"A Very Sexy Un-Birthday Contest"
Title: Unforgettable
Author: venis_envy
Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine. SM would never allow her characters to do the thing that I have them doing in this story.
To view other entries for this contest, please visit http://www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/community/A_Very_Sexy_Un-Birthday_Contest/78947/

Millions of thanks to tjbaby and batgirl8968 for betaing this for me

~~*~~

"I absolutely refuse to let this happen," I said.

"Bella." Edward's voice was low and rough; a result of having just woke up. "My sister's a force to be reckoned with. I'm not sure either of us could stop her at this point."

Edward got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. My feeling of anger was quickly replaced with an overwhelming sense of lust and desire as I watched him saunter across the room in nothing more than his snug, black boxer-briefs, rolling his shoulders back in an attempt to stretch off the stiffness of sleep. He raised his arms above his head flexing every one of the deliciously lean muscles in his back before turning and shooting me a devious smile and clicking the bathroom door shut to block my view.

Damn him. He knew exactly what he was doing. And it was working. I could hardly remember what I was upset about to begin with.

Party, birthday, people, one more candle on the bitter, angry cake of my life, I reminded myself.

It wasn't like I hadn't been expecting this. In the four years that Edward and I had been together, Alice had always made a big to-do of every memorable day on the calendar, from birthdays and actual holidays, right down to anniversaries of first kisses. It was endearing to most people—myself included—but when it came to my own birthday, I wanted no acknowledgement whatsoever. At twenty-eight, I felt that my life should be more.

I really had no reason to complain; things were great for me. I had a job that I loved, teaching at a school with two of my best friends, Alice and Rosalie, I was in a perfect relationship with the man of my dreams; we had a good nest-egg and plenty of freedom to do what we pleased. My life was actually pretty amazing, to be honest. It just sometimes felt as though I hadn't accomplished enough in comparison.

Edward hated that—when I compared my life to the lives of people around me. He insisted that everything was moving at a perfect pace, but I was often frustrated with it. Alice and Jasper had dated for nine short months before they were engaged, Rosalie and Emmett had bought a house shortly after returning from their honeymoon, Angela and Ben already had two children—and here I was, soon to be twenty-eight, with none of those things.

I didn't want to acknowledge this birthday—didn't want to be another year closer to thirty with nothing to show for it.

I heard the squeak of the faucet as the shower turned on. Disappointment washed over me when I realized that Edwards flirty smile was nothing more than just that. I had so hoped he would be coming back to bed. Sighing, I rose and walked over to the armoire to dress for the day.

As I was pulling my favorite summer dress from its hanger, Edward came up behind me, snaking his arms around my waist. I felt his warm breath on my neck as he whispered, causing goose bumps to rise on my skin.

"Were you planning on joining me?" He placed a moist kiss on my shoulder, running his lips back and forth over the same spot.

I hummed as I relaxed into him, knowing that he was completely naked in preparation for his shower. "I didn't know I was invited."

Edward chuckled, turning me to face him and leaning down to plant a small, chaste kiss on my lips. I groaned in frustration, wanting more. He took my hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing my palm, before leading me into the bathroom.

"I promise, after this birthday, you won't have to celebrate any more if you don't want to," he said, pausing outside of the shower to test the temperature of the running water. He turned to me, eyes narrowed mischievously, wearing a contriving smile.

"How can you promise me such a thing when you and I both know that Alice is really the one calling the birthday party shots?" I asked raising my arms in the air as his gentle hands slid the satin nightie up over my head.

Pulling my body against his, he stepped backward, bringing us both under the warm spray of the shower. I hummed in delight as he kissed my neck.

"Don't you trust me?" he breathed in the most seductive voice I had ever heard him use. My knees weakened, and I was grateful—for more than the obvious reason—that he was holding me so tightly against his body.

His wet, naked body.

He kissed me again, sweet and soft at first, then deepening it, making it more urgent and needful. Edward and I always worked together so perfectly when it came to sex—always seemed to be so in-tune with one another—sometimes wanting to make love, soft and sweet, other times needing each other a little more desperately, harder and faster. I was glad that this time was no different. We had a matched sense of urgency and desire.

I moved my fingers up into his hair, tugging to tilt his head back and gain better access to what I wanted. He made a delicious, feral sound as I kissed and nipped at his stubbly jaw. Edward shifted our position, pressing me firmly into the tile wall. He kissed his way from my mouth, down my neck, licking and sucking on my sensitive nipples as he passed, before sliding down to his knees in front of me. I brushed his wet hair back as he gazed up at me with burning need in his eyes.

