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Wedding night

"What are you doing here?" Her voice trembled and her entire body was shivering. She quickly bowed her head and blushed, realizing she was practically naked beneath the blanket.

Edward walked closer to her and lifted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. He found her shyness endearing and refreshing and the need to kiss her was so intense, he thought he would lose his mind right then and there.

His hand gently caressed her soft cheek and she leaned into his touch. Isabella was captivated by the fervor in his eyes, and she admitted to herself that he was indeed, a very beautiful man, a man who could also break her heart. She was so scared of what might happen between them that her knees buckled and her heart sped up.

"Come here," he whispered, as he wrapped his arms around her body and crushed her against his chest. "You are shivering."

"The water was cold," she half-lied.

She was not stupid. She knew a husband would want to bed his wife on the wedding night. She had heard a couple of women talk about it, when she was walking home from church. But she could not stay and listen, for she was too embarrassed by their foul words to let herself eavesdrop. So she did not know more details about it – she did not know what it really meant, and her sisters were as clueless as she was. Her father would never talk to her about this. Her lack of knowledge frightened her.

"Then why does your heart beat so fast?" he asked softly.

She shook her head, refusing to answer him. If she said something, she was afraid her voice would break.

"Look at me," he ordered. Reluctantly, she obeyed him. "You are scared."

"I might be," she shrugged in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

He could not be fooled, though. She was downright terrified. A scowl darkened his features.

"I want to kiss you right now," he admitted, watching her reaction.

"Would it matter if I said 'no'?" She raised her eyebrows defiantly. But she was confused that he had asked her this time.

He did not answer her, though. He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. His mouth came down on hers, urgent, wild and uninhibited. Her gasp of surprise allowed him to slide his tongue into her mouth, while he slowly, deliberately ran his hands down the sides of her body, his left hand stopping to caress her thigh. Her breath was uneven and she was sure she would have fainted, if he had not held her so tightly.

Without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, marveling at the new sensations coursing through her body. His tongue mingled with hers, while a low moan sounded deep in her throat.

Lord, she could not control herself. She had no idea kissing would be this consuming and thrilling. And she liked it so much, she thought he had already driven her daft.

Her moan of pleasure aroused him and he was already throbbing with need. His hands gently lifted the blanket up over her backside, and revealed her firm, soft buttocks. He wanted to rip the insulting cloth off her glorious body and have his way with her, but logic overrode instinct and he knew he should be gentle and slow with her, for this was her first time.

When she felt his warm hands against her skin, she panicked and pulled away. "Nay. Edward, no," she shook her head.

His eyes misted over with passion and her breath caught in her throat.

"Don't you want me to kiss you?" He pressed his lips to the base of her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips in contentment.

"I do not know if I should," she stammered.

"We are not doing anything wrong," he pointed out.

She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer to her. The bold action surprised her, while he smiled against her skin.

"But I feel so... so out of control. I do not know if I should feel like this," she confessed. "I... I do not know what I am supposed to do. I... You know I have never done this before and I..."

He interrupted her with a passionate kiss, robbing her of her sanity. Then he trailed soft kisses down her cheek and over her jaw.

"Good," he whispered. For a moment, she wondered what he was talking about and when he pulled away to look at her, she suddenly remembered.

"Good? You believe losing control is good, Edward?" she almost shouted. Her unexpected outburst amused him and much to her chagrin, he grinned at her. "I do not find this amusing."

"Sure it is." When she frowned, he sighed her name.

"If you are trying to make me feel better, you are not doing a great job." When she was annoyed, she could think more clearly.

"That is another flaw of yours, Isabella," he shook his head.

Her eyes narrowed. "Another? What other flaws do I have?"

"Do you really want me to enumerate them all? It will take me all night. And I would rather do something else." Her stare turned into a glare and she wanted to slap his arm.

"Of course I want to know," she said indignantly.

"Later."

"Now."

"That is one of them," he sighed, as she raised her eyebrows, confused. "You keep confronting me."

"I do not think that is a flaw," she scowled. "I would rather confront you, than nod and smile at whatever you say. I find that pathetic. But I know not to defy you in front of the others, beside your three warriors, of course."

"You are stubborn, too," he continued, although her comment had pleased him.

"I can not change that."

"You talk too much," he said with a grin.

She grimaced. "That is hardly a flaw," she grumbled.

"In your case, it is," he shrugged. She gritted her teeth and took a deep, deep breath. "And – " he started, but she interrupted him, covering his mouth with her hand.

