Warning: This is where the story earns its rating.
Disclaimer: SM owns it all.
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The Meadow
"I didn't pick them out, you know."
Bella had caught me glancing at her legs. It's not that I was ogling, but I was confused by the extremely tiny, un-Bella like khaki-colored shorts she was wearing. They matched the tank top she had on underneath what looked – and smelled – like one of Charlie's old flannel shirts.
"It was Alice. She showed up at 6:00 this morning! Can you believe that? I wake up to her shaking me and dangling a bag of clothes in the air. Apparently I don't own any proper hiking gear," she scoffed.
I chuckled. "That sounds like Alice." I shook my head at my sometimes overbearing, yet well-meaning sister. I looked up at the sky as I turned off of the 101. A light drizzle was falling, but Alice had assured me that it would clear up shortly soon. There will even be some sun up in the mountains; that will be interesting. "Did you two have fun?"
I glanced over just in time to see her roll her eyes, before her face softened. "Yeah, I guess. Alice always has a way of making me feel like things will be okay. She's terribly optimistic for a vampire." She laughed softly before turning to look out the window. "She also had some advice."
"Advice? About what?" I couldn't think of anything Alice would offer advice to Bella about.
Bella just shrugged and started picking at the tattered cuff of Charlie's shirt. "Nothing." She quickly looked up and pointed at a particularly ominous cloud. "You really think this weather is going to clear up? I really don't want to get caught in a downpour or anything. I didn't even bring an umbrella. Do you think I should have brought one? Or a raincoat? Alice didn't bring a raincoat, so I'm guessing it will clear up, but…"
"Bella, stop." Her nervous ramblings quieted and she visible deflated, almost melting into her seat. "You don't have to tell me what you and Alice talked about. She's your friend as much as she's my sister. Besides, we're here." I turned to smile at her just as she looked back up from her lap.
As soon as her gaze reached the trailhead anxiety spread across her face.
"Bella, we don't have to go up there today if you're not ready. We can keep driving up north, maybe spend the day in Port Angeles?"
"No, I want to go," she said, suddenly all smiles. "So are we hiking, or…."
I stared at her in disbelief for a second, but she seemed genuinely eager to go. "Most definitely the or. We want to get there sometime today, right?" I quirked an eyebrow and grinned at her.
"I'm not that slow," she retorted, punctuating it with a playful slap on my arm.
I rubbed my arm and pouted dramatically, making her laugh. A second later I was opening her car door. She still blushed sometimes when I did these things like that for her, but at least I no longer had to trick her. She was finally accepting that I plan to treat her with some decorum.
I stood, waiting, as she self-consciously tugged at her shorts and top. When she gave up willing the fabric to cover more of her, she met my gaze. She didn't look embarrassed as I thought she would, just frustrated. "Stupid clothes," she grumbled.
"Are you ready, Bella?"
"Ready as I'll ever be. So how does this work?"
Instead of answering I just reached out a hand towards her which she eyed suspiciously. Slowly, she reached a hand out to grasp mine. Before she realized what was happening, I spun around and pulled her onto my back. I heard a small, surprised "oh" escape her lips before I took off running.
Bella turned her head and pressed her face into my shoulder as the trees began flying by. When we were almost at the meadow, I felt her finally move. She just barely moved her head enough so she could see over my shoulder. I glanced sideways enough to see her expression. She didn't look as frightened as expected, but she certainly wasn't enjoying it either.
I slowed my pace as we approached the edge of the clearing. We were a few feet away when I came to a halt, lowering Bella off my back. She began walking slowly, but decidedly, towards opening in the trees that led into the meadow. I followed behind and watched her reaction as she stepped into the open. The rain had stopped, but the sun was not yet making its appearance.
Bella rotated completely around, absorbing her surroundings. When she came to face me again, her face broke into the widest smile I'd ever seen. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
This was hardly the reaction I had expected. "Bella, can I ask you something?" She nodded, her smile shrinking slightly. "Why did you want to come here?"
