"A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for whom we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life."
~ Richard Bach
"I love you."
I gaped at him in shock. "Wh-what?"
"I love you," he repeated, moving closer to the bed as he continued, "And I want to build that dream house with you, with as many bedrooms as you fucking like, because I want… I want to start a family with you, and I want my future to be with you, and-"
"Edwar-"
"Let me finish!" He sat down in front of me on the bed, gazing straight into my eyes. I wanted to pinch myself to check I wasn't dreaming. "I don't care that Carlisle won't approve of us, because he means nothing to me anymore. He left me to rot, and you came to save me. You fucking… You gave me a reason to keep breathing. So you don't get to interrupt me and stop me from saying what I feel anymore, okay? I love you. I don't care that we've only known each other this long. I know what I feel, and I'm tired of fighting it."
I swallowed hard, completely overwhelmed.
"And if… If you think about it? The time we've spent together is pretty much the equivalent of several normal relationship months, so…" He shook his head. "We're not normal, Bella, I know that, but I just… Fuck, I thought that if I didn't say it, I'd be protecting you somehow, but not telling you hurts, and the escape being so soon and the fact I almost lost you when James… It brought home the fact that we could both die at any moment… And if that were to happen, my biggest regret would be not telling you now that we're finally alone, so… I love you."
He exhaled a shaky breath, looking a little surprised at himself. It took me a few moments to process his words, but once I had… God, it was so hard not to smile.
"Are you done?" I asked. He swallowed nervously.
"Yes?"
"Good." Unable to hold it in anymore, I cupped his cheeks in my hands and pulled his lips to mine, kissing him with everything I had. He moaned in surprise, then gave in to the kiss, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
After a few precious seconds, I pulled back again, realizing I hadn't actually replied yet. "Edward?"
"Yeah?" He sounded a little terrified.
"I love you too," I told him softly, smiling.
"You… love me?" The concept seemed almost foreign to him.
"I do," I murmured. "Very much."
"Oh." His eyes widened slightly, and then the most beautiful grin I'd ever seen spread across his face. I laughed softly, feeling overwhelmingly happy, then gasped as Edward suddenly leaned forwards and captured my lips with his.
"I love you," he whispered between kisses.
"And I love you," I breathed, smiling against his lips as I pulled him down to me and leaned back against the pillows. He settled on top of me instantly, one of his legs sliding between mine, and braced himself with his forearms.
"We should really-" Kiss. "- wait for that call," he murmured, even as we shifted the sheets out of our way to allow him to press against me better.
"We should," I agreed, nodding as I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him closer.
"We don't want to start and have to stop," he added, but that didn't stop him from shifting against me and kissing my neck.
"Maybe he won't call back," I suggested, then let out a soft moan. "Maybe he… Oh, God, Edward… Umm… how long ago did you leave?"
"At least an hour," he replied, slipping one of his hands beneath my top and cupping my breast through my bra. "Maybe two."
"We should call him," I said, trying to sound firm, despite how much my body was craving his.
"Mmm," Edward mumbled, then slowed his kisses slightly. "Zafrina said he'd call back, though."
"No, something's not right," I sighed, shaking my head, then carefully rolled us over so that I was straddling him, making it easier to reach the phone. There still weren't any missed calls displayed on the screen, which worried me slightly. I knew Carlisle was a busy man and he was probably pissed at me, but seriously…
I dialed his number. His personal one.
Edward gazed up at me in confusion as I held the phone up to my ear, obviously surprised by my sudden shift in mood.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Esme," I replied, sighing with relief when I recognized her voice. "It's Bella."
"Oh, hello, sweetheart! How are you?"
I ran my hand up Edward's chest under his shirt and smiled down at him. "I'm fine thanks, Esme, how about you?"
I loved Esme, even though her husband could be a bit of an ass. She was like a second mother to me, and had taken me in without question or hesitation when I needed help the most. If it weren't for her… Well, I had no idea where I'd be now.
"I'm good, thank you. I'm assuming you're after Carlisle?" She didn't sound even remotely offended by that; she knew what it was like. "I heard you were a bit bad, Bella."
