This was my entry for the Scene Stealers Contest. Go on over to their site and read the other entries - there are some really great ones! www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2528727/Scene_Stealers_Contest

Much love and kisses to HollettLA, who came it at the last second and saved my butt by beta'ing this baby - thanks, love!

Disclaimer: The characters and original text of the Twilight series are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author of this entry is in no way associated with said owners and no copyright infringement is intended.

My stomach churned as I hung up the phone. James was holding Renee hostage. What was I going to do? What could I do?

I walked out into the living room, where Alice sat on the couch looking worriedly at me.

"I don't know what to do, Alice." My whole body was shaking. If I allowed the tears to come I would descend into hysterics, I was certain.

"Oh, God, Bella! Please tell me what just happened. I'm getting so many different visions right now; it's scaring the hell out of me!" Alice was in front of me before I could blink, concern and panic evident in her features.

"Wh…What do you see?" I stammered. Alice looked away as she let the visions come. Her shoulders shook with a sob.

"Bella, please! It's terrible!" She wailed.

"I can't tell. He'll kill her." I whispered shakily and crumpled to the floor, trying to hold myself together.

"Shh, it'll be okay. We'll make it okay. Edward's on his way, and once you're together, it'll all be alright," she soothed. I wished with all my heart that I could believe her.

"He…he has my mother," I whispered so quietly that a human wouldn't have heard me. "He wants me to go to my house and wait for him to call. If anyone is with me, he'll kill her!"

Alice let out a long breath, relief evident on her face.

"You were going to go by yourself, weren't you?" she scolded.

"Yes." I admitted meekly. "We have to save her, Alice! There has to be a way for you all to follow me there without his knowing!" I looked into her eyes, pleading.

"You've got to be kidding! Do you actually think that we would let you get anywhere near James? When Edward gets here, he is taking you far away. The rest of us will take care of James. Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe!"

"It's not me that I'm worried about, Alice! I can't ask all of you to risk your lives – what if he figures it out? He'll kill my mother and he could kill you! I couldn't live with myself if that happened. I have to go!" I was almost shrieking at this point.

"If you're there and he figures out that we've followed, he'll kill you and your mother. Is that what you want? Do you really want to do that to Edward? To me? If you haven't noticed, I've grown quite fond of you. And what do you think Edward would do? Do you think he would just say "Oh, poor Bella. I guess we can go home now?" No! He would avenge you. He would fight James until one of them was dead. Is that what you want?"

I could no longer hold back the tears. They burst forth with a loud, violent sob as my body quaked from my desperate situation. I collapsed in Alice's lap as she pulled out her cell phone.

She must have called Jasper, because I was suddenly overtaken by calm. My sobs subsided and I slowly sat up. Jasper stood in the doorway.

"Thank you, Jasper," I said gratefully, wiping my face with my hands.

"You're welcome. Now, care to tell me what this is all about?" he walked in and sat on the couch, frowning at Alice.

While Alice filled him in, I thought about Edward. He was coming to get me. Where would we go? He could take me to Siberia for all I cared, as long as I got to be with him. I imagined what it would be like, just the two of us, alone. Warmth spread through me, and I blushed at my thoughts. Jasper looked over at me and smirked as my blush deepened. I really wished I could stop blushing, as I'm sure I was already pushing the limits of Jasper's control. I sat back and listened in on their conversation. They were discussing strategies for rescuing my mother.

Panic threatened to engulf me again as I thought of my mother being held captive by a sadistic vampire.

She must be so frightened!

As I thought of the Cullens and their role in this mess, Jasper raised an eyebrow at me. I felt another wave of calm wash over me.

"Bella, it's going to be alright. We'll get your mother back safely. Alice is looking into different futures and most of the outcomes are fine."

"Most? Alice, can you see my mother? Will she be okay? Oh, God! She's going to be traumatized after this! How do we explain what happened to her?" I teetered on the edge of panic again, but Jasper's calming influence kept me from falling.

"Just let her concentrate, Bella. We have to go to the airport soon."

The thought of seeing Edward again pulled me back from the edge even further. The feelings of panic were pushed aside by anticipation and impatience. Jasper smiled.

I was once again immersed in thoughts of Edward, the two of us alone in a little cabin in some remote area, when Alice came out of her trance and jumped up.

"Time to go!" she said cheerily. I looked at her features for signs of repressed worry, but I saw none.

"My mother? Did you see her?"

"No, I didn't. But I see us killing James, so don't worry. He might have her hidden in another room or something. It's going to be fine!"

"What? You can't see her! Alice, you have to let me come! I have to help her! Even if she's okay, I have to be there for her after. She's going to be so frightened!"

