A/N Small lemon in this chapter that I've marked out for people who wish to to skip. Also for those of you who hate Bella's temper tantrums be warned she is just starting an epic rant in this which WILL continue right through the next chapter as well, but on the good side it will be the last!
39
She knew she was playing a dangerous game, provoking the beast. But she knew that they would never have made love if it hadn't been for Edward losing control after she was attacked. She just hoped that she didn't push him past all restraint. Though if she was to change now it maybe wouldn't be so bad. But she had wanted to see Charlie one more time before it happened. On one of their late night talks Alice had told her that if Edward continued being stubborn that eventually his inner beast would take control again, and this time she would not survive it. It was even doubtful if she would live long enough to be turned according to the vision Alice had recently had. The plan they had devised was risky, even Alice had acknowledged that, but the only real chance they had was if she provoked him just enough.
She looked through her lashes at him, he was close, but still in control. Inarticulate noises came from his throat, she could almost see the internal battle taking place in the man she loved. "I know Mike Newton would…" she didn't even get the rest of the sentence out as he pushed her to the moss covered ground at the side of the pool, just off the rocks. She was already aroused, and had been for some minutes, after all she had known she was goading the primitive side of him into action, so she wasn't expecting a hell of a lot of foreplay. Her bikini bottoms ripped as he pulled them from her, his trunks went next and he thrust into her. Growling all the time, a word she finally recognised as "Mine!"
The pain was a lot less this time, they had been right. It wasn't exactly pain free, but then she hadn't exactly made sure she was well lubricated before it happened. But the closeness, the electricity, made her body hum immediately. Last time she had almost been in too much pain to realise what was happening. This time she felt the bond strengthen and flex around them, like bandages on a mummy, they were wrapped in the force field that joined them together. Suddenly he paused and looked down at her; she could see that Edward was in charge again because his eyes were dark gold. She smiled gently at him to let him know she was fine. She even tightened her lower muscles so he could tell she wasn't lying to him. As she pulsed her walls around him she could see his eyes flash black and back to dark gold as he fought for control. No matter whether Edward or the Beast was in control, desire won and he started moving again, her body felt the flow of electric so strongly that she could no longer contain it. She shouted out as her body was stimulated by the current, her whole being tightened, she felt the out-of-control feeling flow over her. Her hands gripped the back of his head, her nails digging in. Instead of purring he just growled louder, turning her on even more as he thrust into her repeatedly. His hands, that up to that point had been holding onto her shoulders, suddenly released her and dug into the ground on either side of her head. The fingers on his right hand penetrated the rock and she heard it splinter and crack. His whole body lifted off hers, until she could see the place where they were joined. She watched fascinated as he entered and left her body, she could see her juices coating him.
"Bella!" he gasped, she looked up and met his eye as he fell apart, holding himself as far in her body as he could reach. Shudders wracked him, his eyes flashed blood red, then black, then gold as every part of him, man and vampire exalted in the completion of orgasm and the total joining of mates. He had never looked more beautiful than he did at that second. He lowered down until he was covering her again. He kissed her gently but thoroughly and she hummed in delight. "That was dangerous." He told her, but she just smiled up at him. He propped himself above her, still joined intimately, "You don't know how close…"
"Yes I do. Alice warned me it may be the only way to get you to make love to me again." He scowled. She smoothed a hand down his face. "She said you couldn't go too far, your beast… at least that's what she called it… won't allow you to hurt me too much as long as it wasn't in total control, she said it knows as well as you do, how fragile I am compared to you, and it won't risk me."
"Still. Don't let's do that again?" he said, she frowned, he laughed. "I mean provoke the beast. I fully intend to make love to you over and over, now we know we can do it without causing you pain." He frowned and moved a hand onto her upper arm. She knew exactly what he had seen.
"It doesn't matter." She told him, he fitted his fingers over the bruises that were already forming. "I bruise easily." She reminded him. Still, he lowered himself to each bruise in turn, and kissed it gently, apologising to each and every blemish.
"Damn!" he sprang to his feet, she got a brief glimpse of him as he moved, God he was gorgeous!
"What?" she asked. He pulled on his shorts, going commando as he had destroyed his trunks. She blushed as she realised he had destroyed her bikini bottoms too, she had to hope there wasn't a wind until she could get back in the house, the cover-up only went to mid thigh, the slightest breeze and she would be on display!
