Chapter 2
Change Of Conditions
BPOV
"Damn birds," I mumbled angrily.
I'd been dragged from a sound sleep by a couple of wrens that liked to hang out in the tree just outside my window. They only came around when Edward was away and, needless to say, I was not a happy camper.
As soon as I opened my bleary eyes, my cell phone came to life on the nightstand, letting me know I had a message. I reluctantly rolled out of my warm bed and grabbed the phone, smiling when I saw the text was from Edward.
I will be there in one hour, love. I'm anxiously counting the minutes until I see you again….
I smiled. Suddenly, going back to bed—alone, at least—didn't sound so great. I wanted to be in Edward's arms. I couldn't remember the last time I'd woken up without him, and I acutely felt the void.
OK! Going to jump in the shower. Hurry, I miss you.
My phone chimed almost immediately with Edward's response.
No jumping in the shower, Bella. That's dangerous. 59 minutes ….
I smiled at his overprotectiveness and headed to the bathroom with the clothes I planned on wearing to the beach.
As I showered, memories from the night before flooded my mind. Edward and I had gone further than ever before, and there was no question that it was the sexiest experience of my life. I thought of him revealing to me that he loved the smell of my arousal as I lathered myself with body wash. I could practically hear his sensual voice and feel his cool, delicious breath against my face as I thought about the things he'd said to me.
Tonight, you smelled of lilacs and honeydew, drizzled with maple syrup.
God, that was hot.
When my soapy hands reached my nether regions, I paused and cupped myself, quivering at the memory of his erection touching me there. I slightly increased the pressure of my hand, needing more friction. My palm sent pleasure waves soaring through my core. I noticed that my entrance was still slippery from last night's activities and decided to take advantage of the rare alone time.
I lifted my left leg to the side of the tub and slowly slid two fingers inside myself. "Ungh." I groaned, realizing that two of mine were almost equal to one of Edward's long, masculine fingers.
My other hand found my swollen clit, and I used the soapy lubricant to rub gentle circles. I was panting, imagining it was Edward touching me as I massaged the throbbing bundle of nerves under my fingers. I focused on the sexiest image from last night … Edward moving unrestrained on top of me, while roaring up at the ceiling as he came. It was enough to send me over the edge as my inner walls pulsated and my climax enveloped me.
"Ah, Edwa … Edward … Edward," I chanted and bit down on my lip to prevent from screaming. I knew Charlie was home from his shift and,even though he could probably sleep through a fighter jet taking off from our front yard, I still needed to be quiet. I could never look him in the eye again if he heard that. Gah!
Once my body calmed, I decided to shave my legs and bikini area. A little preparation was necessary since I would be spending the rest of my day with several utterly flawless gods and goddesses in designer swimwear.
Next, I completely rewashed my body in order to remove all signs of arousal. While it was exceedingly sexy to know that Edward enjoyed my smell, I didn't want any other supernatural creatures with enhanced olfactory perception to know that I'd rubbed one out this morning.
Once I was clean and smooth, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I slipped my black bikini on before pulling on a pair of white canvas shorts and a pale yellow tank top.
I recalled the day I'd gotten the bikini from my mom when Edward and I had visited her a few months earlier. She and I had gone to some crowded Jacksonville beach while Edward stayed at the house and pretended to work on a history essay. Before leaving, I was in the bathroom changing when my mom barged in and handed me two tiny pieces of black fabric that, apparently, constituted a bathing suit. She insisted that she wasn't going to allow her "beautiful" daughter to be seen in the boring one-piece any longer.
At first, I felt ridiculous in the skimpy bikini. Frankly, Bella Swan and self-confidence don't exactly go hand-in-hand. However, once I looked in the mirror, I actually felt kind of … sexy. The top pushed up my breasts and made them appear bigger while the bottoms hugged my hips and accentuated the curves I never knew I had. Fortunately, I'd managed to get out the door without Edward seeing my new, revealing beachwear.
At that time, I'd felt the need to live up to his idea of a wholesome young lady. I wasn't sure how he'd feel about me revealing so much skin. After all, when he was human, a woman's swimsuit came down to her knees. I didn't want him to think less of me for following what society considered sexy.
