***Saturday, 12/22/12***

~daytime~

"SHOTGUN!" Alice calls out, hopping over the closed passenger door into Edward's Mustang convertible.

Edward chuckles at Jasper's exasperated expression as he climbs into the tiny back seat.

"You want to ride with us, Jas?" Esme asks.

"No thanks," he grumbles and yanks his baseball cap over his eyes.

"Have fun, ladies," Edward bids us, sliding into his driver's seat bare-chested and Ray Banned.

"Did you put sunscreen on, kids? You know riding in that car is like sitting in the middle of a giant frying pan!"

"Yes, Mother," Edward deadpans, shifting the car into reverse and roaring backward down the driveway. I am so jealous of my children I want to weep. Swallowing my regret, I sink into Esme's Audi.

"They'll probably get to the beach a good twenty minutes before us the way Edward drives," Esme clucks, half-proud over his prowess behind the wheel and half-terrified for their safety.

"They can scope out a nice slice of sand, I guess."

"Yeah, for themselves. It's not like they're gonna want to sit with their old ladies."

"HEY! Speak for yourself!"

Esme looks at me funny and I realize I may have gotten just a wee bit overly offended by that remark. I toss my head back against the seat. "Ugh, you're right. We ARE old ladies, aren't we?"

Esme smiles broadly. "Not in Miami, home of the geriatric set."

"You may have a point there, plus you have yourself that young lovah."

She giggles, and thirty years dissolve before my eyes. Is this what I look like when Edward smiles at me? When he touches me?

"Tell me about him, Es."

Heavy, happy, squealy sigh. Dreamy stare. Palms caressing the steering wheel. Left leg raised and folded under right knee. I am starting to wonder if I'm safe with her behind the wheel. She looks intoxicated; I know the feeling well.

"Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. We met at the health club a few months ago. He took the bike next to mine in spin class one day, and we never looked back!"

"What does he do when he's not chasing you on his bike?"

"Immigration attorney, defender of the downtrodden, heart of gold."

"So is he bilingual?"

"He speaks many, many tongues," she answers, bursting into a new fit of giggles.

"Good lord. What happened to my serious friend?" I tease.

"She's having way more fun now…and you?"

Her eyes leave the road for a quick glance in my direction.

"Meh, I've had a date here and there. Nothing too exciting."

"Oh, Bella. I'm taking you to South Beach tomorrow night to hit the clubs. Manuel has some friends who are fantastic dancers. We're gonna get your groove back."

"I think that was Stella, not Bella, but thanks anyway."

"Semantics." She waves her hand through the air. "Did you bring something sexy like I told you?"

"Sexy is a relative term, Esme."

"Oh puh-leez, sistah. Look at you rocking that li'l bikini under there. You've got plenty of sass left and I want to see it, baby!"

"Eyes on the road, crazy lady."

She smiles through the windshield at a piece of road Edward has long since left behind, and my thoughts race to his car. It was hard enough watching him leave my room early this morning; spending the day so close to him and not being able to be with him the way I want is going to be pure torture.

My phone buzzes at the bottom of my beach bag, and I hide my pleasure when I read his message:

10:26 AM
What's taking you so damn long?

10:27 AM
We're obeying the traffic laws. You might want to try it some time!

10:28 AM
I have a handful of sunscreen waiting for your back.

10:30 AM
Really? Texting one-handed? I'm impressed! ;)

10:31 AM
Busted. OK, but I DO have a spot for you on my towel.

I must've sighed too loudly because Esme interrupts to ask, "Who on earth are you talking to? I thought you said there wasn't anyone special in your life right now."

"Oh, it's…no…" Wonderful. I throw my head back into the headrest and act a little nuts. "This vacation was long overdue, Esme. Thank you so much for inviting me…all of us."

"It's our pleasure, Bella. We're gonna have you on that beach in no time flat."

"That's great, Es. It's just what I need."

.

.

.

It's not just the glare off the hot white sand that heats my palms as I reach for the hem of my cover-up. I can feel Edward's heated stare on my back, though he's done a fairly convincing job of staring out at the Atlantic. Propped back on his elbows, looking gorgeously tousled by the ocean breeze and already kissed to a perfect bronze by the Florida sun, Edward has a way of making me feel like a stripper hired for his sole entertainment.

It seems too late to reach a cautionary finger along the butt-cheek edge of the skimpy bottoms without risking discovery, so I take a deep breath, lift the flimsy material over my head, and pray for ample coverage. I feel completely exposed without the gauzy covering though in truth, it did little to hide my broad expanse of bare skin. Before turning around, I drop my eyes to the cleavage popping out of the halter top and wonder again how I ever let Angela talk me into this. It certainly doesn't help that my nipples are poking through the bright yellow fabric evoking the pointy ends of two overripe lemons. My body just can't keep a secret for shit.

