Camisado - Chapter Two

Alone? I gave Edward a small smile, trying to look relaxed and calm on the outside when, inside, I was fighting the urge to check the room for any hidden cameras or listening devices. It was second nature to me now - I didn't know this place, and therefore, I couldn't trust it; I'd learned that the hard way.

"Would you like a drink?" Edward asked as he walked past me, breaking that train of thought before it had the chance to spiral too far. I bit down on my bottom lip, then turned round to face him, watching as he undid the top few buttons of his shirt and started walking towards what appeared to be a mini bar.

"Edward?" I called, toeing off my boots and dropping them to the floor. That's better.

"Mmm?" He didn't look back at me; he simply opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of vodka, which he set it on the nearby table. I smiled, shaking my head, then slowly started to walk towards him. The room – or suite, as they called it – was much larger than I'd imagined; there was a double bed in one corner of the room, what looked like a walk-in closet in the other, a desk, cabinets and drawers, the mini bar/fridge… it was probably bigger than my entire apartment had been when I was in college, and I hadn't even seen what was beyond the door to Edward's left yet. Christ, these people had a lot of money to waste.

As I got closer and closer to Edward, my heart started to race again, and I started feeling a little flushed. I wasn't sure if that was due to nerves or the fact that I hadn't been this close to a man in weeks, but I hoped it worked in my favor and made this seem more real to everyone involved. Once he was close enough to touch, I reached out and placed my hand on his back, turning him to face me.

"I don't want a drink," I murmured softly, gazing up into his eyes. He gave me a slow smile, seeming to catch my meaning, then put the vodka bottle back on the table and closed the distance between us again, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him.

"Oh, really?" he teased as he slowly started walking me backwards, his eyes locked onto mine. I smirked at him, running my hands up his arms and round to his neck before raising myself up on my tiptoes and whispering, "The only thing I want right now is you."

"Is that so?" he breathed, then let one of his hands slip down to squeeze my ass. I grinned, nodding at him as my fingers worked their way into his hair and he pulled me in just that little bit closer.

"I've missed you, Edward…" I placed kisses up his neck, pushing my hips into his. "So much."

"Isabella," Edward whispered longingly, and then, before I could fully brace myself for the impact, he lifted me off the ground and slammed my back into the wall, his lips meeting mine urgently. I let out a groan of pleasure and pain, fisting my hands in his hair as I wrapped my legs around his waist and ground my hips into his, then gasped when I felt him grind straight back, his belt buckle rubbing against me.

"Shit, Edward," I muttered, letting my eyes fall shut as he kept rolling his hips against mine and began kissing his way down my neck. "That feels so good."

He breathed out a quiet laugh, then adjusted his hold on me with one hand before sliding the other one up under my top to cup my breast, his thumb barely brushing across my nipple. I tightened my grip on his waist with my legs, pulling him hard into me as I leaned forwards and gently bit down on his earlobe. He groaned loudly, tilting his head back slightly, and I used the new access he'd given me to my advantage.

"Is it safe to talk?" I breathed into his ear, barely loud enough for him to hear, then leaned backwards again so that I could kiss him properly. He pulled me away from the wall, still taking my weight, and began to carry me in the direction of the door I'd seen earlier.

"Where are you taking me?" I giggled happily, shaking my head.

"You're very, very dirty, Isabella," Edward teased as he squeezed my hip twice, confirming my prediction that we were being watched. "I think a shower's in order, don't you?"

"Yes, sir." I smiled as seductively as I could at him, then squealed as he suddenly bounced me up higher against him, readjusting his grip so that he was cupping my ass.

"Mmmm… Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?" I fake moaned, wriggling my hips against his as he continued to walk. He shook his head, laughed, then pushed me up against what I guessed was the bathroom door, grinding his hips into mine once again. I moaned loudly, pressing my lips to his, then gasped as the door swung open and we practically fell into the room behind me.

