A/N: My Chapter.
I was so distracted watching Edward's retreating form that I let out a tiny squeak of surprise as Alice unexpectedly grabbed my hand and began dragging me toward the kitchen. For such a tiny person, she was actually quite strong.
"Where are we going?" I asked, breathless.
Alice turned to flash me a brilliant smile. "We're having a picnic!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes with excitement. "Isn't that wonderful?"
I was confused as to how anyone could be so enthralled over something as simple as a picnic, but I didn't push the matter. As long as Alice was happy, and not interrogating me about my encounter with Edward, I was satisfied.
She towed me into the kitchen where we found Angela, Jessica and several of the other maids busily preparing food for the picnic. Angela looked up and smiled warmly when she saw me. "Hello, Isabella," she said. "How wonderful it is to see you!"
"Yes," Jessica sneered, putting on her usual fake smile. "We didn't expect to see you here, with us servants."
"We've come to help prepare the food," Alice said. Her voice was friendly as usual, but there was a detectable ring of authority in her tone.
Alice went to check on the rest of the servants while I went to Angela's side. She was cutting a pile of delicious-looking green apples into thin individual slices.
"May I help?" I asked.
Angela shrugged. "You don't have to. I'm happy for the company."
"Please?" I said quietly. I wanted to feel like I was useful for something besides being Edward's personal slave girl.
"Well, alright," She handed me an apple and a cutting knife.
"So," she asked quietly, "How are things going?" Her voice was low, almost a murmur, and I understood why. I would never want to hide anything from Alice, but this particular conversation was one which only servants could understand.
I sighed heavily, and replied in that same soft tone. "Fine, I suppose. This is certainly better than working in the factories or fields."
Angela nodded solemnly, and I knew she understood.
"But . . ." I said slowly.
". . . But?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Edward . . . is . . . exasperating," I admitted. I checked over my shoulder to make sure Alice wasn't listening; no need for her to hear me speaking ill of her favorite brother.
Angela laughed, and then her expression softened. "I know he comes off as a bit . . . abrupt, but he truly is a good person deep down. I should know; I've worked for the Cullens almost my entire life. I've known Edward, Emmett and Alice since we were children."
"I don't see how a good person could be so disagreeable," I grumbled.
"He has good reason."
"What reason?" I scoffed. What reason could there be for someone who has everything to be so cold and unpleasant toward others?
"Trust me," she said quietly.
I wanted to ask her more, but we were interrupted by Alice, who came from behind and placed her tiny hands on my shoulders. "Aren't you excited?" she squealed. "It's such a beautiful day!"
"It is," Angela agreed.
"Angela," Alice exclaimed enthusiastically, "You must come with us! I'd hate to think of you inside on such a beautiful day."
"Oh," Angela said, blushing. "But won't you need me to help with the food?"
Alice waved her hand dismissively. "The other maids can handle it. Oh, please come!"
"Well . . . alright," she said, smiling.
I smiled back, relieved to have her coming with me.
"Excellent!" Alice cried happily. Then she called over her shoulder, "Jessica!"
"Yes?" Jessica asked sweetly, expectantly.
"Would you mind finding some blankets and umbrellas? Oh, and please carry them outside and set them up on the lawn for us. When you've finished you can start bringing out the food."
Jessica scowled before turning on her heel and stalking out of the kitchen.
Alice threw a discreet wink in our direction. Angela muffled her giggles with the back of her hand while I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
"Shall we, ladies?" Alice asked brightly.
I linked arms with Angela as we followed Alice out to the back of the house.
--
The grounds to the Cullen mansion were truly breathtaking, unlike anything I had ever seen. The expansive, perfectly manicured green lawn was flanked by two rows of tall, ancient spruce trees. A large granite fountain stood in the center; water spouted out in every direction, casting rainbows across the ground when it came in contact with the bright afternoon sun.
We ate a traditional picnic lunch of sandwiches, cheese and fruit. Alice and Jasper held up most of the conversation, chattering animatedly with each other while Angela and I listened with polite attentiveness. Emmett and Rosalie sat several feet away from the group, in their own little world. They seemed to be staring dreamily into each other's eyes, admiring each other's perfection. It was almost sickening to watch. Edward sat with the rest of us. I could tell he was listening to the conversation, but he stayed very quiet for most of it. Despite the fact that it was a gorgeous, rare sunny day, he wore his traditional murderous scowl.
Well, at least the weather was nice.
