Alice exited the back of the vehicle, glancing up toward the second floor of the oversized cabin as a light went out.
"Damn," she whispered under her breath as she linked arms with Jasper.
"Not to worry, my love," Jasper said, tipping up her chin and planting a single kiss on her lips.
Emmett was already rushing to the door, completely unaware of what Alice and Jasper were attempting to do - or at least help to push in the direction.
"Babe, I'm sorry," Emmett said immediately with an accompanied laugh.
"Obviously you are," Rosalie said angrily with sarcasm, "You're still laughing at yourself."
Jasper and Alice looked at one another a step outside the open front door and he winked at her. "I'll handle this."
She grinned, knowing he could work his mood magic to get Emmett back in Rosalie's good graces. When they entered, Alice's eyes scanned the room for Bella and Carlisle, who sat separately in the living room as Emmett squeezed his big body in beside Rosalie on the love seat. While she still had a displeased look on her face, she allowed him to sit beside her.
"Good thing you didn't take my route," Alice said nonchalantly to Carlisle as she sat down beside Bella on the longer couch with Jasper on her opposite side.
Carlisle adjusted the recliner he sat in so his feet kicked out and he laid back a bit in the chair. "I can imagine."
"Hella traffic," Emmett announced, extending an arm behind Rosalie as she hit play on the movie.
"Mmm.." Carlisle rested a hand behind his head and closed his eyes for a moment as the movie's quirky theme song started.
Bella stared at him for a moment and she couldn't control her thoughts as he laid there stretched out with one foot crossed over the other. She pictured herself on top of him, she pictured herself kissing him. The taste of him still lingered on her tongue and it was almost too much to think about how his hands felt as they had barely begun to roam her body.
It's been way too long, Bella thought. She hadn't had that thought.. ever. Until now. Until Carlisle walked back into her life in this vastly different and very unexpected role.
Bella sighed and realized that both Jasper and Alice were staring at her. She cleared her throat, crossed one leg over the other and eyed the television.
"Dude, Chevy Chase is classic in this," Emmett motioned to the television with a grin and gently squeezed the back of Rosalie's neck. "Good pick, babe."
"Yeah, yeah.." She purposely didn't give him the time of day but a little smirk appeared on her face.
"Did you have fun tonight, Bella?" Alice asked.
Bella turned to Alice and saw Carlisle glance in their direction. "Fun? Yeah." Her mind bounced from being alone with Carlisle back to all of them gathered around the tree for the lighting. "It was.. great. It's nice they do things like that in town."
"Everyone's getting in the Christmas spirit," Alice gushed.
Bella and Carlisle made eye contact before he quickly turned his attention back to the television.
Jasper gave a nod and a mischievous smile, signaling Alice as Rosalie leaned back against Emmett. They both laughed together at a scene in the movie. It made Alice grin.
When she glanced over at Carlisle he was looking toward Bella, but closed his eyes again and rested his head back when he saw Alice glance in his direction. While Emmett and Rosalie were totally oblivious, Alice and Jasper could sense every ounce of tension in the air.
It was barely into the first third of the movie when Rosalie followed through with her promise and towed Emmett away. Neither of them were shy about wanting some alone time and so they disappeared to parts unknown.
"Tis the season to be merry," Jasper joked, making everyone chuckle a bit as the movie still played.
Alice bided her time. She made small talk with Bella, made cute remarks to Jasper and overemphasized how happy she was to have Carlisle join them for their small, family outing.
"Being around all those people made me a little.. hungry," Jasper said, half-kidding. He smirked when Carlisle gave him a look, though they both ended up with grins as Carlisle shook his head.
Alice put a hand on Jasper's face. "Is that my cue?"
And there it was. Everything that Bella suspected was right on. She wasn't about to call Alice on it right then. Bella welcomed her plan; but even after all those years she could sense Alice's intentions almost right away.
Some things never change.
"Since Bella lost her blood supply," he continued to tease, "I guess a deer or moose will do."
Alice put a hand over his mouth and Bella laughed, looking down and back up. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"He has a warped sense of humor," Alice acknowledged and pulled him with her by the hand. "Can we finish the movie tomorrow night?"
Carlisle pushed his feet down and the recliner popped into place. "Sure." He rose to his feet.
"I've got to just change out of these cute clothes," Alice explained. "Don't need them getting all bloody." She whipped upstairs and Bella decided to follow.
"Alice," Bella said, trailing her into her room.
"Bella." Alice grinned and began to change into some older, knock-around clothes.
Bella stared at her with a look that made Alice laugh lightly.
"Did you follow me in here to watch me change?" She joked.
"Have you had any recent.. visions?" Bella asked quietly.
