Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all; I just like to play around in her world.
Much thanks to Frannie Walsh who encouraged me, kicked my rear-end, and then betaed this chapter. I've known Frannie through the fandom for some time, then met her in Savannah at the SCAD film festival (no – unfortunately I wasn't with her when she met Rob – I was taking my kids on a college tour). She quickly told me that I needed to get back to Honor, and I promised to do so. NOW…two years later (HA!) I finished the next chapter and sent it to her. For those of you who are still hanging in there with me, you owe her a big thanks.
And as always, a shout out to the Fab Five (sherriola, Katmom, TwiloverSue, Sammi & NKubie) for their support and help - and beachcomberlc for her beta power from the previous chapters! Sammi, I saw your email – will get over to answering it this weekend!
Thanks to every one of you who emailed to check on me over the past two years. I couldn't answer many of the messages (I wasn't in the best space emotionally to really talk about what was going on with me), but just knowing that you were thinking of me and the story really made my day. I've gone through some big changes in life. I'm now the single mom of six kids, three of which have special needs. My babies are growing up, with one in college, two taking high school and college classes at the same time, and one graduating this year and HOPEFULLY joining the Air Force (how appropriate for this story). The last two are still in high and middle school. COVID has made life interesting as I never aspired to be a home school parent. My hats off to each and every one of you who do it.
In addition to becoming a single parent, I've finally retired from my job, where I worked almost 80 hours a week. This has allowed me to get back to writing, which I promise to continue. Those who know me know that I feel that lemonade is my worst offering, so again, I humbly offer the below.
With no further delay, back to Bella and Edward.
~Honor~
"You're ready." It was a statement, not a question. Charlie's brown eyes shimmered as he gazed down at Bella.
"Yeah. Just don't let me fall," Bella whispered as Pachelbel's Cannon began to fill the entranceway where they waited. However, her smile held no fear; instead, expectation sang sweetly around the curve of her smile and the twinkling in her eyes.
"Never." Charlie gently squeezed, capturing her arm where it linked across his.
He'd been overwhelmed upon seeing her in the elegant wedding dress; her hair pulled back with heather, curls cascading down her back. He'd been more so surprised when she didn't hesitate to join their arms, her hand resting gently against his forearm as they prepared to make the short walk to Edward. Charlie was to be her sole source of support for the walk toward her new life, and the significance hadn't been lost on him.
Charlie's chuckle was followed by a sniff. "I don't think I've ever seen a groom more ready for his bride. If we don't get in there soon, he's going to pull out all his hair."
Bella grinned at the image. The door before her kept her from looking down the short aisle at the wedding chapel, but Charlie had been able to lean slightly to the left to see what awaited them. Bella knew how the room would appear, the Wedding Chapel's routine decorations highlighted by the purple-blue of the heather arrangements that Esme had miraculously produced, and a frantic Alice had placed with perfection.
Edward's sister-in-law had been stunned by the realization that they'd duped her and upset with the lack of 'preparation' as she'd declared it, but she'd been ecstatic to see Edward and Bella getting married. They'd been afraid she would erupt in anxiety over not having had a hand in planning the surprise, but instead, she'd utilized the time on the plane ride to add in extras to the plans Esme and Bella relayed to her. Rose had snapped pictures during the trip, and while everyone was getting ready. She'd already designed a webpage so friends and family who hadn't been invited could see the ceremony.
"Bella, Charlie, look this way for a moment," Rose asked, taking several digital photos when they complied. "Now a good silly one for the books," she requested after appearing satisfied with what she'd captured.
Stunned at her request, it took them a second to comply, Charlie narrowing his eyes and pointing his finger at the camera like a gun, while Bella rolled her eyes at his Clint Eastwood-like stance.
"I'm just reminding Edward to be a good husband. You know I own a gun and have a license to use it," he joked.
"Uh-huh," she deadpanned even as Rose laughed softly.
"Okay, okay, it's time," Alice chirped from beside them as she straightened Bella's dress in the back.
Following some unspoken guidance from Alice, Rose went to open the door, but stopped at Bella's quickly exhaled, "Wait."
Edward's sisters-in-law froze, panic clouding their faces for the briefest of moments.
Patting Charlie's arm to gain his attention, Bella rose on her tiptoes to place a kiss to his freshly shaved cheek. The smell of his aftershave filled her senses, reminding her of Christmases and fishing trips, burnt meals and laughter…safety and security. He'd been the perfect father, still was. "I love you, Dad. Forever." `
Charlie had to cough to find his voice before he replied. "I love you, too. I always have, and I always will."
The poignant glance they shared would later become one of Bella's favorite candid pictures in her wedding album.
