My first attempt at something...citrusy.
…
Edward
…
"I love you too Bella." My heart is racing. I've known for a while how I felt about her, but to hear her say it first is just fucking amazing. And like this. We're practically alone, out in the woods, sharing a tent. She's wrapped up in my arms, and somehow, I've realized, I've been able to work my hands under all her precious layers. My right hand is up the back of her shirt, on the bare skin of her back. My left hand is down the back of her snug pants, and I have a hand full of her amazing ass.
"Really?"
"Yeah baby, really. I love you. I have for a while, I just didn't know how or when to tell you."
I can't help but kiss her again, and this kiss is just as passionate as the one before. This time I slide my right hand down her back and back up her side. I so badly want to touch her; my fingertips are practically tingling. Even though we're alone in our tent, I know we're surrounded by the rest of our hunting party. Any of them could hear us right now. Do I really want to do this here?
She's moved her lips to my neck, and I'm battling the urge to say 'fuck it' and tear off all our clothes. If Charlie knew what I wanted to do to his daughter, he'd rip off my nuts. But all thought and reason leave me when I feel her tongue slide up the side of my neck. She obviously wants to take this further. Who am I to deny her?
"Baby, are you sure you want to do this here? Do you want me to touch you?" I manage to whisper into her ear. I can't decide where I want to put my hands on her, my mouth. Her mouth, her neck, I just want to devour her all of a sudden.
"Please. If you don't touch me, I think I'm gonna explode." I take that as a go and bring my right hand up and over to cup her breast. It's soft, perfect. I use my thumb to gently stroke her nipple as I nuzzle into her neck. The gasp she lets out reminds me we aren't really alone and we have fellow campers just feet away with only the fabric of our tents separating us.
"Quiet baby," I try to shush her. "Remember, we aren't alone." Then I remember that one of the men just a few feet away is that asshole, Black. Maybe I don't want her to be all that quiet after all. "One day, I'll take you somewhere that you can be as loud as you want, okay?" All she does is nod her head. She's biting her bottom lip so as not to make too much noise. She's so beautiful like this. In the dimming firelight from outside the tent, I can see her cheeks are flushed, her face locked in a look of concentration. It's then that she decides to switch from laying on me, to straddling me. When she starts rocking her hips, I know it's time to take some control of the situation.
I release her breast and wrap my arms back around her, and flip us over in one quick movement. Her eyes are wide, with a look of surprise on her face. Besides her heavy breathing, she's silent. "You know, I've heard that skin to skin contact is the best way to stay warm." I think I hear her squeak at that. "I'm gonna take my shirt off, Bella. Is that okay?"
"Please," is all she can whisper. Sitting back on my knees, I start pulling off my layers. I'm wearing several, so it takes me a few minutes to get it all undone. She surprises me by sitting up on her knees along with me and kissing small slivers of skin as they're exposed. When I finally have the last layer off, her hands are all over me. She's tracing her hands over my abs, my collarbone, my slight chest hair, my back muscles, my nipples, then back to my abs and the trail of hair that begins there. She's all over me, and it feels amazing.
"Bella, can I see you? Can I take your shirt off, baby?" All she does is nod. We're still on our knees, so I slowly help peel the layers off her. When she's finally exposed to me, I'm in awe. She's perfect. Her hair has come undone from the braid, and it's all over the place. Her breasts are the perfect size, just right for my hands. With one hand, I reach out to touch her. She grabs my other hand and places it on her other breast. "You like that?" Even if we weren't surrounded by other people, I think I'd still be whispering, so as not to ruin the moment.
"Yeah, I do." I can see she's trying to rub her thighs together to give herself some relief.
"Baby, can I touch you?" She looks confused.
"But you are touching me."
"No, I mean, touch you, touch you." I get closer to her ear, so I'm guaranteed no one but her will hear me. "Can I make you come?"
"Oh, God."
"No, my name is..." I'm cut off by a playful slap.
"Yes, I know what your name is Mr. Masen." She takes my face in her hands and brings me close. "Only if I can return the favor."
