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Prelude	By : belladonnacullen Category: Twilight Series > Het > Bella/Edward Views: 5838 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Chapter List
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There are some direct quotes from Breaking Dawn in this chapter. I'm not trying to pass them off as my own! I'm just honoring the original while I make a few changes to acknowledge Bella & Edward's ahem, enhanced relationship status. And while I'm at it, Twilight and it's characters aren't mine either! I just hang out in their world more than my husband is comfortable with. Thanks for reading, Marie
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"Do you mind, Bella? I just can't wait to talk to Phil."
"No, mom, you should go." I hoped I didn't sound too excited. I hoped I didn't answer too quickly.
I searched Renee's face for any sign of chagrin, but she only seemed excited to get back to the hotel. She was quickly packed and out the door, and practically jumped into her rental car. I waved as she drove away and then did a little jumping of my own. I ran up the stairs two at a time to the bathroom, cast my clothes off and had myself in the shower before the water could warm up. I'd shower, wash my hair, shave my legs and call Edward. Maybe Alice was wrong. Maybe Edward and I had tonight too.
When I got out of the shower I glanced in the mirror again to see if I looked different. I'd been doing this for the past two days. I don't know what I expected to see. Maybe something permanent, like those golden flecks in Edward's eyes. Maybe I'd look older or more sophisticated. Well there was a little change. I ran my hand over the small purple mark on my inner thigh. That was new. My heart skipped a couple of beats just looking at it.
And then I turned around, looking over my shoulder. There was a small red mark on my right butt cheek. It was thumb-sized, Edward thumb-sized. I hoped I could keep that out of his sight; he probably wouldn't like it. My heart went wild again. Just the thought that I was hoping to keep Edward from looking at my naked butt cheek was enough to force me to take a seat on the toilet.
I looked at the baggy cotton T-shirt and the plaid drawstring pajama bottoms that were stowed in the bathroom. They were definitely a step down from the other night. My mind strayed back to the look on Edward's face as he admired me in the blue silk slip. That memory still made me tingle all over. Unfortunately, I'd never get to wear it again. I mulled my options over and pieced together something I thought might be remotely sexy. Renee had just bought me a white tank top with lace straps. I could wear it with my polka-dotted boy shorts that had the little bow and lace trim.
That decided, I quickly brushed my hair, tied a towel around myself and almost skipped across the landing. I wanted to get Edward here as soon as possible. I opened the door and flung myself into the room and almost tripped over Edward in the process.
"Edward!" He held me in his arms to keep me from falling. Then he just held me for the sake of it, I think.
"Bella." He looked over my clothing, or lack thereof. "Alice told me Renee wasn't here. I have just a couple of hours. I came over as fast as I could."
"A couple hours?" I could see there was something not quite right in the way Edward was holding himself. His eyes were dull, like bronze that needed polishing, and the corners of his mouth were pulled down into a small frown. What could possibly be wrong after the other night?
"Jasper and Emmett are taking me out before the wedding."
"Like a bachelor party? For real?" Then another thought hit me. "They're back?"
"Alice is picking them up at the airport right now."
"And you have to go?"
"I haven't seen my brothers in weeks. There are a few things I have to ask them. Something about their absence doesn't seem quite right."
Edward peered carefully down at me, and I knew him well enough to see something lurking just behind his composed fac�ade. It was encased delicately, and the smallest tap would break down the wall that held it there, unspoken. I wanted more than anything to hold Edward in my arms, to spend the remaining time we had in my bed, but that would be selfish. If something were bothering him, it was best to get it out in the open before our wedding day.
I reached up to brush his cheek with my hand. "Edward, what's the matter?" That was all it took. I watched the delicate partition crumble, and the smooth look on Edward's own face crumbled too.
A multitude of emotions swirled in his caramel eyes, barely hidden by the small stars that swam there these days. He blinked. I knew him well enough now to also know that this was his substitute for tears. "Bella, I needed to be here to make sure, one last time, that you are certain that this is what you want."
His eyes were searching my face, but I didn't understand.
"Are you certain that you want to marry me? That you want to be like me? One of us?"
"You've got to be kidding." I knew it wasn't the right response as soon as it passed my lips. He had never been more serious, and my response seemed to cause physical pain. "Edward, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You know my heart. Why are you asking this now?"
Edward let go of me and took a few steps to look out the window at the darkening night sky. "Yesterday was all wrong. Everything about it called attention to our differences. It's been easy to forget lately."
"We're not really that different."
"Bella." He turned to me and shook his head, but didn't bother to argue. I was at his side as soon as my feet could take me there.
