Bella slept until nearly noon. I remained beside her for all but a few minutes. Shortly after dawn I removed the stained duvet and covered her with a clean, thick quilt. I also donned my drawers and undershirt so that my skin would not feel quite as cold against her. Aside from these brief activities, I did not leave her.

She began to rouse with a few murmured, sleepy words that I could not decipher. I rose up on my elbow so that I could watch her face. She was so beautiful. Her cheeks were lightly flushed with the warmth of her quilted cocoon, and her hair was delightfully tousled from our earlier activities. Her eyelids fluttered, then she opened her eyes.

"Good morning, love," I said softly, stroking her cheek.

"Edward…" She smiled and sighed. "I thought for a moment… oh, I had the most wonderful dream…" Her blush deepened.

I kissed her lips gently then drew back. "How do you feel, darling?"

She wriggled around a bit then rolled onto her back. "Fine…"

"Are you certain? Are you sure you aren't sore?" My gaze flicked downward.

"Mmm, just a little, but it's not bad." Her stomach rumbled then. "Mostly I'm hungry—famished, actually."

"I'll prepare breakfast for you, and then I think a nice, warm bath will ease your soreness."

She nodded and began to sit up. Abruptly she gasped and stilled, one hand moving to her side.

"Bella?" I asked, alarmed. Clearly she was in pain, but, surprisingly, the source was her flank.

I flung back the covers to reveal her bare torso. Just beneath her ribcage, on the left side, was a deep bruise. To my horror, I saw that the size and shape exactly matched my hand.

"Oh God," I cried, "I hurt you!"

Bella looked down, her hand hovering over the hideous contusion. "I don't think…" she began, but I would have none of her placation now. She tried to cover the mark with the edge of the blanket.

"No," I said sharply, "let me see."

She blinked at me, setting her hands upon the mattress. Her heart was pounding, and she was very pale now. She sat without moving as I gently probed the injury, feeling the ribs directly above for any indications of fractures. Fortunately they were intact, and I found no evidence of internal injury. Still, it was a deep and ugly bruise.

I hung my head in shame. I had felt so relieved last night, so ludicrously confident that I had not harmed her. Why hadn't I thought to check the rest of her body? I had held her, hugged her, gripped her entirely too hard…

I moved around so that I could view her back then asked her to roll over so that I could see her buttocks and legs. There were a few light bruises on the backs of her thighs, and when she shifted to her back again I found several additional marks on the fronts of her thighs. These were much lighter than the contusion on her flank, but they were bruises all the same.

"I'm a monster," I said miserably. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I should never have permitted myself to be with you. I was selfish—"

She sat up again and pressed her fingers over my lips. "Be quiet, Edward," she said firmly. "Just stop that. You're not thinking clearly."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she pressed harder, shaking her head.

"Just think," she said. "Remember when we were walking along the path from the motorcar? I stumbled, and you caught me. Your hand wrapped around me here." She touched the bruise on her side. "This happened before we ever set foot in the house, let alone this bedroom. You didn't hurt me. Quite the opposite, in fact. I've never felt anything like that before." Her cheeks grew pink again. "It was wonderful."

I had to admit that she was right about the cause of the large contusion. My flawless memory replayed the moment when I had clutched at her to keep her from falling. There was no excuse, of course, for hurting her, whatever the context, but the selfish part of me felt some relief in the knowledge that she had not been badly injured during our love-making.

"I'm sorry," I said, my tone soft and remorseful. "I didn't mean to do that… I'll be more careful in the future."

"I know. It's all right, sweetheart. Please don't feel badly about it."

She scooted forward to kiss me, her tongue sliding between my parted lips. My hands came to rest gently over her back. I felt longing begin to coil within me again, so I drew back. This was not the time to indulge in my selfish desires. Bella needed to eat, then I would ensure that she soaked in a warm bath long enough to alleviate her soreness.

She pouted playfully at me, slipping her hand up under my thin shirt. I had to repress a groan at the surge of arousal her mere touch caused within me.

"You need breakfast," I said rather huskily.

I stood and darted into the dressing area. A robe that matched the lovely nightdress she had worn briefly was draped across the chair before the vanity. I took the soft garment and returned to the bed.