"Bella, you cannot be anywhere near him. I don't see that going well at all. Edward is going to get you as far away from here as he can, and we are going to kill James and take your mother to a hospital. They will give her a sedative, and we will convince her that her fear made her see things differently than they were. "

"Did you see that?"

"No," she frowned, "but that's what we'll do. So, don't worry!"

I stared at her in disbelief. As if I wasn't going to worry.

"And you know that if you decide to try and get away from us, I'll see it. So, don't even attempt it!" She smiled happily at me and took Jasper's hand as he opened the hotel room door.

I grabbed my backpack and shuffled after them, not feeling very hopeful. At least I was calm. Thank goodness for Jasper's continued presence. I didn't know what I'd do when it was just Edward and me.

Hmm, Edward is very good at distracting me…

I spent the car ride to the airport imagining all the ways that Edward could distract me while his family rescued my mother. When we got to the airport, Alice asked me how I was feeling.

"Um, I'm okay."

"Yes, she's been distracting herself quite effectively." Jasper winked at me as he took Alice's hand.

"Oh, I see… I was wondering why Jasper was starting to get frisky!" Alice laughed.

I walked behind Alice and Jasper, looking down at their feet to hide my flaming blush.

My embarrassment was forgotten as we reached the waiting area. Edward's flight was on time, and he should be on the ground at any minute. I should have been excited, nervous, worried, but I felt a barrier of calm keeping all of those other emotions at bay. So when Alice insisted that I get something to eat, I was relieved when Jasper followed us.

I wasn't so calm that I could stomach solid food, but Alice was adamant that my stomach not be growling when Edward arrived, so I settled for a smoothie.

As we sat back down in the arrivals area, I contemplated our situation. Would I have been able to get away from Alice and Jasper, if I had listened to James and not told them? With Alice's vision, I really don't know how I would have managed it. Although, there was the bathroom on the third floor…the one with two doors. Once I had left through the wrong door and had gotten completely turned around.

Hmm, it might have worked.

But, then what would I have done? Walked in to the ballet studio and let James kill me? Would he really have let my mother go? Probably not. Yes, telling Alice had been the right thing to do.

I noticed that people were beginning to stream out of the arrivals exit. I jumped out of my seat and stood on my tiptoes, waiting for the love of my life to walk through the doors.

I didn't have to wait long before I saw the bronze haired, god-like creature walking towards me with a huge smile on his face. I ran toward him, and he scooped me up in his arms and held me so tightly that I could hardly breathe. His wonderfully sweet breath washed over me as he peppered kisses all over my face, and if he hadn't been holding me up, my knees would have given out on me.

I could never live without this man.

I thought back to what Alice had told me, about how one becomes a vampire. I would put up with any amount of pain if it meant that I could be with Edward forever. I would discuss it with Edward when we got to our destination. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset with Alice for telling me. Why didn't he want me to know about it? Did he not want me around forever? I didn't want to think about that, so I focused on his arms around me and his face in my hair.

This was heaven.

I felt his body tense and he released me, wrapping his arm around my waist and tucking me into his side. Alice and Jasper were with us, and from the scowl on Edward's face, I guessed that they were mentally updating him on our situation.

"Come on, love," he began pulling me towards the ticket counter.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not exactly sure yet. Do you have your passport with you?" I shook my head. I had packed so quickly that I'd forgotten it. Besides, I hadn't been expecting to leave the country. Frowning, he continued. "We'll fly north, but then we're going to get a car and keep going. I think that James had someone watching the airport in Vancouver, and when I got on a plane, that clued him in that you were here. He's not working alone."

Alice and Jasper waited for us as Edward purchased two tickets to…Saskatchewan? What kind of a place was that?

As we walked toward security, Edward discussed our plans with Alice and Jasper. Their voices were too low for me to make out much. When we reached the line for security, Alice pulled me into a hug.

"We'll take good care of Renee. You enjoy your alone time with Edward and don't worry about a thing! We'll call you as soon as it's all over," she whispered in my ear. I waved at Jasper and turned back into Edward's embrace. I hoped he never let me go.

As if he could actually read my mind, he squeezed me close to him and whispered, "Don't worry, love, I've got you now, and I'm never letting you go." I wrapped both my arms around his waist and buried my head in his chest as he stroked my hair. "It's all going to work out. You'll see."

As we boarded the flight, I found myself looking around nervously, in case we were being followed. I knew it was ridiculous, that Edward would know way before I would if another vampire was on the plane, but I couldn't help myself.

