A/N: Don't know where this one came from, but here it is! A smutty little Bella x Edward one shot. I gotta say, I wouldn't mind a tutor like Edward. :D As long as he didn't cry, or brood, or sulk about his tortured existence.

Anywho, let me now what you think!

Rated M for lemony goodness. :) Does contain very mild D/s themes. VERY mild.

Ptolemy's Theorem

"The law of cosines states that B squared plus C squared minus two BC times the cosine of A equals what?"

I stared at the incredibly beautiful face peering inquiringly into my own, hoping that I could blame said beauty on my brain's sudden inability to function. Honestly, it probably had contributed to my not-so-sudden lack of trigonometric abilities, but I knew the majority of my issue lay in my utter hatred for math.

That's right. I hate it. When was I ever going to use the exponential law of cosine minus the sum of the hypothesis times the inverse fraction of… Yeah. Hate it.

But Edward's glittering topaz eyes were so expectant that I really couldn't bear to let him down by not answering correctly. I'd promised him I'd study this stuff. It wasn't his fault that my brain repelled mathematical equations as surely as oil repelled water.

I cleared my throat lightly, trying to sneak a glance at the book in his hands. He followed the direction of my gaze, frowned disappointedly, and shifted the reading material slightly, blocking it completely from view.

Damn.

"Ummm…" Stall time. "Could you repeat the question?"

Edward sighed softly, shaking his head. "Bella, you said you were going to review this information."

My heart faltered, sinking like a lead weight into my stomach. I looked away, unable to stand the sight of displeasure on his face, particularly when it was caused by me.

"I did!" I argued adamantly. "I just…Repeat the question," I demanded fervently, leaning closer, staring at the bright yellow cupboards, lest I be distracted by Edward's impossible allure.

He took a quick breath, but remained silent. I frowned, letting my eyes stray briefly to his face. His expression was undecipherable.

"Well?"

He shook his head slightly, as though clearing it of distracting thoughts and repeated slowly,

"The law of cosines states that B squared plus C squared minus two BC times the cosine of A equals what?"

Now, idiot that I am, I forgot to look back up at the sunny cabinetry when he'd repeated his question. Instead, I was staring at his lips, the words that escaped them falling on deaf ears. Though I knew better, they looked quite soft, and I could think of nothing I'd like more than to feel the cool, smooth texture of them on my own right at this moment. I suddenly found it rather difficult to breathe.

He allowed me perhaps thirty seconds to fantasize about those lips, before he snapped the book closed, causing me to jump slightly, shaken out of my Edward induced trance.

"What?" I questioned, blushing faintly at the tremulous quality my voice had assumed.

"I didn't say anything. Could you please focus?"

"I am focused," I replied sullenly. I didn't feel it pertinent to also inform him that my focus had absolutely nothing to do with trigonometry.

"Really? Then what did I just say?"

"You said… 'Then what did I just say'." I tried for a teasing grin, but I have a feeling that I just came off as a smart ass.

"Bella," Edward reprimanded quietly.

Sighing softly, I let my head thump against the top of the kitchen table and groaned pitifully. "I just don't get this stuff! It doesn't make any sense. Besides, I just don't see this ever applying to the real world."

A low, indulgent chuckle advised that I'd probably be able to avoid at least the more torturous problems for tonight. Long fingers stroked lightly through my unruly hair, and I shivered lightly at the cool touch against my scalp.

"Bella, you're right."

Wait, say what? I looked up in surprise. When it came to academic matters I never got to win, especially if the argument involved math. I'd been told in no uncertain terms that every last number in my math textbook was of the utmost importance.

Edward seemed bemused by whatever expression currently made its home on my face, as he grinned, my favorite crooked grin, and tucked a curl behind my ear.

He quickly qualified. "In that I've never found it necessary to recite the law of cosines word for word. However, whether or not you'll ever need to apply this knowledge situationally remains to be seen." Unable to refrain, I rolled my eyes briefly. He seemed unperturbed. "You scoff, my little beauty, but I have a feeling this formula has the power to make your life rather awful if you were to fail Trig because of it and Charlie was to find out."

I scowled. Damn him and his logic.

"Alright, alright. What does it equal then?"