"I get it. You can talk all night about my flaws; I understand. But it will take me longer to enumerate yours."

He grabbed her hand and removed it from his lips. "I am aware of my own flaws."

"Really? Your arrogance makes me think you do not."

"I am done with this subject."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Always having the last word." They got into a glaring contest, until the wind blew in her direction and she had to close her eyes. She muttered an unladylike word under her breath, while he snickered.

"Come here." She complied, although she was confused and still irritated with him. His hands gently grabbed her waist and slid down to her hips, watching her reaction closely.

"What?" Her annoyance was quickly forgotten, when he pulled her into his arms and intimately pressed his body against hers.

He leaned forward and nibbled at her earlobe for a moment, before he brushed his warm lips down her neck.

"Do you like this?" he asked and she nodded, not caring if he saw her. When he reached the valley of her breasts, she let out a soft moan. "And this?"

"What are you really doing?" she gasped.

"Helping you relax. Why? Is it working?"

"You wish."

"Aye, I do," he said, staring into her eyes. He kissed her then. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

"You are seducing me," she breathed heavily.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Not just yet."

He wanted to touch her all over. Before she realized what he was up to, he had already taken the blanket off her and she found herself completely naked. He pulled away to stare at her body and he immediately got hard. She was magnificent.

Realizing her vulnerability, she bowed her head and blushed furiously. No one, beside her sisters, had seen her naked before. Now Edward.

"You have no reason to be embarrassed," he whispered gently. Her eyes softened and her heart skipped a beat. His words relaxed her a little.

Isabella watched him undress and the sight of his muscular body both excited and confused her, for she had never felt such intense emotions before. Without giving the matter a second thought, she wrapped her arms around his naked body and kissed him as hard and passionate as she could. She never thought she was capable of that.

"I want you, Isabella," he said against her lips.

He grabbed her hips and gently pushed her down onto the blanket. His knee parted her thighs and he settled himself between her legs. His mouth traveled lower, until his lips wrapped around one of her nipples and she arched up against him, moaning deep in her throat. She thought she was going to die from the pleasure. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her fingernails dug into his shoulders.

When she thought he was done, he proceeded down her abdomen, driving her crazy. His hands caressed her thighs and hips, and when his lips touched her navel, she pulled him back to her, crushing her lips against his. His mouth slanted over hers again and again, while his tongue swept inside and stroked hers.

He liked the taste of her. She was sweet and delicate and her skin was so soft, he could not stop touching her. But if she did not want him tonight, if she told him to stop, he would not force himself on her. He would never dishonor her like that.

"Do you want me to continue?" His voice was hoarse when he asked her.

"Oh yes," she breathed, consumed with passion.

He was desperately trying to restrain himself from entering her. He knew he was going to hurt her and he wanted her to be prepared for his invasion.

He looked up and watched her, as he slipped one finger inside her. She grabbed his hand and tried to push it away.

"No, Edward. What are you – " she panicked, but he captured her lips in a kiss.

"You will like it," he mumbled against them, while his thumb gently stroked her.

She gasped and arched her back, brushing her breasts against his chest. She was wet and tight and driving him crazy with need. By the time he pushed another finger into her heat, she was already uncontrollably writhing under him.

Isabella felt the tip of his length touch her entrance and she groaned in anticipation. She rubbed herself against him and he clenched his jaw, a low growl rumbling through his chest. He was on the brink of surrender – he did not know if he could hold back any longer.

"Edward," she begged.

"Do not move," he panted.

She wiggled again, trying to get closer to him – disobeying him, too. He lost control then. He plunged into her with one powerful thrust, filling her completely. She cried out in pain and squeezed her eyes shut. A couple of tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and she held onto him for dear life, wanting the unbearable pain to stop.

"It hurts," she cried.

Kissing her tears away, he softly whispered. "It is alright." Lord, she was so tight around him, and so warm. He had to give her time to adjust to him, though and he stayed as motionless as he could, buried deep inside her.

Trying to gain some courage, she bit her lip and took a deep breath. She blinked back her tears and shifted, thinking it would make the pain go away. The motion did help her a little, but it also made her aware of another emotion, that was slowly building up in the pit of her stomach. Edward let out a throaty groan and captured her lips in an ardent, wild kiss.

He started moving then, retreating and plunging inside of her again. Isabella squeezed his shoulders and kissed his neck, as the pain almost disappeared and a raw, primitive passion claimed her. She moved her hips, meeting each one of his powerful, hard thrusts.

His hand cupped her breast, as their bodies moved together in harmony. He felt her tighten around him, and the intensity of her climax both scared and pleased her. She screamed his name, feeling waves of pleasure course through her entire body. His movements grew harder and faster as he searched for his own release. With a growl, he spilled his seed into her and collapsed on top of her, breathing unevenly.

Isabella did not know what to say to him. Or if she should feel uncomfortable or scared about what just happened. It was not in her nature to completely surrender to someone.

He rolled onto his back, and pulled her against his chest. Her fingers gently caressed his shoulders and arms.

After ten minutes of silence, she whispered "Edward?"

"What?" he whispered, closing his eyes.

She hesitated, knowing it was not exactly the time to ask him. "If I hadn't been so... receptive, would you..." She pulled away and looked at him. He furrowed his brow in confusion, while her cheeks flushed. "Would you have forced yourself on me?"

He propped himself up on his elbow and stared at her, shocked that she would even think about this. "Why are you asking me such a foolish question?"

"You do not need to get angry. I just wanted to know," she scowled.

"How could I not be mad when you suggest such a terrible thing? I am an honorable man, Isabella. I would never do that to a woman," his voice was firm and his green eyes had darkened.

"That is good to know." She nodded and smiled at him, despite his obvious irritation.

He shook his head at her. "Why would you even think about this?"

She leaned her head in the crook of his neck, and shrugged. She hoped he was going to let the matter go, but she knew she was wrong when he pulled away and intently stared into her eyes.

"Tell me," he ordered.

"It is nothing, Edward. Really," she avoided answering him.

"I doubt it is nothing. Isabella, tell me what is bothering you."

"You do get your own way a lot, do you not?"

"Isabella!" His patience was wearing thin, and she could see it in his eyes. She glared at him, showing him that his attitude was the thing bothering her at the moment. His exasperated sigh forced her to close her eyes.

"Angela... may have.. said something to me," she admitted. "About you... hitting me." The muscle in his jaw ticked, while he struggled not to shout at her for listening to her daft sister. "You might want to keep quiet, Edward. Your men are probably sleeping and they do not need to hear you roar like a bear."

"She said that I would..." he trailed off, angry.

"She did not know what she was saying, of course. Now stop glaring at me like you want to throttle me. I am positive your men would be surprised to see you without a wife tomorrow," she stammered. "And you do not want them to think your wife has been able to infuriate you so much that you drowned her in the river, now, would you?"

His anger subsided a little, and he could at least keep his voice mild and steady, as he rolled her on her back and hovered over her. He stared straight into her eyes, as he spoke. "I repeat. I would never hit a woman, Isabella. Your sister should keep her thoughts to herself. She does not know me. She has no right to insult me like that. And I thought you were smarter, than that."

She scoffed. "I am not simpleminded," she protested. "And no, I did not know that, for I barely know you."

"Yet, you made love to me," he pointed out with a smug expression on his face.

Her eyes widened and she tried to hide her face from him. "It shall never happen again."

"Do you want me to remind you how much you liked me to –" he started, but she quickly clasped her hand over his mouth.

"I did like it. But that was it. No more." His grin told her he did not believe her. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, before he pulled away and rolled onto his back. She scowled at his arrogance. When he did not say anything more, she realized she wanted to ask him something else. "Edward?"

"Aye, Isabella?" He sighed.

"I did please you, did I not?"

He looked down at her and saw her concern. "You could not have pleased me more." And he meant it.

His short answer was enough for her. She smiled and rested her head on his chest.

He closed his eyes, feeling exhausted. He was willing to sleep, but Isabella's hand suddenly started to caress his chest, distracting him. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. She was tracing one of his scars and he stiffened. Isabella met his gaze and her expression was curious and confused. He grabbed her hand and removed it from his chest.

"When did you get this?" She asked.

"Go to sleep, Isabella."

"I will, but I was curious. It looks... painful. When did you get it?" She repeated. It was such an ugly scar. She wondered how she had not seen it before. With a grimace, she realized she had been quite distracted.

His scar stretched from his shoulder to the middle of his chest. But it also looked old. She thought about the pain it had caused him and frowned.

"I do not wish to talk about it," he growled. His voice startled her and she knew she could not tease him or argue with him about it. She simply nodded.

