. I will be back as soon as I can, and will miss you every moment I am gone. All my love, Edward.
Someone to take care of me? This left me quite curious, but I poured myself a glass of wine, and sat back and let the music take me away. After relaxing for half an hour, I decided it would probably be a good idea to shower and put some clothes on. I climbed out of the tub and started the shower, then let the water out of the bath. Seeing as Edward was gone, I took a little longer than usual, exfoliating, conditioning, and shaving even more meticulously than normal. Stepping out, I toweled off, and wrapped myself in the robe, and twisted my hair into a towel atop my head. The bathroom mirrors were impossible to see into, thanks to the steam.
Alice had apparently stocked the bathroom supplies, as there was an assortment of lotions and fragrances and soaps in the bathroom. Once I took a quick appraisal of the lotion choices, I grabbed the bottle that looked like the bubble bath one. Smelling it, I shrugged and moisturized. A bottle of water sounded delicious after the wine and hot shower, which required me to leave the confines of the warm bathroom. I padded out to the kitchen, and saw a woman with a massage table set up. I was shocked, and couldn't figure what was going on. Then I remembered what Edward had written. Dear God, please let her speak some English.
"Hello?" I called out tentatively. The dark-haired woman turned, and smiled at me. Her green eyes sparkled against her tan skin.
"Mrs. Cullen I presume?" she responded. The fact that she spoke English sent a wave of relief through me.
"Yes, that's me. Can I help you?"
"Actually I'm here to help you today. Your husband arranged for a day of pampering for you."
"Really? A day of pampering?" What in the world did the term pampering all entail. Visions of being Alice's human Barbie flooded through my head.
"Well, he said that you had been working out quite a bit, and might be a little sore. So, the first treatment will be a full-body massage," was her explanation. My cheeks flushed at mention of working out. I suppose that's what you could call what we'd been doing, but that was a rather diplomatic way of putting it. "So, if you would like to disrobe, and get comfortable on the bed between the blankets, I'll be back in a few minutes."
She left the room and I stood there holding my bottle of water, still not sure of what this was all about. Well, what have I got to lose? I took a drink of water, and slipped my robe off. Remembering the towel still on my head, I quickly pulled that off and combed through my hair with my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I made myself comfortable on the table, and pulled the blankets up around me. She came back, and I heard her rummaging around. Soft, relaxing music leaked through the speaker system, and the next thing I knew she was working out knots I didn't know existed on my body. The next hour and a half were pure bliss. The masseuse worked on each muscle, leaving me feeling more relaxed than I ever had. At the conclusion, I found myself feeling rather sad that the experience was over. My entire body felt like a bowl of Jell-O, completely fluid. It wasn't a bad feeling.
My day was filled with a facial, catered lunch, manicure, pedicure, and another shower to wash the oils from the massage off my body. I never thought I'd be the type of person to enjoy such things, but the novelty of it made for a surprisingly pleasant day. The only thing that would have made it better would have been having Edward with me.
Back in the robe and towel ensemble I started the day of pampering with, the closet was my next thing to tackle. Alice. It still didn't make sense to me why one person would need so many clothes. While contemplating what to wear, an idea dawned on me. Today was the longest I'd been away from Edward while conscious since the fiasco of the night of my 18th birthday. I could actually plan something special for him. A mischievous smile crept across my face as I carefully chose an outfit.
I noted the time, and after doing some quick math, estimated that I had about an hour before Edward's return. More than enough time. It was back to the bathroom. Alice would have been proud of the amount of primping going on in the bathroom. And she probably would have been proud of the plan brewing in my head as well. Within 35 minutes, I was out of the bathroom preparing the house. Everything was ready just in time. Now, it was the waiting game.
Luckily, it wasn't a long game. Moments later, I heard the front door open. My heart beat sped.
"Bella love?" my angel called. I wanted so badly to run and attack him, but stuck with my plan. After all, once he saw the candles and rose petals on the floor, it shouldn't take him too long to follow their path, which of course led to me.
