Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. This story and all original characters belong to the author. No copyright infringement intended.

My thanks to MauiGirl60, my brilliant beta, and to Cared and Midnight Cougar.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Wednesday 17 August 2011

It was late afternoon when Tyler pulled up outside Claridges. Edward had been released from A&E at Charing Cross Hospital just after three o'clock, with close to fifty stitches in his shoulder, back and side, and his left arm in a sling. It seemed he had been incredibly lucky, because although all the cuts were long and very painful, none were excessively deep, nor had they cut into any vital organs. The worst of the wounds was the one running down his ribcage, where there was little fatty tissue to absorb the blow, and x-rays revealed the tip of the knife had nicked one of his ribs.

Edward had been given a plentiful supply of strong pain medication and both he and Bella were exhausted, but as Jay Mews was a crime scene, they couldn't go home. The fact was, of course, that neither of them wanted to return to a place of so much violence and devastation, so it was an easy decision for Bella to call Lynda at the office and get her to find them a hotel room. The girl came up trumps, with a suite at Edward's favourite hotel, and she also went above and beyond by going to Marks & Spencer's to buy them some clothes to put on, just so they would be dressed in more than their underwear when they checked in.

The police, of course, had questioned both of them, and Bella was aware that the Scene of Crime Officers had been called in to examine the dead body in Edward's dressing room. Initial reports back from SOCO seemed to confirm their version of events, but the police were obviously keen to find out exactly what had occurred in that house.

In the aftermath of the night's events, as one of the constables started talking to her about what had happened, Bella suddenly felt horribly nauseated. Looking around her in a panic, she was fortunate that she spotted a litter bin in the corner. Just in time, she lurched across to it, flipped the lid open and vomited copiously. After a few minutes, she returned, pale and weak-kneed, to her seat.

"Are you okay to carry on, Mrs Cullen?"

Bella wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and looked tiredly up at the young constable.

"Yeah… I just… I sort of just realised… I killed someone…" she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and dropping her head into her hands.

Removing his cap, the officer sat down next to Bella and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I know this is really difficult for you at the moment—understandably—but I just need a few general details right now. You and your husband will have to make a statement to CID, but I just need to ask a few questions now. Okay?"

Bella dropped her hands and sat up, a look of resignation on her face. She nodded at him.

"Right. So can you tell me, did you know your assailant?"

Bella gave him a rueful smile. "You could say that. She tried to kill me in Italy a few weeks ago."

When her interrogator looked at her askance, Bella turned on her chair, opened her robe and pulled up the camisole she'd been sleeping in. The dressing underneath was now crumpled and grubby, peeling away from her skin on one side, and she lifted it a little further to show him the bullet wound.

For his part, he tried very hard—and mostly succeeded—to be professional, giving her long legs , flat stomach and pert breasts no more than a cursory glance.

"You can check my story with the Italian police in Volterra, and with Interpol and the FBI."

He looked suitably impressed, scribbling in his notebook, and then nodded at her to continue.

Bella talked to him for what seemed like hours, until they were both informed that Edward was now stitched up and able to talk.

Bella hurried to his side, where he was lying in a curtained cubicle, the officer following close behind.

Edward went through his own story while they waited for the doctor to sign him out, and Bella went off to call Lynda.

And then Tyler was there and they were finally free to leave, for which they were deeply thankful.

"I went to the house, sir, but the police are there and wouldn't let me anywhere near—there's blue tape everywhere." Tyler was apologetic, but Edward patted him on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Tyler. Just take us to Claridges—Bella's organised us a suite there and I just want to go lie down and sleep for twelve hours."

~o0o~

When they got to their room, despite their exhaustion, the one thing they both wanted was to wash off the blood, both Edward's and Jane's. With all his injuries, a shower was out of the question, so Bella ran a bath, making sure the water didn't come up above Edward's waist. Then, carefully and oh so gently, she washed him with the soft, natural sponge which her newest favourite person, Lynda, had purchased, as part of a luxury toiletries kit from Body Shop, and washed his hair.

Once he was clean, she helped him put on the new underwear she'd found in the shopping bag, and got him into bed, with a glass of water and his pain medication set out on the bedside cabinet.

