"Oh yes...Edward...yes!" I watched as Bella came undone beside me, my hands playing her body like a piano. Her delicious arousal swirled through the air, making me heady with desire. Her writhing and moaning made parts of me come alive that I'd never known existed. I was obsessed with pleasuring her. Continuing to pump two fingers inside of her, while my thumb circled her clit, I curled them slightly to hit that spot that always sent her spiraling into oblivion. Her walls clenched around my fingers and her slick juices coated my hand. Her nipples hardened impossibly more and her entire body bloomed with the delicate pink blush I found so endearing on her cheeks. The first time I realized it spread through her whole body, I decided to make it my mission to have her naked as much as possible. I continued at a slower pace until her body relaxed and then removed my hand from her overheated folds. She curled into my side and I ran my hand over her side and hip as she struggled to calm her breathing.
Bella ran her hand lightly over the flannel fabric covering my straining erection and it twitched at her touch, making me groan. She looked up at me through her thick, dark lashes, silently asking permission and I nodded. I'd never expected to have any kind of sexual intimacy with her until she was changed, but we'd found there were a few things we could do to relieve our sexual tension that were safe enough. And we thoroughly enjoyed practicing those few things. Her warm hand slipped inside my pajama pants and grasped my shaft. After slowly pumping her hand a couple times, she pulled her hand away and slid my pants down my hips. Once I was laid out nude before her, she took a few moments to rake her eyes over my body before bending down to caress, kiss, and nip anywhere she could reach. Her hand found my shaft again and she laid her head on my stomach, her mahogany curls spilling over my chest. My entire body felt warm as she began to stroke me, her hand so small that her fingers did not even meet around the girth of my shaft. Every so often her thumb would sweep out to wipe away the moisture gathering at the slit, helping to lubricate her ministrations. It didn't take long before the now familiar coil began to tighten in my gut, the heat growing stronger and radiating through my torso and limbs. As I began to tremble with the beginnings of my release, bucking my hips into her hand, Bella moved away until only her hand remained. It was a safety precaution that she not be too close to me as I came. She raked her nails down my thigh as her pace quickened and every muscle in my body tensed impossibly tighter before I exploded in ecstasy.
When I opened my eyes, the breathtaking grin on her face almost made my heart stutter to life. I'd never known how much physical intimacy could add to our relationship, and how much confidence that alone would give her. Bella grabbed the towel next to the bed and wiped up the mess we'd made, before curling up beside me again. I tilted her face up so that I could kiss her.
"Love you."
"Love you too." She murmured.
The rest of the family had left us alone on the island. Bella was uncomfortable doing anything more than kissing, knowing there were four other sets of ears that would hear, and smell, exactly what we were doing. Eventually, she would learn to get over her inhibitions, but this was still new territory for her and the family truly didn't mind. They'd seen the changes in her once I stopped turning down her advances. They were honestly happy for both of us.
Eventually, Bella rolled over and picked up a book she was reading. I opened the shades and the room flooded with sunlight. Turning back to Bella, I paused and drank in the sight of the sun playing over her curves. My own skin threw a few scattered rainbows over the room. We would spend a good part of the day lounging on the bed in the nude, content to bask in each other's company and the sunlight. The family would be back this evening with a boat full of supplies and groceries.
The past three months had not come without difficulties. Everyone had been tense and irritable, a by-product of being forced to live in such cramped quarters during the winter season. Alice and Esme were visibly twitching in their own skin to get to a big city. Jasper and Carlisle enjoyed the solitude, but even they picked up on the cabin fever. Being an empath, of course Jasper literally absorbed whatever the rest of the family was feeling, and Carlisle wasn't used to spending this much time idle. He preferred to be productive, and had grown weary of reading away the days this winter. Bella had been grumpy, but compared to the others, it seemed to bother her less. Part of that I chalked up to the fact that she got to sleep for eight hours every day, but even in Forks, she'd never been a social person. This was the kind of thing she always enjoyed – spending time with family and reading – the complete opposite of Alice. We worked hard to keep her occupied, and in turn, that kept us somewhat busy as well.
