Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, I just use their creations to have my wicked way with them. No copyright infringement is intended.
Family
April 2010
Grazie, arriverdeci," I concluded, before hanging up the phone. I smiled to myself, knowing that everything was in place to give my wife the surprise of her life tomorrow. I couldn't wait to see her face when she found out what Libby, my mom and myself had planned for her, though I knew that getting through the next twenty or so hours without spilling the beans was going to be challenging….to say the least.
Challenging, but not impossible. A small smile crept onto my lips as I thought that – to make this easier on myself – I would have to find a way to keep her thoroughly distracted for most of that time. If only I could think of something….
I sunk down on the living room sofa as I listened to the distant sound of the shower running. It was the only sound – apart from a bird singing in a nearby tree – that could be heard and it was driving me crazy.
Bella, naked in the shower, just a few feet away. The thought alone was enough to make my blood flow from my brain to a place a bit more down south – again – making me think that with the many times that had happened over the last couple of days I was in risk of ending up with brain damage one of these days. It was worth it though, so fucking worth it.
My smile turned into a chuckle as I recalled what the last couple of days had been like, and how I had managed to fulfill my promise to Bella. I had had her on just about every flat surface, and even some of the vertical ones, in this cottage. All, except for the one I was on right now.
"It seems like such a shame that we have to leave this place tomorrow," Bella sighed as she came out of the bedroom, the only thing covering her body being the towel she had draped around her head like a turban. "I'm going to miss the privacy."
My cock reacted instantly to the sight in front of me, twitching towards her like a dowsing rod to a well. "So will I, love." My voice sounded a little more strained than I would have liked - giving away a little too much of the thoughts that occupied my brain – as my eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her, though in my mind the towel was strangely absent.
So far Italy had been amazing, not that we'd left the confines of the farmhouse much. It wasn't for lack of trying. Hell, a few days ago we'd even made it as far as the village before I had felt the need to be inside my wife stir up again, compelling me to park the car in some quiet forest lane and take her on the hood of my shiny red Alfa 8c spider.
My dick hardened even further at the memory of that particular round. It had been a good one; the image of Bella's pale skin and mahogany hair splayed out on the bright red surface of what had soon become one of my favorite cars was one that I would not like to forget.
I guess the countryside did have its advantages.
Still, every good thing had to come to an end, and with the second part of our trip starting tomorrow we were running out of time – and new surfaces to discover – in our own private little garden of Eden.
"I can see how much you're going to miss it," Bella snickered, slowly stalking towards me as she got rid of the towel, her tongue peeking out to lick her lips while her eyes ghosted over my body. The confidence and sexiness with which she moved making me desperate to be buried inside her again.
"I need you," I growled. "Right here, right now."
"So impatient," she chuckled, her hips moving in a sensual sway as she slowly but surely progressed towards me, my brain going mad with a million scenario's in which I wanted to possess her.
"So cruel," I muttered. "Why do you play with my heart?"
"Because the catch isn't half as satisfying without the hunt," she chuckled, the heat of her body radiating out towards me as she stood in front of me, her brown eyes boring into mine. She was in control and she knew it.
And fuck! She was sexy when she was in control.
"And what, fair Artemis, will you do with your prey once you've caught it?"
A lustful smile illuminated her face as she leaned in, a lithe finger tracing a trail from my neck down my chest and landing on top of my rock hard erection about the same time as her lips reached my ears. "I intend to possess it," she growled, her hand gripping my cock through the thin fabric of my boxers in time with her words.
The sound that emitted from my throat was eerily reminiscent of a wounded animal as I struggled to fight the urge to take over and throw her down on the coffee table behind her. As gratifying as that would be, I was sure that playing along would eventually work in my favor….
Bella watched it all with a smug smile, her shoulders drawing backwards a little more as her confidence soared higher and higher by watching the effect her words had on me.
If only she knew the amount of control she held over me – body and soul – I was sure she'd never ever doubt herself again. Or leave the bedroom….
"Just relax," Edward," she purred, her hands settling on my shoulders and pushing me back against the soft cushions on the settee. "Sit back, enjoy the show….let me take care of you."
"That's fine by me," I breathed, lifting my hips as she pushed the fabric of my underwear down, my cock springing forwards, proudly and in dire need of her attention. It was only when I sat back, just as she had told me to, that I understood the other part of her advice to me.
Fuck me!
