A/N: Muchos thankos to npswim, sassybtsweet11, and Adalon Ithilriel for the reviews. They are definitely greatly appreciated! Maybe one of these days I should be adventurous enough to reply to each review... hmmm...
And I have to say thank you to my dearest and sweetest husband - who acts as my beta (yes, he's read all three of the books and isn't ashamed to admit it). He gives me constructive criticism, encouragement and many laughs - especially when he rolls his eyes at a comment of Edwards and says, "That would never work for any other man, but for Edward, it's perfect." LOL - There may not be a real man out there as perfect as our beloved Edward - but my husband is as close as any could dream of getting. I count myself one very lucky woman.
And now that I've rambled more... the real reason you came - the next chapter!
Read - Enjoy - Review!
Chapter 8 - Paradise
His voice was the first thing I heard when I awoke the next morning.
"Rise and shine, Mrs. Cullen," his icy lips tickled my ear.
I was instantly awake and shot up like an arrow.
"Well, look who's wide awake," Edward chortled.
"Are we there yet?" I asked, glancing around and trying to get my barrings in the still-dark aircraft.
Edward laughed out loud. "You sound like a five-year-old," I watched his topaz eyes dance merrily and then travel down my body with obvious longing, "though I must say, you don't look like one. Last night certainly was one of the longest nights of my life." He brought his eyes back up to my face and shook his head. I wasn't sure if the motion was to answer my question or to try to shake himself from his thoughts. "No, we're still about a half-hour out, but I thought you may want to change before de-boarding."
I looked down at my clothing, or lack thereof. "Yes, I think that may be a good idea." I smirked at him.
He took me into his arms and kissed me softly while he carried me to the door of the bathroom again.
"You know I can walk, right?" I teased.
He nodded his head. "Yes, but you know I can't stand to have you out of my arms for long, right?"
I smiled at him. "I guess I do now."
Edward laughed and put me down. "There is a change of clothes laid out for you on the counter."
"Thank you," I told him, and walked into the bathroom before smiling at him and closing the door behind me. I went ahead with my morning routine before finally picking up the clothes Edward had laid out for me.
A beautiful sun dress lay atop the stack, the soft fabric was a deep jade green with intricate hand-stitched designs adorning the bodice, and the label inside told of designer origins. Underneath it lay a white and lacy bra and matching panties. The final item in the pile was a pair of beaded flip-flops, the likes of which I'd never seen. These clothes were my first clue to where our honeymoon could possibly be.
Warm.
I couldn't help the giddy grin that blossomed on my face as I pulled the clothes on. It had been so long since I'd seen the sun.
Wait. The sun. Edward. These two were things that didn't mix. How in the world could this ever work?
Apprehensively I hurried and finished getting ready. When I came out of the bathroom I found the lights fully lit again and that Edward had also changed.
This time it was me who stood in shock at what he was wearing. He was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a short-sleeved linen button-down shirt that was only halfway buttoned, revealing the smooth contours of his upper chest.
While my eyes remained frozen on his chest my head tried to wrap itself around the idea of Edward in shorts. Again, the two were things that just didn't seem to mix. Not that he didn't look good in the shorts. Believe me, he did. Though his pale skin looked like he could definitely use a few days in the sun, his toned legs would make even the most dedicated of runners green with envy. But it was just the fact that I had never imagined I would see Edward in shorts that seemed to stump my brain.
Edward took in my perplexed expression and crossed the room to me in a heartbeat. "What's wrong?" his voice bordered on alarmed as he pulled me into his arms.
I shook my head. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong," I told him. "I just... Edward, you're in shorts. Where exactly are we going?" My confusion was evident in my tone.
He laughed and led me back to the recliner we'd sat in the previous night, he pulled me down into his lap again. "Don't worry. It will all make perfect sense very soon."
Just then the pilot's voice came on the intercom again. "Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. We are now beginning our descent, so if you'd please fasten your seatbelts again we'll be landing shortly."
Again we ignored the pilot's warning. If the plane were to crash both Edward and I knew where I would be safer.
