A/N: Ugh. No excuses. It's so overdue it's not even funny any more. However, for your patience, you shall be rewarded! And your prize: A lemon! It took me a long time to write it, but I positively love the outcome. Let's put it this way...there's nothing sexier than a half naked man playing a guitar. Read, and you shall see.

Blah, blah, I don't own it, yadda yadda. You know the drill. Oh, and seriously, you really shouldn't be reading this if you're under 18.

5.

Two weeks passed and Rose found herself falling harder for Emmett. He was incredibly sweet and charming almost to a fault. His smile made her heart flutter, and when they kissed she practically melted in his arms. She smiled as she flashed back on their first kiss in the ocean, and heard him chuckle beside her. She glanced sideways at him as she drove. They were on their way to the airport so Emmett and Edward could rejoin Jasper down south to play a few shows. She hated seeing him leave, but he assured her he'd be back before the new year. Edward had asked Bella to move in with them, and with minimal persuasion she had agreed. Rose was happy to have her cousin and best friend next door, but none the less did not want to let Emmett go. He reached out and took her hand, pressing his lips to the back of it before resting their joined hands on the center console.

"What's got you so chipper all of a sudden?" he asked

"Hmm? Oh nothing," she shrugged and pulled into the garage. She took the first available space and shifted into park, shutting the car off. She looked over at him and laid a hand on his cheek, studying his face.

"What?" he grinned.

"Nothing!" she laughed. "I'm just…memorizing you that's all."

"Like you could ever forget me," he said with a self-confident smirk.

"Only 'cause you won't let me," she snorted, then sighed. "And 'cause I don't want to. I don't want you to go, Em."

"I know babe, I know," he tucked a hair behind her ear and let his hand come to rest on the nape of her neck. "I'll be back in your arms before you know it. You'll see." And he pulled her in for a slow, sensual kiss. An obnoxious throat clearing at the window interrupted their moment. Emmett pulled back and rested his forehead on hers, eyes still closed.

"Y'know, Bella," he grimaced, "You're lucky you're a girl or I swear it I'd knock you out. "

"Bitch, please," Bella scoffed. "I can kick your ass from here to next Sunday and you know it. Now as much as I hate to interrupt this Hallmark Moment, you're going to miss your flight if you don't hurry up."

"We wouldn't be late if you two could stop screwing every chance you get," he leaned over Rose's shoulder to smirk at Bella.

"Don't be jealous 'cause you ain't getting' any," she blew a kiss in his direction and squealed as Edward snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her away.

"Let's go, bro, our flight leaves in twenty minutes." Edward stuck his head in the window.

"We're coming," Emmett leaned back and stifled a grin at the furious blush that now flooded Rose's cheeks.

"I'm going to kill her, I swear to God," she muttered as she fought with the seat belt. He stilled her hands and unfastened it for her. She looked up at him and let out an exasperated sigh. "But she's right. Come on."

They walked slowly to the terminal, Rose sliding her arm around Emmett's waist as he placed his around her shoulders. She leaned against him, and sighed when they came to a stop. She turned in his arms and laid her head on his chest.

"Don't forget to call me when you land," she whispered.

"I could never forget you," he took her face in his hands and gently pressed his lips to hers. He gazed into her violet blue eyes, and was about to kiss her again when he was interrupted a second time by a girlish giggle. They both turned to see Edward lifting Bella from the floor to kiss her goodbye.

"Get a room!" Rose shouted when Bella moaned softly in Edward's arms. Bella grinned as Edward set her back on her feet, giving her one last kiss on the head before joining Emmet in line to board the plane. The girls linked arms and waited until their men had disappeared from sight before heading home.

Days dragged into weeks, and weeks into months. December came and Rose was missing Emmett so much it hurt. He called her as often as he could, often minutes before a show just to hear her voice. But it wasn't enough. She needed him home.

She smiled as she reflected on their first encounter at the beach and the warmth that had engulfed her that day. His smoldering brown eyes and heart-melting smile filled her thoughts and she couldn't stop the sigh that slipped out. Rose hugged herself, holding in that feeling as the first flakes of winter began to fall just outside her door. She leaned her head against the frame, willing the week to fly by so she could feel his arms around her again. They were wrapping up the tour that night in Vegas, and after a couple of press conferences and a Rolling Stone interview and photo shoot, the boys were due to return the following week. It was a week too long, as far as Rose was concerned. She wanted him back now.

