Beta: HollettLA (the best beta in the fandom)

Pre-readers: sscana and tg10781

Chapter Nine Part Two

Edward

I could hear Bella's heart begin to race as she left our bedroom and made her way down the staircase. I couldn't help but wonder if she was as anxious and excited as I was. As much as I wanted the ability to read her mind, I would have to settle for reading her body. Tonight, I'd finally be able to do so completely.

I heard Bella step out onto the deck then pause. I was in the hot tub facing away from her. I wanted to give her a moment of privacy in case she was shy about being nude in front of me–at least I hoped that she was nude. I had removed all of my clothing and set it on one of the patio chairs. Belatedly, it occurred to me that she may have put on a swimsuit.

Bella hadn't moved an inch since she stepped out onto the deck, so I finally turned to look at her. She had a white, fluffy towel wrapped around her body and, I hoped, nothing else. Bella gave me a small smile, dropped the towel and began to walk toward me.

"Stop," I commanded. I wanted to stop time and imprint this image of her on my memory. I had imagined what it would be like to finally see my Bella naked so many times; at least fifty times a day for the better part of two years, in fact.

A worried look crossed Bella's face and her entire body flushed red. I couldn't bear to have her be insecure about this, so I knew I needed to tell her exactly why I had stopped her. "I just want to look at you and freeze this moment in my mind forever. You are more beautiful, more perfect, than I ever could have imagined…And I'm almost ashamed to admit the countless number of times I have imagined this moment."

She smiled brilliantly when I extended my arm, motioning for her to join me. I helped her into the tub and sat her down across from me. I'm sure she wondered why I sat her there, but I needed a moment to compose myself. I had been ready to jump out of the tub and tackle her the minute she had stepped outside.

Still, I couldn't help but be nervous. The night of our first date, Bella had asked me if intimacy like this would be possible for us. Back then, I hadn't thought it ever would be. Then again, I had also never imagined that we would be married or trying to have a baby.

I couldn't help but smile at how my life had taken such a different turn, and all because of my beautiful Bella. I looked into her eyes to silently reassure her how I much I truly wanted this. But of course my gaze travelled down to her gorgeous breasts. They were so perfect and I would be happy to just stare at them for hours on end.

I realized how rudely I was behaving, so I glanced up and locked eyes with her again. We sat there simply looking at each other for a long minute. I hadn't felt this awkward around in her a very long time. I wanted to say something romantic, but Bella broke the silence before I had a chance.

"It's really beautiful here. You can't see the stars like this in Forks," she commented, looking up at the night sky.

"The stars are no comparison to the beauty of my wife," I responded. I had meant for it to sound sweet and poetic, but it came out sounding incredibly cheesy and if I could have blushed, I would have.

I could tell that she tried to hold it in, but Bella burst out laughing. I was slightly offended that she basically laughed in my face, but I chuckled right along with her. "I'm sorry, Bella. I did mean it, but that was pretty lame, wasn't it? I'm just nervous. I'm so out of my element here."

I was embarrassed because I had no idea what to do to make this good for her. I was kicking myself because she sat naked before me, and I hadn't even touched her yet.

"No, you're not," she disagreed as she began to inch toward me. "This is just new for us. We can take things slowly and learn how to do this together."

I reached out my arms and pulled her toward me at last. Bella straddled my lap as I wrapped my arms around her enchanting body. She leaned down so her gorgeous breasts were right in my face and her lips were at my ear. "Don't be scared, baby. We belong together," she breathed.

I shuddered slightly, then leaned forward and kissed her beautiful breasts. Her nipples were pink and hard and tasted sweeter than anything I'd ever known.

Bella moaned quietly before she stifled herself. I missed the glorious sound immediately.

"Mmmmm," I murmured against her breast. "Don't hold back. I want to hear you, baby." I sucked lightly on her nipple as I cupped and squeezed her other breast. The feel of her in my hand and against my tongue was sweet torture. I just wanted more.

She moaned again, louder this time, as she began to lower her hips down to meet mine. I had been hard since the second she had dropped the towel and I knew that she could finally feel it. Her warm thigh grazed my erection as she rocked against me.