Edward managed to steady us against the wall, kissing me softly to silence me, then flicked a switch beside my head before shutting the door behind us and lowering me back down to the floor. I straightened my skirt out again, gave him a shy smile, then frowned as he put a finger to his lips and pointed to an enormous steam shower unit on the other side of the bathroom. My eyes widened as I took it all in, but I quickly collected myself, looking to him for more guidance.

"I'm going to turn on the shower," he mouthed, taking my hand in his and squeezing. I nodded in understanding, then slowly pulled my still damp top up over my head as Edward walked over to the shower, turning a few dials and pressing a button which made it whir to life, the sound of the flowing water loud enough to block out normal speech. I smiled. Clever guy.

"Hey, Edward?" I called softly as I dumped my top in one of the white laundry baskets resting against one of the nearby walls. He didn't respond. "Edward?"

Groaning with frustration, I hobbled my way over to him and tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention that way instead. He startled the moment he registered my touch, quickly turning and grabbing me by the wrists before pinning me against the shower, his expression one which I recognized instantly.

"Edward, it's just me," I murmured, relaxing as much as I could to try and show his body that I wasn't a threat. He shook his head slightly at the sound of my voice, and I watched as the fog lifted from his mind, his grip slackening instantly as his expression morphed into one of horror.

"I'm so sorry," he choked out, gently pulling me away from the shower and looking me over, checking for injuries I knew he would never find.

"It's okay," I assured him with a smile. "It's reflexive, I know. You didn't hurt me."

He smiled sheepishly, then his hand through his tousled hair before glancing down at my wrists and groaning.

"Shit, the plastic," he mumbled, then hurriedly turned and walked over to one of the cabinets above the sink, opening it and rummaging around for something before gesturing for me to join him.

"They don't hurt that much anymore," I replied truthfully as I limped over to him, holding out my wrists as proof.

"You say that now, but give it a few hours, and you'll be in agony unless I get rid of that plastic," Edward countered, and I nodded, knowing he was right. He sighed softly, smiling apologetically, then gently took my hand in his, turning my wrist over as he searched for the easiest place to cut the plastic.

"By the way, you might want to tell the idiot who bound me that she should use flexi-cuffs in future - they're much easier and quicker to use," I joked, then hissed in a breath as Edward slowly slipped the blade of a pair of scissors between the plastic and my chafed skin.

"Sorry," he murmured softly as he turned the blade slightly to make it easier to cut through the plastic. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in and out through my nose, trying to relax as much as I could so I wouldn't feel the pain so much, but still ended up grimacing as the blade slipped beneath the plastic around my second wrist.

"Almost done," he promised as he twisted the blade again. I nodded, opening my eyes, then watched his brow furrow with concentration as he carefully cut through the plastic before dumping it in the trashcan at his feet along with the other cuff.

"Run your wrists under the cold tap for a few minutes – it'll soothe the burning a bit," Edward instructed, in full-on care mode now as he opened the cabinet beside my head again. "I'm pretty sure I have some anti-inflammatory cream and some gauze in here somewhere…"

"Edward?" I said softly, putting my hand on his chest to stop him from moving too far. His breath caught in his throat as he glanced down at my hand, and when he looked back up into my eyes, his expression one of shock and worry, I no longer had the heart to point out that, like him, I could treat this kind of burn with my eyes shut.

"Isabella?" He took a step closer to me, bringing his hand up to touch my cheek. "What is it?"

"Umm…" I trailed off, scrambling for something to say. "It's nothing, I just… Thank you."

He smiled brightly. "I'm the one who should be thanking you."

I shrugged, not quite sure what to say to that. Edward eyed me curiously for a moment, then shook his head and turned his attention back to the cabinet. He shifted some items around, frowning, then smiled as he pulled out a roll of gauze and some medical tape and put them down on the edge of the sink before getting out a small tube of what I assumed was the anti-inflammatory cream he'd mentioned before.

"Isabella, can I ask you a question?" he murmured softly as he unscrewed the cap from the cream and punctured the seal at the top of it.

"Sure." I held out my wrist for him, looking up into his eyes. He held my gaze for a moment, almost as if he was searching for something within it, then sighed and looked back down at the tube of cream, squeezing some out onto his index finger before gently taking hold of my wrist.