As would the one of her face when she saw Edward standing at the end of the aisle in front of a tuxedo-clad preacher. The bold blues and greens of his tartan stood out in deep contrast to the black jacket he wore. Strands of his copper hair glinted in the lighting, like sparks of fire illuminated by the strip of colorful fabric pinned to his left shoulder and draped across to hang down his back. But it was the deep green of his eyes as they feasted upon her that captured Bella's attention and infused her features with love. And that love illuminated her, too, the picture capturing an ethereal look of longing and belonging.
Later, Bella would also be grateful that Esme had hired a professional to capture the ceremony on video because, from the moment she stepped forward toward her new life, her memory of the event came in snapshots. The flare of desire in Edward's eyes when he saw her, the feel of his palm sliding against hers when Charlie joined their hands, and the crooked smile Edward gave her when they repeated their vows.
The shout of joy from the combined families when she said, "I do," the cool platinum of the band as it slid over her knuckle, and the kiss they shared afterward.
The heckles from Jasper and Emmett when they determined the kiss went on a little too long, Edward's smell carried to her by the cloth he wrapped around her, securing it with the pin he'd worn as a symbol of her adoption into his family.
The warmth of Jacob as he hugged her afterward and Edward's incredulous face when the Elvis impersonator stepped out from where he'd been hiding and began to sing Can't Help Falling in Love.
She did clearly remember the ceremonial walk out of the room, Edward having replaced Charlie as her support and the ride in the limousine back to the hotel, albeit only as one, passion-filled kiss that threatened to have them consummating the marriage in the back seat.
Pictures again would help her to relive the joy of the after-party, the men handsome in their matching kilts, the women beautiful in the dresses chosen perfectly by Esme to compliment them, and the lushness of the garden rented for the intimate wedding dinner.
There were serious shots of the families poised to perfection, and the comic shots of antics that could not be contained. Edward would be unmercifully teased in the years to come about the picture of him emerging from under Bella's gown, garter in teeth, his hair looking like he'd been struck by lightning.
But the overwhelming rush stopped the moment the door clicked shut to their plush hotel room. Then, everything crystalized into startling clarity.
"Finally!" Edward growled, his hand reaching for the bowtie at his neck.
"Stop." Bella's word was said softly, but it might as well have been a shouted command considering his immediate reaction.
He froze.
"Bella?" Worry flitted across his face.
"I want to do that," she offered, biting the corner of her lip in appeal.
It would have been difficult to miss his sigh of relief. It would've been just as hard to miss the lust that filled his features, turning his eyes dark and making his nostrils flare. Leisurely, he raked his gaze over her, lingering on her breasts before traveling down over her hips. The quick flit of his tongue across his bottom lip caused her nipples to pebble under the silk of her corset. Noticing her reaction, he raised an eyebrow at her and smirked.
"I'm all yours," he offered, leaning back against the door and splaying out his arms in welcome.
The emotions that swamped Bella at those words were indescribable. She wasn't sure she would ever fully be able to vocalize just how they made her feel.
"Mmm…" she purred, rewarding his appraisal with one of her own. "You are." Sauntering closer, she reached up and traced his jawline with her finger. The party had gone on for hours, so a fine dusting of scruff teased her fingertip. The tickle of his coarse hair caused her to shiver in expectation.
Rising on her tiptoes, Bella placed her lips at his throat. She nipped slightly just above the black silk of the bow tie he'd been about to discard, grinning at his harsh intake of breath. Letting her hands slowly slide down his neck as she lowered to her feet, she plucked at the black fabric of his tie.
"There's a part of me that would like to leave this on you," she said slyly.
He chuckled. "I don't have the chest to pull off any Chippendale fantasies."
Her eyes met his as she pulled the material loose, allowing it to drape down over his chest. "You're perfect to me." Then she grinned. "And who said I meant to leave it around your neck."
Edward burst out in laughter, and Bella followed.
Edward took advantage of their humor to pull Bella into a hug. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen," he whispered into her hair.
"I love you, too, Mr. Cullen."
Bella barely felt the spinning motion before Edward pressed her up against the door, wrapping her legs around his hips, his kiss was immediate and sizzling. The feel of his hard body pressing against her, caging her, sent Bella's senses racing and stole her breath. Turning his head slightly, in order to capture Bella's gasping lips, Edward touched the tip of his tongue to them and traced greedily, nipping her with his teeth when she needed to breathe. Edward sucked in her bottom lip, just to taste for a moment before finally releasing her.
"I need to know you're good." His voice was harsh. If that wasn't enough to let her know how much control he was exerting, the tremble of his arms as he held her was.
Bella's answer was to cup his face with her hands. "Yes," she whispered.
His eyes glittered for a moment before he cleared his throat. "While this feels fucking amazing …" he emphasized his statement with a roll of his hips that made Bella moan, "… this will not be our first time." The next kiss he gave her was gentle, reverent. "Tonight, I mean to savor you…savor every moment."