This time her smile disappeared, only to be replaced by a deep blush. She shrugged one shoulder and chewed her lower lip nervously. "I remember thinking that night about how beautiful this place was, even in the moonlight, and I wanted to see what it looked like in the daytime. And… well, I thought it would be a good place to spend some time together. Alone."
So that was the reason behind the blushing and secrecy. I had been wrong all along; it wasn't that she wanted face what had almost happened to her or anything like that. Ironically enough, she had simply thought Jacob had chosen a nice venue.
I took her hand and we walked further until we reached the center of clearing. The trees were sparse enough here that you could see the sky, including the one feeble cloud attempting to keep the sun bay. It wouldn't be long now. I debated on warning Bella, but she spoke first.
"We didn't bring anything to sit on, huh? Oh well, at least I have this." She slid Charlie's shirt from her shoulders and spread it flat on the ground. "Here, there's enough room for both of us."
I lowered myself next to her on the small patch of flannel. "Sorry I didn't bring anything better. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."
"No, it's fine, really."
She leaned into my side and looked up at me, nibbling on her lip. I slowly circled one arm around her and as I pulled her closer she turned her body towards me. I shifted until we were facing each other as best as we could on our tiny, makeshift blanket. I brought my other hand up to cup her face, stroking her cheek with my thumb. She turned her face slightly into my hand and closed her eyes. I was shocked at how badly I wanted her as I soaked in her beauty. The softness and warmth and scent and pink flush were all too much. I wanted to taste her in so many ways. When Bella's eyes opened they were hooded and full of longing. She wanted the same thing.
I slowly began to lean in, watching her eyes for any hesitation, but none came. The closer I got, the more I could feel the heat radiating from her. She licked her lips in anticipation and the sight of her tongue pushed me over the edge. I closed the distance between us and suddenly my lips were on hers.
We kissed three times softly before pulling back just enough to look at each other. The silent plea for more was mutual. We leaned in one more time and this time it was longer and deeper and wonderful. Bella's soft, delicate lips molded themselves to mine as the kiss became more urgent. The taste of her skin was nothing short of miraculous and suddenly I couldn't believe I had gone so long without Bella. I knew I never would be able to again.
When we finally parted I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the clear air, checking my self-control. I could still taste her on my lips and her scent was as strong as ever, but I was here. I was still me. The monster inside me would not win this one. Being with Bella seemed to be bringing out my humanity more than I had thought was possible. Perhaps Carlisle was right. Perhaps we have retained our souls.
I opened my eyes and, much to my amusement, Bella looked like I must have a moment before. Seems she was working on her own impulses. She licked her lips once more before slowly opening her eyes. Her gaze locked onto mine and she whispered, low and soft, "I love you, Edward Cullen."
A wave of emotion flooded through my chest and my unnecessary breath caught in my throat. I never thought I would hear those words uttered by anyone, let alone this beautiful creature before me. All my years spent alone and confused were worth it if this is what I was waiting for. In that moment I knew without a doubt that I would spend forever with her. I didn't yet know the how or the why, but I knew it would work out. It had to.
I scooped her up into my arms and held her close as I whispered in her ear, "I love you too, Isabella Swan."
~*~
An hour or so had passed since our kiss. We began talking about normal things: school, books, phone calls from her mom. It was all very natural, considering we had just confessed our love for each other.
I noticed a slight change in the light and glanced at my watch. If Alice was right, there were only moments left. I reached down and started undoing the buttons on my shirt. Bella noticed what I was doing and fell silent. I wasn't sure what she thought, but she didn't try to stop me.
When I released the last button, I shrugged the shirt from my shoulders. Spreading it out behind us, I laid back and crossed my arms behind my head. Bella was blushing, but obviously wanted to look. I closed my eyes to give her some privacy as I began counting down the seconds in my head.
The moment the sun's warmth hit me I heard Bella gasp, "Oh!"
I smiled up at her. "This," I waved a hand up and down my chest, "is why we can't go out in the sun."
