A/N: This was my one-shot for Ninapolitan's Smut Mondays on . Check it out, if you haven't already! Nina is a smut saint!

Enjoy!

"Not Even Close"

"You're upset," he said quietly, looking down at his lap and withdrawing his hands from the table.

I paused, trying to find words-any words.

"I...Well...I don't know if upset is...the right word... exactly," I attempted awkwardly.

His auburn head flew up, and he gave me a sardonic look with an eye roll and everything.

"What?" I said defensively. "I'm not."

"Bella- I just told you I'm a vampire, and you expect me to believe you're not upset?" he hissed across the table. His voice still sounded like heavenly music, despite his obvious frustration.

I once again had no idea what to say. So, I grabbed my drink and sipped on it slowly as I thought of something.

"I'm more surprised than anything," I whispered. I was more than aware that the people around us in the restaurant were looking at us curiously, probably wondering why we looked so strained.

"Surprised?" Edward repeated incredulously. "That's it? You're not...You aren't..."

So I wasn't the only one having trouble speaking. I felt a tiny ounce of relief.

Then I suddenly felt someone standing at my right side. I had been so tense from our conversation that I jumped about a foot in the air.

Looking up, I saw it was only our waitress- Sandy, her nametag read.

"Can I get you two more to drink or maybe some dessert?" she asked brightly, looking at us expectantly. Her peppy voice was such a stark contrast to the secretive tones we'd been using before, I found myself even more startled.

"Do you need anything?" Edward asked me. I shook my head no and glanced over at his dinner. The soda was still full and the food had only been moved around. I hadn't seen him take a bite all night.

Of course not, I thought wryly.

"Then we will only be needing the check, thank you," he said formally.

And with that, Sandy left.

"I was hoping that we could continue our conversation in a more private setting," Edward said softly. "That is...if you don't mind. I will understand if you don't want to be alone with me."

"No, that'll be fine," I assured him with what I hoped was a confident face.

That was the thing- I wasn't afraid to be alone with Edward. I'd been alone with him several times over the past few weeks we'd been seeing each other and had never even felt awkward or nervous. Hell, I'd gone out of my way to be alone with him. Even now that I knew I should be terrified of him, I couldn't summon up any fear or uneasiness.

Sandy returned quickly with our bill. Edward immediately grabbed it from her hand, raising an eyebrow, daring me to object. I gave him an eye roll of my own but remained silent. He slid a bill into the folder and handed it back to Sandy.

"No change," he smiled politely and turned back to me just in time to miss Sandy gawking at him. If wasn't so pissed that she was eye-fucking him, I might have laughed. Edward's smile could do dangerous things to a girl and probably some boys.

When she finally walked away- looking behind her every so often to look at Edward again- we rose from our seats.

Edward moved quickly to pull my chair out for me and hold out my coat. His gentlemanly gestures took me by surprise.

He must be one of the twelve men on earth who still do that for a woman. But then again...he's not completely man.

Once we were set to go, we walked out to the valet, carefully not touching. I couldn't decide whether I was upset about that or not. Edward handed me gently into the passenger seat before closing my door and walking around the car to get in the driver's seat.

The whole time I was unable to take my eyes off him. He moved with such beauty and grace. Of course he was something other. There was no way he could be human. How had I never seen that?

We rode in rigid silence for nearly five minutes just watching the street lights flash by before Edward spoke up.

"You're not saying anything," he murmured.

"Neither are you," I pointed out.

"Fair enough. What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said sarcastically, "how about the weather or current events or the fact that you're a vampire."

Edward released a loud sigh, and I instantly regretted speaking so rashly. I had just been so fed up with all the tension and trying to ignore the big, fat elephant riding in the car with us.

"What about me being a vampire?" Edward asked slowly. I noticed his grip tighten on the steering wheel while I tried not to notice just how long and agile those fingers looked or picture them gliding over my skin.

"Well...do you turn into a bat?" I asked to get my mind off of his hands. I worried the question was a little blunt, I figured the worst thing he could do was kick me out of the car...or drink my blood.

With that thought, I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. But he surprised me by snorting.

"No, I can't. That's just a myth."

"Do you hate garlic?"

I thought back to the pasta I'd eaten for dinner and wondered if he'd been uncomfortable the whole time.

"No, yet another myth. I find all human food rather revolting, actually," he confessed.

"How do you stand being around it?"

"Practice," he said simply.