She herself then took a quick shower, put on the new clingy tank top and matching shorts from the bag and then slipped into bed next to Edward. He was sitting up against the headboard, his sling discarded, and his eyes closed. As soon as the mattress dipped, his eyes shot open, and for a moment his face was awash with panic.

"Jesus, B, you made me jump."

"Sorry, my love, I didn't realise you were asleep."

He shook his head, and started to lift his arm in order to pull her into his side, but his wince of pain persuaded Bella that cuddling just wasn't practicable—at least, not tonight.

"Goddamn that bitch to hell," Edward groaned. "This was so not how I hoped to spend tonight."

Bella sighed, but said nothing. The irony of the situation was that because she had missed the appointment with her own GP, she had asked the A&E doctor to check her wound and remove the stitches, which he was happy to do. He remarked on the quality of her surgery and told her that she had healed remarkably well, which meant that she could carry on as normal.

Normal. She was starting to forget what that was.

"Take your pills, Edward, and try and get some sleep."

He pouted at her. "Don't I at least get a goodnight kiss?"

Bella chuckled, and then got up 0n her knees. Throwing one leg over Edward's lap, she straddled him, cupping his face, and capturing his lips with hers. Immediately, his good right arm came up and he buried his fingers in her hair. Opening up to one another, they revelled in the closeness, but all too soon, Edward was wincing and Bella was backing off.

"Noooo, I wanna kiss you some more," Edward whined, like a bratty kid.

"No, no more tonight. Take your pills… and tell Junior to stand down."

Edward snorted. "He's never taken a blind bit of notice of me before, I doubt he's gonna start now!"

Eventually, they settled down facing one another, with Edward lying on his good side. Bella had put pillows behind him so that he wouldn't be able to roll over on to his sore back, and in this way, exhaustion dragged them quickly into sleep.

~o0o~

Thursday 18 – Thursday 25 August 2011

The days that followed took on a somewhat surreal quality, as Bella and Edward languished like royalty at Claridges, whilst the world came to them.

Pretty much the first thing that Edward did the next morning was to call his legal team, who dispatched a criminal law solicitor. The lawyer talked to both of them at length before two detectives from Bow Street police station turned up to interview them.

In the cold light of day, Bella inevitably began to worry about charges of manslaughter or even murder, despite Edward's injuries. The case for self-defence rose and fell on the question of 'reasonable force'. Edward, of course, had been stabbed three times, but none of the wounds were, up to the point Bella interceded, life-threatening. Neither of them were in any doubt, however, that the fourth attempt would have been, in all likelihood, fatal. At the very least, it was reasonable for them to have assumed that this would have been the case.

In addition, the lawyer had said it was important to contend that the lamp had been employed as a defensive weapon rather than an offensive one, and that the bulb had been broken when she knocked off the shade, and not as a deliberate attempt to form a lethal weapon.

Their solicitor, Nigel Comstock, did his job well, making sure that neither Edward nor Bella answered any questions which he considered to be self-incriminating. At the end of the interview, the CID officers, although somewhat non-committal, seemed to be leaning towards the opinion that Bella had, indeed, acted in self-defence.

The older of the two officers, Detective Sergeant Burnley, glanced down at his notes and then back at the couple sitting across from him.

"We'll need you both to come down to the station when Mr Cullen is fit enough, to give formal statements. At that time, we'll pass the file to the Crown Prosecution Service, who will decide whether there is a case to answer. However, on the basis of what you've told me, and bearing in mind the previous, near-fatal attack on Mrs Cullen, I'm pretty sure they won't be interested in taking this to trial."

He stood and held his hand out to Edward, who pushed himself stiffly to his feet and shook it firmly.

"Thank you, Sergeant, I appreciate your candour. I can honestly say that, if it hadn't been for my wife's bravery, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead now, or at the very least, fighting for my life in hospital."

"Edward!" Bella jumped up and grabbed hold of his good arm, resting her forehead against his biceps. "Don't even say it, please."

He smiled down at her, pulling his arm from her grasp and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Comstock stepped forward offering his own hand to the detective. "Let's hope the CPS agrees, and we can just forget this whole unfortunate business."

Shortly after, both Comstock and the police officers left.

