Hi all,

Thank you for your lovely reviews and persitence. I know this is a rather long story but I'm hoping it's still enjoyable to you guys!

It's been pretty insane in England for the last few weeks and so I just wanted to make a little point (even if this is out of date by then) to thank people for their generoisty in spending time with my random little sections and further more I'm incredibly grateful, thankful and appreciative for all the kind messages people have shared worldwide. It makes me believe in hope more than I ever thought possible.

Spread love! Thank you all dearly!

The addiction of his tenderness sears my lips like heaven to a sinner.

He's surprised by the sudden return to my confident self, if not wary. I think I must be, too except having my mouth on his is almost like the perfect reminder to how much I adore just being with him and the safety I feel within it. He's sweet and returns my kisses innocently at first. He is further surprised when I weave my fingers in his thick hair. Pulling him close to me and angling his face up, he laughs against my pouting lip while flicking feathers from his hands.

'My Love…?' he asks, hesitant within my grasp.

I drop my mouth to his, grinning into him and stroking his lip with my tongue before brushing it against his. There's a delicate sound from his throat, like a soft hitch, a violent shudder with his touch cautious on my cheek as if to offer a gentle reminder to the very thing I know the most.

So I shift away from him, sitting up with the remainder of the bedding covering my waist. Preserving the moment, he waits to face me properly and when he finally does, though he's watching only my eyes, his cheeks are blushing. Without instruction my hands graze the colour, bearing a shy smile.

'Should I be offended you've paid very little attention to my prized possessions?' I tease, leaning above to push out my chest at an angle that'll make them look the perkiest. He closes his eyes, frowning. His playful grin is still eager to kiss me back, especially when I bite my lip but he's trying to stick to his Saintly ideals and refusing to acknowledge them.

Luckily, he's having trouble.

'In my defence, it's been hard to see anything other than our handiwork.' Proudly holding my gaze, he lifts a handful of feathers to my mouth. He grins when I blow them onto his chest, the itch obvious on his features.

'Well I'm on display now?' I remind him, taking the end of one small feather and bringing it down my cleavage to my naval. It's a hundred and eighty degree spin from forty minutes ago but feels weirdly... natural. It doesn't matter if I'm being serious or not, we're having fun. I trust him.

He shakes his head thoughtfully, sighing when he spots the raise my flesh in his periphal vision.

'I'm trying to be a gentleman.' He says when I've come closer, he dodges my touch like a parrellel liine though he is barely a centimetre away.

'You're trying too hard.'

How pathetic am I getting in claiming his attention?

Leaning on my hands to let my chest jiggle, I surround him. Nevertheless, he laughs and drops his eyes not to my chest but his crotch with a grimace, which admittedly is not what you'd expect when initiating a good-time. I didn't get a chance to look at him with my three minute meltdown but now... the idea is rather thrilling.

'Perhaps, I'm not trying hard enough.' He murmurs, and I look to see where he's stiff against his stomach, against his naval. He's not that much different looking in the light except maybe blonder, thicker and one hell of a sizeable feast.

Or that's what I convince myself. Admittedly his manhood plus his hip bones are buried beneath a mass of shorn bedding so oggling at him is favouring impossible rather than difficult.

Still, my tongue still salivates as he tenses his muscles

'I've got an idea.' I whisper, nipping his lip when he kisses me back and having my tongue tease him till he makes music.

'I'm in.' He says, breathing heavily when I push my chest into his, hard beacons of my feminity crused until the weight of mamory glands. His eyes roll back, his chin tilted skyward as his rapid inhales cause my flesh to beat. I love how gracious it makes him, his hands fidgeting on my side because he wants to touch me but he can't bear to.

'You don't know what it is yet?' I warn, kissing his pointed jaw. 'I was about to say let's not have sex.'

He groans throatily when a thumb brushes his lower abdomen, so close to where he's desperate to be held and yet I deliberately avoid that area. He nearly flinches when my hand trails close.

'Great idea.' He pants at my ear. 'Anything you want…'

'Hmm, I might hold you to that.' I say, working his mouth open and swallowing his air.

'I'm praying on it.'

'However…' I begin, flicking the my waves of my hair out the way to expose my chest. I know I've got his attention because he fights desperately to Look at the ceiling, swallowing his Adam's apple thickly. 'We could reach an arrangement?'

'Deal.'

'We haven't decided on it yet, Carlisle.'

He laughs a little shortly, jumping at the touch on his lips before kissing me with all his focus. He carefully weaves his hand into my long hair, making me ache for him again as he incidentally holds me against his feverish build. I am listening out for any protestations and being ever so patient as he tries to exercise his control, rather successfully which is unfortunate. I couldn't feel more decided.

'What if we took part in…' I lower my lips to his left ear, mouth the words and smile when he shivers, head thrown back in longing.

'Are you sure?'

'Mmm.' I confirm, lacing my tongue under the sensitive skin of his neck and marking it with a wet path. He shudders, pulling himself around to look at my face.

'Promise me you're sure about this?'

'Carlisle, I swear to you that I am certain. Completely certain... there's nothing I'd like more...'

There's nothing I need more.

'Reckon I like you more,' he chuckles, kissing me back sweetly, his knuckles soft along my sides. 'The moment you become uncomfortable, you need to tell me.'

I nuzzle his nose, filling both my hands with the ends of his hair.

'Esme?' He's determined to receive trust in my words and not just my actions. So I promise him again.

'I wonder how many time I can get you to say my name in one sitting.' I taunt, my plump lips coming down his bitten lip and up against th meeting of his neck and jaw until he's stuttering.

'My Love, if you need me to sing it in very language I'll do so…' He kisses me a few more times, refusing to let my lips go until I press a delicate hand into his diaphragm, my fingertips feeling the tension of his breaths. His own clasp clenches onto the torn sheets as I put my lips to his neck again, my breasts to his skin, breathing hard with him.

'Can I?' he begs, clearly wanting to meet my body with his.

'I'm surprised you didn't get the hint earlier, Doctor Cullen.'

He groans when I lean him into the mattress, cautiously holding me away because the risk of me touching him so intimately is just too dangerous for him. I manage to kiss his neck twice but the heaven of his dark mouth calls me and before long, his slippery tongue is sliding against my own, my skin like silk pressing into his. As I have him squirming, I move his arms above his head and slide both my palms up his sides, making him tense and making my legs weak.

Then suddenly, just as he's catching a gasp at my throat, he grasps my wrists and uses his hip to flip me under his posture.. Jesus Christ, I'm squirming from the pleasure.

His first instinct is to ensure the movement has had a positive reaction, such as my slight whine in the affirmative and once he's put at ease, he relaxes enough to grin.

'Carlisle!' How adorably out of character...

