Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

Isabella awoke slowly, noticing immediately that she was not in her own room. The bare, muscular chest on which she laid was evidence of that. She smiled to herself as she tried to stay still. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of Edward's arms around her for as long as she could. She turned her head slightly to the right and placed a light kiss to her husband's naked chest, above his heart, and then settled back against him. Isabella hated to admit it, but there had been a small part of her that didn't believe he'd still be here when morning came. She was thrilled to have been wrong.

Currently she was waging a silent battle in her head. Part of her wanted to get up and begin breakfast for Edward, but part of her couldn't find the will to move from her spot. Her husband's light chuckle seemed to make her decision for her.

"You seem awfully deep in thought for so early in the morning, wife of mine," he said in a voice still rough from sleep.

Edward had been awake for quite some time already, but was as loathe to move as his wife had been. Of course, after a blissful night's rest and Isabella's tantalizing body rubbing against his as she slowly came awake, he was up in more ways than one. It did not go unnoticed that her breast, with its pert nipple, had been rubbing against his chest or that her soft fingertips ran up and down along the sensitive skin of his rib cage. That was nothing compared to the damp heat he felt where her center was pressed against his thigh as their legs lay tangled together beneath the covers. If there was a sweeter torture, Edward didn't want to know what it was, because it had taken every ounce of restraint he possessed not to roll his wife over and make love to her, take her again and again, until the irrepressible need he had for her abated.

"Well, my husband," Isabella said in a delightful tone. "I was trying to decide if fulfilling my wifely duties by making you breakfast outweighed how much I wanted to stay in bed with you." She picked her head up off his chest and looked at him. Her eyes were bright and they sparkled in the early morning sunlight. With her hair a tangled mess and her cheeks flushed, Edward thought she was absolutely stunning.

With no more than a second of thought, he rolled over and hovered above her. He dipped his head down and kissed her cheeks before brushing his lips across her moist, soft ones. "I haven't kissed you good morning in far too long, my love," he whispered before he pressed his lips against hers again.

His tongue insistently prodded at her mouth until she finally succumbed and both of them moaned in pleasure at the deepening kiss. He began to rock back and forth against her, his erection pressing along her thigh.

"I want you, Isabella. I made love to you last night in the fading light of the day; let me make love to you in the morning light, in my bed. Please," he pleaded against her lips.

"Yes, Edward. Oh yes, please," she answered, desperate to be his again.

At her request, Edward moved quickly. He slid his hands underneath her thin tank top and cupped the breasts that had just before been pressed enticingly against him. His thumbs rubbed across her nipples and when Isabella arched into his touch and moaned out in pleasure, he was almost beside himself with his need to have her.

He pushed her shirt over her head leaving her bare from the waist up. Her skin was almost iridescent in the early morning light that streamed into the room. Her nipples were a lovely shade of dusty rose and Edward wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything else so perfect in all his life.

"Oh, Isabella," he groaned out in a voice that was laced with so much want and need she felt it immediately between her legs.

"Please, Edward," she begged.

His mouth devoured her nipples, first one then the other, in ways his eyes couldn't. He teased and excited with his talented lips and tongue. He sucked, he nipped, he soothed afterward. Left then right, then back again until Isabella thought she would go out of her mind. Her chest was flushed a light pink and as she laid against the navy blue sheets of his bed, she was such a vision that Edward was sure he'd never forget how she looked just then.

"You are so fucking beautiful," he whispered against her lips, which he had neglected for far too long. "In my bed, in the morning light, I've never seen anything as beautiful as you, my love."

Isabella ran her fingers through his hair and stared deep into the green-black eyes of her husband. This was her Edward, this was the man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. This was the Edward she'd always hoped would come back to her. "Please don't leave me again, Edward. Stay with me, love me. Don't hide from me again. I've missed you so much," she cried softly against his neck.

