I don't own Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.
As always, AmeryMarie, YogaGal and famouslyso are the awesome guinea pigs.
Happy holidays, guys! My gift to you...
-Chapter 14: Bond Structure-
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I was the clumsiest vampire in all of existence. After a couple weeks of "Vampire Boot Camp," as I referred to it in my head, I still overshot my jumps and banged into things. I wondered if new recruits got this feeling at real boot camp—the "holy fuck what have I gotten myself into" point where you realize you're in way over your head?
The Cullens all took immense enjoyment in laughing at me—and if I had to pick one good thing about the whole situation, my ineptness at vampire Cirque de Soleil-type stuff was something of a bonding element between Edward and his estranged family members. Most of the time, he was short and curt with them, only tolerating their presence because they were useful in helping me learn to acclimate myself to this new life. But then I would trip over a leg of the coffee table, completely destroy some furniture, or knock a hole in the drywall, and they'd all laugh like a pack of hyenas.
Though it was nice, seeing them all get along, I knew he was still uncomfortable being in such close proximity to his family; their betrayal was still too fresh in his mind for him to be completely at ease in their presence. Alice and Jasper had returned from up north a few days ago, and while no one was openly hostile, Edward and Jasper stayed clear of one another, trading dirty looks whenever they passed. Alice watched them both with a sad, resigned expression that I couldn't quite figure out.
As for the little tornado herself, her visions had all but dried up, which was apparently something to be worried about in the Cullen household. They were all way too stressed about not having every possible outcome laid out for any given situation. Poor vampires didn't like it when they had to live like regular, non-psychic people for a change. I hid the twinge of satisfaction I felt when Alice revealed how uneasy she felt when she couldn't rely on her gift. To me, it seemed like karma was getting a bit of revenge for the role she'd played in imprisoning Edward. Her bars and restrictions weren't physical, weren't made of steel or any other molded alloy—they were invisible and inside her own brain.
The others lived in a state of constant caution, always waiting for some enemy or another to land on their doorstep. They lived in real fear of these Volturi people, which was something I couldn't make myself understand. I had nothing against them, but I had no desire to meet them. I'd stay out of their way if they did the same for me. Aside from whatever stir Edward had caused by taking me from that mysteriously wrecked ambulance, I would simply disappear from my old life and try to explore the new one. Making waves was not on my agenda.
There couldn't be that many vampires in the world, or people would definitely know about us. We couldn't number more than thousands—at the most—amongst a population of over six billion humans. There was plenty of territory to share, so why should we squabble? Of course, this pathetically simplistic way of thinking probably made me the most naïve vampire in existence, but what could be a better way to ensure stability in the species than to follow the laws of nature?
Besides, I had enough to think about. I was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the human world, but I still needed to provide shelter and clothing for myself. My new body might have been able to withstand the elements, but that didn't mean I wanted to start living like a cow at pasture or anything. I needed money and a place to live and a...a television, for Christ's sake, because I'd never sleep again!
Then there was the hunting thing. Edward was all too happy to provide for me like some kind of Cro-magnon male in hunter-gatherer mode, and he had made sure I'd sampled the spectrum of the local wildlife, aside from the bipedal variety. Last night, I'd participated in the hunt for the first time since the 'antler incident,' helping to drive the prey back toward Edward for the final kill. It was a start, but nowhere near where I needed to be to feel comfortable.
We remained with the Cullens in the meantime because their home was in a more rural area, far from the city, therefore decreasing my risk of exposure to humans. Most of the time, I was very grateful for that fact—the few times I'd gotten a whiff of Eau de Homo sapiens sapiens had not been the most pleasant experiences of my new life. My throat had burned like hell, and I felt like those people on Survivor probably did when they saw their first buffet right at the end of their month on bumfuck island. Times ten million.
Edward turned out to be quite good at talking me down, but the first time I'd gotten too close to a human, I'd put up a pretty decent fight, and he ended up with a nasty crack in his arm. The shock of seeing that pain on his face, knowing that I could really hurt him, was enough to snap me out of the bloodlust. It had scared me, and made me fully aware of how hard Edward must have had to concentrate not to hurt me when I was human. He had a scary amount of self-control.
He was also an amazing teacher—he was patient, always making sure I could relate his explanations to situations that I'd understand. Slowly, I learned how to make the best of my new talents, trying to follow Edward's instructions, using my instincts. Maybe sometime in the future I'd overcome my accident-prone tendencies, but right now, I was content knowing that at least I couldn't permanently maim myself whenever I had a "Bella" moment. Edward seemed confident that I'd eventually be the epitome of grace—it might take me fifty years—but I'd get there. He also said he couldn't wait to see my face when I realized he was right all along.