Sure enough, about three seconds later he was in the doorway. His eyes, back to the warm topaz, opened wide as he took in the scene. Candles were lit throughout the room, casting a soft glow. Rose petals scattered the floor, and I waited. On the bed. Wearing nothing but the naughtiest lingerie in my vast collection. Lace, and a deep, vibrant red in color, it left nothing to the imagination. My eyes rose to meet his, and I held his gaze for a moment.
"I missed you," was all I said.
That was all it took. I was in his arms, his mouth on mine. Oh, how I had missed those lips. His fingers tangled in my hair as he pulled me closer to him. My hands fumbled for his shirt, trying unsuccessfully to free him. He pressed his forehead to mine, breaking our kiss, as he shed his shirt quickly. I greedily pulled him down, crushing myself to him. There was no such thing as too close right now.
His mouth moved against mine, his hands drifted across my body as though he was making sure there were no damage marks. His skin flowed gracefully over mine, a cool contrast to the heat and humidity of the night air. I reacquainted my hands with his smooth marble body, my need for him increasing with each passing second.
Edward pulled away, and I reached for him. He leaned back, looking at me. I moved up to my knees, and took matters into my own hands. My arms wrapped around his neck and my mouth again found his. I gently pushed him down on the bed, straddling him. His arousal was becoming very obvious through his pants. I reached down to undo his belt and unbutton his jeans. My fingers fumbled, and sensing my mounting frustration, Edward quickly slid his hands from my bottom to his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them in one fluid motion. Then his hands were sliding up my sides, under the lace, his fingers found his way to my breasts as I released him from the confines of his boxers.
I moaned, and ground my pelvis into his. After waiting all day for this, I needed it now. I pushed my barely-there panties to the side, and took him in my hand, guiding him to my entrance. Startled, he asked, "Are you sure?"
All I could do was nod my head and smile. I was shaking with anticipation and need. I slowly slid down on him, gasping as he filled me. Leaning down, I kissed up his chest, meeting his anxious lips. He smoothly rolled us over so that he was atop me. His eyes burned into mine as he moved slowly in and out of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing him to reach deeper. Coherence was no longer possible in my mind. The only thing going through my mind was the feeling of immense pleasure and love. This man was truly my other half.
"Edward." His eyes opened as he focused on me. "Harder." That was all it took for his thrusts to become more powerful. It was as though he knew exactly how much to give me. As I was about to tell him to kiss me, he lowered his upper body to match mine, kissing my collarbone, up my neck, my earlobe, and finally my mouth. This was what I had wanted, and I crashed into his lips. My hips rose and fell to meet his thrusts, and I could feel that I was on the edge. I squeezed my muscles around him and he groaned into my mouth. I smiled, holding him inside of me tightly.
He drew almost completely out of me, and plunged all the way in. As his thrusts grew quicker, I knew he was getting close. I moaned as his hand drifted between my legs, rubbing my most sensitive spot. That was all it took – I began spasming around him, burying my face in his neck as I cried out. My body bucked beneath him, and I felt him drive into me one more time as he let go. Our bodies rocked together, relishing in each other's pleasure. My body began to calm and my heart beat began to slow. I looked up at Edward and smiled. He kissed me gently. My head rested on his chest, our legs and arms an elegant lace of passion. He stroked my hair.
"Welcome home," I said. He chuckled as I smiled.
"If this is the homecoming I'm going to get each time I go hunting, I might have to start going more often," he joked. I blushed, and looked down. The lingerie was still in one piece, which was impressive. A little skewed perhaps, but still in one piece. "Did Kara take good care of you while I was away?"
"She was okay. I would have preferred to have you here, but it wasn't a bad way to spend the day. It made it go much faster. But I did miss you."
"Oh love, I missed you too. Every single second I was gone. On the bright side, we have all night to make up for lost time," he responded with an impish grin.
A smile spread across my face. "This is true." I reached up to kiss him. "And I can't think of a better way to spend the night than making love to my husband." It was the first time I had said this word aloud to him, and it felt…right. In fact, I liked it. His face lit up, and he reached to stroke across my cheek.
"Bella…my beautiful, beautiful wife…words cannot describe how much I love you." His voice was rough, raw with emotion.
"As I love you," I said simply as he overtook my lips. And I knew that this would never, ever get old.