He gripped my waist tightly, pressing me harder against the wall as his mouth began to explore the lower half of my body. He covered my stomach with hot, moist, open-mouthed kisses, working his way down to my thighs. Watching as the water cascaded down his beautiful, solid form, I relished the sight of the most incredible man I had ever known worshiping me in ways I never realized I had needed before meeting him.

Sucking at my thigh, Edward gently bit down on the skin between his teeth, eliciting a shuddering whimper from me. I placed one hand on his shoulder and one in his hair to steady myself as he continued.

Edward splayed a hand on my lower stomach, causing the water that ran down the front of my body to part at his fingers and stream down his forearm. He looked up at me through a dark fringe of wet lashes, and if I thought the desire in his eyes was great before, it was minimal in comparison with what I saw now. He held my gaze with his own as he used his other hand to guide my leg up over his shoulder.

I swear he could make me come with just the smoldering look in his eyes alone.

I watched his tongue peek out, licking the water off of his bottom lip before dipping his head down and brushing his lips over the bare skin above my clit. I moaned, shifting my hips slightly.

Edward looked up at me once more, smiling when he saw that I was watching him.

"You like that?" he asked, before flicking his tongue out to tease my clit. My legs trembling slightly as I hummed in response.

He ran his tongue up my moist center, robbing me of my ability to think clearly; kissing, licking, and sucking. The aching need to have him inside me was all I could focus on.

"Edward," I hissed through clenched teeth.

Ignoring me, he continued to suck, pulling the sensitive flesh between his tongue and teeth as his free hand stroked my thigh.

Pulling back, he blew on me gently—his breath cool in comparison to the hot steam of the shower— and moved his hand up between my thighs.

I gripped his hair tighter as he slid his fingers down my wet slit, circling my entrance slowly before pushing two inside. I moaned at the sensation of his mouth and fingers moving in unison.

He worked me, sucking at and flicking my sensitive bud of nerves with his tongue as his fingers continued to pump fervently in and out of me.

I could feel my muscles tensing as I neared climax, my shoulders pressing hard against the wall to grant me leverage as I pushed my hips out toward Edward.

My legs trembled as my orgasm overtook me. I fisted my hands in his hair as I cried out, pulling him closer and writhing into him.

He continued to lap at me until I was completely through my orgasm.

Standing up, he pressed his body against mine with his fingers still inside me.

"Mmm... You're so sweet and warm," he said.

"And you're fucking hot," I hissed.

Edward chuckled before kissing me again, sucking my bottom lip in between his teeth and biting down gently. His fingers continued to glide in and out of me. I wanted to push his hand away and beg him to fuck me properly, but I knew that would only cause him to want to draw out the torturously slow pace even further.

He hitched my leg up over his hip, causing me to twitch and moan as he rubbed his length against my sensitive clit.

Thank God for slip-resistant shower mats, because I needed him so desperately I knew slow and gentle would not sate my hunger.

A new wave of primal instincts surged through me and I pulled away from his lips, bringing my mouth to his neck and biting down hard.

Edward growled in pained pleasure, quickly pulling his fingers out of me and replacing them with his thick, hard cock.

His fingers, glistening and slick with my arousal, came up to my mouth and he pressed them between my parted lips as he simultaneously pushed his entire length into me, filling me completely.

I sucked his fingers, circling my tongue around them as I bobbed my head, much like I would have had it been his cock in my mouth.

My fingernails bit into his back, egging him on and letting him know that it was okay to be rough.

Biting down on my shoulder, he pounded into me, sending incredible amounts of pleasure shooting through my body with each needful thrust.

His mouth met mine once again as he slid his fingers out.

With each movement of his pelvis, I rocked my hips forward, grinding my clit against him with just the right amount of pressure until I felt myself spiraling into a blissful release. Edward groaned as I clenched around him, thrusting harder still and biting my lip as he found his own release.

Afterward, we took the time to wash each other tenderly, easing ourselves down from the ravenous, lustful high.

Edward wrapped a towel around me as I stepped out of the shower on weak legs. He held me tightly for a moment, chuckling as I clung to him for much-needed support.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I think so," I said, still breathless from the steam of the shower—and the activities within.

