Come Take a Walk with Me
Chapter Thirty-Five—Within Your Arms
Bella captured my face between her warm hands as part of my body pressed against hers. "I'm no longer cold," she said softly, giving me a shy smile.
I could not help the laugh that left me, pressing a little closer to emphasize my point. "Neither am I."
She rolled her eyes at my wiggling eyebrows. "You are not a gentleman raised in the early 1900's. What have you done with my Edward?"
Distraction from my tormented thoughts was what she was attempting to do. She must have seen the look of fear and trepidation in my features before I joined her in bed. I thought I had masked it well, breaking through the surface for only a second. I should have known better, she was always so observant of me.
"You unleashed this side of me all on your own, my dear," I said, kissing her lips much too briefly. "You could not expect me to remain so…"
"Gentlemanly?" she offered.
"I was going go say prudish, as Emmett has often called me, but gentlemanly works, too."
She laughed softly, an enticing action that had effects of another nature on her body. It was hard to keep my eyes on her sweet face than on the rest of her, but somehow, I managed. I lowered myself from my hands to my elbows, pressing that much closer to her. She tried to contain her reaction, a soft moan, but it escaped her nonetheless.
"I love you," she whispered softly, her fingers slowly climbing up my back. My eyes closed at the sensation, my sensitive skin, firing signals at lighting speeds to my mind. My body reacted before I realized what I was doing. Hip to hip, I rocked against her, and then instantly stilled.
As our hips met, she gasped, her mouth near my lips. "It's okay," she murmured, her mind open. There was no pain in her thoughts. Her eyes softened as she reached for my hair. "It's all right, Edward."
"I'm sorry. This is why," I said, grasping for control. "Your touch…" I shook my head as I tried to find the words. "My desire for you drives my instinct to the surface."
"I know," she murmured, her fingers playing with my hair. "We can go real slowly, Edward."
I nodded. "I think it is best if you do not put your hands on me."
She smiled gently, understanding that I needed a little more control of the situation. "In a minute," she said, pulling me down for a kiss. I groaned at the touch of her mouth and allowed her to taste me as she pleased. As her hands slowly fell away and onto the mattress, I deepened our kiss and felt her lips part beneath mine.
She giggled when my chest met hers. "That's a little cold," she said sweetly.
"I can tell." I felt the tips of her breasts tighten beneath the silk of her nightgown at the press of my cooler skin.
At my words, she blushed and grinned. "I like this side of you."
"Good to know," I teased, smiling as I kissed her again. I found the lighthearted teasing helped ease some of the tension in me. I tried for a little more. With my venom in control, I tasted the inside of her mouth with a gentle slide of my tongue.
I felt the bed shake beneath us. She kept her hands twisted in the sheets. Her shield encompassed us both, keeping me safe from her powers, but the room around us suffered a worse fate. Candles brightened, the fire burned hotter, the bed shook. I could only imagine how hard it was not to touch me. She was stronger than I was, being able to resist the temptation of touching what she desired most. If our roles reversed, I would have failed the instant we fell into bed.
Her soft, warm skin called to me to explore every dip and valley, test every inch with my touch, my mouth. There was so much yet to discover. Would her skin flush with color or erupt in goose bumps? To find her intimate places, those hidden, others easily seen, taste them, and see where she loved my mouth most.
"Edward," she moaned, her hips starting to undulate under mine, but caught herself in time to slow down.
I was aware that she heard my every thought, saw my every fantasy. I closed my eyes long enough for her see that first time I saw her undress in her room. How I reacted to what I had seen. A small gasp escaped her, her chest arching closer to the touch of my lips, as they skimmed her shoulders with kisses.
"Even then, I wanted you like this," I murmured. "I never imagined I would have the chance…no, the privilege to hold, love and touch you as your husband."
The scent of her tears captured my attention, as I lifted my eyes to find her crying softly. "Bella?" Though her eyes closed, the smile on her face was real. That alleviated some of my worries.
"I'm just happy, Edward," she said softly, finally meeting my gaze and wiping at one of her tears. I swept my lips over the next one that escaped and she shivered as I continued until she tipped her head up to capture my mouth again. Even something as simple as tears tasted so sweet to me.
We carried on this way for several minutes, murmuring soft words of love to each other. As her fingers continued to clench and release in the sheets, I trailed open-mouthed kisses along her neck.
"It tingles," she whispered, moaning, as I tasted the strip of skin beneath the thin strap of her nightgown. I watched it fall an inch down her shoulder, the front gaping enough to see more creamy curves. "Edward."
It was a gasp that time, twisting her head to the side to give me access. To more of her skin. To the artery that thrummed with life beneath the surface. To bite and take what I had wanted desperately on that first fateful day.