"If you call going off on unauthorized missions bad, then yeah." Edward gently gripped my hips, stroking the skin beneath the hem of my top as I spoke. I smiled, then shifted against him out of habit, making both of us inhale sharply.
"Yes, well, I'm sure it was with good cause," Esme replied as Edward ever so slowly guided my hips to move over his. "I know you, sweetheart – you wouldn't have done something like this if it weren't important."
"How mad is he?" I asked her, settling down on Edward more to increase the pressure. Part of me didn't really care about Esme's answer, but the other part of me knew that piece of knowledge could come in handy if she put me through to Carlisle.
"He's not mad, as such, just disappointed, I think."
"And that's so much better," I muttered sarcastically. Esme sighed, and Edward looked concerned, stopping my hips from moving.
"I'll go get him for you."
"Esme?" I said quickly before she could go anywhere.
"Yes?"
"Don't tell him who I am," I pleaded. "He was meant to call us back after we called him two hours ago, but he hasn't. He probably doesn't want to speak to me, but it's really important that he does."
"Of course, Bella. I hope everything goes well and that I'll be seeing you shortly."
"Thank you, Ma," I replied, reverting to my nickname of sorts for her. "I'll see you soon."
"Don't thank me, sweetheart; I'd do anything to help you. You know that."
The other end of the line went practically silent as Esme went to search for Carlisle, and I took the opportunity to lean down and press my lips to Edward's, more for comfort and courage than anything else.
"I love you," I told him as I slowly circled my hips and began to unbutton his shirt, needing his closeness to get me through this. "No matter what, I love you."
"Don't worry, baby," he soothed, rubbing my back to try and calm me. "It will be fine."
I nodded weakly, feeling the most nervous I ever had in my life.
"It's silent," I mumbled, keeping Edward in the loop. "Why is it so-"
"Isabella."
I startled at the sound of Carlisle's voice, and Edward… Edward's expression hardened considerably. I sat up in shock, fisting my hand in Edward's shirt as I held the phone closer to my ear.
"Carlisle," I said softly, trying not to let my nerves shine through.
"What have I told you about calling me at home?"
I gritted my teeth and fought the urge to get snarky with him. "We didn't hear back from you, and I didn't know what else to do."
"Yes, well, something else popped up that was more important, so…"
I clenched my eyes shut and exhaled a long breath through my nose. Okay, I deserved that.
"Put him on speaker," Edward murmured, but I shook my head. I didn't want him to hear what Carlisle had to say to me about my disobedience. "Bella…"
"Is he there with you?" Carlisle asked, though we both knew he was aware of the answer.
"Yes, he is," I told him. "But Juliet isn't."
Carlisle sighed. "What do you want to talk about, Isabella?"
"You're calling me Isabella now?" For some reason, that hurt. "You haven't called me that since before I first moved in with you."
He just hummed noncommittally, and Edward looked up at me worriedly. I tried to smile reassuringly, but when his expression didn't change, I knew it hadn't worked.
"Anyway, uh…" God, this was hard. He was my mentor, one of the only people who stood by me when I decided to join… He took me under his wing, treated me like his own child, and I'd broken that trust. But he'd broken mine too by forbidding me from coming here in the first place. "I need a favor from you."
"A favor?"
Here goes nothing.
"I'm… I'm breaking out with Romeo and Juliet on Thanksgiving. And I can't do it without your help."
He laughed.
"Carlisle, please," I begged, reaching for Edward's hand and holding on tightly. "You know I wouldn't ask you this if I had another option. I know you're pissed at me, and I know you probably hate me for what I did, but you have got to understand… I couldn't not go."
"You could have," he countered, sounding angry. "You could have trusted me and stayed put like I ordered you to."
"If I hadn't have gone when I did, I don't think we would have ever been able to get either of them in the position they are now. Rosalie's suffering terrible abuse here, and Edward-"
"And so be it. That mistake would have been on me; it would have been my burden to bear, but now you've got yourself so wrapped up in this that-"
"That's not fair, and you know it."
"Your father-"
"My father never left a man behind," I snapped, clenching my free hand into a fist. "He would have done the same thing in my shoes, so don't you dare-"
"Your father never left a man behind, but he also died." Tears rushed to my eyes, but I forced myself not to let them fall. "And I will not let you follow in his footsteps."
"Pass me the phone," Edward said softly, reading my reaction to Carlisle's words. I shook my head, trying not to let it get to me too much. I could handle it.
"Are you going to help us or not?"
Carlisle sighed, but it was one of defeat and reluctance more than anything else. "That depends on what you need."
"A few men and good cover," I told him. This would be my only chance to sway him. "We can get out the compound and into a safe spot, but once we're there, we're stranded, and if we can't get out of there fast enough, we'll be recaptured."
"When are you doing this? I need dates and times, Isabella."
"Thanksgiving evening," I replied, then squeezed Edward's hand. "I'm not sure of the exact timings yet, but it's definitely in the evening."
"So any time after…"
"Four," Edward mouthed.
"Any time after four," I relayed to Carlisle. "I can give you the co-ordinates of our exit point, if you want?"
"Let me get a pen," he sighed. I smiled widely, feeling hopeful now.I leaned down and kissed Edward softly, and felt him smile against my lips in response.
"We may be in luck," I mouthed as I straightened up again. The relief on his face was palpable.
Once Carlisle was back and indicated that he had his pen, I told him the co-ordinates and gave him a description of the surrounding area, just in case something happened.
"And if anything goes wrong? What then?"
I exhaled slowly. That was the hard part, but I had given it a lot of thought. "If that happens, whoever gets out will either call a code red or code black."
Carlisle inhaled sharply. "Are you sure?"
I looked down at Edward and gently ran my fingers down the side of his face. "I'm sure."
"Bella…"
I tried not to let the significance of our discussion show on my face, not wanting Edward to know what I was asking of Carlisle. Code red meant that an agent had been injured and needed urgent assistance, but code black… Code black meant that an agent had been injured or was presumed dead, and was to be left behind.
I just hoped it would never come to that.
"Carlisle, if anything goes wrong, they'll call it, and I need your word that you'll be able to follow through on that," I told him firmly, then smiled at Edward, who looked beyond confused.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Bella," Carlisle murmured softly.
"I do," I assured him. "So, can you provide the men?"
"Yes." He sounded reluctant when he said that, but it didn't matter; a yes was a yes. "But this is the last favor you're going to get from me."
"Thank you, Carlisle," I gushed as relief flooded through me. "Thank you so much."
Edward smiled widely at my reaction and squeezed my hand.
"And, Bella?" Dread quickly replaced the relief at that.
"Yes?"
"You should know that you are now on probation," he said. "You may be like a daughter to me, but I was firm with Alice when she disobeyed me, and I'm being firm with you now."
"I understand," I replied, and I did. If anything, I was being let off lightly.
"You may think I'm being an asshole, and maybe I am, but I am your boss and you are my employee above everything else. I will bend the rules in your favor from time to time, but I cannot ignore a violation this severe."
"And what about Romeo?" I asked.
"Mr. Masen is…"
"A good man and an excellent agent," I told him, and even though I knew I was pushing my luck, I couldn't stop myself from adding, "who you left to die."
"Isabella, I did not-"
"Baby, leave it," Edward murmured softly, shaking his head. "It's not worth it."
"He deserves a lot of compensation for what you've indirectly put him through," I continued, ignoring Edward's protests. "And he'll need to be put in witness protection. The highest form we can give him."
I wanted to cover Edward's ass as much as possible while I still could. If I brought all this up after the escape, it could be too late to arrange an alternative if Carlisle said no.
"You're right," Carlisle agreed, surprising the hell out of me. I hadn't expected him to give in so fast. "I will do everything I can to keep him and Juiet safe. And if you agree to testify against Paris when he and his men are taken to trial, you will be too."
"What happened to no more favors?" I teased lightly.
"This isn't a favor, Bella. It's my duty." He paused for a few moments. "Just like it's my duty as a father to tell Alice and Jake you're okay."
I perked up at that, then took the opportunity he'd presented to me and asked, "Are they doing alright?"
"Jake misses you. A lot." Tears welled up in my eyes automatically at the news. God, I missed him too. "And so does Alice, of course."
"Well, uh…" I cleared my throat. "Tell Jake I love him and will be home soon, and tell Alice not to be such a sap."