I nodded my head to show I understood and looked back out the window. We were pulling into a secluded driveway. Edward's house.

I'd only see the outside of it before when he'd shown me where he lived, but now it looked like I was going to get the full tour. Even in my anxiousness, I was excited to see the inside of Edward's enormous home.

He turned off the engine and came to open my door so briskly, I barely saw him get out.

"What? That's it?" he said with a little smile when we got to his front door. I must have looked as confused as I felt. "I meant- that's it with the questions? I expected you to have many, many more things you wanted to ask me."

We entered his living room. I willed myself not to ask him if I could see his coffin or look around for it myself. I didn't figure that was proper vampire etiquette, if there was such a thing.

Instead, I sat down cautiously on the far right side of his black leather couch and took in the elegant but also modern décor of his home.

"Do the other girls ask more questions?" I inquired in an innocent voice.

"I've never told any girl, except you, Bella," Edward swore sternly, giving me a look I couldn't quite decipher. It was a mix of disbelief and embarrassment.

I chose not to elaborate on that train of thought. It was clear Edward didn't want to talk about it.

"I didn't ask any more questions because I didn't want to annoy you," I lied. In truth, I was afraid my interrogation would anger him. And although I didn't know I lot about vampires, I knew to always keep them happy.

"You won't. You deserve to know," he said seriously before his mood lightened. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Did he even have people food?

"No. I'm fine," I said, thinking of another question. "Okay...so...can you go out in the sun?"

I had never been on a date with Edward in the daytime. In all the weeks I'd known him, he'd never offered to take me out to lunch or anything like that. I'd always just assumed he was working.

He sat down on the other side of the couch. He probably thought I didn't want him near me out of fear or disgust. That was so not the case. My body yearned for Edward as much as it ever had. I felt the same magnetic pull I always did when I was around him.

He leaned forward slightly and stared at me with a stony yet wary expression, like I was getting ready to scream.

"Technically, yes," he said, responding to my question. "Unlike many vampires in stories, I do not sleep during the day. However, I cannot go out into the sun. If I do, my secret would be revealed."

"How-"

"I'll show you sometime," he promised. I took this as a good sign. He was planning on keeping me around. I hadn't realized I'd been worrying about that until I felt the weight lifted from my shoulders.

"Can you levitate?"

"No."

"Do you have fangs?"

"No. My teeth are just razor sharp."

"Do you show up in pictures or mirrors?"

"Yes."

"What about crosses?"

"They don't bother me."

I leaned back on the couch in a more relaxed position and huffed.

"Edward, are you sure you're a vampire? Because I'm having a hard time believing you," I voiced candidly.

Suddenly Edward's hard expression transformed into surprise, and he began laughing hysterically. He leaned back onto the armrest and clutched his sides, helpless in his guffaws. I'd never heard a more beautiful sound-even if it was somewhat at my expense.

He went on for what felt like an hour before sighing and sitting back up.

"Yes, Bella, I'm fairly sure I'm a vampire," he sighed. He was still smiling his perfect smile, and his eyes still shone with laughter. His happiness made me happy, and I found myself grinning right back at him.

"Then what makes you a vampire?" I wanted to know. I was genuinely curious.

Edward was abruptly serious.

"My superhuman strength, my hard skin, my coldness, my acute senses...and I thirst for blood, as you failed to ask before."

Damn it. He knew what I was up to. I'd been purposely skirting around that topic. I wanted to know, but at the same time, I didn't.

"You drink blood?" Edward nodded, scooting closer to me on the couch. "All the time? Like, are you hungry now?"

He said nothing but I noticed he'd scooted so close to me on the couch, we were nearly touching. Part of me was screaming at me to run away, but the larger part of me- probably the lustful part- commanded me to stay. So I stayed.

"In a way, Bella," he said almost inaudibly, his dazzling topaz eyes staring into my own intensely.

"What?" I said dumbly. With Edward's comeliness filling up my vision, my head was filled with fuzziness.

"My entire being hungers for you." I could feel his cool breath on my cheek as he leaned even closer to me to the point where I could hear his tongue move as he spoke. I shivered. "I've never desired anyone the way I desire you."

He moved in even closer and inhaled deeply.

My breathing had all but stopped. I held myself as still as possible, hoping that-if he was going to bite me- the pain would be quick, and I also discovered my pulse was racing with a little excitement.

But he pulled away.

"It started when I saw you six months ago," he said in a disconcertingly normal voice. He was nice and composed while I was a quivering mess of fear and anticipation.

I continued to look at him, showing him that I was all ears.

"I was driving one day, and I saw you on the side of the road, putting shopping bags into the back of your car. When you stood up...Bella, you took my breath away. I'd never seen a woman as exquisitely beautiful as you in my entire existence. I nearly stopped my car so I could get out and meet you.

"But I knew I couldn't do that. You were human and I vampire. It would be wrong to drag you into my world," he grimaced ruefully like he was sorry for thinking I was beautiful which didn't make sense. Lord knew I had thought that about him at least a billion times.

"I don't understand," I said earnestly.

He groaned and closed his eyes tightly.

"I knew I shouldn't pursue you, but that didn't stop me from driving down that very road nearly four times a day, hoping to see just a glimpse of you. I must have done that for two months, just hoping I might see a glimpse of you. Every time I didn't see you, I was saddened. I began to think that I'd never see you again or that I'd only imagined you.

"Then, as I was driving by some weeks later, I saw you entering a bookstore. In my elation at finding you, I was heedless and sought you out. That was the first day we met, you'll remember."

And I did. He had simply walked up to me in the classics aisle and asked me what I was reading. At the time, I thought he was some Starbucks-induced mirage because he seemed too gorgeous to be real which wasn't so far off, considering what I'd just learned about Edward.

He'd asked me to dinner, and from then on out, my life had revolved around him- thinking about things he'd said, waiting for his call, and remembering his face.

"I spoke to you," he went on, "even though I knew it was wrong. I just...couldn't stay away from you, Bella. I still can't. I know I won't ever be able to."

He looked up to gauge my reaction. I tried to look neutral, like his interest didn't excite me, but I completely failed. Before I knew it, I was leaning forward, taking in his perfect scent.

"Bella...I'm sorry," he said sadly. "But I thought you should know. I didn't want to be dishonest with you."

"Shhh."

I moved so that our legs were touching and began rubbing my hand along his thigh. He watched me carefully, but made no motions to stop me.

Emboldened, I leaned forward until our chests were touching and ran my other hand along his chest.

"You aren't afraid?" he breathed into my hair, his body still rigid and cold.

"Should I be?" I asked softly.

"I'm not sure," he said in a gasp as my lips found his throat. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. "I have never...been in a relationship with a human woman. I can't be sure what the risks are."

"I'll take them," I said eagerly, hitching my leg over him so that I was straddling his lap. I probably seemed outrageously oversexed, but in all the time I'd known Edward, he'd only allowed a peck on the cheek at most.

And now that I was apparently allowed to touch him, I couldn't stop. His body called out to mine in a surreal way. On top of all that, I found his being a vampire strangely sexy. Perhaps it was the danger or uniqueness. Whatever it was, it was making me hornier than I'd ever been.

I pushed myself up and started to move against him.

"Bella- you don't have to-" he started, but his cold hands found my backside and had begun to massage my flesh through my pants.

"Mmmm," I hummed out of delight. "But I want to, Edward. I want you. Please?"

"Even though I am a vampire? I do not disgust you?" he asked in such a small, scared voice. It felt like a frigid knife in my heart.

"Edward, since the first moment I met you, I've wanted you. I've thought about nothing else but you for so long. I accept you because I believe you're a good person," I said, taking his face into my hands. "I know you'd never hurt me. And you do not disgust me. Quite the opposite, in fact," I said, moving against him slightly to show just how much I was attracted to him, how much I craved him.

I looked up to see his reaction, but I had to time to measure his trepidation because in the next instant, his lips met mine with rough fervor.

I'd never experienced anything close to kissing Edward. His lips were smooth as glass and yet unyielding as steel. The felt immobile, but they were moving with impressive speed and passion against mine. They were cold, but it felt like he was setting my on fire with his touch.

The fire spread rapidly from his lips to the rest of my body. He then moved those unbelievable lips to my throat and the fire turned into an all out blaze.

"Edward," I moaned helplessly, pressing myself even further into his icy skin, thinking it would help extinguish the heat shooting through my veins, but it only increased the fire. I was in a hopeless circle of lust.

Edward dragged his hands up from my rear and tangled them into my hair so he could guide my mouth back to his. He attacked me with renewed fervor, sucking on my bottom lip.

I carefully inched my tongue out to touch his lips, minding his teeth. Once I was able to fully taste him, I sighed in ecstasy.

