It soon began clear to me that we were in one of the most lavish suites the hotel had to offer. Not to mention that we were in one of the nicest hotels Paris had to offer. Edward didn't even flinch at the beauty and luxury surrounding us. A small brochure told me that we were in the Panoramic Suite boasting views of Montmartre, l'Opéra, and the Eiffel Tower. Our suite was designed like a Parisian apartment. Two bedrooms, marble bathroom, a large sitting room, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area, and even a private fitness room. The suite was bathed in gold and ivory tones, with rich wood tones. I paced slowly around the suite, touching the silky fabrics, peeking out the windows, and soaking it all in. I stepped out onto the private terrace, blooming with flowers that overlooked the courtyard garden.
"Hungry?", his voice breathed behind me.
"A little bit, yea", I admitted, barely noticing the rumble of my stomach. He disappeared inside and I continued gazing in amazement at the structures around me. I chuckled up towards the sky, a familiar hazy overcast, a gloomy reminder of home. Not that I'm complaining. I want to be able to spend time outside with Edward, although I may not argue against one day stuck inside. My thoughts of tangled sheets were interrupted when Edward returned with a plate filled with sliced brie and a crusty baguette.
"I can't believe I'm in Paris. Eating a baguette", I laughed, shoving a hunk of bread into my mouth, and moaning in delight. The baker at the Forks grocery store clearly has never had a real baguette. He uncorked a bottle of white wine and poured me a glass. I suddenly felt very mature.
"I'm happy you are here", he replied, sitting in the chair beside me, propping his long legs on the iron gate.
"You know, I would have been perfectly satisfied to camp out in a hostel", I stated, unconsciously signaling to the glamour surrounding me.
"It was nothing", he admitted leaning back further in the chair, propping his hands behind his neck.
"It's not nothing to me. This isn't how I live. I just want you to know how much I appreciate it", I whisper, popping another piece of bread into my mouth.
"I know. Money means nothing to me. You mean everything. I only care about giving you the best".
I blush at his statement. We've talked a bit about money before. Edward and his family have clearly gained their fair share of wealth over their existence, and prefer to live an extravagant lifestyle. I suppose it is just something I have to accept.
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on me. You are enough". He rolled his eyes at me and shook his head.
"I don't feel like I have to Bella. I want to".
"Ok", I said resigning. Maybe one day I can hit the lottery and spoil him too.
I took the last sip of my wine, and then Edward was leading me into the bathroom to get ready for the night. I took a longer shower than expected, taking my time to wash the airline filth off my skin. I wrapped myself in one of the hotels fluffy white bathrobes and towel dried my hair. I padded into the bedroom to retrieve my clothes. Edward was lounging on the bed, plucking at his guitar and mumbling words, as if trying to piece together a new song. He looked up at me, his eyes raking over my appearance.
"You look entirely too tempting. It's not fair", his voice a rough whisper. He stood and walked towards me, painfully slow. He extended his hand towards the rope on the bathrobe, his fingers lingering against the knot.
"I'm perfectly alright with you giving into your temptations", I murmured.
"Later", he breathed against my neck planting a lone kiss along my jaw line. He retreated toward the bed, my body shaking with desire.
"That's just plain mean", I huffed digging in my suitcase. Well two can play that game. I smiled wickedly. I grabbed my clothes and strutted toward the bathroom, throwing a last glance at Edward. He had an eyebrow arched in amusement, but his jaw was tightened. I tossed my clothes inside, and loosened the knot on the bathrobe. I stood outside the door and wiggled a little revealing my shoulders before I shed it completely, the lumpy mass pooling around my ankles. I shut the door giggling to myself, hoping I pulled that off with some semblance of sex appeal. I emerged thirty minutes later, with tousled waves and simple makeup. I dressed in a black boat neck shirt with skinny jeans, and simple silver earrings. He was waiting outside of the door, an unreadable expression playing across his face.
"No. That was mean", he grumbled, before sweeping me into his arms and dipping me into a long and passionate kiss. I gave him in innocent smile when he pulled away laughing.
It was nearly dinnertime as we headed out, holding hands and enjoying each other's presence. I had no clue what we were doing, and didn't really care, but Edward seemed to be set on some agenda. We hopped on the Métro and emerged in the 7th arrondissement. We walked around for a bit, Edward pointing out all the iconic landmarks. My eyes were wide open with wonder the entire time. I felt the need to pinch myself. How can such a beautiful place exist, and yet have so much history? I was snapping my camera furiously, not wanting to miss anything. We stopped at a crepe stand, where Edward ordered a crêpe beurre-sucre for me in flawless French. I decided I could never eat anything else but crêpes for the rest of my life and be happy.
We eventually made it to the Seine river walk where Edward produced a blanket, a croque-monsieur, a bundle of grapes, and another bottle of wine from the backpack he was schlepping around. We sat there for hours, talking about everything and nothing. I leaned against his shoulder, content to stare at the Eiffel Tower forever. How could a steel structure be so fascinating? It was riveting. As the sun went down it transformed into a great twinkling mass of lights.
"I'm so lucky", I whispered, grinning at Edward, who was rubbing my back. His eyes were closed as he leaned against the stone wall. I couldn't understand how he could keep his eyes off the glittering lights. The streets finally seemed to empty, and we reluctantly began the walk back to the hotel. I paused for one final look at the Eiffel tower before disappearing under the green arch.