Edward did not want to discuss his past. He was not going to tell her how he had seen his parents die right in front of him, when he was only ten years old. Or how his father's 'best friend' and his soldiers attacked him and his family in the middle of the night, and killed everyone – innocent children and women included.

Their faces haunted him. He could still remember his mother's voice, as she screamed at him to run away. He could still feel the blade of a sword against him, as one of the enemies slashed his chest open, and left him in the middle of the battlefield, thinking he had died. His parents had seen the entire ordeal and the distraction was exactly what the soldiers needed to run their weapons through their bodies. He had wanted to help his parents, yet he had killed them.

Isabella noticed the tension in his shoulders and chastised herself for asking him about the scar. It was obvious her question had bothered him.

"I am sorry for asking," she whispered.

"Go to sleep," he repeated.

"You could at least accept my apology." She could not stop herself from saying that. Knowing she had done a mistake, she quickly whispered her 'goodnight' and prayed he would not get angry again. She was too tired and embarrassed to argue with him.

Edward woke her up too soon. She groaned and swatted his hand away, as he prodded her awake.

"You need to eat something and then we must go," he mumbled. She lazily opened her eyes and looked up at him. His face was so close, she startled and almost bumped his nose with her chin.

"Now?"

He growled.

When she tried to sit up, she grimaced in pain. She was so sore, she wondered how she would be able to stay in a saddle. Edward noticed her expression, and scowled in concern.

"The others are waiting for you to get dressed and join them for breakfast."

Her eyes suddenly widened. "To get dressed? Have you told them – "

"I would not share such intimate things with my warriors, Isabella," he said matter-of-factly. His voice was highly amused, though. "They have already guessed, though."

Her mouth popped open. "Oh no."

"Get dressed," he rolled his eyes, grinning. She threw him a dirty look.

She looked down and saw that he had covered her with another blanket. He must have searched in her satchel.

"I would like some privacy, Edward."

"Why? I have already seen everything."

She blushed in mortification. "And I told you. That will never happen again. Please, leave me alone for a second. I need to change."

He sighed deeply, something he did when he was exasperated by her. He turned around and walked away. Then he said over his shoulder. "We shall see."

She glared at his back. He was so arrogant, she wanted to throttle him sometimes. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and took one gown out of her satchel. Before she got dressed, she washed her face and splashed water on her arms and legs.

The gown was ankle-length, which fitted down to her waist and then flared out from her hips in a voluminous skirt that draped wonderfully. It was also royal purple, that brought out the color of her eyes. She tried to plait her long, curly hair, but five minutes later, she gave up and let it fall down her back.

With a sigh, she hoped the others would not bring up the subject of her spending the night with Edward. She would probably die of embarrassment and it would be difficult to carry her corpse around. The foolish thought amused her and she giggled.

Emmett had just mounted his horse, when Isabella emerged from the trees. He stiffened. Jasper's hand wanted to pick up the reins, but it stopped mid-air, when he spotted her. Carlisle noticed their reactions and wondered what it had caused them. He followed their gazes and his eyes widened. They were mesmerized.

When Edward saw his wife, his heart stopped. She smiled at them. All of his men smiled back. Only Edward watched her approach, keeping his face devoid of emotions. Isabella ignored him, while her cheeks flushed. As soon as she reached their sides, she gave Emmett her satchel and he nodded enthusiastically, ready to please his mistress. Edward wanted to roll his eyes and growl at his warrior's behavior.

Her stomach growled, as she grabbed a loaf of bread and some cheese. Then she took a healthy bite. She noticed that they were still staring at her and she gave them a confused smile.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop looking at me, like I had just grown another head overnight," she said mildly.

All of them cleared their throats, but there was no apology. She knew they would never apologize, because of their pride, but that did not bother her. If it did, she would have told them. She shook her head in amusement.

She decided to change the subject. "When are we going to reach your home?"

"'Tis also your home," Edward said.

"That does not answer my question, Edward."

"In six or seven days, milady," Jasper quickly mumbled, looking at his laird from the corner of his eye.

She looked appalled. "You have got to be jesting me."

"Not at all, lass," Emmett lifted his shoulders indifferently.

"I do not think the food will last for more than five days," she frowned.

"There is a cottage, two days away from here, where we can spend the night." Edward's eyes sparkled mischievously, while she narrowed hers. It did not take her long to realize what he was thinking about.

"Oh no," she firmly shook her head, while the warriors looked at them confused.

"We shall see."