Cupping her butt, Edward pushed from the wall. They made it several feet before her kisses at his neck had him pushing her against the wall again.
"You aren't playing fair," he chuckled darkly.
Her giggle wrapped around them, coating the space around them with intimacy and expectation. "I want you, what can I say?"
He glanced across the elegant room he'd rented for their honeymoon and through the wide entrance to the plush bed. "And you'll have me, just take pity on a man and let me get you there."
Bella laughed at him, but stopped the torture, solely brushing her fingers through his hair, tugging on the strands gently as he carried them forward.
Edward stopped by the bed, at which time Bella unwrapped her legs from him, slowly sliding down. The layers of her wedding dress and his tartan weren't enough to stop the friction that had her gasping.
"Beautiful," he said, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone gently. His hand shook slightly as he cupped her face. "So beautiful. I keep waiting to wake up and find that this is a dream," he added before leaning down for another quick kiss.
Bella felt his fingers stroke down her neck, reaching behind to the zipper that held the dress. "My love?"
Bella's slight nod was all the permission he needed, and Edward slowly unzipped as far as he could. The lace of the bustier that Bella had chosen appeared as the silk of her wedding dress fell away.
Edward's eyes slanted, and his pupils expanded so they appeared black with lust. Reaching up slowly, he placed his fingertips to the top of the lace and followed it gently to stop above Bella's heart. A blush spread across her chest and face, and Edward hissed at the sight. His fingers twitched before he moved to place a kiss over her racing pulse and run his nose back and forth across her skin, breathing her in.
"To see that blush across your skin…it is perfection."
He straightened, pulling Bella in again for another kiss. This one was just a little more uncontrolled, a little rougher…with just a touch of wildness. The ache between Bella's legs grew, and she wanted to scream…but the soft seduction was worth it. She savored him now, shuddering as his tongue brushed hers, tasting and teasing. She knew it wouldn't be long before she was begging.
Bella was dizzy by the time their kiss ended, and Edward looked as disoriented as she did. "Off," she ordered him, waving her hands toward the jacket.
He'd denied having the chest to pull off being a Chippendale, but the sensual way he unbuttoned the cufflinks on his jacket, shrugged it off, and slowly peeled away his shirt was worthy of the Hallelujah Choir, or at least a couple hundred dollars.
Bella admired the clearly defined, sinewy muscles and the fine copper-colored hair that dusted his chest and trailed across his stomach. His eyes flashed green fire, his face stark with desire. Hungry to touch him, she trailed her fingers across his skin, up and over his shoulders and down over the strong muscles of his arms, continuing on to quickly squeeze his hands gently before releasing them.
"Beautiful," she said of him, unable to find something unique to describe his almost ethereal looks adequately.
Bella reached to unzip the rest of the dress. She'd dreamed of seeing his reaction to her lingerie since the moment she'd chosen the pale bustier and boy shorts.
"Hang on, love."
He said the words so low, Bella almost didn't hear them over the pounding of her heart. Turning her around gently so she faced away from him, he gathered her hair and draped it over her shoulder, seemingly content to kiss her upper back and neck. When his hand brushed down her arms again and then across her stomach, she almost collapsed.
The sound of her zipper slowing lowering pulled Bella's breath out in pants. His thumbs caressed the quivering muscles just above the silk covering ass cheeks. Slowly, as he nibbled at the curve of her neck, he pushed the silk off her shoulders.
Following her spine with his lips, Edward lowered as he pushed the silk down across her hips. A tap at her ankle had Bella lifting first her right leg to have the dress slide away. He did the same with the left side before trailing his fingers back up her calf, the sensitive backs of Bella's knees, and over her thighs. Teasing her, he skimmed over the fullness of her behind. She sighed when he moved away for a short period of time to drape her wedding dress across the chair that sat to the side of the window.
"Fucking killing me," he snarled out when he captured a full glance of her standing in heels and barely-there attire.
His voice was rough, as if he was having a hard time remaining in control, and his obvious struggle made Bella feel powerful. Feeling brave, she trailed her fingertips down her breastbone, to prop her hand on her hip.
"Tempting me?" he asked in a voice that made her shudder.
"Yes."
Bella reached up, slowly removing the heather from her hair before tossing it to the dresser nearest her. While he watched, she finger-combed her hair, allowing it to spill across her shoulders. Edward's fists closed as if he was attempting to keep himself from lunging. Instead, his greedy eyes continued to travel down the length of her. When she saw the lust dissipate unexpectedly and an expression of such love wash over him, she wondered about his thoughts.
Approaching softly, Edward fell to his knees before her, raising his fingers to her hip. His lips feathering across the scaring was almost her undoing, and tears glittered in her eyes as he paid homage to the patterns of raised skin. He took his time, using the softness of his lips, the rough rasp of his tongue, and the nip of his teeth to tease her with fire.