"Edward, I love you for who you are. I don't pretend you're human. I love all of you. I don't mind the differences."
"Could you say the same for Charlie, Renee and Phil? They don't like me, or my family at all. And Bella, that's a normal human response. I shouldn't want anything more, but I do. If not for me, then for you."
"You think because you didn't eat, or drink, or play baseball, that we shouldn't get married? You think that my family wouldn't like you because of that? That's ridiculous. You have to know how silly that is. You can read their thoughts, so you must know."
"And then Renee and Phil, what about that?"
"You mean about Phil wanting a baby?"
Edward let his eyes fall to the ground. The nod of his head was barely perceptible.
"I don't know what to think about that. I guess I feel like Renee will change her mind and take up rock climbing before she even has a chance to ovulate."
"But you could have a sibling. You could be leaving that behind."
"I'm giving up relationships with real parents for you. A potential sibling doesn't compare."
"Bella," he whispered, "are you really ready to leave your family?"
"You are my family." I grasped his hand. Edward curled his fingers around mine, his eyes still staring intently at the floorboards.
"About family..." Edward's voice trailed off. Then he cast his eyes out the window and started again. "Bella, I just don't..." Edward always had the right words for everything. When he couldn't continue it often struck me as endearingly human. Tonight though, I was a little frightened.
Then Edward turned to look into my eyes and there was a deep longing there. "Bella," he started again, "do you remember when we told Charlie we were getting married? And he thought you were...pregnant?"
I nodded, but didn't know where he was going with this.
"I just wish...well, I wish he'd been right."
I gasped.
"I hate taking that away from you."
"Edward, you're not taking anything away from me. Having a child is not something I want right now. Esme and Rosalie felt this need after they were changed, but it was something they wanted when they were human. If I change before I feel the need for a child, I may never want one. But if there's a day when we both want this, than we can adopt like Esme did."
Edward looked at me plaintively and it hit me, the knowledge nearly knocking me breathless. "You want a child."
"Bella, this is something very new for me. Being with you has uncovered emotions I didn't know I had. I desire your body instead of your blood. I want to treat you like a human man would treat a woman. I long to be part of this world again. And this, this newest desire... I was watching us through Esme's eyes, and Bella, we looked like a young couple in love."
"Edward, that's what we are."
Edward's eyes flashed with golden fire. "Don't fool yourself too, Bella. Not tonight." But then he caught himself and continued in a gentler tone, "When I looked through Esme's eyes, suddenly I wanted everything that a young couple might want. I want a life together, marriage, a house of our own, and to know you intimately. The natural progression of that is a child, someone half me and half you. Then the picture would be complete."
Unbidden, that picture presented itself to me. I saw Edward and I holding a little boy with a mop of coppery curls and emerald eyes.
What Edward was saying was beautiful. And suddenly all of my desires momentarily flip-flopped in my head. If there were any way that I could change Edward into a human, instead of me into a vampire, I would have. I just wanted him. I wanted to make him happy. I wanted desperately to give Edward whatever I could. But I knew there was no way for this to happen.
"But Edward, there's no way. You and I, we can't..." Edward turned away from me again. I saw the movement his long lashes made as he blinked into the dark sky.
"Does this mean that you don't want me then? That you want to take it all back? Because if that's-"
"Bella!" Edward turned so fast that the air around us shook. He looked shocked. "Never suggest that I don't want you."
"I know how it feels to want something that seems impossible." It was the best I could do, but I knew my words were woefully inadequate.
"I shouldn't have burdened you with this. I can't seem to keep any of my thoughts to myself these days."
"I think maybe that's a good thing in a relationship."
Edward gazed out the window toward the tree line. I touched my hand to his cheek, and he let me turn his head. "Edward, we have what, less than two hours now, before you're meeting Jasper and Emmett? I don't want to leave it like this. I love you, you love me, and we're getting married, tomorrow. Isn't that something to be happy about?" I stopped, took a breath, and tried to strike a tone of nonchalance, "Or are you trying to get out of this Mr. Cullen?"
Edward's face softened and he smiled weakly. "I like when you call me Mr. Cullen. Shall I reciprocate and call you Ms. Swan?"
"You didn't answer my question, Mr. Cullen. Are you or are you not trying to get out of marrying me?"
Edward looked deep into my eyes and held my shoulders in his hands. "I've been waiting a century to marry you Ms. Swan. There is nothing that I want more in this world than to have you for a wife." Edward's eyes were burning and he rubbed my cheek with his thumb.
I smiled, relieved. "Then starting tomorrow you may call me Mrs. Cullen."
