Chapter 37
As we made our way to Florence and boarded the Volturi jet, I was sad to leave Demetri and my new friends, but there was also anticipation for my return to the good ol' USA and seeing Charlie and my friends again, and soon the new adventure of college life. Once we were en route with the autopilot engaged, Demetri and I settled into the main cabin to relax. I reached for my phone, wanting to discuss something with him.
"Honey Bunny," I said in a sweet voice, chuckling as Demetri made a funny face in disgust and shook his head. "What? No good?" I teased, a grin playing on my lips.
"Alright, Mr. Volturi," I continued, a touch more formally, then continued with a cheeky smile, "there's something I'd like to go over with you. You know I took tons of pictures during our travels, and, well, some of them might not be suitable for sharing with others. They could raise vampire-related questions. I've already transferred the questionable ones to your laptop yesterday, but could you take a look at the photos still on my phone and make sure I didn't miss anything?"
I handed him my phone, and as he accepted it, he casually remarked, "You used my laptop?" There was a hint of concern in his tone.
I chuckled, "I did. I got a kick out of the wallpaper you use for your desktop. I was quite surprised to see myself clad only in a bra and panties, lying provocatively on my bed. I don't recall you being in Forks to take that picture of me." My laughter bubbled as I watched him, looking even more guilty.
"It made me decide to do a search of the name Bella, and the results were certainly an eye-opener," I said teasingly.
"I didn't realize snapshots were being taken and recordings were being made during our online escapades. Some of those shots and movies were downright explicit." I adopted an innocent expression, feigning naivety. "I can't help but wonder why anyone would want to keep videos of a women fingering herself. What use could you possibly have for them?" Boy, some of those videos sure had been steamy. I didn't really know what it said about oneself when they get turned on by watching videos of themselves masturbate.
I got up and sat on his lap, my lips grazing his ear as I whispered, "Don't worry; you can keep your little collection of 'Bella porn' if it tickles your fancy." Demetri visibly relaxed, relieved that I wasn't upset. But I added for good measure, "Just make sure none of your friends stumble upon it. If they're going to see me naked, it will be because we get caught having sex somewhere out in the open."
Demetri appeared pleased that he could continue perving on me in his free time. To be honest, I would have enjoyed doing the same, but I didn't want any vampire evidence on my computer that could potentially be discovered by Charlie or my friends.
"Of course, Bella," he reassured me with a warm smile. "A vampire tends to be very protective of their partner. No one else will ever lay eyes on them." I liked how he referred to me as his partner, as I felt the same way about him.
He began scrolling through the pictures on my phone, reviewing the incredible places we had visited over the past two weeks. I leaned in closer to examine the pictures with him. Amongst the awe-inspiring landscapes, there were numerous photos of us together in everyday moments. I knew my parents would be eager to see snapshots of my new boyfriend.
After we had gone through all the pictures, I observed as Demetri gently set my phone aside. He smiled at me with a hungry grin. Hmm, what to do, what to do? I pondered for about five seconds. While I was considering several playful remarks I could make, the truth was I wanted him... badly. Honesty it is then.
"Is it time to renew our club membership, Snuggle Muffin?" I snickered, my eyes fixed on Demetri's expression. "Let me guess, strike two?" Demetri nodded. "Well, let's get it on then. There's no way I'm going to strike out on our last sexual adventure for the foreseeable future. What are you thinking? Slow and sweet, or fast and hard?"
Demetri grinned, "Oh, I think we can work both in before we land." He lifted me up onto him so my legs straddled his waist, and we started making out. As our passion intensified, Demetri rose, holding me close against him. With one hand, he pulled out the bed from beneath the sofa cushions. He gently laid me down on it, and our passionate exchange continued. I was getting more excited with each passing minute, and soon I couldn't help but start to unbuckle his pants. He quickly followed suit with my outfit, and soon I was bare from the waist down while he only had his belt undone. Well, that didn't seem fair.
I was getting a little breathless; I wanted him so badly. But it seemed Demetri had another idea as he pulled away from me with a smirk and lowered himself, his hands gliding slowly down my body. He started kissing my inner thighs, gradually moving upward, drawing out the moment until I felt like I would burst. Finally, he reached the place I needed him, and he slowly licked up my slit, igniting a storm of pleasure within me.