The only thing I could think of for hours after that conversation was that he wanted to be with me fifty years from now.
For hours after that, I was angry at myself for being such a girl.
I had severely underestimated Edward's appeal. Resisting him wasn't something I'd ever been able to do with ease, and it was becoming downright impossible. It hurt, keeping my distance from him. I missed how we'd been before—we'd talk and hold hands, share smiles, steal kisses. Then there were the small, soft touches and sweetly phrased questions, the lazy laughter, and the sometimes awkward but always thrilling glances.
I'm such a girl.
We were still together all the time; however, most of our conversations were relegated to instructions and tips on how to better manage this new and improved body I now lived in. He was polite and gentlemanly, and he kept his hands to himself. While I'd been grateful for the space in the beginning, I was starting to catch myself wishing for some kind of advance from him—just one tiny little sign was all I needed. My resistance was sporting some serious foundation damage, and he knew it.
Almost three weeks after I 'woke up,' Edward and I were spending some time in the Snoqualmie National Forest, taking advantage of the extremely bright full moon and rare cloudless night. With all the Cullens in residence, the large white house in the woods was a bit crowded, and I knew I needed some time away from the others just as badly as Edward did. The night was chilly, one of the first cold snaps of fall, radiational cooling sapping away the last of the summer's warmth.
We were, yet again, working on making me a slightly less useless vampire.
"You're over-thinking it, Bella." He moved in closer, his voice lowering just the slightest bit. "Your body knows what to do. Trust your instincts."
"It's kind of hard not to think about how I'm going to hurl myself fifteen feet in the air to grab a specific tree branch," I huffed, crouching to make a go of another long, wide branch. No go.
Graceful I was not, and I landed off balance, my heels digging into the slick coating of leaf matter on the forest floor, sending me skidding on my butt. It didn't really hurt, but the impact was still jarring. It wasn't the most pleasant sensation. I didn't even want to look and see if Edward was trying not to laugh. I'd be laughing if our roles were reversed.
Hopping to my feet, I swatted at the leaves and needles that were stuck to my ass. I heard what sounded like a little groan, and caught Edward sort of biting the corner of his lower lip just a little bit, his eyes fixed on my hand as he came near. With a grin, I pivoted to give him a better view.
Resting a hand very low on my back, he leaned his chin over my shoulder. "As much as I'd love to brush some more leaves off your very pretty behind, I know you can do this. I have an idea. We'll have a competition of sorts."
Every cell in my body went on screaming alert. I might have even felt a phantom blush...it had been a while since we'd been this close.
By some miracle, I managed to speak without sounding like a breathless stripper. "What kind of competition?"
"A little game of chase? I'll give you a thirty second head start—"
I whirled around, putting a little distance between us. "Thirty seconds? Come on!"
"You're a vampire now. You should be able to do a lot with those thirty seconds." He arched a brow and paused, waiting to see if I'd interrupt him again. "Okay, I'll give you forty-five. Better?"
Not really, but I nodded anyway. "Better."
"Here's how it works: this boulder is the safe zone. We'll walk to a point a sufficient distance away, say...fifteen miles, and then we start the chase. If you can make it to the safe zone before I catch you, then you win."
I smiled. "Win what?"
"What do you want?" His smirk was knee-melting.
"Well, that's a brave question."
"I mean it, Bella. Anything you want."
I didn't speak for several moments, instead I searched his face for some clue to his real feelings, finding nothing. "Can I think about it and tell you later?"
"Of course," he said, relief flashing across his brow.
"One more thing."
"Yes?" He gave me a hesitant look, like maybe he thought I was backing out.
"Why can't I chase you?" I couldn't help the teasing grin that curved my lips.
He laughed suddenly, startling a pair of birds out of a nearby tree. "Really, Bella? You'd be hunting me for days. You'd never find me."
I gasped in indignation, still unused to my new capacity for the sudden influx of emotions. "You don't know that," I snapped, following as he kept laughing and started leading us away from the safe zone.
"Sure I don't." His voice was wry and low, so sexily provoking.
I didn't trust myself to speak after that, so I spent the rest of the journey plotting revenge on Edward in one form or another. I'd show him...
