A/N Huge thank you to Bethaboo, who is an amazing beta, and my own personal Yoda Story Master. Her new fic, "Sins of the Father" starts posting tomorrow. Read it.

Disclaimer: I own neither Twilight nor Legends of the Fall. I never will.

It was in the middle of the fall semester of his senior year at Harvard University that Carlisle Cullen found himself at a tea for his friend's girlfriend, Emily Randle. To say he was thrilled to be there was a gross overstatement. He had avoided society teas like this for the other three years at Harvard. But his friend Samuel Uley was positively besotted with Emily, and he wanted Carlisle to meet her.

Emily was a student at Radcliff College, Harvard's sister institution. There would be many other Radcliffe students at this function, and he found the search for a husband to be among the women's main objectives. Carlisle found this tedious.

It wasn't that he didn't want a wife; he simply could not stand women throwing themselves at him with overly bright smiles. It was also apparent that many of their mothers had given them the most tedious instruction when it came to catching a man's attention: men don't like a woman who has opinions or that flaunt their intelligence.

To Carlisle Cullen, the opposite was actually true.

"Are you certain we couldn't invite Emily to dinner, Sam? I mean, these teas are just so… horrible," Carlisle complained.

"Good God, man. You'll be fine. You only have to stay for an hour, and then you can find some excuse to leave. Just meet her. She's important to me. And you'll be surrounded by beautiful women. What could be better than that?" Sam questioned.

"Fine," Carlisle agreed through gritted teeth. He plastered a smile on his face as soon as Samuel knocked on the door.

A lovely girl with brown hair answered the knock, and beamed at the gentlemen once she opened the door. "Sam! You made it," she exclaimed with glee.

"Hello Emily!" He replied with a wide smile of his own. "May I introduce you to my roommate and friend, Carlisle Cullen?"

"How do you do, miss?" Carlisle inquired with a bowing of his head, and a more natural smile after seeing how happy Samuel was in her presence.

"Please, call me Emily. Sam's told me so much about you, I am so glad to finally meet you!" Emily's eyes were shining with barely contained happiness at finally meeting the friend that her love considered a brother. Though he had not impressed as much upon Carlisle beforehand, his approval meant a lot to him. If Carlisle thought she was a good woman, he intended to propose.

Samuel and Carlisle were led into Emily's sitting room, where a few men and women were milling about. There was a fairly small dog that Carlisle recognized as a Boston Terrier running around the legs of the room's occupants.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind Carlisle, "Emily, when is Samuel getting here? I have a paper to finish writing, and I want to get a few ideas written out before I forget them. Jake! Stop bothering the nice people and get over here!" Carlisle saw the dog immediately perk up and come trotting over to the voice behind him.

Carlisle turned around, and his breath instantly caught in his throat. Standing in front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was fairly short, standing at only 5'3", and had long brown hair that cascaded down her back in loose curls. She was quite slim, and her features were delicate. Her nose was straight and narrow, her cheekbones high but not too pronounced. Her lips were full, though her mouth wasn't too wide. Her doe-like eyes were almond shaped, and the color of chocolate.

Carlisle immediately was drawn to the slight sadness that seemed to dwell inside the woman's eyes; she held secrets of a past that had caused her pain. He wanted to see only joy reflected there in the future.

A slight nudge to his side called Carlisle's attention, and he realized that he had been staring at the poor girl. Thankfully, Emily seemed unaware of his gawking, and saved him. "Bella, you have excellent timing. They just arrived. May I introduce you to Samuel Uley, and his friend Carlisle Cullen," Emily stated, acknowledging each man with a gesture of her hand. "Carlisle, Sam, this is my roommate and friend Isabella Swan."

"I've heard so much about you, Isabella. Emily speaks very highly of you," Sam said while grasping Isabella's hand to shake.

