Chapter Fourteen: Further Plans
The sun was sinking toward the horizon as Bella and I remained happily intertwined on the beach. The solitude, the absolute, perfect silence, was refreshing to me; I didn't have to block out a single voice. I felt myself relaxing more than I had in months. All my considerable powers of concentration were focused on the lovely girl in my arms...who wanted to be in my arms. The sheer impossibility of such a thing as Bella's love for someone like me...for such a monstrous being...still staggered me.
Letting go of her warm hand, I reached forward to touch her face as we lay facing each other. We had talked in low voices, nearly whispers, off and on for the last hour, but we weren't keeping up a conversation by any means. We just basked in the glow of this love that we both gave and received with a sense of awe. I could see the wonder in her beautiful eyes as she marveled just as I did—awestruck by the power of first love, a love that was so nearly lost a mere two months ago. We both seemed to be exceedingly grateful to simply be together—at least I know I felt the grace of this day, and I saw the same thankfulness mirrored in her eyes as she gazed at me.
But time was passing, and I allowed a reluctant sigh to escape my lips. Bella raised herself on her elbow and, leaning toward me, pressed her warm lips to mine for a moment before she pushed out her bottom lip in a pout. Mesmerized by her beautiful lips that I wanted to kiss again (and forever), I didn't notice the sadness in her expression until she spoke.
"Do we really need to go back?" Bella whispered.
My hand still cupped her delicate cheekbones, and my breathing roughened as a beautiful blush stained her pale skin under my hand.
"Yes, my love. Unfortunately, we do." I paused, taking in a deep breath as I leaned toward her, bridging the short distance between us again. "In a moment..." My voice trailed off as I kissed her again. I could never get enough of this feeling, this gentle euphoria, that filled me, making me feel young and buoyant...and not more than a century old.
Bella scooted closer to me and, lowering her head to the coverlet, wrapped both arms around my neck. She deepened the kiss, parting her lips and allowing my gentle invasion. It was a kiss of passion yet remained very sweet. I felt as though I was kissing an angel, not a flesh-and-blood young woman. My arms encircled her, softly holding her against my chest, but her heart rate, usually rocketing to new heights every time I touched her, kept close to its usual pace. We seemed to both feel the purity of the moment, the sacredness of this love of ours.
I raised my head and gazed lovingly at her, then my brows rushed together in concern as I noticed the tears gathering in her clear brown eyes.
"Bella? What is it, my love?" I spoke low, trying not to allow worry to overwhelm me as I brushed the tears away with the tips of my cold fingers, but the moisture in her eyes spilled over onto her perfect face.
Bella smiled through her tears, and her warm palms grasped my face between them. "I...I'm...just..."
"Just what, sweetheart?"
"Just..." her voice faded, and I read her lips as she voicelessly mouthed, "Just...so happy, Edward. I love you so much that I just can't hold it in..."
I touched my forehead to hers. "I understand, love," I breathed. "Truly, I do." I felt the corner of my eyes prickle; if I had been capable of tears, my eyes would be overflowing as well. Would I ever be able to speak those words to my love: "I do"? Would I be able to marry her one day, be part of her life? Be part of her life until... I crushed the negative thought of her leaving this life before she see the expression of agony that I'm sure crossed my features.
Instead, I gathered her to my chest, tucking her head under my chin as we allowed this sweet emotion of our love to course through us both, rocking our souls...or rocking hers, at least. I almost felt like I still possessed a soul at this moment. Bella's love was so inexpressibly precious.
The sun sank lower, and I sighed again. "But yes, sweetheart, we do need to get going." With great reluctance, I sat up, and Bella followed suit, a frown creasing her forehead. "Why?" she grumbled.
I leaned toward her, pressing a kiss to the lines of worry between her arched brows. "Because," I whispered seductively into her fragrant hair, "this day is far from over..."
Bella leaned back in surprise. "You don't have more planned, Edward?" I couldn't help smiling at her utterly shocked expression.
"But of course, my love," I grinned widely at her. "We have the entire evening ahead of us."
I stood up and started gathering together our things while Bella, after sending me a puzzled and somewhat exasperated look that only widened my grin, started blowing out the votive candles surrounding us. It was the work of only moments before I was folding the coverlet and escorting Bella to the rowboat, and then mere moments more before I was escorting her aboard the yacht. After taking the things down below, I brought up a light jacket to protect Bella from the cool late afternoon breezes before securing the dinghy to the aft of the sailboat. I then moved to the boom over the aft deck to prepare the sails.
A quiet buzz disturbed my pocket, and I pulled out my phone to find a text from Alice:
Everything's set at the marina and the hotel. Don't bother sailing back; the wind will die down completely in ten minutes and you won't make your dinner reservations.
I nodded to myself and stepped away from the sails I had just started to unfurl. I had planned to sail at least partway back to the marina in the glow of the late afternoon sunshine, but Alice's perfectly-timed text prevented me from wasting valuable time. I was a little disappointed as I thought Bella would enjoy sailing back to the marina, but we were going to be forced to use the motor the entire way. Sailing was so much quieter without the roar of the engine, and the way a yacht listed under the power of the wind was the stuff of romance...in my opinion at least. Perhaps a hard keeling would frighten my little landlubber anyway...I smiled as I looked at her.
Bella was stunning in the late afternoon sun, the rose color of the approaching sunset turning her skin the most beautiful color. She was seated next to me, her eyes closed as we motored south along the pine-swept coastline, the wind pulling her abundant hair away from her face. Her nose was a little more freckled now than it had been before we had enjoyed our day in the sunshine, but she didn't seem to have been sunburned. I was going to have to thank Alice for suggesting a high SPF sunscreen to Bella as she dressed this morning. Sunscreen was something I definitely would have forgotten, despite my careful planning of this special day...and evening. A painful sunburn would definitely have ruined my evening plans.
Far too soon we motored into the marina and I guided the yacht into the slip without incident. Bella sat on the teak seat as I shut everything down and gathered our things from below. After all was stowed, I locked the cabin door and then shouldered my bundles before handing Bella carefully onto the wooden dock, holding onto her arm while she attempted to regain her usually precarious balance.
She laughed a little ruefully at her deplorable balance as she tried to adjust to the feeling of being on land once again. "I've heard of 'sea legs,' but I've never experienced them before."
Concerned as always, I kept one arm around her waist after shifting all that I was carrying to my right shoulder and hip as I escorted her along the dock and up the plank to the valet area in front of the marina. The Vanquish was waiting for us, per Alice's long-distance orders, and I quickly opened the trunk and stowed our bundles from the day before assisting Bella into the passenger seat of the Vanquish. I quickly joined her and turned the car toward downtown Seattle.
Bella raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going now, Edward?"
Turning my head in her direction, I smirked. "It's a surprise."
She sighed, looking forward to avoid meeting my gaze. "I don't 'do' surprises well," she muttered.
It was my turn to sigh. "Bella, have you enjoyed this day thus far?"
Bella paused, obviously trying to think of something to object to, merely for the sake of not losing the argument. Finally, still not meeting my eyes, she hissed, "Yes."
My mischievous smile returned. "So what exactly are you worried about?"
Bella folded her lips and turned to look out the side window. My grin widened. Aaaaah, my beautiful, stubborn girl.
My foot pressed the accelerator and in just a few moments we were pulling up to the beautiful Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle.