[prologue]

"Gah! My eyes!" Alice wailed, shuddering a bit.

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper asked. He knew she'd been having a vision, and was instantly worried by Alice's outburst.

"I'm so sorry, Jasper, but Edward's going to be annoying you with his emotions for probably the next several decades." Alice grimmaced, trying not to recall the images from her vision.

"He and Bella are going to make love tonight."

Each of the Cullens gasped at Alice's announcement, except for Emmett.

"Woohoo, Edward is finally going to get laid! Maybe he'll stop moping around so much now." The lewd grin on Emmett's face was blinding.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked Emmett on the back of the head.

"Emmett, perhaps we should be worried more by Bella's safety than the status of Edward's manhood," Carlisle suggested, clearly worried, yet strangely as happy for Edward as Emmett was, although in a completely different manner. He knew how life-alteringly amazing making love could be since the first time he and Esme had made love. He had always wanted the same happiness for his first son.

"It's all right, Carlisle, nothing negative will come from it. Except that if I look any farther than this afternoon, I just keep seeing more of it." Alice cringed delicately, trying to look into Jasper's future instead so that she didn't have to burn the image of her favorite brother naked in her mind any longer. Not that she wasn't happy for him, she was extremely happy. But she still didn't need to actually see him finally have sex.

"Do we know when Edward will be returning home, Alice?" Esme wanted nothing more in the world than for Edward to be happy, especially with Bella. Esme had not known a kinder heart than Bella's in a human, and knew that she was truly the right match for Edward. As far as Esme was concerned, Edward was due for this final step toward being as happy as she and Carlisle were.

"Around six-thirty," Alice said, looking at her cell phone to check the time. It was a little after four-thirty now, and the actual sex part of their evening would probably begin within the next fifteen minutes. The implications of the time difference made Alice wrinkle her nose, yet mentally nod in approval. Bella was a lucky human to be getting a vampire's constitution in the bedroom.

"Can we please not talk about Edward having sex anymore? I think I'm actually not thirsty anymore," Rosalie groaned. It wasn't that she was no longer thirsty, it was that thinking about Edward having sex made her not interested in having sex with Emmett as planned later.

"Don't worry, babe, we'll just do it in Edward's room before he gets a chance to."

Emmett's lewd grin widened until it was wickedly sexy, sending a shiver down Rose's spine. All Emmett had to do was give her that smile and she thought she wouldn't be able to wait to tear his clothes off. Rose remembered overhearing Bella once say that Edward had the ability to "dazzle" her. She was pretty sure the effect Emmett's smile had on her was pretty much the same.

"Emmett, that's not nice," Esme chided, shaking her head at Emmett's tactlessness.

"Besides, Edward would never have done that to you and Rose," she reminded him.

"That's because Edward is uptight and doesn't have a real sense of humor when it comes to sex," Emmett countered, wrapping his arms around Rosalie's waist.

"No, Emmett, that's because he has tact," Alice told him.

******

I held Bella while she slept until six-fifteen in the morning. I got up from the bed without even jostling her, then silently grabbed a sheet of lined paper. I only wrote three words on it before folding the paper and placing it on the pillow where I had been resting. I kissed her lightly on the forehead before going to the window.

I didn't want to leave her after everything that had happened last night, but I needed to shower and change. I also needed to prepare for the plans I had made for tonight. Now that I had finally made love to Bella, I felt as though I wouldn't be able to survive a day without making love to her again. I could still feel the memory of being inside of her with intense clarity. I shivered with anticipation as I slid silently from her window.

I raced home, lost in thought. I would take her to the meadow. Obviously, that would require me to grab the portable firepit Emmett and I had purchased for a particularly long hunting trip. It wasn't that he and I would actually get cold, it was more for the novelty of "camping" with a fire. Plus, it didn't hurt to occassionally pick up camping gear from Newton's Sporting Supply to maintain the human image we had built in Forks. That was before I had met Bella, so being in the same room with Mike Newton's thoughts wasn't nearly as infuriating as it was now. It was even worse right before anyone truly knew we were dating and Mike's mother kept having thoughts about trying to set Mike up on a date with Bella.

We would definitely need blankets as well, not only to keep Bella warm but to protect her from the hard ground. Even though the meadow was lush with grass in the summer, the ground was always a bit too firm for her taste. She never really complained, but I could tell she was uncomfortable every time she would start fidgetting or trying to adjust the position she was laying in. Of course it felt perfectly comfortable to me, but then I was fairly sure that a jagged cliff-face would be suitable for me to relax on.

I stopped short as I approached my home, overhearing Emmett's loud thoughts.

I bet Edward didn't even last that long. I mean he's the oldest virgin on the planet, it's not like he'd have enough stamina to be able to last that whole two hours.

I growled in frustration as I took a slower pace the rest of the way home. It was obvious that Alice had a vision about my evening, but why? My only guess was that when she started to look at my plans for the evening, she would be too worried about how things had turned out to not look forward. I wasn't sure if I should feel like my privacy was violated or not. Granted, my ability to read thoughts left no privacy for anyone in my presence, save Bella.

Oh, look at the time. Edward should be home soon. I heard Esme's thoughts, noting the joy and pride she felt for me. Apparantly the entire family was notified of my newly lost virtue.

It was just like Esme to feel elated that this had happened. Bella had made me happy, and now I was able to experience everything love had to offer: emotional and physical. Since she and Carlisle had found each other, both of them longed for the same happiness for me.

I walked into the house and Alice was in front of me within the breadth of a second.

"Congratulations. Also, I'm kind of scarred for life, just to let you know," Alice's pixie grin belied the mild disgust in her voice.

Her thoughts replayed flashes of Bella and I making love: The image of me sliding into her for the first time, the sweet sound of my name on her lips, Bella moving above me as I told her how beautiful she looked, her climaxing as I claimed her as mine. I could not help the violent shiver that ran through my body as I felt every memory a hundred times more intensely than her vision could express.

"Thanks. And, I apologize for the inconvenience," I smiled at Alice, unable to feel anything but bliss. Nothing could ruin my happiness now.

"Hey, Edward, did you know where everything was supposed to go or did you need instructions?"

I couldn't help the loud warning growl that escaped my throat. I did my best to reign myself in so that I could speak.

"I think I've lived long enough to know the mechanics of the act, Emmett."

I growled the words through clenched teeth, trying to do my best not to lunge at him in anger. I really didn't feel it appropriate for him to ask me such vulgar questions about myself. I knew sooner or later that would lead to him asking me even more vulgar questions about Bella. Esme would be rather upset with me if I tried to kill Emmett. So would Rosalie.

Relax, Edward. You know I'm happy for you. Emmett thought.

"Yes, but your expression of being happy for me is inappropriate."

"You know how I am. Did you expect anything less?"

Emmett at least had the good grace to look apologetic as he spoke. He wrapped his arms around Rosalie, allowing thoughts to filter through his mind of the first time they had made love.

The experience had been earthshaking for Emmett. Although he had been with two women prior to being turned, the experience with Rose had been completely different. The sensations were a thousand times more intense, and the way he felt about her was infinitely elevated just by that one act. I felt the same about my night with Bella. My feelings for her seemed more acute now. Although, the experience for Emmett and Rosalie seemed to pale in comparison to my experience with Bella.

"It was so much more than that, Em. I don't even think I could explain it properly."

Esme rushed over to me and gave me a tight hug. Her thoughts were racing with joy and love.

"I'm so happy for you, Edward. You've finally gotten everything good that you deserved."

The beaming smile she gave me was the angelic perfection of a mother's love. I smiled back at her lovingly.

"Thank you, Mom. The only thing that will make me happier now is being married to Bella."

I couldn't hold back the rush of thoughts, the daydreams about how beautiful Bella would look walking down the aisle on our wedding day--the way we would make love endlessly on our honeymoon. I felt so free knowing there was nothing to fear anymore. I would never hurt her.

I should probably have a talk with Edward. He may feel more comfortable expressing what happened to me than to anyone else in the house. I heard Carlisle's thoughts break through my own and I nodded almost imperceptively at him in agreement.

"I would appreciate that, Carlisle," I told him, my arm still wrapped around Esme.

"First though, I need some time to myself, if no one minds. I'll be up in my room after I shower."

I tried not to notice Emmett's vulgar thoughts at my last comment. Everyone nodded or vocalized their agreement as I began walking up the stairs toward my bathroom.

When Esme had begun redesigning the house after Carlisle had purchased it, she set up the bedrooms first, then the bathrooms. She had knocked out all the toilets except for the two downstairs, in case we had visitors or held a Christmas party for Carlisle's co-workers. We had two master bathrooms upstairs: one in Rose and Emmett's room and the other in Alice and Jasper's room, and then a spare bathroom directly outside of my room.