"Please, call me Bella. I think the only person to call me Isabella was my grandfather, and I think he was repelled by nicknames in general," Bella supplied with a laugh.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bella. I'm Carlisle Cullen," he said, with a polite formality. It took effort to ensure that his grin didn't betray his uncommon and immediate erection at the feeling of Bella's hand encased in his own.

He was instantly worried that he was, in fact, unsuccessful when he saw a slight blush paint Bella's cheeks. "The pleasure is all mine, Carlisle. And I'm sorry for making it seem like I didn't want to be social, earlier. I assure you that this was not the case."

Carlisle's grin broadened into a smile. "Think nothing of it. I hate it when I have an obligation that prevents me from my studies. What is your paper on?"

Her eyes widened slightly at his inquiry. "Well, I'm studying to become a teacher. I've been researching the benefits of teaching foreign languages at an earlier age. There seems to be a consensus that younger children are able to memorize vocabulary and grammar better than those who are older," Bella replied.

"My mother taught me French when I was younger, but I didn't start studying German until a few years ago. It was much more difficult to pick it up later, but I don't think I ever actually thought about it. I wonder if that was why," Carlisle mused.

"It's very likely. Then again, the grammar in German is a lot different than in French or even English. That might have contributed to the difficulty, too."

Samuel and Emily had been listening to their friends speak, until Emily caught Samuel's eye. Neither actually cared about the subject, and with a slight nod, they left the pair to commence their own conversation. Neither Bella nor Carlisle noticed their departure.

"That is somewhat true, but all three are sufficiently different. I think it'd be impossible to prove it a product of age, or difficulty of the language. At least, using myself as an example, that is. I'd be interested in more scientific studies," Carlisle stated.

"They have done some, and, while both are factors, age does improve proficiency," Bella said. She abruptly shook her head, and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to me talk about my studies."

Carlisle smiled, "that may be true, but that doesn't make the topic any less fascinating."

Bella seemed to examine her shoes for a moment. "I'll admit, it is to me. However, Emily always says that men aren't interested in what I'm studying at the moment."

Carlisle waited until she raised her eyes again before responding. He resisted clearing his throat to encourage eye contact when it took more than a minute for her to do so. "I can assure you, I find it quite refreshing. Most women seem so vapid at these functions," Carlisle replied emphatically. He hoped she would see the truth in his eyes and believe his words.

Bella once again flushed. With a slight smile gracing her lips, she said, "I'm glad I haven't frightened you off with my academic discourse, Mr. Cullen."

Carlisle felt a pang of disappointment when she referred to him so formally. He had never been so instantly taken with a woman in his life. He had anticipated a desire to pluck out each of his hairs individually to combat the boredom of this afternoon tea; he found himself enraptured by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Please, Miss Swan. Please, call me Carlisle. You have made me regret dreading this afternoon. I feared boredom, and I have found engaging conversation with a beautiful lady. I cannot tell you how glad I am to have been proven wrong." As Carlisle finished his speech, he realized that he had spoken without planning his words beforehand. This was most unusual.

Bella's blush intensified. Carlisle could never have known how embarrassed she was for complaining to Emily before taking notice of her companions.

She had promised to attend the tea, because Emily trusted her judgment. Bella Swan held people to impossibly high standards, and if she thought Samuel was worthy of her attentions, she would feel more secure in her choice. The tea came at a most inconvenient time for Bella, as she had a paper due in one of her classes later that week, and, holding herself to the same high standards, wanted it to be perfect.

She had entered the room, and immediately spotted Emily. She wanted to meet Samuel, and then get back to work. These teas were always so dull, and the men that attended seemed more interested in a woman's smile than her mind. Bella resented the fact that no man she had met at a tea was handsome enough to counteract the apathy she felt about the topics of conversation.

When Carlisle turned around, Bella suddenly didn't care if he was the slowest man on Earth. He held himself with a casual grace and had an easy smile that made her comfortable within seconds. While she found his features classically handsome, she found his eyes anything but common. They were a clear light blue that resembled the cornflowers that grew at her grandmother's house. The smile was more visible in his eyes than on his mouth, and Bella found herself wanting to be the cause of the smile.

