A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I really can't tell you how much of an encouragement they are!
So this story is rated 'M'. Please remember that while reading. Carlisle and Esme's activities definitely aren't appropriate for children.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
Carlisle POV
My decision of when to go back to work weighed heavily on my mind. I loved my job so I knew I wanted to go back, but staying at home with Esme and our children was just too good of a deal.
By the end of May, I had already had several weeks off and was planning to take several more. I didn't like throwing my name around at the hospital, but it was one that was respected and it enabled me to have the time I wanted without problems. All of my superiors knew exactly why I was gone for so long, and they weren't pressuring me to return. Most of them respected my need to be with my family, and I greatly appreciated the favors they were doing for me.
I was always reluctant to go back to work after any vacation, but our home was even more amazing now. Waking up every day to play with the kids was not something I wanted to give up. The relaxed schedule of our life had done wonders for Rosalie and Jasper as well as Emmett. They learned and progressed so much each and every day, and the thought of missing anything hurt even to think about in passing.
Concern for Esme was also always in the back of my mind. I had no doubts that she could handle three little ones by herself, but I didn't want to put that stress on her. We were partners, and even though she did nothing but encourage me, I still felt guilty for her having to be at home without me. I knew she would have help from Carmen and Charlotte, but besides the fact that I felt my first responsibility was at home, I just didn't want to give up our time together.
Technically, I was the "bread-winner" of the family, but in all honestly, we didn't need my pay check. Esme and I were smart with our finances and were basically set for life even if we never worked again. The main reason I was a doctor was to give back and help others, besides the fact that it had been my dream to follow in my father's footsteps.
The more Esme and I talked about it, the more I realized that I needed a change. My reluctance to go back to the hospital seemed like a sign from God; it was as if I wasn't in the place I should have been. I loved helping people in the hospital, but the hours tended to be sporadic, not even counting the times I had to be on call. Since my family came first, I knew I needed to have a more flexible work schedule that allowed me to be home with them as much as possible. I had the most flexible schedule of any doctor of my level at the hospital, but it wasn't enough. The constant chance of having to go in at any time was not something I wanted to deal with.
Our discussions often drifted to my dream of owning a private practice. It was no surprise to me that Esme was just as supportive of me as I was of her, and she encourage me to do what would make me happy. My dream wouldn't be easy to accomplish though, and our discussions didn't go far very often considering most of them occurred at night while lying in bed. If we managed to stay awake longer than a few minutes, my wife could be very distracting.
Ultimately, I knew it would take time and preparations, and I didn't want to do it alone. As I thought more about it, I realized that there was only one person I would want to go into private practice with. That realization led me to call Peter and ask to meet him for lunch.
It wasn't difficult for Peter and I to pick a day for us to meet, and we chose the hospital cafeteria so it would be more convenient for him. It was a bit more difficult for me to leave the house, which only led to more anxiety over my impending return to work. I purposely wanted to meet during a day when Charlotte was at our house to make it a little easier on Esme to deal with the little ones. It didn't make leaving any easier on the kids though.
I wasn't surprised when Emmett begged to go with me. He would ask to go with me anywhere most of the time. I was surprised when Jasper wanted to go, too. Since we were going to be having an important conversation, I hadn't planned on taking any children with me. And since I knew Jasper wouldn't be comfortable going to the hospital, it was definitely out of the question. I didn't want to take Emmett and leave Jasper at home, especially when Jasper hadn't had as much one-on-one time with us as our other two.
After quite a few goodbye kisses and promises of "next time," I finally managed to get out of the house and drive to the hospital. Peter was waiting for me in front of the cafeteria, and we wasted no time in going to buy our food.
Once our trays were piled with food, we headed back to our usual table in the corner. As we ate, we talked casually about our families including his and Charlotte's preparations for the baby. They only had a few more weeks to go before their precious little girl would be joining them, and I could tell that Peter was very excited.
After we finished eating, Peter leaned back in his chair and gave me a pointed look.
"Not that you wouldn't want to eat lunch with me, but I know you must have had some sort of motive to meet today. Care to share what that might be?" he asked with a smile.