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-x-
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Revenge plots did me no good as I found myself wasting the first ten seconds of my precious forty-five-second head start. I should have paid better attention on the hike, been a good little vampire and cataloged my surroundings, started forming strategies—not entertaining delusional fantasies of revenge and humiliation...and maybe a tiny bit of domination on my part.
Maybe.
Fantasizing sure wasn't doing me one bit of luck now, as I ran at top speed through the brushy forest undergrowth, eying the heavy evergreen boughs that hung a few feet above my head, hoping to use one of them as a landing platform.
I'd take to the trees for several hundred yards, and then slip back down to the ground, which would hopefully throw him off my scent. Breaking up my scent trail by switching back and forth from canopy to ground just might work, but there was a problem—I had no idea where the damn safe zone was supposed to be!
"Thirty seconds, Bella!" Edward called, his voice steeped in smugness and anticipation. I chanced a quick look behind me, making sure I was out of his line of sight before I went leaping into the trees. Satisfied that I was far enough away, I focused on the trees ahead and chose a branch, easily hitting my target that time. A self-satisfied grin pulled at the corners of my mouth, and I took the time to give myself a little pat on the back for a job well done. It only took a fraction of a second with my new vampire speed.
Celebration over, I focused on finding another suitable landing spot, zeroing in on a low bough about fifteen feet away. It looked nice and sturdy, joined with a broad base at the trunk. I tried to think about how much strength I should use to make it that far, and decided I should probably approach the jump at about eighty percent.
"Fifteen seconds!" The taunting call was barely discernible now, but that only meant I wouldn't know exactly when he started after me. I couldn't help the curse that escaped from my lips, and I fumed when I thought I heard his laughter echoing after me. Focusing even harder on my target, I leapt, and I knew I was fucked before I was even halfway there—I was off-centered and coming in too low. When my fingertips scraped the underside of the branch, they took out huge gouges that exposed the tender yellow pine to the elements, a blatant signature that my clumsy ass had been there. I landed in a heap beneath the tree, my body leaving a dark, obvious rut in the soft litter that covered the forest floor.
Quickly, I got up and kicked at the mark, wishing that the slick, oily black leaf litter I'd kicked up didn't stand out so obviously against the drier top layers of compost. I knew I had to go back up, but Edward would surely see this place...maybe I could make him think I kept going on the ground. Time was running out, if it hadn't already, and I had to move fast if my plan was going to work. With quiet, efficient movements, I extended the false trail, hoping it would delay him just long enough for me to get away.
A twig snapped somewhere off to my left, and I immediately leapt into the tree above me, skirting some of the mid-level limbs, retracing my steps back to the site of my mishap. I climbed as high as I dared when I reached the scarred tree, sticking close to the trunk, thanking God I picked a boring brown sweater over that jewel-blue one for tonight's excursion. When I found a good vantage point that was well-hidden, draped in thick, shaggy boughs of coniferous needles, I waited. Edward would, no doubt, know exactly how to get back to the safe zone, and I planned on letting him lead me straight to it.
It wasn't long before he came into view, easily visible with that shock of vibrant hair and the navy-blue button-down he wore open over a bright white t-shirt and dark jeans. He paused directly below me, scanning the ground carefully, his eyes finding and fixing on the damaged limb. His visual search moved to the trees, and I felt extremely exposed, because if I could see him that well, he could surely see me...
Don't see me. Don't see me...
I locked up my muscles, doing the vampire statue thing; up so high in the trees, everything else seemed to freeze with me. There was nothing...no birds calling, no scampering scrape of tiny claws against shaggy bark, no sound but the soft ebb and flow of the chilly breeze. It reminded me of that heavy silence of falling snow—the one that absorbs all other sound, unnerving and beautiful in its utter lack of audible stimulus.
Down below, Edward continued to peer up at the forest canopy, finally turning his attention back to the ground and the false trail I'd so kindly laid for him. I was still afraid to move; I didn't want to knock loose any debris and clue him in to my current hiding place. My little eagle's nest turned out to be a good hiding spot, and I was able to observe him for a good half a mile before I had to follow or risk losing him. Carefully, I climbed down to the forest floor and set off in the same direction Edward had taken.
Hopefully, he'd never imagine that I might be behind him, which might offset any rookie mistakes I made. I decided to follow him on foot as far as possible, and use the trees when I needed to overtake him at the very end. Keeping a good fifty-yard distance between us, I trailed him, thinking about the advice he'd given me before the game began.
Trust your instincts.
