The first few days of March the sun was shining and spring seemed to be peaking its head out as the weather warmed. Trees were starting to bud, and the grass was slowly transforming from brown to green. Of course, with the sun shining, this meant Bella was on her own at school. Jessica still hadn't spoken to her since the girl's night, though Angela would still speak to her in passing, so this meant at lunchtime she was forced to sit alone at what would normally be the Cullen table. She didn't mind so much, she knew they couldn't risk being exposed, though she still hadn't had a chance to see what happened when they were in the sun.
After the second day of sunshine, she went over to the Cullen's house and let herself in when no one greeted her outside. She was over enough that Esme, Carlisle and well everyone, told her to just let herself in. She could hear music blaring from the garage, and figured Rosalie was in there working, they'd had a couple of mechanic lessons and now Bella could change a tire and knew how to change the oil in her truck.
Moving through the house, she heard a commotion out back and when she stepped out onto the deck, she could see Jasper and Edward locked in a fight that was too fast for her eyes to track most of the time. Alice, Esme and Emmett cheered them on from the sidelines, all three giving her a quick greeting before going back to the fight. What had her staring was the iridescence coming off their exposed skin, it was like millions of tiny diamonds sparkling as they moved in the light.
They were beautiful.
Now she understood why they couldn't go to school on sunny days. This would definitely be hard to explain to a normal person. Grinning, she leaned against the railing of the deck watching what she could of the fight until Jasper put Edward on his back with a hard thud. The boys laughed at each other, Jasper helping Edward up as the onlookers cheered, Emmett declaring it was his turn to take Jasper on.
Light footsteps came from behind her, and she turned in time to catch Carlisle approaching, the sun beaming down on him. For a moment she thought he had a golden halo around him with the sun reflecting off his blonde hair, and his skin shone brightly like the others. A smile spread across his face at her stunned expression.
"You're incredible." She managed to mumble out, blushing slightly at her words.
Carlisle's smile widened, his white teeth now shining in the light. "Thank you, Bella, sorry I didn't come greet you, I was in the middle of writing up the study guide for midterms."
Shaking her head, she waved it off. "No need to apologize, I was having fun watching Jasper kick Edward's butt."
Edward let out a 'hey' as Carlisle laughed. "Jasper is our most experienced fighter, the others do like to challenge him from time to time, trying to best him."
Carlisle held out his hand to her and she immediately took it. He led her back into the house and up to his study, where she moseyed over to the couch and plopped down unceremoniously. Carlisle was much more graceful as he joined her.
"How are your classes going?" He asked her.
Chuckling, she reached up to lightly brush back some of his hair that had fallen onto his forehead. "You're such a teacher sometimes. Classes are fine, as always, just waiting to get through this year so I can start senior year and finally be done with this high school crap."
"You should enjoy it while you can, soon enough you'll be an adult and expected to work every day. It's not as glamorous as we make it look." His fingers intertwined with her hair, a smile on his face.
"True, I guess I just don't like the drama of high school. I'm hoping college will be better."
"Have you started looking at schools?"
She sighed, propping an elbow against the back of the couch and laying her cheek against her palm. "No, I wanted to talk to you about that before I started looking. I don't want to go somewhere you can't follow."
"You don't have to worry about that, I'll follow you wherever you go. The others might not join, but you'll always have me." He gave her a charming smile, the light coming through the window to shine on him in that moment.
God he really was beautiful.
Biting her lower lip, she moved closer to him, and as if anticipating her next move, he pulled her onto his lap, so she was straddling his legs. Leaning in, she captured his lips with a hum. Her arms circled his neck as his hands pulled her closer, pressing her against his chest as he deepened the kiss. His hands ran over her thighs and up to her hips, pausing there a moment before they dipped over her hips to cup her backside through her jeans. She moaned softly, pressing back against his hands, as they gripped her firmly.
They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the feel of the other pressed against them. To her surprise, Carlisle shifted her forward until she straddled his hips, she could feel his arousal under her. Taking it as permission, she gave an experimental roll of her hips, shifting so that the bulge in his pants pressed against her core. He gasped into the kiss, his hands gripping her a little tighter, but didn't stop her so she did it again.
Over and over, she ground against him, wishing she could rid them both of their jeans so they could be closer. When Carlisle bucked up into her, she let out a breathy moan, and decided this was fine. Bella eventually pulled away from the kiss, needing to breathe, their grinding becoming faster and harder, moans spilling from her lips. Suddenly, she found herself on her back, Carlisle over her pressing her into the cushions as he rutted against her.
Like a mantra, he muttered her name over and over, her body arching up against his hard frame craving more as she cried out in pleasure. Closer and closer she got to her release, her hands fisting the back of his shirt as she clung to him. She was almost there when a sound broke her out of her pleasured state.
CRACK
Several things happened in the blink of an eye. Carlisle was suddenly across the room, panic plastered on his face, and a moment later the study door burst open, and Edward rushed to her side as Esme went to Carlisle. It took her a moment, brain still slightly addled from the pleasure she'd been receiving, to realize Edward was asking her a question.
"Huh?"
"Are you alright? Does anything hurt?" He asked again.
Taking stalk of her body, she shook her head. "Nothing hurts, I'm fine."
Edward let out a sigh of relief, helping her off the couch, which creaked at the movement. Together they investigated it and found the front part of the frame had been broken. Her mind filtered back through the memories and realized Carlisle had been using it as a support and must have grabbed it too hard and snapped it.
Speaking of Carlisle.
Turning, she found the man squatting in front of a bookcase, elbows on his knees and face in his hands. Esme seemed to be trying to console him, but Bella had a feeling he wouldn't listen to anyone but her. Through the bond, she could feel his fear and panic swirling around threatening to consume him. Kneeling in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his trembling form, laying her forehead on the back of his head, as she reached out into the storm to try and calm him. Whispering softly to him, she assured him she was alright and that he hadn't hurt her.
Slowly he calmed down, the storm dissipating and his trembling coming to a stop. Letting him up, there was still worry in his eyes as he looked her over. Without a word, he examined her, running his fingers over her and checking for breaks. She let him do what he needed and once he'd finished, relief seemed to wash over him. His knees dropped to the floor as he pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry." He mumbled into her shoulder.