I chuckled and shook my head. It didn't really surprise me that my best friend of many years knew me well enough to be suspicious.
"Well," I began slowly, "As you know, I haven't come back to work since we brought Rosalie and Jasper home, and I'm not totally sure when I will be back."
"Yeah, you should probably be careful around here," he said with mischief in his eyes. "If those nurses see that you're here, they might try to make you stay. And Char is with Es so she can't fight them off for you."
"I guess I should've worn a disguise, huh?" I chuckled, though I wouldn't put it past the nurses to try their best to make me stay. Being married had done nothing to sway their interest, but thankfully, Esme found it hilarious. She knew I only had eyes for her.
"Anyway, I'll have to come back eventually, but I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do in the future."
Peter was giving me his undivided attention since the joking was over. His expression clearly told me to spit it out already so I decided that we had both had enough beating around the bush.
"I want to go into private practice, and I'm hoping you'll think about joining me."
I waited cautiously for his reaction, but he simply blinked before his expression turned pensive.
"Not right now," I clarified quickly. "It would take a lot of planning, and many other decisions would need to be made. I just want you to know that you're who I trust and would want to work with everyday."
He nodded thoughtfully, and I was just glad that he hadn't immediately turned me down.
"I'll have to talk to Charlotte about this, of course," he said after a few moments of thought.
I nodded in understanding because I didn't expect anything different. I would have to discuss every detail with Esme as well.
"But I like the idea," he continued. "It would be nice to have a set schedule, especially as the baby grows up. I'm sure that's one of the reasons you've been thinking about this?"
I nodded once more. I loved my job at the hospital, but I needed to know that I would have time with my family. It was important for our entire family's relationship for me to be at home as much as possible, and having a set schedule that wouldn't change was preferable.
"And we could turn the practice into whatever we want," I added. "I wouldn't mind helping the less fortunate. You know, providing them with health care they wouldn't normally be able to afford. Since you're a pediatrician, I know there would surely be a demand."
"Also an excellent idea," he said with a smile. "We have a lot of options if we decide to do this. Like I said, I need to discuss this with Charlotte, but I have a feeling she'll like the idea, too."
"I hope she would follow us, of course."
Peter nodded and chuckled. "You know she would. I might drag her with me even if she didn't agree."
I laughed along with him. I knew he was mostly joking about dragging Charlotte, but they really did work well together. Even when they were being strictly professional, they still moved together in a careful dance of precision and accuracy with the patients. I could tell because it was the same way with Esme and me at home.
With our serious conversation finished, Peter and I cleaned up our mess before he walked me back out to my car since he had to get back to work. I thanked him for listening to my ideas, but he shrugged me off and assured me that he was very interested in my plans. After a quick handshake and man-hug, I drove home, excited to tell Esme how the conversation had gone.
Esme was thrilled, which was no surprise to me, though we didn't spend much more time talking about it. It was enough for now that we had some idea of what we wanted to do in the future. Having a long-term plan made it easy for me to focus on getting ready to return to the hospital which was going to happen eventually whether I wanted to stay home all the time or not.
The next couple of weeks flew by as we helped Carmen and Eleazar prepare for Kate and Garrett's arrival. Eleazar and I didn't really contribute much help though, opting instead to stay out of our wives' way. They seemed to have everything under control with the cleaning and meal planning, and they only occasionally gave us a specific task to complete. I tried to do my part by keeping the children, especially the boys, out of the way. If the weather was nice, we were outside letting Emmett and Jasper run off as much energy as possible.
The day of Garrett and Kate's arrival came upon us quickly, and the excitement level in the family was extremely high. We had all missed them since Christmas; even weekly, or sometimes daily, chatting didn't really relieve the feeling in our tight-knit family. The previous summer had been spent together as our house was being built, but this year it was going to be more carefree during the visit.
Esme and I were both anxious and excited about Rosalie and Jasper getting to meet the rest of the family. We knew they would be scared at first, but we had high hopes that they would adjust quickly. Kate and Garrett knew everything about our children already so we knew they would be patient and cautions around them.