Her words wrecked him, and then they put him back together again. "I won't, my love. I promise. No more hiding, no more running," he breathed as he peppered her cheeks and her head with kisses. "Isabella, look at me," he demanded gently, but with feeling. "Let me make love to you. I need you," he hissed then kissed her, his mouth possessing hers. "I need you," he hissed once more, his need quickly reaching a tipping point.

Edward slid a hand between their bodies and dipped his fingers beneath her delicate panties. She was so hot and, damn, she was so wet already. His finger circled her bundle of nerves and he craved each moan and squeak of pleasure that escaped her lips. He needed them. He bent his head down and took a hard nipple into his mouth once more and circled the pebbled flesh with his tongue. His fingers pressed deep inside of her and Isabella felt like she was on fire.

Her body tingled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She was a live wire, sparks of heat and want and pleasure washing over her in waves. It wasn't enough though, not yet. She ached to feel him, all of him.

Above her…on her…in her.

"Come for me, Beautiful," he crooned against her breast as his fingers continued their skillful assault.

"Edward, oh yes…God, yes!" she cried out as the orgasm overtook her.

His fingers didn't relent as they continued on, pushing, rubbing, claiming.

Edward picked his head up and looked at her. There was a light sheen of sweat across her chest and pieces of her hair stuck to her flushed cheek. Her eyes were dilated with pleasure and her lips were red and swollen.

She was magnificent and she was his. Had always been his. Would only be his.

He felt the weight of those thoughts in his chest and instead of letting them crush him, he used them as an anchor. The truth of those words would be his guide, would be his saving grace. She would be his saving grace and no matter what happened with the rest of the mountains he needed to climb, the fact that he found his way back to her would be his greatest accomplishment.

"Edward, be inside of me please! I need to feel you," Isabella groaned out, her voice underscoring just how much she needed him.

He wasted no time in ridding them both of their remaining clothes and when they were both naked, and skin met skin, their bodies reacted in such a way that they were both breathless, both overcome with want and need.

Isabella closed her eyes briefly, wanting to just feel, to just lose herself in her husband possessing her, claiming her…consuming her. It was what she wished for, just the night before, and here he was, taking her to heights she never imagined. Her body sang for him and him alone. Only Edward knew how to touch her, where to touch her to make her body come alive.

He entered her slowly, relishing each stroke until he was buried deep inside of her, until her heat engulfed him fully. "Oh God," he breathed out, wondering if anything, anything, had ever felt this good before.

"So damn good," he panted against her neck as he rocked back and forth over her body. "I've never felt…this is…fuck," he whispered, his mind spiraling with all he felt.

"Edward, oh God, I'm close," Isabella rasped as she clung to him, afraid to let go.

"Wait for me, Beautiful, just…just wait," Edward begged…demanded.

He swiveled his hips and drove himself deeper inside of her. He felt her walls pulsating around him and it was... it was so much, too much.

They kissed again, a hard, bruising kiss, but neither minded. It was as if they could not get close enough. He bent his head down and whispered in her ear, "Are you ready, my love? Can you come for me now?" His voice was silk over gravel, smooth and rough.

"Oh, Edward, yes…yes!" Isabella said, her voice shaking with her intense need to let go.

One sure, steady thrust was all she needed. He could feel it, feel her pulling him deeper inside of her. "That's it, Beautiful, let it go. I can feel you," he panted as he stared into her bottomless brown depths.

Isabella let out a wordless cry as she came undone in his arms. When she thought she could take no more, Edward followed her over the edge, pushing her to her limit once again. Their bodies quivered and shook until they were both a mass of arms and legs, their breaths heavy, as they slowly came down from the heights they had just taken each other to.

Neither one spoke for a few moments, both too overwhelmed by what had just happened to be able to speak coherently.

Isabella's stomach grumbled and Edward picked his head up from where he had it burrowed in the crook of her neck and grinned devilishly. "Hmmm, someone worked up an appetite I see."

She grinned back at him, pleased to see that he hadn't pulled away as he had before. She could feel the shift in him, and though she didn't understand what brought it about, she decided she didn't really need to know. He was here with her, and that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I would say so. Goodness!" She giggled adorably and then blushed when he looked at her like Winnie the Pooh looked at a honey pot. Isabella ran her hands through his damp hair and purred happily when he melted against her. They stayed that way for as long as they could before Edward groaned.