I swallowed hard, my eyes glued to the huge gilded mirror that hung on the wall to my right, the angle giving me a very clear view of Bella's gorgeous naked body as she crouched before me. "You see that, baby?" Bella purred, her hands sliding upwards again over my legs now that she'd disposed of the last obstacle between my dick and her mouth. "Fuck yes!" I breathed, my cock twitching with impatience for things to come, the liquid oozing from the tip another indication of just how ready I was for her.
She, however had other ideas. I could see it by the way she glanced back, the evil glint in her eyes reflected in the mirror glass, her hands ghosting over my cock, touching but bringing no relief whatsoever. "Bella," I groaned, both begging and warning at the same time. Begging, because I was sure that if I wouldn't get relief any time soon I would fucking explode and warning that if she kept this on, I couldn't be held responsible for my actions. She merely snickered, my head beating faster as she gathered flicked her hair over one shoulder, getting it out of the way as she reached down, her lips brushing over my tip, barely touching it, before she lifted herself up again, only to repeat the same action a second time, though this time on her downward motion she actually kissed my cock. I was beyond begging at that point – wound so tight that the merest touch could set me off – my voice sounding mangled and unsteady as I spoke. "Would you please stop teasing me?"
She grinned, her smile one of pure satisfaction though her answer was the one I had been begging for ever since she got down on her knees in front of me; the feeling of her warm lips wrapping around me, sucking me into her warmth. "God!" I groaned, my fist slamming against the fluffy cushions in a desperate attempt to get rid of all the pent up energy that was begging to come out. It was either that, or thrusting my cock into her mouth and – even though I had found out my sweet angel had a rather deviant side to her – I doubted Bella would be into me fucking her mouth like she was some common whore. It was almost too much, my senses overflowed with wave and wave of stimulation as Bella took me in, the air tingling against the wet skin of my cock as she retreated.
And I hadn't even begun about the visual aspect…..God! I didn't know how Bella found out about the trick with the mirror, but boy was I glad that she did as my eyes shifted from the goddess in front of me and the trill watching my dick slide in and out of her mouth, to the reflection of her in the mirror, the movement of her shoulders and her spine creating a dance of light and darkness as it flowed down to the smooth curve of her ass. "Like that, baby, just like that."
She hummed against me, the sounds dragging off into a moan as I fisted my hand in her hair, pulling slightly and hopefully without causing her pain. Her actions brought me to the brink, my body begging for a release which I wasn't ready to give in to yet. "Stop…..God….fuck!.... Bella…baby stop!" I breathed, my words coming out as a half growl, "I want to be inside you when I come."
"Oh." She blushed, the color standing out amidst the pallor of her skin. I loved that, in spite of her new found sexual confidence, I was still able to cause that effect. Bella wouldn't be Bella without her adorable blushes.
"Yeah, that's right," I chuckled. "So I guess that makes it my turn now."
"Your turn?" She shifted, rubbing her thighs together as she caught on to the double entendre in my words.
"U-huh," I nodded, rising up from the couch. "You didn't think I'd keep all the fun to myself, did you?" I bend down to my knees, my body against hers, as I patted the soft fabric of the seat. "Hop on, gorgeous."
"Oh." Her blush deepened as my words sank in and she bit her lip, her body bending to my will as she took the place I had previously occupied on the couch, her body reclining against the seat as she arranged it to accommodate me.
"God, I love you spread out and ready for me!" I groaned as I took in the sight before me; Bella on the couch, her legs parted slightly to reveal her glistening pussy. She shivered as I let my hands travel up from her knees to her thighs before settling onto her hips as I slid forward to a perfect angle. I adjusted her body on the couch, making sure I could reach all of her sweet spots while still allowing her to enjoy the view, just like I had a few minutes ago.
Bella's eyes were hooded with lust as she watched my every movement, her eyes widening slightly as I slowly leaned in to kiss the skin above her collar bone before sliding my tongue down in circular motions until they reached the pebbled tips of her breast. She gasped my name as I latched on, kissing and nipping and enjoying every reaction her body produced, from the whispered words of encouragement to the way her knees were clamping against my hips, keeping me in place.
As if I had anywhere else I'd rather be.
"Easy there, love," I chuckled against her soft flesh, losing their hold. "You want me free to move around, don't you." I made use of my new found freedom by slowly sliding down her body, my tongue reveling in the slightly salty taste her body had taken on because of the heat as I dragged it along the smooth expanse of her stomach.