'I didn't think you'd expect that.' He brags, kissing me from above and doing his best to stop a thick erection from touching me. No matter how hard I'm making it for him. I reach to touch my chest to him. Naturally he predicts this and shifts, still clasping my wrists bebeath one of his.

'Close your eyes?' he requests, placing his lips along my cheek.

'No.' I fight, grinning.

He kisses just under my mouth this time, the corner of my lips, nearing my neck but not touching my skin properly so that I'm fighting the urge to just connect him into me and make him shatter a billion times over.

'Miss Platt…'

'Kiss me'

'Close your eyes.' He insists, sliding the tip of his nose down the side of mine, his lower lip close by and his laughter eeking onto my tongue like the sweetest poison. I go to sneakily steal a kiss but he's quicker than he looks and bites the edge of my mouth. I whine desperately.

'You're not playing fair!' I complain, pushing my chest up. He laughs, kissing the edge of my top lip this time, his laughter brushing down my hardened nipples.

'I think you'll find it's you not playing fair.'

'Lies.'

'Miss Platt, I am the one with fragile stamina and the obvious display of my arousal here present. You cannot win this one.'

The threat of his cock has me writhing once more, my thighs pressed tightly together in an efgort to catch the gathering moisture at my core. Ugh, I need him.

'Maybe if you feel how wet I am?' I beg, eyes lidded, moist tongue dragging along the slit of my plump mouth. He bites his lip, closing his eyes as he tries to control himself. His shoulders roll and he shakes his head, grinning.

'You're so mischievous.'

'Touch me if you don't believe me…?'

'That was not part of the deal.' He reminds me. ''Self' means solo…'

He comes close enough that I think he's forgotten himself so I go to kiss him again. Not only does he refuse my desperate mouth, leaving it hungry and pouting, but he also strokes the containment of my wrists with one finger like a playful tease. It makes my heart skip.

My body involuntarily leans into him.

'Please close your eyes?'

'There's no point.' I complain loudly, doing as he asks. 'For all you know, I'm on the edge of an orgasm?'

I am more that on the edge. The ache of absence from within my stomach had expanded to reach everything from my lungs to my socked toes. I was whining for him. Hot for him. Frantic for him. And everytime he shifted from my touch, the beat at my core grew frenzied.

'That makes two of us, then.' He murmurs, kissing under my jaw in a way that's making my skin itch.

'Tell me when I can open them?' I beg, intimately referring to my thighs, too and suddenly his hot presence, and more fucking feathers, are hovering on me again, my hands being fiddled with and… handcuffed. Urgh, kinky.

'You can open.'

I open them warily, ready to bring my hands down when I realise he hasn't just tied them together, he's locked me to the bed. The fucking bed. Fuck, that's hot.

'You Devil!'

Super sexy, angelic, fallen devil that is.

Like usual he just grins at me, kissing me properly on my starved mouth as a reward, tongue like peppermint syrup along mine and making me breathe harder without losing the sweetness of oxygen. 'You had to choose a position which makes them look the worst!'

To explain myself, I push up my chest. He cleverly looks solely at my face.

'You're perfect.'

'Nobody's perfect.' I correct him, sticking my tongue out.

'But you are. Utterly perfect to me...' He murmurs, kissing me again in the most romantic way that my heart actually freaking swoons for him, my legs turning numb when I slip it over his calf and draw him to me. Urgh, I need friction so bad. 'But to return to the path of conversation?'

He holds the side of my neck when he kisses me a second time, slender fingers balanced along my glands as I try to take in his posture as far as he will go.

'May I?' He asks sweetly and because my chest is already pushing into his hands, and has been for as long as I've been controlling it, I nod emphatically.

Cullen is a panty teaser and with less than a smirk and a pair of hands, I can feel the moisture slip through my legs.

He's painfully slow, watching me eye how my panting is causing my chest move. He licks my bottom lip, leans into me without letting his erection touch me, having me squirm as both index fingers travel down my collar bone. He's done fuck all and already the itch on my skin has travelled to my nether regions.

My head is spinning again. This time consumed by his cologne. His moves his hand just an inch lower and at that, a few choice moans slip out again.

'Are you okay?'

'Please, please just touch me?' I try and soften my tone from sassy to needy in hopes it'll persuade him but he's abruptly upped his hormone restraint training and lets the slight rough edges of his fingerprints be enough of a tease along my flesh.

He watches the goosebumps form with interest.

'I am touching you.'

'Harder.' I whine for the first time in my life. 'Urgh, please. You've got to be harder?'

His fingertips are still gentle on the balcony of my breasts, not even close to the mass yet and already I'm squirming for him.

just having his stare at them, give them the full attention they so rightly deserve... I was throbbing for him.

'I love this.' He whispers, sincerely, watching my breasts move and my heartbeat thickens. 'I love that this turns you on. Me touching you…'

'Babe, please.' I gasp when he almost catches a sensitive nipple. Now is not the time for pleasured whispers. Now is the time for him to pinch my skin so sweetly that I let the pulse take over. 'Please?'

As of now, I love it. Though I dont have the words to tell him as such.

'How much do you like to beg?' He teases, mouth ghosting over mine. I work my movements into his tongue, landing on his lip and letting the vibrations of my whines pass from me to him. He shudders as I try to move my reigns, raising an eyebrow at me.

Not that I feel it's fair to tell him at this moment in time but begging has quickly become my greatest turn on. Top of my list with Cullen enforcing it.

'Not trying to escape, are we?'

'Cullen?!'

Urgh, if I don't get friction soon I swear to God I'm just going to end up in a puddle. Both his fingers circle everywhere but the place I desire it the most, and this is just from up top. I'm throbbing harder all over for him. My breath, my heart, my clit...

'Straight to last names, huh?'

'Carlisle?' Since when did his name become dirty talk? Fucking, yum. 'Please.'

'Password?' He taunts so that I can taste the sweetness of his words in my throat. I try to catch him but he's playing hard to get and I'm so blissfully frustrated that I'm obsessed with him.

'Well it's not please, is it?!'

'No.' He replies mischievously. 'It's not.'

'I don't know, blow-job?!'

'Why is that always your go to?' He asks, chuckling.

'Hon, please. I'll do anything. I'll suck you off if that's what you need?'

Who's thinking suck when all I've got on my mind is a series of very bad F-words with the added C-word for good measure?

'She has got a dirty mouth?' He plays, kissing me deeply again and I'm so contorted with a need for pleasure that even this has tension building. Oh God I needed to come so hard...

'Give me what I want and I'll give you what you want?' I suggest, arching my back and trying fiercely to drag him into me. He stays on his knees though enjoying my touch, refusing to succumb to it. He chuckles, his breath pure candy on my lips.

'Nice try, Beautiful. Password?'

'Give me a hint?' My skin is crawling for him, he's literally been so close to touching them and every time, averts his course in the last second.

