Chapter Eight

Three days later, Edward woke up with a fucking hangover from a party on the beach the night before. Bleary-eyed and in serious need of taking a piss, he stumbled out of bed and did his business in the bathroom.

In the mirror, he saw he needed to shave but didn't have the strength or dexterity to pull that shit off. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips looked swollen, but when he focused on something in the mirror, he zeroed on the reflection of Bella's bikini top hanging off the towel bar. She's topless! He ran back into the bedroom, and found her fast asleep in one of his t-shirts and her underwear. They had come in late, shivering from the cold—that much he remembered.

Edward knew they hadn't done anything, and he'd be really fucking pissed he'd forgotten being with Bella. They had stumbled in around four in the morning, both soaking wet and slightly drunk after taking shots by the bonfire. His so-called friends had tossed him in the ice-cold ocean, stating he needed a cold shower after dancing with Bella. She helped him warm up, but got soaked in the process. They left shortly after that, but not before Bella gave his buddies a piece of her mind.

He fucking grinned, remembering how she told them off, had all of them cleaning up before she sent them to bed. It was fucking awesome.

"What time is it?" she asked, twisting under the sheets and smiling up at him. It had a sleepy quality to it, her hair all rumpled and sexy.

"Almost seven," he whispered, climbing into bed and kissing his way up her still-covered body. She hummed, her fingers going for his hair as he settled his cheek on her chest. She loved doing that shit, and he did, too. "Thanks for letting me stay the night."

Her thumb brushed under one of his eyes. "Someone drank too much." He complained about his head and fell onto the pillow he smuggled away from her and hooked his leg around her hip to pull her closer. "Someone's not feeling good." She poked his cheek, laughing when he groaned. "We need to get going if we plan to hit the road soon."

All of them were heading down to the dunes in Oceano; Bella's aunt and uncle were meeting them there around nine. They had some ATVs they could use, since renting that shit was expensive.

"Someone promised me pancakes," he said, licking her thumb and biting the tip. She told him the night before, all tipsy and smiles that she loved his lips. Since that confession, she seemed to have a habit of touching them suddenly, as if she couldn't help herself. He didn't mind one bet. The way she explored the shape of his mouth when they kissed was hot and always made him nuts.

"Yup, you go shower. I'll start on breakfast and wake up Angela." She nuzzled his shoulder and almost made it off the bed before he pulled her back. Falling against his chest, she put up a half-hearted fight. "Edward, we have to go."

They did, but he needed a few minutes with her. Though they had fooled around a bit, they hadn't gone far. Edward was okay with that, but he was well aware how hard it was to get a moment alone with her. They hadn't spent every waking second of the last three days together, and they were both cool with that. The trip was about friends, old ones and new, but it didn't mean they neglected either. However, between surfing lessons, playing tourist, and their friends, they were lucky to sneak in a few make out sessions.

He wasn't an asshole; timing and place was important to him. They had too much respect for each other to have a quick fuck between outings. The night before they both had too much to drink, and honestly, he wanted to remember every fucking minute he was with her.

They already had the awkward sex talk, each with limited experience. They weren't virgins, but no experts. Bella's ex had fucked with her head, and she hadn't dated since, and the last boy she hooked up with was mistake with a friend. It had been a year, pretty much like him.

"I haven't brushed my teeth," she murmured, her head lolling to one side to give him access. His lips brushed over her bare shoulder and along her neck. The t-shirt she'd stolen from him was too big, leaving her more exposed. He pulled her tighter against his chest, her ass fit perfectly against his lap. "Edward." It was a breathless plea for more, and one he planned to explore, later.

"Hey, we're going to be late if you two don't keep it in your pants." A snicker from Angela from the other side of the bedroom door filtered through, and had Edward and Bella groaning. "These walls are thin." She knocked when they stayed quiet, hoping she'd go away. "I can hear you panting."

Bella grabbed a pillow and threw it toward the door. "We were not panting!"

We were close, Edward thought. They told Angela they'd be down in a few and after a very thorough kiss from Bella after she brushed, he had to take another cold shower.

.

.

.

After stopping in town for some ice for the coolers, they headed driven to Oceano in the van. There was no need to waste Earth's finite resources and take Angela's, too. The fact that Bella spent the entire drive on his lap in the backseat had nothing to do with it. Well, maybe a little. They arrived to meet the whirlwind that was Bella's aunt, Alice, and her husband, Jasper.

"Who has experience?" Jasper asked, looking at the group surrounding a pair of ATV's, one dirt bike, and a dune buggy. Bella and Angela had told Edward's friends the truth about being alone at the house, but her aunt and uncle were close. The guys had taken turns, respectfully, sleeping on the pull out couch since then.

One thing Bella had forgotten to mention was that Jasper was a scary man. He seemed calm and at ease, but his arms and neck were covered in tattoos, his blond hair was mostly shaved on the sides, while the top was longer and wavy. The scar that ran across his face, from his right temple, across his nose and one cheek, all the way to his left ear, silently spoke of untold horror and tragedies. His presence commanded respect, and he had it.

"Edward and I have some experience, but not in the sand, mostly mud back home," Alec said, rubbing his neck.

"Bella knows how," Alice said, giving her niece a nudge with a helmet. "She can take the dirt bike." The others whistled, impressed, as Bella did a little dance, taking the gear from her aunt.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Edward asked Jasper as Alice went over the ATV basics with the others. She looked so small standing beside the bike.

"She's good," Jasper said, gesturing toward a blue ATV. "You can try to keep up."

"Thanks." Edward said and grabbed one of the helmets. The dunes took some getting used to, because the wind had a sandy bite to it that left his mouth dry and desperate for water. By the end of the day, he knew he'd have sand in unlikely places. It would all be worth it, because watching Bella give him a winning smile, dressed in a red and black leather jacket and skinny jeans, was nothing he'd ever forget.

Bella was more than good. Later, as they ate lunch, he learned from her aunt Alice that her father missed having a son, and one day, Bella had gone up and told him, "Anything a boy can do, I can do, too." After proving it—she wouldn't tell them how—her father took her off-roading the next day.

She was only six years old at the time, and she'd been riding ever since.

Edward and the others took turns riding for hours, giving each other shit for falling and getting stuck in the sand. Everyone did, even the more experienced riders. The fun ended, though, when some drunk idiot went over a hill too fast and flipped his ATV, landing right on top of him. The area had temporarily closed to make room for the helicopter to airlift him to the nearest hospital that could handle severe spinal injuries.

Once they returned to Cayucos, everyone was exhausted and they decided to head to Bella's place to veg out in front of the TV with pizza and Netflix. Edward and Bella snuck up to her room, taking her laptop to binge watch Lord of the Rings.

Best day ever.