Disclaimer: Anything Twilight = Ms. Meyer. Any of the stories within= mine. Please do not copy or translate without permission.
Land In My Arms
Chapter 6
BPOV
Day Trip: Los Angeles
Things felt different after the weekend in Colorado Springs, but our behavior toward each other didn't change. Not wanting to let what happened between us make things awkward, I made sure that when we talked I acted the same as I always had.
Besides, I wanted it to happen again. Just one taste of being completely physical with Edward and all I could think of was—I wanted more.
We finally got to make plans for our hike, deciding that Edward would come out to stay a day earlier than he was due to report to work. He told me that he usually stayed at Paul's commuter apartment when his flights based him in LA.
As I was waiting for Edward to come over, I laid the hiking map out on the kitchen island and glanced over it. I couldn't make up my mind where exactly I wanted to take him. An easy hike might be boring, while a tough hike could take away our ability to chat and enjoy the morning.
There was a knock on the door and I practically skipped my way over to answer it.
I whipped open the door. "Hi!"
"Hey, good morning," he said, smiling as he stepped into the apartment and landed a kiss on my cheek. He looked gorgeous as always.
As it was the first time I'd seen him since our amazing weekend together, it was only natural that I wanted to stare. However, in keeping with the "normal" edict I'd laid down, I made myself stop admiring him (I could do it later, hopefully when he was naked) and held up my mug instead.
"Coffee?"
"You're amazing. That would be fantastic? I didn't sleep all that great last night."
Nodding, I turned to grab a cup out of the cupboard and filled it. He'd seemed tired the day before when I talked to him.
"What are you doing with the map?" he said as he moved to the counter to stand next to me.
"Oh. Well, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to do an easy hike or something more challenging. What d'you think?"
"Hmm," he said as he brushed the back of his hand over my hip. "How about we do an easy one today and we can work up to something harder."
Yes, I'd like that.
His hand on my hip brought back a rush of pleasant memories. I dawdled in getting his coffee ready, slyly prolonging the contact for as long as possible. Eventually, though, I could no longer hold his coffee hostage. While he took a seat on the couch I gathered up all of the things that I would need on the hike and put them into my day pack.
I was giddy with the anticipation of getting to spend the day with him. Smiling to myself, I looked up to where he was sitting on the arm of the sofa. He smiled too, a smug kind of smirk that let me know he'd caught my moony expression. I blushed a little and turned away so he couldn't see me.
"Should I drive?" he said, getting up and walking over to the sink.
"Nah, let's take my truck. Then you won't have to leave Paul's car up there."
"Probably a good idea," he said. I watched him as he rinsed out his coffee cup and set it in the dishwasher, liking the fact that he seemed so comfortable in my home. My stomach danced with happy butterflies at the thought.
I cleared my throat after allowing myself a few seconds of staring. "Ready then?"
-o-(_)-o-
The drive up the Pacific Coast Highway was fantastic. We really couldn't have planned for a better day. The sun was bright, breeze perfect, and my company made it seem all the better. Heading toward Malibu, we teased each other on the drive about what to play on the radio.
"I'm sensing a cheesy 80's vibe with you, Cullen."
"Please," he scoffed, "there's nothing wrong with a few Hair Bands now and again. Besides, LA was kind of the birthplace for this stuff," he said, laughing.
I cracked up, having to agree with him on that point. I realized then that, while we'd had a few nonsense conversations about music, I didn't exactly know which genre he preferred. Nonchalantly I said, "I would have thought you more of a grunge or acoustic-y kind of guy."
"I like everything. But when I play, I usually lean toward anything acoustic or bluesy."
"Play?"
"Guitar," he answered. "A little piano, too."
What doesn't this man do? "I am quite impressed with your talents, sir."
He just smiled back at me. An image of him bent over a guitar flooded my mind, and... Wow.
The rest of our drive was peaceful. We talked about random topics as we drove to Yerba Buena Road, which took us to the Circle X Ranch Trailhead.
The hike was supposed to be about six miles and take a little over three hours on what was touted as one of the most beautiful trails in the Santa Monica Mountains—one I hadn't done yet. Eventually we found the trailhead for the Mishe Mokwa Trail and I jumped out so we could get started.
