Bella

I drifted over to the large window that overlooked the back yard. Esme followed me and wrapped her arm around my waist. I wrapped my arm around hers and we stood there, both content and both lost in our own thoughts. That is how Edward found us when he came in. I turned without letting go of Esme and smiled at him. I always felt a kind of relief when he was with me again.

I held out my free hand and he took it. He came to stand on my free side and wrapped his arm around me. I could feel him take Esme's hand in his behind me. I looked up at him. He was looking out the window but looked down at me when he felt my gaze.

"Jasper and Emmett want me to go hunting with them. Do you mind?" he asked, looking a little anxious. I was not certain why he would be anxious but I didn't want him to suffer. His eyes were already turning black with thirst. He was probably worrying about leaving me alone. Some things never change. That thought made me smile.

"Of course not, don't be silly. I'm not the only one around here who needs to eat." I laughed. Our eating habits were quite different.

"You need to take care of yourself. Go. It has been too long since you have spent time with them. I'll be here when you get back." I smiled up at him.

He kissed me on the forehead and nodded. Then I felt his cool breath on my neck as he whispered in my ear. "Look after my heart; I'm leaving it here with you." He squeezed my waist softly and was gone.

I looked over at Esme and she was smiling so hard her face might crack. I blushed when I realized that she must have heard Edward.

"Come on, dear. Let me show you your room."

We went outside to the car and retrieved the bags. Well, Esme retrieved the bags, picking up my large one and Edward's two smaller ones in one hand. I was shocked for a moment then I had to laugh to myself. Vampire. Esme was so small it was hard to grasp that she was just as strong as Edward or Jasper.

We went back inside and up the stairs. We made our way down the hall and into one of the rooms on the left side of the hallway. It was not an overly large room but it had an attached bathroom and two large windows that offered a lovely view of the forest. It had been decorated in several soft shades of blue. Esme put both Edward's and my bags next to the closet door and I realized that we were sharing a bedroom. I felt my face burn hotly.

Esme noticed and smiled gently. "With so many of us here there aren't any other empty rooms. You and Edward can share this one. It would seem strange to put you in separate rooms anyway."

I nodded without meeting her eyes and she left the room.

I sat down on the bed to calm myself down. This really wasn't anything to be embarrassed about. It wasn't like Edward and I were doing anything anyway. He set very strict limits on our physical relationship. He was worried about losing control and hurting me. And he had spent every night for almost four months in my room anyway. It just felt kind of weird having it sanctioned by his family. Well, there was nothing to be done about it now. I rummaged in my luggage for my toiletry bag and put it in the bathroom.

Then I went to find Alice.

I walked down the hall, calling her name and she poked her pixie head out of one of the rooms. "Are you looking for me Bella?"

"You bet I am. We need to talk."

"Come in then." She motioned for me to come into her room. I noticed when I entered that her room was the mirror image of mine, though without the bathroom. It must be the room that she used frequently because it was done in all pink shades. It was like standing inside a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. She sat cross-legged on the bed and I stood in front of her with my hands on my hips. I just glared at her for a moment.

"Alright Bella, just say what you want to say." She sighed.

"Alice how could you have given away all my clothes? I liked my clothes! That's why I wore them. I am not here for you to play Bella Barbie with you know." I was working myself into a temper. "I hate shopping!" I saw her cringe when I said it. "You had absolutely no right to do that. Some of the things I packed were my favorites. And I don't have the money to be able just to go out and buy all new clothes." She opened her mouth and I cut her off.

"Didn't you think that Charlie would be a little suspicious if I came home from doing charity work in a foreign country with a whole new wardrobe? I know you think he doesn't notice those kinds of things but you're wrong. Seeing Edward and I back together is going to send him into a fit as it is; this won't help. I know you meant well but really Alice, you are making my life a whole lot more difficult than it has to be." I finished my rant and took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

Alice got up off the bed and put her arms around me. I kept my arms at my sides.

"Bella, I am really sorry that you are so upset. I really didn't want that. And don't worry about Charlie, we will tell him they lost your luggage and you had to get new stuff. And I promise that shopping with me with be easy. You won't have to worry about anything. Just please Bella, please, please, please let me do this for you. You won't regret it I promise."

"I seriously doubt that Alice." I said resignedly. I knew when I was beaten; I could never stand up to Alice's pleading for long; I didn't have much choice anyway. If I didn't I would be wearing tropical sundresses this winter; I had almost no other clothes. I sighed and put my arms around her. She hugged me back for a moment then grabbed my hand and led me to the bed. We sat down next to each other and she turned to face me. Her pale perfect face was excited and her eyes were dancing.

"Now, tell me, did Edward like what you wore?" She asked. I rolled my eyes.

Rosalie knocked on the door a while later. Alice was making me describe in detail what I had worn when I had found Edward and his reaction. I was grateful for the interruption. Alice's enthusiasm could be very tiring.

Rosalie came in and sat on the bed with us. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was calm, without the usual angry look she usually gave me.

"So what are you two doing?" she asked.

"Alice is making me tell her, in minute detail, everything I wore in Rio."

Rosalie laughed softy at the disgruntled look on my face.

"It is a good thing I came to save you then."

"But I haven't heard everything yet, Rose." Alice whined.

"Alice, you know she doesn't want to tell you every single solitary thing she wore. You already know what her options were. You were the one that bought them all."

I scowled at the reminder. "That reminds me, Alice. We need to set some ground rules about this whole shopping thing."

"What kind of rules?" Alice asked warily.

"Okay, we both know that I don't have much choice except to let you pay for new clothes for me." She owed me new stuff for getting rid of my old clothes.

"But, you are not going to go overboard." I held up my hand when she would have spoken.

"You can buy me what I need and a few extras but I am not going to let you fill up my closet to the rafters like yours is." Alice pouted.