As we sat in our seats, I began to feel Jasper's absence. The worry began to rise in me, making its way to becoming full-on panic. I was so scared for Renee. I couldn't believe that I was on a plane and running away when she needed me.

"Edward, I can't do this! I've got to help Renee! Please!" I looked up into his eyes, pleading with him.

"Bella! Be serious. There is nothing you can do, except get yourself and your mother killed. I will not allow it."

I began to bounce agitatedly in my seat, feeling helpless and cowardly. Edward stared at me, concern written all over his face. He leaned over to me, his face inches away from mine.

"Would you like me to distract you, Bella?" His breath caressed my cheek, while my own breath caught in my throat. I nodded, unable to speak.

He placed his forehead against mine, caressing my cheek with one hand.

"I love you," he breathed. My eyelids fluttered closed, and I gasped as I felt his other hand rubbing the top of my thigh. He placed kisses on my forehead, my temple, and my cheeks. I held my breath, silently willing his lips where I most wanted him.

I felt cool fingers gently running across my lips, his breath still washing over my face.

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered, and I inhaled shakily before I felt his cool lips against my own.

Somehow, I managed to remember that we were on an airplane, and I stayed perfectly still while Edward kissed me. His hand continued to caress my thigh while the other found its way to my hair, and his lips began to move over mine. Slowly, so that he would know that I was still in control of myself, I ran my hands up his chest until they were on his face. I thought I heard him moan softly as I began caressing his skin, but I couldn't be sure. Just the possibility of Edward moaning sent my heart rate skyrocketing and made me light-headed, which Edward took as the signal to stop.

He pulled his head away slightly, and my eyes opened wide.

"No! I still need distracting!"

He chuckled softly and pulled me to him, tucking my head into the crook of his neck. We spent the remainder of the flight memorizing each other's features, our hands exploring each other's faces, and even each other's bodies. We had never touched each other so intimately before, but in the time between the ill-fated ball game and his flight to Phoenix, our need for each other had grown exponentially. We'd only been apart for a short while, but it had been fraught with worry that we would never see each other again. I felt like we'd been apart for months, and I desperately needed to reconnect with him. From the intense way his eyes roamed over my face and the barely restrained urgency with which his hands travelled my body, I'd say that he felt the same.

We had a connecting flight in Denver, and then it was straight on to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, apparently somewhere in Canada.

Edward rented us a small SUV for our drive north. When Alice had seen where we were headed, she had rented us a cabin on a lake in northern Saskatchewan. Knowing Alice, it wouldn't be the small, rustic cabin that I had daydreamed about. Even with the dire situation we had left behind in Phoenix, I still couldn't help but be a little bit excited about being holed up in a beautiful cabin on a lake with Edward.

The highway was decorated with quaint little farming communities and somewhere between Rosthern and MacDowall, I was finally overcome by sleepiness.

When I awoke some time later, Edward was pulling into a Burger King drive-thru.

"I've never been to Canada before – can you get deer in a drive-thru?" I asked sleepily.

"Very funny. What would you like?"

After he ordered and I was hungrily eating my bacon double cheeseburger and fries in the front seat, I heard his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Panic gripped my stomach once again, and I almost gagged on my burger. Edward held the phone to his ear and I could hear Alice's voice start, without waiting for him to say hello.

Well, at least Alice is okay.

Edward looked at me out of the corner of his eye. I couldn't read his expression.

"We're still driving… no, of course not…yes, I'll tell her."

He placed the phone back in his pocket and looked at me. I was frozen in place, waiting to hear whether they were able to rescue my mother, or if…

I couldn't bear to think of the alternative.

"Renee wasn't there, Bella. It was a ruse to get you to the studio. She is still in Florida, and perfectly safe."

Relief washed over me, as I drew in a deep, shaky breath. I held it, trying to keep the tears at bay, but all the hours of worry and tension demanded an escape. As I let out my breath, sobbing tears came out with it. Edward pulled the SUV over onto the shoulder of the deserted road and pulled me onto his lap.

"Shh, it's okay Bella. It's all okay." As he held me, stroking my hair and back, a thought occurred to me.

"Is it all okay? What happened to James? Is your family alright?"

"My family is fine, Bella. But James got away. We have no idea where he's gone. We're going to have to keep moving to avoid him"

"Do you think he knows where we are?"

"I doubt it. But we're not going to stay in one place for very long, just in case."

He closed his arms more tightly around me and I couldn't help but feel safe in his protective embrace. But I hated the thought of his family out there, chasing after a rogue, lunatic vampire. An idea struck me.

"We should go back, Edward."

"What?"