Dear God in heaven, she's gonna fucking kill me. I do a quick inventory of what's in my bag, because if this goes down the way I hope it does, we're gonna need a way to clean up. I don't want to come all over our bed, because we have to sleep in it tonight, and again tomorrow, and I for one don't wanna lie in the wet spot. And it's been a while, it's gonna be quite a mess. I think I can spare a sock, possibly one of my extra undershirts.
"Hey, what are you thinking about so hard there? If you don't want me to, just say so." She looks crushed, so I try to reassure her.
"No, baby, just thinking of the cleanup. I think I brought something we can use."
"Um," she looks away sheepishly. "I actually brought something for clean up if we needed it."
"Oh really? Why, you sneaky little vixen. Where is it?"
"Um, the outside left zipper pocket of my pack. It's a green bandana."
"Little miss girl scout." She lies back onto our bedroll as I get the bandana out of her pack. I look back to her, just to look. "You're so beautiful, Bella. One day I'm gonna marry you," I crawl back on top of her, "and make a home with you." I kiss along her neck, across her collarbones, and down to her breast, finally taking a nipple into my mouth, then releasing it, "and make babies with you." Going back to her breasts, I tease one with my tongue while my hand holds the other one massaging and rubbing the nipple with my thumb. Then I switch. Her noises are getting louder, so I abandon the nipple in my mouth to swallow her cries. I wait for her to calm down a little before nuzzling into her neck again. "Baby, I'm gonna touch you now, but you need to try to be quiet. I wish it wasn't like this, but this may be as alone as we get to be for a while. Okay?"
"Okay," is all she can say as she nods her head almost frantically.
Looking into her eyes, I make sure she knows how I feel about her. "I love you, baby, you're it for me. You're my life now." As I say this, I'm resting on my left forearm alongside her head, and the fingers of my right hand are trailing a path down from her lips, down her throat, between her breasts, then to her belly. I open my hand and rub what I hope are soothing circles on it. I test the waters by skimming my finger into the top of the waistband of her pants. She lifts her hips from the bed, so I take that as encouragement. I slowly unbutton her pants, and find my way under all the layers. I can feel the heat radiating from her center. I first encounter her soft curls. She tenses only slightly.
"I'm all right, just nervous."
"It's okay, baby. I can't tell you what it means to me to know I'm the only one that's touched you like this." While I'm kissing her neck again, my hand moves a little further, and I find her wetness. I run my middle finger along her lips then slip through them. As I trace her entrance, she again begins to rock her hips. "Damn baby, you're so wet. Do I make you this wet?"
"All the time," she says, almost breathless.
"Good to know." I slip one finger inside her and, damn, is she tight. "My God, when I finally get inside you it's gonna be a tight fit." I then use my thumb to pay attention to her tiny bundle of nerves, and she damn near shoots off the bed. "Hey, hey, come back here. Relax. Just let go, and feel. Have you ever done this to yourself?"
"No," she says between heavy breaths, "house is too small. Don't want anyone to hear." She's panting by now.
"It's fine baby, I've got you. Just relax and let go." I decide to add another finger. I've got two inside her, my thumb on her clit, and my other two fingers working her outer lips. I'm going for total sensory overload.
She's whimpering now. "That's it, baby, let go." I open up and reach out with my tongue and lips and get a nipple back in my mouth, and that's all it takes. She's clamped her legs down on my hand. The nails of one hand are digging into my shoulder, and her other hand is in my hair trying to rip it out by the roots. She's making a high-pitched noise she's trying to hold back by biting down on her bottom lip. "Open your eyes, baby, I wanna see them while I'm making you come." When she opens them, they're wild, and lust filled. She also opens her mouth at the same time, and can't contain the moan that escapes. Her orgasm seems to never end.
She finally comes down and catches her breath. I remove my fingers and bring them to my mouth. She watches, her breathing still heavy, as I suck them into my mouth to clean them. Without warning, I'm being covered by hands, and kisses as she nearly attacks me. Somehow, she manages to get me on my back, and my pants are opened without me noticing. She's kissing a line from my jaw, down my neck, over to pay attention to both my nipples. She circles each one with her tongue, then gently nips them with her teeth. Suddenly she's kissing down my belly, and before I know it, she's nuzzling her nose in my short and curlies.
