A/N: Thank you once again for reading and reviewing. The last chapter received more reviews than any of the others, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Just to warn you, this one is also a bit citrus filled (they are still on their honeymoon after all!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, these characters, or the song lyrics.

Song for chapter: Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers

Oh, my love, my darling

I've hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time

Carlisle POV

The soft light of day filtered in through the window as I slowly opened my eyes. A smile came to my face as I remembered where I was and why there was warm air blowing lightly on my chest every few seconds.

I turned my head to gaze at my beautiful wife who was sleeping beside me. We were in the exact same position we had fallen asleep: me on my back, and Esme with her head against my shoulder while her arm stretched across me. Her warm body was as close to mine as she could possible get, but I wanted us to somehow be closer. Esme seemed to subconsciously have the same idea, and every so often, she would hug me tighter and wriggle her body to try to close the imaginary distance.

I finally managed to take my eyes off of Esme to glance at the clock on the nightstand. It was actually later than I anticipated, not that it mattered in the least. After the busy day and night, our post-coital bliss had lured us both into a deep sleep.

Our first night together had been incredible. My goal had been to make Esme feel as comfortable as possible with anything we did. Taking a bath together had been a spur of the moment suggestion, but I had seen the bubble bath earlier while we were exploring our suite. I was hoping the bath would help both of us relax and lead into whatever happened next.

The feeling of her skin against mine while we were in the water was indescribable. We had touched before, but always over clothing, so this was very new. I could tell she was nervous and self-conscious, but she continued to trust me. That trust reached a new level when she suggested that we move to the bed. In all honesty, I was nervous myself. This was brand new, uncharted territory- territory that we would be able to explore together.

Once in bed, I could tell from her eyes that she needed me, and I needed her in all of the same ways. I wanted to be able to physically express my love for her in any way that she allowed me. I continued to gain her trust as I pleasured her with my mouth and fingers. Every sexual circumstance she had ever been in had involved pain, and I longed to prove to her that it would never be that way between us.

I wasn't exactly sure of my actions, but using Esme's moans of pleasure and unhindered movements as a guide, I was able to figure out what she enjoyed. She was absolutely glorious as she came apart from my ministrations. Before I began, I had a feeling that it would be her first time to experience pleasure like that. After her relationship with Charles, it seemed unlikely that she would want anything to do with sex. It made me even more thankful that she wanted to experience this type of relationship with me. Even though I wasn't technically her first everything, I was glad that I could still provide her with many other firsts.

Since I was letting Esme lead, I had no idea how far we would actually get. I was content with pleasuring her all night until we drifted off to sleep, but when she suggested doing "something else," I immediately agreed. Her wish was my command, and I would never second guess her when she was sure about something.

Our consummation was like nothing I had ever experienced before. My body fit perfectly with hers, and as we moved together, our love completely encased us. I could see the love in Esme's eyes as I tried to express my own love for her in everything I was doing. Her soft sighs of my name and her love for me meant so much to me. She was giving me everything: her heart and her body. I was giving her all of me in return, wishing I could somehow give her more because she deserved it.

After we reached our peaks together, I couldn't help but once again be amazed at the love, strength, and trust possessed by my Esme. I was also relieved that she was not hurt. Even more than that, she had enjoyed it and was ready for a second round. As much as I would have loved the opportunity to make love to my wife all night long, I knew we were both exhausted.

Curling up together to sleep was yet another dream come true. We could have easily begun sharing a bed after she moved in with me months ago. I was glad we had waited, though, because it was more special now and definitely worth the wait. Being wrapped in each other's arms to sleep provided the connection we both still needed. Our relationship was now forever changed. Another wonderful element had been added, further bonding us together.

We had not moved all night, and my body was still a little stiff from staying in the same position. I tried to stretch without jostling Esme, but our bodies were so attuned to each other that as soon as I moved, she began stirring. Once I finished stretching, I turned to look at her again and began trailing my fingers over her bare back. Her deep breaths became shallower, and I chuckled as she nuzzled her head against me while incoherently mumbling. Slowly, those beautiful hazel eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning, beautiful wife," I said softly and kissed her head.

Esme brought her hand up to rub her eyes before propping herself up on her elbow.

"Good morning to you, too, handsome husband," she mumbled. After squinting at the light, she groaned and flopped back against me.