Edward arched a single dark brow, stroking my cheek lightly as he drew his hand away. I followed the motion far more closely than was strictly necessary.

"You think I'm just going to reveal the answer? Tsk, Bella."

"Well, if you're waiting for me to answer, you're going to be waiting a while."

He grinned lazily, "I've got a while. Eternity, actually."

I wanted to glare, but his beguiling smile was impossible to deny. I laughed softly.

"You've got me there. But, I honestly don't recall the answer to this one. How about the next?"

He flipped the textbook back open. We both knew that he didn't need it. With all of the years of math he'd completed he probably could write his own book on the subject. Still, it made me feel better that he used it. Not quite so inadequate in comparison with his perfection.

"I hope, for your sake, that you get this next one," he suddenly declared, his eyes scanning the pages of our current lessons.

"Or what?" I challenged laughingly.

The gaze he turned on me was enough to cause my heart to stop dead. The liquid topaz of his eyes had darkened faintly, a ring of deep gold circling the outer rim of his iris. His pupils had retracted, until I felt certain I was going to drown in the simmering tawny expanse left behind. My peripheral vision swam dizzyingly, my fingers curling into tight fists in the hem of my shirt.

"Breathe," his low voice commanded softly, and I drew a deep shuddering breath into my suddenly aching lungs, forcing myself to look away from his bewitching eyes.

"Cheater," I gasped.

He uttered a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat.

I wondered, as I often did, if I had even half the effect on him that he did on me. It seemed quite unlikely. I'd certainly never left him panting and light-headed. Of course, not needing to breathe made that a little difficult, but you see what I'm getting at.

"Alright, here we are," he'd stopped flipping pages, apparently having found something that met his approval.

"Whoa, wait a minute," I interjected, reaching out to tap the book closed. He held his place with one hand, glancing at me bemusedly. "You never said what happens if I get it wrong." I could just see myself reciting Trig formulas for three hours a night until I had them all memorized. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen.

The corner of just one side of his lips twitched upward. "Answer incorrectly and find out," he dared.

I swallowed softly and leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest.

This was definitely a side of Edward I'd never encountered before. Casual teasing? Sure. Playful flirting? Okay. But this…I couldn't even label this behavior. There was a definite challenge in his eyes, but there was something more…something I couldn't name. It was undeniably exciting, yet a tiny thrill of fear shivered its way lightly up my spine as well.

"Sound fair?" He tipped his head to one side, a lock of his disheveled auburn hair falling forward to hide one of his eyes. He looked far too mischievous to bring me any peace of mind. Yet we both knew I wouldn't deny him.

"Not really," I hedged with a faint grin. "But I think I'm game."

If he was surprised by my ready agreement, he hid it well.

"Okay then, Ms. Swan. Name this theorem."

Theorems, oh that was low.

Though I know he constantly attested to the frustration caused him by his inability to read my thoughts, it was often enough that I swore he must know what was going on in my head. Now was no exception. With my grumpy little internal exclamation, he looked up with an impish grin.

"If W plus X plus Y plus Z equals pi, equals a half circle, then the sine of W plus X times the sine of X plus Y equals…"

Yeah…Right…

I grimaced sulkily. Damn cheating vampires. I'd already lost and we both knew it.

"…sine W times sine Y plus sine X times Sine Z."

I'm pretty sure my eyes were about as vacant as a cheap motel.

"You made that up," I accused peevishly.

He laughed at my audacity. "You've only got one person to be angry with, love, and it's not me."

"It's not my fault that you're just making up theorems on the fly." I refused to back down. There was no way that was real.

"Take a guess and when you get it wrong, I'll be more than happy to show you."

I scowled. Even if he did have the right to be a bit smug, he didn't have to be such a jerk about it.

I racked the pathetically thin layer of information that encompassed my math knowledge. There were perhaps two theorems that I even knew the names of right off-hand, don't ask me to define them for you, and I knew that they couldn't be right.

"We both know that I don't know the answer," I grumped.

"Take a guess," he pushed, turning a gorgeous smile on me.

I sighed, flushing even as the words left my mouth, knowing full well that I was answering incorrectly. "Pythagorean Theorem?"

He grimaced, as if my wrong answer was some great surprise, and shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry Ms. Swan, but the correct answer is Ptolemy's Theorem."