"I need to get up and start to get ready. I need to go to the office," he said in a tone of voice that indicated just how unpleasant that thought was to him.

"Yes, I suppose you have a publishing empire to run, don't you?" Isabella teased, but there was a trace of anxiety and bitterness beneath the surface.

She was afraid for him to leave the confines of the little bubble they'd created since he'd come home last night. She was afraid to lose him to the world of business, power, and money that he had so immersed himself in over the past few years. She was afraid of losing the Edward that she discovered beneath his walls.

Edward knew immediately what plagued her, even without an angel having to whisper in his ear to remind him. "Hey now," he said gently as he ran his thumbs over her still pink cheeks. "I'll be home before you know it. Perhaps when I come back you can show me around the garden outside?"

"Okay," she whispered quietly.

"Isabella, I promised no more hiding and no more running. I mean to keep my promise," he told her as he kissed her forehead. "I'm going to try my damnedest to be the man that you need me to be."

"I love you, Edward," she said as she stared at her husband. He dipped his head down to kiss her one last time before he left the warmth of her arms.

"I know, my love. I've always known," he said as he softly brushed his lips across hers before he slid out of bed and walked to his bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Isabella stayed in bed until she heard the shower come on and then got up. She picked up the shirt Edward had on last night before they went to bed and put it and her panties back on before making her way downstairs to begin her husband's breakfast.

She was quite looking forward to breakfast this morning she thought with a giggle as she entered her kitchen.

Edward exited his bathroom after a long, hot, relaxing shower. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he didn't want to go to work. He wanted to stay home and be with Isabella. He wanted to curl up on the couch and watch movies all day, order in pizza, then watch more movies all night. Of course, a few timeouts for kissing and touching would be thrown in for good measure.

"You look much better this morning, Edward," the angel person said in greeting.

"Hmmm, I would imagine that is because I am better this morning," Edward retorted back as he stepped into his walk-in closet.

Yes, Edward thought to himself, he was insanely happy this morning. Almost deliriously so. The last time he'd felt this way was in Italy on his honeymoon. He was as free and unencumbered this morning as he was during that time so many years ago.

"Edward, you still have much to do," Seth reminded him. Even the angelic prodding wasn't enough to diminish his mood.

Edward exited his closet wearing a pair of crisp gray pants and buttoning the pale lavender shirt he was going to wear today. Purple was Isabella's favorite color he thought with a start, and then smiled because he would be reminded of her now. Well, not that he wouldn't have thoughts of her all day anyway. Just the image of the way she looked this morning as she came was enough to keep him in an excited state until he saw her again.

The angel sighed, a bit put out by his charge's exuberance. Yes, it was wonderful to see, but there was still much work to be done. None of it would be as enjoyable as the lovely Isabella either. "Edward Anthony, focus here, boy. You will be meeting with Emmett this morning, as well as with Marcus, Alec, and Jasper. Do you forget why you had to make a trip out of town?"

"Of course I didn't forget about the meeting in New York," Edward replied as he slipped his shoes on and attached his watch to his arm.

Edward hurried and brushed his teeth and then ran a hand through his hair, not even bothering to try to fix it. It was useless to try because by the end of the day he would have ran his fingers through it so often, it was liable to be a mess.

"Fine," Seth said with a smile. "Go enjoy your breakfast with your delightful wife and I will speak with you when you don't have Isabella on the brain," the angel remarked with a smirk then disappeared.

Edward knew he had much he needed to accomplish today. Angelic orders notwithstanding, there were problems at the firm and it was up to him to find a way to fix them. But, before he could go conquer the business world, he wanted to eat breakfast with his wife and maybe cop a feel or two and steal some kisses as well.

Isabella heard her husband as he moved around upstairs and she couldn't keep the smile off her face if she tried. She hurried around the kitchen making him a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and some fresh-cut fruit. She had already turned on the coffee maker, one that did everything but wash dishes, and the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air of the kitchen.