"Not ready for the day to begin?" I laughed as I went back to touching her back, rubbing gently to further wake her.

"I just feel like I could sleep for another few hours," she said, yawning against my chest. "I didn't know nighttime activities were so tiring."

I was laughing even harder. "'Nighttime activities,' huh? I like your phraseology."

She sat up all the way this time with her arms crossed holding the sheet up to cover her naked chest. Her face was set in a playful pout. "Yes, Mr. Cullen. Nighttime activities. What do you want me to say?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, Mrs. Cullen. How many other expressions do you have? I could probably pick my favorite one."

She wasn't able to hold her pout very long before it turned into a shy smile. "Okay fine. I didn't know making love with my husband could be so tiring. Or so enjoyable," she finished in a whisper, a light blush covering her face.

I reached out for her shoulders, pulling her back down to me and holding her close. "I enjoyed it, too. So much, sweetheart. But maybe we can turn the nighttime activity into daytime activity as well? If you're not too sore that is."

She giggled at my suggestive statement, and it was one of the sweetest sounds I had ever heard. She placed a kiss over my heart before sitting back up.

"No, I'm not sore, and I'm sure we can find something to fill our day. But first, I need to go to the bathroom."

I watched as she scooted to the side of the bed and grabbed her discarded robe. As she stood up to put it on, I was able to steal a glimpse of the back of her. I knew she was still self-conscious, but I thought her body was perfect even if she claimed to have flaws. I hoped that one day she wouldn't feel the need to hide herself from me. Nothing would make me see her as any less beautiful.

Once she was in the bathroom, I put my own robe on and followed her. As she used the toilet, I quickly brushed my teeth. She soon joined me, and we worked side-by-side like we did everyday at home.

After I relieved my own bladder, I went back to the bedroom, but Esme wasn't there. I ventured out into the sitting area and found her sitting on the couch looking at the room service menu. As if on cue, my stomach growled. It was so loud that Esme heard it from across the room, and she lifted her head to smirk at me.

"I hear you're hungry, too?" she asked.

I nodded and sat down beside her to look at the menu. "Apparently, I'm very hungry. I guess nighttime activities give you an appetite as well."

She playfully punched my arm, and I simply wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek. She then turned to face me and joined her lips with mine. The kiss was short and sweet, perfect for the moment.

"I love you," I confessed, sighing after our lips were apart.

"I love you, too." Esme started to move in for another kiss but was interrupted by the sound of her own stomach growling.

"Maybe we should order food before we both starve," I suggested. Esme agreed and called to order a rather large meal for us to snack on for the rest of the day.

Our food was delivered quickly and efficiently, and instead of sitting at the table in the room, we remained the couch. We sat as close together as possible with our legs intertwined. Kisses and bites were stolen as we talked and laughed together. The atmosphere was very relaxed and light, not forced or awkward at all. We didn't need to act because our happiness was real.

Once we both ate our fill, I made sure the "Do Not Disturb" sign was still in place on the door before carrying Esme into the bedroom. She allowed me to peel her robe off once more, and after mine was off as well, we both crawled back in bed to snuggle under the covers.

We spent the entire day in bed, passing the time with cuddling, whispered conversations, and of course, daytime activities.

I took the time to kiss every inch of her body from the top of her head to her pinky toes, and it truly was a learning experience. Her soft sighs and giggles taught me exactly where all her erogenous zones were and where all the ticklish ones were. I carefully catalogued every one of them into my brain for future reference.

Esme continued to amaze me when she flipped me over and asked to return the favor. Little by little, she was becoming comfortable in her own body as well as becoming comfortable around mine. She slowly explored my body with her lips, kissing me exactly as I had done to her. I didn't hold any of my reactions back because I knew she would want to know what I liked.

As enjoyable as the kisses were, I was glad when she was finished and came back to my arms. The kisses soon began again, this time with our mouths connected. The passion escalated quickly since we were already worked up, and it wasn't long before were united in the most intimate of ways.

Each time we joined together was a little bit better than the previous, but all of the emotions remained the same from our first time. The love, trust, reverence, respect, desire, devotion- they were always there, and the combination was always amazing. Physically, our bodies were made for each other, and the pleasure we both received was indescribable. Esme was still right- there were no words. No word in the English language could even get close to labeling how it felt when we were together.

