Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The original plot and storyline of Never Enough, however, belong to me. Please be nice and don't copy or translate without permission. Thank you.

Love my betas – there are none better than Iadorepugs and Cullen_Crazy01. They keep me motivated, keep me grounded, and don't hesitate to tell me when something needs a fix. I love you two.

Some of you seemed to really enjoy the beginning of their vacation, but I had less than half the normal number of reviews, so I'm not sure if it was a little over-the-top for the rest of you. I apologize if it wasn't your cup of tea, however these two kids needed to let off some steam after all the seriousness of the last couple of chapters. If you were thinking that Bella was awfully OOC, so is she, as you'll read below...

Chapter 29

The sound of birds chirping woke me much earlier than usual. I slowly opened my eyes, squinting in the pale morning light. I glared at the wall of windows, where the birds were merrily singing their morning songs. "Can't a girl get some sleep around here?" I grumbled, burrowing further beneath the comforter, my elbow hitting Edward in the side.

Edward rolled over, half facing away from me, and I ogled his muscular back, and the shadow where the sheet gaped so that I could see the curve of his ass. Last night had been….. well, it was….. I literally had no words to describe the way I had felt with Edward last night. I had never experienced anything so erotic or primal in my entire life. The way he made me feel, and the way those feelings inspired me to act. I had heard of such things, but had no idea that people actually acted in such a manner outside of an erotic novel or movie. I had certainly never wanted to with Jacob, but Edward was another story altogether.

In the light of the morning, I felt unsure and vulnerable. I had told him once before that I didn't know what to do with the feelings he inspired in me, and last night was proof of that. Nothing in my limited experience had ever come close to what we had done last night. He had spanked me. And I had asked him to do it again! I felt like a deviant, like the dirty girl he had called me, and while it had been highly arousing last night – all of it – I wasn't sure how to handle it now.

Needing to feel close to him, I snuggled up to his back, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades and sliding my leg between both of his.

"I'm tired," Edward grumbled, his voice slightly whiny. He shifted slightly away from me, kicking the blankets off his legs. "Too warm."

I slowly eased my way away from him, and as my body separated from his, he rolled to his back, flinging one arm above his head as a soft snore escaped. I watched him for a minute before leaving the bed. I couldn't find my suitcase, and I realized that our bags were still downstairs. Once 'the tour' had ended up in this bed, we hadn't left it all night – not to eat, not to unpack, not even to retrieve our luggage. I slipped on my discarded shirt and panties and availed myself of the en suite, trying to be as quiet as possible.

I checked to make sure that Edward was still sleeping before padding down the stairs to the first floor. I spotted our suitcases where Edward had left them by the front door and grabbed the first set of clothing I could lay my hands on. I dug for underwear, blushing anew at the provocative garments that Alice and Rosalie had placed in the suitcase for me. I went to the bathroom and quickly donned the clean clothing.

I was dismayed at the early hour, but I knew that sleep was a distant memory with all that was going on in my brain. I searched the cupboards for coffee and set about brewing a pot, then perused the refrigerator for something to make for breakfast. I figured when he eventually woke up, Edward would be just as hungry as I was after last night's... activities.

My stomach clenched in apprehension. The way I had spoken to Edward. The way I had treated Edward. Granted, he seemed to be enjoying himself in the moment, but every time he tried to slow us down, every time he tried to be gentle and show me how much he loved me, I just ignored him and pressed on with my overwhelming physical needs. God, the things I had said to him! The things I had done to him, and made him do to me! I wanted to cry, thinking about how sweet he had been, when all I had done was attack him.

When the coffee was done, I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs with a mug in hand, and the soreness between my legs reminded me of how rough I had been with him last night. I shifted in the seat, and I could feel the sting on my bottom where his hand had landed, after I had begged him to spank me. Tears of mortification welled up in my eyes. God, how was I going to face him this morning?

I heard the creaking of floorboards above me, and I wiped hastily at my tears. I stood abruptly and went over to the refrigerator, pulling out the ingredients for an omelet that I had seen earlier. I was busily chopping ham and vegetables when Edward entered the kitchen a few minutes later. My kitchen preparations halted when I saw him standing in the doorway.

