Chapter 27

“I feel like I’m in a Volvo car commercial.”

Edward squinted over at Bella as she reclined dramatically against the sumptuous leather interior of his convertible, trying to smooth the hair that whipped around her head in a tempestuous dark cloud.

“You look like you’re in a car commercial, too,” he said with a grin. “Very sexy.” He reluctantly turned his eyes back to the road so he wouldn’t miss the Dravus Street exit.

“I feel sexy,” she replied. He glanced over in time to see an eyebrow raise provocatively over the rim of her Ray-Bans. Then the wind slapped a thick lock of hair across her face, and he laughed while she spit it out of her mouth.

“I can put the top up if it’s too windy,” he offered.

“No way! This is awesome. A sunny day in Seattle - film at eleven.”

“You do love the sun,” he murmured, half to himself. He shook his head in wonder that everything she’d ever done or said had left such a vivid imprint in his mind, like experiencing his first Technicolor movie after a lifetime of only black and white.

Bella fished in her backpack until she procured a small black hair band, then pulled her tangled locks into a thick tail and secured them at the nape of her neck.

“Voila,” she announced with a triumphant grin. Then she leaned back, face upturned to the sun, as if to soak it in all the better. Her ivory cheeks had turned rosy already from exposure, and Edward frowned slightly.

“Did you put on some sunscreen? I don’t want you to get burned,” he advised.

Bella only laughed. “Not yet. I decided to let you do the honors when we get to the beach.”

Her eyebrow raised again, and so did Junior. He felt it struggling against the layers of swim trunks and cargo shorts that ensnared it. Edward squirmed a little in his seat, trying to adjust himself.

“You enjoy tormenting me, don’t you?”

“Very much so,” she answered with a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I plan to make sure you’re well-covered in sun-block, too. I don’t want those sexy moles of yours to turn all crazy and malignant on me.”

“Heaven forbid,” Edward agreed. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, while Junior danced in anticipation of Bella’s hands on its owner’s skin. The two of them had been looking forward to this date with a longing neither of them was used to. By the time Sunday had arrived, Edward was sure that he’d built up Bella in his mind to ridiculous proportions. Why had he made her the shining beacon of his dark existence? Surely he was placing far too much importance on the connection he felt with her. It was time to bring his growing obsession down a notch and get real. She was just a girl. A young one, at that, like Emmett pointed out. It was unrealistic to expect anything good to come of this situation.

But when she opened the door of her dorm room today and smiled up at him, he knew it was no use. Everything within him sparked to life, like she was premium fuel to his engine. And now he thrummed along in time to the motor of the C70 beneath them, taking them on a journey from which he was increasingly certain there was no return.

He glanced over at Bella, hoping to see her mirror his anticipation. But instead her brows were knitted as she ran her hand along the buttery leather interior of his car.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No,” she said quickly. Her smile was forced.

“What is it?” he demanded.

Busted again, she thought. Why could she hide nothing from him?

“I’m just curious about something.” She paused, not knowing how to continue.

He waited, but as always, his patience fizzled quickly. “Just say it. You can ask me anything.”

She wanted to laugh and ask, “But will you answer?” Instead, she took a deep breath and voiced her real question.

“Well, I know that you started being an escort because you had a lot of debt and expenses to pay off. So . . . I guess I’m just wondering how you can afford a car like this.” She bit her lip and gave him a wary glance.

“I can’t,” he answered. She was relieved he didn’t seem offended. “It’s essentially a company car. Rosalie makes sure her employees show up for their dates dressed to impress, and that includes the transportation they arrive in. When I first started in this line of work, that was a definite perk for me. Having my car paid for meant one less bill for me to worry about, and Alice could drive our grandmother’s car whenever she needed it for school or work.

“Which reminds me,” he added, eyes narrowing behind his own sunglasses. “Why didn’t you tell me you met my cousin last weekend?”

Her surprise was easy to see despite the dark glass over her eyes. “I . . . I don’t know. She said she’d call me sometime, but she never did, so . . .” She bit her lip in that way that always drove him crazy. “I guess I didn’t know how you’d feel about me befriending your family behind your back. Does that sound weird?”

“A little,” he replied. “Why would I mind you being friends with Alice?”

She shrugged, wondering how to explain. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to insinuate myself into your life, like some creepy stalker. It was a total coincidence that she and I met.”

“Maybe there are no coincidences.” He’d never been a fatalist before, but maybe that was changing. He had a strange sense of the puzzle pieces of his life coming closer together. He just wasn’t sure how they were all going to fit into the big picture quite yet. Hell, he didn’t even know what the big picture was. All he knew was that the girl sitting next to him was suddenly the biggest, and most unexpected, piece of that puzzle. She gave him hope that the picture would be clear someday. He wondered what he could possibly give her in return.

“I think it would be nice if you and Alice became friends,” he said, trying to sound casual. “A lot of her high school friends went to different colleges, so she could use some on campus who know their way around.”

