I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.
Cheryl and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.
Ch. 26
I stood off to the side under the tents lit by thousands of twinkle lights as I watched my father dance with Sue. I was surprised to see him so graceful as he spun her around. Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me against his firm, cool body.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Mrs. Cullen," Edward asked.
I twisted my neck so I could look up at him. His golden eyes were light, and he was happier than I had ever seen him.
"I am. How about you?" I asked, turning in his arms so we were facing each other.
"I can easily say this was the best day of my existence," Edward declared. "Can I have one more dance with you before Alice steals you away?"
"Why would Alice steal me away?" I glanced over to where she was dancing with Jasper.
"Costume change before we leave. Unless you want to wear your wedding gown on the plane." Edward chuckled.
I glanced down at my gorgeous gown. The silk and lace were so light it felt like I wasn't wearing anything at all. The dress had a flattering sweetheart neckline with empire waist, which billowed out to hide the unwanted baby weight I hadn't yet lost.
"You'd get no complaints from me, except I know how you feel about attracting attention, and this certainly would," Edward said teasingly.
"This won't be the most practical thing to wear for a long flight," I agreed.
"So, one more spin on the dance floor?" he asked again.
"Sounds good," I answered.
Edward led me by the hand toward the center of the tent. Before we got to the floor, we were approached by Angela and Ben.
"Are you leaving?" I asked.
"Yes. We need to get back to relieve Ben's parents. I also want to spend as much time as possible with the boys before I go into isolation on Monday," she explained.
"I understand. I'm glad you could make it," I told her.
"We wouldn't have missed it. Make sure you send postcards and pictures of your travels," she stated.
"We will. You need to send me pictures of the boys too," I said.
"Of course." Angela nodded.
"Congratulations, guys." Ben gave me a hug and shook Edward's hand.
"Thank you. Drive safe," Edward told them as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
Edward started to lead us to the floor once more when he paused. His head turned and he appeared to be listening to something. His smile faded slightly as he changed direction and headed to where Renée was sitting solo at her table, talking on her phone. She looked upset about something.
"I think we are going to need a raincheck on the dance," he whispered.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing serious, but I'll let her tell you," he said.
Mom hung up as we approached. When she looked up, she forced a happy smile on her face, but her eyes looked worried. She stood and gave me a hug when I approached.
"It was a beautiful wedding. Alice did wonders in a short amount of time. Please tell me she's considering doing this for a living. She would be in her element," Renée said.
"I'll tell her. Is everything okay?" I asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about today." She shook her head.
"Mom…" I insisted.
"Phil's coach called me. Phil will be okay, but he got rear-ended while leaving practice this morning. He tore his knee again, and he has a concussion."
I frowned. "That's terrible. Please tell him we hope he gets better soon. Do you need a ride to the airport?"
"This is your wedding, so you don't need to be worrying about me—I'll manage," Renée told me.
Alice appeared out of nowhere. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. Renée, let me give you a hand. I have the magic touch when it comes to speaking with the airlines about changing tickets. Then Jasper and I will make sure you get to the airport on time," she said.
"You don't have to do that," Renée told her.
"Nonsense," Alice insisted.
"Thank you, I appreciate your help," Renée told her. She turned and gave me another hug. "I'm sorry to have put a dark spot on your day."
"Mom, it's fine. I understand. I'm not upset," I promised.
"Before I go, this is for you." Renée grabbed a small box off the table and handed it to Edward. "It isn't much, but I would like you to have it."
Edward barely cracked the box open before she continued. "You probably don't even know what those are—I don't know if anyone wears them anymore. But those are cufflinks and a matching tie tack. They were my father's and his before him."
"Thank you, Renée. I'm honored to receive these," Edward told her.
"We are family now, so it's only right for you to have them." Renée surprised us both by hugging him.
I was pleased when she arrived, as she seemed more open and friendlier to Edward. He had confessed to me last night that she was relieved to see he didn't seem as controlling and hovering now that I wasn't pregnant. I finally accepted that a majority of her behavior before was out of concern for me.
"Bella, you need to go change so you two don't miss your flight." Alice shooed me. "I have everything laid out for you in your room. Seriously, go or you'll be late."
"I'm going…I'm going…" I headed to the house.
SS
It took us nearly a day to arrive in Rio de Janeiro. It was dark when we left the airport for the docks. Edward bypassed the main office and headed straight for a speed boat, which looked like the most expensive and fastest one there.
"I see ostentatious vehicles aren't limited to cars in your family," I joked as I watched him load the luggage.