"Oh, God," I whispered against her chest. "Too much…too soon." I could have climaxed from that slight touch alone. And it would be the most humiliating moment of my life!

Bella lifted her hips and sat back, away from me. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked, sounding so heartbroken and disappointed.

"No, love, I definitely do not want to stop," I assured her. "We just need to, um, take this a little slower…or it'll be over way too quickly." I didn't mean to say the last part out loud and I hoped she couldn't hear it over the loud jets of the hot tub.

She nodded shyly, looking so unsure of herself. I wanted to kick my own ass for causing Bella to, even briefly, lose her sexual confidence. I had always found her advances incredibly sexy and I hated that she thought I was stopping her yet again.

I knew that I needed to take control and make Bella feel good. Emmett had given me one piece of advice that I promised myself I would follow: Whatever you do, make sure she comes first.

I gently grabbed her by the waist, picked her up and sat her down so she was straddling only my left leg. The scent of her arousal momentarily stunned me as she slid against my thigh.

"Oh," she gasped, sounding shocked. "Oh God, Edward." I was worried that I'd hurt her, until she grabbed me by the hair and pulled my face toward hers. She smashed her lips against mine and eagerly pushed her tongue into my mouth. It was easily the roughest kiss we'd ever shared, but I certainly wasn't going to complain. I kissed her hungrily and tightened my arms around her.

Her center slid against my thigh again. Bella whimpered and I could tell by her sexy sounds that she was as turned on as I was. As we continued to kiss, I carefully held her waist and pulled her against me then pushed her away over and over again. I must have found a good rhythm because her whimpers grew louder.

I had to make sure that I was doing it right so I eased my face back just enough so that our lips were only barely touching. "Does that feel good?"

Bella pressed her lips to mine again and moaned into my mouth. "So…good…amazing…wonderful…" she assured me between kisses.

I was overjoyed that I was the lucky man to bring her such pleasure. It gave me the confidence I needed. Now, I knew this evening would go smoother than I dared to even hope. Bella pulled back to look at me and flashed me a sexy smile. She began to move with me instead of just letting me guide her. We fit together so perfectly and my dead heart soared with this knowledge. I kissed her again, even harder than before, and our tongues swirled around one another.

Bella looked confident and determined as she essentially humped my leg. She threw her head back and held onto my shoulders for support as she rocked her hips back and forth repeatedly.

"You look so amazing right now, Bella," I told her in a rush, desperately needing for her to know how astounding it was to see her like this. "Keep going, baby. I want to see you lose yourself completely. I want to hear you."

"Edward! Oh, shit! Edward! Fuck! Edward!" she screamed. Hearing Bella shout my name in the throes of her orgasm filled me with such animalistic pride. She looked so joyous and free. She writhed on top of me for a long minute then finally slumped against me. I caught her and held her tightly.

Bella buried her face in my neck and let out a deep, yet shaky breath. "Mmmmm," she sighed, her breath flowing hotly over my ear. "That was…that was…mmmmm…"

"That was the sexiest thing I have ever seen, that's what it was," I assured her, hoping I'd get to see her like that again and again. "I love you, Bella. God, I love you so much."

Bella pulled her mouth from my ear and began lazily kissing me. She began at my neck then made her way to my jaw, the side of my mouth, my cheek, the corner of my eye, then finally my lips. She kissed me gently and I could feel how much she truly loved me. If I were human, I'd have tears in my eyes since I was so overcome by the tender affection she showed me.

Bella shifted her position and her leg touched my erection again. Her eyes flashed with determination. "It's your turn," she murmured against my mouth as she reached down and wrapped her delicate fingers around me.

I was unprepared for the feelings that her touch stirred in me. No one had ever touched me there. "Ah!" I cried in overwhelming pleasure. "Oh, shit." Do not come the first time she touches you!

Bella let go of me and stood up carefully, only swaying a little bit. She looked like a goddess standing naked before me. I wondered if she had even the slightest idea of how stunning she was.

She held out her hand and asked, "Would you stand up?" The confusion must have registered on my face. "You've seen me–all of me. I want to see you, too," she explained.