“The same thing happened to me. My best friend from high school is in Europe. And I was too busy studying to make any lasting friends last year. I kind of feel like I’m starting over now.” She didn’t tell him that her foray into hired sex was part of the plan, but he’d already figured that out the night they met. Sometimes when he looked at her, she felt completely exposed even when she was fully dressed. Even when she peered at him from behind dark, protective gray shades.

He was looking at her like that now from behind his own sunglasses. His lips twitched in that little grin of his, and she squirmed at the tingles that spread between her thighs.

“I think everyone deserves at least one do-over in life,” he said. “We’ll have to toast to new beginnings later,” he said.

“Sounds good. Did you bring wine?”

“Nope. Gatorade will have to do.” His grin broadened, and he turned his adorable face back to road as they took a right onto 20^th Street.

Bella laughed and assured him she loved Gatorade. “And tell Alice to call me,” she added.

“Oh, she will. She was waiting for my blessing, too, if you can believe that.” Edward shook his head, baffled. “Am I that bad? Am I that much of a hard-ass?”

“No. Just stubborn.”

“How can you know that already? We just met.”

“I can tell. You get something in your head and there’s no swaying you. Am I right?”

He snorted in her direction. “Takes one to know one.”

She smiled. “Maybe. But I still think you’re more immovable than I am. I like to look at all sides of an issue. I have the feeling you always think your side is the right one.”

His shrug was cavalier. “That’s because it is.” He tried to keep a straight face, but his grin only grew wider.

“What am I getting myself into?” She meant it as a joke, but it hung in the air with more weight than she intended.

Edward fell silent, because he had no good answer for her. He concentrated on following Government Way down to 36^th Avenue. It wouldn’t be much further now.

“Have you ever been to Discovery Park?” he asked at last.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She’d spent the last two minutes trying to figure out how to take back what she’d said. She was surprised he hadn’t taken the opportunity to give her an easy out from what he deemed their “impossible situation.” He had every time before.

“No, I’ve never been there, believe it or not. Is that where you go to run?”

“Yeah, sometimes. I like it because it really feels like you’re away from the city, even though it’s so close to downtown. We’ll have to walk about a mile and a half down to the beach, so it’s a good thing you wore your sneakers.”

“You’re going to try to get me to jog yet, aren’t you?”

He gave her that gorgeous, lopsided grin. “You might want to race me. Last one to the shore has to sunbathe in the nude.”

“Ha!” she exclaimed. “In your dreams. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to get arrested, would you?”

“Oh, it’s doubtful you would. This place is known for nude sunbathing. You probably won’t be the only one if you decide to go au natural.”

Bella stared at him, trying to determine if he was joking. “You aren’t seriously taking me to a nude beach, are you?”

He tried to keep his poker face intact. “It’s not a nude beach, per se. But the naturalists like to come here and let it all hang out - literally. To make a statement, I guess. The human body is beautiful, Bella. Especially yours. You should embrace it.”

She was gaping at him in mild terror, and it was all he could do to keep from erupting in laughter.

“Look, I’m no prude. I’m all for embracing the beauty of the human body or whatever. I mean, I took a life drawing class this semester, so I’m going to have to draw naked people at least once a week. But that doesn’t mean I have to expose myself to every Tom, Dick or Harry who happens to walk by me on the beach.”

Edward could no longer contain his laughter. “I don’t want you exposing yourself, either, trust me. Well, not to anyone but me.” He side-eyed her meaningfully, and warmth radiated from her nether regions until it crept all the way up her face.

“Good. I want the same thing.” Her look was twice as meaningful as his, and his smile faded. He deftly changed the subject before the usual elephant sat its giant ass down between them.

“So, back up a minute. You’re drawing naked people this semester? What kind of class is that?”

“Life Drawing,” she reiterated, sounding somewhat defensive. “The main emphasis is studying and drawing the human form. We have models posing in various positions so we can try to capture the muscle and bone structure of the body. I guess they’ll be nude a good chunk of the time, according to the instructor. Right now we’re just drawing each other - facial portraits, from across the room. Our easels are in a big circle, so we draw whomever is straight across from us. But the models will show up in a week or two.”

“Interesting. Male or female?”

“Both.”

“Huh.” He didn’t like the thought of her staring at naked guys all day, and again realized the taste of his own medicine wasn’t so sweet.

Bella looked out the window, keeping her satisfied grin to herself. She liked the thought of being able to level the playing field a little between them, even superficially. Though this was hardly a game they were playing, she still savored each small victory, each piece of evidence that Edward was in as deep she as she was.

“Tell you what,” she suggested. “I’ve got a pen and notebook in my backpack. Since you’re all hot to take your clothes off today, you can be my practice model and pose for me on this nude beach.”

It was Edward’s turn to guffaw. “I didn’t say I was hot to take my clothes off. I’m just hot for you to do it.”

“What kind of double standard is that? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If I’m frolicking naked in the surf, then so are you.”