Bella's mouth had fallen open, a look of astonishmet on her face, as she slowly reached out to graze my sparkling skin with her fingertips. "Edward… you're beautiful."
And then, to my horror, she started to cry.
In a split second I was sitting up and holding her to me again. "God Bella, I'm sorry. I should have warned you."
"It's not that," she choked out between sniffs. "It's just that everything about you is perfect and beautiful. And I'm… I'm absolutely ordinary."
I felt the corner of my lips tugging themselves up as I listened to her misguided assessment. "Trust me just this once — you are the opposite of ordinary."
Her sniffling slowed as she searched my eyes, perhaps trying to decide if I meant what I said. Unexpectedly, she scrambled to face me and smashed her lips into mine. Her face was still wet with tears and I could taste their saltiness. I pulled away long enough to lick one from her cheek before she was on me again.
This time her hands made their way to my chest and she pushed against me. I obliged by lying back, bringing her with me. Her knees landed on the ground on either side of my waist while she straddled me. Our lips never lost contact and eventually parted enough that our tongues could touch. I was careful not to allow Bella's too far into my mouth, as my teeth posed a definite threat.
I was blissfully aware of everywhere our bodies touched as our tongues probed and slid against each other's. The heat from her center was growing where she was pressed against my stomach. It was excruciating and wonderful at the same time. Monster or not, it took every ounce of my self-control not to roll us over and press myself against her core.
Out of nowhere, a scent hit me that made me freeze and my eyes flash open. I grabbed Bella be the arms and pushed her back so she could see me. When she took in my expression, she froze too. She started to speak, but I brought one finger to my lips to silence her.
I listened and heard the confirmation I needed: crunching leaves, snapping twigs, soft thuds. The sounds of paws striking the forest floor.
I leapt to my feet, bringing Bella with me. I faced the western border of the clearing and whispered to Bella, "Stay behind me."
I watched as three giant wolves came into view. Bella gasped and clutched at my arm as the wolves padded up to within yards of us. The russet colored one in the front began to shimmer and blur until the naked form of Jacob Black was standing before us.
I heard Bella draw in a sharp breath before pressing her face against my back. Jacob sneered as he took in Bella's reaction as well as my misplaced shirt. "Why so shy, Bella? From the looks of it, this is nothing you haven't seen already. You're nothing but a bloodsucker's whore."
I made to advance, but the two remaining wolves sensed it and began growling. Bella squeezed my arm and stepped out in front of me. I nearly grabbed her back, but the quiet woods were suddenly not so quiet as familiar voices drifted to me. I stood back and watched. In her mind, this was Bella's battle, and I was here if she needed me.
"How dare you call me a whore? After what you did to me… you don't have the right to call me anything. I never even said anything to Charlie. Do you know how much trouble you would have been in? And this is how you repay me?" She gestured back and forth between the pack and us. Her voice and face were angry, but tears began streaming down her cheeks.
Jacobs face softened. "Come on, Bella, don't be like that. What am I supposed to think when I see…" he trailed off, staring at the shirts on the ground. The tone of his voice made me wonder if some part of him didn't actually care for Bella. As much as I hated to admit it, he and I both faced a similar fate.
"What Edward and I do is no business of yours, Jacob Black."
At the sound of my name his face hardened again. His eyes narrowed and his gaze landed on mine for the first time. "How dare you put your hands on her, leech. How long, do you think, before you accidentally kill her?"
"I would never hurt Bella." The insinuation in my simple statement made him furious. He began to come towards us, but I held up a hand and shook my head. "You'll regret that, dog."
The two wolves darted their eyes to south and their ears perked up. A moment later my family stepped one by one into the clearing.
Jacob backed up until he was standing between the wolves. A second later my family surrounded us and I pulled Bella back into my side. Carlisle stepped in front to address Jacob.
"I see you've recovered fully from the accident." He smiled his signature Carlisle smile. Jacob snorted but made no attempt to answer. "I see. Well, need I remind you of the treaty between your tribe and my family?"