"Why are you here?" he asked as he started rubbing the cream onto the angry looking friction burn on my wrist. Damn, that would take a while to heal.

"I thought Carlisle briefed you before you came here," I replied, frowning with confusion. "He told me you knew to expect my arrival…"

"One day," Edward sighed, turning my wrist over so he could apply the cream to the other side of it. "I wasn't given specifics, wasn't told when or where or how… All I knew was that if I ever needed to be extracted, Carlisle would send a brunette agent named Isabella in to get me out of here."

"So how did you know to-"

"I didn't," he replied, cutting me off before I could finish.

"But I thought…"

"Isabella," Edward breathed as he unraveled part of the roll of gauze and gently began to bandage my wrist, protecting it and the cream from any accidental contact, "I haven't been in contact with anyone outside this compound in four years. It would have been too dangerous for everyone involved."

"You've been undercover this whole time?" I felt my eyes widen with shock. "Jesus… No wonder Carlisle was so-" I stopped myself before I could reveal anything more, then blushed as Edward gazed straight at me.

"No wonder Carlisle was so reluctant to send you?" he suggested. I nodded hesitantly, glancing down at my wrists in shame. Edward sighed sadly, shaking his head, then busied himself with my other wrist, taking extra care with this one, it seemed.

"I don't blame him, you know," he said softly as he finished bandaging up my wrist several minutes later. "If I were him, I'd have left me here."

"Don't say that." I glared at him angrily, pulling my wrist out of his grasp and taking a step back from him. He looked up at me, shocked. "You don't get to say that. Not when I'm here trying to save your ass."

"Isabella, I-"

"No," I mumbled, shaking my head. "Don't even…" I looked down at the ground, fixing my gaze on a minute crack in one of the marble tiles.

"I'm sorry it came out like that, I…" he groaned. "I just don't understand why he'd risk a perfectly good agent like yourself without-"

"He didn't," I sighed, gazing back up at him. "I chose to come here."

"Wh-"

"Listen, um…" I took a step closer to him again, trying to calm myself down before things could escalate. "Can we just…" I shook my head, then stuck my hand out for him to take. "I'm Bella. Bella Swan."

Edward exhaled a slow breath, then smiled as he took my hand and shook it firmly. "Edward Masen."

"I know we have a lot of hashing out to do, but for now, can we just try and get through tonight?" I asked, slowly raising my hands and pressing them against his chest. "We need to focus on our cover; that's the most important thing right now. If we want this 'thing' between us to look realistic enough to fool them, we need to be as comfortable as possible with each other, so I think we should try and get to know each other as much as we can so-"

I startled as Edward covered my mouth with his hand, then felt my breath catch in my throat as he reached out and gripped my hip with his free hand, pulling me closer.

"Bella," he murmured, still holding his hand over my mouth, "I know what Carlisle's briefed you to do as far as our cover is concerned, but I need to you trust me on this, okay? What he wants won't work. The Volturi have bugs in every single room in this compound, and, with the exception of the bathrooms, each room has at least one camera in it too." My eyes widened. Carlisle, my boss, hadn't told me that. "I have no way of knowing if or when they'll be watching us, so we have to keep this façade up at all times, even behind closed doors, okay?"

I nodded as best I could, trying not to freak out. As stupid as it was, it hadn't even occurred to me that the Volturi would have kept all of their members under surveillance while they were in the compound; it made perfect sense – even if they didn't necessarily use them all the time, just knowing that the cameras exist would be enough to deter any possible rats from attempting to leak information. No wonder Carlisle had sent me in blind.

"I know this isn't what you signed up for when you agreed to come here, but…" Edward trailed off, looking nervous all of a sudden. "We can't just kiss and hold hands when we're together in my suite like Carlisle said to. It won't be convincing enough. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I swallowed hard, then reached up and pulled his hand from my mouth so I could speak.

"I'm not having sex with you," I told him firmly. "Anything else, I'm willing to do for the sake of staying alive, but I'm not, under any circumstances, having sex with you."