I reached for the book, which he readily released into my grasping hands, remarking cheekily, "There's a lovely toaster and a lifetime supply of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter as a consolation prize waiting for me just off stage?" I poured over the page. 'Ptolemy's Theorem states that If W plus X plus Y plus Z equals pi, equals a half circle…' Dammit!

"Not quite."

His tone of voice, hushed and incredibly intense, had me glancing up in confusion.

"What…?"

My heart stuttered, threatening to quit all together, as our eyes met. He stared at me quietly for several moments, before slowly pushing his chair away from the table. I set the text book on the table, worried I'd drop it with the sudden trembling of my fingers.

I found my faculties faltering, particularly those in charge of coherent thought and speech, as Edward rose with that enviable agility from my shabby kitchen chair. He leaned against the wall, smiling genially at me.

"Did you know, Bella," he began conversationally, "that they used to allow corporal punishment in schools?"

I blinked, trying to follow the sudden turn the conversation had taken. Corporal punishment…did he mean like…

Trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words became difficult to the point of impossible as he slid the shiny button on the cuff of his Oxford free, folding the fabric neatly back. He continued to roll it up, slowly, perfectly, until it rested lightly in the crook of his elbow, his forearm exposed. I stared at the musculature straining beneath his marble skin, and felt my mouth go dry.

"In fact," he continued, as though he couldn't hear the sudden uneven rhythm my heart had adapted. "It's still legal in twenty two states, I believe." He was rolling up his other sleeve with agonizing patience. He suddenly looked up from the task, his bemused eyes taking in my deep blush. "Not in Washington."

"Oh." Eloquence at its finest, folks.

My lack of enunciation bothered him a lot less than it did me.

"Can you imagine? Misbehaving in school and being punished with a ruler across the knuckles or cuffed on the ear?"

His long legs ate up the distance between us, and I blinked as he was suddenly standing beside me. His foot hooked around the leg of my chair, turning it, and me, until I was facing him. His hand was cool as it lightly grasped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His voice was pure velvet as he murmured, just as our gazes locked, "Or even spanked."

I'm surprised I didn't die. Right then. With all of the blood in my body on a steady, closed-circuit route between my face and my…well, lower portions of my anatomy.

My lips parted slightly of their own accord, and I exhaled shakily. Certainly he couldn't mean…No way. He was scared of crushing me when he hugged me, what I thought he might be proposing had to be far more of a threat to my health than an embrace.

My thoughts scattered as the smooth pad of his thumb traced along my lower lip, sending the most pleasant fire scorching through every vein in my body.

"Edward?" I breathed.

"I've decided that perhaps that would be an appropriate punishment for your inability to follow my simple request that you study."

I wanted to argue. I had studied, dammit. But at the same time…Edward's hand…and my bottom…I couldn't force the protestations past my lips.

Plus, for all of this confident façade he put on, I noticed the slightly questioning undertone to his words. This was up to me. He would never push me if I said no.

I swallowed softly, offering only a slight nod of my head for response. He seemed briefly frozen by my acquiescence, before something dark, something I'd never seen in him before, flickered to life in his gaze. The sight of it caused a low throb in my lower stomach, and I shifted.

"Stand," he commanded quietly, and trembling, I rose to my feet, silently praying that they didn't betray me by sending me sprawling. "Face the table."

I was shaking lightly, unsure where this was coming from, but not about to stop it. I was almost always the aggressor in our physical relationship, and while it wasn't quite conventional, I wanted to see where he was going with this. Would he follow through, or leave me unfulfilled yet again? I pivoted slowly, my breath hitching as I felt him glide in behind me. There couldn't be more than an inch between our bodies, that tiny space buzzing wildly with an almost electric undercurrent.

I tensed as the seconds ticked by, having anticipated, perhaps, the immediate arrival of his hand on the seat of my pants. Instead, his fingers curled lightly over my shoulders, pushing my hair back, exposing my neck. I shuddered as his cool breath dusted over my incredibly warm skin, my knees giving fair warning that their time of supporting me was about to be up.

