Learning to Fly - Ch19

Thanks to all my wonderful readers for your patience and your amazing reviews. I appreciate each and every one. I am so thrilled to announce that ‘Learning to Fly’ recently won ‘Best All Around Story’ in the Rising Star Awards. My undying love and gratitude goes to everyone who voted. I am so proud of my boys for winning their own award! New chapter coming in 2-3 weeks.

Currently working on chapter 2 of All I Want to Hear for those of you who have it on alert.

Thank you as always to my beta mxpi1970 and my pre reader Jasper1863Hale. Both of you are invaluable to me.

As always, all characters created and owned by Stephenie Meyer.

~xxXxx~

CHAPTER 19

Carlisle’s POV

We spent the afternoon at Edward’s apartment, loading both cars with his belongings to move him into our home. I hadn’t known that he rented the place furnished, and so no furniture needed to move; while he packed boxes of books and music, I packed the contents of his wardrobe and chest of drawers into suitcases. Seeing our photos still by his bed, I smiled to myself, placing them amongst his clothes for protection. Most of the kitchen was to stay; his food was boxed, his refrigerator emptied. Edward gathered all of his toiletries and shaving equipment from the bathroom whilst I gathered towels and linens.

Standing surrounded by boxes and cases, he took a long look around before carefully removing a print from its nail on the living room wall, standing it with the rest.

“Is that everything?”

He turned to me.

“That’s it.” He leaned in and kissed me lightly, his nose nudging mine. “Let’s go home.”

My heart soared. He bent down, picking up the first of the boxes and I followed suit. Smiling at me, he hefted the box in his arms.

“Lead the way, handsome.”

It took a few trips to get everything into the cars, but soon the boxes were stashed in the Volvo, the suitcases and bags in the Mercedes. We stood in the empty apartment one last time.

“Are you handing the key straight back to the landlord today?”

He looked confused for a moment.

“I don’t want to pay rent on a place I don’t use, so yeah - going to hand in the key straight away.”

I had an idea.

“Any objections if I make a call first?”

He shook his head and watched as I scrolled through my phone, finding the number. Hitting call, I waited until the voice came on the line.

“Jasper? It’s Carlisle. That new apartment you were looking for? I think I may have just the place. Meet me as soon as you can at Apartment C, 125 Oak Street...”

Waiting around proved to be a lot of fun when there was a comfy couch and a gorgeous man on it to distract me. We kissed and fondled, stopping short of actual dry humping, as we said our goodbyes to Edward’s former home.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock at the open door, and a casually attired Jasper, in jeans, black shirt and a maroon waistcoat, waited there, eyes bright with anticipation. Jumping up and smoothing my hair, I beckoned him in.

“Come on in, Jas, and take a look around. We thought you might like first refusal on this place as Edward and I are now officially living together.”

I couldn’t stop smiling – it was a physical impossibility. Edward’s arm was around my waist, his body flush with mine, and I could feel his heat soaking into me. A few weeks ago I would never have thought it possible that I could desire another so strongly, wanting them repeatedly in a matter of hours and yet, even after our earlier mind-blowing sex, I wanted him again – soon. And what amazed me every single day was that I knew Edward felt exactly the same.

Jasper looked from me to Edward and back again, a grin spreading across his face.

“Congrats guys! I’m stoked for you both! And Alice will be thrilled – does she know yet?”

I shook my head with a chuckle.

“You can tell her if you like. Then I’ll wait for the phone to ring and the excited squealing to start!”

Running his hand through his hair, he walked through to the kitchen, then on to the bedrooms, exclaiming on the size of the main room. Appearing back in the living room, his eyes were bright with excitement.

“There’s so much light! My place is so dark; this is a palace compared to my dump and it’s so much closer to work too. It’s really fully furnished? This is awesome! Who do I call?”

His enthusiasm was infectious. Edward found his landlord’s number and showed it to Jasper who quickly dialled. As he made arrangements to take over the lease, Edward turned and kissed me, sealing the deal.

~xxXxx~

Back at the house, we were unloading the bags and boxes in the garage when Edward looked at me uncertainly.

“We don’t have to keep all my stuff in the house if it’s too much. I know it doesn’t exactly go with your decor.”