"God, yes!" she groaned, moving her legs a little further apart to give me better access.
"Good girl," I chuckled, my hands moving lithely up and down her thighs in a figure of eight movement, each passage coming a little closer to her wet sex. "Now how will I reward you?"
"I'm sure you can think of a way," she panted, her whole body tense with expectation. "Please…."
Ever the gentleman, I was more than happy to oblige to her request a groan of pleasure escaping my throat as I tasted her. "Fuck Baby," I groaned, the sweet taste of Bella making me salivate for more, "you are so wet for me."
"Only for you," she breathed, the words trailing off into a throaty moan as my lips folded around her clit. My tongue slipping through and circling the bundle of nerves as I slipped my index finger inside moving slowly, at first, and picking up more speed as the movements of her body and soft whimpers and moans emitting from her mouth indicated she was ready for more. "Oh God, fuck yes!" she moaned as I added a second and third finger, her back arching away from the pillows as her lust hooded eyes shifted between the mirrored image of the two of us together to me and what I was doing to her.
It wasn't long before I could feel her getting closer, the pressure in her body building up in anticipation of her release and I rejoiced, knowing it was me – only me – who did this to her. "Come for me, baby?" I begged against her tender skin. "Can you do that for me?"
"Fuck!" Her reply came out as a mangled cry as I could feel her whole body starting to tense and release, her walls clamping around my fingers as she came. It was the most beautiful sight in the world – better even than when it had been her doing this to me – and I looked up, imprinting it all onto my brain. God! She was so beautiful….so sexy…all mine. Made for me, to enjoy and give enjoyment in return.
As I watched her slowly whirl back down to earth, the urge to pound into her and relief the throbbing ache between my legs became almost unbearable. I knew I should be giving her some time to recovery or recuperate or whatever shitty phrase you could think of which came down to giving your wife a breather after she'd just orgasmed under your own capable hands, but somehow I couldn't stop myself, or – better – I couldn't stop my dick. It was beyond all reason at that moment, making my body revolt against my brain.
Bella's upper body veered off the couch in surprise, her chest almost crashing into mine as I entered her with one powerful thrust, her pelvic muscles clamping around me and making it really fucking hard for me to keep my shit together and not turn into a one thrust pony.. "Fuck!" she cried, her eyes clearly conveying the journey of her feelings; surprise, understanding….lust.
"Keep still, baby," I begged, leaning my head against her shoulder as I tried to steady my breathing, focusing on everything but the bliss of feeling her all around me. "God, you feel so good!"
I started moving inside her after a few moments, when the overpowering urge to come had abated slightly, my groans and Bella's whimpers filling the air as we entered in a slow sexual dance of coming together and moving apart. My lips sought hers, kissing, nipping, tasting as our movements slowly transcended from carful and measured into passionate and frenzied.
"Are you looking at us, love?" I growled as I watched Bella's eyes shift to a point beside my head. "Do you like watching me make love to you?"
"Yes," she moaned, her hands gripping my sweat-slicked shoulders to gain more leverage as her hips started to match my thrusts. "Fuck, Edward…don't stop."
"I wouldn't think of it," I hissed, "I do, however, think you're hogging the view!" Understanding dawned on her face as I gently shifted her body on the couch so that her back was against the seat of the couch and my body hovering above her.
Watching our movements, my body sheathed inside of hers, our hands, arms, legs tangled together was one of the most erotic sights I had ever set eyes upon, and given my past history, that was saying something. It brought me dangerously close to the edge again, but still, I had no intention of giving in. Not before I would make sure she would be right up there with me.
Bella's eyes widened before rolling into the back of her head as I sat up my hands wrapping around her legs and lifting them to my shoulders, our new position allowing me to hit her deeper and more powerful than before. "I'm so close," I hissed, the increased tightness making it even harder for me to hold off. "Come with me, Bella."
"Almost there," she panted, her eyes silently begging me to give her that extra push. "Please…"
I released one of my hands from where they had been holding her legs in place and started rubbing her clit."Oh fuck yes!" Bella gasped, her body immediately responding to my ministrations and I could feel from the tightening of her walls around me that she was getting as close as I was. "Don't stop…..I want…Give me….More."
