Isabella Swan
[Author's Note: Chapter 12 was actually kinda short. AND SO I'M DOUBLE POSTING. This one will be long. And it's what you guys have been waiting for.. Rosalie is back!]
Anticipation made Bella Swan light headed and she found herself pacing her balcony more than once to try and calm herself down. Of course nothing worked. Alice had said she was fine, but Rosalie's sister far underestimated Bella. She wasn't fine- she was on the verge of a breakdown. She was so utterly worked up and anxious that nothing seemed to help.
For the entirety of Bella's life, she'd felt unfulfilled, as though, ultimately, she was meant for something else. She was almost twenty-one and while academically life had been a breeze, as an adult, Bella found herself rudderless and without direction. Hanging out in a national park and checking titles off of the 100 Books to Read Before You Die list was great and all but.. She couldn't do that forever right? Though.. the prospect of spending an undetermined amount of time in the middle of nowhere with Rosalie was..
A quick knock on the door kick-started Bella's heart. It was softly raining outside and the pitter-pattering on the roof was in direct contrast to her heart, which was absolutely pounding. Butterflies beat their wings furiously in her stomach as she moved across the tower to the door, yanking it open without pause, desperate to see her, to be near her.. to hear her voice. And finally, after two days of yearning- there she was, raindrops beaded in perfect blonde hair, her delicious golden eyes a reflection of the moon hanging above. And though she tried not to, Bella heard herself audibly sigh. It was as though the brunette park ranger had been traveling an endless desert, existing on the verge of dehydration, and Rosalie was the cool, clear pool of water right in front of her. An oasis.
"Hi," she breathed, one shaking hand combing through waves of chocolatey brown hair, pushing it back from her face.
The vampire's eyes slid down Bella's form and then returned to rest heavily on her face. "Hello Bella Swan," Rosalie purred, "Did you miss me?"
The brunette's responding, "Yes," came out much more breathy than she had meant for it to. "You have no idea."
"I assure you that I do," the blonde replied coolly. She reached out and ran her hand down Bella's sleeve, softly, almost not touching her at all. A smile played on her perfect pink lips. "Your heart is racing."
"I know," Bella nodded, mesmerized. "Will you come in?"
"I will." Rosalie stepped inside, pulled the door back together and locked it. Then she strolled over to the bed, sat down elegantly and patted the section of mattress beside her. "Come here?"
It wasn't a demand but the park ranger felt that same warm pull driving her to go to the blonde vampire. She wondered if it was the "charm" Alice had referred to Rosalie having. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she could resist it. She just didn't want to. At all.
"What are you thinking?" Rosalie asked her, angling her body to face the smaller woman as she joined her on the bed. "You're shaking."
"I'm sort of just preoccupied by how close you are and," Bella exhaled raggedly, "how good you smell. I don't think I'll ever get over that."
"Does it make your mouth water?" Rosalie asked, her voice a whisper, "does it make your entire body ache to taste something you can never taste?" She paused and tilted her head very slightly as she gazed into Bella's eyes. "Does it make you fantasize about all the things you want me to do to you?"
Bella nodded, her heart in her throat. A quiet hush fell over them then and Bella realized that she could feel Rosalie's thigh pressing against hers very gently. The contact was enough to make her nerves feel like live wires. She wanted more. She wanted to touch her skin. Of course she worried how the vampire would react but the anticipation of the opportunity was burning her alive inside and she eventually reached a point where there was no more resisting. She had to touch her. It was inevitable. And so she did. She brought one hand between them and placed her fingertips to the flawless marble skin of Rosalie's jaw.
The vampire immediately tensed, her dazzlingly golden eyes wide, her lips pursed in concentration. She didn't move for several moments and Bella wished desperately that she knew what the blonde was thinking. Worried she'd upset her she finally made the move to pull back when, with lightning speed, Rosalie brought her hand up to cover Bella's.
A breath hissed between Bella's lips and she mouthed, "I'm sorry."
The angelic vampire closed her eyes, pressed Bella's hand flat so that the smaller woman's palm was cupped around her cheek, and she replied very softly, "Don't be. The way you feel." A few precious moments slipped by and then she made a very quiet sound, halfway between a sigh and a hum.
The sound sent a bolt of electricity through Bella's body and she was suddenly and acutely aware of a certain part of her pulsing in response. She tried and failed to swallow the emotion and then, without meaning to, she whimpered.
Quickly and swiftly, Rosalie pulled her hand back, almost as though she'd been burnt. Her eyes showed a combination of fear and worry when she pressed, "What is it? Did I hurt you? Is this too much?"
There was a very sudden shift then as Bella became the dominant one for a shred of a moment and, with unprecedented bravery, she took her hand from Rosalie's cheek, caught the vampire's hand in hers and brought her cool, smooth fingertips to her lips. "No," she said, "this is perfect. You feel perfect." Her lips brushed the vampire's fingers as she spoke. "It was just.. the way you sighed."
Bella hadn't seen Rosalie like that before- completely lost in sensation, her eyes dreamy. Her lips very subtly parted when she whispered, "I'm sorry. It's just that-" Bella felt Rosalie's other hand, now resting lightly on her thigh, begin to gently pet. "You're so warm."
"Is..Is that a bad thing?"
Rosalie shook her head, the expression on her face serious and intense. "No." Then, her eyebrows furrowing, she asked, "Am I too cold? Do you hate it?"
"Do you want me to be completely honest?" Bella replied.
"Yes."
"If you wanted to, I'd let you put your hands all over me."
Rosalie leaned in, still petting Bella's thigh, her other hand now caressing her jaw, her thumb swiping softly up and down her cheek. Her breath was as sweet and intoxicating as ever when she spoke again, her mouth mere inches from Bella's. "One step at a time, Little Bell."