I was squirming and panting; his tongue was driving me wild. Unsure of how much longer I could endure before cumming hard, I swiftly shed my shirt and unhooked my bra, leaving me bare. Oh God, his nibbling on my clit sent my body skyrocketing over the edge. My climax hit me like a freight train, and as I started to quiver uncontrollably, a powerful scream tore from my lips.
Demetri, ever considerate, used his tongue to clean up the area as I gradually came back to earth. "I can't believe how skilled you are at that. I think your nickname should simply be 'God,' given how often I utter it while you work your magic."
Demetri scooted up until he was lying beside me, then gently pulled me onto him. I nestled my head on his chest, feeling the sweat on my skin, and relishing the sensation of being against his cool body. "Well, that's certainly an improvement over 'Snuggle Muffin,'" he quipped, a smile evident in his voice. Though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his good humor.
I laughed. "Just don't come up with any cheesy nicknames for me," I said, my heart still pounding from my orgasm. But I felt like I wanted to keep going, and never stop. My hands traced his hard body, inexplicably still clothed. "Take those clothes off, won't you? You have a willing and eager woman here, ready to ride you for hours and explore every enticing inch of your favorite parts."
Instantly, I found myself on the bed, and the next second, Demetri was back, completely nude. Ah, that's better. The desire to taste him was overwhelming, but my craving to straddle him, to feel him deep inside, was even stronger.
I eagerly mounted him, and as I slid down completely onto him, everything felt right with the world. My movements were charged with energy. We'd make love later... if there was time.
Hours later, I screamed to the heavens, which were much closer than usual, so they probably heard me, as I had my most intense orgasm yet on our flight. I collapsed on top of Demetri, who I felt had also reached his peak. We had done so much; it was hard to keep track of it all. Lying on top of him, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. "I love you," I murmured as I kissed his bare chest. I wanted to freeze this moment so we could always feel like this.
"And I love you, so, so much. You were incredible, Bella," Demetri intoned reverently. "You looked positively radiant on top of me that at times, I could have sworn you were glowing." He wrapped his arms around me, and together we basked in our shared happiness.
Eventually, I knew I needed to get some sleep in before we arrived in Seattle. I wanted to be fresh for my conversations with Alice and later with Charlie. I was aware that my sleep schedule would be all screwed up again for several days, but that was okay. I fell asleep while embracing Demetri, feeling completely relaxed, and reminiscing about the wonderful journey I had just experienced.
Demetri woke me up an hour before we landed, giving me enough time to take a refreshing shower and change my clothes. I had left all the new clothes I had bought, along with my string bikini, which had somehow survived intact, back at Demetri's place—or, as he told me to think of it now, 'our place.'
The landing was smooth, and after Demetri parked the jet at its assigned spot, we stepped out to the predictably overcast skies of Seattle, thankfully without rain. Demetri accompanied me, carrying my suitcase to the airport's pickup area. As we arrived, my eyes caught sight of Alice and Jasper waiting for me. I greeted them with an enthusiastic wave and a wide smile. As usual, Alice radiated sheer excitement, and it seemed like Jasper kept a calming hand on her shoulder, most likely to prevent her from leaping up and down in excitement.
As we approached, Alice broke free and enveloped me in a big hug. "I missed you Bella."
"I've missed you too, Alice," I responded, my arm circling her shoulders. I glanced over at Demetri, who was in the midst of a firm handshake with Jasper.
"It's good to see you again, Major Whitlock," Demetri intoned formally.
Jasper nodded in acknowledgment, simply replying, "Demetri."
As I watched that beautiful moment of men bonding, I cleared my throat. "Demetri, this is my friend, Alice."
Demetri turned to Alice with a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. Bella has told me a lot about you."
Alice returned his smile, "Nice to meet you too, Demetri. Thank you for keeping Bella safe and sound."
Demetri raised an eyebrow playfully. "Oh, Bella doesn't need any help from me in that regard." He winked at me, and I couldn't help but grin back at him.
The moment I had been dreading had arrived. It was time for us to say goodbye, and I was already missing him. I jumped into his arms and held him tight. Our kiss started off tender but quickly grew passionate. Yet, I knew the time for such indulgence had passed. Reluctantly, I broke away, saying, "I love you. Call me when you get back to the castle."
