A/N: You guys continue to make me happy, I must say. Thank you to all who review!

Chapter 13: Toes in the Sand

We all went to our respective rooms after the whole "stroking Edward's ego" debacle. I took the wine away to prevent Emmett and everyone from breaking their vow to keep from getting drunk. Enough wine to make one lethargic and warm is enough, but getting drunk would be unacceptable. I know how getting drunk ends up--with bruises to the back and lifelong regrets. My friends, save for Edward, complained at first, but after Edward's meaningful glare, they went without complaint to their rooms.

Edward and I went to our room, our bodies pleasantly heavy. I landed on the bed, tired from the day's events. Edward laid next to me, stroking my hair and arms. He sang softly to me, a song I didn't recognize, and one I didn't care to recognize. To me, it was his own song, and his voice lulled me into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I awoke to him nuzzling his face into my neck, kissing the hollow spot behind my ear. I moaned and he grinned against my skin. "Morning."

He was already dressed and pulled the blanket off me and lifted me up and brought me to the bathroom. "We're going to the beach. Get cleaned up."

I groaned in protest and he laughed. "No complaints."

He left me to get ready and take a shower. Though I hadn't drank too much last night, I had a slight headache--not one that is unbearable, but one that's irritating enough to make me irritable for the whole day. Our friends were surely going to love me today.

I got out of the shower and went to pull my swim trunks out. I pulled them on and looked into the mirror. In my baggy black trunks and white tank top, I looked like a serious tomboy. Completely unappealing. I went back to the drawer and dug underneath all of my jeans and tops. I reached the tiny bikini Alice had bought me.

I wrinkled my nose at it, but decided to try it on. It was made of a knitted black fabric and reminded me of the bathing suits of the '70's. It tied behind my neck and back and on either side of the bottom. It was incredibly tiny and exposed way too much breast and torso. The sides of my butt cheeks even hung out! It made my pale skin look even paler, but in a good way. I looked like one of those women in a fashion magazine who didn't mind the fact that the whole world would see if they had missed a shave. (Good thing I shaved, then.)

I let my hair out of the towel and tried to scrunch it up, though the scrunches hung in long wavy clumps instead of tight curls. I ran my hands repeated through it, trying desperately to fluff it up, even going so far as to put some gel in it. I put on a little of the peach eyeshadow Alice had insisted I bring.

When I was done, I looked fairly decent, I guess. But I felt like a fool. I heard the doorknob turn and my heart started thumping. Edward came in saying, "Hey, Bella, do you know if I packed my--"

When his eyes saw my reflection in the mirror, they grew to the size of saucers. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. "Bella, that bathing suit looks…"

"Ridiculous?" I filled in for him. "I'll change right now."

"No! Don't! You look amazing. Incredible. I-I…can't even begin to tell you," he was stuttering.

I smiled shyly and he made his way to me. I felt his hands run over my bare sides, my knitted bathing suit. He dragged his lips over my neck as he played with the straps that held it closed at my hips. I swatted his hands playfully and pulled away. "Someone's coming," I mentioned, hearing footsteps.

"Are you guys dressed?" came Jasper's teasing voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Come in, Jasper."

Jasper looked me over before he let out a whistle. "Wow, Bella. You look like a girl."

I punched his arm and he laughed. "Kidding, kidding. You look nice. Never seen so much skin before… Anyway, Alice and Rose are going to town to go shopping. Wanted to know if you wanted to go."

I snorted in disgust and rolled my eyes again. "Do I ever want to go?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well…no…"

"And I still don't. I'm going to the beach," I said, slipping on a t-shirt and looking for a clean pair of jeans in the process.

Jasper left and, after I found a pair of flip flops, Edward and I followed. The other girls had left and only Emmett and Jasper were in the entrance hall. "Let's go," Jasper said.

"So, Bella, I hear Alice bought you a present for the beach?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Edward punched his arm. "Shut up, Em. And keep your eyes off her presents, or I'll hurt you."

Emmett laughed and put his hands out. "Calm down, Edward. I'm just teasing the girl."

Edward put his hands around my hips and stood behind me, shooting Emmett a protective and possessive look. "Yeah yeah. You better stay away, or I'll tell Rose."

The bigger brother laughed and turned around, grabbing his keys from the side table. "Let's go, bro, before all the tourists get all the good waves," he said in a pseudo surfer accent.

Emmett's driving was the most horrifying driving I had ever seen. And I had ridden with Alice on more than one occasion. He drove fast, and his huge jeep had practically no shock absorbance, so I could feel every bump we went over. I was beginning to fell car sick and had just placed my head on Edward's shoulder when Jasper said, "We're here!"

I leaned up, instantly regretting doing so. "Oh, thank the sweet Lord. I'm gonna hurl," I said, leaning back once more.

Edward laughed and kissed my cheek. "Quite your whining and get out."

I glared at him but proceeded to get out of the vehicle. I had a towel around my shoulders and I waited until Emmett was a good distance ahead of me before I took it off and rolled it around and around. I snapped his butt with it and he jumped and said, "Youch!" while grabbing his bum.

I laughed as Edward's eyes widened and he giggled. "Swan, you're going down," Emmett said, rolling his towel up.

I jumped behind Edward instinctively and he stood straight. "Don't you dare touch her!"

His brother rolled his eyes. "You are no fun, little bro. I don't know how we're related!"

Edward tried to look offended. "I resent that!"

I stepped beside him, grabbing a nice handful of his backside as I did so. "I tend to disagree with him. I find you to be very…entertaining."

Edward raised an eyebrow and one side of his mouth flipped up as he put an arm around me. "You little vixen," he whispered, giggling slightly and kissing my cheek where it almost meets the ear.