"Gustavo wants to talk to me, he won't leave until he does, but he doesn't want to risk coming and finding me in the jungle." He grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows like Emmett would, "That may be for the best considering that anyone with eyes can see from your face that we were just making love." She blushed. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her deeply. He grabbed the bikini bottom and frowned when he realised it wasn't wearable any more. She slipped her cover-up on. "Why don't you stay here, I'll go see what he wants and bring back a new bikini for you." She nodded and took the cover-up back off and stretched out on the towel she had laid on the rock earlier. Never would she have imagined that she would be willing to sunbathe without clothes on, but after everything they had just done she felt as if it was natural to be laid there in the sun without covering. She even reached back and unhooked the top, allowing it to fall down as Edward's hungry eyes fixed on her chest. She had never felt so desirable. He groaned and she saw him have to adjust himself before he was suddenly no longer there. She laughed to herself and smeared sun cream on the small areas she hadn't covered earlier, and laid on the towel. The sunlight was still slightly muted by clouds, but it was warm and comfortable in the clearing. She got her book out.
"I would not bother you, but Mrs. Bella, she may not like being on the island." Gustavo trembled as he relayed the news. Edward had not been keeping up with the local weather. He knew the rains had been particularly hard for the time of year, but he hadn't given it a second thought as Bella had been housebound for several days.
The terrified man before him had risked his displeasure to tell him that there was a tropical storm brewing off the coast, it was expected to hit in the next couple of days and it was large, very large.
His phone beeped instructing him to hunt that night and then take a flight back to the States the day after. Alice was good about the weather, but those storms could change track at the slightest change in air pressure, even her talent wasn't perfect when it came to a weather system that large.
It was better safe than sorry. She sent him details of the flight she had booked them on, they wouldn't even have one more full day on the island before it was back to Forks. It was a shame. He had been enjoying his time alone with Bella, but her safety came first. A cough reminded him that Gustavo was waiting for an answer.
"Thank you, Gustavo, for your warning and thinking of the safety of my wife. We will be leaving tomorrow at first light. Could you and Kaure come in and clean all the food and things out when we have gone? Then fasten up the house for the storm."
He nodded frantically and Edward knew that everything would be seen to. He dismissed the man and went into the blue bedroom, he grabbed a bikini and headed out to tell his wife that they were going home.
"Bella! Bella!" Alice was jumping up and down in the arrivals hall at SeaTac. She felt tired just watching the girl's energy. Over 19 hours of travel, (and at least another 3 ahead before they got home) and she hadn't been able to sleep at all on the flight as the man in the chair closest to them snored so loud it was impossible for her to relax. As much as she looked forward to seeing her extended family again she could do without Alice in a bouncy mood. Again Alice shouted her, waving her arms in the air, it wasn't as if they could have missed the family, even in the crowded arrivals hall people gave the Cullens a wide berth, they would have been easy to spot anyway, them all being so very good looking. Charlie looked slightly out of place as he stood with the rest, but the grin on his face as he saw her showed that he felt quite comfortable in their close company.
Bella allowed the tiny vampire to hug her before she moved to her father. Charlie looked well, better than he had ever looked, if she was honest. He grinned at her and she hugged him briefly, neither of them comfortable with excessive displays of affection.
"I missed you." He told her, "You look good, tired but good."
"It's beautiful down there Dad, you should go some time." Charlie grunted but she smiled, knowing that it was highly unlikely that he would ever travel to Brazil.
"I'm so happy to see you both!" Esme grabbed her into a hug next. "Thank you." She said to Bella. "I've never seen Edward so happy. That's all down to you." She blushed but accepted the praise and nodded, knowing that Edward WAS happy.
Emmett grabbed her and swung her around until she felt motion sickness, he laughed and put her down carefully when Edward and Alice warned him.
Rose hugged her next and then held her out to look at her. "You finally put a bit of weight on, it suits you!" she said. "I just don't get the current fashion of looking like someone who hasn't seen a meal in months." Bella laughed. Jasper put a hand on her shoulder and she felt warmth flood her, she met his eyes and tears filled hers as he transmitted how happy they all were to see her. Next Carlisle hugged her briefly and welcomed her back.