In the meantime, I'm harder than titanium and ready to bust a nut the instant any part of her comes in contact with my dick. She works my pants down just over my hips, and it springs free. She seems momentarily shocked, but it passes quickly. She tentatively reaches out and strokes me.
"After all that bravado, I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, Edward. Will you show me?" She sounds almost embarrassed.
"Come here, Bella." I reach out with one hand and grip her neck to bring her lips to mine. After thoroughly kissing her, I try to reassure her. "There isn't really a wrong way to do it, and anything you do would be just fine. But I'll guide you till you get the hang of it, okay?"
"Okay," she says quietly.
"First thing we need is some kind of lube. You can use your saliva, or the pre-come at the tip..."
She cuts me off. "Or..." Reaching into her own pants, she collects what's left of our earlier explorations. "Or we can use this," she says holding up her hand that's now glistening with her wetness, her mischievous eyes shining.
"Fuck me." It's barely a whisper, but she hears me anyway.
"Not tonight, but soon. I don't want to lose my virginity surrounded by four other men."
I'm still stuck on stupid and unable to talk when she grips me with her lubed hand. I can't help but groan. It feels so good to have someone else's touch besides my own.
"That's it baby, up and down. Squeeze just a little more. Yeah, that's it. Okay, now if you can, tug on my balls with your other hand. Oh, watch it, gentle now. Yeah, oh fuck, baby." She does this twisty motion, and it nearly does me in. "Shit, baby, I'm gonna come any second."
And I do.
With one of her hands wrapped around my dick and the other playing with my balls, I come. I come hard, streams of it landing all over my abdomen. I can only see bits and pieces of it happening, though because I come so hard I see spots, nearly passing out. When I finally can, I open my eyes, raising my head to see her swirling a finger through it. She brings it to her lips, and her tongue peeks out to taste it. "Oh fuck." At this point, I'm done, toast, my head falling back onto the sleeping bag. "That was just too much." I can barely move, let alone speak anymore.
"That didn't taste nearly as bad as everyone says it does." She cuddles into my side and nuzzles close to my ear to whisper, "Maybe next time I can get it from the source."
All I can do is whimper. I may whisper out something about her trying to kill me, but I'm not sure. I hear her giggle, then move around the tent a bit. I feel the coolness of the wet bandana clean me off, and I hear her whisper, "don't want you to smell like sex for the next few days." I honestly wouldn't mind. Although it may scare off the animals we're trying to hunt.
She cleans herself off and redresses us both the best she can on her own, since I'm basically a pile of noodles at this point.
We snuggle close, whispering 'I love yous', and holding onto each other tightly. As I hear her breathing slow, I realize she's fallen asleep. When I hear retreating footsteps, followed by the zipper on the neighboring tent, I'm ready to bolt outside and throttle someone. The sleeping woman in my arms, though, brings me back to my senses. Even though I'm positive it was Black out there getting an earful, Bella would be beyond mortified if she knew someone was listening to us. Drawing attention to it would only hurt her. Me? Even though I'm pretty sure I know who was creeping around outside our tent, I also know I'm the one with the beautiful girl in my arms, and that thought helps me drift off to sleep with a smile on my face.
The next morning is amazing. I wake to the most beautiful pair of brown eyes on earth. We're awake before the sun, and start our day with kisses and murmured 'I love yous.' I even manage to cop a feel before we leave our tent. When Bella walks off to do her business behind a tree, I get a stare down from Black. Pissed doesn't even begin to describe the look he's giving me. I'm trying to decide if I want to goad him.
As I'm packing up our tent, I decide to press my luck. I pull out the bedroll we slept on and hold it to my face, taking a deep breath. "Hey Black, you sleep okay last night? I'm sure Mr. Cope was able to keep you warm enough. He's probably not as soft as Bella, but I'm sure he did the job." I inhale our blanket again. "Still smells like us," I say it quietly, so he's the only one to hear me. I fold it up and stuff it in my pack.
By now, Bella is walking back toward us. "Hey baby, want something to eat before we climb up into our tree for the day?" She kisses me when she gets to me.
"Sure, I'll eat whatever you've got." I can't help but wiggle my eyebrows at her, which gets me a smack and a giggle from her.
