Chapter 19~ Sex, Lingerie and the City
The morning of the thirtieth found Bella being roused by a pair of cold lips leaving a hot trail along her neck and shoulders. She hummed in contentment as she rolled over to be greeted by a hungry looking Carlisle. He really was not trying to wake her, but he knew that he was going to be without her all day, and the thought made him a little desperate for contact with her.
“I’m sorry for waking you, but I know the girls plan to whisk you away in about an hour and a half, and I wanted to have some time with you before you left.”
He began to kiss down her arm stopping to leave open mouth kisses in the crook of her elbow, then on the pulse point of her wrist.
Bella closed her eyes and moaned, “Don’t ever apologize for waking me like this.”
He smiled as he shifted the sheet down to expose her naked breasts. Bella had slept in the buff last night after Carlisle ‘accidentally’ tore her nightie. He smiled at her beautiful bosom just as he leaned in to lick the right nipple causing it to pucker instantly. He repeated the action on the left making Bella moan louder as she reached down to stroke his fully erect penis. She loved that he was always ready. She smiled when she thought back on the conversation they had engaged in post-bliss the night before.
“Carlisle?” she let her fingers play in the soft blond curls that adorned his chest.
He purred at the sensation, “What is it My Bella?”
She loved that he referred to her as being ‘his’, “Since your body is naturally hard, I was wondering if your entire body was as …rigid all the time?”
He chuckled as her body heated with her blush. Carlisle rolled over so he was once again positioned between her legs. His marble like shaft pressed against her hot apex. He looked down at her and grinned mischievously as she wiggled against him. She was insatiable.
“I love your innocently dirty mind, sweetheart. But despite what you may think, no. I am not ‘rigid’ all the time.”
Bella’s blush deepened at his answer. He kissed her cheeks then her eye lids, her nose and finally her mouth. His cool lips were a sharp contrast to her flushed skin.
“I am not as pliable as you are, but I am not fully erect twenty-four hours a day.”
“It is just that…I mean when we…it is always…” she huffed in frustration feeling ridiculous that she couldn’t say one sentence without stumbling over her words.
Carlisle happily stepped in to rescue her from herself, “It’s you, my love. I am aroused being in your presence. My body always craves you and unlike a human male, I do not require any recovery time.”
With that last statement he pulled back slightly then thrust up into her delectable heat.
Bella moaned as Carlisle’s explorations took him south of the border where his mouth easily found purchase on her lower lips. She writhed under him as she gripped the sheets out at her sides. His mouth was amazing. He could do things that should be illegal. He swirled his tongue around her swollen clit a few times before dipping into her love box. He lapped at the sweet nectar that Bella willingly offered only to him. She tried desperately to stay still, but he made it impossible. Her movements became erratic as he pushed her closer to her precipice. He wrapped his arms under and up over her thighs to help hold her still.
Carlisle could move his tongue faster than any vibrator every invented and he used this particular skill to Bella’s immense enjoyment. He flicked against her clit until she began to shake. He reached up and pinched her tiny bundle of nerves as he thrust his cold, stiff tongue deep into her. Her hands flew down into his hair which she grabbed mercilessly in a feeble attempt to keep his head right where it was. There really was no need; he had no intention of going anywhere. Carlisle growled at the sensation of her tugging his hair. The vibrations did it.
“Yeeeeeesssss!” she screamed out as her juices flowed into Carlisle’s eager mouth.
He drank from her fountain as if it was the elixir of life. He didn’t understand how his body accepted her essence, but he did not question it. He continued to lap at her until she stopped convulsing with the aftershocks of her orgasm.
He laid his head on her thigh and listened as the blood pumped through her femoral artery. Bella had released her death grip on his hair as her climax ebbed. Now she scratched his scalp in a lazy, nonsensical pattern. Her breathing slowed down until he knew she was asleep. Carlisle closed his eyes; letting her touch and the symphony of her blood and breath lull him into a calm state of mind. It was the closest that he had come to real sleep in over three hundred and fifty years.
~*~
Carlisle heard her outside the door before she knocked. Alice cracked the door open but did not step inside.
“I’m sorry to disturb you Carlisle, but if we don’t get going in the next twenty-five minutes we are going to miss our flight.”
“Thank you Alice. I’ll wake her up.” Carlisle replied as she shut the door.