What better way to do it than to pretend Edward was prey? How would I go after an animal...how would I chase a human, if I let myself rely on my vampire senses?
"Bella, this is chase, not hide-and-seek!" Ooh, he's talking to himself! This should be good.
He sounded frustrated, and I grinned, stopping as he halted next to a huge fallen log. Peering around the tree trunk I'd used for cover, I could barely make out his lanky frame, and I had to cover my mouth to stop a giggle when he raked a hand through his hair and paced once or twice.
"She wouldn't have...she couldn't have just run straight there...there would be tracks," he muttered, starting to scan the trees again.
Cold, buddy. Very, very cold. Arctic.
Leaves crunched under his feet as he slowly turned in a circle, but his eyes were aimed too high.
Getting a bit warmer...but you're still chilly.
"There's no trail...how can she be this good already?"
I felt a little spike of pride at that, imagining I heard a little awe in that frustrated mumble.
"Not a single footprint...I don't get it..."
Well, that's because I'm behind you, Einstein hair.
He started forward again, pausing briefly to sniff a nearby tree trunk, and I had to stifle a snort. I didn't know what I'd do if he went full-on bloodhound on me—I wondered if he'd get on all fours and sniff the ground if he got desperate enough. He continued to move forward through the forest for a couple miles or so before he froze in his tracks and whirled around.
Shit! Did I even make any noise?
"Clever girl," he said lowly.
I couldn't stop the single laugh that escaped. I mean, for Christ's sake...did he think I was a velociraptor? And what was more bizarre than a vampire quoting Jurassic Park? Even more bizarre was the fact that my vampire brain had held on to some of the most useless things—facts that were only good for playing bar trivia or telling dirty jokes.
Edward looked right at me, drawn by my open laughter, and damn if I didn't shiver at the feeling of his eyes locking on to mine, even at a distance of more than fifty yards.
"You'd better start running," he called, just before he sped toward me in a blur of blue and bronze. I took off in a panic, darting through the thick underbrush, taking to the trees when the spindly twigs slowed my progress too much. I cleared three branches in a row before I realized I was finally getting good at this whole vampire acrobatics thing, and I wasn't thinking about anything but getting away and winning—beating Edward. Pausing for a second, clutching the trunk of my current tree, I listened for any sound of him crashing through the forest after me. Hearing a whisper of sound far off to my left, I shot up higher, hopefully out of sight but still low enough that I could hop to another tree without snapping the more fragile branches near the top.
Suddenly, I could hear him approaching fast, and I channeled my inner chameleon as I clung to the trunk. He stopped right under my tree; it was too late to run now—he'd spot me easily if I moved. Keep going...don't notice me...
I spent one agonizing second in a state of panic when he looked right at me, but his gaze kept going. Did that really just happen? I mean, I'm almost fifty feet in the air, but did he just miss me?
I couldn't believe my luck. Holy shit!
Edward moved on, scratching his head. Either I was really, really good at this game, or he was one of the worst trackers I'd ever seen. If he's this bad at it, I'm surprised he hasn't starved to death! My grin was a mile wide as I watched him leave, taking a moment to ogle his ass in those jeans. Well, as much as I could from the height of a small skyscraper. Feeling obscenely proud of myself, I lowered myself to another limb to keep him in sight, and then another. I was too busy admiring the view to notice when my sweater got snagged on a sharp twig, leaving a long rip down the side, the rending of delicate cashmere obvious as a gunshot.
Edward froze ahead of me, whirling around and spotting me easily, since I hadn't had time to hide. I was caught. "How in the hell are you doing it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I taunted, and took off. I felt like fucking Tarzan, or Jane, I guess. Edward could be Tarzan.
As soon as I started gloating to myself about my tree mastery, I screwed up, of course. I missed my next branch entirely, falling a good twenty feet to the ground. This time, I managed to land on my feet, using inertia to leap into a fast run. This is what he meant! Just don't think!
I tore through the underbrush, feeling leaves and twigs and briars tearing into my clothes, tangling in my hair. Exhilarated, I pushed myself further, laughing in breathless bursts as I dodged trees and mossy, rotten logs. Spindly, feathery ferns seemed to tremble at the force of my approach, sending tiny, crystalline drops of dew falling from their green fingertips. The air was crisp, brimming with the spicy scent of crushed pine needles. I could smell the thick, sticky sap that oozed from the cracks in the bark, mixed with the sharp tang of freshly exposed cellulose where a branch or twig had the misfortune of running into my unforgiving skin.