Later, Edward's Personal Shopper turned up from Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, and set about taking notes of everything they would need for the next few days, at least until they could get back into the house. Neither of them were keen to spend any time there, and it was decided that they would stay on at Claridges until Edward was fit enough to travel and the police had—hopefully—given them the all-clear. At that time, they hoped to still grab a few days' holiday before heading to New York.

Whilst they were stuck in limbo, waiting for a decision from the CPS, they had decided to check out properties for sale in Cambridge, and had made appointments to look at several the following week. Bella was keen to get things sorted in good time ahead of term starting on 13th October.

The following day, Edward and Bella presented themselves at Bow Street police station. They were greeted by Detective Sergeant Burnley and his colleague, Detective Constable Hart, who took them to separate interview rooms. Edward's solicitor, Nigel Comstock, had accompanied them, and had brought one of his Partners to represent Bella.

An hour and a half later, they were on their way, with an assurance from Sergeant Burnley that he would contact them in a few days to let them know whether they could leave the country or if they should start preparing for trial.

True to his word, Burnley called on Thursday. They were relaxing on the sofa, watching a DVD—Edward leaning against the arm, his long legs stretched out along the couch, and his arm wrapped tightly around Bella where she sat between his legs with her back against his chest.

Edward pulled his ringing phone out of his jeans pocket. "Cullen."

Bella looked up and over her shoulder at him when he said nothing for a moment.

"Okay... yes… okay… fine. Thanks for letting us know. Yes, she's good, thanks… okay… okay. Thank you, Sergeant, I really appreciate it… yes, we will… thanks again. Goodbye."

Bella had now turned completely and was kneeling between Edward's legs, an expectant look on her face.

"Well?"

"The CPS have concluded their report, and have recommended that no charges should be brought. They said it's a clear case of self-defence. It's over, Bella… it's all over."

Edward's voice cracked a little on the last word, as Bella gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Suddenly, a loud sob erupted from her, and she lurched forward, straddling his lap and throwing her arms around the back of his neck. He winced slightly, but didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms around her waist and hold her tight.

It was only then, as he held his weeping wife close to his chest, that Edward could admit to himself that he had been terrified that Bella might be arrested. He knew that what she had done had almost certainly saved his life, and that she had been merely protecting him and herself with her actions. However, he'd read often enough of people defending themselves against attack and being prosecuted, so it was by no means clear-cut that Bella would be considered innocent of any wrong-doing.

He could feel his own tears now, as relief swamped him.

"Bella, my Bella… it's okay now, love… it's over… it's over…" His voice caught, and he pulled back to look at her.

They stared at one another as tears trickled down both their faces. Bella sniffed and pulled her arms from around his shoulders so she could cup his face in her hands.

"Oh, Edward…" but she could say no more.

Edward brought his own hands up and buried them in her hair. He pulled her back to him and kissed her soundly. They both tasted salt as they opened up to one another, their tongues stroking and dancing as Bella's hands dropped from Edward's face to his chest. Her hands kept moving down until they reached the hem of his t-shirt, and slipped under to stroke across his abs and then up to his chest.

Edward moaned low in the back of his throat, his right hand dropping to her hip and pulling her against him. He pushed up, grinding his growing erection into the hot spot between her legs.

Bella gasped and moved against him as their kisses became more frantic. But then, as Edward leaned forward, he couldn't help a hiss of pain as fire sliced through his ribcage and shoulder blade.

Bella immediately pulled back, eyes wide with concern.

"Goddammit to hell, don't stop, B," he gasped, trying to pull her back, despite the throbbing ache in his back and side.

"No, Edward, you're in pain. I'm sorry, hun, I shouldn't have got you worked up. I'm so sorry…"

"Shhh, don't… don't apologise. None of this is your fault."

He leaned back against the cushions, his face a mask of defeat as Bella climbed off the sofa and went into the bedroom. She returned moments later with a glass of water in one hand and a tablet in the other.

"Here, take this. I'll call room service and get us something to eat."

~o0o~

Later, as they lay in bed together, facing one another, Edward reached out and slid the back of his fingers up and down Bella's jaw.

"Hey, why so sad? It really is all over now, Bella. And you and me… well, we're going to be all right, aren't we?"

Bella was pulled out of her introspective moment by the plaintive note in Edward's voice.

"Oh, Edward, of course. I love you… so much."