Carlisle enrolled her in an online program so she could finish her high school education. She devoted a few hours each day to her schoolwork and had a house full of overeducated vampires to help tutor her if she ever needed any help. Bella definitely preferred online courses to actual high school, often citing that the only good thing to come of her high school career was me. She continued to write in her journals, and had also taken to writing stories. Eventually, she thought she might work on an actual novel, but currently had no definite ideas for a plot. Alice and Esme had taught her to knit, and often the three of them would sit in front of the fire in the evening working on small projects they could donate to shelters and hospitals. Alice enjoyed shopping of course, and searching out unique yarns gave her a reason to do so without accumulating more goods.
Bella had recovered physically from her ordeal and her body had changed and matured quite a bit in the short time we'd been here. Carlisle's attention to her health had a lot to do with that. Cooking had become something special that Esme and Bella shared, and she was back up to a healthy weight. She spent two hours each day doing aerobics and yoga in the living room. I could watch her body bend and twist like that all day. Sometimes Alice or Esme joined her, though it would have no effect on their unchanging physique. They did to keep her company and to give themselves something to do.
All of this combined with the therapy from Carlisle and Jasper had given rise to a new, more confident Bella. She was more self-aware, and communication between the two of us had never been better. I learned to be completely open and honest instead of trying to protect her by keeping things from her. It is still difficult sometimes, because she is my mate, the love of my life, of course I want to protect her. But she is also her own person who needs to make her own decisions.
I watched her as she flipped another page in her book, her hand going back to the necklace I'd given her for Christmas. She never took it off, and that meant the world to me. I knew she wasn't one for jewelry, but when I saw this locally handcrafted piece, I knew it was perfect for Bella. A single piece of topaz, wrapped in heavy gauge jewelry wire, hung from a simple silver chain. I had been nervous about her reaction, but she actually cried and kissed me passionately. Jasper had bought Alice a similar piece, with jasper, of course, as the stone, and when Esme opened a ring from Carlisle by the same artist, we all erupted with laughter.
The joy was short lived when Bella opened my other present though. Apparently, a European vacation was too much, and she stormed out of the room in angry tears. She has since come around, with some persuasion from Esme and Alice. They convinced her the beautiful beaches and mouthwatering food were a once in a human lifetime experience. Carlisle explained she had to do this now before she sparkled in the sun and had no use for human food. Bella threw back that none of us would be able to join her on those sunny beaches, and she was right of course. I had imagined Bella spending her days reading as she laid on the beaches of Greece and Southern France, and then I'd join her for dinner and an evening on the town. I explained to her that we could still visit the beach together at night, and I had chartered a private yacht for part of the trip as well, so we could all spend time together sparkling out on the secluded ocean and swimming in the sea. It took some convincing, but she finally admitted, furiously blushing, that it was on her list of things she would like to do while still human. The fact that England and Ireland were on the list had a lot to do with her acceptance, since both countries were rich with literary history and because of the cloud cover, we'd be able to spend more time out during the day together.
Carmen and Eleazar had arrived at the end of January and rented a cozy little cottage on the main island. There certainly was not enough room in our cabin for another couple, and we enjoyed having someplace else we could congregate. Esme and Alice threw themselves into helping Carmen decorate the place in order to pass the time until the new house was built. Bella tried to participate, but quickly found herself overwhelmed by the other vampires' knowledge and speed. Carmen and Bella had quickly grown fond of each other. They could often be found pouring over books in the local bookstores, or chatting at a coffee shop. I was happy Bella had found a friend in Carmen. Since it made more sense for the five of us to boat over to the mainland to hunt together, it was nice that Bella had a place to go while we were gone. We would not hear of her staying on our island alone, and because she looked forward to spending time with Carmen, she was receptive to the idea and we avoided any arguments about me being overprotective about it.