'That wouldn't be strictly fair though, would it?' His thumb circles the flesh of my heartbeat, making my skin tingle. I gasp again, biting my lip harder before frustratingly trying to push my chest to him. He moves his hand away barely in time.

'Fuck.'

Simultaneously, the overdue pleasure of his tongue seduces mine and after so long of his fingertips playing, he lets his knuckles rub over my hardened nipples on both breasts. It would seem I'm louder than I mind to be because he has to remind me to be quiet, his thumb pressing into my buttons as I liquidate beneath.

'Is this okay?' He murmurs, kissing me back again and again until my knees are shaking. I rattle my wrists at him.

'Keep going.'

'Harder?' He guesses.

I nod greedily, biting on my lip when he takes one hand away to untie my hands. The relief around my wrist is amazing but while he's thumbing my nipples, I quickly slide my hands over his and encourage him to grope at the skin. His hips almost buck, his erection throbbing at his stomach when I swallow down the gasps from his lips.

'Fuc-' he murmurs, shyly frowning. My tongue dances with his again, hands squeezing his to my breasts so that we both violently shudder.

I continue kissing him, sucking on his lip, before indicating he should move. At first he's reluctant but does as he's told, throwing himself to the leather headboard and panting when I follow him. Pushing his spine closer to the broken window, more feathers billow up past us with the chill breeze sliding coolly over our heated and salacious skin. I sit comfortably on his thighs where it's safest to do so with his pulsing cock between us.

This was one of the few area where his arousal wouldn't push into me, no matter how much I need it too, and where I can't slip onto him.

'You okay?' I ask him weakly, kissing his lips a thousand times over because I need it uncontrollably.

His hips shift uncomfortably but he nods, eyes tightly closed for the second, an arm steading my spine while he reaches down between us to take a hold of himself with his left hand. When he gasps as I do, soundless apart from his breath, with jewelled eyes flitting open, I work my lips from round his jaw, under his ear and at the side of his neck, my clit beating with jealousy.

He's shy at first but the moment he feels my wet tongue lick and nip at him, he shoulders lower, grasping himself properly as he rubs the head of his cock and then the whole thing. I don't know what I was thinking. Seeing him touch himself is the biggest turn on to have while being infuriatingly irritated. Every sound he makes, though for my benefit, isn't from me and it's driving me insane as I fight not to grind against him.

I can't grind against him. I do and we'll be having sex.

His right hand returns to pinch deliciously at my breast, thumbing the nipple, making me shudder while he strokes his shaft, elongating it and then making himself gasp. It's making my mouth water again and so I use that to our advantage when I bite at his neck, soothing my marks with the very stuff he's the cause of.

'I'm really not going to last.' He chokes, thrusting up into his grip, hand perfectly moulded to cup himself and moaning when I find a particular sweet spot at his neck. I lick it again trying not to pierce its perfection because I want to watch him knead himself to a high point without the distraction of pain. I need to see his first thought as he achieves his high.

I want to watch the beauty on his marble expression as he releases his load onto us.

He kisses me longingly, his hand teasing my nipple so that I whimper in his ear, tongue slipping over his pulse.

I throb. I throb for him and it's so hot, his moans so unbelievably over powering, his fingertips desperate and his fucking hand enough to make me whimper that when I finally touch myself, it should come with no surprise.

He keeps throwing his head back, blonde locks sticking to his damp forehead when he fidgets desperately while I suck on his throat. Then, with lustful eyes of desire he watches me reach to my wet core. I'm aching, all over aching, desperate for all of it at once when I slip a middle finger into myself.

We both moan. Me selfishly and him less so as he tries to kiss me as well but there's so many modes of pleasure, so many things to watch and all of them ridiculously intense.

'Keep going.' He begs me, tasting the whimpers of my tongue as I tease myself for him, coating my hand in my hot juices and doing as he did but rubbing my swollen clit. The bitter breathlessness of pleasure thickens through my veins, my body rocking on my eager digits as I finger the jewel of my slit.

When I ease my curled fingers out myself, they glisten in the low light of his room, viscous pleadings of sex soaking my knuckles and pooling at the fabric between my core. When I look at him through my eyelashes, I notice his dark eyes are hooded, focused on my wet fingers with his mouth agape. He has momentarily stopped moving though his grip is tight on himsełf, the veins of his arms protruding while his member beats hard against his naval.

His eyebrow flickers up. Worried.

Breathing through a laugh I move to kiss him, feeling him melt around me, tasting his moans as I tease his tongue and steal his mint drool. Knowing he is still staring once I have leant away, I make a show of my palm again, wiggling my fingers.

His breath hitches again, a hand steady at my breast. I tease the back of his neck with my free hand, whistling my touch to the tip of his spine and dragging it back till the ends of his thick hair are combed through my knuckles.

Cullen gasps again.

'Es,'

'Hm?'

'Please?' his flickers his midnight orbs to my lower hand again and watching him, watch me tightens my entrance in ripples.

Spreading my juices around my core leads me to come into contact with my clit again. I tighten the hand in his hair as I gasp. He gasps too. Then, with my thumb moving circles to the rhythmic throbbing, I slip my two lubricated fingers into my hole.

The spell breaks.

Moaning for me, possibly already peaked at this image, Carlisle's grip becomes fiercer and he jerks himself off to a rapid beat, eyes everywhere; on my hand, on my tits, on my face, my mouth, my breasts, my thumb, my face, mouth, eyes...

The rhythm of my fingers starts to tighten. String instruments are being played, fingers strumming the chords, plucking them into music...

My stomach coils now, the walls are closing in and having the God of Carlisle Cullen pleasure himself to me becomes just too much to take on as I liquidate onto his thighs.

'I'm close.' I moan, my claw biting into his neck as the sensation starts to build and steep and my head is going crazy and my tongue is salivating and the only thing I can see are fucking feathers and his hand wrapped tightly around his member and Jesus, he's fucking masturbating to me and, and…

'Fuck.' He hisses, capturing my lips and he rubs himself quickly towards me, hips bucking and groaning so deeply that if it's possible, I get even wetter. 'Fuck, I'm coming….'

'Come on me.' I beg. 'My Love, come on my breasts...'

My clit is throbbing, my jaw wedged open as I cry for further pleasure, fingers moving when his hot seed spills onto my tits. He whines, head thrown back as he finishes off, but at his cry and the splatter of himself all over me, I'm tipped over the edge and with him pinching my nipple too, ecstasy washes over my body so violently that I'm sure Edward is going to kill us.

I vocalise the whole feeling, my lips sore where I've bitten into them so hard and my body shuddering after such a fucking build up, expelling the last of our energy into my hand while Carlisle pants his return to heaven.

'Fuck.' He repeats, collapsing in exhaustion, unable to lift his head up.