"I would never ask or expect you to, Bella," he replied, sounding shocked that I'd even mentioned it. "But we will need to look like we're being… intimate with each other when we're in that room. Both at night and some mornings, just in case they're watching."

"I know." I gave him a small smile in an attempt to ease the awkward tension between us. "We'll have to tonight once we leave here, won't we?"

"Yes," he said simply, running his hand through his hair and looking just as nervous as I felt. "We can't be covert about it either; they'll be watching us extra closely tonight."

"Okay, um… What do you suggest we do then?" I asked, even though I had already guessed the answer. He paused for a moment, thinking it through.

"What are you comfortable with doing?" He looked me straight in the eyes, his expression turning serious. "You're the one who's going to have to set the boundaries here, Bella, not me."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," I protested hurriedly. "I mean, ideally, we should have some, but if we do that and we constantly have to be aware of them, things will stop looking spontaneous and they'll see right through us. I think we should just…"

"Shoot first, think later?" he suggested. "Metaphorically, of course."

"Exactly," I sighed, nodding. "It would look a lot more realistic if we reacted to each other."

"Alright." Edward ran his hand through his hair again, then glanced down at his watch. "We need to be coming out of here soon – they'll get suspicious otherwise."

"Okay, well, we should probably shower first, right?" Not giving him a chance to disagree, I walked over to the still steaming shower, stripped down to my underwear, then opened the door and climbed in.

Despite having been running for a while, the water was still pleasantly warm from the spray when I stepped under it, and I couldn't help but moan as heat encased my entire body. Jesus, that felt good. I tipped my head back, allowing my hair to get wet, then hummed under my breath as the water run down my face as well, washing away any remnants of the make-up I'd had on.

With a heavy sigh, I tilted my head back up and glanced down at my feet, grimacing when I saw the dried blood on my toes. I knew I had blisters on my heel for sure, but I was used to those and could take care of them easily. It was the cuts that I was more worried about – I wouldn't exactly be able to rest my feet and give them time to heal while I was here, so the chances of them getting infected or healing badly were pretty damn high, especially if I had to wear heels again.

"That looks painful."

I startled at the sound of Edward's voice, having not heard him enter the shower, and almost fell into him as I attempted to turn in his direction. His hands immediately shot out to steady me, and he gazed at me with a worried expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, frowning.

"D… Don't do that," I stammered, still trying to recover from the shock of him being behind me. "I… Just… Don't sneak up on me like that. Ever."

"Sorry, I just… I was going to remind you not to get the gauze on your wrists wet; I thought you heard me come in," he replied softly as he let go of my arms and took a small step backward, turning away from me.

"Edward, I…" I took a step towards him, gently placing my hand on his arm to get his attention. He shivered slightly at my touch, then slowly turned to face me, his expression unreadable.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just… I let my guard down and you just surprised me," I confessed sheepishly. Edward nodded, gave me a small, forced-looking smile, then turned back into the spray on his side of the shower, effectively ending the conversation.

I gaped at him for a moment, stunned, then shook my head and moved back onto my side of the shower, frowning. I had no idea what I'd done to annoy him, and couldn't even fucking apologize because he turned on another spray, making it impossible to hear myself think let alone speak. Weird.

Instead of dwelling on it too much, I tried to distract myself by washing my hair with the shampoo he had labeled up in a bottle on one of the shelves, lathering it up as quickly as possible, no longer sure of how much time we had left. As I was rinsing the shampoo out under the spray, I sensed Edward take a step closer to me, but chose to ignore him. It was a childish thing to do, I knew that, but I was tired and couldn't find it in me to make an effort when Edward clearly wasn't going to clue me in on what was bothering him.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me, or did you actually want something?" I eventually asked him once things started to get a bit uncomfortable.

"Bella, I'm…" He trailed off, then sighed before taking another step closer, pressing his chest against my back as he reached forwards and grabbed an unmarked bottle off the shelf before handing it to me.

"What is it?" I wondered, turning to face him.

"Conditioner," he answered, gazing at me intently. "For your hair."

"Oh." I swallowed hard, instantly feeling like a complete bitch for snapping at him. "Thanks."