Jacob hung his head, defeated. The gesture made him look like a scolded child.
"Good. But I will say that we have already turned a blind eye once to your… indiscretions. We will not do so again. I suggest you leave my entire family alone." With that he stepped back and placed a protective arm around Bella's shoulders. Another smile. The ironic expression only served to punctuate the implied threat.
The wolves whimpered as they nervously glanced back and forth between us. They were outnumbered and scared. Jacob shot one last pleading look at Bella before finally addressing Carlisle. "Fine. The treaty does work both ways though." He stabbed a finger in my direction. "If he hurts Bella, it's broken, and there are five more of us now. You wouldn't stand a chance."
With that he began to shimmer out of focus, reversing the process from earlier. When three wolves stood before us instead of two, they turned and ran in the direction they came.
When we could no longer hear their footfalls, a collective breath was released.
"I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner!" Alice had rushed over to us and was apologizing. "I was trying to give you two some privacy, so I wasn't watching much, but I decided to check in and everything was just black. I knew what it must have meant so I got us all here as fast as I could."
"Thank you, Alice. No need to apologize. Besides, Bella here was certainly holding her own." I smiled down at her, though she was still visibly shaken from the whole encounter.
"We heard." To my surprise, Rosalie came walking over to Bella. "Nice work standing up for yourself."
Bella looked slightly stunned but managed a "Thanks."
Rosalie's eyes flicked to me and back to Bella. "We'll let you two have some privacy." She winked at Bella whose mouth fell open in response.
Rosalie grabbed Emmett's hand and as they walked past he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "See you later little sis."
Alice hugged Bella and Jasper nodded to both of us before they made their departure. Carlisle and Esme were the last to say their goodbyes and we were once again alone.
Bella gaped at the section of trees where my family had disappeared into as fast as they came. She turned to me and shook her head slightly. "So I'm really part of the family now?"
I shrugged. "If you want to be."
She started laughing. And not a delicate, polite, girly laugh either. This one filled the meadow. I quirked an eyebrow at her to ask what was so funny. "My family is scary as hell."
There was certainly no denying that.
This time when she started laughing I joined right along. I could feel the tension leave my body with the laughter and Bella was visibly relaxing as well. When we finally quieted I pulled her into a hug. I rubbed my hand up and down her back and kissed her hair. A low growl broke the silence.
"Sorry. It's been awhile since breakfast." She looked up at me sheepishly.
"Don't apologize for being hungry. Let's get you back. If you'd like, we can stop at the diner on the – "
She cut me off with a finger pressed against my lips. "There's only one thing I want right now." All of the joking was gone from her eyes. Now they were dark and full of meaning. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her up until her lips reached mine and we were once again kissing.
I reached one hand down to grab her knee and pulled up. She easily slid her legs around my back and hooked her ankles. The closeness pressed her against my growing erection and a moan escaped her mouth as I tossed my head back. A split second later we back on the shirts…only, now it was a blanket? Realization dawned on me and I made a mental note to thank Alice.
I settled her down on top of me and she began to slowly grind her hips into mine. I growled and reached a hand down to grab her hip, which only seemed to encourage her. "Bella," I breathed between kisses, "are you sure you want to do this?"
She pulled back and looked at me with half-closed eyes. She nibbled her bottom lip, which was suddenly incredibly sexy, and shook her head yes. I waited a moment to let her change her mind, but her rocking hips were speaking volumes.
This time when I pulled her in I pressed my lips to her neck. She arched into me and exposed as much of her long, graceful neck as she could. This girl has absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
I began planting kisses down her neck and out to her shoulder only to drag my tongue back to the starting point. I could taste both the sweetness of her skin and the saltiness of her sweat and tears. The scent of her blood was stronger coming off her exposed neck. Instead of the reaction I had feared, it only added to my arousal. It was definitely true that hunting and sex were closely related for vampires.
