A/N: I know you don't really want to listen to me blather, so I'll just say thank you so much for the reviews last week. I'm glad you're enjoying their time in New York. :) If you don't want to read the lemon, search for: Their flight home, and you can't skip it. LOL You'll miss 3/4 of the chapter, so...it's up to you. ;) Now, enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bella trembled under Edward's gaze, her fingers tightening in his hair at the base of his neck when his hands slid under the edge of her shirt.

"Relax, love," he murmured. "We don't have to do this if you—"

"No," she interrupted quickly with a shake of her head. "I do. I'm just nervous and..." Turned on, she wanted to say, but was too embarrassed to continue.

Edward smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "We'll take it slow."

She nodded against his lips, shuddering when his fingers brushed against her stomach.

As he continued to touch her lightly under her shirt, he kissed her again, stealing her breath and turning up her desire until she could feel nothing but him. When she needed to breathe, he kissed his way from her lips to her neck, sucking lightly at the pulse point.

"Oh, God," she groaned, feeling jolts of intense desire all the way down between her legs.

It wasn't anything they hadn't done before when he pulled her shirt off and lowered his head to her breast, but knowing that they weren't stopping made it all feel like new. Edward's tongue circled her peaked nipple, leaving a damp trail and causing her skin to tingle. Bella's breath stuttered when he tongued his way across her chest to the other breast, repeating the actions there while he pinched and teased the first with his fingers. The cool of his skin was a great contrast to the heat from the fireplace and made her already-heightened nerves sing.

Bella whimpered when Edward left her breast and began kissing his way down her stomach, pausing to tease her navel with his tongue before continuing down. She thought he would pull her shorts off, but he surprised her by pressing a kiss on her center, right over the cotton fabric. She could feel the cool of his breath, the pressure of his kiss, all the way through her shorts and bikini panties. When she bucked her hips, wanting more, he pulled away and looked up at her.

"Easy, love. I want to...to taste you, but you have to be still. Can you do that?"

Letting out a shuddering breath, Bella nodded, fisting her hands in the cover beneath her and biting her lower lip in anticipation.

Edward lowered his head once more, pressing an open-mouth, sucking kiss to the fabric that stole her breath. Before she could make a sound, Edward was tugging the rest of her clothes down and off. He was back between her legs almost before she could blink. He skimmed his nose up the crease of her leg and then pushed her legs farther apart. His eyes on hers, he kissed her again. With no barrier in the way, it was more intense, and Bella cried out.

With one hand on her lower belly, holding her still, Edward used the fingers on his other hand to open her to him, and then his tongue began tasting her, once more stealing her breath. Bella was panting as cold met hot, as strong met trembling and soft. His tongue dipped inside, and she whimpered when a sound rumbled up from his chest and vibrated through her. She thought she heard him curse, but then he tasted her once more, and she was lost, unable to do anything but feel. When he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked at the same time as he slid one finger, and then two, inside her, Bella cried out as she shattered, waves of sensation rolling over her again and again.

When Bella stopped shuddering and opened her eyes, she realized Edward had moved back up beside her and was gazing down at her with a heated look in his eyes, which were deep pools of black, showing his desire.

"Stunning," he murmured, his voice low.

Bella wrapped herself around him, kissing him as hard as he would allow. She could taste not only his sweetness, but the tart tang of herself, and the combination was nearly dizzying. She tugged at his shirt. "Off," she growled softly, needing to touch him, to see the mark on his chest that he'd done just for her.

Edward reached back and grasped the back of his shirt with one hand, pulling it off over his head and tossing it to the floor. Bella immediately began tracing the tattoo with her finger before following it with her lips, pressing kiss after kiss to the scarred skin. Once she'd kissed every inch of the flying bird, she kissed her way to his lips.

"More," she begged, using her feet to push at his sweats.