We finally took a break in the early evening to call and check on Emmett. Carmen and Eleazar were both very glad that we were having a good time. "Good time" didn't even begin to describe how our trip had been so far, but we didn't correct them. Emmett was overjoyed to hear our voices, and we were both happy to hear him. We asked him about his day, and he tried to tell us. The only words we understood were "Riley," "trains," and "ice cream," but from those words alone, we knew the adults had had their hands full. Emmett was still happily distracted by his cousins' presence, so we told him goodnight and let him go back to playing. We did worry a little about how he would handle it when they left, but we knew Carmen and Eleazar would do everything to make his time with them fun.

After our phone conversation, we finally disentangled ourselves and got out of bed. We shared a shower, taking turns washing and gently caressing each other under the hot spray of water. Once we were clean, we put clothes on for the first time all day and headed down to eat dinner.

The food was once again delicious, and we both ate until we couldn't hold any more. After we finished, we went outside to walk around. The grounds of the hotel were gorgeous, and thankfully, Esme remembered to bring the camera to get some pictures. We silently walked along the coast, listening to the waves. As the sun was setting, we stopped walking to face west. We stood locked in an embrace, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon. Once it was gone, Esme stood on her toes to kiss me, and I cemented the memory of yet another perfect moment into my mind.

It was getting dark, so we walked back to the room. I had requested for housekeeping to come while we were eating, so when we returned, the bed was remade and turned down, welcoming us back. It was still relatively early, so we changed out of our clothes and snuggled together in bed to watch a movie.

Esme had on a navy blue silk nightgown with thin straps. It molded to her body perfectly, stopping mid-thigh. I knew she had been nervous about what Carmen and Charlotte had packed for her, but judging from this item, it appeared that they had done a good job with packing things that Esme would be comfortable in.

I tried to pay attention to the movie, but it was difficult for me not to just stare at my beautiful wife. Her face was practically glowing with her happiness, and when she looked up at me, her eyes were brilliant with the love shining through.

We only made it about halfway through the movie before I turned the TV and light off. Esme laughed at my eagerness, but I didn't care. We were both insatiable, but it was our honeymoon. We had years to make up for, years that were stolen from us, and we only had a short amount of time before going back to real life. Our love making lasted long into the night, but eventually we were exhausted once more so we curled up together to sleep.

The next morning, we actually had to get out of bed since I had activities planned for us. Room service was ordered for breakfast, and we ate in bed, trying to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

After a quick shower, we headed to the spa where I had made a reservation for a couples massage. It was nice to be in the same room together, and the massage left us both feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for the rest of the day.

The rest of the day was pretty low-key, though. A scenic drive around Half Moon Bay was the the next item on our list. We were able to view even more of the Pacific Coast as well as the magnificent California Redwood trees. Esme took pictures the whole time, and I made a mental note to buy her a new scrapbook to be specifically for this trip. We also drove by the historic Main Street. We ate a quick lunch and made plans to return to Main Street on Wednesday before our afternoon flight. After finishing our drive with a visit to a winery, we drove back to the hotel for an afternoon swim in the heated pool.

In the evening after dinner and our phone call to Emmett, we sat on the terrace next to the fire pit, watching the stars emerge one by one. Esme was sitting in my lap, and my arms were around her waist as I held her to me. We were completely relaxed, breathing together as one, and everything about the moment felt perfect.

"I wish we could do this at home," she said wistfully. "The city is too loud and bright to be able to enjoy sitting outside in the evenings. You can't really see the stars."

"I know, sweetheart. But one day we'll be able to."

"What do you mean?" she asked with simple curiosity.

"One day we can build a house away from the city; somewhere we can sit outside together and enjoy the stars just like this."

"Mmm…I like the sound of that. A house. How many bedrooms will it have?"

"Well, I haven't exactly planned ahead without asking you, but I was thinking along the lines of five or six," I said honestly.

Esme laughed lightly and snuggled closer to me. "Six bedrooms. How many children do you want us to have?"

"Enough to fill all the bedrooms."

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. I knew she would. We had already had this discussion many times, and we both wanted more children- a houseful of children, in fact. Esme and I both had enough love to go around, and we couldn't wait to share it.

