PREFACE

He wasn’t hard to find. He stood, his back to me, waist deep in the midnight water, staring up at
the oval moon. The pallid light of the moon turned his skin a perfect white, like the sand, like the
moon itself, and made his wet hair black as the ocean. He was motionless, his hands resting palms
down against the water; the low waves broke around him as if he were a stone. I stared at the
smooth lines of his back, his shoulders, his arms, his neck, the flawless shape of him.…
The fire was no longer a flash burn across my skin—it was slow and deep now; it smoldered away
all my awkwardness, my shy uncertainty. I slipped the towel off without hesitation, leaving it on the
tree with his clothes, and walked out into the white light; it made me pale as the snowy sand, too.

I couldn’t hear the sound of my footsteps as I walked to the water’s edge, but I guessed that he
could. Edward did not turn. I let the gentle swells break over my toes, and found that he’d been
right about the temperature—it was very warm, like bath water. I stepped in, walking carefully
across the invisible ocean floor, but my care was unnecessary; the sand continued perfectly
smooth, sloping gently toward Edward. I waded through the weightless current till I was at his side,
and then I placed my hand lightly over his cool hand lying on the water.

“Beautiful,” I said, looking up at the moon, too.

“It’s all right,” he answered, unimpressed. He turned slowly to face me; little waves rolled away
from his movement and broke against my skin. His eyes looked silver in his ice-colored face. He
twisted his hand up so that he could twine our fingers beneath the surface of the water. It was warm
enough that his cool skin did not raise goose bumps on mine.

“But I wouldn’t use the word beautiful,” he continued. “Not with you standing here in
comparison.”

I half-smiled, then raised my free hand—it didn’t tremble now—and placed it over his heart. White
on white; we matched, for once. He shuddered the tiniest bit at my warm touch. His breath came
rougher now.

“I promised we would try,” he whispered, suddenly tense. “If… if I do something wrong, if I hurt
you, you must tell me at once.”

I nodded solemnly, keeping my eyes on his. I took another step through the waves and leaned my
head against his chest.

“Don’t be afraid,” I murmured. “We belong together.”

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words. This moment was so perfect, so right;
there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him, summer and winter. It felt like every nerve
ending in my body was a live wire.

“Forever,” he agreed, and then pulled us gently into deeper water.

BREATHLESS

As the warmth of the black ocean surrounded us, Edward pulled me closer to him, lifting me
slightly out of the water. I felt my skin contract with the sudden exposure to the night air and
Edward’s cool granite touch. He bent and kissed my forehead and then, arching my neck back
toward the water, his cool lips found the familiar hollow at the base of my throat. My heart leapt
and I could hear it pounding in my ears. By the time his lips crushed my own it felt as if it would
beat right out of my chest.

My arms instinctively found their way around his neck and I felt my hands close around his wet
hair, pulling me closer to him. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult with each
moment. The emotion in Edward’s kiss deepened and I could feel his body begin to relax, finally
letting go of all of his rules. I had kept my end of the deal and he intended to keep his.

I tried to breathe, but there was no air; only the scent of him, sweet and supple in the warm breeze
that hung all around us. I felt my heart jump again and thought once more that I might burst into
flames at any moment. As I slowly regained a portion of my senses, I eased my grip against his
bronze locks and with a gentle parting our lips separated, and I was suddenly able to breathe once
more. His eyes quickly found mine, filled with a sudden longing that I was certain had not been
there before. He wanted this too. I smiled unconsciously at the thought that he wanted me just as
much as I wanted him.

Raising me up again, he shifted my weight against his left arm, and his cool fingers began to explore
my pale skin. His eyes traced the outline of my body, mesmerized and full of awe. The
awkwardness I had felt earlier was completely vanquished by Edward’s gaze. Though he didn’t
speak, the warmth in his eyes told me how beautiful I was to him. How could I have been so
worried that he would not accept me? It almost felt silly now. His fingers moved down my side and
up the inside of my leg. My cheeks were suddenly hot, and I pictured how they must have
appeared to Edward; suddenly grey and shadowed in the pale moonlight.