Almost two-thirds of the bathroom was taken up by the spa shower. It had two removable showerheads on opposite walls from each other, while the other wall had a large, built-in caddy for any bottles or other items I felt necessary. The rest of the bathroom was space to stand in front of a small sink. There was a decent sized mirror above the sink and the inside of the door also had a full length mirror.

I stared at my reflection for a few minutes, noting the way that my smile still had not dimished. I had not been this happy since the first day I spent the night at Bella's after our day at the meadow. That had been the first time Bella told me she loved me, albeit in her sleep, and I couldn't stop grinning that night either.

Eventually, I started the shower and began to undress, shivering slightly as little hints of Bella's scent would get stirred up in the air. I would say that her scent brought back the memories, but those memories hadn't stopped running through my mind since the moment I left Bella's room.

As I stepped into the shower, I sighed happily as the torrent of heated water went over my skin. Warmth always felt immensely pleasurable to vampires. Taking hot showers warmed our skin temporarily, and relaxed our constantly tense muscles. I wondered how much easier things would have been for Bella if we had been doing all of our practicing in the shower. She wouldn't have had to be wrapped up in a blanket.

I could see the way the water would run off of her bare skin, down the valley between her breasts until it fell in a torrent at the juncture between us. I stored that image away for later, both to remember to try that with Bella, and to save for a day I would be unable to see her. I had the feeling it would not take me long to bring myself to climax if I were thinking about that, and even less time if I were remembering last night.

I finished washing my hair and body within the span of a minute, then stayed in to enjoy the warmth for another fifteen. When I stepped out of the shower, the room was heavily fogged up. I wrapped myself in a towel and went into my room, leaving the bathroom door open so that the fog could clear up a bit. As I maneuvered through my closet, I picked out some grey slacks and a white button down dress shirt with grey pinstripes. As I picked the clothes out, I noticed that their duplicates were not in my closet. I also noticed that my closet had a fairly fresh trail from Alice. I made sure I was thoroughly dried off before putting the clothing on, then went downstairs to find her.

"Alice, where are my clothes and why exactly did you feel the need to take them?" I arched an eyebrow at my favorite sister who was dancing lightly through the living room to entertain Jasper. I got the distinct feeling that she was trying to convince him to go upstairs.

"In your car, Edward. You're going to need them tonight. I have Bella's outfit in the backseat, too," Alice grinned mischieviously, still dancing toward Jasper.

"Don't even try to look at what she'll be wearing; it's a surprise. Just let her know, when it's necessary, that she has duplicates of her underthings, too."

I attempted to not be frustrated as Alice studiously thought about the advanced belly-dancing skills she was about to put to use on Jasper in an effort not to think about Bella's outfit. To be honest, it didn't seem like he needed anymore encouragement, but he loved Alice enough to let her do this her way. I thanked Alice for thinking of that for me, then went back upstairs to check on how my hair was drying.

After I put in the right amount of gel and was sure my hair was going to dry correctly, I set about preparing for tonight. I went out to the garage and grabbed the disassembled firepit, putting the pieces in the trunk of my car. I filled a crate with firewood, then went back inside and grabbed about six blankets, unsure of how cold it would be outside. After everything was in the trunk, I tried to think of anything else we would need, but I realized that I'd done everything I could. I looked at the clock in the garage and sighed in resignation. It was barely ten in the morning. I would not be able to see Bella until at least seven tonight.

I went back into the house, not knowing how I would be able to manage the next nine hours without being with Bella.

******

"I can't even describe it, Carlisle. The experience far exceeded anything you prepared me for."

I had never seen Carlisle so happy for me, and he had never seen me so happy before, either. Carlisle and I were in his office, discussing the events of my evening with Bella, although not in explicit detail, of course.

"Neither of you had any... physical difficulties?" Carlisle tried to put things tactfully, but his mind was running through a list of sexual dysfunctions that were rather common, both for males and females.

"No, everything went smoothly in that respect. Although..." I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to proceed, but I needed to tell Carlisle about this.

"There is something I do need to discuss about my night."

"Of course, son. Go right ahead," Carlisle was instantly worried, although he noted that my happiness almost increased as I thought of what I was about to tell him.

"I claimed her. I didn't mean to at first, but it happened, and Bella was more than comfortable with it, so I claimed her purposefully after that."

I could not help the slight bit of shame that came back up as Carlisle looked at me in shock. He wasn't displeased, he had just never mentioned this aspect of vampiric sex to me.

Unheard of! A vampire claiming a human? It actually affected her? Carlisle's thought's were racing, trying to look for another instance of a vampire claim of a human. All vampires claim their mates when they find them, and he had obviously claimed Esme, and everyone else in the family had claimed their mate as well. But those were instances of vampires claming other vampires, and Carlisle knew no vampire, even among the Volturi who had ever attempted to claim a human.

"Yes, Carlisle, it affected her. She... well, she climaxed from it. More than once, actually," I couldn't help the small shudder I felt at remembering her inner muscles grasping erratically at me. The sound of my name shouted from her lips at my claim had been earth-shatteringly exquisite.

"That's incredible, Edward. I'm not sure what else to say on that subject. Although, I'm very pleased for you. A claim is a powerful thing, and to be able to claim Bella seems infinitely more powerful." Carlisle put his hands on my shoulders, a father's pride set in his smile.

"Thank you, Carlisle, that means everything to me." I embraced my "father" for a moment, happy that he not only supported this, but was pleased with it.

"Go on, son. Go pass the time until you can be with your Bella tonight."

******

It was fifteen minutes until six in the evening. I felt like I was going to go crazy. I had done everything I could to pass the time. I went out hunting, I helped Rosalie work on one of her cars, I composed a new song about Bella, and I even wrestled with Emmett. I wished that I could sleep so that I was at least able to pass a few hours in peace. Instead I was forced to be perfectly aware and conscious, which meant that I was going to spend every minute of that time feeling Bella's absence.

I was attempting to watch some sitcom on television, but it couldn't hold my attention. I flipped channels a few times, trying to find a movie that was half over so I could at least be occupied for another hour. I ended up flipping past the love scene in Titanic, which only frustrated me. For one thing, anyone would have been hard pressed to make love in one of those turn of the century automobiles. The other thing I found irritating was trying to watch some actors pretend to make love when I had an infinitely more beautiful woman sitting at her home waiting to make love to me.

I checked the clock again. It was finally six, but I wasn't supposed to see Bella for another hour. I let out an irritated growl and quickly got off the couch.

"She's going crazy too, Edward. Just go, it will be fine."

Alice looked at me happily, seeing the way my eyes lit up at being given the approval to go to Bella's house early.

"Thank you, Alice," I breathed. I felt wholly relieved knowing it wouldn't be much longer before I could see Bella again.

"Anytime, Edward. Just, sneak into her room and text her. Oh and please make sure you insist that you go and pick her up officially. If you don't it will end really badly."

I saw flashes of Bella and I in her room, clothing lying in a tattered pile on the floor, and Charlie coming up the stairs to find Bella. Even if I had been able to hear Charlie and leave, Bella would still be caught naked in her room. Without vampire speed, she would have no time to dress herself. Charlie was bound to have a lot of questions.

"Oh, and the Mariners are going to start beating Fresno in the fourth quarter," Alice rolled her eyes, knowing that the only method of charming Charlie was through sports.

I nodded at Alice, and quickly said goodbye to Carlisle and Esme. They each embraced me, wishing me luck and congratulating me one more time.

I drove as quickly as I could to Bella's house, making sure to park down the street so that Charlie could hear my car pull up when I officially came to pick her up. I could hear Bella doing dishes while Charlie watched the Mariners game on TV. When I slid silently into Bella's window, I had to stifle a sharp gasp. The room was still filled with the scent of her, with the scent of her arousal from last night. Her bed was still in disarray, and my letter was laying on her pillow instead of the one I left it on. The tank top I had ripped off of Bella was still lying in shreds on the floor.

I took a few minutes to breathe in the delicious ghost scent of our night, knowing that I would only get a more potent hit of it later tonight in the meadow. I couldn't help the possessive pride I felt at the idea of someday making love to Bella in my room. I quickly grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and sent Bella a text message, grinning to myself.

"Come upstairs."

I heard Bella's phone vibrate, then listened her set down the dishes in her hands so that she could check it. I heard Bella's heart start racing, heard her shocked intake of breath. Bella cleared her throat, and it almost seemed like it took a lot of effort to do so.

"Dad, I'm going to let them soak for a few minutes before I start trying to scrub at the lasagna."

I could just barely make out the anxiousness creep into her voice, although I was sure Charlie would completely miss it.

I could hear Charlie's thoughts as he answered. He was obviously very grateful for the amazing dinner Bella had prepared and thought she deserved a break.

"That's fine, Bells," Charlie said. "Take the night off kitchen duty, I'll do them."