“No need. I’m awake.” Bella remarked as she stretched like a contented cat.
Carlisle kissed her inner thigh before getting up off the bed and extending his hand to her. She smiled as she took it and stood up. Her skin still held a tinge of her post orgasmic flush and her hair was a tangled mess that just added to her sex appeal; as far as Carlisle was concerned.
“Come My Bella, let’s get you cleaned up and ready for your day of shopping.” He said as he kissed her on the lips chastely.
She nodded and walked to the washroom with the sheet still draped around her except that it dipped down so far in the back that Carlisle got a fantastic view of the clefts where her back met her delectable rear end. The growl he released made Bella jump and then giggle.
“Behave mister. We don’t want Alice busting in on us and you know she will if she feels her shopping trip is at all threatened.”
“She is absolutely right Carlisle.” He heard Alice say from her room.
It was going to be torture to be away from her all day, but he knew that Alice and Rosalie would not allow him anywhere near Bella’s wedding dress. Wedding dress. She really is going to marry me. He smiled at that thought as he followed her into the shower.
Besides some heavy making out and loving touches, Bella and Carlisle were able to shower without getting overcome by their need for each other. They walked hand in hand into the kitchen to see Rosalie and Alice waiting impatiently.
“We need to leave now or Mario here won’t be able to get us to the airport on time.” Alice complained as she thumbed towards Rosalie.
Carlisle released Bella’s hand only to wrap his arm around her waist to puller her closer, “You will drive safely,” his tone was strong and protective. It was clearly not a request.
Rosalie looked him dead in the eye as she spoke, “I will not let anything happen to her, Carlisle.”
There was no way he could doubt her sincerity making him relax his hold on Bella. Alice chimed in to lighten the mood.
“Carlisle, I have already looked into today. The weather is overcast, but no storms are forming so both our outgoing and incoming flights will be on time. Bella will be perfectly safe with us. We are flying into New York and I have a car reserved to drive us to the dress store. We will shop for our dresses this morning and then take Bella to lunch and then to a bit more shopping before going out to dinner then we will have her back here, safe in your arms at twenty-seven after ten tonight.” She finished with a wink.
Carlisle would have blushed if he could. Alice knew it was difficult for him to be away from Bella, not only because of his natural pull to her as his mate, but also because he always worried about her safety.
Bella reached up to cup his cheek and bring his attention down to her.
“Kiss me you gorgeous, over-protective, vampire man of mine, and I will see you tonight.”
He smiled at her as he did exactly what she asked of him. He leaned in to press his lips to hers. He breathed in deeply in a vain attempt to immerse himself in her incredible scent. She pulled back first but leaned in and whispered to him, “My heart is for you.”
This tiny, frail, human woman literally took his breath away. He had no words so he nodded and kissed her one last time before Alice and Rosalie pulled her away to the waiting Hummer. Bella sat in back and blew Carlisle a kiss as they drove away. Alice turned on her iPod filling the vehicle with the sound of ‘Marry You’ by Bruno Mars. Bella quirked an eyebrow at her.
“What?” Alice asked as she put her hands palms up and shrugged, “It is just to help you get in the mood. You are getting married after all.”
Bella chuckled and shook her head. Then her stomach gave a very unladylike rumble. She wrapped her arms around her middle as if it could muffle the sound.
“Good grief Alice, feed the beast Bella is hiding under her sweater.” Rosalie quipped.
Alice reached between the seats and handed Bella a travel mug of coffee and a paper bag.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Emmett made you a breakfast sandwich while we were waiting on you, slow poke.”
Bella stuck her tongue out but then smiled. Emmett really missed his calling. He was an excellent cook. She quickly unwrapped the sandwich that was still steaming and took a bite of the sausage, cheese and egg combo. She hummed in appreciation causing the girls to both laugh.
~*~
Carlisle stood on the porch watching the girls drive away. He could literally feel the physical pull to follow. It was like a steal cable that tied his heart to Bella’s. Jasper stepped out next to him casually sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. Carlisle instantly felt better. He turned to give Jasper a grateful smile.
“It is normal, you know.” Jasper said as he watched the snow begin to fill in the treads the Hummer had left behind.
“What’s that Jasper?”
“That sense of loss. The need to follow her; to be in her presence at all times.”