Things had settled into a predictable rhythm and everyone was anticipating the arrival of Rosalie and Emmett in a few weeks, and then the inevitable building of the new house. Preparations were beginning to ramp up, and supplies had started arriving on the island. Bella was not convinced we could build an entire house by ourselves in a week, and I couldn't wait to see the look of surprise on her face as she watched the progress. Some things just aren't comprehensible to the human brain. Esme had designed a stunning lodge that would blend into the landscape of the island perfectly. Any trees we had to clear would be used in the construction, and it would be as earth friendly as possible. It was easier for us, as vampires, because we had no need for air conditioning, heating, or cooking, though the systems would be in place just in case. Solar energy would be the main source of power, so the only real utilities we needed to worry about were water and sewage. The only waste we would be outputting was gray water from our washing machine and shower, and that could run off onto the island itself. We would use a compost toilet system, though Bella would likely be the only person to ever use it, and only for a few months. A well had been dug for the old cabin, but the new house would use a combination of a cistern and desalination system. We'd be using mostly all recycled or sustainable materials. It was fascinating how many advances had been made since the last time we built a house, and the entire family had been involved in the research and choices, even Bella. She had daydreamed briefly about having chickens and goats and a vegetable garden, but was quickly reminded she'd have no reason for any of that soon.
The biggest decision in the new home had been whether or not Bella and I would be sharing a suite. We'd had an intense joint counseling session with both Jasper and Carlisle when it came up. Bella and I had reconciled and it just made sense for us to share a suite considering we both thought of ourselves as a mated pair. There would never be anyone else for either of us. However, Bella was an only child and had never shared a living space with a sibling or roommate, let alone a partner, lover, mate – whatever term fit us. It was fairly easy to decide that our space would be divided between a bedroom and a study, with an en suite bathroom and shared closet. That was the typical setup every other couple in the family employed, and we were sure we could make it work, as long as we had ample room to store our combined collections of books and music. Which meant most of the room would be ringed with floor to ceiling bookshelves. Bella also requested we have a place for the keyboard in our room, though I had plans of adding an upright piano instead. The sound just did not compare. I missed feeling the vibrations from the piano. It had been fun to work on our suite together, usually I left all the details up to Alice and Esme. Having someone to share it with, made all this a completely different experience. Bella had taken my preferences into consideration, and chosen a stunning dark blue and steel gray color scheme for the bedroom. The bathroom was much like everyone else's with a tub large enough for both of us and a separate shower that neither one of us could wait to experience. I was surprised that Bella didn't insist on something simple, but she was more than happy to indulge herself when it came to this part of the room. The idea of multiple body jets and Bella in the shower together had my mind working overdrive.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the beautiful nude goddess laying on the bed next to me. Every so often her muscles would twitch and a small, yet delicious ripple would travel across her skin. Bella closed her book and smirked at me, rolling off the bed with more grace than she used to exhibit.
"I'm going to take a shower before they get back." She explained. As much as I would have liked to join her, the shower in this cabin was barely big enough for one person.
"I'll fix you something to eat then. I'm sure Carlisle wouldn't let me hear the end of it if he came home to find I starved you all day."
I found that the family charade was quite patronizing, now that I'd found my mate. It was different in the beginning of our relationship, when we were more like teenagers who were dating. Now that we lived together and were planning our future together, sometimes we felt smothered. Many times we had discussed living on our own once Bella was past her volatile newborn year. Even if it meant that we had to move more often, neither one of us wanted to continue with the perpetual high school student charade either. We would go to college together, once she was able, and then, most likely we'd travel the world for a while. Jasper had been feeling the same way lately, but Alice was attached to the family idea more so than the rest of us. Really, this was the only family she'd ever known since she remembered nothing of her life before she woke up as a vampire. Jasper had been a man before he was changed, and yearned for a certain amount of independence. They both were joining us on our European tour this summer, while Carlisle and Esme took their own much needed and well deserved vacation to Isle Esme. That island was off the coast of South America. Carlisle bought it for Esme many years ago.
I went to the kitchen and assembled a variety of finger foods for Bella, deciding at the last minute to take her on a surprise picnic. The days were warmer now, so we were able to enjoy more outings together. Knocking on the bathroom door, I opened it slightly so she could hear me.
"Wear something suitable for outside when you get dressed, love."
"Where are we going?" She asked from the steaming shower. Her scent swirled deliciously through the air.
