Sunday was a beautiful day. She crashed at Emmett's the night before, having worked until ten, and awoke to the scent of breakfast cooking.

Bella stretched out in his huge, comfy bed. She loved staying at Emmett's. His house wasn't obscenely large, but it was spacious. All the rooms were very light and airy. She hadn't truly explored yet, but it looked as though there were three bedrooms.

She remembered Alice mentioning a few years back that Emmett bought a house. For whatever reason, it didn't strike her as odd back then that someone so young had enough money to actually purchase a home. She had probably been too busy moping over Edward to really pay attention.

Now, though, when she struggled just to pay the rent on her tiny one bedroom apartment, owning a house seemed like a pretty big deal. She'd have to ask Alice for the details later; for some reason she thought the house had to do with Emmett's father, and she didn't want to ask him about that. He shut down every time his father was mentioned.

"Hey Bella, it's time to wake up," Emmett called from the kitchen. "If I have to yell for you again, I'm going to eat all of your breakfast."

She laughed, and wondered how long he had been trying to wake her. Bella rolled out of bed and quickly changed into the clothes tucked into her overnight bag. She laced up the new sneakers Emmett bought her, and then made a pit stop in the bathroom to wash up.

"Good morning," Emmett greeted her, lifting his head so she could kiss him. She sat down next to him and marveled at the fresh fruit, oatmeal and scrambled eggs.

"Does anyone else know you can actually cook?" Bella asked suspiciously.

"Oatmeal and eggs aren't exactly gourmet cooking," Emmett pointed out, draining his orange juice. He licked his lips. "But no. Alice would make me host Sunday night dinners if she knew. So don't tell her."

Bella laughed and nodded. "Okay. Your secret is safe with me."

"Speaking of Alice, I don't know if we'll get back in time for dinner," Emmett mused. "I packed us stuff for lunch, though."

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Mt. Rainier," Emmett replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's gorgeous. You'll love it, and the weather is supposed to hold up all day. It's a bit of a drive, though, so we need to get moving."

A bit of a drive turned out to be a little over an hour. Emmett blasted the music in his Jeep and sang along with nearly every song, even the Britney and *NSYNC tunes.

"Look," Bella said, putting her feet up on the dash. "I'm wearing the shoes you got me."

Instead of looking pleased, as she expected, Emmett's mouth turned down and he frowned a little. "What?"

He shrugged. "Well…you didn't break those in yet, and we're going to be hiking for a few hours. Your feet are going to be killing you by the end of the day."

Bella stared at the clean shoes in dismay. She hadn't thought of that. "Oh. Well. I guess they'll be broken in after today."

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I can carry you down the mountain if absolutely necessary. But you'll have to be my sex slave for many, many weeks."

She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her laughter, but it didn't work so she shoved him instead.

"God, you're adorable," Emmett sighed. He looked over at her again, smiling. "I love that you blush so much."

"I know you do," she pouted. "I hate it."

It was true. Emmett's new favorite game was to come up behind Bella and whisper dirty, lascivious things to her. The more people around, the better. No one else could hear what he said, and he absolutely loved to see her turn pink. It worked every time.

"Gotta break you out of that shell," he shrugged.

Bella scowled, not really angry at all. "My shell is very comfortable and safe, thank you very much."

He shook his head. "It's just not right that you look so sweet and innocent. If only people knew what a little perv you are."

"I'm not a perv!" Bella gasped indignantly.

"No, I guess you aren't a perv," Emmett amended. "But if everyone knew about your oral fixation, I don't think – "

"Emmett!" she screeched, her cheeks burning. "I do not have an oral fixation!"

He howled with laughter, his big shoulder shaking. Bella groaned and sank down in her seat, secretly brimming with happiness.

Mt. Rainier was beautiful. Everything around them was so green and vibrant, so full of life. The weather, as promised, remained spectacular. Emmett parked the Jeep and locked up, hoisting a big backpack over his shoulder.

Bella packed her own backpack. It held mainly her hoodie, water and some trail mix. She could only imagine the stuff jammed in Emmett's bulging bag.

He veered off the well-beaten path after only ten minutes. Bella had spotted several different trails, each identified by a different color marker on the trees. As far as she could tell, they weren't following any of them.

"Do you know where we're going?" she asked, her legs moving quickly to keep up with Emmett.

He noticed her pace and immediately slowed down. "Of course. Me and the boys used to hike this path all the time."