Carlisle shouldn’t have been surprised by how Jasper ascertained his emotions, but he was.
“How do you know?” he asked.
Jasper turned and gave him a crooked grin, “Because I feel it too. It is the way I feel any time Ali and I are separated.”
Jasper felt confusion invade taking over as Carlisle’s dominant emotion.
“I don’t understand. How is it that I never felt this pull with Esme?” he paused to think for a moment, “Is it because Bella is human and there is a sense of protection mixed with the love?”
Jasper had wanted to avoid this particular conversation with Carlisle. He did not want to say something that would hurt the man who had been a salvation to him when he first changed his diet; the man who gave him and Alice a family to belong to. However, it seemed that it was now unavoidable. Jasper sent reassurance to Carlisle as he prepared to be brutally honest with him.
“Carlisle, the reason you never felt this connection with Esme is because Esme was not your mate.”
Shock, rage and righteous indignation warred within the normally peaceful vampire.
“How dare you infer that I did not love Esme with my whole being!” he growled.
Jasper did not back down nor did he try and manipulate Carlisle’s emotions. Despite his violent aura, he was confident that Carlisle would not hurt him. Over one hundred years of battle experience also gave him a sense of confidence that he could subdue the elder vampire without damaging him.
“Carlisle, that is not what I said. I would never accuse you of falsifying your emotions. I know, better than anyone else, how much you loved Esme. But in light of your own realization that your feelings for Bella are different; more intense, can you not understand that your bond to her is so much more than it ever was with Esme?”
Carlisle’s eyes had darkened in tune with his heightened emotional state, but Jasper’s words began to lighten them once more. What kind of man takes a woman who is not his mate, changes her into an immortal and lives with her as a married couple? I am the worst kind of monster! Carlisle sank down to the steps under the weight of his guilt.
Jasper instantly sensed Carlisle’s self-deprecation. Now it was his turn to go on the attack.
“Carlisle, don’t. You should never doubt what you had with Esme. She loved you unconditionally.”
Carlisle looked up at his son; his best friend, with doubt written all over his face. He was a highly educated man, but he could not comprehend what Jasper was telling him.
Jasper sat down where he was and looked out at the phenomenon of the untouched wilderness that spread out around them.
“Carlisle, do you ever wonder how Edward was able to walk away from Bella?” he paused, but Carlisle did not answer; though he had pondered that question on more than one occasion. Jasper turned to lock eyes with him. “It was because she was not his mate. He loved her as she did him, but she was not intended to be his forever.”
Carlisle sat stunned. He absorbed everything that Jasper was saying but could not find the words to respond.
“Just like a human, we have the capacity to love multiple partners in our lifetimes. But when we find our mate; that person who is bonded to us by destiny or design, then that is it. It is the most incredible connection that one can ever experience.”
Silence fell between them. A lone bird called out in the distance. The men sat without moving; without speaking. Nearly an hour passed before Carlisle was able to express himself properly.
“If Bella was always my mate, how is it that I did not feel this pull to her from the beginning?”
Jasper had thought for a long time on this, “I am not one hundred percent certain, but I believe you did. You just didn’t recognize it as such, and being that you were so devoted to your relationship with Esme; not to mention your loyalty towards Edward, you denied yourself the true nature of it.” He turned slightly towards Carlisle before continuing. “Think about the very first time you met Bella. Think back on exactly how you felt.”
Carlisle rewound time in his perfect memory to the day in late January when he walked into the triage room at the hospital and was introduced to Bella. Edward was frantic with worry. I had absorbed all the details from Edward’s exact recount of the event. I walked past a boy with facial lacerations who must have been Tyler. His blood was still flowing from several of the deeper cuts. I was concerned for a moment about Edward’s control while in his heightened emotional state until I heard him whisper that he was fine.
I pulled back the curtain to see Charlie Swan and then Bella. I felt like someone had grabbed a hold of my chest and yanked me forward. It was as if…
“Oh my stars…,” he turned his face towards Jasper, “It was as if gravity pulled me towards her.” He said in barely a whisper.
Jasper smiled and nodded. “And every time you were in her proximity, your inner happiness would increase ever so slightly.”
“I thought it was just her personality or the fact that she made Edward so happy.” Carlisle explained.
“And when we left, you felt the sense of loss more so than anyone else in the family. I had my suspicions then, but did not know for sure until she came out of her catatonia.”