Smiling she rubbed his back, only vaguely aware of Edward and Esme hovering nearby. "It's ok, Carlisle. I'm alright, you didn't hurt me."
His arms tightened slightly around her, guilt flooding through the bond. They stayed like that for a long while, Carlisle occasionally apologizing again, and again, despite Bella's insistence that she was fine. After a while, Edward moved closer, Carlisle instantly tensed growling threateningly.
"Easy Carlisle." Edward held up his hands in surrender. "It's getting late, Bella needs to head home. I'll make sure she gets there safely."
Tentatively Carlisle let her go and Edward helped her up, Esme moved to Carlisle's side speaking softly to him, but Bella couldn't hear the words. Edward led her out of the study, the rest of the family having gathered on the stairs waiting to see that she was alright. After assuring them all she was fine and giving each a hug, she and Edward headed to her truck and drove home.
"Carlisle isn't going to come tonight; he's scared and berating his loss of control." Edward told her, as he drove her truck back to her house.
She nodded, feeling a little disheartened. She had wanted to stay and comfort him. It bothered her that he was beating himself up over something that he hadn't done. She was fine, but she understood why he was scared. Had his hand been around her arm or holding her in any way, he'd have easily broken something. It did frighten her a little at how close they'd come, but that didn't stop her from wanting to be there for him.
Once they arrived at her house, Edward parked and once she was inside, started walking down the road until he vanished from sight. Bella went to her room and sulked, wishing she could be back with Carlisle. Reaching through the bond, she could feel his guilt, shame and anger and it broke her heart to think of him struggling on his own. She knew he had Esme and the others, but she wanted to be there, he was her mate.
Fretting well into the night it was early morning when sleep finally took her, though it was fitful without Carlisle there. Morning was a struggle, though the one upside was the cloud cover had moved back in so she knew the Cullen's would be back at school. Exhausted, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for the day. When Edward picked her up, she immediately asked after Carlisle.
Edward sighed. "He's better. He was pretty freaked out last night, but he calmed down."
"That's good at least. Though I have a feeling he's going to use this as a reason not to try again." She slumped a bit in her seat.
"A good chance of that, but you never know. He sounded like he was really into it, so he might be willing to try again." Edward gave a sly little grin.
Bella blushed a deep red, using her sleeves to hide her face. "Crap, I forgot you all have supersonic hearing. So, you heard it all?"
He laughed at her expense as they pulled into the school parking lot. "Relax. Yeah, we could hear you, but we weren't listening for it. When you become one of us, you'll quickly get used to hearing all of us and our sexy time with our partners."
Shoving him playfully, she climbed out of the car, and they headed inside. After a quick stop at her locker, she made her way to class, relieved to see Carlisle greeting his students like normal. All morning, she'd been testing the bond, trying to see what his emotional status was, and from what she could make out he was frustrated. She assumed with himself, but a small part of her worried he might be frustrated with her for some reason. Though she knew it was unlikely, since he'd initiated their little tryst last night, it still bothered her not to know for sure.
When class ended, she tried to stay after to talk to him, but several students had gathered around him to ask him questions on the midterm review packet he'd passed out. Defeated, she left resolving herself to talk to him that night. At lunch Alice inquired about doing a study group that weekend at Bella's house, though Bella had a feeling it was more than that. Eventually, the pixie girl admitted that she'd had a vision of Charlie questioning why Edward never came to the house and growing suspicious of their relationship, so she hoped this would help alleviate his suspicion for a little longer.
Charlie finding out she was dating a teacher would not be a good thing so she agreed to the study date so they could continue perpetrating their ruse. At the end of the day, she met up with Edward and, thinking about what Alice had said, invited Edward in to 'work on homework'. So, after letting Charlie know Edward was there, they headed up to her room to work, and at Charlie's request left the door open. They laid out their work to make it look like they were doing it, though Bella didn't need the help and often finished her schoolwork early so there wasn't much to do.
Instead, they worked out a date schedule so every few weeks they'd be seen in public to help solidify their fake relationship. As it grew closer to dinnertime Edward left, and she and Charlie had a quiet dinner together. Returning to her room, Carlise greeted her with a smile from his spot at the foot of her bed.
Rushing over, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She could actually feel his hesitation to hold her with any force, his arms feeling like they were barely touching her and his body tense. After a moment, his arms gingerly applied a little more pressure, pulling her closer as his forehead came to rest against her shoulder. Stroking his silky hair, she happily held him in their silent embrace, as the tension in his body slowly evaporated.
She had no idea how long she stood there, cradling his head against her shoulder, but eventually, Carlisle pulled away. Lifting his head, he smiled at her, his hand coming to cradle her face as his thumb stroked her cheek. When he spoke, his voice was soft, almost timid. "You're not afraid?"
Shaking her head, she couldn't stop the smile that spread. "Of course not, you're not getting rid of me that easily."
"Thank God."
Bella couldn't help the chuckle that came out of her at the earnestness of his statement. "Did you really think I'd leave you for breaking the couch?"
Shaking his head, he moved further up the bed so she could join him. "Not about the couch, but at how close it was to being you."
"I know you'd never intentionally hurt me, so there's nothing to be afraid of." She insisted.
"I'm not worried about intentionally hurting you, its unintentionally that frightens me." He rebutted.
"Carlisle." She gave an exasperated sigh. "Every couple has the potential to unintentionally harm their partner. Whether its physically, mentally or emotionally, it's a possibility."
Carlisle smiled, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his face. "I'm supposed to be the wise one, and you'd think after 360 years, I'd be better at this. Yet here you are, 17 and teaching me how to be in a relationship. You're right, of course, we've both found ways to hurt each other even if it wasn't our intention. So, I'll do my best to not fret over it."
Climbing onto his lap, she looped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, and no back sliding. Just because dry humping didn't pan out doesn't mean it won't next time."
"I promise."
Satisfied, she gave him a quick kiss before settling against him, his hand idling stroking her hair while his other held her hand. They were alright, and that was all she cared about. As she sat there, a thought popped into her head, making her giggle.
"So, is this a record for how quickly you can break furniture while performing sexual acts?"
Carlisle laughed. "I doubt it, Rosalie and Emmett hold most of the broken furniture records. I swear they were trying my patience one year and went through a dozen beds before I finally snapped at them. They thought it was hilarious."