We kissed softly under the stars until she pulled away. I looked at her questionably since she wasn't a fan of ending a kiss until we were both out of breath.

"You know, that's a lot of bedrooms to fill," she whispered. "We should probably get started right away."

Her words were all it took for me to scoop her up into my arms and rush back into our room. She giggled the whole way to the bed, and we didn't waste any time once we got there before picking up where we had left off the night before.

Tuesday was another laid-back day. We lounged around together in the morning before going outside to enjoy the nice weather. We played a couple of rounds of tennis, which I was not good at, and took another long walk along the coast. It didn't really matter what we were doing. Our happiness came from simply being together talking, laughing, or even just sitting in silence.

We went back to our room mid-afternoon to take a long bath together. It was different from the first one, and every change was a testament to how far we had come in just a few short days. We undressed in front of each other. There was nothing to hide since we were now very acquainted with the other's body. Our touches in the water were no longer hesitant, and anxiety was not present. We stayed submerged until the water was cold and our finger tips shriveled up.

When we stepped out of the tub, I dried Esme off slowly, paying attention to every part of her exquisite body. I paid close attention to her abdomen, kissing the faint stretch marks she worried so much about. To me, they were symbolic. The light marks were a reminder of Emmett. If it hadn't been for him growing in his mother's womb, she wouldn't have had the courage to leave Charles- the courage caused by her love for her unborn baby. We may have saved each other, but Emmett was the catalyst. It was all the more reason for me to love the precious little boy.

After we were dry, I left Esme in the bathroom to continue getting ready. I had made reservations for us in the fancier dining area for our last night here. Esme had a new dress to wear, and I was very excited to see her in it. She always looked astonishing in anything she wore, so I knew this would be no different.

It didn't take me long to put my suit and tie on, so I used my free time to gather up some of our things. I was thinking that we wouldn't want to pack after dinner, and it would be a lot to do in the morning. After everything was in a fairly decent order, I sat on the bed to wait patiently.

My patience was rewarded a few minutes later when Esme floated out of the bathroom. She literally took my breath away. Her caramel curls were pinned up, allowing just a couple of wisps of hair to rest on her neck, and I couldn't wait to take the rest down later. Her vermillion dress was stunning with a v-neck which only went down far enough to give a glimpse of the top swell of her breasts. There was beading at the waist, and from there the dress flowed down to just above her knee. Her feet were donned with a pair of high-heeled black sandals, and she was wearing all of the jewelry that I had given her.

"What do you think?" she asked as she twirled in front of me.

Her vanilla scent spread through the air, and I stood up quickly to pull her into my arms. "Sweetheart, you look incredible." I kissed her quickly and then pushed her back a little so I could gaze at her again.

"I think you might cause some men to sin tonight," I said with a wink.

"What sin would that be and how am I going to accomplish that?" she asked with a soft smile and pulled herself back to my chest.

"They are going to be coveting you because you are simple irresistible." My lips met hers in a passionate kiss, deep kiss. Every time we kissed, my need for her grew quickly. Now that we could go farther, and did a majority of the time, it was difficult to stop.

We did finally break away to leave the room. As we walked to dinner, I pulled out my cell phone and we called home to talk to Emmett. He was still having a good time with his new playmate- Pops. I could tell that Carmen and Eleazar were both enjoying their time with Emmett. They didn't get to spend as much time with their other grandchildren since they lived so many hours away, so I was glad they had this time with our son. It was a blessing that they got to be a part of his everyday life, as they would for our future children as well.

We made it on time for our reservations and were seated at a small table just right for us. Unfortunately, the table wasn't round and it was only for two so we had to sit across from each other. Even though we were a few feet apart, we were still at a comfortable distance to share our food. We ordered two different seafood dishes and ate what we wanted off of both plates. I also ordered a couple of glasses of wine for us. We didn't drink very often, but their wine was an excellent quality and completed our experience.

After we finished eating, we slowly walked back to the suite. As much as I was ready to see Emmett, I wasn't ready to leave. So many memories had been made, so much growth in our relationship achieved. Esme wrapped her arms around me and sighed, and I could tell she was having the same bittersweet feelings.

When we made it back, I dimmed the lights and turned on some soft music before drawing Esme to me for a slow dance. We swayed with our bodies pressed closely together, her head resting against my chest.