Edward’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You’re actually considering it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.” That was a bald-faced lie, so she tried to perfect her own poker face.

Before he turned on West Emerson to head for the south parking lot, he paused and studied her closely. He leaned in so he could find her eyes between their twin sunglass barriers.

“Be careful, Bella. I might call you on your bluff.”

“Go for it,” she answered.

“Oh, I intend to.”

Their grins were a matched set as they headed toward Discovery Park.

# # # # # # # # # #

“This view is amazing. No wonder you like to come here,” Bella said in awe.

She and Edward stood at the top of the bluff, looking out over the Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Backpacks in tow, they had traversed a beautiful meadow until they reached a fork in the road. One path would lead them through the woods, while the other would take them down the steep bluff to the water below.

“It is pretty awesome,” he agreed, taking in the majestic scenery before them. “Kind of puts your everyday worries into perspective.”

“Yeah,” she agreed softly. Though she and Edward had come across plenty of other hikers and runners so far, there was still a feeling of solitude surrounding them as they trucked along the path through the wilderness. Edward took her hand whenever the trails became rough or steep, and now was no different.

“We’ll go down the South Beach Trail,” he said, nodding to the left. “We can always come back up the Loop Trail and use the access road if you’re too tired to take the bluff trail later.”

“No way. I’m not a pussy,” she protested, taking his hand.

He chuckled and entwined his fingers through hers. “Come on, tough girl.”

He led her down the steep path toward the beach. The warmth of Edward’s hand in hers matched that of the sun on her face, seeping clear down to her bones. All she could think was, This is what happiness feels like.

“This isn’t a very good place for sunbathing,” he admitted as they made their way down to the rugged shoreline. The dark, sandy beach stretching out before them was littered with driftwood and rocky outcrops. “But it’s a lot more private. I didn’t really want to go to someplace crowded like Golden Gardens. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s perfect.” She squeezed his hand and walked side by side with him along the pebbled sand, enjoying the sound of the waves washing along the shore. In the distance a couple threw a Frisbee back and forth, and a few kids played in the thick, wet sand while their parents chaperoned from nearby blankets.

“You want to walk to the lighthouse at West Point?” he asked.

“Sure.” She nodded her consent, and they headed down the coastline, watching distant boats sail across the Sound. Edward looked over at Bella, still feeling almost startled to see her there, like he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Her cheeks were glowing, hoperfully from the same euphoria he felt inside; but then he remembered that she said she hadn’t put any sun-block on yet. Her skin was far too fair to last an afternoon by the water without protection. He looked around and spied a secluded spot near a boulder, piles of driftwood providing shelter on the other side.

“Maybe we should rest here for a minute and put on some sunscreen before we both fry,” he suggested, gesturing to the sandy alcove.

“Good idea,” she agreed. She followed him to the spot and opened her backpack, drawing out a beach towel; but when she looked over at Edward, he had already removed a large quilt from his pack and was spreading it over the ground.

“Wow! Nice,” she commented as she took in the ornate, if faded, patchwork design. “Too nice to ruin at the beach.”

“Nah, this is an old quilt,” he assured her. “I use it for outdoor stuff. My great-grandmother made dozens of them, so we might as well put them to use.”

“Okay,” she said with a shrug, dropping her folded towel onto the quilt as a makeshift pillow. She kicked off her sneakers and watched Edward do the same. Then they stopped and looked at one another, a sudden tension springing to life between them. They were each staring at the other’s worn t-shirt and shorts, wondering what lay beneath. Bella was itching for Edward to pull that faded cotton over his head. Edward couldn’t wait to see her wriggle out of her blue jean cut-offs.

He cleared his throat and took a step closer - close enough to reach out and slide his fingers under the neckline of her vintage 80s new-wave shirt.

“So, what color is Bella Swan’s bathing suit?” he mused aloud, his lips pursing provocatively as she waited with bated breath. “I’ve been wondering about this all week.” He pulled gently at the knit fabric of her shirt until a spaghetti strap the color of fresh snow was revealed.

“White,” he murmured, running his fingers over the strap and the skin around it. “Pure white. Virginal, even.”

His smirk was subtle; knowing. She was offering herself up to him a second time. No one had touched her since he had, and the thrill of it was equal to the guilt that he’d made no such covenant to her.

She exhaled slowly, trying to keep from shaking. The mere touch of his fingers on her collarbone sent tremors down to her toes. Despite the sunglasses, his gaze seared her like it had that first night when he’d made her twirl for him in front of the window.

“Let me see the rest,” he ordered softly.

He dropped his hand and waited. He was going to make her undress for him, damn him. She was definitely trembling now, despite the heat from the sun and his shielded eyes.

She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and slowly pulled upward, revealing several inches of pale flesh above her tight shorts. Then she grabbed the tee decisively in both hands and yanked it over her head, inhaling sharply, her breasts rising with the movement before she tossed the shirt on the quilt beside them. She felt her nipples pebble beneath her swimsuit as the sea breeze brushed over her. Then she pushed her sunglasses atop her head and squinted up at Edward, feeling triumphant at the expression on his face.

