I put Bella down onto the bed and stared at her. “I didn’t think this through,” I chuckled.
“You’re not … Edward?” she frowned.
“Give me five minutes to put out the fire pit, start the dishwasher and check on our offspring,” I said, shrugging sheepishly. “This was so much easier when we were not encumbered with the necessities of adulthood.”
“True,” Bella smirked. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to freshen up. Go, deal with the realities of being an adult.”
I kissed her deeply, sliding my tongue between her lips and tasting her essence, her sweetness. She moaned, gripping my shirt and trying to keep me in our bedroom. I pulled back, panting heavily. “Five minutes. I promise, cara,” I growled. She nodded, watching me as I turned to deal with the cleanup from the evening.
I reluctantly left our bedroom and dealt with the firepit. When I was done with that, I armed security system and started the dishwasher, putting our wine glasses inside. My last stop was to check on Charlie. He asleep in his crib, his little butt sticking up. I snorted, pushing his bottom down and settling him on the mattress. Covering him with a blanket, I left the nursery and walked to my bedroom.
Inside, the lights were dimmed, with candles lit all around our room, bathing the room in soft, incandescent light. Bella was seated on our bed, wearing a simple navy blue nightie. I could see the outline of her bare breasts and I salivated at being able to touch her once again. Her hair tumbled down over shoulders in loose curls. “Everything’s taken care of,” I said. Bella looked up at me and her eyes were glazed over, with a touch a fear lingering behind her espresso eyes. “Bella?”
“I’m ugly,” she sniffled, covering the scars on her right arm. They were fading on her pale skin, but they did mar her skin, a cruel reminder of the torture she’d endured. “I was proud of how I looked, but now? I’m covered in …”
“Stop it,” I said. “You are gorgeous, inside and out, Bella.” I held out my hand. She looked at it blandly. “Take my hand, cara. Come with me, please?”
She sighed, placing her left hand into mine. I helped her off the bed and stood her in front of the full-sized mirror in our bedroom. I stood behind her, my hands on her hips. She was looking at her toes, not at her reflection. “Bella, look at yourself. Please?” She blinked up, wrinkling her nose as she tried to hide her arms. I stopped her hands, threading my fingers with hers and holding her in my arms. “What do you see?”
“A hot mess,” she grumbled, frowning deeply.
“Bella,” I frowned. “You are not a hot mess. You’re healing. When we found you, that was a hot mess. The whole situation was a clusterfuck of epic proportions thanks to Renee and her connection to Ricardo. Now? I don’t see that. I never did and I never will, cara.”
“I still do,” she shrugged. “I still see these scars. I still feel his hands. I want to try. I need to try. I want to forget … I need you, but when I changed into this nightie … it all came crashing down.”
“Let me tell you what I see,” I said, gently moving her hair over her shoulders. “I see a strong, beautiful woman with alabaster skin, that is creamy and so soft to the touch; rose-petal lips I can’t stop kissing and hair the color of mahogany, flowing down in soft chocolate waves. She’s been hurt, but she’s healing.” I slid my hands down her arms, directly over her scars. Bella shivered. I moved my hand under hers and weaved my fingers with hers. I gently moved her arms so they were raised up as I glided my hands down her waist. “She’s slender, but sexy with the perfect amount of curves.”
“Edward …” she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut.
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