We touched down quickly and taxied to a stop. Jeffrey and another man I hadn't seen the night before, most likely the co-pilot, exited the plane with smiles at us both.
Edward stood and placed me on my feet again. He held out an elegant hand to me. "Shall we?"
I took his hand in mine and merely nodded. He led me out of the cabin of the plane and down the stairs. It was still dark outside, though the sky wasn't the black of night, but rather the sapphire color of the early pre-dawn hours. While my eyes adjusted to the darkness I took in as much as I could with my other senses. It was warm, though not hot – but then again, it was still early. And humid. Yes, that was obvious. The scent of the breeze that blew through my hair smelled salty and floral. Exotic. Now that my eyes were adjusting I could make out the silhouetted shapes of palm trees swaying in the breeze.
We were somewhere in the tropics. Where, exactly, was still the question.
Jeffrey and the co-pilot arrived carrying our bags. They handed them off to another man who stood next to a small vehicle, and he loaded them quickly into the back of it.
Jeffrey turned back to Edward and I. "Welcome to Belize," he said, smiling. "Have a wonderful week and we'll be waiting for you here on Friday." He held his hand out to Edward.
Edward shook it. "Thank you, Jeffrey."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." he smiled at me.
"You too," I managed before they both turned to return to the plane.
I turned toward Edward. "Belize?" I asked in amazement.
He flashed his crooked grin at me and reached out for my hand leading me into the vehicle waiting for us. "Come on, we still have a little more of a trip before we're done."
A very short and even bumpier ride later we arrived at building sitting along the beach. I could hear the ocean waves crashing somewhere behind it, though it was still too dark to make out much more than outlines.
Edward took my hand again and led me toward the building. I thought I could make out the bobbing shapes of boats as we approached. A tired looking older man, his dark skin wrinkled from too many years of sun, smiled wearily at us both.
"Ah. You must be the Cullens," he said with a heavy accent, that didn't quite sound Spanish or English, but was something entirely unique.
Edward smiled at him. "Yes, we are. Is everything ready?" he asked, his tone pleasant, but with an obvious air of urgency.
"Yessir, Mr. Cullen. It is all ready. If you'll just follow me," the man exited the building, and made his way, not entirely quickly, but considering his age, possibly as quick as he could manage. Edward and I followed him easily, while the man who had driven us followed behind towing our luggage.
He led us to a boat, and not just any boat. I knew nothing about boats, but whatever this was, it looked fast.
The man who drove us quickly put our bags aboard and returned back to the parking lot. The older man was handing Edward several sets of keys and speaking quickly in a language I couldn't place. Edward noddled along and replied in the same foreign tongue before smiling broadly and shaking the man's hand.
The older man looked at me, "Congratulations, Mrs. Cullen. Enjoy your honeymoon." He bobbed his head slightly at me and walked slowly back to the building.
I turned my attention back to Edward, who was already standing on the deck of the boat smiling down at me, the same three-quarter moon that I had seen in Forks made his pale skin glow like the marble it resembled. "Ready?" he asked, holding a hand down to me.
I looked back at him in awe, both from the unbelievable vision that he was, but also the world of details about him that I was still apparently unaware of. I reached my hand out and placed it in his waiting palm. He pulled me effortlessly aboard, catching me in an embrace and kissing me softly in the lingering moonlight.
When he pulled away he looked at my face, which must have still looked awed. "What is it, Bella?"
"Nothing," I murmured, but I wondered silently when I'd stop being astounded by him. "What language was that, anyway?"
"Belizean Kriol." He turned, walked to the helm and put a key in the ignition.
"Of course," I said numbly.
He turned back to me. "I never asked. You don't get seasick, do you?"
I shook my head.
He smiled, "Good," and started the engine.
He was at my side without appearing to have moved and pulled me quickly back to the helm. He placed my hands at the wheel and then stood behind me, his arms wrapped around me and holding to the ship's wheel as well.
"Have you ever done this?" he asked, smiling into my ear as he eased the throttle up and the boat pulled away from the dock.
I shook my head again. "No," I replied, my voice shaking a bit.