Edward loosened his grip, still not releasing me entirely. He gazed into my eyes silently for a moment before asking, "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Mmm," I hummed. Wrapping my arms even tighter around his neck, I lifted myself up onto my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. "Enough to run away with me before this weekend?" I whispered, hoping that my tone was seductive enough to actually get him to agree.

Edward laughed, pulling away from me and wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Nice try."

Dropping my arms to my sides, I let out an exasperated sigh. He turned the sink faucet on and began to slather shaving foam along his jaw. I slid up onto the counter, bringing my hand up to his face and wiping most of it off. Edward shot me a playful glare before turning his focus back to his reflection and applying more, which I also wiped off.

"You know, baby, that's sort of counterproductive."

"I like your scruff though. It's all rugged and sexy." I batted my eyelashes, poking my bottom lip out just slightly.

"Well," he said, wiping more cream onto his face. "The clients I'm meeting with today aren't exactly into 'rugged,' so, if you don't mind." He swiped his foam-covered finger along the tip of my nose before rinsing his hands.

The next few days passed by all too quickly; as time always seems to when you'd rather it hold still.

Alice came over Saturday morning with several garment bags, insisting that Edward help Jasper retrieve the rest of her "supplies" from the trunk of her car.

I was pissed about that, too. Edward and I had moved in together a few years ago for the expressed purpose of spending more time with one another, but now that we were both working full time—Edward in advertising and me as a school teacher—it seemed that we still only had the weekends to enjoy each other's company thoroughly.

I frowned at Alice as she bounded across the living room.

"Oh, lighten up, would you? I promise you're going to have a fantastic evening."

"I trust that means I'll be drunk well before the festivities begin?"

"You better not be," she scolded as she draped the garment bags over the back of the couch beside me.

I shuddered to think of what was inside. Alice loved to treat me like her life-sized Barbie and, as I had no fashion sense of my own, typically I was happy to comply. Not when I was meant to be the evening's main focal point, though.

"Edward tells me this is the last birthday party I'm allowed to throw for you," she said as she unzipped one of the bags.

I smiled smugly, noting that I would have to thank Edward properly later for sticking up for me.

"I complied," she said. "But, I have a few conditions."

I groaned, tossing my head back against the couch.

"I get to dress you however I want, no vetoes." A streak of blue flashed in front of my eyes before landing softly in my lap.

Alice always tried to get me to dress a little more provocatively than I was used to, but she knew fashion, and I always felt more sexy than self-conscious in whatever she put me in.

"And?" I asked.

"You have to keep your shoes on all night."

"Ugh." She knew me so well. I hated shoes. All shoes. But when Alice had me dressed up in a pretty little cocktail dress, it was always paired with the most painful—albeit adorable—shoes one could possibly find. I would usually keep them on for about an hour or so before kicking them off and stuffing them into a kitchen cupboard where I knew she wouldn't bother looking for them.

"Fine. Anything else?" I asked.

"Yes. You have to have fun," she stated, as if it would be as simple as painting a smile on my face.

"I can try," I replied.

"You have to have fun," she repeated, with an emphasis on "have to."

I stared up at the ceiling concocting a plan in my mind that had to do with drinking my weight in cosmos and giving her brother an uninhibited lap dance. That would be fun and it would pretty much ensure that she wouldn't want to throw me a birthday party again.

"My parents will be there, Bella," she said, as if she were able to see exactly what my plan was.

I sat up straight, grabbing the pile of fabric from my lap.

"Rose is on makeup duty, and you know how messy she can get with that, so after you put the dress on, put this over it." She tossed me a black, acetate smock.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to just put the dress on after?" I asked.

"No, silly. That would mess up your hair. Don't question my system."

Opting to put a smile on my face and actually try and enjoy myself, I thanked Alice for the proverbial kick in the ass, and rushed off to my room to change.

The dress she had chosen for me was stunning, as usual; beautiful, cobalt blue with a halter neck and crochet lace overlay. It was short, designed to show off more leg than I probably had to offer—especially combined with the strappy blue high-heeled shoes.

Alice tapped lightly on my bedroom door before announcing her presents and pushing it opened.

I stood before the full-length mirror on the inside of my armoire door, still admiring Alice's dress choice while silently panicking about the length—or lack thereof.

"Oh, Edward's right. That color is amazing on you. You look gorgeous," she said setting down her armload of things on the foot of the bed.

I felt the blush rise in my cheeks at her use of the word "gorgeous."

