THIRTY

Thankfully, the day had not been as bad as I thought it was going to be, since Rosalie and Emmett were now in college and had their afternoon free. So, having had completed all of my school work before eleven in the morning and having become extremely bored afterwards, I had been thrilled when they came in the door, the female vampire proclaiming calmly that we were going to go shopping to start my new wardrobe.

To my surprise, Emmett had been fairly well behaved. He only made a few jokes about trees, swinging monkeys, and Tarzan and Jane at the beginning of the trip. But all of that was before he had paid attention to how just how slow I moved when walking into the mall. He took pity on me and had left all dirty jokes aside, and made it up to me by not only carrying every single bag I had but by getting me a slice of cookie cake from the American Cookie Co.

I was very grateful that it was Rosalie that had taken me on this small shopping spree, because even though I loved Alice dearly, she did not really seem to take personal taste into consideration. Rosalie kept my style in mind and made sure to direct us into stores that carried articles that I liked and would actually wear. Of course, while most of my new wardrobe was specifically for me, I wanted to have several outfits to compliment the various array of clothes in Carlisle's wardrobe, as well as a few pieces to drive him absolutely out of his mind, including a lovely black corset.

One of the more mature-looking pieces was the dress I was wearing tonight: A sleeveless, knee-length dress of dark viridian chiffon that had a ruffled v-neck collar. It had a sash of the same color material and the ends trailed down my side where it was tied. I knew that my mate would not only love the color but the simple and elegant style would definitely appeal to the gentleman in him. If I was lucky, all this would bring its own reward by the end of the evening.

As I stood in front of the mirror, I contemplated whether or not I wanted to wear the cross. In the end, I decided that the only thing that I wished to display with the outfit was my collar. The Cullen crest rested between my collar bones, and both the personal claim by my mate and the outward symbolization of officially being part of the family made me smile. I lightly applied my make-up, using a blue-green shadow to highlight my eyes and pale-pink gloss on my lips, and curled my hair into more dramatic waves. I fastened the mass up on one side with a silver comb, which left one side of my neck. After slipping on some strappy black heels, I left our bedroom and stopped at the top of the stairs to gaze in absolute awe at Carlisle, who had changed in his office. Once again, I was blown away at the absolute beauty of the beast that I claimed as my mate.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, black slacks flattering his long legs, a buttoned-down shirt of dark navy stretching across his strong chest and the black jacket hugging his broad shoulders. The dark colors, which he rarely wore, seemed to only enhance the sharpness of his gorgeous features – his milky skin and luscious blond hair seeming to glow brilliantly in the dim light.

His golden eyes gleamed with pride as he took in my appearance and the bright smile that curled his lips brought a flush to my face. I had to lower my eyes to the steps when I descended to stand before him. As he reached out to touch my cheek, I glanced up and became lost in his eyes, my spirit reaching out to touch his and bliss filling me as they merged for a moment before returning to us.

"Mi bella cigna," he whispered with awe, "Sei bella, m'amore. T'amo." He pulled me into his embrace and pressed a light kiss to my forehead. "La mia, t'adoro." When he released me and stepped away, the look of love and reverence nearly took my breath away. "Mia passerotta?" he questioned quietly as he offered me his elbow, which I took gladly, then led me out the front door and to a Mercedes that I had never seen.

I raised an eyebrow at the sportier looking vehicle. "New addition?"

"Simply a long-overdue and well-needed upgrade, mi carina micina." He winked when I returned his smirk and chuckled at my blush. He took my hand and helped me into the car. He was beside me in a flash, lightly grasping my hand in his cool one and lifting my knuckles to his lips. "T'amo tanto, cara mia."

I settled back into the buttery leather seats and sighed in contentment when I felt his cold thumb rubbing small circles over the pulse in my wrist. The repetition of the hypnotic touch lulled me into a blissful state, where my conscious and subconscious mind could wander, and I marveled at the changes in my mate.

He had gone from over three centuries of severe repression of his nature to having the animal within surface abruptly and with a vengeance. Now, he was beginning to carefully balance the man with the beast. He seemed to have regained the majority of his control, as he now was able to allow me around his family and other humans without the urge to destroy rising to the surface. Everyone was safe, as long as I was not directly threatened... like with Jake.

And Jake's existence was hanging in the balance, even if he did not know it.

"How far does your mind wander, mia passerotta?"

I blinked out of my reverie and glanced back to Carlisle with a slight smile. "I was thinking about your control and how proud I am of you. It makes me feel slightly guilty about punching Jessica."