I groan, wanting to do the same thing when he pulls me onto him, saving the bed somewhat from our entertainments. We both breathe loudly at each other, sweat damp on our skin while our limbs give in. The ripped bedding is surrounding us in such a mass of white that the one thing I see are the feathers but that's only once I nearly choke on them.

I breathe intime with him, feeling his sweet laugh roll over my hot shoulder like a blanket.

We spend twenty minutes getting our breath back at which point I'm so hardened with sticky come, I might as well give in now and subject myself to his body indefinitely.

'Fuck.' He echoes again. It makes me chuckle or half chuckle, I'm so fucking exhausted.

'Did you always swear when you come or is that-'

'That's just you.' He intrudes, matching my grin with a murmur of his own. His fingertips have moved unconciously now to align with my spine, slipping down the vertebrate and up again as though he's naming the specific bones.. 'There's no better sound to sum up the extent of what you put me through. So... fuck will have to do.'

'So we're a good team then?' I suggest, still hugged against him and most probably glued with his sperm. Or semen- whatever he wants to call it.

'We are fucking exquisite.'

'I think I like the swearing. Tie that with the stubble and all you'll need is a cigarette to complete the sexy bad boy.' I say softly. 'Not that you're not sexy already. Its just the duplicity. The swearing and the good-guy combo... it's a Turn On.'

It's more than a turn on, it's my utter salvation.

'Well you, Miss Platt seem to manage to tie sexy, sweet and beautiful all into one.'

'Oh hush, Carlisle.' I laugh. I hear the content hum in his throat and squeeze myself to him, loving the desperation of his lips at my cheek.

'That was worth the four years of torture. Best shared orgasm ever….' He praises, breathing hard. 'Only shared orgasm.' He corrects laughing, I laugh too.

'Snap.'

'Well, thank you.' He murmurs pouting ever so slightly that it gives me an excuse to revel in his arms. Realistically, I have to roll my eyes.

'No, I meant first shared orgasm.' I amend, laughter more breathless what with the effort it takes to force sound out. 'Best one, too though.'

'That was your first?'

'In front of someone, yeah.' I say, breathing heavily. It's expected that I notice him frown.

'You've never…?'

'I told you I've never orgasmed in sex, Carlisle?'

'Yeah but I thought you meant from vaginal stimulation not that…well not after all this time? What about the people you've been with?'

I breathe loudly again, hushing his concern with a soothing pout. 'Remember how hysterical I was a few hours ago?'

He nods.

'That's pretty much how they went down.' Though many was the occasion when I stayed tight lipped, too. 'No one could get out there fast enough.'

'But what about…' he doesn't say the name though he does tighten the hold of his left hand as he moves against my warm skin. 'He was your partner for years? He never even thought about returning the-?'

I shake my head. 'That would've taken away from his glory.'

'Bastard.'

'Carlisle?'

'Mm?'

'You're sexy when you swear.'

'Thank you?' He murmurs, surprisingly flattered.

'So you need to stop, I'm exhausted, I don't have the energy to do that again.'

He chuckles in my ear, lips pressing against my forehead as he murmurs a few chosen favourites and then eventually, loudly complaining of the matter, I move from the caress of his hold and nod in the direction of the bathroom.

He watches me shift with a sullen frown on his face.

'You not following?' I complain, shaking my head at him.

'Is that wise? What about Edward?'

'Edward walked in on us nakedly shredding up pillows. He might be pleased to know we're showering.' I move to kiss him quickly, legs threatening to falter when I stand up. 'Besides, the hot water might knock me out.'

'You're amazing.' He murmurs and wrapping a shirt around my back but not necessarily on someone's exploits, I let him follow my stalking into the bathroom.

He was right when he chose to decline a bath. Following the dance of brushing our teeth however, we do shower later, as he predicted, but surprisingly manage to benefit out our planet when I drag him under the water with me. His chuckle is sweet and kissing me on the mouth with the spice of our toothpaste, he kneads his hands into my shoulders, rubbing away any aches or pains and stopping at my breasts.

'Go on?' I encourage, hands already in my hair with my expensive shampoo when he lets his hand wash over them. Even exhausted, he takes the time to commend them, staring with wonder as he judges the spread of his exploits with a grin. I raise an eyebrow and then bite my lip, tensing my body and forcing a fake moan off my tongue as he washes thoroughly. He leaps, watching me in confusion before I snap my mouth closed and grin at him.

'Sorry, I couldn't resist.'

'Me either.' He soothes and he carefully backs me into the corner with his lips on mine.

The water streams hot down our shoulders, soothing me into sleep as I appreciate every second of his soapy hand gliding over skin. Even when we wash ourselves it's unerotically erotic and I waste as many more minutes as I can in the shower with him. We're not even trying to be sexy, just messing about, soaping up my hair in spikes and doing the same for him until laughter is consuming us again.

His chuckle softens, looking towards his feet as he washes out his scalp when something catches my eye.

'Aw shit.'

He turns my way. 'What? What is it?'

On the left side of his neck is a mouth sized bruise, obvious and looking like it's growing larger and darker with each second.

'What?' He laughs, confused.

So I stand and shift his head in the glass of the shower cubicle waiting for his to focus on his reflection. It takes a while for him to see it but when he does the smile doesn't drop, I might even hazard an argument to say it grows.

'Oh.'

'Not good.' I tell him. 'Really…Really not good.'

He gently strokes the mark with a fingertip, looking proudly upon it like it's a badge of honour as he tests out the tenderness of the skin. He seems amused.

Love bites are fucking tacky- what the fuck have I done?! Though for something tacky, I'm weirdly satisfied by the claim of me surrounding his- what the fuck am I saying?! I've given him a hickey? Ew.

'Oh well.' He says grinning, looking at me with tired but still endearing eyes.

'Oh well?' I repeat. 'Oh well?! This is not oh-well, this is bad! This is so bad. They're going to find out and Alice is going to kill me!'

I don't realise I'm freaking until he steadies my shoulders.

'Esme, Sweet. It's fine. They won't -oh.'

'Oh?' I repeat again, panicking.

He chuckles and uses one finger to turn my jaw to the side. 'You have one, too.'

'What?' I half push him out of the way of the mirror and try to angle my head to see such an offending shape. 'When the fuck did that happen?'

Why the fuck does it have to be kinda hot, too?! From behind he laughs gently before shrugging. The red mark has just come into view, several of them in fact from my jaw to the top of my throat and even lower like a sash heading towards the best part of my chest. Perhaps it was a blessing we didn't move onto oral. Godforbid those marks... I'd be walking outta here a different woman.

Correction; I wouldn't be walking. And sure as hell, he wouldn't be either.

What the fuck am I saying? A fricking hickey?!

'Shit!'

'It's nothing a scarf can't fix.' He murmurs, reaching out for my hand to pull me gently to his chest. He kisses my lips, settling the worry for a second before I remember he's got to work with the public tomorrow. What about if Edward notices, too?! I am so screwed.