His eyes were sleepy and warm, and he was dressed in his boxer briefs and tee shirt. His hair was standing out in all directions, and the scruff on his face brought back wanton thoughts of how it had felt with his face between my thighs, bringing me to an earth-shattering climax as I begged and pulled his hair and shouted his name. I quickly looked away, feeling as though my blush this morning was going to be a permanent thing.

"Mmmm, you've already got the coffee made... no wonder I love you so," Edward murmured. I smiled weakly and returned to chopping the vegetables, hoping he wouldn't notice how my hands were trembling.

I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye as he poured himself a steaming mug full of coffee. He brought it to his lips and took a long sip, sighing in satisfaction. He set the mug down and then tried unsuccessfully to smother a yawn, stretching his arms up high over his head so that his tee shirt rose and exposed his abdominal muscles and the defined 'V' between his hip bones.

I paid for my distraction immediately. "Shit!" I exclaimed, feeling the tip of the knife sink into the fleshy part of my thumb.

Edward was instantly at my side. "Bella, are you okay?" he asked with concern, reaching out and taking my injured hand in his.

Hot tears of embarrassment flooded my eyes. I yanked my hand from his and moved quickly to the sink, where I turned on the cold water and stuck my hand in the stream, watching the water in the basin turn pink with my blood. The pain of the cut hit with the touch of the cold water, and I felt my tears well over and a few spilled onto my cheeks. I mopped them up quickly with my uninjured hand.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward repeated, and I could hear the concern in his voice even though I couldn't bear to look at him. He reached out and gently grasped my wrist, pulling my hand from the stream of water. "Let me see your hand, love. I need to see if you should go to the hospital."

"I'm fine," I mumbled, pulling away from him again and reaching for a paper towel, which I wrapped around my thumb. And I really was fine – physically at least. The blood had almost stopped already, and the pain was fading to a sting.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked, his voice wary. I watched as he reached up with his hand to tug at his hair, and I realized that I was upsetting him. Tears filled my eyes once again, and I quickly looked away.

"I'm fine," I repeated, and I hated myself for the way my voice trembled.

"This is about last night, isn't it?" Edward guessed, his voice even

"What about last night?" I mumbled, still refusing to look up at him.

Edward stepped forward and put his finger beneath my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "It's about the way we made love last night, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

"If you can call it that," I said, my face hot as I remembered how I had begged him to fuck me without even allowing him any kisses or gentle caresses.

"Of course I call it that. What do you call it, Bella?" Edward challenged.

I swallowed hard trying to find words, embarrassed beyond belief that he was going to make us talk about this. All I wanted to do was crawl under the table and hide. "Last night was so unfair to you," I whispered, averting my eyes. "The things I said and did, the things I forced you to…" my voice trailed off. "I promise that will never happen again."

"Like hell!" Edward snorted, and I was so astonished by his tone that I looked up, meeting his firm gaze. "You forced me to do nothing, Bella. I enjoyed every moment of our lovemaking last night immensely."

"But I…. I asked you to…spank me last night," I said.

"But I was the one that spanked you to start with. Why did you ask me to do it again if you were so uncomfortable about it?"

Despite my mortification, I knew the answer, and I owed Edward nothing but the honest-to-God truth. "I wasn't uncomfortable about it at the time. I…. I liked it. But I'm not sure I like what it says about me that I liked it," I confessed, my words tumbling out in rush.

"What do you think it says about you that you liked it?" Edward asked.

Deviant. Pervert. Kinky. The negative words flashed across my brain. "That I'm…. a bad girl," I said softly, looking away. "That I'm not normal. That I'm dirty."

Edward paused to take a deep breath before he squared his shoulders. "Let's sit down at the table, and talk about this." He grabbed both of our coffee cups and led the way to the table, pulling out my chair for me, and sitting close beside me on the same side of the table. He reached for my hand and removed the paper towel, checking the gash on my thumb, which had almost stopped bleeding. "You scared me with this, Bella," he said softly, bringing my thumb to his lips and pressing a kiss there before wrapping it in the paper towel again. "We'll bandage you up when we're done talking."