I loved how bold and sure of herself she was. I gingerly took her hand and stood up, hoping she'd be pleased with what she saw. Bella smiled adoringly at me as her eyes began to drift down my body. Her eyes lit up with mischief as she reached out to touch me again.

"I think we need to take this inside," I said seductively as I swept her up into my arms, hopped lithely out of the tub and carried her toward our bedroom. The house was shrouded in darkness, but the lamps from our bedside tables illuminated my path.

Bella's arms tightened around my neck, she rested her head on my shoulder and lovingly stroked my hair with her fingertips. She kissed my neck and nibbled on my ear as I climbed the stairs at a slow, human pace. I wasn't stalling; I was simply savoring the moment.

After her welcomed assault on my neck, Bella lifted her head from my shoulder and pressed her forehead to mine. "I love you, Edward," she told me sweetly. I never doubted her love for me, but hearing it always made me feel so incredibly blessed.

"I love you, beautiful girl. Forever," I promised. Bella sighed contentedly, rested her head on my shoulder once again then closed her eyes.

She opened them as I stepped through our bedroom door and she tried to mask a shocked gasp.

I tried to hide my panic at her obvious unease.

"It's fine, really. I was just surprised. I'm sorry, Edward. Please, please don't give it another thought," she pleaded.

I didn't even know what she was talking about until I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror that hung over the dresser.

My eyes were red.

Under normal circumstances, I'd find it completely disgusting, but this time it indicated something wonderful. Bella's blood had been absorbed in my body, which meant we may conceive our child tonight. And luckily, according to a conversation I had overheard between Alice and Esme, we were in the right time in Bella's cycle. Sometimes, having meddling family members was beneficial.

"I'm going to put contact lenses in," I told her. I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. Plus, knowing that she was looking into eyes red with her blood would be very distracting to me.

Bella took my face in her hands and pulled me in so we were nose to nose. "Your eyes are just as lovely to me now as they always have been. The way you look at me makes me feel beautiful," she assured me. "The way you look at me gives me the confidence to throw myself at you the way I do." She giggled and kissed me softly. "I don't care what color your eyes are, baby."

"I know, love. But tonight, for our first time, I want you to look into my eyes and see them as you normally see them," I explained. "Just give me a moment."

She nodded in agreement, so I kissed her quickly and carefully set her down on the bed. Within seconds, I had the lenses in, the lights off, candles lit and music playing. I had made a playlist just for this occasion and I'd checked it several times to make sure that Emmett hadn't snuck in any Marvin Gaye or R. Kelly. That was not Bella's and my style. I included songs we'd listened to together as well as some that I'd composed.

Bella sat at the foot of the bed with her feet hanging off. She leaned back, resting on her palms. My wife was an absolute vision. I was immensely grateful for my photographic memory; for this was an image I never wanted to forget.

I stood in front of her and once again, we just stared at each other. All of the nerves I had been feeling faded away. Bella was absolutely correct; we belonged together.

"Bella, my love," I began as I reached out to take her hands. She placed them in mine and allowed me to pull her up. "I love you more than I can even express."

Before she could respond, I pulled back the bedspread then picked her up and laid us down on the bed. I hovered over her, balancing on one hand, as my other hand traveled down her body. I covered her exquisite face with soft kisses. Bella put her arms around me and lightly trailed her fingernails up and down my back.

I kneaded her breast greedily as my lips moved down to her neck. I pinched her nipple softly and reveled in the sounds she was making. Breathy sighs turned into wanton whimpers.

"Please," she begged as her hips started to rise off the bed. "Edward, please touch me."

I removed my hand from her breast and softly brushed it over her ribs. My stomach began to flutter as I was about to touch her for the first time.

I kissed her jaw then moved my mouth up to her ear. "If I do anything you don't like–if it hurts or feels uncomfortable at all, you must tell me right away."

She nodded eagerly as her hips bucked into my hand. I kissed her lips and she whimpered into my mouth as my fingers glided through her silky wetness. Her scent, her intoxicating scent, was almost too overwhelming.

Bella kissed me harder as I took cues from her body to do what she liked. The harder she kissed me, the harder my fingers stroked her. When I began to rub her in a circular motion, her hips couldn't seem to stay still. I pulled my mouth away from hers so I could see her face. She smiled dreamily at me and pressed her head back into the pillow.