That did it. Edward couldn't hide his happiness and his eyes glittered. "I like the sound of that even better." He ran his hand along my bare arm, and then traced the edge of the towel along my chest. "No regrets about the other night?"
"Oh my God! Of course not!" I pulled myself onto my tiptoes and was about to go in for a kiss, but then hesitated. "What about you? Do you have regrets? Was that part of your mood?"
Edward held my sides in his hands. I noticed he was now focused on the towel instead of my face. "No." He seemed to catch himself and looked up to meet my eyes. There was no sadness there now; they burned with another emotion entirely. My whole body tingled in response. "In fact, there's been another addition to the top five."
Reassured, I almost dove, lips first into Edward's waiting arms. His cool hands were immediately on my thighs, easing the towel higher. They made their way around to my bottom and gently squeezed.
"Excuse my language, but there's no better way to say this. Do you know what an amazing ass you have?"
I'm sure my face turned beet-red. "I never thought much about it."
"I think about it quite often." I loved it when Edward talked dirty. He was still so proper, even when he said the most indecent things.
Running my hands over Edward's back, I became quickly disappointed that there was fabric between my hand and his skin. I started undressing him in my mind, but then reminded myself that could probably undress him for real. "It seems a little unfair that I'm the only one in the room that's half dressed," I teased, moving to undo the top button of his shirt.
"Wearing a towel counts as partially dressed these days?" Edward chuckled. He kept his hand on my...ass, while I unfastened the buttons on his shirt. Edward shrugged off the shirt before moving his hands back under the towel to caress my waist and gently stroke my hips. I ran my hands over the rock solid contours of his chest and abdomen. My head started to swim, but I was proud that my heart soldiered on with remarkable regularity.
"You usually come back to your room dressed for the evening. I was trying to be a gentleman. It was very difficult not to join you in the shower."
The room was spinning around me as I pictured Edward and I in the tiny shower stall. I braced my hands against his chest to keep myself from toppling over. Now my heart was definitely sputtering. I was also keenly aware of the growing dampness between my legs, and that I had nothing on besides a towel. It was too much. I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Can I take a rain check on that?" I gasped, trying to look poised.
"Absolutely." Edward sat next to me and began to kiss my earlobe. "Shall I excuse myself so you can dress?"
"No!" I said with a little too much urgency in my voice. I threw my arms around him as if I were strong enough to hold him in place. "Please don't go."
"Hmm. You don't feel the need to get dressed?" His hand glided through the folds of the towel and ran over my abdomen as his kisses moved from my ear to my mouth. "I love your skin right here. It's so soft and delicate, it smells so sweet, and your pulse is everywhere and nowhere at once. It's one of my top ten favorite places to touch you."
My heart leapt. "You have a thing for lists, don't you?"
"In the past two days I've had a lot of time on my hands, and only one person on my mind. Would you like to know the other nine?"
I turned to look at him with wide eyes, but found it somewhat impossible to marshal a response.
Edward pressed his lips together and his eyes glittered. "I'll make my way through the list slowly. You tell me if you need me to stop." With that he gently wound his arm around me and lowered us both onto our backs.
Edward leaned on his elbow and brought his face to mine. My heart fluttered as he beamed at me with buttery gold eyes and softly kissed my lips. "Three." He kissed me again and licked my bottom lip before flicking his tongue into my mouth.
Edward pushed my wet hair behind my ears and inhaled deeply. Then placing his lips against my ear he whispered, "You're tantalizing when you're wet." I was suddenly even wetter. He kissed and licked at my earlobe, then tenderly bit me there with his lips covering his teeth. "Nine."
Soft butterfly kisses rained down from my earlobe toward my shoulder, and then Edward rubbed his nose along my collarbone toward the midline of my neck. He stopped to place a kiss in the hollow of my throat and took a deep breath. "Your skin is so thin here, it vibrates with your pulse and with every breath. Eight."
I thoughtlessly ran my hands through Edward's hair and whimpered. He looked up at me. Watching him hovering, gazing up at me through those long lashes set all of my nerve endings on fire. "Too much?"
I swallowed. It took a great deal of energy just to shake my head no.
Edward chuckled. "You asked for it."
Edward kissed the spot over my heart very gingerly, and then laid his ear against it. "This is five," he murmured. "I could never get enough of number five. You have to know how much I love you if I'm willing to give up the music your heart makes. I would do anything for this sound. It's my lifeline, Bella. It tethers me to this world."
We lay there silently with Edward resting his head on my chest. The energy in the room changed, it was almost meditative now.