I do the best I can to rearrange "things," but I can tell by the way Edward's jaw drops when I spin back around that my attempts to hide are wholly unconvincing.

I narrow my eyes in unspoken warning. "Avert your eyes!"

He actually looks hurt. "How could you do this to me?"

I lob back, "You think you're so easy to ignore, Mr. Beach Buff?"

He glares. "Seriously, Bizzy? A guy could poke his eyes out on those nipples."

And the conversation ender, "Look who's talking…you've got Shamu in your trunks!"

Finally, we agree to disagree about whose fault it is that we're both achy piles of lust and he mercifully turns his gaze back to the water. I flop down on my ass on the only available towel space, inconveniently between Edward and Esme, and carefully apply sunscreen to the parts of my body that haven't seen the sun since mid-September. Poor Edward turns his head the other way when my fingers slip inside the edges of my top, and I almost feel sorry for him when he lets out a soft groan.

.

.

.

"Mom! Mom!" The voices of my children yelling to me from the ocean cut through the haze of sun-induced drowsiness and whatever random song my iPod has decided to play for me.

I push up onto my elbows and pull out the earphones.

"C'mon, Bizzy! I need a partner!"

The boys are standing waist-deep in the water and Alice is sitting on top of Jasper's shoulders, primed for a chicken fight.

"Biz!" Edward calls again, drawing my eyes to his open arms. "Swim out. I need you!"

I need you, too, you sweet beautiful boy in a bathing suit.

I needed you when you were lying right next to me on our backs, so close it was nearly impossible not to let our hot, steamy bodies make contact. I needed you even more when I watched you run into the ocean and dive under the waves, your beautiful muscles rolling under tan, taut skin.

Now this? Seriously, Edward? I'm supposed to crawl onto your back with just a few scraps of material between us and stay in control? I shake my head no and flop back onto the towel.

The protests from the water grow louder until finally Esme rolls up onto her side and begs me to just get it over with already. In the distance, Edward's smile grows larger when he sees me stand and start heading his way. As I dip my first toe in the ocean, Edward starts to clap and chant, "Biz, Biz, Biz, Biz," and then my kids join in, too. I shake my head at all of them before taking several quick steps and then diving into the cool water. I surface close enough to splash an armful of water at my kids, and I climb without fanfare onto Edward's shoulders, briefly holding onto his head to gain my balance.

He wraps his arms around my legs and holds me snugly with his hands on my thighs. "Ready?"

"Ready!" I answer, just before Edward charges at Jasper. I reach toward my daughter, but she's a wiry one, and she snags my elbow and yanks me off-balance, knocking Edward and me into the water. As soon as I surface, he's in front of me, bent down so I can mount him once again. He secures my legs again and we rush into battle.

"C'mon, Biz. Grab her," Edward urges.

"Take her down, Allie!"

"I'm trying!" she answers.

"Oh, this is so heartwarming. I just have to say, listening to my own children—"

I'm down. My head smacks the surface before I know what's hit me, and I descend into the green, murky abyss. Heavy, briny water fills my mouth and nose; my sinuses are on fire. I'm spinning and choking as my body struggles to find equilibrium and oxygen.

Hands grab me hard and set me on a confident course. I know instantly it's Edward who's saved me. When I break the plane of the water, I see his beautiful eyes bathing me in deep concern. I sputter and choke and he pulls me tight to his chest as he lifts me in his arms and carries me to the beach.

"Mom! SHIT! I'm SO sorry! Crapdamnshitshit!"

"Alice, don't," Jasper soothes. "Mom knows you didn't mean it. We were just fooling around."

"It's all good fun until someone gets hurt," Alice intones as I have countless times.

Edward doesn't speak, doesn't take his eyes off me even after he sets me down gingerly on the towel. Bent over me, and dripping large droplets of salt water from his hair and chin, he drops his face close to mine and starts apologizing. "I'm such an ass. I'm so sorry, Biz. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. Fuck, are you okay? I didn't even ask if you're okay. I am such a stupid ass."

I'm still coughing and speaking isn't really an option, so I reach out my hand and place it on his face and wait for him to settle.

"Bella!" Esme kneels at my side. "Are you all right? Here, I brought you some water. Edward, help her sit up."

Edward scurries behind me and scoops me up under my arms, cradling me while Esme hands me the water bottle. "Biz, can you say something? Please?" he begs.

Poor thing, he is completely beside himself. I take a few sips of the water, turn in his arms and say, "Next time, you're on top."

His smile is brighter than the white sandy beach glinting in the hot midday sun. "Count on it."


A/N: Cheeky! Have you checked out 84gemstone's polyvores yet? She's been creating some beautiful collections for BI as well as The Cliffs! The link is up on my profile.

XXX ~BOH