Morning, Loves!

Big thank you to Mel!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Bella

"Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power."

― Oscar Wilde

Edward let out a long breath before nodding and standing up from the desk. I arched a brow at him, but he motioned for me to stay seated. He strode out of the office, and I wondered what sort of hell I might have just unleashed by agreeing to his insane plan.

But a minute later, Edward was back, followed by a priest in his mid to late forties. He smiled at me as he entered the office. "Good evening," he said, his voice soft. "I am Father Gregory."

I glanced at Edward who took a seat in the chair beside me. "Hi," I said, turning back to face the priest. "I'm Bella."

"Father Gregory will revise the contract with us," Edward explained, and I looked at him in surprise.

"Why?"

Father Gregory smiled as he settled behind his desk. "As a servant of God, I am always happy to help," he offered.

His answer made me more suspicious, and I turned to look at Edward.

"We're going to have a Catholic marriage," he said, leaning toward me. "We need the church to sign off on all aspects of the contract."

I frowned, not sure I fully believed him.

"Right," Father Gregory said, looking between us. "Shall we begin?"

Edward leaned forward, sliding the contract I'd brought across the desk. "These are her notes and revisions. I agree to all of them," he said.

I looked at him sharply. "You haven't read any of them," I protested.

Edward shrugged. "It doesn't matter. There is nothing you could demand that I wouldn't agree to."

I gaped at him, and across the desk, Father Gregory brought his computer to life. "Very good. Let me get to work revising the contract. Then we can get you both signed off and then on a flight."

"What flight?" I asked, turning back to Edward.

"We're going to get married in the Holy See."

"The Vatican?" I asked, turning to look back at Father Gregory. He offered me a smile as his computer booted up.

"A very special honor," he said simply.

I turned back to Edward who sighed. "If we're going to do this," he said, leaning toward me slightly and lowering his voice. "We are going to do this thoroughly."

I shook my head. "I can't just go to Italy. I have class tomorrow."

Edward wove a hand through the air. "Not until the late afternoon. You'll be back in time."

I gaped at him.

"Right, let's get started," Father Gregory said, pulling on a pair of spectacles.

To his credit, Father Gregory didn't blink over the outlandish nature of the contract. It made me wonder if he'd been the one to originally draw it up.

He went through it, line by line, addressing each change that I had made. Edward did not object to any of it, not even the murder clause that allowed me to kill him and still walk away with his fortune. I had admittedly been a little wine drunk when I'd factitiously written that in, but it was clear that Edward didn't care. It was almost scary how nonchalant he was over the whole thing.

When every change had been made and Edward and I had both read over the revised contract, Father Gregory printed off three copies, stapling them before he affixed a seal on them. He produced a marriage license that he placed on top of the cotnracts, then slid them all into a black folder that he handed to Edward.

"May God's blessing be upon your union," he said with a smile.

Edward nodded distractedly and stood. "Thanks, Father." He turned to me. "Come on, we have a plane to catch."

My mouth pursed as I stood. I glanced once at the priest, giving him an awkward smile before I hurried after Edward who was striding out of the office and down the hall.

He was outside by the time I caught up to him, climbing into his car and revving the engine. I paused outside the passenger door, my head spinning.

The window rolled down, and Edward leaned over, looking at me. "Are you coming?"

I snorted and climbed into the car. "I hope that's not a frequent question you ask in our marriage," I said dryly.

He let out a genuine laugh that made me smile in return. We'd both agreed that sex was off the table aside from our first time to consummate the marriage. If I was being truly honest with myself, I didn't hate the prospect.

Edward was probably a sociopath who lacked any and all capacity for empathy, but he was undeniably hot, and I had to assume that all his years fucking his way through school had amounted in at least some decent skills and tricks.

If not, he'd never hear the end of it.

The moment my door was shut, Edward was backing away from the church, flying at his usual speed of breakneck.

"How long is the flight to Rome?" I asked, looking over at him.

"It'll take us about an hour," he said, glancing at me.

I wondered how long it took everyone else in the world.

Edward navigated us through the country, surprising me by pulling up to a tiny airport that seemed to crop up out of nowhere. He drove directly onto the tarmac after being waved through a gate by heavily armed guards, and he came to a stop just beside a small private plane. He climbed out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition, and I followed suit.

"Edward, wait," I said, reaching out to him as he started toward the plane. "I don't have my passport."

He grinned, shaking his head. "Come on, Bella." He hooked an arm around my waist and pushed me toward the aircraft.