His lips ghosted over my throat, touched the pulse beating rapidly there. He paused, and I felt a momentary flash of fear as he breathed deeply, no doubt scenting the blood that flowed swiftly just beneath my skin. One of his arms suddenly wound around my waist, pulling me back, eliminating that annoying inch that had kept us apart. A little noise, perhaps classified as a mewl, escaped me before I could even think to restrain it. Edward's chest rumbled slightly against my back just before I heard an answering growl near my ear. The noise provoked a shiver, though certainly not one of fear.

He pressed kisses slowly down my neck, tugging the edge of my shirt aside impatiently as he met the sensitive hollow where it met my shoulder. My fingers itched to touch him, but I would literally die if he were to stop now, and it always seemed to be my willing participation that provoked such responses, so I curled them into tight fists at my sides.

All thoughts of behaving went right out the window when his lips parted and he sucked that extremely responsive bit of flesh into the cool dampness of his mouth. I whimpered breathlessly, suddenly reaching up to thread my fingers into his hair, holding him close. For each tug of his lips, each laving stroke of his tongue, there was an answering throb that seemed to center directly between my thighs.

"Edward," I breathed, tipping my head to one side, not particularly caring that this was perhaps not the best way to offer oneself to a vampire.

And then his teeth, oh God, his teeth, were caressing me oh so carefully, the sharp sensations such an amazing contrast to the sweet kisses he used to soothe the small pain.

"You taste so good, Bella," he murmured against my skin, causing the flush of my arousal to deepen to a gentle blush of inhibition. "But," he qualified softly, his breath an undeniable caress as it stroked across my ear. Reaching up, he lightly disentangled my hand from his hair, letting it drop to my side. "I haven't forgotten your terrible study habits."

I tugged my lower lip between my teeth, my eyelids suddenly feeling as though they were impossibly heavy.

His fingers slid slowly down my sides, following the slight concave curve of my waist as it flared gently into hip. I was certain he must be leaving a small path of flame in his wake. My senses swam hazily as his hands curled possessively over the soft, denim clad flesh. His thumbs stroked coolly across my lower back, caressing that tiny bit of skin that was exposed between my shirt and my jeans.

His fingers unfurled, and I glanced down, watching from beneath my lashes, as his large hands easily spanned the flat expanse of my lower abdomen. I could feel his hair, tickling lightly against my face as he too leaned over to watch what he was doing to me. He stroked a small, tight circle, his pinky coming dangerously close to an area I suddenly found myself wishing he would touch immediately. I gasped.

"Alright?" he murmured, his breath sweet and cool on my face. I nodded helplessly, my voice having completely abandoned me.

His hands moved slightly, slipping to the gleaming metal button of my pants, and I swallowed audibly. Just beneath his palms, something trembled to life. The only thing I could imagine feeling like that was a million glittering butterflies, with wings of the softest satin and bodies of liquid fire.

He eased the button free, pausing as he grasped the zipper.

"Yes?" he whispered, and again I nodded. Forget dying, I would kill him if he were to stop.

He laughed softly, a low breathy sound that had me once again questioning his supposed inability to read my mind.

I wasn't given time to ponder my misgivings, as the sound of my zipper being lowered seemed to echo loudly throughout the room.

An arm like an iron band slid around me once more, just across my ribs while a hand, Edward's free hand, eased toward the opening he'd just created. My breath came in low, labored gasps as my eyes followed the path he was on. He toyed with the tiny bow that sat just beneath the elastic waist of my underwear. I stiffened as though he'd slapped me.

"Edward." The single breathless word was a plea.

His masculine smirk was all too obvious as he replied quietly, "Yes, love?"

I uttered a tiny growl of frustration.

He laughed darkly, suddenly easing his hand further into my open pants. His knuckles just brushed against the mound of my sex, not nearly enough contact, before he was using his hand to push my jeans down my thighs, depriving me of further touch.

I whimpered piteously at the sudden loss.

"Soon enough," he murmured, and I felt a slight thrill to hear that his voice sounded slightly tremulous.

He tugged my pants down easily, a light brush against each of my calves indicating that I should step out of them. I did without question, not once thinking of Charlie, or the fact that I was suddenly half naked in the middle of my kitchen. I was, however, infinitely glad that I'd chosen a cute set of matching underwear this morning.