He stretched his neck towards her, placing a soft kiss on her mouth. "I love you too, more than I've ever loved anything or anyone. Please, won't you tell me what's troubling you?"

"It's just… it seems so wrong to feel so happy when…"

"What? What is it?"

Bella closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again, to find Edward's eyes gazing intently back at her.

"I killed someone, Edward," she whispered. "I took a life."

"But—"

"No, let me finish. I know Jane was hateful and clearly insane, but she was someone's daughter, Edward… someone's child. It just… feels wrong to be happy I got away with killing her… you know?"

"No, B, I don't. You didn't get away with anything. Listen to me, would you feel this way if she'd killed me? Do you think I would want her to still be alive if you were dead?"

"No—"

"No. Exactly. It was her or us, and I'm glad she's dead. Jesus, Bella, she'd already tried to kill you once, and damn near succeeded. If you hadn't shown up in the closet when you did, she would have stabbed me again. I couldn't get up, and I couldn't grab hold of her, she was too quick, and when I fell… Christ, she was getting ready to kill me, and you stopped her. And you didn't stick that fucking lamp in her chest, she fucking ran into it because she was trying to get to you to stab you with a fucking butcher's knife… oww, fuck…!"

He had been getting more and more agitated, and was trying to push himself up, which just made the pain in his ribs flare up again, causing him to roll back against the pillows behind him.

"Edward, be careful, love. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you so." She stroked his face, gently rubbing her thumb across his cheek. "You're right, of course, and I know that in my head. And if she'd killed you… well, I would have done whatever it took to rid the world of her loathsome presence. It's just… oh, I don't know, I suppose there's a part of me that feels… triumphant? And that, in turn, makes me feel bad. Regardless of what she did, she was a human being, and presumably there are people in the world who loved her, and my triumph is their loss… can you understand what I mean?"

He rolled back towards her—carefully—and put his hand over hers on his face, turning to kiss her palm.

"I guess I do. And you know what? It just confirms to me, yet again, what an amazing woman you are, and I love you all the more for it. I doubt many would feel such compassion in your situation. But you can't let that compassion stop you from letting yourself be happy, B, you just can't. It's not fair on all the people who love you."

She gave him a rather watery smile and nodded her head. Again, he leaned into her, and they kissed softly.

~o0o~

Friday 26 August 2011

Despite the good news from the police, Edward and Bella decided to stay on at Claridges for a few more days. Jay Mews was cleared for their return, but neither of them was keen to go back just yet. Under instructions from Edward, Kate had found a crime scene cleaning company, who went in and blitzed the whole place. Although most of the mess was obviously confined to the dressing room, there was damage and blood stains in the bedroom, plus more blood spatter throughout much of the rest of the house. The mattress needed to be replaced, along with the bed linens, and a new lamp purchased, as the original had been taken away as police evidence… not that they wanted it back! Edward left everything with Kate, and she did a great job of organising and overseeing the whole clean-up and redecoration.

Oddly, now that she knew about Edward's marriage to Bella, her attitude towards her boss's wife had changed somewhat, which surprised Bella on the odd occasions the two of them spoke. She could only surmise that it was because any hopes Kate might have harboured about a relationship with Edward beyond work had been dashed. Whatever the reason, she was at least civil now, even mildly solicitous, although Bella doubted they would ever be friends.

But she had to give the woman credit, because when the two of them made their first visit back to the house a week after the attack, there was absolutely no evidence at all that such awful acts of violence had been perpetrated here only days earlier.

It didn't stop Bella shivering as they crossed the threshold. Edward pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head.

"It's okay, B, there's nothing here that can hurt us now."

"I know, Edward, it's just… a bit creepy being back here."

He didn't say anything, but he had to admit that he, too, felt less than comfortable being in this house. Fortunately, Tyler had insisted on coming in with them and, thankfully, his presence seemed to calm them both.

Upstairs, Tyler preceded them into the bedroom, which definitely took the edge off their joint trepidation, and they then wasted no time gathering together the clothes and possessions they needed for an extended absence. Once they'd completed their packing, Tyler took all but the lightest bags and headed downstairs, followed closely by Edward and Bella, who were happy not to linger.