"Thanks, Dad. I'm just going to do some reading until Edward gets here."

I hardly registered Charlie's "mhmm" as Bella quickly took the stairs to her room. I was directly in front of her door as she opened it. Before she had the chance to figure out where I was, I had her in my arms. We were kissing each other ravenously, and I could hear Bella's small moans of pleasure and relief. We kissed like that for a few minutes, but as I felt us both unconsciously slide our hands under one another's shirts, I pulled back just slightly before we could go too far.

"I take it the last several hours were as unbearable for you as they were for me?" I asked in amusement. I could barely manage to speak above a whisper. My desire for Bella had grown too strong already.

"Yes," Bella said breathlessly. I took in a shaky breath at the sound of her voice, hearing the low growl in my chest as her hot hands pressed to my chest. I had to stop this, even though I wanted her just as badly. If it weren't for Alice's prediction, I would have let Bella do whatever she wanted now. I wanted to be buried within her again. Instead, I took hold of her hands gently, my breathing ragged.

"Wait just a little while longer, Bella," I begged, knowing my voice spoke the opposite of my words.

"I have to officially pick you up. I will be right back."

I didn't even give Bella the option to protest as I left her room. I lingered at her front yard for a few moments, already missing having Bella wrapped in my arms.

"I have to change clothes first," Bella whispered out the window. I sighed in mild exasperation and quickly ran to the car, driving up to park across the street from Bella's house. By the time I got back, I could hear Bella zipping something up. I couldn't figure out what, considering the zipper ran a lot longer than the fly from a pair of pants. Perhaps it was a jacket.

"I'm ready," Bella called quietly. She sounded as though she were extremely pleased with herself, for some reason. I quickly made it to the door and knocked so I could find out what she had planned.

"I'll get it, Dad!" Bella called as she came down the stairs. Her steps were even, as though she were either hiding her excitement or trying not to fall. With Bella, you really never knew which was more likely.

The door opened and, for a moment, my eyes went wide and my jaw dropped. Bella looked incredible. She wore a v-necked, curve-hugging silk top in exactly the same shade of navy blue that I loved on her. She wore a beige skirt today instead of the usual jeans, and it barely grazed the top of her knees. Directly under her knees, I discovered what that zipper had been for. She wore knee-high, dark brown leather boots. They zipped up the inside of her calves and wrapped around them inticingly. The boots had two inch heels, just tall enough to accentuate Bella's legs, but not so tall as to make her incapable of walking.

I controlled my reaction to her outfit as soon as I was able to, doing my best not to growl playfully at Bella as she grinned widely and winked at me. Temptress!

"Hi," she said, biting her lip a little to stifle a giggle.

"Hello. You look very tempting," I admonished her, controlling my voice so that Charlie didn't overhear her. I really didn't need Charlie to find Bella's outfit inappropriate. Not that it was, but she still looked utterly indecent.

"Hello, Edward," Charlie greeted me. He managed to not sound irritated, but his thoughts were, as usual, on the gun he had by the door. Charlie didn't want to kill me, but he had no problem with the idea of injuring me badly enough that I would be too incapacitated to attend my own wedding.

"Good evening, Charlie. Who's playing tonight?" I asked politely. I really did like Charlie, he was a good man, on top of being the father of the woman I was in love with. His animosity toward me was amusing, but I knew it wouldn't last. The longer he saw Bella happy, the less he felt adverse to my presence.

"Mariners are getting clobbered by Fresno," Charlie said in disgust, his head shaking warily.

"It's a damn shame."

"I think they may pull through by the fourth quarter, Charlie. I wouldn't give up on them just yet," I reassured him with an encouraging smile. I loved the way Charlie seemed much more at ease with me when we discussed sports. I had no interest in football, but I knew pretty much everything about the game and who was on which teams. The Mariners had been Charlie's favorite for a long time.

"You know me better than that. I never give up on the Mariners." Charlie smiled back slightly, which was nice to see. He rarely smiled, except at Bella.

"Eleven-thirty, Bella?" He asked her apprehensively. He was still trying to get used to the idea that Bella was an adult. Eleven-thirty had turned into a suggestion instead of a set curfew, which unnerved Charlie. He was still afraid she would call one day to say she was spending the night at my house.

"Sure thing, Dad. See you later."

I laced my fingers in Bella's as we walked out toward my car. I heard Charlie close the front door as I opened the passenger side for Bella to step in.

As I slipped into the driver's seat, Bella was alight with curiosity.

"So where are we going? Is your family out hunting?" I smelled the rush of arousal at Bella's assumed prospect. As it was, I had to bite back a growl at the suggestion.

"Bella, were that the case, I would not be able to let you leave my room, let alone get you home for curfew," I told her honestly. As though she would have been the voice of reason in that situation. I had flashbacks of the night I tried to tell her the uses for the large bed I had bought for when she spent the night.

"And our destination is a surprise."

I had to smile as Bella pouted a bit at not knowing where we were going, and probably about not getting my house to ourselves tonight. I drove around the block at the speed limit for Charlie's benefit, then gave Bella my most dazzling smile as I let the car gain a more reasonable speed for me. I caught a glimpse of the speedometer. It was definitely over 100 mph. Bella groaned, but I knew she wouldn't protest. She was as eager to see our destination as I was to get her there.

About ten minutes later, I parked off the hidden road we always took to the meadow and got out of the car. I heard Bella's heartbeat race as she recognized where we were. I held the door open as she stepped out of the car.

"The meadow?"

"Our meadow," I corrected her, beaming at Bella's look of awe. She knew the reason I wanted to do this was based on the dream she had last night. That had been the turning point that led us to making love.

My constant compulsion to know what she was thinking crept into my mind as I went to the trunk. I knew she was remembering our night, but I wanted to see it in her mind. I wanted to know how she remembered the way we had made love. I let myself get lost in my own memories as I took out the pieces of the firepit so that I could get to the crate of firewood.

"What is that?" Bella asked, looking at the metal pieces in confusion.

"Portable firepit. I figured we would need something to keep you warm," I explained before taking out the crate and placing the pieces in it, then laying the blankets over the whole thing. I pulled Bella onto my back, then picked up the crate with ease before setting into a run toward our meadow.

After a few moments, Bella began to kiss a trail gently up and down the side of my neck. I growled silently in my throat as my arousal increased.

"That's very distracting, Bella," I told her, my smile obvious in my tone of voice. I didn't care that she was distracting me; what she was doing felt way too good to let her stop.

I felt Bella's tongue gently dart out against my tongue, and I couldn't help the way my growl peaked loudly. Bella gently kissed her way up to my ear. She seemed a bit hesitant for some reason before she whispered in my ear.

"Can I bite?"

I choked back a moan of shock and intense arousal. I felt my entire body shake in anticipation at the suggestion. For a human, biting me was practically like Bella making her own claim. I had the feeling I wouldn't be able to control myself if she did that, and I had very specific plans for Bella tonight.

"Please wait until I can at least start the fire. I don't want you to freeze to death because you seduced me into forgetting that you're adverse to cold weather."

Belle giggled quietly as I set her down. The force of my arousal at Bella's request had me spinning her to face me so that I could kiss her. The kiss was possessive and rough, and we were both breathless by the time I finally ended it. I pulled back just enough that my lips were still grazing hers as I spoke.

"I'll be right back," I murmured, then ran to put the firepit together and start lighting the first pile of wood. When I was satisfied with the fire, I laid the blankets out in the grass and picked Bella up, setting her down on the cozy pile. I heard Bella's heart flutter wildly, and I could smell the slow build of arousal she felt. I, thankfully, had the ability to appear fairly collected, despite the fury of arousal I felt as well.

"So... Last night was the most incredible night of my life," I told Bella, and I could feel the smile on my face growing exponentially as I replayed everything in my mind. Bella's breathing quickened until she was practically gasping for air.

"I feel exactly the same way," she whispered, the pink blush on her cheeks intensifying.

I raised my hand to cup Bella's face gently, then leaned in to kiss her softly. The kiss built slowly, then suddenly became urgent as we both remembered what we were here for. Bella moaned softly, her fingers tangling in my hair. I ran my free hand down her neck and throat, reveling in the intense heat of her skin. Suddenly, I needed her in my lap, so I took hold of her hips and moved her so that she was straddling me. I shivered as Bella breathed in relief against my lips. We both seemed to gain release the closer we got to one another.

Bella's hands slid down my sides, then snaked under my shirt to touch my skin. I shivered and slipped Bella's coat from her arms, running my cool fingers up and down her bare skin. It came as a shock when Bella pulled away slightly, gulping in air as quickly as she could. I let my lips wander over her jaw to give her a few moments. Her breaths were ragged and shallow, and I tried not to grin as I realized she probably wasn't getting much oxygen for all her efforts.