The flat of his hand ran slowly up my back, offering slight pressure when he reached my shoulders.

"Over the table," he whispered.

I blinked, confusion filtering through my desire, before realization hit home. It gave me pause, but in the end my arousal weighed in more heavily than my trepidation. I bent at the waist, allowing the table to assume responsibility for most of my weight.

"Bella," Edward groaned suddenly, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him standing a few paces back, staring at me with dark eyes. I waited for the inevitable blush, beyond surprised when it remained absent. Instead, the feel of Edward's gaze, sliding hungrily over my exposed skin caused only a small frisson of pride. Perhaps I effected him more than I thought.

Smooth fingers slid gently over my hips, tracing the satin of my pale blue boy shorts, before his large hand came to rest directly across my bottom. I shifted, the brand of his still palm burning right through the thin fabric.

He drew back and I moaned a soft denial, the sound breaking off as the sudden sting of Edward's hand landed.

Oh my God, he was actually going to spank me.

I pushed my hands up, lightly grasping the edge of the table, lest I reach back to protect myself from the punishment I'd already promised him.

He growled softly, his cool palm stroking my warming flesh softly.

"Bella, you must tell me immediately if I hurt you, do you understand?"

I nodded, understanding the meaning of his words immediately. He was worried that he would lose control once we'd truly begun this, and even more worried that I wouldn't stop him if he did.

His hand was still moving gently, causing the most pleasant light-headedness.

"Promise me," he demanded, his tone harsh.

I sought my voice, forcing a ragged, "I promise," from my throat.

He stood, frozen, for several more seconds, perhaps grasping at his dwindling self-control, before nodding slightly.

I tensed, though he had not once faltered in his soothing stroke. Resting my warm cheek against the cool wood grain of the table, I began to relax, lulled by the repetitive rhythm of his fingers.

I stiffened with a soft cry as two swats fell in swift succession on the right. I expected him to stop, to ask me if I was alright. It was a good thing I didn't hold my breath, as the next sound in the silent room was his other hand landing twice on the left.

I shivered at the warmth that was blooming just beneath the surface of my skin, wondering if he'd left his hand prints on me. The idea held more appeal than I would have thought possible.

"How many is that?" He murmured, his voice sounding suspiciously breathless.

"Five," I answered instantly, my voice thick with arousal.

"And how many do you suppose bad girls who don't study deserve?"

I knew it was his way of asking if it was too much, if he should stop. Beneath the heady layer of arousal, I felt my love for him swell.

"Maybe…ten?" I glanced questioningly over my shoulder, a low hum of desire skimming the surface of my skin as he nodded slowly.

"Hmmm, ten sounds fair to me." He stepped closer, bringing his arm back, and I closed my eyes. "Count them off for me, love."

Slap. The sting increased, blending seamlessly with the increasingly consuming lust.

"Six," I gasped.

Slap. I jumped slightly, my fingers tightening around the edge of the table as his hand landed in precisely the same spot it had previously. My legs trembled.

"Seven," I moaned.

Slap, slap. Two more, landing along the soft sensitive swell where my ass and legs met.

"Eight and nine," I whimpered.

"Just one more, love," he purred, just before the hardest of them all fell flat on my already stinging skin.

I cried out sharply, panting as the tension eased out of my frame and I collapsed bonelessly against the table.

His cool hands felt wonderful as they stroked my heated, hyper-sensitive flesh. He leaned over me, pressing soft kisses to my neck and back, murmuring quiet exclamations of his love into my hair.

I stiffened as his fingers slipped slightly, dipping between my legs for the briefest of moments.

"Edward," I murmured breathily.

"Sorry," he whispered, pulling away hesitantly.

"No," I shook my head, seeking the courage to tell him that I wanted more, not less.

"No?" he queried softly, easing his hand back down.

"Oh, God," I gasped.

His fingers, impossibly hard, yet smooth, stroked lightly across the damp fabric of my panties.

"Like this?" he asked. As if he didn't know.

My hips pressed back without my permission, silently seeking more.

But he teased me, tracing small designs along my thighs, and across my hips, only ever offering me the faintest of touches where I truly needed them.

"Edward, please!" The words burst from my lips, unbidden.

"What?" His voice was smug.