After the meal the men excused themselves to depart for a short hunting trip in the woods, leaving us delicate females, as Emmett had called us, behind to entertain ourselves. Rosalie had propped herself up regally on a reclining lawn chair, deliberately placing it as far away from us on the lawn as possible. She shaded herself from the direct sunlight beneath a large parasol umbrella. Jessica was constantly running back and forth catering to Rosalie's every demand, from fanning her by hand to brining her cold drinks.
The rest of us were still seated on the picnic blanket, basking in the sun's warm rays. Alice sat on the ground behind Angela, where she was braiding her hair into a long plait down her back. I lay on my stomach next to them, propped up on my elbows. I was reading a book I had found in the mansion's extensive library, called Wuthering Heights. It had an interesting story line, focusing mainly on a heated romance between two of the main characters. I noticed there were several pages with the corners turned down, marking passages of particular interest. The binding was worn from being opened so many times.
"How many times have you read this book?" I asked Alice curiously.
Alice peered over the top of Angela's head. "Never," she said, surprise evident in her voice. "That book is Edward's favorite."
This shocked me. "I never pictured your brother as the romantic type."
"He was once," Alice said softly.
This perked my curiosity. I rolled over onto my side so I could look at her. "What do you mean?"
Alice's beautiful face looked so sad in that moment, it almost broke my heart. She exchanged a meaning glance with Angela.
"You should tell her," Angela said gently. "She's going to find out sooner or later."
Alice sighed, and turned to me. "How much do you know about my brother, Bella?"
"Not very much," I admitted truthfully.
"I know he must seem very . . . abrasive to you, because you don't know him. But he wasn't always like this. He wasn't always so . . . cold, so distant."
The story seemed to be a painful one for her to tell. I couldn't even imagine what could be so horrible that it would put that look on Alice's face. My curiosity burned. "Did something happen to him?"
"Yes," she whispered softly.
"What happened?"
She began slowly. "Several years ago, Edward was very nearly married. He was engaged to a woman named Tanya Denali. We had known her most of our lives, even grew up together as children. Her family and our family had been close friends for years. Edward was very much in love with her."
I sat very quiet, waiting for her to continue.
"Several weeks into their engagement, Edward discovered that Tanya had been unfaithful to him . . . she'd had an affair with Jacob Black."
I gasped. "The man at the party?"
Alice nodded gravely.
"The nerve of him," Angela hissed, "showing up at such a time . . ."
I nodded in agreement. Alice continued.
"Edward was hurt very deeply by the incident, but he was too much in love with Tanya to let her go. Jasper and I tried to make him see sense, to reason with him, to tell him that she couldn't be trusted, but he wouldn't listen . . Despite our advice, he forgave her, and agreed to follow through on the engagement if Tanya promised to never see Jacob Black again. She gave him her word, but of course she didn't keep her promise. One night, she snuck out to a local inn to spend the night with Jacob. While they were sleeping, the building caught fire. Jacob escaped, but Tanya didn't. He left her there to die."
I gasped audibly.
"Edward was devastated," she continued. "I'm not sure which was more tragic to him; the fact that he had lost the love of his life, or the fact that she had betrayed him. He became deeply depressed after her death, and he never fully recovered. He hasn't been the same since."
A heavy silence fell between us, and I found that I was speechless. Such cruelty was almost unimaginable. I suddenly felt terrible for every ill word I had spoken against Edward Cullen. "I didn't know," I whispered.
Alice came to sit by me on the blanket, and took my hand in hers. "It's not your fault," she told me reassuringly. "He didn't want me to tell you; it's too painful for him to talk about, and he doesn't want anyone to know. It would be best not to bring this up in front of him. Promise me you won't say anything."
I nodded, and gave her my word. "Of course, Alice."
Deep, resounding laughter echoed in the distance as the men returned from their outing. They emerged from the trees together with Emmett in the lead; he was walking purposefully with several dead animals slung over his shoulder. Jasper and Edward followed several feet behind him. Edward seemed to be laughing at something Jasper had said.
As they crossed the river toward us, a devilish look crossed Emmett's face. He deliberately extended a foot in Jasper's walking path so that he tumbled face forward into the water, taking Edward with him. Emmett's laughter was cut off as Jasper reached up and pulled on his leg with so much force that he fell down on top of them. The three of them laughed uproariously, wrestling and splashing water at each other.
Rosalie rolled her eyes and made a disapproving tisk noise. Alice laughed delightedly.