He lifted my wrist to his cold lips and kissed my pulse, purring softly before lowering my hand. "While the animal in me is rather aroused by your display of aggression, the man in me is worried for you, though that concern is not born simply because your instincts to defend your territory are growing. That would be rather hypocritical of me. In all sincerity, I am quite pleased to see this nature in you. However, I do worry about the consequences and what they mean for you." He smirked. "I sincerely doubt that Charlie would be pleased if you get expelled for repeatedly taking out your aggression on your school mates for their less than tactful comments."

"He would have a stroke." I frowned as I began thinking about my own reactions to situations. "I don't seem to react to the same things, though. Your reactions mostly seem to come from the need to protect. Mine come from simple jealousy." I did not like that thought at all. It seemed pointless and petty, particularly when Carlisle had been willing to let me be with his son for a year for my happiness. And what do I do? Squash aquela schifosa's face in. How pitiful was I?

"M'uzzola," he cooed, lifting my wrist once more and nuzzling it with his lips. "Are you not the same woman who constantly is chiding me for my negative feelings when it comes to my instincts? Never be ashamed of who you are and who you are becoming." His citrine eyes left the road as he gazed at me empathetically. He lowered our joined hands. "Is it wise to harness such reactions in public? Yes. It will place you in trouble if you do not. Should you be embarrassed to have such feelings? Absolutely not."

I closed my eyes and dropped my head against the rest. "It's going to get worse, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said candidly. "But I know you, m'Isabella. You would not have immediately reacted in such a fashion had aquela schifosa not pushed you to it." His thumb caressed my strong pulse. "You employed your keen wit first. You only reacted violently when your warnings went unheeded. You seem to forget that I have seen you deal with her first hand. You were firm and in complete control. You are not giving yourself enough credit, m'amore."

I sighed heavily. "Carlisle, I attacked someone out of jealousy."

"Do you not think that now that I have you, I would not attack for the same reason?" he questioned me firmly. "For I can assure you that when Edward returns, if he cannot be reasoned with and attempts to connect to you on such a level, I will not hesitate to tear his limbs from his body."

The calm but intense tone of his voice made me shiver, not from fear or disgust but an unthinkable rush of unnatural delight. Knowing that my mate would go to such an extreme out of reaction to what was commonly seen as a negative feeling brought me a small taste of pleasure, and I was entirely unembarrassed when I heard my mate inhale deeply, smelling the affect his words had on me.

"Donna," he growled, "I swear that you could break the control of a saint."

I smirked in response. "That couldn't possibly be true. You haven't pulled the car over yet." I giggled when his growl grew in volume. "I'm sorry. I'll behave." I grinned wickedly and muttered under my breath knowing perfectly well that he would be able to hear me.

His mouth dropped open and he gaped in utter disbelief. "What did you just call me?"

I grinned like an absolute maniac and repeated, quite clearly, exactly what I had said to him. I watched as he swallowed heavily. I was certain that his hand was gripping the steering wheel as tightly as his strength would allow without him damaging his new mechanical baby.

"Mia streghetta, the only thing keeping me from pulling this car over right now is the fact the restaurant will only hold our reservation for fifteen minutes." When I quickly informed him of what I would prefer to have for dinner, a harsh groan mixed with the guttural growl. "Dio, aiuto..."

The rest of the drive to Seattle passed by in relative tranquility.

I knew the sexual frustration that bubbled beneath Carlisle's calm façade was more intense than the sensations that flowed through me and I did not want to antagonize him, lest I get bit. Or worse. Although, while I would love winning the bet this early on, I knew that my mate would feel guilty for having sex with me and irritating the bruises. So I simply settled back into the seat, holding his hand and listening to the soft piano music drifting through the speakers.

Knowing the money he had to freely spend, I was completely unsurprised when he pulled the sleek machine up to the valet of one of Seattle's most elegant French restaurants. He walked at human speed around to the passenger side, opening the door and offering his pale hand to help me out of the car. He pulled me into his arms for a moment and murmured his appreciation of my beauty. When I blushed, he chuckled, which only served to make me blush brighter.

The restaurant was absolutely beautiful, with muted red walls that had borders of gorgeous swirled cream and gold, dark golden carpet and rich wood furnishings here and there, giving the entire space a warm and cozy atmosphere.

When Carlisle gave the hostess his name, almost instantly we were shown to the back. We were seated at a rounded booth in the corner, and I briefly found myself wondering just how much money the vampire had to fork out to ensure that this space was left unoccupied at the appropriate time. He made sure to keep himself as close as propriety allowed, one hand behind my lower back while his other held one of mine atop his thigh. He kept his head bowed to mine and whispered terms of endearment and words of love over and over in Italian. He occasionally nuzzled my temple or behind my ear with the tip of his nose, his chest vibrating with a silent purr that made me smile.