"So does that color." She smiled, turning away from my reflection and plugging in a set of hot rollers.

"I'm going to start on your hair since it'll take a little longer. Then, after Rose gets here and takes care of your makeup, we'll head over to the reception hall."

I felt my stomach lurch. "Reception hall?" I asked, more than a little stunned. "Isn't that kind of extravagant for a birthday party?"

"Well, since it's your last one, no," she said bitterly.

"Don't be angry, Alice. There will be plenty of other things for you to celebrate." Just not for me, I added silently.

"Oh, I know," she stated, pulling me over to the vanity and guiding me down into the chair.

Alice draped the smock over me before going to work twisting the hot rollers into my hair and securing them painfully tight against my scalp.

As she prattled on about the party and extensive guest list, my anxiety grew to the point where I felt as though I was wound tighter than my hair.

I was so immensely grateful when Rosalie walked in with a drink in hand, that I could have cried.

"Happy birthday!" Rose leaned down, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I figured you could use a warm up," she said, setting the drink down in front of me.

Abandoning all semblance of lady-like grace, I chugged it down, earning a glare from Alice and a giggle from Rose.

"All right, you." Rosalie took the empty glass from me. "Alice has clearly got you way too stressed out about this party. I'll get you another drink–"

"Rosalie Hale!" Alice said sternly.

"Just one more," Rose continued. "And then I'll get started on your makeup. I'm not going to put much on. You already look beautiful. Besides," Rose turned to Alice once again. "The alcohol will add the perfect amount of color to your cheeks."

"Vodka is not a cosmetic." Alice glared at us both.

"Well some people don't need cosmetics." Rosalie stuck out her tongue before walking out of the room.

She returned a few short minutes later, handing me another glass of the red, sweet liquid.

I sipped it slowly this time, not really wanting to be completely wasted when I showed up to a party with thirty to forty of my friends, family, and colleagues.

By the time the time they finished, I wasn't entirely sure if it was the alcohol or their magic hands, but I looked unrecognizably fantastic—we all did.

Alice wore a beautiful, cream-colored, chiffon baby doll dress; Rosalie's was a long strapless, burgundy gown, that matched her lipstick exactly, her beautiful golden hair done in perfect waves, looking very much like the lighter, more angelic twin of Bettie Page.

It must have been Alice's sole purpose this night to drive our boys absolutely mad. As soon as we walked out into the living room, Edward all but attacked me. Wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me as he walked me backwards through our bedroom door.

It took Alice and Rosalie both to pull us apart while Jasper and Emmett stood in the doorway cheering us on.

"I swear, you two are like animals," Alice said. "Can you please try to keep it together tonight? I put a lot of work into planning this." She did a double-take, staring wide-eyed at Edward.

"You didn't even shave?" Her tiny bell-like voice suddenly took on a murderous tone.

"Nope." Edward crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth turning up in his signature half-smile. "My baby prefers the scruff," he said, winking at me.

Alice let out an exaggerated whimper as she shuffled over to Jasper with her hand on her chest. "You two are killing me."

I sighed, deciding I would probably have to be the one in control tonight. Alice really was such a sweetheart, the best friend a girl could ask for, the least we could do was give her this one thing.

I took Edward's hand, lacing our fingers together and leading him outside to his car.

On the drive to the reception hall, I had to practice the utmost restraint. It was quite a feat; Edward was looking particularly sexy in his suit and tie, with seemingly unkempt hair and the most fucklicious five o'clock shadow.

It was even more difficult when he kept bringing my hand up to his mouth and kissing the inside of my wrist. The only thing that kept me from climbing into his lap at a stoplight was the knowledge of Alice and Jasper in the car behind us.

As Edward pulled into the parking lot of the reception hall, the calming alcohol-induced haze seemed to lift and I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. The entire parking lot was full of cars that I recognized. It truly must have been everyone that I knew.

"Was this really all necessary for a stupid birthday?" I asked.

Edward smiled, kissing my hand one last time before sliding out of the driver's seat of the Volvo. Walking around to the passenger side, Edward opened my door for me and helped me out. He pulled my body against his, kissing me softly as I relaxed into him.

"Is it too late to escape?" I asked between kisses.

"Holy shit, you two!" Alice grabbed me by the elbow and towed me away from Edward. I glanced over my shoulder as she dragged me through the front doors of the building. He was standing in the same spot we had left him with his hands tucked into his pockets, staring down at the pavement.