Edward tasted utterly delicious- not like food, but definitely worth devouring. I made some strangled noise of hunger, and Edward echoed it back. He reached down to traced frozen circles on my stomach, inching his way up to where I wanted him, but never close enough.

It was all too much. I was overwhelmed in the best way possible.

I had to pull back and regain my breath. Being a vampire clearly allowed Edward the luxury of foregoing breathing because he continued to kiss me softly on my collarbone while rubbing my ribs with his thumbs.

When he felt me stop, Edward's now black eyes looked up at me in question.

"Do you-uh," I never thought I'd ask this in my life. "Do you have a bed here, or..."

He chuckled quietly and buried his face in the crook of my neck and shoulder.

"I do," he said. "Would you like to see it?"

"Absolutely," I said dizzily. I didn't think I could wait another second to have him.

He rose smoothly, and I latched my legs and arms around him as he walked to his room. From our new position, I could feel just how eager Edward was to get to the bed also.

The next minute we were in his room. He moved so quickly, it was hard for my eyes to keep up. I had no idea where I was until I felt the soft comforter of the bed beneath me.

Okay-big relief- this is definitely not a coffin.

He'd released me, and I looked up, searching for him in the dim light of the room. I found him in the shadows, staring down at me. He'd already removed his shirt and pants.

My breath caught in my throat as I took him in. He was...he looked...I'm not sure there are words for how glorious Edward looked unclothed. It was too much for my eyes, but I couldn't look away. His body hypnotized me.

Slowly, he stalked toward me, his eyes focused on my every movement. I realized now that I was the prey and he the hunter.

Without speaking, he knelt on the bed before me and reached out. One hand found my waist while the other tangled in my hair. He began to draw me to him sluggishly- too sluggishly. My libido did not have that kind of patience.

I rose to my knees and grabbed his shoulders aggressively, pulling him to me.

He grunted, but allowed himself to fall forward on top of me as I lay down.

Edward moved up to meet my face and started kissing me sweetly on my cheeks, but that wasn't enough. I was growing more and more impatient by the minute.

I grabbed his hands and tore them from my body. I was sure he could have stopped me if he wanted to, but he let me take the lead. I moved those beautiful fingers down to the waistband of my pants lifted my hips, willing him to undress me.

While he worked on his assigned task, I hurriedly whipped my shirt and bra off at the same time, flinging them somewhere in the room.

I looked down my torso at Edward who was still fumbling with my pants. He felt my gaze and peeked up at me.

"These are too complicated," he whispered. I could hear the frustration in his voice. "I can't...they won't..."

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of my pants being literally ripped off me. I looked down at Edward again, startled, and he gave me a not so apologetic smile. His eyes were shining. He'd clearly enjoyed it.

"I'll buy you new ones," he laughed and dipped his head to my white panties. His nose trained along the lace, stopping at the thin straps. I felt him kiss the skin gently before I heard more snapping followed by more of his delighted snickers.

"And new underwear too," he smiled up at me.

I smiled back, loving the carefree side of him. He stared at me for a moment, completely silent.

"What?" I asked. I raided my mind, trying to think of what I'd done wrong.

"You are the single most beautiful thing I've seen in my existence," he breathed as his eyes roamed over my naked body. "I can't wait to take you."

My flesh broke out in goosebumps, and I reached up for him. He crawled over me and came to rest between my thighs, his prominent erection resting at my entrance. His palms found my breast, and he delicately kneaded them.

"But, my Bella," he rasped, kissing me behind my ear, "your inner beauty is the best part. You're exquisite in and out. That is why you are so special."

I struggled to hold back my tears as I leaned back so I could see him.

"Thank you, Edward," I said. "I feel the same way about you."

He gave me a lopsided smile and bent to kiss me, soft as a whisper. I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss and knotted my fingers in his hair, and he shifted just a few inches until he was poised to enter me.

And then I hesitated.

Placing my hand on his chest to still him, I said, "Edward...will...um...having sex with you be different than...uh...having sex with a human?"

It might have sounded stupid, but I honestly had no idea. I wanted to be prepared, in a small way.

Edward stared at me for a long minute before he responded.

"Yes. I, personally, have never been with a human, but from what I've heard..." he paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Humans tend to find sex with vampires much more...satisfying."

Just that simply, I was sold. I had already imagined that sex with Edward would be something worth remembering, but now...

I hugged him closer and whispered, "Could you show me?"