I felt a chill run down my body from the base of my neck to my toes as his hand came to rest just
below my stomach. I wasn’t sure what to make of this sudden closeness with my only love. Edward
was the only person to ever get this close to me, and the sensation was quickly becoming
overwhelming. Was this it? Was this the moment that I had been dreaming of for so long? My
mind raced with anticipation as I stared into Edward’s radiant face. With no strain at all under my
weight, he began to take measured steps toward the shore.

This was it! The moment had finally arrived. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders once more
and pulled hard against his neck, craning my face toward his. I felt his arms tighten around me,
holding me in place against his chest. What was he thinking? I grimaced involuntarily at his sudden
resistance. My thoughts were soon sent scrambling for coherence once again as his long, elegant
fingers slid down my leg once more, making small circles around my knee all the way to my ankle.
A chill ran down my spine again as he pressed his smooth palm against my stomach once more. I
felt the heat immediately return to my face, my pulse hammering even harder in my ears. Clearly
he was trying to make me explode.

“EDWARD!” The sound burst from my lips before I could contain it. He smiled slyly and
lowered me into the warm bath, allowing it to wash over me more completely. The water was
shallower here and I felt my knees touch the sand beneath the waves. He must have thought it was
the coolness in his touch that had brought on my sudden bout of quivering. Before I could speak
further to explain the trembling, he slid his hand up my stomach and between my breasts in one
graceful movement. Curling it around my neck he pulled my face to his and kissed me with more
passion than I had ever dreamed possible.
My head was swimming, filled once again with the smell of his perfect skin. He pulled away slowly
to stare down at me with wanting eyes. After what felt like decades my focus slowly returned.

“Spontaneous combustion, remember?” I stammered, partially in jest. “You’re killing me…”

“Well, that is the last thing I want to do, Bella,” he said as his lips broke into the crooked grin that
always made my heart stop. My cheeks flushed again, still grey in the moonlight. The crooked
smile slipped from his lips as we stared at one another for what seemed like a lifetime. He brushed
my face with the back of his hand again.

“I held up my end of the bargain,” I muttered, my stubbornness fighting against the hesitation I felt
in him now. “It’s your turn.”

His hand moved down my face to my neck and then closed gently around my breast. I felt the rush
of insecurity come flooding back with no warning. I gasped slightly under my breath, the sudden
intake of warm air beneath his cool touch felt as if it would cause my chest to burst. My body
closed in on itself slightly with the unexpected moment of apprehension. What was I thinking?
This is what I had been waiting for! How could my body betray me at this of all possible
moments?

Fighting against the nervousness, I smiled up at him, my lips silently pleading with him not to stop.
His right hand moved to caress my body tenderly, almost apologetically, and I reached for his free
hand. I had to show him that I was not afraid. I pressed my lips against the wedding band now
placed firmly around his ring finger. The metal was colder than usual, numbing my lips a bit,
tingling in sharp contrast to the warm tropical night air that surrounded us. Glancing up into his
waiting eyes I began to kiss each of his thin fingers. His eyes closed for a moment, his perfect face
crumpling slightly into an expression of uncertainty.

Running my tongue along the underside of his ring finger, my lips closed around the tip. My eyes
flitted back to Edward’s face. The uncertainty was gone now from his pale features, replaced by an
intensity I had not anticipated. Suddenly he was moving with lightening speed. His hands closing
around my face and neck, the gentleness suddenly gone from his touch, he arched my head away
from him, exposing my throat. Before the weak impulses in my human brain could even
comprehend what was happening, his stone lips were pressing against my throat, moving wildly
from the base of my jaw to the hollow just below my throat.

I felt his lips part, his teeth a fraction of an inch from my skin. My heart raced and I could think of
nothing other than how much I had wanted this moment for so long. He was finally going to make
me his forever. I braced myself for what would surely be the single greatest and possibly most
painful, moment of my life.

“I’m ready,” I breathed. Was I? Was I ready to say goodbye to my human life— to Charlie and
Renee? Was I ready to spend the rest of eternity with this perfect creature by my side? Of course I
am, the moment of hesitation passing almost as quickly as it had manifested itself.