This was...amazing.
It was Edward who snapped me out of my nature trance. Good thing he couldn't read my mind. He probably would have caught me if he'd just kept quiet.
"Sure you're going the right way?" The frustrated note was gone from his voice, and it was a lot closer than I'd thought. A quick glance to my side found him just even with me through the trees, about twenty feet away.
I was surprised to realize that I was sure. As much as Edward had a scent all his own, there was also a smell I associated with us together. Sort of like when I used to wear perfume as a human—it never smelled quite the same on my body as it did straight from the bottle. I knew that the last time the two of us had walked in a path together, we were going away from the safe zone. So when I caught that scent, I followed it. By taunting me, the sneaky jerk was trying to throw me off!
"You're full of it," I muttered under my breath, making sure I was running at top speed. I had to make sure he didn't cut me off before I got back to the damn rock!
Moonlight glowed up ahead, revealing the edge of a little clearing—the same clearing that I prayed held the safe zone. Home base.
No, can't think of that. Because that only makes me think of the other Home Base.
I burst through the edge of the clearing, screaming, "Yes! I win!" as I caught sight of the big rock at the opposite side.
One second I was celebrating, and the next, Edward crashed into my side, sending us both staggering.
"Ooh, sorry, Beautiful. So close," he chuckled as his arms closed around me.
"You cheater!" Trying to recover from the jarring impact, I gave him a little push, feeling a little zing of satisfaction when he stumbled backwards a bit.
He smiled wide as he righted himself. "I was just about to say the same thing of you."
"I did not. I'm just...sneakier than you."
"How in the hell did you keep getting behind me, anyway?"
I rolled my eyes. "You're just not that observant. I swear, you looked right at me and didn't notice."
"I don't believe it," he insisted, his smile dissolving into a puzzled little scowl. It was sort of adorable, and I had to work doubly hard to make sure I stayed annoyed. He'd robbed me of sweet victory, damn it!
"You'd better believe it, because that's all you're getting—and it's all I've got," I tossed back, crossing my arms across my chest. "Maybe you're just a shitty tracker."
His mouth dropped open as he huffed out a breath, his face the picture of offended male dignity. It took him several moments to formulate a response.
"Well, this 'shitty tracker' just caught you."
"Oh, okay. You just ran down a big, bad, novice vampire. You should be so proud of yourself," I said, infusing my tone with the most patronizing nuances possible.
"I am," he returned, not missing a beat. Apparently, he did miss the sarcasm. "Now, let's discuss my prize." A sly grin curved his lips and his eyes glinted with mirth.
"What prize? The only prize we discussed was mine...but if you're ready to admit how you cheated..." I trailed off, thinking of what I could weasel out of him to compensate for the stolen victory.
"I told you, Bella, I didn't cheat. I'm simply much faster than you could ever hope to be." A little growl escaped my throat at his taunt, but before I could formulate an appropriately snarky reply, he kept going. "Now, let's see..." He put on a huge show of considering his options, eying me up and down, tapping his index finger against that square chin of his.
"Edward, stop it. We didn't discuss you getting any prizes. Just me."
He laughed, coming to stand right in front of me. "Well, that was your mistake, wasn't it?"
"Oh, for Christ's sake...what do you want? Are you going to make me clean your underwear or something?" Well, at least there wouldn't be any skid-marks. Ugh. "You can't make me do the dishes, because we don't have any." He had so many options of torture, and he could pick any one of them. "Crap...you're not going to make me eat only skunks and beavers for a week, are you?"
"What do you want me to want?" he drawled, using that vampire voice on me.
Oh, I know what you want me to want you to want...
I belatedly realized that I also had a nifty vampire voice—and it definitely affected Edward. "What do you think I want you to want?" Inching closer to him, I dropped my arms, letting one hand brush his as I lowered them.
He swallowed, and I swear I heard his throat clicking. "I wouldn't dare presume to know what you're thinking, love." If he'd been human, his voice probably would have cracked.
"Smart man," I murmured, laying the sultriness on thick, looking up at him through my eyelashes.
"It takes a smart man to handle a brilliant woman." His head dropped a bit, bringing his face closer to mine. Sweet, calming breath washed over my cheeks. The golden rings of his irises warmed as he gave me an endearingly crooked smile. One hand reached for mine, fingers caressing, entwining.
"You know..." He leaned in closer, causing my breath to hitch. "Brilliant women know when smart men are patronizing them..." I didn't like the way my voice was weakening, and I was sure he could feel the way my fingers trembled against his.