She began to return the favor and her fiery, supple lips pressed against my cold skin as I concentrated on pulling her hips into mine. She gasped and flinched when my arousal pressed against the crotch of her shorts, but continued with her kissing and licking. I began exploring her body through her clothes. Rubbing my hands up and downs her sides, down to her thighs and back up, barely brushing the sides of her breasts.
I felt her stop and she leaned one forearm on my chest to look at me. "Edward… I've never…"
I smiled at her and brushed the hair back that was falling around her face. "Me neither, Bella."
Her eyes widened, but I knew she believed me. I had absolutely no reason to lie to her. She sat up slowly, still straddling me. "Would you, um, switch?"
I slowly rolled us over, supporting my weight on one arm and settled between her legs. Reaching for the hem of her shirt, I looked to her for approval. When she nodded I quickly pulled it up and over her head revealing a lacy, see-through, blue bra. I quirked my head at her and she blushed.
"That was what Alice's advice was about this morning." She blushed even harder. "The panties match."
Forget thanking her. I'm going to buy Alice a fucking Porsche.
I reached up and gently cupped Bella's right breast. I watched in awe as I brushed my thumb over her nipple and it hardened through the scant lace. Bella drew in a sharp breath and threw her head back. I began massaging her breasts with my palms. Her moans were starting to come more regularly and it was driving me mad. I reached behind and unclasped her bra, drawing it down her shoulders and tossing it beside us. I dove onto one of her nipples and sucked it gently. Bella let out an "Oh god," and pressed herself into me.
I sat up and she opened her eyes to watch me. I reached down to the button of her shorts and started undoing them. When the zipper was down, I slowly pulled them over her hips and down her legs, never breaking eye contact. Once they were off, I finally looked down. The lace definitely left nothing to the imagination. The triangle patch of hair was evident, as was the wonderful scent of her arousal.
I leaned down and began planting kisses from her neck down between her breasts and on her stomach. When I reached the line of her panties I held my lips there and slid one hand down to her inner thigh, and just barely brushed against her panties. She gasped and bucked her hips as I began making circles with me thumb and kissing lower. Her legs fell open and I pressed my lips against her panties.
"Oh, Edward… please…"
I groaned at the sound of her voice as she pleaded with me. I ran my tongue once up the crotch of her panties, eliciting another cry. The taste was incredible and I didn't want to wait any longer.
I pulled myself up to kneeling and she opened her eyes and I began unbuckling my belt as she watched me. In one movement I removed my pants and boxers. I watched as her eyes danced over my naked form, allowing her time to take me in. Her eyes lingered on my erection and she reached out towards it hesitantly. "Can I?"
I swallowed thickly and nodded. She gently touched the tip and I shuddered with pleasure. "Bella… please…" Now I was the one begging.
She leaned back again and I reached to remove her panties. One last time I looked up, giving her a chance to change her mind. I thanked every god I could think of when she whispered "Now."
I tore the panties down and heard a rip. I knew I should feel bad, but I the moment I couldn't bring myself to care. I settled between her legs again and looked into her eyes. I rocked my hips, bringing my tip against her core. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I slowly began pushing into her. The wetness and heat felt indescribable; I never imagined it could feel like this. All too soon I met resistance. I knew what was coming, and there was no way around it. The look in her eyes told me she knew the same.
With one small, precise thrust I broke through. Bella cried out and I stilled myself, as difficult as it was. She clamped her eyes shut and clenched her jaw. I began whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," when it hit me: Bella's was bleeding. The scent was staggering. Bella opened her eyes wide because she smelled it, too. "Oh, god Bella. Can I?" I began to pull out and she winced slightly. She looked confused at my questions, but as I slid lower, she knew what I meant. She looked embarrassed but didn't stop me.