Slowly, with his head still over my heart, Edward loosened the folded edge of the towel and moved it aside to bare my right breast. His cold breath cascaded over the skin there, and I watched my nipple shudder to life. With his hand, Edward slowly traced its outline.
"Four," his voice was little more than a breath. He lowered his lips to very gently suck at the stiff peak of my nipple. I couldn't help arching my back in response and Edward's eyes flashed up to meet mine. He pulled the towel away to expose half of my stomach.
"You already know about number ten." His fingers trailed down from my breast, over my ribs, to my navel. He kissed my stomach softly before his fingers hooked the edge of the towel there, uncovering my waist. I suppressed a shiver.
"This spot right here," Edward ran his hand from my waist to my hip and back, "this is magical. My hands fit perfectly here. This is seven." His large cold hand cupped my hip. As he did this, Edward moved himself on top of me a little more and I could feel his ice-cold erection against my thigh. I rubbed my leg against him in response and Edward closed his eyes and moved his hand very purposefully from my hip to the bed, grasping the sheets in his fist.
Then he looked up at me with glittering golden eyes, "Too much?"
"For who?" I asked glancing from his face to his fist and back. He chuckled.
Edward unclenched the sheets and slid his hand between the bed and my bottom. He massaged me a little bit and then pinched. "Oh!"
"Two," he whispered as he raised his head to gaze at me. "I wonder if I could get you to agree to never wear panties again, because the sensation of holding you here, like this, skin to skin, is..." Edward cupped my cheek as if to demonstrate, but his voice trailed off. His eyes were golden fire, swimming, intense. But then a more playful smirk teased at the corners of his mouth. "Well, I can't think of a word to describe it. But I hope you'll consider my request, nonetheless." His words turned my body to liquid and I felt wetness seep out from my center, coating my upper thighs.
Edward took his free hand and drew the towel completely away from the right side of my body. With my wet hair, damp towel, and Edward's cold touch, I began to notice a chill creep up my spine, and nip at my toes. But there was no way I was stopping him now.
Murmuring six, Edward slid his body between my legs and trailed his free hand from the inside of my knee to my thigh and back. His eyes caught there. Sighing, he placed his lips over the purple mark he made. He held my thigh with both of his hands and brushed his lips there. I realized that he was talking very fast and low between kisses and strained to hear what he was saying.
"My mark on you... to be able to... the most alluring... and your scent..." Suddenly his mouth was making its way up my thigh. I noticed that the towel was just barely concealing me and I ached for Edward's touch there, for his mouth, any part of him, for everything. Somewhere in the back of my head I heard myself moan.
Edward was licking my upper thigh, and I could hear a rumble building in his chest. My teeth were trying to chatter. I clamped my mouth shut. One of his hands brushed between my legs just enough to set me on edge. I shuddered with pleasure and from the cold. His fingers ran over me again and paused to tease my firm nub.
"One."
I squirmed and arched my hips toward him. He slid a long cool finger inside of me, and I could feel warm fluid leak onto his hand. Edward's mouth hovered over the spot where my thigh met my body. He licked and sucked at the tender crease and then he blew a cold breath between my legs. "Oh!"
But then my body betrayed me. My mouth had relaxed enough that my teeth began to chatter, and then my legs started to shake. Instantly alarmed, Edward was at my side. "Bella." He pulled the towel around me before leaping across the room to retrieve an enormous afghan. Before I could blink, I was wrapped in it and Edward was cradling my body in his arms.
He went to brush my cheek with his hand, but then pulled it away. "I got carried away."
"I didn't want you to stop."
"You have to tell me. Please, always tell me." He settled my body back down on the bed, and pulled another blanket over me.
"I wish I had a space heater like you did in your room."
Edward glanced around the room. "I'm surprised Alice didn't bring one over here as well."
"It wasn't you?"
"I'm not that devious. Alice has had far too much time on her hands with Jasper away."
"Maybe she'll butt out now that he's back."
"Don't hold you're breath, love."
I peered up at Edward. He was smiling sweetly, but there was still such concern in his eyes. He tucked the blanket firmly around my body and, satisfied that there was a thick wall of fabric between us, lowered himself next to me on the bed. He kissed my lips very softly.
"Bella," he whispered, "It's so hard to concentrate when we're with each other like this. If I let something so basic like the difference in our body temperatures slip my mind tonight of all nights, I'm worried about what I might forget when I'm finally inside of you. "
Hearing those words pass so simply from Edward's lips set my body on fire. But I realized this was not their desired effect. "Then let's just talk about what we need to do to make your side of this bargain happen."
"But Bella,"
I continued as if I didn't hear him. "So we need to think about temperature on the honeymoon. I think you had that covered long ago."
