Hi there. And you thought you were rid of me!

Stephenie owns these kids and, as usual, they own me.

Killerlashes beta'd. Laura-1025 and RCH81 gave this a preread for me. Thanks ladies!

Run

"I wanna watch you undress

I wanna watch you glow

Let your hair down

All around, cover us both

You come in a wave

We crash and we roll

You surround me, pull me, drown me, swallow me whole"

- "Run", Matt Nathanson

"Tired, pretty girl?" I asked and reached over the center console to take Leah's hand. She shrugged and leaned over to rest her head on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand, letting my thumb run over her wedding band.

"I don't want to sleep," she said softly, turning her face to mine. I smiled down at her before turning my attention back to the road. I had to concentrate; it was already hard enough to not pull over to the side of the road and consummate our marriage in the back of her Camaro.

"What are you thinking about?" Leah's voice broke me from my trance. I shifted in my seat and shook my head.

"Nothing," I muttered. My wife laughed and kissed my cheek. She let her fingers run through the hair on the back of my neck, and I sighed.

"I know you very well, Edward Cullen," she whispered and pulled herself closer to me.

"Then you should know that I'm about three seconds away from pulling over if you don't stop doing that, Mrs. Cullen." I pulled my hand away from hers and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Leah chuckled and lifted herself onto her knees in the seat.

"Is that so?" Her lips were close to my ear, breath warm on my face. I shivered and flinched away from her.

"Leah…" I warned her.

"Hmm?" she hummed, and wrapped her arm around the back of my neck with her chest pressed to my arm.

"Woman. Do you really want our first time as husband and wife to be in the back of your car?"

"It's been so long," she answered. I groaned and reached over the seat to touch her, my fingers coming in contact with the soft silk of her dress, that pretty white reminder that she was all mine. A reminder that we were tied together forever.

"C'mon, baby. We're almost there." I sighed and removed her arm from around my neck. She grumbled, pouting; I could hear her muttering something profane about my willpower, but she sat back in her own seat and settled for holding my hand for the rest of the drive.

We finally arrived at the hotel, the same little bed-and-breakfast where we'd spent my birthday week a few years back. And, subsequently, a few other holidays after that.

This time we'd gotten a little bungalow on the beach and were going to spend a whole week there. We checked in and let the valet park the car, the remnants of streamers still trailing from the back bumper. Leah tugged her suitcase from my grasp and set off down the hall that led to the outside rooms. I followed her, enjoying the view from behind.

"Stop staring at my ass," she called over her shoulder. Damn, busted.

"Well, stop making it move like that," I yelled back. I mean, seriously, she had to know what she was doing to me. The way her body moved under that silk was completely flawless; I needed to have my hands on it…soon.

She sped up her pace with a teasing glance over her shoulder. When I finally caught up, Leah was waiting outside the door to our suite, a quaint little affair with a wrap-around porch. I could hear the surf, but more than that I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears as I watched her. The moonlight hit her perfectly, highlighting her face – those high cheekbones and dark eyes and pretty, pouty lips that were currently curved into a little smirk.

"Took you long enough," she teased, and tugged me to her. We fell against the door as our lips met roughly. I fumbled with the key as her lips pressed against my neck and gave a loud groan when her hands slipped into the waistband of my pants.

"Leah – I need – hold on!" I finally manage to push her away and unlock the door. I set our suitcases just inside the door and stepped out to find her looking at me expectantly. I gestured inside but she set her hands on her hips and glared at me.

I sighed. She smiled.

Then I threw her over my shoulder and carried her over the threshold.

"Real smooth, Mr. Romance," Leah huffed when I dropped her onto the oversized bed. We took a moment to take in the room. I threw open the curtains of the sliding glass doors that led to the porch. It was dark, nothing visible, but if I opened the door I was pretty sure I would have been able to hear the ocean.

I didn't, however, want the neighbors to be able to hear us.

"I'm going to change," Leah announced when I'd turned back to her. She had already lifted her suitcase onto the bed and was digging through it. A mountain of lace and ribbons were beginning to pile up. I stuck my hand in it and came away with a lacy blue… something.

"Nosy!" she yelled, smacking my hand, and snatched it away from me. Leah smirked at me as she bounced to the bathroom, ultimately leaving me with the pile of goodies. "Don't touch them!"