Carlisle’s mind processed this all in record time. He smiled up at the sky. It was bitter sweet, but it was his reality.
“She was always destined to be mine.”
Jasper clapped his hand on Carlisle’s shoulder, “Yes she was.”
~*~
They flew first class, which Bella had never done before. She enjoyed the extra leg room, but the flight attendant was getting a little overbearing as she asked them at least four times if they needed anything. Rosalie finally gave her a small death glare and the nasally bottle blond left them alone the rest of the trip.
The girls talked wedding things and asked Bella what she had in mind. She explained how she wanted it very simple. She wanted the wedding out back in the gazebo. Since everyone in attendance would be vampires, the temperature made no difference. Bella stopped on the last thought and looked a little panicked.
“What is it Bella?” Rosalie asked.
“Who is going to marry us?” she lowered her voice so no one around them could hear, “We can’t have a justice of the peace…I might…eat him!” She said with absolute sincere worry.
Rosalie had to laugh at that last comment, “Oh my God, Bella you are too funny!”
“I am totally serious, Rosalie. How am I supposed to focus on my vows if I want to snack on the pastor?”
Rosalie got her laughter under control and fixed her hair, which really did not need it, “I have a solution for you if you want?”
Bella waited for her to continue.
“I could marry you and Carlisle.”
Bella looked at her waiting for the punch line, but none came.
“You could marry us? But how?” she asked perplexed.
“I am actually an ordained minister online. I did it a couple of years back before we moved to Forks. I did it to marry Jasper and Alice.”
Bella looked over at the smiling pixie who nodded in agreement, “It’s true.”
She turned back to Rosalie, “You really could do that?”
“Sure! But like I said, only if that is what you want.”
Bella quickly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the beautiful blond vampire next to her.
“Oh Rose! I would love for you to marry us. Thank you so much!”
Rosalie hugged her back carefully, “It would be my pleasure, Bella.”
Bella sat back in her seat and sighed in relief. She couldn’t believe she was so excited about getting married. It had never been a priority of hers and to be honest, she had never considered it a worthwhile endeavor. She had seen her parents’ marriage fall apart and how much it hurt Charlie. Her mind wandered to her father for the first time in weeks. She wondered how he was doing and if he and Sue had gotten married yet. She really hoped that he was happy. She wished there was a way to let him know that she was happy too. Her mind started to consider ways to let him know without really contacting him.
Alice froze as a vision hit her and then she reached across to place her hand on Bella’s.
“You can’t Bella! It will do so much more harm than good.”
Bella looked at her in confusion, “What are you talking about Alice?”
“You absolutely cannot contact Charlie. It will give him reason to hope you are alive and then he will stop at nothing to find you. It will break him. He will lose Sue and his job and he will eventually die years earlier than he should because it will wear him down.”
Bella sat shocked at what Alice had just laid on her. She must have made a decision to try and get a message to Charlie and that brought on this terrible vision.
“You need to leave well enough alone.” Alice spoke again staring her straight in the eyes, “The fact that everyone already believes you to be dead allows you to make the transition to a vampire without dealing with faking your own death or disappearing. Bella, this really is the best way to go.”
Bella sat speechless but nodded in understanding. She turned her face away and did her best to hold back the tears that threatened to erupt. She knew from Carlisle’s private investigator that Charlie was well and happy. Alice was right, she needed to let sleeping dogs lie and focus on her future.
They landed under an overcast sky an hour later. Alice had everything set up. The town car was there waiting for them as they exited the airport. They drove through Manhattan until the car pulled up in front of Kleinfeld’s. Rosalie stepped out first followed by Alice and finally Bella. She stood in awe of the store. She recognized it from the show Alice had her watching the day before, ‘Say Yes to the Dress’. Alice saw her frozen on the sidewalk and went back to loop her arm through Bella’s.
“Come on Bella! It is time to find your wedding dress.”
Bella shuffled forward until they were through the doors freezing in place once more. The store was beautiful and elegant making Bella feel completely out of her element.
A beautiful blond haired woman walked towards them.
“Good morning ladies. My name is Michelle, welcome to Kleinfeld’s. Can I be of some assistance?”
Her voice was warm and welcoming as was her smile. If she was uncomfortable in the presence of two vampires, she never let it show.