The same thought kept rotating in my mind throughout the day, making me decide to forego my modesty. If I could catch Edward off guard and show him that I could be sexy, maybe he'd stop treating me like a perfect, asexual porcelain doll.
I decided to go for it. When we returned to the house, I wore nothing but my bikini and sandals, and I anxiously watched to see if I'd elicit a response from him. I wasn't disappointed.
Edward looked up from his book and sucked in a sharp breath. He appeared to turn to stone as his eyes fixated on my bare stomach. Two seconds later he was by my side, kissing me into a frenzy. My mom just laughed, probably happy that someone showed approval of her purchase. I had to quietly remind Edward to breathe in front of the unsuspecting human, but inwardly, I thrilled at his intense reaction to my body.
I smiled. If last night was any indication, he definitely no longer saw me as just a wholesome little girl.
After my shower, I returned to my room, relieved to see that Edward wasn't there. It would have been unthinkably mortifying if he'd been within earshot of my afternoon delight. I laughed to myself, thinking it would almost be funny to see the look on his face after hearing that.
Since I had a few minutes to spare, I reached down to my desk for a barrette, planning to pull back my hair. There was a swish of air behind me. I smiled and turned around, expecting to find Edward by the window. Instead, I was face to face with his wide grin.
"Ahhh!" I stumbled backward, almost landing on the desk. Gentle arms caught me and pulled me to my feet before I could injure myself.
"I'm sorry I scared you, Bella," he said, smiling. He didn't look sorry at all. He looked utterly overjoyed, actually. "Did you have a nice shower?" he cooed, nuzzling my neck.
"Umm, yes." I looked at him, confused by his delight.
"Did it relieve some tension?" he purred. His words and face made it abundantly clear he knew what I'd been doing.
Shit.
I sat down on my bed and buried my face in my hands. "Ugh, what did you hear?" I groaned.
He sat beside me and draped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me against him. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Bella. That was simply … wow." He stroked my arm soothingly. "I'm flattered that you were so consumed with lust for me you had to take matters into your own … hands." He chuckled, not even attempting to hide his satisfaction.
"Edward!" I looked at him through two of my fingers, certain I was blood-red with shame. A thought occurred to me and I sat up straight, glaring at him. "What makes you so sure I was thinking about you?" I huffed, hoping to stifle some of his arrogance.
He feigned hurt for a moment before his smirk returned. "The fact that you panted my name repeatedly made me quite certain, Bella." He laughed.
Oh, right. I returned my hot face to my hands, emitting pitiful sounds of humiliation.
He turned my face to him, cupping it in his hands. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm not trying to embarrass you. I'm just very happy that you were thinking about me while touching yourself."
I shut my eyes and groaned again.
"Seriously, love," he continued. "That was practically an … out of body experience." His tone became earnest. "I arrived early because you said you missed me. When I got here, you were still in the shower, so I sat on your bed and waited. Suddenly, I heard you moaning and rubbing your slick flesh." His sultry gaze seemed to penetrate me. I could feel my heart thumping hard in my ears.
Edward placed his hand on my shaky knee. "When you climaxed while chanting my name—" he gulped "—I had to catapult myself out the window before I began to lose control again." He slid his hand up my leg and slowly tilted his fingers around, caressing my inner thigh. "But I regained control quickly because I wanted to see you."
"God, Edward." I groaned and closed the distance between us, kissing him hard. He eagerly returned the kiss for ten glorious seconds before the inevitable sigh of regret came and he pulled back.
"I'm sorry, love. But if we don't stop now, we'll end up making a sequel to last night." He kissed my cheek softly. "My family is happy that you're joining us today, and I have some things I want to show you." He stood and held his hand out to me.
I sighed, unable to hide my frustration, and grasped his hand. He pulled me into a hug and placed a kiss behind my ear, whispering, "But just so you know, Bella, all I've been thinking about since I left you this morning is climbing back into that bed with you." His lips lingered at my ear, and I heard him inhale sharply before stepping back and leading me out of my room.
God, he was such a tease. It drove me crazy, but I absolutely loved it.