A clatter and several colorful expletives from the kitchen brought her out of her reverie. She turned to see Lauren rummaging through the cabinets, in search of God only knew what. Lauren had returned shortly after the boys had left, leaving her completely oblivious to anything that had happened in the previous month. She knew nothing of Emmett and Edward, and Rose preferred to keep it that way. Lauren had a habit of screwing anything with a pulse, and she was not prepared to share Emmett, least of all with that succubus. She cleared her throat, causing Lauren to cease her torrent and huff in frustration.

"What do you want?" she turned and sneered, baring her two thousand dollar smile and wrinkling her five thousand dollar nose. Rose swallowed a chuckle.

"Just wondering why you insist on destroying my kitchen," she pushed off from the door frame and walked slowly into the room. Lauren leaned back against the counter and folded her arms underneath her obnoxiously full breasts, the left one slightly larger than the right. She shook her head, flipping her fried platinum locks over her shoulders.

"Don't you keep anything to eat in this house? Seriously, I don't know why Michael lets you stay here if you can't even keep the cabinets properly stocked."

"Lets me stay here?" Rose didn't suppress the laugh this time. "Mike and I bought this house, remember? Last I checked you're the one staying here. Speaking of which, when is the last time you paid rent?"

"Michael and I have an arrangement, it's none of your concern," she sniffed.

"It is if you want to eat."

"I don't need this," Lauren spat and strode to the table, grabbing her parka from a chair and shrugging it on. She shoved a wool hat down over her ears and struggled to get gloves on over her ridiculously long poison green manicure.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked.

"If you insist on starving me, I'll just have to go feed myself." Lauren finally managed to pull on the last glove and grabbed her keys.

"Why, so you can puke it up later?" Rose smirked.

"Go fuck yourself, Rosalie." she snarled.

"You first. I hear you're good at it."

They stared each other down, bottled blonde versus natural blonde, bimbo versus beauty. Lauren succumbed first and spat at Rose, turning on her heel and storming out of the house. Rose shook her head and sighed, still trying to figure out just how the twisted bitch had sunk her hooks into Mike. She closed the storm door against the now swirling snow, resting her head against it for a moment before shoving off and heading upstairs. She quickly gathered her favorite fuzzy robe from her bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom. Nothing like a hot shower to calm your nerves.

Emmett pulled into the driveway not five minutes later. He grinned when he saw only Rose's truck at the top, snatched his guitar case from the back seat and trudged through the snow up to the house. He knocked gently on the door and turned the knob, pleased to find she had left it unlocked.

"Rose?" he called softly, poking his head in. "Rosie?" The living room was empty and dark, save for the dim light from the now dwindling fireplace. He kicked his boots off and shucked his now sopping sweater, laying it across a chair by the fireplace to dry. Shirtless, he picked up his guitar and silently scaled the stairs toward Rose's bedroom. He stopped short when he heard the shower running, and remembered that Bella had been the one to pick them up at the airport, so it could only be his Rosie in there. Emmett smirked and slid past the door and into her room. He took a moment to dim the lights and light a few candles before perching on the end of the bed and uncasing his guitar. He balanced it on his knee and made a few adjustments before achieving just the right sound. He closed his eyes and started to play.

Rose turned the faucet off and breathed a thoroughly satisfied sigh.

"Doesn't get any better than that," she grinned and pulled the curtain aside, stepping out onto the cool tile floor. She grabbed the towel and began to massage the moisture from her skin. She slowly rubbed her hair dry and stopped, cocking her head to one side.

"I didn't leave the stereo on," she frowned

She continued to listen as she snatched her robe and slipped it on, opening the door and following the familiar chords down the hall. She stopped in the doorway and gasped at what greeted her. Emmett sat on the edge of her bed, clad only in jeans and surrounded by soft candlelight, strumming Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven on an acoustic guitar. He looked up at her as he began to sing…

"There's a lady who's sure

All that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

When she gets there she knows

If the stars are all closed

With a word she can get

What she came for…"

Rose didn't let him finish as she approached him and took his face in her hands, covering his mouth with hers. He laid the guitar on the floor beside him and wove his hands into her hair, taking control and pulling her deeper into the kiss. She pulled back first and took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. She stroked his cheeks gently, allowing her fingers to remember every feature as she trailed them down his jaw line, his thickly muscled neck and across his chiseled chest. He mimicked her caress by sliding his hands into her now open robe and lightly tracing her curves. He reveled in the softness of her skin, letting his fingers dance down her ribcage and come to rest on the swell of her hips. He couldn't stop himself as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her abdomen, just above the navel. He groaned when she arched her back, pressing herself closer to him and urging him to continue. He took the cue and began moving tortuously slow up her torso, kissing and caressing every inch until he was standing over her, holding her eyes in a smoldering gaze.

