A/N - Happy Saturday! Thank you so much for reading! I'm so glad you all enjoyed Edward's new tattoo. Enjoy!

Chapter 20 - Relaxation and Reassurance

BPOV

I couldn't believe that Edward had booked us a room in a hotel overnight. He was not lying when he said that he went all out for his surprises.

The tattoo itself was almost mind blowing. I was thrilled that he was getting more ink. But the fact that he had my face permanently tattooed on his body, was incredible. It really did mean everything to me.

I also knew that owning a farm meant endless chores and responsibilities. Edward was always working, so I knew that for him to leave that, not only for the day, but the entire night and next morning, was a huge sacrifice. I was sure he promised Emmett a ton of work on the ranch in exchange for watching the dog and horses for him.

I really appreciated that he would do that for me. And, that night, after we fed each other pizza, I definitely showed him how much. Edward and I were magic together. When it was just the two of us, no worries, no judgement from anyone outside of our relationship, everything else just melted away.

Edward and I had an amazing night together. I had to be careful not to grab his shoulder, he had to be gentle with my face, but our bodies moved together perfectly, fluidly. Every second we spent together, intimately, was like heaven. Edward had this incredible confidence in bed, that was so attractive to me. That confidence, however, wasn't intimidating in the least. I found it to be empowering. I felt sure of myself, and sure of what we had together.

We had eventually fallen asleep, as close to one another as we could possible get. I felt so safe and secure with him. And, even though we were in a beautiful hotel room, away from the farm, I felt as if I were home. Anywhere with Edward was home to me. I had never felt so much love and acceptance and just plain perfection.

When I woke up, Edward's head was resting on my bare body, his lips kissing my stomach. I giggled, reaching down and running my fingers through his crazy hair. "Good morning, handsome," I said, softly. "How's your shoulder, cowboy?"

He smiled against my skin, and started kissing a path up my body, until he reached my lips. He flung his leg over my body, so he was on top of me. "My shoulder's alright, gorgeous," he whispered against my lips. He kissed me hard and passionately. "God, you are so beautiful."

I giggled, and rolled us over, so I was straddling his waist. "Can I just say, how much I love waking up with you. It's so nice, because it happens so rarely," I told him, looking down at his face.

He brought his hands up to caress my body. "I love waking up with you, too," he said, with a sexy smirk on his face. "I'm just going to have to start waking you up with me before dawn. You are just too damn fun to play with."

I laughed. "Okay, what if I give you a free pass to wake me up once a week for a little play time before you go outside with the horses?"

"I'll take it," he said, quickly, making me, laugh. "Do I get to pick the day?"

"Yes, Edward, you get to the pick the day," I laughed. "So, how long do we have in this room?" I asked, scratching my fingernails lightly over his chest.

"Mm. Bella, that feels so good," he said, tilting his head back into the pillows and shutting his eyes.

I leaned forward on his body and kissed and licked at the salty skin on his throat. I nipped at his chin. He had a little stubble on his chin, and it just made him look that much sexier. "Edward. How long do we have left in the room?" I repeated, before nipping him, again.

He groaned and turned his head to look at the clock. "Check out is at noon, so we have four hours left," he said, smiling. "Oh, what I could do with you in four hours."

"Well, before you do anything else, I'm hungry, again," I said, wriggling up a little higher to suck on his ear lobe. "Aren't you hungry?" I whispered in his ear.

"I'm always hungry," he laughed, shaking my body. "I'll call in room service."

I reluctantly rolled off of Edward, so he could sit up and reach the phone. He also grabbed the laminated menu card off of the nightstand. I stood up and slipped Edward's white tank top on, before walking into the bathroom.

EPOV

I was the luckiest man on the damn planet. Bella was so gorgeous, and funny, and exactly what I needed in my life. Last night had been mind blowing and this morning was already off to a great start. I quickly called in the order for room service, and was told it would be up in a half hour.

That was perfect for me. I heard the water in the shower start up and my girl was exactly where I wanted her. I walked into the bathroom and smiled as I was treated to her silhouette behind the frosted panels of glass in the shower stall.

She was washing her long, gorgeous hair, with her arms up. Her hips just asking for my hands to hold onto them. I loved her body. I knew she was unsure of it, still, as she always covered up when she got out of the bed. I told her as much, and as often as I could, how beautiful she was, and how attractive I found her, but she still seemed otherwise convinced. I had decided to keep telling her, for as long as she would listen, because I loved her; I loved everything about her.