"Alice," I said, jerking my arm from her grip once we were inside. "You've got me in some pretty ridiculous heels to expect me to jog to keep up with you."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just anxious to get to your surprise."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "You mean there's more to this? I thought I just had to dress up and smile."

"Relax, Bella. It's not an actual present or anything. Just a few little fun things we put together to show you how much we love you."

"Couldn't you just get me a coffee mug with a heart on it for that?" I asked.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't forget, one of my conditions was to have fun."

She guided me into the main hall which was buzzing with music and conversation. Everyone I knew from the school nurse, to Ben and Angela, even Jessica, the receptionist who worked in Edward's office, was there. I found that to be a little odd, though. She never seemed to like me much, as friendly as I tried to be at his office parties and other social gatherings. His business partner, Tanya, was terrific though; quite the opposite of Jessica.

I ordered a Cosmo at the bar and greeted people casually while I waited for Edward to find me. He walked through the door a few moments later with Emmett and Rosalie. His eyes scanned the crowd for a moment before meeting with my own. Smiling at me, he turned to say something to Rose before kissing her cheek and making his way over to the bar.

"Scotch on the rocks, please," Edward told the bartender as he shrugged out of his jacket and handed it over to the man.

I instantly felt better with him by my side. He reached over, running his finger up the length of my neck.

"You look incredible," He said. My eyes fluttered shut at the feel of his warm skin against mine.

"There she is!" A voice came from behind me.

I spun in time to see a pair of sparkling brown eyes before lunging into his arms.

"Daddy! What are you doing here?"

"You think I wanted to miss my daughter's twenty-sixth birthday?"

"Twenty-eighth," my mother corrected, as she shoved him aside kissing my cheek and hugging me tightly. "Happy birthday, Bella."

"Oh my gosh, you guys! This is great. I had no idea you were coming." I felt tears welling in my eyes as I pulled them each into another hug. I hadn't seen my parents since Edward and I went to Phoenix for Christmas the previous year. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

My mother laughed. "That would have spoiled the surprise, sweetheart."

"Free trip to the windy city eh, Ed?" My father said, smiling.

"Edward, Dad. Not Ed," I corrected him.

He shrugged, giving Edward a playful punch on the shoulder.

"And, what do you mean?" I asked, looking from my father to Edward. "Did you…?"

He leaned closer. "Happy birthday, baby," he whispered before kissing my temple.

"We'll be here for twelve days, Bells," my father said.

Mom put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's like a second honeymoon," she said with a wink.

I wanted to be disgusted or, at the very least, mildly nauseous, but I couldn't help but admire their care and affection. Even after thirty years of marriage, they still loved each other so much. I could only hope that what Edward and I had would last that long.

"Don't you dare," Rosalie came up and put her arm around my mother in a silent greeting. "If you cry, I'll have to redo your makeup before Alice breaks out the–"

"Say cheese!" Alice's voice was back to its normal, upbeat trill. We all turned toward her, draping our arms around each other and smiling for the picture.

I talked with my parents a while longer, not really willing to leave them so soon, but Alice assured me that they'd be here for nearly two weeks, and that it was alright to share myself with the rest of my guests.

Someone made an announcement over the sound system for us to all direct our attention to the west wall of the room.

A giant screen descended as the lights dimmed. I felt Edward's presence before he wrapped his arms around me, resting his stubbly chin on my bare shoulder. I flinched a little at the tickling sensation, but immediately forgot about it when the video started playing.

It was my entire first grade class singing Happy Birthday to me. I laughed at their toothless smiles as Alice took the camera around the room asking my students each individually what they loved most about me.

"She umm... She smells nice," Jacob said before turning and running away.

"She hugs me like my mommy," Leah said.

My heart swelled with pride as the camera made its rounds.

Alice must have put the video together while I was out of town for a teacher's conference last week. No doubt she went through a lot of trouble to gain permission from the school board and all of the parents to record the students. What an amazing friend she was.

She pulled me into the crowd to mingle with other groups of friends and colleagues. I stole glances at Edward when he wasn't by my side, noticing that he didn't look all that happy. I wanted to go to him and ask him if everything was alright, but just as I started to make my way over to him, Carlisle pulled me out onto the dance floor. I was relieved that it was far enough into the night that people had plenty of alcohol in their systems to not notice—or care— how completely uncoordinated I was.