What Bella had not anticipated was how strongly she wanted to lick the path that ran down the side of his neck from his ear to his shoulder.

Her parents had died when she was very young, and her grandparents felt that she would learn more through reading than lessons that she was sure to daydream during. Because of this, Bella was able to decide for herself that the standards women were held to were simply hypocritical and antiquated. If a man was allowed to have sex outside of marriage, then there was no reason that she should be expected to abstain, as long as she was not selling her body, or engaging in such activities without love. That aspect was a personal choice.

As Bella and Carlisle spoke, she was amazed that he not only didn't mind that she was speaking of her intellectual pursuits, but also seemed to encourage her in doing so. They seemed to be challenging each other; he appreciated that her being a woman did not necessarily mean that she was not his mental equal. She was impressed. She was also aroused by his intelligence.

When Carlisle asked her to refer to him by name, she couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to be familiar with Carlisle. When he confirmed that he was enjoying their conversation, she was glad. When he called her beautiful, she was elated.

Carlisle had noticed her blush, and thought he had perhaps been too forward. He cleared his throat, in hopes that his voice would be even, and said, "I'm sorry if that was too forward. I just…I…" He didn't know if he would frighten her if he said, 'I have never been so captivated by a woman, and am drawn by your passion and eloquence.' Thankfully, Bella saw his struggle, and spoke.

"Sorry, no. I've just been standing here thinking how refreshing this conversation has been. I hate these teas, and I only came so I could let Emily know what I think of Samuel. And then, you overhear my complaining, and actually are interested in my mind. That never happens! I was just slightly embarrassed that my mouth ran away with me in front of the most handsome man I'd ever met."

Unlike Carlisle, Bella knew quite well what she was saying. Some might accuse her of playing coy, but she had honestly meant every word. She was happy that she could let him know she found him attractive.

His face was so open and kind. It made her think that he didn't know how to be dishonest. While she knew that appearances could be deceiving, she still felt a strange goodness that radiated from him. She wanted to keep it close to her for as long as she would allow him.

"Since I heard you first tell Emily you would rather be writing a paper, I've been completely enchanted, Bella," he told her, with his eyes shining like the ocean on a sunlit day. His smile was wide and genuine.

"I must say, Carlisle, that the feeling is completely mutual." Bella's smile was just as genuine as his, and she thought that the happiness suited her completely. He wanted to keep her happy always.

The thought that he wanted to protect this woman surprised him. He was accustomed to being the one protected. For as long as he could remember, Jasper and Edward seemed to try and shelter him from all the evils of the world. Whether it was from his favorite horse dying, or getting injured, his brothers always seemed to be there to protect him. His aspiration to keep this woman he had only just met safe and sound was a foreign desire for Carlisle, and he found it refreshingly welcome.

After a bit of an awkward lull in their conversation, where both Carlisle and Bella considered the person in front of them, Carlisle cleared his throat. The dog, Jacob took the momentary lull in conversation to sit on Carlisle's foot, causing Carlisle to laugh. "I take it this animal belongs to you? He's quite the remedy for chilly feet."

"Oh, yes. This is Jacob. My grandparents got me Jake a few years ago, and he's been my best friend ever since."

"Where did you grow up, Bella?"

And so they began to talk.

Bella explained how she was originally from Boston, where she lived with her parents, until they both passed. She went to live with her grandparents until right before she was accepted to Radcliffe, but had since passed away, as well.

She had been placed in a room with Emily their first semester, and immediately became friends. Emily was a sweet girl, and they truly enjoyed each other's company. They were able to be in a room together and talk for hours, or just read independently. She had taken away some of the pervasive loneliness that Bella often felt.