"I will," came the reply. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go now, Bella… Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I always do," I murmured, smiling sadly. "I'll hopefully see you in a few weeks."
"Until then."
"Bye."
"Good-bye."
With a shaking hand, I ended the call and put the phone back down on the bedside table.
"Baby?"
I forced myself to shift my gaze from the phone to Edward's apprehensive face.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I just can't believe he agreed so easily," I admitted, blinking a few times to try and bring myself back from my shocked stupor. "Holy shit."
"You did it," he murmured, smiling. I shook my head in disbelief.
"We're going to get out of here," I whispered, feeling the delayed shock hit me all at once. "We're actually…" I laughed softly. "Edward, he's going to help us."
Edward smiled. "He obviously cares about you a lot."
"Yeah, but he's also seriously pissed at me," I sighed. "I'm on probation."
"That's… Not too bad?" He sounded unsure.
"It means I won't be going on any missions for a long time," I replied as I watched my fingers trail across his chest, unsure if that was a bad thing or not myself. Edward's next statement changed all that, though.
"Long enough to build our dream house in?"
I let out a shaky sigh, and gazed up shyly into his eyes. "You really want that?"
"Yes," he murmured without hesitation, bringing his hand up to cup my cheek. "I do."
I swallowed audibly, feeling unwelcome tears fill my eyes.
"Baby, don't you?" he wondered, frowning slightly.
"No, I… I do," I replied, then grimaced when a few tears managed to escape. "I just… I never used to even let myself dream about it, and now…"
"Now it's something you want, and it terrifies you?" he suggested, understanding my feelings perfectly, as usual. I nodded weakly, embarrassed by my sudden emotions, then sighed softly as he gently wiped away my tears with his thumbs.
"Baby, come here," he murmured. I slowly leaned down to kiss him, moaning softly the moment our lips met.
"Edward…"
"Don't be afraid to want this," he whispered, sliding his hands beneath my top and stroking my back. "To want us."
"I'm not. I just… I don't want to lose you," I admitted hoarsely. "It scares me that I want you this much, that I can feel so much for you in such a short space of time, because I never imagined it could happen to me."
"That what could?" he asked softly as he carefully pushed up my top and pulled it over my head. The moment the fabric was tossed on the floor, his hands were touching my skin again, making me shiver.
"Falling in love… Being loved back…" It was probably really cheesy, and anyone else may have rolled their eyes at what I was saying, but my barriers were down for the first time since we'd met now, and I wanted to get everything out while I could. "I got so used to the idea that it was wrong, that-"
"Baby, can you feel this?" I knew he was referring to the blissful sensation that spread through me as his hands slid up my sides, and nodded slowly. "How could something that amazing ever be wrong?"
"I don't…" I trailed off, lost for words all of a sudden.
"This is right, Bella," he whispered. "What we have… It's meant to be this way."
"I know," I mumbled, smiling weakly. "I just… It's overwhelming, actually acknowledging it all out loud."
"It makes it more real, doesn't it?" he said softly. I nodded shyly.
"Yeah."
He smiled. "C'mere."
I leaned in to kiss him without hesitation, then whimpered as his hands smoothed over my back until they met the clasp of my bra, hesitating almost questioningly. I nodded my silent permission, then shuddered as he slid the straps down my arms as far as possible before sitting up with me in his lap to pull the fabric from me completely.
"You're so beautiful, Bella," he murmured against my lips as he dropped my bra to the floor before bringing his hands back to my body, his thumbs barely touching the underside of my breasts. "Do you know that?"
I blushed, dipping my head slightly to avoid his gaze.
He laughed softly. "Don't do that, baby. Look at me."
I raised my head again, overwhelmed by the emotion I saw in his eyes as he cupped my cheeks in his hands.
"You…" He kissed my cheek. "Are…" The other one. "Beautiful." My lips. "And I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe it."
I laughed awkwardly. "That may take a while," I mumbled.
"So?" he teased, grinning. "It'll be worth it."
I rolled my eyes, then sighed softly a few moments later, no longer trying to hide from the emotions I felt for him. It was strange and it was new and it was scary, but life was too short to hold back any longer. We needed to just live in the moment now, because who knew where we'd be in two weeks time?
"I love you," I told him, because… fuck, how could I not?