While Carmen and Eleazar went to the airport to wait for the late afternoon flight to arrive, we stayed at their house to make sure all the last minute preparations were ready. Esme started dinner because we knew they would all be tired from their flight and all the other tiring preparations involved with a family trip. An early bedtime was definitely in store for all of us.
After dinner was mostly prepared, there wasn't much left for us to do besides sit and wait. I turned the TV on in the den, and Esme sat down with me to watch. The boys were playing quietly, but I knew it would be short-lived. Once Emmett and Riley were together, the quiet would cease. Rosalie was also quiet and she curled up in Esme's lap to fall asleep.
Our TV watching was interrupted by a phone call from Carmen saying that they were almost home which put us in action again. Esme took Rosalie to lay her down on a bed so the loud family wouldn't disturb her nap. Emmett was excited about getting to see Riley soon and was basically bouncing off the walls with energy. I tried to calm him down, but it was a wasted effort. Jasper seemed to be anxious as we had expected, but I knew he had at least some idea of what was going on. I pulled him into my lap, and he held on to me tightly as he rested his head on my shoulder. I felt his body relax as I lightly rubbed his back, and I was glad that I could help him feel safe.
Esme returned to the den after laying Rosalie down and reclaimed her spot beside me as we waited patiently. Emmett's excitement eventually led to him having to go potty and he ran upstairs, claiming that he could handle it without help. We rolled our eyes but didn't stop him; asserting his independence was just something that came with his age.
After a few minutes, we heard car doors slamming in the garage followed by the kitchen door opening.
"We're here!" I heard a high-pitched voice yell.
I turned to look at Esme, and she was already chuckling. I shook my head playfully and braced myself and Jasper for impact. It was easy to hear the running steps, and then a few seconds later, two little flashes stopped in the doorway of the den and looked at us with wide smiles.
"Aunt Esme! Uncle Carlisle!" Corin screamed joyfully before launching herself at us. Riley was running right behind her, giggling away.
They both attacked Esme first, and she embraced them tightly. After a few kisses, Corin crawled over to me and perched herself in my lap next to Jasper. I hugged her the best that I could with one arm, and she kissed my cheek. I knew I had a large smile on my face, and Esme's matched. I loved witnessing how happy they were to see us.
I glanced at Jasper's face and was happy to see that he wasn't hiding. His hold on my neck was tight, but he looked more confused than scared. I guess it would be confusing to see your parents get attacked by children you didn't know. I rubbed his back and kissed his head to make sure he knew that everything was okay.
After the initial greeting from Corin, she didn't move from my lap to give her brother a turn. Instead, she looked curiously from me to Jasper.
"Uncle Carlisle, is that your new baby?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
My lips remained curled into a smile as a nodded. "He is one of my new babies, sweetheart," I said proudly.
"Is he Jasper?"
I nodded. "This is Jasper," I said softly and kissed his head once more.
Corin bounced on my lap slightly before waving at Jasper. "Hi, Jasper! I'm Corrie, and I'm your cousin. We can play together, or you can play with my brother. But I wouldn't play with him too much because he stinks!"
I chuckled at her fast speech, and it looked as if Jasper hadn't understood anything she had said. I was having a hard time following it myself, so I didn't blame him.
"Can I give him a hug, Uncle Carlisle?" Corin asked hopefully.
Jasper had relaxed some, but I wasn't sure how he would feel about this energetic six year old hugging him. Because of my uncertainty, I finally decided that it wasn't a good idea.
"Maybe you can hug him later?" I suggested gently, not wanting to let her down. "I'm sure he would love to hug you after you play for a while."
She thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded quickly. I let a breath out in relief, but sucked it right back in when Corin swiftly kissed Jasper's cheek before running off. As I held my breath, I watched Jasper's face for a sign of reaction. To my surprise, he simply turned his head to look up at me, his face remaining just as confused as it had been before.
"She's a little crazy, huh?" I whispered loudly, just to him before kissing his cheek in the same spot as Corin had. I then tickled his belly which made him smile and giggle, and I could finally breathe again. It was amazing how he was able to take everything in stride, and I just hoped it would be the same when he and his sister met everyone else.