Dinner was a carefully crafted affair with no apparent appetizers, though mine was a delicious apple and pecan salad that he had order for his supposed main course. He had been absolutely shocked by my dish of choice: escargot achatine en pâte à choux.

Snail in puff pastries.

He had asked me, voice full of utter disbelief, if I was aware of what I just ordered. When I replied that I knew exactly what I had chosen, he prodded farther, wanting to make absolutely certain that I had order correctly. His bewilderment amused me more than insulted me.

"Despite her flighty ways and living with her head in the clouds, Renee did a few things for my betterment. She always wanted me to be exposed to different cultures, particularly the cuisine of those cultures," I explained as I thought about my less-than-down-to-Earth mother. "She said that when she was younger and working her first job, she had been embarrassed when the company held their monthly lunch at a Japanese restaurant and she had no idea how to order. She said that she wanted me to have a broad palette, not only for the sake of being able to enjoy what the world had to offer, but to make sure that in the future, I wasn't embarrassed like she was."

"That is a very wise choice," he commented as he ran his thumb over my wrist.

I laughed lightly as I leaned into him, squeezing his hand three times and smiling happily when he returned the gesture. "Well, I didn't think so the first time she told me that I was going to be eating snail. I kept seeing the icky creatures from her garden and was highly unimpressed with the idea that I would be ingesting one." I shook my head and blushed darkly. "The first time I was told what an unagi roll was, I was terrified that I was going to be electrocuted."

I felt him chuckle into my hair, where he had buried his lips in a tender kiss to the crown of my head. "Hey! Don't laugh—" this just made him chortle more— "I was six! To a six-year-old, that is a very scary thought. Imagine being shocked to death by your food!" I felt a burst of breath against my chocolate waves as he snorted back a laugh and dryly commented, "I'm so glad you find my irrational fear of death by eel rolls so hilarious, Carlisle."

He tipped my face up to his, placing a cool kiss on the end of my nose and beaming down on me. "You were an adorable child."

I was about to ask him how on Earth he would know, but then remembered that with his vampiric senses, he would have both heard and seen the video tape in the ballet studio when his family came to my rescue. And of course, with his genius brain, he would be able to better put together an image of a slightly older version of me attempting sushi for the first time.

When I finished the salad and raised the first fluffy roll to my mouth, I smiled. The pastry was abundantly filled with blended white wine and cream cheese, parsley and achatine snail meat. I saw his eyes go slightly wide and giggled. "You look like you're about to yack."

He just stared at the delicacy held in my fingers. "With my incredibly gifted sense of smell, I can, unfortunately, still detect the ingredients separately." The look on his face clearly said that he was beyond disgusted by the smell and could not, for the immortal life of him, figure out why I was about to munch on what could have been two or more blended snails.

I grinned bemusedly. "I love that this reaction is coming from a man whose last meal consisted of mountain lion."

The smirk in his voice was glaringly obvious when he spoke. "Deer and mountain lions are strong, noble creatures. That is a dirt-dweller."

I rolled my eyes at him and brought the pastry to my lips, muttering before the first bite, "Cat killer." I had just bit into the cream-filled crust when I heard him retort with 'snail sucker' and had to immediately cover my mouth to keep from spitting out my food as I nearly choked in surprise. After taking several swallows of tea and calming my body down, I glared up at him. "That was evil."

He bowed his head to my ear, whispering lustfully, "I do recall telling you before, mia streghetta, that you were bedding the devil himself." His cold fingers delicately caressed the bruise of my throat, before he shifted so his body was facing my side, his hand slipping beneath the long tablecloth and tugging the material of my dress upwards. He pressed my thighs apart and gently cupped my damp sex through the lacy underwear. "But you have long been aware that I am a demon, have you not, mi carina micina?"

I could not believe he was going to do this in public and was unsure if I was relieved or pissed off when I realized that his fingers were not rubbing me nor was he making any move to further stimulate my body. He simply held my warm flesh in his cool hand as he sat beside me, looking relaxed, as though sitting in a five-star restaurant and holding his hand over his mate's pussy was an everyday occurrence for a vampire.

I cleared my throat and picked up the discarded pâte with a shaking hand, feeling his eyes watching me keenly as I ate the rest of it slowly. When I finished the second puff, picking up a third, I asked him calmly, never once glancing up to his face, "This is about the name I called you in the car, isn't it?"

He gave me the most gentle squeeze as he inquired steadily, "Now, m'uzzola, what could possibly give you that idea?"