I opened the glass door, and stepped in the shower with my beautiful girl. Her opened her eyes when she saw me, and a gorgeous, but saucy smile spread on her face. "What took you so long, cowboy?" she asked, winking at me.

I brought my fingers up to her stomach, tickling her a little. "You're hungry aren't you?" I asked, leaning in to kiss her lips.

"Yes," she giggled. "Now, get on your knees. I want to wash your hair."

I smiled at her dominance, as I happily knelt down in front of her. I loved to see Bella's confidence shine through. I knew that she was a very successful, accomplished young woman, who had a lot to be proud of in her life. But, she had some people in her life, namely her parents, that doubted her; that didn't let her prove herself to them. They didn't accept how wonderful and independent and intelligent she was. They wouldn't let her soar.

With me, she was able to be free. I would never hold her back, or ever tell her she that she couldn't. I think it was a change for her. She was used to being controlled, or treated with disapproval. I saw that a lot with her still. She would question herself; her meals, her wardrobe. It broke my heart to see it.

So, when I saw her boldness, when she told me what to do, I revelled in it. I was an independent man, not used to giving up power, or being controlled, but when it was Bella at the reins, I was up for it. She needed this. She needed an outlet. And if she wanted to push me around in the bedroom, or the shower, then I was more than happy to oblige. I loved seeing her confidence. It was beautiful.

I leaned in to kiss her stomach as she lathered up my hair. Her fingernails felt like heaven on my scalp. I loved her touch, anywhere on my body. She was always gentle, even when she was rough, and I could sense the love that she had for me, whenever her body met mine.

I wasn't supposed to get my tattoo wet, but I didn't have the heart to rush Bella through this. She was so happy and secure in herself right now, and I didn't want her to feel anything less.

"Edward, you can stand up," she said, softly. "I'm sorry. How are your knees?" And, here came the self-doubt.

"Bella, I'm fine," I told her, as I stood up. I wrapped my arms around her body and pulled her close. She laid her head on my chest, and I ran my fingers up and down her back and over the curve of her gorgeous backside. "Don't ever apologize for being forward with me. It's sexy and I love it."

"Really?" she asked looking up at me. She looked so delicate and shy.

"Absolutely." I told her. I reluctantly let go of her body and grabbed the bar of hotel soap. I lathered it up in my hands and proceeded to wash her body. I loved that she let me show her how much I loved her and would always take care of her. She returned the favour, her hands igniting my body. She also made sure to kiss each one of my tattoos, thankfully skipping the newest one.

After we had rinsed off, I shut off the water and stepped out, first wrapping Bella in a towel, and then myself. Our shower was fairly innocent, but we had both shown a great deal of passion and love to one another.

"Did you pack me any clothes?" Bella asked, smiling. "Or am I wearing the towel home?"

I laughed. "Well, I did pack you something to wear, but I'm starting to like the sound of your suggestion." She giggled and rolled her eyes.

I heard a knock on the door. It was our room service. Oh, well. I guess I was going to the door in a towel. The staff didn't look too shocked, so I guess I wasn't the first person to answer the door in this state of undress. I walked over to the bed with the two plates of food and set them down.

Luckily for me, Bella had only pulled on a bra and panties. I smiled at her, pulling the tank top she was holding from her hand, before she put it on, and guided her by the shoulders to the bed.

"This is the end of our little holiday, so let's enjoy it," I told her, as we climbed on the bed. Bella laid down on her stomach, with her knees bent, and her feet in the air. I mirrored her position, on the other side of the bed, the food sitting in between us.

I uncovered the plates and Bella smiled. "You sure eat a lot of meat, don't you," she laughed. I just shrugged and winked at her. She looked down at the plate full of bacon and fried ham, and picked up a slice of bacon, bringing it up to my mouth. I took a bite, before Bella shoved the rest of it in her mouth.

I started laughing at her. She looked so cute, taking such a huge bite. She was trying to hold back her laughter and chew at the same time. "Don't choke," I told her, smiling.

We continued breakfast in the same manner; sharing food, feeding each other. It was both romantic and fun, and I loved it.

BPOV

Edward and I were having an amazing time this morning so far. The shower was interesting, that was for sure. Edward admitted to me how much of a turn of my aggressiveness was with him. I was comfortable with Edward, but being in control of physical situations, was a rarity for me. But, if he liked it, I would try and show him that side of me a little more.