"Anything!" I panted, my hips pounding into her with a desperate need to get as close to her as they could. To possess her, every bit of her, even the parts she had been reluctant to give away.
"Edward!" she called out, the intense clamp and release of her body as she came pulling me over the edge with her, calling out her name as I spilled into her before crashing down on top of her, my whole body exhausted and utterly spend.
"Amazing," I panted, trying to keep as much weight off of her as my arms could support. "You, my love are utterly amazing."
"You're not too bad yourself either," she chuckled, her fingers caressing the slippery skin of my back. "I wish it could be like this all the time…even when we get back."
"It could be…." I sighed, knowing that with two small children running around the place and a set of very nose neighbors the likelihood of this happening in broad daylight in our living room was slim to none. "I mean…we could always create a reason…."
"Do you mean?" The inquisitive tone of her voice had an underlying fear in it and it pained me, for more reasons than one.
"Don't you?" I asked cautiously, not wanting her to feel pressured into anything but really hoping her answer would be 'yes' all the same.
"I don't know." Her hands stilled on my back and I looked up to see the same anxiety I had noticed in her voice reflected on her face. "I-I…it's just," she stammered.
"It's okay," I assured her, the unspoken answer hurting me more than I'd like to admit. "You don't have to…."
"No, it's not that," she interrupted me. "I want more children eventually, but….."
"Not now."
"Yes," she nodded. "Now would be a big mistake. We are both so busy and so much in our lives is still uncertain…I don't think I could handle having another baby right now. It wouldn't be fair. Not to the kid….and not to me."
"I know, love." I leaned in for a kiss. Words couldn't convey how relieved I was that this wasn't a definite negative. I could definitely see where Bella was coming from. Bringing another child into our family now would be a mistake. We both still needed time to heal and grow and find certainty before we were ready.
And after all, we'd just had Masen.
Still, the whole experience of watching my child grow, in Bella's stomach at first and then from a tiny helpless baby into a developing human being had been the most awe-inspiring experience in my life, and one I was very eager to repeat. Perhaps a little girl……
"Don't get too carried away, Cullen," Bella smiled, once again knowing what was going on in my head without as much as a word passing between us. "I said some day, not right now."
"Someday," I repeated, nuzzling my head against her breast and drifting off into daydreams about a little girl with brown eyes and bronze hair building a huge sandcastle in the backyard with her big brother and sister.
We laid there, a tangled mess of sweaty, panting body parts, for God knew how long – It could have been minutes, it could have been hours – our hands gently caressing whatever parts of the other they could reach.
"Are you cold?" I asked, noticing her shiver for the second time.
"A bit," she shrugged. "The air is chilly tonight."
"I think it might rain," I nodded, picking her up in my arms and carrying her to the bedroom. "Let's get you to bed before you freeze to death." I handed her a pair of those thin, frilly bits of fabric Alice had forced her to pack. Honestly, what was passing as nightwear these days would have been considered underwear fifty years ago. It almost made me wonder how women all over the world kept themselves from ending up in the ER with hypothermia or pneumonia because those frilly things did nothing to protect them on that front.
"Exaggerate much?" she chuckled, settling in underneath the soft sheets of the bed. "And how about food? Or are you going to hire a staff of ten like you did on the first night, just to serve us dinner in bed while we're stark naked?"
"Nope," I snickered, I picked my pajama bottoms up from the floor beside the bed and slid them on before lying down next to her, "though I do like the thought of that. I popped out for a bit while you were taking your nap earlier and drove to the village. Turns out there's a trattoria that sells pre-prepared pasta's. All I have to do is fire up the oven and we're done." I snorted, watching the irony in her smile. "Come on! You have to give me some credit! I've learned how to warm up a meal over the years."
"Well, I hope you're sure," she smiled, snuggling in underneath the covers, "because if I have to get up from the bed, there's going to be hell to pay!" She kissed my shoulder before settling her head against it. We were quiet for a few moments, only Bella's content sighs stirring the air as we both lay there. "How late is it?"
I craned my neck to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Five PM."
She sighed deeply before detaching her body from mine. "I'd better call home," she sighed. "Libby will be worried if she doesn't hear from us."
"Are you sure, love?" I tried. "It is only ten in the morning over there. For all we know Libby is still asleep."
"Really, Edward?" she snorted. "Are we talking about the same little girl? You know as well as I do that the latest she's ever been up was eight o clock, and that was after she had been up half the night puking her poor little guts out."