'A scarf? A scarf in the spring time?! I don't think so!'

He raises an eyebrow and strokes my cheek. 'Unless we just apply make-up every day?'

Ridiculous. Alice would know…it's Alice. Fuck, she is going to rip my fucking face off, she's going to completely-

'You're incredibly hot when you're glaring…'

I turn to him, frowning, forcing fear because it's not naturally coming and it should be. I should be fucking terrified. Why the fuck am I not freaking out? Now I'm smiling? God, what is wrong with me?

Why he is so... delicious.

'And grinning.' He adds, smirking, taking my lips again and letting the water run over the both of us.

It literally makes me forget every ounce of concern at hand.

'You're not bad yourself… though I personally prefer your come face.' I scrunch up my expression and make a gruff kinda grunt as I turn to impersonating him 'Oh Esme, I'm coming on account of our jointed souls.'

He throws his head back, laughing and encircling an arm around me to pull me closer under the jet of water, still giggling and yet blushing.

'Is this opposed to yours?' He mocks, his grin charming as he licks my lip. 'Uh, Carlisle? Uh, uh, mm, uh-huh. Yeah.'

'And that's just from touching my breasts.' I commend him, beaming.

'I love your breasts.'

Here's to hoping he loves them more than his car...

'See, I think I'd prefer to do a magic trick with your cock.'

'A magic trick?' He repeats, laughing absurdly.

'Sure. You'd see it and then you won't.' In case he's confused I point my crotch and wink at him, enjoying his laughter as I hop out the water. He is still laughing as he combs the rest of his hair with a hand, brushing off any wayward soap suds and he follows me with his eyes.

'I'dalso like it documented somewhere that after teasing me as the so called dirty one, it was you, My Love, who was pleading to be... shall we say coated?'

Coated was damn right and I'm applauding that ego.

My features can't help but pull into a blushing grin as I dry my legs, and avoid looking at his cock incase I fall victim to round two. Or rather he does.

'I was simply trying to replenish the lost liquid on something's thigh.'

A hum escapes his smile and reaching around the glass to caress my jaw, he moves to meet my lips with his. 'I did notice,' he promises, nuzzling my nose again. 'It was indeed very, very sexy.'

Do I really need oxygen? Could he not just let that smart mouth of his linger on me indefinitely? Could he not just play games with my heartbeat forever, letting it rush blood around my system in a panic as he moved himself to me?

We laugh for a while, me wringing out my hair with the towel knowing that he's staring at me. The contented hum then evolves into confusion and he leaps towards me with a hand outstretched.

'Es?' He sounds weirdly stern. It's an odd break away from our sudden display of over affection so I doubt it a little and simply enjoy our moment but he continues. 'Hon- Your ass?!'

Well shit.

'My-?' I turn slightly to see the exposure of both full cheeks. The marks all yellowish and slightly sore looking but far better than it was. It was just unfortunate they were as big as they were. Likewise, I don't think it's a good enough excuse for him. 'It's old? It was from the other week?'

'What-'

'My boss…' I say quietly. 'I told you. Remember? I said that-'

He stumbles back, his feet losing his footing before he grips onto the wall to secure himself. His looks tense, utterly conflicted and almost- almost disgusted.

'Carlisle?'

'That's what he did?!' He growls.

'Don't think like that.' And I suddenly grab a hold of his shoulders to look at him in the face. 'Please. Please don't ruin this?'

'Me ruin this?' He repeats astounded but I lock my arms around his neck and desperately try to get him to believe me.

'I didn't mean it like that. You know I didn't but please... Let us have this? Don't let every moment of my happiness be shrouded by that asshole.'

He lifts his head, looking at me guiltily before, with a struggle, slowly nodding his head.

'I'm sorry.' I tell him, tightening closer to his body and kissing his bent forehead.

'Me too.' He murmurs but he makes an effort to swallow down his frustration and kiss me again. 'But seeing-'

'Ignore it, Hon. Just for now. Just for tonight.'

He nods again, his lip between his teeth as he fights with the words on his mouth, eager to say them, to ease his torture but he keeps quiet. So I shut off the water and grab the towel to dry off the last damp areas of our body.

'Promise me you won't go back?'

'Drop it?' I beg him.

'Just promise me. Ignore the money or the responsibility. Please. Don't go back.'

'Carlisle.' But when I turn to tell him to shut up I find his jaw is locked tight and he's looking so conflicted that he's far paler than I'd deduce normal. I go to take his hand but it's shaking in mine, his breaths coming out heavy. 'Love?'

His frown softens, deeper breaths being taken into his lungs until he softens under my hands.

'I'm sorry.'

'You're shaking.' I murmur, wrapping a towel around his shoulders.

'I'm angry.' He mutters as if this is the perfect explanation. 'I'm so infuriated.'

'But you're not going to do anything.' He looks up to me, blue eyes widening, sickened. 'If you lower yourself to that-.'

'Lower myself? Look at what he's done to you!'

'It's fine, it's healing. That's the end of it.' I say quickly. 'Jesus, I've bruised your skin and you're not moaning.'

Or maybe he was but different matters.

'It's completely different.' He swears, emphasising each sound before looking hurt under my stance. 'I hate it when you do that. You try to normalise it all by making it seem like you do the same things. You don't. You never have and regardless of what it might look like to you, you have never failed to give me exactly what I need!'

He's so wound up that for the moment I think he's going to do something really stupid and drive into town but instead he tightens the towel around his waist and storms out of the bathroom like a sulky adolescent. I think he's going to slam the door but he doesn't. He stays standing outside his bedroom with his hand in his wet hair, his face drawn and his eyes tired.

I think I must be looking worse than I feel because I seem smaller, unsurprised and he looks pale.

Within seconds his features are curling into despair again.

'I'm an asshole.'

'No you're not.' I say softly, pulling my hair out of the way to try and prove I'm dead serious. He sighs and nods his head.

'I am. Every time I just fail to think fairly with you. Everything is so...just so...' he stops himself with another heavy sigh, blue eyes swimming with sincerity as he fights hard to hold my gaze. '… I'm not going to hurt anyone.'

'I know you're not.' I say, truthfully.

'Forgive me?'

'Forgive me. I'm the one causing all this…'

He sighs, pulling me towards him, a kiss on my forehead as his heart beats. 'You really underestimate how crazy I am for you, Esme.'

'Feeling's mutual.' I murmur, combing through his fringe with my fingertips. 'Except when you storm off. Then you just look like a teenager having a tantrum.'

'I want to have a tantrum.' He mutters, displeased but he softens again when I kiss him, leaning one towelled body into the other, falling close to my stance.