After breakfast, and a little more fun in the bed, we got dressed and packed up to head back to the farm. Edward had packed me a pair of jeans and one of his flannel shirts to wear home. I loved wearing his cloths. I buttoned two buttons, leaving a lot of cleavage, and tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot, to make it even sexier.

I had enjoyed this little escape Edward had surprised me with, but I loved being on the farm, so going home was just as exciting to me. Edward and I basically lived in our own little world, anyway, so we could definitely pick up where we left off back at the house.

Edward had just went to the bathroom before we left, when me cell phone rang. I wasn't expecting a call, but looked down at my caller ID. It was my mom. I hadn't heard from her in over two weeks, on my birthday.

It was funny, when I thought about it. These last two week, that I had been living with Edward, had been the best of my entire life. I was happy and in love. This time had been an adjustment for sure. It was a completely different lifestyle, but one that I loved. The craziest part of the whole thing, was that the last two weeks felt like a lifetime. I almost couldn't believe that it had been such a short time.

I smiled as I thought back on that time. I felt like a new person, now. I was stronger and more confident, than I ever had been before. I was content. I was happy. I was exactly where I wanted to be.

I looked down at my phone. It had stopped ringing. I wondered what my mother wanted. Did she wonder where I went? Was she concerned about where I was living for the last two weeks? Did she want to tell me how wrong I was for dating while going to school? Did she want me to come home? Was she going to apologize for treating me like a child, even though I was twenty three years old?

"Who is that, Bella?" Edward asked. I jumped, not realizing that he was standing there. I just shrugged, and looked back down. I felt the bed sink down beside me. "Sunshine, where did your pretty smile go?" Edward asked, before, leaning in to kiss my lips.

I pulled back a little. "It's my mom," I said. "I haven't heard from her since my birthday. What could she possibly want from me now?"

"Come here," Edward said, reaching around me, grabbing my hips and bringing me onto his lap. I wriggled around, so I was straddling him. I wrapped my legs around his back, and my arms around his neck, dropping my phone onto the bed.

Edward moved his hands up my the sides of my thighs to my bum, pulling me closer to his body. I tangled my fingers into the back of his hair. He leaned into my body, his face to my chest. He pressed his lips to my skin.

I had completely forgotten what I was upset about. "Bella, honey, talk to me," he whispered against my skin, before he started a trail of kisses up my throat, to my ear, where he nipped at my ear lobe.

"I'm so happy, Edward. You make me that way. I love our life together. And, even though I've only been out on the farm with you for two weeks, it honestly feels like a lifetime. And, I've enjoyed every minute of it." I wanted Edward to know how much I valued what we had together.

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way, Bella," he whispered. "Because, my life has never felt so complete." He leaned back on the bed, bringing me with him. He rolled us over, so he was on top of me. He started kissing me again, and I was sure that we would never leave this room.

His fingers made quick work of the two buttons on my shirt and he had the knot untied in a second. He caressed my skin, making me shiver despite the heat. He sat us up so he could pull the shirt down over my shoulders. I brought his lips back to mine, gripping onto his hair.

Edward groaned into the kiss, before pulling back to look into my eyes. "I love you, Bella," he whispered. "And I apologize for getting a little carried away."

"I really, really don't mind," I laughed, before kissing his lips, again.

"I know, but we have forever to get carried away. I want to hear what's on your mind," he said, kissing my cheek.

"I told you. I love my life with you. Our life," I said, biting at his lips, trying to get him to kiss me, again.

He chuckled, gently pulling me back by the shoulders. "I'm glad to hear it. But, Bella, what does that have to do with your mother phoning you today?" he asked, slowly lifting the shirt up and over my shoulders, again.

I signed and leaned my head forward to rest on his shoulder. "I'm happy and I just know she's going to try and take that from me," I whispered. "I'm an adult and I know she can't control me, but Edward, if I pick up that phone, I just know she's going to try and make me doubt what I have with you. She's going to try and cheapen this. And I don't want to let her have that power over me anymore."

Edward was rubbing my back, so gently, that I almost thought I was imagining his fingers moving over my body. "She can't take this, Bella," he whispered. "You don't have to be afraid of her. She is not a threat to us. We are stronger than that."

"I know." I said, sitting up to look in his gorgeous, green eyes. "But, I still don't want to hear it."