"Whatever," I muttered, watching my wife rifle through her purse in search of her cell phone. "It's not impossible."
"Perhaps not, but you have to admit that it's highly improbable!" She replied, shaking her head at me as she dialed the number. I held in my breath, knowing that this was where the difficult part would start.
xXx
Bella Cullen
"Will you sit still?' Edward chuckled, his eyes shifting from the road to me for a second. "You're reminding me of someone I know right now."
"Do I?"
"Yeah, I think you know her…." He mused. "Brown hair, green eyes, about this high…." His hand left the gear shift for a moment to give me an indication. "Goes by the name of Darcy Elizabeth Cullen……"
"Hmmm, the name does ring a bell." Thinking about Libby made me miss her even more because as much as I had loved the last couple of days and the effect the absence of children had had on our love life, I missed my babies a lot. More so than I would ever imagine.
And it got worse with every passing day….
"Figure it might," Edward snorted, taking my mind off my gloomy thoughts for a moment. "But I couldn't have imagined her ways would rub off on you!"
"She's my child too, you know!"
"Yeah, but I kind of thought she inherited that particular part of her character from my side."
It was so hard to keep the tears at bay, even when I furiously reminded myself of all the things I had to look forward to, so much to see, so much to do….so much to ruin because all you could think about were the poor little cherubs who had been left behind in New York…..It was at times like those that I would have gladly hopped on the first available fight back home if Edward would have let me. "I miss her."
"I know," he sighed. "So do I."
"I wonder why they didn't pick up the phone last night." My anxiety rose to a new level as I eyed my phone, willing it to ring. "I hope nothing happened….." I had tried calling Libby last night, just as I did every night since we had arrived here, only to be directed to the very polite message Esme had recorded for the home answering machine. At first I didn't think that much of it, figuring they must have gone out for a walk or something, but when they still didn't pick up an hour later and even Carlisle and Esme's cell phones didn't get me anywhere, I had started to get worried.
"I'm sure they are okay," Edward reassured me. "They were probably out with the kids, doing something fun. Libby will probably tell us all about it next time we call her." It was the same thing he'd told me yesterday, but then his words had been more convincing.
That, and the fact that he'd spoken them stark naked and still wet from his shower.
"How can you be so sure?" I couldn't imagine him just sitting there, calm as a cucumber, while God knew what might have happened to our children. It was making me more than a bit pissed. "You don't know where they are, do you? There's no way of knowing they are safe and…."
"Bella," Edward sighed. "Just calm down, honey." He paused for a few moment, no doubt hoping I would take his words to heart. "Look, I don't know why they didn't pick up the phone last night but I bet that right now they are fast asleep in bed, perfectly safe and harmless."
"Then why didn't they pick up the damn phone yesterday?" I cried. "I know I'm overreacting but dammit! It's so out of character for them to just leave us hanging! Esme didn't even react to the voicemails I left! It's so unlike her!"
"As I said; they probably went out last night," he shrugged, his total indifference to the fate of out babies and the careless way in which he kept repeating the same crappy excuse over and over again infuriating me even more. "I thought I heard my mom saying something about some horse fair she planned on taking Libby to."
"And what about the messages I left?" I yelled. "Do you mean to say they simply forgot about them?"
"Maybe. Or maybe they got home late and went straight to bed."
"I'm going to try again." I grabbed my purse and started fishing around for my cell phone.
"The hell you are!" Edward growled. "Bella, I know you're worried but I won't have you waking everyone up in the dead of night just because their fun robbed you of your chance to speak to Libby and Masen!"
"Robbed me Edward? What the fuck are you saying?"
"Don't let this grow into anything more than it is," Edward muttered.
"I won't," I insisted, my anger still pulsing trough my veins. "But that doesn't mean that you don't owe me an explanation. And better make it a good one!"
"Don't you think that part of your feelings are fueled by the fact that you miss them?" he countered. "I know how much you depend on speaking to them every night…."
"I do," I admitted, "but that's beside the point."
"Is it? Or is it part of it?"
I had to admit that he had a point, even if I didn't see how it made my anxiety over the children any less valid. "I don't know," I grudgingly admitted. "I wish they would pick up the damn phone though."
"So do I," he nodded, taking my hand and tangling it with his. "Don't think that I don't care, just because I'm trying very hard to remain calm." He lifted our hands to his face, tilting it so that when his lips brushed against them they made contact with my skin. "Try not to worry too much. I'm sure that there is a perfectly sensible explanation to all of this."