'You know what you want more?' I whisper, brushing his fringe back to keep his eyes on mine. He smirks, shaking his head gently. 'You want sleep…'

'Oh, okay. That is true... We have one small problem, however…'

He breathes in before pushing his bedroom door open with a flat palm and now we're out of it and several feathers have been washed from my sight, I see how horrific everything must have seen to Edward. It's the fall of Mount Olympus.

'Did we really do that?!'

He nods, smiling tiredly, a hand coming down his face. 'I want to make a terrible suggestion but it's both immature and rather pathetic of me.'

'Which is?'

'Should we just sleep in your bed?' He asks, biting his lip and his eyes softening. I grin, nodding at him before pulling him into my room.

He drops the towel, folding it over a chair before parading his hot-as-hell backside and sliding into the covers, torso on display and a hand out towards me. I watch him as I drop my towel, kicking it away and crawling into the space of his open arms. Tiredly, I tuck my head into his shoulder, my left hand draping over his chest to his hip, my fingertips sliding towards his back.

I feel his chuckle move around me, the scent of our toothpaste and just when my hand traces his hip bone, he flinches and catches a tight hold of my touch.

'Insatiable, Miss Platt.' he criticises playfully, moving my hand to a safer space for him which just so happens to be his chest.

'For you, Carlisle Cullen, always.'

He presses his lips into my wet hair, breathing around my touch untill slowly the breaths start to slow and soften. I don't know who falls asleep first, I just know there's no better space in the world to be.

I'm tired by the morning and though I feel refreshed and much better than I have in the last few days, I feel like that has less to do with the energy in my bones rather than the reason for the energy. I suspect he must be busy because I don't wake up with my usual company.

Once I'm finished in the bathroom, curled back in my bed, responding to Alice over some news she's sent me to do with the university, there's a tender knock on my door.

'I thought you'd gone to work!' I say guiltily but he just beams wider, his perfect teeth on perfect display with his smile as bright as ever. 'I would've come down if I knew?'

'Not at all.' He says, pushing a cup of coffee to my bedside and offering a quick look to the jumper I'm wearing. 'But I've got to run or I'm going to be late.'

'Well hurry home.'

'I'll have to. We have guests…' He waits for my dramatic eye-roll before grinning.

'I forgot about that.' I confess, biting my lip. 'Damn it. What time is he bringing her round?'

'Six.'

'Six?!' I repeat. 'Eurgh but I don't finish lessons till four! I need to blitz the kitchen. What about the living room? I haven't even thought about-'

'Don't panic, My Love.' He reminds me, soft laughter becoming quieter as he steps towards me to kiss my forehead. 'It's just Bella.'

'If Edward's worried, I'm worried.' I mutter, twiddling a piece of my hair from my sight.

'Edward's not worried. He's in love.' He strokes a hand under my chin and raises an eyebrow at me, eyes on my neck. 'How are you feeling?'

'Fine?' I answer, returning the eyebrow in case he's referring to the mass of feathers we'll be clearing up later. In which case I'm more than fine. I'm just not satisfied.

'Would you like an excuse for today or…?'

Oh. Work.

'No.' I sigh, shaking my head. 'No, I think I'm just going to blackmail the bastard if he says anything.'

'Sure you're okay?'

'No!' I cry throwing my hand to my head. 'Alas thou fair gentlemen hath yet to prove his excitement!'

'Excitement?' He repeats, laughing.

'Went too far there, didn't I?' I realise. He sniggers, agreeing with me before kissing me so perfectly on the mouth that I have to fight my hands from gripping onto him.

'I'll see you tonight.'

'Hurry home.'

'Always do.' He kisses me once more, nose against mine before pulling himself away.

I jump out the bed, open the bedroom window as wide as I can and lean out of it before he climbs into his car, playing about with the keys before turning on the spot and looking up at me. He doesn't say anything but he grins, saluting with a hand before driving off.

In all honesty I have even less to worry about when I'm through half of my lessons and by lunch, I promise to meet Alice for food. She's over excited to see me which is somewhat creepy and hugs me around the shoulders as though it hasn't been four days. I keep thinking about what Sarah said about judgement, listening to her go on about lessons and making a conscious effort to remember all these facts when she turns to the inevitable.

'So I said to Rose that if she really felt like he was in the wrong that she should tell him. But she put it down to a guy thing.'

'Alice,' I groan, taking a sip of my coffee and biting some cake off my thumb. 'Don't tell me you agreed?'

'I didn't want to upset her.'

'I hate it when you do that.' I murmur, frowning. 'If it's an Emmett thing, it's an Emmett thing. It's not necessarily a guy thing.'

'Oh no?' She asks, her perfect red lippy pouting at me in question.

'No.' I confirm. 'Jasper's not like that?'

'He is if I haven't seen him in a while?' She looks at me waiting for me to laugh which I eventually do.

'Sometimes I wonder if he hasn't got a bit of an addiction. All he talks about sometimes. You know that Jazz told me he doesn't go a day without jerking off?'

If anyone needs to learn to control himself, it is most certainly The Cowboy.

'Alice!' How the hell am I meant to get rid of that image?! Gross. She laughs musically, slapping her hand on the table next to me. 'All I'm saying is that is that if she thinks he's got a problem, she should tell him. It's not her job to have sex with him?'

'It's not that, Es.' She corrects me, waving her spoon. 'It's the fact he was leaving her out.'

'Wait. So she's pissed off because he was pleasuring himself… without her?'

'She gets really jealous.' She explains, rolling her green painted eyelids.

'Alright then, it's person thing. What's wrong with a bit of self-pleasure?' I ask, brushing my hair out my face and combing through it.

'But doing it hourly is problematic. Besides, You're the one person I was sure would agree with her?'

I unexpectedly blush, my face warming gently as I look at my half eaten cupcake. I had no problem with a do-it-yourself guide. None at all. I'd like to think he would agree with me on that. I'd also like to think he'd want more.

'I don't see the problem?' I say honestly, smiling. Alice shrugs, giggling a little when she thinks back but her big brown eyes fall to my neck and after a few seconds, she's squinting.

'What?' I ask, leaning away from her.

'Your neck?' She says, leaning closer, hand outstretched. My eyes widen and I throw my hand so quickly over it that I audibly slap myself. 'What the heck is that?!'

Fuck, I knew I shouldnt have taken off that stupid scarf.

'It's nothing.'

'That's not nothing!' She guffaws, jaw falling open as she glares at me.

'I did it on the flat-iron. It's nothing. It doesn't matter-'

Here I will offer a thousand Hail-Mary's to all that is good and right when my phone starts to ring.

'It does matter. That's not how you get a-'

'Shh!' I insist, fiddling with the stupid things as it buzzes obnoxiously loudly. She tries to say a few other things but seeing it's an unknown number, I excuse myself from the table to take the call outside.