Edward let me lead, which made me a little self-conscious until I realized he just wanted me to set the pace. It was such a gorgeous day outside that we didn't talk much, instead enjoying being outdoors and hanging out. The trail was easy with lots of scenery to take in while hiking. The best part was when we got up to the Balanced Rock.
"Wow. Amazing! And look at the view." I pulled out my water bottle and took a swig, eyes moving back and forth over the picturesque setting.
Edward moved up behind me, placing his chin gently on my shoulder. "Perfect choice for a hike, Bella," he said quietly.
I closed my eyes, body relaxing into him, and enjoyed his proximity. Strong arms circled around my waist and we stood like that for a few moments. It was so, so nice and I reveled in the feel of his beating heart under my shoulder blade.
We were broken out of the moment by a family coming up the trail.
"We should probably get going," I said, a little reluctantly.
I turned to go, already feeling the loss of his arms. We seemed to be getting more intimate, moving away from that friend category into something...different. But, then again, friends hugged all the time…didn't they?
The rest of the hike was even easier as most of it was downhill.
Once we reached the truck I took a moment to enjoy the feeling of rejuvenation the hike had given me. I loved a good hike and, even more so today, I enjoyed my company.
"I can't wait to get to the Reel Inn for lunch," I said. Despite having had a few snacks while we hiked, I was hungry.
Edward looked at me. "Do you mind if I change our plans a little?"
I frowned. "What's up?"
He smiled. "You'll see. Mind if I drive?"
"Uh, sure?"
I looked at him to see him trying to hide a smile by remaining tight lipped. I tossed him the keys and climbed into the cab of the truck, curious.
He was unusually chatty as we headed south on the PCH back toward LA. I kept looking out of the corner of my eye, watching him tap his fingers on the wheel, dying to ask him what we were doing. I was beginning to understand how much fun he had with surprises.
When we got back to Santa Monica, he turned the truck toward my neighborhood, but drove right past it. I was about to speak up and ask where we were going when he seemed to read my mind.
He turned to wink at me. "Almost there."
A few minutes later we were pulling into the Santa Monica airport. There were a couple of great restaurants there, so I assumed we were going to lunch at Typhoon or the Spitfire Grill.
Edward pulled up in front of one of the hangars, a business called Justice Aviation.
"Okay,I can't stay quiet anymore. What are we doing?"
"I'm taking you to lunch," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He opened the door to the truck and started to get out.
"Here?"
"No. Catalina Island."
I jumped out of the other side and hurried around the front to where he was standing.
"You mean we're flying there? In a plane?"
"Yes, Bella, in a plane," he said, laughing.
My hands were starting to get clammy. "But Edward, I don't do small planes. I've never been in one. They scare me to death. It's almost like an occupational hazard being in something so little, I mean—"
"Swan."
"Yeah?"
"Do you trust me?"
I looked up at him; the sun behind him cast his face into shadows, but made other parts of him absolutely glow. I knew I trusted him. This was just something I wasn't prepared for right now.
Remember: Life is short.
I took a deep breath. "I do…trust you."
"Okay then. If it helps, I'm pretty sure you're going to love it."
Still unsure, I warily followed behind him into the building.
"Cullen," he told the guy behind the counter, obviously checking in. The employee pulled out a binder containing a bunch of papers and the keys. I watched as another employee showed him where the flight log and weight and balance sheets were for the "Cessna 172" that we were taking out today.
My stomach was doing flip-flops as the two men discussed a few things. Edward stepped over to a computer to check the weather and something called "notams" before we headed out to the plane.
On the tarmac there was a tiny, white airplane with a few swirls decorating the side and the numbers N2447B painted on the side.
Over the whir of another aircraft starting its engine, Edward briefly explained he needed to do his 'pre-flight', indicating that he needed to walk around the plane and look at all areas of the plane to inspect it, as well as check the oil and the fuel levels before we left. I knew this already: a 'walk around' was something they did each flight on the commercial planes as well. He positioned me on the right side of the plane where I was to sit.
While I stood there, I noted the open space of the airport allowed the ocean breeze to flow directly through the area. The wind picked up my hair, blowing it around my face so I momentarily couldn't see. When I moved my hair back over my shoulder, I noticed that Edward was looking back at me with a gleam in his eye as he inspected the aircraft components. I smiled back at him, trying not to show my nerves.