"Do they?" Damn him—his voice was only getting stronger, sexier. Why does everything always backfire on me?
I nodded. "Always."
"I see," he said, the tip of his tongue coming out to trace the contour of his lower lip.
Trying to stall for time—and fight the impulse to let my own tongue take the same path as his—I looked down, seeing the toes of his shoes touching mine. Both bore fresh scrapes and scuffs, streaks of mud splattered across the once pristine surfaces. I smiled slightly, thinking of our race to the rock today. We were always on the same path, it seemed, and we both displayed the marks of the journey. Would we always be this way?
"Bella?" he asked softly, and I lifted my gaze to his. Giving up all pretenses of keeping any distance between us, he closed the tiny gap. "I know what I want." He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face, fingers lingering to cover the side of my neck, his palm resting right where he could feel my pulse. The thought had the same effect as a bucket of cold water on my senses.
No, not anymore...there's no more pulse.
Unable to control the way my muscles locked up, I squeezed my eyelids shut and tried to back away. His arms locked around my back, refusing to let me go, and I realized I couldn't find the strength to break free. I knew I had it in me somewhere, but...did I really want to get away?
"Bella, please...don't pull away from me," he said softly, begging me with the ragged tone of his voice, the gentle desperation in his hands, the needy pressure of his body against mine. "Please."
The last part was too soft to be heard by human ears, and perhaps that's why it struck me so. Rose's advice from my first day came flooding back. "You hold him in the palm of your hand..."
I could break him, if I wanted. I could tear him down and crush him into pieces with one word, one rash, careless action, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. I was still riddled with confusion, anger, and resentment, but thanks to this new life, I had room for all of those things and more—and the love I felt for him was bigger than all of those put together. Those other emotions paled in comparison.
So I stopped thinking, and did what I wanted. I pressed my lips to his, softly at first, but once I felt the firm curves of his mouth, smelled the spicy-sweet scent of his smooth skin, I couldn't hold back.
Neither could Edward, apparently. He sucked in a little breath, as if he couldn't believe I was kissing him, and then he came to life. A low, ragged moan hummed against my lips as his arms tightened around my back, fingers splaying wide, like he couldn't touch enough of me. Slowly, he walked me backwards until I felt the rough, chilled surface of the rock against my upper back. His hands wandered down around my hips, fingertips gently pressing into my flesh, cradling, squeezing. I pressed my palms to the hard plane of his chest and slid them up around his neck, threading my fingers into the soft, spiked strands of his hair.
His tongue licked over my lower lip, playing at the corner of my mouth. I couldn't seem to slow my breathing, little pants escaping as I nibbled at his lips, denying him what I knew we both wanted. His fingers played with the rip in my sweater, slipping underneath the soft cashmere to stroke along my side. I moaned softly at his touch, finally parting my lips to let him inside.
He tasted wonderful, just as I remembered, maybe even better for the days I'd gone without. If I could still dream, it would be of this... His tongue was soft and searching as it tangled with mine; his fingertips dug into my skin and he pressed me more fully against the boulder, using his whole body to touch me. The rock was cold against my back, but Edward...Edward suddenly felt blazing hot, as did every inch of my skin.
I clenched my hands into fists, pulling at his hair, thrilling to the little grunt of pain that escaped him. The sounds of our breathing, the rasp of denim across cold granite, the soft, slick slide of his lips against mine, all of it filled my ears, swelling until there was nothing but Edward and me and the ground we stood on. God, I'd missed this, missed him and the things he could make me feel. When we were lost in each other, nothing else mattered. In that moment, I understood why he'd chosen this path, and I couldn't fault him for it. And when he held me like this, I was grateful for it.
The kiss ended slowly, and he pressed soft, sweet kisses to my lips before resting his forehead to mine. Our breaths mingled, mouths almost touching as I opened my eyes to find his blazing at me, dark and searching.
"Thank you." It felt like another kiss on my lips, a hint of sweet breath on a sigh. "How did you know exactly what I wanted?"
"I didn't...it's what I wanted, too."
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Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and a Hanukkah shout-out to my Jewish friends. Hope you're all having a great break, whatever you celebrate. I'm exhausted, and I think I'm developing a slight headache from all the bourbon slush I had this afternoon. Time to turn into a couch zombie and find something good on the TV.
I'd love to know what you're thinking of my little story here. Thanks for reading, and of course, I love the reviews...just saying.