He nodded curtly, still gazing at me, then sighed and took a step backwards, starting to turn away from me.

"Edward, don't," I pleaded quickly, reaching out and grabbing his hand on reflex in an attempt to get him to look at me again. I couldn't just leave things like this, whatever this was. "That was out of line. I just… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he murmured. "I wasn't exactly nice to you, either." He gave me a small smile, then squeezed my hand before turning and pushing open one of the shower doors. Before I had the chance to ask what he was doing and why, he stepped out the shower and closed the door again, then walked over to grab a towel off the towel rail before wrapping it around his waist.

I stood there blankly for a moment, confused, then sighed heavily and turned my attention back to washing my hair, picking up the bottle of conditioner from the shelf and flipping the cap open.

By the time I'd finished washing my hair and body, the water had finally started to run cold, so I hurriedly shut it off and stepped out the shower awkwardly, unsure if I was doing the right thing.

"Edward?" I called softly. He was standing by the sink, apparently having just finished shaving, and turned on the spot, pressing a finger to his lips. I nodded, knowing the microphones would be able to pick up our voices now, then laughed before calling his name again. "Give me my towel back!"

He raised his eyebrow at me. I shrugged, gesturing for him to hand me a towel, then squealed loudly, as if he'd just grabbed me from behind.

"No, Edward, stop!" I cried, starting to shiver now from the cold. Edward shook his head, smiling, then threw me a towel for my hair and then my body before slowly walking towards me.

"You know I'm just teasing you, Bella," he said softly as he came to a stop in front of me, and I shivered beneath his gaze, though not from the cold that time.

"Sure sure," I tried to joke, but my voice shook slightly as he reached out and took the towel from me, gesturing for me to turn around.

"Oh, don't be like that," he said teasingly as he started to towel dry the ends of my hair. I frowned, confused about how he knew what to do, but tried my best not to think about that. We had a part to play. "Let's get you dry, shall we?"

"But I don't want to be dry," I moaned, awkwardly trying to dry myself off with the second towel while he moved further up my hair with the first.

"Oh, really?" Edward murmured, stepping closer so that his chest was very nearly pressing against my back. "Would you rather be wet, Isabella?!"

I shuddered, no longer sure if he was still in character, then let out a breathy "yes."

He exhaled unsteadily, his hands stilling against my hair, and I swallowed hard before taking a small step back, bringing us flush together. "Very much so."

"Bella…" he breathed, his lips just centimeters from my ear. I let my eyes flutter closed, trying not to over-think things, then sighed as, after quickly giving my hair another once over, Edward dropped the towel he was holding to the ground.

Not giving myself a chance to back out, I twisted around to face him and put my hands on his shoulders, letting the towel around me drop to the floor beside the first one, then slowly pulled him closer, bringing our chests flush together. He looked at me questioningly, moving his hands around to touch the clasp of my bra. I gave him a small nod, then raised myself up on my toes slightly, pressing my lips to his.

He froze for a moment, his eyes widening a little with shock before closing as he kissed me back and slowly unclasped my bra with a small groan. I shifted awkwardly on my toes as I tried to keep my balance, and when he started to slip my bra straps off my shoulders, I almost fell straight into him. He gripped my upper arm to steady me, waiting for me to get my balance again before slipping the straps the rest of the way off and letting my bra fall to the floor.

I sighed nervously, then let one hand curl into his hair while the other slipped down his chest to the waistband of his boxers. His stomach muscles tightened beneath my fingertips as I kissed him just a little deeper, barely parting my lips, and I counted to three before slipping my hand beneath his waistband, slowly pushing it down. He pulled his lips from mine, gazing straight into my eyes, and I swallowed audibly, trying to quell my nerves.

"It's okay," he mouthed, giving me a small smile as he reached down and grabbed my wrist, stopping me from pulling his boxers down any further. I shook my head, reaching out with my other hand determinedly, then kept my eyes locked on his as I slowly pushed the fabric down the rest of the way before doing the same with my own.

"Bella…" he began, looking unsure of himself all of a sudden. I smiled, trying to appear less nervous than I felt, then gripped his hands and put them on my waist as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer again.