"Surprise," he whispered, giving Rose the sexy half-smile that made her knees go weak. At a complete loss for words, she could only smile back at him. He leaned down and brushed his lips along her neck, laying his hands on her shoulders and gently edging her robe down. She let her hands fall to her sides and the robe slid to the floor and pooled at her feet. Emmett gazed appreciatively at her toned physique, and took his time admiring every curve with gentle, loving strokes. She shivered when his hands reached her hips and her eyes rolled as he began tracing a burning trail toward her thighs. She moaned when his fingers brushed over her center, sending a zing of pleasure right through her and causing her to dig her nails into his chest . In her ecstasy-induced haze, Rose suddenly realized that while she stood quite naked before him, Emmett was still clothed, if partially.

"It's only fair," she said softly, and answered his questioning eyebrow by sliding her hands into his jeans and firmly gripping the rock hard ass she had been dreaming about since they met. He growled and wrapped his arms around her, at the same time lifting her and discarding the remainder of his clothing. He turned with her still in his embrace and carefully laid her down on the bed, positioning himself above her, a hand on either side of her head. He took a moment to drink in the beauty that lay beneath him: the flush of her creamy skin, the halo of golden hair fanned out on the pillow, the sheen of sweat that trickled between her breasts.

"All mine," he whispered as he lowered his face to hers. "All mine." At that last oath he thrust into her, causing her moan to arch her hips. He pulled back and thrust again, this time eliciting another delicious moan from low in her throat. He smirked and picked up the pace, pushing slightly harder and slightly faster each time until she began to move in synch with him, wrapping her legs around his waist. When she closed her eyes and bit her lip, he knew she was close.

"Rose," he murmured, smoothing her hair back from her face, now slick with sweat. "Rosie, open your eyes." She obliged and gazed up at him, keeping up with his rhythm and continuing to bite her lip.

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time," he said as he continued to thrust. "Since we first met, I've known." He felt his own heat building. "It's… it's always been you." He saw her eyes begin to well up. "Oh God, Rosie, baby, I love you!" And with that profession she cried out and crashed over the edge, tears streaming down her face as she climaxed with him, their bodies shuddering simultaneously with pleasure. His hands found her face again and he wiped the tears away and kissed her, slowing his pace and eventually easing himself out and off of her. He stretched out beside her and she willingly climbed into his arms, resting her head on his chest and twining her leg in between his. After a blissful silence, Rose finally found her voice.

"Em?"

"Hmm?" he looked down and met her eyes. She smiled.

"Welcome home."

He laughed and kissed her fiercely, pulling her on top of him.

Emmett woke first, unsure of the time as it was still quite dark. He picked up Rose's alarm clock and blinked a few times, forcing his eyes to focus on the blurry red numbers. Six a.m. He sighed and placed the offending device back on the night stand and turned his attention back to the angel still sound asleep next to him. After two more rounds of ardent love making, they had collapsed in each other's arms, thoroughly spent. She was now completely wrapped around him, one leg slung over his hips and an arm draped across his chest. Her face was buried in his shoulder and from the steady rise and fall of her chest, he could tell she was still in a very deep slumber. He kissed the top of her head lightly and pried himself from beneath her, sliding out of bed and standing up. He pulled his pants off the floor and yanked them on, adjusting the fly as he descended the stairs. He wasn't very handy in the kitchen, but the one thing he was good at was making breakfast and he wanted to surprise his Rosie with the best breakfast she would ever eat.

He rifled through the cabinets until he found all the proper mixing bowls and pans, and pulled out all the ingredients for ham and cheese omelets and hash browns. In no time he had the potatoes and onions chopped up and in the skillet and was whisking the eggs in a bowl, humming the solo from Stairway to himself. Emmett then spotted Rose's I Pod plugged in to the kitchen stereo and decided to see what kind of music his girl was really in to. He pressed play on the DayGlo orange Nano and laughed out loud as the opening riff of Highway to Hell blared from the speakers.

"Didn't picture you as a hard rock chick, babe," he chuckled to himself, giving the eggs one last turn in the bowl before pouring them into the screaming hot frying pan.

"Oh. My. God."

Emmett froze and his blood ran cold. That voice. It… it couldn't be. He had left her behind long ago, and there was just no way. Why was she here? How did she find him? Of all places, of all times, why here? Why now? He slowly turned and was greeted by a sight he'd hoped he never see again. There, in the doorway, stood the girl that had ripped out his heart. There, mouth agape, stood the woman who had ripped him to shreds and left him to rot. He swallowed hard.

"Lauren."

PS: I heart reviews!