When I diverted my attention from Jasper, I noticed that the rest of the family was standing in the doorway staring at us. Carmen and Eleazar both had knowing smiles on their faces, but it wasn't the first time that they had watched either Esme or me with the kids. Garrett was holding Jane who was sleeping on his shoulder, and his gentle smile showed how happy he was for us. Kate was smiling, too, and also seemed to have tears in her eyes which she tried and failed to blink back. Once they knew we had noticed them, they dispersed and tried to act normal, but it was a little late for that.
Since Corin had run off with her grandparents, my lap was free again which gave Riley an opportunity to join me. He took this opportunity of course, and happily gave me the same greeting his sister had. He even waved shyly at Jasper before asking me where Emmett was. I was about to answer him when I heard familiar jumping down the stairs that we were treated to at home on some occasions.
"Mommy, Daddy, I dids it all bys myself!" Emmett yelled proudly as he ran into the room. As soon as he saw who was in my lap, he froze and his eyes became as wide as saucers. I chuckled softly as he grinned and started bouncing up and down.
"Riley! You's here!" he squealed before running toward me. I helped Riley slide out of my lap, and I smiled as he met Emmett.
They hugged as only cousins could, and I felt Jasper relax even more against me as he watched them. It only took a few moments for him to be sitting normally in my lap, and he was very focused on them with almost a look of longing on his face.
I ran my fingers through his hair, and he turned to look at me with a smile.
"Do you want to go play with them, buddy?" I asked softly. "We'll be right here whenever you want to come back and sit."
My assurances seemed to work, and after a few minutes of though, he nodded. I hugged him tightly once more before kissing his head. I was so proud of him for not letting his fears in the way. Siobhan had told us many times that Jasper and Rosalie would flourish under our love and care, and I saw this as proof that she was right.
"Emmett," I called and motioned for him to come over to me once I had his attention. "Emmett, how about you and Jasper go play with Riley together."
My suggestion made Emmett's face light up, and he nodded before taking Jasper's hand. Jasper followed Emmett without much hesitation, and they were soon running off to play in another room. Tears came to my eyes as I heard Emmett talking loudly as he told his cousin all about Jasper and how he loved his new brother.
I looked beside me and saw that Esme also had tears in her eyes. I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me until her head rested against my shoulder.
"Our children are incredible," I whispered before lifting her hand to kiss the top of it.
"I know," she responded softly. "I definitely know."
The adults soon joined us in the den after dropping off suitcases in respected rooms and laying down a sleeping child. Esme and I stood up to hug both Garrett and Kate, and it felt so nice to have them back with us. Conversation flowed smoothly between us as we kept an ear open for any disturbing noises coming from the boys and Corin. Since we were able to keep in touch so often, there wasn't much for us to catch up on with each other, but we had no problems with finding something to talk about.
Eventually the conversation did shift to Rosalie and Jasper. They were such a wonderful addition to Esme's and my life as well as to the whole family that it was almost impossible to not talk about them. It was easy to tell that Garrett and Kate already loved Jasper just from the few minutes they saw him and they couldn't wait to meet Rosalie.
As if on cue, a soft cry was heard from down the hallway which caught both Esme and Kate's attentions.
"Is that mine or yours?" Kate asked as they listened closely, but Esme was already standing up by the time the soft whimper was heard again.
"Definitely mine," Esme answered confidently.
I smiled as Esme hurried out of the room to go to Rosalie. She was so attuned to our daughter, and it was amazing to watch. It was if she knew when Rosalie needed her without even really needing to hear the cry.
A few minutes later, Esme returned with Rosalie who was hiding against her shoulder. Instead of sitting where she had been, Esme chose to sit on the other side of me to be farther away from the others in the room. The adults stayed quiet as we gave Rosalie time to wake up and adjust as Esme rubbed her back and talked softly to her.
Everyone gradually continued the conversation with my encouragement. I didn't think that Rosalie would appreciate all of us staring at her; that was not the way to make her feel comfortable. She needed to be able to take everything in without all of the attention being focused on her.
Carmen fixed Rosalie a sippy cup with some juice and gave it to her before sitting beside me. Together we formed a barrier which Rosalie noticed, and she finally began to relax enough to sit on her bottom in Esme's lap while looking cautiously at everyone in the room.