"I'll try," I sighed. "It's just…I miss them. I've never done this before and I'm just scared that something is going to happen – good or bad – and that I won't be there to witness it." It was only after I had uttered the words that I realized how they might be construed. "It's not that I don't enjoy being here with you," I was quick to add. "Far from it….I love it here, I really do, but it's very hard for me to let go."
"If you want to go back…." he muttered as he slowed the car down in time for the next exit.
"No," I sighed. "Just….don't mind me. As you said, it's probably nothing." And just like that Edward Cullen had been able to work his reverse psychology magic on me yet again. It made me wonder why I still bothered to disagree with him at times. It wasn't like I could ever resist him.
His mind or his body.
"Good," he nodded, the hand that had lost contact with mine since he'd had to handle the gear shift settling down on my knee as it sought contact again. "Because I would hate for you to ever feel like you have to do this out of some sense of obligation. I want you to enjoy yourself."
"I am," I assured him. "This whole trip has been so…amazing." I sighed as I stared out in front of me, the distance between us and paradise growing by the second. "I'm going to miss the farmhouse."
"So will I," Edward nodded, his hand squeezing slightly. "But we'll take some of what we found there back with us."
"I hope so." The five days we'd spend at the farmhouse had been like living in our own perfect little bubble made of nothing but the purest and most beautiful love I had ever experienced. We both knew that the moment we left this place, that bubble would come under pressure. It wouldn't break, we would make sure of that, but, sullied by the outside world, it would, with time, lose some of its magic shine.
"I know so," he pressed. "And anyway….wasn't it you who went on and on about how it would be a waste of money and finite resources if we traveled halfway around the world only to lie on top of each other?"
"Yeah," I growled. "But how was I supposed to know that the lying on top of each other part would be so…addictive?"
"We'll have plenty of time for that during the second half of our trip," he chuckled his voice dipping an octave as he continued. "Plus….we have a whole new room and a whole new array of furniture to christen." His words send a shiver through my body and I could feel myself flushing up from the inside, a sensation only heightened by the fact that his hand had slowly started to travel upwards from my knee and was now inching dangerously close to the edge of my panties.
"Edward….." I begged, my voice breaking into a gasp as his fingers slipped underneath the lacey fabric, "we're in an open car right in the middle of a road. What if someone sees us?" I was sure that anyone who'd see me right now would be in no doubt of what was going on. Flustered being the perfect phrase to describe me right now, the warm Tuscan air being of no help to me whatsoever.
"I know baby," he crooned, "but fuck! I love feeling how wet you are for me." I let out a small whimper at the loss of his fingers as he distracted them. Terrified as I might have been at getting caught with his hand literally up my skirt, my body couldn't help but reacting to his touch. My body, it seemed, was all about living dangerous.
"Besides…" he continued, "I couldn't resist a little taste." I gasped, the throbbing between my legs rising to almost unbearable levels as he stuck his fingers in his mouth, his eyes closing for the slightest hint of a moment as he savored the taste of me. "It's been too long since I had the taste of you in my mouth."
"Honey, you have to stop doing this to me if you want me to survive this holiday," I begged. "Take it easy on my poor heart!"
"I'll think about it," he chuckled, his attention reverting back to the road which was getting more challenging as we got closer to our destination. The hotel we had picked was just outside Florence in the town of Fiesole, a municipality up in the hills above the big city. As we climbed up towards the town we caught glimpses of a most breathtaking view through the foliage and picturesque homes that were scattered along the road: a high dome sticking out above the city of Florence, joined by a few other impressively robust buildings that had stood in the same spot for God knew how many years. There was so much history here. So much to be discovered. If only I could be sure that Libby and Masen were safely tucked up in bed right now….
"We'll call them as soon as we're checked in," Edward spoke, no doubt having noticed the shift in my mood. "It's a bit early but I think my dad may be up by now. Working as a surgeon for twenty odd years tends to screw with your sleeping patterns."
"Thanks," I nodded, smiling slightly at his confused look, "for understanding"." I did the math in my head. It was twelve in the afternoon over here, meaning that in New York it was six in the morning. Too early for even Libby to be awake.
"Of course I understand. I am just as terrified of something happening to them as you are, even though I chose to be the voice of reason in this matter."