"That face is not working this time, girlie. Second I get ultimate veto power over everything you pick out." Alice crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at me.

"If you accept those rules then I will make you a promise in return."

Alice perked up a little. "What kind of promise?"
"I promise that I will be open-minded about the stuff you pick out and I will try my best not to whine or argue too much. Deal?" I held out my hand to shake on it.

Alice hesitated for a moment, then shook my hand, grinning.

What had I gotten myself into? I thought.

We sat for a while longer. Alice and Rosalie were discussing the best places to shop for my new wardrobe. I was only half listening. I couldn't wait to see Edward again. I laughed inwardly. He had only been gone a few hours and I already missed him. I had it bad.

Rosalie called my name to get my attention.

"Bella, did you hear me?"

"Sorry, Rosalie, my mind was somewhere else."

She shook her head and laughed. "I'll bet on where it was." She grinned slyly at me.

"I can hear them coming back to the house. Emmett always crashes through the trees like a bulldozer. Let's go down and meet them."

We all got up and walked down the stairs.

I heard Carlisle laughing as we made our way downstairs. As soon as the living room came into view I could see why. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing myself.

Edward, Jasper and Emmett stood together, looking like they had just survived a tornado.

Jasper's shirt was dirty and torn, almost one whole sleeve was torn off. His pants were not much better. Emmett had a huge gash in the front of his shirt and there was a stick in his hair. And Edward looked more disheveled than I had ever seen him. His shirt had several dirt stains and the left knee of his jeans were ripped. He had several grass stains on them. And in his glorious bronze hair, there were several leaves sticking out. He looked so adorable, like a wood nymph. A sexy wood nymph.

"Emmett is that the shirt I gave you?" Rose sounded angry.

"Um, I'm not sure, maybe." Emmett sounded a little afraid. Rosalie turned her back on him but I could see the slight smile on her face as she stalked back up the stairs. Poor Emmett, he was in for it.

"Aww, Rose! We were just having fun!" He called, following her up the stairs.

Edward and Jasper were laughing so hard they were holding onto each other for support.

"You look terrible, Jazz! It's not going to be easy to get that shirt clean. Come on, let's get you changed." Alice sounded annoyed but her eyes were sparkling. I could bet she was thinking about buying him a new one. When Jasper groaned and followed her upstairs I was pretty sure I was right.

I walked over to Edward and grinned at him. It was so go good to see him happy and relaxed. He grinned back at me.

"You look great to me." I couldn't resist giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"It makes me happy to see you play with your brothers again. I brought your bag up to the room. Come on." I held out my hand and he took it.

I led him upstairs and opened the door to the room Esme had given us. I turned and saw Edward looking at my luggage with a surprised look on his face. Did he think I had asked Esme to put us together? I blushed at the thought.

"Esme put us in here together. She said that there wasn't another empty room and that we should share." I could not look at him as I said it; I was too embarrassed.

Edward came forward and took my chin in his fingers. He tilted my head up and kissed me.

"I don't mind and neither should you. It is exactly the arrangement that I would have asked for if I had thought about it. You know how much I like listening to you talk in your sleep. I've missed that." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes. How he could sit for hours on end and watch me sleep still mystified me.

"Besides, would you rather get caught sneaking into my room to sleep next to me?" I blushed at the thought of being caught in the hall outside Edward's room. Emmett would never let me live that one down if it happened.

"Me neither, so this is the best way. Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. In here we are the only two people in the world, okay?"

I liked that. Just me and Edward. That is all I would ever need.

Edward decided to take a shower and I waited in the room for him to be done. I was staring out the window, watching a squirrel play when I heard the bathroom door open. I turned and the breath was knocked out of me.

Edward was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, nothing special but the jeans fit him just right and the shirt emphasized the muscles in his chest and arms. His still damp hair was a glorious mess as usual, a darker bronze thanks to the water. He was absolutely gorgeous.

He caught me ogling him. He raised his eyebrow and smirked at me. I blushed, hoping he could not read the lust full thoughts in my mind and giggled. He would not grin then. I reached for his hand and he intertwined his fingers with mine.

"Come on," I said. "I think everyone else went downstairs."

Before I could take more than a step he pulled me to a stop. I turned to look at him, wondering what he was doing.

"One thing, before we go downstairs." He pulled me close and his melted gold eyes were looking into mine intensely. I was surprised for a minute but then I read his intent. I looked at his perfect full lips and smiled. My tongue touched my lip and he bent down and kissed me.

I could kiss Edward forever. His lips were cool and hard but so gentle on mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and dug my fingers into his shirt. I loved touching him. He threaded his fingers into my hair and tilted my mouth into his kiss. His lips became for forceful, more passionate and I loved it. My breathing was becoming more erratic and I could feel my fingers opening and closing, clutching his shirt. I felt his cool tongue trace my bottom lip and my mouth parted slightly, a soft moan escaping. One hand released my head and slipped around my waist, pulling me closer to his marble hard body. I could feel the passion building in me and I shivered at the force of it. I wanted to be closer to him, feel his skin against mine.

But I could feel Edward gentling the kiss, his grip on my hair and my waist become looser. Soon his lips were barely brushing mine, though they still felt electric. I had my eyes closed when he finally pulled away and opened them slowly. His eyes were glowing with passion, sparkling like new cut topaz.

He rested his forehead against mine and his breath was as ragged as mine. I felt powerful for a moment, gratified I could spark such a response.

"Hmm," He said huskily "remind me to thank Esme for putting us in here together."

I felt myself go pink. "Me too." I kissed him then pulled away so I could look into his eyes.

"Though, that would have been worth getting caught sneaking into your room for." I grinned at the expression of shock on his face and pulled him out of the room.