He smiled. "And I love you, Bella."
"I want you to meet Alice and Jasper," I said softly. He'd opened up to me; it was time for me to do the same in return. "But I can't wait for you to see Jake."
"Bella, is…" He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Is Jake your son?"
"No, but one day he will officially be, I hope," I replied, not entirely surprised by his question; I was more surprised by the fact he hadn't asked before now.
"I don't understand," Edward admitted, sounding a little sheepish.
"It's okay," I assured him, shifting in his lap slightly so I could sit down more comfortably and take my weight off my knees. Edward groaned softly at the contact, his hips rocking towards mine in response.
"It's a bit complicated and may take a while to explain," I warned him, then leaned forwards to kiss him. "We can talk about this after we-"
"No, I want to know," he murmured with a shake of his head. "He's obviously important to you."
"He is," I agreed, smiling. "But so are you, and so is this." I rolled my hips against his.
"Shit," Edward hissed, clenching his eyes shut and letting his head fall back. "Bella…"
I leaned forwards and kissed his neck, running my hands up his chest and feeling his heart pound beneath my fingertips.
"Bella, no," he said more firmly, then, with what seemed like enormous difficulty, pushed my hips back from his and gripped my wrists, stopping me from moving. "I want to get to know you better, not just make love."
His words made me smile. Making love… That's what we'd be doing from now on. "Okay, then."
"Do you want to…" He gestured to the bed.
"No, I'm comfortable right here," I assured him. "Unless you want me to move?"
"Never," he replied, shaking his head. I leaned in to kiss him softly, in reassurance or for comfort, I wasn't sure, then settled against him and rested my hands on his waist, unable to stop touching him but knowing anywhere else could be distracting.
"God, where to start?" I mumbled. "I've never trusted anyone who wasn't involved enough to tell them the full story before."
"Just start wherever you're comfortable, baby," he suggested softly.
"Okay, um…" The words were a jumble in my head, but I forced them out anyway. "My dad's partner, the one who came to get me the night he…?" Edward nodded in understanding. "I used to babysit for him some nights when he had to go out for work. His wife died in childbirth, and even though he didn't blame Jake for it, it was still tough for him, you know?"
I glanced down at my hands, trying not to cry.
"Billy was killed shortly after my dad was," I told him. "I was babysitting Jake at the time, and when they told me what happened…" I shook my head. "They wanted to take him and put him in foster care since nobody could look after him, so I, uh…" I felt nervous now; I didn't know how he'd react to what I was about to say. "I adopted him." Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Kinda."
"Kinda?" It wasn't an accusation; he seemed genuinely confused.
"Well, we couldn't go through the legal channels, even though I was eighteen at the time," I explained. "It would raise too many questions since I technically don't exist."
"You've been ghosted?" He sounded shocked at that.
"I guess," I replied with a shrug. "My dad got me wiped from the system the moment he signed up, and I've never really been registered anywhere since, so there aren't any records of me, I don't think."
"Wouldn't that make it hard for you to get…" He stopped himself before he could get any further, but I could guess what he was about to say; the thought had crossed my mind as well.
"Married?" He nodded somewhat hesitantly. I smiled. "I guess, if I wanted to get it done under my actual name, but records can be put in place as easily as they can be removed if you know the right people."
"Good," he murmured, though I could tell his mind was now elsewhere. After a few moments, he shook himself. "So you 'adopted' Jake when he was…?"
"Three," I replied, smiling. "He's seven now though, and he's so lovely, Edward, so full of life… He's staying with Alice while I'm gone, so he calls her Momma Alice for now, but once we get back there… God, Edward, he calls me Mommy. It sounds like such a stupid thing to get so happy about, but I love him so much, and I'd give anything to hear him call me that again."
Tears had rolled down my cheeks as I spoke, so I hastily wiped them away.
"You really miss him," Edward mused, smiling sadly.
"Yeah," I admitted, nodding sheepishly. "I've tried not to think about him, to make it easier to cope, but I can't help it. I always feel guilty for leaving him like this, especially when I know I may not come back, so I guess me doing what I do makes me a horrible person, but… I have to do this for my dad. The only comforting thing for me is knowing that, no matter what happens, Jake'll be safe and with people I trust. He's so resilient; he can bounce back from anything."