"Okay," I said, my nerves soothed a little by his touch.

"So, about last night…" Edward began, his voice a little high. He cleared his throat, and started again. "Bella, I… last night… the way you talked, the way you acted, oh God, how can I say this? Last night was…."

Edward's inability to speak his mind made my stomach churn, and I felt my mortification grow. "I'm so sorry..." I started to say.

"….the hottest thing I've ever experienced," he finished, and I felt my eyes go wide as I looked up at him. The tips of his ears were turning red, and I found it utterly adorable that he was embarrassed. "Not that it isn't wonderful every time we make love, but last night, you were so free, so open with your wants and your needs. I have never been more satisfied in my life, knowing that you were satisfied as well."

My jaw dropped, and Edward chuckled at my dumbfounded expression. "Sweetheart, really, what did you think I was going to say?" he asked, his crooked grin taunting me.

"I thought you were going to tell me it was too rough, too wrong," I said softly.

"Was it too rough or too wrong for you?" Edward asked seriously.

"Not once I got over the shock of how I was acting," I replied, looking back down at the table.

"None of that now," Edward admonished lightly, reaching over and touching my cheek. "Bella, you and I are both consenting adults. As long as we are okay with what we're doing, then whatever we choose to do with one another is fine. Or, in the case of last night, so much better than fine there's not a superlative I could find to accurately describe it."

His teasing made me blush, but in a different way than I had been so far this morning. "You're really okay with how things went last night?" I asked him, studying his eyes and seeing no subterfuge within the green depths. "I mean, it was just… I have never… and I don't want you to think…" I couldn't seem to put into words the way I felt, and I suddenly understood why he'd had the same difficulty.

"Bella, all I want is to be with you, in whatever way we can be. Any way we are together is perfect. Slow and sweet, fast and hard – it's never wrong. As long as you are okay with how things went…?" Edward trailed off, his voice uncertain for the first time.

"Edward it was wonderful. Every last moment. I had no idea that… well I didn't realize that… sex… could be rough like that and still feel that way."

"Bella, even if it's rough and fast, it's still making love when it's us," Edward said, melting my heart with his sweet words. "Because no matter whether it's in our bed, on your desk," he said, raising a playful eyebrow at me, "or in my car on the side of a busy highway, it's all about how much I love you, and about wanting to demonstrate that love." He leaned forward and took my face between his hands, pressing a warm kiss to my lips.

Despite my embarrassment, I was glad Edward had pushed this discussion. My heart felt lighter, and I was able to smile and tease him. "And a spank demonstrates what?" I teased, trying unsuccessful to keep the smirk off my lips.

"That we can be open and expressive and playful and creative with one another. That as long as we communicate, we can test our boundaries to find out what we enjoy," Edward said thoughtfully. I was so lucky to have a mature man like him for my boyfriend. He grinned at me suddenly, his expression naughty. "Oh, and you've got a really great ass."

"Takes one to know one, and I believe I spanked you first," I replied, giggling when he reached over and pulled me out of my chair and into his lap. He twined his fingers in my hair and pressed his lips to mine, our cups of coffee forgotten and going long cold as we greeted the morning together.

~XOXOXO~

We spent the rest of the morning goofing around inside. I made a huge omelet that the two of us shared, along with fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh fruit. As I had suspected, Edward was starving just as much as I was, and I had to keep him away from my plate as he playfully kept trying to steal bites.

I was relieved to see that Alice and Rosalie had packed mostly useful clothing, like jeans, sweaters and long sleeved tee shirts. The undergarments and lingerie were another story altogether, and I doubted there was enough fabric there to make one regular sized nightgown. The look in Edward's eyes as I hastily shoved the silks and satins into a drawer was enough to make my heart pound in anticipation. There was one dress that I hung in the closet with a wry look, because there was no way it was going to get warm enough on San Juan Island in April to wear something that light and feminine.

After showing me around the exterior of the cottage, including pointing out where the hot tub was located with a playful wiggle of his eyebrows, Edward asked if I wanted to walk down to the waterfront with him. He suggested I grab a sweatshirt or jacket, and wear a pair of sturdy shoes as we would be walking almost a mile in the woods.