I felt him grin against my lips as he kissed me. In one fluid movement he was inside of me.

"Bella? Are you okay?" he asked.

I breathed deeply in and out while I adjusted to him. My body had never accommodated a man so...large. But conveniently enough, his coldness only served to numb the minor pain I felt.

I was luxuriating in the feel of him when I remembered that he'd asked me a question.

"No," I sighed happily. "I'm not okay." He looked at me, panic stricken, before I elaborated. "I feel fantastic, but...could you...maybe move a little?"

It only took Edward seconds to process what I wanted. He immediately began to thrust in and out of me slowly. Each time he pulled out, I missed him desperately, and each time he reentered, my body welcomed him back gratefully.

He rocked in and out gently, kissing my neck tenderly, whispering things to me, but I barely registered any of it. All I could think about was how fantastic he felt. I just wanted him more and more with every movement he made.

It soon became unbearable. I dug my nails into his lower back and tried to guide him into a faster pace. He easily complied. Grabbing my hips, he sat up into a crouched position and shoved into me forcefully.

"Oh god, Edward!" I screamed. Nothing had ever felt so purely good.

"Bella," he chanted, pounding into me over and over and over. "Oh, Bella. You're a goddess. You're so gorgeous. I can't get enough of you."

I moaned loudly and arched my back into him as my legs drew him even closer. Each time I moved, he knew exactly how to adjust. He always knew just the right speed to go. I squirmed shamelessly beneath him, needing all of him.

"Ed-Ed-Edward," I gasped, "faster. I need you faster. Oh, please. Please. Please."

He slid his palms from my hips to my shoulders and moved into me with more vigor. I thought I would pass out from the sensation.

Edward's chilly lips found my ear. His tongue swirled around it before he grunted, "Can you feel that, Bella? The way our bodies fit perfectly together?"

I could only whimper.

"I knew it would be like that. I knew it," he sighed. "Bella, I can hear your pulse race when you're excited. I can feel your blood running so quickly under your skin, smell your arousal. I can tell what you like when you breathe a certain way."

I pulled him closer to me, unable to bear another inch between us, needing to feel all of his skin against mine. This man would be the death of me.

"For instance, I know you like it when I do this," he went on. Out of nowhere, he angled his hips upward and thrust in to me one, two, three times. My breaths were coming out in short, labored gasps.

He grazed the front of his teeth along the valley between my breasts.

"I know you like the element of danger, knowing I will never hurt you," he smiled, taking my left nipple into his mouth and gently suckling on it.

"And," he continued, glancing at the alarm clock next to his bed, "I know if I do this," he swiveled his hips as he entered me. I screamed out in erotic joy. "You will come in approximately three minutes."

I drew breath to say something, but he silenced me with his lips, kissing me frantically as he continued to bring me closer to the edge. I could barely keep up with his rapid movements, but I tried my best, lifting my hips to meet him thrust for thrust.

I was dangling...so very close to climaxing when Edward leaned down in my ear once again.

"Your time is up, my Bella," his deep voice said. "Cum. Cum now."

Not less than a second later, I was done for. I wouldn't even call it an orgasm because it was so much more. My brain searched for words to describe it, but it came up with nothing and decided to let go and just enjoy it.

"EDWARD!" I screeched at the top of my lungs. I knew he was still moving inside of me, but I hardly noticed from my high. So I wasn't expecting when I second wave of pleasure washed over me.

This time I screamed so loudly, no sound came out of my mouth. I squeezed my eyes closed, seeing bright flashes, and raked my nails down Edward's back. A normal man would have bled from my touch, but Edward didn't even flinch.

I finally came back down to earth after an immeasurable amount of time to find Edward lying beside me, looking nothing short of self-satisfied.

I admired him, taking in his perfect physique with its lean muscles and sharp planes, the body that had afforded me so much pleasure. No other man could compare.

But the part of him that stood out the most were his topaz eyes, the color of warm honey now. They were glowing with joy and contentment, and they were admiring me right back.

Edward leaned forward to kiss my forehead and brush some hair out of my eyes before lying back down on the bed He kept his palm resting on my cheek as his thumb caressed me lovingly.

Another spark of lust surged through me. Would I ever tire of him?

"So, Bella," he said too innocently. I guessed he could smell my fresh arousal. "Would you say that was better than human sex?"

I rolled on top of him, ready for round two.

"Uh...not even close," I laughed, and I proved my point several times that night.