"You're so bad. No, I have a bit of jerky and some nuts that would be good for this morning. Sound okay?"
"Yeah, that sounds great." I kiss her once more before we sit down together against a nearby tree to eat. It doesn't take us long to finish up, and then we're on our way. Jasper and Roger take off to the east, Peter goes south, and Black just takes off and doesn't tell anyone where he's going.
We turn north, and it takes us just over an hour to reach the spot Bella wants to use. We found elk scat close to here, so this is the place. She chooses a tree at the edge of a clearing, and we make our way to it. Watching her climb, all I can picture in my head is her climbing me. God help me, it's gonna be a long day, stuck in a tree with her, basically in my lap, the entire time. I can't help myself, and I reach out and slap her ass while she's wiggling up into the branches.
"Hey, watch it soldier boy. You forget I'm armed." She winks at me when she says it, so I think I'm safe.
"Sorry baby, couldn't help it. It was just there. But I'll stop."
She looks at me with a disbelieving look on her face.
"Promise. Scouts honor." I raise my two fingers like a good scout, and all she does is laugh.
"Ok soldier boy, if you promise. Now get up here before your butt smacking and big mouth scare off the giant elk I'm gonna snag."
"Yes, ma'am." Following her up, I settle in behind her. I wrap her up in my arms and get comfortable. It's cold, but as long as we stay close together, it isn't bad. We spend the next few hours in silence, with only the occasional kiss here and there. Our hands have been intertwined nearly the whole time.
Hearing a rustling sound off in the distance, Bella readies her bow and pulls an arrow from the quiver. Moments later, an elk walks through the trees and into the clearing. I don't even attempt to shoot the damn thing. From where I'm sitting, it looks fucking huge. She slowly sits up straight and loads her arrow. Watching her pull back on the string, waiting for her shot is kind of sexy. She's focused on what she's doing, and the rest of the world seems to have disappeared around her. It's just her and the elk.
Waiting for just the right moment, she fires her bow. I watch in amazement as her arrow pierces right through the elk's chest. It must have hit its heart, because in no time at all, this magnificent animal falls. I'm in awe of my girl. She has the biggest smile on her face. "That was amazing baby!" I grab her around the waist, turn her toward me, and give her a huge sloppy kiss.
"I can't believe it got the shot! All on my own! My dad's always been with me to reassure me, to make sure I set up and fired at the right time. This was the first one I've set up all on my own!" With the smile and look of pride on her face, she's absolutely beaming.
"I'm so proud of you baby." She earns another kiss.
"I need to make sure he's dead. I don't want him to suffer." She climbs down out of the tree and goes to the check out her kill. When I see her pull a six-inch knife from her boot, I stop dead in my tracks. She yanks back on his antlers with one hand, and reaches around and slits his throat with the other. She's absolutely breathtaking like this, strong, powerful, in control. My girl is not to be fucked with. And for some reason, knowing she had that big ass knife in her boot the whole time, turns me on. If that makes me a psycho, fucking sue me.
"Okay, so maybe I should've asked this before, but how the fuck do we get this giant thing home with us?"
"Ah, well the advantage of hunting this time of year, is that it's cold enough that we have a little time to get him there. I'd say it's about thirty-five degrees right now, and will possibly get down to maybe twenty tonight. We can leave him for now, go meet Jasper at camp tonight and bring him here early in the morning. We'll pull him home behind the horse. If anyone else bags a big one, we'll have to do a lot of the butchering out here and take back what we can use. If they only got deer, we'll be hauling those on our backs, two of us to one deer. They're only about a hundred-thirty pounds. This guy isn't full grown, but he's still about three-fifty."
"So, are you gonna teach me all you know about this shit, oh wise one?"
"Shut up, I was raised here. I grew up being spoon fed all this 'shit' as you call it."
Wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me, I apologize, "Sorry, baby. I'm just teasing you. I'll be nice. Okay, tell me what to do."
She decides to take the antlers back to camp with us, so she gets to work sawing them off. I didn't see it from a distance, but the knife she's using has a wicked saw blade on one side. She gets to it, and before I know it, the antlers are off.