Edward, however, had regained a fragment of his disciplined control in my moment of indecision.
The stillness had returned to his face, and I knew he’d once again made up his mind to hold onto
the fragile human Bella as long as I would allow him. Sensing the disappointment in my
expression, he lifted me out of the warm ocean, hitching my legs around his hips in one fluid
motion. The abrupt movement set my head spinning. His lips found mine and we kissed feverishly
as he carried me effortlessly onto the beach. He spread my towel against the sand, bone white in
cool moonlight. Kneeling with the grace of a magnificent angel returning to earth after having
kissed the heavens, he rested my body on the soft cloth.

He knelt before me, the bright moon at his back. My eyes traced the outline of his perfect
silhouette and I felt a surge of tingling rush over me, my skin suddenly alive with the anticipation of
his touch. I raised my arm, turning my hand over, my fingers outstretched, closing just short of his
flawless form. He leaned forward, taking my outreached hand into his own, pulling his face closer
to kiss the palm that was now ablaze with wanting. His kiss flowed down the length of my arm as
his body moved silently over my own. My eyes closed as my head moved backward, the caress of
his lips now finding its way up the arch of my neck.

I could feel his cool breath as his lips found the tender region at the base of my jaw, just behind my
ear. Without thinking my hands wrapped themselves around the back of his neck, my fingers
entwining themselves in his bronze mane. By the time my lips were crushing themselves against his
again, my body was acting almost completely on its own. My arms moved naturally down his back
pulling futilely at his solid frame. There was no hope of my frail human strength having any impact
at all, but I had to feel his body against mine. Responding to my unavailing grasp, Edward lowered
his body, closing the gap between us. With no hesitation my legs closed around his waist once
more. Edward paused at the sudden warmness that enveloped him.

“Are you sure, Bella?” he asked quietly, his eyes never leaving mine, full of longing and desire.

“Yes, Edward, please…” I breathed, desperate for him to continue.

“If I hurt you—” he began, the uncertainty returning to his words.

The sound of my voice, now burning with desire, cut through his. “Edward!” I half shouted the
force behind my words unintentional.

The corner of his mouth curled as he stared at me, eventually breaking into the crooked smile that
I loved so much. He leaned in and we kissed again, the intensity deepening with each passing
moment. My head was full of his sweet breath again and it felt as if the world was spinning. I felt
his body move impossibly closer to mine, removing all space between us and suddenly, we were
one. Two halves coming together at last into a whole.

“Breathe, Bella” he whispered.

My eyes focused suddenly at the sound of Edward’s voice. They found his quickly and I pleaded
with him to continue, unable to speak. He moved against me again without breaking the bond
between us and I was overcome with sensations I could never find the words to describe. I felt a
new chill run through me, equalled only by the fire that now spread rapidly from my core, out
across my electrified skin. Edward hesitated for a moment at my reaction, but I pulled my lips to
his, crushing them against his perfect mouth, silently willing him forward.
I felt his body relax in my embrace and he moved more fluidly. My hands moved down his back as
his body continued to move against my own; silent, graceful. His eyes slid closed and his mouth
fell open as his angelic face settled into an expression of pure desire. His pace quickened and my
breathing followed suit. Slowly my mind began to absorb the multitude of new sensations brought
on by the movement of Edward’s body against mine. My skin was alive with the electricity of the
moment and my head swam with the sudden exhilaration of it all, but I could not push the initial
twinge of pain from my thoughts, that was now building into something more. Was this normal?
Was it supposed to last this long? I vaguely remembered Renee’s fumbling over something like
this during one of her scattered conversations with me about boys and sex when I was a kid.

“Edward…” I breathed, putting my hand on his chest gently. He did not respond immediately.
Lost in the intensity of the moment, my voice fell deafly on his ears. “Edward!” I cried, louder this
time, pressing my hand against his chest with more force than before. The rhythm of his
movements faltered and his lips suddenly found the nape of my neck again. I felt the sudden
welling of tears and fought to hold onto them. I couldn’t let him see that I was in pain— he would
only blame himself. I wouldn’t let him shoulder the blame for my weak human body’s inability to
keep up with his in this perfect moment.

A single tear formed at the corner of my right eye and I felt my chest swell under the weight of it. I
turned my head to the side and felt it slide down my cheek, searching for the sand below.