There was a short set of stairs up to the main cabin door, and Edward motioned for me to go up first. I grabbed the railing, wishing I hadn't worn my heels after all. I wasn't used to them, and my feet were already annoyed. I couldn't imagine how much worse it would be after flying.

I ascended the staircase, stepping into the plane and letting out a loud breath. It was like walking onto the set of a movie; creamy white leather chairs and glossy dark wood paneling that stretched the length of the interoior and was illuminated by well hidden glowing lights. I thought the flight I'd taken to get to the Academy had been nice, but that plane was almost bare in comparison to the luxury of this one.

A woman in a crisp black uniform led me to a seat before she stepped toward Edward, taking his suit jacket for him.

"Vodka," he told her as he took a seat across from me. The woman turned to me and I swallowed.

"Uh, same."

She gave me a polite nod before she moved to hang Edward's jacket. The seat was supple leather, and far more comfortable than any bed I'd ever been in, let alone chair.

"First time flying private?" Edward asked, and I looked over at him to see a smug smile on his face.

"No, actually," I said, sniffing once. His eyes flashed surprise and I hid a smile by turning to look down at the rest of the plane. It was small, with only six overly large seats in the cabin. At the back of the plane, there was a restroom based on what I could see from the cracked open door.

The flight attendant returned with two icy glasses of vodka, placing one beside Edward before handing the other to me. I accepted it gratefully and brought it up, taking a sip. It was cold and smoother than any alcohol I'd ever had before.

"Fuck," I whispered when I realized how much I'd managed to down in a single sip.

Edward chuckled, but when I looked at him, he didn't say anything.

"Did you know I was going to call you?" I asked, tilting my head.

Edward frowned. "I hoped," he admitted. "But I wasn't certain."

I considered that. "But you had everyone on standby anyway?" I asked.

He shrugged. "No, that just took a matter of a single phone call."

I couldn't quite wrap my head around what he was saying. It was one thing to have wealth, but to pull an elaborate stunt like this off with a single phone call in the middle of the night? It was almost unfathomable.

"I didn't buy you a ring," I said after a moment.

Edward grinned. "I'm not really the ring type."

I smirked. "Do you expect me to wear one?"

He shrugged. "No. You can if you want, but I figured it would cause more drama."

I let out a breath, relieved to hear that from him. I didn't want any proof floating out there for people to notice that I'd gotten married.

"What happens if I meet someone amazing and eventually want to get married to him?" I asked, my fingers tapping over my glass.

Edward looked at me and shrugged, downing his drink. "You could always kill me."

His nonchalance was chilling, and I reached for my glass, knocking the rest of it back.

It'd take more than this single cup to get me through the rest of this night.

…

I'd never been to Italy. It wasn't saying much, because before the Academy, I'd never even left Phoenix.

I'd dreamed of going to Rome, one day, but it had been a distant thought, something nice to think about but low on my list of things to accomplish. Work had to come first, frivolity later.

It was past three in the morning by the time we landed in Rome. I was exhausted, and the hour of sleep I'd managed to get on the plane hadn't been enough.

It was too dark to make out much from the airport. I was dying to see the city, even though I knew I had to leave again before I'd have the chance to.

I had a real life to get back to.

There was a sleek dark car waiting for us on the tarmac, and a thin man with dark hair stood by the driver's door, waiting for Edward.

We disembarked from the plane and Edward strode toward the man while I made my way around to the passenger's side. I climbed in while they spoke in rapid Italian, my head leaning back against the headrest and my eyes fluttering shut.

I was nearly falling asleep again when the door opened and Edward got in beside me.

"Where to?" I asked as he started up the car.

"Straight to the Vatican," he said, his voice slightly tense.

I sat up. "What is it?"

He glanced at me as he navigated us off the air strip. "My parents know I'm here."

I swallowed heavily. "Do they know I am?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. But the sooner we can get behind the walls of the Vatican, the better."

I let out a tense breath as Edward drove us out onto a highway. I didn't like the idea of the world's most powerful couple hunting for us as we set out to actively defy them.

It was too dark to look out the windows properly, so as we drove, I let my mind wander to all the horrible things that could go wrong with this arrangement. Would they kill me? If they truly valued human life so little, what was stopping them from coming after me and disposing of me so they could still force Edward to marry whoever it was they had in line?

Would I ever feel safe again?

By the time the car slowed, I was ready to bolt. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think clearly. I needed to get away from this situation, from Edward and the toxic monstrosity that was his family.

The car pulled to a stop and my door opened before I could reach for the handle.