"Breathe, Bella," I chuckled, trying to ignore the fact that my own breathing was the same. At least I didn't need the oxygen.

"I am breathing," Bella muttered, her lips searching for mine. They found their mark as I realized Bella's meaning: kissing me was her air now, the way kissing her was my source of air. Our breathing became simultaneously easier the moment our lips met again, confirming my revelation.

I felt Bella shiver slightly, as though she was subconsciously impatient for more contact. I felt shaky myself as I let my fingers run slowly down her chest, caressing the swell of her breasts where her bare skin was exposed. Bella gripped my upper arms tightly, her body swooning as her arousal increased. I let my fingers move away just long enough to pull my shirt off, then trailed them back down Bella's torso. My hands slipped silently under the silk of her top, slowly raising it so that I could pull it off of her arms and over her head.

I was speechless as I took in the sight of Bella. She had on the most beautifully tempting blue silk bra - the same shade of navy as her blouse - through which her nipples were painfully obvious. I felt a lust for her that I never thought possible. The deep blue silk offset the cream of Bella's skin perfectly. My mouth, for the first time since I was turned, was watering for something besides blood. I swallowed back the venom that pooled in my mouth so that I could speak.

"Over one hundred years, and I've never wanted anything more than I want you right now, Bella," I heard myself saying.

The words were completely beyond my control, yet more honest than any prayer or dream. So, I found it ridiculous that Bella burst into giggles without warning. I raised an eyebrow in question. I wasn't angry, just utterly confused.

"You haven't even seen the matching underwear yet," Bella explained, as though that really made the laughter logical or even sane. Instead of inquiring further, I became instantly intrigued by her comment. My entire mind became occupied by imagining the sight.

"They match?" I asked, not even giving Bella the chance to answer my question before laying her down, removing her boots, and making short work of her skirt. I tossed the boots and skirt on the pile of our shirts before I allowed myself to look at Bella.

The underwear were navy lace, cut like extremely short shorts. They barely came a half of an inch down her thighs, and the waistband was cut so low that I was sure the swell of her backside would be exposed if I flipped her over. I couldn't even breathe as I thanked whatever god there was that vampires had perfect photographic memory. I would always remember every detail of how sexy Bella looked in her lingerie.

"No one should look so tempting, it's not fair," I whispered, a small smile playing on my face as I remembered that first morning at her house. This was infinitely more tempting. Thankfully, I now had no reason not to give in to temptation.

"Tempting how?" I could hear the smile in her voice.

That was good; it meant that she would play along. I had very specific plans for tonight, and this was the perfect opportunity to begin. I crawled to lean over Bella's body, my own was so close to hers that I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. I slid my fingers across the swell of her breasts, then between them, down to her stomach as I continued my little game.

"Shall I explain how you are tempting me?" I asked, my amusement clouded over by my arousal as Bella's breathing sped up raggedly. Her heart raced with adrenaline as my fingers whispered over the waistband of lace. I was shocked Bella was able to find her voice.

"So... How am I tempting you?" I could barely hear Bella as her voice shook in anticipation, and she made a beautiful gasp as I let one fingertip slide just below that sinful lace. I chuckled gently and leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, letting my lips graze the shell of it.

"Beautiful does not even begin to describe how alluring you are to me," I began, cupping the opposite side of her face in my hand. I kissed from her ear down her jaw slowly, savoring each gasp, each time her heart skipped a beat when I twitched the fingertip at her waist.

"Your skin is like warm silk against my fingers. It's almost impossible to stop touching your skin once I start. Especially here, at the arch of your neck..."

I let my hand slide down with my words to her neck, and down her throat. I dipped each fingertip in the hollow of her clavicles, then kissed my way down the other side of her neck, then back up to her jaw from her throat.

"But for as smooth and silky as your skin is, your lips..." I kissed up to her mouth, letting my lips brush gently over hers as I continued. I had to hold back a sigh of pleasure as I did so.

"Your lips are even softer, and I've let myself become addicted to their taste."

I ran my tongue once over her lower lip, then her upper lip before capturing them in a slow, lazy kiss. I let my tongue explore her mouth, allowing myself to savor the taste I had just admitted my addiction to. From the first time Bella and I had kissed, I knew that alone was capable of being my undoing. The more we kissed, the more I wanted. The more aroused Bella got when we kissed, the more I craved an opportuity to gain those reactions again.

I begrudgingly broke our kiss, knowing I had a purpose. I settled for kissing down her throat, letting the tip of my tongue slide into the little hollow my fingers had occupied minutes before. Bella shivered, and I smiled happily against her skin.

"Even better is the way your heart races, the way your breath quickens when I touch you until your breasts rise and fall."

I let my hand ghost further down, to the swell of her breasts, and laid it flat over both of them. Her heart was racing, and her breasts were definitely tempting me as they worked hard to keep up with Bella's shallow gasps of air. I moved my hand and let my lips kiss at every bit of exposed skin on Bella's chest. I paid special attention to the trail marked by the silk, my tongue occasionally flitting out to feel the way the satiny texture of Bella's skin rivaled the pleasurably soft fabric of her bra.

Bella didn't notice that the hand I had at her underwear had moved to the fastenings of my pants. It took only moments for me to remove them stealthily. I brought both of my hands to Bella's back gently. Within a few short seconds, I had unclasped her bra, taking it off of her as I slid my hands back around. I could see the beginning of Bella's protest about me being overdressed before she noticed that we were evenly matched.

I grinned at the adorable confusion on her face as I let my hands cup her blessedly bare breasts in my hands. Bella gasped as my icy skin made the contact, her back arching slightly. Her nipples tightened even more, and I could barely restrain myself from wrapping my lips around one.

"Your breasts are stunningly perfect. An exact fit in my hands," I whispered, proving my point by tightening my fingers minutely as Bella blushed at my compliment.

I was intensely pleased that the rosy flush worked its way to her breasts, accentuating my desire to taste them. I released both of them, letting my fingers trace lazy patterns over Bella's nipples. Each time a finger made a pass, I heard Bella make the tiniest gasp, and felt a sharp rush of arousal roll off of her. She looked so beautiful.

"Perfect," I mused, then allowed my mouth to descend, capturing her right nipple tightly between my lips.

"Edward!" Bella's hands flew to the back of my head, holding me as tightly as she could to my position.

I couldn't help the quiet growl I made as Bella shouted my name. I watched Bella's eyes carefully as I varied between quick flicks of my tongue and slow, rough laps with the flat of it over her pebbled nipple. As her arousal increased, mine grew three times as quickly. At one of the passes with the face of my tongue, I used even more pressure, until Bella couldn't stop from squeezing her eyes shut tightly. I pulled back just a little, purposely flowing my cold breath through my lips as I spoke.

"You taste delectable... Irresistible, in fact," I commented in an almost off-hand way before resuming my task.

As my lips closed back around Bella's still hardened nipple, she cried out sweetly. Her fingers tightened in my hair reflexively as I continued tempting her in an effort to explain how she was tempting to me.

I did not leave Bella's left breast ignored as my free hand set to work mimicking it's actions from the night before. My fingertips plucked and teased at the hardened bud until it seemed swollen from stimulation. Each movement of my fingers and mouth together left Bella whimpering between shallow gasps. Before long, I was growling, continuous and low in my throat. I was not sure how much longer I could keep up this unexpected form of control.

"Oh," Bella gasped, and I could feel her heart skip a few beats, as though I had suddenly done something more than I had been doing. I looked at her questioningly, but could not bring myself to release Bella's nipples.

"That feels..." Bella paused, moaning unconsciously. She looked as though she was trying to concentrate on putting together a coherent sentence. I felt my growl reverberate a little more in pride. Bella shuddered, and took a deep breath before rushing out what she could.

"Amazing. The growling," she explained.

As Bella spoke, I realized that I could feel the vibrations of my growl through my lips, which indicated that the sensation must be transferring to Bella's nipples. I instantly stored that away in my mind for future reference, and possibly in another location on Bella's body, assuming I could succeed in my endeavor tonight.

I gently tugged each of Bella's nipples simultaneously, enjoying the lazy cry that passed through her lips before I released them both. I had to smile as Bella, gulping in air, looked at me a bit expectantly.

"Patience, Bella. I'm not finished telling you how you are tempting me," I reminded her.

I chuckled at the adorable pout that appeared on Bella's face. The only response I had to make her forget her troubles was to tug her left nipple between my fingers again. She gasped and bit her lip, as though holding back a much wilder response. I shuddered a bit before continuing.

"Every sound you make, every time you arch your back, bite your lip, or grab onto me."

My breathing sped up and became ragged as each new comment brought back vivid memories of each sound or action.

"Every time you say my name," I shuddered, my voice hoarse. I could feel Bella's heart gallop forward unevenly. All I could hear in my mind was the way she screamed my name as I claimed her.