Alice smiled back at the woman, “Hello Michelle, my name is Alice Cullen and we have an appointment under the name Isabella Masen.” She gestured to Bella.
It still caused a twinge of pain when she used his name, but then again it made her happy that she carried a part of him with her. He was the reason that she was a member of her new family and for that she would always be grateful to him.
Michelle’s voice brought Bella out of her internal reverie, “Ah yes. Here we are. Jade is going to be your consultant today. And here she is.” She introduced the new comer to the trio.
“Jade, this is our bride to be, Isabella,” Michelle gestured between the women.
“Isabella, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Jade expressed as she extended her hand.
“Please call me Bella. It is nice to meet you Jade.”
Alice introduced herself but stepped over to Rosalie to introduce her in order to nonchalantly avoid shaking hands now that her gloves were off.
“I am Alice Cullen and this is Rosalie McCarty. We are sisters-to-be of the bride-to-be.” She added with a giggle.
Jade smiled and directed the women to staging room four.
“Can I get you ladies something to drink?”
“Just water, thanks.” Alice answered.
Jade gave each of them a glass of water and then sat down across from them with a lap top.
“So Bella, tell me what you are looking for.”
Bella choked on her water a little, “Um, I am really not sure?” she said as more of a question than a statement.
Jade smiled patiently, “Well, let’s start with the tone of the wedding. Is it going to be a small or large event? Is it going to be formal or more casual? Do you have a date set?”
Bella smiled. That was one question she knew the answer to, “December thirty-first next year.”
Jade smiled brightly, thankful that Bella wasn’t expecting this dress to be whipped together in two months.
“And where will the wedding be held?”
“At our home in Canada.” Bella answered with pride.
“So, we are going with a small, intimate affair?” Jade led her.
Bella nodded, “Yes, very small.”
“Casual?” Jade questioned.
“No,” Bella paused, “but not gaudy either. Simple but…” she trailed off looking for the right word.
“Elegant.” Rosalie finished for her.
Bella smiled in thanks, then turned back to Jade, “Yes, simple but elegant.”
“Okay then,” Jade smiled brightly, “let me grab several gowns for you to try on and we will see if there is anything you like or don’t like about them and go from there. You are a size four, correct?”
“Um, yeah. How did you know?” Bella asked confused.
Jade smiled as she stood up, “It is the business I am in. I will be right back”
Bella sipped her water as she waited for Jade to return. Her mind wandered to the wedding and she began to feel a little overwhelmed by all the things she needed to plan. Good thing she had Rosalie and Alice. Alice! She totally forgot in all the craziness to ask her if she would be her maid of honor. All of the sudden Alice bounced out of her seat and practically tackled Bella as she squealed giggling like a school girl.
“Of course I will be!” she shouted as her laughter infected Bella.
Rosalie looked at her vampire sister like she had six heads singing show tunes. “What is going on with you?”
Bella answered as Alice continued to hug her, “I just remembered that I wanted to ask Alice to be my maid of honor and she answered before I could actually ask her.”
Rosalie laughed at the lunacy of the situation. Alice finally released Bella and sat back down. She grabbed out her blackberry and started searching the store’s inventory for the dress she envisioned herself wearing. While she was at it, she would look for Rosalie’s dress as well. ‘Mine is an ice blue to match the flowers in Bella’s bouquet. Not short. Long to go along with Bella’s gown. Oh Rose! Hers will be a deep sapphire blue with a high collar; very striking. And since she obviously won’t carry flowers, I need to find some that will go in her hair. Hmmm, yes those will be perfect…’
Bella and Rosalie started giggling because Alice was saying this out loud without realizing it.
“What?” she asked as she looked up from her Blackberry.
“Ice blue and sapphire blue? That is what you see for my wedding?” Bella asked as she caught her breath.
“I said that out loud?” she asked.
“You sure did Ali. But I am not sure of the high collar on my dress.” Rosalie countered, “I am going to need to see it before I agree to anything.”
Alice huffed, “Now don’t start you two. We have exactly twelve months to get everything together for this wedding. It may seem like a lot of time, but for those first six months after your ‘makeover’,” she made air quotes with her fingers, “we are all going to be very busy.”
“Makeover? Is that what we are calling it?” Bella asked.
“Can you think of a more appropriate way to refer to it in mixed company?” she quirked an eyebrow at her human sister.