“Bella?” He said my name with an urgency that was quick and unexpected. “I’m sorry, Bella. Is
something wrong?” My head spun again. His quick eyes had seen the tear trailing down my cheek
before I could brush it away with the back of my hand. “Are you hurt?” he asked anxiously.

“I’m okay,” I stammered, my voice breaking across the words.

“Bella, I’m so sorry,” he said again, kissing my tear-stained cheek. I felt his cool breath against my
forehead as he kissed me again.

“I’m fine,” I mustered, hoping he couldn’t sense the hesitation in my breathing.

“Did I frighten you?” he asked with pleading eyes. The fear in his voice now told me I had been
correct. He was blaming himself for my momentary discomfort. I felt the separation grow between
us as he rose quickly; pulling his pants from the tree he’d draped them over earlier.

He stood with his back to me, facing out toward the ocean again. “I lost control, Bella…”

“Edward,” I called after him. “You didn’t scare me.”

“Well, then, what?” he asked over his shoulder, his eyes still avoiding me.

“Yes, Edward, okay, it hurt a little,” I was frantic for him to forget my stupid moment of hesitation
that was now threatening to take this perfect moment from us. “I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to the
first time.” He stood unmoving next to me, taking in the sound of my voice, but showing no signs
of giving in to it. “I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’m pretty sure this is normal,” I
pleaded, trying to get to my feet.
I almost tumbled over backward and I felt his cool arms against my back, holding me up. He
pulled the towel around me before taking my face in his hands. “Bella, I am sorry,” his words now
full of remorse.

“Please stop apologizing,” I begged, rolling forward on the balls of my feet to kiss him again. “I’m
fine, really. Better than fine, actually… I’m just a little… emotional, I guess.” The words were
coming faster now. He had to forgive himself, for my sake if not for his own. “It was so… intimate.
I’ve never felt closer to anyone.”

“Bella,” the sound of my name on his lips sounded so much more full of longing now, “I just
wanted it to be wonderful— for both of us.”

“It was, Edward!” I persisted.

“I made you cry, Bella!” he wailed. “And I didn’t even take notice until… oh, Bella, it was
completely irresponsible of me!”

“Edward, STOP!” I demanded, putting my finger over this mouth to keep any more self loathing
from escaping his lips. “I love you,” I said, with as much tenderness as I could find, “I love you
more in this instant that I ever have.”

“Why?” he asked as he turned to walk back toward the house.

“You let go, Edward,” I sputtered, chasing after him. “You allowed yourself to be completely free—
with me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see this side of you; you’ve always been so guarded and cautious.
You gave me what I wanted, don’t you see?”

He paused, turning to fix his disorienting gaze on mine. “You are too generous, Bella,” he said, his
tone told me that his resolve was weakening. “I wanted it to be… as… pleasurable for you as it was
for me.”

“So you did enjoy it?” I grinned, seizing this moment of weakness in the armor he kept between
us.

“It wasn’t obvious?” he muttered sheepishly, immediately starring at the path beneath his feet,
afraid to let me see the joy that had suddenly taken over his expression.

“I just wanted you to tell me,” I said, pushing the gap wider in his armor. “Tell me what you liked
most,” I baited, sliding my hands around his waist. I pressed my lips to the perfect planes of his
chest, working them gently across his frame. My arms moved around his waist again and my hands
fumbled with the clasp he had so gracefully secured a few minutes before. He stood motionless,
not breathing as my kiss found its way down his chest to his stomach.

“Bella,” he breathed, his voice quivering with uncertainty. He tried to move my hands away from
the clasp they continued to struggle against. “I don’t know…”
“I do, Edward,” my voice was strong now. I did know. I knew that I wanted him and nothing more.
The fear and uncertainty that had threatened to overtake me earlier were completely gone now. “I
know what I want,” I said, my eyes fixed on his. “Show me what you liked,” I whispered, placing
my lips around his index finger again.

His eyes stared back into mine, anxious with desire, “I want to try again,” I stated firmly, my
resolve strengthening. The armor was all but gone from him now. He stood before me, completely
exposed and vulnerable for the first time.