"You don't anymore?" Bella wondered.

Emmett ran a hand over his head, messing up his hair. "Well, you know. Jasper's busy with Alice these days. And Edward's busy, too."

"What is he busy with?" Bella asked, careful to keep her voice neutral.

"I don't know. He dicks around for four years and now all of a sudden he's talking about going back to school," Emmett scoffed. "Medical school."

"Wow," Bella replied, unable to hide her surprise.

Edward had attended college with the rest of them, but just as everyone else had begun to branch off into their own fields, he kind of just stopped going. What he did was a bit of a mystery to her, and she never asked anyone about it. Asking Edward himself was out of the question, because she always turned red and began stuttering when she tried to speak to him. Asking Alice would lead to that terrible look, full of pity, and Bella hated that.

"You know Edward," Emmett said lightly. "Does what he wants, when he wants. I'm sure he'll be okay, though. He always is."

Bella thought she detected a hint of bitterness in his voice, but chose to keep her mouth shut. Talking about Edward with Emmett was already uncomfortable enough; she didn't want to push it.

"It's really amazing out here," she remarked.

Emmett visibly relaxed at the change in subject. "It is. And I'm taking you to a special place. You're going to love it."

The trail wasn't easy, but it wasn't terribly hard, either. Bella was sure that Emmett had slowed down so she could keep up with him, and she silently thanked god for that. They passed the hours laughing and joking, and Bella found herself marveling over how comfortable she felt with Emmett. They had come so far in such a short period of time.

"This is it," he said excitedly, reaching back to grab her hand. Bella stumbled but he caught her arm, keeping her upright.

The thick forest suddenly opened up, revealing a large body of water. A lake, or possibly a reservoir. The clear, blue sky reflected in the glassy surface. It was a breathtaking view.

"Isn't it great?" Emmett asked. "Come on."

He squeezed her hand and led her through the remaining brush. From what she could see, there were only a few patches of space around the lake to set up camp. The trees grew very close to the water's edge.

Emmett unzipped his pack and pulled out a bundle of cloth. It was a thin blanket. He unrolled it and laid it on the soft grass. They sat down to talk and relax, giggling and playing. The isolated, scenic location was a wonderful break from reality.

Lunch consisted of a smorgasbord of food – peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, nuts, nectarines, crackers and cheese. Bella wasn't very hungry after the massive breakfast, but Emmett insisted that "she needed to keep her energy up," so she picked at the food.

After they ate, Bella stretched out on the blanket and soaked up the sun. Its warmth felt fabulous on her skin, and for a moment she longed for the beach. Emmett stuffed their garbage back into his backpack and tossed it to the side, lying down next to her.

Bella stared at the blue sky, instead of looking at him, because he was angling for a kiss. She could feel it. And it wasn't that she didn't want to kiss him; because she definitely did, but once they started they couldn't stop.

With Emmett it was all or nothing. One touch from him set her on fire, and his kisses absolutely consumed her. She lost her virginity to Jake when she was eighteen, and the lackluster experience hadn't prepared her for the intense physical connection she shared with Emmett. Nothing compared to it.

She jumped when his big hand splayed across her stomach. Bella felt her heart stutter at the same time her breath caught in her throat. Here? Now?

His thumb rubbed back and forth, dipping under the waistband of her stretchy yoga pants. She swallowed hard. The endless blue sky disappeared as her eyes closed, just as Emmett's lips skimmed her neck.

"Emmett," she breathed. "We can't…"

His mouth opened on her collarbone and he sucked gently. Bella shifted, rubbing her thighs against each other. His hand dipped lower to provide her the friction she was craving. Her insides liquefied and heat surged through her body.

"Emmett, anyone could see us," she persisted. "We can't – oh, God…"

He tugged the front of her cami down, exposing her breasts, and watched her nipples immediately harden in the cool air. A hard tug of lust rolled through him.

"We can," he said silkily. "We can do whatever you want. No one's here except for us."

He leaned over her, making sure his hips were pressed firmly against her side so she could feel what she did to him. Emmett flicked his tongue over her sensitive peaks before taking her fully into his mouth. Bella squirmed underneath him, her breathing loud and uneven.

"Emmett," she moaned. One hand came up to tangle in his hair, tugging softly. It made him harder. He shoved his hand into her pants, under her panties, into slick, wet heat. He lost track of time, of their environment, of everything – it was always like this with Bella. She filled him up until nothing else existed.