Soon the kids came back into the den complaining about being hungry, so the ladies headed into the kitchen to get everything ready for us to eat dinner. Once the table was set, they called the rest of us to the dining room where we all sat down together. Carmen and Eleazar seemed ecstatic to have their table full once more, but it had never been quite this full before. Rosalie and Jasper helped make the family feel more complete.
Dinner was a rather loud event, but it was the good kind of loud that always happened with us. We were all convinced that Corin was born to be an entertainer because she certainly kept us laughing with all of the crazy things she said. Emmett and Riley also came up with silly things to say while Jasper laughed along with them. It was nice to see Jasper acting like the little boy he deserved to be without any fear.
Surprisingly, Rosalie also seemed to enjoy the loud conversation. She was sitting with Esme but feeding herself, and I noticed her smiling quite a few times. Esme was even able to tickle a giggle or two out of her, and the sound warmed everyone's hearts.
Jane woke up finally when we were about halfway through dinner and found her way to the dining room to join us. She was shy at first around everyone, but warmed up quickly and was just as happy to see Esme and me as her brother and sister had been. She also seemed very curious about Rosalie, and they stared at each other for a few minutes while they ate. None of us knew what to think about it, but as long as they weren't upset, we didn't have a problem with it.
After we finished eating, the boys and Corin ran off again to continue whatever they had been doing before dinner, and Kate and Esme took Jane and Rosalie into the den while the men took over the clean-up. Carmen was right behind us the whole time, supervising as we cleared the table. We laughed as we went and tried to assure her that we knew what we were doing. Cleaning up was not a new job for me.
Once everything met Carmen's standards, we were able to go relax again in the den. I was very happy to see that Rosalie and Jane were playing together. They were in their respective mother's laps facing each other as they both showed off their baby dolls. I sat down on the couch next to Esme and placed my arm around her before kissing her temple. She turned and smiled at me, and I could tell she was just as happy.
We didn't stay much longer because it was easy to tell that Kate and Garrett were exhausted. It was definitely a challenge to separate the kids, but we promised them that they would see each other soon. In a way, it was good that they were so attached to each other and were such good friends. It just wasn't appreciated when we needed to leave.
Esme and I were very happy with how the evening had gone. Rosalie and Jasper seemed to blend into our family effortlessly, and I was very relieved that our summer could be spent without worry.
Having the family together was definitely fun for us all, and it was easy to see the joy on Carmen and Eleazar's faces every day. Their house was always buzzing with energy with that many little ones around. Esme and I always took time for just us and our kids at home, but we found ourselves at my aunt and uncle's house for at least an hour or two every day.
We loved going over there, but the kids seemed to love it even more. Emmett, Jasper, and Riley had become almost inseparable, and they played together nonstop until one or all of them dropped. Rosalie had also found a friend in Jane. It was so sweet to see them together doing all the things that they both loved to do. I was glad that Rosalie finally had someone who enjoyed what she did. Trying to get the boys to play with baby dolls with her had always failed in the past, but Jane, and even Corin sometimes, gladly filled the role of playmate.
Rosalie was also slowly becoming more relaxed when all of the adults were around. It was easier for her when she had someone with her who she felt safe around, whether it be Esme, Carmen, or even me. I still couldn't touch her, but it meant the world to me that I helped make her feel comfortable around new people who made her nervous. Garrett and Kate also tried to help as much as possible by knowing Rosalie's boundaries and being careful not to cross them. As a result of their efforts, it only took a couple of days for Rosalie to be comfortable around Kate, even to the point of letting her hold her. Garrett never took offense to Rosalie's hesitance around him, and it made me very thankful that we had a loving and understanding family.
After two weeks straight of nothing but our combined six children, we were in desperate need of a break. Our days were filled with trips to the zoo, shopping, museums, and anything else to keep them occupied. Along with our fun activities, we also had whining, fights, tantrums, and near nuclear melt-downs to deal with. There was never a dull moment during the day, that's for sure.
We hardly ever had a break a night either. The kids often scattered with some sleeping at our house, and the rest staying at Carmen and Eleazar's house. Esme and I never had a break at the same time as Garrett and Kate, and we knew we needed it desperately since we were all longing for some grown-up time.