Bella stood, wincing slightly when she straightened fully. I helped her into the robe then asked, "Darling, would you like something to help with the pain?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. Really, I'm sure I'll feel good as new after my bath."

I took her hand and began to lead her across the room. However, she paused as we passed the window. Looking outside, she gasped and said, "Oh!"

The sun was shining brightly, and the cove lay directly below us. Silvery-blue water sparkled in the light, framed by the dark, rugged rocks. The gray sand glittered softly.

"Beautiful," she said.

My eyes moved back to her face. "Yes," I agreed, "absolutely breathtaking."

After a breakfast of eggs, ham, and potatoes, I prepared a bath for Bella. I helped her out of her robe, then she sank slowly into the warm water, settling her head against the folded towel I had placed on the edge of the tub. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"This feels nice," she said.

I knelt on the floor beside her. "I'm glad."

As the water cleared, her glorious body was revealed to me once again. My gaze ran slowly from her face to her breasts, savoring the little peaks of her pink nipples. I was certain I had never seen a lovelier shade of rose before. My eyes moved down, a frown creasing my brow as the ugly bruise assaulted my vision again. Yet it did not detract from the soft curves of her hips and legs.

She shifted slightly, as though she were trying to get comfortable. I heard the slight increase in her heart rate and felt that she was experiencing some discomfort.

"Would you let me give you something for your pain, love?" I offered again.

"I'm just a little sore. It's really nothing."

I sighed. She would not admit to feeling any significant pain. Still, I would do what I could to assuage her aches. I moved behind her and slid my hands into the water so that I could rub gently at her neck and shoulders. While I knew this was not the source of her soreness, I hoped that she would derive some comfort from the release of residual tension in her muscles.

She seemed to enjoy the massage, and soon I had immersed my arms up to my elbows so that I could knead along her spine and lower back. I was careful to avoid any contact with the bruised area.

"Mmm, that's nice," she murmured. Her eyes were closed, and she sounded sleepy.

"Do you want to wash, darling?" I asked softly.

"Yes… I suppose so." She opened her eyes half-way and lifted her hand to reach for the soap.

"Allow me," I said, taking the bar and a washcloth in my hand. I dipped the cloth into the water then rubbed the soap over it vigorously to create a good lather.

Bella sank back again with a smile. I ran the washcloth over her neck, shoulders, and chest. A small, happy hum escaped her when I gently bathed her breasts then moved down to rub lightly over her belly and hips. I lifted each leg and moved the cloth from thigh to foot. When I was finished, I asked if she wanted me to wash her back.

She leaned forward, again wincing slightly, but she said nothing. I bathed the lovely, pale expanse of skin then encouraged her to lower herself into the water again to rinse away the soap. The temperature was cooling—most likely due in part to my cold hands—and I did not wish for her to become chilled. So I stood and took a large, soft towel from the cabinet and unfolded it.

"The water's getting cold," I said.

She nodded and rose from the bathtub, water dripping down her body. I had maintained some degree of composure throughout her bath, but now the sight of her sent a jolt of stimulation through me. I became aroused almost instantly.

I held the towel over my hips as I helped her from the tub, then I wrapped her in the thick fabric. Her eyes flicked downward, and she grinned knowingly. My thin drawers could not hide the effect she was having on me.

"Maybe we should go back to bed," she suggested, her cheeks quite pink.

I shook my head. "No, love. You're still sore. I don't want to cause you any more pain."

"I don't think it will hurt very much this time," she began.

"I think it will. We should wait until you're not feeling any more soreness and until this," I brushed my fingertips over the site of the bruise, "has started to heal."

Her lips moved into an adorable pout. "How long will that take?"

"Perhaps a day or two—"

She gave a little shake of her head. "That's too long."

"Sweetheart, I refuse to bring any further discomfort to you." My tone was loving but firm.

"Tonight, then," she said with that wonderful determination that I so adored. "I'll be better by tonight. I'm certain of it."

"We'll see," I replied. "Anyway, I want to go down to the beach today. It's really beautiful. I think you'll enjoy it."