"But you do want me?" Bella asked, wanting to know, wanting to hear Rosalie fucking say it. "Alice said.."
"Alice said what?" Rosalie didn't pull back but her eyebrow arched slightly in inquisition.
"That I'm all you ever think about," the park ranger heard herself gushing, "that you think I'm beautiful and that-" Rosalie's fingers slipped down to her chin and she brought her face up so that she was forced to look her in the eyes as she said the last line- "That you're powerless against me."
"Mm," Rosalie replied, her eyebrows lowering into a faux-scowl, "I'm going to kill Alice."
"Please don't," Bella replied, still mesmerized, still helplessly enthralled. "I really like Alice."
"More than me?"
Bella shook her head and then sighed as Rosalie brushed her knuckles back up the side of Bella's face before tucking a small strand of hair behind her ear. "No." Then- "please tell me," she said, "please tell me how you feel about me. Please."
The sound that Rosalie was making, the park ranger now realized, was something very, very akin to a purr. She let her hand fall and she found Bella's and twined their fingers together. "Bella?"
"Yes?"
"Do you remember what I said the last time I was here? About us not going there?"
"Yes," the brunette responded quickly. "But I think that we-"
Rosalie put her fingers back to Bella's lips, hushing her. Her other hand began to stroke Bella's knuckles. "Shh," the vampire insisted. "Let me talk, Beautiful Girl."
Bella nodded, mesmerized.
"I've been alive a very long time Bella," she began, "and I've met a lot of humans and vampires alike. I've spent time on nearly every continent and, anthropologically, I've come in contact and participated in more cultural groups than seems plausible. Because of the passive nature of my thrall, I limit personal interaction with humans. I've entertained friendships but never intimacy." At that, Rosalie brought Bella's knuckles to her lips and she placed a very soft kiss upon them, causing the smaller girl to shudder expressively. "If I were to touch a human like that," she went on, "the reaction would be something akin to a priest falling to their knees before a Seraph. Hysteria by transcendence."
Bella said, "But we.." and then let her words trail off as Rosalie placed another kiss on the top of her hand.
"Are you going to get on your knees before me?" Rosalie asked her, turning Bella's hand in hers so that she could place a cool kiss to the brunette's palm. "Or are you as resilient as my sister assumes that you are?"
Another small whimper escaped the park ranger's lips. "I'll get on my knees for you if you want me to," she huffed.
A smirk played on Rosalie's lips as she kissed each one of Bella's fingertips. Then, bringing the brunette's other hand to her lips, she did the same with it. "I think," she said placing Bella's palm to against her cheek once more, "if we were to go very slowly," she said, "and if you were to be completely patient with me-" she leaned forward, put her lips to Bella's ear and finished with, "We could try this."
Bella bit her bottom lip and nodded desperately, feeling the cool tip of Rosalie's nose slide against her jaw as she did so. "I would really like that," she heard herself say. "I would love that."
When the vampire pulled back to meet her gaze, she smiled and to Bella, that smile was the most beautiful sight she'd ever witnessed. It was the purest, rawest show of emotion ever directed at her and for a moment she wondered if this was the hysteria by transcendence Rosalie had said. But then the vampire spoke again and she realized that she hadn't lost her mind. This was all very real.
"Is it obvious now?" Rosalie asked, her tone sweet and gentle. "Can you see how I feel about you?"
"Say it," Bella prompted, "please."
"I want you," Rosalie finally admitted. She moved suddenly but gently, her hands taking Bella's shoulders and easing the brunette down so that she was flat against the mattress. The vampire hung above her, her hair falling down as a curtain around both of their faces. Bella's hands immediately slid around Rosalie's jaws and she urged her closer.
"Kiss me," Bella said. "Please."
Rosalie didn't budge. She remained positioned above Bella, her knees on either side of the park ranger's hips, her hands on either side of her shoulders. "No," she said, softly. "I will," she told her. "But not yet."
Bella's lip twitched. "Why?"
Rosalie's eyes were so unbelievably golden, like a jar of fresh honey sitting in a ray of sunlight. "Because I want to do this right. And I want to take my time with you." She lifted one hand and slowly, with the tip of her middle finger, she traced the smaller woman's lips. "Is that okay Little Bell?"
Bella Swan's body was on fire. Her heart was still pounding and her face was hot and a very intimate part of her was twitching impatiently. But looking up at Rosalie and seeing the kindness in her eyes sort of made everything else fade into obscurity. "Yes," she said, "Yes that's okay. We can take our time." She searched Rosalie's face, stopping to let her eyes rest on the blonde's lips for a long moment. Then, as a follow up she said, "I'll wait as long as you want."
"Mmm," was the vampire's quiet answer, "Good girl." She smiled when the comment made Bella shiver. Then she said, "Now I should let you sleep, hmm? I know you must be tired."
"I'm fine," Bella insisted.
"You're exhausted."
"I don't want you to leave," was the human's argument. "I missed you. I don't want you to go."
"I don't want to go," Rosalie admitted. She let her thumb slide along the edge of Bella's forehead, smoothing her shiny chestnut locks. She seemed to hesitate before finally saying, "I could stay. If you wanted me to. Alice told me she waited in your chair while you slept. I could-"
"Or," Bella suggested, cutting the vampire off before she could go any further. "You could stay right here. And-"
"And?"
Outside the rain had begun to pick up and the cacophony of raindrops hitting the roof created a cozy atmosphere. Bella's heart was practically on her sleeve when, looking into Rosalie's warm honey eyes, the blonde petting her hair, she finally said, "You could hold me and let me sleep in your arms.."
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