"It's a surprise." I still waited for the groan that used to invariably follow that sentence, but she'd long since stopped complaining about surprises and money for the most part.
"Alright, can't wait." Bella replied sweetly without a hint of sarcasm. It was nice to finally be able to do things like this for her, and she always enjoyed them.
She met me at the front door, dressed in jeans and a warm sweater. I helped her into her coat, and then she put on her hat. We held hands as we sloshed through the melting snow and mud. Bella had wrinkled her nose when she saw the mud and picnic basket, thinking the spring thaw would make this trip unbearably messy, but I had other plans. Once we had reached our destination, I leapt into a tree and quickly scrambled to the top. After laying out the blanket on a sturdy branch with the view I wanted and securing the basket, I quickly descended to a smirking Bella.
"Well this is a surprise." She stretched up to kiss me gently on the lips, and then hopped on my back when I turned around into a crouch. Less than a minute later I had her seated securely in my arms on a branch looking out over the Atlantic ocean. "Mmmm. This is nice." Bella hummed as she leaned back into me. Her stomach growled and we laughed together as I reached over to pull out some cut up fruit for her. I placed the container into her hands, and gingerly picked up a piece of apple, feeding it to her while I still held her securely with one arm. Her soft tongue swept out to caress my fingers teasingly as she accepted my offering.
"We're going hunting in two days."
Bella nodded. Even without the constant barometer of my eye color, our schedule was quite predictable. "There's a poetry reading at the coffeehouse that evening. Me and Carmen already planned to go. I'll pick up the mail as well. Is there anything else you wanted from town?"
"I have everything I need right here." I hugged her a little tighter and slipped a grape between her lips.
"Well let me know if you think of anything. I know Alice usually takes care of everything, but I don't mind. It would be kind of nice to be able to do things like that for you."
"Yeah? I can always tell Alice to stop."
She shook her head. "Well considering she's probably already seen this conversation, it's ok. I mean it's kind of nice to have our every need anticipated, but sometimes I'd like to take care of myself...if that makes any sense?"
"I know what you mean. I think I'm just used to it because I've had fifty or so years to get used to it. You've always been so independent, it's been hard to get used to our way of life."
"Yeah." She mumbled.
"You know, I really never used to care about any of that stuff. I let the women decorate the house. I let Alice buy my clothes. She even laid out my clothes each day like I was incapable of picking them out myself. I never really gave my input, just kind of going along with the flow. But since I've had you...well...I don't want anyone else making these kinds of decisions except us. If we want to decorate our room, I want us to be the ones to decide the theme and pick out the bedding. If I need new clothes, I want to go shopping with you, and see what I think or what you think looks good. Don't get me wrong, I love Alice and appreciate everything she does, but I'm just ready to find my own way and that includes you. Whatever decisions need to be made, I want us to make them. Together."
Bella leaned her head back so she could see me, and her grin was huge. "I guess this is what it feels like to grow up, huh?" She giggled. Just the other day we sat down and folded our clothes together. It was so normal and domestic. She was right, I felt like an adult, and it felt right. "Gosh, Edward, how did you ever do it and not die from boredom. Year after year of high school. Promise me we will never be like that?"
"I've promised you eleven times already, another twenty isn't going to make it any more true. I have no desire to go through that any time soon. I look forward to it just being the two of us for a very, very long time. We're going to settle down some place far enough from other people so that there are no thoughts invading my mind but my own."
"Do you think my mind will still be shielded from you once I'm changed?"
"I'm not entirely sure of course, but my theory is that yes, it will. However, you should be able to gain control over your shield eventually, and hopefully, you will be able to manipulate it. I am looking forward to that day. Hearing your mind would be exponentially better than tasting your blood again, my dear."
I felt her shake her head infinitesimally. "How do you know you'll like what you hear? What if I'm just as vapid as every other high school girl who annoyed you?" She whispered.
"Never." When I was first trying to convince myself to stay away from Bella, I had used the same excuse. I tried to convince myself there was nothing special about her, and that if I could read her mind, she would be just like everyone else. It was a lie. Bella would never be like anyone else. Finding her was like coming across a diamond chip in the middle of a desert.