"I just hope they pick up this time…."
I didn't have much time to think about it before we arrived in a huge open space, enclosed by trees and shrubs on three sides but that wasn't what drew our attention, it was the huge white stone façade of the Villa San Michele, rumored to have been designed by no other than Michelangelo himself. "Damn!" I muttered as I took it all in. The place looked majestic and awe-inspiring, much more like a palace than a monastery, which had been the building's previous use.
"You can say that again," Edward chuckled beside me. "It sure is impressive, for lack of a better word."
Edward masterfully steered the car towards the entrance, letting the car slowly roll to a stop as we rolled up in front of the austere loggia that separated the outside from the inside.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I think I would have been jealous," I snickered as I watched him sigh a bit as he cut the engine and carefully open the door, his fingers gliding over the red paint, almost as if he was caressing it. "Will you be able to say goodbye to your shiny new toy when we leave?"
"With difficulty, but I'm sure I'll manage," he chuckled, opening my door and lending me his hand as I got out. .It's just a car," He leaned in, his lips dragging over the skin of my neck as he continued in a low, husky voice. "There are things I love far, far more…." I shivered as I felt his tongue slip out, caressing the tender skin behind my ear, before suddenly pulling back. His face was radiant with love and anticipation as he looked at me, his words confusing me even more than his facial expression. "Surprise."
"What?" I frowned looking up at him. What was the surprise? I knew we were going here, hell, I'd even booked the trip. What was he going on about?
The explanation came soon though, a flash of brown curls and white skin, covered in a light blue dress running at us with a dazzling speed. "Mommy!"
"Libby?" I stumbled, trying to keep my body upright as my daughter crashed into my arms, her small, bony frame colliding with mine. "Owch! Careful honey! You don't want mommy to end up in the ER again!"
"Did you see this place?" she gushed, her arms waving out to the building in front of us. "It's so cool! It has paintings on the walls."
"That isn't so special, is it?" I laughed feeling the weight of worry and longing lift from my body.
"Ugh, you know what I mean," Libby scowled. "The paintings are on the walls, not like the ones you see in a museum. Grandma says they are very old."
"I'm sure they are honey," I chuckled. "So, grandma and Masen are here as well?" That would surely explain why they didn't pick up the phone last night.
She nodded, her curls bouncing around her head with the ferocity of her movements. "And granddad too. You should see the room we are staying in. It's huge! It has its own garden and you can see the whole city from there!"
True to form Edward had refused to settle for anything less than the presidential suite which, in the light of the new additions to our group, was a very smart thing because if gave us space enough to have Libby and Masen join us without the room getting too cramped. Sure, we'd had to give up some of the privacy because the walls, thick and ancient as they might have been, were nothing compared to the privacy of the farmhouse and sharing our suite with two children meant that wouldn't be able to make love as freely as we had for the last couple of days. Or on as many different surfaces.
Still, I wouldn't have given it up for anything in the world. After the five perfect and uninterrupted days of reconnecting I'd had with my husband, I couldn't wait to share this second part of our trip with my kids and the two people responsible for us being here, though I had no idea, as of yet, how everyone ended up being here, though I had a sneaking suspicion.
"I take it Carlisle and Esme didn't just wake up one morning with the uncontrollable urge to fly all the way to Italy, did they?" I asked, turning to my husband. He was looking on with the contentment of a cat who'd just found the secret entrance to the aviary.
"They might have had a little help," he shrugged.
I had flung myself into his arms the next moment, one hand holding on to Libby while the other was wrapped around Edward's neck. "I love you!" I sniffed into his chest, before lifting my head up to thank him properly. "Even though I hate you for letting me worry all morning! You could have told me."
"And ruin Libby's fun?" he chuckled. "Never!"
"Ruin my fun?" Libby asked, as Edward gathered her up in his arms, folding her into our embrace. "Why would mommy want to ruin my fun?"
"I didn't want to do that, sweetheart," I smiled. "I was a bit worried about you when I tried to call you last night and nobody picked up the phone."
"We were on the plane."
"I know that now, but I didn't know it then, so I was scared something had happened to you," I explained. "But enough about that. How did your flight go?"
"It was long," Libby frowned. "I don't think I like it when it goes on for that long."
"I don't like that either," Edward nodded.