I let it ring out a little longer, my head hurting, my heart beating and eventually I realise if I don't get it now, it could come at a worse time. I answer it without speaking.

'Miss Platt?'

Who the fuck?

'Err. Speaking?' I respond, nervously.

'Am I speaking to Esme Platt?'

'You are.' I confirm, frowning. 'Can I ask whose speaking?'

'Ah, thank goodness. We have sent you a few emails but I thought it was best to phone you as we need rather an urgent answer? My name is Joy Anderson. I work in the scholarship and bursary office in-'

Scholarship?! What the fuck?!

'Yes? Sorry, sorry. It's me, I'm here!' I blurt, unable to stop the nervous excitement from bubbling into a bigger vat of nervous excitement. In the corner of my eye, I can see Alice in the window hurriedly phoning someone. She's speaking quickly, urgently and the feeling makes my skin crawl so I ignore it.

She knows. I knew she'd find out. I'm such an idiot.

'I take it you haven't checked your emails?' She supposes.

'I haven't quite had time, I'm afraid. This week has been so busy and I was taken ill at the start of it and-'

'Not to worry but like I said, we do need an answer rather urgently hence the phone call?'

'Right?' If they dare offer me this fucking scholarship, I will quite literally marry Cullen for the sake of irony.

'I believe you were informed of the marketing process that applicants are asked to take part-'

'Yes.' I say urgently, accidently cutting in because I need information now!

'Well, we have some rather exciting news. Your piece has been picked up by a third party official. They're very interested in it. So much so that he wants to put it on display over the weekend to see how well it does.'

'You are kidding?!' Holy friggin fuck. The woman on the other side of the line laughs gently.

'I admit, it's a first for us, too.' She laughs again living up to her name as I try and settle my urge to start leaping for unexplainable excitement. 'Of course for insurance purposes we need your permission-'

'Yes!' I all but scream at her. 'Yes, absolutely, of course!'

'Fantastic, that's splendid news. This will really do wonders for your application, Miss Platt I'm sure.'

'So… so when do I find out if I've got it or not?' Thank God for one part of my brain still thinking. I very nearly just signed off with a joyous scream.

'All in good time.' She promises. 'There's a few more bits of official paperwork required before your final piece is submitted to our staff but… if an outside collector has picked it up I suspect it's not presumptuous for me to offer a preliminary congratulations.'

Oh. Oh my. Oh my frickin God is this happening?!

'Can I see it?!' I ask, the pride outweighing that which you might have for your children. Oh my holy shit. Scholarship. A fucking scholarship?! A chance. Art galleries and my own work taking speed- oh my fucking God.

'Unfortunately not. It's been hired for a private event but you'll have plenty of time to see it.'

To think I didn't even like it. To think I was sat complaining about it for hours. I'm so freaking excited.

'That's amazing. Really, really amazing!'

'We'll be in touch shortly, Miss Platt. Many congratulations again!' She hangs up the phone call with a content hum.

It's the middle of the day, I'm stood in the middle of the street now in plain view and yet the moment the line goes quiet, I break out in pure freaking joy. I'm losing my shit, so over excited I think I'm going to go nuts as I punch the air like an animated film and scream a little.

I don't give a shit what Alice is worried about some fucking love-bite thing. A freaking scholarship. A scholarship!

My God if Carlisle hadn't have forced me to write all those signatures... That graciously amazing man...

'Are you alright?' She asks, panicked when I come skipping in.

'You wouldn't believe what's just happened! Like you have no idea, I'm actually going to shit myself!'

'Please don't? Just tell me what's going on?'

But I grasp her in an excited hug, gripping onto her shoulders as though she might break underneath me. She hugs me back, laughing in confusion before reseating herself.

'Talk to me?!' She begs, giggling.

'They're going to offer me the scholarship! I've got to wait a few weeks but they're going to offer it. It's mine. I got it.'

'Scholarship? Jesus, Esme! That's fantastic!'

'What do I do?!' I squeal at her, unable to think about drinking the coffee or eating the cake because my whole world, all of it in the space of a day has come together. Fucking hell life is great. 'Who do I phone? Who do I tell?! What do I do?!' I babble at her, working my hands in my hair as I jump around a little more.

'Better not phone Carlisle.' She teases, watching me with no emotion on her face. It's rather a random sentence and quite sudden. I hadnt even notice my hand was hovering towards the speeddial. Regardless of her irrational rudeness, now she's said it, it's the only thing I want to do.

'You had to kill my good mood?'

'I was only saying.' She murmurs with a playfully unreadable shrug.

'Well…I better be getting to class anyway.' I say awkwardly, strapping my bag on my shoulder and frowning at her. She doesn't move, just continues to watch my response as though I'm some Alien creature.

No judgement, my ass.

'It's for your own good.' she murmurs cryptically.

'Whatever, Alice. I've got to go.' I bite my lip as I gather my stuff, watching her with a hard stare unable to say anything because she just has to make everything so complicated.

'I love you.'

'I know you do.' I say sourly, hugging her back. She tightens her arms around me far more desperate than she did earlier but because she's pissed me off, I'm going to do it anyway.

The moment I re-walk the few blocks to class, I've returned to the sudden exasperated elation I had earlier and while she's out of sight and I'm still bouncing about the place, I phone Carlisle. It goes straight to answer phone which is annoying at first but it suddenly makes me far more excited to tell him when he gets home.

My lessons are much better today with Olivia making a few reminders about tomorrow's seminar and mentioning in passing that 'Italy is a beautiful place'. Things are looking up and so much so that I reckon with the scholarship paying for the art course, if I wanted too, I might be able to fund the statutory course by itself.

And following that experience there, the amount of oppourtunities that would be open to me... architecture firms were a lot more welcoming if they felt you had an eye bigger that the piece you were creating.

After a job of course. I really do need a part time job. Especially when I've only really got the bar tomorrow and the nusery... Oh what does that matter?! A whole scholarship!

Excitement doesn't cover it and even when I'm at home, bent on my knees to fix every inconvenience down stairs, I'm still beaming with pride. I read the email six times just to try and make it real but I can't. I just want to scream curses for the rest of the week until I get that official letter.

I try to settle down enough to make a fair judgement on the state of our house. I even find myself going as far as polishing the books, refolding the washed blanket that hangs of the sofa and making sure the carpet is soft as can be.

The kitchen is harder to work on because I'm still using it and even though it wasn't specified, I have gone all out because if Edward wants this than I guess I ought to buy his silence. Also if I do what he wants, he'll keep his mouth shut about the feathers that I still need to clear up. My hands are busying themselves in the washing up, my curled hair being held behind me with a loose clip when the door unlocks. My heart almost falls to my feet and with a smile on his cheeks, he calls out:

'I'm home!'

I finish making a hot drink, taking it with me to greet him by the door where he's disregarding of his coat. He's looking confused but takes the cup gratefully, letting the first sip burn his mouth.