As they headed closer to where we were sitting, I could now see that all three of them were incredibly disheveled. They were each soaking wet and covered with caked-on dirt and mud. Emmett and Jasper had loosened the collars of their shirts, but Edward's shirt was fully unbuttoned and hanging open. Is that man incapable of keeping a shirt on!? I thought angrily to myself. I forced myself to keep my eyes away from his tantalizing chest, and buried my face in my book again.
Jasper came to sit by Alice on the blanket. He leaned over to kiss her and she leaned away from him, wrinkling her nose. "Time for a bath first, I think."
Jasper laughed. Alice squealed as he pinned her in place at his side and placed a large, sloppy kiss on her cheek. I smiled at their display; I had never seen two people so in love. Emmett went to sit by Rosalie, and she shook off his arm when he tried to place it around her shoulders. His face fell slightly.
"An excellent idea," Edward said, and turned on his heel to head back toward the house. He was several yards away before he called, "Well, what are you waiting for?" over his shoulder.
Was he speaking to me? I looked to Alice. She gave me a pointed look and jerked her head in Edward's direction. My eyes widened in terror; she didn't know what had happened the last time I has been alone with Edward. Alice jerked her head again, this time so sharply her neck must have cracked. I looked pleadingly to Angela, but she had her arms folded obstinately across her chest. She narrowed her eyes at me.
Jasper laughed at our display, and I could have sworn I saw Emmett's lips twitch up at the corners. Rosalie scowled.
I sighed, scrambling awkwardly to my feet and hurried after him.
--
I followed lamely after Edward into the house. He did not look back or acknowledge me as he headed up the stairs, and then went directly into his room without saying a word. Anxious for something to do, I went to prepare his bath.
I filled the tub with steaming hot water and added some sort of fragrant smelling soap. As I was toweling my hands dry, Edward entered the bathroom. He immediately shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it aimlessly aside. I blushed, shocked he would take his clothes off in front of me, and turned away from him to stare at the wall. I heard his slacks fall to the floor with a soft thud before I heard him climb into the water and sit down. A hot flush crept up my neck at the knowledge that I was in the same room with him, naked.
I was about to run for the door when Edward barked an order at me. "Stay," he commanded.
I reluctantly turned and crossed the room to sit on a small chair next to the tub. I stared pointedly forward, refusing to look at him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward staring at me with a smug look on his face; he seemed hugely entertained by my discomfort. "Well," he said, trying to hide the amusement in his voice, "Make yourself useful."
My hand trembled as I took a washcloth from the sink basin. I reached forward and wiped it across a dried patch of dirt over his left eye. His lids fluttered shut eyes as the warm water trickled over them. I continued to dab at the rest of his face; over his brows, his jaw line, his nose, his chin. I could feel him relaxing as he sighed, leaning back against the tub.
It was strange to see Edward relax so completely; he never let his guard down around me before. I continued wiping gently at the skin of his neck, over his shoulder, and down the length of his long, muscular arm. His breathing sped and became erratic as I moved to his chest, running the warm cloth over his hard, sculpted muscles. I paused when I reached his abdomen, unsure if I should go any further.
Edward sensed my hesitation. "Don't stop," he commanded. His head was still tilted back, eyes shut. His breathing was heavy and labored, and I noticed that his fingers were gripping tightly at the edge of the tub.
I tentatively moved the cloth further down, over his ribs. I felt a shudder rip through him as I traced it delicately over the defined muscles of his stomach. I marveled inwardly at the outrageous perfection of his body. It was breathtaking – like a smooth, marble statue of a Greek god.
As I pushed the cloth to his lower stomach, I suddenly became acutely aware of a very obvious stiffness beneath the water. I gasped, and lost my grip on the washcloth. I watched in horror as it sank slowly to the bottom of the tub. Edward's eyes snapped open, and my heart nearly stopped at the sight of them – they were dark, smoldering, and undeniably hungry.
"I . . . I need to leave," I stuttered. I turned to get up, but Edward grasped my wrist tightly.
"No," he said roughly.
"I'm … sorry …," I panted. "I can't do this."
"I've had enough of this game, Isabella," Edward growled, tightening his grip on me.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I lied, pulling frantically against his grasp.
Edward's eyes narrowed and darkened. When he spoke his voice was low and dangerous. "Isabella Swan, either you get in this tub with me now, or I am getting out of it and coming after you."