Edward gazed at me for a few moments, then looked down at my bare stomach, his expression indecipherable.
"Stand up?" he asked softly, moving his hands to my hips.
Confused but willing, I let him guide me to my feet, then swallowed hard as he ran his fingers across my stomach, looking deep in thought, then leaned forwards to kiss it, letting his lips linger there for several seconds before hesitantly moving his hands to the zipper of my jeans and gazing up at me. I nodded my approval instantly, then watched as he undid my jeans before slowly, almost reverently, pulling them and my panties down my legs until I could finally step out of them.
I'd never felt so bare in my life.
He gazed at my body for a few moments, almost as though trying to commit as much of me to memory as possible, then finally looked up into my eyes. I couldn't hold back any longer. I took his hands in mine and pulled him to his feet, then undressed him as slowly and carefully as he had me before rising up onto my tiptoes and pressing my lips to his.
"Make love to me, Edward," I whispered, lifting my hands and sliding them into his hair. He smiled and shook his head.
"I always have," he murmured, then leaned in and kissed me more softly than ever before, but still somehow managed to convey all his emotions at the same time. It was like things suddenly clicked into place; all those odd or misplaced gestures, all the tension-filled moments in the past… the looks I couldn't decipher… the way he touched me…
"Oh, Edward."
I sighed into his mouth as his hands slowly trailed down my back and settled on my hips, then moaned softly when he pulled them towards his, bringing our bodies flush together. His skin was so warm and soft to the touch; he felt amazing against me this way, but nothing compared to the feeling of him inside me, and I needed to feel that again. I needed to feel everything between us, to make it all seem more real.
I raised myself up on my tiptoes, straining to get closer to him, then gasped when he reached down and gently lifted me off the ground. Both of us inhaled sharply when the new position brought me flush against his erection, and then he was sitting back against the pillows with me straddling his lap, kissing me with such unadulterated passion that it almost took my breath away.
We didn't need any lead up, not this time; we were both already worked up to the point of desperation, and neither of us could wait to finally give in any longer.
Forcing myself to break our kiss, I leaned back a little and looked down what little space there was between our bodies before letting my hand trail down his stomach to grip him gently. His breath caught in his throat at the contact, and he released it as a strangled groan as I carefully shifted over him, pressing his tip against me.
"Baby, look at me," he pleaded, reaching out and taking my hips in his hands to still me. Once our eyes met, he slowly – so slowly it was almost unbearable – began to lower me onto him, letting me take him in inch by blissful inch until he was finally fully seated within me.
Both of us fell silent, staring at each other in a mixture of shock and awe. The intensity of it all was overwhelming, but that wasn't a bad thing; it was the most natural thing in the world, to feel this way. I understood what all the hype and fantastical talk was about now; it was a cliché, saying how making love was so wonderful, but it truly was. And we'd barely even moved yet.
"I-" he began, but I already knew exactly what he was going to say; I could see it in his eyes, feel it in the way he held my body.
"I know," I whispered, smiling. I love you, too.
He exhaled a shaky breath, then, still gazing into my eyes, slowly began to guide my hips over him, just letting us absorb all the sensations and emotions at first. I smoothed my hands up his chest as we moved, then slid them up into his hair and brought his lips to mine. He let out a soft moan against my lips, and we both let our eyes fall shut as the kiss became deeper and we settled into a faster rhythm that had us both gasping.
"You feel so good," he murmured, breaking our kiss and leaning his head back so he could look into my eyes again.
"Good doesn't do it justice," I whispered breathlessly, then cried out in both pleasure and surprise as he suddenly moved us further down the bed and flipped us over so that he was on top of me.
"I wanna see you," he explained, then pressed his lips hard against mine as he reached down and splayed his hand against my upper thigh, pulling it up against his hip. I wrapped my leg around him, then did the same with the other one, allowing him even deeper access as he thrust forwards.
"God, baby," he panted as he gazed down at me, bracing himself on his forearms. His hips slowed considerably all of a sudden, and he looked almost guilty, somehow. "Sorry, sorry… You just feel… I'm sorry."