“No, I guess I can’t. A makeover sounds like the best nickname for it and incredibly accurate when you think about it.”
Jade walked into the staging area with a rolling rack of dresses. Bella’s jaw dropped. There are so many. She leaned into Alice and whispered, “Can’t you just pick the one that you see me wearing?”
Alice smiled, “Sorry sweetie. You need to see the bad before you know the good. Now get your tail in the dressing room and let the bridal show begin.” She clapped her hands.
Rosalie got up and pulled Bella to stand, “Come on Bella Barbie, we have other plans for today so let’s get this started.”
Bella stuck her tongue out at the smug looking vamps causing them to laugh as she followed Jade and the white brigade.
Bella tried on fifteen dresses. They were all beautiful, well except the fifth one. All three girls agreed that it was hideous. All the other dresses were just not right. The top was wrong; the skirt was too big; the waist of the dress sat too low or too high. The material was too busy or the train was not what she was looking for or worse; there was way too much fuss around her butt making her look like she was sporting a J Lo bootie. She was getting weary and starting to believe she was never going to find the right dress.
Jade listened to all of the comments the women had been making, and as she did a particular dress popped into her head.
“Bella, why don’t you have a seat with your sisters for a moment? I will be right back.”
Bella thanked her and sat down in the luxurious bathrobe Jade had offered her when she took off the last dress. She sighed heavily as Rosalie handed her the glass of water Jade brought her earlier.
“Thanks Rose,” she said with a tired voice as she took a long pull from the glass.
“Don’t lose hope B. Your dress is out there. I promise.” Rosalie encouraged patting Bella’s knee.
“And I think I have it,” Jade called out as she came around the corner with a dress in her arms.
Bella sighed and set her water down. She might as well try it on; what was one more? She stepped into the dressing room and slipped out of her robe. Jade held the dress for her as she carefully stepped into it. She fastened the long line of buttons up the back before putting clips in place along the spine of the dress to tighten it so that it would look how it should after the alterations are done. Jade smiled brightly. She didn’t say anything because she wanted to know what Bella really thought of the dress, but before she let her out of the dressing room, she grabbed a sample veil and set it on her head. She arranged it and then turned Bella to walk out into the staging area.
When she stepped out Rosalie gasped and threw her hand over her mouth. Alice smiled and could barely stop herself from bouncing on the settee she was on. Bella carefully made her way to the circular platform in front of the tri-mirror and she saw what the others did. She was the epitome of a blushing bride. Her eyes welled up, and she quickly wiped away the runaway tears to avoid them falling on the dress.
“This is the dress I am going to marry Carlisle in.” she whispered as the tears continued.
“It sure is,” Alice confirmed as Rosalie nodded in agreement.
Jade sighed in relief. And though it rarely happened to her after so many years in the business, she felt a tear prick in the corner of her eye. She will make the most beautiful bride on her wedding day, she thought to herself.
It took a little while to convince Bella that she had to take the dress off, but once she did, she found herself laughing hysterically. She was so relieved and excited that she had found her dress. And now she got to sit back and watch Rosalie and Alice play Barbie for a while. Alice only had to try on one since she already had seen it in her mind’s eye. Rosalie insisted on trying on six other dresses before conceding to trying the one Alice had picked out for her. She finally agreed that it really was the perfect style of dress for her.
Bella shook her head in exasperation, “Rose, after all these years, why do you even try to bet against Alice?”
Rosalie fixed her hair as she looked at Bella in the mirror, “Because my dear soon-to-be-sister-of-mine, I do not always want to make things too easy on our little psychic here.”
Bella laughed as Alice stuck her tongue out at the beautiful vampire as she replied with a wink of her golden eye.
Jade took their order for all three dresses and the veil that Bella picked out. Alice paid for everything; refusing to let Bella see the final price. She was getting better at accepting the Cullen’s endless flow of money, but she still did not like having people spend money on her. Alice had already seen the freak out Bella would have if she knew that here wedding dress alone cost over fourteen thousand dollars, so she played the sister card making Bella pout but relent none the less.