I put down the box of books I was holding.

“Do you honestly think I’d ask you to live with me and then make you leave your worldly goods in the garage? There’s plenty of space here for your things. Now, let’s get you unpacked.”

Picking up the box again, I carried it into the kitchen and placed it on the counter top. Edward followed me in with another box and, working together, we soon had everything inside. When I had woken up that morning, I had set about making space in my closet and chest of drawers for his clothes; now there were hangers crying out for his shirts and empty drawer space for his socks and underwear.

The best thing of all was that I no longer had an empty bed that cried out for Edward’s warm body; as of tonight both my heart and my bed would be full, my dream fulfilled. I knew people, and not just Elizabeth, would say it was too fast, that we were rushing things and they were right. It hadn’t been long, yet my world made no sense without him. My yearning for him when we were apart was a constant craving that ate away at my soul like the destructive drug that almost stole him away from me so soon after we first met.

Carrying his cases upstairs, he looked around the room with a smile.

“I can’t quite believe I’m hanging my clothes in our bedroom.”

Leaning against the doorframe, I watched as he took it all in properly for a moment and then turned to me with that beautiful smile that stopped my heart. Crossing the space between us, I ran my hands across his shoulders, my face almost touching his.

“And your toothbrush will be in our bathroom, your books in our living room, and your car in our garage.” I half laughed quietly, my nose nuzzling his for a second.

“It doesn’t feel real,” he confessed. “It feels like I’m not quite awake. When I was staying here, I dreamed of this; being with you always.”

“Then let me make it real.”

My mouth slid down to where his lips were waiting, his breathing quickening in anticipation.

“Welcome home,” I murmured against his parted lips before drawing him into a slow, seductive kiss.

The tip of his tongue sought out its mate, sending heat pulsating through my body. Pulling him in tighter, I deepened the kiss, keeping it unhurried and sensuous, as it pulled us both into a hypnotic trance where the world consisted solely of this room, this moment. I knew then that the kiss could last forever and yet I would still crave more.

And I loved it.

Pulling back with a breathless sigh, he looked into my eyes.

“Now that I live here,” he smiled bashfully, and I loved how happy he was, “I want to set a few rules. Well, okay – one. Hear me out, okay?”

I nodded, somewhat intrigued as to where he was headed.

“My one stipulation is that I get to pay my way.” Despite myself, I opened my mouth to protest; he raised an eyebrow and I shut it again.

“My mom gave me a generous gift today which will pay off quite a bit of the money I owe Emmett for the car. And, what with the money I’ll be saving on rent, I’ll have enough to quickly pay him back in full. So, I want to contribute to the bills around here. I need to be a part of it – do you understand where I’m coming from? I want us to be a partnership.”

While I didn’t need Edward’s money and I certainly didn’t want to take it, I wanted this to be his home and would therefore willingly agree to almost anything he asked if it meant he never left.

“So you’re saying you don’t want to be a kept man? I can live with that. There’s no mortgage on the house as you know, and only the standard bills as such. You won’t be paying rent here as I’m most definitely not your landlord, but, if you say you want to pay a share towards the bills, buy groceries or whatever you think is best, then okay, I agree to that. Just promise me one thing in return...”

“Name it.”

“You accept the occasional gift as being just that – a gift. I will never stop wanting to make you happy, and gifts are a small part of that, no matter if they’re just small and dumb, or a little more ostentatious. I want to show you how much I love you in any way I can.” I grinned and stroked his hair with my thumbs, my hands cupping his face. “And the piano is just such a gift. I know you wanted to pay rental, but just this once I wanted to give you a gift you’d love forever. Are you okay with that?”

His open smile and tight embrace told me he was.

Leaving him to unpack, I set to integrating his books and music into my library. Finding a few duplicate classical CDs, I set them aside; our taste in literature was diverse, and I found no doubles as I sorted and shelved. Hearing Edward’s footfalls on the stairs, he appeared a couple of seconds later in the doorway.

“All done upstairs!” He looked at the shelves. “Wow; my stuff doesn’t even make a dent, does it.”

Picking up the CDs from the carpet, he smiled.

“You already have these?”