When he was finished, Edward walked up and opened the door to help me into the co-pilot seat. He showed me the safety harness and handed me a headset to put on. After he shut my door, he walked over to the other side and climbed up into his seat. Putting on his own headset, he added a pair of dark aviator glasses. Mmm. He proceeded to run over another checklist, flipping switches, pressing buttons and checking each and every gauge.
My heart was in my throat at this point. I was a little scared, but also a little excited, too. I looked over at Edward, taking in his profile. Then, I felt silly for being afraid. Here was a man who probably started his career in a plane like this, learned to fly jets in the military, and flew jet planes for a living. I knew then that I trusted him implicitly.
"You ready?"
"Yeah." I smiled. The butterflies in my stomach took flight all on their own.
Edward started the engine and the plane vibrated a little as the propeller started up. He turned a knob on the radio, dialing in the frequency for the local airport information.
"Santa Monica Ground. Cessna Two-Four-Four-Seven Bravo at Justice Aviation taxi for take off," Edward said into his headset mic.
A voice came on over the radio."Cessna Two-Four-Four-Seven-Bravo taxi runway Two-one."
Edward repeated what the ground control operator said. "Two-Four-Four-Seven-Bravo taxi runway Two-one."
I may have been a little turned on as we taxied out to the runway.
At that point he increased the power to the plane while holding the brakes for a last minute check that everything was okay. He let the power back off and began our taxi to a 'hold short' area. There seemed to be minimal traffic in the area.
"Santa Monica Tower, Cessna Two-Four-Four-Seven-Bravo holding short of Two-one for request right climbing Two-seventy," he said.
A different voice came on. "Cessna Two-Four-Four-Seven-Bravo right climbing Two-seventy at the shoreline is approved, cleared for take-off."
Edward taxied the plane to the beginning of the runway. He looked over at me, smiling one of those panty-dropping grins, and reached over to squeeze my hand. I nodded at him and smiled back.
I was nervous but as we took off and turned over the golf course toward the beach, we made a two hundred and seventy degree turn, and headed southeast as far as I could tell. Then my nerves melted away.
It was amazing.
Our turn took us right over LAX where there was a line of big jets coming in off to our left and departing to the right. Thankfully we were traveling at thirty-five hundred feet, nowhere near the path of other, larger airplanes.
I looked out the window and identified the buildings that I knew. As we flew over the beach, we could see the tiny people running with their dogs. We headed out over the water and toward Catalina Island. The adrenaline and pure euphoria was giving me a huge high. I couldn't stop grinning.
Edward looked over at me in his sexy aviators to see how I was doing. I think my smile said it all.
As we approached Catalina, I was looking at the different kinds of boats in the water surrounding the island when I looked down and saw what looked like boiling water.
I tapped Edward's arm. "What's that, over there? It looks like the water is boiling or something."
"That's a school of dolphins."
"Shut up!"
"I'll see if we can get a little closer so you can tell." He maneuvered the plane so we were closer but still at around one-thousand feet.
"Oh my God. That's so amazing." You could see them darting around and playing in the water.
He smiled at me, taking in my excitement.
All in all, the flight to Catalina only took about twenty minutes, but it felt like it was too fast. We got clearance to land where he was planning to take me to lunch.
The runway on Catalina sat on top of a hill, with cliffs that dropped off at each end. I noticed that Edward gripped the yoke with a little more force as we got closer to the runway.
I gripped the sides of my seat in anticipation of a bumpy ride but Edward gave us an incredibly smooth landing. We touched down and it appeared as if we wouldn't have enough runway to stop. The short runway was just an illusion. It was actually shaped like an inverted 'V" and we had plenty of distance left to stop the aircraft.
After we taxied to our temporary parking spot and got out of the airplane, he took me to the runway cafe—The DC3 Gifts and Grill—for lunch.
We both ordered ice teas and buffalo burgers. I preferred my ice tea plain so I could dump sugar in it, thus keeping my hands busy.
"So, are you enjoying yourself?" he said as he took a drink of his iced tea.
"Are you kidding me? It's fucking fantastic!" I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth. "Sorry, I guess we're going with the potty mouth today."
He chuckled. "Not a fucking problem. I definitely have my fucking moments, too," he said with a straight face.