Each thought was fleeting, as I tasted the tiny brown freckles along her shoulder that formed an imperfect triangle. She laughed at the special attention, asking silently why.
"Because they are a new discovery," I murmured, whispering the words along her collarbone . She sighed, as I tasted the hollow of her throat, her skin warming beneath my lips. "There are so many more to find. We may be here all night."
She laughed softly, but moaned deeply as one of my hands swept up her thigh. She was warm and soft beneath my palm. I watched as her dark lashes fluttered along her cheek, her eyes closing. She was lost in my touch, and fully gave into the pleasure of it. I groaned, watching the rise and fall of her chest and wanting to see so much more.
"You can see more if you want," she said, rolling her shoulder enough for the loose strap to drop further. The only thing that prevented the complete exposure of her left breast was the taut peak.
I growled, trying to keep my eyes on her sweet face. "You are a dangerous woman, Bella."
She sucked in a breath and her bottom lip as I slid my hand up her thigh further. When I moved beneath the hem, she gasped as my fingers spread and curved over her backside. There was exquisite softness, and the shape was perfect in my hands. I fell back to knees, in need to see the progress of my hands, to see them on her in this way.
Her body arched, her thoughts lamented the loss of my body pressing against hers. "Soon, my love," I whispered hoarsely. "I want to look at you."
She nodded absently, whimpering softly as my other hand joined the first beneath the silk, grasping her hips. My hands spanned her easily, my fingers splayed to test the tentative roll of her hips.
"Bella," I hissed through clenched lips and watched as she shifted on the bed. I slipped one hand back down, watching tiny bumps rise along the top of her thigh. I teased the back of her knees, finding it sensitive to my touch. She was ticklish there, enough to elicit a soft laugh. I did it again, loving the sound of her laughter. My mouth brushed a tiny spot on her ankle, gently placing her foot back on the bed, and taking the other to mimic my actions of the first.
Done with my quest, I started another. My hands skimmed up her thighs, watching them part and found nothing beneath her nightgown. I originally thought she had worn the matching tiny scraps of strings and silk to her nightgown. "Dangerous," I repeated, kissing the inside of her left thigh.
As my hands ventured higher, the silk bunched around my wrists and without my having to ask, my wife lifted her arms over her head. Careful to keep my touch as light as possible, I slipped the garment off her hips, skimmed her waist and along the sides of her breasts. Her breathless response was a tiny roll of her hips and the shift of her feet on the bed.
"This is torture," she gasped. "Payback will be so sweet."
I smiled at her words and allowed my body to press over hers, as I tossed aside the slip of silk and lace. My hands shook as I asked, "Payback?"
"After my change," she murmured, unaware that I could see her thoughts. I groaned at the images. "I'll force you not to touch me."
"You know I want you to," I reasoned. "But there is only so much I can handle."
She nodded, seeming to understand. "One at a time."
"For now, yes."
"Then it's your turn," she whispered.
"What? Why?"
"You're having a hard time. You said you wanted to see me, but you've kept your eyes on the covered parts." She blushed then, continuing after a moment. "Plus, I want to. You've already seen me um, you know, let go, and I want you to feel that, too."
She was right, of course. I wanted that, to share something so intimate with her, my wife.
I swallowed and nodded, slowly pulling back and keeping my eyes on her face. "Okay." Perhaps through my release, my desire would bank, and when I touched her again, I could remain in control.
She seemed surprised and quickly scrambled to her knees, scared that I would change my mind.
That was a mistake. I inhaled sharply, as I nearly devoured her with my eyes. It was the only description on how my gaze roamed over her.
Her lovely, warm skin illuminated by the glow of the flickering candlelight and fires, completely exposed to my perusal. I had, until that moment, kept my eyes on the more innocent parts of her, as she had said. I feared that the temptation of her fully unclothed would snap my control.
The second she realized what she had done, she went absolutely still. "Edward?"
"Don't move," I said hoarsely, watching the dance of light and shadow move over her skin. "You are so beautiful."
My hand extended, and with just the tip of a finger, I traced the lights of flickering flames along the curve of her breast. Her head fell to the side, her glorious hair tumbling over her shoulders. I circled the taut tip of her breast, eliciting a soft moan and a pulse within the confines of her shield.
It was extraordinary, almost as if she was all around me. She seemed so lost in my touch, unaware of what she was doing as she gave herself to me.
For the night, I had to ensure she remained that lost to all but me.
Unable to resist the need to feel more of her, I curved my fingers over her breast, which I teased earlier. A shuddering breath escaped her parted lips.