“Yep. I guess our tastes are pretty similar when it comes to the classics.”

He laid them on the table with a clatter.

“Guess I get to keep them in my car then. So, what should we-“

The phone rang and, with an eyebrow flash at me, Edward answered it, his first call as an official member of the Cullen household. Or should that be the Masen-Cullen household? My mind wandered down happy pathways as I heard his voice, bright and upbeat, talking to his mom. This time he sounded more positive and in control; I hoped this meant an end to hostilities or, at the very least, a ceasefire for today. From what he’d told me, it seemed she had left with some level of acceptance about us. I hoped it would flourish, and that in time she would feel comfortable enough to come to stay here for visits with him and the awkwardness between the three of us would eventually dissipate.

“Okay mom; love you too. Yes, I’ll tell him, I promise.” He grinned and looked at me then. “Bye mom.”

He replaced the handset, and I had to ask, curiosity eating away at me even as I dreaded the response.

“Well? What’s the verdict? She didn’t seem keen on me at all, a fact she made quite clear yesterday. She thinks I’m unsuitable for you.”

The memory depressed me. I couldn’t love him more if I lived to be 300 years old. I didn’t know what else I could do to win her approval to be in love with her son.

“She seems okay; in fact she asked if I was all moved in.”

My eyes widened.

“And...?”

“Well... she wouldn’t be drawn, but she said she’ll be in touch with you shortly.”

“With me? Why? Is she coming around to the idea of us? I don’t expect too much – her acceptance of me just being in your life is the best I’m prepared to hope for.”

He smiled, his eyes sparkling.

“You know, when we were at the airport, she told me to leave and get back to my handsome man waiting for me.”

“She really said that?”

“Yeah, she thinks you’re handsome too.” He tilted his head in amusement. “She and I clearly have the same good taste!” His smile was wicked as he walked over to me, his hand reaching around to stroke my ass.

Pulling him close, I relished his rapid inhalation when I lowered my face to his neck, dropping a feather soft kiss to his throat. Smiling to myself, my nose caressed the underside of his jaw, his head tilting to give me better access.

“Don’t start what you don’t intend to finish, Mr Masen; I’m an expert at this game.”

Struggling to remain calm and unaffected, he turned to look at me, an eyebrow raised as if in challenge.

“Again? Didn’t you get enough this morning, Doctor?”

His teasingly mocking tone only served to inflame me further, and I bit his ear before fluttering my tongue inside.

“Enough? Is there such a thing?” My whisper sent a shudder coursing through his body; I could feel the goose bumps rise on his skin as my hand inched under his shirt.

Pulling back abruptly, my hand retreated and I watched as he swayed unsteadily, confusion and desire etched across his features.

“Of course, if you’ve had enough for now, I’ll get on with hanging those pictures...”

As I made to move away, a hand clamped down on my wrist, the other winding behind my neck in the second before his lips crashed into mine, all pretence over. The air around us thickened with carnal hunger, a deliciously potent fog that clouded my rational mind and freed my animal instincts.

Drunk on desire, I breathed him in; our kiss was deep and demanding, branding each other with heat and uncontrolled passion.

One single word shone, bright as silver, in my head. It was a thought that I knew I shared with Edward in that moment.

Mine.

~xxXxx~

Rolling over onto his elbow next to me, his hair gloriously dishevelled by my own proprietary hands, Edward bit his lip.

“So I thought of something. What exactly did you have planned for my birthday? You still haven’t said, and it is still my birthday for a little while longer.”

My eyes roamed the length of his body, lingering where my come was smeared across his stomach. The sight of him, flushed and replete for now, put me in the mood to tease.

“I had booked us a couple of nights away in a cottage, not too far from here. It’s secluded and private in its own grounds with a view of the ocean; it’s perfect for some time alone. Of course, that was before, when we were living apart. Now that you’re here, I guess you wouldn’t want to go now. I should cancel the reservation.”

I kept my face impassive, waiting for his reaction. His eyes had lit up at the prospect, and when I mentioned cancelling, they had widened in alarm.

“Two days with no interruptions? And we can be naked whenever we want?”

I swear I saw drool on his chin, and I couldn’t hold back my mirth. My voice was choked with laughter.