"I love Paris", I breathed against his shoulder as we rode the elevator back up to our room. Photographs, movies, and stories do not even come close to doing this magnificent city justice.
"I love you", he whispered, clenching his jaw nervously as he studied my face.
"I love you too", I grinned. "In fact, I love you more than Paris! And that's a lot". I giggled as he threw me over his shoulder and raced towards the bed.
"Is it later?", I breathed gazing up at him on all fours above me.
"Oh, it's later", he replied tearing at my clothes, as he showed me just how much he loved me. Twice.
XXXxxXXX
I awoke the next morning with a smile on my face. I stretched beneath the covers and opened my eyes, pouting when Edward was nowhere in sight. I spotted his shirt crumpled on the floor and slipped it over my head.
"Edward?" I called. No response. I crept out into the kitchen in search of food. There was a complicated looking espresso machine that I didn't dare touch. I settled with a glass of juice for now and headed toward the terrace, wondering where he went. It was another overcast day, but warm and somehow still bright. Hopefully the rain would keep away. Edward returned a few minutes later with armfuls of groceries.
"I'm supposed to eat all of that?" I laughed, eyeing the overflowing bags.
"Of course. Sorry I wasn't back earlier. The sun was out and I had to leave later than expected. I thought you would be asleep longer", he explained.
"Thanks for going out. You could have woken me".
"You need your rest. We'll be doing a lot of sightseeing today".
I was about to ask him what exactly we would be seeing before he shooed me away to the terrace. I could hear him rifling away though the bags, and putting the groceries into the cabinets. He joined me shortly with a plate of puffy golden-brown croissants and an espresso. My eyes widened.
"How did you figure that thing out?" I asked seriously.
"I'm a man of many talents", he joked.
"It's official. France has the best food. Ever", I said stuffing pieces of flaky, buttery croissant into my mouth. I ignored the jam spread and focused on capturing every last crumb instead. I propped my legs onto the gate and lazily sipped my espresso.
"You should wear my clothes more often", he purred. His eyes raked slowly down my legs and up my thighs, where my navy lace boy shorts were barely peeking out beneath his shirt.
"Edward Cullen!" I shamed him, pulling at the shirt in mock embarrassment.
"On second thought. I think it looks better on the floor".
"Hey. I like it. In fact I might even wear it today", I said standing up and heading towards the bathroom, swaying my hips.
"You will be the death of me", he grumbled.
I turned on the shower and waited for steam to fill the room. I shed his t-shirt and my panties and stepped inside the shower, adjusting the temperature.
"Ed-ward?" I hollered with a smirk on my face. I don't know why I even bothered to holler though. He appeared seconds later with a wicked glint in his eye. I wiped a section of condensation away to peer at him through the glass. His eyes scanned the discarded t-shirt.
"Happy?" I asked.
"Very", he breathed, discarding his clothes and joining me.
Edward in the shower was a completely sensual experience. The warm water battled against the coolness of his skin, creating unique rippling sensations across my body. I traced his body slowly, admiring the water cascading down his muscled chest and trickling into the deep v of his pelvic bone. His bronze hair turned a deep chestnut color and became impossibly sexier.
He was exploring every inch of my body, standing behind me, lazily soaping every surface of my skin, sucking and kissing along the way. Hot and cold. Hot and cold. I turned around worked my slowly mouth down his stomach, pulling his hardness into my mouth. His eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, and I slowly moved him in and out of my mouth, my tongue twisting around his length. I gave him one final lick before returning to his stomach, up his chest, and ending at his neck.
"I can't take it anymore", I breathed, pushing him against the marble wall. He lifted me up and entered me. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, and rotating my hips while he bucked beneath me. My hands dug into his back as I arched my back in ecstasy.
"Al-most", I gasped, the sensation gathering between my legs. He sped up his movement and we were both breathing heavily in seconds, grabbing each other tightly.
"Oh my", I exhaled, as he gently released me to the ground.
"You are amazing", he whispered, kissing me tenderly. We shampooed each other's hair and grudgingly left the shower when the water ran cool. He dressed quickly in a beige v-neck, faded jeans, and navy sneakers. Casual, yet sexy as always.
I didn't feel like fussing with my hair and piled it on top of my head in a Parisian inspired bun. A navy and white striped tee, cut off shorts, and leather sandals finished my outfit. Alice would approve. Edward was waiting patiently for me on the terrace, scribbling music notes across a sheet of paper. I kissed him on the cheek, signaling that I was ready to go.
"Ready to see Paris?" he asked with a grin.
"More than you can possibly imagine".
XXXxxxXXX
Every muscle in my body ached. My feet were throbbing. I had indigestion from eating too much. I was ready to pass out in exhaustion. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. Edward showed me Paris. We visited museums. The Louvre. Museé D'Orsay. Museé Rodin. We saw the sights. L'Opéra. Notre Dame. Arc de Triomphe. Place de la Concorde. Sorbonne. I ate. Macarons at Laduree. Pastries at Poilâne, Ham sandwich at Le Café Marly. Cheeses at Fromagerie Barthé rib dinner overlooking the Eiffel Tower at Au Bon Accuiel. The twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower were hypnotizing me as we relaxed along the Seine again. Edward was generously massaging my aching feet, and singing in my ear. I nodded off on the Métro and didn't awaken until the next morning.
A/N: I told you it would be a quick one I hope you like Paris, because we'll be spending the next few chapters there!