"More," she sighed as her eyelids closed. "Please."

I entered her cautiously with just my middle finger. I could feel her body clench around my finger and her eyes popped open. I almost stopped, thinking I'd hurt her, but then she cried out, "Yes, Edward! Yes!"

The heat of her body permeated even my frozen skin and I could feel her walls tighten deliciously around my finger. I knew that I needed to bring her to orgasm again before we made love. There was no way I would last very long once I entered this heaven.

I added my index finger and eased them in and out gently, curling them up slightly on each pass. I kissed her neck softly, concentrating on the pulse point that used to be such a painful temptation for me.

Bella's heart was racing, she was breathing hard and she had kicked off the blankets so I could see her toes curling. "Ah! Right there, baby. Oh Edward, that feels so good," she moaned.

I picked up my rhythm and continued to circle my thumb. Bella's body began to shake as she dug her fingernails into my back before pulling my face to hers again. She kissed me roughly and cried into my mouth as she found release.

I removed my hand and held it awkwardly at my side. Bella put her arms around my neck and used my body as leverage to pull herself up into a sitting position. She grinned at me as she reached down, grabbed my hand, the same hand that had just brought her so much pleasure, and cradled it between us, caressing my damp fingers as she did so.

She kissed my palm then placed it over her heart and whispered, "Thank you."

I shook my head and laughed lightly. "Thank you, my love. Seeing you like this…there are no words. You are absolutely breathtaking."

She sighed then rested against the pillows again. "Well, that was fun. But I'm pretty tired, so, goodnight. Love you." Bella closed her eyes and tried to pull the blanket up.

"Not funny," I grumbled as I hovered over her again. "I'm not done with you yet, Mrs. Cullen."

Bella giggled and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm ready, Edward." She lifted her face to kiss me and murmured, "I'm so ready."

"I'm ready, too, love," I promised as I kissed her jaw.

I lifted Bella's knee, hitched it around my waist and positioned myself at her entrance. I somehow resisted the overwhelming urge to just push in. I needed to take this very slowly, both for my sake and hers.

Bella began breathing heavily again. "It's okay, Edward," she assured me. "I love you…please…"

I pressed my forehead gently to hers, allowing enough distance so I could look into her eyes. I felt like her eyes were my anchor. They would keep me from losing control.

"I love you, Bella," I breathed as I pushed in slowly.

It was the most astonishing, remarkable, outstanding, beyond belief feeling I've ever felt. Bella was so very warm inside and her body engulfed me with the most succulent pressure. I didn't think there could never be anything better than this, and I wasn't even halfway in yet.

"Aaaaahhh…" she panted. Bella closed the distance between our lips and let out a low groan into my mouth. She tightened her arms around me, urging me on.

I pushed in a bit further and felt her flinch and squeeze her eyes shut. I knew that it was going to hurt her, even if just for a moment, and it devastated me. I stilled, both in hopes to ease her discomfort and to bask in this amazing feeling.

She opened her eyes, kissed me then whispered, "I'm okay, Edward. Keep going."

"Does it hurt very much? I can stop-" I tried to offer.

"Do not stop," she ordered as she used all of her strength to attempt to pull me forward. Of course, I didn't budge from her tugging on me, but I did finally thrust in all the way very slowly.

"Oh," I moaned. "Oh, Bella, love…" I was finally inside my beautiful wife. How had I resisted her for so long?

I pulled out a bit, and then thrust back in carefully.

Bella had a small smile on her face and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Does it feel good, Edward?"

"Baby," I kissed her hard as I continued to move slowly in her. "You feel so good, my love. So good."

She moaned into my mouth again, but I was having a hard time figuring out if her noises were those of pleasure or pain. "Does it still hurt, sweetheart?"

"No," she answered quickly, but I could hear a trace of reluctance in her voice. I resolved myself to proceed carefully. "It doesn't hurt. It did for a minute, but it doesn't hurt now." Bella wrapped her other leg around my waist and I went even deeper. Oh, God. I am not going to last long.

She raked her fingernails up and down my back gently and it felt so good, I wanted more.

"Harder," I groaned.