Rather than follow Cullen Court as I had assumed we would, Edward set off through the forest on a worn path. There were several spots where trees had fallen over the winter months and blocked the trail, but he was patient and helped me around or over the obstacles.

"How much property does your family own here?" I asked curiously, noting that it was quiet and peaceful, with no other homes in sight once we were deep enough into the woods that the cottage disappeared.

"Remember the main road before we turned on the Court?" I nodded my head. "Our place is about half a mile from the main road, and then Uncle C's cabin is in the middle, about half a mile from our cottage and then Uncle Marcus' cottage, which is right on the water. My grandfather had one child – my dad. Both of my granddad's brothers had one child each – even though I call them Uncles, Marcus and Caius are actually my dad's cousins."

"Caius?" I asked.

"Uncle Caius' mother was born and raised in Italy, and Caius is named after her favorite uncle." Edward explained the odd-sounding name. "We Cullens have a tradition of old-fashioned or odd names. Edward? Emmett? We used to be teased all the time, until Emmett got big enough to beat everyone up. But what should I expect, I mean, my parents are Carlisle and Esme, for heaven's sake."

"And will we be seeing your uncles while we're here?" I asked, suddenly nervous at the thought of meeting more of his family.

"Caius, no. He and his wife live in California now, and their kids are spread out across the country. There's usually someone using their cottage during the summer months, but no one would be out this early in the year. As a matter of fact, this is their cabin," Edward said as we approached the edge of the woods. Before me stood an even larger structure than the cottage Edward and I were staying in. The style was completely different, a little more contemporary feel to it with angles and planes and glass. "Caius renovated this place quite extensively about a decade ago, made it more 'modern' as he put," Edward told me.

"It's beautiful, but I think I prefer your Cullen Cabin," I told him, and was rewarded with a dazzling smile.

"Me too," he said, giving my hand a squeeze. "Do you need to rest, or shall we continue on?"

"C'mon, let's go see the water!" I said, tugging on his arm and setting off towards the woods once again. Edward followed for a couple of steps and then stopped. "What, do you need to rest?" I teased him.

"Nope. I just thought maybe we should go in the right direction," Edward said, pointing opposite of where I was headed.

I blushed. "And that is why I got lost in the woods when I was in high school…" I muttered.

Edward laughed and pulled me into his arms, kissing me with enough enthusiasm to make my knees weak. "Did you really?" He asked. I nodded sheepishly, and he laughed again. "Note to self, do not let Bella wander off this weekend. This way, my pretty girl. Let's go see Marcus."

"He's here?" I asked

"And his wife, my Aunt Dee. My uncle was a very successful trial attorney at the firm where Rosalie works, and he retired about three years ago. He and Aunt Dee sold their home and moved out here full-time. They have a grown daughter who lives in Vancouver, and Kate and Garrett come out to visit quite often with their kids," Edward told me as we set off at a leisurely pace. This part of the trail wasn't quite as overgrown and there were a lot fewer obstacles, so it didn't take us nearly as long as the first half of the trip.

When we stepped out of the woods this time, it was like stepping into an entirely new world. The house before us was huge—the kind of vacation home one expected to see on San Juan Island, with all the trappings and trimmings. There was a huge garage on one side and a large boat house down on the water, and all the outbuildings matched the architecture of the main house down to the shingles and shutters. The lawn rolled gently down to the beach, a lush verdant carpet laid out before the rolling waters of Puget Sound.

"Oh, my!" I gasped, stunned by the breathtaking view.

"Yes, my granddad always grumbled that Marcus's dad stole the best property," Edward commented. "But he was the oldest, and my granddad the baby, which is why we're so far away from the water."

I watched the boat traffic – ferries, fishing boats, speedboats, and even the occasional brave jet-skier in the frigid waters. The wind wasn't a gentle whisper through the trees, but a gusting force straight off the water. Sure it was beautiful, but it was too busy, too noisy. "I disagree. I like your Cullen Cabin because it's peaceful – no boats, no commotion."

"And again we are on the same page," Edward said with a crooked grin. "Emmett always wanted to live in the house on the water, and I was always content with the house in the woods. Of course, we spent as much time here during the day as there."

