Chapter 12

I woke up first the next morning, taking a moment to enjoy Bella's warmth before I eased out of bed and went to the use the bathroom. I found myself humming as I took a quick shower and shaved, smiling to myself in the mirror as I remembered Bella's joke about dying our hair gray.

I stood back a bit and tried to imagine what I'd look like. I wasn't getting any younger. In fact, I'd be thirty next year, but so far time had been kind to me. I wasn't used to seeing myself smile, though, and I wondered what Bella saw when she looked at me. My smile faded. No one, not even mind-reading Bella, could look at me and know the things that I'd done, know my history, know how bad I really was. I ran a hand through my hair, remembering the feel of Bella's hand last night and sighed. Whatever she was doing with me, whatever she was thinking, she'd run away from me faster than if I were Mala if she knew the truth.

I rested my hands on the counter and looked down into the sink. What had I been thinking? I might have feelings for her, but there was no way she could return them, not if she knew the real me. She was so smart, so good, and she had a future ahead of her, a future that I didn't fit into.

I looked back up into the mirror and took a deep breath. We had a few more days - maybe even a week - together, but once I got her back to the States she'd come to her senses, as she should. I wiped my face dry with a towel and looked at myself again, my smile returning. All I could do was make the most of the time we had left.

I was just coming out of the bathroom when she stretched, letting out a long contented sigh.

"Hey." I sat on the bed, running my hand down her neck to her shoulder.

"Hey." She smiled up at me, her eyes sleepy.

"I started your bath."

"You're the best." Her smile widened. "I mean that."

I bent down to kiss her shoulder, wondering what it was about them that drove me crazy. They were perfect, that was it, I thought as I nuzzled her soft skin. She slipped her hands into my hair as I kissed her neck and then worked my way down to her chest. There was something about the space between her breasts that I loved, too. Somehow when I kissed it, it felt like I was kissing her essence. She let out one of the quiet moans I was now familiar with, and I glanced up at her. She was watching me, her lips parted. Her hands had moved to my shoulders but she put them back in my hair and pulled my face up to hers. She gave me a gentle peck on the lips.

"I have morning breath."

"I don't care."

"I do." She put her hands back on my shoulders and gave me a little push.

"I'll see you after my bath. Or wait, no, during. Two pastries, please."

I was humming again as I trotted downstairs.

"Buenos dias, Señor Masen."

"Si, Alberto, it is a very buenos dias indeed. A very buenos dias." I made our coffees and piled a bunch of pastries on a plate, heading back upstairs.

"My advice, it worked?" Alberto called after me.

"You're a genius!" I hollered as I reached our floor.

I let myself into the bathroom without knocking. "Your breakfast, my lady." She had so many bubbles, way too many bubbles. I put her mug and the plate down on the side of the tub, then sat on it myself, dipping my fingers into the water, finding her leg.

"Mmm." She took a sip of coffee. "I could get used to this."

"So could I." My fingers found the spot behind her knee.

She sighed and rested her head back, looking up at the ceiling, her expression growing serious. "I just realized I don't even know your last name."

"It's Cullen." I kept my hand under her knee.

"Cullen. Edward Cullen." She tilted her head and bent her leg into my hand. I moved my hand to the top of her knee, unable to resist slipping a bit up her thigh.

"Edward Cullen," she repeated with a sigh, her eyes on the ceiling again. "I like it." She lowered her eyes to mine and smiled.

I reached for the sponge and pulled her leg out of the water, using it to wash her toes and the arch of her foot. I slid the sponge up her ankle and under the soft swell of her calf, coming back down her shin. When I was done, I lowered her leg and felt for the other one. "You have too many bubbles in here."

She laughed. "You'll just have to feel your way. Everything's right where you left it."

"Everything?" I smirked as I brought the sponge up her thigh.

"I'm pretty sure." She tilted her head back. "Unless you have some powers I don't know about."

I got to her hip and slowly drew the sponge over her flat stomach, my fingers hovering over her skin. I trailed a bit lower, finding the gentle rise of her mound.

"Oooh." She sat up with a frown, her lips pursed. "I'm a little sore. I'd better do that myself."

"I'm sorry. Was I too rough?" I handed her the sponge and sat back.

"No, you were perfect. I'm just out of use, I guess." She sat up and put her hand on my knee, pulling herself out of the water to kiss me. "Don't worry. It's a good kind of sore," she murmured against my lips. "The best kind, in fact."