“Would you still like to go, Edward? I won’t mind if you say no.”

He rolled completely over until he was lying across me, pinning me to the floor.

“When do we leave?”

~xxXxx~

I rang that night to confirm the reservation was still available and to make the payment. We were packed and on the road early the next morning.

Edward spoke to Emmett on the way, letting him know we wouldn’t be home. Hearing him agreeing with Emmett, laughing and telling him he was a smart ass, I grinned. When he hung up he turned to me.

“Emm sends his congratulations to us both and said he told mom on Saturday night that this would happen.” He frowned for a second. “Come to think of it, I told mom to call me on my cell, but she rang the house phone. How did she even get the number?”

“I gave it to her. I figured she might want to speak to me again when she had had some time to think about everything that happened this weekend. That’s okay, isn’t it? And as you live there now, she would have had it anyway at some point.”

He sat back in his seat, and just for a moment I feared I had overstepped the mark.

“Edward?”

He looked at me for a moment, before blinking. “Hmm?”

“Should I not have given it to her? I wasn’t being presumptuous, just...”

“No! No, it’s fine! I was just marvelling at how Emm knows us better than we know ourselves. He saw this coming; when I went back to work, he made a comment about my moving back home. It made me think.” His long fingers raked his hair. “I knew then I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want to assume anything with us.” He gave an embarrassed laugh. “I was prepared to wait as long as it took for us to be together. I just can’t imagine not being with you now.”

His hand rested loosely across my leg, and I squeezed it.

“I know the feeling.”

It was a short drive to the cottage, and soon I was turning down the dead end road that curved round, before the house itself hove into view. It was almost entirely surrounded by water, the Sound making the perfect backdrop for a relaxing weekend. I saw the car parked to the side and knew the owners were here, dropping off the keys. Switching off the engine, I climbed out, collecting the bags from the trunk, and went inside. Edward followed me in, looking around. The lady owner, Mrs Cooper, was inside, checking everything was up to scratch and handed me the key, wishing us a pleasant stay. As her car drove away, I turned the key in the door.

Edward was in the lounge room in front of a banked fireplace.

“Is this real?” He looked dubious.

I grinned. “It’s real, and we’ll need it later; it gets cold up here at night.”

“You’ve been here before?” His face dropped and I realised that he was imagining Marcus and I enjoying the private space.

“Yes; a private function for the hospital. A group of us came out here for a weekend to hold an informal conference. It’s a quiet, ideal setting to get work done.”

I could see the relief in his posture, and I felt bad for him.

“Edward, I’ve only ever been here the once, and I thought of it immediately when I planned this little break. Somewhere that can be just ours for the time we’re here. No other connotations.” I reached for his hand. “Shall we look around?”

Picking up the bags between us, he grasped my offered hand and together we took the stairs and found the biggest bedroom all ready for us. The room was decorated in a soft, cornflower blue, emphasising the stunning view outside the window. Dropping the bags on the bed, we walked to the window, my arms slipping around his waist, holding his warm body close to mine. We stood in silence, watching a ferry cross the Sound, before I let my arms slide free, walking back to the bags. I retrieved the few clothes I had brought and hung them up before going in search of the bathroom, finding it down the hall. When I returned, Edward’s spare shirt, jeans and underwear were hung over the chair, and I laughed to myself, guessing that was where they would stay until either worn, or repacked. He saw my face and smirked, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

“What? It’s not worth hanging them up. Besides, you promised me two days of naked fun and so far, we’re both still clothed.”

Crawling across the bed to me, his eyes threw down a challenge. Bending down to brush my lips over his, I backed away before he could entice me further.

“I vote we eat first, build up our strength, and then we can take our time. Did I mention there’s a hot tub?”

His face lit up.

“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

“Funnily enough, neither did I.”

Sliding quickly off of the bed, he walked to the door, grabbing my hand on the way.

“Let’s eat!”

Making our way to the kitchen, we explored the refrigerator and selected some fresh salad and lobster and, working together, we had a meal prepared in no time at all. Carrying out the food to the balcony, we sat looking out over the Sound as we ate, the birds wheeling overhead providing us with an ambient backdrop. From our elevated viewpoint, I showed Edward where we had been on the boat, and roughly where the whales were that he so badly wanted to see. I hadn’t forgotten about that – it was on my list of things to do that would make Edward happy.