Carlisle told Bella about his father and mother. He spoke of how his mother left, but he often wrote letters to her. She had even come to Cambridge a few times to visit him over the last few years while he was at school. He told her of Edward and Jasper, and some of the things they had done in their youth.

He started telling her a story of when he tried to cook a chicken, but ended up forgetting about it and burning it to an alarming degree. He turned to find Samuel to include the fact that Sam actually ate it anyways, and found that they were alone in the room. When Bella noticed him looking around, she joined in his surprise.

"I can't believe everyone's left!" Bella exclaimed.

"When did they leave? And how did I not even notice this before now?" Carlisle was astounded. He was so engrossed in their conversation that he had not even noticed. It was like no one else existed besides Bella.

"I didn't even notice they'd gone," Bella replied.

"Neither did I!" Carlisle exclaimed with a laugh. "Would it be appropriate to tell you that I feel like I could speak to you for days? I want to know everything about you."

"I feel the same way. I've really enjoyed tonight." There was no doubt in his mind that she was being completely candid.

"May I please see you again, Bella? I don't think I could stand it if this was the last time I saw you."

"I would like nothing more, Carlisle," she replied, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

They departed for the evening soon after, with the promise that they would meet again the following day for tea. They would continue with afternoon teas and dinners for the following months.

It only took one month for Carlisle to realize that he would not love anyone as much as he did Bella, and that he would do whatever he could to make sure she stayed in his life.

x-x-x

It was the middle of April. Carlisle and Bella had been spending much of their free time together, and had grown quite close. While they both were frequently busy with classes and assignments, they made as much time for each other as possible.

They were very happy.

Carlisle had known months beforehand that he wanted to keep Bella in his life forever. He would be moving back home to Montana at the end of the semester, after they graduated. He planned on continuing his education there, and becoming a doctor. While he knew that he could accomplish this at Harvard, he missed his family too much to be so far from them. And now, Carlisle included Bella as part of his family.

He could see her discussing history and politics with his father. He had a clear image of her and Edward reading together. He envisioned Jasper riding with her. And he would be by her side for all of it. She would simply…fit.

It was finally a beautiful day in Cambridge and Boston. They had planned to meet for lunch, but Carlisle had been waiting for a warm day for weeks, and decided a slight deviation would be welcomed.

When he showed up at Bella's door, he was met with a wide smile and bright brown eyes before he even knocked. "Are you excited to see me, sweetest?" Carlisle asked with a smile that matched hers.

"I'm always excited to see you. Today, I must say that the sun is making me slightly giddy. I've always loved the spring; there's so much life around now, you can almost feel it."

"Well, then, perhaps you might enjoy a picnic?" He drew his hands from around his back, producing a basket he'd been concealing. She bit her bottom lip, as if containing her excitement, and nodded her head enthusiastically. "I thought we'd walk along the Charles River, and go into the Public Gardens in Boston, and enjoy our lunch there," Carlisle explained.

"That sounds absolutely perfect, Carlisle. Thank you for thinking of this," Bella replied.

With that, he offered her his arm, which she readily accepted, and they walked to the river. They crossed a footbridge across the Charles into Boston, and followed a path along the river. They kept an easy and happy conversation along the way, discussing what they were currently reading for class, and how Samuel and Emily were doing.

Once they arrived at the Public Gardens, they strolled around, looking at the flowers that were newly blossoming. Many of the trees had blossomed and were flowering, as well.

"I think I should have been a plant," Bella said, breaking a small silence.

Carlisle couldn't help the laugh that came from him. "Excuse me? You should have been a plant?" He cocked an eyebrow, feeling slightly incredulous at the suggestion.

Bella couldn't help laughing herself. It had been such a delightful afternoon. "Well, I was thinking that it would be nice. You only need water, the earth, and the sun to flourish. And your friends surround you all day. Sometimes, people stop to admire you. But no one looks at you strangely if you simply want to stay still and soak up this beautiful sunshine for hours."