Carmen and Eleazar seemed to notice this though, and they graciously offered to watch all of the kids to give the four of us a chance to go out and enjoy the quiet. Esme and I were no longer as hesitant as we had been about leaving any of our kids, so we gladly took them up on their offer as did Kate and Garrett.
We planned to go on a Friday evening, and I made reservations for us at our favorite up-scale Italian restaurant. The kids were all taken out for ice cream in the afternoon which allowed us to get ready in peace.
It was strange for the house to be quiet for once, and it was even stranger for Esme and me to be in the bathroom by ourselves. We didn't have to worry about our little shadows following us around, and even though we missed them, it felt great to be truly alone for the first time in months.
Esme had a new dress for the evening, and I found it difficult to keep my hands off of her while she was getting ready. She didn't mind though, so I didn't offer to stop. I wanted to show my wife how much I loved her and how much she meant to me as the woman that I had always loved, not just as the mother of our children. Being a mother was an important part of her, but I wanted to appreciate the other parts for a change.
We were dressed and ready to leave in what seemed like no time at all. We were so used to allowing time for us to get the whole family ready that even with all of our primping and polishing, we still had plenty of time to spare before we were supposed to meet Garrett and Kate. Esme and I decided to leave anyway and enjoy our drive together.
We went in my car since we didn't need all the extra room, and the ride was fairly quiet besides the soft hum of the radio. When we stopped at a traffic light, I glanced at Esme. Her head was resting against her seat and her eyes were closed while a small smile graced her lips.
I reached over and held her hand in mine as I brought it up to my lips to kiss her knuckles.
"You're so beautiful," I murmured against her skin.
Her eyes opened and her suspicious gaze shifted to mine.
"Have I told you that tonight?"
A chuckle escaped her lips, and her hand squeezed mine as she nodded. "Only about seven times within the past hour." Her tone was teasing, but I knew she loved it.
"Well, I guess I should step up it up," I teased back before becoming serious again. "You are absolutely exquisite, my love."
And she was. Her deep purple dress fit perfectly, accentuating her body in all the right areas. The v-neckline was low enough to show just a hint of cleavage but still remain modest. The small sleeves covered her shoulder while leaving her toned arms exposed. Her small waist was also highlighted, but beyond that, she just glowed with happiness.
"Thank you, Carlisle," she said softly before brining my hand to her lips for a kiss. "I love you. So much."
"I love you, too," I smiled.
I wanted to continue watching her, but unfortunately the light turned green which called my attention back to the road. My smile didn't leave my lips though as Esme held our intertwined hands in her lap for the rest of the ride.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I parked the car before exiting and hurrying over to open Esme's door. She waited patiently for me and allowed me to help her out of the car. Instead of dropping her hand once she was standing, I pulled her in for a hug. She melted into my embrace, and I kissed her head. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair, but since she had it pulled up in a twist with only a few strands left out, I knew it wasn't possible. I would definitely make up for it later.
Esme stepped back and smiled up at me. She seemed so relaxed which made me very happy. I had been afraid that she would worry all night about the kids, but so far that was not the case. I tried to not let worry creep into my own mind since I knew they would be fine with Carmen and Eleazar, but it was so easy for my thoughts to drift to our precious little ones.
After placing a quick kiss on her lips, I locked the car and wrapped my arm around her waist before heading toward the door. Once we were inside, we waited by the door for Garrett and Kate. They arrived just a few minutes after us with matching looks of tranquility. We all laughed upon seeing each other and the obvious affect that being without children for a few hours had on us.
I gave the hostess my name, and we were soon seated in a private area toward the back of the restaurant. The food was delicious of course, but the company was even better. Since we were basically isolated from other patrons, we were able to talk and laugh at will throughout dinner. It was a bit ironic to me that our conversations almost always drifted to our children even though we had gone out to escape them for a little while. None of us could deny that the children's antics were very entertaining, or at least they were now after the fact. Esme and I got to hear all about the joys of having three children who had learned to conspire together and get into as much mischief as possible. We were just now getting a taste of that with Emmett and Jasper, but I had a feeling that Rosalie would join forces with them, too.