It was hard to be embarrassed when my actions caused him to behave so unrestrained. In fact, I seriously considered making my shower play a daily ritual if he enjoyed it so much.
When we arrived at the Cullen home, Edward paused before opening the door. "Just to warn you, love, Alice made you breakfast. I hope you aren't too uncomfortable."
"That was nice of her. But why on earth would I be ..." As we entered the dining room, I saw a beautiful floral centerpiece on the table … of lilacs. I could see why Edward might think that would make me blush but, after this morning, a simple coincidence like that was nothing.
"Hi, Bella." Alice flitted up to me and kissed my cheek. "I made you pancakes." She grinned sweetly and pulled out a chair for me to sit.
"Aw, thanks, Alice." I sat down in front of a heaping plate of blueberry pancakes. "You really didn't have to ..." I trailed off, noticing the bowl of melon next to the plate of pancakes. They were perfectly molded balls of honeydew.
She breezed in and out of the kitchen carrying a small glass bottle of maple syrup.
Dammit.
I knew this was no coincidence. However, with all of the tuned-in vampires in the house, I couldn't exactly call her out on her antics without alerting the rest of the house. Instead, I pretended not to care. After all, a girl's gotta eat.
"Why thank you, Alice." I offered her a phony smile. "It looks delicious." I poured the entire contents of the bottle onto my pancakes and dug in.
I thought I was playing it quite cool, until my mouth couldn't handle all of the sweet syrup and some dribbled down my chin. I heard Edward clear his throat. He had sat down beside me and was now shifting uncomfortably in his seat. When I looked at him, he glanced down at my chin and inadvertently licked his lips. My eyes grew wide as I realized this was turning him on.
I stabbed a melon ball with my fork and bit into it, letting the juice drip down my chin. His eyes grew dark as we stared unflinchingly at one another. It was amazing to me how he could make my heart soar and my knees buckle with one seductive look.
Now it was Alice's turn to shift in her seat. "Oh, gross. You two need to get a room." She grimaced.
Rosalie trounced elegantly down the stairs. "Yuck. Are they making googly eyes at each other again?"
At that, Edward snapped out of his daydream. "Bella, I think I'll go get ready for the beach. I'll be back in a minute." He softly kissed my cheek and ascended the stairs.
I took a few more bites, wiped my mouth, and then pushed my plate away in agitation. "Thanks for the food, Alice," I grumbled, walking out the front door, toward Edward's Volvo.
I no sooner climbed into the passenger seat when Alice opened the other door, climbed into the backseat, and began apologizing. "Oh, Bella. You know I'm only teasing. I'm beyond happy that you and Edward are finally able to be intimate." Her smile was genuine.
"Alice, just … don't," I spit out, a little too harshly. I turned to make sure I hadn't been too aggressive and hurt her feelings, but she just beamed at me.
"I don't want to see the things that I see, Bella. Believe me. Having visions of my siblings and even my parentsin that way is not exactly the greatest aspect of my gift." She looked at me with sincerity. "I know that you have been frustrated with Edward's ... shall we say, restraint. I'm sorry, but I'm not afraid to admit that I'm happy you guys are making progress. Breakfast was just my way of congratulating you." She giggled and patted my back, emphasizing her praise.
"Alice, you are too much." I laughed. "I'm sorry. I probably overreacted," I conceded. "To be totally honest, I wasn't even really mad. It'll just take some time for me to get used to everyone knowing everything about our relationship. But, I guess that's just the price you pay when you roll with vampires." We both laughed this time.
"Although," I continued. "I am pretty curious about the reaction that Edward had while I was eating." I felt a blush rise on my face.
She smirked. "Yeah, I knew he would respond that way. That boy can never keep his eyes off of your mouth when you eat."
"Really?" I'd never noticed it until today. I wondered if this new, sexual aspect of our relationship made his thoughts more erotic.
"Yep." Alice smirked again. "I just didn't expect you guys to eye hump each other right there at the table," she said, her face a playful mask of disgust. We both laughed hard at that.
"What's so funny, ladies?" Edward slid into the driver's seat. "Alice, Jasper is pretending to wait patiently for you in Emmett's jeep, but his thoughts tell me he misses you desperately."