A sudden crunching noise distracted him, tearing him away from Bella's soft moans. He yanked his hand out of her pants and glanced over his shoulder, careful not to move and expose her.

A man stood at the edge of the clearing, about one hundred feet from them. He had blonde hair, wore a leather jacket and jeans, and had a backpack over his shoulder. The man stared at him, and Emmett felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Emmett looked back at Bella, who was now staring at him with wide, panicked eyes.

"Fix your top," he murmured.

She didn't waste any time. She felt the way Emmett's body had stiffened and had no doubt that someone else was with them. She adjusted her chest and when she was decent, Emmett sat up. She followed suit, feeling embarrassed and exposed.

"Hello," the stranger called.

"Hey man," Emmett replied, nodding his head.

Emmett's rigid posture and wary voice made her feel uneasy. Bella hugged herself as the backpacker approached. Emmett glanced at her, his eyes dark and worried, and then stood up.

"Gorgeous day, isn't it?" he asked, closing the distance between them. He held out his hand and Emmett shook it. "James."

"Emmett," he replied. "This is Bella."

"Bella," James grinned. "Great to meet you."

There was something vaguely familiar about James. Bella studied his face as she shook his hand. He held it a beat too long and she afraid that Emmett would lunge and attack.

James was good looking, there was no doubt about that. His face was perfectly chiseled, as was his stomach…but come on, who wore a leather jacket with no shirt on underneath? He wore his hair long and in a pony tail. She just got a skeevy vibe from him, and it detracted greatly from his attractiveness.

"You two from around here?" James asked, dropping his backpack a few feet from their blanket.

"No. Just here on a day trip," Emmett said shortly.

"Really? Me too. Drove down from Seattle," he remarked casually.

It was a remarkable coincidence that he was also from Seattle, and had chosen today for his hike, and found them at Emmett's favorite spot. Bella looked at Emmett quickly but he didn't respond.

"Yeah, well, we were actually about to start packing up," Emmett shrugged. "We have a long drive back. Feel free to set up camp here. It's a great spot."

"Thanks. Will do," he smiled. His eyes flickered over to Bella and she forced a smile.

Emmett cut the exchange short and practically hauled Bella to her feet. He made quick work of their site, packing it up neatly and stowing it into his bag. "Have a good one, man."

"You too," James nodded.

Emmett held her hand tightly as he led her out of the small clearing. She glanced back once and was nearly blinded by the sun's reflection on the lake, but she was able to make out James. He stood by their abandoned campsite, staring right back at her. He hadn't moved an inch and his gaze was intense. She shivered and moved closer to Emmett.

Once they were out of sight and earshot, Emmett looked over his shoulder. He caught Bella's eye, and she was clearly nervous. "He was creepy, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," she agreed, glad he felt the same way.

Emmett gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't be scared. I could kick the shit out of that guy if I had to. And I would, if I thought he would hurt you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's so sweet, Em."

Despite his jokes, she could tell that he was still on guard, and he didn't relax until they hit the car. His eyes roamed the area around them, constantly searching. It wasn't until they reached the highway that his shoulders finally slouched and he gave a tired sigh.

"Guess we'll be home early after all," he muttered. "Alice is making tacos. You want to stop by, or are you tired?"

Bella shrugged. She was tired but not completely defeated, as she had expected."It's up to you."

"I'm sorry today was such a bust," Emmett frowned.

"It wasn't," she replied honestly. "I had a really good time. The hiking itself wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be, and the lake was beautiful. It just got cut short. Can we go back sometime?"

He smiled, and warmth flooded through her. It was so easy to make him happy, and it made her feel so wonderful.

"Of course we can," he laughed, pleased. "Maybe next time we won't run into any creepy dudes, either."

"Yeah, he was weird," Bella nodded. "I feel like I've seen him before."

Emmett frowned. "He did say he was from Seattle."

"It's a big city, though," she responded doubtfully. "He probably just has one of those faces."

"Yeah, probably," he replied distractedly.

"So, Alice's?" she asked, changing the subject.

They went straight to Alice's, without stopping at either of their places to shower. She felt sweaty, dirty and kind of gross.

Alice wore a huge sombrero when she opened the door. "Hola! Bienvenido!"

Emmett laughed and gave her a big hug, picking her right up off the ground. "Me gusto."