"Not fair," she whispered, her eyes were slow to open. It almost seemed as if her lids were too heavy to do so. Was that an affect of her desire for me? "It's supposed to be your turn."
I tested the softness, the weight of her, my fingers encompassed her breast, and she almost filled my hand.
"Do you want me to stop?" Watching the rise and fall of her chest, she replied with only a shake of her head. I brushed my palm over the peak, nearly crushing my teeth together as it tightened further beneath my skin.
How could two instincts be at so at war with each other? A part of me wanted to take what she offered to seek the ultimate conclusion, soft and slow as two first-time lovers should. Another part, one with the beast inside me, wanted to pull her in my arms, taste every inch of her, take and take some more, mark her, and claim her with a raging, clawing need.
Yet, instinctively, I knew that both reactions were innately human and male, not only driven by my vampire instincts. Something that likely arose with any man that loved a woman and wanted to possess her wholly.
There was too much separation between us. I needed her close, to touch more. I wanted to feel her hands on me as she imagined, and as she asked. My hand slipped from her breast with great reluctance, thumbing her pebbled skin once more, my fingers curved along her side and slid up her back, between her shoulder blades. She exhaled sharply when I pulled her closer, my other hand grasping her hip lightly.
"Slow," I murmured as I lay back against the sheets, her body following me down. From our limited prior experiences, I knew I had to keep my hands constantly moving to ensure I would not bruise her. With her exploring me at will, I knew my hands could easily break her.
However, I knew my desire was too much. I had to find something else for my hands to do. Straddling my thigh, she watched as I lifted my arms up and held on to the headboard.
A soft gasp pulled her lips to a devilish smile. Like the demon I once accused her of being, sent to torment with the call of her blood. As I watched her, I realized there was so much more to lure me in. She held me captivated since the moment I first saw her.
I would have laughed at the adorable look on her face, but I knew it would likely embarrass her. She appeared at a loss on where to start. As she caught an echo of my thoughts, she scowled lightly at me.
Biting her lip, she moved off my thigh, unaware to the loss I felt. The warmth between her thighs was like fire to my cool skin, even with the barrier of my pants between us. I wanted to feel more of it, of her, everywhere.
She knelt beside me, bare to my perusal, making it that much harder to keep my hands off her. I wanted her to have this, to touch me and prepare me for what was to come. It was pleasant to see that she did not try to cover herself, allowing me to look at her without apprehension. She was lovely, all cream and soft pink skin, dark eyes and hair that made her nearly glow in the candlelight.
Her hands did not start at my chest, where her gaze seemed riveted. Instead, she cradled my face in her hands, bending to kiss me. A silk curtain of her hair brushed along my ears and jaw, firing all those nerve endings. She pressed her lips over each eye, skimmed them across my forehead. I nearly came off the bed at the feel of her teeth raking along my jaw.
"Bella," I gasped, my fingers clenching into the paltry wood headboard. There had been some indication from what I have witnessed between my family members that biting made their mating even more primal. I had never understood until I shuddered under the bite of her teeth.
"Too much?" she asked, continuing licking and trailing hot open-mouthed kisses along my jaw. At my ear, she asked again, "Too much?"
I groaned at the feel of her lips at such a sensitive area. Not only did I feel the warmth of her lips and breath, but the vibration of her words. It took a considerable moment for me to determine if her teeth on me was too much.
I swallowed and answered, "Keep going, but no teeth."
"Something to look forward to, then," she moaned softly and continued an exquisitely torturous trek along my neck, her tongue flicking over my Adam's apple, eliciting a potent growl. Her words along with her actions had my imagination run wild of what it could be like after her change.
She stilled as the headboard finally snapped beneath my grasp. "Do not stop." It was a desperate plea and she answered it with a light sucking that drove my hips to move.
I had no idea it could be like this. There had been some fear that because she and I were different that it could not feel as good as it did with the vampire couples in my family. We could not have been more wrong. I should have known that her touch would inflame me.
"Will you miss the warmth?"
I knew she had read the tenor of my thoughts, since they were so strong even in my own mind.
"No," I murmured, trying to keep from moaning again at the feel of her tongue along my shoulder. "Even at a cooler temperature, your touch would feel like fire." She hummed, driving me insane with the need to touch her.
There was a peculiar sensation coming from my hands. It took a moment to figure out that my hands itched to run along her back as she continued her quest to brand me everywhere with her lips. A sensation I had not felt once in over eighty years. A harsh moan left her lips, no doubt seeing the images my thoughts created. Slowly, to give me time to prepare, she slipped a thigh over my abdomen, straddling me.