Chuckling, Edward reached down and stilled her feet. Before she could register the movement, his sweats were off and he was hovering above her. Bracing himself on one hand beside her head, he reached down and slid a finger through her folds, making her jump.

"Slowly, Bella," he said firmly, but she could tell by the trembling in his voice that he was just as turned on as she was.

When she nodded, he used one hand to guide himself to her entrance. Bella sucked in a breath as he began to push inside her. There was no sharp, shooting pain as he entered her, just an ache, a feeling of fullness, as he stretched her little by little. She had to hold back a hysterical giggle at the realization that any pain she might've had was tempered by how cold his penis was—her own ice pack to soothe her tender tissue.

When he was fully seated, any thoughts of laughter fled, and Bella closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the sensations he was creating, even without moving. Edward lowered himself to his forearms on either side of her head and looked at her with worry in his eyes.

Bella smiled, reaching up and grasping his biceps. "I'm okay," she said softly. "Promise."

"God, love... You're so tight."

Bella shifted, feeling herself tighten even further around him.

He squeezed his eyes closed. "Can I...Oh, fuck," he groaned. He began to move, but then paused as he looked down at her.

She smiled, pulling him down to kiss him once. "Make love to me, my angel," she breathed against his lips. "Please."

He nodded, kissing her again as he began to move once more.

Bella lost track of everything but Edward as he slid in and out of her. The intense pleasure on his face was one of the greatest things she'd ever witnessed, and when his hand slid between their bodies to touch her where they joined, she jolted, tightening around him once more. Edward groaned and lowered his head to her shoulder. His thrusts came harder, faster, then, a delicious slide in and out, over and over, until Bella was panting.

"Can you come for me again, Bella?" he asked, his voice tight.

When he rolled her clit between his fingers, Bella shattered, burying her face in his neck and crying out his name as she came. She barely registered as Edward's thrusts faltered and he followed her over the edge, spilling himself inside her.

What felt like hours later, although she knew it was only minutes, at most, Edward rolled them to their sides, sliding from her body, and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he buried his face in her hair. His hands were moving across her back, up her arms, and down to her hips.

"I'm okay," Bella said, tugging his head up so he could read the truth of that statement in her eyes.

After a few moments, he nodded, relief swimming across his features, and he hugged her tighter. "Christ, Bella. I love you so much."

Tears sprang to her eyes at the emotion she could hear in his voice, and she smiled, clutching at his back to hold him to her. "Always," she said, echoing what he'd said to her more times than she could count.

He was still holding her when she slipped into sleep, her body sated and heart full.

~oooOOOooo~

Edward waited until Bella was deeply asleep and then picked up his T-shirt from the floor and carefully pulled it over her head, slipping her arms into the sleeves. She'd had such an emotional—and physical—day that she barely stirred.

He heard Phil and Renee come home around one in the morning. When Renee poked her head into the room, Edward lay still, the cover over both himself and Bella, and pretended to be asleep. Once satisfied that her daughter was safe and sound, Renee closed the door and then went to bed, where she and Phil spent some intimate time together, which Edward tried his hardest to block, concentrating on Bella's even breathing instead.

The rest of the night was spent watching Bella sleep, listening to music on his phone, and thinking of their day. It was the first time either of them had been back to the site of the Twin Towers. Bella had handled it remarkably well, in his opinion. She'd been strong, but she hadn't kept her emotions bottled up, and it seemed to him like she'd laid some old ghosts to rest. They'd had a lot of fun ice skating and then shopping, as well, so much so that he was already planning a time to get Bella to Seattle to the ice rink there.

At seven o'clock Christmas morning, Bella stretched, brushing her backside against his groin. Edward closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. His cock, which had been half hard since making love with Bella, sprang to full hardness in an instant.

"Mm," Bella mumbled, reaching behind her to wrap her arm around his neck and pull him down for a kiss. "Someone's happy to see me..."

Edward chuckled. "Always, love." When Bella continued to rock against him, he stilled her with a hand on her hip. "Are you sore?"