"You would be right." He chuckled and extended his hand to help me onto the boat.
I took my heels off before I stepped aboard. Edward gestured to the bow as he went to the stern of the boat to untie us from the dock. I looked over my shoulder at him before smiling mischievously and sitting behind the wheel. When he turned back around, he gave me a look of surprise.
"Keys, please." I held out my palm.
He smirked and shook his head. "I don't think so. Have you ever driven a boat?"
"No, but it can't be harder than a car or motorcycle. The truck was the size of a small tank," I answered him.
Before I could blink, I found myself on Edward's lap. He turned on the boat and pulled away from the dock. When I started to slide off his lap, he tightened his arm around my waist, stopping me.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To buckle up. You're the speedster, not me. I'd rather not fall off the boat," I joked.
"I'm not about to let you fall overboard." He pulled me closer, so I was pressed up against his chest.
I leaned in and kissed below his ear. "What if you get distracted?"
"What, are you going to tell me that you're going to run Tyler over with the boat? He's a little far away at the moment." Edward's lips twitched in humor.
"Ha ha…I could simply—" I trailed off, not finishing my thought. After a minute, I giggled under my breath.
Out of the corner of my eye I watched the humor fade from his eyes. We both knew what I was doing. It drove him nuts not to be able to read my mind. I looked out at the dark ocean and chuckled again. His body shifted under me and tensed slightly.
"Bella, I know what you're doing? And it won't work," Edward stated.
"I'm not doing anything. I was just thinking…never mind." I smiled innocently.
He pursed his lips, and I could tell he was fighting the urge to ask me what I was thinking. I grinned evilly, knowing I was succeeding.
"It's probably a good thing Alice has gotten good at blocking you," I commented off-handedly
His eyes narrowed slightly. "I give, why?"
"Oh nothing really. Just some of the things she packed for our honeymoon." I shrugged. "A lot of blue, see-through lace," I muttered under my breath, brushing my breasts against his chest. "Then there was the bikini…at least, that's what I think that tiny triangle was."
We hit a large bump, catching me off guard. I jumped to my feet and scrutinized the water but saw nothing.
"Oh my God. Please, tell me you didn't hit a dolphin," I asked as the boat slowed.
"Bella, don't stand while the boat is moving." Edward pulled me back down to his lap.
My eyes widened when my butt came into contact with the hard bulge in his pants. It wasn't the first time I'd felt his arousal. However, he usually tried to be discreet and distance himself when it happened—this time he didn't shift away. His eyes darkened and his chest emitted a small rumble.
"I'm sorry." I tried to pull away.
"Don't move," he commanded, and his eyes held me in a hypnotic stare. "No. I didn't hit a dolphin. Maybe if you weren't so distracted trying to distract me, you would've noticed it was only a wave."
"I think we were both were distracted," I pointed out.
"Maybe a little," Edward said playfully as his hand slid from my waist, down my hip to caress my thigh. "Although, as fun as this is, the more you distract me, the longer it will take to get to the island. And I don't know about you, but I was really looking forward to getting there."
"Fine, I'll be good," I promised.
"I'm not asking you to be good, just to hold off until we get there." He nuzzled my cheek.
The boat picked up speed, and I fell back into his chest. His hand didn't return to the wheel, as it continued to caress my thigh, dipping every once in a while between my legs, causing me to squirm.
"How long is it going to take to get there?" I asked.
"Can you see the light in the distance?" he asked.
I squinted and shook my head. "No, I can't."
"It shouldn't be too much longer," he promised.
Before long, the island came into view. In the moonlight I could make out the trees and the house on the hill. Lights shone from the windows, giving us a warm welcome. Edward cut the motor, lifted me off his lap, and settled me on the seat.
"Hold the wheel steady as I tie us up," he asked.
Edward gracefully leaped out of the boat onto the dock. He had us lashed to the posts before I could even stand. He jumped back and swept me up into his arms.
"I thought you were done with the carrying bit, now that I'm not pregnant," I teased.
"It is tradition to carry the bride over the threshold." Edward winked at me.
He placed me down inside the entryway and took my hand, lacing our fingers together. We wandered from room to room as Edward gave me a short tour. Esme's influences were in every corner of the house with light palettes and airy layouts. The last room we ended up in was a large bedroom with a four-poster bed draped in sheer white curtains, which billowed in the breeze of the ceiling fan. One wall was almost entirely floor to ceiling glass and a patio door offered a view of the moonlit ocean.
