ESPOV
Tilting my face up to the sky, I can feel the warm sun on my face. The grass is soft and lush beneath me, and the birds are singing a melody in my ear.
"You're beautiful." Carlisle's voice is suddenly in my ear making me jump. "Sorry love, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay. I should be used to you sneaking up on me by now."
He laughs and settles next to me on the grass. It's the first week of April and it's finally starting to warm up outside. It's the first warm, sunny day in Forks and I'm taking full advantage of it. The kids are coming home later this week for spring break, and our weekend is going to be busy because I'm getting maternity pictures done. Apparently Rosalie was a photographer at some point in her long life, and we want to document my pregnancy. My bump is huge and I officially have a waddle. I want to get these pictures taken before my bump gets any bigger. Right now the skin is still smooth and pretty (mostly because of Carlisle's insistence on putting lotion on me), but I know soon it will be ginormous and ugly. I'm really excited for this photo shoot, and I know Carlisle is too. He is perfectly involved in every aspect of my pregnancy and loves every minute of it.
"What are you thinking about, love?"
"This weekend."
"I'm excited." He grins.
"Me too. I hope it turns out as beautiful as I imagined."
"As long as you're there, it will be perfect."
I smile at his sweetness and kiss his cheek. He can be really cheesy sometimes, but I know he means every word.
The part of this weekend I am most excited about is the part Carlisle doesn't know about. We are going to be doing an extra shoot just for him. I will be alone in all of the pictures and in various states of dress. It will be like a tasteful boudoir session with my pregnant belly. I know how much he loves my bare belly and I can think of nothing better to give him for his birthday that is coming up in just a few weeks. We'll be doing all of these photos in one day and it's the boys' job to take Carlisle hunting and distract him. I'm fairly nervous about being almost naked in front of Carlisle's daughters, but they've all assured me it will be fine. We've been communicating through email and text ever since I got this idea.
"You're off work Friday right?" I ask Carlisle.
"Yes. I requested the day off as soon as you told me about this photo session. Dr. Ward must think I've gone crazy. I haven't take a day off since I started the job and now I'm requesting off all of the time." He laughs.
"Well you have a certain human in your life demanding your time."
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." He kisses me softly. "What is your work schedule this week, angel?"
I started my job the first week of March and I love it. I work at the Port Angeles Public Library which happens to be right across the street from the hospital. I work 28 hours a week—4 days of 7 hours—and it's just enough for me.
"Same as always: Monday through Thursday, 9-4."
"I'm on days this week too. We'll have to drive separately, but we can have lunch together."
"Sounds perfect."
That is usually our routine. Carlisle goes to work in the morning before I even wake up, and then I go in a few hours later. I love everything about it. It's nice to get dressed up for work and drive on my own. I have never been able to do those things before. Charles didn't like me to go out alone unless it was to the grocery store. I never knew I liked being independent. I love the ladies I work with; they're all older than I am, but they make laugh and actually care about my life. In the evenings I usually get home first and take care of Samson before cooking dinner. Carlisle is always home by the time I'm eating and we spend the rest of the night cuddled up together. Life is perfect.
"So I was thinking…" Carlisle says. "We could grill out tonight for your dinner and sit outside to watch the sunset. The weather is so nice."
"That sounds great. I make the best grilled chicken ever. It needs to marinade for a few hours so let's go inside so I can get started."
Carlisle jumps to his feet leaving me laying on the grass like a turtle on its back.
"Hey dad before you run off, you wanna help a girl out?" I ask him as I struggle to sit up.
"Sorry, love." He laughs and picks me up like I don't weigh a thing.
"I can walk." I grumble but still snuggle into his chest.
"I know but I like holding you."
Of course I don't complain as he carries me from the backyard into the kitchen. He leaves the patio doors open so we can feel the spring breeze and sets me down so I can cook.
About an hour later, I have chicken marinading in the fridge, baked beans in the oven, and I'm putting the finishing touches on my potato salad.