Bella looked at me questioningly. "Your nails on my back. It…feels…really…good…" I managed to choke out.

She dug her nails in deep and shoved her tongue into my mouth. Though our kisses were more aggressive than usual, the love and devotion I felt for her was still the underlying force. I desperately hoped that Bella could sense how much I truly adored her.

"I love you, Bella," I murmured against her mouth.

"Love you, too," she replied, breathless.

I caressed my wife's gorgeous face lovingly, continuing to move in and out of her at a slow pace. Too slow it seemed, but I was still fearful of getting carried away.

"You…um, you can go faster," she offered, tightening her legs around me, urging me on.

"Yeah?" I grunted, unsure.

She nodded, smiled at me and moved her hands from my back to my ass and squeezed. It was so bold and sexy and I loved how confident she had become.

I kissed her neck and moved my hand from her face to her perfect breast, squeezing it lovingly. I lavished the other with equal attention before finally reaching down to stroke her where we were joined.

Her hips bucked and she cried out, "Edward! Oh, yes!" She began to whimper incoherently.

Bella met each thrust as I rubbed her more intensely. I wasn't going to last much longer and I wanted her to feel as wonderful as I did.

"Babe…I'm…" she gasped breathlessly. "I'm going to…"

I quickened my pace, but tried not to let go yet. "Me too, baby. I love you, beautiful girl. I love you so much."

Bella's leg began to shake and she screamed out my name so loudly it almost startled me. "Edward! Yes!"

That was all it took for me to fall. I braced both of my hands on the bed and exploded deep inside of her. "Bella…oh baby…I love you," I mumbled through my final thrusts. I finally stilled but wasn't ready to leave the glorious warmth of her body. We kissed leisurely as she stroked my hair tenderly and affectionately.

I carefully slipped out of her and slumped on top of her, careful not to crush her.

Bella fell back against the bed, her chestnut hair fanning out across the pillows. She smiled up at me like I'd just given her the world. She looked so devastatingly beautiful that I wanted to cry.

"Wow…" she sighed, stretching out the word. Bella's eyes were drooping closed as she languidly extended her arms above her head. She started to twist her hips in an attempt to stretch her muscles, but quickly gave up as it seemed like too much effort. "That was…that was just everything…"

"Yeah," I replied dumbly. I was utterly speechless.

"Hey," she said, reaching her arms out. "Come here." She pulled me down and laid my head on her chest. It felt so opposite of how it should be. I should have been the one holding her.

Yet having my face cuddled up with her breasts was not an opportunity I was going to pass up. I kissed each of her nipples, sucking each one gently. Then I placed a slow, open-mouthed kiss above her heart. She sighed and brushed her lips over my hair.

I finally flipped us over so she was laying half on top of me. I stroked her hair and rubbed her back softly.

"Are you okay?" she murmured against my chest.

I chuckled. "I'm so much better than okay, my love. But I should be asking you. Are you alright, Bella? It didn't seem like I hurt you, but you wouldn't have let me know if I did, so-"

"Don't," she cut me off as she pushed herself up to look at me. "It hurt for a second, but after that…" she paused as a brilliant smile lit up her face. "It was amazing."

I smiled in return, so relieved and completely thrilled with how our night had gone. I kissed her quickly then wrapped my arms around her again. She hummed in pleasure as I held her tightly to me. "It was perfect," she sighed, then yawned.

I pulled the blanket up and tucked it around her to protect her from my cold body. "Sleep, my beautiful wife." I kissed her forehead. "Thank you for the absolute best night of my existence."

Bella yawned again, then asked with hope in her voice, "The best ever? Really?"

As her body relaxed, my eyes drifted over to the photo wall that featured snapshots of some of the best times of my life. Each picture sparked a memory for me of what I had previously thought had been the ultimate in happiness for me: Bella in her prom dress, sleeping peacefully in my arms, her delicate hand with my ring on her finger, throwing her arms around me for our first married kiss–yet this night topped them all by far. But I knew tomorrow may be even better, as every day with Bella had always been better than the last.

"The best so far, my love. But I look forward to spending eternity trying to surpass it."

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Thanks for reading!

Phoenix Fan1

November 22, 2010