"Does it bother you to have to hear them together, or do you not even notice anymore?" She glanced at him.
Giving a slight shrug, he met her gaze. "Yes and no to both questions. For the most part we're familiar with each other's sexual activities, though for the most part they do try for some semblance of privacy. Though with a house full of vampires, we're bound to have times where we accidentally intrude. As to whether it bothers me, I wouldn't say it does, but it would remind me that I was alone in a house full of mated pairs. So, it could be very lonely those times where the three pairs split off to spend time with their mates."
Laying a hand on his chest, she hummed curling closer. "Well, now you have me, though I'm not sure I'm comfortable with them hearing any of our sexual activities just yet, so they might have to happen here going forward when Charlie isn't home."
Carlisle laid a gentle kiss to her forehead. "That's fine with me."
They relaxed into each other the rest of the night until she fell asleep in his arms. The next few days flew by. She'd let Charlie know about the study group, and he seemed pleased that she was taking her studies so seriously and offered to pick them up snacks. She turned it down, so instead he offered to buy them pizza for lunch. Since he seemed so intent on feeding them, she agreed to the pizza hoping the others didn't mind. Saturday came and she brought her books down to the dining room table once she got the text from Edward that they were on their way.
Not long after, Edward's Volvo pulled up and Edward, Jasper and Alice exited the vehicle. To her surprise, there was one more occupant. Carlisle climbed out of the passenger seat and the four of them ambled up to the front door where Bella was waiting for them. Edward grinned at her surprised expression, and she wanted to ask but Charlie was right behind her, a curious expression on his own face.
Bella stuffed her hands into her pockets, glancing between Charlie and Carlisle for a moment before offering up an introduction. "Dad this is Mr. Cullen, my history teacher."
Charlie nodded and the two shook hands. "Do you normally attend students study groups?"
Carlisle gave a pleasant smile, the same one he normally had for his students. "Only when they include my younger sister that I have a hard time saying no to."
Alice gave him a big smile. "Carlisle used to run tutor groups in college, so he's used to helping out on a variety of subjects."
This seemed to appease Charlie as he nodded. "Ok, well, welcome."
Charlie headed back to the living room while Bella led the Cullens to the dining room. Carlisle took a seat at the head of the table while Alice and Jasper took one side and Edward and Bella took the other. Bella was all nerves. It was one thing to act normal around Carlisle at school when there were eyes all around, but now she was at home around people that knew about their relationship, well minus Charlie. So, her instincts were to be his girlfriend and not his student and it was making her nervous that she might act too casual around him.
The others, however, did not share in her anxiety and pulled out their study materials. She felt her anxiety start to slip out of her, as a calm washed over her. Glancing at Jasper, she could see the slight grin on his face telling her he was helping her. Mouthing a thank you, she shifted through her materials and selected a subject to start with. Before long, she'd forgotten her nerves as they helped her in any subject she was concerned with, while pretending to study for their own subjects.
It was honestly quite enjoyable having all four of them there. She'd grown fond of Jasper, Alice and Edward in the weeks she'd known them, and their dynamism just seemed to work. They made her feel like she was a part of their little group, even Jasper, who was normally more standoffish. It was comfortable and she loved it.
Around noon the pizza arrived, and Charlie dropped off two for them to share, taking a third one into the living room. Giving the others an apologetic look when Charlie's back was turned, they sat back and mostly conversed while she ate. It had become a game for her to try and figure out how they pretended to eat and on occasion she'd get a glimpse of them slipping pieces into napkins or picking at it to make it look like it was being eaten, but she was sure there was a lot more she wasn't seeing.
A few hours later they convened the study group, Bella feeling more than ready for her midterms thanks to all their help. She walked them out to the car, hugging Edward, Alice and Jasper, and gave Carlisle a little wave of goodbye. As much as she wanted to hug him, she knew it would have to wait until later. Once they had driven off, she went inside, cleaned up and spent a few hours sitting with Charlie watching TV before heading up to bed.
Midterms started Monday and lasted all week. It was a bit grueling, having to take test after test but she got through it. Carlisle still came over every night, but since their failed intimacy attempt in his study, they hadn't had a chance to try again. It had been the closest she'd come to release since Valentine's Day but had only left her wanting. She'd tried to get herself off one morning, but her body knew what it wanted, and it wanted Carlisle.
Trying to be patient, she ignored the growing need inside her through the weekend and into the next week. By Wednesday night, her dreams were filled with images of her and Carlisle together. Sometimes he was on top, other times, she was, but each dream only pushed her closer and closer to her limit. She just hoped she could keep herself together long enough to find time to be with the man of her dreams.
The next morning, to her surprise, Alice showed up early and was already in the kitchen talking to Charlie when she came down for breakfast. The pixie girl had brought them cinnamon rolls that supposedly Esme had cooked, which Bella would be asking the woman about because they were delicious and she wanted the recipe, and was chatting away with Charlie about a spa week Alice and the others were doing for spring break.
What really surprised her and caused her to choke slightly on her cinnamon roll, was when Alice turned to her with a smile and said, "You should come with us."
Once she'd recovered from her coughing fit, she stared incredulously at the girl. "You want me to come with? Isn't that expensive?"
Alice shook her head. "Esme got a package deal, please Bella, it will be so much more fun with you there."
Bella wracked her brain trying to come up with a reason not to go but Charlie jumped in first. "You should go. Be good for you to spend some time away from that boyfriend of yours."
"It's settled then." Alice beamed, clapping excitedly. "We leave Saturday morning, so if you want to stay over Friday night your welcome to."
Bella's mouth worked wordlessly for a moment before finally finding her words. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"Nope." Alice giggled. "Trust me, you'll have a blast."
Sighing, Bella relented to the pixie and nodded. "Alright, fine."
"Good, now let's get going."
Finishing off her last bite, Bella followed Alice out to the car, and they headed to school. That night, Esme had stopped by and gave Charlie all the information about where they'd be staying and how to get ahold of them if he needed anything. It was obvious that Charlie appreciated it. Bella knew that even though she was almost an adult, Charlie still saw her as his little girl even with how hard he tried to give her as much freedom as he could.