Oh god, she was temptation incarnate. I slipped my hands around her warm soapy back and pulled her toward me, opening her mouth with mine while I reached down further to cup her perfect ass. If she weren't sore, I'd have hauled her out in one swoop and carried her dripping wet back to bed, but she was sore and I needed to give her time to recover. I lightened my kiss, taking her hand off my knee and easing her back into the water. "You need to eat."

She sighed and settled back down, picking up a pastry. "I am starving."

"I know."

She laughed and offered me a bite. "What are we going to do today?"

"I don't know. It's still raining." This might be a good time to try to get her over the border, when there were fewer people out, but I just didn't want to leave yet. "We should probably wait until it stops before we do anything."

"What do we do next?" She took a sip of her coffee.

"Just a second." I went and got my coffee, returning to the bathroom to perch on the side of the tub again, this time leaning against the back wall. "We have to get you back into the States, and you don't have ID, so the question is whether to try to get you some before we cross or chance our luck at the border."

"Can't we just cross again if we tell the guard we were let in to honeymoon?"

I shook my head. "They're a lot more careful about letting people in than they are letting them out. If you don't have ID, they're going to pull you over for questioning."

"But you don't have a passport either."

"Yes, I do."

"You do?"

"Yeah. A couple. They're in different names."

She looked at me for a moment before speaking. "If you have a passport, but I don't, and I get stopped, will they still let you through?"

"Maybe, I don't know. But I wouldn't leave you there by yourself." I watched her face furrow with worry. "Will you stop thinking about me for once? You're the one we should be focusing on. Assuming we come up with a way to get you over, what do you want to do? Where do you want to go?"

"I want to go back to Phoenix and find out why Mala killed my mother." She watched my face carefully, gauging my response.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"You don't have to help me, though, Edward. You can just get me there and then go."

"Are you kidding?" I reached down into the water and wrapped my hand around her foot. "I have to make sure you're safe. No matter what you decide." About me, about us. I gave her foot a light squeeze. "We're partners until you get somewhere safe, got that?"

She smiled again, looking relieved, and nodded. "Until I get somewhere safe."

We spent the rest of the day doing what any normal honeymooning couple would do, that is if one of them was sore and the other extremely considerate and self-sacrificing. We traded ideas most of the morning of ways to get her back into the States, but didn't make much progress. More and more it was looking like we were going to need a third party, either paying someone to make her a fake passport or to smuggle her over, neither idea very satisfactory. Fake passports were hard to pull off with all the new post 9/11 enhancements and smuggling was just too risky. If she were caught either way, she wouldn't just be questioned, but detained and possibly arrested.

She paced the room while we talked, her mind on the task at hand. I tried not to watch her, my mind too often slipping off to all the things we could be doing that wouldn't make her sorer. Finally we both gave up and went to get lunch.

Alberto lent us an umbrella, the rain still coming down too hard to take my motorcycle. He offered to let me park my bike around back where there was an awning, and I told Bella to wait in the lobby while I moved it. She and Alberto were laughing when I came back in, and I asked her what was so funny as we walked down the street toward town.

"Oh, he's taking all the credit for getting you to shave." She linked her arm through mine as I held the umbrella above us. "He says if I needed any more favors, to let him know."

"For crying out loud. Can't all these guys see the ring on your finger?" I covered her hand with my free one, rubbing my thumb over her ring. She laughed and gave my arm a squeeze.

"None of them are seriously flirting with me. They just like the idea of helping out a newlywed." She stopped walking. "Hey."

"What?"

"Maybe Alberto knows someone who makes passports." She looked up me. "Would it be a good idea to ask him?"

"It's possible. He's used to dealing with Americans, so he might know someone, but I'm still not sure that's the way to go."

"But what other choice is there?"

"I don't know. I need to think about it more. There's got to be a better way."

It was easier to think outside of our room without her distracting me, so I suggested we do a little more sightseeing after lunch. There were hardly any other people out, but she kept her arm linked through mine the whole time. We ventured a little farther than we had last time but didn't talk much, both us lost in our thoughts. Every now and then she'd make a suggestion, but I'd point out its flaws, and she did the same whenever I thought of something. Bouncing ideas off each other, but getting no closer to solving our dilemma, we finally turned and headed back.

"Buy me a beer?" Bella stopped in front of a bar that had a string of cheesy sombrero lights around its front door.

"Here?"