His mouth hung slack, his eyes darting up and down her body like the marble in a pinball machine, unable to rest in one place for long. They traveled over her ivory skin, only a few shades darker than her swimsuit; they took in the delicate architecture of her neck, shoulders and arms, their lines softened beneath her supple flesh; then they settled on the rigid outline of her nipples, clearly defined beneath their flimsy triangles of fabric. He was overwhelmed by the desire to push the material aside and thumb those dusky pink buttons before sucking each of them into his mouth.

“Your turn,” she whispered. Her dark eyes fell from his face to his waistline, and she reached for the bottom of his own t-shirt. He let her fingers wander underneath, over the tense muscles of his stomach until they tickled the trail of hair leading down from his navel. Junior was positively ecstatic at this turn of events, urging Edward to pull his shirt off and allow her easier access. She took full advantage, placing both hands on his naked torso, running them slowly up his belly and over his chest until his breathing was as unsteady as hers. Why did she make him feel this way? Nervous and excited, like it was the first time they’d seen each other’s bodies, the first time they’d touched.

He didn’t know why; he didn’t care. He gave in to the sensation and slid his hands around her, letting them glide up her slight frame until they found her beautiful face. She reached up and pulled off his sunglasses, needing to bare his gaze as well as his body. Their naked eyes connected and held until their lips took over. And then there was nothing but the soft wetness of their mouths conducting the heat between them, passing it back and forth until it became a fire of its own, fanned and fueled by the two hungry mouths feeding it.

They broke part at last with overwhelmed gasps. Edward felt exactly the same as he had on the swings a week ago when he’d lost himself in their kiss, barely registering where they were or who might be watching. He wasn’t sure he liked how easily she made him lose control. Or maybe what troubled him was that she made him stop caring if he had any control to begin with.

Bella loved the feeling of him giving in, surrendering to the force that pulled them together. She had recognized its power that first night and given herself over to it. But she’d had to tell him to let go the first time he came inside her. If she had to coax him to be free with her again, she would.

She trailed her hands down his warm, musky skin to the closure of his shorts. She looked up at him as she undid the button and unzipped the fly.

“And what color are your swim trunks, Mister Cullen?” Her eyebrow raised quizzically. “What complements my virginal white?”

She took a peek down at the nylon fabric beneath his khaki shorts, then returned her gaze to his.

“Basic black,” she announced. “Classic.”

His half-smile was twisted. “Don’t you mean ‘villainous?’”

“You’re not a villain.”

“Are you sure about that? The bad guys always wear black.”

“Johnny Cash wore black.”

“Johnny Cash went to prison,” he pointed out.

“He also loved one woman with everything he had until his dying breath. That’s good enough for me.”

Bella was almost as shocked at her words as Edward was. It was far too soon for that kind of truth. But she couldn’t quite regret saying it, even though the meaning was a double-edged sword, considering his current line of work.

Edward wondered why he continued to be thrown by her blunt honesty. He should have come to expect it by now. And though it often left him speechless, it was one of his favorite things about her.

As the silence veered toward awkwardness, Bella looked for a way to steer the conversation back to the easy banter they’d shared before.

“Besides, I think you’ve forgotten one crucial thing,” she said. She grabbed the waistband of his sagging shorts and tugged until they fell to the sand. She eyed him up and down and announced, “Black is sexy. And it’s the perfect counterpoint to white. They balance each other out.”

His smile was wry. “The darkness and the light.”

“You can’t have one without the other.”

“I guess not,” he conceded. “I’ll let you light my way, then, Miss Swan.”

She smiled at this, and so did he. His gazed drifted down her porcelain skin and its matching swim bra, then stopped at the incongruous blue of her shorts. He slid his hands over the waistband and deftly undid the button. “Now let’s see the rest of this white bikini of yours,” he said as he slowly pulled at the zipper. He tried pushing the material down, but the jeans clung stubbornly to her hips. “You’d better do this yourself. I’ll end up taking the bottom of your swimsuit off with the shorts, and then I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

Bella grinned up at his wicked smirk as she carefully peeled her shorts over her bikini. “Is that a promise or a threat?”

“Both,” he replied as his eyes followed the path of her hands gliding over the curve of her thighs.

“Well, then, that gives me something to look forward to.”

Edward shook his head at her flirtation. “That’s a pretty bold statement coming from someone who’s afraid to take her swimsuit off in public.”

Bella looked up and down the beach. The closest person was many yards away, and would never be able to see them if they were to nestle into their rock-and-driftwood nook, surrounded by the tall grasses leading up to the bluff. She took Edward’s hand and sat on the quilt, pulling him down next to her. They were mostly hidden from view, save for the opening to the beach with its tide lapping ever closer.

“Seems pretty private to me,” she whispered, reaching up to stroke the side of his face. His jaw was rough with its perpetual stubble, and she wondered how many minutes it took after shaving for his hair follicles to spring to life.