She laughed at his leering voice and smacked him. He promptly released her and sniffed the air. "Smells good, Alice."

"Thanks," she chirped. "I'm glad you guys could make it. Come on in. Jasper and Edward have the game on."

"Sweet!" Emmett cheered. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge, dropped a kiss on Bella's forehead and darted into the living room.

Alice shook her head and laughed. "Boys will be boys. So how was your hike?"

Bella filled her in on the details, and Alice focused in on James.

"Bella, that sounds really creepy," she said worriedly. "He could have been like a psycho killer or something. In fact, I'm pretty sure I heard a story like that on America's Most Wanted."

Bella shrugged uneasily. She still had flickers of unease when she thought of the situation they had been in. Sure, they got out of it and everything was okay, but they had been so isolated. If anything had happened…no one would be able to help them.

There was no doubt in her mind that Emmett would take care of her. It just scared her that she couldn't take care of him. What if he got hurt?

"Don't worry about it now," Alice said, putting her hand on Bella's. "It's over and done with. Do you want me to fix you a drink? Jasper made me a huge pitcher of margaritas and I definitely need help finishing it."

Bella was on her fourth margarita when Alice decided she had to break the seal and made a mad dash for the bathroom. Jasper yelled from the living room, asking if she needed any help. Alice laughed hysterically at that.

Bella giggled into her red cup. She looked up just as Edward entered the room.

"Hey, Bella," he said warmly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied. Her voice sounded high pitched but she attributed that to the alcohol. "You?"

He laughed and sat down across from her. She looked him over, approving of his jeans and t-shirt uniform. He wore it often and he wore it well.

"Yeah, I'm okay, too," he smiled. "Emmett told us about your would-be rapist."

She felt her eyes widen dramatically, and then tried to dial back on her reactions. She was definitely tipsy, probably even beyond that. "He wasn't that bad. I don't think."

"Em said he thought he was going to get into a fight," Edward remarked. He sat back in his chair and watched her, clearly amused at her state.

"They definitely did that whole man versus man, verbal pissing contest," she said, waving her arms. "You know what I mean?"

"I do," Edward laughed. "You know, like who's got the bigger – "

He caught himself just in time and looked chagrined, but Bella burst into laughter. She covered her mouth and her cheeks turned pink.

"Yes, that was it, exactly," Bella giggled.

Edward leaned forward and snagged a chip, dipping it into the guacamole. He popped it into his mouth and moaned in appreciation. The blatantly sexual noise caught Bella off guard and she stared at him, wondering if he would make it again.

Instead he opened his eyes, and those intense green orbs locked onto her. He straightened up and his tongue darted out as he licked his lips. The air between them was thick and Bella felt butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm happy you're okay," he broke the silence, his voice intense.

His voice, suddenly deep and husky, did funny things to her insides. Bella opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She simply looked at him, her mouth hanging open, and was saved when Alice came stumbling back into the room.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "I'm cut off. Oh, hi Edward!"

"Hey Alice," he said, looking a bit disappointed at their interruption.

Alice stood there for a moment, staring at them. Her eyes moved back and forth, as if she were watching a tennis match. Finally she fixed her gaze on Edward. "You're in my chair."

"Sorry," he apologized swiftly. He stood up and allowed her to sit down as he edged to the doorway.

Bella watched him avidly, unable to look away. Edward was much leaner than Emmett. His body was tall and lanky, but sinewy with muscles. The t-shirts he wore clung to those muscles, giving her a nice view. She wondered what it would be like to hug him. Her arms would probably be able to reach around his shoulders easily, unlike Emmett's.

He glanced over at her as he was leaving the kitchen, and their eyes caught. She got lost in his hypnotic green stare, at least until Alice began wailing over how she felt like puking. Edward raised his eyebrows and gave Bella a sympathetic look, then laughed and went back into the living room.

Too drunk to process what her moment with Edward meant, if anything, Bella shoved it to the back of her mind and tended to Alice instead.

That night she stayed at Emmett's. They took a long, hot shower together and Bella forgot about everything – James, Edward, even Alice – and remembered only him.

my plan is to update weekly (which i failed at this week, sorry). glad you guys are enjoying it so much! there will be more edward very soon.

and big ups to writersiouxchef, my beta, and the preview ladies =)

LUNA

story recs: what drives her by virginiamay and portrait of a girl by zors