Edward glanced at me in the dark cab. "Breathe, Bella. It'll all be over before you know it."

His words were less than comforting, and I climbed out of the car, feeling nauseated.

We were parked in a dark courtyard. I could see the vague outline of tall buildings around us in the dim light, but I couldn't make out any details.

Edward started toward a set of double doors in front of us, and I hurried to follow him, my heels snapping over the stone floor.

Edward glanced at me as he pulled open the door. "Ready?" he asked.

I snorted. "No."

He grinned as he pulled a door open and ushered me inside.

The church was lit with candles, not enough to really see any details, but enough that I was able to navigate forward without tripping on anything.

Edward led me toward a large altar at the front of the church where a man in white robes was reading a bible by candlelight.

He looked up as we approached and offered us a serene smile. "Edward," he said, his voice heavy with an Italian accent.

"Your Holiness," Edward said, dipping his head shallowly. I stood behind Edward, gaping at the Pope. Was this real? Was this actually happening?

Edward and the Pope spoke in Italian, gesturing toward me. My Italian was rusty, so I caught only the bare minimum of the exchange, but I understood enough to know Edward was introducing me as the woman he was going to marry.

The Pope smiled at me, and for a moment, I felt calm, like everything might be okay after all. He reached out, gently taking my hand in his and gave it a loving pat. "La pace sia con te, figlia," he murmured.

I took a breath as my mind translated his words. Peace be with you, daughter.

I could do this. This kind, gentle man would not lead me astray.

I could do this.

…

I'd never been to a wedding before, certainly not a Catholic one, so I was surprised at how long the ceremony seemed to last. Even without a procession or audience, there was so much to be done that it felt like hours until the ceremony was finally coming to an end.

Edward turned to me, my hand in his as the Pope declared us husband and wife. I swallowed hard as Edward lowered himself, then steeled my resolve and reached up, meeting him for a kiss.

It was brief, but even in that quick moment, I was surprised by the softness of his lips and the undeniably delicious scent of him. I hadn't allowed myself to get close enough to him to really inhale him, but now that I had, I was dizzy.

Edward and I signed our marriage license as well as Sixteen contracts, and as soon as the paperwork was in order, Edward took my hand again. He thanked the Pope before his hand squeezed gently around mine and he turned, guiding me back out of the church.

I had enough time to glance over my shoulder and smile at the Pope in thanks before we were out of his view, heading back toward the entrance and out to the car.

"Where next?" I asked, hesitating when Edward let go of my hand and moved to the driver's side.

"Sun will be up soon. We're going to fly back to England."

I let out a breath. "Just like that?"

Edward nodded, his fingers tapping on the hood of the car. "Yes. Though we will be rather occupied on this flight."

I frowned at him. "You mean to consummate our marriage on a plane?"

Edward just grinned at me and slid behind the wheel of his car.

I scrambled to crawl in as he revved the engine.

"I'm not having sex in front of a audience," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We'll be on a different plane," he told me as he navigated us out of the Vatican. "One with a bedroom."

I felt my stomach tighten.

It was one thing to joke about having sex with Edward, but now that I was faced with the reality of it, I was surprised to find that I was actually nervous.

Undoubtedly, my life had already changed irrevocably. I was now legally married, married by the Pope no less. Unless Edward died, I'd never be married to anyone else in the world.

My life was bound to his forever.

That was all fine and good, and I would deal with the mental and emotional fallout of that later, but sex? Sex was so raw, so vulnerable. Could I really let myself be that way with Edward?

My mind was so occupied by my racing thoughts that I didn't notice the drive until Edward was pulling to a stop on the tarmac.

He got out without saying anything, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, before I climbed out too.

This plane was different, bigger than the last, though I couldn't make out much detail in the pre-dawn dimness.

Edward was speaking to someone who looked like the pilot, and I scurried after him. The moment I was beside him, Edward turned and motioned for me to board.

Taking another breath that tasted of jet fuel and morning dew, I ascended the short flight of stairs into the interior of the plane.

The same flight attendant who had accompanied us here was waiting for me at the top of the stairs. "Can I get a vodka?" I asked, before I'd stepped more than three feet into the plane.

She nodded at once and turned to prepare my drink while I moved to one of the thick leather seats.

Edward boarded behind me, coming to sit across from me while the attendant brought us glasses of chilled vodka.

Immediately, I knocked the whole thing back.

"Nervous?" Edward asked, chuckling.

I shot him a withering glare and asked for a second drink.

"No," Edward said with a shake of his head. "No more. You have to be sober enough to consent."