Edward seemed reluctant. "Yes, I've arranged for climate control."
"Tonight was my fault too. I knew I was getting cold, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want to stop either, you know. But, from here on I'll tell you. I promise. What else?"
"Temperature is the least of it. I have to make sure not to hurt you."
"What do you need for that?"
"That's not something you can help me with, Bella."
"Edward, we're in this together. I can tell you if something even remotely begins to hurt. And you?"
"I have to calculate my every movement to keep you safe."
"Is it worth it?" I couldn't help the question. It sounded akin to torture.
Edward's mouth pressed itself into a thin line to try to hide a smile. "I asked Carlisle the same thing not long ago. But by now I wouldn't think you had to ask." Edward's eyes were burning. "I've never been this happy, this satisfied in my existence. Being with you, there are no words, it's extraordinary."
I was beginning to feel reassured. I hoped Edward was too. "Anything else?"
"No biting." Edward chuckled. But then a shadow flickered across his face. "Bella, there may be blood."
Oh, right. "Edward, it's OK if, when that happens, you have to stop or leave or something. I understand if you have to get away. But I trust you and I know you won't hurt me. It's just something you might have to do to make yourself feel better. Just promise you'll come back and umm, finish what you start."
The look on Edward's face was one of surprise mixed with awe. "I don't deserve you."
"Is that it, then? Is that everything?" I felt a thin line of sweat trickle down my forehead. I hadn't realized how warm I was becoming while we talked and I started pealing off the top layer of blanket
"How are your feet?" he asked as he watched my actions.
I smiled at the double meaning in his words. "Toasty warm."
Edward raised his eyebrows, looking for more.
"Edward." I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and brought my face very close to his. "I have no doubts, not a one. You are my future."
I saw tension roll off his shoulders with my reply. "And you are mine."
"That's all that matters. Everything else will work itself out, somehow. It has so far."
Edward smiled. "You don't know what this past month has done for me. I would never have believed that before. I would never have trusted myself with you, to be with you. You've brought out the best in me. I don't recognize myself when I look in the mirror."
"It's your eyes." I whispered.
"What?" Edward seemed confused.
"Those little gold flecks. They weren't there before. They changed one night after we..." I didn't finish. "I wish I'd had some kind of permanent change like that. I wish I could show on the outside the huge way you've changed me on the inside."
"Bella," Edward's eyes were soft and glowing, "Bella, my love." Then he smiled, almost like he wanted to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Do you know I've felt the same way?"
"What?"
"I've wished I could change for you. The way you get goose bumps, and Edward swept his hand over my arm to demonstrate. The way everything changes with my touch. He ran his hand under the blanket and touched my breast to demonstrate his point. I sighed audibly. He continued to tease me with his hand as he spoke, "The texture of your skin changes, the speed of your heart, the way you smell." Edward pressed his nose to the sensitive spot just behind my ear and inhaled.
He pulled his body gently on top of mine. "I love every human minute of being with you. I love the way you trust yourself, revealing yourself to me." He ran his hand underneath the afghan, along my thigh. "To think that you envied me my eyes."
"Edward, I'm completely humbled by the change I see in them."
"As I am by you." Edward brought his lips to my face and swept them over my mouth, before he let them settle there. Our kisses were soft and full of emotion. We certainly were two different creatures, but we were really so much the same. I wound my hands around Edward's back and pulled him closer. This time he didn't pull away. I loved to feel the length of his body against mine. I felt so safe and secure in his arms.
"I miss you already." I kissed his lips firmly.
"I wish I didn't need to leave." I felt his resolve to question Emmett and Jasper crumbling.
"Mmm." I pulled his face to mine again.
"That's it. I'm staying," he murmured.
"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You should go." But even as I said this I ran my fingers through his hair and I pressed my hand into the small of his back.
"Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind me. So there's really no point."
"True." I breathed. Maybe Alice was wrong. Maybe we could just have tonight. Could we call Alice and have her bring over the space heater after she got back from the airport? Could she get it through the window?
I began pulling the afghan from around my body, working to uncover myself. Edward raised his eyebrows in response.
"Well, practice makes perfect. We'll just be more careful this time."
"We should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn't we?"
He held my cheek in his hand and traced my lips with his thumb as his mouth sought out my earlobe. I felt his erection pushing through one remaining layer of fabric, hitting precisely between my legs. My hips rose to meet him and I let out a small "oh."
But then his head snapped up. "Oh, for the love of all that's holy!"
"What's wrong?"
He gritted his teeth. "Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight."
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Prelude