"Edward!" a voice called out from the house, and we both turned toward the sound. Coming down the stairs was a older man with dark hair and a wide smile. "I was beginning to think you were never going to wander up this way today. Although I can understand how this lovely young woman could keep so….distracted," he said, clapping Edward on the shoulder and winking at me. Naturally I felt a blush stain my cheeks, and Edward's uncle threw back his head and laughed.

"Bella, this is my Uncle Marcus. Marcus, this is Bella Black," Edward said.

"Bella, it is truly an honor to meet you," Marcus said, holding out a hand to me. When I placed my fingers in his, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. "And you certainly live up to your name."

"Marcus, stop trying to pick up my girlfriend – Aunt Dee will have your hide," Edward joked, and Marcus laughed again. "Where is Aunt Dee anyway?"

"She's at the ferry dock, waiting for Kate and Garrett to arrive. She hasn't seen our new granddaughter in almost two weeks, and she's going through the most massive withdrawals imaginable."

"New granddaughter? I knew that Kate was pregnant, but I guess I didn't realize how much time had passed," Edward said.

"Cassandra just turned two months this past weekend. Although I sent Dee off to fetch them, I have to confess that I am rather anxious to see them myself. Would you and your lovely Bella come down for dinner tomorrow night? I know Kate and Garrett would love to see you."

Edward turned to me. "Would you mind?"

I smiled at the eagerness in his tone. "Of course not, that sounds lovely. Is there anything we can bring?"

"No, although I'm sure if you wanted to show up a little early, Dee might not mind a little help in the kitchen, if you're so inclined. She has a little more trouble getting around than she used to."

"Is Aunt Dee okay?" Edward asked, a worried note creeping into his voice.

"She's fine, my dear boy. In the spring, when it's cold and wet like this, her arthritis flares up and it's harder for her to grasp things." Marcus turned and winked at me. "Besides, I'm sure she's going to want to spend some time alone with Bella to make sure she knows what she's getting into with you. I'm sure she's got stories and maybe even pictures to back it up!"

"Then I definitely look forward to dinner tomorrow night," I told him with a wide smile. Edward groaned beside me, and both Marcus and I laughed.

"All right, enough of that," Edward growled playfully. "I'll not have you filling her head with nonsense. Come on, Bella, before my uncle complete corrupts you."

"Where are we going?" I asked, confused. We had just gotten here.

"If you look out over the Sound, you can see a storm coming in," Marcus said, pointing to where a bank of dark clouds lined the horizon. "Do you want me to drive you back to your place, Edward?"

Edward studied the horizon. "I think we'll be okay if we leave now. We may get a little wet at the end, but we've got plenty of time to make it back. Unless you'd rather ride, Bella?" Edward asked, deferring the decision to me.

"Are you factoring in how slow I am?" I joked.

"Yes, but you'll have to let me lead the way. We can't afford to end up on the other end of the island if you blaze the trail," he teased.

"Keep up that kind of cheek and I'll be chasing you through the woods," I threatened playfully.

Edward leaned down and brushed the outside of my ear with his lips. "And I'd look forward to you catching me," he whispered hotly. Just like that, my body was on fire for his again, and I trembled in his arms.

"Well you had better hurry if you're going to make it back before the storm," Marcus said with another frown at the horizon. "And I'd better call Dee to make sure the ferry arrived okay. We'll see you tomorrow, around five?"

"We'll be here," Edward replied, grasping my hand and lacing our fingers together. He led the way to the tree line where I could barely pick out the entrance to the path. He was walking so quickly that I nearly stumbled trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Edward, please slow down! If you're that worried about the storm, then maybe we should let Marcus drive us back," I said, huffing and slightly out of breath as he almost dragged me into the cover of the trees. We were only a few yards into the woods when he stopped abruptly and turned to me, his fingers in my hair and his mouth open and hungry over mine. I gasped in surprise, and he pressed his advantage by slipping his tongue in my mouth. Mine greeted his like it had been days, not hours, since we had kissed this way.

"This is why I'm in a hurry," Edward mumbled and he pulled back to press kisses to my jaw. He slid his hands down my back and grabbed my ass, pulling me flush against his raging erection.