Friday night came quickly, and Charlie saw her out to her truck and told her to be safe and call him if she needed anything. After promising to do so they hugged, and she headed off to the Cullen house. Carlisle greeted her as she pulled up, hugging her tightly.
"Please tell me you're coming too and will protect me from whatever horrors Alice has prepared for me?" She grinned into his shoulder knowing Alice could likely hear her.
"I am. We're all going, and Alice says you're welcome." Carlisle grinned taking her bag in one hand and her hand in the other and leading her inside.
Bella couldn't help but laugh at the image of Emmett doing a mud bath with cucumbers on his eyes. "Won't you guys be bored at a spa?"
Carlisle set her bag down with the others in the entry way and led her up to the living room where Edward was currently playing a game of chess with Jasper. Both gave her a smile and a nod in greeting. "It's a resort and spa. Alice gets one day to torment you, or pamper as she'd put it, then you're free the rest of the time to do as you please."
They sat on the love seat, Bella looping her arms around his arm and hugging it to her chest. "We'll have time just the two of us, right?"
Jasper gave her a little knowing grin. "Don't worry Bella, we won't be under foot." His southern accent slipped through a little as he spoke.
Carlisle chuckled, going on to explain. "We'll share the house, but we'll mostly be doing our own things. Rosalie and Emmett are going to spend most of their time in Vancouver, there's a big car show going on that Rose wants to see. I think Jasper and Alice will be going to Vancouver for a few days to shop, and Edward and Esme are planning to keep themselves busy around the resort."
Nodding, she nudged Edward's leg with her foot. "Sometime this week you have to keep your promise to teach me chess."
"Can do." Edward smiled at her as Esme and Alice came down the stairs with their bags.
Ever the gentlemen, both Jasper and Edward zipped over to their respective mates and took their bags for them, bringing them down with the others. Esme smiled at Bella coming over and hugging her. The older woman offered to cook her dinner, but she insisted she was fine and had eaten already. They all sat there talking about their plans for the week as the boys resumed their game, and an hour later Rosalie and Emmett arrived and joined them. Bella enjoyed listening to them talk about their plans, or retelling stories from their pasts. It felt like home here with the Cullens. She hoped it never changed.
Saturday morning, Bella was woken up by cold lips pressing against her cheek and a soft voice trying to coax her out of sleep. She was normally a morning person, but this was pushing it. Grumbling, she tried to hide under the blankets, but her assailant was persistent. From her cocoon she could hear a soft chuckle before the blankets were gingerly pulled out of her grasp.
"I know its early, sweetheart, but you need to get dressed. I promise you can sleep in the car." Carlisle's golden voice pulled her unwillingly out of her haze, and she huffed sitting up.
"You know, I'm looking forward to the, not needing sleep thing." She griped as she slid out of bed to get dressed.
Thankfully, Carlisle had encouraged her to pull out the outfit last night so it would be ready in case she had a hard time waking up, which she was. Clambering around in the dim light of the room, she made her way to the bathroom for what they'd started calling, a human moment, and once ready she came back out to him. Yawning, she wrapped her arms around his middle, laying her head on his chest and almost fell right back to sleep on her feet at the comfortable familiar feel of him. Carlisle held her for a moment, letting her try to wake up before he led her downstairs to the waiting family.
Emmett was already behind the wheel of his Jeep, and she assumed Rose was next to him. Edward was helping Esme into the back of the Jeep before he zipped around to the other side and climbed in, and Jasper and Alice were waiting by Carlisle's Mercedes. She was vaguely aware of keys being exchanged as Carlisle helped get her settled in the back seat before joining her. Barely giving him time to settle in, Bella curled up on the backseat, her head on his lap and was back to sleep before they hit the end of the driveway.
An hour or so later, Bella woke to soft music playing and the hum of the Mercedes' engine. Sitting up, she ran her hands through her hair to make sure it wasn't standing up in all directions. Buckling herself in, she offered up a morning to her traveling companions getting a morning back in unison.
"Here, Esme made it for you." Alice handed her a container that was steamed up from whatever warm goodness was inside.
"She didn't have to do that; I'll have to thank her when we stop." Bella took the container and popped it open to find a breakfast scramble inside.
Her stomach growled as she dug into the food. Even though it had mostly cooled, it was still delicious. Carlisle gave her one of his charming little smiles. "Esme says you're welcome and of course she had to, she couldn't stand the idea of you going hungry."
Bella couldn't help but laugh. Glancing back through the rear window, she could see Emmett's Jeep easily keeping pace with them, Emmett even giving her an enthusiastic wave. "Well, it's delicious, she'll have to let me cook with her one of these days."
"She says your always welcome to join her."
Settling into her seat, she finished off her breakfast. For the most part, the car ride was quiet, so Bella spent most of her time reading her new books she'd gotten from Valentine's Day and holding Carlisle's hand. They only stopped for gas, Bella making sure to use the restrooms when they did so she wouldn't cause them to stop again. They all insisted they wouldn't care if they needed to make an extra stop, but she still felt awkward about it. During one of the stops, around noon, she grabbed herself something to eat and when Edward tried to tease her about eating gas station food, she threatened to have Carlisle force feed it to him, making him gag at the very thought.
They arrived at the resort in the early afternoon and Carlisle, having taken over driving about halfway through the trip, maneuvered the car until they were parked outside a large cabin on the edge of the resort. The cabin was adorable, looking like it was actually built out of logs from the outside, though the inside showed a much more modern architecture, everything looking like it had been redone in the last year. Despite its size, it still felt cozy inside. The living room area melded into the dining room, the floor plan very open with lush looking couches and chairs, and off to the left she could just make out the kitchen.
There were two rooms on the first floor, one to the right of the stairs leading to the second floor, and one on the left. Without any words being said, the men split off, carrying in the luggage and selecting their rooms. Carlisle took what she later found out to be the master bedroom to the right of the stairs, while Edward took the other room on the first floor. Emmett and Jasper disappeared upstairs for a few minutes as they figured out their rooms, while Bella wandered around the cabin. Over the master bedroom on the second floor looked like a family area with bookshelves that she planned to browse later.
Carlisle joined her once he'd set their bags in their room, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Do you like it?"
"It's lovely."
"I need to run to the main lodge; would you like to come with?"