"This reminds me of the night you proposed," Esme reminisced.

"It is very similar. But this is better. Much better."

She nodded in agreement, and we continued dancing.

"You know, I never expected you to propose that night, which was very silly of me. I should have realized you were planning something like that."

"Your shock surprised me, actually," I said with a chuckle. "I thought you were going to figure out my plans. You knew I was going to propose to you eventually."

"But I never expected it to be so soon. I thought I was going to have to wait."

I stopped moving and she looked up at me. "Esme, I would never make you wait for anything you wanted. And I don't think I could have waited much longer to place a ring on your finger." I lifted her left hand up to kiss her rings. It was one of my favorite gestures, one that I used to prove to tiny, doubting portion of my mind that Esme was really mine.

"Well, what if I said that I wanted something right now? Would you give it to me?" she asked in a whisper.

She pressed her body even closer to mine. I took the hint and led us into the bedroom. The music was left playing as Esme and I separated. She grabbed something out of her suitcase and headed to the bathroom while I sat on the bed to begin taking my tie off.

I had just started unbuttoning my shirt when Esme returned. She was wearing her robe and looking down at the floor. I could see how tense she was, and I wondered what had brought the nerves back out.

"Esme, what's wrong?" I asked.

Instead of answering me with words, she untied the robe and let it fall to the floor. When I saw what she had on, I was once again speechless. The ice blue lingerie was different from what she had been wearing. To start with, it was much shorter, only reaching the tops of her thighs. It was also very sheer, so sheer that I could see the matching thong underneath. She turned around slowly, and I was able to see where the halter top tied around her neck and left her back exposed.

I got off the bed, forgetting about my shirt, and walked to her. I stopped right in front of her, and she was still looking down. My hand gently nudged her chin up and her worried eyes met mine.

"Do you like it?" she asked in a small voice.

"Esme," I breathed huskily. "I think 'like' is an understatement. You look incredible. Where did you get this?"

I dropped my hand from her chin and ran my fingers lightly over the sequins and pearls that were on the fabric that covered her breasts.

"Umm…I think this one is from Charlotte."

"Remind me to thank Charlotte when we get home," I whispered and then crashed my lips to hers.

Her nervousness melted away when she realized I really did like what she was wearing. But as lovely as the lingerie set was, I knew it wasn't going to stay on much longer.

Our lips stayed connected as she placed her arms around my neck, and I lifted her so her legs could wrap around my waist. I carried her to the bed and sat her down on the edge. Both sets of our hands worked frantically to unbutton the rest of my shirt which was quickly shed, followed my pants and underwear.

Once I was bare, I scooted us back on our sides and pulled up the covers. My hands then went to her hair, slowly pulling out the pins to watch it fall to her shoulders and back. I wanted to marvel at its softness, but Esme's lips on mine cut me off.

As predicted, her clothing only lasted about ten minutes as I worshiped her with my fingers and mouth. We made love into the early hours of the morning, knowing full well that we would probably pay for it when we woke up. I didn't care, though, and I knew Esme didn't either. It was like a compulsion; we needed each other almost more than oxygen, and we weren't ready to give up the bubble we were currently in.

When we did finally sleep, it was peaceful as usual. The alarm was unforgiving in the morning, but we had to get up to pack the rest of our things. After making sure everything was securely in our suitcases, I loaded them into the car before we went back inside to enjoy the breakfast buffet and check out.

Once we were full of delicious pastries and coffee, we got into the rental car and drove away from the Ritz Carlton. It was sad for us to leave, but we carried our memories with us as well as a digital camera loaded with pictures.

Before heading to the airport, we stopped at Main Street. We visited several book stores along with other stores just to casually browse. We were able to pick out a few souvenirs to buy for Emmett, Carmen and Eleazar, and Peter and Charlotte. It was also nice to walk outside without having to worry about the constant rain like we did at home.

As I drove to the airport, Esme and I talked about the trip including all of our favorite parts. We were both a little glum, but when I reminded her that I still had over two weeks off before I returned to work, the mood lifted. Getting back to the real world did not end anything. Our closeness would remain no matter what came our way in the future.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! There are a couple of new pictures on my profile so can check those out if you want to.

The next chapter will be out by next weekend!