I breathed a breathless sigh and rose slowly, moving past him toward the house. As I reached the
door of the bedroom, I pulled my still damp hair forward around my right shoulder. I could feel
his eyes on my back, transfixed, tracing the contour of my body as I walked. I let the towel drop
silently to the floor at my feet and crawled into the center of the great white bed before me. With
as much grace and seduction as I could summon, I stretched out on my stomach across the width
of the bed, my back still turned to him. Crossing my legs in the air, I propped myself up against my
elbows, resting my chin against the palms of my hands.

Glancing over my left shoulder I caught a glimpse of Edward. He’d reached the edge of the
doorway and stood in awe of my body, laid bare before him. There was no sound other than the
slow repetition of my now controlled breathing. His eyes were full of wonder and longing. He was
mine. Our perfect moment had not been lost after all, it was only just beginning.

“Mr. Cullen,” I breathed, my lips breaking into a sly grin as I struggled to control my breathing
again.

I watched as Edward stepped to the door of the bedroom. He paused, almost trembling, his amber
eyes fixed on my exposed form. His gaze was so close and yet somehow far away at the same time,
wide with wonder and trepidation. His lips closed together into a tight line as he swallowed. Taking
a step forward into the room, his left hand clung to the door frame as if some invisible force were
pulling him backward.

His breathing slowed to an almost imperceptible stillness as he moved forward again, his long thin
fingers clinging desperately to the cold metal frame until they couldn’t hold on any longer. His
unyielding gaze never breaking, his expression slowly shifted as his gate gave way to a near sprint,
the fear and uncertainty melting away with each step, replaced with desire and determination.

As he reached the bed, I turned to face him. With no recollection of how I arrived in the position,
I was on my knees at the edge of the bed, my lips forming themselves against the perfect shape of
his own. My arms slithered around his neck, pulling him closer as my hands slid up the back of his
head, sinking into his warm bronze locks. We remained wrapped in our embrace for what felt like
an eternity, our kiss full of more raw emotion than he would have ever allowed before, all
reservation gone from him now.

I felt lightheaded when our lips finally parted. I rose slightly, my head falling back, heavy under the
weight of his intoxicating scent. My hands fell to his shoulders and I felt his lips against my throat.
Still wrapped in the haze of his sudden closeness, I heard the faint clinking of metal and realized
his hands were fumbling uncharacteristically as he worked to remove the pants he’d so effortlessly
re-secured only moments before. His cool stone lips never broke from his kiss as he moved them
from my collar bone to the base of my jaw.

My senses began to return, slowly adjusting to the intensity now emanating from Edward’s body. I
felt his hands around my waist as he lifted my body effortlessly while moving onto the bed. His
arms moved up my back as his lips found mine again. He laid me gently against the bank of
oversized feather pillows lining the headboard, his body hovering only inches above my own.

Our lips parted as my head came to rest against the feathered embankment. His eyes found mine
the instant our kiss was broken. A wry smile crept across his perfect mouth, the left side turning up
toward the heavens. His gaze was full of so many emotions now. Passion. Desire. Longing. And an
overwhelming love that words cannot describe.

“You are so beautiful, Mrs. Cullen,” he sang in his perfect angelic voice. My chest was suddenly
tight and I realized I had stopped breathing. I slowly drew in another breath of his sweet fragrance
as my eyes searched his face for any sign of hesitation. They found none, and I knew that he had
given himself over to me completely.

“Thank you,” I breathed the sound of my words barely more than a whisper. His curled lips grew
into a cheshire cat grin for an instant before his kiss found my wanting mouth again. I felt his hands
on mine as he slowly brought my arms above my head, holding them firmly in place as his cool lips
wrapped around the globe of my left ear. His cool tongue traced the slope of my neck to the valley
at the base of my throat. My eyes closed, the lids heavy, my head full of his hypnotic aura yet again.

His hands moved down my arms as his kiss moved across my breasts and on to my stomach. My
heart raced as his lips reached my navel and my stomach lurched as I felt his cool breath against
my midriff.