"Dammit," I grumbled and quickly repacked her suitcase. What? I needed the bed free. I looked around the room and frowned. I hadn't really thought this through. It wasn't romantic at all. No candles, no champagne (or sparkling cider in our case)… nothing. Shit. I was an awful husband.

Or maybe we just didn't need those things. I sighed and sat down on the bed, the day finally catching up with me - I was exhausted. I could imagine that Leah felt the same way.

I lay back against the pillows and closed my eyes, letting the day play out again and again. Leah and I were married. Married. It had taken us plenty of time to get to that point, but it was still hard to believe we'd made it. Married.

"You doing okay in there?" I knocked softly on the bathroom door. I heard a quiet sniffle and opened the door quickly to find Leah sitting on the edge of the tub in nothing but her bra and underwear.

"You're already invading my privacy!" she teased weakly and looked away. Tears stained her cheeks and she shook her head sadly.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I knelt in front of her. I brushed her tears away with my thumbs and she sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I love you," she muttered.

"And that's a bad thing? I think we need to rethink some recent decisions if that's how you feel," I joked lamely.

"No," she said with a soft laugh. "It's perfect…I just…I'm so tired!" Leah cried and pulled away to rest her head in her hands. I sighed and pulled her to her feet, then unbuttoned my shirt. She watched me with a confused look before meeting my eyes. I slipped my shirt off and wrapped it around her shoulders. She gave me a small smile and slipped her arms in it while I took off her bra and started buttoning the thin white linen over her body. Even though it killed me to cover it all up.

"I know," I whispered and kissed the side of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered back, just as quietly. I shook my head and brushed her hair away.

I laughed softly. "We're married. You can turn me down any time you want now. And, truth be told, I'm exhausted, too."

She smiled. "Take me to bed then, husband."

I grinned and slipped my arms underneath her, lifting her easily into my arms, and carried her out of the bathroom. We pulled down the comforter and sheets on our own sides. I watched her as she slipped between them, her dark hair spilling across the pillows and her long eyelashes fanning across her cheeks as she closed her eyes.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and slipped off my pants, tossing them over the end of the bed before sliding in next to her. Leah moved toward me without opening her eyes. She rested her head on my shoulder and her hand on my chest. I could see her ring sparkling in the faint moonlight that spilled through the room.

"Good night," she said quietly. I wrapped one arm around her and let the other rest over hers.

"Sleep well, pretty girl," I told her before drifting off.

xXx

I slipped out from under Leah a few hours later, though it felt like I had just fallen asleep. She mumbled something and grabbed my pillow, holding it to her and giving a soft snore. I shook my head and slipped out of the sliding glass door.

With a sigh, I leaned against the wood railing of our little bungalow. My thoughts were moving too fast to sleep as my head tried to catch up with my heart.

Leah and I had been through so much together, and it had finally culminated in one perfect day. But there were so many people we didn't get to share it with. I couldn't help but think about my parents and Leah's father and how they were absent on the most important day of our lives.

"What are you doing out here?" Leah's quiet voice caused me to jump slightly. Her warm hand rested on my back and her face pressed against my arm.

"Thinking," I told her before kissing her forehead.

"About?" she asked and wrapped her arms around my body. I smiled and pulled her closer.

"You, of course."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss me. "You're a horrible liar," she whispered against my lips.

I laughed and kissed her nose. "Just thinking about…people."

"I know. I thought about them, too."

"I just wish they could have met you, you know?" I brushed her hair, messy from sleep, off her face.

"Ditto, Preacher Boy," Leah whispered. She touched my face softly, letting her fingers trail over my skin and into the hair at the back of my neck. She pulled my face to hers and kissed me gently. I let myself get lost in the feel of her against me, my hands in her hair as our lips moved lazily.

I pulled away and buried my face in my wife's hair. I breathed her in and thanked God for the days I would get to spend with her, for the life that we were going to build together.

"Take me back to bed," she said softly. I nodded, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before taking her hand and leading her back inside. I turned away from her and moved to close the blinds but her quiet voice stopped me.

"Leave it open," she said.

"You're sure?" I asked and turned back to her. She stepped to me, her hand on my chest and her eyes locked with mine.

"Yes. I want to see you." Leah's voice was low, but I caught the meaning behind her words.

I stepped closer to her and her hand dropped from my chest. As I cupped her face I watched her begin to unbutton my shirt she was still wearing.

"Leah…" I said her name softly. Her face was worried when she looked up. Leah saw the resignation in my face and quickly wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me flush against her.