"We should go back to Phoenix. Now that we know that my mother is safe, we can go back, and James would come after me again. But it'd be all of you against him. Safety in numbers, right?"

"So, you want us to use you as bait?" He said disbelievingly.

"Uh, yes, I guess so." I shuffled my feet.

"No." His hands were on his hips, brow furrowed.

"Oh, come on Edward! It's a good plan. It'll finish this quickly." I pleaded.

"No. I will not have you anywhere near him. I will not take chances with your life."

"My life? What about your family's lives?"

"My family can look after themselves, Bella. They wouldn't allow you to risk your life, either."

We glared into each other's eyes, and the atmosphere around us began to crackle.

"So that's it? I don't get a say?"

His face crumpled in pain as he took my face in his hands.

"Bella, you are my life. Would you take it away from me so easily? Please, Bella! Please, at least try to keep yourself safe. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you!" I didn't have a chance to answer him, as his lips met mine hungrily.

The raw emotions of the previous day burst forth and my hands gripped his back, desperately trying to meld our bodies together. His hands began to travel over my body, like they had in the airplane. I began to feel a burning ache in my core and I found myself instinctively squirming in his lap, trying to gain some relief.

Gasping, Edward pulled away. Once again, I had gone too far.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I whispered, "it's just that I need you so much!"

"Oh, Bella, I need you too! I'm just not sure of my control – if I get too caught up in the moment, I could hurt you, or kill you!

"It's okay, I didn't mean to push you." I kissed his cheek and smiled up at him. "I'm feeling much better, thanks!"

He chuckled, "I guess we should get back on the road. We'll have plenty of time to test my control when we get to the cabin." He flashed my favorite crooked grin and I nearly swooned.

Did he really mean that?

I spent the rest of the drive pondering his last statement. Maybe we just needed to go slowly. When we first met, he didn't even think he could touch me. But gradually, we had begun to stretch our boundaries. Maybe if we just continued to take things slowly, we could push those boundaries out a little further…

I looked out the window to see that we were driving through a thick forest. The trees here were thinner, not nearly as green as they were back in Forks. The forest had its own beauty, different than the sloppy wet, mossy green of the West Coast. It was a subtle beauty that radiated out of the forest's core, carrying in its silence the whispers of its inhabitants.

The road turned to dirt and narrowed as we drove uphill along a large, green lake. The trees moved closer together here, as if protecting the small cabin that was hidden within them. The unassuming building was not what I was expecting from Alice, although it did have a certain charm to it. I blushed again thinking about Edward and me alone in this cabin for who knows how long.

Edward turned his head slightly to look at me and cleared his throat.

"Uh, Alice arranged for someone to come open the cabin up and stock it with food, so we shouldn't have to go out anywhere," he said, averting his eyes to the gear shift. He seemed…nervous?

Was Edward thinking the same things that I was?

I squealed internally at the thought that Edward was perhaps considering redrawing our boundaries also.

Being tracked by a sadistic vampire may have its advantages, after all.

My inner squeals were interrupted as Edward appeared at my door, opening it for me. I took his hand and we walked together along the cobblestone path toward the front door.

He held the door open for me and I gasped as I entered the spacious, yet cozily decorated cabin. A fire was blazing in the large, stone fireplace and the shelves lining the walls were filled with books. I imagined leaning up against Edward's chest as we snuggled by the fireplace, his lips on my hair, hands travelling…

A velvety smooth voice interrupted my reverie.

"Shall we look around?" he asked softly, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

I nodded mutely, wondering what other treasures awaited us.

The kitchen was modern and outfitted with every appliance a person could need. French doors opened onto a large veranda that overlooked the lake. As we entered the lone bedroom, I noticed that Edward had retrieved my backpack from the SUV. Placing it at the foot of the bed, he turned to look at me.

"Are you tired? Hungry? What would you like to do?" He took my hands in his and rubbed soothing patterns with his thumbs.

I knew what I wanted to do, but it was going to take some preparation.

"I think I'd like to shower." I wanted to wash away the fear of the previous couple of days and start fresh, in our cozy little cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"The bathroom should be stocked with everything you need." He kissed my forehead and left the room.

The en suite bathroom was heavenly – multiple shower heads, Jacuzzi tub, and heat lamp. At first, the hot water felt rejuvenating, burning away all of my tension. I let the water pour over me and tried to keep my worry for the Cullens at bay. I wanted to relax and enjoy every moment I had here with Edward, but thoughts of his family and what they were doing right now kept invading my serenity.

There was only one thing that could keep the fear at bay.

I dried myself off and went into the bedroom to get dressed. Searching through my backpack for some clean clothes, I was shocked to discover a bra and matching thong that I had never seen before.