"Everything you did was exquisite to me, and, as I said, I had the intense satisfaction of knowing that only I had ever caused that kind of pleasure in you," I smiled broadly as I finished speaking, enjoying the way Bella's eyes looked dreamy and far off momentarily, as though she were remembering, too.

"No one else will ever make me feel that way," Bella whispered as her eyes came back into focus.

For a moment, the possibility of someone trying to challenge my claim blinded me. I knew Bella would never allow it, but my animalistic side ruled at even the barest suggestion of a fight over its mate. My mate. I growled possessively, making me come more to my senses a bit. I realized where this was headed, and it made me grin sinfully at Bella. I knew what I wanted to do before I continued with anything.

I leaned close to Bella, kissing, licking, and nipping my way gently up her neck until my lips were grazing the shell of her ear once more. By the time I got there, Bella was gasping in anticipation, her fingers twined tightly in my hair. I could smell the hot, wet arousal that rolled off of her like a tidal wave. I felt my fingers slide back up to pinch Bella's right nipple, tugging almost aggressively as my growl built in volume.

"Mine."

"Oh," Bella's moan sounded like an accidental slip as she exhaled softly.

I knew she was climaxing, but it was not powerful enough for my taste. The new slick of arousal smelled ridiculously tempting, but I knew it could be so much stronger, so much more wickedly sinful. I snarled softly into Bella's ear as a gesture of small victory. I loved the way her voice sounded weak as she moaned in response. She was still coming down from her release. It was time to make everything so much sweeter.

I kept my fingers at Bella's right nipple, sliding my opposing hand up to grip a fistful of hair by the nape of her neck forcefully. I could feel the control slipping, but it wasn't her blood the animal in me craved. She was still safe as I made my move.

"Mine," I snarled roughly, the word echoing through the trees around us as my fingers tightened in Bella's hair.

"Edward!"

Bella's back arched as she shouted my name, and I could practically feel the way her inner muscles would be grasping as she came. My entire body tremored as I could feel how blissfully tight and wet she would be around me. It seemed as though Bella took forever to come down from her powerful release.

"Did I just..?" Bella gasped in confusion.

I couldn't stop the smirk on my face as I answered.

"Twice," I reported.

"But, all you did was..." Bella looked irresistibly flummoxed.

"Claim you as my mate," I finished for her, my nose sliding gently down her jaw. It was obvious she hadn't really caught on to the connection between last night's claims and tonights. This seemed odd, considering that she was the one who figured out that my possessive snarls had turned her on because we truly were mates.

"So, anytime you say the word 'mine' I'm going to have an orgasm?" Bella sounded appalled at her assumption. I laughed at the idea of it, and the humor of me accidentally claiming her in front of Charlie.

"No, I have to say it with the intention of claiming you. I did it last night, too."

Bella contemplated that for a moment before fully understanding. She gave me an amused smile as she asked another question.

"Another vampire thing?"

"Yes, now hush and let me tell you why you're so tempting to me," I teased her. I knew she was going crazy. So was I, but I was determined to take this slowly. I knew what I was working toward, and it was important for me to not only take my time in preparation, but also to make it apparant that tonight was about worshipping Bella. She was more than an angel to me, she was a goddess; she had finally opened up my emotions, my human desires.

"You aren't finished?" She asked in exasperation, making me grin.

"Not even close," I murmured, my grin growing as I leaned in to kiss down the valley between her breasts. I decided to trade my previous attentions to Bella's nipples, knowing it would both appease her and drive her crazy once more. As my mouth took over Bella's left breast, I also knew it would give me a few more minutes to compose myself before continuing.

I tightened my lips slowly around the pebbled bud, sucking at it until Bella gasped my name at each breath. I chuckled lightly, swirling my tongue around Bella's nipple one last time before releasing it and moving lower. Bella started biting her lip a little in frustration until I kissed down to her stomach, flicking the tip of my tongue into the hollow of her navel. I was so close now, and I had to take a deep breath so that I could speak my mind.

"Whenever I kiss you, or touch you a certain way - sometimes even with a mere look - your body heat radiates like liquid fire here."

As I spoke, my fingers slid down Bella's side, down the curve of her belly until the tips of my forefinger and middle finger traced the folds of her opening through her panties. Her hips bucked instinctively toward my hand as she let out a choked off gasp at my almost direct contact. The lace was hot and soaked through with Bella's arousal. My fingers felt like they were being held in flames. I shuddered, trying to regain my concentration.

"So blissfully hot," I echoed my sentiment from last night as I struggled to move my hand, gliding my fingertips across Bella's inner thigh. I took in a purposeful breath through my nose, gritting my teeth against the intensity of Bella's arousal.

"The curve of your thighs is like an invitation to me, asking me to settle between them," I explained as I laid down, kissing my way up Bella's opposite leg from the crease of her knee and up her thigh.

"They request my attention to turn back to your heat."

I stared deeply into Bella's eyes as I grew bolder, letting my tongue flicker at the soft skin directly below the hem of her panties.

"I can do nothing but obey," I confessed.

I didn't break eye contact with Bella as I slid her underwear slowly down her legs until they were completely off, tossed carelessly into the pile of the rest of our clothing. A very small portion of my senses noticed the smell of coming rain. It would be a torrent of water within the next few minutes, so I needed to act quickly. I knew how intensely the rain accentuated Bella's normal scent. I could only imagine how much more devestating the scent of her arousal would be during a storm.

Bella's breathing was ragged and shallow as I got closer to her core. She still had no idea what I planned, but the anticipation was driving her into a sweet fury of adrenaline and need. I inhaled as deeply as I could, exhaling in a low growl.

"Your scent is the most tempting of all. It's sinfully mouthwatering," I breathed each word purposefully toward her heated core, knowing the coolness of my breath was what made her hips shift impatiently.

"Your arousal calls to me more strongly than your blood," I whispered hoarsely as I stared at the delicate folds that crowned her opening. I felt as though I'd spent decades instead of mere hours memorizing each curve, each spot that drove the best reaction with my fingers and my manhood. My eyes seemed to recognize the sensory map by sight alone.

My sight, my sense of touch, of smell, and my hearing were all intricate pieces of the map. I had one more sense to add before I could fully appreciate Bella's powerful draw. I set my jaw in determination and lust before vocalizing my true purpose. I looked up at Bella and smiled encouragingly.

"Keeping in mind how mouthwatering you smell to me, I'd like to try something."

I let my lips go back to kissing up Bella's inner thigh, more hesitantly now as I inched closer to my goal. I heard Bella gasp in shock, then groan as she suddenly grasped exactly what I was attempting. If I couldn't read her reactions like a book, if I didn't instinctively shudder in pleasure as I got a direct hit from the slick wetness pooling between Bella's legs, I would have asked her what she was thinking. When I hit the crease of Bella's thigh, I felt the tip of my tongue trace that crease without my permission.

"Oh, God," Bella whispered, exhaling sharply. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she had the blankets beneath her gripped tightly in her fist. She was biting her lip unconsciously.

I grew bolder, letting my tongue trace patterns at the crease of her thigh until I felt ready enough for the next step: I closed my lips around the little section of skin, sucking gently there. Bella's back arched completely off the blankets, and I heard her low groan. I shivered, releasing her from between my lips so that I could move toward her entrance. I was breathing raggedly, each exhale caressing Bella's folds, making her hips shift restlessly. She shuddered right as I leaned in to lay a gentle, experimental kiss at her center.

Bella gasped wildly as I pulled back, and then she stopped breathing. I locked eyes with her as I licked the slick wetness from my lips. The arousal in her eyes, mixed with the taste of the source of that arousal made me go feral. My eyes widened as the taste permeated all of my senses.

"Damn," I heard myself whisper, and then my head had dipped down, and the flat of my tongue was running across Bella's entire center repeatedly. I heard her cry out, and I snarled possessively. She was mine, and the way she tasted was just for me. If I had thought her blood was like heroin, it was only because I had not tasted Bella's arousal. It was the perfect balance of her natural scent, the scent of her blood, and the scent of her arousal: Lavender and freesia, the burning fire of her blood, and that sweet, lemony scent that assaulted me when she became aroused.

I wrapped my lips around Bella's entire center, and it was as though my instincts took over. My tongue darted over every fold, every drop of arousal it could find, but purposely missed where I knew her clitoris was. The animal in me snarled as he got an idea. I slid my hands under Bella's backside, tilting her up just a bit, and began to push my tongue slowly inside of her. As Bella felt what I was doing, her hips bucked wildly toward me, pushing my tongue inside of her with ease.

"Edward!" Bella cried out, her hands instantly gripping into my hair. She tugged at my hair, pushing me tightly to her as my tongue flickered at her inner walls eagerly. I couldn't have brought myself to stop if I had needed to. All I wanted was more of her irresistible taste. I could tell she was as wet as she had been when we had made love last night, maybe wetter. The liquid heat scalded my tongue, yet I couldn't get enough. I pushed my tongue just a little farther back, searching for something specific.