"Okay; I'm going. No need to play the guilt card." She smoothly slid out of the car in an instant. I startled when she suddenly appeared next to my open window and ruffled my hair. "See you at the beach, Bella."
I laughed and shooed her away as Edward started the engine.
"Thank you for forgiving my sister, Bella. I know more than anyone how annoying her antics can be." He reached for my left hand with his right and laced our fingers together.
"Well, she's my friend. It was nothing a little girl chat couldn't fix. Plus, when she explained how much you love watching me eat, I became quite pleased with her menu choices." I grinned, trying to exude confidence, although my blush betrayed me.
Edward curved his left hand around my cheek and looked passionately into my eyes. "It's true. I never tire of watching you eat." His voice dripped honey as his thumb glided across my lips.
"Your interests in normal, human activity never cease to amaze me," I whispered. The cold pads of his fingers caressed my jaw, and I shivered.
"Bella, seeing your mouth wrap around your fork and watching your jaw and throat muscles work each bite is achingly erotic to me."
Well, when you put it that way. "Oh." I sighed, and my belly flipped with excitement at his interest in what I did with my mouth. However, I could think of much yummier things I wanted to taste.
Edward leaned in and kissed me deeply for a brief moment. When he pulled back, he was looking toward the other cars. He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, our passion is making Jasper uncomfortable, and Emmett says if we don't quit making out and go, he's going to moon us."
"Okay … ew. Let's go." I grimaced.
"So, what beach are we going to?" I asked as we pulled out onto the road.
"Rialto Beach, just off of the Quileute River," Edward replied, and then looked at me with interest. "Will this be too uncomfortable for you, Bella?"
"No," I answered honestly. "But I'm curious about why you'd break the treaty just to go for a swim." I raised my eyebrows in concern.
Edward smiled. "I wanted to surprise you. Carlisle has gotten permission from the tribe leaders to go to this beach whenever we'd like." His smile widened, anticipating my pleased response.
I gasped in surprise. "Does this mean that the treaty's been lifted?"
"No," he replied. "The laws of the treaty will continue to be upheld. But, after Carlisle saved Jacob's life, Sam told him that he wanted to repay him somehow. The only thing that Carlisle requested was that his family be allowed to enter Quileute territory on one occasion—in order to come to this beach. Sam met with the tribe members to explain the request, and they approved it. They said that because Carlisle had saved one of their own and made such a simple request, this showed generosity of spirit. They then added that we could return to this beach whenever we choose. Of course, we still need to abide by the rules outlined in the treaty. We must inform Sam every time we plan to cross the borderline. And we cannot hunt on their land, but go directly to the beach, stopping nowhere else.
I was still shocked that the tribe had made such a big concession. On a few occasions, the Cullens had been granted special authorization to enter the reservation, but this was a permanent revision to the treaty. Even though I knew they'd always be natural enemies, it made me happy that at least some of the tribe trusted my surrogate family.
"But there are plenty of beaches in Washington," I said. "Why is it important to go to this beach?"
He grinned at me. "This used to be one of our favorite places to swim before Ephram Black enforced the treaty. It's a very large beach, and we know a particularly secluded spot where we don't have to worry about the effects of the sun on our skin."
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Are you sure no one will come by and see us?" I worried.
He placed his hand in mine and gently squeezed. "Don't worry, Bella. Even in the off chance someone decides to come where we are, Alice will see it."
This gave me great comfort as we pulled up to the beach and got out of the car. "Wow, it's as beautiful as I remember," I said. I recalled the first time I'd been to this beach. Jacob and I had walked and talked like old friends while he told me stories of wolves and the cold ones. Of course, neither of us knew that those things actually existed at the time.
Edward and I walked hand-in-hand toward the rest of the Cullen clan, who were already spreading their towels on the ground. The beach was glorious. There were large pieces of driftwood scattered about and beautiful rock formations that jutted out of the water with trees atop them.
I turned to Edward and noticed his beach attire for the first time. He wore dark blue, straight-legged Burberry swim trunks and a black, V-neck T-shirt. Damn, my man is fine. I knew Alice did almost all of the clothes shopping for the Cullens because she felt her fashion degree demanded It.