"I hope you don't mind that your parents are staying with us," he said as we continued to sway on the dance floor. "We just thought it would be more comfortable for them to stay in the guest house."

"No," I said, scanning the crowd again for Edward. "I really appreciate it, actually." I finally found him again, leaning casually against the wall next to Jessica. She smiled, laughing and shaking her head. I watched breathlessly as Edward took her hand, raising it to his lips and placing a kiss on the back before she turned and walked away. A pang of jealousy shot through me, followed by an immediate feeling of ignorance.

Was that why Jessica was always so rude to me? Was that why Edward stayed at the office so late Tuesday night? It would certainly explain the look of guilt on his face when his eyes finally met mine.

But that wasn't my Edward. My Edward would never betray my love. He wouldn't do that to me. It wasn't even possible.

Was it?

"Excuse me, Carlisle," I said, cutting his dance short as I pushed passed a couple dancing next to us and moved toward Edward.

Some small voice inside me told me that that was the reason Edward had never wanted to get married, why every time I tried to talk to him about a family, he'd put it off.

A larger part of me wanted to rationalize what I had just seen, though. I knew that I loved Edward, and I did trust him. I had nothing to worry about.

As I approached him, I noticed Jessica staring at me from a table nearby. Edward's expression did not change from the unhappy, worried look I had noticed him wearing before.

Reaching his hand out and taking mine, he glanced around before leaning closer to me.

"We need to talk," he said.

I nodded slowly, the worry apparent on my face. My heart raced and a million thoughts ran through my mind all at once.

I wondered once again if it were actually possible for Edward be with someone else. I couldn't imagine ever wanting another man. Even if I lived to be a hundred, it would always only be him. I was sure that he wouldn't cheat on me, but could I be so sure that the receptionist-bitch wouldn't try something. Then again, was that any way to treat a relationship? I had more faith in Edward than that.

Regardless, I suddenly felt very aware of every breath I was taking, as though each one might be my last.

We walked in silence down a long hallway until Edward found an empty room to duck into. Flipping on the light switch, he latched the door behind us and turned to me with a smile.

"Edward," I whispered as he closed the distance between us. Cradling my face in his hands, he ran the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip.

"Bella, I'm so sorry." My breath hitched with his words, but he was still smiling at me.

He leaned in and kissed me softly before continuing. "I know how much you hate crowds and being the center of attention."

I nodded, not entirely sure where he was going with this, but more confident now that it wasn't the direction I had feared.

"Alice thought it would be fun to gather all our friends and family for this. I've felt guilty all night about planning to put you on the spot though." He leaned in and kissed me tenderly, successfully melting away any tiny question I'd had about his love and loyalty.

"What's going on, baby?" I asked, still confused.

Edward expelled a breath if air, shaking his head as he did so.

"I just wanted it to be special," he said quietly, one hand still on my waist while the other disappeared for a second, re emerging with a tiny velvet box. He ducked his head down to look into my eyes.

I was speechless as he flipped it open one-handed, revealing a beautiful, but modest diamond ring.

"My sister had all this creative, romantic crap for me to say to you, but none of it felt right. So, it may be cliché, but I'm just going to say it like it is." He swallowed hard, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against mine.

"I don't want to spend a single day of my life without you; without hearing your voice, without touching your skin." He placed a hand against my cheek in time to catch a tear as it fell. "Without kissing your lips," he whispered before pressing his lips gently to mine.

I ran my hands up the front of his body, taking the ring box from his fingers as I passed it. I pressed my lips to his again, kissing him with all of the love and passion that I felt for him.

I struggled with the box, trying to free the ring as Edward ghosted his hands along my arms. He stopped at my wrists, pulling away from my kiss and gazing into my eyes.

"May I, please?"

I smiled as he gently took the box from me. He removed the ring, discarding the empty box onto the floor.

My hand was trembling as he slipped the ring onto my finger, pausing halfway down.

"Is that a 'yes' then?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

A small laugh escaped me as I nodded. "There's nothing I want more," I told him.

He smiled widely, kissing my fingertip as he slid the ring the rest of the way down.

"It fits," he said smiling up at me. "I had to have Jessica pick it up at the jeweler's for me. Tanya told me that you and Jess had about the same size hands, so she had it sized for me."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Tanya pays close attention to hand sizes, does she?"

"Well, her and Jess got married a few weeks ago when they went on vacation."