"All right," she acquiesced. But the naughty minx lowered her hand to run her fingers over my hips, from one side to the other, before turning and walking away.

We both dressed in casual clothing—a simple cotton dress for Bella and white linen shirt and trousers for me—then left the house. I had a blanket over my arm and kept my other arm around my wife. When we reached the narrow, natural path that lead to the cove, I scooped her up, cradling her carefully as I leapt down to the sand below. I had decided not to risk another stumble if she attempted to climb down with me.

Bella gasped then laughed in delight when she realized what I had done. I kissed her before setting her on a smooth patch of sand. She turned to look out at the water. It was a deep azure against the clear afternoon sky. We had been fortunate to arrive during a few days of pleasant weather. It was sunny and warm but not hot.

I spread the blanket on the sand then sat down, offering my hand to her. She sank down, her movements still slightly stiff, then cuddled against my chest, still facing the water. I wrapped her in my arms, inhaling her fragrance, so pure in the fresh, clean air.

"This is perfect," she said.

"I'm glad you like it, Mrs. Cullen." I kissed the tip of her nose.

She smiled. "I like everything about it. I especially like hearing you say my name."

"Mrs. Cullen," I repeated. "Bella Cullen."

"Mmm, it sounds better with the 'Mrs.' I love feeling married."

"And what is it that makes you feel married?" I inquired playfully. "Is it this?" I lifted her hand to place a soft kiss over the ring upon her finger.

"That's part of it," she agreed. She ran her thumb over the band on my finger.

"And what else?"

Her cheeks grew pink. "Knowing that I can be with you—really and truly joined with you—feels absolutely wonderful."

I kissed her crown. Her hair was warm from the sun, and he scent was sweeter than ever. I wanted nothing more than to give myself over to my senses, but there was something I needed to know, something that had been bothering me.

"Sweetheart," I began, stroking her cheek softly and nestling her head beneath my chin, "will you tell me something?"

"Whatever you like…"

"Did it hurt very badly?"

"Hmm? No, I didn't even realize there would be a bruise—"

"No, I don't mean that, although I'm glad to hear it. I meant last night, when we were first together…"

She exhaled. "Oh." She did not answer my question.

"Bella, please. I need to know."

"Why? So that you can regret it? Because I don't. Not for one minute. That was the best night of my life."

"I don't regret it," I admitted. "And it was the best night of my life, too. I just… " I swallowed. "You were crying. It must have caused you considerable pain—"

She shook her head. "That's not why I was crying."

"It's not?"

"No, Edward. I was crying because I was so happy."

"You were? I thought I had hurt you, that the pain had brought your tears."

"It did hurt," she confessed, "but only for a minute, and not enough to make me cry. Goodness Edward, it's not as though I wasn't expecting it. I knew there'd be a little pain the first time. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"Did you speak with your mother about it?" I asked, curious. I could not recall that she had been alone with Mrs. Dwyer for more than a few moments.

"No. Esme and I talked."

"You did?" This truly surprised me.

I felt her nod beneath my chin. "She wanted to be sure I was prepared, that I knew what to expect."

"And when did you have this chat?"

"We talked a couple of times, first while she was fitting my dress, then again yesterday while she was helping me get ready. She told me I could ask her any questions I wanted…"

"You can ask me anything, too, you know—about anatomy or—"

Curtly, she interjected, "Um, thank you." She sounded a bit embarrassed. "But I think Esme was able to give me the information I… needed."

Making a mental note to send my mother a special gift of some sort, I responded, "That was very kind of her."

"It was. I'm grateful to her. Oh, and she gave me the negligee, too."

"Ah, I thought that looked like something she would choose. She has wonderful taste. It's beautiful—and you looked exquisite in it."

"Thank you."

"Mmm. You looked even more exquisite out of it." The mere memory caused a twitch in my loins.

"I'll wear it again tonight," she replied, her hand running softly over my thigh, "if you like."

"Oh, I do," I nearly growled.

Lord help me, I could not stay away from her. But I would be certain I did not cause her any pain—even if it meant that I would experience no satisfaction myself. Knowing that I would bring pleasure to her was enough.

Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I promise there will be more lemony scenes between Bella and Edward... the honeymoon is far from over. ;)