~o0o~

Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 August 2011

On Saturday, they packed a weekend bag each and headed off to Cambridge. Edward had wanted to drive the Aston, but Bella refused to allow it, telling him she wouldn't get in the car if he drove.

"So—what? You want to drive?" Edward cocked a sceptical eyebrow at her.

"The Aston? No thanks. The thought of you having a panic attack the whole way to Cambridge will send me doolally."

Edward frowned. "I'm sure you're a perfectly good driver, Bella, but my insurance won't cover a seventeen-year-old driving the Aston—"

"Well, then, it's just as well I want Tyler to drive us in the Range Rover," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why don't you drive the Range Rover? I can get Kate to arrange for you to be added to the policy… although it would probably be easier for me to drive—I'm fine, so I don't know what you're worrying about."

Bella sighed. "You're not fine, Edward. What if you had to swerve suddenly and it pulled on your stitches, huh? You could lose concentration and the next thing, the car's spinning out of control."

"Jesus, B—fatalistic much?"

"Well, can you blame me, with our track record? And I just know you'll be the world's worst backseat driver if I drive, so just let's ask Tyler to do it."

Edward scowled and threw his hands in the air. "Fine, have it your way, I'll call Tyler. Jesus, no sex, no driving… what next, eh? No red meat or alcohol? I might as well become a bloody monk!"

He stomped off to the bathroom, his irritation inflamed by the giggles which followed him.

"Where are you going?"

He stopped and turned, his scowl deepening.

"If you must know, I'm going to the bathroom to jerk off, as my wife insists on treating me like a geriatric invalid, whilst dressing in a manner which is guaranteed to give me a permanent hard-on!"

Bella gasped, then looked down at herself. She could see nothing particularly sexy about what she was wearing—a simple, black Vivien Westwood sun dress, with a button-up bodice and flared skirt which reached to about six inches above her knees, teamed with flat, Greek-style sandals; she thought she looked rather demure.

Sighing in frustration, Bella followed Edward into the bedroom and then to the bathroom. The door was shut, so she knocked on it.

"Edward, you're not really wanking in there, are you?"

She jumped back with a little shriek when the door flew open. Edward stood, staring down at her, his eyes like blazing emeralds.

"I won't need to if you just let me bend you over the bed."

Bella couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped her, her whole body tingling and lighting up.

"Edward," she breathed.

He took a step towards her, just as the doorbell rang, echoing through the hotel suite.

"Damn and blast it to hell," Edward muttered.

Stepping away from Bella, he took a deep breath and adjusted himself through his jeans.

"Hold that thought," he told her, then turned to let Tyler in.

~o0o~

"I still don't understand why you didn't want to use the Bentley—"

"Because it's ostentatious, Edward, and sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, the streets of Cambridge are very narrow and parking is a nightmare. Tyler will have enough trouble negotiating his way around in this, without faffing about with the Bentley."

Edward huffed. He was sulking because, if he couldn't drive himself, he wanted to be able to travel in the limousine with the privacy screen raised—enabling him to cop a feel whenever Bella would let him get away with it. He had to content himself with surreptitious forays under her dress, his fingers sliding up the inside of her thigh. Annoyingly, Bella would let his hand go so far, and no further, slapping him away with an irritated tsking. Occasionally, he would lean in and whisper outrageous filth in her ear, delighting in her sharp intake of breath and the sudden hardening of her nipples.

"Edward, behave!" she whispered-yelled after one particularly shocking suggestion, which left her wet and wanting.

In this way, they passed the time until Tyler guided the car to a halt in front of the Varsity Hotel in Cambridge city centre.

~o0o~

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of house hunting and nocturnal groping. Edward was determined to wear down his beautiful wife, and although she would not let him overly exert himself, he managed to persuade her that he was now able to lie on his back, which meant that if she was inclined to put some effort into it, there was no reason why they shouldn't be able to make love.

"But I don't want to cause any unnecessary friction."

"Listen, there's only one kind of friction I'm bothered about right now, B."

"But what if you pull your stitches?"

"I won't."

"But you might."

"Jesus, Bella, if you don't want me, then just tell me… don't make up excuses."

Edward was beyond frustrated, and was truly beginning to think that Bella, despite her recent declarations, had finally come to her senses and was cooling towards him. He rolled onto his back in the modern four-poster bed in their penthouse suite overlooking the River Cam.