"Why not?" She nudged me with her hip. "I say that until we have a plan, we're still on vacation."

I opened the door for her. "After you then, Silly."

The beer was followed by margaritas, some ridiculously silly Bella, then some food. Eventually a mariachi band started up. Bella leaned forward onto the table, listening earnestly to their first number.

"They're not nearly as good as you," she frowned.

"They're just getting started. Give them some time."

"Time, shmime. You didn't need any."

"It's different when you play in a group. Sometimes it takes a while to get in sync."

She blew out a dismissive snort. "The sync is either there at the beginning or it isn't, am I right?"

I laughed into my almost empty beer. She was right, about more than band members.

"Hey." She reached up and turned my face towards hers. "I love it when you laugh."

"You do?"

"Hm-hmm. Most of the time you look so serious, like you're thinking about such serious things, but when you laugh, even though you get these crinkles here," her fingers caressed the skin near my eyes, "you look younger, more carefree." She looked me over carefully. "That probably didn't make any sense."

"No, Silly, it did. This time with you is the most I've relaxed in years. I guess it shows." I reached for her knee under the table at the same time she leaned in and kissed me.

Had I not kissed her since this morning? How could I not have? Her lips had the same effect on me that they had last night, my brain shutting off, my body just wanting more. I leaned into her and opened her mouth with mine, needing desperately to taste her. I could have devoured her right there at the table, and was actually considering it when a bright light hit my eyes, so bright that even though my eyes were closed, I had to squint against it.

"And who do we have here? Newlyweds? Americanos?" I looked up into the light, taking a minute to realize that the mariachi band had focused its spotlight on us and that the lead singer was talking into his microphone. Oh, no.

Oh, yes. He was walking toward us, his eyes on Bella. "Señora? Or Señorita?"

"Señora," Bella answered, pulling away from me. Damn it.

"Ah, I was right. Honeymooners?"

"Yes."

"Are you enjoying our lovely country?"

"Oh yes, so much."

He was at our table now, the spotlight still on us. "Let's hear it for this wonderful couple, finding love in the most lovely of countries." That made less sense than anything Bella'd said tonight, but the rest of the patrons applauded politely. "Let us know if there's anything else we can do to make your visit here memorable." He started moving away, on to the next table, but Bella cleared her throat.

"Actually, there is something."

"Si, señora?"

"My husband's a guitarist, and he's always wanted to play with a mariachi band."

I narrowed my eyes at her. What the fuck?

"Oh, si, señor?"

I started to shake my head no, but Bella got a gleam in her eye, arched a brow, and gave me a push to get up. "Yes, it's his dream. That's one of the reasons we came here."

"Well then, there's always room for another fellow musician. Let's get you up there."

The next thing I knew, I was on stage, a guitar strapped over my shoulder. I gave Bella an 'I will get you back for this' look and strummed, assuring the rest of the band that I knew how to play. They started in on their next song, and I was actually able to keep up, adding some things as I went. The guy on my left nodded, watching me as he listened, adding some notes of his own. My sound was very Chicago based, very heavy on the blues, which shouldn't have worked at all with a mariachi band, but this guy made it work, melding my sound to theirs, dipping enough into the blues to make it sound like that was what we were trying to do.

I ended up having so much fun improvising that I played four songs with them. When I finally left the stage, the audience gave me a standing ovation while the guitarist next to me clapped my shoulder and put his sombrero on my head. I guessed I was an honorary member of a mariachi band.

"Happy?" I asked Bella, pretending to be upset.

"Very. You are too. I can tell."

"That was fun. I won't lie, but I will get you back."

"Feel free." She leaned in and kissed me. "You were amazing up there." She reached up and pulled off the sombrero, running her hands through my hair. "We should go back to our room," she murmured against my lips.

That was all the invitation I needed, pulling her to her feet. I threw enough pesos down on the table to cover our bill, and we went back out into the rain. The sky had darkened while we were in the bar and the neon lights were glowing, reflecting off the wet pavement. Bella put her arm through mine again as I opened the umbrella, the sound of the rain hitting it the only noise as we walked back. There were no other people out and it felt like the world was ours alone. I switched the umbrella to my other hand and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me. She smiled up at me, embracing me too, one of her hands making a fist in the back of my shirt.

Alberto was gone when we got to the hotel, so I shook out the umbrella as best I could and left it propped against the desk. Bella made a gesture for me to the stairs first, so I took her hand and started up. Halfway to our room I looked back over my shoulder. She was staring at my back, biting her lip.