Lunch done, I went to fetch some fruit salad for dessert. Edward followed me in and flopped onto the comfy couch and it was there that I found him, sprawled out happily. He made to move when I returned, but I stopped him, sitting on the rug beside him.

“Dessert?” I proffered the fruit platter temptingly; I waited until his hand reached out before I moved it out of reach. I chuckled at his pout.

“I have an idea. Are you game?”

He grinned. “What d’you have in mind?”

I stood up, placing the fruit on the table.

“Wait there.” I went upstairs, returning swiftly to find him waiting with interest now.

“What do you have behind your back? Should I be worried?”

Kneeling next to him, I produced a light scarf, ostensibly for the colder evenings should we venture outside. With a grin, I wrapped it around his eyes, adjusting it to make sure he couldn’t see, placing the lube and condoms from my pocket on the floor nearby. Returning to the kitchen, I collected a fresh hand towel and a bottle of easy-squeeze honey.

“Edward, did you ever see an old 80’s movie, ‘9 ½ weeks’? It has a very famous scene in it.”

“Never heard of it. What ‘s it about?”

Leaning in, I licked his lip. “Let me show you.”

Selecting a succulent piece of fresh pineapple, I touched it to his lower lip for the briefest of moments to leave only the most subtle flavour residue. His tongue automatically licked his lip, his mouth opening in expectation. This time I touched it to his upper lip, again out of reach of his questing tongue. He made a sound of annoyance and tried to reach up for the fruit, a droplet of juice falling onto his chin. I watched fascinated as his tongue chased and captured it, fighting every urge I had to just kiss him into unconsciousness. I lowered the pineapple segment to his mouth, letting him mouth it a little and pull it in far enough to bite off a piece. As the last of it disappeared, I touched my wet fingers to his lower lip, gasping when his tongue flickered out to collect the juice there before he reached up and captured my middle finger, sucking it into his hot mouth right to the base.

I groaned at the sensation, the sight of it turning me on more than I could ever have believed. Leaning in, I slid my finger free and bit his luscious lower lip, sucking it into my mouth for a second before pulling away. His head lifted from the couch as he tried to kiss me; I held back until, seeing his frustration, I slid my hand under his head, my fingers tangling in his hair as my mouth finally melded with his.

Breaking free, my breathing uneven, I saw the tell-tale flush in his cheeks and I knew that beneath the scarf his eyes were darkening. I slid his shirt up over his stomach, bunching it up over his ribs. Reaching for the honey, I flipped open the cap and saw Edward’s face register confusion.

“Lube? Shouldn’t I at least take my pants off first?”

Shaking the bottle, I smiled to myself. “It’s not lube, my love.”

Squeezing the bottle lightly, I drizzled a tiny amount of honey over his nipple, enjoying his sudden flinch at the unexpected sensation. Then it was my turn; I sucked his nipple into my mouth, revelling in his groan. One thing I had learned about Edward – he had the most exquisitely sensitive nipples, and I adored pleasuring him that way, torturing the swollen nubs with my fingers, lips and teeth. Leaning over his prone figure, I dribbled more honey onto its twin, this time flickering my tongue over it before using my teeth to remove most of the sweet coating. Sharp cries escaped him each time my teeth passed across the reddened nub and I knew he wouldn’t take much more before he pulled me onto the couch with him.

With honey smeared across my mouth, I kissed him, finally letting him in on the action. He licked my lips and grinned.

“That was incredible. What do you have planned next?”

I traced the outline of his jaw, running my finger over the bow of his lip, before I reached over and untied the scarf.

Now or never.

“I want us to watch this.” I held up the DVD from the CCTV footage.

He cringed. “Why? That’s so embarrassing.”

“Maybe. But honestly, it’s you and me, and we’re so amazing together. Don’t you want to see how hot we are?” He looked doubtful, and I nuzzled his neck playfully, whispering the words directly into his ear. “I want to see how incredibly hot you looked when you were fucking me because if watching it is even half as good as doing it was....” I tailed off at his sharp inhalation. “Please?”