We make our way back to camp, and we're not the first ones back. Jacob is sitting, sulking, around a small fire. Guess his day wasn't very productive. I don't bother saying anything to him. Bella, on the other hand, attempts to engage him in conversation. Even if he continues to be an ass to her, no one can say she didn't try.
"Did you get anything Jake?"
"Nah, nothing crossed my path. You?"
"Yeah, I snagged a young buck. Probably three-fifty or so." She points off in the direction we left our gear. "I brought back his antlers so you guys could guess how big he was, to see what we'd need to do to get him home."
"Good job B. I knew you could do it without your old man." He reaches over to hug her, and she lets him. I don't like it, but I deal with it. She's known him all her life, after all. He seems to linger a little longer than she's comfortable with and she tries to pull away. But he isn't letting go. She looks at me with a helpless look on her face. Looks like I need to step in after all.
"I think that's enough Black."
Giving me the evil eye, he just can't help himself. "Don't you think you should let Bella decide when it's enough?"
"I am, asshole. If you were paying attention, you'd see that she's ready for you to let go of her. Holding her against her will isn't gonna get you back in her good graces."
He finally lets her go, then he stomps off like a petulant child. Maybe he'll get lost in the woods.
"Hey, Edward, how about we set up our tent again. We can snuggle in there until the rest of them get back." Her wiggling eyebrows make me laugh.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." We work together, and soon, the tent is back up, bedroll back in place, and we're snuggled together. We both manage to drift off. A short time later, we're woken up by the sound of voices. Sounds like Jasper and Peter have hit it off. They're teasing and joking.
"Bella," I whisper in her ear. "Time to get up. We need to eat something."
"Don't wanna. I'm warm and cozy, and it's cold out there," she mumbles into my chest.
"Baby, if you fall asleep with an empty stomach, you'll wake up starving. We won't have time to fuss over a big breakfast. Do you smell that? I think they cooked something over the fire." I think I have her when she turns her head to smell what I smell.
"Ok, fine, but I'm not gonna like it."
"Understood Little Miss Grump." I get the stink eye for that, which only makes me laugh.
We crawl out of our tent after bundling back up. It looks like someone made some kind of stew. I see potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables along with small chunks of meat. Looking around I see that everyone is back.
"Anyone else have any luck?"
Jasper points off in the distance, "Got three deer. With Bells' elk, that's quite a day. It'll take us a little longer to get back, though. B, do you think you can handle half a deer? We'll string it up by its legs and double man it, carrying the log over your shoulder."
"I should be able to. Do you have the canvas in your saddlebag to pull the elk home?"
"Yep, we actually already brought him back." He points again, and I'll be damned, he got it back to camp.
"How did you know where to find it?"
"Come on B, you always pick the same clearing to set up. We just took a detour on the way back."
"Well, that'll save us time tomorrow; at least a few hours. Thank you, Jasper."
"Any time B."
I'm starving, so I wanna know what's in the pot over the fire. "So, what do I smell cooking?"
"Oh, Jake snared a few rabbits, so it's rabbit stew with some vegetables Alice snuck into my saddlebag. She insisted we eat at least one 'real' meal. And I have no idea how I'm gonna get that pot back in there."
We all dig in while it's hot, filling us with warmth from the inside out. Bella doesn't finish all of her portion though. "Edward, do you want the rest of mine? I've had enough."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"No, I'm fine. You need more calories than me. I'm not much more than half your body weight. I don't need as much. Please eat it."
"Only because I know arguing with you is pointless, yes, I'll take it. One more bite for you, though?"
"Fine." She shovels it in and makes a show of chewing. Then we both start laughing.
"Smart ass." I take her cup and kiss her on the forehead. "Thank you, Bella. I love you."
Her smile is breathtaking. "I love you too."
Everyone finishes their food and Peter takes the pot and our bowls to a stream to wash them. Then we all turn in for the night. If all goes well, we'll be home before dark tomorrow.
Tonight we only snuggle. Well, mostly. I do have wandering hands. And come to find out, so does Bella. We fall into a deep sleep, wrapped around each other.