"Just…touch me, already."

His lips brushed my leg, and I shuddered. "I thought I was touching you."

"Not where I need you to," I moaned weakly.

"Where then?" he demanded.

But my courage was long since buried in the overwhelming sensations he provoked, and I couldn't find the will to say it. Instead, I reached back, wrapping my fingers around his wrist, and dragged his hand along my skin. I didn't stop until the palm of his hand was resting firmly against my sex, cupping me snugly. I thought I may pass out from the sudden pleasure of that contact.

"Here?" he whispered silkily, and I nodded.

"Mmm."

His thumb pressed against the fabric of my panties, lightly pushing the satin between my little lips, and I hissed softly, "Yes."

He growled, the sound rumbling pleasantly across my senses, reaching up to drag the small scrap of fabric down my legs. I kicked it away eagerly.

There was a low intake of breath, and then silence.

When it became apparent that this was not just some torturous form of forced anticipation, I glanced back, surprised by the horrified expression on Edward's face.

"W…What?" I questioned shakily, turning slightly.

His hands gripped my hips, holding me still.

"You said you would stop me if I hurt you," he said tightly.

I glanced down the length of my back, as best as I was able, and was surprised to see darkening bruises marring my fair skin. Wow, it hadn't felt that hard.

"And I would've stopped you, if you hurt me," I replied softly.

"Bella," he sounded disgusted. "You can't say that this didn't hurt you."

It was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. Growling softly, I took hold of his resisting hand, dragging it back between my legs.

"Edward Cullen, if you leave me like this, I swear to God…" I couldn't think of a threat dire enough. "Would I want you this badly if you'd truly hurt me, do you think?" I shifted my hips slightly, biting back a groan at the friction it caused. "Please," I gasped, "don't stop."

He was torn, I could tell, between his good intentions and his arousal. I knew I'd won, however, when his fingers trailed slowly, exploringly over the damp heat of my sex. I silently thanked every deity I'd ever heard of.

"More," I whispered petulantly. He was going to have to make up for that brief scare.

He laughed quietly, leaning down to brush his cool lips to the heated skin of my injured bottom, his fingers working some type of dark magic between my legs.

The very tip of one of his long, tapered digits began to invade me, slowly, oh so slowly, and I gasped quietly. The smooth pad of his thumb eased underneath me to brush that tiny, but incredibly sensitive little nub that seemed to house far more nerves than should be allowable.

I shuddered, consciousness fading into nothing more than the sensations Edward was provoking.

He eased slowly out, and I whimpered with the loss.

But Edward had other plans. He slipped his hands beneath me, drawing me up until the entire length of my back was pressed to his front. I frowned, suddenly desperate to feel his skin against mine. My fingers fumbled slightly with the edge of my sweater, before I managed to tug it up and over my head.

"Take off your shirt," I whispered hurriedly. It wasn't a request.

He obliged in a single, graceful motion. I leaned back against him, and we both groaned. The combination of my heat and his cool, hard chest sparked something within the both of us. Some terribly frantic need.

Turning my head, I found that he was already there, his lips finding mine in a bruising, demanding kiss.

His foot slipped between mine, sliding to one side and forcing my legs further open. His arm held me tightly to him, and his other hand dipped back between my thighs.

My hips moved slowly, shifting in a timeless rhythm, pressing back to meet the evidence of his arousal, and then forward, eagerly against his seeking fingers.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes incredibly intense as they gazed into my own, watching me as he slowly eased a single finger deep. My breath caught in my lungs, released as a low cry several seconds later when he inched out, and then back in. I slid my hand down, joining his, and began to slowly circle the crux of my sex.

His growl was low as he tugged my hand away. He murmured against my cheek, "Let me do this for you." Like my earlier words, this was not a request.

I found his lips, tracing my tongue lightly over his lower lip until he granted me access to the cool cave of his mouth. I carefully danced over the perfect lines of his teeth, dueled with his own tongue, utterly intoxicated by the taste of him.

Our breath mingled, my low cries of pleasure lost in the depths of his mouth.

His finger moved with a single-minded persistence, darting in and out of, occasionally curling lightly to hit a particularly sensitive spot within me.

"Edward," I gasped, tensing in his arms.