His hand mimicked hers, finding her cheek quickly, but feeling only smooth silk beneath his fingers. Their faces drew closer, mouths demanding another taste. Edward looked down at her flushed cheeks and came to his senses once more.

“Stop trying to distract me from saving your lily-white complexion,” he muttered into her parted lips as he watched her eyelashes close. “Suntan lotion, remember?”

Bella’s eyes popped back open in annoyance. “Killjoy,” she grumbled as she drew back with a sigh. She reached for her backpack and found the tube of sunscreen she’d packed inside, then waved it under his nose. “SPF 50. Are you happy?”

“Ecstatic. I can’t have any fun with you later if you’re all sunburned.” He flashed her a positively wicked grin and grabbed the sun-block out of her hand. He scooted around and knelt behind her, lifting her ponytail out of the way. Then he squeezed out a dollop of suntan cream and smeared it directly between Bella’s shoulder blades.

The cool wetness startled her, but she soon relaxed as Edward’s fingers spread the liquid over her skin and rubbed gently until it disappeared. He repeated the process with maddening languor all the way down her back, using both hands. Junior twitched sporadically as Edward ran his fingertips along the edge of her bikini, pausing to trace the dimples above her cheeks. He leaned in, lips close to her ear. “I love a girl with dimples.”

His words sent wildfire racing down her spine, his breath fanning the flames. She was trying to come up with a reply when he spoke again.

“Now lie down so I can do the backs of your legs.”

She was face down on the quilt before she even realized she’d moved, her body eagerly complying with his quiet demands. She shivered the moment she felt his slippery fingers on the back of her right calf, and the gooseflesh spread with the motion of his hand working up the back of her thigh. He stopped only when he reached the edge of her bathing suit, his fingers pushing at the fabric over her buttock before dipping precariously close to the sweet spot between her thighs.

She stifled a moan, her back arched and moisture pooled in her groin. Images began flashing through her mind, an erotic collage of various positions and sensations as she envisioned him spreading her open and entering her. No man had ever done this to her before - made her fantasize and yearn for him so shamelessly. He repeated the slow stroking of her left leg, up and down and in between. She felt herself lengthen and arch even more into the pressure of his hand.

Touch me, she wanted to beg. Slide your fingers in, deep. She wondered if he could sense the desire seizing her, stretching her body into a tight rubber band beneath his touch. She couldn’t know that the man hovering over her was a perfect mirror of her in that moment: the same rampant thoughts and wants flooding him; tempting him to throw all caution to the wind, remove her swimsuit and take her from behind.

He took a deep breath instead and knelt down, placing his mouth to her ear again.

“Do you want me to do the front?”

The huskiness of his voice was impossible to miss. She turned her head to look at his face close to hers and saw the same lust-filled gaze he’d given her on the couch two weeks ago. He had asked her then to give up her inhibitions for him. She responded now by silently rolling toward him until she was on her back, looking up at him with undisguised longing. The invitation in her eyes couldn’t have been more clear.

His answer was even clearer. His eyes wandered freely over every inch of her as she lay before him; his hands and thoughts soon followed. He slathered every inch of ivory skin with sunscreen, gratefully revisiting the hills and valleys he’d feared he would never travel again.

“Do you know what this reminds me of?” he asked at last, his fingers splayed over her belly, smoothing the creamy lotion into her skin. A cloud had drifted across the sun overhead, blocking its glare so that Bella’s eyes could meet Edward’s without squinting.

“The shower,” she answered.

He nodded and moved his fingers gently up her sternum, then back and forth across the soft swells of her chest.

“I was so afraid then that I’d never get to touch you like this again.”

She let out a noise of disbelief. “You couldn’t have been as afraid as I was. And it’s not like I have so many other options. Not that I’d want them.”

It was his turn to snort softly. “You have more options than you know.” He thought of the boys who’d walked her home last weekend. And the boys she probably didn’t even realize had looked at her, thought of her, the way he was right now.

“They pale in comparison,” she replied. She couldn’t imagine Mike or Jake coming close to being this sensual, this compelling. She was nearly in a trance at the feel of Edward’s fingers trailing along the nape of her neck, his liquid azure eyes leading the way. His hand closed softly around her neck, cupping her chin, holding her head immobile as he leaned down and stared into her eyes.

“Are you saying you want only me?”

Something between a laugh and a sob was strangled beneath his gentle grip. “Only you,” she repeated in a thin whisper.

His thumb reached up and traced the contour of her lower lip. He suddenly cracked a wry smile. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

She mustered a weak smile in response. “Yeah. I know.”

“Lucky for me,” he murmured, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. “You deserve so much more.” He kissed her again, and she struggled to return it; but his hand impeded her efforts. “And I deserve a hell of a lot less.”

He frowned slightly and pulled back, releasing her long enough to squeeze more lotion onto his fingertips. Then he leaned over and gingerly applied tiny dollops to her cheeks, forehead, and the tip of her nose and chin. He gently stroked both hands over every inch of her face, swirling the cream into her flushed, satiny skin. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was to him. Surely it was written all over his face as he studied hers.