"You never cease to surprise me. But I hope you know that, apart from the bit about only needing sun, earth, and water to survive, you can have all of these things. I'd be around you every moment possible, and everyone who knows you feels the same; being human merely allows you variety in your choice of companions. Many people already stop to admire your beauty, which also happens to be a great hobby of my own. And, you can stay still and soak up this sunshine for as long as you'd like. I don't mind at all, as long as you don't mind me staring at your beauty as you do. Why don't we go have our picnic now."

Bella smiled at him before reaching up onto her toes and kissing him softly. No one had ever made her feel more loved and at peace. Carlisle was so very caring, and seemed to understand her often quirky sense of humor, even when she claimed to want to be a plant. But it was his heart and intelligence that she had fallen in love with so completely.

He led her across a small bridge over the pond. In the water below them, people were drifting around in swan boats, among the ducks and swans that lived there. Once they reached the other side, he led her to a stone bench next to the bridge on the water's edge. There they sat in the sun, surrounded by nature in the middle of a bustling city, eating sandwiches.

Once they were done, Carlisle pulled out some stale bread to feed the ducks with. There were some newly hatched ducklings there, peeping around their mothers for food. Bella was enthralled with the sight of them.

When she straightened and turned around to smile at Carlisle and ask him for more bread, her breath immediately caught in her throat. The ducklings were completely forgotten. "Oh my God," she breathed.

Carlisle was bent on one knee in front of her, holding a ring in his palm. It was a simple platinum band with a thin row of three small diamonds on each side of a large aquamarine stone. It was unique, stunning, and precious, just as Carlisle saw Bella.

"Isabella Swan, I love you. Since the moment I met you, you have completely enchanted me in every way. You are beautiful, intelligent, and passionate. Every moment I have spent with you, I have become more certain that I cannot live my life without you by my side. You bring me peace, love, and a simple joy that I have never felt before.

"You said that you should have been a plant. The only things I couldn't provide you were the ability to live on sun, earth, and water. The only thing I need to survive is you and your love; let me provide whatever you may need. Let me take care of you, and you'll never wish you were a flower. Besides, I like to think I know you well enough to know that if you were a flower, you would be bored to tears. You wouldn't last two days." Carlisle paused in his speech; he hadn't intended to talk about her desire to be a plant when he had practiced it this morning. It had just seemed appropriate at the moment.

"I'll try to fill your days with laughter and love. I want to give you anything your heart may desire. I want to be yours fully, and be able to call you my own. I never want either of us to be alone ever again; I want us to always have each other. Please, Bella. Please say you'll marry me?" Carlisle finished the proposal, and held his breath, as Bella looked at him with tears running down her widened eyes, completely still. He wasn't certain if she were breathing.

After a few moments of silence, she finally blinked. She looked into Carlisle's cornflower blue eyes, then down at the ring in his hand, and back to his eyes. "Yes," she stated. "I love you so very much, Carlisle. I think you are my sunshine. Perfect, warm, and vital. I would love nothing more than to be your wife!"

His smile was blinding, and his eyes were glassy with tears of joy. He slipped the ring onto her finger, and barely paused before gathering her into his arms and kissing her fiercely. He had barely touched her bottom lip with his tongue before she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. Her fingers sank into the blond hairs on the nape of his neck, as she held him to her.

Carlisle finally remembered that they were in a public park, and that there were small children present. As he broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. He couldn't really see her mouth, but the smile in her eyes stole his breath.

"I love you. So very much," he said.

"As I love you. Completely," she replied. "Let's go home and celebrate." He nodded happily, and gathered their belongings.

They made their way back along the river and across the bridge to Cambridge. Along the way, Carlisle asked her to return to Bella after they graduated, so that she could meet his family before the wedding, and she quickly agreed to follow him anywhere he wanted to go. They arrived at his home, and they made their way inside. He had barely closed the door to his room before her lips found his again.