"Do you like that, my little love?" His eyes were possessive as they glanced down the length of my body to watch the rhythmic motion of his hand.

"Oh yes," I breathed.

"Do you want me to provide you release?"

The very idea of coming apart in Edward's arms was almost my undoing. I managed to cling to my speech capabilities just long enough for a low, pleading, "Yes."

His lips pressed gently to my neck, an incredible counter to the sudden demands of his hand. Circling my tiny, throbbing nub swiftly with his thumb, he began to thrust his finger in earnest.

"Alright?" he murmured gutturally.

I couldn't so much as respond, teetering on the precipice of something amazing. So close.

"Please!" I gasped.

I was trembling violently, aware of nothing but my immediate, overwhelming need.

"Let me feel you, Bella," Edward's voice was like melted honey in my veins, and I whimpered. He snarled quietly in response, jerking me more tightly back against him.

A second finger joined the first, and I was done for. The tight fit caused a sudden wild cry of "Edward!" and I hurtled over the edge. Tiny dots of color burst behind my eyelids as dark pleasure washed over me, hard, wracking waves that wrung breathless cries from my lips. I clung to the safety of the arms that held me, needing them to ground me as I soared from peak to peak.

My descent took several minutes.

Edward, always the gentleman, cradled me close to him during my recovery, pressing soft kisses to my eyelids, my nose, my lips.

When my eyes finally fluttered open, I was blushing.

"Edward," I whispered, suddenly feeling incredibly shy.

He laughed softly, kissing the very tip of my nose.

"I love you, Bella."

My heart swelled. "I love you too, Edward."

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

I nodded. "Better than alright, even."

"Oh yeah?" He was gathering our clothing from the kitchen floor, me still in his arms, as he spoke.

Normally I would've protested my ability to walk, but at this moment, with my legs still feelings suspiciously like jell-o, I decided to let him use his ridiculous vampire strength to carry me around.

"Mmhmm," I nodded. "One might say that I'm great. Fantastic. Amazing, even." My brain was still a bit hazy, and I found myself struggling for further synonyms.

Edward laughed softly, suddenly hugging me tightly. "Bella, you are too much."

I wasn't sure if I should be offended or pleased.

"You know," I said softly, reaching down to trail my fingertip over his bare stomach. "I'm also apparently quite selfish."

Edward growled, a low rumbly sound as I traced the waist of his pants.

He effectively killed the mood, however, with his next words.

"Charlie's home."

I gasped, struggling against his arms. Oh my God, I had to get upstairs, I had to get some clothes on! Charlie would kill me if he knew Edward was still here. Charlie would kill Edward if he knew he was still here! Edward had to leave!

Geesh, panic certainly was great for rousing the brain.

"Edward, you have to get out of here!"

He smiled. He smiled! Men!

"Don't worry."

Don't worry? Really?

"What do you mean?!"

And then he did one of those vampirey things. In less than the time it took to blink, he had us both upstairs, me wrapped in his shirt and tucked into bed. I felt a little nauseous with the sudden change of locale.

"Are you leaving?" I asked softly as he headed for the window.

He turned to me with that adorable grin that I'd never get enough of, even if he finally caved and made me a vampire and we had all of eternity together.

"I'll be back once Charlie's assured himself you're in bed asleep."

He winked playfully.

"And then we'll make up for your earlier selfish behavior."

I felt a little thrill of anticipation, despite my recent release.

As Edward dropped out of the window, I tipped my head to the side, burying my nose in the collar of his shirt, his scent immediately recognizable, and completely delicious.

And then it hit me.

I scrambled out of bed, leaning out the open window and calling quietly,

"Edward?"

I saw a faint flash from below and glanced down. Edward was grinning back up at me.

"Bella, if you fall out that window…" he warned.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I had a question for you."

"Of course, what is it?"

"What is B squared plus C squared minus two BC times the cosine of A?!"

He seemed momentarily floored by my absurd question, before he suddenly began to laugh.

"A squared!"

And he was gone.

A squared? A squared?!

Dammit!

I hopped back into bed, just as Charlie's footsteps sounded on the stairs.

I knew that one!

A/N: I'm thinking of possibly doing a follow-up for this story, for the night to come. Yes, no? Let me know!