The smell of her blood drew me to her center like a magnet. I was still in control, but this was something I didn't want to pass up. I used two fingers to spread her fold took one light lick to get her reaction. She bucked and gasped and fisted the blanket. That's definitely a good sign. This time I pushed my tongue in deeper, reaching the blood. Mixed with her fluids, it was better than I could have imagined. I lapped as she cried out and arched her back. Finally she was pleading with me again, so I moved back up and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. Centering myself over her, I began pushing in again. This time she didn't react with pain, the coldness of my body acting to quickly soothe the ache.
I began to pull out and thrust back in, slowly but completely. Bella reached up and tangled her hands in my hair. We slowly forgot to kiss as the pace of my thrusting increased. She began rocking her hips in time to mine and I pressed my face into her neck. One hand explored what I could reach of her body while the other held my weight.
"Oh, god, Ed-mmmm…"
I smiled at the butcher of my name until she wrapped her legs around me, causing unintelligible sounds to escape my own lips. I began thrusting harder, increasing my pace as her legs pulled me in deeper. She began shaking and I could feel her muscles tense around me. I reached down between us and used my thumb to rub firm circles where our bodies met. She threw her head back and grew quiet before a shudder rocked her body. "Unnngh, Edward!" She fisted my hair with one hand and scratched at my back with the other as she called out my name.
A few more quick thrusts and the sound of Bella's cries was all it took to push me over the edge. I felt my release deep inside of her as a wave of pleasure washed over me, emanating from our joined hips. I crashed my lips onto Bella's and kissed her deeply as she came down from orgasm and I finished mine. After a few more lazy pumps we both stilled.
I propped myself up on my forearm and smoothed the damp hair from Bella's forehead. She looked stunning. She was flushed and sleepy and smiling. I grinned down at her and cupped her face with both my hands. "I love you, Bella. Forever."
~*~
I decided not go to home that evening after I dropped Bella off. I needed some time to enjoy the high from the afternoon before the teasing started. I ditched my car halfway back our driveway and ran in the opposite direction to do some hunting. Later I waited in the woods behind Bella's house until it was dark. Tonight would be another first.
I watched as the light in Bella's room flicked on before making my appearance. In one leap I jumped through Bella's window and landed quietly on the worn, but clean, carpet. She didn't even notice until she turned around and almost ran right into me. She almost screamed from shock so I clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."
She smacked me and mock-whispered "Don't do that!" but quickly began grinning.
I chuckled at her mood swing and sat down in a rocker to look around. "So this is your room, huh?" It was an odd mix of Bella's childhood and her current self.
"Yep." She flicked a finger painting hanging on the wall. "I haven't exactly gotten around to redecorating. How'd you get in here anyway?"
"The window." I saw her glance to the ground far below, but she didn't push it. "So, how are you feeling?"
She blushed and smiled guiltily. "Oh, um, a little sore."
"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" I felt panic grip me as I tried to remember losing control.
"No, no! Not like that. Just, you know, the normal… first time…" she trailed off, embarrassed.
I was both relieved and concerned. "Is there anything I can do? Would you like some medicine for the pain?"
"Well, there is something I can think of." She got in bed and gestured for me to join her. As I was about to lay next to her she put her hand up. "Take your pants off." She tried to say it was a straight face, but I could tell she was both embarrassed and restraining a giggle.
"Bella!" I said with mock shock. "I hardly think that will help."
She rolled her eyes at me before I obliged and slid under the covers. She quickly settled against my side and threw one leg over me pressing herself against my thigh. I understood immediately: she was using me as a life-sized ice pack.
She chatted for a little bit about her evening and asked me about mine. She agreed that I'd made the right choice about not going home yet. Finally she yawned and began to slur her words ever so slightly. Eventually she grew quiet. Until she had spoke, I thought she had fallen asleep. "Edward?"
"Yes, Bella?"
"Will you come back? At night, I mean?"
"Of course. Whenever you want me."
"Good. Good-night, Edward."
"Good-night, Bella."
And then I hummed her to sleep.
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A/N: Ack! My very first lemon! Let me know how I did, please.
Reviewers get… well, you can probably imagine what you get. ;-)