He moaned into her mouth as their tongues met, and his hands found her slim waist. She hummed happily as her fingers slipped into his hair. As they broke the kiss to breathe, his lips found her jaw and neck, his tongue reaching out to taste her skin. She tasted like the flowers they had been surrounded by that afternoon, as if she had absorbed their fragrance.

As she enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on her neck, her fingers left his hair and found the buttons on his shirt, and she began to undo them. He gasped at the sensation, and quickly brought his lips back to hers. When she had all the buttons undone, she pushed the fabric from his shoulders. He moved his hands from her body, unclasped his cufflinks, and removed the shirt. By the time the garment was off, Isabella had unbuttoned her own blouse. He gasped when he saw what she had done.

"Oh God, Bella," he groaned. He had seen her without her shirt before, but he had never gotten over the beauty of her form. This time as he was seeing it, he knew that she was his to keep. "You truly are the most breathtaking woman."

"Carlisle, I love you so much," she said as she allowed her gaze to rest on his muscled chest. She pressed a kiss over his heart. "I can't believe I get to keep you for always. How did I ever get so lucky?" She wondered aloud to herself.

He began nipping at her ear at that point, and brought his hands up to cup her breasts. She moaned loudly as his thumbs traced around her nipples. She began to trail kisses from his shoulder up his neck, tasting him much the same as he had her. He moaned as she dragged her teeth along his skin, and his breath hitched.

Emboldened by his responses, she moved her fingers to the front of his trousers, and started undoing the buttons there. His eyes flew open as her movements registered, and he quickly moved his hands to prevent her from continuing.

"Why are you stopping me?" she asked quietly through heavy breaths. "Do you not want to be with me?"

Carlisle's shock at the question was genuine. "Bella, of course I want you! I want you to be my wife, to have my children. I want to give your body pleasure, and find my own pleasure in you as well. But we're not married yet."

"You know I don't care if we're married. We don't have to wait. I love you, and you love me. If we're already planning on spending the rest of our lives together, why not start enjoying one another now? We can celebrate our engagement." She implored. His hands were still wrapped around her wrists, and he had leaned his head back to look her in the eyes.

"Because I want to honor you, and protect your virtue. What would people say if you became pregnant before we were married? I cannot do that to you."

"We only have a month left before graduation, and then we leave Boston. No one would ever know if I were pregnant, and it wouldn't matter if they did. I don't want to wait to share myself with you, and I don't believe that God would ever look upon two people who are committed to each other unfavorably for doing so."

Carlisle sighed. He wanted her, desperately. His body was shouting at him for not letting her touch him, for not taking her and claiming her. He simply didn't think he was quite ready for things to progress that far right now.

"Bella. I love you, and I'm sorry if this disappoints you, but I've always believed in waiting to be married. I know we've spoken about this many times before," he said, trying to remind her that this was not the first time she had made her beliefs on the subject known.

"I know. But we're engaged now. We have made a commitment. I want to bind the promises we have made."

He understood her point. And he didn't fully disagree, but that didn't mean that all the years of his parents telling him that he should wait until marriage to make love to a woman would be instantly forgotten. "Sweetest Bella, I know. I'm not saying that we won't make love before the wedding. I just need a bit of time. This is a major change in what I was raised to believe. I simply need to wrap my head around it. Please, bear with me. I'm…not ready yet. I'm so sorry. I'm not saying no; I'm saying not right now."

She wanted to continue to push him, but knew that he wouldn't feel right if they were to make love that evening. She would feel terrible if he regretted their actions, so she agreed to wait for him. His relief was visible. They both seemed to need reassurance of their connection, and their lips met once again. The kiss was deep and full of love, but lacked the urgency that it had previously contained. Despite knowing she was disappointed in his lack of physical intimacy, Carlisle was still bursting with love for Bella, just as she was of him. They communicated and acknowledged their affection through their kiss.

