Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Alaskan Adventures
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Prompt: Vanity


The media firestorm lasted two weeks, just like Alice said. Peter, the journalist we had signed with, was true to his word in trying to protect me. Carlisle had given him a run-down of my injuries, detailing that it was due to his concern over my health, first physical and then mental as I dealt with losing my father, that kept him from bringing me back to civilization earlier. Unfortunately, they were still able to find out where my home in Forks was.

For two months the house was surrounded and I was very grateful to the manager of the local Thriftway for delivering my groceries to my house. Edward told me the manager liked being in the spotlight, but was good enough to not reveal what brand of shampoo I used. Why people cared about that was beyond me.

At the end of three months the news rags began to report that I was a hermit. I laughed at this because in reality I was going stir crazy. The only times I had been out of the house was to appear on a couple morning news shows. Keeping the agreement I would fly to Anchorage to have the interviews filmed there and Peter asked me the questions. I insisted on the latter because I knew he wouldn't ask the inane 'how do you feel about losing your father' type of questions. But I wanted to go to the beach, unhindered, and just be outside without the worry of being watched.

One morning as I was pacing in the living room, two sets of immortal, gold eyes watching as they held perfectly still on the couch, I began to rant over how unfair it was that I wasn't free to go where I wanted without being molested. I saw the familiar far away look Alice got when she was looking at the future, and Edward turned to her and murmured, "I like it," to which she gave him a big grin.

He stood up fluidly from the couch which made me sigh in frustration. I always flailed around like a fish out of water trying to get off that thing, but he rose from it like Aphrodite from the sea. I knew I wouldn't have survived these months without him and Alice, and just feeling his arms around me calmed me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "You want to get out of here?" At my frantic nod he just grinned and took my hand.

Leading me up the stairs and into the bathroom he opened the window. It was dark out, but the night shift reporters were still camped around my front door. The bathroom was on the side of the house, and there were some branches from the tree that reached to the window. "Can you hold on to me?" he asked and I grew worried.

"What do you have in mind?" My voice was tremulous, but also hopeful.

"I can easily get you out of here, but you must hold on tight and not make a sound. Can you do that?" I nodded and he smiled. He lifted me up, sitting me on the bathroom vanity before turning his back to me. "Climb on," he instructed, and I wrapped my legs around his hips, then my arms went around his neck so tightly it would choke a human. "Put your head in my shoulder, and don't let go."

When he felt I was secure he stepped into the window, crouched to spring for the tree. "You aren't going to jump, are you?" I hissed and he shushed me.

"Yes, and we'll be perfectly safe." He turned his head around and held my gaze captive with his eyes. "Trust me?" All I could do was nod.

He turned back around and leaped from the window. I couldn't help but let out a squeak in fear and he froze, perfectly motionless in the dark shadow of the house, listening. He reached up and placed a finger to his lips, admonishing me to be quiet again. When I nodded he took off running. Only it was more like flying.

Trees came at us at an alarming rate, Edward turning just enough to barely avoid them. The wind was rushing through my hair and I froze in panic. I could feel the soft brush as the tips of leaves blew by, and gasped again as I saw us leave the ground as he made a leap over a river. He ran for an eternity and I was amazed when we neared the interstate to see we were going faster than some of the cars. No wonder his hair always looked like he had driven down the road with the windows down!

Suddenly he came to a stop. I couldn't move. My arms had a death grip around his neck and my legs felt like they were cemented around his waist. "Bella? Are you going to stay there all evening or get down?" he asked with a laugh.

"I think I'm stuck," I said breathlessly.

"Oh, let me help you." With that he firmly unlatched my legs from around him, then twisted me around so he was holding me in front. He took a look at me and let out a laugh. "I probably should have told you to put your hair up. I'm afraid it's all twisted around and getting the knots out won't be fun."

I still couldn't move.

"Bella?" he called, then sighed. "You didn't stick your head in my shoulder, and I'm betting you didn't close your eyes either, did you?" I shook my head and he lifted me up into his arms and placed me down onto the soft grass. "Your heart is racing! Did I frighten you?" I gave a small nod, pleased I could move that much. "Hmm," he said, "I think I need to distract you from your fears," he whispered as he lowered his lips to mine.

If my heart was racing before it was nothing compared to the pace it set now. All my joints unfroze and I immediately pulled my body flush with his. Edward had given me a few kisses here and there over the months, but they had all been short and chaste. This kiss wasn't. As soon as his lips touched mine he began to trace my own with his tongue. Fire ignited and spread from there, dragging a moan of pleasure from my lips. When my body came in contact with his, he froze for just an instant before wrapping his arms around me, one around my waist and the other around my hips. I felt him move me to my back as his lips left mine and kissed down my jaw to my throat.

Using the hand not trapped under his body I pulled at his shirt, untucking it. He let out a small moan when my hands made contact with the skin of his back and pulled me in tighter to his body, his fingers on my hip tightening. I could feel his arousal against my thigh and pressed against him there with my leg.

And then he was gone. "Edward?" I called, feeling the loss of him as I lay on the grass.

"Give me a second, please," I heard him say quietly and turned to see him glowing faintly some distance away.

I was embarrassed. "Did I do something wrong?"

He walked back to me slowly and sat facing me, his body arm's length from my own. "No, Bella, you did nothing wrong," he sighed. "It's just that," and he paused, obviously gathering his thoughts.

"It's just that?" I asked, encouraging him to talk to me.

He reached across the distance and cupped my face lightly with his hand.

"It's just that I am a man and wanted you very badly. But, I'm also a vampire, and the two desires were warring with each other." He dropped his hand from mine and folded his long fingers in his lap, looking down at them. "When you pressed yourself against me, I almost lost control. I wanted to take you," he peered up at me from under his lashes, "both ways." He hung his head again and his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I can't lose control with you, and it was very, very close."

A trickle of fear went down my spine, but I shook it off. We would need to get past this. "Will it ever be possible? Tanya intimated that we would need to do this while I was human. Will it result in my death?"

He head shot up. "No, Alice has shown me that you will be fine. I was unprepared, is all." He reached his hand up and began to trace my face with his graceful fingers. "Forgive me? I promise to not put you at risk again."

I moved slowly, crawling on my knees until I was close and warning him with my eyes what my intention was. He opened his arms to me and I crawled into his lap and laid my head on his shoulder. "I liked you losing control, even a little bit."

He wrapped one arm around my waist again and used the fingers of his other hand to tip my head up and look in his eyes. "One day, when you aren't as breakable, I'll lose control. Until then we must be careful."

"Until then," was all I whispered before his lips gently touched mine again.


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