The next morning things go quickly. Tents are taken down again; we eat a quick meal, and hoist up our kills. The canvas holding the elk is hitched to the horse, and the deer are tied to small, long logs and hoisted on our shoulders, one man on each end. After much debate, Jasper and Bella switched, so she's now guiding the horse. She's also on the lookout to collect any shed antlers along the way. When I asked her what we would do with them, she explained that they could be processed to make gelatin, and some kind of baking powder substitute. She explained it, but she lost me somewhere along the way. She does end up finding a few. She looks kinda cute with them tied to her pack. Like some primitive huntress. Yeah, my mind is fucked up sometimes.
It's definitely slow going. Having to maneuver the elk through the forest, well it's taking a long fucking time. We also take a lot of breaks because carrying close to a hundred pounds on your shoulder is painful. It takes us almost nine hours to make it the ten miles. The sun is just setting when we get back.
We all head straight to the butcher. They take the animals off our hands and thank us for our hard work. With what has already been hunted in recent weeks, we should have enough meat for each person to get almost four pounds of meat after it has been butchered and smoked. There's enough hide to tan and make into clothes and shoes for everyone on the waiting list. And there's enough fat for soap making to last us through the winter. Ah, soap. That makes me want to sprint home and take a bath.
It's then I realize that four of our group live in the same block, and therefore share the same bathhouse. Jasper offers to go last, since he still needs to bed his horse for the night. So that leaves Bella, Black, and me. I'm of the persuasion of 'ladies first,' but with Black behaving like an asshole, who knows.
He dropped the deer he was helping to carry as soon as we reached the butcher and took off. He's probably soaking as we speak. Bella and I walk hand in hand back to our block. Our return to the settlement is met with smiles everywhere we look. It feels good to contribute to the way of life here. When we cross over the footbridge, I know we're close. I can see there's a fire going inside the bathhouse, so I know Black jumped in as soon as he got back.
Ass.
"Bella, you go on and bathe when Black is done. You've earned it my little huntress." She's wrapped in my arms, her head under my chin, right where she belongs.
"Huntress, huh?" She looks up at me with teasing eyes and smiles at me.
"Yep, you are one badass hunter, baby. You didn't see yourself shooting that bow so precisely, then slitting that giant's throat. And then, with all those antlers tied to your belt, damn, you looked like 'Isabella, the Mighty Huntress / Bone Collector.'" Saying that last bit with a deep voice makes her giggle.
"Shut up. I did not!" She slaps my chest.
"Yes, you did." I nuzzle her ear and whisper, "and you looked mighty sexy doing it too." A kiss behind her ear turns her to a noodle in my arms. "Ok, to the bath with you."
"Yes sir," she says with a salute and a giggle, before disappearing into her cabin. I walk around back and find a spot to wait on Black. Bella finds me leaning against her cabin, waiting for her.
"Your aunt and uncle are inside. Mom and Esme have enough hot water ready for both of us to bathe, so you don't have to worry about heating up your own."
"You know, we could save on resources and bathe together." I nuzzle her neck again. I can't help myself, she's so soft and warm there.
"As amazing as that sounds, I think we should pace ourselves. Besides, are you gonna explain to my father why we were in the bathhouse at the same time? Hmmm?" She now has her lips on my neck, kissing where she can reach.
"Fine, you've got me there. I'd rather carry that deer back to the woods than face Commander Swan and explain what I was doing to his daughter." I smile against her neck. I can hear her laugh.
"I knew you'd see things my way."
Just then, we hear the door to the bathhouse open. I look up and see Black stepping out, shirtless, into the cold November night air. What an idiot. He must think he's giving Bella a show. I mean, he's obviously strong, but he has a gut to go with the wide shoulders he has. He must hit the moonshine they have here just a little too hard. I'm not a vain guy, but I know I'm in better shape than he is. The funny thing is, Bella isn't even paying attention to him. She still has her face in my neck.
He attempts to get her attention. "Goodnight, Bella."
Without looking up, she mumbles, "night Jake."
All I can do is smile my best 'fuck you, asshole' smile. Yeah, he knew what he was doing.
"Your turn baby."
I help Renee and Esme carry the pitchers of warm water from the door to the bathtub. I don't dare set foot inside; I must smell like the dead animal I carried all day. When the tub is full, Bella slips inside.