At his words, an intense rush of heat shot through my body – whether it was a result of fear or excitement, I could not be sure. Regardless, I was too terrified to find out. Like a coward, I turned to flee. My foot slipped when I turned on the wet linoleum, causing me to lose my balance and fall backwards into the tub, directly onto Edward's lap. The water splashed wildly around us, covering my both my face and his. My wet, matted hair stuck to my forehead as my cheeks turned a deep red. I was mortally embarrassed.
Edward stared at me for a moment with a tight lipped expression before bursting into a fit of hysterical laughter. I watched as his smile stretched into a wide grin, exposing a set of perfectly straight, white teeth. His entire body shook, sending violent ripples through the bath water. I huffed loudly, folding my arms across my chest. I pretended to be angry for several moments before I felt my own lips begin to twitch up at the corners. I began to laugh along with him, despite myself. The situation was far too ridiculous not to find some sort of comedic relief in it.
Our laughing subsided eventually, and when I looked up I was surprised to find Edward's face merely inches from my own. His skin was attractively flushed, a combination from his laughter and the warm steam rising from the bath. His dark bronze hair was saturated with water, tousled and sticking up in various directions. A strange tingling sensation spread through my body as I became acutely aware of my newly compromised position, seated across his naked lower body.
Edward raised one of his hands from beneath the water and reached up to brush the wet hair out of my eyes. Warmth radiated from his wet skin as he allowed his fingers to rest against the side of my face. He continued to stare at me wordlessly. I felt the need to look away, to get out of the tub, to run from him, but at that moment I found myself incapable of doing those things I knew I should. I was frozen under his piercing gaze, and I couldn't seem to tear myself away from him.
Edward's hand curved around the back of my neck before he pulled my face to his and crushed our lips together. It caught me by surprise; I had never been touched by a man before, but I had always pictured my first kiss as being soft and timid, beginning slow and gradually gaining intensity. This kiss was nothing of the sort; it was blazing, passionate, and full of lust. My first instinct was to push him away, but I found, to my immense surprise, that I didn't want to. Quite the contrary, I wanted him even closer.
His lips felt wonderful against mine – they were soft, warm, and inviting. The taste of him was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was completely overwhelmed by the bombardment of pleasurable sensations. My fingers developed minds of their own as they twisted in his hair, pulling his face as close to mine as possible at that angle. Suddenly I was kissing him back … with a great deal of enthusiasm.
I felt Edward grip the sides of my arms before he hoisted me up so that I was directly facing him, straddling his lap. He accomplished this without breaking our kiss, continuing to assault my lips in a way that should have been illegal. His hands slid up and down the sides of my body, one twisting itself in my long, wet hair while the other slid down my back. Despite my more ladylike impulses, I had to admit that I loved the feeling of his strong hands all over me. I began to explore his body in kind, running my hands down his chest and across his slick, well-defined muscles.
His lips moved fervently against mine; they were ravenous, hungry. I felt his tongue slide across my lower lip and my mouth parted for him automatically. Edward deepened the kiss, and we both moaned softly into each other's mouths as our tongues stroked sensually against each other. I bit down gently on his lower lip, pulling it between my teeth. He groaned loudly in appreciation, and responded by tightening his grip on my sides and forcefully grinding our hips together. A soft whimper escaped my lips, and this seemed to set something off inside of him.
He began tearing wildly at my clothes; first my dress which he pulled over my head and tossed to the side, and then my petticoat which was thrown in a soaking heap onto the floor. I was practically bare now, in nothing but my thin silk chemise. Without the barrier of clothing between us, I became very aware of Edward's manhood pressed against my inner thigh. He ground his hips into mine again and I whimpered again as his hardness rubbed against the sensitive area between my legs. Edward growled, thrusting his hips upward, this time with a great deal of force.
His hands shot up unexpectedly, leaving my sides in order to pull down the straps of my slip so that my bare skin was exposed. He lurched forward to lavish my neck with attention, biting and kissing the skin there. The combined sensations of his lips sucking on my flesh and our hips thrusting against each other were almost more than I could bear. The throbbing between my legs was becoming almost painful.
I broke away from him and leaned forward so that our foreheads were touching. Edward's eyes were closed, and he was panting heavily. When he opened them, he seemed to be searching my face for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to find it, because he kissed me again with unprecedented enthusiasm. In one swift, graceful movement he was standing up and out of the water. I was still clinging to him, my arms locked behind his neck and my legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He continued to kiss me passionately while stepping carefully out of the tub. With me securely in his arms, he carried us forward and into the bedroom.
A/N: You guys have NO IDEA how long I've been wanting to write that bath tub scene! ^.^