I pressed a kiss to his throat and he swallowed hard.

“Okay. But I get control of the remote.”

“Done.”

I loaded the DVD and switched on the flat screen. Handing the remote to Edward, I leaned back against the couch and felt his fingers grip my shoulder when the screen lit up and the bar came into view once more.

When we kissed on the screen, I could feel his awkwardness in the way his grip initially tightened, and I reached up to massage his fingers. When his hand loosened, I turned it over to kiss his palm before turning back to the screen.

I watched myself walk him back across the bar, remembering in that moment just how urgent my need for him had been that night. I had spent the day missing him, knowing I wouldn’t see him until the following evening, but then, on arriving home, I had found the food he had brought for me and the key he had left on the piano. After that, I had known that I couldn’t wait until the party to touch him again, and I had gone to him as if pulled by an invisible cord.

Even without sound, the images were having a profound effect on me. I could feel the heat prickling under my skin as I remembered how badly I had wanted to taste him. Edward had been so turned on that he had been shaking with need under my lips and hands. Watching myself unfasten his pants, I heard his breathing catch behind me, his fingers burying themselves in my hair. The absent minded scratching of his blunt nails across my scalp sent shivers down my spine. Encouraged by the fact that he hadn’t yet stopped the disc, I leaned back into him, feeling his warm mouth on my neck as I watched him bare his ass to me on the screen. I gasped aloud at the dual sensation of lips sucking my earlobe, and the sight of his tight rose offered up to me so willingly on the silent screen.

I swallowed hard at the images of my rimming him, remembering his silent, delirious surrender as I teased his entrance, watching him writhing in ecstasy under my touch. My heart pounded at the evocative images, seeing the power and the passion of the two of us together.

“Edward, you are so beautiful...“ My breathing quickened, my chest almost pained with mounting lust.

By the time my onscreen Edward had mounted me, fucking me forcefully across the bar stool, I was inarticulate. He was the image of control and power, owning my body, playing it like his piano. My hand had slipped to my groin, massaging my erection through my pants; audible sighs escaped my lips as I gazed at the screen, unable to tear my eyes away from his magnificence. I could feel the pleasure radiating out from the images and I remembered how good it had felt when he laid over me and fisted my cock, his own slamming into me.

My head fell back, my eyes closed; his insistent lips found mine with some force, his hand covering mine as I unashamedly palmed myself, the images too much for me not to react. His hand stilled mine and the kiss broke; he gazed into my pleading eyes, my heaving breaths loud and desperate in the silence.

“Watching that, I want to be inside you as soon as fucking possible. Like right now.”

I moaned long and low. He slid off the couch onto the rug, roughly pulling at his belt and buttons, yanking the denim from his legs, his cock tenting the front of his briefs. I fumbled with my own, managing to pull them open and kick them off, hurling them across the floor. I almost threw him the lube and condoms in my haste, feeling him pull down my briefs and spread my cheeks, his warm breath ghosting across my entrance. Feeling his wet tongue investigating, I groaned uncontrollably, pushing up into his mouth, needing everything he could give me.

The lapping, the teasing, the flickering... I was dying of pleasure. His torturous tongue finally breached me, and I had to brace myself to stop my legs shaking, my need for him growing exponentially by the second. My briefs were stretched tight between my thighs, holding my legs in position, my cock bouncing against my stomach, aching for release.

Hearing the click of the lube bottle, I almost cried out in anticipation. He didn’t keep me waiting; there was a cold drizzle on my ass right before his cock pushed in with no further niceties. I was dazed with hunger for him, and he didn’t disappoint. Pulling back, he started to thrust, my breathless groans spurring him on to pound me relentlessly. Knowing how badly I needed to come, he reached around once again and fisted my leaking cock. My body was lost to pleasure and I screamed out his name as I came in heavy streams, my body clenching down on him as my orgasm crashed over me. I heard his gasps as he rode out my spasms, before following me into nirvana with a helpless roar.

We collapsed into a heap on the rug, still joined, our sweating bodies bearing testament to our fervour.

Looking up, I saw the two of us laughing on the screen, sneaking out the door.

Sorry, Emmett...

~xxXxx~