Bella gazed up at him in wonder. She had never felt so cared for in her life. He looked at her almost reverently, as though she was something to be cherished. And when he was finished, he knelt and kissed her softly again, several times, his lips sweet and damp and delicious.

“There,” he pronounced, propping his hands on either side of her head as he viewed his handiwork. “Now you won’t get burned.”

The metaphor resonated between them for a bittersweet moment. Edward’s brows furrowed at the implication. But Bella couldn’t help but smile at the big puffs of clouds that were now drifting across the sky behind his head.

“Figures that the clouds would roll in, now that you’ve got me covered,” she said.

He glanced up at the sky, then back down at the reflection of it in her eyes. “You can still get burned on a cloudy day. Better safe than sorry.”

“True. So we’d better get some lotion on this pink skin of yours,” she said, reaching up to stroke his face. She propped herself up and reached for the tube of sunscreen lying on the quilt beside them. Edward sat back, cross-legged, and waited expectantly.

“Where to begin. . .?” she mused, looking him over. She’d dreamed of running her hands over his body every night for the past two weeks. She could hardly believe the dream was about to come true once more.

“I think it’s time for connect the dots,” she decided, crawling behind Edward and kneeling there. Instead of squeezing the lotion into her hand, she aimed the tube directly at his back and squirted a long trail down his spine.

“Shit!” he exclaimed in surprise.

Bella only laughed at his discomfort. “Don’t be a wuss,” she ordered. Then she dove into the cream with both hands and began spreading it in every direction, firmly massaging his muscles up and down, back and forth, as she went.

“Oh, God,” he groaned, sinking into the pressure of her fingers. “Why didn’t tell me you gave such good back rubs?”

“You didn’t ask.”

“I’ll probably be begging for one every time I see you from now on.” He broke off in a moan at the feel of her fingers kneading his shoulders.

“I could get into that,” she teased. The truth was, she was loving every minute of the rubdown as much as he was. The masculine strength of his muscle and bone beneath her exploring hands only galvanized her desire for him. By the time she had finished stroking the rippling muscles of his arms, she could think of nothing but what they’d look like holding his torso aloft while he repeatedly thrust his cock inside her.

She took one last look at his back and made good on her promise to “connect the dots.” She touched her index finger to the bottom-most beauty mark on Edward’s back, near the waistband of his swim trunks; then slowly zigzagged up his torso, following the freckled path to his neck. She stopped at the tiny brown spot behind his right ear, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his skin. Her mouth continued the trek from there, moving softly across the nape of his neck to a matched set of beauty marks on the left. She planted her lips there and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

His head leaned into hers; his hands crept up to encircle her wrists as she held him. He wanted to say something, but words evaded him. He closed his eyes and reveled in the bliss of that moment.

“You feel so good,” she whispered in his ear, hugging him closer.

He wanted to argue with her, to tell her that the pleasure must certainly be all his as she melted against him. “You feel amazing,” was all he could manage. “You’re too good to me.”

“I’m just getting started,” she replied, her voice barreling down his spine like a shot of whiskey and settling, molten, at the base of his groin.

She let go and moved to crouch in front of him, pulling at his legs to uncross them. He leaned back on his hands and stretched out his legs so she could go to work, rubbing sunscreen into him one maddening limb at a time.

Her eyes drifted back and forth from the pale brown hair of his shins to the matching lashes that framed his eyes. As the sun peeked out from behind one cloud after the next, Edward’s eyes faded from blue to green to gray, kaleidoscopes whose colorful focus never faltered from her. She watched them darken slightly under heavy lids when she perched between his calves and slowly slid her hands up the sinews of his thighs. His lips parted, his breath coming fast, as she neared his crotch. She decided she would show him no mercy - not after the intimate way he’d touched her moments ago.

She worked her hands under the legs of his swim trunks until they reached the crease of his thighs, then pressed her thumbs inward, dangerously close to the family jewels. Her eyes never left his, but she knew if she looked down, she would see the proof of his arousal. His face evidenced it well enough, nostrils flaring slightly, lips twitching, eyes burning. She wanted to grab his erection right through its nylon cover and pump until Edward groaned.

But no, she would have to cultivate patience now. The kind he’d exercised with her their first night together, teasing her to the brink of insanity with his studied sexual prowess. She withdrew her hands and picked up the bottle of suntan lotion again, shaking it before aiming at his chest. She jettisoned the cream onto him in an absurdly blatant sexual innuendo that made them both laugh. And then her hands were on him again, quickly transforming the humor into something serious by the time she was done.

She took her time rubbing him down, fingers lazily exploring, then insistently probing every ripple of muscle beneath his supple flesh. The rhythm of his shallow breaths, the tensing of his belly, the swelling of his cock against his swim trunks - all of these were irresistible aphrodisiacs to Bella. They were proof of her affect on him - proof of his desire for her. Proof that she wasn’t just another notch in his belt. But the biggest testament lay in his eyes, in that relentless stare that never wavered. She was the only thing he saw. The only thing he wanted.

