BPOV

Exhilarating.

That was the only word I could use to describe swimming when you're a vampire.

And with Edward on my back, I was in total bliss. I held him securely, not letting him slip off. I felt his fingers trace my lips, and I kissed them softly.

His lips were at my ear. "I should never have doubted you, love." I giggled softly.

"Nope. Now I'm playing your part." We both laughed at that.

He kissed my hair, the back of my neck, the skin behind my ears – I had to slow down because that spot was a tender one, and made me shudder in pleasure every time his lips were there – and many other places. Finally, I felt him try to shrug off my back.

"Bella, stop, please. You're hogging whatever chance I have of carrying you."

I rolled my eyes, but complied.

"Are you tired?" he teased. We knew the answer; vampires never get tired.

He pulled me to him. As he looked down, I heard his breath catch.

"What?" I asked.

"Bella…your dress…."

I looked down. Since it was wet, it was see-through, and my chest was…uh….

He smiled sheepishly at me. "I should have thought before I gave you that dress; I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm sure you like it," I teased, running my hands over his chest.

"Yes, of course I do."

He flung me over his back before I could talk. "We have to go somewhre out of the way, but we're probably still close to Rio. We just have to go down the coastline a few miles. And the sharks aren't attacking probably because our skin frightens them."

I glanced down at myself; the sparkles on my skin showed through my dress.

"Yes, you are beautiful," he whispered, twisting around to kiss me quickly. And then we were off.

In ten minutes, I could smell dense trees. I saw the a deserted coastline in front of us, and there were trees. I could also detect all kinds of animals, and my mouth watered.

I swung myself off Edward's back. I gripped his hand, and we made it to shore together.

"Ah, Bella." He looked at me with fierce love in his eyes. I was sure that my expression was similar.

I kissed him softly. "Time to hunt!"

He chuckled, a low, throaty chuckle. "Okay, let's go."

For a few hours, until the sun had reached it's summit, we fed on larger animals. Edward had consumed two mountain lions and a deer; surprisingly, the game was nearly the same as it was in Forks. I'd downed a bear and two deer. I insisted on watching Edward hunt. It was one of the most awe-inducing, perfect actions to watch. It was easy to see why he liked the mountain lion. He would crouch down, and stalk it perfectly, not a step out of place. And then his rippling muscles would tense, and he would be wrestling the lion to the ground. After a bite to the throat, he would slowly drink the blood and bury the body.

And then he came over to give me a hug. I melted in his arms.

He was still much more experienced at hunting than I was, no questions asked. My dress was torn in three places and there were small spatters of blood, whereas Edward's smooth, bare skin had no trace of blood. I couldn't even smell blood on him, anywhere, other than on his lips. If I wanted to learn, I'd better hunt more.

"Okay, love, ready to go back?" he asked, staring at the sun, which was slowly beginning to slip down.

I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand. "Yep, ready."

We walked back down to the coast, and Edward held a hand out to me. I grasped it tightly and we were back in the water. This time, I didn't protest. Edward put me on his back again, and I bent my head to his. We would talk, but this way, we arrived back at Isle Esme much faster.

Besides, I had no idea where to go, so it was good that Edward was so knowledgeable.

As we stepped back onto land, Edward pulled me into another embrace.

We walked up the hill to the cliff again, which was our favorite spot, though we'd never talked about that. Edward held my hand and parted the undergrowth for me – just like a gentleman, that's my Edward – and soon, we were there, sunning ourselves again.

"So," he whispered, tracing the lines on my hand. "Dartmouth? Or Alaska? Or high school?" That was one of the reasons why I loved Edward – he was so considerate. He gave me three choices, and I knew that he wouldn't complain, whichever I chose.

I considered the choices. If I had to go, I might as well go out in a flame of glory. "Dartmouth."

His eyes gleamed with possibilities and he kissed me again. "You'll see how it is," he assured me. "Your choice is a thousand times better than high school or University of Alaska – there won't be as many males vying for your attention at Dartmouth." Even though he was teasing, I recognized the tone underneath it.

I pulled his mouth to mine again. "You, Edward, are the only man who will ever have my attention." He was mollified by that, and we made out until the sun began to set.

"Charlie will be happy," he sighed.

"Yes, he will, I guess."

The sun's edge was meeting the water now. I stretched and stood up.

"Time to go back to bed," he joked. I was indeed eager for that.

"You know, Edward, I feel like I could just not get up, forever. Just stay in bed, with you."

He laughed, and hugged me closer. "I know how you feel, and I could, too. But there's so much more than that, and we have the rest of eternity to ourselves, remember?"

I was elated. "You're right."

Our hands locked together, we ran back to the house and crawled back into bed, though the sun was still shining.