Garrett and I both split desserts with our wives. He ordered a lemon tart for them, but Esme and I indulged ourselves with some chocolate cake with chocolate mousse. It was extremely rich, but between the two of us, we managed to polish it off. Being about to playfully feed each other once again was also a plus.
After paying the checks, we said goodbye before heading our separate ways. Garrett and Kate had reservations in a hotel for the night to have some privacy, and I had plans for Esme at home.
During our drive back to the house, I could tell that the worry was starting to creep up on Esme.
"Do you want to go get them?" I asked softly. "We can, but I really think they'll be okay."
She shook her head. "No, no. It's okay. I know they're alright. But thank you for offering."
"Just making sure," I said as I reached for her hand. "I'll do anything to make you happy. But I have to admit, I think it will be nice to not have to worry about anyone crawling into our bed in the middle of the night or listening for the baby monitor."
"That does sound nice," she chuckled softly. "We're all alone tonight."
Her comment was like a promise hanging in the air, and we remained silent for the rest of the ride home. A buzzing tension filled the car, giving us a reason to get home as soon as possible.
As soon as I pulled the car into the garage, I jumped out and went around to help Esme. Once she was out of the car with her hand in mine, I headed to the door. She giggled at my speed, but stood in place and prevented me from dragging her into the house. I turned and smiled sheepishly at her, but she just squeezed my hand and walked with me at a normal pace into the house.
She was right; we didn't need to go fast. We had all night.
Once we walked upstairs, we headed to the bathroom to undress. While Esme took off her jewelry, I took one look at our bathtub and knew how I wanted to spend the first part of the night.
"You know, the kids get to use the tub all the time," I said innocently.
My comment caught Esme's attention, and she turned to face me.
"They do," she nodded. "And…?"
"And I think we don't use it nearly as often as we should."
She gave me a small smile before walking over toward me until she was in my arms. "And what do you suggest we do about that?" she asked softly.
I hummed and reached up to pull the clip out of her hair and watched as it cascaded down over her shoulders. "I suggest that we take advantage of it. Right now."
Without a word, I reached behind her to slowly unzip her dress. She shivered against me, and I quickly captured her lips in a searing kiss. Once the zipper was undone, I pushed the dress off her shoulders and heard it hit the floor as I moved my hands to cup her face tenderly.
As we slowly reacquainted our lips with each other, I felt her hands move to start unbuttoning my shirt. She made fast work with it and was soon trying to push it off my shoulders. I smiled against her lips and regretfully broke our kiss to turn the water on to fill the tub before shrugging my shirt off.
Esme gathered us some towels while the bathtub filled, and I added some bath oil as I made sure the temperature was just right. Once she returned, she set the towels down, and looked at me shyly. She was unbelievable sexy, standing in front of me in just her lacy lingerie. I pulled her into my arms once more so she wouldn't be uncomfortable, and placed a single kiss on her lips.
"I love you," I whispered as I gently rubbed her shoulders. She sighed as she relaxed against me.
"I love you, too," she whispered back. I chuckled as she started working on taking off my belt. My beautiful wife had the amazing ability to be shy and forward at the same time, and I loved every second with her.
Esme worked just as quickly while removing my pants, and soon after that, we were both left with no clothing at all. Our hands roamed on their own, but we had to separate long enough for me turn off the water when the tub was full.
I didn't waste any time stepping into the tub and helping Esme as she joined me. We carefully sat down together in the water, and I pulled her against my chest as I held her as close to me as possible. We sat for a while in the soothing water, just enjoying each other's presence. I could feel the stress melting off of us as we totally relaxed for the first time in so long.
"You're right," Esme murmured after a long stretch of silence. "We should definitely take advantage of this more often."
I hummed in agreement and began trailing kisses down the side of her neck as she trailed her fingertips over my arms which were wrapped around her. The room was quiet except for our combined breathing and the slight movement of the water. The dim lighting in the room also made the tension grow once more, but I knew it would eventually be relieved. We had all night though, and I was enjoying taking it slow.
The water began cooling slightly, so I grabbed Esme's body wash and put some in my hands. We had already taken showers for the day, but I couldn't resist an excuse to rub Esme's back.