This was what she told herself. And this was what Edward wanted to tell her, if only he could utter the words.

But he was silent while she touched his face, caressing him as he had her, searching every plane and hollow, tracing and memorizing hallowed ground. He felt reverence in her fingertips, in her warm breath mingling with his. He saw it in her eyes, drinking him in. Insatiable, like his own.

She wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, but the words seemed silly and ineffectual. There were no words for this kind of need. And so she chose the wordless communication of a kiss, pressing her hungry lips to his.

His answer was immediate, overwhelming them both. He kissed her deeply, almost savagely, his tongue seeking hers in mutual communion. His arms were around her in an instant, pulling her against him, pulling her down to the quilt. She sighed in triumph as she fell atop him, fingers twisting in his hair while his hands gripped her back, pressing her closer. Their kiss grew frenzied, mouths devouring and moaning at the taste. Their bodies struggled to become one, limbs tangling, hands grabbing for possession.

They rolled to one side, facing each other, torsos undulating together in the telltale rhythm belying their need to join together. Bella pushed her thigh between his until the hardness of his erection dug into her hip. She ground herself against him, rubbing harder until she eked a groan from his lips.

“Fuck,” he swore. “We can’t do this here.”

“Why not?” she demanded in a throaty whisper. Her lips scraped haphazardly along his prickly jaw, back toward the tender lobe of his ear. “No one’s watching.”

His fingers wound through her hair and massaged her scalp, oblivious to the words that came from his lips. “Bella, you were afraid of getting arrested just for public nudity. I guarantee you we will get arrested for public fornication.”

“Fornication?” she repeated with a giggle. “Sounds so dirty when you say it. Say it again,” she taunted, bringing her lips to his once more. “Fornicate me, Edward.”

He half-laughed, half-growled in frustration, one hand traveling down to her hip, fingers gripping her ass and squeezing. She responded by tilting her pelvis into his once more. “Fornicate you?” he rasped. “Oh, I intend to. I promise I will fornicate the hell out of you, later. In private.”

But his body wasn’t listening. Neither was hers. They rocked in time once more, kissing and fondling and grasping at one another with more desperation than before. Their hands found their way under one another’s swim suits, squeezing firm buttocks and teasing engorged sex. Edward released Bella’s ass long enough to reach up to her swim top and pull the fabric aside until hard nipples were released to his waiting mouth. She wound her hands in his hair as he suckled her, back and forth, until both breasts were taut and wet. Her moan drew the attention of his mouth and he returned to kiss her again, tongue probing rhythmically, deeper, stroking, mimicking. God, how she wanted to feel that tongue between her legs.

She moaned again and reached down, sliding her hand between them, under the waistband of his trunks. His cock sprang into her waiting fingers, eager for her touch. She gripped him firmly and pumped in time with the motion of his tongue against hers until he groaned and gasped, breaking their kiss.

“Fuck,” he swore again softly. “What you do to me. . .”

His words blazed through her, fuel to an already raging fire. “Touch me and feel what you do to me,” she entreated.

Her eyes were fathomless in the shadow of the gathering clouds over head. Dark, impenetrable. He wanted nothing more than to penetrate, to break through, to be inside her once more. And she was practically begging him to do so. How lucky a bastard could he be?

He reached over and grabbed the edge of the quilt from behind her, drawing it over their bodies, sheltering them from the errant glances of anyone who might wander by. Then he slid his hand slowly over the swell of her half-exposed breasts, down the flat length of her naked belly, until he reached the edge of her bikini. He pushed the material down, probing, spreading her lips until he felt her wetness. She cried out softly as he curled his fingers into her, pushing the middle one into her damp opening, then deeper and deeper, all the way. She sighed and reached inside his swim trunks once more, sliding her hand along the length of his cock, gripping the base, teasing his balls.

Their eyes met and locked, so close they could count eyelashes. Their breath blended into a steamy cloud that hovered between them as they lay face-to-face, hand-to-sex. And joined this way, they began an intimate pas de deux. Theirs was a dance of pleasure, hands working diligently together: hers gripping and stroking, his searching and plunging deep. Their lungs kept perfect time, breathing in sync with the movement of their busy hands.

Edward wanted to say something; to tell her how incredible she felt. How lucky he was to plunder those soft, wet ridges inside her; to stretch her tight walls with his fingers and reach so deep that he felt like he might touch her soul somehow. Her eyes reflected that search, that longing for more than just the friction of flesh against flesh. Her gaze told him the search had ended right here and now. He knew it with certainty as he reached even further, plumbing her depths with more urgency, utterly entranced by the sound and feel of her arousal against his fingers.