"A little," she admitted, "but just normal 'morning after the first time,' I think."

Sliding his hand around from her hip to her lower belly, he cupped her intimately, letting his cool fingers brush against her heated flesh. Bella arched against him, pulling her top leg up a little to give him room to touch her. When he pressed against her lower lips, she made a little noise in the back of her throat and the scent of her arousal in the air increased, making him groan and thrust against her ass, seeking friction.

"Don't tease," she chided.

Dipping his head, Edward smiled against her neck and then slowly slid a finger inside her warmth, growling softly when she clenched around him. After a few strokes, he added a second finger. Bella was riding his hand, barely breathing as she held him to her with a hand on his neck. He pressed the heel of his hand against her clit, feeling the little bundle of nerves pulse under his touch.

When he pressed just a little harder, Bella's whole body shook. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God," she chanted, barely audible. "I'm gonna co—"

The rest of what she'd planned to say cut off as she came around his fingers when he sucked lightly on the tender skin of her throat.

Bella was glorious in orgasm. The look on her face—Edward was never so glad for his vampire sight that allowed him to see her in the dim light coming in through the curtains—the scent of her wafting through the air and coating his tongue, and the sounds... Edward would never be able to get enough of the sounds Bella made in the height of arousal.

Needing to be inside her, Edward quickly flipped them before Bella even had a chance to come down from the orgasm. She looked surprised, but quickly warmed, opening to him and pulling him down for a kiss as he slid deep inside her in one smooth stroke.

Bella grasped his upper arms, her nails trying to find purchase on his skin, as he drove them higher and higher. He wanted—needed—to feel her come around him again, to see that perfect moment on her face. Reaching between them, he pressed his finger to her clit at the same time that he dipped his head, drawing a pert nipple between his lips, and he was graced once more as she clenched around him and came. He turned his head to keep his mouth from her tender skin as the shock of his own orgasm raced through him like a freight train, and he had to grit his teeth so he didn't turn and bite like every instinct inside him was shouting at him to do.

He was still tense, afraid of scaring Bella and awakening the vampire inside him, when she reached up to cup his face and turned him so he was looking down into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently, her warm brown eyes full of worry and love.

Edward huffed out a soft laugh and nodded, realizing he was indeed all right. All it had taken was her touch, and he'd known he wouldn't hurt her—couldn't hurt her. "I'm good."

She giggled. "Yes, you are."

Chuckling, he moved away to lie down beside her and then pulled her into his arms. "Merry Christmas, love."

"Merry Christmas, Edward," Bella echoed softly, snuggling in and pressing a kiss to his chest, better than any tattoo or brand he could've given himself.

~oOo~

Their flight home was scheduled for Wednesday, a few days after Christmas. By flying out then, they would be missing the biggest rush of holiday traffic, which was good for Bella's nerves and Edward's mind. Being around as many people as they had been since being in New York had taken him some time to get used to, since he'd quickly become acclimated to the smaller number in Forks.

"Did we get everything?" Bella asked, looking around the bedroom one last time.

Edward chuckled. "That's the third time you've asked, sweetheart. Yes, we have everything."

"The program?"

For Christmas, Bella had gotten them tickets to see Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alfred Molina had been amazing, and Edward thought Lea Michele, who had played Tevye's daughter, had a future in the business.

He pointed to her carry-on bag. "It's in there. I checked a few minutes ago."

"The camera from my mom?"

He pointed to the bag again. "There, as well." Grabbing her hand to stop her pacing, he used his free hand to tilt her face up so she was looking into his eyes. "We've got everything, love."

Bella sighed, smiling wryly. "Sorry. I just don't want to leave anything."

"I got this, baby," he teased, winking when she giggled. "So get your coat on. Your mom and Phil are wondering where we are, since we need to be at the airport as soon as possible."