Dragging his hands through his hair, he closed his eyes and let out a massive sigh.

"I'm sorry, B. I shouldn't have assumed you still want the same things as I do. Do you want me to sleep on the couch?"

When he got no response, he released his hair, opened his eyes and looked to his left. Bella was lying on her side, her head propped on her hand, regarding him impassively.

"Bella?"

"You are such a muppet, Edward, really you are. And here was me thinking that you're this inhumanly gorgeous, supremely self-confident, alpha male, whilst all this time, you've been hiding the fact that you're a bumbling, insecure fool."

She leaned over, placing a hand on his chest and kissing him lightly on his open mouth. As she pulled back, a deep frown etched itself into his face.

"What?"

"Duh-uh, Edward. I'm in love with you. I spend almost every waking hour thinking of all the different ways I want you to shag me, and when I'm asleep I dream about a few more which I'm not entirely sure are even physically possible. In short, I do not want you to sleep on the bloody couch!"

Edward's frown faded, to be replaced by a faintly salacious smirk. He reached across and slipped his hand round the back of her neck, pulling her down for another kiss. As his tongue slid into her mouth, he moved his hand down to her hip and then to her thigh. He gripped it tightly and hooked her leg across, effectively making her straddle him.

"Okay… have it… your… way…" she gasped between kisses. Then she put both hands on his chest and pushed herself up. "But if you burst any of your stitches, do not come crying to me."

She tried to look stern, but was undermined by his grin and the fact that he had his hands under her tank top, cupping her breasts.

"Agreed. Now take it off." His eyes burned green fire, and Bella could do no more than give in.

She pulled her top over her head, chuckling softly as Edward kept his hands firmly in place. Her chuckle turned to a moan, though, when he rubbed his thumbs over her stiffening nipples.

Suddenly, she climbed off him and off the bed, quickly peeling off the low-rise, cotton mini-briefs she was wearing. Before she got back on the bed, she hooked her fingers into Edward's boxers and pulled them down, allowing his stiff cock to spring free.

On her knees between his legs, Bella gazed down at Edward's swollen dick. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his length, making him groan and curse.

Releasing him, Bella slid her fingers inside herself, causing Edward to raise himself up on his elbows and gasp.

"Fucking hell, Bella, wha—?"

Without further ado, she withdrew her fingers, which now glistened with the evidence of her own mounting arousal, and took hold, once more, of Edward's weeping member.

"Oh, Jesus fuck, B…" He dropped back down on the bed and threw his good arm up over his eyes, knowing that if he watched her now, he would cum like a fifteen-year-old.

Bella continued her ministrations for a few minutes, running her hand from base to tip, gliding her thumb over the end on the upstroke before sliding her hand back down his tumescent shaft. All the while, Edward grunted soft moans of pleasure, whilst keeping his eyes covered.

But his arm flew away from his face when, on the next down stroke, he felt Bella's hot, wet mouth envelop him, her tongue swirling across the sensitive, nerve-packed head and dipping into his slit.

"Fuuuuucccckkk!" he cried out, but before he could really even process the exquisite pleasure, her mouth closed around him and she sucked him in… hard.

His cock hit the back of her throat as her free hand cupped his balls and started gently massaging them. As she did, her index finger rubbed rhythmically against his perineum, causing an explosion of sensation.

"Bella… oh, fuck, Bella… ahhhhhh…." His orgasm rocketed through him and he was powerless to control his hips as he thrust into her mouth, releasing volcanically down her throat. She swallowed convulsively, taking everything he gave her, before sitting back and gazing wantonly at him.

Edward stared at her as he waited for his breathing to slow, wondering what he'd ever done to deserve this extraordinary woman.

"Come here," he rasped.

Bella arched a quizzical eyebrow at him.

He pushed himself up on his elbows. "Bella, get that sweet ass up here and Sit. On. My. Face!"

Bella's eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply. Their eyes locked, hers like twin pools of hot, dark chocolate, his like a cool, verdant rainforest.

"Bella," he whispered, lying back and holding out his hand.

On her knees, she started to move up his body, careful to avoid his healing wounds, until she felt his large, warm hands cup her bottom and lift her over his face. The gesture tipped her forward, forcing her to grab hold of the headboard.