Nodding, Bella took his hand, and they headed out. They had passed the lodge on the way in, so they simply had to follow the road back to the building which, like the cabin, looked rustic and woodsy on the outside. Inside, there was a lounge area, tables and chairs lining the room, there was a pool table off to the side and a bar like setup at the back wall. There was a hallway that went past the bar with a sign over it stating it was the spa, and Bella was sure she'd be getting a good look at that when Alice got her chance. Carlisle moved to the person behind the bar, which, unlike normal bars, had mostly candy and souvenirs that you could buy, and she vaguely listened as they finalized everything.
They were only there for maybe 15 minutes before they found themselves walking back towards the cabin, Bella taking in the sight of the forest around her. It reminded her of Forks, but it had a different feeling to it. She couldn't put it into words, but the air around her felt different than home, it was a nice feeling. When they arrived, she noticed Carlisle's Mercedes was gone and wondered why but before she could ask, Carlisle spoke softly.
"Huh, guess Esme already went to the store. She was planning to get a few things so we could cook here at the cabin for you."
Bella groaned softly feeling guilty having the woman dote on her like this. "She doesn't need to do this; I can handle cooking my own meals. I don't want her going out of her way like this."
Edward laughed coming out of the front door, surprising her as she'd expected him to go with Esme to the store. "You're acting like we're forcing it on her. She wants to do all this for you. Esme likes to mother, and you're giving her a chance to do normal mother things she can't do with the rest of us, like cooking. If it really bothers you though, I can talk to her."
She shook her head. "No, I guess it's ok, if she's having fun with it. Just help me reiterate that she doesn't need to, ok?"
With a nod, Edward agreed. They headed through the cabin and out onto the large deck that had a great view of a large lake, the sound of the water lapping at the shore just barely audible to her ears. She could make out a dock and a boat through the trees that outlined the yard area beyond the deck but couldn't imagine any of the occupants using the boat.
The three of them took up spots on the fancy-looking deck furniture, Edward letting them know that Jasper and Emmett went out to hunt and check out the area while the girls had all headed to town to pick up any supplies they would need. While they waited for everyone to return, Edward pulled out a chess board and started teaching her to play. Carlisle helped her now and then when she got stuck but mostly let her lose on her own.
When the girls returned, Bella went to help with prepping her dinner, enjoying getting to spend some time with Esme, and by the time they were done, the boys were back from their hunt. They all headed to the fire pit and sat around it for a few hours as the sun set until exhaustion started to claim Bella. Carlisle took her inside and held her as she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Bella woke to a wonderful smell permeating the air and she followed her nose to the kitchen, not bothering to change out of her pajamas, to find Carlisle cooking her breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy, mostly just eggs, bacon and toast, but it still smelled good and once he'd plated it for her, she happily dove in. Almost the moment she finished her food, Alice appeared down the stairs, a smile plastered on her face. Bella internally groaned, but then decided she was going to go into this with a good attitude and try to enjoy herself. Smiling she hugged the other girl and promised to be quick in changing.
Once ready they headed down to the lounge together, but there was a question on Bella's mind. "So how does this work for you, none of the treatments will do anything for you, do you still do them?"
"Basically, I enjoy the process even if it doesn't affect my skin. Mostly though, this is for you. I know you don't like to pamper yourself, but I want to make sure your cared for, you're like my sister after all." Alice smiled as they reached the lodge.
Returning Alice's smile, Bella followed her inside. "I'm going to do my best to enjoy today but just don't do this to often."
"I won't. Only have 5 years before you're like us then you won't have to worry about it anymore." Alice almost bounced her way towards the spa with Bella following her.
All in all, the day went smoothly. The package Alice had gotten her consisted of a massage, which had felt wonderful and left her feeling almost boneless, a facial, and a manicure and pedicure. They passed other rooms of interesting looking treatments and, of course, Alice offered to set her up with them, but most required her to be naked and she wasn't comfortable with that. So, she stuck to the things that allowed her to remain covered up.
When the treatments were all completed, they made their way back to the cabin, and Bella felt surprisingly relaxed afterwards. Maybe it wasn't so bad to pamper herself once in a while. She and Alice had chatted all day about different things, one topic of course being their men, and Alice was more than happy to give Bella tips and tricks that she could use with Carlisle when she got the chance. The topic had her blushing the whole time, but it had been good information, and she planned to store it away for later.
By the time they got back to the cabin, Emmett's Jeep was gone, as were Emmett and Rosalie. From the chatter that night, she learned that Alice and Jasper planned to head to Vancouver Monday night as the sales Alice wanted to hit started Tuesday, so once again they found themselves out by the fire until Bella passed out leaning against Carlisle's shoulder.
Monday morning, Carlisle woke her early and helped her dress despite her grumbling protests. He gave her a backpack full of supplies and led her out into the chilly morning air. It was here where she put her foot down. "Carlisle what is going on, why are we out here?"
"Trust me?" He gave her a little puppy dog look to which she rolled her eyes at.
"Fine, can we hurry, its chilly out here." She griped pulling her sweatshirt tighter around her.
Carlisle scooped her up into his arms with a smile. "Just bear with it for me, it will be worth it. Close your eyes."
Doing so, she felt the world start moving at an impossible speed. Daring a peek, she cracked an eye open and marveled at the blurring forest going by. It made her a little motion sick, so she closed her eyes again. When the world finally stopped moving, she dared to look.
They were standing on top of a large hill that overlooked the forest, but in the darkness of the morning, she couldn't make out anything. All she could see was the hill was mostly bare, with only a couple of trees growing there. Why he'd brought her here, she really didn't understand. Trusting his judgement, she stood when he set her down. He took the backpack as she shivered as a cold breeze blew by. It was normally in the 50s this time of year but that was with the sun. It was dark now and it was cold.
From the backpack Carlisle produced a blanket which he wrapped around her and clicked a button on it. A few minutes later, she could feel heat radiating from it. Blinking in surprise, she gaped up at his smiling face.
"Battery operated heated blanket. I came prepared."
A small pillow was next to come out of the backpack followed by a travel mug. Carlisle checked the surroundings for a moment before sitting down, placing the pillow flat between his legs, and setting the backpack and travel mug to the side. He held out a hand to her and helped her settle on the pillow, so she was encompassed by him. After making sure she was still properly covered by the blanket, he handed her the travel mug.