Bella hugged Jade and thanked her for all her help before they headed out into the cold New York afternoon to the waiting town car. Next on the agenda was ‘feeding the human’. Bella spotted a cozy looking bistro so that is where two vampires and a human found themselves ‘having lunch’. Bella had soup and a club sandwich while Alice ordered the same and Rosalie ordered a salad. Bella enjoyed watching how they made their food appear to be eaten without ever taking a bite. She was trying to pay close attention because she knew this was just one of the new skills that she would need to learn.
“Okay, time for more shopping!” Alice announced excitedly as they got back into the waiting car after lunch.
“More shopping? But Alice, I am all shopped out after the dress store.” Bella whined.
“Uh uh, you are not backing out on us now. This is going to be our one and only chance to shop in New York together before your makeover. This is the shopping mecca. You can’t pass up on this opportunity.” Alice sang the praises of retail therapy while she pointed all the window fronts that they drove passed. “Not only that, but you are not going commando under your wedding dress. We need to find the perfect ensemble for you to wear for your wedding day and some fun things for you to bring on your honeymoon.” Alice replied wagging her eyebrows in classic Emmett fashion.
“Alright, you are not allowed to hang out together with my husband for a while. You are picking up his expressions and it is weirding me out.” Rosalie chided with a shudder.
Downtown traffic was maddening. It made Bella miss the quiet of the house. Not just the house, but Carlisle too. She wondered what he was doing right now. Does he miss me? Her phone began ringing to the tune of ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails. She looked at the display to see it was Carlisle.
“Damn Emmett. When the hell did he get a hold of my phone?”
The girls laughed but only because it was Bella and not them. Emmett was notorious for switching ring tones to what he felt were appropriate songs.
“Hello?” she answered the phone.
“There’s the beautiful voice I have been missing.”
Carlisle’s voice was like a soothing balm on her soul, “Hey, I was just thinking about you.”
Carlisle’s smile was clearly heard in his tone, “I hate to sound trite, but I missed you and wanted to see how your day was going.”
“I adore trite,” she stuck her tongue out at Alice and Rosalie as they made gagging faces at her, “Oh! I got a dress!” she said excitedly.
“That is wonderful! Do I get any hints of what it looks like?” he playfully asked.
“It’s white. But that is ALL you are getting out of me.” Bella bantered in return.
Carlisle laughed hardily. She lived for that sound.
“Oh! I have a question for you. I hope you don’t mind, but I kinda asked Rosalie to perform the ceremony for us. Since I am going to be a newborn, I didn’t think a human pastor would be a good idea. Is that a problem?”
“Whatever makes you happy My Bella makes me happy. I am sure Rosalie will do a wonderful job.” He responded.
“Bella, we are here.” Alice interrupted pointing out the window at the sign confirming Bella’s worst nightmare; ‘Agent Provocateur’.
“Oh shit,” she breathed out, but Carlisle heard her.
“Bella are you okay? What’s wrong?” he inquired.
“I’m fine. Can a person die from embarrassment?”
He chuckled as he could practically feel her blush through the phone. “Go have fun with the girls. I’ll see you tonight. I love you.”
“I love you too.” With that she disconnected the call before warily getting out of the car.
Rosalie grabbed Bella’s hand smiling, “This is going to be fun Bella…I promise.”
She winked at her, igniting Bella’s blush once again.
They walked in to be greeted by a statuesque beauty with the brightest smile.
“Miss Alice! It has been forever since we have seen you in our store! You look wonderful darling!” the super model greeted Alice.
“Jessica! You are too sweet.” Alice smiled as she shook her hand.
“Oh darling, your hand is like ice.” Jessica exclaimed, “Come in and warm up.”
Alice followed Jessica further into the store, “Jessica, you remember my sister Rosalie?”
“Oh of course! How are you darling?”
“Fine, thank you.” Rosalie replied with a polite nod.
Alice went on, “And this is our sister-to-be, Bella.”
“Ahhh, you lucky girl, marrying a Cullen man.” Jessica gave her a devilish wink, as she reached for Bella’s hand to shake; turning it over to inspect the ring.
“Oh my, this is quite an exquisite ring.” She paused with a confused expression, “I did not realize that your men had another brother. Speaking of your family; where is Esme?” she asked looking behind them in case she had missed her.
Alice answered solemnly, “We lost Esme in a tragic fire nearly a year ago.”
Jessica covered her mouth as her eyes went wide in horror, “Oh my! I am so sorry for your loss. How is her husband, Carlisle was it?”