“I love you Bella,” he rendered, resting his right cheek slightly against my abdomen. His voice was
unfaltering now, elegant, full of confidence. His hands continued down my body and allowed mine
to follow. My body was suddenly ablaze with anticipation again, his cool hands leaving trails of fire
in their wake. My chest was tight again, my heart pounding in my throat. My hand sank into his soft
hair once more and began twisting it around my fingers. His hands found my waist at the moment
his lips touched the inside of my thigh and my heart exploded.

“Oh my god!” I gasped. The sound of my voice was barely decipherable over the pounding in my
ears. Waves of fire erupted across my body. No control left in me, my arms flailed wildly.
Attempting to regain my senses, I grasped the headboard with my left hand, my knuckles going
white as I struggled to steady myself. My right hand, unable to find a surface to cling to, closed into
a fist around the pristine white comforter still barely disturbed across the enormous bed.

Edward’s grip tightened as my back arched with the intensity of this new sensation. The waves of
fire were washing over me still, one after another, intensifying with his every movement. Edward
paused for a moment and I felt my lungs fill with air for the first time after what felt like hours. My
body sank back into the soft bed just in time before his hands began to move up the outside of my
legs. I opened my eyes for a fraction of a second to see my left hand closing into a tight fist around
Edward’s hair. He continued, unfazed by the fact that I was practically tearing his hair out.
My breathing became choppy and uneven. Wave after wave of heat rolled over me, the intensity
growing with each pass. My right arm slapped against the headboard as my hand searched fervently
for something to steady myself against. There was a burst of flames in my abdomen and my body
closed in on itself.

“EDWARD!” I shouted, unsure if I had done so consciously or not. He paused once more and
my eyes began to refocus themselves. I now had my legs locked firmly around Edward’s body and
he was gazing up at me now, the cheshire cat grin sprawled across his face again.

Without thinking, I grasped his face in my hands, pulling him toward me. His cool lips grazed my
stomach and once again his body hovered mere microns from my own. His stare locked onto my
wanting eyes and it felt as if someone else was guiding my movements now, some primal being
locked away beneath my skin, suddenly freed of her confines and desperate to make the most of
her new-found freedom. My hands locked into a vice around the back of his head as I ground my
lips against his. Unable to breathe, to hear, to think, my eyes closed and I pulled myself closer to
him.

Slowly, my breathing returned and I sank back into the soft pillows as the unexpected rush of
euphoria subsided. Still holding his face softly in my hands, I looked up into his angelic face. He
was the picture of perfection; calm, loving, no sign of fear or uncertainty. My chest swelled as the
magnitude of my love for this man, my husband, overtook me.

“Make love to me, Edward” I said, the words tender, my voice suddenly clear in my ears. He
moved slowly to caress my lips with his own, and I felt the primal force inside me cry out for more.
I felt my legs curl around him, and my hands clutched at his back in futility trying to pull him
closer to me. My mouth broke from his kiss and traced the contour of his jaw to the top of his
neck. My lips parted and I felt my tongue slide around the back of his left ear, and felt my teeth
sink into the cool satin flesh of his ear lobe. My body was acting completely on its own now and I
felt my skin ignite once more.

As my teeth sank into his impenetrable skin, my lips closing around them, I felt Edward’s body
tense and in an instant his arms were around me, pulling me closer to him, the distance that had
existed between us seemed so vast now that I could feel his body pressed firmly against my own.
The flames burst out across my body again as Edward moved forward. My body cringed slightly at
the unexpected sensation and I gasped slightly in his ear, my teeth releasing their hold on him.

I glanced quickly at him, my eyes begging him to continue. I could not bear the thought of us being
separated. Our bodies moved in unison together as the waves of fire and ice washed over me. The
rhythm of our unity increased and it felt as if my body would burst into flames at any moment,
fusing us together as one. My pulse raced deafeningly in my ears as Edward clutched at my body,
pulling me tighter and tighter against him. I tried to breathe and my eyes closed as my head swam
with the intense pleasure of his breath, filling up my mind and drowning out my own
consciousness.