"Let's get home," Edward said. "Bella didn't get much sleep last night."
"So, Eddy, you finally got some?" Emmett almost shouted as he slapped his brother on the back. Bella blushed brightly and cringed away from him slightly. Rose slapped him on the back of his head and Charlie looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel.
The rest of the family all glared at him, but Emmett just grinned, shrugged and grabbed the steamer trunk and suitcase and headed off for the cars.
"No, I had to hunt so she had to go to the mainland, by the time I had found some game it wasn't worth her trying to sleep, and then she couldn't sleep on the plane." Actually she was almost dead on her feet. Sleep wasn't an option, it was a necessity at this point. "Just ignore him," Edward whispered to her, he wrapped his arm around her waist to support her and they walked out of the airport surrounded by family. It was easier said than done. Emmett wasn't exactly ignorable.
They piled into the cars outside, Bella and Edward joined Charlie and Esme in Charlie's truck. Bella was amazed that he had actually unhooked his boat from the back to come and pick her up. Carlisle, Jasper and Alice took the Mercedes and Emmett and Rose got into her sporty BMW convertible.
Bella smiled tiredly as Charlie set off first. It would probably be the first time in history that the Cullen family travelled any distance and kept to the speed limit. She rested her head on Edwards shoulder and allowed herself to drift off to sleep as the miles sped by. She vaguely remembered being carried from the car and placed in a bed, but she didn't wake until the next morning.
The sun was shining through the small window in the front of the cottage, she could see the beams streaming in and bouncing off the marble worktop in the kitchen. She sighed and stretched, looking over at her phone on the bedside table it was 11 am. She figured that she had had about 12 hours of sleep altogether, which wasn't bad considering how tired she had been, she could probably do with a bit more sleep, but maybe it would be better to wait until nightfall and catch up fully then?
"Hey," Edward poked his head up through the spiral staircase. "ready for some breakfast… lunch?" he asked.
"Yes please," she was deliciously warm, thanks to the fires in the living room and bedroom, and was reluctant to get up and face the cold of the Forks weather.
The smell of pancakes drifted up and she almost fell back to sleep as she waited. However as soon as he brought the food up she realised she was ravenous and dug in with an enthusiasm that made him smile.
"Mrs. Newton has been in touch with Esme, she says if you still want the job at the store you can have it. Evidently she tried employing Jessica Stanley but caught her in the stock room with Mike when she should have been watching the tills." Bella blushed, remembering the fantasy that Edward had relayed to her.
"I'd like to work." She mused, unsure whether to accept, what with Mike being there.
"You don't have to." Edward told her, she frowned.
"I hate the thought of living on your money." She told him. "I'd feel better if I had a job."
"It's your money too now." Edward said. She sighed and nodded, he had given her a chequebook and credit card just before they had set off to Brazil, but she hadn't given them much thought, putting them in her suitcase and never getting them out again. "Is it fair?" Edward continued, "taking a job when you don't need the money, maybe someone else who DOES need it should have it?" She had to admit it was a good argument. There probably were several of the pupils at school who could use the part-time job, but if that was the case, why hadn't they applied? Still…
"Ok, I'll ring Mrs. Newton and tell her I'm still not sure what we are planning to do and that she should look for someone else now."
"What do you mean? 'What we are planning to do'?" he asked.
"Well, Charlie said that we still have to attend school if we stay in Forks, if I am changed before my birthday, there's no way I can go to school for the next 2 years, well, year and a half now." She pointed out.
"That's a good point, but I thought you wanted to stay as close to Charlie as possible until you changed?" tears stood in her eyes as she nodded. She really would miss Charlie through her newborn phase. He was the first person who she had ever known for certain loved her.
She struggled out of the bedclothes as he lifted the empty tray from her lap and headed for the bathroom. "Is Charlie still at the house?" she asked.
"No, he moved back to his own place last week." Edward shouted as he made his way downstairs.
"I think we need to go see him, see if there is any way I can get around the rules, be officially declared an adult by the judge or something… sort of like, erm, emancipation." She had heard of this twist in the law from one of her teachers in Phoenix, who had suggested that she look into it. She had pretended that she had no idea why the woman had recommended it to her, but had spent several hours scanning the internet for all the information she could find on the subject. Only her reluctance to hurt Phil and then her plans to move to Forks had stopped her from applying to a judge for a ruling after she had graduated.