I snarled in victory as I heard Bella's scream. I felt her muscles pulse erratically, massaging my tongue as she orgasmed. I kept pushing the tip of my tongue rhythmically against her most sensitive spot, wanting to prolong Bella's climax. I tightened my lips around her, feeling the rush of arousal coat my tongue. I didn't want to let any of it escape me. I couldn't bring myself to waste a drop of it.

As Bella's muscles slowly grew weaker around my tongue, I knew that she had come down from her ecstasy. I slid my tongue out slowly and went back to lapping gently at her entrance, both to soothe her and to make sure I had not missed anything. I gently traced patterns on Bella's thigh with one of my hands, the other still firmly angling her up toward my mouth.

"Oh, God... that was... how did you..?"

I chuckled at Bella's confusion. She was still gasping for breath, and her hips were still almost imperceptively rolling up toward my tongue with each stroke of it. I continued with that, slowly allowing my hand to inch up from her thigh. I used my first two fingers to part Bella's folds gently, finding her clitoris. I let the next few strokes of my tongue lash roughly over the bundle of nerves. Bella almost sat up in shock. I wrapped my mouth tightly around her clitoris, my tongue flashing and swirling around it.

Bella's head was thrashing back and forth, and she was biting her lip again. Her hips bucked up at me erratically, while her fingers only tightened in my hair. I didn't give any warning sign before I decided to use the two fingers I had been parting her folds with to slide within her entrance instead. I knew the exact angle I needed to hit her most sensitive spot, finding it with my first inward stroke. I snarled triumphantly when I heard Bella shout. Her entire body went rigid with pleasure as I began to thrust my fingers powerfully. My tongue kept up the same rhythm: I let the flat of my tongue lash at her clitoris with every inward stroke, and I swirled the tip around the hardened bud every time I pulled my fingers out.

I didn't notice that the rain had begun to fall until I was hit with Bella's scent harder than I had before. Her arousal was almost mind-alteringly intoxicating as I felt the heavy rain pelt my bare skin. It wasn't long before my hair was dripping in my face, but I didn't care: Bella was shaking uncontrollably, and the way she was crying out my name was so sweet that I thought I would never be able to stop. She seemed completely oblivious to anything beyond my mouth and fingers. Bella's hands were still tangled tightly in my hair, pulling me toward her, then pushing me away as though she couldn't handle any more pleasure. I was not about to let up, not when I could feel how erratically her muscles were grasping at my fingers.

My name boiled down into wordless cries from Bella's mouth as she got closer to release. I became more driven to bring her to it. I lashed my tongue more roughly at her clitoris, my fingers pushing more forcefully inside of her with each stroke. I snarled possessively, quickening my pace momentarily. Bella let out a short scream as my snarl grew in volume until it echoed off the trees around us.

"Edward," Bella breathed before finally tumbling over the edge.

I drew out Bella's pleasure as long as I could, then slowly slid my fingers out of her, licking gently at her outer folds as her arousal mixed with the rivulets of rain running over her skin. I looked up at Bella to find an expression of confusion on her face.

"When did it start raining?" she asked.

Bella sat up as I slowly crawled over her body. I grinned smugly before answering her question.

"About ten minutes ago," I replied. She was completely unobservant when I was giving her pleasure. It was incredibly amusing and definitely an ego boost.

I realized that the fire had burned down, and knew I should go build it up. I kissed Bella softly, then got up, taking a few long seconds to add more wood and fuel to the fire. Once it was reasonably blazing, I laid back down with Bella, letting my fingers glide over her rainslick skin.

"You smell so good in the rain," I said quietly. I leaned into the curve of Bella's neck, inhaling slowly to savor the way the rain enhanced her scent and remembering the way it also improved her taste. I skimmed my nose up higher until my lips were at her ear.

"You taste even better. I could do that for days on end."

I felt the heat of Bella's blush as she shivered at my words. She was still incredibly aroused, which further increased my own arousal. I wanted her so badly.

"I would probably pass out eventually," Bella muttered, making me laugh.

"You're probably right. I'm not even sure that would stop me. You may still find me down there when you regained consciousness," I admitted.

"That seems like a great thing to wake up to," Bella grinned playfully. I gave Bella a mischievous grin.

"I won't forget you said that, love," I promised, enjoying Bella's gasp.

"And yet, you have forgotten that I was supposed to try something earlier."

Bella looked at me pointledly, as though she really believed that I would have forgotten her request to bite me. I hadn't forgotten, but having the issue brought up again was making my breathing come a little more rapidly.

"No, Bella, I did not forget, but I wanted to get my chance to taste you before you made me lose my mind."

I almost became nervous at the wicked grin that appeared on Bella's face as she began to pull at my boxers. I removed them as quickly as I could, noticing the way Bella smiled at the obvious impatience of using my vampire speed. Her eyes swept over me and she shuddered a bit as she took in the sight of my rigid length. It took all my will not to grab her by the hips and slide into her core as she climbed into my lap.

Bella kissed me deeply, and I returned the kiss in kind as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. I held Bella to me by the small of her back, pressing her as tightly to me as I could. I could feel the burning fire of her folds pressed tightly to my length. The rain was still falling heavily, and torrents of water were cascading down Bella's back, pooling between us momentarily before being absorbed into the blankets. When Bella pulled back from the kiss we were both breathless. I had to steady myself as Bella's eyes burned excitedly into mine. I had no idea what to expect from being bitten by her, but I knew I was more turned on than I'd ever been. I swallowed roughly in anticipation and nodded silently.

Bella hesitantly kissed her way down my jaw until she reached my neck. Her tongue darted out for a moment, making my breath hitch at the contact. Her tongue was so hot against my skin. Her mouth travelled further down, licking and nipping the skin between her lips until she reached the curve of my neck. I couldn't help the way I was moaning and gasping her name. The pleasure she was causing was almost too much. I could feel my hard length pulse, sliding naturally until it was poised right at Bella's entrance.

As Bella found the most sensitive spot of my neck with ease, she let her tongue trace delicate patterns until my gasps turned into sharp growls. I realized I was holding her hips rather tightly, but I couldn't bring myself to lessen my grip. All I could do was hope that she would let me know if I was hurting her.

Without warning, Bella's teeth grazed over the spot she had been running her tongue over. The slight pressure of her teeth made me stop breathing, and my entire body went rigid. I could barely feel the rain running from Bella's body down my length. All I could feel was her mouth and the way her arousal was practically pouring down on me as abundantly as the rain. Bella's mouth closed around my neck, and she bit down as hard as she could.

I let out a choked off snarl, slamming Bella down on me as roughly as I could. She screamed into my neck, biting down even harder as her inner muscles locked around me. Her bite was exquisite. It didn't hurt, but it hinted at the pleasurable pain I would have felt if she were a vampire. Her teeth were possessive, dominant against my skin. All I could feel was that I belonged to her more strongly than she belonged to me. I was hers, always hers, and the way she bit me left no question of that. I felt the shock of white-hot pleasure flash through my body.

"Oh, God," I muttered, feeling myself thrust erratically within Bella as my climax overtook my senses. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. I was climaxing, but it was all for her. I couldn't control the release while Bella kept her teeth locked against my neck and her inner muscles locked around my length. My pleasure was orchestrated by and meant for her. For all I knew, I would never stop climaxing unless she told me to: and I didn't care if I couldn't stop.

When she finally released my neck, Bella looked at me in wide-eyed shock. My entire body was completely still, and I saw my reflection in her eyes. My eyes were also wide, half in shock and half in trying to wrap my brain around the pleasure I had just experienced. I was breathing raggedly, still trying to calm my body down. I cleared my throat a little.

"That was... intense," I whispered, shuddering a little.

"That was awesome!" Bella said excitedly, clearly rather proud of herself. She looked almost hyper, yet extremely turned on. I narrowed my eyes at her as I decided that two could play at this game.

I let a possessive snarl grow slowly in my chest as my fingers tangled in Bella's hair, pulling her head to me possessively. I could feel the way Bella's muscles clenched around me in anticipation, making my snarl peak a little.

"Edward," Bella gasped quietly, knowing exactly what I planned. I grinned almost evilly at her, sliding in and out of her as I found her most sensitive spot. I kept thrusting slowly within her as I leaned my lips to the edge of Bella's ear.

"Mine," I snarled lovingly. I pushed more deeply inside of her, letting her feel through my actions and the slow, possessive tone in my voice that she belonged to me.

My name fell from Bella's lips, and then her breathing stopped as every muscle in her body went rigid. Her core was gripped tightly around me, pulsing erratically as I moved in and out of her. Bella didn't even notice as I laid her down, moving to lay over her without breaking my rhythm within her.

