A/N: Thanks to maraiahajile. And it begins...

From the previous chapter-

Edward nodded. "He may have a fucked up way of showing it, but Riley just wants the same thing I do."

He moved closer to her. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him. Bella's heart shook inside her chest when he touched her body.

She knew what he wanted. She didn't need to hear him say it, but she asked him anyway.

"What is it that you want?"

He leaned close and brushed his lips against hers, then whispered in her ear, "I want you to let me in."

Bella reached behind her and turned the door knob until it clicked.

Chapter Sixteen

There were no wanton cries of desperation, no ripping of clothes. Bella opened the door, and the glimmer in Edward's eye told her how aroused he was. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked backward through the door, pulling Edward in along with her by his belt.

He closed the front door behind him without ever taking his eyes off of her. Not a word was spoken. Edward simply closed the short gap between them and took Bella's face in his hands. He began to kiss her, but it wasn't overridden with lust. It was loving. It was adoring. Slow and soft. His warm, wet lips embraced hers, top and bottom, again and again. Bella's hands were on Edward's hard chest. She felt his sculpted muscle beneath his hooded sweatshirt. She slid her fingers to the zipper and began to pull it down. Slowly, her hand descended until she had opened up his sweatshirt. She slid her hands over his powerful chest and pushed it off of his shoulders and down his arms.

Edward let her. He let her run her hands over his biceps and down his forearms. He was overjoyed with her exploration of his body, however innocent it may have been. Because of his height, the top of her head only reached his collarbones. She didn't look up at him as her hands roamed, but he could feel her breath panting fast against him. He brought his hands up to her face and placed his palms on the side of her neck, tilting her chin up with his thumbs. He leaned in toward her, but she stopped him.

"Wait. Come with me."

He followed her command, and she led him into her bedroom. She turned on a lamp and cast the room in the warmth of a low wattage glow. Her room was too small for the queen-sized bed, and it dominated the space. Her ruffled white comforter was pristine, though her bed was unmade, and it dangled onto the hardwood floor. Her pillows, too many pillows for just one person, were tossed about the bed as though Bella was a restless sleeper. She turned to him. He could see she was trembling.

"Bella, I want to be close to you, but if you're not ready—"

"I am," she interrupted. "I am. I'm ready."

She showed him by beginning to undress.

Though Edward was pleased - the sight brought a smile to his face and lit a fire inside of him - he wanted to be the one touching her. He wanted to peel the clothing from her body and discover what was beneath it. He stepped toward her and covered her hands with his. She looked up at him expectantly, but he didn't speak. He just kissed her. He kissed her and opened her shirt, one button at a time. He slid it from her shoulders and gazed down at the flesh he had revealed. She wore a sheer, white bra. Edward had to stifle his impulse to throw her down on the bed. Instead, he slowly touched her breasts, watching her face to gauge her comfort. Her skin was luminous in the glow of the room. He slipped his fingers beneath her bra straps and pushed them off her shoulders. Bella reached behind her and undid the clasp. As soon as the lace disappeared, Edward lifted her into his arms and walked toward the bed. He lay her down and positioned himself above her. He stared at her, thinking of different things to say. But nothing felt quite right. She was quiet, as well.

They were silent until Bella began to undress him. He kissed her as she removed his clothing. The more his skin became exposed, the more passion he felt bubbling inside of him. He slid his hands through her hair and over her skin. He kissed her neck and her chest. The steady thump of his own heartbeat was all he could hear; that and the short, soft gasps Bella was taking. He pulled her thick down comforter back, and their naked warm bodies hit the cool sheets beneath. Within moments, they had created an inferno. Their limbs tangled together, as did their lips. Edward resisted his desire to be inside her for as long as he could. It was Bella's voice that eventually pushed him over the edge. It was her voice whispering to him. It was her voice saying she loved him.

He didn't say it back. He answered her by spreading her legs and entering her. She said it again, and he kissed her. He couldn't contain his need to go deeper, and he groaned as he rocked against her. Her body, so small and thin, felt almost breakable beneath his. He wanted to be gentle, but when he looked into her eyes, he simply became undone. He found himself pinning her hands above her head as he unleashed the long overdue frenzy. He buried his face in her neck. He kissed and sucked at her breasts. He gripped the soft, round flesh of her ass. She moaned and spoke his name and the word 'yes.' She writhed beneath him. She gripped his jaw and forced him to meet her gaze. She was about to go over the edge, and so was he. The eye contact was almost too intense to sustain. Again, she said, "I love you, Edward."

He was overjoyed. He released himself into her in a thunderous convulsion. He kissed her and saw tears form in the corners of her eyes as she met her own peak. He kissed them away with his lips and lay still beside her. Though he felt it with absolute certainty, he just couldn't say the words she wanted to hear.