Alice.

My body began to burn up as I thought of the implications. Had she had a vision of me needing lingerie? Or did she just think I needed some new underwear? Why would she choose a thong? I'd never worn one before. Butterflies attacked my stomach as I thought of Edward seeing me dressed in the lacy blue bra and panties. Would we push our boundaries that far?

Ooh! I hope so!

Trying to be brave, I quickly dressed in the lacy undergarments and pulled a sweatshirt and jeans over the top. I walked out of the bedroom and found Edward in the kitchen, making me a sandwich.

"Alice reminded me that you need to eat more often than we do. I hope this is to your liking."

I wasn't hungry, but the gesture was so sweet, how could I refuse?

"Thank you, Edward! I'm sure it will be just fine." I smiled at him and took the sandwich. Much to my surprise, it was quite possibly the best sandwich I'd ever had and I told him so. He beamed with pride.

"Really? The best ever?" I had to giggle – he looked like a boy who had just gotten a new bike.

"Mmhmm," I managed with a mouthful of sandwich.

He watched every mouthful I ate, riveted by the mundane task of eating human food. I found it very disconcerting. When I was finished, he took my hand and led me to the living room.

"So, what shall we do now? We have nothing but time." He pulled me into an embrace and I snuggled into his chest.

"Do we have any movies?" I could feel his breath in my hair.

"I think so. Why don't you look in the cabinet under the television and pick something out," he said softly, caressing my hair. Wanting to stay right where I was, I didn't move for several moments. Realizing my dilemma, he pulled away and sat on the couch.

"I didn't think that humans liked to stand in one place for so long," he chuckled. I made a face at him and leaned down to choose a movie.

I heard him gasp, and I remembered that I was wearing low rise jeans, which meant that the thong I had on was probably showing. I decided to go with the moment and leaned forward a little more so that my shirt came up, revealing a little more skin.

What's gotten into me?

Edward cleared his throat.

"Uh, would you like something to drink, Bella?" When I turned around, he was looking anywhere but at me.

"No, thank you. I'd like to start the movie now." His eyes returned to my face as I walked over to him, and I thought that I saw them quickly flicker down over my body before I sat down beside him.

"So, what are we watching?" He pulled me into his side and I put my feet up on the couch beside us.

"OOOOh!" I was excited about my choice of movies. I'd wanted to see it for awhile, but I didn't think it was the kind of movie Charlie would be interested in. "It's a psychological thriller from the nineties that Jessica told me about." I showed him the DVD case. "Have you seen it?" His eyes widened.

"Yes," he drew the vowel out, "I have seen it. It's a good movie, but it's very…um…erotic." He had his eyes turned away from me again. I didn't think I'd ever seen Edward looking awkward before.

Interesting…

"Oh. Yes, I guess Jessica did say it got a little steamy in places. I'd forgotten. Do you want to watch something else?" I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice. It couldn't be that bad – it was a fairly mainstream movie. Edward was probably just being his usual old-fashioned self.

"No, that's fine. If you want to watch it, we'll watch it." He grabbed the remote and pressed play. I wrapped my arms around his waist and snuggled in beside him.

Part way through the movie, I began to understand why Edward had reacted as he had. The movie was, indeed, erotic.

Very erotic.

I found myself blushing more often than not. I also started to feel a strange sensation deep in my belly. Heat was beginning to radiate out from my core and I found myself squeezing my legs together, instinctively trying to relieve the ache that had begun between them.

Even more surprising was Edward. Sometime during the movie he had shifted us so that we were both lying down on the couch, with my back against his chest. I could now feel his heavy breathing in my ear and his hand was sliding up and down my side, lengthening its path with each stroke. My body felt as if it was on fire. I tried to stay still so as not to ruin the moment, but when his hand reached the side of my breast, I couldn't help but gasp.

He froze.

"Bella," he whispered in a strangled tone, "this movie is a bad idea." I was grateful that he hadn't moved away.

"I don't want you to stop touching me." I kept my tone to a whisper. The tension had eased slightly, but had not dissipated entirely. I was hoping not to kill it completely.

"This is wrong, Bella. You're an innocent human, and I'm…a monster." He laid his head against mine. "I shouldn't be allowed to touch you like this."

I grabbed the remote and hit pause, then turned my body towards him.

"I love you, Edward. I know you don't think you deserve it, but I will love you for as long as I live. Which I hope will be forever." He gasped. "I've never felt even an inkling of this for anyone else and I know that I never will again. You're it for me. Accept it – we are meant to be together."