My movements were torturously slow, making sure to pull every inch of my length out and then back into Bella again. I set my jaw against the need to thrust within her more quickly, yet each stroke made me moan and shudder in pleasure. I was driving myself crazy. Once Bella came to her senses, she began to roll her hips in time with my thrusts, making all the sensations I felt more intense. As we made love, our pace built until Bella's hips were snapping up instead of rolling languidly. She gasped sharply each time I buried myself inside of her and her inner muscles locked themselves tightly around me.

"Bella," I whispered, staring intensely into Bella's eyes. She looked back into mine with a desire just as intense as my own.

All I could do was keep running my hands over every inch of her skin that I could. Bella's head fell back gently, and I noticed that the cold rain had hardened her nipples, making me growl with an almost animalistic hunger. I ran my thumbs over those tightened buds roughly as I cupped her breasts in my palms. Bella's back arched and she cried out as I began to pinch and roll her nipples between my fingers.

"Edward... oh, please," Bella gasped. I could feel how close Bella was to her climax, but I refused to do anything to give it to her yet. I wanted to hear Bella tell me what she wanted. I grinned as I began to thrust just a little more roughly into her.

"Please, what, my love?" I asked lovingly, although my desire-driven amusement colored my voice. I pinched her nipples just a little harder.

"I can't... I need you, please," she insisted. That was all I needed to break my control.

I crushed my lips down to Bella's forcefully, still thrusting into her and pinching at her nipples roughly. I reveled in the way Bella screamed into my mouth as she began to orgasm. I pulled back a little bit.

"Look at me, Bella," I commanded her, and she obeyed instantly. Bella's eyes were wide and almost glossed over in pleasure, and her shallow, quick intakes of breath became more erratic as she looked into my eyes. I ran my tongue across Bella's lower lip.

"Mine," I snarled against her mouth. Bella's mouth opened wide as her inner walls locked more tightly around me than they ever had. I grit my teeth against the resistance, and found myself unable to hold back any longer.

"Bella," I gasped, my lips still whispering over hers as I tumbled over the edge of my release. I wrapped my arms tightly around Bella's back, holding her as closely to me as I possibly could.

I laid over Bella gently as we both came down from our climaxes. Bella's fingers combed lightly through my hair while I trailed kisses up and down as much of her neck as I could. I hardly noticed that the rain had quieted down to a gentle mist. The light sprinkling of rain further relaxed us as we looked at one another, happy grins on both our faces. I nuzzled my nose against Bella's, and we whispered "I love yous" repeatedly to one another. I grinned just a little more at knowing Bella was doing one of those ridiculous happy couple things that probably would have revolted her months ago.

Bella pulled me to her so that she could kiss me. The kiss was slow and intense, and it was obvious that she was trying to tell me the way she felt more effectively than with words. I could feel her love, passion, and reverence for me, even a note of worship. I responded every emotion in kind, adding in my claim and my awe at knowing that Bella was my most precious gift, made for me alone. After several minutes, I reluctantly pulled back a little.

"We should get going soon, Bella," I reminded her gently. I really did not want to go, but I knew it was almost eleven.

"I don't want to leave," Bella pouted, making me chuckle.

"You know I'll be staying all night in your room, silly girl," I laughed, pulling a strand of wet hair from Bella's face.

"But Charlie will be home tonight," she said in exasperation, as though I had forgotten that rather crucial bit of information. Then Bella's eyes widened almost comically.

"Holy crow, our clothes! They're all wet." Bella exclaimed fearfully. For the first time since I had arrived at my home this morning, I was truly thankful for Alice's visions.

"Alice has duplicates already stocked in my car. She kept her knowledge of what you would wear from me, but let me know that underwear was included in the bags. I loved that matching set, by the way," I grinned at Bella almost mischievously.

"I could tell," Bella grinned back.

Then her grin grew wicked as she attempted to clench her muscles purposely around my still rigid length. I groaned and pushed into her instinctively. My head dropped down to her shoulder as I fought to keep my concentration.

"Bella, I have to get you home," I muttered through clenched teeth, allowing myself to thrust painfully slow within her a few times before pulling out of her completely. We both groaned in protest.

"You're making the task shockingly difficult."

Before Bella could convince me to stay I got up and immediately put out the fire, knowing Bella would not be able to handle the cold without it for very long. I heard her shiver, so I squeezed the water out of my shirt as well as I could and started putting it on her. I did the best I could to ignore how tempting her tightened nipples were.

"This may not keep you warm, but at least you won't have to be naked on the trip back to the car," I explained as I buttoned my shirt on her, then set to work putting on my wet slacks.

I put the pile of our wet clothing into the crate with the disassembled firepit, then turned to start working on the blankets. Bella had already started on one, and was having a rough time of it because of how soaked with rain the blanket was. I rolled my eyes and stopped her, taking the blanket and beating it against a tree. I was rather satisfied with the way the water cascaded off the blanket until it was barely damp. It only took me a few seconds to do this to all of the blankets, and a few more seconds to fold each of them neatly.

As I finished packing up, I kept glancing over at Bella, noting how unexpectedly sexy she looked wearing my shirt. When everything was done I went over to her so that we could leave. I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist, my hand resting at her back.

"I like seeing my shirt on you," I said, half in amusement, half in genuine adoration.

"I think you should sleep in it."

I slid my hand lower, until it went under the shirt. My fingers slowly trailed around to whisper gently at the lower swell of Bella's left breast. My desire grew exponentially as I heard Bella's heart and breathing quicken as she nodded silently. I wanted her suddenly just as painfully as I had earlier in the evening. Without warning, we were kissing one another feverishly. I only let the kiss grow for a few moments before pulling away, my breathing rough as I grinned at Bella. She looked utterly dazzled. I chuckled as I pulled her onto my back

"Hand on tight, my love. You look like you're going to fall over," I teased her as I lifted the crate of our things.

"I could bite you again, Edward," Bella attempted to threaten. Fortunately for me, her voice was still so breathless and filled with desire that it merely came out as endearingly sexy. I found myself only laughing harder at her.

"That was incredibly adorable," I mused, remembering her kittenish fury at the boys in school trying to ask her out.

"My little tiger-kitten."

Bella paused at that for a moment before continuing in her own amusement.

"I can be threatening when I want to," she teased.

"Ah, yes: the wrath that will put grizzlies to shame. Maybe if I'd infuriated you further, I would have pushed those ridiculous boundaries a bit more."

I stopped at my car, putting down the crate to gently help Bella to her feet. I wondered how far I would have really gone that night, and how far Bella would have gone to convince Charlie that Alice had decided to kidnap her indefinitely.

"I have the feeling, the way things were going that night, that you would have immediately moved out of Charlie's house so that you could stay in my bed," I concluded.

"I'm considering that now," Bella said matter-of-factly, as though the idea wasn't painstakingly obvious.

"I had a hard enough time without you today," Bella admitted.

"As did I, my love," I whispered, letting my fingers brush over her temple, then down her jaw to the tip of her chin. She shivered gently at my touch, and I suddenly remembered how cold the weather must be to her. My touch, as welcome as I knew it was, definitely wouldn't make her feel any warmer.

"Let me get those dry clothes and start the heater," I offered, walking us both around to the trunk of my car. After I put the crate in the trunk, I quickly went to grab the bags of clothes piled on the backseat and brought them back to Bella. I handed Bella the ones I knew to have her clothing and dressed myself as quickly as I could. I finished just in time to see Bella turn to rummage for something in the bags. She was bent over, and I could see the hint of navy lace cupping her backside from under the fabric of my wet shirt. I had been correct in assuming that the waistband didn't even cover the top swell of Bella's rear end. I could not help the low growl that built in my chest.

"What?" Bella asked as she turned, and the wind blew back the right side of the still unbuttoned shirt. In the blink of an eye, her right breast was completely exposed to my sight, and the cold weather had hardened her nipple.

I slid my fingers under the shirt, holding tightly to Bella's hips.

"Utterly indecent," I muttered before kissing Bella deeply.

Bella responded in kind, her fingers threaded tightly in my hair. I went wild, it seemed, and I only found myself kissing Bella more feverishly as the seconds and minutes passed. Within the first thirty seconds of the kiss, I had Bella pinned between my body and the side of the car. I let out another growl as Bella moaned loudly into my mouth, her hips pressing even more tightly to mine. She was wet again, the scent was unmistakable.

I knew I did not have the luxury of making love to her right now, but I wanted her again so badly that I ached. I crushed my lips harder to Bella's, wanting to express all the passion for her that I could in the short span of time we still had. Within moments, I felt the way my desire was trying to logic my mind into letting myself making love to her again, so I pulled away from Bella abruptly, taking several steps back. Bella's eyes went wide in confusion and shock as she gasped for breath.