Demetri's smile was warm. "I will. We'll talk tomorrow. I love you too." I nodded but couldn't help it; I pulled him down again for one final kiss before stepping back and waving goodbye. I watched as he departed back to the jet."
After I could no longer see him anymore, I turned back to Alice and Jasper. Alice wore a wide-eyed expression. "Well, that was certainly revealing. I had always wondered about you and Demetri. You told me you and he got along well. You didn't say all that." She gestured to where Demetri and I had just been sucking face.
"Yeah, those were some powerful emotions coming off of Demetri, Bella," Jasper smirked.
"They better be!" I grinned at Jasper, then turned to Alice and spoke in a mockingly prim tone, "Alice, we all know that I'm a proper lady, and it would be scandalous of me to talk about the hundreds of times Demetri and I made sweet, passionate love. I mean, I would never regale you with tales of how he fucked me so hard on the jet that it knocked us off course, and we had to readjust the flight path." I couldn't keep the wide grin off my face, and it looked like Jasper was struggling to stop himself from laughing too.
Alice smiled. "Well, lucky you. Come on, you can tell us all about you and Demetri and your trip on the way back to Forks." Alice interlocked our arms as we started walking to the car, while Jasper grabbed my suitcase.
Once we were on our way home, Alice turned around from the passenger seat with a mischievous smile and said, "Okay, Bella, spill."
I didn't really know where to start, so I decided to provide a quick overview of Demetri and my relationship. "Well, we began as friends, which swiftly evolved into a friends-with-benefits situation. Then, for the past year, it's been like we've been in a relationship without officially declaring it, until a few days ago when we made it official for all the world to see." That sounded about right.
"We're going to do the long-distance thing while I go to college. I'd prefer he was closer, of course, but we'll have to settle for occasional visits," I explained. Then I added, "I hope you guys can visit every now and then too. I know the bright sun of LA sucks for vamps, but I'm sure we could find tons of interesting things to do at night."
"We'll be sure to visit, don't worry about that," Alice declared. "Besides, I have to show you all the best places to shop on Rodeo Drive."
Jasper quickly jumped in before Alice could start on a long tangent about shopping. "How did you like meeting the Volturi?"
"Everyone was so nice; we all had an absolute blast. We went out to many clubs. I think the highlight was when I bested Felix in a good food-eating bet. I've got the video, so you can watch him gagging on a hamburger. It's hilarious. I really enjoyed training with them a lot, and I even found some new ways to use my shield. Their training center was amazing. Have you guys ever seen it?"
Jasper and Alice shook their heads. "Well, you especially would like it, Jasper. They hold fighting competitions there every couple of decades. You should compete. You're really good... But then again, by the next competition, I'll be a vampire, and you might not want me to kick your ass in front of the whole vampire world. Yeah… it's best you stay local so you can continue intimidating those high school boys with your death glare."
I glimpsed Jasper's incredulous expression in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but flash him a playful smirk.
"Oh, I just remembered," Alice said, pulling out her own phone. "I'm sending you some edited pictures of you and me in Italy. Your dad might have asked why we were not photographed together."
"Good thinking, Alice. I hadn't thought of that one. Send them over now, and I'll move them to my photos folder." After Alice sent the pictures, I took a look at them. "These are great. I love how you even got us going out in the daytime. Most of my own pictures of the sites are all at night for obvious reasons."
We kept chatting, and I shared some of my most exciting adventures in Italy and Greece. When we reached my house, I thanked them profusely for the ride and for helping me concoct my story for the Italy trip. I told them that I would probably be jet-lagged for a day or two, but afterward, I'd come to visit them. After our farewells, I grabbed my suitcase and headed inside, eager to catch up with Charlie.
As I swung open the front door and stepped inside, a comforting wave of familiarity washed over me. Home at last. These past two weeks had been a whirlwind of constant motion, and the prospect of just unwinding, even if only briefly, felt like a well-deserved respite. While I wasn't feeling the restlessness that I had in recent days, the idea of staying still for too long didn't quite sit right. I had a hunch that by tomorrow, I'd be raring to dive back into my daily exercise and training routine. Nevertheless, the sheer familiarity of the house had an almost magical calming effect on my soul. Inhaling deeply, I couldn't help but break into a smile, greeted by the warm, familiar scents that whispered "home."