Nodding, Bella stretched up and kissed him once and then moved back to grab her coat. Edward waited and then wrapped her scarf around her neck when she had the coat zipped. Then he slid the warm cap on her head, grabbed their carry-on bags in one hand and held her hand in the other, and led her from the bedroom.

The trip to the airport took a while because of traffic, and Edward listened, amused, as Renee spoke aloud every thought that came through her mind. She approved of him and their relationship, reminding both of them to be safe when they had sex, which had made Bella blush. She tearfully told Bella that she was proud of her for facing her fears and coming to New York, which had brought Bella to her own tears. On and on it went, through the whole drive. Edward and Phil had glanced at one another through the mirror in Phil's visor as he sat beside the driver in the front seat. They'd smiled and rolled their eyes, amused, as Bella and her mother had chattered back and forth.

When they pulled up at the curb at JFK, Edward quickly thanked Phil and Renee for their hospitality and then murmured to Bella, "I'll get the bags. You say goodbye." He knew they had to exit the car quickly, as police kept vehicles moving, not allowing anyone to park for any length of time.

Bella nodded, giving him a small smile before turning back to her mother.

Edward kept one ear on their conversation as he pulled their luggage from the trunk, not sure how Bella would fare emotionally from the goodbye. He could hear the emotion in her voice, but he could tell she was trying to be strong for Renee.

Before he could tell Bella they needed to go, she stepped out of the car, waving to her mom.

"I'll call you when I get home," she said, and when Renee nodded, Bella shut the door behind her and turned to him.

"Ready?" Edward asked, handing Bella one of the handles so she could pull one of the suitcases while he carried both carry-on bags and pulled the second, heavier suitcase in one hand and hold her hand in his other.

Bella nodded. "Let's boogie," she teased, smiling as they stepped through the doors into the building.

Almost seven hours later, they were climbing into Edward's Volvo, which he'd left parked in long-term parking at Sea-Tac. As soon as they turned onto I-5 S, Bella pulled out her phone, turned it on, and texted her mom to let her know they were in Seattle.

A minute later, the phone beeped, and Bella checked the message. "She says good and to drive safely."

Edward smiled. "You going to message your dad?"

"I should, yes, and Alice, too, I suppose..." Her phone beeped, and she laughed. "Never mind. Alice says hi."

Chuckling, Edward nodded. "I'm not surprised. She was probably watching our whole trip."

Bella looked horrified. "Holy crow! She saw us..." She buried her face in her hands. "Emmett probably knows, too, doesn't he?"

Edward laughed. "Probably, although if he knows what's good for him, he won't say anything to you. Me, on the other hand...I'll be teased until I decide to pound him into the ground to shut him up."

Shaking her head, Bella smirked. "There are no secrets in your family, are there?"

"Not usually, no," Edward sighed. "Between my mind reading and Alice's future seeing...and that's above and beyond the normal heightened senses for vampires."

"I'll have to get used to that, won't I? Especially now that we..."

He grinned, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "You will. It may take a while, but you will." Keeping her hand in his, he pulled it over to rest on his thigh.

They were quiet most of the drive. Edward knew Bella was going over their visit in her mind, and he wanted to give her time to do that without interfering. He was simply enjoying the quiet in his mind, loving that Bella was able to give that to him, especially after being around so many people in the last week.

Just before they reached the Forks city limits, Bella held her right hand up and looked at the ring he'd given her. "Thank you again for this," she said quietly. "The whole trip was...perfect. I needed to go, but I couldn't have done it without you."

Edward picked up her hand and kissed it softly. "I wouldn't have been anywhere else, love."

A/N: I don't smoke, but... *passes around a cigarette* I hope you enjoyed reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!

I've got a confession... On Saturday, I finished writing this story. So from now on, I'll post Sundays & Wednesdays until it's over. There are 34 chapters, so there's still plenty left. ;)

Please, leave me some love. I wanna know what you thought of their first time and Bella's goodbye with Renee. Mwah! – Jen