"You are so fucking perfect," he murmured before standing.
Still overwhelmed by the miracle that had brought them together, that had this god of a man finding perfection in her imperfections, Bella gasped when he pulled her into his arms before walking the rest of the way to the bed. The silk of the spread was cool against her back as he laid her gently down on the wide expanse, but it did nothing to cool the fire that raged within her.
"May I," Bella asked when Edward moved to release the blue and green fabric hanging low on his hips.
Above the low riding material, his muscles stood out across his toned stomach and chest. His hair was in chaotic disarray, compliments of the many times she'd threaded her fingers through it. For Bella, he was temptation incarnate, and she watched the play of emotions across his face carefully as she reached for him. Desire, love, need, fear, expectation…the marriage of them on his features was stunning. Bella slid her fingers between his skin and the soft cloth, enjoying the firm muscles she encountered before she pushed the fabric apart, allowing it to fall away.
Michelangelo's David had nothing on Edward. Bella had thought this many times before, but highlighted by the soft glow of the lights in the bedroom, he appeared shaped from marble by Michelangelo's own hand. David, she thought, had surely been the rough prototype for Edward's perfection.
Holding out her hand to him, Bella sank back into the soft mattress. When he joined her, his chest brushing against her breasts, a sigh of pleasure escaped them both.
Puzzle piece to puzzle piece.
His tongue teased across her breast, brushing over the silk-covered nipple before he used his teeth to pull on the small thread keeping the fabric together. Bella cried out his name when he nudged the fabric aside and nuzzled her sensitive breast. Groaning in need, she felt him smile against her skin at the reaction. It was heaven and hell. Wrapping her legs around his hips, Bella brought him flush against the moisture-drenched silk covering her.
Sliding an arm between Bella and the bed, Edward arched her up to him as he suckled her. Heat pooled thick in her belly and spread deliciously. It was becoming painful to be without him.
"Edward…" Her eyes closed, and she panted from the pleasure, her head moving back and forth on the thick bedding. "Please…" Just a bare scrap of material separated them, and she wanted it gone… needed him to slide into her and fill the ache. To complete them.
"Please what?" he said in an emotion-laden voice.
When she opened her eyes, it was to find him balanced on his elbows above her, his chest pressed to hers…the fine sprinkling of hair tantalizing her nipples as his tongue had. Crazy sex hair, barely green eyes, passion flushed face…
"I need you."
Bella didn't even recognize her own voice, the want, and longing, but Edward remained still as if waiting for more.
Need was a physical thing, she realized…and it was then she knew why he was holding back.
Brushing her fingertips along his jaw, she smiled gently. "I'm ready."
Hearing the magic words, he tore the silk of the boy shorts off her.
Linking their fingers and lips, he joined them in every way possible but the final completion. Heat passed between them, a connection, something that raised the hairs on her skin even more than the passion … something otherworldly. The touch blew softly across them, circling, twisting around like a ghostly hand, knitting their souls together as Edward slowly joined them.
Gasping, Bella freed her hands so she could place them against his cheeks. She wanted to watch him, to focus on the gift she'd been given, and to see the desire twisting his features. With every inch, the memories of torture and pain that threatened to rise were extinguished by his possession. She breathed through it, the feeling of being overfull magnified by the simple glory of it.
"Bella…" he said softly, reverently when he was joined fully with her. Needing more, she shifted against him, tightening her legs around his hips just a little tighter. He slid just a little deeper and closed his eyes for just a moment in reaction. "Love...I…" he gave up on words.
Bella's eyes rolled back in her head when he gently pulled out. Too much…too tight…not enough…more. Everything, every feeling, every caress, every touch pooled low. It went on for eternity, this gentle taking, but when he pushed hard, grinding his hips against her, she shattered. Bella heard herself screaming his name, but was blinded again by the release that caused her to rock and twist against him uncontrollably, as more and more waves crashed against her. Falling back to earth and the bed, she felt him still hard and thick.
Her eyes opened to a fallen angel, wicked in desire, ready to drag her into temptation again. He pulled her legs back around his hips, and she keened in pleasure.
"Edward…" She stuttered, unable to conceive traveling to those heights again so soon.
"Again, Bella…again," he murmured, throwing his head back so the muscles in his neck stood out.
This time, his movements were deep and strong, and fire consumed her, licking at her skin, lips, and neck as he wove magic. All the months of foreplay, all the months of control, all the months of hoping to find peace…nothing but the movement of the man above and within mattered as he flung her toward heaven.
Only blinding light existed as her universe exploded and forever dawned.
~Honor~
Would love to know your thoughts and I hope you each are doing well.