Popping it open, she could smell coffee and grinned as she sipped at it. He'd made it just how she liked it. Leaning back against him, she glanced at him. "Going to tell me why we're here?"
Carlisle shook his head. "No, but you'll see in less than an hour."
Humming, she continued to sip her coffee under the heat of the blanket. If it wasn't for the caffeine, she'd have likely fallen back asleep, but she had a sneaking suspicion that was done on purpose. Nearly 45 minutes passed with them sitting there, the sounds of the forest slowly waking up around them, the sky brightening to a pale blue. She had just finished her coffee, Carlisle taking the cup from her, when the first rays of sun could be seen over the horizon.
The sky gradually lit up with shades of yellow and orange until the sun itself crested the horizon sending rays of light all throughout the forest below. The rays showing through the dark green of the forest and shimmered off the lake below.
It was breath taking.
"It's beautiful." Bella muttered under her breath, captivated by the sight before her.
Carlisle gave a hum of agreement, his arms giving her a gentle squeeze. They watched the dancing rays of light as they woke the forest below until the sun was fully risen. Only then did Carlisle release her from his grip, pulling out a ball of foil.
"I made you something for breakfast. I thought it might be fun to hike around once you're ready."
Taking the foil wrapped food item, she carefully unwrapped it to find a breakfast sandwich inside, which she happily started eating from the confines of her warm blanket. "Sounds like fun to me."
She took her time, knowing that Carlisle was likely not in any rush. Once finished, they sat there a little longer before she decided she was ready to move on. They packed up, and Carlisle carried her down the steep hill until they found semi-even ground. Bella lost all sense of time as they explored the forest, Carlisle having to catch her several times when her foot caught on a root or slipped on a rock. After a while they came to a meadow of wildflowers, and at the far end, there was a small herd of deer grazing. They watched from a distance, Bella enjoying seeing the animals in the wild, while Carlisle occasionally offered up information about the animals.
They moved on after a while, Bella wondering out loud about whether they'd see a bear. With a smirk Carlisle offered to find her one if she wanted and after a moment, she agreed hoping up onto his back so he could carry her. This time, as he zipped around the woods, she kept her eyes open. It was incredible how fast he moved, her mind struggling to believe what she was seeing.
It didn't take long for him to come to a stop along the edge of a clearing and in the center was a large hulking bear making its way through the clearing at a leisurely pace. Even though she knew Carlisle would keep her safe, she stayed on his back just in case the bear noticed them as they watched it lumber away. It quickly became a game for Carlisle to find her different animals to see until her stomach finally growled.
When they arrived back at the cabin it was late afternoon, and the cabin was empty. They cooked up a quick dinner for her, before they lounged on the couch reading. Tired, full, and comfortable in her mates' arms, Bella got maybe three pages into her book before she was out.
The next day was a lazy day, mostly because Bella was a little worn out from all the hiking the previous day. So, she spent most of the day hanging out with Edward learning the intricacies of chess and just enjoying hanging out with him. They chatted about random stuff like places Edward wanted to take her when she was changed, or before if they got the chance, or music she should listen to and so on.
Wednesday morning Edward announced that they should all go swimming in the lake, already in his swim trunks and a big grin on his face. Bella and Carlisle both shot it down for one simple reason, Bella would probably freeze in the lake water. Edward gave a perturbed look which quickly turned to a sulk before Esme chuckled and reminded him of the hot tub. This brought his mood back up, though when Bella mentioned she didn't pack a swimsuit he gave an agitated sigh.
Bella's phone started ringing and a collective look passed between the four of them. The timing was a little too perfect, so they all knew who it was. Answering the phone, Bella grinned. "Hi Alice."
"Hi Bella. I forgot to mention, I left you a swimsuit in my room in case you forgot one."
Nodding, she headed inside and up to her room. "Thanks Alice."
"Anytime, got to go, have fun."
The line went dead as she reached Alice's room, it didn't take her long to find the swimsuit in the dresser and was not surprised to find it was a two piece. Thankfully, Alice seemed to have picked it out for Bella as it looked a bit like a sports bra with boy shorts. She'd prefer a one-piece suit, but this would do for now. After all, it gave her a chance to show off a little to Carlisle.
Grabbing it, she headed down to their room, changed and grabbed a towel to wrap around her after putting her hair up. By the time she got out there, the other three were already in the hot tub chatting. Once he saw her, Carlisle moved to help her into the tub and when she dropped the towel, his eyes slowly roamed over her, and appreciative look in his eyes. Taking his hand, she carefully climbed in and settled next to him.
The warm water felt wonderful as it bubbled around them. It wasn't long before Edward had Esme on his lap, the two of them whispering sweet little nothings to each other. Bella smiled watching them, seeing how much they clearly loved the other. She didn't get to see them together like this very often and found it sweet how much they clearly adored one another.
Carlisle carefully moved her to his lap as well, his arms wrapping around her waist, holding her to his chest. "You look amazing."
Bella smiled at him. "You always say that."
"It's always true." He grinned kissing her just behind the ear.
Turning, she gave him a quick kiss. "Charmer."
He chuckled, rubbing their noses together. "Would you prefer me any other way?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
They shared several kisses before Bella remembered they had company. Glancing over at the others, she blinked in surprise. They were gone. When had they left?
"Where did they go?"
Carlisle didn't even look up from where he was peppering her neck with little kisses. "To their room."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Edward was the one that wanted to go swimming, but then gets bored 10 minutes in?"
"He didn't get bored, Esme offered him something he couldn't turn down. So, we'll be staying out here for a while until they finish."
She nibbled her bottom lip as he nipped gently at her shoulder. "What about you, you can hear them can't you? Do you want to go somewhere else?"
He shook his head. "I'm ok, wouldn't be the first time. Plus, I'm enjoying the view."
With a little smile, she ran a hand down his chest and stomach. "I could distract you."
"I'm sure you could, but are you sure you want to with Edward and Esme nearby?"
This made her pause, her fingers lightly tugging on the strings to his trunks. She still wasn't comfortable with their level of voyeurism, but she knew she would have to get used to it eventually. "I'm not comfortable with doing it with them all around, but I think this will be ok, since they will likely be too busy to pay attention to us. Right?"
