I jumped lithely through her bedroom as I had done so many times before, but this time was different. Bella had not yet fallen asleep. She was sitting on her bed, tears falling silently down her cheeks. I should have turned around and jumped out, but I hesitated. In that moment, Bella got out of bed and closed the distance between us.

"I-I I thought you were gone," she whispered.

"I shouldn't have come," I told her. "It was wrong of me. I'm sorry, I'll leave."

"Wait!" she cried "Don't leave," she said, her voice softer than before.

I watched as she moved towards me, her scent intoxicating me, her heartbeat drawing me in.

"Bella, I don't think you should come any closer."

She blushed, then, her face turning the most luscious red I had ever seen. In this small room, her scent was maddening, I could see the blood pulsating through her body, hear her heartbeat as it muted every other sound for miles. She touched my face, slowly, hesitantly. It was at once the most pleasurable and painful experience of my life. The heat of her, the scent of her, the beauty of her, I could no longer resist them.

I felt the cell phone in my pocket vibrate. Alice would have seen, of course. I faltered. Should I answer the phone? Or should I do what I've wanted to do for months? Bella made the decision for me. She moved closer to me than I thought possible. I lowered my head and grazed her lips gently. The heat shocked me; she was so soft, so warm, so beautiful.

She pressed her body against my own and ran her fingers through my hair, knotting them in it and pulling me closer. Her lips moved against mine wildly, passionately. I knew that I should move, I should leave… but I did neither. Instead I kissed her back, allowing the hunger for her blood to be transferred into hunger for her body. My hands moved of their own accord. I have no control tonight; I don't want to have control tonight. She broke the kiss finally, gasping for breath. She sat on the edge of her bed. Her fingers touched her lips as she gazed at me.

"Why are you here?" she whispered, her voice wavering.

I paused for a moment. "I don't know." I finally said. "Do you want me to leave?"

She blushed and bit her lower lip nervously while she thought of the answer. "No, I don't," she admitted.

I pushed her back against the bed, her heartbeat thundered against my chest as I lowered myself on top of her. Her hands roamed my body, clutching me frantically as I pressed my lips roughly against hers. Her hunger ignited the hunger I struggled to keep under control. I was dimly aware of voices approaching the house, but Bella moaned as my fingers reached her breast, and I was lost in her. My lips moved from her lips as I trailed kisses down her neck. I could feel the pulse against my lips – so close, so seductive. I moved down her neck to her collarbone.

I stopped only to pull off the tank top she wore to bed. I looked down at her, with her face flushed, chest heaving, body trembling, she was beautiful. I lowered my lips to the top of her breast, savoring both the warmth and the scent of her blood. I was so close to her heart. As my lips touched her breast, she arched her back and pulled me closer to her. That was all it took. One minute, I was kissing her, the next my teeth sank into the tender flesh beneath me and her warm, sweet blood seeped into my mouth.

I heard a gasp behind me. "Jasper, what have you done?"