"I'm going to go grab our bags. The kitchen is fully stocked if you're hungry," Edward told me.
"I'm good," I told him.
"Wait here and I'll be back before you can miss me." He pecked my lips.
Once he was gone, I stepped into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. The girl in the reflection looked nervous. I pulled out the elastic and shook my braid lose, then ran my hand through my hair.
I took a deep breath…it felt silly to be nervous. This was Edward, and I had been waiting for tonight for so long. Without looking in the mirror, in case I lost my nerve, I exited the bathroom.
The luggage was neatly waiting at the foot of the bed and Edward stood in front of the window, staring out at the water. He had taken off his shirt and his hands were in the pockets of his pants. I joined him and wrapped my arms around his waist.
He smiled down at me, then lifted me on to his feet and started to spin me around, dancing to only his own humming. His facial features looked happy, but in his eyes, I saw hesitancy had replaced his earlier desire.
"I know I said we could try but…" He blew out a breath.
I thought of way to respond since he was as stubborn as me when his mind was set. I didn't want to push him and part of me felt guilty for wanting to be intimate with him. As I gazed out the window, a star shot across the sky, and I took it as my sign.
"You're not going to hurt me, Edward. You told me yourself it goes against your instinct. I trust you," I reminded him.
"Never on purpose, but I could easily crush you if I lose a moment of concentration." He buried his nose in my hair.
"I have an idea." I took a step back from him, taking both of his hands in mine. "Do you trust me?"
He gave me a crooked grin. "Always."
I kept backing up toward the bed and he followed me. "How about if I'm on top. Then there's less of a chance of crushing me."
Edward arched an eyebrow. "You want me to give you complete control?"
"More like set the pace," I said.
His grin turned into a smirk. "Are you forgetting you tend to get more distracted than me?" He watched me for a moment and his eyes softened. "But we can try."
I smiled and turned around, then moved my hair out of the way. "Unzip me, please?"
Edward's fingers brushed against my neck and then slowly lowered the zipper. The material slipped from my body and fell to the rug. I faced him and reached out for the button on his pants. I glanced up at him through my eyelashes to check if it was okay. He was watching me intently but made no move to stop me. He kicked the pants out of the way as I slid onto the mattress.
I couldn't help my eyes from traveling down his body to his impressive erection. He slowly climbed on after me and stretched out next to me.
"You're beautiful." His hand brushed my cheek before leaning in for a kiss.
The kiss started off slow but was heated. I shifted myself closer and straddled his lap. His lips trailed down my neck as he cupped my breast. His fingers teased the nipple and it pebbled under his touch.
My own fingers massaged his scalp, and he moaned. His tongue trailed my collar bone to the tender pulse point. My chest heaved against his, and I shifted my hips closer.
His cock rubbed against my thigh, pulsing. I spread my legs wider and his tip brushed against my clit, causing me to gasp and him to growl.
I paused in movement to gauge his control. His hooded eyes were dark, and my heart skipped a beat.
"Don't stop now," he whispered huskily.
"Lean back." I gently pushed his shoulders.
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed.
Edward fell back against the mattress and took me with him, cradling me in his arms. I grinned. I wiggled away so I could raise my hips. I paused before I positioned myself. Taking a deep breath, I lowered myself onto his cock.
Feeling him slip inside me, was like no other experience I'd felt before. I was taking it slow when Edward's hips thrusted up, pushing into me deeply. I gasped and lost my balance, falling on top of him.
"Love, are you alright?" he asked in tight voice.
"Yes, I just need a moment to adjust. Are you?" I asked.
He nodded but then closed his eyes. I rocked my hips against his, setting a rhythmic pace. His own rose to meet me in tiny thrusts. His eyes opened as stared into mine, and he looked in control. His knees bent up and I entangled my legs with his. Our thrusts increased in speed, and my heart thundered in my chest. My breathing became more erratic as I felt a tightening in my core.
A wave of pleasure rocked through my body, going straight to my toes. I collapsed against him and he continued to thrust until I felt a pulse of heat through me.
Edward's arms wrapped around me while he was still buried deep inside me. He peppered my face with tiny kisses and smoothed back my hair.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked.
"No. In fact, give me a minute and I could go again," I said breathlessly.
He chuckled. "You won't have to ask me twice." He kissed the tip of my nose.
I rested my head against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. "I love you, Edward."
"As I will always love you," he whispered.
A/N: We are at the end. Only an Epilogue to come. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