"It's okay," I breathed, then pressed my forehead to his. We could do this. Edward sighed, nodding against me, then tightened his grip on my waist and bent his knees slightly in preparation of picking me up.

"One… two… three…" I mouthed, then jumped slightly to make it easier for him to take my weight. He let out a soft groan as I wrapped my legs around him, and I worried for a moment that I'd hurt him somehow, but when he kissed me again, more urgently than before, I knew he was okay.

"Bedroom," I panted, squeezing his waist with my legs to signal I was ready. He nodded, moving his hands down to cup my ass, then shifted me against him before carefully walking over to the bathroom door, both of us moaning and groaning for the microphones as he did so.

It took him a few tries to get the door handle, and I whined impatiently, kissing him harder. Come on, Edward… With one sharp jerk, he pushed the door handle down and pulled the door open, barely managing to keep hold of me as we practically stumbled through into the main suite.

I tightened my grip on him with my legs, urging him on, then pushed my tongue through the part in his lips, trying to make him stop over-thinking this, make him believe that we could do this. He groaned softly, giving me the slightest of nods, then fake stumbled forwards and pressed me roughly into the wall, careful not to hurt me in the process. I moaned loudly, letting my head fall back and my eyes close as he kissed down to my neck, then fisted one hand in his hair while the other trailed down between us, pressing against his chest. He breathed out a laugh, then gripped my hand and pulled it out from between us before pinning it to the wall, his fingers splayed against mine.

"Edward…" I moaned breathily as I closed my fingers around his hand and squeezed. "Fuck me…"

"Bella…" he groaned as he fake-pushed his hips into mine. "I don't have any-"

"Implant," I panted, kissing him hard. "And you know I'm c-clean… Oh, fuck, please…"

"You want me?" he teased as he slipped his hand between us, pretending to rub himself against me.

"Please," I moaned, pushing my hips towards his. "There's been no-one else but you, Edward. No-one. I need you."

He smirked, as if enjoying his teasing, then pushed me harder against the wall, pinning me there with his body as the hand that was between us slipped up to cup my breast. I let out a shuddering whine, tilting my head back again, then gasped when his hand shot up to grip my jaw, tipping my head back down so I was forced to look at him.

"Keep your eyes on me," he growled, shifting slightly against me. I hissed in a breath when his hand accidentally brushed against me, resisting the urge to push my hips forwards to further the contact. "Keep those pretty little eyes on me while I fuck you."

I nodded weakly, then whimpered as he brought the hand on my jaw back down to my breast, his thumb brushing over my nipple.

"Edward, please," I whispered desperately, squeezing his hand extra tightly so he'd know I was ready. He smirked again, keeping his eyes locked on mine, then lowered his hand again, as if lining himself up against me. "Oh, please… oh, please…"

He adjusted his grip on my hand slightly, preparing us both, then thrust his hips forwards and up, his fingers brushing against me as I let out a guttural moan and tightened my legs around him.

"Fuck… Edward…" He moved his hand from between us and braced himself against the wall as he pulled his hips back and sharply pushed them forwards again. I let out another moan, letting my eyes roll up slightly, but he cupped my cheek with his hand, reminding me to keep my eyes open and on his.

"Please," I panted, then whimpered as his hips pulled back again. He squeezed my hand, then pressed his lips against mine as he thrust forwards, the head of his cock barely brushing against me. Oh, God, he was hard…

"Edward… Shit…" With his next thrust, I pulled him more firmly against me with my legs and kissed him deeply, squeezing his hand to let him know it was okay, that I didn't mind. He groaned softly as he slid up against me again, then reached down and pulled my thigh a little higher up his waist, opening me up to him more. I pushed my nerves to the back of the mind, reminding myself not to think, to just react, then tugged on his hair slightly as he pushed against me with more force this time.

"So… tight…" he panted, dropping his forehead to my neck as he pushed me harder against the wall. It was clear to me now that he was trying his best not to let our bodies touch, so I pulled him back into me again and pushed my hips forwards to meet him, urging him to stop worrying about it.