"Really, Edward. You've gone above and beyond what I would expect. This is so much fun."
"Good. Means a lot to me that you are enjoying it. Did you see the buffalo roaming the fields around the airport?"
"Uh, no. I was more concerned about the landing. Is that what we're eating for lunch?"
The waitress had swung back by our table and piped in. "The buffalo we use is from Colorado, not to worry. The buffalo around here are from a herd that was imported in 1924 for a movie."
I felt a little absurd.
"So after lunch, are we going straight back?" I said, folding up the sugar packets that I had destroyed.
"I think we'll head up the coast a little before we head back to the airport. Do a little sight-seeing."
"I'd like that."
The server came back at that moment with our food.
Lunch was delicious. We took our time afterward, just sitting and talking, laughing until it was time to go.
We headed back to the plane and took off from Catalina after a couple of hours. He said he'd like to bring me back there one day when we had enough time to take the bus down to Avalon and stay the night. The thought that he was planning ahead made me feel both good, and bad.
I sat there wondering how unfair it was to meet a guy who was absolutely everything I ever wanted but was 'unavailable'. I didn't want to push him with anything because I was enjoying what we had immensely and I didn't want to eff it up.
We flew up the coast a little ways, with Edward pointing out the ridge where we hiked earlier in the day. I wanted to keep going. I wanted to exist in this little bubble that we had created for ourselves. The sun was getting lower in the sky and I knew we would eventually have to turn around.
-o-(_)-o-
After landing at Santa Monica Airport, we headed back to my apartment, deciding on some takeout and maybe watching a movie.
Once there, the energy between seemed almost palpable. Excited from all of our activity, I babbled on as I pulled out a menu for Chinese. I figured it'd be easy to order because I knew they would deliver. I called, throwing in practically everything on the menu, which was probably way too much food for the two of us. When I hung up my phone, I turned around and Edward was smiling at me as he leaned against the counter.
I felt the warmth spread through my body as we silently looked at each other. He bent forward slightly, reaching to grab my hand and pull me to him. He grabbed my other hand and held them kind of between us. I spoke first.
"Thank you for today, it was absolutely amazing," I said.
He continued to look at me, his eyes moving over my face. "You are more than welcome. Today was...awesome."
Fuck it. I stood on my tiptoes and placed a small kiss on his lips. At first he barely moved, probably taken aback at my bold move, but I felt his lips soften and he leaned into me. As the kiss intensified, we stayed there for a few moments, just making out like a couple of teenagers.
He grabbed my waist and picked me up, turning to set me on the kitchen island. When he moved in between my legs I scooted into him so I could feel his body. Leaning into him, I wrapped my arms around his neck. His skin was so warm, and he smelled so, so good. Our movements became urgent, like we couldn't get enough of each other.
There was a knock on the door. We broke apart, panting as Edward said, "I guess the food is here."
I ran my hand over my hair, freeing it from the ponytail I'd worn all day. Nervously, I hung back as he walked over to the door and opened it quickly. The delivery guy didn't even get out a "Good Evening" before Edward shoved the money at him, grabbed the bag and shut the door.
He put the food on the counter next to the microwave and turned back to me. "Hungry?"
"Not for food," I said, giggling. I felt like a horny teenager.
He stepped back into me, hands taking up where they left off. They rubbed around my hips and over my backside as he kissed my lips, my jaw, my neck. A hand found its way between my legs and he began to rub me through my pants. I dropped my head back and he took advantage of my exposed skin, placing kisses up and down my throat. His hands moved under my shirt, igniting my skin on fire. I sat up and moved my hands into his hair, lightly pulling him to me as I went in to kiss him and lightly caught his lower lip in my teeth—my new favorite thing to do.
"Do you want to move somewhere more comfortable?" he said moving to kiss the corner of my mouth.
"No."
He pulled back to see my face.
"Here."
A very sexy grin spread over his face and he leaned into kiss me again.
I smiled my own devious smile, holding my bottom lip with my teeth as I leaned back to undo my pants—slowly so he could watch. I shimmied out of them as I sat on the counter, leaving my undies for him. His fingers swept the fabric left to the side, dipping into where I wanted him.