I felt his smile against my cheek.

"I know that you're worried about hurting me, so I'm not going to try to push you into doing anything you're uncomfortable with. But, I was really enjoying having you touch me and I think I would like you to continue."

I felt his long exhalation of breath on my cheek and hoped that it was a sigh of resignation. I turned back towards the television and hit play on the remote.

Before long, I felt Edward's hand begin caressing my side again.

"You're it for me, too, you know." His lips moved against my ear and my whole body erupted in flames once again.

"I know." He chuckled and pulled me tighter against him. My breath caught in my throat when I felt his hardness up against my back. He started spreading gentle kisses along the side of my face and down my neck. I stretched my head to the side so he could have better access.

"You realize that you're displaying your neck for a vampire, right?" he mumbled into the crevice between my neck and shoulder.

"Mmhmm," was the only thing I could manage to vocalize. My breathing was becoming ridiculously loud, but I couldn't bring myself to feel embarrassed.

I stopped breathing altogether when Edward's hand started playing with the hem of my shirt, his fingers lightly caressing the skin underneath.

"So, was Alice shopping for you?" His lips were now in the hollow under my ear.

"Hmm?" I had been rendered incoherent.

"I noticed a lovely blue thong. Not really your style, is it?"

Oh, my God! Edward is asking me about my panties!

"Would you like to know what else she got me?" Finally, I managed to form words. Apparently I had been possessed by some sort of love demon because, without waiting for him to answer, I took his hand and slid it up my shirt and onto my breast. He froze again and I worried that I had pushed him too far.

He pressed his forehead against the side of my head and inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, he tentatively brushed his fingers across my breast. I tried to hold as still as possible, but the sensations were too much. Of their own accord, my hips pushed into his groin.

Edward groaned, and then stilled.

"Bella, love, could you please try to hold still? We're in uncharted territory here and I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm sorry. I'll be good – please keep going." I held perfectly still, trying to show him that I could do it.

His hand cupped my breast and he squeezed gently. Before I could stop it, a moan escaped my throat.

"Oh, God," he breathed into my hair and dipped a finger inside my bra. I thought that I would lose it, but I fought to keep quiet and still, letting Edward explore my body at his own pace. No matter how much it tortured me.

But oh, what exquisite torture!

"Let's go to bed." Disappointment washed over me as I realized that he was stopping our boundary pushing for the night.

"But, I'm not sleepy!" I argued.

He chuckled. "We'll have more room. It'll be easier to, uh, explore." Realization smacked me in the face.

Oh my God! Edward wants to go to bed with me and not watch me sleep!

I nodded my agreement and leapt up off the couch. My body screamed at the loss of his hands. I swayed as I rose and Edward scooped me up into his arms and carried me to bed.

He placed me gently on the bed and let his eyes rake hungrily over my body. Any awkwardness I had begun to feel as we had walked to the bedroom went up in flames. He kneeled on the bed beside meand placed his hand on my stomach. Ever so slowly, he began to inch my shirt up. I closed my eyes and tried to keep breathing. When he got to just below my breasts, he stopped.

"Is this okay?" He whispered.

"I'm yours, Edward. All of me. This is more than okay." I looked into his eyes so he could see the conviction behind my words.

He took another deep breath and then slid my shirt up over my head and off my body. As he lowered himself onto the bed beside me, I looked pointedly at his shirt and tugged at the hem.

"If I remove my shirt, you'll get cold."

"I am about to combust. If you don't remove your shirt, I may just go up in flames. And it will be all your fault."

Laughing, he removed his shirt and joined me on the bed. Seeing him without clothing was a transcendent experience. I might never be the same. I needed to touch him to make sure he was real.

Keeping eye contact so that he knew what I was doing, I raised myself up on one arm. I reached my hand out and placed it on his chest, all the while watching his reaction. He closed his eyes and moaned softly. I took that as my cue and began to move my hand on his sculpted chest. I was mesmerized by the solidness of his body, every muscle outlined in the finest detail under my fingers. My hands travelled as if they had a will of their own, lower and lower, until my wrist was grasped by a cold fetter and I was pushed onto my back. He took hold of my other hand and brought them both up over my head.

"Bella," he gasped, "this is too much. You are too much. Too beautiful… too soft… too fragile," he punctuated each phrase with kisses on my face. "I…I can't do the things I want to do to you. I could hurt you!" He buried his head in the crook between my neck and shoulder, still holding my hands over my head.

"Edward? Stop over-thinking this. I want you." He didn't move. "I need you! Please, Edward! I don't know how far we'll go tonight; I just know that I can't stop now. Tell me what you need from me to keep going."