I stared at him in surprise. Who knew he had morals?

Edward sipped his drink as the crew prepared the cabin for departure. I turned my attention to the window, where the faintest blushes of dawn were starting to grace the Eastern sky.

One day, I'd come back to Italy to actually see it.

The plane took off, and the upward ascension made me feel weightless and a little dizzy. Maybe it was the vodka, or the fact that I hadn't eaten anything.

Maybe it was reality finally settling in.

Once we were at cruising altitude, Edward unbuckled his seatbelt and looked over at me. "Are you ready?"

I swallowed hard but nodded, unbuckling my own belt and standing.

Edward led me to the back of the plane where a smooth dark wood door stood, seperating the sleeping quarters from the main cabin.

Edward opened the door and led me into the small bedroom.

My eyes swept the space quickly, but I was too anxious to really focus on anything. Instead, I turned to Edward as he shut the door.

"We should go over some limits," he said gently.

"Limits," I repeated, letting out a breath. "Right." I thought about it a moment, turning away from him. "I want you to wear a condom."

I turned back to him in time to see him nod. "Fine. What else?"

I licked my lips. "This is purely about sealing a contract." When he nodded, I continued, "So I'm not giving you head, and you can't stick it up my ass."

Edward's lips twitched in amusement. "Fair enough. Are you expecting me to go down on you?"

Despite myself, I felt my legs clench slightly. "Yes," I decided. "Unless you have lube and are unequal to the task of making me wet."

Edward's lips twitched again. "You'll find I am far more than equal."

I nodded and turned away from him, trying to catch my breath. "One more thing," I said slowly. I twisted around to stare him in the eyes. "I don't want you to kiss me on the lips."

He seemed puzzled by that for a moment before he nodded.

"Okay."

I let out a breath. "Do you have any limits?"

He seemed genuinely surprised by my question. "No," he said slowly. "I have nothing to hold back from you, not anymore."

I felt my stomach twist, but I nodded. "Okay."

I reached up, my fingers shaking lightly as I worked open the buttons of my blouse.

Edward watched me for a moment before he began popping the buttons of his own clothes.

I'd only had consenting sex with one person in my life, Peter. Jacob had been a nightmare, but sex with Peter had been fine. Nothing extraordinary, but nothing to complain about either.

Sex was still something that had emotional value to me. A connection with my partner that was supposed to be special.

When I was down to my bra and panties, I stopped and looked at Edward. He was standing in nothing but boxer briefs, his green eyes on me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and I was surprised again by his instinct to ask.

"Yes," I told him, hoping that if I said it often enough, I'd believe it.

"I'm going to touch you," he said softly.

I nodded and let my eyes focus on his chest. He was, of course, perfectly chiseled. I knew he liked to run, but I had to assume some phenomenal genetics combined with unlimited access to the world's best doctors had to be responsible for his frankly perfect physique. I felt mushy and squishy next to him.

His hand landed on my waist, and I felt goosebumps rise up across my torso, pebbling my nipples under the lace of my bra.

Edward's hand moved up my ribcage, his thumb brushing the undersides of my breasts, and I let out a shaking breath. His touch was surprisingly gentle.

I brought my own hands up, exploring the muscles of his chest. Peter was lean, but he wasn't this fit. I'd never felt a body like this before.

Each muscle was visible, uniquely defined, and I let my fingers trail across each one, enjoying when I saw the muscle bunch slightly under my touch.

Edward reached behind me, and before I knew what was happening, my bra was unhooked, falling down from my shoulders and pooling at my elbows. I looked up at him to see his eyes on my chest, and I dropped my hands from his body long enough to let the bra drop to the ground.

Edward's hands came up, cupping my breasts, fingers trailing faint lines across my skin that almost had me shivering.

"I want to taste you," he said, his eyes flickering to me. I nodded. The height difference was too great between us without my heels on, so I turned and crawled onto the bed, twisting onto my back as I settled.

Edward stared at me a moment, standing over the bed, his eyes dark and hungry.

I let him watch me, surprised that it didn't make me feel shy. Instead, I felt emboldened.

After a moment, Edward bent over the bed, crawling over me and bringing his lips down to the tips of my breasts.

He grabbed one in one hand and took the other breast into his mouth, his tongue slick and hot as it swirled over my skin.

I let out a soft cry, my back arching into his touch. I didn't know my breasts were this sensitive. Peter didn't spend much time playing with them. Edward's eyes met mine as he sucked and teased at my skin, twisting to lick the underside of my breast and making me gasp in surprise. He grinned against me then switched to the other side, his mouth and hand in perfect synchronization.