I was surprised at this new revolution, and had to laugh at my previous stupidity and insecurities.

We spent the next few minutes kissing and holding each other, forgetting the world completely, until we heard a knock at the door.

Edward reached over, feeling for the handle without breaking our kiss. As soon as he unlocked the door, Alice came bursting in.

"I knew it," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Then why'd you interrupt us?" Edward asked.

Alice sighed, putting her hand out, palm up. "Let me see it then," she said, sounding far less disappointed than I'd expected.

She squealed with delight once my hand was in hers.

"Oh, it looks even better on you than it did in the box," she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

"So," I began, breaking free from Alice. "Everyone out there knows?"

They both nodded.

"That's pretty presumptuous of you," I said to Edward. "What if I had said no?"

He shrugged. "Then my heart would have broken and the whole world would have stopped."

Alice led us back out to the party. I was relieved to see that not many people had even noticed our absence.

As I walked across the room, Esme reached out grabbing my hand and glancing at my ring before smiling brightly and hugging me.

"It's about damn time," she said.

And so went the night; smiles, hugs, drinks, happy banter, and many congratulations.

I almost forgot it was my birthday until Emmett and Jasper wheeled a cart in with the most enormous, beautiful cake I had ever seen. Lavender and periwinkle colored fondant flowers adorning the entire surface and trickling down the sides.

The boys laughed as they lit the candles and the cake glowed with the intensity of the rising sun.

The entire crowd belted out Happy Birthday, and at the end, I blew out the candles, with the discreet help of Edward who stood right beside me.

Everyone continued to clap as my shoulders slumped and I looked over at Edward, mouthing the words "twenty-eight" to him.

He shook his head at me, frowning slightly as he reached over and plucked three candles from my cake.

"Twenty-five," he mouthed back, tossing them over his shoulder.

I realized a moment too late that the frosting-covered candles had hit Emmett. There was no time at all for me to dodge out of the way as he grabbed a handful of cake and tossed it at Edward, of course, hitting both of us in the process.

I heard Alice gasp in horror as butter cream icing smeared down the front of my dress. Before I knew it, all of us were involved in a massive cake-war.

Even my parents were smearing icing all over Esme and the good Dr. Cullen.

At some point, Edward grabbed my hand and ducked out of the room. We laughed as we rushed out the front doors of the building undetected by the other guests. After flinging chunks of cake off ourselves, we climbed into the Volvo and headed home.

Edward barely had the car in park before he had his hands on me. I wanted to climb over the consol to get closer to him, but I thought that since we were home, it could probably wait a few minutes. I led him into the house and straight back to our bedroom.

Edward ran his tongue up my neck, licking and sucking the frosting from my skin as he made his way to my mouth. He traced my bottom lip with his tongue before kissing me. My hands moved up into his hair, pulling him closer. I could taste the sweet butter cream on his tongue and his bottom lip as I sucked at it when he pulled away.

He dexterously unfastened the halter neck of my gown without me even realizing it until he was pushing it down over my hips. It fell to the floor and I stepped out of it, licking the icing from Edward's neck now as I undid the buttons of his shirt. He took his hands off of me only long enough to shrug the shirt off before moving them back to my body.

Edward smiled, bringing a finger up to trail along my jaw; he wiped some frosting from my face, smearing a dab on each of my nipples. I moaned at the feel of his hands on my hardened peaks.

Kissing my chin, Edward moved back down my neck to my breasts. He pressed a hand firmly into the small of my back, ghosting the other over the side of my breast as his tongue moves to lick the icing. After thoroughly sucking the frosting off one nipple, he moved languorously to the next, planting deliciously wet kisses along the way. Savoring the sensation of his mouth on my body, I threw my head back as he kissed his way back up the column of my throat, moaning heatedly against my skin.

Moving forward, I gently pushed Edward down onto the bed. He sat at the edge, kissing and licking my breasts and stomach as I continued to run my fingers through his hair.

Taking his face in my hands, I leaned down to kiss his lips before moving my mouth down his body. Tasting more of the icing on his neck, I lingered there for a moment, making sure it was gone entirely before moving on to his shoulders. He placed his hands on my thighs just below my ass, rubbing softly. Lowering myself to my knees, I continued to kiss and lick all down his hard stomach, dipping my tongue down just below the waistband of his pants. Edward's hands were in my hair now, but he was always much more gentle that I was. His fingers combed through lovingly as I worked the button open.