Way to go, Alice!
He took off his shirt and laid it on our towel, and I was mesmerized by his glistening, white flesh. I reached out and placed my shaky palm on diamond-studded skin. This was the first time since the day he showed me the effects of the sun on him that I'd seen him in all his glorious, sparkly wonder. He flashed his crooked grin at me and slowly slid my tank top over my head. I nearly jumped him until I noticed all of the other sparkly vampires staring at us.
I removed my shorts and set them on the towel before he led me toward the water. The rocks felt like glass beneath my feet, polished and smoothed by the ancient waters of the Pacific.
Edward noticed my reaction and smiled, watching the water rush over my feet. "Amazing, isn't it?"
I leaned in for an embrace and smiled against his chest. "I love how you always know what I'm thinking." He held me for a moment before pulling back.
"I was hoping you'd wear this bikini," he said, grinning. "You look positively divine in it." He wrapped his arm around my bare waist and led me along the shoreline. I relished his cool touch in contrast to the hot sun.
The water was slightly chilly and entirely refreshing. This was an unusually warm day in Forks, and I knew that other, more accessible parts of the beach would be packed with humans. I was the only one lucky enough to be privy to secret vampire beaches. This made me smile.
As we moved further out into the water, I glanced at my future in-laws as they frolicked in the water. Alice was atop Jasper's shoulders, and Rosalie climbed on Emmett. The girls were playing chicken, grabbing each other's shoulders and trying to wrestle the other one into the water. I had a feeling there would be a draw. Carlisle and Esme lounged on their beach towels, soaking up the sun. I couldn't blame them. It wasn't often the Cullens got to enjoy the sunshine.
Edward lithely swung me onto his back and swam us far from the shore. He effortlessly carried us half a mile from the others in only a few minutes before we stopped. He pointed to the east at a small island where some animals were lounging on its banks. "Sea lions," he explained as he moved us closer.
We stopped a few hundred feet away because—according to Edward—they would be frightened if they sensed his presence. It was awe-inspiring to be perched on Edward's back in the middle of the ocean, watching these beautiful creatures. Suddenly, a disturbing thought crossed my mind. "You don't hunt them, do you?"
"No," he stated calmly. "We believe the hunt is very important, and sea lions are far too tranquil and disadvantaged to justify feeding on them. We also never hunt young animals or domesticated pets." He turned his head to the side and smiled at me. "I actually find sea lions to be peaceful, beautiful creatures—very docile."
I could see what he meant. They looked serene and untroubled, except for the occasional bark. As I rested peacefully on Edward's back, I contemplated what he had just told me, smiling at his tender compassion.
Suddenly, a hundred feet to our right, a large splash got my attention. There was a massive jet of water soaring high out of the ocean, and I clung tightly to his back.
"It's okay, love. It's just a whale," he stated simply, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Um, what kind of whale?" I suddenly felt the urge to climb on top of his shoulders.
He turned me around to his front and swung me up into his arms, laughing. "Don't worry. I would never let anything harm you, Bella." He cradled me gently and glided us a few dozen yards toward the shore.
I rested my head on his shoulder and savored his protective hold on me. I knew he could defend me from anything. He'd proven it to me more than once. When he stilled, and I knew all was well, I wondered if we'd been gone too long. "The others won't feel like we're excluding them, will they?"
He turned my chin up to him and smiled. "My Sweet Bella thinks she's about to be swallowed by a whale and is concerned about everyone else."
I smiled. "Well, it was nice of them to invite me today. I don't want to be rude."
"I know what you mean, love." He kissed my forehead. "Don't worry. Bonding isn't something we concern ourselves with much."
I stared at him, confused.
He explained, "When you're immortal, there will always be more opportunity for family time. Days like these aren't exactly fleeting. We've been a family unit for many decades, and they've witnessed me wallow in my lonely existence for far too long. They welcome the idea of me spending time with you, Bella." He tilted his mouth in a crooked grin. "Anyway, they are playing underwater Marco Polo right now, and given that they never need to come up for air, you wouldn't be able to participate." He placed a quick peck on my lips.