Somewhere in the distance I heard a voice that was vaguely familiar calling the name of my
beloved. The voice was frantic, breathless, surreal… Was that my voice? Or was it that of the
primal creature now in control of my body? My head fell to the right as the waves washed over me
faster and faster. Every movement of Edward’s body was one to match my every desire, and I
wondered if he was somehow able to hear my thoughts at last. Or maybe his mind was now keenly
linked with that of the creature that had been unleashed by his touch; the primal Bella, who was
practically screaming her wants and desires at him from deep within me. My eyes slid shut as I let
the warmth overtake me. All thought slipped from my mind as I inhaled another heavy breath of
him, and I was lost for a moment in the pleasure that surrounded us.

My eyes opened again as the rhythm between us slowed and I felt something soft graze my cheek. I
turned my face toward Edward’s to find his eyes full of pleading. Before I could begin to
contemplate the sudden change of emotion in his face, he pressed his lips to mine and the room
spun once again.

When our lips parted after what felt like a lifetime, he stared at me once again, a deep loving gaze
fixed on mine. The rhythm slowed again and he brushed my hair away from my face.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. My heart leapt as the sound of his voice brought me back to
reality.

“I could get used to this,” I stammered, the voice I heard now once again my own. I kissed him
again feverishly. “I don’t know… how it is for you…” I stuttered between breaths, “but I don’t
think… it could top… what I’m feeling…” A sly grin broke over his angelic features.

“I was thinking the same thing…” he replied, his voice perfect and unfaltering as his words filled
the air around my head, the rhythm between us unwavering. “I had no idea it would be this,
euphoric…” His eyes conveyed the elation he was feeling. “Perhaps you should have agreed to
marry me sooner,” he said teasingly as he pressed his body harder against my own.

The sudden lightness in the mood caught me off guard and I exhaled in a tiny laugh, realizing I
had been holding my breath again without knowing. As my body relaxed, Edward’s expression
intensified. He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes, as his head arched backward and I felt a new wave
of warmth envelope me.

By the time his eyes were fixed on mine again, my breathing had return to its hurried, frantic state.
He stared at me with a new curiosity I had not seen before. I breathed deeply, and with no
warning, I suddenly felt our bodies tumbling over one another in the night. My weak human mind
slowly took in my surroundings when we came to a stop as abruptly as we had begun. Without
separating our entwined bodies, he had rolled me on top of him, and was now staring intently at
my body, pale in the waning twilight drifting through the windows.

My hair fell around my shoulders as I looked down at him, and something soft and white floated
past his face to the bed below. His eyes found mine and I could not help but smile at him. He was
magnificent. This must be a dream, I thought. It was not possible that such a magnificent creature
could be real. He sat up, wrapping his arms around me and quietly touched his lips to mine.

Instinctively I leaned into his embrace without breaking our kiss, pushing forward against his cool
stone figure. He inhaled again deeply and I felt the earth move beneath me. Fire tore through me
again and my hands locked behind his neck as his cool lips sought out my throat, sending chills
down my back, now exposed in the night air. The tempo between us hastened as we moved
together is unison. In the distance I heard the sound of my name and the flames exploded from
my very core, engulfing my body in a torrent of fire and ice.

The primal voice rang in my ears as I felt the breath escaping from my lungs. My back arched and
my head fell backwards as I surrendered to the indescribable joy that was now resonating
throughout every fiber of my being. I was powerless to move, to breathe, to speak. There was no
sound, only the silent expression of emotions with the gentle rise and fall as our bodies moved
together as one.

As the flames subsided, my eyelids sank heavily, further obscuring my still blurred vision.
“Edward,” I breathed the sound barely audible.

“Yes love?” he cooed sweetly.

I fought the exhaustion that now consumed me, trying desperately to open my eyes. I did not want
this moment to end. As soon as I closed my eyes, the dream would surely be over, and this perfect
creature who sat clutching my body to his would be gone.

My head, heavy with his scent and exhaustion, fell back onto the soft pillows as he laid me gently
back onto the bed. My eyes slid closed for the last time just in time for me to glimpse the first rays
of the morning sun break over the horizon.

“Sleep my love,” I heard him whisper. Unable to open my eyes, I raised a weary hand to search for
his face. He took my hand in his and pressed it firmly to his cheek, kissing my palm gently.

“Don’t go,” I moaned, slipping into the space between dreaming and reality.

“Never,” he whispered. “I love you, Bella,” I heard him sing, as the euphoria overtook me.