Alice pretended to be thinking, tapping her fingers against her lips as she secured a tattered gray sweatshirt on. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
Bella narrowed her eyes at her and Jasper appeared in the doorway.
"Ready?" He asked, "I'm wasting away over here."
"You know, you're really witty tonight, Jasper," Bella told him, snickering as she did.
"I'm the Jack of all trades." He smirked as Alice hopped into his arms. And then, with a wave and a wink, they were gone.
Bella stood in their room and looked around before tiptoeing into her own and flicking on a little light on the nightstand. She sat down on the center of her bed and fluffed the flawless, white comforter with her hand.
She sighed, knowing her thoughts were going to go on and on like her own personal movie in her head. That's when Bella heard a creak in the floor and Carlisle slowly walked in through the doorway.
Bella felt her body tense. She froze for a moment but managed to rise to her feet. She looked directly at Carlisle and let out the faintest breath.
He didn't say anything; just walked up to her. Bella held her breath with each step he took in her direction. Her heart, if it could still beat, would have been pounding in her chest. When he got close enough she pulled him into a hug at first. Bella held him there, holding him close with one arm around his back and the other hand on the back of his head.
When they pulled back, face-to-face, they met halfway, neither hesitating as their lips met and eyes closed. This time when Bella made the move to undress him, Carlisle didn't stop her.
She hummed a moan against his lips and pulled back to duck out of her sweater as she heard his belt buckle hit the floor. Bella wrapped her arms back around him and kissed him harder. No later than a second or two later she was on her back on the center of the bed. As they kissed Carlisle managed to shove her yoga pants down off her hips and she clawed at his shirt until there were no physical boundaries in between them.
"I want you," Bella choked out in between the forceful lapses of his tongue against hers.
Carlisle nudged her leg to the side with his knee and brought his lips to hers as he joined himself to her.
Bella sighed when she felt him inside of her. "Carlisle.."
He lifted his head to hover just above her, looking in her eyes to read her expression. Carlisle swallowed hard and breathed against her lips. "Are you alright?" He couldn't tell from the way she said his name.
Bella breathed just as heavy, staring back up at him and nodded against the pillow. When Carlisle hesitated she pulled him back to her to kiss him.
A moan left her mouth when he thrusted up and Bella held him tighter. She almost forgot what it felt like to make love to a man.
Everything about the experience was what she expected and more. This was a whole new side to the Carlisle Cullen she knew. Every move he made oozed with experience. She allowed him to take the lead as he didn't leave an area of her body untouched.
Bella didn't hold back - she couldn't. He trailed his lips down her neck down to her chest, taking the center of her breast into his mouth before pushing himself back into a seated position and pulling her with him so they were face-to-face.
She didn't miss a beat, continuing the pace on top of him. Carlisle's eyes closed and his bottom lip parted from his top. His hands tightened around his waist as he encouraged her to keep going.
Bella kissed him again. It was easy from the position they were in. She loved kissing during sex. It made the moment more intimate and erotic.
When Carlisle's breathing picked up she moved faster, making him groan. It boosted her level of arousal and she felt the pleasure begin to build in her midsection.
"Bella.." He choked out her name.
She whimpered against his lips and felt him hit the same spot inside of her again and again and again. It was enough to push her over the edge and she clung to him harder as a series of moans accompanied by his name left her mouth.
Carlisle's hands secured her down onto him and he finished just a second two after her with a lustful melody of his own that seemed to echoed off the walls of the empty house.
Both of them took a moment to come down off the immediate orgasmic high. Carlisle panted, his chest heaving up and down as he held Bella close, chest-to-chest, in the darkness.
When he dropped his forehead to her shoulder, Bella cradled the back of his head with one hand and closed her eyes. She breathed just as hard.
Carlisle finally picked his head up after several seconds. Much to Bella's delight he pecked her lips, making her smile as he laid her back down beneath him at the head of the bed. When he pulled out of her go lay beside her beneath the covers she was already craving him some more.
Still, she knew there had to be some reflection period. It had been the first time either of them had been with another person since their spouses had died on the battlefield.
Bella laid looking at the ceiling for a moment. When she glanced over Carlisle was doing the same.
"Are you.. okay?" She asked him.
Carlisle ran a hand through his hair and then turned his head to look at her. He reached a hand over to touch her face and Bella placed a hand over his with a smile. Her expression eased his mind.
"Yeah," he answered. "Are you?"
Bella kissed the heel of his hand. "Yeah." When she kissed his hand a second time his eyes closed and let out a sigh.
She was okay. More than okay.
Carlisle's fingers tightened against hers and it prompted Bella to pull him to her again. When their lips met it was like the fire was relit and she was guiding him back on top of her. It begged the same question she often asked herself in the past - how will I be able to stop?