"What's wrong, Edward?" She asked wildly. She looked frightened, and I realized I had just done what I had always done to Bella until last night: I pulled away from her as though doing more would be a bad decision. I had Bella back in my arms in an instant, wanting to allay her fears.

"Nothing is wrong, Bella," I reassured her gently, whispering my fingers across her face. I contined to explain myself, letting a smile cross my face.

"However, I had to reign myself in before we ended up making love again and missing your curfew."

Bella seemed to accept that answer without any argument. She looked at me pointedly, however, before responding in any way.

"I still need my dry clothes before we go anywhere," Bella said. I noticed the way she attempted to hide her smug smile as she slowly removed my shirt until she was wearing only her underwear. I was so close to her that I could feel the heat rolling off of her skin. I inhaled sharply as desire slammed into me anew.

"You really are the most dangerous creature I have ever met," I chided her. Bella just grinned wickedly before turning around to continue finding her clothing. I took one look at the flash of navy blue lace inches away from me and decided to get into the car to start the heater.

Bella paused, her skirt halfway up her thighs as she looked at me cautiously through the rearview mirror.

"I decided it was best," I grinned.

"Your back side looks exceptional in the underwear you have on. We never would have made your curfew if I didn't get in the car." I took great pride in the way Bella's cheeks turned a deep crimson at my compliment. I had even more pride at the way I could smell the new rush of arousal coming off her, even though she was several feet away.

Bella finished dressing as quickly as she could, carrying her boots into the car. She sighed happily as the heater blew at her on high. I watched her hold her hands in front of the vents for a minute or so, making sure they got a direct blast of warm air. As we drove back to Charlie's house, all of Bella's muscles visibly relaxed, and I knew it was due to being in the warm car. Her entire body seemed to unconsciously tense when she was in any cold climate, and being in a warm space, be it the car or beneath a pile of thick blankets, her body seemed to become instantly more at ease.

The heat also proved effective at intensifying how quickly Bella's scent and arousal filled my car. We held hands, and I could feel an electrical current akin to the one we felt during that ridiculous movie in biology class that first year. This current was a thousand times stronger, however, and even more impossible to ignore its temptation. Bella and I both stayed silent, both grinning as we remembered those two days in class. I also thought of how far we had come since then: I remembered the way I felt tortured by the need to simply touch Bella at all, and now we were able to make love without any sacrifice.

I stopped at the curb in front of Bella's house and stopped the car, taking her hand in both of mine. I noticed the brilliant glimmer of the engagement ring Bella wore on her ring finger. It took all my effort not to become choked up with pride so that I could still speak.

"I would not be able to let you leave this car if I couldn't come back for the night," I stated honestly. I would not know what I would have done for the next several hours if I couldn't have Bella sleeping in my arms. I smiled lightly as I thought of how lucky I was that I would soon be able to hold her, that everyone would know I was holding her, in my bed instead of doing so in secret with Charlie just two doors down the hall.

"I say we make a break for it and drive back to your house instead," Bella grinned jokingly, although I was sure she was playing off being entirely serious. The idea was too enticing to not consider. I pulled Bella closer to me and growled deeply.

"Don't tempt me, Bella. Charlie would never forgive me, and I'm already having a hard time remembering why that would be such a bad thing."

Bella's response was to silently crush her lips to mine passionately. I responded with just as much desire, wrapping my arms around Bella so tightly that she would not be able to extricate herself from them. Bella's hands were in my hair, while mine had already slid under the back of Bella's silk top. I had to force myself not to let my fingers near the clasp of her bra.

"It's not like he could actually kill you, Edward," Bella murmured against my lips. Neither of us eased our hold on the other. I shivered at her warm breath passing between our lips before responding based on one of Charlie's more common thoughts in the first few weeks after we announced our engagement.

"No, but he may try to ship you off to Florida to live with your mother, which would not be acceptable for either of us."

Bella sighed and rolled her eyes as I begrudgingly loosened my hold on Bella. She grumbled as she pulled her jacket off the back of the passenger seat, pulling it on quickly.

"Go inside, Bella. I'll be back in ten minutes," I reassured the both of us, kissing Bella's forehead. I could handle ten minutes, couldn't I?

"That's too long. I wish I could just spend the night over there," Bella pouted. Apparantly, ten minutes was going to be just as difficult as I feared it would be.

"Soon enough, my love. However, the longer you put off getting out of my car tonight, the longer it will be before I am lying beside you again," I tried to reason.

"Fine, I'm going," Bella sighed with more than a little sarcasm. I tried not to smile in amusement. For as mature as Bella could be, she was such a teenager when the mood struck her.

Bella opened the car door and shivered. She looked at me for one last moment before stepping out of the car and shutting the door. She didn't let herself look back as I drove away, and neither did I. I would have stopped on a dime and hit reverse if either of us had looked back at the other.

I decided to just park several blocks away, in the opposite direction than the route Charlie took every morning. I made it into Bella's room about two minutes from the time I drove away from her. Although that was much more acceptable than ten minutes, Bella did not know I had made it already, and Charlie was questioning her about our evening. I could see the mental picture of the way Bella would be blushing at almost every question he posed. Thankfully, Charlie ignored it and chose to accept Bella's answers over the ones he feared were true.

I heard Bella tell Charlie she was going to bed, so I took my shirt off so that I was prepared to give it to her when she got into her room. Just as I laid down on the bed, Bella entered. I held my shirt to her patiently, and Bella grinned as she closed her door took the shirt from me.

"It's probably not a good idea to come out of the bathroom wearing your shirt with Charlie still awake, so you may want to avert your eyes while I change," she teased.

"Why exactly would I want to cheat myself of that vision anymore?" I asked calmly, knowing I could beat Bella at her own game. Even though she was right about how easily I would be influenced by watching her change clothing again, but I knew I could make her even more incoherant in other ways.

"Especially when I could just take your clothes off myself," I continued off-handedly, even though I could see in the mirror behind Bella that my eyes had darkened almost completely.

"Uh... Charlie... downstairs?" Bella stuttered. I was in front of her in less than a second, knowing my plan to affect Bella had already gotten well under way.

"It seems as though you are intoxicated by my presence again. I suppose that means I have a responsibility to remove your clothing for you now, since you are currently incapable."

I kissed Bella before she could even open her mouth to attempt a response, my hands sliding easily under her shirt. I lifted it slowly until I was forced to break away from kissing her to pull the top over her head. Bella seemed to have just barely gotten her senses back as her arms went around her back.

"You know, this is really unfair, Edward," she murmured as my eyes fell to her bra just in time to watch her slowly remove it. She was a wicked little siren, and I definitely appreciated her abilities. I could only imagine how much more tempting she would be as a vampire. I cleared my throat as I remembered she was under the misapprehension that I was being unfair.

"What's unfair?" I asked hoarsely as my fingers trailed to Bella's hips, removing her skirt in one fluid movement.

"With Charlie still awake, we can't do anything even though I really want to," Bella complained as she slid my shirt over her arms. I caught the little glint of mischief in her eyes as she left the buttons undone, presumably to drive me crazy.

"Then you should stop actually trying to tempt me," I grinned at her.

"It's one thing when you're just tempting by being yourself, but it's a decidedly evil thing when you actually tempt me on purpose."

Bella rolled her eyes and grinned just a little wider as she buttoned up my shirt, then removed her underwear before crawling into bed. I couldn't control the warning growl that I let out as I quickly got into bed with her before she could even lay down.

"See? Evil temptress," I said softly into her ear, my voice still rough as I continued to growl in my throat. I decided to fight back by trailing patterns over Bella's bare inner thigh with my fingers. I felt her shiver and noticed the way her hips almost imperceptively attempted to rock toward me before she could control herself. She took in a shaky breath as I grinned wickedly at her.

"So... any plans for tomorrow?" Bella could barely bring her voice above a breathless whisper. Her eyebrow arched as she tried to feign having more control.

"I can think of a few. However, I believe it's going to be exceptionally sunny and warm tomorrow," I suggested, my smile growing exponentially as I realized the best course of action.

"Would you mind going back to our meadow?"

Bella's heart skipped a couple beats as she thought about seeing me, seeing all of me in the sun.

"Not at all. Although, if you'd like to do that during the day, I should probably get some sleep," She teased snugly.

I sighed in half-joking frustration and moved my hand, wrapping my arm around her waist instead.

"Sleep well, my love. We have a long day ahead of us," I told Bella, enjoying the way she shuddered in anticipation at my promise. I pulled the blankets over her and began to hum her lullaby, weaving in chords from the new song I had written earlier in the day.

"It's different," Bella muttered sleepily.

"I created a new one. It's not a lullaby, but it works well with the original," I whispered into her ear.

"'Kay," Bella muttered, and, as I continued the song, it took only a few moments longer for Bella to fall deeply to sleep.