Just then, his cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. He flipped it open and rolled his eyes at the text message.

"What is it, Edward?"

"Alice. She says that I can do this."

I held out my arms to him and he lowered his body onto mine. He took my face in his hands and looked deep into my eyes, searching. He must have found what he was looking for, because he brought his face to mine and began to kiss me, tenderly at first, but soon he was moving with growing urgency. His hands were firmly knotted in my hair, his body pinning me to the bed. I allowed my hands to roam freely over his back, feeling the hard muscles beneath his cold skin.

"Bella," he panted, "feeling you here, under me, touching me…it's the most amazing thing I've ever felt. I…I want more. I need you, Bella." He closed his eyes and turned his head away, as if he was ashamed of himself for admitting how much he wanted me.

"Edward," I placed my hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes and I gasped.

His eyes were pitch black.

He didn't let me finish speaking. His lips found mine once again and his touch was bordering on rough. He was losing control, but I wasn't afraid. I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

My blood boiled as his hands frantically roamed my body. He unfastened my jeans and pushed them off my legs, his lips never leaving mine. His cold body against mine was electrifying. Fire and ice coalescing without destroying each other.

I was consumed by sensation. The only thing that kept my body from floating away was Edward's pinning me to the bed. When I grabbed at the button on his pants he quickly obliged, shedding them in a heartbeat.

Almost naked together, our frantic pace slowed as the gravity of what we were doing set in.

"Should I stop, Bella?" he asked, his breathing harsh.

"How can we stop now? I love you, Edward. Make me yours."

His cell phone vibrated once again. He groaned and lowered his forehead to mine.

"You'd better look, it's probably important."

He flipped open the phone once again and read the text. He looked at me sheepishly, then reached in the nightstand drawer and pulled out a foil packet.

"Wow, Alice really does think of everything!" I said, turning my face away to hide my blush.

"Bella, are you sure?" He sounded so insecure. How could he still doubt the depth of my feelings for him?

"Edward, what do I have to do to show you that I'm yours for good? I would become like you in a heartbeat." He shook his head vehemently. "What will it take?"

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Seriously?"

"Bella!" His eyes were wide, imploring.

"Sorry, that just took me by surprise. Yes! Of course I'll marry you! I told you I want to become like you – marrying you is nothing compared to that!"

"Really? You'll be my wife?" I shuddered a little at the word.

"Yes. If that's all it will take for you to believe that my love for you is real and all-encompassing, then let's get married!" A thought occurred to me. "You're not going to make me wait until then to finish what we've started here, are you?"

He looked at me slyly and smirked. "Bella Swan, are you trying to seduce a vampire?"

"Edward Cullen, are you trying to drive me crazy?"

He bent his head and began nibbling at my collarbone, his lips covering his teeth. My eyes rolled back into my head.

"Bella Cullen" he whispered. I moaned at the sound of our combined names and, just like that, the fiery frenzy that we were in before Alice's text returned.

The balance between fire and ice began to tilt, as fire began to win and consume us both. We were a tangle of limbs, hands grasping skin wherever they could. Fabric tore as we were finally completely bared to one another. Only a short while ago, we had sat together in the meadow, learning how to touch each other slowly, chastely. Now, Edward's hands were everywhere, trying to touch all of me at once.

I gasped as I felt something cold and wet on my neck.

His tongue!

Edward was tasting my skin, something that I had thought I would never experience. I tried to keep myself still, but my body reacted, arching into him, trying to bring us even closer together. He paused momentarily, not removing his mouth from my neck, and then wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me tightly to him. His other hand began to move lower along my side…around my hip…towards my inner thigh…

I really didn't know how much more of this I could take. I was almost hyperventilating just having his tongue and hands on me. Could I handle him touching me…there? I guess I'd soon find out, because his hand was slowly making its way up my thigh.

His fingers traced lightly over my most sensitive area –exploring my flesh, learning my responses, driving me absolutely crazy. When he inserted a cold finger, the sensation was so shocking that I cried out in pleasure, gripping his shoulders as though I might fall if I let go.

His fingers continued their explorations and as he grew more confident, I began to feel an unfamiliar sensation beginning to build inside of me. My eyes flew open and I found Edward staring at me in wonder.

"Wh…Ed…God...I'm…" I tried to regain some semblance of control, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of Edward.

"Love, just let go. Feel me. I need you to feel me. I want to see you come undone for me. Only me."

"Only you," I echoed breathlessly and as his thumb applied pressure to the sensitive bundle of nerves between my legs, I threw my head back in rapture and did just as he asked.