Not surprisingly, the front of Edwards pants were covered in the icing, too. I looked up at him, making sure he was watching as I traced the front seam with my tongue, biting the fabric and tugging just slightly once I got to the top.

He shifted his hips up for me as I pulled his pants and boxers off, making sure to remove his shoes and socks as well. Running my palms over his bare thighs, I sat back slightly, careful not to stab my ass with one of the heels of my shoes, and took in the sight of him sitting before me, naked.

I had always felt like I was Edward's—heart and soul, completely his. But there was something about seeing his ring on my finger as my hands trailed over his body that set me ablaze with desire while, at the same time, filling me with a sense of belonging.

I leaned forward, darting my tongue out to tease Edward, barely touching the head of his cock. He moaned, shifting his hips ever so slightly as if pleading with me to continue.

Alternating between open-mouthed kisses and licks, I went from the base of his thick shaft all the way back to the head, circling it with my tongue before taking him into my mouth.

Edward moaned, moving his hands from my hair to the comforter and gripping the blanket tightly. I could still taste trace amounts of the butter cream, making Edward's flavor that much more delicious.

I moved my hands up his body as far as I could reach, caressing the hard muscles of his abdomen and chest while taking him deeper into my mouth.

I hummed, sending a vibration through him and eliciting another needful growl as he thrust his hips up off the mattress.

Looking up into his eyes again, I slowly slid my mouth all the way down his length.

Before I could even register what happened, Edward had me pinned on the bed beneath him.

"Do you have any idea what it does to me when you look me in the eyes while doing that?" he asked breathlessly.

I licked my lips and nodded slowly. Of course I knew what it did to him.

He let out another feral growl before kissing my swollen lips, pushing his tongue between them.

Shifting his weight off me, he rolled to the side fumbling to remove my panties one-handed while careful not to break our kiss.

When they were finally off, Edward moved to sit on his knees between my parted legs. Trailing his fingertips up my calf, he lifted my leg and began kissing a path from my knee to my ankle where he paused to unfasten the strap of my shoe.

"Leave it," I told him.

He looked at me questioningly for a fraction of a second before ghosting his hand back up to my thigh.

I relaxed my body, letting my legs fall open as Edward moved closer.

Heat radiated from his body as he leaned back over me, licking and nibbling my neck and ear.

I could feel his hard cock pressed against my wetness and my lust was growing to such intense levels I felt like an inferno of need and desire.

Wrapping one leg around him, I shifted my hips, silently begging him entrance.

He sucked my bottom lip between his own as he slid his rock-hard length up the outside of my pussy and back down again.

Still conscious of the dangerously sharp heels I was wearing, I carefully wrapped my other leg around him. The friction of his bare chest against my hardened nipples sent wave after wave of pleasure through me, while escalating my need to even more frustrating levels than before.

Just as I was considering begging him, he pressed the head of his cock into my entrance. I moaned, throwing my head back into the pillow as he pulled all the way out again.

Edward placed a kiss at the hollow of my throat before pushing back in, this time completely.

He thrust his hips over and over as I pushed mine up to meet him, my hands roving as much of his body as I could reach.

I could feel my orgasm building; with every thrust, Edward pushed me closer to the edge. When he whispered that he loved me, that was all it took.

The emotional satisfaction combined with physical pleasure sent me whirling into the most intense orgasm of my life.

I clenched around him, drawing him in deeper as he continued to thrust, his body tensing momentarily before his own orgasm came.

"Fuck," he growled through clenched teeth, releasing into me as I continued to moan and whimper against his shoulder.

Rolling us onto our side, he collapsed onto the bed with one of my legs still hitched over his hip.

Kissing me chastely as we both fought to catch our breath, Edward ran his fingers down my leg, stopping once again at the ankle strap of my shoe.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why didn't you want me to take the shoes off?" he asked.

I snuggled in closer to him, running my fingers through his hair.

"It was one of Alice's conditions," I answered. "Keep the shoes on all night and she wouldn't torture me with any more birthday parties."

"Mmm, I see. I promised you I'd take care of that." Edward now wore an almost worried expression on his face. "The only problem is that now she'll just use the anniversary of our engagement as an excuse to throw a party on your birthday."

He flinched away from me as I lunged toward him and kissed him. He must have thought I was going to attack him for allowing his sister to trick me, but really all I was focused on was the word "engaged."

Edward and I were finally engaged.

~~*~~

A/N

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