We sat a while longer and I finished feeding her the food I'd prepared. The rest of the family would be home soon and we wanted to be there when they arrived. We were almost home when Bella slipped in the mud. I was looking out at the ocean and went down before I could catch her. "Ow! Shit!" She cried out. The scent of her blood hit me and I stopped breathing out of habit, though I knew I would maintain control. Her face flamed red and I wasn't sure if she was going to laugh and cry. I abandoned our picnic basket and helped her stand, noticing her entire backside was caked with mud. She cradled her right palm in her hand, but I could still see the crimson drops mixing with the dirt.
"Are you ok?" I asked her.
"Yeah, just sliced open my hand on that root." She studied me intently, making sure we were both ok, before making any sudden movements.
"I'm fine." I smiled reassuringly. "Let's get you back to the house and cleaned up." Picking her up in my arms, I jogged the rest of the way. There was no reason to really run, but I wanted to get it taken care of quickly. Esme would be upset with the mud we'd tracked in, but the floor had needed to be mopped almost every day for the past two weeks already, so it was nothing new.
Once I got her in the bathroom and washed her hand off, I was able to assess the cut and it was pretty deep. The blood was still flowing and I knew she would need a couple of stitches. Bella came to the same conclusion at the same time. "Stitches huh?"
"Yeah." I cradled her hand gently and gave her a rueful smile. "I'll be right back." She stood uncomfortably in her muddy clothes, waiting for me to return. "Why don't you hop in the shower first." I suggested, moving to help her undress.
Once she was mud-free and in clean clothes, we sat down at the kitchen table with Carlisle's supplies laid out in front of me. Bella grimaced at the needle, but I knew the one shot was preferable to her having to feel every stitch. She watched me as I worked quickly and deftly once the anesthetic had taken effect. It didn't take long for me to finish and she thanked me. Even though she knew I held two medical degrees, she admitted it still seemed odd for someone who looked like a teenager and attended high school to be performing procedures. However, since I had been the one to stitch the wounds closed on her wrists, she trusted me implicitly with her care now.
After I cleaned up and bandaged her hand, she picked out a movie and we sat on the couch as I cradled her hand in mine, letting my unnaturally cold skin soothe the swelling.
It wasn't long before I heard the boat approaching, along the thoughts of my family. Alice had already seen Bella's injury and they had already planned to be cautious. Jasper's control had greatly improved from having to live in such close quarters with Bella. In addition, Bella being, well, Bella, meant a few scrapes and cuts here and there, and he'd managed to control his blood lust each time. The last time he had not even needed to leave the cabin, but it was still important that we take precautions. Carlisle and Esme entered first, placing themselves between the door and Bella. I was monitoring his thoughts with my entire focus, my arms wrapped around Bella in case I needed to move her quickly. Jasper entered and his mental monologue was nothing concerning. He had been expecting it, which helped, as well as the fact that it was not a fresh wound and the blood had already clotted.
I'm fine. Completely in control. He smiled, letting everyone else know he was ok. You could feel the tension drain out of the room as we all realized Jasper was fine. Then Carlisle was immediately in front of Bella, making her jump and her heart stutter. He examined her hand and nodded, satisfied with the job I'd done. Well done.
Bella hopped up to help put away the groceries, but Esme made her sit back down because of her injured hand. She gave Jasper an apologetic smile as she flopped back down on the couch. He shook his head and smirked back. The two of them had really gotten good with the silent communication lately. Of course I could hear Jasper's interpretation of the conversation, but for some reason I felt like I was intruding, so I tried to avoid Jasper's mind in those instances. Right now I focused on Alice, and caught a flash of something before she realized it had slipped. Her eyes widened when she realized she slipped. Shit. Not now Edward. I don't know what it means.
"Tell us, Alice." I warned her. If there was any danger, I wanted...no, I needed to know.
Everyone turned to focus on her. "What did you see Alice?" Carlisle asked.