He kissed me tenderly as I came down from the amazing heights to which he had just introduced me . When he paused for a moment, my eyes fluttered open to find him looking at me with such love and unrestrained need it took my breath away.

"I love you," I whispered, holding his gaze with my own and trying to show him what words could not express.

"God, Bella, I love you so much. Seeing you come apart like that, it was beyond beautiful. I can't believe that I made you feel that way."

Having recovered slightly, I realized that this encounter had been sorely one-sided thus far. I began to slide my hand down his chest…over his stomach…along the trail of soft hairs…

He gasped, gripping onto the pillow under my head. His face was contorted and I wondered if I was hurting him.

"Is this okay?" I asked timidly.

His hand covered mine and removed it from his erection. Blood pooled in my cheeks as I began to wonder what I'd done wrong. I averted my eyes from his.

"No… no, don't do that," he chastised, his hand guiding my gaze back to him. "That was way more than okay, Bella. In fact, it was a little too okay. I didn't want to get your hand all messy."

Oh.

Oooooh! My blush continued, but for a different reason.

"Love, you are far too sexy for your own good. Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, his voice husky with want as he reached over to the nightstand and took the foil packet in his hand.

"Yes…please, Edward, I want you so much!" His gaze darkened even more, if that was possible.

"Love, you never have to beg. I want you too. More than you know." He brought his head down to kiss me, the heat building between us once more.

He pulled away slightly, the foil packet still in his hand. "I can't reproduce, but I don't know what my venom will do to you." I nodded and he ripped the packet, rolling the condom onto his length.

Holding his weight on his elbows, he lowered himself onto me, nudging my legs open with his.

"Promise me you'll tell me if I do anything that hurts you?" I nodded. "I know it's going to hurt at first, and I'm sorry. But anything other than that – you must tell me."

"I promise." His lips were on mine once again. I could feel the tip of him pressing against my entrance, and I braced myself.

"Relax, love. I need you to relax or it will hurt more." He continued to kiss me, his hands running along the sides of my body, trying to soothe me. I did my best to relax, but as I felt him pushing into me, filling me, stretching me apart, I cringed from the pain.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" he whispered, and then thrust himself the rest of the way inside me. I cried out, and he stilled and held me tightly as I clutched his back, waiting for the pain to subside.

"Shh, Bella, just relax," he soothed, caressing my body with one hand while holding me tightly to him with the other.

Gradually, the pain began to subside and I was able to fully comprehend what we were doing. Edward was inside me, making love to me.

Making me his.

He began to move within me slowly, all the while holding my gaze firmly with his own. We breathed each other's air, hearing only the sounds of each other's soft moans and skin moving on skin.

"Ungh… Bella… so amazing… I had no idea..." His eyes were now closed, lips hovering over my ear.

There was no more pain. Only the complete and utter ecstasy of being joined with the one person that was meant for me. I felt complete, like nothing else mattered but being together like this with him.

He moved above me, mouth open and eyes closed tightly with overwhelming passion. I felt the tension coil within my belly once again and I recalled one of Renee's sex discussions. She had told me not to expect much my first few times having sex. But, here I was, about to have my second orgasm! Edward really was otherworldly.

He started to move faster within me, his hips pounding against my clit, bringing me closer and closer to oblivion.

"Bella…ungh…baby…oh, fuck!"

Hearing Edward swear was enough to make me mutter my own incoherent string of expletives as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over my body. This was even better than the orgasm he gave me with his fingers. Having him filling me, coming with me, it was the most overwhelmingly satisfying experience of my life.

We clung to each other as we came down from our post-orgasmic high, lightly caressing each other and whispering words of eternal devotion. I eventually succumbed to a blissfully sated sleep.

Sometime in the night, I awoke with a start. My hands darted to the space beside me and found it empty.

"Edward?"

He wandered into the bedroom with his cell phone to his ear. He was wearing only boxers, and I was so mesmerized by his body and the memory of what we had done just a few hours earlier that it didn't occur to me to wonder who he was talking to.

"Yes, she's awake now. We'll see you in a few days." He flipped the phone shut and smiled a smile so sexy that my panties would have combusted, if I'd been wearing any.

"What's going on?" I asked, my brain finally engaging.

He sat on the bed next to me and wrapped me in his cool, strong arms.

"James is dead." I gasped, looking up into his face. "Everyone is fine, Bella, it all went according to plan."

He tangled his hands in my hair and kissed me passionately, relief evident in the relaxed way his hands and mouth moved on me. In the back of my mind, I knew that there was something else I needed to worry about, someone I needed to call…

"Bella, I need you again…now."

I'd worry about it later.