"I'm frankly surprised you can even walk with that," I teased him.

"You may not be able to when I'm done with you," he said, his voice low and hypnotic, and I felt another shiver run down my spine at his dark promise. He pulled away and grabbed my hand again, leading us down the path once more.

Four more times on the walk he did the same thing. When I least expected it, he would pull me roughly into his arms and kiss me. Each time the embrace became wilder and less inhibited, and I was a trembling mass of nerves and desire, never knowing when or where he was going to strike next. In a clearing near the cottage in which we were staying, Edward pressed me back against a tree trunk, his hands beneath my shirt and skimming my stomach, his fingers moving quickly toward my breasts. I arched my neck and back to allow him better access, and sputtered when I caught a big fat raindrop full in my face. Several more drops fell in rapid succession, and we both paused as the wind started to pick up, howling through the trees and bringing with it the heavy scent of rain.

"C'mon, before it really lets loose," Edward said, smoothing my shirt down and grabbing my hand once again as we made a mad dash for the door. Of course we were soaked and giggling like children by the time we made it under the covered porch. We stood there and watched the storm blow in, backing up a little more each time a gust of wind would propel moisture our way, until we were getting rained on even though we were completely under the wide roof. "Time to go in!" Edward shouted over the noise of the rain on the roof. He reached out and held the door open for me and then followed me inside, the door catching in the wind and slamming loudly once we were safely inside.

The pounding of the rain was a gentle drumming inside the cabin, and we could barely hear the wind. It was dark and cool, and I shivered as I stood there in my wet clothes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I should have let Marcus drive us back here. You're freezing," Edward apologized, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapping it around my shoulders. "Give me a few minutes and I can gather the things needed to get a fire started…"

I grabbed his arm as he started to turn. I knew it was going to sound corny, but I was going to say it anyway. "Edward, you already started a fire, and I'm afraid I'm too impatient to wait for you to build an actual one in the fireplace." I slid my arms around his waist, pulling his shirttails from his jeans and gliding my hands up his bare back.

He jumped a little at the cool sensation, but his eyes were full of heat. "You're awfully cold, love," he murmured huskily, winding his arms around my waist and leaning down to kiss me. "Maybe I should get you out of these wet things."

"Please," I breathed as his fingers started to work the button on my jeans. "And I've heard that skin-to-skin contact is the best way to warm up after a chill."

"Mmmmm, I've heard that too. Well we should definitely go with what the experts recommend, don't you think?" Edward asked playfully, tugging at the wet denim that was plastered to my hips and thighs. He knelt before me, continuing to tug my jeans down my legs, and when I lifted one leg to remove it from the denim, Edward leaned forward and pressed his lips to the juncture of my thighs. I could feel the warmth of his breath through the thin silk of my panties, and groaned loudly when he swept his tongue over the filmy fabric, my knees nearly buckling.

Edward stood and removed the blanket from around my shoulders and laid it on the couch, then gently pressed me into a sitting position. He knelt again, tugging my wet jeans off entirely, then cupped my knees in his hands, sliding his fingers up until he was able to grasp my waist and pull me forward. "I want you, Bella. So fucking much. Do you want me?" he growled against my collarbone.

"God yes," I rasped, grasping his hair with my hands and pulling his lips to mine.

"Then let's make some heat," he said, laying me back on the couch and proceeding to demonstrate that the thunder and lightning outside had nothing on the storm that raged between us.

Thanks so much for checking out the update – I hope you enjoyed what you read, even if Bella was over-thinking things as usual. But at least Edward has a way of getting her to talk about what's bothering her.

I wanted to answer a couple of reader questions that have come up quite frequently in the last couple of chapters. Bella turned 35 in September, just before her divorce was final. Edward is 36 and will turn 37 in June. Bella and Edward met the first week of October, and started dating on New Year's Eve/Day. It is now the first part of April, so they have known each other seven months, and have been dating for four. Also, Bella kept the last name Black because that's been her name the majority of her adult life, and it's the name she shares with her children.

If there was anything that made you smile, laugh, sigh, or even growl in frustration, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks so much for reading!