She had a busy day today herself, even though like him, she'd give anything to spend the day together, just the two of them. She needed to fax in her edits on the manuscript she was working on, she was to have lunch with her mother, and then she was due at the school this afternoon for tutoring. Isabella couldn't help the tingle between her legs as she thought about what tonight would be like when they both returned home after being apart all day. She couldn't help but hope for a repeat of yesterday, complete with spending another night in bed with him. She was trying not to assume too much until things were a little more concrete, but she was cautiously optimistic.

One blissful afternoon, night, and morning did not a changed husband make.

She danced around the kitchen to the soft sounds of Nora Jones coming from the docking station and was completely oblivious to the man that watched her from across the room.

Edward almost said to hell with meetings, and the office, and the problems he had to deal with today when he caught sight of his wife as she danced around the kitchen. She was wearing his t-shirt from last night and he could see bits of her pale pink panties as she flitted around the kitchen peek out from underneath. Fucking hell, she looked so good in his clothes. She had put her hair up in a messy ponytail and as she bobbed and swayed her hips in time with the music he could see little strands of hair float by her face.

Jesus, he'd been such an idiot to have not properly appreciated what had been right in front of him.

"Hmmm mmm." Edward cleared his throat with a smile on his face. He would love to watch her all day, but he really had to go to the office.

Isabella squeaked in surprise and whipped around to face him. "Edward, sweetheart, you scared me," she breathed out and blew some hair out of her face.

"And you, wife of mine," he said in a low, sultry voice, "are positively mouthwatering in my clothes."

He walked toward her and then reached for her to pull her to him. He chuckled smugly when he felt her heart pound against his chest.

She melted against him, her body totally at his mercy. She found it difficult to think, much less resist him when he held her against him that way. He nuzzled her neck and she let him, but then regretfully she wriggled out of his grasp.

"Edward, I know you have things to take care of at the office. You need to eat so you can go," she told him as she took another step away from him.

He gave her a lopsided grin and then nodded his head. "You're right, Beautiful," he said regretfully.

Edward was rather enjoying his morning thus far and was not looking forward to what awaited him at the office, for more than one reason. He hadn't forgotten about the assignment the annoying angel person had given him last night. However, Edward had a feeling that much like Isabella, making amends with his large and boisterous brother would not be particularly difficult. At least he hoped not, he thought to himself ruefully as he recalled the feeling of nostalgia that swept over him last night when he thought about Emmett.

In a moment of spontaneity, Edward looked at her and asked, "Do you think we could have Rosalie and Emmett over for dinner one night soon?"

Isabella gasped and dropped the spoon she'd just picked up to dish Edward's fruit. "Edward, really, is everything okay?" she questioned for what seemed like the hundredth time since he'd returned yesterday.

In the five years she and Edward had been married, Isabella could recall with perfect clarity each and every visit a member of Edward's family made to their home. There weren't that many to remember. Whenever their attendance was required at a family function it was always someplace else.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays…all were held at either Carlisle and Esme's or Rose and Emmett's.

After taking a sip of the coffee his wife had lovingly prepared for him, exactly the way he liked it, he set the mug down on the small breakfast table where he waited to eat and looked at her. "It really was a very scary plane ride," he told her with feeling.

"Must have been," she responded back. Isabella finished preparing his plate and carried their plates to the table so they could eat together. There was no way she was going to ruin either of their good moods by pushing when he wasn't ready so she asked brightly, "When would you like them to come over? I think it's a wonderful idea, by the way."

Edward let out a relieved breath, thankful for the reprieve. He was under no illusions about his wife, however. He knew he would have to begin the painful and terrifying process of really opening up to her, but it didn't have to be right now. "Well, I'll be seeing Emmett at the office this morning. How about if I ask him and then see what works for him and Rosalie?"