I wait outside while she bathes, just imagining her naked, wishing I was a soap bubble. I must've been deep in thought, because before I know it, she's done and headed back toward me. She's dressed in warm knit pajamas with a clean knitted wool hat on her head. Her hair is in a braid and runs down over her left breast. She looks adorable. I move to kiss her, but she puts her hand up to stop me.
"No way, smelly soldier boy. Bath first then kisses."
"Fine, you go on inside and get some food."
"Why didn't you wait for me inside?"
"You said yourself, I stink!"
"Ok, I'll save you some food." She blows me a kiss and walks off.
I head to my cabin and grab what I need. When I get back, the tub is full and steaming. I love the women in my life. I strip down and climb in. Sitting there, I let the hot water work its magic. I didn't notice it before, but it looks like there's a basket for all of our disgusting clothes. I'll have to be sure to clean up after myself. I think I remember Bella say that the hunting clothes get washed especially well, maybe even boiled.
I hear someone jiggle the latch. I sit up and try to cover myself. I yell out to stop whoever it is.
"Occupied."
With the faintest sound, I hear, "so, you don't want any help?"
Bella. Bella? "Bella, is that you?"
"Unless you were expecting someone else?"
"Get in here." I reach over and unlock the door. "What are you doing? I thought this was a bad idea."
"Funny story. My dad went to bed early, and my mom and your aunt suggested I come see if you needed any help. So, need a hand with anything?" She laughs at her own joke, kneeling next to the tub.
"Need a hand? I'll show you a hand. Come here." And surprisingly, she does. I grab her behind her neck and kiss the hell out of her.
"Hang on." She leans back and removes her pajama top, exposing some kind of sleeveless undershirt. She hangs up her top and her hat, which she must've removed when I wasn't paying attention. "Now, don't get too excited, I'm not getting in with you, but I will help you with your hair."
"I'll take whatever you're offering."
"Good, now sit forward a little." I do, and she proceeds to wash my hair, scrubbing, using her fingernails on my scalp, behind my ears. It feels amazing.
"Lean your head back." She then rinses the soapy goop from my hair. Next thing I know, she's using the washrag on my neck. Peeking my eye open, I see her smiling face looking at me. "Silly boy, we're gonna get soap in your eyes, keep them closed." She continues down my chest, even braving my pits. "Lean forward." She scrubs my back, and gets spots I haven't ever been able to reach on my own. It feels amazing. She drops the washcloth on the side of the tub, and then I feel her tiny hands rubbing my sore shoulders. I can't stop the moan from leaving my mouth.
"Oh, that feels so good." She works my muscles a little longer then stops. With a kiss on my cheek, she hands me back the washcloth.
"I may love you, but there are parts of you I will not be washing. I will leave you to that and see you inside. The food is still warm, so hurry." I get a kiss on the lips then she's gone again.
I do hurry, because I'm starving for one, and for two, I know Jasper is waiting to get in here. I dry and dress, and clean up my mess. I put my nasty hunting clothes I wore for three days in the basket that was left for us. Then I fold up my bath stuff and put it in the carryall basket Bella made for me. I know I teased her about it in the beginning, about men not carrying baskets, but I use the damn thing almost every day.
I slip on my boots and head outside. I run my things home first, hanging up my wet towels, and storing my soap and shampoo in their places on my shelf. I grab an extra layer in the form of a jacket, then head to Bella's.
Walking in, the smells are overwhelming; some kind of roast, vegetables, maybe bread, and I think dessert. Damn am I hungry. We spend what's left of the evening eating, talking, and laughing. I hold Bella's hand almost the entire time. This right here is what life is all about. Family. Home. I wasn't just blowing smoke up her ass when I told Bella I wanted to make a home with her. The thought of calling her my wife and making babies with her does funny things to me.
Talking to some of the old timers, they've said that back before the virus, it wasn't common for young people to want to start families. Some people chose to wait until they were older; more settled to start having kids. The world has changed so much, though. Now, if you're able to, it's like being given a gift straight from God. Not everyone can have children, so it's a blessing. Like having a superpower. I am man, I procreate. Yeah, messed up, I know.
But I was serious when I told her I wanted those things with her. I know we just met not too long ago, but I know she's the one.