Her breaths became punctuated by soft cries as he increased the pace, his hand relentlessly working her wet pussy until her belly went rigid in preparation for its impending release. She responded by grasping his cock and pumping it more furiously, trying to keep up with the fingers buried inside her. Glassy eyes mirrored each other’s lust, eyelids closing more frequently, brows furrowing and lips parting with passion and need.

How could such a thorough invasion feel so overwhelming, yet so utterly welcome at the same time? Bella marveled at this as Edward’s hand relentlessly possessed her, fucking her to the point of madness, of utter surrender, of ultimate ecstasy. She squeezed her lids shut as her eyes rolled back and her body arched like a cat in heat. She was coming, and the burn raging through her groin made her cry out for deliverance. Her muscles contracted around the source of their frenzy, gripping Edward’s fingers in shockwaves of pleasure that had her sobbing and panting helplessly into his face so close to hers.

He stared in wonder at the intensity of her orgasm - the feel of her body trembling and bucking at his mercy. Her cries were matched by one of his own when her hand gripped his cock and squeezed mindlessly as she came. Oh, but it hurt so good, to buckle under her pressure as she just had under his.

She relaxed her grip on him as the waves of euphoria diminished and radiated dully through her body. Her eyes opened at last and settled in grateful awe upon his. Her breathing slowed, coming in longer and longer gusts that fanned gently across his face.

“What you do to me. . .” she quoted, her voice as spent as the rest of her. She felt his hand move slowly inside her, gentle and calming, until he finally pulled out. He closed his fingers around her hip and leaned in to kiss her. His lips were as soft and soothing as his fingers had just been. He was nothing less than perfection, driving her over the edge and then bringing her back with sweet assurance.

But what of his assurance? This was no time for slowing down. Not when his manhood begged for satisfaction in the sweaty palm of her hand. She moved to finish what she’d started, building once more from slow, sensual strokes to quick, hard pumps at the tip of his swollen shaft. His breathing soon caught up, labored and uneven, while she worked him with increasing speed. His eyes were dark and desperate as they stared into hers. He wanted release, and she would stop at nothing to give it to him.

She pushed the quilt down just enough to free him. Then she raised up, scooted down and knelt over him, taking the tip of his erection into her mouth. He groaned and fell back at the feel of her lips closing around him and pushing down the length of his cock until it met the back of her throat. He swore and winced in ecstasy at the sensation. How could she be this way - so ready, even eager, to swallow him whole? He marveled anew at the vigor with which she attacked him, using both hands and every part of her mouth to stroke and lick and suck him until it felt like every fluid in his body had been drawn into that single, throbbing rod of flesh.

“God. . . please,” he begged hoarsely, his hands threading their way into her hair while her head bobbed up and down. The sun teased him just as mercilessly, peeking out from its cloud cover every few seconds to make him close his eyes against the blinding light. He was going to come, and he didn’t even want to warn her. He wanted her to gorge herself on his cum, to drink down every drop and love it as if it were nectar of the gods. What a sick, arrogant bastard he was to crave that, he thought.

But Bella thought no such thing. She wanted the bitter taste every bit as much as he did. She wasn’t sure why. All she knew was that she felt more powerful and utterly sexual in this moment than she had the first time she’d knelt before him and taken him in her mouth.

She turned her head to look at him; he raised his to return the gaze. Then she slowly ran her tongue up the underside of his cock, grabbed the base in her hand, and swirled the head all around her mouth. She slapped the shaft against her tongue a few times before closing her lips around him again, pushing down, opening her throat and letting him in. She wanted him deep - as deep as his fingers had been inside her. The sound of his incredulous moan thrilled her down to the marrow. She began moving her lips up and down, pulling him in and letting him out, faster and faster, until his groin tensed beneath her. His breath caught, his hands tightened in her hair, and she braced herself for the explosion.

The sun broke free of its gray shroud at that moment, blinding Edward as his ecstatic eyes rolled skyward. He clamped his lids shut, but still felt the heat of the sun as he came. He groaned at the warmth radiating through him: on the surface of his skin, in his frantic beats of his heart, in the spasms of his groin; but most of all, in the wetness of her mouth cradling his cock, filling with hot liquid before she swallowed and lapped up more. Her lips and tongue pulled stream after stream of ejaculate from his pulsating dick, and moan after helpless moan from his throat. This was beyond ecstasy. Beyond sex. Beyond the realm of physical limitations he’d known before.

As he watched Bella cover his belly with soft kisses afterward, he felt a peace he’d never experienced. Her hands and lips roamed idly up his torso while his fingers played with locks of her hair. When she paused at the largest mole on his body, the one in the middle of his stomach, he cringed. He’d always considered the dark brown protrusion an eyesore, even jokingly referring to it on occasion as his third nipple. She ran a thoughtful finger over its oval contours while he waited for her to make her own crack about the imperfection.

Instead, she bowed her head and kissed it. He felt her tongue glide over the skin, tracing and tickling the aberration with the same reverence she’d shown the rest of him. She even smiled at the ugly thing, then at him.

And that was the moment Edward realized he was falling in love with Bella Swan.