I sat up from my cradled position and wrapped my legs around his hips, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Edward." I sighed. "I can't wait until I'm turned and I can share eternity with you. I love the idea of having all the time in the world with you." I felt him flinch under me and looked up to see his face in a sad expression.
"Edward, we've already settled this. We have a deal." I began to panic slightly. "Don't even think about backing out now. I swear to God ..."
He gently grasped my head in his hands and looked into my eyes. His voice was soft and thoughtful. "I wouldn't think of backing out of our deal, Bella. It's just … I have been thinking, maybe we can amend it." He raised his eyebrows in question. "You know, like how the Quileutes amended the treaty—special circumstances."
You can't be serious!
"Huh uh. No way!" I yelled, horrified at the idea of changing our agreement. "The dealisI marry you in seven weeks, and in exchange, you make love to me while I'm human. Then you turn me. No negotiations!" I realized I was shouting rather loudly and pointing my finger in his face. I was relieved that no one was around to witness my tantrum.
He chuckled softly, not at all surprised by my rage. "Don't you even want to hear what I have in mind?" His cool hands moved down my back and rested on my hips, pulling our bodies closer together.
I quivered. Well played, Cullen.
He slid his fingers under the band of my bikini bottoms and caressed my skin. I shivered and wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing our bodies even closer. "Just let me explain what I've been thinking," he whispered softly in my ear. His face slid down to my throat, nuzzling it gently.
I groaned and tilted my head to the side, granting him full access to my neck. I felt him smile against my throat before he began very gently sucking. I was in a total daze. His hands gripped my hips tentatively at first, and then relaxed. Deciding that his control was steady, he squeezed my hips again and pulled me firmly against his hard crotch.
What were we talking about again?
"Ah, Bella." His voice was gravelly. "Ever since last night, I've been thinking how much I want you … about how much I'm dying to be with you. Bella, I'm dying to be inside you." His voice cracked slightly on the last word and, I swear, my brain cracked with it.
My legs felt like Jell-O, preventing me from moving against him the way I wanted. "Mmm," I purred, closing my heavily-hooded eyes.
Edward leaned his forehead against mine, panting as he struggled for his composure. "This morning, while I listened as you touched yourself, I decided that it's not so important that we wait until after the wedding. Either way, you will end up being my wife, right?" He spoke slow and purposeful as he searched my eyes for approval. I felt his cool breath on my face and the sweetness of it permeated my senses, dazzling me into near delirium.
I loved where this was going. But somewhere, through the murky haze, I wondered what had happened to my old-fashioned Edward who was so concerned about my virtue. However, there was no way in hell I was about to stop him.
"Oh, God, Edward." I panted. I could feel the whole length of his erection pushing against me. The only barriers were my nylon bikini and his thin shorts. He felt rock solid and large. It was the most ridiculously sexy thing on the planet. I groaned. "I want you so much."
He grunted and gripped my backside, pulling me even harder against him. I could feel my lips spread as his erection perfectly aligned where I needed pressure. We were both moaning, and I was squirming frantically against him, needing more. Suddenly, Edward pulled away.
NO!
He was gritting his teeth, and his eyes clamped shut. "Bellaaa." He was breathing hard. "I don't want to make love to you in the middle of the ocean. I want it to be perfect for you." He peered down at me, his eyes dark and hooded. "Besides," he said. "There is a condition to my new offer."
Oh, holy hell. Of course there is!
"What … What do you mean?" I was still pulsating all over, my vision blurry with need. At that point, I thought I might agree to whatever changes he wanted, just to get him pressed against me again.
His tone grew serious. "I will make love to you before we are married. We can even postpone the wedding, if that's what you want." He looked at me with earnest. "There's no reason we need to keep stopping this and torturing ourselves." He absentmindedly glanced down at my breasts, emphasizing his desire. "But I need you to agree to something first." His eyes were soft and thoughtful, but his voice was clear and strong, conveying absolute conviction in his words. "You must give me just over six more years. Bella, my new condition is that you have to stay human until your twenty-fifth birthday."
What is Bella going to say? Do you like what you read?