Carlisle gave her a gentle smile, pulling her hand away from his trunks. "Bella, sweetheart, you don't have to make yourself uncomfortable for my benefit. I'm ok if we don't do anything. Let's just enjoy each other's company and the view."
Bella felt a little despondent as she nodded, and they settled against each other again. Carlisle picked up on her change in mood and tried to coax her out of it with little words of love and comfort, but it didn't help. It had been weeks since their last attempt at anything physical, and though Carlisle promised not to backslide on physical intimacy, she wondered if a little of why they hadn't done anything, was him starting to slip back into that mindset. Trying to shake it off, she told herself it was just because they were busy, there had been midterms, and he hadn't wanted to distract her. Though the week after midterms he hadn't tried anything either, even the night Charlie was gone.
It perturbed her.
They relaxed for a little longer before she started to get pruney and Carlisle confirmed it was safe to head back inside. Bella spent the rest of the day trying to read but really spent the time plotting how to get Carlisle alone. The answer came to her the next day. Edward and Esme invited them along to a music festival happening nearby, Jasper and Alice had arrived back in the early morning, so they were thankfully able to take the Mercedes to the festival instead of the shuttle the resort offered.
On the way to the festival, they passed a drive-in theater, which Bella didn't even know still existed, that was advertising a movie spree tomorrow night. Seeing her chance, she looked at Carlisle and with her best pleading look she asked if the two of them could go alone, to which he agreed. Edward whined, wanting to go too, but Esme silenced him with a withering look. Bella gave her a thankful glance and Esme smiled knowingly at her. It was nice to know the Cullen women all seemed willing to give her a hand with Carlisle when she needed it.
They arrived at the festival a short time later, her hand securely intertwined with Carlisle's as they made their way through the crowds. Edward looked like a kid in a candy store as he moved from booth to booth looking at different instruments to booths of CDs or sometimes sheet music, then came the stages of different artist performing. Some Bella recognized but most she didn't. After an hour of wandering, they lost sight of Edward and Esme, likely Edward got distracted somewhere, so she and Carlisle found a place to watch one of the performances.
A few songs in, and Carlisle pulled her over to a dance floor, which was mostly just a flat grassy area, and he gave her an impromptu dance lesson and thanks to her two left feet, she ended up tripping and stumbling over the steps he tried to show her. Not that he seemed to mind at all, as he held her as steady as he could, that charming little smile he always had for her on his face as they attempted to dance to the music.
When she needed a break, they found a place to sit and watch the other patron's dance. Edward and Esme eventually caught up to them and she watched as the two of them danced together, their movements so fluid that it made her a little envious. She hoped one day to be as graceful as Esme looked. After a while they went in search of food for Bella, then they took up residence at the main stage to enjoy the performances. Bella couldn't name even half of the bands that performed, but for the most part she liked the music. It ranged from pop to rock to alternative, and probably more.
Really, she couldn't care less about the genre of music, if it had a decent beat and the singer sounded good, she was ok with it. On the plus side, it gave her more time to be wrapped in Carlisle's arms as they sat on the grass, Bella using him as a backrest. Carlisle told her stories about some of the performances he'd seen years and years ago, some classical like Mozart, but then to her surprise he mentioned going to Woodstock in the 60s.
She couldn't imagine him there, then again, it was hard to imagine a lot of things he'd told her stories about. He'd lived for so long it was hard to comprehend sometimes, and yet despite everything he'd lived through, he was still such a gentle caring man. Smiling to herself, she wrapped his arms around her a little tighter as she listened to the melody that was his voice.
At some point while she listened to the three of them telling stories of old, the sun set over the horizon and the light faded, strings of lights started flickering on, lighting up the booths and food stalls and even the stage lit up with various lights and colors. From behind the stage, fireworks started going off once it was dark enough, and with each explosion, the crowd below was bathed in various shimmery colors. The crowd cheered and hollered as the fireworks continued, mixing surprisingly well with the music still blaring from the stage.
Bella watched with a smile as the lights danced across the sky. It amused her slightly as she thought of the bond between her and Carlisle. It kind of resembled the fireworks in a way. At times it would feel like one or both were sending out sparks hoping to disband the darkness hiding the other, but never actually meeting in the middle. Even now, as she reached out through the bond, he felt so close physically, yet the ever-present abyss separated them from becoming one.
"Carlisle?" She spoke softly knowing he'd hear her even over all the noise.
"Hmm?" He hummed in her ear.
"Our bond, when will it complete, and when it does, will the weird icky feeling darkness go away?"
He chuckled lightly. "Yes, it will go away, and it completes the first time you mate with your mate. So, once we've had sex, our bond will stabilize, and we'll be connected completely."
A little pout formed at the response. "Only then, huh?"
"As far as we know. Not a lot of research has been done on the bonds. It's more just an excepted phenomenon that happens in our world." Carlisle's cheek gently rubbed against hers. "Don't worry, love, we'll get there, I promise."
"I know, I just don't like that darkness, makes me nervous when I can't feel you right away, like you're going to vanish on me." She held onto him a little tighter.
"You're stuck with me, forever."
Kissing his cheek, she turned her attention back to the fireworks while she enjoyed the little ripples of love and adoration coming from Carlisle's side of the bond. She hoped one day, he'd be able to feel exactly how happy he made her. For now, she'd settle for showing him as best she could.
Bella woke Friday morning with vague memories of falling asleep the previous night in Carlisle's arms at the festival, and later being carried by the man as they left. She figured she should feel embarrassed for having fallen asleep on them, but really, she couldn't bring herself to care. Edward might tease her a little, but she'd been happy and cozy so it's not really surprising she'd passed out.
After taking a human moment to get ready for the day and eat, Alice snatched her up eager to spend a little girl time with her. They spent much of the day going through the clothes Alice had bought. Alice modeled most of the outfits for her as Bella watched from the bed. There were a few that Bella thought might look good on her, and when Alice noticed her looking, giddily insisted on Bella trying them. This was how she ended up in a medium grey skirt that sinched at the hips and waist but left a flowing skirt that stopped mid-thigh, and an olive-green blouse with short sleeves, and a thin black jacket to cap it all off with.