"I don't know for sure. I've seen just a flicker of Victoria and Laurent running towards Denali, so I've been trying to keep an eye on both of them along Tanya's family. We know Laurent spent some time in Denali, but he left and his eyes are still red, so he hasn't adopted our diet. He and Irina got along quite well, so it's possible they are just going to visit, but I don't know why Victoria would be with him. Victoria's involvement is what concerns me the most, and I can't get a lock on any of her plans. That could just mean she doesn't have any." Alice shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but it was easy to tell she was concerned and frustrated about the situation.
We all sat for a moment, absorbing the information. Jasper was the first one to jump to the same conclusion I had and we locked eyes. It makes sense. She's looking for us, or Bella. We should warn the sisters about her intent. Carlisle was watching us and waiting for one of to verbalize our suspicions.
"We think Victoria is looking for us. That's really the only thing that makes sense. She certainly has no interest in our lifestyle and judging from what I heard of her thoughts, she's not one to just forget we killed her mate. We should warn the sisters about her intent, in case she shows up there with Laurent. She could be using him to get information."
Good thinking. Carlisle nodded, still deep in thought.
Bella had paled and Jasper was watching her intently. I felt the edges of the waves of calm he was sending her. "Bella?" I called to her gently.
"It's never going to stop is it?" She whispered.
I moved closer and pulled her into my lap, tucking her small frame into mine. "What do you mean, love?"
"There's always going to be someone out to get me. Why me? I'm nothing special. I'm just another human..."
"Shh." I felt Jasper ramp up the level of serenity in the room. "She's not going to find you, and even if she did, there is no way she would get close enough to hurt you. There are five of us and one of her. As long as you don't go running off to sacrifice yourself again, then we will easily be able to keep you safe." I told her, hoping my gentle teasing would help ease her mind.
Apparently, that didn't work and she started hyperventilating. "Oh, God. What about Charlie and Renee?" She choked, remembering James' stunt in Phoenix.
Jasper crouched in front of her, laying his hand on the back of her neck. "Bella, you need to breathe. You're getting ahead of yourself here. We don't even know if she's planning anything. Alice would be able to see if Charlie or Renee were in trouble, right Alice?"
"Of course. I'm keeping a sharp lookout on their future too." Alice reassured her. I watched as Alice mentally flipped through both futures and there was no hint of any danger.
"Alice just looked, Bella. They're both going to be just fine. We'll know if something changes." I spoke softly, close to her ear. "We will take care of Victoria. Please, don't worry about it, love." Her heart rate slowed down a bit, but I knew she would worry anyway. Jasper moved away from her then. She's calming down.
Esme brought Bella a glass of water. She smiled in thanks, and drank a third of the glass before setting it on the coffee table.
"Better?" I asked her, and she nodded.
"Yeah, I just don't understand why I'm so deserving of all this attention from your kind." She joked wryly.
"Because you smell so good, baby." I teased her. She rolled her eyes and started nervously chewing on her thumbnail. I swatted her hand away from her mouth, and she bumped me with her shoulder playfully.
Carlisle stood by the window while he dialed Kate's number.
"Carlisle! Is everything ok?" She answered on the first ring.
"I'm not sure Kate. I was wondering if you've seen Laurent, or another vampire by the name of Victoria, recently?"
"Actually, Laurent was just here a couple days ago. Why? What's wrong?"
"Do you know if anyone told him where we were?"
"I know I didn't. I'm not sure about the others, though I do know he is still hunting humans. He came to visit Irina, of course." Her tone was disapproving, which told me she did not have much faith in his character.
"Is Irina there?"
Alice was once again flipping through images of the future, but there was nothing there other than mundane everyday events.
"No, she's out with Tanya actually. I'll ask her when they get home and give you a call back."
"Thank you, Kate. For future reference, please keep our location to yourselves."
"Not a problem, Carlisle. I will let them know."
"Ok. Talk to you soon."
"Bye."
He flipped the phone shut. "Well that doesn't give us much to go on. We'll have to wait and see what Kate finds out. Hopefully, he did not weasel any information of out of them, but we need to be prepared in case he did."
"I still don't see anything. If they did find out where we are, they haven't made any plans to follow us yet. Of course I will keep looking."
"Thank you, Alice." I told her sincerely. If Victoria was after Bella, I would destroy her before she got within a mile of her.