She exited the bathroom after her ablutions and opened the room that was misnamed a closet. She stood looking at the many, many clothes packed into the space. Not one item of clothing looked familiar.
"Edward!" he appeared next to her, making her jump. "Don't do that!" she shouted, her hand to her chest as her heart pounded.
"Do what?" he asked, "You shouted me!"
"Make some noise in future, don't just appear from nowhere." He chuckled. She pointed into the closet. "Look!" she growled.
"What?" he asked, looking puzzled into the room.
"None of those clothes are mine!" she sighed.
"Alice bought you some new clothes," he told her with a shrug, she knew that, she just… she shook her head exasperated.
"I didn't NEED any new clothes, the ones I had were fine." She pointed out.
"Bella," he stroked his fingers down her face, she felt him cast his spell over her and moved back slightly so she could focus, he sighed, "I haven't been back with the family for long, as you know, but from what I can gather from the others Alice buys for everyone."
"I know that!" she snapped, "I've had this argument with her before. I am perfectly capable of buying my own clothes, especially as you pointed out, I have enough money to buy whatever I want."
"Yes, but I have a better fashion sense." Alice's voice travelled to the bedroom from the ground floor, a momentary breeze of cold air the only warning that she was in the cottage.
"Don't you know how to knock?" Bella asked, blushing as she tightened the rather skimpy dressing gown that had been all she had found to wear in the bathroom.
"Why?" Alice looked puzzled, "I knew you weren't doing anything." Bella blushed even more.
"That isn't the point Alice! You should… never mind. In future please knock! And where are my jeans?" she pointed to the closet.
"Here!" Alice walked in and without even looking properly she plucked a garment bag from the railing. She unzipped it and pulled out a pair of brand new jeans. Bella scowled as she noticed the Dolce & Gabbana label on the front stamp pocket.
"They aren't mine." Bella said through gritted teeth.
"The ones you had were worn, these are much better, and they will fit you perfectly, I've seen it, you look fabulous in them!" she pushed the jeans towards Bella.
"I don't know how you have seen it, I have no intention of wearing them." Bella said stubbornly.
"Bella," Alice frowned, "I will win this argument, you WILL wear these jeans, they are so much better than the ones you had before."
"I like my old jeans, they were comfortable." She stated stubbornly.
"These fit better, they will be comfortable. Try them." Again she pushed the offending item at her.
"Where are my old jeans, Alice?" she insisted.
"I threw them away." Alice told her, rather smugly as if that would ensure she won the argument.
Bella gave an inarticulate noise of frustration. She turned to the still packed holiday cases beside the bed and grabbed out the jeans that she had taken to Brazil. The only reason she had got away with taking them was that she had worn them to travel in for the first part of the journey.
"Bella!" Alice's voice held a warning, Bella turned and grabbed the new jeans, Alice looked smug for a split second before she saw in her vision what Bella planned, however she was that busy 'looking' she didn't see the fact that Bella had already thrown the garment onto the small fire in the bedroom. Edward laughed, Bella turned on him.
"You didn't do much to back me up!" she said, he sobered as he realised that his lack of action had actually hurt her feelings. She looked through the closet again and spun to Alice. "Where is my plaid shirt?" she demanded.
"I threw it away." Alice said, this time she wasn't demanding or smug, she must have seen how upset this would make her.
"Charlie bought me that!" she said, tears filling her eyes.
"Please Bella," the condescending tone grated on Bella's nerves, "it wasn't exactly fashionable!" Alice protested.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT FASHION!" Bella screamed at the top of her voice. "LEAVE MY THINGS ALONE!" she grabbed the first top she could from the shelves, which happened to be Edward's fawn coloured sweater, and pulled it on. She stormed out of the cottage, only pausing to grab her bag from the living room, and jumped into her truck, that was parked at the side. Edward appeared in the passenger seat as she started it up. Tears streaked down her face.
"I'm sorry!" Alice appeared at the side of the truck, making Bella jump. She ignored the apology as well as the vampire giving it and put the clutch in. Edward put his hand on hers as she shifted into gear and pumped the clutch again. She shook him off and stood on the gas. Without looking or speaking to either of them she drove off.