It was definitely fancier than she was expecting to be wearing to a movie in a car, but she also kind of liked it. The thought almost made her groan, Alice was starting to rub off on her. Esme came to check on them and offered to help her with her hair, which she agreed to, but insisted on doing her own makeup stating she had to practice to get better. Once done, both Cullen women smiled fondly at her.
"You look amazing." They said in unison.
Alice let her wear her sneakers as she headed down to show Carlisle and the others. Edward let out a wolf whistle, while Jasper gave a nod of approval and a 'looking good, kid' and lastly Carlisle's eyes practically sparkled in delight at seeing her.
"You look like fantastic. I feel under dressed now."
Bella laughed seeing as the man was in a button up, and dress slacks. "You look very handsome. Shall we go?"
He nodded and with a quick glance at the girls, both smiling and waving, she followed Carlisle out to the car. They arrived at the drive-in about a half an hour early, giving them time to get parked and situated. While Carlisle got the radio tuned in for the movie, Bella was busy looking around. This was her first drive in, and it was a bit wild to her that this used to be a normal occurrence for people. The cars were all spaced out nicely so you weren't too close to each other, but you could still see the movie screen just fine. Thankfully, tonight it was fairly empty, so hopefully no one would notice what she was about to do.
Honestly, she wasn't very interested in the movie, she had other plans for their time alone.
It wasn't long into the movie before she put her plan into action. Reaching over, she laid a hand on his thigh, acting as innocent as she could. Keeping her eyes trained on the movie, she let her fingers run little circles over his thigh, gradually moving to his inner thigh. From what she could see in her peripheral vision, Carlisle seemed undeterred by her antics and was still dutifully watching the movie. With a single finger, she followed the inseam of his pants up to the junction between his legs, her hand now cupping him gently.
This got his attention, and golden eyes flicked over to her, a sly smile on his lips. He made no move to stop her, so she continued to play with him through his pants, grinding the heal of her palm down the growing length of his cock. After one particularly hard grind, Carlisle let out a deep groan, his hips rolling up against her hand. Once he was fully hard, she pulled her hand away.
The shock on his face almost had her bursting out laughing. The poor man looked so torn between wanting her to continue and wanting to respect what he assumed was her decision to stop. Taking pity on him, she started climbing over the middle console, with his help, and soon found herself straddling him. She shifted her skirt out of the way and lowered herself until her panty covered core came to rest on the bulge in his pants. With her arms around his neck for balance, she watched his eyes darken as she rolled her hips over him.
She knew it was risky, what she was asking of him, and then there was the conflicted, almost pleading look in his eyes silently asking her if this was a good idea. It almost pained her to meet his gaze, but she held it. "I know you can do it, Carlisle, I trust you explicitly."
Her fingers ran though his hair as a form of comfort, the battle of what to do raged on behind his golden eyes. With a sigh, he leaned forward capturing her lips in a quick kiss. "I don't think this is a good idea, but I promised to try. Are you sure you want to try this?" His hands, which had come to rest on her hips, gripped her a little tighter and pulled her against him as his hips ground up into her.
She gasped at the sudden friction. "Yes, please, I want to."
Carlisle hummed into her neck as he laid open mouth kisses there. "Ok."
They rocked together at a slow and almost gentle rhythm at first, the sounds of their soft pants almost completely covered by the sound of the movie coming through the car speakers. As her arousal built, her grinds became more fervent. Carlisle's grip on her hips never let up, guiding her as her grinds became more erratic as her pleasure built. It didn't take long before he was leaning back against the seat watching her ride him with dark lust filled eyes, his own hips rutting up against her.
As she rode him, she could feel something happening in the bond. It was almost like something inside her was growing reaching out to the growing light that was Carlisle trying to bring the two together. More and more it grew as her pleasure increased, both sides of the bond pulsing just slightly off rhythm from the other. Gradually the pulses started to synchronize as Bella could feel her release building. From Carlisle's side of the bond, she swore she could feel his pleasure as her own, as if they were one being, for just the briefest of moments.
"Ah…ah…fuck…Carlisle…" She shouted as she came.
Gripping the headrest of his seat in a death grip, her hips wildly thrust against him as her pleasure rolled over her in waves. The bond pulsing erratically as she shook through her release, her body starting to still over him. A low whine came from the man under her as he called out her name. "Bella, please, I need…ngh…"
Despite the laziness seeping into her body, she ground her hips against him at a fast, hard pace. The bond had simmered down, though she could still feel the pulsing from Carlisle's side as he worked towards his release, but her own had calmed. Reaching back out though it, she tried to recreate the feeling she'd felt before, but instead of feeling his pleasure, she tried to project her own. It seemed to work as a moment later, Carlisle's head was thrown back against the head rest with a moan and she could feel him pulsing against her core as his body went rigid.
Stilling, she watched him pant through his release until his body too started to sag in the seat, his hands relaxing from where they were still gripping her. With a smile, she leaned forward kissing him deeply for several minutes before finally pulling back.
"I knew you could do it." She whispered to him, resting her forehead against his.
He let out a breathy bark of a laugh. "That makes one of us, I had my doubts a few times there." His eyes flicked down to where his hands still rested on her hips. "Did I…grip to hard?"
With a smile, she tilted his head back up to meet her gaze. "Did you hear me say ow?" He gave a little shake of his head. "Then you didn't grip me too hard."
Nodding, Carlisle lifted her easily and repositioned her across his lap, her legs over the console between the seats. Laying her head on his chest, she kind of wished she could hear his heart beating so she could see if it was beating as fast as her own. From the bond, she could feel the same buzzing calmness she felt and took that as a win. She wanted to ask what had been happening with the bond but was feeling content in the silence between them. Besides, if she took a guess, she'd gamble that it was attempting to complete but being unable to. At least, that's what it had felt like, but she'd ask later. They stayed like that the rest of the movie, Bella offering to have them leave early so he could clean up, but he simply smiled saying he wasn't ready to leave.
When they finally arrived back, the Jeep was parked outside the cabin, but the cabin was empty giving them time to shower and change. They'd be leaving in the morning and as happy as she was to be going home, she was a bit sad that their little vacation was coming to an end already. It had been an interesting month, and she was eager to see what next month would bring.