Bella began to shy away feeling the pain of remembering that if Esme was still here, that she would not be where she was right now. Alice wrapped her arm protectively around Bella’s shoulder and stood proudly by her side.
“He is good now. It was bad for a long time, but Bella here has given him back his heart.” She said squeezing her a little tighter.
Jessica noticed the way the women flanked this shy brunette and knew that she was special.
“Well then, thank the heavens that you came into his life when you did. Love can grow in the most unexpected places, can it not?”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Rosalie said, “So, as our new sister here will be getting married next winter, we need to get her some awe-inspiring lingerie.” She smiled, effectively lightening the subject.
“Fabulous! Let’s get you ladies set up with dressing rooms and let the fun begin,” Jessica finished with a soft giggle.
Bella let go of the breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding in and followed along with her sisters by her sides. Alice left Bella with Rosalie as she went to assist Jessica in selecting items for all three of them to try on. She came back with an arm full of satin, lace and leather making Bella gulp loudly.
“Leather? Really Alice? I don’t think I can pull off leather.” Bella rebuffed; shaking her head with her hands up in front of her.
“You don’t have to pull it off, Bella. That’s Carlisle’s job!” Rosalie chimed out from behind the dressing room door.
Alice giggled and shook her head, “Bella, have I ever steered you wrong?”
Bella thought for a moment, “No.”
“See? So trust me,” she leaned in so that Jessica could not over hear, “You will find that our sense of smell is acutely heightened and the smell of leather is like an aphrodisiac to our men.”
Bella’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as Alice gave her a huge smile. Bella’s blush, which had just started to calm, rushed back in full force causing the girls to laugh.
“Come on Bella, let’s get you started,” Jessica said as she ushered her into the middle dressing room.
“Here, this one should go well under your wedding gown,” Alice instructed as she handed her an ice blue corset with garters and a matching thong. “And these are for the honeymoon.” She handed her a pile of several different bra and panty sets with some teddies and a few more corsets along with multiple nighties. “This pile is for everyday use.”
Bella noticed that the leather sets were included in this last pile. She giggled when she saw the designs on a few of the sets. There were cherries on a demure white bra with matching thong. There was a green and brown camouflage boy short set. There was even one that was brown with pink polka dots all over. But the one that she really fell in love with was white with a deep purple swirl design that made her breasts look like lollypops.
Alice squealed with laughter as she got hit with the vision of Bella showing Carlisle that particular set. She hopped up on the chair in her dressing room to pop her head over the wall.
“Bella! You naughty girl! If it was possible to give Carlisle a heart attack, that little plan of yours would surely get the job done.”
Bella slapped her hand over her heart at the unexpected intrusion, but then she began to laugh with her as she turned to admire how the set fit her body like a second skin. I should buy two of these…just in case.
“Absolutely!” Alice agreed with the decision Bella made, “I don’t see the first set lasting more than a few minutes.”
“Ewww, Alice! Stop looking at things like that!!!”
Alice popped down just as Rosalie popped up on the other side like a game of Whack-a-Mole.
“Ooooh, now I see what all the fuss is about.” She complimented as Bella whipped around to face the floating blond head. “Alice is right, you should definitely buy two; maybe three. When I find something I really think Emmett will enjoy, I always buy duplicates cause as practiced as he is at using a gentle touch; accidents happen.” She winked at Bella before dropping back down.
“Oh, you aren’t kidding,” the floating pixie head popped back up again as Bella turned around to face it, “I had this one set with confederate flags and Jasper actually tore it to shreds…with his teeth! Lesson learned.” She smiled down at a dizzy Bella.
Soon she was joined by the other talking head and Bella was flipping back and forth like she was watching a tennis match.
“Alright!” she stood in the middle of her dressing room with a hand palm out in the direction of each vampire, “That is quite enough. I get the point. Now, return to your separate rooms and let me finish this whirlwind shopping spree in relative privacy.” She demanded.
“Uh oh, watch out Alice, somebody woke up Bridezilla.” Rosalie quipped.
In a very un-Bella-like moment, she turned and told Rosalie in no uncertain terms that she was ‘number one’.
Alice laughed out loud, but Rosalie just smiled, “Sorry Bella, I don’t swing that way.”
Both vampires burst out laughing as Bella’s jaw hit the ground.
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