"No," I murmured, shaking my head and bringing my bent legs up closer to my chest. His eyes rolled upwards and he groaned softly, but forced himself to keep his hips still. It was then that I realized what the 'problem' was. "Edward, you don't have to go soft and slow anymore; I don't need that to know you love me."
"I want to make this good for you," he uttered softly, shifting his hips slowly against mine. I pressed my fingers against his mouth to stop him from saying anything more.
"You always have," I assured him. "So why change what comes naturally to you - to us - just because we've said we love each other?"
He didn't have an answer to that, so I lowered my legs slightly and pressed my heels against him, trying to coax him into moving again. He groaned in defeat, then leaned down and kissed me deeply as he gradually began moving his hips faster. I smiled against his lips, then moved one of my hands to grip his, entwining our fingers and squeezing tightly.
"I love you," he breathed, building into a rhythm that made my toes curl in pleasure. I shifted my legs again to try and get him deeper, but I knew that, no matter what I did, he would never be deep enough; I would never get enough of him.
"I love you, too," I whispered, then gasped when he moved his free arm under one of my legs and pushed it towards my chest, instantly bringing the pleasure to new heights.
"Oh, my- Baby, you're so…" Deep? Incredible feeling? Perfect? None of the words that sprang to mind did it justice.
I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him closer, wanting to feel his weight against me. It took some coaxing, but he eventually lowered his chest to mine, and I moaned against his lips when the new position made him rub against me in a new, incredible way.
"Mmm," Edward breathed, smiling. "That's it. Right there."
I squeezed his hand tightly, surprised by how quickly the pleasure was building now, how intense the sensations flooding my body were.
"There's my look," he whispered as I felt my mouth drop open and he captured my bottom lip between both of his. "Just hold out a little longer for me, okay, baby? I'm so close."
I tried to distract myself, but it was all too much, and I whimpered his name, pleading for what, I didn't know.
"I'm there, baby," he murmured, squeezing my hand. "I'm there."
Almost as though my body were at his command, I felt the pleasure reach breaking point, and cried out his name in shock as it rolled through me with such intensity, I was shaking.
It seemed to take forever for the pleasure to finally recede, and when I could finally focus on everything again, I was surprised to find myself lying on top of Edward, who was lazily stroking my back and humming a tune I didn't recognize.
"That was…" I trailed off, completely at a loss for words.
"Yeah," he murmured. I lifted my head and saw him smiling down at me, his expression one of pure happiness. I grinned automatically, then pushed myself up to kiss him softly before gazing into his eyes.
"I love you," I told him happily, lost in the afterglow of it all. Gone were thoughts of death and chaos and the hellish clusterfuck of a situation we were in; all I could think about was the fact that we were here, in a hotel together, having just made love. And I couldn't even bring myself to feel bad about it.
"Baby, I love you, too," he replied, then quickly pressed his lips to mine. "Do you want to get married?"
"What?" I laughed softly, completely taken aback by the question. "Are you… proposing to me?"
He pondered that for a moment. "If I was, would you say yes?"
"Umm…" I honestly didn't know what to say to that. My heart had its answer, and my head… My head was too in shock to decide. "Maybe? I don't… Edward… What-"
He threw his head back and laughed loudly. "God, baby, you look so freaked out right now!"
I sat up and shifted onto the bed, staring down at him in shock. "I'm just… Edward, I don't know what to say."
"Yes, preferably," he replied, reaching for me and bringing my lips down to his. "When I do actually propose to you, that is. Well, assuming marriage is something you'd want to do."
"I've barely thought about it," I half-lied as I settled down beside him, because… Well, I had thought about it, but never that seriously. It had always just been a fantasy thing. "But I guess that one day I do, yeah."
"Mmm, me too," he said softly, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his side.
"You'd have to get me a ring, though," I told him. I knew he was probably only being half serious, but just for tonight, I was going to let myself pretend that we were just a normal couple whose future was in their own hands.
"Of course," he agreed. I smiled widely. "Ms. Swan… It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
My smile softened as I laid my head on his chest, running the name over in my head a few times. "No… Mrs. Masen sounds better."
Edward exhaled a shaky breath, then kissed the top of my head. "Yeah… Yeah, it does."
No comments:
Post a Comment