"Make me yours, Edward," she whispered, tugging my face to hers and kissing me.

"You already are mine," I said against her lips. "Have been for a while now, just like I've been yours."

She laughed breathily and let one of her hands slip from around my neck and down my chest. Her fingers rested at the top of my boxers and I held my breath. "Please?" she asked and pressed her lips to my neck.

"Did you really think I was going to say no?" I teased her. Leah laughed and pressed her face to my chest. She placed a quick kiss on my skin before looking back up at me with dark eyes.

"I knew you'd give in," she told me with a smile.

"I always do when it comes to you." I brushed her hair away and kissed her. She let me lead her back to the bed, the excitement buzzing between us. It really had been a long time since we'd been together.

Her legs hit the mattress and I let my fingers undo the rest of the buttons on my shirt and slipped it off her shoulders. She watched the linen fall to the ground before glancing up at me shyly. I smiled and let my hands roam her body, over the swell of her breasts and down to her lace-covered ass. I pulled her against me at the same time she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to her. We went tumbling onto the mattress in a fit of breathless laughter.

Our bodies melded together perfectly and I could hardly hold in my groan when she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me against her.

"Take it easy, baby," I said against the skin of her neck, grimacing. "That is, unless you want this to be over in two minutes flat."

"God, I've missed you," she replied, laughing quietly and wriggling her body underneath mine.

"I know. Me too," I told her. She sighed beneath me as I kissed her skin, tasting her, reveling in her. I let my hands run over her warm skin, enjoying the contrast of our colors and how she felt beneath my fingers.

"I love you," she sighed as I kissed her belly button.

"I love you," I whispered back with a slight chuckle. I slid what little there was of her white lace panties over her thighs and down her legs, stopping to kiss the bottom of her foot before I made my way back up her body.

"You're lucky I wore shoes all night so my feet didn't get dirty," she teased and wiggled her toes. I laughed and kissed her ankle, then her calf, knee, and all the way up until I reached the inside of her thigh.

"Edward…" She whispered my name and I lifted her leg over my shoulder, pushing her sleek thighs apart a little further. I kissed her softly and let my teeth sink into her soft flesh. She squirmed under my hands. I could hear her fingers digging into the sheets and I smiled.

"Relax, baby," I said softly as I touched her gently. A quiet whimper fell from her lips when I slid my fingers inside.

"I am, Edward," she replied through gritted teeth. I laughed and moved closer, holding her tightly with one hand while my fingers moved inside of her. She tried to move her hips, but I held fast. Her free hand slipped into my hair in a silent plea.

I did what she wanted – what I wanted. I wanted to taste her, to make her feel good, to hear my name fall from her lips. She trembled when my mouth met her skin, exploring her with my tongue and lips, tasting and teasing her. Leah's fingers dug into my scalp and I hummed against her skin.

She cried out softly and I felt her body tighten. I smiled against her skin and kissed her thigh, then made my way back up her body. She welcomed me with open arms, wrapping her limbs tightly around me and burying her face in my neck. I pulled away and kissed her gently while I let my fingers trace patterns on her skin.

"Stop teasing me, Edward," she said softly when I moved my lips to her neck. I laughed softly and rested on my elbows above her.

"I'd never, pretty girl." I kissed her forehead. Her hands ran down my sides and she quickly pushed my boxers off. I rolled slightly to help her remove them and she quickly positioned herself over me after tossing my boxers across the room.

"What?" she shrugged and pushed me back against the pillows. "You throw my clothes all the time." I nodded in agreement and sat up to kiss her, positioning her knees on the sides of my body and then gripping her hips tightly. Leah wrapped her arms around my neck and lifted herself up a bit. "Like this?"

"Any way you want," I said with my lips to her chest.

"If you meant that then I could have had you hours ago on the side of road," she teased as her hand slipped down my chest. I muttered some sort of expletive as she wrapped her fingers around me. Leah hummed happily and pressed her lips to my cheek, pulling herself closer with the arm that was around my neck. I kissed her hard, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding her face to mine with the other. I felt her shift in my arms, her grip on me loosening as she moved.

"Please," I breathed, and she nodded. I leaned back just enough so that I could see us and watched as she took me in.

"Finally," Leah whispered. I choked out a laugh and tried to focus on her, on us. It had been almost a year since we'd actually had sex, so this was a big deal for us. Also, it was our first time as a married couple. It had to be good. "Stop thinking about it," she said quietly. "You'll give yourself performance anxiety."