"Dad?" I called out as I emerged from my reverie. Listening closer, I could tell Charlie was in the living room by the sound of the TV shutting off. I strolled in, finding him rising from his dependable armchair. He welcomed me with a warm, encompassing hug.
"Welcome home, Bells," he said, releasing me from his embrace and studying me for a moment. "Take a seat and tell me all about your trip. You look really good." Charlie gave me a warm smile, clearly relieved that I had returned home safely. He settled back into his chair as I plopped down onto the sofa.
With so much to share, it was challenging to decide where to begin. I eagerly started, "Italy was absolutely incredible, Dad. I had the time of my life. I explored all the must-see sites." A smile crossed my face as I reminisced about the wonderful places Demetri had taken me. Then, I quickly added, "Well, maybe not every single site, but I crammed in as much as I could during my two-week visit. And you can bet I'll be going back."
"That's fantastic, honey," Charlie exclaimed, his face lighting up. "Tell me all the details." He leaned back in his chair, clearly eager to hear every bit of my adventure.
I started going through all that I had seen. I tried to break it down by the major cities. First, I told him all about Rome and the Vatican, painting vivid pictures with my words. Then, I went into length about what I'd seen in Florence, the art, the architecture, everything that had left me in awe. I even recounted the time we visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and how it didn't even fall over when I pushed on it, which got the laugh I was looking for. But as I spoke, I knew I should include Demetri in the story and tell Charlie about him.
"I have more news, Dad. Great news, in fact." My smile broadened as I contemplated all I wanted to say, but knowing I had to offer a more sanitized version. "I met someone." Eagerly, I looked at Charlie after my announcement, but I noticed his smile starting to fade, so I dove right in.
"Well, that's not exactly right. I met someone in Phoenix last year. His name is Demetri, and I crossed paths with him while he was visiting friends. We became friends and have been keeping in touch over the phone this past year. He lives in Italy, and when we reconnected during my trip, we couldn't ignore our feelings any longer. We're planning to give a long-distance relationship a try while I'm in college. I'm thrilled, Dad, and truly hoping it all works out. I understand it might seem fast to you, as this is the first you're hearing of him, but I've genuinely gotten to know him this past year, and it's already quite serious. I don't say such words lightly, Dad, but I love him."
Charlie's expression grew slightly leery as he inquired, "Is he the one I've heard you laughing with sometimes at night when you were on the phone?"
I nodded and scrolled through the pictures on my phone until I found a good one of Demetri and me together. "Here he is, Dad." I handed him my phone, and I couldn't help but notice Charlie's eyes widening as he gazed at Demetri's image for the first time.
"He's certainly a looker, Bella. He looks a lot older than you, though. Please, humor your old man and tell me more about him." I watched as Charlie scrolled through some other pictures of us, and I eagerly began to share the story of Demetri.
"Well, he is older, Dad." I didn't specify how much older, and fortunately, Charlie didn't ask. "He graduated from college earlier this year." Charlie raised his eyebrows, giving me a look that seemed to say, 'that's why he's too old for you.' I shook my head with a reassuring smile, "It's only a few years, Dad. We really get along well together. I spent a lot of time with him these past two weeks, and he even took me to Greece, where he was born. Mom met him last year, and she really liked him."
I continued to share the story of Demetri and our time together, but I made sure to keep everything PG rated, if that.
Eventually, Charlie's smile broke through. "Okay, Bella. I'm genuinely glad you've met someone who makes you happy. Truth be told, I was pretty relieved when you didn't go on any dates during your Senior year. I didn't think I was up for any of those awkward father-daughter conversations. I hope your long-distance relationship works out, but I would like to meet him in person at some point."
"Thanks, dad. I'm sure you'll like him. I mean, what father doesn't like the boyfriend of their only daughter?" I smiled at Charlie, giving him a wink, which brought a smile to his face. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go rest now. Jet lag's got me pretty good, and my sleeping schedule is going to be off for the next few days. Goodnight, dad. It's really good to be home again." I stood up, gave him another warm hug, and then made my way upstairs to my room. Collapsing into my bed, I closed my eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep, thoughts filled with Demetri and our wonderful days and nights in Italy.
I wanted to thank everyone who left feedback for the last chapter. I was very pleased to see how many people are enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it. As always, let me know your thoughts.