At first, she was afraid to put her weight on him, but his hands moved up to grasp her hips and move her over him, and then his tongue was running up and down her blood-infused lips and she was lost.

She moaned, long and low, as Edward's tongue probed and licked. He first circled her clit and then flicked at it rapidly, eliciting sharp, gasping cries of pleasure from Bella as she unconsciously undulated over him.

Because he couldn't trust himself to support her with only his one good arm, Edward had to forego slipping his fingers inside her, but redoubled his attention to her clit, wrapping his lips around it and sucking.

Bella's scream of pleasure and panting breaths told him she was close, and when her thighs tightened around his head and she pushed herself against him, he knew she was just seconds away.

"Edwarrrrddd!. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck… yes… yesssss…"

That was the end of any coherency she had been able to muster, her remaining sounds merely gasps and moans as her orgasm rolled through her like a bush fire.

Edward licked and sucked at her until she calmed, then lifted her gently off him and took a deep breath.

Bella giggled breathlessly and moved down his body.

"You should take up free-diving with breath control like that," she told him, before pressing her mouth briefly to his.

He inhaled deeply through his nose and grinned against her lips.

"Keep going, love, your old man's got something for you further down."

Bella laughed with delight, lifting herself slightly and looking down between her legs to see Edward's once again rigid cock twitching against his stomach.

Squirming into position, she raised herself up on her knees and reached beneath her to take him in hand and guide him into her hot, wet centre.

Dropping down, she impaled herself on Edward, causing them to groan and curse in unison. Unbeknownst to the other, they both felt an overwhelming feeling of… completeness… of coming home. It was wondrous, and when they looked at each other, there was a realisation… an acceptance of what it meant to them both. Settling herself on him with a little wiggle of her hips, Bella slid her hands up his abdomen to his chest, avoiding the surgical dressing across his ribs.

Edward ran his hands up her thighs and grabbed her hips, urging her to start moving.

"Your back—"

"My back is fine, just… oh God, please move, baby, I need to feel you move."

Bella needed no further encouragement. She put her hands on his shoulders and rocked gently, revelling in the blissful sensation of being filled by Edward's amazing cock. The thought alone had her moving more urgently, rotating her hips on every down stroke, which elicited grunts of pleasure from Edward.

His fingers gripped harder as he pushed her down on him, whilst, at the same time, drive himself up into her harder and harder.

"Jesus, B… oh God, I've missed this," he groaned, letting his eyes fall from her gorgeous face down to where he could see his cock move inside her. "Christ, baby, I'm nearly there… touch yourself for me… please!"

Bella moaned at the raw desire in his voice and immediately took her right hand off his chest and placed it, fingers splayed, over her abdomen. She slid it slowly down, through the neat tuft of dark curls, and pushed her middle finger inside, just above where she and Edward were joined. She was slick with their combined juices and quickly found her swollen and needy clit, rubbing it furiously as she watched Edward watch her hand.

She was now riding him hard, the slap of flesh filling the quiet of the room, as he jerked frantically into her, and she couldn't control the soft, keening cry which grew louder as she approached her climax.

"Bella… fuck, yes, I'm there… fuck!"

Edward twitched and jerked into her once more, blowing his load deep inside her, as she shouted her pleasure and collapsed onto his chest.

"Holy fuck, B, that was… incredible! God, I love you."

Bella kissed the spot right over his heart. "I love you too, Edward… I'll never stop."

He wrapped his arms around her. He could feel his stitches pull a little, making him wince, but he knew they were fine—he was due to get them taken out after the weekend, so he was pretty sure a little horizontal loving wasn't going to do him any harm.

"I couldn't stop if I tried, my love." He reached down to cup her face, pulling it away from his chest so he could look at her. "You're my life now, Bella, there will never be anyone else for me."

The smile she gave him lit up her face, and his heart. They kissed, their passion spent, but their love acknowledged and avowed between them.

End Note:

A&E – Accident & Emergency (ER)

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – In the UK, all decisions regarding whether a case can be taken to trial are made by the CPS, a Government body, headed up by the Director of Public Prosecutions, which advises on whether there is sufficient evidence to try someone.