"I can't help it," I told her as we moved together slowly. "This is the end-all, be-all of our encounters." I gripped her shoulders in a desperate attempt to push deeper.

"Why do you – mmph – say that?" she bit her lip and tangled her hands in my hair.

"It's our wedding night, Leah. I've got to – God – make it worth the wait," I told her, rolling quickly and pressing her into the pillows. I hooked my elbow behind one of her knees and shifted my hips slightly.

"More," she said, tugging me to her and wrapping her other leg tightly around me. I gave her what she asked for, what we both needed so desperately. I pushed as hard as I could, eager for the sounds that fell from her pretty mouth.

"So perfect." I let go of her leg so I could hold her hands, lacing our fingers together above her head. She planted her feet on the mattress, giving me better access to her body. I watched her face, the way she pulled her lip between her teeth, how her eyes fluttered closed. I needed to see her come undone, to hear her say my name and feel her body tighten around me.

I tried to make sense of the things she was whispering, but it was no use. I couldn't concentrate when we were like this, when every moment was consumed by the desperate passion that we had for each other.

"I can't – ," I started but Leah kissed me quickly, swallowing the words that never left my lips.

"So close," she whispered and pulled her hands from mine. She held my face between her hands and I pressed my forehead to hers. I felt her heels in the backs of my thighs and thought about moving, wanting to see her over me, to touch every inch of her. I couldn't though; it was too much to think about it. The way her body moved with mine and how her hands felt on my skin, it took all I had to keep going. I needed her to finish first. Always.

Our bodies moved together with just the sound of our skin meeting and our breaths filling the room. Our faces were close enough to kiss but we were intent on breathing and whispering, letting each other know that the wait was worth it. When her arms wrapped around my neck and she buried her face in my skin I knew she was there.

I knew nearly everything about her body. When she whispered my name I felt her shudder beneath me and I increased my pace and my grip on her skin. She came quietly and I covered her mouth with my own while I followed.

We stayed quiet for a moment, her hands in my hair and my lips on her skin.

"Not bad," Leah said after a moment. I laughed and kissed her cheek before rolling until we were on our sides.

"Yeah, I guess." I shrugged and squeezed her ass tightly. She sighed and wrapped her leg more securely around me.

"We could always try again," she replied with a sly grin. I shook my head and kissed her lazily.

"Insatiable," I muttered. She nodded.

"When it comes to you? Absolutely," she agreed.

"Give me a few minutes," I whispered before slipping away and into the bathroom. We cleaned ourselves up and resumed our positions, sated and still exhausted. I sang softly, some long forgotten lyrics that made me think of her, just bits and pieces of our life together so far. My hands ran over her body, the soft skin of her stomach, and rested there, just over her belly button.

She touched my face softly. "What are you thinking about, Preacher Boy?"

"Babies," I replied with a kiss to her shoulder.

Leah chuckled lightly and intertwined her fingers with mine over her stomach. "You would."

"I can't help it, pretty girl." I grinned and rested my head next to hers.

"How many do you want?" she asked quietly.

"As many as you'll give me," I shrugged.

"What if I can't?" Her voice was almost inaudible. "What if we can't?" I frowned and leaned forward to kiss her. I knew that was something that plagued her. How she always worried that she wouldn't be enough- that she was inadequate to be a wife or a mother. But she wasn't. She was perfect and it would all work out. That I knew.

"Then we'll adopt as many kids as they'll let us," I told her. "But just in case it does work out, we'll practice as much as possible."

"I want at least a year with you first, though," she said firmly. "You know, before my body is never the same again and you won't want me anymore."

"Oh, of course," I agreed and she slapped me playfully. "I'll always want you, Leah."

"Even when I'm old and wrinkly?"

"Especially when you're old and wrinkly. Then I won't have to fight all the other grumpy old men for you."

She scrunched her face up, trying to be disgusted with me.

"You're gross."

"You love it."

"I do."

"You already said that once today," I teased.

"I'd say it everyday, if I could," she whispered.

I rolled to my back and brought her with me, framing her face with my hands and kissing her gently.

"I'm happy with just the one time."

"Yeah, me too," she agreed before shifting her body over mine, placing her hands on my chest and rolling her hips encouragingly. "Should we…keep practicing?"

I nodded and smiled. "I love you."

"I know." She smiled smugly as she took me inside her.

I was pretty sure we were going to like this whole married thing.

Thanks for reading!