The next few weeks are fairly uneventful. I end up spending an evening with Emmett in the barracks. He and Rosalie got approval to stay in the women's building, while they wait to build, since they're a couple. They're on the list for a cabin as soon as the weather cooperates. The Denali family, Peter, and Charlotte, and Garrett and Kate were able to move into a place right away. I guess Bella added Kate's name to the list of expectant mothers, so they passed Alec and Jane on the housing list. I thought it was hilarious. Seeing how Emmett and Rosalie are now sharing the barracks with Alec and Jane, he didn't think it was too funny. Everyone seems to be settling in, though.
We're now well into December, and there's snow on the ground. Doing patrols hasn't been too bad lately. Especially when I'm assigned gate duty. At least there's a shelter if we get any rain, sleet or snow. That's where I am today. I'm with Emmett at the gate.
"So, things are going good with you and Bella?"
I can't help but smile. "Yeah man, things are great." I take a breath, knowing my best friend will be shocked at what I'm about to say. "Even talked to Charlie, I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
"No shit! Seriously? Isn't that kind of fast?"
I shake my head. "Not to me. I mean yeah, we've only known each other for two months, but we've spent time together almost every single day. She's exactly what I want for the rest of my life. I mean, there are what, five hundred or so people here? I haven't met another person that I'm remotely interested in getting to know better. I'm in love with her Em."
"Wow. Well, congrats man. So, when are you gonna pop the question?"
"Not sure yet. Soon, though. I've been carrying the damn ring around in my pocket for almost a week now just waiting for the right moment."
Working the front gate is usually a quiet shift, but today, there's a commotion outside.
"Help! My wife! She's injured. Please let us in." We hear a man yell from the trees. Our training tells us to be cautious of new arrivals. So, I load and ready my bow.
"Show yourself," I order.
"Please don't shoot! She's injured." We see a man carrying a woman toward the gate. They look haggard, dirty, and their clothes are torn. They look like they've been wandering around the forest for months. How they've survived the cold is beyond me. They don't look dressed for it. I know we've had some rather cold days and nights in the last few weeks.
He's tall, with greasy, long blonde hair. His facial hair does not match the rest of him. He's nearly clean-shaven. It doesn't add up in my head. The woman has fiery red hair, and looks to be bleeding, but I can't see from where. They both look to be in their mid to late thirties. Going against my gut instinct to protect our settlement, I lower my weapon and motion to Emmett to help me open the gates.
"Thank you so much. Do you have a doctor here? She fell on a tree branch, and it cut into her side. She's lost a lot of blood."
"You're going to have to wait right here. I need approval to let you in. Emmett?"
"Yep, I'm on it." Emmett takes off in the direction of the commander's office. For some reason, I have a gut feeling these people are bad news.
"How long have you guys been out there on your own?"
"Oh, I don't know. A few years. We toughed it out for a long time in our cabin by a lake about two days walk from here. We had a house fire and had to leave. We've been living off the land ever since."
To me, that story makes no sense. Why leave a place you know is safe, where you can fish, probably have crops growing, somewhere you've settled? Why leave and not rebuild? Why wander aimlessly for years? Yeah, their story doesn't add up to me.
I then hear Emmett walk up behind me, but I know he's not alone. He must've felt wary of the new arrivals too and shared it with Charlie. He rarely makes an appearance at the gate for things like this. For some reason, though, he doesn't announce his name or status.
"Ok, let's get you folks moved into the soldier hut, and we'll get you some medical attention. Masen, you give me a hand getting these folks settled, and Emmett, could you go get the doc?"
"Sure thing." Emmett takes off running for the clinic.
Charlie and I get our guests moved and settled into beds. As Charlie listens to the man tell his story again, he gives me a look. Now I know he's suspicious too. It doesn't make any more sense the second time I hear it than it did the first.
"So, what are your names, son," Charlie asks
"Hunter, James and Victoria Hunter."
…
A/N: Well? What did you all think? Thoughts on the citrus? Theories on James and Victoria? What could they possibly be up to…? I'd love to hear it all. Join me on Facebook at Sunshine Fics for weekly teasers and chapter pics as well. Stop by to say hello, or share your theories and thoughts!
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