As much as Edward was not looking forward to taking the necessary steps to repair his relationship with his brother, there was no denying how much he was looking forward to spending more time with him. Emmett had a way of looking at the world that he couldn't help but admire. It wasn't foolhardy or any such thing, but Emmett always tended to look for the good in a situation and chose to focus on that instead of anything negative. It was, admittedly, a much better way to go through life than Edward's way of pessimistically always assuming the worst.

"Sounds wonderful, Edward. It will be nice to see them," Isabella said a bit wistfully. She adored both Rose and Emmett and didn't see Jack and Emma anywhere near as often as she would like.

"I'm sorry for making it difficult for you to be close to them, Isabella," Edward told her apologetically.

"Well, it's nothing that we can't correct now, right?" she said reassuringly and placed her hand on top of his.

He turned his hand over, linking their fingers together and lifted their joined hands to his mouth. "Yes we can, Beautiful," he said as he brushed his lips back and forth across the soft skin of her wrist.

"Mmmm, you smell so good," Edward said as he lifted his green eyes and stared at her.

Isabella's brown eyes were hooded in lust; she couldn't try to hide it even if she wanted to. The moment his soft lips touched her skin, she felt it between her legs. Her nipples hardened almost instantly and her heart started pounding erratically.

"Edward," she said on a soft breath and before she knew what was happening, Edward had pulled her into his lap and had his lips attached to the tender skin of her neck.

"I don't want to be away from you all day," he breathed against her as his tongue tasted her.

He moved his lips from her neck to her mouth and kissed her deeply, passionately. When they had to separate to breathe he leaned his forehead against hers and said, "Tell me I can have you in my bed again, tonight, please?"

Isabella wrapped her arms tightly around him and felt his heart pounding against her chest. "Sweetheart, yes. Shhh," she whispered as he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

Edward was anxious about being separated from her. He didn't want things to go back to the way they were before he got on that plane yesterday. He didn't want to act like he was indifferent to her, even though the opposite had always been true. He didn't want to go to the office and be Edward Cullen, the sanctimonious prick most thought he was.

He didn't want any of those things any longer.

He wanted to be Edward Cullen, husband to Isabella Cullen, and one that was wildly, passionately in love with her, too.

Isabella could feel Edward tremble in her arms and she was so confused, but at the same time, it was a most welcome thing to know that he didn't want to be away from her. Most mornings he would leave for the office as soon as he was done with breakfast. For him to sound so reticent to leave, well, it was quite the change and quite the progression, too.

Her husband's baby steps had turned into leaps, and as excited as she was by that prospect, she intuitively understood that he would only scare himself by trying to do too much, too fast.

She kept him wrapped in a tender embrace for a few more moments before she kissed his cheek and then held his face in her hands so she could look at him. "My sweet husband, as tempting as the thought of spending the day with you is, we each have commitments. I appreciate the thought, though," she said with a wink and climbed off his lap.

"How about I make some homemade pizzas for dinner and we watch a movie afterward?" she asked as she picked up the dishes to take them to the sink. "I think I'd rather enjoy a night spent snuggled on the couch with you."

Edward ran his hands through his hair and tried to pull himself together. Surely he could manage to be away from her for a few hours, as unappealing as that thought was. "Maybe we can make it a scary one so I have to hold you close?" he asked with a soft smile.

"Hmmm, perhaps," she said cheekily.

Even though he didn't want to do it, Edward stood up and picked his briefcase up off the island so he could go to the office. "I won't be late," he told her and she nodded her head.

He brushed his lips against hers before kissing her deeply, a promise of things to come later tonight.

"Have a nice day, sweetheart. If you need me, just call, okay?" she asked. Edward was immediately flooded by the thought that she'd always been there; he was just too scared and too stubborn to recognize it.

He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead before he whispered, "I've always needed you, my love. I'll call you later, Beautiful."

Isabella watched him walk out the door to meet the car and driver that picked him up every morning and smiled.

Baby steps indeed, she thought with a giggle. She rather liked the new and improved Edward Cullen and decided right then and there that she would move heaven and earth, if necessary, to keep him around.

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