He knew that she was stopping for his sake, and he appreciated that she loved him enough to wait for him. Perhaps, he could try to push his limits a little, and show her he would also make an effort. He took a deep breath before he spoke, "I can't make love to you right now, and I know you're disappointed. Maybe, we could compromise a little, and go just a bit farther?"

"Yes, please," was the only reply Bella could muster.

He began kissing her again, and drew her body closer to his. Never before had Carlisle held her close enough that she could feel him hard against her, and when she did, she moaned. He ran his fingers into her thick mane, letting them tangle there. She wanted to get as close to him as possible, and he was intent on keeping her there.

She once again brought her hands down to the button at the bottom of his trousers, and found the button still undone. She started to pull down his zipper and found his hands there to prevent her once again.

"I thought you said we could go further than before? What did you mean?" Bella asked.

She bit her lip as she noticed the blush on his cheeks. "I do think we can go beyond where we had. But, I don't know that I would be able to stop myself from going to far if we didn't have these barriers. Can we just try something?"

She nodded her head as he trembled slightly. He was nervous; he had no sexual experience. It didn't matter that she had none, either. All he knew was that he loved her completely, and wanted to be able to show her how much.

He felt her body shift against him, and warmth flushed through his body. He held her closer still, reveling in the feel of her breasts against his chest. His hands moved to the undersides of her breasts, and let out a groan. He slid his right hand higher until it laid on top of where her heart was. "I love you, Bella. I always will."

"I love you, too. Forever," she replied. Her hips shifted against him again, and feeling how much he desired her sparked something in him. He rolled his hips forward, and heard her breath hitch.

He was making her feel pleasure.

The knowledge emboldened him, and he brought his right hand down to between her thighs. He could feel her warmth, even through her skirt. He started walking forwards, until she stumbled slightly. Carlisle lifted Bella up, and carried her over to his bed, and laid her down against the headboard. He settled beside her, so that he was resting against her thigh. Even through the cloth between them, the sensation was incredible. He continued to stroke her, and was rewarded by soft sighs against his lips. She tilted her pelvis to get more friction from his fingers.

She felt as if he had stolen all feeling from her body, and concentrated it on her lips, and where his hands were. When he moved his mouth from her lips, she felt the loss keenly, until she felt his tongue on her nipple. A whimper escaped her as his lips closed around it. He began stroking her faster, and the muscles in her lower abdomen clenched. She felt the warmth spreading and concentrating inside, and knew something was about to happen. "Oh God, this feels… I've never felt this before."

"Bella, I love you so much. You're so beautiful like this, soft beneath me. The look on your face... You are everything to me, Bella."

"I love you, too," she replied. As she said the words, the tension within him exploded, and he felt himself coming against her.

She gasped, feeling him throb against her, and knew what was happening. Between his tongue against her nipple, and his hand stroking her, she felt her own climax build and release.

He removed his hand, and they laid panting against each other. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, and her cheeks tenderly. As she opened her eyes to meet his, she smiled at him.

"Always, Carlisle. I will always love you. Thank you."

"I will always love you, Bella. Thank you."

Before long, Bella had to leave, and after redressing, Carlisle walked her home. He kissed her softly. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful fiancée."

"Sweetest dreams, my handsome fiancé," she replied.

x-x-x

April 12, 1914

Dearest Charlie,

I have big news about Carlisle. At a Harvard tea for Emily Randle, he met and fell in love instantly with Miss Isabella Swan. And Charles, I know it will surprise you greatly, but they are engaged, and he will bring her this summer to Montana to introduce her to you, and his brothers. So, Charlie, please behave yourself, and be as charming as only you can be.

She is such a lovely creature, Charles. But I fear the loss of her parents has left he with a certain fragility, and, at times, I think she feels very alone in the world. But she has found a new family now, hasn't she?

Yours,

Renee

A/N: Updates will be coming weekly on Mondays from here on out.

Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it!