"Bella. She is your mom. And, I'm not talking sides here, but maybe you should talk to her. You never know what she's going to say," he told me. "You don't have to if you're not ready. But, I sometimes wish that my mother would phone me." He looked down and licked his bottom lip. "I know it's a completely different situation, Bella, but at least she's making an effort."

I pulled my shirt closed and started buttoning it. "You don't know that, Edward," I said, sounding a little sharp, even to my own ears.

"Hey," Edward said, grabbing my hands in his large ones, stopping me from buttoning the shirt. "Don't do that." I knew he wasn't talking about the shirt. He was referring my self doubt. I didn't mean to snap at him, either. But my anger just came out.

I bit my lip to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over. I was embarrassed and ashamed. But this was exactly what I knew was going to happen. Whether my mother knew it or not, she was affecting my happiness, and the joy I shared with Edward.

I closed my eyes, in a juvenile attempt to hide from my guilt. But, in doing so, some of my tears leaked out, streaking down my cheeks. I felt Edward's warm lips press against my tearstained skin. We must have sat in silence for a minute or so, as Edward kissed away the tears, which were only replaced with fresh ones.

"Don't cry, Bella," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you what to do. I can't tell you how to feel. I think I'm pushing my own feelings of abandonment on you. That isn't right, and I apologize. You're right. I've never met your mom. I don't know anything about her."

I opened my eyes and looked into his. His showed regret. And I knew mine showed the inner turmoil I was feeling. I felt lost. "I'm sorry, Edward," I said. "But this is exactly what I was afraid off. This is what her call does to me; how it affects me. And I'm terrified of what is going to happen when I actually talk to her."

"What I was trying to say, Bella, was that this feeling you have, this chaos, is going to stay with you. You are always going to have this fear of her phone call until you know for sure what it is that she wants." Edward pressed a slow kiss to my lips, allowing them there to linger there for a second. "I don't want to see you like this. You are their child, Bella, but you are not a child. You are a strong woman. You can handle this. I love you, I'm proud of you and I'll support you no matter what you decide." He let go of my hands and brought them up to gently cradle my face. "Just please don't push me away."

I pushed him back on the bed and reached down to the buttons of his jeans, popping it before pulling down his zipper. I stood up and stripped off my clothes in seconds. I felt this incredible urge, this need, to show him that I loved him, too, and I that I wasn't pushing him away. I straddled his body, running my hands over his chest.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to make you think that I was pushing you away. I love you."

Edward smiled at me and sat us up. "Bella. I might be crazy to stop you, but baby, you don't have to prove anything to me." He kissed my lips. I knew he was showing me that he still wanted me, even though he was stopping me right now. "I know you love me," he whispered sweetly in my ear. "You show me everyday with the look in your eyes, and the smile on your face."

I smiled at him. "I should call her," I said, more to myself than to Edward. "What if she…" I started. But Edward pressed his lips to mine, obviously to shut me up.

He pulled back slowly, with a guilty little smirk on his face. "I'm sorry. But, Bella, I'll be right here. You can handle this."

Edward was right. I could phone my parents. I could talk to them. After all, I has lived with them for the last twenty three years of my life. They were my family. I had disagreements with them in the past. A lot of them, but they were still my parents.

What had changed, though, was that I now had someone on my side. I had Edward's unwavering support. And, I had his love. In the past I tried to do what they wanted. Yes, I started another degree without their approval, but it was nothing they would throw me out of the house over.

In my life before Edward, I had always felt lost. I was seeking a purpose and a direction. I didn't know what my life was supposed to be. I was on a path, but I wasn't sure it was a path that would lead me to happiness. I loved the journey, though.

Now, though, I had Edward. He was the goal. I felt like no matter which path I took, they all led to him, because he would be at any finish line cheering me on. He was my entire world now. Yeah, I had practical goals in life, but nothing compared to him.

My life was going to be spent with Edward. We would build a life together. We would design our own future. And I wasn't afraid anymore. I wasn't scared of what might happen if I didn't find a job to support myself. We were a team now. He encouraged me and I would do anything in my power to show him how much that meant to me.

And because of this, I could face anything. I picked up my shirt and pulled it on over my body. I grabbed my phone, crawled onto Edward's lap and called my parents. As I listened to the line ring, I realized that it didn't matter what they wanted. She didn't have any power over my life anymore. I was an independent woman. I could handle this. And if I couldn't, Edward would be there to pick me up, again.