Once we were clear of the docks Edward went full-throttle on the boat and we were soon flying across the water, skipping along the tops of waves. The wind pulled at my hair every which way and the salty spray from the ocean stung my eyes, but I couldn't help but laugh. It was exhilarating. I must have gotten used to flying along in the dark on Edward's back or racing on my motorcycle, as I had no fear bolting across the near-darkness of the open ocean.
"Take the helm!" Edward shouted above the noise of the engine and the crash of the waves. He wrapped his strong arms lovingly around my waist and held me steady against him. The coolness of his body in contrast to the heat of the air was refreshing. I held tightly to the helm.
"Vere to the starboard!" he told me after several minutes.
I craned my head around to look at him. "Starboard?" I shouted.
"Right!" he laughed. I laughed along with him as I turned the boat to the right. The sky was now quickly growing brighter and a mile or so in the distance I could see the outlines of an island.
"Is that where we're heading?" I yelled, pointing.
"Yes!"
"Okay!"
We steered the boat together the rest of the way, Edward slowed us down once we approached the shallow water. He took over from there and expertly pulled the boat up to a long dock extending from the edge of the island. He killed the engine and hopped off the boat with a rope. He tied it off quickly and jumped back aboard and captured me in his arms.
"Now," he whispered into my hair, "we're here."
And apparently human velocity wasn't fast enough now as he flew with me out of the boat, and along the dock, finally putting me down in the soft sand of the beach. We stood looking at a magnificent two story house with a high pitched roof. It was painted a distinctly Caribbean turquoise with weathered white trim, the plantation shutters on the windows were open and gauzy drapes fluttered in the ocean breeze. Huge swaying palm trees surrounded the house and, from what I could tell, most of the rest of the island. The lightening pre-dawn sky reached out around it all in brilliant hues of purple, pink and yellow.
Edward came to stand behind me, his arms encircling my waist. He dipped his head down so his lips touched my ear as he spoke. "Welcome to Cayo Espanto."
"Cayo Espanto," I echoed.
I felt him nod behind me. "Yes," he said softly. "We have the whole island, including all five of the houses on it, all to ourselves."
I turned in his arms. I looked up at his perfect face, his bronze hair danced in the gentle island wind. "You rented an entire island?"
He nodded solemnly. I think he feared my reaction to this.
"Wow." I had nothing else to say.
"You're not upset with me?" he asked a bit hesitantly.
I couldn't help but smile at the apprehensive look on his face. "No," I reached a hand up to touch his flawless lips. "It's perfect. Everything is perfect. Just do me a favor and don't tell me how much it cost you."
A relieved smile played across his angelic features. He eagerly turned me back toward the house, "This is Casa Manana, but there's also Casa Brisa, Casa Olita, Casa Estrella and Casa Aurora. Later we can take a look at them all and see which one you prefer. There is normally a whole staff on hand," he rushed on, "but for obvious reasons I dismissed them all for the week." He laughed jovially. "So, I, dear Madame, will be your personal wait staff," he bowed theatrically at me, causing me to laugh as well. "Would you like to take a look inside?" he asked, his eyes shined with excitement. I nodded eagerly.
He took my hand leading me up the path toward the "casa" and we climbed the stairs to the porch. I gasped as my feet were suddenly swept from underneath me. I looked up in shock, but Edward laughed. He opened the door easily, and gazed down at me lovingly as he carried me through the door. Understanding dawned on me; he was carrying me across the threshold.
He set my feet softly down on the dark hardwood floor and bent slightly so his lips were only inches from mine. His beautiful topaz eyes held mine. "I love you, Bella," he murmured softly.
My heart melted. "I love you too, Edward," I managed to breathe before his lips seized mine.
So... let's check the list. Get Married. Check. Party at the Reception. Check. Say Goodbye to Loved Ones. Check. Get to Honeymoon Destination. Check. Consummate Marriage. Che... Oh, wait. Nope, not yet. I guess that will have to wait for the next chapter.
You want it to get there, hit that little review button you see down there. That's right. I don't fight fair either! :)
Oh, and FYI - Yeah, Cayo Espanto is a real.