"Bella," he breathed softly, then kissed my neck before lifting his head again and gazing straight into my eyes.

"So good," I whispered as I pressed my forehead to his. "Harder, Edward. Please…"

"I'm not g-gonna last much longer," he panted as he started thrusting his hips a little harder than before, causing him to slip against me more fully. "It's been too-"

"It's okay," I breathed back, moaning softly. "It's okay… I'm close…"

He groaned loudly, then let his hand trail down between us, pressing his fingertips just above my clit. I let out a shocked whimper, desperately reminding myself that this wasn't real, that it was just part of the job, but my body didn't seem to want to co-operate.

"E-Edw-ward…" I tensed my thighs slightly, kissing him hard, then waited for just a few more thrusts before making my breath hitch and my eyes widen. "Fuuuck…"

"Come for me, Bella," he whispered, then smiled as I winked and threw my head back, making my thighs shake around him as I gave his hand one final squeeze.

"I'm… I'm…" I gasped out, then let my eyes roll upwards as I groaned loudly and Edward thrust a little faster, making his breaths a little choppier.

"Fuck," he panted, not giving me a chance to come down from my supposed 'high' before burying his head in my neck and pushing his hips sharply into mine.

"Edward," I moaned as he gently kissed my neck.

"It's a shame you're so good at that," he breathed, barely loud enough for me to hear, then muttered a low apology before biting down where my neck met my shoulder, making me cry out in shock.

His teeth didn't press hard enough to break the skin, but there'd definitely be a bruise there tomorrow morning, so I tugged his head back by his hair and crushed my lips to his angrily to let him know he'd be paying for that later. He smiled into the kiss, then thrust his hips erratically as he let out a loud groan, pushing harder against me than before and sliding against me fully for the first time. Oh, God.

"Shit," he hissed, his voice a mixture of awe and something I couldn't quite identify. I pulled him in even closer with my legs, squeezing his hand tightly, then pressed my lips to his once more, this one much gentler than the others.

"Dead puppies, dead puppies," I heard him mutter against my lips as he rested against me more fully, as if spent. I stifled a laugh, realizing what he must have been doing, then kissed my way across to his ear and whispered, "Carlisle naked."

"Gross," he mumbled, shuddering slightly at the image. I hummed contentedly in agreement, letting my hand slip from his before wrapping my arms around him tightly. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome," I breathed, then gently nipped his earlobe before leaning back against the wall with a lazy smile.

He smiled back at me, his gaze turning intense, and I leaned in to kiss him again before murmuring a gentle "hi."

"Hi," he sighed, shifting his hips against mine. Apparently, imagining Carlisle naked was doing the trick. Not entirely sure what the hell to do since we couldn't exactly have a proper 'after-glow' moment, I wriggled my hips against his a bit to try and encourage him to come up with a plan. He barely managed to stifle a groan at my movements, then muttered something under his breath before slowly pulling his hips away from mine and lowering my legs back to the ground.

I wobbled slightly the moment my feet touched the ground, then grabbed onto him for support I didn't need, laughing softly.

"Okay, wow," I breathed, looking down at myself in shock. "My legs are shaking."

Edward laughed, then gently cupped my face in his hands before pressing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss.

"Why am I not surprised?" he teased, smirking. "You always were a shaker."

I scoffed at him, gently hitting his chest. "Was not!"

"Oh, yes, you were," he murmured, running his hands down to my chest and cupping my breasts. I shuddered, barely biting back a moan. "See?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Eduardo." I rolled my eyes at him as I took an unsteady step towards him. "At least I don't bite."

He scoffed, raising his eyebrow. "Don't pretend you don't love it."

"I never said I didn't," I murmured as I raised myself up on my tiptoes, bringing my lips to his ear. "You always have loved marking your… territory."

"Is that what you are now?" he teased, though I could tell there was an undercurrent of something else to his words.

"Always," I promised, then kissed his cheek before turning and walking towards the bed. When he didn't follow me, I glanced over my shoulder at him, surprised to see that his gaze was fixed on my body. I blushed, hyper-aware of the fact that I was completely naked, but tried my best to cover it up.