Teasingly, I danced my fingers under his waistband, pulling him slowly to me. I popped his button fly, pushing his jeans and boxers down to join my discarded clothes on the floor. I leaned back on my hands, ready for him to make me see stars. He bent over his pants to grab a condom.
After he put it on, he grabbed both sides of my panties and slid them off. I was too impatient at that point and took him into my hands, guiding him into me. Oh god. It felt incredible. He moved slowly at first and I could feel every inch of him. His hands covered mine on the counter as he leaned into kiss me deeply.
At this angle and as charged up as I felt, I could feel the building of my orgasm coming quickly. Truthfully, I'd been ready for this since he'd touched me in my kitchen earlier in the day. I put my arms around his shoulders and exploded around him. He followed me soon after, mumbling a few expletives in my ear. It was pretty sexy, in my opinion.
Not looking forward to the loss of his warm body over me, inside of me, all around me, I almost didn't want him to move. But eventually he had to. He looked up at me, his grin only eclipsed by my own. I hopped off of the counter to get dressed, but as we picked up our respective clothing, the touching didn't stop. He ran his hand up my arm and with a big loud smooch to my lips, Edward went into the bathroom to clean up. A few minutes later he returned.
"Hungry?"
"Famished," he replied.
I began unloading the boxes onto the countertop. He laughed.
"You ordered enough for about four people."
"I know," I said, grinning still. "At least I'll have leftovers for a few days."
We reheated the Chinese food in the microwave and planted ourselves on the sofa. This time, I let the movie be his choice: 'The Italian Job.'
When we sat together on the couch, I laid my feet across his lap without a second thought. We were comfortable this way without being awkward. I was starting to get the feeling that he wanted contact as much as I did. I liked that. We didn't talk about us so much; it was more like just being present in the moment was everything we needed.
"What's your fortune? I said, munching on my cookie.
"No, you first," he said.
"Okay. Here goes: If you continually give, you will continually have. 'K, I can live with that. Now yours."
He thoughtfully looked down at the slip of paper and read, "The fortune you seek is in another cookie." And then he crumpled it up in his hand.
"No way. It didn't say that. Lemme see."
"It did. You'll have to take my word."
I looked over at him and knew he was hiding that fortune somewhere. I poked him in the arm and gave him a sidelong glance; he just smiled and went back to watching the movie.
At about eleven o'clock, Edward rubbed my leg, turning his head from where it lay along the back of the couch to look at me.
"I should probably go. I have an early sign in time."
I was sorry to see him go, but I understood how important it was for him to get some rest before flying out on a trip.
While I moved my legs to let him get up, he turned and slowly made his way over to me, sinking my body back into the cushions. Then he kissed me. It was a perfect kiss, sweet and smooth, with just the right amount of fire behind it to make me want to beg him to stay.
"Thank you, Swan, for a perfect day."
"Yeah," was all I could say as I smiled all big and dopily at him.
He got up from the couch and picked up some of the boxes that we had been eating from to take to the kitchen. I grabbed a few myself and followed him.
"Edward, just leave it. I can get that, seriously. You've done more than enough for me today."
After dropping the boxes back on the counter, he pulled me to him for a hug—the kind where you come together and everything fits perfectly. When he let go his hands rested on the counter behind me, trapping me. He lowered his head for one last kiss—which was soft and sweet.
"I can't stop doing that. You are very addictive, you know."
"Mmm. So are you but you need to go, it's getting late."
I walked him to the door, opening it for him as he walked out. He turned around and raised his hand to touch my cheek, rubbing his thumb on the side of my face. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I whispered.
I waited until he was gone from sight to close the door.
Wandering back into the apartment in the daze that he always seemed to leave me in, I lazily picked up the mess that we had left on the counter. On the corner of the kitchen island was a crumpled looking fortune that had been straightened back out again. When I looked closer it read: One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes.
He left that for me? I looked at the bag with the other cookies. Only two had been taken. Yep. He sure did. I smiled, touched.
The next day at school I had a meeting with my advisor, Professor Banner. For the first time, I was completely unprepared. I was hesitant to show him my progress, hemming and hawing over handing him the documents that I had been working on over the last several weeks.
He sighed, flipped the papers over, and then turned to me, looking over his glasses. "Been a little distracted lately?"
"Well, I've been busier than usual…"
I knew I wasn't giving school my full attention. Something, or someone, was keeping me rather preoccupied at the moment.