'How was your day?' I ask excitedly, prepared to jump him because he's just so beautiful and so sweet and I just want to launch words at him.

'Lovely, thank you, My Dear. I think I've reworked my speech, I might need your help later?'

'Of course. Tell me what you did!'

He frowns, chuckling softly at my enthusiasm and checking his watch. We have time, he's home earlier than expected.

'I did my rounds and then caught up on a few different surgeries. Even got to study a little before coming home.'

'You are lucky.' I commend him.

'I am.' He agrees, smiling his usual charming smile at me before coming towards me to lay a quick peck on my mouth. That ache returns and I very nearly throw myself at him only just managing to restrain myself in the last second. 'It smells amazing in here. What did you do?'

'Cleaned.' I say with a shrug.

'You're cooking, too.' He murmurs, looking like he's about to tell me off but he takes one big sniff of food and grins loopy-like. 'I'm starved.'

'You're not after a shower, are you?'

'I am.' He corrects, taking a hold of his cup and drinking over half.

'Brilliant. You can help me with what to wear.'

'Es. It's only Bella?' He tries to say again but I've made my mind up and he's distracted by my face all of a sudden.

'What?'

'No nothing just... well you look... dashing?'

'You're meant to say that after the change of outfit.' I say, laughing softly but he shakes his head.

'I'm ashamed I didn't comment upon it first. You look as stunning as ever, Miss Platt.'

'Oh hush!' I mutter though every compliment that leaves his mouth I soak in greedily like air into my lungs.

I wonder if we're going to freak Edward out what with my insane and unnecessary preparation but I don't really care. I don't know what to expect and judging by the nervous way of him mentioning the words, I know it's not just some shitty take-away and games console night. He's looking to impress.

Especially if they're a thing.

An actual thing. Is everything exciting me at the moment or am I just going nuts?

'What about this?' I ask Carlisle, wrenching up my pencil skirt and tucking my purple shirt into it. He grins, towel drying his hair as he ignores the mess of his bed and looks through his wardrobe for a better shirt.

'Beautiful.'

'Really?' I ask, wiping another quick layer of make up over my throat even though I don't think it's half as noticeable as Alice made out. 'Do you think I should wear tights?' I ask, pointing out my legs.

'If you'd like?'

'Shit. Heels?' I say, wriggling my toes. Now he really does grin, kissing the top of my head as he wipes some strong cologne on his neck.

'In your own home?' He teases and I stop looking in the mirror to laugh with him.

'He said dinner, Carlisle. And he specifically asked. That means he's serious. As his family you should be supporting him.'

He sniggers, wrapping an arm around my waist and gently kissing down my neck as though it's just a simple act and not the sort of thing to make my bones shiver.

'Um.'

'You were saying?' He whispers, the scent of his soap driving my hands crazy as I try to pull him even closer to me.

'Please don't tempt me. I'm trying to be good.' I say all the while pulling said handsome God towards my flushed skin...

'You're better than good.' He retorts nuzzling my hair.

'No flirting. I mean it, Hon. Alice is already irritating the hell out of me. That reminds me, wear something that'll cover the...' I touch my neck to indicate his and make a guilty expression.

Past Esme really likes to fuck over present Esme because he's naturally hot anyway but seeing those dark pink circles proudly presented along his throat really does make me desperate to jump him. Properly. In one swoop. He's not even wearing underwear, it wouldn't be a problem.

He leans towards me, asking for my mouth as he traces it with the minty laughter.

'Shit, dinner!'

'Es?' He whines but I'm skipping down the stairs quickly, jumping into the kitchen to check everything over and stirring everything twice over. It smells good. A simple soup to start with, a miniature roast with the boys' favourite extras and then something simple for dessert.

He's right, it does smell good.

I leave the radio on while I finish the washing up, sliding around the tiles because of the tights which is problematic considering I'm rushing around anyway.

'What do you think?' He asks, musically and I turn on the spot to see him against the wall. His hair is combed, his features clear and not shrouded by exhaustion as he fits his hands in his jeans pockets to feel nonchalant. He's wearing a thin jumper with a shirt underneath, casual enough that it wouldn't be unusual but also seeming somewhat like he's old enough to have children running about his feet.

'You're beautiful.'

'You stole my line.' He complains, frowning but while he's close by, I pull my tan tights off my legs and pass them to him to put in his pocket or even away. His eyebrows raise.

'What?' I ask with a grin but he shakes his head to dismiss the thought, beaming even wider. 'So we're ready now aren't we?'

'I guess?' He replies frowning.

'No room for distractions?' I murmur, stroking the middle of his jumper.

'And you told me off for flirting.' He mutters, watching me in fascination.

'I have more news.' I say, grinning as widely as possible though I've been trying to conceal it for hours.

'Go on?' He asks, his silk fingertips holding my hand so randomly that I think he must worry that I'm discussing something bad.

'My art piece has been picked up by a third party…' I begin, shyly looking away.

'What?!' He demands, the sheer excitement bursting through his voice as he takes a hold of my shoulders to catch me looking at him. 'Really?!'

'I have to wait for a few weeks until the paperwork comes through but… the person I spoke to reckons I've got it.'

'You've got it?' He repeats, still beaming at me but physically unable to put two and two together.

'I've got the scholarship!'

'That's amazing!' He yells.

The cheers burst from him loudly, his hands move quickly from my shoulders to locking around my waist as he sweeps me up in the biggest, most heartfelt hug I think he's ever given me. He spins me around twice, whooping with me and grinning before settling me down carefully on both feet.

'Esme that's fantastic! Congratulations!'

Before he can stop himself he grasps my face in his hands and kisses me deeply, his mouth saying more than his words have to as he sends my whole being into overdrive.

'I'm so proud of you.' He whispers, kissing me again but this time we're both a bad influence on each other.

He makes his mouth move for me, alluding all this intensity, my excited heart trying to transfer from my breast to his when I pull him closer, parting my lips and hooking my leg around his ankle. He gasps, sliding his hands to my knees to easily lift me up so that I have to balance my weight into his shoulders, my tongue duelling against his when he backs his hip into the kitchen counter. It gives him a better angle and knotting his hand in my hair, he angles his tongue to work with mine instead of against it. I accidentally moan. His usual mint breath has a bite to it with the new aftershave he's wearing smelling of something like old-spice rather than the usual pine smell but I want it everywhere. I want to rip another set of bedding with him again.

I want him to make love to me.

There's the sound of a key in the lock and jolting into realisation, he pulls away, dropping me carefully to the floor as he tries to smooth the creases on his front. I do the same. Wiping my mouth before rushing forward to wipe the lipstick of his mouth urgently.

He's laughing, his blue eyes bold and spritely as he watches me fuss. He manages to hide my tights in just enough time for Edward to call out.