I scooted her forward just enough for me to reach her, and started with her shoulders. I gently massaged them as the rest of the stress completely left her body. Once she was relaxed, I slowly moved down her back as I made large circles, putting slight pressure with my thumbs against her spine on every pass. By the time I made it to her lower back, her breathing was much deeper, almost as if she was asleep. But when she turned around and looked at me with half-lidded eyes, I knew that wasn't the case.
Her pupils were dilated with hunger, and I almost gasped at the intensity of her stare. I was right there with her though, and gently wrapped my hands around her waist to help her turn around.
"Carlisle," she whispered as she moved her body closer to mine. "I need you."
My hands were instantly cupping her face as I gently pulled her toward me. "You never have to beg," I said against her lips. "I need you just as much."
Her hands worked their way into my hair as our lips crashed together. She pushed her chest against mine as our frantic kissing continued. Apparently slow wasn't what Esme needed, and there was no way that I was going to stop her.
After a few minutes, our kisses turned to nipping and sucking as Esme rubbed her chest against mine, so I knew we both needed more. I held Esme's waist in my hands once more and slowly moved her to join our bodies where we were aching with need.
Esme trembled against me and moaned softly. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly as we both adjusted to the amazing feeling that only occurred when we were together in this way.
When we did finally move, I let Esme set the pace. We quickly fell into a perfect rhythm with each other, giving and taking what we needed and wanted. I had wanted it to be slow, but we both needed it too much to slow our pace. With a near breathless sigh, Esme suddenly stilled and began to spasm around me. I continued to rock against her until I reached my peak and then stilled as well as my body calmed down.
I gently guided Esme's head to rest on my shoulder, and her warm, quick breaths tickled my neck. I didn't want her knees to get sore from how she was straddling me, so I helped her move off of me before I cradled her in my lap. She whimpered at the loss of intimate contact, but I simply held her tighter and lovingly ran my fingers through her hair.
Once we were no longer moving, I noticed the water had actually cooled off considerable, and Esme shivering against me proved that it was too cold for us to stay in any longer.
I slowly stood up while still Esme in my arms, and she gasped as we exited the water. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I could tell she was afraid that I was going to drop her or slip and cause us both to fall. But I had everything under control and was able to step out of the tub without causing any damage to either of us.
I slowly set her down on her feet but didn't let go totally as I grabbed a towel and began to dry her off, starting at her feet and working my way up. After I was finished with her, she grabbed the other towel and returned the favor. We both had content looks on our faces by the time we were both completely dry, but being content didn't stop the ever present need.
I scooped Esme up once more and carried her into the bedroom where I laid her on the bed before crawling in to join her under the covers. We made love slowly into the night until we were both sated and unable to move any more.
"I love you, sweetheart," I sighed. Esme shifted and rested her head against my chest as she molded her body against mine. Neither one of us had enough energy left to put any clothes on, but I was perfectly content how we were.
"Mmm…love you, too," she slurred, and I could tell she was very close to sleep.
It only took a few minutes for her breathing to even out, and she slept with a small smile gracing her lips. I watched her for a few minutes, amazed by the beauty of my wife and my love for her. She wasn't perfect, as no one was, but she was perfect for me and I was incredibly thankful for her.
Our connection had never been in any danger of being lost, but we had still needed a night to ourselves. We were always so rushed without much time for just us, and it felt amazing to be able to take our time. But now that Rosalie and Jasper were much more settled into our life, I knew that we could make more opportunities for alone time.
I felt my eyes close as I began drifting to sleep. The rest of the summer would be busy, but I was enjoying the moment. The peace and quiet would be over in the morning, and we would once again be surrounded by our wonderful children and family. But for the night, it was just the two of us, and it was perfect.
A/N: This chapter didn't have a whole lot going on, but it was necessary for the future. The next chapter will contain the rest of the summer, and there will be a lot going on! :)
I keep forgetting to mention it, but there are some new pictures on my profile so feel free to check them out.
Also, you can find me on Twitter (link is on my profile.) I like to talk when I should be studying! ;)
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next one should be up next weekend!