My eyes rolled back, feeling her arousal and heat between her thighs. She cried out as my mind continued to conjure images of my hands on her. I had to clench my jaw to keep from rolling my hips beneath her. Restraining myself was becoming harder to control. At that thought, Bella slowed, pulling her hips away enough to separate us. I growled at the loss, lamented as she had when I stopped touching her.
By now, if I had been human, I would have been sweating and desperate to achieve completion. Her silky thighs brushed along my sides as her lips pressed against my chest. Her hands continued testing my control with soft feather-like touches of her fingers, exploring my navel and stomach as my muscles clenched beneath her.
When her fingertips tested a strip of my skin along the waistband of my sleep pants, I nearly bucked my hips toward her questing fingers. How I kept them still was a testament on how much I wanted to feel her touch me there. From her thoughts, I could see her head lifted to meet my eyes, but I struggled to open mine. It was indeed desire that caused such heaviness over my eyelids.
I could see the questions in her gaze and thoughts, nodding that she could proceed. She doubted my control, sensing how close I was to the edge. I shook my head, in the hopes to reassure her. She nodded, swallowing once as she shifted to settle between my thighs. I fought the urge to plead for her to hurry.
Her fingers dipped beneath the fabric, pulling them down until she met resistance. I lifted my hips to help and watched her reaction. Though we showered together, we had been too shy to look at each other completely, only touching all the safe areas, too scared to explore further. Now she had no reason to stop as she tossed aside my pants. I groaned at the first touch of her palms on my thighs.
"You have such a beautiful body," she murmured, continuing as her hands moved higher, "—sculpted to perfection." Again, my eyes rolled closed, unable to keep from crying out a feel of her touch. Suddenly, I felt the wet warmth of her lips along where my artery would have been.
"No, Bella!" I growled, my hands finding purchase in the wall behind the suddenly disseminated headboard. She stilled as I snapped my eyes to hers. They closed as she concentrated on her shield, keeping me from her thoughts. "You cannot put your mouth on me there."
She had to understand, because with a buck of my hips, I could kill her. Her eyes slowly opened to find a pressure on my body I had only felt when she pushed me away with her shield.
"I won't do that," she whispered, watching me as the pressure continued to build. "As you can see, I can restrain you."
I nodded and said, "When you concentrate, but when you cannot, that second when it stops, I could kill you."
"All right," she said, biting her lip. "I can't take you in my mouth."
I groaned at the image that she suddenly filled my mind with, of her doing that. "You do not play fair, Bella."
She smiled and blushed. "Sorry, I can't seem to help my over active imagination."
I groaned again. "Neither can I. Slow," I reminded her, watching her palms start to move again, "With your hands."
She nodded and looked to where we connected. The progression of her hands was tremendously frustrating, a torture on my conflicting thoughts. I wanted her touch around me, on me, stroking me. I was, however, nervous that I would not be able to control myself at that first touch. Though she held my hips down with her gift, I knew that it was tenuous.
"Maddening," I whispered. "How can something that feels so good, be maddening?"
"Because you want more," she replied just before she touched me where I wanted her most.
"Bella!"
At first, her hold was tentative, as if she was wrapping my erection in warm silk. I was no longer in control of the sounds that built up in my chest and erupted in a litany of growls, purrs, and groans. When her hand tightened around me after a few strokes, I was nearly at the inevitable edge. At the next upstroke, I cried out as her thumb brushed along the tip.
Her answering moan and scent of her increasing arousal was my breaking point. Had she not held me down, I would have rocketed off the bed to protect her. Instead, my whole body tensed against the onslaught of sensations that seemed to ignite every ounce of venom and molecule inside me. I shook beneath her touch as I continued to fall into my slice of heaven on Earth.
I had no idea how much time before the ecstasy was at a tolerable level, but Bella was lying beside me, watching me carefully. Her eyes were wide, her head cushioned by a pillow and her hands.
"Are you okay?"
Still breathless, though I should not have felt the need to breathe, I nodded. I turned to my side to face her, feeling suddenly embarrassed by my reactions. She smiled at my thoughts, her own showing me how she felt as she watched me fall apart under her spell.
"You're still hard," she blurted out, her eyes bright, her skin flushing as she handed me a small hand towel.
After cleaning up, I smirked, cupping her hip and pulling her closer. "No recovery time needed."
"Oh," she said breathlessly. I smiled as I rolled over her. She looked up at me in confusion as I bent to kiss her.
"Your turn."
AN: Betaed by kyla713. I know some of you want them to do it before she's changed, but as you can see, he's having a hard time. I hope you understand. Hey, its Bella's turn next. You're all probably wondering about Jacob, yeah, we'll see him soon enough.