I didn't know it was possible to gain so much pleasure from my chest, but I felt like I was close to coming from his touch alone.

I was panting under his touch, my head tossed back against the bed, my eyes closed as I tried to chase the feeling higher and higher.

Edward stopped abruptly, and my eyes snapped open, glaring at him. "What are you doing?" I asked, surprised to find my voice hoarse.

Edward grinned and licked the valley between my breasts, making me moan. He nipped and sucked my skin all the way down to my navel. When he got to my belly button, he grinned and licked it before placing a sucking kiss against my lower stomach. My hips bucked in surprise and Edward chuckled against my skin.

"You're so reactive," he said, rubbing his nose against my stomach. "You've never been properly touched, have you?"

I tossed my head back, my chest heaving. "Fuck you," I wheezed.

He laughed again and I felt his hand come up, tracing the seam of my underwear. Feeling his finger touch my pussy, even through the thin cotton, had me gasping.

"Easy, tiger." He chuckled. "You gotta learn to walk before you can run."

Before I could ask what the fuck he was blabbering about, I felt his mouth descend on my covered pussy, eliciting a cry from my mouth. I clapped a hand over my lips as he sucked and lapped at me through the cotton. My legs folded, my knees bracketing his head and I felt his hands take my thighs and firmly spread them open again.

My legs were shaking, my body clenching from the onslaught of his tongue and mouth against my pussy.

Right before I tipped over the edge and came, Edward stopped again.

"Fucker," I cried, the word coming out as a gasp.

Edward laughed, but I felt his fingers reach for the edge of my panties, and a moment later, he was pulling them off my legs.

The air was cold against my drenched pussy, and I whined in the back of my throat, my body aching for release.

Edward settled back between my legs, bringing each thigh up to press them against my chest. "Hold your legs," he told me. My arms feebly grabbed hold, body still shaking.

When I was in position, Edward leaned down and licked my pussy. His hot tongue against my aching flesh was too much, and I cried out, my body shaking harder.

"Please," I begged, my arms trembling. "Please."

Edward chuckled against my flesh, and then his tongue was back at it, diving into me, around me, sucking my clit into his mouth.

It was too much, too much sensation. I exploded, my heart racing as I screamed under him. It was the hardest orgasm I'd ever had, near blinding, and my poor body shook as I tried to come down from it.

But Edward was relentless, his mouth still fucking me with unbelievable skill.

"Edward, please," I gasped, my voice trembling. His onslaught wasn't allowing me to come down at all, and I felt like my heart was going to give out on the bed.

Edward pulled back from me, gently guiding my legs down from my chest. "You okay?" he asked, and I opened my eyes to find him over me.

"Yes," I whispered.

He reached up, wiping a tear from my face, and I turned from him, embarrassed.

A moment later, he was climbing off me. I twisted around to see what he was doing, only to realize he was pulling on a condom.

His cock was as equally impressive and handsome as the rest of him, which should have come as no surprise. Life had been giving in spades when he had been born.

Edward turned back to me, his head cocking. "Ready?" he asked.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

Edward climbed back on top of me, his arms bracketing my head.

I felt him brush against my pussy, and I let out a soft breath.

He moved one arm, using his hand to guide himself into me, and I bit my lip, my body rolling with pleasure as he filled me. I'd never felt so full, so absolutely stretched to the furthest points of pleasure. Edward began to move, his hips rolling in a rhythm that had me gasping. He reached for one of my legs, hooking it over his hip, allowing him to sink even deeper into me. I groaned, my arms circling his neck as I tried to anchor myself from flying over the edge.

My eyes flickered up to his face, only to find his gaze on me. The moment our eyes met, I felt something too big and terrifying to name sweep over me.

This was too much. Too intimate. I couldn't do this.

I dropped my leg from his hip, making him slow down. "Hold on," I told him, pushing him off my body. He moved and I flipped onto my back, drawing my ass into the air. "Like this," I told him.

I felt him grab hold of my hips and slam back into me, making me scream.

This was better. This way, all that was between us was pleasure.

Edward railed into me, his body so powerful and skillful that it was only a matter of time before I was coming again, screaming into the pillows below me.

Edward continued to pump into me until he came as well, his body draping over mine as his hips buried his cock deep in me.

We were both coated in sweat, both trembling from exertion, but to my relief, there was nothing more.

We'd done it. We consummated our marriage and let nothing else interfere.

Now, we could both finally move on.