"Are you coming?"

"Already did, sweetheart," he quipped, winking. I rolled my eyes, then reached back for his hand, which he slipped into mine without hesitation. I smiled to myself as our fingers entwined, the movement natural despite the short amount of time we'd known each other.

I knew from experience that extreme situations tended to force people to bond quickly and in ways that weren't considered 'normal', but this… I shook my head, not letting myself think about that. It was probably just the relief of having someone on my side in all this that was making me feel like that.

"What is it?" Edward asked, squeezing my hand. I froze for a moment as I scrambled for something to say, but quickly recovered, turning my head so I could look at him over my shoulder.

"I was just thinking that…" I paused, glancing towards the bed. "Well, this is the first time you've taken me to bed in a long time, and um… Do you still…"

"Sleep on the right?" he asked, smiling. I nodded sheepishly, blushing. He took a big step forwards, bringing his chest flush against my back. "Of course I do. I know how to stick to my side, remember?"

"Hey!" I cried, glaring at him. "It's not my fault I'm a restless sleeper!"

"You aren't some nights," he pointed out. "Not when you've had a… satisfying day, at least."

I blushed again and dipped my head, knowing exactly what he was alluding to. Honey, you clearly have no idea what life with Mike was like. Nothing was ever satisfying in that department.

"Hey," Edward chided, turning me round to face him. I blushed even more profusely, fully exposed to him now. I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, then sighed as he cupped my cheeks in his hand and tilted my head back up.

"Don't hide that from me," he murmured, smiling. "You look so beautiful when you blush, Bella."

"You just like knowing when I'm embarrassed," I groaned. "It's always given me away."

"Oh, I know," he teased, winking. I smiled despite myself, then let out a quiet moan as he dipped his head to kiss me, his lips soft and gentle against mine.

"Edward, I'm-" I cut myself off with a yawn, then smiled sheepishly, feeling the blush flood back into my cheeks.

Edward smiled, then shook his head. "Come on, Isabella, it's bedtime."

"Hey!" I protested half-heartedly, grateful for the reprieve. "I'm not a child anymore, Eddie. You don't get to boss me about."

"You weren't complaining earlier," he pointed out, smirking. I glared at him, then poked my tongue out before turning and walking over to the bed. Before he had the chance to stop me, I pulled the duvet back and climbed in beneath the sheet, then shifted over to the left-hand side of the bed before rolling over, making sure my back was to him.

"And she says she's not a child," Edward muttered, then slowly climbed in beside me, somehow turning the lights off as he did so.

"Isabella…"

"Go away. I'm sleeping," I hissed, but couldn't stop myself from sighing as he rolled over and pressed his chest to my back, curling his legs against mine. I leaned back into him, as though unable to resist forgiving him, then covered his hand with mine as it slipped round to my stomach, pressing me further into him.

"Am I forgiven?" he murmured as he kissed my shoulder, making me shiver.

"You know you are," I replied with a smile. "I always forgive you."

Edward laughed softly, then kissed along my shoulder until his lips met the spot he'd bitten earlier.

"Edward, I'm tired," I whined. He laughed again, shaking his head, so I rolled over slightly, turning my head in his direction and pouting.

"Awww, poor Bella," he teased, then quickly leaned forwards to kiss my bottom lip. I rolled my eyes and laughed, then kissed him properly, my own silent goodnight.

"I know you're tired, so I'm going to let you off. I doubt I could really do anything now anyway, not after that."

"Oh, I'm sure you could," I joked. "You still have hands."

"True, but where's the gratification in that?" he teased. I scoffed, then rolled back over so I was facing the wall, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Goodnight, Edward," I sighed.

"Goodnight, Bella," he murmured, kissing my shoulder once more before relaxing behind me. I smiled when he squeezed my hand back, then allowed my eyes to drift shut, feeling safe despite the situation we were in. I had no idea what tomorrow would have in store for us, but I knew we would somehow find a way to get through it. We had to. For our sake's and those who were counting on us.