"But they did have Finding Nemo and that was fun," Libby, always the optimist, went on, "and grandma let me do granddad's makeup when he was asleep."
"She even took pictures so that your mom and dad could share in all the fun," Esme chuckled as she walked out into the light. Libby skipped over to her, her eyes dancing with mirth as she slapped her grandmother's hand in a high five – or in Esme's case a very low one. Esme shot a quick glance behind her before she continued. "Though I don't know if Carlisle was a very willing subject."
"I'd say that again," Carlisle's voice sounded from the open doors in front of us. "But apparently a man can't get a decent nap in around these parts without having his face resembling something like a Native American in full war paint." His face was stern and I could see by the way Liby's face clouded that she had been unable to detect the faint hint of humor in his voice. I couldn't blame her though. Carlisle would have made a very fine actor.
"I'm sorry granddad," Libby sighed. "But you did look really funny. Grandma thought so too."
"I was only joking, sweetheart," my father in law reassured her, progressing slowly towards us with Masen tottering beside him, my son's chubby little hands holding on for dear life and his face scrunched up in a look of utter concentration as he walked.
Until he saw us.
My heart leapt at the huge toothy grin that appeared the moment he saw us, his free hand reaching out words us. "Mama! Dadda!" He stumbled in his enthusiasm to reach us and were it not for the strong arms and quick reaction of his grandfather he would have fallen butt first onto the gravel.
"Easy there, my boy!" Carlisle chuckled, gathering him up in his arms and crossing the distance. "You really don't want to get up close and personal with the floor." He handed my son over to me and it wasn't until I felt his little small body enclosing mine in a marmoset grip, his sweet baby smell enveloping me, that I realized how much I had missed my two little angels. They held a big piece of my heart and being without them, no matter how much fun I knew they were having or how much I trusted the people who cared for them, that piece would always be anxious about them and pine after them.
"I can't believe you flew them over!" I sniffed, burying my face in Masen's unruly mass of bronze hair. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"
"Anything for you, love," Edward answered, his arm snaking around my waist. I could see from my peripheral vision how Esme and Carlisle quickly gathered Libby to them and left, giving us some space. "I knew how hard it would be for you to be without the kids and I figured I might as well have them join us. I know Libby is going to love it here."
"I think you might be right," I chuckled. "I mean, who wouldn't? It's perfect! But are you sure that Carlisle and Esme are okay with sacrificing their own holiday plans for this?"
"Are the two of you going to stand here all afternoon?" Esme's voice sounded, breaking the spell. I looked up to see her standing at a respectable distance, a satisfied smile gracing her lips as she looked at us. "Oh, and don't worry about us being here. I've been wanting to revisit these parts for years but for some silly reason Carlisle is always holding off on me!"
"That might just have something to do with the fact that you turn into a force of evil the minute you set foot in a museum!" Edward muttered under his breath.
"I heard that!" Esme sneered, "Please Bella, don't let yourself be fooled by whatever those two philistines of mine say. I may get a bit excited when there's art to be seen, but surely accusing me of turning into Pol Pot's little sister is ludicrous!"
"Very accurate, actually," Edward whispered in my ear, earning a very stern look from his mother.
"Well, as much as I would like to stand here and debate with my son, let's get inside and get you two checked in before Libby and Masen tear the place down," Esme chuckled, shaking her head at Edward as I reluctantly handed Masen over to his father after my arms grew sore from holding him. "Libby has been very excited to explore the city and I don't think her grandfather will stand a chance against her on his own. Brilliant surgeon though he may be, he has always been a pushover when it came to his kids."
"We'll be right there," Edward smiled, handing the car keys over to a valet who appeared as if on cue. I wondered how long he had been waiting in the side wings. When he had satisfied himself that the valet was taking great care of the shiny red contraption he turned back to me, shifting Masen so that he was perched on his hip while offering his free arm to me. "Are you ready to come inside, love?" he asked, his eyes glowing with love and happiness, the weight of the last couple of moths having slowly faded from them over the last couple of days.
"I am," I smiled, stepping into his hold and letting him guide me into the building.
I would follow him anywhere.
Awww. Who wants to marry Edward right now?
The next chapter will have them spend their last days in Italy before they turn home to another surprise….Hmm, I wonder what that will be…..
I hope I will be able to post next week, but with the way my work schedule is looking for the next couple of days I fear that won't be happening. I'll do my best though.
Like? Hate? Please let me know.