"Lay down on your stomach," she said after locking the door behind us.

"On my stomach?"

"Take your shirt off first."

I did what she said and felt her climb on top of me. Her hands stroked my hair, then my neck, then my shoulders. I felt her lean down, felt her hair tickle me, then her mouth, hot and wet, as she kissed the top of my shoulder, moving slowly to the other one. She pulled away, and I heard the rustle of fabric as she took off her shirt. Then she returned, pressing herself against me, kissing me again, tasting me with her tongue. I groaned and started to roll over.

"No, not yet." She held me down, rubbing her breasts on me while she worked her way down my spine. When she reached the top of my jeans, she sat up, and I felt her hands reach back and pull off my boots.

"Okay, you can roll over."

I did and reached for her, but she shook her head, taking my hands and putting them up by my head, arching her brow. I tightened my hands into fists, torn between needing to touch her and curious to see what she was up to.

She slowly undid the buttons of my fly and eased off my jeans and underwear. I was already hard, and the look she gave my cock made me seize up with desire. She didn't touch me, though, instead standing and slowly removing her own jeans. All she had on was some kind of little G-string, so small wearing it had to be pointless. I willed her to take it off, too, but she got back on top me with it still on.

"Can I touch you now?"

"No, not until I say." She perched up on all fours over me, bending down to kiss me lightly, too lightly, her lips just touching mine, her body brushing teasingly against me. "You taste so good, Edward," she murmured, her mouth on my neck, her tongue working wicked little circles on my skin. She kissed her way down my chest, brushing her fingers lightly over me, licking at my nipples.

"Bella," I groaned as she made her way my stomach. I looked down and caught the flash of her teeth when she smiled.

"You're so hard for me," she whispered, taking me in her hand. "So hard. So beautiful. This is mine."

Oh fuck, she was talking dirty. I felt the first light sweep of her tongue over the head of my cock and had to turn my face into the pillow to get some control back, a moan coming from deep inside. She licked me up and down slowly, deliberately, then took me in her mouth, inch by slow inch. I couldn't help myself and thrust up, needing more, but she put her hands on my hips, holding me still, returning to caressing me with her tongue.

"Don't move." She slowly engulfed me again, taking me all the way in, swirling her tongue around me as she went, sucking lightly, until I could feel the back of her throat. I was breathing in gasps, my muscles beginning to jerk, my thighs tightening. She sensed my excitement and released me slowly, her fingers caressing me as she let go with her mouth.

"You're close already, aren't you?"

"Yes," I groaned.

"I don't want you to come yet, though." She swirled her fingers over my head, and I struggled to get control of my breathing, my body. "I don't want you to come until you're inside of me. Deep, deep inside of me." She started licking again, and I covered my face with my hands. I didn't think I'd ever felt this hard, this desperate, before in my life. I wanted nothing more than to roll her over and fuck her senseless, but a part of my brain that still seemed to be working told me to wait and let her stay in control. Whether because she was still sore or because she needed this, I didn't know, but I dug my hands into my hair, letting her continue.

She brought me to the brink twice more, stopping each time she felt me start to tremble. Finally she took pity on me and moved back up, slipping off her underwear and rubbing herself on me.
"Can you feel how much I want you? How much I want your hard cock?"

"So wet," was all I managed to get out, begging her in my head to seat herself on me. She read my mind and slowly lowered herself.

"Oh fuck, you feel so good. So good, Edward." She lifted herself up onto her knees so that the only part of her body touching me was her pussy sliding up and down. "You can touch me now," she gasped.

I reached up for her, pulling her down to me and kissing her as hard as I could. Then I flipped her onto her stomach, spreading her thighs with mine and grasping her hips, pulling her up to me. It was her turn to let out a moan and fist her hands into the sheets as I thrust into her.

"Oh god, yes, harder!" She lifted her hips to me and arched her back.

I let go of one of her hips and bent over her beautiful back, using a hand in her hair to pull her head up to mine. I ran my open mouth down her neck, over her perfect shoulder, and back to her ear. "You're not sore anymore?"

She shook her head quickly, her hips moving against mine.

I started thrusting, the position we were in giving me back the control I needed. "You will be."

A/N: Well. I can't quite believe that I'm writing this sort of stuff, let alone formatting and reformatting for hours until it's post-worthy. If anyone out there knows any shortcuts, please let me know. Really. PM me. I mean it.