Professor Banner leaned back in his chair and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes in the process.
"I think, Bella, that in light of the kind of schedule that you're keeping, you might want to consider taking only one seminar this summer. You are an outstanding student, but I see things slipping a bit. I don't want you to get derailed on this."
"I think—" I started.
"I think," he interrupted, "you should think about what's important to you and what'll help you focus. There is nothing wrong with taking a break. Just think about it and let me know."
"Okay, I will. Thank you, Professor."
I walked out of his office feeling a little dejected. What is going on with me? I was letting this whole infatuation thing cloud my judgment.
Just as I made my way out of the building my phone started to ring. I grabbed it out of my bag.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Doll! Just wanted to check in on my girl and see how things were going with His Hotness."
I laughed. "Well, thanks. And things are fine. He was just here yesterday and we spent the day together. It was effing amazing." I went on to describe the trip to Catalina.
"Wow. Didja get any?"
"Sam! You do not need to know everything!"
"Don't worry. You just confirmed it for me."
I stopped walking. "Gah! Is nothing sacred with you?"
"Sacred? So now he's a saint? I hardly think so. No one who looks that good is, honey."
"Well, apparently I'm letting this whole thing distract me from school, and I just got reamed for it."
"Reamed? What's his name? Do I know him?" he rushed.
"Sam!"
"Jeez. Calm down. Anyway, sounds like someone is wooing you."
"Wooing? I don't think so. We're just having fun." I needed to change the subject. His comments were hitting a little too close to home to my thought process. "So, what are you up to?" I said.
"Just getting ready for a trip to Chicago. I have some friends there that I'm gonna go see."
"Awesome. Grab me some Garrett's while you're there? Carmel Corn?"
"For you, anything," he said.
"K. Thanks. I'll talk to you soon. Have a safe trip."
"K, bye, Doll."
Once I got to my truck, I sat there for a moment, thinking that I needed to get my shit together. I was acting like a flippin' fool in love. That wasn't even an option.
This problem called for Rose—she'd straighten my ass out. I sighed.
Chewing on Professor Banner's advice, I thought about what would make me happiest at the moment. The only thing on my mind in that moment, what it all seemed to be boiling down to more and more lately, was that I wanted was spend time with Edward. I wasn't sure if or when the deal between us would fall apart, or if we'd eventually go back to 'just friends'. I wanted to take advantage of every last minute. Banner words reminded me I had a choice.
My phone chirped with a text.
How's your day? I smiled—big. It was Edward.
Okay so far. Where are you now?
Just landed in Cincy, off to Boston in an hour
Thank you again for yesterday, such a blast
Glad you enjoyed it. Had an idea. Can I call tonight?
Sure.
Ok. ttyl
Bye
I snapped my phone shut and made my way home, trying to sort out what was really going on in my head.
-o-(_)-o-
Edward called just as I was sitting down to eat some Chinese leftovers.
"So, I was thinking…"
"Ooh. Don't try too hard," I said as I stirred the chow mein with a fork.
"Funny, Swan. What are you doing for the Fourth?"
"I don't know. Haven't gotten that far yet." I took a bite of noodles.
"Want to come up and spend the Fourth in Anchorage? I usually get together with Kate and Garrett. They have a big party at their place on that day."
"I would love to see Kate again. Let me check into it and I'll get back to you on what dates I'm off, sound good?" My schedule was posted on the fridge but I needed a little time to digest it.
"Sure. You can shoot me a text too if you want."
"K. I'll be in touch." We said our goodbyes and I hung up.
I got up to check the schedule on the fridge. As far as I could tell, I had five days over the fourth to work with. I was so going. I typed out my response quickly.
I'm in.
-o-(_)-o-
A/N: Thank you for your reviews, I always love to hear what you think!
A special thanks to my pilot friend PiaPie who helped me with their little jaunt to Catalina. You are an amazing lady and kickass girlpilot.
Thank you KimmyDonn for not letting me drive you too nuts with my WotD, but it's inevitable. elusivetwi ty for keeping me real and nicnicd, I flove you more than words…for your words…ykwim.
Flying High on the iPod
Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters
Fly Me Away – Goldfrapp
Fly –Sugar Ray (my own personal brand of cheese)