I tried not to squirm and did my level-best to keep my voice even and calm. I was sure he could sense even the barest tremors in my voice and my body, but was still pleased that, from my own human sense, it seemed like I had not shown anything. "Well, the devil and demon reference was a bit of a giveaway." It had not seemed like it in the car, but now I was worried. "Did it... I didn't mean to upset you."

He released me for a moment as he guided my free hand beneath the table - God bless whoever decided to decorate these tables with such long cloths! - to rest against the massive erection straining against his trousers. "Do I seem upset, mia passerotta?" he asked quietly.

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from groaning. "No," I replied softly as I began stroking him tenderly, surprised at how calm both of us seemed. I continued my administrations, until he stopped me, moving my hand to rest on the table.

With a surprisingly serene voice, he apologized. "That is my limit, bella mia. Anymore and it could be, at the very least, embarrassing for both of us."

I nodded while pondering why he had not returned his hand to its previous spot between my thighs, somewhat disappointed as I realized that I missed the subtle feeling of comfort from the naughty and possessive gesture.

As always, my mate was able to pick up on the sudden shift in my mood. "I am truly sorry, m'amore. I am afraid that if I do as we both wish that part of my restraint will slip, and we do not need me purring in public." When I muttered my acknowledgment, he drew closer to me and rubbed his hand soothingly behind my lower back as he reached with the other for my free hand, stroking the pulse in my wrist firmly. "Are you quite all right, cara mia?"

I settled my side against his chest as I began nibbling on the second-to-last delicacy and nodded. "Mostly. It's a bit frustrating, but nothing that I can't push through. It's like an itch that you can't actually scratch no matter how hard you try. It's enough to aggravate the hell out of you, but nothing more than that." I smirked wickedly. "Besides, I'm almost done with the dirt-dwellers, Bambi-biter." When he chuckled, I pressed, "Next you'll be going after poor Thumper and Flower."

"Actually, Thumper was a trifle too sweet," he commented, a mischievous grin coloring his tone. "That... and an incident that Emmett had once will forever keep me away from Flower."

I raised my eyebrow. "Emmett ate skunk?"

Carlisle shook his head, perverse glee dancing in his topaz eyes. "Rose convinced him that it was a very sweet-tasting animal and that it was like a delicacy to our species. He never made it far enough to find out if it was true, because the exact moment his hands went to grab the creature, Rosalie distracted him and he was sprayed from head to toe. It was apparently punishment for destroying Rose's favorite pair of jeans. His choices were to burn his clothes immediately and run the ten miles home nude... or run ten miles with the smell of skunk saturating his clothes."

"Which did he chose?"

"Let us just say that Esme was less than thrilled at how long it took to air out the house."

I felt my lips curl into an evil smile. "Remind me to go shopping at the Disney store this year for Emmett's Christmas present." My mate assured me that he would take me personally, and I grinned as I finished my escargot achatine and my dessert of delectable profiteroles au chocolat.

The moment we were back in the Mercedes, flying down the highway, Carlisle raised the thick armrest up and tucked the consul between the seats down. He pulled me flush against his side and his cool hand slid between my legs, cupping me softly through my underwear. He never stroked, never prodded. He simply held his palm to my heat in a strangely gentle and possessive way.

As I snuggled against him, I wrapped one arm around his and rested my other hand on his thigh, smiling softly when his loud purr filled the cabin. "Is this okay? Will you be okay if I touch you?"

He groaned through the light rumble. "I am under control as we are. Anything more, I fear, will push me beyond my limits, and I do not wish to have your body in this car until you are healed." When I giggled and questioned him about his use of 'until', he informed me quite bluntly that he was planning on christening both the driver's seat and the passenger's seat, as well as the back seat, once my bruises had faded.

I buried my face in his shoulder to hide my blush, not that it would have mattered as he could feel the heat against his cold body. I closed my eyes and settled in to enjoy the intimate feelings swirling between us, the first half of the trip passing perfectly well. However, as we passed into Port Angeles, a dark growl began building in my mate's chest and he released my body immediately.

Something was obviously not right and I tried desperately not to panic. "Carlisle? Carlisle, what's happening?" I heard him growl something about 'have to be joking' and was thoroughly confused, particularly when he picked up his phone and dialed someone. I realized that it was one of the other vampires as his lips buzzed out the words too fast for me to comprehend. As soon as he hung up, I asked again, "Carlisle, what's wrong?"

He snarled angrily. "Your stalker is following us. He's is about six hundred yards behind. Jasper is going to alert Sam and Alice will stay at the house. Emmett are Rosalie are on their way, in case he tries something even more asinine."

I groaned.

Jacob Black truly had a death wish.

.

TBC

Today's Latin Proverb: Tempus fugit, aeternitas manet. (Time flees, eternity dwells.)