For the first time, I took in the sight of the beach before us. There was absolutely no one around as far as the eye could see in either direction. The water looked cool and inviting, the waves larger than my body. The sand was almost white it was so sun bleached. I took of my flip flops and instantly regretted it. "Ho- that's hot!" I said, grabbing my burnt foot.

Jasper and Emmett laughed as Edward rubbed my foot. They finally made it to a spot where they'd be settling down and began spreading out a sheet, one of the expensive sheets from the linen closet. They put their shoes at the corners so it wouldn't blow away, and Emmett proceeded to rip off his shirt while running for the water. Jasper rolled his eyes and sat down. He pulled a bottle of suntan lotion on and began applying it to his already burnt skin in thick globs. He kept his shirt on to protect his badly burnt back. He pulled out a thick, leather bound book and settled down to read.

Edward and I had brought our own sheet and spread it the same way about twenty feet away from Jasper's. I pulled a bottle of my own lotion out and my iPod. Edward watched as I pulled my jeans off slowly and folded them. I looked toward Emmett, to make sure he wasn't watching me as well. He was doing a backstroke and appeared to be off in his own little world. I peeled off the t-shirt, Edward's eyes still surveying me.

I sat next to him as I began folding the shirt. "What?" I asked, avoiding his eyes.

"That is by far the sexiest bathing suit," he said, grinning appreciatively.

I sighed and handed him my bottle of lotion. He grabbed it and said, "Ah, gladly."

He took his time applying it, massaging my back gently. I didn't want him to stop, my back was far too tense, but he quickly handed my the bottle and kissed my suntan lotion-covered skin. I put some on my arms and legs as he watched, eyeing my attentively. When I laid back, he laid on his side, propped up on his elbow. Looking down at me, his hair fell messily into his eyes, making him irresistibly sexy. I reached up and ran my hands through it, pushing the loose hair back, only to have it fall once more. In this sunlight, the red in his hair was pretty evident, giving it more of an auburn look, than bronze. Like dark cinnamon.

His eyes swept my scantily clad body and he ran his fingers over my face. "That bathing suit…" he said huskily.

"What about it?" I teased.

"Makes me want to…"

"To what?" I asked, being the demanding one.

He sighed and smiled, but I wouldn't take that as an answer. "Tell me what it makes you want to do," I whispered.

He was about to answer when we felt the wind pick up and it blew sand in his eye. He blinking madly. "Ow!"

I laughed and he shoved my shoulder playfully. "That was incredibly romantic," I joked, closing my eyes and letting the sun's warmth wash over me.

He said, "Oh, no you don't. You cannot go to sleep!"

"Why? It's so nice out here," I said, shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked up at him.

He grinned evilly and lifted me up, bringing me toward the water. I beat my fist against his chest, screaming, "No! Edward, don't you dare!"

He got waist high before he dumped me in. I came back up, coughing water out of my lungs and blinking salt out of my eyes. "You idiot!" I yelled, smacking him.

"You know, you're quite violent for such a little woman," he said, grabbing my wrists and pulling me closer to him.

"Yeah, well, you bring out this side of me," I said, my headache returning and my irritability rising.

He wrapped his arms around me and looked down at me. "Do you forgive me?" he asked.

I shook my head, giving him a hard time. He pouted. "But, I love you!" he pleaded.

I narrowed my eyes. "Prove it."

"With pleasure," he said, dragging his lips sinfully slow over my jaw, neck, and shoulder.

I closed my eyes once more, reveling in the feel of his lips on my wet skin. I decided there was definitely something incredibly erotic about being wet or in water. It was a major turn on. Edward obviously recognized that I felt this way, because he was grinning triumphantly, running his hand under the tie around my back.

When the sun began to set, he and I took a long walk down the strip. He held my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it every few minutes. Emmett and Jasper had stayed back at the Jeep, deciding to take the time to eat. We strolled well out of the line of vision, the jeep just a small green dot in the distance. The tide was coming in and the cool water covered our feet. I kicked the sparkly sea foam up and smiled at how utterly perfect the evening was.

I stopped walking and turned to Edward, who let go of my hand to place his on either side of my neck. He ran his thumbs along my jaw line and I sighed in content. He moved his hands to the small of my back and drew me closer to his own body. I traced his muscles with my fingertips, which caused goosebumps to crawl up his flesh. He shivered in delight and I leaned in to kiss his chest. I could still smell his scent over the salt water and it was making me want him badly. I flicked my tongue out to taste the salty skin of his shoulder and he moaned at the back of his throat.

I pulled away, realizing where we were and exactly how close we were to the residential beach homes. "We can't do this here," I whispered reluctantly.

His eyes showed the undeniable lust and passionate love I was presently feeling. He lifted me up once more and bent to kissed my face as I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my feet dangle over his arm. He carried me bridal style all the way to the jeep. His legs and back would surely be sore after all that distance with me in his arms, but he showed no signs of it.

We climbed into the jeep and kissed a little as Jasper and Emmett packed everything up. "Ugh, you two. Get a room," Emmett said in disgust.

"Oh, we intend to," Edward replied.

After another sickening ride back, Edward led me by the hand up to the bedroom and my heart was pounding in anticipation. When we got up there, I found a dress hanging on the closet door. The note said, "A present for you, even though you ditched us!"

Edward pulled me away from it and to the bed. "Forget the dress," he commanded.

I nodded and began pulling his shirt off.

O.O.O.O.O

Another short, happy chapter. The next one will be their last day in California, their last day in paradise, before they reenter the real world. Dun dun dun!

Please review. Next chapter will be up tonight or tomorrow morning!