"Looks good, angel." Carlisle says walking into the kitchen. He's been outside making sure the girls is ready and safe. Apparently that's "a man's job". Whatever.
"Does it really?" I quirk an eyebrow at him.
"No" he laughs "but I bet it does to you."
"Oh I forgot you like your chicken a little warmer and a little bloodier." I roll my eyes playfully at him and he scoffs.
"Chickens?" His nose scrunches up. "Sweetheart I don't like chickens, alive or dead."
"Why not?"
"Well first the feathers—they get everywhere and they stick in my teeth. Their blood is very thin and watery—not appealing. And they're so small, it would take a hundred chickens to fill me up."
"Wow. I didn't know you had given the chicken diet this much thought."
"Well I like to try new things and chickens were definitely a mistake."
"What other animals have you tried?"
"Um wolves, panthers, bears—they're all pretty good. Deer and elk are okay. I tried a shark once, that was horrible—too salty. I've tried several different reptiles and I don't care for any of them; they're all very grimy and honestly their skin is very unappealing and odd. Centuries ago I tried a lion and it was very good, probably the best I've ever tasted. Since then, they've become endangered and therefore off limits. I've never tried any kind of monkey or orangutan, I guess I've never had the opportunity. I have eaten a hippopotamus and that was fun, but not very tasty—they have horrible tempers. That's all I can think of right now."
"Wow. So lions are your favorite, huh?"
"Yes but only once. I think my favorite now is wolves or coyotes. They're fast and they are big enough that I only have to kill a few."
"Will you teach me to do that once I'm changed?"
"Yes I will and I will enjoy it very much. It can be very intimate to teach a vampire to hunt."
"Why?" I ask confused. Wouldn't you just teach them to bite?
"Well it's hard to explain. New vampires tend to be very messy, getting blood everywhere, and that means that they aren't ingesting the blood so they have to kill more. However, if you bite just right you can get a perfect flow with minimal spilling. Here I'll show you."
He pushes my hair off of my shoulder exposing my neck and a little shiver goes through me. I'm not afraid of him—I never could be—but I don't want to test his control.
"Don't worry love. I won't hurt you." He whispers and leans in to whisper in my ear. "Once you've caught your prey, your instincts will automatically tell you to expose an artery, the carotid is the most common and easiest. So you would move their head to the side" His hands are acting his words out on me. "Exposing their neck. Once you have it, you bite fast and clean" His mouth brushes against my artery, but I don't feel his teeth. "The moment your teeth bite down, you will begin to get a flow. In order to keep from spilling you need to create a barrier with your mouth. Latching on with your lips, you can let the muscles in your neck do their job in pulling all of the blood out until there's nothing left, but you have to latch on just right." He's whispering against the skin of my neck and his cold breath makes goosebumps break out over my skin. His lips suction to the skin of my neck and suck. Hard. It feels so good and I moan and fall into him. He releases me and leaves a tender kiss on what I'm sure is now a hickey.
"Wow" I breathe and he chuckles deeply in my ear.
"We'll probably have to go over it again if you're changed. It can be a difficult skill to acquire."
"I look forward to it." I mumble and he laughs breaking the sexual tension in the air.
"Come on, love, let's get dinner started. I don't want you or peanut hungry." He leaves a lingering kiss on my lips before going to the fridge and taking the chicken out. I'm still standing like a statue in the kitchen as he struts out to the grill, throwing a pink apron on over his clothes.
Once he's gone, I collapse onto a stool and fan my face. Peanut kicks at me, and I know it's because she wants her daddy's voice.
"Your daddy is too tempting for his own good." I whisper to my giant belly and laugh when she kicks in reply.
The potato salad is chilling in the fridge and I'm pulling the beans out of the oven when Carlisle pokes his head in the kitchen.
"Come on girls. Dinner's ready." The grin on his face combined with his pink apron makes me laugh. One minute he's being a sexy predator and the next he's a loving mate. Carlisle Cullen is an enigma.